Getting Closer to God for Youth

I think for young people one of the coolest things to do today, is to constantly be in contact with friends.

Who has a mobile phone?
Do you call your friends very often? (assuming you have credit)
Do you send many SMS messages?
What about email. Who has their own email account? Who has more than one?
Who has MSN Messenger or Myspace or Bebo or some Blog site?
Who has met someone new on the internet?
Did you then get to meet them in real life?
Were they exactly the sort of person you thought they were, and the sort of person they told you they were?
Can you get to know someone from their blog site?

Assuming they are telling the truth about themselves I think you can learn a lot about a person from their blog site. They can tell you the sort of things they like, and the sort of things they don't like. They can tell you their opinions about a lot of topics and even tell you real life stories about their lives.

Some people put poetry on their blog site, or tell you about things that have happened in their lives. They might even write some philosophical things about what they believe in. The more you read an honest persons blog site, the more you get to know about them.
Well, did you know that God has his own blog site. Its called the bible. In the bible God has written stories about what He has done and the relationship He has with His people. He tells us all about what he likes and what he doesn't like, and he gives us the best answers to struggles in our lives. The more we read Gods blog site – His bible, the closer we get to knowing God.

What else can you do on a blog site? Well you can write comments about what you think. You can add your thoughts, agree with points in the blog or ask some questions about it.
You might think that you can't do that with Gods blog, but the truth is that you can. God told us that we can pray to him. In that way we can post comments to God, agreeing with Him, thanking Him for his blog, and even ask questions about it.
And the amazing thing is that God will respond to our comments and in His way even reply to our questions by
making us aware of something we hadn't noticed before or
acting in our lives in obvious ways, or
even making a change in our hearts.

And there are lots of ways you can pray to God.

I have broken it down to 3 main forms of prayer:
SMS prayer
You can send Him a spiritual SMS. This is the sort of prayer that you can do at any time no matter where you are. You could be at school, or on the bus, or at dancing class, or soccer training, or even washing the dishes at home. This sort of prayer only takes a few seconds and hardly takes any effort.

Here are some examples:
"hey God, cool 2 have U in my lyf. thanks 4 watchin ova me. luv ya heaps xoxo"
"thanks Jesus for makin my day so gr8. cant w8 to get into ur word tonite seeya"
"father God. im havin a rough day 2day. pleez help me 2 b patient n loving. Talk l8r"

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus


Personal Message Prayer (or comment prayer)
Then I think there is the type of prayer that is more like a comment or personal message on a MySpace site.
"Hi God, I was reading about how you want me to be wise in my decisions. I think that is a good idea. Can you please help me to know what to do and say today so that I can be wise and bring glory to you. Thanks heaps that you love me so much and that you are teaching me through your word. You rock God."

Email Prayer
Then there is the sort of prayer that is more like a well thought out email. It might go like this:

"Dear Father God
You are all powerful, and I just want to give you the glory for everything beautiful that you are and that you have done. You created the heavens and the earth and made them so good. You are so loving that you are merciful to everyone who wants to know you. You are full of wisdom, and only you have perfect truth. You never fail to keep your word and I adore you for being so faithful and reliable.

I confess that I have stuffed some things up today Lord. I was mean to that unpopular kid at school and I am sorry. Help me to be nicer to them and not be so concerned about what my friends think. I am sorry for getting angry with my parents too. Please forgive me and make me a better person.

Thank you Lord that you were willing to sacrifice Jesus to take the punishment for my sins. Thank you that you have forgiven me by your grace and love, and thank you for being patient with me and making a change in my heart. Thank you that you care about even the silliest things in my life. Help me to be worthy of Your name.

Lord I pray that you would help me to be patient and kind to my family and friends. I pray especially now for Uncle George who is sick with cancer. I ask that you would heal him and remove the cancer from his body. I pray also for my friends that don't know you. Please show yourself to them in a way that has meaning for them so that they can also come to know you and the joy that they can have in your salvation. . I pray that you would watch over our family and keep us all safe from harm and close to you.
In Jesus name,
Amen."

Colossions 4:2 (NIV)
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.


So is it clear that if we want to get closer to God we need to do some things. We need to actually make an effort to have communication with Him.

So now we know how to get closer to God. We just need to keep in communication with Him by reading the Bible daily and praying daily. When we do he reveals things to us and helps us to understand more about Him.
When you spend time with God you actually develop a deeper love for Him, and strangely you find yourself happier and more fulfilled in life.

Of all the things in life that you will try out to make you happier (popularity, clothes, cars, bikes, money, being famous, sexual gratification, drinking alcohol and getting drunk or trying out drugs), nothing will make you happier than getting to know the God that created you and loves you more than anyone ever will.

God rewards people who put effort into getting to know Him. He wants to reveal to us many things, but unless we decide to make the effort to get close to Him, he will just let us go on our way.

He will give us what we want.

If we want to avoid God then he will wait patiently nearby. He will let us go our own way and even let us wreck our own lives if we choose to reject Him.

If we want to know God more then he will come to us in the secret place where we approach Him. In our bedrooms, or a bushwalk, or in fact any moment in our life when we stop and focus on Him with the desire to get closer to Him.


What is the biggest problem that we face in relationships with our friends?
What causes friction and arguments between friends?

Selfishness (choosing your on desires over the other person)
Bad or false communication (gossip or lies about a person can destroy relationships)
Unfaithfulness (giving attention to someone or some thing else that is not worthy)

Selfishness – Life is a struggle between the choice or doing what you WANT to do and what you OUGHT to do. You see the problems arises when they are not the same thing. When the thing that you want to do is the same as what you ought to do (or what you know is a good thing to do) then life is sweet and everyone is happy. BUT when what you WANT to do is different to what you know you SHOULD do, then you will have to face an internal conflict. You will have to actually fight against yourself. Because whether you are aware of it or not, you have a built in nature that is selfish and wants to please itself. Selfishness when you are with your friends will cause them to hate you, because they will see that all you do, is think about yourself. And God is the same. When you ignore God and do what you know he would be unhappy about, you are breaking down the closeness you have and destroying your relationship with Him. When we are feeling selfish we need to remember that nobody likes a selfish person, least of all God, who has the most right to be offended by this selfishness, and we need to make a conscious effort to think of other people first, and especially God first above everyone and everything else.

Phillipians 2:1-4
If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor:
Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top.
Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand


2. Gossip – Have you even had someone say a lie about you to other people. Very quickly there are all sorts of problems that occur. People will think badly about you and perhaps think that you are horrible or ugly or a slut. But when those rumours are lies it can make you feel very bad. It can very quickly wreck your friendships, especially when your friends believe the lies.
Well it is the same with God. People will tell you lies about God all the time. If you believe the lies then your relationship with God will be wrecked. We need to always keep in touch with the truth about God so that we know when people are lying about Him. The easiest way to deal with this is to keep reading the bible and making sure we know the truth well enough so that we recognise lies when we hear them.

Proverbs 16:28
Troublemakers start fights; gossips break up friendships.

Proverbs 18:8
Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you really want junk like that in your belly?


3. Unfaithfulness – If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend then you will understand this, but if you don’t, imagine you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Now imagine that your boyfriend or girlfriend kisses someone else. How would you feel?
This sort of thing usually wrecks a relationship very quickly. Now if a kiss can be so damaging, then how much more damaging would it be if your boyfriend or girlfriend had sex with someone else. I know that sounds extreme but this is how God feels when we choose to ignore Him and seek pleasures with other things and other people. God talks all the time in the bible about how He is hurt by the unfaithfulness of His people. And he talks about it as if His people were prostitutes who would sell themselves for pleasure instead of staying loyal to God. Whenever we choose something else over God, this is what we are doing. We need to choose that we are going to be faithful to God and resist the temptations that will eventually destroy us.

Hosea 1:2
The first time God spoke to Hosea he said: "Find a whore and marry her. Make this whore the mother of your children. And here's why: This whole country has become a whorehouse, unfaithful to me, God."

Colossians 3:5-8
And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger.


How do we do this?
How do we not be selfish, avoid damaging gossip and remain faithful to God?
By reading the bible daily. By praying daily.

I have never met a person who reads their bible and prays daily that is unhappy.
If you want a simple formula for lifelong happiness and fulfilment and a life more exciting and enjoyable than anything else anyone can offer then follow this formula:

(Bible + Prayer) x EveryDay = The Best Life you can have.

1Timothy 4-5
Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God's Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy.

James 4:7-10
7-10So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.





*References from the "The Message" version of the Bible.

The making of a good movie

I have this theory about movies and it goes something like this:
“The quality of a movie can be judged by the direction in which it inspires us to move.”

A good movie is that which inspires one to be good in word and deed.
A bad movie then is that which inspires one to be bad in word and deed.
A foolish movie to be foolish, a great movie to be great.

A movie reveals its worth and lasting value by the quality of the motivation that it implants within the viewer.

A good movie leaves viewers with a lasting impression that moves them to act in a way that brings about a greater good. It does not necessarily leave a person feeling good, for a renewed sense of outrage against injustice can bring about good actions.
From this, ones moral senses are pricked, and feelings of duty and honor are revived by it.

On the other hand a bad movie does not necessarily leave one feeling bad. An effectively bad movie can in fact encourage people to perform evil deeds and be glad about it. The rise of teenage ‘party’ style movies is a case in point, as authority and decorum are cast into the wind with scorn, and pleasurable good times are had by all, yet without the impact of real life, long term consequences.
One can excessively drink but not get over-drunk or contract liver disease, can smoke marijuana yet not be effected by short or long term paranoia, and can have sex without ever having the burden of children, and be promiscuous without contracting veneral diseases or die of AIDS. All of these real life consequences are conveniently left out of such movies in order to maximize the promotion of fun and minimize the tedious burden of responsibility.Violent movies that romanticize excessive violence and the glory obtained therein, encourage the viewer to be more aggressive in their behaviour because therein lies their sense of achievement and worth, perhaps even a feeling of power.

A good movie then does the opposite of this. Instead of condemning duty and responsibility, it exalts and glorifies them for their virtuous nature. It renews the youthful exuberance in purity, goodness and justice. It condemns our carnal vices and praises our heavenly virtues. It revives the knowledge that love of our fellow man, presented through acts of mercy, patience and peace is what crowns a man in glory. It is the very nature of God revealed through his image instilled within a righteous man, which sets him apart from all else and proclaims his honor.

Someone said once that you can judge a country’s state of health by the manner of art that it produces. If this truly is the case, and our entertainment industries are considered to be creators of art, then ‘entertainment’ today may well be considered a sad indictment upon the decadence and moral degradation of western society.

Reality TV shows like Big Brother encourage voyeurism and our lust for eavesdropping and gossip.
Dysfunctional families in shows such as the Simpsons and My Wife and Kids make light of, and encourage acceptance of, inappropriate family behaviour and responses. Movies with inappropriate sexual or violent content numb our moral senses and eventually fail to elicit the rightful shocking and appalled response. On the contrary, they fuel our evil natures with the lust for erotic or violent encounters.

The older I become, and the more I understand about God’s nature and Man’s behaviour, the more convinced I am of the paradox that almost every thing that almost everyone knows in "human" wisdom is almost completely wrong.

Fundamentally wrong assumptions lead to fundamentally false conclusions. The viewing perspective can make all the difference and until we see the universe through the eyes of the one who understands it best, we will never understand one piece of worthwhile truth.

Thankfully though there are a few good men and women who still know how to produce good movies that provide a well needed respite from the perversion of the modern media, and employ within us a desire to see the right and proper way of things through honorable and righteous living. Good movies according to my criteria are few and far between, but when they do arise, often they are championed as truly great movies by those who appreciate the true meaning of glorious.

The Self-Love Obsession

One of the things that really concerns me about modern society is what I call the "Self-Love Obsession".

Many people are solely concerned with being beautiful, feeling beautiful, being told they are beautiful, and acting like they know they are beautiful and that they think that everyone else knows it too. I partially blame movie makers and other forms of media that appeal to the narcissistic nature of young people. Behaving in this manner is wrongly glorified and portrayed in a desirable manner, especially for the vast majority of unthinking individuals that willingly soak it all in.

Many young girls are absolutely obsessed with wearing the "right" clothes, talking in the "right" way, having the "right" friends, owning the "right" material objects. I am at a bit of a loss at the Paris Hilton-esque vibe of so many young people. What makes them think they have the right to be such prima donna's when they clearly have no demonstrated talent anyway? Besides, the real appeal of a talented artist, or successful person is their ability to remain level-headed and well grounded in humble reality.

I think ultimately for many victims of the wrong-headed thinking that prevails in our youth, the real issue is that of insecurity. It is well known that many people who project confidence and self-love, really suffer from insecurity and self hate. Such individuals can also exhibit a kind of self destructive magnetism for all things negative, preferring insults to praise, while at the same time complaining that they don't get enough praise. It sounds like contradictory nonsense, but in such a persons mind, veracity of thought is not ever a consideration.

I read many things about the attitudes of generation Y, from the need to be constantly affirmed to the Y meaning whY care. One commentator suggests that accepting them entails accommodating their narcissistic tendencies, bolstering their egos, and learning to live with them. I disagree strongly with this sentiment, and believe that although it may seem fruitless for much of the time, opposing these behaviours while loving the person is the only way to help them grow towards being someone who others will both love and appreciate. Hopefully given time and the right kind of hard love, such a person can contribute in a positive way to society rather than continually draining everyone around them.

Do you love yourself in a healthy way or an unhealthy way?

Blame shifters

I have seen my fair share of road rage on the streets. Sometimes it is directed at me, and other times at other drivers.
Recently I watched as a young female driver indicated to change lanes from the left lane to the one I was in. She was a little in front of me so there was no chance that she would hit me, however she was directly beside another car. As she began changing lanes she failed to notice her fellow motorist until the last minute when she violently swerved back into her lane.

The strange thing was that there was nobody in front of her, so there was no real reason for changing lanes. The next right hand turn was quite a few kilometres further up the road, so this was not a valid reason either.
Then as I began passing her car she indicated again and began to swerve towards me. Fearing a collision due to her clear inability to notice other cars around her, I hit the horn in order to warn her of my presence. After swerving back to her lane again she proceeded to hurl violent abuse at me and gave me "the finger". I was gobsmacked at her lack of proper mental faculties with which to realise her fault in the matter.
I suppose bad drivers are a pet hate of mine, and I was tempted to be incensed at her stupidity, but instead I feel sad for a generation of young people that are so selfish and arrogant that they are unable to recognise when they have made a mistake, and instead blame innocent people around them.

I am old enough to remember good motoring ettiquette, and young enough to partially understand the youth of today, but it makes me wonder what causes people to be so arrogantly pig-headed on the road. Is it personality, upbringing, culture, or just bad genetics?

Are people no longer being taught how to think properly? One of the Quotes of the day today was this "We can have facts without thinking but we cannot have thinking without facts." - John Dewey
I believe that many people just don't seem to be able to consciously engage their minds to be critically aware of what goes on around them. I know this first hand because I suffer the pain of regularly dealing with someone close to me who embodies this lack of perception. When you can't think about what is happening in your world, you are simply tossed around by circumstances and the consequences that apply to you, with no understanding of your personal control over the situation. When you don't think, and you believe that the world just happens to you, then I guess you are left with no option but to blame some one else.

Who have you blamed today?

Comedy on the streets?

"There's so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy on the streets?". So said Dick Cavett. Dick apparently is a US comedian and television host and the statement was probably meant to be funny because you don't see mass outbreaks of comedy on the streets ... or do you?
Also I suspect the statement was a dig at those people who say that violence on TV causes violence on our streets. I daresay that Dick doesn't agree with this sentiment.

So back to the question of whether or not comedy on TV causes comedy on the streets. If the every increasing antisocial and supposedly humourous behaviour is any indication, then comedy on TV does cause comedy in real life. A lot of the comedy these days in stand up and sitcoms revolve around disfunctional behaviour and anti-establishment sentiment. Coincidentally I am seeing more of this sort of behaviour from people in public also. Many young people are louder, more brazen and more obnoxious than ever before, just like many characters and comedians on TV. I think most definitely that the flavour of comedy influences the behaviour of people on the street.

Likewise it seems clear that the increased level of violence and sexual permissiveness on TV has influenced the behaviour of generation Y in the real world. I know this is a big issue and there are strong opinions for both sides of the fence, however I just don't understand why some people cannot see that there is a correlation between what you see and hear and what you do.

When a person first views somethingt that is offensive or shocking, it has a big effect on their mind and emotions. If they disagree with it then they will reject it as inappropriate or unacceptable. The more they are exposed to similar things, the less shocking and offensive it becomes, until eventually it becomes accepted. And this I believe is what has happened through our media. you only need to look back to recent times when certain things like homosexuality and other sexual permissiveness was considered wrong and perverted, and when gory violence was considered damaging for a person to view. Now with the media becoming ever more brazen, and the easy accessibility of inappropriate material on the internet, young people are completely anaesthetised to the point that they can no longer tell the difference between right and wrong.
you may think I am exaggerating, but I have witnessed it happening to people close to me as they grow up and I find it quite disturbing.

The things that a man exposes his eyes and ears to will effect his mind and emotions. The things that he dwells upon will reside in his heart. And as Luke says in Luke 6:45, "out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."

Ghost Driver

It is somewhat conicidental that I use the term "Ghost Driver" because despite the fact that this blog is called Ghost Deep, the reference here to "Ghost" has absolutely nothing to do with my blog title.

Fans of racing simulators will know what I mean when I speak of a ghost car, or ghost driver. When playing a racing game such as Gran Turismo when it is in "ghost mode", your first lap is recorded and during the next lap you are able to drive with your previous lap as if you were competing against yourself. Youdrive around the track alongside a partially transluscent vehicle precisely mimicking every move you made on the previous lap.

Each successively faster lap is recorded as a ghost lap which you can race against to improve your time. If you are too slow around the track in a following lap, the fastest time remains as the ghost lap. In some games you can even load a ghost lap and race against someone elses best time. Ultimately if you consider the fastest racing car driver ever was to record a ghost lap, it would be the one that everyone would want to beat but never could. Ideally it is possible to do the perfect lap, using the maximum amount of power available at any time while still maintaining traction, and taking the best lines. When you are following a ghost lap, if you are able to take the same lines with the same speed, and accelerate and brake in exactly the same positions then you will find yourself superimposed over the ghost car. You will in fact be in perfect synch, and you wont even be able to see the ghost car anymore. Of course the moment you brake or turn at just the wrong time, the ghost car will be visible again and instantly you will know that you have made a mistake.

The thing with life is that we are always striving to do "the perfect lap" and duplicate it over and over in order to "win the race" of life. The advantage of living a life that is redeemed by God through Jesus, is that we have the perfect ghost lap in Christ. It is the truth of godly living that was given in the example of His life, and when Jesus returned to the Father he left behind His Spirit to guide us and train us in the ways to go. Our spiritual ghost driver if you will.

When a racer pulls off "the perfect lap" you will hear them talk about "nailing it" or "getting in the zone". There is a sense of exhilaration and excitement that comes when you hit the perfect apex. There is of course the ultimate prize at the end of the race when the fastest driver gets the victory, but there is also a deep-seated sense of satisfaction during the race in knowing that you are "in the groove". When the machine is tuned with the best power delivery and the suspension is tweaked to give the best handling performance, and all the driver training and practice work together in harmony to culminate in the embodiment of perfect race craft, then you experience a moment of surreal satisfaction.

We sometime use phrases like "Living with a kingdom mindset", or "Keeping in step with the Spirit", or "Walking the path of righteousness" or "Operating within the will of God". I think all of these concepts intimate a method of living that is purposeful and meaningful in a way that nothing else is. In fact, to live according to this concept is to live life to the absolute fullest, in the manner that we were designed to live, and which provides us with the maximum level of fulfillment possible for our circumstances. We are talking about living in the way that God himself demonstrated in the incarnation of Christ. There is no better way (and this is intrinsically and necessarily true) than obeying the infinitely wise creator who alone knows how we are designed to operate most effectively.

Getting back to the racing analogy we see that when we fail to operate within the framework and guidelines of proven effectiveness, there are undesireable consequences. Drop out of the slipstream, or fall out of the racing line and you find yourself falling behind or in "the marbles" where there is less traction and slower lap times result. It is then much harder work to try and go fast, which is ultimately in vain as you fall farther and farther behind. There is also a very real chance that the lower traction and poorer line can cause you to run off the track altogether, or that your resultant erratic driving style, due to your attempts to compensate for your errors, causes an accident.

Reality is like this, in that we can get off track and cause a wreck of our lives as we fail to take the manufacturers commands seriously in how to service and operate the vehicles of our existence.

We often want to do things the way we see fit apart from any authority that we might consider to be oppressive. We think in our arrogance that if we cant see a good reason for doing things a certain way then there isn't a good reason that exists. We are so bound up with the ideas of self gratification, self esteem and selfishness. We want, above all, to be master of our destinies, and control when, where, and how everything happens in our lives. But there are consequences.

Autonomy in life is like deciding to modify our vehicle with cheap substandard parts that promise to provide higher performance but only damage our vehicle and cause failure. Or, it is like putting all our wisdom and energy into accumulating quality high performance parts, but then refusing to follow a sound strategy in building the race car. The hodge-podge approach to performance car building always fails to perform as effectively as it should. It is only once you apply a proven, rational, and integrative approach to the engine, suspension, aerodynamics, and electronic management that you produce a vehicle that is the combination of parts working in symphony and which perform at the highest level.

And much like the musical symphony, when a vehicle is tuned correctly the aural delights of the engine singing is equally as satisfying.

Partnered with a driver with hundreds, perhaps thousands of hours of practice in honing race driving skills, the vehicle is able to be used to its ultimate potential to perform dramatically beyond the limitations of a merely economical commuter vehicle.

Of course all this performance comes at a cost. More and higher quality fuel, more frequent maintenance and the necessity for exotic parts which all equates to a higher cost both initially and for ongoing maintenance. However, putting all concerns about global frugality aside for the moment, the end result is so fulfilling that there is no doubt that it is worth it.

As Christians we are called to a high performance lifestyle and we are fools if we try to do it on the cheap with substandard principles or methods, or if we try to avoid the makers guidelines for maintenance and operation. We will only succeed in under performing, leading us to be unsatisfied and unfulfilled, and even worse, we have the high likelihood of crashing and burning.

Instead, let us train ourselves in righteousness following the guidelines set out for us and exhibited in the life of Christ. Let us not neglect our "maintenance" which is our prayer and study of the Word as we are seeking God. Let us be fueled up with God's high octane Spirit and step out in faith and boldness to run (or drive) the race with our eyes constantly set on that perfect ghost lap that Christ has laid down for us to follow. It is an exhilarating ride and worth every bit of effort. Even apart from knowing that the race will be won (and in fact already has been), there is an inexplicable joy, satisfaction and fulfillment in being in that groove, with you and the Spirit of God superimposed in unison according to one purpose, together carving up the race line.

And come the end of the race, we will receive the ultimate prize of victory which God has already prepared for us, and that no living man has known or can fully understand. But the difference with this sort of race is that there is not just one winner. Quite the contrary, everyone who competes and does so in the name of Christ, according to direction of the Holy Ghost Driver, wins.

World peace is just a song away!

There seems to be a common misunderstanding that we have not found the answer to world-wide peace. The truth is that it was discovered a very long time ago. In fact there are many people today who know exactly what it is and if you listen carefully you will find it in the lyrics of certain songs. The problem is not that we don't know the solution, rather the problem is that the solution has not been effectively applied.

Its not that the solution isn't perfect, because it is. There is no flaw in it at all, and if it was just implemented then there would be perfect harmony on earth. Everyone would be happy and pain and war would cease forever. The thing is, that there is a deeper issue that remains that will always sabotage any attempts at Nirvana on this earth and until that issue is addressed everything else is in vain.

There are many songs on the radio that irk me. Some of them are overtly rude, immorally suggestive, or just plain obnoxious. By far however, the songs that irritate me the most are the ones that many other people seem to get warm fuzzies over. They are the sort of songs like John Lennons "Imagine", or Billy Joels "We didn't start the fire". The first song grates against my being for its foolish concept that if we remove God and religion from society then there will be peace (yeah right, look at the last 100 years where God has slowly been fazed out and replaced with the greatest loss of human life and war atrocities since the beginning of recorded time). The second is distasteful to me because it is a cop out, and a passing of the buck. It states that we had nothing to do with the world being such a stuffed up place, but we are just trying our best to sort it out. It implies that we are perfect creatures born into an imperfect world and cannot be held liable for anything. The philosophical ramifications of that idea, even from a naturalistic, athiests point of view quickly show it to be complete nonsense, unless you attribute our problems to elusive and malicious aliens that are continually deceiving us.

The latest song that has made it on my short list of "songs written by intelligent idiots" violated my offended ears today. I am yet to find the Artist or title of the song so I will paraphrase the intent. Basically the thesis is that if we just stopped lying, cheating each other, and otherwise using people, and replaced it with love, concern and selflessness, then the world would be such a better place. I felt so enlightened by this knowledge that I was temporarily motivated to want to go into all the world and tell people that the answer to world peace had finally been discovered and if everyone just listened to this song then we could all live in harmonious bliss. (In case you didn't catch my tone it was one of "biting sarcasm")

Now in truth, this idea has been floating around for a very long time, and despite my scathing treatment, I do believe it to be true. However it always leaves out one minor detail: how we actually go about making it happen in reality. The problem is, and has always been, how to make people behave in this way. Throughout history some have tried it by being merciful and kind themselves, while others have tried to impose some sort of state rule that either passively or actively influenced people to behave well. Some have allowed people to find their own way there within less stringent guidelines while others have through despotism demanded it or taken lives.

Real life forces us to the conclusion that although we know the answer to worldwide peace, we somehow continue to fail in its implementation and cannot seem to find the way to make it stick. The arrogance and ignorance associated with a song that just re-states what people should do without a way for them to actually make it happen is like telling a village of poor, starving, under-nourished natives that the solution to their woes is to just eat more food. Or can you imagine walking up to single mother of five young children who struggles just to make the rent, and can't afford clothes or food for her children, and telling her that you have the answer to her woes, and that the answer is that she needs more money? Thank you captain obvious!

No, its not that we don't know ultimately the answer, its just that we are really just restating it in the opposite fashion to how we would state the problem. For instance, one problem is that more than two thirds of the world lives in abject poverty while the rest live in relative luxury. The captain obvious solution is to say that we just need to redistribute the wealth so that no one has to suffer such poverty. This sort of solution is not really a solution because it leaves out the "how". In the same way, proclaiming that the way to have a happier, more loving world is for people to behave in a happier, more loving manner, is merely restating the question as an opposite statement. It is no solution at all without further explaining how this could actually come about in reality, with real people in the real world. How do you successfully and permanently get people to be happier and more loving? That’s the question that I want to hear answered properly, and answered in every corner of the globe.

When we are ready to actually face the real question of "how" to make the world a better, happier and more peaceful place, we instantly run into a monumental obstacle that I believe is the reason why we have made very little progress in turning our world around. This monumental obstacle is human nature. You may call it the sinful nature, or sin, but the issue is that we all have an inbuilt mechanism that sabotages our valiant and altruistic efforts for a better world.

There is no doubt in my mind that unless we tackle this problem head on, all efforts to create an earthly Nirvana will ultimately fail. Unless we first work on personal reform we will always fail with corporate or national reform. Just look at how many people have been brought down from high positions because of their immoral personal lives.

Yes the answer to peace in the world is currently known by most of the people on earth. How to make it stick however is only known by a relative few. And those few only know because of the superior knowledge and love from the Creator of all things. The guy who brought it all into existence is the only one who has real answers. The created things cannot usurp the position of, nor be greater than the creator. Unfortunately the arrogant and proud component of the majority refuse to submit to the wisdom and rule of God, and therefore reject His messengers and consequently continue to fail in creating heaven without God.

When we achieve peace in our hearts, only then can we begin with the attempt to achieve peace on the earth, and God is the only one that can give lasting personal peace.

Words are not enough to describe ... or are they? pt2

The question then arises about the completeness of such a description, and I admit that there are not enough words to describe God fully. There perhaps are not words yet invented to describe some attributes of God, simply because God is far beyond our understanding. He is full of mystery and majesty beyond any human understanding. So it is here perhaps that one can truly say: “words are not enough” to describe the fullness of God.

However in this case words are not enough only from the point of view that the speaker is trying to explain or communicate something that they themselves don’t know or understand. It is rather a superfluous statement to in effect say: “words are not enough to explain something that I don’t know or understand”. How does a person describe what they have never known?

What we are talking about here are statements of fact, or descriptive phrases, yet some may argue that to speak of emotions is another thing altogether. Lets take the argument that some emotions are inexplicable and cannot be communicated with words. Certainly there is the common claim that there is a language of love that does not involve words, but whether this can be communicated with words is another matter.

Looking at an example may shed some light on this.

“Words are not enough to express the love I have for you”

Now in the western world where we use the word love so broadly and flippantly it is very easy to say that words are not enough to describe love. Perhaps in a sense this is true for many people who are bound by a limited grasp on their language and by the ubiquitous nature of the word “love”, however in Greek for instance, there are four words for love depending on the context. If everyone understood what these words meant, then certainly we would be a step closer to communicating our feelings of love more effectively. In fact, four times closer.

There is another approach to this as well. There are a number of literary techniques that can be used to convey emotion. Use of poetry with its verse and rhythm, metaphor and hyperbole can, through the careful use of words, describe things that a non-poet may struggle to convey with their words.

What about music? Can words evoke the same emotions as a captivating melody? Perhaps not, however that also is surely another question altogether. Words may not be enough to evoke certain emotions, or even to as effectively convey emotions. Music in itself is certainly a medium of communication on a profound level, yet music and lyric perhaps even more so.

I wonder whether from a philosophical level that we understand where a Christian is coming from when they say, “words are not enough” when referring to God.

The following are some possible interpretation that I think might be applied by some people to this statement.

1. A sceptic might say that they are using it as a tool to mystify God so that they can suck people in while brushing aside difficult questions or doubts.
2. One might think that the speaker says this because they are not intelligent enough to explain what they are trying to say, yet which they actually understand (due to limited vocabulary)
3. Perhaps the speaker actually doesn’t know anything worthwhile to say and so they use this phrase as cloak to conceal this fact.
4. It might reveal that the speaker places more emphasis on mystical spirituality than the word of God.
5. It is possible that the speaker understands that God is beyond human understanding and is using this phrase to remind people of just how mysterious and inexplicable God really is. It may also reveal an honest humility at how low we are compared to God. (morally, spiritually, in power, understanding etc)

A point that is pertinent in this discussion is the fact that the scriptures are very clear about the value of the word. When the scriptures speak about the power of Gods word bringing things into being by just speaking, how powerful a word of encouragement or wisdom is, how the word was from the beginning with God and how the word became flesh, it is clear that words are extremely powerful in many ways.

So if God places such importance upon words then surely it makes sense for us to recognise both the importance of words for our own understanding and also how effective they are in communication if used correctly.

We can conclude then that there certainly are things that cannot be communicated through words and that these things are mostly what we don’t know, what we don’t have the skills to put into words, or the listener does not have the language to comprehend.

On the other hand, to not give the word the very extremely important place that it deserves in communicating truth (even profound truth) would be a gross injustice to the word of God, and certainly diminishes the glory and power that is inherent in the spoken word. If anything, we need to dig deeper into the word of God and words in general to enhance our understanding and our effectiveness in communication and teaching. Perhaps on top of this it is also beneficial to develop understanding of each other so that we know at what level we need to communicate, for the specific person and the circumstances that they are in.

Words are not enough to describe ... or are they?

Have you ever heard a person say “words are not enough to express …” and then continue with whatever the subject they are referring to (usually related to love). However I wonder if this is really true or whether this is just a pat phrase used for the sake of hyperbole.

I believe there are two distinct possibilities that may act to invalidate this statement. They serve as explanations to perhaps suggest why words actually are enough in many instances, or at least could be enough given the right circumstances.

1. We don’t have the words (vocabulary) to express what is actually expressible in words.
2. We have the words in our vocabulary but we don’t really understand what they mean.

I suppose there is a third possibility also that one might say supports the statement in question, and that would be that a word (or number of words) have not been invented to explain a particular thing. Of course, with that being the case we simply invent a word to describe what that is, which was previously inexplicable.

As an ultimate statement the phrase “words are not enough” may very well be false in the majority of cases it is used. As a truth statement it borders on arrogance because there may very well exist words that are more than sufficient to explain it. It is akin to saying that you know that God does not exist anywhere in this universe. Of course unless you had been to every point in the entire universe, you could never truthfully say such an absolute. On the contrary, one single instance of proof, invalidates the entire opposite argument. A more honest statement would begin with “I don’t have the words to express …”.

The problem ultimately comes down to the ability of the speaker to communicate effectively the concept or emotion that they hold in their mind or heart.

Take the following example.

If I were to say to a child “God is an omnipotent and omniscient deity” the words would mean nothing unless that particular child had a firm grasp and understanding of the words “omniscient”, “omnipotent”, and “deity”. Of course the child may very well have an understanding of these attributes of God, yet may not understand the words being used.

Taking the child’s perspective in attempting to communicate this truth, and you would find that he would struggle with the right words to say. He may attempt it by saying something like the following.

“God is the most powerful thing in the universe and he knows everything”

Even after saying this he might add that “words are not enough” to express what he is really trying to say.

What I am pointing out in this instance is that for describing someone or something, often words actually are entirely sufficient. You can explain what God is like by saying that he is “slow to anger and abounding in love, a compassionate and forgiving God, a God who is just and righteous and full of glory and majesty”. In fact such a description could go on for many pages alone and each and every word would add to the listeners understanding of who God is, as long as the words used are understood to mean the same thing to both the speaker and the hearer. After all, how can you explain the colour yellow to someone who was blind from birth?

For Christs Sake!

We often hear people (or ourselves) using religious phrases when cursing. For example, a common usage is the phrase "For Christ's sake!". I always found this usage strange and intruiging. I never understood why a person might use this sort of phrase. Where did it come from? What was its origin and why did people persist in using a phrase that not only had no relevance to its usage, but also didn't seem to make any sense in its own right?

I have an athiest friend who had the nasty habit of cursing with blasphemous phrases. His favourite phrase was simply "Jesus Christ!". After hearing this vocal expostulation numerous times I could no longer ignore the absurdity of it. I replied with the following statement. "Do you realise that every time you say that, Jesus Christ has to get down off His throne in Heaven, and come down to find out what you want, only to realise that you didn't really want to talk to Him at all. Don't you think that would really piss Him off!"
Of course this response was not meant to be taken seriuosly because it was given in jest, but my point was nevertheless very serious. If a person didn't even believe in God then what was the purpose in using a phrase that actually referred to that God. Wasn't it in fact the most absurd thing that an athiest could say. I added that it would make no more sense if he were to blurt out "Mohammed!", or "Hare Krishna!" yet strangely you never hear people say that.
Well I suppose he felt rather sheepish and guilty from my comments and I don't recall hearing him blaspheme from that point on. I think this points out that we often do and say things that are truly based in nonsense from our point of view, and that expose the fact that we often don't think before we speak or act. I think it is a very important thing to self reflect on our behaviour and speech, and to ensure that they match our belief system. An atheist speaking religious phrases is just as non-sensical as a Christian speaking satanic phrases. In fact it is probably more ridiculous since at least the Christian acknowledges the existence of the devil whereas the athiest denies both.

Now despite being able to rationalise the ludicrous situation of religious phrases being used in the wrong context and by non-religious people I was still left with the mystery of the phrase "for Christ's sake" to ponder. Then one day I heard someone finish a prayer with the phrase "for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ". Aha I thought. This sounded very similar to the "for Christ's sake" expression, and I wondered if they were related. Some time later my suspicions were confirmed when I heard the very phrase used at the closing of another prayer.

Later I discovered that this exact phrase actually appears in the Bible.
In 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV) it says
"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.".
Its all about doing something for the benefit or sake of Jesus Christ. This is pure unselfish servitude to Christ, to honour His name and glorify His power and dominion over all things. In contrast to this, when blaspheming with the same phrase we find it is almost always about the person speaking. In other words, it is not at all for Christs sake that they swear, but rather for their own sake.
In another version (NASB) I found further references.
1 Corinthians 4:10
"We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor."
Philippians 1:29
"For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake"
Philemon 1:6
"and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake."

Its sort of funny you know, how the level of intensity can change based on the word you use in this phrase. For instance, you might say "for goodness sake" and nobody would be offended because you are appealing to peoples sense of justice for the better good. Even "for Pete's sake" is not too offensive and probably conveys a marginal level of frustration, but certainly not rudeness (presumably this is a reference to the Apostle Peter). Yet when someone says "for Christ's sake", you know that they are at the end of their tether, and this cursed utterance becomes highly offensive and manifestly more intense. I wonder why the level of obscenity increases as we substitute "goodness" with "Pete" and then more so with "Christ"?
My suspicions are that, much like a weapon, the more powerful it is, the more devastating it can be in the hands of a person with ill-intent.

I find it typically disturbing how a phrase initially used for the honouring and glorification of God is used in precisely the opposite manner with the result of blaspheming His name and disgracing its speaker. It is through the lack of clear and logical thought that brings us to misuse such phrases I believe. My friend who prided himself in cold, clear, logical thinking was ashamed, I think, to have been caught out, and to his credit made a conscious change in his speech to reflect his thinking and beliefs. Perhaps we should do the same.

It's time we started saying what we mean and meaning what we say. Otherwise we should just shut up. Especially when it comes to speaking out the name of the one true Almighty Creator and God of all things. Certainly many people are unclear about what they truly believe and it takes someone to point it out to them, so they can see how their speech or actions are out of step with their worldview. Or perhaps to show them that they don't even realise that their worldview, or belief system, is horribly flawed.

Next time you hear someone say "For Christ's sake" point out to them the absurdity of their speech, and encourage them to be more consistent with their beliefs. It is my opinion that if we are this honest, then people will realise that their flawed belief system is unworkable in practice, and they need to re-visit some deep and serious issues regarding what life is all about, and who is really incharge of it all.

In the true meaning of the phrase, I say these things FOR CHRISTS SAKE!

Regaining Awe

When my youngest daughter was four she made a startling discovery.
We had been out late one night, and as we arrived home and climbed out of the car, she looked up, probably for the first time, at the night sky. The look on her face was priceless. Her eyes widened, her eyes sparkled and her mouth fell open, agape at what she had just seen. She was almost bursting within, as she exclaimed with utter awe "WOW, what are they".
I looked up quickly to find what she has seen. Perhaps she had seen a comet, or a shooting star or a strangely lit aircraft. Maybe one of the closer planets was at perihelion or a satellite had become visible at perigee. No, what she had noticed for the first time in her life was that there were stars in the night sky.
Perhaps she had often looked up at the daytime sky and noticed the sun, and some clouds, maybe a storm brewing in the distance, but she had no reason to think there was anything else up there. But now she had noticed them and she was utterly awestruck. It was one of those magical moments amongst many in a child's life when for the first time they discover something amazing.
It got me to thinking that it is a shame that we become so accustomed to awesome things to the point that they become ordinary objects, or worse something to be despised in our darkness of thinking. What would it be like if we were able to maintain this sense of appreciation our whole lives, of each and every discovery that we made as a child that stirred in us an overwhelming awe. Of course once you have discovered a thing for the first time you can never return to that same incredible moment of discovery (until perhaps you reach old age and begin to suffer Alzheimer's Syndrome), however I believe we can maintain a high level of appreciation for it.
I think it is similar to a child's reaction when they see something magical in the sense of the inexplicable.

Lewis wrote of the "magic" in the world in both his novels and other books, as did Tolkien in his fantasy novels.
There are some who are eager to criticize Lewis and Tolkien for their fantasy writing, specifically the inclusion of magic in their stories. They say that God abhors magic and all magic is evil, and that we should ground our children in reality.
I suspect they don't realize that even the real world is quite full of magic. In the stories a magician will make an incantation and magically cause something to happen. In the real world God speaks and things come into being. Is not God the greatest of Magicians, and ultimately the only true Magician? We can change the form of things but only God can bring them into being out of nothing. The Word of God is the most magical thing there is for it is flawless and can reside inside my heart, it can make even the simple to understand profound truths, it imparts the very wisdom of God with knowledge and understanding, it can shield a person from harm, give joy and delight, it is like fire, or a hammer that smashes rocks to pieces, it can combat temptation, give spiritual life, teach us and admonish us, it is living and active and can penetrate even to separating the soul and the spirit, it judges thought and the attitudes of the heart, and is enduring and everlasting.

I think part of our adult inability to appreciate things with awe is because we believe that it is a mature and proper thing for a man to grow up and put aside the silly childish fantasies that once captivated our imaginations. We think that science or advancements in thinking have taken us to a place where it is foolish to see the magic in things. The things that we can explain in some way whether it be in scientific or psychological jargon are what we accept. Anything outside these areas is labeled as childish fantasy. Sadly, when we think we can explain something in concrete terms (whether we understand it or not) we tend to lose our sense of amazement. I think this is because we think a thing is amazing because it is not understood rather than appreciating it for just being amazing, hence a loss of wonder in things that are explainable. This is what we do when we "grow up".
However Jesus called us to be like children. He said:
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
And
"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

I think one of the ways we need to be more like children is in an attitude of unfettered mind-blowing awe for the magic in this world, and to give the recognition and appreciation that is deserving of the one and only true Magician in this universe.

Everything You Know Is Wrong pt6

There were things about Christianity that I initially discovered in much the same way that most other people did.
I heard from people on the radio who discussed it either directly or indirectly, and I didn't miss the sarcasm or derision in their tone. I watched television programs that gave me information about the church, and I heard opinions from friends, teachers and acquaintances, all of whom added to the picture of what the Christian religion was all about. Much of it made sense, and most of the arguments against Christianity were appealing to my non-conformist side, and I found it all to be a most excellent view on religious things, except for one small detail; none of it was true. As often as it happens, there are few things as unfortunate as a compelling argument that happens to be false.

Let me give some examples to illustrate this.
Firstly the claims that were made were as follows.
1. Christianity is irrelevant in today's world and to today's modern person.
2. If the church had its way it would take us back to the Dark Ages of ignorance.
3. Religion is the cause of the majority of the world's bloodshed.
4. Church is full of pious hypocrites singing boring hymns.

These claims made sense considering the arguments and evidence that seemed to support them. Unfortunately for the proponents of these claims, they are not true.
1. Christianity is very relevant to today. Have you ever read any of the Bible? Everywhere there are pieces of wisdom that provide cultural and sociological answers to our current problems that are the root of our unhappiness. The sermons of Christ alone if applied to modern life would transform the world through every person that lived in such a way as Christ suggests. Of course there are many things not mentioned in the bible, such as mobile phones, and computers, but all these things are just stuff. How we deal with stuff, and people for that matter is what is important, and the Bible covers these topics comprehensively.
2. The church was actually responsible for the world coming out of the Dark Ages. It was the Christians who built up libraries of books, and the Monks who were almost solely responsible for the preservation of ancient documents. When I look at how many brilliant people throughout history have contributed to the progress of society, science, and humanity in general, I find that overwhelmingly they are born out of a Christian framework of thinking. The majority of great scientists over the years were Christians or believed in a biblical framework of the world. A ranking of the 100 most influential scientists can be found at http://www.adherents.com/people/100_scientists.html which contains a clear majority of believers in God. To name just a few: Isaac Newton, Louis Pasteur, Galileo, and Copernicus. In fact, in the top ten of the most influential Scientists of all time, 9 out of the 10 are theists with possibly 8 of them Bible believing Christians.
3. Again, has anyone of these people who say these things actually read the Bible? Christianity is the antithesis of war and bloodshed. Every doctrine and belief is the opposite to that which creates war and bloodshed. The truth is that men in their foolish thinking create wars, and even the Crusades could not have possibly been supported from biblical teaching no matter how obtuse. There may however, be a valid claim against Islam for inciting war and bloodshed, because their scriptures, the Koran, actually supports violence and murder against unbelievers, and promises eternal glory for those who die in such an endeavour. Christianity on the other hand with its "turn the other cheek" and "love your enemies" attitudes is peace promoting and reconciliatory.
4. The church is not full of hypocrites, in fact there is plenty of room for more. Jokes aside however, the truth is that people who understand the basic doctrine of Christianity never claim to be perfect, and in fact honest believers will say that they are poor representatives of the beliefs that they hold, but they are daily being transformed into the people that they ought to be. True Christians are not pious in the negative sense that most people think, rather they are humble about their abilities, and honest about their shortcomings. Most of the churches I have been to have had very modern up-tempo music, some to the extent of being almost like rock concerts. Just do a search for contemporary Christian music and you will find all styles of music represented, some of it every bit as good as their secular counterparts. Of course you will find some churches echoing with ancient hymns, strange chants, and legalistic rituals, but that is the beauty of the diversity of God. Even people with bad taste in music can find a church that suits them.

There are plenty of other claims about Christianity out there, and easily as many refutations of these false claims. So where do you stand?
Is everything you know about Christianity wrong? Or have you never bothered to check the facts for yourself?

Nature of the Foul

After watching a few of the world cup matches I have to confess to feeling a little disappointed. Was I disappointed because Australia didn't make it to the quarter finals? Yes, but that was not the source of my biggest disappointment. A work colleague of my wife said that she was not a soccer fan, but that she had watched every Australian match in the World Cup. Sadly she now claims that she will never watch another soccer match ever again, such was her disappointment and fury.
Why was she so angry? Simply because of the unfairness evident in the game.
Refereeing decisions that were short sighted and sometimes blind, mixed with blatant cheating in the form of rugby tackles, hand balls, intentional take outs, and fake falls all added up to a viewing spectacle that was nothing short of disgraceful. Not to mention the bad publicity that surrounded the Australian team with regards to claims about their rough tactics and physical play, of which I saw absolutely no evidence in their actual playing. Despite this, it seemed as though Australia had been judged and executed without a trial, as referee after referee penalised them many times, with quite a few of them unjustified.

But should we be surprised?
Should we really be shocked at the underhanded tactics of some teams and individual players? I say no, it is exactly what we should expect. It is simply a case of people living according to their beliefs. In fact, they are one of the commonest set of beliefs in our day. You have probably heard them expressed in any number of pithy statements such as the following.

· Look after number one.
· A small indiscretion is acceptable if you don't get caught.
· Most rules were made to be broken. (under certain circumstances)
· Winning is everything.
· You have to do what other people are unwilling to do if you want to get ahead.
· Everybody does it so it is acceptable.
· Nobody is perfect anyway so you might as well accept it and adapt.
· Do it if it feels good to you.
· Personal autonomy is the most important thing.

I could go on with many more, but these few give an idea as to modern thinking in many peoples minds. It may sound a little pessimistic, and jaded, but the reality is that many people think maturing as a person means absorbing the phrase; "this is life, get used to it". We even say these things to our children as they are approaching adulthood because we want to prepare them for the harsh realities of life. But I wonder if we are doing them an injustice.

By accepting these philosophies and merely adjusting to them we are doing a disservice to our children and ourselves. Indirectly we are justifying and validating dishonesty and deception.
As my friend keeps reminding me, through a quote by Edmund Burke - "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for enough good people to do nothing. The only thing necessary for the triumph of good is for enough good people to do something extra."

I often hear people say something like "I just don't understand how a person can be like that". It is not pessimism to reply "Of course, what else did you expect". The fact is, that man as a creature is a damaged being. He is not as he should be, and every time we are surprised when he behaves accordingly, we are reinforcing the lie that man is basically and inherently good. Man was created good, but has become tainted and corrupted, and can only be redeemed by a transformation through the renewing of the mind. It is false to believe that it is only environment, lack of education, poverty or any other external factor that sends a man bad. The badness comes from within, so this is where we must tackle the problem. We can try to legislate and moderate and castigate, but until we meet the source of the problem within the heart and soul of the man, we will only be window dressing a persistent evil that refuses to diminish. And the only way to do that is to continue to refute lies with sound correction, so that people are convicted of the truth, enough to take appropriate action that will lead to a transformation in their lives. I know of no other way for this to occur except through acceptance and submission to God through Jesus Christ. Man can alter the physical, but only God can alter the spiritual.

Everything You Know Is Wrong pt5

So now I had compiled a list, a series of circumstances, that I found unsatisfactory, especially in the light of the current popular philosophy. Now as an aside, if you don't believe you have a philosophy, or think philosophically, then firstly you probably wouldn't be reading this anyway, and secondly by philosophy I just mean a world view. Eveyone has a world view, whether you are an atheist, a agnostic, a theist, an existentialist, or hold some other belief. Everyone thinks something about the world, but few people can articulate it. Just the same, everyone has a theology, despite many people not being able to tell you what theirs is. Theology is simply what a person believes about God, and eveyone has a theology simply because they believe something about God, even if that belief is that he doesn't exist.

Now back on topic, the purely scientific-based, atheistic, materialistic philosophy that is so common today simply could not answer any of my questions that I have raised in the previous discussion. I had the dilemma of holding evidence for something that the current philosophy did not even attempt to address. It was like half the world was blind to half of reality that existed. To me, the spirituality of man (in his morality, valour, love, compassion, nobility, and culture) is simply not addressed in the evolutionary model, nor any of the other secular worldviews that pervade our culture. The different between man and the beasts is not a small gap but rather a vast chasm. Without attributing some external factor, nothing made sense, and there was no reason or purpose in life; something that I had a great need and desire for.

Sometime before I had thought all this out, I had this absolute, permeating sense of God's presence. I don't know how or why, but somehow God had impressed upon me the reality of His existence and presence in this world; in His words, "I am". I did very little with this piece of knowledge for quite some time. I suppose that the concept of submission to Authority was unappealing, as the reality that my life would be controlled by some power did not seem like fun. I liked being the controlling one in my own life, and resented the idea of God interfering, and although I couldn't avoid His existence, I could still refuse to submit. And for a while I succeeded, but a time came when I could no longer ignore the truths that kept becoming evident in my mind. Long before I had all this worked out (and I confess that I still really don't have it all worked out), I made a decision to give in to the compelling pull of a God who would not give up on me. Over the years, I began to realise how all these problems that I had identified within myself and the world, were answered, everyone of them, by Christianity and Christianity alone.
It wasn't that the other worldviews attempted to address the problems and had come up short. No, the fact was that they didn?t even try to address them at all.

My sense of disconnectedness to the world: answered by Christianity.
My sense of disconnectedness with myself: answered by Christianity.
My conviction that all mankind was disconnected from nature, both more noble and more base at the same time: answered by Christianity.
The fact that half the world was unaware of most of this: answered by Christianity.
The problem of evil, pain and injustice in this world: answered by Christianity.

There were also many other deeply philosophical questions, as well as more frivolous ones, of which I have not discussed here, that were answered comprehensively only by Christianity.

Perhaps later I will discuss how Christianity so thoroughly and convincingly addressed these issues, but for the moment, suffice to say that every difficult question I had about the reality of man and the world was comprehensively answered in Christianity and the person of Jesus Christ.
I had taken a journey and made a discovery, only to find that my discovery was already discovered. Men had discovered it 2000 years ago, and so many foolish people today were passing it off as old-fashioned and irrelevant, not realising that they had just thrown out the baby with the bath water.

Chesterton wrote:
" In eradicating all remnants of God from the world we have stripped our own lives of meaning. We want to remove the Ten Commandments and yet we want to be able to cry injustice. We want to remove the Cross, and yet we want people to live lives of forgiveness and freedom from guilt. We have become so open minded that we fail to see the inconsistencies in our own declarations. We are chewing on imaginary food and complaining about the flavor."

In context of this last comment, I was starving to death, and now I had finally found real food!

Everything You Know Is Wrong pt4

Then I made an amazing discovery. Well, perhaps I already knew this but it came upon me with such clarity considering my line of reasoning and frame of mind at the time, that it seemed like something new. The discovery was this; not only was I an alien to this world, I was, in a sense, an alien to my own body. I realised that as much as this world didn't live up to my expectations, and made me feel peculiarly out of place, I myself was also alien to, and couldn't live up to, my own expectations.

I had this set of standards that seemed fundamentally bound within me, which for some reason I could not live up to. I wondered why so many more people did not realise the strangeness of this juxtaposition. Certainly it is no big deal that other people could not live up to my expectations, simply because people are varied in their thinking and have vastly different ideas about what is the best way to live. This is inevitable. But what was staggering was my inconsistency with meeting my own ideal. This is on another level beyond the simplicity of me not fitting in to the world; I did not fit myself. I was an alien to my own body. The things that I desired to do to satisfy my sense of rightness, or that which I knew I ought to do, I found I could not always do. Also the things that I desired to avoid, (knowing full well that they were damaging to me), I found I was actually doing. Why was it that even my own body rebelled against me. This I found to be a most unsatisfactory and distressing situation which surely other people must experience even if they cannot arcticulate it. In fact, I suspected that there was nobody who could live up to their own standards all of the time, hence this universal concept of some sort of Utopia which never comes to pass, despite many peoples extraordinary efforts to achieve it.

Now some people might say that my sense of "ought" was bound in my desire to live up to my parents expectation, or to in some way satisfy the behaviour that was taught me as a child. They might say that my disappointment, and inability to meet this ideal is borne out of unrealistic parental expectation. However it runs deeper than that. Certainly there is some expectation that is laid upon us from our parents, but the truth is that my parents never pressured me with difficult or hard to obtain ideals. Theirs was simply to be myself and live the way I thought was good and right. But I already had this feeling deep within me anyway. It is not something that I learnt through my environment or upbringing, or even something embedded in my genes. I believe it is something that was born in me the moment that I began to exist, and perhaps in every person the moment they begin to exist. We nurture this sense, or we crush it depending on our choices in life, and I felt that I wanted to nurture and fulfil it. That also seemed to me to be right, and a good thing to do.

So I was certain that I had this integral sensitivity for rightness, and believed that all men and women also have it to varying degrees. Even Athiests have morals, so it was not peculiar to religious people alone. What we decide to do, and how we deal with it seems to be an individual choice. I suppose the outcome can possibly be one of guilt because we cannot satisfy our own standards, and guilt is not a thing that can be tolerated within us without it damaging us. So I felt that there were two choices. Firstly I could justify my failings by redefining my standards and hence eliminate the guilt from affecting me. But I suspected it would manifest in other ways if I did this, and it seemed unnatural to beat back my conscience merely by force. Secondly I could somehow find a way to deal with not only this sense of guilt but the very real truth of guilt. You see there are things that you can feel guilty about even though you haven't done any wrong. This is not the sense in which I mean guilt. I am referring to actions or lack of actions that by their very nature imply the certainty of guilt. Unquestionable, irreversible guilt, not mere feelings. To deal with this guiltiness I could begin to meet my standards (as impossible as that seemed) but even if I succeeded in this endeavour, that would not undo the wrong that I had perpetrated in the past. I felt that this might be something I just had to live with unless there was some miracle that could remove or undo all my failings, which I thought was impossible.

At any rate it seemed to me to be a universal ailment of man to conceive of, and lay down ideals, which inevitably he can never completely live up to. These ideals I believe are common to us all in the same basic core of who we are. Being compelled to meet our own inner standard, combined with our lack of power with respect to autonomous, moral self-control, leads us to an inescapable, irrepressible paradox of unfulfilment.

Everything You Know is Wrong pt3

The next question that followed was "Is this phenomena particular to just me?". In other words are there other people who are similarly displaced, and more than that, is the whole human race somehow out of place in this world?
Certainly mankind is unique amongst the animal kingdom. As much as evolutionists stress that we are something like 99% the same as apes, I just couldn't swallow such a materialistic pill. Surely we are much more different from a behavioural and ability perspective than we are similar in just a materialistic sense. I will use the words of G.K. Chesterton to explain what I mean. In "Orthodoxy" he writes:

"That man and brute are like is, in a sense, a truism; but that being so like they should then be so insanely unlike, that is the shock and the enigma. That an ape has hands is far less interesting to the philosopher than the fact that having hands he does next to nothing with them; does not play knuckle bones or the violin; does not carve marble or carve mutton. People talk of barbaric architecture and debased art. But elephants do not build colossal temples of ivory even in a rococco style; camels do not paint even bad pictures, though equipped with the material of many camel's hair brushes. Certain modern dreamers say that ants and bees have a society superior to ours. They have, indeed a civilisation; but that very truth only reminds us that it is an inferior civilisation. Who ever found an ant-hill decorated with the statues of celebrated ants? Who has seen a bee-hive carved with the images of gorgeous queens of old.. No; the chasm between man and other creatures may have a natural explanation, but it is a chasm. We talk of wild animals; but man is the only wild animal. It is man that has broken out. All other animals are tame animals; following the rugged respectability of the tribe or type. All other animals are domestic animals; man alone is ever undomestic, either as a profligate or a monk."

So I am a wild animal, ever undomestic. I think I prefer the idea of being an alien, as it sounds less judgmental, but Chesterton is right. There is something about man that transcends the animal kingdom and sets him apart from it. He alone is able to break the bound of the natural order of things as so he is the only truly wild creature in this world. We have what C. S. Lewis refers to as the "Chest". In "The Abolition of Man" he writes:
"The head rules the belly through the chest - the seat, as Alanus tells us of Magnanimity, of emotions organised by trained habit into stable sentiments. The Chest - Magnanimity - Sentiment - these are indispensable liaison officers between cerebral man and visceral man. It may even be said that it is by this middle element that man is man: for by his intellect he is mere spirit and by his appetite mere animal."

It is by this chest that we have attribute of honour, respect, patriotism, sense of duty, humility, romance, and passion (in the non-sexual sense). Not to mention creativity in music and the arts, our ability to decode nature in the sciences, and utilise its power in so many ways. The sheer invention and innovation of the human mind is utterly poles apart from the rigid impulse and instinct of the mere animal. In this we are so far removed from the animal kingdom that it is clear we are of entirely different stuff. I remember having discussions with friends about whether or not an animal has a soul or spirit. If having a soul means possessing the above attributes, then clearly the human race is unique in being spiritual. This spiritual side, which is strangely attached to a very carnal body through the "Chest" of man, marks him as both a creature of physical birth and inherent spirituality.
This clearly must be the reason why I felt so out of place in a world that I was continually told was merely particles of matter joined together by chance and modified over millions of years by random changes to culminate in the human race of today. This explanation not only didn't fully explain the nature of the world, it completely ignored who man is, and what it is that actually makes man, man. How could such a narrow view of the composition of man explain the unique, undisputed character of man, nor ever satisfy our inherent need for purpose and desire for that which is beyond.

Perhaps there are some very defective men who do not possess one, or even a few of these attributes, but is there any man who has ever existed that has never had even a hint of any of them. Perhaps at times we consider we observe, or read about someone who we believe is completely deficient in all respects (though in reality it seems unlikely), and what is our conclusion? That this person is inhuman: a remorseless monster.

So I concluded that for my purposes I had proven the idea that my situation was not unique, and that perhaps this dilemma was common to all mankind, at least to all who are not inhuman monsters, which by definition excludes them from a claim to humanity anyway. By Lewis' account, poor teaching about the nature of humanity, and in my opinion weak rationality from the many pseudo scientists that saturate our media, have brain-washed us into many false ideas about our world and ourselves, that we become no longer able to recognise the absurdity and paradox of our existence in this world. Perhaps this is why we don't realise that we are not of this world,that we are unique in this created existence. We are made of greater stuff than anything we can see, hear or otherwise naturally perceive on this earth, and this leads us to the conclusion that perhaps we were made for a higher purpose than what this world offers.
After a great deal of thinking, this is where I found myself.

Game of the Gods?

While watching two recent World cup games a though struck me, and echoed a phrase I heard once: "Soccer is the game of the Gods".

The most impressive goals in the game in my opinion are when the players in a team play as one. When it seems as though they can read each other's minds and the passes come thick and fast with seemingly impossible accuracy and foresight, it is definitely a most impressive thing to watch, especially when the end result is a marvellous goal.

A solo effort that involves great skill and intuition is enjoyable to watch and sometimes quite amazing, but there is nothing quite so entertaining as watching a teamwork together as a multi-faceted entity dominating the opposition.
Why is this a game of the Gods? Take the trinity concept for example; three persons in one. All are the same yet all discrete. A paradox in itself and yet all three work according to the same purpose with one mind and supreme power and knowledge.
A soccer team that effectively works in unity and has the highest level of teamwork is then closest to emulating the character of God than those teams who merely have skilful individuals.

The beauty of the Brazilian team is that they have players that are both skilful players, and skilful team players. I suspect a team that is predominantly skilful in only teamwork would defeat a team that has only individual skill. Certainly individual skill is an honour for the one who has is because it indicates a great amount of time in practice and a high degree of mental sharpness, and this is also characteristic of God. However to have both individual skill and teamwork skill is probably the closest one can get to glorifying God in sport. There is no doubt this applies to a degree, to all team sports but I believe more so to soccer. Strategic and instinctual passing of the ball when executed deftly has a beauty about it that surpasses other team sports in my opinion. It is both an emulation of a Godly character and a glorifying of it. For what is soccer for, if not to earn the glory for beautiful play.

On the other side of the coin we have players that play disgracefully with dirty tackles, pushing and shoving, fake falls, and uncontrollable tempers. All of these characteristics are unGodly and therefore a disgrace to any player who participates in them. And what of courage? Even if a team is down, if they maintain hope and continue to work as hard as they can, they can often turn a game around and come from behind for a victory. The never say die attitude is a very honourable one because it maintains faith in the face of adversity and holds belief in ones fellow players of the game. These sort of virtues that are effective in a game of soccer and are useful in the game of life are all Godly characteristics that bring credit to a man and give glory to the one true God of all.

Give respect to competitors, maintain honour in your play, and play with integrity. Those who follow this ideal are the truly great players of the game.

So when you are facing a decision in your life that requires you to make an important choice in life: remember "Joga bonito" - play beautifully!

Everything You Know Is Wrong pt2

Am I really an alien?
Previously I discussed that I made the discovery that I didn't belong in this world. By "the world" I mean not just this physical reality, but the world that man has made it physically, socially, and morally perhaps even spiritually. All of my rational arguments conviced me that there would be evidence to support this idea, and further to that, perhaps an answer to this dilemma.

So firstly to find any evidence that I was truly not of this world, and not just in my imagination.
From a personal perspective the evidence was all there. I felt a sense of morality, and I watched as morality was mocked by politicians, boards of directors, the media, and people all around me. Of course there were other good moral people around me, but so many people said that each person had the right to choose his or her own morality. They said that no choice had a higher value than another, and each were equally valid to the person who chose it. This seemed absurd to me. If there is any purpose to morality, it is the fact that it actually makes value judgements on the validity of a choice. If one morailty was right, then opposing moralities were wrong. Here was a clear indication that I was out of step with modern thinking at the very least, and possibly out of phase with the world today. I felt a sense of justice that was violated at every turn. Something inside me said that if a wrong is perpetrated, then a penalty must be paid. However eveywhere I looked I saw people getting away with injustices without any price to pay. It seemed that some people could just buy their way out of trouble. The richer you were, the more associations it seemed you would have and also more chance you had of "pulling some strings" to get you out of trouble. My inner being demanded justice, but the world I observed failed to always hold people accountable. I concluded that there was an inherent wrongness about this. From a personal perspective it was clear that I was mismatched to this world that I was born into.

But what about practical purposes apart from my personal offence at the world? Was there any evidence that practically speaking I was a misfit in this world. Surely I could assimilate to the extent that life could be livable, perhaps even enjoyable despit feeling like a misfit.
In many cases people who are labelled misfits in schools are really the people that the supposed cool people reject. The accurate explanation of this is probably that the attractive, egotistical people decide what is cool and what is not, and eveyone who is not them are misfits. The truth is that they are the biggest misfits of all because they tend to reject everything which is other to them despite them being the minority group. However I was in the unique position of being one of the supposed cool people (to which my daughter refuses to believe), but I realised that I was hanging around a bunch of losers (apologies to those people I am referring to). By losers, I mean that they had attitudes and behaviours that were peer-driven, selfish, arrogant, elitist and ultimately self-destructive. I didn't fit the social grouping because I disagreed with the majority of their philosophy. As a result I changed peer groups and found some people that were more honest and genuine. But even in that group, though more confortable, I still felt that there was a chasm between what social interaction was meant to be and what it was in practice. As far as actual school work is concerned, I found it only mildly challenging, until senior high. Then I took some difficult subjects that made me realise that my mind didn't really want to accept the teaching that I was attempting to give it. So although I performed very well in school, there began in my mind a spark of awareness that academic study was not designed for my brain. I only got so far (with very little effort) and it seemed that it required an extraordinary amount of effort to achieve a relatively small gain in improvement.

This was to begin to crytallise when I studied at University. The deeper the academic study went (I am talking about mathematical sciences here) the more I realised that even science couldn't perfectly fit the world. It came close, but again, the closer you got to true answer, the more extraordinary the amount of effort was needed to make it even more accurate. It's a little bit like converging to a number that is infinite but never actually completely getting there. Attempting to calculate Pi is an example, and there are many more complex problems that require small amounts of work to get a very good estimate of the solution, but then require a great amount of work to make that answer marginally more accurate. There also seemed to be a large amount of guesswork (educated guesswork I admit) where certain things were unknown. What didn't seem right to me, was that we should get so close but never be exact. Now you may say that mathematics is exact, and I agree, but the problem lies in its ability to perfectly represent reality. It comes ever so close but never perfect, and it seemed to me that this was unsatisfactory. Certainly from a pragmatic approach this was fine, but from a philosophical viewpoint it troubled me. Yet another arrow into the target for my mismatched theory.
I found that in every area of life, whether it be work, social, family etc, that there is always a feeling of "mismatchedness". Nothing is the way that it ought to be. I wondered why I thought it ought to be another way unless I was designed to live a certain way, but I was actually living contrary to that design.
And was I alone in this conviction?

Everything You Know Is Wrong pt1

Weird Al Yankovic wrote a song called "Everything You know is wrong".

Yankovic's lyrics read thus,
"Everything you know is wrong
Black is white, up is down and short is long
And everything you thought was just so
Important doesn't matter"

I remember hearing it years ago and it just clicked with me. From the time I was about 10 years old I had felt that there was something very wrong about the world. I don't mean the corrupt politics, or the secret business deals, or any number of evils that abound in the world. Everyone is aware of those things really, apart from naive simpletons and small children (who should rightly be protected from such harsh realities).

No, what I am talking about runs far deeper than any conspiracy theorist could imagine. I felt that there was a fundamental "wrongness" about everything that existed. I couldn't explain it, but I was convinced that nothing in this world was as it should be. It was like there was a way that things were meant to be, and ought to be, but it wasn't that way.

I felt as if perhaps at some point in history, there had been a branching, and the universe had taken a turn for the worse. Perhaps in another dimension an alternate universe existed that I belonged to. A universe in which I was destined to exist in, but somehow I ended up in this one.

It is no strange thing then that the song by Petra titled "Not of this world" struck such a chord with me. The lyrics read,
"We are pilgrims in a strange land
We are so far from our homeland
With each passing day it seems so clear
This world will never want us here
We're not welcome in this world of wrong
We are foreigners who don't belong
We are strangers, we are aliens
We are not of this world"

On hearing these lyrics, I felt like screaming "Yes! That is exactly how I feel". However, nobody could tell me why this was the case. Perhaps I was mad, perhaps I was deluded in some way into thinking I didn't belong in this world. Maybe some higher power was playing an enormous hoax on my mind. Whatever it was, I felt this great displacement from my observed reality, and what I couldn't understand was how so many people seemed completely oblivious to the mismatched reality of their lives in this world.

I suppose this sort of feeling is the basis of so many people heartily embracing non-conformity, and leading many others to some kind of nihilistic despair. However for me, it began to lead me into the search for the reason behind this pervading sense of wrongness.

Before I even knew of people like St Anselm, or Descartes, or knew what ontological meant, I was beginning to formulate my own ontological argument for something deeper and larger than what I understood the world to know. If I had this fundamental sense of not belonging in this world, then perhaps, even if only in part, it was true. If I had such a strong sense of wrongness about the world, and there was no other reason to believe that I was mad or deluded, then it was almost certain in my mind that even if everything was not wrong, then at least some of it had to be. If I have such a deep and unfulfilled desire for something that I knew not what, then that something had to exist. C. S. Lewis put it like this:
"A man's physical hunger does not prove that man will get any bread; he may die of starvation on a raft in the Atlantic. But surely a man's hunger does prove that he comes of a race which repairs its body by eating and inhabits a world where eatable substances exist. In the same way, though I do not believe (I wish I did) that my desire for Paradise proves that I shall enjoy it, I think it a pretty good indication that such a thing exists and that some men will. A man may love a woman and not win her; but it would be very odd if the phenomenon called "falling in love" occurred in a sexless world."

This seemed to me a most satisfactory argument, though I did not find this passage of writing until years after I had discovered the concept. The reading of it was the first time I had seen it explained so succinctly.

So now I had discovered that perhaps I wasn't completely out of my mind, and there was maybe some truth to these concepts that permeated my being. Not satisfied with merely an ontological argument I was convinced that there was more to know. The line of reasoning that had brought me thus far was really only useful to point out and support the sense that I had in my inner being. How to find out more would have to come with a more systematic approach, and perhaps a great deal of reading and thinking. I was convinced that if I was right, then there would be evidence everywhere to support it.