If the Triple Path rejects failed ancient cosmologies, then why still believe in God?

Current scientific models give us tremendous insight into how the universe began and how it works, and into the origins of mankind. These models, however, also have significant gaps and cannot explain the root cause of many scientific observations. Why did the Big Bang happen? How and why do the fundamental forces work? How and why do the elementary particles exist? How did consciousness evolve? What is consciousness? We at best have only incomplete answers to these questions.

These gaps and unanswered questions leave room for belief in things that exist beyond the material world we perceive. The unanswered questions of science are “known unknowns”—they are things that we know that we do not know. These known unknowns already leave room open for the possibility of belief.

But it would be wise to have the epistemological humility to also recognize the possibility of “unknown unknowns”—things that we do not even know that we do not know. The inherent limitations of our senses, our scientific instruments, and our brains leave open the possibility that there are realities beyond what we can perceive and measure—things we are incapable of even understanding. Indeed, it is impossible to prove or disprove the existence of God as He is often described in the monotheistic faiths: an invisible, all-powerful, all-knowing being who is present everywhere.

Having this epistemological humility leaves still greater room, even for the most rationally minded person, to believe in the existence of God.

With that room left open for belief, though, the question still remains, why believe? Many people do so after their own personal encounter with the divine. We will talk more about that in a moment, but there are other reasons for believing in God as well. Like William James, you can root it in pragmatic concerns. Just as there is a relationship between well-being and religiosity, there is also a relationship between belief in God and well-being, both physical and mental. People who believe in God are healthier, happier, live longer, and act more morally. As with the research on religiosity, the evidence is compelling. Once again, if you have any doubt, please turn right now to the second chapter of The Triple Path, on page 29, for a longer discussion (including many references to peer-reviewed academic journals).

Based on what we can measure about belief in God, deciding on theism makes sense. If the question of God’s existence is fundamentally unprovable, but belief in Him brings such positive results, then the rational response is to believe in God.

Yet, the world’s major religions often teach very different things about God. Looking more granularly, conceptions and definitions of God are almost as varied as the number of individuals holding them. How can we meaningfully discuss the question of God’s existence and His characteristics if we do not even have a coherent definition of what He is? Indeed, people with mutually contradictory belief systems claim the same sorts of spiritual, divine feelings as confirmation of the truth of their beliefs about God.

So what does this mean? It might mean that there is one true religion and all the rest are false (and thus that the spiritual experiences of those religions’ members are false). Or, it might mean that there is no God. The Triple Path favors a different explanation.

Its explanation is twofold: first, that we human beings are not very good at hearing God and understanding Him. As Paul says in the Bible, “we see through a glass, darkly”.1 Second, we believe that God wants us to figure many things out for ourselves.

We believe that it is impossible to fully define God with words. Each person must experience God for themself—this is each person’s right, and solemn responsibility. It is your right and responsibility. It is less important to define God with much precision than it is to personally encounter Him and thus come to a greater understanding of Him for yourself.

The Triple Path’s conception of God is best described as Theistic Rationalism. We believe that rationalism and religion can be compatible—we can commune and communicate with God, but He puts us in control of our actions, and thus also responsible for their consequences.

We pray to God to express our gratitude, goals, and desires. Maybe we even pray for miracles, but we believe that the outcomes of our life are usually the result of our actions, natural laws, random chance, and the choices of others. We thus believe that bad things happen for the same reasons.

Our simple belief in God leaves open many questions about life, existence, and the supernatural. Those questions are important, but no one appears to have found any good, definitive answers to them yet. The lack of those certain answers is not a reason to reject the good that comes from believing in God and practicing religion. A parable from Buddhist scripture helps explains why. This is my adaption of it:

A man was shot with a poisoned arrow. As he lay injured, his family and friends brought a doctor to him to remove the arrow and administer an antidote for the poison.

The man stopped the doctor, saying, “I will not have this arrow removed until I know the surgical technique to be used; until I know whether he who wounded me was wealthy or poor, well-liked or unpopular, sane or crazy, powerful or impotent. I will not have it removed until I know the name of he who wounded me; until I know whether he was tall or short, dark or pale, blond or brunette; until I know whether his eyes were blue, brown, green, or gray; until I know his city, state, and country; until I know the language he speaks; until I know whether the bow firing the arrow that wounded me was a long bow or a crossbow; until I know whether the bowstring was made of natural or artificial fibers; until I know whether the arrow’s shaft was wood, bamboo, reed, aluminum, or carbon fiber.”

His family begged him to at least receive an injection of the antidote.

He said, “I will not receive an antidote to the poison until I know whether the poison is natural or synthetic; until I know whether it is acid or base; until I know whether it is neurotoxic, carcinogenic, or radioactive; until I know how much poison has entered my bloodstream; until I know the lethal dosage of the poison; until I know the chemical formula of the antidote; and until I know the amount to be administered to me.”

The man died and all those things about which he had questioned still remained unknown to him. Indeed, for those around him with the tools to save him—his family, friends, and doctor—the answers to many of his questions were as much mysteries to them as they were to him. And even for the answers they did have, there was not enough time to explain them before the arrow and poison killed him.2

Rationalism, empiricism, and pragmatic concerns are important, but so are the subjective and emotional side of things. Religion, God, and tradition add color and meaning to life. They can bring happiness and a feeling of connection to something greater than yourself.

Our time on this earth is limited. Even if we do not understand what they mean or how they work, it makes little sense to reject religion, God, and the traditions of our forefathers if they can help us be better, do better, and find meaning. Do not worry so much about getting the answers to all of life’s questions right away—there are more important things to focus on first. Instead, worry about removing the poisoned arrows of selfishness, hypocrisy, ignorance, foolishness, evil, and lazy despair from your life. The evidence shows that religion and God can help you do that. And that is good enough.

So, read The Triple Path and learn about it Try following it. Test its fruits for yourself. Come back to religion and God.

1 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV).

2 See The Triple Path, Parable 4, The Poisoned Arrow, on page 307, paraphrased from Cula Malunkyovada Sutta, The Shorter Instructions to Malun­kya.