[BROADCAST on my Radio Show INSPIRE on 6th September 2018]
This is a message for agnostics. But before I begin with that I’d like to give a dictionary definition of an 'agnostic' so we’re clear what we’re talking about. An agnostic is: ‘A person who claims they cannot have true knowledge about the existence of God - but does not deny that God might exist’. In other words, they allow that it is possible there is a God but remain unconvinced because insufficient PROOF has come their way. I would suspect that most agnostics would like proof so they could believe – otherwise they would plump for being an atheist. Maybe they even think their agnostic stance would be regarded in a better light by God – IF there is a God! Well, if they think that, they are sadly deluded. Here's why. I’ll get to the message for agnostics in a moment, but first, a fast rewind.
If you listened to INSPIRE last week you might have heard the piece I did called ‘Does God Want Everyone to Believe in Him?’. If you missed it and would like to catch up on what I said, I have put a link to this on my website at iankingsley.com/soundcloud and a text version in the previous post in this blog, which you can also access from my website, iankingsley.com. And I’m telling you this because that message was a precursor to today’s message. In a nutshell it explained that if God unequivocally made it clear to everyone that he existed, then this would nullify the need for FAITH in your belief in him. And that HAVING faith is the ultimate assessment God has to identify His chosen people: those SAVED, and thereby rewarded with eternal life in Heaven. And if everyone believed in God – without the NEED for faith – then the only way to judge people would be by their deeds: the Old Testament way. And no one can measure up that way because we are all sinners.
But because Christians BELIEVE – through FAITH - that Jesus died for the sins of all believers, then it is this FAITH which allows then access to eternal life: through the GRACE of GOD rather than deeds. So the conclusion of all that was that God is not interested in offering absolute PROOF of his existence. Instead he prefers a method which clearly separates evil from holy people: that is: the need for faith.
Right. Back to ‘the now’, and my message to agnostics. If I was a gambler – which I’m not – talking to gamblers, I might say that it would be sensible for an agnostic to believe in God and so increase the odds of them being saved – rather than disbelieve and stand no chance. But this is a Catch-22 situation. You can’t just say, “OK, I’ll blieve in God,” because belief only comes through faith, and these are states-of-mind. We’re talking about TRUE faith here, not a CLAIM. If you TRULY believe there’s a God – with not a single doubt in your mind – as I do - then you have achieved FAITH – and hence salvation through God’s grace.
The point is that, so far as God is concerned, belief – or not – is a bistable condition. You either believe or you don’t believe. You might like to occupy a middle ground of ‘maybe’ I could believe, given proof. I’ve tried to explain there can never be positive proof because, if there was, there would be no need for faith. And God requires faith. So, to any agnostics, I say this. Either pray for the added strength you need to achieve faith, perhaps assisted by this logic, or settle for unbelief, and know that Heaven is not for you. Just the OTHER THING, whatever you might believe that is. Nothingness? Ghostly form on Earth? Reincarnation? Take your pick!
I admit I was once an agnostic. Over 30 years ago. And because I was from a scientific and technological background I decided to investigate it further. It took me years and years, but in the end I got to sufficient evidence – NOT PROOF – that I accepted there must be a God, and then I was what is termed ‘born again’ in the spirit because I attained FAITH. And once I had faith I not longer needed the evidence. So, agnostics, I suggest you either carry out your own investigation so you can reach one of those bistable states: belief or not. And if you want a shortcut to that, you could check out my website at iankingsley.com, and my eBook called ‘Reality Check: Science Meets Religion’ to see the evidence which convinced me. Maybe it will help to convince you.
So that is my message to agnostics. Why walk down the middle of the road, only leading to death, when you know that if there is eternal life, that is not the road that will lead you there. The narrower route marked FAITH is the only way, but if you need to take the longer route of considering all the evidence and then applying logic, then that is also that option that might also led you to faith.
But only IF you LIVE long enough!
Monday, 27 August 2018
Tuesday, 21 August 2018
INSPIRING WORD: Does God Want Everyone to Believe in Him?
[BROADCAST on my Radio Show INSPIRE on 23rd August 2018]
I recently had a conversation about the Bible and God with someone whom I know would like to fully believe in God. The big point he kept making to me was that there were so many flaws – or contradictions – in the Bible, and that there was no proof of God.
I said that yes, there were some contradictions in the Bible, and that while the human effort put into recording God’s word were as accurate as possible, it did open up the possibility of human error here and there. For if a human being thinks something is not quite right he is tempted to ‘make it right’ - in his (possibly flawed) view. That is also why it took human-input to decide which were the most accurate books to be incorporated into the Bible. Also, translation adds a further complication. But after those admissions, I went on to explain how there was plenty of proof about the authenticity and uniqueness of Jesus, and evidence that, through his virgin birth, miracles, and resurrection, he was truly God’s representative on Earth: the Son of God.
I pointed out that the disciples who wavered after his crucifixion and death were immediately changed into enthusiastic preachers – Christians – after Jesus’s resurrection, and after the convincing evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in their Pentecost experience. (Read Acts 2 for that.) And I pointed out that historical evidence, and the fact that so many people saw Jesus after his resurrection, was really good proof. 1 Corinthians 15:6 says: ‘Then he appeared to more than 500 of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died.’ So, at the time this was written, there were still hundreds of people living who had witnessed his miraculous resurrection.
But this was not enough to counter the objections of the person I was speaking with - who answered that there was no proof God existed.
Although I already well-knew key verses from scripture, which I will get to in a moment, at the time, I was defeated to offer a better argument to this claim that there was no positive proof of God. So I did what I always do when stuck over scripture, or something involving God’s mysterious ways. I asked Him directly! In my prayers that evening, I asked why God did not provide definitive proof of his existence to all human beings: so there would be no doubt. And his answer came immediately into my mind. When this happens, and you are given an entirely new train of thought that had not occurred to you before, I believe this is adequate proof that God is talking to you. Where else could such lucid – and new– thoughts come from?
I believe God wants me to deliver that message to you - as well as answering my question. Is this a secret? Not if I tell you! But I think it is not a secret – just a point-of-view we miss. Only God has the Big Picture, and that is why we miss– and miss-understand – so much that affects Him. He seemed to tell me that if he did something which would completely convince everyone on the Earth that he existed, most people would thereafter live in fear of Him. IF they obeyed him, it would be through an undercurrent of fear, not through love or faith.
I truly believe this is His answer to the question of why he does not offer definitive proof. And it makes sense if you think about it. The means God uses to identify those whom he will save – that is - to offer forgiveness of their sins and a life after death, in Heaven – is to look for complete faith in them. When they have that they are ‘born again in the spirit’. And that is reflected in the passage of scripture I will give you at the end of this. If he did something to convince everyone he existed he would nullify faith! Definitive proof would mean that faith is no longer required. So by a Big Reveal, He would nullify the principal factor that marks a true Christian. Remember that one reason Jesus talked in parables was so that only true believers – those exhibiting faith – understood what he was getting at. Some were never expected to attain that position. Evil people have no place in Heaven, for example.
When Jesus spoke in parables, He only explained them to His disciples. But those who had continually rejected His message were left in their spiritual blindness to wonder as to His meaning. Jesus made a clear distinction between those who had been given “ears to hear” and those who persisted in unbelief—“ever hearing, but never actually perceiving, and always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth” (as 2 Timothy 3:7 puts it).
A good human father likes to have faith his children will live a good life without his direct intervention or control: because of the advice he has given them. His children like to have faith that their human father trusts them to do just that, without being ultra-controlling. That is a mutual bond of faith. So it is with our Heavenly Father. This world contains good, bad and evil people. There are those who are born to be saved, but it is up to them to follow through with faith – for only then are they ‘born again’ into the reassurance of God’s saving grace.
So those born again attain the gift of the Holy Spirit who will help them to understand God’s word better. There is a God-filter that ensures only those intended to understand actually ‘Get It’, if I can put it that way. And that is why God does not produce a mighty miracle that gets him onto BBC and Sky News. He uses a discrete method to select those chosen for eternal life. The strength of their faith. That is his holy barometer.
And the piece of scripture which backs all this up – which I already well-knew before God kindly gave me this clarification - is from Hebrews 5. All of Hebrews 5 is about the importance of faith, but the two verses I particularly remember, and which are most relevant here, are these. Verse 1: ‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ So that is God’s definition of faith. And verse 6 says: ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’ So there is the scriptural assurance of what I have been saying. Faith is the key to eternal life.
Does this offer any proof there is a God? No. But it does explain why you will never achieve that proof unless you have faith – the secret key - and you will thereby experience the proof of God in due course. Or in ‘quicker-course’ if you let the presence and peace of the Holy Spirit into your life and become aware of its presence and guidance throughout your life.
So the next time someone says to you there’s no proof that God exists, just remember this reasoning - which squarely puts the onus back on them!
If this article helped you, please feel free to contact me via my website at: iankingsley.com
I recently had a conversation about the Bible and God with someone whom I know would like to fully believe in God. The big point he kept making to me was that there were so many flaws – or contradictions – in the Bible, and that there was no proof of God.
I said that yes, there were some contradictions in the Bible, and that while the human effort put into recording God’s word were as accurate as possible, it did open up the possibility of human error here and there. For if a human being thinks something is not quite right he is tempted to ‘make it right’ - in his (possibly flawed) view. That is also why it took human-input to decide which were the most accurate books to be incorporated into the Bible. Also, translation adds a further complication. But after those admissions, I went on to explain how there was plenty of proof about the authenticity and uniqueness of Jesus, and evidence that, through his virgin birth, miracles, and resurrection, he was truly God’s representative on Earth: the Son of God.
I pointed out that the disciples who wavered after his crucifixion and death were immediately changed into enthusiastic preachers – Christians – after Jesus’s resurrection, and after the convincing evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in their Pentecost experience. (Read Acts 2 for that.) And I pointed out that historical evidence, and the fact that so many people saw Jesus after his resurrection, was really good proof. 1 Corinthians 15:6 says: ‘Then he appeared to more than 500 of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died.’ So, at the time this was written, there were still hundreds of people living who had witnessed his miraculous resurrection.
But this was not enough to counter the objections of the person I was speaking with - who answered that there was no proof God existed.
Although I already well-knew key verses from scripture, which I will get to in a moment, at the time, I was defeated to offer a better argument to this claim that there was no positive proof of God. So I did what I always do when stuck over scripture, or something involving God’s mysterious ways. I asked Him directly! In my prayers that evening, I asked why God did not provide definitive proof of his existence to all human beings: so there would be no doubt. And his answer came immediately into my mind. When this happens, and you are given an entirely new train of thought that had not occurred to you before, I believe this is adequate proof that God is talking to you. Where else could such lucid – and new– thoughts come from?
I believe God wants me to deliver that message to you - as well as answering my question. Is this a secret? Not if I tell you! But I think it is not a secret – just a point-of-view we miss. Only God has the Big Picture, and that is why we miss– and miss-understand – so much that affects Him. He seemed to tell me that if he did something which would completely convince everyone on the Earth that he existed, most people would thereafter live in fear of Him. IF they obeyed him, it would be through an undercurrent of fear, not through love or faith.
I truly believe this is His answer to the question of why he does not offer definitive proof. And it makes sense if you think about it. The means God uses to identify those whom he will save – that is - to offer forgiveness of their sins and a life after death, in Heaven – is to look for complete faith in them. When they have that they are ‘born again in the spirit’. And that is reflected in the passage of scripture I will give you at the end of this. If he did something to convince everyone he existed he would nullify faith! Definitive proof would mean that faith is no longer required. So by a Big Reveal, He would nullify the principal factor that marks a true Christian. Remember that one reason Jesus talked in parables was so that only true believers – those exhibiting faith – understood what he was getting at. Some were never expected to attain that position. Evil people have no place in Heaven, for example.
When Jesus spoke in parables, He only explained them to His disciples. But those who had continually rejected His message were left in their spiritual blindness to wonder as to His meaning. Jesus made a clear distinction between those who had been given “ears to hear” and those who persisted in unbelief—“ever hearing, but never actually perceiving, and always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth” (as 2 Timothy 3:7 puts it).
A good human father likes to have faith his children will live a good life without his direct intervention or control: because of the advice he has given them. His children like to have faith that their human father trusts them to do just that, without being ultra-controlling. That is a mutual bond of faith. So it is with our Heavenly Father. This world contains good, bad and evil people. There are those who are born to be saved, but it is up to them to follow through with faith – for only then are they ‘born again’ into the reassurance of God’s saving grace.
So those born again attain the gift of the Holy Spirit who will help them to understand God’s word better. There is a God-filter that ensures only those intended to understand actually ‘Get It’, if I can put it that way. And that is why God does not produce a mighty miracle that gets him onto BBC and Sky News. He uses a discrete method to select those chosen for eternal life. The strength of their faith. That is his holy barometer.
And the piece of scripture which backs all this up – which I already well-knew before God kindly gave me this clarification - is from Hebrews 5. All of Hebrews 5 is about the importance of faith, but the two verses I particularly remember, and which are most relevant here, are these. Verse 1: ‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ So that is God’s definition of faith. And verse 6 says: ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’ So there is the scriptural assurance of what I have been saying. Faith is the key to eternal life.
Does this offer any proof there is a God? No. But it does explain why you will never achieve that proof unless you have faith – the secret key - and you will thereby experience the proof of God in due course. Or in ‘quicker-course’ if you let the presence and peace of the Holy Spirit into your life and become aware of its presence and guidance throughout your life.
So the next time someone says to you there’s no proof that God exists, just remember this reasoning - which squarely puts the onus back on them!
If this article helped you, please feel free to contact me via my website at: iankingsley.com
Thursday, 21 June 2018
The No-Reply Email Customer Service Runaround!
A common big company website problem is their general reluctance to engage in dialogue with their customers - whilst still doing the best and most polite job they can of appearing to care. Their no-reply, extra-polite, emails are an example, and Amazon.com are experts at this. You fill out a form, get their stock but unsatisfactory generic answer, are unable to reply to it to maintain any continuity, and then you have to go all round the same loop again.
I had an interesting variation on this today with Accors Hotels, the parent company of countless hotel chains. Having experience of dealing with their global customer services based somewhere in Africa, I seem to remember, I tried their contact form instead. Clearly there is no email address to use. Now the form specified an Attachment field as Mandatory, meaning you MUST use the field or else the form will not work. Surprise, surprise, I didn't need an attachment. But there was no way round it. So I created a little text document telling them how stupid it was to always demand an attachment, then I tried to attach that file. And guess what. It would NOT attach! So it was a Catch-22 situation. Attach a file if you want to send the form, but there is no way to attach the file.
How about that for an elegant solution to avoiding customer contact? It brings a whole new meaning to Trial and Error!
I had an interesting variation on this today with Accors Hotels, the parent company of countless hotel chains. Having experience of dealing with their global customer services based somewhere in Africa, I seem to remember, I tried their contact form instead. Clearly there is no email address to use. Now the form specified an Attachment field as Mandatory, meaning you MUST use the field or else the form will not work. Surprise, surprise, I didn't need an attachment. But there was no way round it. So I created a little text document telling them how stupid it was to always demand an attachment, then I tried to attach that file. And guess what. It would NOT attach! So it was a Catch-22 situation. Attach a file if you want to send the form, but there is no way to attach the file.
How about that for an elegant solution to avoiding customer contact? It brings a whole new meaning to Trial and Error!
Monday, 4 June 2018
Companies Need to Realise Email Addresses Actually Change!
Companies need to realise email addresses actually change. Yes, really! After a couple of decades using an email address tied to a website that I ran I sold the website and had to cope with changing my email address with numerous company websites. Fortunately I had them all listed on a spreadsheet, together with usernames and passwords, etc. Even if it had been a straightforward matter of going to each website, locating the contact information, changing it, logging out, then logging back in again to make sure it had really changed, this alone would have been a mammoth task. Trust me, the number of sites I'm talking about is well into three figures! But that would have been easy - IF the websiste owners actually catered for someone trying to do something so dastardly and inconsiderate as changing their email address. 'How dare they!' seemed to be the general attitude.
Here are SOME of the problems I encountered, and this is not even an exhaustive list!
I'm not just talking about the little guys here. I've had troubles with Amazon, Npower, Accor Hotels, Autotrader, and other big names.
Are website owners aware of the huge fines they can face for infringing data protection requirements now. So: HELLO! EMAIL ADDRESS CAN CHANGE!
So, bottom line. WEBSITE OWNERS: PLEASE ALLOW USERS OR CLIENTS TO CHANGE THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS ONLINE. OK, sure, there are security issues. But knowing the security answers should allow users to prove themselves. The hurdles are generally quite high already where it matters.
Guys, get your acts together!
Here are SOME of the problems I encountered, and this is not even an exhaustive list!
- Some sites used email addresses as usernames as well. This means that even if you manage to change the email address for communications, you are forced to use the old email address to logon. (Never good idea for organisations to have the same information in more than one location. Asking for trouble - ie a human interface. This is what databases are for: one location for one piece of information so it only needs changing once!)
- Some sites allowed you to change the contact information except, when you logged out and back in again - it was stuck on the old information. (Waiting a week or so to see if a human was involved never seemed to bear fruit!)
- Some sites had NO PROVISION to change the email address at all! (Data protection, folks! Are you going going to send data to the wrong people because you cannot be bothered to sort the problem out? Couple this with the tendency to avoid giving any contact information and you reall run ito problems. Both the user and the data protection defaulting website owner.)
- There are sites which actually name your account after your email address. For example, Microsoft, no less, do this and, although I successfully changed my email address and deleted my old email address in my profile, the account name is still named after my old email address! (How weird is that for one of the world's biggest companies?)
- Travelodge already knew my new email address and their alternative one. So that prevented me adding it as my primary one. But it is not possible to delete the primary one - or make it the same as the alternative one. So this is a Catch 22 situation. No way to change it without personal contact - and past experience at doing this is that it is not worth the hassle. Easier to open a new account! You see? Even the big players make changing your email a nightmare!
- Some sites asked you to contact them to change things - then did not respond (or maybe responded you an old and invalid email address.
- Some sites manage to communicate with the new email address but still also sent copies (or ALL communications) to the old email address - and a new owner of the domain, hence going against new data protection requirements be disclosing private data. (Data protection, folks)
I'm not just talking about the little guys here. I've had troubles with Amazon, Npower, Accor Hotels, Autotrader, and other big names.
Are website owners aware of the huge fines they can face for infringing data protection requirements now. So: HELLO! EMAIL ADDRESS CAN CHANGE!
So, bottom line. WEBSITE OWNERS: PLEASE ALLOW USERS OR CLIENTS TO CHANGE THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS ONLINE. OK, sure, there are security issues. But knowing the security answers should allow users to prove themselves. The hurdles are generally quite high already where it matters.
Guys, get your acts together!
Wednesday, 9 May 2018
UK Retirement Standards
It's said that when you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there. I'm starting out with a joke, because what follows may bring tears to your eyes in you're British. And, if you're at your wit's end about money, maybe take this as a GREAT INCENTIVE to SAVE REGULARLY from an early age... to protect yourself in retirement.
I'm going to to give you a few worldwide stats about pensions and retirement - always a tricky issue. But it's SO good to think the UK's not a Third World country when it comes to things like this, isn't it? Or is it?
I've got some shocking facts for you, of which younger folks should take note. Believe it or not, there are some countries where pensions actually EXCEED earnings! ... Yes! The Netherlands, for example, typically get 101% of earnings. I'm here to give you the shocking fact that in a table of 45 countries before me, we come NEXT TO BOTTOM at 29%. ONLY South Africa, is worse, at 17%. Can you BELIEVE it? Turkey gets 102%, and Croatia - the HIGHEST - gets - wait for it - 129%! So they get more in Croatia by retiring than working. Here are a few more figures: Poland 39%, Ireland 42%, Switzerland 45%, US 49%, Germany 51%, Estonia and Slovenia 57%, Lithuania 71%, Brazil 76%, Cyprus& China 83%, Bulgaria 89%, Italy 93%, and India 99%. BELIEVE it or NOT!
So, still think we're NOT a Third World economy? THIS, a country in which many in their late sixties and seventies, find the need to work on. So what is going on? And, you know what? It gets worse. Those countries with the highest pensions also have the highest percentage of home ownership. Here are some examples: Romania, 96%, Croatia and China 90%, India 87%, Poland 84%, running down to US and UK both at 64%.
So, I repeat. What is going on? How do we improve our world sensibility rankings? I'm guessing that the people in countries with higher pensions and home ownership focus more on acquiring what they can actually afford to BUY, as opposed what they can afford to RENT. Prior to the financial crash, the banks were inviting us weekly to borrow more and live for the day.The result is repenting in the morrow.
Do you remember a radio show where the farmer's phrase "I think the answer lies in the soil," was famous? Somehow, I don't think that's the answer to this problem. I think the answer lies in avoidance of debt, rather than collective heads in the sand. And, maybe, no longer thinking our country is responsible for policing the rest of the world. Those top rankers only focus on their OWN country. Time to think about our FUTURE standard of living, I think, rather than just our PRESENT one.
I'm going to to give you a few worldwide stats about pensions and retirement - always a tricky issue. But it's SO good to think the UK's not a Third World country when it comes to things like this, isn't it? Or is it?
I've got some shocking facts for you, of which younger folks should take note. Believe it or not, there are some countries where pensions actually EXCEED earnings! ... Yes! The Netherlands, for example, typically get 101% of earnings. I'm here to give you the shocking fact that in a table of 45 countries before me, we come NEXT TO BOTTOM at 29%. ONLY South Africa, is worse, at 17%. Can you BELIEVE it? Turkey gets 102%, and Croatia - the HIGHEST - gets - wait for it - 129%! So they get more in Croatia by retiring than working. Here are a few more figures: Poland 39%, Ireland 42%, Switzerland 45%, US 49%, Germany 51%, Estonia and Slovenia 57%, Lithuania 71%, Brazil 76%, Cyprus& China 83%, Bulgaria 89%, Italy 93%, and India 99%. BELIEVE it or NOT!
So, still think we're NOT a Third World economy? THIS, a country in which many in their late sixties and seventies, find the need to work on. So what is going on? And, you know what? It gets worse. Those countries with the highest pensions also have the highest percentage of home ownership. Here are some examples: Romania, 96%, Croatia and China 90%, India 87%, Poland 84%, running down to US and UK both at 64%.
So, I repeat. What is going on? How do we improve our world sensibility rankings? I'm guessing that the people in countries with higher pensions and home ownership focus more on acquiring what they can actually afford to BUY, as opposed what they can afford to RENT. Prior to the financial crash, the banks were inviting us weekly to borrow more and live for the day.The result is repenting in the morrow.
Do you remember a radio show where the farmer's phrase "I think the answer lies in the soil," was famous? Somehow, I don't think that's the answer to this problem. I think the answer lies in avoidance of debt, rather than collective heads in the sand. And, maybe, no longer thinking our country is responsible for policing the rest of the world. Those top rankers only focus on their OWN country. Time to think about our FUTURE standard of living, I think, rather than just our PRESENT one.
Thursday, 3 May 2018
Go[o]d v. Evil
This post is about good and evil... and God and evil.
How can God allow evil people and organisations achieve such powers of destruction? Whether we're talking Hitler or ISIL, it is hard for people to contemplate the juxtaposition of such things and a loving God. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury recently admitted to struggling with his faith over such matters. (Not sure that helps a lot, Justin.)
Things like this are responsible for many people NOT believing in a loving God - or any God, for that matter. Take the tragic death of a spouse or relative. The murder of a child. Bad things done by members of the Church. How can God allow such things?
Well here's my view on the matter, in case it helps anyone. The world is as we see it. That's pretty much the way scientists see it - except in matters of fine detail where their 'beliefs' tend to change with time. And that word 'belief' is an important one. Science, you see, 'believes' what it has theorised or thinks it has proven so far, but frequently new theories come along and those beliefs have to change. Given this, a scientist should look more kindly on those whose less complex belief is in God. A scientist can prove little of what he believes, and he cannot disprove what a Christian believes - except perhaps a few of the fine details like the method of creation.
The world is as it is. As we see it. And that is the way God created it. In a masterpiece of creativity, his thought became our universe, our realm of creation, and that is where we exist. Clever stuff? Yes, but hang on. You create worlds which seem just as real to your perceptions on a regular basis: in dreams!
Yes, evolution has played an enormous part in our physical selves, and that was all part of the natural development of the world God created. There are different levels of 'good' within it, no matter how we define the term, and another term used to describe the negative extreme of good is 'evil'. Through the graduations of behaviour we label as good or evil, it is inevitable there will be evil. That is all part of the free-flowing nature of creation.
God created a system which appears to follow rules or theories. But almost anything can appear to have rules if you go to extremes of modelling it (like weather forecasting). The fact we have weather forecasting models that boil down to rules does not mean the weather actually follows any rules. God does not chose to interfere with this realm of existence, although he has given us guidelines, which religions document: as guidelines or 'rules'. God is, no doubt, entertained by the evolving nature of this creation but, like a human father, he prefers to let his children - us - make our own way in the world. Why would he want to control everything? What would be the value of a creation where he had to control the movement of every grain of sand, the path of every falling leaf... or the actions of ever-interacting human beings? He prefers to give us freedom and to delight in those individuals who follow paths of good. Good will ultimately prevail, for evil would be self-destructive, and what creator wants to destruct his creation? So evil people and organisations can exist. It is up to the powers of good in the world to destroy them. How do we know what is good and what is evil? That is where true and trusted religions come in: such as Christianity; in their case they have the Holy Bible - which the believe to have been 'God-inspired'. (But since human beings wrote it, and had a cap on their levels of understanding, there is scope for some misinterpretation and human error here and there. (Not to mention the fact that powers have changed its wording through the centuries.)
If you believe there is a devil as the ultimate essence of evil then such an entity would most delight in fooling people who start out believing in God and then turn their behaviour into the opposite of what should be their true aims. What a laugh for the devil - and what an achievement. ISIL is an example of this: religion gone wrong to the extreme. And nations all over the world can see it is wrong.
There are different ways to accept a God, and it it wrong for a particular religion to disparage another if it also believes in one God.
Christians believe there is an afterlife - Heaven - and that, of course, is another realm of existence. Jesus told a repenting criminal on an adjacent cross to him at his crucifixion that he would be together with him in Heaven that very day. And if there is an alternative existence for believers who die, one we are led to believe is a better one than the physical world, that puts a whole new complexion on people dying; they can move on to a better world. Our point of view is restricted to this life, but God's is not. He can see his other creations. He can see the better lives that exist for those souls who had a bad deal in this world. And so must you. Think about the wider picture, think about the freedom God gives us in this creation, think about the promises he makes about a better life after death if we believe in him, and just understand this world is a world of freedom. It is up to use to identify and eliminate evil using the uncorrupted word of God. And that is where things go wrong: when activists believe in a corrupted idea about the word of God. And that is why God and evil coexist.
It is up to each and everyone of us to determine the right path. Deep within our selves God provides the means for us to judge between right and wrong.
When you 'get it' and add 'oh' to your understanding of God... you will see the Good.
How can God allow evil people and organisations achieve such powers of destruction? Whether we're talking Hitler or ISIL, it is hard for people to contemplate the juxtaposition of such things and a loving God. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury recently admitted to struggling with his faith over such matters. (Not sure that helps a lot, Justin.)
Things like this are responsible for many people NOT believing in a loving God - or any God, for that matter. Take the tragic death of a spouse or relative. The murder of a child. Bad things done by members of the Church. How can God allow such things?
Well here's my view on the matter, in case it helps anyone. The world is as we see it. That's pretty much the way scientists see it - except in matters of fine detail where their 'beliefs' tend to change with time. And that word 'belief' is an important one. Science, you see, 'believes' what it has theorised or thinks it has proven so far, but frequently new theories come along and those beliefs have to change. Given this, a scientist should look more kindly on those whose less complex belief is in God. A scientist can prove little of what he believes, and he cannot disprove what a Christian believes - except perhaps a few of the fine details like the method of creation.
The world is as it is. As we see it. And that is the way God created it. In a masterpiece of creativity, his thought became our universe, our realm of creation, and that is where we exist. Clever stuff? Yes, but hang on. You create worlds which seem just as real to your perceptions on a regular basis: in dreams!
Yes, evolution has played an enormous part in our physical selves, and that was all part of the natural development of the world God created. There are different levels of 'good' within it, no matter how we define the term, and another term used to describe the negative extreme of good is 'evil'. Through the graduations of behaviour we label as good or evil, it is inevitable there will be evil. That is all part of the free-flowing nature of creation.
God created a system which appears to follow rules or theories. But almost anything can appear to have rules if you go to extremes of modelling it (like weather forecasting). The fact we have weather forecasting models that boil down to rules does not mean the weather actually follows any rules. God does not chose to interfere with this realm of existence, although he has given us guidelines, which religions document: as guidelines or 'rules'. God is, no doubt, entertained by the evolving nature of this creation but, like a human father, he prefers to let his children - us - make our own way in the world. Why would he want to control everything? What would be the value of a creation where he had to control the movement of every grain of sand, the path of every falling leaf... or the actions of ever-interacting human beings? He prefers to give us freedom and to delight in those individuals who follow paths of good. Good will ultimately prevail, for evil would be self-destructive, and what creator wants to destruct his creation? So evil people and organisations can exist. It is up to the powers of good in the world to destroy them. How do we know what is good and what is evil? That is where true and trusted religions come in: such as Christianity; in their case they have the Holy Bible - which the believe to have been 'God-inspired'. (But since human beings wrote it, and had a cap on their levels of understanding, there is scope for some misinterpretation and human error here and there. (Not to mention the fact that powers have changed its wording through the centuries.)
If you believe there is a devil as the ultimate essence of evil then such an entity would most delight in fooling people who start out believing in God and then turn their behaviour into the opposite of what should be their true aims. What a laugh for the devil - and what an achievement. ISIL is an example of this: religion gone wrong to the extreme. And nations all over the world can see it is wrong.
There are different ways to accept a God, and it it wrong for a particular religion to disparage another if it also believes in one God.
Christians believe there is an afterlife - Heaven - and that, of course, is another realm of existence. Jesus told a repenting criminal on an adjacent cross to him at his crucifixion that he would be together with him in Heaven that very day. And if there is an alternative existence for believers who die, one we are led to believe is a better one than the physical world, that puts a whole new complexion on people dying; they can move on to a better world. Our point of view is restricted to this life, but God's is not. He can see his other creations. He can see the better lives that exist for those souls who had a bad deal in this world. And so must you. Think about the wider picture, think about the freedom God gives us in this creation, think about the promises he makes about a better life after death if we believe in him, and just understand this world is a world of freedom. It is up to use to identify and eliminate evil using the uncorrupted word of God. And that is where things go wrong: when activists believe in a corrupted idea about the word of God. And that is why God and evil coexist.
It is up to each and everyone of us to determine the right path. Deep within our selves God provides the means for us to judge between right and wrong.
When you 'get it' and add 'oh' to your understanding of God... you will see the Good.
Allergies - Modern Living and Me
I watched the BBC Horizon programme called Allergies - Modern Living and Me.
Its interesting conclusion was that in order for a human being to be
healthy it needs to be subject to to the right bacteria from birth in
order that it can educate our bodies. We need the right amount - and diversity -
of good bacteria if we are to be healthy. Amazingly, normal birth
through the vagina envelops a baby in important bacteria right from the
start. So those born by Caesarean
section immediately get off to a bad start - especially since they are often then exposed to a less beneficial bacteria in intensive care wards. And if infants - especially those younger than 1-year old - are given antibiotic courses, while these might be necessary to kill off bad bacteria, the collateral damage they do of also killing off good bacteria can lead to life-long allergies. It also explains why we should try to avoid antibiotics at any time, if we can. We need those health-giving mini-beasties, and antibiotics work like a sledge-hammer to squash them all.
It appears that modern living in sanitised surroundings, often far removed from the bacteria of the great outdoors, is also a factor, especially for growing children. So getting them out there in the open air and that outdoor bacteria that our ancestors knew and loved will help to programme their bodies to live a happier and healthier life. This lack of engagement with the great outdoors is almost certainly responsible for less healthy individuals, so if you love your children, get them outdoors poking around for beasties. Horizon showed that this outdoor bacteria is easily brought inside, and then spread around, and that the family dog is a great ambassador in doing just that. So get out to the park, in the garden, follow the lead of that dog!
This is all particularly interesting to me because it helps prove just how intimately we interact with the rest of creation. The billions of bacteria we have on us - and especially within our gut - are not just beneficial for our health: they are actually essential to life. And, apparently, what is most important in all this is diversity. One good bacterium is not enough; we need a variety. So while a given probiotic might be great, a diversity of them is 'greater'. And fruit - a 'pre-biotic' - can help us to acquire them. It all begins to add up, doesn't it, including that call for 'five a day'?
So how diverse is your life?
section immediately get off to a bad start - especially since they are often then exposed to a less beneficial bacteria in intensive care wards. And if infants - especially those younger than 1-year old - are given antibiotic courses, while these might be necessary to kill off bad bacteria, the collateral damage they do of also killing off good bacteria can lead to life-long allergies. It also explains why we should try to avoid antibiotics at any time, if we can. We need those health-giving mini-beasties, and antibiotics work like a sledge-hammer to squash them all.
It appears that modern living in sanitised surroundings, often far removed from the bacteria of the great outdoors, is also a factor, especially for growing children. So getting them out there in the open air and that outdoor bacteria that our ancestors knew and loved will help to programme their bodies to live a happier and healthier life. This lack of engagement with the great outdoors is almost certainly responsible for less healthy individuals, so if you love your children, get them outdoors poking around for beasties. Horizon showed that this outdoor bacteria is easily brought inside, and then spread around, and that the family dog is a great ambassador in doing just that. So get out to the park, in the garden, follow the lead of that dog!
This is all particularly interesting to me because it helps prove just how intimately we interact with the rest of creation. The billions of bacteria we have on us - and especially within our gut - are not just beneficial for our health: they are actually essential to life. And, apparently, what is most important in all this is diversity. One good bacterium is not enough; we need a variety. So while a given probiotic might be great, a diversity of them is 'greater'. And fruit - a 'pre-biotic' - can help us to acquire them. It all begins to add up, doesn't it, including that call for 'five a day'?
So how diverse is your life?
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