Nestor Wrote:I'm not aware of any ancient theogonies that begin with nothing and then---poof---a being is born. They all start with chaos or necessity or some eternal principle or being to get everything else started. So, I don't dispute that Christians, Jews, or Muslims could conceive of what nobody else meaningfully can, namely, eternal nothingness.
Thank you.
Quote:I don't dispute any of these other things either but I also don't see any significance in them.
Why were you expecting to see significance in them? It might do you some good to go back and read the very first post of this thread. In speaking about them, I aimed to help answer the confusion expressed by the first post in this thread. It is simple; two propositions were suggested and they seemingly contradicted one another. My initial posts were aimed at helping to resolve that contradiction. I was trying to do. nothing. more. than. that.
Quote:You do realize that every apologist for every theistic religion uses the argument that, "something is eternal, just like my religion claims my God is, and coupled with other arguments we have a strong inductive case for God's existence."
I am very aware of that.
When have I tried to use "other arguments" to assert that I "have a strong inductive case for God's existence"? I certainly don't recall doing that. I am sure you are very experienced with apologists and are highly trained to sniff out their arguments before they even start, but I am not one of those people who comes to an atheist internet forum to try and prove god's existence to people. Please, relax. I have listed myself as a Catholic, so it should go without saying that I believe God exists and that such a claim can be rationally supported. HOWEVER, I HAVE NO INTENTION OF ATTEMPTING A RATIONAL PROOF OF GOD ON THESE FORUMS. Don't misinterpret that as yelling, it is simply emphasis.
