The Parable of the Atheist and the Theist

An atheist and a theist went for a walk in the woods and came upon a glass ball about eight feet in diameter. They both wondered where it came from and agreed that someone or something must have put it there.  The theist then asked, "If the ball were sixteen feet in diameter, would it still need a cause?

"Of course," replied the atheist.  "If little spheres need causes, then so do larger ones."

"Ah, so," said the theist, "then what if it were eight thousand miles in diameter-would it still need a cause?"

The atheist paused and said, "Yes, if little spheres need causes and larger ones do too, then a really big one would also need a cause."

Then the theist said, "What if we make a ball as big as the whole universe: would it still need a cause?"

"Of course not," snapped the atheist.  "The universe is just there!" [1]

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Footnote:

1. Norman Geisler, If God, Why Evil?, p. 15.

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