Atheist-Turned-Agnostic Talks with Christian (Gavin Ortlund + Matthew Adelstein)
Feb 21, 2024
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Two individuals discuss the journey from atheism to agnosticism, arguments for the existence of God and Christianity. Topics include the moral argument, fine-tuning argument, psychophysical harmony, eternal love as evidence for theism, and the trilemma argument for Christ's resurrection.
The moral knowledge argument highlights the role of theism in explaining our experience of moral truths and knowledge, contrasting with atheistic perspectives on the source of moral understanding.
The argument from psychophysical harmony points towards the intricate correlation between conscious experiences and physical actions, suggesting that theism offers a more coherent explanation for this alignment.
The fine-tuning argument underscores the exceptional precision in the configuration of the universe's laws and constants, indicating a higher likelihood of theism providing a suitable foundation for the universe's complexity and value.
Deep dives
The Moral Knowledge Argument
The moral knowledge argument states that theism provides a better explanation for moral knowledge than atheism. It posits that if the reason for believing something has nothing to do with its truth, then it undermines the justification for holding that belief. Since we have moral knowledge, it raises the question of how atheism can explain the basis for this knowledge if it is solely attributed to the physical movements of atoms in our brains. Theism, on the other hand, offers a plausible explanation by positing a non-physical faculty for grasping moral truths, which aligns better with our experience of moral knowledge.
The Argument from Psychophysical Harmony
The argument from psychophysical harmony suggests that theism provides a better explanation for the rich and varied nature of consciousness and its seamless correlation with the physical world. It highlights the puzzling question of why there is a direct alignment between our mental experiences and corresponding physical actions, even though there could be numerous alternate mental states that lead to the same behavior. Theistic worldview posits that conscious experiences have intrinsic value, thus providing an explanation for the meaningful interaction between the mental and physical realms. This argument showcases the unlikely coherence between consciousness and the physical world, which is better justified by theism than by naturalistic explanations.
The Fine-Tuning Argument
The fine-tuning argument focuses on the precise configuration and values of the laws, constants, and initial conditions of the universe that enable it to be life-permitting. While these values seem to have no physical necessity and could be different, they are set with exceptional precision to facilitate the existence of complex and valuable phenomena. The argument suggests that the vast majority of possible universes would lack the intricate arrangements required for life or anything interesting to occur. This remarkable fine-tuning of the universe strongly indicates that there is an explanation better suited to theism, where its complexity and value find a plausible foundation, rather than being attributed to sheer luck or other speculative hypotheses like the multiverse.
Response to the Multiverse Hypothesis
One common response to the fine-tuning argument is the proposal of the multiverse hypothesis, suggesting that our universe is just one among many, some of which have different laws and constants. While this hypothesis attempts to account for the fine-tuning, it still leaves unanswered questions. The multiverse is unobservable, making it difficult to provide empirical evidence, and it raises additional questions about what determines the laws and initial conditions across all these universes. Moreover, invoking the multiverse hypothesis does not explain why these life-permitting features exist in the first place. Theistic explanations, on the other hand, provide a more compelling perspective by attributing the fine-tuning to a purposeful creator.
The Multiverse and Fine-Tuning Argument
The podcast episode discusses the multiverse theory as a response to the fine-tuning argument. It highlights two ways the multiverse can be explained: the natural formation of universes due to fundamental laws and the existence of different universes without a unifying explanation. However, the episode points out that the multiverse theory still has issues, such as the casual tuning and Boltzmann brain problems.
The Anthropic Argument and the Value of Persons
Another argument explored in the podcast is the anthropic argument. It posits that the existence of individuals, including oneself, is evidence for the existence of God. The argument suggests that if all possible beings exist, then the fact that one exists becomes highly probable. However, if there is no value in creating persons, it is unlikely that one would exist. Theism provides a possible explanation for the existence of every possible person, whereas naturalism requires additional ad hoc explanations.
In this video I talk with Matthew Adelstein about his journey from
atheism to agnosticism as well as various arguments for the existence of God and for Christianity.
See Matthew's blog: https://benthams.substack.com/
Matthew's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@deliberationunderidealcond5105
Truth Unites exists to promote gospel assurance through theological depth.
Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is President of Truth Unites and Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.
