Day 32 – Point Three: points 1 and 2 apply to the atheist
The problem with [the statement that nothing is absolutely right or wrong] is…that it refutes itself. It is something like the statement “I can't speak a word of English.” By speaking the sentence, I refute it. –PAUL CHAMBERLAIN
Thus far we have laid down two of the four principles of the Argument from Fairness, my second defense of God's existence. We have observed that people have a universal sense that certain things are unfair, and we have noted that if such unfairness is a reality, fairness must also be real. Anyone who labels one thing in this universe "unfair" and then claims there is no justice in the universe is being illogical. If unfairness exists, fairness must exist as well.
My third point takes these first two and applies them to the atheist. He, like everyone else in history, has often cried, "That's not fair!" His atheism, in fact, rests in part upon the view that the world is too unjust to attribute it to a loving God. But by leveling this accusation of unfairness, he implies that fairness also exists. To avoid irrationality and self-refutation, he must believe in a standard of justice which can be used as a point of reference. No one can claim anything to be unfair without fairness as its standard, anymore that I can declare anything to be unequal to one foot without a ruler as my standard.
Point One
Everyone in history has at times considered life to be unfair.
Point Two
Everyone, then, must concede that fairness also exists.
Point Three
The atheist is no exception.
Day 32
Paul Chamberlain, Can We Be Good Without God?, 48.
No comments:
Post a Comment