It Takes More Faith to be an Atheist. Based on the Book of a Similar Title by Dr. Norman Geisler and Frank Turek

All World Religions seek to answer these pieces of life’s puzzle. Origin: Where did we come from? Identity: Who are we? Meaning: Why are we here? Morality: How should we live? Destiny: Where are we going? The answers to these questions depends on the existence of God. If God exist, then life has real meaning and purpose. If God does not exist, ultimately in the time space continuum, our lives mean nothing. There is no right or wrong way to live, it all ends in dust.

Some Say It is unreasonable to believe that any one religion can be true! If one religion were the only true religion than billons of religious people from every other religion would be WRONG!

What if If only Christianity were true? What would happen to the myriads of people who are not Christians? Wouldn’t the opposite be true of Islamic beliefs?

Which World Religion correctly answers the questions? Tolerance answers – “religions are like blind men and an elephant, no religion has all of the truth.” The real truth is that it is the observer, who knows the whole picture, so truth can be known .

But if there is truth in religion Why is God silent in the face of evil? Why does God even allow evil to exist? Why doesn’t God show up and debunk the false religions? Why doesn’t He intervene and stop the religious wars that create a black mark on His name?

Some “intellectuals” contend that Only Science deals in the matters of fact and truth! Religion exist only in the realm of faith and cannot be proven true! Powerful arguments. Let’s dig in, open minded and examine the evidence.

First some terminology -- A Theist is: A person who believes in a personal God who created the universe but is not a part of the universe. A Pantheist is: A person who believes in an impersonal God that literally is the universe. An Agnostic is: Someone who is uncertain as to the existence of a God! An Atheist is: Someone who does not believe in any type of God

An easy way to remember Theism: God made all! Pantheism: God is all! Atheism: No God at all! The Three Major Religious World Views Atheism No God at all Theism God made all. Pantheism God is all Zen Buddhism Hinduism New Age Religious Humanism Judaism Christianity Islam

Are Religions Only About Faith? Facts are central to all religions, since all religious worldviews, including atheism, make truth claims, and many of these truth claims can be evaluated through scientific and historical investigation! Origins of the universe. The resurrection of Christ. Science and religion often attempt to answer the same questions!

Is Christianity Reasonable? Human limitation restrict our ability to prove the existence of God, but we can know beyond a reasonable doubt. The distance between absolute certainty and reasonable doubt is faith! Is Christianity Reasonable? Intellectual objections! Emotional Objections! Volitional Objections!

Faith covers the gap in knowledge. In the coming lessons we will examine the following evidence. The origin of the universe. a. The Christian view. b. The Atheistic view. Intelligent design or happenstance. The existence of God. Does the evidence support one true religion? The life, death, resurrection of the God-man Jesus. We begin from a point of complete skepticism!

There is no absolute truth! The prevailing view of culture declares that- There is no absolute truth! Can it then be true that a theistic God exists, or that there is a true word from that God? Are Miracles Possible? Is the New Testament historically reliable?

We have a lot of questions that demand an answer We have a lot of questions that demand an answer! Christians are commanded to know and to give answers to those who ask! 1 Peter 3:15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 2 Cor. 10:4-5 We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. [5] With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.

All people have a free will! The real question is this: If you were provided with reasonable answers – beyond reasonable doubt- to the most significant questions, would you then become a Christian?

In the Christian view, we are free to make a choice You may accept or reject Christianity. Freedom to make choices, whether to accept truth or reject it, is what makes us moral creatures Ultimately, We are free to choose our own eternal destiny. In order to insure that our choice is really free, He puts us in an environment that is filled with the evidence of His existence, but without his direct presence. Freewill is at the heart of why we exist at all and why God is not more overt in revealing Himself.

All Religions make truth claims. In the course of this study we will examine the evidence! Since conclusions are based on probability rather than absolute certainty they all require a degree of faith, even atheism. Since our conclusions about God impact every aspect of life, determining the truth about God, may be the most important mission of our lives.