There are some people around who would rather not know if God exists, even if there was evidence. I first realized this when I had been a Christian for a year, and I read two books: “God, Science and Evolution”, and “Christ and the Cosmos”, both by Prof. E.H. Andrews. Andrews was the Professor of Materials at the University of London, and formerly the Dean of Engineering at Queen Mary’s college. He had a long list of credentials. One day I was having a discussion with a friend of mine who challenged me to show him proof that God existed. I offered him my favorite answer “You’re looking at it right now!” That wasn’t good enough for him (although in God’s economy, it is enough). He insisted that all scientists believe in evolution. So I offered him one of Prof. Andrews’ books, telling my friend that Andrews was well qualified and a fascinating read. “No thanks”, he replied with a sneer.

Since that time, of course, more and more brilliant people who believe in God have been screened out of the educational system and the public eye in general. Why?

Years later I had a little debate with a Geology/ Geography school teacher along similar lines.  At that time I had in my personal library a book by Dr. A J Wilder-Smith, an English man with three earned science doctorates from Oxford. I offered to lend her my book which covered many subjects taught in school as “evidence” for evolution. I wanted to let her know that Creationism wasn’t just for semi – insane fundamentalist American preachers (which was her view). “No thank you”, she replied firmly, and declared that she didn’t want her world changed.

As time went on my book, video and then DVD collection grew. Not wanting to hoard the uplifting insights I had benefited from, I”ve offered them to family members, teachers, tutors, friends and strangers, who almost without exception have not been interested. One book, called “In Six Days”, containing the comments of fifty scientists all with Ph Ds and so on, and who believe in Biblical Creation, was rejected by one young man on the grounds that Richard Dawkins said that evolution was a proven fact, and that anyone who questioned it was ignorant. (Is Mr. Dawkins a god now? If he is the purveyor of all knowledge and absolute truth on life, the universe and everything, doesn’t that make him a god? Hasn’t he just disproved his own assertion that there is no god?)

It’s virtually law now that scientists are not to consider God in their studies, since “that’s religion”. Once the Eternal One is reduced to a dispensible object, He can be conveniently pushed into a box which is then slid under the shelves in the basement and forgotten. As scientists study the intricacies of our world and universe, constantly amazed and astounded by what they find, it doesn’t occur to most of them that they are looking at the very evidence for God’s existence, character and power that they have claimed is nowhere to be found. Oh, and by the way, He’s not in the box after all. Even”the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him” (1 Kings 8:27).

So what does this say about human nature? The most perplexing, soul-searching questions that people could and should ask themselves are not being asked or answered. When they are asked they are not being given the benefit of a two-sided inquiry or argument. Why?

Scripture sheds light on this. Peter, in his characteristically direct and no nonsense fashion, hits the proverbial nail right on the head. He said that they are “willingly ignorant” of God’s work of creation, and the subsequent world-wide judgment by a cataclysmic flood (2 Peter 3: 5-6 KJV). The NIV translates it “they deliberately forget”.

Paul puts this willing ignorance down to “the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them. 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 men are without excuse” (Romans 1: 18 – 20). Paul’s contention is that it is man’s preference for sin that drives him to ignore the true God (verses 18 to 32).

Jesus Christ explained it this way:

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into it for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John3: 19– 20).

Ironically, the Bible says that it is the atheist who is the ignorant one:

“The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God’” (Psalm 14:1).

The problem is not one of lack of evidence. It’s a characteristic of the heart of man. At best we could say that the majority ignore God because they are convinced and persuaded that “all scientists” believe in evolution, so it must be true. But what about the fact that some of us come to the light despite all that’s pushed on us in the form of evolutionary brainwashing? People not only fail to search for God because they do not want to: they actively turn their backs on any light there is, in order not to have their worlds changed. An atheist can’t find God for the same reason that a thief can’t find a policeman.

• APOLOGETICS
• Evolution/Creation