Reasoning For God's Sake

In one of my previous posts, I said that using reason alone to identify with God may be difficult and is not necessarily a wise idea. Using faith and experience are far better ideas to identify with God.

This is not stopping people from trying to use reason to prove God's existence. Here are some examples I have heard:

1. Planet Earth is located perfectly to support lives as we know it. Just a little bit further from the sun and it is too cold. A little too close to sun and it will be too hot. Therefore God exists.

2. Life forms are so sophisticated that therefore they could only be created, by God.

3. Cause and effect. The first cause is pre-existing to every thing, and that fits the description of God.

4. So many people are believers in God. Many have personal experiences with God. How could they be all wrong?

5. Jesus Christ was a real person, and he is the Son of God. This is the clearest proof that God exists.

And more.

People who propound reasons to prove God's existence seem to have little understanding about the mindsets of scientists. Scientists are not anti-God or anti-reason as such. Scientists are convinced only by irrefutable proofs, elaborate and solid reasoning.

Scientists aren't just stubborn old mules that will not listen to any reasoning. If they are, then they aren't scientists. Scientists are and will be the first people who are converted by good reasons. And so far, reasons on God's existence just aren't good reasons, yet.

In Chinese, there is a saying, 天机不可泄漏. Translated, it loosely means "The secrets of heaven should not be revealed." The laws and operations of God, and heaven, could not be revealed, not easily anyway, to anyone and everyone. It is not just in the Chinese culture that this "secrets should not be revealed" thing applies. The Vatican also keeps secrets about some divine revelations. Many people suspect the US government have massive secrets about aliens under wrap. In the family, parents frequently keep certain secrets from children.

So the best evidence on divine matters are probably kept secret from ordinary folks. Meanwhile we try as hard as possible to justify for God with our finite wisdom.

Reasoning for God's sake? Nice try.