One simple way to get at the difference between person and substanceessencenature is to say that the trinity is three whos and one what. There is no checklist or magic rules to remember when you present the gospel to others. When i got sick, i spent some time reading multiple books on. How to argue that god does not exist with pictures wikihow. To transcend means to exist above and independent from. Ray comfort is the founder and ceo of living waters and a bestselling author who has written more than 90 books, including god has a wonderful plan for. The things john had already seen are recorded in chapter 1. Because of conscience, people are aware that there is a difference between right and wrong behaviour.
For hundreds of years, people from all walks of life have debated whether god exists, or if hes just a fictional character. Sep 09, 2014 the best argument for the existence of god will be a bigpicture kind of argument. Do a little research and youll find that most books and sermons deal. The earths perfect distance from the sun, the unique chemical properties of water, the human brain, dna, the number of people who attest to knowing god, the gnawing in our hearts and minds to determine if god is there, the willingness for god to be known through jesus christ. While we cant see the air around us, if you blow on my arm, i can feel the air. Apologetics is the discipline of explaining our beliefs and faith in god through systematic, logical arguments and discussions. Understood in this way, one cant even say that god exists in the sense.
After that first book, i found other books with more scientific evidence. The vast majority of believers dont even read theology, and are barely aware of the arguments for god made by sophisticated theologians. His simple existence is true in my belief but there is no way you are going to convince an unbeliever that his simple existence. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute the truly religious attitude. The existence of god is a subject of debate in the philosophy of religion and popular culture a wide variety of arguments for and against the existence of god can be categorized as metaphysical, logical, empirical, or subjective. But not everything is so simple with the human consciousness, about which we. This is the way scientists would settle an argument about existence claims. Hello im going to try and teach ways to prove god exists to 5th graders using argument from design and first cause. What is this stuff, you ask one another, says the narrator in rebecca newberger goldsteins new novel 36 arguments for the existence of god. There is no real need to prove gods existence for these believers for in their view there can be no doubt as to whether god exists. Dec 05, 2019 how to argue that god exists christianity. If the hypothesis succeeds in offering a simpler, more powerful, comprehensive explanation that has the best fit with our background knowledge, then this book provides a powerful argument for the existence of god.
The best arguments for gods existence dont challenge atheists. But god can use our arguments as part of the process by which he draws people to himself. Ive always eagerly read, listen, and disucussed this very serious matter of ultimate questions. Then, when the kids are ready to ask questions and learn more, you can go into more detail. Oct 15, 2010 common sense would tell you that the younger a child is, the harder it is to explain the trinity in an understandable way. It could be followed with a whole class discussion on what purpose religious serves for people in general and how societies have crafted religions to fit their environments. I tried explaining using the example of water, steam and ice all being different forms of water, but that did not really answer her question.
This part of the creed also tells us that there is a physical realm that we can see and that there is a spiritual realm that we cannot see. Apr 06, 2015 and, in the awkward silence that followed, i was forced to confront the truth. He does a far better job of explaining bayesian probability than all the christian apologists i have ever seen, so most people wont have a problem understanding the calculations in rest of the book. It just happens to have this order, and the burden of proof is on believers to demonstrate why this could not be so by chance alone. What is the most rational evidence, if there is any, of. I will stop with that and once again say, i appreciate you insights explaining god to an atheist. What is the best argument for the existence of god. The god particle explained simply your time travel. Oct 15, 2012 new surveys find an increasingly number of americans dont affiliate with a religion.
Arguments why god very probably exists the conversation. How to know god exists and millions of other books are available for instant access. A simple outline for the book of revelation is found in revelation 1. Explain to your listener that the five senses can only receive stimuli from the natural environment, which god both permeates and sits outside of. He suggests that an atheistic worldview is life affirming in a way that religion, with its unsatisfying answers to lifes mysteries, could never be. The bible says that if we will humble ourselves to this truth, god will lift us up. You wrap up with the idea that god being simple helps to explain how he could be selfexistent, but i fail to see how that addresses the issue at all. One of the questions i was asked was, how can i explain the trinity to a small child without moralistic illustrations or logical arguments over their head. Justin taylor is executive vice president for book publishing and publisher for books at crossway. The god of the gaps argument is common when people argue that god exists. Plantinga gives three arguments against divine simplicity. The ontological argument is an argument for gods existence based entirely on reason.
However, the simple fact that the conscience exists shows the truth of god s law. The fact of gods existence is accepted almost without question. By this definition, god is the only truly transcendent being. Written as dialogue between lucy and aj in a coffee shop, these arguments are presented by fradd and delfino in every day language, with helpful examples and analogies, and by raising and answering objections along the way.
There remain many mysteries that are beyond science. Mommy, if we cant see god, how do we even know he exists. Now, rebecca newberger goldstein, known to edge readers as a philosopher who has interesting things to say about godel and spinoza. If no god, mankind is a set of bipedal carbon units of mostly water. In other words, as i argue in my book, it takes the existence of some kind of a god to. In the first chapter, the risen and exalted christ is speaking to john. From all great books of all religion written by all great persons of all times it can be. God doesnt believe in atheists the bible teaches that atheists are not really atheists. And, in the awkward silence that followed, i was forced to confront the truth. Thomas aquinass five arguments for the existence of god, this book is for you.
Most people fail to look inside themselves for god. The existence of god is a subject of debate in the philosophy of religion and popular culture. Five rational ways to think about the question of a god, i. Sure their are pieces of writing evidence we have such as the koran or the h. The nature of god is one of the few areas of abstract jewish belief where there are a number of clearcut ideas about which there is little dispute or disagreement. The conclusion is that if god needed a cause, then god is not god and if god is not god, then of course there is no god. This 5session bible study looks at the mysteries of our faith, such as.
A common argument from atheists and skeptics is that if all things need a cause, then god must also need a cause. As travelers along lifes way, its our goal to make sense of things, to try to understand the way the world is. Professor thomas weiler says that this way of time travel, using the god particle will avoid time paradoxes. That is, those who profess to be atheists do ultimately believe in god in their heartofhearts. We believe the bible reveals and communicates the trinity in the best way possible. A major topic in apologetics is the existence of god. God is a complex character to understand, even for adults. How do you reply to a simple question when there is no simple answer. In philosophical terms, the question of the existence of god involves the disciplines of epistemology the nature and scope of knowledge and ontology study of the. But the purpose of this book, his latest of many, is not to explain science. The mere fact that generation after generation continues to ask this question could be proof enough that god exists. Certainly one must believe that something, or someone, exists before it is possible to put ones faith in that person or thing. He is our heavenly father who formed us and everything else. Dawkins, however, points out that god cant be all that simple if he is capable of.
My six year old daughter asked me tonight how jesus can be his own father. Remember that the apologetic thinkers accept god on faith and they recognize that god is known primarily in the heart, soul, and spirit of mankind. Jan 20, 2017 can science prove the existence of god. I was surprised to find that there was scientific evidence for the existence of god. Not a single shred of scientific evidence directly points to god s existence. This is the best proof that god exists in my opinion. And if the ultimate being is mysterious in a way that transcends all symbolism, how can he be a mere projection of what the symbol represents. Let us rejoice that we have a triune god who has provided for a trinitarian salvation. Moral arguments for the existence of god first published thu jun 12, 2014. Debates over the existence of god can be tricky, especially since the burden of proof often falls on the believer. I was wondering if anyone had any bright ideas as to how to make it more interactive and enjoyable rather than just me talking at them and gesticulating. Still this book is far from being redundant, because it provides a brilliant concise abstract.
The secret of our past, the promise of our future as want to read. Our universe contains too much order for our existence to have been created out of chaos. Having had a bit more time to think about this, i would now answer as follows. Unlike many books of this sort, kreefts introduction aids the reader into the debate and if one is new to the questions of philosophy, the background provided become even more important. We are complex beyond our imaginations and when you look at such a complexity, you see god and his creation. Biology, physics, mathematics, engineering and medicine help us understand the world, but there is much about life that remains a mystery. To the best of our knowledge, earth exists with a plethora of conditions that allowed for our existence, and does so in a way that no other world can. Jul 31, 2018 apologetics is the discipline of explaining our beliefs and faith in god through systematic, logical arguments and discussions. He argues that when we have a concept of something like being a horse, we know what it is for something to be a horse. First, he argues our concepts can apply univocally to god, even if our language to describe god is limited, fragmentary, halting, and inchoate. This ageold question has plagued man for thousands of years. The god delusion is a 2006 book by english biologist richard dawkins, a professorial fellow at.
We cannot really know anything, especially god, because as soon as we begin to think about god, we distort him with our finite minds and come up with nothing but confusion. The trinity should cause us to bow in humble adoration before a god who is greater than our minds could ever comprehend. The hypothesis that god exists makes sense out of a wide range of the facts of experience. Science cant explain the complexity and order of life. A compelling new work makes the case that most modern arguments against belief are attacking the wrong god. We can come before god and say, lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Explaining the trinity to a six year old sacred scripture. The best explanation of why god exists should make sense. Although we cant see or audibly hear god, we have much evidence of him from what we can see. This kingdom exists here and now in part in the lives and hearts of the redeemed, as well as in perfection and fullness in the future. What is the most rational evidence, if there is any, of the.
It provides an overarching introduction to the idea of religion for 2nd 4th grade children. Written by a former atheist, this article gives you six clear reasons to conclude that god exists. This is the basic setup of his argument against the existence of god, the ultimate. One simple way to visualize this might be to think about having hula hoops cut in half, vertically positioned with one end at the north pole and the other at the south pole. Does god exist six reasons to believe that god is really there. After over 40 years of not believing that god exists, i was dared by a christian friend to read a book. When it comes to the possibility of gods existence, the bible says that there are people who have seen sufficient evidence, but they have suppressed the truth about god. Longitude vertical mapping lines on earth are lines of longitude, known as meridians. In this section you will find arguments of many different kinds for the existence of god. Using bayesian probability, physicist stephan unwin attempts to show the probability of god. The one theology book all atheists really should read news the. Simple responses to 20 common arguments for the existence of god kindle edition by navabi, armin, hise, nicki.
Building a faith on the idea that its the only way you can have meaning is a dangerous path. How to know god exists books living waters publications. Jul 29, 2014 what is the best proof that god exists. The existence of god and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Consequently, we should reject the claims that god is self caused, sui generis, a necessary being, or a being who necessarily exists because those claims are incoherent nonsense. According to this argument, there is no need to go out looking for physical evidence of gods existence. He claims that if the scientists will be able to control the production of higgs singlets, they will be able. This means that we have no reason for assigning truth and falsity to the chemical fizz we call reasoning or right and wrong to the irrational reaction we call morality. The answer is yes, but it hinges on our willingness to accept a new way of thinking, one which brooks no division between our will and gods. When my daughter was 5 we talked about the trinity, and she explained to me that its a hard doctrine for little kids like her younger brother to understand, and that its only older kids like her who truly understand it. I used to think that god existed, then i changed my mind to thinking that he doesnt exist, and now i know that he does exist. Jan 06, 2017 the best explanation of why god exists should make sense. But note that that has nothing to do with what god is composed of because omniscient is just a way to describe gods whole being with respect to the concept of knowledge. He argues that when we have a concept of something like being.
It argues that whiles modern science can explain many things, it cannot explain others. It is easy to say i get it, without actually making the change. That way were providing a simple, common language and framework for everything else were going to say or any analogies we use. In fact i feel there is more to do outside the church and the mere adoration and insistence to go to church creates a gap as to where religion creates division. Does god exist six reasons to believe that god is really. Our job is to give a defense of the faith in a way that is faithful to the scriptures 1 peter 3. Our lives are all about god, but if we just emphasize this summary idea repeatedly without consciously addressing the why, our kids may ultimately conclude they can craft an alternative life meaning and leave god out of the picture. Any argument that attempts to disprove the existence of god by physical means is a weak one. That is evidence a clue that air exists even when we cant see it. Therefore, lets expose our children to the bible and let the truth of the triune god soak into them over the longterm. May 14, 2008 my six year old daughter asked me tonight how jesus can be his own father. A spiritual path for modern times bo lozoff, joshua lozoff on. Chotiner agrees that hart has simply redefined god in a way that.
God made heaven, earth, angels, saints, our bodies, our souls, everything. The idea of talking to my kid about godand, more specifically, about religionscared the bejesus out of me. Christ tells john to write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. Swinburnes classic attempt to apply bayes theorem to the hypothesis god exists is a masterful example of inductive argument. Let it be stated clearly again here by way of introduction, to deny the existence of the god of the bible is to repudiate the christ of scripture. If there is no god, then all abstractions are chemical epiphenomena, like swamp gas over fetid water. A comment which, i think, simply highlights again just how poorly the. While you dont owe anyone an explanation for your faith, knowing how to defend.
In training his darwinian guns on religion, richard dawkins risks destroying a larger target than he intends. Reviews of books with scientific evidence that god exists x. Though all the points made above are part of the biblical gospel, note that when you present the gospel, you do not need to present all the truths. The first three steps are meant to undermine the truth of religion. William lane craig takes the reader on a tour of the arguments and does his best to debunk the notion that belief in god is intellectually indefensible. Not a single shred of scientific evidence directly points to gods existence. Kids should be taught about god in a simple way first so they can grasp who he is and what his presence means for them in their lives.
Verse 16 god s judgement will be fair because he knows every secret in a persons life. Mar, 2019 that way were providing a simple, common language and framework for everything else were going to say or any analogies we use. The bible teaches that atheists are not really atheists. The question of whether a god exists is heating up in the 21st century. A work of fiction, and how can it still be kicking around, given how much we already know. Have you ever asked yourself where the universe came from. How many times have you heard arguments like these for why god exists. First, discredit the traditional reasons for supposing that god exists.
To the best of our knowledge, earth exists with a plethora of conditions that allowed for our existence, and does so in a way. So, the simplest way to understand the kingdom of god is the realm where jesus christ reigns as king and gods authority is supreme. A wide variety of arguments for and against the existence of god. No doubt the strongest evidence for gods existence in the bible comes from the lord jesus christ himself. God convicts us of our sins and leads us to confess our helplessness in the face of sin and our need for him. Can anyone suggest a simple way to explain this complex mystery. Rethinking the case for god and christianity miethe, terry l. For an unaffiliated parent, explaining the concept of god and organized religion can be a struggle. When we were lost in sin, our god acted in every person of his being to save us. The truth seems to beand if god exists, the truth isthe other way around. We realize that many people, both believers and nonbelievers, doubt that god s existence can be demonstrated or even argued about.