What Are the Rules of Something from Nothing?

[Esquilax]

An atheist once said to me that since nothingness does not exist it has no rules, so there are no rules preventing non-existence from creating or causing something to happen. The flaw in that thinking is that though it is true nothingness has no rules, there is nothing for it to prevent since there is just nothing, so remains non-existence always non-existent. You can be confident in saying nothing always leaves nothing from nothing.

Why do you think simply gainsaying something by fiat assertion makes you correct? All this entire paragraph really says is "an atheist once said x to me, but nuh uh!"

Another way you can respond to this is to say since nothingness has no rules it has no rule to cause something, so nothingness can't cause anything.

How do you know you need a "rule" to cause something? How have you demonstrated this, especially beyond spacetime, where normal causality doesn't necessarily apply? You're making declarative statements about something you literally know nothing about, right now.

It likewise has no rules to prevent something, but since there is not anything then there is nothing to prevent. If theoretically there was something to prevent then 'no rule to cause something' and 'no rule to prevent something' are contradicting each other. That which is self-contradictory is flawed in its reasoning. Either way you approach this problem, something still can't come from nothing.

If something can't come from nothing, then god is right out.

We only have evidence for cause and effect from something, no hard evidence of something from nothing. We observe trillions of cause and effects and not one iota of evidence of something from nothing. Let us rest on the evidence and the evidence alone without having to be cute about rules or no rules. I am satisfied with that fact.

Look up "quantum foam," before you get too proud of yourself.

This little exercise, if nothing else, shows the desperation of atheists by their twists and turns, but still remain delusional. Let me reiterate we have trillions of cause and effects and no hard evidence of something from nothing.

So what caused god? I know you're just going to make some excuse for why he doesn't need a cause. So what you're- inevitably going to- say is that you already believe in something that exists without a cause, so where exactly do you get off tutting at atheists about evidence for causes and effects like you've got some rational high ground here?

What evidence do you have for the existence of god, if you prize evidence so highly? What evidence do you have for his uncaused nature? Where's the evidence for your positive claim, before you start talking down to the folks that aren't even making one?

The atheist is hostile to God so it tries to circumvent this evidence.

That's a good way to start off a conversation, by telling the other side of it what they think for them. How would you like it if I just told you the only reason you believe in god is because you're hostile to facts?

Simmer down and have a debate, but don't you dare dictate to me what my position is before we've even started talking. Do you have any idea how profoundly dishonest and arrogant that is?