What version of god are you talking about...
...and how is it a plausible explanation?
And what makes the garage dragon a random and nonsensical claim?
If I tell you that not only do I have a dragon living in my garage, but that he also created the universe, does my claim become MORE or LESS plausible?
I think the purpose of Sagan's example was to pick something that people DON'T commonly delude themselves into believing. But garage dragons aside, there ARE many other examples of widespread delusions that have nothing to do with religion: Ghosts, UFOs, astrology, homeopathy, magic, prophecies, etc.
If, as you say, God is a hypothesis of the structure of the universe rather than a being in the universe, then there must be a way to empirically test this hypothesis.
So let's first clarify what exactly we're talking about here: What would the existence of God tell us about the structure of the universe, that could not possibly be true without a God?
An unmoved mover or first cause which manifests itself as an ineffable force that permeates and unifies the entire universe; sensed in the remotest peripheries of the human consciousness.
Ethereal said:Seems like it's a 50/50 probability. Either God exists or It doesn't. There's nothing to suggest that it's implausible, is there?
Ethereal said:Because I can't think of a single model or theory or quandary which would logically point to the existence of an invisible garage-dragon.
Ethereal said:How did you come to this conclusion? What's the reasoning? What model or theory or quandary lead you to conclude that God is in your garage and that's he's an invisible dragon?
Can you honestly not see the difference?
Why does there have to be?
Dav said:Depends on which version of God you believe in. But in most cases the difference would be more spiritual than physical, and thus can't really be tested.
If God is a hypothesis about the structure of the universe, then it essentially says "A universe logically must have Characteristic X if there is a god, and would not have Characteristic X without a god" (or vice versa). Therefore there should be a way to either test whether Characteristic X exists in our universe and/or disprove the claim that God is necessary/impossible in a universe with Characteristic X.
Characteristic X is order. Does the universe have order?
Does order come from chaos, or does it come from intelligence?
What is god, if not an intelligent being?
Characteristic X is order. Does the universe have order?
Does order come from chaos, or does it come from intelligence?
What is god, if not an intelligent being?
Heat loss?Depends on how you define order. Does it have apparent order, meaning do we see things as orderly? Sure, but that's more to do with how our brains are wired than with actual order. If you're looking at thermodynamic order, then certainly the universe is getting less ordered as time goes on because of heat loss.
Depends on how you define order. Does it have apparent order, meaning do we see things as orderly? Sure, but that's more to do with how our brains are wired than with actual order. If you're looking at thermodynamic order, then certainly the universe is getting less ordered as time goes on because of heat loss.
'Heat loss?
Heat loss?
Miami, meanwhile, was handed its most humiliating loss so far. San Antonio has won 10 of 12, but the Heat (16-14) are the only winning team among those victories.
Neither.Is this a logical or scientific statement?
God does not exist.
Heat loss?
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