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Originally Posted by David Sklansky
This is the exact opposite of consciousness. We observe it, at least in ourselves but have no idea what it takes to make a collection of atoms conscious. Furthermore consciousness is obviously something that religion's god would want to exist.
I don't think collections of atoms are conscious. Rather, atoms form brain matter which in turn, produces cognitive functionality within an organism. We are not the only animal to have this. Chimpanzees and other animals have shown a concept of self. A sea slug probably doesn't. Again, my only point was that it isn't a great logical leap to assume consciousness is just a very complicated and advanced form of cognitive function.
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Put another way, anything that has present day scientists baffled increase the chances that God did it compared to if it didn't exist.
This presupposes there is a god. If we knew there was a god (but did not know what caused something), then I would agree the chance that god did it would increase. But I see no reason to presuppose a god.
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The more baffling the more it increases it.
Are you honestly giving credence to the tired old suggestion that god resides in the ever shrinking pocket of human ignorance? If we had this conversation pre-Newton, we could say the same thing about what keeps the planets in their orbits. That was pretty baffling at the time too.
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And it increases it still further if this baffling thing is something that God wants.
It is also something that a conscious believer would want. Again, you are not only presupposing there is a god, but also supposing it's something he wants. None of this is very convincing to me.
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Of course this increase isn't much since there is nothing at the moment that is so baffling that we doubt it will remain unexplained. But consciousness is the best candidate I know of.
I think first cause is a better candidate, because there is a greater chance we will know the answer to it. I think consciousness will be fully explained in time. At least it has a better chance than first cause. Either way, the chance for god will remain alive for quite some time even if it's in the last bastion of human ignorance.