To answer this question we need to first establish common ground at the most basic level.
As humans we are naturally rational meaning we use our thoughts or we think about things to find meaning. To clarify this, we use reason to find meaning.
To go further it must be stated that some things are clear and those things are the basic things. if nothing is clear then there are no distinctions and no meaning.
Our thoughts are governed and have three laws. this is also called "Reason in Itself"
1. identity - "A" is "A"
2. non contradiction - "A" cannot be both "A" and "non-A" in the same time and same respect - we have distinctions between things, if we did not use this law there would be no difference between a watch and a horse.
3. excluded middle - either "a" or "non-a" - it is either a square or non square but if it is a square it cannot be any other thing other than the essence of "A"
----IF WE CANNOT AGREE ON THESE THINGS, WE CANNOT AGREE ON ANYTHING ELSE. THEREFORE IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THESE THREE LAWS, YOU ARE CONSIDERED IRRATIONAL AND YOU NEED NOT READ FURTHER. Everyone should have no problem accepting these three laws.
"Reason in its use"
1. Reason is formative, it is used to form concepts judgements and arguments which are the forms of all thought
2. Reason is used critically as the test for meaning
3. Reason is used to Interpret experience in light of ones basic belief
4. Reason is used to construct a coherent world and life view
Reason in us
1. Natural - it is universal, there is no chinese reason or american reason, it is the same at these most basic levels. if otherwise we would not be able to share any concepts judgements or arguments with another and have them understand it. it is the case that we can explain to someone a concept even though our languages are different
2. Ontological - Applies to being as well as thought. there are no square circles - in its essence a square cannot be a circle and a circle cannot be a square. you could change the definition but it still applies that you cannot merge the two concepts together. it is impossible and therefore does not exist
3. Transcendental - it is authoritative, you cannot question reason with reason. you cannot question it because it makes questioning possible (remember C,J, and A)
4. Fundamental - it is the source of mans greatest happiness and its disuse is the source of man's deepest misery. because we have to use reason to find meaning at the most basic level, to not use it means we don't have meaning and therefore self destruct.
Once again I would liek to point out that if you do not agree with these basic things, you cannot understand anything else, and there is no point in continuing. however if you are interested and just confused about a few things. pm me and we can chat.
The next question has to be about eternality
eternal is at a more basic level defined as always was, never had beginning and never will end. we need to apply this to the three common view points that separates culture and go from there.
1. nothing is eternal
2. something is eternal
3. all is eternal
you cannot go around this, these statements are more basic than any worldview and NEED to be answered.
1. Contradictory statements cannot be both true and cannot be both false
2. none is eternal's contradiction is "some is eternal"
3. if "none is eternal" then"
a. all is temporal
b. all had a beginning
c. all came into being
4. if all came into being, then being came into existence from non-being
5. being from non being is not possible
6. therefore the original "non is eternal" is not possible.
7. therefore its contradiction "some is eternal" must be true.
Now I don't think that anyone thinks nothing is eternal, the question now is is all eternal or some?
we need to ask if if the material world, the universe in its parts, and the universe as a whole is self maintaining.
If the material world is eternal (MATTER ENERGY AND SO ON..)
then it would be self maintaining.
because all is not self maintaining the material world is not eternal.
in general, the material world is highly differentiated, there is hot and cold, dry and wet, hard and soft, rock and sand. these differences interact iwth eahother. the reaction continues until sameness is reached and will remain the same when left to itself
if the universe in its parts is eternal for example the sun, then the sun would not burn out. the sun is finite in size and so are the stars. and infinite being is not finite. and when left to itself the sun will burn out. the universe in its parts is not eternal
the last part we can get to is is the universe as a whole eternal.
1. not enough mass to pull universe back in on itself meaning it will eventually reach a heat death.
2.even if there was enough mass to pull back in on itself, it would eventually reach sameness meaning force pushing out and force pushing in would reach equilibrium and stop moving.
3. true vaccum (empty of matter and energy) into false vaccum( empty of matter but not energy) is the same as being from non-being which is a contradiction.
necessarily you cannot hold to the universe as eternal and inflationary theories of the big bang.
therefore we realize that since matter and energy are not eternal, the opposite, something must be eternal must be true
since it is not matter or energy, I will call this being - GOD
