This testimony is written right after an atheist challenged Christianity.
Background: (Common myth)
Humans cannot absolutely 100% prove/disprove something in daily life. When we choose to believe something, there are 2 processes.
1. There are ¡§sound¡¨ reasons (good grounds) to believe so
2. We make the final ¡§leap of faith¡¨ to believe it
I believe ¡§existence of God¡¨ has greater & better chance than ¡§no existence of God¡¨
Coz,
1. (1st cause) I exist, so someone must have created me. I believe my creator creates me purposefully/meaningfully vs. random existence of me without purpose/meaning
(Design) This world is so organized/well designed and I believe my creator creates it purposefully vs. random existence
2. I have soul- morality & a sense of perfection (conscience) in my heart. Everyone has a same set of ¡§perfect standard¡¨ in his heart. For example, everyone hates unjust killing (murder), everyone welcomes love rather than hatred, etc. It is not a product of this material world (random occurring) or socialization. I believe someone (creator) has created/put that in me (in¡Vborn) vs. socialization by world/me
3. My experience: (but maybe the most important: who is God?)
I read the Bible. I test it with my PhD. Life (21 years of living). It makes perfect sense to me. It gives me a fair explanation of who God is and who I am, and how to live life happily. I follow its instructions, apply it to life, and I experience an unprecedented joyfulness, peace and life that is full of life and love. Moreover, it provides me with a solution and frees me from addiction to sins. These experiences are as promised in the Bible by God. Therefore, I choose to believe he is my God.
Elaborations:
1. Existence of the world & me is so complicated and well designed that I believe it¡¦s more rational to believe there¡¦s a creator.
l Random existence probability- 10 to the power of ¡V90 (Science)
l 2nd energy law of thermodynamics- things always turn from organized state to chaotic state (complex to simple) and in the process of disintegration (downward trend) (Science)
2. My soul is trans-material. (Science)- Research: a group of research respondents have different parts of their brains stimulated by an electric source, e.g. when the hand area is stimulated, the respondent¡¦s hand will lift up. However, as his hand lifted up, he could tell it¡¦s the electric stimulus, which brought about the action, rather than himself. Therefore, it shows that our soul is not material (controlled by the material brain). Instead, our soul is like an invisible hand controlling the brain cell activity, e.g. an invisible hand playing the piano.
3. I test it with other religions, but the Christian God really gives me ¡§love¡¨, freedom (from addictions e.g. in the past, I was obsessed with my athlete image in others¡¦ eyes; I did not have ¡§real¡¨ security and ¡§real¡¨ self-image, but God helps me overcome it), and a full life that is full of life.
On the other hand, you may say, ¡§I don¡¦t believe in the Bible¡¨. But think about it: ¡§Crush Analogy¡¨- When you have a crush on a guy/girl, would you put him/her in a lab to test if he/she loves you too? (Science), or would you use philosophy to prove if he/she loves you too (Philosophy)? No. You don¡¦t have to prove anything. You just simply go and know her and test her love with your life (Attention: you clearly understand yourself about whether you are living meaningfully or not, coz you can accurately tell: am I truly happy or sad now?). In the same way, you go read the Bible to see if he¡¦s really your God and you¡¦re really his dear creation.
Contradictions (lack of rationality + self-deception):
Imagine:
1. While you are walking, have you ever doubted whether your leg is all right & you can make the next step? Say, you walk 5000 steps everyday. 20 years old. You have taken 36,500,000 steps in your entire life. So, if you choose to doubt your leg, you will have to choose to believe in 2.74 to the power of ¡V8. However, you would never doubt it coz, you know it¡¦s irrational & even silly. But why you choose to discard the 2.74 to the power of ¡V8 in believing you can make the next step while you choose to hold on to the 10 to the power of ¡V90 chance that there is no God? Do you see there is a big contradiction? If you really do that and to be congruent (having integrity), you need to doubt everything in your life. You can¡¦t even sure anything- even to the point of moving your fingers.
2. Why do you believe in gravity? Science can¡¦t 100% prove anything. Science just states, ¡§Something is ¡¥temporarily true¡¦ under these conditions¡¨. Why don¡¦t you believe that next time you jump, you will fly up to the sky?
Observing your own daily life, we are never 100% sure of anything. We just believe something goes like this or that because there are convincing ground for them. The same goes with science.
Why contradiction (self-deception)
Why is it almost always hard to discuss issues of religion & meaning of life in public or even with your best friends?
Because:
1. Every time we talk about the meaning of life, we have to admit/confess to others that we are not living meaningfully and are living miserably without a definite end-point. We do not want to seem ¡§inferior¡¨.
2. Every time we talk about God (pure, holy, perfect, and beautiful), we have to admit/confess to others that we are terrible and miserably imperfect. Consider how many dirty thoughts in your mind. (Mine too) And we know what is right, but deliberately do what¡¦s wrong; we know what is wrong, but deliberately do it. We fall short of the perfection. We do not want to seem ¡§ugly¡¨ to people.
To make the decision to believe in God, we need to admit that we are not ¡§mighty¡¨ and can¡¦t make it. We need to be humble to admit our shortcomings, wrongdoings, and sins and open our heart to let God step in. That¡¦s why not many will come to God, especially some academics who ¡§thinks¡¨ they are wise & mighty and do not need God.
Human Paradox (here I will say that everyone needs God, no exception)
It is obvious in everyone that, we have an ¡§upward¡¨ tendency to search for ¡§meaning of life¡¨ (only from God) and search for ¡§perfection¡¨, true love and God. However, we also have a ¡§downward¡¨ tendency to live an animal life (sinful nature in Bible), say excessive drinking, indulgence in sex, permissive enjoyment¡K
However, the downward enjoyment can never satisfy our life. See, how rich people suicide, you¡¦ll know $ and luxurious living are hopeless in bringing ¡§real¡¨ happiness. Only the upward enjoyment (finding God) can satisfy our life fully. We need God.
Therefore, atheist is living a life of ¡§irrationality¡¨, ¡§inner-struggle¡¨, ¡§self-deception¡¨ & ¡§paradox¡¨. They choose to believe in something, which is irrational (no good grounds), and they live in constant ¡§self-contradictions¡¨ (referred to the ¡§Contradiction¡¨ section). While others choose to indulge in materialism and sexual permissiveness. They can never satisfy themselves. They aren¡¦t truly happy. But then, they ¡§irrationally rationalize¡¨ that there can never be true happiness out there. How miserable.
Clarification of my belief
Many of you might have read some philosophers saying, ¡§we can¡¦t absolutely 100% prove or disprove God, but it¡¦s more beneficial to believe in him. So, let¡¦s believe¡¨ or similar statement.
I don¡¦t like this claim. As this is a selfish, self-focused view- ¡§using God¡¨
For me (I choose to believe in the God as described in the bible), I feel his amazing love towards me. He gave me the opportunity to live this life and experience this wonderful world with beautiful creations. Just as David said (1 Chronicles 17-18), ¡§You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O Lord God. What more can I say to you for honoring your servant.¡¨ I, so imperfect, will never, never deserve this kind of love. I¡¦m in forever debt to his love.
Therefore, my belief is:
I gave up my own obsessions and rebellion. I surrender myself to God and submit to his will and do my best to (repay) love God with all my life (let God rule in me!).
On Philosophy:
Philosophy is very useful in helping us thinking clearly and carefully. However, we will go astray or in vain if we ¡§over-use¡¨ philosophy (using it in wrong field/boundary), for example trying to search for the ultimate truth or proving 100%/ absolutely God exists.
Life is a process of experience. It is not a philosophy or a mathematical formula. We¡¦d better focus on ¡§living a meaningful/abundant life¡¨ instead of ¡§preoccupied with the search for the ¡§cannot-be-understood¡¨ mysteries. After all, do you need to know everything in order to live a meaningful life, love your bf/gf, etc? No.
Imagine:
If you find the ¡§truth¡¨, but you don¡¦t have love in your life, your life is just vain, empty and worthless. Paul said, ¡§If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.¡¨ (1Corithians 13:2)
Throughout history, there are no one who can 100% prove God exist. And we do not expect there will be one. It¡¦s even not necessary.
However, I don¡¦t think it¡¦s sad that we can¡¦t get the ultimate truth. Maybe it¡¦s God¡¦s will, so that people can use ¡§free-will¡¨ to believe in him, rather than forced by the ¡§100% truth¡¨. Therefore, he will know who really loves him and who doesn¡¦t.
Thanks God, praise be to you, O Lord. Amen.
p.s. this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long¡K
-- Edited by servant Joseph at 00:51, 2004-12-04
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The Fear of the Lord is to hate evil & to shun evil. Whoever walks in the counsel of the wicked lacks judgment, little knowing it will cost him his life...