Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: January 22, 2025, 6:18 pm

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
How to debunk the first cause argument without trying too hard
#48
RE: How to debunk the first cause argument without trying too hard
(July 23, 2015 at 1:13 pm)MysticKnight Wrote: I also made the following argument in the past:

An effect needs a cause.

...unless it's a conveniently-defined "uncaused cause" or "prime mover" who is exempt from the rule. My point is that I can simply apply the rule to the universe itself. If we continue to apply the exemption to our reasoning, then the whole endeavor has been poisoned. I can simply modify my reasoning to allow for an eternal universe via explanations that consist of nothing but claims. I can try to ward off investigation of my approach by appealing to "obvious truths" and "submissive hearts." Reason does not consist of a bunch of imagined steps and convenient rules. That works well for myths and religion, but not if we're making an honest effort at finding out what really happened.
"Well, evolution is a theory. It is also a fact. And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world's data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts don't go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein's theory of gravitation replaced Newton's in this century, but apples didn't suspend themselves in midair, pending the outcome. And humans evolved from ape- like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin's proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be discovered."

-Stephen Jay Gould
Reply



Messages In This Thread
RE: How to debunk the first cause argument without trying too hard - by Tonus - July 23, 2015 at 1:27 pm

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Mike Litorus owns god without any verses no one 3 613 July 9, 2023 at 7:13 pm
Last Post: brewer
  Morality without God Superjock 102 12106 June 17, 2021 at 6:10 pm
Last Post: Ranjr
  Christian missionary becomes atheist after trying to convert tribe EgoDeath 40 6248 November 19, 2019 at 2:07 am
Last Post: EgoDeath
  Faux News: Atheism is a religion, too TaraJo 53 26934 October 9, 2018 at 10:13 pm
Last Post: Alan V
  Most humans aren't too logical when it comes to world views and how to go about it. Mystic 28 5013 October 9, 2018 at 8:59 am
Last Post: Alan V
  Atheists who announce "I'm good without god" Bahana 220 32322 October 8, 2018 at 5:15 pm
Last Post: Belacqua
  Me too Silver 6 1604 October 7, 2018 at 10:08 pm
Last Post: outtathereligioncloset
  Too many near death experiences purplepurpose 77 19821 November 13, 2017 at 8:48 am
Last Post: Little Rik
  Can someone debunk this FPerson 162 38797 November 12, 2017 at 7:53 pm
Last Post: Cyberman
  Sometimes it's hard for me to shut up about my atheism Der/die AtheistIn 23 6322 August 15, 2017 at 5:18 am
Last Post: Der/die AtheistIn



Users browsing this thread: 25 Guest(s)