Answering the Atheist: Why Believe in God?

By Sadhika on

People tend to question the relevance of faith in an era dominated by reason and rationality. In this exploration, I seek to answer this question, hoping to provide an answer that not only resonates with believers like myself, but also one that a non-believer can reconcile with his or her rational leanings.

I’ve heard people assert frequently, “I do not believe in God. I believe in science.” 
But science does not necessitate individual convictions. Science operates on fact, and belief or faith is not part of its jurisdiction.

This might prompt an atheist to counter, "So, are you suggesting that God requires our belief? How powerful can a God be if belief is a prerequisite?"
No. God does not require people to believe in him. In fact, many people hold half-hearted or no belief in God, and God does not smite them on the spot. It is we who need to believe in God.

Being religious and being scientific does not have to be an either/ or proposition. In the event of illness, my course of action would involve consulting a doctor, preferably the best available within my means. I wouldn't replace medical treatment with prayers for healing. Instead, I would complement the treatment with prayer, recognising that science has its limitations, whereas God is omnipotent.

Consider the scenario of striving for a challenging goal, such as changing jobs. 

To accomplish this broader goal, you must engage in various micro-tasks — building a CV, perfecting your negotiation skills, applying for jobs, giving interviews, and then turning up at the office on time on the very first day. You may not even be doing this for the first time. Perhaps you are making a job switch at the ripe age of 40 or 45. Or maybe you’ve been rejected countless times. Or maybe you don't really have a choice, as your current company is laying you off, or shutting down altogether. 

Belief in fulfilling responsibilities, fear of failure, or confidence in one's interview prowess serves as motivational sources, demonstrating that faith, not just facts, propels action. You cannot derive motivation from evidence. Evidence is objective, motivation is not. It stems from faith. At this point, it’s faith in an idea.

Another example: A close family member has been diagnosed with cancer. Patience is crucial. Tests take time, reports may be inconclusive, doctors may be unresponsive, treatments can carry on for months before you know where you stand. To get from point A (the moment of diagnosis) to point B (when the doctor tells you your family member has been completely cured) may take months or even years. How do you live each day with fortitude and grace? Maybe it’s love that you invoke by means of a hundred happy memories, or it might be faith in your doctor’s competence, or you may draw on the anecdotes of cancer survivors (who are by no means evidence that your loved one will survive). Being irrational is actually helpful in such times, and being too practical can be impractical.

Facts tell you what is: job loss, rejection, illness. 
Faith in an idea tells you how to act: confronting fears, improving interview skills, maintaining family morale, and patiently awaiting medical reports.

Leaping from point A to B is all we do in life. From childhood to adulthood. From school to college. From college to a job. From job A to job B. From your tiny hometown to a big city. From big city A to big city B. From drinking on the weekends to reading books on the weekends. From bachelorhood to marriage. From a one room apartment to a house. From being a couple to being a family of four. From being a family of four to back to being a couple, when your kids move away. And then back to living on your own if your partner passes away. From having autonomy to being dependent again. 

We see our children making the same leaps we made once. Some are harder than others. Some have barriers or cause pain. Some are by choice, and others thrust upon us. 

What do we need to believe in, to be able to perform the necessary actions and micro-actions on time and in the right way? Is it a unique idea for each circumstance, or does a singular, transcendent concept exist?

If there were something we could believe in — so that we would seek truth, work hard, be a dutiful son or daughter, a supportive sibling, a faithful partner, a responsible parent, a helpful friend, a good human being, a productive member of the tribe — what would that idea, or rather, ideal be? In essence, how profound must this ideal be to empower us to take the ultimate leap of faith—from life to death—such that the prospect of inevitable death becomes justifiable through a life characterised by purpose and virtue?

Image source: The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo

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