Idolatry, indifference, and the scientific study of religion: two new Humean arguments

Abstract

Abstract We utilize contemporary cognitive and social science of religion to defend a controversial thesis: the human cognitive apparatus gratuitously inclines humans to religious activity oriented around entities other than the God of classical theism. Using this thesis, we update and defend two arguments drawn from David Hume: (i) the argument from idolatry , which argues that the God of classical theism does not exist, and (ii) the argument from indifference , which argues that if the God of classical theism exists, God is indifferent to our religious activity.