Valyza1 Wrote:I have often heard people say that the only good reason to believe something is if it is shown as likely to be true. What if, however, you have a proposition for which it is impossible to show evidence either for or against it's truth value, but also for which there is great utility in adopting? Is adopting this kind of proposition as if it's true just as good as (if not even better than) adopting a proposition that is demonstrably true? If the proposition is "God exists", I think many theists might answer yes to the question, but I'm not sure.
There's utility in taking people at their word for things that are believable, unless there is some particular reason to think they're lying; else you'd be calling people out on almost anything they say, which is not conducive to harmonious coexistence. If you don't believe your spouse is faithful, for instance, you should take their word for it unless you have evidence that they're not, that's just smart spousing. That's why most Western atheists 'espouse' reasonable skepticism, not over-the-top skepticism.
Leaving God aside for a moment, though, adopting beliefs isn't based on utility. We believe those things of which we are convinced are true. It doesn't even make sense to believe something on the basis of the usefulness of believing it if you don't already believe it's true. What you actually see is people who know that they don't have evidence to convince someone of the truth of a proposition so they try an appeal to usefulness.
Like if I'm trying to sell nutritional supplements, even if I can't show the science that says they work, you've heard of the placebo effect, right? Even if it doesn't really work you might feel better so you should buy them in any case, especially since they're so much cheaper than the pills the medical establishment wants you to take!
As far as God goes, what's the utility? Atheists do fine without believing in God, our main problem as atheists is having to live in a world where so many people are convinced that belief in God is necessary. What is the utility that you're claiming? What does belief in God get me that I'm really better off with, even if God isn't actually real?
I'm not anti-Christian. I'm anti-stupid.
