Help Yourself

Everyone can use a little help; perhaps none more so than ourselves. This is why self-help/improvement books are every so often included in the bookstore’s bestseller list. A classic, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, was a requirement reading for us back in high school. As I grew older, I found out that true friends are hard to come by and there are more valuable things we could strive for besides influence. When I started working, my brother lent me his copy of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. I found its principles, well, effective, and many a time applied them for career growth. That being said, I realized that the book is lacking information when it comes to dealing with some, in my opinion, more important aspects of life. For instance, how does one create or perceive a “win-win” situation when faced with tragedy, like the death of a loved one? Later on, to better cope with office politics, a well-meaning friend recommended the book, “The 48 Laws of Power”. But after reading, I thought it is more accurate to label it “self-destruct” rather than “self-help”. It encourages a “win at all cost” mentality and the use of methods based on deceit in order to achieve goals. Not surprisingly, it has often been compared to the book “The Art of War”. While Sun Tzu’s treatise on warfare contains knowledge indispensable to military tactics, in the battlefield called “life”, I would rather pursue the “art of peace”. In my quest for personal advancement, I also took up Aikido and was introduced to its literature. Like most oriental martial arts, it emphasizes the importance of focus, balance and "centered-ness" in one’s life. However, with philosophical tenets derived from Shinto and Buddhism, it promotes beliefs (relativism e.g. “within divine love there is no good or evil…”) which are irreconcilable with my own. I believe that the pursuit of knowledge and self-improvement are essential, and hope none of my ramblings are taken to mean otherwise; however, I also think that unless they bring us closer to God, both are ultimately meaningless. I learned, for example, that the “7 Habits” won’t truly be effective without practice of the “7 Virtues”. Experience also taught me that for self-improvement, one need not look far in search of help. I started reading more of San Paolo and less of Paulo Coelho; more of the parables of the Messiah and less of the poems of "The Prophet"; more of the life of Christ and less of "The Purpose Driven Life"; and in doing so, I’m reminded, that a better self-help book than the bible, there is none.

“All scripture is inspired by God and useful for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be upright.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

In the Beginning… was the Multiverse?

In a previous entry, we noted how the universe is seemingly fined-tuned to support life. How precise is this level of fine tuning? Consider the following examples:

Gravity: “If gravity had been stronger or weaker by one part in ten thousand million million million million million million (1 in 10⁴⁰), then life-sustaining stars like the sun could not exist.”
– Brandon Carter (theoretical physicist)

The Big Bang: “If the rate of expansion one second after the Big Bang had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million million (1 in 10¹⁷), the universe would have re-collapsed before it ever reached its present size.”
– Stephen Hawking (theoretical physicist)

These are just two of many so-called anthropic coincidences – extraordinary calibration of the laws of physics without which life as we know it would not be possible. In fact, to describe this fine tuning as a miracle would be by no means an exaggeration - the odds for our existence is astronomically improbable (or incalculable, whichever you prefer) the fact that we’re here fits the definition of one. Astronomer Fred Hoyle seems to agree: “A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superintellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as with chemistry and biology…”

Thus, the conclusion is as unavoidable as it is obvious: the reason why the universe looks fine-tuned for life is because IT IS fine-tuned by an Intelligent Fine Tuner.

To avoid this theistic implication, atheists turn to the so-called Multiverse Hypothesis. There are several variations of the theory but the basic premise is the same: our universe is but one of multiple universes (hence the name), each with its own set of physical laws. For instance, according to the theory, it is possible that in one universe the force of gravity is stronger than our own and in another it is weaker. It may also be that in other universes, the force of gravity is just the same as ours, but greatly differ in some other fundamental physical constant (e.g. speed of light). In any of these cases, the development of any form of intelligent life would have been very unlikely. It just so happens that by an unbelievable amount of luck, we live in one that has met all the necessary conditions to make life possible.

The Multiverse Hypothesis is so fascinating that it has inspired a number of Hollywood movies. And it may as well stay in the realm of science fiction, as there is absolutely no scientific basis of such universes existence. The irony of the situation is this: those who dismiss the notion of a Supreme Being due to lack of evidence, are the very same people who’ll wholeheartedly embrace an equally un-testable hypothesis designed to discredit the existence of one. Astronomer Owen Gingerich hit the nail on the head when he said: “anyone who can believe in multiple universes should have no problem believing in heaven or hell”. 

Reference/s:
Strobel, Lee. The Case for a Creator.
D’Souza, Dinesh (2008). What’s So Great about Christianity. Kaveri Printer Pvt. Ltd.

The Skeptic's Prayer

Taken from “The Handbook of Christian Apologetics” by Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli:

Skeptic's Prayer

God, I don’t know whether you even exist.
I’m a skeptic.
I doubt.
I think you may be only a myth.
But I’m not certain (at least not when I’m completely honest with myself).
So if you do exist, and if you really did promise to reward all seekers, you must be hearing me now.
So I hereby declare myself a seeker, a seeker of the truth, whatever it is and wherever it is.
I want to know the truth and live the truth.
If you are the truth, please help me.

My friends, if you have doubt in your hearts, then I hope you’d give this prayer a chance. The Bible tells us that God reveals Himself to those who sincerely seek Him. After all, it’s difficult to find something (or in this case, Somebody) if you're not really looking.

“When you search wholeheartedly for Me, I shall let you find Me” (Jeremiah 29:13)

Designer Universe

“I think the world is just awesome, because, I mean, Mars is too cold, Venus is too hot, everyplace else is too far away.” - Jamie Hyneman

In the previous quote, the myth buster was referring to the earth being in the “Goldilocks Zone” – just the right distance from the sun to sustain life. This is an example of what physicists call the Anthropic Principle, which states that the observable properties of the universe must be compatible with its living observers. Simply put, it means that the universe seems “fine tuned” to support intelligent life.

Think about it. If the universe were any other way, life would not exist. Another example would be the gravitational force. Like earth’s distance from the sun, if the force of gravity was changed in the slightest degree, then we wouldn’t be here to discuss it. This, along with other finely tuned constants (electromagnetic force, strong/weak nuclear force, etc.), prove that the odds for our existence is improbably small.

Given these facts, it’s unthinkable for any sane and rational person to believe that life is a mere product of random chance or luck. At the very least, anyone endowed with reason should consider the possibility that an Intelligent Being is responsible for the undeniably deliberate existence of life.

As I began this entry with a quote, let me end it with another, this one from Stephen Hawking, by acclamation the most brilliant physicist since Einstein:

"The laws of science, as we know them at present, contain many fundamental numbers, like the size of the electric charge of the electron and the ratio of the masses of the proton and the electron ... The remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life."

A Father Who Keeps His Promises (by Scott Hahn)

Everybody felt it: a moment of eerie silence, a low rumble and then the ground began to shake. Buildings swayed and buckled, then collapsed like houses of cards. Less than four minutes later, over thirty thousand were dead from a magnitude 8.2 earthquake that rocked and nearly flattened Armenia in 1989.

In the muddled chaos, a distress father bolted through the winding streets leading to the school where his son had gone earlier that morning. The man couldn’t stop thinking about the promise he’d given his son many times: “No matter what happens, Armand, I’ll always be there.”

He reached the site where the school had been, but saw only a pile of rubble. He just stood there at first, fighting back tears, and then took off, stumbling over debris, toward the east corner where he knew his son’s classroom had been.

With nothing but his bare hands, he started to dig. He was desperately pulling up bricks and pieces of wall-plaster, while others stood by watching in forlorn disbelief. He heard someone growl, “Forget it, mister. They’re all dead.”

He looked up, flustered, and replied, “You can grumble, or you can help me lift these bricks.” Only a few pitched in, and most of them gave up once their muscles began to ache. But the man couldn’t stop thinking about his son.

He kept digging and digging – for hours … twelve hours … eighteen hours … twenty-four hours … thirty-six hours … Finally, into the thirty-eight hour, he heard a muffled groan from under a piece of wallboard.

He seized the board, pulled it back, and cried, “ARMAND!” From the darkness came a slight shaking voice, “Papa…!?”

Other weak voices began calling out, as the young survivors stirred beneath the still uncleared rubble. Gasps and shouts of bewildered relief came from the few onlookers and parents who remained. They found fourteen of the thirty-tree students still alive.

When Armand finally emerged, he tried to help dig, until all his surviving classmates were out. Everybody standing there heard him as he turned to his friends and said, “See, I told you my father wouldn’t forget us.”

That’s the kind of faith we need, because that’s the kind of Father we have.

Reference/s:
Hahn, Scott (1998). A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture. Servant Books.

In the Image of Man? Part 3

“In a world without God, everything is permitted" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky 

Parts 1 and 2 briefly discussed atheist philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach’s contention that God and religion are merely human inventions. His ideas would greatly influence those of Karl Marx (“religion is the opium of the people”) and Friedrich Nietzsche (“God is dead”), forerunners of two ideologies both atheistic and brutal, Communism and Nazism. In his book Reason to Believe, Dr. Scott Hahn reasoned that “it was Feuerbach who made Stalin and Hitler possible, because he assured them that they acted in the absence of God”. Tyrants like Stalin, Hitler, Mao and Pol Pot believed that God, the source of all morals, does not exist, and so there was nothing left to hold them back from perpetrating the worst of acts except the limits of their own power. They asked: Genocide is wrong? Says who? 

Those who deny the existence of God ultimately renounce that of morality. They believe that whatever they do in this life will have no repercussions in the next - because to them, the afterlife does not exist! If this was true, then it means anyone can do anything in life, even the most heinous crimes, without fear of God’s judgment after death. Can you imagine the consequence if people with penchant for violence buy into such delusions? We shouldn’t have a hard time, for not too long ago, the world has witnessed it happen. As Dr. Hahn suggests, we only need to read “the history of the wars and genocide of the atheist regimes of the 20th century: Nazi Germany, Communist China and Cambodia, and the Soviet Union” to remember the result of such a horrific thought turn into reality.

Quote of the Dei (# 1)

“In the end, for all eternity, you and I will be in heaven or hell...period!” 

- Fr. John Corapi

In the Image of Man? Part 2

As noted in Part I, philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach believed that God and religion are human inventions, created to serve as a form of wish fulfillment. For instance, according to him, Christianity‘s belief in eternal life was invented to deal with man’s fear of death.

From a Christian’s perspective, Feuerbach’s logic is simply in error. Christians fear something worse than the death of the body, and that is the damnation of the soul. And while it’s true that Christians hope for eternal life in heaven, the same faith demands their belief in the everlasting fires of hell.

Does it make sense for man, in order to take away fear of something, invent something else more fearful? As author Dinesh D’Souza observed: “Wish fulfillment can explain heaven, but it cannot explain hell.”

Don’t Believe Your Desires When They Say, “After This, I’ll Be Satisfied” (by Bo Sanchez)

The wife said to the husband, “This Christmas, let’s give more practical gifts to one another, like socks and a diamond ring.” – Anonymous

I love retelling my experience in Grade Four, when the inevitable “passage of manhood” happened in school: A few classmates of mine started wearing long pants. Suddenly, they looked so mature, so grown up, so guwapo (handsome) – while all of us who wore the uniform khaki shorts were so totoy (childish).  So I pressed Mom to buy me a pair, but she kept on saying, “Later, Bo.” The following year, I was in Grade Five, I was the only one wearing shorts. It was humiliating. In Grade Six, I was the only guy wearing a bikini. That’s what my classmates called my shorts as I had already outgrown them.

Believe me, I have never again been so sexy in my life.

Finally, on graduation day, I wept with pure joy when Mom gave me my very own pair of pants. Oh, I didn’t care if the fold at the bottom of each leg was 12 inches long, even reaching up to my knees. (“So that I can adjust them as you get taller,” my mother explained.) To me, they were the most beautiful pair of long pants in the world.

But ironically, after a while, the thrill faded away. Because I started wanting to wear jeans.

“Mom, everyone has at least one pair!” I pleaded.

When she bought me one after a few years of begging, I soared to cloud nine and romped off in them like a prince. I thought my happiness would never end, until my high school classmates told me that their jeans were Levi’s and mine were Ludy’s.

But to this day, wearing Ludy’s has been my happy lifestyle.

In fact, people ask me, “Why do you have so few desires in your life now?” The answer comes from my bikini experience: I’ve realized that all human desire never quits on you. We just keep on wanting more and more stuff. Nothing ever satisfies.

Never believe your desires when they say, “After this, I’ll be satisfied.”

Reference/s:
Sanchez, Bo. SIMPLIFY and Live the Good Life. Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc.

In the Image of Man? Part 1

Student: “If God didn’t exist, we’d invent Him anyway. And we did. What do you say to that?”
Dr. Scott Hahn: “I say, if God did exist, we’d invent atheism anyway. And we did.”

Dr. Hahn narrates this exchange with his student in his book, Reasons to Believe. He tells us that the student’s argument was originally made by philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach. For Feuerbach, God and religion were invented to fulfill man’s desires and needs (read more about this on parts 2 and 3).

Dr. Hahn proceeded to remind his student that Christians believe in, and worship a God who is not only Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent, but is also All-Holy and commands man to be perfectly holy as well; a God who knows our most innermost thoughts and desires, and can see clearly everything that we do even in the darkest of places (“There’s no place to run and hide from Him, no place where we might secretly indulge a favorite vice”). Dr. Hahn’s point is that if man had really tried to invent a god, we’d probably invent one who is more “congenial to our whims”. Perhaps one who’d give Moses a single commandment instead of ten? Or how about one who would not include “thou shalt not commit adultery” on the list? In other words, if man had really tried to invent a god, we’d surely never invent one such as the Christian God.

Question of the Dei (# 1): How many Gods are there?

In his book “The Faith Explained”, Fr. Leo Trese states:

“…there can be but one God. To speak of two (or more) supreme beings would be a contradiction. The very word “supreme” means “above all others.” If there were two equally powerful gods side by side, then neither of them would be supreme. Neither would have the infinite power which God by his nature must have. The “infinite” power of the one would cancel out the “infinite” power of the other. “

He concluded by quoting St. Athanasius: “To speak of several equally powerful gods is like speaking of several equally powerless gods.”

The Greatest Conceivable Being

St. Anselm was an Italian philosopher who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. He is best known for his “Ontological Argument” for the existence of God, which is based purely on reason. It goes like this:

1. St. Anselm defines God as “that than which nothing greater can be conceived” or “The Greatest Conceivable Being”. Theist and atheist alike would generally accept this as a valid definition.
2. If one says that “The Greatest Conceivable Being” exists only in the mind, then it is NOT a valid statement since one could conceive of a greater being: “The Greatest Conceivable Being” that exists in reality.
3. Therefore, God or “The Greatest Conceivable Being”, by definition, exists in reality.

"The fool has said in his heart: There is no God" -  Psalm 13:1

Reference/s:
D’Souza, Dinesh (2008). What’s So Great about Christianity. Kaveri Printer Pvt. Ltd.
Woods, Thomas E., Jr. (2005). How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization. Regnery Publishing, Inc.

An Atheist's Faith

An atheist and a priest debating about the existence of God...

Atheist: "Prove to me that there’s a God and I’ll become a Christian."

Priest: "Oh, no, you don’t. You’re in the minority in this world. You prove to me that there isn’t a God and I’ll become an atheist!"

Atheist: "We’ll, I can’t."

Priest: "What? You believe in something you can’t prove? My dear, that means you have faith. Faith is believing in something you can’t prove. And if you’re right, if there is no God, you’re never going to know it. But if I’m right, and there is a God, you’re going to know it forever and ever!"

Reference/s:

Angelica, Mother M. and Christine Allison (1996). Mother Angelica's Answers, Not Promises. Ignatius Press.

The Big Bang and The Bible

Many scientists now believe that approximately 13 billion years ago, the entire universe was compressed into a point of infinite density, a “singularity”, where all laws of physics breakdown. Then in a “Big Bang”, the universe began to form, expanding to this day. It’s accurate to say that the universe was created out of nothing; indeed, it was a miracle.

It’s easy to see why atheists reject this idea, for such a beginning implies a cause, and thus a creator. Nonetheless, the theory is supported by solid, scientific evidence and observation such as:

• Einstein's General Relativity
• Hubble’s Law
• Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
• 2nd Law of Thermodynamics

In his book “The First Three Minutes”, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg explains what happened when the universe began. “In the beginning there was an explosion… which occurred simultaneously everywhere, filling all space from the beginning with every particle of matter rushing part from every other particle…The universe,” he continued,” was filled with light."

Sounds familiar?

“In the beginning God created heaven and earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, with a divine wind sweeping over the waters. God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3) 

Reference/s:
D’Souza, Dinesh (2008). What’s So Great about Christianity. Kaveri Printer Pvt. Ltd.
Strobel, Lee. The Case for a Creator.

The Real Face of Jesus?

“The Real Face of Jesus?” is a HISTORY channel special that seek to answer the question - What did Jesus look like? It shows the journey of Ray Downing (Studio Macbeth) and his team of graphic artist as they attempt to create a 3D image of Jesus based on The Shroud of Turin *.

Downing states: “Anywhere you go in the world people will recognize the face of Jesus. And the irony is nobody actually knows what he looks like… There’s been a long history of people depicting the face of Jesus over the centuries. Whatever was available to them - oil painting, frescos, you name it. And it’s only natural that we would use the technology of today to do the same thing.”

After 6 months of hard work and using the latest in 3D software, Downing and his team came up with what maybe the most accurate face of Jesus Christ ever made.

The special however, perhaps to add a kind of "X-Files" atmosphere, attempts in vain to link the Shroud with the “ancient wisdom” of the Gnostics. I find these parts unnecessary, distracting and misleading as there is no historical evidence that Gnosticism had anything to do with the Relic. That aside, I find the documentary informative and a “must see” for believers and skeptics of the Shroud’s authenticity alike. As John Jackson, lead scientist of STURP (Shroud of Turin Research Project) ponders: “If anyone is interested in Jesus, if anyone loves Jesus, (then) why wouldn’t they want to see what he looked like 3 dimensionally, 2 thousand years ago?”

The following are some images from the documentary:

* The Shroud is a Christian relic bearing the image of a man many believe to be Jesus Christ.
I’m planning to post a more detailed blog about it in the future.

Humpty Dumpty and The Origin of Life

The Miller-Urey experiment, conducted in 1952 at the University of Chicago, demonstrated that organic compounds can be created in, what was thought to be at the time, an accurate simulation of the early Earth’s atmosphere (composed of water vapor, methane, ammonia, hydrogen). The theological implication of this was obvious: if life originated naturally, then the existence of a Supreme Creator, God would be unnecessary.

However, it was established later on that the early Earth’s atmosphere was more likely made up of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor. Under such conditions, the result of the Miller-Urey experiment would be invalid.

Moreover, in Lee Strobel’s The Case for a Creator, biologist Jonathan Wells states:

“Even if Miller’s experiment were valid, you’re still light years away from making life. It comes down to this: no matter how many molecules you can produce with early Earth conditions, plausible conditions, you’re still nowhere near producing a living cell. And here’s how I know: if I take a sterile test tube and I put in a little bit of fluid, with just the right salts, just the right balance of acidity and alkalinity, just the right temperature, the perfect solution for a living cell, and I put in it one living cell. This cell is alive. It has everything it needs for life. Now I take a sterile needle and I poke that cell, and all its stuff leaks out into this test tube. You have in this nice little test tube all the molecules you need for a living cell. Not just the pieces of the molecules but the molecules themselves, and (still) you cannot make a living cell out of them. You can’t put Humpty Dumpy back together again. So what makes you think that a few amino acids in the ocean are going to give you a living cell? It’s totally unrealistic.”

It seems that from a scientific point of view, the origin of life is still a mystery.

For Christians and Jews however, the answer is found in the book of Genesis.

Herman the Cripple

Herman of Reichenau (1013-1054) was born w/ cleft palate, cerebral palsy and spina bifida (split spine). He was so terribly deformed that he was powerless to move without assistance and could hardly speak. He was placed in a Benedictine monastery at the age of 7 by his parents who could no longer look after him. He was professed as a monk there at age 20. 

Despite his physical limitations, Herman was considered a genius. He was literate in several languages, including Arabic, Greek and Latin. He was a gifted mathematician and astronomer. He built astronomical equipment and musical instruments. When he eventually became blind due to his afflictions, Herman began writing prayers and hymns (Salve Regina) and became one of the most famous poets of his day. 

Remarkably, although Herman suffered much, he is said to be always cheerful and happy. He saw each trial as a means of purification and a way to be closer to God. 

The following poem was written by William Hart Hurlbut, a physician admirer of Herman. 

Herman the Cripple

I am least among the low,
I am weak and I am slow;
I can neither walk nor stand,
Nor hold a spoon in my own hand.

Like a body bound in chain, 
I am on a rack of pain, 
But He is God, who made me so,
That His mercy I should know.

Brothers do not weep for me!
Christ, the Lord, has set me free.
All my sorrows he will bless;
Pain is not unhappiness.

From my window I look down 
To the streets of yonder town, 
Where the people come and go,
Reap the harvest that they sow.

Like a field of wheat and tares,
Some are lost in worldly cares;
There are hearts as black as coal,
There are cripples of the soul.

Brothers do not weep for me!
In his mercy I am free.
I can neither sow nor spin,
Yet, I am fed and clothed in Him.

I have been the donkey’s tail,
Slower than a slug or snail;
You my brothers have been kind,
Never let me lag behind.

I have been most rich in friends,
You have been my feet and hands;
All the good that I could do,
I have done because of you.

Oh my brothers, can’t you see?
You have been as Christ for me.
And in my need I know I, too,
Have become as Christ for you!

I have lived for forty years
In this wilderness of tears;
But these trials can’t compare
With the glory we will share.

I have had a voice to sing,
To rejoice in everything;
Now Love’s sweet eternal song
Breaks the darkness with the dawn.

Brothers do not weep for me!
Christ, the Lord, has set me free.
Oh my friends remember this:
Pain is not unhappiness.

Reference/s:

Groeschel, Benedict J. (1993). Stumbling Blocks or Stepping Stones. Paulist Press.

The First Cause

Let me share this demonstration of “The Argument of the First Cause”, the second of St. Thomas Aquinas’ “Five Ways”.

Consider the following scenario:

Imagine that you went to the bakeshop to purchase a cake. Upon reaching the counter, you were informed that you must take a number before you could place an order. However, just as you were about take a number, you find out that you have to take another number. And as you’re about to take that number, you were told yet again to get another number! Suppose that the chain of numbers that you are required to take is infinite. You will NEVER be able to purchase a cake under such conditions.

Here's another case: 

Every effect requires a cause. A spoon, for example, owes its existence to a builder and raw materials. An existing thing Z owes it existence to some cause Y. In turn, Y owes its existence to some cause X, and so on. As with our cake analogy, we cannot have an infinite chain of causes; else Z would NEVER exist. Anything else for that matter, would not come into existence.

But we know for a fact that spoons and cakes DO exist. The chain, therefore, could not be infinite. There must be a Cause that is not in need of a cause. This First Cause, to whom everything owes its existence to, is the being we call God.

Reference/s:
Woods, Thomas E., Jr. (2005). How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization. Regnery Publishing, Inc.

Can You See?

Instruction:

1. Concentrate on the 4 small dots in the middle of the image for about 30 to 45 seconds.
2. Close your eyes and tilt your head back. Keep them closed: You’ll see a circle of light. Keep staring at the circle…

 Alternate Instruction:

1. Concentrate on the 4 small dots in the middle of the image for about 30 to 45 seconds.
2. Take a look at a wall or any smooth surface near you.
3. You will see a circle of light. Start blinking your eyes a couple of times and you will see a figure emerging...

Can You See?

Pascal's Wager (simplified)

Blaise Pascal was a 17th century French philosopher who, through the use of decision theory, concluded that it’s safer to bet on God’s existence rather than not. The following is a simplified version of his reasoning:

You believe in God (Theist):

• If God exists, you gain everything.
• If God does not exist, you gain nothing and lose nothing.

OR

You don’t believe in God (Atheist):

• If God exists, you lose everything.
• If God does not exist, you gain nothing and lose nothing.

Atheism is the worst bet: everything’s at stake with no chance of winning the jackpot.

A Worm Named Sylvester (by Bo Sanchez)

It was a worm. A wriggling, blackish, slimy, slippery, ugly worm. I was praying one day in our backyard, feeling very sad - for I had just committed a sin against God. (You know, one of those sins of that age: robbing a bank; burning a school; torturing my sister...) I even feared that perhaps I wouldn't be able to enter heaven because of my sins... How could I?

That was when I say this yucky thing slither up a green leaf. And then, I felt God whisper into my heart, "Bo, do you want to become a worm?"

Wha...? I was petrified. "Lord, did I sin that bad?"

"Bo, give that worm a name," He asked me.

Quickly, I thought of one that was farthest from mine. "Uh... would Sylvester do?"

"That will be fine. Let's say that Sylvester has a soul, and that he is a bad worm. I would therefore need someone to tell him that he has to change, or else, he won't go to heaven..."

"You want Sylvester to go to heaven?" I inquired.

"Of course. Let us say that I love him..."

I made a face. "Double yuck. Triple even." We are talking about a real live ugly worm here! And a bad worm at that.

"Sshhh. Let me continue. Now, in order for Sylvester to understand Me, My messenger has to be a worm as well. A human will not be able to speak his language."

"So that's why You want me to be a worm! To save him? But why me?"

"Only for a few days, Bo. Want to volunteer?"

"Lord!" I vehemently cried in disbelief. "Even if Sylvester was the most handsome worm in this universe - I still wouldn't do it! You're kidding me, right?"

"At one point in history, I wasn't kidding. I did ask a similar request of someone else, and He said yes."

I gasped. "Poor guy... you zapped Him into a worm?"

"On that very Christmas Day, My only Son became a human being, a helpless infant - so that He could save you..."

"But Lord, that's different! It's okay to be human..."

"That's because you don't know what it means to be God. Before that day, My Son was glorious, powerful, eternal..."

That was the last line I heard that day. And I thought the conversation was over.

But a few days later, when I went to a church for Christmas Eve - at the altar I saw the Babe in the manger.

And everything about it screamed to me, "I love you, Bo."

Yes, my God has become Sylvester. For me.

I smiled and quietly shed a tear.

Reference/s:

Sanchez, Bo. How to Be Really, Really, Really Happy!. Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc.