How To Know God: Is God Real?
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” So began St. Augustine of Hippo in his famous spiritual autobiography, Confessions.
If you are feeling this restless tug on your own soul, you’ve come to a good place. This page provides some honest, thoughtful writings on the search for God.
My conviction and experience is that Christianity can satisfy both our hearts and our minds. Christianity is not only a comprehensive worldview, but reveals to us a God who lovingly meets both our existential needs and our longing for truth.
I believe God is real. I hope these articles will be useful to you in your search to know God.
Articles To Help Find God:
Is God a Moral Monster? by Dr. Paul Copan – A Book Review
About a year ago while I was at Harvard, talking with one of the students I regularly mentored, it happened that two of his friends walked by and stopped to say hello. We began to talk about their perspective on life and it quickly became clear that they were staunch atheists with a strong aversion to Christianity. Out of curiosity I…
Are all religions the same?
Mark Booker, the pastor at Church of the Cross, recently preached a sermon on Acts 4:12. This passage, a quote from the apostle Peter, reads: And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. In listening to the sermon, I was struck by two key themes. First,…
Are We All Nihilists Now?
Earlier this week a student at Harvard asked a great question in a small group meeting: How should a nihilist behave? When asked for the context, he said he had just had lunch with another student, who had proudly proclaimed his dedication to nihilism. The summary of the other student’s position? “There’s no purpose, no meaning, no…
Arguments that Hurt
Our experiences, perhaps more than anything else, powerfully shape our lives and our beliefs. There’s a reason “love at first sight” is a cliché, but “love after multiple, rational deductive tests” is not. If you’ve been hurt by a church or by Christians, you know what I’m talking about. The hurt can range from the…
Can I Believe in God Because of Personal Experience?
In this post I want to explore a very specific objection: is it delusional to believe in God on the basis of personal experience? First, what does it feel like to have personal experience of God? This experience may vary widely, but I think the internal thought process goes something like this: I know God. I know God personally. I…
Christian Hypocrisy and Unbelief
At Reasons for God, the focus is on providing reasons to conclude that the Christian worldview is true. In support of that effort, I also provide reasons to conclude that alternative worldviews, while they do affirm some truth within their paradigms, are not ultimately true. Typically, this reasoning process involves setting forth…
Christianity Is For Failures
I am the kind of guy who can watch The Biggest Loser (a show about people losing weight) while I sit on the couch, eating cake and ice cream. I find that the subtle pressure of needing to live a healthier life is perfectly met by the satisfying enjoyment of baked goods. I wish that was my biggest failing in life, but there are many…
Deception is Reality
Today's post is by Sarah Abbey. You can read more of her work at her blog, A Penny of A Thought. "Deception is Reality." I saw this phrase in bold letters on a man’s t-shirt on a recent trip to Starbucks. While my first reaction was to dismiss the t-shirt’s philosophy without a second glance, on further contemplation I realized…
Did Jesus Claim To Be God?
Many feel that Jesus was just a good moral teacher. Others believe Jesus was a prophet. Some are unsure, but don't think Jesus was crazy enough to think he was divine. Perhaps Jesus was an inspiring teacher. However, a close reading of the New Testament documents makes it clear that these theories are more about our feelings and…
Did Jesus rise from the dead?
In their excellent book, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, Gary Habermas and Michael Licona offer a very readable and thoroughly researched argument for the publicly accessible, historical, bodily resurrection of Jesus. My goal in this post is to summarize their main argument as simply as possible. Their argument has two key…
Does “The Future” Have Moral Authority?
People are changing their minds about a great deal of moral and religious truth claims. Because of these dramatic changes, I've heard many people advocate for adopting the future moral consensus as the right moral consensus. For instance, consider four significant trends with me: A recent census in the U.K. showed that the number…
Does Christianity make you arrogant?
Today I’d like to look at a very commonly held idea regarding religious belief. It is often expressed somewhat like this, “It is arrogant to say that Christianity is true and that all other religions are false.” We need to thoughtfully consider this statement, because if is true, it means that being a Christian is, to some…
Does God Exist?: Some Good Questions
"Does God exist?" is a huge, daunting question. When you're trying to figure out the existence of God, you need to break the intellectual search down into smaller pieces. Here are some good questions to consider as you work on the big question: -Is there a God or gods? -If there is a God or gods, can we know this God or gods? …
Early Christian Thinking: Can We Know God Exists?
Today we're taking another close look at a statement from The Octavius of Minucius Felix. This writing comes from 160-250A.D. and includes a long section of objections to Christianity from a man named Caecilius. He says: Nor without reason; since the mediocrity of human intelligence is so far from (the capacity of) divine investigation,…
Early Christian Thinking: Confident Doubt
Let's go back 1,800 years to one of the earliest Christian apologetic writings. There is a very interesting writing, The Octavius of Minucius Felix, which can be dated to 160-250A.D. In this document, the opponent to Christianity is a man named Caecilius. He is said to speak these words, which are surprisingly similar to what is often…
Enlightenment and the Bible
One of the responses to yesterday's item was this insightful comment: "[A] lot of people have the impression that they would be different. They'll say, "Sure, those silly Israelites made that mistake, but certainly I wouldn't. *I* would listen to God and would never forsake Him if only I saw him once." In other words, the interpretive…
Five Books for Skeptics and Seekers
Do you ever feel like you have to have all the answers for your skeptical friends? Here's the problem: it is way, way easier to ask a hard question than to give a good answer. In the space of five minutes someone can ask twenty incredibly difficult questions: how can we know anything at all? Maybe the Bible was altered by a group of…
God, Evil and Justice by Dr. Paul Copan
The following talk was given at Boston College Law School on March 19th, 2012, through a partnership between the Christian Legal Society and Telos Ministries. We are grateful for the partial funding provided for the event by Tactical Faith! You may also enjoy our resource pages on the moral argument and moral relativism. Evil and…
How Can We Know If Christianity Is True?
According to some estimates, there are about 2.1 billion Christians in the world, or around a third of the world’s population. Whether you are a Christian questioning your faith or simply curious about the world’s largest religion, you’ve probably asked yourself: how can we know if Christianity is true? Before answering this…
How Valuable Is A Human Being?
The common wisdom, the received tradition, the obvious idea is that every human being is valuable and has an inherent right to life. But let's be skeptical for a moment. Let's think critically. Let's move away from our naive intuitions and rationally calculate human value. What makes a human being valuable? There are three…
If you were born in another country, would you still be a Christian?
One very common question about Christianity goes like this: “If you were born in another country, a place like Saudi Arabia, Egypt or Iran, would you still be a Christian?” The presumptive answer, from an honest look at the demographics, is simple: it would be very unlikely. (Though you might be surprised to learn that in 2000,…
Is Christianity Just Wishful Thinking?
One of the most honest and heart-wrenching objections to Christianity that I've ever heard goes like this: "I would absolutely love to believe that Christianity is true. The idea that I am unconditionally loved, that I will live forever in paradise after death, that an all-powerful God will hear my prayers, that someone good is looking…
Is Christianity The One and Only True Faith?
One of the most common questions I receive is on the topic of the unique truth claims of Christianity. This is also known as the problem of pluralism. The basic issue is that there are many religions that claim to be valid ways of knowing God. But Christianity claims it is true and the other ideas are false. Isn't this a bit arrogant and…
Is Christianity Too Good to be True?
Intellectually honest people don't want to believe something because they find it comforting. Rather, they want to believe whatever is true, no matter the consequences. However, this very good commitment to 'the truth, whatever the consequences,' can create an intellectual dilemma, because many true beliefs are also comforting. So…
Is Faith Opposed to Reason?
The idea that faith is opposed to reason is a popular one. But is it true? For instance, some Christians feel that "faith needs no reasons." I mean, if you really believe in God, what is the point of explaining this belief with evidence, facts, and logic? When you already have a strong belief in God, what's the point of adding reason?…
Is God a Mystery?
Many people think that God is basically mysterious. This is both a pop sentiment, like, "OMG! God is like, so, you know, mysterious! I mean, God is GOD, so that's BIG!" And it seems to be the careful explanation of sophisticated thinkers. For instance, a famous hymn by William Cowper begins with the stanza: God moves in a…
Is God an Unknowable Mystery?
The search for God can seem so puzzling and so difficult that many people feel like, “All that God-stuff is a mystery, and no one really knows what’s true.” If this is how you are feeling, it makes sense to dig into this instinct and see if this objection to faith can withstand a rigorous investigation. Let’s start by…
Is God Good? Are Humans Bad?
The following is the transcript of a talk given at Church of the Cross during the "Dealing with Doubts" series on August 19, 2012. Today we are going to look at perhaps the most difficult question that any human can face: the problem of evil and suffering. The problem of pain. This is a problem that everyone has to resolve.…
Is Religion Bad for Kids?
Imagine with me two different parenting styles: Type A and Type B. When these two types are scientifically compared to one another, and the outcomes of each approach to children are carefully measured, a wide difference emerges. Furthermore, the differences are controlled for factors such as race, age, sex, rural vs. urban residence,…
Is the Bible True?
On Friday, November 4th, I spoke at Boston University to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's large group on the question, "Is the Bible True?" After introductory remarks and discussing my starting points, I introduce the primary thesis of the talk: If three popular perceptions about the Bible are successfully challenged, then it is…
Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, and Vampires: A Look at History
Today's post is by Sarah Abbey. You can read more of her work at her blog, A Penny of A Thought. Recently I got together with some friends to watch the movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. History is rewritten to portray him as a man on a mission to protect the United States from the underground vampire nation threatening humanity.…
Know True Beliefs
We all fear being wrong. Nobody likes to be embarrassed, hurt, or put down because they made an error. This is, to a large degree, a very sensible fear that often leads us to seek truth and avoid error. On the other hand, if taken too seriously, such an attitude can cripple us. It is like insisting, "I'd hate to trip and fall…
Kumaré and Jesus: A Comparison
Have you seen the documentary Kumaré? It is a fascinating expose of false religious movements: how they are created, maintained, and grow to influence others. The filmmaker, Vikram Gandhi, said he made the film to "tell a cautionary tale about spiritual leaders. We trick ourselves to believe them so we can be happier too, so this was…
Moral Relativism and Two “Ten Commandments”
Does moral relativism make sense? Are all ethical theories equally good and deserving of our respect? Can a moral code be wrong? Should we always tolerate people and cultures who have different moral standards than we do? One way of examining these questions is to compare two very different versions of the Ten Commandments. We will…
Postmodern Doubt
Your friend wants to know: "I understand you have a basically trusting attitude towards knowing things. But this strikes me as naive. Don't you watch The Daily Show? Have you been in a cave while the postmodern deconstructionists dismantled, piece by piece, the problems of modernity? Are you unaware of the personal and cultural…
Prove it to me!
One of the most common phrases I hear as I talk to students at Harvard University is "Prove it to me!" Have you ever said this or heard this? Perhaps you personally want 100% certainty before you will believe in God. Whether this is your own expectation, or that of your friends, there's an important question to ask: what do you mean…
Quote of the Week: Carl Smith & Robert Lynn on The Church’s Response to Doubt
Doubt, rather than faith, is high among the causes of the religious boom. And the church's response to this current situation will reveal, better than anything else, our faith in God--or our faithlessness. If we churchmen interpret such pervasive doubt as a threat, then we will do as the church has done so often in the past: we will…
Searching for God: Community
One often neglected component that is essential, when conducting a thorough investigation for God's existence, is participating in community. Think about it: how did you learn math or chemistry or English? It was almost certainly in community - with a teacher, fellow students, and books written, edited, published, marketed and sold…
Searching for God: Monotheism, Polytheism, and Atheism
Debating between monotheism, polytheism, and atheism leads to one of those famous "stay-up-late-in-your-dorm-room-and-talk-for-hours" conversations. Typically these discussions bring in all kinds of off-the-cuff remarks, ranging from "well, what about aliens?" to "no, seriously, every scientist says so." Is there a way to approach…
The Absurdity of the Cross
“And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified Jesus, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” - Luke 23:33 Historically speaking, there’s nothing special about crucifixion. Perhaps tens of thousands were crucified throughout the Roman empire. Before the time of Jesus, in 87…
The Disappointing Gospel
The disappointing gospel is a very real problem. I’m not talking about the gospel itself, but the gospel that becomes disappointing because of how we present it. The disappointing gospel is one of the worst messages in the world because it so abuses the very best message in the world. The disappointing gospel sounds like…
The Humility to Follow Jesus
Today's post is from Joel Furches. An old and haggard looking woman enters the cell phone store where I work. I greet her as I’ve been trained to do. “How are you doing today, Ma’am?” She doesn’t respond. She’s the only customer in the store and my manager is standing right behind me. When she ignores me, he begins to…
The Importance of An Open Mind
One of the most important virtues, in a genuine search for truth, is open-mindedness. The Free Dictionary defines open-mindedness as, "Receptive to new and different ideas or the opinions of others." Apart from this value, we will only listen to and learn from those who confirm our existing beliefs. Everyone can benefit from being…
The Main Problem with the Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant
The parable of the blind men and the elephant "has crossed between many religious traditions and is part of Jain, Buddhist, Sufi and Hindu lore." One version goes like this: "A number of blind men came to an elephant. Somebody told them that it was an elephant. The blind men asked, ‘What is the elephant like?’ and they began to…
The Need for Humility
If you're trying to find God, one thing you need is humility. What is humility? First, humility is not thinking terrible, false thoughts about yourself. It is no virtue to believe harsh, negative lies about yourself. There is nothing humble about believing you are worthless, basically incapable, stupid, or any other variation…
The Problem of Blind Faith
In talking with skeptical students around Boston, I have learned that few things drive them as crazy as Christians with a blind faith. They are perplexed: "How can your core convictions be completely divorced from reason and logic?" Three examples, just from the past year, illustrate the problem: Last fall, a student faithfully…
The Wise Men and The Search For Jesus – A Talk on Matthew 2:1-12
This talk was given at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church during their 2012 "Voices of the Nativity" Advent Forum. A quick summary of the talk: Main point: The wise men were wise because they passionately sought after Jesus. Primary application: Be wise like the wise men - passionately seek after Jesus this…
Theological Disobedience
Jesus was once asked what the most important commandment of all. How did he reply? The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your…
Unicorns and Morals: Let’s Be Consistent
Imagine overhearing someone say: “I love my unicorn Billy. He is the best imaginary friend! He always encourages me when I’m feeling down and he makes the rainbow shine so bright. Billy is the best unicorn friend ever!” Clearly, this is a delusional set of beliefs and it sounds simply crazy. Why? Because Billy the Unicorn…
Was the Universe Created Five Minutes Ago?
Recently I heard someone object to the idea that we can know anything at all by saying, "How do you know the universe wasn't created five minutes ago?" I responded: "What in the world do you mean? Why think that?" "Well, it could be true, and you can't prove that it isn't true." Perhaps you have heard someone make a similarly…
We All Want Love
There are a lot of unending processes in the world. Crops will always need rain. Cars need maintenance. Dishes have to be washed, clothes need to be cleaned, floors must be swept and mopped. We all have similar, equally insatiable desires. Children will always need encouragement and opportunity. Spouses will always want…
Weakness and Power – A Sermon at Church of the Cross
After a brief introduction that reviews the previous few weeks of preaching, this expository sermon by Mark Booker on 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 offers a passionate, clear and Biblical explanation for how we are to present the gospel. Weakness and Power - A Sermon by Mark Booker As a teaser, here are some key points from the…
Were Jesus’ Disciples Gullible?
One of the common attacks on the reliability of the Bible, and the New Testament in particular, is the idea that “people back then were a lot more gullible about things like miracles and people rising from the dead.” A commenter on a BBC internet thread put it like this, “Were the disciples just gullible? Aren't the followers of…
Why Are Christians So Crazy?
Depending on where you grow up or currently live, it is possible that all or nearly all the Christians that you know strike you as crazy. For instance, they might: Be opposed to science Be hypocritical Make racist or sexist comments Treat people with different beliefs in a mean-spirited way Know less about the Bible than you…
Why Doesn’t God Reveal Himself To Me?
One of the more frustrating elements in the search for God's existence, at least for some people, is this nagging question: why doesn't God just shout "HELLO! YOU THERE! BELIEVE IN ME! I AM REAL!" On the face of it, this would be extremely easy for God to do - if He existed. After all, the idea is that God is good, loving,…
Why I Love Being Wrong
One of the most common phrases I hear about research scientists is that they love to be wrong. Why? Because when they are wrong, it means there's a good chance they have discovered something new. This new data, which does not fit the current paradigms, can lead them to a breakthrough discovery. So being wrong can quite literally lead to…
“That’s Just What You Think”: Responding to Relativism
The other night, while I was at an outdoor cookout, I got into a very interesting conversation with a friend of a friend. Her outlook on life was quite different from my own, which led me to ask a number of questions to better understand where she was coming from, how she saw life, and what was important to her. Overall, we were…
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