I know this probably sounds really convoluted, but the point I’m making is that we are presented with information in life that we draw conclusions with. Whether or not information is true or false is vetted by its consistency within our logical framework by which we discern the truth of the world. That is: we have a worldview with which we process reality around us. If someone tells you today that the sky is purple, you know that they’re just off their rocker. But what if the information presented to you is true, but it doesn’t align with your worldview? How would you handle this? Most people, if confronted this way, have what is known as cognitive dissonance, or a resistance to information that challenges their notion of how the world works. I’m no exception, but I have always strived in life to be objective even when it goes against what I’m comfortable or familiar with.
In 2018 I was presented with information that completely challenged my way of perceiving the world. It made it impossible for me to live within the framework that I had prior.
This is that story.
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A little bit of my background as a person: growing up I was always a very gifted kid when it came to math and science. I started taking advanced courses back in elementary school and that would carry through my middle school and high school life. I took honors courses, AP courses, and even graduated college early in just three years. I never was really religious, but I did attend some services with my parents growing up. I didn’t believe in God since I did not have any evidence to support his existence, but I called myself an agnostic since I had no means of proving he did not exist.
Throughout middle school, high school, and parts of college, I was often plagued with fits of depression. Believing in the origin story that I was told in school, I wrestled with the reality of my own insignificance. We are told that we are nothing more than stardust which has gained sentience through some miraculous (but certainly unguided and undirected) process. In light of this, it is only natural and logical to make the conclusion that one’s own life serves no inherent meaning other than to make meaning for yourself. For me at that time, that meant playing video games and just enjoying myself to the fullest (and pursued whatever it was that I desired (going so far as to take Japanese classes in college to play Eroge)).
During college, I wound up with a group of friends who were big into video games and binge drinking. We would often spend our weekends playing 3+ rounds of Beeriokart, smoking weed intermittently and very infrequently doing other hard drugs. I would often philosophize during these moments about what life’s purpose was, and would sometimes research things like physics or whatever else while my friends would watch or play Fortnite (among other things). During one of my research sessions, I came across the work of Christopher Langan, and I started reading his paper called “The Cognitive Theoretic Model of the Universe.” This paper had very mixed reception, some people calling it genius, and others calling it incomprehensible hogwash. For me this presented itself like a challenge: “bet I can figure it out,” I thought to myself.
I read the paper, and there were two major conclusions that I drew from it that I thought I’d bring up. The first one was this: “the abstract currency of nature is information.” Or put in more literal terms, everything in life is at a fundamental level built from information. The second observation I realized was that since there exists information that is metastatic (meaning it does not change nor is subject to time or space), it is separate and distinct. The conclusion that can be deduced from this is that there must exist an immaterial, distinctly separate metastatic conglomerate of information that encodes the consistent logical framework from which reality is capable of propagating from. That is sort of a mouthful, but essentially what that means is that life had to be derived from some kind of intellect. The reason for this conclusion comes from the following concept.
Consider the number seven. Seven is something we observe in reality, in that we can count things and conceptually understand it, but seven does not exist in reality. We cannot see “seven”, we cannot touch “seven”, and yet it is real. Essentially, seven only exists within the human mind. Seven also has properties, such as the fact that it is a prime number. The reason why seven is a prime number is built into the laws of logic and mathematics. Some may argue that we created these definitions, but whether or not we understand or have ways of communicating about the idea is irrelevant to the logical truth embedded within the words we speak or use to define it. If you were to try to conceive of a reality in which 7 was not a prime number, the reality you would be trying to conceive of would no longer be self consistent. It is essentially impossible because it would collapse under its own impracticality. It’s the same idea as saying 2+2=5. If that were true, abstractly speaking, the whole nature of numbers and reality itself would not be possible. The same thing can be said about the fine structure constant, or of E and PI. These numbers are what they are by definition and necessity and cannot be changed.
This
In realizing this truth, there was a moment in which it sunk in that such an entity is no different from
“I am
The idea that
“You cannot see me” - His attributes are evident throughout creation in
And the list goes on.
Ultimately. I am a
If not that, then you are inserting a
If you yourself desire to know this God, the one true creator God, it starts by first understanding that he is the all powerful truth by which all things are sustained by. Next, realize your position before him as someone who has gone his or her own way apart from God. Third, believe that God has told the truth in the Bible that he has atoned for your rebellion through the death of Jesus Christ. Lastly, repent of your sin and choose to honor God and live according to what he has called us to, which is a life wholly submitted unto him.
If you’re serious about this: consider reading 1 John. It takes 15 minutes. If you finish that, read The Gospel of John and then Romans and then the whole new testament. You have likely been told many things about what Christianity says and believes, it’s time for you to find it out for yourself.
Here is a playlist for evidence for the bible (answers the question "has God spoken").
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjnwldgqN8c&list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuhA0RPKZFHVcjIMN_-F596
My core beliefs:
I believe in God the Father as the metastatic truth of reality. I believe in the Son as the embodiment of his character and attributes made into flesh and blood. I believe in the Holy Spirit as the recursive feedback loop by which reality is sustained through his omniscience and omnipresence.
I believe in a literal Genesis account. Mankind's genetics were made perfect at the creations, along with all other kinds of animals, and through the fall, genetics became fragmented. Evolutionary biology is the result of losses of genetic information, not the addition of new. Adaptation is a result of specialization from the master blueprint. Any example in modern science is consistent with this idea of microevolution and I have yet to be
I believe
Let's assume you are correct, and that 7 is prime because that was decided by a higher power. Why would that be the Christian God? What evidence is there that the
I believe in the authority of scripture. It is divinely inspired in
I believe
I believe that Jesus was crucified and rose again three days later as prophesied by the scriptures, and
I do not
I do not wish to misrepresent your viewpoint. I apologise if I have done that. I am open to talking in a
I believe that God is personable and desires that all should come to repentance to put their faith in him.
And I am not ashamed to say these things publicly.