CONSIDER
by
Ray Haubelt
We wake up each morning so we can go to work, to make money, to pay the rent, to have a place to sleep, to wake up each morning, so that we can go to work, so that we can . . . In the words of a popular song several years ago, "Is that all there is?"
When attending the
While working with the
Several years ago I was lying on our front lawn with my six-year-old exploring, observing, and studying the world found embedded in our lawn. Although recently mowed, there was an extensive jungle alive with action beneath the top of the grass. Extending from the ground were stems of grass that under a magnifying glass looked like enormous tree trunks bursting from the ground and unfolding into a luxuriant green canopy above. Again that question, "Do things have a purpose?"
Through out my life I have observed that for every effect there is a cause. The ball fell from my hand (effect); gravity pulled the ball to the ground (cause). Even complicated effects have causes. The man had a heart attack (effect); the cause could be smoking, eating too much, not enough exercise, and/or any number of other items. But there was still a cause.
Using this line of reasoning the world of the front lawn, the heavens as seen through a telescope are an effect; they must certainly have a cause.
Was the cause a random chain of events that produced the universe, as we know it? Was there an overriding intelligence that constructed the universe? If there is intelligence, what method of construction was chosen? Is it knowable? Why do we care? Should we care? Does this knowledge have any effect on my day to day life?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
In the previous section we considered several
questions. Now let us consider such thoughts as; can a
random chain of events produce the universe, as we know it?
If the universe is the effect what was the cause?
In the Theory of Evolution we are told that life developed from some primordial soup. According to this theory an extreme length of time is necessary for the natural selection process to take place. However, the observable facts do not support the extensive time required by those who champion this theory. Proper understanding of radio carbon dating, the amount of sediments on the ocean floor, the quantity of Helium the earth contains, and 50 plus other observable indicators point to an earth much younger than that required for evolution to take place.
Natural selection doesn't produce new species; it simply weeds out those that are unfit. Mutations destroy genetic information; they do not produce improvement.
Those who advocate the evolution position have advanced many falsehoods. Such falsities range from blatant (Nebraska Man), to misrepresentation by the scientific community (Geological Columns). Additionally, the fossil record does not support evolution. No indisputable in-between (missing link) animals have ever been found.
A most important point to remember. Evolution can not operate according to The Second Law of Thermodynamics. The law is a statement of experience and has never been found to be in error. Thus a principle set fort by a law supersedes that of a theory. The law states, "It is impossible to convert the heat energy of our surroundings continuously into useful work. It is a matter of universal experience that the passage of heat from one body to another of higher temperature never takes place spontaneously.” In layman terms, “Things never go from disorder to order”.
We each experience this Law in our everyday life. I find the automobile, if left unattended, will turn to a pile of rust. A house that has been abandoned will decay and decline to an unlivable jumble of materials from which it was constructed. After death all things disassociate to their foundational elements. The examples are endless. All one needs do is consider the facts. Even if there seems to be a conflict look at all possible avenues, and remember Laws take precedence over theories. A thinking person could not come to the conclusion that evolution is the cause of the universe.
The facts lead one to determine things did not
evolve. That leaves the only other choice. We must
consider creation and by inference a Creator.
We have now contemplated the evolutionary concept of
existence and could find no tangible evidence, recorded
observation, or intelligent consideration for the theory.
We are then left with the other option, creation. By
inference a creation needs a Creator.
If there is a Creator can this Creator be known? We could take the position of default, reasoning, if after determining evolution a hoax; creation and therefore a Creator are the only remaining explanation. But is there evidence? The answer, "YES".
It must be difficult being an atheist. To hold to the atheist position you have to believe there is no Creator, no God. But to be confident there is no God, an atheist must know everything. If there is anything the atheist does not know then, God could be part of that missing knowledge. And of course if a person were to know everything then he (she) would himself be God. Therefore the atheist's position is indefensible.
It must also be difficult being an agnostic. Agnostics come in two major categories: 'soft-core' and 'hard-core'. The soft-core agnostic says, "I don't know whether there is a God or not". The hard-core says, "I don't know whether there is a God or not, and you don't know either. And no one else knows and no one can know; or ever will know. As was establish in the previous section, the agnostic position ignores reality for the “Heavens declare the Glory of God.”
In an ironic way the hard-core agnostic is correct. If there were a God, this God (by definition) would be on such a higher plain of existence that He would be unknowable by we humans - UNLESS He desired to make Himself known.
From the micro to the macro;
THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE EARTH SHOWS THE WORK OF HIS HANDS. FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD HIS INVISIBLE ATTRIBUTES, HIS ETERNAL POWER, AND DIVINE NATURE, HAVE BEEN CLEARLY SEEN, BEING UNDERSTOOD THROUGH WHAT HAS BEEN MADE, SO THAT ALL ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE.
We have put to rest the option for a random chain of
events as the reason for life. By the very same arguments
we have shown there is a Creator/God who wants to make Himself
know to His creation. The question then becomes, "Why
would this God want to make Himself Known?'
The CD player is made by Sony; the company also produces
an instruction booklet on the care and use of the
equipment. Radio Shack makes a hand calculator, along with
the purchase comes an operators manual. Ford produces
automobiles; they also generate an owner’s manual.
Grumman Aircraft builds the F-14 Tomcat; the company also is
involved in producing the Naval Air Training Operation and
Standardization (NATOPS) program for the aircraft (the
operator’s manual). Whenever an article is made its'
manufacturer writes instructions on how to use the item.
Previously it has been shown that all there is - was created, and therefore a Creator. Now for consideration is the fact that everyone who manufacture’s something make an operator’s manual. Should God be different? He is not! God, through the hand of man wrote an operator's manual that we call the Bible. Within its' pages every problem (directly or indirectly, precept or principle) that man faces or has faced is addressed.
A fair question to ask is, "How do we know the Bible is the Word of God"? The answer, the Bible itself claims to be the "Word of God". But you might say, “It is not accurate to use something to prove itself!” Naturally, this would be correct but we are considering the supernatural, the Creator of all things, the One who is omnipresent, omniscient, and all-powerful. By the very nature of our original definition God is not capable of telling a lie. It follows then that what the Bible says about itself, by definition, is true
One might concede that in the original the Bible was correct but through the ages man has not keep the copies accurate. What appears to be contradictions or inaccurate events or situations are the results of the readers misunderstanding of times, places, cultures etc. of the Bible. In addition the Bible is not a complete record of events. Much has been left out that is not relevant to the story line. God is not in the business of proving His text. He said it is true and because of the character of God it is true. However, it is only necessary to apply the rules of historical literature to validate the current translations to be true to the original manuscripts.
The "Iliad" is said to be penned by Homer, and this claim is based on the fact that the earliest copies we have (the original manuscripts is not in existence) were written over 900 year's after Homer’s death (There are only five of those copies in existence).
Faithful Jewish scholars who devoted their entire life to the preservation the accuracy of their text (same as the Old Testament) had their works verified with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the late forties. As the manuscripts were copied other scribes would judge the location of a particular letter. It would have to be found on an exact page, on a particular line located at a specified number of charters from the beginning of the line. If this was not so the entire copy would then be destroyed. The Greek portion (New Testament) of the Bible has thousands of the original writings and these were made only a hundred or so years after the original writings. If the Iliad can be attributed to Homer, then the writings of the Bible can be considered correct copy of the original writings.
It seems reasonable to assume the Creator (God) wrote
(through man) an Operational Manual so that His creatures could
function properly. Just as the NATOPS manual gives a
description of the aircraft and its’ systems as well as
instructions for operating those systems, so the Bible tells how
man was originally manufactured and gives insights and directions
for his operations.
After a few preliminary statements on the creation of the
world, in the 27th verse of the Bible (there are 31,173 total) it
is written, “And God created man in His Own image, in the
image of God He created him, male and female He created
them”.
For your consideration we will examine the statement, “His Own image”. In verses 26 of the first book and first chapter of the Bible we are told of the creation of universe and the things that inhabit the earth. Man then is instructed to subdue the earth and have dominion over creatures there on.
Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (New International Version)
The word translated rule means to tread upon and have
dominion over. This implies a degree of sovereignty,
control, and direction of nature. To have dominion
indicates that from the moment of his creation man was fully
capable of exercising control. It did not take millions of
years for man to evolve in his search for self-identity and
self-consciousness, for the dominion was a direct consequence of
being created in the image of God.
Male and female were both created in the image of God, indicating an equality of position with reference to the image.
In the next chapter the narrative backtracks and revisits the creation of man and woman focusing on their relationship to one another and their relationship to the rest of creation.
Of all the creatures on the earth only man and woman are made in the image of God, that is with 1) a will, 2) an intelligence, and 3) emotions. Of all that is on the earth only man can interact with God on a spiritual level. God is a spiritual being and only man and woman were made in the image of God.
All the animals were brought before man to be given a name. In the past a name represented the character of it’s’ namesake, hence it can be inferred that Adam discerned the nature of each of the animals. This task was a tremendous achievement as there are over 17,000 air-breathing species in existence today. Adam could also see that all the animals were subhuman and inferior.
The reason for this procession was to find Adam a helper. Adam was unique, only he was created in the image of God, and to make Adam complete a suitable companion was necessary. Now woman was not made in the image of Adam but that of God and not inferior to man but one who co-labors with Him. Much as vice presidents and presidents manage a company.
Then God made the first institution, marriage. Man and woman designed to function together, to rule the earth and all that was within. God did not join a man with a man, a woman with a woman, or any of the other modern attempts at defining marriage. That is another question to consider at another time.
Many are thinking that is just a story, which is just a
ferry tale, however we have already established, only the fool
would say, "There is no God". Consider
this. Do you want to be the one calling God a Liar.
Ponce de Leon spent much of his life searching for eternal
youth. Today reality tells us we are growing older by the
second. Look at society, we worship youth. Madison
Avenue is consistently bombarding us with products to make us
stay young, youth is the place to be, and we discard the old in a
futile attempt to ignore death. But that denies reality, or
does it?
Science tells us that the human body is built to last much longer than the 70 to 100 years we now experience. Each cell, except for those found in the brain die after a period of time but they reproduce themselves before dying and death to the whole comes when the individual cells quit reproducing. There is no scientific reason for this occurrence, it just happens.
If we turn to the Operators Manual the situation is explained in detail. Death is a direct result of disobeying God. Adam and Eve were made to live forever, they were made in the image of God with will, emotion, and intellect, they were to subdue and fill the earth. God provided for their every need and He only gave them one restriction. God told man to not eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, "for in that day you will surely die". Man disobeyed and ate. He died immediately in the spirit, that is, he was separated from his Creator, but nine hundred some years later Adam died physically.
The Operators Manual also notes that suffering, anxiety, tension, anguish, and poverty (you may add any other adverb or adjective to describe the world we live in) are the results of that disobedience. In the third chapter of the Bible we read (this chapter, along with several others gives an account of a portion of the history of man), “And the Creator of man said to Satan, ‘Because you have deceived Eve, cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field. I will put hatred and hostility between her offspring and yours, He shall put an end to you, but you will temporally injury Him.’” Then He said to Eve, “Because of your deed, I will greatly multiply your pain in child birth and you will want to regulate, control, and have mastery over your husband, but he will have dominion over you.” And God said to Adam,”Because you have listened to the words of your wife and have been disobedient to Me, plagued, harass, and vexed is the earth because of you. In labor, pain, and toil you shall eat of it all your days.... by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground from which I made you.
Does this seem a harsh reaction to a disobedient action, particularly one that was preformed because of deception?
Consider this! A mother tells a four-year-old, "Don't play in the street, for if you do a car will run over you and you will die!” She doesn't elaborate that the result may be that the child will be in pain with twisted arms and legs, maimed body bleeding from every opening etc., etc., before death occurs. In love she simple gave the warning, "Don't play in the street or you will die!"
So it was with our Creator. He warned His creations not to partake of the knowledge of good and evil. His warning was not to prevent them from participating in the events that are derived from that understanding, but knowing their frailty and inability to handle that knowledge (He was their Creator), like the mother who did not spend time on the gory details, God issued a warning in love and concern.
From the weeds in the front yard, to the undisciplined
child, the bank robber, greed on Wall Street, unfaithful marriage
partners, corrupt politicians, serial killers, nations at war,
and the results of man "playing in the street" is death
and the world in which we live.
If a person could live forever without worry, violence,
pain, misery, and troubles; If this life were never boring,
filled with warmth, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, and love;
Would it be an exaggeration to say that most people would like to
live forever?
I can read your thoughts, “This guy needs to wake up and face reality, and such a place does not exist, never did, and never will!”
Consider this! The facing of reality is what we all need. All thoughts, all questions, all problems, all of everything ultimately points to ONE QUESTION! Is the God of the Bible real? He is either real or He is not, there are no other options. If we chose to acknowledge His existence then we concede that what He says is true, for if He is not truthful He is not the God of the Bible. The God (Creator of man) of the Bible (Operators Manual) tells us that this ever lasting life is available for all.
When we investigated the illustration of the child playing in street after his parent warned, "If you play in the street you will die", it was found, playing in the street (cause), had an outcome in death (result). Any father (creator) who saw his child (creation) sitting in the street with a car just moments away from impact would gladly push his child (creation) to safety so that the child (creation) might have life, even if it meant death for himself (creator).
That is exactly what God did! The child that God (Creator) had brought into life disobeyed and partook of more than he could handle, and in a manner of speaking, "played in the street." Just as the father gave his life for his child, God did likewise for YOU. God in the person of Jesus Christ died so that YOU could have life. The Operators Manual relates that while YOU were still sitting in the street, Christ came to YOUR rescue and died for YOU.
Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NIV)
Unlike the innocent child, each one of us knows good from
evil. We can see the Father coming to our rescue but we run
toward the on coming encounter with ever lasting death and reject
ever lasting life. Why is that?
As a matter of fact we were created as ever lasting beings. This everlasting life can be without God or it can be with God, the choice is yours. YOU can spend life with the devil or with God. If YOU want to live YOUR life with God all that is necessary is to acknowledge that He died upon a cross 2000 years ago so that YOU can spend eternal life with him. Acknowledge that YOU have disobeyed and desire to follow Him in obedience. The Operators Manual states, "...that if YOU confess with YOUR mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in YOUR heart God raised Him from the dead, YOU will be saved". Saved from eternal life with the devil, for eternal life with God.
The ball is now in your
court!
RAY HAUBELT is a flight instructor for the Navy instructing in
the T-45 jet simulator (Under contract to Lockheed Martin
Aerospace) at Naval Air Station, Kingsville, Texas. While
on active duty with the Navy Ray flew the F-8 Crusader and when
working for Northwest Orient Airline he flew the Boeing 727.