The pastor ("Pastor V") opened the session explaining the notion and value of "evidence" as described in the flyer (see previous blog). I could completely get behind the framework laid out here. He challenged us "why do you believe what you believe?" - a concept I've always been behind.
When Paster V opened w/ "If you could call God directly and ask him any questions, what would you ask?" - I was pleased. I entered w/ 3 questions of the top of my head (in anticipation they would ask "What answers are you seeking?"). We were supposed to discuss/list amongst our table first.
My questions:
- How come morality has changed, but the bible hasn't?
- What about the substantial # of people that would be condemned to hell due to ignorance? (prior to mass communication, and even remote regions after mass-media)
- Why give us the ability to reason if we should ignore it?
That last question got some looks from my table so I realized it was somewhat malformed. After thinking about it, I came to "version #2" - "Why give us the ability to reason if we can't use that gift to find you? Or in using that gift, it makes it harder for us to believe in you?". I realize that question is obviously loaded as well (implies that reason CAN'T get us there), but it's more clear and a question one the less.
Here's kinda what ended up on the white board:
- Why am I here?
- Why do good things happen to bad people (and vice versa)?
- Is there existence after death?
- Why allow suffering?
- Why is sin "sin"? <-- this one was added by me on the fly - why THOSE rules?
- Why allow child abuse (aka - suffering)?
- How do I know I'm "saved"?
- How come I am so blessed?
Pastor V presented the "fill the jar w/ the big stones first" analogy and distilled these to "the big questions":
- God
- Afterlife
- Saved/Jesus
- Bible (v. Quran, etc.)
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I'm completely behind the notion of "evidence w/o proof" having seen a perfect illustration of this regarding the existence/composition of atoms laid out in "The God Particle":
- Someone who can't see B&W right next to each other goes to a soccer match
- they can't see the ball
- they make note that players seem to be focused together, chasing "something"
- immediately before the crowd cheers, he notices a 'blip' in the back of the net after a man dove in that direction
In isolation, a complete mystery, but when the observer asks the question "what if there's a ball I can't see?" then EVERYTHING fits perfectly and makes sense.
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So this leads to my personal clarifier: It's all about how you INTERPRET the evidence!
At this point, we were about half-way in, when things took an interesting and unfortunate turn: "The ID proposition". While he didn't frame it this way, Pastor V started espousing the same rhetoric I'd seen/read before time and again and this obviously frustrated me.
He also kept referring to Richard Dawkins as Steven Dawkins, which annoyed me - but not significantly. I just think if you're going to challenge/mock someone (and he wasn't openly mocking), then you should get their name right.
I'll leave the ID/Creationist summary/position for a separate blog(s) and I'll just pick up at the trail end of that "detour"
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Recommended reading/research by Pastor V:
- Francis Collins (top dog of the Genome project)
- Ravi Zacharias' "The End of Reason"
- "Defeating Darwinism"
- Heraclites
- Anti-evolution pamphlet offered at the end of class
Questions/thoughts for further consideration:
- How come there is so much order? (teleological argument)
- Origin of the conscience/morality
- Laminin
- John 1:1 "... Word was with God and the Word was God ..." - original Greek = 'Logos' = reason/purpose
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