Argument from Personal Experience
Several years ago, I was a big festival, listening to an amazing group. Everyone around me was singing along - as was I. The atmosphere was electric, and I was overcome by an immense feeling of euphoria and connectedness. It was as if time had stopped, and I was completely immersed in the moment, and the people around me. If there was a heaven, it would be like that moment, where nothing else mattered but the experience.
I was stone cold sober at the Glastonbury Festival listening to R.E.M.
Understandably I don’t hold much truck with the “I believe in God because I had this amazing personal experience“. I’m sure that people do have amazing personal experiences that they just cannot explain. But, I fail to see why God is such a brilliant explanation.
I’ve never told a religious person about my Glastonbury experience, as I’m pretty certain that they’d tell me that it wasn’t the same. That it wasn’t as good as their God experience. Maybe they’re right - it’s a little difficult to tell. But, I think that would unfairly denigrates my experience.
Experience is everything. And intense experiences that you remember for years are one of the things that life is made of. Just because you are a reasonable and rational human being, doesn’t mean you can’t have remarkable, and unexplainable experiences. But, as you know, that doesn’t make them anything other than utterly human.
Image by Napalm filled tires
Popularity: 35% [?]
Comments
6 Responses to “Argument from Personal Experience”
Got something to say?
I’ve never told a religious person about my Glastonbury experience, as I’m pretty certain that they’d tell me that it wasn’t the same. That it wasn’t as good as their God experience.
That’s exactly the problem with “experiential” evidence. There’s no way to measure it. But religious people often don’t understand why some forms of evidence are far more credible than others.
I agree. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to explain to people that just because they (think they) have experienced something that’s no reason for me to believe in God.
I am trying to live and let live. But it’s not easy.
I know what you mean when it comes to amazing concert experiences.
It the closest I’ve come to a ‘religious’ experience.
I get the same result with some computer games. Maybe that is why they are addicting…
@Australian Atheist:
I’d love to know whether my concert experiences are any different to other people’s religious experiences. I’m not sure that I could find out though.
@Samuel:
If I had that experience with computer games, I’m sure I’d find them addicting. As it is, I have poor hand-eye coordination and suck at most/all of them.
Plonkee, it can be difficult to live and let live at times. How do I cope? Sounds easier said than done but…I used to have thin skin and intolerant comments used to be such a bugger. Now my skin is thick, and when people say intolerant things about different religions or irreligion or non-theism, I let it slide, or at most steam off for but a few brief moments. When you hear it constantly every Sunday after church during brunch — I only go for the free food and to be with family — it just slides off like that. ::snaps while saying ‘that’::