Posted on 08/01/2006 12:42:58 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback
In the first chapter of their new book, 20 Compelling Evidences that God exists, Ken Boa and Robert Bowman write, “We don’t mean to discourage you from reading the rest of this book. But in the interest of full disclosure, we should tell you that, in a sense, there is only one good reason to believe that God exists: because it’s true.”
That statement is both profound and well expressed. Unfortunately, these days it’s not the kind of statement you can make in public without having scorn heaped upon your head. As the authors jokingly point out, the popular viewpoint regarding truth is, “Anyone who believes that he is right and others are wrong is intolerant.” Now that’s self-contradictory on its face, but it’s almost certain to be thrown at you if you assert a truth claim.
That’s why Boa and Bowman have titled their book 20 Compelling Evidences that God Exists—because they recognize that for any claim to truth to be taken seriously in today’s culture, it needs solid evidence to back it up. As the authors write, “There are many such evidences, but they all have value because they help us see that the God of the Bible is real.” In fewer than two hundred pages, they clearly and concisely examine some of today’s most pervasive worldviews and their flaws. Then they present their case for God’s existence and His revelation of Himself through Jesus Christ.
What kind of evidences are they talking about? There’s an amazing variety. They don’t state it right upfront, but they are organizing their “20 compelling evidences” in a way that takes readers through the doctrines of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration—the four basic elements of the Christian worldview that I set forth in How Now Shall We Live?
They start with evidence about the universe and the origins of life. And they talk, for example, about how finely our solar system and our planet had to be calibrated to support life. At “an extremely conservative estimate,” they say, the probability of our planet being capable of sustaining us is about one in a billion. It had to be at just the right place in the solar system, which had to be at just the right place in the galaxy. Even the expansion of the universe had to happen at just the right rate in order for all of us to be here today.
From evidence about the universe, the authors move on to evidence of humanity’s sinful nature; then evidence of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection; and finally, evidence of those who have lived and died for Christ. Examining concepts ranging from Greek philosophy to archeology to the Big Bang theory to postmodernism, the authors make a powerful case for the existence of a loving Creator.
In short, I highly recommend Boa and Bowman’s book. They provide in a very readable form an excellent apologetic resource for Christians wondering how to defend their faith in a world that’s “tolerant” of everything except Christianity.
Ken Boa is a great apologist—one of the most engaging and popular teachers in our Centurion’s training program. You can visit our website, BreakPoint.org, to find out how you can get 20 Compelling Evidences that God Exists. While you’re there, be sure to check out some of our other Christian worldview resources.
Um...no, it isn't profound. It's the intellectual equivalent of "Because I say so." I hope the logic in the rest of the book is better than that.
There are links to further information at the source document.
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Apologetics do not constitute evidence, I'm afraid.
Personally, I think it is a mistake for folks to try to concoct evidence of the existence of deities. The very nature of a supernatural entity means that there is no physical evidence of it.
Faith, alone, is sufficient for most people to believe in whatever deity is the most popular where they are. Most people don't need physical evidence of that deity's existence.
However, some authors just have to take a stab at it. Generally their logic fails miserably and their evidence is nothing more than a chain of circular references.
I'll be buying a copy of this latest attempt to prove the existence of a deity. I've already read so many of them that one more won't be too trying.
And reason #1 being:.... Every time an atheist's car lurches over a cliff, they yell out, "GOD HELP ME!" :)
Without getting into any metaphysical rants, of course God exists. Why has humankind always had some kind of belief in a power greater than themselves---even if it were animistic or shamanistic. I was reading some thing about other animal (dolphins, I believe) having some sense of individuality and being able to recognize other dolphins as individuals. But I don't think any scientist has come up with any kind of proof about the Great Dolphin in the Heavenly Ocean that Flipper and his friends worship. Man is unique in this respect. As must as atheistic Marxism wants to expound on "religion being the opiate of the people"---and unfortunately religion can turn into an opium if your not psychologically sound--the facts is that mankind cannot live in such a spiritual void. Therefore, the state became God (along with its cult worship of folks like Stalin, Mao Castro etc.)
Maybe the system wasn't created by a God; it always existed, and therefore never had a beginning.
That is pretty hard to comprehend. Amazingly having a belief in a God that always existed and never had a beginning is easier to comprehend for most people. - tom
Not a compelling argument for a divine creation given that there are quite probably trillions of planets in the universe.
It's interesting to note that regimes/ideologies that had Atheism as their official religion, were the premier mass murderers of all time. All other ideologies were complete pikers.
Just one more thing. When you're talking about specific beliefs such as a belief in Jesus, Allah, Krishna, Buddha or any other religion then I believe one can definitely debate. I was speaking more about the existence of some kind os Supreme Being in the most general sense.
"And reason #1 being:.... Every time an atheist's car lurches over a cliff, they yell out, "GOD HELP ME!" :)
"
They do? Were you riding along?
This is a variation of the old "There are no atheists in foxholes" cliche. It's not true, either way.
I am an atheist, and have been near death a couple of times. Not once did I call on any deities.
Well when "God" went out the window so did the value of a human life. If a person or group of persons are not useful to the state or challenged the state--they just had to go.
Yet if there were no God or the human species stopped believing there was one then our entire moral underpinnings would be thrown out the window and an anything goes attitude would sweep the world.
Come to think of it,we almost HAVE that philosophy in many quarters today.I know for me if I didn't believe in God's greater plan and that I am here for a wondeful and fulfilling purpose then I would probably say"to hell with any morality"and eat all the junk food,smoke all the dope and screw all the women I could.Just a total hedonism trip.Why not if theres nothing beyond the mortal world?
I think we are hardwired to believe in God BY God.All cultures from time immemorial have believed in a higher power and an afterlife.So I really think that our life down here is a mere boot camp for the evolution of our soul.
I know I'll have all the uber-intellegent rant on me for this...
My husband and I LOVE the science channel. We love anything to do with the planet, science, how things work, etc...
Last night they had a program on a homonid. I can't explain it, but it just didn't 'feel' right to me! A giraffe was still a giraffe (maybe slightly changed, but a giraffe nonetheless) 6 million years ago, but we (humans) have jumped species? I just don't get that? Why?
Why are humans different that we changed completely, while other animals, every other animal on earth for that matter, remained just that. An animal?
Now I don't think God said "poof" and there was the ocean, etc... And I do believe the earth is REAAAAALLLLLLLLYYYYYY old. Older than the Bible predicts, but were we monkeys?
Can someone smarter than me help?
"Yet if there were no God or the human species stopped believing there was one then our entire moral underpinnings would be thrown out the window and an anything goes attitude would sweep the world.
"
That's an interesting argument, but it doesn't really hold up. The concept of a deity is something that every culture seems to have reinvented. All are different in many ways, yet all are the "source" of that culture's morality and ethics.
Since there are, and have been, so many of these deities, which one is the correct one? The answer is that it is whichever one is the dominant deity of your own culture.
Human beings live in societal groups. For such groups to work, there must be rules. It's easiest to assign such rules to a deity and threaten the breakers of the rules with some sort of punishment from the deity or deities. That way, the rules are externalized and nobody in the society needs to take responsibility for them.
Oddly enough, the basic set of moral values are pretty much the same in all societies. One must worship the deity of that society. One may not murder members of that society. One must respect the sexual mores of that society. One must respect the property of other members of that society.
Pretty basic stuff, shared by virtually every society.
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. --- St.Paul writing for God
"Absolute proof that not only does G-d exist, but he loves you and wants you to be happy:
Chocolate
Coffee
Beer "
You left out the most important one: sexual reproduction.
Romans 1
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Oh that must explain why in the societies/ideologies where Atheism was/is the official religion, mass murder was a raging epidemic.
It's easiest to assign such rules to a deity and threaten the breakers of the rules with some sort of punishment from the deity or deities. Oddly enough, the basic set of moral values are pretty much the same in all societies.
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