If God Does Not Exist Then Injustice Does Not Exist by Michael L. Brown for Ask Dr Brown
I recently had a friendly online debate with a former Muslim known as Apostate Prophet (called AP for short). The subject was, “Does God Exist?”
In my opening comments, I stated that I did not specialize in debating this issue and that I realized that arguments that seemed compelling to me would be mocked by many atheists. Conversely, I stated that I have listened to the best arguments of atheists and said to myself, “Are you kidding me? Is this the best you have to offer?” (For similar reflections from a Christian apologist on the weakness of atheistic arguments, see Tom Gilson’s recent article here.)
So, I made clear from the start that my goal was not to convince the viewers that my view was right. Rather, it was to explain to them why I was 100 percent sure that God is real, especially since so much of my faith is based on my own life experiences rather than on abstract philosophical arguments .
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To make my case, I gave a fourfold argument.
First, I focused on my own, radical conversion experience in 1971, coupled with the reality of God in my life for the last 50 years (including countless divine leadings and happenings), coupled with the testimony of documented miracles.
Second, I looked at the evidence of the Bible, in particular the major themes of prophecy (especially the history of the Jewish people told in advance and the scope Messianic prophecies).
Third, while making clear that I am not a scientist and that I have little scientific background, I pointed to the questions of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, the complexity of human DNA, the make-up of the cell, and the mathematical finetuning of the universe. Thus, it is not a matter of creating a “God of the gaps” but rather a matter of following the evidence.
Fourth, I discussed human nature, with our hatred of injustice, our rejection of survival of the fittest, our wrestling with the “problem” of evil (and the definition of evil), the existence of human consciousness, and our sense of destiny and purpose, none of which would exist without a moral Creator.
The debate was friendly, cordial, and mutually respectful, and AP and I continued to chat privately for a few minutes after the debate, as it was my first time meeting him or hearing any of his story. Hopefully, the debate will prove interesting for the viewers.
Not surprisingly in the comments section to the debate, non-believers are mocking my own experiences, claiming I’m a “psychological mess” (would that everyone were a “mess” like this!), engaging in ad hominem attacks, throwing out red herring arguments, and rejecting any possibility of intelligent design.
That’s exactly what I expected, and that’s why I pray for these mockers and skeptics to have the same encounter with God that I did (and continue to have). As an old, departed colleague used to say, “A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument.”
What is interesting, though, is that very few have commented on the question of why we have such an outrage over injustice and from whence we have such a deep sense of moral rightness and wrongness.
To illustrate this point during the debate, I quoted from Adolf Hitler, who said: “Today war is nothing but a struggle for the riches of nature. By virtue of an inherent law, these riches belong to him who conquers them… That’s in accordance with the laws of nature. By means of the struggle, the elites are continually renewed. The law of selection justifies this incessant struggle, by allowing the survival of the fittest.”
