5 Reasons God Exists, or Philosophy of Religion
You can intelligently disagree with the points made in the following YouTube video (or even intelligently agree). If so, we can have a great discussion. But if you don’t understand the arguments tendered, or aren’t familiar with the quoted sources, then you have no room to snub “christians” as ignorant.
Which point do you disagree with most, or find the least compelling? Why?
May 26th, 2007 at 11:30 am
My biggest problem with this video is that it tries to force Christianity down our throats (which my biggest problem with religion in general, come to think of it). The fact that it pompously claims that atheism and all other religions other than Christianity can’t explain stuff as well as him is just disgusting.
For his claims about Jesus specifically, I still can’t consider the Bible as historical evidence. I’m sorry, but this is a book that was written by many people, and let’s face it: they could write what they wanted. I haven’t seen historical evidence elsewhere of any of their stories about Jesus.
As for the rest, I do believe things such as the human mind and values and the big bang can happen by themselves. We don’t really know what was before the big bang. The human brain didn’t pop in from no where, we started from bacteria. Animals have values too, just more primitive and simple values. Mister in the video here seems to forget humans have existed for many, many years and have had time to become smarter than baboons.
That said, I do distantly believe in something more than the real world. I do believe in a higher power of some kind, whether you want to call it God or not. Religion, be it Islamic or Christian or Jewish, doesn’t appeal to me at all. From what I’ve seen and heard (this video is a perfect example), religion traps you in what other people decided a millennia ago, and don’t want you to ask questions or disagree with what they say. For me, religion is a completely artificial cage for God.
That doesn’t mean I don’t like Christians or Muslims or whoever
One of my best friends is a pretty fervent Christian and I don’t mind.
June 1st, 2007 at 10:15 am
Whoa. Thanks for the response.
I’ve been away from the web for a week, but now that I’m back I’ll re-watch the video so I can make sure I understand your points, then comment again.
June 3rd, 2007 at 12:18 pm
In complexity theory it is well known that order and patterns can emerge from chaos, likewise that chaos can re-emerge in order. And so man and his mind exists.
Moral values can be recast as game theory and thus they make rational sense for humans (and most animals) in terms of encouraging caring, helping, loving nature. For example, if you live in a herd you’d do best to ‘get along’ with the rest of the herd – especially if everyone has sharp teeth, or other herds prey on you.
The Jesus claims are based on the fact that the bible is unquestionable evidence (as shadownight said), which is bit like you writing yourself a sick note to get a day off work
As for the final claims: “God uniquely accounts for…” – yes, God can be used account for these things, though not uniquely.
October 22nd, 2007 at 3:15 pm
The first point, about the big bang theory, is faulty logic. Just because we don’t know how it started doesn’t mean we should just say that some omnipotent being must have created it. That’s like the Greeks saying Persephone’s eating of Hades’ pomegranate seeds was the cause the season of winter. That too “fit the facts.”
The second point about the complexity and chance of our existence proves nothing. What is the chance that there is a God? That seems just as “out there” as a roll of the dice in forming life.
Morality is in no way specific to non-secular ideas. As an atheist I still believe that it is wrong to murder and it is right to be truthful, compassionate and courageous. I don’t need a church or a god to tell me what’s right and wrong. There’s a middle ground between religion moral standards and the Nihilism of Friedrich Nietzsche where no moral values exist. Also, do you think the God of the first testament is morally perfect? In those stories he drowns all of humanity in a giant flood. Elsewhere, however, murder is described as a horrible sin? Is God a sinner?
As for the dark side of human nature being explained by one woman eating an apple when God arbitrarily forbid it? Humans are the way that we are for many reasons, and the motives behind things like 9/11 and rape and all the horrible things mentioned are explained by the psychology of those involved. The terrorists for instance, are motivated by their own religion, equally valid as christianty, albeit highly and dangerously extremist.
How would I explain the “extraordinary life of Jesus Christ”? The explanation that he was “god in human flesh” is not the only explanation. Enough sources lead me to believe that he actually did exist. He was a highly persuasive, and influential man. Surely for the good of mankind with his positive teachings. But all the claims of miracles are unfounded and unproven.
All in all though, I don’t have any problem with people being religious. I won’t try to force my opinion on anyone, and I only respond here because you asked to hear what everyone thought. I found the video interesting, even if I disagreed with it.