The Dawkins' Argument.
December 20, 2015 at 10:20 am
(This post was last modified: December 20, 2015 at 10:20 am by Jehanne.)
It's so simple and I have myself wondering, "Gee, why didn't I think of that?!"
But, let me state it simply, if only somewhat inaccurately (and, I admit that I am probably being at least somewhat inaccurate, and I am sure that others will correct me on this point.)
God, if "he/she/it/all of the above/some of the above/none of the above" truly existed "he/she/it/non-it" could, of course, reveal "himself/herself/itself/no-self" at any time and at any place in any instance, and yet, god remains silent and elusive. As with Big Foot, one must appeal to all sorts of reasons beyond this "divine hiddenness", wondering why Sasquatch does not at least crap somewhere in the forest. Talking to god is one thing, having him/her/it talk to you is quite another; the former is seen as "normal", the latter can get you committed!
In spite of god being an entirely faith-based entity with an almost limitless set of beliefs & opinions about who god is or what god has revealed or what Man must do to please god, why are left with the inexplicable question of god's origins, a being who, if he/she/it truly exists, is, arguably, more complex than we, his/her/its creation! And, yet, all of us, without any exceptions whatsoever, started off microscopic, the result of a long, complex, yet traceable, chain of microscopic events, all the way back in time. Ditto for every single object in our existence, from our phones to our cars to our TVs. And, yet, many still accept the existence of an uncaused, complex entity such as "god", content not to apply to him/she/it the fundamental standard which we, as human beings, apply to every other single thing in our lives.
One solution to all of this is that human beings may simply be wired for belief, that evolution, via natural selection, simply conferred a survival advantage upon individuals & groups who would embrace a hierarchical view of nature, with the ultimate hierarchy being in "heaven", which is the sky above us. In this respect, organized religion is simply a car which is running on fumes; an entity, such as the Catholic Church, has influence today solely due to the fact that it had influence in the past, which means that organized religion, Catholicism included, is doomed to inevitable extinction. For instance, countries, such as Sweden and France, are showing no signs of atheists converting back to traditional religion; if anything, the exact opposite is true, the slow erosion of religious faith and interest.
In the (hopefully, near) future, Dawkins' argument will be universally (or, nearly so) accepted, as it just makes sense. Everything in our experience attests to it being true!
But, let me state it simply, if only somewhat inaccurately (and, I admit that I am probably being at least somewhat inaccurate, and I am sure that others will correct me on this point.)
Quote:Complex things arise from simpler things which arise from even simpler things; anything and everything, without any exceptions whatsoever, comes into being from the interactions of simpler things.
God, if "he/she/it/all of the above/some of the above/none of the above" truly existed "he/she/it/non-it" could, of course, reveal "himself/herself/itself/no-self" at any time and at any place in any instance, and yet, god remains silent and elusive. As with Big Foot, one must appeal to all sorts of reasons beyond this "divine hiddenness", wondering why Sasquatch does not at least crap somewhere in the forest. Talking to god is one thing, having him/her/it talk to you is quite another; the former is seen as "normal", the latter can get you committed!
In spite of god being an entirely faith-based entity with an almost limitless set of beliefs & opinions about who god is or what god has revealed or what Man must do to please god, why are left with the inexplicable question of god's origins, a being who, if he/she/it truly exists, is, arguably, more complex than we, his/her/its creation! And, yet, all of us, without any exceptions whatsoever, started off microscopic, the result of a long, complex, yet traceable, chain of microscopic events, all the way back in time. Ditto for every single object in our existence, from our phones to our cars to our TVs. And, yet, many still accept the existence of an uncaused, complex entity such as "god", content not to apply to him/she/it the fundamental standard which we, as human beings, apply to every other single thing in our lives.
One solution to all of this is that human beings may simply be wired for belief, that evolution, via natural selection, simply conferred a survival advantage upon individuals & groups who would embrace a hierarchical view of nature, with the ultimate hierarchy being in "heaven", which is the sky above us. In this respect, organized religion is simply a car which is running on fumes; an entity, such as the Catholic Church, has influence today solely due to the fact that it had influence in the past, which means that organized religion, Catholicism included, is doomed to inevitable extinction. For instance, countries, such as Sweden and France, are showing no signs of atheists converting back to traditional religion; if anything, the exact opposite is true, the slow erosion of religious faith and interest.
In the (hopefully, near) future, Dawkins' argument will be universally (or, nearly so) accepted, as it just makes sense. Everything in our experience attests to it being true!
