To Do the Best We Can

There is a certain subspecies of scientists who enjoy feeling smarter than “regular people.”  And I won’t be too exclusive.  This carries along to anyone who has “technical” training; physicists, biologists, engineers of every stripe, doctors of all kinds.  These folks are extremely proud of the fact that they don’t believe in God and enjoy preening about how much smarter they are than these religious folks.

Here’s an example.:

https://x.com/LyingWrongAgain/status/2015459692848337176?s=20

He’s set up a strawman; a pretend religious person saying that order cannot come from disorder.  And then he shows how a tub full of nails randomly jumbled together can become an ordered pile with all the nails parallel by someone rhythmically swinging it back and forth.  And somehow this is supposed to disprove the existence of God.  Well, I’m sure there are just as many annoying religious people who try to crow over their proofs of the foolishness of disbelievers and create strawmen of their own.  But I guess I’m more aware of all the educated fools who enjoy this game in academia and elsewhere.

I don’t claim to be an expert on cosmology or theology but I’m pretty sure neither camp can prove or disprove the existence of God to both sides’ satisfaction.  And I could be wrong but right up until the moment of truth I don’t think they ever will.

So, what’s my point?  I think both sides should be honest and forthcoming about the inability of either side to point to irrefutable proof for their point of view.  Maybe instead they could try to provide arguments for why their point of view is “better” for people.  In other words which belief makes people happier or better citizens or better parents.  Show us statistics that measure the behaviors and outcomes that go along with theism or atheism.  That at least has some relevance to people if something beyond their own fundamental beliefs is important.  Maybe there are some people who just will never make up their minds and instead could use social benefit to “break the tie.”  From everything I’ve read, people who believe in God are happier, healthier and better neighbors than atheists are.  So, from society’s point of view this might be something that should be touted (I guess).

But honestly, I’m happy that we live in a country where freedom of religion (or freedom from religion) is written into the fine print.  Making people pretend to believe something they don’t is counterproductive and absurd.  If there is a God, how abominable would he find unbelievers forced against their will to pretend to faith.  And alternatively forcing believers to deny God is bound to make them hate the state that forces them into this lie.

Whether we consciously consider it or not, we are all constantly looking for some part of the truth about life.  We are always making decisions to try and make our lives better; health wise, socially, politically and maybe spiritually.  And so, we come up with ad hoc rules for ourselves and how we live with our fellow humans.  But I think we’re all better off if we tread lightly on other people’s religious (or irreligious) beliefs.  We’re all here in the valley of the shadow of death and most of us are trying to do the best we can.