Is God a Myth?

In the city where I live, there are many churches, a conglomeration of many faiths or beliefs. From the standpoint of soul saving, there is little excuse for some of them to exist, for they make no effort to bring people into a closer walk with God. In a recent edition of a weekly paper published here, the editor tells of a teenage class at one of the largest and most popular congregations. In this class, the question was raised as to whether there really was a God, and after considerable discussion, most of the class, and presumably the teacher, came to the conclusion that God was only a myth: and yet that church asks financial support of the community on the basis that it is a religious institution! 

This reminds me of the statement of Paul, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). Did not David declare, “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God?” (Psalm 14:1). If I were to stand before that same class, and hold up an expensive watch and affirm that the watch came into existence by blind chance I would be laughed to scorn. Suppose I would tell a story as to the origin of that watch somewhat like this: “I am a watch-maker, and some time ago, I lost my lease on the building where my business was located, but I was soon able to rent another building; and so prepared to move. On moving day, I collected all my possessions, putting them in boxes and baskets. One basket I filled with odds and ends consisting of many various pieces of watches, such as springs, wheels, and such like. In the process of moving, that basket got badly jarred, and when the basket was opened, there lay this watch, perfect and complete in every detail. I knew I did not place a watch in there, but I accounted for the existence of the watch by theorizing that the heavy jar inflicted on the basket, just by chance, knocked all those pieces together to form this perfect watch! It was sheer chance that produced this remarkable watch! Furthermore, this watch was wound up and was running with the hands set at the exact time as the government standard time; and never since has that watch varied one single second in time, and it has never needed winding.” 

Such a story would not only be improbable but would be regarded as the fabrication of a disordered mind. Yet the vast universe about us is far more complicated than the best watch or clock ever made. Our sun, the center of our solar system, is surrounded by nine planets that revolve with mechanical regularity around the sun unceasingly. From the remotest recorded time, no variation of their speed nor the extent of their orbits has been perceptible to man. If there is no God, what incomprehensible power placed these planets in their orbits where they revolve in their calm, mysterious constancy through the ages? We know there can be no movement without a mover, no plan without a planner, and no design without a designer. From whence then came all the great demonstrations of nature? David affirmed, “The heavens declare of the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge” (Psalm19: 1, 2). Paul stated, “The invisible things of him (God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, so that they are without excuse”—Romans 1:20. 

David once said, “Behold I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). All who have studied the composition or operation of the human body must agree with that statement. The complexity of the chemistry of any living thing will remain a source of wonder and astonishment. Sir, George Darwin, the son of the famed Charles Darwin, declared in 1905, “The problem of physical life is as inscrutable now as ever.” In organic chemistry, or that which deals with non-living substances, is simplicity itself by the side of organic or life-originated chemistry. Thus, one atom of hydrogen, one atom of chlorine, and one atom of sodium will make one molecule of sodium chloride, or common salt. These three separate atoms might come together by chance, anywhere these atoms exist, but for any animal on earth, with red blood, it must in order to live, have in its blood cells that definite substance called hemoglobin. Now, a molecule of hemoglobin must contain the following number of atoms in their proportions, namely, of hydrogen atoms, 1304, of carbon atoms, 712, of nitrogen 214; and of iron, 1, or 2,304 atoms in all. Moreover, if that one atom of iron, in its peculiar relation to the rest, were left out, the animal could neither absorb oxygen nor give off carbonic acid; in other words, it could not breathe. In view of the above, who can believe that blind, unintelligent, unreasoning chance could arrange such chemical exactitude? Verily, the fool has said in his heart that there is no God. Once, my father, who was an evangelist, was on a train, and he got into a conversation with a gentleman who affirmed that he was a skeptic. In the course of their conversation, the skeptic said, “If you have a god, trot him out and let me have a look at him.” Father asked, “Do you mean to say that you can’t believe in anything unless you see it?” After a little hesitation, the man said, “I guess that is my belief.” Very quietly, Father asked, “Do you believe you have any brains?” The man was offended and said, “Of course I believe I have brains.” Father then asked, “Have you ever seen your brains?” and the man was silenced. 

One can well ask, “How can intelligence come from non-intelligence?” What has produced the intelligence in man that has enabled him to build the greatest steamships and the jet-propulsion planes, compose the world’s classics, and invent all the many things that are revealed at the Washington patent office? To boldly affirm there is no God, it must be proven that chance made this great, orderly universe and all life upon this one planet. The fact that man has a mind proves that he came from an intelligent mind, for it is a universal law of nature that “like begets like.” All living organisms “bring forth after their kind” (Genesis 1:21). 

In conclusion, let me state this: If the modern churches are going to teach that God is a myth, then I know of no excuse for such churches to exist. If they are but Temples of Infidelity, then let them change their name to harmonize with their teaching. And furthermore, if our young people are to be weaned away from faith in God, then what shall be the foundation of moral character? If there is no God, there can be no such thing as morality, and this will explain the great increase in juvenile delinquency. If man is only an animal, then he is without restraint except for the bloody law of the jungle.