Overview: The theme of The Rational Believer is rationality and the premises for all its reasonings is—logic. How can we trust logic that might just be a mere fantasy of ours, as if we are living in a dream.
After logically validating Torah and Judaism, one question still remains: Why trust “logic”? Perhaps logic is a mere fantasy or sort of dream? Now this might sound like a funny question to some, but surprisingly many atheists and agnostics use this as the basis for their skepticism.
To point out the absurdity of this question, we must realize that the very question itself is a logical one. Thus, the very question takes logic for granted as an authority. This is perhaps the only question in the world in which the very question is the very answer. The question is based on logic because we by default use logic and regard it as objective truth.
The reason we use logic is because it is simply natural for us. [Understandably, no logical explanation can prove why logic is accurate. For that would be as absurd as a person vowing in court that they are not a liar. Thus, we would have to boil it down to the fact that logic is the natural authoritative decision-maker of the person.] It is just as natural as your heart beating and as natural as avoiding pain, as well as the irrational will to live (even under relatively tough circumstances).
Here’s a good way to prove this point: The biggest atheists or skeptics, who employ the above objection to logic, hypocritically use this very same logic in all life-affairs like business, for example. The reason logic is used is simple: Even if you’re to assume yourself to be living in a dream—live the dream! Part of the dream is that you want pleasure/benefit. Business is definitely a great tool for making money for that; you therefore use “logic”—which is part of the dream—to gain money.
Hey, but wait a minute; why would someone use logic just because logic itself says it’s a useful tool? The answer is that naturally he does it, no matter what. We can’t help ourselves but rely on logic. Hence, it makes no difference to me whether or not “logic” is objectively true, because in my reality (my dream) it works and is true![1]
So, is it just a dream-reality or is it the objective-truth?
Well, if you’re ready to determine 1+1=2 as merely a relative dream-reality, I as well am ready to declare God/religion as only our dream-reality.
___________________
[1] How can we prove that God exists based on our logic, when He Himself is beyond the logic that we are using? The answer is that indeed for this reason we cannot determine or comprehend the exact nature and character of God. However, what we could conclude is that He is higher than boundaries i.e. beyond our realm of comprehension. What the logic tells us is that there is something higher than our limited understanding. We only know what he’s not (i.e. He is not limited), but we cannot comprehend what He is (which is why we can only describe Him as limitless). The nickname for that being is God.
