Evidence for God in Morality Archives

January 23, 2026January 17, 2026

Marriage and Contentment

It has been said that people need three things to be content: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. The biblical institution of marriage dates back to God’s statement in Genesis 2:18: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” A study conducted by Dr. Brad Wilcox, professor of sociology and director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, has confirmed that statement. There is a strong link between marriage and contentment.

The number of people living alone is increasing quickly, and the study finds that this is a major reason for the decline in national happiness. One possible cause for this trend is that some people see marriage as linked to religious belief, yet over 40% of Americans claim no religious affiliation. Additionally, there has been a rise in the number of divorced individuals.

The survey indicates that happiness is closely tied to marriage and family. Married men between 18 and 55 report being about twice as happy as their unmarried counterparts, whereas unmarried fathers are the least happy. Married women with children report the highest happiness levels, while single mothers are the least happy. The research shows a 30-percentage-point gap in happiness levels between married and unmarried Americans. According to the study, marital status has a greater impact on happiness than income, education, race, or location. It also notes that those who cohabited before marriage have a significantly higher divorce rate. Marriage was defined as a legal contract between a man and a woman.

In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus responded to a question from the Pharisees about marriage and divorce. He said that God created humans male and female and that marriage involves the two becoming one flesh. This description is not sexual but pertains to God’s plan for contentment and happiness. The studies by Wilcox and others have confirmed the validity of God’s plan and demonstrate the connection between marriage and contentment.

Reference: “Who Is Happiest?” Institute for Family Studies

January 19, 2026January 17, 2026

The Curse of Minimalism

OK, you may not find “minimalism” in your dictionary, and Alexa didn’t like it. However, it is a problem in today’s world and an issue that Jesus Christ addressed. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5: “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul, and mind.” In today’s world, that kind of statement is frowned upon by many people. We hear things like: “Do I have to go to church to be saved?” “How much do I have to give when the collection plate passes?” “Am I going to hell if I drink a beer?” etc. Questions like these show a very poor understanding of what Christianity is all about and a great ignorance of what the Bible teaches. That is what I mean by the curse of minimalism.

Minimalism can also be destructive in other areas of our lives. How many of us would think or say, “What is the least I can do to have a happy marriage?” What would be the result if a parent does the minimum required in parenting? What happens in the workplace when employees do only what’s necessary to get by? Every manager or business owner knows how harmful attitudes like that can be.

The biblical teaching is very clear about the importance of avoiding minimalism. In ancient Israel, everyone was expected to set aside one day each week for prayer, study, and worship. The Sabbath was not a day of sleep, but a day away from the demands of everyday life. Imagine the impact of a person spending one-seventh of their time in service to others. We all have 168 hours each week, and one-seventh of that is 24 hours, or nearly 4 hours each day dedicated to serving others. The remaining 20 hours could be used for work, sleep, eating, and doing things we enjoy.

Most of us don’t really know what we do with our time. Try budgeting your time for a week. Set aside time to serve God and others, and make sure you get enough sleep, eat well, work, do chores, and enjoy your hobbies. You will find great rewards in escaping the curse of minimalism and in appreciating the gift of time that God has given us.

January 16, 2026January 14, 2026

The Ignorance of Modern Churchgoers

Postmodern America is searching for answers in all the wrong places, and this is evident both in churches and in the secular world. The Family Research Council (FRC) and the Cultural Research Center (CRC) surveyed 1,000 churchgoers, adults who attend Christian church services at least once a month. The survey found that the ignorance of modern churchgoers is significant.

Only 54% of churchgoers said they believe that the Bible is the true, inspired, and error-free Word of God. Only 61% can say that they believe in the God described in the Bible. Only 51% said the Bible speaks clearly on abortion, and only 47% said it is clear on homosexuality. When asked whether they prefer capitalism or socialism, 32% of churchgoers favored socialism.

Although 30% of those surveyed claimed to have a biblical worldview, the survey shows that only 11% actually do. CRC research director George Barna remarked, “This generation of churchgoers is increasingly unsure of what they believe—or why.” The challenge for church leaders is how to modify their education programs to confront this ignorance. Currently, the tendency is either to deny the problem or to offer a simplified, outdated explanation that doesn’t meet the needs of today’s young people.

The FRC findings indicate that there is “widespread confusion about the most basic truths of the Christian faith—about who God is, what sin is, and how someone is saved.” I would add to this list confusion over WHAT God is. The ignorance of modern churchgoers is troubling, and clearing up this confusion is what this ministry is about.

References: frc.org and arizonachristian.edu

January 9, 2026December 31, 2025

The Unchurching of America?

American news website Axios featured an article by Russell Contreras titled “The Great Unchurching of America.” It begins with the statement, “The U. S. is undergoing its fastest religious shift in modern history.” The article notes a “rapid increase in the religiously unaffiliated” and “numerous church closures nationwide.” Is there an “unchurching of America?”

The article points out that “nearly three in 10 American adults today identify as religiously unaffiliated” (Also called “nones “). That figure rises to four in ten among Americans aged 18-29. According to a Gallup survey, 57% of Americans “seldom or never attend religious services, ” up from 40% in 2000. According to the article, 15,000 churches will shut their doors this year, while only a few thousand are expected to open. This results in empty buildings that were once community gathering places for AA meetings, town halls, or voting precincts. These abandoned buildings are difficult to sell.

It seems to me that many of the abandoned church buildings are affiliated with liberal denominations that have abandoned the gospel message. The article mentions that megachurches remain stable. Perhaps that is because they can offer more for families than small, aging churches. As we have said before, the church is not a building.

Are we witnessing the unchurching of America, or is this a shift away from religious liberalism toward more conservative, biblical Christian values? Could this also signal a return to political conservatism? Axios notes that only 12% of Republicans identify as religiously unaffiliated, compared to 34% of Democrats.

Axios asserts that “There is no widespread academic or mainstream evidence of a large-scale national religious awakening.” Time will reveal whether this so-called “unchurching of America” reflects a genuine loss of faith or an abandonment of hollow churches that have become mere social clubs, lacking belief in basic biblical truths. A return to fundamental biblical Christian faith and a renewed focus on evangelism and sharing that faith may be on the horizon.

Reference: Axios.com

December 31, 2025December 23, 2025

Morality’s Design Posts in 2025

As we end 2025, we look back on some of our Morality’s Design posts in 2025. We have selected 10 that you may have missed.

Are humans hardwired for moral behavior? https://doesgodexist.today/hardwired-for-moral-behavior/

Who invented slavery and when? https://doesgodexist.today/who-created-slavery/

When you die, how do you want to be remembered? https://doesgodexist.today/how-would-you-want-to-be-remembered/

National Geographic reported on marijuana and recreational cannabis use. https://doesgodexist.today/national-geographic-cannabis-report/

The tragedy of gender transitions for children. https://doesgodexist.today/the-story-of-clementine-breen-and-gender-transition/

Fraud in scientific research data is increasing. https://doesgodexist.today/fraud-in-scientific-research-data/

Is there such a thing as free will? https://doesgodexist.today/free-will-is-it-an-illusion/

The plague of online sextortion is affecting teenage boys. https://doesgodexist.today/sextortion-scam-and-teenagers/

What is the connection between alcohol use and cancer? https://doesgodexist.today/alcoholic-beverages-and-cancer/

The lure of gambling is trapping more people. https://doesgodexist.today/the-lure-of-gambling/

November 6, 2025November 4, 2025

Hardwired for Moral Behavior

A question that evolutionists and naturalists cannot answer is why even atheists follow a moral code. I have seen this personally in my family. My father was an atheist, a philosophy professor, and a disciple of the philosopher John Dewey. He wrestled with the question of morality throughout his career. The truth is that my father was a very moral man. He never cheated anyone, taught his kids to be honest, never plagiarized or misrepresented a colleague’s or student’s work, never cheated on his taxes, and, as far as I know, was completely faithful to my mother. When I became a Christian, I asked him why he was so moral and honest, and he simply said, “I don’t know.” Is it possible that humans are hardwired for moral behavior?

An article in Scientific American by Elizabeth Svoboda titled “The Neuroscience of Morality” provides substantial evidence that morality is not learned or a product of evolution. Svoboda noted that physical disgust and moral disgust are “uniquely connected.” A key statement in the article is, “When we first become aware of an ethical violation, we’re hardwired to react much as we might to a steaming cow pie” (A cow pie is a pile of manure left by a cow). However, the article suggests there is a slippery slope: once you start acting immorally, such as by lying or cheating, it becomes easier to continue. Conversely, when people act morally in tempting situations, it becomes easier to have moral courage next time.

Titus 1:2 states that God cannot lie. Since we are created in the image of God, we are hardwired for moral behavior, including telling the truth. A child can learn to lie, but as a parent, I could look into my young child’s eyes and tell whether they were being honest. By the time kids become teenagers, they have learned to lie so convincingly that only a polygraph can reveal the truth. When adults are conditioned to lie, they often become unstable and may need psychological help.

The scientific evidence is clear. Humans are unique in many ways, but one key feature is that we are hardwired for moral behavior, which stems from being created in the image of God. Animals, however, do not have a moral code because they are not created in God’s image.

Reference: “The Neuroscience of Morality” by Elizabeth Svoboda in the November issue of Scientific American (pages 32-39

November 4, 2025November 3, 2025

Transgender Detransitioners and the Church

One criticism often leveled against our ministry is that we are religously biased against the transgender community. However, this criticism is flawed on several points. First, our ministry’s primary concern is solely with whether the biblical record is accurate. Second, physical evidence indicates that transgender medical treatments can be harmful and are often influenced by political and financial motives rather than the best interests of young people. The transgender movement also tends to dismiss transgender detransitioners—individuals who regret their choices and wish to revert to their birth gender.

Scientific evidence clearly shows that the transgender movement is misguided, but this information is not readily available to young people, their families, or the public. Studies reveal that 85% of children who once desired to be the opposite sex during puberty eventually outgrow those feelings. When not encouraged to transition, 17 out of 20 children with gender dysphoria resist the urge to transition. According to the American Psychiatric Association in 2013, gender dysphoria affected only 0.014% of boys and 0.003% of girls. A 2021 study in Pennsylvania found that 9.2% of public high school students did not identify with their biological sex—an increase of about 900% in less than ten years.

When children are encouraged to transition, many will eventually regret that choice and may seek acceptance from the Church community. The challenge for Christian congregations is how to respond to transgender detransitioners who come to the Church. In Old Testament times, nations at war with Israel practiced castration of captives. Historians note that captives were often castrated to serve as court servants, cutting them off from their families, ancestors, and culture, while ensuring they could have no descendants. They were left with no identity other than that of servants to their new masters.

In the Torah, eunuchs are not allowed to serve in the priesthood (Leviticus 21:20) or to worship with the assembly (Deuteronomy 23:1). In the New Testament Church, we see acceptance of eunuchs. Acts 8 describes the conversion and baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch after Philip explained the meaning of the prophecy of Jesus in Isaiah 53. If he had advanced the scroll a couple of turns, he might have read Isaiah 56:3-5, where God shows compassion for eunuchs.

Christians must love and care for all people in need while also teaching children and their parents about the destructive effects of the transgender movement. Congregations need to address this issue similarly to how they handle the dangers of destructive drugs. Preventive education is part of a Christian’s duty, but showing compassion and love to those harmed by evil in today’s world is also a core teaching of Jesus Christ. Transgender detransitioners need to understand that God loves them.

Reference: “Detransitioners in Your Church Doorway?” By Jonathan P. Clemens in Eikon, volume 4, issue 2, fall 2022

October 17, 2025October 16, 2025

Liberal, Missouri: A Strange Town

One of the strongest arguments for Christianity and the existence of God is that atheists lack a purpose for their existence. This may seem like a topic for philosophical debate, but in practice, atheism often leads to disaster. Skeptics might say it’s just my opinion, but there is historical evidence supporting this view. The story of Liberal, Missouri, is a clear example.

On October 26, 1880, George H. Walser, an Illinois lawyer and self-described “freethinker,” filed a plan for a town in Missouri. The town would be divided into eight blocks, with 25 commercial lots, 57 residential lots, and a city park. Anyone wishing to join the “freethinker” town had to agree that no church, Christian, or believer in God could live there.

The story of Liberal, Missouri, along with the supporters and opponents of Walser’s town, was documented in a book by James Proctor Moore titled This Strange Town–Liberal, Missouri, with the subtitle “A History of the Early Years 1880 to 1910.” Sadly, the book is now out of print, but it describes what happened in Liberal. It clearly shows that without belief in God, there is no reason for anyone to be moral, and without morality, everything falls apart.

Today, Liberal, Missouri, still exists, with a population of 629 residents according to the 2020 census. However, it is no longer an atheist or “freethinker” town. As reported on churchfinder.com, it now has six churches.

Looking at what is happening in America today, we see a repeat of the events in Liberal. Over 40% of Americans, when asked about their religious beliefs, say “none.” As a result, America is turning into a nation without moral values. Will we learn from history, or will we repeat it?

References: Wikipedia.org, churchfinder.com

October 8, 2025October 8, 2025

Who Created Slavery?

On June 17, 2025, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine stood before the United States Senate and said, “The United States didn’t inherit slavery from anybody. We created it.” That shocking statement shows a complete lack of historical knowledge. Slavery goes far back in history, predating the formation of the United States. Who created slavery? Let’s examine that question.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Muslim pirates from the Barbary Coast of North Africa captured white Europeans and Americans, taking more than one million into slavery. By 1800, over 20% of the United States’ revenue was used to pay slave ransoms and tributes to Muslim leaders. This ended when the newly established U.S. Navy defeated the Barbary pirates in 1815.

Going further back in time, when English settlers arrived in the early American colonies, Africans were enslaving other Africans, and they sold their own brothers to the Americans and Europeans. The English first abolished slavery, but it took the Americans more time to remove this evil.

Farther back in history, slavery was common in ancient Rome and Greek culture. Earlier still, the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites. Exodus 1:12b-14 (ESV) says, “And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and all kinds of work in the field. In all their work, they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.”

There are many other examples of slavery throughout history, but the question remains: who created slavery? Let’s go all the way back to Eden in Genesis chapter 2. Satan lied to the woman and led her and the man into his trap of sin. So, who created slavery? The originator of slavery was Satan. Adam and Eve thought they were gaining new freedom by eating the forbidden fruit, but they became slaves. In John 8:34, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”

However, the key question is not who created slavery, but who can free us from this slavery to sin? There is a path to freedom described in Romans 6:3-6 (ESV): “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

Those who have been released from slavery to sin should share that message with others. We should also do all we can to bring an end to physical slavery, which still exists in many regions of the world.