(He is invisible, you know.) 1. If God existed, and the person believed in God, he would be rewarded. Since it is rational to try to be moral, it is rational to believe that there is moral order in the universe, and Christian doctrine is, in part, an account of there being a moral order in the universe. It posits that humans bet with their lives that God either exists or does not. Or maybe it's nothing that dramatic. The account must give adequate justification; she must believe for good reasons, even though fallible. Would you like to believe in God, even have a personal connection with God...but you're afraid of being duped? That they won't murder you on your honeymoon? All of which she attributed to God. By definition, religion and philosophy make non-falsifiable claims. Why is Peter Singer wrong? Are there Rational Reasons to believe in God? It is not enough, though, merely to give an accounting of one’s beliefs in terms of reasons, that one has her own reasons. And we'll consider some valid reasons to ask him into your life...or not. Of all the people you could marry, could you be 100% sure that this person is THE one for you to marry? But what if it's important that you get on the plane? Suffice it to say that to be rational is to have reasons. Are you able to give an example of anything that came into existence from nothing and without a cause? [1] Oppressed creatures can feel comforted by a relational One who is “the God of all comfort.”. You get on a plane, believing that the pilot is sober, the instruments work, and there's no terrorist on board. Logic can show that there is a God. Or, how about marriage? God’s Fingerprints Cover the Universe. It seems like our arguments on Facebook and over email have been increasing lately with all the horrific news stories. Is it rational to believe in miracles? Many religious have place concept of faith at epicenter to their teachings. Well, no. by Fred Sanders on March 29, 2011. Science does offer potential solutions as to when everything began but not how or why. The universe began to exist; therefore, the universe has a cause. further reason to believe. They have been and continue to be advanced by some of the world’s leading thinkers and scientists, and have persuaded many people over the years, leading them towards new … 2. No one, including myself, is 100% sure that God exists. In fact, like Paul, may you do more than simply believe that He exists. Following are 10 reasons for believing in God, as a result of such contemplations. (ii) According to the many-gods objection, Pascals wager begs the question and hence is irrational. Belief in God is far more rational than atheism. The relational God of love is a fellow-sufferer who empathetically understands our suffering. Would you be able to recognize the ideas you have made your gods if they were put in front of you? 3. (i) According to intellectualism, deliberately choosing which beliefs to hold is practically impossible. 1. When I was an atheist, there was nothing more mysterious to me than this: "Having faith in God.". (Quoted in Wilber, 2017) Copyright ©2021 PJMedia.com/Salem Media. In this series, I'm going to show you why no one loves you, or intimately knows you, or desires a relationship with you more than God. It Is Irrational to Believe That the Universe Was Created Out of Nothingness. Hate to tell you, but that's never going to happen. Over the course of the next few weeks, I’m laying out four reasons why I believe in God, and then I’ll place those reasons side-by-side with alternative beliefs so that we can judge what is most reasonable. Is it rational to believe in God? Maybe some people just find it easy to believe in God, without needing much reason. It is our sincere hope that you too will see that it is not at all unreasonable to believe in God. Atheism requires us to believe that something came from nothing. In much the same way, we will look at the reasons pointing to God's existence and character. We'll also look at the reasons against God (there are some!). Take a look around at all the different religions, for one thing their are 3 religions that profress God, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. You have reason to believe this, but you can't be 100% sure. [4] David Swindle, "6 Reasons Why Rational Thinkers Choose to Believe in God", April 22, 2013, www.pjmedia.com [5] Hugh Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos: How the Greatest Scientific Discoveries of the Century Reveal God (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2001), 198. This is the first email in a 7-part email series called, The Spiritual Adventure Pack. It assumes that if God exists then God must take a rather specific form, which few open-… Is it something that just happens to a person? To believe that God exists is simply to accept If you would like to receive the series, it’s free. Faith And Belief: A strong belief is a living proof of faith. We'll also look at the reasons against God (there are some!). Faith does not necessarily goes against reason, but it certainly goes beyond reason. There are some people who prefer to hypothesize and philosophize forever about God, and never land on anything. Every month they release two five-minute courses designed to educate people in a quick, entertaining way about history, philosophy, religion, and politics. Pascal argues that a rational person should live as though God exists and seek to believe in God. [jwplayer config=”pjm_lifestyle” mediaid=”39392″]. Let’s look at a few things that I believe build the case for the rationality of belief in God. The first argument comes from creation and is called the Kalam Cosmological Argument. If you do not believe in God, or cannot, believe in God, that is rational for you. Bible Faith . [jwplayer config=”pjm_lifestyle” mediaid=”39398″], [jwplayer config=”pjm_lifestyle” mediaid=”39385″]. And by “God”, what we mean is a personal, transcendent, timeless, spaceless, immaterial being of immense power and infinite goodness who brought the universe into existence. I wondered, how does a rational person even begin to believe in God? Belief in God can certainly be irrational. It actually is a decision you make. Aren't these the three major religions in the world? A sincere pursuer of truth who follows the available evidence will come to the logical conclusion that God exists. Is it brought on by a crisis where they're forced to believe...they have no choice? In Genesis 9:13-15 Still, you make a decision. Wait and see. [jwplayer config=”pjm_lifestyle” mediaid=”39394″]. But you have reason to believe that it's a good decision, or you wouldn't get married. It's based on reasons, facts, and desire, just like most of life's decisions. Critics in turn have raised a number of now-classic challenges. The road ahead must be shared Christyl Rivers. Problem was, I am more of the analytical type, and I had a mound of questions that couldn't be shoved aside. God asks you to come to him, but he will never overpower you to where you are forced to believe. 3.You return to dust when you die. They are wrong. Are you hoping that someday you'll be so convinced, so overwhelmed by the evidence for God, that you will have no choice but to believe? Never make a decision. Intellectualism, however, appears to be not only questionable but irrelevant. I believe they died for what they knew to be true and would be able to rationally verify that truth (as they did in their gospels). The first premise shows to be true because it is clear that whatever begins to exist has a cause. And belief in God is not at all the same thing as belief that there is such a person as God. In much the same way, we will look at the reasons pointing to God's existence and character. 2. The second premise stating that the universe had a begin… Because I was impressed by a friend of mine who was consistently loving toward others, smart, and had a clear sense of purpose in life. So, accepting Christian theism is more rational than accepting that there’s no moral order in the universe. It /he desires/demands to be loved, admired, worshiped, knelt before and obeyed for reasons of the preceding qualities. This experience with God gives the person reason to believe God exists And we'll consider some valid reasons to ask him into your life...or not. 1. We are going to look at three of the best, most established, and most powerful philosophical and scientific reasons to believe in the existence of God. There are some people who prefer to hypothesize and philosophize forever about God, and never land on anything. We don’t see things coming into existence every day. Faith in God is not a possession, or an experience. Needy and Rational: Existential Reasons for Belief in God. [Insert Your Name, Former Secularist Who Now Chooses to embrace the Judeo-Christian Value System and Worship God In The Religion Of Your Choosing.]. First, we saw a reason for God by looking back. Although atheists contend that God does not exist and agnostics allege that there is a very high probability that He does not exist, theism is the rational belief that there is a God. Belief in God Is Logical. We might ‘believe in’ God because we like the idea of God’s existence or because religious behavior has financial or social benefits. Rational people can justify the existence of a "God" because science has not offered definitive answers on the existence of the soul, what happens after death and how everything actually came into existence. I discovered Prager University’s videos when I noticed that they decided to start featuring every new one at PJ Lifestyle, a publication that I enjoy reading which shares the same goals of reaching out and engaging with the culture at large instead of just preaching to the choir. How about you? Why is it evil to murder infants? Let's look at a few relevant quotes from Scientists. It states that whatever begins to exist has a cause. [jwplayer config=”pjm_lifestyle” mediaid=”39395″], [jwplayer config=”pjm_lifestyle” mediaid=”39397″]. under discussion is not really the rational acceptability of belief in God, but the rationality of belief that God exists —that there is such a person as God. shares the same goals of reaching out and engaging with the culture at large, answering the question “God or Atheism — Which is More Rational?”, Florida Man Friday: Unforgettable Anti-Mask Bagel Shop Outrage Video, Disney Under Fire for Hiring Convicted Pedophiles to Work on Kids Shows, Pelosi Strains to Pin More Crimes on Donald Trump for the Capitol Riot, PATHETIC: Press Secretary Jen Psaki Dodges Question on Biden's Mask Mandate Hypocrisy, Amazon Is Here for You America, as Long as Democrat Joe Biden Is in Office, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Please go here to receive it. 1.Rainbow. This argument states that it is more rational to believe in God as you will be rewarded. And again you continue to misunderstand why I approach the stories of the day from Kermit Gosnell to the Boston Bombers with a good and evil, Bible-based perspective. Consider how puerile this is. As we begin this exploration, I'd like to clear away some misconceptions. Once you’ve encountered solid evidence for belief in God, it’s hard to settle for anything less. That is to say, I cannot prove empirically and phenomenologically that my claims are true. Although miracles are extraordinary, there are good reasons to take the miracles of Jesus seriously and consider what they might tell us about his identity and mission. RTB's mission is to spread the Christian Gospel by demonstrating that sound reason and scientific research—including the very latest discoveries—consistently support, rather than erode, confidence in the truth of the Bible and faith in the personal, transcendent God revealed in both Scripture and nature. One of the best places online you can go to better understand my approach to these issues is Prager University. All Rights Reserved. [2] For the sake of we who are oppressed, therefore, we should affirm that God is relational. I was terrified of the possibility of moving toward God only to find out that nothing was there -- and I had jumped to a laughable, must-fail falsehood. Rational evidences for the existence of God are not ‘self-defeating’ or part of a ‘zero-sum ding-dong’. It holds that one of the reasons to believe in god is because if the belief falters there will be some sort of societal collapse. I find no fault with Singer’s logic. I'm Christian and here are some reasons for why I believe in God. Dear [Insert Name of Your Secularist Friend or Family Member Who Does Not Understand Why You No Longer Share Their Hatred of Traditional Religion Anymore]. I look forward to our continued intellectual and philosophical engagements. If you're waiting for him to do that, good luck. One cannot believe without faith. I’ve collected six of Prager University’s videos on God and religion, starting with their newest one above that they just released yesterday featuring Boston College philosophy professor Peter Kreeft answering the question “God or Atheism — Which is More Rational?” I hope if you want to understand better how it is that I’ve come to reject your ideology and returned to faith in the God of the Bible you would consider these videos along with these six points I’ve written in relation to them. God, as an omniscient teacher, knows what will be convincing evidence for each person, and knows what lessons they need to learn (and the best way for them to learn) in order to come to believe in him. For the second reason for God, let’s look up. In this video on apologetics, Joseph Backholm presents us with three reasons why belief in God is more rational than Atheism. It is difficult to doubt at the same time you believe in something. The first thing we should look at, I believe, is what the Bible means when it uses the word, “Faith.” Pascal's wager is an argument in philosophy presented by the seventeenth-century French philosopher, theologian, mathematician and physicist, Blaise Pascal (1623–1662). If we have eyes to see, the anthropic principle will speak to us of the signs of God's purpose present in the remarkable potentiality with which our universe has been endowed in … Do you even know what it means to worship something? That they'll be faithful to you? I hope these thoughts and videos can illuminate better some of the key philosophical points that guide how Bible-based thinkers engage with the world. About Reasons to Believe. 2.Women Birth pains. Do you wonder if God is aloof and doesn't really care, about you? If the person did not believe, he would be punished.If God did not exist it would make no difference. The term originally used by Prof. Dennett. 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