God is love - answering an Atheist

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” – Blessed Mother Teresa

I was reading the other day that Richard Dawkins, famed atheist and scientist said the best argument for God is a, “deistic God, who had something to do with the fine tuning of the universe,”

He says it’s a weak argument. That is one point where I would agree with him. Deism is defined as, “a movement or system of thought advocating natural religion, emphasizing morality, and in the 18th century denying the interference of the Creator with the laws of the universe.”

I don’t believe in a God like that. My God is intimate and loves me deeply and cares about my life. My God is involved.

Now, I am no scientist and I know that I am no match in arguing with the intellectuals (who can make a God of their intellectualism), but I know a very personal God. I also know there have been millions of others throughout time who have as well. 1 John 4:16 tells us, “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”

Science cannot quantify love. Love makes people do things that are not logical or reasonable all the time.

People who have sat in the still and the quiet and have had an encounter with the Living God have transformed their lives and done things that to others defy logic and reason. God’s love is that powerful.

St. Francis lived love and defied reason when he encountered the living God. He renounced his wealth and went to live among the lepers, and rebuilt the church, both literally and figuratively.

Blessed Mother Teresa heard the call of love by God when she left the comfort of her convent and went into the streets of Calcutta.

St. Gianna Molla heard the call of love of God when she chose the option of saving the life of her unborn child over her own welfare.

St. Maria Goretti heard the call of love when she forgave her attacker, Alessandro Serenelli, and his life was later transformed by her act of forgiveness.

These people heard an interior call from God, an intimate and personal God. A God who Himself, entrusted Himself to a woman named Mary as his entrance point to this earth. And Mary, who because of her encounter with God gave an unequivocal “yes.”

Our God took on our human limitation out of Love and gave His life for us. It is about sacrifice for others.

I have encountered this God personally. His name is Jesus Christ.

Mr. Dawkins might say we are delusional. But for 2,000 years people have changed the life they were living because of this personal encounter. And once they changed, they felt free, they felt loved, and they lived love.