Thoughts of He

Favorite Bible Verses/Stories

2010-06-13T00:35:00.000-07:00

Leviticus 11:44 For I am the LORD your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.

1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

1 Kings 18 - Elijah on Mt Carmel

Time

2007-08-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

Time plays a major role in Christian Theology whether we realize it or not. For instance, one of the major reasons the church supports the Trinitarian view is because of time. The thought is that Jesus must have always existed because if he didn't always exist then there must have been a point in time where God thought to create him. However, God exists outside of time, so that cannot be true; ergo Jesus has always existed. There are other theologies that follow similar logic, so the notion of time, and God's existence outside of time, are large players in theology.

Recently, I was reading a book by Gregory Benford called Beyond Infinity. I can't say the book was all that good, but it brought to my attention the thought of multiple time dimensions. Scientists are still postulating what time really is, but there is no reason why there couldn't be multiple dimensions of time just as there are multiple dimensions of space. If that is the case, then there is no reason that God couldn't exist in his own temporal dimension that spawned ours, but still be entirely outside of ours. In that case, the days of Genesis could be completely literal for his time dimension and the idea that a day is like a thousand years could also be taken more literally.

I like the idea of God existing in his own time that is separate from ours. I think it solves a lot of tough theological problems in an elegant manner.

The fall

2006-11-27T21:37:00.000-08:00

A couple of things I thought about recently in my quest to intertwine the Bible with modern Science. Perhaps more accurate would be modern pseudo-science: the science of the spirit.

First, I've been pondering how a fruit can embue humans with the knowledge that they are naked. I don't know of any substance that can give us that kind of awareness. However, I think there is another explanation. What if, when the serpent said that eating the fruit would make a human like God, he meant by the introduction of a concience - or a spirit. In other words, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, it signified that humans were ready to receive a spirit. No, slightly different. When humans displayed free will, God had to give us a spirit to help guide us. He had to embue us with part of himself, to make us strong enough to hold off against the hard choices that The Accuser would present to us. It was not the fruit itself that gave Adam and Eve their souls; instead it was a consequence of the choice.

Second, it is often said that Satan was thrown from Heaven because he wished to be God. He wanted to be in control. That makes sense, but usually there is a spark issue. Much like the death of Archiduke Franz Ferdinand "caused" WWI, I believe there was a "cause" to Satan's excommunication from Heaven. I believe that cause was possession. There are a number of cases of demonic posession in the Bible, but no cases of heavenly possession. Granted, the Holy Spirit can fill us, and we can allow it to work through us, but it does not control us. However, demonic posession manifests itself with the demon in control of the body. Perhaps the mention in the Bible where the Sons of God married the Daughters of Men had something to do with humans that were being controlled by soon to be Demons. God probably forbade this practice and Satan and his followers rebelled. They enjoyed humanly pleasures, they enjoyed the power of controlling a physical body. They did not want to stop, so God threw them out of Heaven and banished them to roam the Earth that they worshiped so much.

Good Series on David

2006-10-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

I have to recommend Turning Point's current series The Tender Warrior. I've been listening to parts of it on the radio and hope to be able to purchase it soon. It is a great series about David and his conflicts with lust and pride. I know that I have personally been affected by this series and I think God could speak to you through it, too. We can all learn something from the way David failed and still remained a man after God's own heart.

Baptism

2006-09-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

I was surfing the web for nothing in particular when I saw a web site that said "We believe in water baptism." To which, I thought: I do, too. Why? I know the biblical reasons why I believe in water baptism, but this blog doesn't explore that. This blog is to explore the scientific reasons behind the Bible's brilliance.

It seems that water has some interesting properties. It seems to take on the "energy" of what is around it. For instance, if you are full of bad energy, the water will crystalize poorly. However, with positive energy, the water, when frozen, will crystalize beautifully. Considering we are mostly water, this has some interesting implications. I believe it may also explain why we submerse ourselves in water. We are attempting to transfer the bad energy we have into the water, so we can emerge clean.

A couple of links
http://www.0disease.com/0emoto.html
http://www.pureinsight.org/pi/index.php?news=1519
http://www.lightconnectiononline.com/Archive/jan05_article1.htm

Wake Up!

2006-06-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

A coworker of mine invited me to his church this Sunday (today). I thanked him and told him I would love to come visit. I have to say that I'm a habitual oversleeper, but I fully intended to take him up on his offer. I set my alarm clock for 8:00, which would give me plenty of time to get there before the service started at 10:00. I woke up when the alarm went off and turned the alarm off. I began thinking of excuses to allow me to go back to sleep. I thought of a good enough one and faded off into dream land.

At this point I have to make an aside. I talk to God. Many people talk to God, I imagine. Our prayers are designed to do that very thing. But, I may be a little odd because I believe God talks to me. Now, you are free to stop reading at this point, call me a lunatic, and move on. I won't hold a grudge. In fact, I'll offer up the opinion that it might just be my subconcious. I don't hear audible noices: the only words are in my head. Nevertheless, I hear the words and I feel they are from God. Your milage may vary.

Ok, back to the matter at hand. I was sleeping, perhaps a little restlessly after being woken up and running excuses through my subconcious, when God spoke to me. He said, very clearly in my mind, "My children don't go to Church at their convienence". The message was very clear. It was 8:35 AM. What was I to do? I got up, took a shower, got dressed, and went to my friends church. It was very moving - a very warm and friendly church. I look forward to taking my family there when they arrive from Arkansas. God is not always so blunt with me, so I appreciate the reminder that he still cares for me. I also hope I showed I still care for him.

Spiritual Science

2006-06-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

I have been, unfortunately, stuck in a hotel room for the past two weeks. Hopefully, I will find a house to rent this week and I can move out of the hotel. But for now, I'm stuck with about 8 TV channels and a number of books I brought with me. I can only read for so long before my eyes start to give out and my ears start to yearn for another's voice. Last night, that voice came from Penn and Teller. Despite my hotel not having very many channels, it does have 3 channels of showtime. On this night, the first showtime channel was playing Penn and Teller: Bullshit! - Abstenance. In this show, Penn and Teller (well one of them, the other doesn't talk - not sure which is which) went through the virtues of sex and how the religious right were just crazed lunatics. They talked about the health benefits of sex and how schools should teach safe sex and masterbation instead of abstenance because statistics have shown 80% of those in abstinance only programs engage in pre-marital sex; therefore, those programs don't work. They brought out Jocyln Elders and Ph.D.'s in sexology and even some from abstinance only programmes (though they mainly just made fun of them).

In their defense, it was not meant to be "fair and balanced." It was designed to demonstrate that their viewpoint was the enlightened one, backed by the latest scientific evidence: instead of the crank religious right's viewpoint which is only backed by 5000 years of tradition and mysticism. I laughed at their arrogance and thier egotism. Their naivete at what they don't know is astounding. I fully admit that there exists a plethora of information that I'm not aware of. In a world where information is king, I am but a jester. I firmly believe that we only know a small fraction of what we could know and touting scientific studies as proof of anything is just lunacy.

The Bible is full of information on how to live your life, both physically and spiritually. It describes interactions in two very different worlds. It discusses how changes in the spiritual world greatly affect the physical. In our modern era of science and experimentation, we know those to be the ramblings of ancient and ignorant peoples. They could only explain the world they knew by creating a world they didn't know.

Recent superstring theory tries to unify gravity and quantum mechanics through the vibration of unfathomably small strings. If a string vibrates a certain way, it produces an electron, a different way would produce a neutrino, and so on for all the sub-atomic particles. According to their theory, our universe is a cosmic symphony. Being a music lover, I like that. I like to think that we are all working to produce a harmony. Currently, it is the leading theory in the push to find the GUT (grand unifying theory) and it is gaining quite a bit of momentum. But, there is one oddity to the theory. It requires spacetime to have not 4 dimensions, like we are used to (3 of space, 1 of time), but in fact 10 or 11 dimensions (9 or 10 of space, 1 of time). Scientists often pose thoughts as to where these spacial dimensions are, but no answer has been widely accepted. A common answer is that the dimensions are curled up into a ball so tiny that we cannot see them. We pass through them without even knowing it. Another common answer is that they dimensions are vast (like the 3 with live in), but we have no faculties for noticing them. They are all around us, a shadow world that we cannot see or touch. According to the latest scientific research there is a world all around us that we cannot hear, see, touch, or explore. And they call religious people mysics.

I know that the spiritual world is real. I wonder if it is somehow embedded in those extra 6 or 7 dimensions. If so, then the Bible is not just a guide for how to live in a world you understand, but also how to live in one you can't. Not only must we ask how something will affect our physical selves, but also our spiritual selves - selves that exist in dimensions that we can't penetrate. In the battle against abstinence, one can bring in tons of evidence on how sexual intercourse is medically benefiicial. I certainly don't deny it - nor would any other Christian. That is why sex is an important part of marriage. That is why Paul says not to withhold sex from one another in a marital relationship. It is how we were designed to operate in the physical world. But, we must also ask ourselves how we are to operate in the spiritual dimensions. Is there a spiritual version of an STD? How does marriage affect that portion of our selves? We understand the physical aspects of sex. We understand how nerves react to the stimulus. We understand how hormones affect us. We even understand how not to get pregnant. We don't understand the extra-dimensional properties of sex. What happens to our spirits when we engage in intercourse with another person? Is this food to the spirit? Is it recreation or procreation?

There are so many questions about the spiritual world: ones that are still veiled in mysticism. However, as science advances, so too might our knowledge of these extra dimensions and parts of us that extend into them. Perhaps learning to heal a soul in a spiritual dimension will help reduce the number of crimes in the physical world. I honestly don't know. I don't even know how to look. I can't even begin. I can only think. And dream.

The Cross

2005-12-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

I'm walking in to where I teach to give my final. As I have blogged before, I like to say little prayers during quiet time. In this case, it was a prayer for forgiveness. This led to me to think about why I was asking God for forgiveness. It is, in fact, Jesus crucifixion that grants us our forgiveness from God. Therefore, I should be asking that Jesus crucifixion covers my sins. Wow. That hit me like a 10 ton brick. For us, 2000 years removed, the crucifixion is a historical event, much like the revolutionary war, or for many, the holocaust. However, when I stopped to think about it, I realized that my sinful nature required a good, sinless man to be beaten and killed. How can I ask Jesus to be beaten and killed because I feel sinful? What type of horrible person finds joy in the death of another? But that is exactly what we are asked to do. How do we reconcile our need for forgiveness with our morality? How can we happily ask for forgiveness once we really understand the price? I think forgiveness should not be a happy time, but a thankful one and one of emotional pain for us as we think about the physical pain Jesus had to undergo for us.

Prayer

2005-10-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

I think I stopped praying for things soon after my father died. It never seemed right to me, anyway. The almighty God taking directions from my habitually wrong self just seemed silly. Throughout the old testament there are examples of people praying for miracles and those miracles occurring. They barter with God, asserting that they know what is best for them and that God should be their tool, not their guide. I don't want that. I pray for God to handle all situations in my life as he sees fit. If he is a benevolent God, which seems to be up for some debate, then my life will turn out OK. If he is an apathetic God, then it really won't matter either way. Regardless, I think praying for a football team to win or for any material thing is petty. God is not our personal genie. God should be our King, and King's don't take orders, they give them. So, in my prayers, I thank God for who he is and what he has done, and I ask that he do as he sees fit. What do you do? Leave a comment and let me know.

Evolution

2005-10-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

I might as well chime in on Evolution. To me, it makes no sense. First off, there is no fossil record. If evolution is the end-all-be-all of scientific theories, there should be a plethora of geological evidence. However, there appears to be no links between any animals. Secondly, the theory of evolution was created in the 1800s by two different gentlemen. Since then, it has had no proof, very different from other theories that we have accepted, such as relativity. In addition, throughout nature systems do not evolve, they break down. Mountains become plains, rivers become canyons, things break down.

However, I don't believe in magic. God did not magically speak and have people appear; he created and used science. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I imagine it was akin to a biological volcano. Volcano's create islands by taking a devlolving system (magma) and changing its state into an evolving system (the island). I imagine that something similar happened throughout history at various stages. Fossil evidence does show that changes occurred rapidly over a short period of time, with drastic results as described above. I believe the technical term is spontaneous evolution, and it seems to be picking up momentum. However, most of the populous, including most educators, do not understand the difference. It is a sad state of affairs when our country is battling over intelligent design vs evolution and most people don't understand either state of affairs.

Life

2005-09-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

When does life begin? Life, of course, begins at conception. Eventually, the baby gets things we associate with life such as a heartbeat, the ability to move, and so forth, but the essence of life begins with conception. Should life, therefore, be terminated? Is it horrible to want to end life before it begins? Is it an abomination against God? I certainly hope not because I have killed unborn babies many, many times. I swat flies, I spray for fleas (we have a cat), and I leave out ant traps. Oh, you thought I was writing about human babies? No, not at all. It is amazing how when we discuss Life, we jump to conclusions about its association with Humanity; however, insects, birds, and mammals are all alive.

Value is more than Life, it is also Spirit. When does a (human) baby receive its Spirit? I honestly have no idea. Perhaps the Spirit is received at conception, or perhaps the "Breath of God" is given to a child when it takes its first breath outside the mother. There's no real way to know, so I tend to avoid the Aborition debate. The Bible is fairly silent on the matter, except for a very controversial reference in Exodus 21:22-25, where it appears that a baby's life is worth less than the mother's (though MANY other interpretations exist). How often do we read what we want to read and how often do we misread what we want to misread? But, all in all, protecting life doesn't sound like such a bad idea - unless its flies, fleas, or ants...

What is a Church?

2005-09-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

I often rail against the larger churches that give away free toasters when you join up. So, I have to ask myself, what is a church? If I had to create my own church, what would I do? How would it be structured? Would it reflect God, or me?

To take the long route, let's consider my Grandmother. She is in her 90s. She has a hard time doing anything because her back is deteriorating. However, she can still walk with a cane and is very spry mentally (though she can barely hear or see). The members of her Sunday school class bring her food and call her to keep her company, probably - and embarassingly - more than her own family does. If she hadn't gone to church all those years she would be in a much worse situation than she currently is. This is one important goal of a church, a strong bond created among friends who support one another when life gets tough. However, these bonds cannot be created in a room of hundreds, only in the close confidence of a couple.

What about attire? I've seen different churches take different stances. Since I live in a rural area, the Southern Baptist churches don't have a dress code, and jeans and a button up shirt are quite common, especially with the farmers. However, the Methodist church-goers often try to outdo each other strutting their new clothes in the same way peacocks' strut their feathers. I've often been insulted to think that God wants you to be prideful and outdress everyone else. I don't believe God cares as long as you look presentable and respectable. Jeans and a button-up should be fine for everyone. God's book of life is not a popularity contest.

What about beliefs? Many churches present as fact that if you do not believe what they do, then you will forever burn in Hell. I tend to view this as naive. A church should be a spot of religious thought, a gathering of varied peoples together to explore the Bible and their views on it. Obviously, there is a right answer; however, if it were that easy to get, we wouldn't have all these different denominations. The fact that we have all these different denominations means that religion is a hard problem and deserves many varied views, not the doctrine of one man. I believe the church should be a school, of sorts, with an Aristotle like instructor to ask questions and lead the students on a great journey into religion.

Rituals? I certainly don't have a problem with rituals as long as what they stand for is well understood. Our rituals of baptism and communion are not done just to dot is and cross ts. Instead, they are done to remind us of commitments and requirements that the Lord imposes on us. They are symbols of covenants and without the meaning, the symbol is pointless. We are judged by our actions, but you can still do the right thing for the wrong reason.

Most of all, the church should be about the community. It should represent God to the community. They should be engaged in constantly helping the homeless, downtrodden, and disadvantaged. They should help others learn to read, get a job, and go back to school. Internally, they should provide childcare to members and marriage counceling, and fellowship to each other. They should show the community what it means to be a Christian, what it means to help your fellow man. They should be a light on a hill, for all to see.

Science and Religion

2005-08-25T23:03:00.000-07:00

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke.

Arthur C. Clarke was right on the money here, and I think it aptly applies to religion. I believe that God is a supreme being, but I don't believe he has magical powers. He has scientific knowledge and power far greater than ours, but he doesn't break the laws of the Universe, he created these laws and he works within them. The red sea didn't magically part, there was a scientific reason for it parting. Elijah couldn't perform feats of magic, they were feats of science. God works with his creation, not in spite of it.

Let's take a concrete example. Adam and Eve were not designed to live forever. They were designed to grow old and die just like all of God's other creations. However, God blessed them by allowing them to eat from the Tree of Life. This tree, we are told, produced fruit that would allow them to live forever. This doesn't sound like magic to me. Instead this sounds like highly advanced medicine. Perhaps the fruit had powerful medicines that healed them? Perhaps it had nanobots that repaired their cells? I have no clue, but I firmly believe that it was scientific in nature. Furthermore, this could explain the long, but declining, ages of the pre-flood individuals. The medicines of the tree of life infiltrated the ground water or perhaps was passed on by Adam and Eve in an airborne way. Regardless, being separated from direct contact with these medicines caused a decline in general health due to disease, pestilence, etc..., just as God commanded. Eventually, traces of this medicine were obliterated from the Earth and we are left with short life spans and the desire to recreate this Fountain of Youth.

God's miracles are fantastic feats of science, not magic, but that doesn't diminish our need to worship Him. God created the Universe we live in, he created us. For that, he deserves our praise and admiration. He is our parent and we are formed in his likeness. In fact, if he hadn't cut short our lifespans, we would have quickly become his equal. Regardless, we are the creation, not the creator, and we should love and respect Him for giving us the chance to experience the Universe he molded.

The Trinity

2005-08-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

It was not always taken for granted that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were three parts of the same being. In fact, I don't take it for granted, still. The only parts of the Bible that allude to the trinity are cryptic, at best. The reason we believe in the Trinity today is due to the First Council of Nicaea. Christianity was falling apart due to a controversy between those who felt Jesus was God and those who felt Jesus was created by God.

I definitely believe that Jesus and God are the same type of being, but I also believe they are different beings, thus leading to their dramatically different leadership styles. Jesus is a much more forgiving entity than is God. I'm glad that Jesus is representing me to God and I'm thankful that he sacrificed himself so that he could be my intercessor. However, I stop short of saying that they are the same.

Contradictions

2005-08-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

If you are a fundamentalist, you probably don't belong here. While I am a literalist, I am no where near a fundamentalist, and I could very well destroy your world view. For instance, here is one site that lists contradictions of the Bible. Actually, I don't believe that the two Genesis stories are contradictions. I think they may be the difference between design and implementation. I think God planned (created) the Universe "on paper" before he did it physically. His physical implementation of his creation could have differed from his creation. I'm not sure if the first or the second Bible story is the physical, but I would venture to guess the first.

Welcome

2005-08-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm moving my religous and personal posts to this blog from Thoughts of Me.

Welcome!