Sure of what I hope for and certain of what I do not see

I shared a post on Facebook that admits that people of faith may have doubts. "Faith isn't the absence of doubt. It's saying, 'My reasons for believing are greater than my reasons for doubt.'" My friend Brian said it is hard to explain his reasons for believing. My atheist friend Tim commented that the reason most people have for believing is that heaven sounds much better than a "dirt nap." My brother David noted that is so difficult for our limited minds to comprehend an invisible, supremely intelligent creator that many people take the easy way out and don't examine their faith.

Why Doubt is a Good Thing

Many people are too wrapped up in their daily lives to think much about spiritual matters. Many of us don't know how to defend our faith when ridiculed or questioned by skeptics. We're afraid we'll sound stupid. Others are afraid to examine their faith. What if I find out something that stops me from believing?

Timothy Keller, in The Reason for God, says "faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it." If you don't question yourself about why you believe what you believe you will be unprepared to defend your faith. The criticism of Christianity from non-believers in my own family motivated me to prepare a defense of my faith on my blog. The process of examining my faith strengthened it and made me more determined to share it, much to the consternation of friends who wish this quiet person would shut up about faith.

My Perspective on Faith

I first believed in God and Jesus as a child, at an age when admittedly, people are more open to belief. My faith lifted me through childhood struggles with financial instability, the divorce of my parents, and a lack of self-esteem. As I became more self-confident as a young adult, I stopped going to church. I still believed in God but missed feeling his presence in my life. The shootings at Columbine High School were the catalyst that got me out of my spiritual complacency and onto a path of spiritual growth. Ironically, it was my agnostic husband who encouraged me to go back to church.

As an adult, my reasons for believing range from the scientific to spiritual, from an acceptance of proven, objective facts to an unshakable trust in my own intelligence, feelings, and perception. As an introvert, I am energized by thinking about deep issues like religion and the meaning of life. With a Sensing, Thinking and Judging temperament, I put more weight into facts and logic than feelings. I interpret the world based on what I see and experience and not so much on what I imagine might be. (I read the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn but could not get into his speculation about the hereafter). And the Judging part of me always weighs the relative rightness and wrongness of everything.

It's Science

Though many non-believers think that Christians are anti-science, my logical mind loves both math and science (especially life sciences). The creation story in Genesis is cause for doubt if you take the six days literally; I don't. I don't think the author of Genesis intended for it to be taken as a scientific description of creation. Yes, the book of Genesis credits God with creating the heavens and earth and all forms of life. But the key message I get from the creation story is not scientific but moral: man was created in God's image with the will to choose. And the close relationship man had with God in the beginning was broken because of disobedience.

The certainty I find in scientific laws appeals to my desire for order - the universal law of gravitation, Newton's laws of motion, the speed of light, the freezing point of water. I don't have to be smart enough to prove these things are true to trust or see that they are true and to understand that a world without these constants would be a world far more chaotic and less advanced scientifically than it is. I go about my life everyday not thinking about the forces that keep me from floating off into space or about the chemical reactions in my body that keep me living. Yet they are there, unknowable with my senses.

On a purely emotional level, I am in awe of the beauty of nature. I also appreciate the beauty in numbers and the beauty of numbers in nature. Can these patterns be an accident - the results of impersonal, random forces? I don't think so.

I find it interesting that the same people who ridicule Christianity as a pagan belief system believe a modern day myth - Darwin's theory of evolution. How many years would it take to evolve from a single cell organism to a complex, intelligent, tool-using creature like modern man? How did the many species of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, plants, fish, etc. evolve separately in ways that benefit mankind?

I typed the question "How did species evolve in mutually beneficial ways?" on Google. This search took me to a book called The New Genesis: Theology and the Genetic Evolution (Ronald Cole-Turner) where I found this example of evolutionary theorizing:

Through this symbiotic interaction, both species in the relationship evolve. The human evolution occurs primarily as cultural evolution, while the genetic structure of the plants evolves. The edible plants benefited greatly by allowing themselves to be eaten, thereby inducing human beings to distribute and protect them. Human beings benefited by serving or cultivating the plants.

People who have faith in evolution make claims about how distinct life forms might have evolved given billions of years of genetic mutations. In Debunking Evolution: Problems between the theory and reality, the author wrote, "Evolutionists are eternally optimistic. They believe that millions of beneficial mutations built every type of creature that ever existed." There is so much complexity and variety in the design of organisms that I can't take the leap of faith that macroevolution requires. Our culture so readily accepts the theory of natural selection that it is frequently used to explain behavior with no evidence. But people and animals behave in many ways that are not in their best interest for survival.

Reading about evidence of fine-tuning of the universe for life, I am convinced that the precision required for life to exist is no accident. Even atheists admit that fine-tuning suggests intelligent design. Yet atheist scientists want so much for there to be no god that they promote an alternate theory. Perhaps there are thousands of universes. Then there could potentially be more than one planet precisely calibrated to support life.

Consider also DNA. How amazing it is that every cell of our bodies contains a script for life? I marvel that this intelligent language that I cannot see or sense inside me determines my physical appearance, susceptibility to disease, personality, and intelligence. It proves I'm me and no one else. How probable is it that this detailed code passed on and modified through the generations is the impersonal work of nature?

I think we all see evidence of God, but for a variety of reasons, people choose to ignore or deny God's existence. Reasons include pride - the desire to be your own god - and anger that life (God) isn't treating you the way you think it (He) should. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." (Romans 1:20, NIV)

The Deep-Seated Desire for Meaning

I am not just a thinker; I am a spiritual being. I want life to have meaning and purpose. I want to know why I am here. Why are any of us here? Most of us will not leave a lasting legacy in our brief time on this planet. Why do we struggle so much for achievement or to make a difference in the world?

In believing in God, I find meaning and purpose. In God, I see a perfect, moral ideal in a world in which people behave destructively and selfishly. No one I know does good perfectly; not one. But most of us have this sense that there is an absolutely right way to behave - honestly and with integrity, treating others as you would want to be treated. (Unless we fail to uphold these ideals ourselves; then we make excuses).

The doubter in me has to admit that there is pain and suffering, injustice and evil. Why would a loving God allow that? Why doesn't God answer my prayers, especially when I am praying for the good of another person? My faith has taught me that I will not know the answers to all these questions in my lifetime. Instead I trust that God will make all things work together for the ultimate good of those who love him, just as he promised. It is in our weakest moments that God's power is made perfect.

In the mess of a world I live in, I find hope in the Messiah - the promised savior. To me there is credible evidence that Jesus was a real person who performed miraculous deeds and taught some really radical things. Forgive your enemies. Bless those who curse you. He also claimed to be God.

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. - CS Lewis

Non-believers often use the hypocrisy and self-righteousness of Christians as evidence against God. I understand the criticism because if a person claims to believe in Jesus there ought to be a change in behavior. But in blaming God for the fallibility of man, people miss the central point of Christianity - God's grace. We're all broken and fall short of perfect morality. It's just not humanly possible, even for believers.

I imagine life on this earth as a novel or play that goes on and on with so many seemingly unconnected plot lines, it's hard to see where the story is going. The author lets the characters write their own stories. He provides moral guidance but doesn't force them to do anything they don't want to do even if he knows the story won't end well. He sees the struggles and the suffering but rarely intervenes unless invited. But in an amazing twist, he interjected himself into the story in a very unexpected way, becoming a humble character. He walked among them, struggled just as they did, and sacrificed himself as a path to redemption.

The Long and Short of It

I put much thought into explaining why my reasons for believing outweigh my reasons for doubt. Simply put, the complexity of the universe and all of creation staggers my limited human mind. There are so many hints of a supreme intelligence behind creation - things both seen and unseen. I find it inconceivable this handiwork could possibly be the result of impersonal, natural causes. 

You can't have faith without risk. But I don't have faith because I gamble on the hereafter or because I've been given the key to all of life's mysteries. I have faith because my trust has been rewarded with the assurance of God's love and presence. Faith allows me to approach an omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient God with confidence.

Reasons to Believe	Reasons to Doubt
Evidence of order in the universe	God is not discernible with my five senses
Fine-tuning of the universe for life	God allows pain, suffering and injustice
Complexity and diversity of life	God permits evil
Awe and wonder at the beauty of creation	God doesn't answer all of my prayers
DNA - an intelligent code inside each of us	Creation surely took longer than 6 days
Perfect, absolute morality, unattainable by man
Emmanuel (God with Us)
Longing for meaning and purpose
Personal testimonials
Personal sense of God’s presence

How Can a Loving God Allow Pain and Suffering?

An atheist relative said that she can’t stand it when Christians say that bad things happen for a reason, for example, in response to a painful loss. To the non-believer this ambiguous statement, while well- intentioned, provides little comfort in the face of sadness and grief. How can a Christian explain to an unbeliever that our God allows pain and suffering? How is this consistent with the concept of a loving, all-powerful God? Why should anyone trust a God who would allow people to suffer?

In C.S. Lewis’ book, The Problem of Pain, he said that Christianity creates the problem of pain (in an apologetic sense). We Christians believe that an all-powerful God is both loving and righteous yet we live in a world where people experience great pain. So the reasoning goes, either our God lacks goodness or power or both. How does a person reconcile the reality of pain, suffering, and senseless tragedy with belief in a righteous, loving God who has the power to make it easy for us?

In Christian Apologetics, Douglas Groothius asks: if evil appears to be pointless, is it? If you can’t conceive of a reason for pain and suffering, does that mean there is no reason? Christians are just as aware of pain and suffering as people who don’t believe in God. We sometimes ask God, Why is this happening? What is the purpose of this? Why don’t you stop this suffering? So how did Christians come to believe that pain and suffering are compatible with belief in a benevolent God? 

Christians have a few beliefs that are central to our understanding of pain and suffering. One, we believe in a God who is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (present everywhere). Second, we believe in a perfect, Holy God who is the source of human morality. Third, we believe that mankind continually breaks the code of ethics God gave us and as a result, we feel guilt and remorse. Fourth, we believe in the incarnation - that God became human to redeem mankind from our sinfulness. Christianity is the only religion that makes this claim – that God became fully human and experienced human suffering firsthand. Jesus subjected himself to temptation, rejection, ridicule, pain and death. He understands our suffering because he took it upon Himself.

What kind of love is this?

People reject the Christian God, because they question how God can love people and yet allow them to suffer. But reconciling the reality of pain and suffering with the concept of a loving God is possible only if you do not trivialize the word love. The love of God is analogous to the love of a father for his son or a shepherd for his sheep. It is the love of the Creator for the created. God does not exist to serve man just as painting does not exist to serve the artist. We are an expression of his love and creativity and he loves us more than we can imagine. He forgives over and over again, even as we reject him. But he is not indulgent. He is not content with our disobedience. He does not enjoy punishing people or seeing them in pain. He is present to guide, protect, and comfort those who love Him.

The Laws of Nature Versus the Power of God

Even in the absence of belief in a higher power, death and destruction are part of the natural world. Those who believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution believe that natural selection weeds out the weak. The weak die so the strong can live and perpetuate their seed. Forces of nature like floods, fire, blizzards, tornadoes, famine and drought cause pain, suffering, death and destruction. So with or without a supernatural creator, we acknowledge the destructiveness of nature. How is this evidence against God? As Groothius writes, if you believe that the natural world is full of evil, then you must have in mind a supernatural ideal as the basis for your belief.

The rejection of the Christian God based on the problem of pain presupposes that the Christian God lacks the power to make things right. For those of us who believe that God is omnipotent, we do believe that God is capable of suspending the laws of nature to prevent pain. We do believe in miracles and that on occasion God changes the natural course of events. But we don’t expect God to break the laws of nature.

Imagine that I am about to drive my car straight into the path of another vehicle at a high rate of speed. My God, as the supremely intelligent designer of the universe, could certainly intervene to prevent an accident. He could instantly change the mass and/or velocity of our vehicles to lessen the impact. He could even cause my car to fly over the other car and land gently on the other side. But if God did interfere with natural laws, they would not be laws; they would be general rules. We couldn’t count on nature to behave in predictable, measurable ways. If we expected God to prevent the suffering that nature and free will make inevitable, life, as we know it, would no longer exist.

Morality and Man’s Separation from God

As difficult as it is to understand the cruelty of nature, it is even harder to understand the pain humans inflict on each other. As C.S. Lewis observed, we cause pain when we’re born, we inflict pain on others while we’re living (and suffer on the receiving end), and we often experience pain and suffering in death. Humans have a long record of committing crimes, abuse, and other unspeakable acts against each other. We intentionally hurt each other physically and with words. We can be extremely cruel and indifferent to the pain and suffering of others. What’s worse, because we have the ability to reason and to feel, we understand the pain we cause.

I believe that God created us as intelligent beings with the free will to choose. That free will came with a risk – the risk that we would choose evil and reject God. The biblical story of Adam and Eve describes the first sin as an act of disobedience to God – the choice to eat fruit God had specifically forbidden. The choice to eat the forbidden fruit was a choice to turn away from God and turn to the self. Some have called this original sin pride. C.S. Lewis said that as soon as we become aware of God as God and self as self, we have the option to make God or the elevated Self the center of our universe.

I also believe that we have a moral conscience. Regardless of our cultural backgrounds, we know that it is wrong to lie, to cheat, to steal, to betray others. But we tell ourselves that we should not be ashamed when we do wrong. We give ourselves too much credit for how “good” we are. In our own minds, we lower our standards of what constitutes good behavior so we can escape our feelings of shame and remorse.

Yes, we deceive each other and ourselves about our sinfulness. One way we do this by focusing on outward appearances of goodness. We compare ourselves to others and conclude that we are not that bad. But many of our sins are hidden in the heart. We don’t openly confess to each other the awful, bad things we are thinking. We judge others as good or bad without knowing the full picture.

We also pretend that there is safety in numbers. Everybody does it. Even if the group or culture accepts and even promotes bad behavior, it doesn’t make it right or good. The virtues of love, justice, mercy, kindness and self-control remain the high moral values that ought to guide our behavior as children of a righteous God.

Another lie we tell ourselves is that time erases sin. We even laugh about the sins of our youth as if someone else committed them. But time does not wash away sin. We can only be cleansed of our sins by confessing to the One we have sinned against and by asking for forgiveness.

The reason I bring up human sinfulness in the context of pain and suffering is not to condemn others or to say that we deserve it. After all, good people have suffered greatly at the hands of the truly wicked. The reason I raise the issue is because we all fall short of a holy God. Our sin separates us from God and prevents us from enjoying a relationship with him.

The Problem of Hell

If I didn’t address the issue of hell, I would be ignoring another big question: how can a loving God condemn anyone to hell? Jesus warned about hell saying that there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” I don’t know what hell is like, whether it is literally a fiery oven. But I do believe that it is a place where those who reject God will be in an eternal state of torment and regret, separate from God and believers.

Jesus told a parable of the rich man and the beggar, Lazarus (Luke 19:31). Both died; the rich man was sent to hell and Lazarus was sent to heaven. The rich man recognizes Lazarus at the side of Abraham. He asks Abraham to send the beggar over to give him a sip of water as he was in agony. Abraham says that there is a great chasm separating us from you. We can’t cross it. So the rich man asks that Lazarus be sent to warn his brothers so they would not also come to this place of torment. Abraham said no, they have Moses and The Prophets. If they do not listen to them, they will not listen to a messenger from the dead.

We have been warned. God has made himself known to man.  “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse (Romans 1:20).” People choose to reject God. What would we have God do? Do we really think that God should let those who turn against him, those who deny him, spend an eternity thinking it is right to do so? We have been offered forgiveness. But we have to admit our guilt and accept forgiveness to escape eternal punishment. If we choose to reject God, we also choose the consequences.

God’s Power is Made Perfect in Weakness

The apostle Paul wrote that he was given a thorn in his flesh to prevent him from exalting himself, to keep him from becoming conceited about all the amazing things that had been revealed to him. We don’t know what this affliction was but Paul pleaded with God to take it away. God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Paul said that he was delighted in his difficulties and hardships (which included being beaten, stoned and imprisoned) because “when I am weak, then I am strong.” He knew that there is purpose in suffering. Suffering leads to perseverance, perseverance leads to character, and character leads to hope.

Pain is God’s Megaphone

C.S. Lewis said that pain is God’s “megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” When things are going well, we have a tendency to push God aside and to put ourselves at the center. We live with an “illusion of self-sufficiency.” God reveals what we lack by letting our lives become more difficult. Sometimes our illusion of self-sufficiency must be shattered to save our souls. Sometimes our surrender to God takes pain. Many people call on God when they are at their lowest point, perhaps struggling with loss, a crippling addiction, or a broken relationship. The good news is God is merciful. He has what Lewis called “divine humility.” He is not proud; he does not mind our choosing him as a last resort. His love never fails. He heals hurting souls.

As a Christian, I acknowledge that bad things happen to good people and that the world I live in often seems cruel and unjust. Try as we might, we cannot explain away pain. But many of us have seen a glimpse of a purpose in our own lives and in the lives of others. We see the light in the darkness. When we look back through painful experiences, we see how they have made us stronger. We see the building of character, the smoothing of our rough edges. We learn humility in our struggles. We learn what is important and to appreciate what we have. We see the goodness that comes out in the face of tragedy and adversity. Sometimes it takes distance and healing to see the big picture. When we’re in the midst of our struggles, we see the puzzle but don’t see how the pieces fit together. We see only in part in this life, but a Christian believes that someday we will know fully.

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. -- 1 Corinthians 13:12

Both Blessed and Humbled!

My niece recently shared The Humanist article Are You Blessed or Just Bragging? by Meghan Hamilton. Hamilton writes that the use of the word blessed "has spiraled out of control to the point where the word "blessed" is meaningless." I don't doubt that the word blessed is misused by some, but it is obvious that Hamilton's objection has nothing to do with what a person is grateful for (whether significant or trivial) and nothing to do with a person's self esteem (whether they're bragging or not proud enough). No, the reason for Hamilton's criticism is that the object of a believer's gratitude is God. In her own words, she "can't possibly see why anyone would want to dedicate their accomplishments to the "blessings" of a god." 

Hamilton notes that there is an "ongoing trend of immediately attributing accomplishments or good fortune to God's blessing." The use of #blessed or #anything in social media is certainly a new trend but humans have been worshiping the Creator since the beginning of time. So why is it that believers are so quick to thank God for the positive things in their lives? I can give you a few good reasons.

1. The Creator is greater than the created. Humans did not create the universe, the laws of nature, nor the building blocks of life. We cannot take credit for the amazing genetic language that defines our very being, for the gifts with which we are born. When I consider the splendor of God's creation, the fine tuning of the universe, I am filled with awe and wonder. I am humbled by God's omniscience and omnipotence. Anything I accomplish pales in comparison. Ascribe to the Lord, the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

2. Humans fall short of God's glory and holiness. We are sinful and disobedient. Our sin comes with a price - death. We don't deserve God's forgiveness. Yet he loves us so much, he sent a Savior to redeem us. When I consider the depravity and selfishness of mankind, I am grateful for God's grace and mercy.  In my own brokenness and disobedience, I am humbled by God's holiness. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

3. God promised to bless his people. About 600 B.C., the prophet Ezekiel foretold the coming of the Messiah (Ezekiel 34). Using an analogy of a shepherd and his flock, he criticized the shepherds of Israel for taking care of themselves while treating the flock harshly and neglecting the weak, sick and lost. God was not pleased with this. He promised to search for his sheep and to look after them. He said he would save his flock and place a Shepherd over them. He said they will know that I am with them. I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season, I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, taught a way of life that leads to heavenly blessings. The qualities Jesus listed in The Beatitudes are in stark contrast to the human desires for power, material rewards, recognition for accomplishments, etc. - the worldly values that Meghan Hamilton holds dear.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, 

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are they who mourn, 

for they shall be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek, 

for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 

for they shall be satisfied. 

Blessed are the merciful, 

for they shall obtain mercy. 

Blessed are the pure of heart, 

for they shall see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, 

for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, 

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

As a Christian, I confirm Hamilton's suspicions about believers - we really do believe that God steps in to influence events in a way that blesses us. We believe that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. We even believe that being mocked for our faith is a blessing.  So thank you Meghan for inspiring me to share my faith in response to your criticism!

As for Hamilton's suggestion that people who say they are blessed are bragging, bragging implies pride. So why does Hamilton conclude her commentary by saying that "we need to feel proud of ourselves?" Why does she say that if you give credit to God, it "completely undermines your ability and depreciates everything you have done to earn it?" I give credit to God for the blessings in my life, for the things that I have accomplished and even for the trials I have overcome because he made me. God does not diminish me - He lifts me up when I am weak.

One final comment. Ms. Hamilton encouraged her readers to take credit for their accomplishments because "We need to feel significant in something and to somebody." Meghan, regardless of what we've accomplished, we are more than significant to God.

Defending Christianity in an Age of Skepticism

The Christian faith is often misunderstood and criticized. Because my faith is important to me, I am learning the discipline of Apologetics to prepare myself to defend it. I recently read a couple of good books on the subject - Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), a former atheist, and The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Timothy Keller, founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church.

The Faith I Defend

At the beginning of Mere Christianity, Lewis noted that the word "Christian" has lost its original meaning.  Today there are people who culturally identify as Christians who do not practice the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Keller points out that the Bible tells us to expect that people will misrepresent the faith and even tells us how to discern this. So to be clear, my defense of Christianity is a defense of the faith of those of us who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, have repented of our sins, and have chosen to follow him. This not a defense of religious fanatics or of people who are Christians in name only, though you may certainly describe me as a Jesus freak if you wish.

The shortcomings of the church can be understood historically as the imperfect adoption and practice of the principles of the Christian gospel. – Timothy Keller, The Reason for God

Human Morality

C.S. Lewis used human morality to make his case for God’s existence. Moral arguments were woven throughout Keller's book as well. As both authors admitted, science can't prove that God exists. In Mere Christianity, there are several assertions about human morality, which I have listed below: 

1. People agree that there are moral laws or rules of behavior we ought to live by.
2. The rules of behavior tell us what we ought to do or what we should do.
3. No one actually follows the rules perfectly. We may want to, but we can't.
4. When we fail to follow the rules of moral behavior, we make excuses for ourselves. 
5. We evaluate rules of morality by saying some moral laws are higher than others.
6. Sometimes moral obligations conflict with other moral rules or with our other instincts, e.g. with our instinct for self-preservation.
7. Our consciences weigh the rules so we can make the best moral choice.
8. The best moral choice isn't necessarily the one that is in our own interest. The most moral choice may not be useful or convenient. 

Moral obligation is a belief that some things ought not to be done regardless of how a person feels about them within herself, regardless of what the rest of her community and culture says, and regardless of whether it is in her self-interest or not. – Timothy Keller, The Reason for God

Lewis acknowledged that some people believe moral laws are determined by one's culture. However, there are rules of human behavior common to all cultures - you should not steal, you should be fair, etc. Critics also claim that morality is relative to the individual - if something feels right to me, it is moral. Yet even these people complain when someone wrongs them. There would be no point in arguing about what is right or wrong if we did not have common beliefs about morality. We would not make excuses for our own moral failings if we didn't agree that there are rules of behavior that we all should follow. 

Furthermore, if morality is relative, then any individual or culture can say that rape or incest or torture are moral. Yet we know that these behaviors are objectively wrong. Other apologists have argued that relativism leads to nihilism. If there is no god, there is no objective moral authority. Every moral question becomes the question "Says who?"

I believe that we can only accept a moral obligation as objective, as a rule that we all ought to follow, if the highest moral authority establishes it. Not only that, the authority figure must be completely above reproach. Most of us don’t mindlessly submit to the rules that define moral behavior.  Generally speaking, we have the free will to choose how to behave. We learn and practice what it means to be a decent human being - that we shouldn't be selfish, for example.

Every time you make a choice, you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. - CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

So how is human morality evidence of God? Well, you can take the non-religious, naturalistic view and say that the universe and all life forms were caused by natural forces and that humans evolved from a simpler life form into complex beings based on evolution and natural selection. Or you can take the religious view (not just the Christian view) that says that the universe and life were created by an intelligent force, a power with a purpose.

Lewis noted that if there is a controlling power outside our universe, it could show itself as one of the observable facts, as an influence to behave a certain way. He also said that if this power behind the moral law is interested in morally right behavior, then it follows that it would not approve of wrong behavior.

To explain the origin of morality in the absence of a god, you must either believe that morality is a creation of the human mind or that morality is a characteristic that was passed on through natural, evolutionary processes (i.e. the natural selection theory). It seems to me that there have been plenty of selfish, ruthless people throughout history who have been “fit” enough to survive and pass their genes on to mankind. Morality doesn’t seem to be naturally selected or to have an evolutionary purpose for survival.

The Christian View of the Moral Argument

Christians believe that God is the intelligent, supreme power behind our universe. We believe that God created us in his image as intelligent, creative beings with the free will to choose. We believe we were designed to live in mutually beneficial relationships with other people and with God, our creator. We believe that because man disobeyed God, sin was introduced to the world. We believe that our disobedience has consequences – physical death and eternal separation from God. 

It seems to me that there are a few things that the non-religious and Christian views of morality have in common. One, we agree that human beings are special (among the life forms we know about) having intelligence, creativity, the capacity for love, etc. Each of us is unique - unique DNA, unique experiences, unique personalities and talents. We see beauty in that individuality and want to be loved and valued for who we are as individuals. Second, we believe that human beings have the ability, even the right, to choose our own way in this life. We want to pursue the things that make us happy based on our own preferences and perceptions. Third, we agree that humans do not behave the way we collectively think we ought to behave.

We have a sense that the world is not the way it ought to be. We have a sense that we are very flawed and yet very great. We have a longing for love and beauty that nothing in this world can fulfill.  We have a deep need to know meaning and purpose. Which worldview best accounts for these things? - Timothy Keller, The Reason for God

The Great Teacher, Emmanuel “God with Us”

Compass Plant

Christians believe that God loves his creation so much that he came to earth in human form to redeem us - as a Son of Man.  Christians believe that Christ was the perfect embodiment of human morality because he is one with God, the author of morality. Yet Jesus did not cling to his equality with God to avoid pain and death; he submitted himself to God's plan for human redemption.

During his ministry on Earth, Jesus taught his followers several things about moral law. He taught that we should show love and mercy towards one another, forgive one another, avoid anger and hatred, and live in peace. He taught that we should take care of the least among us. He was not impressed with outward appearances of piety but was instead concerned with what is in our hearts. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.

Any genuine Christian will tell you, it is not easy to follow Christ's moral example. He taught that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. He said that we should not judge other people. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. He taught that we should be humble and have the heart of a servant. We should be willing to give up everything to follow him.

There are a lot of rules in the Bible about how we should behave, yet when asked to name the greatest commandment, Jesus said:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

The Internal Struggle

You certainly don’t have to be a Christian to understand the second greatest commandment, commonly known as the golden rule. If you have empathy, you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see how mutually beneficial it is to treat other people the way you want to be treated.

The commandment that Jesus called first and most important is much harder to accept and follow. We don’t want to submit to someone else’s will; we want to find our own way in life. We make our desires for achievement, wealth, relationships, pleasure, status, power, social approval, etc. so important that there isn’t room for God. So to the Christian, sin isn’t just breaking the rules of moral behavior. It is making something other than God central to your sense of self, to your desire to prove your own worth. Our self-centered nature leads to the personal, internal struggle to tame the thoughts, imaginings, emotions, desires and longings of the heart.

Lewis called pride the greatest sin. He said that pride is “essentially competitive” because it causes us to compare ourselves to other people as we strive to be richer, better looking, smarter, more something. In God, we find the one who is greater than us in every way. It takes humility to admit this. Christianity is not an exclusive club. Becoming a Christian is as simple as confessing your sins and believing that Jesus Christ died for you. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Sweet Surrender

I believe in gravity, the powerful force that keeps me physically grounded. I can't see it but I know it's there.  I believe in another powerful force that keeps me morally and spiritually grounded. I can't see God but I know He is here. He reveals Himself to me not only in the wondrous natural world I see, but also in love, mercy, and forgiveness and the witness of people whose lives have been transformed by his power. I am redeemed. Giving up on the never-ending struggle to prove yourself worthy of the world's love frees you to accept God's love, a love that is more powerful than any other. 

If there is no God, then moral choices are meaningless. People make up their own rules to suit their own desires when the best moral choice is too inconvenient or restrictive. We don't universally accept the authority of other people to hand down moral rules. Their authority doesn't pass the "Sez who" test - God's does. 

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