The Fall of Theism | 103 comments (103 topical, 0 hidden)
Argument Against First Cause Hypothesis (none / 0)
Aidbo,

The argument against the first cause "evidence" of a creator, according to Richard Dawkins, is that in order for there to be a "prime mover" -- what people want to call God -- the prime mover had to have existed before this first cause.  Or at the very least, had to be created at the same time as the first cause. But then the question arises, "Who created the creator?"

There is no answer to this, nor, most likely, will there ever be.

by DaeguBill on 06/18/2009 12:24:48 AM EST

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The questions never end. (none / 0)
Unfortunately, a lot of religionists simply don't recognize them.  They'll say, "No one created the Creator!  God just always was!"  And, given their definition of God, that statement makes perfect sense.

The real challenge is in getting them to recognize that their faith in the truth of that statement is actually dishonesty, since we can never prove whether it's true or false.  Supplying an answer to an unanswerable question is an act of dishonesty.

The real beauty and mystery is in the simple existence of the question "what happened before?"  But it's a question that they will never let stand unanswered.

by EveningStarNM on 06/18/2009 12:44:00 AM EST

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Beauty (none / 0)
I think Richard Dawkins puts it best when he insists that it is much more interesting to not know something and to have to work hard to try to understand it (and possibly NEVER understand it) than to say, "I just know" and be done with it.

by DaeguBill on 06/18/2009 01:01:44 AM EST

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I'm definitely going to have to read... (none / 0)
...more Richard Dawkins.  Got any suggestions?

by EveningStarNM on 06/18/2009 02:10:19 AM EST

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Dawkins suggestions (none / 0)

Generally, anything by Dawkins is good, and highly scientific.  The primary origin of most of my concepts posed here come from, as you might expect, "The God Delusion".  This book is much less focused on science, more focused on history, but equally brilliant.

 For a more biting criticism of religion, check out Christopher Hitchen's "God is not great: how religion poisons everything."  Personally, I preferred this one. It's basically atheism with balls.

by DaeguBill on 06/18/2009 03:24:36 AM EST

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The Fall of Theism | 103 comments (103 topical, 0 hidden)