12-15 mins read
The existence of God cannot irrefutably be proved or disproved. As I said in my first first blog in this new series, we need to assess the available evidence (and there’s plenty) and come to our own conclusions.
God tells us in the Bible about two forms of evidence: the physical universe (external) and personal conviction (internal). In other words, the ‘out there’ stuff and the ‘in here’ stuff!
Psalm 19 says, “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 display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world”. Looking at the stars, appreciating the vastness of the universe, observing the wonders of nature, seeing the beauty of a sunset – all of these things are suggestive of a Creator, a designer.
There is also evidence of God in our own hearts. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 it says, “…He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” In Genesis 1.26 it says, “Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.” Deep within each of us is the recognition that there is something beyond this life and someone beyond this world. Being made in the likeness of God, we bear some of His characteristics. It is perhaps therefore unsurprising that we have that sense deep down that ‘There’s got to be more to life than this!’
In the West, it’s easy to think that religion or personal faith is in decline. That might be the case in Europe. But globally, the picture is very different. In August 2018 in the Guardian newspaper (UK), there was a headline: “Religion: Why faith is becoming more and more popular. Faith is on the rise and 84% of the global population identifies with a religious group.” The article went on to say: “If you think religion belongs to the past and we live in a new age of reason, you need to check out the facts: 84% of the world’s population identifies with a religious group. Members of this demographic are generally younger and produce more children than those who have no religious affiliation, so the world is getting more religious, not less.“
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Psalm 19.1
Since the vast majority of people throughout history, in all cultures, in all civilizations, and on all continents have believed in the existence of some kind of God, it is surely worth exploring whether something (or someone) is causing this belief.
Let’s take a brief look at extra-Biblical evidence for the existence of God.
1 Evidence from Cosmology
Cosmology is the scientific study of the large scale properties of the universe as a whole, trying to understand the origin, evolution and fate of the Universe. The cosmological consensus today is that the universe hasn’t always existed, but it was not always so.
In 1948, astronomers Hermann Bondi, Thomas Gold, and Fred Hoyle advanced the theory of what became known as the “steady state” universe. Their theory was that the universe was infinite in age. Thus, no creation or no cause was needed. However, in the 1960s, the steady state theory suffered a devastating blow when two radio engineers at Bell Labs (Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson) discovered mysterious radiation coming from space. It came equally from all directions. When the temperature of the radiation was measured, its source was confirmed. This radiation did not always exist, or come from just one part of the universe. It came from that singular, original moment of creation.
Scientists are convinced that our universe began with one enormous explosion of energy and light, usually referred to as the Big Bang. This was the singular start to everything that exists: the beginning of the universe, the start of space, and even the initial start of time itself.
“The universe was about a hundred thousands million degrees Centigrade…and the universe was filled with light.”
Steven Weinberg, Nobel Laureate in Physics, on the big bang
So, if the universe had a beginning, the question is: what caused that? Scientists have no plausible explanation for the sudden explosion of light and matter. If the universe has an origin, surely it must have an originator.
The argument goes like this. Every effect must have a cause. The universe and everything in it is an effect (of the big bang). There must be something that caused everything to come into existence. Ultimately, there must be something “un-caused” in order to cause everything else to come into existence. That “un-caused” cause is God.
The origin of the universe was the first big question for Dr Sy Garte (biochemist) as he began his journey from atheism to faith. I recommend his book The Work of His Hands below.
Astrophysicist Robert Jastrow, a self-described agnostic, said, “The seed of everything that has happened in the Universe was planted in that first instant; every star, every planet and every living creature in the Universe came into being as a result of events that were set in motion in the moment of the cosmic explosion…The Universe flashed into being, and we cannot find out what caused that to happen.” Jastrow concludes, “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”
There are scientists who are uncomfortable living with: (1) an unknown cause or (2) the conclusion that God is the cause. So they opt for a third option. They attempt to simply negate the foundational premise that science rests on: that everything that begins to exist must have a cause.
Physicist Victor Stenger says the universe may be “uncaused” and may have “emerged from nothing.” It’s one thing to state that something is eternal, and therefore no “cause” is necessary. But it is entirely different to scientifically observe the start of something, the instantaneous beginning of something, and then try to say that it had no cause. That’s very unscientific!
2 Evidence from Design
From the Greek telos meaning end or purpose, the teleological argument states that since the universe displays such an amazing design, there must have been a divine Designer. For example, if the Earth were significantly closer or farther away from the sun, it would not be capable of supporting much of the life it currently does. If the elements in our atmosphere were even a few percentage points different, nearly every living thing on earth would die.
The odds of a single protein molecule forming by chance is 1 in 10243 (that is a 1 followed by 243 zeros). A single cell is comprised of millions of protein molecules.
Lee Strobel, The Case for a Creator
We could look at lots of examples showing God’s choreography and design. But we’ll look at just four:
The Earth… its size is perfect. Its size and gravity hold 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. Earth is the only known planet equipped with an atmosphere of the right mixture of gases to sustain plant, animal and human life.
It 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 fry! 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.
Water…colourless, odourless 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). The characteristics of water are uniquely suited to life:
It has a wide margin between its 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.
It is a universal solvent. This property of water means that various chemicals, minerals and nutrients can be carried throughout our bodies and into the smallest blood vessels.
It 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.
97% of the Earth’s water is in the oceans. But on our Earth, there is a system 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 re-used water.
The human brain…simultaneously processes an amazing amount of information. Your brain takes in all the colours 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 texture of your keyboard. Your brain holds and processes all your emotions, 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 brain processes more than a million messages a second. 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. The brain functions differently than other organs. There is an intelligence to it, the ability to reason, to produce feelings, to dream and plan, to take action, and relate to other people.
The eye…can distinguish among seven million colors. It has automatic focusing and handles an astonishing 1.5 million messages simultaneously! Evolution focuses on mutations and changes from and within existing organisms. Yet evolution alone does not fully explain the initial source of the eye or the brain — the start of living organisms from non living matter.
All of this points to design and purpose, not random selection and chance.
3 Evidence from Physics
Much of life may seem uncertain, but look at what we can count on day after day: gravity remains consistent, a hot cup of coffee left on a counter will get cold, the earth rotates in the same 24 hours, and the speed of light doesn’t change – on earth or in galaxies far away.
“The natural laws of the universe are so PRECISE that we do not have any difficulty building a space ship, sending a person to the moon and we can time the landing with the precision of a fraction of a second.”
Dr. Warner Von Braun, father of the space programme
How is it that we can identify laws of nature that never change? Why is the universe so orderly, so reliable?
In his book ‘What’s So Great about Christianity’, Dinesh D’Souza says, “The greatest scientists have been struck by how strange this is. There is no logical necessity for a universe that obeys rules, let alone one that abides by the rules of mathematics. This astonishment springs from the recognition that the universe doesn’t have to behave this way. It is easy to imagine a universe in which conditions change unpredictably from instant to instant, or even a universe in which things pop in and out of existence”.
“Why nature is mathematical is a mystery… The fact that there are rules at all is a kind of miracle.”
Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize winner for quantum electrodynamics
4 Evidence from Astronomy
Astronomy is the scientific study of celestial objects, things that originate outside the atmosphere of earth. Earth’s position in the universe and its intricately choreographed geological and chemical processes work together with extraordinary efficiency to create a safe place for humans to live.
For example, astronomer Guillermo Gozalez and science philosopher Jay Wesley Richards said it would take a star with the highly unusual properties of our sun – the right mass, the right light, the right age, the right distance, the right orbit, the right galaxy, the right location – to nurture living organisms on a circling planet. Numerous factors make our solar system and our location in the universe just right for a habitable environment.
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 our massive oceans are restrained from spilling over across the continents.
“If the universe had not been made with the most exacting precision, we could never have come into existence… It is my view that these circumstances indicate the universe was created for man to live in”.
John A O’Keefe, Harvard educated NASA astrophysicist
5 Evidence from Biology
In every cell of your body, there exists a very detailed instruction code, much like a miniature computer programme. The six feet of DNA coiled inside every one of our body’s one hundred trillion cells contains a four letter chemical alphabet that spells out precise assembly instructions for all the proteins from which our bodies are made. There are three billion of these letters in every human cell!!
DNA stores far more information in a smaller space than the most advanced supercomputer on the planet!
Dr Stephen Meyer, philosopher and scientist, argues that, “The attempt to explain the origin of life solely from chemical constituents is effectively dead now. Naturalism cannot answer the fundamental problem of how to get from matter and energy to biological function without the infusion of information from an intelligence.“
The origin of life was the second big question for biochemist Sy Garte on his journey from atheism to faith.
Information is not something derived from material properties; in a sense, it transcends matter and energy. Naturalistic theories that rely solely on matter and energy are not going to be able to account for information. Only intelligence can.
Dr Stephen Meyer, Philosopher and scientist
Meyer concludes, “Information is the hallmark of mind and purely from the evidence of genetics and biology, we can infer the existence of a mind that’s far greater than our own – a conscious, purposeful, rational, intelligent designer who’s amazingly creative. There’s no getting around it.”
The information at the core of life itself is highly complex and organised, providing specific information that can accomplish an extraordinary task – “the building of biological machines that far outstrip human technological capabilities.” (Lee Strobel).
6 Evidence from our consciousness
Many scientists are concluding that the laws of chemistry and physics cannot explain our experience of consciousness. This was the third and final major question facing Dr Sy Garth as he investigated the case for faith.
Prof J P Moreland defines consciousness as ‘our introspection, sensations, thoughts, emotions, desires, beliefs and free choices that make us alive and aware’. The ‘soul’ contains our consciousness and animates our body. According to a researcher who showed that consciousness can continue after a person’s brain has stopped functioning, current scientific findings “would support the view that ‘mind’, ‘consciousness’ or the ‘soul’ is a separate entity from the brain”.
As Moreland said, “You can’t get something from nothing”. If the universe began with dead matter having no consciousness, “how then do you get something totally different – consciousness, living, thinking, feeling, believing creatures – from materials that don’t have that?” But if everything started with the mind of God, he said, “we don’t have a problem with explaining the origin of our mind”.
Scientist & philosopher Michael Ruse candidly conceded that “no one, certainly not the Darwinian as such, seems to have any answer” to the consciousness issue.
“There is what we might call a supernatural origin of my unique self-conscious mind or my unique selfhood or soul”.
John C Eccles, Neurophysiologist and Nobel prize winner
7 Evidence from Morality
Every culture throughout history has had some form of law based on a sense of right and wrong. Murder, lying, stealing and cheating are almost universally rejected. Where did this sense of right and wrong come from if not from a creator/designer?
8 Evidence from Jesus Christ
This needs its own blog! Next time, we will take a look at the evidence for the existence of Jesus as a person in history and also examine His extraordinary claims to be God Himself.
If Jesus’ claims are credible, studying His life recorded in the gospel accounts in the New Testament of the Bible will give us significant insights into what God is like.
In blogs following that, we will consider: (1) whether Jesus rose from the dead as He claimed He would, offering the tantalizing prospect of life beyond death. (2) whether the Bible is a reliable source of information about God and Jesus Christ and the important questions of life.
9 Evidence from Ordinary People
Time and again, people testify to God pursuing them. C.S. Lewis said he remembered, “…night after night, feeling whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England.”
I had a notion that somehow, besides questing, I was being pursued.
Malcolm Muggeridge, socialist & philosopher
Christianity is the world’s largest religion, comprising approximately 31% of the world’s current population of 7.6 billion people. Christians the world over claim to know God personally. They say they sense His presence, they feel His leading, they experience His love, they receive His provision, they benefit from physical and emotional healing in ways that cannot be explained medically. Things have occurred in their lives that they are convinced have no plausible explanation other than God.
Conclusion
In the end, there is an element of faith as to whether we choose to believe in the existence of God or not (Hebrews 11.6) because we cannot know of His existence with complete certainty based on empirical evidence. As we saw earlier, there is both reason and revelation.
If religion is a fairy tale of those afraid of the dark (as stated by prof Stephen Hawking), then atheism is a fairy tale of those afraid of the light.
John Lennox, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford; Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics &Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford
But the evidence is compelling for those who will search for it and consider it; evidence that makes faith reasonable, not irrational. Faith in God is not a blind leap into the dark; it is a safe step into a well-lit room.
Recommended books
For a more scientific approach…
The Work of His Hands – Sy Garte (foreword by Professor Alister McGrath). A Scientist’s Journey from Atheism to Faith
For a more journalistic approach…
The Case for a Creator – Lee Strobel. A Journalist Investigates scientific Evidence that points towards God.
This blog draws extensively from Lee Strobel’s book recommended above
Oracles of Os 