This episode is part of my podcast series DEAR ATHEIST… If you prefer, LISTEN NOW.
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Let’s think about that for a minute. Really, really think about it. Can you imagine it? The absence of the awareness of any divine Being? Any sovereign Lord? Any all encompassing Spirit?
So many people profess that they can. And that they have. And in fact, they live in such a world… A world without God. A world untouched by His influence and untainted by His existence.
In reality, they live in a world filled with people who constantly question the existence of such a Being. Such questions always bring the possibility to the fore. Such questions are as the fall of an elephant in the desert. It throws the dust up again, and clouds their world for the moments they contemplate the possibility that there is a God! In those moments, they are choked by the dust, until it settles…
But then, the question is thrown again, and another elephant falls and their world is disturbed. Calamity strikes, and reason prevails. Yet, the masses call upon God. From a place they know not of, the call for help, for assurance, for serenity, goes out. The call arises from within, before one has been able to conclude the question – IS THERE A GOD?
Those who are certain there is none have no proof to substantiate their claims. How can you deny the existence of something that you are constantly plagued with the possibility of its existence? How can you disprove the existence of an intangible Being, when you cannot disprove the existence of your thought? How can you know for certain that someone does not exist, when you are only now discovering the possibilities of things you once took for granted or those before your time never imagined possible?
The bottom line remains that the question can never be answered in the negative…but it can certainly be affirmed. It can be affirmed in experience. In relationship. In reality. In discovery. In thought and in revelation.
Those in whom these faculties have been enlightened can not begin to imagine a world without God. Believe me, I have tried!
The question is not if there is a God, but “WHO is God”? Religions abound because of the awareness that there is a God…and because there is no universal understanding on who He is. The Agnostic is content in the possibility that there is a God, without knowing who or why, when or how. The Atheist denies that there is one, and abides alone in his folly. The Believer seeks to know who God is…believing that such knowledge holds the meaning of life, upon the realisation that One exists!
But let’s entertain the Atheist for a while… What would this world be without a divine Creator, a God?
The question as to our existence is answered with a ‘post it’ on the wall called ‘Evolution’. It stands there as a space saver, until more is known. For now, it will suffice to believe that all the intelligence that brought this universe into existence, and that fills the space of a single atom, came about by an unintended, uncontrolled, illogical explosion many billions of years ago…
Love and hate are not real, but defined and learnt by human interaction. Laws made by a civilised world are sufficient to keep the peace in such a world. Morality is a learned standard of behaviour, indoctrinated from childhood, and subject to change with culture and education. Socialisation defines gender, and sex differences between males and females can be over-turned by human science. Intelligence is the greatest good!
These are the conclusions drawn from a world that denies the Truth of God. The wisdom of Mankind that seeks to overthrow the Wisdom of God. It can be likened to a computer created by a brilliant scientist…to be capable of reason and feeling and communication. The computer ‘lives’, not knowing the origin of its first impulse, and believes it can recreate itself and build a world without the scientist. But here’s the gotcha; the fail-switch is with the scientist!
Oh, but I failed. I got distracted from my train of thought in imagining a world without God, by reason of the folly of such a thought. Let’s try again, shall we?
If there was no God, there would be no intelligence. There would be no civilisation. There would be no humanity. The lions would rule the Earth, as the greatest of the animals. The Earth would be a nature resort, filled with every kind of animal, without chemical waste, without legal or financial systems, and without emotional calamities.
That’s the best I could do. Maybe an Atheist can help me out, and show me what a world – with humans – would look like without God.
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Categories: Critical Thinking, Dear Atheist, The Latest, True Religion
Grace and Truth 
With or without the existence of God, isn’t it all theory? On both sides? You attempt to imagine what it means if there is no God, and then immediately apply whatever theory you have heard atheists subscribe to. Cracks in any secular theory are meaningless and expected. Erase everything you have heard.
The biggest difference between us is that I do not accept any of the traits Christians have assigned to God. It is easy to imagine that one specific definition of God isn’t real…. and if another God exists– what is it? I know nothing. It may have no interest in us at all. I am more comfortable not knowing, than suspecting what I know could be false. And outside of your specific version of God, there is no consequence if I don’t get the answer right– so I am not plagued. I just keep searching. Christians have a very difficult time accepting that if they are wrong about who God is, their entire definition of the word “God” also disappears.
You might call me an agnostic, but as long as I have no reason to believe a god is out there, I call myself an atheist. However, I have no fear of changing that status if I am given reason to. That’s another difference between us.
Our brains may be responsible for where we fit in the animal kingdom, but that is hardly a dull truth in the absence of God. We are weird creatures, for sure. We can place ourselves in time and learn from previous generations. And we’ve had an interesting timeline. We have created a bizarre world for ourselves that I am sure would amuse any god– but if we were created this way, why do we assume the creator is still watching? Or knows our thoughts? Or offers us eternal life? It is reasonable to imagine we would attempt to define a God we couldn’t know. Doesn’t that explain all the god theories that have ever existed? Why does it explain all of them but one….?
Even if the Christian God were real, you are physically separated from him now. You live by faith and hope. And an instruction manual of sorts. Humans are fascinating social animals; every bit as fascinating as the concept of God. While you reduce it to something meaningless without him, I find it makes us more incredible. Outside of what you imagine God to be, we are living the exact same experience. This IS what a world without God is like. The only thing that changed when I lost God was that I gained appreciation for the complexity of people and how precious this life is. The world became far more interesting when I no longer had to fit all knowledge into such a small box. I simply see things differently now.
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Thanks Jenny, for accepting my offer to enlighten this discussion with your perspective. You’ve said a lot there, but for me, this is most telling and most interesting: “I just keep searching”.
I wonder why the need to search? Isn’t your liberty defined in the absence of something to search for?
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There’s always something to search for. Even if it’s better science. I want to know what I can’t know yet. It isn’t spiritual, but it’s still compelling.
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Ok, so the still searching was not made in reference to the existence of a God? You’re settled on that one?
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Until I have reason not to be– yes 🙂
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Hello Ufuomaee!! Beautiful work you’re doing here and thanks for stopping by my blog. It is appreciated. Your passion for Christ resonates through. Awesome!
I am reminded of a time too when I was ‘searching’ and so it’s fun when people say they’re searching as well. My hope is that they do find the right thing. Being someone with a science background, it’s amazing how the concept of science keeps evolving.
And with that, I’m going to quote something from former Atheist C.S Lewis. I read ‘Life after doubt’s comments and I was inspired to pen down Lewis’ words here:
“Supposing there was no intelligence behind the universe, no creative mind. In that case, nobody designed my brain for the purpose of thinking. It is merely that when the atoms inside my skull happen, for physical or chemical reasons, to arrange themselves in a certain way, this gives me, as a by-product, the sensation I call thought. But, if so, how can I trust my own thinking to be true? It’s like upsetting a milk jug and hoping that the way it splashes itself will give you a map of London. But if I can’t trust my own thinking, of course I can’t trust the arguments leading to Atheism, and therefore have no reason to be an Atheist, or anything else. Unless I believe in God, I cannot believe in thought: so I can never use thought to disbelieve in God.”
Over time I’ve come to realize God is actually the real being that exists and He is the center of it all. He holds it together. Life without Him is cutting out life from the source. It might not make sense to someone out there but the more I learn of God from God Himself, the more I see this and realize how wrong I was in the past to think of Him as an option. Even Jesus says seek and we will find. I have no doubt that when we come with open hearts before God, we receive, but where we have a preconceived notion, we tend to go back with that notion or something revolving around that.
Much love dear. xo!
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Thanks Itunu, for visiting and following my blog! I love this contribution to my post.
Jenny is someone I’ve known for a while, and her case is that of a former “fervent” believer, from what I read. I still believe my God is able…and He keeps stirring me up to stir her up again…
Atheism is just wrong for a thinking mind! How can you say you must see it to believe it? Do you see your feelings? Can others see your feelings? Read your mind to be a second witness that they exist? You are the only one who can confess what you have felt and thought…and when others express that they have felt and thought likewise, the existence of feeling and thought is validated. Simple.
Anyway, it’s so nice to meet you. I love your blog so much, I’ve added it to my favourite lists. Thank God for you!
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Oh okay 🙂
Aww thanks Ufuomaee. I love you and love your blog already!! You’re so down to earth, blunt, witty and your glow radiates all over this place. Thanks for adding me to your list. Yours is something I would enjoy reading over a cup of coffee or a good cup of tea. It’s that cool. It’s like a breath of fresh air.
xx.
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Awww… wonderful! All glory to GOD who is out Light!
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