I haven't finished reading this document yet, but since my time for the rest of the day and tomorrow is limited, I decided to comment on what I have read so far.
The most interesting comment, and perhaps the most misused concept, involves infinity.
First, no matter how many intelligent entities God decides to create, there could always be more. Thus, no matter how many specific intelligent entities exist, God will never exhaust the possibility of creating others. (Or will He?) This is a concept I hadn't considered before. We tend to focus on our immediate relationships—spouses, children, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandchildren, etc.—but we often overlook the fact that there can always be more.
Second, do infinities actually exist?
What does infinity imply? It does not suggest that there will be less of anything or that someone will not be created, as this essay seems to assume. Even if smaller and larger infinities exist in mathematical abstraction, it does not mean they exist in reality. Infinite means infinite; if there is an infinite amount of time or space, every possible reality would come to exist. However, this also means that every possible combination would repeat itself not just once, but an infinite number of times. This notion leads to absurdities, which is why arguments based on infinity are at best problematic.
We live in a finite universe, but could God create an infinite one? My intuition says yes, but such a reality would carry all the complexities that infinity implies. We would have an infinite number of entities with unlimited intelligence. If these infinitely intelligent beings exist—which they must if one accepts the concept of infinity—where are they? If they are indeed out there, they are all hidden from our view.
I suggest everyone read Isaac Asimov's "The Last Question" which he said was his favorite short story.
Here's an embellished YouTube version of this short story. Lots of other versions exist. The ironic thing is that Asimov was an atheist and this story, his favorite, invalidates that belief.
Regarding your first comment, it's not relevant to the argument even if it's right. It's likelier you'd exist if five people are created than just one, even though in neither case would ever possible person be created.
Consider the implications of an infinite existence of time or space.
If time or space were infinite, it would suggest that everything physically possible, including entities like unicorns, must eventually occur. If this were not the case, what could prevent any conceivable entity or event from existing, given infinite time or endless opportunities?
Thus, the conclusion is that everything possible would exist and manifest an infinite number of times. Therefore, I reject both concepts of infinity.
Nietzsche referred to this idea as eternal recurrence.
Due to the absurdities that arise from such a notion, I reject the concept of infinity as a reality, particularly the idea of an infinite past, which philosophers call infinite regress.
I readily admit that the creator of our universe could create such an infinite existence but would choose not to.
This leads me to wonder about the implications of the related concept of a finite number of entities and why the creator would choose to limit what He created. It is an interesting question.
I continue to believe that the best proof of a creator is that existence must be limited in time (not infinite) and that the existence we experience is coherent or the product of a mind. This perspective immediately dismisses atheism. To reach the conclusion of "God," we must then examine the attributes of this creator through logic and evidence.
You can hold that the world is infinite but reject that everything happens. I also don't see what's so absurd with thinking there's an infinite cosmos where weird stuff like unicorns exist in its far reaches.
"You can hold that the world is infinite but reject that everything happens. "
How is this possible? If it is physically possible, then it will happen. Nothing is preventing it. Remember, there are an infinite number of opportunities in infinite time or infinite space. Infinite means infinite or no limitations except when it is physically impossible.
"I also don't see what's so absurd with thinking there's an infinite cosmos where weird stuff like unicorns exist in its far reaches."
I agreed with this in my two previous comments. If it is physically possible, it will have happened, and if it has happened once, it has happened an infinite number of times—an infinite number of unicorns.
Mathematics, which uses the infinite concept for much of math, leads us to our understanding of the infinite. However, just because we can imagine something doesn't mean it exists.
By the way, my background was in math, and I once was in a PhD program at a major university in math. I never thought twice about infinity while there, though I wrote a paper in college about what a number is.
The only numbers that exist in the real world are positive integers, and they are not infinite in our universe since they eventually reach a limit where there is nothing left to correspond to. Also, there is no such thing as a straight line, circle, triangle, or polygon. These are extremely useful concepts in any world, but like infinity, they do not exist in reality.
I haven't finished reading this document yet, but since my time for the rest of the day and tomorrow is limited, I decided to comment on what I have read so far.
The most interesting comment, and perhaps the most misused concept, involves infinity.
First, no matter how many intelligent entities God decides to create, there could always be more. Thus, no matter how many specific intelligent entities exist, God will never exhaust the possibility of creating others. (Or will He?) This is a concept I hadn't considered before. We tend to focus on our immediate relationships—spouses, children, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandchildren, etc.—but we often overlook the fact that there can always be more.
Second, do infinities actually exist?
What does infinity imply? It does not suggest that there will be less of anything or that someone will not be created, as this essay seems to assume. Even if smaller and larger infinities exist in mathematical abstraction, it does not mean they exist in reality. Infinite means infinite; if there is an infinite amount of time or space, every possible reality would come to exist. However, this also means that every possible combination would repeat itself not just once, but an infinite number of times. This notion leads to absurdities, which is why arguments based on infinity are at best problematic.
We live in a finite universe, but could God create an infinite one? My intuition says yes, but such a reality would carry all the complexities that infinity implies. We would have an infinite number of entities with unlimited intelligence. If these infinitely intelligent beings exist—which they must if one accepts the concept of infinity—where are they? If they are indeed out there, they are all hidden from our view.
I suggest everyone read Isaac Asimov's "The Last Question" which he said was his favorite short story.
Here's an embellished YouTube version of this short story. Lots of other versions exist. The ironic thing is that Asimov was an atheist and this story, his favorite, invalidates that belief.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15vJ_mNbUwU
Regarding your first comment, it's not relevant to the argument even if it's right. It's likelier you'd exist if five people are created than just one, even though in neither case would ever possible person be created.
Regarding infinites I've argued actual infinites are possible here https://benthams.substack.com/p/against-against-the-infinite?utm_source=publication-search
Consider the implications of an infinite existence of time or space.
If time or space were infinite, it would suggest that everything physically possible, including entities like unicorns, must eventually occur. If this were not the case, what could prevent any conceivable entity or event from existing, given infinite time or endless opportunities?
Thus, the conclusion is that everything possible would exist and manifest an infinite number of times. Therefore, I reject both concepts of infinity.
Nietzsche referred to this idea as eternal recurrence.
Due to the absurdities that arise from such a notion, I reject the concept of infinity as a reality, particularly the idea of an infinite past, which philosophers call infinite regress.
I readily admit that the creator of our universe could create such an infinite existence but would choose not to.
This leads me to wonder about the implications of the related concept of a finite number of entities and why the creator would choose to limit what He created. It is an interesting question.
I continue to believe that the best proof of a creator is that existence must be limited in time (not infinite) and that the existence we experience is coherent or the product of a mind. This perspective immediately dismisses atheism. To reach the conclusion of "God," we must then examine the attributes of this creator through logic and evidence.
I like this approach. Its new to me. So, I'll just be thinking more about it!
Thank you for putting this down into writing!
Thanks!
You can hold that the world is infinite but reject that everything happens. I also don't see what's so absurd with thinking there's an infinite cosmos where weird stuff like unicorns exist in its far reaches.
"You can hold that the world is infinite but reject that everything happens. "
How is this possible? If it is physically possible, then it will happen. Nothing is preventing it. Remember, there are an infinite number of opportunities in infinite time or infinite space. Infinite means infinite or no limitations except when it is physically impossible.
"I also don't see what's so absurd with thinking there's an infinite cosmos where weird stuff like unicorns exist in its far reaches."
I agreed with this in my two previous comments. If it is physically possible, it will have happened, and if it has happened once, it has happened an infinite number of times—an infinite number of unicorns.
Mathematics, which uses the infinite concept for much of math, leads us to our understanding of the infinite. However, just because we can imagine something doesn't mean it exists.
By the way, my background was in math, and I once was in a PhD program at a major university in math. I never thought twice about infinity while there, though I wrote a paper in college about what a number is.
The only numbers that exist in the real world are positive integers, and they are not infinite in our universe since they eventually reach a limit where there is nothing left to correspond to. Also, there is no such thing as a straight line, circle, triangle, or polygon. These are extremely useful concepts in any world, but like infinity, they do not exist in reality.