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Do creationists need to prove God exists?

Published: 8 June 2019 (GMT+10)

Our article Creation isn’t science? elicited many responses, some positive and some negative. Others may have been well intentioned but missed the boat entirely. We are publishing two comments below, with responses from Lita Sanders.

Brien D., Australia, wrote:

Creationism is founded on the belief of a god! That god has yet to be proven.!… Therefore, until that god is proven, ‘creationism’ is not a valid concept to discuss; It remains a fictional idea!!

Lita Sanders, CMI-US, responds:

You are correct that creation rests upon a foundation of belief in the Creator God. But you are incorrect that we need to prove that He exists before creation can become a valid topic to discuss.

In fact, your attempt at philosophy falls far short of a good argument. You use the word “proof” as if there is any such thing in the world of science. There is not. Instead, to approach science one needs to make several important starting assumptions. Are you awake? Is the universe real? Can you actually know what you know? You cannot even ‘prove’ that the universe was not created yesterday and that false memories were implanted in your brain. Of course, this is ridiculous, but why is it ridiculous? It is because such ideas do not fit into the grand edifice of knowledge we have built from our basic assumptions. The universe is real, it is logical, and we have the ability to comprehend it. We believe these things are true because God is true. Non-theists have to assume they are true without a reason. But all I am trying to say is that science is squarely based on philosophy and your question ignores this very important fact. You would benefit from reading our 3-part article series called Dystopian Science.

Why do we feel comfortable using the Bible as a guide for science?

First, God has revealed Himself through what He has made. Scripture tells us that all of us, including you, know that God exists. It also says that people who do not believe suppress that truth (Romans 1). The Bible also says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”—and apparently God thought it was important enough to include the exact same statement twice (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). But even children instinctively know there is a God who created the world. The existence of God is self-evident, and we are without excuse if we reject the evidence for His existence (Romans 1:20).

Second, God has revealed Himself through His Word. The Bible tells us about God, His attributes and nature, and how He has interacted with humanity to bring about salvation.

Third, God has revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ, who was born as a human, like us in every way except that He was without sin. He lived the righteous life we never could, and died the death that we deserved (because we have broken God’s good law, which is written on our hearts—Romans 1). He rose from the grave on the third day as vindication of His claims and proof that God accepted His perfect sacrifice on behalf of all who would trust in Him for salvation.

Thus, we do not have to prove that God exists because God has revealed Himself to us already. Furthermore, people who try to explain the universe apart from the Creator God have a hopeless task, because they want to use the creation that testifies to God’s power and eternal nature to try to disprove that very God! And they run into trouble at every level, from the microscopic to the cosmic.

The atheist cannot explain how the universe began, how stars formed, how planets form, how life began, the diversity of life and all the wondrous design in living creatures, the complex coded language of DNA, why humans have consciousness and a conscience. They can’t explain why we instinctively believe in God and why something like 99% of people throughout history have believed in a god.

In conclusion, we do not have to prove that God exists because you already know that He does. The good news is that He has revealed Himself in the Person of the Saviour, Jesus Christ, and that anyone who calls on Him will be saved. But the ‘bad news’ is that anyone who continues to suppress the truth in unrighteousness will one day stand before that same Jesus, but not as their Saviour, as their judge. I urge you to consider these matters before it is too late, because none of us is guaranteed another chance.

Jeff, US, writes:

Dear Lita

You have, by intention I suspect, missed the point of Vince D’s comment. The NAS describes Creationism as pseudoscience, not necessarily its practitioners. So all the names you mention can sleep sound knowing that they are “doing science” as long as it is not creationism. Poets are poets only when they are wrapped in the throes of poesy. Footballers, when they are playing the game. And so on. Rest easy!

Lita Sanders responds:

If there could be such a neat separation between creation science as an idea and the scientists who believe it, why would there be such a systematic campaign of persecution of any scientist who displays even the slightest belief in design? This seems like a convenient way to dismiss the fact that scientists who believe in creation have made some real scientific advances. As such, I reject the distinction as intellectually dishonest.