I've heard atheists say,

“I believe that the universe was created out of nothing by chance.”

But chance can’t create anything. It’s a word that we use to describe or talk about probabilities. If I flip a coin the chances of it landing heads up if flipped (assuming it doesn’t land on its side) is 50%. But if it does land heads up, chance didn't "cause" it to flip, I did. "Chance" doesn't stand in casual relation to things.

“Chance” as the cause of the universe seems silly.

What do you guys think?

(September 17, 2012 at 7:50 pm)Reasonable_Jeff Wrote: I've heard atheists say,

“I believe that the universe was created out of nothing by chance.”

But chance can’t create anything. It’s a word that we use to describe or talk about probabilities. If I flip a coin the chances of it landing heads up if flipped (assuming it doesn’t land on its side) is 50%. But if it does land heads up, chance didn't "cause" it to flip, I did. "Chance" doesn't stand in casual relation to things.

“Chance” as the cause of the universe seems silly.

What do you guys think?

I think you've created a strawman that I've heard a hundred times before. No-one with any knowledge of the beginnings of our universe states its origin in the way you have, atheist or otherwise (and remember, there are religious physicists/astrophysicists/cosmologists/mathematicians/year 9 students).

If there is a creator of our universe, he does not reveal himself to us. He is not the god of a monotheistic religion; these are simply prehistoric explanations of the world. It's not a religion. This creator places no bounds on us (such as the ten commandments). It is arguable whether or not this creator can watch our progression. The same can be said for if this creator still exists now and if he exists outside of the universe and such things as time. I respect this viewpoint, but as for the creation of the universe, it is mostly opinion based on what most logically happened. It's one of an infinite amount of answers.

There is no such thing as "nothing". As to your statement, I assume you believe your god created 'something' from 'nothing', so in effect, you are the 'pot calling the kettle black'.

(September 17, 2012 at 7:50 pm)Reasonable_Jeff Wrote: I've heard atheists say,

“I believe that the universe was created out of nothing by chance.”

But chance can’t create anything. It’s a word that we use to describe or talk about probabilities. If I flip a coin the chances of it landing heads up if flipped (assuming it doesn’t land on its side) is 50%. But if it does land heads up, chance didn't "cause" it to flip, I did. "Chance" doesn't stand in casual relation to things.

“Chance” as the cause of the universe seems silly.

What do you guys think?

If we didn't have an explanation, we would look bad.

Why should we look bad?

So we invent explanations.

'Reasonable_Jeff; Wrote:“Chance” as the cause of the universe seems silly.

Perhaps, but I think most people are secure enough to say they don't know the cause of the universe. Given our current understanding, this seems to me to be the only reasonable position.

Besides, if we want to get into silly causes of the universe, I think the magic, bearded man that always existed but somehow was lonely and felt the yearning to create whipped up the universe with a snap of his fingers is a far sillier cause than to believe it is the result of unconscious, unintentional forces.

(September 17, 2012 at 7:50 pm)Reasonable_Jeff Wrote: I've heard atheists say,

“I believe that the universe was created out of nothing by chance.”

Source?

(September 17, 2012 at 9:05 pm)TaraJo Wrote:

(September 17, 2012 at 7:50 pm)Reasonable_Jeff Wrote: I've heard atheists say,

“I believe that the universe was created out of nothing by chance.”

Source?

Could be some he knows personally.

(September 17, 2012 at 8:41 pm)Vincenzo "Vinny" G. Wrote: If we didn't have an explanation, we would look bad.

Why should we look bad?

So we invent explanations.

And many atheists have told you god is not a good explanation, you are better off being brave and admitting you do not know.

(September 17, 2012 at 9:06 pm)System of Solace Wrote:

(September 17, 2012 at 9:05 pm)TaraJo Wrote: Source?

Could be some he knows personally.

Possible. It's also possible it's a strawman. I suspect the later.