{"id":7265,"date":"2014-08-10T01:49:42","date_gmt":"2014-08-10T05:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/allandouglas.dougbittinger.com\/blog\/?p=7265"},"modified":"2025-04-21T01:56:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T05:56:39","slug":"belief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/belief\/","title":{"rendered":"Belief"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"belief\"
Credit: http:\/\/Redandr.ca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If I were to say to you, \u201cI don\u2019t believe in molecules\u201d how would you go about convincing me that you and your certainty that molecules exist are correct?<\/p>\n

I have never seen a molecule with my own eyes.\u00a0 Neither have you.\u00a0 No one has.\u00a0 Even those who claim to study such things have not seen them except through the filter of high technology; technology that could be flawed, or a grand conspiracy.\u00a0 I have seen representations of molecules and even atoms, drawn by those who claim intimate knowledge and experience, but no molecule has ever forced itself into my awareness so as to induce in me a belief in its existence.<\/p>\n

Yes, situations can be set up where under certain conditions actions result in a predicted and repeatable outcome, but does that prove their theories of why it happens?\u00a0 These priests of molecular physics and chemistry have agendas of their own; perhaps nefarious agendas.\u00a0 They promote science as the ultimate authority.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n

To me it is enough to know that a chair is made of oak or made of walnut.\u00a0 When I work the wood I can see and feel the fibers in it, I can predict the behavior of the wood by the arrangement of these fibers.\u00a0 Beyond that, what does it matter?\u00a0 I cannot see cells or the compounds they are made of much less the fabled molecules.\u00a0 It is ludicrous to think that a good solid chair is actually made up mostly of empty space.<\/p>\n

If I were to say to you, \u201cI don\u2019t believe in molecules, take your silly stories and go away\u201d you may think me a fool, but what would it matter if I went to my grave denying the existence of molecules, and I was wrong?<\/p>\n

If you were to say to me, \u201cI don\u2019t believe in the existence of God\u201d could I prove to you that He exists?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 Not if your mind is closed.\u00a0 For I cannot show you the face of God; no human has ever seen it.\u00a0 There are many representations depicting Him, but all are drawn from the fancies of those who believe.\u00a0 I cannot take you to the vestibule of Heaven for a preview tour.<\/p>\n

Those of us who do believe claim an intimate experience which proves to us that though unseen, God is present and active.\u00a0 But the unbeliever will not understand; cannot understand.\u00a0 They claim our methods of examination are flawed.\u00a0 They accuse us of seeking control.<\/p>\n

But to us the only valid question is, what would it matter if you go to your grave denying the existence of God \u2026 and were wrong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If I were to say to you, “I don’t believe in molecules” how would you go about convincing me that you and your certainty that molecules exist are correct? I have never seen a molecule with my own eyes.  Neither have you.  No one has.  Even those who claim to study such things have not … Continue reading “Belief”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[57],"class_list":["post-7265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-matters-of-faith","tag-religion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7265"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19728,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7265\/revisions\/19728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}