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REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS
There is no God.
Thursday, August 10, 2006 4:24 PM
ANTIMASON
Quote:Originally posted by Tristan: Alright, I wanted to stay out of this, I really did. I am not angered, nor disgusted, nor anything. I have a question reagarding the "free will" concept. This will be based on a few assumptions, so please bear with me for a bit; this is something that has plagued me, and maybe I can get an intelligent answer from the Christians in here. Free will is god granting humans a choice in every aspect of their lives. This is completely unlike pre-destination, where everything is writ, nothing you do can change your destiny. Assuming free will exists, and humans do bad things that are blamed on this concept, from where does it originate? According to some, god created all things. This means everything, am I right? This would include thought and deed; all possible outcomes to everything a human is faced with has to have been created by god. If this is in fact true, there is no "free will"; humans just have a pool of pre-made decisions to draw from...good or evil, they have been created by god. Any arguements that "satan has a hand in it, too" will lead back to the fact that god created everything...including satan. If this is not so, then god is not the creator he is put up to be, and is merely another player in things. Ok, flame away, for I am sure I will get a few of those. For those Christians in here interested in answering, I thank you in advance. I am an odd duck in that I can get along with almost anyone despite their beliefs (or lack of), as long as those beliefs are not foisted upon me. Thanks for listening. ______________________________________
Thursday, August 10, 2006 4:37 PM
Thursday, August 10, 2006 4:40 PM
KANEMAN
Thursday, August 10, 2006 4:53 PM
TRISTAN
Thursday, August 10, 2006 6:09 PM
DREAMTROVE
Thursday, August 10, 2006 10:42 PM
CITIZEN
Friday, August 11, 2006 3:27 AM
NANITE1018
Friday, August 11, 2006 3:35 AM
Quote:Originally posted by christhecynic: Quote:Originally posted by nanite1018: Chris, you may very well not exist. How do i know? I have no proof. Obviously but my point is that you don't have evidence either, a point you clearly disagree with. I probably shouldn't side track us by explaining why but since I brought it up I'll give it at least one shot. Quote:But you claim to be someone, you don't appear to be lying, with you so far. Quote:and all of the evidence (the background, the posts, everything) backs the hypothesis that you are an actual person. And that’s where you lose me. Quote:Now I have two hypotheses, one that you are an individual, the other that you are a creation, an imaginary person created by someone else. This seems to me a lot like god, so maybe talking about this isn't as off topic as I thought. Then again it could also sound like aliens. There are two possibilities: I am/god is/aliens are an actual individual/actual individuals the other is that I am/god is/aliens are a creation, an imaginary entity/entities created by someone else. In all three cases I have a long series of actions attributed to the thing in question, and in all three cases there are other explanations for those things ranging from hoax to the planet Venus. Quote:Occam's Razor dictates that if you have two hypotheses that both explain the data equally well than the one with fewer assumptions is most likely true. In fact it makes no statement about which one is most likely true, all that it does say is, "Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem," (though sometimes the spelling varies as I've also seen, "Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate," and a couple of others) which is very different. I mean when you read what it actually says it is talking about what should be done when creating a theory, it doesn't even mention the truth or accuracy of said theory. Then we move from that to saying the theory that is more in line with the idea that we don't multiply entities sine neccesitate is the one that science will accept. It does not say the other is wrong because if there were a way to know the other was wrong we wouldn't need the thing to make the decision. It does not even say the other is more likely to be wrong. I bring this up because a lot of people get this confused, Occam's Razor is a way of choosing which theory is more scientific, not which theory is more likely to be correct. It is in no way related to truth. This has no bearing on the rest of the conversation, but I couldn't just sit back and let you go on having an incorrect version of the razor, I'd feel bad about myself for not correcting a friend before an asshole came along and insulted you about it. Einstein actually felt the need to point out that the simplest thing is not necessarily the most correct when he said about his theory of Relativity, "In my opinion the theory here is the logically simplest relativistic field theory that is at all possible. But this does not mean that nature might not obey a more complex theory." He, of course, went on to say, "In my view, such more complicated systems and their combinations should be considered only if there exist physical-empirical reasons to do so." That is what the Razor is all about, more complex theories might be true, and the Razor does not say they stand any less of a chance of being true, but even so they will be rejected until there is reason to accept them. The difference between acceptance and truth is important, at least from my perspective. Quote:Now, what does that mean for this case? Well theory 1 has one assumption: there's someone who is christhecynic out in the world, and no one else is involved with the posts, you represent one person. The other requires that there be someone else, who desires to be able to say things without people knowing it was them AND that they created an elaborate back-story and POV and style of writing that appears to come from some individual person. Which has fewer assumptions? To be totally honest, to me, the second one does. That one says someone created a hoax, you could break down the methods of the hoax if you wanted and call each one an assumption, but that leaves me with a bitter taste in my life, as if we took inertia, “an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in uniform motion unless acted on by a force,” and then said that, since it covers all objects in the universe, each individual object in the universe represents one assumption in the theory. I tend to think that a universal, that being, "All things in/about ____ are such an such," as a single assumption. So, "Chris the Cynic is a hoax," roughly translates to, "All things about Chris the Cynic are hoaxes," which I would call a single assumption covering back story (which really isn’t too elaborate, how much have I told you about myself?) point of view and style of writing. Just like assuming I exist and am who I say I am covers back story, point of veiw, and style of writing. Clearly you disagree. And that assumption doesn't require anything about the person doing the faking, it need not even be a person though I would agree that believing there is a hamster pretending to be me typing this up would multiply entities unnecessarily. Typing hamster is a big assumption. The on the other hand what do you need to do to believe that there is a me in the world. Well first off there must be a person to whom the account of christhecynic belongs as a main account, that's assumption one. Second that person must be giving an accurate representation of himself in his posts, assumption 2. And third that person must still be around and doing it, i.e. it isn't a simple, "Hey, he left his computer with, "Log me in automatically, I'm gonna use this account to research the, 'Internet Theology,' paper I'm going to spend the next three years writing," or whatnot. That third one might not seem like a big deal but it is an important one. If I were to drop dead and my friend Alex were to take over the account and pretend to be me, which is the kind of thing he might do, the only Chris the Cynic who would exist would be in the form of the question, "What would Chris say?" in his mind. So to recap, to believe I don't exist we assume: 1 It's a hoax To believe that I do exist we say: 1 There is a person who has this as a main account. 2 That person is honest about themselves and their beliefs (in other words background and point of view). 3 That person is still the one using the account. (I suppose you could say still around, I mean if someone else is typing this in my name while I’m out getting lunch I still exist, but if someone else is typing this in my name and I no longer hold any of these beliefs or anything that connects me to the personality of Chris the Cynic I don’t exist in the way most people think and if the one who believed these things is actually dead and someone else is typing this I think we can be fairly sure that Chris the Cynic doesn’t exist the way most think.) Quote:Obviously it's choice one, therefore the most likely explanation for the data is that you are an actual individual. There's that, "most likely," again. Occam's Razor doesn't distinguish based on levels of likely, instead on levels of usefulness. It is useful to accept the theory with the least assumptions if it is indistinguishable from the one that makes more in testable ways, that is that they agree with the same evidence and predict the same things. It is no more useful to accept any of the other theories, which, while they are equal in terms of agreeing with evidence and predictions, require more assumptions. Since it is no more useful, and it is more bulky, the theory as a whole is less useful (you can think of it as a use-assumption ratio if you like.) Nothing about likely. - Slightly more on topic the reason that you lost me is that what I just read seemed to say: It is more likely to believe in something's existence than a hoax when there is inconclusive evidence attributed to it. (Note that when I say, “inconclusive evidence,” I do not mean a lack of evidence I mean that there is in fact evidence however that evidence falls short of conclusive evidence, nothing to poke for example.) I'm not going to try an analogy because I'm almost entirely sure I misunderstood. I would like you to elaborate though, on the other hand since this is off topic maybe you shouldn't. It's up to you I guess. Quote:So i accept the hypothesis that you are an individual person, not some dummy account or an imaginary person or something; I'm glad you do, someday I'm going to say that and someone's going to say, "You don't exist, you're just ..." whatever. And that might be an annoying day, but I will have met someone who doesn't take things for granted, and that might be interesting. Quote:until such time as contradictory evidence arises (i couldn't think of anything that would though). I couldn't either, guess that makes me non-falsifiable. Quote:I can't prove it, but i think it's true based on the evidence. I guess I misunderstood what you were saying then, I thought you were saying, "I can't believe a thing without evidence of its existence," and now I think what you meant was, "I can't believe a thing without evidence that might support its existence." I know the difference seems small, and is small, but it’s a difference none the less. If I got that right then I'm glad you cleared it up. Though if that is the case I wonder where you draw the line on supporting existence. I mean if thirty people all told you a blond guy just walked through the room while you were out I think you would, naturally, believe it to be true unless you had reason to think otherwise. But if those same thirty people all said god just walked through the room I'd think you would, quite naturally, not believe them. (If that's not true then sorry, my oops.) Yet if we assume these people are capable of telling the difference between god and something else (they might not be) then you have the same evidence for both cases. Or if you read something that says, "Depressing and pointless, here is a classic chris the cynic short," you'd probably believe that I wrote it, though you might wonder about why in some cases I capitalize my name and in others I don't. If, on the other hand, you read something that says, "This was written by God/Jesus/Jo-Jo of the Fourth Planet/King Arthur/Alexander the Great," you might be a bit more skeptical even if it was one that you know exists. (Again, if that's not true then sorry, my oops.) Yet again you have the same evidence both ways, a simple claim of authorship within the work itself. Personally I distinguish based on what makes sense, which is very non-scientific. If I have equal evidence for two things but one simply makes sense and the other seems outlandish I'll be more inclined to accept the evidence for simply based on, "There's no reason not to believe it," and point out how flimsy the evidence is for the other because it isn't enough to convince me. For example when I see online a story that is supposed to have been written by Innocence Maintained I tend to think she did indeed write it, unless I have reason not to, in spite of the fact that if I were to see online a story that is supposed to have been written by god I tend to reject that idea due to lack of proof when both have the same amount of evidence for them. Do you work the same way or do you have a more logical, or at least less subjective, way of evaluating your evidence?
Quote:Originally posted by nanite1018: Chris, you may very well not exist. How do i know? I have no proof.
Quote:But you claim to be someone, you don't appear to be lying,
Quote:and all of the evidence (the background, the posts, everything) backs the hypothesis that you are an actual person.
Quote:Now I have two hypotheses, one that you are an individual, the other that you are a creation, an imaginary person created by someone else.
Quote:Occam's Razor dictates that if you have two hypotheses that both explain the data equally well than the one with fewer assumptions is most likely true.
Quote:Now, what does that mean for this case? Well theory 1 has one assumption: there's someone who is christhecynic out in the world, and no one else is involved with the posts, you represent one person. The other requires that there be someone else, who desires to be able to say things without people knowing it was them AND that they created an elaborate back-story and POV and style of writing that appears to come from some individual person. Which has fewer assumptions?
Quote:Obviously it's choice one, therefore the most likely explanation for the data is that you are an actual individual.
Quote:So i accept the hypothesis that you are an individual person, not some dummy account or an imaginary person or something;
Quote:until such time as contradictory evidence arises (i couldn't think of anything that would though).
Quote:I can't prove it, but i think it's true based on the evidence.
Friday, August 11, 2006 4:29 AM
MAL4PREZ
Quote:Originally posted by DukKati: What strikes me as funny is people who don't believe in God can be convinced He exists, thus they then know Satan exists
Friday, August 11, 2006 5:53 AM
RUGBUG
Quote:Originally posted by Tristan: Free will is god granting humans a choice in every aspect of their lives. This is completely unlike pre-destination, where everything is writ, nothing you do can change your destiny. Assuming free will exists, and humans do bad things that are blamed on this concept, from where does it originate? According to some, god created all things. This means everything, am I right? This would include thought and deed; all possible outcomes to everything a human is faced with has to have been created by god. If this is in fact true, there is no "free will"; humans just have a pool of pre-made decisions to draw from...good or evil, they have been created by god.
Friday, August 11, 2006 6:04 AM
Friday, August 11, 2006 6:25 AM
CHRISTHECYNIC
Friday, August 11, 2006 6:29 AM
MISBEHAVEN
Quote:Originally posted by DukKati: If there is no God then there is no Satan. So if no God then no good. If no Satan then no bad. So if no bad and no good then where are we at?
Friday, August 11, 2006 6:38 AM
Quote:Originally posted by nanite1018: The answer is summed up in Carl Sagan's wonderful quote (although i can't remember if it's extraordinary or remarkable, i'll use extraordinary): "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Meaning the amount of evidence necessary increasing in proportion with the remarkable-ness of the claim.
Friday, August 11, 2006 6:54 AM
Quote:Originally posted by christhecynic: One last thing. While evil, with its slippery relativistic definitions, probably doesn't need to exist I think suffering, pain, and all of that stuff does. . . Someone who has always been comfortable doesn't appreciate comfort as much as someone who has never had it until now, but neither one seems to understand how good it is as much as someone who was comfortable, had that snatched away from them (especially if the method of losing it was particularly painful in itself) and then got it back. Even if you don't go through the get it, lose it, get it back thing if you really want to understand the good in life I think you need to feel the bad. I've certainly noticed that those who suffer the most seem to have the ability to attain far greater joy (if they ever find something to be happy about), where those who have virtually eliminated pain and struggle from their lives seem to have also suppressed happiness and fulfillment.
YINYANG
You were busy trying to get yourself lit on fire. It happens.
Friday, August 11, 2006 6:55 AM
Quote:Originally posted by misbehaven: Good and evil existed long before the rise of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and will exist long after these religions diminish and disappear.
Friday, August 11, 2006 7:13 AM
Quote: I disagree. If the god of the Jews and Christians is actually the god he claims to be, there was no "before." Yes, there was good and evil before those religions were organized and given names, but that doesn't mean good existed before their God.
Friday, August 11, 2006 7:28 AM
Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: Quote:Originally posted by misbehaven: Good and evil existed long before the rise of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and will exist long after these religions diminish and disappear. I disagree. If the god of the Jews and Christians is actually the god he claims to be, there was no "before." Yes, there was good and evil before those religions were organized and given names, but that doesn't mean good existed before their God.
Friday, August 11, 2006 7:52 AM
Quote:Originally posted by misbehaven: Quote:Originally posted by misbehaven: Good and evil existed long before the rise of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and will exist long after these religions diminish and disappear. I'm not sure we're in disagreement with one another. It would seem to me, that what you're saying falls into the realm of a relative statement,
Friday, August 11, 2006 7:59 AM
SIGNYM
I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.
Quote:I have to get back to work. But here is an answer based on a child of a co-worker. That child was born with a severe midline defect (not just spina bifida or cleft palate, but brain, internal organs etc). She had an estimated life span of 18-24 months. Her parents loved her dearly, and cared for her with attention, diligence, tenderness, and even a certain amount of hope. What made me cry at work (one of the few times in my life I ever did) was seeing her photo at 18 mos, all dressed up in a beautiful little dress with her hair combed and put up in a little bow, held up by pillows as she couldn't sit up. It seemed so - hopeful. And at the same time futile. Though she was fortunate enough to be born into a loving family with adequate resources, nothing her parents could do could take away her intrinsic physiological and neurological suffering. She eventually did die at 24 mos, never having relief, and never having the time (or mental ability) to draw moral lessons. Her losses were, as I see it, both physical and moral
Friday, August 11, 2006 8:05 AM
BLUEFLAME
Friday, August 11, 2006 8:15 AM
Quote: Originally posted by RugBug: Well, were only in disagreement when you make your relative statement sound like fact. You can't disprove God, I can't prove him, therefore, both of our statements are relative.
Quote: Orginally posted by misbehaven: Also, it's rather an erroneous concept to think that without God and Satan we would have no good or evil. Good and evil existed long before the rise of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and will exist long after these religions diminish and disappear.
Friday, August 11, 2006 8:28 AM
Quote:Originally posted by misbehaven: Quote: Originally posted by RugBug: Well, were only in disagreement when you make your relative statement sound like fact. You can't disprove God, I can't prove him, therefore, both of our statements are relative. Quote: Orginally posted by misbehaven: Also, it's rather an erroneous concept to think that without God and Satan we would have no good or evil. Good and evil existed long before the rise of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and will exist long after these religions diminish and disappear. It's true I can't disprove the existence of God, but that doesn't negate that good and evil can exist independently of those religions.
Quote:Originally posted by misbehaven: And, in the context of this particular conversation, I don't think I was trying to disprove the existence of God one way or the other, rather I was trying to illustrate that not everyone shares the same concept of God, nor do they necessarily understand good and evil the same way.
Friday, August 11, 2006 8:37 AM
DUKKATI
Friday, August 11, 2006 8:41 AM
Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: Um, yes. They are seperate entities. They, however, are not absolutes.
Quote:Which may be where you're trying to go with this? Is that what you've been trying to say? That good and evil are relative?
Quote:Really? If originally free will was the choice to follow God or not follow him, how was free will not present in the Garden of Eden? They followed, then decided not to.
Quote:So, from there: Coin=God One side=good Other side=evil Can you please explain the meaning you intended that I so obviously missed.
Quote:Hrmmm, you know, you're right. Lots of the old Testament has God raining down with the suffering. Even the Jews wandered in the desert...that probably wasn't too fun. In most cases, the people were given a warning to avoid the suffering and chose to ignore it. The Egyptians were warned to "let my people go" or the plagues would befall them. They made a choice. IMO, that is very different from the suffering that goes on today. God isn't sitting up there and telling some woman 'if you don't behave, I'm going to send some man over who will rape you.' So maybe someone who is Jewish can answer you about old testament suffering.
Quote:Now, if God as defined by Judaism and Christianity (sorry, can't add Islam as that is NOT the same god)
Friday, August 11, 2006 8:48 AM
Quote:Originally posted by rue: I have to get back to work. But here is an answer based on a child of a co-worker. That child was born with a severe midline defect (not just spina bifida or cleft palate, but brain, internal organs etc). She had an estimated life span of 18-24 months. Her parents loved her dearly, and cared for her with attention, diligence, tenderness, and even a certain amount of hope. What made me cry at work (one of the few times in my life I ever did) was seeing her photo at 18 mos, all dressed up in a beautiful little dress with her hair combed and put up in a little bow, held up by pillows as she couldn't sit up. It seemed so - hopeful. And at the same time futile. Though she was fortunate enough to be born into a loving family with adequate resources, nothing her parents could do could take away her intrinsic physiological and neurological suffering. She eventually did die at 24 mos, never having relief, and never having the time (or mental ability) to draw moral lessons. Her losses were, as I see it, both physical and moral.
Friday, August 11, 2006 9:02 AM
Quote: Originally posted by RugBug: that's a given, isn't it? There is no need for illustration.
Quote: Originally posted by misbehaven: Good and evil existed long before the rise of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and will exist long after these religions diminish and disappear.
Quote: Originally posted by RugBug: Now, if God as defined by Judaism and Christianity (sorry, can't add Islam as that is NOT the same god) ends up being truth, can people who don't believe in that truth still experience good and evil (i.e. "without God there is no good)?" Of course. 2+2 is still 4 whether you believe it is or not.
Friday, August 11, 2006 9:12 AM
Quote:Originally posted by DukKati: I have to have universal truths to keep me sane.
Quote:God created Satan (the most beautiful angel he ever created)and gave him charge over certain things. Satan wanted to take God's place on the throne.Satan tried ,God busted him. Satan is now doing his best to drag down God's greatest creation "MAN.
Quote:Its all there in the Bible...King James Version... not the watered down nicey nice new world versions.
Friday, August 11, 2006 9:32 AM
Quote:Originally posted by citizen: Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: Um, yes. They are seperate entities. They, however, are not absolutes.Erm hey that's some pretty schizophrenic stuff there! So with you your right hand really doesn't know what you left hand is doing What I meant is your right and left sides aren't separate beings, they are parts of the same being .
Quote:Originally posted by citizen: Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: Which may be where you're trying to go with this? Is that what you've been trying to say? That good and evil are relative?
Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: Which may be where you're trying to go with this? Is that what you've been trying to say? That good and evil are relative?
Quote:Originally posted by citizen: Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: Really? If originally free will was the choice to follow God or not follow him, how was free will not present in the Garden of Eden? They followed, then decided not to.
Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: Really? If originally free will was the choice to follow God or not follow him, how was free will not present in the Garden of Eden? They followed, then decided not to.
Quote:Originally posted by citizen: Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: So, from there: Coin=God One side=good Other side=evil Can you please explain the meaning you intended that I so obviously missed. Ahh, poorly stated on my part, that evil isn't necessarily evil, that things we see as evil may have a purpose that in the long run improves the human condition and is good, though I'm finding my thoughts hard to put in writing at the moment...
Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: So, from there: Coin=God One side=good Other side=evil Can you please explain the meaning you intended that I so obviously missed.
Quote:Originally posted by citizen: Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: Now, if God as defined by Judaism and Christianity (sorry, can't add Islam as that is NOT the same god)Erm, since when?
Quote:Originally posted by RugBug: Now, if God as defined by Judaism and Christianity (sorry, can't add Islam as that is NOT the same god)
Friday, August 11, 2006 9:36 AM
Quote:Originally posted by DukKati: Its all there in the Bible...King James Version... not the watered down nicey nice new world versions.
Friday, August 11, 2006 9:48 AM
RUE
I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!
Friday, August 11, 2006 10:02 AM
Quote:You believe what you like, absolutely! But what I mean by universal truth is something that everyone is going to agree with. ie - the sky is blue. OK, some people are colorblind or blind, but for most folks who see, this is the Truth. The universal truth.
Friday, August 11, 2006 10:16 AM
Quote: misbehavin: to say that the roots are the same, does not mean it is the same. Let's take a FF example. Joss created Mal; Defines who he is, gives him shape. Then a fic writer takes that character and not only adds to it, but changes the very core motivations, actions, desires, etc. Is it still Mal? Or has a new character, that looks like Mal and is born of the same roots, been created. If you and I saw this new Mal on Firefly, we would've cried foul. Similar roots does not mean same.
Friday, August 11, 2006 10:22 AM
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