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Reasons Not To Believe In God?
On the web-site www.helium.com I read a number of articles on "Reasons Not To Believe In God" in the Atheism and Agnosticism section of Religion and Spirituality. As I read those mostly misguided arguments and considered this topic, I must say that the reasons presented there did not present sufficient evidence or logic for me to dismiss God as a non-existent entity, or to consider a belief in Him to be unreasonable. Rather, they caused me to re-act like Paul in Athens and submit the following thoughts for their consideration.
Belief in God, for some, may be held on shaky or insufficient grounds or result from mindless acceptance of information presented to them by someone else. However, for the thoughtful person, a significant amount of evidence and reasoning must support a meaningful belief system and, I would argue, if true, be rewarded with some sort of consequent relationship with that God. Someone offering so-called logical or semantic arguments as to the non-existence of my mother does nothing to erase my personal knowledge of her or the objective and historic evidence of her life. The same holds true in relation to God.
It is not sufficient to believe in God just because that belief would fill in a vacuum in one's knowledge of the universe and how it came to be. Nor would it be defensible to invent a god to use as a weak cop-out tactic when faced with questions to which one would otherwise have no answers. Furthermore it would seem to me to be a most pitiful condition in which someone might find himself where he felt driven to encourage or strengthen himself by inventing the comforting concept or image of a god who would help him. While that subjective exercise might grant a baseless confidence and peace of mind, it would be of no value in meeting real and objective needs which were beyond the power of the believer himself to meet.
Of course it is necessary to define what is meant by "God". There are many "gods" whether real or imaginary, literal or figurative in our world. For me, God is the God of the Bible. The Holy Scriptures which have come down to us through the nation of Israel and the Christian church were written by 44 human authors over a period of 1500 years. They claim to have been recorded under the inspiration of The Creator. Jesus Christ the Son of God quoted from all parts of the Old Testament and attested to its accuracy and authority. One cannot dismiss the Book of Genesis without impugning the knowledge and honesty of Christ. Similarly one cannot call Him a great but merely human teacher. He was either a self-deluded fool, a cunning deceiver or else the Son of God Whom He claimed to be. His claims and person were indisputably vindicated by hundreds of miracles and signs, not the least of which was his voluntary, sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection and ascension to Heaven.
The subsequent rise of the Christian Church and its amazing growth could not have taken place unless these things were true. Why would Saul of Tarsus, the zealous persecutor of Christians have changed direction and become the great Apostle Paul unless he had met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus?
There is more historic evidence for the historicity and deity of Christ than for the life of Julius Caesar. The worlds of geology, archaeology and other sciences are literally filled with proofs of the accuracy of the Bible record. There are millions of people today, and records of 1000's more from the past, that give eloquent and compelling testimony to the existence and involvement of a Holy, Infinite, Loving Heavenly Father who changes lives, answers prayers, reveals Himself to those who seek Him and will respond to His invitation.
The revelation of God's Person and the origin of all things as recorded in the Bible and corroborated in the myths, legends and ancient writings of countless tribes and nations ought to cause a thoughtful person to honestly investigate the existence of God and the implications of His Word. What a tragedy it would be if someone, out of carelessness or bravado, failed to heed the invitation to check out the grave warnings and generous offers of The Creator, only to discover too late that it was all true.
For the millions who have met this God and whose lives He has changed it is impossible not to believe, in the face of so much evidence of so many kinds and the daily experience they have with Him.
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By Art Willock, current Director of Expanding Youth Ministries,
Art is an educator, speaker, and retired farmer. He taught both in
elementary and high school, and has been a school principal too.
His wife, Rosella was a missionary in Japan for 20 years.
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