Who Cares If There's A God?

There is no more basic statement when we are describing Christianity than saying “There is a God.”  But, why does that matter?  

1. It changes how we view the world

One reason why that statement is so important is because as a belief, it has a great impact on how we view the world.  If there is a God, then we will describe the world as created rather than existing by chance.  Miracles, answers to prayer, an afterlife, and inherent purpose (rather than purpose we create for ourselves) are all now possible.  Whether these things actually exist depends on which God we’re talking about, but we can only talk about these things if there actually is a God.  They make no sense on atheism.  

However, we should not believe in a God simply because we want these things.  If atheism is true and there simply is no God, then that is the way things are.  I, for one, want to believe what is actually true.  I do not want to trick myself into believing in something just because it makes me feel good. 

The point that I am making is that the statement “There is a God” has a huge impact on the way we see the world.  If the statement is true, it looks one way.  If it is false, it look another.  

2. It changes how we live

Another reason why God existing is so important is because it shapes what we do.  If there is a God, then we can speak of moral values as objective rather than subjective.  Everything is not relative.  Some things, at least, really are right and wrong.  It is right to love your neighbor as yourself; it is wrong to treat other people like objects or tools.  If there is no God, then we can only speak of actions as pleasant (or not) or beneficial (or not), but there is no right and wrong.  To each his own, whatever that may be.  

It would be worth our time to look into the question “Is there a God?”  The existence of a God (and not merely the belief in a God) makes a big difference on how we view the world and live in it.  However, finding out whether there are any good reasons to think that a God actually exists is a different question.  But, asking this question can help us figure out whether we have the right view of the world and are living the right way.