Evidence for God to Answer Challenges Archives

November 6, 2026November 4, 2026

Evidence for God – Part 3

3- Life Exists

An Associated Press headline reads, “Scientists Believe Artificial Life Will Be Possible in 3 to 10 Years.” The article is dated August 20, 2007. The report discusses a new scientific discipline known as synthetic biology, which aims to create life in the laboratory.

Two of the pioneers in synthetic biology were Jack Szostak and the late Craig Venter. Szostak’s team took a bottom-up approach to building artificial life forms, aiming to assemble biomolecular building blocks step by step until they had a living cell. Venter’s team took the top-down approach, trying to re-engineer existing cells by changing the DNA to create novel forms of life. Neither team has achieved the ultimate goal of creating artificial life.

The AP article said there are three major hurdles to creating artificial life. First, you need a container or cell membrane. It serves as a protective wall, keeping the materials required for life inside while keeping harmful molecules out. Living cells must have that. Second, you need a genetic system that controls all cell functions. This system has to allow the cell to mutate in response to the environment and, very importantly, to reproduce. Third, you need a metabolic system. The cell must be able to take raw materials from the environment and convert them into energy to power itself.

Those three hurdles challenge scientists today. If scientists ever overcome those barriers and create fully synthetic artificial life, what will they have proven? Will they have shown that life arises spontaneously from non-life? No. They will have proven that great intelligence, under carefully controlled conditions, can turn non-living matter into life-forms. They will have shown that life is not an accident but the creation of an intelligent being. That is what the Bible has said for thousands of years.

Even if scientists manage to create a living cell, they will NOT have created it from nothing. They will use the materials (and intelligence) God has given us. It reminds me of the old story about a scientist who challenged God, saying that it was no big deal to create a man from the dust of the ground. God said, “Go ahead and do it.” The scientist grabbed a handful of dust, and God interrupted him, saying, “Wait a minute! Make your own dust.”

Meet us at the International Conference on Missions at America’s Center in St. Louis, November 12-14, 2026, booth 1223 in the Exhibit Hall.

November 5, 2026November 4, 2026

Evidence for God – Part 2

2- A Fine-Tuned Universe Exists

If you want to bake a cake, you need the right ingredients in the right amounts, mixed correctly, and baked at the right temperature for the exact length of time. A universe is far more complex than a cake. Therefore, building a universe would require far greater precision, with many more ingredients in the right amounts, assembled in the right sequence, over the exact amount of time. Every factor must be precisely fine-tuned.

Scientists recognize that the universe requires fine-tuning for complex life to exist. The number of factors that must be fine-tuned is vast, but five essential ones are these:

Gravitational Force Constant – This force holds us on the ground instead of flying off into space. More than that, it holds the planet together and makes it round. It also holds the Moon in orbit around the Earth and the planets in orbit around the Sun. It holds together the Milky Way and all other galaxies. This force must be strong enough to form stars and planets, but if it were too strong, stars would burn out quickly, and no planets would form.

Electromagnetic Force Constant – This force holds atoms together. It must be just right for chemical bonds to form, creating molecules that make up everything, including our bodies.

Strong Nuclear Force Constant – This force holds together the protons and neutrons in the nuclei of atoms. It must be just right to form stable atoms.

Weak Nuclear Force Constant – This force regulates radioactive decay and must be precisely correct to form stars such as our Sun.

Cosmological Constant – This force controls the universe’s expansion speed, balancing gravity’s attractive pull with the repulsive force driving space to expand. It must be extremely precise to prevent the universe from flying apart or collapsing on itself.

A properly “baked” universe requires that all of these constants and many more parameters be just right. The chance of all of them coming together by accident is beyond impossible. Fine-tuning the universe requires intelligent planning, and it could not have happened by accident. Realizing that and not wanting to consider a Designer, scientists have devised a hypothesis to explain the universe’s fine-tuning. It is the theory of multiple universes, or the multiverse theory. It suggests there must be an almost infinite number of universes with different parameters, and we just happen to live in the one that got everything right. This idea has many problems, but we can’t even call it science because it lacks evidence and can’t be tested.

On the other hand, plenty of evidence suggests that God created the universe. Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Meet us at the International Conference on Missions at America’s Center in St. Louis, November 12-14, 2026, booth 1223 in the Exhibit Hall.

November 4, 2026November 4, 2026

Evidence for God – Part 1

1-Matter, Energy, Space, and Time Exist

If someone tells you God doesn’t exist, ask: if there is no God, why is there anything at all? After many years, even centuries, of insisting that the universe is eternal and had no beginning, scientists finally surrendered to the strong evidence that the universe had a beginning. There was once no time, space, or matter/energy. Nothing existed.

The beginning is commonly known as the Big Bang, but a better name is the Cosmic Creation Event. If nothing existed before, how did the universe come into existence? Whatever explanation you suggest, it must be outside of space and time and immaterial. Those things could not have created themselves.

That leads to the question: “If nothing existed before the Cosmic Creation Event or Big Bang, why does anything exist now?” Whatever caused the beginning would have to be outside of time and space and immaterial—something unseen. What could that be? “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:3). The God described in the Bible perfectly matches the requirements for the ultimate cause.

Many of today’s scientists insist that nothing exists beyond the natural things they can measure. Astronomer Carl Sagan famously said, “The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be.” Since the supernatural is beyond science’s limited boundaries, science can never answer these two questions: 1-“Why does the universe exist?” 2-“How did something come from nothing?”

The first question leads us to the second. If nothing existed before everything came into existence, “How can everything come from nothing?” If nothing existed before, how can something come from nothing with no cause? Since that does not make sense, scientists look for ways to redefine “nothing” to mean something other than absolutely nothing. But how can it be nothing if it is something, and what was the something? We suggest the answer is in Genesis 1:1.

— Roland Earnst © 2026

Meet us at the International Conference on Missions at America’s Center in St. Louis, November 12-14, 2026, booth 1223 in the Exhibit Hall.

November 3, 2026November 2, 2026

International Conference on Missions

Next week, the International Conference on Missions (ICOM) will convene in St. Louis, Missouri. This major gathering brings together churches connected with the Restoration Movement, along with missions, educational institutions, and support organizations from around the world. It will be a time to share, be inspired by outstanding speakers, and learn what is happening in evangelism today. Does God Exist? will be represented at ICOM.

In past years, the Christian Churches held the North American Christian Convention (1927-2018), and the Churches of Christ held the Tulsa Soul Winning Workshop (1977-2017). Since both of those gatherings have been discontinued, ICOM (which began in 1948) has helped fill the void, growing into a major gathering of like-minded Christians. We will be there to share the evidence for God’s existence with fellow believers, focusing on the areas listed in the picture above. It is essential for Christians to know why we believe what we believe.

If you are in the St. Louis area, we invite you to register for ICOM and stop by our booth (number 1223) in the exhibit hall. Even if you have to come from a distance, we are sure you will be inspired by the speakers and learn from the workshops and Bible study as you learn more about missions reaching the lost around the world.

The International Conference on Missions will be November 12-14, 2026, at the America’s Center in downtown St. Louis. You can learn more and register at theicom.org. Be sure to stop by our booth. We would love to see you there.

September 14, 2026September 13, 2026

Jesus Was Not Forecasting the Weather

In Matthew 16:2, Jesus quoted a weather slogan that shepherds and sailors used. You have probably heard it as “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.” In the culture Jesus addressed, you might substitute “shepherds” for “sailors.” Although this proverb contains some truth, Jesus was not forecasting the weather.

Science explains that ancient slogan. A red sky appears when dust and small particles are trapped in a high-pressure area and scatter blue light, making red predominant. As the Sun sets in the west and, in the mid-latitudes, the prevailing winds are from the west, that indicates a high-pressure zone is on the way, bringing fair weather. A red sky as the Sun rises in the east indicates that the high pressure has moved on and a wet or windy low-pressure system may be approaching. But, as I said, Jesus was not forecasting the weather.

Jesus had just fed over 4,000 people by the Sea of Galilee with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish (see Matthew 15:29-38). Then He got into a boat and went across to Magadan on the other side of the lake. There, His adversaries, the Pharisees and Sadducees, tested Him by asking for a sign to prove that He was really from God. Jesus responded by quoting that weather proverb. Then He called them a “wicked and adulterous generation.” He told them that He would give them no sign except for “the sign of Jonah.” What is the sign of Jonah?

The point Jesus was making was that there would be a very special sign, a miracle, to show that He was from God. Jesus had performed many miracles, including the recent feeding of more than 4,000 people with a tiny amount of food. No sign was going to convince the Pharisees of His divine nature. The special sign to come would be the only miracle Jesus ever predicted in advance. Jesus was not forecasting the weather or trying to impress the Pharisees. Without further explanation, Jesus left the questioners and walked away.

But what is the sign of Jonah? Go back a few chapters to Matthew 12:38-40. Jesus had just restored a man who was blind and mute, but the Pharisees accused Him of doing this by the power of the devil. Unsatisfied with the miracle Jesus had just performed, they challenged Him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” Jesus replied that He would give them no sign “except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then He explained what that sign is. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Jesus was predicting His resurrection from the grave. This was much more important than the daily weather. In both instances described in Matthew 12 and 16, Jesus had just performed a miracle when the Pharisees asked for a sign from heaven. Jesus knew they wouldn’t pay attention to any miracle He could show them. Only one miracle would impact Jesus’ disciples, making them fearless messengers who risked their lives to take the message of the resurrection to the world. There would be nothing the Pharisees and Sadducees could do to stop it. Neither can today’s enemies of Jesus Christ stop the message of the resurrection. Jesus was not forecasting the weather, but predicting something that would change the world.

Reference: metoffice.gov.uk

September 9, 2026September 8, 2026

How the World Ought to Be

In his book Unanswered, Jeremiah Johnston wrote that the number-one reason people walk away from faith in God is experiencing an unexpected personal tragedy. He described interviewing atheists who had once been believers. They told him that the reason they doubt the existence of God is “the world is not as it ought to be.” That raises the question of how the world ought to be and how we can know.

As Johnston wrote, stating that the world is not as it ought to be “infers a standard of objective worldwide virtue and goodness.” Where does that standard come from? From an atheist viewpoint, where could it come from? If the world is a cosmic accident that just happened and we are an evolving collection of molecules we call life, what is the criterion for deciding how the world ought to be? Who gives us the right to make that judgment?

Why should we expect anything good in this world? How can we define good, and how can we know the difference between good and evil? Skeptics can’t accept the idea of a God who cares when there is so much evil in the world. The question is: how can there be evil unless there is good, and how can there be good without God? What is the atheist using to define evil—or good?

Going beyond the existence of good and evil, why is there love? What is the source of love? Nobody can truthfully say that there is no such thing as love. The Bible tells us that God IS Love. (See 1John 4:8 and 16.) Love comes from God, in whose image we are made. God is also good, and without goodness, how can we define evil?

Yes, the world is not what it ought to be, but we cannot deny God’s existence because of that fact. Evil is obvious because good exists. Good and love exist because God exists. When someone asks why God allows evil, remember that evil exists because humans allow it. It is humans who have brought evil into the world, and it is up to the followers of Jesus to combat that evil with love.

We must begin by accepting God’s love, demonstrated by the sacrifice of His Son. When we become followers of Jesus Christ, we can share God’s love with others. Love and goodness, which come from God, can overcome the problem of evil. Those who deny the existence of God have no basis to know how the world ought to be.

September 4, 2026September 2, 2026

Questions of Faith and Charles Darwin

The late priest, professor, and author, Dr. Stanley Yaqui, told about a 17-year-old German student who wrote to Charles Darwin with questions of faith. He was confused and filled with doubt after the death of a friend

The young student was W. Mengden, and his letter to Darwin said, “I make bold to ask you whether strong belief in your theory is compatible with belief in God?” Darwin replied that his theory was compatible with belief. Mengden was not satisfied with that answer, so he pressed the question further in a second letter. Again, not satisfied with Darwin’s reply, he wrote again, “I therefore come to you for the third time, asking and begging, so that your kind reply may provide a directive that tells me what I should believe… I know not where apart from you, I can get hold get hold of the truth… Please tell me, can one believe in Christ as described in the Bible?”

Thinking about his best friend’s recent death, Mengden further asked, “If you, however, are kind enough to be generous with your answer, would you please tell me what one should think about life after death and whether one should expect to meet others in afterlife?”

Because Darwin’s health was failing, his son Frances pinned the reply on his father’s behalf. He wrote, “I am much engaged, an old man, and out of health, and I cannot spare time to answer your questions fully, — nor indeed can they be answered. Science has nothing to do with Christ, except insofar as the habit of scientific research makes a man cautious in admitting evidence. For myself, I do not believe that there ever has been any revelation. As for future life, every man must judge for himself between conflicting vague probabilities.”

As I read that correspondence from a young man seeking answers to some of life’s most important questions of faith, I can only think that Charles Darwin, a man who had given up his faith, would not be a good source for answers. All Darwin could say is that there are “conflicting vague probabilities.”

If you have questions of faith concerning the existence of God, the afterlife, and whether you can believe in Christ and the Bible, seek out the wisdom of a Christian who has a strong faith. And if you’re a Christian who can’t answer those questions, perhaps you need to study the scriptures and materials available from this ministry, along with information you can find on our websites. Christians should never fear questions, and we should never leave them unanswered.

For more information to answer these questions, see doesgodexist.org, doesgodexist.tv, and search the archives of this website, doesgodexist.today, or email jncdge@aol.com.

September 2, 2026September 1, 2026

Dolly Parton’s Grace

Entertainer Dolly Parton recently passed away from cancer at age 80. Her singing career began when she was only ten years old and continued for the next 70 years. I read an article about an interview she had with journalist Barbara Walters in 1978. The article was written by Dorie Clark, who taught communication at Columbia and Duke Universities. She praised Dolly Parton’s grace in handling a situation where someone talked down to her.

Barbara Walters was a prominent TV journalist, and Dolly Parton was a young rising star. Walters asked questions that could be considered insulting put-downs, criticizing her lower-class origins in Tennessee. Parton handled it with poise and grace while preserving her dignity. Parton began by briefly talking about growing up as one of twelve siblings in Tennessee. Walters interrupted by asking, “Dolly, where I come from, would I have called you a hillbilly?” Walters was obviously demeaning her at the very beginning of the interview.

Dolly Parton’s grace comes across when she responds to an insult by accepting the “hillbilly” label. She didn’t become offended or argue. She reframed the label by saying her people are proud, practical, and wise rather than backward or ignorant. I thought about how skeptics often try to demean Christians. “You mean to tell me you are one of those ignorant people who believe in Jesus, God, and the Bible?”

When we are confronted by an unbeliever in that way, do we cower, become angry, or strike back? Perhaps we should follow Dolly Parton’s grace when someone tries to put us down. Dolly’s response was, “We were very proud people, people with a lot of class. It was country class, but it was a great deal of class… Most of my people were not that educated, but they are very, very intelligent. Good common sense, horse sense, we called it.” Walters went on to ask Parton if she felt that she was a joke. Dolly took it in stride, when others would take offense. She said, “I am sure of myself as a person. I am sure of my talent.”

You can criticize her for her actions and style, or you can love her for her talent, confidence, and charity. My point is that we should demonstrate Dolly Parton’s grace when someone criticizes us for being one of “those ignorant Christians.” By being confident in what we believe and ready to defend it with facts and evidence, we can stand up to those who try to insult us for our faith. Instead of getting angry, we can show skeptics that Christians are intelligent, common-sense people who demonstrate God’s love for everyone, even those who criticize us for our faith. Soon in the interview, Barbara seemed to have a new respect for Dolly. Christians should learn from Dolly Parton’s grace to face criticism with confidence and truth.

References: You can read the article on msn.com and watch the interview on YouTube.com

August 31, 2026August 30, 2026

The UFO/UAP Issue and the Media

Yes, this picture is fake.

The media brings up old UFO/UAP stories, making it sound like we are being invaded by aliens. Sometimes the media attempts to relate this subject to biblical accounts. In 2 Kings 2:11, when Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind, some suggest that it was an alien transportation beam. Isaiah 66:15 says the Lord is coming with fire like a whirlwind, and some claim it describes an alien spacecraft coming to kidnap people for food or entertainment. The book of Revelation is heavily quoted as a picture of aliens. Revelation 19:11 says, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.” This, they suggest, is the ancient humans’ understanding of aliens and their spacecraft. Some skeptics use the UFO/UAP issue to discredit the Bible.

Politicians who are not trained in science are very happy to open a hearing where economics and human rights are not involved. When the media resurrects the UFO/UAP issue, politicians jump in to get free media coverage. A classic example of media distortion of the UFO/UAP issue is a Time magazine article for August 17, 2026 (pages 50-54). Here are some common errors the media reports that appear in this article.

1) Sightings are not modern. Time’s leading claim is from August 11, 1948. Many old claims have either been disproven or cannot be studied.

2) There is money in claims. The movie “Disclosure Day” grossed 93 million dollars worldwide on its opening weekend alone. The claims concerning Area 51 in Roswell, New Mexico, mentioned in the Time article, are fraudulent, including the museum with alien figures.

3) The American government continues to promote the UFO/UAP issue to distract Americans from the failures of politicians to answer the real problems facing American citizens today. Avi Loeb, a Harvard astrophysicist and cosmologist, was subjected to congressional questions, but he didn’t give the answers the politicians wanted.

The truth is that there is no credible evidence that aliens are controlling what happens on planet Earth. We need to solve our own problems, and Jesus Christ has told us how to do it. Soliciting alien help is not an option.

Reference: Time Magazine, August 17, 2026, pages 50-54.

July 10, 2026July 9, 2026

Why a Seven-Day Week?

An interesting question young people ask is why there are seven days in a week and why we have a weekend. The Bible gave humans a seven-day week, and that framework works very well. Genesis 2:2 tells us that on the seventh day God rested from the creation of the cosmos, and Exodus 20:11 repeats that assertion.

Skeptics have said this was copied from the Babylonians, since ancient Babylonian astronomers could see seven astronomical bodies – Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. But the Babylonians had a five-day week, and Babylonian contracts from Mari (Tell el-Hariri) show there was no day of rest or Sabbath, as work was carried on continuously. Other cultures had systems based on different numbers of days, such as the Egyptian ten-day week and the Roman eight-day week.

Attempts to replace the seven-day week with an astronomical system have failed. A day is the time for one rotation of the Earth on its axis, and a year is the time it takes for the Earth to make one revolution around the Sun. The problem is that it takes 365 and ¼ days to make one revolution, so we have to add an extra day in February every four years (for a leap year).

The seven-day week is a creation of God. It is seen in every part of human activity, including mental health and bodily functions. Every other system humans have tried has been unsuccessful. God created man in a way that allows us to live longer than any other mammal. The weekend reminds us of our unique existence, and the Sabbath in ancient times and the Lord’s Day in the Christian era reinforce our faith if we will allow them to.

References: USA Today and Wikipedia.