Proof that God is Irrelevant (at best)
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How much can we know about This "God" Fellow?
For thousands of years, in millions of places, all across the globe, humanity has shouted out this very question towards the skies. And each time, it is answered differently.
We've had an unspeakable, unknowable number of religions and beliefs about creator(s), and we are all the more poised now, having heard a great many of them, to comment.
Atheists have many great arguments, which I won't recount here, and have taken logic quite far in displaying the enormous improbability of a sentient God. However, Science can never prove with 100% certainty that there isn't a God. (Just as we can't prove that invisible dragons aren't floating above the clouds or that we aren't just brains in jars.)
And given even a sliver of doubt, one can always imagine. One can always hope.
We've had an unspeakable, unknowable number of religions and beliefs about creator(s), and we are all the more poised now, having heard a great many of them, to comment.
Atheists have many great arguments, which I won't recount here, and have taken logic quite far in displaying the enormous improbability of a sentient God. However, Science can never prove with 100% certainty that there isn't a God. (Just as we can't prove that invisible dragons aren't floating above the clouds or that we aren't just brains in jars.)
And given even a sliver of doubt, one can always imagine. One can always hope.
I'd like to throw in an interesting curve ball.
I propose that we don't need such a proof--that even without one, we can settle the vast majority of religious, interreligious, and anti-religious squabbling.
Let's assume for a moment that there is a God, a powerful sentient being with moral compass. In what sense can we claim to know what his morals, beliefs, or intentions are? If you've had a direct, empirical experience with God where he's outlined any of this, congratulations, you're one of the rare few. The rest of us must rely on indirect sources--but there are hundreds of competing ideas, religions, Holy Books... Which speaks the truth?
People normally choose based on culture, parent's religion, aesthetics, or that which intuitively resonates as true. Which of these are valid criteria for determining truth? The sad fact is.. none of them are. Would we agree that dolphins could fly if our professors said "Most people think so" or "Isn't it a beautiful way to think about life?" -- Even if you felt it just "rang true somewhere inside," that wouldn't be valid criteria for whether dolphins could fly or whether it was good that dolphins can't.
Let's assume for a moment that there is a God, a powerful sentient being with moral compass. In what sense can we claim to know what his morals, beliefs, or intentions are? If you've had a direct, empirical experience with God where he's outlined any of this, congratulations, you're one of the rare few. The rest of us must rely on indirect sources--but there are hundreds of competing ideas, religions, Holy Books... Which speaks the truth?
People normally choose based on culture, parent's religion, aesthetics, or that which intuitively resonates as true. Which of these are valid criteria for determining truth? The sad fact is.. none of them are. Would we agree that dolphins could fly if our professors said "Most people think so" or "Isn't it a beautiful way to think about life?" -- Even if you felt it just "rang true somewhere inside," that wouldn't be valid criteria for whether dolphins could fly or whether it was good that dolphins can't.
The Conclusion
Just because a belief system appeals to us, feels right, or resonates within us doesn't actually make it true. It just makes it comfortable. It just makes it something we like. It doesn't make it any more correct than any other description of God's desires, morality, or intentions.
Thus, even if there is a God, we have no idea what he wants. We have no clue as to what he thinks is good. He's irrelevant to our moral decisions. We only know what we like, what WE think is good. And perhaps that's good enough to act on.
Are you..?
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FAQ: What if God programmed us to like good things?
Then whatever we like is good. Again, now we don't need God or Religion to tell us what's good--we just know it.
Firstly, this requires that organized religions be useless. Worse, Religion could possibly influence your moral beliefs, corrupting what God gave you. Secondly, people disagree on what is good. How can morality be inconsistent? Thirdly, how can we blame rapists and murders for following THEIR internal preferences? You're simultaneously claiming that these are God-given.
Firstly, this requires that organized religions be useless. Worse, Religion could possibly influence your moral beliefs, corrupting what God gave you. Secondly, people disagree on what is good. How can morality be inconsistent? Thirdly, how can we blame rapists and murders for following THEIR internal preferences? You're simultaneously claiming that these are God-given.
Even if you could discern God's beliefs,
just because they're God's doesn't make them good. How do we know that God is good when we don't even know what "good" is? The truth is that we just said he is and hoped he is. Defining everything that a being believes as "good" doesn't actually make it moral. It doesn't work if you define everything I think as good, what makes God different? Just because he's powerful? Maybe we should obey him out of fear, but that won't make it any more moral.
No, we must still decide morality for ourselves. Even choosing is deciding. When you pick Christianity over Buddhism, you are simply deciding which morals you prefer. The same is true of those try to pick the best parts of every religion--God is still irrelevant to the discussion of what is Good.
No, we must still decide morality for ourselves. Even choosing is deciding. When you pick Christianity over Buddhism, you are simply deciding which morals you prefer. The same is true of those try to pick the best parts of every religion--God is still irrelevant to the discussion of what is Good.
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by MightMakesWriter
I have no background in Religion or Philosophy, hopefully keeping my thoughts clear of conventional thinking.
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