Q&A: Hello Rabbi Michi, I came across a video in which you are mentioned regarding faith, atheism, rationality, and science
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Hello Rabbi Michi, I came across a video in which you are mentioned regarding faith, atheism, rationality, and science
Question
- Today I came across an unusual and fascinating video that presents, in a rational, scientific, and logical way, a deep analysis that challenges the principles of atheism and the claims of atheists. The video presents an intellectual and sound approach that makes one rethink basic assumptions that had previously been taken for granted, while maintaining respect for facts and science.
- I wanted to hear what you think about it.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPe9TLCADKc
Answer
Why does it seem to you that it is unusual and deep? I didn’t see any of that there. It presents several ways to prove the existence of God—entropy, the second law of thermodynamics, the cosmological proof, and so on—but they’re all one and the same. It’s just a misunderstanding. Nor does it challenge the atheists’ claims in any way. There isn’t even a single argument there that is properly presented. There is a list of arguments (with repetitions, as mentioned) without presenting them and without discussing them. In short, superficiality incarnate.
Discussion on Answer
They are different arguments if they are presented as such.
Fine, so we disagree.
Thank you for the response. Allow me to disagree with you, Rabbi Michael.
In my (personal) opinion, it is unusual, because it presents belief in God differently from popular rabbis (like Hidabroot, for example). By the way, you too are completely different from the religious mainstream on this issue. I’m not sure whether you watched the entire video, but it explicitly says that it is not meant to prove anything. Rather, it aims “to offer an open and balanced discussion that focuses on the rational and philosophical aspects of religion.” In my opinion, the video presents belief in God, or Judaism, in a somewhat more rational way than what is usually presented to the general public.
As for the arguments and concepts: in your opinion, is the cosmological proof not different from the complexity argument (the teleological one)?
Doesn’t the cosmological argument mainly deal with causes and effects, while the teleological one deals with complexity and order?
Aren’t these two different arguments?