Re: Debate

Derek McLarnen (dmclarne@pcug.org.au)
Tue, 10 Mar 1998 21:05:09 +1000

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Bill Payne wrote:

BP> Nor was I. I was raised in the church, but drifted into agnosticism
> while studying geology in undergraduate school. I clearly remember
> reading a book on geochemistry in the library at the U of TN,
> Knoxville
> (while in grad school) which described the distribution of elements in
> the universe as being formed by the supernova process. As I read that
> paragraph, I remember thinking, "Well, that's it. There is no God;
> we're here by evolution." It seemed that a silent, dark desperation
> settled in around my soul at that moment.

Interesting. When I finally realised that there was no God, the feeling
was of regret for the loss of eternal life, but the joy of freedom from
a genocidal tyrant with an alien sense of justice and a demeaning sense
of mercy.

BP> Dereck, if you are looking for incontrovertible evidence that God
> exists, you'll never find it. The question I think you must answer is,
> *if* God convinced you that He is the God of the Bible, would you then
> yield control of your body, mind, soul and spirit to His Lordship?

If the God of the Universe convinced me that He was the God of the
Bible, I would be horrified. But I would have no choice but to yield
control of my body, mind, soul and spirit to His Lordship. After all the
God of the Univese would have effectively infinite power, and the God of
the Bible does, according to the stories, not deal kindly with the less
than fully committed.

On the other hand, if the God of the Universe desires my belief, then
this God, by definition, must know what it would take to secure that
belief. So far, no such phenomenon has been forthcoming.

Regards,

Derek
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