Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Thinking outside the box

I am irritated by these seemingly popular arguments over scientifically proving or disproving the existence of God. The entire concept is a joke. The fundamental basis for all of these arguments is flawed.

You see, science is based on our observations and ideas about the concrete, natural world. Scientific arguments are rational and logical. Therefore, in order to scientifically prove or disprove something, we must approach the issue on a rational, logical basis.

This is my problem. People who want to scientifically prove or disprove the existence of God are assuming that they can fit God and his actions into a rational, logical box. This is ridiculous. Those of us who believe in God are not thinking irrationally in order to do so; we are accepting that not everything fits into that rational, logical box. God is supernatural.

supernatural: of, pertaining to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena; of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to God or a deity.

Beyond the rational, logical box of the natural world is the larger, sometimes indefinable non-rational realm, of which the supernatural is a part. God cannot be explained within the limits of rational thought; therefore, God cannot be "proven" or "disproven" scientifically.

I would like to point out, finally, that even atheists operate under a kind of faith: while I and others take it on faith that God exists, though we cannot prove this rationally, atheists and those of a similar mindset must take it on a kind of faith that God does not exist, because they cannot rationally prove that, either. Whether or not you believe God is out there, the whole concept of God is outside the rational box, out there in the non-rational realm; trying to rationally prove or disprove his existence is a futile endeavor. Deities, the supernatural, are beyond the scope of rational arguments.

The moral for today: Stop arguing over the premise that God fits into your neat little rational box. He doesn't fit, and he never will. Whether you choose to believe in the existence or non-existence of God, accept the fact that it is a non-rational belief and not a rational conclusion. Learn to live with it.

--

Labels: