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The Character of God
Seeing the Invisible to Describe the Undetectable?
This article is one of a series of articles introduced by Flawed Reasons to Believe in God. If you’re new to the series, you should read the Introduction before (or after) reading the material below.
Theists often defend their belief in their chosen deity by claiming he has revealed himself to them. They may have had visions of him, heard his still, small voice, or felt an overwhelming sense of his presence. They may have prayed to their god and gotten apparent answers to their pleas. They may have escaped substance abuse through a twelve-step program such as AA.
There are two glaring problems with such evidence that a god exists. Each relies on personal experience that nobody but the one undergoing the “revelation” can access. Worse, they have no reliable method to ensure that their brain does not produce the experience. Someone’s brain can produce visual and auditory illusions, epiphanies, and satori. Neuroscientists can stimulate the brain to create all these sensations. We have no proof that any supernatural force has ever produced any such incident.
All the world’s major religions, except Buddhism, claim their deity is omnipresent. If true, why don’t we all have a constant epiphany?