Top 10 arguments atheists use to deny God exists: Part 1 of 3

1. Lack of Evidence

Many atheists argue that there is no empirical evidence to support the existence of God.

They reject the claims of religious texts and personal experiences as insufficient for belief.

They refuse to accept other’s testimonies.

The Christian response is as follows:

Response to Lack of Evidence claim

• Faith as a form of evidence:
• Faith is the cornerstone of Christianity.
• Faith itself is a form of evidence, a trust in something unseen.
• How do we know this?
• It’s in God’s word:
• Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
• Hebrews 11:1

• Evidence in creation:
• The complexity and order of the universe is evidence of a Creator.
• Regard the fine-tuning of physical constants and the intricate design of living organisms as signs of intelligent design.
• The Bible supports this:
• 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 1:20

• Personal experience and testimony:
• There are countless testimonies, from current day Muslims seeing Jesus in a vision in Iran to Saint Paul undergoing his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus.
• As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
• ⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
• “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. ⁶ “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
• ACTS 9: 3-6
• Many Christians give personal experiences and testimonies, such as answered prayers or spiritual encounters, as evidence of God’s existence.

2. The problem of Evil

The existence of suffering, both natural and man-made, is a significant challenge for the belief in a benevolent and omnipotent God.

If God is all-powerful and good, why is there so much suffering in the world?

Response to the problem of Evil

• Free will:
• God gave humans free will, and evil is a result of human choices, not God’s direct action.
• Atheists don’t like this, but it’s true.
• Want to stop evil in this world?
• Contain the evil deeds of humanity.
• Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
• JOHN 7:17

• God’s greater plan:
• God has a greater plan that we cannot fully understand, and that suffering can serve a purpose in that plan, such as building character or leading to spiritual growth.
• Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
• MARK 8:34

• Evil as the absence of good:
• Evil is not a positive force but rather the absence of good, just as darkness is the absence of light.
• For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• ROMANS 6:23

3. Logical inconsistencies

Some find inconsistencies and contradictions within religious texts and doctrines, undermining their credibility and hence reject God completely.

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater, as it were, because they cannot make logical sense of some of the Bible, so they fervently deny God’s very existence.

Response to inconsistencies in Religious Texts

• Contextual interpretation:
• Christians often argue that apparent contradictions can be resolved by understanding the historical and cultural context in which the texts were written.

• Different literary genres:
• The Bible contains different literary genres (history, poetry, prophecy, etc.), which should be interpreted accordingly.

• Progressive revelation:
• God reveals himself gradually over time, so apparent inconsistencies may reflect different stages of understanding.
• God selects how, when and to whom he will reveal his omnipresence.
• Hence, human understanding is not required to confirm God’s existence.
• “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
      neither are your ways my ways,”
  declares the Lord.
  ⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
      so are my ways higher than your ways
      and my thoughts than your thoughts.
• ISAIAH 55:8-9

Let us pray:

FATHER GOD, WE PRAY FOR YOUR MERCY. WE PRAY FOR YOUR PRESENCE IN OUR UNBELIEF. WE PRAY THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT YET KNOW YOU, COME TO BE AWARE OF YOUR MAGNIFICENCE. YOUR POWER. YOUR MERCY AND YOUR BOUNDLESS LOVE. IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME WE PRAY. AMEN