Debate: Does God exist?
Side: No

The Bible says that we must accept by faith the fact that God exists [...]The Bible says many things. It baffles me why people will not accept the simplest of its instructions, such us not eating any fish that has no fins or scales (lobster, mussels, crab, etc.) and yet you are perfectly happy accepting what it says about the grandest of all things, the Creator.If God so desired, He could simply appear and prove to the whole world that He exists. But if He did that, there would be no need for faith.I am assuming that you see the Creator through the eyes of the Biblical God. If that is the case, then I will tell you this: if that Biblical God is real, and he shows up, then he has a lot to answer for. Because if that God is our parent, then he is guilty of some serious parental neglect.Deep within us is the recognition that there is something beyond this life and someone beyond this world. We can deny this knowledge intellectually, but God’s presence in us and all around us is still obvious.That "something" that you are referring to is consciousness. And you can experience it anytime you want. All you have to do is observe yourself while you are thinking. In an instant you will dis-associate with your brain and you will experience stillness. A very blissful experience indeed. In fact I will agree with you that it is God-ly. But in no way is it proof for the existence of a biblical God.Since the vast majority of people throughout history, in all cultures, in all civilizations, and on all continents believe in the existence of some kind of God, there must be something (or someone) causing this belief.Millions of children across the world believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. Some adults still do. Does this prove that the cause for this widespread belief must be that these entities exist?It begins with the definition of God as “a being than which no greater can be conceived.” It is then argued that to exist is greater than to not exist, and therefore the greatest conceivable being must exist.Let us see the sum of your argument for what it is:God is greatExisting is greatTherefore God exists.Surely you can see the fallacies in that argument.If God did not exist, then God would not be the greatest conceivable being, and that would contradict the very definition of God.If God is a conceivable being, then it doesn't matter if He exists or not.Superman is also a great conceivable being. The fact that he does not exist does not alter his status as a great conceivable being.if the Earth were significantly closer or farther away from the sun, it would not be capable of supporting much of the life it currently does. If the elements in our atmosphere were even a few percentage points different, nearly every living thing on earth would die.That's not entirely true. We have now discovered that other planets and moons may indeed have life on them, albeit not the kind that you see in the movies. For example we have now discovered large quantities of methane on Mars, which could come either from geological events (mud volcanoes) or biological processes (bacteria or micro-organisms) living under the surface. Europa (a moon made of ice) has also been found to have an ocean 10 times the size of ours underneath the icy surface. On top of that, we have discovered (on Earth) micro-organisms that live in ice! They produce an anti-freeze enzyme that allows them to liquidate the ice around them and thus creating microscopic tunnels. We have found very similar tunnels on Europa.So, although they may not have humans on them, or complex living organisms, other planets may well harbor life on them. This is of grand importance, because it would prove that life is as much part of the universe as anything else.Every effect must have a cause. This universe and everything in it is an effect. There must be something that caused everything to come into existence. Ultimately, there must be something “un-caused” in order to cause everything else to come into existence. That “un-caused” cause is God.Since nothing can be created out of thin air, wouldn't it be more logical to assume that maybe the universe existed forever (albeit evolving and moving all the time)? A fourth argument is known as the moral argument. Every culture throughout history has had some form of law. Everyone has a sense of right and wrong. Murder, lying, stealing, and immorality are almost universally rejected. Where did this sense of right and wrong come from if not from a holy God?It does not take a genius to figure out that it is best if we don't kill each other. If we have figured out how to do open heart surgery then surely it's not that hard to figure out a few rules of conduct when living with each other.Besides, everything that you described has evolved and has at some point been classified in the opposite category (wright/wrong). Nothing is set in stone. Which means that there is no absolute wright or wrong.Is murder universally rejected? Go tell that to the supporters of the death penalty.The true reason is that once they admit that there is a God, they also must realize that they are responsible to God and in need of forgiveness from HimThe only ones I need forgiveness from are my fellow human beings.If God exists, then we are accountable to Him for our actions.If God exists the He is also accountable to Us for a myriad of actions that He took or did not take.If God does not exist, then we can do whatever we want without having to worry about God judging us.So if someone proved to you that God does not exist, you would go out there and do whatever you want? Are you telling me the only reason you treat your fellow human beings with dignity and respect is because you think God exists?Can you please explain why don't all atheists become lying, murdering, cheating, stealing scums?That is why many of those who deny the existence of God cling strongly to the theory of naturalistic evolution—it gives them an alternative to believing in a Creator God.Believing in evolution is not an alternative to believing in a creator. Is it not possible that the Creator made the space in which evolution took place?God exists and ultimately everyone knows that He exists.No, not everyone. That is your opinion.The very fact that some attempt so aggressively to disprove His existence is in fact an argument for His existence.LOLTo all Christians, we know God exists because we speak to Him every day. We do not audibly hear Him speaking to us, but we sense His presence, we feel His leading, we know His love, we desire His grace.What you are hearing is your consciousness. When you have identified with your brain so much, the voice of your consciousness sounds so alien that you are convinced it must come from someone other than you.You are the presence. You are the leading force. You are the love. You are the grace.If you silence your sense of self for a moment you will allow your consciousness to emerge.None of these arguments can persuade anyone who refuses to acknowledge what is already obviousI respectfully submit that sentence for your consideration.