My iPod is Magic

I made a comment on Facebook today about how, up until a year ago, I didn't think anyone actually believed in their religion. This immediately riled some people up. So, I figure I should explain my position on this. Hopefully, it'll make more sense to all of you.

This is the best analogy I can come up with. Let's say I ask an electrical engineer how my iPod works. At first, things will be general and simplified, so I can keep up alright. But then he starts adding on layers of complexity, showing me how particular circuits are put together and why, how they relate to others, etc. Eventually, it will reach a point where I can no longer comprehend his explanation (or am simply too mistified to keep trying). At this point, if he simply said, "It's magic," I'd accept the answer. I wouldn't believe it, but I would accept it, because the details are just too intricate for me to follow(at least not without more education/training/etc). This is where I thought people were with their religious beliefs; they knew that they didn't understand, but needed some sort of answer, so religion fills in the gap. But I didn't think anyone actually believed in it!

I know my iPod doesn't run on magic, but if someone asked me, that's the only answer I could give. It's not true, but because I can't understand it, and I can't explain it to someone else, then it's all I'm left with. What I say is "It's magic," but what I mean is "I don't know." I guess I thought everyone knew that when you're told "God created the earth," what they really mean is "No one knows." I think this is where the big rift between religion and science comes from. Scientists aren't satisfied with being told it's magic, because that means you're giving up on the question, you're accepting that no one knows. Just because no one knows, doesn't mean you can't find out, if you try hard enough.

I think people should disbelieve their religion. There are tons of criticisms I could throw out here, but they're all irrelevant. The main point is this: why give up on the big questions in life? Wondering why our world exists, is there any purpose to our lives, what happens when we die...These questions have so many important ramifications for how we live that we need to have the correct answers. By giving up on these questions, and saying "It's magic," we're leaving behind any possible good that could come from truly understanding them, and possibly opening the door to real harm.