Over thousands of years, man’s images of a Being or Beings that created and ruled the world have differed widely from one civilization to another. But throughout human history, man has consistently believed that such Beings do exist and are responsible for all that is and all that happens.
However in the 17th and 18th centuries, inventive craftsmen perfected telescopes and microscopes to better observe and understand the physical universe. With these devices the realms of chemistry, elements, and molecules, and of astronomy, planets, and stars could be examined like never before and their physical structures and movements measured precisely.
With this data, men like Isaac Newton and others determined that mathematical formulae could describe and predict ways that the physical parts of the universe interconnect and operate. Philosophers soon argued that if these mysteries of the material world can be deciphered with scientific investigation, there was no longer a need for reliance on religious dogmas to comprehend the universe.
They reasoned further that since this new method of understanding existence was being gained by observing purely the physical realm, then physical things must be the only reality. Hence Materialism was born – a philosophy that reality consisted only of things that man can sense. Things invisible and untouchable – like spirits, souls, gods – no longer had any relevance and there was no need to believe that that such unseen things existed.
Bright minds argued persuasively that if man was to develop into his full potential as a human being, if Materialism was correct he no longer needed to be guided by ‘divine’ rules to tell him how to conduct his life. So in this “Age of Enlightenment” Atheism arrived. Man, unbounded by rules of conduct of a non-existent god, could now determine his own standards for ‘ethical’ behavior.
Atheism quickly came into vogue among the philosophers and intelligentsia of the 18th and 19th centuries and grew in appeal throughout Europe. In the 20th Century Atheism was adopted as the official ideology by many countries and is now becoming a popular belief system in most civilizations. So with science and technology solving so many of man’s problems, over 200 million people world-wide no longer believe in the existence of a deity and the numbers are growing. Among them are many well respected and influential people. Thomas Edison, Warren Buffet, Steve Wozniak, Paul Dirac, Stephen Hawking are just a few. Undoubtedly these geniuses have not taken their positions on this question lightly or without considerable thought and observation. Their sanctioning of Atheism has given it broad credibility and acceptance. No need for God in the modern age! For more read “Does God Exist? The Truth.” Get your copy from Amazon at: https://shorturl.at/bdMOZ.