Tuesday, September 03, 2013

Is God dead?


Pss. 40: 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

Is God dead?

I’ve been taking a break from writing these past few months, and a friend of mine made the comment, “You’re abandoning your God given talent?”

“No, no I’m not,” I offer, “I’m taking a rest.”

We live in a day and age where people need proof that God exists. They go on and on about having faith, but then they seek out ‘proof’ in archeological findings to see if He was really real, if Jesus existed, if the flood was real, if Moses parted the sea. Is that faith?

I can be preachy at times, but that is by my choice not because someone or some religion expects it from me. I don’t and won’t push my beliefs on anyone but I will share when my heart is heavy laden and I need to get things out there.

I read the news daily and also the comments. Whatever you do in the yahoo comment section, don’t mention God. You’ll get thumbs down out the wazoo! It seems to many that God is an imaginary creature that man has created in the wellsprings of the mind and passed on for thousands of years. Is His legend dying?

By no means. If He can still anger so many people for existing, then I think he is very much alive. They just need proof.

I know this is a writing blog but among writers this debate goes on and on too. This weeks question:

Does adherence to rationality lead to atheism ?

George (opposes Christ) wrote: Paula, I'm glad you are so certain. I know it gives great comfort. I agree that there is a lot of wisdom in the Bible and the Judeo-Christian religions. There is also a lot of mythological fantasy obviously written by man and plagiarized from previous versions of a God.
None of that convinces me that I am doomed to hell for not buying in to the whole nine yards. I go to church with my wife often. At the end of the sermon, the Pastor always says, for those who have not found him yet, ask him into your hearts now. I do that with as much earnestness as I can. The message I get in return is, "You are on the right path, keep trucking, no worries."  (Joni’s note: So where does this message you get come from? Your mind?)
It takes no faith to be an Atheist or Agnostic, it takes great faith to be a Christian. Why many keep trying to make a parallel with that is beyond me and shows a weakness in their faith. LOL 
Where we agree is that in the working of the laws of nature there sometimes appear (for me) positive, unexpected, synergistic results that I choose to attribute to a "Higher Power." I have observed countless miracles in that manner and I am constantly amazed by them. (Joni’s note: Higher power? Would THAT be God?)
The people in my wifes' church here in Texas pray for everything, world peace, end the drought, win the lottery, cure cancer etc. I don't have faith in that kind of "Prayer on demand" but they do, despite any rationally measured success rate.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it until new evidence appears. Which I am open to.


Paula (believer of Christ) wrote: If you were God and you created beings that you love, then do you make them robots? That's not love. That is slavery or worse. So you create this universe and humans evolve from that. They have a choice. The wrong choices humans make have terrible consequences for other humans and nature itself. We have to take responsibility for this and not blame God.

I get really mad at God sometimes, but this life is going to end for me some day. What evidence do I have that no matter how bad this life gets there is still a sunrise? Don't slam the door on my viewpoint. Go back and reread the biblical accounts and the books written about the evidence. There is real evidence.

Cathy (a believer) wrote: George, I don't think that Jesus performed "magic" which is usually a form of trickery where the hand is quicker than the eye. Now how they saw people in half and separate the box, I have no idea. But Jesus was pure, God's power which is ever present for all of us flowed through him. It was his intention rooted in compassionate love that allowed him to use that power to heal the sick. It's like having a very well wired house but never having established the service contract. It is capable of making the lights go on and all of the appliances work but with out meeting the condition of turning on the source, nothing works. So what is the price for service? That is what the whole gospel and teachings of Jesus are about. It is the instructions manual about how to get to the state of a pure and contrite heart that will get the evil and distractions or our fleshly appetites out of the way and under control so that the divine power can flow through us. We are designed to be fully divine. Jesus was the fully functioning 'model unit" so to speak to show the way and motivate mankind to change and return to God.
*  *  *
Let me tell you, George went on for pages decrying the falsity of God and Jesus. Every scientific theory he came up with, there was a believer with a somewhat better argument, in my opinion. But then again, I’m a believer.

I’ve learned many things in my young life, and as a believer there are some things you just don’t talk about: money, God and Religion. I myself don’t have an argument for atheist. They don’t believe and maybe never will. Believers will speak and write, often falling on deaf ears. But hidden among all the rubble is TRUTH. That is where people get divided; seeking out the TRUTH.

In my rational mind allow me to ask you this: How come no one blames Zeus for striking their house with a lightning bolt burning it and all material things to the ground? Why doesn’t man blame atlas for the climate change? Why do they blame a God they don’t believe in? Boggles the mind.

Where does all this fit into the WRITING world?  Apparently the writers of the world are seeking some truth to their writing so that they’re not misleading readers. But who really has the TRUTH?

I watch as man defecates on man, destroys the very thing that they believe in and we wonder, “Where is God in all this turmoil?” There’s a post going around facebook that says something like this: “The teacher is quietest during the test.”  I like that!

He’s watching us destroy ourselves and don’t worry, He’ll be back to ‘correct our mistakes on the test’. But don’t take my word on it, seek out the proof you need, seek out the truth and before you know it, you’ll fall flat on your face in the realization of, the TRUTH!

9 comments:

benning said...

No,God is not dead, neither is He mocked. :)

As Frank Turek says, "I don't have enough Faith to be an Atheist." I agree! I think Atheists need a WHOLE lot of Faith to stick to their empty world views. Our Faith has Rock-solid evidence; theirs is made up of whole cloth, fairy tales, and lies.

You don't care for Apologetics, and are somewhat doubtful that it can lead to Faith in God. Yet Scripture not only demands a kind of Apologetics - Peter's Epistles - but gives evidence that seeking evidence is okay with God - Thomas was not thrown away for demanding to SEE and TOUCH to believe.

Scripture tells us that only those who GOD draws to Him can be saved. And if God uses the evidence He Himself produced to build that Faith, how can that be wrong? There are many Christians of deep, strong Faith who came to the Lord through the evidence that they found and could not deny. God put His story in the skies for a reason. Not just to make pretty star patterns. The Great Flood left evidence around the entire world. God planned it that way, no doubt. And to honest seekers of Truth, that evidence speaks loud and clear! For me, the evidence is simply continuing proof that He spoke and Nothing became Everything! HE exists, and has and will forever!

So-called blind-faith is fine, but not deep for too many Christians. Those are the ones who fall away because some 'scientist' came up with yet another theory based on some miniscule finding. When they are proved wrong - as they ALWAYS are! - the fallen-away Christians rarely seem to learn. :(

I have seen the evidence and seen what Christ does in my Life! My Faith is granite-solid! And I can speak to the proof. For God has provided us with that proof! God has! Satan cannot argue with the evidence, can only provide lies, myths, and phony stories.

God lives! Praise God! Whoo-Hoo! :D

<3 Write on! And keep writing! :D

joni said...

You're right! :P

God proved to me at an extremely young age that He was alive and ever present. I didn't need any proof because I was a living breathing entity, proof in and of itself. lol

I don't judge, so however people come to Him and whatever they need, I know God will and does provide for them.

Science can never show me anything to change my mind but I could show them a thing or two. ;)

Great posting ben! :D

benning said...

Thank you, Ma'am! As Many have said, "When Science seems to disprove God, just give them time. They'll come around." LOL :D

joni said...

Now THAT's funny! Science disprove God. That'll be like disproving they themselves exist. lol
They'll come around is right! Because they KNOW they exist. Maybe they should just pinch themselves to be sure! :)

benning said...

"oooOOOoo! I'll give you such a PINCH!" ~ Joe DeRita

:D

Tiggs said...

I agree, I think that believing takes faith, but I also believe that God will provide proof at times--and if you believe, I think he is always showing us that He is there and real--we just have to be looking for it.

I can't speak on the the side of an atheist, but I do know from experience that it is REALLY HARD to deny that God/Christ exists. Just the argument for one to say that there is NO God, would mean that person must be God. The only way to be 100% sure that there is not a God is to be everywhere and know everything--since that is only possible for God--and I know "I" am not God--It can't be "proven" that He doesn't exist.

I went through a lot of that rational with my "logical" mind when I was struggling with my faith Many, many years ago.

God has shown me in everyday miracles that He is here always--I know that others may believe that these things are just coincidence, or good luck, but for this world to keep revolving, there HAS to be God and no one is going to change that truth in me.

benning said...

For me, those who proclaim an atheism seem to be the ones most reluctant to allow any other than themselves to be in control of their life. So they flee from the very thought of a God who is in actual control.

We relax our grip on our lives VERY reluctantly! :)

joni said...

To me, atheists would rather stick their beliefs in Science when Science can't even explain God?

Oh they think they can explain creationism, but explain God, boy they scratch their heads! lol

benning said...

The honest scientists will admit they don't now. The dishonest ones will keep coming up with outlandish theories to explain everything. LOL