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In the previous arguments for the existence of God (herein referred to as "the previous argument"), we established that it is reasonable to conclude that a creator/designer exists for the universe. We can call this creator/designer "God" for lack of a better name. Now how can we find out who this God is? Here are some possibilities of who the God that exists is:
So, is God an uncaring force? Apparently not, since it appears that the entire universe was created to support life's existence and also, possibly, its enjoyment. Is God an unintelligent force? Not according to the previous argument. We know that design requires a designer. Complex, purposeful design, like the design of the universe to support life, requires an intelligent designer. The order found in the laws of physics alone could not have come from anything but an extremely intelligent orderer. Do any of the world's religions proclaim that their God has the attributes we have determined for the God that exists? Lets evaluate each of the attributes previously listed in the context of the world's religions, excluding those religions based on the Bible. God must be unimaginably powerful and intelligent. Many religions' gods are more human than god-like. Greek mythology is a good example. The Greek gods certainly don't fit the description of the incredibly powerful God that created this immensely complex universe. The Greek gods seem limited in their modes of thinking and level of knowledge. Many religions claim that humans can become "gods" or reach some sort of god-like state of being some day (Mormonism, reincarnation-based religions such as Buddhism). Some religions claim that "god" is in everything (animistic religions). It doesn't make logical sense to believe that the creation can become the creator or is the creator. Self-creation is untenable. God must be able to exist outside our time domain. As far as I know, there are few religions (except those whose roots can be traced to the Bible) that consider the preexistence of anything but our space-time domain. Some religions proclaim that some or all matter had a beginning at some point in time. Most do not consider time or space to have had a beginning. Some start the universe in a state of chaos, others start with water and many start with the existence of at least part of the material world.[1] Many religions deal with infinite rejuvenation - an infinite time domain universe. We know that the universe and time itself indeed had a beginning from nothing.[2] God must be able to create, not only matter from nothing but a space-time continuum as well I'm not aware of any religion, not including those based on the Bible, whose god is said to have this ability. Some may be able to travel in time but not exist outside of time altogether which is a necessary requirement for the God that exists, who must create a time domain. God cares about life on earth Many religions believe this though many don't state that their god(s) cares so much that he created the entire universe for life or even life on earth. Some religions have an uncaring or preoccupied god. The gods of most of the world's religions fail all of the above tests. Some fail a few. Almost all fail at least one. The religions that do not fail the above tests make glaring scientific blunders which rules their god out as well. Only the God of the Bible passes all the above tests and does not conflict with uncontested areas of science (this is true despite much misguided opinion, more on this later). Thus, the God that exists is not one of the gods of the world's religions. Obviously I have not studied every religion that ever existed. If one is discovered to fit the above tests, we must also ask if that religion is refutable by historical documentation, logic and/or science. If it is, then the God that exists, who is the author of the very laws of physics, is not the god of that refutable religion.
Lets see if the God of the Bible has the qualities we have determined for the God that exists. God must be unimaginably powerful and intelligent. "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you-- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" (Ex. 15:11) Nothing and no one is like God, according to the Bible. No one can equal the knowledge and intelligence of the one who created the universe, it says. God said to Job when Job presumed to know something about God's justice, power and intelligence: "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions?" (Job 38:4-5a) In other words, we cannot imagine the power of such a being who created the earth and knows ALL details about it and the universe. In the creation story, God speaks creation into existence. His very words brought about the universe, according to the Bible. Here are a few more examples of what the Bible says about God's power and intelligence: "But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding." (Jer. 10:12) "Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?" (Isa. 43:13) "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jer. 32:27) So God is described in the Bible as being unimaginably powerful and intelligent, just like the God that exists. God must be able to exist outside our time domain. "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'" (Rev. 1:8) According to the Bible, God is both the first and the last. He is not confined by time, so he must be looking at and interacting with our time dimension not only from inside of it but also from outside of it. The Bible says, "Trust in the LORD forever... the LORD, is the Rock eternal." (Isa. 26:4) The Bible says that God is eternal. We know that our universe is not. "He is before all things..." (Col. 1:17a) In several places, the Bible refers to "before" the creation event (the "Big Bang" as scientists now call it). This doesn't make too much sense since we know time started at the Big Bang, but how else can one describe the concept of "outside" our time domain when it didn't even exist? The Bible was trying to explain a concept thousands of years ago that we are only now beginning to think about. God must be able to create, not only matter from nothing but a space-time continuum as well "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen. 1:1) Here the Bible states that God created all matter and even began time itself. Note that it says, "In the beginning." The beginning of everything. The beginning of time. "God created the heavens and the earth." So the Bible is saying that everything we see (the earth) and everything else out there (the heavens) was created by God in the beginning of time. To do this, God also must have existed "before" the universe and its beginning. "...the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment." (Ps. 102:25b-26a) Here the Bible says that the universe is finite and wearing down. It is interesting to note that secular science has only recently discovered that the universe is finite in age and is in fact wearing down. "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." (John 1:2; Italics mine) "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible..." (Col. 1:16a) The Bible mentions here that there are things that exist that are invisible to the naked eye. By "invisible," could the Bible be talking about atoms and subatomic particles as well as other unseen forces? "but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son... through whom he made the universe." (Heb. 1:2) The Bible says that the universe was made through Jesus. "...the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (Heb. 11:3b) God created the universe from nothing. The word translated "visible" here is not the same word translated "visible" in one of the previous quotes. There are many more Bible verses that show that the God of the Bible created everything, even space-time, but I think my point has been made. God cares about life on earth "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17) Though this verse has been quoted so much that it almost seems cliché, there is no better way to make my point that God cares about human beings. God also cares about the rest of his creation. Here is but one bit of evidence of this: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them... See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (Matt 6:26a, 28b-30) The Bible says that God has provided for his creation. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor. 2:9b) "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)
Most religions fail all of the above tests. Some fail a few. All fail at least one - except a religion based on the God of the Bible. Thus, the God that exists is the God of the Bible. Also, the Bible is not refutable by historical documentation, logic and/or science. In fact, history has told us that whenever science has conflicted with the Bible, it was science that eventually turned out to be wrong. I'm not talking about the "Church" of the middle ages, which was not based solely on the Bible. That religion was known to contradict science (once in awhile) and the Bible (a lot). Such past contradictions have lead many people in our day and age to believe all sorts of negative things about the Bible. Some even think that the Bible says the earth is flat (it doesn't).
I have shown that God is not an unknown entity but that he matches the description of the God of the Bible exactly without self contradiction, contradiction of well established scientific fact and/or logic. There is no question. So there are only two religions that can be correct about the identity of the God that exists because there are only two religions based on the Bible that are without self contradiction, contradiction of well established scientific fact and/or logic.[3] One is Judaism and the other is Christianity. True Christianity is the only religion based solely on the Bible. Christians believe God sent his son to earth to die so that human beings would not have to be punished for their sins. All a person has to do is accept this great sacrifice. Christianity holds that Jesus was the Messiah the Jews had been waiting for and are still waiting for. Despite the obvious fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies by Jesus, many Jews have chosen not to accept Jesus as their Messiah. From a study of those prophecies, one can easily determine that Jesus was the expected one who would save the world. Therefore, Christianity based solely on the Bible is the only correct religion. It should probably not even be called a religion because it is simply a way for us created beings to be reunited with our creator. In true, Bible-based Christianity, there exists none of the oppressive rules and regulations of typical religion. So Christianity is not a religion, though some have attempted to make it one by adding rules and oppressing people. Christianity is the acceptance of the sacrifice God made so that he can fulfill what is Just while allowing us to live with him forever. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Rom. 1:20) There is no excuse for not accepting the truth of the existence of the God of the Bible and the great sacrifice that he made for you personally. He did this out of love. Lets face it, we all blow it. That blowing it is called sin. We all sin. The problem is that God, who cannot tolerate sin, loves us so much that he wants to spend eternity with us. So instead of us paying for our sin by eternal separation from our creator, God himself paid for our sin. Through his sacrifice, the sacrifice of Jesus, we can be saved for eternity. We can return to our most natural state - since the Bible says that we were created in God's image - which is communion with God, forever. How do you accept the creator's sacrifice? There are no magic words, just tell God something along these lines: "God I've blown it. I've sinned and I'm sorry. I accept your son's sacrifice on the cross for my sins and I accept him, Jesus, as Lord of my life and my living Savior who rose from the dead. I believe it when you say all I have to do to be saved and have my sins forgiven is ask. I ask now. Please help me live my life for you and please send your Spirit into my heart to help me do so. Thank you. I ask this in your son's name." If you've sincerely prayed the above prayer, please E-Mail me and let me know if you need a Bible or need to get connected with a church where you can complete your commitment through water baptism. I will help you get started in your new life if you need the help. If you sincerely prayed the above prayer, I'd like to be the first to say "congratulations," you are now set aside as one of God's own, for eternity. He has chosen you and I take no credit for your decision because I had nothing to do with it. By working on ones heart, it is God's Spirit who convinces a person to accept this free gift that lasts for eternity. If you are not ready to pray the above prayer, ask God to help you in your search for him. It is a worthwhile search that will have eternal consequences. It is definitely worth the time it will take to look into this further. You owe it to yourself to look into it. What have you got to lose?
Notes 1. Chaos may be considered, essentially, "nothing" or it may be considered to be the state of the Big Bang in the first fraction of a second. The few religions that hold to this fail for reasons of self contradiction or contradiction of well established scientific fact and/or logic. Though its depiction of the origin of the Bible's creation story is far from accurate, the book "Primal Myths: Creation Myths Around the World" (Harper Collins, 1991) is a good resource for the creation stories of a number of ancient religions. 2. The Space-Time Theorem of General Relativity (Hawking, Penrose) says that everything, even time, came into existence at the Big Bang. Also, in numerous books on cosmology we find many proofs of a single Big Bang. Please see the previous argument for more. 3. Islam is based on Judaic tradition and has a fairly accurate description of God in the narrow sense I discuss in this paper. Islam fails for reasons of self contradiction and contradiction of well established scientific fact and logic. See, "The Qur'an and the Bible in Light of History and Science" (Middle East Resources, 1986).
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