Does God Exist?

Supplement 1

Abu Shakir replied: "I am not yet convinced. I am in a quandary. I am full of doubts and misgivings about my faith and my convictions."

Imam Ja'far Sadiq (p.b.u.h.) remarked: "The doubt about idol worship is the beginning of the worship of Allah."

Another conversation

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.

He asks one of his new students to stand and...

Prof: So you believe in God? Student: Absolutely, sir. Prof: Is God good? Student: Sure. Prof: Is God all-powerful? Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

Student: Silent.

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?

Student: Yes. Prof: Is Satan good? Student: No. Prof: Where does Satan come from? Student: Silent. Prof: Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes. Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it?

Student: Yes. Prof: So who created evil? Student: Silent. Prof: Is there sickness, Immorality, Hatred, Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they? Student: Yes, sir. Prof: So, who created them? Student: Silent.

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...have you ever seen God?

Student: No, sir. Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir. Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't. Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes!

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't. (The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat.

But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We can not measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it. (There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness? Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light... But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you? Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed. Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how? Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood, either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death can not exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.

Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey? Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir? (The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.) Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and can not even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain? (The class breaks out into laughter!)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir? (The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir... The link between man and God is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving and alive.

God Is Everywhere

A father has three sons. One day he brought candy for his sons. His sons became happy and thank him for bringing the candy for them.

The father gave each of his three sons some candy. Actually father wanted to test the boys. So he put one condition before handing the candy. I want you to eat the candy in a place where you can't be seen.

That seems easy for boys, because they knew great places to hide. The eldest brother ran to his room. He hid under his bed. And said: No one can see me eat under here.

The next brother dashed to the secret tree house. He shut the door and windows. And said: I can't be seen now.

The youngest brother hid in his best hiding place; behind the couch. And said: No one ever sees me when I hide here. But something is not quite right this time. So he went and hid in his closet to make sure the dark. Again here also something is not quite right.

He sat in the dark garage for twenty two minutes. But this time he is definitely sure that something is not quite right and it is not working. Later the family sat for the dinner. Father asked the boys: so tell me, did you all find a place to eat the candy without being seen. Eldest brother replied: Yes dad, under my bed. Next brother said: I ate in the secret tree house.

Father turned to the youngest child and asked: What about you?

Youngest child replied: Well dad, I tried so many places, but in the end I didn't eat the candy. Why not asked the father. Because you told us to eat the candy where we couldn't be seen, but I keep thinking God can see me wherever I am.

The boy has passed the test. God is everywhere. Well done my son, you are right. There was nowhere to eat the candy without being seen by Almighty God.