Hamlet-typing Monkey (by Peter Kreeft)

photo courtesy of www.kopeikingallery.com

Someone once said that if you sat a million monkeys at a million typewriters for a million years, one of them would eventually type out all of Hamlet by chance.

But when we find the text of Hamlet, we don't wonder whether it came from chance and monkeys.

Why then does the atheist use that incredibly improbable explanation for the universe?

Clearly, because it is his only chance of remaining an atheist.

At this point we need a psychological explanation of the atheist rather than a logical explanation of the universe.

Where Was God? (By Mike Huckabee)

Former U.S. presidential candidate Mike Huckabee shares his insights on the recent Connecticut school shooting tragedy.

Transcript:

Maybe it's simply the attempt to express our collective shock when we say we're trying to make sense of the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. But we're not gonna make sense; not from that which is totally disconnected from the cognitive capacity of any rational human being. The Governor of Connecticut, Dan Malloy, got it right when he said, "evil has visited this community". President Obama, in an emotional statement from the White House, spoke more as a parent than a politician and he quoted the Bible to bring comfort to the nation. Churches were filled in Newtown, Connecticut last night as candlelight vigils were held to grieve for the 27 innocent people killed and the countless lives of those shattered by a few seconds of crazed carnage.

On Friday, Neil Cavuto asked me,

"Where was God?"

I said,

"For 50 years we've systematically attempted to have God removed from our schools (and) our public activities but then at the moment we have a calamity we wonder where He was."

The predictable "left" lit up the airwaves and blogosphere with a violent, vicious reaction and jumped to the conclusion that I said that if we had prayer in school the shooting wouldn’t have happened. I said nothing of the sort.

It's far more than just taking prayer or Bible reading out of the schools.
It's the fact that people sue a city so we aren’t confronted with a manger scene or a Christmas carol; that lawsuits are filed to remove a cross that's a memorial to fallen soldiers.
Churches and Christian owned businesses are told to surrender their values under the edict of government orders to provide tax-funded abortion pills.
We carefully and intentionally stop saying things are sinful and we call them disorders; sometimes, we even say they're normal.
And to get to where that we have to abandon bedrock moral truths…

Then we're asked,

"Where was God?"

I responded as I see it,

"We escorted Him right out of our culture and we've marched Him off the public square, then we express our surprise that a culture without Him actually reflects what it's become."

As soon as the tragedy unfolded, I think God did show up.
He showed up in the lives of teachers, who put their lives between a gunman and their students.
He showed up in policemen, who rushed into the school not knowing if they would be met with a barrage of bullets.
He showed up in the form of hugs and tears for children, parents and teachers, who had lived through the slaughter.
He showed up at the overflowed church services, where people lit candles and prayed. 
He showed up at the White House, where the president invoked His Name and quoted from His Book.
 
In a few days or weeks we'll probably ask God to excuse Himself from view. And we will announce in our arrogant pride that we are now enlightened and educated and we've evolved beyond needing Him. And somebody's gonna suggest that we pass a law to stop all this kind of thing. I might want to point out that we don't have to pass a new law; there's one that's been around a while that works if we teach it and observe it:

"Thou shalt not kill."

Oh, there are about 9 others; but to tell you about them would require bringing God back and we know how unacceptable that might be.

* Video courtesy of: http://www.foxnews.com/

An Essay on Morality: The Natural Law (Part 4)

photo courtesy of Chot Touch

Of the natural or moral law, St. Paul wrote: “the demands of the law are written in their hearts” (Romans 2:15). Indeed, that man should “do good and avoid evil” is self-evident to anyone endowed with reason. Natural law gave birth to what is known as natural or human rights. It’s a key element in the creation of the United Nations; its truth makes possible for people from different countries, cultures, ideologies, and religions to come together for a common good.

Man-made laws are valid only if they conform, and not conflict, with the natural law.

And, as with man-made laws, we can also choose not to obey the natural law – to our own detriment. To illustrate, consider the following example:

Alcohol consumption in moderation is acceptable and may even be beneficial health-wise; that being said, drunkenness is wrong and against the natural law, since, besides being harmful to one’s health, it also impairs one’s reasoning which is required for moral discernment. Initially, the penalty for the night’s intoxication is “only” the next day’s hangover. However, the penalties only get worse should one continue a lifestyle of alcohol abuse; it is common knowledge that alcoholics sooner or later suffer serious health problems and personal/social relationships issues.

Once again, this illustration makes perfect sense within the Christian religious framework, for to disobey the natural law is to sin and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). In light of this, we can conclude that the natural law is “written in our hearts” for our own good. As C.S. Lewis wrote:

“In reality, moral rules are directions for running the human machine. Every moral rule is there to prevent a breakdown, or a strain, or a friction, in the running of that machine.”

Therefore, when we’re in disharmony with the natural law, we’re harming ourselves; and when we choose sin, we choose death.

1. Introduction
2. Christian Morality
3. The Conscience 
4. The Natural Law

An Essay on Morality: The Conscience (Part 3)

photo courtesy of JaveFoto

What is conscience?

Conscience is the tool which enables man to discern morality – the distinction between what is good/right from what is evil/wrong.

C.S. Lewis illustrates the meaning of conscience with the following example:

Imagine you suddenly hear a stranger’s voice crying for help.

At that moment, you will probably feel two opposing impulses:

• First impulse is to run towards the stranger and help (herd instinct).
• Second impulse is to run away from the stranger for your own safety (survival instinct).

But then a third voice comes into play, urging you to follow your first impulse and ignore the second; this third voice is what we call the conscience.

Conscience can then be defined as the calling within, to always do what is good/right despite personal inclinations or feelings.

What are the properties of conscience?

The conscience is fallible

Earlier, we defined conscience as a “tool which enables man to discern morality”; and, like any other tool, improper use can lead to serious damage. Indeed, the conscience is not always right and can be mistaken. The conscience, man’s internal moral compass, is said to be broken when it does not point to the “true north” – that which is true and good. This can result from the deliberate and habitual breaking of the moral laws. Within the Christian religious framework, our conscience can be in a state of blindness by constant living in sin.

It is one’s responsibility to ensure the development of a well-formed conscience. For this reason, Christians are called to practice daily self-reflection and examination of conscience; this is necessary as we are often distracted by life’s trivialities. Christians use the Word of God as a guide to determining whether a conscience is well-formed: if in conformity then it is; if in conflict then it is not.

The conscience is authoritative

Peter Kreeft observed that granting consciences may differ, there remains an undeniable moral absolute: “never disobey your own conscience”. Of course one can deliberately choose to disobey one’s own conscience. But to do so is not without consequence. Indeed for some, one time disobedience can lead to a lifetime of guilt. The reason for this is, while the conscience is fallible, it is authoritative. Where does its authority come from? For the same reasons as with morality, the conscience’s authority cannot come from evolution, nature, or culture (man); its only plausible source is God.

1. Introduction
2. Christian Morality
3. The Conscience  
4. The Natural Law
   

Quote of the Dei (# 6)

photo courtesy of retooled11

"If the Devil is real, then God must be real, too."

- Ramirez (Jacob Vargas) in Devil (2010)

An Essay on Morality: Christian Morality (Part 2)

photo courtesy of mick y

Is morality only for Christians?

No. It is possible for an atheist to live a moral life, as it is for a Christian (or other theists) to live an immoral one. After all, everyone inherently share the desire for goodness and truth and the disdain for evil and lies. There are however, by default, differences in how morality is viewed by Christian believers and non-believers:

Source of morality

Christians:

• God – Christians believe that moral laws presume a Moral Law Giver.

Atheists:

• Evolution – a poor candidate as the source of morality. Morality simply has no place within the mechanics of natural selection. Altruism, for instance, cannot work within a system of “survival of the fittest”.
• Nature – is amoral and thus, cannot be the source of morality. Again, using a lion’s behavior as an example, it cannot be judged immoral for attacking and devouring its prey; it’s simply acting on its survival instinct.
• Culture (Man) – is dismissed as the source of morality by Peter Kreeft through the use of the following analogy (based on Immanuel Kant’s moral theory): A locksmith who locks himself in a room is not really locked-in for he can unlock himself. Kreeft further asks: “how can the one bound and the one who binds be the same?” In other words, it is impossible for man to impose morality on himself.

Judgement of morality

Christians:

Christian morality is summarized in the Ten Commandments. Thus, a person who commits a violation of any of the commandments, such as murder of innocent lives, is guilty of committing sin/immoral act.

Atheists:

Atheists often turn to nature and evolution to explain the existence of morality. However, neither explanation can account for how and why we judge certain acts as right or wrong; this is due to the following reasons:

• Nature’s indifference – As previously explained, nature is amoral; it knows not of good or evil. If morality comes from nature, then nothing can be judged as moral or immoral. But how can this be? For instance, how can someone view the Holocaust as anything but evil? As Scott Hahn wrote: “People will usually recognize evil, even if they are reluctant to recognize good”.
• Survival of the Fittest – Moral standards, according to the mechanics of evolution, works as follows: anything that aids self-survival is “good” and anything that aids self-extinction is “evil”. This is the morality of Nazism – an ideology responsible for the perpetration of the worst crimes against humanity. They alleged that the Jews and other “inferior” groups threaten the purity of the Aryan race and is therefore “evil”; they then justified the murder of millions of innocents as “good” because it aided to the survival of the “master race”.

Reason of morality

Christians:

The Christian answer is based on 2 premises:

• 1^st Premise – Morality is based on God’s nature
• 2^nd Premise – Man is made in God’s image and likeness.

In light of the aforementioned premises, man's moral obligation makes perfect sense:

Man is called to love because God is Love; Man is called to the truth because God is Truth.

Atheists:

In the novel “The Brothers Karamazov”, Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote that in a world without God “everything is permitted”.

Why love and not hate?

Why the truth and not the lie?

Why be good and not be evil?

If God is not, then indeed, why not?

Despite the differences, everyone - Christian believers and non-believers alike, are called to live a moral life. There is an inner voice - the conscience, within all of us, urging us to do good and avoid evil. This is further proof of God’s love for us all; as Dinesh D’Souza wrote: “while the atheist may have rejected God, God has not rejected him”.

1. Introduction
2. Christian Morality
3. The Conscience 
4. The Natural Law

Confrontation Between God and the Devil (by Fr. Jose Francisco C. Syquia)

photo courtesy of !Shot by Scott!

While my two companions and I were seated inside the small office where I sometimes conduct interviews, a self-assured woman entered the office accompanied by her father. She was a doctor who had just finished medicine from one of the top medical schools in the country. I agreed to meet her since there were enough signs that pointed to a great probability of extraordinary demonic harassment. An occult practitioner had warned her not to see me because I was “bad”. Nevertheless, she made up her mind to see me since no occult practitioner had yet been able to help her with her problem.

            She had been into the occult and had “duwendes” protecting her. The problem started when, after completing an important project in her life, she prayed to God and offered to Him the fruits of her work. After that, paranormal occurrences started to take place in her home, terrorizing her family. What was worse, within a short span of time, an alien entity had begun to take over her body and now she is frightened. Before the meeting, I had already asked Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales, my bishop, for the faculty to perform an exorcism. I knew in my heart that I would be needing it.

I greeted the client guardedly. Peering right into her eyes, I noticed that they were glazed. “This is not a good sign,” I told myself, knowing full well that the eyes easily make evident what is occurring in the depths of the soul. I turned to one of my companions in the office, one who is sensitive to spirits, and I noticed that she seemed sick. Again, not a good sign.

I proceeded to interview the doctor and her father more thoroughly. She was forthright with her answers and, as the interview progressed, I also tried to explain to her the probable spiritual dynamics that were occurring in her life.

I knew that things were not right when the father, who was not sensitive to the paranormal, told me that he felt the hair on his body stand. Unknown to me, my sensitive companion started to also feel the same thing. She told me afterwards that it was around that time that she also started to “see” huge dark entities pacing back and forth in the hallway outside the office. There was no one else on the floor where we were since it was already late in the afternoon.

I decided to end the interview by giving her some assignments to do. I told her to get rid of all her occult paraphernalia, bolster her spiritual life and start using the sacramental of the Church. As we all stood up to call it a day, she asked me to bless the water that they had brought along. I readily agreed. With my two companions beside me, and she and her father in front of me, I started the prayer of blessing.

A strong voice suddenly erupted from the young doctor’s throat. “Stop!” I stopped the prayer immediately wondering what was wrong. But even before I could lift my eyes to look at her, my gut was already telling me that something was unusual with her voice. It sounded like hers but not totally.

            As my gaze rose to hers, I realized that my foreboding had just come true. I was not looking at the eyes of a young woman. Her eyes were now alien and snake-like, filled with arrogance.

            “Stop that!” she said again.

            My mind was reeling at what was happening, trying to put two and two together. I was caught unprepared. This was the first time in my life that a demon had spoken directly to me.

            The woman then arrogantly crossed her arms and gave me a look that was telling me, “What will you do now?”

            I gulped. My mind was racing for the right response. I knew that through her stories that she could remain in this possessed state for more than an hour. Nervously, I grabbed my “exorcism kit” from the table nearby and quickly pulled out my manual of prayers. I could sense the heavy fear rising in me like a giant tidal wave about to hit land.

            Trembling, I used all my willpower to calmly leaf through the correct pages where the deliverance prayer was. The entity eyed me with a piercing gaze as I placed my hand on the woman’s head and began to mouth the words of my command. Even as I started, I knew that I would fail; there was so much fear in my heart and so little faith. My words rattled as they left my lips and my knees wobbled from the strain of trying to remain focused.

            The woman slowly took hold of my hand that was on top of her head and, in an almost snake-like manner, removed it. She then moved backwards slowly and very confidently sat on the soft-cushioned chair just behind her. She folded her arms defiantly and stared at me. Trying with the best of my ability to remain calm and collected, I again mouthed the word of my command. The entity at the same time started to mockingly laugh, voicing out the chilling words, “Is that the best you can do? Priest? You cannot get rid of me! I can stay here all afternoon!”

            It knew that I was afraid of him and that I do not have the faith to drive him out, my heart silently moaned. My companions by this time were hiding behind my back since they had no firsthand experience with possession cases. The father remained immobile and rooted on his spot.

            The entity continued its tirade of mockery against me. “Why do you do this, priest? Go back to your mansion! You cannot be happy doing this! You are a rich man!” It knew my background! This was further parapsychological proof that an alien entity was at work. I could now sense the very dark and evil presence all around me. This was one powerful spirit given free reign in the life of this woman.

            “Lord, what am I to do? Help me!” I called out silently from the depths of my heart. At that precise moment, I realized my weakness, the answer to why my prayers of command were ineffective. I did not have faith and the demon knew this. It also knew that I had fear in my heart. Yes, demons can know the emotional state of a person by his bodily reactions.

            I knew then what I had to do. I had to draw from within me the faith that could move mountains. Without delay, I silenced myself and entered into God’s presence. “Lord, grant me the strength I need to bring Your victory in this deteriorating situation,” I prayed.

            In response to this desperate cry for help, God gave me a feeling of peace and quiet confidence which entered my heart little by little. I opened my eyes and peered into the eyes of the sneering entity. I did not approach her but simply extended my hand towards the young doctor and spoke the words of command with calm authority.

            The voice of the entity immediately changed from one of arrogance to one of anger. “Stop that!” it said. I knew the Lord had joined the battle against this demon.

            As I continued to repeat the prayers of deliverance with more and more boldness and faith, the demon became totally uncontrollable in its rage, screaming in hatred and pain. Miraculously, the body of the possessed doctor could not get up from the chair where she was seated; she remained rooted on the spot, taking the spiritual bombardment.

            With renewed courage, one of my companions grabbed a bottle of holy water and started to sprinkle its contents on the woman. But the water did not and could not touch her. Some sort of invisible shield was protecting her!

            I approached the possessed person and placed my face close to hers to meet her gaze directly. I remembered a teaching which said that if you do not know the name of the demon, you may still directly command it by looking into the victim’s eyes, which is usually where the evil spirit manifests itself most visibly.

            The entity avoided my eyes, averting its gaze by looking at the ceiling. Tears were flowing from the woman’s fearful eyes. Strangely, my companions later told me, whenever each of them peered at the woman from their hiding place behind my back, the entity would be eyeing them diabolically. I told them that this was impossible because I watched the person closely the whole time that the demon started to get hurt and it never took its gaze off the ceiling.

            As I continued my barrage of prayers, I kept my eye on the entity as I grabbed my “exorcism kit” with my free hand. I hurriedly grabbed my other tools for the spiritual warfare: the exorcism crucifix, the holy water, the exorcised salt, the exorcised oil, The Roman Ritual for Exorcism, some other prayer pamphlets and a first-class relic of St. Ignatius of Loyola. I scattered them hastily on the table for easy access. The entity continued to scream with fear and pain but was obstinate in remaining within the woman. “She is mine! She is mine! I will never leave!” it screamed.

            I held the relic and cupped it in my hand. Quickly, without the entity seeing it, I placed it on top of the possessed woman’s head. The screams became louder and deafening as I struggled to keep this holy object – which tortures and “burns” any spiritual being – in place.

            “No! Stop! Stop! Sit down and let’s talk about this!” it screamed, pleading and pitiful.

            “I do not dialogue with demons!” I shouted back. “Leave her or I will continue this torture!” I knew at this point that the demon was weakening since it was now bargaining with me. This time, when my companion behind me used the holy water, the victim screamed in pain as though she was being burned. The father, who was crying on one side of the room, dashed forward to wipe off the holy water from the “burning” arm of his daughter. I firmly grasped his arm and told him loudly that it was not his daughter who was in pain, but the demon within her.

            He backed off, wavering but still clutching his handkerchief which he planned to use to wipe off the sacramental. By this time, I could sense that my energies were fast being depleted due to the intensity of the emotional, psychological and spiritual struggle. I had to keep my focus on commanding with faith and authority as well as deflect the emotional fears and anxieties that the demon was sending my way. We must keep in mind that when one is a beginner in spiritual warfare, he must have the discipline to control his mind and thoughts and remain focused since the devil can harass us with obsessive thoughts during the encounter. Our imagination must also remain under our control, as well as our feelings, since the devil can sometimes put images that distract us from the encounter and amplify any negative emotional openings that we may have.

            Throughout the ordeal, the victim was sometimes aware of what was happening; other times she was not. She felt, as she related to me later on, that her soul was in one tiny corner of her being. She also stated later that during this encounter, the spirits which manifested themselves were more powerful than any she had experienced before. She was aware that she was snarling and shouting in pain although she herself experienced no physical pain. Her father also told her that she screamed the loudest when the exorcism crucifix was placed on her head. She had tried to fight but her face was contorting badly and her body merely continued to snarl and growl at me.

            My knees now started shaking uncontrollably due to fatigue and tension although it had been, I believe, just less than ten minutes since the confrontation started. I then took The Roman Ritual of Exorcism since I had been given the faculty to perform an exorcism on this woman. I thumbed hurriedly through its pages while holding the exorcism crucifix with my free hand. As I mouthed the words in the solemn rite, the high emotional tension in my body started to inhibit me from forming the words properly. To my frustration, I got tongue-tied but still did the best that I could to continue. The screams from the possessed continued unabated, but nor for long.

            My blood turned cold when the voice that came from the woman said with renewed vigor and power, “She is ours! She is ours! We will never leave!” An important rule that I had not done because things happened so fast was to seal the place so that any spirits within the vicinity would not be able to give support to the entity within the possessed person. Now, the evil spirit was no longer alone. It had gotten reinforcements to aid it!

            I bent down in tired frustration with my hands on my shaking knees. I knew that I could not keep up this struggle for long. I then prayed a silent prayer to Mama Mary for her powerful intercession. “My Mother has never ever failed me!” I thought.

           

            Suddenly, an inspiration hit me (thank You, Mother!). This young woman must herself enter into the battle and tell God that she chooses Him and not the demon! In any exorcism, the possessed person must renounce the devil as much as he can, with the freedom remaining in him, especially if he has been involved with satanic activities. Then he must choose God with as much passion as he can muster. This would then release any “right” the devil has over the person.

            I took the woman’s hands and placed the exorcism crucifix into them. I told her to loudly say the words, “Jesus, I love You!” I was hoping against hope that wherever her consciousness was imprisoned in, she could still hear my words. Her father and my two companions joined their voices with mine in telling her to call on Jesus. The young woman’s consciousness suddenly emerged and came into the foreground and she immediately started to mouth the words, “Jesus, I love you.” As she tried to repeat these words a second time, her mouth froze at the beginning of the word Jesus. She couldn’t seem to continue. I could see the struggle in her pitiful face as she tried unsuccessfully to say the Name of Jesus while gazing directly at the crucifix she was clutching. The spirit was preventing her from speaking! She seemed like an infant desperately trying to speak its first words. The whole group then gathered around her encouraging her to say the Name of Jesus and to fight whatever was holding her in bondage.

            As she struggled with almost superhuman effort, my mind was silently praying “Dear God, please help us. Please help her!”

            Suddenly, the words burst forth from her lips. “Jesus! Jesus! I love You, Jesus!” As she repeated these words over and over again, I saw her tearful and sweat-filled face beaming and now at peace. She held the crucifix gently and tenderly kissed it.

            “She is back,” I told myself, “The demons have departed! Thank You, Dear God! Thank You!”

            My knees then gave way at that precise moment and I flopped down into a nearby seat. “The Lord truly came at the perfect moment,” I reflected, “I would have collapsed from exhaustion if the struggle continued any longer.” My companions were also visibly drained and shaken by the experience but relieved as I was that the battle was over. The victory was again the Lord’s!

            Although we were rejoicing, I knew that the war was far from over.

Reference/s:
Fr. Jose Francisco C. Syquia (2006). Exorcism - Encounters with the Paranormal and the Occult. Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc.

An Essay on Morality: Introduction (Part 1)

photo courtesy of Daniel Sanculi

What is morality?

Morality comes from the Latin word moralitas, meaning "proper behavior". It can be defined as the distinction between what is good/right from what is evil/wrong.

What are the properties of morality?

Morality is distinctly human

While some display behavior that might seem like moral sentiments, animals primarily act on instinct. For example, a lion will mate with as many partners and as often as possible because it simply has no choice on the matter and only acts on its instinct to propagate. Humans, on the other hand, know that at the very least, there has to be limits on sexual behavior. This is the reason why we put sexual offenders in prison.

Morality is universal

Consider the following facts:

• Every known culture has a system of morality; every known culture has their own version of the Golden Rule/Law (“One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.”).
• Everyone prefers virtue, though more often practice vice; e.g., even a cheat don’t want to be cheated on.
• Everyone endowed with reason knows that one ought to be good and not be evil; anyone who believes otherwise belongs either in a mental hospital or in jail.

Morality is absolute

The following are examples of moral relativist/subjectivist self-refuting ideas:

• The relativist/subjectivist says “there is no absolute”; yet this itself is an absolute statement.
• The relativist/subjectivist says “there is no truth”; yet this itself is a statement claiming to be true.
• The relativist/subjectivist says “you should not impose your morality on me”; yet this itself is a statement of moral imposition.

The fact is we all have absolute moral standards that we use to judge the behavior of others. And while there are differences in the particulars, there is agreement on the fundamentals. For instance, while we may argue on the morality/immorality of capital punishment, we all agree on the value of protecting innocent life.

1. Introduction 
2. Christian Morality 
3. The Conscience 
4. The Natural Law

2 Scientists, A Rocket and A Painting (by Peter Kreeft)

photo courtesy of scottbush

When the first moon rocket took off from Cape Canaveral, two U.S. scientists stood watching it, side by side.

One was a believer, the other an unbeliever.

The believer said, "Isn't it wonderful that our rocket is going to hit the moon by chance?"

The unbeliever objected, "What do you mean, chance?

We put millions of manhours of design into that rocket."

"Oh," said the believer, "you don't think chance is a good explanation for the rocket?

Then why do you think it's a good explanation for the universe?

There's much more design in a universe than in a rocket.

We can design a rocket, but we couldn't design a whole universe.

I wonder who can?"

Later that day the two were strolling down a street and passed an antique store.

The atheist admired a picture in the window and asked, "I wonder who painted that picture?"

"No one," joked the believer;
"it just happened by chance."

The Argument from Aesthetic Experience

photo courtesy of www.telegraph.co.uk

Since my taste in music is not sophisticated enough to be familiar with Bach, please allow me to share my (dumbed down) version of Kreeft and Tacelli’s “Argument from Aesthetic Experience” (original found here):

On a clear and cloudless night,

I look up to the sky and see the stars,

And know in my heart that there is a God.

You either get it or you don’t.

The Argument From Desire

photo courtesy of Ben Heine

 “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” – C.S. Lewis

1st Premise: All natural desires can be satisfied by something that exists in reality.

There is sleep, for instance, to satisfy our longing for rest; food for hunger; knowledge for curiosity, and so on. These are all examples of natural desires, so called because it is in our nature to desire them.

Other than natural desires, there are also artificial longings, and it’s important to distinguish both. Philosopher Peter Kreeft noted 4 key differences:

1. Unlike natural desires, not all artificial longings can be satisfied by something that exists. Peter Kreeft gave the example of young boys’ desire to fly like Superman; but we know flying men don’t exist. Moreover, not everybody share the desire to take to the skies. This leads us to the next difference:
2. Natural desires are universal; artificial ones are personal. Going back to our earlier examples, the desire for rest, food, and knowledge are felt by everybody; artificial desires like power, fame and money are not. This second difference is due to the third:
3. Natural desires come from within and we innately long for them; artificial desires come from without and are only acquired from an outside source (i.e. culture, advertising, etc.).
4. The fourth difference is that unless our natural desires are satisfied, we feel depravity or a deep sense of lacking. Restlessness, hunger, and ignorance are experienced when somebody is deprived of rest, food, and knowledge. But can we live happily sans power, fame and money? Saints like Mother Theresa lived lives that prove that yes, it’s possible. In fact, they have shown us that freedom from artificial longings is the only path to real and lasting happiness. 

2nd Premise: There exists in all human beings a natural desire which nothing in this world can satisfy.

I’m happiest during get together with family and friends. But it’s bittersweet at best, for I must accept that in this life, all good things come to an end and goodbyes often come too soon. But suppose it doesn’t?  I imagined what would happen if the party went on forever and it didn’t take long for me to conclude that things would eventually get boring and cease to be fun.

No matter how well someone is doing in life, there will always be something missing. Peter Kreeft observed that even for atheist, there comes a time when one wonders: “is this all there is?”

In other words, everybody is longing for something that would give eternal happiness and at the same time, would never get boring; an indescribable, perpetual feeling of “joy-ness”. This natural desire which can neither be described nor found nor satisfied by anything in this world is actually our longing for heaven and our desire for God. Taking these two premises together bring us to the unavoidable…

Conclusion: God exists in reality.

The two most common objections to this argument are the following:

1. "If only I had more ____, I would be perfectly happy."

More what?

• Money? Studies show that suicide rates are directly proportional to wealth.
• Fame? Today’s so-called “hotties” will be tomorrows “has-beens”.
• Power? History has taught us that power tends to corrupt, and that the only power worth striving for is the one to overcome worldly desires.

This is a lesson that seems impossible for us to learn: nothing in this world satisfies; only in God can we find true and everlasting happiness.

2. "I am already perfectly happy and desire nothing more."

Feelings are subjective and thus, cannot be refuted. Therefore, the best response for such objections (or delusions) is, as Peter Kreeft suggests, making an appeal to honest introspection by asking:

"Are you really?"

Quote of the Dei (# 2)

photo courtesy of Joep R.

“There are only three types of people;

those who have found God and serve him;

those who have not found God and seek him,

and those who live not seeking, or finding him.

The first are rational and happy;

the second unhappy and rational,

and the third foolish and unhappy.” 

- Blaise Pascal

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."