Oh G-d vs. No G-d

In truth, it is impossible to prove or disprove G-d’s being because we are finite creatures operating within the confines of space and time trying to comprehend the infinite. It’s like trying to answer questions like, “How long is forever?” On the other hand, there are so many unanswered queries surrounding the mysteries of life and its purpose, that anyone can say anything and make it sound believable. Therefore, most of us seek to find validation within the confines of human logic to justify our belief systems and our own existence.

Thus we shall explore the published arguments of atheists, like Dawkins, that attempt to convince the world that belief in the G-d of Israel is a mental disorder while examining why such lines of reasoning are defective. However, although, the question of G-d’s existence versus His non-being remains improvable, we can still find logical reasons to discern truth from falsehood. Hence, we start with the fact that everything we can possibly know about G-d is in the Torah (Hebrew Bible). Moreover, we know that the Torah exists because it is the most widely published work in world history and its content describes a supreme non-corporeal being that created and controls all worlds. Therefore, the entire argument of “Oh G-d versus No G-d” is a question of whether the Torah is the product of the human intellect or Divine Consciousness.

From the Jewish perspective, we have no problem believing in G-d despite our absence of understanding what He is because of our historical experience as a nation. Simply put, G-d introduced himself to us at Mount Sinai in a spectacular way that demonstrated His absolute authority over nature and gave us the Torah, beginning with the Five Books of Moses, a compilation of laws, which is also the blueprint for the creation of the universe. Those of us who study it marvel at the multidimensional paradigms that no human mind could have conceived and quickly realize that we are learning the will and wisdom of our Creator and connect directly with the Divine consciousness that conceals itself from our perception of the physical realm. Thus, we have a universal belief system in the one true G-d who controls the world emanating from Hebrew words hand written on scrolls of parchment made from kosher animal skins, blanketed within infinite layers of unsolvable mysteries.

Moreover, when we contemplate the greatness of G-d as being so far beyond what we can understand, we either become awestruck or simply dismiss it, depending on whether or not we can accept our own smallness as reality. Hence, those who cannot deal with the realization of such stark insignificance declare themselves to be atheists.

Therefore, from the human logical perspective, the atheistic non-belief stems from the fact that no one can answer the question, “What is G-d?” There is no definition or explanation and no one can even attempt to come up with a theory. For this reason, Dawkins, the self-proclaimed world spokesperson for atheism, uses the universally accepted inconceivability of G-d as proof that He does not exist.

However, to offer our inability to comprehend the Divine as proof of its non-existence is a deceptive argument. Moreover, Dawkins takes this faulty hypothesis to the next level by concluding that since belief in G-d is beyond all reason and not established by scientific proof, it is the manifestation of mass-psychotic delusion. He argues that what the human mind cannot conceive cannot exist, which is a false premise because we live in a finite universe with incalculable dimensions, so while the outer most edge of the physical universe lies beyond where we can imagine it to be, we know it exists. Similarly, in our limited, seemingly endless physical realm, who can tell us what is the largest number or the smallest fraction?

Furthermore, the fallacy of the “Dawkinian” manifesto lies in the supposed infallibility of science and the belief that the limits of human understanding mark the limits of possibility. On the contrary, belief systems based on “scientific evidence” keep changing every few years. Therefore, earlier scientists like Copernicus and Newton could not conceive of particulate matter smaller than the atom. Moreover, the history of scientific discovery and technological development demonstrates that the sum total of knowledge in the universe is either revealed or concealed and every known thing has pre-existed its discovery as no human can claim to possess the ability to create something from nothing. Thus, since Dawkins has conceded that the existence of the universe itself with its perfect order remains inexplicable, the concept of an omnipotent Creator is, ironically, a logical conclusion.