INTRO The argument for the existence of God based on religious experience is one of the oldest and most common arguments for God's existence. It is based on the idea that because people have experienced God, God must exist.
THESIS Here I will argue there are a number of problems with this argument.
ARGUMENT 1 One problem is that the nature of reported experiences makes them hard to verify. Religious experiences are often described as ineffable, meaning that they cannot be put into words. They are also often described as subjective, meaning that they are experienced only by the individual. This makes it difficult to verify whether or not someone has actually had a religious experience, and it also makes it difficult to compare different people's religious experiences. William James commenting to the difficulty of verifying reported experiences argues "The very fact that we are incapable of describing the experience in detail shows that it is not of the same order as our ordinary sense-experiences." – Richard Swinburne agrees he’s says "Religious experience is notoriously difficult to verify. It is often described in vague and general terms, and it is hard to know whether two people who report having had the same kind of religious experience are actually referring to the same thing."
ARGUMENT 2 Another problem is that there are alternative explanations for the experiences reported. For example, some people have argued that religious experiences are simply the product of a person's imagination or wishful thinking. Others have argued that religious experiences are caused by psychological factors, such as stress, anxiety, or depression. Still others have argued that religious experiences are caused by neurological factors, such as temporal lobe epilepsy. J.L. Mackie, says "It is possible that religious experiences are simply the product of a person's imagination or wishful thinking. They may be caused by psychological factors, such as stress, anxiety, or depression. Or they may be caused by neurological factors, such as temporal lobe epilepsy." -
COUNTER ARGUMENT However, there are also a number of arguments in favor of the argument for the existence of God based on religious experience. Alvin Plantinga, says "Religious experience is a source of knowledge about God that is independent of reason and science.". Some people have argued that religious experiences are more likely to be caused by God than by any other explanation. William James, says "Religious experience is the most important evidence for the existence of God.".They have argued that religious experiences are often very powerful and life-changing, and that they provide a sense of meaning and purpose in life that is not available through other means. Huston Smith, says "Religious experience is a powerful force for good in the world, and it can help people to live more meaningful and fulfilling lives." They have also argued that religious experiences are often consistent with each other, even though they come from different people and different cultures. Paul Tillich says "Religious experience is a common human phenomenon, and it is something that should be taken seriously."
Richard Swinburne has developed an argument for the existence of God from religious experience. Swinburne, says "Our senses are to be trusted in general." and that "We should generally trust the testimony of others." He argues that our experiences are generally to be trusted, and that this includes religious experiences. He calls this the "Principle of Credulity." He also argues that we should generally trust the testimony of others, and that this includes the testimony of people who report having had religious experiences. He calls this the "Principle of Testimony."
Swinburne argues that these two principles, together, provide strong evidence for the existence of God. Swinburne says "If we are to trust our own experiences, and the testimony of others, then we must also trust the testimony of people who report having had religious experiences." And that "If we trust the testimony of people who report having had religious experiences, then we must also believe that God exists." He argues that if we are to trust our own experiences, and the testimony of others, then we must also trust the testimony of people who report having had religious experiences. And if we trust the testimony of people who report having had religious experiences, then we must also believe that God exists.
COUNTER COUNTER ARGUMENT 1 Swinburne's argument has been criticized by some philosophers, who argue that it is not clear that we should trust our own experiences, or the testimony of others, when it comes to religious experiences. They argue that religious experiences are often subjective and difficult to verify, and that the testimony of people who report having had religious experiences is often unreliable. Even if we grant that religious experiences are real, it is not clear that they provide evidence for the existence of God. Richard Dawkins says "The fact that people have religious experiences does not prove that God exists. It could be that these experiences are caused by something else, such as a person's imagination or wishful thinking." For example, it could be argued that the nature of religious experiences as ineffable and transcendent add weight to the idea they are of a transcendent being and therefore strengthen the argument for God based on these experiences. However, it could also be argued that the ineffable and transcendent nature of religious experiences makes them more consistent with the idea that they are simply the product of a person's imagination or wishful thinking.
COUNTER COUNTER ARGUMENT 2 Finally, even if we grant that religious experiences provide evidence for the existence of God, it is not clear that they provide conclusive evidence. Bertrand Russell, says "The fact that most religious experiences are reported by religious believers undermines the strength of the argument. It could be that these experiences are simply the product of wishful thinking." For example, it could be argued that the fact that most religious experiences are reported by religious believers undermines the strength of the argument. It could also be argued that the fact that there are conflicting claims from different religions about the nature of God and the meaning of religious experiences significantly undermines the claim that religious experiences provide evidence for the existence of God.
In conclusion it is also argued that there are conflicting claims from different religions about the nature of God and the meaning of religious experiences significantly undermines the claim that religious experiences provide evidence for the existence of God. Paul Copan, says "If religious experiences are evidence for the existence of God, then it is surprising that there are so many different religions, each with its own different conception of God. If God exists, why does he not make himself known in a more clear and unambiguous way?" Moreover there are a number of problems with the argument for the existence of God based on religious experience. These problems make it difficult to accept this argument as a convincing proof for God's existence.