Day 74 of 365: Apologetics

I woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating. It was my supervisor. She forgot that I switched my day off from Wednesday to Monday. Everything worked out fine and she gave me a heads up on what to expect this week. I laid in bed for a while longer before jumping out of bed for breakfast. Went to New Taraval again with my BSF homework and started to read and eat.

I offered to pick up Phoebe Tang from the airport today and I met up with her family at about 11:30am to take them to their hotel. It's refreshing to meet up with church family from another country, especially when they're from your hometown. Figure there'll be lots to catch up on and when the rest of the clan comes, I know there's going to be a lot of fun.

Something interesting though during that portion of my day. I didn't have my GPS with me and I know the hotel is in downtown SF, which is one area I'm not familiar with. I couldn't find the GPS, so on my way to the airport, I pray and ask God for guidance. Praise God for He is always good! I made it to the hotel safely! Honestly, it felt like I knew the town when I don't and it really is the Holy Spirit guiding me to the right place. This might sound stupid, but I had a GPS in me! God-Praising Spirit!! HAHA!!

I dropped them off and headed out to do my other errands. One of which is to pick up a paintball gun that was offered a lot less than what it's worth. The meeting place was on Van Ness and I didn't know exactly where this guy's apartment is, since I had no GPS. So I got on Van Ness and drove till I see the cross street, 'Green'. Apparently, I headed in the direction of South Van Ness and I should be going the other way. One quick swing around the block and I was heading down Van Ness once again. I found the building and managed to park nearby. Went to the building, but couldn't find this guy's name on the directory. Now at this point, I was a little nervous and didn't know what to expect. The custodian of the building let me in and I made a couple calls to make sure I was at the right building. He told me that he lives on the 4th floor and I went there. Found the unit and knock, waiting for a dude to open up. Awkward silence for about 5 minutes, before the guy called me to check up on me. Get this...he called to asked if I was in the right building. I told him the address of the building and he laughed on the phone and made a correction. I was in the wrong building, but one block away from the right one. Made my way over and met up with him. We greet and he apologized for the mix up. Anyway, I checked out the marker, which looks very clean. Doesn't look like he goes often enough, but I accepted the marker and made my payment. Good stuff for less than it ought to be.

I made my way home from this point on. Parked the van outside for the time being because Amos had his car on the driveway. Chilled in the living room for a while before I started to clean the marker on the outside. Pretty happy with it.

At this point, Amos was up from his nap and we caught 'Mighty Ducks' on cable. Watched it until the end and Amos had to head out for a while, so I went to my room to do some Internet surfing. Watched the new 'Terminator' movie while I was reading stuff. Had dinner when Amos came home, but just took a piece of fried chicken and made a bowl of ramen. That didn't satisfy, but it filled me up. Annie called after that and we chat for a while, catching up on the day.

There was something on my mind that had me thinking about apologetics. There was an email from Crosswalk, a Christian website that I subscribe to and they sent an email about how some scientists and atheists see religion as a neurological disorder. Here's some that was on the email and I quote:

"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully"

Richard Dawkins

"It is difficult to imagine a set of beliefs more suggestive of mental illness than those that lie at the heart of many of our religious traditions"

Sam Harris

Definitely caught my attention and had stirred up thought in my mind. Thoughts of anger and sadness that such offensive ideas are directed at God. Honestly, the way I see it, they only understand what they want to understand. What they want to see and avoid the things that they don't want, or don't like, to see, which is mostly the sin that exist in the nature of their hearts. The desire of worldly gain in reputation or knowledge. Even more, the nature to rebel against God. If they think that religion is a neurological disorder, they made a claim against themselves too if they don't look pass the stress they probably have in their jobs, family or personal life. The fact that they make a big deal about anything is a feeling of distastefulness. Okay, I would be in the same boat as them making a big deal about their claims, but I acknowledge and recognize the sin in me and the need to have Jesus in my life. No Jesus, no life.

And addressing the first quote, surely he hasn't read the bible enough to know that God's compassionate, loving nature occurs more than His just and righteous attributes. Again, the rebellous nature refuse to believe that God is good. Well, get to know who He is. HE IS GOD! THE CREATOR, THE BEGINNING, OMNIPOTENT, OMNIPRESENT, POWERFUL AND MIGHTY, HOLY, JUST, RIGHTEOUS! If you think He is a bad character, errr...Hello!...He is God? If He were to listen to you all the time, He wouldn't be God. He'll be a politician, being ever so careful with his actions and trying to take you on his side. God doesn't need your opinion, or your ideas. He only wants you to obey! Never will a pot go against the potter. What purpose does it serve if the pot questions and challenges the potter in every decision made and how the pottery shop ought to be run? Remember who God is. Remember who you are in light of God. I am nothing, but out of miry clay, I was made into something through the saving grace of my compassionate, gracious and loving God!