Skeptics often say, ‘It’s not rational to believe in God.’ They equate belief in the supernatural with childish delusions of belief in fairies, Santa Claus, and other make-believe fantasies. In their view, religious belief is for the weak-minded who cannot soberly face reality on its own terms but must adopt an illusion to get through life.

Is it a rational position to believe that there is an all-powerful God who created the world and gives us purpose? This question has become the topic of many debates over the years. One of the reasons is because its answer has eternal significance. “The existence of a personal, moral God is fundamental to all that Christians believe.”

Without a foundation in God, Christianity would crumble to the ground. Without God, man would just be an accident; a result of matter coming together and changing over time. This would create random accidental beings, and there would be no meaning, value or purpose. However, with God, we have meaning, value, purpose, and answers to many questions. But is this a rational position?

Is belief in God rational? The reductionism of a godless worldview leads to a low view of physical and human life, toward irrationality itself. It produces a cognitive and existential dissonance that is hard to resolve. Yet, the reality of the physical nature, human nature, and the revelation of God affirm a resounding yes that belief is rational. 

It provides an adequate explanation for what we observe in the cosmos and nature. It supports a high view of human rights, capacities, and purposes as real and not illusions. It grounds our basic values of right and wrong. It coheres with our basic intuitions regarding humans as exceptional and valuable with inherent dignity. It substantiates our basic experiences of love and free will as authentic.

Belief in God is rational. It is what makes most sense of our world and our lives.