(Without using "faith" as an answer) How do we know that God exists?

Question

What proof is there?

Facts

The Bible is man made.

If you believe something cannot b created from nothing, then you believe that God has a father too.

Looking at myself or the universe provides no answers. Only questions.

Love is not an answer to this question.

Quoting somebody does not make you more intelligent, nor does it answer anything.

Just because something exist does not mean that it had a creation date. It may have always existed.

Faith is an answer when the truth is not required.

Just because science can't prove everything does not mean that you dismiss it and take for an extreme unproven theory.

If you think we are the only being in an endless universe with infinite odds, you are insane and blind.

The "wind" can be seen and measured.

Pink unicorns exists. Prove they don't is not an answer. Are you serious.

Personal attacks. Is that part of religion?

The universe is becoming more organized and equally disorganized there is not point to that arguement.

Answer 1

Without faith, we don't. It's a matter of belief, quite simply.

People can & do have personal experiences which lead them to believe God exists, but as far as that sort of thing being used as "evidence," well, it wouldn't hold up in a court case, would it?

Additional note: I AM one of those who believe in God; I just know how to look at it logically, as well.

Answer 2

By saying "without using 'faith'" I guess you mean you don't wanna hear, we know just CUZ? Right?

Well, in large part because I think too logically to accept that anything other than Intelligent Design (if you don't want to refer to God). I can look at the world and the universe around me and realize that it's far too organized to have happened by accident or an explosion. I mean think about it, the earth is the perfect distance from the sun. Not too close so that we burn. Not so far so that we freeze. The movement of the solar system is so precise that they can time space flights because of it. If I may, and with all due respect, let me ask you something related to the "Big Bang". Regardless of faith. Doesn't a bang or an explosion usually result in destruction. When was the last time you heard of an explosion resulting in the CREATION of something. Try this: Take apart a watch and stick every little teeny part of it in some nice strong metal container. Then throw a cherry bomb into it and wait for an explosion. Open the can and then tell me if you get a watch.

Another flaw of the Big Bang theory for instance as proof that there was no intelligent design: Here's how it's defined as best as I could find it. "The Big Bang Model is a broadly accepted theory for the origin and evolution of our universe. It postulates that 12 to 14 billion years ago, the portion of the universe we can see today was only a few millimeters across." Well my logical mind would ask, if that's the case, where did that portion that was visible .. the part that existed before the expansion that is commonly called the Big Bang took place ... come from to begin with? A "little" bang??

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PS: Forest: "Just because science can't prove everything does not mean that you dismiss it and take for an extreme unproven theory." Then wouldn't the converse be true? Does the fact that creationists can't PROVE everything mean their belief should be dismissed?

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

Occam's razor. When you look at how finely tuned the universe is (if one part in 10^10^26 is off then the universe isn't here), and how complex biology is (especially down at the cellular and microbiology level) and how well it all fits together (from biomes to how one disease could potentially ward off another); it takes more blind faith to believe that it all occurred by chance than to believe there is a guiding force behind it. This causes atheist scientist to propose all sorts of ridiculous sounding theories like multiple parallel universes and string theory.

Add to that, the Genesis account of creation is very similar to what science tells us about the Big Bang. If one were standing where the earth would be billions of years later, watching the universe form around them in fast forward, it would look exactly like the description in Genesis 1. Not bad for a bunch of shepherds. Short of divine intervention there is no way that a biblical civilization could have gotten the answer so exactly.

These aren't actual 'proofs' I know, but I think they very strongly IMPLY the existence of God.

Hope this helps

Answer 5

Although I do have faith, along with that, I do know that God exists, because He sent His Son Jesus Christ here and Jesus testified in as such. What more do you want? God talks about people like you in the Bible. That is why signs are useless. Even after you get your proof you ask for more and are never satisfied. You will get your final proof the day you go before God for judgment, and you will then see more than proof. You will also see yourself with much sadness and regret for not listening to God's word.

While you say the Bible is man made, the apostles were a witness to Jesus and wrote of Him. If a witness to a crime is enough to convict someone, then unless you are a hypocrite many witnesses of Jesus should be more than enough to prove that Jesus was and is the Son of God.
Luke who was an educated man and a doctor interviewed many people who were with Jesus and Paul who was originally a Pharisee and oversaw the persecution of Christians was not only educated, but also converted by Jesus Himself into being a Christian after Jesus had risen and ascended to Heaven.

The original scriptures were written between 45 AD and 70 AD, not 300 or 400 years later.
Even Jesus Christ's own brother James became a Christian and wrote of Him.
Denial isn't just a river in Egypt, but if you swim in it too long a crocodile is likely to come up and bite you in the a ss and it will be the bite that lasts for an eternity, which is forever, just in case you don't understand the meaning of the word eternity. Jesus came here and died so you wouldn't have to face God's righteous judgment.
May God have mercy on you and some day open your eyes, heart and mind to His truth.

Answer 6

It actually takes more faith to believe that you decended from a monkey which decended from a bacteria wich arrived on earth because aliens used this planet as a dumping ground for their waste.

Do a very careful study of the anatomy and physiology of the human body and you will see that creation and God are the only viable explaination for our existance. Evolution works on the assumption that birth defects are benefitial; why don't we see evidences of this in our society today? Why haven't we seen evidences in recent history during the past three thousand years? Why don't we reproduce through mytosis, as cells do? Any organism that mutated to sexual reproduction would have died long before it could find a suitable mate. The possibility of both genders evolving at the same time is impossible

How much faith do you use to believe that you evolved?

Answer 7

Science reveals mysteries to us everyday that were unfathomable in times past. A brilliant scientist from brooklyn (if forget her name) has recently published a book about a theory that scientists are close to proving relating to dimensions beyond our own. scientists call them "planes." she states that we most likely may never be able to cross over, but they can possibly prove that they exist. one explanation she gave is as follows:

u have a shower curtain in the bathroom. The shower curtain is a plane. there is a waterdrop on the curtain. to that waterdrop, the surface of the curtain is its entire universe. it can only be cognizant of the plane that its on and that is the curtain. it would have no recognition of the fact that you are standing in a bathroom full of objects, only one of which is the curtain and waterdrop.

i believe that is how God is. We are in this plane and He can be 'standing' for lack of a better term right around us, but we would have no idea.

science doesnt disprove God, it helps explain the things tht he made. everything is logical and in order. chance cant do that. a creator has to.

even if the big bang theory is true, and it could be, there is still no plausible explanation of how the orignal material for the big bang came into being. things dont come from nothing. to say God created the material for the big bang is actually the most logical explanation. much more logical than, "well, it was just there..."

God is like the wind. u cant see it but u can feel the effects of it. just because u cant see it doesnt mean its not there.

now if God exists in another realm than us, most likely we will never be able to prove scientifically that he exists, especially if he is the creator of the means by which we seek to prove his existence. thats a little backward. however, i do believe that logical analysis of what science does prove, lends itself to a creator.

Answer 8

I personally can say God exist because of life experiences that NO human being could have had any hand in. Your walk with God is a personal walk. If you are caught up in religious jargon you will always be frustrated and confused. Religious is one of the most messed up institutions on earth. Man has made the words inspired by Our Creator a dynasty for wealth and power.

Example: To ask a person who is financially challenged and barely making ends meet, to give 10% of what is already not enough is nonsense. You give as it is given in your heart.

To turn a person away from the church doors because of what they are wearing is not God,

To tell a person that God is not going to bless you because you didn't give to the pastors anniversary is a lie.

To worship a man as a god, is a lie. ALL RELIGIOUS.

No, I can't tell you what to believe, but I can tell you I've seen and heard thing that man has nothing to do with. And there was no confusion or nonsense in the outcome of these things that happened. In light of this, my friend, Pray and Ask Our Creator to give you wisdoms and understanding as to the path He is choosing for you in your life.

Peace

Answer 9

Is it possible that something as comparatively simple as a bacterium could exist fully formed with no origin at all - just existing from nowhere and nothing? No, the idea is clearly absurd. Something - some kind of process or act of creation - would have to be responsible for generating its complexity and organisation, its structure and functions and processes.

By the same reasoning, it is inconceivable that a human being could exist fully formed from nothing. Something has to be responsible for the origin of our form, our functions, our intelligence, our great complexity. It's surely no coincidence that the most complex object in the known universe - the human brain - is also the only thing that we all agree possesses true intelligence.

So, is it possible that something vastly more complex and intelligent even than a human being - an intelligent entity capable of designing and creating an entire universe - could just exist fully formed from nothing, with no origin of any kind? Clearly, the answer is no. This is how we know beyond the slightest doubt that an intelligent creator deity cannot exist. Complexity, organisation and intelligence can only be products of unthinking natural processes in an uncreated universe.

Answer 10

This question is an error, the correct question is "Do "I" exist?
If you can follow to root of your own sense of existence, you will find out not who, but "What" you are. You are correct to distinguish between "faith" and knowing, but ultimately everyone uses faith, if its your faith in logic or perceptions its still faith. However if you dismiss everything as unreal, perhaps that which you cannot dismiss, whats left is then the ultimate or "God". In meditation I watched as my own sense of "self" dissipated and all that was left was "God" I had no sense of "me" but I was everywhere and everything. When the drop falls into the ocean it is the drop that loses its sense of self. Those who only want belief deny the chance to absolutely know, but in this case, how you know "God" exist is when you find that "you" no longer do. Its a perception from a quest, not an intellectual answer, its the experience that stops all questions that is the answer.