I’m a pretty open-minded kind of person, so it really bothers me when Christians tell me that no evidence would convince me that their God exists. I mean in a sense, I guess they are right in that there actually is no evidence that has convinced me, but I think it is a copout to say that my “heart has been hardened” to the point where no evidence could possibly convince me.
While I can’t speak for all atheists, I can say that I have a fairly good record of changing my opinions and beliefs based on new information and evidence. I have even changed my belief on the existence of God. Yes, I grew up believing in God and now I don’t. My view has changed. Yet most religious believers have grown up indoctrinated into their religion and have not changed their mind. Some might not have taken their religion all that seriously and then become more religious as they got older, but I think it is fair to say that most Christians in America were raised by Christian parents and have lived their lives in a predominantly Christian society.
Anyway, back to me. Yes, I am capable and even willing to change my belief about the existence of God based on actual evidence. However, it has to be real evidence and not just some Sunday School platitude like, “the world is evidence.” No, the world is not evidence of the existence of God any more than rainbows are evidence of the existence of Leprechauns. No, I need actual evidence.
Coincidences also don’t count as evidence. I remember a woman in one of my religion classes in college saying that she became a believer because she was short on money for the bus, prayed about it, and then found .65 cents in the couch cushion. I don’t know, maybe if the .65 cents magically appeared in her hand or fell from the sky or something, I might consider that something, but as it is, loose change often falls out of people’s pockets when they sit on the couch and when you are actively looking for loose change and find it, I don’t really see that as strong evidence for the existence of a deity.
So what would it take? Well, I do have a few ideas. I mean if I saw an amputee have his or her limb regrow in front of my eyes with no scientific explanation, that would certainly cause me to pause and consider. But to be honest, I don’t think I would immediately jump to the conclusion that, “God did it.”
Yes, I am a pretty hard sell. I mean even if an amputee’s limb regrew in front of my face, I still might not consider that a miracle of God. If that wouldn’t necessarily convince me, what would? To be honest, I really don’t know. But do you know who would know? God!
Yeah, Mr. All-knowing God would know exactly what it would take to convince me. So I guess if God exists, he knows what would convince me. Therefore, the fact that I’m still an atheist is his damn fault. He knows where I live. Come over here and show yourself; you know what you need to do.
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