When it comes to winning philosophical, political, or religious arguments, humans are very creative. We are very good at winning converts to this system or that ideology. Whether we want to seek the most pleasurable path possible, or the best path possible, the greatest enlightenment, or the truth of our existence, we adopt ways to explain our chosen paths, to justify them to ourselves or to others. Some of us are at times more or less hypocritical to our preferred methods of reason, and some of us more or less care.
What fascinates me is how persuasive and convincing a well developed ideology can be. There are belief systems that would prompt actions 180 degrees out of phase with my current behavior that I could reasonably adopt. I could argue for these systems and create converts to them. I could add in my own ideas to support their structures, listen to their critics and turn arguments back on their heads. If I was clever enough, I could be the next L. Ron Hubbard and invent my own religion from scratch.
But that’s all I could do. I could construct a very carefully planned system of reason, one so persuasive it could win hundreds of converts, and then lie awake at night wondering if I’ve really convinced them or even myself. I would doubt my ability to reason, and for good reason…
As I wrote in Science Has a Great Personality, humans are incapable of universal knowledge. Our ability to reason is trapped by our finiteness. No matter how reasonable I want to be, I can’t be certain that my ability to reason will lead to any kind of universal truth.
Certainty requires faith. Atheists have to have faith to be certain. An atheist without faith is not certain, and is therefore not an atheist, but merely an agnostic. Christians use both faith and reason to know with certainty that there is a God transcendent above limited human reason.
Tags: Be Reasonable, FreeThought Fort Wayne, Human Reason, Reason
September 19, 2009 at 3:53 am |
[...] Submitted Thought Fort Wayne discovering evidence of the infinite God of the Bible in a finite city « Reason to be Skeptical of Reason [...]
September 19, 2009 at 5:13 pm |
[...] scientific enough, perhaps there really is more to life outside the bowl. Trusting in only finite reason and science eventually agnostics tire of seeking and become apologists for circular reasoning. [...]
September 23, 2009 at 11:47 am |
According to Webster’s New World Dictionary the LEGAL definition for insanity is as follows: “LAW: Insanity is any form or degree of mental derangement or unsoundness of mind, permanent or temporary, that makes a person incapable of what is regarded legally as normal, rational conduct or judgment: it usually implies a need for hospitalization.”
According to the Spirit of God, Who wrote through Isaiah the Prophet, insanity is (implied) the neglect of including Him in our reasoning. He writes as follows: Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Also, the Bible defines sin as the transgression of divine law (Romans 4:15; 1 John 3:4).
Since the Bible says that God is good (Matthew 19:17; Marke 10:18). Then we are taught that sin is the failure of men, created in God’s image, to choose good instead of evil (the difference between right and wrong, Isaiah 7:16). Therefore, because of the great judgements of God Almighty, the beginning of WISDOM, the Bible says is is THE FEAR OF GOD, both personally and socially (just in case I might cause or influence someone else to transgress and, therefore, sin against Him, Proverbs 1:7; and 1 Corinthians 8:13).
As a result, I concur that an athiest’s “reason” devoid of faith is circular, and that it leads no father than where man has always been apart from it: without a shred of hope beyond death’s door. But Almighty God alone offers hope through His Son in order to forgive us our sins against His holy laws of life, Jesus Christ. (John 3:16).
September 29, 2009 at 11:58 am |
[...] does represent the best of human reason… which as I’ve previously discussed could be a problem. Once again there is an appeal to some moral code, some universal knowledge about right and [...]
September 30, 2009 at 1:05 am |
[...] rest securely on moral arguments of my own making. I’m imaginative enough to event my own religion, but I would fear, always holding skepticism in my own ability to arrive at universal [...]
October 2, 2009 at 2:25 am |
[...] President Ronald Reagan famously said, “Facts are stubborn things.” As much as I admire Ronald Reagan, I don’t see facts as being all that stubborn for a lot of folks, at least when we are talking about facts used in finite human reason. [...]
October 13, 2009 at 2:08 am |
[...] is something few of us feel like we should be. But under the limits of human reason, without the benefit of universal knowledge, how could we possibly claim to be objective? Usually [...]
October 28, 2009 at 2:49 am |
[...] To level the field, all you have to do is point to an atheist’s own skepticism of reason and science. If they have little or no skepticism in reason and science, then they have faith in [...]