Atheists more Intelligent

Dutch Uncle said:
Do you really think the Big Bang is a hoax? A falsehood despite the evidence? What do you think is the truth? How old do you believe the Universe to be?
Click to expand...

No, its an unproven theory. There is some evidence for it, but it is all second-hand or worse. I don't know what the truth in that respect is, no one does. Since we really don't even know for sure how large the universe is it's age is still something of an open question.
I do think there's good evidence the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old if that makes you feel better, none of that created in seven days stuff...
 
PostmodernProphet said:
it marks the beginning of our universe.....whatever might have been before is NOT our universe
Click to expand...

Agreed: whatever the cause, it was the beginning of Space-Time.

https://www.physicsoftheuniverse.com/topics_bigbang_timeline.html
bigbang_timeline.jpg
 
T. A. Gardner said:
No, its an unproven theory. There is some evidence for it, but it is all second-hand or worse. I don't know what the truth in that respect is, no one does. Since we really don't even know for sure how large the universe is it's age is still something of an open question.
I do think there's good evidence the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old if that makes you feel better, none of that created in seven days stuff...
Click to expand...

Second hand? I think most intelligent people follow the evidence. Do you understand about Doppler Shift? Background radiation?

https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-powered-the-big-bang

Let me add here that the Big Bang doesn't prove or disprove the existence of something beyond the Natural Universe. It's not an anti-God argument.
 
T. A. Gardner said:
Those are second hand. We can't even account for most of the mass that the universe supposedly has...
Click to expand...

Agreed there are a lot of unknowns.

This is, apparently, where you and I differ: If God is really all powerful, then God can easily, and metaphorically, tossed out a handful of sand over 13B years ago knowing it would grow into the garden we know as the Natural Universe. Do you agree God is eternal? Outside time? What is even a trillion years to a power that is eternal? It's nothing. Time and Space are concepts inside our universe.

In fact, given that God created the Universe and all the natural laws within it, isn't studying the laws of the Universe divine? If God gave us brains, isn't the expectation that we are to use those brains? To study the give of life and the Universe given to us? I fail to see the reasons for denial here.
 
Dutch Uncle said:
Agreed there are a lot of unknowns.

This is, apparently, where you and I differ: If God is really all powerful, then God can easily, and metaphorically, tossed out a handful of sand over 13B years ago knowing it would grow into the garden we know as the Natural Universe. Do you agree God is eternal? Outside time? What is even a trillion years to a power that is eternal? It's nothing. Time and Space are concepts inside our universe.

In fact, given that God created the Universe and all the natural laws within it, isn't studying the laws of the Universe divine? If God gave us brains, isn't the expectation that we are to use those brains? To study the give of life and the Universe given to us? I fail to see the reasons for denial here.
Click to expand...

Well, being Buddhist... I can agree that there could be and likely is a higher power than us in the universe. Calling that God or Gods is fine. My view is things like that work in a way that when they do work it looks like they didn't do anything at all to us mere mortals. I also think that those in such a position gave us the freewill to do as we please knowing we can't screw anything that really, really, matters up. After all, if we don't have freewill we are in no better a position than say Calvinists who believe in predestination.
So, we can use our brains, or like most of humanity not use it-- or worse willfully and with determination not use it.

For a populist view, Matt Groening did it pretty good


And, the monks deserved it--but they probably like it too.
 
Last edited:
T. A. Gardner said:
Well, being Buddhist... I can agree that there could be and likely is a higher power than us in the universe. Calling that God or Gods is fine. My view is things like that work in a way that when they do work it looks like they didn't do anything at all to us mere mortals. I also think that those in such a position gave us the freewill to do as we please knowing we can't screw anything that really, really, matters up. After all, if we don't have freewill we are in no better a position than say Calvinists who believe in predestination.
So, we can use our brains, or like most of humanity not use it-- or worse willfully and with determination not use it.
Click to expand...
This isn't about religion; even Buddha knew the difference between a fact and a belief.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top