Christianity, rationally defended, introduction

[Brucknerian]

Serious critical responses from members are welcome, pertaining to the works that can be found via the two links below. I'm a serious Christian, by serious meaning one who analyzes God's Word with the view of trying my best to understand it on its fundamental level. Did you know that what philosophers call 'the problem of evil' is answered in the Bible? ... and that there are ways to prove God's existence outside of the Bible, through pure critical reasoning? The links lead to a work that can be downloaded for free from Philosophy Papers Archives. The titles are "Rational Theism, Part One ..." and "Rational Theism, Part Two...." The first part puts forth an a priori proof of God's existence that conforms to the critical demands for such a proof as put forth by the philosopher/metaphysician Immanuel Kant. It includes an Appendix that clarifies Kant in this regard, and the Appendix will help those both familiar and unfamiliar with Kant to comprehend more clearly what Kant had in mind in his "Critique of Pure Reason". "Rational Theism, Part One" can be called a Theory of Everything (TOE) in the true sense. To understand this you'll have to not just read, but comprehend the pure conceptual system of understanding it advances. I believe not everyone will be suited to such a task as it puts a serious strain on one's conceptual abiloities--artists, or creative thinkers are more likely to understand the system of understanding than those who simply breeze through works with no real intent to understand a work on its deepest level. The second work, "Rational Theism, Pat Two..." is a Biblical Exegesis that presents the Bible's answer to the problem of evil, and it is an answer that apologists have failed to understand, having sought for an answer to the problem outside of the scriptures. If you have ever wondered why, if there is a God, there is such evil as we see and hear about in the world, that reaches back to the dawn of civilization, you might be interested in learning the answer that's apparent in the Word. It's very clearly delineated and its surprising at least to me that it has gone completely unnoticed. There are five dozen scriptural passages that are included that when put together, reveals the answer. The two works can also be called philosophical, and probably more this, than just another apologetic, and this should become more and more clear as one goes through the works. Let me know what you think. Are the works a contribution to serious Christian understanding, and debate, are they a staunch defense against atheism; or are they just the same old usual apologetics?

https://philpapers.org/archive/LIIRTP-2.pdf
https://philpapers.org/rec/LIIRTP-3

[fredonly]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness in post #196]
In statistical thermodynamics, entropy is a measure of the number of different ways that a set of objects can be arranged.

Small simple molecules form larger more complex molecules because they are more energetically and entropically favorable.

Does this indicate anything about the nature of the uncaused cause?

Only that it could develop a low entropy state.

Would it not need to be composed of something subject to entropy for that to be the case?

No. There are a number of possibilities. For example, a high positive energy(=low entropy) state could be balanced against a simultameous high negative energy state (where the sum is zero). Alternatively: an overall state of stasis in a quantum mechanical system could consist of eigenstates at a range of energy levels (from negative to positive). Of course, we don't know.

[JehovahsWitness]

..Alternatively: an overall state of stasis in a quantum mechanical system could consist of eigenstates at a range of energy levels. Of course, we don't know.

Are you suggesting that energy could have something to so with the uncaused cause? If so what ?



JW

.... energy ... is the label we attach to the capacity of a system to do work (potential energy) and a measure of the work being done (kinetic energy).

[fredonly]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness in post #196]
In statistical thermodynamics, entropy is a measure of the number of different ways that a set of objects can be arranged.

Small simple molecules form larger more complex molecules because they are more energetically and entropically favorable.

Does this indicate anything about the nature of the uncaused cause?

Only that it could develop a low entropy state.

Would it not need to be composed of something subject to entropy for that to be the case?

No. There are a number of possibilities. For example, a high positive energy(=low entropy) state could be balanced against a simultameous high negative energy state (where the sum is zero). Alternatively: an overall state of stasis in a quantum mechanical system could consist of eigenstates at a range of energy levels. Of course, we don't know.

Are you suggesting that energy could have something to so with the uncaused cause? If so what ?

Only that the uncaused initial state can account for energy. It could have zero energy, overall - that was what I was trying to convey with my two examples.

[JehovahsWitness]

Are you suggesting that energy could have something to so with the uncaused cause? If so what ?

Only that the uncaused initial state can account for energy. It could have zero energy, overall - that was what I was trying to convey with my two examples.

So this "uncaused cause" could have caused energy without itself being subject to enthropy?

[fredonly]

Are you suggesting that energy could have something to so with the uncaused cause? If so what ?

Only that the uncaused initial state can account for energy. It could have zero energy, overall - that was what I was trying to convey with my two examples.

So this "uncaused cause" could have caused energy?

What does it mean to "cause energy"?

[JehovahsWitness]

So this "uncaused cause" could have caused energy [without itself being subject to enthropy]?

What does it mean to "cause energy"?

To account for the energy that subsequently existed




JW

... the uncaused initial state can account for energy.

[fredonly]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness in post #206]

Energy is one property among many that are possessed by various objects (i.e. existents). Every property that any object can have must be grounded in the fundamental basis of material reality. This includes energy, electric charge, spin, color charge, etc.

[JehovahsWitness]

Every property that any object can have must be grounded in the fundamental basis of material reality.

How do you know this?

The pre-big bang conditions aren't like anything in the world today, so it's difficult or impossible to analyze .

..it is not currently possible to determine the state of reality prior to the inflationary period which preceded the hot big bang.

[JehovahsWitness]

... the uncaused initial state can account for energy.

[JehovahsWitness]

... laws of nature account for causation

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