Why should I believe or reject his claim?

Religions generally are making quite a special claim. The claim is that they have a message from the Creator, and often a message that is supposed to be exclusive to that religion. So it’s a case of: ‘I’m right and everyone else is wrong!’ Not that this claim is in and of itself a problem from the point of view of 


We’re back to the man in the red pants! Why should I believe or reject his claim?

Religions generally are making quite a special claim. The claim is that they have a message from the Creator, and often a message that is supposed to be exclusive to that religion. So it’s a case of: ‘I’m right and everyone else is wrong!’ Not that this claim is in and of itself a problem from the point of view of reason. After all, if this Wise Creator did decide to send us a message it would make sense for it to be a consistent one, and since different religions make some contradictory claims, they can’t all be right! No, the challenge here is deciding which one, if any is right. Instead of one person claiming they’ve come to read the gas meter there are seven!

All is not lost. You see, looking at all those people gathered at your door, by using the same process of reason there are some things you can easily use to pick out who really is the one entitled to read the gas meter. For example, he or she might have some I.D. and a uniform with the name of the gas company to whom you pay the bill to, and probably a device to read the meter. In the same way there are some signs we can use to distinguish the true religion from the false.

Since this is such an emotive issue it might be worth taking a little time to reflect on the sorts of inappropriate means testing that we might sometimes apply. This can be something like: ‘which one looks like me and is from my race?’ Would you use that to decide who comes into your house to read the meter? After all, criminals come in all races and colours as do gas meter readers. How about: ‘Let me just feel who the right one might be, and then I’ll just believe it enough for it to be true’. No! I thought not.

Well how about the one who makes a really good offer, like “If you have faith in me as the gas meter reader you can have free gas forever!” Tempting, but unlikely!

Or maybe just pick the one who looks something like the guy that used to come knocking on your parents’ door sometimes (even though they never even had gas…hmmm!)

I know how about the one who looks smartest and with the most money? Thought not! The point being here is that when it comes to religion you need to dismiss certain ideas. For instance, like merely following whatever your ancestors believed just because it seems familiar, or because you love them so much or can’t imagine how they could have been wrong! I’m sure that all of you do some things, if not many things, differently from your parents. So how is it that they could be wrong about those things and not about religion?

 

Reason might not be the best thing to use to find the answers

There may be many possible answers to these questions, and looking at the numerous ideas that have come from the human mind, it would seem that reason might not be the best thing to use to find the answers to these perplexing questions because what we want are not just any answers, but the right answers. The problem here is that this is in fact an area where reason doesn’t do very well.

As an example, imagine someone took you to a strange building. You’re standing at the closed front door, and that person asks you, “What’s behind that door, inside the building?” How much could you know through reason? You might be able to guess some things, like perhaps there being tables and chairs and lights and taps...but you could be wrong. It could be completely empty or completelyfull, or...well, almost anything. So how could you know, how could you reach certainty about what is behind that door? Well, of course you could go in and see it with your own eyes, but what if that was not possible? How, then, could you come to know what is inside?

Well, one way is that someone who has been inside tells you, or even a person who knows someone who has been inside tells you. But the question here is, how can I trust that person? How can I be sure that they are telling the truth?

It’s the same with these big questions; the purpose of life, why is there suffering, is there life after death...what is behind the door? It is hidden, unseen and unknown. Reason can’t come to any definitive answers, nor is there any reason to believe that intuition, or just ‘feeling it’ would do any better.

We can only get any degree of certainty when someone we have good reason to trust tells us.

Of course we still need reason. It’s only that it doesn’t work so well here as a direct source of knowledge about these matters. We still need reason to figure out who to trust.

Unanswered Questions

Why is there suffering in the world?

If there is a Creator, why does this Creator let bad things happen?

What is the purpose of life?

Why are we here and what is it all for, and where are we going?

Is there life after death?

Is there some way to know more about this Creator?

It’s not really surprising or extraordinary to expect that the One who created this universe would give some guidance in such matters, since the Creator has provided a means to satisfy every need that we have, both physical and emotional. We feel hunger and need nutrients to sustain us, and all the means to provide those nutrients are there. We thirst, and there is drink, we need clothes and the means exists to protect ourselves from the elements, and so on. We also need companionship, love and support and we have parents and families and live in societies that fulfil those needs. It  makes sense that the One who has provided for all of these needs would also provide the answers to such deep, pressing and important issues.

In fact, in some ways those deeper questions are even more important than the physical and emotional issues, since they define our very reason for being. Evidence shows that when people have no clear and convincing direction and purpose in life as individuals and societies, they become profoundly dissatisfied, confused and unhappy. So the need to know why we are here and where we are going and what this is all for, is as important to us as food, drink and sex!Why is there suffering in the world?

If there is a Creator, why does this Creator let bad things happen?

What is the purpose of life?

Why are we here and what is it all for, and where are we going?

Is there life after death?

Is there some way to know more about this Creator?

It’s not really surprising or extraordinary to expect that the One who created this universe would give some guidance in such matters, since the Creator has provided a means to satisfy every need that we have, both physical and emotional. We feel hunger and need nutrients to sustain us, and all the means to provide those nutrients are there. We thirst, and there is drink, we need clothes and the means exists to protect ourselves from the elements, and so on. We also need companionship, love and support and we have parents and families and live in societies that fulfil those needs. It  makes sense that the One who has provided for all of these needs would also provide the answers to such deep, pressing and important issues.

In fact, in some ways those deeper questions are even more important than the physical and emotional issues, since they define our very reason for being. Evidence shows that when people have no clear and convincing direction and purpose in life as individuals and societies, they become profoundly dissatisfied, confused and unhappy. So the need to know why we are here and where we are going and what this is all for, is as important to us as food, drink and sex!