Wednesday, February 21, 2007

What should we believe ?

I have written earlier that theologists make space in their observations for God. I have quoted Bertrand Russell as if I knew him and his arguments intimately.
But I sit and wonder this morning: Arent atheists also making space for unproven scientific postulates in their beliefs ? They are ever ready to believe that there are atoms and electrons so tiny that we cannot see them. But they have a problem believing (or even accepting the possibility) that there is a God who we cannot see. We talk about mathematics which is mostly what we human beings made up. Mathematics is our way of intrepreting nature. We create equations, we draw theorems in an effort to reconcile what we see. One of the biggest problems of mathematics is that atleast some part of it works purely with numbers without any other rope with the external world. Now, numbers are what we created. So, could it be all wrong ?

Now, there. I have taken both sides of the argument. I do not know what to believe.

Whenever, I have an argument with someone over the existence of God, I say this: Neither of us really knows if God exists for sure. We just chose to believe one of the two possibilities. There are , of course, very strong reasons for doing so: these could be emotional, logical, cultural etc. But like everything else in the world, these beliefs could change. And like any other personal belief, it is a good idea to keep questioning it and not be dogmatic about it.

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