How do we deal with infinity and awareness?

Thank you for this website which helps us persevere in our quest for truth and structure our thoughts about god, the purpose of life and all those things which might lead us to feel totally at a loss...Unless one adheres slavishly to some "revealed" religion

I'd like to contribute to the debate but I must apologize for my English, my first language is French.

In one of the conversations published on this website you state the following: "I don't say that god doesn't exist. I say that I see no compelling reason to believe that god exists. If significant evidence appears that there is a god, I'll change my mind."

It is therefore significant evidence of god's existence that would constitute for you a compelling reason to believe that there is a god. I share this view:- I do not feel I would need conclusive evidence to find a good reason to believe in god, significant evidence would be enough.

Now I'd like to submit to you two largely accepted facts which in my view might constitute that type of evidence which would give you reasons to believe i.e. to think that it would be reasonable to assert that there is a god in view of such significant evidence.

Those two facts are consciousness and infinity. The universe is infinite, or potentially infinite, this is something which science has accepted; it is infinite in time, space and size. And man is so equipped as to be aware not only of his finite existence but also of the infinite nature of the universe he lives in. This in my view explains the human production of deities and religions: men look for a truth and a meaning which transcend their existence because although ridiculously small at the scale of the universe, men have the capacity to grasp its infinite wideness and tremendous forces. Men are therefore able to scrutinize the infinity and interrogate their mind as to what is behind this wonder.

From the above facts 2 hypotheses can be formulated:- 1)Consciousness is an accident of biological evolution, a part and a product of men's physiology; the universe itself is therefore deprived of any awareness it is an empty thing , an infinite emptiness, unaware of its own existence, forces and subtle balance; in fact the existence of the universe took form and meaning only through the accidental apparition, within itself, of men's physiological capacity to perceive it; OR

2) Awareness is an essential component of the universe and men are the children of the universe: men's consciousness and intelligence are a part and product of the intelligence which impregnates the universe. Men's physiology does not produce awareness but is a receptacle of this component of the universe which is awareness; an awareness which exists independently from humankind.

I feel it is reasonable to make a choice between those two hypotheses which logically stem from irrefutable facts and prefer to believe in the second one.

This is an interesting question (although I believe it presents somewhat of a false dichotomy).

My feeling would be that option #2 is uncompelling. I see no reason why awareness and intelligence need be more than the sum of our parts. I also do not see any evidence that the universe itself has awareness or intelligence.

Even so, I could not refute option #2 in that (so far as I can see) it makes no testable predictions. I also imagine that believing it might bring some level of comfort, so I see no harm.

Thanks for writing!