I was curious how an atheist would counter those arguments or at least know what their own pro-atheist views are vis-a-vis the creation of life and the universe. I was tired of the same old atheist comebacks like, "Theism is for those that need a crutch in life" or "God is a myth, a fantasy, a fictional make-believe invisible friend" (just read any online article that discusses anything remotely related to religion on CNN, MSNBC, HuffingtonPost, etc. and you are guaranteed to see readers' comments like these). I want to know why they think that? What are their arguments to refute those given by people like William Lane Craig?
I recently came across a clip from the "Exposed" documentary in which Ben Stein interviewed one of today's leading atheist apologists - Richard Dawkins - and they were discussing possibilities to how life originated on Earth. I wasn't that interested at first, because I figured Ben Stein's documentary had an agenda (in the same way Michael Moore's agendas color his documentaries) and I didn't want to get a skewed account of Richard Dawkins' answers. However, I found that in no way could Ben Stein twist Richard Dawkins words around, or take them out of context because Richard Dawkins literally was the man himself speaking in the interview in this documentary. So I listened to what Richard Dawkins had to say regarding what he thought was a plausible explanation for the origin of life on Earth:
Well it could come about in the following way. It could be that at some earlier time, somewhere in the universe, a civilization evolved - by probably some kind of Darwinian means to a very very high level of technology - and designed a form of life that they seeded onto perhaps this planet. That is a possibility, and an intriguing possibility.
This simply blew me away when I first saw and heard this. Where to start?
First, I assume this isn't the best theory that Richard Dawkins can come up with. But if he had a better one, he should have used it in that interview. I grant him this - before he gave that answer, he said outright that he didn't know for sure how life originated on Earth (watch that entire clip if interested, the link above jumps you three minutes into it directly to the quote I mention). He was merely giving what he thinks is a plausible explanation and how Intelligent Design might be found to be true if it's true at all. Based on his atheist worldview, this is what he came up with. It sure sounds like he is OK with thinking that panspermia is rational and reasonable, but a belief in God is not.
I ask all of the people out there that lean towards the atheist viewpoint that like to denigrate theists as "irrational" and people that "believe in myths and fairy tales" - what do you think of this "aliens planted life on Earth" theory? Would you consider this a "fantasy", "myth", "make-believe"? Isn't this essentially the same theory espoused by Scientologists which is the same group that atheists love to laugh at and call lunatics? But yet this is a theory that one of today's leaders of the atheist movement calls "an intriguing possibility"!
Again, I am not claiming that Richard Dawkins believes panspermia is true - he didn't say that. But what he did say is it is "a possibility, an intriguing possibility". Now, take that and compare it with the theory that "God did it".
Tell me how the answer of "God did it" is more fanciful and mythological than "Aliens did it". What evidence or proof is there that tell us aliens from another planet even exist, let alone planted their seeds of life here. I contend that there are evidences that God exists - but even if you don't, you must admit that there is just as much evidence for God as there is for aliens! And since Richard Dawkins did say the aliens hypothesis is an "intriguing possibility", why can't it then be said that an equally intriguing possibility is that "God did it"? If you can admit that panspermia is possible but God is not - you have to ask yourself why you think that. Why is the possibility of aliens seeding Earth a reasonable and rational theory to ponder, but a belief in God creating life is unreasonable and irrational?
So I want to be clear - according to Richard Dawkins, it is possible that aliens from somewhere else in the universe seeded life on this planet, but it is not possible (and simply irrational to even think) that God created life. OK, I'm clear now.
