Does God Exist? Proof & Evidence for the Existence of God
Just once wouldn’t you love for someone to simply show you the evidence for God’s existence? No arm-twisting. No statements of, “You just have to believe.”
Well, here is an attempt to candidly offer some of the reasons which suggest that God exists.
But first consider this. If a person opposes even the possibility of there being a God, then any evidence can be rationalized or explained away.
It is like if someone refuses to believe that people have walked on the moon, then no amount of information is going to change their thinking. Satellite footage of astronauts walking on the moon, interviews with the astronauts, moon rocks…all the evidence would be worthless, because the person has already concluded that people cannot go to the moon.
When it comes to the possibility of God’s existence, the Bible says that there are people who have seen sufficient evidence, but they have suppressed the truth about God.(1)
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On the other hand, for those who want to know God if He is there, He says, “You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you.”(2) Before you look at the facts surrounding God’s existence, ask yourself, If God does exist, would I want to know Him?
Here, then, are some reasons supporting God’s existence...
1. Throughout history, in all cultures of the world, people have been convinced there is a God.
Could one say with any sense of confidence that all those people have been mistaken? Billions of people, who represent diverse sociological, intellectual, emotional, educational makeups…all came to the same conclusion that there is a Creator, a God to be worshipped.
“Anthropological research has indicated that among the farthest and most remote primitive people today, there is a universal belief in God. And in the earliest histories and legends of people all around the world, the original concept was of one God, who was the Creator. An original high God seems once to have been in their consciousness even in those societies which are today polytheistic.”(3)
2. The complexity of our planet points to a deliberate Designer who not only created our universe, but sustains it today. Many examples showing God’s design could be given, possibly with no end. But here are a few:
- The Earth…its size is perfect. The Earth’s size and corresponding gravity holds a thin layer of mostly nitrogen and oxygen gases, only extending about 50 miles above the Earth’s surface.If Earth were smaller, an atmosphere would be impossible, like the planet Mercury. If Earth were larger, its atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, like Jupiter.(4) Earth is the only known planet equipped with an atmosphere of the right mixture of gases to sustain plant, animal and human life.The Earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze. Any closer and we would burn up.Even a fractional variance in the Earth’s position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible. The Earth remains this perfect distance from the sun while it rotates around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph. It is also rotating on its axis, allowing the entire surface of the Earth to be properly warmed and cooled every day.
And our moon is the perfect size and distance from the Earth for its gravitational pull. The moon creates important ocean tides and movement so ocean waters do not stagnate, and yet it restrains our massive oceans from spilling over across the continents.(5)
- Water…colorless, odorless and without taste, and yet no living thing can survive without it. Plants, animals and human beings consist mostly of water (about two-thirds of the human body is water). You’ll see why the characteristics of water are uniquely suited to life…It has an unusually high boiling point and freezing point. Water allows us to live in an environment of fluctuating temperature changes, while keeping our bodies a steady 98.6 degrees.Water is a universal solvent. Take a full glass of water, add a cup of sugar, and nothing spills over the edge; the water simply absorbs the sugar. This property of water means that thousands of chemicals, minerals and nutrients can be carried throughout our bodies and into the smallest blood vessels.(6)Water is also chemically inert. Without affecting the makeup of the substances it carries, water enables food, medicines and minerals to be absorbed and used by the body.
Water has a unique surface tension. Water in plants can therefore flow upward against gravity, bringing life-giving water and nutrients to the top of even the tallest trees.
Water freezes from the top down and floats, so fish can live in the winter.Ninety-seven percent of the Earth’s water is in the oceans. But on our Earth, there is a system designed which removes salt from the water and then distributes that water throughout the globe. Evaporation takes the ocean waters, leaving the salt, and forms clouds which are easily moved by the wind to disperse water over the land, for vegetation, animals and people. It is a system of purification and supply that sustains life on this planet, a system of recycled and reused water.(7)
- The human brain…simultaneously processes an amazing amount of information.Your brain takes in all the colors and objects you see, the temperature around you, the pressure of your feet against the floor, the sounds around you, the dryness of your mouth, even the way this article appears to you on your screen.Your brain registers emotional responses, thoughts and memories. At the same time your brain keeps track of the ongoing functions of your body like your breathing pattern, eyelid movement, hunger and movement of the muscles in your hands.The human brain processes more than a million messages a second.(8) Your brain weighs the importance of all this data, filtering out the relatively unimportant. This screening function is what allows you to focus and operate effectively in your world.
A brain that deals with more than a million pieces of information every second, while evaluating its importance and allowing you to act on the most pertinent information…can we say mere chance brought about such an astounding organ?
When NASA launches a shuttle mission, it is assumed a monkey didn’t write the plan, but intelligent and knowledgeable minds. How does one explain the existence of the human brain? Only a mind more intelligent and knowledgeable than humanity could have created the human brain.
3. Mere “chance” is not an adequate explanation.
Imagine looking at Mount Rushmore, in which the likenesses of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt are carved. Could you ever believe that it came about by chance?
Given infinite time, wind, rain and chance, it is still hard to believe something like that, tied to history, was randomly formed in the side of a mountain. Common sense tells us that people planned and skillfully carved those figures.
This article only touches on a few amazing aspects of our world: the Earth’s position to the sun, some properties of water, one organ in the human body. Could any of these have come about by chance?
The distinguished astronomer Sir Frederick Hoyle showed how amino acids randomly coming together in a human cell is mathematically absurd. Sir Hoyle illustrated the weakness of “chance” with the following analogy. “What are the chances that a tornado might blow through a junkyard containing all the parts of a 747, accidentally assemble them into a plane, and leave it ready for take-off? The possibilities are so small as to be negligible even if a tornado were to blow through enough junkyards to fill the whole universe!”(9)
When one considers the intricacies of our life and universe, it is reasonable to think that an intelligent, loving Creator provided for everything we need for life. The Bible describes God as the author and sustainer of life.
4. Humankind’s inherent sense of right and wrong cannot be biologically explained. There arises in all of us, of any culture, universal feelings of right and wrong. Even a thief gets upset and feels wronged when someone steals from him. If someone violently grabs a child from a family and rapes that child, there is an anger and revulsion and a rage to confront that act as evil, regardless of the culture. Where did we get this sense of wrongness? How do we explain a universal law in the conscience of all people that says murder for fun is wrong?
And in areas like courage, dying for a cause, love, dignity, duty and compassion, where did these come from? If people are merely products of physical evolution, “survival of the fittest,” why do we sacrifice for each other? Where did we get this inner sense of right and wrong? Our conscience can best be explained by a loving Creator who cares about the decisions and harmony of humanity.
Next: God left a biography about himself as evidence for his existence
Copyright 2000 EveryStudent.com. Used with permission.
good article but i guess we all have to experience if HE exist i know he does but its up to people if God exists i know through creation thank you for posting this
I really don’t know what to think. The level of ignorance by the author of this article is simply baffling. Yes, it’s very unlikely that we are alive today. UNLIKELY DOESN’T MEAN IMPOSSIBLE. Let’s say that there are a billion billion planets in the Universe, which, if I’m not mistaken, is actually close to the current estimate. Let’s say that there’s a one-in-a-billion chance that a planet can sustain life. That means that there are most likely a billion planets in this universe that can sustain life. Its that simple. Also, consider the fact that oxygen was once poisonous-and obviously you can’t have life in a planet with a poisonous atmosphere, so the plants adapted to taking this chemical in and eventually so did the animals. Think about arsenic-based life forms. Their existence seems mind-boggling to religious people, yet to atheists such as myself, it’s quite obvious that they evolved to withstand a chemical lethal to humans. About your first proof-it was Bronze-Age primitive people who came up with religion and convinced a whole bunch of people to follow it. Let me ask you something-do you believe in Hinduism? Of course not, you say. You reject that religion without a second thought. So what causes you to come up with these rationalizations in order to explain your own religion? It’s because you’re afraid of the truth. As for the 747 gambit, it’s utterly pointless and overused. Now let me ask you another question-who designed the designer? And if you find yourself saying that God is timeless, well then, I’m afraid you’re making up further rationalizations. Religion is an unstable house that can be brought down by a child’s innocent question. Questions like this include-why is there evil? Why did god send down himself to be crucified in order to save mankind from sin,
A quality that god bestowed on humanity in the first place? It makes no sense. God must be imaginary. In response to the argument that you will throw back at me, I offer these simple words from Hugh Laurie’s character on House, MD.
“if you could reason with religious people, then there wouldn’t be any more religious people.”
Richard,
The argument which you continue to use is that I am unable to provide you with any factual information that the Bible is true. Then let me reverse your argument as if you say you have an open mind then prove to me that what the Bible teaches is false as you would be unable to do so. You take only a piece of the Bible here and a piece their and distort it to what you believe it to be say as many times in the Bible it is not speaking in the literal since but figuratively and not the whole book so you mock the Bible as if you would take the time to try to disprove it’s prophesies you would be unable to or the argument that you use is because man did what was promised in the Bible it is untrue and not worthy of mentioning.
Their is one major difference between the Bible and the Koran the Koran was written by ONE man who died and he wrote his personal beliefs as I don’t profess to be an expert on the Koran. The Koran is not a prophetic book but the belief of what a man thought God was saying to him. The Bible was written by many Godly men who were instructed by God what to write which included the prophets as well as his disciples who witnessed his life during his three years of ministry.
You are speaking on purely legal terms whereas my argument is of the spirit as it is impossible to convince as when I mentioned you were in the minority and lonely it was in the figurative since. Sure there always will people of like minds for people to associate with. When you mention Christian nation you are purely talking legally as not all people believe that Christ died for them just as Hitler or Stalin never did!.
Why would I want to take your little pearl that is worthless from your open hand when I will have a house of pure gold that will last forever in eternity? You can try with all your might to discredit Christ however like Hitler, Stalin, Nero, former communist leaders, present day Chinese leaders all have failed. The reason for there failure is something which you will never be able to comprehend as Christ through the Holy Spirit gives a person a sense of peace and joy which is indescribable. This my dear friend is something you can mock all you wish as if you look at history many have done so. Communist countries leaders did not believe in God and tried to stamp out peoples belief in God. The same with China however according to this article http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/20/christianity-china
There are well over 100 million Christians in China alone which kind of beats your 25 to 35 % of Australia as your nation is 24 million so roughly 4 million don’t think God exists. If you take it a step further and take the whole worlds billions of people your 4 million is in the minority.
You can be as intellectual as you wish to be as when God created me he did so with the ability to accept him and sense his spirit after I accepted him the more critical, angry, irate you get the more I sense his love and Holy Spirit which is why I continue to answer your hateful messages. The greater the storm within my life the more I sense the Holy Spirit and Gods presence. God created people as yourself who have hardened their hearts to create strife so others will draw closer to him like the clam the more people try to destroy Christians the more it grows. This is what gives you peace because life can appear to be pretty easy when you believe in nothing but oneself. YOU can yell,scream, hurl insults all you wish as in the scripture it says that all human beings will bow before him which includes me as well as you. What you will never ever be able to comprehend is the trinity and mostly the Holy Spirit as how can you tell someone who senses God’s Holy Spirit through Christ that he is wrong? YOU Can’t. The only argument that you have is that it is magic ok call it that if you wish as it does not offend me. I know from my own personal experience and the experience of others that the Holy Spirit exists. If you want factual proof seek it out yourself because for me personally and the millions of Christians around the world know he exists which is enough for me. I am unable to interpret the Holy Spirit for you as until a person believes in Christ they only see one part of the scriptures and interpret as per their way of thinking.
YOU have every right to not believe in God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit as that is what free will is so then don’t believe in God. The right which you don’t have is to mock someones belief as Christian bashing is becoming a popular sport in the media as people like myself who believe in Christ respect your views however many atheists try through legal means and brow beating to remove God from the public. That is wrong. God Bless,
Andrew,
Yes the Koran was written by a man. A man who spoke directly to God. Just like the bible was written by men. Men who said they spoke to God or a guy who claimed to be God’s son. Why believe one over the other? Again I’m guessing it’s because you were born in a predominantly Christian country, not the Middle East. If you and I had been born in a Muslim county you would be backing Muhammad and I’d be arguing in Arabic.
You say I’m in the minority being an atheist and I must be lonely. Being in the minority doesn’t make me wrong. (Christianity was in the minority for a long time but it seems to have caught on a bit. So I can always hope that Freethinking and common sense will catch on too). As for being lonely, I simply don’t know anyone who believes in a Magical Sky God, so no, I’m not lonely so don’t feel bad for me.
Happily I live in Australia. Our current Prime Minister is an atheist.
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_Australia) something like 25 – 30 % of Australians consider themselves atheist and the number rises every year. Here are some quotes from the article:
In a 2008 global Gallup poll, nearly 70% of Australians stated religion as having no importance,[19] much higher than their American counterparts, and on par with similarly secular countries such as Japan, the Netherlands, Finland, and France. Only a few Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) and post-Soviet states (Estonia) are markedly less religious.
The Sydney Morning Herald, an Australian newspaper, asked its readers “Would the world be better off without religion?”. 81% responded in the affirmative.[20][dead link]
A 2006 study by Monash University, the Australian Catholic University and the Christian Research Association found that 52 per cent of Australians born between 1976 and 1990 have no belief in a God.[21
So no, I’m not lonely.
You say my intellect prevents me from having faith. I agree, just as my intellect prevents me believing 2 and 2 makes 5.
To continue your analogy, I am not a dog trying to pry open a clam. I am the man with the open clam, trying to offer you the oyster inside. You just don’t want to see it.
You have offered no “factual information” that proves the bible correct.
All the best.
.
Andrew,
Yes the Koran was written by a man. A man who spoke directly to God. Just like the bible was written by men. Men who said they spoke to God or a guy who claimed to be God’s son. Why believe one over the other? Again I’m guessing it’s because you were born in a predominantly Christian country, not the Middle East. If you and I had been born in a Muslim county you would be backing Muhammad and I’d be arguing in Arabic.
You say I’m in the minority being an atheist and I must be lonely. Being in the minority doesn’t make me wrong. (Christianity was in the minority for a long time but it seems to have caught on a bit. So I can always hope that Freethinking and common sense will catch on too). As for being lonely, I simply don’t know anyone who believes in a Magical Sky God, so no, I’m not lonely, so don’t feel bad for me.
Happily I live in Australia. Our current Prime Minister is an atheist.
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_Australia) something like 25 – 30 % of Australians consider themselves atheist and the number rises every year. Here are some quotes from the article:
In a 2008 global Gallup poll, nearly 70% of Australians stated religion as having no importance,[19] much higher than their American counterparts, and on par with similarly secular countries such as Japan, the Netherlands, Finland, and France. Only a few Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) and post-Soviet states (Estonia) are markedly less religious.
The Sydney Morning Herald, an Australian newspaper, asked its readers “Would the world be better off without religion?”. 81% responded in the affirmative.[20]
A 2006 study by Monash University, the Australian Catholic University and the Christian Research Association found that 52 per cent of Australians born between 1976 and 1990 have no belief in a God.[21
So no, I’m not lonely.
You say my intellect prevents me from having faith. I agree, just as my intellect prevents me believing 2 and 2 makes 5.
To continue your analogy, I am not a dog trying to pry open a clam. I am the man with the open clam, trying to offer you the oyster inside. You just don’t want to see it.
You have offered no “factual information” that proves the bible correct.
All the best.
.
Richard,
Their is one fairly significant difference between your belief & mine when it comes to religion. All other religions were created and designed by man as a blue print to follow their teachings of what they believed to be true for them to have eternal life. You mentioned Muslims as some believe that committing suicide and taking others with them is a method to receive glory however this method was designed by man as to what his interpenetration is. If I am not mistaken the Koran was written by one man who was the prophet Mohammad and he wrote his interpretation of what man needs to do as a guide and I fairly certain some of the Koran is misinterpreted. However I do find that a certain percentage of their faith are radical as these are the Muslims that are violent and their numbers are increasing. How many Christians do you hear of that do terrorists acts to destroy life as you do have the odd nut case who kills abortion doctors and you would think the World would come to an end from the media attention. However the Muslim at one of the army basis that murdered people in the name of his religion lost his way! The Koran was written by one person and same with the Buddist religion it was written by man for man to decide how to become pure.
You have the audacity to state that the Bible is “gullibility, a willingness to suspend reason, a complete lack of critical thinking.The only confusing thing about the bible is that any modern, educated, intelligent person could possibly take it seriously.” It must be fairly lonely for you to stand on an island trying to preach your belief that God does not exist when the very book you are critical of proves that he does from the many promises have been delivered.
The Bible was written by hundreds of authors over thousands of years as their are over 2500 prophesies which of well over 2000 have been fulfilled as I only mentioned a few. The very nature of Christianity is peaceful as if you would state this about the Koran your life would be very much in danger. This may be news to you but you are in the minority of the belief that God does not exist and are to blind to see the truth.
I quoted a number of verses in the Bible of the miracles that took place when Christ was alive and the religious leaders of its time like you scoffed at these however if you do notice the harder a religious leader scoffs at Christianity the greater the growth. You are mistaken their have been countless people who have been Christians who have been clinically dead that have been brought back to life. The few that do tell others about there experience are often mocked as what they seen was just a dream. Their have been many documented death experiences of Christians who have died and lived again. Muslims who try to take others lives and fail often are critically injured for life or if they completely fail will spend the remaining of their lives in prison if the event occurs in North America. Like the raising of the dead that Christ did in the Bible their will always be Pharisees like yourself who try to discredit God.
You have the right to believe that their is no God but you will never have the ability or strength to convince me that God does not exist for the simple reason that you don’t know him. The idea which you fail to understand is that concept of the trinity which is the Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. You can be as critical as you wish and as demeaning as you must and be intellectual superior as if your intellect prevents you from having faith to believe then that is your right but like the religious leaders of Jesus day they were successful in crucifying Christ as was foretold in the scriptures but they were unable to stamp out their belief in Christ. Your methods and means to discredit the Bible is nothing new as they were the same methods that the religious leaders of the day used to try to stamp out their beliefs. You will discover that the harder you attempt to discredit the Bible for weak minded feeble minded crippled people the more peoples belief will only become stronger. Like a dog trying to open a clam shell the harder it tries the tighter the shell becomes. You can belittle people who believe in God all you wish but like the person who throws water on a grease fire the fire only gets greater as your desperation of discrediting God is having the exact opposite effect as many non Christians and Christians read my posts and as a result due to the factual information that I provide within the posts it proves that the Bible is correct as it is only a select minority which you belong to that don’t believe God exists. God Bless