Hello and welcome to my blog. No one may ever read this and respond. I guess I hope someone does and it will turn out to be a stimulating, thought provoking debate. Otherwise it will serve me well as a way to step away from myself and digest this journey.
Here is the scoop on this blog:
I am a 41 year old religious mess. I was brought up to believe in God. We were luke warm Methodists during my childhood. We would go to the annual Homecoming service where my parents grew up and occasionally darken the local Church doors during the year.
As I got older- teens - we found a Methodist church and went quite regular. Pretty boring stuff. I remember taking the money I was going to put in the offering and buying cigarettes on the way to church. My parents hadn't a clue.
After I graduated high school my brother had made good friends with a good ole Bible thumping, hell fire southern Baptist. I guess that is an unfair description. He was/is a nice guy. Anyway, we went to a revival and sure enough my brother and I asked Jesus into our hearts and we became southern baptists much to the chagrin of our parents.
As the years rolled on I married, was shown the true way of salvation in the Church of Christ where I remain today. The Church of Christ is pretty strict, more so than the Baptists if you can believe that. After a period of time I was terrified to sin and not immediately ask for forgiveness in fear of dying and going to hell.
As you can imagine this was quite stressful as I had ADD and slight OCD and have a hard time praying. I was in constant terror. This was not the church's fault. I just interpreted a lot of their legalistic views in such a way that created this fear.
I would occasionally have doubts about God's existence or Jesus' resurrection and that would throw me into dark, abject fear. One day a light bulb came on and something clicked. In order for me to be the best Christian possible, I had to put these doubts and fears to bed so I decided not to take the word of my parents, preachers, and wife about the Bible being inerrant and the only way to heaven.
I decided to start over from square one. Do a total reboot. Find out what the truth about God is. If he is all powerful and desires for us to have a personal relationship with Him, then this should be a doable task. In this blog I will share with you my journey.
To start off with there will be several posts as I get you up to speed as to my current progress. I must admit that I am SHOCKED at what I am possibly discovering about the Bible, it's origins, inerrancy and believability. I have asked some tough questions about God, his "policies", and justness.
I pray almost daily to God that if he exists to show me the TRUTH about him and how to serve him whether it be through the Bible or other means. I do not wish to be brain-locked into one way of thinking simply because I like what I am feeding myself. I sincerely hope that if God does exist he will see my sincerity when I say I want to know ONLY the truth and know it beyond all doubt.
Thank you for joining me on this journey and I look forward to honest, hard, productive dialogue.
Sincerely,
What in H3ll am I
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Hallo,
ReplyDeleteMy name's Steve. I have been on a similar journey of discovery myself. Having searched out the facts from the fiction and having proven these things to myself with tangible evidence and logic, I believe that I can answer your questions.
First though, let me tell you about my own journey.
I was brought up with a very wishy-washy belief in God. My parents were officially "Church of England" but, my mother didn't really have a solid faith. My father was agnostic, leaning toward the theory of evolution. He believed that all things could be demonstrated by science. I did inherit the same sense of practicality from him although, as a child, I automatically assumed that God existed.
My confusion began when, at school, I would be told, during assemblies, that God existed and loved me. I was never given any explanations for the deep questions of life; beginnings, suffering, the purpose of life etc.
The problem was that, as soon as we left assembly and went back to our classroom, we would be told, in no uncertain terms, that we existed as result of blind chance and that we had evolved from inferior creatures and that God was a delusion invented by humans. My teachers seemed to be able to back these claims up with science (fossils etc). Such was the weight of authority on this subject and such was the absence of challenge by my religious instructors (many of whom accepted evolution), that, by the time I was a young man, I had accepted the theory as fact. I did this reluctantly however because, firstly, it was a pretty grim conclusion but, also, the so-called evidence for evolution was weak and had gaping holes. I always had nagging doubts about it, no matter how emphatically teachers and the media insisted it was true. Over the years those doubts grew. In fact, the more I learned about this theory, the more unscientific it seemed. It was a surprise to learn that Darwin himself expressed doubt and regret over his theory later in his life. Meanwhile, the world around me facinated me and, I also became a father. As my experiences in life broadened, I came to reject the theory of evolution as a rational scientific explanation of life. I became more aware of the complexity of life, the beauty of life and my own yearning for meaning in life. It was soon after this that I read a book which challenged the scientific basis of the theory of evolution. As soon as I read that book, which contained solid evidence, I realised that the theory of evolution was not only unproven but, it was false.
Once I had satisfied myself of that fact, only one explanation remained, there must be a designer and creator of life!
I observed different religions over the years. What I saw was confusion, hypocrisy, greed and unsubstantiated claims. I rejected organised religion for many of the reasons you mention yourself in your introduction.
However, several years later, quite by accident, I came in contact with a very religious person. He was different. He showed me information which I had never seen before. He helped me to study, to research and to find the answers to the questions we all have. Furthermore, he did this by using evidence, scientific, historical, scriptural, logical evidence to prove that what he was saying was true. I spent over ten years studying and observing.
Based on the truths have discovered, I will answer the questions you raised, if you permit me.
1) Does God exist? What proof is there?
ReplyDeleteGod does indeed exist and his existence can be verified and proven in many ways, including scientific. I have read many articles by top scientists who absolutely prove that it is against all the laws of physics to claim that the universe and life in it could result from any combination of accidents. It is a physical impossibility. To quote one such expert, Bryant Lecome du Nouy - the first scientist to apply mathematical formulae successfully to the statement of biological laws, "the laws of inorganic evolution contradict those of the evolution of life". He goes on to provide mathematical formulae to show that inorganic matter acting in accordance with it's laws could not have created even a single molecule of protein, let alone a living organism with powers of reproduction. He maintains that only through the intervention of God could the gap have been bridged between the inorganic and the organic. He is not alone. There are thousands of scientist around the world who have come to the same conclusion. In fact, a recent investigation, by the science journal "Nature" found that "almost 40% of biologists, physicists and mathematicians surveyed believed in a God who not only exists, but answers prayers".
Along with the abundance of scientific evidence to support these experts are the archaeological, historical and scriptural evidences. For example, the Bible contains statements that are scientifically accurate, even though they were written thousands of years before scientists discovered those facts. Furthermore, the Bible has successfully predicted hundreds of events, small and great, centuries before they happened. One example is in the book of revelation where it warns that "in the final age of this earth" people would be "ruining the earth". How did these writers know these things? There is only one possible explanation and, the Bible gives it when it says "no prophecy was brought about by men but they spoke from God" (2nd letter of Peter).
I have two publications which I am happy to lend to anyone who wants to read them. One is entitled "Life - How did it get here, by evolution or creation?" and it is a scientific examination of the evidence for and against the existence of God. The evidence overwhelmingly indicates that God exists. The second publication is entitled "The Bible - God's word or man's?" and is an examination of the claim that the Bible is a supernatural book from God. The evidence is once again overwhelming that the Bible is what it claims to be! If you would like to borrow these books, please email me at "jillysteve@hotmail.com" (I live in England but I will happily pay the postage).
2) Is the Bible really the word of God?
This is answered, in part in my previous answer. Any book which claims to be from our creator must stand out. It must be free from myth and contradiction, it should be scientifically correct, it should promote peaceful relations between humans, it should be available to all of any culture and language and it should contain evidence of divine inspiration including telling us what the future holds for our planet. Only the Bible does all these this. All other religious literature falls short. The Bible warns that "in the last days" there would be many false teachers and scriptures but, it says "if anyone declares to you something beyond what we declared to you, let them be accursed". All religious writings contradict the Bible on one subject or another.
The "final authority" on this subject is as the Bible states "we must obey God as ruler rather than men".
The book mentioned in the first answer above, deals with all criticism against the Bible and provides powerful evidence that it is the absolute word of our creator.
3) Jesus.
ReplyDeleteYes, there is much secular evidence today that Jesus existed. in fact, one historian wrote that "there is more evidence of Jesus' existence than there is of Napoleon's".
The book I mentioned previously contains much of that evidence, historical, archaeological and logical. It is compelling and reassuring.
4) Slavery.
The Bible condemns slavery, it does not condone it. By the time that the law was given to Moses (with the intention of preserving the Israelites until the Messiah would arrive), slavery was a part of life in all cultures. At that time God did not outlaw it because the social, structure would have been thrown into chaos if he had have done. Instead, he provided laws of protection and reward for any that were considered slaves. In fact, slavery in Israel was very different from that of the nations. Slaves were valued as members of the household. They were given food and lodging. The Mosaic law forbade any cruelty to slaves. Under the law a slave was to be set free at the jubillee year. Even then however, a slave could choose to stay with their master (an indication of the bonds which often grew). Mankind has abused his fellow man and enslaved him over the centuries, ignoring the bible's standards. Jesus made it clear when he said that, under his rule (in the near future, according to the Bible), all god-fearing people would enjoy "the glorious freedom of the children of God". Jesus called this the "recreation". He promised that "death will be no more, neither mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore".
Slavery was never part of God's purpose for humans. Anyone who enslaves his fellow man, does it despite God's standards, not because of them!
5) Women.
The nation of Israel was given a pattern for successful family life. This nominated different roles for each member of the family. The father was considered the "head", the director of things. No-one would object to a company director making decisions. He or she has been appointed by the board. God decided (for his own reasons) that a man was best suited to directing the affairs of his family. Men and women are very different, physically and emotionally. Our creator knows our capabilities best and he assigns us roles according to those capabilities. Two people cannot drive a car. Men cannot bear children.
Women in Israel were not subservient slaves. They conducted business affairs, instructed children and worked the land alongside their husband. The interesting thing is that when a family follows that simple principle of headship, it works and there is peace in the family. Modern alternative arrangements have produced rivalries, divorces, wrecked families and unhappiness. Guess what? God was right! The headship of a husband and father was to be governed by love and law. God would (and still does) hold a man responsible for the way he treats his family.
It is notable that the Bible not only says that "he who is first among you should be last" but it also reveals that many women were chosen by God to become part of the heavenly government (God's Kingdom). They would have "authority over angels".
6) Suffering for eternity?
ReplyDeleteGod created human beings with free will. That means that they could choose the path that they took. He gave them al the support and guidance they needed to be successful. Had they not had that free will, they would have been like robots and not "in God's image". Unfortunately, the majority of humans throughout history have chosen to ignore God and his standards. This includes many religious persons who make up their own laws.
God has permitted this, for a time and for a very good reason. The Bible says that "God permitted all the nations to go on in their own ways". The result has been this mess that we are in today. God has set up the means to correct these things and set things straight again. In the meantime, his guidance still stands and it is found in the Bible. Those that follow those guidelines find that life improves, even for those of us in the most desperate situations. God promises that he will support those who adhere to his principles and there are millions who can bear witness to this promise being fulfilled (including myself). It was not fore-ordained for people to suffer. God is going to undo all suffering and he promises to restore to life al those who have suffered and died in the past. He offers unending life on a perfect earth for any who will try to live life the way he advises.
On the point of suffering in hellfire, I am pleased to say that there is no such thing as hellfire and nobody is suffering there at this moment. Hellfire is an invention of men, not God. True there are some references to fire and destruction in the book of revelation but these are symbolic references. This is proven by the fact that the bible says that death and Hell are "thrown into the fire also". In the book of Jeremiah (chapter 7, verse 31) God condemns people for "burning their sons and daughters in the fire" and he goes on to say that "this is a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart". God deplores such cruelty and he will "wipe away every tear from their eyes" and undo the pain of all those who have suffered at the hands of such sadists.
Regarding the comment about the kingdom being established, this is not what the Bible says happened at that time. Jesus said that there would be a period of time called the "appointed times of the nations“. This would be when God had no direct intervention in human affairs. God has allowed humans to try every type of political and social government and philosophy. Only when all these were seen to fail (just look around us!) would the kingdom be established but, not on earth. Jesus said "my kingdom is not of this world". The kingdom will rule from heaven and will replenish the earth and restore mankind to perfection. The Bible even gave the number of years before the kingdom would be set up but, that is another subject. The Bible says that "the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one" (letter of John) but that is soon to change when "thy kingdom comes".
Question 7 is dealt with above.
8) Contradictions.
ReplyDeleteThere seem to be some contradictions in the Bible. But, once more is learned about the language, context and historical facts, these are cleared up.
To deal with two of your objections, firstly the order of creation in Geneses. Sometimes, we cannot see the wood for the trees. We focus on the apparent discrepancy yet ignore the miraculous surroundings. One scientist commented that Moses named the phases of earth's creation in the correct order; darkness, water, land, light, plants, animals, man. This scientist stated that the odds of doing this, without scientific knowledge would be impossible. That is in itself remarkable about the Bible. As regards contradictions, some point to the fact the Moses states that light came to be later on the fourth day. Yet in the earlier verses, and before plant life, Moses says that light came to be. Why the discrepancy. The simple answer is in the Hebrew words that are used. The first occurrence of the word "light" uses the Hebrew word which means "light diffused" or hazy. Apparently, there was faint light from the solar system around the earth but the sun was not visible (from and earthly observer's point of view). The second occurrence of the word is different, it means "source of light", the sun, direct light.
Regarding the "rabbit chewing the cud", the Bible actually names the "Hare" as the chewer of the cud. This refers to the stomach chambers and the way that vegetation is ingested through a multiple process. Up until recent times, experts thought that the Bible was in error because the Hare was not known as a chewer of the cud. However, a naturalist finally observed a hare doing just that and it was established as a fact. The Bible was right all along. How did Moses know?
The other contradictions I will answer if anyone wants to e-mail me.
I hope this has helped. Sorry to ramble on but, I have to share the things I have learned. I identified with your plight when I read your blogg and, although I come from a different background, we are both seeking truth.
Regards,
Steve
#1,2 are covered in my third blog. Proving the Bible proves it's author. 1Peter 1:21. That is if you believe The Holy Spirit is God which I do. This is adequately proven in the Bible.
ReplyDelete#3 Actually if you believe in the Triun God then Jesus Christ is God the Son which I do. The rest is dealt with in my 4th blog which will be up soon.
#4 Slavery was an invention of man which God allowed to happen just as He did Divorce. He has to deal with us through language we understand and we need to know about slavery. We are insideously enslaved by The Sin Nature and to point this out we had to know what He is talking about. Plus; a God fearing slave owner would be treating his slaves as he would want to be treated. As Steve pointed out there were slaves who chose to stay slaves.
#5 Women; Someone has to be in charge of passing God's laws down to suceeding generations. God chose men and we will have to ask him why. BUT men are to treat our wives as if they were their own flesh Mark 10:8.
#6 There is a Hell. It is called Death. The Spiritual death. It is the our penalty for sin Jesus Christ paid for. If there is no Hell His advent was unnecessary. My blog #3 deal with that trip. Plus it is spoke of in the Bible.Matt. 5:22, 29, 30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15.
#8 There are no contradictions in the Bible. Satan can put doubts into our minds but they are easily explained away. I used to have 5 or six but a bad experience with one led me to promice God that if I had a question I would account that to my ignorance and wait for Him to explain it for me later. All the questions I used to have have been explained, usually with embarassingly simple explanations.