Fermi's Paradox:
Why does the Cosmos look so empty?
If we are so "average" there should be lots
of people out there, but we don't see any.
"Where are they?"
Possible Solutions:
1. Hi-tech civilizations are rare, or none.
2. They remain small, or stay in hiding.
3. They suffer extinction.
4. They transcend this reality.
The first three can't explain the total silence
we observe. Only the fourth speaks for
everyone else ... if it's unavoidable.
I. If they have transcended:
a. did they all leave?
b. did they leave a gate/instructions?
c. can they come back?
d. what does it require to follow?
e. what is it like there?
f. what are the alternatives?
h. can they help/influence us?
II. If they can influence us:
a. is everyone good, or are some evil?
- is there a conflict between factions?
- do they want/need our help?
- is there an essential dispute?
b. do they want the best for us, or for them?
- good people (angels):
. you can do this & join us
. obey, serve & learn from us
- bad people (demons):
. conform, or suffer the consequences
. be exterminated as vermin
c. how involved can they be?
- they (should) have a plan
. but let us do all that we can
. moral choices are a key issue
- they have rules on interference
. stay hidden & leave no proof
. inspiration, voices & visions only
. give as few clues as possible
. keep descriptions vague
- they know something we don't
. let us figure it out for ourselves
- they know us better than we do
. we have an unused power
. faith can move mountains
- not following the rules = "open season"
. let us decide our own fate
d. how powerful are they?
- is one side stronger than the other?
- whose methods are more effective?
- does morality limit tactics?
- is there any ultimate advantage?
III. Should we be interested in them?
- do we have a choice?
. is everyone recruited/drafted?
- can we avoid transcendence?
. is the transition part of nature?
- would "going up" be worth it?
. does eternity equal immortality?
- what are the costs of involvement?
. civil war between factions here
. disdain for our planet
. dismissing reason
. adopting a "least evil" option
IV. Does "Transcendence" make sense?
- there is no way to verify it.
. it defies cause & effect
- it's an unnecessary distraction.
. we have enough issues to solve
- we need to transcend religion.
. it's a source of disagreement
- utopia is our job to create.
. paradise is variably described
- faith must be more than belief.
. it must match observed reality
V. Can't we just survive on self-interest?
- practical moral idealism
. relativist legal neutrality
. cultural spheres of influence
. minimize interference
. scientific knowledge
. philosophical enlightenment
. ecological conservatism
. territorial security
. agree to play fair
- God is what makes us better people.
. morality is based on principles
. deontology is a cultural choice
. paragons must be worthy to follow
. civilization must be harmonious
. violence is intolerable
- our lives need meaning & purpose.
. our mode of service is a choice
. we need a future vision
VI. A good & just God would understand.
- we choose universal ideals
. our principles reflect them
- we accept longevity, not eternity
. the ideal of Truth
- we build our own heavens
. the ideal of Freedom
- we strive to emulate divinity
. the ideal of Love
- we acknowledge our shortcomings
. the ideal of Wisdom
- we choose Life above all.
VII. We will do & be the best that we can.
- we must trust our own understanding
. we do still listen with faith in God
- take an optimistic view of humanity
. let us rise to our expectations
- follow principles that we all share
. choose life
. first do no harm
. help where we can
. allow for differences
. lead by example & suggestion
. trust, but verify
. strength for peace, not conquest
. let others choose their own way
- compete for honor, not advantage
. we must live with dignity
. we do not condone abuse
VIII. Reach for the Stars !!!
- Be the exception: We are here!
One final observation / inquiry:
Do the parallels with the Middle Eastern
religious paradigms seem so obvious to
everyone else? It feels like it can be read
from an atheist point of view, or from a
religious perspective, with only very few
concessions to the other side, either way.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Sparks of Divinity in the Heavens
When I sit by my campfire and watch the sparks rise, each time the logs settle into place, I can't help but look up and wonder. If the stars above us are showing us places where God has created worlds, and today science is discovering that most stars have planets, then does it seem right that these should be barren?
God tells us that He created the Heavens and the Earth, and on the Earth He created life and placed Humanity to watch over it as stewards. But if we dig just a tiny bit deeper, we hear that the whole point of creating the Cosmos was to achieve the creation of Adam and Eve. He created them in the image and likeness of his own Divinity. And once He had done that, then on the seventh day He rested.
Right. Now someone is objecting that I have presumed to set up the Greater Anthropic Principle. You are correct. I am stating it plainly, as a matter of faith. God designed the Cosmos to facilitate the emergence of life and intelligence. Why? The Bible doesn't answer that specifically, humbly admitting that we cannot delve into God's motives. But we can look at His subsequent behavior. What happens next? He walks around in the Garden of Eden, and talks to us! Apparently, there isn't much better that God wants to do than to spend time in conversation with people!
Whoa!! Hold up, right there! I'm not saying that we are the only, or by any measure the best, people in the Cosmos. The universe is far too unimaginably vast for it to be empty. And Humanity clearly started out on the wrong foot on its journey to civilization. But God isn't limited like we are. He can spend time talking to lots of people, without short-shrifting anyone on personal attention or one-on-one time.
Maybe He likes us best because we are so difficult. We are slow learners, after all, always doing what we know that we shouldn't. We continually get ourselves into trouble, and somehow get Him involved in it along with us. Of course, He would prefer it if we could just get it right, for a change. Our stupidity and lack of faith costs Him a lot ... more than most of us would be willing to pay, for someone else's problems. But yeah, He gave his only Son to shock us out of our sinful attitudes, and to tell us that we can have all of the help we need to change our lives. (This is not theology. I'm speaking in broader terms.)
God is trying to put the essential laws of morality into our hearts. But from the beginning, we have been a bunch of deviants, refusing to listen and obey. We can't observe even the simplest rules without looking for an edge, a way to promote our own personal interests, even when we know it will cost someone else. But He has made it plain enough already. He makes the rules for our benefit. It is only by living together in harmony that we can ever get to where we are meant to go. He has planned out a magnificent destiny for us, if we are willing to trust Him and cooperate.
Even better than a city on a hill, a beacon of hope for the downtrodden and the despairing souls, crying for someone, anyone to care about them ... which is what we should be doing now. That is what God has asked of us, for the past 2,000 years. Show everyone how we are supposed to be living when we have faith, and choose to obey Him. But the time for learning how to do that is getting shorter. It's time to look up, not to the mountains from where our hope has so often come, but to the stars. We are close to being ready for Heaven.
We have been building and improving our technology for the last 6,000 years or so. We began with learning how to plant crops and build cities. And for all that time, we have been struggling to learn how to live together harmoniously in close quarters. But over and over, we keep getting hung up on our fear and distrust of strangers. Of course it's often justified, but just as often it's merely paranoia.
Only recently have we arrived at the concept of "trust, but verify," so that we can get past the self-interested inclination to cheat whenever we can. Good diplomats have always had spies, and they also had the discipline to refuse to steal secrets. Their spies watch to see if anyone else is cheating. The game of competition and one-upmanship has always led eventually to conflict, but playing fair leads to lasting friendship.
The world seems so much smaller in our times, because of electronic devices for communication and satellites observing the whole globe every 90 minutes. So we know each other better than we have ever been able to before. We can see who wants to compete, and who is willing to cheat, and we know who our friends are.
And we also know how absolutely devastating an all-out war would be, and want to avoid it. The fools who would precipitate a nuclear war would set us all back by centuries, to the point of having to piece ourselves together from scraps and fading knowledge. And the survivors would have a decade of frozen famine, when the dust clouds block out the sun so that crops won't grow. It wouldn't be the best of us who make it out of that alive, but only the most fierce and the lucky. That world would be Hell, and deservedly so.
So we have a choice. We can decide that we should change the rules of the game, and agree that people have the right to choose what kind of government they want. No one should have any ideology imposed on them without consent. We know what our ideals are: Truth, Freedom, Love and Wisdom. And we know that religion should be about helping people to become the best that they can be. No form of conquest is ever acceptable. And no form of deception is ever acceptable either. As for economics, why should we let greed run our systems? We are close, technologically, to being able to build the kind of abundance that can support everyone with enough of what we need. But we need to regulate the markets to facilitate more equality between citizens, and we have to choose to invest in the machines and robotic tools to do it.
So those are the sources of conflict we can avoid. We can choose to create a better world for everyone, if we agree on these instead:
1. government by consent
- political tolerance, caring for people
2. choice of religious beliefs
- free choice, better morals, high ideals
3. economics of abundance
- more equality & robotic technology
4. fair use of resources
- renewables, recycling, treaties & space
5. limits on pollution
- reclamation, restoration & regulation
6. justice without violence
- universal human rights, fight corruption
"Yeah, right," I can hear the sarcastic remarks. "Dream on," they say. But then the whole concept of Heaven is a dream. Just like the open frontier that led Americans to the idea of "manifest destiny," it doesn't have to always work out exactly as we have seen it in our dreams. But if we work at it honestly, with our ideals in mind and the best of intentions, the world gets better for our having tried. Nor do we have to have a plan for how it should be done. Let the diplomats and negotiators do their jobs. Just give them the mandate for what needs to be done, and the flexibility to let each party do it their own way. Then trust, but verify.
And then what? What come after we establish the "Pax Tolerans"? The answer is, quite simply, the Heavens are full of unlimited opportunities. Which is not to say that we have to wait until we solve our problems, before we can reach out for the next steps. Space is a part of the solution. But once we learn how to live there and use the resources at hand ...
We can go out into the rest of the solar system, and develop our capabilities for really living in Heaven. When we can look up at the Moon, and see city lights on the dark side, we will know that our chances of achieving Heaven are improving by leaps and bounds. The freedom to innovate and build unique societies in space will be a dream come true, and the more we learn, the closer we will get to success.
So, let's go back to the original vision of sparks in the night sky. Yes, humanity is about as crooked as the branches we toss on a campfire, and the majority of us are consumed with our private concerns here on Earth, but the best wood gets chosen for building and we can be shaped and trimmed of our irregularities. But just watch the sparks rise into the darkness, floating away in search of a spot to rest and start a new fire. If we can learn to work together, and build new habitats in space, and equip them with whatever propulsion may get them to the stars, we too can go out in search of a place to rest, and start a new branch of civilization, aflame with the zeal and enthusiasm of the knowledge that we will have at last arrived in the Heavens. And maybe we will find the other angels, whom we expect to meet in Heaven. Then we will be doing our part to make sure that all those stars, with all those worlds, don't remain barren.
A magnificent destiny, indeed.
God tells us that He created the Heavens and the Earth, and on the Earth He created life and placed Humanity to watch over it as stewards. But if we dig just a tiny bit deeper, we hear that the whole point of creating the Cosmos was to achieve the creation of Adam and Eve. He created them in the image and likeness of his own Divinity. And once He had done that, then on the seventh day He rested.
Right. Now someone is objecting that I have presumed to set up the Greater Anthropic Principle. You are correct. I am stating it plainly, as a matter of faith. God designed the Cosmos to facilitate the emergence of life and intelligence. Why? The Bible doesn't answer that specifically, humbly admitting that we cannot delve into God's motives. But we can look at His subsequent behavior. What happens next? He walks around in the Garden of Eden, and talks to us! Apparently, there isn't much better that God wants to do than to spend time in conversation with people!
Whoa!! Hold up, right there! I'm not saying that we are the only, or by any measure the best, people in the Cosmos. The universe is far too unimaginably vast for it to be empty. And Humanity clearly started out on the wrong foot on its journey to civilization. But God isn't limited like we are. He can spend time talking to lots of people, without short-shrifting anyone on personal attention or one-on-one time.
Maybe He likes us best because we are so difficult. We are slow learners, after all, always doing what we know that we shouldn't. We continually get ourselves into trouble, and somehow get Him involved in it along with us. Of course, He would prefer it if we could just get it right, for a change. Our stupidity and lack of faith costs Him a lot ... more than most of us would be willing to pay, for someone else's problems. But yeah, He gave his only Son to shock us out of our sinful attitudes, and to tell us that we can have all of the help we need to change our lives. (This is not theology. I'm speaking in broader terms.)
God is trying to put the essential laws of morality into our hearts. But from the beginning, we have been a bunch of deviants, refusing to listen and obey. We can't observe even the simplest rules without looking for an edge, a way to promote our own personal interests, even when we know it will cost someone else. But He has made it plain enough already. He makes the rules for our benefit. It is only by living together in harmony that we can ever get to where we are meant to go. He has planned out a magnificent destiny for us, if we are willing to trust Him and cooperate.
Even better than a city on a hill, a beacon of hope for the downtrodden and the despairing souls, crying for someone, anyone to care about them ... which is what we should be doing now. That is what God has asked of us, for the past 2,000 years. Show everyone how we are supposed to be living when we have faith, and choose to obey Him. But the time for learning how to do that is getting shorter. It's time to look up, not to the mountains from where our hope has so often come, but to the stars. We are close to being ready for Heaven.
We have been building and improving our technology for the last 6,000 years or so. We began with learning how to plant crops and build cities. And for all that time, we have been struggling to learn how to live together harmoniously in close quarters. But over and over, we keep getting hung up on our fear and distrust of strangers. Of course it's often justified, but just as often it's merely paranoia.
Only recently have we arrived at the concept of "trust, but verify," so that we can get past the self-interested inclination to cheat whenever we can. Good diplomats have always had spies, and they also had the discipline to refuse to steal secrets. Their spies watch to see if anyone else is cheating. The game of competition and one-upmanship has always led eventually to conflict, but playing fair leads to lasting friendship.
The world seems so much smaller in our times, because of electronic devices for communication and satellites observing the whole globe every 90 minutes. So we know each other better than we have ever been able to before. We can see who wants to compete, and who is willing to cheat, and we know who our friends are.
And we also know how absolutely devastating an all-out war would be, and want to avoid it. The fools who would precipitate a nuclear war would set us all back by centuries, to the point of having to piece ourselves together from scraps and fading knowledge. And the survivors would have a decade of frozen famine, when the dust clouds block out the sun so that crops won't grow. It wouldn't be the best of us who make it out of that alive, but only the most fierce and the lucky. That world would be Hell, and deservedly so.
So we have a choice. We can decide that we should change the rules of the game, and agree that people have the right to choose what kind of government they want. No one should have any ideology imposed on them without consent. We know what our ideals are: Truth, Freedom, Love and Wisdom. And we know that religion should be about helping people to become the best that they can be. No form of conquest is ever acceptable. And no form of deception is ever acceptable either. As for economics, why should we let greed run our systems? We are close, technologically, to being able to build the kind of abundance that can support everyone with enough of what we need. But we need to regulate the markets to facilitate more equality between citizens, and we have to choose to invest in the machines and robotic tools to do it.
So those are the sources of conflict we can avoid. We can choose to create a better world for everyone, if we agree on these instead:
1. government by consent
- political tolerance, caring for people
2. choice of religious beliefs
- free choice, better morals, high ideals
3. economics of abundance
- more equality & robotic technology
4. fair use of resources
- renewables, recycling, treaties & space
5. limits on pollution
- reclamation, restoration & regulation
6. justice without violence
- universal human rights, fight corruption
"Yeah, right," I can hear the sarcastic remarks. "Dream on," they say. But then the whole concept of Heaven is a dream. Just like the open frontier that led Americans to the idea of "manifest destiny," it doesn't have to always work out exactly as we have seen it in our dreams. But if we work at it honestly, with our ideals in mind and the best of intentions, the world gets better for our having tried. Nor do we have to have a plan for how it should be done. Let the diplomats and negotiators do their jobs. Just give them the mandate for what needs to be done, and the flexibility to let each party do it their own way. Then trust, but verify.
And then what? What come after we establish the "Pax Tolerans"? The answer is, quite simply, the Heavens are full of unlimited opportunities. Which is not to say that we have to wait until we solve our problems, before we can reach out for the next steps. Space is a part of the solution. But once we learn how to live there and use the resources at hand ...
We can go out into the rest of the solar system, and develop our capabilities for really living in Heaven. When we can look up at the Moon, and see city lights on the dark side, we will know that our chances of achieving Heaven are improving by leaps and bounds. The freedom to innovate and build unique societies in space will be a dream come true, and the more we learn, the closer we will get to success.
So, let's go back to the original vision of sparks in the night sky. Yes, humanity is about as crooked as the branches we toss on a campfire, and the majority of us are consumed with our private concerns here on Earth, but the best wood gets chosen for building and we can be shaped and trimmed of our irregularities. But just watch the sparks rise into the darkness, floating away in search of a spot to rest and start a new fire. If we can learn to work together, and build new habitats in space, and equip them with whatever propulsion may get them to the stars, we too can go out in search of a place to rest, and start a new branch of civilization, aflame with the zeal and enthusiasm of the knowledge that we will have at last arrived in the Heavens. And maybe we will find the other angels, whom we expect to meet in Heaven. Then we will be doing our part to make sure that all those stars, with all those worlds, don't remain barren.
A magnificent destiny, indeed.
Monday, September 9, 2019
Answering Atheists #2
It never ceases to amaze me how smug a person can be when he thinks he has all of the answers. I, myself, am not immune to that, but I will at least listen to opposing points of view and try to see if there is anything of value in them. If you are really so smart, you can try to see how the big framework can let smaller things fit in it together. It's like a jigsaw puzzle; until you get the big picture, you are fumbling with putting small bits in wherever they go.
I am not a "flat earther" and I don't try to interpret scriptures literally. Such nonsense is an insult to critical intelligence. Rather, if you allow metaphor, analogy, reason and common sense, it gives you a lot of freedom.
This is a response to a YouTube chat between Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss.
Part One:
If you argue that the Big Bang happened spontaneously because of the action of quantum physics, then you have to explain where the laws of quantum physics came from. At last report, you guys haven't even figured that out how to work on that yet.
You can NEVER get the Universe to "happen" from no existence at all, since the Universe is not entirely self-subsistent. Even Stephen Hawking admitted that "black holes" can eventually evaporate. If the universe can die, clearly it can't birth itself. God, however, IS self-sustaining -- being the very nature of Being-in-itself, and so is capable to sustain the Universe, as well as to create it.
Note: every event needs a cause. If there is nothing, there can be no immediate cause, but only a "first cause" or a "prime mover", i.e., God. Your tiny "quantum event" is only a flick of his Will.
There can't be any "something from nothing." It's impossible, unless God was playing at "being nothing" when He did it. This is actually something He does frequently. The Kaballah has a series of discussions on how God created the Cosmos. You should try reading another book, or two.
Evolution is not an argument for Atheism. It is an argument for Divine intervention and stochastic direction. The odds against random mutations selected by survival of the fittest for adaptation to any given environment ever having the luck to evolve into an Intelligent being make the word "Astronomical" pale by comparison. We are talking ENORMOUS Fermi Paradox "Great Filters" here, and LOTS OF THEM. Each with only a small percentage chance, like lottery odds.
1. Big Bang
(why & how did it happen? )
2. Suitable Star, Planet & Moon
(very specific conditions)
3. Abiogenesis
(another why & how)
4. Multicellular Complexity
(not necessary for survival)
5. Intelligence
(is it even an efficient aid?)
6. Progressive Technology
(actually a hazard)
7. Wisdom for Self-preservation
(yet to be seen)
If you want to gamble an infinite number of times, forever ... We will all win the lottery before this would replicate itself by itself, without Divine intervention and direction.
Science forces us to realize that Nothing can happen without God. Now, THAT is a great gift.
Part Two:
The Multiverse Hypothesis is not even good science. It is untestable, unverifiable, unfalsifiable and violates the principle of Occam's razor. Just like God Himself, who actually is the simplest explanation. So it is not an answer to anything. It only dodges the question.
The anthropic principle is not a reason to doubt. To say that we are here because the universe is conducive to the appearance of life says nothing profound. We would not be here to ask why we are here, if God did not design the universe to be able to support life. Of course, I am here to ask the question, and I'm not going to let you weasel out of it. Not that easy.
Part Three:
You say that strict scientific trials of the effectiveness of prayer in hospitals have failed to show any benefit? And yet, there are many doctors who will vouch for it.
Perhaps you are overlooking the central essential condition of prayer: It requires Faith. Further, God forbids us to put Him to a test. So your scientific double-blind test carries it's own failure within. It begins with doubt, and wants God to cooperate with its parameters.
You want Magic, not Miracles.
Part Four:
You mock Heaven, saying we should not take our morality from any religion. But Heaven forbid that we should take our morality from Atheists !!! Then we would follow Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot, and genocide would be a good thing.
We have been given brains for a reason. To use for the Good of humanity and the world, and to Discern what is the right way to live. Buddhism is a fine religion, even without God. And many theologians will agree that God both exists and does not exist, all at the same time. He is both, Being and Nothingness.
Which, by the way, eliminates Islam from the status of a religion, simply because it encourages violence, slavery, honor killing, terrorism, oppression of an underclass, deception and has no consistent moral code. It is the only ideology that does that and gets away with calling itself a religion, because it talks about Allah, and an Apocalypse. But Allah is not the God of the Bible.
Part Five: A final argument ...
An atheist claims that he has the answer,
that he knows why we exist. Oh, really?
Are you sure you understand why we exist?
Unless you want to tell us what it is ...
(Oh? Nothing to say?)
I doubt that you even have a clue.
That is the prerogative of Faith.
And then he goes on to say, "Nothing is sacred."
Hmm, what kind of thinking is that?
Nothing deserves to be protected from desecration...
because the concerns of Spirit don't figure in.
Oh, right! That's Empiricism!
A self-limiting tool used only by hardcore materialists and scientists.
Scientists start off with a bias saying, there is no God. Only what can be experienced through our five senses can be real. So of course, they can't find what they refuse to look for honestly. They are searching with one hand tied behind their backs.
If you insist that "hammers" don't exist, but then you trip over one, you would have to say that it's a funny looking piece of metal on a stick, and obviously not a "hammer."
A simple syllogism:
Atheists say that it is absurd to believe in a God who can't be proven to exist, because he would be outside of the bounds of science.
But they then say that they believe that the universe somehow magically created itself out of nothing ... which equally baffles any scientific explanation.
On the other hand, ...
Theists say that God claims to be the self-sustaining source of all time and being, (i.e., He is not contingent). There is a long tradition of prophets who are believed to have spoken with God. Their experiences confirm that God is an eternal Being.
We know that the universe has a beginning and most probably will have an end. So its existence is contingent upon time and the lawful strength of physical forces, at the very least.
Further, it is illogical to say that any contingent object created itself, because, it would have to have effective volition and agency before it actually exists in any form or capacity.
Theists say that their self-subsistent, non-contingent God actually can do what He claims to have done, because He stands outside of time and CAN will something before it happens.
God conceived and implemented the physical laws, and all of the ways that things in this universe work together, so that He could create worlds with people in them. That's what He told us. (He didn't say whether we are the only ones, but wow! Such superfluous engineering it would be if we are alone!)
So, if the only problem preventing a logical conclusion, asserting that God created the universe, hinges upon God being outside of the reach of science and puny human understanding, then which is the more logical position?
A. We can't touch it, so that explanation is forbidden ... but we still can't figure out how science can explain it ... or,
B. We have known for millennia that God says He made the universe for us.
Who says that we can and must have a scientific explanation for everything? Scientists? Who made them the exclusive authority?
God gave us a revealed explanation for everything, in language appropriate to the level of understanding of the person who was asking the question. He gives better answers today, when we better understand the questions we are asking. And what He doesn't answer, He asks us to wait to find out when we can grasp the knowledge.
That does not mean that we should stop trying to figure stuff out for ourselves, using reason and science, or whatever we can get to work for our knowledge of the universe. But it does mean that we should not be so smug as to assert that we know what we clearly don't know.
By the way, GOD is the final authority, but He trusts us to be honest with ourselves, and to admit when we get something wrong.
"The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge, and there is no place for it in the endeavor of science. We do not know beforehand where fundamental insights will arise from about our mysterious and lovely [Cosmos]."
-- Carl Sagan
So why do so many scientists try so hard to suppress the truth?
God exists.
I am not a "flat earther" and I don't try to interpret scriptures literally. Such nonsense is an insult to critical intelligence. Rather, if you allow metaphor, analogy, reason and common sense, it gives you a lot of freedom.
This is a response to a YouTube chat between Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss.
Part One:
If you argue that the Big Bang happened spontaneously because of the action of quantum physics, then you have to explain where the laws of quantum physics came from. At last report, you guys haven't even figured that out how to work on that yet.
You can NEVER get the Universe to "happen" from no existence at all, since the Universe is not entirely self-subsistent. Even Stephen Hawking admitted that "black holes" can eventually evaporate. If the universe can die, clearly it can't birth itself. God, however, IS self-sustaining -- being the very nature of Being-in-itself, and so is capable to sustain the Universe, as well as to create it.
Note: every event needs a cause. If there is nothing, there can be no immediate cause, but only a "first cause" or a "prime mover", i.e., God. Your tiny "quantum event" is only a flick of his Will.
There can't be any "something from nothing." It's impossible, unless God was playing at "being nothing" when He did it. This is actually something He does frequently. The Kaballah has a series of discussions on how God created the Cosmos. You should try reading another book, or two.
Evolution is not an argument for Atheism. It is an argument for Divine intervention and stochastic direction. The odds against random mutations selected by survival of the fittest for adaptation to any given environment ever having the luck to evolve into an Intelligent being make the word "Astronomical" pale by comparison. We are talking ENORMOUS Fermi Paradox "Great Filters" here, and LOTS OF THEM. Each with only a small percentage chance, like lottery odds.
1. Big Bang
(why & how did it happen? )
2. Suitable Star, Planet & Moon
(very specific conditions)
3. Abiogenesis
(another why & how)
4. Multicellular Complexity
(not necessary for survival)
5. Intelligence
(is it even an efficient aid?)
6. Progressive Technology
(actually a hazard)
7. Wisdom for Self-preservation
(yet to be seen)
If you want to gamble an infinite number of times, forever ... We will all win the lottery before this would replicate itself by itself, without Divine intervention and direction.
Science forces us to realize that Nothing can happen without God. Now, THAT is a great gift.
Part Two:
The Multiverse Hypothesis is not even good science. It is untestable, unverifiable, unfalsifiable and violates the principle of Occam's razor. Just like God Himself, who actually is the simplest explanation. So it is not an answer to anything. It only dodges the question.
The anthropic principle is not a reason to doubt. To say that we are here because the universe is conducive to the appearance of life says nothing profound. We would not be here to ask why we are here, if God did not design the universe to be able to support life. Of course, I am here to ask the question, and I'm not going to let you weasel out of it. Not that easy.
Part Three:
You say that strict scientific trials of the effectiveness of prayer in hospitals have failed to show any benefit? And yet, there are many doctors who will vouch for it.
Perhaps you are overlooking the central essential condition of prayer: It requires Faith. Further, God forbids us to put Him to a test. So your scientific double-blind test carries it's own failure within. It begins with doubt, and wants God to cooperate with its parameters.
You want Magic, not Miracles.
Part Four:
You mock Heaven, saying we should not take our morality from any religion. But Heaven forbid that we should take our morality from Atheists !!! Then we would follow Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot, and genocide would be a good thing.
We have been given brains for a reason. To use for the Good of humanity and the world, and to Discern what is the right way to live. Buddhism is a fine religion, even without God. And many theologians will agree that God both exists and does not exist, all at the same time. He is both, Being and Nothingness.
Which, by the way, eliminates Islam from the status of a religion, simply because it encourages violence, slavery, honor killing, terrorism, oppression of an underclass, deception and has no consistent moral code. It is the only ideology that does that and gets away with calling itself a religion, because it talks about Allah, and an Apocalypse. But Allah is not the God of the Bible.
Part Five: A final argument ...
An atheist claims that he has the answer,
that he knows why we exist. Oh, really?
Are you sure you understand why we exist?
Unless you want to tell us what it is ...
(Oh? Nothing to say?)
I doubt that you even have a clue.
That is the prerogative of Faith.
And then he goes on to say, "Nothing is sacred."
Hmm, what kind of thinking is that?
Nothing deserves to be protected from desecration...
because the concerns of Spirit don't figure in.
Oh, right! That's Empiricism!
A self-limiting tool used only by hardcore materialists and scientists.
Scientists start off with a bias saying, there is no God. Only what can be experienced through our five senses can be real. So of course, they can't find what they refuse to look for honestly. They are searching with one hand tied behind their backs.
If you insist that "hammers" don't exist, but then you trip over one, you would have to say that it's a funny looking piece of metal on a stick, and obviously not a "hammer."
A simple syllogism:
Atheists say that it is absurd to believe in a God who can't be proven to exist, because he would be outside of the bounds of science.
But they then say that they believe that the universe somehow magically created itself out of nothing ... which equally baffles any scientific explanation.
On the other hand, ...
Theists say that God claims to be the self-sustaining source of all time and being, (i.e., He is not contingent). There is a long tradition of prophets who are believed to have spoken with God. Their experiences confirm that God is an eternal Being.
We know that the universe has a beginning and most probably will have an end. So its existence is contingent upon time and the lawful strength of physical forces, at the very least.
Further, it is illogical to say that any contingent object created itself, because, it would have to have effective volition and agency before it actually exists in any form or capacity.
Theists say that their self-subsistent, non-contingent God actually can do what He claims to have done, because He stands outside of time and CAN will something before it happens.
God conceived and implemented the physical laws, and all of the ways that things in this universe work together, so that He could create worlds with people in them. That's what He told us. (He didn't say whether we are the only ones, but wow! Such superfluous engineering it would be if we are alone!)
So, if the only problem preventing a logical conclusion, asserting that God created the universe, hinges upon God being outside of the reach of science and puny human understanding, then which is the more logical position?
A. We can't touch it, so that explanation is forbidden ... but we still can't figure out how science can explain it ... or,
B. We have known for millennia that God says He made the universe for us.
Who says that we can and must have a scientific explanation for everything? Scientists? Who made them the exclusive authority?
God gave us a revealed explanation for everything, in language appropriate to the level of understanding of the person who was asking the question. He gives better answers today, when we better understand the questions we are asking. And what He doesn't answer, He asks us to wait to find out when we can grasp the knowledge.
That does not mean that we should stop trying to figure stuff out for ourselves, using reason and science, or whatever we can get to work for our knowledge of the universe. But it does mean that we should not be so smug as to assert that we know what we clearly don't know.
By the way, GOD is the final authority, but He trusts us to be honest with ourselves, and to admit when we get something wrong.
"The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge, and there is no place for it in the endeavor of science. We do not know beforehand where fundamental insights will arise from about our mysterious and lovely [Cosmos]."
-- Carl Sagan
So why do so many scientists try so hard to suppress the truth?
God exists.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Modern Gnosis in Christianity
What part can Gnosis play in modern Christianity?
Gnosis answers the essential questions, "How can I know God, and be sure that I am saved?" Aside from the concern to appease the wrath of the earlier gods, this has been the ultimate issue of our religious traditions all the way back to ancient Egypt. Esoteric texts purporting to share the secret divine knowledge needed to pass into the world of the gods date to the age of the pyramids. There was a series of rituals and passwords needed to get past the gatekeepers. It wasn't until later that a clear conscience became a requirement, when the god Ma'at decided to weigh men's souls against a feather.
But there is also another way to be attuned to God, to discern what we need to have a right relationship with the Divinity that sustains our existence. A personal mystic experience grants ineffable (unspeakable) knowledge directly from God. It is not an exclusive prerogative, so as to be reserved only for an elite class of the faithful, but actually may be a democratizing factor. This is because it's not something in us, or in our actions, that causes God to speak to our hearts. It is all God's will, to decide if He wants to touch us in this way.
It may indeed help if we are strongly focused on our desire to know God, practicing prayer, meditation and study as our ultimate concern, but we don't make it happen. Saints through all the ages have retreated from the world, to escape its distractions and concentrate on their efforts to live for God. And many have had these deeply spiritual experiences, and felt thus enlightened and empowered, encouraged in their pursuit of God. Their examples and teachings, as a result, have been a special boon to the rest of us. It is this kind of experience, and the knowledge beyond expression in words, that I am referring to as gnosis.
What can the mystic experience of gnosis do for the believer?
A. Reassure the seeker.
- this is usually imparted only to the elect
- the experience deepens one's faith
- it may reveal a sense of a deeper truth
- it can clarify a holy mystery
B. "My kingdom is not of this world" becomes self-evident.
- knowledge strengthens faith in afterlife
- we may feel less attachment to flesh
- we see this world is not the most "real"
- we may even have a vision of Heaven
C. Offer direction and purpose.
- God's touch can reveal a way to serve
- it may offer a religious vocation
- it often delivers a call to salvation
- it may grant a spiritual gift or aptitude
D. A direct experience of God's love.
- it can be like a face to face meeting
- it speaks intimately to one's heart
- it can give reassurance of forgiveness
- it makes a claim for God's family
Gnosis is not given as a judge of doctrinal issues. The Church is the designated arbiter of doctrine. Rather, gnosis is a deeply personal experience, to be kept in one's heart and meditated on as a gift from Heaven. It can be regarded as imparting personal knowledge of God, or other spiritual matters, maybe revealing a new, higher point of view. It might even offer a broader perspective on religion in general. Many faiths share some aspect or relation in God's plan of salvation. But it will not give contradictory evidence, invalidating any of the means of consolation, salvation or empowerment offered to the faithful.
Gnosis can clarify the nature and depth of the dichotomy between good and evil, specifying the true nature of each. It carries within it the sense of a hallmark of Truth that is hard to ignore, but it begs to be "fact checked" by logical reasoning and critical investigation. Its nonverbal communication needs to be "translated" into more familiar forms. In essence, gnosis stands as the evidence we need to assert confidently that, truly, God does exist, and He cares about us, as amazing as that may be.
Sometimes, a tradition of mystical experiences can offer a path of spiritual evolution, slowly leading the faithful to the improvement of a poorly imagined religion, shedding light on internal contradictions. It can encourage the neglect of certain bad teachings, like threats of violence, or even dissembling lurking in the hidden corners of the faith, or a disdain for and harsh marginalization of the adherents of other traditions. In this way, gnosis, through the integration of mystic experience, can be a means for human spirituality to evolve subtly toward a nearer approximation of true knowledge by encounters with God. Sufis have been working on Islam for centuries, but they are afraid of being accused of apostasy. So, neither can they convert.
But gnosis is not the same as the ancient sects of Gnosticism. We do not claim any secret mystery, to be revealed only to an initiate. There are no essential passwords to be revealed in writing to a chosen few. There is no revelation of a twisted creation ruined by a lesser god, or a multiverse of hierarchies and levels of worlds. No evil Archons, no Barbelo. Those are merely deceptions, distractions to keep you from focusing on the truth.
The Truth has always been in plain sight, evident to any who have ears to hear and eyes to see with. The architecture of creation is already known, at least in mythological language. The God of creation is the same God of compassion, liberation and salvation. The troubles of this world are due to our own lack of faith and obedience, at least until we learn to internalize His morality and grow up to spiritual adulthood. Indeed, the message of Truth is the Good News that the Messiah has come, teaching about the Kingdom of God, and that the Law has been simplified so that Love is its fulfillment.
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me." He did promise to send the Holy Spirit for a guide, but She does not speak for her own glory, but only for the Father and the Son. Thus, gnosis and mystical experience is not a path away from Christianity, nor even an elitist community within it. Rather, gnosis may offer an answer to the doubt of the honest agnostic, who prays, "Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief."
Gnosis answers the essential questions, "How can I know God, and be sure that I am saved?" Aside from the concern to appease the wrath of the earlier gods, this has been the ultimate issue of our religious traditions all the way back to ancient Egypt. Esoteric texts purporting to share the secret divine knowledge needed to pass into the world of the gods date to the age of the pyramids. There was a series of rituals and passwords needed to get past the gatekeepers. It wasn't until later that a clear conscience became a requirement, when the god Ma'at decided to weigh men's souls against a feather.
But there is also another way to be attuned to God, to discern what we need to have a right relationship with the Divinity that sustains our existence. A personal mystic experience grants ineffable (unspeakable) knowledge directly from God. It is not an exclusive prerogative, so as to be reserved only for an elite class of the faithful, but actually may be a democratizing factor. This is because it's not something in us, or in our actions, that causes God to speak to our hearts. It is all God's will, to decide if He wants to touch us in this way.
It may indeed help if we are strongly focused on our desire to know God, practicing prayer, meditation and study as our ultimate concern, but we don't make it happen. Saints through all the ages have retreated from the world, to escape its distractions and concentrate on their efforts to live for God. And many have had these deeply spiritual experiences, and felt thus enlightened and empowered, encouraged in their pursuit of God. Their examples and teachings, as a result, have been a special boon to the rest of us. It is this kind of experience, and the knowledge beyond expression in words, that I am referring to as gnosis.
What can the mystic experience of gnosis do for the believer?
A. Reassure the seeker.
- this is usually imparted only to the elect
- the experience deepens one's faith
- it may reveal a sense of a deeper truth
- it can clarify a holy mystery
B. "My kingdom is not of this world" becomes self-evident.
- knowledge strengthens faith in afterlife
- we may feel less attachment to flesh
- we see this world is not the most "real"
- we may even have a vision of Heaven
C. Offer direction and purpose.
- God's touch can reveal a way to serve
- it may offer a religious vocation
- it often delivers a call to salvation
- it may grant a spiritual gift or aptitude
D. A direct experience of God's love.
- it can be like a face to face meeting
- it speaks intimately to one's heart
- it can give reassurance of forgiveness
- it makes a claim for God's family
Gnosis is not given as a judge of doctrinal issues. The Church is the designated arbiter of doctrine. Rather, gnosis is a deeply personal experience, to be kept in one's heart and meditated on as a gift from Heaven. It can be regarded as imparting personal knowledge of God, or other spiritual matters, maybe revealing a new, higher point of view. It might even offer a broader perspective on religion in general. Many faiths share some aspect or relation in God's plan of salvation. But it will not give contradictory evidence, invalidating any of the means of consolation, salvation or empowerment offered to the faithful.
Gnosis can clarify the nature and depth of the dichotomy between good and evil, specifying the true nature of each. It carries within it the sense of a hallmark of Truth that is hard to ignore, but it begs to be "fact checked" by logical reasoning and critical investigation. Its nonverbal communication needs to be "translated" into more familiar forms. In essence, gnosis stands as the evidence we need to assert confidently that, truly, God does exist, and He cares about us, as amazing as that may be.
Sometimes, a tradition of mystical experiences can offer a path of spiritual evolution, slowly leading the faithful to the improvement of a poorly imagined religion, shedding light on internal contradictions. It can encourage the neglect of certain bad teachings, like threats of violence, or even dissembling lurking in the hidden corners of the faith, or a disdain for and harsh marginalization of the adherents of other traditions. In this way, gnosis, through the integration of mystic experience, can be a means for human spirituality to evolve subtly toward a nearer approximation of true knowledge by encounters with God. Sufis have been working on Islam for centuries, but they are afraid of being accused of apostasy. So, neither can they convert.
But gnosis is not the same as the ancient sects of Gnosticism. We do not claim any secret mystery, to be revealed only to an initiate. There are no essential passwords to be revealed in writing to a chosen few. There is no revelation of a twisted creation ruined by a lesser god, or a multiverse of hierarchies and levels of worlds. No evil Archons, no Barbelo. Those are merely deceptions, distractions to keep you from focusing on the truth.
The Truth has always been in plain sight, evident to any who have ears to hear and eyes to see with. The architecture of creation is already known, at least in mythological language. The God of creation is the same God of compassion, liberation and salvation. The troubles of this world are due to our own lack of faith and obedience, at least until we learn to internalize His morality and grow up to spiritual adulthood. Indeed, the message of Truth is the Good News that the Messiah has come, teaching about the Kingdom of God, and that the Law has been simplified so that Love is its fulfillment.
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me." He did promise to send the Holy Spirit for a guide, but She does not speak for her own glory, but only for the Father and the Son. Thus, gnosis and mystical experience is not a path away from Christianity, nor even an elitist community within it. Rather, gnosis may offer an answer to the doubt of the honest agnostic, who prays, "Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief."
Sunday, September 1, 2019
What was the scene at Jesus' resurrection?
This narrative is based on the four canonical Gospels and the partial gospel of Peter. Mark wrote his gospel according to the story that Peter shared with him through the years they were together. Most likely, he also listened to as many of the original disciples as were available, in accord with a strict set of criteria, preferring eye witnesses. Yet he remained a bit sceptical of the average person's ability to believe in visions, so he was careful to consider whether he should use Peter's own resurrection story as direct source material.
Setting:
1. It is in a high class cemetery, with tombs cut from the rock. This one was cut for a member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea, and his wife.
2. The burial had been done in haste, only quickly washed and lacking preparation, since a holy day was fast approaching.
3. The tomb was closed by rolling a large stone across the entrance, and sealed to reveal any tampering.
4. There were a handful of Temple guards, some elders, and a centurion with a few Roman soldiers who were sent to watch the tomb. These were keeping vigil to prevent anyone from moving the body.
Action:
1. The guards are bored, but unwilling to seem less than vigilant, as they are also watching each other.
2. In the darkest part of the night, they hear a noise, like thunder. There comes an intensely bright light, shining around two figures who approach the tomb. They are very hard to look at.
3. The guards fear to accost these figures, and retreat quickly, agreeing to say they were surprised and overwhelmed.
4. The two figures, they are angels, roll away the stone blocking the door of the tomb, and enter.
5. The angels find Jesus sitting up, on the second shelf in the small room. His burial shroud is arrayed on his own spot.
6. Together, three persons emerge from the tomb, glowing brightly in the darkness. Jesus appears as he had to his disciples when he was transfigured and spoke to Moses and Elijah.
7. Jesus and the angels appear to expand, growing taller and somehow translucent, until they fade into the pre-dawn sky.
8. Then one angel returns, growing dim and goes to wait in the tomb, as he knows there will be visitors coming to dress the body and perform the rituals of mourning.
9. Three women soon arrive, and are dismayed to find an empty tomb being tended by a "gardener" who says Jesus is gone, risen from the dead.
10. The women run back to find the disciples and tell them what they have seen.
11. Peter and John race back to the tomb, and see that it is really empty, and view the shelf where Jesus had lain with the shroud and face cloth neatly folded and rolled. They return to tell the others.
12. The women follow, returning to the tomb, and collect the burial cloths.
Conclusion:
Soon, Jesus will appear to his disciples, where they are still hiding from the authorities. They have been accused of stealing his body, but none of them have any idea of what to think of all that has happened.
Later, when Joseph of Arimathea joins them, he tells what the elders and guards had seen at the tomb. He is amazed, but quite certain that Jesus has accomplished what he had predicted would happen.
Over the next few weeks, Jesus leads his disciples to gather crowds of his followers along his path back to Galilee. At several points he stops to reiterate his teachings, and add some interpretations. Then he says that he must return to his Father in Heaven, and the disciples should wait in Jerusalem for the fullness of the Holy Spirit to descend upon them. Then he ascended to Heaven in full view of a large crowd, appearing to expand and fade into the sky just as he had done on the night of his resurrection. There is nothing left behind but his clothes.
Oddly, no one chooses to describe this in detail, as it is judged too incredible unless actually witnessed, and we are left to our own imagination.
Peter decides that he needs to make notes to guide what he will tell those who have not heard the whole story before, so that he won't leave out any important points, and the story will stay consistent. He feels it would be redundant to describe the ascension.
Peter passes his notes to Mark, when they are in Rome, who actually does find the "expand & fade" description unconvincing, and drops it as an unreliable secondhand story. Mark wants to stay as close to a factual eyewitness account as he can, dropping anything that feels "too mystical" and so chooses to forego a description of the resurrection and subsequent appearances. He expects others to fill in this gap with, hopefully, better witnesses.
Notes:
Peter's story of Passion and Resurrection, and Paul's report of his own vision on the road to Damascus are the earliest extant accounts of Jesus' story that we have today. There were a few collections of his teachings and sayings, but these were used as sources for the Gospels we have, and then lost.
The traditions preserving the more esoteric secret teachings of Jesus were suppressed, due to their elitist tendencies, and the good chance that they would be corrupted by additional material supposedly dictated by the Holy Spirit. The Gospel of Thomas is a first case example, containing some early teachings, but aggregated with other cryptic gnostic writings. Thomas' gospel contains nothing relevant to the foregoing narrative.
Setting:
1. It is in a high class cemetery, with tombs cut from the rock. This one was cut for a member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea, and his wife.
2. The burial had been done in haste, only quickly washed and lacking preparation, since a holy day was fast approaching.
3. The tomb was closed by rolling a large stone across the entrance, and sealed to reveal any tampering.
4. There were a handful of Temple guards, some elders, and a centurion with a few Roman soldiers who were sent to watch the tomb. These were keeping vigil to prevent anyone from moving the body.
Action:
1. The guards are bored, but unwilling to seem less than vigilant, as they are also watching each other.
2. In the darkest part of the night, they hear a noise, like thunder. There comes an intensely bright light, shining around two figures who approach the tomb. They are very hard to look at.
3. The guards fear to accost these figures, and retreat quickly, agreeing to say they were surprised and overwhelmed.
4. The two figures, they are angels, roll away the stone blocking the door of the tomb, and enter.
5. The angels find Jesus sitting up, on the second shelf in the small room. His burial shroud is arrayed on his own spot.
6. Together, three persons emerge from the tomb, glowing brightly in the darkness. Jesus appears as he had to his disciples when he was transfigured and spoke to Moses and Elijah.
7. Jesus and the angels appear to expand, growing taller and somehow translucent, until they fade into the pre-dawn sky.
8. Then one angel returns, growing dim and goes to wait in the tomb, as he knows there will be visitors coming to dress the body and perform the rituals of mourning.
9. Three women soon arrive, and are dismayed to find an empty tomb being tended by a "gardener" who says Jesus is gone, risen from the dead.
10. The women run back to find the disciples and tell them what they have seen.
11. Peter and John race back to the tomb, and see that it is really empty, and view the shelf where Jesus had lain with the shroud and face cloth neatly folded and rolled. They return to tell the others.
12. The women follow, returning to the tomb, and collect the burial cloths.
Conclusion:
Soon, Jesus will appear to his disciples, where they are still hiding from the authorities. They have been accused of stealing his body, but none of them have any idea of what to think of all that has happened.
Later, when Joseph of Arimathea joins them, he tells what the elders and guards had seen at the tomb. He is amazed, but quite certain that Jesus has accomplished what he had predicted would happen.
Over the next few weeks, Jesus leads his disciples to gather crowds of his followers along his path back to Galilee. At several points he stops to reiterate his teachings, and add some interpretations. Then he says that he must return to his Father in Heaven, and the disciples should wait in Jerusalem for the fullness of the Holy Spirit to descend upon them. Then he ascended to Heaven in full view of a large crowd, appearing to expand and fade into the sky just as he had done on the night of his resurrection. There is nothing left behind but his clothes.
Oddly, no one chooses to describe this in detail, as it is judged too incredible unless actually witnessed, and we are left to our own imagination.
Peter decides that he needs to make notes to guide what he will tell those who have not heard the whole story before, so that he won't leave out any important points, and the story will stay consistent. He feels it would be redundant to describe the ascension.
Peter passes his notes to Mark, when they are in Rome, who actually does find the "expand & fade" description unconvincing, and drops it as an unreliable secondhand story. Mark wants to stay as close to a factual eyewitness account as he can, dropping anything that feels "too mystical" and so chooses to forego a description of the resurrection and subsequent appearances. He expects others to fill in this gap with, hopefully, better witnesses.
Notes:
Peter's story of Passion and Resurrection, and Paul's report of his own vision on the road to Damascus are the earliest extant accounts of Jesus' story that we have today. There were a few collections of his teachings and sayings, but these were used as sources for the Gospels we have, and then lost.
The traditions preserving the more esoteric secret teachings of Jesus were suppressed, due to their elitist tendencies, and the good chance that they would be corrupted by additional material supposedly dictated by the Holy Spirit. The Gospel of Thomas is a first case example, containing some early teachings, but aggregated with other cryptic gnostic writings. Thomas' gospel contains nothing relevant to the foregoing narrative.
What can you tell me about Jesus?
Who do you say that I am?
This is a challenge to us who today call ourselves his disciples. We have been given the commission to continue his work in the world, to proclaim and explain the Kingdom of God; to heal the sick, comfort the brokenhearted, rescue the neglected, and encourage those who would despair. And yet, so many have heard of Jesus Christ, but do not know, really, who He is ... much less accept Him and follow, to have a personal relationship with Him.
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," and "if anyone wants to become my disciple, let him deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow Me." These are scary words, for to follow his way, we must become preachers about God's Kingdom, and about Jesus Himself, even if the path frightens us, and we meet with the spiteful reactions of those to whom we speak. He suffered rejection, and so may we, but that is just part of the job.
So, for whoever is uncertain of how to start a conversation about Christianity, there can be a simple question: What do you know about Jesus? You will very quickly find out if the other person has any ideas, or knowledge, or any feelings about talking about religion. But you also have to have an answer, in case he or she responds, "not much, but I've been wondering ..."
There are quite a few options for beginning to tell someone about the Saviour:
Anyone with any sense will agree that this world stinks with violence, corruption, vice and sin; and that we will be lucky if we don't destroy ourselves and the planet with us. That condition is the trouble that God is offering to save us from. Jesus can give us the power to change our lives, to break the patterns that lead us to bad ends, and ultimately to hell's perdition. And we can follow Him, and help to save the world, to turn it around, away from those things that could ruin and destroy it.
For others, the world is full of suffering and tragedy, loss and loneliness. Jesus knows how much a broken heart can hurt, and He came to bring us good news. Heaven is not like that, and God has not abandoned and forgotten us. He saves those who have faith, and trust Him. Jesus loves us, and wants to have a personal relationship with us. He wants to be our big brother, and teach us how to grow and navigate our way through this world, and make our way home.
Some of us are troubled by guilt, knowing that they have done something so terrible that they can't forgive themselves, and they don't expect anyone else to forgive them either. But Jesus offers forgiveness, even for the worst sinner. He only asks for our willingness and intention to turn away from sin, to break the patterns that lead us away from God. If we listen, He can teach us how to live by faith and love. And yes, He knows how weak we are. He continues to forgive each time we fail and ask for help. Indeed, He can help, giving us a better way, and the strength to follow Him.
Yet others look at life, and just don't see the point. The world seems meaningless, and full of struggles without any reason or purpose, so that it just doesn't feel like it's worth the effort. Jesus comes to give us the assurance that there is a point, a real purpose and a meaning. Even if we cannot grasp it, God knows. He has a plan for the world, and each of us has a part to play in it. We were not put here to suffer, but to build our character and learn how to follow and respond to Him, and to serve our fellows with love.
For those who suffer the ills of body and mind, or the pains of misfortune, and complain asking how a good God can allow people to suffer, Jesus brings an answer. This world is not our true home. Of course, God could heal us right away, or ward off bad luck, preventing our distress. But would we turn to Him and ask for help, if we were never troubled? We should not become so comfortable here that we don't yearn for Heaven. There are things we can do to make this world better, and that is our job, but here will never be perfect.
Then finally, there are some who feel that no one cares about them, that they are alone in the world. Truly, this is far from the truth. Jesus came for these first, before the rest, to rescue them from despair. He wants them to know that He is here, always standing beside them, and He loves and values everything they are. He told us in parables how much He values the lost sheep, that He would leave the flock to watch for itself, while He went to find the one who wandered off. He cares. You are not alone. Jesus wants you to come home, and He can give us a guide to help us stay on the right path. All we need to do is ask.
So, when the Spirit moves you to speak to someone about Jesus, and the Kingdom of God, you can begin by asking, "Who do you think Jesus is?" And the conversation will unfold from there. Just remember, our purpose is to build up the Church. Jesus commended Peter for his answer, "You are the Messiah, the Son of God."
This is a challenge to us who today call ourselves his disciples. We have been given the commission to continue his work in the world, to proclaim and explain the Kingdom of God; to heal the sick, comfort the brokenhearted, rescue the neglected, and encourage those who would despair. And yet, so many have heard of Jesus Christ, but do not know, really, who He is ... much less accept Him and follow, to have a personal relationship with Him.
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," and "if anyone wants to become my disciple, let him deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow Me." These are scary words, for to follow his way, we must become preachers about God's Kingdom, and about Jesus Himself, even if the path frightens us, and we meet with the spiteful reactions of those to whom we speak. He suffered rejection, and so may we, but that is just part of the job.
So, for whoever is uncertain of how to start a conversation about Christianity, there can be a simple question: What do you know about Jesus? You will very quickly find out if the other person has any ideas, or knowledge, or any feelings about talking about religion. But you also have to have an answer, in case he or she responds, "not much, but I've been wondering ..."
There are quite a few options for beginning to tell someone about the Saviour:
Anyone with any sense will agree that this world stinks with violence, corruption, vice and sin; and that we will be lucky if we don't destroy ourselves and the planet with us. That condition is the trouble that God is offering to save us from. Jesus can give us the power to change our lives, to break the patterns that lead us to bad ends, and ultimately to hell's perdition. And we can follow Him, and help to save the world, to turn it around, away from those things that could ruin and destroy it.
For others, the world is full of suffering and tragedy, loss and loneliness. Jesus knows how much a broken heart can hurt, and He came to bring us good news. Heaven is not like that, and God has not abandoned and forgotten us. He saves those who have faith, and trust Him. Jesus loves us, and wants to have a personal relationship with us. He wants to be our big brother, and teach us how to grow and navigate our way through this world, and make our way home.
Some of us are troubled by guilt, knowing that they have done something so terrible that they can't forgive themselves, and they don't expect anyone else to forgive them either. But Jesus offers forgiveness, even for the worst sinner. He only asks for our willingness and intention to turn away from sin, to break the patterns that lead us away from God. If we listen, He can teach us how to live by faith and love. And yes, He knows how weak we are. He continues to forgive each time we fail and ask for help. Indeed, He can help, giving us a better way, and the strength to follow Him.
Yet others look at life, and just don't see the point. The world seems meaningless, and full of struggles without any reason or purpose, so that it just doesn't feel like it's worth the effort. Jesus comes to give us the assurance that there is a point, a real purpose and a meaning. Even if we cannot grasp it, God knows. He has a plan for the world, and each of us has a part to play in it. We were not put here to suffer, but to build our character and learn how to follow and respond to Him, and to serve our fellows with love.
For those who suffer the ills of body and mind, or the pains of misfortune, and complain asking how a good God can allow people to suffer, Jesus brings an answer. This world is not our true home. Of course, God could heal us right away, or ward off bad luck, preventing our distress. But would we turn to Him and ask for help, if we were never troubled? We should not become so comfortable here that we don't yearn for Heaven. There are things we can do to make this world better, and that is our job, but here will never be perfect.
Then finally, there are some who feel that no one cares about them, that they are alone in the world. Truly, this is far from the truth. Jesus came for these first, before the rest, to rescue them from despair. He wants them to know that He is here, always standing beside them, and He loves and values everything they are. He told us in parables how much He values the lost sheep, that He would leave the flock to watch for itself, while He went to find the one who wandered off. He cares. You are not alone. Jesus wants you to come home, and He can give us a guide to help us stay on the right path. All we need to do is ask.
So, when the Spirit moves you to speak to someone about Jesus, and the Kingdom of God, you can begin by asking, "Who do you think Jesus is?" And the conversation will unfold from there. Just remember, our purpose is to build up the Church. Jesus commended Peter for his answer, "You are the Messiah, the Son of God."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
