I feel that the two most compatible religious traditions on Earth may be the Hindu-Buddhist and the Judaeo-Christian. While their central paradigms may seem to be at odds, their ultimate aims can be construed as not interfering with each other. Although the strict monotheism of Judaism contrasts with the laissez-faire polytheism of Hinduism, the first restricts only its own people, while the other allows the possibility of other people having their own way of worship.
It is the later evolution of both that leads them apart, and achieves their final agreement. Together, they comprise a complete world-view. If one believes in Deity, one may choose a favorite, and devote one's life to service, with the distinction of a disciple. If not, one may follow the path of logic and humanity, cultivating compassion and non-attached serenity. In point of fact, Buddhism does not deny the existence of God, but merely does not posit his being as necessarily involved with this world.
The desired end or afterlife is clear and assured. If one is devoted enough to one's chosen path, they are achievable, either by effort or the grace of God. The Buddhist will not be disappointed to be finally extinguished, nor will the Christian be sorry to see Heaven. And the alternative conditions of bodily reincarnation will be accurately interpreted by each, as a Christian to try to live a life of faith, hope and morality, or as a Buddhist to cultivate detachment and show compassion in a world of suffering.
Surely a compassionate and truly merciful God cannot be so cruel as to inflict everlasting torture on anyone, even if he chose evil and defiance. Kindness would insist on extinction and oblivion. While the recognition of good will and effort, even if inadequate, would suggest another opportunity, perhaps to be viewed as purgative of self-interest and attachments. In any case, one gets what one expects, or if there is no afterlife, extinguishment and oblivion await us all, and there will be no suffering to be feared.
Yet still, one is allowed Pascal's wager: to choose faith, to believe in God so that if He is there, one shall not miss the reward offered for hope and deciding to follow Him. Whereas, if He is not, then oblivion represents nothing lost to us. Faith then becomes a kind of spiritual "fire insurance," with the premiums paid in moral behavior for the greater good of society.
The cultures developed by faith in these disparate perspectives are also compatible, insofar as they both teach compassion, patience and kindness, and respect for a life of faith and devotion. They both recognize that truth, freedom, love and wisdom are ideals by which to develop civilization, and prefer the way of non-violence, at least in theory. They can each respect the devoted practitioners of the other path, and respond with friendship and dignity. Thus, there is no good reason that they should not be able to get along, and share the world in peace.
One could say that they both believe in a Divine Trinity, even though their basic interpretations are different, and the persons are called by other names.
Judaeo-Christian:
One God
- creator, philosophical origin of all
- greater than the greatest thought
- Three in One
- Adonai, Father
- Yeshua, Jesus
- Ruach haKodesh, Holy Spirit
- the antagonist is Satan, damnation
- there are many angels
- good & bad
Salvation by forgiveness through faith and devotion to the One God.
Hindu:
Brahman
- dreaming of play & illusion
- passive universal Being
- source of all divinity
- Brahma
- Vishnu
- Shiva
- the antagonist is Kali, death
- there are many little gods
- friendly or scary
Salvation by erasure of bad karma and devotion to one's chosen god.
This appears to be essentially the same story, except for the basic definition of what is divine, and who is a God. The insistence on a monotheistic perspective is based on the insight that the God you worship is the one whom you will tend to emulate, modeling your behavior and values on those preferred by the Deity you have chosen. And that is why choosing the right God is so important. Who will you become, and what kind of world does He intend for you to build?
If one analyzes the basic religious views of the world, it becomes apparent that there are four different foundational ways that our various cultures approach the question of what the Cosmos is, and why we are here:
1. Theistic: Constructed Scenario.
Judaeo-Christian, God created a world.
- this is all a purposeful artifice.
- pottery, carpentry, clocks, computers.
2. Cyclic: Drama on the Stage.
Hindu, God is getting lost in the story.
- imagining division & limitations.
- being characters with relationships.
3. Non-theistic: Emerging Life.
Chinese, flow, balance & growth.
- the proper society is well organized.
- trying to minimize suffering.
4. Atheist: Matter, Energy & Chance.
Science, empirical observation.
- a lucky series of random events.
- star dust becoming self-aware.
Each of these worldviews poses its own set of philosophical questions:
1. In what sense am I real?
2. How am I related to it all?
3. What do I want?
4. How can I get what I want?
5. What is my ultimate concern?
6. Is there an objective moral order?
7. Is there a meaning of life?
8. Are we being tested for something?
- morality & character
- puzzle solving & intuition
- intelligence & wisdom,
- adaptability & self-discipline
The Values that We Pursue:
Spiritual (ultimate)
- Truth
- Freedom
- Love
- Wisdom
- Knowledge
- Enthusiasm
Worldly (proximate)
- Power
- Wealth
- Progeny
- Health
- Novelty
- Fun
But, is the game worth the candle?
I.e., Is the opportunity, struggle and triumph of winning at life worth all the effort, trouble and suffering? Why does it not seem as if we all get a fair chance? Some seem to struggle more, with less fortune, while others find it easy to do whatever they want. And still others will take whatever advantage they can get. But if you cheat, doesn't it ruin the game? You will only get the proximate goods. The ultimate goods must be won honestly.
Sometimes, it seems humans are not quite yet what we should be, and so we struggle with moral issues, and practical cultural problems as well. We don't always have the ability to take the long view, of decades and centuries, that we need to make sound decisions about our relations to our planet, or the kind of future we should pursue. We focus too much on the proximate ends, and forget that they only resemble the ultimate aims that lead us forward. We need an outside standpoint from which to view our progress, and our orientation. This is the purpose served by the religions we use to guide our societies. And the more moral ... more idealistic and devoted to the ultimate values of Spirit, and to the God who teaches us to be gentle, tolerant and inclusive, the better.
And if that sounds like too much emphasis on adapting to civilized society and transforming this earthly existence, the critique is fair enough. Both Christianity and Buddhism eschew active engagement in worldly affairs, seeking to transcend the mundane entrapment that leads us to disregard the quest for our salvation. Materialism is viewed as shortsighted, a deception that twists one's values, leading one to be mired ever more deeply in pointless toil and disrespect for others. As a result, both have evolved an aspect of reverence for the monastic life and vows of renunciation.
We may wonder if, someday, the scientific atheistic materialist empiricists may also come to a similar conclusion. Will they eventually realize that the attempt to succeed and "make something of oneself" in our un-reflecting society is only a pointless game of chasing after dross, going around and around, and arguing about who is winning? We have to create our own meanings and purposes for this life, so that we are telling the kind of story that we would be happy to be a part of.
That is why the equation of Heaven with Space is essentially liberating. It gives us the opportunity to reinterpret the stories and mythologies that have gotten us this far, and led us into so much trouble. The endeavor of trying to establish a foothold in space, and on other worlds, tells us that we have to rethink what is essential, and use our reasoning and imagination to create the cultures that we would really want to live in. If Heaven is the promise of bliss, then we are tasked with the challenges of creating a Heaven that we can reach.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
"Love your Enemy" is not meant to be Immigration Policy
Of course, as a Christian, I know I should love my enemies. How can we help Muslims to see the errors of Islam if we shun them. But accepting Muslim immigrants to come to America is pure foolishness, because they are not coming here to join us and become Americans. They are coming in order to bring Islam and Sharia law. Most Muslims have NO intent to leave Islam behind, and Islam is NOT compatible with our Constitution, our political system, or our way of life. Look at it closely and study our history, and you will see. From the time of President Jefferson, the United States has been at odds with Islam, fighting the Barbary pirates who were attacking our ships and taking captives for slaves. I would prefer to love my enemies in their own countries, to show them that they would be better off having us as friends.
I don't mind having lots of people around from all over the world, and I do think that cultural diversity is a good thing. I know, there are plenty of Muslims who are not particularly religious or political these days, but can you say that they will NEVER go to a mosque and become radicalized? Family heritage is a powerful motivator, if you are looking for your spiritual values and roots. Yet, in Islam, that is the danger.
This is going to sound prejudiced, but I feel this is mutual and reciprocal, so it's fair. If I see a family with 5 kids, the mom wears a burka and walks one pace behind her husband, who wears a full beard and a skullcap ... or when I stop by a local Halal grocery to shop for whatever food looks interesting, and the shopkeeper won't smile and talk ... I see potential Sharia jihadis. And they make me freaking nervous!! There are entire towns, now, in America, where all non-Muslims are considered "kaffirs" and are less than welcome. Have you ever before heard of a shopkeeper who keeps silent and scowls?
It's not the people, as people, who trouble me. I'm not worried about people who are just different. I like Amish, Orthodox Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Yorubas, even some Republicans and Democrats! I firmly believe that people should be judged by the content of their characters, not by their race or appearance. But if anyone wants to come here and change America, to make it like their homeland, I would ask them to stay home. I can love them there, to show them how to be friends, easily enough.
I just don't want anyone to come here and tell me that my Constitution is man-made and therefore less good than the "divine word" in their book. I consider our basic Law of the Land to be sacred, because it has inspired and allowed the American people to build a better world. The Caliphate under Sharia couldn't do that.
Muslims memorize the Qur'an by its sounds, without trying to understand the words, and tell us we don't understand because we don't read it in Arabic!?! Most of them won't even read it in their native language, because a translation "corrupts" the message. But a modern Arabic Qur'an is also a translated version. Only a few scholars can understand the original texts. The average Muslim only knows what the imam preaches on Friday. They have never heard the incendiary stuff that leads to violent jihad, because it's not politically expedient, yet. That can wait until there are enough of them to fight and withstand the backlash.
I would not be worried about immigrants who are not bound to a religion with an inherent political agenda to pursue world domination. Non-religious "in name only" Muslims, who don't practice, and would rather be Americans, are fine. But the religious jihadis have to be winnowed out, and prevented from entering my country. We don't want the intifada spreading here, bringing IEDs and suicide bombers to our cities, like they have in Israel.
Can you tell me how to discern which are which when they come to the border in disguise? They know they are invaders, so they know enough to lie (Muhammad said, "Jihad is deception") and claim to be refugees or asylum seekers, just to get past our system. No? I thought not.
I'm sorry, but if I'm going to accept immigrants from a majority-muslim country, I'm going to prefer the ones who suffer persecution. I will unhesitatingly take all the Jews, Christians or Hindus who are trying to get out. They are at risk for their lives from radical jihadis. So, I KNOW that they will never attack me. They will be grateful to have a new home. And that will be doing God's work, and loving my neighbors.
I don't mind having lots of people around from all over the world, and I do think that cultural diversity is a good thing. I know, there are plenty of Muslims who are not particularly religious or political these days, but can you say that they will NEVER go to a mosque and become radicalized? Family heritage is a powerful motivator, if you are looking for your spiritual values and roots. Yet, in Islam, that is the danger.
This is going to sound prejudiced, but I feel this is mutual and reciprocal, so it's fair. If I see a family with 5 kids, the mom wears a burka and walks one pace behind her husband, who wears a full beard and a skullcap ... or when I stop by a local Halal grocery to shop for whatever food looks interesting, and the shopkeeper won't smile and talk ... I see potential Sharia jihadis. And they make me freaking nervous!! There are entire towns, now, in America, where all non-Muslims are considered "kaffirs" and are less than welcome. Have you ever before heard of a shopkeeper who keeps silent and scowls?
It's not the people, as people, who trouble me. I'm not worried about people who are just different. I like Amish, Orthodox Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Yorubas, even some Republicans and Democrats! I firmly believe that people should be judged by the content of their characters, not by their race or appearance. But if anyone wants to come here and change America, to make it like their homeland, I would ask them to stay home. I can love them there, to show them how to be friends, easily enough.
I just don't want anyone to come here and tell me that my Constitution is man-made and therefore less good than the "divine word" in their book. I consider our basic Law of the Land to be sacred, because it has inspired and allowed the American people to build a better world. The Caliphate under Sharia couldn't do that.
Muslims memorize the Qur'an by its sounds, without trying to understand the words, and tell us we don't understand because we don't read it in Arabic!?! Most of them won't even read it in their native language, because a translation "corrupts" the message. But a modern Arabic Qur'an is also a translated version. Only a few scholars can understand the original texts. The average Muslim only knows what the imam preaches on Friday. They have never heard the incendiary stuff that leads to violent jihad, because it's not politically expedient, yet. That can wait until there are enough of them to fight and withstand the backlash.
I would not be worried about immigrants who are not bound to a religion with an inherent political agenda to pursue world domination. Non-religious "in name only" Muslims, who don't practice, and would rather be Americans, are fine. But the religious jihadis have to be winnowed out, and prevented from entering my country. We don't want the intifada spreading here, bringing IEDs and suicide bombers to our cities, like they have in Israel.
Can you tell me how to discern which are which when they come to the border in disguise? They know they are invaders, so they know enough to lie (Muhammad said, "Jihad is deception") and claim to be refugees or asylum seekers, just to get past our system. No? I thought not.
Friday, June 7, 2019
Enduring 39 Lashes ...
Jesus went to his own crucifixion without a struggle. He voluntarily sacrificed himself, so that we would be able to believe all that he had been teaching us. It was his way to give us the one miracle that would convince the sceptical, who doubted his authority.
"Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing."
What were we supposed to think?
Were we meant to have the kind of love for Jesus that found his madness endearing, such that we almost pitied him and wanted to protect him? Still, we find his love and wisdom amazing, and don't even begin to understand his power to change people. But always, we trust him, and try to believe what he says about God, as his Father. Can it really be true that He is God's son, and that we may every one be adopted? For this he would give his life for us, so that our sins would be forgiven, and God could relent from his decree of the consequences for sin, and defend us from Satan's claim of death. All that He asks is for us to repent, to follow Him, to turn our lives back toward God, and to love each other with compassion and service.
But just when it looked like He was ready to start doing more than simply teach, He was arrested, put on trial by the religious and civil authorities, and then crucified. It was a terrible way to go, but He suffered it all meekly, as if He felt He deserved it. And at the very last, He prayed for us to be forgiven. His death was a crushing tragedy, burning the hope from our hearts.
And something amazing happened! On the third day, He rose from the dead, just as He had promised! His friends went to his tomb, to properly care for his body, but it was gone! They retreated into hiding. Shortly thereafter, Jesus found them and came to speak to them, and showed them that He was really alive, although his body was transformed in ways we can't quite imagine! And he stayed and taught them for several weeks, even appearing in public before about 500 or more people. Then, He said He had to go to his Father in Heaven, and ascended, in full view of a crowd of witnesses. And all of their stories agreed in the essential details, and in what he said to them.
No one in their right mind would make this up. Such a story would get you killed. But his disciples told it anyway, because it was so real to them that they believed it proved all that Jesus said was true. For them, he was not just the promised Messiah. He was the Son of God! And they believed that they would also go with Him to Heaven. So they chose to follow his example, and do what he said, even though they knew it would lead to their deaths. These people were not lying. Liars make poor martyrs.
There can only be one explanation. Jesus actually rose from the grave. God gave Him the power to pick up his own life again. Doesn't that prove He was right all along?!!
It boggles the mind to consider the possibility, and the consequences.
"Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing."
What were we supposed to think?
Were we meant to have the kind of love for Jesus that found his madness endearing, such that we almost pitied him and wanted to protect him? Still, we find his love and wisdom amazing, and don't even begin to understand his power to change people. But always, we trust him, and try to believe what he says about God, as his Father. Can it really be true that He is God's son, and that we may every one be adopted? For this he would give his life for us, so that our sins would be forgiven, and God could relent from his decree of the consequences for sin, and defend us from Satan's claim of death. All that He asks is for us to repent, to follow Him, to turn our lives back toward God, and to love each other with compassion and service.
But just when it looked like He was ready to start doing more than simply teach, He was arrested, put on trial by the religious and civil authorities, and then crucified. It was a terrible way to go, but He suffered it all meekly, as if He felt He deserved it. And at the very last, He prayed for us to be forgiven. His death was a crushing tragedy, burning the hope from our hearts.
And something amazing happened! On the third day, He rose from the dead, just as He had promised! His friends went to his tomb, to properly care for his body, but it was gone! They retreated into hiding. Shortly thereafter, Jesus found them and came to speak to them, and showed them that He was really alive, although his body was transformed in ways we can't quite imagine! And he stayed and taught them for several weeks, even appearing in public before about 500 or more people. Then, He said He had to go to his Father in Heaven, and ascended, in full view of a crowd of witnesses. And all of their stories agreed in the essential details, and in what he said to them.
No one in their right mind would make this up. Such a story would get you killed. But his disciples told it anyway, because it was so real to them that they believed it proved all that Jesus said was true. For them, he was not just the promised Messiah. He was the Son of God! And they believed that they would also go with Him to Heaven. So they chose to follow his example, and do what he said, even though they knew it would lead to their deaths. These people were not lying. Liars make poor martyrs.
There can only be one explanation. Jesus actually rose from the grave. God gave Him the power to pick up his own life again. Doesn't that prove He was right all along?!!
It boggles the mind to consider the possibility, and the consequences.
Monday, June 3, 2019
Varieties of Theodicy:
There is a perennial question in philosophy:
Why is there so much suffering in the world, if God is both loving & omnipotent? And since it seems to reveal an apparent contradiction, we have tried over the years to answer it in a number of ways. Usually any satisfactory answer will involve several types of argument.
1. Free will & soul building
- much of our suffering is our own fault.
- the struggle against temptation teaches character.
- enduring suffering builds strength and virtue.
- we forget that our time is not the same as eternity.
2. Theological arguments
- difficult times serve a greater purpose in God's plan of history.
- overcoming temptation refines and purifies our motives.
- we are fighting battles of a greater war in Heaven.
- the whole situation is beyond our understanding.
3. Philosophical arguments
- in a scale of values, we accept the lesser to avoid the greater.
- good and evil are not about merely feeling pleasure or pain.
- reincarnation teaches us by both knowledge and karma.
- humanity still has some warped and rough edges to smooth.
4. Physical arguments
- matter is chaotic and recalcitrant, resisting easy shaping.
- the cosmos has deep and complex algorithms of physical laws.
- life evolves by aiming to adapt to its current conditions.
- domesticating apes always needs rewards and punishments.
5. Romans 8:28
- we must believe that it will all work out right for the elect.
- we are led through trials to grow our faith and trust.
6. Job's trials
- evil ever seeks ways to influence or attack us.
- our worst times are challenges and testing from Satan.
Why did God allow us to Fall?
(a short version)
God gave us free will, and wanted us to have faith and trust in Him. He wants to create a being of both matter and spirit to join Him in Heaven. Lucifer did not believe that God could evolve a mere animal to perfection, and transform it into the nature and likeness of Divinity. He doubted that God could create a human being worthy of Heaven. This was the failure, and fall, of the darkened Angels. We were given the chance to prove Satan wrong, but even if we would fail, God could fix it, by giving a part of Himself to pay the penalty of our falling short of the long-term expectation.
The "Fall" is a necessary part of a continuing creation, in which we humans participate by growing into what we are meant to be, using our free will and self-discipline to choose to be more human than animal. Since it is inevitable that the ancestors of the elect would fall short, Christ is needed to forgive our shortcomings. He poses for us the example that we may grow into, so that we should become ever more nearly alike unto God. Thus we are saved by grace through faith, trusting God to fulfill his design and the ultimate aim of creation.
Necessary steps: What they teach us
1. Humanity, intelligence & tribalism,
tools, language & adaptations.
2. Noah, barbarian civilization,
towns, agriculture, culture & power.
3. Zarathustra, speaking of cosmic faith,
choosing truth over deception.
4. Moses, sacred law & obedience,
defining justice & goodness.
5. Christ, God's model of mercy & love,
depending on faith & trust.
6. Monks, transforming selfishness,
prayer, scholarship & service.
7. Enlightenment, reaching all Humanity,
faith & reason, science & technology.
8. Frontiers, imagining God's Kingdom,
building eutopia, enabling shalom.
This answers the problem, not only of the Fall of humanity, but of the angels in Heaven as well. And it speaks to the original intent and final aim of creating us all in the first place. We are meant to become a new kind of celestial creature, building a heavenly civilization full of the cities of God. Toward this aim, we strive to be all that we can be, imagining an ever more perfect way to live.
There was also a parallel development in the East, as philosophical monotheism emerged in the Upanishad schools of Hinduism, followed by its later anti-mythological strain in Buddhism. The Buddha taught also of compassion and mercy, as a corollary of the quest for enlightenment, without stressing the need for faith in a deity. Their further development independently invented many similar social forms, like monasticism, scholasticism and nonviolence. Buddhism and Christianity are both parallel and complementary. They each recognize that monotheism and atheism are the flip sides of the same coin, from a philosophical perspective.
It is entirely likely that all faiths that value coexistence may someday share the heavens in peace, providing that they all allow the others their own political and philosophical agendas, without trying to establish their own as dominant.
Why is there so much suffering in the world, if God is both loving & omnipotent? And since it seems to reveal an apparent contradiction, we have tried over the years to answer it in a number of ways. Usually any satisfactory answer will involve several types of argument.
1. Free will & soul building
- much of our suffering is our own fault.
- the struggle against temptation teaches character.
- enduring suffering builds strength and virtue.
- we forget that our time is not the same as eternity.
2. Theological arguments
- difficult times serve a greater purpose in God's plan of history.
- overcoming temptation refines and purifies our motives.
- we are fighting battles of a greater war in Heaven.
- the whole situation is beyond our understanding.
3. Philosophical arguments
- in a scale of values, we accept the lesser to avoid the greater.
- good and evil are not about merely feeling pleasure or pain.
- reincarnation teaches us by both knowledge and karma.
- humanity still has some warped and rough edges to smooth.
4. Physical arguments
- matter is chaotic and recalcitrant, resisting easy shaping.
- the cosmos has deep and complex algorithms of physical laws.
- life evolves by aiming to adapt to its current conditions.
- domesticating apes always needs rewards and punishments.
5. Romans 8:28
- we must believe that it will all work out right for the elect.
- we are led through trials to grow our faith and trust.
6. Job's trials
- evil ever seeks ways to influence or attack us.
- our worst times are challenges and testing from Satan.
Why did God allow us to Fall?
(a short version)
God gave us free will, and wanted us to have faith and trust in Him. He wants to create a being of both matter and spirit to join Him in Heaven. Lucifer did not believe that God could evolve a mere animal to perfection, and transform it into the nature and likeness of Divinity. He doubted that God could create a human being worthy of Heaven. This was the failure, and fall, of the darkened Angels. We were given the chance to prove Satan wrong, but even if we would fail, God could fix it, by giving a part of Himself to pay the penalty of our falling short of the long-term expectation.
The "Fall" is a necessary part of a continuing creation, in which we humans participate by growing into what we are meant to be, using our free will and self-discipline to choose to be more human than animal. Since it is inevitable that the ancestors of the elect would fall short, Christ is needed to forgive our shortcomings. He poses for us the example that we may grow into, so that we should become ever more nearly alike unto God. Thus we are saved by grace through faith, trusting God to fulfill his design and the ultimate aim of creation.
Necessary steps: What they teach us
1. Humanity, intelligence & tribalism,
tools, language & adaptations.
2. Noah, barbarian civilization,
towns, agriculture, culture & power.
3. Zarathustra, speaking of cosmic faith,
choosing truth over deception.
4. Moses, sacred law & obedience,
defining justice & goodness.
5. Christ, God's model of mercy & love,
depending on faith & trust.
6. Monks, transforming selfishness,
prayer, scholarship & service.
7. Enlightenment, reaching all Humanity,
faith & reason, science & technology.
8. Frontiers, imagining God's Kingdom,
building eutopia, enabling shalom.
This answers the problem, not only of the Fall of humanity, but of the angels in Heaven as well. And it speaks to the original intent and final aim of creating us all in the first place. We are meant to become a new kind of celestial creature, building a heavenly civilization full of the cities of God. Toward this aim, we strive to be all that we can be, imagining an ever more perfect way to live.
There was also a parallel development in the East, as philosophical monotheism emerged in the Upanishad schools of Hinduism, followed by its later anti-mythological strain in Buddhism. The Buddha taught also of compassion and mercy, as a corollary of the quest for enlightenment, without stressing the need for faith in a deity. Their further development independently invented many similar social forms, like monasticism, scholasticism and nonviolence. Buddhism and Christianity are both parallel and complementary. They each recognize that monotheism and atheism are the flip sides of the same coin, from a philosophical perspective.
It is entirely likely that all faiths that value coexistence may someday share the heavens in peace, providing that they all allow the others their own political and philosophical agendas, without trying to establish their own as dominant.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
My Answer to Atheists:
Part 1: You can't say "God doesn't exist."
1. Define what you mean by "God."
a. God is not a member of any category of things, persons, etc.
b. God is not just another person you can find. There are no Olympian gods.
c. God is the self-sufficient action of being-in-itself. He is "the subsistent act of Being Itself" (Bishop Robert Barron).
d. If God did not want to be known, He could have avoided our notice, but He has chosen to make us aware of Him.
2. You can't just ask me to point to anything inside our experience and say "God did that," as if to give evidence.
a. God is outside of our experience.
b. We are inside His experience.
c. Nothing happens that He does not allow, or take into account, in his plans.
d. He "did" the physical laws that made the universe, and all of the laws of nature that made life possible.
3. Science is not great enough to be able to discover God, or to disprove Him.
a. Science can only look at empirical objects that can be observed with our natural or artificial senses.
b. You can't take out your own brain and look at it quivering in your hand, i.e., you cannot see "seeing" with your own eyes.
c. Science requires reasonable conjecture to be able to build knowledge.
d. Reason insists that the "God hypothesis" is a very likely explanation.
4. Atheists fail to seize upon the very largest questions.
a. Where did the universe come from?
b. Why is there something, rather than nothing?
c. Why are you here? Or why are there any intelligent beings possible at all?
d. Why do you think you feel that some actions are good and moral, but some are not and should be forbidden?
5. If you can be satisfied with saying, "I don't know the answers to the really big questions," then simply be agnostic, and don't presume to say that you "know" that there "does not exist" something you can never prove or disprove.
a. If there is anything likely to be beyond our understanding, surely it would be the God who created and sustains the whole Cosmos and everything in it.
b. The mere fact that you feel you must debate Him shows that He desires to call all conscious beings to Himself.
c. "Something from nothing" is not a better answer than "creation by God."
d. It is highly unlikely that science will ever be able to explain, let alone try to manipulate, how the universe's initial physical constants were chosen and fixed.
Part 2: What, or Who, is God?
Omnipresent - not limited in location, because for there to be any location it must be sustained by non-contingent being-in-itself.
Omnipotent - not limited in power, because it is obvious that the Cosmos exists, and that it has both a beginning and an end, as do all living beings.
Omniscient - knows all that can be known, because He has allowed for and observed every contingency, and has designs for every possibility in the future.
Supremely Intelligent - has a coherent intention, with an aim, plans, methods and intermediate goals, and knows how to take action to achieve them, from concept to success.
Perfectly Loving - understands the needs of other beings, because He takes special interest in bringing forth life and intellect, and shaping it into moral creatures.
Perfectly Truthful - He communicates only the Truth, because deceiving his creatures would only warp their development and prevent their further growth in morality.
Giving Freedom - unlimited in his choices of action, He then allows his creatures to choose what they think is best for their own survival, growth and development.
Teaching Wisdom - understanding of practical pursuits, He guides us to follow aims that will lead us to live properly and seek fulfillment in society and knowledge.
Part 3: So what else did you want?
1. God does not force you to obey, but doing so helps your cause.
2. God gives you a magnificent intellect.
3. God let's you grow in knowledge and power.
4. God has given you the best teachers, and the best exemplars.
5. You can refine your own character.
6. The gates of Heaven are ajar for you to open.
7. You can design and build your own paradise, any way you want.
8. God will trust you, if you love Him.
9. You can have everything you need.
10. You need never to be lonely.
11. You can live as long as you want.
12. God asks only for gratitude, and that you always love others.
Do you have any problem with that?
1. Define what you mean by "God."
a. God is not a member of any category of things, persons, etc.
b. God is not just another person you can find. There are no Olympian gods.
c. God is the self-sufficient action of being-in-itself. He is "the subsistent act of Being Itself" (Bishop Robert Barron).
d. If God did not want to be known, He could have avoided our notice, but He has chosen to make us aware of Him.
2. You can't just ask me to point to anything inside our experience and say "God did that," as if to give evidence.
a. God is outside of our experience.
b. We are inside His experience.
c. Nothing happens that He does not allow, or take into account, in his plans.
d. He "did" the physical laws that made the universe, and all of the laws of nature that made life possible.
3. Science is not great enough to be able to discover God, or to disprove Him.
a. Science can only look at empirical objects that can be observed with our natural or artificial senses.
b. You can't take out your own brain and look at it quivering in your hand, i.e., you cannot see "seeing" with your own eyes.
c. Science requires reasonable conjecture to be able to build knowledge.
d. Reason insists that the "God hypothesis" is a very likely explanation.
4. Atheists fail to seize upon the very largest questions.
a. Where did the universe come from?
b. Why is there something, rather than nothing?
c. Why are you here? Or why are there any intelligent beings possible at all?
d. Why do you think you feel that some actions are good and moral, but some are not and should be forbidden?
5. If you can be satisfied with saying, "I don't know the answers to the really big questions," then simply be agnostic, and don't presume to say that you "know" that there "does not exist" something you can never prove or disprove.
a. If there is anything likely to be beyond our understanding, surely it would be the God who created and sustains the whole Cosmos and everything in it.
b. The mere fact that you feel you must debate Him shows that He desires to call all conscious beings to Himself.
c. "Something from nothing" is not a better answer than "creation by God."
d. It is highly unlikely that science will ever be able to explain, let alone try to manipulate, how the universe's initial physical constants were chosen and fixed.
Part 2: What, or Who, is God?
Omnipresent - not limited in location, because for there to be any location it must be sustained by non-contingent being-in-itself.
Omnipotent - not limited in power, because it is obvious that the Cosmos exists, and that it has both a beginning and an end, as do all living beings.
Omniscient - knows all that can be known, because He has allowed for and observed every contingency, and has designs for every possibility in the future.
Supremely Intelligent - has a coherent intention, with an aim, plans, methods and intermediate goals, and knows how to take action to achieve them, from concept to success.
Perfectly Loving - understands the needs of other beings, because He takes special interest in bringing forth life and intellect, and shaping it into moral creatures.
Perfectly Truthful - He communicates only the Truth, because deceiving his creatures would only warp their development and prevent their further growth in morality.
Giving Freedom - unlimited in his choices of action, He then allows his creatures to choose what they think is best for their own survival, growth and development.
Teaching Wisdom - understanding of practical pursuits, He guides us to follow aims that will lead us to live properly and seek fulfillment in society and knowledge.
Part 3: So what else did you want?
1. God does not force you to obey, but doing so helps your cause.
2. God gives you a magnificent intellect.
3. God let's you grow in knowledge and power.
4. God has given you the best teachers, and the best exemplars.
5. You can refine your own character.
6. The gates of Heaven are ajar for you to open.
7. You can design and build your own paradise, any way you want.
8. God will trust you, if you love Him.
9. You can have everything you need.
10. You need never to be lonely.
11. You can live as long as you want.
12. God asks only for gratitude, and that you always love others.
Do you have any problem with that?
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