I’ve been diving into this atheism vs. theism debate again as of late. This time I’ve had some real personal success. It bears mentioning that you hardly ever enter into this debate and change another person’s mind. That doesn’t happen over night. And this definitely was not the case in my endeavors.
But you know, it’s really pushed me into further introspection and study of the world, the way it works, and my Almighty God.
One thing really struck me, though. There are people out there who have the pure audacity to say, “There is no God.”
This baffles me… and not because I can’t see it any other way. I’m very familiar with the atheistic worldview. I have several friends who have taken that route, and I’ve debated with them these issues time and time again. I’ve entered the mindset and tried to see the logic.
There is some. Sure there is. As a matter of fact, that’s all atheism is – a pure reliance on logic, and logic alone. If it is not logical, then it is not possible. It is delusional. (that’s the viewpoint)
But there are problems here. Logic is ever evolving. Logic in and of itself really has to precede human perception, because as humans observe the universe and it’s laws, it is only when we discover the cause of what we do not understand that we can claim it is a logical development.
In other words, discovery brings understanding to what was before a mystery (no kidding, right?). Discovery allows our logic to expand.
But the question is, will it ever end? Do we truly think we are ever going to fully grasp or understand the erratic behavior of so many subatomic particles? Is there any way to know how some can “bleed” from one dimension into the next, or go from point A to point B without traveling the distance in between?
This is all micro-level stuff. What about macro-level? Our universe is currently expanding, and at a blinding speed.
Question: expanding into what? What “space” or other dimensional construct exists that can contain such an expansion? From a scientific viewpoint, there are theories.
But there will always and forever be theories. Postulations, efforts to understand what is currently a mystery. There is a wall out there, the likes of which we cannot scale. Whether that wall is our current state of rationale and research, or whether it is literally the outer wall of a cosmic container in the hands of God – that is the question modern science has to ask.
We are free to draw our own conclusions. Atheists will say the former, and theists most likely the latter.
The audacity comes when an individual who knows naught of what lies beyond (as none of us do) claims, “there is no God.” That is folly – stating as fact what can only now be called a theory.
This is when I ask, “Really?”
We, the theists? If we have truly reviewed the evidence, we can honestly say that our review has led us to a belief in God. We believe that before everything, outside and inside of everything, and after everything-
Is God.
Is this such a bad thing?
http://www.cosmicfingerprints.com/ifyoucanreadthis.htm
Grace and Peace. -jc
2 responses so far ↓
jeff // June 30, 2009 at 10:27 pm |
when we ask the question what is the universe expanding into, by nature of the question we are asking from our limited knowledge of what time and space is. we don’t have the skills to even theorize on the possibilities. people will still throw their theories out there, so i guess there is some validity in trying to eradicate wonder. Had an Astronomy professor back in the day that had some real winner theories. he claimed to know exactly what happened with the big bang all the way up til 1/1000 of a second after it commenced. Also said that 1% of the static on a TV set was particles left over from the Big Bang. He was smart enough to believe himself 99.99% and naive enough to let a couple of us boys get him wrapped up in the .01 % he wasnt quite sure about. Well, it was cool hanging out at the telescope on cold winter nights. sorry to respond to the eloquent with the primitive.
Matt Maulding // August 31, 2009 at 7:36 pm |
I understand and know the frustration you are expressing in your latest blog. I do not understand how someone could say “There is NO God”. I grew up as you did and have had many friends that have had this perspective. I think the biggest success I have had on impacting someone’s perspective is not by debating beliefs or theories but by simply telling them why I believe. My late father’s path to God is one of the stories I use to convey the impact that God has had on my life. The way he came to know God and the timing in which he did so is simply amazing. The exact details of what and how he believed are not important. I think he had always believed in a god but just didn’t see why a personal relationship was important. As you know I was always worried about my Dad and his faith and prayed for him daily. I have to admit that after praying for him for the majority of my teenage years (and young life) I started to get frustrated with God and his action or lack thereof in this matter, but two months before his death while I was starting my first semester at college my Dad accepted christ. I didn’t learn that this had happened until a few years later. This short story shows a more intimate side of my life and the impact God has had on it. On another note its been a while since I have talked to you and hope to hear from you soon!