Why Blindly Rejecting God Is More Irrational Than You Think
- Steve Washington
- Jan 13
- 5 min read
Introduction
We rely on systems and people so haphazardly every day that we barely think about it. Whether it’s the water we drink, the food we eat, or the vehicles we trust to carry us safely, so much of life depends on unseen processes and unverified assumptions. And yet, we rarely question them.
But, when it comes to discussing God, truth, and the reliability of the Bible, many take a vastly different approach. They demand irrefutable evidence: proof so overwhelming that it leaves no room for doubt. “I would have to see, touch, or experience it firsthand,” they might say. And while this standard might seem logical, it raises an important question: do we apply that same level of skepticism to all areas of life?
Faith is deeply personal, and even as someone who follows the teachings of the Bible, I honor, respect, and encourage your right to explore these questions for yourself. But as a fellow seeker of truth, I believe it’s worth examining how we approach trust and evidence in our lives. Let’s take a closer look.
Blind Trust in Everyday Life
Extraordinary trust is a fundamental part of navigating the world, especially regarding unseen systems and people. Consider the restaurant kitchen: every time we eat out, we entrust our health and safety to individuals we’ve never met. Think about it. Have you ever encountered someone on the street who seemed so deeply disturbed that you picked up your pace to try and avoid or move quickly past them? You’d never in your life consider allowing them to cook a meal for you or your family, right? Yet, when you eat at a restaurant, you have no way of knowing who is preparing your food, let alone their state of mind. For all you know, someone just like that could be in the kitchen, or worse. You don’t investigate it, you don’t ask questions, you just eat.
If you truly held a consistent standard of proof and skepticism, wouldn’t you prepare every meal at home where you could control every detail? After all, the convenience of a prepared meal isn’t essential for survival, especially when the stakes involve your health and safety. But instead, we willingly trade that control for the ease of dining out, the hope for quality experiences, trusting in people and processes we never see.
The same is true for the water we drink. Millions of people consume tap water daily without questioning how and if it’s kept safe. Few understand processes like chlorination or reverse osmosis; even fewer visit treatment plants to verify the water's quality. We simply assume the system works and drink without hesitation. Then there’s the car you drive. Have you ever paused to check your lug nuts before hitting the highway? Do you consider the possibility that someone could have tampered with them? Likely not. You assume they’re secure, even though a failure could be catastrophic.
You know, I could go on forever, right? Trust in the drivers speeding past us on the road, trust in air traffic controllers to prevent planes from colliding with you or your family onboard, or even over your house if you fall into the 'but I don’t fly' category. No matter what, you can’t escape your blind trust.
These examples reveal a striking double standard: we demand virtually no evidence for our trust in life-or-death matters like food, water, and transportation, yet when it comes to God, we insist on overwhelming proof. Why are we so comfortable placing faith in unseen systems and people, yet we approach belief in God with skepticism so rigid it often becomes impossible to satisfy?
That said, I don’t believe we should enter our pursuit of truth, faith, and the God of the Bible blindly or haphazardly. Did you know that countless times throughout the Bible, God expects and, in some places, commands mankind to test His reliability? One of Jesus’s closest followers, Thomas, who may or may not have earned a long-lasting nickname for his doubts, voiced what many of us have thought. He essentially said, “Unless I can see and touch Him for myself, I won’t believe.”
You see, wrestling with doubt is a profound human experience. Many of us say, “If there is a God and He wants us to believe in Him, He needs to overwhelm us with evidence. We need to see Him and touch Him.” But consider this: if God is real, if He is the Creator and Supreme Being, would it make sense for Him to submit to our terms? Wouldn’t it be more reasonable to think the Creator might have a superior understanding to that of the creation?
This is worth pondering, but it’s not where the conversation ends. God hasn’t left us to guess at His existence or believe in Him blindly. Instead, He has left a tremendous trail of breadcrumbs pointing us toward faith in Him. His most significant act of revelation was entering our world, experiencing the fullness of human existence, its joys and pains, friendships and betrayals, victories and losses. Unlike us, He lived a life free of sin, injustice, or ill intent toward anyone, yet He chose to die the most torturous death known to humanity at the time. Why? To show His love for us and to create a bridge for all to experience a meaningful relationship with Him.
But how can I expect you to believe all of this just because I said so? I’m not asking you to adopt blind faith. I’m asking you to take the opposite approach. Unlike the blind faith you willingly exercise in countless areas of life, I encourage you to investigate the evidence for God for yourself. Just as you might trust the food from the new restaurant in town because you’ve reasoned, “I haven’t heard any reports of food poisoning here, and health inspectors are likely doing their job,” I urge you to apply the heart of that same logic to explore the reliability of the Bible and the claims of Christianity.
Where to Begin?
Many people have dedicated their lives to exploring these questions, offering historical evidence and reasoning for why they find the Bible historically accurate and reliable. These resources don’t rely on the circular logic of “The Bible is true because it says so.” That’s not only philosophically weak; it’s arrogant. Instead, they examine external evidence, historical accounts, and reasoned arguments worth exploring. Your conclusion is yours to make.
Here are a few places to start:
Remember, faith isn’t a call to abandon reason; it’s an invitation to engage with it. And if you’re willing to investigate these questions with the same openness you apply to the trust you extend in everyday life, I believe you’ll find compelling reasons to consider the claims of the Bible and faith in God.