The Truth About Religious Experience

Why do we abandon rational objectivity when it comes to matters of religion? We don’t classify it as a hard reality in the same category as buying a car or swallowing a pill. If there is a personal, absolute God who exists as a reality independent of our belief, His claims must be seriously investigated by a standard at least as hard-nosed as we would apply when buying a car. A right relationship with Him is crucial to our ultimate destiny.

Understandably, it is likely that most unbelievers who turn to religion are not at first interested in truth or their ultimate destiny. They are searching for certainty in a painful and uncertain world. So they choose a belief system that seems to meet their most pressing needs, regardless of that system’s truth claims. They blindly accept whatever promises to ease their burdens and to provide an element of certainty in their lives. But when they don’t find the peace and relief they seek, they will jump the fence to a greener pasture that seems to offer a “truth” that works better for them.

Ultimately, those who hold to a personal belief that is not grounded in absolute truth will come away empty. No mere belief, no matter how sincerely held, can provide long-term certainty, meet human needs, and solve physical, emotional or relational problems. The only kind of God that can meet their needs is a God who is real—a God with whom we can make a solid connection and establish a relationship.