There are a growing number of people today who seriously doubt the existence of God, or are skeptical of the God of the Christian Bible. This trend does not include hard-core atheists (you know, the ones that get really angry when you try to talk about God or His existence) because they have always been around. However, we are seeing growth in what has now become the third largest religious category worldwide known as the “nones” (no religious affiliation). This has been notable since the end of twentieth century and, in my view, one of the biggest reasons is the apparent divide between God and science.
Science classes are often where the battle begins for the minds and hearts of young people today, as well as many adults. This is where you can find ideology threatening truth. When it comes to the topic of life’s origin atheists and secular evolutionists deny scientific evidence that points to the existence of God as the Creator.
Public school curriculum is based on secular humanism and evolutionary philosophy, not science. Evolutionary philosophy is founded on presuppositions that accept only evidence that fits the evolutionary philosophical model. Students in our public schools and universities are given selected information that supports the established teaching of evolution and its philosophical premises. Students are not given, nor are they allowed to evaluate, any evidence that points towards the possibility of an intelligently designed creation.
Science is not an enemy of Christian thinkers. When one takes a truly open examination of the evidence, without any preconceived ideas, it will be easy to see where the science leads. It ultimately takes much more faith to force the evidence into a paradigm that does not allow for the possibility of a Creator than one that does.
Over the next several posts we will overview four major lines of evidence For the existence of a Creator-God, but first, what does the Bible have to say about God as the Creator and sustainer of our Universe?
From a Biblical perspective:
Only fools say in their hearts, “there is no God”. They are corrupt and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! Psalm 53:1
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God…
- This is God’s eyewitness account given to Moses (Exodus 31:18, 34:1-2, 27, Psalm 111:4, Isaiah 42:9)
- The Bible always assumes, and never argues, God’s existence
- The Bible describes God as the Creator who is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-holy, all-righteous, complete in justice, full of truth and mercy, complete in love and grace and everywhere present
Additional supporting verses:
- He existed before the beginning of time (Colossians 1:17)
- He existed at the beginning of time (John 1:1-2)
- God is present everywhere in the Universe and is not constrained by time/space (Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 23:24)
- He is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16)
- He is eternal and unchangeable (Psalm 9:7; 1 Timothy 1:17; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8)
- He is the sustainer of everything (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3)
- His wisdom is without limit and His understanding is complete (Psalm 147:5; 1 John 3:20)
- He knows the beginning from the end (Isaiah 42:9)
In addition to Biblical evidence for the existence of God there is much evidence outside the Bible. For the skeptic who does not believe that the Bible is the Word of God disciplines like philosophy, science, history, and sociology can help make a very compelling and convincing case. If allowed to examine all of the evidence one cannot deny the stronger possibility of an intelligently designed Universe. Everyone has to answer the question of origin from their own worldview; Christianity is simply claiming to have the best answer to that question and so much more.
I. Philosophical Arguments for the existence of God:
Anselm’s Ontological Argument:
“God is a being of which nothing greater can be thought. This is a greatness, not in size or space, but in perfection—perfection of intelligence, power, truth, love, and all that makes perfection is found within this being.”
Therefore, if you try to describe God in human terms then He must be greater than what you can describe.
- The Creator of a thing does not fall under, and is not held to, the rules of the thing He created
- God exists outside and inside His created time-space continuum and although everything we know to exist had a beginning God has always existed
- God is the uncaused, first cause of all things and there must be a first uncaused cause for anything to exist – the Creator would have to be, by definition, an uncaused causer
- Something cannot come from nothing, being cannot come from non-being, life cannot come from non-life, and intelligence (a mind) cannot come from non-intelligence
A logical example: A person who designs, builds and programs a computer does not live in the computer, nor are they held to the rules and limitations of the computer they designed. Is this not true with God and His design of the Universe?
The Kalam Cosmological Argument:
An infinite number of days has no beginning and no end, but today is an end day of history (history being a collection of all days). There were not an infinite number of days before today (i.e. time had a beginning). For example, count forward—will you ever get to the last number? Count backward (negative numbers)—will you ever get to the beginning? Therefore, life’s history had a beginning.
II. The Cosmological Argument for the Beginning of the Universe
Premise #1: Whatever begins to exist must have a cause. All effects must have a cause.
*Premise #2: The Universe began to exist. All that we see in the universe, the second law of thermodynamics and the explosive beginning known as the big bang are evidence of effects requiring a cause.
Premise #3: Therefore, the Universe has a cause. Evidence of an effect implies a cause, therefore there must be a causer.
*We must provide evidence for premise #2 for premise #3 to be true.
The Cosmos (Universe)
Carl Sagan would say in his 1980’s PBS show: The Cosmos is all there is, all that ever was and all that will ever be. This could be considered the “Atheist’s Creed.” Scientists, like Sagan, had assumed that the Universe was static and constant, without a beginning, but the Kalam argument in philosophy challenges this and concrete scientific evidence backs it up!
According to the laws of Physics and Chemistry:
God’s creation and everything that we know to exist has the following properties: Time, force, energy, space and matter…
Genesis 1:1 gives us these same properties when it describes God’s act of creation:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth
- In the beginning = time
- God = force
- Created = energy
- The heavens = space
- and the earth = matter
Cosmological evidence for Intelligent Design of the Universe:
- The second law of thermodynamics (the law of entropy)
In a closed system the amount of useful energy is moving toward zero, or in other words it is being used up. A closed system is where no matter or energy can come in from the outside. Within this system you have energy in it, entropy, and over time it is being used up.
Relating this law to our Universe scientific evidence shows that the Universe is winding down, energy is being lost and stars are cooling. Like a hot cup of coffee, it is not going to remain static. The inference: If something is coming to an end, it must have had a beginning.
The Bible tells us that God has set it up this way…
In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. –Psalm 102:25-27
- The Theory of Relativity
In 1905 Albert Einstein unintentionally proved that the Universe was expanding as he proposed the theory of relativity (he thought he had made a calculation error).
In 1920 Edwin Hubble and his studies confirmed Einstein’s theory and showed that there was an expansion going on in the Universe and the movement of the galaxies was away from the earth. This is confirmed based on measurements of Red Shift, Background Radiation and Background Noise.
The Bible also tells us that in God’s creation of the Universe He did it this way…
This is what God the LORD says – he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spreads out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it… –Isaiah 42:5
- The Big Bang Theory
- Definition: The sudden and immediate expansion resulting from an explosive beginning.
- Confirmed based upon Einstein’s work, Hubble’s experiment, the red shift evidence, background radiation and background noise – together this is overwhelming evidence of a sudden and explosive beginning
- To simplify, think of rewinding a tape – If everything is expanding, or moving out, then by rewinding we can take things back to an initial point of beginning or singularity
- Astronomer Sir Fredrick Hoyle coined the term “Big Bang” in 1950
- On April 24, 1992 ABC News Nightline reported on the implication of the Big Bang in support of a Biblical account of creation
J. Warner Wallace presents the cosmological evidence from a perspective of a detective, watch his 28 minutes presentation on Cosmological evidence from his book “God’s Crime Scene:”
“That there are what I or anyone would call supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact.” -Robert Jastrow, Astronomer and Director of Mount Wilson, Founder of NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies
“If the universe is continually expanding, then at earlier points in history, it must have been smaller and smaller. This literally represents the origin of the universe from nothing.” – Dr. William Lane Craig
Concluding thought on the Cosmological Evidence:
For something to be caused/created there must have been a reason or purpose in the Creator’s mind. Could it be that He desired a relationship with His creation, and that He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us in order to bring us back to that relationship once lost (Genesis 1-3)?
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. –Psalm 19:1-4
Oh LORD, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praises because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place. What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the sea. O LORD, our lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! –Psalm 8
Reflection:
- Write out and memorize two examples of Biblical evidence for the existence of God:
- What is the Cosmological argument for the existence of God (three premises)? In your own words, give two supporting examples.
- Prayer focus: God’s creation of the Universe
Please continue to pray for God’s peace and comfort that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:4-7) for Nabeel Qureshi’s family, and the continued ministry of his wife Michelle. In God’s will and Jesus’ Name always we pray, Amen.
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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.
Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.
Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.
Teri Dugan
TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com
1 Peter 3:15
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