“Come now, let us reason together." Isaiah 1:18
This is a fair question.
I have heard people say,
“No, I can’t prove He exists, but I believe He does.”
Why would someone believe in something they can’t see? The more important question is, “What if it could be shown without a doubt that He exists and that the Bible is His reliable source of truth? What would you do?”
Since this is all about questions and doubt, let’s start with a personal question:
What do you need to believe God exists?
What would it take for you to believe a Creator God exists? How could you become convinced or satisfied with God’s existence? Maybe it’s direct physical evidence, like in a murder case where you have DNA, a weapon, a video, and witnesses. That would be a slam-dunk case. Wouldn’t it? If God showed up at your house or office as would a flesh and blood friend and say to you,
“Hello, I am God, and I am here to answer all your questions.”
Then, He proceeded to answer the “why?” questions about losing a loved one, or He let you in on the solutions to world troubles. Would you believe He exists? What if He could tell you the secrets of your life that only you knew? Would you become a believer, then?
Let’s imagine on a grander scale. What if He showed up at the Super Bowl this January, hovering in clouds above the 50-yard line on international TV, and said,
“Listen up, everyone, I am God, there is no other like me, and I can prove it. I will predict the game’s score and the exact time each team scores. Further, I am giving you the final stats of the game before kick-off.”
Would that be enough proof for you to become a believer? How would it affect your life?
Perhaps you are a highly educated Ph.D. scientist with an understanding of the details of the biology of life. What would satisfy you that God exists and He originated all life and knows more than you do? What if He explained how He created the universe and life and gave you formulas you had never considered?
Would all of this be enough?
What would you do with this knowledge if you could be totally satisfied with God’s existence and ability to create everything from nothing? Sadly, most would probably say,
“That’s great! Now I got to go back to work.”
If it could be proved to you, without a doubt, of God’s existence, would you become a believer and seeker of Him and truth?
Most would say,
“No, I am too busy with my life.”
Is it possible that unbelief is not because of a so-called lack of evidence but of something else? Many people do not want there to be a Creator God for various reasons, but mostly because they love their lives, as degraded as they may be. Could it be that we feel God would restrict our joy in life? Then, how about the big question of moral absoluteness and accountability for our actions?
I propose to you that belief is not so much about proof of His existence as is the perceived inconvenience it would cause in our daily lives. But having said all this, let’s continue with the elements to prove either circumstantially or directly His existence. Let me say from the start that I have empathy for the unbeliever, having once been one.
There are many reasons why people chose to believe there is no God and that all of the earth’s events are random and unmanaged. This is where we will start. Let’s take a look at the reasons given for unbelief in a creator God.
Barriers to Belief
1.) Unwillingness to Investigate
Evidence of God’s existence starts with a willing search. You can’t find or learn something if you don’t want to look. Many don’t want to look at it either due to time or just not being interested. The result is quick opinions about something they know very little. They become subject to theories that fit their desire.
Not true is the popular unbiblical saying, “Faith is blind.” A biblical definition of faith is based on the wide-open eyes of substance (confidence) and evidence (tangible). That great religious writer, Paul, who was on his way to persecute Christian believers, said to the Hebrews:
Now faith is the substance (*confidence) of things hoped for, the evidence (*circumstantial and real, tangible) of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
*Parenthetical additions from the original Greek words for substance and evidence: hypostasis (substance) and elegchos (evidence)
God evidently cares about you getting the evidence, but if you don’t want it, there will be no way for it to help. Herein lies the problem with a believer trying to prove God exists. It probably doesn’t matter much if the person does not want there to be a Creator God. So, the substance and evidence are unimportant to them, and they may never start a journey to find the truth. Why? It could be many personal reasons related to lifestyle, perception of what it means to be a believer, peer pressure, etc.
Probably the most significant barrier to belief in God centers on suffering in the world. In all fairness to the unbelievers, there are many things in life on this planet that create unbelief in a Creator God. Even full-blown believers think about these things, but unlike the unbeliever, they have read and understand the words of the prophets about the fall of mankind, sin, the love of God, redemption through Christ, and the path mankind has been on for thousands of years.
2.) Suffering in the World
“If there is a God, why is there so much pain and death in the world?
Suffering and death result from many things other than simply wearing out from old age. Here are some examples: chronic physical and mental pain, continuous wars, bad accidents, mental breakdowns, violent crimes, child and spouse abuse, poverty, and hunger; oppression and persecution of those who feel superior... the list of sufferings that precede death goes on and on.
The death of a loved one, a small child, a toddler, or a young person affects most of us tremendously. The pain is sometimes unbearable. Some will turn to alcohol or drugs to ease the pain.
This typical objection to the existence of God almost always starts with an “If” followed by a “why.” “If” there is a God, then “why” is there suffering in this world? “If there is a God, “why” did He let my mother die?” “If” there is a God, “why” do I struggle all the time?
The insinuation from this question is that “if” God is good and in control, then none of these things would be present on earth. Therefore, everything that happens is by man’s doing or the evolution’s cycle of life, suffering, and death. The unbeliever reasons, “Everything is by chance or coincidence.”
So, this type of thinking requires life on earth to be like heaven, where no one dies or suffers, and everyone is happy.
It is not hard to see something terribly wrong on planet Earth. We have come to expect death, dying, and suffering, but was this God’s plan? What happened? The Bible has the answer, but it is not what most people want to know.
3.) The Actions of Unconverted Believers
The unloving, critical, judgmental nature of people in church or in public can do more to convince an unbeliever that God doesn't exist or, at the least, not want a part of it. So, they will retreat to friends and flock together in their community where love is expressed. The wars and death in the name of religion just add more fuel or reasons to conclude those Christians, Muslims, etc., are just nuts.
4.) Science
Scientists use systematic principles and procedures to solve problems or gain knowledge by collecting data through observation and experiment. Then, their hypotheses are tested. Science has benefited society in many ways. It has made life easier, safer, more convenient, and extended life and its quality.
But, when it comes to the study of origins, some data is skipped over or maligned. The intelligence (Creator) factor is removed, and we wind up with supposed evidence that interprets life's beginnings according to man’s desire to dismiss the miracle of creation, procreation, and God. It is thought that God and science have nothing in common, even though some see evidence that God is the originator of all laws that science depends upon.
Evolution has moved from interpretive science to exact science in the minds of many. Mankind’s self-education through the study and observance of nature concludes something different from an intelligent Creator.
What if scientists were willing to look for scientific proof of a creator? What would they find? Fortunately, there are many who have done so, but their work is minimized. Here is a link to a list of real scientists who believe in Creation and God.
God can’t be put in a test tube, but his fingerprints and DNA can be found there. Nevertheless, if a scientist does not want to believe, evidence will not convince them. They will always lean towards theories that fit their worldview and justify their lifestyle/worldview. And, to be honest, it works the same with the Creationist. It is difficult to be purely objective.
5.) Philosophers
It has been estimated that there are over 3,000 philosophers worldwide. Among them are different teachings on life, its beginnings, and endings. Is everybody right? Can error and truth coexist? Evidently, it does in the minds of some people. But logically, the truth is no less true, and error is no less wrong.
Listening to other people who are, or seem to be, experts (pundits) in their field and their reasoning can lead us to form similar opinions that may be right or wrong about many things, including God and the Bible. There are “non-pundits” (famous people such as actors and musicians, etc.) who are not necessarily learned but have opinions that carry weight with those who admire them..
6.) Deception
If you have read the Bible, even casually, you know that deception (for humans) started in a garden, runs through history, and ends with worldwide deception. Satan is called “the father of lies” (See John 8:44). Satan enticed the first couple with a false promise of eternal life and becoming like God (See Genesis 3:4-5). There are many (worldwide) who believe themselves to be God or have received some special revelation. They gather gullible followers without an anchor. These self-proclaimed gods prey on those who have no confident answers and are looking for convenient, self-satisfying truths about life.
With the advent of the web, the number of self-proclaimed philosophers/gods/pundits has reached a staggering level of exposure. Instead of one serpent, there is a whole nest of them all over the world.
Substance and evidence by the false gods are missing. In its place is charisma and power. Following is a very small list of so-called gods on earth; some are dead. No denomination or nationality is exempt from cultic offshoots. (Source: www.monitor.co.ug). Note: the multitude of podcasts, YouTube, and web personalities could be included, but it would take too much time to list them.
- Owobusobozi Bisaka- (former Catholic who received a “revelation” and started his own denomination).
- Moon Sun Myung-(former Presbyterian. He also received a “revelation,” founded the Unification Church)Inri Christo-Looks a lot like the classic pictures of Jesus and uses some of His teachings.
- Sergei Torop founded the Church of the Last Testament. He is a former policeman who was fired after insisting he was Jesus and began to impersonate him with long hair and flowing robes.
- Arrifin Mohammed started the sect called The Sky Kingdom. A former Muslim, he claims to be Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Shiva, and the supreme deity of all religions.
- Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda-Jose founded Creciendo Gracia (Spanish for Growing in Grace) church in the US. At first, Miranda, who is from Mexico, claimed to be Paul, a leading figure of the Bible.
- David Koresh, a former member of an offshoot of Seventh-Day Adventists called Shepherd’s Rod, also known as Davidians. Shepherd’s Rod founder was Victor Houteff, whom the worldwide Seventh-Day Adventist Administration excommunicated in 1930.
- Marshall Applewhite, founder of Heaven’s Gate, based his beliefs on a mixture of Christian Eschatology and mysticism. He convinced his 38 followers (and himself) that the comet Hale-Bobb was accompanied by a spaceship that would take them from this world, but to get aboard, they needed to leave the physical body through death.
7.) A Multitude of Religious Denominations
Numbers vary and go as high as 30,000 distinct denominations. If you want your head to spin, see the details about the plethora of world religions and denominations on Wikipedia). Most of these folks were born into their particular denomination. Some convert, I am sure. But most would feel they have the truth about God. But how can everybody be right? Solomon, the wise man of God, cautioned,
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Proverbs 14:12, 16:25
8.) There is No Absolute Truth
This mass confusion has led many to say, “There is no absolute truth.” But is that true, absolutely? If “yes,” then that statement contradicts itself. If the answer is “no,” then there must be absolute truth out there somewhere.
Some proclaim, “I have my truth, and you have your truth.” Does this mean that everyone is right and nobody is wrong? Is that even possible? Do feelings determine truth? I can feel that I can fly, but if I jump off a skyscraper, the truth about gravity will have people scrapping me off the sidewalk.
9.) Reliability of the Bible
This is an often-used excuse for unbelief. It is usually stated by those who have only heard things and never researched or studied themselves. This we will explore later.
Summary
There is a multitude of reasons for disbelief. This planet is in chaos. Wouldn’t you agree? We could study each philosopher, each deity, and each denomination, but that would take more than a lifetime. The truth is out there. God is out there, too! But what will it take to convince you?
Jesus is the most influential religious leader of all time. He and his disciples made some fantastic claims. Jesus Himself said,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” John 14:6
This exclusive claim is either true or it is false. If you believe it to be true, you will have reasons for the hope that is within you. If you believe it is false, you, too, must have evidence. But you won’t know until you search the Bible alone. Deception awaits you if you research the web or read books that claim Jesus is false. You are also in danger listening to family and friends. It is only in the writings of approximately 40 writers whom God inspired to write or were eyewitnesses of Jesus. The story of Jesus is not limited to one writer as it is with others who claim to be God. The proof is in the Bible, which covers thousands of years from creation to destruction.
Are you willing to give Jesus and the Bible a chance? Do you want to follow the evidence and its conclusion? If not, you have wasted your time reading all this. But if you are willing and have an open mind, the truth will set you free from doubt and set you on a new, satisfying journey in life.
We have looked at some barriers to belief. Next time, we will look at sources for truth and belief in God. These things put before me reasons to believe. Hopefully, it will provide the same for you. But it is your choice.
Please read the follow-up discussions of Can You Prove God Exists?-Part 2 and Part 3
For more information on the comparison of gods and philosophers, see Will the True God Please Stand Up-Part 1