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Everyone has an unsophisticated view about something. And most people lack sophistication in most topics. I’m not evaluating beliefs as such but rather pointi
by skhunted 3y ago
Everyone has an unsophisticated view about something. And most people lack sophistication in most topics. I’m not evaluating beliefs as such but rather pointing out the logical contortions that some theists engage in to rationalize their position. Of course there are unsophisticated atheists. When they engage in logical contortions that I notice I point it out. I hope people will point out flaws in arguments that I make.
- skissane 3y ago> I’m not evaluating beliefs as such but rather pointing out the logical contortions that some theists engage in to rationalize their position I don't think they actually are engaging in "logical contortions" or rationalisations. Theists can be divided into three groups: (1) Those who don't accept any cosmological arguments: either they believe in God purely on the basis of faith, or else they believe on the basis of some non-cosmological argument (2) Those who accept some philosophically sophisticated cosmological argument – e.g. the kalam argument, or Thomas Aquinas' argument from contingency. They have a ready-made answer for "why if the universe requires an external cause doesn't God too?". I don't find those answers convincing myself, but I think it is unfair and intellectually uncharitable to just dismiss them as "logical contortions" or "rationalisations" (3) The unsophisticates who engage in cosmological argumentation, but have never seriously thought about the question "why if the universe requires a creator doesn't God too?". Do they actually have "logical contortions" or "rationalisations", or are they just not thinking?