I am new to this community so I am not sure if this topic has been discussed extensively in the past. My internet connection is very slow so it is difficult for me to do an effective search.
My query is basically "Can we assign a probability to the existence of God?"
Although I am not a mathematician or a scientist, I have had an interest in statistics since I was in college numerous years ago. I have been reading about different theories related to the "origin of the universe," and the "origin of life." It seems that most of these theories have been assigned different probabilities. Some of them with astronomical chances!
When I review these theories, I see that that many times the assumptions are not based upon the natural laws of science. For example, different theories related to the origin of life teach that life arose from non-living matter. However the "law of biogenesis" teaches that life can only arise from existing life. Therefore, probabilities are being assigned based upon a deviation from the natural laws of science. In other words the event seems to have been supernatural, or outside the laws of nature. If this is not the case, then the probabilities must be calculated based upon the assumption that the "law of biogenesis" is invalid, and that life can arise from non-living matter. In other words, the probabilities are being assigned based upon the assumption that the law (of biogenesis) will be found invalid when the theory is proven to be true.
It seems that the same is true of the origin of the universe. It seems that some of the theories that I have reviewed make the assumption that the energy and matter in existence today came from nothing. This is in contradiction to the natural law that no energy or matter is being created or destroyed. The natural law says that all energy and matter in existence today had to always have been in existence. Therefore, if they assign probabilities to any event that uses an assumption outside of this natural law of science, the assumptions are supernatural.
My question is not related to the validity of the probabilities being assigned to the theories regarding the origin of life and the origin of the universe. My point is that scientists seem to be using assumptions that contradict the natural laws of science in existence today to assign these probabilities. Therefore, it would seem to me that science allows the use of supernatural assumptions in the field of statistics.
I have reviewed numerous theories which have attempted to calculate the probability of the existence of God. Anyone familiar with this field will know of Bayes Theorem, and some of the people who have advocated and criticized its use for the purpose of making these calculations.
Having laid a brief foundation for this thread, I would like to reiterate the primary subject that I have placed up for discussion.
Is there a chance that God exists? If there is a chance, what is it?
Can we assign a probability to the existence of God?
™ Version 4.2
