Religious or spiritual expression seems to always start from the same logical fallacy: If it is impossible to provide an answer to a certain question, therefore the answer must be God. For example, we do not know precisely how the universe (as we perceive it) came to be. There are a number of ways to approach this lack of knowledge.
One way is to say that we don't know, and don't want to provide a definite answer right now, but that--using what science we have--we are working on finding out. Maybe we will find out, maybe we won't. Chances are that in looking for such an answer, we will find out a whole lot of other stuff along the way. This is a good answer because it allows us to keep exploring the world with an open mind and never allowing our sense of what is real to become concrete. Honest scientific inquiry ought to be free of any historical or cultural bias and, if an experiment happens to conclusively disprove everything we've believed for the last 2000 years, then such a realization ought to be celebrated as an opportunity for humanity to step forward and mature.
Another way is to say that, since we don't have an answer, and since the question seems unfathomable, that therefore God must be responsible. This is a good answer because it means that one doesn't have to do any more thinking about the subject. The universe and all its doings crank, confusingly, but reassuringly around and around in a beautiful Ptolemaic model of the stars. The most confusing and unpredictable events can be attributed to the caprices of our invisible keeper. The notion, moreover, that we might question such caprices, or that such caprices might be tied to greater principles of existence; graspable if we put our best minds to it--as we did with gravity, relativity, music, continental drift, evolution, and many others--is a blasphemous expression of those foolish enough to question the will of God.
One way is to say that we don't know, and don't want to provide a definite answer right now, but that--using what science we have--we are working on finding out. Maybe we will find out, maybe we won't. Chances are that in looking for such an answer, we will find out a whole lot of other stuff along the way. This is a good answer because it allows us to keep exploring the world with an open mind and never allowing our sense of what is real to become concrete. Honest scientific inquiry ought to be free of any historical or cultural bias and, if an experiment happens to conclusively disprove everything we've believed for the last 2000 years, then such a realization ought to be celebrated as an opportunity for humanity to step forward and mature.
Another way is to say that, since we don't have an answer, and since the question seems unfathomable, that therefore God must be responsible. This is a good answer because it means that one doesn't have to do any more thinking about the subject. The universe and all its doings crank, confusingly, but reassuringly around and around in a beautiful Ptolemaic model of the stars. The most confusing and unpredictable events can be attributed to the caprices of our invisible keeper. The notion, moreover, that we might question such caprices, or that such caprices might be tied to greater principles of existence; graspable if we put our best minds to it--as we did with gravity, relativity, music, continental drift, evolution, and many others--is a blasphemous expression of those foolish enough to question the will of God.
