Do we live in a universe where theism is likely true? (video)

[bennyboy]

There is no proof that matter and energy have always existed and have no beginning (just as there is no proof of god). As far as we know, matter and energy come from somewhere, and are effected by time.

"As far as we know," all things were made by a magic Space Monkey.  But the default position should be that which introduces the fewest extra entities. Those extra entities are added only when they are both sufficient and necessary to explain something. A conscious Creator doesn't really add anything to the mix.

To me, the simplest explanation is that everything in the Universe always existed, or that the Universe came from some principle which is timeless.  You could call this philosophical quantity God if you want.  What you should NOT do is go from this philosophical position to one about Sky Daddy loving you even though he let your kid die of cancer or whatever.

[Neo-Scholastic]

I ran across this on TTA and Carroll makes some good points about what we should expect under theism and what we should expect under naturalism.

Any theists care to comment?

I will forgo commenting on the fine-tuning argument. It's not my personal favorite and I have some of the same reservations as Carroll. That said Strange Notions already did a good series here on Carroll's 'The Big Picture' for those that are interested.

[Mister Agenda]

There is no proof that matter and energy have always existed and have no beginning (just as there is no proof of god). As far as we know, matter and energy come from somewhere, and are effected by time.

When you use 'we don't know that it's not true' as your reason for believing something IS true, you've made a mistake. I'm agnostic on the matter, myself.

[Amarok]

There is no proof that matter and energy have always existed and have no beginning (just as there is no proof of god). As far as we know, matter and energy come from somewhere, and are effected by time.

And who claimed such a thing had been proven ?

As for your argument about matter and energy yup and the thing we see them come from is more matter and energy not magic incantations  we have never seen matter" begin" only be reargued .And yup are effected by time as are the actions of any known being . This was suppose to help your point ?

And no William Lane Craig's desperate attempts with Hilbert's Hotel and other mathematical gibberish have all failed to a point were even he's starting a slow march away from it.

[Amarok]

Strange notion series is a pile of shit (like most of there articles) don't waste your time . This craps already ben forwarded to Carroll who dismissed already as misrepresenting his idea's .

Theists so far can't touch Carroll

[Silver]

We live in a universe where anything is likely true.

In the end, do you want to be the kind of person who deludes yourself into something because it makes you feel good or do you want to be the kind of individual who wants to state "I don't know" until real evidence is provided?

[bennyboy]

^

People get tired of playing the guessing game, and then resort to the "best guess" as the answer "for now." The problem is that they eventually forget it was a guess, and if it is important or long-standing enough, institutionalize it with a dogma.

"Someone made the universe" really isn't an unreasonable guess. The problem is that due to our chimpanzee-like social instincts, that guess has led to a lot of screaming, shit-flinging, and unnecessarily bloody murder.

"I don't know" rarely leads to those kinds of behaviors.