Al proves there is no God?

Demana · #1 11-02-2004, 06:32 PM

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Absolutely nothing "decides" the cards. They are utterly, absolutely random.

Al_Schoonmaker
Re: "Good things happen to me" [Re: Demana]
#1205542 - 11/02/04 01:30 AM

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If the cards are random, then it follows that there is no omniscient God because if that God did exist, the cards would not be random (God would know the outcome) and they could be influenced by said God (divine intervention).

Mayhap · #2 11-02-2004, 06:41 PM

You know, I just got off the phone with God and He said if you don't quit sassin' Al He's gonna slap you silly.
/M

Demana · #3 11-02-2004, 06:50 PM

<shrug>
I thought about Al's comment for a while and then came the thought about it proving God did not exist.

I'm sure that he is not the first, nor will he be the last person to say that the cards are random.

Myself, I haven't decided which theory I subscribe to.

toots · #4 11-02-2004, 07:00 PM

And why would God even give a FF at a rolling doughnut about some poker game?

I mean, he can be all powerful and stuff, and have lots of better things to do than influence the turn of a card.

Important thing to remember: God is not an ATM.

Mayhap · #5 11-02-2004, 07:01 PM

Yeah, so don't try to be pushin His buttons.
/M

maurile · #6 11-02-2004, 07:09 PM

[ QUOTE ]
If the cards are random, then it follows that there is no omniscient God because if that God did exist, the cards would not be random (God would know the outcome) and they could be influenced by said God (divine intervention).

[/ QUOTE ]
It also follows that there is no dealer since the cards could be influenced by said dealer (dealer intervention).

P.S. Shuffled cards are not random. They are pseudo-random -- i.e., their order was determined by the laws of physics in accordance with the forces acting upon them.

Duke · #7 11-02-2004, 07:09 PM

He likes to take care of his less fortunate at times. It explains the ridiculous bad beats.

~D

blackaces13 · #8 11-02-2004, 08:09 PM

Couldn't an omnipotent God will it so that cards actually did fall in statistically random patterns on Earth? God, as he is described, is familiar with the concept of randomness. He can create it if need be.

FWIW true "randomness" doesn't exist, it can't in a physical universe. Anywhere there is cause and effect (ie: the entire universe) there is no longer true randomness. However, it is quite easy to generate reasonable facimilies of randomness and a deck of cards being well shuffled is a good example of that.

pc in NM · #9 11-02-2004, 08:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Absolutely nothing "decides" the cards. They are utterly, absolutely random.

Al_Schoonmaker
Re: "Good things happen to me" [Re: Demana]
#1205542 - 11/02/04 01:30 AM

[/ QUOTE ]

If the cards are random, then it follows that there is no omniscient God because if that God did exist, the cards would not be random (God would know the outcome) and they could be influenced by said God (divine intervention).

[/ QUOTE ]

Either that is true, or God just doesn't give a damn any more....

Demana · #10 11-02-2004, 08:41 PM

If the outcome is known, the deck cannot be random.

And it is tempting to choose to believe in this because bad beats no longer exist. They are simply the will of God and anytime you suffer one, you can take solace that God is just punishing you for not praying like the other person must have been to hit their miracle card [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]