Why do some smart people believe in God?

Azrael

This has been on my head for a while, why is it that people who are smart otherwise believe in God? A great example of this would be my father, he actually taught me to not believe in any outrageous claims without proof (for example, when I was young if I made a claim he would ask me where I got the information, and if I had some sort of book supporting it.), but yet, I have never seen him question the existance of God. Is it because they want some sort of comfort through the hard times in their lives? Is it because they were introduced to it at a young age and kind of just grew with it that they don't question it? Is it because they don't want to change?
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SalsaShark · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:33 pm Post subject:

I think it's because some people, people like my parents, think that faith in the supernatural is a positive virtue, whereas faith in the natural is not - thus they require evidence. Of course, they have no grounds to suppose that having faith in the supernatural is virtuous at all, but that's their problem. They simply don't think they need to/can't apply these rules of "evidence" and "logic" to the supernatural.
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not_a_theist · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:37 pm Post subject:

relevant michael shermer article:

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Azrael · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:41 pm Post subject:

Gettin' In Tune · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:03 pm Post subject:

Castaa · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:26 pm Post subject:

cartman · Joined: 25 Dec 2004 Posts: 1034 Local time: 6:01 AM

I think the bottom line is that emotion is often more powerful than reason.
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Azrael · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:47 pm Post subject:

Moloth · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:50 pm Post subject:

ah, the old "Sunsets are pretty, therefore God" argument.
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Last edited by Moloth on Tue Feb 30, 2026 13:61 am; edited 426 times in total

AtheistEngineer · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:10 pm Post subject:

I have found myself asking this question more and more since my Dynamics class this summer. The professor was an extremely smart person, very accomplished in his field of aerospace engineering, yet the first day he went on about strongly he believed in Jesus, how no one is perfect because God says so, blah blah blah. You only have to read his "Christian Testimony" to understand how seriously he takes his religion. If you read more about him, in particular his activities outside of the academic world, you find that he is a voting member of the Creation Research Society. I can never understand how people can compartmentalize their minds like that.

AtheistEngineer · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:14 pm Post subject:

Just to give you a taste, here is the first paragraph of my professor's Christian Testimony. It is one person's explination as to how smart people believe in god, I think it fits this thread very nicely...

"There are those who believe that it's not possible for an educated man in academia to have faith in the Triune God as revealed in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. To quote the 1646 Westminster Confession, this God is alone the "fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and has most sovereign dominion over [His creatures], to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleases." There was a time a few centuries ago when the most educated men in the Western world, including those in academia, professed some faith in this sovereign God. Even if they weren't Christians, they at least held a Christian worldview. My heart yearns to see Christians recapture the ground among the well educated that we've surrendered to the humanists. Therefore, dear reader, I have posted this brief autobiographical sketch in hopes that you might see the works of God in my life and the path that God the Father took in bringing me to Christ and into the fullness of His Holy Spirit."

Specus_Meretricis · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:20 pm Post subject:

Why are some atheist stupid? Having one singular outlook on a certain subject doesn't always carry over into your whole life or your ability to make informed and good decisions. I wouldn't consider anyone stupid for believing in something that wasn't real nor more than I would consider anyone intelligent because they don't.
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Gettin' In Tune · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:27 pm Post subject:

People form various beliefs systems for all sorts of reason. I think that smart people who believe in god suffer from underdetermination.

Underdetermination is a term found in the philosophy of science. It is defined as protecting a theory from discrediting evidence. If contradicting evidence is found, then the focus is not rejecting the theory, but rather on revising the assumptions, testing techniques, auxiliary hypothesis, other constraints, etc.

Isambard · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:31 pm Post subject:

Same reason why I am a dumbass at toaster repair, I just dont care enough to find out the truth and neither do they. Everyone has different interests.
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Composite things are like dreams. Fantasies. Bubbles. Thoughts. Like a dewdrop and a flash of lightning. A new dress and a burning tire. Waves of sand and sinking ships. The shadow of a statue, and an entry in a diary. A brain tumor and an ice cream sundae. We are thus to be recorded.

Moloth · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:54 am Post subject:

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