1 Problem of natural evil
P1 if there were a god there would not be unnecessary natural suffering
I’ve defended this argument in other videos
P2 there is unnecessary natural suffering
Therefore, there is not a god
2 Problem of Moral Luck
P1 if there were a god our virtue would not depend on factors outside our conscious control
This premise is logical, there’s no reason for our virtue to be tied to external factors. If god is just then he shouldn’t punish us for bad luck.
P2 Virtue does depend on factors outside our conscious control.
Things like lead in water, upbringing, and cultural traditions determine a persons virtue.
Therefore, there is not a god
3 argument from animal suffering
1 If there were a god, animals would not suffer unnecessarily
2 Animals suffer unnecessarily
The suffering of the deer who’s eaten by a lion, is not needed, nor is the suffering of wild animals from disease that’s been occurring for millions of years
Therefore, there is no god.
4 argument from nature containing more suffering than well being
1 If there were a god, animals would experience more well being than suffering
We generally treat animal well being as prima facie good, if you see an animal in pain you should try to help it.
2 Animals experience more suffering than well being
This is supported by research from people like Tomasik and Horta. Most animals are r strategists, which means they have thousands or millions of children, only a few of whom will survive to reproduce
Therefore, there Is not a god
5 Argument from suffering in dreams
P1 If there were a god, we would not experience unnecessary suffering in dreams that we later forget
The suffering can’t have instrumental value, given that we forget about it and it has no causal impact on the real world.
P2 We do experience unnecessary suffering in dreams that we later forget
Therefore, there is no god
6 Argument from depression
P1 If there were a god, there would not be depression
This is logical, we generally treat depression as a bad thing, that ought to be cured.
P2 There is depression
Therefore, there is no god
7 argument from diseases
P1 If there were a god there would not be disease that kills large numbers of innocent people, such as malaria, flesh eating parasites, and covid
These diseases are rightly recognized as prima facie bad, such that if we could cure malaria, most people agree we ought to.
P2 There is disease that kills large numbers of innocent people, such as malaria, flesh eating parasites, and covid
Therefore, there is no god
8 Argument from base hedonic state
P1 If there were a god our base hedonic state would be very good
To clarify, this is saying that if there were a god we would be very happy all the time, because happiness is better than sadness.
P2 Our base hedonic state is not very good.
To clarify, a perfect god could make all of our good experiences far better, such that when we are happy, we experience far more happiness
Therefore, god does not exist
9 Argument from good taste
P1 If there were a god good tasting food would be universally healthy
Good taste is good, all else equal, when deciding whether or not to eat a food we take ourselves as justified in being more willing to eat foods we like, than foods we don’t like. Surely the world would be better if spinach tasted delicious to most people, and chocolate tasted bad.
P2 Good tasting food is not universally healthy
Therefore there is not a god
10 Argument from Hunger
P1 If there were a god, there would not be hunger
Hunger is bad and causes immense unnecessary misery.
P2 There is hunger
Therefore, there is not a god
11 Argument from technological black balls
P1 If there were a god, there would not be the possibility of developing technologies that could easily wipe out civilization
P2 There is the possibility of developing technologies that could easily wipe out civilization
Examples of this technology would be bioengineering, nuclear weapons, and AI
Therefore, there is not a god
12 Argument from unspeakable horror
P1 If there were a god, the worst forms of sufferings undesirability would not outweigh the desirability of most good experiences by orders of magnitude
P2 The worst forms of sufferings undesirability does outweigh the desirability of most good experiences by orders of magnitude
When we think about just how bad the most brutal torture, being burned alive, being fried in a metal bull, or being skinned alive, it’s hard to imagine why that intense degree of suffering would be part of an allegedly perfect design.
Therefore, there is not a god
13 Argument from sleep
P1 If there were a god, humans wouldn’t need to sleep
If you were designing a species, why the heck would you make them spend nearly half of their time lying down doing nothing.
P2 Humans need to sleep
Therefore there is not a god
14 Argument from evolution
P1 If there were a god, there would not be evolution
Evolution is an innefficient process that involves creating species through random trial and error over the course of millions of years, that wipes out the vast major of beings. The bible also suggests that organisms were created by intelligent design, rather than evolution
P2 There is evolution
This is supported by the overwhelming scientific consensus
Therefore, there is no god
15 Argument from the problem of evil
P1 if there were a god there would not be enough evil to make the problem of evil compelling
P2 There is enough evil to make the problem of evil compelling
Therefore, there is no god
16 Problem of maximization
P1 if there were a god, gods goals would be maximally achieved
This follows from what a goal is
P2 God has infinite ability to achieve his goals
Therefore, if there were a god, gods goals would be infinitely achieved
Gods goals are not infinitely achieved
Most people don’t go to heaven and do numerous evil things, which could be easily prevented by god without violating free will
Therefore, there is not a god
17 The problem of headaches
P1 If there were a god there would not be headaches
They are just painful and serve no purpose
P2 There are headaches
Therefore, there is not a god
18 Problem of divine hiddenness
P1 if there were a god, god would reveal himself
P2 god doesn’t reveal himself
Therefore, there is no god
This is supported by the fact that god allegedly wants to have a relationship with us. However, you can’t have a relationship with us if we don’t know you exist.
19 problem of inconsistent revelation
P1 If there were a god, revelation would all point towards the same god
P2 revelation does not all point towards the same god
Therefore there is not a god
This is supported by the strange phenomenon of hundreds of different people have divine revelations that lead them to different gods. If they are all backed by god then god is screwing with us. If they are not all backed by god, then it’s curious why god implants in us a psychological mechanism that detects a variety of divine revelations from gods that do not exist. That seems like a crappy design
20 Argument from mind body dualism
P1 if there were a god you would expect total mind body dualism.
This premise is reasonable. It’s strange that we’re morally punished for things that we do which are influenced by random physical effects outside of our control, such as whether there’s lead in our water, whether we’ve had our cup of coffee in the morning, or whether we have gotten enough sleep.
P2 There is not total mind body dualism
Our mind is obviously affected by physical conditions
Therefore, there is not a god
21 Argument from obvious improvements
P1 If there were a god there would not be lots of obvious possible improvements to the world
P2 there are lots of obvious possible improvements to the world
Therefore there is no god
22 Argument from moral uncertainty
P1 If there were a god there would not be moral uncertainty
P2 There is moral uncertainty
Therefore there is no god
This seems intuitive—why would god have the moral law written on our hearts be contradictory with other moral laws written on other hearts and deliver incorrect moral verdicts
23 Argument from bad design
P1 If there were a god there would not be bad designs of biological mechanisms
P2 There are bad designs of biological mechanisms
Therefore there is no god
Examples of bad designs include inefficient thumb bones and giraffe necks
24 Argument from free will
P1 If god exists we have free will
P2 if god exists god knows everything we’ll do in advance
P3 If god knows everything we’ll do in advance we don’t have free will
Therefore if god exists we do and don’t have free will
If god existing requires having and not having free will god doesn’t exist
Therefore, god doesn’t exist
25 Argument from garden of eden
P1 If god exists the garden of eden was perfect
P2 The garden of eden wasn’t perfect
Therefore, god does not exist
Supporting arguments for P1
P1 If the garden of eden was perfect it would have had lots of people with good lives
P2 The garden of eden didn’t have lots of people with good lives
Therefore the garden of eden wasn’t perfect
26 Argument from holocaust
P1 If god exists the holocaust wouldn’t have happened
P2 The holocaust happened
Therefore god doesn’t exist
27 Argument from biblical inerrancy
P1 If there would a god the bible would be inerrant
P2 The bible isn’t inerrant
Therefore, god doesn’t exist
The bible has too many contradictions to be the inerrant word of god
Micah 7:18 claims gods anger lasts forever while Jer 17:4 claims it doesn’t last forever
Eclesiastes 1:4 says the universe shall be eternal yet second Peter 3:10 says the universe won’t be eternal
“… I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” — Genesis 32:30
“No man hath seen God at any time…”– John 1:18
Leviticus 24:16 New International Version (NIV) 16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them.
In Noahs flood god drowns babies. That seems unethical. God could have made death painless.
Numbers 31:17-18 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves.
Job 2:3 "The Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the Earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.”
Hosea 13:4, 9, 16 "You shall acknowledge no God but me. . . . You are destroyed, Israel. . . . The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open."
Judges 18:1–28 NIV "And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. . . . Then they said to [the priest], 'Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful.' The priest answered them, 'Go in peace. Your journey has the Lord's approval.' . . . Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a people at peace and secure. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. . . . The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there."
(Isaiah 13:9–16 NIV) "See, the day of the Lord is coming — a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger. . . . I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty. . . . Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated."
(Jeremiah 13:15–26 NRSV) "Hear and give ear; do not be haughty, for the Lord has spoken. . . . And if you say in your heart, 'Why have these things come upon me?' it is for the greatness of your iniquity that your skirts are lifted up, and you are violated . . . because you have forgotten me and trusted in lies. I myself will lift up your skirts over your face, and your shame will be seen."
28 Argument from biblical improvement
P1 If there were a god there wouldn’t be possible improvements to the bible
P2 There are possible improvements to the bible
Therefore there is no god
Here are several improvements
A Don’t enslave people
B Don’t rape people
C Treat others the way that you would want to be treated
D A comprehensive explanation of deep scientific truths. Imagine the millions of lives that could have been saved by the bible explaining the germ theory of disease for example
29 Argument from absence of greater wisdom
P1 If there were a god we would be more wise
P2 we are not more wise
Therefore there is no god
30 Argument from causal closure of the physical
P1 The physical is causally closed
P2 If god exists the physical is not causally closed
Therefore god does not exist.
31 Argument from pedophilia
P1 If there were a god people wouldn’t be sexually attracted to children
P2 People are sexually attracted to children
Therefore there is no god
32 Argument from homicidal sleepwalking
P1 If there were a god there would be no homicidal sleepwalking
P2 There is homicidal sleepwalking
Therefore, there is no god
https://www.crimetraveller.org/2017/11/homicidal-sleepwalking/
33 Argument from homicidal sexual urges
P1 If there were a god there would be no homicidal sexual urges
P2 There are homicidal sexual urges
Therefore, there is no god
34 Argument from pleasure and pain being linked to biology
P1 If there were a god pleasure and pain would not be linked to fitness enhancing features
P2 pleasure and pain are linked to fitness enhancing features
Therefore, there is no god
35 Argument from a hostile universe
P1 If there were a god, the universe would be mostly hospitable for life
P2 The universe is not mostly hospitable for life
Therefore there is no god
36 Argument from cosmic significance
P1 If there were a god we would have cosmic significance
P2 We don’t have cosmic significance
Therefore, there is no god
37 Argument from historical ambiguity
P1 If there were a god the historical case for Jesus’ resurrection would not be ambiguous enough for reasonable historians to disagree
P2 The historical case for Jesus’ resurrection is ambiguous enough for reasonable historians to disagree
Therefore there is no god
38 Argument from racism
P1 If there were a god, people would not be naturally racist
P2 People are naturally racist
Therefore there is no god
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-40124781
39 Problem of Ichneumonidæ
P1 If there were a god there would not be Ichneumonidæ
P2 There are Ichneumonidæ
Therefore there is no god
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22325435/animal-welfare-wild-animals-movement
The example of the Ichneumonidæ is instructive. A kind of parasitic wasp, the Ichneumonidæ spreads by female wasps planting their eggs in cocooning caterpillars. The larval wasps bide their time, nibbling at their host. Then, entomologists David Wahl and Ian Gauld have explained, “When the caterpillar is almost fully-grown, the ichneumonid consumes its insides entirely and breaks free from the caterpillar skin, subsequently spinning a cocoon under or next to the host larval remains.”
40 Argument from Graham Oppy
P1 If there were a god Graham Oppy would believe in god
P2 Graham Oppy doesn’t believe in god
Therefore there is no god
41 Argument from cultural contingency
P1 If god existed religious teachings would not be contingent on their culture
P2 Religious teachings are contingent on their culture
Therefore, there is no god
42 Modal Ontological Argument
P1 Possibly god does not exists
P2 If god possibly does not exist god does not exist
This follows from modal system S5
Therefore, god does not exist
43 Argument from fathers killing sons while sleep walking
P1 If there were a god fathers would not sleep walk into killing their sons
P2 Fathers do sleep walk into killing their sons
Therefore there is no god
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/north-carolina-man-sleepwalking-murder-acquittal
44 Argument from biological minds
P1 All minds are produced biologically
P2 If god exists his mind is not produced biologically
Therefore god does not exist
45 Argument from moral realism
P1 If god exists moral realism is true
P2 Moral realism is likely to not be true
Therefore god likely does not exist
46 Argument from utilitarianism
P1 If utilitarianism is true god does not exist
P2 Utilitarianism is true
Therefore, god does not exist
47 Agential Cosmological Argument
P1 Every agent that exists has an external cause
P2 God is an agent
Therefore if god exists he has an external cause
God does not have an external cause
Therefore, god does not exist
Arguments for p1
A it’s a metaphysical first principle
B If agents can exist with no cause, why not Julius Caesar or Beethoven. Why is nothing so discriminatory
C Whenever we see an agent we assume they have an external cause
48 Omnipotence cosmological argument
P1 Everything which exists is not omnipotent
P2 God is omnipotent
Therefore, god does not exist
Args for p1
A metaphysical first principle
B If God can be omnipotent why not Beethoven, or root beer.
C Inductive case
49 Physical cosmological argument
P1 Everything that is caused is caused by physical things
P2 If god exists things are caused by non-physical things
Therefore god does not exist
Args for p1
A Inductive
B Why can’t witches or spirits cause things
50 Argument from the indeterminacy of cosmology
P1 If god exists one theory of quantum mechanics would win out
P2 No theory of quantum mechanics wins out
Therefore god does not exist
51 Argument from the paradox of deontology
P1 If god existed there would not be a paradox of deontology
P2 There is a paradox of deontology
Therefore god does not exist
SEE BOTH HUEMER’S AND YETTER CHAPPEL’S
52 Argument from consensus
P1 If god existed most philosophers would be theists
P2 Most philosophers are not theists
Therefore god does not exist
53 Argument from study of POR
P1 If god existed study of philosophy of religion wouldn’t make people less religious
P2 Study of philosophy of religion does make people less religious
Therefore god does not exist
https://dailynous.com/2015/01/30/why-are-so-many-philosophers-of-religion-theists/
54 Argument from the absence of being a jack of all trades
P1 If there were a god it would be possible for diligent minds to have expertise in all domains
P2 It is not possible for diligent minds to have expertise in all domains
Therefore, there is no god
55 Argument from weird math stuff
P1) If God exists, then he is omniscient
P2) The first-order theory of Robinson arithmetic is true
C1) So, God believes the first-order theory of Robinson arithmetic is true
P3) If god exists, either God’s beliefs are consistent or God’s beliefs are inconsistent
C2) So, if god exists, either God believes his beliefs are consistent or God believes his beliefs are inconsistent
P4) If God’s beliefs include that his beliefs are consistent, then there is a valid deduction from the set of God’s beliefs to the fact that God’s beliefs are consistent.
P5) If God believes that the first-order theory of Robinson arithmetic is true, then there is a valid deduction from the set of God’s beliefs to each sentence of the first-order theory of Robinson arithmetic.
P6) Godel’s Incompleteness Theorems
C3) If God’s beliefs include that his beliefs are consistent, then God’s beliefs are inconsistent
P7) If God’s beliefs are inconsistent, then at least one is wrong
C4) If God exists, God believes that his beliefs are inconsistent
C5) God does not exist.
56 Arguments from temporal fluctuation in evil
P1 If there is no morally sufficient reason for evil god does not exist
P2 If there is a morally sufficient reason for evil, evil wouldn’t fluctuate dramatically over time
P3 evil does fluctuate dramatically over time
Therefore, God does not exist
57 Argument from suffering abolition
P1 If there is no morally sufficient reason for suffering god does not exist
P2 If there is a morally sufficient reason for suffering, the world would be worse without the suffering
P3 If the world would be worse without the suffering, people shouldn’t try to eliminate suffering
P4 People should try to eliminate suffering
Therefore, god does not exist
58 Problem of suffering basic
P1 If there were a god he would maximally reduce suffering
P2 If god maximally reduced suffering there would be no unnecessary suffering
P3 There is unnecessary suffering
Therefore, god does not exist
59 Argument from instrumentality being incompatible with omnipotence
P1 If god exists there is no unnecessary suffering
P2 If there is no unnecessary suffering all suffering serves a purpose that can’t be achieved in other ways
P3 If god exists he is omnipotent
P4 If god is omnipotent he can achieve his purposes without suffering
Therefore god does not exist
60 Argument from moral paralysis
P1 If god exists there is no unnecessary suffering
P2 If there is no unnecessary suffering, our normative judgements are very unreliable
P3 If our normative judgements are very unreliable we cannot form reliable moral beliefs
P4 We can form reliable moral beliefs
Therefore god does not exist
61 Argument from cognitive biases
P1 IF god exists we would not have lots of cognitive biases
P2 We do have lots of cognitive biases
Therefore, god does not exist
62 Argument from aesthetic anti realism
P1 If god exists there is objective beauty
P2 There is no objective beauty
Therefore god does not exist
63 Argument from unpersuasiveness of fine tuning
P1 If there were a god most philosophers would think god was the explanation of fine tuning
P2 Most philosophers don’t think god is the explanation of fine tuning
Therefore god does not exist
64 Argument from flesh eating parasites
P1 If there were a god there would not be flesh eating parasites
P2 There are flesh eating parasites
Therefore there is no god
Google horrific images of flesh eating parasites if you think god would create them
65 Argument from not being culpable by way of insanity
P1 If god existed people would not be not culpable by way of insanity
That does after all seem to undermine free will
P2 people are not culpable by way of insanity
Therefore god does not exist
66 Argument from the high probability of humean laws of nature
P1 If god existed the laws of nature would be non humean
P2 The laws of nature are likely humean
Therefore, god likely does not exist
67 Argument from cancer in young children
P1 If there were a god children under the age of five would not die of cancer
P2 Children under the age of five do die of cancer
Therefore, there is no god
68 Argument from abortion
P1 If god existed most philosophers would think abortion is immoral
P2 Most philosophers don’t think abortion is immoral
Therefore, god does not exist
69 Argument from god being aborticidal
P1 If there were a god most fetuses that were conceived would come to fruition
P2 Most fetuses that are conceived never come to fruition
Therefore, god does not exist
About 80% never come to fruition
70 Argument from the hard problem of consciousness
P1 If there were a god the hard problem of consciousness would be solvable easily
This would prevent accidental infliction of suffering on sentient beings
P2 the hard problem of consciousness is not solvable easily
Therefore there is no god
71 Problem of fish suffering
P1 If there were a god there would not be vast amounts of unnecessary fish suffering
P2 There are vast amounts of unnecessary fish suffering
Therefore there is no god
72 Problem of insect suffering
P1 If there were a god there would not be vast amounts of unnecessary insect suffering
P2 There are vast amounts of unnecessary insect suffering
Therefore there is no god
73 Problem of souls
P1 If there were a god most philosophers would believe in souls
P2 Most philosophers don’t believe in souls
Therefore there is no god
74 Argument from alternative worlds
P1 If there were a god there would not be lots of possible worlds that seem better
P2 there are lots of possible worlds that seem better
Examples include ones in fiction
Therefore there is no god
75 Argument from tragic political dilemmas
P1 If there were a god there would not be tragic political dilemmas
P2 There are tragic political dilemmas
EG the ones talked about by Bostrom in vulnerable world hypothesis
Therefore, there is no god
76 Problem of AI alignment
P1 If god existed AI alignment would be easy
P2 AI alignment is not easy
Therefore god does not exist
77 Argument from factory farms
P1 If there were a god there would not be factory farming
P2 There is factory farming
Therefore there is no god
78 Argument from sadism
P1 If there were god there would not be sadism
P2 There is sadism
Therefore there is not god
79 Argument from brutal torture
P1 If there were a god brutal torture would not be possible
P2 Brutal torture is possible
Therefore there is no god
80 Problem of hiddenness from diligent seekers
P1 if there were a god he would not be hidden from diligent seekers
P2 God is hidden from diligent seekers
Therefore there is no god
81 Argument from inapplicability of art to the physical world
P1 If there were a god aesthetic truth would produce useful scientific results
This is just sord’ve a flip side of the argument for theism from the applicability of mathematics
P2 Aesthetic truths don’t produce useful scientific results
Therefore there is no god
82 Argument from the inapplicability of lots of math to the physical world
P1 If there were a god mathematics would be applicable across the board
P2 Mathematics is not applicable across the board.
Therefore, there is no god
Examples of this include undefinable numbers, Inter-universal Teichmüller theory, most examples of pure mathematics, and Googology (discovering very big numbers)
83 Problem of dementia
P1 If god existed dementia wouldn’t exist
P2 Dementia does exist
Therefore, god does not exist
Dementia seems to undercut lots of the theodicies given that it undermines mental development and is extremely tragic
84 Argument from nothing
Possibly nothing exists
If nothing exists god does not exist
Therefore, god does not exist
85 Standard logical problem of evil
P1 If god exists evil does not exist
P2 It’s not the case that evil does not exist.
P3 Therefore, god does not exist
86 Argument from simplicity
P1 Atheism is simpler than theism
P2 Prima facie we should prefer atheism if it’s simpler than theism
Therefore, prima facie we should prefer atheism
87 Draper’s argument from meager moral fruits
P1 If god existed Christians would have been more moral than atheists
P2 Christians were not more moral than atheists
Therefore, god does not exist
88 Argument from predictions
P1 If god exists, theists would make extra correct predictions
P2 Theists have not made extra correct predictions
Therefore god does not exist
89 Argument from spread out belief
P1 If god exists belief in god would be similar throughout all geographical areas.
P2 Belief in god is not similar throughout all geographical areas
Therefore, god does not exist
90 Problem of teleological evil
P1 If there were a god there would not be teleological evil
P2 There is teleological evil
Therefore, there is no god
https://exapologist.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-problem-of-teleological-evil.html
“the cruel predatory practices of the margay:
Imagine being a pied tamarin monkey living in the Brazilian rainforest and suddenly a baby’s voice cries out in distress; the urge to go out and help would be overwhelming. But in reality it’s a lure set by a margay, a jungle-dwelling wild cat with remarkable mimicry skills.
The North American short-tailed shrew:
The North American short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda, secretes venom from salivary glands in its lower jaw to paralyze prey. But the point of the paralysis is not to kill the prey, but to keep it alive for an extended period of time to allow for prolonged feeding. A tiny shrew can infect a mouse, for example, and then graze on it for days and days until it eventually succumbs to its physical injuries.
The preying mantis:
The mantis is famous because the female often eats the male during intercourse, the latter being easily overpowered by his mate, but hardwired to proceed with the mating process. The sadistic part is that mantises do not bother to kill their prey before eating them: as soon as the insect embraces the hapless lover, it begins to consume it alive.
The sea lamprey:
Leeches are disgusting creatures, no one’s arguing that. Now, imagine a three-foot-long leech that feeds on the blood of larger prey. Congratulations, you’ve imagined the sea lamprey, a primitive vertebrate that resembles an enormous leech. The sea lamprey is considered a pest in the Great Lakes of North America, because it often kills the fish it attaches itself to. The reason the lamprey is so nightmarish a killer is that its victims have no limbs to fight it off and must wait for their attacker to gorge itself with their blood.
The lancet fluke:
Dicrocoelium dendriticum is a tiny fluke that, in one stage of its life cycle, can be found in the bodies of certain species of ant. The infected ants are controlled by the parasite and during the night, they leave the anthill, climb up grass straws, and simply wait. This leads to them getting eaten accidentally by sheep and other herbivores, inside which the parasite can continue its life cycle. Strangely enough, the ant returns to the colony during the day and proceeds with its usual activities.
The parasitic wasp:
Parasitic wasps are so horrifying and terrible that Charles Darwin used them as an argument against the existence of a benevolent God. To any of those amongst you that have seen Ridley Scott’s Alien movies. The wasps use a variety of host organisms, such as spiders, caterpillars, or the larvae of other insects. The prey is stung by the wasp, which lays its eggs in it. After the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae slowly consume the victim from inside out, leading to a slow, painful death. (Link to the examples here and above)
Not all natural teleological evil is predatory evil, however. A ready example can be found in the parasitic wasp just mentioned:
Once inside, those eggs "clone" themselves until the still-alive caterpillar is teeming with hundreds of larvae. Strangely, about 50 of the females emerge with large jaws and no reproductive organs. Their sole purpose for living? To devour as many of their brothers as they can, since only a few males are needed to fertilize their sisters. (Link)
Another example is the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, aka the zombie fungus.
Teleological evil appears to be a much more formidable problem for theism than mere moral evil or non-teleological natural evil. Perhaps the most obvious reason is that unlike teleological evil, moral and (non-teleological) natural evil involve no clear or otherwise natural presumption that such evil was intended by God. For when it comes to moral evil and other categories of natural evil, there is always the possibility, and in some cases the plausibility, that while God intended nature and autonomous agents to be good, such agents misused their free will to cause evil, whether directly (in cases of moral evil) or indirectly, by repurposing nature for evil ends (in cases of natural evil). By contrast, with teleological evil, it is part of the very design plan and natural purpose or function of an entity that it causes evil. In such cases, it is natural to infer that if there is a god, then it is part of the very intention of God to ensure horrific suffering, where this suffering isn’t justified in virtue of being necessary to achieve some outweighing good. For example, on the face of it, it seems that God could’ve created a world containing only herbivores.”
91 Argument from mandevilian intelligence
P1 If god exists mandevilian intelligence does not exist
P2 mandevilian intelligence does exist
Therefore, god does not exist
https://exapologist.blogspot.com/2019/05/theism-and-mandevillian-intelligence.html?spref=fb&fbclid=IwAR2VrTj3hy349Fdrb5gfn3PsCSQMzFFjOkWwxhFWQ8O1NSLbSFwjBLwz10M
“Theism and Mandevillian Intelligence
In keeping with recent posts on non-standard arguments against theism, I'll here briefly sketch another proposed argument in that vein: the argument from Mandevillian intelligence. Roughly, 'Mandevillian intelligence' denotes intellectual vices of individuals that, when taken collectively (i.e., among a group of similar individuals), result in positive epistemic outcomes. An example is intellectual stubbornness. Such a trait is clearly vicious in an individual, but when a group of intellectually stubborn individuals interact through (say) philosophical argumentation, it leads to the investigation of vast swathes of epistemic space, which is clearly a good epistemic outcome.
Mandevillian intelligence is prima facie surprising on theism, as individual intellectual vices seem bad, and something God would want us to eliminate in ourselves. By contrast, Mandevillian intelligence is unsurprising on naturalism, as blind evolutionary forces don't "care" about intellectual vice, but rather about whatever happens to help individuals and groups survive and reproduce. And clearly such vices can contribute to achieve such an end, as in the above case. Therefore, Mandevillian intelligence provides at least some evidence for naturalism vis-a-vis theism.”
92 The modal ontological problem of evil, inconsistency, and hiddenness
P1 Possibly gods properties are mutually inconsistent or inconsistent with possible evils or actual hiddenness
P2 If gods properties are mutually inconsistent or inconsistent with possible evil or hiddenness they are necessarily mutually inconsistent or inconsistent with evil or hiddenness
Therefore gods properties are mutually inconsistent or inconsistent with possible evil or hiddenness
If gods properties are mutually inconsistent or inconsistent with possible evil or hiddenness god does not exist
Therefore god does not exist
93 Argument from modal realism
P1 Possibly modal realism is true
Therefore modal realism is true
If modal realism is true god does not exist
Therefore god does not exist
94 Argument from many worlds
P1 The many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics is true
P2 If the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics is true god does not exist
Therefore god does not exist
“For example, take standard theistic accounts of substance dualism, and take the increasingly popular Everettian interpretation of QM (in fact, strictly speaking, it's not an interpretation: it just is QM). On that account, humans are constantly branching, hydra-like, into hugely many alternate universes, at virtually every moment of their lives. But if so, then prima facie, either (i) only one branch is you, or (ii) they all are you. On (i), God creates (directly, ex nihilo, or indirectly, through natural processes) new souls for each branch self at virtually every moment. On (ii), you have many selves. On either option, the sameness of soul account of personal identity is starting to look seriously unmotivated.
Furthermore, what are we to make of the afterlife? On (ii), all of your counterpart branch souls have an existence in an afterlife. Now combine that with the traditional doctrine of the soul being joined to a physical body at the final judgement. Prima facie, our world essentially involves QM and branching universes, in which case ,prima facie, so does any post-resurrection universe. Prima facie, all of the branching selves will be resurrected in different alternate universes, with counterpart Christs. On (i), it's hard to get an intelligible grasp of how all of my branching selves could be "me", each in their own resurrected bodies in alternate universes.
Furthermore, what are we to make of the person and work of Christ? For example, Jesus has many branch selves. Which one is the "real" Jesus? One? Some? All? Presumably, then, there are many Christs, and there will have to be many crucifixions. From this example, it becomes apparent that a host of other problems arise for the incarnation, atonement, trinity, and related doctrines.”
http://exapologist.blogspot.com/2019/01/substance-dualism-personal-identity-and.html
95 Argument from my existence
Probability (my existence| multiverse) > probability (my existence|god)
Thus, my existence favors the multiverse over god
96 Argument from religious ambiguity
P(religious ambiguity|atheism)>P(religious ambiguity|theism)
97 Argument from Jesus’ suffering
P1 If God exists Jesus wouldn’t have had pain receptors
P2 Jesus had pain receptors
Therefore, God doesn’t exist
98 Argument from moral dilemmas
P1 If God exists there would not be tragic moral dilemmas
P2 There are tragic moral dilemmas
Therefore, God does not exist
99 Argument from sociopathy
P1 If there were god there would not be sociopathy
P2 There is sociopathy
Therefore there is not god
100 Argument from the ineffectiveness of prayer
P1 if there were a god prayer would be effective
P2 prayer is not effective
Therefore, there is no God
101 Argument from omniscience being impossible
P1 Omniscience entails knowing infinite things
P2 Knowing infinite things is impossible
Therefore, omniscience is impossible
If Omniscience is impossible then God doesn’t exist
Therefore, God doesn’t exist
102 Omnipotence paradoxes
P1 omnipotence entails being able to do infinite things
P2 Being able to do infinite things is impossible
Therefore, omnipotence is impossible
If Omnipotence is impossible God doesn’t exist
Therefore, God doesn’t exist
103 Infinite future
P1 If God exists an infinite past is impossible
P2 If an infinite past is impossible an infinite future is impossible
Therefore, if God exists an infinite future is impossible
An infinite future is possible
Therefore, God does not exist
104 Argument from choices being temporal
P1 If God exists, he makes choices that are atemporal
P2 Choices must be temporal
Therefore, God does not exist
105 Argument from divine belief
P1 If God exists he has beliefs
P2 God doesn’t have beliefs
Therefore, God doesn’t exist
How can a being timelessly have beliefs with no body whose mind is the same as reality?
106 No free will and omniscience
P1 Free will entails not knowing what you’ll do in advance
P2 Omniscience entails knowing what you’ll do in advance
Therefore, omniscience and free will are incompatible
107 God can’t imagine not meeting his commitments because it’s logically impossible
P1 If God exists he can conceive of failing to meet his commitments
P2 If God exists he can’t conceive of failing to meet his commitments
(It would be literally logically impossible)
Therefore, God does not exist
108 Argument from hell
P1 God would not do immoral things
P2 Creating and or allowing hell is an immoral thing
Therefore, God would not create or allow hell
109 Argument from omnipotent beings ability to stop existing
P1 Omnipotent beings can stop existing
P2 Necessary beings can’t stop existing
Therefore, God is not omnipotent and necessary
110 Modal collapse
P1 If God exists, the history of the world is necessary
P2 If the history of the world is necessary, counterfactuals are metaphysically impossible
P3 Counterfactuals are not metaphysically impossible
Therefore, God does not exist
111 Omniscience is incompatible with there being no set of all truths
P1 Omniscience requires knowing the set of all truths
P2 There is no set of all truths
Therefore, omniscience is impossible
112 Omniscience entails a set containing itself
P1 Omniscience requires a set containing itself
P2 A set cannot contain itself
Therefore, omniscience cannot exist
Omniscience requires knowing everything and knowing that you know everything and knowing that you know everything…
113 Argument from languishing
P1 If God exists most sentient beings would not die after a very short time
P2 Most sentient beings die after a very short time
Therefore, God does not exist
114 Understandable evil
P1 If God exists we would understand the purpose for evil
P2 We don’t understand the purpose for evil
Therefore, God does not exist
115 Ugliness
P(Ugliness)|Atheism>P(Ugliness)|theism
Mirror of the argument from beauty
116 God verification
1 If God exists he can verify that his beliefs are accurate
2 He can’t verify that his beliefs are accurate
Therefore, God does not exist
117 God verification 2
1 If God exists he can verify that he knows all things
2 He can’t verify that he knows all things
Therefore, God does not exist
118 Argument from revulsion
(1) I'm rightly repulsed by some aspects of the natural world, but
(2) I wouldn't be rightly repulsed by some aspects of the natural world if theism is true;
therefore, (3) theism is false.
https://exapologist.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-argument-from-revulsion.html
The kind of revulsion in play is not primarily moral, but aesthetic. The argument therefore seems distinct from arguments from evil. Examples of repulsive things are easy to find -- think, for example, of most insects and parasites. Here is a randomly chosen example:
The crustacean Cymothoa exigua has the dubious and unsettling honor of being the only parasite known to replace an organ. It enters through the gills of the spotted rose snapper, attaching to the base of the fish’s tongue, where it drinks its blood. The bloodsucking causes the tongue to eventually wither away, at which point the crustacean attaches itself to the tongue stub, acting as the fish's tongue from then on. (link)
Other examples include the Venezuelan giant centipede, the hagfish, the Jerusalem cricket, the star-nosed mole, and the guinea worm.
The key premise is (2). Why should we accept it? The basic line of reasoning in support of the premise is that if theism is true, then our cognitive and affective faculties are reliable, and so they track the truth about aesthetic properties of the world. Now if theism is true, then God made the world, and it is good. But given epistemic reliability, my aesthetic judgements about the repulsiveness of parts of the natural world are prima facie justified, in which case parts of the creation are prima facie repulsive. But this conflicts with the hypothesis that it is good (at least aesthetically).
119 Argument from natural inequality
P(Natural inequality in skill)|theism<P(Natural inequality in skill)|Atheism
120 The problem of twisted moral paths
P(Twisted moral paths)|theism<P(Twisted moral paths)|atheism
Twisted moral paths are bad things that come out of general virtue. EG study of ethics leading people to accept things that are bad according to theists sometimes Adrawbacks to technological discovery, charitable efforts sometimes failing, politicians sometimes accidentally doing bad things, etc . This is improbable on theism, because on theism we’d expect evils not to punish general good things.
121 Argument from addiction
P(Harmful addictions)|Theism<P(Harmful addictions)|Naturalism
122 Gratuitous pain
P1 If theism were true, people would have the ability to put an end to their gratuitous pain
P2 People don’t have the ability to put an end to their gratuitous pain
Therefore, God doesn’t exist
Theism would predict a mechanism for people trapped in buildings with fire slowly approaching to avoiding feeling the searing agony of dying in a fire
123 Problem of rape
P1 If God exists rape would be less common than it is
P2 Rape is not less common then it is
Therefore God doesn’t exist
God could very easily make rapists not enjoy rape. Women are much less likely to rape then men, so God could design men to avoid rape the way he does for women in general
124 Omniscience and omnipotence contradiction
P1 AN omnipotent being can forget things
P2 An omniscient being can’t forget things
Therefore, a being can’t be omniscient and omnipotent
125 Carrier’s Bayesian argument from fine tuning part 1
The only way we could exist without a God is by an extremely improbable chemical accident, and the only way an extremely improbable chemical accident is likely to occur is in a universe that’s vastly old and vastly large; so atheism predicts a vastly old and large universe; theism does not
126 Carrier’s Bayesian argument from fine tuning part 2
Similarly, the only way we could exist without a God is by an extremely long process of evolution by natural selection, beginning from a single molecule, through hundreds of millions of years of single cells, through hundreds of millions of years of cooperating cells, to hundreds of millions of years of multicellular organisms; so atheism predicts essentially that; theism does not
127 Consciousness being supervenient
P(Consciousness supervening on the brain)|atheism>p(consciousness supervening on the brain|theism
128 Carrier’s Bayesian argument from fine tuning part 3
Therefore, the fact that thought is dependent on complex evolved brains, which are physical machines, and which also inefficiently exhaust oxygen and energy, and place us in needless risk of injury and death, and intellectual malfunction, due to their delicate vulnerability and badly organized structure, is exactly what we expect if there is no God, but not at all what we expect if there is. The Bayes Factor once again supports atheism, not theism.
129 Carrier’s Bayesian evidence from reasoning
if God did not design us, our innate reasoning abilities should be shoddy and ad hoc and only ever improved upon by what are in essence culturally (not biologically) installed software patches (like the scientific method, logic and mathematics, and so on), which corrected our reasoning abilities only after thousands of years of humans trying out different fixes, fixes that were only discovered through human trial and error, and not communicated in any divine revelation or scripture. But if God did design us, our brains should have worked properly from the start and required no software patches, much less software patches that took thousands of years to figure out, and are completely missing from all supposed communications from God.
Thus, observation confirms that the actual evidence of human reason is far more probable if God did not exist than if he does. Thus, even the Christian’s own Argument from Reason argues that God does not exist, rather than that he does.
130 Carrier’s arguments from God’s revelation
We have evidence of divine communications going back tens of thousands of years (in shamanic cave art, the crafting of religious icons, ritual burials, and eventually shrines, temples, and actual writing, on stone and clay, then parchment, papyrus and paper). Theism without added excuses predicts that all communications from the divine would be consistently the same at all times in history and across all geographical regions, and presciently in line with the true facts of the world and human existence, right from the start. Atheism predicts, instead, that these communications will be pervasively inconsistent across time and space, and full of factual errors about the world and human existence, exactly matching the ignorance of the culture “experiencing the divine” at that time. And guess what? We observe exactly what atheism predicts; not at all what theism predicts. And again, adding excuses for that, only makes theism even more improbable.
131 Problem of the evil God
P1 An evil God is just as likely as a good God
P2 An evil God almost certainly doesn’t exist
Therefore, a good God almost certainly doesn’t exist