Why Should We Believe in God?

In my last blog I wrote an article on the book “I Sold My Soul on Ebay” by Hemant Mehta.  I hope you’ll read that review and check this fascinating book out.  The more I reflect on this book I wanted to comment on a few insights that need to be considered. 

In the last part of the book he talks about what it would take to convert him.  I can understand some of the struggles athiests have with God.  There are many religions and before a person can accept Christ and Christianity just getting your mind around the idea of God can be a challenge.  We all know that there is suffering all around us and to argue the existence of God can be a challenge to some.  Mehta’s argument basically winds up with his struggle of hard evidence to show there is a God.  He can’t go on faith alone.  He wants us to be able to show him God with hard evidence.  He is a logical person and the idea of God (or Christianity) is beyond logic for him.  To quote the author, “To convince me I am mistaken in not believing in God, a church would have to appeal to my sense of reason and my insistence on empirical evidence” (page 166).  Wow!  That would be a tough challenge.  There are those who claim to be able to do that.  Many people have all kinds of arguments to give that evidence that God exists.  Mehta talks about an encounteer he had with Kirk Cameron (“Growing Pains” fame) and how the actor turned evangelist claims to be able to do that and uses arguments that are still faith based and not ’scientific.’  Many arguments Christians use in such debates are not ‘concrete’ enough for skeptics.  Mehta also felt ridiculed and put down by this encounteer. I didn’t hear it so I can’t judge but most of Mehta’s encounteers and debates with Christians he says are positive and he enjoyed them but a few left him feeling hurt.  And it goes in both ways.  Sometimes skeptics can be harsh and cruel to believers!  Either way this doesn’t work.  Mehta suggests in his book that churches need to be open to honest debate with skeptics and others who think differently.  I agree with that and both sides need to do so with respect. 

I have to admit that it does come down to faith.  I do believe there are rational arguments you can use that can argue in favor of the existence of God and the Christian faith.  However, I know those arguments can never give 100 percent evidence to a skeptic.  I also know that we simply can’t produce hard cold facts that skeptics would like.  We don’t have a video of the resurrection!  Yet the flip side is always true that skeptics can disprove God’s existence either!  They arguments athiests use to say there is no God are also not 100 percent and not without flaw!  So it becomes an argument that goes back and forth and never goes anywhere.

So why do I believe in God? 

*Science may tell me the how but it does not tell me the why or who.

*I don’t see science and faith at odds. I see  science as the “language of God” (to borrow from Francis Collins).

*I am not thrilled about the idea of existence apart from purpose or a Creator.  It tends to lead to a very negative outlook in my opinion.  It doesn’t help with death, pain and suffering.  The problem of evil is real and I don’t have all the answers but if there is evil and no God then that is a depressing thought to me.

*General Revelation.  This is the idea that we see creation and that points to God. I know some argue that it is a random creation but that sounds more unbelievable to me than a planned creation. 

Why do I Believe in Christ/Christianity?

*The Christ story speaks to me that it is a God thing and that I can not save myself (I know myself to well).  I prefer grace over karma or works any day!

*Other religious systems just don’t do it for me.

*I believe Christ has stood the test of time.  There have been skeptics who have tried but the Christian faith has survived any challenges given.

*I believe that the Christ story makes since to me.  The overwhelming majority of scholars (believers and non-believers) do not doubt there was a man named Jesus.  So if the claims of the church are true (that Jesus said he was the Son of God and came to save us) then C.S. Lewis’ argument makes sense to me.  Lewis said Jesus was either a liar (since he said those things), a lunatic (only a crazy man would say it if he wasn’t lying), or Lord (just who he said he was).  Some would argue that Jesus didn’t claim those things but the NT is clear he did and even if the NT writings were not trusthworthy the early church and history has not waivered from this central teaching.  So when people say he was a great prophet (Islam) but not Divine they can’t be right.  He either is who he said he was or he wasn’t.  If he wasn’t he would not be a good man. 

*I also have my own personal experience with God through Christ.  I know what God has done in my life. 

I know that there are many heavy arguments we could get into but in the end it does come to faith. I’m not a trained debater and I know there are brilliant minds on both sides of this issue.  Yet I have faith and I believe it comes to faith.  I admit that.  And yet to not believe or to accept something else takes faith too.  It’s faith wherever you go because you can’t logically and concretely proof either side.  So if you are an athiest or a believer you are trusting and placing your faith either in yourself or in God.  I’ll go with God.

Blessings,
Derik