Monday, February 6, 2012

Leap of faith

I came across the word 'agnostic' a few times in my life, and recently I decided to read more about it. The rough idea I got about agnosticism is it is impossible to know for sure or with certainty if God exists or not, mainly due to human limitations to prove so. There are some views which make agnosticism even very justified and logical, so that they don't totally reject God's existence as well. But all of this are based on human thinking, intelligence and logic, solely. In the end, what would be one word to best describe it? Doubt. Agnostics are unsure and cannot be certain if there's a God, but what's worse is they're saying that would be the case, forever. They would never know if God exists is what they're saying. Eternal doubt. Doesn't sound all that good does it? I'm filled with sympathy and pity for them actually. Without God, how did the earth and all living creatures came to be? If they cannot come up with an answer as to whether God exists or not, much less would they be able to do so for that question, since the earth has been around for at least thousands of years. What evidence or means of justification would they use to know for sure about the earth's origins? They would come up with more theories, but that's as far as it goes. And guess what, they are left in more doubt than before.

Atheism is somewhat related to agnosticism, except that the existence of God is denied. I say related because like agnostics, atheists lack the evidence or means to prove the existence of God. Since they can't prove it, they say God doesn't exist. But are atheists able to prove that God does not exist? In this aspect agnostics are different, saying they can't prove if God does or does not exist. Again, the same question applies: How did the earth and living creatures came to be? Both atheists and agnostics cannot give a definite answer, but only theories. The Big Bang and evolution theories perhaps? Uncertain, yet to be established theories because humans simply cannot. It is beyond their means to answer such a question, for the atheist and agnostic. They are unsure, and they continue to be.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

~Hebrews 11:1 [NIV]
Sure. Certain. Definitive words. Faith would be the exact opposite of doubt. The answer to the question which seems to be unanswerable? The very first verse of the first chapter of the first book of the Bible:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

~Genesis 1:1 [NIV]
It is really as simple as that. What's more,
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

~Romans 1:20 [NIV]
What has been made is the world and its living creatures - the animals, the birds, the reptiles, the sea creatures, the fields, the mountains, the sea, the sun and moon, the galaxies, the universe, everything. All these we can see; men are truly without excuse. God is real and wishes to have a true, loving relationship with His own creation, mankind. Those who know and love Him He will grant a peaceful, fulfilling, meaningful and eternal life. Humanly speaking, it's too good to be true. But humans were never created to be alone. We have seen the inevitable results of hopelessness and doubt when humans depend wholly on their skills, minds and efforts - atheism and agnosticism. Yet in the spiritual realm, with God, it's both too good and too true at the same time!

As Christians, we see all these and feel God's non-physical but spiritual presence in our lives, enabling us to be certain of the unseen God and of course, life eternal.

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."

~Deuteronomy 4:29 [NIV]

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

~Hebrews 11:6 [NIV]


There's good news for the unsure out there; all you need is start to seek and rely on the one and only God, together with the faith that clears all doubts, and don't be surprised when you are struck by and see crystal clear the reality of God.