A Debate on Time

Thanks for your response, and yes, you got it right this time. My opponent continued to drop my argument; he quotes his rules from round 1, which I DO accept, but I'm using debate mechanics. I will try my best to explain. We have two propositions- infinite time, and finite time. For the sake of argument, it will be A to represent finite time, and ~A to represent infinite time (~ is a boolean symbol representing "not"). My opponent is trying to prove that A, my advocacy, is impossible. My burden is to prove that A is possible. In the real world, we find that A and ~A are mutually exclusive, for the reason that there is some entity X (time) that is defined by characteristic A (finiteness or infiniteness). If X is neither A nor ~A, then X does not exist, in which case time does not exist. So, if my opponent proves impossible my position of A and I prove the position ~A impossible, the default would be to vote a tie, for we each have burdens- I have the burden of proof, and my opponent has the burden of clash. If my opponent does not provide clash to all of the burden I fulfill, I win. In this case, he has yet to clash with my claims against ~A; therefore, A must be true of ~A has been negated. In order for this debate to holistically make sense, we must better understand the function of time in the universe (excluding God). Space is three-dimensional; time is the fourth dimension (now, space-time) [1], and what makes action take place in three-dimensional space. That being said, time is dependent upon the existence of the universe, excluding God. Otherwise, time is nothing. My opponent may refer to time as any action that ever takes place, but if that were the case then time would be independent of the universe, and we wouldn't have what is known as space-time; the network we all live in [2]. For this reason- our modern understanding of the universe- God is precluded when we refer to time, as well as the universe. Even from basic semantics, God being the *transcendent* creator of the universe, my opponent should agree that God exists outside of the universe, where there is time. I hope this take cares of my opponent's abusive semantics, which have really detracted from the meaning of this debate. As for the logically vs. illogically possible argument, we look to the actor- an omnipotent being that created the laws of logic, nature, etc. Since my opponent has in fact conceded the existence of God, we see that it is not problematic for God to violate the laws of logic- for once He violates them, it is no longer a violation because it is His laws. Just like if the mayor of a town decided to, for example, J-walk, he is technically prosecutable. But he decided to uplift that law; therefore it is no longer a violation. The same applies to the God scenario, which is why Con wins this issue as well. The "effect" of beginning time is misunderstood by my opponent. Here's the issue- you can't "affect" something that doesn't exist yet. So, affecting time would necessarily result in a change of a certain property of time. The established facts in the above paragraphs clarifies the necessary distinctions between affecting time and the beginning of time. To address my opponent's last paragraph, we look to more established definitions of universe (which, for the sake of argument, if we have conflicting definitions, both points become moot in which case you would default Con). ========================================== –noun 1. the totality of known or supposed objects and phenomena throughout space; the cosmos; macrocosm. 2. the whole world, esp. with reference to humanity: a truth known throughout the universe. 3. a world or sphere in which something exists or prevails: his private universe. 4. Also called universe of discourse. Logic . the aggregate of all the objects, attributes, and relations assumed or implied in a given discussion. 5. Also called universal set . Mathematics . the set of all elements under discussion for a given problem. 6. Statistics . the entire population under study. ==========================================[3] ========================================== n. 1. All matter and energy, including the earth, the galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole. a. The earth together with all its inhabitants and created things. b. The human race. 2. The sphere or realm in which something exists or takes place. ==========================================[4] Clearly, the most commonly utilized and UNIVERSALLY recognized conceptual understanding of the universe does not align with what my opponent claims it does. With that, I hope we've gotten on the same page, and look forward to the final round. ~~~SOURCES~~~ [1] http://en.wikipedia.org... [2] http://en.wikipedia.org... [3] http://dictionary.reference.com... [4] http://www.answers.com...