When talking with theists you'll often find the argument of incredulity.
"I just can't imagine the beauty and complexity of the human mind without their also being a creator".
This is an example of how the argument is usually formed. Of course one's inability to understand something or to not understand something cannot be a basis for the existence of something else. What people don' t full understand is how complicated things evlove from less complicated things given the power of millions of years to do its thing.
They'll say, "Don't you just see the hand of a creator in all this beauty?" No. The theist already believes in a creator and is arguing backwards not in a truly sceptical way.
"Explain love then! I can't imagine why we would love one another without also imagining a god."
First off, look around. We don't exactly seem all that crazy about each other. Secondly, which kinds of tribes would have a better chance of survival: ones where nobody cared about anyone else or ones where they supported each ohter. Which genes are going to be passed on? Your own because you'll defend your own family more then you'll give in to an outsider. It is a much more reasonable argument to imagine how people would evlove in a natural way to be caring of their blood brothers than it is to imagine an unseen god who works by magical ways that are not even consistant.
So watch out for this argument. It is actually no argument at all but just another admission as to what somebody doesn't fully understand.
2 comments:
Just to make one point regarding love...
Biologically speaking, a male animal's nature is to spread his seed to each and every abled body woman he meets. In point of fact, most male humans feel that desire from time to time. Yet in some stage in their life, almost all men feel some compulsion towards findind love with ONE individual for hopefully the rest of their lives.
Yes, many men stray, but not all. And at some point, most men fall in love to a point where they no longer stray, or even feel the compulsion to. Which, really, is completely against our biological natures. Sort of makes me think that there might be something to this "love" business.
Interesting point Kurt. The indescriminate spreading of seed makes sense biologically and many species do exactly this. But for the community to evolve and be successful in a hostile environment there is something to be said about sticking around and keeping the family secure. Is it not reasonable that love would naturally evolve because it leads to a good measure of seed spreading AND keeps the offspring alive so that they can carry on the family line. Yes there IS something about this love thing but it still doesn't have to point back to a creator.
Scott
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