Many years ago, I remember being questioned about my Christian belief by an atheist housemate. I quickly found myself in a heated discussion about the existence of God. As I think back on the discussion, I remember feeling like I was being made the fool - foolish for believing the Bible and that God is real. I came to realise how much my belief in God meant to me. My [Christian] faith is my life and for many of us, beliefs are critical and greatly impact the way we live our lives.
So given Dawkins' view, am I really deluded for believing in God? Is a belief in a Supreme Being sheer madness? Is God really just a fragment of my imagination? How can I be sure that God is real?
I understand that some people need proof or hard evidence to believe in God. Others may even say they need to see a miracle in order to believe. Or as some like to put it - 'seeing is believing'. At this particular instance, I am not going to use this space to provide an apologetic or defence for the existence of God. Neither am I going to proceed to provide evidence [scientific] for the existence of God. I believe there are many books, magazines and articles out there that specifically address or debate evidence for God.
However, what I am simply going to ask is this - do I have faith? I believe there has to be an element of faith in any belief system. I believed in Jesus Christ, and hence I came to accept Jesus Christ as my saviour. I dare to even suggest that Atheism is a belief system that also requires an element of faith - a faith in the non-existence of God.
There's a children's song that contains the words "Yes Jesus loves me, the bible tells me so". For me, it is as simple as that. I simply and truly believe that Jesus is the son of God and that God is for real. But it is not a blind faith either. I believe that God has revealed himself to me through His word and His son Jesus Christ. I believe that the very fact that this world and that I exist is a miracle in itself. I believe the evidence is all around us (e.g. in living organisms and the universe).
I may not be able to provide the evidence that satisfies everyone. But all I can say is that my life is a testimony for God. I cannot force anyone to believe in God, but it is entirely up to every individual to truly seek God. I am convinced that God will reveal himself to those who earnestly seek Him.
So is God just a fragment of my imagination? No - I believe that God is real. Some may think it crazy, but the Bible calls it wisdom. [The fear of Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding - Proverbs 9:10]
Kandima Awendila was born in Mozambique and lives and works as an IT Service Desk Engineer on the Gold Coast.
Kandi Awendila's archive of articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/kandima-awendila.html