“Is God Real?”
A student asked me this question last week. The issue was apparently brought up in his philosophy class. I’m not sure if the young man was struggling with the answer or just wanted to hear my answer (or maybe a combination of both). Regardless, I found his honesty refreshing. There was not a hint of anger, antagonism, or hostility in his voice—he (and his friends) just wanted an answer.
“Sure, He is,” I responded. “You cannot scientifically prove or disprove the existence of God. But you can look around at the evidence. For me, the evidence of God is overwhelming.”
“If I tried to convince you my wristwatch just appeared out of thin air, you would never believe me—you know someone made it. Even at the cellular level, life is amazingly complex. One living cell is more intricate than the entire city of Manila. The idea that life could happen by accident, in my opinion, is simply absurd.”
I challenged the young men to relentlessly pursue the answer to this question.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
-Psalm 19:1
“A little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion.”
-Francis Bacon
