Ruminations on multiverses; if they are evil (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, March 14, 2017, 08:44 (2810 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: A theist philosopher tackles the question:
http://nautil.us//issue/46/balance/evil-triumphs-in-these-multiverses-and-god-is-powerl...

DAVID’s comment: A philosopher who swallows the possibility of a multiverse and then defends God is dancing on the head of a pin with innumerable angels, but as John Leslie notes God might have created a multiverse.

Here’s my take on this profound question: If God exists, and multiverses exist, multiverses could be evil and God could be evil. If God exists, and multiverses exist, multiverses could be good and God could be good. But God may not exist, and multiverses may not exist, and even if they do, we can’t know that they do, and we can’t know whether they are good or evil. That’s philosophy for you. However….

DAVID’s afterthought (“Goldylocks”): ...our universe is about 8.78 billion years old. In that period of time there could have been another galaxy that had an Earth and life.

Yes indeed. And before our universe, or parallel to our universe, there could have been or could be other universes with life. Welcome to the speculators’ party.

DAVID: Considering how quickly life appeared on Earth after it formed, there literally could be many solar systems with life, possibly with folks like us discussing the mysteries of existence. Some been and gone long before us. God could be a very busy fellow comparing the different results with each type of human race produced. […] Actually, this scenario is just as reasonable as thinking ours is the only life-bearing one ever. That we may not be unique does not bother me at all.

In fact, I’d have thought you would prefer this speculation to your original exclusivity hypothesis, since it seems highly unlikely to me that a God would be satisfied with just one experiment/show/spectacle (whatever you like to call it) throughout eternity, while a one-off scenario would reduce the odds against chance. However, I really don’t know why you persist in imagining that your God can only think in terms of human races. Do you believe he’s THAT obsessed with the likes of you and me? On the other hand, I rather like the image of the “fellow comparing the different results”. It sort of humanizes him, and conveys the idea that maybe he creates life as an experiment/show/spectacle that he can watch as and when he pleases.