Our “Quick Shot” series offers brief answers to common objections to the Christian worldview. Each response is limited to one paragraph. These responses are designed to (1) answer the objection as concisely as possible, (2) challenge the objector to think more deeply about his or her claim, and (3) facilitate a “gospel” conversation. In this article, we’re offering “Quick Shot” responses to the objection, Quick Shot: “There is no evidence for God’s existence.”
Response #1:
“What do you mean by evidence? There are two forms of evidence: direct evidence (eyewitness testimony) and indirect evidence (everything else). Both forms of evidence are used to make cases in a court of law. There is a large body of direct evidence for God’s existence, like the testimony of those who observed the Resurrection of Jesus and the testimony of those who have experienced the miraculous intervention of God. There is also a large body of indirect evidence for God’s existence, like a universe that came into existence from nothing, the naturalistically implausible appearance of fine-tuning in the universe, the miraculous origin of life from inorganic matter, and the improbable existence of information in DNA. All this indirect evidence is most reasonably explained by a Divine Creator. Do you think you might be interested in examining all the direct and indirect evidence related to God’s existence?”
There is a large body of indirect evidence for God’s existence, like a universe that came into existence from nothing, the appearance of fine-tuning, the origin of life, and the information in DNA. Share on X
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Response #2:
“If God didn’t create the universe and everything in it, then the cosmos are simply the product of physics, chemistry, space, time and matter. What evidence do you have that these features and forces can produce the consciousness or free-agency we experience? What evidence is there that physics and chemistry can produce the high-level information we find in DNA? What evidence do we have that these forces can account for the appearance of fine-tuning in the universe or the appearance of design in biological structures? If evidence is important to you, how can you accept naturalistic explanations for these features of the universe when there isn’t sufficient evidence to support such claims?”
If evidence is important to you, how can you accept naturalistic explanations for these features of the universe when there isn’t sufficient evidence to support such claims? Share on X
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Response #3:
“One of the most famous atheists of his generation, Antony Flew, once thought the same thing. He was an accomplished analytic and evidentialist philosopher who debated Christians and wrote several classic books defending atheism. But when he examined the evidence of DNA, he changed his mind. He found that the level of genetic information in DNA simply could not be explained without an intelligent author/Creator. He eventually became a theist on the basis of this evidence. If this form of evidence was good enough for him, do you think it might be worthy of your investigation?”
Our “Quick Shot” series was written specifically for the Cold-Case Christianity App (you can download it on Apple and Android platforms – be sure to register once you download the App). When confronted with an objection in casual conversation, App users can quickly find an answer without having to scroll beyond the first screen in the category. Use the App “Quick Shots” along with the “Rapid Responses” and Case Making “Cheat Sheets” to become a better Christian Case Maker.
For more information about the scientific and philosophical evidence pointing to a Divine Creator, please read God’s Crime Scene: A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe. This book employs a simple crime scene strategy to investigate eight pieces of evidence in the universe to determine the most reasonable explanation. The book is accompanied by an eight-session God’s Crime Scene DVD Set(and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case.
J. Warner Wallace is a Dateline featured cold-case homicide detective, popular national speaker and best-selling author. He continues to consult on cold-case investigations while serving as a Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He is also an Adj. Professor of Christian Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, and a faculty member at Summit Ministries. He holds a BA in Design (from CSULB), an MA in Architecture (from UCLA), and an MA in Theological Studies (from Gateway Seminary).
Michael Sexton
March 14, 2021 at 6:38 pm
I find it very frustrating when I talk to some unbelievers because as you mentioned all the evidence, which our team in Balboa Park put on full display, we get lot’s of people to stop by and talk with us and some have even changed their minds praise God.