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Author Topic:   Chance as a sole-product of the Universe
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 275 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(2)
Message 112 of 263 (787586)
07-18-2016 2:30 PM
Reply to: Message 108 by Phat
07-18-2016 1:13 PM


Re: What do you mean by chance ?
Its when we throw phrases out there like "The universe evolved (or came into being) by chance.
But no-one does say that; rather, liars put it forward as a strawman of the atheist position.
First of all, it is impossible for anything to at one time not exist and then to later exist.
Not only is that possible, it's usual.
This is an incorrect way to think about chance and.or use the term. Chance cannot cause anything because chance is of itself nothing.
Well, this is just playing with words. You could play similarly silly games with the words "by design" if you wanted to, but why would you want to?
To say "X happened by design" means "X happened as a result of a process directed by the intention of a sentient being". It does not mean that there's some non-abstract thing called Design that caused it to happen, and no-one would think it did mean that unless they were determined to play silly buggers. In the same way, to say "X happened by chance" is to say "X happened as the result of a process which had a possibility of turning out some other way".

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 Message 108 by Phat, posted 07-18-2016 1:13 PM Phat has not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 275 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 134 of 263 (787781)
07-21-2016 5:38 PM
Reply to: Message 133 by mike the wiz
07-21-2016 5:18 PM


Re: What do you mean by chance ?
The fact is the universe and life, are far more specific and purposeful than writing on sand.
(The proof is left as an exercise for the reader.)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 133 by mike the wiz, posted 07-21-2016 5:18 PM mike the wiz has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 135 by mike the wiz, posted 07-21-2016 5:51 PM Dr Adequate has replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 275 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 138 of 263 (787795)
07-21-2016 10:28 PM
Reply to: Message 135 by mike the wiz
07-21-2016 5:51 PM


Re: What do you mean by chance ?
I don't want to turn this thread into a, "Mike, please prove I.D, thread" so don't you think it is at least fair to say that the things you yourself might call "appearance of design" are at least expected-evidence if the universe is designed?
Why yes, in the same way that you having two legs is expected evidence if you are a chicken.
But then I'd look at all the ways in which the universe appears to not be designed, and all the ways in which you appear to not be a chicken.

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 Message 135 by mike the wiz, posted 07-21-2016 5:51 PM mike the wiz has not replied

  
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