brianp@shark.UUCP (Brian Peterson) (10/18/84)
I have an even simpler argument than this one on
the simplicity of gods and matter:
" Creationists seem to think that since scientists need to postulate at least
" the initial existence of matter, then they are just as free to postulate the
" initial existence of God. However, there is a major difference. Matter,
" presumably, is a simpler substance than God. Isn't ontological parsimony
" ...
I don't need to postulate the existence of matter. I have observational
evidence that it exists. Why, just last Tuesday I saw some matter, as
I was walking to the bus stop. I haven't >ever< seen any gods, not
anywhere.
As for the >initial< existence of matter... (what does `initial' mean, ANYway??)
All the matter I have ever heard of has just been sitting around `forever'.
(Some of it has cleverly disguised itself as energy, but has still
been sitting around). There is no evidence of any matter(/energy) ever
going "poof" and either appearing or disappearing. As far as anyone
can tell, all the matter around has always been sitting around.
There is no reason to believe otherwise.
To believe that first there was nothing, and then all of a sudden there
was a bunch of matter, one would have to have evidence of such an event.
The closest thing that we have evidence for is that all the matter
was real close together.
Science doesn't HAVE to explain exactly how all this matter got here.
Science just makes sense out of what we observe.
If we don't have all the facts, we have a big fat juicy question mark.
Science isn't supposed to JUST make one big fat glorious `sense'.
Anyone can randomly make up a system which is internally
consistent and makes sense. Science is an attempt to describe
what we OBSERVE, in order to make sense, in order to make sense out of IT.
(so, to sum up...)
As far as the origin of life goes, it doesn't matter how matter started,
just as long as there actually was something for life to start from.
As far as the origin of matter goes,
we haven't actualy observed any such event, so we
just plain DONT KNOW.
(Scientists don't have to postulate the initial existence of matter.)
Brian Peterson {ucbvax, ihnp4, } !tektronix!shark!brianp
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