What do Christians and Muslims think of the 'God Of The Gaps' position?

Question

In this I mean where people fill in gaps of (scientific) knowledge with the simple explanation of 'God'

i.e. "No-one can explain how the universe began, so it has to be God... "

1. Do you think that those your own faith are guilty of employing it?

2. Do you think that those of other faiths are guilty of employing it?

Fajie, I wasn't asking about the Quran. Please answer the question instead?

Mastermind..That is an interesting point you have. But isn't 'generalizing and calling it God' (as you say) exactly the same as "we don't know, so we shall say "God"?

Hartley: "This isn't a good question, since the answer is obviously that it varies according to each person's opinion."

Welcome to the real world. Do you think questions are only good if they have one answer?

Answer 1

In response to this from Mastermind:
" There are only a few options for the universe:

1.) It came into being for no reason
2.) It has always existed
3.) It was created by some higher power we don't understand (which we will generalize and call "god" even though this could be multiple beings or non-religious in nature)."

This argument is fatally flawed in two (main) ways:

First, there is a fourth alternative that you have failed to list: that being that we just simply don't know yet. Accepting this as answer leads us to investigation in order to find out. Filling the gap in our knowledge with the answer of "God" does nothing for our understanding and discourages us from investigating further and trying to find out the answer, understanding of which may turn out beneficial to us. Filling gaps in our knowledge with "God" is a frightening thought: humanity is facing a serious threat at the moment from bird flu (no, it hasn't gone away!). If we looked at all these birds dying and asked why they died only to answer with "I don't know. Let's say god is doing it and not bother trying to find out." What would that do for us? It'd leave millions of people dead! Scientists, however, notice birds dying, raise the question "why are they dying" and then search for the answer. They investigate and discover a deadly strain of flu virus that could potentially prove devastating on a global scale. So what do they do? Do they say "we don't know how to cure it. We'll just have to pray." No, they investigate to find answers. As we speak, scientists around the world are investigating this very problem, searching for a vaccine or cure. What if they had given up with cholera or smallpox? Would the world be the same?
Sometimes we have to admit that we simply don't know. Using "God" to fill the gaps should be seen as an embarassingly weak cop-out.

Second argument:
The three options you offered for the universe could just as easily be applied to the creator himself. If there is a creator, then...
1.) He came into being for no reason
2.) He has always existed
3.) He was created by some higher power we don't understand (which we will generalize and call "god" even though this could be multiple beings or non-religious in nature).
If the universe is so complex that it needs a creator, then who created the creator? If your answer is simply that God is the exception, then I have to ask... why bother adding on another mystery? Why try to answer one seemingly unanswerable question by putting another unanswerable question in it's place, particularly since there is extremely little evidence to support your claim of the existence of a god.

I am repeatedly amazed at the willingness of people to simply believe something of which there is no evidence (unless we count a book that a bunch of people wrote a few hundred years ago to aid their political agendas, that is FULL of contradictions and inconsistencies... but I won't get started on the bible, its far to easy to tear apart... and thats another question altogether)

Answer 2

I think naming it "God of the Gaps" is intellectually dishonest.

There are only a few options for the universe:

1.) It came into being for no reason
2.) It has always existed
3.) It was created by some higher power we don't understand (which we will generalize and call "god" even though this could be multiple beings or non-religious in nature).

Thats it... there are no other possibilities. I don't see how claiming that I believe in 3 over 1 is taking an unscientific position. The only one that there is evidence against is 2 (the bright sky/space argument being one). The other two we have no arguments against and no real arguments for. We will never be able to really know what happened before "the big bang" which either 1 or 3 could allow for (the big bang could have happened for no reason or because some higher power pushed the play button).

So it boils down to "did everything in existence appear magically for no reason, no cause and effect, no creator or is there some creator we don't comprehend."

Given these two options, the creator idea appeals to me as I don't see the most major event ever to happen being the result of chance and without a creator.

Answer 3

the entire universe is proof of God and all that there is, there will not be any excuse.

Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Answer 4

.....I think that until science is able to fill its own gaps, we have little choice but to rely on the word of THE ONE who created it all.

.....Science drawing branch lines on a chart where there is no proof of the branching is intellectually dishonest.

.....So maybe we don't know exactly how the creation came into being other than by the spoken word of God.

.....Actually scientists in the eighteenth century and before believed that science and the Bible were harmonious.

.....It was not until the nineteenth century that science began to be directly opposed to the Bible.

grace2u

Answer 5

without faith one can not approach God so I would say that faith fills in the gaps between reason and the unknown. However, there would be no faith without God so I think your statement is correct. It is interesting that this statement changes when viewed with or without faith.

Answer 6

I can ask one question,does our knowledge about the living cell make us able to create one cell ?Then calling God" the God of the Gaps"is very wrong.

Answer 7

i'm not sure if I see a similar traits. Being a Christian would not make me an expert on who I ought to have confidence or no longer in line with a distinction of religion. everybody has their very own unique traits that lead them to appealing. till you have given me a reason to mistrust you, i do no longer make assumptions based on your ideals. till of direction in case your faith improve into the church of compulsive mendacity i'm going to no longer have confidence you. on a similar time I won't decide you based on your distinction of religion, i might anticipate my Christian brothers and sisters to hold to a customary based on the Bible. in case your morale "code" isn't in line with faith, it is not incorrect. It merely won't be comparable to mine. A Muslim can misinform a Christian because of the fact their faith supplies them permission to achieve this. they might lie, cheat, or scouse borrow from everybody that's no longer of their faith. you in all probability have an more advantageous customary that strains up extra with mine than theirs. maximum Atheists are very logical those that choose peace. i might individually view a lukewarm Christian as lots extra of a complication than a die complicated Atheists. Be Blessed and take care

Answer 8

This isn't a good question, since the answer is obviously that it varies according to each person's opinion.

Answer 9

I don't believe in a 'God of the Gaps' theory. I believe that God is the underlying cause and reason for all of existence, including those things in science that we know all about. There doesn't need to be a gap in our knowledge for God to be involved. God is involved in every process of nature, from the pollination of flowers by the humble bumble bee, to the more complex workings of gravity on every living creature. He designed it all. Science is merely a methodical process by which fallible humans come to conclusions about the workmanship of Deity.

Answer 10

I thought the God of the Gaps were modern orthodontists