One of the arguments advanced by some non-believers is that theists’ reliance on faith-based reasoning renders their arguments inferior to those of non-theists. The non-theist’s position, they assert, is based on reason because the non-theist insists that he requires proof of an idea before he will subscribe to it.
Given the frequency with which different versions of this argument are made, it is worthwhile briefly pointing out the fallacy of thinking that any of us can escape faith-based reasoning.
If God does not exist, then man is ultimately the product of happenstance events. If man is the product of a series of arbitrary events that occurred without the influence of a higher reasoning power at any point, then man’s mind is also the product of chance events. This raises an important question: if man’s mind is the product of a long series of happenstance events, what basis does a non-believer have to fully trust his own cognition? How can he be certain that his mind is free of delusion?
Man cannot ascertain the validity of even the simplest argument without presupposing that his reasoning abilities are a reliable tool for examining reality and acquiring knowledge. But if man’s mind is itself the product of a long series of happenstance events, man has no wholly reliable basis to be certain of the soundness of his own thinking. By necessity, man’s use of logic can begin only after man has placed faith in the soundness of his own mind. Placing faith in one’s reasoning abilities is the starting point for judging the soundness of any reason-based argument.
Recognizing this, the non-believer should pause before declaring that believers are fools for their reliance on faith. The non-believer’s reasoning is based on faith just as much as the believer’s. Whether we like it or not, there is no escape from faith-based reasoning for any of us.
Faith’s foundational role in human reasoning forms an important piece of the answer to the problem of evil. For a more in-depth discussion of the role it plays, read the chapter titled “God is All-Just” in The Advent of Time.