Inconvenient Biblical Teaching - SETI

'Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”'
-Mark, written in the 1st century, A.D.

[8th message of the Why I Don't Believe Series]

The messages in this series discuss how some people who reject Christianity do so because they either cannot accept an inconvenient biblical teaching, or they have taken a stance against Jesus and is standing their ground, immovable.

This is understandable as all of us do not want anyone telling us what to do. The bible actually alludes to this as free will. We have also discussed that some people do the opposite as they actually do what other people tells or expects them to do -- one reason is because they do not wish to be cancelled (a fate worse than death in some societies).

Human Nature

In the previous message of this series, we've talked about this group of people who call themselves atheists.

They stand by their personal belief that there is no higher power.

They are different from the other group we've also talked about (the agnostics) who contend that there is no way to know for sure if there is or if there isn't one.

As Old As Time

For the record, both these groups have been around for hundreds of years. Although even before that time their kind would have already existed, there just wasn't any written record of them as most if not all human societies do have a belief in some form of diety or higher power. (Yes, atheists have existed a long time ago even if we do not have a written record of them. What do you know, people have existed even if we have no record to support it.)

Unnatural

So humans have a long history and it is well documented, to have a general belief in a higher power. It is quite unnatural when people do not do so.  But as we have read from the excerpt above, this person from 2,000 years ago (time of Christ), says he believes but blurts out, he needs help with his unbelief.

Going With the Flow

This was a father who was asking Jesus the Christ to supernaturally heal his son. He says he believes Jesus but truly he doesn't. It's lip service. It's 'I am merely following the ways of this world'. We believe there is a God and so there must be One. I am not going against the flow. But really I have my doubts. Surely if the One I am speaking with is God, then He knows of my umbelief.

“I do believe; help my unbelief!”'

Doubt

We mentioned this on the last message that if God is God then He will make a way to make me know for sure that He is God.

And in this case He did. Jesus did the impossible and it helped this doubting man to believe.

Although, we've also mentioned that for some, nothing that God does will ever make them believe. They have already made up their minds, said what they have said and will take their unbelief to their graves. Most will not admit that what they've said was wrong and become imprisoned by their own words.

Doubting Thomas

It is alright with God, as we've mentioned as well, even within His very disciples, His closest of followers, He had doubters. Thomas adamantly said, he will not believe in the risen Christ unless he saw Him and unless he has touched Him.

Aside from doubters, Jesus had deniers within His followers. He had betrayers. And they all left Him when the heat was on for them to show others that they believe. They all hid behind closed doors. And they all went back to what they were busy doing before they met Christ.

This, until the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit empowered them and made them believe what they said they believed.

Perfect Time

Let's put it this way, belief is like a virus. It is usually caught through what someone says and does.

Some people are wearing N95 masks with face shields in the realm of the spirit and they aren't getting infected.

There is no cure for belief.

It's Not Religion

Believers aren't religious people. They just do not blindly follow a hard set of dos and donts or else they burn in hell.

Real believers believe in Christ. They have a daily/personal relationship with Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit. And through Christ they have fellowship and communion with the God (capital G) who created the universe and life.

Science

If we are really honest, we would come to a realization of how infinitesimally small the chances are or how impossible it is to have a planet that is alive, to have our sophisticated human bodies and to have an intricate, everything has to be just right system to sustain this life, if it all just happened by chance.

Scientists used to believe that the chances of finding intelligent life out in the vastness of space is enormous. 

Some of us might be shocked to find out that since before 1970, scientists have been trying to scientifically search for extraterrestrial intelligent life. As a species, we are actively and massively seeking out ETs for close to 40 years now.

SETI

Since 1984, scientists have been scouring the universe to find a sliver of evidence for intelligent life out there. For sure they fully know the impact such a discovery will bring humankind. On the side they also want to put a lid on this unfounded belief in God.

But so far, we are all still waiting.

Rover on the Planet Mars

[Yes we have human made rovers on Mars and we have rovers on the moon. And both Voyagers and New Horizons are way out there moving farther and farther away from earth.]

Love

In the meantime, Christians are choosing to believe in Christ. They are choosing to believe God. And choosing to believe in love -- loving both those who believe and those who do not.

We all have that choice. This world will be a better place for all of us if we respect each other's right to believe or not believe.

Why I Don't Believe Series