“You, on the other hand – I have heard you say this before – believe that the universe created itself from nothing, even though you cannot explain how something can come from nothing, and that life also created itself by some kind of chemical or biological necessity which you cannot demonstrate either. It’s all faith. And furthermore, I think it is far more bizarre than mine.”
This excerpt originally appeared in an article by William Gairdner which was most recently displayed at http://www.williamgairdner.com/journal/2006/3/14/on-atheism.html. At one point the post has one person saying “I don’t believe in God,” to which another one, presumably Gairdner himself, asks, “How did you come by that faith?” He goes on to argue that taking a position on the existence or non-existence of God is itself an act of faith.
He almost had me there. I almost had to admit there was some faith involved, or at least some trust, concerning my naturalistic view of the universe. Then, I came to a realisation: apples and oranges have again been mixed. I’ve never understood whether religionists use this ploy deliberately or if it simply makes sense in their worldview. In any case, I almost fell for it. Here is the revised version of what I had almost published.
Scientists have put forward the theory that the universe came to be out of nothing following strictly natural processes. They made careful observations and drew the necessary conclusions. The same could be said for how life came to exist. Scientists have made statements on both matters.
However, science has NOT made any statement concerning the existence of a deity. Some scientists may not believe in God, but many others do. While science is finding less and less reason to think God’s intervention was needed for the universe and life to come into being, there is still nothing that says God does or doesn’t exist. Therefore, it continues to be outside the realm of science.
So we must make a distinction between what science tells us and what it doesn’t it. My position on the existence of God isn’t based on science. I came to that realisation after reading different philosophical arguments on the matter and thinking things through. Faith, or trust in proper authorities, has nothing to do with it. I reached my own conclusion. If faith is involved in any way, then it is faith in my capacity to investigate the matter and draw a satisfactory conclusion.
On scientific issues, however, if having faith was an indictable offense, I would be guilty as charged. You see, I don’t have the time or resources to examine fossils myself, or to go over all the raw data to decide conclusively that climate change is driven by human activity. I can’t know for sure that we really were created out of nothing. Luckily, I’m smart enough to realise that just because I can’t personally confirm one theory, it doesn’t mean the other one wins by default.
I do have faith that conscientious scientists will apply the scientific method to come to logical conclusions. I have faith that arguments and counterarguments among scientists will lead to new knowledge and perspectives, as well as consensus on various issues. I also have faith that we will be told about those pseudo-scientists that have broken the trust I have placed in them. It is up to them to not break that trust. In other words, my faith is provisional. It has to be earned.
This differs from religious faith which is usually absolute. One must believe that the world was created by a supernatural being simply because one was told to or because one’s mind simply prefers a kind of absolute truth. There is no room for competing theories (unless they both stem from the same religious source). The faith doesn’t have to be earned because it has already been proclaimed as inerrant. It just can’t be wrong! And if you DON’T have this faith, a terrible fate awaits you...
In this sense, it is the complete opposite of the faith I have.
So, how do I answer when someone asks, “How did you come by that faith?” I guess I could say, “Faith has nothing to do with my position on a deity’s existence. As for how the world came into being, my faith was earned and must continually be earned.”
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