Does God Make Sense? | Episode 101 | Closer To Truth
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- čas přidán 11. 06. 2024
- How can you know whether God really exists, if you do not know what God really is? Diverse religions have diverse views and surprise is in store. Featuring interviews with Richard Swinburne, Alvin Plantinga, Daniel Dennett, Seyyed Nasr, Varadaraja Raman, Huston Smith, and Michael Shermer.
Season 1, Episode 1 - #CloserToTruth
Archive episode. First aired on Aug 29, 2008
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Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn takes viewers on an intriguing global journey into cutting-edge labs, magnificent libraries, hidden gardens, and revered sanctuaries in order to discover state-of-the-art ideas and make them real and relevant.
▶Free access to Closer to Truth's library of 5,000 videos: bit.ly/376lkKN
Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.
Great episode. However, I really hope this episode will be re-uploaded with the audio issue solved.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that... thank you
I love the audio issue. It captures religion quite well: mumbling accompanied by a sad piano tune.
Loved the episode, but please fix the sound
@@dennisrydgren
🤣🤣🤣
@@dennisrydgrenHahaha I'm screaming😂😂😂
If I didn't have the auto read function I wouldn't have been able to follow as the music was too loud. This has never been a problem I've had with your other shows.
wow real world problems..
The overwhelming music is supposed to be a symbolic representation of God, and the juxtaposition between the music and his comparatively quiet voice is supposed to be a deep enigma for you to ponder on…
Yeah same, I stopped watching halfway through
I was bothered too.
It's a problem with editing or a lack thereof
I honestly thought there was nobody that had the same thoughts as me regarding these topics. Everyone seems to care less about these types of questions and looks at me strangely when I bring up the origin of life, philosophy, consciousness, and so on. I'm so glad I found this channel, I can't stop watching the videos. Thank You!
I share your sentiment
Same. Clubhouse app is a great place to have these convos as well.
We are here and we feel the same way you do.
Can’t sleep without watching an episode. The smartest scientist ever. Thanks Mr. Kuhn
I can't sleep after watching an episode
“Nobody has seen a thought, no body has seen a feeling…” Because like god, they’re all only in our minds.
Might be sometgibg on my end but the music is significantly louder than the voice over
Same here
Bro if we define God as omni (aka infinite), then to understand God is to understand infinite. Since infinite is beyond knowledge and understanding, then you'll never understand God cuz you defined him in a way that is beyond understanding
Thankyou my thoughts exactly, it seems when it comes to science he is happy to accept infinite as a definition for various aspects ie space etc but when it comes to God its not understandable or acceptable.
I suppose one could reply to that by asking, why would someone be happy to accept that there's a giant, invisible man in the sky who lives forever and created everything?
Awesome channel! Been a sub for about a year.
I will say the sound levels are off on this though.
Me too I like this channel idea.
Thanks I was just about to add this, the voice volume was crazy low compared to the music
Yes it was !
Reupload this with the sound fixed, please.
Make sense? Clearly not - at least none of the gods we have come up with so far.
Some audio issues in the first minute of the video, but still excellent content as always
It's as God wanted.
The date of this episode is not Dec 30, 2021. It may have been republished on this date. Please CTT, at least publish the original date.
A fine refresh. The sound lives in this one.
Can you kindly make audio levels uniform? Can’t hear anything in the beginning, and then rush to turn the volume down. Then, when the interview starts, the volume drops a bit again.
As long as we are stuck in matter God remains a mental concoction.
Now your making category errors...
Fix the audio Robert.
Mixing engineer: “let’s make sure we bury the dialog under the music, since that’s clearly the most important aspect of this documentary”
Love this channel, but your music is so loud sometimes you cannot hear you talking.
This channel is food for my brain, but it is always hungry because there are no definitive answers, just educated guesses and speculations.
One of the best arguments for God is that some people say we don't need him. This is just like it says in the bible.
I love your passionate uncertainty. I struggle mightily with people who have passionate certainty in a very limited, very definable, rule making god. I believe in a god of love who is surrounded by mystery. A god that can be experienced but only partially comprehended. Thank you for this show, I truly love it with a passion.
Just amazing, thank you very much for this content.
My guy just whispering through B roll is something else.
The concept of an all powerful creator Deity blaming its creations for things it knew would happen before it set everything into motion is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
But the clincher for why this concept is 100% B.S. gets revealed when we find out that all non believers are burnt alive for all eternity. I'm calling bullshit on this.
No one else like you, thank you
Why is the audio narrative so quiet compared to the rest of the program?
Damn, did anybody bother to check the audio-music synchronization before uploading? I couldn't watch past 1:31.
Thousands of years ago we had 20 gods. And now that we have science and universities we cut it down to only 1 god . Don't you see , 1 God is just as ridiculous as 20 gods . Would God put us in a place where everything has to eat each other to stay alive !!! I don't think so !!!!
And this one God acts suspiciously like a King/Dictator - a Putin, a Saddam - believe in me, support me & I will reward you with Heaven or else brutalized in Hell!
Morals, values who we are as people does not matter!
Amazing isn't it? The very same highly educated people who call Putin evil and his supporters pure scum now become the same willing Scum themselves!
*"Thousands of years ago we had 20 gods. And now that we have science and universities we cut it down to only 1 god . Don't you see , 1 God is just as ridiculous as 20 gods "*
... What happens when you apply your same thinking to Science's curious theories regarding the origin of the universe? Science once proposed that the Earth was the center of the universe, then it was the sun, then it was an infinite, always-existing universe (steady state), and now it's evolved into various multiverse, multidimensional strings, and simulation theories.
... Are 20 universes just as ridiculous as 1 universe?
@@0-by-1_Publishing_LLC Yes that is how Science works - by searching for knowledge and replacing old ideas with the new
People used to draw blood from sick people in the old days thinking that would make them better, we don't do that now
Fairy tales on the other hand, will remain unchanged - Cinderella will still be losing her shoe in the year 3000
@@ramaraksha01 *"Yes that is how Science works - by searching for knowledge and replacing old ideas with the new"*
... So, we are both in agreement that science comes up with just as many ridiculous concepts as religion. Progress has been made!
*"Fairy tales on the other hand, will remain unchanged - Cinderella will still be losing her shoe in the year 3000."*
... Not a good analogy. Christianity represents an extremely wide-spread and controversial departure from the "original" Hebrew religion. Modern-day Jews will still be looking for their savior in the year 3000 whereas the Christians believe he has already arrived.
@Dylan Martinelli These are Master/Slave religions - primitive people lived under Kings/Dictators and they envisioned a God who would be like them
You can easily spot a King/Dictator
- Heaven is God's KINGDOM, God sits on his throne in the Heavens, Jesus is his prince. They must get down on their knees, swear loyalty(belief) & obedience to the Master and only to this master, beg for mercy and hope for a reward(Heaven)
And what will these people be doing in Heaven? Why, they will be farming, of course!
These were not stupid people, that was the life they had and those were the Gods they came up with
The amazing stupidity is today's believers - blindly following these primitive ideas of God! Fools groveling to long dead-kings, Dictators
People living in free societies and their Gods are Putins, Saddams, Stalins!
Just crazy & actually very frightening how easily even the best of minds can be brainwashed
This is such an important episode. The sound should be adjusted so that people can here what it says.
What music is used in this episode. That microtonal piano one was nice
2 Timothy 3 : 7 Ever learning and never able to.come to a knowledge of the truth. The Bible is so real about the human condition.
as a doubtful Christian, I really enjoyed the Islamic and Hinduist takes on the nature of God
Sound needs fixed so one can follow the argument.
The sound on this video needs to be adjusted. Music is too loud and no balance between background and foreground sounds.
Cmon I can’t even hear you and this is one of the most important videos you’ve ever done. I don’t want to here anything but your voice
The music was so loud sometimes that I couldn't understand.
God is whatever criteria and has whatever properties he needs not to be disproved. Got it.
Audio not too good on this video as far as hearing the speaker
Your persistent inquiry about god reminds me,poet of the sub-continent lndia lqbal:
اسی کشمکش میں گزری میری زندگی کی راتیں
کبھی سوز ساز رومی کبھی پیچ و تاب رازی۔
I spent all nights of my life in a tizzy
Contemplating sometimes Rumi and sometimes grappling with Averros.
Prof.Dr Nasir Fazal Cambridge USA 🇺🇸 ♥
Music is too loud in some parts
Why is the sound so messed up? :(
kindly make audio level corrections....
I tried my best to squeeze my ears to distinguish the meaning of what you say because the music covers your voice. I really appreciat these informative clips and appreciat the efforts spent to produce them!
I hope that you don't use any more louder than speech music in your future videos.
The audio is ruined by the music which is too loud.
I suggest you consider the fiduciary program of knowing proposed by Michael Polanyi in his Personal Knowledge.
This reminds me of Woody Allen in 'Hannah and Her Sisters' looking for answers.
The audio mix is way off! The 'background' music is actually in the foreground and the voices can hardly be heard. Please fix that and re-upload the video!
You are the God, bringing material universe into existence by your awareness…
i'm finding the audio to be sketchy in sections
I could sell Mr. Kuhn the Brooklyn Bridge twice on the same day.
You guys really need to check the relative volume of your narrator and background!
I love your question ; “how can I know God if I don’t understand God?” I’m a Christian and I still have hard doubts in my search for Veritas. Your channel has reminded me of my own pursuit of truth about consciousness , our planet, and our Cosmos. Thank you ! May the christ reward you abundantly with spiritual life.
I'm a born again Christian. However I left the man written Bible behind. And began my personal spiritual journey of the creator and haven't looked back the Bible consistently contradicts it self. If God wrote the Bible no mistakes would be made and all universal knowledge would be known. But the creator wants humans to use our brains. Science and religion can work in unison. The creators basic building blocks are Scientifically called particles once you understand this. It opens up a new universal knowledge of consciousness.
Follow those doubts my friend, your brain knows better.
@@scottymeffz5025 rightly said indeed. curiousness, speculation, and doubts are necessary in order to formulate questions in order to get one to think. I love to study the brain, I hope that we will eventually understand where consciousness is in the brain; possibly in the microtubules
@@clarkharney8805 Yeah, there still seems to be a long way to go in fully understanding the brain as we only have low-resolution images of brain activity with our current scans.
Also... there is no guarantee consciousness resides in the brain or that its location is discoverable in any real sense!
@@scottymeffz5025 I’ve read a ton of Roger Penrose’s works, and although he’s a physicist and mathematician he has suggested that he thinks from his studies with consciousness that there needs to be a new physics in order to explain it !
EQ levels in this episode really need retooling. Too quiet in the monologue secitons. It's really bad.
I am perfectly fine with Spinoza's mindless God and "Ultimism" as "mind" is a phenomena not a Noumena...
The problem is that most people don't like such an abstraction of God...one cannot like what one doesn't understand...
One cannot fight people's dislikes with any kind of Rationality!
None has seen a quark either but I digress.
The moment you say "God is this & that.." you're already lying. Humans have no way to experience transcendental reality, if such even exists. You don't know. So "I don't know what God could be" is the only true statement to make.
22:13 thought is the outcome of matter
U can't see the thought but the thought is only there because of some sensory experience, hence u can see a thought too
My current view/experience of the world on these matters is that of a materialist dualist, where the only room for God is left in the holy spirit, also known as the mind. So if God were to ever intervene somehow, it would be in a thought or in the mind. It's the last harbor for him left (as I can see)
God spoke to many, Moses, Abraham, Noah, Jesus, and they all did great things. They all had evidence of God, otherwise, they couldn't have carried out their tasks. God appeared to Moses as a burning bush. I'm sure if you were to see a burning bush talking to you, you would understand what God is capable of.
@@danhtran6401 - so it is written…by man. That doesn’t make any of it factual. Mose’s group took HOW LONG to get from Egypt to the promised land? Doubtful…
@@EB-qi3mx science books are written by man too. The Muslims believe the Torah is God's divine words. God does wonders through his chosen prophets. Jesus couldn't have done what he did without God. God led the animals to Noah's ark. He doesn't control humans as He has given us free will, and those who chooses God will die knowing death will only free our souls. Our bodies are his Holy Temple, He exists in all of us if we are cleansed. He not only exists in our consciousness but will call upon us and provide us with ample evidence when he needs our expertise, our vision, and our strength.
@@danhtran6401 - that makes no sense. Why would an omnipotent being need anything from us?
@@EB-qi3mx He doesn't need anything from us. He gave us this universe freely. It's like your children telling you, why do our parents need us?... They don't, but they would like it if you had kissed them. Your kids may ask you for money to buy you a present and you will think that's a wonderful idea right?.... God is the same, He loves his children, and even though we can't give him anything, He gave us this whole universe to make something out of it and give it back.
The one that started it all
I believe that “god” is the nature of the universe. Quantum mechanics, physics, consciousness, the beginning of time….that is god to me. I’m not a religious person at all. But, the unexplainable is what god is to me. All religions worship the same “god” who is not a person, and does not care what happens, if “does not care” even means anything.
Edit: But I respect what people believe. If you worship god/gods, whatever you believe In, that’s your thing. Not mine. And I will never try to convince you other wise. I respect that. Just voicing my opinion.
If that is so, if god is nature/reality and Not a conscious, interfering entity,....what is the point of worshipping god?
....Isn’t that like worshipping the earth, Friday’s or the void of Space.
Interesting approach. I agree that God is a lot more than a person. That the laws of science are also from God.
You mention "consciousness" as being a part of your understanding of God. This implies that God is conscious, and that we in turn receive our consciousness from this same being as well. One would also suppose that a conscious being does care. Otherwise, what's the point of creating?
@@ericjohnson6665
It is possible to create...and Not care.
@@jimliu2560 No it's not. Humans do it all the time.
@@kevconn441
Care or not care.? I’m sure humans create and don’t care all the time.....Need I give examples?
Also “Care” is Not a Yes/No state....it is a Gradient..... One can care a lot OR care so little that for all intents and purposes is zero..
Also, the amount of caring decreases with number ( exp. having one child vs 12 twins).......
...God who creates infinity has zero caring ( for each of his creation).....
....that is why God is hidden....
....that is why No one can Reconcile: God; Human Rights; Climate Change; Suffering; and Scarcity...!!
Wow what are you doing with the music can't even hear your commentary over it.
DUDE! Love your content but please reissue this with the music turned down.
This channel has more than 400 thousand subscribers, but the production team doesn't respect those subscribers enough to create a good sound quality?
Worth 10 minutes of AXP!
Reality has affected mystical beliefs as knowledge evolves in the dynamics of biology and other physical sciences.
Robert, at the end of this program you indicated that "for now," "passionate uncertainty is closer to truth." I'm glad you're willing to keep looking. I'm just surprised that something as "immaterial" as truth is sought amongst those who halo only the material. To begin to grasp something "immaterial" like truth, one must be willing to set aside the material and consider the supernatural, the spiritual - and some of these perspectives you sought out. I would continue in that direction. Here's a couple that have taken a similar scientific approach as the one your on; Dr. Stephen Meyer and Dr. John Lennox.
I wish you success in your search. You're likely to be quite amazed at what you find.
Hard to hear with background sounds
I can't hear the speaking over the background music.
If there is no explanation for God then God has no explanation. If God has no explanation, God cannot explain its own self. If God cannot explain its own self, God cannot be omniscient. God has spent an eternity hanging round thinking “I know almost every single thing there is to know…apart from the explanation for my own existence. No wonder I’m a bit unhinged.”
If god forbid evil, it would cut itself massively short of being all-knowing, as nothing can be known that is not experienced or experienceable
Sound issues.
The sound track is terrible, needs to be taken down and re-worked...
When you do your monologues, it's so faint, I could hardly hear you.
💥God created the Universe and the Universe created God.
💫Based on Einstein's theory that Matter-Energy forms Space-Time and Space-Time forms Matter-Energy.
🧙♂️Human mind needs a beginning and an End, but Infinity is not comprehensible by our minds.
(∞=∞)
🔸Only Imagination can do that.
Thank you Robert Lawrence Kuhn, thank you!💚
The background sound is disruptive.
watch in suspense as my boom man follows 15 feet behind me
I have esp and hear all ?
The belief in God rests on the believer expecting something in return for his/her belief. This can take any number of directions, Heaven or Hell, Peace of Mind etc. Belief also has a component of Culture since it has been part of known human culture for several thousand years, so it has become in grained.
Smart man w/ the green suit jacket
Sound Mix is off on this one
It should make everyone suspicious to know, that million others have their own God, not my God.
How can that be?
Like tradition, mentality, ethnicity, nationalism, racism, I can imagine the strong influenced informations, are the cause, and emotional affection, to the psychological impact of belief system to the individual.
It seems, there never was one God for all, but many ideas to belief systems for followers.
The many benefits like celebrations, manifested the systems for good.
Totally. Having had a direct encounter 50+ years ago, the awakening never ceased.
You read Hume’s enquiry for the first time 50 years ago didn’t you? You absolute legend.
That's great!!! How do I have the same experience as I've searched dozens of religions and philosophies for over 40 years but still haven't had such an experience and not response from any God.
What was your direct encounter?
@@stevemajic2958 You said, " how do i have the same experience " practice yoga
How did you positively identify the thing you encountered? Did he have a name tag or something? Or do you assume?
Fix sound!
The music being too loud was incredibly off putting
Audio is way off
I spoke with him about it. I said to him; see here god, nothing you do makes any sense. What the hell are you thinking? And you know what he said to me? SHUT UP OR I'LL THROW A LIGHTNING BOLT AT YOU AND I NEVER MISS BECAUSE I'M GOD. He speaks in a very loud voice and he isn't open to discussion or compromises. He commanfs, you obey... or else.
Come to India to find out different views of God. The ultimate reality.
Low audio
@17:38 Islam does NOT claim that Abraham is it’s founding father nor does it claim any one individual to be it’s starting point. Rather all prophets of the Old and New Testament including Jesus and ending with the final prophet Muhammad are guides sent to bring people back to the one true path when they strayed off course. In that sense, every prophet beginning with Noah and ending with Mohammad all practiced Islam by calling to the One True God. It’s the people who came after them that placed labels to their teaching, as well as altered the commandments.
I would re-word that question and say "does consciousness make sense"...
God makes sense to us only, not to nature.
What doesn’t make sense? That people are needy and unable to think for themselves? Or that they have been absolutely bamboozled by religion?
I can barely hear your voice in the beginning
I am coming
His god can do everything. Except, too explain his own existence.
*"His god can do everything. Except, too explain his own existence."*
... Can you explain your own existence and are you required to be able to do so? ... BTW: I am not a theist.
@@0-by-1_Publishing_LLC
We don't know why we are here. So, does that mean that their version of reality must be the answer ? Just because people believe they know the answers. Doesn't add any validity to their position.
@@thomasridley8675 *'We don't know why we are here. So, does that mean that their version of reality must be the answer "*
... Your complaint was that God cannot explain his own existence. All I did was point out that none of us can explain our own existence. So, if we can't, then why should we expect God to do it?
As far as believing goes, that's completely up to each individual.
BTW: I am not a theist.
@@0-by-1_Publishing_LLC
Just because we can't explain our existence. Doesn't mean it was planned or even guided in any way.
Over 100 billion humans and over 300,000 supernatural beliefs later, we are still no closer to an answer.
Stuck in a galaxy and universe that isn't all that friendly to complex life.
Closer to Truth will never be able to define God or define why there is no God.
One can know God, feel God, be God, but never define God in words.
It is beyond human definition ( in words).
Does God make sense? If yes, what explains why the more informed people are, and the more critical thinking skills they acquire, the more likely they are to be unconvinced gods or goddesses exist?
Music is TOO LOUD
But surely you'll believe in God if you experience Him, right? For example, if I experience pain, I believe that I have pain.