Someone one day found the comedian W.C. Feild's reading the Bible and asked what he was doing. His reply was "just looking for loopholes, just looking for loopholes." There are a lot of people who read with the same intention of disregarding any evidence. After all we are so much more advance than they were 1,950 years ago when this ancient book was written.

There are only three options to explain our existence, one is to believe in God, another is agnosticism which states their may be a God but I haven't found proof. The last is atheism where one will state they know God does not exist. This is not just a non- belief in God but a willful denial of his existence. Agnosticism is where one admits that they do not know if God exists, not having the proof or that there is a personal God who has always existed.

No one is born an atheist, they learn NOT to believe, just as one learns to believe. People choose to become atheists as much as they choose to become Christians, unfortunately they usually disbelieve by default. Hopefully one become s Christian because of evidence.

Atheism is natural to man, it is the most comfortable position. It is a reflection of his depraved state being engulfed in sin. The Bible states: the fool has said in his heart there is no God. Why, because there is so much evidence to the contrary? No, it is more of a hopeful out look so that they will not be accountable to anyone or for anything they have done.

God is aware of the atheist while the atheist is not aware of God. In response he says Psalm 14:1-2 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.”

No matter how strenuously some may try to deny it, atheism is a belief system. It requires just as much faith (believing)  to embrace that God does not exist, even more belief than a Christian would need to believe he does exist. Atheism has made a secular belief system (religion/philosophy) of having no God and their focus is usually nature. God's creation has replaced the one who made it. An atheist must assume that personal unique intricate living organisms arose from impersonal disorderly chaos. Something had to come from nothing. They have no explanation for a beginning of when or why. There is no purpose in what we see and call creation. Atheism assumes that the potential gives rise to the actual. Reality shows that something actualized the potential itself. All Potentials have an actualizer. Scrap iron from a junk yard does not form itself into an airplane or a building without some thing that is able to put it to order. All designs have a designer, and the universe has proven to be incredibly designed. Even the minutest organism is more complex than the space shuttle.

"Can you prove for certain that Christianity, the Bible is true?"

The answer to this question is, "Yes, Christianity can be absolutely be proven true." This, does not mean that everyone will accept the evidence, no matter how much there is or convincing it is.

In our courts of law when a judge employs a jury, he or she tells them to decide based on probability,  based on the evidence presented. It cannot be certainty since none have viewed the crime. If jury decisions were delayed until 100% certainty existed, no verdict could be rendered. Decisions are based on a combination of faith related to fact.

Anything we buy we trust the manufacturer in what he says for the guarantee. But God who is the creator of all some seem to trust less than man. But he has proven his record through prophecy unlike any other person or book written.

If one investigates nature with an open mind and heart it will lead them to know there is a God and if they go further it will lead them to the one true God. Of course one can stop pursuing it and then would then have to admit nature is the greater than themselves. Since it holds mysteries which they cannot intellectually fathom. Yet the Bible declares in Rom. 1:20 "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." From Adam to to Moses to Abraham to Isaiah and the prophets, to the apostles to the early church pastors, to Luther, Calvin to Charles Spurgeon to D. L. Moody and Billy Sunday; they would all agree on the same thing: that man disregards what the Word of God says. Every atheist has this in common, they do not believe there is a God, therefore the word of God cannot be what it claims to be. Man lives for himself and makes himself to be the authority - therefore he is his own god. Mankind promotes an eat, drink and be merry philosophy. After all tomorrow we all die and that's it, there is no afterlife- or so they hope.

There are numerous logical problems inherent in the atheists belief system. Consider these examples.

Their declaration "There is no God." Some atheists explicitly state that there is no God, and all atheists believe it. This rumor is ancient and the naïve continue to believe it. Yet this assertion is bankrupt and cannot be logically defended by any from their position. To be a Atheist one would have to be omniscient, knowing all things, having a perfect knowledge of the universe, to say they absolutely know God does not exist. For one to do this they would have to personally inspected all places in the present known universe and in all time, having explored everywhere seen and unseen. Things of  matter or things invisible, to say unequivocally God does not exist. Can any atheist seriously hold to his position of no God with the logical inconsistency challenging his position?

He then would have to have a perfect knowledge of all things past present and future. Theirs is not a statement made on facts, since one would actually have to be God to claim this. So such a statement is based only on assumption not on the facts. A person would have to be God in order to say there is no God, therefore God would exist. It would be them. That’s not too comforting a thought.

There are a numerous reasons why atheism is inadequate as a rational world view. This can quickly be exposed for the charade it is. By asking the atheist the question, are there some things that he knows that you do not? Most will admit to this. Can there also be some things that I know that you may not? He would logically have to admit this also. After all we all have different education and life experiences. So isn’t it possible that millions of people who claim to know God may in fact know him by experience and knowledge while you do not? After all, when you went to school you studied different subjects than me and I studied different ones than you! you would be more knowledgeable on some that I may not. So we see this reasoning already at work in our society and culture.

The point is clearly made and the only response he can take is to try to avoid seeming just as narrow minded and dogmatic as you are, is to admit it is possible. After all, things are supposed to make sense!

Atheism cannot adequately explain the existence of the world. Like all things, the world in which we live cries out for an explanation. Why is it here? The whole existence of the universe argues for a designer, an architect that is creative and into different shapes, sizes, colors, details, and fashioning everything as unique. There is order and design, much like an artist paints a picture. This takes not only intelligence, but a superior supernatural intelligence for the size, quantity and functioning of the known universe. Even non believers like Julian Huxley have calculated the odds of a pure chance of life evolving are to 1,000 to the millionth power. That is a 1 followed by 3 million zeros. There are not many options either the universe itself is eternal or that the universe had a beginning. To go the latter means he must have an explanation for what caused it.

The atheist cannot adequately explain the world even to another atheist, but they certainly have no problem agreeing among themselves there is no God. Misery loves company.

An atheist needs to prove their is no God just as they demand proof from those who believe their is a God. While we may not have a physical being to point to and say there he is, you can see him. He has left his fingerprint on all creation that He was and still is involved.

Is it reasonable or just for God to condemn atheists. Since they claim he has not given ample evidence of his existence they are left with no choice but to not believe in him.

Actually he has given more than enough evidence, it is stated in Rom.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork day by day they utter speech. No one can say there is not enough evidence. They can only say I don't accept it or I don't understand it. For the evidence is overwhelming.

Rom.1:20 explains Atoms. tells us that things are made from the invisible things   Heb.11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed (made to fit put in order) by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. "The things which are seen are made of things not seen. This was not known until modern science discovered the invisible atoms, Invisible microscopic structures.

There is absolutely no way man could have such accurate knowledge in the past. As Romans 1 describes- they suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

AGNOSTICS & OTHER EXCUSES

There are agnostics who claim there may be a God but they are not willing to acknowledge him so that they may live by his precepts.  So He has no bearing on their lives. Instead of God keeping us out of the garden, man keeps him out of their own lives. There are those who claim atheism and walk in life as if there is no God, there are others who deny God but walk in life as if there is one. Man looks to be set free to do his own will, only this is not freedom but becomes a bondage, because one then lives in a false standard of what is right. Rom.1:28 states man does not want to retain God in their knowledge.  Mans natural inclination is to distance themselves from God even if they think He may exist. Just as Adam and Eve did when they had guilt for their disobedience. We are quick to raise an objection against his precepts if they prohibit our so called freedoms.  As Paul quotes the Old Testament in Rom.3:10-12 As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.  No one is born with the intent to seek God as his ruler, nor for the betterment of himself. There is no desire to commune and is desirable for all that less than the creator. His eyes are toward earth and all that he can see.  There is no inclination for faith, to perceive what is not seen.

As Steven Charnock said, "men do evil with both hands earnestly, but do good with one hand faintly."

Ps 36:1 "An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: there is no fear of God before his eyes."

The fear of God is a built in natural instinct to man. This is not a fear of offending him but one of being punished by him. To be justly dealt with is mans main complaint, it is not fair to be sent to hell the practicing wicked claim. Yet it is this fear that can awaken ones conscience to an eternity that lies beyond what they now see.

Prov. 16:6:  "In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil." By ignoring God man rushes to do his own evil desires, we are excited to be in control of our circumstances, only to find we have very little.
Job 21:15: "Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?"
What purpose do we look to obey God. An agnostic does not serve out of his conscience but for the flesh to profit.  There is no spiritual inclination or motivation it is for self only.  Unfortunately we find the same attitude in the church today.

There are those that look in the Bible and see some value in its counsel and use its ethics and moral codes for a lifestyle of humanism.  Their intent is not to please the creator or do His will but for it is for their own human benefits. It is agreeable to their philosophy of doing good because they want only good to be done to them. They live by what they call the golden rule. This is what is called a form of religion but denying its power. We are more than willing to practice in the outward than have the inward change that would really affect our nature. We don't want to give up our hidden secret things of the heart. Yet the Bible says all is laid bare before him, he knows, Heb 4:13 " And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Luke 8:17:  "For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light."  And we thought we got away with it!

1 Cor. 4:5: " Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts." So whether one likes or not, believes it or not, accountability is to take place.

Mans quest is to be his own God, we want to rule our own lives and answer only to our self.  The age old cliché has God said, is still alive and well. Essentially we have no real and lasting solutions since they are only from mans wisdom and his perspective, which does not have eternity in mind. We are in rebellion trying to force our way back into the garden.  There is only one entrance back and it is to humble oneself admit we are sinful and then we will be allowed to partake of the tree of life (Christ's cross). Until this occurs we will continue to bear fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.