Arguments Against an Omnipotent All-knowing Intelligent Designer
Posted: Monday, November 08, 2010
by Kenny St.pierre
Elements constitute everything around us including the plants, trees, and even us!
We all know about cells. Very modest life forms, such as bacteria, have only one cell, while large animals have millions. No matter what variety of living thing, the cells of every organism consist of atoms of different elements.
So it is my judgment that all we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch are nothing more than atoms, elements, and molecules, and not something of an omnipotent all-knowing intelligent designer. Many believers will argue that there must be an omnipotent all-knowing intelligent designer who made these elements, but if we examine the horrors in the "soup" of some combined elements, it is a hard argument to trust that a higher power is responsible.
For instance, if an architect designed and built 49 beautiful original houses which stood the test of time, I am sure the designer would be in high demand. However, if said architect's fiftieth house collapsed shortly after the buyers moved in, how many of us would be seeking his/her's services if we were considering having a home built? How many of us would trust the intelligence of such an architect? Would YOU buy a house designed by him/her with this knowledge?
Just as a beautiful newly born baby awes many to believe there is some higher intelligence behind such design, it is just as easy for me to dismiss this notion when I consider those who are born mentally challenged or physically grotesque. In the example of the human architect, he/she would have an excuse – they are human and not flawless. However, according to those who believe in a higher omnipotent all-knowing intelligence, God or whatever it is, it is said that he/it is supposedly without error. Why then the enormous miscues? How can anyone believe in a higher architect when such heinousness is as real as the wonders we witness? Why do people close there eyes to these atrocities?
Most intelligent people will usually have purpose for their designs, whether it be crafts, cars, clothing, hardware, tools, cleaning products, etc., but yet when speaking of a higher intelligence I'm curious as to what purpose such things as tornado's, flies, and mosquitoes serve. Destructive forces and filthy bugs which carry disease are not on my list of highly intelligent design folks.
When humans design cars or toys with dangerous defects there is a recall (intelligent decision), yet when the supreme entity flaws seriously - we have to live with it. Some people are foolish enough to say that we do not know or understand why this higher being does what he does and we should not question, but whenever a human (lesser being) is imperfect we demand answers. I assume that some people are so fearful of this imagined authority that they have lost all common sense. When a couple's new born child is born without limbs, why is God not brought to court and sued? Simultaneously, in some church somewhere, God is being praised, sung, and prayed to. If a doctor were responsible for a newborn's problems I can bet anything they'd be hit with an immediate malpractice suit and despised by the parents of the victimized child. I doubt they'd be singing praises about the doc any time thereafter.
Also, if anyone is convinced of an omnipotent all-knowing higher power why then do we have such aggression in our insect, animal, and human kingdoms? If YOU were of a higher intelligence and responsible for the well being of living organisms, would you create such hostility? Why do animals prey upon other animals? Insects upon insects? Humans against humans? Why are we not all peaceful herbivores?
Why do seagulls drop bombs on our heads? If an intelligent designer can make cats intentionally bury their feces, why not have a design for birds to keep from unloading their filth on our craniums, or mice from leaving their nasty droppings on our kitchen counters? Even a mortal like me could design better.
Too, if people really believe in an omnipotent all-knowing supreme architect, why then do these people kill the rats, roaches, spiders, and flies he/it provided? If people believe the sovereign one created such creatures for a reason, why then do they kill them? Everyone has swatted and killed insects and rodents in their lifetime. It seems hypocritical for those who say, "I believe in a higher intelligence, and that all things happen for a reason," yet destroy that which was supposedly created by this all-knowing intelligent being. What REASON is there in such human action? Does God's "perfect" creations annoy people enough that they kill that which he/it made for his reasons?
It's apparent there is no omnipotent all-knowing higher intelligence, just people who lack good judgment. Atoms have always been and will always be, and they are at times intelligent and at other times brainless. Everything is made from the elements of the universe and these elements are not necessarily brilliant nor moral. Molecules do what they need do to survive and reproduce, and they come in various forms. Life is so diverse and random that where one form may be incredibly purposeful, another may be purposeless. Humans, animals, and insects, are all equal. Humans I am sorry to say, are not any more important to nature than bugs are.
Scenario: After an act of love and nine months of physical metamorphosis, a couple gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. For eleven years the parents nurture the youth toward success and maturity. The parents are responsible and loving people. Then one fateful day at a nearby park, Dad throws junior a baseball which gets by the child, and off he goes to fetch the ball as it rolls into the woods. The child enters the woods fringe, sees the ball, and clutches it into his throwing hand. Innocently he steps back out onto the field and tosses the ball to Dad, and they continue to play. Later, they return home for dinner.
A few days pass. The boy develops a fever, accompanied by headache and nausea. The parents consider it to be the flu and search for some over-the-counter medications to help their boy. Bed-ridden for a week, the boy complains of pain and stiffness in his joints. His parents call the doctor. After some initial test the doctor feels strongly the boy has Multiple Sclerosis. For years the boy suffers from neurological and cognitive disabilities. Finally, the boy is one of those rare victims who dies from lyme disease, a disease he contacted when bitten by a tick the day he retrieved the baseball from the woods.
To those who are awed by such intelligence I ask...WHY?
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More commentsI don't believe in the kind of omniscient being which religions usually portray as a male God, because that seems to me to be a God made in man's image. But I do believe in omniscience and I don't believe in chaos. I don't understand the kind of hideous suffering there is in the world, but I think that is more because my understanding is limited - because I'm human."I don't believe in the kind of omniscient being which religions usually portray as a male God, because that seems to me to be a God made in man's image."
*** Good for you Jennifer. That's exactly right. Man created God, not the other way around.Man did not create God, man created "Religion" don't confuse the two...Man created language. All the words of the world in every book and dictionary are/were produced by man...God is one of them! Just as Religion is.
Man did not make feet or arms, but during the evolution of the organisms feet and arms grew as were necessitated. God and religion are not physical necessary growths. They are nothing more than man-made beliefs.
I believe science can work with religion at defining a God. As far as him being an omnipotent being I question this, God may be the sun in our solar system. Just why he created the world and all of its creatures we may never know the reason however I do believe in some kind of higher power.Good article KennyThanks for your comment David. There is something in energy for sure, but I question whether it be of an Omnipotent All-knowing flawless nature. Mutations are just as natural as pure creation.
Surprisingly humanity still has a desire to personalize God as something often times a “He”.Yes, it’s probably based on the bible…I truly believe there is a God and I love to call it Universal Source. To me it’s pure energy and infinite wisdom. In the computer language it could be named as the “main computer”.When we start understanding the meaning of life, then we are able to get it: we are here to evolve and to grow while we are on this planet. We appear in the form of energy in a body which is given to us by birth and is given up when we go back to the the universe, spirit, heaven, whatever term serves a human best.I believe it’s the meaning of life, that we can be healthy, having illness, maladies, facing tragedies, conflicts, disasters and you name it, which will support us to evolve, when we are in position to accept it and deal with it, as it is the best way dealt with based on our inner knowing.It can also be a wonderful way to start being more loving, caring, understanding and generous.Many people don’t realize, life is teaching us all the time a lesson, which is not meant to be a punishment for sinning or whatsoever. That is rather society and church based wisdom, which doesn’t resonate with me.Humans tend to take each form which appears in their lives like joy, sadness, accident, illness, luck, etc. as something which they might deserve or not deserve, because they don’t seemto realize the idea why we are on this planet.The way we were raised, grow up and many other factors will support us to see a greater picture in the meaning of life or not.A human has 50 Trillion cells in his body. How do you think these cells are working all together, if there wouldn’t be a Universal Source to coordinate this play?We as humans, energy, are for sure all interconnected (there is plenty of proof with scientific studies). It means: we are also always connected with the “main computer” and in my understanding a Universal Source.Based on this thought, God, Universal Source, Allah, Buddha to name a few, is always as an “Omnipotent All-Knowing Intelligence Creator” present and will always be.If you are having doubt this is your human right…Just imagine for a moment: planet earth is like a grain of sand in the entire Universe…
I realize this was a question for the believer, but I feel compelled to state my reason, maybe my need to be relevant. God was created to establish a hierarchy of control. The designers and interpreters of the message maintain control over the masses who choose to believe because of either fear of death, or fear of being responsible for the decisions they make, or the actions they commit. It also helps ease their fear of an uncertain existence, and alleviates their stress of helplessness over things they have no control. For the narcissist it aligns them with the powers of the universe making them in essence the ruler of their environment, enriching their pitiful egos. In short, it is baby's binky. Mother's womb, from which they are comforted and enriched. A safe place to live.The mother's womb is a perfect metaphor for the womb of the designing creator- the God of the universe- mankind oft times does seek them both......Good points David...There is little question God exist only in the psyche of man. Take away man, and the concept of God is non-existent.Exactly!! You just explained it all to yourownself Kenny- Take away man- the earth- the universe, and there is no God- if we don't exist for God,we don't exist period.
Those Haiku poems Greg asked us to write on Q&A- I couldn't grasp the concept of them at all...... but others obviously could- I didn't state that they didn't exist or were stupid just because I personally couldn't understand them- I said that I can't write them because they don't make sense to ME- This obviously doesn't make sense to you and Greg- but that fact doesn't mean that it isn't true- that God doesn't exist- it simply means that you personally can't grasp the concept of God, just as I couldn't with the poems. As I stated to you before- you cannot prove God by physical means, except by God's creations- for God is not physical- God must be proven by the means of that which God is. We know what love is by that which it produces, that is the only way we can know what it is...........
Exactly!! You just explained it all to yourownself Kenny- Take away man- the earth- the universe, and there is no God- if we don't exist for God,we don't exist period. Those Haiku poems Greg asked us to write on Q&A- I couldn't grasp the concept of them at all...... but others obviously could- I didn't state that they didn't exist or were stupid just because I personally couldn't understand them- I said that I can't write them because they don't make sense to ME- This obviously doesn't make sense to you and Greg- but that fact doesn't mean that it isn't true- that God doesn't exist- it simply means that you personally can't grasp the concept of God, just as I couldn't with the poems.
*** That makes no sense Ella. I don't understand. Just because you couldn't grasp the concept of the poems doesn't mean the poems didn't exist. The poems are real. God is not! In order to understand a concept of something there must first exist a something. In order to understand the concept of God there must first be a God. If God were real, and I didn't understand the concept of God I wouldn't deny his existence just because I was ignorant to understand. Although you don't understand the concept of the poems do you deny the poems exist? NO! WHY? Because they are proven by your sight, reading, and contemplating them.
As I stated to you before- you cannot prove God by physical means, except by God's creations-
*** My proof is in your inability to prove. I don't need to prove anything. Your the one who makes the claim of God. The burden of proof is on you.
for God is not physical-
*** How do you know? Where are your facts? You produce no documents to prove God, nor do you provide evidence that God is not physical. You are making a common mistake. Ella WANTS there to be a God, so she makes up her own "facts."
God must be proven by the means of that which God is. We know what love is by that which it produces, that is the only way we can know what it is...........
*** Love and hate come through the physical forces of nature that have a pulse and heart beat. Love does not exist in trees or the wind, but it does in humans and animals. Love is not proven to be outside of ourselves. It is within us and witnessed daily.
Beautifully said David! .... Perfect!
Great article Kenny, a difficult subject to write about, but I think you've done a good job.Objective and down to earth, worth reading if you agree or not, good work :)Thanks Bill...Those are some very kind words.And true words- you've done an excellent job in stating your own beliefs, and why you think them.... Thanks- this was rewarding dialog......to say the least...Beliefs?!When something you consider to be true is contrary to something someone else considers to be true, that tends to put your assertions into the realm of beliefs for the other person.
You've expressed a lot of what you consider to be facts and they may well be. But what if that is just how it is given to us to understand the universe. What if it only has this appearance and the reality is something that we are not able ... were never meant ... to understand? What if this is only what we are shown in order to create some order in our lives?
I do tend more toward the "scientific" end of the spectrum, but I still have so many questions and doubts. Honestly, I think the best course is to keep an open mind. Then you are not so blindsided when reality decides to slap you up side the head. :)
And Bill is correct. This is very well written.When something you consider to be true is contrary to something someone else considers to be true, that tends to put your assertions into the realm of beliefs for the other person.
*** All I did was relay my observations of the worlds "savage garden" and questioned the validity of those who believe in a omnipotent all-knowing intelligent designer.
You've expressed a lot of what you consider to be facts and they may well be. But what if that is just how it is given to us to understand the universe. What if it only has this appearance and the reality is something that we are not able ... were never meant ... to understand? What if this is only what we are shown in order to create some order in our lives?
*** You are going off track here Dianne. To make an argument you are adding what if's. That's the problem with believers. They lose focus and compound more junk on top of the junk that is already there.
I do tend more toward the "scientific" end of the spectrum, but I still have so many questions and doubts. Honestly, I think the best course is to keep an open mind.
*** What makes you think I don't have an open mind? Because I'm not foolish enough to believe in what is not there?
Then you are not so blindsided when reality decides to slap you up side the head. :)
*** I am the one living in reality. Facts and proof remember?!!!! If you were on trial for a crime you didn't commit I am sure you would want as much fact and proof produced to show your innocence. The facts and proofs would be the REALITY of what actually happened.
And Bill is correct. This is very well written.
*** Thank you.I stand corrected. And just when I get to thinking I'm intelligent and know a thing or two, someone like you comes along to prove me otherwise. :) No rancor on my part. Just and observation. And I do tend to read into things based on my own world view. Well, anyway, this certainly has sparked a lot of conversation hasn't it? Oh but to be sure, I never said I was a believer.It's all good Dianne. With the exception of sex, what is more pleasant than adults commenting and debating maturely?
Lots of really good points, and for the most part, very respectful dialogue I think. Great article writing, to produce such an overwhelming response!Thanks Liesl! Unfortunately most of the responses are not for me, but for a guy who continually dominates all the articles and comments with his personal and righteous anecdotes of alien and angelican "experiences."
Hi Kenny.
I think what is more important than whether or not God exists is understanding the need to believe in a God. There is no way we humans could understand God as most people perceive he/she/it. It's infernally difficult to relate to someone/thing you don't understand. So, honestly, in my mind, it doesn't matter whether or not there is one ... or many or whatever.
Most of what life is about is relating to other people, other animals, etc. So for me what is most important about this question is, as I've said, why people believe in certain things. Why people have the need to feel and express faith. I think if we could summarily answer that question we'd really have something. And I don't think all the research into the structure and function of the brain that has produced the concept of the "God gene" is necessarily the ultimate answer.
I've probably dug myself a deep hole here. :)
Hi Kenny.
I think what is more important than whether or not God exists is understanding the need to believe in a God.
*** We already know why people believe in God. It was and is a device by which the elite use to control the masses. Besides, why do people believe in ghost, heaven, spirts, UFO's, aliens, etc.? Understanding the need to believe in those things does nothing to advance our knowledge.
There is no way we humans could understand God as most people perceive he/she/it. It's infernally difficult to relate to someone/thing you don't understand.
*** It's even more difficult to relate to someone/thing that is unproven to exist.
So, honestly, in my mind, it doesn't matter whether or not there is one ... or many or whatever.
*** Of course it matters. It's a rape of the mind. To believe without proof is a dumbing down of our societies.
Most of what life is about is relating to other people, other animals, etc. So for me what is most important about this question is, as I've said, why people believe in certain things. Why people have the need to feel and express faith. I think if we could summarily answer that question we'd really have something.
*** Then do some research on the topic and I bet you'd have a very interesting article.
And I don't think all the research into the structure and function of the brain that has produced the concept of the "God gene" is necessarily the ultimate answer.
*** The brain does not have a God gene. God was created by man via his need to explain his observational world. Once that was done the elite concocted wild stories of miracles, son's of God, and LAWS for which they could have authority and power over the common people.
Look up ZEITGEIST (Religion) on YouTube, and you will see how religion is nothing more than astrological jargon.
Thank you for your comment
I've probably dug myself a deep hole here. :)
I thought your article was very interesting and you have a lot of good questions that many people have brought up over the years. My husband is a retired scientist and he has some of the same beliefs. He and I are miles apart in our beliefs but he does not believe in the big bang theory, but he does believe that a Higher Power had to be involved in the creation of mankind. He is not a Christian and I am. I can only share with you my relationship with God because that is the one I know about personally.
My point is that everyone's relationship with God is different and if you could have seen my life before I asked Christ to enter in and see the way it is today you might consider asking Him into yours and I wouldn't have to say a word to you.
We are all born into sin, we all have freewill and some answers we won't know till the end of time, but I would rather die believing in God than to die not believing.
I thought your article was very interesting and you have a lot of good questions that many people have brought up over the years. My husband is a retired scientist and he has some of the same beliefs.
*** Beliefs?
He and I are miles apart in our beliefs but he does not believe in the big bang theory, but he does believe that a Higher Power had to be involved in the creation of mankind. He is not a Christian and I am. I can only share with you my relationship with God because that is the one I know about personally.
My point is that everyone's relationship with God is different and if you could have seen my life before I asked Christ to enter in and see the way it is today you might consider asking Him into yours and I wouldn't have to say a word to you.
*** You think you had problems? Some day we'll share our stories in private. I've had some serious troubles in my life, but I got through them and didn't need a God. Why do "believer's" always feel a need to tell the rest of us about the miracles Jesus and God performed in their lives when many of us get through some of the same horrors without prayer, Christ, or God? Is it ego and a need to feel superior that someone/something is watching over you because you've been a good little girl?
We are all born into sin, we all have freewill and some answers we won't know till the end of time, but I would rather die believing in God than to die not believing.
*** Why? Please explain. Fear maybe? Guilt? What's your reasoning?
If you read what I said I didn't say I had problems you assumed that, but in fairness to you I did, I said you might consider asking God into your life if you had known me before and after and I WOULDN'T have to say a word to you. I don't believe in preaching, I walk my life and God does what he wants to do with it and frankly I wouldn't have to do anything.I am a sinner saved by grace not a good or bad little girl.
I learned more about love from my relationship with God than any other time in my life so why would I want to die with a goal of going anywhere else other than being with God.
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