The ultimate question of who we are is set before us at all times and answered with every action.
- Bryant H. McGill
We average thousands of thoughts per day. That's a lot of thinking! Yet ironically billions never get around to really seriously considering, much less researching, life's greatest concerns. The following are seven candidates for the all time ultimate questions. Are we a cosmic accident or is there proof we were purposefully created? Is God knowable? Has He clearly revealed Himself? How strong is the evidence that the Bible is God's word to humanity? How good is God? What does He require of us? What's our motivation to obey?
We are the questions we ask. For most of history answers were limited. The hunter-gatherer period comprised a good chunk of our past. Life was pretty quietly in the Stone Age. Lots of time to think. Not so much to think about. Eons passed as progress plodded along. Quietly, agrarian culture was cultivated around the world. It takes some doing, but one can almost imagine the lengthly and silent pauses of preindustrial life. No skyscrapers or shopping malls. No planes or trains. No cars or motorcycles roaring down the street. No blaring stereos or boom boxes. No net or smart phones. Outside of the occasional actor or musician, no real video or audio at all.
Today, not even the sky’s the limit. Modern life’s synonymous with progress and tech. Sight and sound are always and everywhere. Reality dwarfs our ancestor’s dreams. Media dwarfs reality. We don’t just plug in. We are in. Even if we’re ever quiet and alone, we’re not. Lyrics and lines, melodies and scenes from a thousand different songs and shows seep into our hearts and minds. As do the ideas and desires they inspire.
Our minds generate thousands of thoughts per day. Most deal with the mundane. Others roam about. Immersed in pop culture and the pursuit of happiness. A surprising number of thoughts and feelings are drawn to drama. Finding ourselves in leading roles, relationships provide the cast and circumstance sets the stage. Some like action or adventure. Others prefer a good romance or musical. Still others feel trapped in a bad comedy or tragedy. Most pick freely through a variety of genres.
Real or imagined, consciously or not, personal dramas provide the backdrop of life. They create and color countless thoughts and emotions. They write and edit our storylines and plot twists. Yet ironically, billions never get around to really seriously considering, much less researching, life's greatest concerns. The following are seven candidates for the all time ultimate questions. Are we a cosmic accident or is there proof we were purposefully created? If the latter, is God knowable? Has He clearly revealed Himself? How strong is the evidence that the Bible is God's Word? How good is God? What does He require of us? What's our motivation to obey?
Socrates is credited with noting, "The unexamined life is not worth living." While passed on by oral tradition, his actual quote when translated into modern English may have been nearer “The unexamined life is not fully human.” Some have speculated the philosopher's intent was to note that as the only species to ritualistically bury their dead, we should recognize from our mortality the importance of a handful of ultimate questions. Understandably most hurry through life doing the best they can. Days turn into decades, filled with concrete issues demanding our attention. The tyranny of the urgent makes it easy to overlook the fact that the clock is running down for each of us. With this in mind, every human being faces three essential concerns:
- How did I get here? How can a non sentient universe produce a sentient soul? How did the universe itself come to be?
- Is there a purpose to my existence? Is there meaning or relevance beyond a few years of human life?
- Where am I going? Even a lifespan of over a hundred or thousand years would merely be a drop of water in an endless ocean of time. What's to become of me in eternity?
If life's a mystery, how much more so death? While the grave and beyond are inescapable facts of life, most if not all of humanity live in variable states of denial. Many justify their apathy or classical ignorance by relegating the afterlife to the status of the irrelevant. Billions of the devout and religious exert only slightly more time and energy deeply examining even their own faith. Much less the claims of competitors.
Given increasing levels of technology, easily accessible throughout the modern world, we can and should do better. The information age has placed amazing research and the best of human thought literally at our fingertips. Yet even with eternity on the line, billions remain content to largely ignore the crucial concerns of life, or even seriously attempt to define them.
Towards this end, QC submits the following candidates for the Seven Ultimate Questions in hope of stimulating thought and conversation on what well may be the most important issues facing humanity:
1. Does God Exist?
Every ultimate concern in life begins and ends with the question of questions. Today, modern humanism trivializes the issue, diminishing or dismissing the mater of God's existence as irrelevant or unknowable. After all, "what's the point in speculation?" "Aren't there as many answers as there are opinions?"
In reality, when questions like these are handled honestly and intelligently, they provide impetus for us to do our best to find answers. While merely speculating is pointless. There’s no longer any reason for such sloppy inquiry. As noted, in less than ten seconds it's easy to discover why the existence of God is not only highly probable, but an absolute certainty.
Along these lines, the exponential growth of data is also helpful. Overwhelming research indicates we and our the entire observable universe are the products of intelligent design. Not just its appearance.
Having firmly answered the first great question brings us to the next, and requires the religious among us to be honest with ourselves and skeptics. While demonstrating the existence of God clearly disproves the argument of the atheist, we have yet to acknowledge and deal with that of the agnostic.
2. Is God Knowable?
For much, if not most of humanity, it's not the first but the second of the ultimate questions that poses the greater dilemma. Admittedly or not, all mankind knows there must be a God. Yet, while our daily interaction with creation reinforces this innate belief, our lack of a tangible, quantifiable relationship with our Creator presents an equally ardent agnostic argument. Further complicating matters are two additional factors. Foremost are the glaring realities of suffering and evil.
The second is the apparent silence and distance of God. Here's where billions stumble. Put simply, few today have the willpower to honestly examine the full nature of our situation and all the evidence at hand. Sadly, this would seem to hold true nearly as often for believers as unbelievers. This is the number one reason for the proliferation of the world's competing major religions. And their many subgroups. Christianity alone has hundreds of differing denominations.
Do we care enough about comprehending the true nature of our existence, the quality of our lives, and our eternal future to invest significant time determining if God is knowable? The numbers speak for themselves. According to census figures annually the average American spends the equivalent of approximately 4 months sleeping, 6 weeks watching TV and 5 days exercising. By comparison, Americans invests only 10 minutes a day in religious or spiritual activities and 8 minutes a day volunteering.
A major reason the irreligious feel justified in their decision to invest little or no energy researching the reality of God is that their counterparts fail to do so. Sadly, judging by how modern Christians spend our time, we apparently find the pursuit of knowing God hardly worth the effort. Out of 168 hours in every week, the average church attending Christian spends little more than one or two gathering with other believers and less than ten to twenty minutes a day focusing exclusively on seeking God through study and prayer.
3. Has God Revealed Himself?
The first step in answering the genuine concerns of the authentic agnostic, and perhaps more importantly the reoccurring doubt in all of us, is determining what if in any way God has been revealed to mankind. Doing so requires investing a little effort researching general and special revelation. As noted, general revelation covers the physical realm of nature. Creation clearly indicates a Creator. But whom? Might there be clues as to the true nature of God embedded in the world and cosmos in which we live?
Special revelation deals with the spiritual realm and insights into it. Is God in communication with humanity? If so, which of the competing claims are authentic? Is there any compelling evidence to help sort through the messages of those claiming to speak with and for God? Are ancient religions more or less reliable than modern ones? Any candidates that have stood the test of time? Any that have produced verifiably impressive and/or miraculous results that would suggest Divine inspiration?
Given the beliefs of individual participants of every religion and philosophy vary greatly, we must examine the core doctrines developed by their founders. Today, even oral traditions have been compiled in written form which are available through a variety of sources. Unlike the generations before us, the information age provides a nearly unlimited resource enabling anyone to access the tenants of every faith. With a click of a cursor, thousands of years of theological thought can be accessed and sorted instantly by topic, author or any search criteria one desires. Without question, Google has forever removed any excuse, other than apathy, for religious ignorance or failing to seriously seek out what may be known about God.
4. How Authoritative is the Bible?
Without question, the Bible is unique among all the books of the world. With over six billion in print, it dwarfs all other published works.
The Bible, particularly the New Testament, is the foundation upon which Christianity stands. Unlike the various doctrines of fallible denominations, honest Scriptural theology strongly attests to the supremacy of Christianity among it’s few religious peers. For reasons both obvious and subtle. Consider the Islamic paradox for example. Wikipedia explains that according to Islam: “Jesus is believed to be a prophet,[3] who neither married nor had any children, and is reflected as a significant figure,[5] being mentioned in the Quran in 93 ayaat (Arabic for verses) with various titles attached such as "Son of Mary",[6] "Spirit of God",[7] and the "Word of God"[7] among other relational terms, directly and indirectly, over 180 times.[8][9] In total, Jesus is mentioned 187 times in the Quran and as such is the most mentioned person with the name Isa.[note 1] He is mentioned 25 times,[10] in titles.[note 2] mentioned 79 times,[11][12][13] in 3rd person[note 3] mentioned 48 times, in 1st person[14] mentioned 35 times.”[15]
Islam also attests to Jesus healing the sick and working miracles. Nonetheless, Islam rejects the Bible’s continual claim of the Divinity of Jesus as well as Christ’s singular atonement. Furthermore, Islam negates Jesus’ warning that He alone is the Good Shepherd, and by comparison all others are “thieves and robbers.” Seen in this light, the Bible leaves no room for another, much less greater Prophet than Christ. The Bible thus stands juxtaposed against the Quran, which claims to honor Jesus as the forerunner of Mohammed, while doing violence to much of the New Testament.
There are at lest ten great reasons to believe in the Bible's authenticity as the Word of God. These include amazing scientific discoveries described millennia ago in Biblical passages, as well as a testable model of creation that encompasses modern discoveries in the areas of astronomy and physics, chemistry and biology, human origins and understanding the universe.
Equally compelling is Scriptures explanation of eternity's past and humanity's future, featuring fulfilled prophecy and the stage being set for the Book of Revelation's predictions concerning the Great Tribulation.
As a source of insight and instruction regarding human behavior, Scripture is second to none. Filled with wonderful promise and direction, for millennia it's pages have been a source of spiritual and social inspiration to billions. Not to mention providing the foundation for the historic success and unparalleled blessings enjoyed by the Western World.
The Bible's also clear on a number of troubling and therefore unpopular issues, largely overlooked by Christian and non Christian alike. These include the origin and nature of sin. The existence and activity of Satan. Divine justice and judgment against sin on Earth. To say nothing of everlasting punishment throughout eternity.
But what of the issue of Scripture's inerrancy? Considered the literal Word of God, once created, the Bible was handled down reverently for millennia. No other manuscript has been copied so religiously. The Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest surviving Bible, dates back nearly two thousand years. Yet, throughout 17 centuries there has been very little change within the Bible’s Books and passages we have available to us today.
Given such exacting standards, Biblical criticism is left two main arguments. First, the accounts of Scripture are not valid. Particularly when it comes to the miraculous. Such passages are dismissed as myth or worse. Second, those choosing what would be included in the cannon of Scripture were fallible men, and thus untrustworthy of the assignment. Such arguments raise extremely valid and important concerns. So much so that when faced with them, millions of believers have become functioning agnostics or lost the robustness of their faith.
Yet, the vast majority of those troubled by such questions fail to take the time to investigate for themselves. Less than a percent of a percent of believers comprehend the depth of Scriptural insight into science and sociology, morality and human psychology, revelation and prophecy.
Such mountainous evidence for Biblical authenticity demands a verdict. Unfortunately, the average Christian has difficulty quoting ten verses in a row. Much less accurately comprehending it's most important tenants. And if believers are functionally Biblically illiterate, what of non believers? Even so, as Scripture warns "Sooner or later we'll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what's coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.” Willful apathy and ignorance will be no excuse then. Shouldn’t we make every effort now to diligently seek and approach God acceptably, as the Bible commands?
5. How Good is God?
The existence of anything, much less everything we find so finely tuned throughout creation, proves the reality of a Creator. Yet, there may be an even more intrinsic question before humanity than if Omnity exists. Or even if God’s revealed Himself. Namely is God truly good?
The answer provided by the record of nature, or general revelation, is inconclusive at best. Life's certainly filled with wonder and majesty, joy and beauty. On the other hand, earthly existence is equally full of shock and sorrow, pain and misery. Topping things off is death, and the vast unknown eternal beyond. One the one hand, from microbes to men, daily quadrillions of life forms are unceremoniously extinguished in one way or another. On the other, research across scientific disciplines reveals that our current level of technological advancement is predicate upon incredible fine tuning parameters. Up to and including the perfectly orchestrated creation and subsequent extinction of innumerable forms of life.
To determine if God's eternal ends justify the means of mortal life, we need additional information. Here's were Scripture, or special revelation, is pivotal. With overwhelming evidence supporting the Bible as the genuine Word of God, we have a codex providing astounding insight into the spiritual world. With careful Biblical forensics and a little spiritual archeology of God's narrative, we can piece together the very history of eternity. Not to mention glorious rewards promised to the faithful.
With a growing preponderance of evidence in regards to Divine Biblical inspiration, it’s not circular reasoning to note that through Scripture, we've been given an objective basis by which to examine subjective experience. For this and many other reasons, the honest and astute Christian invests heavily in studying and being studied by the Bible. Throughout its pages we find a long list of Divine attributes including love and mercy, faithfulness and immanence. All attesting to God's goodness.
Here many stumble over a high hurdle. Admittedly or not, we face a disconnect between the incredible promises of God and our day to day experience. Even the most dedicated of believers, when being honest and completely transparent, admit God often seems quiet, if not aloof. Interestingly, the Bible itself is filled with the record of devout saints wrestling with God over these very issues. Dozens of Psalms reflect feelings of isolation and sorrow. Many passages penned by God's prophets are filled with lament, or complaint over feeling abandoned and worse.
Of all the issues considered thus far, this may be the point of greatest contention. Consciously or not, every adult must, and in fact already has, decided to what degree God is good. Our decision, though a work in progress, is reflected daily in any number of ways. Do we think God worth our best effort to understand Him accurately? Do we judge the Creator good enough to put TV and social media aside and investigate eternal realities in our mortal lives and beyond? For those having come to belief, is our faith genuine enough to entrust large amounts of time and energy grappling with difficult questions that we might seek and serve Omnity better? To what degree have we disciplined ourselves to adhere to Scriptural obedience concerning radical discipleship? Regardless of what we might say, sing or want to believe about the goodness of God, with the average American spending only minutes a day in spiritual and humanitarian endeavors, clearly most find the pursuit of just about everything else in life better.
For sincere and serious inquirers, careful consideration of the first five ultimate questions has led to recognizing the authority of Scripture. Yet in reality, even the priceless gift of God's Word can seem too little to make up for His intangibleness in the face of the all too present problems of sorrow and doubt, suffering and evil.
At each point in the effort to identify and contemplate the ultimate questions of human existence, it's wise to pause and reflect. A challenge most opt to leave in the hands of professionals. But is this wisdom or foolishness? Is the decision to entrust our eternal wellbeing to the clergy based more on well founded faith in clerics or spiritual apathy on our part? Is it prudence or presumption to do so without seriously investigating the validity of each religion or denomination's claims? Why do hundreds of millions of believers fail to research the blatant disagreements between the best trained among us?
While Woody Allen's joke, “Eternity is really long, especially near the end” seems funny today, it may prove much less so when faced with everlasting realities we've spent lifetimes avoiding. Dogs are great. Dog is God spelled backwards. Yet it’s best not to handle eternity like dogs handle life, “If you can’t eat it, play with or hump it, just piss on it and walk away.” Sound ridiculous or even sacrilegious? Even so, billions exhibit tendencies of flippancy and/or willful ignorance regarding the spiritual nature of existence. The challenge falls to each and every one of us to educate ourselves. To watching over our souls and those of loved ones, with all due diligence. Thankfully, while graduate level diplomas and doctorates in theology or philosophy can be helpful, given our modern access to information they’re hardly necessary. What is essential is a unusual degree of diligence and honesty.
6. What does God Require?
Within Christianity there's great division when it comes to our perception of God. Even those asserting Biblical authenticity often disagree on key issues. With so many Christian denominations and competing doctrines, how we interpret the meaning and relevance of Scripture is an interesting and revealing study.
Given such a preponderance of evidence supporting the Bible's claim to the be the authentic Word of God, what does Scripture teach God requires? Has God truly said what He means and meant what He's said? If so, does this apply to some Biblical passages or all? Are Scripture's verses a buffet from which we're invited to pick and choose whatever is appealing, or to be taken as a whole? Scripture itself strongly suggests the latter. Christ declares as much when quoting Moses while confronting Satan during Earth's greatest spiritual battle, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
Yet the question persists. Has God clearly communicated what he requires from each of us? Thankfully the Bible summarizes it's message into two great directives. Should two prove one too many, Jesus, Paul and James explain truly loving our neighbor is how we love God acceptably. Thus fulfilling both Scriptures' commandments and the Royal Law.
Still another difficulty is presented by the Bible itself, considered to have been written by over 35 authors during a span of 1,500 years. While Scripture's Divinely inspired narrative is not topical, it is a distinctive source of revelation and history, directives and wisdom literature. In this regard, the Bible is unique in human history. Supporters go so far as to suggest that fitting such a literary work together so seamlessly may well be considered evidence of supernatural inspiration. Detractors, armed with a list of apparent contradictions, argue against the Bible's claim to be the Word of God.
With few exceptions the Bible is written in such a way that to do it justice and correctly interpret any part requires the diligent study and application of the whole of Scripture. This fact alone accounts for much of the historic and persistent disagreements at to the Bible's message to mankind.
While having to familiarize oneself with the Bible in its entirety may seem daunting, it is only a single Book. In fact, given the thousands of hours we routinely invest in more trivial pursuits, it's a small request that each of us should care enough about our eternal destiny to extend a good faith effort. Yet, how few do so! Even among the faithful, too few are faithful enough to give the Bible its due.
Interestingly, Scripture itself suggests that its composed in such a way as to put our desire to know God to the test. Throughout the Bible are passages explaining that the words and thoughts of God must be spiritually discerned by study and obedience.
7. What's Our Motivation to Obey?
Contemplation of the first six ultimate questions leads inexorably to a final concern. "Who's got time to worry about eternity? It's tough enough dealing with yesterday, today and tomorrow. Life's filled with enough pain and pleasure to keep the focus on the here and now." While this universal objection may seem legitimate, again it’s simply an excuse to remain ignorant. Just cutting our TV and social media viewing in half would provide plenty of time for researching the spiritual nature of our existence. Secondly, we have unprecedented resources literally at our fingertips. Clearly we have both the ability, and responsibility, to thoroughly investigate the most fundamental and important issues of life.
Billions choose to simply wait to cross that bridge when they come to it. Willingly ignorant of the true nature and demands of our Creator as revealed in Scripture, humanity daily resists the promptings of the Holy Spirit. And repeated warnings of our own conscience. Choosing to obey our desires, mankind casts fear of God, death and eternity to the wind, assuming things will all work out in the end. Caught up in the moment, the cares of this life take center stage, all the while every act brings the play nearer the final curtain. A receipt for disaster, as Jesus warned:
- “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. Are you listening to this? Really listening?” Matthew 13:3-9 The Message
- “Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. “The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. “The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” Matthew 13:18-23 The Message
Through Christ, Omnity extends such "exceedingly great and precious promises" that having glimpsed the heavenly reward awaiting the faithful the Apostle Paul assures, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." So moved by God's plan to lavish everlasting blessing and love on the redeemed, Paul who carried 195 whip marks from being nearly lashed to death 5 times by his people the Jews explains “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Finally, if the promise of becoming "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" were not enticement enough, Scripture warns of the terrible spiritual existence awaiting those rejecting Christ's salvation and commands. Awful in aspect, the Bible describes hellish torment just beyond deaths door. Here the lost and perishing await trial for their apathy and crimes against God and man. Upon sentencing, resurrected bodies and screaming souls are cast into flames of eternal damnation. A Lake of Fire were "the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever." With Hell to loose and Heaven to gain, failing to take life’s ultimate questions seriously has become a fashionable and pandemic form of madness. Then again, as Blaise Pascal noted centuries ago: “Men are so inevitably mad that not to be mad would be to give a mad twist to madness.”
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