The "infinite regress" is a fallacy cited frequently in debates about the existence of the creator-god favored by Christians, Muslims, and Jews. The question, "If god created everything, who created god?" references infinite regression, so it is the fallacy of infinite regress which should be addressed here.

It's a pretty easy problem to understand. Many religious folk dictate that the world could not exist without a creator, and then cite their god as an all-explanatory first cause. The problem is, any such cause requires a prior cause.

In fact, the god-did-it proposition explains nothing: we have no reason to think that the proposed creator doesn't require a creator, and that creator a creator, and that creator a creator, and so on to infinity. This is an infinite regress: the answer regresses infinitely, back and back, explaining nothing.

An infinite regress is an attempt to solve a problem that reintroduces the problem in its solution, making it necessary to recreate the same problem in trying to solve it. In other words, it is a logically impossible solution. Religious apologists like to throw all sorts of logical impossibilities into the field of view to cover up their inconsistency.

Same say, "God is outside space, time, or both." Entities can not exist outside of space or time. There is no known place "outside" of these universal traits. How can something be "outside" space? The word "outside" itself implies that the thing is involved in space. The same is true of time - in order for a thing to be, time in some sense is required.

To say that god is "outside space" or "outside time," is a pretty way to talk nonsense without really thinking about what is being said. It sounds nice, and it's handy to people who are already inexplicably convinced that god exists, but it isn't true - it can't be true, because it can't make any sense. Not only does such a claim have no basis in fact, it is logically impossible.

It must also be admitted that, if the fictional god were real, and mattered to us, he would have to "enter" the time and space we occupy, wherein its laws about time and space must apply to him. According to religious people, he is directly concerned with the time and space we occupy - he even cares who we sleep with! If this is the case, he can't be outside space and time all the time, so all of his interactions with our locale, and our species - which must be the only way we have of knowing him, if we indeed have any way of knowing

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about If God created everything, who created God?
We want to hear your view. Write now!