There is the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Therefore there must be a God.
You either see this one or you don't.
103 comments
I can sort of jive with this one. He's referencing something that's powerful, moving, and personal to him and he's distinctly leaving open the possibility that it's something other people don't understand. Strong convictions, but without the sort of universalism or paranoia normally associated with fundamentalists.
Not fundie. Sound argument, needs a little unpacking.
Mind you (see my user name), there is also the music of Steely Dan.
Not really fundy, but if personal incredulity is the best you can do, then debating probably isn't your strong point.
Try this one:
There are Top 40 Countdown radio shows.
Therefore there must be a devil.
... Hey, that actually kinda makes sense!
Bach is one of my all time favorite composers. The church leaders of his day would check his feet for wings. He was raised by his older brother and uncles, who were religious musicians commissioned by the church. Much of his music was never written down because of his knack for improve. When the Calvinist Prince chose not to use music in worship, Bach switched to writing secular music.
Bach is evidence that musicians need to make a living, not that there is a god.
There is the music of Pink Floyd. Therefore there must be an Invisible Pink Unicorn.
If you see this one, you are truly blessed as the Pink Unicorn IS invisible.
@ Old Viking:
I do! My father introduced me to them, and I have one of their cds. Think I'll go listen to it right now! :)
As to the quote, I am very fond of Bach's music, but I wouldn't call him god.
There is the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Therefore there must be Bach.
Even that doesn't necessarily work, since you need to know Bach existed before you can say the music is his.
There is a song called "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry.
Therefore there is no God.
You either see this one or you don't.
Hmm, well if one means that since Bach can be described by many as deeply beautiful and pleasurable (even transcendental) , that means there's a God.
Using this logic, since really good sex is also deeply beautiful and pleasurable (even transcendently so) ergo that too proves there is a God.
So hot Kinky Gay SEX is proof there is a God.
Certainly I hear God being called out during sex far more then during a classical concerto.
Actually, I'd be with Sawyer if it weren't for the fact that I find Bach dull as disco; "There is great music, therefore God exists" makes a lot more sense to me than "the bible says so!" And yes, I know all the logical arguments.
Smells Like a Monkey wrote:
"Would Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach signify Jesus, since he was the son of god (or in this case, JS Bach)?"
No, but P.D.Q. Bach would.
He died decades before he was born, after all!
I absolutely love classical music. And I love the music of Bach. However, I hardly find this proof enough for the existence of god. Beautiful as it is, asthetics don't prove god, it only proves the creativness and technical ability of some humans.
"My favorite composer is Bach."________Person in audience
"Which one, Johann or Offen?"__________Victor Borge
There is the music of PDQ Bach. Therefore there must be a god of smart-asses.
J.S. Bach wrote some beautiful stuff. But I don't remember his mentioning that God sat down at the clavier and helped him with it.
There are delicious animals called pigs.
Therefore there must be a God.
...
See, it doesn't work when I do it either.
With that "logic"....
There is the music of heavy metal
Therefore Satan and the Norse Gods all exist.
You either see this one or you don't.
This made my day. Thank you FSTDT!
There is the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Therefore there must have been a Johann Sebastian Bach.
fixed
Nowhere on any of his music manuscripts do I see 'Composed by God'
I see Bach because there are portraits of him. There are writings about him from that time. And there is the music he composed. There are his remains in his grave. Therefore he existed. I see no evidence for the existence of God. Therefore he doesn't exist.
I can't read the name "Sebastian" without laughing now. Curse you, gay porn!
None the less, you're either a very good poe, or a fucking weirdo.
You either see this on sheet music, if you're in the orchestra or a student at Berklee, or you don't, and have to listen on a CD.
This may have been put in a poetic context. Surprised to see this one on here.
You know, like when you see a truly gorgeous man or woman, and you say to yourself, "There is a God!"
Does not mean you actually believe in any god. Give it a rest.
Reminds me of a similiar "argument" of a fundie I once had a discussion with.
This fundie seriously said that the creation account of Genesis must be true, "because it is written in such a grandiose and moving style". And that science must be wrong, because it is boring and difficult. And this fundie wasn't a troll. He was serious.
I've got to go with Manonfire on this one. As another poster observed, "good idea but not well unpacked". He, like a lot of us, find something in the great classical music that transcends everything else - call it God, or Zeus or whatever. Einstein, upon hearing Yehudi Menuin (then a child prodigy) play the violin is reported to have told him "Thank you for showing me there is a God". Not that uncommon an expression. Definitely not Fundie.
@Godbuster
"Rip Taylor : Hey everyone, let's be famous composers, I'll be Mozart.
Arnold : I'll be BACH
HAW HAW HAW"
GROAN
image
I'll see your pun, and raise you (emphasis added):
Hercules Grytpype-Thynne 'Moriarty, where are you?'
Count Jim 'Thighs' Moriarty (inside a box): 'I'm hiding!'
Hercules Grytpype-Thynne: 'Don't be a fool, Haydn's been dead for years! '
- "The Goon Show"
Thank you ladies and gintlepong, I'm here all week. Try the Ying-tong-iddle-i-pos! X3
This is the 'Argument from Beauty', basically:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_beauty
As with all of these extremely vacuous and emotional "arguments", its very easy to turn the tables:
"There are parasitic wasps that lay their eggs into caterpillars, which then get eaten alive by the hatching larvae.
Therefore God cannot exist.
You either see this one or you don't"
I know this is no proof of god's nonexistence. It's rather a proof that the whole "Argument from Beauty" is invalid.
Can't believe nobody's said it. Maybe cause it goes without sayingbut: One Direction - therefore God is dead.
Also if we're going for emotive, uplifting, transcendental music being proof of a deity I'd have to go with "Let U Go" by ATB. Pretty surre the riff on that track is the sound produced when your soul cums
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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