Subj : Why doesn't God reveal Himself openly?
To   : ALL
From : TODD HENSON
Date : Sun Feb 18 2001 08:14 pm

One of the common questions I've heard regarding God is "if he's so real,,
why doesn't he just come on down and say 'Here I am!', rather than hiding
and
leaving us uncertain?".

Good question. Consider the following approach.

Morality has long been understood to involve doing that which is good,
regardless of the consequences for doing it. Many people have long been
willing to do the right thing, even if it means lost opportunities for
gain,
or even the suffering of some hardship or pain. Practicality might tell us
to
do whatever will give us the best return on our effort, but to follow
virtue
often means to choose the adherence to a somewhat abstract concept or
ideology above the concerns of the consequences - simply because it is
right.

Many people see faith as nothing more than following a few moral rules in
order to gain a permanent seat in heaven. Well, sure, I suppose there are a
lot of people who look at it that way. But that seems to be more related to
practicality, to pragmatism, rather than a real desire to do righteousness.

If God were to reveal Himself completely in the open, then it would no
longer
be a matter of *wickedness* and *immorality* for people to do evil, but
mere
foolishness. If hell itself were shown to us, so that we could see it with
our eyes, and if God were standing on earth so that we could see Him with
our
eyes, then we'd have NO CHOICE but to believe He exists.

But what about all those people today who don't care about God, and might
even be a bit offended at the idea of God? They'd have to recognize His
existence alright, but much in the same way that conservatives had to
*grudgingly* acknowledge the fact that Clinton was president for 8 years.
They would avoid doing evil, not because they hate evil and lust, but
because
they don't want to go to hell. They'd have no choice but to see heaven and
hell as real.

For example, if I walk down the street shooting people, that's just stupid.
We all know darn well that there are cops, that such activity is illegal,
and
I'd take a very huge risk in getting caught. But what if I were unaware of
the law? Or what if there was no law? What if I was certain that I could do
it and not get caught? If there was no certainty of penalty, then fear of
penalty might not be enough to prevent me from acting. At that point, the
only thing preventing me from murdering is my sense of right and wrong. If
I
indeed murder, then my actions are just plain immoral. 

But if I choose not to, then I am choosing the good, because it is GOOD.

Similarly, because God doesn't reveal Himself directly, it allows for an
element of uncertainty. It takes a certain element of faith to believe in
Him, and for those who do not, they can choose lust and sin as their course
in life. Because they are not forced to recognize the reality of God, then
their sin cannot be explained as mere foolishness, but actual *sin*, evil,
immorality.

And for those who choose to believe, their belief is not limited to
practical
fear of penalty, but because of faithful virtue that cause them to seek the
good for the sake of seeking the good.

But it is not true that faith is "blind faith". It's merely that the
compelling reasons for believing are beyond the realm of the scientific
world
that is around us. In order to truly believe, it requires people to
meditate
on what it really means to be human. It requires people to wonder about the
purpose of life, and to develop the intuitive urge to search after meaning.

So it is partially an ingrained part of human nature to experience these
things, but we have the freedom of being *initially* uncertain whether God
exists. In order to become enlightened as the real nature of faith, it
requires commitment, faithfulness, a desire to know, an openness to the
good.
And these just so happen to be the qualities that we associate with
"goodness".

Truly, the shining moments in life are those that involve such virtues and
experiences. The feeling of rebirth as you see your newborn child for the
first time, the inspiration and sense of awe as you study a work of art or
the universe itself. The satisfaction of being true to your spouse for all
your years together, or of sticking to your principles even though many
around you would pull you in other directions.

It's intangibles like these which bring about fulfillment, and it is no
coincidence that these intangibles are required to have a real relationship
with God. That's the whole purpose in fact.

So while there was a time that I was bothered by God's lack of open
physical
presence on earth, I have since moved on and appreciated the fuller
blossoming of the soul that God truly desires for His creation.

Perhaps the point is not to know all there is to know about ultimate
purpose,
but the beauty of the human condition is in the thrill and fulfillment of
discovery!  When we lack all the up-front information about something, it
requires us to commit ourselves to SEARCH. "Seek, and ye shall find". 

And yet again, God has proven that He knows more about how He operates than
what I might *wish* he'd do. :-)




--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
 * Origin: BBS Networks @ www.bbsnets.com 808-839-5016 (1:10/345)

.