Why is there something instead of nothing?

[Colter]

That´s probably an answer (and possibly even a good one) to some question you´d like to be asked, but certainly not an answer to the question you wrote it in response to.

Apart from first cause the universe cant be explained.

 

[variant]

Apart from first cause the universe cant be explained.

The universe isn't explained with it either.

 

[quatona]

Apart from first cause the universe cant be explained.

Which also isn´t a response to the question:
Why would you expect there to be nothing?

 

[variant]

Which also isn´t a response to the question:
Why would you expect there to be nothing?

I don't think he is getting your point that nothing isn't necessarily a better default position than something.

 

[Colter]

Which also isn´t a response to the question:
Why would you expect there to be nothing?

I wouldn't expect there to be nothing.

 

[PsychoSarah]

Apart from first cause the universe cant be explained.

Even if we never can explain exactly how the universe came to be, that doesn't make a deity the answer.

 

[Eudaimonist]

I can testify about my spirit birth and relationship with God, however no amount of proof will satisfy someone who hasn't personally experienced such an unanticipated, indescribable transformation.

You claimed that the existence of God is self-evident to you. However, if some element of interpretation of your experience is required to realize the existence of God, then it is not self-evident. Specifically, a personal transformation, however unexpected, does not point in any self-evident way to the existence of a universe-creating superbeing. It requires some judgment -- some interpreting of the experience -- to draw the conclusion.

I'm not closed to argument, however, I do agree that a personal transformation is far from enough to draw the conclusion you'd like to draw. People change for many reasons, and sometimes they change slowly, and sometimes quickly. However, given how murky human psychology is, it's very easy to be unaware of just why the change has taken place. Drawing dramatic conclusions like building a castle on sand instead of rock.

This would be particularly true of persons who consciously work against it.

You're just playing the cynicism card here. "I can't prove God, but you're all against me anyway, so I won't even try". Why even post in this thread?

Even when presented with the miraculous the Atheist goes to work trying to explain away the obvious because such a cognitive dissonance would mean that you would have to let go of many of your own cherished beliefs.

What appears "obvious" to you isn't obvious to other people. Perhaps it's not so obvious. We can explain why.

And you are not immune to cognitive dissonance, so please don't think that it's all one-sided. Perhaps you refuse to explain anything to us because you fear facing that in yourself.

Besides, we don't approach God through the miracle, we approach the miracle through God.

Believe so that you may believe. Program yourself so that you will see the truth of your programming. That smacks of brain-washing.


eudaimonia,

Mark