Why believe that a god is reponsible for the gaps rather than believe that we simply don't have the answers yet and that eventually science will give us them (as it has in the past, countless times)?

I would take this further: even if we NEVER get those answers (because of some inherent physical limit in our observation and understanding of physical phenomenon, similar to how Heisenberg's uncertainty principle means it's impossible to observe accurately both momentum and position) it still doesn't mean there needs to be "god" introduced in the equation to explain that which is unexplainable.

Once you accept that not everything is knowable, not everything is observable, not everything is explainable and not everything has to have a purpose, and all that is perfectly fine without the existence of a divine being, then why do we need to add a divine being in the mix?

I think the main reason is that if we reach that limit of knowledge, we will always be left with the question, "How did something come from nothing?" I don't know if humans will ever be able to explain that question as it's not something we can experience. That naturally lends itself to the conclusion that there is something greater than us in the universe that can manipulate the physical world we observe in ways we do not understand. Whether that is the colliding of multiverses or divine intervention we wouldn't and couldn't ever know.

So we essentially arised out of (nothing, at this point) to understand why we did?

Gap of logic.

Not at all. It’s perfectly okay in science to say we don’t know how that happens yet. Deciding that we’ll never know is an irrational leap. The “never” is a strong statement and requires proof. Can you prove never? I don’t think so. Then why assume it?

Well, there's never a way for me to know whether solipsism is true, or to even calculate a (meaningful) probability of it being true. In fact, this applies to probably infinitely many strange metaphysicses. All I know is that I'm conscious (or, more precisely, that "consciousness is"). I can say that "assuming the standard scientific metaphysics is correct, science might solve it," but that assumption is enormous and untestable.

That's assuming that "arising" is done as some part of logical plan. The universe doesn't have to be logical, physical phenomena doesn't have to follow human observation and logic. It's crazy hubris to assume the opposite IMO.

> So we essentially arised out of (nothing, at this point)

Think about that for one second, if you can ever comprehend what this "nothing" is.

There was something before you, and Einstein got it with regards to the fact you can't understand that.

We're getting closer.

Rest easy.

God is less of a deity but more of a fact.

Something from nothing.

I am in no position to question this ... even given all my dead-end searches.

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It was Fire in the Mind by Johnson if I could pin it to one book. It's been a path.

And if I fit into one place, it's HN ... software engineer for too many decades.

This is the one question I still have, and that will likely remain unanswered.

Just wanted to say: I like the way you think. In fact, I'm writing up a piece about how to arrive at (what is presumably) a similar realization. In brief: (1) notice consciousness, (2) notice that it's impossible (in a well-defined sense) to know what is causing it. If done right, there can be an epiphany.

> I know most will not agree with me and that is fine, life is a path of discovery

You're god-damn right (don't worry about the religious repercussions of that, me and god are OK).

Discover, enjoy.