Evidence of God

[Walt Zingmatilder]

If an asteroid crashed into the moon and the debris spelt out the word God in every human language would you believe in God or would you require more evidence?

[Gordon]

Or, if kangaroos suddenly all turned purple this afternoon (Australian Western Standard Time), sprouted wings overnight and by tomorrow morning they were all found nesting in trees before it was even breakfast time in Sydney - would that be sufficient evidence for 'God', Vlad?

Somehow I don't think putting together an outrageously silly scenario, be it asteroids that end up spelling or purple flying kangaroos, is all that worthwhile an exercise (even if mildly entertaining for around 30 seconds or so).

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Or, if kangaroos suddenly all turned purple this afternoon (Australian Western Standard Time), sprouted wings overnight and by tomorrow morning they were all found nesting in trees before it was even breakfast time in Sydney - would that be sufficient evidence for 'God', Vlad?

Somehow I don't think putting together an outrageously silly scenario, be it asteroids that end up spelling or purple flying kangaroos, is all that worthwhile an exercise (even if mildly entertaining for around 30 seconds or so).

Anything that exposes your desire to be the one who asks the questions rather than answer them is worthwhile Gordon.
Why do you think this question is too ridiculous to answer by questions about Leprechauns and why Christians don’t believe in them are not?

[Gordon]

Anything that exposes your desire to be the one who asks the questions rather than answer them is worthwhile Gordon.

I'd have thought that a thinking person would have interpreted my answer as being a parody of your deliberately ridiculous OP which, in my view, didn't merit a serious answer.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I'd have thought that a thinking person would have interpreted my answer as being a parody of your deliberately ridiculous OP which, in my view, didn't merit a serious answer.

And yet you think questions from atheists about Leprechauns and why Christians believe in them aren’t ridiculous?

 I cannot recall you answering any question. After all you are not here to answer questions but to expose fallacies..........or get others to do it.

[SteveH]

And yet you think questions from atheists about Leprechauns and why Christians believe in them aren’t ridiculous.

The point about Leprechauns is that it is alleged that all arguments for God are also arguments for Leprechauns. That is nonsense, and the continual banging on about Leprechauns by some posters is very tiresome, but it is not comparable to your OP.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

The point about Leprechauns is that it is alleged that all arguments for God are also arguments for Leprechauns. That is nonsense, and the continual banging on about Leprechauns by some posters is very tiresome, but it is not comparable to your OP.

The point about the asteroid is to test the atheist when he/she claims there is insufficient evidence. It establishes type and extent of what they might mean evidence.

Refusal by the atheist is down to fear of where the reasoning process might lead.

Lack of response to this question exposes atheist unwillingness to engage in discussion betraying their purpose on the board as mere sniping.

[Stranger]

If an asteroid crashed into the moon and the debris spelt out the word God in every human language would you believe in God or would you require more evidence?

Well, it would certainly be evidence that there was something powerful at work sending us a message but it would be rather ambiguous by itself. As I've said elsewhere, the unqualified word "God" is all but meaningless. Which god? What are we supposed to do about it? Is it a message from a god or a warning against them?

It would need to be followed up with some equally miraculous but more detailed message. Then we'd have to go from there...

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Well, it would certainly be evidence that there was something powerful at work sending us a message but it would be rather ambiguous by itself. As I've said elsewhere, the unqualified word "God" is all but meaningless. Which god? What are we supposed to do about it? Is it a message from a god or a warning against them?

It would need to be followed up with some equally miraculous but more detailed message. Then we'd have to go from there...

What do you mean “go from there”.

[Outrider]

If an asteroid crashed into the moon and the debris spelt out the word God in every human language would you believe in God or would you require more evidence?

It would certainly make me seriously consider it, yes, although I'd have to see exactly how clearly it was spelt out - I'm reminded of Matt Parker's demonstration of how you could build a network of isosceles and equilateral triangles by joining up the locations of Woolworths stores in the UK.  I guess it would depend on how much of a signal to noise ratio there appeared to be - get enough pieces of toast and you find images of Jesus, Mary and Dee Snider from Twisted Sister, but I'm not sure it's a sign of anything in particular.

O.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

It would certainly make me seriously consider it, yes, although I'd have to see exactly how clearly it was spelt out - I'm reminded of Matt Parker's demonstration of how you could build a network of isosceles and equilateral triangles by joining up the locations of Woolworths stores in the UK.  I guess it would depend on how much of a signal to noise ratio there appeared to be - get enough pieces of toast and you find images of Jesus, Mary and Dee Snider from Twisted Sister, but I'm not sure it's a sign of anything in particular.

O.

Ok let’s try zero noise.

[Stranger]

What do you mean “go from there”.

I mean see what the message said. I guess ideally, if it was from a god, it could be individual messages to each person on earth. After all, god would know better than I do what would convince me and it might not be the same as what would convince somebody else. But it would need to be clear an unambiguous - totally unlike the bible, for example.

[Roses]

If an asteroid crashed into the moon and the debris spelt out the word God in every human language would you believe in God or would you require more evidence?

Another example of your daft wummery. Of course it wouldn't be evidence of god.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Another example of your daft wummery. Of course it wouldn't be evidence of god.

Not summery the reasons for the questions have been outlined.

What extra would need to happen for you to believe?

[bluehillside Retd.]

Vlad,

If an asteroid crashed into the moon and the debris spelt out the word God in every human language would you believe in God or would you require more evidence?

Why would anyone think that to be evidence for “god”?

[bluehillside Retd.]

Slart,

The point about Leprechauns is that it is alleged that all arguments for God are also arguments for Leprechauns.

No it isn’t.

That is nonsense, and the continual banging on about Leprechauns by some posters is very tiresome, but it is not comparable to your OP.

And it’s a straw man. The point about the leprechauns analogy is that, if an argument attempted to justify the belief “god” works equally well to justify the belief “leprechauns” then it’s probably a bad argument. You cannot in other words say that logic is sound when it produces an outcome you think not ridiculous but unsound when it produces an argument you think ridiculous. Logic stands alone regardless of where it happens to lead.   

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I mean see what the message said. I guess ideally, if it was from a god, it could be individual messages to each person on earth. After all, god would know better than I do what would convince me and it might not be the same as what would convince somebody else. But it would need to be clear an unambiguous - totally unlike the bible, for example.

God isn’t the one to be convinced though.
Also from another point of view it may not be a matter of conviction but of commitment.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Vlad,

Why would anyone think that to be evidence for “god”?

The word God in every language. What is lacking for it not to count as evidence?

[Nearly Sane]

The word God in every language. What is lacking for it not to count as evidence?

A methodology for supernatural claims.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

A methodology for supernatural claims.

I see, so you would feel forced to treat this as a natural event?

[Nearly Sane]

I see, so you would feel forced to treat this as a natural event?

In the absence of methodology for supernatural claims, you know the one you have been asked for hundreds of times and never provided, then talking about evidence for asupernatural claim is specious.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Pidge,

The word God in every language. What is lacking for it not to count as evidence?

Some method of verifying the claim. Unless this god was interested in persuading only the gullible and the hard of thinking, he'd have to do a lot better than taking out a billboard with his name on it. If ever such a phenomenon was observed though, it would tell us only the following:

1. The observed event was not congruent with our current understanding of the physical universe.

2. Unless we found some means of understanding every possible aspect of the physical universe, we could not eliminate the possibility of the event happening naturally.   

3. Even if we could with certainty understand every possible aspect of the physical universe, that would tell us precisely nothing about the cause of the event. Presumably anything capable of causing it would also be capable or producing whatever word it liked, regardless of whether it was a god or something else.

This really is basic stuff you know, even for you.       

[Outrider]

Ok let’s try zero noise.

I'd probably have to seriously consider it at that point - I'm not sure how it'd go, it seems such an alien concept from here, but it'd have to be considered.

O.

[Nearly Sane]

I'd probably have to seriously consider it at that point - I'm not sure how it'd go, it seems such an alien concept from here, but it'd have to be considered.

O.

You need a supernatural methodology for it to be evidence of a supernatural claim.

[jeremyp]

If an asteroid crashed into the moon and the debris spelt out the word God in every human language would you believe in God or would you require more evidence?

For me, it would tip the scales a bit in God's favour. Of course I would also have to be convinced it wasn't an illusion or magic trick.