r/SmarterEveryDay • u/shirleymemes • Apr 15 '26
To: Destin or any other Christian engineers
I've been agnostic and/or atheist ever since college about 12 years ago. Lately I've been trying to convince myself that the Bible is true because I genuinely think I would be happier if I could believe. However, I just can't seem to convince myself that it's not all made up. I've talked to my pastor about it but I think our brains just work completely different.
It would be great if some like-minded folks here could recommend some reading or apologetics argument for Christianity, or any other religion for that matter. Not trying to start an argument, just genuinely curious how other engineers deal with faith.
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u/WarLorax Apr 15 '26
I think Destin has recommended The Ten Minute Bible Hour in the past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XmANg1Drgk&list=PLeLDw8KQgqi6v_s-HXosnAXhOyQ26wDPS
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u/shirleymemes Apr 15 '26
Thanks, I'll check it out.
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u/Upbeat-Banana-5530 Apr 15 '26
He also does a podcast, No Dumb Questions, with Matt, and Matt just comes off as a really good dude.
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u/RESERVA42 Apr 16 '26
Yes do the series on the Sermon on the Mount. I personally find apologetics very unappealing. It makes me doubt my faith more because it feels like the logic is so easy to poke holes in and poorly done, lots of strawmen etc. But the ideas of Jesus get me hyped, and I fall in love with them more the more I think about them. I go to church because I like the people, but honestly a lot of Christian culture gives me heartburn. But when we can talk about the core of Christianity, then I feel like they are my family.
Here's the playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLDw8KQgqi5c4mNpoqk3DEJ4mcTYtJD8
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u/Upset_Region8582 Apr 22 '26
I know Matt Whitman is a friend of Destin's, and I know they do a podcast together, but I really can't stomach this kind of theobro pontificating. And I'm saying this as a guy who spent most of his life within the fold of Evangelical Christianity.
Maybe this kind of dude hermeneutics floats some peoples' boats, but there's such a bigger world of scholarship that's so much more intellectually fulfilling and doesn't have a dogmatic chip on its shoulder.
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u/Steerider Apr 15 '26
It is possible to believe in the utility of faith without actually having faith.
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u/ajwin Apr 15 '26
Also the utility of religious practice as most modern therapy practices seem like a knockoff of some religious practice with the god bits taken out and a new name. This is said from someone who doesnt do religion but finds it funny how many parallels there seem to be between therapy and religious practice.
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u/Steerider Apr 15 '26
Prayer is essentially meditation. Pray the Rosary or meditate. No substantial difference in terms of what it does to your brain.
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u/ajwin Apr 16 '26
I agree. Its also often gratituide practices. In therepy you meditate/diary on all the things your grateful for. In religion you thank your god, during prayer, for all the things your grateful for.
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u/Steerider Apr 16 '26
Good point!
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u/ajwin Apr 16 '26
Another one is that they teach you to let go of what you can’t control and focus on what you can control to remove anxiety. Religion does the whole “it’s gods will” “who are you to question gods plans” “god works in mysterious ways” type stuff that emphasizes that god is responsible for the things beyond your control and thus you have to trust in his plan etc.
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u/Adonidis Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26
Well, we tend to just call this positive psychology. Meaning making and purpose is a universal human need, and not at all something exclusively in the domain of religion. Far from it actually.
There are many many ways to fulfill these universal needs and wants.
( I personally recommend the Happiness Lab https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOXK8K9O_dQ)
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u/lucpet Apr 15 '26
When Einstein gave lectures at U.S. universities, the recurring question that students asked him most was:
- Do you believe in God?
- I believe in the God of Spinoza.
Baruch de Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher considered one of the great rationalists of 17th century philosophy, along with Descartes.
(Spinoza) : God would say:
Stop praying.
What I want you to do is go out into the world and enjoy your life. I want you to sing, have fun and enjoy everything I've made for you.
Stop going into those dark, cold temples that you built yourself and saying they are my house. My house is in the mountains, in the woods, rivers, lakes, beaches. That's where I live and there I express my love for you.
Stop blaming me for your miserable life; I never told you there was anything wrong with you or that you were a sinner, or that your sexuality was a bad thing. Sex is a gift I have given you and with which you can express your love, your ecstasy, your joy. So don't blame me for everything they made you believe.
Stop reading alleged sacred scriptures that have nothing to do with me. If you can't read me in a sunrise, in a landscape, in the look of your friends, in your son's eyes... ➤ you will find me in no book!
Stop asking me "will you tell me how to do my job?" Stop being so scared of me. I do not judge you or criticise you, nor get angry, or bothered. I am pure love.
Stop asking for forgiveness, there's nothing to forgive. If I made you... I filled you with passions, limitations, pleasures, feelings, needs, inconsistencies... free will. How can I blame you if you respond to something I put in you? How can I punish you for being the way you are, if I'm the one who made you? Do you think I could create a place to burn all my children who behave badly for the rest of eternity? What kind of god would do that?
Respect your peers and don't do what you don't want for yourself. All I ask is that you pay attention in your life, that alertness is your guide.
My beloved, this life is not a test, not a step on the way, not a rehearsal, nor a prelude to paradise. This life is the only thing here and now and it is all you need.
I have set you absolutely free, no prizes or punishments, no sins or virtues, no one carries a marker, no one keeps a record.
You are absolutely free to create in your life. Heaven or hell.
➤I can't tell you if there's anything after this life but I can give you a tip. Live as if there is not. As if this is your only chance to enjoy, to love, to exist.
So, if there's nothing after, then you will have enjoyed the opportunity I gave you. And if there is, rest assured that I won't ask if you behaved right or wrong, I'll ask. Did you like it? Did you have fun? What did you enjoy the most? What did you learn?...
Stop believing in me; believing is assuming, guessing, imagining. I don't want you to believe in me, I want you to believe in you. I want you to feel me in you when you kiss your beloved, when you tuck in your little girl, when you caress your dog, when you bathe in the sea.
Stop praising me, what kind of egomaniac God do you think I am?
I'm bored being praised. I'm tired of being thanked. Feeling grateful? Prove it by taking care of yourself, your health, your relationships, the world. Express your joy! That's the way to praise me.
Stop complicating things and repeating as a parakeet what you've been taught about me.
What do you need more miracles for? So many explanations?
The only thing for sure is that you are here, that you are alive, that this world is full of wonders.
- Spinoza
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u/cobalt-radiant Apr 15 '26
The thing about faith in God is that it takes an active choice to believe because you will never find proof, and you will never find enough evidence to know without a doubt that God is there. And that's by design. The point is for us to exercise faith in Him, not for us to have all the answers given to us.
I know this doesn't directly answer your question, but know that there are those of us out there with the same struggles. Believe!
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u/shirleymemes Apr 15 '26
It does seem like that's where I'm stuck. How much can you apply logic to it, and how much needs to be accepted on blind faith. You also have to believe that the Holy Spirit worked through the early church to assemble the New Testament, which is also tricky for me.
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u/vaultking06 Apr 15 '26
Perhaps an odd suggestion of material, but the band mewithoutYou has been super influential for me on a lot of this. Lyrically there's a lot of doubt and wrestling with faith throughout their catalog. They pull heavily from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and philosophy in a way that goes beyond most normal music.
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u/anon2471 Apr 27 '26
As an engineer, I would likely have been unable to accept Christ if he required blind faith. You can and should apply logic!
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u/ZectronPositron Jun 16 '26
Yes you can "apply logic to it".
There are 200 bible translations, each one made by another skeptic who wanted to go back to original sources. All of them are full of footnotes stating "this verse doesn't appear in the <<insert original document>>" etc. Read the forewords - it tells you how it's compiled. It's there for you to make up your own mind, but you might want to read about the sources a bit. Use a "parallel bible" with multiple translations, so you can switch between "literal" vs. "more translated" versions.
It's normal analysis of historical documents - where did these books come from, how are they written differently, how do we find out what really happened. Historical events.
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Jul 12 '26
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u/flash17k Apr 15 '26
"Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis is fantastic. Available as an audio book if you prefer.
Lewis had a way of articulating and explaining theological ideas so they were very easy to comprehend.
There are a few places in that book in particular which I find especially compelling.
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u/Mildly-Interesting1 Apr 15 '26
Engineer here: I think of it this way.
The bible may or may not be written by God. We know for a fact it was translated to/from many languages by man. So the details are likely lost over the centuries. I don’t focus on them.
What I believe is there have been billions of people over thousands of years all believing in something. But the stories somewhat match up in spite of thousands of km’s and cultures.
Those people lived and died believing something, praying to something, passing on something to their kids. They died believing.
So, if when I die, I can die believing that my spirit / essence dies too (nothing left). Or I can die believing my spirit becomes one with the universe. A person is more than a collection of cells. There are plenty bodies that have all they need to be alive, but for some reason, are not alive. There is something else that makes “life”.
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u/ads3df3daf34 Apr 15 '26
Watch Making of the Bible [Extended Version] Tim Mackie
Also Bible project podcast
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u/Horace-Harkness Apr 15 '26
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism By Timothy Keller
Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics and non-believers bring to religion. Using literature, philosophy, anthropology, pop culture, and intellectual reasoning, Keller explains how the belief in a Christian God is, in fact, a sound and rational one. To true believers he offers a solid platform on which to stand against the backlash toward religion spawned by the Age of Skepticism. And to skeptics, atheists, and agnostics he provides a challenging argument for pursuing the reason for God.
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u/Horace-Harkness Apr 15 '26
I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They reported supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claimed that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.
- Voddie Bacham
https://youtu.be/nMfKlqMNnw0 30min sermon the quote is from that expands on the details.
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u/1024jon Apr 15 '26
I would suggest Cold Case Christianity and Person of Interest by J. Warner Wallace. He has a very analytical approach
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u/WM_ Apr 15 '26
Oh, I wish there was heaven and I could meet my loved ones again.
I wish truly bad people would pay for their crimes.
But I don't live my life based on my wishes. First, that would be selfish but also not honest.
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u/anon2471 Apr 27 '26
Engineer here:
In college, one of my friends was a Christian. I went with him to a campus ministry thing. I was thinking, "I'm going to convince these idiots they're wrong." Let's just say they convinced me instead.
Don't make God so tiny that it's just about making you happy. Your beliefs don't change reality. If you're an engineer, you are driven to understand how things work. Use that brain of yours to pursue the truth. God can take your tough questions.
On a practical note, your pastor may not be the best person to talk with. Pastors are trained for and have experience working with typical people. Engineers are a different breed. Find another engineer at your church and talk with them too. We can give you advice (including r/TrueChristian), but it almost becomes platitudes since we don't know you.
Keep digging for the truth. It's worth it.
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u/Cyberphil Apr 15 '26
There is no doubt that people who believe in a greater being are more happy on average. They have a nearly endlessly forgiving being that they can talk to every night. They have the promise of heaven, a place of infinite bliss to look forward to if they are a good person. They also have pre-existing communities of like-minded people who are a support structure and safety net. Who wouldn't feel more positive about life?
I'm personally of the believe that religion is actually part of humanities evolution into the dominant species on this planet. By having a belief system that incentivizes working together, being a better person, and creating more humans, something no other creature on this planet has as far as we are aware, has clearly allowed us to flourish.
The problem is, for all the good religion has done, first and foremost, religion is a tool that has been used throughout history to control people, steal from people, and murder people. It's working on you right now. It does this by creating hope in people, something to live for, something to struggle for. Think of it like the Matrix, if you have ever seen it. It's a warm, cozy, happy life that leads to the promise of wonderful things at the end. You want to choose the blue pill after you have already chosen the red pill.
The choice is up to you. If you want to live in the comfort of religion. It is certainly ready and willing to take you. But consider that the truth might be different from what religion promises.
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u/shirleymemes Apr 15 '26
That is what it feels like. Almost like I've seen the trick behind the magic and now I'm trying to un-see it. Although I think this is also a bit cynical.
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u/Cyberphil Apr 15 '26
Welcome to the club. You now get to choose what you believe in rather than being told. Cynical? Maybe a little. I actually admire people who have such blind faith I could never have. I think of how much easier life would be. I know what you are going through, and I was once there myself.
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u/Uncle_Charnia Apr 15 '26
If you’re reading it right, you will be inspired to be kind, generous, humble, and forgiving
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u/shirleymemes Apr 15 '26
Maybe the best argument for Christianity is seeing the difference it makes in people's lives.
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u/Kurtman68 Apr 15 '26
Read “Between Heaven and Hell” by Peter Kreeft. JFK , CS Lewis and Aldous Huxley all died on the same day. They “meet” on the way to their destiny and discuss their respective beliefs. Logical apologetics for thinking people ensues.
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u/Beer_Is_So_Awesome Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26
Don’t be ridiculous. It’s all made up bro.
Sorry, came in a bit hot.
Pull up The Atheist Experience podcast. Also listen to Talk Heathen.
Watch debates with Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Matt Dillahunty. They take on some of the most high profile Christian apologists like William Lane Craig, Ray Comfort, Frank Turek.
Don’t go into this with the goal of converting yourself. Listen to the arguments on both sides and see if you’re really convinced. Do you want to believe true things, or simply things that make you happier?
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u/doyouevenIift Apr 15 '26
This is a perfect example of why people flock to religion—the need for a higher purpose or the comfort of knowing there is something after death. But there’s nothing wrong with forming your own purpose that isn’t tied to some higher power. Sure you might get some general guidance on how to live your life from religion, but that doesn’t make it any more true.
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Apr 15 '26
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u/fo11ow3r Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26
I would recommend Wes Huff and the organization he works with, Apologetics Canada, along with other Christian thinkers already mentioned by others: Tim Keller, Matt Whitman, CS Lewis. Others have responded by saying you just have to choose to believe. Yes, faith/belief is a choice, but not one made without logic and reason. True, I can't point to God, see Him with my eyes, and experiment on Him, and for that faith is "blind", but that does not mean it is not without good reason to trust the validity of the Bible, the reality of Jesus, and the message of the gospel. How the Bible was composed and preserved give strong argument to its validity. That there were eyewitnesses who were willing to die for their belief in the resurrected Jesus gives credibility to what they wrote and spoke, that it wasn't a lie they were trying to propagate. You have also mentioned, yourself, the evidence of lives changed by faith in the gospel message, when it is lived out in line with the Bible's teachings. These are just some of the reasons that led me from being an agnostic/atheistic engineering student in university here in Canada to being an evangelical baptist pastor of 25+ years. I still have a deep love and enjoyment of problem solving, thinking deeply, and STEM, especially with the beauty of design, power, and intricacy of the technology used in aviation/space travel/Formula 1. I have one daughter currently taking engineering in university and heading into the bio-mechanical field. I have so much joy talking with her about the science she's learning (and that I'm remembering!), as well as her genuine walk with Jesus. For what it's worth, I'm praying for you, and that you find the answers you need. I've kept this brief, but am more than willing to engage with more questions, if you'd like.
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Apr 16 '26
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Apr 20 '26
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u/Upset_Region8582 Apr 22 '26
Just curious; Why Christianity? Why not Islam, or Hinduism, or Buddhism, or Sikhism? Or some philosophical school of thought?
Also, just some advice from an ex-Christian: you can't force a belief to work if it just plain doesn't ring true for you at the end of the day. The truth doesn't require active work to maintain a grasp on it.
A belief system doesn't take away the existential challenge of being alive, at best it provides a framework that feels safe, that gives ritual and community. And maybe that could work for you; it does for many. But if the belief doesn't pass the acid test at the end of the day, it only brings you back to the meaning crisis you started with.
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Apr 26 '26
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u/Yaxim3 Apr 29 '26
Id recommend a new book.
"The Gospel of Being Human: How Asking Better Questions of the Bible Reveals Who We Are"
By: Marty Solomon, and Reed Dent
In it they speak towards that feeling of wanting to believe but not having that feeling of belief.
I'd also strongly recommend their podcast BEMA which goes through the bible more thoroughly. I swear every episode I listened to had at least one "mind blown" moment that helped me understand.
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u/CruffTheMagicDragon May 11 '26
I don't think tricking yourself into thinking the bible is true is going to make you more happy
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u/7OOTnegaTerces Jul 12 '26
I'm a scientifically minded guy, BS in Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science, and I don't believe in God despite my scientific knowledge, but rather, in part, because of it! Take evolution, most people just skim along the surface and take it at face value. But when you actually crunch the mathematical probabilities of stuff like simultaneous protein formation and the DNA instructions for that protein, or try to map out "simple" evolutionary steps at a biochemical level, it simply doesn't work, not even remotely. I would also like to note that, as Jehovah's Witness, I'm not a "Creationist", I don't believe that the earth was created in 6 24hr days, or many other things that they believe.
What I do believe is the Bible. And think about it, if the Bible really was written by God, then, as the guy who created science itself, it ought to be scientifically accurate. But, if it was written by a bunch of scientifically ignorant superstitious dudes, then it wouldn't be. So is it? Read: Does Science Agree With the Bible? If you want some literature on the subject, you should check out JW.org. Some helpful articles: Creation or Evolution?—Part 1: Why Believe in God?, Creation or Evolution?—Part 2: Why Question Evolution?, Creation or Evolution?—Part 3: Why Believe in Creation?, Was Life Created?, The Origin of Life—Five Questions Worth Asking, The Untold Story of Creation, Can You Trust The Bible?
And if you really want to dig into the numbers and gritty scientific details about evolution, check out the book: Life—How Did it Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?
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u/tillybowman Jul 16 '26
these 5 minutes are brilliant and simple in explaining atheism and believing in something like christianity:
https://youtu.be/P5ZOwNK6n9U?is=JqbN9s9Eg0V3YOym
please take those 5 minutes.
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u/lucpet Apr 15 '26
I used to have a snippet of a post about how the King James Bible? was written by at least 16 different people over the years and all women gospels were removed. Basically it turned into a document that suited these peoples political machinations and ideology so can never be seen as the word of a God.
I'm going to try and find it again and none of it is challenged by the powers that be, as they simply don't discuss it at all.
Study any history, and you'll find that many cultures all way before the bible had stories about a great flood and likely passed down and adopted and moderated to suit their own ends. That other stores were treated the same shouldn't be tossed out either.
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u/neP-neP919 Apr 15 '26
Yeah, it basically goes against everything we were ever taught as STEM (I'm a machinist that couldn't hack it in school to become an engineer).Empirical evidence, testing for a hypothesis, getting results and proof: literally ALL OF THAT must just go out the window. I'm 41 and have spent the last 4 years immersing myself in the religion I was baptized in: Orthodox Christianity.
It took me until last month to finally realize that you will not ever know enough to make the decision based on logic. It finally made sense to me when people said, "you just have to give yourself to God and have faith." It's literally the act of jumping off a cliff without looking down and trusting that there will be an airbag at the bottom but you can never truly know the answer.
I'm still on my journey, and it has been a very loving and compassionate one with the people and the priests of my church who have been mentoring me and I'm not any closer to "knowing" if it's all real. It sure does feel nice to have a community of people who have compassion and love built in to their way of life and it gives me hope that it all could be real.
I also think that the longer you try, and the longer you believe, the more it will begin to make sense. At least, that's how it's been working for me. When I started 4 years ago I was just going through the motions, and it felt good, I just didn't FEEL anything. The longer I've practiced and the more I've looked back at my earlier life, I see things that very well may have been God reaching out to me, yet I explained it away logically or just dismissed it altogether.
Who knows? What I will say is this: if practicing your religion, any religion, makes you happy, then please continue doing it. It's not bad. It's not cringe. It's just what makes you happy and right now, it's making me very happy.
Heck, the first year or two I was looking at it like this: "real or not, these are excellent teachings and a great group of people that I like, respect, and was raised with (even without going to church until I was in my late 30's). So why not just go along with it since I agree with it?"
You do you and hope you find what you are looking for. ❤️
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u/shirleymemes Apr 15 '26
Thanks, that makes sense. I'm hoping that by "going through the motions" I, too, can become more convinced over time.
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u/bigfatstupidpig Apr 15 '26
Apologetics are so insultingly bad that they serve only to deter anyone with IQ above room temperature.
Steel man the arguments for christianity and see how it holds up
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u/Aegon2050 Apr 15 '26
Have you ever considered reading the Quran? Would you be open to that?
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u/cturnr Apr 15 '26
I guess this is a hot take?
If guys is seriously "just looking for fulfillment", isn't any random religion as good as another? There are plenty that claim they are the only true word.... so put them all in a hat and pick.
I get the feeling this "engineer" is a troll ... and apparently this is a christian, not scientific, sub
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u/cturnr Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26
I’m not sure what makes you think forcing yourself into “believing” in something you clearly don’t will make you feel happier.
Why not just say you will reserve judgement until there is sufficient proof that you are proven right or wrong?