tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232534343197493118.post7446363927522868380..comments2023-12-26T06:12:05.014-05:00Comments on A Burning Fire in My Bones: Atheist Materialism, the New Calvinism?John Daniel Hollowayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12601759712135664650noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232534343197493118.post-29681337223681090832016-12-18T23:42:55.413-05:002016-12-18T23:42:55.413-05:00You really don't get Science, do you?You really don't get Science, do you?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13630047639388608058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232534343197493118.post-26672394934201267072016-02-29T02:50:25.083-05:002016-02-29T02:50:25.083-05:00I think you hit on something very important. There...I think you hit on something very important. There's a thing in quantum mechanics called nonrealism. It follows from the Kochen-Specker theorem, the delayed choice quantum eraser experiment, and the violations of Leggett's and Bell's inequalities. Basically, it states that physical objects have no definite traits independent of our choice of observation. It's not just that they exist as waves or something when we're not looking. Whether they will exhibit more "wave-like" behavior or more particle like behavior depends on what aspects of the system we choose to observe- and our sequences of observation matter more than the sequences of measurements made by devices. This means that the physical world is in essence, illusory, not fully there when you're not looking- just as objects in a dream aren't fully there while you're not looking. So this supports idealism vastly more than neutral monism or materialism. There is, however, a "loophole" for the atheists. This loophole, present in all the theories, is not nonlocality (the idea that relativity can be violated), because these experiments actually control for that, and field theory implies exact locality. The loophole is that the universe would have to be tricking the experimenters into getting results that look like they contradict materialism, while they actually don't. In other words, the universe would have to completely conspire against the experimenters by pure coincidence, and the experimenters would have to not have free will. As of now, this is the only materialist escape route available after considering the experimental data. At the same time, this also obliterates free will completely, since the Conway-Kochen free will theorem implies quantum nonrealism must be true to have free will. This also obliterates science by suggesting that what we experimentally observe isn't actually the way things really are. Furthermore, all these experiments must end up as either unbelievable coincidences, or be orchestrated by some super intellect to test the atheists faith in materialism! One can clearly see the similarities between this and the Calvinist God, especially of the YEC variety, where all the dinosaur bones just miraculously happen to appear to be millions of years old, despite being put there less than 6000 years ago. So there's one more similarity between Calvinism and atheist materialism to add: cosmic conspiracies or "coincidences" that "only appear" to obliterate your worldview.Trev of Economiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06456754084797215573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232534343197493118.post-46204492584183983112014-10-30T22:15:13.934-04:002014-10-30T22:15:13.934-04:00its not a matter of absolute truth. it is a matter...its not a matter of absolute truth. it is a matter of a persons views on their existance. if they believe everything they do is already predetermined then any remorse or inclination to do otherwise is removed. whereas if they believe it is their responsibility to decide they will instead be obligated within their own minds to take responsibility for their actions. so absolute truth in the case of this arguement is irrelevant, it is what the individual believes to be true that will determine their responseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232534343197493118.post-45915791867645317352014-05-24T15:20:39.887-04:002014-05-24T15:20:39.887-04:00Baloney. Don't make this harder than it is. ...Baloney. Don't make this harder than it is. God either exists or does not. If god is only in the minds of men then every faith-based world view is deluded. Yet as faith demonstrates every day relative to contentment delusion is a near meaningless concept if one is happy. Happy is OK if that is a life goal and you are not bothered about living that life totally deluded. Materialists see the deafening clamor of randomness and chance where faith sees miracles and truth. Yet science can never be a religion because it is only a method. Man is using the great lever of science methodically to shed light into the dim corners of human existence and produce genuine miracles in discovery that uncover absolute truths and not just the garden variety and faith-based personal convictions of human hope, love and yearning, which are in turn meaningless relative to absolute truth.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com