Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Friday, December 25, 2009
God Became Man
Christianity has the most wonderful faith in the world. No other faith teaches that, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). No other faith has dared to presume such a thing. Yet, this is not a presumption of Christianity, but rather God revealed His true power in His love for us. It is not by Man's will, but His heavenly will. He does not shrink back from us because of our sins, but rather He has overcome our sins! Because of this, we do not have to shrink back from Him. Rather, He has made Himself "Love" for us. Worship is no longer a burden, but becomes an opportunity for adoration. We get to be in the relationship of (adoring) love with God! When loved by God, we are strengthened to be witnesses for Christ and live the Christian virtues. We become an opportunity of faith, hope and love for others. We have an opportunity to be the person we want to be; to become saints. Not destined to be ok, or to slide through heavens gate just in time. No. With the help and love of God, we are destined for greatness! Thank God He took the time to think of us in kindness! Thank God the "Word became flesh"! (John 1:14)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
God Is Not As Subjective As We Think
“The world is changing.” “Everything changes.” “Nothing ever stays the same.” These are all things that are said to prove how the world and truth are subjective (perpetually changing) and therefore all aspects in life are always changing, including morals. It is followed up by, “what you believe is what you believe and what I believe is what I believe and it really does not matter. Ultimately, we all believe in the same god.” There seems to be a separation between faith and reality. “You can believe what you want and I can believe what I want.” But when we look at reality (aka: truth be it a truth in physical sciences or religious science), a scientist does not ask you to believe that water freezes at 32 degrees.
You have a free will and can believe whatever you want in this matter. If you choose to believe that water freezes at 50 degrees, that is your business, but that does not mean you are right, or that you are sane for that matter. For the person who believes that water freezes at 50 degrees, when they act on that belief, they may be disappointed. They cannot obtain the benefits of ice (ie: a cold drink). In order to obtain that cold drink, we must obey the consistent laws of nature and freeze the water at the proper temperature. This first hint here is that the world is not changing as much as we think it is. The advancement in technology we have seen in recent years is based on science and research. Without the unchanging principals of science, we could not learn anything. There would be no advancement at all. The world would be unstable, not just politically, but the law of gravity would not be consistent. It would be chaos. So the world really is objective (concrete, stable, and predictable). It is easy to admit these things are stable and unchanging because we see them and can even measure them.
The confusion comes when we do not see things; we tend to think they are changing. However, if we cannot see it, does that necessarily mean that it is changing? When a scientist first studies a matter at hand, there is some confusion. He may not see in his mind what everything is all about in the matter. Some things may even seem to change. But once some discoveries are found, the principles can be applied and the reality of the matter at hand can be fully explained. Even the exceptions are explained so that the exceptions are consistent. An example of this would be antifreeze. Water freezes at 32 degrees. But when antifreeze is put in, the temperature in which it freezes changes. In fact, those changes are consistent. If you mix the same amount of antifreeze which have the same ingredients every time with the same amount of water; that total mixture will freeze at about the same temperature every time. So even in the exceptions, there is consistency.
So the principles of Science are unchanging, but there is a simple reason that just because you cannot see it does not mean that it changes. If I were to stick a sign on your back that read, “Kick Me”, and you did not realize it and could not feel it: does that mean that it does not exist? You bet it exists because you will feel its effects! Consistently! So it is with the spiritual life. If I do not pray, I cannot get to know God. This is simply a principle in the nature of relationships. If I do not communicate with a person, it will be hard to maintain a relationship with that person. Imagine a marriage where the spouses do not communicate at all. Obviously, the marriage would not last long. Relationships require communication. Prayer is communication with God. It follows then that in order to build a relationship with God, we must pray. This is one objective truth about relationships, faith and religion.
In Christianity, we are confronted with this person Jesus. We know he really existed. People of other faiths (Documents of pagan Rome and Josephus, a Jewish historian for examples) wrote about Him and we can go to the places He was born, lived, died and buried. He is a person in history that has an objective reality. What do I mean by that? When it comes to people, they either exist or not. If a person were to come up to me and say that they did not believe that you exist, I would be obliged to say they were wrong. Your existence is not dependent on whether or not somebody else acknowledges your existence. You simply existed, exist and continue to exist without billions of people knowing you. It is the same with Jesus. He existed whether we realize or accept that truth or not.
This Jesus also claimed to be divine in nature; God. The Gospel of John’s main focus in writing his letter is to prove Jesus’ divinity. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1) Jesus is the Word, with a capitol ‘W’ signifying a name. He is God “from the beginning”, reminding us of creation. Jesus was there at creation. Jesus has power to forgive sins in Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:10 and Luke 7:48-50. He even went so far as to say, “Amen Amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, ‘I AM’”, and used the name God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Book of Exodus in Chapter 3:14. (Jn 8:58) The list could go on and on in the documents of scripture, other documents and is even expressed in the traditions of the Church. So Jesus is really God, or He is crazy!
Some people claim that it was in retrospect that “The Church” has inserted in the faith that Jesus is God. They may say that Jesus was just a man and that the Church high jacked the faith to control other people and the world. It is a claim of the Far East that the Church is a hoax because the apostles did not die out of Love for Jesus, but because they got a reward of some sort and that is why they were willing to die. So the question is, why would the leaders of the Church voluntarily suffer martyrdom for the name of Jesus? So they could go down in history? What guarantee is there of that? How many sects of Judaism passed before them and are not known today? Furthermore: if they supposedly knew that Jesus was not the One, then Jesus could not fulfill the promise, and there would not have been a reward in the afterlife. In fact, the apostles would have not expected it. However, they did expect the promise to be fulfilled. They believed. They gave their life for Jesus.
Do you still not believe? Let us apply this to real life. Let us put ourselves in the shoes of the Apostles. You have a dilemma; you can denounce this Jesus Christ, your preaching and a couple letters, or be crucified. Another scenario, you could deny Jesus, take back the words you said about Him and renounce the two books and three letters you wrote, or be deep fried in a cauldron alive. What do you choose? If Jesus is not God, it is a no brainer. Even if He is God, it is not such an easy decision. Better hope you are right. How would you know for sure you can take the risk of going through a very painful death?
OK, maybe Jesus and the Apostles were insane. But how can we explain the saints? People like Mother Teresa, Padre Pio, Maximillian Kolbe, Cecilia, Francis of Assisi and the like. They lived Holy lives and claimed to live them for Jesus alone. They came from all walks of life. Many kings and queens gave up castles and homes to care for the poor. Some chose to live a life of extreme poverty. Some were peasants by birth. One minute a person complains that religious people are just some oppressive rich people, and then claim that they are just a bunch of ignorant people who couldn’t tie their own shoes. The saints were ordinary people who loved in an extraordinary way.
The evidence that Jesus is God is piling up. Some people want conclusive evidence or proven fact derived out of Science. But the subject is not something science is competent to handle. Nonetheless, there is evidence that leads to certitude. In the court of law, we can put criminals in jail for evidence presented “beyond a reasonable doubt”. If that is good enough to put a person in jail, then it should be enough to be reasonably certain God exists and Jesus is The One.
For atheists, this is a good opportunity to look up the proofs of the existence of God. That may be a time for another discussion. I am attempting to keep this a short as possible. However, there comes a time when a person has to allow faith to enter in and say, “Ok, I see the evidence and it looks reasonable”. If it is reasonable that God exists, then God is a reality that exists, just like you and me. This Jesus has likes and dislikes, just like you and me. There are things that He appreciates and is hurt by, just like you and me. We can no longer put God in the box of our own understanding. We need to listen to what He says, just like others ought to listen to you and me so we can tell them what we are like.
The principles of science do not change and are not subjective, and neither is God. Some people argue that I or the Church should be more open to what other faiths have to say. The Church does in fact listen and respect other beliefs. In fact, there are certain truths that all religions have right; God exists. However, they do not have the. fullness of truth about God. As a Catholic, I can say I know the fullness of what God has revealed about Himself because He freely chose to. It is not something that was merited. When God reveals Himself, we have to trust that He would not lie. So if I have already discovered that water freezes at 32 degrees, I do not have to listen to somebody when they claim water freezes at 50 degrees. In the same way, if I have discovered Jesus and have even experienced a relationship with Him, I do not have to listen to somebody else who does not even know Jesus so that they can tell me about Him. That is like going to somebody who read a book about my father to learn about him. Ultimately, we need to humble ourselves enough to accept this reality and should be excited to let others know of His mercy and love. Is that a reality to complain about?
You have a free will and can believe whatever you want in this matter. If you choose to believe that water freezes at 50 degrees, that is your business, but that does not mean you are right, or that you are sane for that matter. For the person who believes that water freezes at 50 degrees, when they act on that belief, they may be disappointed. They cannot obtain the benefits of ice (ie: a cold drink). In order to obtain that cold drink, we must obey the consistent laws of nature and freeze the water at the proper temperature. This first hint here is that the world is not changing as much as we think it is. The advancement in technology we have seen in recent years is based on science and research. Without the unchanging principals of science, we could not learn anything. There would be no advancement at all. The world would be unstable, not just politically, but the law of gravity would not be consistent. It would be chaos. So the world really is objective (concrete, stable, and predictable). It is easy to admit these things are stable and unchanging because we see them and can even measure them.
The confusion comes when we do not see things; we tend to think they are changing. However, if we cannot see it, does that necessarily mean that it is changing? When a scientist first studies a matter at hand, there is some confusion. He may not see in his mind what everything is all about in the matter. Some things may even seem to change. But once some discoveries are found, the principles can be applied and the reality of the matter at hand can be fully explained. Even the exceptions are explained so that the exceptions are consistent. An example of this would be antifreeze. Water freezes at 32 degrees. But when antifreeze is put in, the temperature in which it freezes changes. In fact, those changes are consistent. If you mix the same amount of antifreeze which have the same ingredients every time with the same amount of water; that total mixture will freeze at about the same temperature every time. So even in the exceptions, there is consistency.
So the principles of Science are unchanging, but there is a simple reason that just because you cannot see it does not mean that it changes. If I were to stick a sign on your back that read, “Kick Me”, and you did not realize it and could not feel it: does that mean that it does not exist? You bet it exists because you will feel its effects! Consistently! So it is with the spiritual life. If I do not pray, I cannot get to know God. This is simply a principle in the nature of relationships. If I do not communicate with a person, it will be hard to maintain a relationship with that person. Imagine a marriage where the spouses do not communicate at all. Obviously, the marriage would not last long. Relationships require communication. Prayer is communication with God. It follows then that in order to build a relationship with God, we must pray. This is one objective truth about relationships, faith and religion.
In Christianity, we are confronted with this person Jesus. We know he really existed. People of other faiths (Documents of pagan Rome and Josephus, a Jewish historian for examples) wrote about Him and we can go to the places He was born, lived, died and buried. He is a person in history that has an objective reality. What do I mean by that? When it comes to people, they either exist or not. If a person were to come up to me and say that they did not believe that you exist, I would be obliged to say they were wrong. Your existence is not dependent on whether or not somebody else acknowledges your existence. You simply existed, exist and continue to exist without billions of people knowing you. It is the same with Jesus. He existed whether we realize or accept that truth or not.
This Jesus also claimed to be divine in nature; God. The Gospel of John’s main focus in writing his letter is to prove Jesus’ divinity. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1) Jesus is the Word, with a capitol ‘W’ signifying a name. He is God “from the beginning”, reminding us of creation. Jesus was there at creation. Jesus has power to forgive sins in Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:10 and Luke 7:48-50. He even went so far as to say, “Amen Amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, ‘I AM’”, and used the name God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Book of Exodus in Chapter 3:14. (Jn 8:58) The list could go on and on in the documents of scripture, other documents and is even expressed in the traditions of the Church. So Jesus is really God, or He is crazy!
Some people claim that it was in retrospect that “The Church” has inserted in the faith that Jesus is God. They may say that Jesus was just a man and that the Church high jacked the faith to control other people and the world. It is a claim of the Far East that the Church is a hoax because the apostles did not die out of Love for Jesus, but because they got a reward of some sort and that is why they were willing to die. So the question is, why would the leaders of the Church voluntarily suffer martyrdom for the name of Jesus? So they could go down in history? What guarantee is there of that? How many sects of Judaism passed before them and are not known today? Furthermore: if they supposedly knew that Jesus was not the One, then Jesus could not fulfill the promise, and there would not have been a reward in the afterlife. In fact, the apostles would have not expected it. However, they did expect the promise to be fulfilled. They believed. They gave their life for Jesus.
Do you still not believe? Let us apply this to real life. Let us put ourselves in the shoes of the Apostles. You have a dilemma; you can denounce this Jesus Christ, your preaching and a couple letters, or be crucified. Another scenario, you could deny Jesus, take back the words you said about Him and renounce the two books and three letters you wrote, or be deep fried in a cauldron alive. What do you choose? If Jesus is not God, it is a no brainer. Even if He is God, it is not such an easy decision. Better hope you are right. How would you know for sure you can take the risk of going through a very painful death?
OK, maybe Jesus and the Apostles were insane. But how can we explain the saints? People like Mother Teresa, Padre Pio, Maximillian Kolbe, Cecilia, Francis of Assisi and the like. They lived Holy lives and claimed to live them for Jesus alone. They came from all walks of life. Many kings and queens gave up castles and homes to care for the poor. Some chose to live a life of extreme poverty. Some were peasants by birth. One minute a person complains that religious people are just some oppressive rich people, and then claim that they are just a bunch of ignorant people who couldn’t tie their own shoes. The saints were ordinary people who loved in an extraordinary way.
The evidence that Jesus is God is piling up. Some people want conclusive evidence or proven fact derived out of Science. But the subject is not something science is competent to handle. Nonetheless, there is evidence that leads to certitude. In the court of law, we can put criminals in jail for evidence presented “beyond a reasonable doubt”. If that is good enough to put a person in jail, then it should be enough to be reasonably certain God exists and Jesus is The One.
For atheists, this is a good opportunity to look up the proofs of the existence of God. That may be a time for another discussion. I am attempting to keep this a short as possible. However, there comes a time when a person has to allow faith to enter in and say, “Ok, I see the evidence and it looks reasonable”. If it is reasonable that God exists, then God is a reality that exists, just like you and me. This Jesus has likes and dislikes, just like you and me. There are things that He appreciates and is hurt by, just like you and me. We can no longer put God in the box of our own understanding. We need to listen to what He says, just like others ought to listen to you and me so we can tell them what we are like.
The principles of science do not change and are not subjective, and neither is God. Some people argue that I or the Church should be more open to what other faiths have to say. The Church does in fact listen and respect other beliefs. In fact, there are certain truths that all religions have right; God exists. However, they do not have the. fullness of truth about God. As a Catholic, I can say I know the fullness of what God has revealed about Himself because He freely chose to. It is not something that was merited. When God reveals Himself, we have to trust that He would not lie. So if I have already discovered that water freezes at 32 degrees, I do not have to listen to somebody when they claim water freezes at 50 degrees. In the same way, if I have discovered Jesus and have even experienced a relationship with Him, I do not have to listen to somebody else who does not even know Jesus so that they can tell me about Him. That is like going to somebody who read a book about my father to learn about him. Ultimately, we need to humble ourselves enough to accept this reality and should be excited to let others know of His mercy and love. Is that a reality to complain about?
Friday, May 1, 2009
God is Knowable
I recently had an interesting conversation with a young woman who thought the Church was too restricting on how she defines god. She has a philosophy of the far east, where god is spirit, and therefore could not be defined at all. She thought it presumptuous of christians to claim to know God. I find the opposite to be true.
We, as christians humble ourselves enough to listen to God when He reveals Himself to us. We listen to Him, and do not demand that He fit in a box that we expect Him to fit in. Or maybe anything is fine except what we do not want Him to be and confine Him that way. We cannot put stipulations on God and how He chooses to reveal Himself. God is so great, He is not demeaned by coming in our likeness, in human form. God is bigger than that. He chose to reveal Himself to us. He revealed and reveals Himself in Sacred Scripture. Many people think of God as some nebulus thing out there. Maybe we acknowledge some sort of person out there. As if God is subjective. He is whatever we want him to be. What you beleive is what you believe and what I believe is what I believe and it does not really matter. What it comes down to is that God is not a reality; the "belief" that he exists is just there to make me feel good. Religion and reality become opposites.
However, when push comes to shove, what will happen when I meet troubled times? If God really is not there anyways, how can that help me or anybody? The subjective god will eventually lead to despair and hopelessness. But thanks be to God, He does exist.
He did come among us as a man and truly died on the cross for us. With a subjective god, he does not have a face you can count on. But in Christianity He does have a face, and you can get to know Him, not just about Him. Just like you and I, He has likes and dislikes.
There are things that He is pleased with and things that offend HIm. If you hate Johnny Cash and I go about proclaiming that you think Johnny Cash is the best vocalist ever, you are probibly going to be offended. Why? Bacause it is not the truth about you. Just as you have an objective reality about your person, so does God have an objective reality about His three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
If we want to get to know Him, we have to know Him as He truly is, not a false notion of Him. No relationship can last that way. Though coming to this reality for many can be a scary thing, you will be surprised of how wonderful Jesus really is.
We, as christians humble ourselves enough to listen to God when He reveals Himself to us. We listen to Him, and do not demand that He fit in a box that we expect Him to fit in. Or maybe anything is fine except what we do not want Him to be and confine Him that way. We cannot put stipulations on God and how He chooses to reveal Himself. God is so great, He is not demeaned by coming in our likeness, in human form. God is bigger than that. He chose to reveal Himself to us. He revealed and reveals Himself in Sacred Scripture. Many people think of God as some nebulus thing out there. Maybe we acknowledge some sort of person out there. As if God is subjective. He is whatever we want him to be. What you beleive is what you believe and what I believe is what I believe and it does not really matter. What it comes down to is that God is not a reality; the "belief" that he exists is just there to make me feel good. Religion and reality become opposites.
However, when push comes to shove, what will happen when I meet troubled times? If God really is not there anyways, how can that help me or anybody? The subjective god will eventually lead to despair and hopelessness. But thanks be to God, He does exist.
He did come among us as a man and truly died on the cross for us. With a subjective god, he does not have a face you can count on. But in Christianity He does have a face, and you can get to know Him, not just about Him. Just like you and I, He has likes and dislikes.
There are things that He is pleased with and things that offend HIm. If you hate Johnny Cash and I go about proclaiming that you think Johnny Cash is the best vocalist ever, you are probibly going to be offended. Why? Bacause it is not the truth about you. Just as you have an objective reality about your person, so does God have an objective reality about His three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
If we want to get to know Him, we have to know Him as He truly is, not a false notion of Him. No relationship can last that way. Though coming to this reality for many can be a scary thing, you will be surprised of how wonderful Jesus really is.
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