Can Belief in God be Rational Apart from Argumentation? (Richard Swinburne)

Richard Swinburne is asked if he thinks belief in God can be rational apart from argument. His answer will SHOCK you!

[Mcfirefly]

If I am outside before anyone else in the neighborhood is, and I cross the street, and when I'm near the middle, I hear a loud "honk" in my right ear, I am not irrational to jump back. In fact, while I'm doing it, I'll probably look to my right to make sure I'm jumping away from it, rather than further into its path, but the sound was probably coming from the far lane, since it came from the right. I can probably think of those things very quickly, and there's nothing irrational in acting on it.

Do I have any evidence I can take away from this experience to prove to someone else that it happened?

Not a shred.

But did I receive any evidence that a vehicle was in the roadway, and that I was in danger of being hit by it?

YES! It was _real_ evidence, and evidence that I'm glad I believed. I'm _grateful_ to have received it, and I don't take seriously any assertion that such a thing never could have happened. I have evidence, but it simply isn't transferable to anyone else. No matter how true, and how important to my continued existence in this world that it was, that evidence I received shall not be admissable in a stupid, name-calling online debate. My evidence was evidence of the highest order, and it was so beneficial toward me that I feel very deeply about its truth. But it simply cannot be conveyed to another person. The best that I can hope is that someone hearing my testimony would have had the same experience, and is familiar with the kind of evidence I received. They would at least not dismiss my claim out of hand. They might even believe me.

But everyone else belongs to the ideologues, and ideologues rule the day. And it is a point of solidarity toward the new world being created, that neither cars nor trucks run over people, neither do they have loud horns that would only serve to warn people of something that would never happen in the first place, because all cars and trucks and drones are driverless, and as such, are completely safe. So anyone who thinks they have experienced evidence of otherwise, is insane. So said Stalin, that great, forward thinking leader of the past. So, no go with your experience; that would drag human progress back to the dark ages of _fear of_ fender benders and hit and runs.

All this talk is weighing heavily on you, yet you know that you did receive evidence, and that acting on it saved your life. You could get along better with the hard-bitten ideologues if you denied that evidence, but you don't want to become the kind of person who'd live comfortably on the basis of a lie. Or maybe you've had your time with that kind of life, which is one reason that the mercy you received by that warning, means so much to you.

Jesus talked a lot about those who would believe in Him, having had the truth revealed to them by God. He said it to Peter, and He said it of the babes who have these things revealed to us, and the wise and prudent who do not. He said that His sheep hear His voice; He said that the _dead_ would hear His voice and believe. He said He stands at the door and knocks, and that for whosoever hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in and fellowship ("sup") with them, and they with Him. And there are probably others I can't think of. He didn't mean an audible voice, but something analogous to hearing a voice. But if God reveals to you that He is, that is evidence, and nothing that should ever be denied.

[lcfaskys]

Amazing channel my friend, congrats God bless you! +1 like +1 subscribed

[metatron]

Can you ask him about his opinion of kirkegaard in the leap of faith?

[davidonate]

It really shocked me. TMM made a response to the video. In resume: the more ignorant you are the more rational is believe in a god.

[ungodlyatheism]

I told somebody I believe aliens are visiting earth and they responded, "and pigs fly." I am now rationally justified to believe pigs fly, Dr. Swinburn.