The "Does God Exist?" Macedonia Commercial
I'm seeing this video being repeatedly posted on Facebook as it chains its way though the theist world. From what I've gathered from the YouTube mirroring, this is a TV commercial running in the Republic of Macedonia. The campaign is apparently something like "Knowledge Is Power." And this part of the campaign is apparently sub-headlined "Religion is knowledge, too. Bringing religion back to school."
On several Facebook posts by friends or family, I've pointed out that its not a "true story" as claimed. Even pointing out the Snopes article which says that not only did Einstein not do this, but the whole story is an urban legend. The unanimous response so far has been "So what? Its a good story; and even if Einstein didn't say it, its still the truth."
The title and the argument of the commercial don't really coincide. The title asks "does God exist?" while the argument presented is that "if God exists, then he is evil."
The problem with the argument is that it is comparing objective information with subjective information (apples-to-oranges).
Cold may not exist because it is actually the lack of heat; but heat also really does not exist. Heat is the measurement of temperature. Temperature can be measured with scientific instruments to precise specifics. Multiple scientists from varying cultures with different instruments would measure the same temperature. Darkness actually being a lack of light, but still describing something that is scientifically measureable. Again even with variations in equipment, personnel, and their personal experiences, scientists would reach the same conclusion when measuring the same thing. Thus, they are objective.
Evil, being described as the absence of good is very subjective. Two people raised in different parts of the same state would classify the same deed at different levels of evil. Expand the potential for difference in 'measuring' evil (or absence of good) if your sample audience is from completely different cultures or times in history. The 'measure' of the absence of good is subjective to the era, the country, the nationality, the culture, the personal faith, the personal experience, and the acceptance of society norms for each individual. Thus, this measurement is subjective.
I also think that the dishonesty of the video creator claiming Einstein had this argument with a professor is poor form. And really goes even further to discredit the argument. But when has 'Lying for Jesus' ever been a true ethical struggle for most Christians.
And of course bringing religion into school curriculum is always a bad idea.
On several Facebook posts by friends or family, I've pointed out that its not a "true story" as claimed. Even pointing out the Snopes article which says that not only did Einstein not do this, but the whole story is an urban legend. The unanimous response so far has been "So what? Its a good story; and even if Einstein didn't say it, its still the truth."
The title and the argument of the commercial don't really coincide. The title asks "does God exist?" while the argument presented is that "if God exists, then he is evil."
The problem with the argument is that it is comparing objective information with subjective information (apples-to-oranges).
Cold may not exist because it is actually the lack of heat; but heat also really does not exist. Heat is the measurement of temperature. Temperature can be measured with scientific instruments to precise specifics. Multiple scientists from varying cultures with different instruments would measure the same temperature. Darkness actually being a lack of light, but still describing something that is scientifically measureable. Again even with variations in equipment, personnel, and their personal experiences, scientists would reach the same conclusion when measuring the same thing. Thus, they are objective.
Evil, being described as the absence of good is very subjective. Two people raised in different parts of the same state would classify the same deed at different levels of evil. Expand the potential for difference in 'measuring' evil (or absence of good) if your sample audience is from completely different cultures or times in history. The 'measure' of the absence of good is subjective to the era, the country, the nationality, the culture, the personal faith, the personal experience, and the acceptance of society norms for each individual. Thus, this measurement is subjective.
I also think that the dishonesty of the video creator claiming Einstein had this argument with a professor is poor form. And really goes even further to discredit the argument. But when has 'Lying for Jesus' ever been a true ethical struggle for most Christians.
And of course bringing religion into school curriculum is always a bad idea.
Tags: Albert Einstein, Does God Exist?, Einstein, Lying for Jesus, Separation of Church and State, Separation-of-Church-and-State, public school, socas
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Johnny on -
Updated the wording a little, but for honesty sake, here's how it read originally:
Cold, being the lack of heat can be measured with scientific instruments to precise specifics. Multiple scientists from varying cultures with different instruments would measure the same temperature. Darkness, being the lack of light can also be measured with scientific instruments; and again even with variations in equipment, personnel, and their personal experiences, would reach the same conclusion when measuring the same thing. Thus, they are objective.
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Permalink Reply by Shine on -
As long as you put an emotive piano piece as the soundtrack, who cares if your argument coincides with the presented question? Plus, the validity of any analogy used in the argument is irrelevant when offered by a little schoolboy against his evil atheist professor. He has a white collar and knickers; he's too cute to be burdened with accuracy.
I'm honestly mystified as to where the whole evil atheist professor stereotype is derived from. I have never had a professor who actively proclaimed their nonreligious leanings; on the contrary, most of my teachers are very vocally religious.
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Permalink Reply by Christian Thompson on -
Note that it admits it is not a true story, but rather meant to be a joke that he/she took seriously. And where do they get this idea that we atheists are so oppressive? We don't even have the numbers to be oppressive, much less, would we be, if we did. Lies....
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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on -
It never ceases to amaze me how willing religious people are to lie to support their beliefs. The incredible and unreal stories I have been told all my life are simply directed at the credulous simpletons whom already believe and just add this banal tripe to their storehouse of wonderful proofs of gods greatness.
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Permalink Reply by elaine kilshaw on -
Thanks Doug I have been trying for ages to put these very points in to a simple statement. and this puts in just this way. Especially how willing religious people are to lie to support their beliefs.
I was taught from an early age, make up your own mind for yourself, do not believe all you are told until you look at it with logic and reason.
Keep an open mind whereas religion is telling you believe all that you are told is the truth.
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Permalink Reply by Kirk Holden on -
The energy in a closed system can certainly be measured. Electomagnetic energy in the "visible" spectrum is called "light" - it's photons! They exist! Einstein had a firm belief that no supernatural forces influenced human activity AT ALL. He was completely clear on this. Also, his tireless efforts to promote a one world government were based on his belief that evil was an artifact of human evolution that could only be controlled by force.
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Permalink Reply by Steven Knapp on -
Someone quoted this at me in text form and actually had the balls to say that a "Christian student" was the one speaking with the professor and at the end put that it was Einstein. I didn't even bother with the silly argument because he couldn't even get Einstein's religion, a very important piece of history, correct.
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Permalink Reply by Seamus Corbett on
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there's a name for this: the existential fallacy. We know that light exists. We know that heat exists. We don't know that God exists. That's why I can say that evil is the absence of Martians wearing killer mutant underwear.
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