A Short Journey Into Basics

One time finishing my business in....(Perhaps I won't mention the place. Similar conversations happened on different excursions until I am not exactly sure which place was which). Anyway, finishing my affairs, I saw the time was still early, and I wished I could get to my next stop, a western town about 150 miles away. I went to the bus stop. When would the next bus be from here to there? Tomorrow. Plane service? Tomorrow also.

I decided to try a bit of hitch-hiking like I used to do in younger days.. There was not much traffic, but finally a car picked me up. The ever first question hitch-hiking, How far you going?" I told him. "What's your business?" I said I was with a religious outfit getting out Bibles and such literature.

That set him going. "Back in--- we had two sets of Bible thumpers more pushing than the regular churches. They were so similar, it seemed to most of us, we couldn't tell them apart. But they got involved in a mighty battle fighting each other instead of saving souls. One was Seventh Day Adventists and the other some kind of Baptists. The Baptists wanted to close up some hot spots business on Sunday and the Adventists said No, it must be on Sunday. But it all turned out good for the rest of us that wanted them to stay open all the time. We won while they fought."

"That will happen," I said. And silently added, "That is one of the devil's chief weapons, sectarian fighting while Satan takes the spoils." "I used to be a church member but noticed there was more social interest than concern of the Bible parts. My wife wanted to go for appearances sake. She used to go on and on about reputations and gossip[ of the other people there. Sure there is a lot more interest in that than in Bible study. I thought for a while my teen-age daughter was getting very interested in the church, but discovered it was interest in a certain young man there. So I dropped out."

I said nothing, but wondered if I should or how to start.

"I kinda believe in God, but am not sure. I guess no one can be sure. I read that a lot of priests who were supposed to be very devoted have confessed that much of their sacrificial efforts were to cover up their serious doubts."

"What is your business?" I asked.

"I used to be a professor in a small college, but found one could make a lot of money in business. Now I am in housing development and sales."

"Would you like to know for sure if there is a God or not?" I asked.

He paused thoughtfully at that for a moment. Then smiling said, "You can't prove it. No one knows for sure."

"Well," I replied, " I used to be a college professor myself. I have an advanced degree in physics. The whole structure of our scientific knowledge is pragmatic. An unproven theory is tried to see what results it brings. When that theory begins to yield predictable results with experiment it becomes accepted, at least usable, though often an approximation. To anyone who wants to disagree it is almost impossible to prove it to him. Just imagine taking a farmer who never went farther than first graded and try to prove to him any of the modern concepts in physics that have slowly been learned step by step through many generations. You would sound like a mad man to him, your words completely unintelligible. You would be lucky to be able to really prove to him the world was round and not flat."

"I see what you mean," he said thoughtfully with some respect. "Can you prove there is a God?"

I replied, "The first law of understanding and psychology is that the human mind believes what it wants to believe. People do not want to know the truth. But they want little true facts that do not disturb their way of life. They are not scientific investigators who study the philosophy of the land and then of the day and decide whether to become Republican or Democrat. Rarely that. Rather they grow up in a family and circle of friends and then vote the same way, meanwhile stumping great philosophical and ethical speeches on why they are for that party. All wishful thinking and self deception."

"I guess that is true enough," he admitted.

"I was surrounded in Berkeley by a bunch of bearded campus rousers who began all their usual diatribes against the Capitalistic system and religion. 'Tell me this,' I said to their apparent Numero Uno, 'Did you arrive at you belief there was no God by logical study and research, or did you sin first and then begin to compound all the reasons you could find to so believe?' He was stunned enough to actually ponder silently for a long ten seconds and then admitted, 'Why, everyone sins first, or course.' 'Discussion's over,' I said, and left them more silent than they had been for a long time evidently."

"Granting the very strong power of sinful thinking, can you prove God or any truth?"

"I cannot prove it to you, possibly, and certainly not against your will, but any really honest thinker investigation the matter can find certainty."

"Yeah," he murmured ruminatively and there was a long silence. "Yeah, I see. We all really do not want to know. We don't want to know ourselves. The mind builds up all kinds of fantasies, criticizing others to cover our own shortcomings."

"Exactly, and often when people are forced by reality to come face to face with themselves, they would rather go crazy and do. God could prove to people His presence and power ant time. But that is exactly what He does not wish to do. He holds off to give the honest hearts or minds the opportunity to see Him, His works, His ways and to love and appreciate Him. He will actually do all He has promised about giving peace and love and pardon for past failures, if anyone will seek to honestly know Him."

"That is very convincing," he said. "But I don't know if I want you to push me any further toward that just now. Tell me why there are such divisions and fights among your believers."

"Sure. It is no surprise to the Bible student. From the beginning God works with a group and keeps them separate from pagans. But, in no time you find that beautiful laws, rules, and doctrines don't save the individuals automatically. Some follow obediently and live morally, but the majority are given over to their lusts, greed, pride and stubborn ways. Then God sends a good prophet to preach and warn against such sins. Who persecutes that prophet? Not the distant pagans, but the very chosen of God, His church. When finally Christ Himself comes, who fights, hunts down and finally crucifies Him? Not the governing Romans, but the very priests and rulers of the church God had formerly set up.

"Then the primitive Christian church began to grow, but after a time grew into power and prestige, and began persecuting any who preached too clearly against sin, love of power, wealth, and sexual immorality.

"Today most church groups are not monolithic in spirituality. but have a few moral and devoted people dedicated to Bible ideals, while the others show a wide variety to spirituality on down to the few on the other end of the scale who are in gross immoral ways of life. God leaves it just so. The believer is in a real spiritual battle and must prove his devotion against very real tides of worldly customs. Philosophers have long noted that men generally hate a very good man a lot more than they do a criminal."

"True, true. Here we are at your town, I guess. You haven't proven to me there is a God, but I can see how to set about finding Him if I ever really want to know. I'm afraid that would involve making a guy see himself too clearly, and most of us don't like what we already see of ourselves. But thanks anyway."

"Thank you for the lift. I believe our meeting was not at all by chance, but God sees you are not far from the Light."