Proof There Is No God: Why God Is Logically Unlikely

This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.

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Is there proof there is no God? How likely is it that God exists?

In The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins explains that while we don’t have definitive proof there is no God, it is extremely unlikely. Particularly when it comes to creationism, arguments tend to be extremely weak.

Keep reading to find out whether or not there’s proof there is no God.

Proof There Is No God: The Unlikelihood of God’s Existence

In the last chapter, we talked about the extraordinary claims made by religion, all of which would have a significant impact on the world if they were true. In this chapter, we will evaluate the likelihood of the theistic position we explored in the last chapter. Specifically, we’ll:

  • Explore some of the most common arguments that theists put forward for the existence of God—and expose their fundamental weaknesses
  • Examine how science, and particularly the theory of evolution by natural selection, offers a more durable, testable, and evidence-based explanation than religion for the things we observe in the world

The Weakness of Creationism 

Not everyone believes that there’s proof there is no God. Most arguments for God’s existence postulate a supreme designer, similar to the figure we discussed in the previous chapter. Proponents of this belief are called creationists. 

Creationists believe that the universe we observe is the handiwork of an intelligent designer who consciously and knowingly created everything, from the movement of galaxies throughout the universe to the orbit of electrons within an atom. For creationists, an intelligent God is the ultimate and simple explanation for everything. 

The medieval Christian theologian Thomas Aquinas, writing in the 13th century, argued that all things must have a primary cause and that the mere existence of physical things proved the existence of God. He reasoned that there must have been a time before physical things existed. But that meant that a non-physical force must have, at some point, brought the physical world into existence. For Aquinas, that force could only have been God.

But this is where the “simple” theistic position begins to fall apart. If all things can be said to have their root cause in an intelligent God, then one must raise the obvious question—what is the root cause of God? Who designed the designer?

This is the fundamental flaw at the heart of most theistic arguments. You can postulate an infinite regression of the physical universe that terminates with God. But if you can’t explain the existence of God in the first place, the argument collapses.

Proof There Is No God: Why God Is Logically Unlikely

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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Richard Dawkins's "The God Delusion" at Shortform .

Here's what you'll find in our full The God Delusion summary :

  • Why Dawkins thinks religion has exerted a harmful influence on human society
  • How Dawkins concludes that the existence of God is unlikely
  • The 3 arguments that challenge the existence of God

Carrie Cabral

Carrie has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember, and has always been open to reading anything put in front of her. She wrote her first short story at the age of six, about a lost dog who meets animal friends on his journey home. Surprisingly, it was never picked up by any major publishers, but did spark her passion for books. Carrie worked in book publishing for several years before getting an MFA in Creative Writing. She especially loves literary fiction, historical fiction, and social, cultural, and historical nonfiction that gets into the weeds of daily life.

7 thoughts on “Proof There Is No God: Why God Is Logically Unlikely

  • June 25, 2022 at 6:26 pm
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    The fact that you cannot get something from nothing proves that something is eternal and has always been here if you have no adom or no cork …you have nothing.
    the small strings of energy that make up all matter and all things in the universe are the building blocks of our universe and my God clearly says in the Bible I am light hence energy

    Reply
    • March 19, 2023 at 12:50 pm
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      Your lost, see its your god not alls god, that is selfish claim, what would any god if there was one want with such selfishness, we have been on this earth for 200.000 years and have physical evidence, unlike jesus and god that have no bones, no DNA evidence, no one is saved from death, and where was this piece of shit when children are being murdered for there blood and organs, so what about that, and what about all the civilizations wiped out from catastrophe, no god save any ancient city,and 6000 years before someone claimed this , catholic crusades killing millions of people, where was god there, again no where to be found, burn the bible.

      Reply
  • November 7, 2022 at 10:22 am
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    The designer has no one that designed him.He is the source of sources. As he said in scriptures ” I AM THAT I AM.” God also said I am the Alpha and the Omega/beginning and end.

    Reply
  • December 30, 2022 at 6:17 pm
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    I always believed in God but not any longer. At 65 I stopped believing in him. If he exists, he is more of a devil than God.
    I feel we need a great power when we are feeling desperate someone to pray for help.
    There isn’t any proof of God and never has been.
    I always believed when things changed for the better it was because I prayed and put it in God’s hands which isn’t true for me any longer or I would have to admit that when things are at their worst and don’t get better than it is also God’s doing.
    If there is a God, I want proof.
    There are way too many horrible things in this world for there to be a God who is all about Love & Salvation. If there is a God, he has done a terrible job of bringing love, peace and prosperity to his children.
    As far as we will prosper in death if we are martyrs in this lifetime and will go to heaven there is no proof of that either.
    I believe this is it whether we like it or not there is no salvation after death.
    We know we are born, and we die that is all anyone knows.

    Reply
    • March 2, 2023 at 12:44 pm
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      I’m with you 100% ! Praying does absolutely nothing! I’m now 58 yrs old and recently lost my wife…. I prayed for her very strongly for the past 7 years… not ONE dam thing helped her. God is Bullshit! I too want proof… but I know it will never happen! My writing does show I’m angry… that is truth.

      Reply
  • March 17, 2023 at 10:53 am
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    Man created God by imagining someone that is powerful to protect them when nothing else can. Not the other way around. Humans are alone on this planet and in this universe among all other existed, existing and will exist species. There is no God, no saints, no angels no spirits. Not a damn thing more than born, live, age, sick and die with a bunch of living desire. God is for those who knows no science nor psychological mind.
    Man created all things on Earth from books to construction of reality. What man can imagine, man can create. Praying is for the weak mind or a psychological pattern or soothing practice. You are your own God. Nothing will bless you but yourself. So for those who still preach, stop lying to yourself. All flesh bodies and minds must suffer from earthly impact hunger diseases and sickness, emotional distress and desire. Even Sadhguru got carried away from his practice of real talk and believing in Shiva and spiritual world. No one is left out of having some sort of weakness. Religions are just education to shape the behavior or mankind. There is no such thing as God. You can call it a mother source of energy but don’t say there is a flying man out there that can help you! There are pilots that bomb-yes!
    Cheers! Live a life of a human will ya?

    Reply
    • July 30, 2023 at 8:50 am
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      And the truth will set you free.

      Reply

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