Good theological questions deserve lots of time and attention in youth group and teen Bible studies. Unchurched and churched teens will ask some version of this deep question, especially after studying evolution in biology class:
What are some arguments for the existence of God?
Asking tough theological questions shows that teens are engaging with their faith. Getting students to grapple with arguments for God is awesome. Here’s why:
- Theological questions allow teens to intelligently dialogue with other unchurched people. They’ll be able to talk to classmates, friends, family, and teachers about God’s existence without using the Bible.
- Kids will use their brain before they leave youth group for the world of higher education.
- Questions challenge teens to take a deeper ownership of their Christian faith.
- Tough topics make them aware of different and godless worldviews.
- Theological questions encourage young people to see how science and faith are compatible. Science answers the how questions. Faith answers the why questions.
Theological Questions & Answers for Teens
Here are five reasons we can prove that God exists:
1. Archaeological Evidence
Fossils confirm the people, animals, time periods, events, and places that ancient documents and the Bible address. I highly rely on the Cambrian Explosion to explain unique fossil records that support the Christian worldview. During that time, between 50% and 80% of all animal phyla to ever exist on earth appeared.
The traditional evolutionary explanation argues that life should transition from simple to complex in a gradual, branching, tree-like fashion. Yet explosive appearances are exactly what we’d expect if a Creator orchestrates life’s history.
2. Cosmological Evidence
The world couldn’t exist on its own. So a first cause must have brought it into being. Something cannot come from nothing. That notion goes against the first law of thermodynamics, which God created.
3. Teleological Evidence
The universe is greatly complex by design. So a great Designer, or God, must have made it. For example, the earth is finely tuned. Astrophysicists determined that if the value of the coupling constant for electromagnetism on earth were 4% smaller or larger than what we observe, life would be impossible.
In the case of the coupling constant for the strong nuclear force, if it were 0.5% smaller or larger, life would be impossible. Essentially, the earth has the perfect amount of gravitational pull to sustain life. If it were off by just half of a percent, we’d all be dead.
I would much rather argue that God designed the perfectly fine-tuned and complex systems that govern earth. That’s much better than saying the universe randomly formed out of nothing! (These examples are from Hugh Ross’s “Finely Tuned Earth” lecture at reasons.org.)
