What Might Objecting to God's Existence Really Show?

         What Might Objecting to God's Existence Really Show?

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I'm going to be very honest and blunt. Even as a Christian I've doubted God's existence. Sometimes when things didn't go my way I felt God didn't act in the world and in my life. Do you sometimes feel that way? I tend to think a little bit and ask questions. I like to tell jokes but can be serious too. Well, allow me to briefly discuss ten of the things I've questioned at one time or another. Maybe it's possible you have doubted them too. Often my objections are indirect but still go to the central question of God's existence.

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1. Science has disproved religion. How can that be when science boasts it demonstrates by experiment what's real and what isn't? What scientific experiment shows there's no God, miracles, Jesus can't be God, no soul-life after death, and all the rest the Bible teaches? Not all sciences can demonstrate their conclusions by repeatable observable experiments such as archaeology, geology, sociology. Moreover, science must be based upon rational explanations and honest reporting which makes sense only if a rational ethical standard of a Creator God exists. I believe honest objective research shows true science is on the side of Christian faith, not against it as some like to claim.  Beware that scientists sometimes teach their own philosophy that's not true science. See my articles on science.

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2. Angels are a myth. Really! I haven't surveyed the planet or it's history that I can say angels don't exist. Certainly, if God made man and the whole universe, angels would seem to be a minor achievement. Now unless angels have wings, I can't honestly say I haven't been visited by them sometimes. But just because I haven't seen or recognized them doesn't prove anything. And, believe me, some of the utterly stupid things politicians do that harm the people they swore to serve and protect convince me demons (fallen angels) are alive and well, and that spiritual warfare and turmoil is a very real and serious worldwide problem. 

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3. The Bible can't be the Word of God. Have I questioned things in the Bible? You bet I have and still do! I don't have all the answers. But the more I search, the more problems I discover have adequate answers. A good scientist doesn't give up or throw in the towel just because he encounters problems. It just means he has to work harder and try to keep an open mind of other possibilities he yet doesn't understand. We naturally expect difficulties, understanding that the Bible was written in  ancient times, other languages, and cultures. And if God breathed His truths into His prophets and apostles to record, we think it imperative that He tell us so. So, the Bible says God spoke to men thousands of times. Moreover, there can be no higher authority than our Creator, Life-giver and Judge. See article: Bible Errors or Critic's Errors? Doubts Can Have Good Honest Answers, # 1, 2.
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Now in studying other worldviews, I'm increasingly convinced no other comes near biblical Christianity. Only Jesus is the perfect God-man, who in love for us was crucified to pay for our sins, arose again from the dead, and who offers us eternity in Heaven to all true believers. See my article: The Christian Worldview Makes Sense.
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4. So many different religions prove none of them are true. Yes, this is a problem. But only on the most superficial level. Anybody can claim a new or true revelation, or to have talked with God, His prophet, or angel. Many make such claims. Further, we don't want to hurt people's feelings, especially our parents who raised us in their religion. We don't like to leave our friends, our comfort zone, and all their advantages. And, if we have heard only one view and never questioned it, we have no reason to think otherwise especially if we're threatened to convert to something else. So there are reasons for so many religions as we all don't have the same experiences or think alike. 

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BUT, can any religion be true? There can't be thousands of gods, only two gods, one God, no god, or the universe be god?  If any one religion is true, then all that oppose it have to be false. Why do I say biblical Christianity is the true one? Because it furnishes evidences the others do not such as fulfilled prophecies, eyewitness miracles and above all the God-man who came into our world, died for our sins, and arose from the dead.. Founders of world religions can make only subjective and hearsay claims--they can't show anything like objective Christian evidences or provide the basis for human dignity and destiny.
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5. But prophecies can be explained in other ways. We can recognize trends and alleged fulfillments must be history claimed as prophecy, or artificially fulfilled events, or ambiguous language taken as prophecy. Then, consider this: The Persian king Cyrus was mentioned by name a century and a half before he lived in 538 B.C.. He decreed Israel return to rebuild her temple in fulfillment of Isa. 44:28; 45:4; Ezra 1:1-3. Further, King Josiah was predicted by name to destroy the non-Levitical priests of Bethel 300 years before it occurred (1 Kings 13:2; 2 Kin.23:15-20). The Bible also mentions things centuries before science discovered them such as the circle of the earth (Isa. 40:22), that life is in the blood (Deut. 12:23), and quarantine as means of sanitation to prevent diseases (Lev. 13). You will not find such definite prophetic fulfillments like these in other religions.
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The Bible predicts hundreds of detailed events fulfilled at a later time. Such things are  impossible to guess, artificially fulfill, or explain away. The prophets and apostles risked ridicule, torture, and death to substantiate these things as God's truth. No amount of fancy skeptical rhetoric can discount it as lies. It's God's evidence to us of his acts in our world. And when we get close to Him we can even see his acts in our own lives.

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6. Miracles violate the laws of nature. Now how could I know that, unless I can prove there's no Creator God in control? I do know that nature behaves in certain patterns. I can't walk on water, fly without wings, jump out of a twenty story building and gently float to the ground. But if nature has a Creator and Lord, he could enable me to do such things. Because I haven't experienced miracles, doesn't prove others haven't. Even if 99.99% of the world's population haven't experienced them, that still doesn't prove they can't happen. God may allow prophets to perform miracles only at certain critical times and places that suit His purposes. Miracles were needed for Israel to believe and leave Egypt.  Miracles were necessary to show people Jesus was God's Son as He claimed.  In  essence,  it  depends on whether we accept nature or God as in control. It seems arrogant to assume we know everything when we don't even know what may be happening in the next room. 
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Biblical miracles are physical exceptions to nature's normal patterns. They are necessary to get our attention and show God is Lord of His creation. How else would we know? They were performed by known spokesmen of God for a redemptive purpose who often risked their lives. Eyewitnesses,  knowing nature's laws, were shocked and  unable to discredit them. They were unlike other claims to miracles said performed by the gods away on Mt. Olympus that were bizarre freakish things as moving statues, seven headed snakes, or Neptune rising to blow ships across the sea. 

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7. God never answers my prayers. So often I have felt like that! But how can I know that? God's answers may be yes, no, or later and may take a form unimaginable and that meets my needs rather than my desires. I'm forgetful and don't keep a diary to check.  But  I've had events occur that were so improbable and in line with my petitions that it gave me reason to believe God had answered my prayers. For example, Trish and I lived in the 16th story of a high rise with my mother who had Alzheimer's. Mom would wander out of our apartment and get lost when we were asleep or unaware.  We prayed earnestly about what we should do. One night she told us three times we should put her in a home since she didn't know what she was doing. We looked at several places and found a beautiful ideal place only two miles from us at a most reasonable cost and that we could check on her frequently. I believe God  helps me write these articles in answer to prayers. They surprise me as I'm not that smart. Praise God who alone deserves the glory.

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8. Things didn't work out the way they should have. To be honest, I'm still a sinner, selfish, ignorant, rebellious, maybe even bias and arrogant to think my way is right. I've discovered my way is often not God's way. I've had to learn some humbling and needful lessons. Things didn't turn out the way I think they should have. Why didn't I marry that first girl I loved who loved me? Why did I have a divorce? Why did I go nine years to college and never seem to succeed at anything? Why did my sons turn out the way they did? Questions! Doubts! My understanding is like a grain of sand on the beach of God's infinite knowledge and wisdom. I hope and pray I'm learning to trust and obey Him. Thank God that although Bible characters sinned and made serious mistakes, He still loved and used them. It's that way with us too, when we don't understand. Praise the Lord!
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9. God is love so there's no Hell. The Bible does say God is love (1 John. 4:16). But  it also says God is holy, just and powerful who will punish evil. Three things bother me at this point. (1) If we can accept God's love but reject his holiness that is to destroy the Bible's authority on any teaching since holiness is just as clear and definite a Bible teaching as love. (2) And, if God is love but not holy, then evil has free reign to destroy all that is good. In other words, its like saying let all the killers, rapists, robbers and such run the streets to do what they want, they shouldn't be put away or punished; let the devil have his way. How on earth can we call that love or good? In effect, it destroys both a  happy secure earth and Heaven as well (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Rev.21:27). (3) Further, true love doesn't simply caste sinners into Hell since we're all imperfect by God's perfect standards and deserve Hell. True love according to the Bible respects our dignity and freedom in God's image to choose the God life or to reject it. Hence, love can't be forced and must willingly accept the means God has provided for us to be saved in his Son paying for our sins on the cross (John. 3:16; 36).   Love and justice, Heaven and Hell are simply two sides of the same coin and each person's works decides their own rightful or just degree of reward or of punishment. See my article: How God Shows Love.

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10. It's unjust for God to pay for my sins. We're the guilty sinners and Christ committed no wrong. But the Bible says that Christ suffered for our sins the just for the unjust to bring us to God (1 Pet. 3:18). God decides what's just and unjust; apart from God there is no standard. We can never undue the wicked things we've committed and that condemn us before a perfect God. So God in love paid our punishment physical, moral, spiritual so that we can be counted pure, holy, righteous, forgiven, forever free from sin's penalty. It's called grace, unconditional love, justification. It's God's right to solve our sin debt by showing both his justice and love working together. No other world religion can compare with or demonstrate either.
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What then do objections to God's existence prove? I think such objections show that we can be ignorant, self-centered, arrogant and often in pain. It's been true with me and I don't believe I'm an exception. But it's the last thing in the world we may be willing to admit. It makes no sense to hate a nonexistent God because an earthly father wasn't loving like the Heavenly Father who sent his Son to die for our sins. When we're atheists, we just need more love. See my article: The Christian Worldview Makes Sense.
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Now God invites us to come clean confessing we're sinners or else we will weep, whale, and gnash our teeth in agony away from God in eternal darkness. God offers us a home in the city of light with Him as His people (Rev. 22:1-6).  Won't U say, merciful Lord, forgive me, come into my life as my Savior, Lord and Guide forever.
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If U did that in faith, U just became a citizen of the city of light waiting to one day see Jesus. Now work for your Lord telling others about Him. Become a witness of Jesus and a computer missionary telling friends to tell friends. "Lord, use us to tell others to receive your gift of eternal life and make a positive contribution to this world despite all our hangups, sins, and mistakes, give  us faith and courage to obey you in this most precious opportunity." We love You.
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