Belief in god is justifiable

Thank you, Mhykiel. This debate is not about whether we can prove the existence of god. Justification for belief in god and concrete evidence for existence of god are not dependent. To believe god can be justified whether a god actually exists or not. Per our definition above, “justifiable” can be viewed as ‘reasonable’ or ‘defensible’, and belief can refer to a feeling that something is ‘good’, ‘right’, or ‘valuable’. --Is it reasonable to have a feeling that god adds ‘value’ to some lives? --Is it reasonable to have a ‘right’ feeling about god? My goal is to show a feeling that god is ‘valuable’ or ‘right’ is completely within reason. The Argument from Desire 1. Every natural, innate desire in us corresponds to some real object that can satisfy that desire. 2. But there exists in us a desire which nothing in time, nothing on earth, no creature can satisfy. 3. Therefore, there must exist something more than time, earth and creatures, which can satisfy this desire. 4. This something is what people call "God" and "life with God forever." [1] Basically, every natural desire we have has a real thing associated with it – hunger speaks of our desire for food, sexual desire speaks of sex, and thirst speaks of our desire for liquid. Our desire for god speaks of god. This is one of my favorite arguments from C.S. Lewis. Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for these desires exists. A baby feels hunger; well, there is such a thing as food. A dolphin wants to swim; well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire; well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. (Mere Christianity, Bk. III, chap. 10, "Hope") -C.S. Lewis The first premise suggests there are different types of desire: natural and artificial. Natural desires would be those mentioned above and others like beauty, friendship, or sleep. These desires we are born with and no artificial conditioning is necessary for them to be manifested. Artificial desires would include material possessions (such as muscle cars), power (as one might find in political office), or special abilities (such as turning invisible or web slinging like Spiderman). These are desires we acquire after birth. Ignoring natural desires will result in deprivation, but foregoing artificial desires will do no such thing in a normal healthy minded individual. The most important reason for making a distinction between the types of desire is artificial desires will not always point to a real thing, whereas natural desire will. The second premise requires honesty. Even those who disbelieve in a god desire to know him. One common request from atheists is evidence for god. If he exists, we desire to know him. Cross cultural studies of different aged subjects supports a natural desire for god as well: “The studies (both analytical and empirical) conclude that humans are predisposed to believe in gods and an afterlife, […]. We have gathered a body of evidence that suggests that religion is a common fact of human nature across different societies.” [2] This desire of god is inherent in all humans in their quest to understand the universe as it really is. The conclusion follows from premise 1 and 2. A belief in god based on our natural desire to know a creator is valuable just as a desire for sleep or friendship is. This argument does not necessarily speak of the god of the Bible or the Quran, but it definitely speaks of a god. 1. Natural desires are valuable to individual lives. 2. Belief in god is a natural desire. C: Therefore, belief in god adds value to individual lives. This argument provides strong justification for belief in a god. Our desire of god illustrates it is reasonable to believe. I believe I am as interested to see Con’s arguments as he is to see mine. Back to you, Mhykiel. [1] http://www.strangenotions.com... [2] http://www.sciencedaily.com...