My Shortest Possible Replies

Originally posted by googlefudge
I don't think you understood my hypothetical.

I was saying that for hypothetical purposes I take it as given that the universe WAS created
by some intelligent being or beings.


And then asking "Why should anyone, given the available evidence, rationally think that that
being was the god of the bible?"




My saying "let's be clear, there is no reason to think this" was not a premise of the question.

Originally posted by sonship
This is a difficult question to reply to without me wanting to write a substantial paragraph.

I guess my shortest possible reply is that detection of intelligence does not insist on the Bible's God.

However, [b]further consideration of certain things make Him the better candidate IMO.[/b]

Originally posted by googlefudge
Do those 'certain things' include the bible?

Originally posted by sonship
This is a difficult question to reply to without me wanting to write a substantial paragraph.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
Haha, buckling under the pressure already, are we? 😀

Originally posted by sonship
Consideration of "further" things means not just science. So sacred texts of various kinds could be included.

Initially, intelligent design detection in nature, is not dependent on the Bible anymore than insurance fraud detection, forensic criminology or SETI would be.

Originally posted by googlefudge
If you want to include something other than science as a method of determining
the nature of reality then you need to demonstrate it's effectiveness.

How do you propose demonstrating that the bible is a valid and reliable source of
information on the identity of this hypothesised universe creator or creators?

you need to demonstrate it's effectiveness.

Originally posted by sonship
The average joe or jane wants to know what is the [b]truth.
Part of knowing the truth can be supplied by science.
Part of that may include other means of finding truth.

The near universal approvedness, prophetic track record and durability of the Bible and its central character Jesus put it on the short list of books to have weigh in on the subject of truth.[/b]

Do you think CS Lewis' handling of the "Problem of Pain" (similar to the Problem of Evil) is consistent with the way Job's suffering was answered by God? Why or why not?

Originally posted by sonship
This is a difficult question to reply to without me wanting to write a substantial paragraph.

I guess my shortest possible reply is that detection of intelligence does not insist on the Bible's God.

However, [b]further consideration of certain things make Him the better candidate IMO.[/b]

Wow...for the first time in a long time I actually read the entirety of a jaywill post (and not just scrolling scrolling ... scrolling to the end of it). Indeed I was able to read all of them!

Let's hope he gets a taste for brevity.

Do you think CS Lewis' handling of the "Problem of Pain" (similar to the Problem of Evil) is consistent with the way Job's suffering was answered by God? Why or why not?

do you think that the conclusions you reach after your considerations as to what is the better candidate is in anyway influenced by the fact you were born and raised in christian country and culture? do you think you would be drawing the same conclusions if you had been born in pakistan or india?

Originally posted by sonship

do you think that the conclusions you reach after your considerations as to what is the better candidate is in anyway influenced by the fact you were born and raised in christian country and culture? do you think you would be drawing the same conclusions if you had been born in pakistan or india?

I think the genetic fallacy may be worth ...[text shortened]... sily to atheism on the level of country, family, school, peers, pop culture, neighborhood etc.