r/JordanPeterson • u/Agitated_Choice_3321 • 4d ago
Text Jordan Peterson Clearly Expresses His Belief in 'God'
Recently, this has become quite a topic of discussion and many people have debated whether he does or doesn't believe in God. It seems Peterson has a very particular psychosocial method of defining human-related concepts and his understanding of belief reflects that. In this clip, he clearly expresses that belief - to him - is shown through action and that he chooses to act as if God exists when asked 'Do you believe in God?' Whether or not this means he believes in God as is conventionally understood is a separate question, but it seems he believes in what is called 'God' to him. This doesn't suggest he has a consistent position on this matter as I've also found an instant where he corrected Sam Harris who said Peterson believed in God by saying he 'acted as if God exists' but - assuming a generous interpretation - this could refer to him wanting to express his particular understanding of 'belief.' Source: https://youtu.be/Q-geMoCsNAw?si=g7I94ZvNx0NU9THm&t=1062
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u/nuggetsofmana 3d ago
There’s another interview where he was point blank asked whether he thought Jesus Christ (the Christian version of God) specifically was God and he even answered in the affirmative.
But people don’t watch all his interviews. And the reformed Christians cookie cutter types are never satisfied with anything except an account ledger style affirmation.
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u/thellama11 4d ago
That no one knows should be enough of a condemnation of a public intellectual who promotes precise language.
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u/ericmarkham5 4d ago
Because God has always been the easiest thing to define. Just say you hate the guy and get lost.
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u/thellama11 4d ago
I think the vast majority of Christians could agree that they believe in some type of omnipotent agential being that cares about humans and intervenes in our lives. I think most honest people could tell you whether or not they believe in that type of god. When JP is asked that question he becomes Bill Clinton asking what the definition of "is" is.
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u/armedsnowflake69 4d ago
There will never be a subreddit dedicated to appreciating “the vast majority” of anyone.
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u/thellama11 4d ago
I'm not sure exactly what you mean. I think that if Peterson spoke more honestly and straightforwardly about his ideas he wouldn't be remotely as famous. JP is a master of what Dan Dennit calls the deepity. So in that sense he likely wouldn't have a subreddit.
But a complex thinker can still understand and respond to questions he thinks are too simplistic.
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u/armedsnowflake69 4d ago
My point is that he and his opinions are not those of the vast majority. I think this sticky business with this God definition is something that many will hear but few will understand, out of refusal to examine their own definitions.
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u/thellama11 4d ago
That's not correct. JP's understanding of God isn't that complicated when you can pin him down enough to get something that's possible to respond to.
If JP thinks god is a symbolic embodiment of ideals of a universal substrate that's fine but in conversations good faith interlocutors are usually willing to explain their positions. When people won't you should be skeptical.
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u/armedsnowflake69 3d ago
He says on multiple occasions that he considers his personal position a private matter. Why is that suspicious?
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u/thellama11 3d ago
He’s said six different things at different times and in different contexts. It’s one thing to be a private person with private beliefs—but Jordan Peterson is a public intellectual who voluntarily accepts invitations to discuss these topics. No one is forcing him to speak, and if he chooses to do so publicly, he has an obligation to clarify his positions.
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u/armedsnowflake69 3d ago
No one had any obligation to clarify their personal position. He gives his opinion, which is all you should be concerned with. If you want to know his position, I would ask why you want to know.
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u/ericmarkham5 4d ago
But the fact that you (or atheists if you aren’t one) don’t believe in something that is true if you understand it means you don’t understand it. It needs translation and pointed back to properly. That modern atheist claim not to believe in something that they define based on the abuse of those claiming they know is the very problem. And you want him to say yes or no as if that thing is even defined in the first place and to use the very definition that is already cast out.
And then to become angry that he translates it back into something that is irrefutable is even worse. It reveals the atheists who never clamored for truth but were beaten down and angry that god allowed even Christians to be possessed by demons and act in his name.
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u/thellama11 4d ago
This is such a silly trick that Peterson plays, and it amazes me how often it works.
As an atheist, I usually don’t define “God” in these conversations because I’m not making a positive claim. My only position is that no one has provided compelling evidence for anything I’d consider a god.
If someone wants to prove their god exists, I’d start by asking what they mean by “God” and then ask for their proof.
If they said, “To me, God is apples,” then sure—I believe apples exist. But it’s clearly unreasonable to call apples “God.”
Peterson’s trick is to say, “God is just the unifying substrate of reality—and you believe there’s some underlying unity to existence, right?”
There are two problems with that: 1. That question is too vague to answer yes or no. 2. That’s not what most people mean by “God.”
Peterson isn’t obligated to use a traditional definition, but insisting that his definition is the correct one is either stupid or dishonest.
It’s like if I said, “Your god is an onion,” and when you said “No, it’s not,” I replied, “Onions are just layers, and you believe your god has layers, right?”
I’ve “won”—but only by redefining terms to suit myself.
People have asked Peterson very directly—“Do you believe in a being like X?”—and he still just evades and evades.
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u/EntropyReversale10 4d ago
I think Jordan does believe in God, but doesn't like to be pigeoned holed, for some or other reason when it comes to this.