Why does it matter whether or not there's any logical evidence for my religious beliefs? Isn't limited human logic unworthy of being used for our thoughts about the infinite and the divine? Why should I care if there's a heap of rational proofs against them?
The idea that religious views aren't subject to rationality is a very comforting one. It absolves a person from the fear of their religious critics, the feeling of doubt and irresponsibility, and the guilt of morally questionable parts of their religion, and the effort that it would take to read and think. It's a very handy tool for the layman's comfort and the leader's ability to manipulate - but is it true?
Truth is something that we can't escape from. You hear the sound of shattering glass from the other side of your house. Either someone is breaking into your house, or it was something else. Whether your close your eyes, hide in the closet, call the police, go investigate, yell out your window at the neighbor kids for playing baseball, or go on eating your sandwich, there either is or isn't someone breaking into your house. If there is, then all the disbelief and apathy in the world won't make him disappear. If there isn't, then all of the belief and fear in the world won't make him appear. Why does this matter? It matters because you have a practical choice of action ahead of you, and you will choose your action based on what you believe. If your belief is aligned with truth, then you can choose wisely. If your belief is not aligned with truth, then your choice can end in tragedy.
With religious beliefs, we have practical choices, too. There either is or there isn't a G-d. If He does exist, He either does or doesn't want you eat pig. There either is or isn't a harem of virgins waiting for us if we blow up that school bus. There either is or there isn't a lake of fire waiting for us if we reject Jesus. What greater tragedy can there be than to spend your life with mistaken beliefs about G-d and your purpose, only to realize at the end of your life that you wasted it by ignoring your entire purpose for existing, that you missed out on eternal bliss, that you committed heinous crimes which you thought were the will of G-d, or that you will burn forever in an eternal lake of fire? Certainly then, it's extremely important to have our religious beliefs aligned with reality. The only problem left is: how do we do that? We use logic, because it's our only useful tool for separating truth from fiction.
But hey! Isn't limited human logic incapable and unworthy of being used for our thoughts about the infinite and the divine? I agree that no amount of thinking can ever give a person the full understanding of the nature of G-d, or what it would be like to experience eternity. There are truly some things that our mind can't understand, but what are our other options?
· You could base your religious views on what you grew up with, but to do is is to let a roll of the dice determine your destiny, and the odds are not in your favor. Would you drive on the left side of the road in America because that's how you learned to drive growing up?
· You could base your religious views on the first compelling argument you find... If you were a judge, would only hear the first side of a case to give their arguments and then make a decision?
· You could base your religious views on whatever makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside... Would you ever eat dish soap because looking at it makes you feel happier inside than the cereal box?
· You could base your religious views on whatever makes you most socially accepted among your friends or peers... Would you become a Nazi because your buddies are all Nazis or because Nazis are well respected in your profession?
You know better than that. If you would use your brain for finding the truth about what is best to eat for breakfast, or which side of the road to drive on, how much more important is it to use logic to find the truth about your purpose in life and your eternal fate?
The first, and most difficult step to using your mind is to open it to the possibility that you might be wrong about some of your religious beliefs (maybe even all of them), and even more so about the beliefs of other religions. After admitting that possibility, and realizing the need for logical research, it's also necessary to equip yourself with the compass of understanding how logic works before setting out to explore the sea of religious views. It's full of every imaginable kind of illogical fluff (I may do a post for this).
With these skills in hand, you'll be ready to look objectively and logically at what evidence there is for and against your current religious beliefs, the different views within your current religion, and the beliefs of other religions. Of all the people I've talked to, only a handful are willing to open their mind more than a tiny crack before getting scared and closing it. May you have the strength to overcome your fear of the unknown and climb to a place where you can see more truthfully.
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