Epistemology is the study of knowledge and a system of how we determine fact from fiction. Typically ‘truth’ and ‘knowledge’ of reality is based on empiricism or sensory observations. However, there are elements of reality that can’t be directly observed. Things like gravity and magnetism are invisible. We can only observe the results of these phenomena, but not the actual forces. And what about things like the human consciousness, thoughts, dreams, emotions, logic and other things that we can’t directly observe, but we seem to know the truth of their reality.
I’ll use an example to further my explanation. Two scientists are using their observatory vision to look at an illusion drawing. The one scientist sees a rabbit, while the other sees a duck. They disagree on the truth of reality, but who’s right? They both agree on the reality that they are looking at an image on paper which is set on a wooden table in a white-wall room with two windows and outside there is a leafy green maple tree with a blue bird singing. But is the image a rabbit or a duck? The illusion is subjective, while the true reality of their surroundings is objective. The main difference is a verifiable consensus. No one can directly observe gravity, but everyone agrees and can test that some invisible force causes apples to fall from the tree to the ground.
So, what about an invisible God? When it comes to unobservable realities, the proof comes about by a repeatable consensus of the vast majority. And what is the consensus when it comes to a supposed invisible god? Rabbits, Ducks, Diversity, Contradictions, Opinions, Beliefs, Disagreements, Geopolitical and Cultural groupings, Inconsistencies, Differing Interpretations, Wars, Laws, and everything far from Agreement. I could believe in an unobservable god or gods if only there was any consistent consensus throughout the whole world. I would at least expect a balance between a good god and an evil Satan to have somewhat equal representation. Two teams on the field in opposition, 50/50. In reality we see a huge variety of different colored jerseys playing different games and following different rules. About 0.05% of the entire world's population is on team Mormon. Imagine the 2,952 athletes competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics and only 1 is representing the Mormon religion. Go team Mormon!
Why is it an omnibenevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient supernatural deity has only revealed his one and only true reality of Mormonism to an insignificant speck of his own creation? This is the most unlikely and implausible theories I’ve ever heard of. If God has a plan for us, he can not hold us accountable to a set of expectations and truths that are not clearly explained. The ‘teacher’ of the classroom is invisible and children are out of control in disagreement.
Many people from very different religions all claim to “know” the “truth” of their particular religion, but who’s right? It’s not possible that they are all right because the doctrines contradict each other. To consider one religion legit, all other religions must be falsified; highly implausible. Not only is it possible for all religions to be a false invention of imagination, but it’s the most likely case.
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