Instead of quibbling over scripture and when, where or if Jesus said what, let's start at the beginning. Christians claim that Jesus is God, but who is this "God"? It means nothing to say that Jesus is God if you cannot define, locate, detect or explain God. So who would like to be the first to answer this call:
Prove God exists.
First you must do that, then we can talk about Jesus. If God cannot be proven to exist, then this whole forum is a waste of everyone's time.
You have no Case for Christ until you can Prove God exists
Moderator: Moderators
- brandx1138
- Scholar
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:32 pm
Re: You have no Case for Christ until you can Prove God exis
Post #2physicists debate the existence of many phonomena, even if they're "just theories."brandx1138 wrote: If God cannot be proven to exist, then this whole forum is a waste of everyone's time.
- brandx1138
- Scholar
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:32 pm
Re: You have no Case for Christ until you can Prove God exis
Post #3Such as?zepper899 wrote:physicists debate the existence of many phonomena, even if they're "just theories."brandx1138 wrote: If God cannot be proven to exist, then this whole forum is a waste of everyone's time.
- McCulloch
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 24063
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 9:10 pm
- Location: Toronto, ON, CA
- Been thanked: 3 times
Re: You have no Case for Christ until you can Prove God exis
Post #4That's like asking, "Prove Sferotelekinetic Cherunams exist."brandx1138 wrote:Prove God exists.
We cannot address the question of whether God exists until we agree what we are talking about. What is God?
Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.
First Epistle to the Church of the Thessalonians
The truth will make you free.
Gospel of John
First Epistle to the Church of the Thessalonians
The truth will make you free.
Gospel of John
- brandx1138
- Scholar
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:32 pm
Re: You have no Case for Christ until you can Prove God exis
Post #5Precisely my point. I'm including the call to define God with the request for proof of his existence. Since no one has done either yet, I remain unconvinced of him, and therefore unconvinced of Christianity from the get-go.McCulloch wrote:That's like asking, "Prove Sferotelekinetic Cherunams exist."brandx1138 wrote:Prove God exists.
We cannot address the question of whether God exists until we agree what we are talking about. What is God?
- McCulloch
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 24063
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 9:10 pm
- Location: Toronto, ON, CA
- Been thanked: 3 times
Post #6
God is the uncaused first cause.
Using that definition, then simply regress through a series of questions, like "and what caused that?" until you get to whatever it is that does not have a cause, because it either just came into being without a cause, or simply has always existed. That thing is God, or those things are gods.
God existed and may still exist. Nothing more is known about God or the gods, but God exists or the gods exist (or at least existed).
God is Love.
I love my wife and children.
Therefore, God exists.
Using that definition, then simply regress through a series of questions, like "and what caused that?" until you get to whatever it is that does not have a cause, because it either just came into being without a cause, or simply has always existed. That thing is God, or those things are gods.
God existed and may still exist. Nothing more is known about God or the gods, but God exists or the gods exist (or at least existed).
God is Love.
I love my wife and children.
Therefore, God exists.
Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.
First Epistle to the Church of the Thessalonians
The truth will make you free.
Gospel of John
First Epistle to the Church of the Thessalonians
The truth will make you free.
Gospel of John
- brandx1138
- Scholar
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:32 pm
Post #7
McCulloch wrote:God is the uncaused first cause.
Using that definition, then simply regress through a series of questions, like "and what caused that?" until you get to whatever it is that does not have a cause, because it either just came into being without a cause, or simply has always existed. That thing is God, or those things are gods.
God existed and may still exist. Nothing more is known about God or the gods, but God exists or the gods exist (or at least existed).
God is Love.
I love my wife and children.
Therefore, God exists.
Are these your assertions and beliefs, or are you just parroting what has been said before about God?
My next few questions would be, "How do you know that God is all or some or one of these things? Where did you learn about this God and his attributes? Can you demonstrate the validity of these claims?"
- McCulloch
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 24063
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 9:10 pm
- Location: Toronto, ON, CA
- Been thanked: 3 times
Post #8
McCulloch wrote:God is the uncaused first cause.
Using that definition, then simply regress through a series of questions, like "and what caused that?" until you get to whatever it is that does not have a cause, because it either just came into being without a cause, or simply has always existed. That thing is God, or those things are gods.
[case 1]God existed and may still exist. Nothing more is known about God or the gods, but God exists or the gods exist (or at least existed).
[case 2]God is Love.
I love my wife and children.
Therefore, God exists.
Are those my only two choices?brandx1138 wrote:Are these your assertions and beliefs, or are you just parroting what has been said before about God?
You missed the point. I defined God as the being with those characteristics and then went on to prove that God, as defined, exists.brandx1138 wrote:My next few questions would be, "How do you know that God is all or some or one of these things?
[case 3]Equally valid, God is a ham sandwich with swiss cheese (hardly kosher, eh?). I have made a ham sandwich with swiss cheese, therefore I am the creator of God, and God's destroyer.
Which attributes are those? In the first case, nothing is known about this God except that it (or they) are uncaused.brandx1138 wrote:Where did you learn about this God and his attributes?
In the second case, I read the definition in the Bible. Whatever attributes love has from personal experience.
In the third case, I simply made it up.
No, in fact, I doubt the validity of any discussion about God that is not preceded by a common definition of what is meant by the word God. That is my point.brandx1138 wrote:Can you demonstrate the validity of these claims?"
Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.
First Epistle to the Church of the Thessalonians
The truth will make you free.
Gospel of John
First Epistle to the Church of the Thessalonians
The truth will make you free.
Gospel of John
- brandx1138
- Scholar
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:32 pm
Post #9
Wrong. Nothing is known about God except for what is professed to be "known" but isn't. You don't "know" that God is uncaused, unless you can explain your methods for obtaining this knowledge and the reasons for coming to this conclusion.McCulloch wrote:Which attributes are those? In the first case, nothing is known about this God except that it (or they) are uncaused.brandx1138 wrote:Where did you learn about this God and his attributes?
You admit you made it all up. So why am I talking to you?
- Goat
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 24999
- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 6:09 pm
- Has thanked: 25 times
- Been thanked: 207 times
Post #10
When there is no apparent time frame, is there a 'first'?McCulloch wrote:God is the uncaused first cause.
Using that definition, then simply regress through a series of questions, like "and what caused that?" until you get to whatever it is that does not have a cause, because it either just came into being without a cause, or simply has always existed. That thing is God, or those things are gods.
God existed and may still exist. Nothing more is known about God or the gods, but God exists or the gods exist (or at least existed).
God is Love.
I love my wife and children.
Therefore, God exists.
“What do you think science is? There is nothing magical about science. It is simply a systematic way for carefully and thoroughly observing nature and using consistent logic to evaluate results. So which part of that exactly do you disagree with? Do you disagree with being thorough? Using careful observation? Being systematic? Or using consistent logic?�
Steven Novella
Steven Novella