Per the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: “In both of these general areas there is no agreement over whether determinism is true (or even whether it can be known true or false), and what the import for human agency would be in either case.”

Not precisely what I’d deem an established “fact”.

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/determinism-causal/

Okay, so long as you promise in the meantime to examine your own mistaken opinions.

Look up determinism, then get back to me. You clearly have no understanding of this fact.

I don’t feel that I berated anyone, but apologies if I am mistaken.

I’m not responsible for the validity of your convictions. (I gather that you’re not really responsible either: You believe you’re at the mercy of mysterious forces, and powerless to make up your own mind. In that case I’m puzzled what would be the point of any dialog.)

Anyway, it’s not up to me to convince you of anything. If you (or the forces controlling you) are not interested in having sound convictions, there’s not much I can do about it.

But if you are willing to examine your own opinions, you might start by asking yourself just what you mean by “proof” of God’s “existence”, and why you suppose you’re unable to learn anything at all about God without this particular “proof”. (You might also ask the forces why they put words in your mouth about unicorns and fairies That’s just silly.)

That’s the thing you don’t get.
1. I am NOT free to choose. There is no such thing as free choice. Our brains give the impression that we are free to choice, but we are not. Until you understand that basic FACT we aren’t going to get far.
2. As we’ve all said to you over and over again, you need to prove that God exists before we can go any further with that too. Whether God is real is your belief. It is an opinion, It is NOT a fact. Berating me for avoiding or denying God is like berating me for avoiding/denying unicorns, fairies, or Yetis.

How the brain works is a scientific question. How a brain relates to a person is a philosophical question. How the physical world works is a scientific question. How it relates to reality is a philosophical question.

You avoid God by assiduously avoiding any serious thought about God. (Which of course you are perfectly free to choose to do.) You also dodge the question as to what one hopes to gain by avoiding God.

You clearly don’t understand how the brain works. This is a scientific question. We do not have free will. That is fact, not opinion.

And I’m not “avoiding” God. How can I avoid something that doesn’t exist? Get back to me when you have proof of God’s existence. Until then, all you have is your opinion. The burden of proof is on the one making the positive claim.

@HH: Sorry, but I could just as well reply that you need to learn some philosophy. Physics has nothing to do with it. The natural sciences deal with nature, not reality. (It may be your passionate belief that they’re the same, but that is merely an opinion, with no more weight than any other fervent but unwarranted opinion.)

The natural sciences produce information, not wisdom. They proceed by discovering, explaining and predicting patterns in data. This methodology in itself can’t tell you what’s real — in fact it doesn’t care what’s real as long as the patterns fit. Patterns are of no use when it comes to what is ultimately unique and unrepeatable — e.g., you, me, loved ones, neighbors, God.

I respect the sincerity of your beliefs. But the question remains, what is gained by choosing to avoid God? There’s a lot more at stake than just some nebulous feeling of “wonder at our universe”. What matters is the wisdom to understand ourselves, our relationships, and how we are to live our lives. Encountering God leads to a better life; running away does the opposite.

Sorry j.a.m., but you need to learn some physics. We weren’t created and there’s no such thing as free will, just the illusion of it. It is perfectly possible to feel wonder at our universe and all the other feelings you mention without the need to attribute them to God or a god. People who understand reality do it every day. Personally, I’ve found the world more wondrous since I stopped thinking God had anything to do with it.

God creates and sustains the reality that we experience. Reality proceeds from God, and not the other way around. God is not a “god” or a “friend” or any kind of entity. Nothing is more “real” or more “true”.

The natural stirrings of conscience in every person’s heart are the most vivid signs of divine life in us. Of course we’re free to choose not to listen to our heart, but then we are less alive, less able to pursue truth and do good.