Introduction
Introduction
Backgrounds and general observations.Spiritual Evidence
for the existence of God.Intellectual Evidence
for the existence of God. Scientific arguments that favor a Creator.More Evidence
If you want proof of God, compare the story of Israel with History and nowadays political developments.Miracles
Do they still happen? A personal testimony.Recommendations
Recommended further readings etc.Love
Thoughts about Love.Sin & Guilt
Pondering about the Christian guilt syndrome.
Since the year 2002 this page showed the challenging text UNDER CONSTRUCTION as if soon something was going to see the light, fact is the page remained empty till now (October 2006) due to feelings of insecurity writing about such an important, personal and complicated issue as faith, eternalized on the Net for everybody to read.
The reason to do anyway is driven by the inner need to share what I have found to be the most important thing in my life (God) instead of safely keeping it to myself in full anonymity withholding others the joy, peace, harmony, security, strength, consolation faith has given me, apparently it took me 4 years to overcome this obstacle.
What greatly helped to cure my hesitations is the Chess Thinkers Forum (abbreviated as CTF) in which I participate since 2001 after the September 11 attacks. It's a group of intellectuals
that (amazingly) discusses anything except chess, instead 90% of the issues are about politics, science and religion. In there the volume of disrespect against issues of faith (Christianity or Islam, at least no difference is made) is so high I back in 2002 overcame my hesitation and began to defend what I cherish as I could not stand the blasphemy any longer.
Nevertheless, despite the intolerance towards religion CTF has been very enlightening for me, I had to rethink many issues and learned a lot as it was not always easy (although mostly it was) to debunk some of the issues that were addressed. Fortunately in CTF there are also a few well educated Christians who know what they are talking about, I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their wisdom and knowledge.
In a nutshell, as strange as it may sound, the CTF forum where free speech is used as a reason to insult God in fact has deepened my faith in God of which I now would like to share some of it. By the way, for those CTF members who feel addressed reading this all, I still love you all although at times it was not always that easy.
Spiritual Evidence for the existence of God
A personal testimony
It was June 1974, Holland was doing great during the World championship Soccer in Germany, I was engaged and was going to marry in December when suddenly out of the blue a problem arised in my easy-going and happy life. While time passed the problem became bigger and bigger up to a point it became despair as it seems there was no way out whatever I did to solve the problem, I was on a dead point in my life.
It was on Saturday September 28, 1974 around 18:00 (while the problem was screaming for a solution) that I realized there was only One who could help me, that is, if He existed. God. The thought was strange (why would God care about my problems) nevertheless I needed little time to make up my mind, went to the sleeping room, took to kneeling position and said, God, if You exist then help me. Not a very devout prayer, quite insulting too...
And then it happened... The words hadn't left my mouth as an overwhelming experience was my part, words fail to describe, all I knew I was in the overwhelming presence of God and was immersed in feelings of Love, Joy, Peace, Pureness, God was all around me and nothing was hidden, it completely purified my soul. Wow.... what an answer!
After the experience (which I estimate took about 5 minutes) I was just sitting on a chair in amazement questioning myself what happened to me, it felt so great but also so very unreal. Then after 30 minutes puzzling I decided that the least I could to was to thank Him and so I kneeled down again. Instantly (I hardly started my words) his presence again came over me, the same flood of Love, Pureness, Holiness, Light, Inner Peace was my part.
It was enough, from that moment on I was a believer, I never questioned the existence of God again, you just can't anymore, that is simply impossible, not after you have met God. I immediately started to research what had happened to me and eventually found the answers in the Bible, (see for instance here), I was hungry to find out more, dealt with certain parts in my life, all by itself, God apparently can do that, the result, a changed life, see here for instance.
Later that evening I met my lovely fiance, buddy and soulmate and she said to me, "what on earth happened to you, you radiate from top to toe!", but I did not tell her, that came later. She surely noticed something remarkable had happened. Being in the presence of God certainly can do that, read for instance the story of Moses when he received the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai, see here. The feelings stayed for 2 days, it slowly faded away.
The problem that triggered all this did not go away, it kept hunting me for another 1½ year to come until it finally resolved itself. Was it worth the trouble? YES!
Intellectual Evidence for the existence of God
Scientific arguments and logic that favor a Creator.
At school we have learned the following: According to the Big Bang theory, 12 to 14 billion years ago the Universe was very small, probably much smaller than a pinhead. The temperatures and pressures inside this microscopic bubble were enormous. This means that it was extremely hot and extremely dense. The birth of the Universe happened when this bubble exploded.Science is telling us everything that exists today came from an exploding bubble with the size smaller than 1 mm³, imagine that for a while. That must have been quite a remarkable, creative and intelligent bubble, it created Time, the Laws of Physics, the Galaxies and last but not least Life. I am lost already, as far as I know explosions do not create but destroy, I can see that on my television every day when new bombs have been exploded in Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan. Nothing good ever came from an explosion, only destruction. This begs the question, what is (was) so different about this particular explosion?
On the other hand science offers a lot of evidence such an event did happen and I have nothing against it because it sounds exactly what is written in Genesis 1, the Creation story. Let's step by step go through some of the issues of the Biblical Creation Story and see how they perfectly match with nowadays scientific findings.
But remember one thing, the Creation story was not revealed to a 21th century scientist but to ancient men with very limited scientific knowledge, today each 12 year old kid has more scientific knowledge than the most educated person of that time. As such Genesis 1 can't be read as a scientific report because mankind was not able to describe what he saw and/or heard in nowadays scientific terms and understandings, he had to use his limited knowledge describing the story that was revealed to him. If God had revealed the Creation Story to a 21th scientist Genesis 1 would be written down much more understandable. But then the generations of the year AD 6102 (or so) would have the same problem reading our 21th century observations. Bottom line: reading with comprehension is required.Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The Big Bang, God calls the Universe into existence.
Genesis 1:2 - And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Very interesting observations from our ancient reporter: 1) the Earth was without form, our ancient reporter probably was witnessing gravity at work when Earth came into existence (see here) and 2) Darkness, the protoplanetary disk (rotating disk of dense gas surrounding the Sun) avoided light to reach the developing Earth, see here.
Genesis 1:3 - And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. The young Sun's solar wind clears away all the gas and dust in the protoplanetary disk, blowing it into interstellar space, thus ending the growth of the planets, see here. The light of the Sun reaches Earth.
Genesis 1:4 - And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. Our planet starts rotating.
Genesis 1:6 - And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Earth's early atmosphere forms, see here.
Genesis 1:9 - And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. Very interesting info from our ancient reporter, apparently back then the whole Earth was covered with water (let the dry land appear!). Amazing isn't it, there are indeed strong indications Earth once was fully covered with water (see here and
) probably describing the creation of Rodina Continent the first continent risen from the waters. Our ancient reporter is a good observer!Genesis 1:11 - And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. Amazing isn't it, that 3300-3400 year old book is still following the exact evolutionary tree as we know it today, see Rendezvous 36 Plants. Yes mister ancient man, you are a reliable reporter, the plants came first and also as it seems little to no information was lost during the transition period that ancient man passed the Creation Story from generation to generation by learning it by head similar to nowadays traditional Jews, they still learn the Thora by head from generation to generation. The survival of the Creation Story is a miracle in itself, no weird stuff slipped in as we know from the hundreds of other Creation Myths, they simply fail the scientific test.
Genesis 1:20 - And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. Also compatible with nowadays scientific findings in the right order, animal life started in the sea, then came the birds, see here. How likely do you estimate the chance a supposedly 4000-6000 ancient man can fantasize such a story and be proven right 4000-6000 years later by nowadays science?
Side note: the Bible is unclear about the author of the Creation Story (Moses, Adam & Eve?) and when and how God revealed the story to him/her. The 4000-6000 number is just a wild guess of me in order to tickle your powers of imagination.
Genesis 1:24 - And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind: and it was so. Science also got this right
, the land animals came after the fish and birds, well done Science.
Genesis 1:26 - And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
Genesis 1:27 - And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Completing the current Evolutionary Tree.
And now for the key question, how on Earth could someone living 4000-6000 years ago in the dawn of civilization precisely report what we only know since 25-50-100-150 years?
Do you have a good answer?
Science and Faith
Are they in conflict?
Not at all. It's a common misconception that Science and Faith are at war, instead they complete each other. Millions of people around the Globe have lost their faith not because of the factual findings of Science but because of philosophical interpretations of the facts. Or as Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900) once said:
It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!
But pure Science never made the claim God does not exist, in stead leading Scientists never excluded God as a logical explanation and first cause. A few examples:
Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.
-- Albert Einstein
So long as the Universe had a beginning, we could suppose it had a Creator.
-- Stephen Hawking
Important Note: to avoid confusion, be aware those two gentlemen do not state here they are believers, as far as I know both are not (were not), they both just don't exclude God.
Questions that demand an Answer
More arguments that favor a Creator.
As a child I asked myself this question: how can God harbor all the believers who ever lived on Earth and who go to heaven? Is heaven big enough to harbor billions of people? Now that I am an adult I realize that was a silly question, God is unlimited. Our Universe consist approximately 100 billion galaxies (we live in the Milky Way Galaxy), each galaxy harbors approximately 400 billion stars (solar systems) of which our Sun is one. Each Sun has a number of planets, our Earth is one of the planets of the Sun, for numbers see here. Leaving out the calculation of planets the Universe contains approximately 40,000 billion stars (Solar Systems).
Is that big?
Consider the estimated number of people ever lived on Earth, according this page 106,456,367,669 so roughly 100 billion. This means that God in afterlife (if He would wish so) could give each person that ever has lived on Earth their own personal 400 solar systems with xx planets! That would be quite a lonely experience! Indeed my question as a child was answered, there are no limits.
Do you still believe in that 1 mm³ exploding bubble that created 400 billion solar systems? Is there any known Natural Law that creates something so big from almost nothing? I still do, as long as there is someone pulling the strings else the suggested creative powers of the Big Bang theory makes no sense to me, just plain logic.
It's true that since 1945 we to a limited extend can create our own Big Bangs from almost nothing, but..... was there any new matter spontaneously generated and/or did it create something? In fact there was only destruction, that's precisely what explosions do, destroy and kill. If there ever was Life in that less than 1 mm³ exploding bubble how could Life ever have survived that Bang?
Questions that demand an Answer
The Origin of Live.
Taken from the Wikipedia: In the physical sciences, the question of the origin of life is the study of the nature in which life is theorized to have evolved from non-life sometime between 3.9 to 3.5 billion years ago. Origin of life studies is a limited field of research despite its profound impact on biology and human understanding of the natural world. Progress in this field is generally slow and sporadic, though it still draws the attention of many due to the eminence of the question being investigated. A few facts give insight into the conditions in which life may have emerged, but the mechanisms by which non-life became life are still elusive.First question, do you know any known Natural Law or chemical process that spontaneously generates self-reproducing Life (the first cell) from dead material? Second question, it's one thing to assume Life (the first cell) under certain conditions came from dead material, it's another giant imaginary step to further assume the formed Life (the first cell) automatically could replicate itself (known as cell division) in order to survive. It's an old dilemma for Science, which came first, the egg or the chicken?
Cell division (the egg) is the biological basis of life (the chicken), see here. The thought the first cell rose from dead material and also immediately could reproduce itself sounds bizarre, especially when we look at the complexity of a cell. We are automatically moving to the next subject, complexity.
Questions that demand an Answer
Complexity.
Let's first consider the complexity of a cell.
"The human genome is made up of DNA, which has four different chemical building blocks. These are called bases and abbreviated A, T, C, and G. In the human genome, about 3 billion bases are arranged along the chromosomes in a particular order for each unique individual. To get an idea of the size of the human genome present in each of our cells, consider the following analogy: If the DNA sequence of the human genome were compiled in books, the equivalent of 200 volumes the size of a Manhattan telephone book (at 1000 pages each) would be needed to hold it all."
The Human Genome Project.
A cell is far more complicated than any machinery built by man so how could such a complex organism rose from dead material by chance? World-renowned astronomer Sir Fred Holye said it this way:This and all the other raised questions on this page can only be answered in one satisfying way, a causal agent with super-intellect outside of the realm of the Universe is behind all of this and set things in motion by triggering the Big Bang after first having stored all the needed code in that 1 mm³ bubble and I believe that God was that First Cause. The Boeing-747 isn't the work of randomness but agents driven by intelligence and a specific goal made it possible.
A junkyard contains all the bits and pieces of a Boeing-747, dismembered and in disarray. A whirlwind happens to blow through the yard. What is the chance that after its passage a fully assembled 747, ready to fly, will be found standing there?
Amazing figures, enough to make any hardcore atheist to scratch his head and rethink his position. But as I (so far) have learned from the CTF forum, a hardcore atheist can not find God for the same reason a thief can not find a policeman.
Questions that demand an Answer
The fine-tuned Universe.
Taken from the Wikipedia: The premise of the fine-tuned universe assertion is that any small change in the twenty or so physical constants would make the universe radically different: if, for example, the electron's charge were slightly different, or if the strong nuclear force were only 2% stronger, diprotons would be stable and hydrogen would fuse too easily, making stars as we know them impossible and prevent the universe from developing life as we know it.Taken from the book: Big Bang Refined by Fire by Dr. Hugh Ross, 1998.
- The strong nuclear force constant : if larger, no hydrogen would form; atomic nuclei for most life-essential elements
would be unstable; thus, no life chemistry. If smaller, no elements heavier than hydrogen would form: again,
no life chemistry.
- The weak nuclear force constant : if larger, too much hydrogen would convert to helium in the big bang; hence, stars
would convert too much matter into heavy elements making life chemistry impossible. If smaller, too little
helium would be produced from big bang; hence stars would convert too little matter into heavy elements making
life chemistry impossible.
- The gravitational force constant : if larger, stars would be too hot and would burn too rapidly and too unevenly
for life chemistry. If smaller, stars would be too cool to ignite nuclear fusion; thus, many of the elements needed
for life chemistry would never form.
- The electromagnetic force constant : if greater, chemical bonding would be disrupted; elements more massive than boron would be unstable to fission. If lesser, chemical bonding would be insufficient for life chemistry.
The complete (34 points) list can be found here.
Fortunately (for us) all the physical constants contain a value that precisely fall into the range that allow Life.
Another coincidence.....?
Questions that demand an Answer
Some final remarks.
This ends my limited knowledge of Science. If you have find any factual error please contact me at the CTF forum and I will make the needed changes. I am also open to discuss and/or exemplify my philosophical interpretations of the facts.
Now before we move to the astonishing history of Israel (another fingerprint of God) let's end this hard stuff with a lightly joke about Science which says it all.
One day a group of Darwinian scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one Darwinian to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.My personal definition of Science: Science is the study how God did it.
The Darwinian walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."
God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the Darwinian was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this? Let's say we have a man-making contest." To which the Darwinian happily agreed.
God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."
The Darwinian said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.
God looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!!!!"
Israel
Israel in the Bible versus History and your local newspaper, what do they have in common?
Short answer: they match.
It is often said, if you want proof of God, compare the story of Israel with History and nowadays political developments. Let's examine some of the astonishing predictions made 2000-2500 year ago by various authors concerning Israel and ask yourself the question how likely it is that various ancient people could fantasize such a story and proven right thousands of years later.
Deuteronomy 28:64-67 - Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods - gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known.
65 Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart.
66 You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.
67 In the morning you will say, "If only it were evening!" and in the evening, "If only it were morning!" - because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.
Written down approximately 3500 year ago by Moses and fulfilled 1500-1600 year later when the Romans destructed Jerusalem in AD 70 also known as the start of the Jewish Diaspora, the scattering of the Jews among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other starts here.
Questions that demand a good answer:
- Can you mention throughout history any former existing nation or culture that has been scattered among the world as much as the Jewish people ?
- Can you mention throughout history any former existing nation or culture that has been scattered among the world as much as the Jewish people and moreover has it recorded in great detail as a prediction written down 1500 years ago ?
- Do you think the timing of the fulfillment of the Deuteronomy 28:64 prediction took place in AD 70 (just 40 years after the Jews crucified Jesus Christ) was an accident or is the timing related to the last drop of God's inexhaustible patience with the sins of Israel that God set the whole series of (conditional!) curses written down in Deuteronomy 28 in motion more likely? Why not in 500 BC or 1200 AD, why just 40 years after the Jews killed the Most Precious God had?, why in that period? Another coincidence ?
Anti-Semitism
Why is the World so obsessed about Jews?
Short answer: because Deuteronomy 28 says so.
Let's examine the second part of the prediction made in Deuteronomy 28
Deuteronomy 28:65-67 - Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart.
66 You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.
67 In the morning you will say, "If only it were evening!" and in the evening, "If only it were morning!" - because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.
Things to ponder about:
- Can you mention throughout history any race or culture that has been hated and persecuted (with as absolute low-point the Nazi Holocaust) as much as the Jews ?
AD 70-1200
AD 1200-1800
AD 1800-1946
- Why is it that even in the 21th Century in some parts of the World anti-semitism is still present and even flourishes?
Recent video's of leading Islamic figures about Jews.
Current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling for the destruction of Israel.
Report on Global Anti-Semitism
And so on.
Even today Jews around the Globe are not safe, see the report on Global Rising Anti-Semitism, their sin: they are Jews.
The World's madness and obsession with Jews has no limits.
Besides, do you know any other ancient writing that made such verifiable predictions?
1948
Israel arises from the dust.
Let's move to a whole series of astonishing and verifiable predictions made about 2500 years ago, the rebirth of Israel in 1948 after 1900 years of exile!
1948 announced 2500 years ago.
And now for the questions:
Also to ponder about:
- Do you know any other group of people that has survived so many centuries of worldwide dispersion and managed to preserve their ancient culture, their ancient religion and their ancient language?
Answer: None.
- What other group of people, after enduring 19 centuries of exile, has been able to return in large numbers to their ancient homeland and even reclaim sovereignty over a significant portion of it?
Answer: None. Only the Jews.
- What other group or nation had prophets who said that their people would be exiled and scattered worldwide, and that they would remain a distinct, viable group of people, and that they would one day return to their ancient homeland and reclaim it as their own land?
Answer: None. Only the Jews.
God promised the newborn Israel safety and that they never would be taken again. Israel survived 4 wars in which it had to fight for its existence. In 1948 immediately following the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel, Egyptian, Syrian, Iraqi, Jordanian, and Lebanese forces invaded the newly formed state on all fronts. Israel was victorious despite the superior numbers of the attackers. 4 times lucky or divine protection?
You pick.... but you can't deny the accuracy of that 3500 year old Book and its trustworthy predictions.
Recommended further readings
In case you want to know more.
If you want to know more about the hundreds of other predictions made in the Bible I found the web-site AboutBibleProphecy.com a very interesting and detailed one.
As a young Christian with very limited knowledge of the Bible the book The Late Great Planet Earth was a true revelation for me. In a refreshing and easy to read style (even if you have zero knowledge) the author introduces the reader into the subjects discussed on this page. With over 35 million sold copies, translated into 54 languages the book is more relevant today than when it was written in 1969. You can order the book directly from the author. ISBN: 0-310-27771-X
Miracles
A personal testimony.
It was 1979, we just moved to a new house in Deventer, at the time we had 2 daughters one of 3 and 1 of year old. Now the oldest one was the rebellious type, we told her time and time again her playing space outside was limited to the road which was about 50 meters from our house.
The road itself wasn't the main problem as there was not so much traffic, the main and big problem started when you had crossed the road. After the road you entered a field of grass which after 5-6 meters suddenly went down so sharply that no 3 year old kid could keep the balance and it would fall into the pond that came directly after that.
But that was not all, the dividing height between the water and the grass was so high (20-25 cm) and precipitous that any adult would have had a hard time climbing out the pond, for a 3 year old child that was impossible and of course on that age kids can't swim.
I assume you already guess where the story is going to, but let me proceed. The woman next door (on the second floor so she could see all) was cleaning her bedroom and she saw my little one crossing the road. She kept looking and saw my little one lose the balance and tumble into the pond.
In panic she ran down the stairs, crossed the road on her way to get my daughter out of the water, it took here 30-40 seconds to arrive. However when she arrived on the field of grass she saw my little one standing on her feet on the field of grass her clothes were dripping wet all over.
When the neighbour woman arrived she asked my little one, "How did you get out of the water?". To the astonishment of the neighbour woman my daughter replied, "There was a hand that took me, lifted me up and put me here".
The neighbour woman looked around from who that hand could have been but nobody was around, not in the wide vista. That was no big surprise as it was a place nobody ever came in the first place.
The neighbour woman brought my little one home and told us the story, after the shock of the experience our curiosity awakened and we asked our little one several times, "who took you out of the water?", but my daughter kept repeating there was nobody and that a hand took here, lifted her up and put her on the dry.
Needless to say we were most thankful to God and we realised that our prayers for the protection of our kids weren't a case of unnecessary luxury.
The place is still in its original state, see the following picture, the orange brush being the place the neighbour woman saw my daughter tumble into the pond, the blue brush being about the place of my (naughty) just 3 year old little one fell into the pond, the yellow brush being the place where the neighbour woman found my dripping wet all over daughter about 30-40 seconds after she had tumbled into the pond.
Any good explanation?
Love
Under Construction.
Sin & Guilt
Under Construction.