G-d and science

Maimonides writes at the very beginning of his magnum opus that "the foundation of foundations and the pillar of wisdom is to know that there is a first existence," what we would call G-d. Note that he does not write "to believe" but "to know." Maimonides seems to be saying that belief in G-d is not a matter of faith, but of fact. This only raises the question, "How do we know?"

An answer is to be found in the Kuzari, a classic work of Jewish philosophy. Once a year at the Passover Seder, Jews all over the world retell the account of the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The very fact that G-d came and spoke to the entire people of Israel at Mount Sinai is the greatest proof of the existence of G-d. We know that this is a fact because millions of Jews in our day accept it as such, because they received it as such from their own parents. These millions in turn received the evidence from the previous generation, and so on, in an uninterrupted chain of evidence from millions to millions of witnesses, generation after generation, back to the original millions of witnesses who saw the event with their own eyes. Among the original witnesses were surely many initiated in the sciences of Ancient Egypt, some achievements of which baffle even modern scientists. Also included were thinkers and artisans of all kinds, as well as the uneducated; and men, women, and children of all ages. Yet they all reported the exact same event.

In science, any event or phenomenon testified to by witnesses is considered a fact. This is especially so where the evidence is identical and comes from witnesses of various interests, education, and social background. If such evidence exists, it is considered an undeniable fact, even if it does not fit into current scientific theory.

The existence of G-d is certainly indisputable. I know of no other fact which can match this one for evidence and accuracy. It is unfortunate that this basic difference between the Jewish faith and others is so little known. All other world religions are based on the word of a single man or a few, but ours is the only one that is based on the testimony of millions.

For a more exhaustive explanation of this proof, please see Living Up to the Truth.