Reason, Intuition and More

Galileo said, "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended for us to forego their use." I strongly agree, but I must add that this same God endowed us with imagination, intuition and inspiration. I think we should celebrate all these gifts. In my opinion it is the combination of all these attributes that makes us distinctly human.

I believe our ability to reason is our most important human characteristic. Reason and intellect distinguish us from mere animals. David Pyle said, "Without faith, reason is cold... but without reason faith is blind." Reason alone can be cold. Spock, of Star Trek fame, is the personification of reason, but he is also human. So even though this half-human suppresses his emotions, we can warm to him, because he does not lack imagination, intuition or inspiration.

Our passions can make us all too human when they exceed reasoning's ability to keep them under control. But I would not suggest that we suppress passion too much. At a healthy level it provides drive and energy to push us forward when we encounter obstacles. We know what happens when passion is at its worst. And while you can be too passionate, I don't know that you can be too reasonable, not unless you suppress your other human characteristics.

My notion of God must make sense to me. And life simply makes more sense to me with God than without. My faith is a faith based on reason, but not on reason alone. My intuition tells me it is sensible to bridge the gap between knowing and believing. Nature inspires me to believe that there is a reason that we exist, even if our intellect cannot yet identify that reason. Is it imagination that attributes this mystery to God? Is God simply the name we give to this mystery? I am not so arrogant that I claim to know. I am suspicious of anyone who makes such claims. I claim only to believe, and I don't expect anyone else to believe except on their own terms.

So how can any religion or philosophy ever be true if it treats us as though we are all the same when clearly we are not? If a belief system does not celebrate individuality, I recommend that we proceed with caution. We can benefit from the experience of others, but we must think for ourselves. What works for one may not work for another. We are all born with potential, but we do not have the same beginnings; we should not expect to achieve the same ends through the same means. We are reasoning beings. It doesn't make sense to me that we should ever abandon reason, no matter what. I believe our reason and our intellect should guide us, and I think we should take advantage of all the gifts we are given to reach our full potential. Sense, reason, intellect, imagination, intuition and inspiration are positive qualities I think we all should nurture. Be wary of those who suggest that you should hide or suppress any of these traits. Question whether such people are looking out for your best interests, and consider the possibility that someone else is doing their thinking for them.