Theists: what evidence do you have for God?

Question

Well, I'm currently an atheist. However, I am an open minded atheist. I am willing to consider the existence of a God. What evidence do you have for a God?

Okay, so I'm an open minded agnostic.

Answer 1

Experience. I have a real relationship with the Living God and we interact on a personal level everyday. The Bible written by over 40 writers covering many centuries of time yet with only one story line of Redemption. The detailed prophecies that have all proven accurate so far. Faith that says it makes more "sense" to believe that God created all that is rather than random chance to come together to make life, with all its detail, checks and balances, etc. The evidence of God in action (miracles) and the fact that He works in the lives of millions of people and has from the beginning of time.

Answer 2

I am an atheist as well. But I don't think God is about evidence. IT's about the big F: faith.
But, I've come to think of it this way:
You know about science? The big-bang, Heat Death of the Universe? Well, many "hard-core" atheists use it to disprove the bible, but how?
"On the first day, God created the earth..." Well, how long was that frist day? 24 hours? A week? A hundred years? Billions? LIke in Inherit the Wind.
The Big Bang theory: Particles hit each other so fast they made matter ( I might be a little ignorant about this). But who made the particles? Where did they come from?
Heat Death of the Universe: everything is constantly moving towards entropy. Chaos. The universe will eventually use all of it's energy and "die". Doesn't the bible talk about an apocolypse.

I guess it's how you read it. If the bible is written in metaphors so the simple minded people back then could understand, then I guess it's pretty acurate and believeable.

So.
Hope it helps
good day, my fellow open-minded-atheist.

Answer 3

Let me give you a simple argument called "The Cosmological Argument." The argument is simply this: The cosmos is here and must be explained as to how it got here. This argument is using the law of cause and effect, which states: Every effect must have a preceding and adequate cause (the cause must come first and be adequate). What do I mean by adequate? Well, the building didn’t collapse because a mosquito landed on it. The tsunami didn’t hit because someone threw a pebble into the ocean.

Now, when it comes to explaining the existence of the universe, you only get three possibilities: (1) the universe is eternal (it has always been here), (2) the universe created itself, or (3) something created the universe. There is no other possibility except to claim that the universe is simply an illusion and does not exist. So let’s examine these three possibilities to see which is the most reasonable.

First, is the universe eternal? Absolutely not. We know this is true because of the universally recognized second law of Thermodynamics (the law of energy decay or entropy). This law states that everything goes downhill from order to disorder, more usable energy to less. This law is the reason why heat flows from hot to cold and why this building will fall apart if it is not kept up with. If someone doesn’t believe in the second law of thermodynamics, just challenge them to live forever; even with this awesome machinery we have in our bodies, you will eventually wear out and die. We can see that the universe is running down and wearing out; the stars are burning up, the radioactive atoms are decaying, etc. As Psalm 102:26 says, the heavens “will wear out like a garment.” Given enough time, the universe will experience what some call a “heat death” where there is no more energy available for work (everything will just be low level heat energy); every part of the universe will be the same temperature, and no further work will be possible.

Eternal things obviously do not wear out because they would have had an infinite amount of time to come to their end. Since you cannot have an end without a beginning, the universe must have had a beginning. And everything that has a beginning has a cause. This building had a beginning, you had a beginning, therefore there must have been a preceding and adequate cause. The evolutionists know this and so they came up with the “big bang” theory from that “cosmic egg” (the universe exploded into existence). But there is still a major problem, you have to explain where that “cosmic egg” came from. As it has been said, “There must be a cosmic chicken.” Some scientists like Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov proposed the oscillating universe theory to avoid a beginning. This theory states that the universe acts like a yo-yo; it explodes and then gravity pulls it back in, and then the process repeats itself over and over. But the second law of Thermodynamics still refutes that idea, since each cycle would exhaust more and more usable energy. The universe is not eternal!

Ok, that brings us to the second possibility: Did the universe create itself? I think Hebrews 3:4 answers that pretty well, “...every house is built by someone...” Let’s say I walk into my livingroom and see a crayon drawing of our family on the wall. When I ask my daughter where it came from, will I accept her answer of, “It just appeared there; it came from nothing”? Her grandparents might, but I won’t. It is pretty clear that something cannot bring itself into existence. As R.C. Sproul has said, “It is impossible for something to create itself. The concept of self-creation is a contradiction in terms, a nonsense statement . . . It would have to have the causal power of being before it was. It would have to have the power of being before it had any being with which to exercise that power.” As it has been said, “Nothing scratched its head one day and decided to become something.” I’m sorry to have to drop this bombshell on you, but from nothing, comes nothing.

And now the third possibility: Did something create the universe? If the universe is not eternal and could not have created itself, then the only remaining alternative is that the universe was created by something or Someone. This would have to be a transcendent, eternal, self-existing being. I can find only one satisfactory explanation to our conundrum, and that is found in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Someone may argue, “If the universe needs a cause, then why doesn’t God need a cause; who created God?” The answer is, everything that has a beginning has a cause. God, unlike the universe, did not have a beginning. Time is linked to matter and space (as we can see from Einstein’s general relativity). If God created the universe, then He created time along with matter and space. If God created time, then He is outside of time and doesn’t need a beginning.

What is more absurd, to believe that God Created everything out of nothing or that nothing turned itself into everything? The fact is, we live in a Universe that is an effect. There must be a preceding and adequate cause for it. The only thing that makes sense is a Creator who is more powerful than anything we can imagine.

Answer 4

Faith does play a major role, and believing the Bible. I read a book called The Case for Christ, written by a former atheist. The author is Lee Strobel. He used to be an investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune and decided to do some investigating about the Word of God. He is now a Christian and I believe has other books as well. Maybe with you being an atheist, you can relate to some of the former convictions he had and learn how he has now found them to be wrong. I am glad you have an open mind. Since you do, I hope you go ahead and start praying to God, and ask him to let you know the Truth.

Answer 5

That could take awhile, and not all of the evidence is objective. Try this: take a look at the theory of the early moments of the Big Bang. A good although slightly dated book on the subject would be "The First Three Minutes" by Steven Weinberg. http://www.amazon.com/First-Three-Minutes-Modern-Universe/dp/0465024378 In the first few microseconds after the explosion of the monoblock, many attributes of the universe that we think of as constant were, in fact, briefly variable. There was only a very narrow band for most of them to settle into for solid matter and life in this universe to be possible - yet somehow all of them did. This is a very low (although not zero) probability event. When low probability events happen, the intelligent observer suspect intelligent intervention. This has led to the formation of the Anthropic Principles, which are basically ways of trying to explain the evidence for intelligent intervention in the universe in ways that don't require an actual intelligence. As Martin Gardner once said, most of them could easily be referred to as the C)ompletely R)idiculous A)nthropic P)rinciples.

Anyway, that's a start. Even if you don't buy this, read the book. Weinberg is a WONDERFUL teacher.

Edit: White Russian - you do realize that you're arguing that there is no proof that God exists. That's not what he asked for. He asked for evidence - a very different thing. I quite agree with you that there is no proof that God exists, and I doubt there ever will be.

Answer 6

Good for you. If you're open-minded, chances are the Creator will show itself to you. I was a committed athiest for 31 years. I was shocked at what happened when I opened my mind. It was a very physical thing. I'm sorry, I'm not going to tell you about it because I don't know if it would be beneficial to hear it. I wouldn't want you to develop any expectations. I really don't know if it would have happened to me if I had expected it. Eight years later I went on a spiritual journey by myself. I stayed in a Buddhist monastery for a month. I wanted it to happen again. I was gone for six months. It didn't happen. And I think it was because I expected it. A couple of months after I got back I was just having a bath and something very similar came over me at this time when I least expected it. I will tell you that I felt a strong spiritual presence that made me look up, and it was like, yes, there's no doubt. Then I had a few words with it and felt totally cradled and taken care of and full of quiet gratitude. The intensity of it lasted about eight minutes. Eight minutes of relaxed bliss. The next day things I had been struggling with were very easy to figure out. I wish I could tell you about my original awakening, but I honestly don't think it would be in your best interest. Just keep an open mind like you said you have.

Answer 7

Sorry, I'm an athiest but I am talking anyway. Please don't report me. :) I thought I'd try to out do the thiests and answer. There is(are) the Bible(s). Jerusalem exists, as do the villages of the people described in the Bible(s). There is evidence that severe flooding occurred but we haven't found the ark. Without the sway of heirarchy and large social structures, we wouldn't have any wide spread religions. That wouldn't be good. Only a dozen people or so would have a chance at heaven. If the Bible speaks the truth, It's a good thing England, Rome, and others ravished the country sides slaughterring the pagans and spreading the good word.

Answer 8

Hi KC Superstar. There is nothing anyone can do to convince you that God exists. God is the only one who can do that. He tells us in John 6:44:

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."

God does not intend to save the whole world. When we read Matthew 13:14-15 we can see that God is preparing the unsaved of the world for judgment:

"And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which say ‘ Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them."

If you are starting to have doubts try praying the sinners prayer, "Lord have mercy on me, for I am a sinner"

Answer 9

We can only partially comprehend the notion of God's existence. To do so, we must use human concepts to speak of God: "without beginning or end"; "eternal"; "infinite", etc. The Bible says that He has always existed: " . . . even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Psalm 90:2). And, "Your throne is established from of old; Thou art from everlasting" (Psalm 93:2). Quite simply, God has no beginning and no end. So, where did God come from? He didn't. He always was.
To us, the notion of time is linear. One second follows the next, one minute is after another. We get older, not younger and we cannot repeat the minutes that have passed us by. We have all seen the time lines on charts: early time is on the left and later time is on the right. We see nations, people's lives, and plans mapped out on straight lines from left to right. We see a beginning and an end. But God is "beyond the chart." He has no beginning or end. He simply has always been.
Also, physics has shown that time is a property that is the result of the existence of matter. Time exists when matter exists. Time has even been called the fourth dimension. But God is not matter. In fact, God created matter. He created the universe. So, time began when God created the universe. Before that, God was simply existing and time had no meaning (except conceptually), no relation to Him. Therefore, to ask where God came from or to prove his existence is to ask a question that cannot really be applied to God in the first place. Because time has no meaning with God in relation to who He is, eternity is also not something that can be absolutely related to God. God is even beyond eternity.
Eternity is a term that we finite creatures use to express the concept of something that has no end -- and/or no beginning. Since God has no beginning or end, He has no beginning. This is because He is outside of time.

Answer 10

well lets see from my own personal experiences: ive been bitten by a brown recluse,had cancer,was supposed to die at 15 from a disease (cant remember wwhat the doctors said it was)got stuck out in 2 hurricans , almost went to a party with a friend who wrecked his car and was seriously injured but something told me not to go,almost died from a lung infection,and the list continues but you get the idea. God has allways been there for me even when it seems like he isnt. there was a time when i got mad and cused out God,some really bad things happened that theres no need for me to say cuz you wouldnt believe me......but thats just me..its really up to you to find the answer but its not allways easy.