The world as we see it today is riddled with problems. Rapes, murders and other atrociuos acts against humanity are all but common. The world is torn apart by war. But is there a common thread that links most of these? Forget Africa or Iraq or Afghanistan, jihad has become an all too common word, there seems to be no end to the Israel and Palestinian conflict, Tibet is reeling under oppression... there just seems to be no end. How can this be stopped? Where is God when you need Him? Where is this 'great omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent' dude and why doesn't He do something? Which brings us to the Epicurean argument ::
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?
A rather telling argument in my opinion.
The fact that most atheists try to put forward is this - There is no need to believe that a big magician living in the sky exists and will put things straight. Why should a person need God to follow a morally correct life? With the scientific data available today, we can accurately explain all that we see and how it all came to be. Documented evolutionary proof rules out any 'intelligent design' theories. What cannot be overlooked is the overwhelming lack of evidence about the existence of god. Even if we assume that god exists, there should be a physical impact on the universe which there isn't. The argument that god or his work has no impact in our universe just reinforces the uselessness of worshipping him.
The main problem that atheists have with religion is that it stops people from asking questions. In today's world, all religion does is hinder progress. (The Roman Catholic Church claims that usage of condoms is a mortal sin.) When the world, especially Africa, is reeling from AIDS, such a proclamation surely is plain stupid and nonsensical. Some...