RALPH NIELSEN
Thanks for bringing up the subject, Jeremy. There are several aspects to
it. As to whether the universe was created nor not, it appears to be partly
a philosophical problem and partly a scientific problem. But since science
doesn't deal with the supernatural, the more science discovers and
demonstrates, the further back you push the speculation about a creator.
Then it becomes a philosophical problem.
But if you grant the possibility of there being a creator of some kind, you
are really opening up a can of worms. A few people are content to have a
creator god who made the universe, wound it up, and retreated from all
further concern with it. That is the god of the deists.
But most people are not interested in such a god. They want a creator who
takes a personal interest in his creation, especially the particular
believer. This is where the trouble really begins. A large part of the
sorry history of humanity is about the fighting between various
god-believers, all of whom claim - without sufficient evidence - to be in a
special relationship with the one and only "true" god. And to emphasize
that feeling, each "true" god is called God (with a capital G) and/or a
personal name, like Yahweh of the Hebrew religion.
Now, speaking for myself, whether there is a creator god or not, it really
doesn't make any difference to me. All I know is that there is a universe,
I am a part of it, and I am a product of the whole of it through the
process of evolution. But I don't get emotionally involved in the matter; I
can take it or leave it.
But when a god-believer tries to peddle the idea that his or her deity is
both the Grand Designer of the Universe AND concerned with nitpicking
details of our personal lives, I demur. Then I demand that he or she prove
that there is any connection between the deity being promoted by the
believers and a possible creator of the universe. Make them prove that
Yahweh, or Allah, or whoever, is real. Make them show that the deity in
question is not just another god made in the image of man - or goddess made
in the image of woman, as all the world's religions clearly demonstrate.
Now to get back to the subject of this debate line. Don't accept any loose
talk about the God of the Bible, the Qur'an, the Book of Mormon, etc., as
being the First Cause of philosophy. Make them stick to what their
scriptures say.
Enough said? Just one little point. Please try to break up your postings
into bite-sized paragraphs, so older eyes can read them more easily. Thanks,
Ralph