Religion and Ethics Forum

Religion and Ethics Discussion => Theism and Atheism => Topic started by: floo on February 01, 2018, 03:47:34 PM

Title: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: floo on February 01, 2018, 03:47:34 PM
Moderator:

I've co-opted this post of Floo's so as to use it, based on it's timestamp, as an OP for this thread - which contains posts removed from the 'fine details in the gospels' thread where this discussion developed, but on a wholly separate topic.

The relevant posts, with a couple of off-topic exceptions, have been move to here so that those involved can continue their discussion. 

Gordon
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 01, 2018, 06:35:05 PM
Once again the Lieutenant Pigeon of wishful thinking crashes into the revolving door of reality…

Quote
Who do you propose is lying? What are the lies.

In which LP fails to grasp that all that’s necessary is that lying (and many other real world explanations) need only be possible for non divine options to be in play.

Quote
Jesus myth is fringe

In which LP forgets that only a few posts ago he attempted to identify (albeit wrongly) an ad pop by someone else while also missing entirely the point that Jesus the demigod is anything but “fringe” in any case.

Quote
Roman authorities and Jewish authorities were in a far better position at demonstrating Jesus myth and never managed it or attempted it .

In which LP fails to grasp that killing a supposed demigod is probably a pretty good indication that they didn’t think he was a demigod at all, while also forgetting that as he was so unpersuasive to his audience there probably wasn’t even a myth to be demolished by those authorities until in any case.

Quote
Research on conspiracy theory shows that such a conspiracy has a low survival rate.

In which LP manages to crash into the reference point error: everything “has a low survival rate” – the mistake is to retrofit special significance to those that do survive. See also the lottery winner’s fallacy - Winner: “Odds of 14 million-to-one? How special am I?” Camelot: “Er, not special at all – the odds from our perspective were after all one."
 
Quote
I need a date for a lie Gordon or several lies if you are saying it's all lies.

Six-year-old: “The Tooth Fairy took my tooth.”

Mummy: “Well perhaps there’s another explanation.”

Six-year-old: "Who took it exactly? What time? Why did they do it? What did that have for tea?” etc etc

Mummy: “Er, none if that is relevant to the basic point that real world options are available. You’re not a very bright six-year-old are you?”

Quote
You are exceedingly amateur if you require an investigation and can't specify who or what to investigate.

In which LP confirms that he’s not a very bright six-year-old.

Quote
However if we even suggest lies we are also suggesting a truth. Can you give that?

In which LP collapses again into gibberish.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: floo on February 01, 2018, 06:35:42 PM
Yep. 2 hours this time Floo.

Wow Vlad! ;D 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 01, 2018, 06:41:35 PM
Quote
Of course however I have encounteredJesus myself and the account in the NT is consistent with my experience.

In which Lieutenant Pigeon fails to grasp that his claim to have "encountered Jesus" has no more epistemic value than my claim to have met Elvis down the chip shop - and that personal beliefs and facts are not the same thing.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 01, 2018, 06:50:32 PM
Gordon,

Quote
So, are you saying your personal experience means that the writers of the NT didn't make mistakes of lie?

Do you think that your personal experience might have been influenced by your prior interaction with the NT?

What would be the implications for you be if you were to consider that you might have made a mistake regarding how you assessed this experience?

You give the Lieutenant too much credit with the term "experience". What he actually has is a narrative that he finds convincing - whether he actually experienced the thing the narrative describes is - to say the least - doubtful.   
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 01, 2018, 07:06:06 PM
Gordon,

You give the Lieutenant too much credit with the term "experience". What he actually has is a narrative that he finds convincing -
And you can prove that can you or is that your belief?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 01, 2018, 07:26:50 PM
Quote
I assume you have interacted with the NT Gordon? Therefore what do you think is particularly significant with my interaction?

Confirmation bias. "Experiences" of deities are almost invariably with the deities to which the subject happens to be most enculturated, the Lieutenant's included.

Funny that.   
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 01, 2018, 07:28:50 PM
Quote
And you can prove that can you or is that your belief?

In which Lieutenant Pigeon plants the land mine of "prove" and hopes no-one notices. Can he prove to the six-year-old that the Tooth Fairy didn't take his tooth?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 01, 2018, 07:34:46 PM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon plants the land mine of "prove" and hopes no-one notices. Can he prove to the six-year-old that the Tooth Fairy didn't take his tooth?
Repetition of a phrase in this case ''Lieutenant Pigeon'' usually is a sign of an attempt at hypnosis, Hillside......note the word attempt.
I wonder who the first fuckwit will be who starts repeating it (Lieutenant Parrot?).
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: ippy on February 01, 2018, 07:55:57 PM
Repetition of a phrase in this case ''Lieutenant Pigeon'' usually is a sign of an attempt at hypnosis, Hillside......note the word attempt.
I wonder who the first fuckwit will be who starts repeating it (Lieutenant Parrot?).

Could be lieutenant Kije.

Regards ippy
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 01, 2018, 08:06:50 PM
Could be lieutenant Kije.

Regards ippy
Eh,
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 01, 2018, 08:13:07 PM
Confirmation bias. "Experiences" of deities are almost invariably with the deities to which the subject happens to be most enculturated, the Lieutenant's included.

Funny that.
Sounds like this is something you were bursting to express and eventually let out, Guff works like that.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Spud on February 02, 2018, 08:28:55 AM
That misinterprets what is in Matthew.

The implication of Matthew was that at the time of Jesus' birth Mary and Joseph were permanent residents in Bethlehem, negating the need for a census and and/or a journey from Nazareth to place them in Bethlehem at the time of the birth. Matthew suggests that they only moved to Nazareth well after Jesus' birth.

So we have a major discrepancy between the two with Luke claiming they were residents of Nazareth during Mary's pregnancy, while Matthew suggests they weren't.
The only significant difference i see is that Luke doesn't mention the flight to Egypt. They both mention Bethlehem as place of birth and Nazareth as place where he grew up, so they are consistent. Notably, Matthews focus is on Joseph and Luke's is on Mary, so they are simply reporting different aspects of the story.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: floo on February 02, 2018, 08:44:58 AM
Of course however I have encounteredJesus myself and the account in the NT is consistent with my experience.

Explain what you mean by encountering Jesus?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 09:20:16 AM
Explain what you mean by encountering Jesus?
First becoming aware that God is rather than isn't.
Reading more about religion
Reading more about Christ
Affected by CS Lewis statement about other religions not having christ
Realising the question ''why should christ be affecting me?''
After reading Revelations 3.20 realised that christ was there and it meant me.
After a period of resistance to christ I invited Him in.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 10:07:51 AM
Lieutenant Pigeon’s ontology:

Quote
First becoming aware that God is rather than isn't.

Translation: Start with reification – note the “becoming aware” as if it was a fact rather than just a personal belief.

Quote
Reading more about religion

Translation: Add a log to the confirmation bias fire.

Quote
Reading more about Christ

Translation: Add another log.

Quote
Affected by CS Lewis statement about other religions not having Christ

Translation: Become beguiled by an interesting novelist but a poor thinker.
 
Quote
Realising the question ''why should christ be affecting me?''

Translation: Assume that the question has a correct or meaningful answer.

Quote
After reading Revelations 3.20 realised that christ was there and it meant me.

Translation: Add a bit more reification – note the “realise” rather than, “come to think that”.

Quote
After a period of resistance to christ I invited Him in.

Translation: Decided to suspend critical faculties.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 10:29:45 AM
.
 
Translation: Assume that the question has a correct or meaningful answer.

As opposed to assuming there isn't.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 10:34:35 AM
Quote
As opposed to assuming there isn't.

In which Lieutenant Pigeon continues to demonstrate his failure to grasp even the basic concept of burden of proof.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 10:50:13 AM
.
Translation: Add a log to the confirmation bias fire.

Screwtape
That would then include reading The God Delusion, Hitchens, anything on antitheist, Antitheist rant sites, turdpolisher, and finally joining the Posse on religionethics.........

Firstly and those that remember my earlier testimony on the forum will be aware of there is the question of my road to God in the first place.
I have to say it was Carl Sagan culmintating in his episode where he discusses his universal community. There are two responses to this either one experiences a rising crescendo of wonder of the greater than oneself at this point or sitting there thinking ''I suppose life on proximity centauri is a bit like Bromley being near to Hayes. Put the cocao on dear''.

One then has to ask what is the wonder of and where is it coming from. It can't be the science since one can be neutral and so we are into what Lewis refers to as the numinous.

That's the meaning of affect Screwtape, it just grabs you because in a sense it is external to you. You aren't making it up.

And that's it Screwtape, there is affective knowledge and there are neutral facts. To not investigate what it is that affects you that is shutting stuff off at the get go.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 11:03:04 AM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon continues to demonstrate his failure to grasp even the basic concept of burden of proof.
So something affects me.....We mustn't investigate why?

The trouble with someone like yourself claiming you don't have a burden of proof. You do for your scientism, humanism, physicalism, agnosticism, your poor use of the concept of unknown unknown you retreat into to end debate new atheism and the arrogance that seems to attract, your claim that you can find no reasons for belief or even consideration of God,............ and we know that because you have declared all these philosophies explicitly or implicitly.

I find that none of them are what they are cracked up to be the mystery for me is how you support all of them.

However God actually is affecting you in someway because of your continued presence here.

And of course your God avoidance in refusing to recognise that the central aspects of N D G Tyson's theory are traditional theology.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 11:22:18 AM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon:

Quote
That would then include reading The God Delusion, Hitchens, anything on antitheist, Antitheist rant sites, turdpolisher, and finally joining the Posse on religionethics.........

Fails to grasp the difference between books containing reasoning and argument and books containing assertions of religious truths.

Quote
Firstly and those that remember my earlier testimony on the forum will be aware of there is the question of my road to God in the first place.

Conflates “testimony” with “claim” (an old trick of the religious), and then adds a bit more reification re a “road to God” rather than just a personal belief about that.
 
Quote
I have to say it was Carl Sagan culmintating in his episode where he discusses his universal community. There are two responses to this either one experiences a rising crescendo of wonder of the greater than oneself at this point or sitting there thinking ''I suppose life on proximity centauri is a bit like Bromley being near to Hayes. Put the cocao on dear''.

Fails even to attempt to find a logical path from a connected universe to "God".

Quote
One then has to ask what is the wonder of and where is it coming from. It can't be the science since one can be neutral and so we are into what Lewis refers to as the numinous.

Essays yet another non sequitur (there is no “then”), moves to gibberish (“what is the wonder of”), tries an unqualified assertion (“It can’t be the science”) while failing to grasp that science provides explanatory models but isn’t itself the phenomena it describes, and finishes with another non sequitur (there’s no reason for the "numimous" not to be explicable with the tools of science, at least in principle).

When he falls, he falls hard… 

[quoteThat's the meaning of affect Screwtape, it just grabs you because in a sense it is external to you. You aren't making it up.[/quote]

Conflates not making something up with poor thinking, honest mistake etc.

Quote
And that's it Screwtape, there is affective knowledge and there are neutral facts. To not investigate what it is that affects you that is shutting stuff off at the get go.

Fails to grasp that accepting divine answers is the opposite of investigation – simplistic answers that actually explain nothing is the death of enquiry and understanding, not the place it leads to. 

Whilst once can see that having the ludicrousness of his thinking and the unsustainability of its conclusions explained must be painful, the price of the fundamental dishonesty of the Lieutenant’s position would be too high for some of us.

Perhaps a good place to start would be for him to stop knocking the pieces over, crapping on the board, and flying back to his flock to claim victory.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 11:26:44 AM
...your claim that you can find no reasons for belief or even consideration of God...

Can you name one? I have never come across a sensible, rational argument nor have I been presented with any credible evidence.

And of course your God avoidance in refusing to recognise that the central aspects of N D G Tyson's theory are traditional theology.

Tyson's speculation (it isn't a theory or even a hypothesis) is explicitly naturalistic. Attempting to link it to theology is either extremely stupid or extremely dishonest.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 11:31:21 AM
In which the Lieutenant…

Quote
So something affects me.....We mustn't investigate why?

Is unable to answer his own question – why wouldn’t he investigate using tools capable of the job rather than settle for simplistic faith answers that actually explain nothing? 

Quote
The trouble with someone like yourself claiming you don't have a burden of proof. You do for your scientism, humanism, physicalism, agnosticism, your poor use of the concept of unknown unknown you retreat into to end debate new atheism and the arrogance that seems to attract, your claim that you can find no reasons for belief or even consideration of God,............ and we know that because you have declared all these philosophies explicitly or implicitly.

Resorts to lying – anyone who asserts a statement of fact has the burden of proof for it – while failing to address his most recent failure to grasp its meaning. "I believe in X - you can't prove me wrong" is still a bad argument whether X is "god" or the Tooth Fairy. 

Quote
I find that none of them are what they are cracked up to be the mystery for me is how you support all of them.

Fails to grasp that nothing will be “what they are cracked up to be” when his only response is lying about them.

Quote
However God actually is affecting you in someway because of your continued presence here.

Collapses into incoherent and unqualified assertion.

Quote
And of course your God avoidance in refusing to recognise that the central aspects of N D G Tyson's theory are traditional theology.

Returns to a piece of deep stupidity and dishonesty that was roundly trounced several threads ago.

Desperate, desperate stuff indeed.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: floo on February 02, 2018, 11:33:04 AM
First becoming aware that God is rather than isn't.
Reading more about religion
Reading more about Christ
Affected by CS Lewis statement about other religions not having christ
Realising the question ''why should christ be affecting me?''
After reading Revelations 3.20 realised that christ was there and it meant me.
After a period of resistance to christ I invited Him in.

I invited that guy Jesus in when I was 11, but he failed to accept the invite, so I drew my own conclusion by the time I was old enough to ask searching questions about the faith.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: BeRational on February 02, 2018, 11:40:12 AM
First becoming aware that God is rather than isn't.
Reading more about religion
Reading more about Christ
Affected by CS Lewis statement about other religions not having christ
Realising the question ''why should christ be affecting me?''
After reading Revelations 3.20 realised that christ was there and it meant me.
After a period of resistance to christ I invited Him in.

This is just an admission of gullibility, and poor reasoning ability.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 11:46:03 AM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon:

Fails to grasp the difference between books containing reasoning and argument and books containing assertions of religious truths.
Caricature of theological books and Dawkins, Hitchens, antitheist wankfodder etc.

Quote
Fails even to attempt to find a logical path from a connected universe to "God".
Rich coming from someone who cannot avoid the leap of faith in any of his own positions.
Quote
Essays yet another non sequitur (there is no “then”), moves to gibberish (“what is the wonder of”), tries an unqualified assertion (“It can’t be the science”) while failing to grasp that science provides explanatory models but isn’t itself the phenomena it describes, and finishes with another non sequitur (there’s no reason for the "numimous" not to be explicable with the tools of science, at least in principle).


In which Hillside's forgets about Prof Cox and wonder and Douglas Adams enjoyment of the garden. Ignorance of Lewis's showing that the numinous is just proto religion.
The scientific method does not require wonder or enjoyment
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 11:53:50 AM
Can you name one? I have never come across a sensible, rational argument nor have I been presented with any credible evidence.

Tyson's speculation (it isn't a theory or even a hypothesis) is explicitly naturalistic. Attempting to link it to theology is either extremely stupid or extremely dishonest.
Not being funny would you unfailingly know a rational argument if you came across one?
vis. To call an argument whose central tenets have been the central tenets of theology for centuries explicit naturalism calls that into question.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 11:56:56 AM
This is just an admission of gullibility, and poor reasoning ability.
And scientism, humanism, physicalism, agnosticism, the poor use of the concept of unknown unknown you retreat into to end debate new atheism and the arrogance that seems to attract, The claim that you can find no reasons for belief or even consideration of God are all good reasons then?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 12:11:32 PM
In which the Lieutenant…

Quote
Caricature of theological books and Dawkins, Hitchens, antitheist wankfodder etc.

Hopes (wrongly) that assertion and insult constitute argument.

Quote
Rich coming from someone who cannot avoid the leap of faith in any of his own positions.

Hopes (wrongly) that lying about his interlocutor will validate his mistakes.   

Quote
In which Hillside's forgets about Prof Cox and wonder and Douglas Adams enjoyment of the garden.

Fails to grasp that experiencing the numinous, the transcendent, the deeply moving etc does not exclude them from naturalistic causes.     

Quote
Ignorance of Lewis's showing that the numinous is just proto religion.

Hopes (wrongly) that insult will get him off the hook of failing to show an argument from Lewis that isn’t false.

Quote
The scientific method does not require wonder or enjoyment

Collapses (again) into gibberish – the scientific method is a means of investigating and modelling reality. When that reality involves deep feelings there’s no reason a priori for excluding science from being able to explain their cause.

All of which shows that (as someone said to me recently), there’s no point in arguing with someone you have to educate first – especially when he’s uneducable.

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Maeght on February 02, 2018, 12:11:56 PM
And scientism, humanism, physicalism, agnosticism, the poor use of the concept of unknown unknown you retreat into to end debate new atheism and the arrogance that seems to attract, The claim that you can find no reasons for belief or even consideration of God are all good reasons then?

Reasons for what?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 12:13:03 PM
Not being funny would you unfailingly know a rational argument if you came across one?

Nobody's perfect - however I have good reason (exam results and other independent tests) to regard my abilities in that respect to be more than adequate.

vis. To call an argument whose central tenets have been the central tenets of theology for centuries explicit naturalism calls that into question.

There is exactly one similarity: the concept of the intelligent creation of a universe. Everything else is contradictory.

Tyson's speculation is explicitly naturalistic - it is based on the way our technology (computational ability) has advanced and speculates that more advanced technology still might well enable, ordinary, mortal beings to create full simulations of a (not the) universe.

Suggesting a link to theology is one of the most ridiculous religiously motivated claims I have ever heard.

I think it is probably even more absurd than literal, six day creationism...

ETA: And once again, this demonstrates that you are prepared to grasp any straw that might lead to any sort of 'god' at all. You seem to have no commitment to a single notion of god. The 'god' of the Tyson speculation (ordinary mortal beings) could not be more different from the 'god' of Feser's 'argument' discussed on the other thread.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 12:26:56 PM
Nobody's perfect - however I have good reason (exam results and other independent tests) to regard my abilities in that respect to be more than adequate.

There is exactly one similarity: the concept of the intelligent creation of a universe. Everything else is contradictory.

Tyson's speculation is explicitly naturalistic - it is based on the way our technology (computational ability) has advanced and speculates that more advanced technology still might well enable, ordinary, mortal beings to create full simulations of a (not the) universe.

Suggesting a link to theology is one of the most ridiculous religiously motivated claims I have ever heard.

I think it is probably even more absurd than literal, six day creationism...

ETA: And once again, this demonstrates that you are prepared to grasp any straw that might lead to any sort of 'god' at all. You seem to have no commitment to a single notion of god. The 'god' of the Tyson speculation (ordinary mortal beings) could not be more different from the 'god' of Feser's 'argument' discussed on the other thread.
Exactly one? tailored to your argument. It still fails the explicitly naturalistic test on the strength of that.

Look I don't mind lending the intellectual property of the church to others. There is a moral issue when they claim it as there own and then accuse the originator of trying to steal it back.

I expect arrests for the above......but not PZ Myers. Ha Ha.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 12:35:34 PM
Quote
Look I don't mind lending the intellectual property of the church to others.

In which the Lieutenant tries to be funny - and fails.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 12:38:39 PM
Exactly one? tailored to your argument. It still fails the explicitly naturalistic test on the strength of that.

Are you really stupid enough to think that because people first thought of universe creation as a ('supernatural') miracle, that means that now we can think of a fully natural way in which it might be done, that natural way automatically becomes not natural?

Really, seriously?

By that 'logic' most of modern medicine is not naturalistic either...
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 12:40:18 PM
In which the Lieutenant tries to be funny - and fails.
Look HIllside, the ideal cheap assertions that comprise the new atheism are done.
NDG Tyson has seen to that.
What is needed to salvage what can be salvaged is that somehow history can be revised. That is going to take turdpolishing of a magnitude several powers of ten greater than we have yet seen.
Don' be so sad.......Cometh the hour cometh the man.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 12:47:24 PM
Are you really stupid enough to think that because people first thought of universe creation as a ('supernatural') miracle,
They may have first thought that although the appearence of the term and notion of the supernatural comes much later, but the idea of an intelligent creator of a universe has been around for centuries. Nice try and certainly encouraging for the tremendous spin new atheism has to desperately apply to the problem it faces.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 01:05:45 PM
Are you really stupid enough to think that because people first thought of universe creation as a ('supernatural') miracle, that means that now we can think of a fully natural way in which it might be done, that natural way automatically becomes not natural?

Really, seriously?

By that 'logic' most of modern medicine is not naturalistic either...
Or it means the definitions and concepts of natural and supernatural have been flawed. Atheism has got to justify why for centuries it was against the idea of an intelligent creator of the universe, why it now accepts it and then publicly acknowledge and offer apologies for it's past.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 01:08:08 PM
In which the Lieutenant…

Quote
Look HIllside, the ideal cheap assertions that comprise the new atheism are done.

Hopes that mischaracterising the arguments that undo him as “cheap assertions” is itself the only cheap assertion in play here.

Quote
NDG Tyson has seen to that.

Hopes that continuing to lie about this will help him.

Quote
What is needed to salvage what can be salvaged…

Fails to grasp that his ludicrous claims are in fact probably unsalvageable.

Quote
…is that somehow history can be revised. That is going to take turdpolishing of a magnitude several powers of ten greater than we have yet seen.

Collapses yet again into incoherence.

Quote
Don' be so sad.......Cometh the hour cometh the man.

And finishes with the triple Salchow of gibberish.

Moderator: content removed.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 01:10:51 PM
Are you really stupid enough to think that because people first thought of universe creation as a ('supernatural') miracle,
They may have first thought that although the appearence of the term and notion of the supernatural comes much later, but the idea of an intelligent creator of a universe has been around for centuries.

I note the dishonest editing of my argument and the fact that you didn't provide an answer to it. The non-naturalistic or 'supernatural' was your claim - you were attempting to apply it to a fully naturalistic argument just because theists had thought of the effect first.

Here is what I said, if you want to provide an actual answer:
Are you really stupid enough to think that because people first thought of universe creation as a ('supernatural') miracle, that means that now we can think of a fully natural way in which it might be done, that natural way automatically becomes not natural?
...
By that 'logic' most of modern medicine is not naturalistic either...

Nice try and certainly encouraging for the tremendous spin new atheism has to desperately apply to the problem it faces.

I don't care about 'new atheism' (whatever you think it is) but if you think that attempting to co-opt Tyson to the theist cause is a threat to anything, you're even dafter than I thought.

I really am totally gobsmacked at the utter stupidity of it. Is it perhaps your ploy to put forward such a totally, mindlessly, idiotic argument for god that it makes all the other, flawed and hopeless arguments seem sensible in comparison?

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 01:11:59 PM
In which the Lieutenant...

Quote
Or it means the definitions and concepts of natural and supernatural have been flawed. Atheism has got to justify why for centuries it was against the idea of an intelligent creator of the universe, why it now accepts it and then publicly acknowledge and offer apologies for it's past.

Fails to grasp that atheism would only have to "answer to" falsifying the arguments for a supernatural creator - something that's trivially easy to do. The clue is the "theism" in "a-theism". 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 01:25:38 PM
Or it means the definitions and concepts of natural and supernatural have been flawed.

Why and in what way?

Atheism has got to justify why for centuries it was against the idea of an intelligent creator of the universe, why it now accepts it and then publicly acknowledge and offer apologies for it's past.

Atheism (rightly) rejected the stories about 'gods' creating the universe because they came without evidence or reasoned argument.

Tyson's speculation (which is very far from universally accepted), about ordinary mortal beings using technology to create universes, has a reasoned basis (it follows from certain assumptions).

There is nothing to apologize for - the propositions and supporting arguments are different.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 01:43:02 PM
Why and in what way?

Atheism (rightly) rejected the stories about 'gods' creating the universe because they came without evidence or reasoned argument.

Tyson's speculation (which is very far from universally accepted), about ordinary mortal beings using technology to create universes, has a reasoned basis (it follows from certain assumptions).

 nothing to apologize for - the propositions and supporting arguments are different.
Atheism has rejected the idea of an intelligent creator of the universe for, well, forever having bundled it with 'The supernatural.
Theism has postulated intelligent creation for centuries
I think you need to study the definitions of naturalism and supernaturalism.
To pass this off as a minor tweek is the height of delusion.

Not all atheism realise the ramifications of the idea. PZ Myers does.

For New atheism to survive now is the time for Turdpolishers and Tophatted linguistic breakdancers bustin' their funky moves.

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 02:10:43 PM


Tyson's speculation (which is very far from universally accepted), about ordinary mortal beings using technology to create universes, has a reasoned basis (it follows from certain assumptions).


Tyson if he is proposing it cannot guarantee either ordinariness or mortality if the intelligent creator is not of this universe.
His reasoned basis is no different from people who have said we can build and make things here what if the whole show was built? theology is replete in its history with reference to artists, makers, builders, creators, intelligent etc.

Atheism has put away these ideas in the past because they know where they logically lead and what happens when the genie is out of the bottle. PZ Myers and all that.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 02:16:41 PM
Atheism has rejected the idea of an intelligent creator of the universe for, well, forever having bundled it with 'The supernatural.

Atheism has rejected the stories of gods creating the universe for the very good reason that they came without supporting evidence and without reasoned arguments.

Theism has postulated intelligent creation for centuries

Theism has postulated evidence and reason free stories for centuries.

I think you need to study the definitions of naturalism and supernaturalism.

Why? If you have a point to make regarding them, then do so.

To pass this off as a minor tweek is the height of delusion.

I'm not passing anything off as a minor tweak. The theistic stories and Tyson's speculation are qualitatively different.

It's much like theistic stories of people being miraculously cured of leprosy having bugger all to do with the modern medical treatment of the disease.

Not all atheism realise the ramifications of the idea. PZ Myers does.

Trying to pass of Tyson's speculation as an argument for god is beyond stupid - and if PZ Myers (or anybody else) thinks it's sensible, he's a fool.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 02:21:55 PM
In which the Lieutenant,

Quote
Atheism has rejected the idea of an intelligent creator of the universe for, well, forever having bundled it with 'The supernatural.

Keeps on lyin’ lyin’ lyin’ – atheism is merely what results when the arguments of theists are found wanting. Any supernatural “bundling” is the province of the theists who attempt them.

Quote
Theism has postulated intelligent creation for centuries

Selectively ignores the “supernatural” bit.

Quote
I think you need to study the definitions of naturalism and supernaturalism.

Fails to grasp that the job of definition is for those who would posit a supernatural.

Quote
To pass this off as a minor tweek is the height of delusion.

Tries some more gibberish.

Quote
Not all atheism realise the ramifications of the idea. PZ Myers does.

Misrepresents PZ Myers.

Quote
For New atheism to survive now is the time for Turdpolishers and Tophatted linguistic breakdancers bustin' their funky moves.

And finally collapses again into incoherence. 

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 02:24:20 PM
Tyson if he is proposing it cannot guarantee either ordinariness or mortality if the intelligent creator is not of this universe.

Its whole basis is technology. I really can't believe I'm having to argue about a speculation, based on a set of (arguable) assumptions and an extrapolation of our technology, being compared with supernatural fairy tales.

It really is a mark of the utter desperation of theist straw clutching.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 02:28:02 PM
In which the Lieutenant…

Quote
Tyson if he is proposing it cannot guarantee either ordinariness or mortality if the intelligent creator is not of this universe.

Yet again tries a negative proof fallacy. Tyson cannot guarantee anything, any more than the Lieutenant himself can – the non-existence of the Tooth Fairy included. That’s why Tyson’s speculation has nothing whatever to do with the conjectures of theism.

Quote
His reasoned basis is no different from people who have said we can build and make things here what if the whole show was built? theology is replete in its history with reference to artists, makers, builders, creators, intelligent etc.

And supernatural gods remember?

Quote
Atheism has put away these ideas in the past because they know where they logically lead and what happens when the genie is out of the bottle. PZ Myers and all that.

Fails to grasp that all “atheism” has actually done is to falsify the claims of theists, and that nothing Tyson said leads anywhere near those claims.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 02:29:43 PM
Stranger,

Quote
It really is a mark of the utter desperation of theist straw clutching.

Though handily he's got barns full of the stuff what with all those straw men he continually attempts.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 02:35:07 PM
Atheism has rejected the stories of gods creating the universe for the very good reason that they came without supporting evidence and without reasoned arguments.

No atheism also rejected God, the intelligent creator of the universe and not just the stories about him.

There is strong evidence that atheists did not understand the purpose of the stories and caricatured religion ignoring ANY argument.

Tyson is not a modern treatment. More the same treatment out of a different bottle. Poor and desperate analogy on your part.

I think you misunderstand PZ Myers has argued that this is a form of intelligent design theory.....which I don't think we can deny.

The state of play is this.

An intelligent creator of the universe has been a feature of theology for centuries.

A creator not dependent on the universe it creates is part of the definition of the supernatural

It is not part of the definition of natural.

Therefore we cannot assume ordinaryness or mortality in the intelligent creator.

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: wigginhall on February 02, 2018, 02:37:29 PM
As per Stranger above, yes, I think it is desperate, that speculation about aliens is connected with God.   But then Christianity has never been shy of refurbishing the idea - there is the classic view, rather austere, the causeless Cause, 'without body, parts or passions',  then the despotic tribal god of the Hebrew bible (OT), then something more loving in the NT, but still with a thuggish ability.   In modern times, the ground of all being, which came from Tillich, then the God of 'weak theology', who is not omnipotent.   Maybe Vlad's intelligent alien shows the final collapse of theism. 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 02:44:54 PM
In which the Lieutenant…

Yet again tries a negative proof fallacy.
Hillside doesn't properly understand the NPF fallacy since my statement is correct, nowhere does the statement suggest that therefore god is immortal.

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 02:54:46 PM
Its whole basis is technology. I really can't believe I'm having to argue about a speculation, based on a set of (arguable) assumptions and an extrapolation of our technology, being compared with supernatural fairy tales.

It really is a mark of the utter desperation of theist straw clutching.
Technology is just another word for technique. And there's no guarantee that it was done by our technology, whatever that means. Super natural fairy tales is just Horses laugh fallacy.

The straw clutching is all yours since many of the arguments of atheism, and yeh, a central one is being washed down the Riviera including the ''no good'' reason bollocks.

I'm afraid having proposed an intelligent creator in another universe one has put God in heaven effectively since presumably both are as accessible to science.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 03:08:59 PM
No atheism also rejected God, the intelligent creator of the universe and not just the stories about him.

If you apply the term 'god' to the creators of universe simulations, as in the speculation, then it is theism that is flying the white flag. Monotheism is dead, god can die or may actually be dead, god may be a corporation, and so on, and so on...

There is strong evidence that atheists did not understand the purpose of the stories and caricatured religion ignoring ANY argument.

Then do enlighten us...

Tyson is not a modern treatment. More the same treatment out of a different bottle. Poor and desperate analogy on your part.

It's really hard to see how Tyson's speculation could be more different from theistic stories.

I think you misunderstand PZ Myers has argued that this is a form of intelligent design theory.....which I don't think we can deny.

I've never read anything he's said on the subject - I just said that if he (or anybody) takes this seriously as an argument for theism, then he is (they are) a fool.

As for intelligent design, well it might be, it would depend what the simulation was for. There is still bugger all evidence of intelligent design in this universe.

And it still wouldn't be an argument for theism.

An intelligent creator of the universe has been a feature of theology for centuries.

Completely irrelevant - just as miraculous leprosy healing is irrelevant to modern medicine.

A creator not dependent on the universe it creates is part of the definition of the supernatural

It is not part of the definition of natural.

Therefore we cannot assume ordinaryness or mortality in the intelligent creator.

I've already addressed this nonsense.

I'm still utterly gobsmacked that anybody is stupid enough to put this forward as an argument. I really can't think of a more silly argument for theism. Logical fallacies and blatant contradictions are one thing but this really is the depth of total idiocy.

Your desperation is apparent in your ever shifting notions of god. Once again this (natural, quite possibly mortal and/or a corporation, etc.) 'god' is absolutely nothing like the 'god' that you were arguing for on the thread about Feser's argument.

What sort of god do you actually believe in?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 03:12:28 PM
As per Stranger above, yes, I think it is desperate, that speculation about aliens is connected with God.   But then Christianity has never been shy of refurbishing the idea - there is the classic view, rather austere, the causeless Cause, 'without body, parts or passions',  then the despotic tribal god of the Hebrew bible (OT), then something more loving in the NT, but still with a thuggish ability.   In modern times, the ground of all being, which came from Tillich, then the God of 'weak theology', who is not omnipotent.   Maybe Vlad's intelligent alien shows the final collapse of theism.
Is there an intelligent alien or God? We may never know scientifically because God is in his heaven and the intelligent alien is in his alternative universe. Hardly the end of theism.

Since intelligent alien could describe a stone age tap dancing pink Gorriloid from proxima centauri I think your language is a bit inadequate Wiggi. 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: wigginhall on February 02, 2018, 03:13:44 PM
'Theism flying the white flag' - surely this is true if you look at this forum, when you consider AB's bizarre ruminations about free will, and now Vlad's citing of intelligent aliens as gods.   Intellectual suicide?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 03:16:32 PM
The straw clutching is all yours since many of the arguments of atheism, and yeh, a central one is being washed down the Riviera including the ''no good'' reason bollocks.

This is not a good reason - this is beyond silly. It greatly expands the theist range of utter desperation, contradiction, and total absurdity.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 03:20:20 PM
If you apply the term 'god' to the creators of universe simulations, as in the speculation, then it is theism that is flying the white flag. Monotheism is dead, god can die or may actually be dead, god may be a corporation, and so on, and so on...

But we cannot guarantee God's necessary death can we Stranger, We cannot guarantee that it isn't monotheism after all. God may be a corporation, how does that constitute the surrender of theism and the triumph of atheism.

Look, let's agree on the word creator.....The trouble is though that has zero atheist ring to it but a massive theistic tintinnabulation.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 03:24:03 PM
'Theism flying the white flag' - surely this is true if you look at this forum, when you consider AB's bizarre ruminations about free will, and now Vlad's citing of intelligent aliens as gods.   Intellectual suicide?
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Delusion, as if this forum is representative of anything resembling reality, intellectual acumen or anything not decidedly odd.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: wigginhall on February 02, 2018, 03:40:30 PM
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Delusion, as if this forum is representative of anything resembling reality, intellectual acumen or anything not decidedly odd.

Well, true, I don't really know if you and AB are representative or not.    Where else would one find something pro-theism which is intellectually serious?   And please don't say Feser.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 03:42:16 PM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon…

Quote
No atheism also rejected God, the intelligent creator of the universe and not just the stories about him.

Tries some more reification. He has all his work ahead of him to bridge the gap from story to fact.

Quote
There is strong evidence that atheists did not understand the purpose of the stories and caricatured religion ignoring ANY argument.

Gets it badly wrong again – all atheism entails is the falsification of arguments for theism. Any purpose those stories may have is irrelevant.

Quote
Tyson is not a modern treatment. More the same treatment out of a different bottle. Poor and desperate analogy on your part.

Fails to grasp that Tyson doesn’t try a “treatment” of any kind. He merely speculates about a creator of a universe. Theism on the other hand asserts as fact the supernatural creator of the universe. 

Quote
I think you misunderstand PZ Myers has argued that this is a form of intelligent design theory.....which I don't think we can deny.

Fails to grasp that speculations about the naturalistic intelligent creator of a universe would have bugger all to do with the clams of theism.

Quote
The state of play is this.

An intelligent creator of the universe has been a feature of theology for centuries.

Thereby again lies by omission by conveniently excludes the “supernatural” bit…

Quote
A creator not dependent on the universe it creates is part of the definition of the supernatural

It is not part of the definition of natural.

Fails to grasp the difference between a universe and the universe, and moreover fails even t attempt to tell us what he means by “supernatural”. 

Quote
Therefore we cannot assume ordinaryness or mortality in the intelligent creator.

And concludes with the crash and burn of another non sequitur – the premise has failed, and so there is no “therefore”.

Apart from all that though…
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 03:50:14 PM
Quote
But we cannot guarantee God's necessary death can we Stranger, We cannot guarantee that it isn't monotheism after all. God may be a corporation, how does that constitute the surrender of theism and the triumph of atheism.

In which Lieutenant Pigeon weighs in with the fallacy of the irrelevant truth: we cannot guarantee anything - the non-existence of the Tooth Fairy included. Yet again he fails to grasp (or deliberately gets wrong) that it's not the job of the interlocutor to guarantee that the conjectures of the theist (or of the Tooth Fairyist) are false - all that's required is to demonstrate that the arguments the theist and the Tooth Fairyist attempt for their conjectures are false - a simple matter in both cases.   
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 04:11:46 PM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon weighs in with the fallacy of the irrelevant truth: we cannot guarantee anything -
Nurse! Hillsides gone nuclear.

(orchestra strike up with ''Stop weigh hey Mr Postman'')
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 04:20:52 PM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon...

Quote
Nurse! Hillsides gone nuclear.

(orchestra strike up with ''Stop weigh hey Mr Postman'')

Fails to grasp that, "But we cannot guarantee God's necessary death can we Stranger, We cannot guarantee that it isn't monotheism after all" is no more helpful to him than, "we cannot guarantee that there isn't an orbiting teapot" is helpful to the orbiting teapotist. Then again, he always was a big fan of the negative proof fallacy. Not being able to demonstrate that something isn't tells you nothing at all about whether that thing is.

How many times does this have to be explained? Why, one might almost think he was deliberately...   
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 04:49:18 PM
Wiggs,

Quote
As per Stranger above, yes, I think it is desperate, that speculation about aliens is connected with God.   But then Christianity has never been shy of refurbishing the idea - there is the classic view, rather austere, the causeless Cause, 'without body, parts or passions',  then the despotic tribal god of the Hebrew bible (OT), then something more loving in the NT, but still with a thuggish ability.   In modern times, the ground of all being, which came from Tillich, then the God of 'weak theology', who is not omnipotent.   Maybe Vlad's intelligent alien shows the final collapse of theism.

Nice post. Has theism collapsed? Should we take the inability of those here to mount an argument for it worthy of the name as indicative of a larger truth, or are there intelligent and nuanced theists about who do have something of substance to say? You'd have to think that the hopeless ones here would have heard of them and brought them to the table if there were such arguments, but then again maybe not.

Does anyone know?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 05:40:10 PM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon...

Fails to grasp that, "But we cannot guarantee God's necessary death can we Stranger, We cannot guarantee that it isn't monotheism after all" is no more helpful to him than, "we cannot guarantee that there isn't an orbiting teapot" is helpful to the orbiting teapotist. Then again, he always was a big fan of the negative proof fallacy. Not being able to demonstrate that something isn't tells you nothing at all about whether that thing is.

How many times does this have to be explained? Why, one might almost think he was deliberately...   
Actually Hillside I was responding to someone suggesting Gods mortality and that God might be a committee. So your accusation is misplaced.Again you demonstrate that you dont understand the NPF fallacy.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 05:43:57 PM
Wiggs,

Nice post. Has theism collapsed? Should we take the inability of those here to mount an argument for it worthy of the name as indicative of a larger truth, or are there intelligent and nuanced theists about who do have something of substance to say? You'd have to think that the hopeless ones here would have heard of them and brought them to the table if there were such arguments, but then again maybe not.
Meeeiouwww!

Quote

 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 05:54:13 PM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon…

Quote
Actually Hillside I was responding to someone suggesting Gods mortality and that God might be a committee. So your accusation is misplaced.Again you demonstrate that you dont understand the NPF fallacy.

Still fails to grasp the NPF. When someone says, “You can’t guarantee that X isn’t what I say it is” and thinks he’s making a point about truth of the claim “X”, then he’s committing the NPF. 

Example 1: “I think there’s an orbiting teapot. You can’t prove me wrong, therefore…”

Example 2: “I think there’s a monotheistic god. You can't prove me wrong, therefore…”
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 06:15:12 PM
But we cannot guarantee God's necessary death can we Stranger...

What part of "...god can die or may actually be dead..." is confusing you?

...We cannot guarantee that it isn't monotheism after all.

Yes we can, for the simple reason that the speculation isn't any sort of theism.

However, if you're going to base your stupid-pretend-theism on Tyson's science fiction speculation, then it's very unlikely to be mono-stupid-pretend-theism, for the following reasons:
What is more, it doesn't seem to be much of a speculation (as we are in that territory), that full universe simulations would be less common than partial ones, for specific purposes. If you or I are in a simulation, we may be the only actual person in it. Even if it's a simulation of the entire human population, much of the rest of the universe (in both time and space) may not be fully simulated. Just how much of a simulation earns its creator the stupid-pretend-god title?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 06:15:29 PM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon…

Still fails to grasp the NPF. When someone says, “You can’t guarantee that X isn’t what I say it is” and thinks he’s making a point about truth of the claim “X”, then he’s committing the NPF. 

Example 1: “I think there’s an orbiting teapot. You can’t prove me wrong, therefore…”

Example 2: “I think there’s a monotheistic god. You can't prove me wrong, therefore…”
Well I would have to claim something and I didn't Hillside. It's no good just thinking something. How do you know he's thinking. He has to do it.

Your examples have bugger all to do with a mere observation of non guarantee in somebody's argument.

Suspecting someone of doing it is not the same as them actually doing it. It's a wonder no one comes in and puts you straight on this.That's a bad sign for the forum.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 06:18:44 PM
What part of "...god can die or may actually be dead..." is confusing you?

None i'm just confused at why you missed of ''or might be immortal.............''
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 06:28:19 PM
None i'm just confused at why you missed of ''or might be immortal.............''

The point is that the speculation is specifically about technology extrapolated from our own. There is bugger all in it that even hints at an immortal creator, let alone one with all the omnis.

Just another reason why it's the stupidest argument for god that I've ever encountered, by quite a considerable margin.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 06:30:00 PM
What part of "...god can die or may actually be dead..." is confusing you?

Yes we can, for the simple reason that the speculation isn't any sort of theism.

Ah, so now I see the reason for the Dawkinsian drive and new atheist article of faith that you don't have to understand theology......so the wee wizards of antitheism can operate from a position of invincible ignorance.......of course.

Roll credits

Ian Fleming's Never say Never Again      Starring Vlad         Bluehillside as Dr No       Richard Dawkins as Pussy Galore           PZ Myers as Odd Job         Neil De Grasse Tyson as James Bond             Vlad will return
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 06:41:09 PM
 In which Lieutenant Pigeon…

Quote
Well would have to claim something and I didn't Hillside. It's no good just thinking something. How do you know he's thinking. He has to do it.

Tries to back away from his various recent NPF outings – if he didn’t think, “but you can’t disprove X” was relevant to the argument for X, why bother typing it?

Quote
Your examples have bugger all to do with a mere observation of non guarantee in somebody's argument.

(Presumably wilfully) misrepresents the point of the examples entirely – non-guarantee being utterly irrelevant in both cases.

Quote
Suspecting someone of doing it is not the same as them actually doing it. It's a wonder no one comes in and puts you straight on this.That's a bad sign for the forum.

Desperately tries to back away from the mess he got himself into by denying his mistakes, thereby leaving himself with only two options: 

1. "Yes, I tried the NPF (several times in fact)"; or

2. "Yes, I posted entirely irrelevant comments in the hope that some people would be taken in by their insinuation."

Cue further knocking over of the pieces, flying back to claim “victory” etc…

…or should that be “coo”?   
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 06:47:46 PM
Ah, so now I see the reason for the Dawkinsian drive and new atheist article of faith that you don't have to understand theology......so the wee wizards of antitheism can operate from a position of invincible ignorance.......of course.

Before you can appeal to theology, you need to establish a reason to think that there is a god.

In the course of the last few days you have argued for Fesers's 'end of hierarchy' which cannot possibly be like the Christian god, because if it can plan, make moral judgements, offer forgiveness and so on, then the argument for it becomes self-contradictory.

Now you are trying to co-opt an explicitly naturalistic speculation that is extrapolated from our own technology (and a large quantity of assumptions) - which leads to a being, or more likely beings, that are also unlike the Christian god because they would be natural, probably several of them, have their own 'gods', and so on, and so on (see above) - and are definitely nothing at all like Feser's 'end of hierarchy'.

Your desperate straw clutching is a plain as day - you can't even decide what sort of being or abstract idea your 'god' actually is - just any old daft nonsense you imagine you can get away with sticking the label on...
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 06:55:02 PM
Before you can appeal to theology,.
I think, thanks to De Grasse Tyson, you guys are condemned to reinvent the wheel.

 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 02, 2018, 07:03:23 PM
I think, thanks to De Grasse Tyson, you guys are condemned to reinvent the wheel.

Trying to co-opt his speculation for theism changes nothing except the incredible depths of absurdity to which theists are prepared to sink.

In any event, your last couple of posts suggest that you aren't even pretending to answer the points put to you any more...
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Maeght on February 02, 2018, 07:09:10 PM
 Do you think the fine detail in the gospels could be made up or not?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 07:19:18 PM
Trying to co-opt his speculation for theism changes nothing except the incredible depths of absurdity to which theists are prepared to sink.

His speculation was co opted centuries ago.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 07:28:53 PM
Lieutenant Pigeon,

Quote
His speculation was co opted centuries ago.

What do you get out of telling lies here?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 07:44:19 PM
Lieutenant Pigeon,

What do you get out of telling lies here?
The idea of an intelligent creator of the universe has been around in theology and general belief for centuries.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 07:52:44 PM
Lieutenant Pigeon,

Quote
The idea of an intelligent creator of the universe has been around in theology and general belief for centuries.

You've had the fundamental qualitative differences between the claims of theism and DeGrasse's speculation explained to you many times now. What do you get out of continuing to lie about it?

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 08:48:51 PM
Lieutenant Pigeon,

You've had the fundamental qualitative differences between the claims of theism and DeGrasse's speculation explained to you many times now. What do you get out of continuing to lie about it?
I'm sorry you'll have to talk to my agent.......Dr PZ Myers.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 09:11:41 PM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon…

Quote
I'm sorry you'll have to talk to my agent.......Dr PZ Myers.

...fails to notice that “his agent” actually argues that NdGT’s mistake is to risk looking as stupid as theology. Here in fact:

“I also have to wonder if this is a general property of physicists, that they think they know so much that the only people they can imagine having a conversation about unverifiable, untestable, undetectable, hypothetical, imaginary foundational properties of the universe is a group of their fellow physicists (with one token philosopher).

Congratulations. They’ve discovered that they have something in common with theologians.”


https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2016/04/26/we-have-a-term-for-that-neil-degrasse-tyson-intelligent-design/

Myers may or may not be right about that (and he’s attacking NdGT’s reasoning in any case, not his conclusions - which is where the Lieutenant careers off the rails), but either way it’s hardly a prop for theism.

Epic fail. Just epic.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 09:27:33 PM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon…

...fails to notice that “his agent” actually argues that NdGT’s mistake is to risk looking as stupid as theology. Here in fact:

“I also have to wonder if this is a general property of physicists, that they think they know so much that the only people they can imagine having a conversation about unverifiable, untestable, undetectable, hypothetical, imaginary foundational properties of the universe is a group of their fellow physicists (with one token philosopher).


Wow is this an atheist on agnostic or a biologist on Physicist thing? Is there mud involved?

I think Myers is saying they should have checked this out with New Atheist Central aka himself presumably.

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 02, 2018, 10:41:30 PM
Quote
Wow is this an atheist on agnostic or a biologist on Physicist thing? Is there mud involved?

In which the Vladatstrophe completely ignores his disastrous effort to recruit PZ Myers now he’s realised that he’s actually his worst enemy. Here it is a again then so he can ignore it all over again:

“In which Lieutenant Pigeon…

...fails to notice that “his agent” actually argues that NdGT’s mistake is to risk looking as stupid as theology. Here in fact:

I also have to wonder if this is a general property of physicists, that they think they know so much that the only people they can imagine having a conversation about unverifiable, untestable, undetectable, hypothetical, imaginary foundational properties of the universe is a group of their fellow physicists (with one token philosopher).

Congratulations. They’ve discovered that they have something in common with theologians.


Quote
I think Myers is saying they should have checked this out with New Atheist Central aka himself presumably.

And then again fails to notice that what P Z Myers actually argued was that, by lapsing into bad reasoning, NdGT risks putting himself in the same camp as those other bad reasoners the theologians. Some "agent" eh?

Oh, and he also fails to notice that where NdGT’s bad thinking got him is still qualitatively different from where the bad reasoning of theologians gets them.

Apart from all that though…
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 02, 2018, 11:02:27 PM
Hillside

Your trying to propose that PZ Myers is not equating NDG's with theology?, and yet the title of the very blog you quote from is:
''We have a term for that, Neil deGrasse Tyson: Intelligent Design''. Later on he refers to the De grasse Tyson speculationism as ''creationism''.
Also I think you think I should be bothered with what PZ Myers reckons on theology. Why start now>

.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 03, 2018, 08:26:10 AM
Your trying to propose that PZ Myers is not equating NDG's with theology?

I've just read this blog post, it really is rather amusing and no, it is not equating the two. He's actually saying that NdGT's speculation is just as bad as theology - bluehillside provided the quote in his last post (and you ignored it).

So very far from saying that NdGT has provided a reason to take the idea of a god seriously, he's saying that NdGT's arguments (for something different to god) are similarly bad arguments to those used for theism.

None of which changes the fact that NdGT is not talking about god(s).
 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 09:37:55 AM
I've just read this blog post, it really is rather amusing and no, it is not equating the two. He's actually saying that NdGT's speculation is just as bad as theology - bluehillside provided the quote in his last post (and you ignored it).

So very far from saying that NdGT has provided a reason to take the idea of a god seriously, he's saying that NdGT's arguments (for something different to god) are similarly bad arguments to those used for theism.

None of which changes the fact that NdGT is not talking about god(s).
Firstly There is the title of the piece
''We have a term for that, Neil deGrasse Tyson: Intelligent Design''.
It strains credibility that he is not using that in the usual sense it is used in Myer's circle.

Then he states Chalmers acknowledgement that it is a 'version of the God hypothesis. Suggesting he thinks the God hypothesis was already out there.

Then comes this after a quote of what Tyson said
''That really is an intelligent design creationism argument:''

At the end of the day it doesn't really matter if Tyson didn't think he was givng the God hypothesis. He doesn't need to think about it he just gave it, an agnostic unencumbered by new atheist dogma.

the professional inthe the house, Chalmers , stated that it is the God hypothesis and Myers quotes him.


 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 09:47:19 AM
Vladastrophe,

Quote
Your trying to propose that PZ Myers is not equating NDG's with theology?

I’m not just proposing it, he didn’t do it. What he actually did (as you’d know if you bothered dealing with the quote I gave you) is to point out that bad thinking is also the province of theologians.

Quote
…and yet the title of the very blog you quote from is:

''We have a term for that, Neil deGrasse Tyson: Intelligent Design''.

Yes it is – what point do you think you’re making? At no point does he suggest that NdGT holds the same opinions about evolution that creationists hold – far from it. He could just as well have said “flat earthers”, and in any case he refers more generally in his conclusion to theologians (again, try reading the quote). What he does say though is that bad thinking leads to bad answers – whether those bad answers are those of NdGT or the very different bad answers of theologians doesn’t matter for his purpose. 

Quote
Later on he refers to the De grasse Tyson speculationism as ''creationism''.

Stop lying. What he actually says is: “That really is an intelligent design creationism argument: I can imagine a superior being outside our universe, therefore…

(https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2016/04/26/we-have-a-term-for-that-neil-degrasse-tyson-intelligent-design/#ixzz562J3vDU6)

Note the use of “argument” there, not “conclusion”. 

Quote
Also I think you think I should be bothered with what PZ Myers reckons on theology. Why start now>

Nope, no idea. Perhaps it meant something in your head when you typed it?

So why not, after all these years and thousands of mistakes and misrepresentations, finally man up and actually say: “OK, I screwed up there. Not for one moment does Myers suggest that NdGT has the same opinions as those of theologians (let alone those of creationists) and I now understand that he was merely making an analogy about bad reasoning. Sorry about that.”?   

You never know, it might even be good for your “soul”…
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 09:56:49 AM
Vladastrophe,

Quote
Firstly There is the title of the piece
''We have a term for that, Neil deGrasse Tyson: Intelligent Design''.
It strains credibility that he is not using that in the usual sense it is used in Myer's circle.

Just to note too that, if you insist on trying to fool people into thinking that the use of "Intelligent Design" here is significant then you shoot yourself in the foot (again). Your (ludicrous) claim is that NdGT's speculation leads to the assertions of theologians. If you now want to insinuate that it also leads to the assertions of creationism, then you have to paint NdGT as an evolution denier too.

Is that really what you want to say? 

Perhaps is you stuck to what Myers actually says rather than your misrepresentation of it you'd be on safer ground, albeit that your basic nonsense (that NdGT is a theist) collapses.   
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 10:01:14 AM
Vladastrophe,

Just to note too that, if you insist on trying to fool people into thinking that the use of "Intelligent Design" here is significant then you shoot yourself in the foot (again). Your (ludicrous) claim is that NdGT's speculation leads to the assertions of theologians. If you now want to insinuate that it also leads to the assertions of creationism, then you have to paint NdGT as an evolution denier too.

Is that really what you want to say? 

Perhaps is you stuck to what Myers actually says rather than your misrepresentation of it you'd be on safer ground, albeit that your basic nonsense (that NdGT is a theist) collapses.
Hmmm The old ploy ''I'm not talking about that intelligent design''
You don.t have to be an evolution denier to suggest interventionist design Hillside, I think we've all read the literature.....or do have I the advantage over you here?

Bravely you did give the reference so it can be read albeit on this forum by people like yourself.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 11:15:45 AM
Vladastrophe,

Quote
Hmmm The old ploy ''I'm not talking about that intelligent design''
You don.t have to be an evolution denier to suggest interventionist design Hillside, I think we've all read the literature.....or do have I the advantage over you here?

Bravely you did give the reference so it can be read albeit on this forum by people like yourself.

But you do to be a creationist. Look, of course it's "that intelligent design" but Myers limits himself to the fact of poor reasoning on which creationists (and theologians generally) rely to draw his analogy with the poor reasoning on which NdGT relies. He makes no reference whatever to the conclusions of any of them being the same, however much you might want to lie about that.

So having been caught out in another lie and refused to apologise for it, again - what exactly do you get from telling lies on a message board? 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 11:26:24 AM
Vladastrophe,

But you do to be a creationist. Look, of course it's "that intelligent design" but Myers limits himself to the fact of poor reasoning on which creationists (and theologians generally) rely to draw his analogy with the poor reasoning on which NdGT relies. He makes no reference whatever to the conclusions of any of them being the same, however much you might want to lie about that.

So having been caught out in another lie and refused to apologise for it, again - what exactly do you get from telling lies on a message board?
I have already introduced where Myers talks about creationism and Tyson's speculation and people can read that for themselves.

Here it is again:

Then comes this after a quote of what Tyson said

''That really is an intelligent design creationism argument:''

And then of course Myers quotes Chalmers as saying that the Tyson speculation is ''the God hypothesis.''
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 11:52:11 AM
Vladastrophe,

Quote
I have already introduced where Myers talks about creationism and Tyson's speculation and people can read that for themselves.

At which time they’ll see where you’ve gone wrong (or just lied) again.

Quote
Here it is again:

Then comes this after a quote of what Tyson said

''That really is an intelligent design creationism argument:''

Which part of “argument” rather than “conclusion” is confusing you?

Quote
And then of course Myers quotes Chalmers as saying that the Tyson speculation is ''the God hypothesis.''

Your problem with being a flat out liar is that you’re not very good at it – not least because your lies are so readily discoverable.

Here’s what Myers actually says when he cites Chalmers:

“David Chalmers, the philosopher, also points out that the simulation hypothesis is a naturalistic version of the god hypothesis, that claiming the universe is a simulation implies that there is a great Simulator, “someone” who built this code with some intent.”

( https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2016/04/26/we-have-a-term-for-that-neil-degrasse-tyson-intelligent-design/#ixzz562oFiPVH )

Can you see that “naturalistic version of” there? Can you?

So Chalmers doesn’t say that the NdGT speculation “is the God Hypothesis” at all as you just misquoted does he? What he actually says is that it’s “a naturalistic version” of it – ie, precisely not the same thing as the claim made by theologians.

Again, what exactly do you get from turning up here to tell lies?   
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 03, 2018, 11:54:22 AM
And then of course Myers quotes Chalmers as saying that the Tyson speculation is ''the God hypothesis.''

No, he does not. What he says is that "the simulation hypothesis is a naturalistic version of the god hypothesis" [my emphasis] However, the term 'hypothesis' is obviously not being used in the scientific sense, since neither can be tested or falsified.

The whole point of the blog post is to point out that the arguments for the simulated universe speculation are just as bad (in many respects) as the arguments for god.

I have no idea why you are pretending it is anything else; anybody can read it and see you are wrong.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 12:00:16 PM
Stranger,

Quote
No, he does not. What he says is that "the simulation hypothesis is a naturalistic version of the god hypothesis" [my emphasis] However, the term 'hypothesis' is obviously not being used in the scientific sense, since neither can be tested or falsified.

The whole point of the blog post is to point out that the arguments for the simulated universe speculation are just as bad (in many respects) as the arguments for god.

I have no idea why you are pretending it is anything else; anybody can read it and see you are wrong.

What's particularly scummy about Vlad's behaviour here is that it must be deliberate. If he'd copied and pasted the extract verbatim it would have retained the "naturalistic version of" that undoes him, but to get from that to his misquote of "is the God hypothesis" (ie, "is (important bit missing here) the God hypothesis") he had to exclude it so as to corrupt the quote to his own ends.   
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Maeght on February 03, 2018, 12:11:15 PM
Perhaps we should ask him why he left out the 'naturalistic version' bit.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 12:11:28 PM
Vladastrophe,

At which time they’ll see where you’ve gone wrong (or just lied) again.

Which part of “argument” rather than “conclusion” is confusing you?

Your problem with being a flat out liar is that you’re not very good at it – not least because your lies are so readily discoverable.

Here’s what Myers actually says when he cites Chalmers:

“David Chalmers, the philosopher, also points out that the simulation hypothesis is a naturalistic version of the god hypothesis, that claiming the universe is a simulation implies that there is a great Simulator, “someone” who built this code with some intent.”

( https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2016/04/26/we-have-a-term-for-that-neil-degrasse-tyson-intelligent-design/#ixzz562oFiPVH )

Can you see that “naturalistic version of” there? Can you?
   
The naturalistic version of what though Hillside......
Oh. ''The God hypothesis.''

Chalmers thinks it is the naturalistic version of The God hypothesis.....We can use the internet to see how long The God hypothesis has been going around Hillside. I seem to remember it being used in 'Priestland's progress' Gerald Priestland in the early eighties.

Never the less Chalmers points to it being abroad outside your religionethics forum bubble. This isn't a whizzo new idea by Elon Musk NDG and whoever else after all. It is a version of the God hypothesis.

I suppose you will be replying with a version of ''we're not talking about that God hypothesis''.

you remind me of Rene artois in allo allo who when caught by his wife goes ''You stupid woman'' Ha Ha.
 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Maeght on February 03, 2018, 12:15:39 PM
The naturalistic version of what though Hillside......
Oh. ''The God hypothesis.''

Chalmers thinks it is the naturalistic version of The God hypothesis.....We can use the internet to see how long The God hypothesis has been going around Hillside. I seem to remember it being used in 'Priestland's progress' Gerald Priestland in the early eighties.

Never the less Chalmers points to it being abroad outside your religionethics forum bubble. This isn't a whizzo new idea by Elon Musk NDG and whoever else after all. It is a version of the God hypothesis.

I suppose you will be replying with a version of ''we're not talking about that God hypothesis''.

you remind me of Rene artois in allo allo who when caught by his wife goes ''You stupid woman'' Ha Ha.

But why did you leave those words out of a supposed quote?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 12:24:37 PM
Stranger,

What's particularly scummy about Vlad's behaviour here is that it must be deliberate. If he'd copied and pasted the extract verbatim it would have retained the "naturalistic version of" that undoes him, but to get from that to his misquote of "is the God hypothesis" (ie, "is (important bit missing here) the God hypothesis") he had to exclude it so as to corrupt the quote to his own ends.
It's good to see you guys acknowledging that Chalmers did talk about a God hypothesis that Tyson is a recent version.

Putting naturalistic in doesn't change that it is a version of the God Hypothesis.

That it is a naturalistic version of the God hypothesis is debateable.

How does it fit in with the claims, for instance, that.

1:Transcendence and an outside the universe are supernatural ideas

2:There is nothing outside the universe and thinking there is a recipe for intellectual chaos.......for instance since the intelligent creator would be transcendent of.

3: Myers complaint that it is intelligent design.....which if you don't believe it doesn't preclude intelligent design.

The point is whether it is naturalistic or not it is still a version of the God hypothesis. according to Chalmers.




Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 12:29:29 PM
But why did you leave those words out of a supposed quote?
Non relevance to the argument that Chalmers uses the term ''The God Hypothesis'' which is part of the main argument that Tyson's suggestion is a rehash of century's old theological thought.

Why do I detect minimising the gravity of the term ''The God Hypothesis?''.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 12:39:05 PM
Stranger,

What's particularly scummy about Vlad's behaviour here is that it must be deliberate. If he'd copied and pasted the extract verbatim it would have retained the "naturalistic version of" that undoes him, but to get from that to his misquote of "is the God hypothesis" (ie, "is (important bit missing here) the God hypothesis") he had to exclude it so as to corrupt the quote to his own ends.
It is not important for whether there was a God hypothesis previous to Tyson which is the thrust of our argument. In other words it looks like a red herring opportunity which you took.

Given that, how do you think this is important?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 12:40:53 PM
But why did you leave those words out of a supposed quote?
Supposed quote? have you not read the article?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 12:59:38 PM
Stranger,

 If he'd copied and pasted the extract verbatim it would have retained the "naturalistic version of" that undoes him
It doesn't undo my claim that Chalmers thinks it's a version of the God hypothesis which is what is important in an argument on er, whether it's a version of the God hypothesis that predates Tyson

How then am I undone?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 03, 2018, 01:08:22 PM
Why are you emphasising the term naturalistic version?

For one thing, you have repeatedly denied that the SU speculation could be considered naturalistic and for another, he isn't saying that it is the god hypothesis (which is what you claimed).

You are still ignoring the main point of the article, which is to point out how bad the simulated universe argument is by comparing it to the obviously hopeless arguments for god.

There is no way that this provides a reason to believe in god(s) (as you have claimed). It's a similarly hopeless* argument for something that isn't god.


* As an aside, I wouldn't agree that it's quite as hopeless - but it's the difference between science fiction (simulated universe) and fantasy (god).
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 01:15:37 PM
Vlad,

Quote
The naturalistic version of what though Hillside......
Oh. ''The God hypothesis.''

Chalmers thinks it is the naturalistic version of The God hypothesis.....We can use the internet to see how long The God hypothesis has been going around Hillside. I seem to remember it being used in 'Priestland's progress' Gerald Priestland in the early eighties.

Never the less Chalmers points to it being abroad outside your religionethics forum bubble. This isn't a whizzo new idea by Elon Musk NDG and whoever else after all. It is a version of the God hypothesis.

I suppose you will be replying with a version of ''we're not talking about that God hypothesis''.

you remind me of Rene artois in allo allo who when caught by his wife goes ''You stupid woman'' Ha Ha.

Cut the crap. Why did you doctor the quote?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 03, 2018, 01:20:06 PM
It doesn't undo my claim that Chalmers thinks it's a version of the God hypothesis...

FFS, he said it was a naturalistic version - that is to say, it is not an argument for a supernatural god.

...of the God hypothesis that predates Tyson

Why the kindergarten emphasis of what came first? It has bugger all to do with anything. The first people to think of some idea can't bagsy the concept to be forever associated with their reasons for thinking of it. Grow up!

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 01:25:50 PM
Stranger,

Quote
FFS, he said it was a naturalistic version - that is to say, it is not an argument for a supernatural god.

Which is why he had to doctor the quote to make it fit - he even had the front to add "of course" before he lied about it.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 01:29:36 PM
Vlad,

Cut the crap. Why did you doctor the quote?
I think you've overdone the police procedurals Hillside and have already answered.
I am not afraid to say that Chalmers thinks it is a naturalistic version of the God hypothesis. There I have said it.

can you bring yourself to say the that without emphasis on the naturalistic since you seem to think that undoes my argument that Tyson's speculation is exactly the same as that of Centuries old theology?

Even if Chalmers did not agree with that it is fairly obvious that he is saying the God Hypothesis predates Tyson.

But let us not get away from his statement that this is a version of the God Hypothesis.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 01:37:49 PM
Vlad,

Quote
I think you've overdone the police procedurals Hillside and have already answered.
I am not afraid to say that Chalmers thinks it is a naturalistic version of the God hypothesis. There I have said it.

can you bring yourself to say the that without emphasis on the naturalistic since you seem to think that undoes my argument that Tyson's speculation is exactly the same as that of Centuries old theology?

Even if Chalmers did not agree with that it is fairly obvious that he is saying the God Hypothesis predates Tyson.

But let us not get away from his statement that this is a version of the God Hypothesis.

Why did you doctor the quote?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 03, 2018, 01:39:41 PM
... my argument that Tyson's speculation is exactly the same as that of Centuries old theology?

Except that it is absolutely, blindingly obvious that it isn't the same at all...
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Maeght on February 03, 2018, 01:59:09 PM
Non relevance to the argument that Chalmers uses the term ''The God Hypothesis'' which is part of the main argument that Tyson's suggestion is a rehash of century's old theological thought.

Why do I detect minimising the gravity of the term ''The God Hypothesis?''.

Because you always try to read things into what people say which isn't there to try to deflect questions you have been asked.

You left the words naturalistic version out and I am just asking why. A simple question.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 02:11:29 PM
Vlad,

Why did you doctor the quote?
Oh dear, since you have gone down the playing the man not the ball route. I feel I have to bring up the question of why you didn't bring up Chalmers at all and I would also suggest a revisiting to your take on Myer's accusation of creationism.

How do you think the full quote undoes any argument I've made since what I have claimed is that this is a version of the God Hypothesis which has been around for ages.

Since you are pussyfooting around it. I do think the naturalistic claim of chalmers is problematic, for Chalmers, since there is the question ''Can you have a version of the God hypothesis which is naturalistic? I would argue you can't because the moment you have suggested an intelligent creator of the universe you have something which is transcendent of it.........and that was never been part and parcel of naturalism but absolutely part of theism.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 02:19:17 PM
Because you always try to read things into what people say which isn't there to try to deflect questions you have been asked.

You left the words naturalistic version out and I am just asking why. A simple question.
I believe I answered you. It was unnecessary for the main argument. That happens, after all Hillside had omitted any mention of Chalmer's contribution. Which is unusual since he now seems to think my argument is undone by Chalmers.

I have since acknowledged it.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 02:22:57 PM
Except that it is absolutely, blindingly obvious that it isn't the same at all...
Not to Chalmer's also.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 02:24:09 PM
Vlad,

Quote
Oh dear, since you have gone down the playing the man not the ball route. I feel I have to bring up the question of why you didn't bring up Chalmers at all and I would also suggest a revisiting to your take on Myer's accusation of creationism.

How do you think the full quote undoes any argument I've made since what I have claimed is that this is a version of the God Hypothesis which has been around for ages.

Since you are pussyfooting around it. I do think the naturalistic claim of chalmers is problematic, for Chalmers, since there is the question ''Can you have a version of the God hypothesis which is naturalistic? I would argue you can't because the moment you have suggested an intelligent creator of the universe you have something which is transcendent of it.........and that was never been part and parcel of naturalism but absolutely part of theism.

Why did you doctor the quote?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Maeght on February 03, 2018, 02:29:22 PM
I believe I answered you. It was unnecessary for the main argument. That happens, after all Hillside had omitted any mention of Chalmer's contribution. Which is unusual since he now seems to think my argument is undone by Chalmers.

I have since acknowledged it.

No, your post didn't answer the question, even when I managed to decipher it and put in some punctuation to help with the meaning. You think it isn't relevant, but why?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 03, 2018, 02:40:53 PM
Not to Chalmer's also.

Utter drivel. It's a naturalistic argument (as Chalmers points out) rather than a magical one, from different premises, arriving at a different conclusion (aside from one, single solitary feature).

To claim they are "exactly the same" is simply untrue - as anybody (who isn't dishonest, stupid, or blinded by faith) can see.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 02:53:47 PM
No, your post didn't answer the question, even when I managed to decipher it and put in some punctuation to help with the meaning. You think it isn't relevant, but why?
It is relevant to the issue of whether Tyson's theory is a version of the God hypothesis.

Whether it is a naturalistic version of the God hypothesis is IMHO another debate albeit one I am quite happy to have.

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: wigginhall on February 03, 2018, 03:02:26 PM
Lying for Jesus, eh?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 03:03:43 PM
Vlad,

Quote
It is relevant to the issue of whether Tyson's theory is a version of the God hypothesis.

Whether it is a naturalistic version of the God hypothesis is IMHO another debate albeit one I am quite happy to have.

Why did you doctor the quote?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 03:04:31 PM
Utter drivel. It's a naturalistic argument (as Chalmers points out) rather than a magical one, from different premises, arriving at a different conclusion (aside from one, single solitary feature).

To claim they are "exactly the same" is simply untrue - as anybody (who isn't dishonest, stupid, or blinded by faith) can see.
In what way then can he justifiably even refer to ''the God Hypothesis'' unless it had previously been a feature of claims for God?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 03:08:22 PM
Lying for Jesus, eh?
What lie do you think I have made?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 03:16:15 PM
Wiggs,

Quote
Lying for Jesus, eh?

It's worse than that.

First he lied about the Myers argument, so I corrected the lie by quoting Myers' actual argument Vlad had lied about.

Then he ignored the correction, and selected a different part of the Myers blog (the Chalmers quote) and lied about that (by misquoting it).

I then corrected him on the second lie, also by quoting the actual argument.

He then ignored that correction too, and tried to draw an equivalence between his behaviour and mine because I hadn't referenced the Chalmers quote earlier when I undid his initial lie even though it had no relevance to it.

Finally, he's returned to his a priori lie by eliding Myers' (and Chalmers') actual charge about a "naturalistic version" of a god hypothesis into theological god hypothesis which is supernatural.

Now it seems he refuses to tell us why he doctored the Chalmers quote specifically to suit his purpose. If he didn't think the "naturalistic version" part undid him why bother doctoring it? 

Moderator: Content removed

How then should we describe someone who behaves this way?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 03:19:27 PM
Vlad,

Quote
What lie do you think I have made?

Doctoring the Chalmers quote to suit your purpose was a lie. Why did you do it?

Look, I'll even get you started if that helps: "I Vlad doctored the Chalmers quote because..." 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 03, 2018, 03:27:07 PM
In what way then can he justifiably even refer to ''the God Hypothesis'' unless it had previously been a feature of claims for God?

Why don't you actually read the blog post? The whole point of which (that you keep ignoring) is to point out that the arguments for the SU speculation are as just as hopeless as the arguments for god. SU takes a different starting point and ends at a different conclusion (naturalistic in both cases) but shares some of the absurdity, circular reasoning, and is similarly untestable and unfalsifiable.

It stands in flat contradiction to your silly claim that SU provides a reason to take the idea of god seriously - both because it isn't an argument for god (it's naturalistic) and because the argument is just as hopeless as other arguments for god.

You can make an arse of yourself by attempting to distort the details all you want - but the whole point of the article will still be in flat contradiction of your main claims about SU.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 03:40:54 PM
Stranger,

Quote
Why don't you actually read the blog post? The whole point of which (that you keep ignoring) is to point out that the arguments for the SU speculation are as just as hopeless as the arguments for god. SU takes a different starting point and ends at a different conclusion (naturalistic in both cases) but shares some of the absurdity, circular reasoning, and is similarly untestable and unfalsifiable.

It stands in flat contradiction to your silly claim that SU provides a reason to take the idea of god seriously - both because it isn't an argument for god (it's naturalistic) and because the argument is just as hopeless as other arguments for god.

You can make an arse of yourself by attempting to distort the details all you want - but the whole point of the article will still be in flat contradiction of your main claims about SU.

It's all bonkers - he's trying to recruit PZ Myers to his side ("my agent") when all Myers actually says is that NdGT's arguments are as stupid as those used by theologians. Not only does NdGT not argue for the god of theology, Myers doesn't accuse him of it either.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Maeght on February 03, 2018, 03:44:14 PM
It is relevant to the issue of whether Tyson's theory is a version of the God hypothesis.

Whether it is a naturalistic version of the God hypothesis is IMHO another debate albeit one I am quite happy to have.

Okay, so why not include the whole phrase and then say taht rather than showing an incomplete quote which gave a false impression of what was being said? Just because you think it is irrelevant doesn't mean you should leave it out.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 03:47:07 PM
Maeght,

Quote
Okay, so why not include the whole phrase and then say taht rather than showing an incomplete quote which gave a false impression of what was being said? Just because you think it is irrelevant doesn't mean you should leave it out.

It's worse than that. If he genuinely thought it was irrelevant why bother doctoring it?   
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 04:49:58 PM
Utter drivel. It's a naturalistic argument (as Chalmers points out) rather than a magical one, from different premises, arriving at a different conclusion (aside from one, single solitary feature).

To claim they are "exactly the same" is simply untrue - as anybody (who isn't dishonest, stupid, or blinded by faith) can see.

This post doesn't even mention Chalmer's use of the term ''The God hypothesis'' preferring to eliminate that, as was always the danger, so that we could focus his use of the term naturalistic.

Its absence from earlier posts would of course have had the same effect, the elimination of the idea that there ever was a god hypothesis.

I think Chalmer's is guilty of a contradiction in terms. I don't know what was on his mind.
It doesn't matter. His use of the term The God hypothesis belies the idea that this has never been a theological idea and anysuggestion it is is linguistic piracy and Historical revisionism.

However your post does demonstrate that the naturalistic bit was a separate debate.

Have a nice day.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 05:00:05 PM
Vlad,

Quote
This post doesn't even mention Chalmer's use of the term ''The God hypothesis'' preferring to eliminate that, as was always the danger, so that we could focus his use of the term naturalistic.

Its absence from earlier posts would of course have had the same effect, the elimination of the idea that there ever was a god hypothesis.

I think Chalmer's is guilty of a contradiction in terms. I don't know what was on his mind.
It doesn't matter. His use of the term The God hypothesis belies the idea that this has never been a theological idea and anysuggestion it is is linguistic piracy and Historical revisionism.

Have a nice day.

That's not what he said. Stop lying. What he actually said was, "a naturalistic version of the God hypothesis".

Why did you doctor the quote?

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 05:04:30 PM
Vlad,
 What he actually said was, "a naturalistic version of the God hypothesis".

How does that show he didn't use the term ''the god hypothesis''?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 03, 2018, 05:07:25 PM
Vlad,

Quote
How does that show he didn't use the term ''the god hypothesis''?

Because that wasn't the term he used - he used a different term ("a naturalistic version of..."), then you doctored it so it meant something else.

Why did you doctor the quote?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 05:11:07 PM
Vlad,

Because that wasn't the term he used - he used a different term ("a naturalistic version of..."), then you doctored it so it meant something else.

If he didn't use the words ''The God hypothesis'' which is a term in its own right, how could you then argue that he used the term ''naturalistic version?''
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Maeght on February 03, 2018, 05:35:25 PM
Leaving out the 'naturalistic version of' gives it a different meaning don't you think?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 05:43:30 PM
Leaving out the 'naturalistic version of' gives it a different meaning don't you think?
It is then not a contradiction in terms is what I immediately think.
Do you think the naturalistic version part negates the god hypothesis part?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Maeght on February 03, 2018, 06:00:38 PM
It is then not a contradiction in terms is what I immediately think.

So does it give a different meaning?

Quote
Do you think the naturalistic version part negates the god hypothesis part?

Do you think it changes the meaning?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 03, 2018, 06:12:05 PM
So does it give a different meaning?

Do you think it changes the meaning?
Ive answered that, As it stands it is a contradiction in terms. What more can be claimed for it.

I think he meant to say this is a rehash of the god hypothesis without the mention of God.

If he had wanted to give it the interpretation that some would have wanted he would have said this is a naturalistic hypothesis end of. There is not much comfort in Chalmer's words for those who seek to deny a God hypothesis concocted centuries ago by goddists.

We are in this age of e mail at liberty to find out what he actually meant by it.

For me it doesnt matter since it establishes that there is the God hypothesis.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Maeght on February 03, 2018, 06:19:10 PM
Ive answered that,


Where?

Quote
As it stands it is a contradiction in terms. What more can be claimed for it.

That is not an answer to my question.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 03, 2018, 06:25:49 PM
I think Chalmer's is guilty of a contradiction in terms.

The silliness just gets worse and worse...

I don't know what was on his mind.

I think you're in a minority of one.

It doesn't matter. His use of the term The God hypothesis belies the idea that this has never been a theological idea and anysuggestion it is is linguistic piracy and Historical revisionism.

Back to the infantile and completely irrelevant "theists thought of universe creation first".

Grow up!

However your post does demonstrate that the naturalistic bit was a separate debate.

Drivel.

Your posts are still totally ignoring the point of the blog post, which was to say that SU was just as bad as arguments for god. PZ Myers is flatly contradicting your claim that SU is a reason to take the idea of god seriously.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 04, 2018, 08:37:43 AM
The silliness just gets worse and worse...

I think you're in a minority of one.

Back to the infantile and completely irrelevant "theists thought of universe creation first".

Grow up!

Drivel.

Your posts are still totally ignoring the point of the blog post, which was to say that SU was just as bad as arguments for god. PZ Myers is flatly contradicting your claim that SU is a reason to take the idea of god seriously.
An intelligent creator of the universe is not a minor detail, but central to the Tyson speculation and centuries old theology.

There is no backing for those who deny that the God hypothesis has anything to do with the Tyson speculation from Chalmers description of Tyson as a ''naturalistic version of the God hypothesis.''

There is nothing to back up the idea that Myers is only saying the Tyson speculation is just as bad as theology in his terms

''We have a term for that Neil de Grasse Tyson:intelligent design''

And

''That really is an intelligent design creationism argument''

Note not just is but really is.

Your case is blown.

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 04, 2018, 09:29:16 AM
An intelligent creator of the universe is not a minor detail, but central to the Tyson speculation and centuries old theology.

Yes Vlad, but (once again for the very, very hard of thinking) they are not the same sort of creator at all. One is a magical invention and the other is a naturalistic speculation.

Different premises, different type of creation, different type of creator.

It's fantasy (god) vers. science fiction (SU).

There is no backing for those who deny that the God hypothesis has anything to do with the Tyson speculation from Chalmers description of Tyson as a ''naturalistic version of the God hypothesis.''

The rest of the quote explains exactly what is meant by the comparison: "...the simulation hypothesis is a naturalistic version of the god hypothesis, that claiming the universe is a simulation implies that there is a great Simulator, “someone” who built this code with some intent."

In that respect the ideas are similar but it does not negate the aforementioned fundamental differences.

Different premises, different type of creation, different type of creator.

There is nothing to back up the idea that Myers is only saying the Tyson speculation is just as bad as theology in his terms

I suggest you brush up on your reading for comprehension skills.

''We have a term for that Neil de Grasse Tyson:intelligent design''

And

''That really is an intelligent design creationism argument''

Note not just is but really is.

Yes, with different premises, different type of creation, different type of creator. And there is still bugger all evidence for intelligent design in this universe.

Your case is blown.

In your bizarre fantasies, perhaps.

I dunno, this is getting boring and it's such an utterly laughable 'argument for god' I'm almost tempted to encouge you to use it. I wonder, have you mentioned it to any of your fellow theists?

In addition to all that, you continue to completely ignore several points that have been made. You claimed elsewhere that this forum can be 'nasty' but you are a very frustrating person to try to have a sensible debate with. You ignore significant counterarguments and then go on making the same claims that have been dealt with before - often then claiming a fictional victory over your opponents.

Amongst the arguments you've totally ignored on this thread recently:
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 04, 2018, 10:03:59 AM
Yes Vlad, but (once again for the very, very hard of thinking) they are not the same sort of creator at all. One is a magical invention and the other is a naturalistic speculation.

Different premises, different type of creation, different type of creator.

It's fantasy (god) vers. science fiction (SU).

The rest of the quote explains exactly what is meant by the comparison: "...the simulation hypothesis is a naturalistic version of the god hypothesis, that claiming the universe is a simulation implies that there is a great Simulator, “someone” who built this code with some intent."

In that respect the ideas are similar but it does not negate the aforementioned fundamental differences.

Different premises, different type of creation, different type of creator.

I suggest you brush up on your reading for comprehension skills.

Yes, with different premises, different type of creation, different type of creator. And there is still bugger all evidence for intelligent design in this universe.

In your bizarre fantasies, perhaps.

I dunno, this is getting boring and it's such an utterly laughable 'argument for god' I'm almost tempted to encouge you to use it. I wonder, have you mentioned it to any of your fellow theists?

In addition to all that, you continue to completely ignore several points that have been made. You claimed elsewhere that this forum can be 'nasty' but you are a very frustrating person to try to have a sensible debate with. You ignore significant counterarguments and then go on making the same claims that have been dealt with before - often then claiming a fictional victory over your opponents.

Amongst the arguments you've totally ignored on this thread recently:
  • The improbability that this speculation would lead to just one creator (mono-silly-pretend-theism): #676 (http://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=14901.msg716463#msg716463)

  • Your promiscuous approach to the kind of god you argue for. Feser's argument would lead to nothing at all like the sort of silly-pretend-god that NdGT's speculation would.

  • The fact that neither Feser's nor NdGT's speculation would be anything like the Christian god.

  • The argument that it is a reasonable assumption (given that the whole speculations is based on assumptions) that partial universe simulations, for specific purposes, would be more common than full universe simulations. Hence, if we are in a simulation, it's unlikely that the whole universe (in both time and space) is actually being simulated. In that instance, are you still going to insist on calling its creator a 'god' because it created a part of a universe?
Your problems are
A lack of knowledge of theology.
A lack of knowledge of the word technology
The problems surrounding use of the term extrapolated technology
Substitution of the term supernatural with the term magical
Ignorance of Clarkes law of technology
Personal incredulity
Dimunition of Chalmers and Myers criticisms of the Tyson speculation
Dimunition of Chalmers mentioning The God hypothesis
Exaggeration of the presence of the word naturalistic after all the speculation is a version of the God hypothesis.
Your post contains other issues imho better dealt with separately.
But in conclusion I maintain that Chalmers and Myers give no comfort to those arguing this is.not centrally the same ground covered by theology which Chalmers terms the God hypothesis.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 04, 2018, 10:35:13 AM
Your problems are
A lack of knowledge of theology.

Until you've established a reason to take the idea of the god, to which the theology refers, seriously, it's irrelevant.

A lack of knowledge of the word technology

That appears to be your problem, not mine.

The problems surrounding use of the term extrapolated technology

What problems would those be?

Substitution of the term supernatural with the term magical

What do you think the difference is and how does it affect the argument?

Ignorance of Clarkes law of technology

That would only apply from the point of view of people who don't understand the technology. It is not a claim that technology is magic (or supernatural) and in no way impacts the fundamental differences between technological simulations and supernatural/magic creation.

Personal incredulity

About what?

Dimunition of Chalmers and Myers criticisms of the Tyson speculation

Eh? It's me who said that the main point of the article was to say how hopeless the Tyson speculation was by comparing it to arguments for god.
 
Dimunition of Chalmers mentioning The God hypothesis
Exaggeration of the presence of the word naturalistic after all the speculation is a version of the God hypothesis.

The problem here is that you are trying to make a big deal of individual phrases and ignoring the overall message of the article. Then again, I guess that's to be expected from a Christian - ignoring the work as a whole and trying to read a lot into individual passages is, after all, the only way you can extract a meaningful message from the bible...

Your post contains other issues imho better dealt with separately.

Why? They are very relevant to this discussion.

But in conclusion I maintain that Chalmers and Myers give no comfort to those arguing this is.not centrally the same ground covered by theology which Chalmers terms the God hypothesis.

In conclusion from what? You've answered none of the counterarguments and this post was all bluster and no substance.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 04, 2018, 11:29:18 AM
Quote
An intelligent creator of the universe is not a minor detail, but central to the Tyson speculation and centuries old theology.

In which Vlad…

Starts with a misrepresentation – theology concerns itself with the creator, not a creator, then misquotes NdGT (misquoting being something of a Vlad speciality) when he lies about Tyson suggesting a creator of "the" universe. What NdGT actually said was: “Whatever that being is, it very well might be able to create a simulation of a universe.” You know, rather like the writers the Sims computer games have created "a simulation of a universe". Are those programmers the gods of theology too in Vlad's bizarre ontology I wonder?   

( https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2016/04/26/we-have-a-term-for-that-neil-degrasse-tyson-intelligent-design/#ixzz568WwWwUI )

Note first the “a” universe there, not “the” universe as Vlad pretends. Note too by the way that he says, "a simulation of" and not "a universe" at all. Does Vlad know of a hitherto unknown branch of theology that would concern itself with this - "simulation theology" perhaps? As the NdGT speculation concerns only a simulation, that says nothing to an (let alone to "the") actual universe about which theologians make their various guesses.   

He follows with failing to understand that the NdGT speculation would fail even the basic requirements for deism – the creator of the universe vs a creator of a (simulated in any case remember) universe – let alone those for theism.

And finishes with flat out lying again, this time about the tenets of theology. Theology starts with the premises of deism and adds a while pile of characteristics (not least the omnis), none of which are necessary for the NdGT speculation. He also incidentally glosses over the important epistemic distinction between a speculation (NdGT) and an assertion (theology).

So what gives with this idiocy? My guess is that he’s aiming for another entry in the website, “Fundies Say the Darndest Things”, but who can possibly say?   

So Vladdo - why did you doctor the Chalmers quote and misquote NdGT?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 04, 2018, 11:40:19 AM
Until you've established a reason to take the idea of the god, to which the theology refers, seriously, it's irrelevant.

That appears to be your problem, not mine.

What problems would those be?

What do you think the difference is and how does it affect the argument?

That would only apply from the point of view of people who don't understand the technology. It is not a claim that technology is magic (or supernatural) and in no way impacts the fundamental differences between technological simulations and supernatural/magic creation.

About what?

Eh? It's me who said that the main point of the article was to say how hopeless the Tyson speculation was by comparing it to arguments for god.
 
The problem here is that you are trying to make a big deal of individual phrases and ignoring the overall message of the article. Then again, I guess that's to be expected from a Christian - ignoring the work as a whole and trying to read a lot into individual passages is, after all, the only way you can extract a meaningful message from the bible...

Why? They are very relevant to this discussion.

In conclusion from what? You've answered none of the counterarguments and this post was all bluster and no substance.
The excusing /celebration of ignorance of theology is a lousy basis for any sensible debate on what theology has argued and how long it has been arguing it.

I'm surprised that a man of your acumen has missed that obvious point.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 04, 2018, 11:45:19 AM
Vlad,

Quote
The excusing /celebration of ignorance of theology is a lousy basis for any sensible debate on what theology has argued and how long it has been arguing it.

Then try educating yourself on what it does entail. Theology makes assertions of fact that require the supernatural about the creator (or creators) of the universe that's the actual one.

That's about as far away from NdGT's speculation about a creator (or creators) of a universe that's a simulated one with no necessity at all for supernaturalism.

So, again: why did you doctor the Chalmers quote and misquote NdGT? Didn't Jesus have something say about bearing false witness?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 04, 2018, 12:11:43 PM
Vlad,

Then try educating yourself on what it does entail. Theology makes assertions of fact that require the supernatural about the creator (or creators) of the universe that's the actual one.

That's about as far away from NdGT's speculation about a creator (or creators) of a universe that's a simulated one with no necessity at all for supernaturalism.

So, again: why did you doctor the Chalmers quote and misquote NdGT? Didn't Jesus have something say about bearing false witness?
Sorry Hillside are you saying that NDG doesn't apply these speculations to this universe?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 04, 2018, 12:21:42 PM
Vladastrophe,

Quote
Sorry Hillside are you saying that NDG doesn't apply these speculations to this universe?

Cut the crap. You've just had your ludicrous claim comprehensively dismantled by having the qualitative differences between what NdGT (actually) said and the assertions of theology explained to you - deal with that.

Oh, and while you're at it: why did you doctor the Chalmers quote and misquote NdGT? Didn't Jesus have something say about bearing false witness?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 04, 2018, 12:23:59 PM
Note to Vlad,

Translation: If the Mods would be so kind as to hive off being called on my lying into a different thread that would leave me free to keep doing it here.

Note to Vlad: stop lying for your own ends about what people have actually said by misquoting them and stop pretending that "naturalistic" (and "a" (twice) and "simulation") doesn't make all the difference in the world from the assertions of theology.

So, (yet) again: why did you doctor the Chalmers quote and misquote NdGT? Didn't Jesus have something say about bearing false witness?
Entertainingly paranoid.

The Chalmers quote in its entirety doesn't help your case.

Your own saunter through the statement was a bit like the town band.

At the word naturalistic you are in full strike drum going cymbals clashing trumpets blazing.
By the time you reach the word version the drum stops the march step breaks discordant toots and by the time you get to the main movement ....the term God hypothesis the band is behind the town hall, hats off , having a smoke.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 04, 2018, 12:24:39 PM
The excusing /celebration of ignorance of theology is a lousy basis for any sensible debate on what theology has argued and how long it has been arguing it.

How long theology has be arguing about anything is totally irrelevant. You did not answer my point, that there is no sense at all in bringing theology into a debate until you establish that said theology is about something real.

In fact, once again, you haven't answered any of my points. Well done Sir Robin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8IkbCeZ9to).
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 04, 2018, 12:27:18 PM
Vladastrophe,

Cut the crap. You've just had your ludicrous claim comprehensively dismantled by having the qualitative differences between what NdGT (actually) said and the assertions of theology explained to you - deal with that.

Oh, and while you're at it: why did you doctor the Chalmers quote and misquote NdGT? Didn't Jesus have something say about bearing false witness?
Diversionary Hillside I'm asking whether you are saying that NDGT doesn't apply his Idea  to this universe.
I never mentioned theology but somehow it appears in your answer.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 04, 2018, 12:30:42 PM
Vladastrophe,

Quote
Entertainingly paranoid.

Asking you to account for your quote doctoring and misquoting isn't "paranoid". Why don't you just explain why you think it's acceptable?

Quote
The Chalmers quote in its entirety doesn't help your case.

The Chalmers quote without your doctoring destroys your assertion.

Quote
Your own saunter through the statement was a bit like the town band.

At the word naturalistic you are in full strike drum going cymbals clashing trumpets blazing.
By the time you reach the word version the drum stops the march step breaks discordant toots and by the time you get to the main movement ....the term God hypothesis the band is behind the town hall, hats off , having a smoke.

Seek help.

So once again: why did you doctor the Chalmers quote and misquote NdGT? Didn't Jesus have something say about bearing false witness?


Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: bluehillside Retd. on February 04, 2018, 12:34:41 PM
Vladastrophe,

Quote
Diversionary Hillside I'm asking whether you are saying that NDGT doesn't apply his Idea  to this universe.
I never mentioned theology but somehow it appears in your answer.

You're asking me precisely as a diversionary tactic. Your case was dismantled point-by-point a few posts ago (Reply 753) - deal with it or don't.

Oh, and yet again: why did you doctor the Chalmers quote and misquote NdGT? Didn't Jesus have something say about bearing false witness?
 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 04, 2018, 12:49:53 PM
Vladastrophe,

You're asking me precisely as a diversionary tactic. Your case was dismantled point-by-point a few posts ago (Reply 753) - deal with it or don't.

Oh, and yet again: why did you doctor the Chalmers quote and misquote NdGT? Didn't Jesus have something say about bearing false witness?
 
Great
And while you are enjoying that
NDGT will still have proposed the likelihood of an intelligent creator of the universe in a latter day version of Paley.
Charmers will call it a naturalistic version of the God hypothesis.
Myers will presumably still be calling NDGTs speculation intelligent design and creationist and Stranger will still be bamboozled over whether an intelligent creator of the universe is the same or qualitively different from an intelligent creator of the universe.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Gordon on February 04, 2018, 10:30:01 PM
Moderator:

This thread contains posts removed from the 'fine details in the gospels' thread where this discussion developed, but on a wholly separate topic.

The relevant posts, with a couple of off-topic exceptions, have been move to here so that those involved can continue their discussion. 

Gordon
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 08:13:49 AM
Moderator:

This thread contains posts removed from the 'fine details in the gospels' thread where this discussion developed, but on a wholly separate topic.

The relevant posts, with a couple of off-topic exceptions, have been move to here so that those involved can continue their discussion. 

Gordon
Thanks Gordon.

An intelligent creator of the universe has never been a staple of naturalism and is positively ruled out of some forms e.g. Stenger who used the term ten years ago having apparently failed God.
I think some atheists wont like it because they think it is religion.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 08:22:20 AM
An intelligent creator of the universe has never been a staple of naturalism...

So what?

...and is positively ruled out of some forms e.g. Stenger who used the term ten years ago having apparently failed God.

Reference? Link?

I think many atheists don't like it because they think it is religion.

It's not a question of liking anything - it's a question of evidence and/or reasoning. NdGT has put forward a proposal that has bugger all to to with the supernatural or religion. Unfortunately for his speculation, his arguments aren't all that much better than those for religion and god (as PZM pointed out).

Now, how about you stop running away from all the points you've totally failed to address?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 08:49:34 AM
An intelligent creator of the universe has never been a staple of naturalism and is positively ruled out of some forms e.g. Stenger who used the term ten years ago...

As you should know by now (if you ever bothered to pay attention), it is impossible to rule out anything unless it is testable and falsifiable. Here is a short article by Victor Stenger (who I assume you mean) in which he points this out: The God Hypothesis (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/victor-stenger/the-god-hypothesis_b_1355321.html)

Quote from: Victor Stenger
Here we must be clear that we are not talking about evidence against any and all conceivable gods. For example, a deist god that creates the universe and then just leaves it alone would be very hard to falsify.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 08:59:07 AM
So what?

Reference? Link?

It's not a question of liking anything - it's a question of evidence and/or reasoning. NdGT has put forward a proposal that has bugger all to to with the supernatural or religion. Unfortunately for his speculation, his arguments aren't all that much better than those for religion and god (as PZM pointed out).

Now, how about you stop running away from all the points you've totally failed to address?


Reference? Link?


Not aware of Stenger, the author of "God, the failed hypothesis?" That's an encouraging sign that New Atheism hasn't had as big an impact.

Stenger says there is no evidence for a creator.(article by Stegner for huffpost to follow)

Tyson is just a modern version of Paley's watchmaker who's idea Dawkins poo pooed.

Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 09:02:58 AM
Stenger says there is no evidence for a creator.(article by Stegner for huffpost to follow)

See above (#158).

Tyson is just a modern version of Paley's watchmaker who's idea Dawkins poo pooed.

Utter drivel. It's a totally different argument.

Now, all these point that you keep running away from...
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 09:21:35 AM
See above (#158).

Utter drivel. It's a totally different argument.

Now, all these point that you keep running away from...
Both rely on your notion of extrapolated technology.
So Paleys argument is built on the sophistication of 19th century technology, Tysons on the sophistication of 21st century technology.

For goodness sake Stranger, throw the towel in.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 09:24:39 AM
I would have preferred the more accurate title for this thread:

Intelligent creator of the universe: natural or super natural.
May I add that All those years ago whenI started on the boards I'd never imagined that we'd get as far as arguing whether the intelligent creator of the universe was natural or supernatural and that Bluehillside would conced that there was a reasonable argument for an outside of the universe.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 09:34:01 AM
Both rely on your notion of extrapolated technology.
So Paleys argument is built on the sophistication of 19th century technology, Tysons on the sophistication of 21st century technology.

FFS Vald, have you even read either?

Paley's argument starts with (supposedly) finding signs of design in our universe.

NdGT claims no such evidence - it's purely speculation about advanced technologies' abilities to simulate universes and concluding that there would more simulations than real universe(s).

So totally different premises, arguments, and conclusions...      ::)

For goodness sake Stranger, throw the towel in.

I take it this is some sort of joke? Your 'arguments' are obviously wrong, desperate straw clutching and you are clearly too scared to address the actual points that have been made to you.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 09:41:46 AM
An intelligent creator of the universe has never been a staple of naturalism and is positively ruled out of some forms...

I take it you are withdrawing the "positively ruled out" claim, in the light of #158 (http://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=15140.msg716731#msg716731)?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 09:44:59 AM
I take it you are withdrawing the "positively ruled out" claim, in the light of #158 (http://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=15140.msg716731#msg716731)?
I don't suppose Stegner seriously entertained the idea of an intelligent creator of the universe.
I fail to see how you can miss that.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 09:51:11 AM
I don't suppose Stegner seriously entertained the idea of an intelligent creator of the universe.
I fail to see how you can miss that.

I didn't - and you didn't claim that he didn't take it seriously, you claimed he had "positively ruled out" the idea. For once in your life, why not just admit you were wrong?

I don't take the idea seriously either. God(s) seem no more than fantasy and NdGT's speculation, nothing more than science fiction. Now, all these points you've been running away from...
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 10:16:07 AM
I didn't - and you didn't claim that he didn't take it seriously, you claimed he had "positively ruled out" the idea. For once in your life, why not just admit you were wrong?

I don't take the idea seriously either. God(s) seem no more than fantasy and NdGT's speculation, nothing more than science fiction. Now, all these points you've been running away from...
I already said that I excised the naturalistic version part of natural version of the God hypothesis out because it was not relevant to Chalmers saying that there was a God hypothesis.

I felt that was necessary for focus.

I now realise that such a move does not prevent antitheists focusing on the natural version of part but that the whole does not offer any succour to those thinking that there isn't a God hypothesis or those thinking that the Tyson speculation is not connected with it.

I don't think it is naturalistic because it concludes with a transcendent intelligent creator.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 10:40:01 AM
I now realise that such a move does not prevent antitheists focusing on the natural version of part but that the whole does not offer any succour to those thinking that there isn't a God hypothesis or those thinking that the Tyson speculation is not connected with it.

I'm not aware that anybody has ever claimed that there isn't a god hypothesis or, more accurately, god hypotheses, many of which don't really qualify as hypotheses in the scientific sense because they are not testable or falsifiable.

Tyson's speculation (once again) is similar only insofar as it shares some of daft features of the 'arguments' for god.

I don't think it is naturalistic because it concludes with a transcendent intelligent creator.

Once again: it is explicitly naturalistic; based on naturalistic assumptions and without any reference to the supernatural whatsoever. Its intelligent simulators are natural beings in a natural universe (or another simulation).

Your claim is absurd.

What is more, you are still ignoring many of the points raised (#141 (http://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=15140.msg716639#msg716639)). Instead, you have responded to detailed posts with bland accusations that you have then failed to back up or clarify (#143 (http://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=15140.msg716648#msg716648)).
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: ippy on February 05, 2018, 10:40:41 AM
Vladastrophe,

You're asking me precisely as a diversionary tactic. Your case was dismantled point-by-point a few posts ago (Reply 753) - deal with it or don't.

Oh, and yet again: why did you doctor the Chalmers quote and misquote NdGT? Didn't Jesus have something say about bearing false witness?
 

Yes Blue I've just given up on some responses from Vlad, due to this diversion tactic of his, because I couldn't be arsed on this, one of many, occasions.

Regards ippy
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 11:06:57 AM
I'm not aware that anybody has ever claimed that there isn't a god hypothesis or, more accurately, god hypotheses, many of which don't really qualify as hypotheses in the scientific sense because they are not testable or falsifiable.

Tyson's speculation (once again) is similar only insofar as it shares some of daft features of the 'arguments' for god.

Once again: it is explicitly naturalistic; based on naturalistic assumptions and without any reference to the supernatural whatsoever. Its intelligent simulators are natural beings in a natural universe (or another simulation).

Your claim is absurd.

What is more, you are still ignoring many of the points raised (#141 (http://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=15140.msg716639#msg716639)). Instead, you have responded to detailed posts with bland accusations that you have then failed to back up or clarify (#143 (http://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=15140.msg716648#msg716648)).
A transcendent Intelligent creator outside the universe has been termed supernatural by naturalists.
What you are proposing is a definition change. A linguistic fiddle to bring this out of a category your ilk created itself and into the one it' supports!

That is the mother and father of strawman and goodness knows what else.

That aside you have a transcendent intelligent creator of the universe? Are you now going to ban all discussion? Must we like the caricature Christians of antitheist imagination accept that as bald brute fact or can we speculate reasonably further. If the latter then I must warn that there may be material upsetting for those of a Goddodging disposition.

My own opinion is that as soon as you accept a transcendent intelligent creator of the universe you have put up the white flag to theism.

As an aside on Paley

Myers declares Tysons speculation as Intelligent design the judge in the Dover trial declared intelligent design as Paley's argument.

Have a nice day.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: floo on February 05, 2018, 11:15:20 AM
As I have said so often before, if or when science discovers what actually brought the universe into being it will be a natural cause with no god/intelligent designer involved. But of course I could be wrong.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 11:18:13 AM
Further to my previous post I would add that if you say an intelligent creator of a transcendent intelligent creator of the universe is a reasonable speculation then you have to accept at least deism is too.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 11:20:08 AM
As I have said so often before, if or when science discovers what actually brought the universe into being it will be a natural cause with no god/intelligent designer involved. But of course I could be wrong.
I'm sure you are not the only one who would put it that way.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 11:55:34 AM
Vlad, your posts are getting more and more absurd.

A transcendent Intelligent creator outside the universe has been termed supernatural by naturalists.

Silly word games. It really is a stretch to call the universe simulators "transcendent" - there is no suggestion that they are not subject to physical laws in their own universe.

Which "naturalists" have said that anything like a technological universe simulator is supernatural?

What you are proposing is a definition change. A linguistic fiddle...

Pot, kettle, black.

That is the mother and father of strawman and goodness knows what else.

Once again you demonstrate a total lack of understanding of fallacies and logic.

That aside you have a transcendent intelligent creator of the universe? Are you now going to ban all discussion? Must we like the caricature Christians of antitheist imagination accept that as bald brute fact or can we speculate reasonably further.

You can speculate all you want Vlad, but speculation is not, per se, a reason to take anything seriously. For that, we need logic or evidence.

If the latter then I must warn that there may be material upsetting for those of a Goddodging disposition.

Who is dodging god? In order to dodge something, you have to think that it is more than a fantasy - which I don't.

My own opinion is that as soon as you accept a transcendent intelligent creator of the universe you have put up the white flag to theism.

And I should value this opinion, why?

As an aside on Paley

Myers declares Tysons speculation as Intelligent design the judge in the Dover trial declared intelligent design as Paley's argument.

I really don't see what you think you can gain by putting forward such utter nonsense. As I have already pointed out, the arguments that lead to "intelligent design" are completely different - as are the intelligent designers that they conclude. Your attempts to connect concepts through the isolation of individual words and phrases is bizarre - is it some sort of joke?

Further to my previous post I would add that if you say an intelligent creator of a transcendent intelligent creator of the universe is a reasonable speculation then you have to accept at least deism is too.

Firstly, I don't accept NdGT as 'reasonable' speculation. It just about makes it into the category of science fiction.

Secondly, even if I did, I wouldn't have to accept that a (supernatural) deist god would be reasonable. The reasonableness of each has to be entirely based on the arguments put forward (assuming no actual evidence). There is no speculation about a deist god (that I'm ware of) that has any logical connection with the NdGT speculation.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 12:01:17 PM
Vlad, your posts are getting more and more absurd.

Silly word games. It really is a stretch to call the universe simulators "transcendent" - there is no suggestion that they are not subject to physical laws in their own universe.

Which "naturalists" have said that anything like a technological universe simulator is supernatural?

Pot, kettle, black.

Once again you demonstrate a total lack of understanding of fallacies and logic.

You can speculate all you want Vlad, but speculation is not, per se, a reason to take anything seriously. For that, we need logic or evidence.

Who is dodging god? In order to dodge something, you have to think that it is more than a fantasy - which I don't.

And I should value this opinion, why?

I really don't see what you think you can gain by putting forward such utter nonsense. As I have already pointed out, the arguments that lead to "intelligent design" are completely different - as are the intelligent designers that they conclude. Your attempts to connect concepts through the isolation of individual words and phrases is bizarre - is it some sort of joke?

Firstly, I don't accept NdGT as 'reasonable' speculation. It just about makes it into the category of science fiction.

Secondly, even if I did, I wouldn't have to accept that a (supernatural) deist god would be reasonable. The reasonableness of each has to be entirely based on the arguments put forward (assuming no actual evidence). There is no speculation about a deist god (that I'm ware of) that has any logical connection with the NdGT speculation.
God was never proposed as being transcendent of his own universe or himself.
He is transcendent of this universe. And that too is the condition of Tysons intelligent Creator.

Not only are you God dodging you are transcendence dodging too.

At the Dover trial the judge ruled that I D was Paleys argument.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: floo on February 05, 2018, 12:07:20 PM
God was never proposed as being transcendent of his own universe or himself.
He is transcendent of this universe. And that too is the condition of Tysons intelligent Creator.

Not only are you God dodging you are transcendence dodging too.

At the Dover trial the judge ruled that I D was Paleys argument.

You are making a statement as if it is a fact, when it is only your belief.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 12:11:07 PM
God was never proposed as being transcendent of his own universe or himself.
He is transcendent of this universe. And that too is the condition of Tysons intelligent Creator.

Once again you respond to a lot of detail, within a few minutes (without thought) and totally ignore most of it. What you have posted is just a continuation of your silly word games.

The technological simulation of a universe is a different concept from a supernatural god creating the universe. No amount of silly nonsense about the meaning of "transcendent" or any other word games are going to change the fact that they are fundamentally different.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 12:35:51 PM
At the Dover trial the judge ruled that I D was Paleys argument.

And the absurdity just keeps on growing and goes on and on and on and on...

Intelligent design isn't, of itself, an argument, it's a process. The intelligent design of the universe (in this case) is the conclusion of a (bad) argument.

You really should stop digging.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 01:07:32 PM
Once again you respond to a lot of detail, within a few minutes (without thought) and totally ignore most of it. What you have posted is just a continuation of your silly word games.

The technological simulation of a universe is a different concept from a supernatural god creating the universe. No amount of silly nonsense about the meaning of "transcendent" or any other word games are going to change the fact that they are fundamentally different.
I'm sorry but their is no evidence that NDGT was specifically only talking about a universe other than ours and plenty that he was talking about THE universe. This universe.

The intelligent creator is not contingent on any universe it creates. But it's universe is contingent on it. The IC is therefore the necessary being for that universe.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 01:22:01 PM


The technological simulation of a universe is a different concept from a supernatural god creating the universe. No amount of silly nonsense about the meaning of "transcendent" or any other word games are going to change the fact that they are fundamentally different.
I think then we have to call in two definitions from you to check since it seems you are saying that an intelligent creator not contingent on the universe it creates is a natural thing.

Define what you mean by technology and define what you mean by supernatural.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 02:02:24 PM
I'm sorry but their is no evidence that NDGT was specifically only talking about a universe other than ours and plenty that he was talking about THE universe. This universe.

It is central to his argument that there are multiple (simulated) universes, of which ours is only one.

The intelligent creator is not contingent on any universe it creates. But it's universe is contingent on it. The IC is therefore the necessary being for that universe.

So what? It is still a natural being in a natural (or simulated) universe, just as we are.

I think then we have to call in two definitions from you to check since it seems you are saying that an intelligent creator not contingent on the universe it creates is a natural thing.

See above - of course it's a natural thing.

Define what you mean by technology and define what you mean by supernatural.

technology (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/technology) - The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.

Which applies directly to how universe simulation would work.

supernatural (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/supernatural) - (of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.

Clearly a universe simulator would be using technology, not the supernatural.

I really don't know why I'm extending to you the courtesy you so rarely extend to others, and answering your questions directly. You argument is STUPID to its core; ridiculous, bizarre, contrived, silly, nonsensical, laughable, risible...

You are making a total arse of yourself.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 05, 2018, 02:13:27 PM
It is central to his argument that there are multiple (simulated) universes, of which ours is only one.

So what? It is still a natural being in a natural (or simulated) universe, just as we are.

See above - of course it's a natural thing.

technology (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/technology) - The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.

Which applies directly to how universe simulation would work.

supernatural (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/supernatural) - (of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.

Clearly a universe simulator would be using technology, not the supernatural.

I really don't know why I'm extending to you the courtesy you so rarely extend to others, and answering your questions directly. You argument is STUPID to its core; ridiculous, bizarre, contrived, silly, nonsensical, laughable, risible...

You are making a total arse of yourself.
1 : what definitions are you using
2:  Can you tell me how science can demonstrate the multiverse
3: you cannot guarantee that another universe follows the same laws of nature. E.g. What if that universe is infinite in all respects and this one isn't ?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: ippy on February 05, 2018, 02:18:45 PM
And the absurdity just keeps on growing and goes on and on and on and on...

Intelligent design isn't, of itself, an argument, it's a process. The intelligent design of the universe (in this case) is the conclusion of a (bad) argument.

You really should stop digging.

Everybody seems to have the same trouble with Vlad, I wouldn't have thought we were all wrong about his posts that mainly consist of all sorts that bear no relation to whatever it is you post to him.

I share the view that others have that when you ask Vlad something, anything that he can't answer he changes the subject, and it doesn't matter how much you try to get him back to the things you were trying to discuss with him, he somehow manages to bury you in gobbledegook, it then makes you think to yourself "is it me"? Then you might find yourself walking off muttering to yourself and perhaps start to think it's time I took up train spotting, no I'll enter that local marbles championship, now how's my stamp collection going or shall I take up collecting old tea bags; their coming to take me away Ha Ha!!

Regards ippy
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: floo on February 05, 2018, 02:24:50 PM
By posting as he does, Vlad is the centre of attention on this forum. Maybe he is having a good giggle at our expense?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 02:29:02 PM
- sigh, yawn -

1 : what definitions are you using

I gave you two - what other big words are you finding hard?

2:  Can you tell me how science can demonstrate the multiverse

No. I've never claimed that it could. Multiple universes/simulations are, however, necessary for NdGT's speculation to work.

3: you cannot guarantee that another universe follows the same laws of nature.

No, I can't.

E.g. What if that universe is infinite in all respects and this one isn't ?

What the hell do you mean by "all respects"? This universe may well be infinite in spacial extent and future time. Is there a point here, struggling to get out...?

It is actually central to NdGT's speculation that the universe(s) in which simulations are created are at least similar enough to our own that the extrapolation of our computational abilities would still apply.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Stranger on February 05, 2018, 02:32:50 PM
I share the view that others have that when you ask Vlad something, anything that he can't answer he changes the subject, and it doesn't matter how much you try to get him back to the things you were trying to discuss with him, he somehow manages to bury you in gobbledegook, it then makes you think to yourself "is it me"? Then you might find yourself walking off muttering to yourself and perhaps start to think it's time I took up train spotting, no I'll enter that local marbles championship, now how's my stamp collection going or shall I take up collecting old tea bags; their coming to take me away Ha Ha!!

Well put. I'm just off to fish my last teabag out of the bin....
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: wigginhall on February 05, 2018, 02:53:21 PM
Well said, ippy.  Vlad does the old bait and switch technique - he sucks you in to a discussion about X, and then half-way through, decides to give X a different meaning, and then denies that he said anything about X, and asks you what you mean by it.   I can't see the point really. 
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Rhiannon on February 05, 2018, 03:27:56 PM
Gaslighting?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: wigginhall on February 05, 2018, 04:46:56 PM
Gaslighting?

Very insightful.  If you read ippy's post above, it's an almost perfect account of being gaslighted, except not in a romantic relationship, where it is truly deadly.   I think you can see the deliberate confusion, and the reversal of roles, thus, asking you to define the thing that I started talking about.    Shudder.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Rhiannon on February 05, 2018, 06:15:05 PM
Very insightful.  If you read ippy's post above, it's an almost perfect account of being gaslighted, except not in a romantic relationship, where it is truly deadly.   I think you can see the deliberate confusion, and the reversal of roles, thus, asking you to define the thing that I started talking about.    Shudder.

Indeed. Know it first hand.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: wigginhall on February 05, 2018, 07:04:55 PM
Indeed. Know it first hand.

So do I, but I was just marveling at how widespread it is,  as I can see how trolling is often a form of gaslighting, as the troll often denies what they're doing, and some politicians use it also, to implant doubt in your mind about your perceptions.    We're actually a very affluent country, even though you can't afford heat and food at the same time.   We are giving more money to the NHS even though people are dying on trolleys.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: ippy on February 05, 2018, 08:48:15 PM
Well put. I'm just off to fish my last teabag out of the bin....

What make?

Regards ippy
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: ippy on February 05, 2018, 09:05:21 PM
Gaslighting?

I suppose there's always a first time for most things, I've never heard the term gaslighting before, looked it up, interesting it's a bit Hitchcock, perhaps Vlad is a part of an imaginative theist plot, no.

Regards ippy
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Gordon on February 06, 2018, 11:02:00 AM
Moderator:

We've removed a small number of recent posts for review that were primarily about the tactics used by other members rather than the content of their posts.

Update: The posts removed earlier have been returned with no changes.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: SwordOfTheSpirit on February 20, 2018, 05:03:53 PM
In which Lieutenant Pigeon fails to grasp that his claim to have "encountered Jesus" has no more epistemic value than my claim to have met Elvis down the chip shop - and that personal beliefs and facts are not the same thing.
I don't think so...

Lieutenant Pigeon may be correct or he may be mistaken. You, on the other hand are lying!
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Nearly Sane on February 20, 2018, 05:08:19 PM
I don't think so...

Lieutenant Pigeon may be correct or he may be mistaken. You, on the other hand are lying!
Why do you think bhs is lying here? Indeed what do you think he is lying about?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Dicky Underpants on February 20, 2018, 05:08:25 PM
Eh,

I suspected you were unmusical. Maybe your starved aesthetic component may be relevant in certain of your epistemic claims.
Not claiming anything.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 20, 2018, 05:11:12 PM
I suspected you were unmusical. Maybe your starved aesthetic component may be relevant in certain of your epistemic claims.
Not claiming anything.
Eh?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Dicky Underpants on February 20, 2018, 05:11:57 PM

After reading Revelations 3.20 realised that christ was there and it meant me.
After a period of resistance to christ I invited Him in.

Bit sad that the fantasies of a drug-fuelled fanatic (which only got into the canon by the skin of its teeth) were significant in your conversion.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 20, 2018, 05:22:54 PM
Bit sad that the fantasies of a drug-fuelled fanatic (which only got into the canon by the skin of its teeth) were significant in your conversion.
Meeeeoww. Was he working for Czech intelligence as well?
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Dicky Underpants on February 20, 2018, 05:37:00 PM
Eh?

I may elaborate in a thread entitled "The Varieties of Religious Experience in the Light of Phenomenological Analysis".
Or maybe not.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Dicky Underpants on February 20, 2018, 05:41:19 PM
Meeeeoww. Was he working for Czech intelligence as well?

You really do need to check the provenance of the scriptures which seem significant to you, starting with the Eden myth (ignored throughout the OT thereafter, and only thrust into prominence by Paul). I presume you don't give all parts of the Bible equal attention. Maybe you should tell us what your criteria are for what floats your boat.
Title: Re: Creator: supernatural vs natural (posts from 'fine detail in the gospels).
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on February 20, 2018, 06:37:36 PM
Dicky

The 'only just made it into the canon' is a new Gambit on me.
Presumably revelation made the cut because of it's value to Christianity.
Augustine states how the popular tune of his day 'Take up and read' has a significant place in his conversion. That never got into Canon.
I'll wager there isn't much of the bible you are impressed with.....which is strange because you've ended up enamoured of a bit of mere innuendo that the author was a drug fuelled fanatic.