Is There a God?
A Scientist’s View
Objective observation
Earth is round
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Reason and logic
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A God with the traditional
attributes of the Christian
God does not exist
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1. Attributes self-
contradictory
Like a square
circle
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2. Attributes are
incompatible with what is
known
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3. Naturalism is a better
explanation than
supernaturalism
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4. God’s actions should be
observable but are not
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Attributes of God
Creator of universe
Immaterial, transcendent
All-powerful, all knowing,
all-good
Perfect in every way
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Attributes of God
A person who loves
humanity, wishes us to
know him
Forgiving and merciful
Speaks to humans
Answers prayers
Performs miracles
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Incompatible Attributes
Perfect -v.- Creator
Transcendent -v.- Omnipresent
Just -v.- Merciful
Immaterial -v.- Personal
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Existence of nonbelief
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The Problem of Evil
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God’s reasons for evil
and suffering
Richard Swinburne:
"If the world was
without any natural evil
and suffering we
wouldn't have the
opportunity . . . to show
courage, patience and
sympathy”.
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But . . . is so much
suffering necessary?
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Logically consistent gods
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Computer games
Invent new universes.
Superhuman powers.
Violate laws of physics.
Logically consistent.
“Virtual Reality"
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God’s actions should be
observable, but are not
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Natural explanations are
better
Existence of nonbelievers
Existence of evil and gratuitous suffering
Origin and structure of universe, life, and
mind
“God did it” is not an explanation
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Most scientists do not believe
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Objectively observable
actions of God
Revelation
Prayers
Miracles
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Revelation
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Revelation is verifiable
if true
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No revelations
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Failed revelations
They will see the Son of
Man coming on the
clouds of the sky, with
power and great glory.
(Mat 24:30)
I tell you the truth, this
generation will certainly
not pass away until all
these things have
happened. (Mat 24:34)
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All in the head
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Does God choose to hide?
“Ever since the creation of
the world his invisible
nature, namely his eternal
power and deity, have been
clearly perceived in the
things that have been
made.”
-St. Paul, Rom 1:20
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Prayers and miracles
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Mayo Clinic study
“The results of 26 weeks of intercessory prayer, a
widely practiced complementary therapy, were
studied in 799 patients randomized to an
intercessory prayer group or to a control group
after discharge from a coronary care unit. As
delivered in this study, intercessory prayer had no
significant effect on specifically defined medical
outcomes, regardless of risk status.” (2001)
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Summary
1. The traditional attributes of God are self-
contradictory.
Such a God cannot exist.
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Summary
2. The traditional attributes of God are
incompatible with objective facts about
the world.
Such a God cannot exist.
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Summary
3. Natural explanations are superior to
supernatural explanations.
No basis exists for anything
supernatural.
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Summary
4. The traditional attributes of God imply
actions that should be objectively
observed, but are not.
No such consequences have been
observed.
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If God exists, where is he?
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