HOW TO ANSWER MAJOR SINCERE QUESTIONS ABOUT GOD AND THE BIBLE "Why can't we see God if He exists?" is a common question by many sincere and curious people.  One reason we can't see the energy source for this universe is because to see the source of all the fiery, radiation-filled stars would blind us, could give us radiation poisoning and cause us to die.    So not being able to directly see God is kind and merciful.  We can however see God's existence through the things He has created, like the stars, vast oceans, lovely flowers.  We also can't see the wind or gravity, but we can see what those invisible things do.  Likewise, although, we can't see God directly, we can see what God has done and is doing. Too, the source of all space, energy and matter has provided us with our planet, Earth, tasty food, water, life, and intelligence.  Since a good father is a good provider it really is not illogical to call such a Source our Father. The word God can be used as an abbreviation for "the source of this universe that provides for us in a fatherly manner." Early Earth may have had an atmosphere screening out much of the radiation which now ages humans, and there may have been plants, even a Tree of Life providing antioxidant richer fruits etc for prolonging life. The creative Days could have been billions of years as Hebrew yohm (day) like in English can mean a long time as in "in Rome's day."  Eve made from a rib is no stranger than cloning creatures from individual cells.  We now "resurrect" movie stars via TV, so why is it an impossible idea that the Source of all the universe and living creatures in it can cause resurrection?  Why call it impossible that God could float an axe on water, since even we humans can float  million ton sea-going vessels in water and space vessels in the nothingness of space.  Why make fun of the idea that Christ could walk on water when insects can do so and via devices modern humans may do so, too? Some say the sun could not have "stood still" for Joshua, yet clouds with ice have sometimes reflected light from vast miles over the horizon.  Some say that if Bible censuses of the same tribe differ that proves it the whole Bible is false, but they don't note that verses can vary due to children or elderly people being listed in one census but not listed in other censuses that are just for able-bodied men.  A verse may say a certain city was destroyed in one chapter but in another chapter say it was still existing, yet there could have easily been two cities with the same name. One verse says Christ baptized while another says disciples did.  Does this mean the Bible contradicts itself and so is telling lies?  Actually, even today we may say a man built a skyscraper when not himself directly but workers acting on his behalf did the building.  Is God cruel because humans die?  Does God make us die?  In fact, God wanted humans to live forever and warned the very first humans how to avoid death, but they themselves ignored the warning, causing themselves and all humans since to die.  True, God has permitted slaves but He gave laws that they were to not be mistreated but regarded as servants with legal rights and protections.   Slave overseers and owners didn't want slaves to read the Bible.  For example Deuteronomy 23:15 says "Don't return a runaway slave to his master; he's come to you for refuge.  Let him live wherever he wishes within the protective gates of your city. Don't take advantage of him." Some mock the idea of a snake talking in the Garden of Eden.  However, earth is filled with amazing creatures including extremophiles that live in water 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit.  No can say for sure what creatures lived on earth in the past, perhaps even intelligent serpents or serpent-like creatures.  Also, if God exists as the Good Spirit, then a Bad Spirit called Satan can also exist and be powerful enough to at least make a snake seem to talk. Skeptics ask why would a loving God punish Adam and Eve so severely with death, but they forget that God didn't want them to die, told them which tree to not eat, and they themselves chose to sentence themselves and their descendants to death.  The skeptics need to blame the right sources, not our Father in heaven. Similarly Christ said God permitted men to divorce women not because God wanted divorces for He doesn't and opposes divorces.  However, God also knew that if He did not allow divorces, it would lead to more cruelty.  Those who believe in a source for all that exists do believe in God though not in the sense of a personally caring God.  Possibly by reading this thoughtfully, you will now understand why many do believe in God in not only a personal way but also in a more objective, logical way.  Understanding the views of others helps us all.

GENTLY REASONING WITH THOSE WHO WERE SEVERELY BURNT When an atheist says "all" religion is bad, gently ask him/her how many atheist hospitals, atheist food banks, atheist other charities there are around the entire planet?  Even how many there have ever been?  On the other hand, the number of Christian charities are innumerable and span some two thousand years.  The 10% or so of ExJWs that are atheists tend to think all religion is bad because they got burnt severely by a cult.  Kindly point out that Christianity has good, average and bad branches.  Burnt ExJW atheists were in a bad branch, but there are also the average and good branches of the bigger tree.

SURVEYS SHOW SOME 10% OF AMERICANS ARE ATHEISTS; IT'S LIKELY THE % OF ATHEIST EX-JWs % IS NO GREATER  The highly respected Harris poll online states this of adult Americans whom it surveyed: "A plurality (42%) of all adults (but only 37% of men) thinks God is male, but only 1% thinks God is female. Almost half of all adults believe that God is neither male nor female (38%) or that God is both (11%). http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/allnewsbydate.asp?NewsID=694 A Barna survey of 2004 said of Americans whom it questioned that: "Atheists and agnostics comprise 12% of adults nationwide. (2004)" So about 10% atheists is the overall number for adult Americans in general.  When applied to Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses who come from a religious background, it may be a little more or a little less, but 10% is an excellent estimate. Some Ex-JWs believe the percentage is much higher or even dominant because atheist Ex-JWs tend to be very vocal, especially the 1% or so who are most opposed.  The same sort of small percentage also applies to smaller sub-cultures or groups such as pagans, luciferians, Satanists. Then what are most Ex-JWs?  Anecdotally only, most who converted to being JWs appear to asssociate with either no group but read the Bible and believe as independent Christians, many of the others who converted have returned to being Baptists, Catholics etc.  The vast majority of those who grew up JWs appear to become general independent or non-denominational Christians, or to simply believe independently, sometimes keeping a certain set group of JW beliefs.   That core of JW-like beliefs are paradise earth for some and heaven for others, no immortality of the soul or literal fiery punishment but instead all including the wicked get to sleep forever.   They tend to be more open to emergency whole blood transfusions. Almost all ExJWs believe that Watchtower is too legalistic, cold, rigid, harsh, but will speak against anyone who speaks against "JWs" in general because they themselves were once JWs and they likely still have JW family and friends. http://atheism.about.com/b/2004/12/02/how-many-atheists-in-america.htm

WHY I BELIEVE IN GOD IN A LOGICAL PLUS PERSONAL WAY Dear Readers, First I'm sorry if some who claim to be "the true religion" proved not to be and hurt you.  Please don't blame all who say they love Christ and are trying to be Christ-like. It seems from my perspective, though you may disagree, that for those who believe devoutly in money, money is their god/God.  For those who believe devoutly in an organization, the organization is their god/God.  For those who devoutly believe in ____, _____ is their god/God. I and some like me believe in the Source that made energy and matter and gives good things such as my life, the stars surrounding us and the wonderous planets including our own.  A good father is a good gift-giver.  The key description is Love. There are dark religious groups or cults, yes, but those lack Love.  We who care pray for all vicitms and offer them the active healing oil of love.   We sincerely wish that they may stay clear forever of darkness but instead find true love, joy, peace, actual happiness. It's very true that some people say they believe in no God, but they do believe in themselves, so whom do they really believe in?  Not trying to be anything but kind in pointing this out.  Think about it. As people receive more time for healing and reflection, may more and more of them see that it was not a truly loving heavenly Father who hurt and confused them but cult heads and the like.  Christian Witnesses is a fellowship with no hierarchy of officials but brothers and sisters equal in Christ.  A fellowship is a group with some common interests or experiences among whom happy friendships can develop. If some who read this still think it's "stupid" to believe in God, that if he exists why can't we see him, why would He allow the pain, suffering, death etc, then please be sure to go to the next article and read it thoughtfully. With Best Wishes, Joe

GOD IS THE SOURCE OF ALL SPACE, MATTER AND TIME NOAH'S FLOOD: Geologists William Ryan and Walter Pitman have a theory about 7,500 years ago when the Ice Age ended and glaciers melted.  They believe a wall of salty seawater suddenly thundered through what is now the Bosphorus Strait at 200 times the force of Niagara Falls from the Mediterranean into what is now the Black Sea but was then a freshwater lake.  Daily it lifted the water about six inches (15 centimeters) and flooded coastal farms.  Possibly this event also helped form the basis for the story of Noah's Flood. The Bible itself says the Flood covered the entire "earth" or, in Hebrew "erets," and the word erets can mean either the whole planet or a very large land area.  But in any case it was not just another large yearly flood.  In 1999 and 2000, Robert Ballard who had previous discovered the ship Titanic found clear evidence that the Black Sea had been a freshwater lake.  They also found the remains at its bottom of a home site and a ship, supportive of the geologists' theory. This is not to say one way or another that the catastrophic Black Sea flood was or wasn't Noah's Flood.  It is to say, though, that this is interesting and worth watching in the future too. UNIVERSE OR MULTIVERSE: Scientists including Stephen Hawking in 2001 noted that laws thought to govern the universe, including the theory of relativity may only work for our universe, but not in other universes now also thought to possibly exist.  For example Einstein believed light always went 186,000 miles a second but now some say it may have moved much faster even in our own early universe. Notable also, is that our universe only exists because of a fine balance between several crucial factors. The rate at which nuclear fusion releases energy in stars such as the sun by squashing hydrogen atoms into helium and then other elements is exactly 0.7%, and, if this figure had been just a fraction different, carbon and other elements essential to life could never have formed.  Too, the distribution of matter and radiation is just right for life in our universe. At least in theory, the big bang could have produced a universe where all matter clumped into a few black holes, or another universe where it spread out evenly into nothing but a thin vapor. Hawking, Sir Martin Rees, Neil Turok and others have examined the idea that our universe is just one of an infinite number of universes, that is a multiverse, with different laws of nature operating in each of the universes.  Some universes would be matter clumped into a few huge black holes while others would be only a thin uniform freezing gas. Hawking and the others increasingly disagree about how this "multiverse" could work.  Hawking has dismissed the idea of an eternal series of big bangs because if extended into the infinite past it could never have had a beginning any more than a completely final end. http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/ (London Sunday Times Sep 9, 2001)  Many verses also speak of a new heaven and new earth although also Ecclesiastes 1:4 says earth remains forever.  Some Christians and other people may view this as supportive of an eternal series of big bang explosions followed by the creations of starry heavens and earth or earth-like planets.  In any case it is interesting and we know for such that God says that at least for this universe there was a beginning when He created the heavens and the Earth. (Ge 1:1)

FLORAL WONDERS OF CREATION If one's eyes appreciate the floral gems in the following youtube video, then his eyes, even if he is a doubter that God exists, appreciate the who or the what which created such floral gems. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsYnMS257HA