Secular Certainty

 The past couple of days, I was stuck in bed not feeling well. When I wasn't knocked out from some weird fatigue, I watched documentaries.

First Peoples, The Story of Egypt, Rome: Empire Without Limit, etc. Interesting stuff. Stuff that, like always, makes older me wish that younger and more energetic me had been as interested.

As I listened to the archeologists, classicists, and other history specialists and experts discuss dates and cultures, something nagged at me. I think it was after the first couple of videos that I realized what was bothering me. These experts toss out dates and knowledge about forgone civilizations with such certainty. They have an air of "no doubt" and, for the most part, I want to trust their information. On the other hand, when Christians discuss the Bible, most people scoff at our belief in "fairytales".

So many people - some of them considered to be very intelligent and logical - will try to tear down the Judeo-Christian recounting of history. We also tell of "first peoples" and their history. We detail historic, scientific, mathematical, information from the Bible and we get laughed at.

In one of the videos, an expert talked in detail about a skeleton they found in the water somewhere. The skeleton, according to various sources, is that of a woman from around thirteen thousand plus years ago who they say is "the first American". The expert recounted - again, in detail - what that woman's diet consisted of, how she was ceremonially buried, and what her life had been like. 

I personally know people who take this kind of information as a solid fact. If you ask why, they point out the evidence of archeology, scientific dating, etc.

Now, as Christians, we tell of kings and rulers and tribes of people. We tell about specific events that occurred. I know of people who call me delusional for believing any of this. They don't trust that I am looking at a lot more evidence than they are about their beliefs. I don't know very many people who study what they believe the way serious Christians study the Bible.

The Bible talks of circumcision being performed on a child at 8 days old. These days, because of secular science and biology, we know that this is the perfect time for such an operation. Now, as you can tell, I'm no genius, but that right there seems pretty amazing to me. Before scientists knew about the 8th day and coagulation, God knew.

There are many such examples of man in all his brilliance, having to catch up with the biology, science, math, astronomy, etc of the Bible.

I sometimes think that some men will go out of their way to disbelieve anything that the Bible says. They won't believe in the Holy Ghost, but they will believe in great-grandma Lucy speaking to them from "beyond" or haunting their attics. They have trouble believing in demonic possession and Satan but they will totally accept the idea of aliens.

Probably the weirdest secular flex is scientists trying to explain away what happens at death. "The brain is releasing a chemical"; "It's a state of...", etc. It's this or it's that. How do they know for certain?

NASB version

What I really think is that most mankind knows that God is. That frightens them though maybe because if they believe in the God of the Bible, they have to believe the rest of the Bible. They have to believe in eternal consequences and judgment. To believe in God, they would have to accept that they are not gods.

Another reason I think that men believe in the God of the Bible - the Creator, the I AM - is because they are always trying to replicate His work. Man has been trying to create life and re-create what they call the "Big Bang". Why is that?

So, yeah, I have a problem with people willing to be so certain about some things while they scoff at what Christians are certain of.

For anyone interested, here is a site that covers a lot of information to validate Bible evidence. Go to the various links across the top of the page for categories.

Peace

--Free

Rest In Peace?

 When I was reading Flipboard obituaries the other day (the older I get, the more I pay attention to death notices), one article about a famous person made one of those statements that always makes me pause. 

"He(or she) is now free of their pain". Or: "They are at peace now." Or: "They are with the angels now".

These all are touching and probably a comfort to those left in mourning. 

But...

As a Christian, I always wonder why we just assume that everyone who dies goes on to "rest in peace" or "dance with the angels" or that they are "out of their pain". What if they rejected the love of God? What if they denied His being? What if they just never even gave Him more than a passing thought?

Are those people resting in peace? I don't think so. I actually know that they are not because the Bible tells us so.

I recently lost someone I was once very close to. When I knew them, this person was ambivalent about God and, sometimes, even irritated by the thought of there being a God. When I heard that this person had died, I hoped that they had perhaps cried out to God for mercy. I pray that for everyone who disbelieves. I even hope that for the worse persons I can think of. After all, I could have died in my ignorance and complacency.

So, while I never say to anyone in mourning that their loved one is not "resting peacefully" or ballroom dancing with angels, I do have to almost gnaw off my tongue. What would be the point? The dead are past finding the salvation they ignored while living. What I try sometimes to do is remind the grief-stricken that this might be a chance to consider their own mortality.

In my shame, I have to admit that I don't always point this out when I have the chance. 

Pay attention to death, people. Our death will have more impact on us than any part of our life ever could. 

I wish I could say about every person I know that when they die, they are at peace. I wish I could say that we will all be in Heaven. But we can't wish for someone what they don't want for themselves.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36

Notice that the verse mentions belief and obedience. So, those professing belief need to learn about obedience.

That's it for this post but in my next one, I want to talk about why I don't understand Atheism or Agnosticism. I've heard some of them claim that if God is so loving, He would not send people to Hell. I wonder if they ever realize that God doesn't send them to Hell but they go with their unbelief?

Peace

--Free