[MD] The End of Faith

[Steve Peterson]

Hi Akshay,


> Before anything about God's existence can be discussed, we first  
> need to
> think clearly as to what we really mean by the word God.
>
> Do we suppose that God is the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent
> controller of the universe? If yes, then obviously God cannot be  
> known,
> because all knowledge is bound by the limits of space, time and  
> causality.
> In making such a supposition, we clearly have to admit of God's  
> existence,
> because a controller of the universe does exist (even if it is the  
> universe
> itself, in which case God becomes a fancy name for a holistic sense  
> of the
> universe). Ethically, such a definition would match, because we  
> observe that
> God acts through the priest as well as the thief, the saint and the  
> murderer
> are the same from God's point of view.
>
> The existence of God is of relatively low importance. We only have  
> to define
> God and then find out if such an entity exists. God is usually  
> defined along
> the lines of ultimate power/strength and knowledge. Even if atheists
> nominally say they do not believe in God, can they abandon concepts
> like control, law and power?

Steve:
I can't tell what your argument is. Can you summarize your thesis?


> A favourite argument is that if God created the
> universe, then who it is that created God (because we have assumed  
> that the
> universe needed a creation to be in existence).

This is a response to the argument that believers make that since the  
universe exists, it must have a creator. But if this God has no  
creator and exists, why can't the universe exist without a creator?  
It is not proposing a "meta-God" as you say.

Regards,
Steve