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Is There a God?

This piece explores the idea that a God with traditional Christian attributes cannot logically exist. The attributes are self-contradictory and incompatible with known facts. It argues that naturalism offers better explanations for our universe, life, and consciousness than supernaturalism. The text examines the problem of evil, the lack of observable divine actions, and the failure of prayers and miracles to demonstrate God's presence. It concludes that if such a God exists, His existence is unobservable, challenging the notion of an all-powerful, all-good deity.

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Is There a God?

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  1. Is There a God? A Scientist’s View

  2. Objective observation • Earth is round

  3. Reason and logic

  4. A God with the traditional attributes of the Christian God does not exist

  5. 1. Attributes self-contradictory Like a square circle

  6. 2. Attributes are incompatible with what is known

  7. 3. Naturalism is a better explanation than supernaturalism

  8. 4. God’s actions should be observable but are not

  9. Attributes of God • Creator of universe • Immaterial, transcendent • All-powerful, all knowing, all-good • Perfect in every way

  10. Attributes of God • A person who loves humanity, wishes us to know him • Forgiving and merciful • Speaks to humans • Answers prayers • Performs miracles

  11. Incompatible Attributes • Perfect -v.- Creator • Transcendent -v.- Omnipresent • Just -v.- Merciful • Immaterial -v.- Personal

  12. Existence of nonbelief

  13. The Problem of Evil

  14. God’s reasons for evil and suffering • Richard Swinburne: • "If the world was without any natural evil and suffering we wouldn't have the opportunity . . . to show courage, patience and sympathy”.

  15. But . . . is so much suffering necessary?

  16. Logically consistent gods

  17. “Virtual Reality" Invent new universes. Superhuman powers. Violate laws of physics. Logically consistent. Computer games

  18. God’s actions should be observable, but are not

  19. Natural explanations are better • Existence of nonbelievers • Existence of evil and gratuitous suffering • Origin and structure of universe, life, and mind “God did it” is not an explanation

  20. Most scientists do not believe

  21. Objectively observable actions of God • Revelation • Prayers • Miracles

  22. Revelation

  23. Revelation is verifiable if true

  24. No revelations

  25. Failed revelations • They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.(Mat 24:30) I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. (Mat 24:34)

  26. 2nd COMING DELAYED DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

  27. All in the head

  28. Does God choose to hide? • “Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely his eternal power and deity, have been clearly perceived in the things that have been made.” • -St. Paul, Rom 1:20

  29. Prayers and miracles

  30. Mayo Clinic study • “The results of 26 weeks of intercessory prayer, a widely practiced complementary therapy, were studied in 799 patients randomized to an intercessory prayer group or to a control group after discharge from a coronary care unit. As delivered in this study, intercessory prayer had no significant effect on specifically defined medical outcomes, regardless of risk status.” (2001)

  31. 1. The traditional attributes of God are self-contradictory. Such a God cannot exist. Summary

  32. Summary 2. The traditional attributes of God are incompatible with objective facts about the world. Such a God cannot exist.

  33. Summary 3. Natural explanations are superior to supernatural explanations. No basis exists for anything supernatural.

  34. Summary 4. The traditional attributes of God imply actions that should be objectively observed, but are not. No such consequences have been observed.

  35. If God exists, where is he?

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