Einstein's historic 'God Letter' written shortly before death up for auction — opening bid

[sailingaway]

If you want to say you aren't capable of understanding, fine. But don't lump me in that category or people as a whole in that category either. I can think of tons of things small minded people told me couldn't be done and I ended up proving them wrong because I don't handcuff myself to a bunch of arbitrary limits.

But the point is a knowledge base mankind by our nature are incapable of understanding. I'm not lumping you anywhere, I am saying given the hypothesis of the existence of realities we cannot comprehend, you can't disprove God's existence.

 

[VIDEODROME]

I think the burden of disproving something is kind of weird.

Could demand someone prove Thor doesn't exist lol.

 

[anaconda]

I think the burden of disproving something is kind of weird.

Could demand someone prove Thor doesn't exist lol.

I had a bunch of atheists on Facebook hammer me with this type of argument. I said that atheism was irrational because they could not disprove the existence of god. One of them responded that it was akin to believing in the Tooth Fairy because it's existence could not be disproved. But I did not find that a compelling argument. I do not believe intuitively in the tooth fairy, but I am on no mission to proclaim its nonexistence.

With respect to the Thor scenario, I would wonder why anyone would spend so much time and energy denying the existence of Thor, were they not prepared to justify their claim? I don't think you have to prove something exists or does not exist in order to believe or not believe in it. But it is not rational to make a positive statement about something that is unverifiable.

However, I want to believe in Thor...

 

[tttppp]

But the point is a knowledge base mankind by our nature are incapable of understanding. I'm not lumping you anywhere, I am saying given the hypothesis of the existence of realities we cannot comprehend, you can't disprove God's existence.

What makes you think we can't comprehend? Do you know what's in my brain? I don't think anyone would argue against that we learn more as time goes by. Assuming we live long enough, its reasonable to believe that we will figure out how the universe works.

If you understand the universe as a whole, you can state whether or not God exists.

 

[sailingaway]

You can't prove to others that no more exists than what you understand, you can only prove the limits of your understanding.

 

[anaconda]

What makes you think we can't comprehend? Do you know what's in my brain? I don't think anyone would argue against that we learn more as time goes by. Assuming we live long enough, its reasonable to believe that we will figure out how the universe works.

If you understand the universe as a whole, you can state whether or not God exists.

There are many things that our brains cannot do that the universe can do. It seems possible that our understanding is bound to always be an abstraction and a simplified model of the way things "really" work.

 

[tttppp]

There are many things that our brains cannot do that the universe can do. It seems possible that our understanding is bound to always be an abstraction and a simplified model of the way things "really" work.

Our bodies are limited physically, but we can develop tools that can allow us to do what our bodies can't. That said, I'm really close to figuring our how this universe exists. So I'm confident we can figure things out with our existing bodies...but if that doesn work, we can always develop new tools to help us. You have to take a long term view. In the long term its almost auotmatic we will figure everything out if we last long enough.

 

[tttppp]

You can't prove to others that no more exists than what you understand, you can only prove the limits of your understanding.

The limits of my understanding is infinity. If I could teach you that, I think you would learn a lot.

 

[robert68]

The existance of a creator of the universe is different. You can mathmatically prove that a creator does not exist. If infinity does exists, technically everything else does exist, so why would I try to disprove it?

Fire away.

 

[AFPVet]

Who or what is God? To some cultures, God is a binding energy rather than an individual. To others, God is a person. Who cares what you believe "God" to be... if we accepted everyone else, we wouldn't be arguing lol.

 

[Origanalist]

Our bodies are limited physically, but we can develop tools that can allow us to do what our bodies can't. That said, I'm really close to figuring our how this universe exists. So I'm confident we can figure things out with our existing bodies...but if that doesn work, we can always develop new tools to help us. You have to take a long term view. In the long term its almost auotmatic we will figure everything out if we last long enough.

So we have the new and improved Einstein right here at RPF. I am so thrilled!

 

[jmdrake]

So we have the new and improved Einstein right here at RPF. I am so thrilled!

Improvement over Steven Hawking as well.

To my knoweledge, Hawking doesn't have a theory of everything, and I do. So its pointless for you to bash me for saying Hawking doesn't understand infinity as well as me. If you think Hawking is better than me, then show me a theory of his that explains the universe as a whole.

LOLz

 

[tttppp]

Fire away.

My theory is that the universe exists because zero = infinity. Therefore the universe has always existed and was not created by anyone.

 

[tttppp]

So we have the new and improved Einstein right here at RPF. I am so thrilled!

I can't match my accomplishments with his yet, but I believe I will do more than him eventually. I am closer to a theory of everything than he ever was.

 

[tttppp]

Improvement over Steven Hawking as well.



LOLz

Everything I stated about Hawking was true. Feel free to do a fact check.

 

[sailingaway]

My theory is that the universe exists because zero = infinity. Therefore the universe has always existed and was not created by anyone.

This is a theory that has been asserted before but seems contradicted by expanding space. I can't disprove it, but you can't prove it, either. Nor disprove God.

 

[matt0611]

I can't match my accomplishments with his yet, but I believe I will do more than him eventually. I am closer to a theory of everything than he ever was.

Be sure to post it here first when you're done

 

[Sola_Fide]

My theory is that the universe exists because zero = infinity. Therefore the universe has always existed and was not created by anyone.

This is logically impossible. The universe cannot have always existed because there would not only be an infinite progression of events, but an infinite regression of events as well. If there is an infinite regression of events, it is impossible to progress through an infinite regression. Therefore, it is impossible to have arrived at the present time.

The mere fact that it is the present proves that the universe has not always existed. Your theory isn't logical.

 

[jmdrake]

Everything I stated about Hawking was true. Feel free to do a fact check.

And where do I go to check the "fact" that you have a better understanding of infinity than Stephen Hawking? Just because you say you have a theory of everything doesn't mean that you do. Maybe you do, maybe you don't. But until you present your "research" I have no "fact" to check.

 

[Sola_Fide]

Here is the foremost Christian philosopher of the last century critiquing the non-Biblical views of time and explaining the Biblical view of time. Some of the concepts make my brain explode, but its so interesting to ponder:

Time and Eternity
By Gordon Clark
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1250616487