2007 November | Way of the Mind

Monthly Archive for November, 2007

"The universe exists" as evidence for God

Published

on November 30, 2007

. 12 Comments

It is quite common for theists, when asked to provide some evidence for their belief in God, to reply, "why, the fact that we are here, that the universe exists, is more than enough evidence!".

I don’t know if most theists have really thought about what they mean when they say that. Think about it: when they say that the universe’s existence is evidence for a god, the implication is that, without a god, there could be no universe.

But now I ask the obvious, but not often asked question: why does the universe require a god to exist? The answer, I believe, is that you don’t know any other way, can’t conceive of any other possibility. You don’t understand how the universe could exist, except by divine creation. But isn’t that just the God of the Gaps fallacy, all over again? You don’t know, so it must have been God? Much like diseases were thought to be caused by demons before we knew about germs?

Continue reading ‘"The universe exists" as evidence for God’

I see, the hairdryer is supposed to make all the difference…

Published

Pedro Timóteo

on November 27, 2007

in christianity, insanity and quotes

. 2 Comments

The President of the United States has claimed, on more than one occasion, to be in dialogue with God. Now, if he said that he was talking to God through his hairdryer, this would precipitate a national emergency. I fail to see how the addition of a hairdryer makes the claim more ludicrous or more offensive.

— Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation

Fun with the Church Sign Generator

Published

Pedro Timóteo

on November 26, 2007

in christianity and humor

. 0 Comments

Church sign 1

Church sign 2

Church sign 3

Church sign 4

Try it yourself: the Church Sign Generator!

I don’t like Microsoft…

Published

Pedro Timóteo

on November 19, 2007

in christianity, gay rights, insanity and stupidity

. 4 Comments

… so when do I take their side? Why, when they’re attacked by homophobic fundamentalist Christians, of course!

You can’t make stuff like this up (any emphasis is mine):

A black conservative Christian pastor of an evangelical megachurch has vowed to take over Microsoft by packing it with new shareholders who will vote against the company’s policy of championing gay rights.

He told Microsoft executives at a shareholders’ meeting last week that he would be their “worst nightmare” if they continued to defy him.

Antioch Bible Church attracts around 3,500 worshippers for its services and Mr Hutcherson is a powerful figure in the Christian conservative movement.

And…

An advocate of a “biblical stance” against divorce and homosexuality, Mr Hutcherson, 55, is asking millions of evangelical activists, as well as Orthodox Jewish and other allies, to buy up Microsoft shares and demand a return to traditional values.

Microsoft, he declares, will be just the first company targeted in an escalation of the culture wars between evangelicals and corporate America.

“There are 256 Fortune 500 companies alone pouring millions upon millions of dollars into pushing the homosexual agenda,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

“I consider myself a warrior for Christ. Microsoft don’t scare me. I got God with me.

Not to mention, of course…

“I told them that you need to work with me or we will put a firestorm on you like you have never seen in you life because I am your worst nightmare. I am a black man with a righteous cause with a whole host of powerful white people behind me.”

Mr Hutcherson’s office is decorated with the heads of deer, elk and a buffalo – “when I run into animals, I kill them and bring them home and eat them” – as well as invitations to the White House and signed pictures of himself with President George W. Bush.

It boggles the mind. Any sane mind, that is. I’m sure there are those out there to whom this is perfectly normal…