Did God Create Evil?

 Some people read into the King James Version translation of Isaiah 45:7 that God "created evil." Actually, if you bother to read other more reliable translations like the NASB, NIV, ESV, or NLT, you will see that in context God is referring to natural evil such as disaster, calamity, bad times, bad or hard luck, and so forth. God cannot create moral evil for God is moral and good and holy and there is no evil motive or thought in Him. God is pure goodness.  A parallel verse to interpret this is Amos 3:6 which says does disaster come to a city unless the LORD has caused it. Job also in v. 2:10 thank God for bad times as well as good times as being from God

To be clear, God did create the possibility of evil just like when He created rocks and stones, He made it possible for Cain to murder Abel with one. A gun manufacturer makes murder possible but is not culpable for what a gun owner does with the weapons they manufacture.  Now, God gave us free will and that means we must have the option to be evil or to disobey God. God cannot give us free will and then prevent us from using it against Him. Free will necessitates the possibility of evil and hatred or we would be robots and puppets forced or coerced to obey and love God.

First, we must realize what evil is. It is not the opposite of good for then it would be equal to it and something that is existing in itself per se. Evil is the distortion, perversion, and twisting of good; a deviation from the good. It is a parasite and parasites need a host  (goodness!). If there were no good, neither could there be evil. Examples then of evil are unrighteousness, lawlessness, injustice, and unfairness.  You see that the objective good must exist first. That is why God cannot create evil: it is not a thing, but a lack of good and a parasite a vacuum that sucks in error and falsehood. Evil was once good just like Satan was once perfect in all his ways till evil was found in his heart.  God didn't force or tempt Satan to do evil or to be evil; he managed this unprovoked by God and on his own initiative. 

Goodness is something that can be infinite and perfect for God is good and perfect in all His ways. But evil cannot be absolute or perfect or infinite, because it is a parasite and deviation.  The power of evil is that it masquerades and parades as good and deceives people.  Like mixing enough error or heresy into truth to inoculate or immunize one from the real thing, like a false religion. Yes, pagan religions and false religions are not totally evil or completely wrong! They do have an element of truth and enough good to deceive! Satan then is in the counterfeit business trying even to deceive the elect with heresy and false doctrines of demons.  

Now God has reasons to permit and allow evil: We see good in contrast to evil, we get the opportunity for good in the midst of evil, we praise God for turning short-term evil into long-term good, and it is a test of our faith and character (some get better, some bitter). Soli Deo Gloria!

An Impossible Debt

 To get saved, we need to be forgiven of an impossible debt to God that only He can pay (Christ's sacrifice, being God, was perfect and infinite value); we must declare spiritual bankruptcy in God's court.  We do not have a chance to meet God's demands and it's good that Jesus paid it in full by declaring: "It is finished [Tetelestai]." Which in interpretation, means and implies "Paid in Full." Once you have remitted a bill, you forget it! Same with God, once we are forgiven at salvation, God keeps no record of wrong and doesn't count our sins against us. (cf. 2 Cor. 5:19; Psalm 32:2).  We no longer are debtors to God after our salvation because God no longer can count our sins against us or there would be double jeopardy and God is just and cannot allow His justice to  be perverted. 

We owe an outstanding debt to God and man to love and this the summation of our ethic: loving God and our neighbor. We even owe a moral debt or obligation to society in general!  We forgive others then as Christ has forgiven us! We return the favor and be examples of forgiveness without any malice or vengeance for trespasses against us. Our forgiveness is not conditional because that would not be grace. 

Just like Jesus said in the Lord's Prayer that we should forgive others their debts or sins as God forgives us. This is not legalism or adding to the grace of God: Jesus plus this or that. The statement is highly troubling and some think that if they haven't forgiven someone, they are lost.  But we want to forgive out of gratitude and the operative word is "as" meaning we will do it. That is not the same as saying "if we forgive others."  All our sins are forgiven upon salvation and we need only confess them to regain fellowship, not salvation.  The woman forgiven of adultery loved Jesus so much that Jesus was prompted to say that he who is forgiven much, loves much!  

God's grace is not only necessary for  salvation, but sufficient. We forgive others out of love and a change of heart  because God has transformed us from the inside out to be new creatures in Christ eager to do good and love others. Whenever we partake of the Lord's Supper, we are to examine ourselves to see if anyone holds something against us or we have sinned against a brother, even offending them or making them to fall. 

God's mercy means that God doesn't treat us as we deserve and punish us, and His grace means He give us what we do not deserve as a blessing. We must never come to God seeking "justice," for if we got that, we would certainly be condemned. Some wish God were only "fair" to them and don't realize that would not be living by grace and we would forfeit the grace of God. If we deserved salvation, it would be justice, not mercy. The cost of unforgiveness is damnation!  It does cost to be saved, but more not to be!   Soli Deo Gloria!

I Am Of Paul

 Today's Christians are more divided and divisive than ever.  During the first centuries of the history of the church it was basically universal or catholic until the 1054 Schism and the Reformation of 1517. There is now a sect or denomination for every niche or group and doctrine. Some have a fetish with a favorite doctrine much like the Pharisees did with the Sabbath command. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he chided them for saying and grouping into factions: I am of Paul, I am of Cephas, I am of Apollos, or even I am of Jesus (as if the latter trumped all others and its followers were especially holy or righteous).  

CAVEAT: when you think your denomination or sect has a monopoly on truth or you cannot get along or fellowship with "outsiders" or other faiths,  your church is on the verge of being a cult, especially when you think you are the only ones and see your mission statement as one of proselytizing, not evangelizing. 

Does it really matter to you what a believer relates to, Paul is admonishing us to not divide or judge another by their affiliations.  I'm not saying all Christians should forget doctrine and just get together and sing kumbaya. Even Paul separated from Barnabas and had a dispute and Peter from Mark but I believe they were not petty or nitpicking on doctrine or splitting hairs. But Paul didn't preach about why he did it nor try to justify it.  

God condemns us for being divisive and especially for causing division between brothers or disharmony or discord.  That is one of the sins that God hates as mentioned in Proverbs.  Satan likes to divide and conquer! We are not to be ignorant of his schemes and wiles.  We are to leave room and space for people and make allowance for differences of opinion and disputable matters. But each should be convinced fully in their own minds and have a clear conscience. 

What is God concerned with? He will not ask us at the Judgment Seat what kind of church we went or whether we were this or that type of theological school of thought at all. Did we love our brother? We will be measured as to our righteousness, faithfulness, obedience, and love, and our walk with the Lord. And the works done in the flesh will amount to nil. We are accountable for our orthopraxy or ethics as much as our orthodoxy of doctrine. 

 What doctrine is meant to do is strengthen our faith, not divide us!  And we are rewarded according to our works, not our faith, which is a gift of God.  Only what's done for Christ in His name and to His glory in the Spirit can be rewarded and last. 

There will be no appraisal of the orthodoxy of our doctrines except the basic ones (we are to contend for the common faith we share as Christians).  We are not commended then because we were impeccably right in our doctrines. Doctrine is important for faith to grow and we are to resist heresy and expose it, but there are many disputable ones that sincere and strong believers can disagree on.  We shouldn't wage war against them because they disagree with us nor be on a mission or agenda to make everyone believe as we do. We must rather practice what we believe and put our faith into action, turning creeds into deeds. 

Therefore, someone is not a good Christian because he doesn't or does affiliate with some denomination or identify with a theological interpretation such as Calvinism which is so controversial now that they renamed themselves "Reformed" or "Covenant." This is like many churches including mine that have taken the name "Baptist" off and renamed it some non-denominational sounding one. Some so-called Evangelical churches are close to what my church stands for and we do not promote unique doctrines in order not to divide the brethren.  

But Baptists get a bad rap and some people associate them with backsliders, predestination, legalism, or eternal security and therefore people already have a preconceived notion of any believer who belongs to such a church. Did you know that Billy Graham was a Southern Baptist but he didn't propagate or preach it in his evangelism. He learned to cooperate even with Catholics in evangelistic outreaches.  For sure, note that God will not ask you what church you attended but whether you found a way to serve and were faithful.  

Now, the question arises as to our fellowship with others. We are not only to be in fellowship with our church family but strive to be at peace with all men and love the brotherhood everywhere. Jesus said we would be known by our love, not our branding.  It really doesn't matter what you label yourself, you are not holier for doing it and God condemns any "holier than thou" attitude.  We are to observe the weightier matters of the Law like "justice, mercy, and faithfulness."  

Anyone can call themselves a Christian but some are nominal believers or Christians in name only.  The church is really composed of all true believers worldwide, not just our own fellowship or circle of friends and family. If someone is of another sect or denomination or school of theology, it should not matter to you; to his own Lord he stands or falls.  We should determine in the end who serves God and knows God and who doesn't. We must heed Christ's words that they will know we are Christians by our love for one another.  

In the final analysis, we ought to celebrate our common faith and commonalities, not resent differences.  Fellowship happens when we stop judging or even labeling each other and commence accepting and loving one another in the Lord.   Soli Deo Gloria! 

What To Tell An Atheist Troll

 One day you will learn as every human being will, that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. There are those of us who willingly bend the knee now because of what we know He has done for us. And I guess there will be people such as yourself who will bend the knee when He reveals His true nature and self - but for those, it will be too late.

The burden of proof remains the responsibility of each person as they go through this life. Each person needs to be convinced in their own minds, and it is up to them to work that out for themselves. As my wife says, she thinks more faith is required to not believe in God than what is actually required to believe in God. But again, that’s up to each and every individual.

As the apostle Paul says in Romans 14:11-12, “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. [12] So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.”.

When that day comes for you, do not even try to say, I didn’t know - because you have been told. No excuses from you, yes?!? 🤔

💖 from our God and may you truly know His perfect 🕊️

What Think You Of Christ? ...

 The title is probably the most important question you'll ever answer regarding your eternal destiny. "Whose Son is He?"  Jesus is claiming deity!   Jesus asked the disciples: "Who do you say that I am?"  This is pivotal and your salvation depends upon it. If you don't get your Christology correct, you are lost: "Unless you  believe that I AM (with no predicate in the Greek).. you shall die in your sins." John 8:24. That means that Jesus is God Almighty, not a god or made or created God, but eternally God and equal to the Father in essence and being. 2 John 9 says that if anyone does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, he does not have God.... Remember when Peter confessed Christ as the Messiah and Son of the Living God? It is this confession that defines the church of Christ and distinguishes it from cults which twist the passage and make Christ less than He is: fully God in the flesh. The Word became flesh. John 1:14 

I am not going to cite all the proof texts of the deity of Christ (e.g., Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13; 1 John 5:20) but it is known that Jesus claimed to be one with the Father (John 10:30) and that the Pharisees understood He was claiming equality with God even if the disciples were dense or clueless for He called God His own Father. (John 5:18).   His most famous declaration was John 8:58 where Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I AM... That is the name of God!   

A. W. Tozer said that "the most important thing about is what you think of God!"  This shapes our worldview forms our convictions and decides our fate. Do you put God in a box: the doting Grandpa, the Father Time, the Great Spirit in the sky, the Cosmic Killjoy, the Man Upstairs, the Mean Judge, Mother Nature?  Note that there are basically four perceptions of God: the benevolent life coach or the one who is immanent and involved favorably, or the critical judge or critic or one distantly involved unfavorably, the authoritative father figure or involved indirectly, or a distant force or impersonal and uninvolved. God is a person we can know, not some force or object or thing we can use. We relate to persons, but use things. 

The important thing is that God is not dead and is alive because Jesus rose from the dead "with many infallible proofs." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep."  The Bible says that the lost are blind and cannot reason themselves to God: "The world by wisdom did not know God." 1 Cor. 1:21  We cannot find God out or fathom Him fully or exhaustively, but we can know Him personally and truly. We come to know God via faith and then we experience or encounter God.  All believers have a personal relationship with God; God desires to get personal. We know God by walking in faith and not by sight and learning to walk in the Spirit, cultivating its fruits. Faith is not meant to be a cakewalk, but a challenge and learning experience of a pilgrimage with God. If faith is easy, it isn't worth much, it must be tested!  We grow in our faith and in our knowledge of the Lord.  

It is not so easy to dismiss Jesus; He is either the Lord, a liar, a lunatic, or a devil. He has not left any other options open according to C. S. Lewis.  No one successfully accused Him of sin, much less prove Him a liar; wouldn't His disciples had figured that out? He was so holy that people felt like sinners in His presence like His apostle Peter.  His personality has been studied to see if He fits any abnormal profiles and He is the epitome of humanity as our exemplar. The claims He made t be God either make Him a deceiver or devil and liar but you can not say he was just a good teacher for that option isn't open because  He plainly claimed to be the Son of God, equal to the Father. 

In sum, at the Judgment, all that will matter is what we did with Jesus:  salvation is all about knowing Jesus personally (not knowing about Jesus) as one's personal Lord and Savior as Jesus said in His priestly prayer of John 17 in verse 3 that eternal life is know God and His Son!    Soli Deo Gloria!

Will God Forgive Me?

"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for..." Isaiah 40:1-2 

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore and repent." Rev. 3:19

"This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after  that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.... For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Jer. 31:33-34 

 So many people think they have committed the unforgiveable sin or that they have gone to far and there is no hope for their souls that it is necessary to make a study on God's mercy. Truly, we cannot limit the mercy of God any more than we can put God in a box. It wasn't long ago that the Roman Catholic Church taught that if you committed suicide you automatically went to hell because you couldn't repent, but has since reversed itself saying this is limiting God and God decides who is forgiven, not us. 

Actually, the only unforgiveable sin is "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit," as delineated in Matt. 12:31ff. In Jesus's day, the Pharisees went so far that they attributed the works Christ had done by the finger of God to the devil himself. They didn't just think it but proclaimed it verbally and impenitently to overthrow the ministry of Christ. That is a pretty hard sin to do in this day and age even though it is theoretically possible.  

The point is that the person never repents and God sees this heart that we don't. Only God can judge that one has done this sin.  No matter what sin you have committed, you can be forgiven if you repent!  Israel had done every evil in the book but God didn't throw the book at them but told them even then He would not utterly cast them out and would forgive them (cf. Lev. 26:44). If you think you cannot be forgiven, you are already showing remorse and cannot be unredeemable or have gone too far; those people don't care and are impenitent. 

We must realize that even Christians do not get away with sin though God does not punish them per se. He chastises and disciplines or even prunes them that they may learn their lesson. In faithfulness, He has afflicted us that we may gain a heart of wisdom and for our own good (Psalm 119:67,71). They rod and staff of God is meant to comfort us. It is good to be taught by God. Some need to learn the hard way, the school of hard knocks. Guilt complexes are of Satan, but conviction of sin is the job of the Holy Spirit and God performs an open and shut case and doesn't just give us a vague feeling of shame or guilt--Satan does!  We all have a God-given conscience to listen to, but it can be wrong if not enlightened by the Word. 

When God forgives us, He deletes the file on us and keeps no permanent file or record (Isaiah 38:17); He blots them out for His own sake (Isaiah 43:25). He has swept them away like a cloud (Isaiah 44:22). He also casts them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).  What God does is throw them into the sea and puts up a sign: no fishing!  God can utterly forget and delete memories!  If we confess the same sin over and over, we are dredging up old sins and God says, "What sin?" We cannot be forgiven too many times and even if it's the same sin. Do you want new sins?  We may have an easily besetting sin that overcomes us and we need special intercession or confession. Remember, "Sin is crouching at the door and wants to destroy you and you must not let it." Gen. 4:7 

He only forgives those with faith in Jesus and have repented of their sins. True repentance is without regret. (2 Cor. 7:10).   That means being sorry enough to stop them. If there is no remorse, there can be no forgiveness. The Christian may sin, but he doesn’t desire to and wants to live a holy life and has made the decision to follow Christ. The point of conversion is that God changes a person from the inside out and makes them a new person willing to do God’s will.

God forbid that we should take advantage of grace and go on sinning once forgiven. That would be a sin of presumption. No believer is without sin but is at the same time justified before God and a sinner saved by grace, not his conduct. God doesn’t hold our sins against us (cf. 2 Cor. 5:19; Psalm 32:2). But only Christians have power to overcome sin and it has no dominion over us. (Romans 6:14). 

In sum, when the believer sins, God doesn't hold it against them (cf. 2 Cor. 5:19) but disciplines them that they may grow spiritually and in maturity and faith.  "O what joy for those whose record has been cleared of guilt...." (Psalm 32:2).   Confession is not a matter of getting saved again, but of restoration to fellowship with the Father, the Son, and other believers as 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness."   Soli Deo Gloria! 

Why Don't They Believe? ...

 There is "no excuse," says Paul in Romans 1:20 and "God has made it plain to them" in Romans 1:19 that God exists. The "heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows forth His handiwork." Indeed, we can learn the laws of nature by studying the atmosphere and outer space. Job 38:33 is where God challenges Job to make us of the laws of the universe (presumably the laws of nature or some 50 universal constants that make reality as we know it possible and the Anthropic Principle or that God has designed or made a fine-tuned earth specifically for the sustaining of life per Isaiah 45:18. (He formed it to be inhabited!) 

All those laws of nature imply a divine Lawgiver.   Einstein in his humble and simple faith saw God as a great Mathematician and the Designer of the laws of nature that are in such harmony that it makes us seem feeble; the universe seems to him as "one vast mathematical equation."  If you see design or purpose as demonstrated in nature, you can assume a Designer or Purposer. Design doesn't happen by itself; it's planned that way or fixed. 

No amount of evidence can force, coerce, or make someone who doesn't want to become a believer, and God will not change your mind it it's dead set against His will: "If any man is willing  to do His will, he shall know...." John 7:17  We see this premise established in the history of Israel which saw many miracles from Moses and still disbelieved and rejected God. Psalm 78:32 says that they refused to believe despite the many signs of Moses.  

We do not commit intellectual suicide to become believers nor does God expect us to kiss our brains goodbye.  As believers we are to cater to a person's intellectual integrity but not pander to their intellectual arrogance, according to theologian John Stott.  Most intelligent or educated don't believe for the same reasons others don't: they don't want to believe (it may mess up their lifestyle or they might think they may not have any "fun").  What people do is feign intellectual problems or issues to mask      emotional, moral, or heart-felt problems.  People give pseudo reasons for disbelief and there are many (these are known as smoke screens that hide the real issues): thinking science has undermined the Bible; thinking faith is irrational; thinking the Bible is not historical and even unscientific; thinking its ideals or moral expectations are too high; thinking that religion is all "pie in the sky;" and especially when a person loves his sin too much so they won't repent.

Jesus was in the same predicament with the hardened Pharisees who refused to believe at least in the miracles themselves as from God (they believed they were from Satan) John 12:37 says that even though Jesus did many miracles, they would [not could not] believe. "I did tell you but you don't believe.  The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me."  John 10:25  We are to believe on the evidence of the miracle themselves.  John 14:11  Remember, miracles do not make faith, but only a thirst for more miracles and often evoke skepticism and unbelief, but faith makes miracles. 

Note that they might have believed if they had not already decided against it. Jesus told them to "believe for His works' sake."   But nothing could convince them, even the mighty works, signs, wonders, and good works, and miracles of Jesus who "was a prophet mighty in word and deed."  That means He practiced what He preached and preached what He practiced for an undeniable witness. 

Jesus called them to Him but they would not because their heart was not right before God. "You are slow of heart to believe..." Luke 24:25  Is your heart in the right place? The fact of the matter is that the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. Jesus calls us in love but will not force us to come to Him. God "is at work within us to do and to work of His good pleasure."  Phil. 2:13 

The fact of the matter is that people are blinded by Satan and don't see the wonderful news of the gospel and that their problem is sin, not being unenlightened or uneducated. "Satan has blinded the minds of the that believe not...." 2 Cor. 4:4  But God can open the heart as He did to Lydia (Acts 16:14) and do a work of grace.  

People are ignorant all right, but God can open the eyes of the blind and the eyes of our hearts and set us free from the power of the devil.  The whole world is in his influence unless they are saved, then he cannot touch them. 1 John 5:18  Point in fact: It is that people will not believe, not that they cannot.  God doesn't owe them any more proof than is in nature, His natural revelation, and the Bible, His supernatural or special revelation.  Jesus would do no miracles on demand or a biggie miracle to dispel doubt and unbelief, but expected us to be believing.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Do All Things Occur As God Plans?

 Some Christians don't believe that God's will is always done.  They believe they can frustrate God and defy His will. It is true we can break God's laws and not obey Him, but this is known as the preceptive will of God or that will revealed to us. But there is another way to look at God's will: the secret, decreed, and ultimate will of God that we do not know till it happens. God is known for orchestrating history as He wills to glorify Himself per Eph. 1:11 where it says God works all things in conformity with His will. That means God is sovereign, and if He is not Lord of all, He cannot be Lord at all. There can be no  maverick molecule in the cosmos.  No  grain of sand outside His will. It was one grain of sand in Oliver Cromwell's kidney that stopped a war! God was working!  Job said we cannot frustrate or thwart God's will in Job  42:2. 

Some believers think that when bad things happen, they cannot be God's will or when men sin that God didn't decree to allow it to happen or  even direct it into being. The crucifixion is the most wicked event in history perpetrated by man and Acts 4:28 says that it went according to God's predestined plan and will. Now, when God says not to steal and I do anyway, I am breaking God's Law and preceptive will. But God may allow it to happen for He intends good out of evil. As Joseph said to his brothers, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." Gen. 50:20  John Wycliffe, first translator of the Bible into English, made the famed dictum: "All things come to pass of necessity." 

That means God has a  purpose for everything happening and God even has a purpose for allowing evil according to Prov. 16:4. God is the Potter and we are the clay; we cannot complain to the Maker why we are made so. Some people are vessels of honor and some of dishonor, but all serve God's higher purpose. God used Judas to do the dirty work of betraying Jesus, yet Judas did it completely of his own initiative without God  impelling or compelling him. Judas went as it was written of him.... 

We pray that God's will be done and this means on earth as it is in heaven, to be done willfully and cheerfully from the heat and not forced to do it. God is stronger than our wills as Jeremiah found out in Jer. 20:7 when he said that God had overpowered him and he felt defeated by God who prevailed.  We know "that a man's way is not his sown; no one who walks determines hi sown steps." Jer. 10:23 and "A mans steps are determined by the LORD so how can anyone understand hi sown way?" Prov. 20:24 and "A man's heart plans his way but the LORD determines his steps." Prov. 16:9 We are not fully in control of our lives; even the king's heart is controlled by God as He controls a river's course per Prov. 21:1 and in Prov. 16:33 it says God controls the toss of the dice.  Soli Deo Gloria!

What Are Sins Against Faith?

 You should understand that we are all people of faith and that with different systems, it’s not a matter of faith vs. reason, but faith vs. faith. Faith is trusting in what you have good reason to believe. Doubt is not a sin against faith but a necessary component. No one has perfect faith: God requires sincere, unfeigned faith. Note: even Christians can be guilty of these sins. A sin against that would obviously be anything done in “bad faith” or demonstrating “no faith.”

1. For instance, having blind faith or not knowing why you believe or believing for no good reason at all. Not knowing what or why you believe is a way of not believing at all.  Faith without rational evidence is blind faith! 
2. Another would be the escapism and crutch of skepticism or of not accepting faith at all as a system to find truth, though it is a philosophical fact that all knowledge begins in faith and is contingent. You must always commence with some presupposition you cannot prove or disprove.
3. Nihilism is another anti-faith belief system whereas one denies truth can be known or anything has real meaning at all, or that even nothing makes sense at all or has purpose or even can be known; basically belief in nothing at all.
4. Postmodernism is a threat that denies absolute, transcendent, objective truth can be found or established at all; basically, to them, all truth is “relative.” The catchphrase is “That may be true for you, but not for me!”
5. We live in a post-faith era whereas Secular Humanists believe that faith is the enemy and that the only reliable tool for gaining knowledge is the scientific method. Therefore, one must observe it or be able to measure it for it to be true. But they don’t realize they are putting faith in the scientific method, their own power of reason, other scientists, materialism, and naturalism.
6. New Age or New Spirituality says we can find truth in ourselves and the “God within.” There is no universal truth at all and dogma is unofficial and personal.
7. Pragmatists are also anti-faith in that they say the measure of an idea or system is not whether it is true but its results and effects.

Prayer Of St. Patrick

 “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;

That where there is Hatred, let me sow Love,

That where there is Injury, let me sow Pardon,

That where there is Doubt, let me sow Faith,

That where there is Despair, let me sow Hope,

That where there is Darkness, let me sow Light,

That where there is Sadness, let me sow Joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be Consoled, as to Console.

That I may not so much seek to be Understood, as to Understand.

That I may not so much seek to be Loved, as to Love.

For it is by Pardoning, that we are Pardoned.

It is by Giving that we Receive.

And it is by Dying that we are born into Life Eternal.”—-St. Francis