"The average person thinks he isn't." - Father Larry Lorenzoni

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Someone: i think science as it exists right now cannot conclusively prove or disporve God.

for the same reason math, art history, literature and economics can't disprove/prove god. becuase they'll all academic disciplines. by definition they are relevant to our world but have little capability to throw light on anything beyond it.

Me: can you disprove that there is a teapot in orbit around the rings of saturn?

Someone: hm, do we have telescopes of sufficient power yet?

Me: can you disprove santa claus? the easter bunny? the tooth fairy? mother goose?

Someone: but if we do not, then we can't disprove that, can we? we can only say because it's a man-made object, and we've never been to Saturn, there probably isn't.

Me: it is contingent on those proposing things to prove them
rather than those contending them to disprove them

Someone: well, we do have satellite imaging over the North pole and we don't see a Santa Base....so...

Same for the rest too.

Me: santa base could be invisible

Someone: er, no known technology can make things invisible yet, on such a scale. here at duke they've only just developed a light-bending mini-cloak.

Me: santa does not need to rely on technology
he has christmas magic

...

Someone: if we don't even know how a simply atom works, how can it prove/disprove god?

Me: how an atom works has nothing to do with gods

if gods exist, they show no sign of their existence or presence in the world today
and are as relevant as teapots around Saturn

Someone: no, but understanding the nature of the universe could explain why we havne't observed god. and we are nowhere near understanding the nature of the universe

so what is to say a god doesn't exist?
especially since he is real to so many people?

Me: you're begging the question

what's to say santa claus doesn't exist?

Elvis is real to many people

Someone: we know santa is fake cos we know the origins of the myth

Me: we know the origins of the god myth too ;)

Someone: Jesus is real to even more people =) and he makes a larger difference, too

Me: so if there was only one christian left on earth, your god would not be real?

Someone: No--but if there was only one christian left on earth, then the world population would be one.

Me: and again you're artificially defining the argument so you will win it
which is intellectually dishonest

...

Someone: Yes, if you want to pin the blame on God just so you can vindicate yourself. you might as well point out so-and-so, a Chrisitian, behainvg worse than so-and-so, who's not.

Me: so everything good that christians do is because of god
and everything bad is their fault?
that's very dishonest

Someone: why is that dishonest? we do good when we allow god to work through us. we do evil when we ignore him or turn away. how is that dishonest?

Me: sigh
nevermind. this is pointless

if your god can do no wrong, and you have already decided it, then there's no way I can prove that he can

I can just as validly say if christians do good things it's because they're good
and if they do bad things it's your god's fault

it is morally repugnant
assuming humanity is incapable of goodness
and gods are incapable of evil