Being skeptical of atheism
Ok, I once posted a something about myself being skeptical of the political opposition in Singapore. Today, I would want to try my hand on being skeptical of atheism.
A few weeks ago, someone I know told me that he chose to be a religious skeptic so as to challenge all that he knows about religion and hopefully able to find some answers amidst all the disagreements. What I could not stand at that particular time is that he told me that he's being skeptic, but his argument was always leaning towards atheism argument. So I questioned myself, is being skeptical of religion necessary mean taking on an atheism viewpoint? I told myself not necessarily.
And so I decided to think about the question of atheism. First, I would like to define atheism in my own terms. Atheism, for me, simply means a belief that does not believe in God. To bring it further, I would say a belief that has faith in contradicting faith. See the irony? But I'm not here to criticise on atheism, rather to express my skepticism of atheism as a Christian. Hopefully I can do it in a more sensible manner.
When people start talking about atheism, there is this general mood of saying that science provides the answer and there is no such thing as creationism blah blah blah. Evolution answers everything. Let's just do it like mammals... But when we reject God, when we express our disbelief in God, when we do this in favour of science being able to answer everything, we implicitly create another religion: called faith in science. Simply put it, sometimes Christians are being criticised for having faith in Someone who dun seem to be there. But one thing for people who believe in science missed out is that what makes them so sure that science can explain everything under the sun? So if science can't answer everything, why should I believe in science?
Another thing that people who espouse atheism is the belief in self. Saying that what I believe, I can achieve. This creates a new religion called self-worship. So, using this principle, if I believe I can fly, so would I be able to fly? So it's mind over matter? There is no need for God? I would like to question this kind of self-belief cos we need to realise that there are a lot of things in this world which we can't control. Are you saying that if you believe you can control, means that you can control? I'm bringing the examples to the extreme, but that's my point. A belief can only be proven or disproven by extremes, or explained by extreme. At least that's for me. '
Sometimes when people start believing that there is no God, they start criticising that other people are closed minded when they believe in God and that these people are naive and stupid. So is that really the case? Does that mean that I have to be not believe in God in order to be open minded? I never know that there is a precondition for being open minded.
Sometimes it's the people. Looking at Christians and people say God dun exist. Then again, is it so? Christians are God's representatives in this world and but being human it is inevitable sometimes our lives dun reflect God, that's why we are constantly being refined. But putting this in another example, so if I claim to know someone such as Warren Buffet but dun act and speak like him, so does that mean that Warren Buffet dun exist? what makes us think that even when we do see the evidences that we want to see, we would believe?
So being skeptical? Why not be skeptical of atheism? Surely if people can be skeptical of religion or Christianity in this case, then why can't people be skeptical of this religion called atheism?
A few weeks ago, someone I know told me that he chose to be a religious skeptic so as to challenge all that he knows about religion and hopefully able to find some answers amidst all the disagreements. What I could not stand at that particular time is that he told me that he's being skeptic, but his argument was always leaning towards atheism argument. So I questioned myself, is being skeptical of religion necessary mean taking on an atheism viewpoint? I told myself not necessarily.
And so I decided to think about the question of atheism. First, I would like to define atheism in my own terms. Atheism, for me, simply means a belief that does not believe in God. To bring it further, I would say a belief that has faith in contradicting faith. See the irony? But I'm not here to criticise on atheism, rather to express my skepticism of atheism as a Christian. Hopefully I can do it in a more sensible manner.
When people start talking about atheism, there is this general mood of saying that science provides the answer and there is no such thing as creationism blah blah blah. Evolution answers everything. Let's just do it like mammals... But when we reject God, when we express our disbelief in God, when we do this in favour of science being able to answer everything, we implicitly create another religion: called faith in science. Simply put it, sometimes Christians are being criticised for having faith in Someone who dun seem to be there. But one thing for people who believe in science missed out is that what makes them so sure that science can explain everything under the sun? So if science can't answer everything, why should I believe in science?
Another thing that people who espouse atheism is the belief in self. Saying that what I believe, I can achieve. This creates a new religion called self-worship. So, using this principle, if I believe I can fly, so would I be able to fly? So it's mind over matter? There is no need for God? I would like to question this kind of self-belief cos we need to realise that there are a lot of things in this world which we can't control. Are you saying that if you believe you can control, means that you can control? I'm bringing the examples to the extreme, but that's my point. A belief can only be proven or disproven by extremes, or explained by extreme. At least that's for me. '
Sometimes when people start believing that there is no God, they start criticising that other people are closed minded when they believe in God and that these people are naive and stupid. So is that really the case? Does that mean that I have to be not believe in God in order to be open minded? I never know that there is a precondition for being open minded.
Sometimes it's the people. Looking at Christians and people say God dun exist. Then again, is it so? Christians are God's representatives in this world and but being human it is inevitable sometimes our lives dun reflect God, that's why we are constantly being refined. But putting this in another example, so if I claim to know someone such as Warren Buffet but dun act and speak like him, so does that mean that Warren Buffet dun exist? what makes us think that even when we do see the evidences that we want to see, we would believe?
So being skeptical? Why not be skeptical of atheism? Surely if people can be skeptical of religion or Christianity in this case, then why can't people be skeptical of this religion called atheism?
Samuel Skinner
ReplyDeleteClose on definition. Atheism is either the lack in belief of God or the denial that such a being could exist. The first one does not, and could not take faith, but we will deal with the secnd one because that is what I am.
Strong atheism looks at the universe and points out that it is inconsistant with the idea of the divine. For starters, the universe exists. An all powerful God has no reason to create a universe.
Science is a process. The process has provided answers to many questions people had. I do not have faith in science. I trust that science works because it achieves results in the real world and provides information that fits together in a coherant whole.
Science is designed to be able to explain things. If it is possible to test, observe, examine- if it exists in other words, scientists will be able to examine it.
Just because something can't answer all questions is no reason to ignore it. I can't answer all questions because I don't know everything. The process of science can't answer all questions because some are meaningless, some it doesn't have the tools for yet and some are unknowable (do you see green the same way I do?).
Um... I don't "believe" in self. You are coming to straw manning. I don't believe in mind over matter- I am a strict materialist, naturalist and humanist. I believe in people- the sheer overpowering numbr of people we call humanity.
Actually, if you look at the belief in God, there are no good argument s for it. People continue to believe because they shut out opposing arguments. Hence close minded.
It means you have found another person with the same name. If you insist it is The Warren Buffet, we will point out he doesn't look like him. If he is a body double, he might be able to pull it off... until the police catch him for fraud.
Because being skeptical of atheism is meaningless? Atheism is the ground state- it can only be compared to religion. In and of itself it is as meaningless as not believing in astrology.