Is the Question of God’s Existence an Uninteresting and Unimportant Question?

UninterestingThere are those who see the question of God’s existence to be the most important question that one can ask, and hence seek to answer it in the affirmative. On the other hand, there are those who also agree that the question of God’s existence is the most important question that one can ask, but answers the question of God’s existence in the negative; these are our atheists and skeptics. However, there are also those who seem to be uninterested in the very question itself. Indeed, they think the question of God’s existence is not at all interesting or important. On a purely personal level, I cannot imagine how one cannot see the importance of the question of whether God exists, nor can I understand and conceive of how someone does not even find the question interesting.

Within the context of apologetic interaction with these kinds of skeptics, the response that one does not care or does not see the question of God’s existence as important or interesting can throw the Christian off a bit. Such a response is unexpected and unpredictable given the fact that most people (believers and unbelievers) tend to normally and openly admit the importance and interesting nature of the question of God’s existence. Such a response can be unsettling and difficult to react to since the Christian who presupposes the universal interest of the topic is expecting the kind of response that will allow them to transition with ease into a presentation of their arguments in support of the existence of God. But how does one respond to the assertion that question of God’s existence is uninteresting?

First, the Christian apologist should not be discouraged. They should point out the fact that to say something is uninteresting and unimportant says nothing about the validity and importance of the question under discussion. Furthermore, the issue of “interesting” and “uninteresting” is person relative. The person with whom you are speaking with may assert that the question is uninteresting, but there are ways to suggest to the person, that the question of God’s existence is interesting, namely, because it is important, and typically, things that are important tend to be very interesting as well, especially when we are dealing with ultimate questions, which I think it is safe to say, the existence of God is relevant here.

Perhaps we can point to how the existence or non-existence of God relates to objective meaning and purpose in the world. Surely, the question of objective purpose and meaning is an interesting question. Are we here as the human race, on accident? Are we merely the result of a blind evolutionary process over millions of years in which our ultimate end is extinction? Or, is there objective meaning and purpose to our lives, our relationships, etc.? Are we created in the image of God and are we able to communicate and have a relationship with this God? These are powerful existential questions that I think everyone should be able to resonate with.

In the final analysis, the question of whether God exists is a profoundly important question that has relevance to every person on the planet, and hence, we should work to help folks see the importance of asking the question, and answering it in the affirmative.

There is a point however that needs to be considered carefully when taking all of this within an apologetic context. While it is important to point out the relevance and relation between the existence of God and the existence of objective meaning and purpose, such an argument is an existential one. It is powerful in its own right, but it does not in itself prove the existence of God. Rather, it causes the person with whom you are speaking to consider the importance of asking the question and to consider the philosophical ramifications for rejection God’s existence. If anything, perhaps you will have succeeded in moving the dialogue along with your friend as they consider the importance and interesting nature of the question itself.

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