Ryan Wednesday Conversation

"…allow me to offer another theory. It appears as though your logic only works out if we are referring to mass, matter, or something equally materialistic that can be experienced by the humans natural sensory perception.

Now lets suppose God is a purely spiritual being. (which the bible claims he is)"

Really? Please cite a verse because the only things that I can think of talk about God walking through camp, meeting people face to face and such.

"That would mean that God was made entirely of some form of energy."

Even granting you that the Bible does say this somewhere, I’m not sure that it would.

"Wikipedia tells us that energy is not an object or a substance but is quantifiable in a way such that it cannot be created or destroyed."

Great, so how many Joules of energy is God? Or at least take a guess.

"However, it can create and destroy…this would mean that a more intellectually complex being, made of energy, could be infinite and create something even as complex as our universe."

I don’t follow this at all. Energy can be directed into doing work…

Saying energy can create and destroy, what do you mean by that?

A hammer can create and destroy. Would this mean that a more intellectually complex being, made of hammers, could be infinite and create something even as complex as our universe?

If not, how does your argument differ at all from the hammer-God?

"One mistake many christians and atheists alike make is keeping God in the human box of "magical creature with a beard" that our anscestors created. Couldnt God be omnipotent while being a very complex phenomenon of physics? thanks." [Ryan Wednesday]

Let’s say that God could be omnipotent while being a very complex phenomenon of physics. Why should we believe that that’s the case?

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May 19, 2007

‘A hammer can create and destroy. Would this mean that a more intellectually complex being, made of hammers, could be infinite and create something even as complex as our universe?’ that really made me laugh!

May 19, 2007

ryn: i have answered your question on my latest entry.

May 21, 2007

RYN: Thank you for your response. Is it your desire for me to reply, or shall we end the debate here?

May 21, 2007

“Is it your desire for me to reply…” I really do want you to reply.

May 25, 2007

Hi there. I read your note left on TMM’s diary and wanted to say something. The Quran is just that powerful. I mean, everything about is amazing. So to say that it’s backward to take such a thing seriously as the words of a book, doesn’t hold for me, because the ‘book’ has already shown to be innovative, profound, and miraculous. Science continues to coincide with it, in (un)subtle ways.

May 25, 2007

“I mean, everything about is amazing…innovative, profound, and miraculous.” Can you give me an example of which verse(s) you think is (are) the most amazing of the Quran? Or the most innovative, profound or miraculous?

May 25, 2007

Sure. Here are some, according to me. Innovative verse: “Alif Laam Meem” (Chap2:verse1) Profound: “Every calamity that afflicts you, is the result of what your own hands have wrought. However He overlooks/excuses many of your misdeeds”(42:30) Miraculous: “And as they set foot in the valley of the ants…” (27:18) It basically goes on to describe the chemical alarm-defense process of ants that

May 25, 2007

-that scientists have since studied or proven or what not. So the first one is so urban and modern we can only guess at it’s meaning, lol. And the fact that not knowing it serves as a reminder (humility) and not knowing it doesn’t hurt us/the faith in anyway. The 2nd is kind of like ‘you reap what you sow’, signifying that we are in control of our affairs (to an extent). You can’t say the

May 25, 2007

‘The devil made me do it’ or ‘God is punishing/has it in for me’. etc. I’m not going to go into the aspects of determinism of free will as greater minds than mine have entertained the idea; it’s simply not my cup of tea. There’s also the golden rule which is profound. Lots of examples of each, really. There’s def. enough to go around. Diff ones strike the hearts of diff ppl, yet another miracle.

June 4, 2007

Dear friend: Forgive my absence these last weeks, my internet access has not been as readily available as it once was. But now I think im back in business. Check my posts soon for your reply.

June 7, 2007

I have answered a question of yours on my latest entry. This debate about God and energy and matter is all baseless from an Islamic point of view. You are thinking about God in terms of the laws of this universe, which were also created by God. There can be other universes with different laws, and God is independent of all of them.

June 7, 2007

This universe is a product produced by a being that is creative, wise and with limitless knowledge. What is being said here is like saying: “since this shoe contains nails, the building of the company that made it must also contain nails”.

June 21, 2007

In Islam, apostasy is not a crime, i.e Salman Rushdie should not be killed for his apostasy. I have an entry about apostasy titled Apostasy in Islam.

June 21, 2007

I am not sure what you mean. Non-Muslims living in a Muslim country have resposibilities toward its government. It is a contract, the government promises to protect them and their properties and give them rights similar to those of Muslims, and they are obliged to pay extra tax for those services and rights in return.

June 23, 2007

Muslims are commanded to either accept the government that rules them or leave it for another government. It depends on the services that I receive from the government whether I have a problem with having to pay tax for it or not.

July 2, 2007

“Muslims are commanded to either accept the government that rules them or leave it for another government.” That’s interesting that you wouldn’t support a Muslim revolution in any country… So what’s your take on Israel? Should the Muslims accept the government? Or should they leave for another government?

July 4, 2007

I saw your notes on the Hot Entry of the Day on Notliberals diary and liked what you had to say. I used to read you back when I was revolutioninyoureyes, I think. I’m adding you back to my Faves, you can never have too many SANE allies in this crazy world. 😉