It started out innocently enough. I was browsing diary entries over on Kuro5hin.org, something I find interesting on occasion. I ran across an entry by a self proclaimed atheist who was ranting about his experiences with a hard core Christian evangelist, among other things. If you’re interested you can find the whole exchange here.

I posted to the diary simply to point out that while it is impossible to prove the existence of God, it is also impossible to disprove it. Naturally this lead to an interesting exchange which remarkably enough, remained quite civil.

It’s left me wondering though, just how can I prove the existence of God to someone else? The short answer is that I can’t. It is impossible for me to convince someone for whom nothing short of a chorus line composed of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will do the trick. I don’t have near enough spiritual clout to pull that off.

I think all of Christianity has done itself a great disservice through the years. There is so much infighting, turmoil and outright hatred that those on the outside look in and say, “What’s so good about religion?” The classical evangelical approach falls flat on it’s face for many people, myself included. Someone who can think, someone who has already observed religion around the world and come to the conclusion that it does more harm than good isn’t going to be phased at all by the story of Jesus Christ. It just won’t work. What is the compelling argument?

I wish I had a compelling argument, an easy answer. However it tends to be a highly personal experience in Christianity. Unfortunately, it’s an experience which has been categorized by many. There is only one way to do it, and depending on who you talk to the way is different. I’ve heard stories of people who were baptized being told they would have to be re-baptized just to join a different Christian sect. Other stories about churches who will deny communion to people who are not a member of that church.

What happened to the concept of Christians as followers of Christ? Where did the concept of Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Lutherans, etc. come from? Those are questions for people far more educated than me.

It seems that modern society likes to reduce things to their essence. Twelve steps to spiritual enlightenment. I don’t think it’s that easy. There’s an entire lifestyle change that has to happen, a conscious decision to study and consider what you learn in a process that never ends. I would go so far as to say it is a sin to sit back and let someone else tell you what it all means. The process has to be active, it requires participation. I can’t prove anything to anyone if they are not willing to ask the questions on their mind. If they don’t feel they can ask those questions, then I will have failed in my mission.

I think the key is to keep an open mind. Be willing to discuss the significance of everything and be able to admit that you might be wrong. That in itself is a hard thing to do.

Do I have proof of the existence of God? Yes. However it’s only proof for me. If you’re prepared to acknowledge the possibility of God, then you’re ready to find your own proof.