The Dialectic of Atheism and Theism: An Agnostic's Perspective Interesting post, however, I'd like to present an alternative perspective that might add to the complexity of this discussion.
Consider the following flipped argument:
1. If there is no empirical evidence for something, then belief in that something is based on faith and personal beliefs, not fact.
2. There is currently no empirical evidence for the non-existence of a deity.
3. Therefore, the belief in the non-existence of a deity is based on faith and personal beliefs, not fact. (1,2 MP)
This alternative argument suggests that both theism and atheism involve a degree of faith and personal beliefs, as neither position can be definitively proven or disproven with empirical evidence alone. The debate between theism and atheism often extends beyond empirical evidence and encompasses philosophical, logical, and experiential grounds.
Pascal's Wager automatically comes to my mind. It can be summarized as follows:
1. If you believe in God and God exists, you gain infinite happiness.
2. If you believe in God and God does not exist, you lose little or nothing.
3. If you do not believe in God and God exists, you face infinite loss.
4. If you do not believe in God and God does not exist, you gain little or nothing.
However, I know this can potentially have problems. While neither theists nor atheists can provide conclusive empirical evidence for their positions, I find the theistic arguments, such as the Cosmological Argument and the Teleological Argument, to be more convincing and coherent than their atheistic counterparts. In addition to these philosophical arguments, I think it's important to consider the limitations of human knowledge. There are many aspects of reality, such as higher dimensions or the nature of consciousness, that we are still struggling to understand. If a deity exists, it is likely to be a transcendent, complex, and powerful being that could potentially exist beyond the limits of human comprehension. Expecting to fully understand or grasp the nature of such a being using our current level of knowledge might be an unrealistic expectation.