Posted by Leon on September 07, 1999 at 22:12:49:

In Reply to: God posted by Athon Lyons on August 29, 1999 at 09:19:10:

Hello Athon. Your question is a fair one and I will humbly attempt to answer.

To answer the first part of your question, The Hebrew name for God is very roughly translated into modern English by the name Jahovah. Again, this is a rough translation which may even be more inaccruate than I realize. You may wish to get with an expert on the ancient Hebrew language.
Getting back to the point, regardless of the accuracy of the translation, the orginal term that the Hebrews used for God meant "self-existant eternal one." To my mind at any rate that would satisfy the question "Where did God come from?", He always was.

The second, "How do you know?" appears much tougher on the surface, yet can readily be satisfied. Let me in turn ask a question. How do you know or what makes you believe that when you apply the brakes on your automobile that it will stop? There can be three parts to this answer.

First. Someone told me. Yes of course. At some point in our lives we became curious as to what stopped the automobile that we were riding in. So, naturaly we asked someone that we thought would know, what it was that stopped the car. We received the answer that they were called "the brakes." We may possibly have even been given a quick lesson in how they worked. Not having any reason to doubt, we accepted that explaination.

Secondly, we know that brakes will stop the automobile because if we are of age, we may have experience in driving and have had occasion to stop our own vehicle using the brakes. Thus the second way to determine how an automobile stops is the experience factor. We know because it has happened to us.

Thirdly, I know what some may be thinking and I will address the point. Many, may have had the unfortunate experience of applying the brake without the result being that the vehicle stops. This, of course, would indicate a faulty brake system, thus nullifying my comparison of God to the brakes on a car. Quite to the contrary, it proves the point that while it is true that brakes on a car may malfunction, God never has nor will He. Yet multitudes have more faith in the brakes on their automobiles than they do in God.

In regards to whether God is real or not, I think Billy Graham used the best comparison. He said that while it was true that he had never seen the wind, it was also true that he had often seen the effect of the wind. And while it may be true that he had never see God, he had always seen the effects of what God has done.

Just a thought

Leon

Follow Ups:

Post a Followup