(April 14, 2025 at 6:20 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:Once again citing his , Bare assertions , Arguments from ignorance, Arguments for incredulity , and as you point out argumentum ad populum oh and plenty of strawmen.(April 14, 2025 at 5:53 pm)Drew_2013 Wrote: What are they? Most atheists I've encountered here and elsewhere only engage in relentless attacks of God or a Creator and therefore submit naturedidit. The argument seems to be we don't know how the universe came into existence but it did and then fortuitously it caused all the circumstances necessary for human life to exist no god necessary. That may seem like a tall glass of water buts its more sensible than thinking the universe was intentionally caused to exist.
That's perfectly understandable. You wouldn't be the first.
You mean the claim that 81% of Americans believe is true is the flawed one? I list 5 facts that persuade me (and I believe most people) that we owe our existence to a Creator. I don't even rule out the possibility the Creator is a scientist in another universe.
1. The fact the universe exists
2. The fact life exists
3. The fact intelligent life exists.
4. The fact the universe has laws of physics, is knowable, uniform and to a large extent predictable, amenable to scientific research and the laws of logic deduction and induction and is also explicable in mathematical terms.
5. The fact that in order for intelligent humans to exist requires a myriad of exacting conditions including causing the ingredients for life to exist from scratch.
These are the facts any hypothesis or theory hopes to explain. At some point everyone asks themselves why is there something rather than nothing? How did life begin? How did a planet that allows our existence come to be? Because the universe exists, earth exists and we humans exist, it raises the question was our existence intentionally caused or the result of happenstance? Isn't that a reasonable question? If we could observe another universe and saw it was chaotic and lifeless no one would suggest it was intentionally caused. In our universe intelligent life does exist and the universe is not entirely chaotic. Its dominated by laws of physics which we can trace back to being the cause of our existence. Do you agree or disagree we owe our very existence to the laws of physics?
Theism is a hypothesis that seeks to explain the 5 observations. Atheism isn't an attempt to explain the 5 observations its mostly just a repudiation of the theist hypothesis. That's probably the reason why its not very popular. Even if one decides a Creator doesn't exist we're still left with an unsatisfactory answer to the 5 questions. Naturedidit for no reason and its none of your business anyway.
If I were arguing in favor of atheism, I'd use a much lighter approach. I wouldn't disparage belief in a Creator. Why should I? I don't know for a fact it only took natural forces to cause a life creating universe. Nobody knows that. As for the universe I'd say its a black box how it came about and we have to accept it as a brute given. I'd probably argue some laws of physics would emerge in any universe and we're fortunate to be in one that allowed our existence. I'd point to evolution as an explanation for how life once started became more complex. I would point to multiverse as a potential solution to our universe having precise properties for life to exist. The fact this universe exists is evidence other universes exist.
Numbers 1-5 don’t support your belief in a creator. Citing what 81% of what Americans believe as support for your belief is a fallacy - argumentum ad populum. You’re not doing yourself any favours.
I’m not going to rehash the other thread in this one.
Boru
"Change was inevitable"
Nemo sicut deus debet esse!
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“No matter what men think, abortion is a fact of life. Women have always had them; they always have and they always will. Are they going to have good ones or bad ones? Will the good ones be reserved for the rich, while the poor women go to quacks?”
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Nemo sicut deus debet esse!
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“No matter what men think, abortion is a fact of life. Women have always had them; they always have and they always will. Are they going to have good ones or bad ones? Will the good ones be reserved for the rich, while the poor women go to quacks?”
–SHIRLEY CHISHOLM