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  1. osgart

    What are the minimum requirements for a Creator of the universe?

    The minimum requirements are a transcendent reality of qualities and values that are bound to the physical possibilities that have narrowed considerably to our laws of the natural world. God may or may not be bound to the transcendent reality. The transcendent reality would be the medium of...
  2. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    I'm atheist, but not naturalist. The life manifest in the world is far from perfect, and has no ideal design. But I would be foolish to think that it doesn't exhibit intelligence or some kinds of purposes. It's more of trial and error than design. The qualitative aspects of life can't be...
  3. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    Naturalism assumes there is nothing uniquely special about life on earth. Life is a particular arrangement of physical causes that give rise to conscious intelligence. We are nothing more than chemistry. Naturalism is never questioned by the naturalist. Everything is a result of mindless laws...
  4. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    No it doesn't. I don't see an ideally designed nature. You assumed I did all on your own. I'm not going to argue extremes with anyone. Naturalism assumes the mundane causes function. Under naturalism we can't expect any thriving function at all. It doesn't get off the ground. I'm atheist, but...
  5. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    You are basically declaring that all functions in nature have no purpose. No amount of evidence would convince you otherwise. What exactly leads you away from purpose that it's not even considered?
  6. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    This doesn't reflect anything I said or thought.
  7. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    Science is only going to get the physical behavior of physical phenomena. It's only going to tackle how things work and behave in a physical manner from observation coupled with math. Science cannot answer why questions about purposes, and intelligence in nature. That immediately falls into...
  8. osgart

    Extremists. Which ones are the worst etc

    People that have the attitude that their lives are superior and that a lot of others lives don't measure up nor suit their arrogant standards I would consider to be extreme and damaging. Also people that can't maintain faithful, loyal relationships based on healthy moral principles are...
  9. osgart

    Why do you follow your religion?

    Virtues are my religion plus the eternal foundational reality of pure infinite non living and living intelligence. I follow my religion because I find it to be true. I'm an individual drop in this ocean. So is every life form. Reality is an illusion bound to the ultimate reality. Illusions...
  10. osgart

    Can we change what we desire?

    There's the reality and the fantasy of each desire. Once one dissociates from the fantasy, or imaginary aspects of the desire, they can begin to look at the reality of the desire, and thereafter using truer associations with what is desired I think the desire can lessen its impact and power. So...
  11. osgart

    What is Evidence?

    How would you model an abstract quality to the brain? What causes you to associate one with the other? The question is does physics operate mathematically and why do they work so well together? Is math merely a system designed to mimic what happens in the real world? Why are math discoveries...
  12. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    Evidence is often a matter of interpretation. Why should I trust your interpretation? You are just making a blank statement of no evidence. What would the evidence look like if there was any in your view?
  13. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    Things like the Penrose number for the initial conditions of the universe, or the cosmological constant, how do you deny those are fine tuned? I'm not familiar with Stenger, but it sounds like people do not regard the precision of those numbers. Lewis is an atheist, Barnes is a theist. They...
  14. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    One is a theist, the other is a non theist. I'm not sure what religious assumptions you are referring to though.
  15. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    Then what do you make of scientist's Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes book, ' A Fortunate Universe, Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos ' . Why would I take your word for it over what this book articulates?
  16. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    At the very least it is a matter of contention and debate. I'm very skeptical about dismissing it. Perhaps the article is subtly misleading and I didn't able recognize it. Here's what Wikipedia has: Motivation. Physicist Paul Davies said: "There is now broad agreement among physicists and...
  17. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    Or someone is trying too hard to explain fine tuning away. A string is part of a designed instrument, so that analogy would not hold. Anyways the appearance of forethought, and planning of living organisms is apparent. I suspect that nature has trial and error plans baked into it. I would not...
  18. osgart

    How do you detect "design"?

    https://mathscholar.org/2018/03/has-cosmic-fine-tuning-been-refuted/ I'm sure that the overall consensus is that the universe is anomalously fine tuned.
  19. osgart

    What is Evidence?

    If your philosophical assumption is physicalism then everything becomes a matter of evidence from physical facts and nothing else is relevant. If you recognize abstract qualities in your philosophical assumptions, then there is more to infer from evidence beyond the physical. If there's more...
  20. osgart

    Do your beliefs make you happy?

    Beliefs are things that one feels to be true but cannot prove, or cannot know for sure. My beliefs in my religion compel me, they motivate me, but they do not make any difference to my happiness. If my beliefs are true that's great, if not then that would be immensely sad. There's really...
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