Here’s another post!
It’s been awhile since I contributed to Kevin’s blog but here’s another semi-intellectual, partially-educated post.
Well it’s fairly simple. Logically, only two circumstances can exist and only one side can be right. There’s either Theism or Atheism (non-Theism if you prefer). It’s the most fundamental of arguments and it’s intriguing because
it MUST be one or the other.
Noting this, we’ll put a few different things aside. Atheism is pretty cut and dry. If there is no god, there is no god. Theism is a bit different though. If you argue for Theism you’re also challenged with defending a particular form of Theism (Various Religions). However, for this let’s just discuss plain and simple, is there or isn’t there a god? (probably, not certainly)
Often, this argument revolves around how the earth came to be. It’s a Creation v. Evolution showdown every time anyone gets into this. The problem with this is that it revolves
too much around the details. Mainstream Christianity tends to hold to the idea that the earth is roughly 6000 years old and the earth was created in 7, 24 hour days (however you punctuate 7 and 24 there). Even within Christianity there are quarrels about this theory and alternate theories about the earth being created over a long period of time. Evolution then counters that in many different ways that are too familiar and not worth listing. In my opinion,
people get too lost in trying to defend the details before defending the fundamental ideas behind their argument such as, can the universe even exist? I, personally, don’t hold to a particular view when it comes to Creation but I do believe the earth and the universe ULTIMATELY had to be created by a creator.
There’s a bit of an issue when it comes to the universe. If one is to assert that there is no infinite creator than they must assert that something else is infinite. It goes to back ancient philosophy where the best explanation for the universe is an infinite regress back in time. We can’t have nothing and then have something. Plus, it’s difficult to fathom the idea of there being nothing. If I try to imagine nothing then all I see is black but even that black backdrop I see in my mind wouldn’t exist. Out of this idea many come to the conclusion that the universe is infinite. First, how would we have gotten to this point if we had to travel an infinite amount of time to get here? Second, the other explanation for the universe is the idea of the Big Bang. This doesn’t necessarily serve the non-theists needs however, because it contradicts the idea that the universe is infinite which is arguably very necessary to the non-theist’s idea. The Big Bang now begins to serve the theist a bit more. This is because, most importantly, the theory of the Big Bang shows that the universe had a beginning. If the universe, in fact, had a beginning, then it wouldn’t be logically impossible for there to be a separate, infinite creator that gives motion to the universe. Here’s an analogy, and though analogies aren’t perfect, we’re ultimately presented with our most fundamental choice. Does adding an infinite number of train cars to a track give a train motion or does the locomotive give motion to the finite number of train cars?
-Ryan
