This week our team met a Jewish neighbor named Samuel. Samuel told us that he is an atheist. We were keen to speak with him about his personal story but he didn’t have time to talk with us at length. However, he later called a teammate of ours to chat further. Donna answered several of his questions on the phone, before she had to go. Then, I followed up with Sam to address more of his questions about atheism.
Here is the email that I sent Samuel.
“Hello Sam,
Thank you for being our neighbor. We spoke briefly on Saturday. It’s good to meet and to interact with you about spiritual things. Please know that we are open, friendly, and happy to converse with you as you may like.
Ironically, prior to your speaking with Donna (and or before I heard about your phone call to her, I was listening to a podcast by an author I like and have read. His name is J Warner Wallace. I have read three or four of his books and listened to him lecture for many hours. I like his stuff because he is interesting, witty, engaging, and smart. I also have benefited from his materials due to a connection I feel with his background. I was secular in my worldview until my teen years. J Warner Wallace was an atheist until he was 35. I was born and raised in LA County. So was he. My dad was a member of the LAPD. So was his. My dad died when I was six years old, so I did not know him well, but he introduced me to cop culture – even though I was a little criminal prior to following Jesus. 😆 Here is what J Warner Wallace was talking about, right after I heard about your call. Here are his 8 reasons – in 4 different categories – for confidence in (leading to relationship with) God.
I COSMOLOGICAL
1) Many scientists now agree that the universe had a beginning. Everything can not come from nothing. That is a scientific impossibility.
2) The universe has the distinct appearance of incredible design. I like to say (because it is true in my case) that the microscope and the telescope had a major role in my becoming a theist, after living for almost a decade as an agnostic.
II. BIOLOGICAL:
3) The origin of life and our very minds, language, and DNA are strong evidence for God.
4) The appearance of irreducible complexity and design in biology point to God.
III. MENTAL:
5) Human consciousness. Why are we so very keenly aware of ourselves?
6) Free Agency. Why do we have such libertarian free will? We appear to be descended from an amazingly intelligent, personal, conscious, and thinking force.
IV. MORALITY:
7) Everyone has a conscience. Our innate and basic sense of right and wrong is a human universal that reinforces our transcendent awareness of objective moral truth.
8) The persistence of evil. Morality is evidence of our subconscious divine standard of good and is a witness to the overarching human desire to think about, say, and do horrible things. The Bible says we all do bad things, and it turns out, in reality, that we really, really do.
These eight reasons in four separate categories point to the existence of God.
Sam, I would add the following, to help us think further about God. An acronym I sometimes think about is “M.A.P.S.” And like the information above, it is not original with me but apprehended, years ago. “MAPS is original to equip.org.
M is for MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE:
The unbelievably amazing manuscript evidence for both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament scriptures points to the existence of the Divine.
A is for ARCHEOLOGY:
The Bible is confirmed over and over throughout the centuries by both historic and archeological evidence that comes from both atheist and theists alike.
P is for PROPHECY:
The prophets of the Tanakh record over 200 prophecies about Messiah. The fulfillment of these prophecies’ points to the veracity of the Bible and the truthfulness of Messiah Jesus and His truth claims in the gospels.
S is for STATISTICAL and mathematical probability:
The mathematical and statistical probability that all the things foretold about Yeshua (Jesus, Messiah) happening in history is staggeringly high. (Some say it is 1 in 10 to the 157th power. Or in other words, impossible, if God was not directly involved.) We conclude, thusly, that the prophecies about Jesus are true, reliable and point to the existence of God and the veracity of Jesus as the prophesied Messiah.
These are a good sampling of what some list as more than 36 varied evidences for God’s existence. On top of these, those who repent of their sins and believe in Messiah Jesus come to personally experience and know God on an individual level. We also occasionally experience and see incredible miracles firsthand. Our personal experiences and the existence of miracles are also evidence for God and point to Jesus being who He says that He is…
Thanks again for interacting with us. We want to tell you what an honor and joy it is to live as your neighbor. We are also your friends. We extend His shalom to you.
Please see and hear a real and recently recorded conversation about the truth of Jesus as Messiah, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3KwDXoq29Q – See also: God, Energy, and Consciousness: A Physicist’s Mystery Explained!
Warmly Yours,
George”
