Friday, February 24, 2012

Richard Dawkins: I can't be sure God does not exist

My friend Brandon shared this video from the Telegraph on Facebook. I don't want to focus on Dawkins specifically, but highlight the real problem we must deal with. Here is the video, and then a few thoughts,

"He is regarded as the most famous atheist in the world but last night Professor Richard Dawkins admitted he could not be sure that God does not exist." -The Telegraph

The article goes on to tell about the content of this discussion at Oxford University. Obviously these men are much more brilliant than I. In fact I've never claimed brilliance in my life and only hope that in some way I put off a faint glow, but I was fascinated by the brief discussion on video because it highlights a much bigger problem- the problem of what we don't know.

Atheism and many atheists claim quite boldly that there is no god. That belief is core to their theology. The truth, which Dawkins acknowledged, is that because of how little we really know it's simply impossible to make such a claim and declare that God does not exist. There are a hundred illustrations for this point and they are completely unnecessary for this discussion, but core to the issue of claiming there is no god is this crucial question- How do you know that? How do you KNOW there is no god? Of all the information knowable in the universe what percentage do you think we have? 1% maybe? 2% if we are bold enough to claim such. So, in the 98% of all that can be known is it possible that God exists? Clearly, boldly, honestly we must say yes.

Rather than declare God's absence because I haven't found him in the 2% of data I know, why not rather continue the discussion as we discover more about the 98% we don't know? Because the issue for many atheists is not information, but a heart unwilling to bow to a god of any kind. The discussion is not about discovery of God, it's about trying not to discover him. This quest to not find God is at the heart of the claim of the atheist as he puts his hands over his eyes and says with great authority, "There is no god, I can't see him anywhere."

3 comments:

Zach said...

... or often they say, "God must be the way I imagine Him to be. Since He does not fit the design that I have decided upon, He does not exist."

Like if I were to say, "I refuse to believe in a Mike Messerli who likes motorcycles."

sy said...

Surprisingly, you will find that many object to God because of one overriding issue: sexual freedom. If you talk with an atheist long enough this will always come up.

Mike Messerli said...

Sy, thanks for the comment. I'm not surprised. I heard one atheist say, "I refuse to believe in a god I have to be accountable to."