Is there a God? Or is there no God? Based on the history of the world that we know and based on what we see and observe in this world.
Here are the questions I had in mind:
First Question, Which has a better explanation about the physical world that we live in. Why do we have a physical body? Why do we see physical matters or things that we can see and feel? If there is no God in the naturalistic explanation, these things are what only exist. The natural world, the world, our physical bodies should be present because there are no immaterial and non-physical entities. All immaterial, like our consciousness, exists through our physical or material bodies because we have a physical brain.
That is why for me, it's a check for naturalism. It's like it's just natural that there is a physical world because it's naturalism.
In theism, if there is God. Well, it is also possible that we have our own physical bodies and physical world. It is also possible that God made all of this for us humans. However, because God is so powerful, and because he himself doesn't have a physical body and is only a spirit, it is also possible that he created creatures that are also a spirit like him. Minds that just float and fly around that don't have a body, just like angels who are just spirits. God could also create different kinds of creatures. God could also create nothing, so there are so many possibilities in God, and the existence of our physical body and world is not clear in theism on why God created all of these things.
Also, the theory of evolution. It's also possible that God made all of these through evolution. But, God doesn't need to follow the long process of evolution. The fact that God could create humans, just one snap of God's fingers, then we already exist.
Then why do we need to go through an evolution? There are so many animals who died. So, the evidence of evolution favors naturalism, or there is no God because everything needs to go through all of those. After all, that is the only way for the living organisms to be formed or created that we see today in naturalism.
But, the question of why. Why is there a physical world? Both naturalism and theism could not answer why. Because in theism, they say that there is a natural world because God created it, but there is no evidence. And why? Why is it that God created us? For us to live in the world and for God to know if we go to heaven and for us to become spirits and be with him? Why can't God just make us spirit the whole time? Can't God test or try us in our spirit form? It is like, why do we need a physical body?
So the existence of our physical world is just natural in naturalism. However, it is not impossible in theism, but it is not needed, and it makes me wonder. Out of all options, why does God needed to create this kind of world?
For me, the point goes to naturalism.
Second Question, Which has a better explanation of why we feel pain and suffering in this world? So, there are different kinds. This is also what they refer to as the problem of evil. If a good and righteous God cares for us, why do we see people suffering and going through a series of tribulations?
Today, we can see that in our current situation, it is tough due to the pandemic known as the Covid pandemic. If we also look at the history of the world, there are wars, natural calamities, and disasters, illnesses that cause suffering and death to the species in this world.
So these are the opinions from naturalism and theism that I have known:
On the naturalism side, if there is no God, it's all just natural because we are just the product of evolution through natural selection. The fact that we feel pain, for example, one house is burning, and you are in a deep sleep, you woke up because of the extreme heat and smoke, and because of that, you ran away, escaped, and survived. Another example is when an animal has bitten you, for example, a dog, you felt pain. You suddenly ran away and went far away and reached the hospital. You were given an antirabies vaccine or medicine. The fact that you felt pain helped you to survive and live. So, the pain we feel helps us survive at the very least. That is what we can observe by the evolution through natural selection. The species that could adjust and make some ways not to be eaten by other animals and have enough food and avoid feeling pain make the race of animals continue developing, growing, and improving for millions of years.
That's why in naturalism, it's just natural for us to suffer and feel pain because nature doesn't care about us. We are the ones to decide, adjust and follow nature, and if we can't adjust, then we suffer, feel pain and become dead.
However, in theism, if there is God, this is doubtful because God doesn't need to follow the laws of nature. Can't God fine-tune the nature wherein people could only feel pain if they have done something wrong?
This is what I don't understand. They said that evil or bad things happen mainly because we are sinful, and God is punishing us. But why do creatures or humans who don't have the ability and cannot decide between right and wrong feel pain and suffering and sometimes even worse than what adults experience?
This is because there is a difference between a moral agent and a moral patient. If we say moral agents, these are the people of the right age, adult human beings. In law, these people have an obligation and responsibility to abide by the law. So, I understand if God is punishing those moral agents, the people who are adults just like me.
However, what I don't understand is that is why there are moral patients that feel the same and sometimes even worse conditions and suffering than moral agents. If we say moral patients, these are those people who don't have the responsibility and are not accountable for their actions. Their minds still don't have enough knowledge and wisdom to decide the morality between right and wrong. It includes children and animals mostly because they are using only their instincts. For example, if a baby has broken something, we can't get angry at them, but if an adult has broken something, you have lots of questions like, why did you break that? That is because we already have the ability to think and decide as an adult than children, most especially than animals.
However, why do moral patients feel and suffer from extreme pain? Some said that if you wanted to know if there is God or none, visit children's hospitals and look at the children who have cancer. Most of their parents pray and ask for help from God. There are so many of them who are God believers, but why is it like that? Can't God fine-tune bacterias, viruses, and cancer cells for it to bring diseases only to the moral agents? Why do innocent children are being included? And not only that, watch National Geographic Channels, look at the life of animals in the wild, it's very dangerous.