Saw this on Reddit, thought it was somewhat relevant although some points may be wrong.
http://i.imgur.com/YVOwZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/YVOwZ.png
Is there anything in particular that makes you believe in God so strongly?To me, Yes and I will forever believe in him no matter what people have to say about it. I leave people who don't believe alone so I'd hope they do the same to me.
To me, Yes and I will forever believe in him no matter what people have to say about it. I leave people who don't believe alone so I'd hope they do the same to me.
Then what created God if something cannot come out of nothing? ^^
It can't in a metaphysical sense. The question over what created the totality of all existence is a nonsensical question.Same question can be asked about the universe.
It's not a question. God is an existent in the universe. The universe is the sum of all existents.If you can answer that, then your answer can be applied to God.
Right, Occams razor.But why include God in the equation, you may ask? Wouldn't it just complicate things even more?
Again, an existent (God) cannot exist before existence (the universe). Also, there really is no evidence for Intelligent Design. Things are complex, things are 'perfect'. So what? Therefore something must have done it? That is a quintessential argument from ignorance.The thing is, some people may argue that there is a necessity for God to exist prior to the universe, because of evidences of intelligent design on the Earth (DNA, laws of Physics, and whatnot).
Sure, but that does presuppose his existence, and the existence of said realm.If God were to exist in a realm where the time dimension is nonexistent, there would be no 'creation' of Him. He'd simply be 'always there'.
It doesn't make a difference. You are arguing over the existence of entity X. Substitute any noun you want for entity X, it's still the same thing.Note that I'm not talking about 'God' of the scriptures. Just simply the idea of a higher, more intelligent being than us.
It can't in a metaphysical sense. The question over what created the totality of all existence is a nonsensical question.
It's not a question. God is an existent in the universe. The universe is the sum of all existents.
Again, an existent (God) cannot exist before existence (the universe). Also, there really is no evidence for Intelligent Design. Things are complex, things are 'perfect'. So what? Therefore something must have done it? That is a quintessential argument from ignorance.
Sure, but that does presuppose his existence, and the existence of said realm.
It doesn't make a difference. You are arguing over the existence of entity X. Substitute any noun you want for entity X, it's still the same thing.
Probably a poor choice of words on my part. I meant the philosophical definition of the word universe, as opposed to the scientific version (more on that soon).But I wasn't speaking in a metaphysical sense. Metaphysics deals with the essence/nature of 'being', not just 'being', or the 'being', itself. It essentially takes us a step backwards. Metaphysical arguments won't get us anywhere, as we can't really even prove that the computer we're using exists.
The definition of the universe is: the totality of all existence.If you're going to take the definition of 'universe' as the essence of existing rather than a closed (yet possibly expanding) loop of what does exist, then God being the beginning of this universe and expanding upon it with more objects of existence fits in this definition.
I think I've addressed this above.God being the biggest object of existence, where the other objects include the planets, stars, etc. also fits in this definition. Then we fall back into the question of where God came from.
Since this is corollary to the above, I'll skip it, and read on like you said!So, we remove God from the equation, and just assume the objects of the universe always existed, or had some scientific explanation of how they came into existence (Occam's Razor). Why can't the same theories be applied to God, if one concludes there could possibly be evidence of intelligence within our universe? Read on, I don't want to repeat points multiple times![]()
I don't think so. The totality of all existence means EVERYTHING. Your last statement 'all that exists is limited to our capability of understanding is incorrect. Reality is not subject to our capability, reality exists independent from us. For example, if we all die, reality goes on, this was the case for the past 13.7 billion years. To claim that stuff that exists is dependent on our conscious capacity to understand it is to claim the consciousness is primary, essentially meaning reality is subjective.You're assuming there is only one universe, and that nothing can exist outside of said universe, because you're defining 'universe' as to be all that exists. 'All that exists' is limited to our capability of understanding.
This is probably my fault from the beginning. The multiverse is a scientific hypothesis based on the scientific definition of the word universe. At least, it's application in science is different from its application in philosophy, or, at the very least, different from the definition I'm using.Such definition completely ignores the concept of a multiverse, or infinite universes. I'd prefer to use the phrase 'the totality of all that exists' than 'universe' for what you're trying to say.
The former is the more scientific definition. I don't wish to concern myself with that, I'm not a physicist. The latter, I agree with up until 'known to exist'. Whether or not we know something to exist doesn't mean it doesn't exist. For example. When we discover a new planet, we are by definition discovering its existence as opposed to mentally creating it. Whether or not we have the capacity to observe certain planets doesn't mean they don't exist.The definition of universe is vague. Some sources define it as such (all matter and energy, including the earth, the galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole) - the definition I'm using, whilst others define it like this (the totality of everything that exists or is known to exist).
If they exist, then sure. Obviously we would require evidence of their existence first before we seriously consider them.Your definition of universe includes pretty much everything - including what could possibly be in other dimensions.
In such a case, God wouldn't be the creator of the universe - rather, just a part of the universe, and possibly the creator of others parts of the universe, since 'universe' would really mean 'existence'.
Well, I reject that definition for the purposes of the debate. I say this because, put it this way, God either exists, or he doesn't exist (law of the excluded middle). If he exists, then he MUST certainly exist somewhere within the totality of all existence. But, he may not necessarily exist 'understanding of the world'.The definition I'm using is the universe as we know it - the planets, stars, etc. within our understanding of the world (3 dimensional space, with the possibility of a time dimension).
Absolutely. Unless of course, like many people profess, God violates them!In any case, this still means that the theories that have been conjectured to apply to the universe as we know it can also be applied to God, especially if He exists within said universe.
Again, you're assuming there is only one universe, and you're taking the definition of universe too literally.Covered above.
We're not talking about the notion of existence - we're talking about what we know that does exist - the planets, the stars, possibly dark matter, etc. The universe can expand.
This is consistent with your definition, but not mine. With your definition, I agree.If God exists, He could be the first object of existence, and later expand the universe with other objects of existence. Essentially, at one point in 'time', before these other objects of existence were created, God would be the universe.
Different definitions of the universe have lead to this analogy. Sure, I agree with what your saying (so long as the ants lack the capacity to comprehend Jamaica), but this is still not consistent with my definition of the universe. Namely, there would only be one universe.If I were to make a huge ant farm and place it in a dark room for years, to the ants, their little farm would be the universe, and the darkness would be their 'dark matter' (assuming they develop into scientists and can determine that there are strong gravitational fields out there). I would, essentially, be their 'God', and the creator of their little universe. However, I could be in Jamaica, sunbathing in, what to the ants, would be a 'different universe'. I existed before the ants' universe existed. It may be hard for the ants to understand, but in such a case, it is true. Such case could also possibly be applied to us humans, just with a different point of view.
It was hyperbolised, but you cannot deny that the relative complexity.And not necessarily complex/perfect.
The most honest answer is 'I don't know'. The truth is though, the general arguments people make are 'look at the complexity of life, I cannot fathom how this came about naturally, therefore God did it'. In your case of DNA is evidence, it's essentially saying we have DNA, therefore God exists. Why can't we say o, look at the water boiling, that's proof of Gods existence.DNA, for example, is a code - a language, much like binary. Binary required a designer. To our current knowledge, we don't know of any naturally occurring codes - abiogenesis cannot explain DNA or RNA. To say that DNA is evidence of intelligence is not ignorance.
I may have skipped over it. Run me over why you think DNA is evidence of some sort of higher intelligence.To say that DNA proves there was intelligence beforehand is. Read carefully - in my initial post, I said 'evidences of intelligence', not 'proof of intelligence'. I'm open to changing my view point, but at science's current progress, DNA still shows signs of intelligence. If I'm ignorant, then so is science.
Parts of this are covered above.Of course! I'm not saying I'm right, I'm saying it could fit in logically (to our current knowledge). That's why I began the sentence with 'if'. My point from the beginning, essentially. If you can explain where the mass of the universe originated from (which supposedly was 'always there' - the Big Bang was pretty much just the creation of time), then the same can be applied to God (my first point to the other poster). Then, the question comes of, "Why do we need God?" As I've said before, there are evidences (not proof), of intelligence. I'm open to science showing that all of these evidences can come from natural occurrences, but till our current knowledge, there is reason to believe that they don't.
You forgot faeries!Yes, exactly! Put anything you want in there. God, Pink Unicorn, Flying Spaghetti Monster, Russell's Teapot, etc.
Sure.The only reason I say this is because I don't want people bringing religion into the debate, putting religion into my mouth, and then attacking what they essentially brought up in the first place. I'm not fighting for 'the God that said the Earth was flat, because obviously it is round, so He must not exist'. I'm just debating against the notion that there simply is nothing else out there.
O, no no! You don't have to accept abiogenesis as the creation of life from non-life (and subsequent RNA, then DNA). You should however accept that the laws of the universe exist... But you could not know why, or how, you just know that they do. Now, Occams razor is essentially: fewest assumptions, equal weighting. Now, replacing everything with entity X did it could possibly reduce the number of assumptions (though you are replacing it with a huge assumption, as it is a very strong claim). But have you satisfied the equal weighting? I would simply say no.Edit: You brought up Occam's Razor. But you see, removing God from the equation generates a whole new set of hypotheses - such as abiogenesis, the creation of RNA and DNA, the creation of the laws of Physics, etc. to the world. Essentially, adding God to the equation would lead to the removal of these hypotheses and hence, fewer assumptions in the long run. It only adds the assumption that 'God exists'.
Absolutely.But Occam's Razor shouldn't be taken as an absolute truth. Just because a hypothesis has many more assumptions than another, doesn't mean it is wrong.
PEOPLE! God will not reveal himself on an open platter. We are just so insignificant to think we can demand proof. Why would ants demand proof from god, who are those ants to be asking those questions.
God exists. Something cannot come out of nothing. The only explanation is a god existing that us humans have no capability of explaining.
WOW. I can't believe that there's more nos than yes, I believe in God, I'm a Christian Catholic. We studied the bible, and all of it's data is accurate. For example: The bible says that the world is a sphere, right before the spanyards reached back spain going from east to west.
The definition of the universe is: the totality of all existence.
Why is it then nonsensical to say that God created the universe, or, God created existence? The answer is somewhat axiomatic. If God created the universe, that implies that God is something. But if God is something, that implies that existence has already existed. If however God created the universe, and he is in actual fact nothing, then...
I don't think so. The totality of all existence means EVERYTHING. Your last statement 'all that exists is limited to our capability of understanding is incorrect. Reality is not subject to our capability, reality exists independent from us. For example, if we all die, reality goes on, this was the case for the past 13.7 billion years. To claim that stuff that exists is dependent on our conscious capacity to understand it is to claim the consciousness is primary, essentially meaning reality is subjective.
This is probably my fault from the beginning. The multiverse is a scientific hypothesis based on the scientific definition of the word universe. At least, it's application in science is different from its application in philosophy, or, at the very least, different from the definition I'm using.
The former is the more scientific definition. I don't wish to concern myself with that, I'm not a physicist. The latter, I agree with up until 'known to exist'. Whether or not we know something to exist doesn't mean it doesn't exist. For example. When we discover a new planet, we are by definition discovering its existence as opposed to mentally creating it. Whether or not we have the capacity to observe certain planets doesn't mean they don't exist.
If they exist, then sure. Obviously we would require evidence of their existence first before we seriously consider them.
Well, I reject that definition for the purposes of the debate. I say this because, put it this way, God either exists, or he doesn't exist (law of the excluded middle). If he exists, then he MUST certainly exist somewhere within the totality of all existence. But, he may not necessarily exist 'understanding of the world'.
Absolutely. Unless of course, like many people profess, God violates them!
This is consistent with your definition, but not mine. With your definition, I agree.
Different definitions of the universe have lead to this analogy. Sure, I agree with what your saying (so long as the ants lack the capacity to comprehend Jamaica), but this is still not consistent with my definition of the universe. Namely, there would only be one universe.
It was hyperbolised, but you cannot deny that the relative complexity.
The most honest answer is 'I don't know'. The truth is though, the general arguments people make are 'look at the complexity of life, I cannot fathom how this came about naturally, therefore God did it'. In your case of DNA is evidence, it's essentially saying we have DNA, therefore God exists. Why can't we say o, look at the water boiling, that's proof of Gods existence.
I may have skipped over it. Run me over why you think DNA is evidence of some sort of higher intelligence.
You forgot faeries!
O, no no! You don't have to accept abiogenesis as the creation of life from non-life (and subsequent RNA, then DNA). You should however accept that the laws of the universe exist... But you could not know why, or how, you just know that they do. Now, Occams razor is essentially: fewest assumptions, equal weighting. Now, replacing everything with entity X did it could possibly reduce the number of assumptions (though you are replacing it with a huge assumption, as it is a very strong claim). But have you satisfied the equal weighting? I would simply say no.

