Only in Utah

I may - hypothetically - have moved to Utah since my last post. It's also theoretically possible that I am already in my second year as a Utahn (sp?). Utah, as you might already know, is very much like America; so much so that the similarities make the differences somewhat subtle. Still, I am potentially here, and these are just some of the oddities I could have spotted which may-or-may-not remind me of it.

"And it came to pass that I, Abraham Lincoln didst free minest slaves 

and get baptized, apparently." 1st Nonsequitur 18:65

I don't know if this is particularly relevant, but it is worth noting that somewhere in the world there exists a thermos the size of my already gigantic head.

In Utah, we've almost eliminated the need for animal control by having only the kind of stray animals which can be legally deep-fried.

I don't know if you can tell, but this is an actual Brigham Young themed firework. It was loud, crazy, and immediately forgotten - hence, the name.

I wonder what a sale at White Elegance would be like. "Get your temple garments half off!" Also, we are eerily close to having a company which washes your car and your temple garments. 

Does God Exist?

This is the skeleton of my version of Plato's cosmological argument. I'll put some meat on it later, when I figure out how. Also, I still need to determine all the implications. The definitions in the glossary are mostly my own, except where I've indicated.I welcome criticism, as long as it is kind.

1. If the universe came into existence from non-existence, then its cause must be outside of itself.

1.1 Like all abilities, the ability to bring an object into existence from non-existence requires power.

1.2 An object which is not already in existence has no power at all.

2. The universe came into existence from non-existence.

2.1 An object cannot have more than one age at any given point in time.

2.2 If the universe did not come into existence, but has existed from eternity past, then it has an infinite number of ages simultaneously.

2.2.1 At any given time (t1), the universe would be infinity years old.

2.2.2 At any given time afterward (t2), the universe would be both infinity and infinity + (t2-t1) years old.

2.2.3 Ad infinitum

3. Therefore, the universe must have a cause outside of itself.

GLOSSARY:

Ability: Possesion of requisite qualities for accomplishing a given task.*

Age: An object's duration of existence, from its beginning (if there was one) to the present.

Existence: That list of things which are, regardless of form.

Non-existence: That list of things which are not, regardless of form.

Object: Any thing to which a thought or action might be directed.**

Power: Energy, force or momentum.***

Universe: The collection of matter, energy, and space.

*"ability." Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 06 Mar. 2012. .

**"object." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 06 Mar. 2012. .

***"power." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 06 Mar. 2012. .

Music Therapy

So. I have a musician friend who is going through a tough time, and I promised her I would write a happy song in her honor. I'm still working on it, and I'll be away from my computer for a few days, so I decided to post some songs (by other people) that always lift my spirits. I hope this helps, Maria!

A Salute to The Best Math Teacher Ever

Meet Matthew Weathers. He teaches math at a certain Evangelical Christian university (I am not at liberty to discuss exactly which one, but I will say that he Brings In Only Ladies, Alright?). But Mr. Weathers does more than teach formulas and the like; he portrays mathematics as another means by which we learn about God. Also, having embraced his own dorkiness, he has developed a pretty amusing sense of humor. As a result, he's become something of an internet sensation. In addition, he looks like Mr Bean.

I salute thee, Mr. Weathers!



I was in that class, by the way.

The Gospel: What is the Purpose of Life? Part 2

I was listening to this song today and I noticed just how well it fits with the previous entry in my "Gospel" series. Enjoy!

A Low-Tech Map of the Middle-East

A few weeks ago I did a little presentation for my small group. The goal was to explain the entire historical context of the book of Isaiah in a way that made sense (it's harder than it looks). After talking for an hour, I ended up with a roomfull of blank faces and one really awesome hand-drawn map. In fact, the map was so awesome that I decided to do a full-color MS Paint edition for you, my wonderful audience. It's like if Google was run by six-year-olds. Enjoy.





I fully recognize that this map is not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing; therefore, I do not object to anyone printing it out on t-shirts or hanging it out of their dormroom windows. There's no shame in that.

Also, a flesh-eating virus is devouring my eyebrows. Not even kidding.

The Gospel: What Is the Purpose of Life?

The questions we have about God are the most important questions we could ever ask about anything ever. Every philosophical inquiry ever made in the history of humankind has its end in Theology. Let us leave the subjects of God’s existence and personhood to greater minds; Today, it suffices us to ask this question: If God does exist and if He does have a personality (complete with a will*), then what does He want with us? That is to say, what is the inherent purpose** of creation?

In contrast to the effort which the human race has poured into the investigation, the solution is shockingly simple: The inherent purpose of every object in all of creation is to glorify God. In fact, it would seem that this is the purpose behind all of God’s interaction with humanity. God says of the children of Israel, “I will say to the North, ‘Give them up!’ And to the South, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth – Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for my glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made Him.” (Isa. 43:6-7) King Solomon summarized the task of man as follows: “Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.” (Eccl. 12:13) The prophet Ezekiel repeatedly declares that the future reunion and renewal of the lost tribes of Israel would be done for the purpose of increasing God’s fame among those who do not know Him: “So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.” (Eze. 36:35-36)

Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, offered up a prayer to His Father. With an eye toward His imminent death, this was His request for Himself: “Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You … I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:1, 4-5) In this, Jesus indicates that the act of finishing His work was done for the purpose of glorifying the Father.

Paul says, “In Him [Jesus] also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” (Eph. 1:11-12) Later, when the Apostle Peter wrote his first epistle, he had this to say: “If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Much more could be said about this, but I will leave this discussion behind for now.

What does it mean, then, to glorify God? Well, to glorify God is to cause Him to be given praise or credit for who He is and what He has done. From the human perspective, this can be accomplished either on purpose or by accident – as is indicated by the story of Joseph (particularly Gen. 50:20) and the many times in which God used pagan nations to execute judgment, among other things.

In the beginning, we accomplished this task simply by existing as we were. The Bible teaches that humanity was made in God’s “image” or “likeness.” This does not mean, as some have put forth, that we are of the same race as God. If I were to draw a picture of myself on a piece of paper, the paper would not become human and I would not become paper – yet, the paper still bears my image. So we see that one object can bear the image of another without being of the same substance.

Instead, it means that we were created to be reflections of God in regard to our non-physical attributes, such as our intellect or our ability to love one another. One person would witness the behavior of the other, which would remind him of God. Thus, we glorified God simply by living.

And then, sin came.




*“Will” does not mean “need,” and therefore does not indicate that God is dependent on anything other than Himself.

** By “inherent purpose,” I am referring to the purpose which is infused into the object at the moment of its creation. This purpose is not synonymous with the word “plan.”