Can Religious People be rational & objective ?

Question

.

Answer 1

YES!

Today, many people call themselves atheists and it is frequently argued that atheism is the only rational viewpoint. However, it is also often said that there is no such thing as a real atheist. This is supported by the Bible which declares: “only a fool says in his heart that there is no God.”

So which view is correct?

If we give a just little thought to this matter, we can see that there is no argument at all as to whether the qualities and properties usually attributable to God actually exist. This is certain and beyond dispute. So really the only disagreement is over the source or origin of these attributes.

Furthermore, we can see that there are only 2 possible alternative sources of these attributes. It is self evident that something material can never come out of (absolute) nothing of its own accord (First Law of Thermodynamics). We know that something material exists (i.e. the universe), therefore something must have always existed, something must be eternal and have had no beginning.
This eternal something, can only be: 1. A force or power independent of the material, and thus the Creator of the material, OR 2. The material itself.
So an eternal nature must be possessed by, EITHER:
1. A Supernatural Power.
OR
2. Matter/energy.
Consequently, all the other qualities, powers and potentialities which exist in the universe must be attributable only to ONE OR OTHER of these two alternative 'eternal' sources.
Some of the qualities existing in the material world.
Laws of Science, Information & information storage (DNA etc.), Life, Design, Order, Motion, Love, Choice, Good, Beauty, Emotion, Intelligence, Kindness, Personality, Morality, Awareness, Justice, Wisdom, Hope, Joy, skill, etc. There is no disagreement that these qualities are present in the universe. The only dispute is over the source or origin of these qualities.

SO
Is the stuff of the universe (matter/energy) eternal? Does this 'eternal matter' intrinsically possess all the above qualities, or the inherent potential to produce them of its own volition?
OR
Is there a power greater than, pre-existing and independent of, the material? A Supernatural Creator of the material, possessor and originator of all the above attributes evident in the material creation?
IT CAN ONLY BE ONE OR THE OTHER. SO THIS IS THE ONLY DISAGREEMENT, AND IT IS AN AGE OLD DISAGREEMENT.
No atheist would attempt to claim that mankind is the originator of all these qualities. We are not eternal, we did not create ourselves or the universe, something greater than us essentially exists' . Is that something a Supernatural Creator God? Or a purely material power which must intrinsically possess all the qualities, powers & potentialities usually attributed to a Supernatural Creator God? A material god? A pagan god!

THEREFORE, THE CHOICE IS CLEAR, FACE THE FACTS! ATHEISM (or even agnosticism) IS NOT AN OPTION. YOU MUST PAY HOMAGE TO A POWER WHICH IS GREATER THAN YOURSELF, either; The Creator God of the Bible, or; the material pagan god or gods' (represented by: Mother Earth, Nature, the Sun, Moon, or idols of stone, wood etc. ) which you must necessarily imbue with the SAME ATTRIBUTES.

SO NOW CHOOSE YOUR GOD?

Answer 2

Simple answer, no. There are some moderates who can be more rational and objective than say fundamentalists but any religious belief taints rationality. I have a very good friend at work who believes in god and is a moderate Christian. Them and I have had some minor debates on certain subjects and I've noticed every time that if i push an issue in a way that causes conflict with certain supernatural beliefs they have they still cannot rationalize them and often would rather stick to a totally absurd conclusion than admit that there may not be a god after all, and if there is a god that he may not be anything like what they believe him to be.

Answer 3

Not where deep seated beliefs are concerned.
There's somewhat of a contradiction in terms there.Remove the Can from your question and you've got an oxymoron.There is nothing rational about any organized religion,outside the fact some of the texts make good rule book for society.
A thinking rational person could not possibly comprehend some of the whimsical stories these religions are based on.
Proof positive is much of the new scientific evidence that so many geological and otherwise physical events never happened,just as the shroud of Tourin carbon dated over over one thousand years after the death of Christ.
Scientists were given a sample and a team of fourteen scientists from many different countries radio carbon dated it around Davinci's time.The rest of that study encompassed the physical impossibility that the image would be cast so perfectly,as the cloth would have been wrapped tightly warping and elongating the image.

Answer 4

some can and some can't just like any other group of people. after all each individual can be both rational and objective and since individuals make up groups each group therefore can be rational and objective.

Answer 5

I believe so. Many of them work in high powered jobs that would require rationality and objectiveness.

Answer 6

Outside religion certainly, Einstein had a deep belief in God and didn't like when his science brought the concept into doubt. As he worked on quantum mechanics he despaired that the closer he seemed to get to his universal theory the more quantum mechanics disproved any possibility of a God. He and many previous great minds held on to their primitive belief systems despite all they learned that tended to disprove them.

Answer 7

Of course. Any religion is going to seem rational & objective if you buy into its basic premise (that God is real, and that he is a certain god or gods, etc.).

By contrast, any religion seems silly and irrational if you do NOT buy into its basic assumptions. But atheism also seems irrational, if you are a person who believes in a god.

Answer 8

You're going to get more no's than yes's I guess but I don't see why they can't be rational and objective. It was rationality and objectivity that led me to the conclusion that God exists and Jesus Christ is the Way! I was not raised religious by the way.

Answer 9

The answer is yes and no.
Yes, if the objective truth is believed and lived.
No, if the subjective truth is believed and lived.

Answer 10

True religion subscribes to the principle of sufficient reason, whereas atheism does not.

True religion is a complete rationality, whereas atheism is a truncated one.





---