God’s Truth is a beauty that - like a star shining in the darkest night sky - catches the eye of all kinds of creatures below (even lonely agnostics).

Shine forth, sisters and brothers! Shine as a city on a hill! Shine as a lamp out from under the bushel! Shine forth boldly for our LORD and He will shine still more brightly through you.

[Note: is that allowed?]

“…slippery slope to Deism and eventual Radical Agnosticism here…”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prion

Some conditions strike quickly, such as Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus.

Some conditions develop very slowly over decades, such as mad cow disease, and mad agnostic disease, caused by minute bits of protein called prions.

Unfortunately, the prions coming through the pixels on his computer screen may be infecting Christianleftist.

CL: Cover your monitor immediately and stop looking at it.

“…bloggers are just expressing their perspective…”

As am I.

“Don’t take it so personally.”

The universe exists. Don’t take it so personally.

Random Name: Deb and Adios are right. This piece was not meant as an apologetic. But it is nonetheless true that the existence of a rational Creator provides the grounds for us to expect and understand the observed order of Creation.

The metaphor that works best for me is God as parent and humans, or rather, creation, as a grown child. As a parent, my ultimate goal is for the freedom and independence of my child, in the hope and belief that she will make wise choices, grounded in the way she’s been raised.

Of course, I’ll reserve the right to intervene sometimes, but once I “set her in motion” into the world, she’ll have freedom and responsibility. She’ll be complex, and may act in ways that surprise me, disappoint me, or please me. Hopefully, she will be creative, bringing new things, new ideas, maybe even new children, into existence in this world.

I think the parent-grown child metaphor extends to God in many ways. We do see His influence, but rarely in a direct and unexplainable way. True miracles, almost by definition, are rare.

Mostly, the universe and humans seem free to be creative - we see new stars being born, new planets forming, on some of them (well, at least one that we know of) life arose, and eventually humans. Yes, all of it is grounded in God, but I think the extension from the idea of “omnipotence” - capable of all power - to omni-controlling just doesn’t wash. It doesn’t seem, to my mind anyway, to mesh with a loving Creator who give us free will.

Disclaimer:

These really aren’t my own ideas. They’re based on the little bit of reading I’ve done on the ideas of Polkinghorne, a physicist turned Anglican priest, on bridging the gap between an orthodox Christianity, and what we’ve learned through science. Although, as an additional disclaimer, I’ve yet to get and read his books.

Not sure if I am on the slippery slope to Deism and eventual Radical Agnosticism here…

My dear RN, you are always trying to convince us that you are unconvincable, but many, many times bloggers on here are simply expressing their own perspective. Don’t take it so personally.

Back on topic, Andree sees that the watch works well and assumes a master watch-maker. I appreciate that joy. The clear, crisp rising of the sun on a chilly morning is God’s common grace to me. So I’m off to the sunrise and a morninf run.