Today’s episode is the revision on religious philosophy from the past week — you can support the 365DaysOfPhilosophy podcast by visiting www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess and review previous episodes at www.365daysofphilosophy.com.

If you can help the show continue, head to: https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess

Music from Jukedeck — create your own at http://jukedeck.com.

I’ve previously written about enjoying Plato at the Googleplex and prior to that book, I discovered Rebecca Goldstein’s 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction. It’s a story that which explores the experience of a professor of psychology who has written a best-selling book on atheism. 

While dealing with topics such as the quest for immortality (can it only be obtained via fame?), whether there is an element of the divine when it comes to being brilliant, and the search for a messiah, it’s also an interesting investigation into the debates about religion and reason. A particularly useful element is the appendix, which gives the arguments that were detailed in the title, but ultimately this is a book about relationships, finding purpose and making connections, which creates a detailed and thought-provoking read as well as a useful reference text in passing.

Jennifer Michael Hecht’s Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson is an amazing and detailed investigation of the history of questioners and skeptics, those who question religion in particular. 

It is the history of philosophers and writers who have contributed to what may seem to be a hidden history at times, and how this has influenced not only the growth of secular thought but of religious thinking as well. While recent surveys and census data has demonstrated that there is a rise in non-religious groups and identities, it’s only in fairly recent times that we can identify this. As a broad look and a fascinating and detailed read into the world of religion, faith, and non-faith, this is a poetic and engaging read that enthusiastically delves into history.

Terry Eagleton’s analysis of the Meaning Of Life seems by its title to be a very ambitious task, but this book is a useful overview of a number of thinkers on the topic, and suggests some proactive approaches to a ‘meaningful life’ too. With a number of thinkers and authors, such as philosophies involving Marxism, existentialism, even Nietzsche, Freud, Shakespeare and Schopenhauer, it investigates some of the classic views as to what can constitute a ‘meaningful life’.

It also investigates the possibility of adding meaning to one’s life and the trends of investigating and interrogating alternative lifestyles; however the this book’s eventual suggestion is more straightforward. Rather than seeking a solution to a supposed ‘meaningless life’, what about the approach of living life in a more qualitative-rich and intense fashion, using principles and goals that benefit community. This is another in the ‘short guide’ series, and so it is indeed a little book, but an encouraging one in terms of suggesting some approaches (if not conclusive answers) to what can be an overwhelming challenge.

Divine intervention, the power of faith in overwhelming circumstances that would otherwise lead to disaster, the laws as we understand it on earth being overruled by the power of God — these kinds of things are known as miracles. Miracles can be through God themselves, or through a representative of a faith group, such as a saint or an icon. However, the possibility of miracles being used as conclusive evidence for God is difficult to fully support.

Firstly, there’s situations where luck or chance could have arguably played a part, or even where we cannot replicate the situation or have enough evidence to fully say that it is due to interference or help or change via a supernatural means such as a God. We know through our previous look at skepticism, there is a burden on the claimant to support their case, and to be aware that group-think, illusion, bias and interpretation can play a part in believing a situation.

In addition — what of situations where one group claims it’s a miracle (such as a natural disaster avoiding a town), whereas for another, it’s a tragedy (the disaster decimated another town instead)? What really makes something miraculous for everyone, regardless of whether they believe in the conduit or not? As conclusive evidence for existence of God, while miracles are very appealing, they remain not particularly convincing.

If God has given humanity free will, we are able to choose for ourselves how we behave and have to face the consequences of such. Rather than be mindless drones who do what God intends us, and therefore have everything good or bad preordained, the payoff for having free will is facing the ramifications that our choices can have. 

However, how do we really know that we have free will? Is there an ultimate test that demonstrates that we’re not just on a path that a God wants us to be on? It may be that our genetics or experiences have some influence, but without true evidence of a God who makes us behave the way we do, there’s still questions. 

But do we really have free will if we are still overseen by a God? If God is in charge of the ‘punishments for bad behaviour’, are we in control in any fashion? What of huge tragedies, like natural disasters, or the death of innocents, like babies or even horrors like the Holocaust? It is difficult to support the idea of divine intervention if there was no God to step in at those times. 

Today’s episode is the revision on religious philosophy from the past week — you can support the 365DaysOfPhilosophy podcast by visiting www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess and review previous episodes at www.365daysofphilosophy.com.

If you can help the show continue, head to: https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess

Music from Jukedeck — create your own at http://jukedeck.com.

Earlier extended answer questions can be found at this link. Patreons also get access to extra content and more questions, subscribe at www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess.

1. While the argument of first cause can be questioned, perhaps future investigations of the origins of the universe could reveal evidence for God. Discuss.

2. Without a clockmaker, there may not be a clock, but there’s still better arguments that could be made for a ‘maker’ of some kind. Discuss.

3. The arguments for the existence for a god are many, but what matters is faith. Discuss.

4. It is pointless to make arguments about the existence of God — what matters is what you do with your life. Discuss.

As St Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologica proposed, one of the biggest questions about the existence of God, or at least an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God, is the problem of evil. It’s also a fairly straightforward question and one that has challenged many thinkers and writers and everyday people of faith (and no faith) of every kind of background — why do bad things happen?

Bad things happening can involve natural disasters, like earthquakes. Or terrible diseases like Zika. There’s crimes like murder, corruption in government and injustices in all kinds of situations. If God is all off the ‘good and great things’ God is claimed to be, then how do these things happen?

There’s a number of justifications and writers who have expanded on this topic, which I’ll unpack over the next few episodes, but there’s also a few resources in the blog for additional reference.

Blaise Pascal (1623–62) was a mathematician and a philosopher, who is mostly known for an argument for the existence of God that is sometimes known as Pascal’s Wager or the Gambler’s argument.

It sounds like pretty much what it is; by gambling that God exists, it’s better to believe in God. If you are in any way unsure that there is or isn’t a God, the odds are that if you believe, you have a chance of benefiting in the afterlife, avoiding God’s wrath, all sorts of claims that come with faith. If you disbelieve, then you run the risk of all the bad things.

But what if there is no God and you believe in God? Then, nothing happens. But the very possibility of the existence of God means that there’s more benefit in believing. 

By maximising a win and reducing a loss, belief in God appears to be a good strategy. However, what if this method of self-preservation is not seen as a true expression of faith by God? What if you are following a religion that involves unjust and unfair or even time-wasting during your life, for a non-existent deity? Philosopher William James even suggested that a non-benevolent God could even be angered by such pretend-belief. While the benefits seem obvious at a surface level, the gamble that is being undertaken depends entirely on knowing if the game is being played at all.