There is a story floating around on the Internet about an atheist who confronts a Jewish rabbi about God’s existence. The story goes something like this. The atheist entered the office of a Jewish rabbi and challenged the rabbi to prove to him that God exists. The rabbi remained stoically silent, refusing to reply to the non-believer. Again and again the atheist confronted the rabbi, demanding an answer to his challenge. The rabbi calmly smiled but would not reply to any of the exhortations. Finally, the atheist, realizing that he would receive no reply from the rabbi, turned toward the door and prepared to leave, certain that he has scored a victory over the rabbi and religion. Just as he was about to exit the office, the rabbi spoke in a slow measured tone, asking, “Are you certain that there is no God?”

In recounting this episode several years later, the atheist commented, “I have been haunted by the rabbi’s question for my entire life. I have no logical answer to his question.” The atheist was confronted by the essential truth that there are no proofs for the lack of existence of God. God does exist, whether a particular human wants Him to or not. It is interesting to wonder if that atheist or any non-believer ever really seeks an answer to the fundamental challenge, “ Are you certain that God does not exist?”