Concept of Infinity

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:
I attacked pat’s assumption of god’s existence. The only perspective i have is that of space/time, but without a cause there’s no need for a god.

Inflation and deflation of the universe as an eternal breath is just one perspective.
[/quote]

But you can’t rule out a cause because you are constraining your perspective to space-time.[/quote]

Both are unprovable assumptions, and equally valid.[/quote]

I’m just saying that the physical nature of the universe is of necessity distinct from initial cause/creation. Thinking the universe is infinite in time doesn’t preclude creation. I personally believe both.[/quote]

Yep…

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]forlife wrote:
You don’t run out of things to regress into if you go back forever.

If your god has no beginning, it is equally (and in my opinion far more) plausible that energy and matter have no beginning.[/quote]

You have an onion, if you keep peeling back layers, then do you continue forever or do eventually run out of onion layers? Regression strips things away, this process cannot go one forever. It’s impossible. Infinite regress is not the same as infinite. Regresses end. If you went backwards in life, once the sperm separates from the egg, you are no more.

The idea of infinite regress is a silly as ‘soft determinism’, both are impossible and neither exist.[/quote]

Why is infinite regress silly? The First Law of Thermodynamics says matter and energy can’t be created or destroyed. That means matter and energy have always existed.

[quote]forlife wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]forlife wrote:
You don’t run out of things to regress into if you go back forever.

If your god has no beginning, it is equally (and in my opinion far more) plausible that energy and matter have no beginning.[/quote]

You have an onion, if you keep peeling back layers, then do you continue forever or do eventually run out of onion layers? Regression strips things away, this process cannot go one forever. It’s impossible. Infinite regress is not the same as infinite. Regresses end. If you went backwards in life, once the sperm separates from the egg, you are no more.

The idea of infinite regress is a silly as ‘soft determinism’, both are impossible and neither exist.[/quote]

Why is infinite regress silly? The First Law of Thermodynamics says matter and energy can’t be created or destroyed. That means matter and energy have always existed.[/quote]

Using a law of the universe to limit and contend the origin of the universe is nonsense.

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

Except you did not address my question with your questions. What properties must this singularity have in order for the universe to come from it?
Answer mine and I will answer your non-related question.

The universe must be caused because everything it is and is made of is caused. Further, nothing that exists physically or metaphysically exists without cause. Find me one example, and I’ll take it back.

I didn’t apply ‘rules to God’, and one is not like the other. A creation is not like the creator, but is related to the creator.
[/quote]

The singularity is the universe pat; just a very condensed one.

You assume to universe is caused, you don’t know this for sure. That you find it more plausible to believe in an unseen, unproven and untestable god instead of an eternal universe, i just don’t get that.

The universe isn’t caused by a creator. It has existed in different shapes and sizes forever.

Our window of life is only a passing instance. Soon, in the eons to come, the universe will change and become inhabitable to life as we know it now.
[/quote]

Let’s just hang with this statement:

“The singularity is the universe pat; just a very condensed one.” So define this sigulariry and what properties it posses. It must, by what you said have all the stuff in it that make up this universe, right? How did it get that way? Where did it come from? “Is” is not an acceptable answer.

Until you prove one thing that isn’t caused there must necessary be one. An uncaused universe is more far fetched than a caused one especially since there isn’t a scintilla of evidence to support it. I understand it’s a theory, but one with no evidence, just a possibility. It just happens to be the theory you hang you hat on.

If all the premises are correct then the uncaused-cause is proven with the cosmological form. Now the burden of proof is on your, you argued an uncaused sigulatiry is the universe. This is not the same as a causer who “sits” outside the universe, completely outside the causal chain. Why? Becuase it has to or it’s not the said Uncaused-cause.

Prove the sigularity exists, further prove it is uncaused.

I have given my arguments to the point of nausea many times. You cannot refute it, so now prove your points.[/quote]

The singularity exists because we exist.

I can’t prove it’s uncaused just like you can’t prove your prime mover exists.

That “is” is not an acceptable answer to you is fine with me. “God” is not an acceptable answer to me either.

Your theoretical proof of an uncaused causer fails because that uncaused causer is not part of the proof; is not part of the logical path. By definition it must exist outside of the causal chain, and because of that falls outside of our scope.

The assertion is not falsifiable, and altough your argument appears logical it’s basic premiss remains unproven.

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:
I attacked pat’s assumption of god’s existence. The only perspective i have is that of space/time, but without a cause there’s no need for a god.

Inflation and deflation of the universe as an eternal breath is just one perspective.
[/quote]

But you can’t rule out a cause because you are constraining your perspective to space-time.[/quote]

Both are unprovable assumptions, and equally valid.[/quote]

I can deductively prove cosmology. Pick a flavor an run with it, it works with an apple it works with an atom, it works with theories, it works with facts, it works with all things, it is simple and linear.

Again I can prove God better than you can prove you yourself exist. I make a better argument for God than you can about any material object.
Actually, we should stick with Prime Mover or Uncaused-cause. Terminology is important and an Uncaused-cause isn’t necessarily God. I can make an argument for that, but it requires somebody to accept the premises and conclusion of cosmology and it is not what we are arguing here.
You call it divine, I see it as just perfectly natural and logical.
One thing though, the Uncaused-Cause is not the same thing as the universe itself. That’s not what I am arguing at all.[/quote]

You keep saying that but go ahead pat: make a better argument for god than i can for proving i exist.

[quote]forlife wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]forlife wrote:
You don’t run out of things to regress into if you go back forever.

If your god has no beginning, it is equally (and in my opinion far more) plausible that energy and matter have no beginning.[/quote]

You have an onion, if you keep peeling back layers, then do you continue forever or do eventually run out of onion layers? Regression strips things away, this process cannot go one forever. It’s impossible. Infinite regress is not the same as infinite. Regresses end. If you went backwards in life, once the sperm separates from the egg, you are no more.

The idea of infinite regress is a silly as ‘soft determinism’, both are impossible and neither exist.[/quote]

Why is infinite regress silly? The First Law of Thermodynamics says matter and energy can’t be created or destroyed. That means matter and energy have always existed.[/quote]

Always doesn’t matter if we are talking about contingency. If you take time out of the equation everything is eternal. The law of thermal dynamics can be right at every level of physics and still be contingent.

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]forlife wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]forlife wrote:
You don’t run out of things to regress into if you go back forever.

If your god has no beginning, it is equally (and in my opinion far more) plausible that energy and matter have no beginning.[/quote]

You have an onion, if you keep peeling back layers, then do you continue forever or do eventually run out of onion layers? Regression strips things away, this process cannot go one forever. It’s impossible. Infinite regress is not the same as infinite. Regresses end. If you went backwards in life, once the sperm separates from the egg, you are no more.

The idea of infinite regress is a silly as ‘soft determinism’, both are impossible and neither exist.[/quote]

Why is infinite regress silly? The First Law of Thermodynamics says matter and energy can’t be created or destroyed. That means matter and energy have always existed.[/quote]

Using a law of the universe to limit and contend the origin of the universe is nonsense.[/quote]

Not exactly. The observation that matter and energy cannot be destroyed suggests at least the possibility that this has always been the case. I’m not contending an infinite universe must be true, only that it might be true, and that concocting supernatural causes is unnecessary.

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

Except you did not address my question with your questions. What properties must this singularity have in order for the universe to come from it?
Answer mine and I will answer your non-related question.

The universe must be caused because everything it is and is made of is caused. Further, nothing that exists physically or metaphysically exists without cause. Find me one example, and I’ll take it back.

I didn’t apply ‘rules to God’, and one is not like the other. A creation is not like the creator, but is related to the creator.
[/quote]

The singularity is the universe pat; just a very condensed one.

You assume to universe is caused, you don’t know this for sure. That you find it more plausible to believe in an unseen, unproven and untestable god instead of an eternal universe, i just don’t get that.

The universe isn’t caused by a creator. It has existed in different shapes and sizes forever.

Our window of life is only a passing instance. Soon, in the eons to come, the universe will change and become inhabitable to life as we know it now.
[/quote]

Let’s just hang with this statement:

“The singularity is the universe pat; just a very condensed one.” So define this sigulariry and what properties it posses. It must, by what you said have all the stuff in it that make up this universe, right? How did it get that way? Where did it come from? “Is” is not an acceptable answer.

Until you prove one thing that isn’t caused there must necessary be one. An uncaused universe is more far fetched than a caused one especially since there isn’t a scintilla of evidence to support it. I understand it’s a theory, but one with no evidence, just a possibility. It just happens to be the theory you hang you hat on.

If all the premises are correct then the uncaused-cause is proven with the cosmological form. Now the burden of proof is on your, you argued an uncaused sigulatiry is the universe. This is not the same as a causer who “sits” outside the universe, completely outside the causal chain. Why? Becuase it has to or it’s not the said Uncaused-cause.

Prove the sigularity exists, further prove it is uncaused.

I have given my arguments to the point of nausea many times. You cannot refute it, so now prove your points.[/quote]

The singularity exists because we exist.

I can’t prove it’s uncaused just like you can’t prove your prime mover exists.

That “is” is not an acceptable answer to you is fine with me. “God” is not an acceptable answer to me either.

Your theoretical proof of an uncaused causer fails because that uncaused causer is not part of the proof; is not part of the logical path. By definition it must exist outside of the causal chain, and because of that falls outside of our scope.

The assertion is not falsifiable, and altough your argument appears logical it’s basic premiss remains unproven.
[/quote]

You mention theoretical proof. Your beliefs are based off of a branch of (what I would like to call) pseudoscience known as theoretical physics, which using mathematical models (i.e a man made concept) to explain phenomena.

You also mention the basic premise of a divine being, though appearing logical remains unproven. Yes, we cannot put God in a vial and say “here he is”. However, though God remains unproven from a scientific point of view, your theories on our existence also remain unproven and doesn’t even make it into “theory” classification but will and always will remain hypotheses.

In the end we both (all of us actually) rely on faith. But according to probability the odds that life, or more accurately the conditions for life to exist, occurring from random chance events or a divine being, I will take the divine being.

[quote]forlife wrote:

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]forlife wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]forlife wrote:
You don’t run out of things to regress into if you go back forever.

If your god has no beginning, it is equally (and in my opinion far more) plausible that energy and matter have no beginning.[/quote]

You have an onion, if you keep peeling back layers, then do you continue forever or do eventually run out of onion layers? Regression strips things away, this process cannot go one forever. It’s impossible. Infinite regress is not the same as infinite. Regresses end. If you went backwards in life, once the sperm separates from the egg, you are no more.

The idea of infinite regress is a silly as ‘soft determinism’, both are impossible and neither exist.[/quote]

Why is infinite regress silly? The First Law of Thermodynamics says matter and energy can’t be created or destroyed. That means matter and energy have always existed.[/quote]

Using a law of the universe to limit and contend the origin of the universe is nonsense.[/quote]

Not exactly. The observation that matter and energy cannot be destroyed suggests at least the possibility that this has always been the case. I’m not contending an infinite universe must be true, only that it might be true, and that concocting supernatural causes is unnecessary.
[/quote]

Unnecessary, but unlikely.

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:
I attacked pat’s assumption of god’s existence. The only perspective i have is that of space/time, but without a cause there’s no need for a god.

Inflation and deflation of the universe as an eternal breath is just one perspective.
[/quote]

But you can’t rule out a cause because you are constraining your perspective to space-time.[/quote]

Both are unprovable assumptions, and equally valid.[/quote]

I can deductively prove cosmology. Pick a flavor an run with it, it works with an apple it works with an atom, it works with theories, it works with facts, it works with all things, it is simple and linear.

Again I can prove God better than you can prove you yourself exist. I make a better argument for God than you can about any material object.
Actually, we should stick with Prime Mover or Uncaused-cause. Terminology is important and an Uncaused-cause isn’t necessarily God. I can make an argument for that, but it requires somebody to accept the premises and conclusion of cosmology and it is not what we are arguing here.
You call it divine, I see it as just perfectly natural and logical.
One thing though, the Uncaused-Cause is not the same thing as the universe itself. That’s not what I am arguing at all.[/quote]

You keep saying that but go ahead pat: make a better argument for god than i can for proving i exist.[/quote]

First, you need to make an argument that you exist, then I can beat it. How can I beat an argument you haven’t made?

Second, it’s your turn. I have made my arguments many many times. It’s your turn. Prove your singularity accordion universe theory.

Our Universe is not the first Universe by any stretch of the imagination.Our Universe is in fact the progeny of another universe and like its ancestors is constantly giving birth to an incredibly vast number of new and very similar universes.

We do in fact know what is beyond our observable universe by analyzing the contents of our observable universe because there are fundamental concepts in physics that allow our Universe to exist and it would be impossible for them to differ in other areas of the Universe which are not yet part of the observable universe.

The actual size of the universe is 10 to the 18millionth power multiplied by the size of our observable universe which contains 100 billion galaxy’s averaging 100billion stars and is 13.7 billion light years across.

Check out this workshop for the full scoop.

http://www.stone.pequals.com/

[quote]forlife wrote:

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]forlife wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]forlife wrote:
You don’t run out of things to regress into if you go back forever.

If your god has no beginning, it is equally (and in my opinion far more) plausible that energy and matter have no beginning.[/quote]

You have an onion, if you keep peeling back layers, then do you continue forever or do eventually run out of onion layers? Regression strips things away, this process cannot go one forever. It’s impossible. Infinite regress is not the same as infinite. Regresses end. If you went backwards in life, once the sperm separates from the egg, you are no more.

The idea of infinite regress is a silly as ‘soft determinism’, both are impossible and neither exist.[/quote]

Why is infinite regress silly? The First Law of Thermodynamics says matter and energy can’t be created or destroyed. That means matter and energy have always existed.[/quote]

Using a law of the universe to limit and contend the origin of the universe is nonsense.[/quote]

Not exactly. The observation that matter and energy cannot be destroyed suggests at least the possibility that this has always been the case. I’m not contending an infinite universe must be true, only that it might be true, and that concocting supernatural causes is unnecessary.
[/quote]

No. It always existing does not preclude causation because a cause for the universe would not be bound by the time laws internal to the universe. Something can be infinite in the time of the universe and still have an external cause that is outside of time as a cause for the universe necisarily would be.

[quote]Heliotrope wrote:
Our Universe is not the first Universe by any stretch of the imagination.Our Universe is in fact the progeny of another universe and like its ancestors is constantly giving birth to an incredibly vast number of new and very similar universes.

We do in fact know what is beyond our observable universe by analyzing the contents of our observable universe because there are fundamental concepts in physics that allow our Universe to exist and it would be impossible for them to differ in other areas of the Universe which are not yet part of the observable universe.

The actual size of the universe is 10 to the 18millionth power multiplied by the size of our observable universe which contains 100 billion galaxy’s averaging 100billion stars and is 13.7 billion light years across.

Check out this workshop for the full scoop.

http://www.stone.pequals.com/[/quote]

Where did you get this? And it was tough to get through your post due to avatar interference.

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:
I attacked pat’s assumption of god’s existence. The only perspective i have is that of space/time, but without a cause there’s no need for a god.

Inflation and deflation of the universe as an eternal breath is just one perspective.
[/quote]

But you can’t rule out a cause because you are constraining your perspective to space-time.[/quote]

Both are unprovable assumptions, and equally valid.[/quote]

I can deductively prove cosmology. Pick a flavor an run with it, it works with an apple it works with an atom, it works with theories, it works with facts, it works with all things, it is simple and linear.

Again I can prove God better than you can prove you yourself exist. I make a better argument for God than you can about any material object.
Actually, we should stick with Prime Mover or Uncaused-cause. Terminology is important and an Uncaused-cause isn’t necessarily God. I can make an argument for that, but it requires somebody to accept the premises and conclusion of cosmology and it is not what we are arguing here.
You call it divine, I see it as just perfectly natural and logical.
One thing though, the Uncaused-Cause is not the same thing as the universe itself. That’s not what I am arguing at all.[/quote]

You keep saying that but go ahead pat: make a better argument for god than i can for proving i exist.[/quote]

First, you need to make an argument that you exist, then I can beat it. How can I beat an argument you haven’t made?

Second, it’s your turn. I have made my arguments many many times. It’s your turn. Prove your singularity accordion universe theory.[/quote]

I can take a picture with a sign that says, “Hey pat! It’s ephrem from T-Nation proving he exists”. Would that satisfy you?

I can’t prove my theory pat, just like you can’t prove your god-myth.

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]Heliotrope wrote:
Our Universe is not the first Universe by any stretch of the imagination.Our Universe is in fact the progeny of another universe and like its ancestors is constantly giving birth to an incredibly vast number of new and very similar universes.

We do in fact know what is beyond our observable universe by analyzing the contents of our observable universe because there are fundamental concepts in physics that allow our Universe to exist and it would be impossible for them to differ in other areas of the Universe which are not yet part of the observable universe.

The actual size of the universe is 10 to the 18millionth power multiplied by the size of our observable universe which contains 100 billion galaxy’s averaging 100billion stars and is 13.7 billion light years across.

Check out this workshop for the full scoop.

http://www.stone.pequals.com/[/quote]

Where did you get this? And it was tough to get through your post due to avatar interference.[/quote]

I attended the workshop and took the class in college. The guy presenting it has been a professor of physics cosmology for over thirty years or something. He studied with the some of the best in the field and updates his presentation constantly. Hes also works out at my gym and is a bodybuilder in his sixties and about 220 and ripped.

[quote]forbes wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

Except you did not address my question with your questions. What properties must this singularity have in order for the universe to come from it?
Answer mine and I will answer your non-related question.

The universe must be caused because everything it is and is made of is caused. Further, nothing that exists physically or metaphysically exists without cause. Find me one example, and I’ll take it back.

I didn’t apply ‘rules to God’, and one is not like the other. A creation is not like the creator, but is related to the creator.
[/quote]

The singularity is the universe pat; just a very condensed one.

You assume to universe is caused, you don’t know this for sure. That you find it more plausible to believe in an unseen, unproven and untestable god instead of an eternal universe, i just don’t get that.

The universe isn’t caused by a creator. It has existed in different shapes and sizes forever.

Our window of life is only a passing instance. Soon, in the eons to come, the universe will change and become inhabitable to life as we know it now.
[/quote]

Let’s just hang with this statement:

“The singularity is the universe pat; just a very condensed one.” So define this sigulariry and what properties it posses. It must, by what you said have all the stuff in it that make up this universe, right? How did it get that way? Where did it come from? “Is” is not an acceptable answer.

Until you prove one thing that isn’t caused there must necessary be one. An uncaused universe is more far fetched than a caused one especially since there isn’t a scintilla of evidence to support it. I understand it’s a theory, but one with no evidence, just a possibility. It just happens to be the theory you hang you hat on.

If all the premises are correct then the uncaused-cause is proven with the cosmological form. Now the burden of proof is on your, you argued an uncaused sigulatiry is the universe. This is not the same as a causer who “sits” outside the universe, completely outside the causal chain. Why? Becuase it has to or it’s not the said Uncaused-cause.

Prove the sigularity exists, further prove it is uncaused.

I have given my arguments to the point of nausea many times. You cannot refute it, so now prove your points.[/quote]

The singularity exists because we exist.

I can’t prove it’s uncaused just like you can’t prove your prime mover exists.

That “is” is not an acceptable answer to you is fine with me. “God” is not an acceptable answer to me either.

Your theoretical proof of an uncaused causer fails because that uncaused causer is not part of the proof; is not part of the logical path. By definition it must exist outside of the causal chain, and because of that falls outside of our scope.

The assertion is not falsifiable, and altough your argument appears logical it’s basic premiss remains unproven.
[/quote]

You mention theoretical proof. Your beliefs are based off of a branch of (what I would like to call) pseudoscience known as theoretical physics, which using mathematical models (i.e a man made concept) to explain phenomena.

You also mention the basic premise of a divine being, though appearing logical remains unproven. Yes, we cannot put God in a vial and say “here he is”. However, though God remains unproven from a scientific point of view, your theories on our existence also remain unproven and doesn’t even make it into “theory” classification but will and always will remain hypotheses.

In the end we both (all of us actually) rely on faith. But according to probability the odds that life, or more accurately the conditions for life to exist, occurring from random chance events or a divine being, I will take the divine being.
[/quote]

  1. Theoretical physics are subtly different from cosmology, which is subtly different from astrophysics, etc… That being said, even the most theoretical of physics relies on mountains of evidence and centuries of observation. Contrary to your unfortunately not uncommon, layman’s perspective they aren’t just making shit up.

  2. Not all of us rely on faith. No matter how many times you and a number of the other religious posters here say it, it will not be true. There are plenty of people out there who investigate the world and develop an understanding of it without ever calling upon faith. Assumptions, guesses, reasonable expectations, even belief… but, though they may be synonyms of faith, they are not faith. Faith requires specifically a suspension of disbelief where the other cognitive tools I mentioned do not.

  3. Given the scope and scale of the universe, random chance looks a lot more probable than a divine being from where I’m sitting… especially when you consider how fundamentally flawed and inefficient our bodies and minds are. If we are the work of a divinity, he’s having a good laugh at our expense.

[quote]Heliotrope wrote:

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]Heliotrope wrote:
Our Universe is not the first Universe by any stretch of the imagination.Our Universe is in fact the progeny of another universe and like its ancestors is constantly giving birth to an incredibly vast number of new and very similar universes.

We do in fact know what is beyond our observable universe by analyzing the contents of our observable universe because there are fundamental concepts in physics that allow our Universe to exist and it would be impossible for them to differ in other areas of the Universe which are not yet part of the observable universe.

The actual size of the universe is 10 to the 18millionth power multiplied by the size of our observable universe which contains 100 billion galaxy’s averaging 100billion stars and is 13.7 billion light years across.

Check out this workshop for the full scoop.

http://www.stone.pequals.com/[/quote]

Where did you get this? And it was tough to get through your post due to avatar interference.[/quote]

I attended the workshop and took the class in college. The guy presenting it has been a professor of physics cosmology for over thirty years or something. He studied with the some of the best in the field and updates his presentation constantly. Hes also works out at my gym and is a bodybuilder in his sixties and about 220 and ripped.[/quote]

It’s an interesting theory, and one that I find rather plausible. Didn’t Smolin pretty much pioneer this idea? His theory is basically a Darwinian approach where universes are birthed out of black holes.

As for all the pseudo-spiritual stuff, I don’t partake.

[quote]forbes wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

The singularity exists because we exist.

I can’t prove it’s uncaused just like you can’t prove your prime mover exists.

That “is” is not an acceptable answer to you is fine with me. “God” is not an acceptable answer to me either.

Your theoretical proof of an uncaused causer fails because that uncaused causer is not part of the proof; is not part of the logical path. By definition it must exist outside of the causal chain, and because of that falls outside of our scope.

The assertion is not falsifiable, and altough your argument appears logical it’s basic premiss remains unproven.
[/quote]

You mention theoretical proof. Your beliefs are based off of a branch of (what I would like to call) pseudoscience known as theoretical physics, which using mathematical models (i.e a man made concept) to explain phenomena.

You also mention the basic premise of a divine being, though appearing logical remains unproven. Yes, we cannot put God in a vial and say “here he is”. However, though God remains unproven from a scientific point of view, your theories on our existence also remain unproven and doesn’t even make it into “theory” classification but will and always will remain hypotheses.

In the end we both (all of us actually) rely on faith. But according to probability the odds that life, or more accurately the conditions for life to exist, occurring from random chance events or a divine being, I will take the divine being.
[/quote]

Sorry forbes, i must’ve overlooked this post. The difference is that i don’t care if i am wrong or right. Because i can’t know whether i’m right or wrong it would be silly of me to believe that i am right.

My one and only true answer is: i don’t know.

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:
I attacked pat’s assumption of god’s existence. The only perspective i have is that of space/time, but without a cause there’s no need for a god.

Inflation and deflation of the universe as an eternal breath is just one perspective.
[/quote]

But you can’t rule out a cause because you are constraining your perspective to space-time.[/quote]

Both are unprovable assumptions, and equally valid.[/quote]

I can deductively prove cosmology. Pick a flavor an run with it, it works with an apple it works with an atom, it works with theories, it works with facts, it works with all things, it is simple and linear.

Again I can prove God better than you can prove you yourself exist. I make a better argument for God than you can about any material object.
Actually, we should stick with Prime Mover or Uncaused-cause. Terminology is important and an Uncaused-cause isn’t necessarily God. I can make an argument for that, but it requires somebody to accept the premises and conclusion of cosmology and it is not what we are arguing here.
You call it divine, I see it as just perfectly natural and logical.
One thing though, the Uncaused-Cause is not the same thing as the universe itself. That’s not what I am arguing at all.[/quote]

You keep saying that but go ahead pat: make a better argument for god than i can for proving i exist.[/quote]

First, you need to make an argument that you exist, then I can beat it. How can I beat an argument you haven’t made?

Second, it’s your turn. I have made my arguments many many times. It’s your turn. Prove your singularity accordion universe theory.[/quote]

I can take a picture with a sign that says, “Hey pat! It’s ephrem from T-Nation proving he exists”. Would that satisfy you?

I can’t prove my theory pat, just like you can’t prove your god-myth.
[/quote]

The picture would not be sufficient actually. It may sound silly, but I can’t even prove the picture would exist. I cannot prove anything physical or empirical. I cannot prove the senses have been deceived or that I am not imagining something… There in lies the problem. It sounds silly, but it’s still an unsolvable problem. Hence Des Cartes derived “T think therefore, I am.” He could not prove he exists any other way, but he was wrong… He could only prove existence, not the possession of it…

[quote]swoleupinya wrote:

[quote]forbes wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

[quote]ephrem wrote:

[quote]pat wrote:

Except you did not address my question with your questions. What properties must this singularity have in order for the universe to come from it?
Answer mine and I will answer your non-related question.

The universe must be caused because everything it is and is made of is caused. Further, nothing that exists physically or metaphysically exists without cause. Find me one example, and I’ll take it back.

I didn’t apply ‘rules to God’, and one is not like the other. A creation is not like the creator, but is related to the creator.
[/quote]

The singularity is the universe pat; just a very condensed one.

You assume to universe is caused, you don’t know this for sure. That you find it more plausible to believe in an unseen, unproven and untestable god instead of an eternal universe, i just don’t get that.

The universe isn’t caused by a creator. It has existed in different shapes and sizes forever.

Our window of life is only a passing instance. Soon, in the eons to come, the universe will change and become inhabitable to life as we know it now.
[/quote]

Let’s just hang with this statement:

“The singularity is the universe pat; just a very condensed one.” So define this sigulariry and what properties it posses. It must, by what you said have all the stuff in it that make up this universe, right? How did it get that way? Where did it come from? “Is” is not an acceptable answer.

Until you prove one thing that isn’t caused there must necessary be one. An uncaused universe is more far fetched than a caused one especially since there isn’t a scintilla of evidence to support it. I understand it’s a theory, but one with no evidence, just a possibility. It just happens to be the theory you hang you hat on.

If all the premises are correct then the uncaused-cause is proven with the cosmological form. Now the burden of proof is on your, you argued an uncaused sigulatiry is the universe. This is not the same as a causer who “sits” outside the universe, completely outside the causal chain. Why? Becuase it has to or it’s not the said Uncaused-cause.

Prove the sigularity exists, further prove it is uncaused.

I have given my arguments to the point of nausea many times. You cannot refute it, so now prove your points.[/quote]

The singularity exists because we exist.

I can’t prove it’s uncaused just like you can’t prove your prime mover exists.

That “is” is not an acceptable answer to you is fine with me. “God” is not an acceptable answer to me either.

Your theoretical proof of an uncaused causer fails because that uncaused causer is not part of the proof; is not part of the logical path. By definition it must exist outside of the causal chain, and because of that falls outside of our scope.

The assertion is not falsifiable, and altough your argument appears logical it’s basic premiss remains unproven.
[/quote]

You mention theoretical proof. Your beliefs are based off of a branch of (what I would like to call) pseudoscience known as theoretical physics, which using mathematical models (i.e a man made concept) to explain phenomena.

You also mention the basic premise of a divine being, though appearing logical remains unproven. Yes, we cannot put God in a vial and say “here he is”. However, though God remains unproven from a scientific point of view, your theories on our existence also remain unproven and doesn’t even make it into “theory” classification but will and always will remain hypotheses.

In the end we both (all of us actually) rely on faith. But according to probability the odds that life, or more accurately the conditions for life to exist, occurring from random chance events or a divine being, I will take the divine being.
[/quote]

  1. Theoretical physics are subtly different from cosmology, which is subtly different from astrophysics, etc… That being said, even the most theoretical of physics relies on mountains of evidence and centuries of observation. Contrary to your unfortunately not uncommon, layman’s perspective they aren’t just making shit up.

  2. Not all of us rely on faith. No matter how many times you and a number of the other religious posters here say it, it will not be true. There are plenty of people out there who investigate the world and develop an understanding of it without ever calling upon faith. Assumptions, guesses, reasonable expectations, even belief… but, though they may be synonyms of faith, they are not faith. Faith requires specifically a suspension of disbelief where the other cognitive tools I mentioned do not.

  3. Given the scope and scale of the universe, random chance looks a lot more probable than a divine being from where I’m sitting… especially when you consider how fundamentally flawed and inefficient our bodies and minds are. If we are the work of a divinity, he’s having a good laugh at our expense.
    [/quote]

Well, it depends on how you are looking at faith. I am going to make the assumption that what Forbes meant is that if your really look at it, almost everything we “know” is not known beyond the shadow of a doubt. In other words, when you understand the fact that almost everything we “know” is in fact a belief then he’s right.

That doesn’t mean that mean there isn’t damn good evidence for scientific reason, theoretical physics or most branches of science, it just means, when you get to the core of all matters, there is no “Beyond a shadow of a doubt” knowledge save very few things, everything else is, technically based on faith…It is an important thing to understand though…