Author Topic: Searching for GOD...  (Read 3872649 times)

Alan Burns

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23125 on: October 10, 2017, 12:20:24 PM »
God knows I have tried my best.

God bless you all.
The truth will set you free  - John 8:32
Truth is not an abstraction, but a person - Edith Stein
Free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. - CS Lewis
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Shaker

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23126 on: October 10, 2017, 12:33:16 PM »
God knows I have tried my best.

God bless you all.
Shaker's Law stirs ...
Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

bluehillside Retd.

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23127 on: October 10, 2017, 12:39:30 PM »
AB,

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God knows I have tried my best.

Why does "your best" depend on not answering the questions you're asked though? I explained to you a few posts back why the arguments you attempted for "soul" (dismiss explanations that are incomplete, then assert alternatives for which no explanation at all is necessary because they're "supernatural") would apply equally for other conjectures too and asked you why we should accept special pleading for just one such - ie, "soul".

You just ignored that and repeated various assertions about this "soul" as if the question hadn't been raised at all.

What does this behaviour say about you do you think?

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God bless you all.

And may Colin, The Grand Nabob of the Leprechauns, accompany you with a lucky rainbow wherever you go. 
"Don't make me come down there."

God

Gordon

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23128 on: October 10, 2017, 12:40:28 PM »
God knows I have tried my best.

If it does know then perhaps it should, on the back of your experience here, reflect on the need to provide you with better arguments in future.


Shaker

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23129 on: October 10, 2017, 12:43:31 PM »
If it does know then perhaps it should, on the back of your experience here, reflect on the need to provide you with better arguments in future.
Future? Alan implies that he has left the field - whether permanently or not remains to be seen.

This thread is within hailing distance of 1000 pages long.

I incline to the view that if there were any decent arguments to be had, we'd have had them by now.
Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23130 on: October 10, 2017, 12:44:49 PM »
I find no evidence for your God at all.

 I am open to the possibility of God's existence.
.
Can you provide an explanatory for these statements? What do you mean by them?

Shaker

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23131 on: October 10, 2017, 12:51:09 PM »
Can you provide an explanatory for these statements? What do you mean by them?
It's up to enki to respond to your questions of course but I don't understand your non-understanding. Enki's statements seem quite simple and straightforward to me - which bit are you struggling with?
Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23132 on: October 10, 2017, 12:51:16 PM »
Future? Alan implies that he has left the field - whether permanently or not remains to be seen.

This thread is within hailing distance of 1000 pages long.

I incline to the view that if there were any decent arguments to be had, we'd have had them by now.
Well I offered two identical things one what NDG Tyson was offering and then the same thing with the label God on it . See how irrationally they ran from that one.

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23133 on: October 10, 2017, 12:53:09 PM »
It's up to enki to respond to your questions of course
Yes so with all the grace I can muster can I politely ask you to butt out and take your ''board regular'' control freakery with you.

Shaker

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23134 on: October 10, 2017, 12:56:40 PM »
Yes so with all the grace I can muster can I politely ask you to butt out and take your ''board regular'' control freakery with you.
But my question was about you, not an attempt to speak for enki. And you're every bit as much a regular here as I am, or even more so - compare post counts.
Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

bluehillside Retd.

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23135 on: October 10, 2017, 01:04:05 PM »
Vlad,

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Well I offered two identical things one what NDG Tyson was offering and then the same thing with the label God on it .

That's not true. What you actually did was to "offer" two pretty much opposite things for reasons that were explained to you and that you just ignored.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23136 on: October 10, 2017, 01:08:09 PM »
But my question was about you, not an attempt to speak for enki. And you're every bit as much a regular here as I am, or even more so - compare post counts.
Call it wanting a freshperspective not a jaded one.
How can I understand what he means by them when he hasn't said.

If it's the case that you wanted to provide an answer of your own do so now.
I won't hold my breath in your case because I know that the question of evidence is always going to be tricky for an Empiricist.

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23137 on: October 10, 2017, 01:14:13 PM »
Vlad,

That's not true. What you actually did was to "offer" two pretty much opposite things for reasons that were explained to you and that you just ignored.
Not opposite Hillside identical DG Tyson high probability of a simulator who is creator of a universe but independent (transcendent) of it of it and not part of it. God who is creator of a universe but independent (transcendent)of it and not part of it.

It's not going to go away Hillside.

Shaker

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23138 on: October 10, 2017, 01:20:36 PM »
Call it wanting a freshperspective not a jaded one.
What does "jaded" mean in this context?
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How can I understand what he means by them when he hasn't said.
This is why I'm surprised. His statements seemed crystal clear to me.

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If it's the case that you wanted to provide an answer of your own do so now.
As I said, they're enki's questions to answer, so what's the point? My answer to the second point would be different to his in any case - he says he's open to the possibility of the existence of God, I'm not on the grounds that it's not made clear exactly what it is that I'm supposed to find possible - I regard knowing that in advance as rather important. Concepts of God are a moving target and morph from one theist to the next, so trying to claim this or that one as at least possible is like trying to knit sawdust.

By way of comparison, I find the idea of life (of any kind, not merely intelligent life) outside of Earth entirely possible (and probable, but that's for another thread) because I have a set of criteria for doing so. We have some grasp of the sort of life we're familiar with on this planet; we know the most likely (and by exclusion unlikely) places to go looking for it; we know what sort of signature(s) it's likely to exhibit; we would know what it means to find it. It's not everything but it's a pretty solid starter pack. None of those things apply to gods, so I'm not at all clear on what I'm supposed to find possible. Doubtless you'll interpret this as a dogmatic ruling-out-of-court of the very idea, as that suits your purposes; in actual fact I think it's quite important to have at least some working definition of anything I'm expected to take seriously as a possibility, and in the case of gods nobody has put such a thing on the table for me to look at.
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I won't hold my breath in your case because I know that the question of evidence is always going to be tricky for an Empiricist.
It seems to be the case that empiricism is in the same basket as secularism for you, since the concept of evidence is arguably easier for an empiricist than any other kind of -ist.
« Last Edit: October 10, 2017, 01:52:22 PM by Shaker »
Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23139 on: October 10, 2017, 01:24:52 PM »
It seems to be the case that empiricism is in the same basket as secularism for you, since the concept of evidence is arguably easier for an empiricist than any other kind of -ist.
Until he has to figure out what the evidence is for his -Ism then she has to account for the lack of empirical evidence in respect of it.


Shaker

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23140 on: October 10, 2017, 01:26:38 PM »
Until he has to figure out what the evidence is for his -Ism then she has to account for the lack of empirical evidence in respect of it.
Lack of evidence? Ah, well, since we're talking about -ists, that one is a notable stumbling block for theists  ;)
Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23141 on: October 10, 2017, 01:28:30 PM »
Lack of evidence? Ah, well, since we're talking about -ists, that one is a notable stumbling block for theists  ;)
And empiricists Ha Ha Ha.

Shaker

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23142 on: October 10, 2017, 01:29:53 PM »
And empiricists Ha Ha Ha.
Only in Vlad's version, which, like secularism, differs substantially from everyone else's.
Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

floo

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23143 on: October 10, 2017, 01:32:03 PM »
Only in Vlad's version, which, like secularism, differs substantially from everyone else's.

He wouldn't be Vlad if it didn't! ;D

bluehillside Retd.

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23144 on: October 10, 2017, 01:39:39 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
Not opposite Hillside identical DG Tyson high probability of a simulator who is creator of a universe but independent (transcendent) of it of it and not part of it. God who is creator of a universe but independent (transcendent)of it and not part of it.

Wrong again, for reasons that I explained to you at the time.

Simulated universe:

– Hypothesis only: an idea that's coherent and thus could be true, but awaiting investigation and verification.

–Requires something to have set in place the technology, but says nothing about whether that “something” was itself part of another simulated universe, nothing about whether it had any knowledge of or interest in what may emerge from its technology (eg, us), nothing about whether it then died or is still around, nothing about anything at all other than that it would have existed.

Theology:

– "God" as a term is incoherent, so not possibility apt.

– “God” is asserted as a fact.

– “God” is asserted as the ultimate cause, so could not be a sub-set of something else.

– No method if investigating and validating even in principle.

– “God” is asserted to be still around.

– “God” is asserted to care and to intervenes, albeit in “mysterious” ways.

Frankly it’d be hard to imagine two more qualitatively opposing conjectures.

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It's not going to go away Hillside.

Quite.
« Last Edit: October 10, 2017, 02:11:35 PM by bluehillside »
"Don't make me come down there."

God

bluehillside Retd.

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23145 on: October 10, 2017, 01:53:36 PM »
Shakes,

Quote
It's up to enki to respond to your questions of course but I don't understand your non-understanding. Enki's statements seem quite simple and straightforward to me - which bit are you struggling with?

It's a stunt he tries quite often as a sort of wrecking ball nihilism. Someone will say something perfectly understandable like, "Paris is the Capital of France" and Vlad will come back with a series of, "What do you mean by "Paris" exactly?", "Who decided it should be the capital?", "Which place called "Paris" are you referring to?", "How can you be certain about that what with your philosophical naturalism?" etc and wearily etc type responses in the hope that, eventually, the person who wanted to have a sensible conversation will just go away. What he gets out of it is anyone's guess, but that's trolling for you.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23146 on: October 10, 2017, 02:28:06 PM »
Vlad,

Wrong again, for reasons that I explained to you at the time.

Simulated universe:

1.– Hypothesis only – an idea that's coherent and could be true, but awaiting investigation and verification.

2–Requires something to have set in place the technology, but says nothing about whether that “something” was itself part of another simulated universe, nothing about whether it had any knowledge of or interest in what may emerge from its technology (eg, us), nothing about whether it then died or is still around, nothing about anything at all other than that it would have existed.

Theology:

3– "God" as a term is incoherent, so not possibility apt.

4– “God” is asserted as a fact.

5– “God” is asserted as the ultimate cause, so cannot be a sub-set of something else.

6– No method if investigating and validating even in principle.

7– “God” is asserted to be still around.

8– “God” is asserted to care and to intervenes, albeit in “mysterious” ways.

Frankly it’d be hard to imagine two more qualitatively opposing conjectures.

Quite.
Hypothesis? How is simulated universe a testable hypothesis? And if it is not testable it is not science.
Even if we are to take it that it is a philosophical idea. It proposes a creator independent of the universe it has created and outside of that universe, that is also basic definition of the theistic god and you have argued against God on the basis of those very claims since I've known you.

So not only are you rejecting something identical due to the mere label of the word God.
You are now arguing against your own position. i.e. intellectual confusion.

And now to lunch as the waiter lays out your delicious offerings for devouring.
1 It doesn't seem to be a scientific hypothesis and as a philosophical idea it is identical to theistic philosophical ideas
2 Linguistic car crash......but let's try to untangle something from the wreckage. You seem to suggest that there could be nested simulations. How do you propose to establish that is the case? In the end it matters not since the properties suggested by DGT are classic theistic properties. All your theory does is proposes an infinite pantheon of gods all of whom are independent of the universe etc. If you wish to infinitize the problems with your argument go ahead.
3 God is incoherent is a pre simulated universe luxury i'm afraid. Since in comparison with each other, the theistic idea of a creator independent of the universe, outside the universe is as coherent as the simulated universe idea of a creator independent of the universe, outside the universe and it is so because both ideas are identical. Whatever else is proposed then death of simulator, multiple, single, nested simulators is irrelevant to that and that is from our perspective all you can say.
4 A philosophical hypothetical God would do just as well here.
5 God or the simulator is the cause of this universe, theism of the polytheism variety could cover any claims of nested simulations, nothing to forbid the ultimate cause being the cause of this universe as the first generation simulation on the grounds that if you propose a set of attributes like those in SU creator you then cannot deny those attributes.
6 Maybe......but what about Bostrom's windows?
7 Irrelevent to a simulated universe. I think here you are arguing a form of deism but with faith that God has died. I don't know how that helps atheism.
8 Could be covered by Bostrom's window's or I suppose a form Deism or Floo like ''God is a bastardism''

Thanks for that....Looks like you're picking up the tab.

wigginhall

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23147 on: October 10, 2017, 02:40:13 PM »
A simulated universe isn't a new idea.  See for example the evil demon in Descartes' 'Meditations',  who creates a perfect image of a world, which deceives us.   I don't know whether Descartes was building on previous writers, but his notion of the evil demon has been linked to an evil god, or the brain in the vat idea, and so on.   And presumably, the Matrix.   

It's possible also that in some dualistic religions, that the evil god creates a material world, I think the gnostics used to say this, didn't they?   

Also, Stephen Law has a paper somewhere where he suggests an evil god, and asks, how would we be able to tell if God was evil or good.  Actually, there are ton of articles on it, see Wiki 'evil god challenge'.

It's interesting in terms of a proposed simulator, that we have no idea what would motivate him/her, and whether they are in fact a pimply teenager, or a mass murderer.     

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_God_Challenge
« Last Edit: October 10, 2017, 02:45:27 PM by wigginhall »
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Enki

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23148 on: October 10, 2017, 02:55:24 PM »
Can you provide an explanatory for these statements? What do you mean by them?

Yes.

Evidence for me means as close to objective evidence as you can get. I find no such evidence forthcoming to substantiate Alan's God.

Personal evidence is evidence I have no means of validating. Hence, if someone says they have had experiences of God, as I have no means of validating it, I do not count that as evidence at all. Similarly I discount any experiences that I have had that suggest that there is no God.

Secondly I do not discount the possibility that Alan's God exists because it is always possible that evidence may surface which points towards that conclusion. So, it remains a possibility.

Finally, most of the arguments that are given as evidence for a God have alternative arguments, increasingly backed by evidence, which suggest that there is no need for God at be involved at all (e.g. evolution, prayer) and those arguments that remain use the unknown as their backcloth for conjecture and surmise.
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Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #23149 on: October 10, 2017, 02:55:48 PM »
A simulated universe isn't a new idea.  See for example the evil demon in Descartes' 'Meditations',  who creates a perfect image of a world, which deceives us.   I don't know whether Descartes was building on previous writers, but his notion of the evil demon has been linked to an evil god, or the brain in the vat idea, and so on.   And presumably, the Matrix.   

It's possible also that in some dualistic religions, that the evil god creates a material world, I think the gnostics used to say this, didn't they?   

Also, Stephen Law has a paper somewhere where he suggests an evil god, and asks, how would we be able to tell if God was evil or good.  Actually, there are ton of articles on it, see Wiki 'evil god challenge'.

It's interesting in terms of a proposed simulator, that we have no idea what would motivate him/her, and whether they are in fact a pimply teenager, or a mass murderer.     

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_God_Challenge
It's funny why antitheists and there travelling companions always tend toward pimply teenager and now mass murderer ideas. Bias motivated subconsciously or consciously by their view of God perhaps.

Full marks to Dawkins who when Brian Greene was at full teenage dirtbag universe simulator remarked that any such creator must be a well disciplined teenager.

Greene suggests that the teenage creator resets the programme and minds after he fucks around with us.

So I pose the following questions. If that is an acceptable why cannot the creator resurrect the dead of one universe either in that universe or another? and if he can in what way can we conclude that he is a mass murderer?
« Last Edit: October 10, 2017, 02:59:37 PM by 'andles for forks »