Expert: Marvin Howard - 12/20/2010

Question
I do not admit that I reject the idea that there could possibly be a God that could rule the entire universe and created everything in it, but I have a LOT of doubt. I'm not really asking for a lecture here, just more of an.. awakening? I don't want you to sort of like shove anything down my throat, because I will immediately reject your argument, that's just who I am. I grew up my entire life being a full-fledged Christian, but I don't believe in the church anymore. One major reason is that I am gay, and I don't believe in a God, or a church, that believes that someone should be punished for their love toward another human being. But, that is beside the point. My main question is, how do you know that there is a God? I always feel like maybe there IS something out there, I just don't believe in the same something that Christians today believe. I have heard of so much corruption in the church. It's so hard to find the truth. Please don't tell me to just have faith... I need so much more than that. Thank you for your time, Derin.

Answer
Hi!

Derin, I will try to help you with this. There are several reasons I believe in God.

The first thing I want to do is let you know most organized religions are fakes, indeed. This explains the disillusionment. In Matthew 16:18, Christ only promised to build one church. The rest (catholicism and protestantism alike) fashion a god of their own liking; having him say the things they want to hear and do. This was actually foretold. In order to worship God, it must be in both Spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). Since it is also recorded that “thy word is truth” (John 17:17), then worship must be conducted in accordance with the Bible. There is only one religious group in the world that does this, and it is listed in Romans 16:16. Granted, there are humans in the church, and there will be problems because of it, but this is the reason that denominationalism is condemned (e.g., 1st Corinthians 1:10-12). Congregational autonomy ensures that the corruption of one will not infect the whole church.

Archaeology is constantly proving the Bible. There are so many external proofs one cannot help but at least take an investigative look at what is said. Towns recorded in the Bible, that academia has so long said were fictitious, are found on a regular basis. The evidence in this regard is so overwhelming; it now takes more faith to believe there is not a God, to just believe in random chance, than it does to believe He exists.

For as long as I can remember, God has been answering prayer for me. Numerous things have come to pass after I prayed. I could cite at least 50 examples tracing to a time when I was only 3 years old. I understand there are people who do not have prayers answered. I contend that this is not because there is no God, or that God doesn’t care about a particular person. Rather, God has declared certain conditions we must first meet. We must ask according to His revealed Will in the Bible. It is not recorded that He wants us to have millions of dollars, so asking for that won’t produce the desired results. We must also be covered in a righteousness that is not our own (yea, even beyond that of which a man is self capable) before He can even hear us. Any covenant is a two-way street. The only way we can have God’s end of the covenant is if we give Him ours, as well.

Then, you have to consider things recorded in the Bible, thousands of years prior to our knowledge. For millennia, people knew the earth was flat. They didn’t bother to read Isaiah 40:22, where God declared the earth was round: some 2,500 years before man knew it. People believed that Atlas held the world on his shoulders. Before that, Atlas was only a turtle. In the oldest document known to man, Job 26:7 says God hung the world on nothing. King David wrote, without knowing, that we would be able to follow the creatures of the deep in the currents of the sea (Psalm 8:8). This allowed for sufficient navigation by the sea faring peoples to inhabit the whole earth. By inspiration, man wrote so many things he simply didn’t know that turned out to be right.

Then we have the subject of prophecy. Though there are many topics and subjects, let’s just look at one: Jesus. What makes Jesus unique (and the Bible accurate) is He is the only Being, ever to exist, to whom Old Testament prophecies (333 recorded) alone apply truthfully and completely. The odds of this happening with any one person, and with only 100 of the prophecies, are 840,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (that is 84 times 10 to the 123rd power) to 1. This is far more than the number of people to ever inhabit the earth, and the possible time frames for fulfillment of some of these have now passed. This is more than enough to prove that the history and accuracy of Jesus and the Bible are sure and intact.

From all of this, I can safely see that the Bible is always right. Whenever man, or science, differs from the Bible, it is man that is wrong, or science is making statements without having all the facts. I have seen many instances of homosexuals ceasing the activity and changing themselves. No one else can change them. We are born liking certain foods and tastes. Yet, over time, we can acquire other tastes. This is done by desire. We want to eat the new thing, so we learn to like it. Often, there is nothing wrong with this. We can learn to enjoy certain foods that are bitter. We can acclimate our palates to cope with unreasonable levels of capsaicin in peppers. But, what happens if we try to consume bleach? Glass?  The television is currently running documentaries showing people addicted to eating glass, laundry soap, toilet tissue, and so on. They keep saying these people cannot help their desires. I don’t see that as even possible in anyone who cares about more than just themselves.

I am a widower with three children. I thoroughly enjoy sex. But, my wife was ill for the last several years of our marriage. I have gone some time without that level of intimacy. I am seeking a new wife. I have an innate desire, but I am not seeking every woman to take to bed. My passions and desires are under control. Yes, it is difficult. But, in my experience, the more difficult it is to be in control, the more valuable will be the reward at a later date.

There are 31 different words in the Greek text which translate to some form of the word, “love.” What is commanded of all me to all men is the all encompassing love known as agape. This is where you love the other person in such a way so as to love them more than yourself. The love experienced by homosexuals, and also between husband and wife, is the form known as, “eros.” God has always restricted this to a mate. It has never been acceptable, never mind commanded, that we give eros love to all mankind. Thus, there is no difference between trying to apply this kind of love to a male and an ineligible female. This argument is nothing but a red herring disseminated by an ideology that promotes self-gratification above all else.

Derin, that you recognize there is truth shows you are seeking. That is highly commendable. Just know that the truth is written. The Bible is absolute truth. You can read and study it. Compare it with any religion you may encounter. If the Bible says something different from a religious group, that religious group is not the church. I believe that with a better knowledge of the Bible’s contents, and an understanding that Satan wants people to think all religions are equal, that you will have an easier time accepting what God says above what the world teaches.

I pray this has been the type answer you sought. I have tried to strictly present evidence rather than just condemnation out of hand. If I can be of further assistance in this matter, or if you have other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard