Is There a God?
Wisdom for the World
Written by Mary Kinnison
A person who questions God’s existence is often dealing with a deeper need to make sense of their world. Part of our task as the church involves cultivating the ability to contend with secular philosophies. Today’s culture has been indoctrinated to believe that science is the final authority on all knowledge, that morality is grounded in individual preference, and that opposing belief systems are equally valid. These ideas don’t just shape how people think about God, they influence whether belief in Him is rational at all.
Our culture is truly a marketplace of ideas. Therefore, it is good for us as Christians to examine the nature of challenging ideas. Naturalism, for example, claims that only the physical universe exists, subsequently barring the potential for any supernatural events. However, naturalism struggles to account for the nonphysical principles that govern human flourishing like reason, justice, and conscience. As believers, we can use the undeniable existence of these principles to encourage skeptics towards the possibility of a wise and sovereign Mind.
Likewise, moral relativism argues that right and wrong are determined by personal feelings. Yet people worldwide consistently recognize that certain actions are always wrong, regardless of circumstance. The universal demand for justice in the face of atrocities suggests the existence of a transcendent moral standard. Drawing upon this sense of moral obligation, we can influence relativists toward the reasonable conclusion of an objective moral Lawgiver.
Finally, pluralism suggests that all belief systems, whether theistic or atheistic, are equally valid. However, it is logically impossible for two contradictory positions to be true at the same time. While two or more belief systems can be simultaneously false, only one can be absolutely true. By addressing this fallacy, we can show pluralists the necessity of building a worldview upon a single and true narrative.
Of course, our ability to address these ideas may not result in a person’s acceptance of Christ, but our obedience can lay a foundation for genuine interest in God. Paul modeled this approach in Acts 17:16–32. He discerned that beneath the many altars in Athens, the Athenians had a basic desire to worship the one true God. Paul identified this “unknown god” as Jesus, the one “in which we live and move and have our being.” Most of Paul’s listeners mocked his account of Jesus’s resurrection, but some expressed a willingness to hear more.
Overall, the shortcomings of today’s secular philosophies reveal why the church’s willingness to answer “Is there a God?” is so urgent. Without a coherent reality in which to resolve life’s deepest questions, our culture drifts further into false worship and despair. All of humanity longs to belong to a story where hope and reality collide. Christianity alone provides the narrative in which this happens, with the church being the commissioned voice of truth to the world.
Reflection Questions
- When engaging others with the Gospel, how much responsibility do you feel lies in your ability to communicate truth, and how much belongs to the Holy Spirit’s work in revealing truth?
- What cultural ideas do you see hindering people from belief in Jesus, and how can you use them as starting points for meaningful conversations about God?