The God Contention - Comparing Worldviews Read answers to your questions from various worldviews, faiths, and religions including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Atheism. https://www.godcontention.org Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:56:56 -0400 Why does God allow suffering to animals and babies who can not speak for themselves? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
There is no evidence for the existence of deities, hence, there is no evidence that God that is able to prevent suffering exists to prevent the suffering of animals and babies....
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/why-does-god-allow-suffering-to-animals-and-babies-who-can-not?dt=202209231752 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/why-does-god-allow-suffering-to-animals-and-babies-who-can-not?dt=202209231752 Fri, 23 Sep 2022 17:52:53 -0400 Does Michael Martin's "Atheist's Wager" really show that leading a good life is more important than belief in God? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Christian - Timothy McCabe
No, it doesn't. I'll explain.

According to Wikipedia (at the time of this writing), the Atheist's Wager states that if one were to analyze their options in regard to how to live their life, they would arrive at the following possibilities:


(A) You may live a good life and believe in a god, and a benevolent god exists, in which case you go to heaven: your gain is infinite.

(B) You may live a good life without believing in a god, and a benevolent god exists, in which case you go to hea...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/christian/michael-martins-atheists-wager?dt=202208281512 https://www.godcontention.org/christian/michael-martins-atheists-wager?dt=202208281512 Sun, 28 Aug 2022 15:12:05 -0400 If our choices are predetermined, how are they real choices? And how are we accountable? Answered within the Christian worldview by Timothy McCabe

We know that our choices are predetermined because we, and everything in our world, was made by God, who knows all things and is also the author of time. He thus logically predetermines, and causes, our choices.


So then, how are they "real" choices?

That depends on what "real" means. If "real" means "not predetermined," then our predetermined choices are obviously not...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/christian/if-our-choices-are-predetermined-how-are-they-real-choices?dt=202202251857 https://www.godcontention.org/christian/if-our-choices-are-predetermined-how-are-they-real-choices?dt=202202251857 Fri, 25 Feb 2022 18:57:18 -0500 Why would Uzzah be struck down for merely trying to steady the ark in 2 Samuel? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
Because the story of Uzzah being struck down for touching the ark is making the religio-cultural point that the author wanted it to make.

It's like asking why did Icarus not listen to his father's advice to not fly too close to the sun when escaping Crete - because the author of the story wanted to make a point.

What I'm trying to say is that the story isn't necessarily a factual one. People don't die because they touched a box that is being carried by bulls away from a town where people were struck with haemherroids for not worshipping the God of that box....
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/why-would-uzzah-be-struck-down-for-merely-trying-to-steady-the?dt=202202030208 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/why-would-uzzah-be-struck-down-for-merely-trying-to-steady-the?dt=202202030208 Thu, 03 Feb 2022 02:08:15 -0500 Why the universe exist, why we all are leading a life full of tensions,anxiety,problems,unsatisfied desires and Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
There doesn't seem to be a grand purpose for the existence of the universe, or at least not from a human perspective. Truth be told, if humans disappeared from existence tomorrow, the universe would continue operating - just like it had for the billons of years that humans didn't exist in the universe, up until approx 200'000 years ago.

This doesn't mean that humans can't have a moral purpose - it just means that whatever moral purpose humans have (either individually or collectively), it isn't enforced on them by some greater cosmic power.

And th...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/why-the-universe-exist-why-we-all-are-leading-a-life-full-of?dt=202202030203 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/why-the-universe-exist-why-we-all-are-leading-a-life-full-of?dt=202202030203 Thu, 03 Feb 2022 02:03:00 -0500 Clearly bible was written by homo-sapiens. who are we to say that bible was not written by some dude in his/her free time describing why the universe is the way it is, thus creating this fictional dude in heaven. All this could be science fiction Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
I'll agree - the Bible was written by humans, even if you want to credit it as being 'divinely inspired' (though no-one has proposed a testable mechanism of how this actually functions).

We can definitively say that the Bible was not written by some dude because deeper analysis of the text of the Bible shows form and style of multiple authorship, even within the one book (for example, Isaiah shows signs of having three different authors). Some dudes may be better terminology (though still academically unacceptable).

As for the Bible being science...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/compare-religions/bible-was-written-by-man?dt=202110250219 https://www.godcontention.org/compare-religions/bible-was-written-by-man?dt=202110250219 Mon, 25 Oct 2021 02:19:39 -0400 Are there evil spirits everywhere? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
No.

There aren't evil spirits everywhere because there aren't evil spirits anywhere because anything attributed to evil spirits are almost always turn out to be some form of psychological/psychiatric issue, be it schizophrenia, epilepsy, drug affectation, trauma, et al. when investigated thoroughly....
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/are-there-evil-spirits-everywhere?dt=202110250208 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/are-there-evil-spirits-everywhere?dt=202110250208 Mon, 25 Oct 2021 02:08:53 -0400 Does God being eternal mean he is unchanging? Why? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
No - it is possible for things to change over time.

I would also argue that God himself in the Bible undergoes numerous changes - God in Job and Genesis acts as part of a pantheon of gods, and clues to this are evident if you understand other ANE cultures. God is neither omniscient nor is he omnipotent and he is VERY anthropomorphic.

However, by the time of the Exodus and the establishment of the kingdoms, God almost literally becomes the all-seeing eye where David declares "nothing is hidden from your sight". It is around this time that Satan becomes the arch-enemy of God.

...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/does-god-being-eternal-mean-he-is-unchanging-why?dt=202107171932 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/does-god-being-eternal-mean-he-is-unchanging-why?dt=202107171932 Sat, 17 Jul 2021 19:32:38 -0400 Is there a permanent hell in your view? If not, what happens to terribly wicked people? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
No. Or at least, there is no objective evidence that Hell exists, and the only place we see Hell is in the scriptures of an off-shoot sect of Judaism.

What happens to terribly wicked people when they die? They die, their estate gets divided up amongst their relatives, their debts are settled, and most importantly, hopefully their evil gets exposed and we learn from the mistakes that we made that allowed evil to flourish....
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/is-there-a-permanent-hell-in-your-view?dt=202106101654 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/is-there-a-permanent-hell-in-your-view?dt=202106101654 Thu, 10 Jun 2021 16:54:17 -0400 What religions could possibly be true, given an atheistic and naturalistic worldview? Answered within the Atheist worldview by Damien Harrison

Only the ones that discard all elements of supernaturalism, esotericism, magic, miracles or ideas found only in mythology.

Of which, in my estimation, are none....
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/what-religions-could-possibly-be-true-given-an-atheistic-and?dt=202106090001 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/what-religions-could-possibly-be-true-given-an-atheistic-and?dt=202106090001 Wed, 09 Jun 2021 00:01:18 -0400 I highly doubt that Africans are descendants of Adam and Eve so, where do we come from? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
I agree with you 100% - I also highly doubt that Africans are the descendants of Adam and Eve. The first place to quell doubt would be to establish the existence of Adam and Eve outside of Hebraic mythology. Once we do that, we can work from there.

Where did we come from? As the current human species, homo sapien, the best data we have at the moment indicates we evolved from homo heidelbergensis.

As our knowledge of human anthropology continues, we will refine our models of origin and devel...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/compare-religions/i-highly-doubt-that-africans-are-descendants-of-adam-and-eve?dt=202106012329 https://www.godcontention.org/compare-religions/i-highly-doubt-that-africans-are-descendants-of-adam-and-eve?dt=202106012329 Tue, 01 Jun 2021 23:29:54 -0400 Is your worldview the solution to human problems? If so, how? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison

.

...Humanists accept that we are responsible for our own futures and that this life is the only life we have. It is up to all of us to make the most of it and to help others do the same. Humanists inspire us to use our power of reason and our natural feeling of compassion to help create a better world in which each of us can reach our full potential.

Yes, for the simple fact that Humanism was designed specifically for the purpose of increasing human well-being by...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/is-your-worldview-the-solution-to-human-problems-if-so-how?dt=202105222110 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/is-your-worldview-the-solution-to-human-problems-if-so-how?dt=202105222110 Sat, 22 May 2021 21:10:59 -0400 How have you assessed your god's revelation for its reliability? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
What god? Where? There don't seem to be any gods anywhere, and in light of that, we have no objective way of knowing what they're saying for us to assess the reliability and accuracy of their individual revelations....
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/how-have-you-assessed-your-gods-revelation-for-its-reliability?dt=202105211802 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/how-have-you-assessed-your-gods-revelation-for-its-reliability?dt=202105211802 Fri, 21 May 2021 18:02:50 -0400 Do you support freedom of religion? And if not, then why not? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
As a Humanist and a skeptic, while I may disagree with tenets of a particular religion, I would never support attempts to outlaw the following of that religion - so yes, I and many atheists support freedom of religion.

While we may criticise and engage in debates to help people change their mind and point out contradictions, having a person jailed, sued or persecuted simply because they hold a particular religious belief is not in line with Humanist principles.

We would only raise an objection when people or organisations use religious freedom as an excuse to harm people (be i...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/do-you-support-freedom-of-religion-and-if-not-then-why-not?dt=202105200241 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/do-you-support-freedom-of-religion-and-if-not-then-why-not?dt=202105200241 Thu, 20 May 2021 02:41:51 -0400 Does the "problem of evil" show that an all-good, all-powerful, all-knowing god cannot exist? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
Yes. This is not to categorically rule out the existence of a god, however.

But the only way that an all-powerful all-good and all-knowing deity can exist, allow both intentional and unintentional suffering AND be logical would be to:

A) Concede that the idea of an all-powerful God is illogical.

B) Redefine suffering as good.

But this goes against Humanist principles for two reasons:

A) Humanism is about the use reason as a tool for gaining knowledge and understanding.

B) Human...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/compare-religions/the-problem-of-evil?dt=202105171900 https://www.godcontention.org/compare-religions/the-problem-of-evil?dt=202105171900 Mon, 17 May 2021 19:00:31 -0400 What happens in terms of reincarnation if an evil person dies with a clear conscience? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
Nothing.

We haven't even objectively observed souls, spirits or any post-death intelligent sentience, let alone reincarnation, and let alone to a point we can catgeorically state that it happens to know what happens to evil people.

When an evil person does, the best outcome would be that their evil deeds are exposed, restitution is made to the victim/s and the rest of society learns from the mistakes made that enabled the evil in the first place....
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/what-happens-in-terms-of-reincarnation-if-an-evil-person-dies?dt=202105171845 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/what-happens-in-terms-of-reincarnation-if-an-evil-person-dies?dt=202105171845 Mon, 17 May 2021 18:45:11 -0400 If someone rejects all the religions they encounter, why do they often become an atheist rather than an agnostic? Answered within the Atheist worldview by Damien Harrison

Atheist and Agnostic are basically the same side of the fence, just different spots by the pool. To say someone is agnostic is really saying that they're atheist, just with a different take, because atheism is simply the position that we don't accept the positive claims that gods exist.

...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/if-someone-rejects-all-the-religions-they-encounter-why-do-they?dt=202105141633 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/if-someone-rejects-all-the-religions-they-encounter-why-do-they?dt=202105141633 Fri, 14 May 2021 16:33:06 -0400 What are the most basic starting points of your world view? Can we agree on common axioms? Answered from the perspective of multiple worldviews

Atheist - Damien Harrison
Atheism doesn't have a prescribed worldview - it is simply not believing the existence of deities.

In rational skepticism, we base our outlook on the world on four basal assumptions:

1. Reality is real.
2. Nature behaves consistently (as far as we have ascertained it).
3. Humans have the capability of understanding nature and reality.
4. The scientific method is the best framework to ascertain knowledge about nature and reality.

If any of these could be demonstrably proven false, our worldview would be shattered and we would have to go back to the drawing board and question ev...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/what-are-the-most-basic-starting-points-of-your-world-view?dt=202105140354 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/what-are-the-most-basic-starting-points-of-your-world-view?dt=202105140354 Fri, 14 May 2021 03:54:06 -0400 What are your views on sexuality? Answered within the Atheist worldview by Damien Harrison

As long as it is done by people who are informed and consenting, and it is not part of a framework of manipulation, abuse or dereliction of duty, then enjoy your sex!...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/your-views-on-sexuality?dt=202105130229 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/your-views-on-sexuality?dt=202105130229 Thu, 13 May 2021 02:29:44 -0400 My paralysed aunt was healed through prayer, a famous Church in Albania does miracles every year, and many other miracles have been witnessed. How can this be if there is no God? Answered within the Atheist worldview by Damien Harrison

The Miracle of Fatima was also 'witnessed', yet there are entirely non-supernatural explanations for what was described. Simply because something is witnessed doesn't mean that it is exactly what people say it is.

Some pertinent questions:

1. To what extent was she paralysed? Did she have any movement or control of movements?

2. What medical records are there to confirm both the previous diagnosis and current status?

3. Is she still walking around now?

Derren Brown has an excellent video explaining how faith healers work.

The ot...
]]> https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/my-paralysed-aunt-was-healed-through-prayer-a-famous-church-in?dt=202105122020 https://www.godcontention.org/atheist/my-paralysed-aunt-was-healed-through-prayer-a-famous-church-in?dt=202105122020 Wed, 12 May 2021 20:20:56 -0400