LETTER: Exploring the question ‘does God exist?’

Mr Pendle acknowledges many great minds exorcise themselves over the question of God’s existence. That is because there is an essential disquiet in the human heart.

Richard Dawkins would call it a “God meme”; atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell called it a “God-shaped hole”; Christian theologian John Calvin called it the sensus divinitatis.

Whatever way you look at it, however, humans have a sense of the existence of God and its importance for their lives. It may be found when one sees creation in all its beauty and order on a September sunrise. Or perhaps it is found in the disquiet we feel when we see suffering in wars or earthquakes and when prayers are apparently not answered (all Mr Pendle’s disquiets) – we seem to say “things should not be like this,” and yearn for something more, or better. Mr Pendle should acknowledge and examine that sense he will sometimes feel himself. Why does it seem occasionally to worry us?

In the same column, Mr Pendle mocked those grieving for the death of “Two Tone the monster carp”. “Now hang on a minute,” he wrote, “this is a fish we are talking about.” Mr Pendle obviously attaches much greater import and dignity to human life, but can only do this if he (consciously or subconsciously) presupposes the existence of a creator God who is in a special relationship with the human race and gives it meaning as the centrepiece of His creation.

Without a creator, nothing can assume any worth and everything is the chance collision of atoms. Those mourning the death of those killed in the wars and earthquakes Mr Pendle mentions would be just as valid a target for his mocking.

Of course, this is sick, and Mr Pendle demonstrates nothing is further from his intentions and emotions. The point is no one lives as if we are “shaved apes”; but the meaning, worth and dignity we attach to human life can only come from it being defined in relation to a beneficent creator.

When we clamour for “justice”, we are hoping on a transcendent “good” standard by which we should all live and be judged. It could be that part of that disquiet we have concerning the possible existence of God is because we fear His judgment.

Knowing that if my life were under the microscope of an omnipotent, omniscient and holy God certainly makes me care about whether such a being exists! If I am to meet this God face to face and am to be judged by the standards I’ve applied to others with all my thoughts, words and actions laid bare, I certainly want to look into how I get right with him! It certainly matters!

Perhaps in that context hell isn’t only a fitting simile for England’s World Cup chances (bottom part of the same column) but something to be feared; as my turning my back on God could mean he will turn his back on me.

Since it matters, it also matters if we can find out the answer – something Mr Pendle denies the possibility of. But that is why it is so great that Jesus Christ is claimed by the Bible to be God incarnate, walking into the pages of history. His life, death and resurrection are the proof-texts of God’s existence and character.

If Mr Pendle wants to know if he can find out The Answer, we commend to him a Christianity Explored course which seeks to lay out the evidence for examination and discussion. Nothing could be more important.

TOM WOOLFORD AND MARGARET ADDISON

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