(June 11, 2015 at 8:51 am)SteveII Wrote: According to the Christian THEORY (since I don't need to be certain of anything to have a theory, I just need some evidence that agrees with my conclusions) God has interacted with our reality (not meant to be an exhaustive list):
1) The universe had a cause
2) Life exists
3) Complex biological systems exist
4) The ancient Jews interacted with God quite a bit
5) Jesus came, ministered, performed miracles, died, and was resurrected
6) Miracles still happen
7) There is a god-shaped hole in everyone's psychology
8) The "inter-witness of the Holy Spirit" (there, that should get all the WLC fans going)
Of course you will pick apart each one as "you can't prove..." and "baseless assertions". I don't have to prove them, just like evolution, the mountain of evidence I have points to a probabilistic conclusion that the God of Christianity exists. Until I am presented with a theory that answers all of these questions with a different answer, that is what I choose to believe.
Despite the vitriol that is sure to come, this is not an unreasonable THEORY--much like believing in evolutionary theory is not unreasonable.
I am generally not inclined to help other theists.
1. Argued under the cosmological argument for the existence of God (synthetic apriori) by which a cause without cause becomes necessary in order to begin any causal chain and avoid infinite regression. Further assumed within the Big Bang theory as there would exist no other reason for the infinitely hot and dense while infinitesimally small singularity to change from its previous state and begin expansion. (The big bang theory does not say what banged or why).
2. Argued in accordance or opposition to arguments of statistical significance or probability. General argument against God is while possible still improbable and if improbable than nonexistent. Life exists and has a statistic probability of approximately 1/(1x10^390) to 1/(1x10^40) (http://evolutionfaq.com/articles/probability-life) in both cases a statistical improbability. Since life exists though improbable its very existence serves as an invalidation of the second premise that what is improbable is nonexistent.
3. Is just another form of 2.
4. Is an anecdotal argument which is as valid as any other anecdotal argument. (meaning not very, but the truth of the matter must provide explanation for the anecdotal observation).
5. Everything save the resurrection has sufficient historical evidence to be consider a historical fact. However, such is insufficient to serve as proof of divinity.
6. In catholicism this determination is facilitate by the "devil's advocate" (it is not just a movie) whose job is to posit any other possible explanation than supernatural, which may only be dismissed by factual proof. Only when all possible explanation are dismissed by proof is something referred to as a miracle.
7. A presupposition of persons that cannot be evidenced as true.
8. Another form of the anecdotal argument.