Christianity, Atheism and Occam's Razor
I saw the image to the right the other day (can't remember where exactly now, I think somewhere on Common Dreams) and had to laugh. Basically, it is saying that Occam's Razor demands a verdict toward atheism. Atheism is, according to this view, much more parsimonious. It is simple; it is elegant. Whereas Christianity is messy, conflicted, and "multiplied beyond necessity". In other words, all other things being equal, atheism is the simplest and most likely to be true.
Unfortunately, while I would be a fool and a liar if I did not admit that Christianity is indeed messy and often anything but parsimonious, Occam's Razor cannot be applied the way the author of this chart intended. The problem, of course, is that "all things" are not equal in this equation. The author is not comparing apples with apples, rather he or she is comparing "there is no god" with "there is a god and Jesus is His Son". What kind of Son? That is the "unnecessary multiplication" the historical Christian clades demonstrated in the chart.
If the chart were redraw to expose the true issue (whether or not there is a god), then both solutions would be equally simplistic.
Labels: atheism
1 Comments:
Believing in a God and not believing in a God are not just as simple to the other. Believing in a God is adding an extra variable that was not there before, God. One more variable means more complications. Is this God omnipotent? Is this God all powerful? Is this God physical or spiritual? Does this God have a conscience?
Post a Comment
<< Home