Faith Beyond Skepticism: The Reality of God's Existence

 

Summary

In reflecting on the profound journey of faith and the challenges that accompany it, I shared my personal experience of conversion to Christianity, which was both sudden and transformative. This experience, akin to a Damascus Road encounter, was met with skepticism and criticism from others who suggested that my newfound faith was merely a psychological crutch. This skepticism is not uncommon, as many philosophers and thinkers, such as Freud, Marx, and Feuerbach, have posited that religion is a construct born out of psychological needs. They argue that humans create God in their own image to fulfill desires for comfort, security, and meaning.

However, the existence of God cannot be reduced to psychological projections. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, provides a counter-narrative by suggesting that the knowledge of God is evident and manifest in creation itself. This knowledge is not obscure or hidden but is clearly perceived, leaving humanity without excuse. Paul argues that the suppression of this truth is a moral issue, not merely an intellectual one. The human tendency to suppress and exchange the truth of God for a lie is rooted in a deep-seated aversion to the holiness and authority of God.

The challenge, then, is to recognize that the question of God's existence transcends psychological arguments. It requires an honest examination of the evidence of God's revelation in the world and an acknowledgment of the moral implications of that revelation. The existence of God is not just a matter of intellectual assent but involves a profound moral responsibility to honor and give thanks to the Creator.

Key Takeaways:

- Personal experiences of faith, while transformative, are often met with skepticism and can be misinterpreted as psychological crutches. It is crucial to understand that faith is not merely a projection of human desires but a response to the divine revelation that is evident in the world. [01:13]

- The argument that religion is a psychological invention overlooks the possibility that the pervasive nature of religious belief is due to the clear and manifest evidence of God's existence. This evidence is not hidden but is accessible to all, leaving humanity without excuse. [20:15]

- The Apostle Paul highlights that the suppression of the truth about God is a moral issue. The refusal to acknowledge God's existence is not due to a lack of evidence but is a willful act of rebellion against the divine revelation that is clearly perceived in creation. [31:04]

- The human tendency to exchange the truth of God for a lie is rooted in a deep-seated aversion to God's holiness and authority. This aversion leads to idolatry, where people create gods in their own image rather than acknowledging the true God. [45:06]

- The existence of God should be debated on grounds other than psychological desirability. The God of Scripture, who is holy and immutable, presents a challenge to human autonomy, and this challenge is often met with resistance and denial. [52:59]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:32] - The Power of Experience
- [01:13] - My Conversion Story
- [02:28] - Facing Skepticism
- [03:37] - The Crutch Argument
- [05:02] - The Desire for Truth
- [06:09] - Teaching Atheism
- [07:23] - Psychological Need for God
- [08:12] - Enlightenment and Skepticism
- [09:38] - The Incurable Religious Nature
- [10:55] - Phenomenology and Religion
- [11:55] - Psychological Explanations
- [13:26] - Marx's Economic Explanation
- [15:51] - Freud's Fear of Nature
- [17:20] - The Burden of Proof
- [19:15] - The Possibility of Invention
- [20:15] - The Manifest Knowledge of God
- [22:07] - The Question of God's Existence
- [25:05] - Paul's Psychology of Atheism
- [31:04] - Suppressing the Truth
- [33:59] - The Clear Revelation of God
- [38:28] - The Moral Question of Belief
- [42:50] - The Fundamental Sin
- [45:06] - Idolatry and Religion
- [50:17] - Repression and Exchange
- [52:59] - The Challenge of God's Existence

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 1:18-25

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Observation Questions:

1. What does the Apostle Paul identify as the reason for God's wrath being revealed from heaven? ([25:05])
2. How does Paul describe the knowledge of God in creation, and what is humanity's response to it? ([33:59])
3. What is the fundamental sin that Paul accuses humanity of committing against God? ([42:50])
4. How does the sermon describe the human tendency to create gods in their own image? ([12:27])

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the suppression of truth about God is a moral issue rather than an intellectual one? ([31:04])
2. How does the sermon explain the human tendency to exchange the truth of God for a lie, and what are the implications of this exchange? ([45:06])
3. What does the sermon suggest about the psychological motives behind both belief and disbelief in God? ([20:47])
4. How does the sermon address the argument that religion is merely a psychological crutch? ([03:37])

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you experienced skepticism about your faith. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? ([02:28])
2. The sermon discusses the idea of creating gods in our own image. Are there aspects of your faith where you might be doing this? How can you align your beliefs more closely with the God of Scripture? ([12:27])
3. Consider the moral implications of acknowledging God's existence. How does this acknowledgment affect your daily decisions and actions? ([40:03])
4. The sermon suggests that the existence of God is evident in creation. How can you cultivate a greater awareness of God's presence in the world around you? ([33:59])
5. How do you handle conversations with those who view faith as a psychological crutch? What strategies can you use to engage in meaningful dialogue? ([03:37])
6. Reflect on the idea of God's holiness and authority. How does this understanding challenge your personal autonomy, and how can you respond to this challenge in your life? ([52:59])
7. The sermon mentions the human tendency to suppress the truth of God. Are there areas in your life where you might be doing this, and how can you address it? ([31:04])

Devotional

Day 1: Faith as a Response to Divine Revelation
Faith is often misunderstood as a mere psychological crutch, a projection of human desires for comfort and security. However, true faith is a response to the divine revelation that is evident in the world around us. This revelation is not hidden or obscure but is clearly perceived, leaving humanity without excuse. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, emphasizes that the knowledge of God is manifest in creation itself. The challenge is to recognize that faith transcends psychological arguments and requires an honest examination of the evidence of God's revelation in the world. It involves a profound moral responsibility to honor and give thanks to the Creator. [01:13]

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." (Romans 1:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a moment in your life where you felt the presence of God in creation. How can you respond to this revelation with gratitude and faith today?


Day 2: The Manifest Evidence of God's Existence
The argument that religion is a psychological invention overlooks the possibility that the pervasive nature of religious belief is due to the clear and manifest evidence of God's existence. This evidence is accessible to all, leaving humanity without excuse. The Apostle Paul argues that the knowledge of God is evident in creation, and the suppression of this truth is a moral issue, not merely an intellectual one. The human tendency to suppress and exchange the truth of God for a lie is rooted in a deep-seated aversion to the holiness and authority of God. Recognizing the manifest evidence of God's existence requires an honest examination of the world around us and an acknowledgment of the moral implications of that revelation. [20:15]

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard." (Psalm 19:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt disconnected from God. What evidence of His presence can you see in your life today that you might have overlooked?


Day 3: Suppression of Truth as a Moral Issue
The Apostle Paul highlights that the suppression of the truth about God is a moral issue. The refusal to acknowledge God's existence is not due to a lack of evidence but is a willful act of rebellion against the divine revelation that is clearly perceived in creation. This suppression is rooted in a deep-seated aversion to God's holiness and authority. The challenge is to confront this aversion and recognize the moral responsibility to honor and give thanks to the Creator. The existence of God is not just a matter of intellectual assent but involves a profound moral responsibility. [31:04]

"For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:21, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you might be suppressing the truth of God's presence. How can you begin to honor Him in that area today?


Day 4: Idolatry and the Exchange of Truth for a Lie
The human tendency to exchange the truth of God for a lie is rooted in a deep-seated aversion to God's holiness and authority. This aversion leads to idolatry, where people create gods in their own image rather than acknowledging the true God. The Apostle Paul warns against this exchange, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the truth of God's existence and the moral implications of that truth. The challenge is to confront the idols in our lives and acknowledge the true God, who is holy and immutable. [45:06]

"They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen." (Romans 1:25, ESV)

Reflection: What are some "idols" in your life that you might be prioritizing over God? How can you begin to shift your focus back to Him?


Day 5: The Challenge of God's Existence
The existence of God should be debated on grounds other than psychological desirability. The God of Scripture, who is holy and immutable, presents a challenge to human autonomy, and this challenge is often met with resistance and denial. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that the knowledge of God is evident in creation, and the suppression of this truth is a moral issue. Recognizing the challenge of God's existence requires an honest examination of the evidence of God's revelation in the world and an acknowledgment of the moral implications of that revelation. [52:59]

"Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?" (Isaiah 40:13-14, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways do you resist God's authority in your life? What steps can you take to surrender to His will and embrace His guidance?

Quotes


He said, "A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument." And I was impressed by that, although I really didn't think deeply about it. And I thought back on that statement many, many times thereafter and gradually came to the realization that the statement really isn't all that sound, because even if we have an experience that is powerful and life transforming, that experience is still open to interpretation and to evaluation and to analysis. [00:00:14]

My conversion to Christianity was one of those Damascus Road affairs where it was sudden, it was dramatic, and in a sense catastrophic; not catastrophic in the negative sense, but catastrophic in the sense that it created a massive upheaval in my life. And I was so excited about my conversion to Christ that I went immediately and told every friend of mine, in fact, every person that I met. [00:01:27]

They said, "R.C., don't you see what has happened to you? What has happened to you is that you have come to religion because you needed some kind of crutch to assist you through life. You needed what Karl Marx had called 'the opiate for the masses,' some kind of bromide that would make the difficulties of your existence more bearable. And so, out of some deep rooted psychological need of one kind or another, you have entered into this religious experience." [00:03:01]

I found that one of the most disturbing and troubling questions that I had to grapple with as a young Christian. Because I knew that there was an element of truth contained to a point, at least, in the enquiry. I couldn't deny that I wanted my faith to be true. I couldn't deny that it would've been personally devastating for me to discover the next week or the next day that I had put my faith in Christ in vain. [00:04:41]

And that it was a requirement of this course that we would read the arguments of the atheists and then try to grapple with their particular assertions. Now one of the things came through very loudly and very clearly in that analysis. And that is that in virtually all of those philosophers whom I have mentioned, at one point or another they came to the conclusion that the reason why people believe in God is fundamentally driven by some psychological need. [00:07:16]

And I was interested particularly in nineteenth century philosophical thought. The eighteenth century had witnessed what was called in Germany the Aufklärung, "the Enlightenment," and one of the main precepts of the European Enlightenment was the principle espoused by the French encyclopedias who said that now with our advances in modern science, the God hypothesis is no longer a necessary hypothesis to explain the origin of the cosmos or the beginnings of human life. [00:08:12]

And so the question most of the able atheists of the 19th century were addressing was this question, "Since there is no God, why is it that man seems to be incurably homo religiosus?" Everywhere we go, whatever culture we examine, we find evidence and manifestation of some form of religious expression and religious belief that is deeply rooted in the culture. And it's not something that is limited to or contained within the confines of primitive ignorant people. [00:09:38]

Feuerbach, you know, he noticed, for example that no matter what culture he examined the cultural expressions of their religion tended to depict gods that looked like mirror images of the people themselves. That if they went to an aborigine native in Australia, their deity looked like an Australian aborigine who rode around in a canoe. If they went to an outpost in Alaska, they would find that their deity was described to look like an Eskimo. [00:12:00]

And Marx says the way, the twofold way that the wealthy control the masses are these. On the one hand, the wealthy control the legislation so that Lady Justice removes her blindfold, according to Marx, and the law begins to reflect the vested interest of the ruling classes. The law will discriminate against certain groups who are not empowered. He said that will happen. He said but the most important tool that the owner has to control the slave, that the rich have to control the poor, is the tool of religion. [00:14:17]

But the rudimentary principle is religion is the invention that comes out of some deep rooted psychological need. I don't need to labor that anymore, do I? I think we've all heard it enough. And I want to say this in response. When somebody is accused of a crime in our criminal justice system, it is the task of the prosecution to prove the charges against the accused. And part of the procedure in police work and so on is to discover motive, means, and opportunity. [00:16:59]

But when I'm pleading for in this brief message this evening is to understand two things. That just because man has the ability to invent God does not mean that that's how the idea of God came about. It's also more than possible that the reason why the world is incurably religious is because there is a God who has so clearly and manifestly demonstrated His existence to mankind that knowledge of Him is virtually inescapable. That's another alternative explanation. [00:19:39]

And now, what I am trying to say is the question of the existence of God can never be resolved on the basis of our psychology. That's a question that we have to deal with on other grounds, on grounds of objective philosophical argument, not on a basis of what my psychological disposition is or what your psychological disposition is. I have to say at the outset, "Yes, I want there to be a God, and if you're going to be honest with me, tell me. [00:22:00]

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Transcript
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