Atheists, You Won't Find God that Way

Why Atheists Resist the Evidence for God

In my many discussions with atheists, I am frequently challenged to prove that God exists. Sorry, no such luck for the atheists. It doesn't mean I don't have proof. I think the cosmological and transcendental arguments are proof enough.

But it's all useless. Atheists just can't, or should I say won't, believe God exists. They can't find God because, first of all, they aren't looking, and second, they want to avoid Him. If you don't believe me, do a test.

Find an atheist chat room on the net and offer any evidence for God you can think of. Then sit back and count the milliseconds before the evidence is attacked. And you'll notice that the longer you defend your evidence, the more fervent will be the attacks on it and, inevitably, on you.

Be prepared for some mockery and ridicule. You'll be told you're stupid, an idiot, and that you believe in mythology. They've got it all figured out. But don't worry. Their insults are just a bunch of words.

Anyway, atheists make it impossible to prove God exists when they have their eyes closed, their fingers in their ears, and they're calling you names. But that is exactly what we Christians should expect.

Romans 1 and the Suppression of Truth

After all, the Bible tells us in Romans 1 that that's what will happen. Unfortunately for the atheists, God isn't found under a microscope, in front of a telescope, behind an x-ray machine, or in a sock drawer.

God doesn't bow to the arrogant whims of atheists who demand He show Himself to satisfy their criteria. Instead, God is a real person, a really big and powerful person, in a celestial form that is, who isn't in the habit of snapping to attention when summoned by the disparaging remarks of mere mortals.

The Bible says, Atheists need to rethink their approach and shift their criteria to look for a person, not a thing. They should realize that attacking someone doesn't encourage a relationship. In fact, it's common sense that when you attack someone, mock his character, dare him to do what you want, and insult his person, he will withdraw from you.

Let me reiterate. God, the same as any person, is not in the habit of answering the patronizing challenges of the proud. Yet atheists treat God as though He were some kind of thing, some object to be judged, some celestial phenomena to be measured in their lab.

They want to get their hands on Him, to dissect Him, interrogate Him, and satisfy their own requirements to which God should submit. Sorry, atheists, it doesn't work that way. I mean, how can any atheist ever expect to find God with such demanding attitudes?

Doubting Thomas and the Demand for Evidence

Oh wait, I almost forgot. They don't want to find Him, so they construct excuses and ridiculous expectations to keep themselves secure in their anti-God delusion. At this point, I'm reminded of Doubting Thomas.

He didn't believe Jesus rose from the dead. He wanted something better than rumor. He wanted cold, hard facts. He was a show-me kind of a guy in an ancient lab coat who wasn't going to be taken in by wacko, emotionally unstable Jesus followers.

Here's the account. It's in John 20, verses 24 and 25. But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples, therefore, were saying to him, We have seen the Lord.

But he said to them, Unless I shall see in his hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. Now you'd think that Jesus would refuse Thomas' request.

But amazingly, Jesus provided what Thomas asked for. Let's look at John 20, verses 26 -28. Now depending on Thomas' presuppositions, he could interpret the evidence in different ways. Maybe it was just a simple elaborate hoax, in that Jesus hadn't really died, but was plotting with the Jews to overthrow Roman oppression.

Perhaps he was looking at the hitherto unknown twin brother of Jesus. On the other hand, maybe the man standing before him was really a holographic projection from the future. Or, it could have been that Thomas was suffering from post-traumatic crucifixion of my Savior disorder.

But still, there Jesus was, standing right in front of him, and it was time for Thomas to make a choice. But I have to ask, why did Jesus appear and grant Thomas his request? Maybe it was because Jesus simply chose to, or it could be that his testimony was needed to verify for others that Jesus had risen.

Perhaps it was to address future skeptics, or maybe it's a little of each. Who knows for sure, since we're dealing with the person of Christ, and not with the predictable results of flipping on a light switch.

Thomas Believed After Seeing the Facts

So why did Thomas believe? Was it because there was sufficient evidence on which to make a logical decision of faith? That sounds reasonable. After all, Thomas saw Jesus right there in front of him. He saw the holes in his hands, and the wound in his side.

You'd think that'd be enough. But maybe not. Maybe there's something more to the story. You see, it appears Thomas needed a little help. Notice that Jesus said something very interesting after showing Thomas the facts.

Actually, it was a command. Jesus said, Jesus commanded that Thomas believe after he saw the facts. Thomas obeyed and believed. Now, what would an atheist have done?