this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2023
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[–] guitarsarereal@sh.itjust.works 44 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

I don't see the hypocrisy. If the universe is a simulation, that wouldn't make whoever built the universe a god. There would be no analytical reason to conclude that, unless we started from the specially-crafted supposition that any being capable of creating something like the observable universe had to be equivalent to God, but at that point, you're just defining your way into theism. If the universe is a simulation, which is not a terribly interesting thought experiment tbh, then it could be a simulation for any reason. The simulators could have been interested in the dynamics of gas and dust dispersion within galaxies and just so happened to create a sophisticated enough simulation that it could simulate the evolution of natural life. If the entire Universe had been "created" (although the point of defining it as a simulation is to point to how it doesn't really exist, ipso facto if God is a simulator, then God is not a Creator in the sense theists mean) to study dust dynamics at the galactic scale, somehow I think theists would be dissatisfied and not feel like they had really found what they meant by "God."

In theory, any type of Boltzman Brain could assemble itself at any time and start processing information, so in theory, a simulation could also be an entirely natural phenomenon occurring in a higher-order reality. The two ideas are different, even though Christians like to claim everyone is a theist and everything is theism even when they aren't and it isn't.

Anyways, the simulation hypothesis is sort of fun to think about sometimes, while "I invoke supernatural powers to explain phenomena I don't understand" isn't all that interesting.

[–] Catsrules@lemmy.ml 18 points 9 months ago (2 children)

that wouldn't make whoever built the universe a god.

Well yeah they would have to open the console and type in.

sv_cheats 1

god

Then they would be god.

[–] Cannacheques@slrpnk.net 2 points 9 months ago

No I think the point is more or less how do you define the word "God" is this a living creator, or a living being that can perform complex simulations, and if so, what are we, relative to this being?

[–] DriftinGrifter@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 9 months ago

No? Ad logicum

[–] EvolvedTurtle@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Tbh if got was real I think we would just be left in a closet as some kind of hobby

Or perhaps some kind of faith farm

Over all not as important as people think we are so overall would have the same effect

[–] felbane@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

I just wish god's mom would hurry up and plug a vacuum cleaner into the wrong outlet and pop a breaker already...

[–] Gabu@lemmy.ml 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The hypocrisy is in claiming to know the truth from a hypothesis with (currently) unknowable factors.

Can we possibly test for the simulation hypothesis? Not at the present. Thus, to say that it's true is just as bad as claiming a sky fairy made the world in seven days

[–] Meowoem@sh.itjust.works 8 points 9 months ago

But no one believes simulation theory on faith so it makes no sense