how do religious people deal with this this argument?

Question

If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is an intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time.

Answer 1

Russell's Teapot. That's a classic.

In response to this argument, religious people are likely to say that they know God is real through faith while the teapot is obviously made up. This seems the indicate that they do not really understand the argument.

Perhaps they will understand the parallel and will give some sort of rationalization or excuse for why they can't prove God is different from the teapot. The may say that God clearly revealing himself would interfere with freewill or that God is everywhere and everything or that you must first have faith to see God.

Or perhaps they will react like the catholic guy in my philosophy class when we were examining this very issue. When I compared God to the teapot and said they were both imaginary, he called me blasphemous and stormed out of the classroom. It was very funny to me, but the rest of the class thought I should be more sensitive.

Answer 2

I am sure that this is a poorly veiled reference to the fact that you think we are nutcases who believe in God without the sort of "proof" that you think we should insist on. It seems like you are forgetting one small detail. Some 2000 years ago Jesus Christ came to Earth and told us about God, as One who had actually seen God, and had come from God. There were many then that doubted that He was who He said He was. He backed up His claims with miracle after miracle: controlling the weather, healing the terminally sick, even raising the dead. Still some did not believe, and went so far as to put Him to death. Three days later, He rose from the dead. Now, if such a person were to tell me about the teapot, I would believe Him!

You probably doubt that Jesus ever really existed, because you are happy in your little world where you can explain everything, and the existence of God might put a cramp on your style. But your ignorance of Him does not make Him not exist! I believe the Bible when it says that someday "EVERY knee will bow, and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord...". This WILL INCLUDE YOU! I am not trying to be belligerent or self-righteous, I once believed the way you do. My advice to you is that, rather than trying to disprove the existence God, maybe you should try to broaden your mind and see if there might be a reason to believe in Him. If you find no such reason, all you have done is spent some time in research. If you find Him, your reward will be eternal.

"'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

Answer 3

That teapot would have to be brilliant enough to create, make laws and change hearts and minds. Its ancient book would have to have prophesies that have never been wrong. Prophesies predicted to such accuracy that they astound the world. It would need to be crucified with 300 prophesies coming true for its life, death, burial and resurrection where over 500 people saw it after it was pronounced dead. Thousands martyred for believing and the capability of living within men and women.

Pretty tall order for your little teapot. I don't believe your teapot is powerful enough to handle God's job. Neither the Inquisitor nor the Psychiatrist nor the Enlightened one could handle God's job.

The Sacred Truth is in the Word of God, the Holy Bible. You can dream up with a depraved mind every object of false religion that you wish, but the Word of God will stand.

Answer 4

There are some things in your analogy that a parallel, but it is not the same thing.
1. There is absolutely no importance or relevance to knowing whether or not there is a very small teapot floating between mars or earth. That information does absolutely nothing for you.
2. A teapot is a man made creation, God is the Creator.
3. Does the teapot answer prayers, and inspire men to pen accurate prophecy?

If I did not have enough personal evidence to believe in His existence, believe me, I would be on your side. You'd have to take my word on that, since I can't prove anything for you. You have to seach for Him yourself.

Answer 5

Taking your analogy to heart, there just possibly might be a teapot out there, because after all, teapots are something real and made in the image of the original teapots. If you are trying to say the existence of God cannot be proven, you have several thousand people in the Bible and the Book of Mormon and in every day life over the centuries who have either seen God or Jesus Christ face to face, including prophets and witnesses of Jesus Christ's resurrection, or have had their prayers answered, as well as countless others who have had near-death experiences. Even though you may not have had eye-witness experience in your mortal life, it doesn't mean you are forbidden from studying the properties of "teapots" in outer space, so to speak. Study it out first, slowly.

Answer 6

Who cares if there is a teapot going in circles around the sun? If they taught that in school, I'd learn it to pass the exam, and then forget it. It's not like I am going to get free tea for searching.

Hmm... Though should this teapot event happen, I would become a millionare selling teapots on ebay as the authentic space teapot replicas.

Answer 7

Personally, I think you're just grasping at straws! Your comparison is utter, total and complete nonsense in your attempt at tearing down straw men that you create out of the vain imagination of your heart!

Jesus said that you can know of a certainty if his teachings were from God (implying God's existence), or those of a mere man. He gave us the "acid" test for this.

But you really aren't interested in knowing Truth. You are stuck in your little pre-biased mind set, and if God were to come down and tap you on the shoulder, you would still deny Him!

Jesus said it like this: "People refuse to come to me because their deeds are evil."

If you REALLY want to know the Truth about God, try reading the four Gospels (the life and times of Jesus Christ) and pay strict attention to what He's teaching us, without grabbing things out of their contextual settings, stretching them way out of proportion, then trying to prove something by your foolishness!

Answer 8

Most of the time they don't comprehend what is being stated. When they do, they start attacking the person who said it, instead of the argument. Those that do attack the argument attack trivialities, but not the concept or essence of the argument. The reason, they have no answer for it.

Answer 9

the Christians through the ages have been laughed at and even put to death for their reasoning's... and beliefs if an idea can't be disproven then the probability that it might be true is greater then it being untrue. as far back as Galileo to Rasputin they have all been said that their theory was untrue ..

the statement that says"WE tend to believe what we can see and , not believe which we can not" , is the norm these days... but it goes on to say "We tend to fear that we do not understand, but if we were to understand it then we have only fear itself to fear"
scientists say that they must see evidence of something to say its true, but then if that's true .. what about..... faith???

Answer 10

Little minds can't conceive of a God who created all they see. They instead, want to see God in the flesh..well, when he was here, he was not believed in spite of all the miracles he performed. Even though he brought back people from the dead....they would not believe...can you imagine that....those atheists really have tenacity don't they...in spite of evidence in front of their eyes....they want more evidence....when would enough be enough?