Category: God and Society (Page 8 of 10)

What do “Rules” and Commandments Have to do with Faith in Jesus?

October 3, 2016 / Greg Garda

As a former atheist I believed three things about having faith in God.

First, I believed that God was no different from childhood wishful fantasies such as the Tooth Fairy or Santa Clause. I also believed that God was a “god of the gaps”; an explanation for natural phenomena that is yet to be explained by science. Ancient mythical gods fall into this category along with the plethora of gods recognized in classical Hinduism.

Second, I believed that if God did turn out to be real he’s a real jerk. He always seemed to be in competition for my happiness. To me it seemed that God put up a bunch of rules/commandments that kept me from experiencing freedom. You know which “rules” I’m referring to: No sex before marriage; Even after I get married I have to be “open to life.” It seemed to me there were really two options:

a) have a million kids or…

b) abstain from sexual intimacy.

And perhaps the worst “rule” to abide by was being forced to sit through an agonizing hour of church every Sunday. “What a party pooper!” so I thought.

Courtesy of Unsplash.com by Liane Metzier

The Challenge of Living a Life of Joy and Vulnerability

September 23, 2016 / Greg Garda

It’s been at least two months since I posted. I don’t know about you, but for me it’s really easy to go on autopilot and go through the motions of everyday life trying to reach my goals. I’m sure you’re familiar with the term “tunnel vision.”

Courtesy of Unsplash.com by Nathan Anderson

I often found myself so focused on writing or recording a weekly blog post, achieving my objectives for work, or completing my next personal project that I completely miss-out on reflecting on some important questions. So I took a step back to reflect.

I would like to share with you one big question that I often wrestle with. How do I live a life that is filled with joy and at the same time live in solidarity with the poor and suffering?

August 5, 2016 / Greg Garda

July 23, 2016 / Greg Garda

July 12, 2016 / Greg Garda

July 6, 2016 / Greg Garda

Who Are You? How To Recognize Your Identity

Death, Where is Your Sting? Why Assisted Suicide is Anything But Compassionate

June 11, 2016 / Greg Garda

Since being exposed to the reality suffering on my first visit to the slums of Rio de Janeiro and serving the homeless and drug addicted in Toronto I have learned one important lesson: We can’t start to understand people’s suffering until we enter into it with them.

In the past two years two instances of suffering stand out in my life. The death of Jennine’s (my wife) grandmother and Jennine giving birth to our baby. Accompanying people in their suffering has taught me an important lesson about compassion and human dignity.

Courtesy of Unsplash.com by Ryan Moreno

Why Doesn’t God Always Stop Suffering?

May 14, 2016 / Greg Garda

If God is all powerful and all good why doesn’t he intervene to stop suffering? This is a question on the mind of many in the developed West.

“Better than I deserve!”

On a daily basis I come across several people in my job. When I greet them I typically ask, “How are you doing?” or “How is your day so far?” The typical response I get is, “Busy!” followed by a string of negative things. Even things that seem to be positive and self imposed such as taking children to recreational activities, seem to be infused with negativity and suffering.

I contrast this with my experience in working in developing countries and with the homeless. The first favela I entered on a trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I encountered a young woman who was paralyzed from the neck down. She had no wheel chair or any effective means of transportation. I remember walking into a room where she laid on a sleeping cot placed on the ground. She smiled, laughed, told jokes and was so thankful to be alive with her family. She may never know this, but she was the first to force me to question what it means to be fully alive.

Courtesy of Flickr.com by mclolumnasana

Conquering Suffering: 3 Things I Learned From Witnessing Pain

April 28, 2016 / Greg Garda

When loved ones, close friends, or someone we admire dies we experience great sadness. For me, when someone close to me dies, initially a heavy burden of sadness weighs on my heart. But it is not long before the sadness is overwhelmed by peace.

This might seem inappropriate or even deranged, but allow me to share three reasons that suffering has taught me about authentic peace.

Courtesy of Amit Kujur from Flickr.com

Did Jesus Really Die on the Cross?

April 2, 2016 / Greg Garda

Last week before Good Friday I was scrolling through my social media feeds. As I was scrolling down an image caught my intention. In the photo there was a statue of Jesus Crucified with blood dripping down his face and limbs. Beside the statue was a man posing mocking what the statue represented.

Initially I was offended, but as quickly as the feeling of offence came it dissipated even faster. Why be offended? Afterall, it’s explicitly written in the Bible that Jesus was mocked, humiliated and died a death reserved for the greatest of criminals in ancient Rome. If it happened then, it will today.

My confidence as a Christian convert from atheism comes from two things: First, my real life changing experience of Jesus Christ in my life and in those Christians whom I met as an atheist. Second, the overwhelming evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. In this moment I would like to focus on the latter; the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. I will discuss two popular objections often brought up by skeptics and atheists. Due to length required to give this objection respect I will focus on one of two objections against the Resurrection. My next post will focus on a second.

Courtesy of Simoen Muller from unsplash.com

Objection 1: Jesus didn’t really die on the cross.

A common objection proposed by skeptics is that Jesus didn’t die on the cross. Jesus survived the crucifixion, rescued by his followers and continued to live until his natural death. One Indian scholar I read even suggests that Jesus went as far as India where eventually he died a natural death. When examining the historical and archaeological evidence I’m afraid this argument would not be given the light of the day in a modern courtroom. Let’s explore ancient crucifixion.