Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Worship God with All Your Mind


Introduction
            Each human designer has always depended on an earlier design, as the one who invented the chariot had to value the mind of the one who invented the wheel. The first cause of all innovative ideas is of course the mind, a mind capable of recognizing what is truly valuable for the sake of progress. The mind was designed to seek after truth, and without the ability to think rationally one could not argue for the eternal truth revealed in Christ and His Word. The need to depend on the minds of others is an observable truth, for even the writer is dependent on the one who invented the written word. The human mind is quite brilliant but can never progress without the mind of another. At the same time the mind is very vulnerable and easily misguided, so when seeking after direction one must recognize the truth from a persuasive lie. In this advanced age of discovery new evidence has emerged in support of the one true God. These discoveries have left the non-believer confused and frustrated. Today the faithful can provide logical arguments for aspects of God initially beyond human comprehension. The one who trusts in God expects to discover new ways of sharing the gospel in a rational manner, and thus anticipates scientific discoveries supportive of the ultimate truth. The truth is there to be found, but the renewed mind must trust in the provider of all truth when sifting through the lies in this world.
I The Truth
For the truth to ever be shared and recognized on a wider scale language was necessary, and thus the ability for the mind to create a written language is essential. Multiple experts from respected fields of study including evolutionists, anthropologists, computer scientists, and linguistics have discovered no plausible explanation for how and why language exists from an evolutionary perspective.[1] Regarding this study Tom Wolfe remarked, “I had never heard of a group of experts coming together to announce what abject failures they were…”[2] Since the idea of Darwinism came into being scientists in other fields of study have discovered so many valuable and advancing truths. Meanwhile the atheistic evolutionists have discovered nothing of progressive value. From the naturalist perspective the mystery of language, thus the mystery of the human mind, has never been resolved. As an engineering technologist and Christian ethicist Paul Golata argued, “God provides the best framework from which to understand intelligence.”[3] God is relational and has even communicated with humanity through the language of mathematics. This language was not invented by humans but was discovered. Regarding physics Werner Heisenberg observed, “…the fact that we can explain nature by simple mathematical laws tells us that here we have met some genuine feature of reality, not something that we have — in any meaning of the word — invented ourselves.”[4] What sets humans far above the animals is the ability to communicate ideas or express emotions through speech, the written word, and in discovering and sharing mathematical truths. The human mind was purposely designed and should not be wasted.
Language has always been a gift from God intended for people to comprehend, appreciate, and share the truth. As Wolfe argued, “Speech is 95 percent plus of what lifts man above animal!”[5] The relational aspect of language is expected if one believes humankind is made in the image of a loving and relational God. This ability for the mind to communicate truth and express selfless love is one of the first pieces of evidence for the human mind being designed by the Triune God. This gift of course led to the writing of God’s revelation resulting in the Bible, where the ultimate truth about the Designer is made known. Jesus said I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6 NIV).[6] All believers accept Jesus is the way to the Father, the way to eternal life. All believers recognize in Christ one obtains eternal life and sees the life worth living is found in Him. Where the deist believes in a God who does not or has not revealed His identity, the Christian is faithful to a God who has revealed Himself. Without fearing opposing views, the Christian should investigate and grow in their knowledge of what is true, for their faith is in the Provider of all truth.[7] In Christ being the Truth, one sees there must be a deeper understanding about what truth is. Truth is not subjective, nor can one simply argue truth is objective, but truth is alive and eternal. Jesus came into the world to testify to this truth, and everyone on the side of truth listens to Him (John 18:37). God desires for the Christian to love Him with all their mind, and Jesus expects the Christian to worship God in Spirit and in truth (Matt. 22:37; John 4:21-24). The Christian should seek after a deeper understanding in the fields of science, philosophy, and theology to better articulate the truth to any person who believes contrary.[8] For what can be discovered in these subjects are supportive of biblical truths.
Absolute Truth and the Rational Mind
One cannot ignore the necessity of a stable mind when seeking after truth, for the recognition of self is the first observable truth no person can honestly deny. When analyzing what others have designed one cannot deny the necessity of their being a mind apart from oneself. When observing the signs of design in nature one cannot rightfully deny the necessity of an intelligent first cause, for intelligence has always proven to be necessary for complex design.[9] One may argue against the manner in which the Designer created and feel there are flaws in creation, but there is no true evidence against the clear signs of design in nature. Even when one points towards the problem of suffering and what evils have come upon the world the best answer is found in Christ. Ultimately, what can be discovered about God in nature and through divine revelation connects to Christ who brings light to the Christian ability to reason.[10] In Christ one finds although not every aspect of God may be understood in this world Christ proved God is love. In Hebrews the writer reflects on what mankind is where God is mindful of them and cares for them, crowning them with honor and putting everything under their feet (Heb. 2:6-8). People inherited a responsibility in this world, for this world. Every person feels this in some way. Influenced by Hebrews 2:6-8 Anne Runehoy wrote, “…human beings need special capacities, for example, the capacity to analyze, reflect, make decisions, and possess awareness in relation to their own person and others.”[11] People were intended to live united and in pursuit of the greater good. In Christ one discovers the way, the ultimate truth, and the greater good found in the life He gives. As will be argued for and shown in this paper, there is nothing to be discovered in any field of study disproving the Christian view of God. In fact, because of the research done by a variety of intellectuals much has been discovered supportive of the biblical claims. The rational mind is always dependent on another mind when seeking to progress in life, and as will be analyzed here many great minds have even unintentionally provided support for Christianity. For those honestly pursuing truth there comes a point where one must either accept Christianity is true or choose to be intellectually dishonest.
Sadly, for those who deny absolute truth even the existence of their own mind is questioned. As Descartes defended the truth one is certain of is “I think, therefore I am.”[12] The individual can know their mind exists, hence why one can question anything. In recognizing this is true at the same time the individual knows this cannot be the greatest truth, for no human mind must exist apart from all other minds. To deny this absolute truth is completely illogical. Since one recognizes their existence is not a necessary truth which all other truths depend on, there must be a greater truth. The greater truth must be an eternal truth, an eternal mind who must be for all other minds to exist. Philosopher William Lane Craig presents the Cosmological Argument, contending for the necessity of the first cause being the mind of God;
1.      Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
2.      The universe began to exist.
3.      Therefore, the universe has a cause.
4.      The cause of the universe is God.[13]
To fully appreciate the significance of this argument one must first believe there are absolute truths in logic. The first premise is key to understanding for those who argue God needed a cause, and the need for causes would then go back for infinity. Time began at the Big Bang, so there was no existence of time until the creation of space and time. If there is complex design in nature an eternal mind must have designed the universe, and this Designer wants to be recognized. Before presenting a logical argument in defense of this claim one must first understand what fallacies to be aware of when seeking after logical truth. There are those who are hindered from recognizing truth because of never having learned how to think objectively. For these cases the individual usually comes to conclusions for emotional reasons, or because of not taking the initiative to question what the majority accepts to be true. Cultural practices and traditions often govern the decisions one makes, leaving so many with a false sense of reality. The acceptance of there being eternal truth is so important for as the faithful know the ultimate truth is found in Christ. No matter how smart a person is the one seeking to grow in knowledge will become more confused if the ultimate truth is rejected.
Logical Fallacies Distracting from the Truth
Before accepting what is eternally true and of lasting value one must humbly recognize their method of reasoning is likely faulty. People are easily influenced, easily misguided, and prone to being dishonest with themselves. As Groothuis warns, “We must be ruthless with ourselves in the process of pursuing truth, given the manifold temptations to self-deception and denial.”[14] In recognizing people commonly have their worldview formed by logical fallacies, one will understand how the majority can be wrong, even amongst the smartest of people. The three logical fallacies to be shared here are taught in university college math classes and are universally recognized. An appeal to emotions is a logical fallacy focused on manipulating the emotions of another to win an argument without the use of factual evidence. This logical fallacy is often used by politicians and in debates between a theist and an atheist. One may argue against a certain idea or worldview such as Christianity and in doing so appeal to the emotions of the audience. Even Christians often argue for their faith being based on feelings. People often express their views beginning with “it just feels right to me,” or “it just doesn’t feel right to me.” Arguing from an appeal to emotions does not provide evidence for anything being true or false. The embracing of this illogical reasoning will result in self-centered people who care more about what emotionally affects the person than caring for the truth.
The human mind was created to work with others for the purpose of taking care of this world (Gen. 1:28). After the fall greed crept in, self-centeredness, envy, and the desire to follow others before God. Consequently, sin resulted in the human mind becoming weaker and more vulnerable. People are often prone to being lazy thinkers, being easily persuaded because of an appeal to ignorance. This logical fallacy is where one is choosing to believe or not believe while not considering the possibility of their being evidence against their worldview. With this fallacy a proposition is true because it has not yet been proven false or vice versa. This view does not consider perhaps one has done insufficient research, therefore insufficient information resulted in one concluding a proposition true or false. In debates, appeal to ignorance is sometimes used to shift the burden of proof. If a teacher declares to a class there is scientific evidence for evolution and no evidence for God, this is appealing to the ignorance of the students. Often Christians’ choose to be ignorant of certain subjects because of their fear in discovering some truth contrary to their faith. The one who claims to be faithful, but fears truth will not be able to grow spiritually, and neither prove very productive in helping others to grow. When the faithful one grows in their knowledge of science, culture, history, religion, etc. one grows in their confidence to better engage with a diverse group of people. The humble yet educated learner will listen and wait for the right opportunity to share their understanding on the subject in question. Concerning Darwinism, the Christian must first understand the arguments for and against atheistic evolution before attempting to persuade the naturalist to believe in God.
Appeal to popularity is using the popularity of an idea as evidence for this being true. In America today the idea of socialism being a good thing is growing in popularity, despite historical evidence to the contrary. Often people will want to accept what the majority believe out of fear of being treated as an outcast. Companies make use of this deception to sell their products with clever marketing through the media. Social and political figures seek to win the approval of others by claiming to support whatever belief or idea is trending. Sadly, appeal to popularity is a common logical fallacy used to indoctrinate young minds. The Christian needs to come to a point in their life where doubts and questions about the faith are no longer pushed to the side. One must seek after the truth individually while still depending on the research done by other minds. This journey of discovery is most exciting as one sees how science and history are supportive friends of Christianity.
As vulnerable as the human mind is, the mind is the most significant creation. If there is absolute truth, being the human mind able to reason and question, everything cannot be meaningless. Instead of just accepting what can be observed as true and simply seeking out the essentials for survival, the human mind cannot rest. The human mind could have easily never existed but at the same time is the most significant observable truth, therefore the most necessary truth must be an eternal invulnerable mind. The Christian believes God is responsible for all creation, and Christ has created humans in His image with a mind made to think logically and objectively (Col. 1:15-17; John 1:2-3). If the universe had a first cause, this means space and time came into being from a source outside of the natural realm, thus the first cause is supernatural and eternal. The reason the universe appears to be designed and finetuned for life is because the universe has been designed. Regarding the complexity of living organisms as discovered in micro-biology scientists admit there is evidence for design, yet many do not accept the Designer being the God of the Bible.
Perhaps for a combination of reasons the average scientist does not confess to believing the Biblical account of creation. Popular opinion among peers who presuppose belief in God is unscientific, or perhaps emotional reasons is more often why the God of the Bible is rejected. The most intelligent of minds can often be the most stubborn and prideful. When faced with the evidence for God the naturalist will often take their own leap of faith when proposing a counterhypothesis. Directed panspermia is the idea some advanced intelligent beings were necessary for planting the seeds of life on this planet.[15] After discovering the complexity of DNA, molecular biologist Francis Crick proposed the explanation for the uniformity of the genetic code could possibly be extraterrestrial in origin.[16] This hypothesis is not as outlandish as the multiverse theory, because the evidence for design can be observed. One is still left wondering who created the aliens responsible for creating the complex building blocks of life on Earth.
The ET origins for human intelligence does not stand well against scrutiny because of how very old scientists believe the universe is. If atheistic evolution is true advanced ET would have to consistently seek out Earth like planets, always needing resources. As can be observed on Earth intelligent life tends to use up more natural resources as technology advances. According to the Fermi Paradox argument if intelligent ET life existed humanity would know at this point in history.[17] When considering how quickly technology is leading towards AI on Earth, certainly some other civilization in the universe has already sent out advanced probes to other galaxies. Computer experts believe within a century there will be AI capable of duplicating itself.[18] Combining this technology with rocket technology would lead to AI programmed space probes adept to reaching the nearest star system in 40,000 years, from where duplicates could be made and sent out to other galaxies.[19] The human mind is intelligent enough to know eventually the Sun will destroy the Earth, and the only hope for survival is to plan on how humanity can escape this fate. The AI thinkers today strongly hold to the belief in “survival of the fittest,” and as Golata has observed the driving desire for advanced technologists is to “explore new frontiers without limits.”[20] Great human minds are already seeking after creating artificial superintelligence, and pursuing advanced rocket technology capable of sending a probe further into space at a faster rate. From this perspective one must ponder on the improbability of there not being advanced ET life since most planets are billions of years older than Earth. With the technology humans now possess there should at least be some detection of alien probes. The ET origins for human intelligence is improbable when one considers the hundreds of anthropic constants necessary for intelligent life on this planet to be possible. As astrophysicist Hugh Ross calculated when considering the necessary requirements for intelligent life to arise and survive on Earth the chances are one in 10138.[21] One can argue there is no chance the human mind was created by ET intelligence just as there is no chance the universe came into being without the first cause being an eternal mind beyond space and time. Ultimately the argument for advanced ET creating the human mind is an appeal to ignorance.
Unlike other religious texts in antiquity the Bible was the first to describe the universe as being created by one God, and then this same God created each living organism. The Christian would not be surprised by the discovery of the universe having a first cause, or the discovery of complex design in living organisms. Instead these recent discoveries would mean in this present age God has willed for the human mind to discover the evidence for what was already divinely revealed in scripture. The observable truth is the origin of the universe and the complexity of life is supported by the biblical text. Upon accepting there is absolute truth, when seeking to discover a greater truth one should keep in mind observable truths cannot be dependent on logical fallacies. The argument below is an example on how a logical argument is formed without depending on logically fallacious assumptions, and each premise will be defended in this paper;
(1)   The human mind can observe evidence the universe is designed.
(2)   The human mind coming into being by chance is improbable.
(3)   The universe is complexly designed thus a higher intelligence created the universe.
(4)   The universe is fine-tuned to support human life.
(5)   The human mind was intended to recognize there is a Designer.
Another problem keeping people from accepting what is logically true, or observably true, is the human tendency to exaggerate, or defend unnecessary claims. All people are prone towards embellishing on the truth, even if unintentionally, which often proves counterproductive. When the Christian claims to be an apologist but begins a debate insisting one must believe in six literal days of creation, this is not necessarily true. This is not a productive claim for either the Christian or the non-believer. As argued throughout this paper the human mind is designed to understand how God has revealed Himself in nature and in His word. In Genesis one finds there was not a twenty-four-hour cycle of the Earth spinning around the sun until the fourth day of creation (Gen. 1:14-19). For God a day is not a twenty-four-hour cycle, so both divine revelation and nature are not in conflict if the universe is older than thousands of years (2 Pet. 3:8). Perhaps the universe and the Earth only appear to be quite old, either way it does not really matter. Another reason arguing for the literal days of creation is not necessary is because atheistic evolution resulting in an intelligent mind is an illogical hypothesis. The opposing side often promotes lies in the schools and in the media. For example, the founders of the supposed Lucy ancestor confessed to being biased and admitted this ape should not be in the family tree.[22] The insistence of atheistic evolution being true is not based on solid observable evidence. The evolutionists not only tend to exaggerate on their claims but insist on their worldview being true despite the evidence to the contrary, which will be further examined later in this text. What will be noted here is on the ultimate level even Darwin believed there are no “random events,” and there must be a first cause.[23] When factoring in the improbability of intelligent life emerging by chance, one should humbly accept the first cause is a superior intelligence.
Readers may question how one could claim to think rationally while at the same time believing in God and miracles like those mentioned in the Bible. The naturalist argues against the possibility of supernatural occurrences, thus there can be no God capable of superseding the natural laws. However, there is a rational argument for the supernatural supported by discoveries in science, especially in astrophysics. Although known for writing one of the more famous objections to miracles, David Hume also stated, “The whole frame of nature bespeaks an intelligent author; and no rational enquirer can, after serious reflection, suspend his belief a moment with regard to the primary principles of genuine Theism and Religion.”[24] Perhaps if Hume knew evolutionists would believe intelligent life emerging in the universe is quoted as being “less than 10 to the minus one million power” The Natural History of Religion would have never been written.[25] Not only is the existence of the universe a miracle but so is intelligent life. One should recognize the natural laws are set in place for good reason, but the mind is also designed to identify when an event supersedes the natural laws. If not for understanding and respecting the laws of nature one could not appreciate the greatest miracles being the incarnation and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Christ God proves who He is, being a God who is trustworthy and deserving of our love. When seeking to argue for the existence of an eternal mind the Christian must remember the goal is to reach souls for Christ. Every step in a fruitful journey of discovering truth must involve a rational mind faithful to Christ will.
The human mind was designed to recognize and understand what God has revealed about Himself. When presenting the evidence for God the Christian must accept when one rejects Christ the reason is not because there is a lack of evidence. In Ephesians readers see Paul prayed for the initial readers to receive the Spirit of wisdom to better know God (Eph. 1:17). As argued earlier people will often choose to believe or not to believe in something for logically fallacious reasons. Ultimately when one accepts Christ this person cannot boast about having received this truth based on human reasoning alone (Eph. 2:8-10). This does not take from the fact the human mind must be dependent on the eternal mind of God, but further proves this to be the case. Faith will always be necessary, as like in a marriage faithfulness and true love go hand in hand. The Christian desire to grow in their understanding of science, mathematics, and nature begins with faith, for all such knowledge cannot be understood philosophically without faith in Christ.[26] Before any significant discoveries in science the Christian lived by faith having experienced the love of Christ, and having observed how this love changes hearts and minds. Questioning how there could be a time before time where only the eternal God existed was probably of no concern for the early Christians. For the Christian living today, there are certain scientific discoveries proving useful for helping one respond to the skeptic who depends on science and philosophy before religious faith. After arguing for the cause of the universe being God, the next step would be to present some evidence for this temporary realm being dependent on an eternal realm. If the temporary realm is dependent on the eternal realm, accordingly the human mind could not exist if not for the eternal mind of God.  
When studying gravitational anomalies astrophysicists have observed gravity is capable of jumping between dimensions faster than the speed of light, thus gravity is not bound by nor dependent on the laws in the natural realm.[27] In this realm God provides people with a limited understanding of His mind and His ways, and accordingly the human perception of what is possible is limited as well. However, seeing as how gravity is dependent on an unseen realm, one can argue the natural realm is dependent on the eternal realm.[28] One can also argue for miracles being possible if gravity functions in ways superseding natural laws. But surely only the One who holds all things together is capable of superseding natural laws. The faithful can only understand what God has revealed in nature and in His Word, but in Christ the most valued eternal qualities of God are made known (1 Cor. 2:11). All the beauty to be discovered in nature, down to the shimmering drop of water on a blade of grass, is represent of the holy love of God.
The skeptic may argue if Christ went through changes in human form the argument for God always being eternal and unchanging is illogical. The Bible has a beginning and an end and people living today feel the story is not yet over, but this is a misperception. There are two realities, the eternal and the perceived temporary reality. In Revelation John witnessed a future event where God created a new Heaven and a new Earth. John was standing in this future reality while still being alive in the temporary one. The victorious saints John saw in the future were Christians living today, those living in John’s day, and those saved before John received the revelation. This recalls how Paul encouraged the Christians in Ephesus when writing on how these faithful ones were seated with Christ in the Heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6). These saints were with the eternal God but from time’s perspective were still bound by the laws of this observable reality. A growing number of physicists and philosophers have argued for the present reality being a “block universe” where the past, present, and future are coexisting, which from God’s perspective this would make sense.[29] From the human perspective time is a journey forward one hour at a time and one day at a time. In recognizing there is an eternal realm beyond space and time the truth is humans are moving forward in a completed story with a beginning and an unchanging end. Considering the block universe in physics the human mind has once again proven able to discover what has already been revealed in God’s Word.
Christ felt what all humans feel regarding change, but the mind of God remained unchanging even during the incarnation. If one were to insert their finger into a lake the individual would be both in the water and outside the water. The individual did not change from being a human to becoming a creature dependent on what the lake provides simply by inserting a finger into the lake. The individual in this scenario is not solely dependent on anything the lake provides yet feels the effects of being in the water. Likewise, John was on the island of Patmos by all appearances slowly dying while also being in the eternal realm praising God along with the other saints seated in Heavenly places. Perhaps the dipping of the finger in the pond is not the best example, for Christ did become a new creation in a sense by becoming a flesh and blood human being. The point is from God’s perspective the incarnation was not difficult and Christ was still fully God. Christ was slain from the creation of the world, and in the eternal realm the inseparable Trinity could view time as a whole and see Christ life, death, and resurrection as a completed event (Rev 13:8, 1 Peter 1:17-20). Even though Christ was tempted in every way and felt change as people do, in the realm beyond time Christ never actually changed. The Trinity is three like-minded persons in one being, and accordingly the church should be like-minded united in love, spirit, and purpose (John 17:20-23; Phil. 2:2; 1 Pet. 3:8). The triune mind of God can never be separated, and even when growing up on this world Jesus was always connected to the other persons of the Trinity.
The Trinity may be seen by non-believers as an illogical concept, which many skeptics use as an argument against the faith. If the Triune nature of God can be logically argued for than the only God who is more than a one-dimensional concept is the only God who qualifies. The seeker of truth must ask why any humans would ever make up the complex idea of the Trinity. This will be addressed in more depth later, but for now suffices to say the human mind could not imagine a concept beyond a combination of what can be observed. As Todd Tremlin states, “The human capacity for imagination is immense, but it is also constrained by the functional design of our minds.”[30] The reason the Christian belief in God is so centered on love and unity is because within the Trinity the three persons of God were in a close relationship before mankind was ever created. All three persons of the Trinity eternally freely give and receive from each other in perfect unity, an unselfish love human minds should not be able to comprehend.[31] However, in this present reality the sacrificial love of Christ provides the evidence for God’s eternal love, and the Holy Spirit enters in to unite all members of the Church in Christ. The human mind was made to be united with the eternal mind of God. If the human mind reaches the point of discovering the universe is dependent on an unseen realm, one must consider the possibility of there being an eternal mind wanting to be known. The obstacles in life have only ever fostered intellectual and spiritual growth, which can potentially lead to a deeper understanding of who God is. Someday the redeemed will be in an eternal reality where there will be no evil, suffering, or death. In this eternal reality, in a new Heaven, there will be no necessary possibility of evil (Rev. 21:27). Only in this temporary reality is a knowledge of evil necessary for humanity, which this issue will be further addressed later. Ultimately, everything Christ did was for people to understand the love the Trinity already knew to be true.
The Christian must remember whatever the mind can comprehend in this realm is only so because of what God chooses to make known. Scientists have discovered there are colors undetectable by the human eye, the reason being the human eye was designed to only observe what can be seen in the three-dimensional realm.[32] God seems to always in His timing reveal just enough to keep people seeking after more, but not all truths must be seen to be recognized. As Michael Behe argues, “…the effects of a mind can be recognized by the purposeful arrangement of parts, even when the possessor of the mind that arranged them is nowhere to be seen.”[33] As argued in this text there is evidence for intelligent design in the universe, but what would be truly fascinating is if people discovered evidence in support of the Triune God being the Designer.
 Before presenting a logical explanation for the Trinity one must question how to make sense of the beautiful cosmos if God was not loving and relational before creation. As argued earlier what the individual mind designs has in some way been influenced by another mind. As for the artist who paints landscapes God provided the influence. The Big Bang alone proves a good starting point in defending Christianity, for physicists were not blind to the fact if the universe had a beginning one would not be irrational to believe God was the cause.[34] However, the next step would be supporting evidence verifying the universe is dependent on unseen forces beyond space and time. Scientists have felt compelled to discover an equation explaining how all the forces of nature operate, and the best way to explain the observable universe is to factor in the existence of extra-dimensions.[35] For the physicist the answers to why the universe even exists can only be discovered by reaching beyond the natural realm. There are four fundamental forces, the strong nuclear force, electromagnetic, weak nuclear, and the weakest gravitational force, which all came into being at the same time.[36] Physicists have discovered gravity is so distinct from the stronger forces one is forced to look far beyond the observable realm, onto higher dimensions to discover how gravity relates with the other three forces.[37]
The naturalist claims the answers to life can be discovered only by studying what can be observed in nature. The astrophysicist who factors extra-dimensions into their equations presupposes there exists a reality beyond what can be seen. When studying gravity physicists’ factor in there being at least a fourth dimension and believe the realm beyond is so fundamentally real this universe is a projection from the higher dimension.[38] This would mean the present observed reality is dependent on the unseen realm. This would be in accordance with the Christian belief in the greater reality being in the eternal realm, from which comes the cause our observable universe is dependent on. In seeing how gravity can jump between dimensions faster than the speed of light, this must be the case because gravity is not bound by laws in the observable realm.[39] Considering the impossibility of the complex universe coming into being by chance and seeing as how this realm is dependent on an unseen realm, an eternal mind must be the necessary cause.
The argument against the skeptic has already been proven easier upon considering the above truths alone, and their stubborn bias even in the face of the evidence should be clearly recognized. First, despite the naturalist giving no consideration to discoveries in physics, these thinkers give no regard to the greatest discoveries in their own field of study. What has been observed in DNA and the many other discoveries in micro-biology proves there is a complex Designer. For even the chance of a single functioning protein coming into being apart from a Designer is less than one out of trillion trillion, thus the experts in biology know the complex building blocks of life coming into being by chance is impossible.[40]
What has been argued so far is the best candidate for God is the Triune God, a God united in love. This love is unchanging, being by nature who God is, and likewise the Church should first be recognized by their unifying love (1 John 4:8). This love is most clearly recognized in contrast to the opposite. The human mind properly determines truth based on what can be observed, and to choose between what is right or wrong is only possible because of the knowledge of opposites. Only a free mind can accept the truth and reject the lies. Love is not truly love unless one can choose to reject it. To forgive or hold a grudge, to be faithful or faithless, to have mercy or seek vengeance, such choices define freedom. In creating a world capable of evil and suffering God is no less than all powerful. God is no less powerful in a world capable of evil if the evil tolerated can potentially help emphasize the greater good. The temporary evil must prove to be subservient to the greater good. If the temporary evil can magnify an understanding of the greater good, the evil proves necessary for the free mind to understand and receive the greater good. The human mind must have been intentionally designed to recognize the greatest of love is sacrificial love. This truth is most clearly understood in Christ suffering, death, and resurrection.
For the human mind to fully appreciate love in this fallen world a knowledge of suffering is inevitable. One should not have any natural reason to trust in love for another person, for some way or another this love will come with pain. One should not trust in something guaranteed to bring pain. Only in Christ does one find a dependable love which will last forever, the most valuable eternal truth. Naturally one may question if this love from Christ is real. Since the resurrection there have been those who had to lose all hope in what this world has to offer before accepting the ultimate truth of God’s great love. God was pleased with the eternal love shared in the Triune relationship, and Christ desired to share this love with humanity, thus everything was made through Christ (John 1:3, Col. 1:16). Because God’s love was perfect before creation, to share this love with those naturally beneath the Creator a certain reality was made. In this reality what is contrary to God was able to come into being. This place became the dominion of sin, suffering, and death, and all of this was allowed for the greater good. For the great love of God to be appreciated and freely received by those made in His image this world filled with suffering and death is necessary. Christ made clear there is no greater love than the love of one who lays down their life for their friends (John 15:13). To make the unchanging love of God known in this realm sacrifice would be necessary. No person can honestly deny the greater love is recognized because the human mind can appreciate the need for sacrificial love.
The devil made a free choice to rebel against God, but being thrown to Earth was no accident, in fact this was in accordance with God’s will. Before being arrested Jesus told the disciples the enemy was coming for Him, and the reason was clearly stated, “…so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me…” (John 14:31). The eternal divine love shared within the Trinity, and God’s great love for humanity, was evident when Christ surrendered Himself and displayed sacrificial love.[43] Everything the enemy did, every evil tolerated, these were necessary sacrifices leading up to the cross, where Christ eternal love for the Father, and God’s love for humanity is made known. In the parable about the shepherd and His sheep, Jesus spoke on how just like His sheep know Him, this is akin to Jesus knowing the Father, and for this reason He was going to lay down His life (John 10:14-15). Earlier in this same passage Jesus mentioned the thief who comes to kill and destroy, and in contrast Jesus came so people could have life to the fullest (v. 10:10). The works of the enemy were and are allowed so in contrast the great love of God can be known. In recognizing the enemy unknowingly had a part to play in God’s divine will one gains a deeper understanding of what was necessary for humanity to recognize and freely trust in the love of God.[44] This may seem ironic when considering how a knowledge of suffering and God allowing evil to exist is the means through which Christ makes the love of God known. The intellectually honest person will confess the deeper understanding of love in this realm would be impossible if not for the knowledge of sacrificial love. All people now have a choice between the One who died for the sins of the world or eternal separation from the One who proved His love.
Christ conquered sin and death by taking on sin and death. Christ proved God is all powerful in being the life which conquers death. Christ proved God is all knowing after He felt the effects of sin and tasted death. God did what is impossible for humanity and proved to be the greater love all people desperately need. The one who loves the Lord is eternally secure in the Heavenly realm, and this temporary life is an opportunity to share the love of Christ with others. God did not promise there would be no pain or suffering in this realm. By enduring suffering Christ showed in this world suffering should be expected and only in Christ can one find eternal peace (John 16:33). Because Christ overcame the world the Christian can trust in His eternal power and unchanging love. A knowledge of suffering is necessary in this realm, and from this knowledge one recognizes the need to depend on Christ and the promises of God. Those in Christ should be grateful, knowing this temporary life will be justly dealt with. An eternity of peace in the presence of true Love far outweighs a temporary period of grief. All of this would be impossible to comprehend if the human mind was not created to seek after truth, and to long for more than temporary satisfaction.
The ability to reason properly is hindered when a person chooses to reject the One who is the source of all truth. As Golata argued, “If God is not the creator of both the universe and mankind, then mankind is not under any ethical obligation to God; hence, man himself becomes the measure of all things, including morality.”[45] A sense of morality proves difficult to define for those who reject God as the source of moral truths. As argued earlier God desires for humans to understand His love and share this love with others, but instead a growing number of people judge Christianity as intolerant and immoral. Obviously, the non-Christian can use their sense of reason to discover some truths in life, but eventually one must accept Christ, or only ever become more confused. Apart from Christ one will either be deluded into believing this temporary life is grander than history has proven or become someone who wallows in depression consistently anticipating regret and despair.[46] The point being argued here is the mind has the ability to comprehend what God has revealed about Himself, and despite contrary opinions one can make rational sense of the truths revealed about God in the Bible.
Upon observing the growing number of atheists supporting postmodernism or secular humanism what is evident is apart from Christ one cannot even argue for there being truth. The other dominant religious views reject a proper understanding of truth in favor of irrational cultural beliefs. In Hinduism a person believes anything can be deified, as a recent news article was speaking of a man who created a shrine for the worshiping of Donald Trump. Clearly this view of God is not even a proper definition of God, as the true God cannot come from human origins. Where the Christians already accept the universe had a beginning before science confirmed this to be true, Hinduism still endorses the belief in space and time never having an absolute point of origin. Non-Vedic Sanskrit texts and the Puranas teach on how the universe is endless, and cyclic, thus the universe is eternal.[47] In Buddhism essentially the same cosmological ideas were adopted, but according to the Samyutta Nikāya the Buddha believed even thinking on the origins of the universe was useless.[48] These ancient beliefs must reject or avoid scientific truth whereas the post-modernist and secular humanist must reject logical truth. To believe in Islam one must reject historical truth, for where even secular scholars recognize Jesus Christ died on the cross, the Muslim denies this to be true. Regarding how the seeker of truth should understand the diversity of religions Moreland argued for one thinking of a maze filled with many paths.[49] As argued at the beginning of this paper logical fallacies keep people from accepting truth, but for the impartial seeker of truth the right path will be easier found. As Moreland argued, “The challenge is to find the one path that leads you to the final destination – the center.”[50] Developing this mindset is not possible without the help of the Holy Spirit, but for those who respond to the call the challenge will be accepted.
No other worldview offers such a balanced perspective on life as Christianity. A balanced understanding for why there is suffering and death yet still true purpose and hope in life is found only in Christ.[51] In Christ does one find rational reason to have hope in eternal love and eternal life. If in an honest pursuit of truth, the mind created to seek out and understand the bigger answers in life will discover where the path leads. The mind can identify the universe had a first cause, appears designed to support human life, the Triune God is the Designer, and the problem of evil is best reconciled when one accepts Christ. The one who is open to accepting what has been shared so far may still have questions with regards to the DNA evidence seemingly proving the human is closely related to the ape. For if humanity evolved from apes, one cannot so easily argue for the human mind being made in the image of God. If this issue could be resolved, the mind pursuing truth will be left with one other option, to investigate the evidence for Jesus Christ. What is important to note is whatever can be discovered about the legitimacy of Christianity was intentionally revealed by God. After having shared the Parable of the Sower, the twelve disciples and others came up to Jesus seeking an explanation (Mark 4:10). Christ told these seekers of truth, “The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven” (Mark 4:11-12)! In this passage, one sees how the Kingdom of God is for those who came to Christ seeking after answers. The seeker must be willing to accept the truth, and any person who rejects Christ is simply disinterested, and proves unable to accept the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17).
When pursuing truth, one may first have to strip away several lies and preconceived notions. For example, the belief in random mutations accounting for the existence of complex living organisms has been scientifically proven false. Because of advanced methods used in laboratories today, one can examine molecular life and find clear evidence against atheistic evolution. Regarding the recent discoveries in science, micro-biologist Michael Behe writes, “…one higher category cannot descend from another by means of an unplanned process such as Darwin’s mechanism.”[52] Since the first premise of the Darwinian argument proves unable to explain the process of creation, atheistic evolution is false. Those who still teach the human mind is an untrustworthy product of evolution are either lying or misinformed. As Behe states, “Random mutation and natural selection cannot build a brain or even coherently modify one.”[53] People have heard about the many hominid fossils discovered verifying the human brain evolved from these prior ancestors. The Christian who truly trusts in Christ should take the initiative to investigate such claims instead of ignoring them out of fear of losing their faith.
The claim of there being multiple hominids in the family tree leading up to homo-sapiens is a lie. The evidence against the Lucy claim has already been presented here, and any other extinct monkey people may dig up is just that, an extinct ape-like creature. There is plenty of evidence for Neanderthals having once lived, and several humans share some of their DNA, reason being because the Neanderthal was human. Homo-erectus certainly lived, and these people could travel far distances across the sea in a watercraft created with steering and propulsion mechanisms.[54] The Australian archaeologist who made this discovery, Mike Morwood stated, “We’re not dealing with glorified chimpanzees here… We’re dealing with a species that has many of the characteristics of modern people.”[55] The mind made to worship God should reconsider how Adam and Eve truly looked, for where people judge by outward appearances the Lord looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). Where the human imagines Adam and Eve were exceptionally beautiful physically, what is most important is these two humans were created in the image of God being able to communicate, learn, and create. Macro-evolution does not happen, devolution happens, as observed with all the different dog breeds. The cute fluffy dog is not as exceptional as the wolf, and certainly not as smart. Here is the uncomfortable truth Adam and Eve may have been two rather hairy and likely short human beings, but these two were very much human, and were certainly smarter than people are today. The preflood people were exceptionally intelligent, as Cain went and built the first city, and in a few more generations people were building bronze and iron tools, and creating stringed instruments and pipes (Gen. 4:17, 21-22). How humans appear today is the result of devolution, as where humans may be taller and softer in appearance the average mind is easily domesticated, easily influenced, and prone to being enslaved. Hence, the necessity for a Savior, and the need for the human mind to depend on the mind of God.
Like how schools still teach Lucy was an ancestor even though the founders confessed to being biased, the teaching on the genetic similarity between the chimpanzee and human is misrepresented as well. When analyzing the data for both the human and chimpanzee genome geneticist Richard Buggs calculated the similarity between these two species could be less than 70%.[56] Separate studies have shown upon analyzing the base pairs of DNA for the human and chimpanzee there is a difference of 360 million.[57] Regardless of the DNA similarities between different species one can argue similarity in design does not prove one creature evolved from another. The case grows more confusing because DNA similarities does not always mean similar appearances in design. At this point research indicates humans are 90% genetically related to a cat.[58] Better yet, genetically speaking a mouse is 99% equivalent to a human.[59] Perhaps more research needs to be done, because all this information leaves one feeling confused. Surely the experts in this field of study have a more profound understanding than the common man analyzing this data. Regarding an exact percentage difference between human and chimpanzee geneticist Svante Paabo states, “I don’t think there’s any way to calculate a number… In the end, it’s a political and social and cultural thing about how we see our differences.”[60] As Meyer has observed the experts recognize their theories do not work, but no one is willing to admit this truth.[61] Evidently, these atheistic origin of life intellectuals are all story tellers, or more accurately these experts are charlatans.
If the similarity between a chimp and human was a remaining obstacle one should just accept DNA similarities is not evidence in support of atheistic evolution, and certainly not evidence against the mind being designed by God. When examining DNA people are trying to understand complex information designed by the most advanced mind. One should simply humbly accept DNA is evidence for God, and the human mind can comprehend this much to be true. The discovery of DNA is so amazing the faithful Darwinist who rejects intelligent design is guilty of trying to make this conflicting truth support their presupposed view. This is like a stubborn child trying to fit a square into the circle space on a shape sorter toy. Moreland addresses the obvious elephant in a room filled with scientists who reject God, stating “Indeed, the amount of information in the genetic code of a human being is more than all the information in all the books in the Library of Congress combined!”[62] Information must come from an intelligent mind, so when arguing for atheistic evolution being true by starting with supposed DNA evidence seems absurd. The honest atheist is in an awkward place when having to accept a person is 90% related to a cat, 99% percent related to a mouse, and 70% related to the chimp. If the seeker of truth is willing to accept the evidence presented thus far, the next step in the journey will be to investigate the evidence for Jesus Christ.
Where the Evidence Leads
The unbiased seeker of truth will discover the evidence leads to Christ. When considering the early historical evidence outside of the Bible there is more mention of Jesus than Tiberius Cesar who was the ruling emperor during this period.[63] From non-biblical documents, Jewish, Greek, and Roman historians verify some amazing truths about Jesus. From these sources one discovers this Rabbi had quite a following, miraculously healed people and performed exorcisms, was crucified by Pontius Pilate after being rejected by the Jewish authorities, the skies turned dark when Christ was crucified, and a short time later people claimed to see Him resurrected.[64] Critical scholars recognize the tomb of Jesus was empty, as early accounts from Tertullian and Justin Martyr attested to the fact being since the enemies could not show the body as evidence the enemies spread the idea of a body heist.[65] The empty tomb is significantly important because this means no person can counter the evidence for the resurrection by claiming the body has not yet been discovered. Before conversion Paul was an enemy to Christianity, during this time Paul could have spoken with the Jewish leaders to verify where Jesus had been buried. Paul must have believed the rumor being the disciples were heretics who had stolen the body. However, Paul provided the earliest testimony for Jesus being resurrected, as even the liberal scholar Roy Hoover views Pauls’ testimony as being of the utmost importance.[66] Even according to skeptical scholars based on the evidence and semantics Paul very much believed in the empty tomb, and the physical resurrection of Jesus.[67] Many facts in history are attested to being true based on two to three sources, so since there are several accounts for the empty tomb and the resurrection this should render the historical claim as irreproachable.[68] The early testimony from Paul to the church in Corinth should not be overlooked. The historian must consider probability when studying historical claims, hence if Paul spoke to the other eyewitnesses Paul must have heard about the empty tomb.[69] There is early eyewitness accounts, there is enemy attestation supportive of Jesus miracles, and critical scholars recognize the disciples and the apostle Paul were killed for believing Christ resurrected. There are several books written about the overwhelming evidence for Jesus life, death, and resurrection, but the skeptic claims the primary reason one must deny the evidence is because the dead cannot be resurrected. Christ lives whether people like it or not, and the mind was designed to recognize this is the most significant truth.
As argued earlier the very existence of the universe and the human mind is miraculous, and there are forces not bound by the natural realm and dependent on an unseen realm. If one can discover evidence for the Triune God, rational reason to believe miracles are possible, and historical evidence for the resurrection, one must wonder what else God desires for the seeker to discover. The limits of the human mind and the flawed fallen nature of humanity provides further evidence for the one true God. Despite what some may believe there is a limit to the human imagination and apart from Christ people are not inherently good but are set on destruction. The reason these two issues must be addressed is because the only way one can accept what God has revealed about Himself is if one humbly accepts their limitations, their desperate need to depend on God, and accept that the one who rejects God embraces death.
Accepting the Need for Divine Revelation
In ancient times polytheism was commonly practiced, and each of these gods were created in the image of fallen humans. From the Sumerians to the ancient Greeks, and on the other side of the ocean with the Aztecs, the major civilizations were polytheistic. The answer to this grand mystery is not ancient aliens, but simply this is the best a unity of human minds could imagine. Some have argued for Zoroastrianism being the earliest mono-theistic religion, claiming this religion influenced the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Zoroastrianism was founded about 300 years before Alexander the Great, and scholars have concluded Zoroaster was born around the time the Jews were taken captive by the Babylonians.[70] This is reminiscent on how Islam stole from Christianity, as Zoroastrianism was inspired by Judaism and not vice versa. Based on the archeological evidence, like the Moabite Stone dated to 840 BC and graffiti at Kuntillet ‘Ajrud dated at around 800 BC, the Jews worshiped Yahweh well before being taken captive by the Babylonians.[71] There is no evidence in support of the idea being the Judeo-Christian concept of God was stolen from other religions. When the Jews emerged believing there is one God with no beginning and no end, the world was presented with the greatest being one could conceive of existing. Consider the thought people are incapable of imagining the God of the Bible, a God with no image conceivable by man, with no beginning or end, three persons in one being. The skeptic should reconsider the point Anselm of Canturbury was making, “…there is no doubt that something than which a greater cannot be thought exists both in the understanding and in reality.”[72] The only reason one can understand the Judeo-Christian God is the greatest being is because humans are incapable of imagining such a God. The characters in a novel could never know of being in a narrative unless somehow the author revealed Himself. Only then could the characters recognize this Author was somehow able to give life and understanding to what He imagined into being. Naturally these characters could not imagine One greater than the Author who gave life to what He spoke into being. Hence why Anselm states, “This being exists so truly that it cannot be thought not to exist.”[73] But, further evidence for this theory needs to be considered.
When compiled together the recent discoveries in physics, micro-biology, and what has been observed in the universe argues for the Triune God, the greatest being one can know of existing. One might argue it is possible to replace God in the ontological argument with something else by adding supreme or greater before it. For example, one cannot imagine something greater than the greatest universe with perfect conditions for intelligent life. Anselm would argue the difference between the universe and God is the universe does not necessarily need to exist.[74] As already argued the existence of a fine-tuned universe is good reason to believe God is the cause, and the mind was designed to recognize God is the creator. However, before the discovery of the Big Bang people denying the biblical account could still claim the universe is eternal. Before the divine revelation of this truth was shared with Moses polytheistic accounts had become predominate, and these beliefs did not support the universe being created by one supreme God. Without knowledge of the biblical God all of existence could only be understood as temporary, or unnecessary. Creatures live and then die, and civilizations rise and fall. Nothing lasts forever, and nothing is perfect, hence why the gods of mythology were all flawed and relatable to humans. There is no reason for someone to imagine the one true God into being hence why the God of the Bible is distinct from all creation, beyond what the human mind could imagine.
Without the knowledge people have of God today all the human mind would be able to comprehend about existence would be either something exists, or does not exist, but nothing must exist. Anselm viewed belief in God as being necessary before one could truly understand more rational reasons to believe.[75] This is the argument being presented in this paper, the human mind was designed to recognize God, seek after God, and discover what He has revealed about Himself. For those living today God has left evidence to be discovered verifying everything He has revealed to be true in the Bible. The Cause of the creation is the only entity whose existence is necessary. Some may claim one cannot know the first cause, and this would be correct if God did not reveal Himself. The only reason humans are even capable of believing in what Plantinga refers to as a “maximal concept” is because the first cause is more than an imagined concept.[76]
If a “maximal concept” like the Triune God of the Bible is responsible for creation, ancient humans would have no reason to believe this is so. Humans can imagine flawed gods with human characteristics, or aliens with humanoid or animal like characteristics, but cannot imagine into being something beyond a combination of what is observable.[77] This is common sense; human imagination is limited. Though a man may have the audacity to try arguing otherwise, no man can imagine what a woman experiences when giving birth to a child. The Ontological Argument would not even be possible unless the maximal first cause revealed His existence to humanity in some way at some point in recorded history. A maximal concept beyond the universe could not reveal itself to those bound by space and time, because a concept cannot make itself known unless the concept lives. The Christian places their faith in the Triune God beyond space and time. Evidence discovered supporting the God of the Bible in physics and biology is valuable, but the Ontological Argument would be incomprehensible without divine revelation. If not for the Biblical account, there would be no true relational God who wants to be known. One must accept the Christian understanding of God was revealed by God. No humans could or would make up the Triune God, hence only in recent years has there been discoveries useful for one to logically argue for the Trinity.
Certainly, a non-believer can think rationally and present rational arguments, however those opposed to Christianity cannot consistently provide rational reasons for rejecting Christ. Regarding the evidential reasons for believing in the Triune God, miracles, and Christ resurrected, one will find those opposed to Christianity will ultimately fall back on logically fallacious reasoning as argued earlier in this text. No honest person can deny if all people lived up to the ethical standard provided by Jesus the world would be a better place. If all people believed in the one true God, people would work together being likeminded when pursuing beneficial innovations for humanity. As Golata argued, “It is God, a super intelligent Designer and Creator, that provides the answer for how the mind (spiritual) can connect to the material.”[78] The human mind was designed to be innovative, but for the sake of caring for what God has created, and for the benefit of humanity. When analyzing the other major religions, one will not find a unifying message of hope stretching beyond the material realm. Atheistic worldviews certainly fail at improving humanity, and if intelligent atheists pursue innovations harmful for the human species the argument for survival of the fittest must be false. Being an expert in engineering technology Golata has observed atheist thinkers are obsessed with creating artificial superintelligence. Regarding the potential ASI threat to human survival Golata has observed ironically these highly intelligent people are indifferent because of their faith in evolution. Golata explains their reasoning being, “Whatever is progress in and of itself is to be considered to be an evolutionary success.”[79] Evidently, apart from faith in God even the most intelligent minds prove to be the most foolish. If a growing number of atheistic innovators are seeking to create something destructive to humanity this serves to prove those who reject Christ will ultimately work against humanity. This is reminiscent of the gathering of great minds who sought after discovering the naturalistic explanation for language. These great minds failed because of presupposing God does not exist. For the number of religious beliefs that emerged after the Bible was completed, like Islam and Mormonism, what these all have in common is being guilty of plagiarism. If the Bible never existed, one could conclude there would be only polytheistic beliefs like Hinduism or secular worldviews like Communism and Socialism. If there was no Christianity naturally there would be no Christ, and to imagine a world without Christ one need only look at what comes of the world when His teachings are ignored. No person can honestly deny if all people loved their neighbors as themselves, and loved their enemies, there would be no enemies, there would be world peace (Mark 12:31, Matt. 5:44). The human mind was designed to seek after truth, and without the ability to think rationally one could not argue for the eternal truth revealed in Christ and His Word. If the evidence leads to the God of the Bible, and the lessons from Christ are undeniably true, Christianity must be true.
Conclusion
The human mind is designed to seek after truth, and recognize the ultimate truth revealed in Christ, so one could rationally communicate this knowledge with others. The mind is designed to ask questions and find answers, but when one denies divine revelation discovery is limited. Through the human mind God brought forth His divine revelation, resulting in the Bible. If one rejects the true purpose of the human mind self-idolatry emerges and dangerous consequences will follow. When seeking after truth beginning with faith in Christ readers discover the one true God has revealed Himself in so many fascinating ways. This truth should inspire one to share this news with others, for apart from Christ there is nothing of lasting value for one to discover.


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[1] Tom Wolfe, The Kingdom of Speech, (New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company, 2016), 3-4.
[2] Wolfe, The Kingdom of Speech, 4.
[3] Paul Golata, The Ethics of Superintelligent Design, (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2018), 8.
[4] Werner Heisenberg, Physics and Philosophy, (New York: NY, Penguin Books, 2000), 45.
[5] Wolfe, The Kingdom of Speech, 5.
[6] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New International Version (Indianapolis, IN: Zondervan, 1990).
[8] J.P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind, (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2012), 63.
[9] Stephen C. Meyer, Darwin’s Doubt, (Broadway, NY: HarperOne, 2013), 396-397.
[10] Steve Wilkens, Faith and Reason: Three Views, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2014), 155.
[11] Anne L. C. Runehov, The Human being, the World and God: Studies at the Interface of Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Mind and Neuroscience, (Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2016), xv.
[12] René Descartes, Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason, and Seeking Truth in the Sciences, (Raleigh, N.C.: Generic NL Freebook Publisher, 1990), 19.
[13] Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, (Downers Grove: IL, InterVarsity Press, 2011), 214.
[16] Crick and Orgel, “Directed Panspermia,” 344-345.
[17] Frank J. Tipler, “Intelligent Life in Cosmology,” (International Journal of Astrobiology, Vol. 2(2): 141-148 (2003), 2.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid., 3
[20] Golata, The Ethics of Superintelligent Design, 137.
[21] Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, (Wheaton, IL. Crossway Books, 2004), 106.

[23] Tipler, “Intelligent Life in Cosmology,” 2.
[24] David Hume, The Natural History of Religion, (London: UK, A. and H. Bradlaugh Bonner, 1889), Introduction.
[26] Roberto Di Ceglie, "Faith, Reason, and Charity in Thomas Aquinas's Thought," (International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 79, no. 2, 04, 2016), 134.
[27] Paul Halpern, The Great Beyond: Higher Dimensions, Parallel Universes, and the Extraordinary Search for a Theory of Everything. (Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2004), 12.
[28] Ibid., 11.
[29] Michael Silberstein, W.M. Stuckey, and Timothy McDevitt, Beyond the Dynamical Universe: Unifying Block Universe Physics and Time as Experienced, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. Oxford Scholarship Online, 2018), 11-14.
[30] Todd Tremlin, Minds and Gods: The Cognitive Foundations of Religion, (New York, US: Oxford University Press, 2010), 43.
[36] Paul Halpern, The Great Beyond: Higher Dimensions, Parallel Universes, and the Extraordinary Search for a Theory of Everything. (Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2004), 4.
[37] Ibid.
[39] Halpern, The Great Beyond, 12.
[40] Stephen C. Meyer, Signature in the Cell, (Broadway, NY: HerperOne, 2009), 119-220.
[42] Michael Lohse, Christian Schweizer, Hannah M. Price, Oded Zilberberg, and Immanuel Bloch, "Exploring 4D quantum Hall physics with a 2D topological charge pump," Nature 553, no. 7686 (2018): 55-62.
[44] Dorner, Divine Immutability, Chapter 3, Ethical Freedom Not Subordinated to Ethical Necessity, Kindle.
[45] Golata, The Ethics of Superintelligent Design, 1.
[46] David Walsh, The Third Millennium: Reflections on Faith and Reason, (Washington D.C., Georgetown University Press, 1999), 193.
[47] Dermot Killingley, “KÅMA,” in The Hindu World, ed. Sushi Mittal and Gene Thursby, (London: UK, Routledge, 2004), 284.
[50] Moreland, Love Your God with all Your Mind, 157.
[52] Behe, Darwin Devolves, 157.
[53] Ibid., 282.
[54] Robert Kunzig, "Erectus Afloat," Discover, 01, (Jan 1999), 80.
[55] Ibid.
[58] Joan U. Pontius, James C. Mullikin, Douglas R. Smith, Agencourt Sequencing Team, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Sante Gnerre, Michele Clamp et al, "Initial sequence and comparative analysis of the cat genome," Genome research 17, no. 11 (2007), 1678-1680.
[59] Chris Gunter, and Ritu Dhand, “Human Biology by Proxy,” Nature 420, no. 6915 (2002), 509.
[61] Meyer, Signature in the Cell, 321.
[63] Geisler and Turek, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, 222.
[64] Moreland, Love Your God with all Your Mind, 198.
[68] Ibid., 23.
[69] Ibid., 75.
[70] Walter A. Elwell, Zoroastrianism, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology 2nd Edition, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2001), 1310.
[72] Anselm of Canturbury, Proslogion with the Replies of Gaunilo and Anselm (Cambridge, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, 2001), 7.
[73] Ibid., 8.
[74] Anselm, Proslogion with the Replies of Gaunilo and Anselm, 9.
[75] Cardinal Avery Dulles, A History of Apologetics (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1999), 99.
[77] R. W. Beardsmore, “The Limits of Human Imagination,” (The British Journal Aesthetics, Vol. 20, Issue 2, Spring 1980), 99.
[78] Golata, The Ethics of Superintelligent Design, 152.
[79] Ibid., 134.

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