Ruminations on multiverses; if they are evil (Introduction)

by dhw, Wednesday, March 15, 2017, 13:26 (2809 days ago) @ David Turell

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.

dhw: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.

DAVID: Thank you for recognizing that your keep humanizing Him. He may 'compare' but that doesn't humanize Him the way you want to. Certainly multiple groups of humans can be speculated upon as a possibility. As for obsessing over humans, I still accept humans are his end point, even if you don't like the idea of making us so important, because it obviously upsets your even balanced agnosticism.

Sorry, but it was you who used the image of a fellow comparing results, so how can that possibly not be “humanizing”? And sorry again, but I see absolutely nothing wrong with speculating that a conscious mind which creates a conscious mind might (a) have something in common with what it creates, and (b) might have a reason for creating it. And I see nothing wrong in studying the history of life in order to speculate on (a) whether God exists, and (b) if he does, what might be his intentions and his nature. But I agree that multiple groups of humans can be speculated upon as a possibility. So might multiple groups of intelligent jabberwockys, and so might no groups of anything at all.

I don’t know why you use the word “accept” in relation to humans being God’s initial purpose. It is entirely your speculation. Personally, I agree that we are special. I don’t agree that your God must have designed every organism and lifestyle in order to keep life going until he could dabble with the pre-human brain or until his brain enlargement programme could switch itself on. THAT is the sticking-point between us, and has nothing whatsoever to do with my agnosticism.