2 Why I am (still) a Christian: Not Because of the Traditional Proofs of God

Introduction

In my first blog post, I clearly state that I am a Christian because the Bible commands me to be. I am a Christian because the one and only self-existing Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has revealed all we need for faith and practice in the pages of His self-authenticating Bible.

That last sentence is a mouthful, but in our day in age, one has to be precise on what you mean when you talk about God, even the Christian God. There are too many imposters even in the Church who mean something vastly different when they talk about God than what the Bible means when it refers to Him.

Traditional Proofs

Be that as it may, in this blog post, I take time to write why I am NOT a Christian because of the Traditional Proofs (from now on I will use “TPs” for the Traditional Proofs) for the existence of God. 

I am not a Christian because the TPs for the existence of God convinced me. In fact, I will go so far as to say that the TPs are an abysmal failure when it comes to proving God's existence. If they weren't, why doesn't every unbeliever fall on their faces before the feet of Jesus Christ when they hear them?

Essentially the TPs consist of the ontological, cosmological, teleological arguments. Some argue for the existence of God based on design, motion, causation, and being. Whatever form the argument takes, they all share one common theme; they claim to prove the existence of God.

I think there is irrefutable proof of God's existence, but I will save that for a future blog post. For now, I will outline why the TPs did not, and still do not, convince me of God's existence. Included in each of my critiques is why I do not think these arguments will persuade unbelievers.

The TPs put the unbeliever in the seat of judgment of God. 

Interestingly, you cannot find any proof for the existence of God in the Bible. God never proves His existence. The Bible starts, "In the beginning, God…" (Genesis 1:1) This is not a proof; it is a statement of fact!

The Bible has many passages that repudiate putting man in the judgment seat, demanding God prove Himself. When Satan asked Jesus for proof, He replied:

It is said, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." Luke 4:17

In Job 38:1-5, God asks Job 77 questions that proclaim His existence starting with these questions:

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know!

Finally, God says in Romans 9:20:

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?

I started this series on Why I am (still) a Christian with the authority of Scripture. God is not asking us to believe in His existence; he commands it.

TPs assume the unbeliever's reason hasn't been affected by sin.

When Christian Apologists try to convince an unbeliever using the TPs, they assume that the unbeliever's mind has not been marred by Adam's original sin. They suppose that man’s fallen nature doesn’t affected man's intellect. They believe the reason an unbeliever isn’t convinced is because there is a flaw in the argument or in the deliverer of the proof.

The Traditional Proofs for the existence of God are perfectly valid, but they are ineffective for converting a sinner to trust in Christ alone for salvation.

The Bible doesn’t offer proofs because it states that the revelation of God is clear to everyone:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Romans 1:19-23

Furthermore, unbelievers have the proof of God already in their hearts:

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. Romans 2:14-16

The unbeliever isn’t convinced because they are blinded. The Bible states in 2 Corinthians 4:3+4:

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Unbelievers do not acknowledge the truth of God’s existence because:

by their unrighteousness (they) suppress the truth. Romans 1:18

I will give one last Scripture and consider this matter closed. Unbelievers are spiritual “dead men walking” as it says Ephesians 2:1-3:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

The TPs fail because the intellect of unbelievers is dead to the things of the Spirit. It's not that they aren't intelligent; it's that they are spiritually blinded and cannot see unless the Spirit of God enables them:

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:12+13

TPs can only prove that a "god" may possibly exist and nothing more.

At best, all the TPs can do is prove to the unbeliever that there might be a "god" who possibly exists. The proofs are a matter of probability to the skeptic rather than necessity. If the proofs prove theism, that a “god” exists, we have to ask, “what god?” The god of Islam, the Mormons, the Gnostics, the Pagans, the Deists, or just "god"? Proving a "god" exists is a far cry to proving the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Faith Comes By Hearing the Word of God

The method of converting sinners to the gospel does not come by intellectually proving the existence of God. The Bible is clear that faith comes by the work of the Holy Spirt through the proclamation of His word:

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

This is why my first blog post simply points to the Bible as the only authority for Christianity. As I proclaim the Bible through whatever means, the Holy Spirit will use this proclaimation to open the spiritual eyes of blind sinners.

Does this mean there is no place for the Traditional Proofs? We are called to defend the faith. The Bible has countless examples of Christian Apologetics. It even commands that we defend the faith in 1 Peter 3:15:

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

Conclusion

The Traditional Proofs do not do justice to defending the faith. They cater to man’s desire to sit in judgement of God. They assume that people’s intellect has remained untarnished and there is a ability to aprehend things of the Spirit. Finally, the best they can do is possibly prove there might be a “god.”

In my next blog post, I will offer the only sound proof there is for the existence of God, but not just any god. It is the proof for the existence of the one and only self-existent Trinitarian God as revealed in the self-attesting Bible.