Seekers: Day 2 Handout ("God")

Two tools to use in seeking evidence for God:
   - Our ability to reason and use logic
   - Our ability of sensory experience through the five senses

Evidence for the existence of God:


1. Cosmological evidence - creation, our world
- Can something come out of nothing?
- Can anything begin without a beginner?
- Most scientists today agree that our earth has not always been, but that it began at some point in time.  One theory is "The Big Bang" theory.  Our question has to be, "Who pulled the trigger?"
   A. Created by God with Intelligent design and purpose
        Psalm 19:1-2 "The heavens proclaim the glory of God.  The skies display his craftsmanship."
   B. Or it happened by random chance/evolution.
       "An unsupervised, impersonal, unpredictable process."
       - Microevolution - within the species.  No question that this happens, i.e. different breeds of dogs
       - Macroevolution - from one species to another.
         Absolutely no proof this has ever happened

2. Teleological evidence - Purpose, complexity, order
    Examples:
    - Seasons of the year never fail
    - Earth tilted at 23 degrees - exact tilt necessary to maintain life
    - Discovery of DNA has convinced many scientists of intelligent design

3. Moral Conscience
    How is it that human beings everywhere have some kind of moral code?
    Why do you believe so strongly that some things are right and some things are wrong?
    Romans 1:19-20 "For the truth about God is known to them instinctively.  God has put this knowledge in their hearts."
    A. Darwin could never explain where the conscience comes from
    B. It is unique to human beings
    C. Anthropologists tell us that all cultures have a moral conscience and a belief in a divine power.
    Could it mean that we are created by a moral and intelligent being?

4. Experiential
    People can experience God, and millions have

DIFFERING BELIEFS ABOUT GOD:
A. Islam says that God is unknowable and you must work to try to earn your way to heavenm but you can never know whether you have done enough
B. Buddhism has no theology or concept of God
C. Hinduism believes there are many gods, but they do not reveal themselves and their writings have no basis in history or geography.
D. Christianity says that God created everything with a purpose.  His purpose for mankind is that we might believe in Him, know Him and love Him, accept His offer of redemption and live with Him forever.