Who throws the dice for you?

[Heywood]

Premise 1: God exists only if events happen which cannot be explained by local physical causes.
Premise 2: Events happen which cannot be explained by local physical causes.
Conclusion: Therefore God exists.

Premise 1: Sauron exists only if events happen which cannot be explained by local physical causes.
Premise 2: Events happen which cannot be explained by local physical causes.
Conclusion: Therefore Sauron exists.

See.....the issue is that you need to show that God exists before you make any premise that he does exist.
See how that works?

I've never said I have proved God's existence. In fact I gave different possibilities to explain the observations. The argument that I laid out in premises and conclusions was meant to demonstrate that such a possibility as an explanation for observations is not begging the question(I even said premise 1 was not true).

BTW....your argument about Sauron, while not sound(because the premises are wrong)....is still a valid argument(meaning it logically follows if the premises are true). There is no begging the question fallacy committed.

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Don't be silly. The "only" doesn't negate the "if". It negates the possibility of an explanation other than God.

The argument is valid. There is no begging the question.

For the record, the point of the argument was not to summarize my position. The point of the argument was to show you there is no begging the question. You can take the "only" out if you like.

"I've presented you a question with only one answer, based on an assumption. How dare you accuse me of begging the question!"

Negative Rampant.

1 answer based on 2 premises.

If you only consider 1 premise you cannot reach a conclusion. That is exactly why it is not begging the question.

The critical thinking fails in this thread is absolutely amazing.