On rare occasion I decide to pull forth something from the nether regions of the comments section in order to augment and or elucidate a matter.
As I have made clear in the past: this is not done in order to call out an individual nor single them out for ridicule or embarrassment.
A comment was made which read as follows, the first sentence is a parody (of a caricature) of a theist:
“I want you to stop looking for the real explanation and accept my supernatural explanation just because.When we see a stage magician perform his act, we can be very comfortable is assuming that the tricks have a materialistic explanation.Is it at all possible that the magician is actually truly Magical?Sure, it’s possible but completely unlikely.Now, I think that I’m pretty well justified is claiming that all stage magicians tricks have a natural explanation even if I don’t happen to know what that explanation is.
If some stage magician wants to claim his is real magic, then it is up to him to demonstrate that it is real magic (whatever that is) in some definitive way.
Pardon me, but we must begin with a rather pointed statement: the sentiment that theists “want you to stop looking for the real explanation and accept my supernatural explanation just because” is one of the most popular, pernicious, historically illiterate, unreasonable, logically bankrupt and well-within-the-box-group-think atheist myths. In fact, as we may see, the exact opposite is true-it is the atheist who restricts research.
With regards to atheism and science and theism and science (let us say Judeo-Christianity and science), the example employed above that of a magician who makes it appear as if magic/miracles are occurring.
Let us consider how the atheist and Judeo-Christian would deal with the magician’s craft.
Both can simply enjoy the show and not give it a moment’s thought.
Yet, let us imagine that, correlating the magic show with ascertaining reality or engaging the scientific method, they seek to figure it out.
While some atheists claim that Judeo-Christians “stop looking” let us strain our imaginations and consider that Judeo-Christians are actually capable of doing science.
The atheist will begin by observing the phenomenon-let us say, the pulling of a rabbit out of an empty top hat.
The atheist will retrace what she witnessed: a flashy show, waving hands, a wand, a top hat and presto-a rabbit.
She will next take various steps-perhaps she noticed that the flashy show, hand waving and wand were meant to distract attention, or she may read up on how to perform magic tricks of that sort, etc.
She may then conclude that what appeared to be a rabbit appearing from an empty hat was a mere illusion and that the reality of the matter which was actually_insert superfluous description here.
She may, at this point, describe cause and effect relationships: the rabbit was really in a hidden pocket in hat or the magician had it hidden in his tux and moved it into the hat or what have you.
The Judeo-Christian makes the very same observation, engages in the very same musings and makes the very same descriptions.
However, there comes a crucial difference at this point.
The Judeo-Christian, whose thinking is not restricted by adherence to an absolutely materialistic worldview but who is a true skeptical freethinker, takes it a step further and seeks to ascertain whether the act was planned, purposeful-designed.
Correlating the magic act to some phenomenon such as the universe:
The Judeo-Christian may conclude, merely by observing the phenomenon, that the magus is a person or exhibits characteristics of personhood such as volition; making decisions, conceiving plans and carrying out actions, etc.
The atheist must be convinced that the phenomenon was an accident, a coincidence, a happenstance, an arbitrary, odd and rare coming together of known or unknown natural forces that just so happened to coincide and cause something to come about unintended, unplanned and uncaused. The atheist must believe, by faith1, that the phenomenon will someday be explained by purely materialistic means because surely, scientists are working on it.
As regards atheism and science; an atheist thinking takes place well within the box: beyond a certain parameter no considerations are allowed in and no thoughts are allowed to express themselves.Following our correlation, the scenario is tantamount to the atheist stating, “The rabbit did not appear from nothing, I have uncovered the fact that it was in a hidden pocket in the hat all along.”Then when we state, “Fine, but how did the rabbit get into that pocket in the hat?”
The atheists states, “The rabbit was just there, and that’s all.”
Overall, we see that the unrestricted thinking of the theist allows her to consider whether there is something behind the observed phenomenon whereas with regards to atheism and science, the atheist must be satisfied with either an infinite regress or a it just is pseudo-explanation.