Does God Exist?
November 2, 2006 • By Ed Wrather
11.02.06
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat. - Psalm 19:1-6.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. - Romans 1:20.
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." - Psalm 14:1.
The numbers of people living in the United States who are not "absolutely certain" there is a God has grown over the last three years, according to a survey by the Harris Poll. They found that 42 percent of adults are not sure about there being a God compared to 34 percent just three years ago. Surprisingly, 34 percent of Protestants, 36 percent of Catholics, and 70 percent of Jews are not "absolutely certain" there is a God. Perhaps, the most shocking result of the survey was that of those Christians who call themselves "born again" seven percent were not "absolutely certain" that God exists.
It may be that the growing numbers of those doubting the existence of God are the result of a continual attack upon aspects of the faith especially the supernatural. Attempts have been made many times to explain away the miracles of the Bible. Those attempts have been increasing over the past several years with more media exposure.
The Bible does not try to explain why there is a God. The Bible does not explain where God came from or how God exists. The Bible assumes there is a God from the very first verse with the profound statement, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)." The Bible does state very plainly that only a fool would say that God does not exist. Why? Because the evidence that there must be a God is all around us. We view the evidence in creation and to view the majesty of it is to know that there must have been a master designer. As the Psalmist said, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork."
William Paley (1743-1805) wrote perhaps the most famous metaphor in the philosophy of science which is the image of the watchmaker (and the explanation for why there must be a Creator): ". . . when we come to inspect the watch, we perceive. . . that its several parts are framed and put together for a purpose, e.g. that they are so formed and adjusted as to produce motion, and that motion so regulated as to point out the hour of the day; that if the different parts had been differently shaped from what they are, or placed after any other manner or in any other order than that in which they are placed, either no motion at all would have been carried on in the machine, or none which would have answered the use that is now served by it. . . . the inference we think is inevitable, that the watch must have had a maker -- that there must have existed, at some time and at some place or other, an artificer or artificers who formed it for the purpose which we find it actually to answer, who comprehended its construction and designed its use."
Does God exist? It is up to every individual to decide. To believe that God exists requires faith. You must believe! Do you? With all of the evidence that there must be a Creator, a God - I believe that it would take a greater faith to believe that there is not a God. Maybe that is why the Bible says that you would be a fool not to believe there is a God. "The FOOL has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'"