Search for Truth: Is there a God?

Does God exist? Is there some being out there that is greater than me or this earth or this universe?

By the definition of I God I mean a supreme being who is perfect. By definition this being is above the bounds of the universe in which I live.

So, Is there a god?

My initial belief is yes, there is a god.

The universe had a beginning. Modern science agrees that there is some point in the past in which things began. If the universe did not have a beginning then the history of the universe would have to stretch into infinity. In more simple terms time has a linear direction. It passes from one time to the next. If there was no beginning to the universe then time must have been going on infinitely before this present period. 

Now, with this idea of an infinite beginning there lies a serious problem. Just as you can’t count down from infinity to zero you can’t count up to zero from negative infinity. Infinity is a never-ending number which you can’t begin a count. Because we know time moves in this linear way and there exists a present, or a “zero” then the past cannot stretch back into infinity or else there would exist no present. Therefore the universe must have a beginning.

Okay so the universe has a beginning. There was a point in which there was nothing and then there was a point in which there was something. The question is, how did this come to be?

The universe is so incredibly complex. Things just work together. Trees provide oxygen and need CO2. I breath out CO2 and need oxygen. The sun is the perfect distance away to provide life so that the earth doesn’t burn up or is incredibly cold. Organisms themselves are beings of incredible complexity. The eye of a human is more technologically advanced than anything we have currently.

But there are also other aspects of the universe that are incredible. I need food to eat and be nourished but it is also pleasing to me. The smell of a cheeseburger or pepperoni pizza is incredible. They are pleasing to eat.

The relationship between men and women is incredible. There is physical attraction to the other which sets off a pool of chemicals and hormones that create a myriad of emotions. However there is also something deeper. Between a couple there is a special bond, a connection. There is an intimate sharing of emotional and physical experiences that are between two people. How did this ever come to be?

The universe is so incredibly amazing. It’s awe inspiring and breathtaking. Did it all emerge from a “Big Bang” or the millions of patient years of evolution?

I believe it didn’t . The universe is too wonderfully put together for it all simply to happen by the chance of a bang which sent matter flying into all directions which somehow formed into planets and stars which somehow aligned in such a way to allow for life to exist which somehow was put together with such complexity to emerge as it does today. That is a long string of “which somehows”. It is far more likely that there was a creator. The universe is too well created. It shows the markings of intelligent design at every level and in every place.

As to the evolution theory there lie two problems. The first is that evolution does not explain the beginnings of the universe. The second is that there are serious flaws in the evolutionary timeline. There are huge gaps in the fossil record. There has been no archeological evidence of transitional organisms. If we all came from apes and it took millions of years for us to evolve one would think that there would be millions of fossils to dig up that would show the markings of this evolution. However, there have been none. What has been discovered has been either apes or people, no in-between. There have only been hoaxes which have been disproved.

The more I see the more the evidence suggests that there must be a creator. It is far more likely that there was a creator than the universe exploded into being or evolved from something that came from nothing.

No, there is a creator.

Now because there exists a creator and the universe had a beginning then the creator must be outside of the bounds of time. In order to be the creator of a universe that had a beginning then he must be outside of time. He (I use “he” as a convention) must be timeless with no beginning but must have always been.

Also because he is the creator of the universe he is not held by any of the rules we are. Everything we live in and everything we are is created. He made it. And because he made it he is not held by it. He must be above it.

Lastly, from my last post I introduced the idea of a good and evil. Because we are created beings then the internal moral compass was also created. God instilled in us a knowledge of what is right and wrong. That is a curious notion. Why would he put that sense of good into us? Why do we feel guilty when we do wrong?These are questions for the next post.

Do I believe in a creator? Yes. Do I believe in God? Yes. 

Search for Truth: Good and Evil

This is the first post of a series I am beginning about my journey in the Christian faith. Three weeks ago I was challenged by one of my christian mentors to explore the roots of my faith and really understand why I believe what I believe. He told me to find the evidence in my faith and see why I really believe what I do. I had never been challenged like this before. The chance to find a firm foundation in the fundamentals of what I believe had never been presented to me before. In this series I will explore basic Christian principals such as if there is good and evil, is there a god, if there’s a god how does he feel about humans, who is Jesus Christ, what makes Christianity different from other religions, and ultimately why should I be a Christian. These questions come from the belief that you do not have to check your brain at the door to be a believer. This is my quest.

Okay, so, starting at the beginning, is there a good and evil. By this I mean are there things thoughts or actions that are considered universally good or universally evil.

My initial belief on the subject is “yes” there is a universal good and evil.

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that murder is wrong. No person needs to have it explained to them that killing another person is wrong. Everyone simply has the idea that murder is wrong and it is ingrained into them. I think murder is wrong. Everyone I know thinks murder is wrong. Why is that? 

Some would argue that the idea that murder is wrong is simply a product of culture. Children are raised to understand that murder is wrong. The culturalist would believe that all morals come from learning and growing in a culture that believes in those morals.

The idea that murder is wrong coming from being raised in a specific culture does not hold the test. Every people group across the planet knows that murder is wrong. Even isolated groups such as nomads or some indians know that to kill another is wrong. 

The notion of right and wrong is not something that has simply been pulled from the ideas of people groups who want to create a good society. No, right and wrong, it seems, are something that we are born with. It is something deep-rooted within us. 

How is it that we all know that murder is wrong?

How is it that we all know that rape is wrong?

How is it that we all know that stealing is wrong?

There is a universal good and evil. Somehow we all know it and feel it. Almost anyone would agree that certain things such as murder are ”right” or ”wrong”. Within us as people we know things are unquestionably wrong. We may not know why that is however we know it is true.

We know there are things which are universally wrong, therefore the opposite must be true. There are things that are universally not wrong. There are things that are also universally good.

Also, this idea of right and wrong bring up another point. These ideas are not something that are made up or come from culture or society. We are not sure where they come from except deep within us. They are as real to us as oxygen or rocks.

If these ideas are not the product of learning and they are known automatically and universally, then there must be something to life that is more than what we can see and touch. There must be something which puts these ideas into us. There is some connection to people that simply is,  just as our idea of right and wrong simply is. There must be some reason we all have these thoughts deep within us. There must be something more.

I believe there is a good and evil.

A Quest

I have started a series titled: Search for Truth. It is about processing through my faith and why I believe what I do. It is a personal journey and a search for truth.

No Posts for the Moment

Hey guys sorry I haven’t posted for awhile. I’ve been out of a computer for awhile. I hope to have some new stuff up by the end of the month!

Decisions

It’s not what you decide so much as how you get there. Life is more than a journey just to get to get to a destination. It’s about how you go about the choices you make along the way. Life is not about finally reaching the culmination of all your achievements but how you went about working each day.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about which college I am going to go to. I got accepted at a lot of top notch schools. One of the most important factors I am considering in the college decision is the cost. I am paying for college by myself without aid from my parents.

My two top choices are incredible schools. Both have a long history of strong academics. One is private though and one is public. The private one has more oppertunities in the major I want to study. It’s geographic location offers vital internships and ability to explore a wealth of resources related to my major right outside of the school. However the private one is more expensive by at final total of 20,000 difference after four years of being an undergraduate.

The less expensive public university is offers less oppertunity with my major. The university does, however, offer a more conventional college experience. It is a public university with a good football team and well rounded student life oppertunities.

I don’t know. They’re both great. With one I could go into more debt to get a better education and more ability to gather critical internship experience. With other I could save money and have less student loans with a good degree but not as much options as the more expensive private university.

In the end though, I think it’s not about what school I went to but what I did when I was there. It would be infinelty better for me to graduate from a community college and be very intelligent than  for me to graduate with honors from Yale but be an idiot.

Besides, they say that your undergraduate degree is meaningless anyway. It’s the graduate degree that’s important. Right?

It’s not all about you. No, really.

So in this wide world in which we live I’ve noticed a very interesting phenomenon which has taken over millions. Quite simply there is a struggle in the heirachy of people and heavenly being. People often confuse themselves with God.

You see for a long time the way you and I used to go about our day was been egocentric. When we woke up in the morning we were concerned about how we feel. Thoughts then glossed over our daily problems and obstacles. Our desires and our ambitions took up our thoughts. We bought things because we liked them and did things because we like to do them. We controled our entire day continually making decisions based on how we felt and what we wanted.

This view of reality really grew in other areas too. We stopped praying becuase we felt we didn’t get anything out of it. Church became a thing of the past because the music wasn’t for us or the preaching was not impacting enough.

Then we started giving God little hints and suggestions on how he should best go about his job. We sometimes told him all of the things we needed like a new car or advancement in our finances. Obviously we saw a problem and after careful deliberation informed the creator of the heavens and the earth what the best thing was to do about fixing it.

Eventually we got so good that we didn’t even need God to run things anymore. We stopped talking to him and decided we knew best on the things of “spiritual matters.” We thought that by making ourselves look incredible with a coverup of good works and friendly attitudes and perfect lives that we could simply bypass sin and enter in to heaven where we could enjoy our perfect eternall personal enjoyment all about ourselves.

But I think one day it hit us as we broke down from the pressing deadlines at work and the broken relationships at home and the secret addictions that no one knew about that we were never able to handle all of this. We just couldn’t do it on our own. I think that’s the day we realized we need God.

No matter how much we want to be, you and I, we’re not God. We can’t even begin to fathom his thoughts. How can we measure to he who spoke the universe into being. The complex systems of life and intricate physical interactions between all things came from his very breath.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”

Job 38:4-7

He is the beginning and the end, the thing that makes all things possible. He fills every fiber of space and binds it together.

We’ve twisted things so much and tried to act like God. We’ve let addictions slide because they make us feel better and we downplay them. Tirelessly we’ve worked and worked without rest becuase we thought we were too strong for the weakness to take a break. We’ve left churches, jobs, places, and relationships because they “weren’t right for us” or “didn’t suite my needs.”

It’s time to let God be God. He is so great and his power and love so perfect that he can resolve all of the issues and brokeness in our life. Oh, what a release it is to know that I am no longer bearing the burden of being my own God but rely fully on the true God who crafts my every step.

Suddenly every aspect of my life changes. More and more thoughts and activietes become about serving and worshipping the great God I have. I can trust in him and release my burden. God is God and that is great!

Who am I?

Are we losing ourselves? What does it mean to truly be me? Who am I?

I read in the book the “Screwtape Letters” that God asks us for everything: our desires, hopes, thoughts, and will to him. He then gives it all back to us and makes us more ourselves than we have ever been.

So do we lose ourselves somewhere in the mix? Do we make charades of ourselves and live in the land of the glass menagire?

It seems in the course of life that we do give ourselves away. In some areas we become slaves to our desires: “I’m going to follow my desires and my feelings because that is what’s most important to me right now.” Sometimes we follow our natural sinful desires becuase that is what is suitable to the moment not necessarily congruent to our character, however after repeatedly following this the whim of the moment becomes our character.

 In other ways we perform elaborate acts to fool the particular crowd we’re with. When we’re in church we act sanctius because that’s what we think others want to see. With a girlfriend we act strong and brave; however we think they want us to be like. With bosses and those above us we act like we’re sucessful even if the pressure is cutting at our lives.

 So in all of this where is room for me? There are so many people out there in the world living lives not their own. They are emotionally unsatisfied and empty: the broken, the down. In a way we are all like this. All of us have in some way taken on personas not of our own character.

Mostly it is becuase we live in a world of sin. Our true personality was perfect in God but the enterance of sin brought corruption to the point of changing who we even are.

 However there is hope. God tells us who we are: sons of the living God master of the universe. To God I’ve got to give it all. All of the things in my life which I’m holding back need to be offered up to him. My time, money, energy, ambitions, relationships, all of it must go. It’s then that he gives it all back transformed to a new me.

Through Christ I am able to learn who I am. Here is where fufilling satisfaction lies. Here begins the firm foundations of my life. In him I can rest knowing that he sees down to my inner being and knows me fully. There is no acting, no false faces, just me and God.

Living in the Present

You know I read something interesting today by C.S. Lewis in his book The Screwtape Letters. It said that one of our greatest vices is being stuck in a time which is not in reality. Many people brood over a troublesome past or can’t get past regrets or failures which can never be changed. Others are set on the future filled with anxieties and worries about things that haven’t happened yet. The book says that both of these mindsets are not solid. The best thing we can do is live in the present. 

 Reality and eternity are rooted in the present. Freedom of choice and seeing things as they occur are the closest we are to reality. The past is unlike reality in that it is unchangeable. What’s done is done. The least like reality and eternity is the future. These things haven’t even happened and are simply imagined. It is a complete fabrication of the mind and therefore the least real. The past at least existed.

As the book says the enemy would keep us in either the regretful past or worried over the imaginary future. It is the least connected to God we could be. Instead we should try to live our lives in the present.  It is where God can use us and affect our lives. It is where all events occur. It is the small daily living which creates us. We need to focus on daily grace and daily provision. It is our daily actions and our daily salvation which gives us true life in Christ. 

We can forget about all our past sins with our present forgiveness in Christ. We can rest in the provision of the future through the present promises of Christ. So in everything we do let us live in the present. Let us live in the actions of right now and let us learn just to focus those actions on the Lord.  

Photoshop

 

I just wanted to post something I learned using photoshop. I call it iSkate.

George Washington University

 ”Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.” This quote by Christopher Morley has been my inspiration and my motivation. Ever since I was a little boy I have always sought to do things which set me apart. Whether it was going the extra mile on a project or helping out at church I have continually been involved a wide variety of things. This desire for the unique and different is what probably most contributed to my love for foreign affairs.
 I can remember beginning Spanish class in middle school and being utterly enthralled by the rich culture and fascinating language. My interest soon spread to other areas of the world and I even began following foreign policy on the news. As I learned about people groups and places my eye settled on one area in particular: the Middle East. The diverse and historical origins of these unique people became my main focus in international affairs. Soon my bookshelves filled with titles such as Understanding Islam and The Arabs: Journeys Beyond the Mirage. It was from these strands which tied my dream of one day working for the Central Intelligence Agency. 
 I hope to join the CIA as a specialist in the Middle Eastern because want to bring change. In my personal studies I have found that Arabs, and specifically those who follow Islam, are among the most misunderstood people in the world. September 11th opened the eyes of many Americans however few actually know much about the Arabs. Many think they are a suicidal group of virulent religious fanatics who abhor America and all those in it. I want to be able to one day impart understanding to my fellow countrymen. I believe as we all know more about each other and see past differences the world will change. I hope to be a contributor to a world of unity and peace that is not beaten by the walls of ignorance. That is my dream in the CIA and that is why I want to go to George Washington.
 I want to get the best education possible so I can be the most able to do the most good. George Washington has a long history of academic excellence but also an equally long history of superior international studies programs. The Elliott School of International Affairs has been ranked one of the best in the nation. With the tools and skills I will get from George Washington I will be able to go forth and live out my drive and my passion. Most importantly though, I will be able to make a difference in the world in which we live. If peace begins in the individual, then let that individual be me and let it begin at George Washington.