The Problem of Self

In determing the way one ought to live, one must look entirely outside of oneself. That is, one must view the problem not based on benefits and rewards, but on the percieved truth. This advice holds most pertinent when considering the God dilemma- that is, whether or not there is a God. I am often attracted to atheism due to the hedonism which it offers. However, I can never accept that there is no God on grounds of telos- and I see no telos in pleasure.

The Pleasure in Ugliness

There is a certain pleasure in ugliness. The example coming most quickly to mind is pornography, but all sin would fall into this category. The most terrible dilemma I face is that I hate the ugliness but love the pleasure of the body. Logically, it would be easy to say that the body must take second place- but the flesh is not logical. As in Romans seven, "That which I do not want to do, I do."

We Slaves

Slavery: What a negative word. So often associated with the South and foreign nations. Never a good thing. But a physical bondage is nothing compared to a bondage of the soul. We are all slaves, to some god, ourselves, pleasure, whatever. Something drives us unto the end. I would call that an inescapable slavery. Society enslaves, but not nearly so much as the self. We allow our bondage, and even if we cast off one slavery, we take on another- The self is exchanged for Christ, pleasure for society, et cetera. Perhaps I am taking the idea of mental slavery ad absurdum, but I believe the Bible is clear on this. We are to be slaves of either this world or Christ, and no matter how upsetting the decision, it must be made. Better a slave than nothing.

Love: Which?

I love you: such a simple phrase, but it means so much. Do I love you in the terms of eros, philos, or agape? Teenagers do not know what agape love is. Numerous teens will understand the term of eros love or philos love, but certainly not agape. Now, before going on I must state what these terms mean, as I am aware you may not know the meanings. Eros love is the lowest form of love. It is the physical attraction. Philos is the middle form of love, friendship love; mutual give-and-take. But agape love is the highest. Agape love is giving selflessly and it is the unconditional love. "(S)He's cute." is eros love. "He is my best friend, I love him" is philos love. But "I will do anything for him/her, no matter what will happen to me" is agape love. God loves us all in the form of agape. He gave His Son to die on the cross so that our sins would be forgiven. He selflessly gives to us, his Son did all for us, and nothing for him.
But teens, their love differs. We can love eros and philos. I have personally been in both of these relationships. For the most part, eros love lasts the least amount of time, and agape the longest. Although there was a seven month difference in the length of my eros and philos love relationships (philos being shorter). This surprised me, as I cared much more for the philos relationship versus the eros relationship. But everything happens for a reason. Many people enter the confines of marriage in an eros or philos relationship. This is the cause for divorces, the feelings lessen and then the spouse goes off looking for what he/she is not getting.
Everything seems complicated, but God knows all. He knows that to get to the stage of agape love, a couple must go through eros love and philos love. To say "I love you" should not be confused with saying "I love your body" or "I love your mind". It should be I Love You, you as you are, everything that you are, your all. God loves us as we are, a husband should love his wife as she is.
Agape love is the hardest form of love to get to, as one must be willing to selflessly give his/herself to her/his partner. No "if I do this, he will do that" or "I want this so I am going to flirt more". Nothing but "I am going to do ____ for him because I love him and he deserves it." Selflessly.

Be aware of the dangers of saying "I love you" and no matter what you do, make sure you mean those three simple words.

The Aesthetic Limit (Calculus Essay)

Aestheticism is a modern philosophy of art, which maintains that art is the constant striving for ever greater pleasure. In accordance with the idea of limits in calculus, this aesthetic pleasure also has limits. Since aesthetic pleasure uses the self as its main standard, it is limited by the same things which the self is limited by. First and most noticeably, the self is limited by the idea of space-time. One cannot instantaneously move from one place to another- one must reach a place through some means. A second limit is that of the mental-bodily complex. A person can only have so much intelligence, which limits his ability to achieve mental pleasure, and by chemical hormones such as endorphins, which limit physical pleasure. Since all of this is limited, then perhaps it can be said that aestheticism is equally limited. However, its limitation is relatively high, as an individual can take a large amount of pleasure before “maxing out.”
This limited aestheticism can, perhaps, find its antithesis in fundamental Christian thought. The spiritual, under this system of thinking, is limitless and free. The spirit still finds pleasure, but it is seen as a higher form of pleasure. A sense of peace- that seems to be the best way to describe the Christian’s pleasure. The Christian view offers other forms of limitlessness as well. It insists that God is infinite, something that the self-as-god aesthete cannot believe rationally. In the end then, every man has a choice, as to how he wants to limit himself- morally, as the Christian; mortally, as the aesthete; or in all ways, as those who refuse to really see their position. Man must choose, and in doing so change everything.

Madness

To be alone- that is the fate of a man. If you are not alone, then you cannot think. Alone, however, in the philosophical isolation, rather than in seperation from others. Perhaps there are beings who are of an equal mind- but is it worth the trouble? Perhaps. At least, we always have God. Perhaps that is all one needs for anything, Him who created us. But this relationship leads to a sort of insanity- Which can not be felt or touched, but is our only companion. It seems absurd, even to the Christian. Companionship with the un-being... Madness. And such a case drives a man to madness when he sees the false companionship offered up by the world around him. What then is our lot? Madness and companionship, or "sanity" and friends? Look at the implications of both, I guess, to determine which route to take. Or, you could be alone and mad- How terrible! But then, it wouldn't matter anyway. Death is the fate of us all.

Surely, though, there is an ideal Christian... Christ, right? We must try to become like him. Is that mad? Perhaps Christ was mad... Went so far as to suffer the last three years of his life. He walked and slept and ate in poverty- but He knew what He was doing. He told his followers to suffer as well, for the glory of God. I guess that this glory becomes the highest TELOS. Is Christ's call one to asceticism, then? Denial of self and all that... I know not. Should we try to attain his standard? Certainly. We are the most sane as we become more Christlike.

Matthew Five, the sermon on the mount, discusses prayer. It says that prayer ought to be carried out in secret, so that the Father, who is invisible, can see what is done in secret and reward it. Is it right, then, to pray in front of an assembly? Is it right for a group to assemble in order to pray?

Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink.
Sanity, sanity, all around, but not a thought to think.
Madness. Absurdity... and still we know that we ought to live sane.

Three Months In... And Happy Birthday

I have been writing for this blog for three months now. Idon't know how many people read it. Five? Six? But, numbers don't matter. THe thoughts count. We've discovered a lot about ourselves and our fellow writers in doing this project, and we've seen a lot happen since June. So I just want to say Happy Birthday to Rhi in the best way I know how. Rhi, thanks for doing so much for this blog, for being a good friend, and for helping others see the predicament we're all in. Thanks for everything.

Confusion

Everything is confusing. The conflict that the spiritual has with the body. At the end of the day, which do we choose, and why? Our desire for individual meaning, but the necessity of giving up the self for God in order to find meaning. Our desire for power, but our inherent powerlessness and frailty. Our selfishness and our valuation of humility. Our lust, and our need to suppress our sexual instinct. Like Romans seven says, to paraphrase, I do not want to do, that which I do, and that which I do want to do, I don't do. In the end, where are these tensions resolved? There is no hegelian synthesis. Merely good and evil. How is the latter overcome? By God alone.

Team....?

Team God or Team Satan? You decide. Sitting on the fence is NOT an option. You must decide, and you must decide NOW. God can come back at any second for the believers. Faking your way through church and putting on the motions won't do you any good. The only way to get into the kingdom of Heaven is to pray and accept God. At any time, God will come back for those who believe in him, while those who do not will be left here on earth. After the "Glorious Reappearing of Christ", as it's called, a seven year tribulation will begin. This time will be literally Hell on Earth. There will be judgements one after another to get the attention of non-believers. In order to not go through these "judgements", you need to accept God now. Don't wait. You could die any day and without God, you will be doomed to an eternity in Hell. I am not trying to scare you into accepting Christ. But I am warning you of the dangers of not accepting him.

Living in the Pain

Physical pain-it's something everyone will deal with at some time or another but that no one wants to deal with. While it can range from a paper cut to a broken back, it's still pain. For some of the more severe pains, you may feel like there isn't anything you can do to heal the pain. But God says he will watch over you, and protect you.

Psalm 121:7 -The LORD will keep you from all harm-He will watch over your life

For some, there is an emotional pain that follows, as you realize you won't be able to do something you loved to do for a few days, weeks, months, years, or the rest of your life. If you pray to God, He WILL help you and keep you looking towards Him. To trust in him is the best thing that you can do. There are other sports or activities you can learn to do in the time you can't do your normal activity. But the best thing is to give your problems to God and let Him show you what it is He has in plan for you.

No matter how hard it may seem in the moment, being on God's side is always the best thing.

Asking for Forgiveness-You, God, and Others.

What is forgiveness? Is it saying "it's ok" when someone says they're sorry? It is, but that is not all that forgiveness is. To forgive someone you must be willing to admit they made a mistake, and that no one is perfect. You have to move past the event and no longer hold it against them. This concept is not an easy thing to do, although forgiving someone else is far easier than forgiving yourself.

To forgive yourself, you must admit you have done wrong and that you aren't perfect. Many people like to believe they are perfect-I included-and not admit wrongs. While others will admit they did wrong and hold it against theirselves (once again, me included). You must not hold these bad things against yourself. They will ruin your life, and depress you. If God is forgiving you, why can't you forgive you? God is perfect, and yet he forgives us everyday.

For God to forgive us, we must ask him for forgiveness. This is telling Him you are sorry that you have sinned and you want to start again. But also, you must promise that you will not do this sin again. For most people, this is the hardest part. You can say you are sorry, you can sincerely mean it, you can want to start again, but you might not want to stop sinning. I have been in that predicament before, and it sucks! You have to know that God doesn't want you to sin, and that every single little (or big) sin that you commit hurts God. EVERY SINGLE ONE!

Our Generation's Problem

Everyone is so small minded, including me. We know the price of things, but not their value (Wilde). Why do we live in the squallidness of a community centered around nothing? Everything is filled with pettiness, with a thoughtlessness that has never been known. Only community, with no room for the individual. However, the individual can still show itself- if only for long enough to be mocked by the community. Pettiness is the problem with our generation, an inability to see beyond ourselves. In reading Huxley's Brave New World, I noticed how the people in both that and this society know nothing of value, only facts. Am I alone in this despairing smallmindedness? Does anybody understand the anguish, knowing that they have something to say that they want to change the world with, but not posessing the ability to say it? This is a call to those who understand to change the world. Lose yourself by realizing others, not for the sake of yourself!

Self Awareness

To be self aware is man's curse. That is, to be able to evaluate our place in the universe, and to despair because of that, is man's curse. We have the ability to think, but also the curse of knowing that none of our thoughts can be original. The despair of knowing things, but not being able to implement these things originally. A desire for creativity, but also a realization of my own originality. Who am I? No more than any man in the past.

The Synthesis

Can we have a unified theory of everything? Do we want such a theory? The universal answers for everything either lead to despair (existentialism, nihilism, etc.) or simple apathy towards such ideas as the particulars. The philosophies of the particulars such as aestheticism and romanticism are ignorant of thought, the universal. Although the latter philosophies seem to provide real meaning, they are really quite hollow and small minded. And due to the unoriginality of thought, we need not rewrite the past philosophies in modern ways. "Nothing new under the sun" is an adequate description of the world's thought for the past millenia. So with universal thought, that is, the unifying theory, in despair, and the particulars absolutely destroyed by the universal, where do we go? Our nature is to enjoy the particulars, but also to think of the universal. There must be a synthesis, that is, meaning in the moment, and a solution for the universal. Perhaps Christianity, if explored correctly, can lead to this. I have no doubt that it can. But in order to use this Christian universal, one must abandon oneself completely to the ideology. One cannot dabble in Christianity. It is an encompassing philosophy which will improve the way one thinks, but will also cause one to lose oneself. Abandonment, or despair. Perhaps another synthesis is possible, but I know of none. Hegel was wrong. There is an absolute, and we can't synthesize it further. Here we stand at the precipice, at the time to act. Do we take the leap, and abandon ourselves to no despair, but also no sin? That is your choice. Intellectually, of course, Christianity makes sense. However, when push comes to shove, can we do that which we commited to do? Can we have real faith, rather than a mere intellectual rationalization? I write this for myself, and for all like me. Dare to follow God. Dare to have real faith. Dare to suffer. What more is there? Die with Christ. Die to your sin. Die to your self.

Three Resolutions

Resolved, that the Church has lost its Biblical base, instead trying to make the message "relaevant," causing it to lose real relevance to the lost world. It has lost the substance which makes the Church important, and due to this, I call for consideration of a New Reformation.

Resolved, that although the Church in Livingston county, Michigan is currently strong, the loss of the youth's Christianity will weaken the Church substantially within the next forty years. This ought to be changed by those youth currently engaged in the Church culture who desire to have a ministry.

Resolved, that it is our duty as citizens of Heaven and children of God to reform the Church and sabotage the culture which has influenced us to the position we are in.

There Is Nothing New Under the Sun

Now, I am taking a cue from the book of Ecclesiastes in writing this- perhaps as the best way to showcase unoriginality. The history of thought is, if slightly varied, still rather basic. The Epicurean and Stoic philosophies of the Greeks eventually became our existentialist and romantic/ aesthetic philosophies. Another thing to note is the limitation of any philosophy. Man cannot be all, that is, free, happy, and meaningful. Existentialism takes away meaning. Aestheticism prevents meaning also, when logically carried through. Christianity limits freedom, although recognizes that such freedom is actually impossible. Perhaps that is why the religious answer makes so much sense to me, that is, that it is realistic enough to realize that freedom is only possible for God. I would like to paraphrase A.W. Tozer here, when he states in the "Knowledge of the Holy" that absolute freedom is impossible for two beings. Eventually, they will have to collide. I guess what I am trying to say is that only God can be original and truly unique. Only the spiritual can be original. That said, the temporal is not to be separated from the spiritual, and we should be free to mix our lives- in fact, we ought to allow our spiritual and temporal parts to mix.

Love?

Girls live for love and relationships, while guys live for goals and pleasure. Why is this? We were made differently and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Everyone must overcome issues in their genetic makeup, and if they can then their life can be better. I once heard a quote. It said that girls held their hearts like glass, and they were constantly broken. But guys throw their hearts around like footballs and it is never hurt. This is odd because usually something made of glass is held in more regard than something like a football. But in context, it is fully true. Why do girls continue to love when they know it will end in pain? The pain of love is inevitable. (Note: I am talking relationship love, not the Love of God). For most couples, heartbreak follows the ending of a relationship. Or there might be pain in the middle of the relationship. But either way, following a relationship there is pain. For the lucky few, a lifelong marriage follows. This also ends in pain, when one spouse passes away.

So what is the point of love? Why put yourself out there with the knowledge that you will get hurt? Sure some say they need to experience it once to understand, but then they never stop. I am personally in this cycle right now. I know that I don't have to give myself to a guy, for in the end he will break my heart, but he promises he won't and I know he is better than the last. I am unsure of if I really want to give myself to him. I don't want to get hurt, but I want the happiness that I know will, and is, coming from our relationship.

The happiness, the memories. These are the reasons we love. The memories and the joy are worth the pain. Each relationship is better than the last one, for we learn something about ourselves, become stronger, and learn what we want in a boyfriend/girlfriend. If we learn at least one thing in a relationship, it was worth it. I know what a relationship is like in which emotional pain is the only thing you feel for months at a time. But I learned more in that relationship than I did in a relationship where I was more of a just friends with my boyfriend, and we never worried about anything. You know what, I am not going to worry about the past or about my mistakes because every mistake has made me who I am today.

God has thrown me through various loops in my life already, and there are tons to come. Some of these tests I have passed with flying colors, others barely passed, some I have failed miserably. But God still loves me, and has forgiven me-erasing my transgressions from my record.

Carry Your Cross

Christianity is not an easy religion. It does not offer comfort, nor happiness. Peace, perhaps, but that is a necessary peace, so that one may rejoice in suffering. The early church fathers were often persecuted. Paul went to jail numerous times. There was much pain. They were forced to walk with a cross in hand, metaphorically speaking. They were forced like criminals going to execution. In America, we devalue the cross. To us, it is the empty cross. We're wrong in that. Nay, that emptiness represents that it is yet to be occupied. We are yet to die. Our suffering is not yet come. Never confuse the empty cross with the empty grave- the latter is far more beautiful. It represents a conquered death. The empty cross is a symbol of despair, until it is occupied. Then that cross becomes a real symbol of life. There is a peace in suffering, but there is real hope in death. We have nothing to fear while we suffer the cross- only while we carry it to our deaths for Christ.

Either Hope or Sanity

The world is a very harsh place to live. Two options are given to every man. To start from himself to find meaning, or to start from a superior being. Of course, one can always postulate that man is meaningless, hence the referred to sanity in my title. However, that view is inherently insane, once it is really considered. I guess all that I have to say is that which I have already said, time and time again. We must choose for ourselves where to find hope. No humanist, historical or modern, has ever really found a meaning inherent in man. Deism offers the same problem. OnlY the hope of Theism can sustain lasting hope. Modern humanism leads to existentialism, that or the most abject form of hedonism (which are not necessarily far apart). Stoicism only hurts the self. Without Deity, then, the "self is a relation which relates itself to itself," that is, an indescribable entity (Kierkegaard). A God gives man a place, which allows him to grow or wither, in relation to God. It allows a non-absurd job for man to do. Hope grants real meaning and purpose. This allows both the sanity of meaning with the hope of value, - the only philosophy to do so! And that is really a beautiful system to be a part of.

The Roller Coaster of Life

Sorry about how long it has been since my last post. I have been busy this past month, and have learned quite a lot. When I left at the beginning of this month, I departed for a church camp. Before departing, my mood was one of confusion and of being unsure of the future. But at camp I really realized that God knows what will happen in the future and He will always be there for me.

Everyone listen! God does not let us know what will happen too far into the future because if we knew we might try to change it. By leading us blindly, we can let less human nature interfere with God's amazing plans. God put me on a roller coaster a few months ago and has been keeping me on it, in the dark, and throwing me in loops. I was unsure of what would come next. I never knew if I would be upset, ornery, or oddly joyous. But now I have seen that those loops made me appreciate the good times that have come. I may be stretched to the max right now, but God is making me appreciate those little moments, teaching me to stop and smell the flowers, and not take anything for granted. If we never experienced negative things, we would not understand the good things as much as we do when we know the bad. This is all part of God's plan. God's plan for you is different than his plan for me, and that is the beauty of it all. No one is the same, so God uses us in different ways. He has to get us to come to Him in a different way. For me, he has been wearing me down and crippling me so that he must be my crutch and my resting place. This is really showing me that I always need God. For some people, he might be performing miracles-small or big-to get your attention, or just letting you glide along for a short time.

I do not know what is going on in your personal life, but I do know that God will provide for you, no matter what. "Do not let others look down upon you because you are young"-Jesus

Why Existentialism is True (and Why it must be Denied)

For some time now, I have discussed the meaninglessness of everything. Everything is pointless. This I have tried to prove time and time again. However, I never got to the next step- God. "Meaninglessness without God," the antithesis being "meaning with God." This antithesis is the conclusion that I have desired to reach but never actually followed through on. Well, here we go. Man is in an absurd position- everything he does leads to nothing. The one thing that matters, the spiritual, is the only non-absurd thing to work for. Anything less is madness- actual insanity. With this in mind, we must seek ever after the spiritual in all that we do, or else go insane. I have reached this brink of insanity, and come to warn the rest. Life is pointless and futile without God. Carpe Diem Par Deus.

Why?: The Christian-Theistic Answer

"Living for God is the only reasonable existence."
The Christian says that the earth was created by a personal God who posesses many traits which will be defined later. He created a perfect world, but satan, one of God's servants, was allowed to fall. Satan brought several other angels with him in his fall. Satan also tempted Adam to disobey God by eating of the fruit that God had forbidden. In disobeying God, Adam sinned and fell from grace. Because God was merciful, however, He allowed Adam to live anyway. Man in general is now in the state he is in due to both God's creation and Adams fall. The Christian also believes that man can return to grace by being made perfect through God's Son, that is, Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Christ in order to atone for us (and therefore be loving) while still satisfying His own need for justice. This sums up the universe in the Christian sense.

God has many traits that make him God. Firstly, he is composed of three parts, while still being one God. This means that the Christian is a monotheist, but believes in a three part God. The how of this trinity is unknown but to God himself (Whenever I am using a non-female gender term, I will use "he" rather than "it". Also note that the word "man" is used to refer to mankind or humanity rather than individual men. Note that women are included in the second term. I apologize to any who this may offend.). We are but concerned with the direct application of this, and it means very little in the discussion of "why?" God is also all powerful, meaning that he influences the universe however he will, and can (but does not) do anything. Note that this omnipotency does not allow for contradictions, such as, "can God create a rock so large that he can't lift it?" Such questions are irrelevant and absurd. He is also immutable, or unchanging. He is the "I AM." This is his name in Hebrew, and shows how he is now, in the future, and in the past. His immutability is directly linked to his immortality. He is also above time, and is not influenced by fourth-dimensional bounds as are we.

God is the only perfect being, and as such creates a standard for morality. His righteousness is the ultimate measuring stick. As a just God, he must punish all those who come short of that standard. As a loving God, he desires to help those who he loves. As a personal God, he cares about the individual souls in the universe. This love and personality made him satisfy his love and justice at the same time by offering up his son as a substitute for man in judgement. This sacrifce, that of Christ, gives man a hope at eternity, which gives man a purpose. The Bible even discusses meaninglessness in the book of Ecclesiastes, as a terrible thing that can only be avoided by living for God and eternity.

Through a study of the Bible, therefore, the why of everything can be best summarized as a constant relation back to God. God created the world. Man and angels fell from God. God loved man enough to offer him a hope. Man can either reject or accept this hope, but God grants it nonetheless. If there was no God, not only would life be purposless, but existence impossible. Others can offer better reasoning for the "how" of the Christian system, but the point of this essay is the rather the why of existence. Man, in the Christian view, lives either a) for God or b) for an absurdity, or the self. Ecclesiastes shows why the second form of existence is so absurd to the Christian system.

On Epistemology

Epistemology is the philosophical doctrine dealing with knowing. It is one of the two major branches of metaphysics, the other concerning the questions of being. Knowledge has oft been debated throughout the history of philosophy. What is it to know, exactly? Some say that knowledge must be entirely gained from experience. I only know that knowledge is something to be had, and only aids in the temporal. Epistemology is entirely a secondary joke. It loses its point after any considerration of meaning in the greater sense. It goes back to what Kierkegaard says - rationalistic ideas can never aid faith in a God, only hinder it. Knowledge is important, but it will never come close to the spiritual in importance.

This Post is Pointless

This post contains no original information. It will most likely illicit no real response from those who read it. The whole point of the post is diminished by the simple fact that it has been posted. One, maybe two people will read it. Neither will comment. If they comment, they will forget about it later. It will do nothing but waste the time of the reader. Now suppose that someone takes something away from it - then it might have some import. But whatever they take awa can in no way be the intended purpose of the post (due to Freudian theory.) Therefore, it is useless to write this, but still necessary.

A Few Questions for the beginning Philosopher

These are the first questions of philosophy, in some form of order. Offshoots will be labeled with letters.

1) Should one Commit suicide?
(Majority Say: No)

2) Is there a God?
(No Consensus)

a) What is God like?

b) Why should I believe in him?

3) What is Existence?

a) What makes a man a man?

4) What is it to know something?

5) What is the purpose of human life?

a) What do I do if there is no purpose?

b) What is my individual purpose?

The list goes on. Most of these questions are highly debated, even today. Except for, of course, the first question, which Camus and Sartre rather definitively answered. This list should keep you busy. Have fun philosphizing!

Nihilism

There is absolutely nothing. Being and knowing are a lie. So is any system of any sort. Absolutely nothing is. Everything 'exists' simply that it may be destroyed. What's the point of this world, then? There is none. The key is to get over that, and take pleasure in bringing the world down. Life for the sake of causing death. The Will to Power - Nietzschian/Darwinian thought takes hold. The only point is to destroy the point. Bury yourself in purposelessness, and thereby find your purpose. What higher standard than this is there? We are nothing, and therefore must bring all to naught. There is the only purpose, however meaningless it may be.

With all destruction intended,

A Skeptic

Why The Bee has a Purpose, While Man Does Not

The bee is an astoundingly beautiful animal. It lives in a perfectly organized society, controlled by one Queen. This creature labors all of its life to create honey, and then dies. This is the average bee's entire existence - to labor for twenty-odd days, and then to die. This bee, in all of its life, never even considers that what it is doing is wrong. It is blessed and cursed by a hive mind, always elevating the queen above itself. Its purpose is found in its universal, that is, its hive. Man, on the other hand, is an individual. As such, the universal (society) can not be his purpose. He cannot work for society unless he denies himself. This denial takes away mans purpose. However, over-selfness also takes away man's purpose. This leads to man finding a universal meaning in God alone, by nature of the immortality offered by God. The bee has a purpose, because it lives entirely in the present. Man- Because he lives in a future immortality. All other meaning in life is found only in inherently meaningless things. This is the absurdity of man's condition, the absurdity that the bee will never experience.

Some Rationalistic Proofs For God

I have encountered several proofs for the existence of a Christian God, and have decided to summarize these as best I can.

1) The Beautiful World Argument
Creation is astoundingly complex. It exhibits an unexplicable level of intricacy, unless a creator is postulated. A God is necessary due to nature's beauty and aforementioned complexity. This argument is simple, but effective. Further readings on similiar arguments are copious. See Lee Strobel's Case For a Creator for similiar arguments.

2) Man as Shadow of God
The Christian God created man in His image. Therefore, God has several mannish traits (Or rather, man has several divine traits). Among these are a sort of Love, justice, independence, and a desire to work in his own interest. Keep in mind that man perverted these traits during the fall. This divinity is the Christian God, and seems inherently easy for man to worship and strive for. This isn't so much of a proof, but is a nice supplement to other proofs.

3) The Source of Man's Personality
We have two ideas. Man either has a personality, or is essentially a normal animal. Our instinct would like to believe the former, that we really do have free choice. It is also difficult to say that our personality came from impersonal, unfeeling nature, as immoral as that is. Therefore, we must attribute our personality to some higher source, namely, a deity. Now, this may not be the most convincing proof, but it is an excellent supplementary rationale. I take the idea from Francis Schaeffer's The God Who Is There.

4)Man's Hunger
This is a classic C.S. Lewis proof, found in his Mere Christianity, among other works. The premise is this: Man desires, however irrationally, some form of pleasure and lasting happiness that he cannot have. This hunger is compensated for through such pursuits as sex, vacations, hobbies, etc. Every other earthly hunger has something to fill it. Sexual desire: sex. Actual hunger: Food. The list goes on. This appetite evinces something more, and therefore we can believe in a God.

5) Purposelessness Without God
If there is no God, then man is absolutely without a real meaning in an absurd world (See Camus' works). This is a very difficult position, and when supplemented with Lewis' proof (See above) creates a very real temporal, as well as eternal, need for God. If it weren't for this meaninglessness, I might very well be an atheist. I hold this proof rather close, as I have really legitimized my belief through it.

6) The Bible
Now, it is rather circular logic to use the Bible to prove the Bible. However, the real proof lies in that the Bible is an accurate source of historical truth. Thus, it has some credibility, which we can view in its historical accounts. This accuracy of realistic detail gives the Bible a reality to it, that is far easier to accept than the pantheistic mythologies of the past. Therefore, external proof grants a real light of credibility to the Bible.

Now, I agree with Kierkegaard in that rationalistic proofs can never increase faith. Man does need to make the decision and intellectual leap to come to God. However, these proofs (I hope) can help others in their Christian walks.

Escaping Reality

Today, I really had this brilliant idea. I decided I wanted to escape reality. While there are the worldy answers of smoking, drinking, and all those other teen problems, I wanted to find something that wasn't detrimental to my health. I don't know what to do, but for so much of the time it seems like I'm fighting to find a solution for whatever is wrong.



I've figured out that there really is no way to escape reality. Every single way can harm you in some way. Please comment if you know a way to "safely" escape reality because I don't. Now, this isn't to scare you or think that I'm a druggie or something, because that is as far from the truth as you can get. I am a strong Christian and wish to find someway to deal with the issues of teen-dom. I probably sound like I'm trying to get everyone to feel sorry for me, and that isn't the thing either.



I just want to warn everyone that escaping reality is not an option! You might think "oh it would be just once" but every one of us knows that isn't true, or each and every one of us would probably have tried. If we are talking about how to find a "high", then I could say there are ways to get high without anything bad. Like climbing high trees, riding rollercoasters etc. Unfortunately sometimes these good highs aren't enough. Well I guess I'm headed back to real life, and out of cyber life. Stay with God, and don't stray. Straying causes these problems.



Rhiannon

Music/Video Pirating

It's something that happens a lot today. But I'm not gonna lie - I'm not completely innocent myself. I used to use programs like Limewire and Bittorrent to download files off the P2P and Gnutella networks that I didn't own. But I deleted these, not just because of the law, but because of Christianity.

And that is a major factor of Christianity that many people tend not to recognize - it raises people beyond a legal standard to a moral one. And only if everyone followed that standard perfectly! But it was because we are never up to the proper standards that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us. And why is this even illegal or immoral, you're just getting it for free, "sharing"?

Well, you see, when you buy a CD, or a record, or a DVD or WHATEVER, you are buying one (1) ONE, that's right only uno, copy of certain rights towards that music. That's why music artists sell multiple CDs, because if music rights are being used at more than place then that is in violation of the law. You can put the music on your computer, or make a back up copy and store it away somewhere, as long as:

1) The music is not in possession of another individual.

2) The music is not being played simultaneously at multiple locations.

So, if it's illegal, if it's taking music from artists, and taking their art and making copies and giving them away, isn't that stealing their profits? The internet has DESTROYED the music industry! It's like what's happening to the auto industry and the huge problems in Detroit, Michigan right now. There is unfair competition from foreign countries with pricing and cutting wages is not what our country needs right now. The internet is the music industry's unfair competition, and when you download that .torrent file, you are helping destroy the artist's livelihood.

So, why aren't the programs and files illegal? THERE ARE LEGAL PURPOSES ... these programs were founded upon the basis of legal usage, like sharing a video without the viewing platform of YouTube. But that doesn't mean artist's work should be completely removed from P2P programs. If you have a tape, or a record, and there isn't exactly a way to put it on the computer (it won't run in your CD drive, even if you manage to stuff it in there), since you own the rights needed, you can download the music onto your computer with one of these programs. But remember, you should always keep the original vinyl/tape or whatever as proof of your rights.

Got Limewire? Cool. It's not illegal or immoral. But you can use it as that. So delete all your pirated, stolen files, and go out and buy the CD or the record. I usually prefer the record album because it has the best audio quality possible, but that's another discussion. And remember: people's livelihood is on the line. And as Jesus Christ looks upon you, as always, with love, let you show no sin in God's eyes,

Sincerely,

Ezra

24) On Purgatory

Purgatory is a rather (in my opinion) convenient concept, accepted by the Catholic church as a crucible of sorts before heaven is entered. The idea is that because nothing impure can enter heaven (Rev. 21:27) man must be first cleansed of his sinful nature. Purgatory is not recognized as an actual place, but rather a spiritual cleansing. The convenience of this notion is that it allows for an impure life followed by a cleansing outside of this life. Now, I am not saying that it is an absolutely terrible notion, and I hope that no one's faith would fundamentally change based on the existence of Purgatory. However, I am saying that it is a purely human notion and is not divinely revealed through the Bible. This leads to a further question of whether it should or should not be considered. If not accepted as absolute fact, I believe that it is an interesting enough notion to merit study. However, let us not allow the idea to overshadow other Christian ideas. The question of purgatory is open, but should not be overanalyzed.

23) On Suicide

“For to me, to live is Christ, but to die is gain... I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. (Philippians 1:21, 23b, 24 NIV) This notion, that dying is gain, is important to the Christian. Note also how Paul notes that suicide is inherently selfish. “It is more necessary for you” makes this point clear. However, I disagree with those Christians who say that suicide is an absolutely damning sin. I believe that in most cases those who choose to kill themselves are risking something terrible. However, I believe that it is the motive that God judges, rather than the sin. Therefore, in my opinion, a heroic sacrifice as in a war movie will not necessarily bring hell upon you, but an overdose after absolutely rejecting the Christ idea will. This is not a recommendation to commit suicide, but rather a simple questioning of the presuppositions involved. I would also like to point out that Christ himself could easily have avoided the cross (Due to his Roman citizenship), making his death rather close to suicide without him sinning.

22) On War and Peace

I always found the idea of peace interesting, to say the least. On its own, it is a perfectly good idea. However, when it spawns rebels and popular slogans, its value to the Christian ought to be questioned. “Give peace a chance!” Scream posters, remnants of the hippie movement. This idea of no war is not a bad one, but due to mans fallenness, war is necessary. Peace is fine, but the goal to be pursued is the life eternal of man, not life temporal. Even the Bible never attacks the notion of war and destruction. The Israelites waged several holy wars against surrounding tribes, and they were led by God. Even the phrase “love your enemies” does not say that one ought not to have enemies. As Christians, our enemies are those who would suppose that Christ never rose again. This does not mean that we should never speak to those who suppose this. Peace is biblical, as is war. What matters the most, though, are the spiritual battles for the souls of men.

21) On Church Involvement in Politics

Another source of disunity within the Church is found when Churches become worldly entities. One example of this was the Thomas Road Church in North Carolina. Its former pastor, Jerry Falwell, was well known for being a right wing mouthpiece. It is perfectly acceptable to be interested in politics, even as a Christian. It is our duty as citizens to care about our political system. However, it is not the job of Christianity to become the mouthpiece of any political ideal. When Christianity does become a religion that is concerned overly with this world, then it loses all value as a religion and the Church ought to be rejected. I feel a certain duty to mention that it is not simply the right wing that extolls its values through the Church. The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered)movement also has churches that support the LGBT cause. Likewise also the Black power movement with Rev. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. The point is not what the church is supporting, but rather that it is supporting modern immorality and worrldly (rather than heavenly) ideas.

20) On Church Politics

The church has often faced internal conflict. From the first great schism between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, to the Protestant reformation and even to today, the church has been divided in many ways. Many modern churches are even split over such minor “problems” as music! What has made the religion of love so disunified? The Evangelical Presbyterian Church has a logo that states, “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.” All I want to know is this: Why can't the Church practice this? I understand that there are doctrinal disagreements between different sects. The problem that I see is that churches take it beyond doctrine, and won't even come together with those of the same accord. The church must agree internally if it is to show the world the love of Christ. The finer points of the religion matter not, if there is no love. I personally believe that all Christians need to believe only one thing. “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:9, NIV)

Live, Laugh, Love....LOVE

Love was the best thing in the world; before we started taking advantage of it. We have become out of touch with the meaning of love, and have definately taken God's love for granted. He sent His son to Earth to die so that we may be forgiven of our sins. Jesus paid the ultimate price, giving us the ultimate gift. But what do we do? Take it for granted, take advantage of it, and play around with it as if a new birthday gift. Love is not a bad thing, it never has been. But when you expect to love, things get bad-FAST. So many people think that love is the best thing ever, and it is. That is exactly why we need to treat it for what it's worth. Don't treat love like a teddy bear, that you can throw and it will still be fine. But rather treat it like glass, breakable.
For those of you "in love", I only have a few words. First, give him/her your all. Don't ever take the love you have for granted. If you do, you will let him/her slip through your fingers before you know what is going on. Love is like sand, when extremely careful you can hold it in your hands. But if you aren't paying attention it will slip through your hands. You can take that sand and wet it (compassion, care), making it hard and easier to hold onto. But eventually you will have to wet it again. So many people just do the bare minimum, thinking that is "all they need" and "he/she won't ever leave me". But that's where they go wrong. Just because we don't want to leave, or think that our life would be chaos without you, doesn't mean we are 110% happy with you. I honestly wish everyone would stop taking love for granted. What happened to the "love your neighbor as yourself, love your enemies" theology? How about your parents telling you that boys/girls had cooties? Quite honestly, they still do. Things never changed. Now, those "cooties" are STDs, pain, heartbreak, and things of the sort.

I miss the age when all we worried about was whether we were having Chocolate icecream or Vanilla and when getting in trouble meant eating a cookie out of the cookie jar!

The Holy Influence

“It seems that this all started when our government, in its infinite wisdom, took God out of our schools that taught us not to kill, not to hate, not to harm but to be kind, courteous and respectful.” –Robert Chmela of Elgin.As Robert Chmela said, after God was taken out of schools everything went downhill. According to heartofwisdom.com, after prayer removed in 1962, SAT scores dropped from the 970s to as low as 890, STDs more than doubled, and premarital sex raised from 0-25% in teens to 25-70%. American schools need the positive influence of God and Christianity.

God and religion are essential to school life for a variety of reasons-those of which include (but are not limited to) history, student behavior and expectations, and science.

“The definition of science shows that something is scientific only if it can be observed and verified. All must admit that it is impossible to prove scientifically any particular concept of origins, creationism or evolution. No human being was there in the beginning to observe and verify how matter and life came into existence.” – Pastor Kerwin Thiessen of Newton, Kansas.
No one knows what really happened when humans, the Earth, and the Universe were created. Therefore no one can prove these theories. The incapability to prove scientific theories such as evolution and the Big Bang Theory make them religion, not science due to the fact that religion is something that has to be believed without any real evidence. If schools teach these “religious ideas” then creationism should be taught! Many teachers make a conscious effort to not bias students’ opinions. But by not teaching creationism, teachers are biasing the students into believing in the evolution and the Big Bang Theory.

Hand-in-hand with science is history. In numerous instances, textbooks and historians have slighted history by leaving out the religion. From Jesus being born in that little stable in Bethlehem to not including President Roosevelt’s last four words after the attack on Pearl Harbor- so help us God-, people have been “changing history” and history classes to make it what Americans consider “politically correct”. Jesus walking the Earth has a big impact on history, and not one history teacher bothers to say a word about it. Even Buddhists acknowledge that Jesus walked the Earth, so who would it be offending anyways? Almost everyone accepts that Jesus walked Earth even if he/she isn’t Christian or Catholic. Jesus has taught people to love and accept each other as brothers and sisters. Where has that lesson gone? This world is in chaos and learning this one lesson and really taking it to heart would change the world for the better.

Students shouldn’t be allowed to take the Lord’s name in vain. It should be counted as swearing because it is against the Second Commandment and is usually used in a derogatory way. Also, purity codes should be taught in reproductive health because many students could do with that little warning about having sex outside of marriage. There are ways to teach reproductive health, going through what has to be gone through while weaving in God’s messages about sexual immorality and making sure your body is a holy temple for God. So many students don’t get that lesson at home-the lesson of keeping your body holy and not abusing it. Students might not get to know the true love and grace of God. Whether divorced parents, abuse, excessive moving, disease, or other situations, parents can overlook God’s simple promise of love, grace, and forgiveness. Students need to know God’s unconditional love.

On the other hand, public schools are for teaching the real-world definitions, theories and history; not religion and beliefs that may, or may not, be true. The separation of church and state is there for a reason. If someone wants to be taught creationism, go join a private school! Nothing is trying to stop students from praying on their own, or eliminate/change their beliefs.
“Contrary to the claims of opponents of church-state separation, public school students enjoy very broad rights to act in accordance with their religious values and to practice their religious beliefs while at school. From words of grace whispered quietly before a meal in a cafeteria to prayer groups gathering before school at the flagpole, every day all over the country, students engage in constitutionally protected religious expression on public school grounds.” –A writer for ADL.
America is a free country and Buddhists, Muslims, Jewish, and any other students should be able to go to a public school without the pressure to become Christian due to peers, teachers, and class curriculums. No one likes bullying or peer pressure and adding a religion to school would just add to the bullying. If a child refused to believe what the teacher was teaching, if they fought back about a point of discussion, or if they imposed their own beliefs to other students, they would get heckled, harassed, and/or verbally/physically harmed by students for being “different”. This happens in today’s schools already-for some it’s a pretty large issue- so why add more?

But Jesus walking Earth is part of history, no one is getting forced to participate in anything religious, and the economy is really bad right now. Due to the economical state of the country, it is not possible in many cases for a mass quantity of Christians in public schools to join private schools. While it is true that having all the Christian students go to Christian schools would remove a large amount of the problem, the money just isn’t there to support that type of mass moving of students. 83% of American citizens claim that they are Christian, so what is the big problem? If so many people are Christian there shouldn’t be this uproar about God not being allowed in schools, and that it is unconstitutional. No one can say that the other 16%-a minute minority- is overpowering the millions of Christians. Besides, it’s not like students are being forced to do anything-so there goes another reason to fight the issue. The option would just be there to take Christian classes and pray at the beginning and end of the day. Teaching about Jesus walking the Earth and creationism isn’t much different than teaching Hitler or evolution because both Hitler and Jesus are known to be real. There are more written accounts that Jesus walked the Earth than that George Washington was president, yet no one ever doubted George Washington. Creationism and evolution are both religious not scientific due to the fact that no evidence is available to support either theory; no one was alive when humans were made so no one knows for sure what happened.

"A Congress that allows God to be banned from our schools while our schools can teach about cults, Hitler and even devil worship is wrong, out of touch, and needs some common sense." Rep. James Traficant, (D-OH) 1999-APR-27.Rep. Traficant has the right idea when he says schools teach about cults but not about God. School systems say they are for equality, non-biased environments, and curriculum accuracy. Well how can a school be unbiased when it doesn’t let God permeate history, yet it teaches its students about cults, slavery, Hitler, and war? Equality doesn’t come from showing only the bad. American society has become as pessimistic as to not show the good in history anymore. What about Noah’s Ark? Jesus’ birth? There are so many great times in history that schools don’t even bother with. Instead they go for the bad, the ugly, and the brutal. No wonder kids these days are so violent. Parents are blaming it all on the video games and television shows but they also need to be looking towards the schools for blame too. No way in the world can satanic worship be ok to teach if they can’t even spare 30 seconds for voluntary prayer!

For the health and well-being of the generation coming up right now, God and religion needs to permeate the school life once again. How do parents feel when their son/daughter comes home saying she is pregnant/he got his girlfriend pregnant? Unfortunately, in today’s world this is a pretty common conversation in a typical teen household. But when God was still present in schools, to come home and say that would be taken extremely harsh and potentially get you disowned for being a disgrace to the family name. All the rising teen pregnancies, STDs, divorces, unmarried couples living under the same roof, alcoholics, and many of today’s problems can be traced back to the same thing-taking God out of schools. If you were that parent, would you want to be living now or back when God was in schools?


Bibliography
http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/when-prayer-was-taken-out-of-school. When Prayer Was Taken Out Of Schools, January 13, 2009. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E2D8143DF934A15751C0A9639C8B63. The Nation: The Faith Factor; Putting God Back Into American History, February 27, 2005.http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADH472.pdf. Family Life Education: Teaching Youth about Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS, 2006. Thiessen, Kerwin. “Forum: Should Creationism Be Taught In Public Schools? Yes.” Direction Journal (online). Vol. 11 No. 4 (October 1982) http://www.adl.org/issue_religious_freedom/separation_cs_primer_schools.asp. Public Schools: Teaching Democracy Not Dogma, 1999. Knowles, William R. “Separation of Church and State.” Highland’s Today (online) (December 2007). Ingersoll, Robert. Colonel. 19th Century. Chmela, Robert. Elgin Graduate. February 28, 2008.Traficant, James. Representative. April 27, 2009.

Notes to Come

Here is a tenative list on notes to come. Please give feedback!
20) On Church Politics
21) On Church Involvement in Politics
22) On War and Peace
23) On Suicide
24) On Purgatory
25) On Catholicism
26) On Social Justice
27) On Social Darwinism
28) On Self Denial Without Gnosticism
29) On Philosophy in General
30) On the Symptoms of a Godless Culture
31) On Martyrs
32) On Life and Death
33) On Legalism
34) On Relevant Fundamentalism
35) On Charity
36) On Calvinism
37) On Armenianism
38) On Democracy
39) On Communism
40) On Presuppositional Thought

19) On Faith and Science

Ever since the scientific revolution of the 1700s, faith and science have been at odds. The latter has claimed truth based on empirical reasoning, the church claiming truth on grounds of divine revelation. I propose that, although science will never wholeheartedly come to the church's aid, the church use scientific method to grant credibility to the Christian faith. Soren Kierkegaard did make an interesting point though, “One must choose to believe in God passionately and personally, not as a mere intellectual exercise.” Perhaps, in light of this, the church ought to slow rationalistic proofs of a divine creator, but instead should turn to the aspects of love in God, presupposing that he he is true. Whatever the church does choose to do, it must be kept releventally fundamental.

18) On Apathy

The second, and worse trap for a man to fall into is apathy. This evil is especially prevalent in theoretical existentialism. If man is without meaning, why ought he to do anything at all? Man cannot handle this idea for the most part, and those that truly did “get it” all committed suicide. Those who claim to “get it” are liars by mere fact of there life. But I digress. The problem with practical apathy is that it removes interest from a man's life. If there is nothing to do that is “interesting,” then man sits bored. I must say that is, in many ways, what brought about the idea of the social-networking websites. One apathy is worse than all others combined. That is, apathy towards God. This apathy is often evident, even in those who claim Christianity. Men don't care either because they are already saved or because there is no God. Apathy in the first is acceptable, as the man is simply lost. However, the second form of apathy is a heresy that is far too simple to fall into. This relates directly to 1 Corinthians 5, as the apathy shown creates an apostasy and immorality within the church.

17) On Extremism

There are two major problems that man can face in day to day living. These are apathy and extremism. They are opposites, but neither is healthy, just as a drug cannot work correctly in too large or too small a quantity. The problem in the extreme end is one that is rather difficult to foresee, namely an alienation of those who do not obsess also over the same idea. Although God warrants out absolute attention, taking it to the point that extremist Muslims do in their worship is problematic. I will confess that I know very few people who are extremist Christians. I should mention that extremism is not wrong in and of itself. However, as mentioned before, it places a barrier between a man and society. Therefore, we must moderate our views and be temperate in everything. There is at time for everything under the sun (See Ecclesiastes 3).

16) On Reality

Reality is an odd concept that has been discussed by philosophers from the beginning of time. Some believe in absolute reality, while others argue that perception is all that is. One philosopher, George Berkeley, said that “To be is to be perceived,” meaning that existence comes about as a result of being noticed. The theologian ought to admire his next conclusion, that God perceives all, giving all things being. It is an interesting notion that Berkeley brings to the idea of reality. It is especially convenient (for the Christian) as it allows for some form of secular philosophy as well as an absolute reality. For the Christian, absolute reality is an important idea, especially if God sets the standard on the reality of objects. The Christian now has an advantage over secular men when reality is questioned. The argument Berkeley uses allows for absolutes, as does a normal man's argument for absolutism outside of God. Thanks to Berkeley, the Christian can breathe easily in a discussion of the reality of something.

15) On God's Love and Justice

Many people outside (and even some inside) the church wonder how God can be both loving and just. Several point out that God punished most sins within the Old Testament with some form of eternal death. Others point out that “God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son...” Either way, very few will talk of a simultaneously loving and just God. However, God's immutability (unchangeingness) is perfect. Some have suggested that He is above justice, and his character is to love. I cannot really disagree with this, but the secular man will argue then the necessity of a hell. The point is a good one, forcing a return to God's sense of justice. Let us change our argument, by making Justice a character trait of God. If justice is a character trait of God, how can he love without violating this sense of justice? The answer is readily found in his son. C.S. Lewis brings up God's love in Mere Christianity as something that results from loving his son. Sacrifice one love for another, so that both may be loved... The how for this process is easily debatable within the church, but for now, an understanding that it does work is all that is necessary.

14) On the Sexuality of this Generation

Sexuality is clearly a problem for this generation. The pornography business has exploded with the advent of the internet. The problem, man's natural lust, has existed since the beginning of time. However, the problem seems to be more evident in our time, most likely due to the rapid transfer of information. The problem with the new sexuality created by the technological propagation of sexual materials, is that it is a very false sexuality. Romans one says that “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (NIV). In much the same way, the true sexuality has been perverted into a very evil thing. True sexuality (within marriage) is meant to be a beautiful thing, pleasing to God. Instead, men behave as animals, freely giving only physical (as opposed to emotional, spiritual, and mental) sexuality. This leads to a detachment of sex from sexuality, which in turn leads to a carnal man. This carnal man is a problem to the Christian, as it returns to the existentialist idea of one life, and later to hedonism. This may suffice for the outside world, but if the carnal man also claims to be a Christian, than he must be expelled from the Church (see 1 Corinthians 5). The best way to summarize this is that carnal man wants to corrupt the church also, or at least the individual Christian. The Church must do all that it can to prevent man's decline into such a state as this.

13) On Existentialism, Pessimism, and Nihilism

In my sixth note, I only mentioned three “base” philosophies. However, it is possible to go further philosophically than I have. The three philosophies mentioned all have a root of sorts within the ideas of existentialism, nihilism, and pessimism. All three of these are essentially the same, and will be treated as such (for our purposes). The best way to quickly define these ideas is to say that they result in realization of meaninglessness. “We're born, we live, we die” is the essential truth of these philosophies. This is fair enough, and true if there is no God. This purposelessness is exactly the reason I am not an existentialist. It amounts to nothing (see the book of Ecclesiastes for a biblical perspective on this), no matter how hard humans try. My note on Nietzsche discusses his ideas further, but whoever is an existentialist will surely have much explaining to do to his Creator in the divine judgment seat.

12) On the Ecclesiastical Idea

In reading the book of Ecclesiastes, written by King Solomon, I have come to see, with history as my guide, that his idea of meaninglessness is true. This is most notable in existentialist thought. The meaninglessness of everything is clear in both Ecclesiastical thought and the existentialism of such thinkers as Nietzsche and Sartre. The idea of the book is best summed up as meaninglessness in everything but God. The best phrase within the 12 chapters is “Under the sun,” referring to everything temporal (God being over or transcending the sun). With this in mind, Ecclesiastes is essentially (in my opinion) the most optimistic existentialism possible, stating that all temporal things are worthless unless they are enjoyed in light of God's existence. Therefore, the eternal makes the temporal more beautiful and worthwhile, rather than diminishing it. This is an interesting notion, this “realism within God,” that allows us to believe in a most wondrous heaven and still enjoy this earth.

11) On the Problem of a Basically Good Man

This philosophical idea of a basically good man was addressed in my ninth note as a misconception. It was suggested that I elaborate on that problem. The biggest part of the idea is the reason why basically good man is a problem. This idea is a problem for mostly theological reasons, but also shows itself within practical reasoning, also. Biblically speaking, man is not good because of original sin. Adam ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In doing so, he violated God's law. “In fact, sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4, NIV). This statement means that by breaking any law, especially that of God, we sin. Everyone has violated some law of God, thereby sinning (Jesus even discusses sin in thinking). Another theological conflict arises in the sacrifice of Christ. If man were good, why would God need to send a perfect man (Christ) to die so that heaven (which nothing imperfect can enter, see Rev. 21:27) may be accessible to all? The result of looking at the problem in this way is either 1) Man is good and can enter heaven of his own accord or 2) Man is basically evil and needs the redemption in the blood of Christ to enter heaven or 3) There is no ultimate good, evil, or God, thereby eliminating the need to pass judgment on man. All three have some merit and a following, but the best support for my argument against the first conclusion is man's actual behavior. Man acts against the social morality, therefore sinning and becoming evil. This idea could be further exemplified, but I believe that the reader can search for more himself, if he is so inclined.

Logic in Love?

Such an interesting word. Why would they indicate such a complex pattern of physiology with a four-letter term while simple understandings are demonstrated through words such as 'electroencephalograph'? It is quite a wonder. Maybe people don't understand what they are talking about when they say this word.

Quite often it is said, "hate is a strong word." But I ask you, have you ever heard anyone say that love is a strong word? They are opposites on the spectrum, so they must be of equal value from the 'middle', or not hating, not loving. So what does this really mean, how can we grasp logically the understanding of love?

The common definition of love is the liking of two bodies. But it is through such that real effects take place. It somehow changes the way people look and think about things, through chemical reactions of some sort. Such a four-lettered word can easily change, for benefit or for destruction, the sensibility of an individual.

Without, does sensibility yet still differ? Doesn't the mind crave for this chemical reaction through the process of released hormones? And doesn't that affect the ways we feel, think, and react?

From a logical standpoint, love makes no sense. Emotions are not logical. But they are what make us human. As Spock points out in Star Trek, "Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical humans." Love, although can be explained through logic, can not be understood by logic. And if we do not learn to accept this part of ourselves, it will be to our ultimate demise.

Love, as itself, cannot harm anything, but make it better only; however, when it charges at negative things, like hate or dislike, it is not always for the betterment of people. It can be destructive if it is unwanted by an individual and hated by another, but it could be ecstasy and a ceremony of great joining if accepted.

So then, if we want a world of love and no regret for loving, maybe we aught to stop hating love and people who love, and embrace them as our own. But when we have become deceased, all of us, will it really matter? Will people five hundred years after our expiration date really care if we hated someone or loved them to death? No. So then, what is the point of love?

Love has a single point. The pleasure that it gives to two individuals. And if two are in love, who is anyone to say it is wrong! It is their lives, their decisions! And those who mock will probably go back to their hate filled lives with their eyes closed not really getting this. What a bowl of nonsense it is, hating love! If there was no hate to counter love, there would be no negativeness through showing the emotion, just pure joy throughout the world. In the words of John Lennon, "Imagine all the people, living life in peace ... you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us, and the world will be as one." And, if only we could all love and be as one with each other.

Love? It's just a word. But in that word is a dream. A dream of a perfect society. And I hope that one day we could all be as one benefit under that name.

10) On Love

Love is a rather abstract concept, and is defined by everyone differently. Therefore, I must define love for the reader. Love is the willful act of putting someone else's interests before one's own. Therefore, one can love without liking, or vice versa. Love is, most importantly, NOT a feeling. The risk in my defining of love is that the Bible uses the word frequently. My definition ought not to be assumed as the biblical definition. The reason love is important though, is obvious by a quick glane at the gospels. We are called to love others and God. God loves us enough to send his son. This love is, I believe, agape. Agape is the Greek word for love in the devotional sense, which I am trying to describe. Christian love can also be called charity, according to C. S. Lewis, but that is an even more confusing words than love.

9) On the Problems of "Social Morality" and the Hippie Movement

I owe my basis for the following thoughts to C.S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity. The problem with placing trust in society is the assumption that man is basically good. Man, being evil, cannot truly desire to help others. He is always out for him self, in some way or another. The hippie movement of the '60s and '70s did not realize this, and believed that the key was love and peace. The Christian realizes this problem, and sees the solution to society in God. No matter how wonderful society is, individuals will bring that down. Conversely, the individual can be destroyed by culture. The problem with humanity is the belief that everything is okay, and that man is basically good. There is a problem with this world, and it is sin.

8) On Man's Progression Into a Non-Christian World

I owe most of the content of this next note to Jerry Bangert and Beulah Beach. Society was relatively Christian up until the 1700's, when the scientific revolution took place. This led to Darwinian thought, and eventually the atheism of today. This problem began (credit to Schaeffer) with philosophy, then progressed through art, music, and general culture into the church. This philosophy, when it reaches the church, leads to an apostasy of sorts, and brings the general culture into the end times. This is mostly speculation on my part, but some things are quantitative. Most notably, fewer people claim to be Christian, as compared to the past. An uptick in atheists is notable, and this, despite its corresponding problems, offers a larger mission field for the Christian.

7) On the Consequences of "God is Dead"

Nietzsche was a crazed man, but he did reword several different ideas. Among these was his redefining of sin as "the will to power." But, as described in the last note, his boldest and most dangerous proclamation was that "God is Dead." This statement returns to the idea of my previously mentioned "Christian atheism." I ought to define this term so that a serious discussion of it can take place. A Christian atheist titles themself Christian, while acting no different from a total atheist. Those who go to church on Sundays, and then don't give a second thought to God for the rest of the week could most likely be called by this title. This atheism is more terrible than "full" atheism because it gives true Christians an undeserved reputation as no different from the average non-Christian. This is a dangerous road that eventually leads to a very distinctly non-Christian world. The actual progression from a Christian world to one that was not so will be the topic of my next note.

6) On Nietzschean Philosophy

For most readers, this note will hold little value. However, it is an important part of my thinking, so I saw fit to include it. Nietzsche was a rather odd Prussian man who lived in the late nineteenth century. He went insane, but before that, he proposed a rather interesting philosophy. His idea was that man ought to find purpose in destruction. His ideas absolutely denied God, and were very hedonistic in concept. Man's purpose was (according to the Christian term) sin. Thankfully, very few have adopted this ideal. There is no eternal hope, thus freeing man and unleashing hm on the temporal. This is a terrible thing, but also a look into sinful man's mind. Nietzsche did make one proclamation that ought to be fundamentally disturbing to Christians. "God is dead." Three words, but ultimately true in respect to the Christian atheistic philosophy. This idea is the ultimate sin, but has very subtle consequences, which I will discuss in my next note.

5) On Worldly Philosophies

The world contains many philosophies, but they all really have only two or three root philosophies. These ideas are Hedonism, Christian atheism, and Social Morality. Hedonism is an idea that, above all else, pleasure is to be seeked. It results in what is, frankly, a quite selfish philosophy. It literally is "whatever makes you feel good." Christian atheism is probably the most common (in the USA). It is the knowing that God is there, but the denial of him in practice. This is common among teenagers and adults, and due to not being in the spiritual world or the temporal, is quite honestly the most hopeless. The third, social morality, basically attempts to live a good life, and values society, or the "common good," above all else. This is a decent idea, but does not lead to real spiritual peace. However, for the non- Christian, it is the most reasonable, as it allows pleasure, but requires decency. Most people follow (whether they try to or not) the latter two philosophies. The real problem with both, however, is the lack of true purpose, which an independent man truly desires.

4) On Man's Inability to be a True Shadow of God

Man is clearly unable to be God. Man cannot even handle nuclear weapons well, let alone absolute power. It is clear in the rest of the universe that God has much more Love and Self Control than man, and, despite His self interest, is far less selfish. The Bible gives a rather clear illustration to the cause of this. "The Fall of Man" rather clearly displays that man's independence seperates him from a perfect God. Because God is the creator and sustainer, man is within God's power. When man defies this power, he sins. "In fact, sin is lawlessness," according to John the Apostle. Before man broke God's law, he was perfect, if not wholly God. Afterward, man was neither perfect nor whole. God offers to restore man's perfection through Christ, but this is rather inconvenient, leading to man accepting alternate philosophiew. I will discuss these ideas in my next note.

3) On the Personal God as the Christian God

I feel rather unqualified to write this. Many better men before me have attempted to show that the greatest force in the universe is the Christian God, but most of their proofs are rather long. Strobel wrote several books, C.S. Lewis spent several dialogues on it, and I know for a fact that more have tried this. However, I will try to keep this proof rather short. Man, created by a personal force, displays characteristics of this force, just as an artist's works makes the man behind it evident, in some way. Among these characteristics are: Independence, Love, and Self preservation, among others. God is far less mannish than man, but man is a shadow of God. To look at man is to look at God as "Through a glass, darkly." Therefore, mans personality is only a slight reflection of God's person, but it is as good a proof of the Christian God as any. The reasons for this reflection, a the implications, will be discussed in my next notes.

2) On God and Existence

As discussed in my last note, man clearly exists. Existence must have a source, according to observable science. I would like to note that the scientific non-spontaneous generation idea is a law of this univese, nothing larger( as far as we can tell). This is important to remember, because there is an ultimate, self creating force, but it is as large or larger than or univese. It could be our universe, or a larger force. Whatever it is, though, its existence affects us (we are the "final product" of this entity,if you will). Now, to borrow from Francis Schaeffer's ideas, it makes sense to say that man is a pesonal (social, individual, etc.) being. Nature is impersonal. Impersonality does not spawn personality, so two conclusions are left to man. We are either impersonal machines, or personal beings created by a personal force. This personal force is a god, as no other idea has yet been offered up. The force is necessarily the Christian God, but my next note will discuss this matter.

1) On Existence

A thought has recently come to my mind, that our universe is subject to laws. Humans follow a set of laws also, but the two that most trouble me are as follows: 1: The philosophical "Cogito ergo sum," the Greco-Roman "I think, therefore I am" and 2: The scientific "Something cannot come from nothing." Both cannot be simaltaneously true, as the first assumes existence, the other (when extrapolated), nonexistence. Now, as true science bases itself on observable phenomena, the first idea must be the true one. This state of existence must have a source however, which I will discuss in my next note.