Wednesday, June 6, 2018

The Problem of Atheism’s Denial of God as the Uncaused Cause.

Monotheism concludes that the uncaused cause is God. Consequently, because atheism denies the existence of the uncaused cause, then atheism affirms only the existence of caused causes. A cause is defined as that which has a positive influence according to the being of another. An effect is defined as that which is positively influenced by the being of another.

A series of caused causes without an uncaused cause can be either –

1) Circular, such as A causes B causes C causes A. But such as series is inadequate to explain causation, for the same inadequacy is exists in each member of the series, making the series an ontological fiction. For the same inadequacy in all causes does not account for any cause within the series, nor the series. For the same inadequacy within each member of the series infers that no member has the required being to act as a cause when the being is always lacking in each member of the series.

2) An infinite series of proper causes acting now, such as A causes B causes C etc. This series is an ontological series whereby each member of the series acts now, to be caused and to cause another. But this series has no ontologically prior beginning, for each cause is a caused cause. This series is also inadequate to explain causation as each member of the series has the same deficiency of cause. For each member is dependent upon another member for a positive influence regarding the being of another, when each member of the series has the same deficiency in be. As the same deficiency exists in each member, then no member is a cause in the series. Therefore, the infinite series of caused causes cannot exist.

3) An infinite series of caused causes with the series having a cause that provides for the deficiency of all the causes within the series. But such a series is not infinite, for the diverse cause that provides for the other causes within the series provides for the being of the same defect within all the causes within the series. Such a diverse cause is then of a diverse species of the causes within the series. For the diverse cause has the being that the other causes do not have, thereby indicating the diverse cause with the additional being is itself not dependent upon another cause. Therefore, the diverse cause other than the infinite series of causes cannot be of the infinite series which is purported to account for observed causes. Therefore, an infinite series of causes with a singular diverse cause that provides for the same deficiency of all other causes within the series is not a fit cause within the infinite series.

4) A superstition whereby no reasoned explanation is offered in contradiction to the principle of sufficient reason which requires a reason of be of all causes.


Similar problems also occur with atheism’s denial of the unmoved mover, unorder orderer, unperfected perfector, and non-contingent necessary being. For the denial of each of these first acts involves an account of acts using series other than a finite series, which is non-circular.

Conclusion - Atheism's denial of God as the uncaused cause concludes with no alternative explanation for causes that is not fallacious. Similarly, atheism's denials of the unmoved mover, unorder orderer, unperfected perfector, and non-contingent necessary being also end with no alternative explanations that are not fallacious.

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