Friday, June 1, 2012

Reasons Why God is Rejected

There are many reasons why people refuse to believe in God. Here are some of the reasons and the refutation.

1. Too many claimants
They said that there are many religions claiming that their god is true and his words preserved in their holy book.
Refutation:
The truth is there are only two major monotheistic religions with holy books. It is not too difficult to check which is true. So which of the two gods is true? The one who created a nation (Deuteronomy 4:34) and can declare the future (Isaiah 44:7, Isaiah 46:10).

2. Too much suffering
There are too much suffering from diseases, natural disasters and human cruelty. How could an all-loving God allow such suffering in the world? If an almighty God wants to awe us with his power, surely there must be less sadistic ways to do so.
Refutation:
Suffering is caused by sin. For a more detail explanation, see Romans 1:18-32.

3. God is created by ignorance
Before the advent of modern science, people have a limited understanding of the world around us and they created stories of gods and goddesses to explain these natural phenomena.
Refutation:
Gods and goddesses are created by men when they reject the true God. They had to worship something, so they created these gods and goddesses. Modern men, with the knowledge of science, worship money and idols (film stars, sports stars and successful men). For a more detail explanation, see Romans 1:18-32.

4. I don't need God
Nature provides for everything. Nature provides even justice. When men get too greedy, nature fights back with typhoon and tsunami. There is no need for gods of any kind to intervene.
日出而作,日入而息;凿井而饮,耕田而食。帝力于我何有哉!
I go to work at sunrise, I rest at sunset; I drank from the well I dug, I eat from the fields I tend; Why do I need God (上帝) for?
Refutation:
None.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. (Proverbs 26:4 ESV)

What are the consequences of rejecting God?
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (Psalm 53:1, Psalm 14:1 KJV)
Those who reject God become foolish and they commit sin and suffer. but they are under the delusion that they are wise ("Professing to be wise, they became fools" Romans 1:22). This bring greater evil and more suffering and they reject God even more. They cannot see themselves as the cause of the suffering and blamed God for it or they find that there is no reason for God to exist, since He does not bring an end to suffering. Since God is not acknowledged, He brings more suffering and more foolishness and it becomes a vicious cycle.

Romans 1:18-32 NASB
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Deuteronomy 4:34 NLT
Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.

Isaiah 44:6-8 HCSB
This is what the Lord, the King of Israel and its Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, says:
I am the first and I am the last. There is no God but Me. Who, like Me, can announce the future? Let him say so and make a case before Me, since I have established an ancient people. Let these gods declare the coming things, and what will take place. Do not be startled or afraid. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are my witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I do not know any.

Isaiah 46:5-11 KJV
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

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