Years ago Friedrich Nietzsche claimed that God was dead. In his mind, the Enlightenment had killed people's concept of God. Although an atheist, Nietzsche did not necessarily believe that the death of God was a good thing. Unlike postmodern people today Nietzsche understood that with no God there was also no absolute morality and a rise in nihilism could plunge the world into chaos.
In 1966 Time magazine's front cover asked "Is God Dead?" Certainly, the sixties was a time when it seemed all restraints had been removed. Sex, drugs and rock-and-roll was the mantra of the 60s. The Vietnam War, racial issues, assassinations of some of our national leaders and many other challenges of the time all seemed to indicate that God had disappeared. Churches and denominations also began to see a decline in membership and attendance as compared to the 1950s.
However, God hasn't died although many thinkers continue to insist that He has. I just finished reading a book that I will not promote by sharing the title. It is a major work written by a New York Times best selling author. Early in the book he announces in a matter-of-fact manner that God is dead. He gives no reasons for this assertion but expresses how it is a good thing that people no longer have to believe the myths surrounding the concept of God. According to the author, all organisms, including mankind, are nothing but algorithms which eliminates the possibilities of possessing a soul, having free will, or having much value in the near future when everything is taken over by AI and the Internet-of-all-Things. Replacing God will be the emerging religion of Dataism which worships only data.
Like multitudes of people before him, this learned professor is mistaken. One can deny the existence of God but only if one ignores the obvious signs that there is a God and that He is active in today's world. Ps. 19: 1 tells us "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." In Ro. 1: 20 we read, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." These passages, and others, demonstrate that there are many evidences for God if one is willing to seek them.
Some of these evidences include such things as the existence of the universe, the fine-tuning of the universe, the existence of moral values, the life of Jesus Christ (and especially His resurrection from the dead and the impact it made upon His disciples), the millions of people whose lives have been dramatically transformed through faith in God, and other evidences.
Many, like the author of the book, ignore these evidences preferring to look at how future events seem to be taking us further and further away from God. Perhaps these events are actually leading mankind towards God.
1 Cor. 2: 7-8 says, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." This tells me that Satan, in his pride, believed he could defeat Jesus Christ through His death on the cross. What Satan did not understand was that this death was necessary for God's ultimate purpose of offering salvation to mankind. Postmodern man, in his pride, believes that all of the technological advances, artificial intelligence, and other scientific discoveries and philosophical arguments are making God irrelevant. Perhaps they do not understand that these things are only bringing mankind closer to the fulfillment of end-times prophecies.
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