Introduction
Former presidential candidate and governor Alfred E. Smith told of the occasion when he was a member of a fishing party somewhere in New England. Devotion to their faith led him and a few members of the party to roll out of bed early on Sunday morning to take in a church service. As they tiptoed past their serenely slumbering mates, one of his friends, walking close behind him, heard one half-slumbering fellow mutter, “Wouldn’t it be awful if it turned out they were right!”
It is common for many in their spiritual journey to ponder the veracity of their beliefs. The realities of life, however, powerfully reinforce the viability of faith in God. Even atheists confess in their writings that they have pondered the possibility of theism. For some, it becomes a lingering concern. Others, through various processes of argumentation, feel protected and quite secure within their unbelief. Nevertheless, the jagged edges of reality keep cutting into their atheistic armor, rendering their philosophy very vulnerable. The existential undeniabilities of life find very few answers in a world that happened by accident. For those who are willing to seek earnestly the possibility of God’s existence, this book has been written.
It has been said that, if one does not know the facts, argument is to no avail, and if one does know the facts, argument is unnecessary. Like all epigrams, this one also runs the risk of overgeneralization. But it does so while pointing out a vital truth. Facts are indispensable to justify belief. And that is where a solution to the problem begins.
Bertrand Russell, who was no friend of religion and quite outspoken on such matters, argued heavily for the scientific outlook on life and described the scientific method. The first step, he said, consisted of observing the significant facts. But there, precisely, is a predicament—significant for what? There are an infinite number of facts out there that are in need of interpretation. How does one determine what is significant? Alfred E. Smith knew quite well that more was at stake than the privilege of sleeping in on Sunday morning. Rather, the question “What if they are right?” touches on the paradigm for all of life.
The selective process of fact finding, therefore, has not been easy. Communicating the Christian faith has become extremely complicated in our day. There are very few accepted beliefs any more. Never before has skepticism had such a brilliant halo around its head. There is a glory about “not knowing.” A high premium is placed on the absence of conviction, and open-mindedness has become synonymous with intellectual sophistication.
But forgotten is the charge by the late English writer G. K. Chesterton that an open mind, like an open mouth, does have a purpose: to close upon something solid. Otherwise, it could become like a city sewer, rejecting nothing.
Christian communication is further impeded by the expectations of a world progressing at a staggering pace in every field of study. It seems as though to deal in spiritual matters, the Christian has to be an authority on every other subject, failing which, he is branded “escapist” or “unrealistic.” Thus, science, philosophy, psychology, history, and virtually every other discipline affects religion. In a sense, this ought not to be surprising, because spiritual truth deals with the essence of life. For the theist, all truth is God’s truth, and truth cannot be in conflict with itself.
The unpopularity of holding to convictions, coupled with the tall demand that one be able to touch on all pertinent subjects with authority, make it easy to see that any endeavor to write about atheism will be feeble. Hence I have accepted the caution of one of my professors, who said that many a book will never be written because the author wanted it to be the last word on the subject. Knowing full well that this is neither the first nor the last word on the subject, my sincere hope is that the reader will recognize the importance of a book on the existence of God and seek the answer that can satisfy the mind and soul. Nothing is so valuable as the truth, and that is why Jesus said, “If the truth shall set you free, you shall be free, indeed.” May that freedom be found through these pages.
It is often a temptation for those who think deeply to assume that all questions involve argumentation and academic skills at a high level of abstraction. In reality, however, judging by the often repeated questions, this is not so. Answers come our way in the nursery as well as in the science laboratory. This makes the tasks more manageable. It has, nevertheless, been challenging because some questions do present a serious intellectual obstacle.
I have tried to dispel the assumed power of logical arguments for atheism within a framework of argumentation. My purpose has been to clear the bushes so we can take a direct look at the counter-perspective of Christ. Those who prefer to read at a level of felt need may find some of the arguments to be weightier than they would desire. My hope is that they will stay with the argument until my illustrations capture the idea.
Others, who love the process of dialogue, might wish that the arguments were weightier than they are. My hope is that they will not fall into the trap of intellectualism and forget the splendor and power of simplicity. We are neither just brains floating around nor just hearts bouncing about.
In an effort to deal with some necessary academic material, I have included two appendixes. The first, “The Finger of Truth and the Fist of Reality,” deals with the way philosophical ideas do come into our lives, apart from the classroom. The second one, “The Establishment of a Worldview,” provides the conceptual foundation upon which the framework of truth can stand. Ideally, these appendixes should be earlier chapters in the book since they explain the process I have used in studying various concepts and arriving at conclusions. However, for many, that type of material would distract from the flow of thought; yet I hope the appendixes will not be ignored. At the appropriate junctures in the text I have recommended where they would be helpful. Those who so desire may digress to the appendixes at that point. Others may wish to continue in the text as it is. Whichever route is chosen, the material in the appendixes is particularly germane to my answers to the skeptic.
So with both mind and heart, let us engage in this quest for truth. Whether we carry a wallet or a purse, it is always a thrill to find suddenly a compartment with some forgotten money in it. May there be the discovery of some hidden gold in this book to lead us to the greatest treasure of all—God himself.