“True Religious Statements from Three Different People”

by Jayson X

April 15, 2008

Joe Deist: “The universe seems created, so it probably has a creator. Thus, God probably exists.”

Jim Atheist: “If God exists, God remains hidden and silent. God doesn’t seem very involved at all.”

Joe Deist: “One can believe that the universe seems created and that God is not very involved in the universe. After all, a clockmaker makes a clock but is not very involved with how the clock works after it is made.”

Jack Christian: “If God is not very involved in the universe, it does not matter much if Theism or Atheism is true. Besides the fact that God created the universe, God is irrelevant to us.”

Jim Atheist: “It is generally best to base one’s beliefs on reason. If I base my beliefs on superstition like you do, Jack, I am likely to believe in all the nonsense you believe, for example, the miracles and scientific inaccuracies of the Bible.”

Joe Deist: “Plus the evil morality promoted by the Bible.”

Jack Christian: “I understand your thinking, but reason alone does not lead one to believe that God exists and is completely good. Unless God is completely good, or at least very good, I don’t think that anyone of us wants God to exist. If God is very evil, God can torture us for all eternity! But if God exists and is completely good, I want God to be very involved with the universe because I want to be perfected, dwell in Heaven forever, and know that there is true justice. Relatively good people deserve to be rewarded, and relatively evil people deserve to be punished until they truly repent.”

Joe Deist: “Let’s agree that non-philosophical beliefs should be based on just reason because we want to embrace reality as it is, but philosophical beliefs should be based on reason, compassion, and hope so that our philosophical beliefs will be likely to be true while encouraging us to be kind and hopeful.”

Jim Atheist: “Then we would believe that God exists and is completely good without being superstitious.”

Jack Christian: “I would have to simplify my theology, but that would be a good thing. Reason is better than superstition.”

Joe Deist: “Well, now we all agree.”