For the Skeptic

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For the Skeptic

Skepticism is an important tool in the arsenal of any mind. The world we live in is filled with illusions, liars and cheats. History is filled with wild stories and absurd myths and made up monsters. Skepticism helps us navigate this bewildering labyrinth of truth. However there is an inherent danger in becoming too skeptical.

Skepticism ≠ Intelligence

Skepticism = Doubtfulness

One only needs to read the writings of the philosophers David Hume or Rene Descartes to see how far skepticism can be taken. It is skeptically viable to say that you are all alone in the universe and everything and everyone you see around you is just a product of your own wild imagination (see the theory of solipsism).

If you want to take skepticism to that level, no one is going to stop you, but it is a lonely place to be. As for the rest of us, we have collectively decided to forgo that level of skepticism and take it as an article of faith that the universe and other people exist.

The point of this Reductio Ad Absurdum, is that skepticism does not equate to intelligence. In the twentieth century the world was bombarded with media from Sherlock Holmes, to Agatha Christie all the way down to Scooby Doo with the same modern message that the smart people were always the skeptical ones. Having a balanced skepticism is a valuable asset to an intelligent perspective, but skepticism does not equate to intelligence. Skepticism equates to doubtfulness!

Skepticism ≠ Intelligence

Skepticism = Doubtfulness

This inherent intellectual danger associated with skepticism is a parlor trick that many fools play on themselves. For they have associated skepticism with intelligence and then learn a clever ploy. They realize that one can always be skeptical about any complex claim and thus avoid ever having to admit they were wrong. What’s more, they feel smarter for doing so and they can even throw in some ridicule of their opponent to really rub it in.

But please notice, that in this example, they have never actually employed any intelligence. They have only employed doubtfulness!

Skepticism ≠ Intelligence

Skepticism = Doubtfulness

Should you wish to operate under these auspices, no one is going to stop you. However, like the solipsistic fool, it is a lonely place, because you have decided to step away from the common faith of your fellow man.

Skepticism is good to keep us from being fooled or fooled again. But skepticism is only the very first step of inquiry. When we encounter a dubious or incredible claim, it is wise to be initially guarded or even skeptical. But this is only the very beginning of the journey of inquiry. Should you forever stay at this initial phase, you are very much like the fool above, who like a monkey has mimicked the fictional characters of Scooby Doo and Sherlock Holmes and played parlor tricks with their own mind to make themselves feel smarter.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

True intelligence thrusts past the initial skeptical phase into the due diligence of the real work, which is thoroughly examining the claim and weighing the evidence in the balance of reason itself.

In this instance that balance of reason is probability theory. And it says again and again, in every book, chapter, passage and verse of the Bible that God is very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, probably real.

= Approximation of 100% possibility of the existence of God.