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Some of the world's best thinkers have
debated this question, with varying results.
Books have been written on just this topic.
So how might one make an argument for
the existence of God?
Let's look at what science has to say:
High-energy nuclear physics is the study
of sub-atomic particles. These are so
small they cannot be directly seen, but
that hasn't stopped scientists from trying
to study them and learn as much as they
can about them. And they are learning
a lot from observing the effects
of these particles when subjected to experiments.
The accumulation of data has led to an
accumulation of likely results. Over time,
a consensus has emerged. Scientists may
not be able to prove a particular
interpretation, but the odds favor certain
ones over others, and they no longer question
the existence of the "invisible"
particles.
How about the Big Bang theory? This claims
that conditions in the universe initially
were very hot. There was a big explosion.
If that's true, then there should be observable
effects of that explosion. Indeed, radiation
and other atomic particles have been discovered.
Their existence nicely supports the theory,
as does the fact that faraway stars seem
denser. The fact that their light has
taken billions of years to reach us means
we're seeing them at a young stage. Again,
no one can prove the Big Bang theory,
but the argument makes more and more sense
to scientists because of the effects
that have been discovered.
Perhaps your question about God is like
that. We can't see Him, but we can look
for the effects of God in our world.
And, in fact, some people are doing just
that. There have been several studies
in recent years exploring the question
of intercessory prayer in healing diseases.
They want to know: does praying help?
One study done at Duke University in the
mid-80s showed a "significant reduction
in heartbeat abnormalities and no heart
attacks" during the period of the
study for the group of men that were prayed
for.1 Another done in San Francisco
found that "intercessory prayer to
the Judeo-Christian God has a beneficial
therapeutic effect in patients admitted
to a CCU."2 A similar
study in Florida in 1999 found patients
in the "prayed-for" group were
11% more likely to do well than patients
in the "not-prayed-for" group.3
Skeptics question some of the methodologies
involved in the studies and results from
a major study in Boston are yet to be
made available. However, a 1999 CBS poll
revealed that 80% of respondents believed
prayer helps in recovery.4
If healings happen, then this would seem
to be evidence for God -- God directly
intervening and having an effect in the
world.
The Bible would certainly support this.
Biblical authors believed that NOTHING
happened apart from God. There are far
too many stories to mention in which God
intervened directly in the characters'
lives. But let's talk about one -- perhaps
the greatest miracle of all - the resurrection.
Four different authors tell virtually
the same story -- Jesus died. Many people
witnessed this event. But later, when
women went to visit the grave, they found
it empty. Peter and John were called to
the scene and remembered the situation
in exquisite detail, as though it made
a huge impression upon them. When Jesus
appeared to several of them after his
resurrection, they admitted they didn't
even recognize him at first. His resurrection
caught them all by surprise (despite the
fact that he had told them several times
this is exactly what would happen). If
the disciples wanted to make up this story,
they surely wouldn't have done it in a
way that made them look so bad. Women
had no standing as witnesses. The men
would never have allowed them to break
the news -- unless that's actually the
way it happened! And clearly something
remarkable happened to all of them. The
disciples went from cowering in a room
behind locked doors to proclaiming Jesus
openly in the streets within a matter
of weeks. And they never looked back.
Something transformed them completely.
They said it was seeing Jesus after his
resurrection, and we have no reason to
doubt their word.
Perhaps the strongest argument for God,
however, is the fact that you're reading
this answer. You exist; we all exist.
The traditional argument is that if you
found a watch lying on the ground, you
would not doubt that a watchmaker had
made it. The Bible is explicit in saying
that God is not only creator, but that
He created us in his "image"
and "likeness." That doesn't
mean that God has blond hair or blue eyes;
it does mean that we embody the qualities
of God. Some of those would be intelligence,
kindness, love, trust, honesty, beauty,
etc. The list could go on forever. Is
it not harder to believe that all these
things happened as a result of complete
chance than to assign them to a Master
Creator?
Ultimately, however, this question is
not one that can be answered by fancy
rhetoric or scientific arguments. It is
one that has to be answered in your heart,
in each and every heart. We all know that
we can't see God, but those who believe
in God can experience Him. Many
intelligent people have had experiences
that have convinced them of God's existence.
Perhaps it has been a moment of healing,
a random act of kindness, an unexpected
love. We can see the effects of
God. We can feel His presence. We can
know that he is with us, strengthening
us, encouraging and loving us. Jesus devoted
his life to revealing God's nature to
us and teaching us that God is good and
that He is Love. He also told us how we
could live so that we could know God better.
Knowing God, however, isn't just an intellectual
exercise. Knowing God is our work for
a lifetime. It is our entire reason for
being -- to show forth God's nature, His
presence, and His essence. As we do this
more and more in our thinking, it will
be reflected in our daily experiences.
And we will know Him in the way
that speaks to us.
Bibliography and Suggestions for Further
Reading:
1 Miethe, Terry and Anthony Flew. Does
God Exist? San Francisco:
Harper,
1991.
2 O'Malley, William. God: The Oldest
Question. Chicago: Loyola
Press,
2000.
3 Stannard, Russell. The God Experiment.
Mahwah, NJ:
Hiddenspring,
2000.
4 Swinburne, Richard. Is There a God?
New York: Oxford Press,
1996.
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