A concise explanation of why I believe that God exists - and further - why I believe that the Bible, collectively, is the express word of God revealed to humankind.
This argument is arranged into three base postulates - each building on the preceding, and complimented by a series of supporting points.
Please note that I do not currently have time to personally defend every single
one of these points. Do your own research, the data is
out there. If, upon examining the evidence, you reach a different conclusion than I have on a specific area mentioned in this argument - and you feel burdened to share this in the comments - please don't expect an exhaustive refutation from me. During the course of my life, I intend to develop this argument to a point where it will contain answers to all common refutations - but that will take some time.
All the best,
-Aubrey
1) The probability of the universe arriving at it's current state by natural processes is incredibly insignificant, and thus it is entirely rational to conclude that the universe had a supernatural origin:
- Abiogenesis is woefully inadequate to explain how life could have arisen on Earth
- Panspermia either involves the same problem of abiogenesis somewhere else in the universe, or directly invokes the supernatural
- Evolution through natural selection suffers from an extreme dearth of transitional forms in the fossil record, and resorts to nothing more than fanciful stories when attempting to explain the incredible complexity and symbiotic relationships we find in nature.
- If the universe has always existed, it should have experienced heat death long ago. If instead, the universe had a beginning - the supernatural is again invoked.
2) The Bible's narrations, interpreted literally, provide us with testable scientific predictions that it would have been impossible for the original authors to conceive of autonomously:
- Geological evidence for a young earth and vast, catastrophic global flood
- Paleontological evidence for a time in the past when the earth was radically different from what it is today - capable of supporting life forms that would be completely unviable in our modern climate
- Biostratigraphical evidence of a geologic column produced by hydrologic sorting, ecological zonation, etc during the Noaic flood; in the form of numerous "anomalies" in the geologic column when interpreted from a uniformitarian standpoint
3) The Bible claims to be the word of God, and contains ample authentication mechanisms to verify this claim:
- Prophecy: God exists outside of our spacetime continuum, and is perfectly aware of what the future holds for us. Because of this, the Bible includes a significant amount of prophecy - much of which has already come to pass with incredible accuracy.
- (Isaiah 46:9-10 KJV) Remember the former things of old: for I am God,
and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are
not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my
pleasure.
- (Deuteronomy 18:20-22 KJV) But the prophet, which shall presume to
speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or
that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall
die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which
the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the
LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing
which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it
presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
- Coherence: the Bible is comprised of 66 books penned by 40 separate authors over thousands of years - all of which agree with each other. Though many claim that there are conflicts within the Bible, I believe that all apparent conflicts are the result of deliberate or unintentional misunderstandings of the ideas that the Biblical text conveys.
- Faith: As I have just demonstrated, the Bible offers a much more substantial worldview foundation than abstract faith in an unsubstantiated myth. The Bible itself claims this - clarifying that belief in the God of the Bible does not necessitate an abandonment of science and logic, or intellectual dishonesty rooted in a supposed disparity between the observable universe and that which the Bible describes.
- (John 14:11 KJV) Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
- (Romans 1:20 KJV) For the invisible things of him from the creation of
the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without
excuse.
Lauren W.