The basis for belief

  No Bible. No Quran. No Bhagavad Gita or Kojiki to read. No holy or sacred books are before you at all - All you have is this to found your argument for God:  The past and the present; the ebb and flow of human history and the creation around you. What is the basis for belief?

  Lets go back in time - way back in time to the practices and culture of men who never had a book or access to one. These folks were lucky to have anything metal, but the evidence shows, despite anything but crude tools necessary for survival, they did believe in something.

  The burial rites during the Paleolithic period are indicative of belief in something, rather than nothing. The extent to which early civilized mankind went to show reverence and ritual in the event of death, as recorded archaeologically,  would suggest a common belief that life transcended death.  Depictions of Gods and Goddesses grace the pottery and other various art forms as early as 5000 BCE. I am not saying that these Gods existed, but why would man, from the recorded get-go, feel the need to believe in something, or anything for that matter? What would compel early man towards a Diety?  During the Upper Paleolithic period of our history, evidence of grave goods and anthropomorphic images begin to appear.  Venus Figurines (that nomenclature is ours, not theirs necessarily) provide insight into how they viewed hunting, which was very ritualistic, and fertility. I would ask that you do your own research into the practices of early man to build your own consensus, as this is just a 10,000 foot view. However, you will find this common theme - civilized human culture had religion. It had belief. If it was not a vision in the sky or a sacred book of antiquity that compelled them, then what did?  Why feel the need to objectify something bigger than life, something they could not...explain? This question does bear some weight, considering they did not even have an alphabet.

   Math. Lets look at the numbers of probability with regards to evolutionary science. Math is science, and as a general rule, we can all agree on numbers. But let us give the Godless the benefit of the doubt for a minute. Assume that mutations are 50/50 - good and bad. We are giving a huge benefit of the doubt here because only 1 in 1000 mutations are beneficial in any organism. Now lets say an organism, in order to make significant advances into a different phylum or class, would require 200 successive mutations.  Elementary statistical theory shows that the probability of these being successful is (½)-200 squared.  The number, if written out, would be a one followed by sixty zeros. In other words, the chance that a 200-component molecular life form could be formed by mutation and natural selection is less than one chance out of a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion. Sound possible? If it still sounds possible that life began and evolved without a creator,  it should be noted that single celled plants and animals have not 200 components necessary for life, but millions of them. If you still have your pen and paper out, calculate one more thing to solidify my argument here: this is just for ONE Species. There are 950,000 species. Of Insects. 


  Lastly, let us look within ourselves.  Regardless of the arguments I have used above, the real answer lies within me, and I believe it lies within you as well.

Does this make you feel anything?

   Have you ever smiled and felt better just by hearing a baby laugh? Have you ever had a child? Is that unexplainable feeling just math, or is it a miracle?  Have you ever looked into the sun as it sets over a watery mirror and felt thankful for evolution? Do you hear a voice inside you that knows to be good to others? Why will we do anything to just survive? What is it that we are living for? Why has mankind historically believed in something, if there is nothing? How does this planet that we live on sustain perfectly the life that it does, each organism supplied with adequate food, covering and shelter necessary to survive and then, reproduce? And why would humankind, if we are just another animal, feel so good inside when we eat food (especially bacon), when we buy our first house, and when we are able to love our favorite blue sweater? And why the color blue? Can evolution answer these questions for you?

  I choose to walk in faith in my life.  Is it popular? Increasingly not, but it makes sense to me. Why do I choose to be a Christian when there are so many religions to choose from? For me, it answers firmly within my soul and my heart why I am here, and what purpose I have, and that our Creator loves us all and wants us all to live the best life possible. I choose to live in and with that purpose, and it makes my life beyond satisfying - it gives my life a greater meaning that I just cannot in tangible measures explain. It is my reality.  I am happy to be alive. I am happy to have life. And within me, my basis for belief is not just math. It is truly, a miracle.