The Big Question

[Squillem]

Hello, forum. I'm an Atheist, and I'm often confused as to why religion is such a widespread thing. I've come to the following conclusion: I'm missing something. There's got to be some major convincing proof for specifically the Christian God's existence that I've not heard yet. If this is the case, what is it, and why do people find it so convincing? Also, before anybody posts, please go through the following test: take your proof, replace all of the uniquely Christian aspects of the proof and replace them with their Muslim counterparts (God -> Allah, Bible -> Quaran, etc.) and see if the proof still works. If it does, the argument is probably no good.

In short: what is the most convincing proof of God's existence?

[Peter]

The big answer...

Religion is the way to God. The Bible says "pure religion is undefiled before God". People have a longing for something more and that is expressed in religion. However, most people in wanting more also make the mistake of going after that which is false, because only Christianity is true.

"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1.26,27).

A lot of people come to Christ when they experience great loss. They begin to question reality and it just overcomes them whereby they realize all things sum up in Christ our true satisfaction because He lived a perfect life as only God can and we can only esteem to be. But as hard as we try we still fail, because no amount of self-strength or works is truly satisfying. It is all futile and ends in dust. But with Christ all things are possible so it is no longer we that live but Christ in us by the Holy Spirit. What a perfect life! New birth must be preceded by searching God out with all your heart and soul. So the only reason you are not regenerated or born-again and don't have that experience is because you are still clinging onto your self-centered life instead of letting go of self and placing absolute trust in God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. An analogy would be like jumping out of an airplane or bungee cord jumping or anything else that you are so utterly afraid to do and just doing it with complete trust and faith. Just letting go! You are unwilling to let go and that is the characteristic of everyone who is going to Hell.

We are all sinners, sin leads to death and the second death which is Hell, so Jesus who created us died on the cross for the sins of the whole world that whosoever believeth in my shall not perish but have everlasting life. He pays the ransom that is due us which is death and the second death which is Hell.

"[Jhn 3:15-21 KJV] 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

We know God of the Bible is the correct one because nobody in the past 2000 years has been able to find a naturalistic explanation to account for the eyewitness testimony of the Apostles in various group settings. For example, group hallucinations are scientifically impossible, people don't willingly die for what they know is a lie, and the swoon theory would not convince anyone in the deity of Jesus where Jesus would be all tattered and torn after His resurrection.

When you compare Islam, Muslims fail because you can't come along six centuries later and claim Jesus didn't die on the cross without any evidence to support your claim. So it is an assumed faith unlike Christianity which is evidential. And as stated above, salvation is not by works lest any man should boast. Muslims believe in salvation by works, whereas Christians do not. Once saved we are always saved (John 10.28). Salvation and eternal life once given can never be lost. Not so in the Roman Catholic System, most Protestants and Islam. Works are unto rewards but impossible for initial salvation for no man can bridge the gap between themselves and God as God is infinitely great and has no fellowship with a sinner. But a sinner born-again has God's uncreated life, having accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior proven by His resurrection appearances that gives us eternal life.

And we know God exists, because nature always has a cause, for we observe trillions of cause and effects in nature, but no hard evidence of something from nothing. Nor can the universe(s) always have existed, because if they did you would have had an eternity to come into being before now, so you should have already happened. Therefore, nature needs a cause outside of itself, outside of time and space, being uncreated Creator. This uncreated Creator is whom we call God. He is personal and accessible.

[clark thompson]

You are an atheist you are missing something a fellowship with the Lord as many of other religions are as well. Having the Spirit is what convinces me but without the Faith you don't gain the Spirit.