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What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 12:45 am
by Rubberneck
I thought about posting this in the "Evidence" thread, but I thought it may derail it slightly so I've started a new one.

So, can anyone give an example of something that can't be evidence for God?

Re: What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 1:31 am
by Kurieuo
Atheism? :lol:

Re: What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 5:15 am
by RickD
I'm not sure that's possible to answer.

IF God exists, and He created everything, wouldn't everything point back to Him?

Re: What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 7:10 am
by Byblos
Rubberneck wrote:I thought about posting this in the "Evidence" thread, but I thought it may derail it slightly so I've started a new one.

So, can anyone give an example of something that can't be evidence for God?
Is this your attempt at saying a negative cannot be proven?

Re: What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 8:49 am
by Jac3510
Something is only evidence of something else if it is analyzed in the appropriate manner. So two apples are evidence of addition if we use mathematical reasoning. Two apples are not evidence of addition of we are considering their aesthetic value.

That is, the same thing may or may not be evidence for any give proposition. Things themselves are not evidence of anything at all. They only become evidence when put in the context of an argument, and all arguments necessarily are of a particular kind (e.g., scientific vs mathematical vs historical vs theological, etc.). Therefore, you would have to be more specific in your question. What argument are we talking about to ask whether or not something could serve as evidence for God?

Re: What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 10:54 am
by PaulSacramento
Depends what kind of God you seek evidence for.
IMO, the only evidence we have for a PERSONAL God, a God that wants and has a personal relationship with those that believe in Him, is personal experience/revelation.
I know that many skeptics discount personal evidence, though they do tend to always say "why hasn't God made Himself know to me if He exists?", but the reality is that If God is a personal God, a being that wants a personal relationship with His creation then it makes sense that a personal revelation/experience would be evidence of such a God.
Evidence mind you, not proof.

Re: What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:10 pm
by Kurieuo
Rubberneck wrote:I thought about posting this in the "Evidence" thread, but I thought it may derail it slightly so I've started a new one.

So, can anyone give an example of something that can't be evidence for God?
A steady-state universe that has no beginning.

No sense of moral right and wrong or obligation thereof.

A chaotic world on every where and on every level = no beauty, nothing good, nothing predictable.

Re: What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:50 pm
by Jac3510
Kurieuo wrote:A steady-state universe that has no beginning.
We would quibble here . . .
No sense of moral right and wrong or obligation thereof.

A chaotic world on every where and on every level = no beauty, nothing good, nothing predictable.
But these are excellent examples, I think. :clap:

Re: What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 6:19 pm
by Kurieuo
Yeah, I'm a bit uncertain myself on the first... its support depends on how steady a state the universe is in (i.e., changeless??)...

But certainly, it would be more difficult to rationally believe in Creation, if the universe as we know it didn't pair up to show that it had a beginning.

I dare say there would be less Christians around today if this were so.

Re: What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 2:22 am
by Neha
To the op, your question lacks context. Depends on your assumptions what you call evidence.

Re: What can't be evidence for God?

Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 6:10 am
by Byblos
Kurieuo wrote:Yeah, I'm a bit uncertain myself on the first... its support depends on how steady a state the universe is in (i.e., changeless??)...

But certainly, it would be more difficult to rationally believe in Creation, if the universe as we know it didn't pair up to show that it had a beginning.

I dare say there would be less Christians around today if this were so.
That's because they're not all Thomists. :mrgreen: