Matt Fradd
Spirituality/Belief • Books • Writing
An Evolutionary Argument Against Atheism
January 26, 2024
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The evolutionary argument against atheism (naturalism*, specifically) challenges the compatibility of naturalism with the reliability of human cognitive faculties, particularly those involved in forming beliefs about the world.

The argument is often associated with Alvin Plantinga, a contemporary American philosopher. The basic idea is as follows:

  1. Evolutionary Naturalism: Assume that naturalism is true and that human cognitive faculties have evolved solely through naturalistic processes like natural selection.

  2. Truth-tracking: For our cognitive faculties to be reliable, they must be aimed at truth. In other words, if our cognitive faculties are functioning properly, they should generally produce true beliefs about the world.

  3. Survival Fitness: According to the theory of evolution, the primary driving force for the development of our cognitive faculties is not necessarily truth-tracking, but rather survival fitness. The idea is that beliefs and cognitive processes that enhance survival and reproduction would be selected for, regardless of whether those beliefs are true.

  4. No Guarantee of Truth: Given the above, there is no reason to assume that the beliefs produced by our cognitive faculties under naturalistic evolution are necessarily true. They might simply be beliefs that increase our chances of survival, even if those beliefs are not aligned with the actual truth.

  5. Undermining Confidence: If our cognitive faculties are not reliably aimed at truth but are primarily geared toward survival, it undermines our confidence in the truth of our beliefs, including the belief in naturalism itself. If naturalism is accepted, it implies that our cognitive faculties are reliable, but the argument suggests that naturalism undermines the very reliability of those faculties.

In summary, the evolutionary argument against naturalism raises questions about the reliability of human cognition under the assumption of naturalistic evolution. It challenges whether a naturalistic worldview can provide a secure foundation for believing in the reliability of our cognitive processes and, by extension, the truth of our beliefs (including evolution). 


* The view that only natural entities and processes exist, and there is no need for supernatural or non-natural explanations. It's possible to be an atheist but believe in supernatural entities; Plato's forms, let's say.

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A Practical Method For Spiritual Warfare
 
In this article, I want to suggest a powerful, practical method for spiritual warfare—one that I believe will be a game-changer in your everyday life. We'll explore how consistently announcing what is true and renouncing what is false can become a potent weapon, helping you navigate the unseen battles that often manifest as struggles in our thoughts and emotions.
 
At the Catholic Easter Vigil Mass, there is a significant moment where the congregation renews their Baptismal Promises.

In essence, the priest leads the faithful to announce what is true and to renounce what is false.

For the purposes of this article we’ll begin with the questions that invite annunciations. He asks:

"Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?"

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Prior to the above questions are a series of questions which invite renunciation:

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"Do you renounce the lure of evil, so that sin may have no mastery over you?"

"Do you renounce Satan, the author and prince of sin?"

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To those who may attend Holy Mass once or twice a year they may be surprised to discover just how seriously the Church takes the reality of the Devil and spiritual warfare. But anyone somewhat familiar with the Scriptures and the consistent teaching of the Church would not be. Here I could dump a multitude of Scriptural verses proving my point, but one will suffice. From the first letter of St. Peter:

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."

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Let me offer a personal anecdote that will illustrate this. I was about to interview someone on a topic that I knew would get blowback from the Demonic realm. I was going on a walk praying my rosary before my guest arrived. While I was walking I slowly became aware of a sort of oppressive force. I felt sad and restricted, somehow. Anxious. I’m not sure how long I was feeling that way, but at any rate I didn’t become conscious of it until that moment. I stopped walking and tried to sum up what I was experiencing in a word. It clicked. intimidation. That’s was it. I felt intimidated. And so I said the following prayer:

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Love what is good. Hate what is evil. But how? When I have willingly habituated myself to do the opposite. Pray. Repent. Keep turning away from distractions. Don’t hate yourself for failing. Hope in the good God who is better than you think He is. Who cares for you more than you think He does.

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Turn away from what is useless and petty and vulgar and think about what is excellent.

Say “Your will be done” 100 times a day, especially when things are bad or seem meaningless. Your headache. Your bad night sleep. The house you can’t seem to get around to tidying.

Be patient and gentle with stupid people who can’t seem to make themselves love or want to love what is good, yourself first and foremost.

Jesus, help me want to want to love you. Help me want to want to hate anything opposed to you or your kingdom.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
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