Just Knowing That Nature's God Exists Satisfies Me

E-mail no. 48: My Former Student Summarizes My Views

Dear Raymond,

I am Roger a former student of yours in the seminary. I have read your book published six years ago and the articles you later wrote on your website entitled: The Triumph of Nature's God. Like your lectures in philosophy fifty years ago, your thoughts on the Web are crystal clear.

You reject all teachings about God that are based on reputed revelations of His to ancient prophets and recorded in Holy Writ.

For several centuries now, our scientists have observed in nature designs that, they say, presuppose Supreme Intelligence. These designs exist and so does their Designer.

These designs say nothing more about their Creator. So everything else that humans say about that Supreme Intelligence is the product of their imagination - the faculty that produced Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.

If I have erred while summarizing your view of God, let me know. Also if you have time, please clarify for me the difference between atheist, agnostic and deist. I await your reply anxiously - Roger.

E-mail no. 49: I Know that Supreme Intelligence Exists. That Suffices for Me.

Thank you, Roger, for your message faithfully summarizing my view of Nature's God. As you requested, let me distinguish between three notions of the supernatural creator of nature. The atheist says that humans cannot know anything at all about a supernatural being - not even its mere existence. The agnostic believes that humans can never be sure that nature's god exists since humans cannot verify its existence. Finally, the deist says that human intelligence cannot explain the existence of physical designs in nature except by supreme intelligence. Merely saying that nature's designs evolved by mere chance is not a reasonable conclusion. Presupposing an intelligent designer is. But this is all that humans can know about that Intelligent Being. All else is human speculation and imagination.

Many humans are not satisfied with that rational conclusion but I am. Of course I would like to know more about God. But I can't nor can any other human. Unable to know more about God, I don't have to worry about reputed revelations of His, nor about His plans for humans nor how to worship Him with rituals and hymns. A grateful thought about Him now and then suffices for me and for Him.

I can then focus my full attention on nature, which includes myself and other humans. I can choose whom and how to help my neighbor.

For the moment, I spend most of my time and energy just taking care of my paralyzed wife. Homebound by necessity, I have some leisure moments. These I spend writing articles about Nature's God. I also encourage my readers to exploit their full potential while assisting others to do likewise. Nature's God does not expect more from me nor from my fellow humans. Knowing this for sure, I am fully satisfied. I need nothing more. Adios my friend, Ray.

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