Morning Moment

It is not some cosmic joke by which humanity merely "happened". 

It is not some beautiful coincidence that the very stuff of stars (i.e. star dust) is the very stuff that makes up our kind.

In our desperation to ignore the very truth in front of our eyes we claim to know the very minutest of details of a "just because" moment.

Why do we so desperately try to organize reality into organic and inorganic?  Most of us do not even know why we use those words.  We get confused. Does organic mean life?  But no -- it just means a lot of carbon.   Yet a lot of Carbon tends to indicate what we call life - but is merely having life, enough to justify being ALIVE?

Reality is causal  and it is created - not inorganic and organic, but rather created and uncreated.   We need physical space and matter and energy to exist.  We need dust, metals, gasses, the Higs Boson, solar flares, stars, gravity, water, heat, etc to exist. 

We can not help but observe that which is created and that which is caused by created things -- we are incapable of observing the uncreated.  It simply does not "exist" and therefore the uncreated can not be touched, tested, timed, experienced - fathomed at all in our finite minds.

Shatter your mind and suppositions for a moment and think about what you do not know.   How easily can your mind deduce things that exist, that are created.   But can any of us comprehend one thing, any thing that is not created that does not exist?  Even a unicorn exists metaphysically.

Alas, but we can all comprehend one such essence - a concept, an existence that is not created yet exists all the same.  

All of humanity can comprehend God - an uncreated god none the less.  We know His existence, yet we can not prove it, touch it, test it, time it.   Why is it that all of us in our hearts can know God? 

The mere essence of knowing one thing that is not created but potentially (heck we know the truth) Creator - should drive us to our knees. 

Instead we, like two year olds filled with self centered delusions, carry on as if we are the center of reality, that we are uncreated but exist none the less - by happenstance.

So the cosmic joke is us, in thinking that we merely happened.   That the infinitely seeming perponderance of universal coincidences and concurrences neccessary for existence all occured without deliberate cause, without being deliberately created.

Hmph... and why do we celebrate Christmas again?

My World View (Again)

This statement of my faith is not debatable, meaning that I do not enter into argument/debate over these issues. My focus is fellowship with the Father and the Son, and then with YOU as an outflow of that fellowship (1 John 1:1-4). I am not focused on convincing others of the correctness of my views. -It took me 38 years...but I will debate with you your beliefs, until you concretely tell me what you believe - and why.

I BELIEVE the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's ("agape") love, which is greater than any differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.

I BELIEVE worship of God should be spiritual. Therefore, I remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct my worship.

I BELIEVE worship of God should be inspirational. Therefore, I give great place to music in my worship.

I BELIEVE worship of God should be intelligent. Therefore, I place great emphasis upon the teaching of the Word of God that He might instruct me how He should be worshiped.

I BELIEVE worship of God should be fruitful. Therefore, I accept reality as His love in my life and my recognition of this perspective as the supreme manifestation that I am truly worshiping Him.

I BELIEVE in all the fundamental doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity.

I BELIEVE in the inerrancy of Scripture, that the Bible, Old and New Testaments, is the inspired, infallible Word of God.

I BELIEVE in the trinity - one God eternally existent in three separate persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I BELIEVE that God the Father is the personal, transcendent, and sovereign Creator of all things.

I BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, provided for the atonement of our sins by His vicarious death on the cross, was bodily resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, ascended back to the right hand of God the Father, and ever lives to make intercession for us.

I BELIEVE that after Jesus ascended to Heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to fulfill His command to be His witnesses in the entire world, a responsibility shared by all believers today.

I BELIEVE that all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit. All his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God destined to spend eternity with the Lord.

I BELIEVE in the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures, and that they are valid for today if they are exercised within the scriptural guidelines. I covet the best gifts, seeking to exercise them in love that the whole Body of Christ might be edified. I believe that love is more important than the most spectacular gifts, and without this love all exercise of spiritual gifts is worthless.

I BELIEVE that church government should be simplistic rather than a complex bureaucracy, and I depend on the Holy Spirit to lead, rather than on fleshly promotion.

I AWAIT the pre-tribulation rapture of the church and I believe that the second coming of Christ with His saints to rule on earth will be personal, pre-millennial, and visible. This motivates me to holy living, heartfelt worship, committed service, diligent study of God's Word, regular fellowship, and participation in adult baptism by immersion and Holy Communion. (I was baptized as an adult the day prior to my marriage, for how could I be ready to be married to my wife, if I could not first be married to God?)

I SEEK to teach the Word of God in such a way that its message can be applied to an individual's life, leading that person to greater maturity in Christ.

I REJECT: (1) The belief that true Christians can be demon possessed. (2) "Five point Calvinism" (i.e., a fatalistic Calvinistic view that leaves no room for free will. Specifically, I reject the belief that Jesus' atonement was limited, instead I believe that He died for all people, and I reject the assertion that God's wooing grace cannot be resisted or that He has elected some people to go to hell. Instead, I believe that anyone who wills to come to Christ may do so). I REJECT (3) "Positive confession" (the faith movement belief that God can be commanded to heal or work miracles according to man's will). (4) Human prophecy that supersedes the Scripture. (5) The incorporation of humanistic and secular psychology and philosophy into Biblical teaching, and (6) the over-emphasis of spiritual gifts or experiential signs and wonders to the exclusion of Biblical teaching.
So there you have it. Now tell me, what do you believe?

If I taught a Bible College Class, or 3 Part Deux

Pauline and Johannine Interpretations on Christ - we would explore the greats (spurgeon, grudem, Luther, Calvin, Augustine, Chuck Smith, etc.) and their commentary on various interpretations of Christian living from Paul's perspective and then contrast to the same but from the perspective of John. Source texts would include Romans, the Epistles (Pauls and Johns), The Gospel of John and Revelation of John. Then we would identify where we as individuals are on the spectrum between the two - assuming a spectrum between Paul and John exists. I assume Paul will be more legalistic with highlights on grace, and John the opposite. We will take a look at their audience too, as that is important to differentiate their views. It will be necessary to give a background on Hellenistic culture and Middle Eastern Jewish culture of the time and Roman law.

Called by God to be Small: From Saul to Paul - the conversion and sanctification of a soul. We often look at the Epistles of St. Paul as independent pieces that provide instruction on set of Christian principles. However, the letters also were personal. They contain the emotion and the relationship of Paul to a variety of churches and friends. IF we read Acts, Romans, and the letters in Chronological order- what do they reveal about the man who Paul is? Can we see development in his thoughts, his faith and philosophy? Do the epistles reflect an un-yielding and fully formed interpretation of Christ, or do they present the full spectrum - a natural progression of sanctification? Key points of discovery:
-Roman and Jewish Citizenship
-Romans: Law verse Grace - struggles of the mind
-Ephesians: Mature behavior - "knowing" versus advising
-"Thorn in my side" - perpetual struggles
-Timothy - reflections, advice, imprisonment.

The Bride of Christ: Romancing a Masculine God. Our culture has a strong apprehension for homo-erotic influences in our society. Yet in our own Christian walk, as men we are called to be the Bride of Christ. This is perhaps the only and the most ignored precept of our faith. Let us explore these scriptural mandates in both instruction and parable and see the full extent of the phrase. We will use standard scriptural references to brides throughout the OT and NT and use them as a reference point to model our own relationship with Jesus. We will learn to see the strength in the role of the bride and hopefully respect our own wives moreso. We will review the types of love:brotherly, romantic, and godly and apply it to our own relationship with God. We will look at the idea of submission and of sacrifice. We will explore Proverbs 31 and apply it to our mandate for having a mission based life on earth. We will discuss the masculine concept of God and challenge it ("in His image He made them male and female"). We will also explore the following concepts: spiritual adultery, spiritual divorce, Jesus as head of household, etc. This class could be for married men only or open to all. Perhaps reserved only for students who have demonstrated a strong fundamental relationship with Christ and understanding of basic Christian doctrine.

Where the Feeling Comes From

the heart. the brain? God?

Does it matter? We can feel. joy, love, pain, hunger, hope...

I want to sing from where the feeling comes from.

I spent the day enjoying so many things... morning at Starbucks... with my little girl, catching up with Jerry... then my wife and I strolled through a farmers market...then Sophia and I played in the park... cooked some tamarind chicken, then I caught up with Scott O. at another starbucks... then met the new babysitter, left for a gathering of church peeps... came home, snuggled in bed and watched some Netflix...It's midnight now.

My Jesus, this life is worth all the emotions, good and bad. I do want Heaven, but I am glad you gave me today.

If I taught a Bible College Class..or 3

A complete study of Proverbs 31 - .
I think that too many studies try and "force fit" a "virtuous" woman profile and ignore the relationship implied and directly stated between a husband and wife. In addition to the Proverb I would explore other well known marriage scriptures, discuss the Ancient Jewish, Historic Jewish, and Greek concepts of marriage and spousal roles, and we would explore the relationship between mother and son.

1. The first classes would be spent on identifying the origin of the proverb, the purpose of proverbs and the reliability of their wisdom. We would also take a cursory look at the first proverbs and Genesis - to properly identify the original role of God, man and woman. We will also discuss what has happened to humanity and the Jewish people up to this point. And we will explore how the proverbs were used in OT and how we use them today.
2. The origins of the proverb will center on two main theories: 1. Bathsheba writing to Solomon (Lemuel being 1 of the many names ascribed to Solomon) 2. King Muel of Massa (a northern Jewish/Arabic territory: And we will explore how the unknown answer is great because we can then get multiple nuggets of wisdom from a variety of perspectives.
3. We will spend the remainder of classes looking at Explicit and Implicit relationships and wisdom contained within the proverb.
4. If the class is done right then the student will have an deeper appreciation for NT scriptures which talk about submission, gender roles, and marriage.

Basis for the Bible: .
The course is meant to be highly metaphysical and ontological - only briefly touching on the historicity of the book. The course will lay an apologetic framework that believers can use in their discussions with non-believers. We will begin with a discussion on Truth and the moral perspective of Truth. Each student will be challenged to define their own belief in what is True and what is Truth and they will be expected to demonstrate growth in their ability to discern between the two. The concepts of Infallibility and Inerrant will be explored. We will explore why the modern evangelical movement has grappled with these concepts and ask the question "Is it Biblical to believe the Bible is in fact infallible and inerrant?" We will then take this discussion and revisit True versus Truth. Some time will be spent on Original Authorship versus Translation Texts. The second half of the class will be spent looking at the Resolution (purpose for) and the Relevance (current practical need of) the Bible. We will look at the main contentions of the Bible's Purpose (this is not purposed to look at secular reasons for the Bible, but rather pursue "God's" Purpose for the Bible). We will also explore the relevance of the Bible today and how to demonstrate that relevance to a non- Christian.

1. The class will rely highly on logic and critical thinking.
2. An assumption that the student is saved and that their desire for the class is to enhance their ability to share the gospel with others
3. The student is expected to be able to bring their own testimony to the table and must be willing to share.
4. THIS CLASS WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR A NON-BELIEVER or someone who is not deeply rooted in their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and his word.
5. A cursory understanding of atheism, Islam, and secular agnosticism would be helpful (but not needed).

Spiritual Masochism:.
Looking at the lives of Adam, Jacob, Daniel, Jesus, and Paul we will attempt to bring balance to the Christian life. Our focus will be on exploring the real balance between persecution and perseverance. In reviewing the lives of the Patriarchs, Jesus, and the Apostles we will build a basis for what it means today. Our attempt will be to balance the need for "Law" with a healthy understanding of Grace, Joy, and "right mindedness". The key scripture will be "My yolk is easy and my burden is light" - we are going to put this to the test and compare this one scripture to advice given by Paul and the experiences of Jesus and the Apostles. It will be my personal goal to

1. Demonstrate that the level of your personal adversity IS NOT equivalent to your level of spiritual sanctification
2. Identify the sources of adversity and enlighten the student that not all adversity comes from demonic/satanic sources, but also our personal sin, God's glory, and other sources.
3. Abolish the idea that a full life in Christ means that the individual must not have any material or emotional Joy

Parents and Children

by John Coblentz © Copyright 1992, Christian Light Publications

Honoring Parents

God's expectations for the family are based solidly upon Scriptural principles. We have already observed some of those principles in relation to heritage, but there is another basic principle which has suffered such neglect and abuse in Western society that we must pick it up here and consider it carefully. That is the principle of honoring parents.

Among the commands God gave to His people was one specifically related to families. "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12). Paul, writing to the Ephesians, notes that this is the only command of the ten to which a promise is attached. The promise has to do with well-being and long life. Inasmuch as life is a social existence, and inasmuch as the family is the basic social unit, it follows that our obedience or disobedience to a basic family principle will directly affect our lives.

What does it mean to honor our parents? Do Westerners generally honor their parents? Do Western Christians honor their parents? These are questions we must honestly face.

The Hebrew word for honor literally has the idea of heaviness. In verb form it means to give weight to, or to hold as significant or worthy in contrast to something light or frivolous. The practical outworking of such a high regard for parents is invariably associated with such things as obedience, helpfulness, and deference. Children do what their parents instruct them to do, help their parents with work and responsibility, and where there are differences of opinion about plans or desires, they yield to their parents.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that parents are to be honorable. That is, they are to be venerable, loving, and wise. The truth, however, is that all parents have faults and fall short of the ideal, and that some parents are actually unloving, foolish, and contemptible. Does a parent need to be honorable to be honored?

The direction God gives for children to honor their parents makes no exception for parents who are not honorable. In another authority relationship where God calls for honor, He says specifically, "not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward [unreasonable]" (1 Peter 2:18). Young children do not grapple with whether they should obey or not. They tend to respond as their nature dictates. Older children and youths, however, begin to analyze their parents' performance as well as their own reasons for or against obeying. Those with Christian teaching struggle with this command of God in view of their imperfect parents. Three things must be kept in focus for those whose parents may not be honorable:

1. One must honor the position of a parent even when the parent does not seem deserving of honor. All authority rests in God. The position of parenthood with its responsibilities was given by God, and where parents are unfaithful in their responsibilities, they are unfaithful not simply to their children, but to God. By honoring the position of parents, children can leave in God's hands the task of rebuking, chastening, and correcting. With this view, one can say, "Even though my mother screams at me, she is still my mother. And I will try by God's grace to do cheerfully what she says."

2. The giving of honor is more dependent on the heart of the one honoring than the life of the one being honored. To honor parents, one must have an honoring heart, that is, a heart with the qualities suited to honoring. Such qualities include submission, love, faithfulness, meekness, wisdom, etc. Without these qualities, one would find it impossible to find a parent he could honor. With these qualities, one will find grace to honor the parents God has given.

3. Since God commands honor to parents, and God is perfectly honorable, obedience and honor can be given to imperfect parents as obedience unto God. As long as we focus on the imperfections of earthly parents, honor will be difficult. But when we focus on the glory and perfection of our heavenly Father, we have no reasonable option but to honor Him. Since He told us to honor our parents, our honor and obedience to them can be viewed as honor and obedience to Him.

Many Christian young people struggle with practical questions about honoring their parents. They wonder HOW? Here are some specific suggestions for teens who are serious about giving honor:

1. Develop a conscious habit of expressing gratitude to your parents. When you begin to consider, you realize your parents have done, and continue to do for you, far more than you can ever calculate.

2. Discuss with your parents plans you are making. Share both short-range plans for the week and any long-range plans you may have for the next year, several years, or your life. Failure to communicate is one of the most common problems between teens and their parents.

3. Ask for advice. Even if you think you know what your parents will say, ask them what they think. Many teens complain about overrestrictive parents, but probably the biggest cause of overrestriction in parents is underaccountability in teens. Initial advice from parents may not be intended to be the final word on an issue. If you have other thoughts, their advice provides a basis for you to discuss your view point with them. When it comes down to the final decision, of course, you will need to honor them. But even if this means you do not do what you had wanted to do, you will have gained respect and the benefit of further openness with them.

4. Value evenings at home. This will mean, especially in some communities, that you will not go to every activity available to you. Discuss with your parents a suitable schedule and then ask for advice when faced with schedule conflicts. Believe it or not, there will come a time (and shortly) when you will think back to evenings at home as a teen and wish that you could roll back time and just for one evening return.

5. Look for opportunities to do what is not asked. It is hard to describe all that happens when a task is done voluntarily as a gesture of kindness. The work becomes lighter, the worker is changed, and the one for whom it is done is affected. Parents find immeasurable joy in those who honor them in this way.

6. Honor your parents when away from them. Those young people who are really serious about honoring their parents will find that their actions do not change when they are removed from their parents. Neither do their words. Neither does their appearance.

7. Involve your parents on any steps you take on acquiring a life companion. This is not saying we should return to the oriental custom of parents arranging totally for the marriages of their children. It is to say, however, that the notion that only "I" can ultimately tell who is best for me is a false notion in the other extreme. More specific guidelines for this will be given in Chapter 3.

The principle of honoring parents is a lifetime principle. Certainly roles change as a person moves from childhood to teenage to adulthood to old age. But all through life there are ways to show respect and honor to one's parents. As a person moves out of his parents' home, one of the foremost ways to show honor is to seek counsel. As one's parents move into old age and frailty, honor is shown by caring for them. Some of the difficulties associated with that care are discussed more fully in Chapter 8. Here we will simply note that the benefits which come from honoring parents in this way more than offset the difficulties. Furthermore, the practice of sending old folks off to care centers has left a vacancy in the family which convenience cannot replace. The separation and loneliness experienced by many aged parents is a tragedy they should not be required to endure.

Christmas 2010

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all...

Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a savior who is Christ the Lord.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men...

Merry Christmas, may your soul have rest and your yoke be light.

And the World Waits

And the world waits...


Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.



If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Advice For the Reader

God has given me a wonderful life....lots of interesting experiences.

I want to write them here, but I am afraid what I would write, intended for praise, would be seen as boasting... so, I will just be content in being thankful for my blessings....

My advice:

learn to talk with God
maximize the body, mind, and soul that he has given you
don't eat too much, don't focus on food at all...
relax
point your every thought to god, as if in conversation, and you will make better decisions and be less stressed
love people - even the ugly ones, the fat ones, the mean ones, the selfish ones....

BIG LESSONS:
1. We have no free will
2. People act and react based on their level of happiness and or pain
3. Happiness is inversly correlated to Selfishness
4. Love is a choice - it requires sacrifice
5. Don't try to use your own mind to solve problems, seek God and the counsel of lots of other people older than you.


HOW TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS:

do not be original, copy those who are better than you, improve upon those who have good ideas, always surround yourself with people that are older than you, smarter than you, and more liked than you (trust me, it rubs off).

One of my best friends is about 15 years older than me, he has been married (happily) for a LOOOONG time, has 5 kids, a great house, has spent his entire career in my industry, loves God, has a better understanding of polymers and engineering than I do, and has a good understanding of who he is...

I have watched him sooooo closely....how he thinks, prays, talks with his wife, does his business, manages his kids....fix his car, handle emergencies....and I have learned his dreams and goals...

By being around him, he has "rubbed off on me"... he is one of many people like that in my life.

OH AND LEARN TO PRAY. PRAY ALL THE TIME FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE....it works.

Does Evil Exist, author unknown

A university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists?
A student bravely replied yes, he did!"
"God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes, sir," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil."
The student became quiet before such an answer.

The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?" "Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody and every object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have too little heat.

The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does".

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor. "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. "These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love, that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.