10 Questions and Answers on Atheism and Agnosticism

By Norman L. Geisler, Alex McFarland and Robert Velarde

Leading apologists Dr. Norman Geisler and Alex McFarland (President of Southern Evangelical Seminary) look at the important questions of life, including:

• What can we know about the existence of God?
• What can we know about right and wrong?
• Is belief in God compatible with science?
• Is there scientific evidence supporting the belief in God?
• If there is a good God, why is there evil?
• What about all the evil done in the name of God?
• Is the Bible an unreliable collection of myths?
• Is there meaning and purpose to life?

The booklet provides a comprehensive yet understandable examination of what atheists and agnostics believe and also explains the evidence for the biblical God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Release date: Sep 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781628622386

Norman L. Geisler

Norman L. Geisler (1932–2019) cofounded Southern Evangelical Seminary and wrote over one hundred books, including his four-volume Systematic Theology. He taught at the university and graduate levels for nearly forty years and spoke at conferences worldwide.

Book preview

q1    What Are Atheism and Agnosticism?

The cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.

–Carl Sagan¹

Atheism Claims...

Atheism disbelieves in the existence of God. The universe—matter—is all that exists. The universe operates via natural physical laws. Any event that may seem supernatural is really a natural occurrence. Miracles do not occur. The reality of evil, the apparent purposelessness of life, the seeming randomness of the universe, and the fact of evolution all argue against the existence of God. Christianity is false. The Bible is an error-filled book of flawed human origin. Jesus, if he even existed, performed no miracles, did not rise from the dead, and was not God.

Agnosticism Claims...

Agnosticism asserts that God may or may not exist. Since it is impossible to prove the existence or non-existence of God, we just don’t know if God exists or not. A universal, hard or aggressive agnostic denies that anyone can answer the question of God. The only wise course of action is to reserve judgment and remain skeptical. A local, soft or modest agnostic claims that the evidence for or against God is not enough to warrant a decision. Therefore, such an agnostic remains undecided.

goldA    The Bible Teaches...

God exists and has chosen to reveal himself through creation, moral conscience, and the Bible.

From these sources of revelation, Christians conclude that God exists beyond the world (transcendent), yet is active in creation (immanent), created the world out of nothing (ex nihilo), is all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), ever present (omnipresent), and all loving (omnibenevolent).

The natural universe is not all that exists. Since God exists, miracles are possible.

The case for biblical Christianity as the best explanation of reality includes, but is not limited to: historical evidence, archaeology, philosophical integrity, and eyewitness testimony.

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No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.

–Humanist Manifesto II

You Should Also Know...

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