Confronting Mystery
Anti-religionists argue that religion is irrational because it of necessity appeals to mystery. But those proposing physicalism also must accept mystery. The choice then is not between fact vs mystery, but mystery vs. mystery.
We can oversimplify the situation by saying that there are two different paths to take when attempting to answer some of the most basic questions. Questions like:
What is the universe?
Is our universe all there is?
Why is it and why am I here?
How was it and I made?
What is life and how did it start?
Does my life have any meaning?
One path is imposed on us by the cultural drivers of our post-Enlightenment era: physicalism. In this view, all facts, truths, and explanations are found or yet to be found in the physical matter and forces that determine their interactions. The other is the path that accepts there is more to the story than matter and forces and that all of reality must include an “unseen realm.” The great American philosopher and pioneering psychologist William James taught that accepting the reality of an unseen realm was the definition of religion.
The dictionary defines mystery as something difficult or impossible to explain. On Medium comments and posts from…
