Doesn't Complexity Disprove God?

The argument for god often comes in the form of an appeal to complexity. Usually a theist will reference the complexity of the cell and it multitude of functions, The intricacy of DNA or the "fine tuning" of the universe when making their case for the existence of god. But doesn't complexity make a better case against the existence of a "designer" or a god?

If we think about what "god" would ultimately be, It would be an entity that created everything. He devised the laws of the universe, He decided what our tolerance to radiation should be, How much water we need to drink. He would be consciously responsible for everything, Every last aspect of every system would be made by him. There is no law, No force, No energy, No substance and no part of any organism that wouldn't be consciously devised.

If that is the case and we assume god can do anything, Why make things so complex? Simplicity would be the best route and god should be able to make things infinitely simple. Why have cells, or even atoms.

If god was in charge of everything why not make the cell as Darwin and his contemporaries envisioned it. A blob of goo. If god is capable of doing anything why is the cell so complex and prone to failure when it could be a simple blob of goo? In fact, Forget the cell, If god can do anything why are animals and plants not just one animated conscious blob of goo, Why do we have so many intricate components when god could have made it so simple?

To me the answer is simple. The cell, And humans, have evolved to function in a set environment. The universe appeared, laws were set and now it's up to organisms and cells to evolve to work within those laws. No god was involved at any point, because if he was, Everything would be a lot simpler.

Questions By RichardDawkins.Net

There were a series of interesting questions posed on the Richard Dawkins blog over the last couple of days. These are some of the more philosophical questions asked by the religious in an attempt to prove their god, Or at least prove that not all things are provable.

While i think these kinds of questions are facile in nature it's a good idea to have an answer ready, Because they will be asked and as you know, Any question that doesn't have an answer is seen as "evidence" of god by religious folks.

Anyway, I'll post some of the questions here along with my answers and i would be interested in hearing what answers you guys would give to these questions.

Q: You can't prove you love someone, So don't expect proof of god!
A: No i can't prove that i love someone because love is a feeling, A feeling is a neurological impulse that exists only in my brain. Is god unprovable because it's nothing more than a neurological impulse that exists only in your brain? If so, I would agree with you completely.

Q: Atheism is self-refuting because it asserts that everything in the universe, Including the atheist's own reasoning, came about as a result of non-rational forces. If that is indeed the case, Every argument employed by the atheist is, According to his own assertions, Incoherent and meaningless.
A: The universe came about by an inanimate force. Neither rational nor non-rational. Evolution however dictated that rationality, Logic and reason be beneficial to a species and as such is something we now, Through natural selection, Posses (well, some of us).

Q: Religionists like caricature non-believers as being unhappy, Depressed, Loveless, Indifferent, etc. If you don't believe in God, Then you must hate music, Art, Poetry, etc.
A: This has to be the biggest non sequitur argument I have ever heard, Though this very assertion was made to me only a few days ago. I pointed out an enormous list of composers who were atheists and moved on.

Q: Science can't tell us why we're here or what is the meaning of our lives.
A: This question assumes that we have a purpose or that we are here for a reason, Until this assertion can be proven true it's unreasonable to ask for a scientific answer regarding that purpose. But i would say were are here for the same "reason" as any other animal, Try to stay alive and have some babies.

Q: Why is there something rather than nothing? What about the fine-tuning of the fundamental constants of the universe?
A: Someone on the Richard Dawkins blog gave a good answer: Have you ever noticed that most cities are built near a river or permanent water supply? it's almost as if the river was put there for the city. Of course, We know that the river wasn't put there for the city, The city is there because there is a river. The universe is the same, If it wasn't a place where we could exist, We wouldn't exist. There may be other universes where physics doesn't allow life, Even matter to exist, But nobody will know that because it's impossible to exist there. We happen to be in this one.

Q: Atheism is a religion and you're as bad as the fundamentalists.
A: Saying Atheism is a religion is like saying bald is a hair colour and health is a sickness.

These are my responses to some of the more common questions. If you would like to give your own responses to these questions or any of the other questions please feel free to post them in a reply. It's a good idea to arm yourself with answers no matter how facile the question be. I would advise against giving a too detailed answer or defining yourself into a corner, The more you say the more opportunities they have to refute it.

10 Questions To Ask A Christian

If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate postilion of having to spend time next to a christian it's important that you have things to say. Often at times when the christian feels the conversation is drying up they will start quoting passages from the bible in an attempt to indoctrinate you.

So what i have done is compose a list of questions you can put to the christian to keep them on their toes. or if you are already a Christian, Try these questions on your priest, Minister or Pastor.

1. Why does god hate amputees? - There has never been a case of a single amputee growing back an arm or a leg yet god (supposedly) sees fit to regularly cure cancer sufferers and the blind.

2. Biblical Law - In Matthew 5:17-18 it states that Jesus wants Christians to follow the old testament word for word. Why don't they? And why do they actively disregard the parts of the old testament which they don't agree with or which are socially unacceptable these day, Like child slavery?

3. Eye of a needle - If Jesus said it's difficult, Even impossible, For a rich man to get in to the kingdom of heaven why do so many rich people believe in Jesus? why is it the goal of nearly every single christian to become rich? And why do TV evangelists always want your money?

4. Did god create Cancer and aids - Did he? If so why? And why do good Christians also get them? Or was it a mistake? And if it was, Why not do something about it now?

5. Bible Revisions - The bible read by Christians of today differs by many chapters and thousand of paragraphs from the original. Which one is the word of god and why does man edit it?

6. Second Commandment - If the 2Nd Commandment is "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image" why do Christians wear crosses, Have statues and make films with Jesus' graven image on them?

7. Jesus Loves? - If Jesus loves why did he say "I will kill her children. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches hearts and minds." in Revelation 2:23. Is Jesus really a child killer?

8. Allegory - The bible states that the Earth is between 6,000 and 8,000 years old, that it was created in 7 days, and that Man is made of dirt and Woman a piece of Man. The modern church says this is allegory. Where does it say in the bible that it is allegory?

9. Witch trials, Inquisitions and crusades - Historians estimate the total number of people executed in the name of Jesus is as high as 15 million (mostly Jews, "witches" and pagans). How does it feel knowing that Jesus is responsible for 3 times as many deaths as Hitler?

10. The only real SIN. - In Mark 3:29 it says "but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin". Is it true that paedophiles and child killers can be forgiven and get in to heaven but disbelievers can't?