The Atheist Experience documents a discussion between the theistic caller and two atheists.
The theist begins an argument at time 10:02 –
Theist - premise number 1 – something cannot come from nothing.
Matt (summary of statements) – I’m not asserting something can come from nothing. I do not necessarily accept that something cannot come from nothing. We cannot positively assert that something cannot come from nothing for there is no way to test that. How do you prove that something cannot come from nothing? Premise 1 is something that must be demonstrated. It is probably true, but it is not an absolute.
Female Atheist – what can demonstrate is something can come from something? We don’t have a nothing to see if anything comes from it.
Response to the atheist’s challenge.
Proof that nothing cannot cause something.
Definitions -
Nothing is non being.
Cause is that which has a positive influence regarding the being of another.
Effect is the which is positively influence regarding the being of another.
Proof 1
Non-being cannot have a positive influence regarding the being of another.
For, non-being (not A) and the being (A) of another are contradictories.
But contradictories are both false and true in the same respect.
But a sentence that is both false and true in the same respect is always false.
Then the sentence - non-being (not A) has a positive influence regarding the being (A) of another is contradictory.
Therefore, to assert non-being has a positive influence regarding the being of another is false.
Therefore, to assert nothing has a positive influence regarding the being of another is false.
Therefore, to assert nothing is a cause is false.
Therefore, to assert not nothing is a cause is true.
Therefore, to assert something is a cause is true.
And, to assert nothing cannot cause something is true.
Proof 2
Proof that Nothing (non being) cannot cause something (being).
Nothing is a cause of something.
Something is an effect of nothing as a cause.
Therefore, by substitution, nothing is a cause of an effect.
Therefore, by substitution, non-being (nothing) (not A) is a cause of (an effect) that which is positively influenced regarding the being (A) of another.
But what is both affirmed and denied in the same respect is false.
But non-being and being are both affirmed and denied in the same respect.
Therefore “non-being (nothing) (not A) is a cause of (an effect) that which is positively influenced regarding the being (A) of another” is false.
What is deductively false is always false.
Therefore not nothing (non-being) is a cause something (being) is true.
Therefore nothing (non-being) is not a cause something (being) is true.
Therefore nothing (non being) cannot cause something (being) is true.
Proof 3
Proof that Nothing (non being) cannot cause something (being), reduction to simple terms.
Reduced to - nothing is not a cause.
Reduced to - non-being is not a cause.
Substitute cause is a non-being, into
nothing is not a cause
Then, non-being (nothing) is not a non-being (cause).
Then, non-being (not A) is not a non being (not A).
Reduced to - not A is not not A.
Reduced to not A is A.
But a contradiction is false.
Therefore a cause is not non being, is true.
Therefore cause is a being is true.
And - nothing is not a cause.
Reduced to - non-being (nothing) is not a being (cause).
Reduced to - non-being (non A) is not a being (not A).
Not A is not A.
Identity is true.
Therefore nothing is only a cause when nothing is being.
But nothing is non being.
Therefore nothing is not a cause.
Therefore nothing cannot cause something.
Proof 4
Proof that Nothing (non being) cannot (not) cause something (being).
Now a cause is either being or non-being.
If a cause is non being then nothing (non-being) cannot (not) cause (non-being) something (being).
Reduced to non-being is not non being, is being.
Reduced to non-being is being, is being.
Reduced to non-being is being.
A contradiction is always false.
Then if a cause is non being, then nothing as a cause is false.
If a cause is being then nothing (non-being) cannot (not) cause (being) something (being).
Reduced to non-being is not being, is being.
Reduced to non-being is being.
A contradiction is always false.
Then if a cause is being, then nothing as a cause is false.
But cause is being is true.
Then Nothing (non-being) cannot (not) cause something is true.
Proof 5
A cause always produces an effect as a similitude of the cause.
For the effect is that which is positively influenced by the being of another.
And that which is influenced by the being of another has similitude to the other according to the being influenced from the other.
Therefore, as the effect has some being from the cause, then the cause is a similitude of the effect.
As there is similitude between cause and effect, then cause has at least the being of the effect.
Therefore a cause has being.
But nothing is non being.
Therefore what is non-being is not a cause.
Therefore nothing is not a cause of something.
Proof 6
To Prove - nothing is not a cause of something (an effect).
A contradiction is false.
Then to affirm non being and being is false.
Reduced to not A is A is false
But nothing is a cause.
Is reduced to non-being is being is false.
Or is reduced to non-being is non being, is true.
But if a cause is non being, then an effect is also non being.
For an effect participates positively in the cause.
But a positive participation in non-being, is non being.
Then non-being is no effect.
Then non being is not a cause.
Then non being is nothing is not a cause, is not an effect.
Therefore nothing is not a cause of something (an effect).
Proof 7
Something (cause A) is a cause of something (effect B) is in accord with the principle of identity.
For (A) has being as cause and (B) has being as effect.
Nothing (A) is a cause of something (B) is a contradiction.
For (A) is non being as cause and (B) has being as an effect.
Reduced to non being is being.
Therefore nothing is a cause is false.
and nothing is not a cause is true.
Therefore the atheistic claim that something can come from nothing is always false, regardless of any obfuscation over the value of empirical based experiments using nothing. Such an experiment cannot cause any effect, for if an effect is caused by nothing, contradiction is had.
Discussion - Let us suppose that the atheist can invalidate all of the above proofs and somehow prove that nothing is a real cause. What then are the consequences of the atheists supposed proof of something from nothing?
1) If the entire universe was caused by nothing as non being, then all being of the universe is ultimately dependent upon non being. Non being is then the greatest cause of being in the universe. For all causes in the universe only cause some effects within the universe, but nothing as non being is the ultimate cause of all causes and all being of the universe. For the atheist, non being is then the greatest cause of all being.
2) If the entire universe was caused by nothing as non being, then non being is the substitute god of atheism in the place of pure act of theism. For supernatural mono-theism concludes to the existence of the prime being as an act without limit. Divine revelation, which is based upon the reasoned expectation of pure act making truth known to man, informs man that God created the universe entirely. Therefore atheism must negate the supernatural god, along with all of divine revelation and supplant both with the god of nothing (non being).
3) If the entire universe was caused by nothing as non being, then the entire universe is fundamentally unscientific and therefore irrational. For empirical science is full of laws based upon causes that have being and no science is based upon causes that are nothing, or non being. Therefore if the atheistic claim of the universe from nothing is true, then all of science is irrational and of no worth. Why? Because science exists based upon being as cause and effect and not non being as a cause. Science is then anti-atheistic and anti-(nothing from something). So if atheism is true, then all of science is false.
4) If the entire universe was caused by nothing as non being, and non being is then the greatest cause, then there is no reason for non being not to continue to be the greatest cause and continue to cause many effects that require no more explanation than - nothing did it. Of course when we apply this explanation to the existence of the house, or car, or mountain, or any creature, the explanation that nothing did it is not acceptable. Yet when the atheist asserts nothing caused the universe we theists are expected to overlook the common sense experience of really existing cause and effect and real science and give consent to such an outrageous atheistic claim. Certainly not. Atheism's assertion of something from nothing is entirely anti-rational and anti-scientific.
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