News Archive
Ask the pastor: Can God's existence be proven?
Mark replies:
I’ve noticed, especially in the light of Richard Dawkin’s book, The God Delusion, a real increase in impetus and confidence in the movement of atheists, and those "humanists" who challenge the validity, not just of Christian faith, but of any faith. Within this anti-God movement, I’ve noticed the shift from an objective secular position to a forceful, even sneering approach. These secularists, especially prevalent in Britain’s chattering classes, would have you believe that when you become a Christian you have to park your brain. Many of today’s opinion formers, whether alternative comics, politicians, journalists or educators, are fervent advocates of this "faith equals stupid" notion. Now, it's one thing for unbelievers to take a rational view opposing faith, but it enters the realms of extreme arrogance to suggest that all Christians (and anyone of any faith position) have to commit intellectual suicide. That is just plain wrong, and here’s why:
I cannot prove the existence of God (nor can anyone), though I believe that it takes less faith to be a Christian than it does an atheist. Over the centuries, theologians have argued, firstly, that God’s existence is logically necessary. Without any higher moral authority or power, the world does just not make sense. Second, the idea of God’s non-existence has no compelling philosophical basis to support it. The philosophical justifications include:
• Ontological – Based on St Anselm’s idea that there most exist a moral authority beyond which nothing greater can be conceived.
• Anthropological – Must be a greater personality beyond a human’s limitation
• Cosmological – The universe is not self-existent and requires a supreme authority.
• Teleological – Evidences of design and purpose require a universal creator.
• Ethnological – Humans are aware of the divine, and are by nature, worshipping animals.
• Moral – Our conscience suggests a moral obligation and it seems inconceivable that self-interest rather than the overall good should be our eventual pursuit.
• Mental – How do you explain the capacity of the mind to move from premise to conclusion, or to innovate, create and imagine?
Of course, the Christian would also want to point to both history and experience. History, in the sense of both biblical and extra-biblical sources pointing irrefutably to the existence of Jesus, and experience, in terms of transformed lives which testify to God’s interaction in human life. Of course, the bible’s ultimate presupposition is the existence of God, his self-disclosure in the form of Jesus, and his continued presence in the world. Ultimately, knowing God does not come through intellectual ascent but by faith, but believers can be on the front foot in arguing for the intellectual rigour of the Christian faith. So let’s contend for the Christian faith – with grace, definitely – but with confidence too, because it is reasonable and rational to do so.
Do you have a question you'd like to "Ask the pastor"? Simply send it to us in an email.
Please note that Mark cannot enter into personal correspondence (this
isn't an agony uncle column) or answer questions of a legal nature. He
also reserves the right to choose which questions he answers and which
he doesn't.