Adding To The Confusion
By Dr. Robert Fieldhouse, Disciples Path Ministry – St. Augustine, Fla.
Hmm-m-m…Am I the only one who sees things this way? I don't understand. There must be something wrong with me. I have so many questions, and everything keeps getting more confusing. Why is this happening to me? Why do I never get the indisputable answer to my questions? Please pardon the interruption. This is a brief addendum to Lesson 1 - A New Beginning.
For me to understand, comprehend, and receive new information, it has been my experience that I must take myself outside of my head first. As long as I stay inside my head looking out, I am confused by a nonstop river of thoughts that are not necessarily connected. Also, there appears to be no end to human distractions. I must admit that, for the most part, I like being inside looking out because I seem to feel more comfortable, safe, protected, and more in control. Perhaps it's because I have done it for so long that I find comfort and inner peace from not changing the way I think, do, and see things that go on in my reality. However, that familiar state of being does not lend itself well when attempting to interact with others in more than a superficial way. It also doesn't work when trying to comprehend something new I am attempting to understand. What has all that got to do with this series of lessons? Ok, here is an example.
The question: Does the God of the Bible actually exist?
The Answer:
· Inside me, the answer is a definite yes because all logic tells me it is impossible for "something" to come from "nothing."
· Every creation must have a Creator.
Answers outside of me: (this is not an exhaustive list)
· Cosmological Argument (First Cause)
· Teleological Argument (Argument from Design)
· Ontological Argument
· Moral Argument
· Cosmological Fine-Tuning Argument
· Argument from Contingency
· Argument from Consciousness
· Argument from Desire
· Argument from Beauty
· Argument from Religious Experience
The answers outside of me are solid arguments for the existence of God. However, they come with unnecessary baggage, adding to one's confusion. Not to mention, they are all philosophical by nature. I suggest there is no need to complicate the simple, logical truth.
Before you can even expect to comprehend what is presented in this series of lessons, you must make a choice. That being: Do I genuinely believe in the God of the Bible, or am I still on the fence? Make the time right now to list why you do or do not (or cannot) believe in the God of the Bible. If you genuinely believe, let's move forward with the lessons. If you do not (or cannot) believe – but you want to believe – let's start with that issue first.
Whatever you decide, always remember that everything presented in this series of lessons results from my decades of formal and informal study and ongoing education, except for direct quotations. I strongly suggest you always do your own research and never take anyone's words as the truth. Yes, that includes mine. Also, be mindful of your research sources. There are wolves disguised as lambs!
Whether you believe in God or are having difficulty with your belief right now…He loves you and believes in you! If you have doubts and questions about God…He expects and anticipates that from us.
God loves you so much that He sacrificed His only begotten son so that you may have the opportunity to find peace now in your life, followed by peace and love free from all pain, suffering, and confusion for all eternity. God's love has no limits – we create the limits on our relationship with Him!
Disciples Path Ministry – St. Augustine, Florida