A Higher Being: Is It Logical?

[Kuan]

Very simple question, almost impossible to answer.

Is it logical to believe in a higher being? If it is not a logical option, why?

[McCulloch]

Did you mean logical, in the sense that it follows from a set of premises and a well structured set of arguments? Or did you mean reasonable or rational?

[Furrowed Brow]

Depends what you have in mind. But if the higher being is the cause/creator of everything, and there is nothing you can point to that would be different if there were no higher being and there is inprinciple nothing that would falsify the idea, then the idea is objectively meaningless. It would be irrational to believe something is meaningful when it is not.

It would be illogical to use a meaingless assertion as a premise of an argument or draw it as a conclusion.

[Kuan]

Did you mean logical, in the sense that it follows from a set of premises and a well structured set of arguments? Or did you mean reasonable or rational?

Either definition works.

Depends what you have in mind. But if the higher being is the cause/creator of everything, and there is nothing you can point to that would be different if there were no higher being and there is inprinciple nothing that would falsify the idea, then the idea is objectively meaningless. It would be irrational to believe something is meaningful when it is not.

It would be illogical to use a meaingless assertion as a premise of an argument or draw it as a conclusion.

What about other aspects. Those who claim to have talked or seen god? What about if you experience a miracle and cannot explain it. Wouldnt it be natural to question what caused that miracle and look for it?

[Grumpy]

mormon boy51

Those who claim to have talked or seen god?

The difference between them and those claiming UFOs and Alien abductions is?

Acceptance, UFO claimers are ridiculed(except among themselves), god claimers praised and encouraged. Encouraged to the point of...embellishment seeking that praise. In a room of like minded people there can be a positive feedback loop leading to outright...fabrication. Now the fabricator is left with the story as told and seeks group affirmation in ritual and meditation

There are people who hear voices from many sources, it can end very badly.

What about if you experience a miracle and cannot explain it.

Something I can not explain does not mean it happened outside the natural, it just means I don't have enough information or understanding to explain it. And may never have enough. I've witnessed many strange events in my life, but not once did the concept of a miracle cross my mind. Even after the shock of the initial strike, the ball lightning was a curiosity, not a supernatural event. I can't explain what caused it, no one can. Some sort of plasma? But it was a natural phenomena.

What would you call a miracle, anyway? Your own inability to understand it is no more evidence that it is not explainable than mine is.

Wouldnt it be natural to question what caused that miracle and look for it?

Leave out the concept of miracle, if it is unexplainable you will find nothing. But looking for the cause of things is exactly what science is so good at, unfortunately for you, all our explanations are natural ones. That is because every time we looked that is what we found.

Grumpy

[Furrowed Brow]

What about other aspects. Those who claim to have talked or seen god? What about if you experience a miracle and cannot explain it. Wouldnt it be natural to question what caused that miracle and look for it?

Ask yourself self a question about "the miracle". If you say that a higher being caused or authored it then what would it take (if shown to be true) to falsify the assertion a higher being was the author. If nothing then the assertion is meaningless. So you would need to be clear where you are setting the bar.

(also if the falsifying criteria are dependent on accepting the precepts of the original assertion then this don't count. "Well we'll find out when we get to heaven" or "the higher being we let us know when he wants us to know" type answers fail as falsifying criteria).

[Goat]

Very simple question, almost impossible to answer.

Is it logical to believe in a higher being? If it is not a logical option, why?

What do you mean by a 'higher being'?? What would you consider characteristics of a 'higher being'.

I personally think that there are many higher beings that I am. I shy away from mind altering substances, and therefore do not get high.

[Vardas0antras]

Very simple question, almost impossible to answer.

Is it logical to believe in a higher being? If it is not a logical option, why?

Yes, it's logical to believe in a higher being. Does this being exist and who he is, is another question.

[Kuan]

Everyone, sorry I am getting back to you all so late on this.

mormon boy51

Those who claim to have talked or seen god?

The difference between them and those claiming UFOs and Alien abductions is?

Acceptance, UFO claimers are ridiculed(except among themselves), god claimers praised and encouraged. Encouraged to the point of...embellishment seeking that praise. In a room of like minded people there can be a positive feedback loop leading to outright...fabrication. Now the fabricator is left with the story as told and seeks group affirmation in ritual and meditation

There are people who hear voices from many sources, it can end very badly.

I wont deny any of that, but I dont find UFO stories to be that far out there. I believe that there is life on other planets, I just cant prove it. Let alone, knowing how much technology they have. As for those who hear voices, It does happen. In fact, my mom thought god was talking to her when she stopped taking her medication. Although, this only proves that if a higher being existed, we have no way of communicating.

What about if you experience a miracle and cannot explain it.

Something I can not explain does not mean it happened outside the natural, it just means I don't have enough information or understanding to explain it. And may never have enough. I've witnessed many strange events in my life, but not once did the concept of a miracle cross my mind. Even after the shock of the initial strike, the ball lightning was a curiosity, not a supernatural event. I can't explain what caused it, no one can. Some sort of plasma? But it was a natural phenomena.

That is probably how I would react to such an event in nature.

What would you call a miracle, anyway? Your own inability to understand it is no more evidence that it is not explainable than mine is.

I usually define a miracle as something alone the lines of being shot at point blank range and the bullet goes through you into a wall. I agree that we cannot explain it. This causes me to wonder about the possibility of a higher power/being.

Wouldnt it be natural to question what caused that miracle and look for it?

Leave out the concept of miracle, if it is unexplainable you will find nothing. But looking for the cause of things is exactly what science is so good at, unfortunately for you, all our explanations are natural ones. That is because every time we looked that is what we found.

Grumpy

Science is great at looking for causes, yet it has not yet found every cause. It does not give me evidence against a possibility for a higher being.

[Kuan]

What about other aspects. Those who claim to have talked or seen god? What about if you experience a miracle and cannot explain it. Wouldnt it be natural to question what caused that miracle and look for it?

Ask yourself self a question about "the miracle". If you say that a higher being caused or authored it then what would it take (if shown to be true) to falsify the assertion a higher being was the author. If nothing then the assertion is meaningless. So you would need to be clear where you are setting the bar.

(also if the falsifying criteria are dependent on accepting the precepts of the original assertion then this don't count. "Well we'll find out when we get to heaven" or "the higher being we let us know when he wants us to know" type answers fail as falsifying criteria).

This sounds familiar to what my science teacher referred to as a null hypothesis? I wouldnt put it past me though to screw up any scientific term though....

What it would take was any evidence that it occured naturally. Although, I still dont know if that could rule out the possibility of the higher being because that being/power could have used it as a tool for his purpose.