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On Twitter, I am often engaged by Atheists. I am not where they are, though I enjoy talking with them. I am also not religious. I subscribe loosely to Voltaire’s observation:

“If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”

The reason is as follows: It appears to me that reality is one big ordered puzzle. It is breathtaking. A considerable portion of humanity studies it. So I wonder, how did this order come to pass?

The Atheists I have spoken with, by contrast, think reality is more chaos than order. The order already described by science is just made up by humans, or, so they say. Think gender theory. I don’t get this at all. They are, therefore, a great counter-point for my journey on reason.

In my effort to understand reason, I have studied ancient humans. None have worshiped a God. No doubt, the Neanderthals took death seriously, such as burying their dead, but it does appear they observed or worshipped a creator (no shrines or temples). Also, animals, even smart ones like dolphins, likewise do not worship a creator (as near as we can tell, that is). And, correspondingly, no ancient human or animal has produced a civilization. That’s the interesting part.

Humans, because of the prefrontal cortex, perceive order. This order enables them to develop a widening understanding reality. That understanding of reality makes civilization possible.

You might understand my concern with postmodernism (no objective truth, i.e., evidence of God). It is symptomatic of a decline in rationality. Yet, this decline in rationality puts civilization at risk.

I have no desire to go back to the caves (Neanderthals). So I study reason.