Originally posted by hacksaw1
On the other hand, there is a lot of "evidence" that points to the possibility. What perfect luck that the moon, only 240,000 miles away from earth, appears the identical size in the sky as the massive sun, 93,000,000 miles away. The sun is 388 times farther away from earth, but the moon's disk perfectly covers the sun during solar eclipses. Not only that, but the orbits of the earth and moon permit eclipse shadows to fall on earth, to be viewed by sentient beings that can appreciate and marvel at such a lucky chance. Well, well. Lucky, lucky us. No other planet-moon system in the solar system attains such a perfect eclipse.
Proof vs possibility. I think that is a key difference in view here. Proof? Not conclusive. Possibility? Fairly good.
This sort of seemingly amazingly luck is essentially arises from a misuse of probability theory:
Once, during a public lecture, Richard Feynman was trying to explain why one must not verify an idea using the same data that suggested the idea in the first place. Seeming to wander off the subject, Feynman began talking about license plates. "You know, the most amazing thing happened to me tonight. I was coming here, on the way to the lecture, and I came in through the parking lot. And you won't believe what happened. I saw a car with the license plate ARW 357. Can you imagine? Of all the millions of license plates in
the state, what was the chance that I would see that particular one tonight? Amazing!"
The next time you go to the shops, consider all the amazingly lucky coincidences that happen for that journey to occur exactly that way. Indeed the chances against anything anywhere happening are so staggering that any event is so amazingly improbable, absolutely nothing should happen at all ever. Don't forget the groceries.
And oddly enough, the moon used to be a lot closer, and is moving farther out by about 3.8cm a year, so exact solar eclipses are even more lucky because they've only been around for a while (in terms of the solar system), and they won't last forever. If it's evidence of a design, it's also evidence of a bit of a cowboy job.
Besides which, there's the somewhat odder "evidence" in "creation" as well. In the unlikely event of my meeting the "creator" my opening question will have to be: "What's with this beetle fetish of yours? Why all the different types beetles? I mean, 5-8 million different species seems a bit excessive, if not downright obsessive."
As a young atheist I wanted to know two main things.
What is the point of existence?
What is the point of my life in this existence?
That's essentially sloppy thinking. Biology 101: you are basically here to reproduce. You are one possible iteration of one branch of DNA. The real question is: why is reproduction the point of existence? (Bonus question for the religious: why has your deity set it up like that? Is "creation" your deity's stash of *ahem* art magazines?)
Further interesting questions for you to ask would have been:
Why should there be a point to existence?
Why should there be a set point to my life in this existence?
Why do I feel the need for "someone" or "something" else to define what my purpose is or what I should do next?
But you're looking for the deep philosophical idea of what your individual purpose is -- so the atheistic "philosophical" answer is: there isn't a universal, fixed "point" to your individual existence, because there isn't a plan or a grand scheme of things. No one is in charge. The point of your existence is entirely up to you. What do you want it to be?
During the time that I was pondering these questions, I was learning in Calculus that any finite number compared to infinity appears so small that it approaches zero in comparison. If my transient finite life of 70-80 years was going to wind up in everlasting annihilation, then what really is the point of it all? That question led me to the "possibility" that there may be an eternal Creator, and following from that, an eternal aspect to life. Not proof, but possibility. From then on for several years I went through no small struggle to find more clarity about these issues.
Hmmm: You can't see the point of life and it's very short, ergo there's possibly a god? Holy non sequitur, Batman!
It sounds suspiciously like your eternal creator is founded on that afterlife longing and the need for a cosmic grown up as I mentioned in my other post.
Also if any finite number compared to infinity appears so small that it approaches zero, why has the creator only stuck us on the one planet?
So the bottom line for me is that I found a personal, intimate relationship with the Creator via channels in my life that I find more real than this bulletin board. My relationship is not based on what someone else tried to prove to me, but based on my personal willingness to communicate with the Creator as a submissive creature. I certainly cannot prove to you that God exists. Au contraire! You would have to let Him prove to you directly that He exists, as a submissive creature.
I have a personal, intimate relationship with my creators. It even goes as far as to have just gone on holiday with them. Much like the fabled Xian creator, they too move in mysterious ways, but I just put that down to old age and incontinence. I don't need to communicate with them as a submissive creature, yet I have lots of direct proof of their existence, as well as sightings by other people, singularly and in groups. Despite all this, I won't be trying to get you to worship them. But hey, if you want to, do PM me and I'll give you their address and what sort of sacrifices they like.
And if you are not interested, hey, free country... Just to add that for a person of sound mind who persistently ignores the opportunity to meet the Author of life, there may be a persistent consequence unrelated to the constitution.
Twisted little monkey that I am, I regularly applaud sunsets and shout "Author! Author!" loudly. I have yet to get a response from any author though. I suspect that's probably because like all improvisational theatre, life doesn't have one.
