Sure, senses pass through the brain, that doesnt change anything. My point still stands, we humans get knowledge by using our senses, and by using our Logic. The word brain, represents Logic.
Do you think otherwise ?
Now as for the soul, you said, "the concept of a soul (in the religious sense) is obsolete," what about the concept of soul in a nonreligious sense, you accept that ?
Therefore, you agree to the presence of a soul. We are not a bag of meat, blood, and bone walking around. A word may hurt us, more then a knife stab would, what is a word its something so trivial, so small, its just sound waves hitting our eardrums. But look at the devastation it can cause.
Still did you arrive to the conclusion that you love your mother through your logical reasoning ? Does a child have to go to school to learn Love, its something felt on the inside. And when that child feels it inside him, no matter what you do or say you can never convince him otherwise. It doesnt matter where love exists, what does matter is that you gain knowledge through your spiritual heart or soul.My heart doesn't convey information so complex, love can only exist in the brain, it can be measured and studied, it can be conjured and controlled artificially, it's not an abstract concept from an unnatural plane of existence.
Answer me this one question, did you arrive at the conclusion that you love your mother through your brain, did your logic tell you "yah lets love that women she's been good to me".
Nobody knows how time began, it is one of the greatest mysteries known to man. As a men we can choose to accept our ignorance with courage, or we can choose to fill our ignorance with stories of magic and wishful thinking.
But the fact remains, it began. and thus, logic dictates there must have been something before time, which is strong enough and intelligent enough to start such a fascinating thing as time. Or maybe it was just another explosion ay ? :p
Allah does not need a begginer, for he never began. He has no beginning for he created time. Sure their are infinite possibilities, but there is only one logical possibility, and thats what we're discussing as logical human beings. The one possibility which stands the test of Logic.Therefore your hypothetical god would need a begginer and so on, it's an infinite regression, or you could say your hypothetical god is infinite which is an even more simple minded infinite regression. These are part of the infinity of possibility.
So you can't get away by playing the "i dont know" card. We have been blessed with Logic and rational thinking , lets use it.