We have started a new school year, and a new season of plumbing the depths of faith, culture and experience; the depths of God! I am super excited about the new series we have started, "Out of the Questions and into the Mystery. I hope that this will be a good opportunity for you to think through your faith (nominal, absent, burned out, or passionate) and ask some tough questions that will lead you into deeper faith. I know that living through these questions has caused my faith to grow stronger, rather than falter - and I hope you will join me in the journey.
So, on to the questions. This week we will jump into a discussion that is foundational to all religious belief - "Does God Exist?"
This is obviously not a simple "yes or no" question; it invites us to expand and explain our thoughts. Most people will find that, when this questions is posed - the answer they have is never definitive, but actually subjective - subject to interpretation. And, that's ok.
Sunday I'll share some of the barriers to belief in God that I faced and how they were overcome and a few reasons for believing in God. I hope that it will intrigue those of you who are struggling with concept of a personal God, encourage those of you who are questioning, refresh those of you who are disillusioned, and empower those of you who are passionate.
So there it is: Our question is, "Does God Exist?" And, more importantly, "How do you Know?"
Post here and in Facebook - lets get the discussion going.
I thought I'd post a few things sent to me via Facebook for your perusal. I'll leave out the names and just give you the text.
ReplyDelete"I believe with my whole heart that God exist...he change me into a new person, something I never could have done myself. "
"I don't really know empirically, thus employing faith. I think a lot of ink has been spilled over this, God is Super-Reality and yet mysteriously remains hidden/disguised, or rather, we remain hidden from him. I find the strongest "proofs" of God's existence is within myself, however, subjective experience doesn't carry a lot of weight as "empirical proofs". So, I don't think we can empirically "prove" God's existence, however we CAN look to some pretty darn good "proofs" of his existence in creation, logic, even ethical inquiry. Just some ramblings..."
"Yes God EXISTS.... Trust in the Lord!"
From a fellow student...
ReplyDelete"Why do I believe in God?
Some days I don't. Some days it just seems all too fantastic to be true - that we really have an eternal future past this life. That when we die everything doesn't just fade to black. Pastor and author John Ortberg in his book "Faith & Doubt" talks about the little bit of surprise he will feel if this all turns out to be true. I echo that sentiment. And yet, I am moved by everything I see around me. The beauty and the complexity of creation constrains me to believe. And, that there is every indication that our brains are predisposed to belief also drives me to affirm God's existence. If there is no God, why should we be hardwired to believe that there is? I have yet to hear an explanation that convinced me belief in the divine is a prehistoric relic of the evolutionary mind that gave us a survival advantage. It has been said that, "The heart can't rejoice in what the mind rejects." I find that though my heart sometimes yearns to deny God, it is not free to do so because my mind so soundly rejects the proposition, "There is no God."
Jason G.