God’s existence. A child-like enigma or a concrete truth? God Himself, an ambiguous but crucial character in the book of life and in the realm of Christianity, is one of the most misunderstood and arguable subjects of all time. From early life to the current era there have been constant debates on whether or not, there is in fact a higher power. I come to assure you that this answer is quite simple, by that I mean there is none. Not one concrete answer exists, nor will there be one. However, If one did exist I am certain it would not satisfy the needs ofall who hear it. Respecting the fact that not everyone shares the same views and adopts the same understandings, the purpose of this paper is not to try and tackle the impossible task of proving the existence of God. But rather show that believing in God is far more reasonable than not. Having a belief in a higher power (God), gives you a sense of security, reassurance, and has proven beneficial to your overall well-being. However, this is easily disregarded dueto the conflict between Christianity and science. With sources like Tim Keller and Richard Dawkins, I will show you that believing in God is reasonable even hough science argues against it.

 A sense of security is a necessity to the human race. Abraham Maslow, a well-respected psychologist, stated this himself. Maslow, in his motivational human-needs model places security fourth on the five-tiered pyramid. Though having been placed on the lower half of thepyramid, this does not belittle its importance or value. In a world with an abundance of turmoil, chaos, brokenness, pain and failure, having a sense of security is a necessity. What makes believing in God so reasonable is the sense of security that comes with it. The security that will remain present throughout one's whole life and beyond. Security in the future, afterlife, andrelationship are just a few of many. A common curiosity shared by a multitude of  individuals is the idea of an afterlife. What happens when we die? Where do we go when we die? Believing in God secures your ticket to a new beginning. Heaven. There have been numerous accounts of people who have had near death experiences and were able to experience the world beyond our own. A popular example being the story of Colton Burpo in the book “Heaven is for real.” A personal account written by Colton's father, tells the story of a four year olds encounter with death and his experience in Heaven and with Jesus Christ. Lastly, the belief in God offers security in relationship. Relationship is imperative. Placed on the third tier in Maslow’s “Hierarchy of human needs” is the need for relationship and belongingness. God assures his believers that He will never leave them nor forsake them (Hebrews 13:5). Thus, abandoning the fears of loneliness and replacing it with theassurance that He will always be there and will always love us. “In a world that disappoints us, we need to cling to one that never will (Wayne Stiles).”

 With a sense of security comes reassurance. Reassurance and hope are essential in times of hardships and struggles.“Christianity provides deep resources for facing suffering with hope and courage rather than bitterness and despair.” (Keller, 28) God ensures His followers that He is far more powerful than any struggle they are facing.Having struggled with major depression, anxiety and abuse for a majority of my life, this has been extremely helpful. Knowing that God has control and power over all my hardships is relieving. With this reassurance, we gain hope and courage. The reassurance that follows with believing in God of is uplifting andbeneficial in more ways than one. Less worry, anxiety, and stress contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

       Believing in God has been proven beneficial to your spiritual wellness and mental health.  However, there has been no direct correlation to spirituality and physical health, it's logical tobelieve that with good mental health and spiritual wellness could lead to a healthier, physical lifestyle. According to the American Journal of Health Education, health is multidimensional. Recently being recognized as an important part of that is, spiritual wellness. Spiritual wellness “is a personal matter involving values and beliefs that provide a purpose in our live s“University of California, Riverside.” Wellness: Spiritual Wellness, wellness.ucr.edu/spiritual_wellness.html.

”. Believing in God gives an individual a purpose and a meaning to life, which is very important to a healthy lifestyle. Knowing your purpose helps you set goals, reach for higher standards and ultimately exceed in the world. To “Spiritual Wellness.” Health & Wellness, 28 June 2017, www.unh.edu/health/ohep/spiritual-wellness. Some signs of good spiritual wellness are caring and acting for others, having a clear understanding of right and wrong, and the ability to practice compassion and forgiveness. Who knew that being a better person could be this easy?      Secondly, believing in God can result in improved mental health. This I believe is the most important. Having dealt with mental illness within my family and myself and experiencing first hand its detrimental effects, I know how beneficial spirituality is. Finding myself in the worst shape both mentally and physically  was when I abandoned my belief and decided to try and fight on my own. The result of this was failure, missed opportunities and eventually attempted suicide. Believing in God has improved my mental health tremendously and I know that I wouldn’t be here today without it. Dick Fosbury, arguably the most inspirational athlete of all time, attests to the influential role mental health plays in success. “When you reach that elite level, 90 percent is mental and 10 percent is physical. You are competing against yourself. Not against the other athlete”. This idea does not only apply to athletics but is also true for many aspects of life. Considering the  importance that good mental health is to your overall well-being and the fact that believing in God is not only harmless but beneficial, how could it not be reasonable? This is just important in mental illness has physical illness. In an interview done by USA today, Mark Bloomston, a surgical oncologist, expresses the important role that mentality plays for both him and his patience fighting and recovering from cancer. “The power of the mind can help heal the body (Bloomston).” Mentioned in the Psycho-Oncology journal, a group of researchers performed a study on the relationship between cancer patient’s recovery and their spiritual beliefs. The study proves that the patients in recovery who practiced spirituality were healthier emotionally, which resulted in a more positive recovery. However, this does not specifically apply to Christianity but it adds to the proof that a belief system is very beneficial.

 On the contrary, Science, in its best efforts tries to disprove the existence of God by making His existence obsolete and unnecessary. One of the  main arguments they use to support this is the lack of empirical proof of his existence which is why faith and miracles also don’t exist. (Keller, Chapter 6) Atheists scientists stand firm to their assumption that only natural causes can exist. They believe that a supernatural cause is not scientific but philosophical. Keller makes a valid point when he says “Science has proven that there is no such thing as miracles.” is definitely not a scientific statement. It is a leap of faith.”  He also goes on to say “It’s one thing to say that science is only equipped to test for natural causes and cannot speak to any others. It is quite another to insist that science proves that no other causes could possibly exist.” (pg. 85). Considering the fact that the belief in God has much to do with faith, and faith cannot be empirically proven, they make the assumption that God does not exist. Ironically this argument against God actually nullifies their own argument. Tim Keller, in his book The Reason for God, exposes the fault in this view.  If something can only be recognized as real if it can be empirically proven then, does thought, value, fear and love exist? 

Believing in God is not only reasonable but very beneficial. It offers security, reassurance and is essential for living a healthy lifestyle. However, science in all its efforts to disprove the existence of God by arguing that the lack of proof and the idea that evolution has disproved the bible have not failed nor succeeded.

 