The Kalam Argument for God:
P1. Anything which begins to exist has a cause.
P2. The universe began to exist.
C. The Universe has a cause.
The Kalam Argument AGAINST God:
P1: Nothing which exists can cause something which does not exist to begin existing.
P2: Given (1), Anything which begins to exist was not caused to do so by something which exists.
P3: The universe began to exist.
P4: Given (2) and (3), the universe was not caused to exist by anything which exists.
P5: God caused the universe to begin to exist.
C1: Given (4) and (5), God does not exist.
I Kalam Like I See Em...Theoretical Bullshit2010-02-07 | Everything that begins to exist has a cause, right? Wrong.
The Kalam Argument for God:
P1. Anything which begins to exist has a cause.
P2. The universe began to exist.
C. The Universe has a cause.
The Kalam Argument AGAINST God:
P1: Nothing which exists can cause something which does not exist to begin existing.
P2: Given (1), Anything which begins to exist was not caused to do so by something which exists.
P3: The universe began to exist.
P4: Given (2) and (3), the universe was not caused to exist by anything which exists.
P5: God caused the universe to begin to exist.
C1: Given (4) and (5), God does not exist.‘Mere’ Causality: Arguments, Objections, and Good PrinciplesTheoretical Bullshit2023-04-26 | Cameron’s video: youtube.com/watch?v=4HNs2HpPSfk
The Kalam Cosmological Argument: 1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause 2. The universe began to exist 3. Therefore, the universe has a cause
“efficient cause” — either the entity, or the action, which is responsible for bringing the thing into existence. If we take the example of a marble sculpture, its efficient cause would be either the sculptor or the act of chiseling (both would work).
“material cause” — the previously existing stuff that the thing is created out of. In the wooden table example, the material cause would be the nails, wood and lacquer. In the example of the marble sculpture, the material cause is the marble.
“creatio ex nihilo” — latin for “creation out of nothing”
“creatio ex materia” — “creation out of material”
“mereology” — the study of the relations between parts and wholes
“mereological nihilism” — the position that objects with proper parts do not exist, and only basic building blocks without parts exist, and thus the world we see and experience full of objects with parts is a product of human misperception (i.e., if we could see clearly, we would not perceive compositive objects).Ten Answers for Braxton in 2021Theoretical Bullshit2021-09-13 | Totally impromptu response to @BraxtonHunter’s “10 Questions for ATHEISTS in 2021”.
1:35 — If you're already familiar with modal logic and possible world semantics, you can skip ahead to my criticism of Plantinga's MOA, at the 4:38 mark.
12:27 — This moment has been edited to make a correction; a previous upload of this video (which is now unlisted) mistakenly had premise (2) as, "If God exists, the proposition 'God does not exist' is not self-contradictory". My apologies. Link to the original video and all its comments: youtu.be/IPQUaEOakNk
30:40 — I suppose there is one thing we could conceivably claim enjoys necessary existence: "reality". The statement, "Reality doesn't exist" does seem to entail a contradiction. But this is because what we mean by "reality" is just whatever happens to be the case. So saying reality doesn't exist would be equivalent to saying it is the case that nothing is the case—a contradiction. (Of course, I think this is probably just a trick of English language. It's a stretch to think of reality itself—that which is the case—as a "being" or "object".)
I'm on Twitter a lot, nowadays. Find me there at @TheoreticalBS
Suffice it to say, I'm not saying anything here that hasn't already been said better (and more succinctly). Mostly, I produced this as a point of reference, the next time I encounter someone defending Davis.
Feel free to pass it along to your infuriating Tea Party father-in-law.
Join the challenge or donate here: http://www.alsa.org/donateWilliam Lane Craig and Metaphysical Cherry-PickingTheoretical Bullshit2013-10-20 | Hashing out the inconsistencies needed to make the Kalam Cosmological Argument work.
Below are links to the source material for all quotations that appear in the video:
THE MANUAL: http://www.drfayesnyder.com/shopWrapping Up NonbeliefTheoretical Bullshit2012-06-25 | Excerpt from a live conversation between Noah (ex-Veritas48) and me, on the Problem of Nonbelief and how his views have changed since his initial response to my argument. Apologies for the sync problems and poor video quality.
My defense of the Argument from Nonbelief, which we reference: http://youtu.be/FCGCjLEJF_gNonbelief Revisited: The Ghost of Veritas48Theoretical Bullshit2012-06-19 | Why, oh why, can't I make a video under 10 minutes anymore?
A written version of this video is available at the Tuesday Afternoon website:
http://12tuesday.com/on-causation-and-the-ethics-of-discourseDas, Avi and Payton on Aesthetics...Theoretical Bullshit2010-10-26 | At the Modern Art Museum in DC. Jasper maintains that it ain't "art" unless it depicts something recognizable in the real world. Watch as James and Michael tear their hair out.Bears, Values, and Aluminum Rulers.Theoretical Bullshit2010-09-25 | Second response to Epydemic2020, and further proof that I am incapable of discussing morality in a video less than 20 minutes.Tuesday is the new Sunday.Theoretical Bullshit2010-09-14 | 12tuesday.com
Email Lisa at newsletter@12tuesday.comGod, Morality and Gratuitous Football Metaphors.Theoretical Bullshit2010-09-07 | Response to Epydemic2020 on Christian morality. Am I SERIOUSLY incapable of making a video under twenty minutes, now? Is this what it's come to?Treatise on Morality.Theoretical Bullshit2010-08-30 | Sorry for the length of this, guys.
Follow me on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/#!/CliftonsNotesOn Proposition 8.Theoretical Bullshit2010-08-16 | Viewer: PLEASE read the entire case summary and ruling, then decide for yourself. The PDF is available online. Here's the link:
Also! For a brilliant, charming, and MUCH more comprehensive presentation of the ruling against Prop 8, check out ProfMTH's "How Proposition 8 Went Down":
P1: Nothing which exists can cause something which does not exist to begin existing.
P2: Given (1), Anything which begins to exist was not caused to do so by something which exists.
P3: The universe began to exist.
P4: Given (2) and (3), the universe was not caused to exist by anything which exists.
P5: God caused the universe to begin to exist.
C1: Given (4) and (5), God does not exist.God, Atheism and Evidence: The Follow-UpTheoretical Bullshit2010-01-20 | A response to Noah's criticisms.God, Atheism and Evidence: A Response to Veritas48Theoretical Bullshit2010-01-11 | Veritas48's videos:
I think it's a valid question that Jack should have to answer before making his claim.Bouncing Philosophical Checks.Theoretical Bullshit2009-06-24 | A response to Noah's "Veritas48 Challenge" on the Argument from Facts of Normativity.Onto-illogical!Theoretical Bullshit2009-05-16 | I've been hearing the Ontological Argument from Christians WAAYYYY too much lately. It boggles my mind that anyone would take an argument seriously which attempts to "define" God into existence.UPDATE: Stickam Tonight and the Infamous Twitter.Theoretical Bullshit2009-04-21 | Twitter: CliftonsNotes *or* do a search for Scott CliftonThe Matt/Matt Debate - Part 4: Minds and Jet EnginesTheoretical Bullshit2009-03-01 | Matt Slick calls in to "The Atheist Experience":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb1mfKJU6bo
For parts 2, 3 and 4 click here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C494E2C093CDF2E1The Things I Do for a Chick...Theoretical Bullshit2009-02-23 | Went out of key once or twice, and probably botched a few of the lyrics. Ah, well...Pulling Teeth...Theoretical Bullshit2009-02-04 | A diatribe on my frustration with Zkueker88, and request for a do-over.Random... Necessarily.Theoretical Bullshit2009-02-02 | A fond farewell to Veritas48, as well as an answer to his problem with "Lord Logic".Brief Update & To-Do List...Theoretical Bullshit2009-01-04 | TheoreticalBullshit's QuickCapture Video - January 04, 2009, 09:00 AM