Arguments

Over a hundred years ago it would be almost impossible to explain how waves can travel through the air and be received by our television sets to become audio and moving video. These invisible waves can flow through us and are completely undetectable without sophisticated devices. We are only beginning to understand how different realms of existence could be possible. Beings spiritual in nature are thought to exist in some form of energy that we have yet to understand.

Why would God choose to be spiritual in nature?

It would be logical to presume that there must be a distinct advantage to having a spiritual existence, some clues are beginning to emerge. For instance; until recently, there was only one known phenomenon that can travel faster than the speed of light; the physical effects of gravitational force. For example; if the sun were to instantaneously disappear, we would still see its photons of light for approximately ten minutes. However, the Earth would immediately recede from orbit. To an Earthly observer, the sun would still appear in the sky, but we would instantly see movement away from the sun. Comparatively, the opposite is lightning and thunder. First we see lightning because light travels faster than sound, later we hear the sound of thunder. We can estimate the distance from a lightning strike by counting the seconds between the gap. In the hypothetical case of the disappearing sun, we would first notice the loss of orbit then the absence of the sun's light.

Scientist have only recently discovered that pure energy can travel many times the speed of light. This physical property was revealed through mathematically calculating the expansion rate of the Big Bang. Physicist Steven William Hawking explains in "Stephen Hawking's Universe - Weird Beginnings" how initially the Big Bang expansion was thousands of times the speed of light and originally consisted of pure energy, which eventually transformed into matter (1). Energy is not bound to the same laws of matter. If a Spiritual existence has analogous properties to energy, we could speculate that being able to travel thousands of times the speed of light would certainly be an advantage. These are forms of existence that we cannot yet comprehend. There is an old Catholic adage, "If anyone can speak for more than ten minutes on the Holy Spirit, they're probably making it up".

Why doesn’t God just perform some Great Miracle in the sky to prove to everyone that He exists?

He did at Fatima, then skeptics explained that it was a mass hallucination, a UFO from outer space, swamp gas, etc. Anyhow, Jesus explains this in the "Parable of the Faithful and Wicked Servants" (Luke 12:42). Life is a test. While the cats away, the mice will play. It is self-evident how sycophants fawn over superiors in charge of them, even if they despise them. If everyone was 100% assured of God’s presence, even those who disdain Him the most would be insincere servile flatterers. By carefully maintaining the possibility of not being present, God can observe and judge our true behavior, conduct and demeanor for final judgment.

If God is good, why is there evil in the world?

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, we read how He fasted for 40 days in the desert and was tempted by the devil. "The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to’" (Luke 04:05). The clue is that the Earth was given to Lucifer. Before the devil fell from grace, he was one of God's favorites, comparable to the disciple Judas. One can ascertain from the Bible passage that when God gives something, it is an unconditional gift. Notwithstanding the expulsion, "How art thou fallen from heaven, Oh Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou cut down to the ground" (Isaiah 14:12). "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (Luke 10:18).

As science progressed, we came to understand that the tiny points of light in the sky are actually distant suns like our own. As physical cosmology progressed, we became aware of the 100 trillion stars in our Galaxy. Enhanced telescopes revealed that there are over a 100 trillion Galaxies in our field of view. It's a foregone conclusion that there are many more discoveries yet to be revealed as we peer further into the Universe. As physical cosmology, planetary science and telescopes improve, it becomes impossible to imagine that the only planet with life is our tiny spec floating in this vast Universe. Planetary scientists speculate that Mars may have had conditions suitable to life 3 Billion years ago, as it had large amounts of surface water in that time frame. These same scientists foresee Venus as cooling Billions of years into the future and quite possibly having habitual conditions. These are two additional planets within the Goldilocks belt of our one solar system. It becomes reasonable to presume that God established many other worlds teeming with life. "I have other sheep that are not in this fold" (John 10:16). Considering Luke 04:05, it may also be reasonable to speculate that each of these worlds are more than simply delegated or entrusted, but actually given to Angelic caretakers. According to the Bible, God’s recourse or solution was to quarantine Lucifer onto the Earth, to isolate contamination. Of all the Disciples, there was only one Judas. Could this be symbolic that we are we are the only planet in the Universe to have such an evil infestation? Countering this infestation, are we are also the only planet to have God Incarnate live and teach amongst us? Can we speculate that Earth may be effectively quarantined from the rest of the Universe?

There are many religions, each claiming to be the only one that leads to salvation, while espousing that all the others are going to hell.

Although there are various religions, many are intertwined with God reaching out to numerous different civilizations, cultures and societies at different points in history. Most share their roots with the Jewish Torah (Old Testament), such as Christian and Islamic based Faiths. The Jewish and Islamic religions separate after Abraham, the Jews going in the direction of Isaac and the Muslims in the direction of Ishmael. The Christians continue following the path of the Messiah, who we believe is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob incarnate. Notwithstanding how most religions tend to espouse that each possesses the only path to salvation, in actuality this is fundamentally and scripturally based predominately on individual actions, behavior, conduct and deeds.

"And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? None good but one, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth" (Mark 10:17). Jesus lays out the basic fundamental conditions of Salvation, the Ten Commandments, do not defraud, honor your father and mother, etc. That is why the forces of evil have been so steadfast in endeavoring to remove displays of the Ten Commandments wherever possible.

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me (Mark 10:21). It may be reasonable to presume that God does not call every one of us to sell everything we own and follow Him. This is the above and beyond, the conditions of Sainthood.

"And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men [it is] impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible" (Mark 10:22). One can conclude that the rich man would be saved through obeying the Law and through the loving mercy of God.

It would be wrong to argue that the Jews are not saved, as Moses is certainly in Heaven, even though he didn’t know Jesus before he died. Catholics believe in a place called purgatory, essentially a place of debriefing, to learn all the truths before progressing to Heaven. God is a Parent who loves His Children. As a Parent, He primarily wants us to love Him and to love each other. A Pharisees asked Jesus; Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:35). This is reinforced when Jesus said to the Chief Priests and Pharisees; "Verily I say unto you, that the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you" (Matthew 21:31), as those particular Chief Priests and the Pharisees were only concerned with their own egos. We see evidence of this even today, as there are some like Judas within the Catholic Church, who may likewise be circumvented by tax collectors and prostitutes. For example; why has the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) filtered 280 million dollars to pro-abortion groups and not one penny to Pro-Life groups? (2).

There is no historical proof that Jesus existed.

Flavius Josephus was a Jewish historian who kept detailed first century records. Recorded in Book 18 (Antiquities of the Jews), Chapter 3, Paragraph 3, there is a reference to Jesus:

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day" (3).