Why is God a logical explanation for so many people?

Question

If a human is born, we don't assume divine intervention. We assume two people had sex. If a flower grows, we don't assume some magical person poofed it into existence. We know that a seed was likely planted, watered, and sunned. In other words, when something physical happens, we look for a physical explanation and we usually find one. Why is it that for things we haven't got an explanation for yet, people think it is perfectly logical to assume some invisible person who we have never seen or heard from did it?

Rach, I don't think I'm dangerously close to making anything other than a statement. That's how it appears from my side, so that's all I can say. Otherwise, why would I ask the question? I'm trying to understand. I love you, girl, but you often try to keep me within your guidelines of what I should and shouldn't say, which really isn't fair. :o)

Acid Zebra, you are correct. That's what is so weird to me now -- I feel so distant from believers, even though I used to be one. Problem is, I know that I believed simply because I wanted to, and not because it is logical, but many people seem to have a lot stronger faith than I ever did, so those are the people I'm asking about now.

Rach: I don't see how it is a strawman. Have you ever seen God, or heard him speak?

Answer 1

God is a logical explanation for most people due to a lack of faith.

I personally think Atheists are people of great faith.

They believe the entire wonderful universe came into being all by itself from the smallest subatomic particle to the most immense galaxy and from the amazing complexity of the human mind to the love between a mother and child.

I find it much easier to believe that an all powerful and all loving God is behind it all.

"To be an atheist requires an indefinitely greater measure of faith than to receive all the great truths which atheism would deny." (Joseph Addison)

I do not have enough faith to be an Atheist.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

To EVERYONE- You poorly attempted arguments for god, but no particular god to be sure !!!!! to Memphis- and what does it 'feel' like? Evidence from a feeling, only inside you. You have been indoctrinated. If the only evidence you have for something is (almost by definition a vague) an alleged feeling inside you, you should keep your mouth shut. Where was the logic? Based on what again? To Tiggis20 & Jano's; If complex organisms demand an explanation, so would a complex designer. Dawn: You haven't provided evidence of one argument you've said. Straw Man fallacies- It does not follow. You've claimed premises as conclusions and conclusions as premises.. and of course see my last rebuttal IF A COMPLEX ORGANISM DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION, SO DOES A COMPLEX DESIGNER.. SO PROVIDE SOME REAL EVIDENCE - Which is not stating a premise as conclusion or a premise without substantiation "Religion poisons everything" "Everyone is an atheist about everyone else's god, I just take it one god further."

Answer 3

Honestly it's a matter of perspective.
When I took Bio for science majors this summer (Yeah don't recommend doing that by the way) I was utterly dazzled at how precise the universe is. It didn't take away the divine's for me, it only reinforced it. For ME science doesn't disprove the gods, it tells us how the gods do it. You can tell me what a rose is, how a rose is a rose, WHY a rose is a rose, and how a rose is a rose, but that still doesn't take away the "magic" for me.
But in my faith, the gods are not all powerful. Everything that happens in our lives isn't because of the gods. The gods expect us to use the brains they gave us and control our own luck. Not to say they can't be persuaded to help out, but thier "powers" are limited. When a baby is born, yup two people had sex. But there is still something really amazing about that life process. (I'm a mother of three) Do I see it as the gods work? Not really. I see it as the course of life. But for me there is still sometimes utterly divine about that.
But hey, it's not for everyone. *S*

Answer 4

Well, how were those two people who had sex created? How was that seed created? God. (well, to a Christian view, which is where I am coming from). Yes, they follow physical laws that we can understand and now of, but who put those laws into existence? We can find physical laws to explain almost anything, but those laws still had to be there in the first place. Those things that we cannot explain must be either a miracle, which is from God, or we just didn't look hard enough to find the explanation.

Answer 5

It's not so much logic as unwillingness to accept that life has no purpose. If that's true, we'd might as well just die now and put ourselves out of our misery. That prospect is just too horrible for me to even try to conceive of, so I remain agnostic but choose to believe that there must be some purpose for life on Earth. It's from there that the God concept comes from, because if life has a purpose, that means that it was begun with a certain intent. There must be someone or something cabable of acting intentionally. This something must also have existed before life in order to create it. If life exists for a purpose and yet is still continuing this means one of two things: either that purpose still exists and therefore the creator (or its successor) does too, or the creation has outlived its creator, which means that it now has no purpose. As I stated above, I choose to believe in a purpose, so it must be that the first is true. I realise the naivity of my assumption as well as the gaping hole that exists when you base your reasoniong on something you cannot prove, but I chose to belive any way, my own demonstration of faith, if you will... What is an immortal creator in whome you place your faith? A god. (As you can see, my perception of a god is highly influenced by Christianity) I don't think that I'm a stupid person. Althought the finer points of the Big Bang are beyond me, I can understand basically how the universe might evolve from just matter. People state things like "if the speed of light had been just X times faster, then the universe would not exist and claim that these are proof of God's hand in creation. I know it can be explained differently: perhapse the speed if light was once X times faster and that universe was destroyed before it was started, leading to the creation of onother and another until a universe evolved that could sustain itself for any length of time. The fact that out planet is so well suited for life is also no surprise: one can argue that, had it not been, life simply never would have begun here and we wouldn't be having this debate. I can understand this, and yet still refuse to believe that our lives are truly without meaning. Am I rediculous and naive? Perhaps, but who am I hurting with my beliefs? No. I've hardly been gifted with divine inspiration. I am simply someone who beleive that my life is not pointless. With that assumption made, the existence of a god-like entity is simply my version of a logical progression.

Answer 6

You're right as long as what we see is all there is... Is it? that's the question. I think the reality of ppl whom legitimately seek a Divine aspect of existence is fueled by the belief that what we see isn't everything that is.

To me a Divine Creator is very much logical and I am right. To you it might not be but never the less you are right also. I believe that we should strive to achieve a balance as well as respect the rights of others to explore as they wish providing they don't tread down the rights of some else.

The truth is as we should all agree there are many elements that make up the universe. We see a very detailed and complex creation or non creation depending on you're point of view. It is totally illogical for me to think it happened by chance...

Answer 7

Well when I look at the various theories about the creation of people and the creation of the world, the only one that really seems logical to me is the theory of intelligent design. The big bang theory makes absolutely no sense to me and is not a logical theory in my opinion.

In the big bang theory there was a giant explosion in space and Earth was a result of that explosion. What is the result of any explosion? Utter Chaos and unorganized rubble. Yet, the Earth is not Chaotic- Well the nature part is not. We have trees that need Oxygen to live, without it they would die, but they give off oxygen too. Those same trees need to be fertalized in order for them to make new life. That pollination is done by bees, but those bees need oxygen to survive, they also need to have the pollen that they spread. Everything on this earth depends on everything else around it to survive. It is like a finely tuned machine. Without the great circle of life- the earth would cease to exist as would all life on the earth. It is not logical in my mind, that a giant explosion could result in that kind of life cycle- in something so finely tuned. Finely tuned machines don't just happen. It takes someone with lots of training and expertise in that field to create one. Someone who knows just what they are doing. The car was not invented as a result of an explosion. A lot of thought and skill was put into creating it.

That is really my basic thought- But I really think that God is much more logical when it comes to creation of Man and the Earth than any scientific theory I have heard.

Answer 8

There's a great deal of difference between "logical explanation" and "people think it is perfectly logical." When someone asks a question about technology that you are not prepared to answer, isn't it tempting to say "It's magic"? I know it is for me. Even if I do know the answer, if I don't want to take the time to go into detail, I will use that cop-out, and laugh to show I'm not being too serious about it.

I believe it was Arthur C. Clarke who said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." For me, 21st century technology is often sufficiently advanced.

Answer 9

It is a flawed approach by believers. For one thing, it makes no sense from a scientific perspective. Plus, it hurts their faith in the long run. If believers are basing their faith on the unexplained, they're setting up their arguments to be batted down. Once there is a natural/physical explanation to something that is unexplained, it would disprove God if one were to use their logic.

Answer 10

I don't think any sane, reasonably intelligent person truly believes God is a logical explanation for anything. There are believers who readily admit that and say that it's a matter of faith, not logic (a position I can respect, if not agree with). And then there are believers who try to pose a "logical" argument in support. Those arguments are invariably based on unreasonable assumptions, emotionalism and/or seriously flawed reasoning.
The latter group is composed of two general types of people: Those who lack the education or intelligence to comprehend logic. And (more often) those who willfully suspend the application of logic so as to maintain the comfort and perceived security of belief.