Are you an Atheist? Do you know one?

I am writing as someone who believes in God. Imagine the arguments I could have with an Atheist. You can only imagine, because I don’t want those arguments.

Prove to me that God exists! / Prove to me that God does not exist!

There is no answer to those questions. We all choose what we want to believe. The words of the Bible: “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15) We can’t prove the existence of someone who is invisible, who tells us that He is invisible. We can be convinced somehow, and we can choose to believe, or not.

You might have read an article, in the news, about how Physics can prove that God does not exist; or maybe prove that He does. The article keeps getting published with different titles. I think the title is click bait, to get our attention, and the words that follow are a good explanation of why we can’t prove anything about God.

READ: Can the laws of physics disprove God?

If you want to see one side of the argument, one person speaks from the ‘don’t believe’ side:

Notice that we are told first that we can’t prove what someone believes. That’s clear. Right after that we are told that we also can’t prove the presence of a ‘flying pink unicorn’ or a ‘flying spaghetti monster.’ That is not so clear.

Why bring up ridiculous jokes, in a talk about God, in the same context as God? That is not a rational argument; it’s rhetorical persuasion. If we disagree with the speaker, there is an implication that an intelligent person will mock and sneer, and who wants that? Our God is placed on the same level as a child’s joke.

I used to wonder what that ‘rhetoric’ thing was, until someone finally explained. Rhetoric is a television commercial. It’s a force to persuade us, something that we feel. If you watched the video, and if you believe in God, did you cringe when the fantasy-joke monsters were mentioned? If you don’t believe, did you have a positive feeling? We are being persuaded.

Calm, rational arguments hardly exist anymore. Everyone wants us to be something, or to buy something. Every idea needs soldiers. Modern people can’t say what they believe and let the neighbours go their own way.

Do you know the word ‘sciency?’ It’s actually a word now, and it means to have the appearance of respectable science. It’s a great way to sell things.

A television commercial to sell anything could show an actor pretending to be a respectable and dignified scientist, and it might convince us to go out and buy something. Imagine a television doctor in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck. You just know those words are true.

I was reading a newspaper today, and I saw the statistics, with colored graphs, for COVID infections in our area. It was all very clear. I also read an article about a vaccine, where I first learned about the credentials of a medical scientist.

Then I read an interesting question about how effective the vaccine was. The answer was clearly ‘yes’ so I kept reading. All I found after that was some political statements about how important medication was. The interesting article turned into vague sciency rhetoric, with no information. It was modern journalism.

I am not trying to start an argument about the COVID pandemic, but it is clear that truth is mostly a projected appearance in our culture. Some science writers are using the word ‘Neanderthal’ against people who disagree with them. There is great persuasive power in mocking others with academic words that no one really understands. Superior sneering is persuasive.

So, can I prove to you that God exists? First, I don’t want to, and secondly, no. You can find God, anyone can. The trick is, you have to do the finding for yourself. A dignified preacher in an awesome cathedral is only religiosity, another form of sciency.

I found God at a bus stop, on a cold winter day. The meeting was real, and the result was a new life. I hope you can know the same invisible God.

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile. (Jeremiah 29: 12 to 14)