How much of this do you believe?

[Random]

Spontaneous = not apparently contrived or manipulated, i.e natural

Given the above definition, I classify each of the below as follows;

Spontaneous universe.

Miraculous. An uncaused creative event. Truly supernatural.

Spontaneous earth.

An unlikely outcome of the first miraculous event.

Spontaneous life.

An even less likely outcome of the first and second spontaneous events.

Assent of life.

You mean Evolution? Oh well, we've had three miracles already, let's not stop there..!

Spontaneous intelligence.

Phenomenologically unlikely and bewildering miracle, given the causative factors due to the four preceding miracles.

Spontaneous soul.

Oh what the hell; this just tops all of the others, doesn't it? Saying YES to spontaneous "soul"!

Which see - my sarcasm, I don't believe any of them were "uncaused" or "spontaneous". Those impressions arise by reason of the failure and inability of man to see causative chains @ work, directly.

And that is all.

 

[Random]

I have to agree with the posters here who are having problems with the term "spontaneous." It implies without mechanism.

Oh well, let's not forget the Spontaneity Machine, eh?

 

[Willamena]

Spontaneous universe- a universe that was created from nothing without outside influence.

This I believe in, yes. It adequately describes me.

Spontaneous earth- an earth that was formed within that universe without outside influence.

As "earth" is seen to symbolize concretization within that same universe, then yes. If not, then I feel compelled to point out that outside the universe is nothing (per the above question).

Spontaneous life- abiogenesis

Abiogenesis is not a theory of spontaneous appearance of life. However, I do believe in the spontaneous appearance of life. I see it every day.

Assent of life- evolution of life that moved from less complicated to more complicated.

Evolution does not necessarily move from less complex to more complex. However, I do believe in the observed pattern described as Evolution as it pertains to life, yes.

Spontaneous intelligence- evolved intelligence from non-intelligence without outside influence

If it evolved, then it was not spontaneous. However, I do believe in spontaneous intelligence; again, I see it demonstrated every day.

Spontaneous soul- the formation of a soul within life without outside influence

I believe in the formation of a soul within the context of life by "me" (per the first question). Again, outside the universe is nothing.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Correct.

So you believe the universe formed out of nothing without any influence from outside of itself?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I think you are confusing "natural" and "spontaneous".

The origin of life was natural, but it was still obeying the non spontaneous nature of chemistry.

The formation of the Earth was natural and it obeys the nature of gravity, physics and chemistry.

And so on.

wa:do

I defined the term in the OP. It comes from Merriam-Webster.com

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I have to agree with the posters here who are having problems with the term "spontaneous."

It implies without mechanism.

Again, I defined the term in the context I was using it. I further clarified my meaning in post #3. i am not discounting the natural processes of physics or biology.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

So you believe the universe formed out of nothing without any influence from outside of itself?

No. Everything in the universe was once contained in a very small point. About 13.5 billion years ago it began expanding. Whether any force outside our universe influenced this expansion is not known - neither is it scientifically testable at this point.

 

[Copernicus]

Spontaneous universe- a universe that was created from nothing without outside influence.

Physical reality has always existed in some form. Our individual universe had a beginning, from what we can tell, but that doesn't mean that it sprang out of nothing.

Spontaneous earth- an earth that was formed within that universe without outside influence.

That seems to be the consensus of scientists. I see no reason to doubt their observations and conclusions. The word "spontaneous" connotes suddenness, however. In terms of human life spans, the Earth did not form suddenly.

Spontaneous life- abiogenesis

I know of no alternative hypothesis. Life evolved gradually out of self-replicating physical processes in our universe.

Assent of life- evolution of life that moved from less complicated to more complicated.

Evolution is the best explanation we have, although evolution does not have any inherent "direction". BTW, you mean "ascent". "Assent" is an act of agreement.

Spontaneous intelligence- evolved intelligence from non-intelligence without outside influence

Lots of evidence for that, not the least of which is the fossil record. Animals evolved brains as guidance systems for bodies.

Spontaneous soul- the formation of a soul within life without outside influence

I don't have a clear picture of what you mean by "soul". Minds develop gradually as the brain that sustains them matures. When the brain dies, the mind it created ceases to exist.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

No. Everything in the universe was once contained in a very small point. About 13.5 billion years ago it began expanding. Whether any force outside our universe influenced this expansion is not known - neither is it scientifically testable at this point.

Everything in that singularity always existed?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Everything in that singularity always existed?

We don't know - it's all speculation at this point about the state of things prior to the big bang. At this point, there's no reason to think that the singularity didn't always exist - however, it is untestable currently.

If you're actually this unaware of the big bang theory and are interested in learning about it, I can point you toward some websites which explain it thoroughly, thereby saving you time by asking about it one question at a time.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

We don't know - it's all speculation at this point about the state of things prior to the big bang. At this point, there's no reason to think that the singularity didn't always exist - however, it is untestable currently.

Are you willing to believe,then, something so speculative and untestable?

If you're actually this unaware of the big bang theory and are interested in learning about it, I can point you toward some websites which explain it thoroughly, thereby saving you time by asking about it one question at a time.

I'm aware of the basics of the big bang. I'm just asking some simple questions to see what others believe.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Are you willing to believe,then, something so speculative and untestable?

I don't believe one way or the other. This falls under the category "we don't know at this point".

 

[sandy whitelinger]

We don't know - it's all speculation at this point about the state of things prior to the big bang. At this point, there's no reason to think that the singularity didn't always exist - however, it is untestable currently.

Supposing there is a God, He could have existed always?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Supposing there is a God, He could have existed always?

I don't know - it's not testable.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I don't know - it's not testable.

"At this point, there's [any] reason to think that [God] didn't always exist..."

 

[Kilgore Trout]

"At this point, there's [any] reason to think that [God] didn't always exist..."

God itself is untestable, so speculating about the attributes of something untestable is meaningless.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

God itself is untestable, so speculating about the attributes of something untestable is meaningless.

Yet the quote I slightly altered was the one you gave for believing in the eternal existance of all things in the universe. What's the difference?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Yet the quote I slightly altered was the one you gave for believing in the eternal existance of all things in the universe. What's the difference?

It isn't, but I also said that speculation on the state of the singularity prior to the Big Bang was also untestable.

Yes, the state of our universe prior to the Big Bang, and god's existence, including whether it always existed, are the same at this point. They are both untestable and mere speculation.

 

[painted wolf]

I defined the term in the OP. It comes from Merriam-Webster.com

And I still think it's inapropriate.

I don't know how the universe started, but once it did everything that happened afterward was simple math.

There is no need for outside tinkering. Perhaps that's the way Creator likes it.

wa:do

 

[McBell]

Using the second definition of 'spontaneous':

spontaneous
Adjective

1. not planned or arranged; impulsive: a spontaneous celebration
2. occurring through natural processes without outside influence: a spontaneous explosion [Latin sponte voluntarily]
​

Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006
​

Spontaneous universe

Yes

Spontaneous earth

Yes

Spontaneous life

Yes

Assent of life

Unanswerable simply because as written it makes no sense.

assent

Noun

agreement, consent
​

Verb

to agree [Latin assentiri]
​

Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006
​

Spontaneous intelligence

Yes

Spontaneous soul

Using the first definition of 'soul':

soul
Noun

1. the spiritual part of a person, regarded as the centre of personality, intellect, will, and emotions: believed by many to survive the body after death
2. the essential part or fundamental nature of anything: the soul of contemporary America
3. deep and sincere feelings: you've got no soul
4. Also called: (soul music) a type of Black music using blues and elements of jazz, gospel, and pop
5. a person regarded as a good example of some quality: the soul of prudence
6. a person: there was hardly a soul there
7. the life and soul Informal a person who is lively, entertaining, and fun to be with: the life and soul of the campus [Old English sāwol]
​

Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006
​

Yes.