#18 - Is it because you feel ashamed of being a believer among atheists (No valid proof)?

So we are back to  the next question from blog-post #3 where I asked you to reflect upon why you have difficulties with your belief in God. To day it's not only when one enters the University that one might stumble across people that make a bombardment of arguments about how little we can trust that there really is a God. You might even meet them before you leave high-school. It is not easy to be a believer and to be met with such arguments, because the nonbeliever is very clever to make one doubt.

I want to quote two arguments of all I have met in my life about why one shouldn't believe in God.

1. «Scientists cannot believe in god, because it is not to be a true and honest scientist to choose to believe in something you cannot prove».
2. «The arguments presented to me as indirect proof of the existence of a god, are not arguments that my scientific friends will accept.»

To the first one: To be a scientist is to know about the methods that are to be used, their strength and their limits, to be able to make a research with those methods and do that in a way that others can repeat to reprove the results. If you want to find out if there is a new and better drug to be produced to cure depression, that means that you have to do that correctly in a scientifically way. If you are an atheist or a believer will not have influence on your work, because it is a work were you have to show that you can master the methods correctly. The same goes if you are trying to find a cure for cancer or if you are looking for a scientific way of improving an airplane or whatever you are studying.

How can you answer a person that comes with such a ridiculous postulate that you are not honest? It's not easy, but there are some ways.

Examples:

 a) My mom and dad have told me that I came into being in the womb at a Friday. I have no way of proving that, but I have chosen to believe that my mother and father have told me the truth because they normally do so.

b) Do you mean that my belief in God has spoiled the scientific project that you and me have done together? If that is the case you have to show me were the failure is.

When the other person tells you that he is sure the weather will be fine to morrow when your group of students will be going for a local expedition, you can ask him how he can believe that without knowing for sure (no valid proof)?

There are lots of other tings you can do. Try to sit down and find some answers for yourself (answers that fall naturally for you).

.............................................

When it comes to the statements that no scientist will accept your indirect proofs of a god, the only way to go on is to claim that Jesus never promised to give scientific proof for his existence after rising from the dead. He said to Thomas who distrusted him: «Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed» (Jn 20.29).  To be a Christian is to believe that what is told about God is true without 100 % proof. To do scientific work has to do with using scientific methods to find out of things in the world (universe).

To be honest, the argument of not being willing to accept the arguments normally given as indirect proof of God because friends with scientific education will not accept it, is the most stupid I have ever heard. (My education is scientific).

People are different, some will never give in and be a daily plague to you by their insistence of scientific proof for a god (with the little 'g').

The point is that to such people it's very difficult for God to enlighten them because He has given them a free will to chose to believe and keep his commandments. To force faith on them is not the way of God. It's also important to know that people who have locked the door to God by refusing to stop sinning, do not have sanctifying grace inside themselves. Such people don't have access to God because of this. When such a person is trying to ridicule you, it is important to remember that you are talking to a person who is spiritual dead. The Holy Spirit is not inside her/him. Such persons are spiritual empty vessels and cannot be different. Please remember that you are standing at unholy ground when you are surrounded by nonbelievers. It's their chosen state of being. You can of course pray that God will give them a  moment of actual grace in the hope that that moment will help them to repent, but remember that they have to accept this moment freely. God can give them many moments of actual grace (a moment of spiritual enlightening to be received if they are willing to open up), but without cooperation from those given actual grace, it is like trying to feed a dead person. There is no entrance!

The best you can do when you are ridiculed for your faith, is to bear it with dignity. Beg God for His Grace to stay in this anti-Christian rain. You cannot leave you work if you don't are assured another job. When you have done your best to explain, you don't have to be a scapegoat for the people that won't understand that you don't need proof for your belief and that to be a good scientist or not has to do with how you relate to your project and how clever you are in using the scientific methods right. In stead you can remember in your heart that Jesus said: «And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off even the dust of your feet, for a testimony against them» (Lk 9:5).

As I mentioned in blog-post #3, I don't know you. You might, as an example, be full of anxiety or you might feel safe and secure in your relationship with others.

If you have it the first way (anxiety), the best you can do is  write down your arguments and practice how to say them at home until you feel sure enough. If you have a body-gesture that signals insecurity, try to look at people that look secure and copy that gesture at home. Use a camera to film your «secure gestures». That will help you to to remember how to signal security when you are among these confronting people. I have used videotape with some clients of mine. They were very satisfied to see that their anxiety didn't show outward.

Don't be ashamed of your faith. Try to find others at your age that share your values to be together with in your spare time. If you cannot find a proper group near you, try to find somebody at the Internet. That is better than nothing. Later on you can move were your real friends are. In the meantime pray for God's grace to keep your mood up!

Here are some resources for you if you need them:

«How The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization» by Thomas E. Woods jr (a book were it, among others, are told how modern science grew out of the Catholic Church).

http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/why-believe

http://www.catholic.com/radio/shows/religion-vs-science-7196

http://www.catholic.com/radio/shows/the-historical-jesus-can-we-trust-the-gospels-4655

Good Luck!

#17 – Nine-eleven!

Yes, yes, I know I promised to come back and talk about the other questions of blog-post #3 (2012), but today is a special day in the history. It is 11 years since the terrible terror attack at the 11 of September in the US. We had our own gruesome attack and killing on the 22 of July 2011 at Utøya here in Norway.

Violence and terror are against God's love. It is the quite opposite of love either the terrorist(-s) is (are) doing it out of this of that personal value. There is no excuse for killing innocent people!

Since many of my readers are here because they are close to lose their faith, are doubting or want to find ideas to be able to help friends who are doubting, I want to mention a trait that these two different terror attacks had in common afterward (and of course I'm not thinking about family, relatives and friends of those who lost their lives when I mention this "common trait") .

In the US we saw (at TV) many people praying together at street-corners. In Norway people flocked to the Church to comfort others and to be comforted themselves.

For the «think-tank»: If it's only when you feel depressed and full of sorrow, you talk to God, then it's not strange that thoughts of doubt sneaks in more often than once a while. (We all doubt a little from time to time).

To keep the relationship with God going, you have to do a little talking with him every day. Talk to him when you are sad, when you feel that your life is hopeless, but don't forget to talk to Him when days are ordinary and especially when they are good. Remember to thank him! I know that many do that every day. Their private  prayer life don't show outward. When I'm talking about the "think-tank", I'm addressing those who try to find their way back to God and don't understand that the relationship with God has to be something we participate in daily by prayers. I haven’t always had a regular prayer life, but now, as a catholic, I feel the need for daily prayer. That is the best way to secure that we are doing our part in our relationship with God.

If you have lost you former practice of prayer or never have prayed before, it might be wise to decide a time for praying and let your mobile remind you when it's time for prayer. A note placed at a spot where it is easy to see may function well as well. If you are here because you want to help somebody else, you might advice them to start their journey back to God by making a fixed daily prayer-time to get used to pray again.

Just tell God about what is in your mind. If you or your friends find that difficult, it might be wise to use a prayer somebody else has written.

Lord, teach us how to pray:

http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/index.html

Sacred Space:

http://www.sacredspace.ie/

#16 – The stumbling of Benedict Groeschel.

I will continue to discuss the other questions from blogpost #3 (2012), but I think there is a little «potato» that has to be looked upon while it's still a little hot.

According to The New York Times, N.Y. Region, (2012, August 30) we can read that Rev. Benedict Groeschel has said something very unpleasant when it comes to child-abuse. I have two of his books in my bookshelf. To be honest I felt for throwing them out of the window, when I read that he blamed (perhaps unintentionally) the victims for being abused at a program at EWTN (a catholic TV station).

Revered Groeschel isn't only a priest. He is also a psychologist. Knowing that some of the abused people might have their life destroyed for the rest of their life, I cannot say that I felt happy about this. A psychologist shall not leave utterances that makes the victim the one who is to blame. Many priests have protested too.

He did apologize the next day. N.Y. Times wrote: «“I did not intend to blame the victim,” Father Groeschel wrote in a statement published on The Catholic Register’s site. “A priest (or anyone else) who abuses a minor is always wrong and is always responsible. My mind and my way of expressing myself are not as clear as they used to be.”»

This about «mind and my way of expressing myself are not as clear as they used to be» made me think of Sirach 3:12-13; «My son, help thy father in his age, and grieve him not as long as he liveth. And if his understanding fail, have patience with him; and despise him not when thou art in thy full strength».

Father Groeschel is really old. A man who has used his whole life to help people are not to be «thrown away» in his old life when he isn't so clear in his thinking as he was. I'm sure the devil is laughing because of this: «The old Groeschel have made a mistake. He, He ..... Nobody will read or benefit from his books now! Ho, Ho ...».

Well there is an old saying that the one who laughs last, laughs best!!

Before I recommend the two books I talked about I will link you to Mark Shea's prayer request for Revered Benedict Groeschel:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markshea/2012/08/prayers-for-fr-benedict-groeschel.html

The books that I have read and highly will recommend, written by Rev. Benedict Groeschel, when his thoughts were clear as crystal, are these:

«Arise from Darkness: What to Do When Life Doesn't Make Sense» by Benedict J. Groeschel.

 

«Stumbling Blocks or Stepping Stones: Spiritual Answers to Psychological Questions» by Benedict J. Groeschel.

Have a nice day!

#15 - The celebration of the birth of Virgin Mary.

To day the Church celebrates the birth of the Mother of Jesus Christ. You can read about it here:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/MARYBRTH.HTM

More detailed about Virgin Mary here:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm

# 14 - Is it because others have pointed out to you that they don't like the «cruel god» in the OT? (Part 2).

I promised to tell you the difference about a biological father who kills his children and God the Father who let Korah (Cora) and his men perish in a gap in the earth.

To try to get an answer we have to start at the beginning. Why did God create us? He wasn't lonely because he already lived in a family of three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. My belief is that He created us because He was full of love and wanted to make someone to take part in that happiness. He was generous and not afraid to share Heaven with both angels and men. So he generously created all of us. To be generous is not to force people, but to give them a choice: «I have created you for everlasting life. Do you want to be with me in Heaven for all eternity or not? If you want to be with me you have to keep my commandments and you have to love each other». To let someone with hate in his heart into heaven would be to open the gate of heaven to evil and to let that evil destroy the peace in Heaven. There is no way that evil can live in heaven, that's why people have to choose, Heaven or the other alternative.

After the fall by Adam and Eve, God gave humankind a new chance by slowly, slowly building them up. For each step he made a covenant with them, first with Noah (the family man) then with Abraham (the tribe-leader), then with Moses (the leader of the people - the Sinai-covenant- the ten commandments), then with king David (the king of a country) and at last with all the people in the world by giving us Jesus (the savior of all people on earth).

Some would put in extra covenants, but the exact number of covenants is not the point here. The point is that God let his immature creatures, the humans, have the time they needed to become more mature, to grow in understanding of what it meant to be God's chosen people. After the death and resurrection of Christ, all baptized people are among God's chosen people and the door stands open for every person who want to become a Christian and be baptized.

I have learned about the covenants from different sources. Two of these are from the «Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Book of Genesis» by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch and the «Exodus: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible» by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch». In 2012 there came a new book that I haven’t read yet, but I think it seems worth the time studying it: «Bible Basics for Catholics: A new Pictuere of Salvation History» by John Bergsma and Scott Hahn.

According to Hahn et al it is important to understand where we are coming from to understand where we are going. That is exactly what I mean too.

If we don't understand God's wonderful work with humankind after the fall of Adam and Eve until the death and resurrection of Christ, it's easy to loose track. God created us and he is the one who decides what is good and evil, not us! The democracy is a good way for humans to run our countries. God, however, rules in other ways ....

Yes, it is evil if a biological father kills his children. God has not allowed a father to treat his children in such an evil way. «Thou shalt not kill» (Exodus 20:13) To kill another person is against the 10 commandments (the Sinai Covenant). It is also against the love-commandment that Jesus (second person in triune God) gave us: «Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself» (Luke 10:27).

So now we have made it clear that no good father kills his children; but God killed Korah (Cora) and his men (250 persons). Did he kill? No, he didn't.

Korah (Cora) chose to die! To understand this, we have to look at the Salvation history. Nowadays Jesus has come already. He isn't the Messiah who is to come (if we don't count his second coming). He has come! In Korah's (Cora's) days it was otherwise. Jesus had not come and God was training his people to obey his will. Korah knew how God helped the Israelites out of Egypt. He knew that God was special. He had no reason to doubt God. He also knew the ten commandments and he knew about the promised land. He knew that Moses was the leader God had chosen. If he wanted to obey God, he  would have respected God's chosen leadership.

In the end of Numbers 15 (right before the happenings with Korah (Cora), after God had given Moses some teachings for the people, we can read: «... they may remember all the commandments of the Lord, and not follow their own thoughts and eyes going astray after divers things, But rather being mindful of the precepts of the Lord, may do them and be holy to their God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that I might be your God» (verse 39-41).

It is after Moses has pointed out the wishes of God, that Korah (Cora) rose up against Moses and said: «Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them: Why lift you up yourselves above the people of the Lord?» (Numbers 16:3) 

 

In fact Korah (Cora) is doubting the authority that God had given Moses as their leader. It is almost the same as if you and me had rose up in the Church and said to the priest/deacon: «I'm a catholic too, and I want to take your place when we are going to hear the Gospel* to day. You are not the only one who can teach us about God.» Imagine a lot of the parish members shouting: «Yeah, that's right, you are not the only Catholic in the Church. We want to instruct ourselves and read the Gospel ourselves. We don't need any priest or deacon to do that».

If we had done so, do you think that God would have killed us? Nope! No way! But what is the difference between then and now? Moses was chosen by God as the Israelites leader. Our leader that God has chosen is the pope. The priests of our days are by apostolic succession heirs of the first apostles. They function after Gods will (what private sins they must have done doesn't matter for the fulfilling of their call from God). When Korah (Cora) and his men protested, they did that, as already mentioned, when God was trying to make mature men out of children in grown ups bodies. We might not be so mature either, we all need correction from time to time, but we live after Jesus resurrection,  - after the Church was instituted. The Church is under the mandate of God through the pope and the magisterium. There are no places were you and I will be thought that we are allowed to read the Evangelium in our parishes before the priest by the authority of God changes bread and wine to the body and blood of Jesus.

Perhaps you think that Korah (Cora) didn't understand the consequences of what he was doing when he wanted to conquer Moses? He might have suppressed it, but if so it was a free choice. He knew what had happened to the people that had worshipped the golden calf (i.e. opposed God). If he didn't want to remember that, that was his choice!

We must remember that when God plotted Korah (Cora)  and his men out He knew their hearts. He knew their true motives ... If Korah and his men had been innocent and really wanted a close relationship with God, God would not have plotted them out. In Numbers, chapter 15, it is made clear that those who sinned without understanding that they sinned, only had to make an offering  to be forgiven (a goat if it was one person, an ox and more if it was an assembly).

So it is with us, too. We might want to suppress what we know about how to live as Catholics, but no suppression can come about if we don't will it. It's not wise to try to change God's teachings into what we want them to be, instead of accepting what God wants us to understand. (If we haven’t followed God's will because we didn't know better it is only to go to confession and start trying to do right after that. Remember God knows our hearts and how hard we try to please Him if that's what we are doing).

I think that if we tried to take a power God had not given us, the Church would have excommunicated us and that would have been right. (See the example I have used about laypeople trying to take the power to read the Evangelium abow). The excommunication could end in spiritual death or in growth. That would depend on how much pride there would be inside you and me. If we would be humble, regret and beg for forgiveness which we always can be given after the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross, the doors would be opened up for us again.

If we didn't repent, our fate would be almost as the one given Korah (Cora) and his men. We would probably not enter the kingdom of God when it would be our time to leave this world!

I think we would do wise to remember what Moses answered Korah (Cora) and his men: «In the morning the Lord will make known who belong to him, and the holy he will join to himself: and whom he shall choose, they shall approach to him» (Numbers 16:5).

God showed everyone what he meant. The next day 250 persons was cast out of the flock because they disobeyed God when they were on the road to the promised land.

Obedience to God's will is still what is expected of us. Jesus himself said: «Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves» (Mt 10:16). «And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell» (Mt 10:28). We have got the choice. If we don't want to be God's on the premises he has given us, we have (unless we repent) chosen our destination which is to be without God forever. The naturally consequence of that is that God opens the door to hell when we die, because he already knows that we don't want to be in the presence of Holiness.

If you play some sort of game in a group, football or something else, there is a leader (the trainer) and there are rules to follow. If you show the leader again and again that you don't want to follow the rules, the leader one day will have to throw you out. He might like you very well, but with your behavior and none-compliance you have shown him that you don't want to be a part of the team.

We all have to chose! Since our intelligence is limited, it is good that God gives us the time to think and pray when we are uncertain about faith. After all he wants many to be saved.

Next time someone claims that the God of the old testament seems cruel, try to think about the deception in the Garden: «Did God really say that it is forbidden to eat that fruit?». "Do you really believe that the monster-god that is described in the OT can be related to the kind Jesus in NT"? Think of the consequences after the fall in the Garden and try to remember that it is God, our Creator, who decides what is good and evil. Try to remember that what you read in OT is part of the Bible and is there to teach us something just like the words in NT. Try to remember that OT tells the story about Creation, Fall and Gods plan for giving us a Savior (the salvation story were people are trained to love God the way He wants).

Democracy is, as said, a good way to govern things on earth. But when it comes to the spiritual, it is wise to remember that God is not limited to think in our terms. He loves everyone of us, but we have to answer that love by freely choosing Him. Love is always mutual self giving, not a struggle for power ...

May God bless you and help you to see His path!

* In a catholic church, lay people read the readings of the day, while the deacon (if there is a deacon) or the priest (when there is no deacon) reads the Gospel (the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament).

# 13 - Is it because others have pointed out to you that they don't like the «cruel god» in the OT? (Part 1)

My second question to you in blog-post #3 was if you doubted because you didn't « like the «cruel god» in the OT»? One of the atheists best trick is to point at some sentences in OT, taken out of context, and tell us how cruel God is. As an understatement they write God with the small «g». They use lots of examples, among other this one about Korah (Cora) and his followers: «And immediately as he had made an end of speaking, the earth broke asunder under their feet: And opening her mouth, devoured them with their tents and all their substance. And they went down alive into hell the ground closing upon them, and they perished from among the people. But all Israel, that was standing round about, fled at the cry of them that were perishing: saying: Lest perhaps the earth swallow us up also. And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense» (Numbers 16: 31-35).

The atheists or some parts inside you protests: «How can you love a god who is so cruel that he let 250 men be punished in that way? Is this what they call a good god?»

This is a question about who has the power to define what is cruel or not.

If it is true that God created us out of nothing, then He is the one who decides what is cruel or not. Wether you like it or not, if it is true that God created man, then we can say that it is Him, not his creatures, who defines what is good and evil.

If he created us, you can of course turn you back at Him and say that you don't want him, but what good does that do to you? You have two choices, 1) to believe in God and follow his will, 2) to decide that you dont' like God and don't want to follow his will. The first choice place you on the road to heaven. The other choice place you at the beginning of the way that ends in hell if you decide to walk that path to the end. These are the only two choices that you have.

The Catechism defines God like this: «God is infinitely good and all his works are good» (CCC 385).

God is infinitely good! That's what the paragraph said. Infinitely good!

CCC 385 continues like this: «Yet no one can escape the experience of suffering or the evils in nature which seem to be linked to the limitations proper to creatures: and above all to the question of moral evil. Where does evil come from? "I sought whence evil comes and there was no solution", said St. Augustine, and his own painful quest would only be resolved by his conversion to the living God. For "the mystery of lawlessness" is clarified only in the light of the "mystery of our religion". The revelation of divine love in Christ manifested at the same time the extent of evil and the superabundance of grace. We must therefore approach the question of the origin of evil by fixing the eyes of our faith on him who alone is its conqueror».

What was  origin of evil? Did God create it? No, he didn't. His creation was perfect. Still he didn't want to force somebody to be close to Him if they didn't want to. Satan and his angels didn't. (See blog post #6 and #7 -2012 for some reflections about Satan if you want to).

After  the fall (Genesis) we get glimpses at the the evilness of man. Cain murdered his brother Able because he was jealous about how much God liked Able's sacrifice. The evil traits in men continued to spread and one day God found only one righteous man, Noah. The flood destroyed everything and only Noah, his family and the animals in the ark survived and was ready to start anew.

Let us jump seven generations forward. Abram (Abraham) is called to be a blessing for humankind.

We know that evilness still lurked around the corners. Lots city, Sodom, was destroyed – Ishmael had to be sent away. Jacob had to flee from his brother after steeling his blessing, Joseph's brothers sold him to slave traders ....

In spite of all this God was with the mankind he had created. He had promised Abraham to be a great nation («And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed.» [Genesis 12:2]) and a blessing for all nations («And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.» [Genesis 22:18]).

Here we se the catholic «principle»: When humans work together with God (obedience), good things happen, not always at once, but they happen).

We also see how God can make good out of evil. Joseph's stay in Egypt becomes a blessing for the whole family. Later on with a new Pharaoh, the Israelites become slaves in Egypt (like we all are «slaves» in one way or another). God led them out of Egypt as he through Jesus leads us all out of our private Egypt's to safe ground if we want to be led that way. Our safe ground is in Christendom, our Catholic Church, the sacraments, the word of God (the Bible) and the teachings of the Church.

Perhaps you don't feel that I have answered your question, if you are among them whom find God to be described as evil? I have said that if God is the creator, it is him, not us who define the content in the word 'evil'. I have showed you that the catechism defines God as infinitely good (CCC385). If you cannot accept that, may be there is something wrong with your understanding of the concept 'evil'?

Who has taught you what is good and evil? Your grandparents, your parents, your parish priest, your friends, the media, the modern world? Please be honest with yourself? Were did you learn that God is cruel (if that is what you think) and is to be addressed 'god' (with the little 'g')?

May be you don't remember? Well I can give you some of my thoughts. If a biological father killed his children because he found out that they had done something that didn't please him, that would be written as evil in all papers. People would look scared and angry at each other and say: «What a father! He ought to have the hardest punishment that is possible for doing this cruel thing!»

I agree about that! Be sure, I really agree! And now you think that I have come to the conclusion that God really was cruel in the Old Testament?

No, I don’t!

Let us look more at that in the next blog post:

«Is it because others have pointed out to you that they don't like the «cruel god» in the OT? (Part 2).»