Influences

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Religion… Science… Religious Rule… Scientific Rules


Just Think About It

How does one attempt to make sense of the many religions and their rules? And we can’t forget the rules of science. So what is it that feeds our minds? What pushes us in one direction or another?

Sometimes I think people hide behind the word religion, picking one that makes them feel good or fits their lifestyle. There are many options out there. Many religious beliefs are handed down from generation to generation. Maybe it’s where you are born or what level of society you are born in. These beliefs become something people put faith in. Sometimes, they become traditions and embedded ways of thinking and acting.

I think the key word is ‘Faith,’ and faith is something we believe even if we don’t understand it completely. An example of the difference between knowledge and faith could be knowing your car will start because it started the last time. Faith is believing it will start after you replaced some wires, thinking you did it correctly.

So faith is something you believe, but you have not seen the actual outcome. You read the direction on where to connect the wires and have faith that the directions are correct. You turn the key or hit the start button, and nothing happens. What went wrong? You revisit the directions, double-check your connections, and everything looks correct. You try again, and still the same result. Something else must be wrong, or just maybe it’s the manual you used.

The point is that we placed our faith in someone else’s instructions. That’s also true in religious beliefs. So which one do you put your faith in, or do we discredit all religious beliefs and place our faith in the science that tries to tell us we just evolved? That we are just part of an evolutionary world.

It truly takes faith to step out and believe in something unproven or unseen by our own eyes.

I’ve often said we must peel the onion down to the last layer to find the answer. In this case, it is the answer to where to place our faith. It’s a most critical question. Is there more to life that we don’t understand, or do we live for some years and then die?

So we do some more research. We double-check the version of the manual we used on our car. We find an older version online or at the library. We check the wiring diagram and find the instructions are different. You change the wiring using the instructions in the older manual, and the car starts.

The point is that we need correct information. To peel the onion, we need to go back to the beginning. We need to remember that the science of evolution is just a theory. Something that evolutionists place their faith in. Their own science still points out that someone or something had to start it all in motion, that the odds are simply impossible for it just to happen. Then we have all the other religious beliefs. Which one is correct? If we go all the way back to some of the oldest written words, we find the Bible, especially the Old Testament of the Bible. It tells us God created the world and everything in it. Many religions are offshoots of the Bible where man has added their take. They may add rules that they think are needed. Some religious writings seem to fit a comfort level or even a way of ruling or controlling people. Then we find in the New Testament that Jesus made it easy as He gave us His way to have faith.

So when I peeled the onion to the core, it looks like it was either evolution or the God of the Bible. One is true, and one is not. It’s a matter of where to place one’s faith. We need to throw out all the confusing “what if’s” and focus on getting ourselves to the “truth of the matter.” Something to place our faith in that has meaning and brings stability to our lives.

You can find where I place my faith in this blog’s ‘Boiled Down – My Beliefs’ section.

You might disagree with me, but have you ever asked yourself, what if?

So the real question is:

Where do you place your faith?

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Just think about it: WHAT IF?


How do we deal with the “WHAT IF’S” of life?

If I had turned right instead of left, I would have found the restaurant I sought.

If I had continued my due diligence and invested in company XYZ instead of ABC, I would have tripled my investment.

Everything would have turned out just right if I had just kept to the plan.

What if…

Those “what if’s” can drive us craze sometimes. But what about the “what if’s” we don’t even know exist? The ones we miss because things seem to be working out. We didn’t even know there was something less expensive but equal quality and functionality which would have worked better.

Sometimes we say: if I would have only known.

To deal with life to the best of our ability, we must ask ourselves the “what if” question. The more we do this, the better our life decisions will be. Too often, we don’t see what’s coming until it’s upon us. Then we stumble on and wish we had asked ourselves, what if?

Learning always to ask questions is generally learned over time. Not many people can say they just stumbled through life, and all is well. Maybe it started when you were a kid, touched something hot, and burned your finger. The next time you ask yourself, is it hot before you pick it up.

Sometimes the “what if’s” become subconscious thoughts that guide us along life’s path. Sometimes we have formed opinions and don’t want to ask questions.

So think about it. Don’t just take someone’s word about a subject. Instead, investigate it, and ask: “What if?”

What if I’m just part of the evolutionary train?

What if there is more to my life than the day-to-day grind?

What if God is real?

??WHAT IF??

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Just Think About It


Religion… Science… Religious Rule… Scientific Rules

How does one attempt to make sense of the many religions, the rules within them, and science? What drives each of us one way or the other?

Sometimes I think people hide behind the word religion, picking one that makes them feel good or fits their lifestyle. There are so many options out there. So many religious beliefs are handed down from generation to generation. They become something people put faith in. Sometimes, they become traditions and embedded ways of thinking and acting.

I think the key word is ‘Faith,’ and faith is something we believe even if we don’t understand it completely. An example of the difference between knowledge and faith could be knowing your car will start because it started the last time. Faith is believing it will start when you just replaced some wires, and you believe you did it correctly.

So faith is something you believe, but you have not seen the actual outcome. You read the direction on where to connect the wires and have faith that the directions are correct. You turn the key or hit the start button, and nothing happens. What went wrong? You revisit the directions, double-check your connections, and everything looks correct. You try again, and still the same result. Something else must be wrong, or maybe it’s the manual.

The point is that we placed our faith in someone else’s instructions. That’s also true in religious beliefs. So which one do you put your faith in, or do we discredit all religious beliefs and place our faith in the science that tells us we just evolved? That we are just part of an evolutionary world.

It truly takes faith to step out and believe in something unproven or unseen by our eyes.

I’ve often said that we must peel the onion down to the last layer to find the answer. In this case, it is the answer to where to place our faith. It’s a most critical question. Is there more to life that we don’t understand, or do we live for some years and then die?

So we do our research. We double-check the version of the manual we used on our car. It’s a new revised edition. We do some research and find an original version online or at the library and find that they are not the same. Someone made a mistake. You go back and change the wiring, and the car starts.

The point is that we need correct information. To peel the onion, we need to go back to the beginning. We need to remember that the science of evolution is just a theory. Something that evolutionists place their faith in. Their own science still points out that someone or something had to start it all in motion, that the odds are simply impossible for it just to happen. Then we have all the other religious beliefs. Which one is correct? If we go all the way back to the oldest written words, we find the Bible. We find that God created the world and everything in it. Many religions are offshoots of the Bible where man has added their take. They may add rules that they think are needed. There are religious writings that seem to fit a comfort level or even a way of ruling or controlling people.

So when I peeled the onion to the core, it looks like it was either evolution or the God of the Bible. One is true, and one is not. It’s a matter of where to place one’s faith. We need to throw out the what if’s and focus on getting ourselves to the truth of the matter.

Personally, I believe that God is our creator, that Jesus is his son, that he was placed on earth and then died and was resurrected from the dead, that many people witnessed this, and that there is a Holy Spirit that will guide us once we place our faith in God.

The question is:

Where do you place your faith?

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A Grandsons Question


Why did Jesus have to die?

My grandson asked me a question the other day that I should have been able to answer, but it caught me by surprise. It went like this; why did people have to kill Jesus?

After some thought, I decided to write it down to keep my thoughts and understanding intact.

It all started back at the beginning of time when God created the heavens and the earth. Oh, I know, some people believe that everything happened by way of a big boom. The thing is, science continues to show that someone had to orchestrate it, even though they don’t want to tell us.

You might ask, what does this have to do with why they killed Jesus? It’s just that the answer takes a bit of background information.

The Bible tells us that the first man and woman were created in Their image, meaning God and his son Jesus. He created the first man and woman (Adam and Eve) to love Him and to live forever. However, he was not going to force them to love Him, he gave them that decision, and today we have that same choice.

But then someone, the Bible tells us it was Satin, or a serpent influenced by Satin, said to them that they didn’t have to listen to God, that they could do their own thing. And they did the one thing God asked them not to do, and that was when everything changed.

Many books are written about the historical information in the Bible, showing the accuracy of the Bible’s written words. But we must step forward through time to give the question an answer.

God used people to tell the story about His son Jesus early on in the Bible. They were the prophets that we read about in the Bible. They tell the story about Jesus hundreds of years before Jesus showed up on earth. The religious leaders at the time of Jesus’ life on earth knew about this but didn’t want to believe Jesus was who he said he was. I can only guess that they didn’t want their lives disrupted. They loved being in control of their people. So, they worked to have Jesus put to death. To prove He was a fake. The thing is, how Jesus would die was also made known hundreds of years before it happened.

So now Jesus was killed and buried. But what happened next is the most important part. After three days of being buried, actually he was place in a tomb, God raised Him from the dead, just as He said He would hundreds of years earlier. God allowed this to prove to everyone that He and His son Jesus are real. That death is not the last thing that happens when we die.

I truly believe that there is a part of us that never dies. Our bodies may get old or maybe sick and eventually give up, but the part of us that makes us who we are, our spirit, our soul, lives on. I believe that is how Jesus was born a baby on earth. God placed his spirit in that unborn baby at the time of conception. I think we’re the same. When we are conceived in our mother’s womb, our spirit is placed in us. And if God created the Heavens and the Earth, He can most definitely do this also. That is what makes us who we are. We are a real person way before we are physically born.

It’s now a matter of where we decide we want to go after we die. Remember, we are given a choice, a mind, and the ability to choose. No one wants to force someone to love them. That is not true love. Our mom or dad does not force us to love them. If they did, we probably wouldn’t love them very much.

So, the answer to the question is that if Jesus did not die and then come back to live again, to be seen by and talked with by hundreds of people, to show people the truth about what was written in the Bible about Him, then everything written in the Bible would not be true. There are many people that have a hard time believing in God, believing in Jesus, even after all these predictions have taken place.

Let’s try to draw a conclusion to the question.

Jesus told us that if we would love Him and His father, tell Him about the things we know we have done wrong, and put our faith in Him, then we become one of his children. And because He love’s us, when we die, we will go to live with Him forever. There is the saying, ‘there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend.’ Actually, Jesus also said this. And Jesus laid his life down for each of us.

I’m not saying we won’t do anything wrong again after we place our faith in Jesus. But we cannot earn this by doing things we think are good to do, even though we should be doing good things. Going to Heaven when we no longer are alive here on earth is something we put our faith in, something that we believe in, and trust will happen after we die. And if God and Jesus are real, then it’s important that we decide what we want to believe and what we want to put our faith in. Do we want to place our faith that all life is over once our bodies give out and we die? Or do we want to believe in Jesus and everything He told us?

I’ve often stated that either full blown evolution is true or what’s written in the Bible is true. Well, if the Bible tells the true story, then making a decision of where to place our faith is the most important decision we will ever make.

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“Decisions”


When Making that “Decision,” do we look at what makes us comfortable, or do we dig into areas that differ from our comfort zone?

We all make decisions every day. Some work out great, just like we planned, and some do not. Decisions are generally based on what we have learned over time, experiences, and sometimes just our human desire. Finally, a decision is made, even if it’s subconscious. Even religious teachings are an influence, and just as significant the lack of religious teachings also influences decisions. C.S. Lewis said, “If Heaven is real, not much else matters. If Heaven is not real, nothing matters at all.”

If we broaden our scope of influence and step out of our comfort zone, we recognize that some form of religious belief has existed since the beginning of time, at least human time as we know it. So if we discount religion, we base life’s most significant decisions on something short of all the influences required to have a solid basis for our decisions. To narrow down the discussion about religions, of which we can find books and books written on them, let’s focus on the oldest known and recorded religious writings. The Bible. Especially the first part of it. This part is where we find information about God’s creation of the heavens and earth. However, many scientists want to argue that this is not correct. That science and the recorded events of the Bible do not line up. Or do they?

Some people take what they understand, the concepts, the teachings learned during their education years, and scientific findings, and then search for ways to interpret the words written in the Bible, or possibly the plethora of other religious beliefs, to fit these influences neatly. Finally, we make a decision: This is how it all happened!

Maybe it’s time to take what’s written in the Bible and look at how science fits God’s written word. One big question continues to rise to the surface. I believe this has to do with how evolutionary science try’s to explain the world into existence. Some interpret verse 8 in 2nd Peter, “a day to God is like a thousand to us,” to support the millions of years that evolutionary science teaches how everything came into existence. The question should be asked: under what context is this written? Does it have anything to do with God’s creation, or is it in context to the eternal, everlasting God of the Bible? Is Peters writing about creation or about how our human mind needs to grasp that all things are in God’s timing, not ours?

In the creation account, as told in the first two chapters of Genesis, are we to interpret the words about a day and night as maybe a thousand years or perhaps a million years or more? Or are we to understand that when God said there was night and day, He meant one night and one day? We should also understand that throughout the Bible, prophecies and events are based on a 24-hour day.

So this brings back the question about the science discovered and defined by humans that many things are millions or even billions of years old. How could this be true if we believe God’s written word that a day and night is a day and night as we experience it? What was different at the time of creation that would alter what science tells us? What was different on earth before the recorded flood of Noah’s time versus today?

One question I have asked myself is how could any of the recorded ages of the men in the Bible before the flood of Noah be correct when we know that is not possible today? What was different? Could today’s scientific knowledge be used to explain this?

This important question needs answering: Is God real, is His written word accurate, or are science and the theory of evolution true? This is critical information! When you boil it down, all other religious beliefs fail in comparison to this question.

So it’s decision time. Do we attempt to make God’s written word fit into our human scientific findings, or do we allow our human scientific findings to fit into God’s written word? This question challenges the evolutionists’ view that God does not exist and that only time and some mysterious explosion exist. We must remember that this event is scientifically unproven even though so many believe it as fact, even though it is a theory only.

So, where does one go from here? Is it time to discover, or are we content with our current understanding? Now that’s a ‘Decision’ each of us should make. But, it truly has ramifications if God’s word, as recorded in the Bible, is true.

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Our Mental Hard Drive – “The Brain”


“Challenging Ourselves through Questions”

Have you ever done something and later asked yourself, “Why did I do that?”
Did you ever tell yourself, “If I would have know that, I would have done things differently?”

Information is generally involved in everything we do. Information is essential and can be critical as we take steps through life desiring to make the least amount of mistakes.

The information available today is at an all time high. Media and online resources are exploding. It is at our finger tips if we care to explore for it. Even if we don’t realize it, the information that is absorbed by our mind, plays a role in how we react to any given situation. It is at the heart of what we eat, the fun things we enjoy doing, the work details we perform, our reaction to things we fear, virtually every function or task we undertake.

In many ways we could look at the information absorbed by our brain similar to information stored on a computers hard drive. Our thinking process utilizes this stored information. We use our mind to search back in time to what we recorded in it, or we kick in gear an understanding or reaction based on past experiences. A little like an application running on a computer. Sometimes we utilize our stored information subconsciously in our decision process. Sometimes we need our subconscious mind to quickly react but it doesn’t because we never trained it properly. Then after the fact we might say, “If only I would have done this.” There are times when we react so quickly that we never recognize if we reacted properly all based on something in our minds that triggered the response. Only when someone calls us out do we possibly slow long enough to question if our understanding was correct.

Through repetition, receiving the same information several time, repeating the same thoughts, we begin to place a priority over less received information. Companies today monitor our activity online or our purchasing history. They begin to see a pattern and as a result, they put things in front of us that follow this pattern of thinking.

We need to be aware that we can subconsciously feed our minds with one-sided information.

If we feed our minds with one-sided information, then we become lopsided, or possible what someone else would like us to become. It may be our way of feeding our minds with things that bring comfort, satisfaction, or even fill our emotional desires. The more we feed or are fed the same information, the more we believe it.

Is it possible that we are allowing ourselves to become brain washed?

Sometimes a computers hard-drive becomes overloaded with outdated, incorrect, or flawed information. This can cause results that while looking correct, are not. So some hard-drives may require reformatting, or at the least, old files and programs need to be removed. A clean-up program can be run to enable it to operate correctly. Outdated programs need to be replaced with new one that have bugs removed. Proper information needs to be made available to them.

Our brain requires a similar type of updating. Some things we learned 10, 20, 30, or 50+ years ago may not be totally correct. Sciences continue to learn and produce updates. New findings become available that could totally alter what one was taught during their education years. If we stop our learning process, we become outdated, we lock in our beliefs and understandings.

What would be nice is if we could just install a mental program that would search out and remove all misunderstandings, erase old outdated information and beliefs, clean up all the fragmented thoughts and reorganize how our information flows during our thought process.

Our mind is a powerful tool that we are blessed to have,
and
Proper care and maintenance are required.

This brings us to the question about the evolution of, or the creation of our brain.

Regardless of where you choose to place your faith, in evolution or in creation, one need to explore and understand details behind both sides. Did we evolve or is God real? Do the sciences support both creation as well as parts of our understanding of evolution?

Are the grounds that you stand on with respect to God and creation solid?

 

 

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The Rope of “Political Correctness”


Have you ever tried to push a rope?

Have you ever tied something or even a friend to a rope and then attempt to push it in a given direction? I guess you would agree that it doesn’t work very well. However, if you pull on the rope, you at least have the chance of getting things moving in the direction you would like them to move.

A key question is:

Are you the puller of the rope or are you the one being pulled?

If you are the one being pulled, which in many cases we are all pulled from time to time, which direction are you being pulled? Are you aware of where you are headed? Do you know who you are being pulled along by? Have you peeled the layers back far enough to discover who or even why someone is pulling you?

In todays life in this country as well as many others around the world, people have been pulled in the direction of “Political Correctness” (i.e., PC). The “PC” movement is a force that is gaining momentum and goes unnoticed. It is as if it is pulling our rope and we don’t recognize that we are tied to it.

PC really is not the same thing as “Love for all.” PC keeps telling us that we should let everyone live and do as they desire. It is their choice. Live and let live. Stand to the side and say nothing. What they do won’t hurt me. We need to ask ourselves the question; But will it?

We can love someone, but do we let them jump off a cliff because they choose to do so just because it’s PC?

Now maybe everyone is not ready to jump off a cliff, but one can show love and compassion and still speak up on issues of life. It’s ok and correct to listen, to try to understand, to discuss and exchange ideas. It’s also ok to have an opinion and to speak up about it, to be heard by the minority or the majority.

Being PC should never stand in the way of doing what is right!

In the USA, 85% of the people believe in God. The people around the world that believe in God, or Allah or just in peace and the study of how to live in harmony accounts for a major amount of the worlds population. So why do we allow the “Political Correctness” to take over and pull our rope in it’s direction. It appears that small minority is in control and are changing our culture and directing what our future generations will become. All for what appears to make them feel good, that fits their agenda, their life style preferences, or their beliefs.

However, the minority has rights and should be heard. The majority also has rights and should be heard. Love and understanding should be embraced on both sides. Political Correctness should not play a role in shutting down one side or the other, even if both sides believe the other has it wrong. Peaceful protest should be allowed, however non-peaceful protest should be shunned by both side.

A question to ponder:

When will we drop the momentum of “Political Correctness” and allow love, understanding, compassion, and an openness to “Truth” to find its way back to the top?

If God is real, and I personally believe He is based on my discovery down both roads, then why should I not be taught about this in my schools today as a possibility? Schools are for learning. Just because you may not believe in God, does not mean that there is no possibly that He may exist. I would think that in either case, one would want to know both side, be allowed to make ones own decision, to be given all available information, and to make ones own discovery and choices.

It truly takes a level of faith either way. I just wanted to know as much as possible so I could place my faith where I believed it belonged and not be driven by the “PC” of this world. I want to speak up and not let “PC” get in the way of someone who should be given a chance to learn what I have learned. To gain the knowledge allowing them to make life decisions based on what they choose to believe, not on what someone else tells them to believe.

So ask yourself:

Will you listen and share?

Will you look for “Truth”? 

or

Will you stay in a comfort position remaining
“Politically Correct – PC”?

 

 

 

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The Paint of our Heart


When you open a fresh can of paint it is clean and ready to beautify. If you have completely cleaned up all the dust and debris, your paint remains just as it was prior to opening the can. The more you paint the beauty continues to shows it face. It’s when our brush picks up some dust or dirt and we dip it back into the can of paint that the paint begins to change. If we forget and leave the top off for a period of time a film can form which creates small lumps in the paint can. Before long you notice something on the wall that you need to remove or even worse, it is not found until the paint is dry. What happen? It started out so perfect.

How we handle our fresh can of paint is the same as how we handle the emotional side of our heart. It starts out so perfect with nothing but love. But then we allow it to become contaminated. It’s never the heart itself, but it’s the surroundings, the environment, and the influences that change it into something different than how it began. If we put the cover back on the paint, debris cannot enter. If we protect our hearts or the heart of a loved one, we keep it clean.

The heart just like a fresh can of paint requires proper handling. We need to be aware of what we put into it or it’s beauty and love will change or even disappear completely. When this happens it takes some hard work to restore it. But just like a can of paint, once it is contaminated, it never returns back to it’s original state.

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Reflecting on Life


When I look back on my childhood, taking the time to evaluate my life, or maybe I should say the areas that I wrapped my arms around and embraced and those that I didn’t, it brings great joy and in some cases a level of sadness. Turning the clock back to my childhood, growing up on the farm during the 50’s and 60’s with little spare cash, just enough to get by with and sometimes not even that much, I had a good life that taught me more than I ever gave it credit for.

Graduating High School in 1968 while the Viet Nam war was in full swing, seeing many of my friends serving there and returning home not the same person, some in a box, some missing limbs, but mostly changed personalities due to the effects of the war, was a difficult time.

Getting married at age nineteen, building our first house at age twenty, becoming a father at age twenty-one, were huge steps in life for me.

The foundation learned as a youth growing up was never lost, only forgotten for many years. Saddened by so much I had witnessed as a youth and my mid-teenage years in the religious arena, set my life path in motion. Determination set in, a drive to enjoy life, to become financially sound, to take a stand against all that didn’t fit into my version of faith, all began while still in high school.

Working my way up the ranks of my first job, I worked hard. I took on two jobs in those early years trying to earn what I felt was required to be a good provider. Then becoming licensed in the electrical trade and eventually starting our own company my life was very busy. Between work, family and fun, I had my hands full. Then my eyes were opened to the rest of the world when I took a new job in 1986. Being able to travel to many parts of the world, I began to see and feel the effects that war really has. To be close to war, hearing how others dealt with war both old and new, grasping the many religious faiths and beliefs including those that have no belief in God, it kicked in motion my past and the emotions caused me to re-evaluate my understandings of life.

So what does this mean in the grander scheme of things? It shows that from childhood on, our lives and personalities are set in a direction and become altered as we continue to age, grasping new information, learning about others we cross paths with. The real question is; do we allow ourselves the freedom to open our mind and explore what we see and hear? Or do we remain set in our ways determined not to allow change? Do we even recognize that we are closed to anything that may disrupt our desires and beliefs in life?

For me, I spent the time to re-evaluate my past, examine what I had learned and experienced, and to wrap my arms around what I believe this life is all about. I worked hard to eliminate the mental blocks that so often accompanies our attempt to truly understand, disabling any rational outcome. What I found was that I could make a decision for myself, placing my faith in what I had come to understand. While it was influenced by many, it was in the end, my choice, my decision, my beliefs.

So there’s this lingering question

When was the time you slowed down long enough, shoved the distraction aside, threw out the external influences of those that educate with an agenda whether religious or non-religious or educational and dug deep enough that you allowed yourself the freedom to choose where you have placed your faith?

One of the biggest things I learned along this adventure is that it takes faith to believe in life, it takes faith to believe what it is all about. It takes faith to believe in God or to not believe in God. It takes faith to believe in the direction we choose for our lives.

Where is your faith placed?  

 

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Making a Difference!


“As the African proverb puts it, ‘If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.’ The mosquito makes a difference in an annoying way, but the principle is the same. One person can stop a great injustice. One person can be a voice for truth. One person’s kindness can save a life. Each person matters.”

Very interesting way to view doing something positive!