by Mike Edwards
The truth is we can’t prove that God exist or doesn’t exist. Either belief takes faith. If a Creator does exist, most agree only a perfectly good or loving God is worth believing in. Surely a Creator love in ways God’s creations sense they ought to love others.
There are moral reasons to doubt or question God though there may be an explanation.
- Laws in the Bible proclaimed by Moses supposedly came from God. Deut. 22: 28-29 says: If a man happens to meet a virgin…and rapes her…He must marry the young women, for he has violated her. Did God really encourage a woman being required to marry her rapist? But maybe God didn’t inspire this law; only humans believed God thought this was a good law.
- God seems to intervene in the world very little based on the amount of evil present. Can there be a plausible reason? Maybe God can’t control or violate freedom and love perfectly. Divine love limits divine power. Maybe God can only stop evil with others freely helping. See God Can’t by Thomas Oord.
- God is neither audible or visible and God certainly hasn’t made it crystal clear what we are to believe about God. Are there plausible reasons for such uncertainty? See here.
Where has certainty gotten us?
It is logical to suggest we can’t be certain what an invisible, inaudibly God thinks, but supposed certainty has led to justifying slavery and other atrocities. Certainty has led to condemning gays, though scholars who accept Scriptures as authoritative, don’t agree the Bible disapproves of same-gender loving, monogamous, consensual relationships. Women, though gifted, are denied entrance into the priesthood or pastorate in God’s name. Uncertainty not certainty about God, unless talking about beheading infidels, protects against imposing beliefs on others in God’s name. We need honest, open dialogue as we continually evaluate what a loving God would truly be like.
Doubt or question away!
For whatever reason some are inclined to believe there was a Creator in the beginning and not others. If you are the former, don’t believe everything you hear claimed about God. Consider for yourself what a perfect, loving God would be truly like. Challenge God to reveal themselves to you as tangibly as possible. Still doubt! Not a problem with God. Being so damn certain may bother God more.
Done with Religion 
Norm. Thanks so much for your feedback. So true what you say about certainty. It may comfort us at times but not those we interact with – being so damn certain about things we can’t really prove.
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Mike, Thanks for the insights. You bring up a very important point that many Christians don’t think about or are afraid to accept: that it’s ok to question what we don’t understand.
Humans seem to crave certainty, even at the cost of the truth. This certainty is comfortable, but it stifles personal growth and causes unnecessary divisions between believers. It takes courage to pursue the truth wherever it leads rather than settling for certainty.
Thanks for asking hard questions. I appreciate your thoughts.
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Thanks for reading and saying so Donna.
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Such a great article! Thank you!
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