Some in the unbelieving community appear to latch on to certain concepts without considering their ultimate implications. Ray Comfort is fond of saying that an atheist believes that nothing created everything, with which I mostly agree, since most atheistic reasoning on origins leads there, and that which does not is faulty from the start.
For example, if one subscribes to a materialist process of evolution of all living things, the next logical question is how life got started at all. Many atheists seem to prefer to keep evolution and abiogenesis (life from nonlife) separate, and while the two concepts may be considered individually for scientific purposes, philosophically, they are quite inextricable. Not only that, but the sequence continues infinitely with the repeating question, "And before that?" Thus, the problem of infinite regression.
How can we resolve the problem? One could postulate that the universe has simply always been, without beginning and without end. The flaw with this proposal is time. Time cannot extend infinitely into the past (perhaps familiar to those acquainted with the Kalam Cosmological Argument), or we could never have arrived at this moment. This is how medieval philosophers knew 1000 years prior to the big bang theory that the universe had a beginning. Since the material universe consists of space-time, only a being or condition independent of this continuum could logically have no beginning or end, which of course is a description of God of the Bible - the Alpha and Omega; beginning and end. One could argue, as Lawrence Krauss of Arizona State University contends (in agreement with Comfort's statement about the atheist view), that the universe literally sprang out of nothing, but how is this less miraculous? Are we then not simply worshiping the creation, rather than the Creator?
God has given sufficient reason to believe, and believing to have life in His name.
Hey Bit, just thought I'd cover all the bases and respond to this post too!
ReplyDelete"Ray Comfort is fond of saying that an atheist believes that nothing created everything,"
This is simply not true. Ray has been informed that this is factually incorrect hundreds of times. His continued insistence on using this canard without ever actually defending the reasoning behind it leads most atheists who visit Ray's blog to conclude that he is being fundamentally dishonest (something that is consistent with much of his other evangelistic efforts also).
"with which I mostly agree, since most atheistic reasoning on origins leads there, and that which does not is faulty from the start."
Atheism means a lack of belief in gods. That's it.
"For example, if one subscribes to a materialist process of evolution of all living things, the next logical question is how life got started at all."
A very logical step to take.
"Many atheists seem to prefer to keep evolution and abiogenesis (life from nonlife) separate,"
No, many scientists prefer to keep evolution and abiogenesis separate, because they are different fields of study. Atheism is just the lack of belief in gods.
"and while the two concepts may be considered individually for scientific purposes, philosophically, they are quite inextricable."
They are not philosophical questions. They are, by definition, scientific investigations into what happened. Not why it happened.
"Not only that, but the sequence continues infinitely with the repeating question, "And before that?" Thus, the problem of infinite regression."
As far as we can tell, space and time began at the Big Bang. We don't know anything about anything 'before' that.
"How can we resolve the problem?"
What's the problem?
"One could postulate that the universe has simply always been, without beginning and without end."
I'm not sure that anyone subscribes to this view.
"Since the material universe consists of space-time, only a being or condition independent of this continuum could logically have no beginning or end, which of course is a description of God of the Bible"
It is also the description of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. So?
"the universe literally sprang out of nothing, but how is this less miraculous?"
Maybe it was a miracle. We have no real way of knowing as of yet.
"God has given sufficient reason to believe, and believing to have life in His name."
None of what you wrote constituted evidence for a belief in God. And even if it did evidence a belief in a 'creator' that still does not necessitate that it is the God of the Bible.
Cheers,