Sunday Quote: J.P. Moreland on God's Existence - Apologetics 315

RE-Do. About two weeks ago, I read a post on the Apologetics 315 blog and now I can't find it! I hate it when that happens especially since I wrote quite a bit. Here is my attempt to re create it. Here is the quote:

“God maintains a delicate balance between keeping his existence sufficiently evident so people will know he's there and yet hiding his presence enough so that people who want to choose to ignore him can do it. This way, their choice of destiny is really free.”

– J.P. Moreland

I found myself looking up this post because othe post just below this one. There is a link to a lecture given by Moreland on how it's important to be able to reason out and think about what you believe and why. I totally agreed with everything he said. What struck me is the fact that I so vehemently deny the quote I read from him on June 7, 2009. It really left a bad taste! Re-reading the quote and the comments made me relaize that I jumped all over Moreland because I thought that he was talking about salvation. While he may be an Arminian (ad I don't know that for sure), I should not have taken the discussion there. Moreland was only talking about human knowledge when it comes to God's existence. He just tacks on "free choice". I'm gonna have to disagree with him and agree with one of the commenters on the original blog

Ryan Hemelaar said...

I disagree with J.P. Moreland there. Everyone knows that God exists, but the reason why many deny His existence is not because there is not enough evidence, but because "...by their unrighteousness [they] suppress the truth." (Romans 1:18).

Setting aside the idea of "free will" for other posts, Paul is really clear...no one has any excuse for not recognizing that there is a creator.

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it 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.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. - Romans 1: 18-25

Sunday Quote: J.P. Moreland on God's Existence - Apologetics 315