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"god exists" <Why is this a relevant argument?
December 31, 2009 at 2:04 am
Seriously,
Normally a proposition is made which adheres to logical principle. Logic being the system for decerning the true from the untrue - Richard Whately.
I'm concerned why this (sort of) non-statement is allowed to stand on its own in this way.
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RE: "god exists" <Why is this a relevant argument?
December 31, 2009 at 2:13 am
Allowed to stand? Are you about to tell people with silly beliefs that they are not allowed them?
.
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RE: "god exists" <Why is this a relevant argument?
December 31, 2009 at 2:21 am
(This post was last modified: December 31, 2009 at 2:28 am by TruthWorthy.)
(December 31, 2009 at 2:13 am)theVOID Wrote: Allowed to stand? Are you about to tell people with silly beliefs that they are not allowed them? What part do silly people, having silly beliefs, play in whether that non-statement should stand?
If that were to go, they'd be forced to come up something better and the odds would be evened out, wouldn't they?
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RE: "god exists" <Why is this a relevant argument?
December 31, 2009 at 2:39 am
"God exists" isn't an argument though, it's a proposition. It isn't allowed to stand on it's own. Propositions have to be backed up by arguments, and this one is. Whether these arguments are logical or not is up for debate, and these debates happen.
What is your problem here?
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RE: "god exists" <Why is this a relevant argument?
December 31, 2009 at 2:50 am
(This post was last modified: December 31, 2009 at 2:52 am by TruthWorthy.)
(December 31, 2009 at 2:39 am)Tiberius Wrote: "God exists" isn't an argument though, it's a proposition. It isn't allowed to stand on it's own. Propositions have to be backed up by arguments, and this one is. Whether these arguments are logical or not is up for debate, and these debates happen.
What is your problem here?
Would you please explain this a bit, because I don't understand it properly?
I thought a proposition had to be logical. a preposition has to a have predicate and subject. Like say something is like something else, is effected by something, effects something, looks like something else, etc. Propostions in logic have a similar use -
eg. god (is like - is in) heaven, etc?
"god exists"; doesn't even constitute a sentence!
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RE: "god exists" <Why is this a relevant argument?
December 31, 2009 at 2:58 am
Propositions are statements that are either true or false.
For instance, the statement "Tiberius is a man" is a proposition that happens to be true, and I can provide arguments that can assert that truth.
Other propositions are "Snow is white", "All roads are straight", "Homosexuality is natural", etc.
So yes, "God exists" is a proposition. "God doesn't exist" is another proposition. Such statements can be true or false, and there are varying arguments for both.
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RE: "god exists" <Why is this a relevant argument?
December 31, 2009 at 3:33 am
(This post was last modified: December 31, 2009 at 3:37 am by TruthWorthy.)
I thought that logical statements had to assert that one thing meant another (in a manner of speaking).
ie. snow is white; Tiberius is a man.
This isn't the case with "god exists", or "god is true" as they are self reflexive statements, such as "truth is true", they don't propose anything actually interacts with the subject besides the subject. Better would be "god is a cloud", then you can add other logical statements, such as "clouds are rain", then adding: "god is rain".
I can't see how "god exists (or "god is true")", counts for a standing argument/logical statement/sentence.
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RE: "god exists" <Why is this a relevant argument?
December 31, 2009 at 5:16 am
"Shit happens" is also a proposition, and a full sentence. What exactly is your problem with "X exists"? Is it the existence part or what the value of X is?
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RE: "god exists" <Why is this a relevant argument?
December 31, 2009 at 5:44 am
(December 31, 2009 at 3:33 am)TruthWorthy Wrote: I thought that logical statements had to assert that one thing meant another (in a manner of speaking).
ie. snow is white; Tiberius is a man.
This isn't the case with "god exists", or "god is true" as they are self reflexive statements, such as "truth is true", they don't propose anything actually interacts with the subject besides the subject. Better would be "god is a cloud", then you can add other logical statements, such as "clouds are rain", then adding: "god is rain".
I can't see how "god exists (or "god is true")", counts for a standing argument/logical statement/sentence. From Wikipedia:
"In logic a statement is a declarative sentence that is either true or false. A statement is distinct from a sentence in that a sentence is only one formulation of a statement, whereas there may be many other formulations expressing the same statement."
The statement "God exists" can be either true or false. The statement "God is true" lacks meaning, and I'm not sure why you brought it up.
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RE: "god exists" <Why is this a relevant argument?
December 31, 2009 at 6:03 am
"god is true, "god is real, or "god is there, are all self reflexive statements.
The reason why "god exists" cannot be a sentence is because there is no predicate (nothing is actually said about "god). A sentence requires an object, subject, and a predicate.
The predicate basically links the subject and object in some way, or says something about either the subject or object, but both need to be present.
I hit him. Can constitute a sentence because the subject "I" the predicate (action/verb) "hit", and "him" the object - in this sentence.
Also in logic there need to be some sort of claim in any proposition. Such as "god creates ..." or "god seems ..." from this we can look at either noun and tell something about the other in the (usu') diadic statement.
I had to read up a text book about grammar (by myself) after having a shit house english teacher, but I've got a reasonable grasp on usage. I'll go and double check - so give me a chance to correct myself if you know better.
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