Religion and Ethics Forum

Religion and Ethics Discussion => Theism and Atheism => Topic started by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 24, 2020, 09:30:29 AM

Title: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 24, 2020, 09:30:29 AM
The Kalam seems to have resurfaced in the atheysphere recently with Cosmic Sceptic a prominent British blogger inviting WLC. To debate. By all accounts the encounter was fairly cordial unsurprising given the calm and sober approach of both men. Cosmic Skeptic feeling that in the light of the debate he felt he needed to refine his approach to the Kalam.

Cosmic Skeptics blogging atheist friend Rationality Rules manner is more akin to some of the atheists on here. Interestingly he has recently commented on the Kalam saying that it is a decidedly Deterministic idea and that theists would therefore have to choose between it and freewill.....

.......and that is where I had to laugh.Can you spot why?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Gordon on July 24, 2020, 11:04:38 AM
It must be windy where you are, Vlad: presumably that is why you've decided to do a spot of kite-flying.

I'll leave you to it.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 24, 2020, 11:18:16 AM
Just trying to unboring the old message board Mr G.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Steve H on July 25, 2020, 12:05:19 AM
Nobody gives a fuck about William Lane Craig, except for evanjellykule pseudo-intellectuals, and the kalam argument is just the first cause argument rephrased, and the first cause argument is fuller of holes than a 50', fine-mesh sieve. It's a philosophical kalamity.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 25, 2020, 07:56:08 AM
Nobody gives a fuck about William Lane Craig, except for evanjellykule pseudo-intellectuals, and the kalam argument is just the first cause argument rephrased, and the first cause argument is fuller of holes than a 50', fine-mesh sieve. It's a philosophical kalamity.
Yes it is a first cause argument
Yes Catholic philosophers are critical of it in that it depends on that wing of science that proposes that the universe had something like a beginning......and science now seems to be reverting back to an infinite universe.
However there is nothing per se to say that a universal beginning is unreasonable. Just as there is nothing unreasonable in putting forward the idea that even something that has been around for ever still needs an explanation for why it's there anyway and there is the argument from contingency which states that an all contingent reality with nothing ultimately necessary for it is a bit of magic.

Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: jeremyp on July 25, 2020, 10:12:55 AM
Just as there is nothing unreasonable in putting forward the idea that even something that has been around for ever still needs an explanation

So what's the explanation of God?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 25, 2020, 11:13:14 AM
So what's the explanation of God?
Well you could say God's existence naturally falls out of the idea that a completely contingent reality with nothing ultimately necessary is in fact what Hillside would call magic.

Now Jeremy if the universe is infinitely old why did it not experience heat death an infinitely long time ago? Dodging  back to questions about God is ducking the issue.

Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Roses on July 25, 2020, 12:28:16 PM
Vlad, I think you have gone too far with your name change this time. I doubt the relatives and fans of Norman Wisdom would be thrilled with your choice, which isn't amusing! >:(
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Aruntraveller on July 25, 2020, 12:36:04 PM
Quote
which isn't amusing!

Neither was Norman Wisdom so it is consistent.

(Cue howls of outrage from Mr Wisdom's fans - that may need to be amended to the singular)
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on July 25, 2020, 12:46:59 PM
Ooh Mr Grimsdale!
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Steve H on July 25, 2020, 01:12:08 PM
Vlad, I think you have gone too far with your name change this time. I doubt the relatives and fans of Norman Wisdom would be thrilled with your choice, which isn't amusing! >:(
I hadn't noticed it until you mentioned it, but I think it's FUCKING HILARIOUS!  ;D
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Steve H on July 25, 2020, 01:14:13 PM
Neither was Norman Wisdom so it is consistent.

(Cue howls of outrage from Mr Wisdom's fans - that may need to be amended to the singular)
That's not fair - he was very funny when he stuck to the slapstick routines, but I hated his outbursts of glutinous sentimentality.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Aruntraveller on July 25, 2020, 01:16:01 PM
That's not fair - he was very funny when he stuck to the slapstick routines, but I hated his outbursts of glutinous sentimentality.

I may have been a little provocative because of a certain po-faced attitude on display  ;)
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Steve H on July 25, 2020, 01:25:27 PM
 
I may have been a little provocative because of a certain po-faced attitude on display  ;)
;D
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Enki on July 25, 2020, 01:49:28 PM
Glad to see that Vlad seems to have taken his cue from me. I think his name is highly appropriate. ;)
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: jeremyp on July 27, 2020, 11:46:42 AM
Well you could say God's existence naturally falls out of the idea that a completely contingent reality with nothing ultimately necessary is in fact what Hillside would call magic.
That's not an explanation. It doesn't explain why or how God came to exist, it's merely an argument (a bad one) that God does exist.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 27, 2020, 01:38:49 PM
That's not an explanation. It doesn't explain why or how God came to exist, it's merely an argument (a bad one) that God does exist.
That's not an explanation. It doesn't explain why or how God came to exist, it's merely an argument (a bad one) that God does exist.
So let me get this straight Jeremy you are absolutely happy and need nothing else than the universe just is....but not when it comes to anything else Is there any reason for what amounts to this special pleading?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: jeremyp on July 27, 2020, 01:50:08 PM
So let me get this straight Jeremy you are absolutely happy and need nothing else than the universe just is....but not when it comes to anything else Is there any reason for what amounts to this special pleading?
So let me get this straight, Vlad. You are absolutely happy and need nothing else than God just is, but not when it comes to anything else. Is there any reason for what amounts to this special pleading?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 27, 2020, 02:29:08 PM
So let me get this straight, Vlad. You are absolutely happy and need nothing else than God just is, but not when it comes to anything else. Is there any reason for what amounts to this special pleading?
When I say just is I mean that God is the ultimate necessity which exists for it's own internal reasons and not dependent for existence on anything external.

When you say the universe just is tiny baby pink unicorns are wrapped up in cozy blankets by their parents,carers and significant others and everybody gets a warm feeling........
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on July 29, 2020, 11:38:25 AM
When I say just is I mean that God is the ultimate necessity which exists for it's own internal reasons and not dependent for existence on anything external.

Special pleading. Why should we accept that about your favourite version of god and not (say) the universe or the Great Green Arkleseizure?

The Kalam cosmological argument (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalam_cosmological_argument) BTW, is unmitigated drivel from start to finish.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Outrider on July 29, 2020, 11:42:25 AM
When I say just is I mean that God is the ultimate necessity which exists for it's own internal reasons and not dependent for existence on anything external.

Why does this thing - let's call it 'The First Thing' (TFT) to avoid conflating the idea with any of the historical baggage of depictions of gods - bypass the requirement that 'everything that exists has a cause'?

O.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 12:59:42 PM
Why does this thing - let's call it 'The First Thing' (TFT) to avoid conflating the idea with any of the historical baggage of depictions of gods - bypass the requirement that 'everything that exists has a cause'?

O.
There is no such requirement.
The requirement is that everything that begins to exist has a cause.

Once the sloppy atheist misinterpretation that you have reiterated was exposed, the gaderene rush to demonstrate a Multiverse or that the universe was infinite, began.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: jeremyp on July 29, 2020, 01:02:08 PM
When I say just is I mean that God is the ultimate necessity which exists for it's own internal reasons and not dependent for existence on anything external.

When you say the universe just is tiny baby pink unicorns are wrapped up in cozy blankets by their parents,carers and significant others and everybody gets a warm feeling........

When I say "just is", I mean that the Universe is the ultimate necessity which exists for its own internal reasons and not dependent for existence on anything external.

When you say "God just is", tiny baby pink unicorns are wrapped up in cozy blankets by their parents, carers and significant others and everybody gets a warm feeling........
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on July 29, 2020, 01:05:34 PM
There is no such requirement.
The requirement is that everything that begins to exist has a cause.

Once the sloppy atheist misinterpretation that you have reiterated was exposed, the gaderene rush to demonstrate a Multiverse or that the universe was infinite, began.
Doesn't really matter. We can't show that anything that begins to exist has a cause, we can only assume it.

So the first premise isn't evidenced at all. Even if we allow the assumption, then the problem of induction applies.

And that's just the first premise. All versions I have seen of the Kalam are logically flawed.

Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 01:08:51 PM
When I say "just is", I mean that the Universe is the ultimate necessity which exists for its own internal reasons and not dependent for existence on anything external.

That's fine. Show us something then which doesn't depend for existence on anything external.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Outrider on July 29, 2020, 01:11:54 PM
There is no such requirement. The requirement is that everything that begins to exist has a cause.

Sorry, but the cosmological argument was originally 'that which exists has a cause'.  Craig (and others) picked up al-Ghazli's (sp?) refinement of that obvious flaw with 'that which begins to exist', which just shifts the problem - now it becomes why does everything else in existence need to begin but TFT doesn't?

O.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 01:15:18 PM
Doesn't really matter. We can't show that anything that begins to exist has a cause, we can only assume it.

So the first premise isn't evidenced at all. Even if we allow the assumption, then the problem of induction applies.

And that's just the first premise. All versions I have seen of the Kalam are logically flawed.
Of course it matters. You are just trying to back up your sloppy thinking fellow atheists.

It doesn't surprise me coming from a Humeian.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: jeremyp on July 29, 2020, 01:15:30 PM
That's fine. Show us something then which doesn't depend for existence on anything external.

You first.

Show me how your god doesn't depend on anything external. I'll concede that you might find that tricky since you can't even show me how your god exists at all.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 01:31:22 PM
You first.

Show me how your god doesn't depend on anything external. I'll concede that you might find that tricky since you can't even show me how your god exists at all.
You first.

Show me how your god doesn't depend on anything external. I'll concede that you might find that tricky since you can't even show me how your god exists at all.
I dont have to go first......or even go.
I am in the enviable position of admitting I can't.....something seemingly impossible for you.

I am also in the enviable position of being able to agree that there could be something in the universe that might be the necessary.

If we cannot show what it is which is necessary we are in the same boat as the classic theist.

If we bottle it and say well everything is contingent then we have self elected to be the village fucking idiot.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on July 29, 2020, 01:32:11 PM
Of course it matters. You are just trying to back up your sloppy thinking fellow atheists.

It doesn't surprise me coming from a Humeian.
I've pointed out why it doesn't matter. Simply saying it does matter doesn't get you anywhere.

So to repeat what argument do you have against:

' We can't show that anything that begins to exist has a cause, we can only assume it.

So the first premise isn't evidenced at all. Even if we allow the assumption, then the problem of induction applies.

And that's just the first premise.'
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on July 29, 2020, 01:35:53 PM
I dont have to go first......or even go.
I am in the enviable position of admitting I can't.....something seemingly impossible for you.

I am also in the enviable position of being able to agree that there could be something in the universe that might be the necessary.

If we cannot show what it is which is necessary we are in the same boat as the classic theist.

If we bottle it and say well everything is contingent then we have self elected to be the village fucking idiot.

Except contingent and necessary as already covered are based around that cannot be shown. I am in the even more enviable position of not begging the question as regards everything beginning to exist having a cause. So until you show that as being true - no progress can be made.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 01:45:04 PM
I've pointed out why it doesn't matter. Simply saying it does matter doesn't get you anywhere.

So to repeat what argument do you have against:

' We can't show that anything that begins to exist has a cause, we can only assume it.

So the first premise isn't evidenced at all. Even if we allow the assumption, then the problem of induction applies.

And that's just the first premise.'
OK we will run with you since something popping out of nowhere is a massive Hume trope.

The universe just popped out of nothing then.

Hang on chaps......how do we know it didn't come from somewhere else?

How do we know it hasn't always been here?

How do we know it wasn't created ex nihilo?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: jeremyp on July 29, 2020, 01:46:49 PM
I dont have to go first......or even go.
I am in the enviable position of admitting I can't.....something seemingly impossible for you.
That's totally ridiculous. We've already admitted multiple times that we don't know why there is a Universe rather than not. But that is not at issue. What is at issue is your claim that the Universe had to have a creator in the form of a god.

Quote
I am also in the enviable position of being able to agree that there could be something in the universe that might be the necessary.
Nobody else has made any kind of claim that something in the Universe is necessary. We have simply pointed out that nothing in your argument rules out the possibility that the Universe itself is necessary or that some other thing that doesn't conform to the definition of your god might be necessary.

Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on July 29, 2020, 01:48:59 PM
OK we will run with you since something popping out of nowhere is a massive Hume trope.

The universe just popped out of nothing then.

Hang on chaps......how do we know it didn't come from somewhere else?

How do we know it hasn't always been here?

How do we know it wasn't created ex nihilo?
Nope, you've missed the point. I'm not saying anything about how the universe or anything came to be. I am not ruling anything out. Just pointing  out that the first premise of the Kalam is logically flawed for the reasons given - which you have ignored.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 02:11:19 PM
Except contingent and necessary as already covered are based around that cannot be shown. I am in the even more enviable position of not begging the question as regards everything beginning to exist having a cause. So until you show that as being true - no progress can be made.
Now Sane be honest here...... Contingency is supremely demonstrable. Follow then the logic of where you would like us to be.......that's right.....
Contingency is all I can see......

And therefore?

Um er, There are only contingent things?

I Vlad being the returning officer for Religion Ethics declare said person elected as village idiot.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on July 29, 2020, 02:24:54 PM
Now Sane be honest here...... Contingency is supremely demonstrable. Follow then the logic of where you would like us to be.......that's right.....
Contingency is all I can see......

And therefore?

Um er, There are only contingent things?

I Vlad being the returning officer for Religion Ethics declare said person elected as village idiot.
That's assertion, not an argument. You need to show that nothing begins to exist without a cause.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 03:43:19 PM
That's assertion, not an argument. You need to show that nothing begins to exist without a cause.
Whatever pops up out of nothing without explanation or cause is definitionally necessary. So I'm afraid today's wankover demolition of the argument from contingency has ended in failure. As for Lane Craig's argument. I have heard it said that Craig understands it as a probabilistic one.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on July 29, 2020, 03:53:00 PM
Whatever pops up out of nothing without explanation or cause is definitionally necessary. So I'm afraid today's wankover demolition of the argument from contingency has ended in failure. As for Lane Craig's argument. I have heard it said that Craig understands it as a probabilistic one.
ANd again you are missing the point, and conflating two arguments. This is not about anything being necessary or contingent it's about demonstrating the fist premise of the Kalam, If you can't show that everything that began to exist has a cause then it fails.

And worse, I haven't seen you demonstrate that anything that begins to exist has a cause - only assertion.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 04:10:29 PM
ANd again you are missing the point, and conflating two arguments. This is not about anything being necessary or contingent it's about demonstrating the fist premise of the Kalam, If you can't show that everything that began to exist has a cause then it fails.

And worse, I haven't seen you demonstrate that anything that begins to exist has a cause - only assertion.
I'm just wondering why, as a naturalist, one should be bending backwards to invest in what is very likely the extremely thin possibility that the universe does something so counter to the laws of nature  as to produce something from nothing in fact it wouldn't even be nature that was doing it?

How could you ever face resurrectionists or transubstantiationists and tell them that they were talking crap?

So thanks for evidence of extreme God dodging. As a probabilistic argument the Kalam just knocks spots over what must be the most improbable thing ever.

Now what little rule in what wee game of logic am I breaking here with my infuriating practicality?

Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 04:11:57 PM
Sorry, but the cosmological argument was originally 'that which exists has a cause'.  Craig (and others) picked up al-Ghazli's (sp?) refinement of that obvious flaw with 'that which begins to exist', which just shifts the problem - now it becomes why does everything else in existence need to begin but TFT doesn't?

O.
Yes...and Wordsworth's first draft was shit.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on July 29, 2020, 04:25:05 PM
There is no such requirement.
The requirement is that everything that begins to exist has a cause.

Regardless of this being a dodgy premiss anyway, as far as the general relativity view is correct, the space-time manifold didn't begin to exist.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on July 29, 2020, 04:29:42 PM
I'm just wondering why, as a naturalist, one should be bending backwards to invest in what is very likely the extremely thin possibility that the universe does something so counter to the laws of nature  as to produce something from nothing in fact it wouldn't even be nature that was doing it?

How could you ever face resurrectionists or transubstantiationists and tell them that they were talking crap?

So thanks for evidence of extreme God dodging. As a probabilistic argument the Kalam just knocks spots over what must be the most improbable thing ever.

Now what little rule in what wee game of logic am I breaking here with my infuriating practicality?
I am not a philosophical naturalist. You have misunderstood the objection which is to the first premise of WLC's formulation of the Kalam. You need to demonstrate that it is true for it to be worthwhile. It is not a probablistic statement. It's an absolute claim.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Outrider on July 29, 2020, 04:31:01 PM
Yes...and Wordsworth's first draft was shit.

Wordsworth wasn't guilty of special pleading, though - what reason do we have to think that there's some special 'first thing' that doesn't have a beginning?  And if that 'thing' can exist with beginning, why can't reality exist without beginning?

O.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on July 29, 2020, 04:32:15 PM
If we cannot show what it is which is necessary we are in the same boat as the classic theist.

Vlad forgets the burden of proof yet again. We know the universe exists, we have no reason whatsoever to think your favourite variety of god does.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 04:51:08 PM
I am not a philosophical naturalist. You have misunderstood the objection which is to the first premise of WLC's formulation of the Kalam. You need to demonstrate that it is true for it to be worthwhile. It is not a probablistic statement. It's an absolute claim.
But it could be a probabilistic argument which I guess is bad news for somebody who has bet the house on the most improbable thing er, not even in the universe.

Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 04:55:55 PM
Vlad forgets the burden of proof yet again. We know the universe exists, we have no reason whatsoever to think your favourite variety of god does.
utter gobshiting and spew drawing bollocks.
If somebody states which Jeremy did that the Universe is the necessary entity then he has to demonstrate necessity.

No ifs or buts, no "keep him sweet I want to get into the Lodge" No "But hes a stand up guy life long atheist loves Alsations and is Godfather to  my kids". He has to demonstrate necessity.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 04:59:54 PM
Wordsworth wasn't guilty of special pleading, though - what reason do we have to think that there's some special 'first thing' that doesn't have a beginning?  And if that 'thing' can exist with beginning, why can't reality exist without beginning?

O.
Not specially pleading since I've not poo pooed finally the idea of the universe not having a beginning although it looks as if it had kind of a beginning.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on July 29, 2020, 05:10:42 PM
But it could be a probabilistic argument which I guess is bad news for somebody who has bet the house on the most improbable thing er, not even in the universe.
I haven't bet anything on anything. You have - in this thread the Kalam. The first premise is not probabilistic. You can tell by the use of the word 'everything' that it is an absolute claim.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 05:23:05 PM
I haven't bet anything on anything. You have - in this thread the Kalam. The first premise is not probabilistic. You can tell by the use of the word 'everything' that it is an absolute claim.
All right then....."It is highly probable that nothing pops out of nothing and therefore it is highly probable that everything that begins has a cause...........The Vladam cosmological argument.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: wigginhall on July 29, 2020, 05:43:10 PM
My memory is that the first premise used to be described as a self-evident truth, but this collapsed, when people started to require evidence for it.  As NS states it hits against the induction issue.  There are other problems, e.g., what is the cause of a tree?  When does something begin?  Collapse of kalam.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 06:04:57 PM
My memory is that the first premise used to be described as a self-evident truth, but this collapsed, when people started to require evidence for it.  As NS states it hits against the induction issue.  There are other problems, e.g., what is the cause of a tree?  When does something begin?  Collapse of kalam.
Yes but there is a pattern here.
Probabilistic arguments are fine....great....way to go.
Let's make a probabilistic argument of the Kalam.
Oooh no you can't do that it isnt fair.

While there is the faintest hope of something popping out of nothing we will pin our faith on that.
After all we dont want non natural occurrences to creep in.

Long live the great but invisible thing which Pops out of nothing. Down with God.

Do you guys realise what you look like?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on July 29, 2020, 06:06:41 PM
So thanks for evidence of extreme God dodging.

Laughable idiocy.

As a probabilistic argument the Kalam just knocks spots over what must be the most improbable thing ever.

Kalam is supposed to be a logical deduction but even as a probabilistic argument it's utter drivel from start to finish. I'd say the most improbable thing ever is that somebody's notion of god just happens to exist for no reason at all.

utter gobshiting and spew drawing bollocks.
If somebody states which Jeremy did that the Universe is the necessary entity then he has to demonstrate necessity.

If he stated it as a definite assertion, you're right. If, on the other hand, he suggested it as a possibility to counter the assertion that there must be something else that is necessary, then it's you who are talking bollocks for reasons I've explained before.

Have you even managed to come up with a logically coherent idea of what would make something necessary even make sense, yet? How is it even possible for something to be its own explanation?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 06:09:29 PM
Laughable idiocy.

Kalam is supposed to be a logical deduction but even as a probabilistic argument it's utter drivel from start to finish. I'd say the most improbable thing ever is that somebody's notion of god just happens to exist for no reason at all.

If he stated it as a definite assertion, you're right. If, on the other hand, he suggested it as a possibility to counter the assertion that there must be something else that is necessary, then it's you who are talking bollocks for reasons I've explained before.

Have you even managed to come up with a logically coherent idea of what would make something necessary even make sense, yet? How is it even possible for something to be its own explanation?
  Look Paul, you put your faith in something popping out of no where.If it preserves science and has predictive abilities then go ahead......It doesn't of course.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on July 29, 2020, 06:12:58 PM
Look Paul, you put your faith in something popping out of no where.

False.

If it preserves science and has predictive abilities then go ahead......It doesn't of course.

Incoherent nonsense.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 06:54:08 PM
My memory is that the first premise used to be described as a self-evident truth, but this collapsed, when people started to require evidence for it.  As NS states it hits against the induction issue.  There are other problems, e.g., what is the cause of a tree?  When does something begin?  Collapse of kalam.
I'm wondering if the appearance of requiring evidence has been thoroughly investigated though to check for soundness although this is why falsification was brought in.

What is suspect here is the use of the word collapse. It sounds like hysterical hyperbole.

To be on the safe side best to stick to a probabilistic argument which Lane Craig does by appealing in part to science thus recognising falsifiability.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 29, 2020, 07:04:28 PM
Laughable idiocy.

I don't think so. Consider the person who thinks they have put away God on the hope that somewhere and some strange how  at some time, something is going to pop out of nothing defying nature and the laws of nature.

Here then is wanting to eliminate God using something so improbable and so unnatural as something popping out of nothing.

Now the objection to God here is no longer on grounds of the unnatural or probability. The only thing driving the proposition of this must be fear or hatred of God.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on July 29, 2020, 07:45:16 PM
I don't think so. Consider the person who thinks they have put away God on the hope that somewhere and some strange how  at some time, something is going to pop out of nothing defying nature and the laws of nature.

Here then is wanting to eliminate God using something so improbable and so unnatural as something popping out of nothing.

Now the objection to God here is no longer on grounds of the unnatural or probability. The only thing driving the proposition of this must be fear or hatred of God.

The word "God" isn't even a well defined concept, there are multiple, incompatible versions, all of which are, by all appearances, laughable, often self-contradictory, human fantasies. There is no need whatsoever to "put them away".

And you're still pretending (or plain lying) that I think anything "popped out of nothing".

I can't fear or hate multiple absurd, contradictory fantasies, except insofar as the belief in them causes conflict, irrational thinking, and hence human suffering.

Get a grip Vlad, if you have some good reason to think any one of the many versions of "God" actually exists, then post a coherent argument for it and stop hiding behind vagueness and silly ideas of other people dodging the issue.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Outrider on July 30, 2020, 09:01:32 AM
Not specially pleading since I've not poo pooed finally the idea of the universe not having a beginning although it looks as if it had kind of a beginning.

If the universe doesn't have a beginning then Kalam falls over, because you don't need TFT to create it, surely?

O.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 30, 2020, 10:20:59 AM
If the universe doesn't have a beginning then Kalam falls over, because you don't need TFT to create it, surely?

O.
The Kalam would fall over. What would the case be though if the universe does have a beginning?

And since Someone on this thread is trying to nudge us into the psychological aspect of this.....how would you feel in either scenario?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Outrider on July 30, 2020, 10:24:31 AM
The Kalam would fall over. What would the case be though if the universe does have a beginning?

Are we differentiating here between the universe and some broader reality?  If the universe, as in everything, had a beginning well then we have to start investigating what caused it and how that came about; I don't see a way out of (or a need to get out) of an infinite chain of causality backwards.

Quote
And since Someone on this thread is trying to nudge us into the psychological aspect of this.....how would you feel in either scenario?

If the universe were infinite or if it were part of an infinite chain with a defined (relative to us) start point would be an academic curiosity for me, but it wouldn't fundamentally change very much about how I see or feel about anything.

O.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 30, 2020, 10:50:03 AM
Are we differentiating here between the universe and some broader reality?  If the universe, as in everything, had a beginning well then we have to start investigating what caused it and how that came about; I don't see a way out of (or a need to get out) of an infinite chain of causality backwards.

If the universe were infinite or if it were part of an infinite chain with a defined (relative to us) start point would be an academic curiosity for me, but it wouldn't fundamentally change very much about how I see or feel about anything.

O.
You are trying to get therefore something for nothing. There is no way of dressing that up.
That is unnatural. Are unnatural things valid on a science thread?
An infinitely old universe is also unfalsifiable. That too is unnatural.
If infinite why hasn’t it experienced heat death.

Real, live infinities. Possibly not. In an example you gave of a real infinity you talked of an infinite density of matter being created. Anything divided by zero is not infinity. It has another designation in maths. I think we are therefore having to look for other examples of infinity.

Neither I believe can you appeal to infinities which look as though they start but never end.

An existence beyond the universe is a)such an open idea as to incorporate almost everything and anything b) unfalsifiable.

 How do I feel about the Kalam biting the dust? The same way Christians felt when Fred Hoyle was King of the universe I suppose. The question is always at base why something and not nothing?Which is based on not wanting or accepting you can get something for nothing.

Something for nothing? To paraphrase the late, great Paul Daniels “ Now that’s magic.”
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Outrider on July 30, 2020, 11:17:35 AM
You are trying to get therefore something for nothing.  There is no way of dressing that up.

I don't see that I am; if anything starts we can look to what the cause is, and it's possible that there is no ultimate cause there's simply an everlasting chain of causes and effects going back.  The other option is 'something from nothing' which you (understandably) appear to take issue with.

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That is unnatural. Are unnatural things valid on a science thread?

If we don't know how it's come about how can we say whether or not it's unnatural?

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An infinitely old universe is also unfalsifiable. That too is unnatural.

Those two are not synonymous. It may be unfalsifiable, it might not be, but if it were that doesn't make it unnatural.

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If infinite why hasn’t it experienced heat death.

Maybe it has, repeatedly.  Maybe heat death is something that our universe can look forward to but has no impact on the broader realities in which our universe manifests.

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Real, live infinities. Possibly not. In an example you gave of a real infinity you talked of an infinite density of matter being created.

Perhaps - what I actually talked about was our maths not being able to distinguish between infinite mass in an infinitessimal space and finite mass in an infinitessimal space behaving as though it were infinite mass, but regardless of that the fact that we don't currently have sufficient mathematics to resolve what might be an inaccurate depiction of the universe in no way invalidates the possibility of another model being true despite the fact that our maths struggles to adequately accommodate that either.

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Anything divided by zero is not infinity. It has another designation in maths.

I think, technically, it doesn't have a designation at all, it's 'undefined'.

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I think we are therefore having to look for other examples of infinity.

Until our maths is advanced enough that we can categorise and manipulate the various forms of countable and uncountable infinities, we're stuck with what we have.

Quote
Neither I believe can you appeal to infinities which look as though they start but never end.

And yet that's what our universe appears to be - 14 billion years or so old, with an endless heat death ahead of us.

Quote
An existence beyond the universe is a)such an open idea as to incorporate almost everything and anything b) unfalsifiable.

Which is why it's not put forth as a scientific hypothesis, just a counter to the idea that 'well we need to have a divine 'First Thing''.

O.

 How do I feel about the Kalam biting the dust? The same way Christians felt when Fred Hoyle was King of the universe I suppose. The question is always at base why something and not nothing?Which is based on not wanting or accepting you can get something for nothing.

Something for nothing? To paraphrase the late, great Paul Daniels “ Now that’s magic.”
[/quote]
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 30, 2020, 11:20:12 AM
Are we differentiating here between the universe and some broader reality?  If the universe, as in everything, had a beginning well then we have to start investigating what caused it and how that came about; I don't see a way out of (or a need to get out) of an infinite chain of causality backwards.

If the universe were infinite or if it were part of an infinite chain with a defined (relative to us) start point would be an academic curiosity for me, but it wouldn't fundamentally change very much about how I see or feel about anything.

O.
And how would you feel if it was Kalam?
Or at least without the infinite chain you seem to be using as a comfort blanket?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Outrider on July 30, 2020, 11:26:01 AM
And how would you feel if it was Kalam?

That there was a conscious, self-creating creator power of some sort that decided to propogate a universe - it would lead to a raft of new questions, like why, and what was the point, it would lead to all sorts of turmoil in the world as various religions either fell or fell in line... it's such a disruptive idea it's difficult to predict how I'd react.

Quote
Or at least without the infinite chain you seem to be using as a comfort blanket?

Why would I need a comfort blanket?  You have a conception with no evidence, and try to use special pleading to keep your religious idea relevant; an infinite reality is not a comfort blanket, it's a viable possibility to show that your logical argument is flawed, but it doesn't change my day-to-day life particularly.

O.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 30, 2020, 11:28:57 AM
I don't see that I am; if anything starts we can look to what the cause is, and it's possible that there is no ultimate cause there's simply an everlasting chain of causes and effects going back.  The other option is 'something from nothing' which you (understandably) appear to take issue with.

If we don't know how it's come about how can we say whether or not it's unnatural?

Those two are not synonymous. It may be unfalsifiable, it might not be, but if it were that doesn't make it unnatural.

Maybe it has, repeatedly.  Maybe heat death is something that our universe can look forward to but has no impact on the broader realities in which our universe manifests.

Perhaps - what I actually talked about was our maths not being able to distinguish between infinite mass in an infinitessimal space and finite mass in an infinitessimal space behaving as though it were infinite mass, but regardless of that the fact that we don't currently have sufficient mathematics to resolve what might be an inaccurate depiction of the universe in no way invalidates the possibility of another model being true despite the fact that our maths struggles to adequately accommodate that either.

I think, technically, it doesn't have a designation at all, it's 'undefined'.

Until our maths is advanced enough that we can categorise and manipulate the various forms of countable and uncountable infinities, we're stuck with what we have.

And yet that's what our universe appears to be - 14 billion years or so old, with an endless heat death ahead of us.

Which is why it's not put forth as a scientific hypothesis, just a counter to the idea that 'well we need to have a divine 'First Thing''.

O.

 How do I feel about the Kalam biting the dust? The same way Christians felt when Fred Hoyle was King of the universe I suppose. The question is always at base why something and not nothing?Which is based on not wanting or accepting you can get something for nothing.

Something for nothing? To paraphrase the late, great Paul Daniels “ Now that’s magic.”
I’m sorry but what this amounts too is very much” I am prepared to accept any improbable thing.... as long as it isn’t God.

Things are unnatural if they aren’t subject to methodological naturalism surely. Or are you saying the are natural so long as they don’t involve God?

If the latter then it just shows you have a problem with God rather than fantastically improbable, unfalsifiable, and unnatural events......as has been mentioned before.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 30, 2020, 11:34:44 AM
That there was a conscious, self-creating creator power of some sort that decided to propogate a universe - it would lead to a raft of new questions, like why, and what was the point, it would lead to all sorts of turmoil in the world as various religions either fell or fell in line... it's such a disruptive idea it's difficult to predict how I'd react.

Aren’t you saying then if atheism didn’t exist. It would be necessary to invent it.
Or perhaps nearer to the mark......If God existed it would still be necessary to deny his existence?
I noticed you couldn’t bring yourself to say the word God.

Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Outrider on July 30, 2020, 12:09:50 PM
I’m sorry but what this amounts too is very much” I am prepared to accept any improbable thing.... as long as it isn’t God.

I've said before, and I don't mind saying it again here, I struggle to conceive of what a reality with an actual god in it would be like.  My first instinct would be to presume that there was some as-yet-undiscovered natural phenomenon at the root of anything.

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Things are unnatural if they aren’t subject to methodological naturalism surely.

My counter to that is what has an impact on the material is subject to methodological naturalism, because the effects can be studied and measured.

Quote
Or are you saying the are natural so long as they don’t involve God?

That definition of 'natural' is somewhat meaningless - god, if it exists, is presumably as natural an occurence as we are.  The idea of a conscious creator of our universe is, to me, technically possible but makes no sense - what's the psychology of something that creates a universe, what's the point, why put people in that many precarious situations for so long, why abandon them... are we a lab experiment, are we a forgotten mould growing in the back of an art installation...

Quote
If the latter then it just shows you have a problem with God rather than fantastically improbable, unfalsifiable, and unnatural events......as has been mentioned before.

With the idea of a god comes the totalitarianism of believers in a divine right, which has troublesome history at best, which is the main root of my disquiet with the traditional depiction of the Abrahamic god.  The idea of a divine creator in general... if it's something that 'will's events to happen bypassing natural laws then I struggle to understand how or why that works, and if it's 'merely' an extremely accomplished scientist/engineer well then we shift the enquiry back a stage (where did that creator come from) and add in 'why didn't they pass along the science'?

O.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 01, 2020, 09:30:35 AM
I've said before, and I don't mind saying it again here, I struggle to conceive of what a reality with an actual god in it would be like.
Is this because you have insufficient data for God or because you have sufficient data which renders it unimaginagable
Quote
My first instinct would be to presume that there was some as-yet-undiscovered natural phenomenon at the root of anything.
Yeh, and that probably holds until we start digging about at the root of everything then methodological materialism doesn’t seem to cut it.


Quote
That definition of 'natural' is somewhat meaningless - god, if it exists, is presumably as natural
Yeh, I’m not entirely happy with the term either.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 01, 2020, 09:41:07 AM


With the idea of a god comes the totalitarianism of believers in a divine right, which has troublesome history at best, which is the main root of my disquiet with the traditional depiction of the Abrahamic god.  The idea of a divine creator in general... if it's something that 'will's events to happen bypassing natural laws then I struggle to understand how or why that works, and if it's 'merely' an extremely accomplished scientist/engineer well then we shift the enquiry back a stage (where did that creator come from) and add in 'why didn't they pass along the science'?

O.
Very interesting. Love to tackle this and maybe the moral claims of new atheists in general. Maybe on the crisis of morality thread sadly but hopefully temporarily derailed at the moment.
Funnily enough I think a totalitarian character seems to be part and parcel of the New Atheist package.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: jeremyp on August 01, 2020, 04:10:15 PM
utter gobshiting and spew drawing bollocks.
If somebody states which Jeremy did that the Universe is the necessary entity then he has to demonstrate necessity.
I have not stated that the Universe is "the necessary entity". I've stated that it could be a necessary entity. Please stop lying about what I have said.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 01, 2020, 04:28:49 PM
I have not stated that the Universe is "the necessary entity". I've stated that it could be a necessary entity. Please stop lying about what I have said.
My apologies. Care to say how it could be?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: jeremyp on August 01, 2020, 05:11:49 PM
My apologies. Care to say how it could be?

A number of options have already been put forward. I suggest you review the thread.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 01, 2020, 05:22:26 PM
A number of options have already been put forward. I suggest you review the thread.
My objection to those has been they just argue that the universe could have been around an infinite time. Not whether it is necessary.

To do that you would have to demonstrate what it is about the universe which is necessary.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 01, 2020, 05:26:11 PM
My objection to those has been they just argue that the universe could have been around an infinite time. Not whether it is necessary.

To do that you would have to demonstrate what it is about the universe which is necessary.
You have to demonstrate that 'necessary' makes any sense in this context rather than assume it.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 01, 2020, 06:00:27 PM
You have to demonstrate that 'necessary' makes any sense in this context rather than assume it.
Why just in this context? Are you not specially pleading?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on August 01, 2020, 06:16:38 PM
My objection to those has been they just argue that the universe could have been around an infinite time. Not whether it is necessary.

Time is internal to the universe, so whether it's infinite in extent or not is simply irrelevant to any concept of 'necessity'.

As NS said, you first need to establish how 'necessity' makes any sense at all and then say why it could apply to your favourite version of deity and not to the universe (the space-time manifold).

Until you can explain exactly what would make something 'necessary', it's a toatlly meaningless term.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 01, 2020, 06:20:37 PM
Why just in this context? Are you not specially pleading?
I didn'y say 'just in this context'.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 01, 2020, 06:31:24 PM
Time is internal to the universe, so whether it's infinite in extent or not is simply irrelevant to any concept of 'necessity'.

As NS said, you first need to establish how 'necessity' makes any sense at all and then say why it could apply to your favourite version of deity

Until you can explain exactly what would make something 'necessary', it's a toatlly meaningless term.
No NS asked how necessity makes any sense at all in this context.

We are talking about the universe and whether it is necessary. Necessity defined as something for which has no external explanation for its being or the way it is and no external reason to be possibly different from how it is.

Why should the principle of necessity be discarded in the case of the universe?

You cannot junk contingency. That is like having a square circle.

Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 01, 2020, 06:35:21 PM
No NS asked how necessity makes any sense at all in this context.

We are talking about the universe and whether it is necessary. Necessity defined as something for which has no external explanation for its being or the way it is and no external reason to be possibly different from how it is.

Why should the principle of necessity be discarded in the case of the universe?

You cannot junk contingency. That is like having a square circle.

Actually can you show 'Necessity defined as something for which has no external explanation for its being or the way it is and no external reason to be possibly different from how it is.' As a definition makes sense in any context?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 01, 2020, 06:45:17 PM
Actually can you show 'Necessity defined as something for which has no external explanation for its being or the way it is and no external reason to be possibly different from how it is.' As a definition makes sense in any context?
I'm sorry Sane, your now talking from a place where not only do I not want to climb in with you.......I wouldn't. Know how to.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 01, 2020, 06:46:59 PM
Nigh on 27000 posts isnt a bad gift to humanity.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: Stranger on August 01, 2020, 06:49:34 PM
We are talking about the universe and whether it is necessary. Necessity defined as something for which has no external explanation for its being or the way it is and no external reason to be possibly different from how it is.

So how do you propose we could recognise "something for which has no external explanation for its being or the way it is and no external reason to be possibly different from how it is"?

I mean, I guess you could say "the whole of reality" necessarily falls into that category, since, by definition, there is nothing external to it, but it tells us nothing whatsoever about what it contains or if there is anything specific within it that could be identified as 'necessary'.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 01, 2020, 06:50:07 PM
I'm sorry Sane, your now talking from a place where not only do I not want to climb in with you.......I wouldn't. Know how to.
So you can't justify it in any context.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 01, 2020, 07:41:30 PM
So how do you propose we could recognise "something for which has no external explanation for its being or the way it is and no external reason to be possibly different from how it is"?

I mean, I guess you could say "the whole of reality" necessarily falls into that category, since, by definition, there is nothing external to it, but it tells us nothing whatsoever about what it contains or if there is anything specific within it that could be identified as 'necessary'.
Yes plus the trouble with the whole of reality is the overwhelming bulk of contingency going on. That immediately fucks up any notion of saying the whole of reality is necessary as a serious prospect.

But I think you’ve touched on a problem which is ours rather than necessity’s. How do you recognise something which is necessary?

No answer yet? That’s because modern people haven’t been taught to consider this stuff IMHO.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: Stranger on August 01, 2020, 08:35:45 PM
Yes plus the trouble with the whole of reality is the overwhelming bulk of contingency going on. That immediately fucks up any notion of saying the whole of reality is necessary as a serious prospect.

Of course it doesn't. Your definition was: "something for which has no external explanation for its being or the way it is and no external reason to be possibly different from how it is" [emphasis added].

Since, by definition, there is nothing at all that is external to the whole of reality, there can be no external explanation and no external reason for it to be any different. Hence, by your own definition, it must be necessary. QED.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 01, 2020, 09:29:48 PM
Of course it doesn't. Your definition was: "something for which has no external explanation for its being or the way it is and no external reason to be possibly different from how it is" [emphasis added].

Since, by definition, there is nothing at all that is external to the whole of reality, there can be no external explanation and no external reason for it to be any different. Hence, by your own definition, it must be necessary. QED.
Great, so the explanation and reasons must be internal to the whole of reality.
What is it?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: Stranger on August 02, 2020, 10:25:24 AM
Great, so the explanation and reasons must be internal to the whole of reality.

Assuming there are any.

What is it?

I haven't a clue - and why do you think it's just one thing?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 02, 2020, 11:39:56 AM
Assuming there are any.

I haven't a clue - and why do you think it's just one thing?
There is a reason which needs  no other reasons. Now we know there are other reasons for things in reality.
Also let's look at the history of the contingency argument.
Bertrand Russell when confronted with the evidence of contingency of things stated that to extend that to the whole of the universe is the fallacy of composition. Of course envisaging an external to the universe has become respectable.

The fallacy of composition has its opposite called the fallacy of division.
So where the fallacy of composition is wrong because it imbues
The whole with the property of the parts fallaciously, the fallacy of division imbues the parts with the property of the whole.
Secondly it looks from observation that the parts are contingent and since it is illogical to have contingency without necessity. But not the other way round we must have in the whole of reality a necessary in other words the final the ultimate the fundamental reason.......whatever you want to call it.

So I dont think I've ever said that the whole of reality does not contain the necessary.
Which is why I say the necessary is in the whole of reality, it could even be in the universe or maybe in your little toe. The question remains ........what is it?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Steve H on August 02, 2020, 11:57:59 AM
IF there is a God, then no doubt that God exists necessarily, but that tells us nothing about whether God exists at all.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on August 02, 2020, 12:09:14 PM
The question remains ........what is it?

And the answer remains...... we don't know.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 02, 2020, 12:14:27 PM
IF there is a God, then no doubt that God exists necessarily, but that tells us nothing about whether God exists at all.
I think the argument points out that there is an explanation for which there are no other explanations. That there is contingency. We know that from observation. The alternative comes down to popping out of nowhere but even that winds up as being the necessary. Talking of believing that things might pop up from nowhere there seems to be a lot more takers for that here......and they accuse Alan of believing in magic.
Anyway something winds up as being necessary. Aquinas called this God and it turns out the necessary on reflection seems to have many of the properties of the abrahamic God.

Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 02, 2020, 12:15:29 PM
And the answer remains...... we don't know.
And what do we do if we dont know something?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: jeremyp on August 02, 2020, 12:24:54 PM
Why should the principle of necessity be discarded in the case of the universe?

Why should the principle of necessity be discarded in the case of God?

If you want to know how the Universe could be necessary, the answer is "in exactly the same ways a god could be necessary".
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on August 02, 2020, 12:46:20 PM
And what do we do if we dont know something?

Rather depends on whether there is a feasible way to investigate it or not. What we don't do is make up an answer we happen to like.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Crai
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 02, 2020, 01:30:09 PM
Why should the principle of necessity be discarded in the case of God?

If you want to know how the Universe could be necessary, the answer is "in exactly the same ways a god could be necessary".
I can't disagree with that, however the universe still has this mountain of contingency in fact the necessary has a particular specification.

That's not to say that the necessary isn't here. In fact logic dictates it must reside somehow. Perhaps it is in a thing science hasn't yet discovered, perhaps it is in everything, perhaps it is immaterial. It's this mountain of contigency that we need to somehow clear out the way or at least put to one side somehow.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 02, 2020, 01:41:16 PM
Rather depends on whether there is a feasible way to investigate it or not. What we don't do is make up an answer we happen to like.
Unhappily for you and some of the colleagues have been speculating like good'uns and by your own admission sought to come up with several alternatives that you hope rule to out God.
(VIRTUE SIGNALLING ALERT)
I ON THE OTHER HAND HAVE NOT ONLY SOUGHT TO INTELLECTUALLY TRAVEL WITH YOU AND HAVE AGREED THAT THE NECESSARY ULTIMATE REASON IS INTERNAL TO ALL OF REALITY, I WAS ALSO ONCE AN ACTUAL FELLOW AGNOSTIC ATHEIST TRAVELLER.
(VIRTUE SIGNALLING ALERT)

So less of the piety please. You, IMHO, are as guilty of seeking an atheist answer ( God dodging) as anybody is seeking a divine answer.

Another way we might know the necessary reason is if it reveals itself to us.....just sayin'
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on August 02, 2020, 03:29:39 PM
Unhappily for you and some of the colleagues have been speculating like good'uns and by your own admission sought to come up with several alternatives that you hope rule to out God.

Again, you don't seem to understand that if you are trying to argue for some specific answer, then offering alternatives is one way in which to counter it. It does not mean that they are somehow omitting to those alternatives.

For example, on the other thread, I offered Penrose's conjecture as one of the possibilities for an infinitely old universe. That doesn't mean that I'm committed to the idea - it could easily be wrong.

So less of the piety please. You, IMHO, are as guilty of seeking an atheist answer ( God dodging) as anybody is seeking a divine answer.

I'm not seeking an answer. I don't think there is a reasonable way to investigate the problem. I've also said all along that I can't rule out some sort of god(s), but I see no reason to take any of them seriously. If there is something within the whole of reality that is necessary, then I don't see any argument that it is likely to be some sort of god, let alone one (or more) of the thousands that humans have believed in.

And you're still using the word "God" as if it was a well defined term. I'm ignostic, with regard to the unqualified term "God".

Another way we might know the necessary reason is if it reveals itself to us.....just sayin'

Again, where is the evidence or reasoning? Even if something revealed itself somehow, how could you tell if it was necessary?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 03, 2020, 08:09:13 PM
Again, you don't seem to understand that if you are trying to argue for some specific answer, then offering alternatives is one way in which to counter it. It does not mean that they are somehow omitting to those alternatives.

For example, on the other thread, I offered Penrose's conjecture as one of the possibilities for an infinitely old universe. That doesn't mean that I'm committed to the idea - it could easily be wrong.

I'm not seeking an answer. I don't think there is a reasonable way to investigate the problem. I've also said all along that I can't rule out some sort of god(s), but I see no reason to take any of them seriously. If there is something within the whole of reality that is necessary, then I don't see any argument that it is likely to be some sort of god, let alone one (or more) of the thousands that humans have believed in.

And you're still using the word "God" as if it was a well defined term. I'm ignostic, with regard to the unqualified term "God".

Again, where is the evidence or reasoning? Even if something revealed itself somehow, how could you tell if it was necessary?
I think we are evolved to recognise the necessary entity and funnily those who have a reluctance to the necessary entity like their reluctance to God provide evidence of that. They seem to instinctively know they are one and the same and that explains the lengths people go to to avoid.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 03, 2020, 08:25:25 PM
I think we are evolved to recognise the necessary entity and funnily those who have a reluctance to the necessary entity like their reluctance to God provide evidence of that. They seem to instinctively know they are one and the same and that explains the lengths people go to to avoid.
all of the wrong words necessarily in the wrong order.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on August 03, 2020, 08:42:04 PM
I think we are evolved to recognise the necessary entity and funnily those who have a reluctance to the necessary entity like their reluctance to God provide evidence of that. They seem to instinctively know they are one and the same and that explains the lengths people go to to avoid.

Apart from this being an all but meaningless expression of your faith, it is actually rather funny. We evolved to be over sensitive to agency where there is none - hyperactive agency detection - due to the fact that false positives are far less dangerous than false negatives. It doesn't much matter if you think a storm is some god being angry, whereas failing to think that a predator wants to eat you could easily be fatal.

Apart from that, you didn't actually address any of my points. For example, you haven't explained how we could even recognise something as necessary nor have you addressed the essentially meaningless term "God" that requires further defintion in order to mean anything at all.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 03, 2020, 10:16:07 PM
Apart from this being an all but meaningless expression of your faith, it is actually rather funny. We evolved to be over sensitive to agency where there is none - hyperactive agency detection - due to the fact that false positives are far less dangerous than false negatives. It doesn't much matter if you think a storm is some god being angry, whereas failing to think that a predator wants to eat you could easily be fatal.
Do you see God as a predator who wants to eat you? That would be really interesting.
Is necessity and contingency about agency? I don't know? Nobody seems to be angry or hungry in contingency and necessity.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 03, 2020, 10:31:41 PM
Do you see God as a predator who wants to eat you? That would be really interesting.
Is necessity and contingency about agency? I don't know? Nobody seems to be angry or hungry in contingency and necessity.
Was it only children over the age of 8 you wanted to sexually assault?
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 03, 2020, 11:13:14 PM
Have a great summer everyone.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Stranger on August 04, 2020, 07:53:10 AM
Do you see God as a predator who wants to eat you? That would be really interesting.

Is this supposed to be a serious point?

Is necessity and contingency about agency?

How can we tell as you still haven't explained how nayhting can possibly be necessary? Presumably your "God" is about agency but you still haven't defined that either.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Outrider on August 04, 2020, 08:30:32 AM
I think we are evolved to recognise the necessary entity and funnily those who have a reluctance to the necessary entity like their reluctance to God provide evidence of that. They seem to instinctively know they are one and the same and that explains the lengths people go to to avoid.

I think we are evolved to recognise the necessary entity cause and effect and funnily those who have a reluctance to the necessary entity infinite regress like their reluctance to God reality provide evidence of that. They seem to instinctively know they are one and the same and that explains the lengths people go to to avoid...

O.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on August 04, 2020, 09:05:02 AM
I think we are evolved to recognise the necessary entity cause and effect and funnily those who have a reluctance to the necessary entity infinite regress like their reluctance to God reality provide evidence of that. They seem to instinctively know they are one and the same and that explains the lengths people go to to avoid...

O.
Mathematical reality is entitled to as many infinite regressions as it can find, even an infinite number.

In physical reality. Infinite regresses in heirchies of dependency produce nothing. You tried a thought experiment yourself a  few weeks back I seem to recall.
Title: Re: The Kalam-ing presence of Doctor Lane Craig.
Post by: Outrider on August 04, 2020, 10:29:23 AM
Mathematical reality is entitled to as many infinite regressions as it can find, even an infinite number.

In physical reality. Infinite regresses in heirchies of dependency produce nothing. You tried a thought experiment yourself a  few weeks back I seem to recall.

I don't recall doing that, perhaps it was someone else - I recall a discussion around the idea of infinity and how you can't try to perform arithmetic with it and expect the results to stand up?

I've still yet to see a convincing explanation of why an infinite regress is not a viable model.

O.