There are very strong arguments with which we can prove that God exists. In this post, we will look at a topic that will leave sceptics speechless. There are no objections to this argument. In this post we will not study the perfection of God, nor will we delve into the dilemmas of Metaphysics. We will not look for a Cause for physical reality, nor the complexity of design that comes from a Perfect Mind.
Our argument goes like this: It is obvious that God exists, and therefore no arguments are needed to prove it. Come on… God exists everyone knows it and you know it too. Whoever believes in God is not crazy!
Returning to seriousness, in this post we want to demonstrate that believing in God is perfectly rational. This belief is in fact a fundamental certainty, on which all the others are based.
Let’s think now of a mental asylum. Here, together with the psychiatrist, we will visit three patients.
For privacy reasons we call them: Patient A, Patient B, and Patient C.
The psychiatrist is interviewing Patient A. He claims that his past does not exist. Patient A tells us that the past is in our minds in memory form. But how can we prove that the past really existed and is not just an illusion of our mind? Whatever the psychiatrist says, for Patient A is not enough. The only proof is memory, but Patient A cannot know for sure if it tells him the truth.
In the interview with Patient B, we learn that he thinks he exists alone. For him, we are figments of his imagination. Like Patient A, the only evidence of external reality is our senses and memory. How can we trust them?
Even with him, the psychiatrist has no valid arguments. For Patient B, the reality is a mind-induced hallucination. Sometimes Patient B thinks he is a brain in a vat, stimulated by a scientist during an experiment. What are we going to tell him to make him believe otherwise?
Finally, Patient C says that the world was created five minutes ago, along with all the evidence that history exists and the memories in our minds.
The psychiatrist tells me there is no way to cure them. In reality, what they lack is one of the certainties that most human beings possess.
We cannot prove that the outside world exists, as well as the past and other people. But we are sure of it. This reality is something that nobody questions. There is no need for evidence or arguments to make us believe these things, of which we are already certain.
Now let’s go back to our psychiatric hospital, it has recently been expanded, and many new rooms have been added. This is because thousands of people in every city have been hospitalized. But what happened? Together with the psychiatrist on duty, we go on a tour to interview patients. It would seem that they all have the same symptom. These patients believe that God exists! What nonsense! The psychiatrist tries to reason with the patient. Here he shows them, the testimony of patients A, B and C who are cured. A, B and C recorded a YouTube video to help others. Patient A says that there really is no need for proof to believe in the existence of the past, today ‘A’ believes in the past and can reassure: the past really existed, but now it’s in the past!
On the other hand, Patient B, or rather the former Patient B, confirms that now he can safely believe that others exist. We all breathe a sigh of relief that we exist. ‘B’ no longer needs arguments to prove it: case solved.
Finally, former Patient C is also healed and loudly proclaims that the world was not created five minutes ago. Again, no proof is required, only certainty.
“All these people who believe in God are crazy!” Says the psychiatrist, “Let’s give them some medicine, and maybe they’ll get well!”.
Okay! This is obviously a joke to jointly establish that believing in God, even without any proof, is not crazy.
Some may argue that God is an invention of men, to explain things we don’t understand. But even proposing all the scientific theories of the world, this approach fails to justify our existence and that of the physical and metaphysical world. In fact, the goal of science is not to explain existence, but to study the regularity of natural laws.
There is more than just a lack of information. The perception of the existence of God is something that is innately found in people.
In the same way that we don’t need proof to believe that there is a reality external to our mind, so we don’t need proof to believe in the existence of God.
Once again the biblical vision of the world helps us to find the answers we seek. The biblical worldview is the one that offers the most sensible answers.
Now let’s imagine this situation: there is an atheist scientist who investigates the existence of God. By doing research he becomes aware of all the main arguments for the existence of God. But for each one, he finds an objection. There is no argument that completely satisfies it. The scientist breathes a sigh of relief and says “Thank goodness, so I can live as I please”. The scientist dies and appears before God, for the final judgment. God shows him his sins, and condemns him to the Lake of Fire. But the scientist tries one last move: he turns to God and says: “I didn’t believe in Jesus because the arguments they presented to me weren’t solid enough”. What should God reply? “That’s right! You are excused. Go to the Kingdom of Heaven.” Of course no. That’s absurd!
In reality, the scientist cannot be excused in this way, for him, without the mercy of Jesus, a place is ready in the Lake of Fire.
But why? Is God perhaps wrong in this case? No, of course, God is not wrong. Let’s see this passage in Romans:
since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For 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 people are without excuse.
Romans 1:19-20
The Bible, therefore, tells us that every person is faced with irrefutable proof of the existence of God. God shows us his existence in two ways: first through his works as Creator, and secondly in an invisible way within us. The testimony of the Holy Spirit takes place within us. God’s Spirit tells us the truth, and speaks within us, invisibly, on a spiritual level.
Here are some verses that speak of the testimony of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:3
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.
John 15:26
This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
1 John 5:6
When an unbeliever hears the gospel, it is the Holy Spirit who testifies in him. The Holy Spirit testifies that what the person is hearing is the truth.
We can give all the arguments imaginable, but they have no effect without the testimony of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Spirit is real, spiritual reality exists. But those who do not want to believe simply suppress the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Some also deny the existence of a spiritual reality, saying that it is chemical reaction in the brain.
But of course, this is false. The fact that we cannot empirically prove the existence of metaphysical reality does not mean it does not exist. Having the certainty of the existence of a spiritual reality above the physical reality is not the effect of an illusion of the brain, it is simply common sense.
Let us now return to our atheist scientist. God cannot forgive the scientist for not having believed, and thus motivates his sentence:
Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
Mark 3:28-29
The Holy Spirit testified to the scientist, but he didn’t want to believe him. This is the only unforgivable sin. Not believing in the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
While this is not an argument for the existence of God, I hope it at least satisfied the purpose of establishing that belief in God is reasonable.
The biblical vision helps us understand how the existence of God is the foundation of all other certainties, for example, the absolute validity of logic, the constancy of natural laws, the existence of absolute moral duties, the idea of above human justice, the existence of the spiritual world, and so on.