Thinking about God, Jesus and The Big Questions

Earlier this year, I read an article on AP News, titled " In wrangling dark matter, some scientists find inspiration in the Torah, Krishna and Christ ". The article, which I encourage you to read in the link given above, talks about how dark matter is still largely a mystery to us. The authors interview physicists working in the field of dark matter, and many (but not all) of these scientists feel that dark matter and faith are complementary to each other, not oppositional. What I particularly liked was that they interviewed physicists of different faiths - not just Christian. The Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist religions were represented in these interviews. There was no one-size-fits-all answer to the precise details of how each of these scientists viewed how dark matter intersected with their faith. But one common thread in a broad sense was that they each viewed dark matter as simply one part of how the world was created by the deity they believed in. Extending from t...

Some people think that just because the laws of nature exist, that this means there is "no room" for God to exist. In fact, they often see the idea of God existing as near-sighted. Instead, it's important to remember that God created the laws of nature . In fact, God states this very clearly in the Bible as far back as Deuteronomy in the Old Testament: And when you look up to the heavens and see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, do not be led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven. Deuteronomy 4:19  In the above Bible verse, God cautions people against worshiping objects that He created.  Yet all the time, people get caught up in serving those objects instead of God himself. Some of these people think that it is shortsighted to believe that God exists. Rather, it is shortsighted to believe that God does not exist. If you found this post interesting, you may ...

At the end of times, Jesus will come again. It will be sudden when it happens. Here are some scriptures about this event: “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for th...

While it appears that both Creationism and Intelligent Design have some reason behind their different stances, from where I see it, it seems like Creationism is being used as a political pawn, which is unfortunate. I don't think that all proponents of Creationism are involved in this, but at least in my field of vision in today's world, I'm seeing it be used as a political pawn. I feel that is a danger area, where getting involved in all that might make us like Sadducees or Pharisees, who put political agendas ahead of God's word. The Creationism in and of itself is not the issue: if anything, the proponents are going very literally by God's word, for which they can hardly be faulted. No, the problem lies where atheists claim that evolution is proof that the Bible is untrue. (That itself is a flawed argument - read my other post about why ). Instead of calling out atheists and pointing out that evolution does not tell us one way or another about whether the...

I think that one of the reasons that the Jewish leaders did not recognize Jesus as Messiah was that they simply didn't expect that it would happen during their days. This sort of thing was to be so special that surely it could not have been for their day and age.... could it? And yet it was. But because they did not consider that possibility, they dismissed Jesus as a scoundrel and heretic. But be warned: Jesus will be coming again: “So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; the one on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house; the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the worl...

Some people, often atheists, feel that Christianity and scientific theory are incompatible. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Science teaches us the laws of the planet earth and the universe (e.g. gravity). These laws to Christians, are simply the "default settings" in this world that we live in. They are laws that God put into place, but which He can supersede under special or unusual circumstances (see my previous post about miracles ).  Science as a discipline makes no comment one way or another about religion, and the two are not fundamentally incompatible, except for one specific scientific theory: the multiverse theory. There have been many scientific theories postulated over the years. Of those which are taken at least halfway seriously, there is only one which I feel is completely incompatible with Christianity. This is the multiverse theory. What is the multiverse theory? It's the notion that every time a decision is made, the universe splits into two...

Even if you are not concerned about your own soul, what about your children's? Did you know that there is a huge battle going on, over your child's soul? I know that to you, it seems literally unbelievable. But if you will, just for a second, pose the (admittedly scary) question "What if?" Just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it's not real. Imagine us trying to explain the existence of the atom to someone from the Middle Ages. We can understand why that person simply won't believe it, but the atom was still 100% real in the Middle Ages - regardless of whether the people of that time could a) detect it or b) believe in it. Let's switch over a little. Have you ever watched the movie "The Matrix"? It is set in what seems to be a very real world, but in fact turns out to be a virtual world surrounded by an external, real, world. Right now, the Earth, planets, galaxies and everything in it are like the inner world o...

Note: This may be a controversial topic for some. I am not telling everyone else how they should do anything - we are each responsible for our own parenting decisions. I am merely explaining my own thoughts on the matter. Regardless, if this topic does seem a contentious issue, we should keep it in perspective that this should not be a big deal so long as each person follows their own beliefs. If this does seem like a big deal, bear in mind this is a "first world problem". Why this Christmas I'm finally not worried about spoiling it for other kids if my 5 and 7-year olds accidentally blurt out the truth about Santa: I chose to tell the truth to my kids right away about Santa, from when they were really little. I never let them think that Santa was real. I was brought up that same way too, and I can assure you I never felt that I missed out. I definitely find the story of Santa to be fun, for sure! But it is just that: a story, a fairytale. So I tell my kids the st...

While Handel was composing the famous Hallelujah Chorus of the Messiah, he was reported to have said "I have seen the face of God" (reference 1). Handel was able to see God's face (or rather, God's reflection) in what he was doing, as a moment of revelation where God allowed a brief glimpse of Himself. The reason I say "reflection" is that staring directly at God would most likely be too much for us. To use a secular analogy, it would be much like looking directly at the basilisk in the Harry Potter books. Our human bodies could not handle it.  Instead I believe a reflection? transformation? - a glimpse of God taken sideways through another lens (nature, music, art, science, love, and so on) is the closest we can get to seeing God in this world and still live in it. Continuing with our analogy, this is much like seeking the basilisk of Harry Potter by looking in mirrors and reflections so as not to happen upon it in deadly full face. Handel had the for...

Many people accept the idea of string theory as at least a valid possibility.  However, some of this same set of people will reject God out of hand.  This seems somewhat hypocritical to me, since often the reasons given for rejecting God are things such as the inability to detect Him with our instruments, and the lack of direct proof.  These very issues also apply to string theory, which many people have no problem accepting. Fashion is another area which is difficult to 'prove'.  How can you easily say something is, or is not, in fashion? Yes, you could look at what different people are wearing, and try to create some sort of rule.  But you could easily get it wrong, especially if you were looking at certain sub-groups instead of the population as a whole.  However, fashion clearly exists.  Yet the ability to prove something is, or is not, fashionable is quite a difficult problem.  This does not mean that fashion is non-existent. If we are tr...

If I choose not to believe in God, would that make Him any less real? What if we asked the same about gravity? The important thing is to seek the truth.  All too many people say they are busy seeking the truth, yet are blind to what is under their very eyes.  You won't necessarily find God merely by investigating the physical laws of the universe: this tells you a lot about the universe, but very little about whether there is a Creator.  You could, however, seek God by asking Him if He is there - and then listening.  Surprisingly, many unbelievers have never actually tried the asking, and even fewer of those try the listening. If you are really truly a seeker of the truth, why not try talking to God?  If there is no God then truly you have nothing to lose (except a few minutes in the privacy of your own home or other area).  If there is a God, then you have everything to gain - everything.  You will not lose a thing if there is no God....

One thing I have noticed in my scientific career is that those who have a religion tend not to invoke it during scientific conversations.  In contrast, those who are atheist (or at least who see science and religion as incompatible) tend to mention religion the most often. To me, that is interesting and unexpected. This topic is timely because my husband and I were watching a DVD lecture series by a prominent scientist.  Although incredibly gifted at explaining his own topic, I watched his scholar-ship fall down several times by commenting (negatively) about religion and its role in scientific history.  I was puzzled, because, although I do believe in Christianity, it would never occur to me to mention religion (whether positively or negatively) during a scientific talk.  The reason is not that I would be ashamed to do so, but rather that I take it for granted that as a scientist I am investigating the physical laws of this universe that God made. This universe ...

One thing about which Christians can rejoice is that no-one can strip you of your religion.  Although this fact sounds obvious, there are many people who try to act as though they can forcibly remove religion from people.  The truth of the matter is that they are absolutely powerless to do so.  Unlike for example a jacket or a pair of shoes, no-one can take your beliefs away from you.  Even if a law were to be passed abolishing all religion, you are still free to have your own beliefs.  (You may be persecuted for them, but you can still have those beliefs - no-one can physically locate and grab your beliefs and take them away against your will.)  As an example, suppose a dictator didn't like the notion of, say, gravity, and said that believing in gravity was illegal, as was talking about it to others.  Well, whether or not you talk about it to others, odds are that you will continue to believe in gravity. If someone thinks your religion is a l...

The movie "The Matrix" (1999) is probably the best-known secular fictional illustration of the concept of a universe within a universe.  In the movie, people think they are living life, yet in reality their bodies are actually in a state of suspended animation while their brains are engaged in a virtual reality simulation of the real world.  Naturally, this simulation (the Matrix) appears so real that you cannot possibly realize that this is not in fact the real world.  It is only when the main character, Neo, is told the truth (still within the Matrix) that this is not the real world and that there is a more real one out there, that movie viewers realize what is going on.  In fact it is not until he is physically removed from the Matrix that Neo has proof and finally believes what is happening. Like the Matrix, our world of Earth and outer space is a universe within a Universe .  There is a bigger reality out there: God's realm.  Our universe, includin...

Christians believe that this earth (and outer space) are created by God.  In addition to this universe we have managed to detect using physical measurements, there is another Universe, which contains basically everything else that isn't here, such as angels and Heaven.  Our universe is nested within the other Universe. We are a universe within a Universe.  This is not a surprise to Christians, but some atheists find it hard to believe. The difference between the universes: Our universe is enemy-occupied territory (Satan has considerable, but still limited, power on Earth).  Our universe is ephemeral and will not last forever (a really long time, but not forever).  In contrast, the outer Universe is permanent and out there somewhere in it there is a big battle between various heavenly beings over each of our souls (yes, a battle is being fought over us, strange as it may seem).   Some secular themed examples of the concept: This concept of a univ...

Just as atheists cannot prove that God doesn't exist, neither can Christians prove that He does.  However, many atheists are under the mistaken impression that it is the 'job' of Christians to prove God's existence (even though they make no attempt to prove their opposing stance!) No, is not up to believers to prove the existence of God, and this is why.  Jesus and God want us to come to believe in them of our own free will, and to come to them via faith (as opposed to deductive reasoning).  If there was absolute, total proof of God's existence, there would be no reason to have faith.  It would then be a no-brainer that God exists, and we would have come to him via a mere act of observation instead of by faith.   Why is faith important? Because it triggers our spiritual development. The spirit is not something which is wishy-washy - it is there, but hard to detect. Make no mistake: whether someone is Christian or atheist, either way i...

When it comes to religious matters, we Christians believe our very souls are at stake.  Atheists do not believe there is anything so serious at stake.  Anyone would therefore expect that Christians would shout their message the loudest, since they believe there is the most at stake.  However, it seems that both 'shout' similarly loudly.  Why is that?    Both camps genuinely believe that their version is the underlying truth (although of course, both cannot be right).  Therefore, both camps have the truth at stake; they think of themselves as campaigners for the truth.  In addition, Christians believe our souls are at stake.  Why then do atheists shout so loud when they believe there is less at stake?   This is a question which is difficult to answer.  However, we should be aware that Christianity can actually benefit from these loud shoutings of the atheists.  Why is that? It is because the atheists give us spec...

I have read the book "The Blind Watchmaker" by Richard Dawkins.   ["The Blind Watchmaker - why the evidence of evolution reveals a universe without design" by Richard Dawkins (1986) W.W. Norton & Company, New York.] Although the book is intended to argue for atheism, it falls far short of this mark.   Instead it could be more accurately described as arguing for evolution and against creationism.   However, most Christians and most types of Christian theology do not have any problem with evolution - indeed, many Christians see evolution as a necessary part of God's design.   Just as I cannot prove the existence of God, neither can Dawkins disprove it In "The Blind Watchmaker" Richard Dawkins uses examples of the complexity of life to argue against a designer, instead arguing that these complexities came about through evolution.   Indeed it reads more as a carefully thought out popular-science book on evolution, than as an argument promoti...

I have noticed that some atheists ask some questions that may seem odd or unusual to a Christian.  However, these questions should be encouraged and followed up on.  This is because the odder the question seems to a Christian, the less the atheist may have grasped the basic concepts of Christianity, and thus the atheist is arguing against an argument that he or she doesn't fully understand. So it is important that Christians follow up on 'odd' or 'unusual' questions. As an example of such a question, I was once asked "Does your religion give you a sense of comfort or safety?"  While it is true that the answer for most Christians may be "Yes", this would still be viewed as a very odd question.  This question, to an atheist, seems quite reasonable.  But to a Christian it is odd.  This is because a Christian believes in Jesus because he or she honestly believes this is the truth. Now, a sense of comfort or safety may be a side-effect for some ...

A frequent complaint by atheists (and some Christians too!) is the question of if God is real, why doesn't He reveal himself more clearly and easily?  This is an intriguing question.  One part of the answer seems to come from God, another from us.   Let's look at God's part first.  Evidently, he doesn't wish to make himself visible to us easily.  Is this because he wanted us to have as much Free Will as possible? Or is it because we are too sinful to handle the sight of him? Or is it because (after the fall of Adam and Eve), we we are living in enemy-occupied territory - which surely cannot be a pleasing environment for him? On the other hand, recall that he sent his only son Jesus to live among us sinners (and not only to live among us for a time, but to die and rise again so that we may live). So while the current Earth is an abhorrent and sinful environment, it cannot be the sole reason that God doesn't reveal himself to us readily.  A clue i...