An Epistemically Open World
Suppose arguendo that God exists, is the creator and sustainer of the universe and thus has much control over how the world is (though not complete control, if human beins have libertarian free will), and is perfectly rational. Now, consider this argument.
There is no argument known to human beings that rationally compels belief that theism is the case, nor is there one that compels belief in atheism. (I.e., there is no argument known to us that is (a) sound, (b) free from fallacy, and (c) such that all of its premises are known with epistemic certainty so that the conclusion is also knowable with epistemic certainty if one follows the argument via one’s use of natural reason.)
If (1), then the world is such that the relevant arguments available to us do not rationally compel belief either way.
Thus, the world is such that the relevant arguments available to us do not rationally compel belief either way.
God is perfectly rational.
If (4), then God has adequate reason for the world to be as it is.
Thus, God has adequate reason for the world to be as it is. (In other words, God has sufficient reason for the world to be such that the relevant arguments available to us do not rationally compel belief either way.)
This argument suggests that the world is such that the question of God’s existence is, to some degree, epistemically open, and that God has reason for the world to be as it is. He coud have actualized a different world, say, one in which everyone is compelled to accept theism. This is not to say that there are no reasonable arguments for or against theism, but only that we don’t know of any obviously compelling ones. The probabilistic version of the problem of evil is a reasonable objection to theism. But there are many reasonable arguments for theism, such as versions of the cosmological argument or the moral argument.
What might be some reasons God has for the world being epistemically open in this way? I will try to post another entry on this question.
*This argument can be modified to show that no argument rationally compels the acceptance of any particular religion, either, though there are reasons to justify accepting some particular religion or other. For instance, there is a reasonable historical argument to support Christianity.