PROOFS OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

[Kiwi Christian]

PROOFS OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

The Bible never attempts to prove the existence of God, but simply declares His existence as a settled fact. The Bible commences: “In the beginning God...” Genesis 1:1.

Belief in God’s existence is fundamental to life; otherwise man is not accountable to anybody. Belief in God’s existence is a pre-requisite to being saved by faith in Christ.

“He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6. “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God”. Psalm 53:1.

Consider these proofs or arguments for God’s existence:

1. CAUSE AND EFFECT (Cosmological)

Every effect has a cause. The cause is greater than the effect.

“For every house is built by some man; but he that built all things is God”. Hebrews 3:4. The world and the universe are here. This raises the question: “How did it all come into existence?” We know of nothing in this world that has no cause. Thus we must recognise that there is a cause behind this world and the universe.
If the pieces of a watch were shaken up in a can forever, they would never produce a working watch by accident. The fact of a watch’s existence demands that there was a watchmaker who made the watch. Hence there must be an intelligent First Cause (God).

2. DESIGN PROVES THE EXISTENCE OF A DESIGNER (Teleological)

Not only does the world and universe exist (with a cause), but it also has a perfect design and purpose. Everything has a purpose. For example, every part of your body has a useful purpose.

Order and useful arrangement imply that the Cause has intelligence and purpose. The intelligence, purpose and harmony in the universe prove the existence of a master architect. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork”. Psalm 19:1.

God’s purpose, design, harmony and intelligence is seen in:

1. The earth is the right distance from the sun to provide a life-sustaining climate on earth.
2. The moon is the right distance from earth to provide tides at a proper level.
3. Without a moon, we would have no light at night.
4. Every plant, animal and bacteria has a useful purpose.
5. Every part of your body is in the right place (eg: eyes, nose, ears), is the right size and shape (eg: thumb, fingers), and works perfectly to achieve a useful purpose.
6. Flowers are colourful. Trees provide oxygen, shade, and timber for building and heating, they prevent soil erosion, and they support many life forms.

7. How can these be explained? A benevolent Designer has given us all of these blessings because He loves and cares for us. Do you love and care for Him?

8. The human body functions so perfectly in every way.

9. “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made”. Psalm 139:14.

3. The UNIQUENESS and INTELLIGENCE OF MAN (Anthropological)

Man is vastly superior to animals, because of his intelligence, his engineering skill, his moral awareness and his awareness of God and eternity.
“So God created man in his own image”. Genesis 1:27.

4. MAN’S UNIVERSAL INTUITIVE BELIEF IN GOD (Ontological)

Man everywhere is born with an intuitive belief in God. This manifests itself in a desire to worship God. If man does not find the true God, he worships a God of his own making. Belief in God is intuitive. It is not the result of cultural conditioning.

5. THE MORAL ARGUMENT (Conscience)

Man everywhere has a moral awareness of right and wrong. He feels responsible to do what is right, and to avoid what is wrong.

Question: Where did this sense of moral justice come from?

If man is only a bunch of chemicals, why does he have a sense of moral obligation? Do chemicals have morality?

Answer: The Bible states that moral awareness is God given. Such innate moral standards cannot be due to evolution from unintelligent matter. Romans 2:14,15 states that Gentiles who don’t know the 10 Commandments have an inner, moral witness placed there by God. When a man violates his conscience he feels guilt and a fear of punishment. Man’s moral awareness can be traced back to the moral values of his Creator. Man’s conscience witnesses to the existence of a supreme Law-Giver and Judge who built this sense of right and wrong into man.

6. THE BIOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

Only life can produce life. The theory of spontaneous generation of life has been proven false by science. (Louis Pasteur 1870). Unintelligent matter cannot produce intelligent life. The eternal, intelligent life source is God. “For with thee is the fountain of life”. Psalm 36:9.

7. THE HISTORICAL ARGUMENT

Human history points to the unseen Hand of God. God controls, guides and governs the affairs of nations. Examples of God intervening in history are:
i) When Hitler and Napoleon invaded Russia, winter came early, and was so severe that it led to their defeat. Job 38:22,23.
ii) When Hitler had crippled England’s airforce, he could have easily invaded and conquered Britain. But he delayed and was distracted to bombing English cities. He lost his moment of opportunity due to the prayer answering God.

iii) When the Spanish Armada set out to invade England in 1588 with 130 ships, God sent a devastating storm which was timed perfectly to destroy most of the ships. God spared England for Protestantism, publishing of the King James Bible in 1611, and sending gospel preaching missionaries all over the world.
iv) The allies and the United States developed the atomic bomb before Hitler in World War II.
v) Roman peace had removed pirates from the seas allowing Paul and early missionaries to plant churches all over the world.
vi) In 1453 the Moslems captured Constantinople. Just before it fell, all the precious New Testament manuscripts had been taken to Europe where printing had just been invented in 1440 by Gutenberg. Hence God preserved the New Testament manuscripts from Islamic destruction, and to be printed 10 years after printing was invented.
vii) La Perouse was a French explorer who sailed into Botany Bay only 6 days after Arthur Phillip arrived there with the First Fleet.God wanted England to colonise Australia rather than France.

viii) Men blasphemed God in 1912 by saying that “Not even God could sink the Titanic ocean liner.” God judged their sin by sinking the Titanic on its maiden voyage from England to New York on April 15, 1912 when it struck an iceberg.

8. THE CHRISTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

We cannot explain the Christ of history without the existence of God. Christ’s life is affirmed by the Bible and by secular literature. Christ’s virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, teachings, prophecies fulfilled at His death, His bodily resurrection and ascension can only be explained by God’s existence. “Never man spake like this man”. John 7:46.
How Christ transforms lives for good, and continues to answer prayers is proof of God’s existence. Millions of Christians world wide know Christ as God personally.

9. THE BIBLICAL ARGUMENT

Man could not have authored the Bible. We know that the Bible is authored by God because it foretells the future with 100% accuracy every time. No other book in the world has 100% fulfilled prophecy. This shows that it comes from the mind of God. Man would not write a book about how his God whom he loves and worships gets crucified. Man would teach that we get to God by our good works. The Bible is accurate from Science, Archaeology, Prophecy, Unity and Morality.

10. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE KNOW GOD PERSONALLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ has answered millions of people’s prayers and transformed millions of lives from misery, sin and despair to love, joy, peace, hope and victory. Do not be like the fool who says that there is no God. Receive Jesus Christ as your God and Saviour from sin today. Then you too will know God personally.

 

[quatona]

Quantity of arguments rather than quality?

 

[DogmaHunter]

1. CAUSE AND EFFECT (Cosmological)

Causality requires time to exist (causes happen before effects) and therefor can't be invoked to explain the origins of the universe, since the origin of the universe = the origins of time itself.

ie: you can't invoke phenomena that apply IN the universe / which require the universe to exist, to make a point about a context where no such universe exists.

2. DESIGN PROVES THE EXISTENCE OF A DESIGNER (Teleological)

The design of life is completely explained by evolution theory and doesn't require any designers at all.

Furthermore, even if evolution theory would be unknown to us, simply claiming that "it is designed", is not an argument. It's just an assertion.

God’s purpose, design, harmony and intelligence is seen in:

1. The earth is the right distance from the sun to provide a life-sustaining climate on earth.
2. The moon is the right distance from earth to provide tides at a proper level.
3. Without a moon, we would have no light at night.
4. Every plant, animal and bacteria has a useful purpose.
5. Every part of your body is in the right place (eg: eyes, nose, ears), is the right size and shape (eg: thumb, fingers), and works perfectly to achieve a useful purpose.
6. Flowers are colourful. Trees provide oxygen, shade, and timber for building and heating, they prevent soil erosion, and they support many life forms.

7. How can these be explained? A benevolent Designer has given us all of these blessings because He loves and cares for us. Do you love and care for Him?

8. The human body functions so perfectly in every way.

9. “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made”. Psalm 139:14.

None of these actually demonstrate design.
In point 7, you are exposing the fallacy in your reasoning. You ask "how can these be explained?", implying that "if there is no explanation, then god", which is an argument from ignorance.

3. The UNIQUENESS and INTELLIGENCE OF MAN (Anthropological)

Every species is unique. That's kind of what defines it as a species.

4. MAN’S UNIVERSAL INTUITIVE BELIEF IN GOD (Ontological)

Can be explained through the tendency of superstition - which is something practically all animals share. It's the result of the very common cognitive error known as "the false positive".

Furthermore, having an instinctive tendency to believe certain things, doesn't mean in any way that those things are actually correct.

Mere belief doesn't justify belief.

5. THE MORAL ARGUMENT (Conscience)

Question: Where did this sense of moral justice come from?

From the fact that we are a social species that depends on other members of the group. Social species, humans especially, thrive in cooperative socieities.

Morality is a necessity for our own survival.

6. THE BIOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

Another argument from ignorance (we don't know - therefor god)

7. THE HISTORICAL ARGUMENT

All baseless assertions.
1. correlation doesn't imply causation
2. you need to actually demonstrate the causal chain - not just assert it.

8. THE CHRISTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

Another argument from ignorant. Also a circular argument. You're basically saying "how can we explain that the bible is true without the bible being true".

9. THE BIBLICAL ARGUMENT
Man could not have authored the Bible.

Another baseless assertion.
ps: muslims say the same about the quran. Heck, the quran ITSELF says this about the quran.

We know that the Bible is authored by God because it foretells the future with 100% accuracy every time.

It doesn't.

No other book in the world has 100% fulfilled prophecy.

Muslims would disagree.

The Bible is accurate from Science, Archaeology, Prophecy, Unity and Morality.

It isn't.

10. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE KNOW GOD PERSONALLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

Billions do not.

Also: argument from popularity.




In summary: colour me unimpressed

 

[xianghua]

Furthermore, even if evolution theory would be unknown to us, simply claiming that "it is designed", is not an argument. It's just an assertion.

we actually have evidence that nature was designed (the flagellum for instance is a spinning motor). so its a scientific argument that base on science.

 

[DogmaHunter]

we actually have evidence that nature was designed

You do not.

(the flagellum for instance is a spinning motor).

No, it's not.

so its a scientific argument that base on science.

Then why does the entire publishing scientific community unanimously reject it?

 

[Radrook]

You do not.


No, it's not.


Then why does the entire publishing scientific community unanimously reject it?

Loss of prestige and salary are things that most people try to avoid.

 

[xianghua]

You do not.


No, it's not.

why the flagellum isnt a spinning motor? even scientists call it a motor:

The bacterial flagellar motor: structure and function of a complex molecular machine. - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Radrook]

why the flagellum isnt a spinning motor? even scientists call it a motor:

The bacterial flagellar motor: structure and function of a complex molecular machine. - PubMed - NCBI

It's a motor only if God isn't involved.

 

[Cearbhall]

The Bible never attempts to prove the existence of God, but simply declares His existence as a settled fact. The Bible commences: “In the beginning God...” Genesis 1:1.

That's generally how one writes when transcribing oral history for one's own culture/religion.

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

Belief in God’s existence is fundamental to life;

Clearly not, or there wouldn't be atheists.

The rest reads more like a POE than a serious proposition.

Every effect has a cause.

Trivially true by definition.

The cause is greater than the effect.

False. See the butterfly effect.

We know of nothing in this world that has no cause. Thus we must recognise that there is a cause behind this world and the universe.

Allowing part one (although certain quantum events may be causeless), this is classic fallacy of composition, inferring from the parts to the whole.

If the pieces of a watch were shaken up in a can forever, they would never produce a working watch by accident. The fact of a watch’s existence demands that there was a watchmaker who made the watch. Hence there must be an intelligent First Cause (God).

Non-sequitur. God doesn't make watches, people make watches (and the universe is not a watch).

Not only does the world and universe exist..., but it also has a perfect design and purpose.

False; it is riddled with design flaws.

Everything has a purpose. For example, every part of your body has a useful purpose.

I expect you can assert a 'useful purpose' for everything from polyps to cancer, or qualify your way out of it, but attribution of purpose is in the eye of the attributer.

From here, it goes rapidly down hill...

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

Its a motor only if God isn't involved.

I think it's reasonable to describe it as a motor of sorts - it has powered rotation. But its evolutionary origins have been mapped to the extent that it's no longer a mystery - evolution was the designer of the flagellar rotor.

 

[AV1611VET]

Four blind men are walking along and come upon a wall with a tree in front of it.

Living in the tree is a snake, and a rope is hanging from one limb.

One blind man feels the rope; one feels the snake; one feels the tree; and one feels the wall.

They corroborate their evidence and conclude an elephant is blocking their path.

Today's science is like that.

It has found a way ... thanks to trial-and-error and computers ... to stitch independent data together and form one coherent picture (again: after many tries and much programming and reprogramming); and conclude that their way is the right way, despite the fact that God did it differently.

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

Four blind men are walking along and come upon a wall with a tree in front of it.

Living in the tree is a snake, and a rope is hanging from one limb.

One blind man feels the rope; one feels the snake; one feels the tree; and one feels the wall.

They corroborate their evidence and conclude an elephant is blocking their path.

Today's science is like that.

I guess it's a rough analogy for some scientific work. But it's incomplete - if they were scientists, they'd hypothesise that an elephant was a plausible explanation for their experiences, then they'd consider the significant predictions (implications) of that explanation, and devise ways to test them. The more trumpeting, water spraying, elephant poo, tusk-like protrusions, etc., they detected, the more confidence they'd have that it was the best available explanation, while still allowing that they could be wrong (e.g. it could be an absurd prank).

 

[AV1611VET]

I guess it's a rough analogy for some scientific work. But it's incomplete - if they were scientists, they'd hypothesise that an elephant was a plausible explanation for their experiences, then they'd consider the significant predictions (implications) of that explanation, and devise ways to test them. The more trumpeting, water spraying, elephant poo, tusk-like protrusions, etc., they detected, the more confidence they'd have that it was the best available explanation, while still allowing that they could be wrong (e.g. it could be an absurd prank).

Ya ... when I hear stuff like: they looked for a global flood 150 years ago and didn't find one, I always wonder why they don't go back again with their more sophisticated equipment and look again.

Maybe one of these days they'll take your advice.

 

[JDD_III]

I guess it's a rough analogy for some scientific work. But it's incomplete - if they were scientists, they'd hypothesise that an elephant was a plausible explanation for their experiences, then they'd consider the significant predictions (implications) of that explanation, and devise ways to test them. The more trumpeting, water spraying, elephant poo, tusk-like protrusions, etc., they detected, the more confidence they'd have that it was the best available explanation, while still allowing that they could be wrong (e.g. it could be an absurd prank).

So remind me how science has demonstrated scientifically that RM + NS can result in functionally new and beneficial information?

 

[dmmesdale]

Causality requires time to exist (causes happen before effects) and therefor can't be invoked to explain the origins of the universe, since the origin of the universe = the origins of time itself.

OK nothing caused the universe since time did not exist. Nothingdidit. It just popped into existence for no reason. Perhaps a donkey will pop into your living room for no reason.

ie: you can't invoke phenomena that apply IN the universe / which require the universe to exist, to make a point about a context where no such universe exists.

The cause of the universe was extrinsic of the universe and that is what Genesis 1:1 implies. God situated extrinsic of creation. So obviously some form of time existed outside of the universe.

The design of life is completely explained by evolution theory and doesn't require any designers at all.

Problematic and inferior explanations. Design posits a designer.

Furthermore, even if evolution theory would be unknown to us, simply claiming that "it is designed", is not an argument. It's just an assertion.

An assertion based on evidence. Claiming the first cause of bio life is exclusively nonliving matter, chemicals is an assertion absent precedent or observation. All life requires a living cause.

None of these actually demonstrate design.

Yes they do.

Every species is unique. That's kind of what defines it as a species.

Why is that? Naturedidit? Evodidit? Got any other thought stoppers?

Morality is a necessity for our own survival.

No it is not, speaking of assertions. I do not need you to survive. Food is necessary, Air and water is necessary, morality is optional.

Another argument from ignorance (we don't know - therefor god)

We do know. God assertion is based on what we do know, not on what we do not know.

 

[Skreeper]

OK nothing caused the universe since time did not exist. Nothingdidit. It just popped into existence for no reason. Perhaps a donkey will pop into your living room for no reason.

We currently do not know what caused the big bang. It's the theists who assert that it was a god without providing the necessary evidence.

So obviously some form of time existed outside of the universe.

So far as we know time did not exist before our universe began.

Design posits a designer.

Calling everything designed is the problem. You have to demonstrate that something was actually designed by an intelligence.

Claiming the first cause of bio life is exclusively nonliving matter, chemicals is an assertion absent precedent or observation.

The successful experiments that have been done on abiogenesis disprove your claim.

Why is that? Naturedidit? Evodidit? Got any other thought stoppers?

The theory of evolution explains why species are distinct and unique.

No it is not, speaking of assertions. I do not need you to survive. Food is necessary, Air and water is necessary, morality is optional.

Humans are social animals. We cannot survive on our own for very long. We have to rely on each other to thrive as a society.

 

[Blackmarch]

To the OP; Ultimately it is up to god to prove that he exists to a person. The best a believer can do is help guide and prepare another to be on a path to accomplish that.

 

[quatona]

Four blind men are walking along and come upon a wall with a tree in front of it.

Living in the tree is a snake, and a rope is hanging from one limb.

One blind man feels the rope; one feels the snake; one feels the tree; and one feels the wall.

They corroborate their evidence and conclude an elephant is blocking their path.

Today's science is like that.

Well, now I am tempted to write an analogy how religion (and particularly you) goes about such epistemological questions.

 

[Shemjaza]

So remind me how science has demonstrated scientifically that RM + NS can result in functionally new and beneficial information?

New traits have been observed to develop. Nylon-eating bacteria is a great example.

Mutations make random changes to the genome, there is a chance that any given change creates a increased statistical likelihood of survival. That and reproductive isolation is all evolution needs.

I've never seen a useful and measurable definition of the creationist version of "Information", but I'd be very interested if you have one.