Rather than take the time to refute every argument made by others on my recent posts, I will start from scratch. The problem with that accepted format of rebuttal is over time, the original argument becomes distorted and misconceptions become prevalent. Now, there is obviously so much information needed to argue my case that I could write a book, and several have been written already.
This first post will focus primarily on Faith and Religion.
Despite its apparent persuasiveness, the claim that religion is simply a matter of faith is nothing more than a modern myth - it just isn't true. While religion certainly requires faith, religion is not only about faith. Facts are also central to all religions because all religious worldviews - including atheism - make truth claims, and many of those truth claims can be evaluated through scientific and historical investigation.
For Example, theists (e.g., Christians, Muslims, Jews) say that the universe had a beginning, while many atheists and pantheists (e.g., Hindus) say that it did not (the universe is eternal). These are mutually exclusive claims. They cannot both be right. Either the universe had a beginning or it did not. By investigating the nature and history of the universe, we can reasonably conclude that one view is right and the other is wrong.
The alleged resurrection of Christ presents another example. Christians claim that Jesus rose from the dead, while Muslims say that Jesus never even died. Again, one of these views is right and the other is wrong. How can we know which one is right? By evaluating each of these conflicting truth claims against the historical evidence.
Notice that not only do different religions attempt to answer these questions, but scientists also have something to say about these matters. That is, science and religion often address the same questions: Where did the universe come from? Where did life come from? Are miracles possible? and so on. In other words, science and religion are not mutually exclusive categories as some have suggested.
Certainly not all religious claims are open to scientific or historical investigation. Some are unverifiable dogma. Nevertheless, the validity of many religious beliefs can be checked out. Some beliefs are reasonable - they can be proven with a high degree of certainty - while others are clearly unreasonable.
So again, to address the common challenge among this thread...offer proof, or this thread is not for you. The topic of the thread is: "Does God Exist?" There is clearly no need to even venture into the topic of religious cannons (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc.). However, do not suggest that because no verifiable proof of God is presented, then our attempts to reason with the misguided are futile. No evidence can be supplied that would definitively support any worldview (e.g., Theism, Pantheism, or Atheism), otherwise this debate would not be in progress.
So For the Record: ANYONE who suggests "no proof, no argument" should (again) be reported for spamming. Clearly, no proof will be presented for the existence of God, or absence; however, evidence that can convey probability will be presented, and that is unfortunately, as good as it will get.
