Is Faith Reasonable?

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Is Faith Reasonable?

Modern life is filled with contradictions and ironies. For example, First World citizens enjoy unprecedented wealth through an endless list of amazing advances in technology, communication, transportation, business, medicine, education, entertainment, etc. Yet, with all this knowledge, comparatively little progress has been made in the last several hundred years regarding Eternity. No wonder there are so many atheists and agnostics. Admittedly the challenge of researching life’s ultimate questions are daunting. Even so, they tower over our fleeting mortal lives demanding answers.

Part of the problem has been a growing disconnect between science and religion. An unnecessary incongruity considering that the simplest possible math equation 0 + 0 = 0 is conclusive proof of the existence of God. Furthermore, evidence continues to mount that insights provided by both general revelation (nature) and special revelation (Scripture) are complimentary when viewed honestly.

God Blog is grateful for the contributions being made by Christian researchers educating us to this fact. Our special thanks to the excellent work of scientist such as Astronomer Dr. Hugh Ross at Reasons to Believe, Astronomer Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez and Theoretical Physicist Dr. Michael Guillen.

Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord.

- Isaiah 1:18 NKJV

Science is extremely interesting. This includes amazing recent developments in researching the mysteries of consciousness. In a TED Talk, Anil K. Seth, a British professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience addressed the interplay between our senses and brain. Lacking eyes and ears, a sense of smell and tase, as well as touch receptors of its own, the brain is a prediction engine. By combining sensory input with past experience, our brains generate a best guess scenario by hallucinating a conscious reality of the world and personal awareness. Through electrochemical impulses alone, the human mind extrapolates what is real, what is true, what is important. Yours is doing so on a variety of levels as you read or listen to these words.

Who can argue we’re drawn to what we see? All five senses are such gifts, plentiful on our privileged planet, yet possibly quite rare throughout the vast universe. Their power to shape our lives is as understandable as it is impressive. Blaise Pascal, the celebrated mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Christian philosopher noted all things tend to either torment or tempt us. We are attracted or repelled, sometimes almost inexorably, to what we can see, hear, feel, taste and/or smell.

All the more so given today’s 24/7 sensory smorgasbord from which we daily heap our plates. With both healthy and risky choices. Filling up on such fare often leaves little or no appetite for ethereal spiritual concerns. After all, when it comes to God, how does one practically relate to a supposed Being who can’t be seen, heard, felt, tasted and/or touched? Of course, these same challenges hold true for many scientific disciplines constantly making huge discoveries and contributions to society.

The question, is faith reasonable, continues to be the most foundational issue of this or any time. It’s both the privilege and responsibility of all mankind to consider, if not answer, the ultimate questions posed by life and death. Those diligently seeking to do so soon find faith not only reasonable, but crucial, when faced with the certainty of the existence of God. In part demonstrated by the fantastic fine tuning and astounding intricacies of actual intelligent design. Including amazing scientific discoveries described millennia ago in Biblical passages.

Such overwhelming evidence is augmented by the simple fact that for anything to exist, it must have either been created, created itself, or possess eternal Self Existence, one of the five attributes of Divinity. Such rationale holds true for everything from the tiniest particle of matter, to a theorized infinite number of universes. To Omnity itself. This verifiable proof of the existence of God is easily demonstrated by the simplest math equation possible: 0 + 0 = 0.

Nevertheless, some objecting to the logic of a Self Existent God, seek to remove the necessity of Omnity; i.e. possessing the minimum 5 characteristics of Divinity which are Omniscience and Omnipresence, Omnipotence and Self Existence, as well as Immutability, from life’s equation. These argue that from certain perspectives, intricate and interesting mathematics and/or metaphysics could postulate a theoretical model such that nothing might indeed create something, and therefore everything.

While anything may be possible, except perhaps nothing producing everything, common sense as well as Occam’s Razor, a guide to theoretical modeling, dictates God rather than nothing as a far better fit for the role of Creator. This long established principle suggests, "If there are several possible ways that something might have happened, the way that uses the fewest guesses is probably the right one.” “To start from the simplest possible explanation and make it more complex only if, and when, absolutely necessary.” Examples of interpretations of this theory include, “do not make unnecessary assumptions” or “do not add assumptions that are unnecessary for the theory/conclusion” or even, “if an assumption is not necessary for the explanation – don’t recruit it in the argument.”

Existence itself, as well as an honest handling of the anthropic principle, lends credence to intelligent design and thus a Designer. The fantastic degree of fine tuning revealed in the size and age, mass and force, intricacy and beauty of the universe and life on Earth all clearly indicate an Intelligent Designer. Considerations eloquently detailed and categorized in detail in works by such distinguished and notable scientists as astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez’s The Priviledged Planet, astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross’s The Improbable Planet and Theoretical Physicist Dr. Michael Guillen’s Amazing Truths: How Science and the Bible Agree. As one of many supplements to his many books, articles and lectures, Dr. Hugh Ross’s organization Reasons To Believe published a concise outline delineating 154 stunning fine tuning parameters necessary for advanced human life.

Notwithstanding the harmony of such evidence with the Bible, many reasonably argue that a transcendent Creator may be unidentifiable and/or unknowable. On the other hand, science and technology clearly demonstrate that even highly improbable tasks can be achieved through cooperation. What seemed impossible yesterday is routinely taken for granted tomorrow, as the unseen elements of creation yield to the mind of man.

Scripture’s declaration concerning the civilization that built the Tower of Babel, that "Nothing they plan shall be impossible for them,” is even more true today as we pour our best efforts into unlocking the secrets of our planet and universe. Still, for a variety of reasons, most Christians seem reluctant to invest the time, energy and resource necessary to investigate the great spiritual questions of our time. If science were as hesitant, we would still be living in the Dark Ages.

Conversely, when it comes to pop doctrine and subjective experience, many members of Churchianity plunge in with thoughts and emotions, ideas and concepts, often lacking the spiritual and/or logical structure or reasoning necessary to make real gains. In regards to religious rigor, modern Christianity would do well to emulate the time tested example of the scientific method. Itself largely pioneers by Christian scientist. Great advances can only be made through radical honesty concerning the outcome of our efforts. We must be willing to not only develop spiritual ideas and theories, but to conscientiously test them. Returning to the drawing board when they are less than successful.

Consider the incredible advances in physics alone, a discipline containing more than thirty branches and subbranches. Surely religion could benefit from similar spiritually minded theoretical and experimental expertise! In a more perfect world, modern Christianity would enlist the aid of scientific professionals. Particularly in regards to the great challenge of resolving the apparent silence and distance of God.

Unfortunately, many if not most, of science’s best and brightest appear to have been alienated by the faith community, and/or by unresolved issues with God. So much so, atheist repudiate common sense by denying the obvious fact that given our increasing discovery of irreducible complexity, including parameters present in biological and cosmological fine tuning, human conjecture and modeling could never disprove the existence of a Designer.

In many regards, our current scenario is reminiscent of the Peter principal. When expertise is overinflated and/or extended beyond it's field of study genuine progress is undermined. A sad state of affairs frequently found on both sides of the aisle. As when Christians cling to outmoded science, such as Young vs. Old Earth Creationism. Or when physics morphs, intentionally or not, into metaphysics. Case in point, the often distorted history and interpretation of the so called Copernican Principle. Such habits create and reinforce a reverberating feedback loop, increasing in density by the stubborn refusal of both parties, secular and sacred, to abandon unhelpful and even nonsensical beliefs and practices.

Beyond their differing mandates, there are a variety of genuine and disingenuous reasons religion and science may tend to part ways. Admittedly, intractable issues such as global poverty and suffering, disease and death, can make honest theological research difficult. If not distasteful. The question of God’s goodness looms as large or larger than that of Omnity’s existence. Billions have succumbed to spoken or unspoken frustration and anger, all but writing off any serious notion of diligently seeking their Creator. Yet, might this behavior be premature? Is it possible that Scriptural revelation offers amazing insights into the very history of eternity. One that might not only explain our current circumstance and suffering, but offer an end that justifies the means?

Without question the challenges are many of mortal man seriously attempting to probe eternity. In fact, wisely navigating between concrete and abstract reality presents mankind's greatest dilemma. When it comes to religion, some like Carl Marx philosophically and theologically throw the baby out with the bath water by declaring it "the opium of the people." The modern version, as illustrated by Hugh Laurie depicting the brilliant MD and hostile atheist Gregory House goes even further, maintaining "Religion is the worship of nothing and thus the placebo of the people."

Such over simplification of both our spirituality and human condition might be justifiable, were it able to provide answers to mankind's two greatest concerns:

1. Where did we, not to mention such a vast creation, come from?
2. Where do we go after death?

Dismissing such ultimate questions as unanswerable, without exerting good faith effort to do so, adds insult to injury and may well prove not only a temporal but eternal mistake. Treating such mysteries with the respect and attention they deserve is an example of what might be called the Zero - Infinity Principle. For our QC purpose ZIP states:

Even should the likelihood of a possible occurrence be infinitesimal, it's importance may be as infinite as are its possible positive and/or negative repercussions.

For example, with Hell to loose and Heaven to gain, given mankind's mortality rate of 100%, it behooves each of us to make every effort to answer at least question 2 above. Any serious endeavor to do so quickly recognizes that to the best of our ability answering question 1 is an indispensable first step.

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For a hyperlink footnoted version of this article see eBook Quantum Christianity Introduction Volume 1

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