I Need More Evidence for God
That's what I hear from a lot of people who don't believe in God.
Ancient accounts don't cut if for them. They want to see miracles. They want to see God appear in their bedroom and tell them He is real.
I have a couple concerns about that line of thinking.
First, let me admit that I want to see miracles and I want to see God appear in my room. But what if He doesn't? Does that make Him any less real?
So, let's say God performs a miracle for you or shows up in a glorious display. Would that be enough to convince you? Or would you try to figure out who was playing a trick on you? Would you chalk it up to a greasy dinner? Or your mind playing tricks on you?
The heart of the matter is that Christianity has never been about believing that God is real. Christianity is about properly responding to God's reality.
Let me put it this way.... Suppose you smoke cigarettes. I come up to you and lay out all the facts about the harm caused by cigarettes: cancer, lung problems, shorter life, bad breath, etc... Chances are, you probably won't stop smoking. This is attested to by millions of people who smoke despite the warnings on the carton and the raised media awareness. This just goes to show that we don't always base our life on a rational look at the facts. Just because you know something is true, doesn't mean you are going to act on that truth.
Similarly, even if God did what you wished and displayed to you His reality with a lineup of facts and proofs, that's not going to be any help to you unless you properly respond to His revelation! Christianity (as with most religions) isn't just about acknowledging that God exists, it is properly responding to that fact. If He is God, then He is perfect and the source of life. Whatever is perfect and the source of life demands that we adhere to it.
What a terrible thing it would be if God revealed to you His reality and yet you went on living as if He wasn't real. Yet, as with the cigarette example, your excuse would be an addiction - an addiction to self and self-rule.
In the end, I don't think evidence for God is the tripping point with people who don't believe - I think the trap is the consequence if they do believe. Belief in God requires a transition from self-worship to God-worship, from self-rule to God-rule. This may seem scary to some, but when you realize that God is the source of wisdom, truth, and beauty, this is the only proper and rational response.
That's what I hear from a lot of people who don't believe in God.
Ancient accounts don't cut if for them. They want to see miracles. They want to see God appear in their bedroom and tell them He is real.
I have a couple concerns about that line of thinking.
First, let me admit that I want to see miracles and I want to see God appear in my room. But what if He doesn't? Does that make Him any less real?
So, let's say God performs a miracle for you or shows up in a glorious display. Would that be enough to convince you? Or would you try to figure out who was playing a trick on you? Would you chalk it up to a greasy dinner? Or your mind playing tricks on you?
The heart of the matter is that Christianity has never been about believing that God is real. Christianity is about properly responding to God's reality.
Let me put it this way.... Suppose you smoke cigarettes. I come up to you and lay out all the facts about the harm caused by cigarettes: cancer, lung problems, shorter life, bad breath, etc... Chances are, you probably won't stop smoking. This is attested to by millions of people who smoke despite the warnings on the carton and the raised media awareness. This just goes to show that we don't always base our life on a rational look at the facts. Just because you know something is true, doesn't mean you are going to act on that truth.
Similarly, even if God did what you wished and displayed to you His reality with a lineup of facts and proofs, that's not going to be any help to you unless you properly respond to His revelation! Christianity (as with most religions) isn't just about acknowledging that God exists, it is properly responding to that fact. If He is God, then He is perfect and the source of life. Whatever is perfect and the source of life demands that we adhere to it.
What a terrible thing it would be if God revealed to you His reality and yet you went on living as if He wasn't real. Yet, as with the cigarette example, your excuse would be an addiction - an addiction to self and self-rule.
In the end, I don't think evidence for God is the tripping point with people who don't believe - I think the trap is the consequence if they do believe. Belief in God requires a transition from self-worship to God-worship, from self-rule to God-rule. This may seem scary to some, but when you realize that God is the source of wisdom, truth, and beauty, this is the only proper and rational response.
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