It's rather late in the game, but this is my response to the OP:
I am posting this thread because I would like some honest feedback as to my beliefs on this subject from an informed community. My issue, is that Atheism, by it's very nature, makes absolutely no logical sense to me. Let's assume, for a moment, that there is NO empirical proof of God, other than faith. Even if this is the case, Christians and Atheists share some basic assumptions about reality:
1) Our physical existence on this world is finite
2) The universe, as we know it, is finite
I make this point in full recognition of the works of the likes of Stephen Hawkings. Even under modern String Theory, the Big Bang may have required no actual energy from God to begin, but the mass still had to come form SOMEWHERE. That is the case even if time is relative, as you get closer to the Big Bang event.
Actually, even though you don't explain what you mean by "The universe... is finite", we have little evidence that the universe is 'finite' in
any sense of the term - we cannot see to its furthest reaches, so we don't know if it's spatially finite, we cannot probe before the start of the Big bang, so we don't know if it's temporally finite, we cannot know the distant future, so we cannot know if it is eternal, etc.
If you look at the Christian and Atheist viewpoints, they both share one similar viewpoint. Most Christians believe some form of Aristotle's "Prime Mover" Theory. Namely, that a finite time-driven universe was created by an infinite being outside of the space-time context. That is God, however your define him/her/it/etc.
That's a rather modern way of putting it, and I doubt most Christians are even aware of Aristotle, let alone his Five Ways - the impoverished in Africa and suchlike are unlikely to have read classical literature.
Atheists, on the other hand, believe that the Universe is an infinite thing that exists outside of the space-time context.
No, they do not. First, being an atheist is nothing more than not affirming the existence of any deities - apart from that, an atheist can believe whatever he wants. He can believe the universe is no bigger than the observable horizon several miles away, he can believe the universe popped into existence last Thursday, he can believe it was created by intelligent beings known as pixies. It is incorrect to attribute these beliefs to a group of people defined only by their
lack of belief in a single, unrelated proposition (namely, the existence of God).
Either God or the Universe are infinite entities that do not have a logical creator, and do not conform to our finite sense of time. TO NOT believe in and infinite God or Universe is completely illogical, as it contradicts our very existence.
So you claim. Many people would disagree with you, however. Moreover, one can quite easily simply reject the notion that the universe is an "infinite entity that does not have a logical creator", without affirming the opposite. "I don't know" is still a perfectly valid position to take, and indeed it is the logical one to take in the absence of any evidence. Also, see my previous point; you are attributing very specific beliefs about the nature of the universe quite fallaciously.
Whether it is God or the Universe, Atheists and Christians must both have faith in the infinite nature of something they cannot comprehend, because we are finite in our thinking.
Nonesense. Even if what you say is true (and as I've explained, it's not), the atheist
must believe in an 'infinite' universe (whatever that means) - meaning it's the logical stance to take, according to you. Thus, there is nothing absurd or faith-based in it.
Here is where the absurdity of Atheism comes into play for me. While we cannot scientifically test the existence of God, we can test our universe using the laws of physics. To my knowledge, there is no scientific unified "Theory of Everything" that can prove that the universe is infinite. While it may be great, there is a limited amount of mass in this and every other conceived dimension (ten I believe in current String Theory). The universe is also in motion. Even if time is relative, SOMETHING must have placed the universe in motion. All matter responds to cause and effect, though not always predictably.
Again, you're throwing out scientific-sounding terms without really understanding their meaning. You also make the bald and unsubstantiated assertion that "something must have placed the universe in motion" - what makes you think that? I can only conclude that it is your desire to force atheists into a position of faith by creating a false dichotomy. You also assume that the existence of deities cannot be tested - have we not tested for the existence of Thor and Jupiter, and found them lacking in the creation of lightening? Have we not tested for the existence of Neptune and Poseidon, and found them lacking in the movement of the waves?
Why then, do Atheists believe in something they cannot see, based on faith (the universe as an infinite thing), yet they KNOW there is no God.
Since that is
not what atheists believe, your question is moot.
That is a presumption that CANNOT be tested in any scientific manner. Whether you follow the teaching of Descartes, Intelligent Design, Calvin, or any other philosophical evidence of God, there seems to me to be far more evidence of a God, than there is of an infinite universe.
I'm sorry, didn't you just say that we
can't test for the existence of God? What evidence, then, are you referring to?
Throw in N.D.E's, the power of prayer, supernatural experiences and the like, and there seems to be a wealth of evidence the there is, at the least, more than just our consciousness in this existence.
How so? NDE's and supernatural experiences are
purely subjective experiences, and
entirely based in the concious mind - how can they be evidence of something
beyond the concious mind? As for the power of prayer, I welcome you to cite verifiable accounts of prayer resulting in the healing amputees.
On the contrary, an Atheist claims to KNOW that there is nothing more than an infinite universe, based on what? Faith? Gut instinct? A jaded view of the world? That is where the utter absurdity of Atheism plays a me. I do want everyone to know that I do have faith that places me as a Christian, and not just an agnostic. I apologize for such a long intro. Any insights form anyone would be welcome!
It seems you find atheism to be an absurd, faith-based position based on a fallicious understanding of what atheism means. Nonetheless, why does your perception of it as faith-based make it troublesome? Isn't
your position also faith-based? If faith-based positions are to be reviled, why are you not reviled at your own Christianity? I'm not saying you
should be, I'm just puzzled at this apparent double-standard.
I am certainly not proposing a pantheistic God, in any sense. By being beyond the bounds of time, why would that make God symbotic with the universe and nature? I think you misunderstood my analogy. In my opinion, God exists in all times at once, as the Alpha and the Omega. God is all knowing, and therefore knows all the outcomes of all decisions all people have and will make. In my subway analogy, God is present at all points and all stops simultaneously at the same moment, because God is beyond time. God is not subjected to the linear nature of our existence, which dawns in reality on our present. That does not mean that I do not believe in free will. However, God does know the outcome of everything that has and will occur in this existence. That is what I believe is meant by having your name written in the Book of Life. Your salvation is already known, even if the actions of your life have not presented themselves to you yet.
