| Using common logic to embrace Christianity

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God’s Symbols and the Main Event

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Terry Wayne

One of the fundamental conflicts in accepting the message of the Bible is the question of whether some of the events described are factual or symbolic. For some, these improbable events constitute a deal-breaker. For others, the suggestion that these same events are anything less than factual is a betrayal of faith.

To those who hold fast to the claim that nothing in the Bible is symbolic, I would suggest reading the book of Revelations.

The book of Revelations is so jam-packed with symbolism that, removed from the context of the Bible, it would read more like the ramblings of someone on a drug trip.

So, does this mean we view the entire Bible as an elaborate ethics lesson composed of fictional elements? Continue reading →

God, the DNA puzzle and Life

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Terry Wayne

One of the fundamental elements of doubt in the faith puzzle is the argument that humanity and all that exists is the result of a convenient combination of random events as the universe matured.

In other words, were we created as described in the Bible, or are we just an accident of nature?

As we apply logic to the question of our existence, we are faced with some tough challenges to the accident theory. In particular, the question of life itself, and how did it come to be.

Most of us are familiar with the concept of DNA as the genetic “fingerprint” of a life form. DNA identification has become a vital tool for law enforcement and most of us know it is the identifying element that differentiates one life form from another. But it is much more than a handy way to successfully prosecute law-breakers.

DNA is critical to every life form on earth. It is the defining assembly and operating manual for all life forms and it is incredibly complex.

And the most complex life form on earth is the human.

So, how does this fit into the question of our existence and how we came to be? Continue reading →

In God’s Image

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Terry Wayne

The greatest challenge we have in justifying our use of logic in addressing questions of faith is the language we use to communicate a concept.

A perfect example of this dilemma is the statement in the book of Genesis that God created the human in His own image. And the very human response is to immediately translate the term “image” into a visual representation.

Consider how many pieces of art – drawings, sculptures, paintings, etc. that you have seen in your lifetime. The vast majority depict God as a wise senior citizen with long, white flowing beard, dressed in a white flowing robe.

Is this the “image”of God? Or is there another interpretation? Continue reading →

The Real Adam and Eve

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Terry Wayne

One of the most controversial stories in the Bible is the story of the first humans – Adam and Eve. And the controversy exists for good reason. The saga of the first couple, the first family, contradicts itself almost immediately.

Genesis implies that Adam and Eve were the first humans ever. Yet, when their son Cain is banished, he is marked so that no one should kill him, and he settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Immediately, the question arises – if Cain is one of the first offspring of the first man and woman, who are these “people” who might harm him? Where did they come from? Immediately after his banishment, reference is made of Cain’s wife and their offspring. Again, where did Cain’s wife come from? Continue reading →

Genesis – Fact or Fiction?

Posted on February 21, 2018 by Terry Wayne

The controversy over the legitimacy of the Bible begins, interestingly enough, with the very first chapter and the opening phrase- “In the beginning.” The creationists insist that every word is a hard fact, while those who subscribe to evolution may dismiss the opening of Genesis to be a poetic fantasy.

A similar argument exists on the topic of Adam and Eve as the first humans.

If we view the opening chapters of the Bible through our logical lens, we might find that Genesis contains the answers to both questions within its own text.

While we might quibble over what constitutes a “day” in God’s work week, we must concede that the sequence of events in the creation story matches up remarkably to our current beliefs on how the earth came into existence, as well as the probable timing of the arising of plant, animal and human life.

Early in the creation sequence, Genesis indicates that God created plant life that reproduced by means of seeds that provided for the continuing spread of those plants. It was also a simpler life form that would provide sustenance for the more complex animal life that would follow. Except for the question of the time required, we can accept this sequence in our quest to match up with logical thought.

In another fascinating match to evolution theory, Continue reading →

Voice of God

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Terry Wayne

When we hear of someone claiming that God spoke to them, we probably think of someone with a mental illness – especially if that “voice” is telling them to commit an act of violence or some other crime.

Sadly, we might also question the motives of a religious leader who claims a directive from God that demands a greater financial commitment or an action contrary to Christian principles.

But mental imbalance, greed or political consideration was not always the first consideration. The Bible is filled with stories of God speaking to and through the writers of those sacred texts. And God’s messages to those writers of old were frequently prophesy, hope, encouragement and promises of better things to come.

Granted, many of the messages in the Bible were scoldings, warnings and even tactics for dealing with enemies of the people, but you would be hard-pressed to find a message urging violence against the innocent.

So, what’s different between then and now? Was the voice heard in ancient times truly the voice of God while the voices heard today are more likely the voice of madness? What has changed? Continue reading →

God, Logic, Eternity and Infinity

Posted on February 3, 2018 by Terry Wayne

If there is anything harder to visualize than God, it is the concepts of eternity and infinity. Yet, they are inexorably connected to each other and to God.

We can readily grasp the concept of God “the Father” as a parental figure. The parent is responsible for the child’s existence as well as providing guidance, education and discipline. Either as a parent, or as a child, we each have a concrete example to reference.

We can easily understand the concept of God, the creator. One who creates is ultimately an artist, the one who creates substance from an idea or visualization. To varying degree, each of us has had the experience of being the creator or the artist.

Infinity and eternity and their relationship to God are tougher to grasp. Continue reading →

Who is Jesus – and why does it matter?

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Terry Wayne

In our efforts to justify the connection between logic and Christianity, we must ultimately confront the fundamental question – who was Jesus. Was He truly the Son of God? Is He our one, true connection to that higher power we call “God” ?

It is obvious from historical records that humanity has instinctively recognized the existence of a higher power for thousands of years. And throughout human history, mankind has looked to that higher power to provide favorable living conditions and in an attempt to comprehend the life and death cycle of life.

There was one perpetual problem – how to put a face on that higher power.

Once again, historical records demonstrate that the universal efforts to adopt an image to represent that higher power took many forms. Animals were common, perhaps to acknowledge the powers of the natural world. Semi-human “gods” were envisioned, usually in modified form such as giants.

But there was another problem, and it applied to all variations of the “god” symbols. Virtually all worship involved some type of sacrifice to appease the higher power and curry favor.

So, where does Jesus fit into this scenario?

Continue reading →

Breath of Life – Perpetual Motion

Posted on January 17, 2018 by Terry Wayne

The debate about whether God exists or we, and all that surrounds us, is merely a cosmic accident, continues unchecked.

Hard-core believers will cling to every word of the Bible as absolute truth, ignoring or rejecting all scientific reasoning.

Meanwhile, the equally hard-core non-believers dismiss the Bible as complete fantasy.

Most of us, however, fall somewhere in the middle ground. We believe in the principles and core values of the Bible, while reserving a large degree of consideration toward the lessons of science. And perhaps the most critical question involves our very existence.

The Bible tells us that God created the human being. Science gives us a long, elaborate sequence of evolution, and the fossil record supports that concept. So what is the truth?

Without getting into the whole evolution/creation argument, we might use a bit of science and a bit of logic to examine the probabilities.

One of the holy grails of science is the search for the perpetual motion machine – a machine that, once set in motion, continues to perform indefinitely without any further application of energy. Our science and engineering community has yet to achieve any such device.

We have found that one of the most basic elements of physics – friction – thwarts our efforts.

Yet, the human body, once set in motion, continues to breathe. The heart in your chest continues to beat, uninterrupted, throughout your life.

Granted, we do fuel our bodies with food, water and air, but the signals that cause us to take a breath, the signals that trigger each heartbeat, happen automatically without our conscious effort. In that respect, each of us is like an organic perpetual motion machine.

Considering that our science cannot accomplish anything near such an effect, we have to consider the likelihood that we function perpetually as an accident of our existence to be highly unlikely.

It would seem more likely that we are created (or designed) using a formula of biology more complex that anything mankind has been able to replicate.

Finally, we must ask ourselves – if our most sophisticated scientific community cannot explain or duplicate the perpetual motion of our breathing or heartbeat, how likely is it that we function in such a complex manner – by accident.

Or is it more likely that we were designed by a higher power – the power we call God?

Logically, we must concede – this is no accident.

Coin of God’s Realm

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Terry Wayne

The recent string of mass shootings and natural disasters has had the devastating effect of planting seeds of doubt in the faithful. It seems like a fateful flip of the coin determines who lives, who dies. Heads, you live, tails you die.

We struggle to comprehend how a loving God could allow such tragedy. How could He allow innocent children to be taken by an act of pure evil or seemingly random violence of natural disaster? How could He allow His faithful followers to suffer?

Understandably, our human doubts rise to the surface.

But perhaps there is another coin to be flipped – a coin that wins regardless of which side lands on top.

It is a coin of God’s realm, with faith on one side and trust on the other. And just as a monetary coin has a pair of impressions embossed on a metal core, God’s coin has a core that binds faith and trust together.

Perhaps the core of God’s coin is hope.

If we put on our logic hat for a moment, we might recognize that hope is the foundation of our desire to embrace Christianity. Hope is that desire for a good future. Hope is that desire to exist free of want, free of pain, free of loss.

And then comes tragedy. Our hope for a better world, our hope for justice and peace and love is tarnished.

Time to flip God’s coin.

And it comes up – trust.

If we truly employ our logic, we must conclude that God’s purpose, God’s plan for humanity is well beyond our ability to comprehend. Would it be the height of human arrogance to believe we could possibly see events from God’s perspective?

If we had just a glimpse of God’s plan for us, we might understand that “free will” comes with a price. And that price is to endure the pain and suffering that the free will of others can bring and the natural consequences of the world we inhabit.

Another glimpse might suggest that God allows such events because He rejoices in seeing humanity coming together in times of crisis. And He knows – what we can only hope for – that the victims of these tragic events return to Him where they await our arrival.

And so we flip that coin again – and again it comes up – trust. But the core of that coin hasn’t changed. It is still hope.

If we reflect on that message, we might recognize that trust is inevitably bonded to faith through hope. When we accept the concepts of a loving God and the promise of heavenly home for eternity, we will conclude that, regardless of our earthly experiences, things will work out for the best – by God’s standards. And that is our hope.

So, the logic that is so much a factor of our daily lives, demands that, even in our hour of greatest pain, we firmly grasp that coin. In the darkness of our despair, we need to feel the substance, the firm core of hope. We need to embrace both sides of the coin.

It is the strangest of coins. Faith requires trust. Trust requires faith. Both are bound together by hope.

Flip that coin if you must. Either way it lands, you win.