Theists ask all the time what it would take for an atheist to believe in god. They argue that we atheists always tear down arguments we don't agree with but never articulate just what evidence would be sufficient for us to believe. I've never really thought about what it would take for me to believe in a god but I recently was thinking about this so I thought I'd take a break from my special project to write about what it would take for me to believe.
1. Intercessory prayer would have to be shown to work in multiple double-blind studies.
2. My amputated leg would grow back if I asked god.
3. Once I've been completely assured that I am not under the influence of any mind altering substance god or Jesus appears to me and/or speaks to me audibly.
4. The bible is found to contain knowledge unknown to modern man.
5. All religions made the same claims and did not contradict one another and their beliefs about god were almost exactly the same.
6. All or most of the bible's stories were found to be true and completely confirmed by science and/or archeology.
I am no theologian so I don't believe I have some of the more sophisticated arguments for a god but these six points are some examples of things that would cause me to change my mind. Thus far none of them have occurred but I'm a patient person...
Since we're on the subject, what are some things that would cause you to believe, dear reader? Please just type your answer in the comments below.
While I agree with you in principle, the following stands out as particularly susceptible to non-god deception:
ReplyDelete3. Once I've been completely assured that I am not under the influence of any mind altering substance god or Jesus appears to me and/or speaks to me audibly. -- There are many, many examples of reasonably sound minds "hearing" the voice of God. Our subconscious desire to believe in God allows for us, even without drugs, to be deceived by voices. I have modified your idea to make it scientifically valid by doing the following: If God speaks to me, I will ask him to give me a "divine" word. I will write that word down. I will then ask him to speak the same word to a friend, spouse, etc., and ask them to write it down. They will then call me. If they are able to reveal my "divine" word as being the one they heard, then I will seriously believe.
Of course, God, according to the believer, will never do something like this, so, like you, I must simply patiently wait.
What if Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Chris Hitchens and Dan Dennett suddenly asked for a press conference said "We were wrong everyone! God exists!"
ReplyDeleteWould you believe in God after that?
Hi Mr..Mrs. Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion... I actually like your idea better. Thanks for reading!
Miguel,
No, I would not believe in god if anyone said they did. I’d ask them for their evidence and I’d examine it to see if it was factual and logical. I’ve yet to find any arguments for god that fit that bill.
That old Christian apologetics book by Josh McDowell comes to mind: "Evidence that Demands a Verdict." What would make me believe is, like your list, phenomena that would force me to stop and consider the claims of theism. Christian apologetics is a lot of rationalizations and justifications, and hardly any of it is genuine evidence that forces us to stop and think. What's lacking is that substantive evidence that truly demands a verdict.
ReplyDeleteI also get this question sometimes, even from family members. The question really is moot. I suppose God could write his name in the sky or literally any number of things that would be sufficient.
ReplyDeleteThe question is really for the theists - what did it take for you to believe in god and why do you believe it? Every time I've turned the question around I get appeals to emotion and logical fallacies.
Those are difficult questions. I am a Christian, by the way, and I don't want to invite a rapid barrage of criticism here onto my own view quite yet, but I do want to say that I appreciate the honesty of this website. Its very sober, and surprisingly knowledgable of Christian claims. I just wanted to say that it seems like often times theists and atheists kind of talk past each other in their arguments, but I get what you are trying to say here.
ReplyDelete-Daniel