How many times have you seen videos and articles claiming to prove God’s existence or non-existence? I know I have certainly seen a ton of them. In my opinion, every single one of them, on both sides of the argument fall short. To me, it’s easy to prove, or disprove, in several ways. Apparently, for many people, it is a matter of faith (or lack of). To me, it’s all about logic, reason, coincidence, likelihood, and honesty. Yes, honesty.
Before I dig into this, I want to challenge people on both sides- be honest. I understand most of us come into this argument with a bias, myself included. But it the end, reason and logic HAS to win, not faith.
We shouldn’t follow any teaching with blind faith- believing (or disbelieving) simply because we want to, or should, or think we ought to- or not. As thinking beings, we should strive for logic and reason for our conclusions. In this article, I will spell out the logic and reasons for my conclusions. And I invite you to comment, adding your logic and reason for yours.
It’s an age-old question, and one thinking people still ponder. So, let us ponder together.
Is God Real?
Take the following steps with me. As I lay out my reasons and logic, I want you to put yours into these same categories and see if your beliefs stack up to logic and reason, as I see it. As always, if you think I took any leaps of faith, you are welcome to comment below.
Admit Your Bias
Before we can honestly consider the alternatives, we must come to grips with our biases, and ask ourselves- are we here to prove our preconceived notions? Or are we intellectually honest, and seriously seeking the truth?
Read the paragraph above again, and please, be honest with yourself. There’s no good reason to lie to yourself.
Me, I never went to church as a kid growing up. However, I did always have a basic belief that God existed for as long as I can remember. I’m not sure why. My parents, family and friends never spoke much of it. Call it an instinct.
Do You Want God to be Real?
Sometimes our wishes can overpower what is real. Whether you want God to be real or not, I challenge you to remain open-minded enough to admit your bias, and whether or not you want Him to be real.
I had my doubts when I got older. But deep down, I always wanted God to be real. I saw that life wasn’t always fair, and wished there could be justice for all. I like it when the good guy wins. I always did.
Be Intellectually Honest
Are you really willing to follow the evidence? Really? Or are you here for a pat on the back, and reassurance for your belief? In other words, are you really just here to try to convince someone what you believe? Be honest to yourself about this. I’m sorry if you think I am pounding this point a little too much, but it is the most important thing to be fully aware of before we can continue pondering this subject honestly.
I am willing to follow the evidence. If God is real, I want to know. And if He’s not, I would hate to waste my time following my imagination. If you agree with this, read on. If you don’t agree, go to Youtube and find a one-sided video that will make you feel good about your beliefs (or lack of).
What Evidence for God is There?
Logic would suggest that if something is real, you should be able to prove it. And if something is not real, it would be more difficult to prove a negative.
So, to be intellectually honest, you’d have to admit, only an HONEST atheist or an agnostic could be convinced with evidence. On the other side of the coin, since it’s impossible to prove a negative, an HONEST person of faith would be more difficult to convince of a non-existent being.
The burden of proof falls onto the religion to prove. Atheism doesn’t have to prove anything. They believe in nothing, so it stands to reason, nothing cannot be proven.
What are You Willing to Consider as Evidence?
In all fairness, most so-called evidence can be interpreted differently, depending on the biases of the interpreter. If you don’t know that (or admit it), you are just not being intellectually honest, and again, should just go to Youtube and find a biased video that will reinforce your preconceived notions. But again, if you are still with me, read on.
In a court of law, the most common evidence presented is always eyewitness testimonies. With today’s technology, we can add to that; DNA, fingerprints, footprints, and other physical evidence; like fabric fibers or something left behind by the culprit. How about answered prayers? Miracles?
What do you Really Know About this Evidence?
Too often, someone will lay out what they call evidence, jump to a conclusion, and take another jump from there, going off on a skewed path based on a false assumption (or worse, one false assumption after another.) So, to honestly consider this subject, you have to be willing to consider every possibility that the evidence would or could suggest. And, as they say in court, be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt.
About eyewitness testimony; the court will always take into consideration the witnesses character or credibility. We should too.
Any other physical evidence must be proven to be exactly what is said, with no doubt whatsoever of any other possibility.
Proof God Does Not Exist
As mentioned, logic dictates that you cannot prove a negative, without exhausting every other possibility in the world. So, since no one can be at all places in the entire world, since the dawn of time, it is mathematically impossible to prove that God does not exist. However, sometimes, based on what evidence is available, and what our interpretation of that evidence is, it is possible that someone can come to the logical conclusion that He most likely does not exist. But, of course “most likely” will not stand in a court of law. For actual proof, we need to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt”.
Proof God Exists
There is a lot of evidence that could suggest that God does indeed exist. Of course, that depends on your interpretation of that evidence. But, logically speaking, it should be possible to prove, if it is true.
Let’s Look at Some Evidence for God
Of course, this is limited by my personal knowledge, and by no means am I an expert. I’m just one person who likes to think. Everybody has their own evidence. If the whole world got together and put all their evidence in one location, maybe then more of us would reach the same conclusion. For now, I’ll give you what little I know of.
God or Coincidences?
Sometimes I get prayers answered, miracles happen, and I get a feeling God is speaking to me through the Bible and through preachers. Then, I wonder, if He is real, or if it is all just a series of coincidences. Let me explain.
Eyewitness testimony: I have had many prayers answered in my life. A lot of people I know have too, but in keeping with the court of law (eyewitness testimony) theme, I will only tell you about my firsthand knowledge- things I have seen with my eyes.
I’ve seen people (including myself, my son, my daughter, and other friends and relatives) get miraculously healed from injuries, diseases, addictions, etc- things that were supposed to kill, maim, or leave you otherwise with a huge problem.
I found a loved-one in Chicago within just an hour (a very transient person with no contact info whatsoever, and living with someone else who I never knew), without any leads at all.
My brother found me in San Francisco without any inclination of where I’d be- at a cheap hotel where I just stayed at one time only.
On many occasions, I opened a Bible on the exact page I was seeking. Whether I was looking for a specific quote I thought might be in the Bible somewhere, or seeking an answer to a personal dilemma. I just randomly opened it to the right spot- many times. And I don’t really know the Bible that well, having read less than half of it to this day. Coincidence?
Almost every time I hear a preacher, he answers questions I was wondering, points out scripture that addresses my exact concerns, brings up quotes I was wondering about- almost every time I hear a preacher! It’s as if God Himself is speaking to me.
My Personal Experience- The Back-Story
Do you consider personal experience to be evidence? I do, if it happened to me, or someone I know and trust. So, I can tell you my personal experience. But as with any testimony, you have to consider the witness’ credibility. The following is my own personal experience.
I never went to church as a kid. I grew up in Chicago. Once in a while, on a Saturday, some church-guys from the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana would come along with their white shirts and ties, going door-to-door, asking everyone to attend their church. When I was thirteen, me and a few friends agreed to go. We were a bunch of punks who spent our time stealing car batteries and stereos to sell, so we could buy a nickel-bag of pot. The only reason we went was because we were bored, and so we could visit Indiana.
When we got there, we all agreed to sneak outside to smoke cigarettes and see the town. Somehow, I lost my friends, and wound up sitting in church alone listening to the sermon by myself. This was the only time I ever attended that church, and the next time I went to any church would be three decades later.
The preacher was a powerful speaker, with a booming voice, and a convincing authority about him. I listened intently and was blown away by some of the things he said. I had no idea about any of it, yet. To this day, I have no recollection of what he said, or who he was. But I do have a powerful memory of what I felt that day.
At some point during his sermon, I felt the presence of God come into me. I had an awakening that day, a sudden realization that God was real, His name was Jesus, and He was inside me. I cried like a baby, agreed in prayer to God that I was a sinner and needed His forgiveness, but no one seemed to notice.
I met my friends a while later, as we boarded the bus. They told me about the cool stuff they saw, and I told them I just sat in church. We never went there again.
Since that day, it would be difficult to convince me that God was not real. I felt Him, I know.
Are We Brainwashed?
Is it possible that I was brainwashed by a crafty preacher, and felt some emotion that I mistook for God’s presence inside me? After all, I was only thirteen. I never was taught anything about being “saved”. Yet, that day, I am convinced, I was.
More Miracles (or Coincidences)
About twenty years later, my son had a terrible accident. He was hit by a car and crushed his skull. The doctor told me and my wife that, “He has about two tablespoons of brain matter outside of his skull, and it would have to be removed.” And that, “He would most likely die during surgery, and if he lived, he would very likely be a paraplegic, and likely never talk, see, hear, and that any recovery whatsoever would be extremely lucky.”
Without a word, we walked together down the hall and into the bathroom, where we both threw up at the same time. That was the worst news I was ever told in my life, still to this day.
He remained in a coma for three weeks, with no response whatsoever. Life support systems kept him alive.
The hospital was very far from home so we stayed at the Ronald Mcdonald House. (A wonderful place to donate money to, if you ever wonder what is a worthy charity.) They had a prayer room, and me and my wife went there several times daily and prayed for a miracle.
My prayer was always a crying, begging prayer, desperately asking God to spare my only son. About three weeks into it, I got tired of begging, and just surrendered to whatever was inevitable. I prayed, “God, if you are going to take him, just take him. If he’s going to be a vegetable, just take him. Do what You will.” Basically, I just surrendered and gave it to God.
With those words, I had a sudden realization that he was not going to die, and that he was going to recover. It was as if God told me, without any audible voice. Just a reassuring feeling. It was so overwhelming, I was convinced I heard from God. I ran to my wife and told her, God spoke to me and our son would be OK.
Within a day or two, he started coming out of his coma. First with little responses- like shaking off the doctors’ pinch, then words, then one eye opened. And within a week or so, he was up, walking, though only speaking a few words (yeah, shit, home).
It was a long, tedious recovery, but he recovered! He does still have some permanent damage- double vision at some angles, deaf in one ear, and a lower IQ. But he is doing just fine physically, and is now a strong, healthy man who can walk, talk, run, carry a refrigerator, whatever. Coincidence? Good luck? I call it a miracle.
More Prayers Answered
Since then, I have had many incidences of prayers being answered. I’ll give you a couple of them.
One day, I was unemployed and flat broke, and needed $175 for a phone bill. A local scrap yard owed me $30, but the gas to go get it would be about $10, so I wasn’t too excited about that. I started my truck, looked at the gas gauge (just barely enough to make it there). I prayed, “God, please let me make the money for the phone bill somehow.”
Now, I was living in a small town. And although I used to find scrap easily when I lived in Chicago, out here (population 1600), it was very rare indeed.
I took off and turned the corner. There was a hot water heater. I turned another corner and there was a stove. I turned another corner and there was a pile of pipes. I went down an alley and found some more scrap. As I was loading it, a man walked out of his house and approached me, saying, “I don’t know why, but God told me to give you this.” And he handed me $40. I answered him, “This really is from God because I prayed for it only ten minutes ago.”
When I cashed in at the scrapyard, and picked up the $30 he owed me, I left with exactly $175. Coincidence? I think not.
Then there was the time I went looking for my daughter who had run away. I knew she went to Chicago (about 100 miles away). But I had no idea where in that huge city she would go. We drove around looking for her for only about an hour, and then we found her. Coincidence? Luck? No, a miracle.
Then, just two years ago, my back gave me a huge problem. I always had back aches here and there, but this time I was literally crippled with pain. For three months, I was bedridden. It took all my strength, just to go to the bathroom.
I lost my job, and after my meager savings was exhausted, I had no money at all. When I told my landlord my situation, that I couldn’t pay my rent for months, he said, “Don’t worry about the rent”. Miraculously, I got a huge income tax check, the biggest one ever ($8000).
The doctor told me I had degenerative spine, and it would likely get worse and worse as time passed. I resigned to the idea that I was crippled for life. I spent a lot of quality time with God in those days, laying in bed, praying.
Well, I got better. I started walking, then exercising a little, then hanging (trying to do pull-ups), then Tae-bo. I lost about 35 pounds, and in a few months I was ridding my bike, playing basketball, and living pain-free. Good luck? Coincidence? No way.
I have a very good friend who had a worse back injury than I did. His spine was severed from his (crushed) pelvis. Doctors told him he would never walk again. These days, he is one of the most active people I know. Ask him if there’s a God. He knows it for a fact, and serves Him daily, feeding poor people at a local food pantry. And hes, he carries the boxes, drives the truck, walks, all of it.
This article is becoming a book, so I’ll cut it short. But the bottom line is, I know for a fact there is a God, His name is Jesus, and He still does miracles.
Just Look Around You
Consider this; take a look around you. Science teaches us that life formed by sheer chance- A single-celled organism, which evolved into every life form we know of. A major coincidence, if you will. Do you really think it’s possible, that all of these coincidences took place? Think about how many coincidences it took- Molecules in the oceans accidentally met and formed a living cell. Then that cell found a mate. No scientist has ever been able to prove that in a laboratory. But they still believe it.
What About the Big Bang?
And what about the Big Bang? All the matter in the Universe came from a tiny dot, defying the first law of thermodynamics. It’s impossible. There’s no way all that matter can just explode out of nothing. And there’s no way possible for life to magically appear in the ocean.
And What About Evolution?
Another miracle if you ask me. Even though every living organism can be observed having offspring just like itself, science books teach us we evolved. Another example of science teaching something that no one ever observed. In my opinion, it’s impossible, all of it- The Big Bang, single celled organism just happening, evolution- all of it is a bigger miracle than what I have seen with my own eyes (the testimonies above).
Take This Challenge
If you are still reading, but still doubtful, I have a challenge for you, and a way you can prove it to yourself. If you are an atheist, or even just a little agnostic, just try this…
First, consider the Ten Commandments, and your sin. Don’t read this part too quickly. It’s important to contemplate each point.
Have you ever lied? (Of course, we all have.)
Have you ever stolen anything? (Of course, we all have.)
Have you ever looked upon a person of the opposite sex and lusted? (Again, we all have.) Jesus said, “If you ever looked upon a woman in lust you have already committed adultery in your heart.”
Have you ever used God’s name in vain?
By your own admission, you are a liar, a thief, an adulterer at heart, and a blasphemer. You’ve already broken four commandments and we haven’t even talked about the other six. (Don’t feel bad, I am all of that and more myself- we all are.)
The Bible says we all have to face God on judgement day. If that’s true, do you think He’d find you guilty, and send you to hell?
God’s laws, the Ten Commandments, are like a mirror. They show us that we are all guilty.
The good news is, Jesus paid the price for you (and me), and all you have to do is believe that, repent, and trust Him.
Pray with me. Even if you have your doubts about the whole God/Jesus thing. Just pray with me here, and see if He shows Himself to you…
Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I’ve broken just about all of your commandments, and I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry. Please forgive me. The Bible says if I simply repent and put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, I can be forgiven from all my sins. I have a lot of sins God. And I really am sorry. The Bible says You are faithful and just to forgive, and I’m claiming that forgiveness. I believe Jesus died on the cross, and rose again, conquering death and sin. And He did it all so that I may have eternal life. Thank you God, for forgiving me. Thank you for granting me eternal life. I believe in You, and I trust You. Thank you so much.
Amen
If you prayed that prayer, and meant it from your heart, you are saved! Now go find a Bible and study it. If you do, God will show Himself to you in many ways.
Don’t Leave Without Commenting!
Please comment below. Let us know what you gained from this. Or what it lacked. We love to hear from you.
Footnote: A lot of people believe they will go to heaven simply because they are a good person. But that is not what the Bible teaches. Please read this for more on that.
Ken Skaggs is an author, educator, entrepreneur, radio announcer, web designer, web marketer, musician, trucking safety expert, SEO specialist, and business owner- in other words, a dreamer.Help Us Keep Backward Times Online
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