Atheists can use old theological arguments, such as the Astrophysical Strife, for their own non-theistic purposes. The Astrophysical Strife reasons from the dependencies plus stuff in conception to the life span of some ultimate autonomous thing. In the course of the existence, put forward delimit been tons versions of that wrangle. Aquinas famously gave three versions (the first three Ways in the "Summa Theologica", Self 1, Q. 2, Art. 3). Time theists entertain the Astrophysical Strife to close by with the life span of the theistic deity (commonly, with the life span of the Christian God), the wrangle does not go to that suppose. On the challenging, the ultimate autonomous thing lacks the essential scenery of any theistic deity. The Astrophysical Strife is after that an atheological wrangle.
Time put forward are tons versions of the Astrophysical Strife, they all make a statement a mode form. The mode form looks everything being this: (1) Sure facts depend on other facts. (2) Give to are tons down custom restraints (restraints in which "x"0 depends on "x"1, "x"1 depends on "x"2, and so on). (3) Tradition restraints delimit no loops of any coil (not even coil 0). (4) Tradition restraints cannot be immeasurably down. (5) That's why, every down custom pass by bottoms out in some autonomous fatality. (6) All custom restraints dishonorable out in the extremely autonomous fatality. (7) Give to exists a history autonomous fatality on which all other facts depend.
For example the autonomous fatality does not depend on anything, it exists primarily. And, for the reason that it is at the farthest away dishonorable of a series, it is ultimate, it is original. For example any whole depends on its parts, it does not delimit any parts - it is simple. It does not delimit any shrewdness or psychology; it is not a particular. Nor does it transcend nature; on the challenging, it is within conception - it is immanent. The autonomous fatality is not any theistic deity and it is definite not the Christian God. It is daintily an ontologically original fatality.
One mode complain to the Astrophysical Strife aims to refute the guess (4) that custom restraints cannot be immeasurably down. Yet, elder suave versions of the Astrophysical Strife work with immeasurably down restraints. Such versions delimit been trade by Leibniz (1697) and Meyer (1987). Leibniz shows how an unbounded regression of causes despite requires some ultimate logical reason:
Let us be sure about a book entitled "The Elements of Geometry" to delimit existed perpetually, one release having habitually been banal from the preceding: it is ugly consequently that, nevertheless you can derelict for the introduce cassette by a indication to the exterior cassette which it reproduces, yet, subdue far back you go in this series of reproductions, you can never be given at a totality savings account, for the reason that you habitually atmosphere delimit to ask why at all times these books delimit existed, that is, why put forward delimit been any books at all and why this book in thorough. (Leibniz, 1988: 84-86)
According to Leibniz, even if conception has existed for all time within the exterior, it is composed possible to ask the "Metaphysical Question:" why is put forward everything realistically than nothing? Plane if conception contains immeasurably down custom restraints, Leibniz argues that they requirement dishonorable out, in the regulation, in some original autonomous fatality. Any ontological regression converges in the regulation to an original fatality. This original fatality contains the "ultimate logical gossip" for all stuff. All the rage this original fatality, being-itself is equivalent to the "Contract of Amply Crack" (the PSR). The success of science empirically justifies the paper that life span is sensible. If life span is sensible, consequently being-itself is equivalent to the PSR.
The PSR says that for any allegation P, if P, consequently put forward is some gossip for P (see Kane, 1986: 123-125). Kane shows that the PSR has been recycled in expert structure, so that put forward is expert vindication for the PSR (1976; 1986). Time the PSR may make it to delimit no creative power, that facade is unacceptable. The natural creative power of the PSR is indicate in the fact that the PSR entails the "Contract of Plenitude" (the PP). The PP says that for any allegation P, if put forward is no gossip for not P, consequently P. Give to are two basic gun emplacements of convey for the PP. The first line comes from its use in affinity physics. Advanced physics uses Gell-Mann's "harsh principle: Whatever thing which is not illegal is affected" (Kane, 1986: 130). But the harsh supreme is equivalent to the PP. As a result all the expert vindication for the harsh supreme flows to the PP.
All the rage the conception of the original fatality, being-itself is equivalent to the Contract of Amply Crack, which expresses itself as (which entails) the Contract of Plenitude. The PSR is "natura naturans" unmanifest, seeing as the PP is the original company of "natura naturans". Leibniz formulates the PP being this: "Whatever thing possible weight that it requisite tolerate, and hence atmosphere tolerate unless everything in addition prevents it" (Rescher, 1991: 171). Shadowing Aristotle, it is totally to say that all pledge are the potentialities of actually unfilled stuff. If this is perfectly, consequently the Leibnizian formulation of the PP requirement be positive elder precisely:
"The Contract of Plenitude:" For every thing, for every potentiality of that thing, if put forward is no gossip to lump the actualization of that potentiality, consequently that potentiality atmosphere be actualized.
If the more willingly than inspect of the Wiccan ultimate deity is honest, consequently the original fatality is the original self-manifestation of that ultimate deity. It is the ontologically road sign facade of natural creative power. The principle of the original fatality is the PSR; and this principle entails the PP, which in turn entails the life span of the original fatality. For the original fatality is possible; and for the reason that put forward is nonentity on which its life span depends, put forward is nonentity that can lump it from existing; its constraint for life span is filled by itself. All the rage the original fatality, principle and life span suit. Yet, the original fatality is not any theistic deity, and it is definite not the Christian God. Theism illegally projects character within the orginal fatality, and that projection is idolatrous.
On this atheological inspect, the Contract of Plenitude is the original company of natural creative power. This company has an if-then structure: if the antecedent, consequently the successive. Manifest creative power is the force which moves truth from the antecedent to the successive. But the antecedent involves gossip seeing as the successive involves atmosphere. The if-then structure of natural creative power binds gossip and atmosphere together within an ontologically plentiful unity. If the Wiccan god symbolizes atmosphere, and the goddes symbolizes gossip, consequently the goddess symbolizes the antecedent of the PP seeing as the god symbolizes the successive of the PP. The love with the god and goddess symbolizes the Contract of Plenitude itself. Thus the sexually plentiful letter of the god and goddess symbolizes the ontological hit of the Contract of Plenitude. It symbolizes the power of the Contract of Plenitude to aficionado conception. Of course, this explanation and no-one else that the god and goddess are symbols for subtract beliefs. It would be idolatrous to mark the atmosphere with the god or gossip with the goddess, or to create a male particular within the successive of the PP or a female particular within the antecedent.
An disbeliever requirement rubbish as idolatrous every hazard to create possible frequent or psychological elements within natura naturans. If Wiccans say that put forward are employees (namely, a male particular and a female particular) tough within the conception of the original fatality, consequently they are theistic, they are idolatrous, and atheists requirement rubbish that idolatry. Yet, for the reason that Wicca deliberately permits the interpretation of the god and goddess as daintily mythological symbols, it seems that Wiccans can turn your back on that idolatry. If so, consequently an atheistic Wicca is possible.
On absolutely this incident it is in force to put side by side Wicca with Christianity. The Christian Godhead may all right be some subtract fatality adjacent to being-itself. Yet, as the grade of Biblical pressures, Christian theologians completely create frequent within their godhead. They create the three frequent of the Found, Son, and Blissful Grit within the godhead. These are three hypostases - they are three relatives reifications of the impersonal. The belief that the Bible is divine revelation compels Christians to make these reifications. All the rage Christianity, subtract held cannot trounced the fixed imagery of the Biblical schoolbook. To say that the Biblical schoolbook is daintily rich is to say that Jesus is not Christ. And that, of course, is insuperable for any Christian. If this inspect is honest, consequently idolatry is built perfectly within Christianity. The and no-one else way to turn your back on idolatrous projection is incredulity. An atheistic Christianity is absurd; an atheistic Wicca is a real bring about.
Sure (but not all) posts in this series:
Incredulity and Wicca
The Wiccan Deity: An Opening Philosophical Re-evaluate
The Wiccan Deity: Related Concepts in Main beliefs
On Atheistic Spirituality
Nine Theses on Wicca and Incredulity
Criticizing Wicca: Force
Sure Naturalistic Ontology
Criticizing Wicca: Levels
Incredulity and the Sacred: Manifest Juicy Influence
Incredulity and Direction
Austere Objective Crack
Criticizing Wicca: Clarity
The God and the Divinity
Wicca and the Drill of Bane
The Wiccan God and Goddess: Authenticity and Myths
Criticizing Wicca: God and Divinity
Wiccan Spirituality and Sexual Sameness
Admission hostile to Symbol
References
Cunningham, S. (1988) "Wicca: A Conduct for the Solo Practitioner." St. Paul, MI: Llewellyn Publications.
Kane, R. (1976) Cosmos, plenitude and logical gossip. "American Philosophical Quarterly 13," 23-31
Kane, R. (1986) Doctrine of gossip. "Erkenntnis 24," 115 - 136.
Leibniz, G. W. (1697/1988) On the ultimate start of the handiwork. In P. Schrecher & A. Schrecker (1988) "Leibniz: Monadology and A great deal Essays". New York: Macmillan Publishing, 84-94.
Meyer, R. (1987) God exists! "Nous 21, "345-361.
Rescher, N. (1991) "G. W. Leibniz's Monadology: An Adaptation for Students". Pittsburgh, PA: Teacher of Pittsburgh Reporters.
Sabin, T. (2011) "Wicca for Beginners: Nuts and bolts of Main beliefs Employ." Woodbury, MI: Llewellyn Publications.
