Scripture Isaiah 45:18
For thus says the LORD, The creator of the heavens, who is God, The designer and maker of the earth who established it, Not creating it to be a waste, but designing it to be lived in:
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
Comment
Many of us have seen various high profile atheists convincing others that God does not exist.
I have put together some responses from various sources that may provide you with some points to remember should you encounter such a position in your travels. Please excuse the length of these emails. I have arranged the emails so there is a quick summary below the scripture verse for the day but if you want to continue reading then the topic is expanded upon further on in the email.
Answering the big questions
*********
Where have we come from?
What is the point of our lives?
Where are we going?
You might ask, lets consult science and get some excellent answers to these questions.
Well, here is science’s official answers to those three questions.
Don’t have a clue
Don’t have a clue
Don’t have a clue
In other words, when it comes to the three core questions of existence
Why are we here?
Why do we have a universe?
What is our ultimate destiny and purpose?
Science is embarrassingly silent, we have to look elsewhere for an explanation.
Source: D’Souza vs Loftus Debate - Does The Christian God Exist.mp3
Since the dawn of time people have sought to answer the big questions like: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?
Can any of these questions really be answered?
A classic example of these questions is expressed in Gauguin’s painting entitled, “Whence, What, and Whither?” No honest person can ignore these questions and still consider himself thoughtful.
In the area of life and existence, and how life came into being, there are only three known explanations of origins.
1. Everything sprang out of nothing.
RESPONSE: Out of nothing, nothing comes
2. Existence and life originated from an impersonal source.
RESPONSE: With the view of an impersonal beginning you must accept that you are a product of chance.
To be a product of chance one would have no meaning or purpose; you just happen to be here.
3. Existence originated from a personal source.
RESPONSE : To be “created” implies a reason or purpose for that creation.
Our life would have meaning and would also explain our complex personalities and aspirations.
These are the only known possible answers to life and the universe.
Source: Does God Exist? by Cindy Ray Brown
MORE DETAIL BELOW
The first possibility, that everything sprang out of nothing, cannot be sustained or proven because it is scientifically impossible that anything could come into existence out of utter nothing.
One of the most basic laws of physics is that, “Out of nothing, nothing comes.”
For example, zero times zero still equals zero.
As far as we can search back into history, and as played out in our daily experience, we have always seen the physical law of cause and effect.
Everything that we have, and have been able to discover, is a product or result of something else.
There is a source for everything.
If nothing was, then nothing it would remain.
It is a scientific fact that an effect cannot be greater than its cause.
Therefore, nothing could not cause something.
A beginning from nothing cannot be an adequate answer.
Nothing explains nothing.
So this leads us to the conclusion that something must have been forever. Something must be eternal. Therefore, if the universe was born from something that is eternal, then the cause for the universe must have existed outside of it because the universe is not known to be eternal. This eternal “something” could either be a variety of impersonal matter or a personal being. If nothing is eternal, then at one point something must have sprung out of nothing, but we have already established this theory to be unfeasible. Therefore, something must be eternal. Something has existed forever.
Somebody might ask, “Can’t we just believe that the universe always existed? We don’t have to explain its origin. It has always been here. Carl Sagan held this position in his best‑selling book entitled Cosmos. He wrote, “The cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.”
While God may not be available for empirical investigation, the universe is. The vast majority of astrophysicists accept the theory that the universe began at a particular moment in space and time. As Robert Jastrow, founder of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, summarizes the overwhelming scientific consensus, “Now the three lines of evidence—the motions of the galaxies, the laws of thermodynamics, and the life story of the stars—pointed to one conclusion; all indicated that the universe had a distinct beginning.”
Thus far we have reasoned that something must be eternal, such as impersonal matter or a personal being. Also, current scientific discoveries have concluded that the universe had a distinct beginning, therefore, the cause for the universe must have been outside of itself.
The second possibility, that everything had an impersonal beginning, implies that: Time + Chance and Matter + Energy = Existence as we know it. Holding to this belief, everything would be a product of chance and impersonal forces.
The immediate dilemma with an impersonal beginning is twofold: first, it does not give an adequate explanation for an orderly universe, nor does it explain the human being with all the riches of personality, aspirations, and love.
With the view of an impersonal beginning you must accept that you are a product of chance.
To be a product of chance one would have no meaning or purpose; you just happen to be here.
If man has just been kicked up out of the “primordial soup,” that which is only impersonal chance, then those things which make him a man—hope of purpose and significance, love, notions of morality and rationality, beauty and verbal communication—are ultimately unfulfillable, and are thus meaningless. In such a situation, is man actually higher or lower as compared to impersonal nature? He would then be the lowest creature on the scale. The green moss on the rock is higher than he is, for it can be fulfilled in the universe which exists because moss is also impersonal. The purpose of moss can be found scientifically, while the purpose and meaning of man cannot. If the universe is a product of chance and impersonal matter, then man, being unfulfillable, is meaningless. In this situation man should not walk on the grass, but should respect it, for it is higher than he.
Accepting the theory of an impersonal beginning sounds very chancy.
The three big questions—where did I come from, why am I here, and where am I going?—are still not adequately answered. It must take an awful lot of faith to believe in this origin.
The third possibility, a personal beginning, is very different from the previous two.
The theory of a personal beginning is based on the existence of an eternal, Personal Being. (Remember, we’ve already concluded that something must be eternal.)
This Personal Being would have created the universe and mankind by an act of sheer will.
This position is most clearly stated in the Apocalypse where it reads, “For you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”(Revelations 4:11b)
Starting from a personal beginning, all the big questions can be adequately answered.
To be “created” implies a reason or purpose for that creation.
Meaning for our life would then be a real possibility.
This theory would also explain our complex personalities and aspirations.
A personal beginning provides a philosophical position that a person can live out consistently.
Source: Does God Exist? by Cindy Ray Brown
Showing posts with label Isaiah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Isaiah. Show all posts
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Isaiah 6:8 - Here am I. Send me
Scripture Isaiah 6:8
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
Comment
We are ready for mission.
We’re gathered, we’re healed, we’re sent.
Biblical religion is a mission religion.
In the Bible, when God appears, when God speaks, when God call’s, He sends people.
With Moses, he is addressed from the burning bush. He hears God’s name.
Moses doesn’t stay at the burning bush for the rest of his life.
God says Moses, I’ve got a job for you. My people are crying out in their oppression in Egypt. You go and liberate them.
Isaiah sees that vision of God in the temple. He doesn’t stay in the temple but rather he is sent out by God to proclaim.
God addresses Jeremiah. Jeremiah says ‘Lord, I’m too young, don’t ask me’
Don’t say you are too young, I’ve got a job for you.
Saul of Tarsus is knocked down – and then he is sent.
In the first half of life we set the agenda.
My will, my projects, my plans.
Fair enough. Ok.
But in the second half of life, when you are ready to get serious, the Holy Spirit will invade your life and revolutionise your life.
Source: Untold Blessings – 3 Paths to Holiness
Father Robert Barron – wordonfire.org
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
Comment
We are ready for mission.
We’re gathered, we’re healed, we’re sent.
Biblical religion is a mission religion.
In the Bible, when God appears, when God speaks, when God call’s, He sends people.
With Moses, he is addressed from the burning bush. He hears God’s name.
Moses doesn’t stay at the burning bush for the rest of his life.
God says Moses, I’ve got a job for you. My people are crying out in their oppression in Egypt. You go and liberate them.
Isaiah sees that vision of God in the temple. He doesn’t stay in the temple but rather he is sent out by God to proclaim.
God addresses Jeremiah. Jeremiah says ‘Lord, I’m too young, don’t ask me’
Don’t say you are too young, I’ve got a job for you.
Saul of Tarsus is knocked down – and then he is sent.
In the first half of life we set the agenda.
My will, my projects, my plans.
Fair enough. Ok.
But in the second half of life, when you are ready to get serious, the Holy Spirit will invade your life and revolutionise your life.
Source: Untold Blessings – 3 Paths to Holiness
Father Robert Barron – wordonfire.org
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Isaiah 55:9
Scripture Isaiah 55:9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Comment
William James, the great American philosopher, said
‘I have a library in my home. Full of books, a beautiful globe, maps and I study and work there.
And typically my dog comes in at night and greets me and wags its tail.
Does the dog see everything in the room? Yeah, he takes it all in.
He sees the colours, the shapes the books, the maps and the globe.
What does he get from that room? Almost nothing!
He doesn’t even understand what a book means, or a map or globe.
The tiny capacity of the dog couldn’t take it all in.
Then it occurred to William James, it is the same with us in God’s world.
We are like that dog.
We move through God’s world and we take it all in – in one sense and we get very little of it.
Source: Untold Blessings - 3 Paths to Holiness - by Father Robert Barron wordonfire.org
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Comment
William James, the great American philosopher, said
‘I have a library in my home. Full of books, a beautiful globe, maps and I study and work there.
And typically my dog comes in at night and greets me and wags its tail.
Does the dog see everything in the room? Yeah, he takes it all in.
He sees the colours, the shapes the books, the maps and the globe.
What does he get from that room? Almost nothing!
He doesn’t even understand what a book means, or a map or globe.
The tiny capacity of the dog couldn’t take it all in.
Then it occurred to William James, it is the same with us in God’s world.
We are like that dog.
We move through God’s world and we take it all in – in one sense and we get very little of it.
Source: Untold Blessings - 3 Paths to Holiness - by Father Robert Barron wordonfire.org
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Isaiah 11:1-3 Gifts of the Spirit
Isaiah 11:1-3 Gifts of the Spirit
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;
Comment
These seven Gifts –Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord – are spoken of throughout Scripture, and have been received and explained by saints throughout the ages.
Of these, the 13th century Dominican theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas offers us what is perhaps the clearest and most thorough explanation of how the Gifts work in our life.
The Gift of Fear of the Lord (extract)
Why would God want to give us a gift called “Fear of the Lord?”
How could fear ever be good and desirable?
Saint Thomas Aquinas tells us that we need the Gift as a kind of first beginning of the perfection of all gifts. For the Fear of the Lord conditions us to show proper reverence to God and to be completely devoted to Him. In this way, Fear of the Lord is a kind of foundation on which the other Gifts are built.
The Fear of the Lord is not a matter of anxiety or terror. Rather it is marked by calm yet eager resolve. How does Fear of the Lord help us to follow God?
Saint Thomas helps us to see how when he points out a common fact of life: before people can begin to do good, they must first withdraw from evil. As we know from our own experience, fear always involves turning away from something we consider a threat to our wellbeing.
In our relationship with God, fear can play a role in two ways.
First, fear can be a fear of punishment (especially Hell) Saint Thomas refers to this kind of fear as “servile” fear or the fear of one who obeys the master because of the possibility of punishment.
Servile fear, however, does not involve the full range of freedom and grace that Our Lord wants us to enjoy. There is a second and holier kind of fear that has to do not with punishment, but with the wonderful good of communion with God.
This second kind of fear is not afraid of punishment but of losing God. Saint Thomas calls this “filial” fear, the fear of sons, since it is the kind of fear a good son should have about ever violating or losing his relationship with his father. To have filial fear means to be eager to avoid the evil of offending God or doing anything that might damage our relationship with Him.
The Holy Spirit’s Gift, Fear of the Lord, is a Gift of filial fear.
Source: The Gifts of the Holy Spirit According to Saint Thomas Aquinas
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;
Comment
These seven Gifts –Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord – are spoken of throughout Scripture, and have been received and explained by saints throughout the ages.
Of these, the 13th century Dominican theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas offers us what is perhaps the clearest and most thorough explanation of how the Gifts work in our life.
The Gift of Fear of the Lord (extract)
Why would God want to give us a gift called “Fear of the Lord?”
How could fear ever be good and desirable?
Saint Thomas Aquinas tells us that we need the Gift as a kind of first beginning of the perfection of all gifts. For the Fear of the Lord conditions us to show proper reverence to God and to be completely devoted to Him. In this way, Fear of the Lord is a kind of foundation on which the other Gifts are built.
The Fear of the Lord is not a matter of anxiety or terror. Rather it is marked by calm yet eager resolve. How does Fear of the Lord help us to follow God?
Saint Thomas helps us to see how when he points out a common fact of life: before people can begin to do good, they must first withdraw from evil. As we know from our own experience, fear always involves turning away from something we consider a threat to our wellbeing.
In our relationship with God, fear can play a role in two ways.
First, fear can be a fear of punishment (especially Hell) Saint Thomas refers to this kind of fear as “servile” fear or the fear of one who obeys the master because of the possibility of punishment.
Servile fear, however, does not involve the full range of freedom and grace that Our Lord wants us to enjoy. There is a second and holier kind of fear that has to do not with punishment, but with the wonderful good of communion with God.
This second kind of fear is not afraid of punishment but of losing God. Saint Thomas calls this “filial” fear, the fear of sons, since it is the kind of fear a good son should have about ever violating or losing his relationship with his father. To have filial fear means to be eager to avoid the evil of offending God or doing anything that might damage our relationship with Him.
The Holy Spirit’s Gift, Fear of the Lord, is a Gift of filial fear.
Source: The Gifts of the Holy Spirit According to Saint Thomas Aquinas
Monday, December 28, 2009
Isaiah 66:14 Behold He Comes
Isaiah 66:14 Behold He Comes
“When you see this, your heart will rejoice”.
Reflection
If you ask most people what December is about, they are likely to say, “Getting ready for Christmas.” But go one step further and ask what this means. They will mention buying presents, preparing for guests, or visiting family for the holidays. If you say, “What about celebrating the mystery of the birth of the Son of God?” they will eye you suspiciously and with a tinge of embarrassment say, “Of course. That too.” It was not always this way. Older people can remember when there was real excitement. As children, we fasted from candy and made little sacrifices for the Christ Child. We saved what little we had to buy presents but also to give something to the poor or to the Church. And we were excited.
We all knew of course that Christ was born long ago, but somehow this remembrance made it seem that He was coming again to us. I recall serving Midnight Mass at the Dominican Sisters’ motherhouse and, looking up on Christmas Eve on the way to the chapel, there was a large bright star. I do not now know whether it was the planet Jupiter or Venus in the clear, cold sky. I literally jumped when I saw it. Jesus was coming to our town. Some call this the magic of Christmas. It’s not magic, of course. Magic is a trick—the appearance of something that actually is not there. Christmas is a mystery: that which is intangible, unseen, is really there. Christ is with us every day whenever we decide to turn to Him.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, increase our faith. Draw our eyes away from unimportant things and our hearts from what is shallow. Help us to feel the joy of the shepherds or the Magi. Give us a taste of the wonder of Mary and Joseph. Help us to share with those we love and all those we know the truly good news: The Lord comes. Amen.
Source: Behold, He Comes
Meditations on the Incarnation: Daily Readings from Advent to Epiphany -Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.
“When you see this, your heart will rejoice”.
Reflection
If you ask most people what December is about, they are likely to say, “Getting ready for Christmas.” But go one step further and ask what this means. They will mention buying presents, preparing for guests, or visiting family for the holidays. If you say, “What about celebrating the mystery of the birth of the Son of God?” they will eye you suspiciously and with a tinge of embarrassment say, “Of course. That too.” It was not always this way. Older people can remember when there was real excitement. As children, we fasted from candy and made little sacrifices for the Christ Child. We saved what little we had to buy presents but also to give something to the poor or to the Church. And we were excited.
We all knew of course that Christ was born long ago, but somehow this remembrance made it seem that He was coming again to us. I recall serving Midnight Mass at the Dominican Sisters’ motherhouse and, looking up on Christmas Eve on the way to the chapel, there was a large bright star. I do not now know whether it was the planet Jupiter or Venus in the clear, cold sky. I literally jumped when I saw it. Jesus was coming to our town. Some call this the magic of Christmas. It’s not magic, of course. Magic is a trick—the appearance of something that actually is not there. Christmas is a mystery: that which is intangible, unseen, is really there. Christ is with us every day whenever we decide to turn to Him.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, increase our faith. Draw our eyes away from unimportant things and our hearts from what is shallow. Help us to feel the joy of the shepherds or the Magi. Give us a taste of the wonder of Mary and Joseph. Help us to share with those we love and all those we know the truly good news: The Lord comes. Amen.
Source: Behold, He Comes
Meditations on the Incarnation: Daily Readings from Advent to Epiphany -Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)