Atheists are raising all kinds of interesting questions these days, and I'm glad to see those being debated in the public square. After a while it is tiresome to debate politics, politics, politics. We could use a broadening of the national agenda.
One question raised by the neo-atheists like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris is: who made God? After all, one of the traditional arguments for God is that the chain of causation in the universe points to a first or ultimate cause. This argument was given its most clear expression by Aquinas.
Dawkins and Harris raise the problem of infinite regress. Why can't the chain of causation stretch back infinitely? Or if God made the universe, then who made Him? The neo-atheists think they have scored a very clever point. Take that, Aquinas!
In my Townhall column this week, I explore whether this critique of Aquinas works. Actually it does not. But to assess all this fairly you have to consider the arguments with an open mind. You can read more about the Aquinas-Dawkins showdown here. Hint: Aquinas retains the title.
Reader Comments ( Page 8 of 8)
106. SORRY IF THE CAPS BOTHER YOU COMMA BUT MY EYESIGHT IS NOT SO GOOD AND THIS IS HOW I ALWAYS TYPE. YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT IS THE MESSAGE COMMA NOT THE MEDIUM THAT COUNTS PERIOD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SUCH A TRIVIAL MATTER BETRAYS SOME OTHER NEGATIVE FEELING COMMA WHETHER IT IS JUST DISAGREEMENT OR SOMETHING ELSE DOES NOT REALLY MATTER PERIOD EITHER A SENTENCE OR PARAGRAPH IS WORTH READING OR IT IS NOT COMMA NO BIG DEAL TO ME PERIOD I WILL READ A GOOD STORY WRITTEN WITH LOUSY PENMANSHIP BEFORE A MEDIOCRE ONE DONE WITH FLAWLESS SCRIPT AND PUNCTUATION COMMA BUT THAT IS JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION PERIOD I THINK YOU MISS THE POINT BY FOCUSING ON THE MECHANICS OR POSSIBLY SYNTAX WHITCH WILL ALWAYS DEGRADE YOUR READING EXPERIENCE AS YOUPONDER THE MEDIUM NOT THE MESSAGE
PHILLIP R. MIER at 10:14PM on Jun 18th 2007
107. eM wrote: "What I am trying to assert, and have been trying to assert all along since Wes originally called out my post, is that belief is required for both atheism and religion. In a sense, atheism is its own religion.... likewise, science could be its own religion.... Anyhow, the argument turned to the origin of the universe.... evolution/creation/ evidence of an intelligent being. I am not trying to completely disprove evolution... I think in an earlier post I indicated that I don't disagree that that it existed... but the defense of evolution as the sole explanation for our existence has limits. To think that evolution is all there ever has been, and was the cause of the creation of life, much less our intelligent reasoning, takes belief. I am personally am not of the belief that intelligent design was completely absent from the injection of life into basic elements on a planet. But I'm not trying to slam those who do have that belief -- just trying to defend the plausibility of my theory. Furthermore, I don't think that either evolution or the concept of planetary formation "disproves" the theory of God (we got on that topic somewhere). We really don't know, and can't know, the extent to which an intelligent being may or may not have been involved in such a process.... Has the entirety of the history of life on earth been a series of accidents (for lack of a better word) from start to finish, or could any of it have occurred with some form of divine intervention? Through the learning about some of the principles discussed in planetory formation, it makes one wonder if some of it was set into place on purpose or whether it all was a cosmic accident -- either way, science can't tell us. I don't claim to "know" or not know that....Just either way, you have to believe something. The theory of God is not "disproved"... either way, you have to believe God (or an intelligent being, whatever) existed, or you have to believe it did not or does not exist. (Clay's post and others I think made this point better than I have -- I just kept saying "science is the human way of exploring the universe" to try to make that point.)"
Some beliefs are know to be true. I believe that bacteria evolved into elephants. And I know that bacteria evolved into elephants,
Wes at 1:25PM on Jun 19th 2007
108. eM wrote: "The theory of God is not "disproved"... either way, you have to believe God (or an intelligent being, whatever) existed, or you have to believe it did not or does not exist."
I believe that a particular person gave birth to me. And she did give birth to me. I believe that bacteria evolved into elephants. And it did evolved into elephants. And I believe that there is no God. And probably there is no God.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
I don't know that there is no God.
But there PROBABLY is no God.
Wes at 1:29PM on Jun 19th 2007
109. eM wrote: "To think that evolution is all there ever has been, and was the cause of the creation of life, much less our intelligent reasoning, takes belief."
I BELIEVE that bacteria evolved into elephants. And I KNOW that bacteria evolved into elephants.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
Some beliefs are known to be true.
I don't know that there is no God.
But there PROBABLY is no God.
Wes at 1:31PM on Jun 19th 2007
110. I BELIEVE that I exist. And I DO exist. What an amazing thing.
I BELIEVE that some humans have walked on the moon. And some humans have walked on the moon. What an amazing thing.
I BELIEVE that the earth is not a flat dist that rests on the back of a giant tortoise. And the earth is not a flat dist that rests on the back of a giant tortoise. What an amazing thing.
I BELIEVE that John Kennedy was shot. And John Kennedy was shot. What a sad thing.
I BELIEVE that I share common ancestors with all the fish that are alive today. And I share common ancestors with all the fish that are alive today. What an amazing thing.
Wes at 1:47PM on Jun 19th 2007
111. "A person who is guided by God will never be misguided." (Osama Bin Laden)
But who, in their right mind can say that they are, in fact, being guided by God?
How about you eM... are you sure? Osama is. What do you say about Osamas guidance... could it be that he is being guided by God... or maybe some other supernatural force?
Or could it be that you are both guided by some words written down many years ago by some misguided ancients?
pboyfloyd at 4:22PM on Jun 19th 2007
112. Whether dealing with belief or faith (or a lack thereof), all are based on an opinion. Opinions will always differ and will always be conflicting.
I will not judge anyone based on their opinions. I only judge my own actions, because I am only responsible for myself.
I choose to believe in the wisdom of children...
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it as a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah".
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him ".
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God"
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like" Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
Is it so unlikely that perhaps we are some higher life form's science experiment? The equivalent of a giant ant farm or just microscopic organisms in a petri dish we call the universe? We are such an arrogant species to think that we are the best that evolution can produce. Come to think of it...didn't Darwin become a Christian? Life is so funny sometimes.
LadyLovely at 2:48PM on Jul 30th 2007