Support of a claim

[pshun2404]

Hi, I am new here and agnostic, and was looking for an intelligent answer (or non-answer)....

I do not know one way or the other whether or not there is a god but I noticed in my studies of Philosophy that it is a huge topic producing around 15 or so arguments demonstrating the probability for, and yet none that I could find actually negating the probability. Can you help direct me to philosophical studies that demonstrate there cannot be a god(s) or designer (I know the one is not necessary argument and am not looking for a barrage of insults)...I see many people make the blanket claim that there is none, so please show me some arguments, factual basis, or direct me to accepted philosophers who I may read on this subject.

Thanks

[Cyberman]

[popeyespappy]

The problem with many of the arguments for the existence of god is even though the argument is valid it may not be sound because a premise it contains is a presupposition. For example the cosmological argument in all its many forms all boil down to one thing. That one thing is a necessary being that was the first cause, and that necessary being is defined as god. However the simple truth is that presupposition may be false. The universe may not require a cause, and may itself be necessary.

[pineapplebunnybounce]

The existence of god isn't really a philosophical question though? I mean if you're looking to definitively determine if god exists, the only avenue available is the scientific method. Even if god could logically exist, until you find evidence supporting his existence, you still cannot say he exists. However because the god hypothesis is so poorly defined (what is a god?), it's not testable.

In short: how are we to answer the question when no one has determined which question to ask?

[Minimalist]

When philosophy begins to deal in facts rather than semantics I'll pay attention to it.

Meanwhile, there is no evidence for any of the gods which humanity has seen fit to invent throughout history.

Thinking about that last sentence should give you some idea of an answer, though.

[bennyboy]

Hi, I am new here and agnostic, and was looking for an intelligent answer (or non-answer)....

I do not know one way or the other whether or not there is a god but I noticed in my studies of Philosophy that it is a huge topic producing around 15 or so arguments demonstrating the probability for, and yet none that I could find actually negating the probability. Can you help direct me to philosophical studies that demonstrate there cannot be a god(s) or designer (I know the one is not necessary argument and am not looking for a barrage of insults)...I see many people make the blanket claim that there is none, so please show me some arguments, factual basis, or direct me to accepted philosophers who I may read on this subject.

Thanks

You can easily prove there's no God, under a particular definition. For example, you can disprove the Christian God with omni-3 arguments.

You can't prove an undefined. Try proving "X does not exist," without knowing what X is. So proving that NO God, under any kind of definition, exists is hopeless.

[Angrboda]

[Neo-Scholastic]

... You could never know ...the laws of physics might be rewritten.

Actually, I think the same about atheism. If the natural order is arbitrary then it can arbitrarily change.

[Cyberman]

Problem there though, Chad, is that we already know - for a given value of 'know' anyway - that the natural order isn't arbitrary. The other problem of course is that has nothing to do with atheism, so you just wasted a torpedo on the wrong target.

On the other hand, as I say if reality is governed on the whim of a god, there would be no reason to suppose that anything would work consistently and actually every reason to suppose that they wouldn't.

[downbeatplumb]

Hi, I am new here and agnostic, and was looking for an intelligent answer (or non-answer)....

I do not know one way or the other whether or not there is a god but I noticed in my studies of Philosophy that it is a huge topic producing around 15 or so arguments demonstrating the probability for, and yet none that I could find actually negating the probability. Can you help direct me to philosophical studies that demonstrate there cannot be a god(s) or designer (I know the one is not necessary argument and am not looking for a barrage of insults)...I see many people make the blanket claim that there is none, so please show me some arguments, factual basis, or direct me to accepted philosophers who I may read on this subject.

Thanks

Arguments without evidence to back them up are just so much verbal masterbation and not worth the time it takes to read them.