A hypothetical question, especially for the atheists and skeptics in the audience...

[Glongpre]

Spontaneous combustion.

I really can't think of a single thing from human history that fits, but if i look at all history the answer would obviously be the creation of universe.

What if the universe was not created but instead has always been?

The scientific consensus seems (afaik) to be that there was a beginning of the universe(not that i understand the topic enough to really argue about it). Or do you mean "always been" in the sense of that there was another universe before ours, and another one before that one, and so on for all infinity?

Always been, as in, it has no beginning. But I also haven't researched the topic enough to argue it.

I have thought about the universe as a cycle though, in regards to the big bang. Like it starts with the bang, then after it expands for a long time, it is sucked back in to create another big bang. But nothing created this cycle, so yes to your last question as well.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Do you know of another one that'd cause the extinction of the Dinosaurs for his amusement?

I don't know. They're all pretty much colossal dicks.

They're like a collective of internet trolls that were given godlike powers. I imagine even the nicest among them might entertain his or her self by causing mass extinction.

Yeah, but most of the others seemed pretty disinterested in the rest of the Universe. Besides Q (John de Lancie's Q) was once punished for messing with lesser beings so I don't imagine the others doing that so much.

 

[Angelous Wang]

If you were forced to choose some person, place, thing, or event throughout all of human history as "most likely to have been the result of supernatural or divine influence (christian or otherwise)", what would it be?

No, you aren't allowed to choose "nothing, because I don't believe in that shit" as the whole point is to see what people end up picking when forced to actually choose, and that isn't an answer, it's a refusal to answer.

"Human History" is pretty limiting.

At most I am willing to believe some God like entity set off the big bang and therefore created earth and everything else in a very indirect bi-product sort of way.

Given the scale of the galaxy, thinking there is so God like entity that gives a shit about a bunch of nothing monkeys on a nothing planet in nothing galaxy is beyond egotistical.

If there is a God it is off far away doing far more wonderful/important things.

Most people just don't understand the scale of the universe, saying we are comparable to less than one atom in the ocean is an drastic understatement.

We are a speck of dust in infinity.

We are nothing.

 

[oZode]

We are nothing.

It's relative. If you asked a atom, it would say we are insanely massive.

 

[The Enquirer]

Even though I am a Christian, if I had to pick someone other than my obvious choice, I would have to say the Medici family during the renaissance. They pretty much ended the medieval period that was full of suffering due to their support of the arts and education.

 

[Weaver]

Good thing we made that religion and politics forum.
Escapist, make me a moderator and we'll enter a new dark age.

 

[Last Hugh Alive]

I'm an atheist and I can answer this.

The Undertaker's undefeated streak at Wrestlemania could be considered evidence for the supernatural. I mean, come on! No mortal human being could POSSIBLY achieve over twenty consecutive wins at wrestling's grandest event! Makes me question sometimes if there's some dark, mysterious force controlling the fate of him and those he faces.

That and the fact that he's managed to not die or cripple himself yet. Extraordinary, I say!

 

[shrekfan246]

Is it me or are some people taking this waaaaaaaaaay too seriously? Sure you could turn this into a big debate about religion and whatever or you could do what I did and have some fun with it.

Didn't you catch the memo?

Fun isn't allowed around here anymore.

Everything has to be contrarian for the sake of it, or devolve into a massive shoutfest between two-six people until everyone's blue in the face, three of them have ended up banned, and once again a thread has been locked until another one that's somehow even more inflammatory pops up about the same topic.

 

[TWRule]

I don't identify as an atheiest, skeptic, or a theist for that matter...

But it would probably be, if not humanity's origins, then whatever force it is that allows us opportunities to meet one another.

 

[Chimichanga]

Eh, this would be the closest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Cayce

Keyword being "closest". Still some holes and general vagueness in his predictions; some are rather dumb, but still, a good bulk of them are interesting interpretations of future events.

Still, probably all a hoax, or one especially delusional country guy.

*EDIT*: Christ (ha ha ha, puns!), for all the people throwing around scientific jargon while bashing the "LOLSTUPID" of religion, they all come off as rather insecure as they all try to one-up each other over "I'M MORE ATHEIST THAN YOU! SCIENCESCIENCESCIENCESPACETIMEQUANTUMMECHANICSPEOPLEWHOBELIEVEINGODARERETARDEDSAVAGESWHOSHOULDBURNINTHEGODLESSHOLOCAUSTWEWILLSURELYORCHESTRATE!"

Since when did "atheist" mean "enlightened"? It's getting obnoxious.

http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-5-stupidest-ways-people-try-to-look-smart/

 

[Eddie the head]

Indiana Jones surviving the Nuclear explosion in a Refrigerator.
It must be some Karma he earned for the selflessness of abandoning a precious relic to save his fellow man, akin to Jesus.

Depending of the wight of the fridge that's actual not that unbelievable. I remember doing the math for it in my physics class. It's more unlikely he would have survived the fall out of the airplane in temple of doom. Yeah rafts don't give that much air resistance.

 

[K12]

Spontaneous combustion.

I really can't think of a single thing from human history that fits, but if i look at all history the answer would obviously be the creation of universe.

What if the universe was not created but instead has always been?

The scientific consensus seems (afaik) to be that there was a beginning of the universe(not that i understand the topic enough to really argue about it). Or do you mean "always been" in the sense of that there was another universe before ours, and another one before that one, and so on for all infinity?

Always been, as in, it has no beginning. But I also haven't researched the topic enough to argue it.

I have thought about the universe as a cycle though, in regards to the big bang. Like it starts with the bang, then after it expands for a long time, it is sucked back in to create another big bang. But nothing created this cycle, so yes to your last question as well.

People don't seem to truly grasp what this actually means. Can you truly conceive of the infinite? Because that is what is required for something to have no beginning and no ending, unless there is some completely alien concept which our minds have be made utterly blind to. And to be infinite and at the same time nothing, as nothing can arrive from nothing. This should reduce everyone to a quivering pool on the floor that could do no wrong to its fellow man, were that all men more than mere animals.

How can you speak of such things so casually? Ask yourself this.

I think the main thing about the universe is that it has either existed infinitely or finitely and both those options are mind boggling and counter intuitive.

Finite doesn't mean that it has a beginning and an end necessarily, just a finite length. The Equator has a finite length but no beginning or end and I think that the universe is kinda the same over a larger number of dimensions (beyond 3D space and 4D spacetime) but I'm not going to pretend I understand what that means.

 

[Vigormortis]

Indiana Jones surviving the Nuclear explosion in a Refrigerator.
It must be some Karma he earned for the selflessness of abandoning a precious relic to save his fellow man, akin to Jesus.

Depending of the wight of the fridge that's actual not that unbelievable. I remember doing the math for it in my physics class. It's more unlikely he would have survived the fall out of the airplane in temple of doom. Yeah rafts don't give that much air resistance.

I've actually seen experiments done for both. Hell, I believe Mythbusters even did a test run with the inflatable raft.

Turns out, the raft stunt is more plausible than the fridge.

Besides, if the blast and subsequent fall didn't kill Indy, the massive dose of radiation and extreme heat would have.

 

[Fujimora_Pantsu]

The fact that there is a species able to examine the very laws and fundamental building blocks of the universe could be seen as weak evidence for divine intervention. Humanity could have gone through any number of evolutionary paths, but here we are arguing on a planet spanning information device.

 

[Knife]

Even though I am a Christian, if I had to pick someone other than my obvious choice, I would have to say the Medici family during the renaissance. They pretty much ended the medieval period that was full of suffering due to their support of the arts and education.

The Medici? Aren't those the fellows who initiated the night of st. Bartholomew? In which thousands of protestants were slaughtered by their catholic brothers?
Not what I would call humanitarians. Though definitely influential.

 

[GryffinDarkBreed]

If you were forced to choose some person, place, thing, or event throughout all of human history as "most likely to have been the result of supernatural or divine influence (christian or otherwise)", what would it be?

No, you aren't allowed to choose "nothing, because I don't believe in that shit" as the whole point is to see what people end up picking when forced to actually choose, and that isn't an answer, it's a refusal to answer.

You are asking people who believe that nothing can be supernatural about 'supernatural' happenings? Your question it moot.

By saying "If you were forced" you have already invalidated the origins of the question.

 

[Eddie the head]

I've actually seen experiments done for both. Hell, I believe Mythbusters even did a test run with the inflatable raft.

Turns out, the raft stunt is more plausible than the fridge.

Besides, if the blast and subsequent fall didn't kill Indy, the massive dose of radiation and extreme heat would have.

The heat likely wouldn't have had time to effected him nor would the radiation. You know there where survivors form Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is completely possible to survive a nuclear blast. Like I said depending of the wight of the fridge it's completely possible. Your fridge? He would likely be dead, but they did flash to a little note on the side that said it was lead lined, so the one used was probably very heavy.

 

[White Lightning]

My ass. Nothing this beautiful could have be created without some divine power.

 

[sumanoskae]

The term "Supernatural" is a contradiction. The word is meant to imply something that does not exist in nature, but since nature encompasses literally everything, if it exists, it's natural.

If by "Supernatural" you mean "The result of an intelligent creator", then I would say the big bang, if only because we know so little about it. That being said, a benign and omnipotent creator is still impossible.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Is it me or are some people taking this waaaaaaaaaay too seriously? Sure you could turn this into a big debate about religion and whatever or you could do what I did and have some fun with it.

Didn't you catch the memo?

Fun isn't allowed around here anymore.

Everything has to be contrarian for the sake of it, or devolve into a massive shoutfest between two-six people until everyone's blue in the face, three of them have ended up banned, and once again a thread has been locked until another one that's somehow even more inflammatory pops up about the same topic.

No, I must've missed that one. ¬__¬