Faith and Logic
Understanding Religion — Part 2
In today’s quickly evolving society, the battle of religion rages on. Unlike past eras, where it was a pillar of government and essentially mandatory, religion is much more relaxed. It is a private and personal matter. Whether someone practices religion or not only needs to be disclosed to oneself. This has resulted in more people choosing to ignore religion, opting to align their goals in a more secular manner. Then there are those who think that there is no God/God(s), but rather we are at the behest of science and the universe. Religion’s position today is boiled down to two concepts: faith and logic. The battle or co-existence of these ideas has shaped the state of spirituality today.
Arrogance Of The Religious
The universe is massive. We are only one species of the possible billions out there. Among our one species, there are over 4,000 religions. To say that the one religion that you practice is the “correct” one out of the thousands that exist on Earth and possibly millions in the universe is beyond arrogant and completely illogical. The likeliness of any singular interpretation being the “right” one is laughably minute. So to say any single one is right would be arrogant.
However, not all devout individuals refer to their faith as the correct one, but rather their preferred interpretation. That mindset is the combination of faith and logic. It is ideal in a societal sense because it removes the arrogance and disrespect aimed at different faiths. Unfortunately, there are still people who consider religions, aside from their own, as “wrong”.
A rebuttal to the perceived arrogance of religion is also present. One can argue that even though religion does not check all the boxes in terms of logic, it still provides many people a sense of happiness and peace that is unachievable through the pursuit of worldly goals. Due to our time in this world being temporary, religion gives us a chance to achieve something beyond our existence, which is an opportunity the world can not offer. Whether religion legitimately offers that from a logical/scientific standpoint can be debated. However, having faith that it does, allows one to have a greater meaning of life.
Arrogance Of The Non-Religious
To think that our simple human minds can understand the workings of the universe is arrogant — this is the popular argument of religious individuals towards non-believers. Just because one is not able to comprehend the power of (the) God(s), does not mean the deity(ies) cannot exist. To think in such a manner is the epitome of arrogance.
The counter to this idea is yes, it is arrogant to assume that our simple human minds can comprehend the workings of the universe, but that does not mean one must look at it from a religious lens. Rather than attributing (a) God(s) as the engine that makes the universe flow, one should attribute science.
Throughout history, science continues to advance and provide explanations to workings of the universe that once were attributed to (the) God(s). For example, ancient Greek religion understood the Sun to be Helios riding around on a flaming chariot, but science showed us that not to be the case. We now know the Sun to be a star and spherical ball of hot plasma. Therefore, the non-religious do not claim to know everything about the universe. They prefer to choose to trust science as a means of explaining rather than (a) God(s).
Science Is Always Changing
A possible reason why some tend to rely on religion rather than science to explain the universe is because science is not concrete. It is always changing with new information and evidence coming in. People may feel it to be difficult to put their trust in science due to its continuous evolution. However, that is the very point of science. It is supported by a constant inflow of information. Our understanding improves or changes as we learn and discover more evidence. There is clear-cut proof for scientific claims, whereas religion is held mostly by faith. Yes, there are stories and witness accounts of miracles of when Jesus, Muhammed, Moses, etc., were present on earth. Yet, we do not have any definitive proof that it happened. Faith more than logic is what propels followers of each respective religion to trust the stories and teachings.
No Proof Of Existence Of God(s)
Lastly, non-religious folks can argue that there is no scientific or logical evidence that points to the existence of any God. Not a shred of definitive proof exists. Yet, the religious person can use logic to counter this argument. Just as the non-religious put their faith in science’s continued evolution, the religious place their faith in God(s). If that is confusing, here is a breakdown:
- A non-religious person trusts that everything in the universe is explainable by science, even the things we have yet to discover.
- A religious individual trusts that everything in the universe is explainable by God(s), even the things that we have yet to discover.
Essentially, just because science has yet to discover proof of God(s), does not mean the existence of one is not explainable. In the eyes of the religious, one should place their faith in their respective religion’s teachings about the presence of God(s).
This piece does not aim to convince one to take up religion or renounce it. It is simply focused on analyzing the two — often confronting — ideological factors, faith and logic. Some believe in one or the other. Some think they can co-exist. Choose to think the way that makes you feel the most comfortable and happiest. This article may be similar to your own personal thought process or it can be the polar opposite. There is no right answer. Each person has their preferred manner of thinking.
