A Critique of Atheism (Part 2)

This Critique of Atheism series comes from an essay I turned in for my philosophy class last summer. Read Part 1 here.

George Smith's book Atheism: The Case Against God (Skeptic's Bookshelf) has received wide acclamation for its representation of the atheist's view. According to Smith, it is the purpose of the atheist to "convince the listener that atheism represents, not a degeneration, but a step forward" (Smith 5). His assumption that, because Atheism is built upon reason and science, an individual takes a "step forward" in life when he is able to do away with the idealistic view of the supernatural altogether. He clarifies his point when he later states:

The atheist's frustration increases as he discovers that his arguments for atheism are futile, that the average believer - who was persuaded to believe for emotional, not intellectual, reasons - is impervious to arguments against the existence of a supernatural being, regardless of how meticulous and carefully reasoned these arguments may be (Smith 6).

Before I begin a critique of Atheism, let us make sure that we have a proper understanding of the word. Theism means belief in a god or gods. Atheism simply attaches the negative prefix "a" to the word, reversing its meaning. Therefore, the atheist does not believe in the existence of a god or gods.