Does God Exist And Where Can I

Find Him. Essay, Research Paper

God. The fact that you are reading this suggests that you are at least partially open to His existence and open to learning more. If so, then this essay is for you. I want you to know that God is real and that God loves you.

Does God exist and if so where is He – where can He be found. In my experience this is the question that many people are asking today. At the same time many people have come to the point in their lives where they have serious doubts about God – or have already denied His existence.

Of course many have tried to “prove” God’s existence with rational arguments. Aquinas, Abelard, Anselm, Pascal, and Paley are a few that have attempted this. These approaches are of limited helpfulness, for though we can approach God with our reason and detect Him in nature, He cannot be fully grasped in this way. More importantly, these logical “proofs” for God’s existence miss the point.

What is the point. In my experience, most of those who doubt or deny God’s existence, do not do so because of firmly held philosophical convictions. They do so because of personal disappointment with God. Furthermore, I’m suggesting that many of those who now perceive themselves as doubting or denying God for philosophical reasons, got where they are because they became personally disillusioned with God sometime in the past.

Personal Disappointment with God

What kind of personal disappointment. Disappointment like unanswered prayer. Many in personal crisis have cried out to God in prayer. They have called out to Him for help. But the help they were looking for did not come. People like Frank from the Paralyzed Veterans Association, who phoned me for a donation. As we talked he began sharing some of his problems with me over the phone. When I told him I would pray for him, he angrily responded, “Please don’t. I’ve given up on that guy.” He had prayed many times but never received the answer he expected. As a result he now severely doubts God – His existence, His power, His love.

Others have been disappointed or hurt by those who represent God. At some point in the past they were disappointed or hurt by a religious leader or member. They were abused in some way, perhaps, or given bad counsel, or snubbed. They were right to expect better behavior from those who represent God. Such bad treatment disappointed and hurt them; and it led them to doubt or deny God. They reasoned, “If God allows such as these to serve Him, what kind of God is He. Perhaps He doesn’t care at all. Perhaps He isn’t real.”

Still others have been overwhelmed by the evil and suffering of this world. For many in this group this evil and suffering has touched them personally and often. Tragedy has found them. Or they have been cruelly treated by others. The rest see and hear it all around them. Violence, abuse, poverty, disease, and famine. Natural disasters like fire, flood, wind, and earthquake. All things that cheapen and devalue life. These people wonder, “How could an all-powerful and all-loving God allow such things.” They conclude that it is doubtful that such a God exists. Or “If He does,” they say, “I don’t want to know Him.”

In reviewing these personal scenarios, I’m asking doubters and deniers for soul-searching honesty. I’m asking that they be honest and clearheaded about why they now doubt or deny God’s existence.

In all cases, those who doubt or deny God’s existence because of personal disappointment do so because God did not perform according to their expectations. But I would ask such people (perhaps you): Are you willing to at least consider the possibility that your expectations of God are or were in error.

You who cried out in prayer with no apparent answer. Could it be that God did answer for your good, but not in the way you expected. Or could it be that the good answer you were looking for didn’t come because there was something else in your life that was not right, that needed to be cleaned up and changed. Or could it be that you are not right with God and you are looking for favors from Him before you are right with Him.

You who have been disappointed or hurt by those who represent God, were you truly hurt or was it in perception only. If you were truly hurt by those representing God, they were wrong to hurt you and I am deeply sorry that you were hurt. But is it right to doubt or deny God because those who represent Him prove themselves sinners. Could it not be that God is grieving over this even more than you.

You who have been touched by the evil and suffering of this world, you are not alone. All of us at one time or another have been. But questions need to be answered. Did you bring this evil and suffering upon yourself by ill-conceived decisions that you freely made. If so, is it right to blame God for this, or to doubt or deny Him. Even if the evil and suffering came upon you innocently, is it right to doubt or deny God because of it. Could the evil not have another cause.

Perhaps you say, “How could a loving God allow such evil.” But is it God’s love that is defective or your understanding of it. Most religions rightly teach that it was humanity that injected evil into the order of things and that still are injecting it. God did not create or intend evil. We have brought it on ourselves. But yes, it is true: God does allow the evil in the world