10 Reasons why I am an Atheist: #7-8

#8: "Taking the whole body of believers of all kinds, there is no discernible worthwhile difference between the lives of those who profess religious faith and those who do not do so. (Example: The Pope demonstrates his faith by riding about in a bullet-proof vehicle!)"

Not gonna discuss this one, as it's basically the same as the last one. My only comment would be that there's a lot of truth to this, and that's very sad.

#7: "Any alleged miraculous element in religion, whether past or present, is readily explicable in scientific terms; the innumerable frauds perpetrated in the name of religion are notorious. (Example: The supposed miracles of many 'faith healers'.)"

ASSUMPTIONS:
1. The word "miracle" necessarily implies something that cannot be explained by science.
2. If there is a God, he must perform such "miracles" that cannot be explained.
3. The "innumerable frauds" imply that no such miracles have occurred.

VERDICT:
Logical fallacy (red herring)

DISCUSSION:
I'd rather not get into what miracles are or whether they have occurred. Personally, I believe most, if not all "miracles" in the Bible, CAN be explained by science, they just couldn't be explained at the time they occurred -- and many probably can't be explained even by today's science. But I'm already getting into the trap of the atheist's statement. The fact remains, the existence and/or nature of miracles, while it could disprove certain claims of some religions, has no bearing on whether there is a God or not.

posted by Matt @ 12:10 PM