39
votes
Accepted
How do proponents of the Fine Tuning argument for God, refute the puddle comparison?
Interestingly, the puddle analogy is wrong for exactly the same reasons that the claim that "improbable events happen all the time" does not solve the probabilistic issues inherent in ...
- 6,723
16
votes
Accepted
How can one counter-argue this argument against the existence of God?
The original argument says:
If God is the Creator, He cannot be perfect. For either God created the world desiring it or not desiring it. If he did not wish it, it implies that he does not have total ...
- 1,504
11
votes
What are the "gospels" in the Gospels?
From a biblical, Christian standpoint, the word 'gospel' comes from the Greek word 'euaggelion' and means 'good news, tidings, word'. It can be called in English 'The Evangel' (the good news), and 'an ...
- 26.8k
10
votes
How do proponents of the Fine Tuning argument for God, refute the puddle comparison?
What is the "obvious" refutation of the puddle analogy that everyone seems to know?
TL;DR: Puddles can exist in holes of any arbitrary shape, but life can exist only in a Universe that has ...
- 8,302
10
votes
Accepted
If God is perfect, do we live in the best of all possible worlds?
To be able to answer this question, a definition of goodness is required, perhaps as a mathematical function of a given world, such that you can make objective comparisons of the form:
Goodness (...
- 1,504
9
votes
How can one counter-argue this argument against the existence of God?
Mark had a good answer, to which I will add a separate angle.
The word "perfect" can mean essentially two things in English:
Flawless/pure; and
Complete/finished.
It appears to me that the ...
- 1,655
9
votes
How can one counter-argue this argument against the existence of God?
Even as a heathen atheist and cultural Jew I can see the problem with this. Any argument based on "God is perfect" presumes that we're able to judge what perfection is. The argument you ...
- 199
7
votes
Refutation of Nailed: Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All (David Fitzgerald)
Fitzgerald's arguments are not academically accepted, even by fellow atheists :
Fitzgerald also charges that there is no physical archaeological evidence for Jesus. But this is unproblematic because ...
- 23.6k
6
votes
Is the Christian Religion based on "Faith in Faith" or does it have a foundation of "Acceptance of Facts"?
You ask for a definition. All right. As far as I'm concerned, the essence of Faith is trust. Specifically, trust in a person. There is no point in being ashamed of this. The demand for "facts&...
- 1,677
6
votes
Accepted
Is there a possible compatibility between immutability and God's mercy?
I have to stop you at your first point.
Yes, God is immutable--changeless in His essence as God. However, one needs to make a distinction between His attributes that never change and His methods that ...
- 9,703
6
votes
Refutation of Nailed: Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All (David Fitzgerald)
I'm not going to answer the Question, per se. Instead, I'm going to go a step beyond Ray's Answer and respond to some of the absurd allegations being made by the OP in comments. As these are ...
- 6,723
5
votes
How do proponents of the Fine Tuning argument for God, refute the puddle comparison?
In other words, claiming that rather than the universe being fine tuned, it just fit the existing conditions out of necessity.
No, the puddle argument is a response to the claim that the environment ...
- 167
5
votes
How do proponents of the Fine Tuning argument for God, refute the puddle comparison?
I hope this counts as an answer. The puddle idea is just a metaphor or perhaps better stated, a parable. It does not contain or purport to contain the whole of the argument - it merely illustrates it ...
5
votes
What is the biblical counter-argument to the expression "the Universe provides"?
To treat of the creation as if it was a person capable of communication and able to answer a request for provision is idolatry :
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the ...
- 23.6k
4
votes
How do proponents of the Fine Tuning argument for God, refute the puddle comparison?
The answer seems simple: consider what happens when you change the parameters. If you make a small change to the shape of a hole in the ground, you still have an almost identical puddle. If you make a ...
- 321
4
votes
How do proponents of the Fine Tuning argument for God, refute the puddle comparison?
The argument ignores the narrow range of constraints to permit intelligent life. As water fits in any size of object, the critic assumes that there could be a totally different form of life, other ...
- 1,329
4
votes
Accepted
Is the Christian Religion based on "Faith in Faith" or does it have a foundation of "Acceptance of Facts"?
Faith in God
No, Christian Religion is based on "Faith in God who expressed His Triune nature in the human person of God named Jesus Christ who walked on earth around 2000 years ago and who have ...
- 22.2k
4
votes
How can one counter-argue this argument against the existence of God?
I would ask him first, "How do you know that God is not perfect? What he is doing is making "an argument from silence." One cannot make a positive assertion of truth based on what is ...
- 4,693
4
votes
If God is perfect, do we live in the best of all possible worlds?
But it is not very difficult to imagine a better world than this.
For this to be true, it would be necessary that:
the imagined world lack contradictions or absurdities
our estimation of the ...
- 2,764
4
votes
What could account for this 1990 radical change in belief about the German school of Higher Criticism (that began around 1860)?
From what I understand about the German school Tubingen of higher criticism, the "monstrous contradiction" refers to the Gospel dating of the death, burial, resurrection of Christ. The ...
- 13k
4
votes
Refutation of Nailed: Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All (David Fitzgerald)
(I'd normally not post an answer to this kind of question, but since there already is an answer, and since I seem to have already been answering the question in the comments, …)
This book really doesn'...
- 8,302
4
votes
What is the biblical counter-argument to the expression "the Universe provides"?
You could start with "Evey good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" James ch1 v17, ...
- 1,677
4
votes
What is the biblical counter-argument to the expression "the Universe provides"?
The Lillies of the Field (Luke 12:22-31; Matthew 6:24-34, KJV)
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ...
- 3,814
4
votes
Accepted
What is the biblical counter-argument to the expression "the Universe provides"?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? - Matthew 6:26
We do not know for ...
- 14.7k
3
votes
How can one counter-argue this argument against the existence of God?
The argument never addresses the possibility God intentionally created a world that suits him. It leaves this option completely open. It just so happens this is the result Christians claim. ...
- 5,439
3
votes
Is the Christian Religion based on "Faith in Faith" or does it have a foundation of "Acceptance of Facts"?
Stephen Disraeli's answer is a fine one. In mentioning Hebrews, he touched on a point that bears a closer look.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen. (...
- 11.4k
3
votes
What are scholarly books for and against the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus?
The best scholarly book to consult on whether Jesus was raised from the dead or not, would be one written by eyewitnesses to his resurrection, also explaining from their pens how they refuted the ...
- 26.8k
3
votes
The Biblical God and the Kalam Cosmological Argument
No, but there is some elaboration:
The cause of the universe must be a personal being; if it were some impersonal set of conditions, then the universe would always have existed as nothing could have ...
- 1,678
3
votes
If God is perfect, do we live in the best of all possible worlds?
God is supposed to be perfect.
The word "perfect" has multiple meanings and a whole host of possible implications. You can't really draw conclusions from "God is perfect" without ...
- 326
3
votes
Did the religion of Christianity arise in AD70?
Several verses in the Bible make specific reference to Christians. One even tells us the origin of the word.
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to
pass, that a whole ...
- 1,655
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