Does God Exist? : Does God Exist? Jesse Gentile - 2007 www.uthink.org
Sources for further info. : Sources for further info. Some of the “notes” sections below each slide has comments or examples. Watch for them.
Visit. www.uthink.org for links, videos, and resources.
Note: this power point has basic examples of three types of arguments for God’s existence (1) cosmological (2) teleological (3) argument from morality.
Each argument could be illustrated with hundreds of examples; which this power point does not do.
This power point could have been made into more of Bible lesson, or into more of an academic/apologetic argument tool. I tried to take a middle ground.
Lastly, this talk was given to a mixed audience. I have deliberately kept the slides simple and entry level.
A good starting point. : A good starting point. Let’s start with a passage in scripture that talks about people and what they really do/don’t know about God’s existence.
Read Romans 1:20-26
This passage talks about people who KNEW about God but abandoned that knowledge.
Even if Romans 1 shows what happened to earths first inhabitants, this pattern holds true for communities, families generations and even individual's lifetimes.
A realistic possibility. : A realistic possibility. Romans 1:20-25 reveals a simple fact.
Many people “can’t” see God because they are dead set against God.
They are locked in a battle of the will with God over who will control some part of their past, present, or future.
Ignoring the evidence they do have for God’s existence they launch a vain attempt to wrest control from God.
When this is the case. Conversation is futile. Scripture calls this a “Hard heart.”
Two things are revealed from heaven in Romans 1. : Two things are revealed from heaven in Romans 1. (1) Loving righteousness – seen in the gospel. (2) Anger – because people hide the truth.
Romans 1:19 “Because that which may be known of God is manifest (shown) in them; for God has showed it unto them.
Read Romans 1: 20-25
Conclusion – many people may have a greater sense of God’s existence than they are admitting.
Two things are revealed from heaven in Romans 1. : Two things are revealed from heaven in Romans 1. Many times people are only interested in talking about how the God of the Bible is an “angry” God.
Romans is clear to reveal that both anger (against something we all already get angry about – sin) and love (something few of us really display; see 1 Cor 13) are being revealed from heaven. Not JUST anger.
If this is the case… : If this is the case… If you can sense that someone is angry against any idea of the existence of God, be careful not to waste your time and emotional strength in discussion.
A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
Consider gently probing with ideas like; “I’ve met people that said they didn’t believe in God. Inside they were really mad at someone in their past that called themselves a “Christian.” Did you have an experience like that?
Fact: things can be concluded about God from nature. : Fact: things can be concluded about God from nature. Read Psalms 19
Psalms 8:3 – Simply put, gazing at the heavens and nature causes us to draw certain conclusions about God.
Romans 1:20. A designer able to create the materials from which all planets, stars, mountain ranges and oceans are composed… and then to make humanity, plants, animals, insect life, sea life, the capacity to think, create, reproduce is beyond our imagination.
Matthew 6:25-30
Let’s consider a few things about the universe that strongly suggest a God exists . : Let’s consider a few things about the universe that strongly suggest a God exists .
What scientists used to believe. : What scientists used to believe. From the time of the “Enlightenment”, philosophy led many scientists to suggest the universe had existed “eternally.” This is related to what is called the “Steady State Theory.”
Because of the scientific work of people like Albert Einstein, scientists were eventually forced to conclude that in fact the universe has not existed eternally but had a beginning.
Most of them seemed to know intuitively that if the universe BEGAN it had to have a cause. God was the logical answer for many. Even though they did not become Christians, these discoveries led many to accept the possible existence of a God.
To avoid the possible conclusion that God began the universe, astronomers and physicists committed to explaining the universe without God, have offered many alternative explanations like: oscillating universes ( the universe has been expanding and contracting again and again as if someone were hitting “play” & “rewind” on a video tape recordign of the big bang and our present universe)
1a The Universe had a beginning. : 1a The Universe had a beginning. It is expanding
Red/Blue shift
Background rad.
Balloon concept.
A A A B B B C
(Explanation for previous slide) : (Explanation for previous slide) 3 Triangles: When astronomers look into space, the stars are daily moving away from a central point. (see eac triangle getting bigger and bigger) Edwin Hubble’s observations in the early 1900’s with red and blue shifts was one of the was this is observed. If you draw dots on a deflated balloon to represent stars, then blow it up, you get an idea of what is going on.
Simply “rewinding” the tape of time leads scientists to admit that the universe expanded from a central point some FINITE period of time ago.
1b The universe had a beginning. : 1b The universe had a beginning. It has not run out of energy yet. (See the notes below for this slide)
The 2nd law of thermodynamics teaches that all things tend to disorder, release energy, balance out, and come to rest.
Yet our universe is very much organized, orderly, full of compressed and unused energy.
Had it existed forever, this would not be the case. All of its energy would be used up by now.
A formal statement of the argument we are using for God’s existence. : A formal statement of the argument we are using for God’s existence. The Cosmological Argument
Things exist (in this case the entire universe).
It is possible for those things to not exist.
Whatever could possibly not exist, but does exist, must have been caused to exist by something else.
A) Something cannot bring itself into existence since it must exist to bring itself into existence which is illogical.
There cannot be an infinite chain of causes to bring something into existence.
A) Because an infinite regression of causes ultimately has no initial cause which means there is no cause of existence.
B) Since the universe exists, it must have a cause.
So, there must be an uncaused cause of all things.
The uncaused cause must be God.
A responsible question: What caused the beginning? : A responsible question: What caused the beginning? That the universe had a beginning is probably now one of the most firmly established scientific facts.
All things that begin to exist have a cause.
What caused the universe to begin:
(a) It was created. (Gen 1:1; John 1:3)
(b) It popped into existence contrary to all laws of science.
Simply put, why is there anything rather than nothing?
We just ruled out a religion… : We just ruled out a religion… If God existed BEFORE the universe…
If God exists INDEPENDENT of the universe…
…then God can not BE the universe as pantheism suggests.
If the universe BEGAN to exist, and the universe is God, then God began to exist.
God is separate from the universe. Thus we say God is TRANSCENDENT.
2. The Universe is full of laws. : 2. The Universe is full of laws. Were it not for the order, regularity and laws of nature, we would not be able to know, predict, use, or understand nature.
All…ALL…of our technology exists because natural laws exist that we can use and apply.
How did such laws come about? Did they slip from nowhere out of the dark of nothingness?
Read Job 38:1-11
A Just Right Earth. : A Just Right Earth. There are many CONSTANTS (sort of like “settings” for the universe) that had to be exactly set if planets, stars, or life on earth would ever exist.
So many of these constants exists that some scientists, unbelieving scientists, have stated that it appears that someone tinkered with the physics to get everything exactly right.
Lists of these can be found if you contact the author. The basic point is that if there were only one or two… it would be no big deal. But with numbers like 60+ it makes us wonder…
Examples of constants… : Examples of constants… Our sun is the right colour. If it was redder or bluer, photosynthetic response would be weaker.
Our sun is also the right mass. If it was larger, its brightness would change too quickly and there would be too much high energy radiation. If it was smaller, the range of planetary distances able to support life would be too narrow; the right distance would be so close to the star that tidal forces would disrupt the planet’s rotational period. UV radiation would also be inadequate for photosynthesis.
The earth’s distance from the sun is crucial for a stable water cycle. Too far away, and most water would freeze; too close and most water would boil.
The earth’s gravity, axial tilt, rotation period, magnetic field, crust thickness, oxygen/nitrogen ratio, carbon dioxide, water vapour and ozone levels are just right.
The electromagnetic coupling constant binds electrons to protons in atoms. If it was smaller, fewer electrons could be held. If it was larger, electrons would be held too tightly to bond with other atoms.
Ratio of electron to proton mass (1:1836). Again, if this was larger or smaller, molecules could not form.
Carbon and oxygen nuclei have finely tuned energy levels.
Electromagnetic and gravitational forces are finely tuned, so the right kind of star can be stable.
Examples of constants… : Examples of constants… Our Earth, for instance, is perfectly designed for life. It's the "just right" size for the atmosphere we need. Its size and corresponding gravity hold a thin, but not too thin, layer of gases to protect us and allow us to breathe. When astronaut John Glenn returned to space, one of the things that struck him was how thin and fragile our atmosphere is (only 50 miles above the Earth). If our planet were smaller it couldn't support an atmosphere, like on Mercury. If it were larger, like Jupiter, the atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, which is poison for us.{2} Earth is the only planet we know of that contains an atmosphere that can support human, animal, and plant life.
The Earth is also placed at a "just right" distance from the sun and the other planets in our solar system. If we were closer to the sun, we'd burn up. If we were farther away, we'd freeze. Because Earth's orbit is nearly circular, this slightly elliptical shape means that we enjoy a quite narrow range of temperatures, which is important to life. The speed of Earth's rotation on its axis, completing one turn every 24 hours, means that the sun warms the planet evenly. Compare our world to the moon, where there are incredible temperature variations because it lacks sufficient atmosphere or water to retain or deflect the sun's energy.
More constants… : More constants… Our Earth, for instance, is perfectly designed for life. It's the "just right" size for the atmosphere we need. Its size and corresponding gravity hold a thin, but not too thin, layer of gases to protect us and allow us to breathe. When astronaut John Glenn returned to space, one of the things that struck him was how thin and fragile our atmosphere is (only 50 miles above the Earth). If our planet were smaller it couldn't support an atmosphere, like on Mercury. If it were larger, like Jupiter, the atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, which is poison for us.{2} Earth is the only planet we know of that contains an atmosphere that can support human, animal, and plant life.
The Earth is also placed at a "just right" distance from the sun and the other planets in our solar system. If we were closer to the sun, we'd burn up. If we were farther away, we'd freeze. Because Earth's orbit is nearly circular, this slightly elliptical shape means that we enjoy a quite narrow range of temperatures, which is important to life. The speed of Earth's rotation on its axis, completing one turn every 24 hours, means that the sun warms the planet evenly. Compare our world to the moon, where there are incredible temperature variations because it lacks sufficient atmosphere or water to retain or deflect the sun's energy.
More Constants : More Constants Speaking of the moon, it’s important that there is only one moon, not two or three or none, and it's the "just right" size and distance from us. The moon's gravity impacts the movement of ocean currents, keeping the water from becoming stagnant.{3}
Water itself is an important part of a "just right" world. Plants, animals and human beings are mostly made of water, and we need it to live. One of the things that makes Earth unique is the abundance of water in a liquid state.
Water has surface tension. This means that water can move upward, against gravity, to bring liquid nutrients to the tops of the tallest plants.
Everything else in the world freezes from the bottom up, but water freezes from the top down. Everything else contracts when it freezes, but water expands. This means that in winter, ponds and rivers and lakes can freeze at the surface, but allow fish and other marine creatures to live down below.
But… theism (belief in God) is only the first step. : But… theism (belief in God) is only the first step. Believing a God exists does not equate to belief in the God of the scriptures; the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.
We can not jump from an argument for the existence of a God all the way to the belief in certain specifics about God.
We have taken a strong first step though.
The next step: ROMANS SUGGESTED THAT THINGS ABOUT GOD COULD BE KNOWN THOUGH… BY A CONTINUED LOOK AT CREATION.
“Design” tells us more about what this God could be like. : “Design” tells us more about what this God could be like. When we study the mind numbing brilliance and complexity of creatures… the volumes of DNA and info that is programmed into them, we must conclude that God is brilliant beyond belief.
The universe could have “worked” but been ugly. Yet much of life here is full of beauty and color.
3. Design beyond genius. : 3. Design beyond genius.
Slide28 : Is beauty a figment of our evolutionary imaginations? Why would descendents of primates find the desert or an island beautiful. Why do all humans find most of the same things beautiful?
Slide30 : IRREDUCIBLE COMPLEXITIES
COMPLETE SYSTEMS
THE PRESENCE OF INFORMATION IN THE UNIVERSE (info comes from minds)
N.S. SIFTS INFORMATION; IT DOES NOT CREATE IT
PSALMS 139:14-16
Design rules out another religion… : Design rules out another religion… Idolatry and animistic religions.
In Acts 17 Paul argues that if God created the universe and sustains humanity… He does not need to be fed by men placing food before idols.
The brilliant designs found in nature disproves the simplistic gods of tribal cultures.
Information & Design : Information & Design Information only comes from MINDS.
We find the following three ways we can organize energy or matter:
(1) Randomness: axgpoi23091jdlkc;98
(2) Patterns: 123123123123123123123
(3) Information: John loves Sally.
Types 1 and 2 are found naturally in space and on earth. Type 3 only comes from minds.
Scientific Hypocrisy : Scientific Hypocrisy Scientists involved in SETI (Searh for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) programs have been scanning the heavens with instruments for 50 years hoping to find some signal of life elsewhere.
Here on our own planet we observe vast libraries of informational code and designed structures which point to an intelligence beyond or own.
Yet scientists will not concede that God created DNA and human life.
Systems and Structures : Systems and Structures It is important that you take some time to study the phenomenal systems and structures in the universe.
Recently the concept of “irreducible complexity” has become popular because Darwin himself suggested that if anyone could find a body part of an animal that could not evolve through small additional mutations, his whole theory would die…
Irreducible Complexities : Irreducible Complexities In 1990 Michael Behe published a NY Times best seller titled Darwins Black Box.
Behe’s basic point was that nature is full of molecular level machines, systems and factories so complex that they could not have been evolved piece by piece.
Why not? (read on)
Slide36 : The essence of an irreducibly complex system is that it does not work unless all of its parts are there.
There would be no reason for an organism to evolve certain PARTS of a system over time. According to “Darwinian theory”, unless those parts give it an “advantage” they wouldn’t get passed on anyway.
But unless all the parts were there for the “system” to work, it won’t give any advantage at all. (This last point is where evolutionists disagree)
Don’t be haughty. : Don’t be haughty. Many scientists and professors are NOT convinced by the intelligent design (ID) argument.
There is ample proof of strong bias against any departure from the atheistic status quo in the scientific and public arena.
The entire scientific establishment is joining forces to bury the intelligent design concept.
Be prepared for people to mock this concept.
4. Morality & Conscience : 4. Morality & Conscience There is something else, found in the creation, that tells us even more about God.
Human beings, have a universal moral capacity.
Each person has a conscience, a sense of right and wrong, a sense of God, a sense of purpose for existence that points beyond us to a moral law giver.
4. Morality & Conscience : 4. Morality & Conscience Read: Romans 2:12-16
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Why do all humans share common concepts of fairness, courage, justice, rightness?
Why do all humans experience guilt?
Why do babies know about “fairness” without being taught it?
If we evolved, why do have such a strong inclination to sacrifice ourselves to save others in danger of trouble or death? Animals don’t rescue each other.
4. Morality & Conscience : 4. Morality & Conscience Even among tribes of cannibals or savages there are moral rules and laws that go without saying.
Most cultures share moral laws such as: do not murder, steal (at least from family and friends), do not sleep with another persons spouse, do not harm innocent people, children should listen to adults, respect others lands and property, etc…
General moral truths. : General moral truths. All people have a sense of guilt. People naturally seek to hide their wrong doings, and evade the truth when caught.
When wronged all people want “justice.”
All cultures share a sense of the eternal.
All sports, law, business, government are based on concepts of justice, fairness, rightness, ought-ness.
Most people find some form of religion or belief in God far more natural than atheism.
Most people are naturally uncomfortable with the concept that this life is all there is, and thus they have no meaning and purpose in existing.
Right & Wrong are meaningless without an ultimate enforcer. : Right & Wrong are meaningless without an ultimate enforcer. If there is no God, to give moral laws… then words like right and wrong are just opinions of culture groups.
If no God exists to define morality, then Hitler wasn’t really wrong. The “allies” just decided he was. Plenty of people said he was right. Who is to decide ???
If God exists to declare and ultimately enforce right and wrong (Gen 9:1-7; Rom 13) then things really are right and wrong.
What is really going on today is that people are living by some of the Bible’s rules of right and wrong, and concluding that since they don’t believe in God, but are still “nice people” that living morally without God is in fact possible.
C.S. Lewis & the moral argument. : C.S. Lewis & the moral argument. C.S. Lewis was originally an atheist.
He was converted to faith in Jesus Christ partially by realizing that all people have a very real sense of right, wrong, fair, and justice (i.e. moral laws) . He realized that people can’t have an argument unless they both knew that there was some higher standard of fact or truth that they were trying to get the other side to admit.
All of our arguments basically come down to that idea. “My side of the argument is true & right. If you wanted to do the right thing, you would agree with my version of the issue.”
Pulling some of these things together… : Pulling some of these things together… The universe was far more likely to be started by God than itself.
That God is a brilliant designer beyond any intelligence we have observed.
That God created certain creatures with a capacity to appreciate beauty, color, stories, relationships.
God must be a moral God, because he gave all humans a sense of justice, fairness, right, wrong, guilt, etc…
A Simple Question : A Simple Question Could knowledge or evidence of God exist outside my knowledge and experience base? Isn’t it a bit overconfident to make firm statements about all knowledge and experience?
Atheism implies virtual omniscience. : Atheism implies virtual omniscience. Atheism is the belief or statement that one knows God does NOT exist. Agnosticism is the admission that one does not have enough information to know one way or the other. To be able to say God does NOT exist, one must have a profound amount of knowledge about all of the universe, life, and existence.
As the simple pie chart shows, it is a FACT that most of us know VERY LITTLE about the universe. This leaves room that we could stumble upon “evidence” for God in the 99% of the universe we know nothing about.
Lets be honest though.God still seems distant. Even, absent according to many… : Lets be honest though. God still seems distant. Even, absent according to many…
Why God seems invisible. (In a nut shell) : Why God seems invisible. (In a nut shell) God has chosen to be known through three sources:
Nature
His written word
Jesus Christ “the Word”
But some people insist on focusing on a fourth source:
Audible speech and visible appearances. (Result???)
Humanity can not stand God’s physical manifestations.
If God’s voice is heard in scripture, a closed Bible is like turning the volume on your radio down to 1 or 2.
Ignoring any source revelation results in blindness.
Sin also brings blindness. (Matt 5:8, Ps 24:3-4, 1 Cor 2:13-16)
God insists that faith is a part of our relationship to him.
#2 God has chosen to reveal Himself through written scripture. : #2 God has chosen to reveal Himself through written scripture. Why would God use this format?
Fixed word is a testable word. A tool.
If God appeared and spoke audibly to each human as He did to prophets this world would be a strange place.
Information in a fixed form can be studied without changing or being forgotten.
Hinders people from claiming (which they still try to do) false revelations.
A Crucial Point : A Crucial Point The Bible is called the “word” of God for a reason. It contains the voice of God.
If we want to hear God, see God, watch God, we must study scripture.
A closed Bible is essentially cutting off the main source of knowledge about God. This is true for the believer and unbeliever.
We speak to God in prayer. God speaks by applying His word to us when we meditate on it.
#3 God has chosen to reveal even more of Himself in the person & work of Jesus Christ. : #3 God has chosen to reveal even more of Himself in the person & work of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:1-3
John 14:1-7
John 1:1,18
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 40:1-10
Man has ignored these chosen methods of revelation… : Man has ignored these chosen methods of revelation… The conscience is dulled through speculation, philosophy, TV, pride, lust, hate.
Rather than being read, scripture is deliberately attacked. Usually the Bible alone is attacked.
In one sense, a closed Bible = a silent God.
The deity, words and works of Christ are not meditated upon.
Man meditates upon man’s word, man’s creation, man’s beauty, man’s values.
Slide54 : Atheists often taunt God come down and visibly reveal Himself before they can believe He exists.
We can see what happens when God physically manifests Himself before sinful man.
Man is always physically terrified and uncomfortable when in the presence of God’s true glory.
A strong Biblical reason for not experiencing God physically…
Slide55 : Exodus 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Men collapse before the visible manifestations of God: Exodus 19:14-24, 20:18-21, Judges 13:22, Isaiah 6:1-5, Ezekiel, 1:28b, Daniel 10:1-9, Matthew 17:1-9, Acts 9:1-5, Revelation 1:9-18 We can not see God and live…
#4 Man is on the wrong wavelength. : #4 Man is on the wrong wavelength. Nature is paved over.
Human works are blocking our view of God. (A close cousin to refusing to honor the Lord with one day per week)
We insist only focusing on the physical, empirical.
Rejecting God’s revelations brings blindness of some sort. : Rejecting God’s revelations brings blindness of some sort. John 9:39-41
Romans 1:21-32 (God gave them.. 3x)
John 3:18-21
Romans 11:7-10; 25 (Israel; a case study)
Matthew 13:10-16. Jesus here teach us that God is even willing to give more information to those who believe than when they began to originally trust him.
Why won’t God do more miracles? : Why won’t God do more miracles? Luke 16:31 – God tells us that many people, most people in fact, will not be impressed or convinced by miraculous events like resurrection or an appearance of God. There is something about human nature, that if we are not convicted and impressed by the chosen words of God, we will not be impressed by anything else.
Remember the Pharisees, and Israel in the wilderness? How long did the “impact” of miracles last on these people? A few days.
God already tried that. : God already tried that. Read: Numbers 14:22, Deuteronomy 11:1-8
The story of Israel is a case study in what society would be like if amazing miracles were done in front of everyone’s eyes.
Israel heard God in a literal voice, saw him come from heaven in a cloud of smoke. Saw him split the red sea, saw Him provide water for hundreds and thousands of people to drink at once, saw Him provide an edible substance that would appear daily on the ground. And all but 2 or 3 of the people of an entire generation, refused to follow God, obey God or trust God.
Key: God insists that faith be a part of our relationship with Himself… : Key: God insists that faith be a part of our relationship with Himself… This fact is true for both a general knowledge of God as well as receiving of salvation from God.
Turn to Hebrews 11:3, 6
Faith his essentially taking God at His word. It consists of trusting God, believing God. This results in giving control over to God. (And here lies the major issue)
How could he make regular visible appearances and still use faith as a means of salvation?
When God momentarily vanished in the wilderness, the whole nation went apostate. When He revealed Himself they obeyed.
Visibility terrifies sinful man and forces an artificial belief.
Evidence and lack of evidence are always balanced. #1 : Evidence and lack of evidence are always balanced. #1 While many Christians disagree, the author believes that God leaves most people balanced between evidence for believe and disbelief. His desire is for them to “obey” or “believe” Him.
God could certainly overwhelm us, scare us, force us into belief. He may do this with certain people. (Saul; Acts 9)
Man can not believe in God, unless God steps in with truth and light. But God often gives enough light for repentance and belief… but then calls the person to obey (or disobey) the gospel.
Evidence and lack of evidence are always balanced. #2 : Evidence and lack of evidence are always balanced. #2 As disbelief, atheism, have increased in the modern and post modern ages… so has evidence for belief. Scientific support, archeology, and arguments for God have strongly increased in the 1900’s.
Science leads some to abandon God because they feel they can explain nature without God, and yet the same science reveals deeper complexities about nature such that God’s fingerprints are seen as never before!
If God seems absent… : If God seems absent… Are you ignoring the evidence of creation?
Have you ignored the evidence of conscience?
Are you waiting for God to perform acts He has not chosen to perform to satiate your curiosity?
Are you insisting God only come to you in a way you prefer; overly emphasizing the visible?
Are you leaving your Bible closed?
Are you ignoring Christ Jesus the Lord?
Are you refusing to exercise faith, which is really a refusal to release control or believe?
“I believe in God. That doesn’t prove Christianity is true…” : “I believe in God. That doesn’t prove Christianity is true…” Believing in a God, may not necessarily lead directly to belief in the Christian faith.
For those who believe in God, but are unsure about the Christian faith… it may be necessary to move on to more specific proofs that lead one closer to trust in the message of the Bible, and thus faith in the Savior and of the Bible. Jesus Christ the Lord. (see next slide)
Next Steps : Next Steps Helping people understand that the Bible was accurately transmitted in manuscript form through the centuries.
How do I know the stories in the Bible occurred? (Archaeology)
Today, many people also carry misconceptions, myths and legends picked up in popular culture/media. You may need to clear away false concepts about the early church, Constantine, religious wars, the Pope, cults, etc…
Visit www.uthink.org for help or contact Jesse Gentile at jgentile @uthink.org