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From: crm@duke.UUCP (Charlie Martin)
Newsgroups: net.religion,talk.religion,net.origins
Subject: Re: The Cosmological Argument
Message-ID: <8443@duke.duke.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Aug-86 23:51:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: duke.8443
Posted: Thu Aug 14 23:51:56 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 16-Aug-86 06:09:12 EDT
References: <15222@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <988@hoptoad.uucp> <15254@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: crm@duke.UUCP (Charlie Martin)
Organization: Duke University, Durham NC
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Xref: linus net.religion:10419 talk.religion:6 net.origins:3363


This whole arghument is based on the idea of a "reason" for something to
happen -- which seems to be identical to a "cause" for something existing;
then the total/partial-ordering of reasons argument is just the old
first-cause argument for the existence of a creator (often spelled with
a capital letter.)

But the underlying assumption in this is that all events must have a 
"cause" -- and observation does not bear that out, especially on a quantum
level.  Once there are non-causal events, then the ordering breaks down.
As does the argument.

-- 

			Charlie Martin
			(...mcnc!duke!crm)