2nd Most Powerful Argument Against God

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The idea is that the God, as the Christian describes Him, cannot exist, since a loving God would reveal Himself to the non-resistant non-believer and He does not. Therefore, such a loving God must not exist. I think this is a truly challenging argument not only because it tackles what feels like a very real world issue (I admit) but because arguing against it can quickly put you into the position where you are no longer arguing so much about philosophy or logic but where you are pigeon-holed into a situation where people will think you are personally attacking individuals. In other words, when I say that humans are accountable to know that God exists this argument can quickly turn things into the social foul of saying that people have bad motives or are otherwise insincere. What starts as a philosophical view of the apparentness of God's existence turns into a bullying situation where the Christian is painted as personally attacking others. I reject that framing but I realize that many will continue to see things in that perspective, sadly.

This is a short video and it doesn't get into all the issues related to "Divine Hiddenness." It only covers a couple aspects of it. Other arguments should be made about how apparent God's existence is and to address other issues. I hoped to simply do some work that would build a bit of a bridge past the sense of personal offense many feel on this issue and open them up to another way of seeing things.

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The other day my wife was looking for tartar sauce in the fridge. She didn’t see it and declared we needed to put it on our grocery list. I told her we had some. She continued looking but to no avail. I told her exactly where it was. Still no tartar sauce. I finally got up and went to the fridge and immediately grabbed the tartar sauce and handed it to her. She was obviously embarrassed and said she thought it came in a squeeze bottle…not a jar. Moral of the story. -sometimes no matter how hard you look, you just can’t see things. That’s why other people are important in your life. Also…spend more time in the fridge.

papoo
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I've been reading "The Silver Chair" to my kids. There is a scene where the queen of Underland is enchanting Prince Rilian, Jill, Scrubb and Puddleglum to doubt there is a sun, a sky, grass, etc. And she does so quite convincingly. The line that stuck out the most was, "the more enchanted you get, the more certain you feel that you are not enchanted at all." C.S. certainly had a way of expressing certain ideas.

Ultramagnus-oebj
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My husband told me that, years ago, he spent three days praying to God to show Himself and help him to believe. Nothing happened.
On the fourth day, my husband told himself he wouldnt be discouraged and decided that he would never stop searching. That he would keep seeking God in a different way.
He told me that, at that moment, he was filled with a warm rush of love and peace, and he could feel his faith begin to solidify around him.
He did continue to study and search, and im so glad that he did because the knowledge he has gained helps me every day on my own walk.

lisa
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Very well said. "You will seek and find me" (when?) "When you seek me with *all* your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

TrePryorRealtor
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Willful ignorance exists. I've seen people totally ignore an event happening before their eyes. I think we need to remember people will, either through their own will or being manipulated by Satan, will willfully ignore proof of God in all it's forms.

bitsloth
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With myself, after i was saved, I realized I had a pride issue. So God needed to humble me in order to truly help me seek Him. I believe that's one of the biggest reasons for those asking and not hearing.

standtruth
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As a kid, I always prayed to God to just reveal Himself to me so I could believe and devote my life to Him. I never heard back, saw any signs, nothing. Many years later, as I was reading Matthew on a genuine lark, I felt overwhelmed with conviction over my sin and felt like I had been shattered by a sledgehammer. I have never felt such sorrow, but soon afterward I have never felt such love.

Don’t worry about offending non-believers. Only God can change their hearts. Just follow His Word and spread the Gospel.

MHzle
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I identified as a Christian and prayed fairly often for decades. I was saved and reborn and became a Christian fairly recently only. It happened for me because God called me but personally my pride was the issue. It was always subtle, but it was only once I surrendered and submitted to the gospel that I got saved (I use the word "I" in the loosest possible terms because I contributed nothing to my salvation just so that is clear).

Only after being saved could I "see" God. With my eyes opened now I can honestly say that before being saved I was not seeking God or 'seeing' God. If I have to define it I was more seeking validation for my own morality and relying on myself as my own saviour - I think an atheist looking for God is in a very similar position when they 'seek' God - Also if you define yourself an atheist you probably are not as open as you think. For example, I identified as a Christian which meant that I didn't think I needed saving which got in the way of my salvation. For the hypothetical atheist in this scenario you are similarly going into seeking God not believing that you need saving (or that there is a God) which gets in the way of your salvation.

I am not explaining this well but I am hoping this helps someone gain some perspective. The thing that almost 100% of people who are not saved believe is that their hearts are pure and trustworthy and that they make mistakes but their hearts are good. I believed that my heart was good and that stopped me from having a relationship with God. Your morality and what you perceive as goodness means nothing compared to the Almighty Glory and Perfection and Holiness of God.

francoisminnaar
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As a teenager a friend of mine once told me she tried to pray once and asked Jesus to reveal himself and he didn’t. I was too young and weak and had no idea what to say. But now I know it was likely she has imagined a specific something would happen… Lord, please pursue Amber. Please give her another chance to see and know you.

kaymojil
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“Lord, I believe; help me with my unbelief!”

Tacticslion
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Confess the Lord Jesus Christ with your mouth and believe in your heart that He died for your sins on the cross and God raised Him from the dead on the third day; repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!

romitsu
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I’ve always wanted to ask to people who believe they’re seeking God, what is it that you’re seeking? A feeling, your idea of God, a supernatural revelation like Paul? I don’t think we should use our own failed expectations of what we thought finding God would be like to justify His non-existence

carternorton
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Please never start shying away from the truth for the sake of not offending someone. You're willingness and commitment to the truth wherever it leads you is my favorite thing about listening to your teaching.

_Kroaken_
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Something I’ve been contemplating for quite some time. I’ve heard others go this route and thought the same, the scariest thing in life is that we can lie to ourself
Thanks Mike

jacobwittmer
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One of my favorite things about you and this ministry all together is your heart Mike. You can see how genuine you are and you can see the heart you have for people who are far from God. Love you brother, and appreciate everything you do. You're ministry has been a great blessing to me as I try to find my own path with this as well.

Basicallybiblical
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Mike, that was well explained. Personally for me, when I attended college I had a lot of ah ha/light bulb moments. The more I learned about the natural world & the universe the more convinced I was that there is a Creator. Usually in college it's the other way around but no way did all of this & us just happen so perfectly. When a person learns about the intricacies of the human body, flowers, animals, trees, insects, planets, stars it's really amazing. Years ago, I came up with the saying "Nature = Evidence of God". I'm still using it.

callingallhandsondeck
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Hang in there Mike, we're with you amidst the criticism. We don't struggle against flesh and blood, it's ultimately a Spiritual battle.

icecoolguita
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If you can't see God in creation, and He isn't speaking to you in prayer, it might be the same blindness in both cases. Why are you afraid to hear and believe? Do you think He will ask something that you won't want to hear?

Lots of people don't want to believe because they expect that He will demand that they should change their lives. But God doesn't work that way. He gives us Truth, and allows us to ask Him to change our hearts before He asks for changes. When we change, it's because we want to do it to please Him. It's love, not fear.

The answer is still a simple one. Keep on seeking the Lord. If He hasn't spoken to you yet, maybe you're not ready. But don't expect to be shocked out of disbelief. God almost always speaks in a small still voice, not from a storm.

lukasmakarios
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I was never sure why being "non-resistant" was a requirement? Why our bias or sins should matter. After all it is God we are speaking of, there should be nothing a mortal could do to block Him if He wants us to know Him. If He wanted the world to know Him then everyone would. Paul is the obvious example, a guy who was not actively seeking and quite anti-Christian, and yet was convinced. We are the ones with limited power to make this relationship a reality, while God has no such limitations.

Wertbag
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Self-deception is powerful. Aside from getting us what we want, it cloaks us with the illusion that we are right. Even as a Believer, I all too often deceive myself into doing things I should not, saying things I should not, thinking things I should not...even though exploring those thoughts and actions deeper would eventually reveal to me that I was wrong.

It's entirely natural that an atheist says to himself, "I seek, but I do not find" just like it is natural for me to say "I tried my hardest, but I failed" when I didn't even know at the time what my hardest even was.

bradmorris