For me it was the knowledge that Matthew 6 was logical for me, who as a young kid I had determined some people who were not very intelligent were telling me what god is saying. I read the bible, and I found most of these folks dictating what is christian was skewed and strange. So as an adolescent, I embraced the clarity of Matthew 6 much like the Protestant reformation which questioned the authority of the Church.
Things began to get more complicated after taking numerous philosophy courses and debating the best thinkers on the existence of God. Discussions which have happened for hundreds and hundreds of years as each person tests the limits of empirical verification of God. Yet, my adolescent rebellion against my perception that hypocrisy ruled modern religion soon evolved into a common thread concerning a concept of truth. In philosophy there is a certainty in the natural world, math, and science which is certain and appears to not just be random but a central apex.....something higher is not random but a unifying force in our universe. It is this side of the equation which is complex and not an adolescent rebellion against BS.
I think each person has a personnel journey. I know incredibly intelligent people who are atheist and agnostic, and I know incredibly intelligent people of faith. I have found truth to be a central organizational tenet in my life which involves actions over words. Good is not an abstraction and evil is real. Working for good and truth is consistent with my beliefs. Working with propaganda and lies is not consistent with my beliefs. I make no pretense of having any answers for anybody else. I am simply quite at peace with my beliefs and the truths of this world.
Things began to get more complicated after taking numerous philosophy courses and debating the best thinkers on the existence of God. Discussions which have happened for hundreds and hundreds of years as each person tests the limits of empirical verification of God. Yet, my adolescent rebellion against my perception that hypocrisy ruled modern religion soon evolved into a common thread concerning a concept of truth. In philosophy there is a certainty in the natural world, math, and science which is certain and appears to not just be random but a central apex.....something higher is not random but a unifying force in our universe. It is this side of the equation which is complex and not an adolescent rebellion against BS.
I think each person has a personnel journey. I know incredibly intelligent people who are atheist and agnostic, and I know incredibly intelligent people of faith. I have found truth to be a central organizational tenet in my life which involves actions over words. Good is not an abstraction and evil is real. Working for good and truth is consistent with my beliefs. Working with propaganda and lies is not consistent with my beliefs. I make no pretense of having any answers for anybody else. I am simply quite at peace with my beliefs and the truths of this world.