Honestly thinking (& rethinking) about God, the universe, and everything in between
I need to inform you all about something fairly significant…
I’m dying.
I’ve actually known about this for quite a while, but the timing seems right for me to let you all know now.
It’s from an illness that’s acronym is T.O.K.G.E (which I will explain later). It’s about as dangerous of a disease as any known to humankind, and its symptoms are quite severe…
So serious that it affects every area of my life. Continue reading
Confession: I just wrote an entire book trying to explain and define God, but I actually know practically nothing about him.
I hope you will forgive me for it.
Of course, I’m in good company, as plenty before me have tried to do the same.
Add in the fact that each of us individually have all sort of made up our own ideas about God without really having much of a clue and likely shared them with others along the way.
“But wait a second, Steve,” you say, “there’s plenty of evidence out there telling us exactly what God is like.”
But God himself begs to differ:
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9, ESV)
In context, the “heavens” here refers to the celestial bodies way out in space (planets, stars, etc.) that people in Old Testament times would have observed (at least partially) as they gazed up into the night sky – in other words, the whole big universe.
So just how high is the universe? And how much can we even comprehend? Continue reading
Artist’s illustration of how a black hole system could look. Image Credit: Dana Berry, NASA
World-famous cosmologist Stephen Hawking’s newly released book Brief Answers to the Big Questions, compiled from years of speeches, interviews and essays prior to his death, is a fascinating read.
In the very first chapter he tackles the big question of, “Is There a God?” Ultimately, he concludes that the laws of science are such that the universe didn’t need a God to create it. “If you accept, as I do, that the laws of nature are fixed, then it doesn’t take long to ask: what role is there for God?” he queries.
Furthermore, he argues that because it can be shown that time did not exist prior to the Big Bang, there was no time for a cause and, therefore, no God: “For me this means that there is no possibility of a creator, because there is no time for a creator to have existed in.”
He proposes, consequently, that it’s scientifically “possible that nothing caused the Big Bang. Nothing.”
Now, to establish up front, there is a tendency for some people of faith to try to villainize people like Hawking for daring to speak such notions – or to arrogantly try to “shut them down” by proving how ignorant that person really is.
I have no such intentions. I hold the greatest amount of respect for Mr. Hawking and recognize the amazing contribution he has made not only to science in general but to me personally in helping provide a greater understanding of our universe and how it works. I also do not pretend to even come close to holding the intellectual prowess and knowledge that he has.
On his own part, Hawking confesses that he doesn’t “have a grudge against God” and has “no desire to offend anyone of faith.” To me, he is merely attempting to speak truth as he sees it.
That said, I do believe he is ultimately incorrect in his assertions on God’s existence because he, like the rest of us, is the victim of false assumptions about God – many of which have been purported for years by theologians and scientists alike.
The following are the reasons his conclusions fall short:
Book description:
The God you think exists does not exist.
By examining science, philosophy, and the Bible, Steve Baldwin reveals the existence of a God that is radically different than most have understood. He demonstrates how we lack a consistent definition for “God” and the result is often a God we see as too insignificant for our lives, too distant for relationship and having little relevance to our daily realities. By proposing a new understanding of the name of God, Steve uncovers a God that really does exist and bridges the widening gap between faith and science:
“What if we are looking at two sides of the same coin? What if billions, if not infinite, combinations played out together to ‘accidentally’ create over a length of time an ordered universe with intelligent creatures, reflecting the very natural laws and character of its intelligent, creative, and I daresay even loving source – existence?”
The universe is telling stories.
The question is, why?
The words felt good.
Just a few simple words replying to comments on someone’s post
enough to knock them down a few inches and build my own self worth.
Then sit back and count the number of likes,
never minding who gets hurt
…in my war of words.
Words that were so filling and yet so empty.
Words.
Funny things they are
just utterances of sounds
and a bunch of .dots and lines and curves
and yet so powerful in everything they do.
They start wars and bring peace.
They destroy relationships and make best friends.
Whisper “I love you” and you build a new bond.
Utter “I do” and you start a new life
write “We the People“ and a whole new nation is born. Continue reading
Most of you are probably familiar with the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, but there is an alternate version of this story that is often told by many in the church. Though they may not use these exact words – for it is usually in actions, misplaced theology, or thoughts – it is told, nonetheless.
And whether it is intentional or unintentional or a problem with what was communicated or the filters we receive it through, it is the story all too often heard.
The following is that version:
I previously shared an article titled “We’ve Made God Too Small.” This was based on a thought process I went through and a major revelation that not only changed my life but also sent me on a spiritual, philosophical and scientific journey, essentially leading me to rethink how I think about God.
I also shared in my very first blog article, “Not Gonna Lie,” how I am a hypocrite – because half of what I state here I have trouble believing myself.
It is with that understanding I present the following list. Even though I say “You” I could just as easily say “I.” I have been guilty of every one of these at various points and continue to struggle to this day.
But I also know I am not alone. I have seen this kind of thinking problem in practically everyone I’ve met.
And so I give you…
13 ways you make God too small: Continue reading
Bouguereau, The First Mourning, ca. 1888
Back in 1974, Ray Stevens released a popular song titled “The Streak” about a guy running around town naked. At the time, as a 6-year-old kid, I thought it was just the funniest thing – and so apparently did millions of other people, putting it at # 8 for the whole year on the Billboard charts (weird…yeah, I know).
I guess the idea of people running around in the buff in public just made us all snicker.
Modesty is such a weird thing for us humans, especially in Western culture. With debates about public breastfeeding and yoga pants juxtaposed against Victoria’s Secret signs and popular TV programs that show a lot of skin, it is clear we don’t have any real consensus on exactly what is “too much.”
But it gets even weirder when I tell you this:
We’re all supposed to be naked.
Yes, seriously.
It’s even scriptural.
Now don’t be jumping to conclusions here and think I’m advocating we all start trotting around in the literal footsteps of Ray Stevens’ song. I’m not.
But it’s right there in the Bible and is something that even the most prudish followers know but don’t care to admit. Continue reading
I wanted to throw up.
Here I was sitting in a room full of well-known evangelical leaders saying positive things about then- candidate Donald Trump, talking as if he was the best hope for all Americans.
Of course, none of them could publicly “endorse” him, but their exuberance for him was obvious.
How could they be so blinded? Did they not see what I could see? Did they not see Trump was contrary to everything they stood for…so contrary to Christ?
Many of them I highly respected. Many were mentors in the faith – ones who had taught me so much about hearing God.
How is it they were hearing something so radically different than me? Especially after I had clearly heard the complete opposite.
Some of them talked about the many private hours they had spent with Trump and how he really listened to them and was respectful. They talked about his love for ALL Americans.
What? You’re kidding me, right?
I wanted to stand up and shout, “You fools!!! Don’t you realize he’s manipulating you? As soon as he wins, you’re all gone. You’re just pawns!”
Of course, then they’d know my secret. Continue reading
Photo by Riccardo Palazzani
In speaking about the end times, Jesus told his disciples, “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive (or ‘lead astray’) even the elect, if that were possible” (Matt 24:24, BSB).
Now I have never been big on getting caught up in end time prophesies and often find it funny that so many Christians live in constant fear trying to point out who might be the Antichrist as though to try and stop him (after all, aren’t we promised it’s going to happen no matter what?), but when it comes to the end times there are two questions that fascinate me:
1) Why do so many END TIMES prophesy sites always resort to using such terrible fonts???
and…
2) How is it that the elect could actually be led astray?
After all the “elect” are the chosen ones, the faithful followers of God, the ones who have devoted their lives to being disciples of the real Christ. It includes the kind of people who know their Bibles backwards and forwards and can name every book without having to sing a song and the kind of people who sickeningly get up at 4am every single morning to study and pray.
It includes the leaders you’ve come to know and respect, the ones you rely on to separate the truths from the lies, and the kind of people who lament about the continual deception going on in the world. How is it that they get deceived? Continue reading
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