God & Science
There's no evidence for God.
Short answer
There is evidence; the question is how we weigh it. The universe had a beginning, its laws are finely tuned for life, objective moral values exist, and the historical evidence for Jesus' resurrection is strong. Each points to a powerful, personal, good Creator. Evidence for God isn't a lab experiment; it's a cumulative case, like a detective's or a courtroom's.
In simple words: The world God made, our sense of right and wrong, and Jesus rising from the dead are all clues that point to God.
Response
When people say there is no evidence for God, they often mean there is no laboratory test for God. But most of what we know isn't proven in a lab: history, the minds of other people, the laws of logic, and moral truths. We reason to those conclusions from evidence, and we can reason about God the same way.
The case for God is cumulative. Like a detective gathering clues, no single piece settles everything, but together they point in one direction:
- The universe began to exist, so it needs a cause beyond space, time, and matter.
- The universe exists at all, when it might not have, so it needs an explanation outside itself.
- The laws of physics are fine-tuned within narrow ranges that allow life.
- Objective moral values exist, which require a moral lawgiver.
- The best explanation for the historical facts about Jesus' death is that God raised him from the dead.
The Bible says this kind of evidence is there for everyone to see: "Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities… have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made" (Romans 1:20). God is not hiding; he promises to be found by those who seek him with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13).
Key evidence
- The cosmological argument: the universe began to exist and needs a cause.
- The contingency argument: the universe needs an explanation outside itself.
- The fine-tuning argument: physical constants fall within life-permitting ranges.
- The moral argument: objective moral values require a moral lawgiver.
- The historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.
Bible passages
- Romans 1:19-20 God's invisible qualities are clearly seen.
- Psalm 19:1-4 "The heavens declare the glory of God."
- Acts 17:24-28 God is not far from each one of us.
- Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Discussion questions
- What kind of evidence would you expect for God, if he exists?
- Which of the five lines of evidence do you find most compelling, and why?
- Why might a cumulative case be stronger than any single argument?