| Using common logic to embrace Christianity

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Facing Death

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Terry Wayne

The one absolute certainty in life is the end of it. Perhaps that is the greatest incentive for embracing faith. In the course of a lifetime, each of us comes to accept the death of other humans or even pets. When it comes to our own death, while we accept the inevitability from a logical viewpoint, emotionally we struggle. We cannot accept the notion of non-existence.

Enter religion.

Some would argue that humanity invented religion to cope with our inability to comprehend the possibility of non-existence. Others would propose that our belief in an “afterlife” is actually an instinctual memory and that faith is our effort to recapture the knowledge of existence in the spiritual realm.

In other words, we came from the spiritual realm and we return there upon death.

It is interesting that young children seem to have a stronger connection to the spirit realm than adults. They seem to communicate with invisible beings or playmates which we adults dismiss as fantasy. Untainted by adult experience and logic, perhaps children have an edge in believing.

Since most of us seem to lose our ability to experience a connection to the spirit world as we age, logic takes over and we rely on the narratives of those who claim to have temporarily crossed over and returned to life.

Or, we embrace the message of our spiritual leaders.

Either way, we grasp at the straws of hope that enable us to function without the specter of death distracting us from daily living. We use that hope as a means of dismissing the concerns for our inevitable fate.

Perhaps this is one of God’s greatest gifts to us. In addition to free will and self-awareness, He allows us the tools to experience a human existence while unencumbered by the fear that human existence must end. The emotion of fear and the ability of fear to disrupt our lives is subdued.

Perhaps the common expression “light at the end of the tunnel” has a greater meaning than we attribute to it. Perhaps that expression has its roots in the instinctual understanding that death is merely an inevitable fork in the road for the journey of a spiritual being.

It is interesting that many of those who have experienced the moment of death and returned to life with tales of the afterlife have a common viewpoint.

They no longer fear death.

Knowing God’s Purpose for You

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Terry Wayne

Why am I here?

It is, perhaps, a question that each of us ponders at some time in our lives. We may look back on our lives and reflect on the choices we made, the paths we chose to take that led us to where we find ourselves today.

Along the way, we might also wonder – “Does God have a purpose for my life?”

Most of us can look back on our lives and wonder if a purpose lies ahead of us, or have we already fulfilled God’s purpose for us. Or, even more disturbing, am I just another placeholder in the mix of humanity. Do I even have a purpose?

If we expand our vision on this issue, we would be overwhelmed by the enormous possibilities presented by the world population at any moment. Does God have an assignment for every human being? How do we know when our assignment is completed? Does this mean we don’t have free will?

The best example I can propose is from my own life’s experience. Continue reading →

The God Puzzle

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Terry Wayne

Most of us are aware that there are many other beliefs in the world besides Christian. It is estimated that there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world. And like Christianity, most of these alternative religions also believe that they alone display the true path to immortality. In all likelihood, most of these religions also acknowledge the existence of a higher power.

Christianity, in general, believes in one God as the creator of all things and all life forms. Christianity is based on the person of Jesus as the Son of God and the ultimate avenue to existence after physical death. “No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Elsewhere in the Bible we find the message “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

These two profound verses might appear to be in conflict.

If God so loves the world, how can He demand Christian devotion as a condition for everlasting life? Would a loving God turn His back on His other children?

Once again, we need to step back from our limited view and recognize that we have little knowledge or understanding of the spiritual realm we call “heaven.” Are there different levels of the spiritual realm? Is there such a thing as purgatory? Are there stops along the way between life on earth and continuing existence in the spiritual realm? Continue reading →

Heavenly Energy

Posted on September 19, 2018 by Terry Wayne

When a bolt of lightning strikes nearby, we are stunned by the awesome power unleashed from the heavens. A lightning bolt can contain up to a billion volts of electricity. If we are close enough, we are treated to the ear-splitting crack or booming explosive thunder as the enormous electrical charge superheats the air to around 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit creating a sonic boom. Chances are we are startled by this impressive display of nature’s power when it strikes too close for comfort.

And that is just the most common example of the power we ascribe to nature.

Less common, but equally impressive, tornados can contain winds of more than 300 miles per hour and hurricanes, although larger and longer-lived, can achieve winds nearing 200 miles per hour.

Earthquakes and volcanic activity occur even less frequently, but further demonstrate the enormous amount of energy contained in our environment.

If we consider all these powerful actions to be part of God’s toolkit in creating and maintaining our world, we can begin to understand the concept of a powerful creator. From a human perspective, all these displays of power are overwhelming, but when we view these elements from the perspective of our solar system, we can see that they are mere ripples of energy in a much larger environment.

But there is another power at God’s disposal that is the most powerful of all. Continue reading →

God’s Chemistry Class

Posted on September 12, 2018 by Terry Wayne

Even those of us who received a failing grade in chemistry class are familiar with the chemical formula for water – H2O. It is so familiar, in fact, that it has become a word itself, commonly used on product labels. In its solid form, it truly is the tip of the iceberg.

If we analyze further, we will recall that the formula describes the union of two hydrogen atoms with one oxygen atom – a molecule of water. Collect enough molecules together, you have a drop of water. Collect enough drops together, you have an ocean, or the principle ingredient for a human being. It is estimated that the adult human body is 50-60% water. (The balance perhaps being pizza and donuts).

Perhaps the greatest miracle of water is that it can exist as a liquid, a solid, or a gas, all within a temperature range compatible with human existence. What’s more, each of those states serves a unique purpose for human activities. Ice can be used to preserve foods in storage. The gaseous state of steam has long been harnessed to provide locomotion and generate electricity. In a liquid state, water serves a huge variety of purposes, not the least of which is to continue to hydrate the human body.

Interesting, perhaps, but where does this fit in our contemplation of faith? Continue reading →

God’s Memory Bank

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Terry Wayne

We have become accustomed to the marvels that today’s technology provides. Small square disks, barely larger than a postage stamp, can store an enormous volume of information. Hundreds of highly detailed photographs can be recreated with the push of a button or click of a computer mouse. Thousands of pages of documents can be stored on the smallest of these devices. Small, spinning hard drives on notebook computers can hold hundreds of times more.

As amazing as these devices can be, they pale in comparison to the abilities of the human memory.

If you reflect on your own memories, you will recognize that human memories are like rough pencil sketches, just waiting for color to be added, like a child’s coloring book. These fleeting sketches of memory are more like an index or a snapshot picture. Focus on a memory and the details come flooding back, filling in the gaps and restoring seemingly forgotten aspects.

Much like doing an internet search, certain key triggers can open the files and restore memories. A certain word, song, smell or sight can trigger a recall. The strongest, most vivid memories usually are associated with a powerful emotion. It could be fear, love, hate, sorrow or even embarrassment that gives a memory more punch than average.

And, the evidence of a spiritual connection is compelling. Continue reading →

God’s Tiny Team

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Terry Wayne

While we humans debate the existence of God and question evolution or creationism, some of the tiniest creatures on earth go about their business providing for our food supply.

We may swat them away when they get too close, but without them, we might not exist.

Bees, in particular, are critical to the environment we enjoy and depend upon. Their reputation as the chief pollinators of the world can hardly be over-estimated. While we may think in terms of fruit trees and jars of honey, their contribution goes well beyond those simple examples. Their efforts contribute to the continuation of crops that feed our livestock as well.

So, what has this to do with the debate over the existence of God? Continue reading →

Life After Life

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Terry Wayne

The common expression “life after death” is shorthand for the concept of continued life after physical death. It is an expression found in writings and discussions under a variety of topics – religion, medicine, philosophy, and any combination of those topics.

Once again we are distracted and confused by our own language. We might better use the expression “existence after death,” or perhaps a more accurate shorthand, “life after life.”

We are perpetually handicapped by the confines of our physical body and physical experiences. So, we slip back into the trap of using the terminology of that human experience to describe a condition that we are forced to imagine.

To fully grasp the condition beyond death’s door, perhaps we need to expand our mental vocabulary. We might start by defining what is “life,” what is “death” and what is “life after life.” Continue reading →

Heavenly Music

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Terry Wayne

One of the most universal traits we share is the love or appreciation of music. Even animals seem to respond positively to music. Certainly, there is a wide variety of tastes in music, ranging from symphonic to hard rock and beyond.

So, what has that to do with faith?

As we continue to explore the evidence that our existence is the result of deliberate creation by God – and not the result of a random combination of events, we come face-to-face with the dilemma of why music is so appealing. In its simplest terms, music is nothing more than a series of notes or tones arranged in a specific order and duration. Yet, that simple formula results in giving us pleasure.

If we take a moment to analyze our sense of hearing, we would recognize that we are inundated with sounds continuously, but filter out many of those signals as insignificant. We ignore the buzz of nearby traffic, the ticking of a clock or the quiet hum of our refrigerator. Let a favorite tune pop up on the car radio, however, and we perk up and listen. Perhaps we even sing along.

We all have our favorite tunes or tunes that have an emotional impact on us. Love lost, love gained, redemption, patriotism, nostalgia – the list of musical emotional triggers is extensive. Add to the musical effect the lyrics – poetry. The songs that have the most impact on us usually have lyrics that also have special meaning in our life experience.

Once again, we raise the question – accident of nature or divine plan? Continue reading →

Ghosts, God and Gospel

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Terry Wayne

One of the more contentious topics in any deep discussion of Christianity is the concept of ghosts as the spirit manifestation of those who have died. It is safe to say that many, if not most, clergymen take a firm stand that ghosts are not benign traces of lost loved ones, but more likely a demonic spirit intent on deceiving the living.

In truth, there are passages in the Bible that caution against communication with ghosts.

With the possible exception of the Catholic church belief in purgatory, the prevailing belief is that death is a one-way journey with no stops along the way. This would seem to eliminate the possibility of ghosts being the spiritual residue of departed souls who have unfinished business or pressing concern for those left behind.

If we rely on tales of hauntings and stories of what is known as poltergeists, there is some credence to the idea that ghosts may be evil spirits. Yet, at the same time, some accounts appear to describe spirit beings who have just lost their way and have no malicious intent.

Many of us have personal or family experiences that not only seem contrary to the evil spirit concept, but serve to give us hope.

So, what is the reality, and how does that impact our belief system? Continue reading →