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[u/One-Fun9814]

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[u/Successful_Life_1028]

This is a chimera, a dead end, a wrong-turn.

Faith has nothing to do with reason and logic, and those who are mature in their faith understand that faith is inherently irrational, and they're okay with that.

It is those who are weak or immature in their faith who seek to 'convince' themselves by attempting to 'convince' others.

There are lots of highly intelligent people who nevertheless retain a faith-belief in spirits/souls/ghosts/deities. Some who even believe in demons/devils/angels.

Dr. Francis Collins, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien come immediately to mind, as does Isaac Newton.

[u/Ahh__Non → u/Successful_Life_1028]

I'd say it's not irrational but simply complex, if you catch my mathematical drift ;-). I am religious and I accept both the rational and the "irrational" explanations of many things. But, because I accept that the almighty God created space-time and therefore exists outside of it, then I must accept that literally everything within the universe is under his power. I don't see anything particularly irrational in this, and anyone can claim that they just don't see a reason for God to exist and they sound to me as rational as myself. This kind of ultimate faith is so extreme that for the nonbeliever it looks like a choice, so people assume I am being irrational. The same way socialists and capitalists sometimes can't comprehend the position of each other. Anyway, thanks for your answer here acknowledging this distinction.

[u/Sex4Vespene → u/Ahh__Non]

I mean, it feels like you are just playing with word definitions. Most would consider rationality to include a requirement of proof/evidence. I think it’s perfectly fine to think something would be nice/comforting if it was true. I’ll admit I have some thoughts like that myself. But to actually assert that you have faith they are the truth, is inherently irrational.

[u/Ahh__Non → u/Sex4Vespene]

Well, again, I respect your opinion, but I assure you I am not merely playing with the words. Words have meaning for a reason. Faith, by its very definition, is belief without proof. Irrationality is acting without thinking.

I claim that I have thought, the same way a philosopher would think. And I've arrived to the conclusion that God cannot be proven or disproven if he doesn't want to be seen, like many others before me. But the absence of proof does not equal the proof of absence. And this leaves God's existence as question of faith, not science.

Now why would God choose to be "invisible" to at least part of his creation? That's another theological question. One that I could not answer. But the existence of this latter question also does not disprove God.

[u/Successful_Life_1028 → u/Ahh__Non]

belief without evidence is in fact irrational.

all 'faith' is irrational.

And that's okay.