God vs Science

My blog post from last night shows, perhaps, the weary side of me, but that's alright...I will keep trusting, smiling, singing, and believing through it all (Because God is good, period). But I want to share the side of me that is smiling...the side that says, "Satan, bring it on! I'm still standing. And when I fall, God doesn't." *inserts epic grin here*


God vs Science

'Let me explain the problem science has with religion.' The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'

'Yes sir,' the student says.

'So you believe in God?'

'Absolutely. '

'Is God good?'

'Sure! God's good.'

'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?

'Yes'

'Are you good or evil?'

'The Bible says I'm evil.'

The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible!' He considers for a moment. 'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'

'Yes sir, I would.'

'So you're good...!'

'I wouldn't say that.'

'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?'

The student remains silent. 'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax 'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'

'Er..yes,' the student says.

'Is Satan good?'

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'

'Then where does Satan come from?'

The student falters. 'From God'

'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'

'Yes, sir..'

'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'

'Yes'

'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'

Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'

The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'

'So who created them?'

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'

The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'

'No sir. I've never seen Him.'

'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'

'No, sir, I have not..'

'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'

'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'

'Yet you still believe in him?'

'Yes'

'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist... What do you say to that, son?'

'Nothing,' the student replies.. 'I only have my faith.'

'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own.

'Professor, is there such thing as heat?'

'Yes.

'And is there such a thing as cold?'

'Yes, son, there's cold too.'

'No sir, there isn't.'

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet.

The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'

'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation.. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester.

'So what point are you making, young man?'

'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'

'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.' 'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.' 'Now tell me, professor.. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'

'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'

'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student looks around the room.

'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?'

The class breaks out into laughter.

'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.' 'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers.

'I Guess you'll have to take them on faith.'

'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?'

Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it Everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in The multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'

To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'

The professor sat down.

That student was Albert Einstein.

:D

In His hands - Not mine

I can't stop thinking tonight, so I figured this might be a good place to visit.

I'm officially finished with my undergrad, I still don't know how I feel about this yet. But I am glad for a break from school and assignments...regardless of anything else.

So I've been struggling with issues of the heart lately. I've had to say goodbye to those that I may not see again. And I've had to learn to let go for the sake, not in spite, of friendship.

Recently I spent time with a friend of mine from MC. We've been friends for 2 years, but honestly the friendship has often been a little one-sided...at least in regards to maintaining it.

She's very smart, sensitive, thoughtful and quite witty. But doesn't trust, it took me a whole year to get her to open up to me about anything of any significance in her life. And when I did...I learned something about her that shocked me:

She's not a Christian.

It shocked me because she lives the Christian lifestyle better than most of the Christians I know. So I maintained the friendship and tried to talk about spirituality and Jesus when I could, but also didn't rub it in her face or pressure her about it...since she was already quite aware of my beliefs.

In itself this wasn't something that would test my heart's strength reserves, but combined with another aspect of her personality...it did. The other aspect? As she told me recently, "I can't be attached to anyone."

She meant it. Or at least she does right now, I've never met anyone that was so caring to people as a whole, yet so detached from everyone individually. She's cutting contact after graduation, with everyone. I asked if she wanted me to do the same, she said that it wasn't personal, but yes...she didn't need people holding her back...

I went to talk to her about Jesus, in what I believe may have been the last time I see her. I had to. I'd never been so sure that it was the right thing to do as I was that day...I knew/know that it was a God thing...so I did. We talked for almost an hour...and though it was a good conversation, an honest one anyway. She left with no visible change in her heart. She told me that believing in God was a choice, and that she'd already made hers.

Honestly, it hurts. The thing is, I love her. Not in a romantic way, I've never gotten to the point of loving someone in a romantic way...other than God (but that's another story)...but I do love her for who she is. And I want to know that she's with me, with us, with Him when that day comes. It's the ONLY thing that really matters in the end.

The old me would have never asked what she wanted me to do. The old me wouldn't have honored her wishes if I thought they weren't good for her. But I've changed in that regard. I've learned that it's not my decision to make...if I see her as a close friend that I care about, but she only sees me as a person who was there for a season...then that's what I will become...for her sake. I ended the conversation by telling her that if she ever changed her mind, I'd pick up the friendship where we left off (no matter how much time had passed), and told her God was better about that than I was. And that fortunately, God was more stubborn than she was.

You see, different people look for different things in life...it's the way we are. I've always desired to be a lifetime friend, no matter the obstacles...but if both people don't desire that...it won't come to be.


People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.


When someone is in your life for a reason...It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, hopefully without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. Sometimes they die. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. Your need has been answered, and now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a season...It is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. Cause a lifetime just doesn't seem feasible.

Lifetime relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. The friends that I know I will have for a lifetime are the ones that do/can trust me, just as I do/can trust them. They're the friends that keep up because they care, not because they feel obligated or need information or a favor. They're the ones that you just need to know you'll still know in ten years...don't lose them...no matter the work involved...don't lose them.

Which brings me back to my friend...

From my perspective, I've lost her.

Not a day has gone by, since that day, that I haven't prayed for God to open her eyes to Him. With all of my heart I will believe that I will see her again, in this life or the next...but it's hard to know that I can care so much...and that it doesn't change anything (that I can see).

This is where faith comes in. It's my job to love as He has loved. If people come and go, I can't love them any less...not for the sake of my heart. Pain comes with caring for people...but I'd much rather feel pain, than not care about the people God puts in my life.

I won't see many of the people I've come to love at college again, maybe not until heaven...but If I could do it all over again, I would just try to spend more time with them, because they were worth every minute of it.

I will trust God to take care of His own (and those that still need Him). And I will trust that people can make their own decisions about pulling away or becoming closer. After all, it's their life.

All I can do is love them like He loves me. Unconditionally, and no matter the cost.


"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."

I'm Alright - Bebo Norman

I've got a little hope in my pocket, I want to share a bit with you
Just be careful that you don't drop it, but don't worry if you do
'Cause I got broken down inside me, and I might just need some help
But I will get by

And I've got demons in my history, got bone beneath my skin
But I've been taken by a mystery, yes, I've been taken in
And sometimes voices down inside me try to fight me for myself
I will get by

What have I got to live for
If there's nothing beating in my chest
What have I got to live for
When this world starts turning, it's burning me up
I'm alright

I used to think love was just a barter, second hand coincidence
What doesn't kill you just makes you harder, so I used my common sense
Keeping cold to keep my distance, ‘til you took my pride away
Now I will get by

I am not afraid, no, I am not afraid
And I will not go crazy here

I've got a little hope here in my pocket, I want to share a bit with you
So just be careful that you don't drop it, but don't worry if you do
'Cause I got voices down inside me, and I might just need some help
I will get by

What have I got to live for
If there's nothing beating in my chest
What have I got to live for
When this world starts turning, burning me up
When my heart is hurting, I'm learning the rough
When this world starts turning, it's burning me up
I'm alright

*Sigh* I want to update, but I can't get these thoughts and feelings into words just yet. Oh well, I guess I'll keep trying to find the words here, until I've blogged it.

-To be continued

Even When I Cannot See

“To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest”

I admit it. Not only do I like to occasionally update more than once in the same day, I also like to stargaze!

Who knows, perhaps, they peoplegaze back at us....

Tonight there are no stars.

Tonight there are no stars that are visible.


I know that I'm often guilty of believing something based on what I see, hear, or feel. However, I can't see the stars tonight...but they haven't gone anywhere.

I don't feel the same emotions that I do when I'm gazing at the "heavens", but they haven't gone anywhere.

God loves you, now and, always. Even if you don't feel it...it's still true.

God has forgiven you, for the past, present, and future. Even if you don't feel it...it's still true.

God's presence is in every setting. Even if you don't feel it...it's still true.

Oh the lessons we can learn from the stars. Even if we're not watching Stardust at the time. :)


The stars are out, and the darkness shall be pierced soon enough....