Analysis of Hartshorne's (1962) Proof of the Existence of God

Thread starter Owen Holden
Start date Feb 26, 2005
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Analysis Existence Proof

AI Thread Summary

Hartshorne's (1962) proof of God's existence is analyzed and found valid but not sound, demonstrating that the existence of God is possible but not necessarily true. The argument relies on modal logic, specifically theorems of S5, to show that if God's existence is possible, it implies necessity. The discussion shifts to the burden of proof, where theists must demonstrate God's existence and atheists must show the impossibility of God's existence. Participants express skepticism about the relevance of such discussions, comparing belief in God to belief in mythical creatures, and question the utility of debating unprovable claims. Ultimately, the conversation highlights the philosophical complexities surrounding existence and belief, suggesting that the discourse may be more about personal conviction than objective truth.

May 17, 2005

#101

C1ay

God is an invention of man to explain the things he doesn't understand. He invented the sun god to explain the sun coming up before he learned that it comes up because we go round it. He invented the fire god to explain fire before he understood that it was just the result of heat, fuel and oxygen. Somewhere along the way someone asked how we got here and why and another God was invented to explain it. Where does it end? Now we've got the ID crowd running around saying life is so complicated it must have been designed. It doesn't even rate as junk science.

OT - Hi LG, small world.