7thApril
A Question
If we cannot know everything, then can we know that something that seems impossible is, in fact, impossible?
Richard Dawkins says that we cannot be certain that God does not exist, only that this is very improbable. However, it seems to me that the very definition of a deity is inherently self-contradictory. For instance, any conceivable god is, by definition, supernatural and the supernatural is a self-contradictory concept. A supernatural being exists outside the laws of physics, but it is impossible to know this without also knowing that physics cannot possibly explain the supernatural part of the deity in question.
In other words, without being supernatural, yourself, it would be impossible to know that someone else is supernatural. So, while it might be possible for a being to be supernatural–assuming that eternally defying the laws of physics makes any sense–it is impossible to know this for certain.
The Atheist Messiah says 8th April @ 10:20
I always thought we should use the term “supranatural” as opposed to supernatural. Super implies advanced or ideal nature. Supra simply means “above or beyond” nature.
Anyway, I think “not being able to know everything” is that infinitesimal percentage of uncertainty that Dawkins is referring to when he says we don’t know for sure that god doesn’t exist.
But without knowing everything we are left in a quandary about many things that are perfectly within the realm of natural law. Unless we get into a conversation about how quantum physics break down in a singularity.
I think it is a matter of being too small in a universe so vast that physically prevents us from seeing everything and mentally prohibits us from knowing all because we cannot see all.
So I think we cannot know something is impossible without all (how we know it is “all” the facts I don’t know) of the facts. Which brings us full circle to the highly improbable and, as of yet scientifically witnessed, event of ANYTHING super or supra natural (that has not been explained using the known laws of this universe).
Boy, you know how to mindfuck.