A Serious Question For Theists

[GrandizerII]

Rationalism is a tool that empiricism relies on anyway. They are not rival philosophies or opposites. You think inferences based on observation are not rationalistic in nature as well?

Empiricism can inform rationalism, sure. I said so above. Rationalism requires you to depart from empiricism alone, because if it were empirically proven, then nothing more is needed.

But what atheists seen to be saying to me, is that empiricism is everything and nothing else rates as useful. This denied rationalism, which is the sphere of religion.

I think what atheist posters here are disputing is the last statement you just made. In general, religion does not rely on reason but on emotions and desire to believe that something greater than us exists out there.

And empiricism and rationalism go well together (as you just agreed), and such a synthesis has effectively been shown to work in terms of deriving general demonstrable knowledge. What has religion ever done to help gain demonstrable knowledge?