God: The Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist

287 Pages·2007·1.65 MB·English

by  Victor J. Stenger

GOD
GOD
THE FAILED HYPOTHESIS
How Science Shows
That God
Does Not Exist
VICTOR J. STENGER
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, New York 14228-2197
Published 2007 by Prometheus Books
God: The Failed Hypothesis—How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist. Copyright ©
2007 by Victor J. Stenger. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
digital, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or conveyed
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cept in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Inquiries should be addressed to
Prometheus Books
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Amherst, New York 14228-2197
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stenger, Victor J., 1935-
God : the failed hypothesis : how science shows that God does not exist /
Victor J. Stenger.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-59102-481-1 (alk. paper)
1. Religion and science. 2. God—Proof. 3. Atheism. I. Title.
BL240.3.S738 2007
212'. 1— dc22
2006032867
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 7
Preface 9
Chapter 1: Models and Methods 21
Chapter 2: The Illusion of Design 47
Chapter 3: Searching for a World beyond Matter 77
Chapter 4: Cosmic Evidence 113
Chapter 5: The Uncongenial Universe 137
Chapter 6: The Failures of Revelation 169
5
6 CONTENTS
Chapter 7: Do Our Values Come from God? 193
Chapter 8: The Argument from Evil 215
Chapter 9: Possible and Impossible Gods 227
Chapter 10: Living in the Godless Universe 243
Bibliography 261
Index 283
About the Author 293
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A
s with my previous books, I have benefited greatly from
comments and corrections provided by a large number of
individuals with whom I communicate regularly on the Internet.
I am particularly grateful for the substantial suggestions provided
by Bill Benson, Celel Berker, Eleanor Binnings, Richard Carrier,
Lawrence Crowell, Yonathan Fishman, Joseph Hilbe, James
Humpreys, Ludwig Krippahl, Andrew Laska, Justin Lloyd, Ken
MacVey, Don McGee, Brent Meeker, Anne O'Reilly, Loren Petrich,
Kerry Regier, John Syriatowicz, Phil Thrift, George Tucker, Ed
Weinmann, Roahn Wynar, and Bob Zanelli.
I must also acknowledge the support and valuable comments
provided to me by Jeff Dean of Blackwell Publishing and his
three anonymous reviewers. I have implemented many of their
suggestions in this manuscript.
And, as with my previous books, I have enjoyed the support
7
8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
of Paul Kurtz and Steven L. Mitchell and their dedicated staff at
Prometheus Books.
Of course, none of my work would be possible without the
help and encouragement of my wife Phylliss and our two children.