A question I have struggled with on a regular basis is whether god exists? Of course, I am not the only one. This debate has gone beyond coffee shop discussions to complex mathematical equations. Bill Dembski, a professor of mathematics at the University of Chicago, stated in his paper "An Intelligent Design as a Theory of Information" that existence is too complex to be naturally created. Dembski's claim is that the choices intelligent beings make involve issues as simple as deciding to eat or sleep or as complex as creating life. Phillip Johnson, a professor of law at UC-Berkeley, argues that macro-evolutionary theory cannot account for the necessity that choices were needed to be made for life to exist. Thus, an intelligent being was necessary for the creation of existence.
For the sake of argument, I will accept the Intelligent Design Movement's logical syllogism. Then where do I go from here? Do I accept my Southern Baptist roots? Do I adopt Catholicism or Buddhism or Islam? How do I know Jesus or Mohammad or even Moses existed? If they did exist, how do I know that the narrative passed down throughout the years is accurate? To my knowledge there is no mathematical equation to explain the immaculate birth.
The next argument a dogmatic scholar may make would involve the concept of faith. Proof of Jesus, heaven, hell or Noah's flood cannot be determined; therefore, we should have faith in those who follow the word of god. Now this line of reasoning (if you can call it that) seems more like a trump card rather than an actual argument. Do not get me wrong, I am not against the concept of faith. I do have faith that my best friend will tell me the truth. I have faith that if I wait for the BSU Shuttle, it will eventually come to pick me up. However, accepting a religion based on an assumption that in my mind and heart I cannot believe is out of the question.
On a pragmatic level, organized religion has done little to win me over with its bigotry, sex scandals, and fundamentalist stances that have been used for oppression and murder. Why accept a doctrine of faith that either teaches or condones hate? I'm sure some may argue the religious texts themselves does not explicitly call for killing infidels, or hating gays, however that is how the religion is practiced. I am aware that the vast majority of people do not commit the major sins of their religion. Nevertheless, Christians overwhelming support for an amendment to ban gay marriage, illustrates how even "good people" contribute in the marginalization of already muted groups.
Well, let's take the intelligent design argument and apply it to organized religion. Intelligent beings must make choices when they are presented with conflicting information. Religious figures Moses, Paul, Mohammad, and even Jesus for example, makes intelligent choices. Therefore, the likelihood exists that these figures made choices as to what to believe, and the potential exists for them to create reality.
This syllogism supports Jean-Paul Sartre's existential argument that "existence precedes essence." Sartre suggests that humans are created, and then they construct reality. Thus, religion is a social construction that helps us deal with the uncertainty of existence.
Religion may serve as an important cultural phenomenon since it helps define community standards, and provides order to chaotic times. The problem with religion is that we take it too seriously. We lose friends over it. We condemn family members. We even fight wars over beliefs we cannot prove.
So does god exist? A god possibly does exist. But our conclusions can only be based on human logic. It is understandable to have a hypothesis as to how and why life exists, what happens to us after we die, and who, what or if anything we should worship. Just keep in mind that these hypotheses are theories that cannot be proven. Please do not ruin yours or another's life over syllogisms that are created in the minds of human beings, not by a holy being.
Write to Donny at djpeters@bsu.edu
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