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god of the gaps
Posted By: MrHenDate: 8/11/05 8:32 a.m.

In Response To: Re: more on social darwinism (Reiginko)

: Science's aim is to explain the what, how and why. Of course, we haven't
: reached the point where it has explained why yet, since that would need an
: ultimate theory of everything that we just haven't been able to formulate
: yet. It's my opinion that some day (probably not in my life time,
: unfortunately), we will be able to reduce the universe to a single theory
: that does explain why this place exists. We're already pretty close to
: understanding why it is the way it is.

Hehe, I love science...

: that is,
: if God created the Universe, who created God? Which is why I don't think
: that many theoretical physicists could be convinced of God's existence.

Huzzah for circular reasoning. Being mostly a crack philosopher many of the theories of "creation" or where the universe comes from tend to end up in a causal trip backwards until someone finally gives up and says, "I don't know" or "God did it". Which one you choose depends on whether you're religious, usually.

I think a large problem in the idea of a first or prime causer is that we tend to keep thinking about it in the terms of our universe. We can't conceive of something that has always existed or that can exist outside or time or whatever. The problem is that we take a large number of assumptions and build our science around that and eventually we will exhaust all knowledge we can provide with those assumptions. It's now time for different assumptions.

When people say that God couldn't create himself or couldn't have always existed I don't think they are understanding what "God" means. Something supernatural wouldn't have to follow any of the assumptions we take in our study of the universe. This is what sticks God in the realm of religion, because there is no way to study or measure him. He's nothing more than a possibility and for someone who wants hard evidence the best they can do is observe spiritual phenomenon.

: I
: suspect that in most cases it's a source of comfort, a "god of the
: gaps", as you said (which could lead to complacency, but I dunno, I'm
: not a theoretical physicist yet, and I'm not religious so I can't speak
: from experience), or just as some residue from their upbringing, like most
: people.

God of the Gaps seems to be a problem that occurs when people tie a specific religion to God and then try and prove him with science. Watchmaker arguments are a product of this. The supposed design that many creationists believe they see is merely a design they are perceiving. One day our scientists will probably discover a fundamental principle that explains the supposed design and reduce it to a lovely formula.

People who require their God to be backed by science will then run to a new whatever and use that to "prove" God exists. In my opinion it's a sign of weak faith.

: I do know that there are a lot of biologists who are devout Christians,
: though (my father's co-worker for instance). I can see that from the
: perspective of a biologist, who really isn't interested in origins past
: the beginning of life, the explanation that God started it all would be
: much easier to accept.

Sometimes the people who believe in God aren't looking for an explanation to the world. There are other reasons to believe in God.

Something else that is interesting is that any argument that science may happen to produce for a Creator will not produce an argument for any specific God or gods. Christians who point at science as evidence for their God are totally missing the point of science and Christianity.

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Pre-2004 Posts

Replies:

Marathon PfhorD-M.A. 8/2/05 6:01 a.m.
     Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/2/05 6:41 a.m.
     Re: Marathon PfhorVid Boi 8/2/05 9:33 a.m.
           tBC's and Frigidman's replies are kinda intriguin *NM*D-M.A. 8/2/05 10:49 a.m.
                 Yeah, maybe. *NM*Bob-B-Q 8/2/05 11:35 a.m.
                 that's what i would have doneMrHen 8/2/05 2:07 p.m.
                       Re: that's what i would have doneVid Boi 8/2/05 11:48 p.m.
                             It's not dead, it's 11 pages long and counting! *NM*D-M.A. 8/2/05 11:54 p.m.
                                   11 pages long, counting, and not about 'Thon... *NM*Vid Boi 8/4/05 1:48 a.m.
           *sigh* I'll never get a PC Forge... *NM*reagan64 8/5/05 6:14 p.m.
     Re: Marathon PfhorReiginko 8/3/05 5:31 a.m.
           Re: Marathon PfhorD-M.A. 8/3/05 6:01 a.m.
                 Re: Marathon PfhorOri 8/3/05 6:33 a.m.
                       Re: Marathon PfhorJacke 8/3/05 10:47 a.m.
                             Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/3/05 1:17 p.m.
                             ehh...MrHen 8/3/05 1:57 p.m.
                             Re: Marathon PfhorD-M.A. 8/3/05 6:06 p.m.
                                   Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/3/05 6:32 p.m.
                                         Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/3/05 6:59 p.m.
                                               Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/3/05 7:06 p.m.
                                                     Re: Marathon PfhorVid Boi 8/4/05 2:15 a.m.
                                               Someone thinks I'm bright! Happy joy joy :-) *NM*D-M.A. 8/4/05 3:53 a.m.
                                         if by all men...MrHen 8/4/05 4:55 a.m.
                                               Re: if by all men...Forrest of B.org 8/4/05 6:01 p.m.
                                                     I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, Forrest? *NM*Steve Levinson 8/4/05 7:18 p.m.
                                                           Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestForrest of B.org 8/4/05 8:43 p.m.
                                                                 Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestD-M.A. 8/4/05 11:09 p.m.
                                                                       Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestForrest of B.org 8/5/05 7:57 a.m.
                                                                             Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestJohn Molloy 8/5/05 2:28 p.m.
                                                                                   Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestForrest of B.org 8/6/05 10:07 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestJohn Molloy 8/6/05 11:42 p.m.
                                                                                               Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestJohannes Gunnar 8/7/05 12:31 a.m.
                                                                                         Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestJohannes Gunnar 8/7/05 12:31 a.m.
                                                                             Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestVid Boi 8/7/05 12:49 a.m.
                                                                                   Re: I'm curious - are *you* in that photo, ForrestAndrew Nagy 8/8/05 6:46 a.m.
                                                                                         Off! Weirdness... *NM*Vid Boi 8/8/05 4:10 p.m.
                                                     I like the fishnets Forrestblake37 8/5/05 3:06 a.m.
                                                     LOL! i like your outfit Forrest! :P *NM*Johannes Gunnar 8/5/05 4:32 a.m.
                                               Re: if by all men...Vid Boi 8/7/05 12:56 a.m.
                                                     I hate that term.MrHen 8/7/05 6:15 a.m.
                                                           Re: I hate that term.Steve Levinson 8/7/05 10:45 a.m.
                                                                 agreedMrHen 8/8/05 5:01 a.m.
                                                                       Re: agreedSteve Levinson 8/8/05 6:03 a.m.
                                                                             Re: agreedblake37 8/8/05 6:50 a.m.
                                                                                   Re: agreedSteve Levinson 8/8/05 8:14 a.m.
                                                                                         Re: agreedMrHen 8/8/05 10:26 a.m.
                                                                                         Re: agreedblake37 8/8/05 4:03 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: agreedVid Boi 8/8/05 4:32 p.m.
                                                                                               haha, yeah...MrHen 8/8/05 5:39 p.m.
                                                                                                     Re: haha, yeah...Tyler 8/9/05 6:41 a.m.
                                                                             ah, okayMrHen 8/8/05 9:59 a.m.
                                                                 Re: I hate that term.Dylan 8/9/05 4:28 a.m.
                                                                       uh... now i'm confused...MrHen 8/9/05 5:17 a.m.
                                                                             Re: uh... now i'm confused...Dylan 8/9/05 8:59 a.m.
                                                                                   hating terminals? *gasp!*MrHen 8/9/05 9:23 a.m.
                                                                                   Re: uh... now i'm confused...AlfredMordeir 8/9/05 7:00 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: uh... now i'm confused...MrHen 8/10/05 4:52 a.m.
                                                                                         Re: uh... now i'm confused...Dylan 8/11/05 4:39 a.m.
                                                                                               I usually don't copy articles but, Oh well.AlfredMordeir 8/11/05 8:54 a.m.
                                                                                   Social DarwinismDave 8/10/05 2:53 a.m.
                                                                                         more on social darwinismMrHen 8/10/05 5:10 a.m.
                                                                                               Re: more on social darwinismReiginko 8/10/05 6:47 a.m.
                                                                                                     Ohh...MrHen 8/10/05 8:46 a.m.
                                                                                                     Re: more on social darwinismVid Boi 8/10/05 11:40 a.m.
                                                                                                           Haha, that's terrible. *NM*MrHen 8/11/05 5:05 a.m.
                                                                                                     Re: more on social darwinismMrHen 8/11/05 5:19 a.m.
                                                                                                           Re: more on social darwinismDave 8/11/05 7:10 a.m.
                                                                                                                 Re: more on social darwinismReiginko 8/11/05 7:49 a.m.
                                                                                                                       god of the gapsMrHen 8/11/05 8:32 a.m.
                                                                                                                       Re: more on social darwinismForrest of B.org 8/11/05 9:19 a.m.
                                                                                                           Re: more on social darwinismForrest of B.org 8/11/05 9:17 a.m.
                                                                                                                 not a fan of the linkMrHen 8/12/05 12:56 p.m.
                                                                                                                       Re: not a fan of the linkForrest of B.org 8/12/05 1:16 p.m.
                                                                                                                             mehMrHen 8/12/05 2:24 p.m.
                                                                                                                                   Spirituality vs RationalityForrest of B.org 8/12/05 3:34 p.m.
                                                                                                                                         Re: Spirituality vs RationalityMrHen 8/13/05 10:42 p.m.
                                                                                                           Re: more on social darwinismBen A. Potter 8/11/05 11:20 a.m.
                                                                                                                 truthMrHen 8/12/05 12:05 p.m.
                                                                                                                       Re: truthBen A. Potter 8/12/05 12:40 p.m.
                                                                                                                             agreedMrHen 8/12/05 1:01 p.m.
                                                                                               Re: more on social darwinismBen A. Potter 8/10/05 9:04 a.m.
                                                                                                     Re: more on social darwinismSteve Levinson 8/10/05 12:25 p.m.
                                                                                                           Re: more on social darwinismBen A. Potter 8/10/05 1:12 p.m.
                                                                                               Re: more on social darwinismDave 8/10/05 6:35 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: Social DarwinismDylan 8/11/05 5:02 a.m.
                                                                                               CreationismMrHen 8/11/05 5:15 a.m.
                                                                                               Re: Social DarwinismBen A. Potter 8/11/05 11:10 a.m.
                                                                                                     Re: Social DarwinismEnkidu 8/11/05 4:20 p.m.
                                                                 "Fundamentalists" and slippery-slopesMrHen 8/9/05 5:27 a.m.
                                                                       Has anybody noticed....blake37 8/9/05 7:06 a.m.
                                                                             and talk about off-topic . . . *NM*Steve Levinson 8/9/05 7:30 a.m.
                                                                             :PMrHen 8/9/05 7:52 a.m.
                                                                             Re: Has anybody noticed....D-M.A. 8/9/05 7:58 a.m.
                                                                       Re: "Fundamentalists" and slippery-slopesVid Boi 8/10/05 11:53 a.m.
                                                                             Re: "Fundamentalists" and slippery-slopesblake37 8/10/05 12:53 p.m.
                                                                             oops... *blushes* *NM*MrHen 8/11/05 5:16 a.m.
           Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/3/05 6:54 p.m.
                 Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/3/05 7:02 p.m.
                       Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/3/05 7:13 p.m.
                             Re: Marathon PfhorJohn Molloy 8/3/05 7:20 p.m.
                                   Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/3/05 7:40 p.m.
                                         Re: Marathon PfhorReiginko 8/4/05 12:19 a.m.
                                               Re: Marathon PfhorVid Boi 8/4/05 2:19 a.m.
                                               Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/4/05 6:19 p.m.
                                                     Re: Marathon PfhorReiginko 8/5/05 6:57 a.m.
                                                           Re: Marathon PfhorForrest of B.org 8/5/05 8:14 a.m.
                             Re: Marathon PfhorVid Boi 8/4/05 2:24 a.m.
                                   Re: Marathon PfhorMrHen 8/4/05 5:06 a.m.
                             oh... that makes much more sense...MrHen 8/4/05 5:11 a.m.
                                   Re: oh... that makes much more sense...Steve Levinson 8/4/05 1:04 p.m.
                                         Rumor updateukimalefu 8/4/05 7:49 p.m.
                                               Re: Rumor updateRedMage13 8/5/05 3:49 p.m.
                 Re: Marathon PfhorAndrew Nagy 8/8/05 7:53 a.m.

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Pre-2004 Posts

 

 

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