"How Science Can Lead the Way"

I was reading this week' TIME magazine. There was an article that attracted my attention. It was

"How Science Can Lead the Way

What we lose when we put faith over logic"

It was written by Lisa Randall, professor of physics at Harvard, one of 2007' TIME 100 and author of many books. She is well-known in Japan as well.

I think she represent secular world very much.

She began the article, "Today's politician seem more comfortable invoking God and religion than they do presenting facts o numbers."

hmmmm, what is the point she is making??

here is the good example, she writes in same article after mentioning Rick Perry' recognition  of creationism.

"and when he (Rick Perry) chooses to pray for the end of a drought rather than critically evaluate climate science, he is displaying the danger of replacing rational approaches with religion in matters of public policy."

and she writes

"Logic tries to resolve paradoxes, whereas much of religious thought thrives on them."

I think she misunderstands what "faith" is.

Our faith in Christ is not blind-faith, it's more like reasonable faith. 

I put my faith in God because first of all, God touched me and showed loving grace to me, but I was intellectually and theologically impacted as well. 

As I read and study the Bible, it makes more sense!!!

Of course, there are some parts of the Bible that I just "believe in faith". But I keep trying to understand from the Bible. But faith is a trust, I sometimes don't understand why but I know I can trust my God for all the things I know about him and through experiences in which He has proven Himself to be trustworthy.

But, look at this world more objectively as scientists always loves to do. 

There are many things that does not make sense but we accept them.

"Why human being dies?"

"Why we as man have not adapted to the death, after adapting almost any environment on the earth?"

"What caused big-ban(this world into existence)?" 

This is why I love apologetics.
I really believe we need more apologetics resources in Japan.

We, christian, as minority need to know "What we believe, why we believe."

How do you think about this??

I'm very interested what others thoughts on this.

Gun-Collectors, Not Soldiers

I love visiting pastors' blogs.

Recently pastor James MacDonald held the event of very unique meeting (unlike conference) called "Elephant Room" where pastors come together from different backgrounds (I only knew a few of them) and talke about doctrine of Christianity, pastor' view on various things, ministries.... etc

I watched a few video clips from the meeting and all of them were very interesting.
But this one topic " Gun-Collectors, Not Soldiers" was the most I think.

As Christian, I have experienced puzzled moment when I face the question of God's sovereignty and man' free will.

In his video, Mark Driscoll and Greg Laurie talks about Alter call and salvation..... etc

To me, what pastor Mark said was very cool.

Here is the link

If you could write your thoughts on this in comment, it'd be really nice.

Thank you!!

Ready to talk??

Last Wednesday, I had a great opportunity to attend the very special class at Tokyo University. Th guest teacher for the class was Prof.  Michael Sandel from Harvar Univ.. 

(in this building, the class was held)

His class is called "Justice" which itself is really interesting to not only as a student but also as a Christian.

I watched his classes online and on Japanese TV. I happened to find the information of the class by going through internet sites while I was at work. (just make sure, I was going through my company' websites ok?) So I applied to the class not knowing that there was keen competition, the applicants were ten times as many as the fixed number. 

But, God totally blessed me and I received the acceptation from the office. (I typed wrong email address so they called me which it is another miracle!!)

class scene

His class is very unique in his style. Though the size of his class is about 1,000 student, he interacts with students and proceeds his teaching with discussing the problems of moral justice. 

In the beginning he mentioned to the talk that says Japanese are too shy to engage in discussion. Well, I thought that makes sense to some degree.

For example we discuss case like this

 a famous nineteenth century legal case involving a shipwrecked crew of four.  After nineteen days lost at sea, the captain decides to kill the weakest amongst them, the young cabin boy, so that the rest can feed on his blood and body to survive.  One of the reason they chose him was he was orphan and had no family but rest of them did. Another was that he drank sea water against other' opposition.

So, was the action they took was right?

There was really good discussion. He concluded saying "Japanese are ready to engage in deep philosophical discussion!!"

Yeah, they are ready!! 

As a Christian, I thought Japanese don't think about spiritual and much deeper problem in life, compared with people form west.

It proved to be I was wrong.

  

We can talk about that!!

"What's the meaning of life and death?"

"What is the truth?"

So it was really encouraging class.

I will talk little more on the discussion part next time.

体験的？Or合理的？

「それでも神は実在するのか？」Byリー・ストローベル

は、すごい本です。

「弁証論」って、英語ではApologeticsっていって、キリスト教を弁護・弁証することを指すんだけれど、とっても個人的にこの学びが好きなんです。

そして、この本は、副題にもなっているように、キリスト教にたいする最も手強い反論をあげて、それをラビ・ザカライアスやウィリアム・レイン・クレイグなどの名だたるApologist、「キリスト教弁護者」たちにインタビューにぶつけてみるなかで、神の実在を証明していくとう本である。

私は、もともと頭でっかちというか、ある分野では、（あまり、普段はないのだが）頭で考えることに傾くことがる。

イエスは

「心を尽くし、思いを尽くし、知力をつくして、あなたの神である主を愛せよ。」

マタイ２２：３７

を第一の戒めとしました。

だから、このような学びは決して聖書に反したことではないし、無駄でもないんですね。

でも、怖いのは、このことに傾倒しすぎることなんですよ。

あまりに、「頭でっかち」になって、神様との関係を深めることに目が向かなることです。

しかし、クレイグ博士のインタビューの最後の方のことばは、そんな僕に気づきを与えてくれました、

「神の実在を示す文献や科学的証拠はもちろん大切だし有効だけれど、私たちが神に差し向かいで会った場合、それは二次的要素になるのです。人間の心にいる聖霊が働いて、超自然的に神が自らを啓示したことの追認証拠に過ぎないのです。」

確かに、そうです！！！

僕がどれだけ知性で神を追い求めようと、神と私たちは霊の領域でしか交わることのできない関係にあるのですから、聖霊の働きがクリスチャンライフには不可欠なのです！！

僕も、この学びを進めるにあたって、もっと神との深い交わり、そして聖霊の働きを体験できるように求めていきたいと思いました。

Our conscience

I watched this video while ago, and it really impacted my way of thinking how human being can know God.
 Conscience is a wonderful gift that God has given to us.
 If you study Romans 1:20, 2:15, you'll find more about it



Hope you like it.

Who Made God? 「誰が神を造った？」

懐疑主義者の人が頻繁に持ち出す質問は「神の存在の証明」です。
ある懐疑主義者 とクリスチャンの会話がありました

懐疑主義者（Ｓ）：
「もしも宇宙が創造主を必要 とするのなら、神自身も創造主を必要とするのではないか？誰が神を造ったのだろう？」

クリスチャン（Ｃ）：
「面白い質問だね。私は君は神の存在を信じていないと 思ったけれど。答えはこうだよ。誰も神を創造していない。宇宙が有限（初めを持つ宇宙）であり、創造主を必要としているのとは違い、神は創造主を必要とし ないんだ。」
Ｓ：「それはなぜだい？」

Ｃ：「なぜなら神は永遠の存在だからだよ。永遠に存在している方は創造主を、存在 させしめるなにかを必要としないんだ。」
「詩編９０：２で『とこしえからとこしえまで　あなたは神です。』とある。神は永遠の存在。しかし、宇宙はまったくもって別のカテゴリーに入るんだ。科学的にも示されているように、宇宙は常に存在していた訳ではないんだ。存在の出発点をもつものは、その出発 の原因・創造主を必要とするわけだ。勝手に存在し出すなんてことはない。無は何も創造しないんだ。」
Ｓ：「君の言っていることは分かった。でも、君は神が永遠にいることを信じるのかい？」

Ｃ：「もちろん」

Ｓ：「あり得ない！」

Ｃ：「神が常に存在しているということを笑う前に、このことは覚えていて欲しい。つ まり、何かが必ず常に存在していなくてはならないということ。分かるかい？」

Ｓ：「どうして？」

Ｃ：「そうだね、ではちょっと一緒に考えてほしい。もしも、無からは何も生まれないのに、何かが存在している。ということは、何かが もともと存在していた（ものを造り出すために）ということになる。
こう考えてほしい
１．もしも、何も存在してない時があったのなら、今も 何も存在していない。
２．今、なにかあるものが存在している。
３．だから、何も存在しない時はなかった。」

さあ、どうでしょう？
皆さんはどう考えますか？


this is a quote from Charlie Campbell's blog "Always Be Ready"
(You can check out his ministry here) 

A common question skeptics raise when I talk to them about evidence for the existence of God, has to do with the maker of God. The question usually goes something like this:

“If the universe demands a creator, then why can’t we just say God must have a creator as well? In other words, Who made God?”

I do find it interesting and a bit humorous, that it is usually atheists who bring up this question. I want to say, "Hey wait a second, I thought you didn't believe God exists."

Be that as it may, here's how I typically try to answer the question in a minute or two.

ME: Nobody made God. Unlike the finite universe (a universe that began to exist) that demands a creator, God does not need a creator.

SKEPTIC: Why?

ME: Because He is eternal. Someone who has always existed does not need a creator or someone to have brought Him into existence, because He’s always been. Psalm 90:2 says, “Even from everlasting to everlasting You are God.” God is eternal. But the universe falls into an entirely different category. As the scientific discoveries have shown, it has not always existed. And anything that begins to exist, requires a cause or maker. Things don’t just pop into existence all on their own. Nothing does not produce something.

SKEPTIC: Okay Charlie that makes sense, but you believe that God has just always existed?”

ME: Yes.

SKEPTIC: Impossible!

ME: Well, before you scoff at the notion of God having always existed, keep this in mind: something must have always existed. Do you realize that?

SKEPTIC: Why do you think that?

ME: Well, think through this with me: If nothing cannot produce something, and yet
something exists, then it follows necessarily that something has always existed (in order to bring the something into existence). Think of it this way:

1. If there ever was a time that absolutely nothing existed, nothing would exist now.
2. Something exists now.
3. Therefore, there was never a time that absolutely nothing existed.

So, to answer your question, Who made God? No one. God is eternal and does not need a maker. The universe is not eternal and does require a maker.