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A Conversation By David Fergusson Sparknotes

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David Fergusson, Faith and its Critics: A Conversation, New York, United States: Oxford University Press, 2009. Chapter 1 Fergusson begins his book by introducing the topic of atheism and how it evolved from merely disagreeing with the church to an outright rejection of God Himself. In the present day, western society defines atheism as “the rejection of the God of the Christian faith” or just God in general, but this meaning has changed constantly over the course of history (pg. 17). Atheism, by definition, simply means the negation of a position, and early atheism reflects this description. Early philosophers, such as Socrates and Justin Martyr, “were charged with atheism” for disagreeing with the main religion of the time (pg.15). They sought …show more content…

One’s beliefs are unique to them and each individual can learn more about the world and other people through valuing others beliefs and analyzing why people believe particular things (pg.175). Reflection Fergusson argues throughout the course of his book that both atheists and religious believers have powerful arguments with significant support to back up their beliefs. As a result, one cannot simply reject the ideas of the other without consideration. By acknowledging the diversity of thought surrounding religion, Fergusson challenges the reader to explore the beliefs of both parties so as to develop a more nuanced understanding of the world as well as ponder an extremely controversial topic. Although in theory this approach sounds rational, the act of pondering another view from an unbiased perspective is extremely difficult. Religion is an extremely complicated construct which is beyond the capability of humans to fully understand. Whether or not a God truly exists is a debate which will rage on for eternity, as the entire basis of religion is a belief in something which can neither be proven nor

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