EVIDENCE THAT GOD EXISTS

The militant atheist will taunt you with his claim that “There is no evidence for the existence of God.” How will you respond? Here is the simplest and perhaps the strongest way to respond:

·       What evidence do you have that there is no evidence for God?

If he answers, “I have examined all of the evidence and have found them lacking,” you might follow it up with this question:

·       How do you know that you have examined all the evidence?

Of course, he doesn’t know this. However, to crawl out of the hole he has dug for himself, he will turn the table on you: “Okay, what evidence do YOU have in favor of God’s existence?”

But don’t go for the bait if he is militant. There are no objective proofs that are perfect, and he will, therefore quibble with whatever evidence you offer him. Therefore, I might tell him:

·       I will gladly share my evidence with you, but first prove that you exist and are not merely a machine spouting words. And I just don’t talk to machines!

Actually, this response serves as an object lesson. If he cannot prove that he is a person, then demanding that we prove to him that there is an unseen God is demanding too much.

Don’t be surprised to find that he will not be able to prove this to you. Actually, most atheists will admit that science cannot prove anything. It can only show that certain theories more likely than others. They will also admit that God cannot be disproved and that their belief in atheism is merely a faith commitment. According to late atheist and biologist William Provine:

·       “even if every case of theistic belief could plausibly be explained in terms of some naturalistic theory or other, that still wouldn’t exclude positive answers to the questions ‘Does God exist?’ and ‘Is belief in God warranted?’”

But can we prove God? Biblically, it is no problem at all. God has long been in the business of proving His existence. He did this for Israel through His miraculous acts in Egypt, the dessert, and throughout Israel’s history. Jesus also proved Himself through His miracles, especially His resurrection:

·       He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)

In addition to the Biblical evidences, there are also many weighty theistic proofs. Although the militant atheist will seldom receive them, I think that they are important for us. They show us that our God provides the best description and explanation of the world around us. Nevertheless, many atheists have come to believe through the evidence of science. For example, former atheist and astronomer Alan Sandage wrote:

·       "As I said before, the world is too complicated in all of its parts to be due to chance alone. I am convinced that the existence of life with all its order in each of its organisms is simply too well put together. . . . The more one learns of biochemistry the more unbelievable it becomes unless there is some kind of organizing principle—an architect."