QUOTES - GOD'S EXISTENCE
The presupposition of Christian theology is of a very definite type. The assumption is not merely that there is something, some idea or ideal, some power or purposeful tendency, to which the name of God may be applied, but that there is a self-existent, self-conscious, personal Being, which is the origin of all things, and which transcends the entire creation, but is at the same time immanent in every part of it (L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology).
The Christian accepts the truth of the existence of God by faith (L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology).
The creature is not, but exists. God does not exist, but is! He did not become in time, but is eternally (Herman Hoeksema, Reformed Dogmatics).
The Scriptures contain no formal or syllogistical argument for the Divine existence (William G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology).
The evidence relied upon in the scriptures for the Divine existence is derived from the immediate and universal consciousness of the human soul, as this is awakened and developed by the works of creation and providence (William G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology).
All this means that there is no such thing among mankind as an actual atheist. There are only theists, some of whom claim to be atheists. But God’s Word declares that these “atheists” are not real atheists; they only attempt to live as though there is no God but they know in their hearts that He is “there” and that He will someday judge them for their sin (Robert Reymond, A Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith).
These “practicing atheists” insist that the burden of proof lies with the theist to prove God’s existence to them. But the burden of proof actually is theirs to prove that the physical world is the only reality and that no supernatural spiritual being anywhere exists. This, of course, they cannot do. Thus their “atheism” is their unproven “grand assumption”—an assumption, by the way, with which they cannot consistently live! (Robert Reymond, A Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith).
The problem presented by speculation that God does not exist is almost altogether one that occurs to modern people and not to the ancients (A. J. Conyers, A Basic Christian Theology).
A God who can be proved is no God, but a thing in the world; yet the "proofs" are the felt coincidence of the thoughts which God has put in man's mind with the sense of His transcendent presence (E. P. Dickie, God is Light).
It is lamentable proof of human depravity, that men should deny or disregard the existence of God (J. L. Dagg, Manual of Theology).
Concluding then the inductive arguments for the existence of God, we hold that these arguments do establish a presumption in favor of faith in the God of the Bible (J. O. Buswell, A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion).
Indeed God's existence is a presupposition of Christian teaching rather than a doctrine that is derived after one goes through a series of precise rational exercises (Thomas C. Oden, Systematic Theology).
We do not want, first of all, to be convinced of the existence of God by Proofs, and after that to believe in the God of revelation. The existence of God becomes certain to us in and with the revelation in which He manifests Himself to us as the Living Lord, and proves Himself to us (Emil Brunner, The Christian Doctrine of God).
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