Praise be unto He

Regular commenter Bill S. left me a link proclaiming “Scientists say they’ve proved God exists, and then it gets complicated” (1). I followed that link to the logical conclusion, through four more links (see below,  2) until I came across the abstract of the paper (3):

  • Goedel’s ontological proof has been analysed for the first-time with an unprecedent degree of detail and formality with the help of higher-order theorem provers. The following has been done (and in this order): A detailed natural deduction proof. A formalization of the axioms, definitions and theorems in the TPTP THF syntax. Automatic verification of the consistency of the axioms and definitions with Nitpick. Automatic demonstration of the theorems with the provers LEO-II and Satallax. A step-by-step formalization using the Coq proof assistant. A formalization using the Isabelle proof assistant, where the theorems (and some additional lemmata) have been automated with Sledgehammer and Metis.

Say what?

The International Business Times boils it down to this, emphasis in bold mine:

  • Godel was an Austrian mathematician who, in 1978, left behind a theory, which essentially says that a higher being must exist if people believe He does. Though the mathematics are much more complex, God exists as a concept, than he can exist in reality.

1005646_338235369642424_164222894_nWhat about those of us who don’t believe in God? Does everyone else’s conceptual reality over-ride out own? Does simply wanting (or not wanting) there to be a God make it so?

So I believe in the existence of invisible sparkly pink unicorns and the space teapot, does that make them real too? What about the earth being flat, or “Creationism” as a credible science? What about those of us who don’t believe in “God”? Just because something exists as a concept does not make it real.

Assuming some sort of “God” is real, what variation of “God” is correct? Abrahamic God? Islamic God? Greek or Roman Gods? A pantheon of Gods, or just one? Is this “God’ loving? Does this God care? What does this God (or gods) do? Is he all things to all people? Does it matter how he is viewed? What if it is a Goddess?

Then there’s the question the FB meme asks: What if “God” is a metaphor for the universe and we really are created in its image? We are pretty cool, as is our universe.

If anyone can simplify and explain the math as to how we think God into being, please get in touch!

391065_483478515057752_896425098_n

  1. http://now.msn.com/christoph-benzm%C3%BCller-and-bruno-woltzenlogel-paleo-scientists-say-theyve-proved-god-exists
  2. Is God Real? Scientists ‘Prove’ His Existence With Godel’s Theory And MacBooks (http://www.ibtimes.com/god-real-scientists-prove-his-existence-godels-theory-macbooks-1446396); Computer Scientists ‘Prove’ God Exists (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/computer-scientists-prove-god-exists/story?id=20678984); Scientists ‘Prove’ That God Exists… Kind Of (http://www.inquisitr.com/1011640/scientists-prove-that-god-exists-with-macbook/#xOx8qmBKAPY8oG3w.99); God exists, say Apple fanboy scientists (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57609422-71/god-exists-say-apple-fanboy-scientists/)
  3. Formalization, Mechanization and Automation of Gödel’s Proof of God’s Existence Christoph Benzmüller, Bruno Woltzenlogel Paleo, http://arxiv.org/abs/1308.4526

Further reading:

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