Here is my challenge:
Atheists, give your most rational argument for God.
Theists, give your most rational argument for the lack of God.
Try your hardest to think of something good. Limit your saracasm as best you can, please! ;)
2007-09-06 12:33:34 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
As an Atheist, I'll try to be the "devil's advocate" and defend the indefensible.
If I had to convince a person of the existence of God, I would start with a VERY clear and descriptive definition.
By God we mean the creator of the universe, a conscious entity that predates the universe, causes intentionally the universe to come into existence, conceives of a specific plan for it, and is responsible for everything that happens in it.
Then I would say: Since this kind of conscious entity chooses to reveal itself to us rarely and only by miraculous means which violate the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology (laws that only a God could possibly be capable of violating), to accept its existence, one must do so exclusively without using logical reasoning. Instead, one accepts this idea by means of an emotion called Faith.
2007-09-06 12:54:46 · answer #1 · answered by DrEvol 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As someone who thinks both sides are at worst totally delusional and at best completely misguided, I will try to give a reason why either one of them might actually be right.
This is the best I can come up with:
God either exists or he doesn't, because logic says one or the other must be true, and ... DUH!... the world is OBVIOUSLY a strictly logical place!! So if one or the other MUST be true, because, omg, logic r00lz, then we must be able to determine which one is true by giving rational arguments! WOOOHOOO.
Wow, this jumping to conclusions thing really feels self-assuring. I can see why everybody does it! Now I can sleep at night knowing that there is an answer to every question, whether its a religious answer or a "rational" one! All I have to do is make huge assumptions about how the mysteries of the world can be explained away by concepts like God or Physics. Gee thats neato.
Hooo - ray!
(That was minimal sarcasm, trust me)
2007-09-06 20:00:55 · answer #2 · answered by KenshoDude 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i'm an atheist, but i guess that as a theist i might say something like:
"well, obviously there has to be a god. otherwise, babies could never be born because there'd be no one to decode all that dna. i mean, think about it., could a recipe ever make a cake without a cook there to read the recipe and follow it?"
(sorry, i know you said to keep the sarcasm to a minimum, but since there aren't any good arguments for the existence of god, i figured i should just use a ridiculous one that i know most of them are thinking but just haven't figured out how to put into words yet.)
2007-09-06 19:58:04 · answer #3 · answered by tobykeogh 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Wow, I'm going to star this when I'm done answering. Great question. :)
I'm a Christian, so to answer the challenge my best argument for the lack of God would be the evolution theory. It presents a view so contrary to the Bible that if it is correct, the entire Bible must be wrong.
2007-09-06 19:43:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
One would not be able to think like the other with passion, therefore, no one can answer this question.
Agnostic answer:
Atheists do not beleive because Theists believe that God is All-Knowing, but too evil to accept that which He is creating KNOWING it to be something that He will disapprove at the other end of life.
Theists: He doesn't exist because as an All-Knowing, He would have to be evil for having the foresight to know that "putting that tree there would be a BAD thing", and not having the intelligence to put the tree somewhere else safer.
2007-09-06 19:37:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
OK, why on earth did one person. (Jesus.) Haft to be hanged on a cross just to pay for others sin?! I think that is really wrong. Saying that it is holy dose not make it right.
explain that to me.
2007-09-06 19:44:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Why not just ask everyone to play "pick up sticks" in a bowl of cherry jello?
Makes as much sense...maybe more.
2007-09-06 19:39:10 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I refuse to play Devil's advocate. ...sorry, I couldn't resist.
2007-09-06 19:42:25 · answer #8 · answered by whitehorse456 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He must exist because how does my cellphone work without wires?
2007-09-06 19:42:19 · answer #9 · answered by Shawn B 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
As a non-theist: You really don't have any proof that God does not exist.
2007-09-06 19:38:58 · answer #10 · answered by Kronos 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋