Most atheists argue there is no God because there is no proof. Theists believe the only sensible, plausible explanation for what we see around us is an intelligent designer, the one we call “God.” Of course, no one has to believe there is a God. Let us be clear, however, that not believing will get you in deep trouble if you’re wrong. That’s not a mere threat. It’s just the truth. “Pascal’s Wager” is a pretty good bet.
The apostle, Paul, wrote to the Roman church: “…that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19,20). “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6) Here’s the point: there are two sides to this issue and because the consequences of unbelief are so dire, it would seem wise to make a thorough investigation before coming to a conclusion.
It is impossible to absolutely prove or disprove God’s existence. As you might imagine, there are strong arguments on both sides. I found some comments on a recent atheistic blog provocative. The writer said, “I believe plenty of scientific, historical, philosophical, and psychological evidence proves there is no god. The evidences in support of theism and deism are highly interpretable at best and weak at worst.” Theists say very similar things in support of our position. Let the buyer beware. Do science, history, philosophy and psychology really settle the matter? If so, then why are there strong believers in each of these disciplines?
Another writer said, “We all see lots of complexity and design, but that is the byproduct of evolution, not a designer. Otherwise, you have to explain all the crappy design everywhere along with the good design.” Design without a designer? True evolution has no design to it. It is a random, accidental, unintended process. One has to decide whether this is the possible outcome of billions of years of chaotic chance or the intended product of intelligent design.
Crappy design? This is a frequent argument by those who surmise that if God was involved in the creation, life forms would be perfect. What is overlooked is that God never claimed his creation to be perfect…only “good.” Perfection was never the claim. Indeed, like everything else in the universe, life is designed to come to an end. Can you see the flaw in the argument? One side says that life is evidence of intelligent design and other side says it is evidence of a long series of accidents.
Still another commentator wrote, “I believe there is no god. If there was a god, the world would be a lot different to the way it is.” “…the world seems to be created to be painful for those who live in it for no purposeful reason. A freshman philosophy student can concoct a better world system than the one that exists.” Would you trust a “freshman philosophy student” to create your world? I didn’t think so. This life is an existence filled with a mixture of both joy and pain, good and evil, light and dark. Another writes, “…science is doing very well at taking god myths, creationism, near-death experiences, and similar wishful thinking to pieces.” If that is true, the question naturally arises again, “Then why are so many eminent scientists believers?” If you reply, “The majority are non-believers,” you may be right but you still have to deal with the fact that many are theists. So, you don’t like what you see and read about God? OK, but mark you, God is sovereign. He gets to do whatever he wants whether you and I like it or not. Go ahead, place your bets. But, if you bet on unbelief, the payoff may be a nasty surprise. If you don’t like the returns, it was not because you were not thoroughly warned by an evident God who loves you and wants all of humanity to be saved.
Whitticisms 