John Owen on Atheism

 “If I say to a man that the sun is risen and shines on the earth,

“if he questions or denies it, and asks me to prove it, it is sufficient to say, ‘It proves itself by its own light.’ “If he then says that this is no proof to him because he cannot see the light of the sun, then it is a satisfactory answer to say that he is blind. “If he is not blind, it is useless to argue with him because he is contradicting the witness of his own eyes and leaves himself with no satisfactory rule by which he could ever be convinced about anything. “So if I tell a man that the ‘heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork,’ or that the ‘invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,’ and he asks me how I can prove this, “it is a sufficient answer to say that these things in and by themselves prove the existence of the infinitely wise and powerful Creator, and that he ought to be able to reason that out for himself. “If he says that it does not appear to him that the universe was ever created but that it only came into being by chance, “then it is sufficient to say that he is delirious and does not have the use of his reason, or that he is arguing in express contradiction to his own reason, as the heathen philosophers admitted. “And if I declare to anyone that the Scripture is the word of God, a divine revelation, and that it proves and manifests itself to be so, and he replies that by the use of his sense and reason it does not appear to him to be God’s word, “then it would be a sufficient reply to secure the authority of Scripture…to say, ‘All men have not faith,’ in the light of which alone we can see the marks of its divine origin impressed on it.” — John Owen

Animal Laws

 Animals do not make laws. Animals do not force clothing, literacy, taxes, speeding, honesty, fidelity, property rights, punishments for murder, or trial by jury-- for billions of years across 1.7 million species.

Atheist begins: "Let me Introduce you"

Evolution does not provide the framework for:

1, binding imperatives/ mandatory actions, emotions, opinions

2. shame, remorse,

3. respect, empathy.

You can post commands and opinions, but for billions of years 1.7 million species will entirely ignore and defy your commands and opinions-- just as they do to this day. Humans as animals are not bound to any imperative, opinion, goal. purpose.

Whatever actions, responses, behaviors, traits you do cite in an animal it is still not "objectively good", as if jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing are objectively good/ bad.

Violence happens in the animal world, but so does jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing, nudity, illiteracy, infidelity. You either embrace all traits, or renounce all traits; But all traits are equal though different. A brown cow is not better than a violent cow. A peaceful cow is not better than a red cow.

Nugget on Atheism

Evolution allows for no binding imperatives. Things happen.

There are no "goals" (for life to exist, improve, cooperate, be sustained, or continue.)

Life happens, but so does death. Cooperation happens but so does violence. If empathy happens so does jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing in the ground.

Offspring are born, but not always. Mates are found, but not always. Life is not an imperative. Health is not an imperative.

In Evolution no "is" or "are" is an "ought" or a "must". In Evolution no "does, do, did, has" is an "ought" or a "must". Examples. 1. Termites are cooperative. But this does not mean that "ought" to cooperate or "must" cooperate. Bears do not cooperate. 2. Humans "do" show empathy. Insects do not show empathy, animals only operate on instinct. No animal says that humans "ought" or "must" show empathy.

The feelings of shame, remorse, empathy, cooperation are all traits that are never required responses, just like "jumping" is not a required response. Some animals jump, some don't. Humans may have remorse, humans may not. Evolution does not care if life exists, improves, thrives, survives, or ends. There is no goal, intentionality, purpose in evolution. Death is fine, shame is fine, selfishness if fine.

Atheists say, "But cooperation, morality, empathy improves and extends life." Improvement and comfort are subjective. A pig fines comfort in mud, should humans wallow in mud? Bears hibernate, should humans hibernate? Sharks can live 300-500 years without reading, writing, waring clothes, or leaving the ocean; should humans imitate sharks to extend their life? Atheists tell me "you ought to read more." I tell them to tell that to a Shark. A shark will ignore them as 1.7 million species will, and thus so will I ignore their commands. 1.7 million species don't read and in evolution that is okay, so I won't read either. They say we came from animals, but then ditch the entire framework that animals operate under. 

Agreed Behavior

 An atheist has defined morality as "agreed behavior in a community."

I responded, "If we came from animals who have existed and evolved over 2 billion years, then nothing in evolution "requires" agreement. A cat can climb a tree or avoid a tree, neither is right or wrong, neither is required. You cannot praise conformity nor shame non-conformity. Even praise and shame are decisions that are meaningless like having wings or not having wings. If an animal or human derived from animals has no shame, it is irrelevant as an animal having no wings. No trait is mandatory, required, or essential. Even survival is not mandatory, required or essential. Plenty of species are extinct and that is just fine. There are no goals and no purpose or objective in the outcome of an explosion."

Atheism Believes

 

ESSENTIALLY ATHEISM

"Opposition to divine sovereignty is essentially atheism." ~ Charles Spurgeon