Proof that God exists - The Atheist Experience #643

Antonio from Edison, New Jersey calls in to prove the existence of God, but turns out to be operating from misconception about the term atheism. (This is the first half of a discussion that is posted in two video clips.)

Segment of The Atheist Experience #643 from February 7, 2010, with Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Topic: Hymns. (Tracie and Russell look at the twisted lyrics of common hymns.)



Second half of the the discussion with Antonio from Edison, New Jersey. Tagline: "This pencil is my God!"



The webcast is archived in 2 parts on Ustream.tv:
► http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4547347 (Part 1)
► http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4549032 (Part 2)

The TV broadcast is archived on Blip.tv.
WARNING: VERY LOUD AND DISTORTED AUDIO!
► http://blip.tv/file/3200785

The God Who Wasn't There

This video is FAIR USE, and it's reproduction on this site and others is encouraged by the producers.

Jesus didn't exsist! [documentary]

God does not Exist

http://www.strike-the-root.com/71/mol...



Existence is a relatively simple concept -- it is defined as that which consists of either matter or energy. Therefore if a god exists, it must be composed of either matter or energy.

The opposite must also be true. If a god is not composed of matter or energy, then that god, by definition, does not exist. Thus to argue that a god exist, despite a total absence of matter or energy, is to argue, existence equals non-existence, which is a complete contradiction.

If a god exists, then physical evidence is really the only methodology by which we can ascertain that a god exists. Of course, this does not require direct physical evidence -- we cannot perceive black holes directly, but we know that they exist due to the effects of their gravity wells on surrounding matter, as well as the flashes of energy that are released as captured matter crosses the event horizon. But since "existence" is defined as that which is composed of matter or energy, the proof of existence must be some evidence of that matter or energy.

Evidence is defined as that which impacts our physical senses in some manner, either directly, or through some translating device such as a spectrograph or an oscilloscope. Since our sensory organs are designed to perceive the effects of matter and energy, it is through the evidence of the senses that we can determine the existence or nonexistence of things.

If I argue that something exists, but then claim there is no way to detect it, my argument contradicts itself. Let's say I tell a deaf man that I hear a deep, loud sound coming from a speaker. If he lays his hand on it and feels no vibrations, he has every right to be skeptical. If I say that this loud sound does not have vibrations, he may then pull out his trusty microphone or other sound wave detector. If this instrument detects no sound in the vicinity, can I still tell him that this loud sound is occurring? At some point, if my definition of "loud sound" basically boils down to "that which is the opposite of any evidence that a loud sound is occurring," then clearly my approach to truth needs a little work.

This approach helps clarify the truth value of the proposition that a god does not exist. If a god exists, then sensual evidence of some sort is required to determine the existence of that god. If a god is not made up of matter or energy, then that god does not exist, since that which is not composed of matter or energy -- does not exist. If a god is made up of matter and energy, then it is subject to physical laws. Since it is bound by physical laws, miracles are impossible, because miracles are, by definition, violations of physical laws. Likewise, a god cannot be all knowing and all-powerful, since both attributes would violate the basic tenets of physical laws. All knowing would require instantaneous knowledge of all matter, past, present and future, which is clearly impossible, while all powerful would require the ability to break the bounds of physical laws, which brings us back to the realm of nonexistence.

If a god is subject to physical laws, then praying to a god makes about as much sense as worshiping a black hole, begging the Sun to grant you favors, or circumcising your son to appease the moon. If a god is not subject to physical laws, then the concept of a god is synonymous with the concept of non-existence.

Why is there such resistance to the fact that a god does not exist? Many people redefine "God" within their own minds as "a potential form of matter or energy that has not been discovered yet," or "that which could exist in an alternate universe," or something to that effect.

However, either a criterion for determining truth exists, or it does not. If such a criterion exists, then it must be objective, and based on the evidence of the senses and reason, which precludes the existence of any deities. If no such criterion exists, then both everything and nothing is true, and agnosticism, atheism, superstition, religion and the belief of the flying spaghetti monster are all equally valid.

If an objective criterion for truth exists, then it cannot logically be applied according to whim, or only in situations that feel emotionally comfortable. Through this logical method we can determine no god exists.

Actions are more important than beliefs.

Frank Turek vs. Christopher Hitchens: What Best Explains Reality: Theism or Atheism?

Filmed at The College of New Jersey, Frank Turek and Christopher Hitchens meet again in their second debate to give their arguments for what best explains reality.

Frank Turek vs. Christopher Hitchens: What Best Explains Reality: Theism or Atheism? from Andrew Ketchum on Vimeo.

Theist vs Atheist Debate: "Does God Not Exist?"

January 5th, 2003 at Islamic Institute of New York.

Length: 2 hours 45 minutes

A historic debate between Hassanain Rajabali [Muslim] and Dan Barker [Atheist].

Moderated by Mohamed Athar Lila.

This is a series of events organized by the Tawheed Institute after the September 11 crisis with the aim to foster better understanding between people of different denominations.







Some Quotes:

"Another argument, against the existence of god of course, is the problem of evil: All you have to do is walk into any children's hospital - and you know there is no god. Children are in pain, they are suffering, their parents are desperately praying for god to protect them." - Dan Barker

"We're relative creatures, and that is how we understand things, and we can never have a conception of something that is bad, until we understand what is good. That reality, that co-existence is necessary in this world. If one wants to say that evil should not exist then the earth should not exist. You and I should not exist, trial should not exist, and exam should not exist. Rather we are in a system where we understand that evil is there." - Hassanain Rajabali

"Yes, I am under trial, if I could have stopped September 11, I would have but "God is not under trial." So it is irrelevant to for Him."
- Hassanain Rajabali

"No matter what they [the Atheists] thought of Hassanain's arguments, they all agree that he was pleasant and articulate. He shows a good face of Islam." -Dan Barker, after the debate

The Best Answer To The Deep Questions Of Existence

The Best Answer To The Deep Questions Of Existence. From the DVD "Break The Science Barrier" by Richard Dawkins.



Science is useful but that is not all it is. Science can be uplifting, thrilling, life-enhancing. Originally broadcast on Britain's Channel 4 in 1996, "Break the Science Barrier" follows the Oxford Biologist Richard Dawkins as he meets with people who have experienced the wonders of science first-hand.

We meet the astronomer who first discovered pulsars, the geneticist who invented DNA fingerprinting, a scientist who discovered a protein that causes cancer, and others. Richard Dawkins interviews famous admirers of science such as Douglas Adams and David Attenborough, and asks them why science means so much to them. We also see how dangerous ignorance of science can be in classrooms, courts, and beyond.

With so many expressing paranormal beliefs and ignorance of science, Dawkins encourages viewers to contrast these ancient superstitions with the power and beauty of our scientific achievements and understanding.

Richard Dawkins is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science author. He was formerly Professor for Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. He was voted Britain's leading public intellectual by readers of Prospect magazine and was named one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People" for 2007.

Dawkins came to prominence with his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene", which popularised the gene-centred view of evolution and introduced the term "meme". He is a prominent critic of creationism and intelligent design. In his 1986 book "The Blind Watchmaker", he argued against the watchmaker analogy, an argument for the existence of a supernatural creator based upon the complexity of living organisms. Instead, he described evolutionary processes as analogous to a blind watchmaker. He has since written several popular science books, and makes regular television and radio appearances, predominantly discussing these topics.

Dawkins is an atheist, secular humanist, sceptic, scientific rationalist, and supporter of the Brights movement. In his 2006 book "The God Delusion", he contends that a supernatural creator almost certainly does not exist and that faith qualifies as a delusion − as a fixed false belief.

Richard Dawkins on The Greatest Show on Earth

Richard Dawkins talks about why it's time for a book setting out the evidence for evolution, when calling someone ignorant isn't an insult, and how the media have made him into a militant atheist.

Theory vs. Faith

The Evidence For The Big Bang In 10 Little Minutes

Recommended reading:

"In Search Of The Big Bang" by John Gribbin.
"The Alchemy Of The Heavens" by Ken Croswell.
"The Whole Shebang" by Timothy Ferris.
"Big Bang" by Simon Singh.
"The First Three Minutes" by Steven Weinberg.

Face-Off - Does God Exist

Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort face off in a debate with the Rational Response Squad over the existence of God.

Part 1

Part 2

Atheism, Religion - Richard Dawkins on “Have Your Say”

Richard Dawkins - What about a female goddess?

The Atheist Experience - Ray Comfort

The guys make fun of Ray Comfort.

Garden of Eden

Beyond being destructive, the Eden myth is simply false. There never was a "better" state from which human beings have "descended." Mr. Stolyarov explores why the Fall is an illusion that ought to be abandoned.

The Meaning of Life?! (House)

Very good video. I wish everyone would start seeing the world for what it is and what it will be.

God Of The Gaps - The Atheist Experience

God Of The Gaps (The Atheist Experience with Matt Dillahunty & Ashley Perrien).

Dr Richard Dawkins proves the existence of God (from :Climbing Mount Improbable 8-8)

Richard Dawkins proves the existence of God.

Sam Harris makes a joke and a point

A segment from a Sam Harris debate with Rabbi David Wolpe.



American Jewish University

Fossil finds extend human story

By Jonathan Amos
Science reporter, BBC News

An impression of what "Ardi" would have looked like based on the fossil finds.

An ancient human-like creature that may be a direct ancestor to our species has been described by researchers.

The assessment of the 4.4-million-year-old animal called Ardipithecus ramidus is reported in the journal Science.

Even if it is not on the direct line to us, it offers new insights into how we evolved from the common ancestor we share with chimps, the team says.

Fossils of A. ramidus were first found in Ethiopia in 1992, but it has taken 17 years to assess their significance.

The most important specimen is a partial skeleton of a female nicknamed "Ardi".

The international team has recovered key bones, including the skull with teeth, arms, hands, pelvis, legs, and feet.

But the researchers have other fragments that may represent perhaps at least 36 different individuals, including youngsters, males, and females.

One of the lead scientists on the project, Professor Tim White from the University of California, Berkeley, said the investigation had been painstaking.

"It took us many, many years to clean the bones in the National Museum of Ethiopia and then set about to restore this skeleton to its original dimensions and form; and then study it and compare it with all the other fossils that are known from Africa and elsewhere, as well as with the modern age," he told the journal.

"This is not an ordinary fossil. It's not a chimp. It's not a human. It shows us what we used to be."