Why the Atheist Rejection of God Falls Short.
A common basis for atheism is the claim that there is a “lack of conclusive evidence” for the existence of God.
The weakness with this position is that it overlooks the breadth of evidence that theism draws upon – evidence written not only in Scripture but also inscribed in the universe itself and in the depths of human experience. Far from requiring blind faith, belief in God rests on a cumulative case that is philosophically robust, historically credible, and existentially compelling.
1. Evidence in the Universe: Design, Purpose, and Causality
The universe bears unmistakable marks of order, intelligibility, contrition, intelligence, intentionality and fine-tuning. Thomas Aquinas argued that the observable order in creation points to an intelligent cause (Aquinas, Summa Theologica I, q.2, a.3).
Nothing happens without a cause. Every effect points back to something that brought it into existence. The universe itself is no exception, it, too, requires an adequate cause. It is important to note that the reason or ground of a cause must lie outside its resultant effects. Otherwise, the effect would be responsible for bringing itself into existence – a clear impossibility. This is precisely where classical theism holds a decisive advantage over atheistic explanations based purely on the Big Bang or evolution. A self-contained, self-explanatory universe is philosophically incoherent.
Neither the Big Bang nor evolutionary processes possess the intrinsic capacity to cause themselves or to initiate their own existence. At best, they describe how the universe developed once it existed – not why it exists at all. On the contrary theism posits a necessary being – uncaused, self-existent, and independent of the physical universe. This necessary being provides the rational foundation for the existence of the universe, the origin of its laws, and the intelligibility of its order. Without such a necessary cause, atheistic explanations remain incomplete and ultimately circular.
William Lane Craig revived the Kalam Cosmological Argument contending that the universe is neither eternal nor self-causing, therefore it must have been caused by something or someone more powerful and wiser than it is. The precise constants of physics, the complexity of biological information, and the elegance of natural laws strongly suggest intentionality rather than randomness – all point to the Supreme Being who must have caused all things to be.
The folly of atheism is that it typically responds with “not enough evidence” argument but fails to offer an alternative explanation that is equally coherent. It simply argues “no enough evidence” yet it provides no conclusive evidence for its claims.
As C.S. Lewis once remarked, “You cannot get something so complex from nothing without reason” (Mere Christianity, 1952).
2. Evidence Within Humanity
The nature of humanity itself points to God’s existence. Key pointers in humanity are:
- Morality
- Consciousness
- Spirituality
Morality presents one of the most compelling lines of evidence. Human beings everywhere recognise concepts such as justice, goodness, and obligation. These concepts don’t exist in abstract, they have a purpose.
Immanuel Kant is on strong ground when he maintains that the moral law within us points beyond mere physical existence. Alvin Plantinga adds that atheism cannot coherently account for human rationality. Plantinga observes that if our minds were products of blind physical processes, we would have no reason to trust our own reasoning (Plantinga, Warrant and Proper Function).
Recent scientific discoveries are beginning to raise questions about spirituality which point significantly to supernatural realities. Modern neuroscience is increasingly recognising that spirituality is not an accidental illusion, but a fundamental part of human cognition. The more we understand the human brain, the more evident it becomes that human beings are wired for transcendence.
3. Revelation
This is the dimension atheism cannot access. Natural evidence points us toward God. Revelation is God’s self-disclosure. Revelation confirms what reason perceives faintly. Scripture affirms both:
“The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1)
“Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen” (Romans 1:20)
Revelation is experiential and relational. It requires humility and openness – qualities that atheism often pre-emptively dismisses. This is why arguments alone rarely bring atheists to faith: revelation is encountered, not merely deduced.
4. The Limits of Atheistic Arguments
Historically, atheists from David Hume to Friedrich Nietzsche have struggled to dismantle theistic belief without contradicting their own assumptions. Contemporary atheists like Richard Dawkins – who now publicly calls himself a ‘cultural Christian’ – increasingly acknowledge the explanatory power of the Christian worldview, especially concerning morality, meaning, purpose and human value. Despite loud objections, most atheist arguments return to a single refrain: “not enough evidence.”
Yet they cannot explain away:
- The fine-tuning of the cosmos
- The existence of objective morality
- Human consciousness and rationality
- The universal human impulse toward spirituality
- The transformative testimony of revelation
The “lack of evidence” claim is therefore less persuasive today than ever before.
Conclusion
The rejection of God based on “insufficient evidence” collapses under thoughtful examination.
- The universe speaks.
- Conscience speaks.
- Revelation speaks.
Together they form a consistent and compelling portrait of a purposeful Creator.
In fact, atheism is less likely a conclusion reached by pure reason but rather just a refusal to follow the trail of evidence to its logical end. An atheist is like “I have done my best, I can’t find God, therefore he doesn’t exist.”Intriguing!
By JPC Ntuntu
