Fantastic Poem about our times.

Creed

We believe in Marx, Freud and Darwin.
We believe everything is OK
as long as you don't hurt anyone,
to the best of your definition of hurt,
and to the best of your definition of knowledge.

We believe in sex before during
and after marriage.
We believe in the therapy of sin.
We believe that adultery is fun.
We believe that taboos are taboo.

We believe that everything's getting better
despite evidence to the contrary.
The evidence must be investigated.
You can prove anything with evidence.

We believe there's something in horoscopes,
UFO's and bent spoons;
Jesus was a good man just like Buddha
Mohammed and ourselves.
He was a good moral teacher although we think some of his good morals were really bad.

We believe that all religions are basically the same,

at least the one that we read were.

They all believe in love and goodness.
They only differ on matters of
creation sin heaven hell God and salvation.

We believe that after death comes The Nothing
because when you ask the dead what happens
they say Nothing.
If death is not the end, if the dead have lied,
then it's compulsory heaven for all
excepting perhaps Hitler, Stalin and Genghis Khan.

We believe in Masters and Johnson.
What's selected is average.
What's average is normal.
What's normal is good.

We believe in total disarmament.
We believe there are direct links between
warfare and bloodshed.
Americans should beat their guns into tractors
and the Russians would be sure to follow.

We believe that man is essentially good.
It's only his behaviour that lets him down.
This is the fault of society.
Society is the fault of conditions.
Conditions are the fault of society.

We believe that each man must find the truth
that is right for him.
Reality will adapt accordingly.
The universe will readjust. History will alter.
We believe that there is no absolute truth
excepting the truth that there is no absolute truth.

We believe in the rejection of creeds and the flowering of individual thought.

(post script)

If chance be

the Father of all flesh,

disaster is his rainbow in the sky

and when you hear

State of Emergency!

Sniper Kills Ten!

Troops on Rampage!

Youths go Looting!

Bomb Blasts School!

It is but the sound of man

worshipping his maker.

by Steve Turner

worth it.

In China, Christians are persecuted by beatings and imprisonment. In the West, people are persecuted by the words of other Christians.

Quote from The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun

The Truth. It gently reveals itself infront of me. Perfect, blameless, loving, sacrificial, accepting, understanding, unconditional, real.

The pleasures and false promises of this world. They incessantly shout for me, they are persistent, clever, tricky, seductive, compromising and so tempting.

The closer I draw to God, the more clearly I begin to see the lies I have believed, and the promises of the world that it will never and can never keep. The worst lie of all I believed was that I could ever have real life as is is meant to be without God, without Jesus.

It is literally painful to explore and talk about the truth in this world. Talking about God and the truth of Jesus often leads to alienation, rejection, ridicule and slander. But the more willingly I open myself to those things, in search for truth...the more I am unable and unwilling to deny that Jesus is the only hope for this world. What ever suffering may come from finding the truth of our existence, the real meaning of our life, and the path to everlasting love and life...it is worth it. What's more it is worth my life itself.

Sharing the love of God, through what Jesus Christ has done. That is real. That is truth. With full clarity and soundness of mind I say it is something worth giving everything else up for.

Though I am weak, and broken, limited and a unfinished work...my hope is in Jesus...and with him I will walk with a loving God.

Soft Machines

Are we just incredibly complex, soft machines?


I am going to make a lot of simplistic arguments, in the hopes that someone may be able to offer me a reasonable answer or explanation to my questions. I am not a trained scientist, but I am friends with many of them; and for the record I would like to state that I have the utmost respect for the discipline of science. What I am much more leery of is Scientism...a new term I have learned that basically describes the efforts of some people to turn science into something metaphysical that can explain all the meaningful questions of life. Science can explain a lot, but it most definitely cannot answer everything.

So again, are we just incredibly complex, soft machines? Organic robots made by chance and nature?

If I believe in solely chance and evolution as the 'impersonal creators' of who I am. I wonder how it is I came to think of and question my 'impersonal creators.'

One day we could make computers and robots copy cat and mimic human behavior so realistically, that some may actually choose to live with a robot rather than a real human. But the fact remains that you can't program a robot to actually care, or have a preference.

Chance and Evolution can only really be described using adjectives like automatic, mechanical, impersonal, amoral, unthinking and impartial. So the question I ask myself is how come none of those adjectives can be used to adequately describe me, my wife, my family or my friends.

It almost seems ridiculous to me sometimes, that I need to build a case that confirms that humans are more then just flesh and complex organisms. We ponder our existence. We have anxiety about one day going from being (existence) to nonbeing (physical death/non-existence).

We are capable of such wonderful, majestic, beautiful things that go beyond mere nature...and like all abilities we see the flip side when these gifts from God are twisted and perverted.

The God of the Bible shows us the reality of who we are. Beings of God given immense inherent value, who are in a fallen state because of our rebellion against God.

If you choose to get rid of God, you dehumanize humanity, and turn us simply into complex, soft, organic machines. Whatever aspirations, hopes and dreams we have...just a chemical construct from our gods chance and nature.

Random things.

"When God puts a broken life back together, He removes the scars because He builds from the inside out. And when God steadies a faltering life, he puts you on His footing."

"Whether we like to admit it or not, many religions of the world are concocted to hold fear and control over people."

"The human psyche is vulnerable because of its built-in fear or failure, and becomes easy prey."

Quotes from Walking from East to West by Ravi Zacharias

"God alone knows how to humble us without humiliating us, and how to lift us up without flattering us." -E.M. Blaiklock

The tragedy of disbelieving in God is not that a man ends up believing in nothing. Alas, it is much worse, that person may end up believing in anything. -G.K. Chesterton

The more I look into Jesus Christ, and what he came to accomplish...the more amazed I am at how he stands up to the test of truth and reason. Everything he did or said, when understood properly demonstrates how he is really the truth, and the only real hope of the world.

Fear of death may have made me look in the direction of God...but it is the desire for real Life and Life forevermore that has kept me close to Jesus.

Still convinced.

When I was in elementary, I felt overwhelmed with the massive amount of information on both sides of the argument for whether God existed or not.

When I was in Jr. High, I felt overwhelmed with the massive amount of information on different religions.

Now in adulthood, I am overwhelmed by the suppression of truth that made the search for God and the real Savior so difficult in my early years of life and onward.

I am torn as to whether to keep writing or not. There is already so much information out there.
There exist, for the honest skeptic and the open minded cynic an overwhelming abundance of information to build a solid case for the existence of God and the life of Jesus.

I am ever more convinced that the problem is not with the availiabilty of information about the truth.

We are actively being decieved. Lied to. Tricked. By the world, by the devil, and many of those in positions of power and influence.

We ourselves are waging a war inadvertently against ourselves, and the only real possibility for freedom from our inadequacies and death itself. We resist change, we mock the sacred, we underestimate our depravity and overstate our goodness. We foolishly resist and blame God for our own choices.

I always thought the truth when revealed would be so beautiful and perfect that no person could resist its inherent value and priceless worth.

I find the truth is more beautiful and perfect than I ever could have imagined, but it seems so distant to so many. But I should remember, even to myself, when I fall back into old habits Gods presence often feels so distant.

But this is the miracle I am finding out. The mircale is that unlike the emotional high of movies, relationships, adventures, travels, food, parties, and all the possible pleasures of life... the Truth from God works and is ever powerful and real no matter the clarity of day or shade of night. It always holds, always fulfills, always does. God really is the one and only constant unchanging force in existence.

If I actually thought it would work, I would be even MORE fanatic. If I really thought it was God wanted I would be even MORE obnoxious and forceful. But that isn't the way the real God works. He never works by coercion, because coercion is not how love works, and the real God is love.

So I'm left with something even more powerful...but more against my human nature.

I'm left with the instructions to love, pray for, and turn both cheeks again and again to those who God loves. That means everyone.

Loving everyone.... I think that's harder then blowing up a plane, or promoting hatred against gays, or being a crazy relegious fanatic.

Good thing God is real and makes all things possible, no matter how broken we start off.

The Enormous Debt, the unlimited Credit.

We live in a world of debits and credits.


We live in a world of transactions.


We all want something. And we love those who will help us get it, but hate those who get in the way. There are so many examples of this insatiable selfishness in humanity, a selfishness that sacrifices friends and family and everything else regardless of the cost. When we turn our backs on God, we chase and fight ferociously to find a replacement for him... another source of meaning, value or worth. It might be a lover, a job, wealth, fame, possessions, adventure, experience, travel, service, volunteering...virtually anything can become an 'idol.'

Think of the son who would reject his family, for the women they know will ruin him.
Think of the addict who would betray and throw away the trust of his friends for another high.
Think of the girl who will throw away her health and life for the desire to 'look' better.
Think of the mother who will shamelessly guilt and manipulate her children for fear of being alone.
Think of the husband who shames himself with prostitutes and pornography to fill a loneliness that no human let alone wife could fulfill.
Think of the man who leaves his companion of 40 years to chase after the illusion of vitality and happiness in a younger women.

Think of the professional who sacrifices the role of parent, to build a bigger trust fund.

These are real scenarios. Happening now. And I believe all a result of people rejecting God, and trying to find another way in life where there is no other way to real life. No human, no treasure, no achievement that his world offers, has any possibility of unconditional love, forgiveness, worth, value or meaning. God alone through Jesus Christ provides these things.

To freely give and receive love, we need God. He alone can manage the insurmountable debt, and give unlimited credit. Only he can free us of the expectations and fears we place on each other whenever we try to love, or are offered love.

Remember, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life...that means you receive all the love you ever need from him and you are free to give all the love you can through him.

My point of points.

I often argue and discuss between the idea of a belief in God versus a belief in no god.

To me this is an important starting point that acts as a catalyst for many skeptics and intellectuals who would otherwise consider the idea of 'researching' or seriously looking into the question of God as merely an exercise in 'mysticism' or the end of reason.

When I first started this blog I stated very clearly my intentions, so as not to allow people to claim that I am decietful. And I am quite happy to lay it all out in the open again.

My mind, logic and intellect find the idea of the existence of God a most reasonable proposition.
My heart confirms what my mind is saying, or the other way around, hard to tell sometimes.

Either way, I think the truth speaks for itself, and I think the objective truth from God is seen most clearly and beautifully in the life and death and life again of Jesus.

He is the answer and evidence that makes everything else I write and think merely mindless babble. All things are confirmed in him and point to him.

But you can't take my word for it, you alone have to weigh the evidence, consider your heart, and open you heart and mind to him (he wants both), to discover the reality of this life, your death and the afterlife.

Emotional Up, Depressing down...but better.

Recently at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada won the gold medal match against the US in mens hockey. It was described by many as an intense, emotional experience. There was a tangible energy in the air, no one could remember the streets of Vancouver being so alive and energized. After two weeks of Olympics craze everyone felt rewarded and justified for their fervor with an epic finally.

Two days later the same streets were filled with a completey different feel. ...there was a tangible sense of loss. No one had to point out that something had come and gone. It felt empty, unbearably quiet, lonely and honestly depressing.

I am being completely honest when I say walking with God can leave you feeling exactly the same way sometimes...

But this happened forst.

I don't know of any adjectives that can quite describe it properly, but last 5 months I have been experiencing a completely invigorating and life infusing time with God. There have been so many beautiful hours of reading, praying, talking, walking, sitting, breathing and living with him. It kind of reminds me of being in love in Jr. High. and the other person is showing interest...minus all the ridiculous stupid parts! The best picture I can think of off the top of my head, is that there was a quiet but steady glow around my heart, nourishing it constantly.

Right now, I feel like 2 days after the mens hockey game. I'm walking the once overflowing streets, with nothing really bad happening in my life, but definitely feeling like something is missing.

But even with my sense of loss, I know something beautiful is happening. Even though I don't really feel it quite yet, I'm becoming less like who I don't want to be, and more like who I was created to be.

I'm genuinely changing.

God is putting me down back from his embrace, so I can see for myself what he has done. He has quietly and carefully stopped rowing the boat we've been navigating together in rough waters, and given me the ability to start doing what he's been showing me. I'm getting to experience for myself, that what he says is the truth and really does work in real life.

Compared to talking about truth, living it out sure is a lot harder.

As we are disappointed by things throughout life, I think that this is what we learn:
Trusting someone is harder.
Relying on someone is harder.
Forgiving someone is harder.
Letting go of insult is harder.

I think anyone with a candid heart will admit that life is hard. It is difficult and often brutal. If you don't feel this way, chances are you might live in the 'westernized' bubble like me. Are you in the middle of the latest distraction? Do you really know what you are missing out on? Do you still hope and dream for things out of your reach?

What is increasingly amazing to me, is how much less we humans are willing to settle for. We are offered eternity in heaven, but are some how actually okay with living a temporary life with some pleasure, lots of pain, more distractions and a very final ending. I watched another man breathe his last breath this week, surrounded by family...and I am reminded again how woefully prepared so many of us are to answer the most basic questions of life and death. Death. Death.

Life and Death.

Sorry, I went off on another rabbit trail.

I was talking about life being hard for those who see it as it really is. It is hard. For example, we love people, and then they die. Come on, anyway you look at it, it's hard. Almost everything we love in this world, we will lose one day. It's hard when you really think about it.

But here is what I want to say.

God is the answer.

GOD is the ANSWER.

God, has proven himself to me again, in this lonely walk I am in right now, that he is and has the answers I am looking for. In him, I find comfort, meaning, purpose, identity, understanding, value, hope, reason, unity, coherence... and most of all love.

My eyes are starting to be opened to the things Jesus/God/Spirit said,

19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a]
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always,
to the very end of the age." Matthew 28

2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Roman 12

The more I look into it, the more I realized it is true. It is real. It can be tested and found more then sufficient.

I'm convinced.

I want to convince everyone...but I don't have to do it. I want everyone to like me and love me, but I don't need them to. I want everyone to get it... but I can leave it in Gods hands. I have everything I need, for this life and the next. I can free myself from other peoples expectations, and free other people from my expectations. I can freely give and recieve love. All this God has given me the ability and strength to do. And it's all mine, and can be all yours, as long as we want it.

8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in
despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4

So God, this is my ending thought.

We humans are weak and very broken, less than a shadow compared to the glory that we are meant to be, and that only you God, can show us.

No conditions

I live with the belief that God loves all of us equally.
I live with the belief that we all need God equally.


Here's one reason why.


I'm reading this book called the Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. I am truly impressed with how his total honesty with himself and the deepest thoughts of his heart, have allowed him to highlight things about the human condition that we all suffer from. That we all have in common.


One such thing...the need to please. I think we all develop our identity in some form, based on the human need to please. Please our parents, teachers, friends, co-workers, fans, children, wife, husband, lovers...every relationship that exist functions in some way or another to tell us who we are, and what we are worth. We all want to feel good about ourselves, so we want to please people we are in relationship to; so they can affirm that we are worth something.


This isn't really a bad thing in itself; it's needed to help us learn what hurts and helps other people. It helps us know how to act in society. It allows us to learn how to get along with others, and it helps us to figure out who we are. But for all the good things it offers, I think there is also a dark side. No, I am not suggesting we stop caring what people think, or trying to please them (I am not looking for an excuse to be mean to my wife)! What I think we need to consider is what happens to us when we can't please everyone. Further more what happens when we try our best, and still those closest to us are not pleased...when we fail despite our best efforts to find our sense of worth in those whom we seek it from.


This human nature of wanting to please people, and basing our identities on how pleased people are about us and what we do, would not be nearly so bad if humans weren't so careless, hurtful and flawed. The fact of the matter is, there are many children and adults in this world who have been mistreated and lied to from those who they were suppose to learn their identity from. For many of us out there, the people we have been trying to please, have failed us.


Recently I have come across a lot of stories from people about how their parents, family or close friends told them things that have traumatized and hurt them for years. There were things as innocent as family members saying 'if you don't get at least 75% on the exam, I'll be upset" to things as tragic as "it was your fault that he did that to you, you should have stopped him."


What I want you to recognize, is that even if it was not intended, the message in both examples and every message like it in between is this "you are worth it if, you are good if, you are (fill in the blank)...IF..."

Our identity, our worth is conditional on a enormous list of ifs...


Resentment is the better fruit of the need to please.


We all need and want to please...but when we get it we are anxious about losing it, when we don't get it we struggle to find it, when we try for it but still don't get it we are angry and resentful. This is the dilemma: pleasing people can be a good thing, but people make mistakes and fail us, which makes needing to please people a damaging thing.


If a child is told their whole life by everyone they know that they are worthless...from what I understand the world offers three solutions.


1) Stop caring what people think (loss of identity, sociopathic)
2) Only care what certain people think (living with walls and trust issues)
3) Only care what I think (based on abilities, things, 'what I have'...also will fail and change)


I know there are more complex arguments and therapies and techniques that could be employed...but I am simplifying to make an argument.


I think the only real solution to this situation -for the above mentioned child especially, and for all of us ultimately-is to find a source of unconditional love. A love with no 'ifs', that will change the amount that you are loved. Unconditional love says learn who you are, you are free to make choices and you will be loved no matter what. Unconditional love does not mean nothing hurts, or can damage the relationship, or that is has no desire for you to make the right choices, but it does say you are always wanted, and you can always come home. It is the message of the Prodigal Son.


I think the closest thing to this in this world is the mothers love for her child...but I have one of the best mom's in the world and I can honestly tell you that there are conditions on even her love. There is only one place we can get it, and some of us don't really believe in it, because we have never seen or experienced it.


Message of the world simplified:
I love you if...


Message of God simplified: I love you.


No man is an island. Remember that saying? It is true. To be human, is to be in relationship. We all need it, or we lose the ability to be human.

We think we need to earn forgiveness...
We think we need to perform/work for repentance...
Because the world tells us we have to earn everything...
We don't believe anyone would offer unconditional love...
We don't believe God would offer unconditional love...I think thats why the religions of the world are so enthralled with rituals and sacrifices...the lie that salvation, worth, meaning and purpose requires work and earning has been believed. So the cycle of trying and failing continues...


Trying to be who we think God wants us to be (instead of believing him when he says who we are), we fail, we become resentful, we give up, or some other form of coping.


But there is a reason to believe in unconditional love.


I need to stop writing right now. I write as a way of talking to God, of seeing my own thoughts. And I'm struggling and frustrated right now, because what I'm trying to say doesn't seem to make sense as I type it. But it is making sense in my mind and heart. So I'm going to stop and come back again later -when I'm writing based on my identity in God...and not to please anyone else to figure out who I am.


Because I already know who I am.

Change, change, change...

I wouldn't really want to change either.

With everything we know about cigarettes people still choose to smoke.

With everything we know about heart disease and obesity we still gorge on junk food.

With all the deaths and injuries of drunk driving we still have to arrest people for DUI.

So how many people really care to listen to me, and my suggestion that as a whole we humans are getting it all wrong!

Come on people, you have to admit, there is something in humanity that is fundamentally flawed and just plain stupid. Nietzsche's supermen are not coming. We might colonize the moon but someone is going to start snorting moon dust and foul up that planet too. Our technology and understanding of the universe is growing exponentially, but we still enslave, rape, murder and are helpless against our own greed, addictions, inadequacies and selfish ambition. Check out what this video if you're still not convinced.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/billy_graham_on_technology_faith_and_suffering.html

So here's my point at last: When things are going okay or good, even a little bit bad, few people are willing to really change and accept the potential that the way they are living is all wrong and needs major repair.

But when you hit bottom or see it creeping up on you, when despair is your most familiar friend... look to God. Look to Jesus. Accept that you are both flawed but inherently wonderful. Accept that you are both animal and spirit. And discover how to really live.

*disclaimer*

Do not judge a belief system based on those who abuse it. I said look to God, look to Jesus. Not religion, some TV evangelist, or some of the crazy christians who might mean well but are still figuring it out. If I am one of those to you (crazy christian)...umm...yeah... can't think of anything clever to say :) Don't allow me to let God look bad.

More ammo for the unreasonable skeptic.

Skepticism puts most of its energies into avoiding error, and very little effort into finding truth.

-James Beilby Beilby and David K. Clark

Atheism.

To me, it is the religion of becoming our very own gods.

Traditionally, God (even if you don't believe in him yet) provided a source of authority, morality, ultimate justice, accountability and a plethora of other vital functions that enable humans to live meaningful, healthy, happy lives.

I know the argument of the other side, I know that there are many happy people who live meaningful lives apart from God. What I doubt however, is that the people who prescribe to atheism have really faced the full conclusions of their belief system. Specifically, I have never found a satisfying answer within the belief of atheism for ultimate meaning, purpose, or value. Atheism can masquerade as logical and reasonable up until the point where I start looking for the greater purpose of life... meaning beyond just the temporary.

Now, many people who prescribe to atheism as a world view, appear to be very well balanced, healthy, rational, responsible human beings. But what I don't think is recognized or honestly brought to the table, is that all of us human beings, are broken in some ways. We are always looking, searching and struggling to find something, which seems elusive and most of the time unnameable. In the quiet of the night, in the moments in between the incessant distractions and entertainment, after the last song of the dance is played, in between lovers, we begin to sense....we are aware of a void within.

If you have never felt this... I wonder what is different between you and I, and you and virtually all the poets, song writers, musicians, actors and artist of the past and present.

This unnameable void, this hunger without a source, this hole in our soul... I am convinced is the search for unconditional love.

And trust me when I say, there is only one possible source where we can find it.

No job, no charity, no reward, no treasure, no accolades, no reputation can offer unconditional worth let alone unconditional love.

No man, no woman, no child can offer unconditional love...because mortality is a condition.

So we toil and toil, we are in an endless cycle of happiness and despair, because we were made for the eternal, but everything we fight for is for the fleeting moment. We become our god, we are the foolish masters of ourselves, we create idols to worship, we ignore the conclusions of our choice... we turn our backs on the everlasting source of love and trade it for the unobtainable sands of time.

I have seen both sides of the coin, I understand the appeal of atheism...being my own god.

Believe me or not, atheism is the made up belief...not the realization of a God offering unconditional love.

Henri J. M. Nouwen reminds us who we really are and where our true home really is, in his book The Return of the Prodigal Son.

Home is the center of my being where I can hear the voice that says: "You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests"-the same voice that gave life to the first Adam and spoke to Jesus, the second Adam; the same voice that speaks to all children of God and sets them free to live in the midst of a dark world while remaining in the light. I have heard that voice. It has spoken to me in the past and continues to speak to me now. It is the never-interrupted voice of love speaking from eternity and giving life and love whenever it is heard. When I hear that voice, I know that I am home with God and have nothing to fear. As the Beloved of my heavenly Father, "I can walk in the valley of darkness: no evil would I fear." As the Beloved, I can confront, console, admonish, and encourage without fear of rejection or need for affirmation. As the Beloved, I can be tortured and killed without ever having to doubt that the love that is given to me is stronger than death. As the Beloved, I am free to live and give life, free also to die while giving life."

That is a glimpse of reality, that is the eternal story of our hearts. That is the seemingly unbelievable but definitely real purpose for you. God made you, knows you, loves you. That is the story of humanity. Anything outside of that ends in a nightmare of our own making.

Another interesting conversation about atheism.

I had another interesting talk with a doctor at work about the idea for God's existence.

One thing that I was impressed with, was his willingness to concede that without a higher power, God, force that transcended humanity, there was no ultimate purpose or meaning. He saw how there was no objective right or wrong, good or evil... and he was willing to live with that.

The questions that I never got to finish asking him, was why then would he; grieve if his mother died, shout for joy when his child was born, sigh with relief when he saved a patient, beam with pride when his son scored a goal, feel depressed and lonely when no one was around?

If he agreed that life without God was probably ultimately meaningless, then why did he continue to live day to day as if life had meaning? Was he just willingly delusional?

I imagine it's more likely because no matter what we believe, we all seek happiness and pleasure in life. And that is a meaningful thought. We all live as if meaning were meaningful!

And that, with or without realizing it, becomes living life with the belief system that life is all about the pursuit of pleasure and happiness.

So lets talk about the belief system that life is all about the pursuit of pleasure and happiness. Sounds pleasant enough, but there are many hidden dangers with this philosophy.

• First of all, it requires an insurmountable number of qualifiers, to allow society to function with any order. The search for pleasure and happiness must be policed, because it is inevitable that someone will find rape a joy, murder fun, genocide beneficial. (Humans are ultimately self glorified animals in this belief system).
• All things are allowed for pleasure, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else...can you imagine what that would look like? this may seem extreme, but pornographic imagines of the youngest in society becoming mainstream? Some would argue we are already close to that with our worship of youthfulness and the ever decreasing age of models in media.
• If someone decides that the best thing in life is suicide, there is no reason to stop that person except to enforce a different value system onto them
• The sacred is lost. Sex, marriage, life itself becomes objects of pleasure. Their value to be determined by the individual or the powerful in society.
• Everything becomes subjective...what we see as abhorrent now later may become celebrated.
• We become our own gods, we determine right and wrong, good and evil.
• This list could go on and on...

Another comment he made, was that he felt all these ideas of God were made up by the human mind through some process in evolution. To me that is like saying the video game character realized that he was actually being controlled by a teenager.

We take for granted our incredible faculties, abilities and insights. We assume so much, and practice insurmountable arrogance when we think that we have overcome the limitations of our own DNA and genetics. We too easily convince ourselves that we can on our own see outside the reality that evolution/nature made for us and somehow seen outside of the very construct we are within. The reason that pride is even possible is because we have lowered ourselves from beloved children of God, to merely complex animals. By killing God in our minds... we elevate ourselves to something we are hopeless to handle (becoming our own god), and we simultaneously lower ourselves to something far inferior to what we are meant to be (beloved of God).

It is not nature/evolution that has created meaning and the idea of eternity, it is God who has written it on our hearts. It is God who created that need within us. Is it anything but absurd to think that nature would create a hunger in us for something that does not exist?

Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

How to Alienate and Lose friends

How to Alienate and Lose friends- An orignal facebook post, but worth repeating it seems :) Still some folks of different strokes wanting to crucify me!

1) Talk about God... when they don't want to.
2) Make them feel like you have a hidden agenda.
3) Make them feel like you are ramming something down their throat.
4) Make them feel forced, manipulated, coerced.
5) Make them feel like you don't like them if they don't agree.
6) Say something at the wrong time, in the wrong place.
7) Not act like Jesus.


So interesting fact about point 7). Jesus did actually piss off and alienate some people, in fact people crucified him for that reason! But the difference between him and me is that he was actually perfect. Literally every second of his life was lived purely out of love.

I on the other hand am definitely not perfect. I make mistakes all the time. I am a sinner. So I am asking for forgiveness to anyone who I ever acted towards out of anything other than love. I am sorry.

So, this is the thing. There is one thing more important to me then you all. It's God and what he did for me through Jesus. So all this is going to continue to be the biggest and best part of my life right on past death. So if I ever act out of anything other then love, please let me know and I will stop. But if you think I am acting out of love for you... your choice is to cut me out or let me in. Christ never loved by force, and never will I.

With gratitude to be able to share life with you,

-Nathan

Response to Anonymous.

Wow, I feel like there is A LOT to clarify! This is an anonymous comment from my entry "Kant, Kierkegard, Hume and Diderot." Feb, 2010. The original comments is cut and pasted, highlighted in green. My response remains in white.

Again, I am amazed at the limitations of human communication! There are many legitimate thoughts and questions in the following comment, and also a few (in my humble opinion) critical and unfair judgments. But most of all, there is giant helping of misunderstanding.

Anonymous said...

You dramatically state, "Kant, Kierkegard, Hume and Diderot." Intellectuals, more brilliant minds than myself. All these men attempted to find a basis for ethics and morality apart from God. They have not succeeded." You're right about one thing. They were smart, you are not.

After reviewing alternative sources, I continue to stand by my comment. I will clarify that I do not think those great thinkers were wrong about everything, I simply do not agree with them specifically regarding the idea that you can have real authority in ethics and morality apart from God. Sure anyone can make up a list of rules, but having the AUTHORITY to make those rules for EVERYONE is a very different matter. Did the above mentioned great thinkers think there could be a 'basis for ethics and morality apart from God.'? That is the only question I was commenting on. And I find the answer to be 'YES' for all four, to which I still say 'NO.'

Kant, Hume and Kierkegard were all philosophers that integrated religion into their work, especially vis a vis Christianity and ethics/morality. Anyone who read their work would know that. You obviously haven't. Which means that you spoke on their behalf without actually reading what they said.

I recognize that some of them had 'Christian' backgrounds and even believed in God! But that does not mean I agree with them on everything! And again, I am only arguing a specific belief that the four men held in common. For those interested in more of the specific philosophical argument, a link is provided below about a man named Alasdair MacIntyre, who on this specific topic I find a much more compelling argument for this discussion. http://www.answers.com/topic/alasdair-macintyre

That makes you dishonest. It also means that you don't know what you are talking about. But it seems that doesn't bother you. Because you have "faith". However, if your highly problematic statements (that you make without any training, background, or humility) are any indication of your general thinking practices I doubt you even know what "faith" means.

Even those with the greatest intelligence and IQ, are not always correct. The Truth, if you believe in it, can be known by both the the simple and great of mind. Absolute Truth, does not require credentials to be discovered. The smallest child can understand the true nature of love arguably better than the most intelligent despot. Philosophy, science, mathematics...all academic fields are useful and beneficial to a degree, but not all are necessary or even capable of answering the most basic questions of life or the heart.
And the worst part about this whole mess is that you don't even feel guilty about it!

Not that you have reason to believe me, but I don't feel guilty because I did nothing out of malice. Making a mistake or being wrong about something is not in itself evil. It is human. We are all constantly in a process of learning. I am genuinely seeking the truth. And the entire point of sharing my thoughts and feelings is so that people like you can agree or disagree (constructively) and help me understand life better or more completely. I am willing to ask any question, and uncover any doubt or consider any comment. It is actually hard to be completely honest (which I think I have been) because that means when people make judgments and accusations against me, it hits very close to home.
And then you talk about holocaust survivors and Nazism?!

I think it is a fair analogy pertinent to the discussion.

You enlist Jews for your evangelical and Christian purposes?

I am after the truth. I believe in God, and what he did through Jesus. Does that exclude me from the possibility of acting out of goodwill for humankind? Is everything I say or do with some hidden nefarious agenda?
I'm Jewish so I find that somewhat hilariously ironic!

Out of curiosity, are you Jewish in the cultural sense? or the religious? both? Is it reasonable for me to conclude that because you identify as being a Jew that everything you say is to enlist your Hasidic and Jewish purpose? (sounds silly doesn't it?) Got ya! :)

Believe me Mr or Mrs Anonymous, I know that I am asking questions and talking about emotionally charged topics. But I really believe they are important topics to discuss. I believe that in order to discern the truth from the lies, we need to both feel safe, respected and valued. I know I am wrong sometimes, and I consider it a gift when people help me to see where I am wrong. If you truly desire the truth, please give me the same understanding and grace that you would want in return if someone was showing you the error of your ways.

The truth is lost when surrounded by accusations, judgments and insults. To have real discussion, we must be willing to admit our own limitations and set aside our pride. We must believe that the other person, no matter how different their beliefs, is of same worth and goodwill as ourselves.

You don't know what you are talking about. But you don't care. You never did. That's because your form of belief is cheap. But I can tell from your writing: you already knew that anyway.
Grow up.

For your knowledge...from Can Man Live Without God? by Ravi Zacharias. Hand typed out of goodwill and in pursuit of truth :)

It is not difficult to see why this so-called Enlightenment experiment in ethics failed. It failed because one by one the basic presupposition of its propagators was uncovered. And that presupposition was this: In every instance, the purpose of life was presupposed before there was a postulation of ethics, and a purpose of life apart from God makes the ethical battleground a free-for-all. Time and again it was proven that it is not possible to establish a reasonable and coherent ethical theory without first establishing the telos, i.e. the purpose and destiny of human life. Even Kant concluded that without telos it all got wrongheaded. If life itself is purposeless, ethics falls into disarray. As Dostoevski said, if God is dead, everything is justifiable.

God Bless you. I pray that the truth be revealed to all of us who seek it. I mean it.