Listen to: Proof: A Study in Arrogance
Is there a difference between the truth and proof? I have talked to many friends who claim to be searching for God, especially in science. Having pursued a similar life-defining search earlier in life, I can relate well with them. Is God real? Is He worth following? Which religion is right? Can we know? How do the records of history weigh in on our decision? What about science, does it even allow for the possibility of a God? How can we know for sure?
These are real questions, and the answers have major implications not just in our personal lives, but to the problems and heartaches that plague our little planet. As the Bible challenges us, we need to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.
But in some of the discussions that I’ve had, there is a theme cropping up that I’ve noticed. Everyone seems to be looking for proof. Now that seems like a fantastic thing! Really, it does! But there’s a problem. Proof is not the same as truth! Whether or not we can prove something does not make it any more or less true! Regardless of whether we can prove that the earth revolves around the sun, it either does or doesn’t! It did long before we thought it did, and will continue whether or not we believe it does. The infuriating thing about truth is that it stands independent of our ability to understand it.
Now why does that matter in our “God search”? If you’re only willing to believe God when you see the proof, you may never find Him, even though He exists! Especially if you’re only willing to accept certain kinds of proof(I’ll touch on that in a moment)! You see, the problem with searching for proof instead of searching for the truth is one of arrogance. Refusing to acknowledge that God exists until you see proof is saying that you are capable of grasping the full complexity of the universe and able to understand everything that can be known. In essence, you are pre-disposed to never find a God because you have already set yourself up in His place!
The most popular, and perhaps the worst kind of search is searching for proof of God in science. Science being the unbiased observation of the world around us. Now I love science. I love the way the scientific method paves the way for us to extend our understanding of the world around us faster than ever in history. It reduces error, put’s to rest urban legends, and silences old wives tales, leaving in their place innovation, advancement, and efficiency. But there are a few limits to science that we have to keep in mind.
First, science can’t prove anything. It never has, and it never will. Any good scientist can tell you that this is the very bedrock premise of science. It can only eliminate possibilities. Often we say that science proved this or that, but in fact research and observation only eliminated all the other probable explanations that we could think of. In the future, a less probable explanation might rear it’s head after more observation, and be shown to be more accurate!
Secondly, science is limited to our physical world. This is because science relies on repeatable observation by human beings. If something exists beyond our capability to observe, then it lies far outside the reach of science. Now the ‘theory of God’, if you will, proposes that God, as creator of the universe, necessarily exists and operates outside of the universe He created. Thus trying to prove this theory with science alone will always fail and lead to confusion.
Philosophy offers similar limitations. Philosophy relies on our own intellect, and our ability to fully grasp the ideas debated. To rely solely on one or two disciplines to ‘prove’ there is a God, and refusing to believe in Him otherwise is no different than me saying that I won’t believe that Washington was president unless I speak to him in my house! In the end, I would only find what I anticipated finding, simply because I ignorantly eliminated all other possibilities before I even started looking!
So if science and philosophy can’t prove God, then how can we know with confidence whether or not He exists? The ‘theory of God’ proposes that the world around us provides evidence that points towards a God. It suggests that if we look, we’ll see a world created by God, and see the effect of a creator within it. It’s not proof, it’s more like arrows pointing us down the right path. Scripture also proposes that we’ll see evidence of God in those who truly follow Him. It says that we’ll know them by their love. You see when we accept God’s love, it transforms us in a way that nothing on earth can duplicate or explain, and that love radiates from those who love Him to those around them.
Another way that we can know whether God exists is that when we dig past the distractions and lies that we tell ourselves, we see in our heart that there is a longing that can only be filled by our Creator.
So my challenge is this: Search! Search with everything that you have. Leave no stone unturned! But first, answer the question of: what you’re really looking for? Are you searching for an excuse to live life as you please? Are you searching for a way to become a better person? Are you looking for proof that you don’t need a God? Or are you searching for the truth, no matter what it is? The answer to that is a matter of life and death!