My intelligence is greater than most people's. I do not believe in any form of theistic deity. I wish I could

Question

But my rationale is above me. I cannot go past something logically unstable. Am I doomed to be a non-believer?

Answer 1

You realize, I hope, that logically speaking, logic cannot provide the answer to every question. There are proofs of this in symbolic logic, if you like. It is impossible for most systems of knowledge to be both complete and consistent.

I hope you realize also that although it may be unreasonable to believe something without proof, it is equally unreasonable to disbelieve something without disproof. If you cannot demonstrate whether something is so or not so, the only reasonable conclusion you can draw is that you really have no idea.

Lastly, I'd like you to consider how many different things people mean when they refer to a god. I've compiled a small, incomplete list myself:

- Creator and/or controller of the universe.
- Creator and/or controller of the Earth.
- Creator and/or controller of mankind.
- Creator and/or controller of some subset of the above.
- Observer of events.
- Source and/or enforcer of morality.
- Ruler of the afterlife.
- An example of perfection.
- Something really, really powerful.
- Recipient of hopes and dreams.
- Object of worship

Consider also all the different things that might be considered entities. Many people assign a gender to their vehicles... they're not suggesting that their car can mate or that it is sentient, just that it has distinctive characters that might be thought of as a kind of personality. In the same way you might personify any number of things that seem to be filling any of the above roles of god for you, and I don't think there would be too many people who would argue the point.

Suppose we consider the complete set of inviolable set of natural laws that exist in this universe. For ease of use, let's call that set 'Ra'. We know a lot about Ra, but there are still many things that are mysterious and unknown to us. In spite of this, Ra is responsible for putting the planets in motion keeping everything in the order to which we are accustomed. Ra is quite clearly not very ethically inclined... it would probably be fair even to say that Ra is indifferent to matters of right and wrong that concern us so deeply at times. As we learn more about Ra, however, we gain an understanding of Ra's power that allows us to manifest greater control of Ra's domain ourselves, in some small ways elevating us closer to Ra's level.

Now how does what I just said NOT sound like a religion? The bottom line is that dieties are in many cases what you make of them. You can not believe in Ra if you like... but as far as I can tell Ra's here to stay and doesn't even care if you like Him or not.

Answer 2

Can you see electricity? Or do you believe it exists because of being able to demonstrate it?
Can you see magnetism? Or do . . .?
Can you see gravity? Or . . .
Can you see the wind? . . .
Can you see an atom? A proton, a neutron, an electron? Or .
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Did someone built your house? If it needs repairs can you call someone to fix it?
Which is harder to make, a shovel,a watch, or a computer?
Can the person who produced your computer make you a new eye, a new kidney, a new liver?

All organic beings are constructs, built by a wonderful self-producing mechanism steered by the programs in the DNA - who wrote those programs?

If you believe that things as complex as cells and DNA made themselves, then you may as well believe that your car, mobile phone, etc, made themselves.

You did say you believe in logic, right? What about the infants inborn propensity to deduce grammar and language at a rate adults cannot?
How many connections and how much memory does the human brain have?

You really believe that that which an imbecile can create, our greatest scientist cannot recreate? Well, an imbecile is more intelligent than the process of evolution and random selection! So, if this unintelligent process can make biological perfect ecosystems filled with thousands of types of plants, insects, animals - clearly science should have no trouble emulating this easily.

The question then is - are you scared of believing in God having created things because it is frowned upon by established society or because of true logic?

Answer 3

Intelligence may not have much to do with embracing or rejecting organized religion, or any religion at all for that matter.

Being religious may arise out of a need to to belong rather than a need to have things explained.

Many brilliant people believe in god and probably an equal number of brilliant people do not.

Religion may have a perfectly legitimate function as a provider of comfort without the need to explain the cosmos.

Answer 4

There are many different kinds of intelligence. Perhaps you are mixing up intellectual intelligence with spiritual intelligence? Give that a go for awhile and see what you can come up with. God is beyond logical reasoning. There comes a point when one just accepts that It is, in spite of what our sensible selves tells us. We believe ourselves brave or more logical, and therefore special and superior to people who hold a different belief. I could no more not believe in God than I could go without air. It is a choice which I have based upon an inner knowing and surety that God is, was and ever shall be. Each of us comes to this knowledge in our own way.

Answer 5

Einstein did not believe in a theistic god. It is not "doomed" to be a non-believer. It is an honor to be honest enough to admit worship of a child-killing, violent deity is not wise. Christianity developed from the old myths of the war-gods.

Check out the book "The God Delusion", by Richard Dawkins. It is an excellent book Thank God, so to speak, you can be honest.
J

Answer 6

Intelligence has nothing to do with it. To the intelligent person, believing in a superior is not logical. But that intelligence is usually ignored by the logic of the specific controversy. Intelligence is what creates the ability to believe in something. If something strongly gets ahold of you, it's not your mind that is grasped, but your heart and spirit.

Answer 7

Ever read C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity"? He will logic you right into belief! (Admittedly, it's a Christian belief. But I'm sure there are apologetics for other religions, too.)

However, I think each of us comes to belief in a different way. For me, it's not about logic. It's a gut knowledge that there is something bigger than me controlling the universe.

I also firmly believe that we each come to a faith when, if and only if we need it. I don't think it's something you can talk yourself into. Maybe you've never had a time in your life when you needed a religious belief in order to cope. Maybe you won't ever have one. Maybe you will. But why try to make yourself believe something that your heart's not into?

Answer 8

Logically unstable is what God does. Faith is the answer to understanding. You are not a non-believer. You are an agnostic. You question. Questioning is good.

Answer 9

No. Right now you are only wise in your own eyes. Intelligence in the Worldly sense will only get you so far when it comes to spiritual things. It won't solve the sin problem we all share. To trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior takes faith and reason... and it takes humility and courage to admit that no matter how smart you esteem yourself, you couldn't cleanse yourself of sins and make yourself right with God on your own if your life depended upon it. You need Jesus. Accept His free gift of salvation and use your God-given gift of intelligence for a higher calling. I'm praying for you.

Answer 10

it's hard when theres no proof, but who made this "deity" out of thought, put it into words, from which you understand with your LOGICAL mind and you gave it meaning? you took nothing and made it something, impossible by the standards of science,physics, this insignificant speck of a question that may consume your entire universe makes it sound like you are the "God"