By Jim Denison
“Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes. No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven times. Walt Disney, the inventor of Mickey Mouse, was afraid of mice. A duck’s quack doesn’t echo — no one knows why. Women blink twice as much as men. Elephants are the only animals that can’t jump. It is physically impossible to lick your elbow.”
A friend recently e-mailed me these statements. I had no way to test the truth of any of them (except the part about licking my elbow). So I did some Internet searches, and discovered that everything my friend sent me is wrong, except the fact that elephants are too heavy to jump. I even watched a girl lick her elbow on YouTube, checking off yet another item on my Bucket List.
On the other hand, how do I know that the articles I found are any more correct than the e-mail I received? I’m not sure how the YouTube video could have been faked, but I’m forced to take the rest of my discoveries on faith.
Upon reflection, I realize that I don’t really know most of what I know. I learned recently about the largest star yet discovered; scientists tell us that it is 10 million times brighter than our sun and has a mass 265 times greater. But how do we know that it’s really so? You can’t see it even with a rooftop telescope. And if you could, how would you weigh it?
These reflections are of interest to me in light of a recent experience. I was privileged this summer to debate a philosophy professor on the question, “Is religion the basis of morality?” He graciously but firmly maintained throughout our encounter that he does not believe in the existence of God. I was reminded of a church billboard I once saw: “Since I don’t believe in atheists, atheists don’t exist.”
The biggest problem most atheists have with believing in God is that such faith requires them to accept the supernatural. If I am a materialist, certain that supernatural reality cannot exist, no amount of proof or persuasion will convince me of a supernatural being. Once I conclude that the world must be flat, nothing in logic or experience can prove me wrong. The presupposition determines the conclusion.
Of course, believing that the supernatural cannot exist is a belief. Materialism is a faith assumption. A materialist cannot prove that the supernatural does not exist any more than a supernaturalist can prove that it does. Both require a commitment which transcends the evidence.
Where is the reality of God a questionable supposition for you today? Atheist Sam Harris is right: the existence of a suffering child anywhere in the universe calls into question the existence of an all-loving, all-powerful God.
Closer to home, are you waiting for such a God to answer a prayer or meet a need? Has he disappointed you in some way? Does he seem more a Sunday sermon topic than a present, transforming reality?
At the same time, I wonder what more God could do to demonstrate his reality to us. There are excellent rational arguments for his existence, showing that faith in God is reasonable. He has interacted with our world throughout history and entered our existence personally. He gave us a trustworthy account of his creative work. He is available personally to every person who will trust him.
Perhaps it would help if he were to demonstrate his existence physically. But would you believe your senses? Would you trust tomorrow what you experienced today? Would anyone else believe your testimony?
At the end of the day, a relationship with God is like a relationship with anyone else. We examine the evidence, then take a step that transcends it and becomes self-validating. If I had waited until I could prove that Janet and I should be married, I’d still be single. If you needed proof that this column was worth your time before reading it, you wouldn’t have gotten this far.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson believed that nothing worth proving can be proven. Supernatural reality cannot be proven by natural means, but it can be experienced. What step of faith is God inviting you to take next?