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3 Questions When Deciding to Believe
When deciding to believe, how are we convicted? By biblical definition, to believe means “to be persuaded”. By what are we persuaded? It is important to know this applies to just about anything, and not just faith in God. That means we use the same methodology for religious faith as we do in deciding if we should buy a particular car. Here are three questions to ask yourself:
1. What is your authority (i.e. the experts). This is going to an objective, outside, source; although some cite themselves, even their feelings as their authority.
2. Does this authority have the right to be an authority (i.e. why do you consider them an expert?). This can be more than credentials because experts can lose their “moral authority”.
3. Is the authority right (i.e. just because someone is rightfully an authority does not make them infallible). Let’s expand on that. There is a logical fallacy called, “Argument from Authority” and means “Insisting that a claim is true simply because a valid authority or expert on the issue said it was true, without any other supporting evidence offered” – (logicallyfallacious.com).
Go to a court of law and these criteria are used concerning an “expert authority”. But more importantly than in a trial or car dealership is realizing we use the same three questions when deciding whether to be persuaded there is a God and therefore what orvwho is the foundation for our ethical code.
(From my monthly meeting with atheists, agnostics, doubters, and believers in other religions or gods. I was told most religious people don’t ask such questions, to which I replied too many don’t but many of us do and this is what I teach).
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