The first step in untangling religious absurdities is to recognize that the arguments for the existence of God depend on the definition of God. Who or what is God? Some authors write that He is ineffable or define Him in some idiosyncratic manner as synonymous with nature or with the laws of physics or in an indeterminate number of other ways.

Most conventional monotheistic characterizations of God (Yahweh, Allah), however, take Him to be an entity or being that is, if not omnipotent, at least extraordinarily powerful; if not omniscient, at least surpassingly wise; if not the Creator of the universe, at least intimately connected with its origin; if not completely and absolutely perfect, at least possessor of all manner of positive characteristics. This formulation will, on the whole, be my definition of God, and the many flawed arguments for this entity's existence will be my primary focus. Different traditions adorn Him with different narratives and attributes, but I'll discuss neither these nor the broader cultures and attitudes associated with specific religions.

An atheist I'll take to be someone who believes that such an entity does not exist, and an agnostic I'll take to be someone who believes that whether God exists or not is either unknown, unknowable, or a meaningless question. (I won't discuss complex intermediate cases, represented in my mind by a friend who professes to being an atheist but, when asked why he adheres strictly to religious rituals, replies, "Because God commands it.") Contrary to some, I think it's certainly possible to be both an atheist and an agnostic. Think, for example, of the innumerable historical figures or events in whose existence or occurrence we don't believe, but about whose existence and occurrence we're not absolutely sure. The definitions of these terms are, of course, sensitive to the definition of God to which one subscribes. Define God in a sufficiently nebulous way as beauty, love, mysterious complexity, or the ethereal taste of strawberry shortcake, and most atheists become theists. Still, although one can pose as Humpty Dumpty and aver, "When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less," others needn't play along.

One question people interested in the matters discussed in this book often have is whether, despite my present views, I ever had or perhaps somehow still have a formal religion. There is, of course, a significant difference between the formal religion one is born into or with which one is otherwise associated and one's true beliefs. There are many paths to an irreligious outlook, my own, as I've indicated above, being somewhat straightforward. I simply never had a religious phase. As a consequence, I am not now renouncing a faith I once had, and this book isn't intended as a sort of Epistle of Paulos the Apostate to the Theologians. Although raised in a nominally Christian home (my grandparents emigrated from Greece) and ensconced now in a secular Jewish family, I never found either religion's doctrines intellectually or emotionally palatable, much less compelling.

This is not to say that I don't value at least parts of some religious traditions, ideals, and festivals (ranging from Passover to Thailand's Loy Krathong). Nor is it to say I don't acknowledge that there have been untold people who have selflessly served others in the name of their God. Nor is it to say that I don't recognize that many intelligent people are religious. I mean merely to say that I am and always have been an atheist/agnostic and will herein attempt to explain why perhaps you should be, too.

Let me end these preliminaries by noting that although a nonbeliever, I've always wondered about the possibility of a basic proto-religion acceptable to atheists and agnostics. By this I mean a "religion" that has no dogma, no narratives, and no existence claims and yet still acknowledges the essential awe and wonder of the world and perhaps affords as well an iota of serenity. The best I've been able to come up with is the "Yeah-ist" religion, whose response to the intricacy, beauty, and mystery of the world is a simple affirmation and acceptance, "Yeah," and whose only prayer is the one word "Yeah." This minimalist "Yeah-ist" religion is consistent with more complex religions (but not with the "Nah" religion) and with an irreligious ethics and a liberating, self-mediated stance toward life and its stories. Furthermore, it conforms nicely with a scientific perspective and with the idea that the certainty of uncertainty is the only kind of certainty we can expect.

So, Yeah, let's move on to the arguments for God's existence.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Irreligion by John Allen Paulos Copyright © 2007 by John Allen Paulos. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.