Is there any proof that God exists?

Christian View

The Christian Perspective

Yes.

The existence of human reason cannot be ultimately explained by appealing to non-rational causes. It can only be ultimately explained by appealing to rational causes.

Why does a calculator claim that 1 + 1 = "2" instead of "73" or "the color green"? Why do we trust the assertions of a calculator when we need an accurate answer? Alternatively, how would a Magic-8-Ball answer those same questions? If we ask a Magic-8-Ball what 1 + 1 is, we are likely to get an answer like "No" or "The future is not yet clear" or some other complete and total nonsense.

Ask yourself why you would trust the conclusions of a calculator, but you would not trust the conclusions of a Magic-8-Ball. The answer is that a calculator has been rationally programmed by a rational programmer to come up with rational answers. A Magic-8-Ball has not. A calculator bases its assertions on rational principles provided by its rational creator. A Magic-8-Ball does not.

A Magic-8-Ball's answers are the product of a lack of reasoned consideration. Its claims are generated by a combination of gravity and buoyancy rather than inductive or deductive thought applied to the question.

But a calculator's answers are only rational because of the creator of the calculator. If the calculator had been created without any kind of rational programmer, its conclusions would be no more reasoned than those of the Magic-8-Ball. Its claims would be no more rational than if no thought had been put into a reasoned conclusion at all.

Of course, you may ask a Magic-8-Ball a question that fits one of its predefined answers, and it may so happen that it is shaken just-so, such that the answer it gives happens to be correct. This does not make the answer rational. It does not mean that there is any justified reason for the answer. It certainly does not mean you would be justified in believing the Magic-8-Ball.

It is only without reason that anyone could hold beliefs that are generated without reason. And, if there is no God, then everything, including our own beliefs, are generated without reason. The only way we ourselves can possibly be rational is if we are rationally programmed.

A rejection of God is the most plainly irrational perspective anyone could ever hold.

A basic deductive syllogism toward this end can be outlined as follows:


Premise 1: Any belief ultimately formed by non-reasoning causes is ultimately believed without reason.

Premise 2: If there is no God, every belief is ultimately formed by non-reasoning causes.

Conclusion: Therefore, if there is no God, every belief is ultimately believed without reason.


When people say that if there is no God, then there is no reason for anything, they aren't just talking about some grand purpose for their own lives. They aren't just talking about some ultimate goal for all of reality. No, when we say there is no reason for anything without God, what we mean is that there is no reason for anything. There is no reason to think that 1 + 1 is 2. There is no reason to think anything at all. Everything -- every thought, every sentence, every single word -- is reduced to meaningless nonsense.

The Bible gets it right when it tells us "the fool says in his heart that there is no God" (Psalm 14:1, 53:1). We must declare ourselves irrational fools if we declare there is no God. God alone is where human reason can find rational justification.

So why do so many people claim that God does not exist? Or why do so many people claim that there is no evidence for God?

The Bible again has the answer. It says that we as humans often prefer sin over truth (Romans 1:18). We often suppress what we know to be true in favor of falsehood because we prefer the falsehood! The falsehood does not judge us. It does not condemn us. It will not send us to hell. After all, if there is no God, I cannot be justly condemned by anyone! What a wonderful world that would be!

But suppressing the truth of our own moral obligations, and our own failure to live up to them (Romans 3:23), does not actually make those truths go away. One day we will stand before a righteous and just God, and we will have to account for our own disobedience (Matthew 25:32).

That's the bad news.

However, the good news is that our creator God is not only just and righteous, He is also forgiving and merciful. He has offered each and every one of us forgiveness, if we will accept the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, on our behalf (John 3:16-18). Christ lived the perfect life that we should have lived, and He was executed by crucifixion, suffering the awful consequences that we each deserve.

He told us that if we trust in Him, if we have faith in Him, if we follow Him, we can be made right with God (Matthew 10:32-33). Then, He rose from the dead to prove that He had the power to do what He said He could do (John 2:22; Romans 8:34)!

You yourself can be right with God today -- right now -- through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9).

Pretending God isn't there will not make Him go away. It will only lead to an eternity of regret.

Atheist view Christian view