Does God Exist?

If you haven't asked it, you will.

If you haven't answered it, you will have to.

Does God exist?

It is a question that I am glad people are asking. It means that people still care. It means that people understand the weight of the answer to this question. If yes, then there is responsibility that we have to Him. If no, then there is no such thing as a standard for truth, morality, love, justice, or basically any other virtue.

But I won't be getting into all of that quite yet. This will be the beginning of a series on Christian apologetics. I will be dealing with things like the existence of God, God and evil, Jesus' deity, how we got the Bible, and other very common questions about God and Christianity. Today I want to discuss one of the foundational arguments for God: the cosmological argument or Kalam argument. It simply states:

1. Whatever begins to exist must have a cause for its existence.
2. The universe began to exist.
3. Therefore, the universe must have a cause for its existence.
4. The attributes of the cause of the universe (being timeless, existing outside of space, and so on) are the attributes of God.
5. Therefore, the cause of the universe must be God.  

Now let's dive a little deeper into these premises.

1. Whatever begins to exist must have a cause for its existence.
This is the simple idea of "cause and effect." Everything that has ever been observed has had a cause. The only thing that has ever seriously challenged this theory has been quantum fluctuation. I am by no means a quantum physicist, but it is essentially a particle popping out of nothing. A particle will appear for a very small amount of time due to an increase of energy in a quantum vacuum. 

But the energy must have come from somewhere. The energy had to exist before we observed it in the quantum vacuum. In the case of the origin of the universe, nothing existed at all. Also, just because we do not know the cause of the energy does not mean that it doesn't have one.

This premise is intuitive and just makes sense. Look around you. Now go outside. Look around out there too. Does anything you see not have a cause? No. Your phone was built by the company that has its logo on it. That book on your desk was written by someone. The birds singing outside were given birth to. The noises you hear are caused by vibrations. The very fact that you can see and hear and understand these words are caused by several different parts of your body working together. Everything has come into existence had a cause.

 2. The universe began to exist.
This is a fairly new belief outside the religious sector. It was quickly embraced when first introduced and is now getting criticism again. Einstein's Theory of General Relativity made way for a belief that the universe had a beginning. Hubble's discovery and research of red shift gave even more evidence that there was a singular point in which space and time had started (that singularity, no matter how small, had to come from somewhere as well).

Opposing this premise, Stephen Hawking argues time is more like a sphere than a line. He states:

"Suppose the beginning of the universe was like the South Pole of the earth, with degrees of latitude playing the role of time. The universe would start as a point at the South Pole. As one moves north, the circles of constant latitude, representing the size of the universe, would expand. To ask what happened before the beginning of the universe would become a meaningless question, because there is nothing south of the South Pole."

He and others argue that the universe never began to exist, but it hasn't existed forever. In other words, he doesn't like the idea of the universe having a beginning or existing for infinity past, so he just doesn't believe either. This is not an option. His argument of a sphere has the same principles of a line. When you make your way around a sphere, you go in a line. So if time is a sphere, it still had a starting place, therefore the universe began to exist.

3. Therefore, the universe must have a cause for its existence.
If the first to premises are proven true, then the conclusion must be true. 

4. The attributes of the cause of the universe (being timeless, existing outside of space, and so on) are the attributes of God. 
For something to cause everything that exists to exist it must not have ever come to exist. That's a tongue twister. What I mean is whatever the cause of the universe was, it had to be eternal. William Lane Craig gives some attributes of a universal cause. They are: "uncaused, beginningless, timeless, spaceless, immaterial..." He goes on to say it must be a "personal being endowed with freedom of will and enormous power. And that is a core concept of God."

This point may be the hardest to grasp of all the others. A "personal" cause? A cause with "freedom of will?" Hawking has trouble with seeing it this way. His M-theory attempts to explain the universe altogether. Part of that theory is the the sub-theory that gravity caused the universe. I do not have his book The Grand Design so I do not know word for word everything he discusses in it. However, he does discuss the belief that the universe created itself from nothing by using gravity. He is illogically saying, "X created X out of nothing." I'm sorry, but things just don't work that way. 

The idea of the cause being personal can get complicated to explain. In my research I found a beautifully simple quote by British physicist Edmund Whittaker. He explains it this way:  

 "There is no ground for supposing that matter (or energy, which is the same as matter) existed before this in an inert condition, and was in some way galvanised into activity at a certain instant: for what could have determined this instant rather than all the other instants of past eternity? It is simpler to postulate a creation ex nihilo, an operation of the Divine Will to constitute Nature from nothingness."

Why would the universe create itself? Did the universe in its infinitesimal state decide to start changing one day? If so, what caused that change? This cause had to be personal, not a force.
 
5. Therefore, the cause of the universe must be God. 
End of story.

Well kind of.

One cannot deduct that this is the same God of the Bible. However, we will leave that for another. For now, rest in the fact that you are not by chance. You were not created by gravity. You were purposefully created by a personally God who has reason and chose to make you and the rest of the universe.
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What's Wrong with One of the Most Popular "Pro-Choice" Arguments?

Photo credit: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/oct/12/cancer-passed-from-mother-foetus

(Disclaimer: I don’t claim to fully understand the emotional anguish and life-altering psychological problems rape causes women. This post does not overlook them but attempts to keep them from getting even worse)

The statics have been quoted by almost everyone in every abortion debate ever.

1% of all abortions are from rape survivors.

Even though it is one one-hundredth of all abortions performed, it seems to be the most grey area of debate. Most people who consider themselves "pro-life" even believe abortion is okay when the woman is raped. The women who go through rape go through one of the most awful experiences this sinful world has to offer. I don’t want anyone to think I overlook that fact. The things I am about to say is because I love children and women, all while believing both have rights.

So what's wrong with this popular pro-abortion argument?  Killing children is killing children no matter how people try to rename or justify it.

Even well-known “pro-choice” advocates agree that the baby in the womb is a human being.

Some would argue that “the traumatic experience of rape may have left the individual with a mental health defect resulting in it being more humane for the mother to abort the baby.” This “mental health defect” is most likely depression or anxiety, which can be mild to severe.

Those are serious issues, but is abortion the cure of them? Does killing a child make the emotional effect of being raped better? How is murdering someone who had nothing to do with what happened supposed to keep the emotional toll from getting worse?

What if the woman decided to go through with the pregnancy, then decided the emotional effects were too strong, and killed the baby after he/she was born? The same child could have been legally killed just a few month before, so why not then? Because it is wrong to kill children no matter what kind of emotional stress they put on a woman.

Some argue the “pro-choice” argument, especially for rape victims. But think about why rape is wrong. The woman did not have a choice to have sex with the man or not. He forced something to happen to her that she did not want to happen. He didn’t ask. He didn’t give a choice.

Abortion is much more moral than rape because it gives the baby a choice, right? Right…?

David Platt argued against this idea of “pro-choice” in a recent sermon saying, “"You are not 'pro-choice' about rape… So why are you 'pro-choice' about killing children?"

I want justice to be served when a rapist attacks a woman. I want him in jail or dead, because of justice. The baby that is conceived because of the terrible act does not make the baby terrible. He/she should not be killed because of something they had nothing to do with. 

The "right" that a woman should exercise after a rape is pressing charges on the demented pervert who assaulted her, not sucking an innocent baby out of her womb piece by piece.

When a child is killed because he/she is the result of a rape, they are being treated like an STD. They are the unwanted effect of something that happened, therefore they must be terminated. Human life is not an STD, it is a gift from God. 

Every situation is different and I cannot say what a woman should do with her child once he/she is born. Rather, there are many options. 

1. Keep the child. This is the most ideal option. The child will come to know unconditional love from the mother.

2. Adoption. For those who feel the emotional effects of keeping a child that was a product of rape are too much, adoption is always an available option.

3. Foster Care. This can be a short-term or long-term option. Short-term could give the mother time to gather financial means to take care of the child or even give time to think about what it means to have a child.

Within all of these options, there are sub-categories of options like different kinds of custody for keeping the child and different types of adoptions. 

If you have been raped, seek counseling. At least talk to a friend or family member about it. Contact the police. Keeping it bottled up inside is the worst thing to do. Do not let this defeat you. Don't let the same man dominate you the rest of your life because of only a moment in time. But you can't rise above it all alone. 

The most important thing to remember if you have been raped is that you are still loved. 

What happened was not your sin. You had no say in what happened. God has not given up on you. 

The same goes for anyone who has had an abortion: you are still loved.

Jesus bore your penalty for the abortion. He loved you before He even made you, knowing that would happen. God has not given up on you.

God’s grace is sufficient to help anyone through anything; that even includes an unplanned pregnancy caused by raped.

2 Reasons Men Should Shave Their Beard

 Beards are not a new thing.

They have been celebrated by most cultures around the world. You may go to any historical museum or see old paintings of men, and most have burly beards and choppy sideburns that would get the average business man today fired. Men today oh and ah over the manliness of these manly men with manly beards.

So what's wrong with the beard?

Yeah, you're right. Nothing is wrong with beards.

Rather, it is an ideology that goes along with having a beard that I am concerned with.

There has been a recent resurgence of facial hair growth. It has been happening mainly among hipsters and younger men for a few years. Recently with Duck Dynasty, I am personally beginning to see more older men growing their beards out now. So across the board there is more and more men growing beards out?

Why?

Let me restate this: there is nothing wrong with beards. I grow mine out periodically. Beards are fine, but are they only a fashion statement or more than that?

Some men, I am afraid, find their identity in their beards. 

So, here are my two reasons men should shave their beards off.

1. To prove that you are a man and a beard is not what defines that fact.

Some men think having a beard makes them a man.

I believe this because I am picked on almost every time I shave my face clean. I know the jokes are only that, but they are spurred on by something. I would not receive jokes about having a clean face unless there was not something telling these other men that beards are a sign of masculinity.

God defines masculinity and no where in the Bible does it say that in order to be a man, you must have facial hair. (Side note: the command in Leviticus to not shave the beard or edges of the hair was strictly for ceremonial purposes and not defining masculinity).

2. To prove that you are more interesting than your beard.

Everyone I know that has a beastly beard get compliments on it all the time. They love the attention and it's a conversation piece. "Man, how long has it taken you to grow that out?" "Do you hide animals in that thing?" "How do you get a job with it?"

Some guys simply think it makes them cool. 

No. What you look like doesn't make you cool or interesting. Are more than just beard deep?

What's your personality like? If you think your personality is defined by how much hair you have on your face, then you have no personality.

Are beards bad? Of course not! Should you find your identity in them? Absolutely not. I challenge then men who have not shaven in a very long time to go baby-faced. For the simple fact of proving to yourself and the world that you can be an interesting, masculine man without it. 

After you shave it, then let the beardfest begin again! Because then you will know that you have a beard, not that the beard has you. 

Why the Gospel is Good News: The Substituted Messiah

This is part four in the series. Check out the first, second, and third parts as well.

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I’m a ninja.

Okay, I’m not. Even if I was I couldn’t tell you. Or would I?

I can prove I’m a ninja. I can kill flies. Applaud me, I know you want to.

But what is the consequence of killing a fly? I may be (or may not be) a ninja who kills flies all the time, but who is going to punish me for murder? All I do is slap them and they die. Who will come to my house, arrest me, take me to court, and give me a sentence? No one. Not even PETA.

What would happen if I slapped a dog? PETA may get involved now, but still no outstanding punishment.

Now what if I slapped a child? There’s going to be an angry mom! Then I may only get child abuse, which looks really bad on my record (plus I’d lose my job as a minister).

Even more than that, what if I slapped one of the most important men on earth, President Obama? I didn’t ask if you wanted me to slap him or not, I’m just saying. I would get a much terrible punishment than all of the previous. Slapping him is a much bigger deal than slapping the common house fly.

Why? I’m doing the exact same thing, so why don’t I get the same punishment for them all?

The punishment of an action is determined by the value of the one offended.

A fly is not worth much, therefore my punishment is minimal. President Obama is one of the most valuable people on the planet (whether you see him as that or not), therefore any offense against him is liable of one of the most harsh punishments on the planet.

What if you have rebelled against, slandered, blasphemed, and metaphorically slapped the most valuable and worthy Being in the entire universe? That’s an important question, because you have.

“... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

All. Every last person on earth who has ever lived. Every king, every peasant, every banker, every farmer, every prostitute, every preacher, every teacher, every, insurance salesman. All.

Every person has committed the greatest crime in the entire universe: rebelling against the most valuable Being.

Since God is eternally worthy, our punishment is just and right to be eternally severe. If God was but a mere human or dog or fly, then an eternal punishment is unjust and morally wrong.

God is also the most perfect judge, and He will judge all things and all people with perfect justice. That is scary.

Let’s say you get a really bad speeding ticket. I have gotten a few myself (I will not disclose how many), so I know they are awful. You go to court because you don’t have enough money to pay it. The judge looks at you and says, “You can either pay up now, or go to jail.” Those are your only two choices because this judge is just and knows that justice must be served. If he simply let you go, he would be unjust. You may want him to be unjust, but what if that person before him was Osama bin Laden? Would you want the judge to be unjust to him? Both of you broke the law and justice must be served for both.

God is even more just and righteous than this judge. So why would He allow injustice to rule as law? He will not and does not.

But what if someone stepped up behind you and gave the judge the exact amount you owed him?

That’s what Jesus did: He took our place on the cross.

“...[all] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Rom. 3:24-25a).

He paid the payment we could never pay. An invaluable price was paid to fulfill the insurmountable debt that we owed to an infinitely worthy God.  What you owed God was so much that it would take eternity to bring justice to it’s fullness. 

Saying that God made Christ a propitiation simply means that Christ took our penalty. All the wrath (penalty for sin) that was due us, He bore for us. Romans 5:9 says that Jesus saved us from the “wrath of God.” Justice had to be served, yet while we were still sinners, God made a way.

“This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:25b-26).

At the cross, God shows His justice and love at the same time. God the Father could not just let sins go unpunished. So God the Son stepped in and said “I will become sin for them so that in me they might become the righteousness of God” (paraphrase of 2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus swallowed up sin and all of it’s penalties for the one who is in Him, meaning those who have faith in Him.

So for those reading this who have not placed your faith in Christ to take away the eternal penalty that is due, trust in Him today. He is Savior and Lord. He is the Great I Am, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is salvation. He is the “Lamb of God who takes 
away the sins of the world!”

And that is good news.

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Here are a few books that helped me with this blog. Check them out and add them to your library!