The

Existence of God and Atheism Genesis 1:1

Introduction: Epigram on Atheism: I am an atheist, thank God!Anonymous Nobody talks so constantly about God as those who insist that there is no God. Heywood Brown To swear effectively men must make reference to God. Imagine, an atheistic evolutionist trying for a blood-curdling oath by swearing in the name of natural selection, or by the slimy, primeval amoeba.Christianity Today Calvin Coolidge once said: It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Doubters do not achieve. Skeptics do not contribute. Cynics do not create. G. K. Chesterton once said it is often supposed that when people stop believing in God, they believe in nothing. Alas, it is worse than that. When they stop believing in God, they believe in anything. Dostoyevski remarked that If God does not exist, everything is permissible.1

1 Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

Interesting Atheism Statistics | Rationalists's Blog

http://rationalistsblog.net/2010/02/23/interesting-atheism-statistics/

Rationalists's Blog
Just another WordPress.com weblog

Interesting Atheism Statistics

Posted on February 23, 2010 | 12 Comments

Here are some interesting statistics in regards to the growth of atheism/agnosticism around the world: 1. 50% of Israelis who were born ethnically Jewish consider themselves secular. 2. 38% of Israelis consider themselves agnostic/atheist.

tweet

retweet

3. 59% of Chinese consider themselves non-religious. 32% do not believe in any god, or higher power. 4. In a 2006 New Zealand census 36% ticked No Religion 5. A 2008 survey of Canadians revealed that 23% do not believe in a god. 6. 32 million (15%) Americans claim No religion, according to a 2009 ARIS report 7. Vermont has the highest rate of No religion respondents with 34%, according to a 2009 ARIS report 8. A 2004 poll by the BBC found that more than 50% of Brits do not believe in a god 9. 80% of Swedes do not believe in a god. 10. Turkey has the lowest rate of atheism in the world, with less than 1% not believing in any kind of god or higher power Sources: * http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_atheist.html Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics *Eurostat poll on the social and religious beliefs of Europeans (PDF). Retrieved 2006-05-10. * American Religious Identification Survey(ARIS 2008). Retrieved 2009-03-20. CJ Werleman

1 of 4

7/10/11 4:24 PM

1. The Truth of Gods Eternality is Clear Genesis 1:1

1885 No Proof in Bible A University of B.C. philosophy professor, Dr. Peter Remnant, told 1,100 students in a noon-hour speech that there is no proof in the Bible that God exists. Quite right. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. The Scripture started with these words: In the beginning God (Gen. 1:1). 2

A. An Eternal God Means Refuge for Finite Beings Who Face Common Danger
Deuteronomy 33:27, The eternal God is thy refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms: And he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; And shall say, Destroy them. Refuge means: A dwelling place, a state of safety from danger. o There is no need for safety if there is no standard that outlines what is dangerous. o If there is such a thing as safety and danger, who determines this? What is the basis of this determination? The Word of God teaches us that our eternal God provides us a place of refuge or safety. Even an atheist would claim that there are evil things in this world from which one must seek safety. 2 Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

o An atheist cannot deny that there is evil in this world from which one seeks safety. o To admit that there is evil, one must admit that there is good and a standard for that good that is absolute. It is this Eternal God that the Word of God gives to us as our Refuge. This not only assumes what all men must admit, but this truth gives us hope in spite of the trouble we will face. This hope is only found in the eternal God: Jesus Christ.

B. The fact that God has existed from generation to generation proves the existence of the eternal God.
Genesis 21:33, And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God. Psalm 90:1 2, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. If God has existed from one generation to the next over a period of hundreds of years, what bars Him from existing since eternity past? National Beliefs: Have you ever considered the fact that every nation has worshipped something or someone? There has not been a nation without belief in some God, whether false or true. o Examples: Genesis 3:5, For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be If He is capable of existing since 4000 BC, why not since before creation?

opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Genesis 31:30, And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy fathers house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? Genesis 35:2, Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: Joshua 24:15, And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Ephesians 14:12 13, And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. 1889 It Takes No Brains Dwight D. Eisenhower said, It takes no brains to be an atheist. Any stupid person can deny the existence of a supernatural power because mans physical senses cannot detect it. But there cannot be ignored the mystery of first life or the marvelous order in which the universe moves about us. All of these evidence the

handiwork of a beneficent Deity. For my part, that Deity is the God of the Bible and Christ, His Son.3 The truth of the matter is that Atheism has presented an opportunity for man to dethrone God, in mind, and enthrone himself. The God of the Bible is the Eternal God of the Past! He is the only truth God.

2. The Truth of Gods Existence Currently

Natural Revelation: Romans 1:20, 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: 1891 The Big Engineer Above Thomas Edison said: No one can study chemistry and see the wonderful way in which certain elements combine with the nicety of the most delicate machine ever invented, and not come to the inevitable conclusion that there is a Big Engineer who is running this universe.4 Romans 2:14 15, For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 3 Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc. 4 Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

These verses answer the question of why every generation and nation have had a majority of people who believe in the existence of a Being greater than themselves.

A. Consider the Emotions of Man Genesis 1:26

Consider that fact that man is an emotional being. Why is this? Is it possible that the Word of God answers this? Yes, man is created in the image of God. This means that he (man) is a trichotomy. He is made up of a spirit, a soul, and a body. In his soul, he has intellect, emotion, and will. Some of these emotions are: - - - Love Anger Happiness

If there is no God, there is no love; for God is love (I John 4:7 8). If there is no God, there is no reason to love. If there were no God, Who sets the standard for love? If there is no God, then hatred for people is not wrong. What is it that compels us to action when we see children starving? What is it that compels us to action when we see someone in a devastating situation? It is no accident that we possess these emotions; it is because our God is a personal God. We are not simply rejecting the falsehood of Atheism, but we also reject the falsehood of Deism. The one true God is a personal God.

B. Consider the End of Man

Hebrews 9:27, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

The finitude of man is a glaring truth that everyone must confront. Each human must face the reality that their life on this earth is finite. To give admission to the finitude of man is to give admission to a standard for the finitude. To admit that something is finite, it must be compared against the backdrop of infinitude. Now the question becomes, Is there a Source that adequately answers what this eternity is? Yes, the Source it the Word of God. The Word of God gives satisfactory reasoning for what will take place after death: - - - - While some religions teach reincarnation into lesser beings. Others teach you become part of the ONE, in essence, your individual existence ends. Others teach of receiving opportunities to be immoral for all of eternity. The Word of God teaches that finite man was created by an Infinite God; and that this Infinite God created finite man with an eternal soul. Our Eternal God is the EXISTING ONE: JEHOVAH: Is it any wonder to you that the name JEHOVAH means, the Existing ONE? Illustration: In speaking to a young man one time, he asked me here did God come from? Let me ask you a question, Why does God have to come from somewhere? Dependent beings require a cause. If we looked at this pulpit, we know that it was made by someone. In order for it to be here, it was put here. It did not just appear here. Man is clearly dependent: he needs air, water, and food. Hence, man is a dependent being! Dependent beings need a cause, but God is self- sufficient and independent. There is ONE independent Being that exists. He is God. He is the Uncaused Cause of all things!

 Genesis 2:7 says, And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Acts 17:23 29: For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 are also his offspring. 29 mans device. God is the Creator. He is the First Cause. He is the Originator. He is the Uncaused Cause of all. He is an independent Being, and independent being does not need a cause; but man is a dependent being for which there is no explanation, unless there is a greater cause before him. For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and

3. The Truth of Gods Enemies

A. The truth of Gods enemies is seen in the acceptance of the spirit world.
Genesis 1:2 says, And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

 John 4:24 says, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. People today are ready to accept much about the spirit world. To accept some form of negative spirit world is to give way to the clear reason that God exists, and if God exists, which one is the right God? One of the key elements that gives further footing to our Eternally, Existing God is the fact that man cannot help but accept a spirit world. Consider: - - - Mans infatuation with superstition Witchcraft The growing trend with things such as: Palm reading Fortune telling Psychic foretellingetc

B. The truth is that Gods enemies believe in God

Matthew 8:29 says, And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? James 2:19 says, Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. Conclusion: If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him. Voltaire The world embarrasses me, and I cannot think that this watch exists and has no watchmaker. Voltaire

 A heathen philosopher once asked a Christian, Where is God? The Christian answered, Let me first ask you. Where is he not? Arrowsmith5 333 No Witnesses For Atheism Charles Bradlaugh was the outstanding atheist in England. Down in one of the slums of London was a minister by the name of Hugh Price Hughes. All London was aware of miracles of grace accomplished at his mission. Charles Bradlaugh challenged Mr. Hughes to debate with him the validity of the claims of Christianity. London was greatly interested. What would Mr. Hughes do? He immediately accepted the challenge and in doing so added one of his own. Hughes said, I propose to you that we each bring some concrete evidences of the validity of our beliefs in the form of men and women who have been redeemed from the lives of sin and shame by the influence of our teaching. I will bring 100 such men and women, and I challenge you to do the same. If you cannot bring 100, Mr. Bradlaugh, to match my 100, I will be satisfied if you will bring 50 men and women who will stand and testify that they have been lifted up from lives of shame by the influence of your teachings. If you cannot bring 50, then bring 20 people who will say, as my 100 will, that they have a great joy in a life of self-respect as a result of your atheistic teachings. If you cannot bring 20, I will be satisfied if you bring 10. Nay, Mr. Bradlaugh, I challenge you to bring one, just one man or woman who will make such a testimony regarding the uplifting of your atheistic teachings. Again London was stirred. What would Mr. Bradlaugh do? In answer, Charles Bradlaugh, with great discomfiture and chagrin, publicly withdrew his challenge for the debate. Morning Glory6 5 Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc. 6 Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

Psalm 14:1 says, The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, There is none that doeth good. Psalm 53:1 says, The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: There is none that doeth good.