April 5, 2010

Why I Believe In God

My belief in the God of the Bible (YHWH) is systematic. One reason alone does not justify a belief in any particular god. With all reasons combined systematically, I have come to the belief in the God of the Bible (YHWH). Please note that I absolutely DO NOT claim these reasons are proof of God, they are the reasons why I believe. :-)

1.) Kalam Cosmological Argument
a. Anything that begins to exist has a cause
b. The universe began to exist
c. Therefore, the universe had a cause.

Being that the universe consists of time, space & matter... this cause must be atemporal (exist outside of time) & extremely powerful. It also seems that this cause was personal given the attributes of the universe and the earth supporting life.

Does this prove the existence of God? No, but God makes sense of this, and it's something to keep in mind as we go along.


2.) Moral Argument

This argument only holds weight if you agree that objective moral values exist. For example:

Jeffery Dahmer murdered several young men. He had sex with their dead bodies, cut them up, ate parts of them, and stored heads, fingers and penises of his victims.

Was this wrong? Well, there are two ways to say yes.

a.) Subjectively - One could say that it is wrong because our morality is based on the consensus of society (which most atheists I've encountered claim).

b.) Objectively - This way is to claim that it's absolutely wrong, regardless of what people's opinions are (this is the view I hold). I don't hold this view because of the Bible or anything else. I hold this view because there is just absolutely something wrong with that.

Now for the first view (that morality is subjective), one cannot claim that there is really anything "wrong" with Dahmer's actions. He just committed an anti-social act. But I think we all know that what he did was seriously wrong! This is why we have justice systems. Societies want people punished for their actions. Why? Because they feel that what he did was absolutely wrong.

It seems that there are a set of moral laws in place that influence our decisions, both to violate that law, and also to seek punishment for those who violate it. God makes sense of this moral law. I believe this moral system comes from God Himself. From His very being. Many atheists think I argue that morality comes from the Bible. I disagree, it doesn't come from the Bible. The Bible might expose these laws, but it doesn't make them. God created man in His image, which is where I believe we get this morality from.

It is important to realize that you do not have to believe in God to live a moral life. Being an atheist does not make you an immoral person. It seems that moral laws exist on their own, and humanity recognizes and adheres to them. There seems to be absolute rights and wrongs, and God makes sense of this.


3.) Origin of Life

It is more rational for me to believe that an intelligence created life rather than a series of unguided events creating life. I know abiogenesis is not a solid theory yet, and that science is still working on it, but I have a hard time accepting it. I might be able to accept it for life like trees and plants, but not thinking, intelligent life. You and I have the ability to think, to make decisions, to make choices, we have emotions, hatred, love, sympathy, intelligence, etc. We have life. We have a conscience. It may seem bizarre to some that there is an intelligent designer, but it seems even more bizarre to me that it all just happened by a series of unguided processes. God makes sense of the origin of life.

At this point I believe that there is some type of intelligence that created everything. At this point I am also convinced that it is personal (given the above 3 reasons).


4.) Religion

From here, I critically look at what all these religions offer and say. Do any of them hold any weight? Are they all man made to find comfort and meaning to life? If they are, I'm okay with that, and will not follow one. I don't have a problem with there being no such thing as a personal God. I don't have a problem with there being no afterlife. I'm okay with just ceasing to exist when I die to be honest with you.

I have looked at most major religions. Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Catholicism, Christianity, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, etc. After looking deeply into all of these, I find that Christianity makes the most sense, seems the most truthful, etc. Does this mean Christianity is true? No, but by process of elimination, it seems the most valid out of the group.


5.)The Bible

I then read and studied the Bible cover to cover, Genesis through Revelation. Using an interlinear, a Hebrew/Greek concordance, commentary from multiple Theologians, and considering Jewish culture, I was amazed at the accuracy and revelation of the Bible. It has predicted events that have come to pass, it has been confirmed by history, archeology, geography, textual scrutiny, etc. The dead sea scrolls have proven that it's context has not been changed, we have more manuscripts for the Bible than we do any other historical documents on earth. Many, many more. The Bible also confirms and explains my first three arguments above. I found it truly amazing.

At this point, I am convinced that there is a personal God, and that this God is the God of the Bible (YHWH).


6.) Personal Experience

When I realized that I had broken God's holy law because I'm am an imperfect person, I clung to Jesus Christ as He paid my fine for me. The Bible says that if you put your trust in Christ and repent, that He will give you the Holy Spirit. I have experienced this first hand. Was it all in my head? I think not. My life has been absolutely radically changed by this. I have experienced miracles, intervention, answered prayers, etc. For someone to tell me that my belief is all in my head is making a ridiculous statement. Either I am one of the most luckiest people on earth, where things fall into place day after day, prayer after prayer, or God is active in my life. Either I experience an absolute ridiculous amount coincidences, or God is active in my life. Either I am legally insane and schizophrenic, or God is active in my life. There is no way to explain away what I have experienced since being saved. This confirms God's existence to me even more.

So, does all of this prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the God I believe in exists? To some it might, to some it might not. But what it does prove is that I am not irrational or a non-thinker like many accuse me of being. I think it's fair to say I came to my belief in God rationally. Some come to the belief in God irrationally, just blindly believing what men say because it makes them feel good. I don't think I fall into this category. I would argue that I have been rational in my thoughts and decisions.

14 comments:

  1. Didn't miss a thing under experiences. Not only have you seen miracles, interventions, answers to prayer but so have millions around the world and out of those million beleivers would give that glory to God. Are there millions of people out there that are serving a make believe being. I think not! It is amazing how all believers can come to the same place and have the same experience that were only orchrastrated by God. One thing that the nonbeliever can't argue is that personal feeling, peace and joy we get when we serve our Father God. I have seen the miracle in my own life. I was once depressed, angry, anti God and full of drugs and alcohol. I din't know GOd growing up but the minute that I did my life has changed forever. If anyone would like to debate a life changing experience good luck with that one. I can now be a husband, father, and example of Christ. It would be nice if nonbelievers could all grow a brain and serender all their disbelief over to God and we could start focusing on the poor and needy and how we can all join in and help. See right there I wouldn't have said that if I was still living in the world, because the only person that I used to care about was myself. Another act of God, most Christians believe in helping others and not just them self.

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  2. First of all I'd like to point out that just because I said something, that doesn't mean that I'm saying something.

    1) There is no evidence that the universe 'began' to exist; conversely, neither is there evidence that it has always existed. Stating that God makes sense of the Kalam arguement without an example of this 'sense' is meaningless.

    2) Objective (or absolute) morality? You seem to think that using an example that most would already find appalling and making it even more heinous makes it objective? If 'Thou shalt not kill' is an objective morality, then there should be no situation in which killing is moral. There is no subtext to the Commandments that says "*except under the following conditions:"

    3) Natural explanation vs. super-natural explanation? I know there's talk about sillicone and electrons, but I've never seen an electron! My computer works by magic. I'm pretty sure on this one.

    4) As for the first paragraph, if what you state is true, then to what purpose does belief in God serve? If there is no afterlife then is there no soul to save? If you are ok with simply ceasing to exist upon death then why are you not satisfied with simply existing while alive?

    Second paragragh; -what- makes christianity more valid (amongst three other choices that are generally considered to be 'christian'!) This is again a meaningless statement with out example to demonstrate this 'validity'.

    5) You are amazed(!) at the accuracy of the Bible, but seem quite unphased at the inaccuracies. What does the Bible predict that has come to pass, and more importantly, what does the Bible predict that hasn't happened just yet?

    6) I not only consider myself to be one of the luckiest people on this earth (of about seven BILLION people!), I know I am lucky, and what you would refer to as blessed, but it appears to me this is more a matter of geography than anything else. Miracles? What is the most miraculous thing that ever happened to you? Does it defy a natural explantion or random chance?

    Do I think you're insane? Irrational? Not in the 'crazy' sense. A rational thinker? Not by a longshot.

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  3. This is a great blog you have!!

    I find it to be accurate, full of truth,
    wisdom and well said.

    Your 6 points are valid and great!

    The Moral Law/Argument which you talk about in point 2 is proof that God does in fact exist at least in my opinion. Former Head of the Human Genome Project, Francis Collins, M.D. and Ph.D talks about this in his book The Language if God and he agrees that it is proof that God must exist as well as C.S. Lewis who talked about it in his book Mere Christianity.

    I also think you had great points on 4 Religion and 6 Personal exp. as well as all others.

    Origin of life is true. We had to come from somewhere/ Where did stardust come from and that primordial ooze that they talk about?

    It had to come from somewhere, right?

    I hope you became a Pastor or a chaplain.
    You have many great points.

    God bless.

    Robert.

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  4. To Anonymous,

    1.) There is very strong evidence that the universe began to exist. We know that the universe is continually expanding. If we were able to hit a rewind button, we would eventually end up at an origin of zero (or as Astronomers say, "the point of singularity"). Time, space and matter began to exist at this point.

    2.) You fail to quote 6th commandment literally. It actually says "You shall not murder", not "kill".

    3.) This is the problem with pseudo-science, it doesn't allow for any type of "creation" explanation. Just because I propose a "super-natural" explanation, you automatically reject it.

    4.) I said that I am okay with there being no afterlife. That doesn't mean there isn't one.

    5.) There are no inaccuracies in Scripture.

    6.) You say I am not a rational thinker. This is only because I disagree with your views.

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  5. 1) Strong evidence such as. . . ? Going back to what we consider the 'begining' is an extrapolation of observable expansion and what conditions must have been according to known physical laws, but that only take us to 10 to the -37 second after the 'begining', all the known matter and engergy is already present at that point. Much like the difference between evolution and abiogenisis, cosmological theory does not state if or when anything was CREATED, but rather what happened once the universe began to EXPAND. Hitting the 'rewind' button takes us back to about 13.73 BILLION years, that's about 13,729,984,000 years beyond, OR 2,288,332 times older than, what creationist say the age of the universe is. I think its absurd and ironic that you would find this evidenciary of a creationist God.

    2) Actually, no. The problem with a "literal" quote is determining which religious text you refer to. That's part of the problem with zealotry; you all think you have the difinitive word on both accuracy AND meaning.

    "Multiple translations exist of the sixth commandment; the Hebrew words לא תרצח are variously translated as "thou shalt not kill" or "thou shalt not murder." Older Protestant translations of the Bible, those based on the Vulgate and Roman Catholic translations usually render it as "Thou shalt not kill," whereas Jewish and newer Protestant versions tend to use "You shall not murder." There is controversy as to which translation is more faithful, and both forms are quoted in support of many opposing ethical standpoints."

    So you choose to use 'murder', how do you define murder? Even though legally we generally find the use of the word 'homicide'for accuracy in terms, but even when 'murder' is used there are variations: premeditation, no premeditaion, intent, gross negligence; down the slippery "subjective" path again. . .

    3) This is the problem with people who believe they are "thinkers"! PSEUDO-SCIENCE actually ALLOWS for any rotten trash you would like to lend credibility to; "pseudo - not actually but having the appearance of; pretended; false or spurious; sham." Let's put on on our thinking caps and drop the prefix 'pseudo' and look at 'science'! What is 'science'? "Systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation." Key words here: PHYSICAL OR MATERIAL WORLD, also refered to as natural and physical science. How about 'super-natural'? "Of, pertaining to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena." A super-natural explanation, in terms of SCIENCE, is a non-explanation! It is beyond observation and testing and therefore NOT SCIENCE. If there is no evidence, it must be rejected UNTIL evidence is provided.

    4) How profound. Wait, no. You're just evading the questions posed.

    5) There are no inaccuracies in the personal interpretations of Scripture; as long as one chooses not to see them. Not a fan of Brief Bible Blunders, I see. Not going to share any of the Bible's predictions with us either, eh?

    6) Simply stating that you are something does not make it so. Opening your mouth (or typing on the keyboard, as it were) certainly can, and does, demonstrate the opposite of your assertion.

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  6. kuno55,

    1.)
    If the universe did not have a beginning, then it is eternal. Time, Space and Matter began at the moment of the big bang. We know this by observation of the expanding universe.

    Mathematicians recognize that the existence of an actually infinite number of things leads to self-contradictions. For example, what is infinity minus infinity? As the great mathematician David Hilbert said:

    "The infinite is nowhere to be found in reality. It neither exists in nature nor provides a legitimate basis for rational thought. The role that remains for the infinite to play is solely that of an idea."

    All matter and energy, even physical space and time themselves, came into being at the Big Bang. As the physicist P. C. W. Davies explains, "the coming into being of the universe, as discussed in modern science . . . is not just a matter of imposing some sort of organization . . . upon a previous incoherent state, but literally the coming-into-being of all physical things from nothing."

    There is good evidence that the universe had a beginning. The difference of opinion between you and I is what caused it.

    2.)
    The Hebrew word used here is רָצַח(ratsach). Below is the meaning:

    1) to murder, slay, kill
    a) (Qal) to murder, slay
    1) premeditated
    2) accidental
    3) as avenger
    4) slayer (intentional) (participle)
    b) (Niphal) to be slain

    c) (Piel)
    1) to murder, assassinate
    2) murderer, assassin

    d) (Pual) to be killed

    The tense used in Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 is "Qal", the aspect of being imperfect. Taking into account this literal meaning, with Jewish tradition and Biblical hermeneutics, there is no doubt it should be translated "murder" (homicide).

    3.)
    I know what science is. Let me give you an example of what I meant:
    Science has discovered DNA. We know that it is an intricate, detailed coded language. For one to look at that DNA and come to the conclusion that it was designed is not irrational. But, because we mention the sinful word "design", it is rejected.

    4.)
    You say "if what you state is true, then to what purpose does belief in God serve? If there is no afterlife then is there no soul to save? If you are ok with simply ceasing to exist upon death then why are you not satisfied with simply existing while alive?"

    What purpose? To be saved.
    I believe there is an afterlife.
    I am satisfied with existing while I'm alive.

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  7. 5.)
    You say "Not going to share any of the Bible's predictions with us either, eh?"

    There are about 2500 prophecies in the Bible. I'm not going to sit here and type each one, but here are a few:

    (1) Some time before 500 B.C. the prophet Daniel proclaimed that Israel's long-awaited Messiah would begin his public ministry 483 years after the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25-26). He further predicted that the Messiah would be "cut off," killed, and that this event would take place prior to a second destruction of Jerusalem. Abundant documentation shows that these prophecies were perfectly fulfilled in the life (and crucifixion) of Jesus Christ. The decree regarding the restoration of Jerusalem was issued by Persia's King Artaxerxes to the Hebrew priest Ezra in 458 B.C., 483 years later the ministry of Jesus Christ began in Galilee. (Remember that due to calendar changes, the date for the start of Christ's ministry is set by most historians at about 26 A.D. Also note that from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D. is just one year.) Jesus' crucifixion occurred only a few years later, and about four decades later, in 70 A.D. came the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus.

    (2) In approximately 700 B.C. the prophet Micah named the tiny village of Bethlehem as the birthplace of Israel's Messiah (Micah 5:2). The fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Christ is one of the most widely known and widely celebrated facts in history.

    (3) In the fifth century B.C. a prophet named Zechariah declared that the Messiah would be betrayed for the price of a slave—thirty pieces of silver, according to Jewish law-and also that this money would be used to buy a burial ground for Jerusalem's poor foreigners (Zechariah 11:12-13). Bible writers and secular historians both record thirty pieces of silver as the sum paid to Judas Iscariot for betraying Jesus, and they indicate that the money went to purchase a "potter's field," used—just as predicted—for the burial of poor aliens (Matthew 27:3-10).

    (4) Some 400 years before crucifixion was invented, both Israel's King David and the prophet Zechariah described the Messiah's death in words that perfectly depict that mode of execution. Further, they said that the body would be pierced and that none of the bones would be broken, contrary to customary procedure in cases of crucifixion (Psalm 22 and 34:20; Zechariah 12:10). Again, historians and New Testament writers confirm the fulfillment: Jesus of Nazareth died on a Roman cross, and his extraordinarily quick death eliminated the need for the usual breaking of bones. A spear was thrust into his side to verify that he was, indeed, dead.

    (5) The prophet Isaiah foretold that a conqueror named Cyrus would destroy seemingly impregnable Babylon and subdue Egypt along with most of the rest of the known world. This same man, said Isaiah, would decide to let the Jewish exiles in his territory go free without any payment of ransom (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1; and 45:13). Isaiah made this prophecy 150 years before Cyrus was born, 180 years before Cyrus performed any of these feats (and he did, eventually, perform them all), and 80 years before the Jews were taken into exile.

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  8. (6) Mighty Babylon, 196 miles square, was enclosed not only by a moat, but also by a double wall 330 feet high, each part 90 feet thick. It was said by unanimous popular opinion to be indestructible, yet two Bible prophets declared its doom. These prophets further claimed that the ruins would be avoided by travelers, that the city would never again be inhabited, and that its stones would not even be moved for use as building material (Isaiah 13:17-22 and Jeremiah 51:26, 43). Their description is, in fact, the well-documented history of the famous citadel.

    (7) The exact location and construction sequence of Jerusalem's nine suburbs was predicted by Jeremiah about 2600 years ago. He referred to the time of this building project as "the last days," that is, the time period of Israel's second rebirth as a nation in the land of Palestine (Jeremiah 31:38-40). This rebirth became history in 1948, and the construction of the nine suburbs has gone forward precisely in the locations and in the sequence predicted.

    (8) The prophet Moses foretold (with some additions by Jeremiah and Jesus) that the ancient Jewish nation would be conquered twice and that the people would be carried off as slaves each time, first by the Babylonians (for a period of 70 years), and then by a fourth world kingdom (which we know as Rome). The second conqueror, Moses said, would take the Jews captive to Egypt in ships, selling them or giving them away as slaves to all parts of the world. Both of these predictions were fulfilled to the letter, the first in 607 B.C. and the second in 70 A.D. God's spokesmen said, further, that the Jews would remain scattered throughout the entire world for many generations, but without becoming assimilated by the peoples or of other nations, and that the Jews would one day return to the land of Palestine to re-establish for a second time their nation (Deuteronomy 29; Isaiah 11:11-13; Jeremiah 25:11; Hosea 3:4-5 and Luke 21:23-24).

    This prophetic statement sweeps across 3500 years of history to its complete fulfillment—in our lifetime.

    (9) Jeremiah predicted that despite its fertility and despite the accessibility of its water supply, the land of Edom (today a part of Jordan) would become a barren, uninhabited wasteland (Jeremiah 49:15-20; Ezekiel 25:12-14). His description accurately tells the history of that now bleak region.

    (10) Joshua prophesied that Jericho would be rebuilt by one man. He also said that the man's eldest son would die when the reconstruction began and that his youngest son would die when the work reached completion (Joshua 6:26). About five centuries later this prophecy found its fulfillment in the life and family of a man named Hiel (1 Kings 16:33-34).

    6.)
    You say "Simply stating that you are something does not make it so."

    What in the world does that mean?

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  9. Great looking Blog Chad. Your brother in Christ, Dann

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  10. Lily didn't seem to be 'butt-hurt", but you sure as heck are. You really don't like it when someone points out how much of an idiot you are, do you?

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  11. luke55k,

    You may think I'm an idiot, but your a fool.

    "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."
    - Psalm 14:1

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  12. If using the brain I have is wrong then maybe I am a fool. But you, you're an idiot and a fool. You quote a book written by MEN who think rabbits chew their cud, bats are birds, mixing different fabrics is a sin (do you follow that one?), the moon is a light, the vastness of the universe was created in a day BUT the Earth took THREE? If I am a fool, I'm in DAMN GOOD company. Oh, and you better watch your ass, you book also says:

    "Whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."
    -Matthew 5:22

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  13. kunoluke,
    How many usernames do you have? Scripture calls you a fool, I was merely pointing it out. If you do not like me, the Bible, or Christianity, then go away.

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  14. Sorry, I don't see the distinction, it's still you doing the name-calling, you're just trying to justify it.

    If you do not like me, commenting on the bible, or the absurdity of christianity, then YOU go away, i.e. don't make posts and videos on A PUBLIC FORUM; sequester your videos, monitor your comments, or don't open them for comments. If you don't like dissent you can always keep your sermons in your church.

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