Subject: Re: Music, religion, etc.
AntiUtopia@aol.com
Date: Mon Jan 10 2000 - 18:00:18 EST
In a message dated 1/10/00 5:46:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, shok@netcom.com
writes:
<< I hope that is so. But I've had numerous conversations like this before
and someone always seem to resort to arguing that the Universe is too
complex to exist if not for Intelligent Design. Ignoring, of course,
that the Intelligent Designer must be damn complex as well. >>
I tend to classify these arguments as "faith seeking understanding." They
aren't to convince anyone, but to demonstrate that religious faith isn't
inherently irrational. That's also the reason I made my points about a
priori beliefs. You seemed to be arguing that religion's reliance upon a
priori beliefs rendered it irrational, hence my point. On that basis it's no
more irrational than anything else.
If you're going to talk about "complexity," in terms of Occam's Razor, I
still don't think you're using it right. If we want nothing more than to
account for the existence of the universe, nothing is simpler than God put it
there (especially against the background of quantum physics, etc.). This
tells us nothing about the nature of this God, what that means for us
personally, etc., but it is a simple solution to account for the existence of
the universe.
But I don't think belief in a God should be seen as "necessary" for any
reason until your personal experience requires you to believe.
Jim
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