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  1. brokensymmetry

    cosmology and God

    Here are some thoughts: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/modern-cosmology-versus-gods-creation/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0#more-153324 Is there any way that cosmology supports the existence of God? Is enough known firmly to construct a solid fine tuning argument? Is there...
  2. brokensymmetry

    private experiences and objective reality

    This is a topic I have had a lot of opportunity to dwell on in my own life. To what extent is it rational to use subjective, private experiences to form views about the fundamental nature of reality itself? To what extent is this avoidable and to what extent should we try to mitigate it? My...
  3. brokensymmetry

    where are the miracles?

    Here is a question that has been on my mind. If you are a part of a religion that stems from the Bible (hebrew Bible) then where are the fantastic miraculous happenings? Why aren't they occurring now? Think of the people God turned into salt, the floodings, the plagues, the talking of animals...
  4. brokensymmetry

    why do you take your position

    I am curious what the primary reasons are for having the views you do now, with regards to religion, the existence of God, the ultimate nature of reality and so on. Is it because of philosophical arguments? More informal looser arguments? Personal experiences? Personal convenience? Habit or...
  5. brokensymmetry

    should drugs be illegal?

    I argue that the US War on Drugs is wrong for two main reasons. First, I believe people have a right to use substances for recreational purposes so long as they aren't engaging in direct physical harm or danger of other (e.g. driving under the influence). Alcohol is a fairly serious drug but I...
  6. brokensymmetry

    belief and practice question

    Alright so hopefully it is cool if I post here. I have an inquiry that I have been curious about for a couple of weeks based on some discussions I'm having with family members and such. It has also arisen in my mind based on some interesting exchanges I've had on this forum. The question is...
  7. brokensymmetry

    it all had to come from somewhere

    In the course of describing my struggles with having faith in Christianity and then more specifically God's existence some well meaning people have offered up what they find to be very compelling lines of reasoning. The main thing I hear is "it all had to come from somewhere!" What this means...
  8. brokensymmetry

    ask a monogamist

    Just feeling envious! I know we are boring as watching paint dry.
  9. brokensymmetry

    do people really believe in hell

    So this may be silly, and if so, I apologize beforehand. However, I have been reading Pinker's book The Better Angels of Our Nature and he brought up an interesting point about the Christian torture of heretics. If you can cruelly torture and kill someone but that leads to their repentance...
  10. brokensymmetry

    God as an explanation

    I thought my last post on this was perhaps a bit scattered and hampered by being based on a lengthy debate that was largely about something else. So, I found this nifty list of explanatory virtues and comments on if theism fulfills these criteria or not...
  11. brokensymmetry

    is theism well defined?

    I recently enjoyed this debate: X0qKZqPy9T8 "God and Cosmology" William Lane Craig and Sean Carroll - 2014 Greer Heard Forum - YouTube Many points were covered but one which I thought make interesting discussion is one of the assertions made by Carroll that theism is not well defined. What...
  12. brokensymmetry

    favorite books?

    What are some of your favorite books for understanding your religious beliefs? What would you recommend to others to read to understand your views?
  13. brokensymmetry

    is evolution a scientific theory?

    One of the routes a lot of creationists take is to deny that evolution is a scientific theory. Why? They argue that a theory about origins could never be scientific because it isn't repeatable. Now how they do that and then on the other hand want ID or straight up biblical creationism presented...
  14. brokensymmetry

    scientific thinking and faith

    I have often pondered why it is that there are so many fewer people embracing religion, in particular strong forms of religion, who are in scientific fields than in the general population. In the US, religion is very common, so it is noticeable when a subgroup eschews it either partially or...
  15. brokensymmetry

    changing my religious category

    I have come to the conclusion that it would be reasonable and probably better for me to change my advertised religious category... at least I think so! I've been wrestling with this internally so I thought why not throw it out there and see if others find it legitimate, particularly since I'm...
  16. brokensymmetry

    infinity: a problem for theists or nontheists?

    There is a real issue with whether or not there has to be a 'bottom' to infinities. I say 'bottom' because usually the same people who have a problem with infinite regresses have no problem with stuff like eternal life, their bias is anistropic. I think straight up it's not clear to me why an...
  17. brokensymmetry

    the argument for the resurrection

    There is a thread here which has gotten into this and has inspired me to rethink this argument in some detail. Originally, considerations about this argument persuaded me to become a Christian in the first place. I want to lay out the basic argument that persuaded me, then explain where I think...
  18. brokensymmetry

    when did you become a nonbeliever?

    Since most people are raised by parents who are believers to some extent or another, that makes it likely that most people who are now secular types were at once at least nominally religious. So let me ask you, if you were in such a situation, at what point did you know that you were no longer...
  19. brokensymmetry

    a compilation of reasons I doubt

    I hope you forgive me for another self indulgent post. The thing is, since I've been here, I've found expressing my thoughts to such a diverse crowd a lot more helpful than I could have guessed. I put this in the debate forum thinking the discourse might be a little freer, and if people want to...
  20. brokensymmetry

    is there a beginning?

    This is a hybrid philosophy and science question. Must there be a beginning to the universe? Here I mean everything which may have existed, not necessarily our universe, or our corner of the universe which originated in the Big Bang. If not, and supposing that the physical world has always...
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