Very good, Alicia, as always.

It then occurred to me that belief in the supernatural and otherworldly events requires one to be humble. Humility is probably the hardest virtue and Pride probably the most deadly sin. To surrender to a higher power and feel its love is a gift that is there for us all and it is in the Christmas season that we are reminded that God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son.

...(hit the "submit" button too quickly.)

It is pride and lack of humility that keep most atheists as they are. I used to be one and in my case, Alicia is spot on -- in order to admit to a higher power, an intelligent first cause and sustainer of the universe, one must admit that intellectual prowess and scientific proof are the answers to all things, never realizing that in so admitting, the atheist is saying, "The human mind is as high as it gets".

More, the atheist loves his alleged intellectual approach to his position, usually saying something like, "If it can´t be proved by repeatable experiments, peer review and scientific methodology, I will not believe it." Again, he/she place his mind above all other ways to gain knowlege.

....continued

.... continued
So what? The "what" is this: When one eliminates, a priori, the possibility of the supernatural (that which does not follow the laws of science and nature), one automatically eliminates and entire venue, an entire pathway through which to gain knowledge. It is pride that makes him do this = he is afraid of seeming like a dunce to his friends and family. He takes pride in the popular position he has taken that only science has the answers.

Christians by no means are anti-science. People like me, for example place a reasonable amount of assurance in science. But we have not cut off avenues of learning such as admitting that supernatural events could and often do occur. Hence my belief in the God of the Bible.

Atheists might do well to view Dawkins, Hitchens et al with a new perspective; why are they so adamant that everyone else take what they say as gospel and that they know what is right because they are "scientists". All that says is that they have been short-sighted enough to discard an entire avenue of scientific exploration -- the supernatural

Can´t they just disagree without the rudeness? I´ll bet scientists do this all the time regarding scientific theories of others without being disrespectful. As far as what so-called celebs think, why does anyone care?

Mike Huckabee recently said libs are tolerant only of things with which they agree. They really seem to have no lives of their own.

"Libs are tolerant only of things with which they agree....." Ditto believers. In fact, ditto mankind. Beware believers (of anything...) WITH POWER!

Thank you, #1. Gives me hope that someone can change.

A wonderful article from a fellow L.DOTTER. Merry Christmas, Alicia!

Friends, ponder not because the folly of the wicked is their undoing and they have no peace or rest. One only needs to contemplate the fact that matter cannot create itself and the power of God´s Word was sufficient to create the heavens and Earth. Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Merry Christmas to all. May the God of all things bless and keep you and yours.

Scientists can fine-tune ideas about contingency. I´m all for it.

Scientists can not get a grip on necessity.

Hence a huge lacuna in our understanding.

Nonbelievers who ignore this are revealed as a blinkered lot.

Those who ´believe´ that human is as high as it gets, and that they just rot away in a sealed case after they die, are as sad, and ignorant, as it gets. There is so much more to know, to live and to love, and to aspire to.

I did not spring from an ape, as apparently did atheists. We call it FAITH for a reason. I am a faithiest.

Einstein was no atheist so he was smarter than Dawkins et al. But he should have read the Book of Wisdom

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

600 years ago, the educated elite thought the world was flat and that disease was caused by vapours.

My computer is connected to all the computers in the world. I can find out a lot of things on it and talk to people anywhere. But my computer doesn´t know it´s sitting next to a vase of flowers.

There is a certain humility in knowing you don´t have all the answers.

The truth about God is evident because God himself has made it evident in the things he has created..( Paraphrasing Rom 1:20-22 )

Alica still finds the wonder in Christmas. Thank you. I am reminded of the child at the mall who upon seeing long lines asked, ´´Where is the line to see Jesus?´´ (Maybe the line forms this year just behind the children from Newtown.)

Einstein thought the idea of a personal God to be silly.

Richard Dawkins would never deny that a personal God might exist.

The folks who are certain that there is a personal God are the problem in this world.

I am an atheist because I see no evidence of a God. That is all.

I often want to rant about the secularists and atheists and their "scientific" refutation of God. I often wish for scientific proof of God just to shut them up.. And then I realize that we are surrounded by God´s proof but many refuse to see it. Faith gives me great comfort; facts, not so much.

terrific column Alicia.

Thank you #13. Romans 1:16-2:11. Too long to type in, but oh so relevant to this discussion. "Professing to be wise they became fools." (Romans 1:22). Our God will not be mocked.

Too many who consider themselves the intellectual elite cannot admit, even to themselves, that some things are unknowable and unproveable. That is the essence of faith, believing in that which one can neither see nor prove. The existence (or nonexistence) of God cannot be proven. But that is the essence of mans purpose.

God gave man free will, if his existence were to be proven man would abey scripture out of fear, not out of love of his fellow man, out of faith. If his existence were disproven man would be free of any consequence for his actions, no guiding principles above his own selfish needs. No driving force for him to rise above the animals.

Everything else is immaterial. I personally believe in the Big Bang, evolution and many other seemingly disprovative scientific ideas. But those are just our limited glimpse into the ttols God used to create the cosmos and ultiomately us.

It is also why evil exists. God could easily stop it but to do so would break his own laws, miracles are wonderful things but they must be very rare events or man will stop excercising free will and simply wait for a miraculous salvation.

Humility is the best character trait. One can recognize the greatness of human accomplishment without declaring themselves gods. We are in Einsteins library, a little older and we have read the first couple books, but a vast warehouse full of ever more wondorous things remains untouched.

Looks like the 6 year Matt is smarter than Dawkins

A priest came up with the Big Bang Theory which Einstein initially rejected (your math is correct but your physics is not, he said)

Thanks to OP for posting and to our own Alicia - thank you for putting into words what so many of us think. And Merry Christmas to you and Matt and all your family,
Ramona (the Pest)

Well done Ms. Colon. It is difficult to improve upon what she has written. I do wish, however, that Christians would defend their faith more vigorously. Happy holidays is a most vacuous greeting if I ever heard one, especially painful to hear it instead of the beautiful Merry Christmas. Well Merry Christmas and May God Bless you all.

If atheists don´t believe God exists, why are they so terrified of Him? Why do they feel the need to crush out all forms of worship?? If belief in God is only a myth, much like Santa and the Tooth Fairy, why do they feel the need denigrate the believers?

Sir Isaac Newton.

Every mathematician, physicist and scientist venerate the man and his astounding body of work.

But ... they fail to recognize his "science wok" was only a third of his output. The other two-thirds was devoted to studying the Scriptures and contemplating the mystery of God in our lives.

Most Astounding Book I´ve Ever Read

Temple At The Center Of Time

Examines and exposes Newton´s real life´s work. Go to Amazon and check it out.

Now, that said, a relative who is a theoretical mathematician for one of our alphabet agencies and the world´s foremost computer companies scanned this book and said, "Yeah? This doesn´t prove anything. Let me show you ..."

His intellect is in Total Competition Mode all the time. Can´t even respect Newton because "his" mind is so much more advanced.

Pride does indeed go before the fall.

From poster 1-3, ...."If it can´t be proved by repeatable experiments, peer review and scientific methodology, I will not believe it."

And the same people swallow the global warming scam like pudding spooned into them by frauds.

The message at the funeral of an atheist; All dressed up, and nowhere to go.
Over the years there have been so many events in my life that some would consider to be a coincidence, but I am convinced are the result of guidance by the unseen Hand of God. In February and March of this year I spent over 30 days in the hospital recovering from a by-pass operation that did not go well. While I won´t try to explain it, as I laid there, somewhere between the now and the hereafter, the feelings I had as the result of the prayers from the hundreds of people in my circle of friends and relatives was so strong, I could almost reach out and grasp it in my trembling fingers.
Uncle Cliffie

Reminded of the Dyslexic Agnostic that was not sure if there was a Dog.

Yes, again, we have the Exceptional Commandment - Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness, *except* against atheists.

I´m so glad to see others quoted the scripture I was looking for. ´´... that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse...´´

Nature shows us God´s hand. Creation Moments is a web site with a free daily newsletter, and today´s article told about life being found even in rock in Antarctica´s Victoria Land arctic desert. They referenced an article called ´´Living in rock and lichen it.´´ What an awesome God we serve.

Ah, there´s the rub, isn´t it? If we recognize Him as God, we will serve Him. We would rather serve our own pleasure than His. Intelligent people should be able to see, however, that the Creator´s ways are higher and better than our choices.

We need to experience God for ourselves. We can meet Him in His Holy Word, and we can meet Him through prayer. I had heard about big bears, but one day a huge one ran out of the woods and down the hill toward our house. Hearing about big bears and experiencing that one running into our yard were two very different things. God is there. It is important to experience Him for yourself.

Like #26, I also have had a few "intervening experiences" that I don´t think were coincidences. I observe nature up close when painting, & some things occur to me. Nature has a repeating pattern which causes me to think that while we are all different we are all alike, too. For instance, I was sketching a leafless tree seen at a distance. I saw for the first time how much it resembled the coronary venous system & how much they both resembled riverbeds & streams photographed from a great height. There is a design in the natural world that has a reassuring symmetry & mathematical rhythm that is at the same time enormous & microscopic, seen & unseen. Look at human achievement - we can use our gifts for big things that glorify, or small things that diminish. I choose to think that God reveals himself that way.

Loved #12´s post about the computer and the flowers. Says so much.

It is indicative of the vacuity and decadence of our times that Bill Maher could have a platform within our society. Who cares what he thinks about anything?

Such a wonderful article. There are many comments that can be made about it and many great ones already posted. I would like to add some myself.

Going back to the days of Adam and Eve, it´s clear to me that the serpent that induces Eve to eat the forbidden fruit was his (the serpent) way of telling Adam and Eve that if they ate the fruit, then they would be as gods themselves and as such would no longer be bound to God´s commands. And mankind has doing just that ever since.

Another point that is very difficult to understand. After so many failures (read the Old Testament) I believe that the Almighty made the decision to try something else. So, He sent his Son to live among men and teach to them about the changes being made. And one of those was the freedom of absolute choice. From that time onward, all mankind gets to make the choice of accepting God and his Commandants or go another way of their own choosing.

I choose to worship God and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas to all.

Atheists have one day of the year solely dedicated to them.

April 1,,,,,,,

Merry Christmas to all, believers and those who will.

Another good one from Ms. Colon.

C.S. Lewis used to say that he never met a true atheist --- a believer in nothing. Instead, what he met after his lectures were people who claimed to be atheists. But after he spoke to them (& grilled them) they almost always said that they believed in ghosts, UFOs, aliens from Mars, the power of the stars, luck, karma, birth signs, etc. In short, their disbelief was all based on themselves and their inability to transcend the natural plane they were stuck on by being human. They couldn´t expand their understanding to encompass the miracle of God --- but they readily did just that to believe in junk science!

I´ll continue to believe in God until anyone can prove He doesn´t exist. Can´t do that? Then leave me alone --- and stay in your self-created darkness.

The higher Power does exist whether we believe in it or not. It does not require our belief. It is not what we imagine it is because it may not be encompassed by the human mind so many human minds reject it. Humility is a virtue that is in minimal supply today. One can tell by the tone of voice and language used by the population in general. We are forgiven. All we need do is ask.

Excellent, excellent, #12. Your simple post says so much.

A couple of days after the horror in Conneticut, while walking through the supermarket, a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night" by some unknown children´s choir was playing on the store speakers. When they reached the line "Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace..." I had to stop and take off my glasses to dry my eyes. I was not surprised to see the same reaction from others in the market - here in Sin City.

By the way, for what it´s worth, I believe Las Vegas has more churches per capita than any other city in the nation. We need them, I guess. So many of us here have a lot to atone for.

Dennis Prager always says those that don´t believe in God don´t believe in nothing; they believe in anything.

He also quotes a Rabbi who said: We have to believe in free will; we don´t really have a choice.

Thx OP -- I sent the link to this article to all my friends & family as my Christmas e-card! Fabulous & timely piece!

Thank you, Miss Alicia...always a joy. Merry Christmas.

"If it can´t be proved by repeatable experiments, peer review and scientific methodology, I will not believe it."

Luke 4:12
Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

Following-up on #2 -- Science, by its definition and rules, excludes anything supernatural. That´s why it´s referred to as natural science. Only things that can be sensed, measured, and manipulated are allowed in that arena. So God is not welcome.

As such, we have a small arena of facts that human beings understand, and research seeks to broaden until it encompasses all facts and known truths.
[Understanding, seeking truth.]

Theology and other religious study begins with a particular body of truths that we take and pass on as God´s revelation of truth. Biblical scholars and other such ´researchers´ seek to understand that revelation ever more deeply and completely.
[Truth, seeking understanding.]

The popular fallacy is that science and religion are in direct conflict with each other, and only one of them can be valid. But they simply start at opposing ends of the connection between truth and understanding, and are trying to fill-in the space between.

Science and religion complement each other and contextualize each other´s insights. The war between the two is as contrived and misleading as the recent "GOP war against women". And I´m convinced a thoughtful scientist will, noticing how stupefyingly limited our ability to perceive/detect things is, acknowledge that there is more to the universe than we can ever know, no matter how much time we have to study it. The ´fractal´ nature of reality virtually guarantees that we will never quite reach that retreating horizon of absolute truth.

Sorry for the length of this. But a truly Happy Holy Days to the whole Ldotter gang.

#s 26 & 30: I think it was Einstein who said that "coincidences were just God´s way of remaining anonymous."

#23 -- Don´t fall into the same dumb fallacy that LGBT activists do, assuming (and insisting) that any who oppose their views are AFRAID of them.

During my evangelical-athiesm years, I denigrated religious people, simply because I saw them as brainwashing others to accept imprisonment by superstition and myth. I worked diligently and passionately to reason believers into theological doubt, and I´ll work the rest of my days trying to make up for that.

It wasn´t out of fear, but anger and resentment at what I saw as profound injustice, that made me rail against religion. Judging others´ motives (like saying "atheists fight against religion out of fear", or "she meant to hurt that boy") is contrary to Christian belief.

I suggest a new approach. Evolution, as it may be proved scientifically, is only a tiny fraction of understanding of our whole universe and reason for being. Creationism does not go far enough. I believe that mankind´s miniscule understanding of this carnal universe we live in cannot begin to explain the basic questions of "Why do I exist and understand that existence?", "Why am I a sentient being separate from all others?" and "Do I have an immortal soul and will it be held responsible for my actions here in this world by a greater power?" .

I posit that no matter how we try to explain these questions and no matter the ideology, evidence or reason, we and this are all only a small part of a much grander design. I call it "Divine Design".

Divine Design is God´s plan for everything which has existed before the so called "Big Bang" or start through to the end of the universe (if there ever actually is a "beginning" or "ending"). It is all encompassing and we are too extremely primitive to begin to understand Divine Design. It is just pure arrogance to say we understand anything beyond the most basic laws of our physical universe. I think Einstein may agree.

#15 wrote:

"Richard Dawkins would never deny that a personal God might exist.

The folks who are certain that there is a personal God are the problem in this world.

I am an atheist because I see no evidence of a God. That is all."

My question:
Are you certain there is no personal God who could and would give me justified certainty without also giving it to you?

It seems that your certain (without reason) that "The folks who are certain that there is a personal God are the problem in this world."

Sorry...
You are (not "your")

"The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."

Albert Einstein

I am an humble man- as smart as most, and have studied extensively on the subject of God, the Bible, etc. I had some sort of strange event in my life that gave me insight- I believe. And, my faith tells me, God is not at all- not in any sense, what people think. Neither is the Bible, nor Jesus. Man´s relationship with God is actually Man´s relationship with himself. Evil and good both come directly from the human heart and mind. Animals have no concept of either. We make our own hell and we can have our own heaven- it´s entirely up to us- All God did was make us aware of that fact!

To paraphrase Blaise Pascal´s Wager on Faith: If you are right and I am wrong, I have lost nothing, however If I am right and you are wrong, you have lost everything.

God has definitely blessed L-dotters with great insight and the talent to put it into words. I especially appreciate the visual of #14´s post. Merry Christmas to all of you.

Living with GOD in our hearts is like opening our souls and letting the sun shine in reflecting the Lord´s very being.
If we relax and accept we come to know of the many times we do find his hand directing our lives and receiving comfort through his son who chose via love to endure our frail efforts and guide our said souls.
To celebrate his coming the Lord Jesus the Christ year after year through the centuries is to give him the honor denied too many times as he walked among frail mankind.
Atheists and others though find it not troubling to jump into every pagan concept and falsehood that arrives on the winds of whimsey. They push the disbelief agendas if they are daring God to manifest his power by their order and quell their fears. They are in exile and their souls will be lost.

#15, it is interesting: you see no evidence of a God....and I see nothing but evidence of God. And I remember seeing the world, once upon a time, the way you see it now.

William Blake, seeing the works of "Enlightenment" thinkers, wrote:

Mock on, mock on, Voltaire, Rousseau;
Mock on, mock on; ´tis all in vain!
You throw the sand against the wind,
And the wind blows it back again.
And every sand becomes a gem
Reflected in the beams divine;
Blown back they blind the mocking eye,
But still in Israel´s paths they shine.

The Atoms of Democritus
And Newton´s Particles of Light
Are sands upon the Red Sea shore,
Where Israel´s tents do shine so bright.

15,

I look around see nothing but evidence of a God. With my mind and 5 senses I have enjoyed Beethoven Piano Concertos, Bach Partitas, the hugs of my children, southern pan-fried chicken, numerous books, great films and other forms of art. I can personally find no adequate resolution to the atheist´s notion that all of these things were created, and enjoyed, by randomly rearranged dirt.

The complexity of even the simplest form of life yet discovered is still well beyond the reach of being replicated by the collective minds of the world´s most brilliant scientists who are at it 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

If, at some point in the future, these scientists succeed in creating a legitimate, replicating form of life (it has to self replicate to count, in my book), atheists worldwide will likely herald the end of the idea of an intelligent creator.

Funny. I would argue that the decades of research and refinement of technologies are actually evidence that life can ONLY be created by an intelligent cause.

What saddens me the most is the number of young people that don´t know G-d and mock religion.