From the EthicalAtheist.com web page "Questions for God" [1]:
Why don't you show yourself? You supposedly made us and want us to believe in you, right? Why the big mystery? You're also omnipresent, right? Why don't you show yourself to all of us at once and have a personal discussion with us? You can pick the date and time, we'll all stop what we are doing, I'm sure.
Why doesn't God dance when you want him to, and to the tune of your choosing? Why doesn't God put on some righteous cosmic magic show to convince you that he exists? Allow me to submit what I think is a far more pertinent question: "What would be the point?"
Imagine for a moment that God does your bidding. Whatever it would take to convince you that he exists, let's assume for the sake of argument that he produced it. Presto, you affirm that indeed God exists.
Now what?
So you now believe he exists. Well that's fantastic but, if I may be so bold, "So what?" What does this profit you? Are you so ignorant and out of touch that you think God will love you and accept you just because you assent intellectually to his existence? Are you so presumptuous as to dismiss with a wave of the hand your tremendous debt of moral culpability and (even worse) God's righteousness and sovereignty? Is God supposed to be so overwhelmed with gratitude for your cognitive approbation that he will just ignore the holy demands of justice? It's great that you now believe he exists. But so what? Will you now obey his commands? Do you throw away your ethics and other philosophical commitments and subject yourself fully to the will of God and what he demands?
No.
Why doesn't he show himself? Why doesn't he put on a cosmic magic show to convince atheists he exists? Because it would be pointless. It profits him nothing. It profits the atheist nothing. The atheist's intellectual assent is barren and impotent. For Satan himself believes that God exists, and he will believe that all the way to hell. The problem is not in the atheist's head but in his heart. When it comes to a relationship with God, the atheist's problem is not an intellectual one, but a moral one—on several different fronts.
As Rabbi Harold Kushner so eloquently put the matter:
Paul, whose conversation with me ultimately flowered into this book [2], assured me that while he did not believe in religion, he believed in God. I asked him what he meant by that, and he told me that when he contemplates the beauty and intricacy of the world, he has to believe that God exists. That’s very nice, I told him, and I’m sure God appreciates your vote of confidence. But for the religious mind and soul, the issue has never been the existence of God but the importance of God, the difference that God makes in the way we live. To believe that God exists the way that you believe the South Pole exists, though you have never seen either one, to believe in the reality of God the way you believe in the Pythagorean theorem as an accurate abstract statement that does not really affect your daily life, is not a religious stance. A God who exists but does not matter, who does not make a difference in the way you live, might as well not exist.
Hello Ryft, I've read several of your posts here and on your old site. You've brought up many valid points, and appear cool-headed. As a young man exploring theism, I've been looking to expand who I engage in discourse with, and since I'm also an atheist, I think it would be very interesting to exchange ideas with you as you provide the opposing viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteI will admit, as a young person, I have much to learn regarding theist. And I feel obliged to note that I am not anti-religious, anti-Bible, or anti-Christian. I simply call myself an atheist because I am highly skeptical of theism, especially the theistic God as defined by C.S. Lewis.
Ever since taking a class just this last Spring introducing me to formal arguments regarding God, such as the problem of evil and the freewill response, I've been wondering about the implications of Lewis's definition of God. I've been struggling with why God works in such a mysterious manner, and permits so much suffering in this world.
Thanks for reading this far, and please do continue to explore God's nature and respond to any and all commentary regarding the matter. It is only through conversation that we may discover the truth of this weird and wonderful world that we live in.
By the way, please stop by my blog, "Thoughts", to view what I've recently posted regarding it all. Over the last couple days, I've chatted with quite a few people in regards to what I believe about God.
Take care.
It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, RW. And I appreciate not only your encouraging thoughts but the fact that you bring a civil tone to the conversation. That is a rare commodity in atheistic circles these days, with bellicose attitudes toward Christianity being so en vogue. Although the religion has during the last 30 years come to deserve much criticism, the acute vitriol is uncalled for and certainly doesn't get us anywhere.
ReplyDeleteA skeptical attitude is a virtue, in my opinion. Skepticism inoculates you against gullibility. Question everything, not only what you hear and read from others but also your own beliefs. Or perhaps especially your own beliefs. Invest the time in proving yourself wrong before you try proving other people wrong. Debate your beliefs with people who reject them; they will show you where the holes are. And be willing to toss an idea or belief if it has too many holes. (All of this presupposes a love for logic and reason, of course.)
I look forward to engaging you in philosophical conversations, particularly about issues relating to Christian conceptions of God (such as those of C.S. Lewis). If you think you have found some holes, let's have a go at them and see what we can learn from one another, perhaps influencing and shaping each other's views.
However, I have effectively suspended this blog because I acquired my own domain and web site, The Aristophrenium, which is where I now spend all my time and publish all my writing. So I would invite you to come over there and contribute your thoughts and ideas. And who knows: if you are interested, you could become part of the growing team of authors there. It is a modest new media platform created as a center for publishing intelligent, engaging opinion pieces from a growing range of sincere and eloquent contributors who are interested in exploring issues related to philosophy, religion, and science. It is a grassroots effort to broaden opportunities for collaboration and dialogue on these subjects between open-minded thinkers who are not imprisoned by either sacrosanct dogma or memetic propaganda, people who are passionate about exploring the issues genuinely, honestly, rationally, and with a civil tone. I hope to see you there, at least lending your voice to the conversation.