"The mind is proof of god's existence."

[Free]

(20-01-2013 05:59 AM)Chujutsu Wrote:  Hello guys.

I told a new acquaintance of mine that I was reading The God Delusion. She was appalled at the title, telling me that god is not a delusion. I asked her for her proof. She told me that the mind is proof.

Personally, I am not entirely convinced of the argument, seeing that I didn't really push her for more. However, I would like to know what you guys think about it, like a possible refutation to her statement.

Thanks.

How does the mind prove the existence of a god? That's like saying a comet proves the existence of The Flying Spaghetti Monster when we know it's just a comet.

It's just a mind. It proves nothing else aside from its own self evidence.

[fstratzero]

(23-01-2013 04:59 PM)Free Wrote:  

(20-01-2013 05:59 AM)Chujutsu Wrote:  Hello guys.

I told a new acquaintance of mine that I was reading The God Delusion. She was appalled at the title, telling me that god is not a delusion. I asked her for her proof. She told me that the mind is proof.

Personally, I am not entirely convinced of the argument, seeing that I didn't really push her for more. However, I would like to know what you guys think about it, like a possible refutation to her statement.

Thanks.

How does the mind prove the existence of a god? That's like saying a comet proves the existence of The Flying Spaghetti Monster when we know it's just a comet.

It's just a mind. It proves nothing else aside from its own self evidence.

If mind's prove god, then god depends on the mind to exist.

[EvolutionKills]

(23-01-2013 05:17 PM)fstratzero Wrote:  

(23-01-2013 04:59 PM)Free Wrote:  How does the mind prove the existence of a god? That's like saying a comet proves the existence of The Flying Spaghetti Monster when we know it's just a comet.

It's just a mind. It proves nothing else aside from its own self evidence.

If mind's prove god, then god depends on the mind to exist.

So that means that gods didn't exists before minds had evolved to comprehend the concept, therefor the gods need us not the other way around. Their very existence is dependent upon our thoughts, without them there are no gods.

Theist Mind = Blown

[Reltzik]

(20-01-2013 05:59 AM)Chujutsu Wrote:  Hello guys.

I told a new acquaintance of mine that I was reading The God Delusion. She was appalled at the title, telling me that god is not a delusion. I asked her for her proof. She told me that the mind is proof.

Personally, I am not entirely convinced of the argument, seeing that I didn't really push her for more. However, I would like to know what you guys think about it, like a possible refutation to her statement.

Thanks.

This is one of those things that initially strikes us as incredibly deep, self-evident, and zen. And then when we pin it down exactly, it's about as elegant and intelligent as a rock.

No, really. Substitute "rock" for "mind" there. BEHOLD! See this rock? This rock in my hand* is proof of God's existence!

And it isn't. It really, really, really isn't. The rock is there.* But God's existence doesn't follow automatically from that. It isn't even strongly implied by that. Or even weakly. Granted, it's rock solid evidence. But ONLY because it's a rock. *rimshot*

The same is true of the mind. Sure, the mind's there. Cognito ergo sum et cetera. But God's existence does not automatically follow. Refuting an argument like this is like refuting a belch. There's really no argument to refute.

Next time it comes up, press her on that point. How does the existence of a mind imply the existence of a God?



* Ignore that I offer no pics or vid, that you don't actually see the rock in my hand, that you're simply imagining one with the mind that I'm claiming is no longer part of the argument, and that I am in fact too much of a lazy bum to have found and held up a rock as I typed "BEHOLD! See this rock?"

EDIT: For ten bonus points, present an argument for or against my not actually having a rock refuting my own argument.

[Impulse]

Let me see how this would work. The mind is proof of God...

I think therefore I am God.

Works for me!

[Rahn127]

The mind is proof that god's exist only in the mind

[Adenosis]

(20-01-2013 05:59 AM)Chujutsu Wrote:  Hello guys.

I told a new acquaintance of mine that I was reading The God Delusion. She was appalled at the title, telling me that god is not a delusion. I asked her for her proof. She told me that the mind is proof.

Personally, I am not entirely convinced of the argument, seeing that I didn't really push her for more. However, I would like to know what you guys think about it, like a possible refutation to her statement.

Thanks.

1. Your acquaintance is clouded by her belief in a fairy tale ( no offence )

2. Ask her if god is or has a mind, chances are she will say yes. So if mind requires some intervention from above, does that mean something created gods mind? then what created the mind above that?

It's an infinite regression, and it's completely useless as evidence of anything.

Mind is the result of trillions of nerve connections in the brain firing off, a cubic centimetre of brain tissue has more connections that we have stars in our galaxy. Just because people can't comprehend the extreme complexity of the system we call the brain, they assume and even preach that it would be impossible for what we experience to just be the result of the physical brain. This is an argument from ignorance.

I feel that people who jump towards supernatural explanations are really missing out on how beautiful and complex the natural world is.

[GirlyMan]

The mind is God.

[PleaseJesus]

The mind is not proof God exists IMHO. But just as Atheists have told me they cannot "see" or "sense" my soul, it is true that not all mind activity is measurable as brain wave activity.

[Adenosis]

(30-01-2013 02:36 PM)PleaseJesus Wrote:  it is true that not all mind activity is measurable as brain wave activity.

Ohya?