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 God is the Algorithm?

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Anthony van der Spek
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Anthony van der Spek

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God is the Algorithm? Empty
PostSubject: God is the Algorithm?   God is the Algorithm? EmptyMon May 08, 2017 9:56 pm

God is the algorithm?

Forward

I have to start by saying this essay began in my head at about three am in the morning. I structured it and edited it (mentally) for about two hours in a prone, sleep deprived condition before deciding that I should probably write it down. At the time it seemed coherent and logical, but only time will tell if the actual written words come together with any real meaning or impact.

To have any hope of remembering my thoughts in the morning I rehearsed some of the key chapters that could be addressed (and were being addressed at the time in my somnolent ramblings).

Further to this, I have to say that, in the end, my hyperactive brain could have resulted from that fourth cup of coffee during the day, and this may all come to nought as it is examined in the harsh light of day. It will not be comprehensive, but rather a glance at some cogent possibilities.

 I will start with some disclaimers:

 I am not a scientist, though I love science, read lots of science and studied some science at a tertiary level.

Similarly, I am not a mathematician or a philosopher, though I love maths and philosophy, read a fair bit about both and studied some maths and philosophy at tertiary level.

Also, I ask for your forgiveness if my writing sounds a bit pretentious or if it seems like I’m stroking my own ego. There probably is a bit of that in the mix, given my fallen state. However, writing my thoughts gives me an opportunity to clarify my own thinking and put it into some order that the randomness of my mind precludes.

It’s the thinking about thinking that intrigues me. I thought I would record these mental constructions in the hope that I could refine that perpetually adjusting jigsaw of reality in my head and at the same time provide some helpful perspectives in the search for the ‘meaning of life’.

God is

So, initially, why the title; ‘God is the Algorithm’? Have you seen those, church signs and tee shirt slogans ‘God is the answer’? If you haven’t, it probably just dates me. But it occurred to me that it just begs the question. And if you’re not asking the particular question (about meaning, life and everything), it’s probably not true anyway. Not like Sunday school where if you answered ‘God, Jesus or the Bible’ you had a ninety percent chance of being right.

And, I should say, by saying algorithm, I don’t just mean a formula, but a comprehensive way, a total process of finding the answers to life and for life.

To my way of thinking; and yes, it’s totally biased by my faith, an algorithm is the means to a solution; it’s the way you solve a problem. In that sense God is the Algorithm. If you believe He created everything, then He knows how it works. In fact He makes it work. He is not just another paradigm for a way to cope or explain your existence. If God is God; that is he is everything the definition implies, then He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

So, if God is our algorithm, then through Him we determine the answer/s. In Him we have a universal constant. He is a lens, probably the lens, through which everything can be interpreted and understood.

Now, it’s true that a particular solution can be obtained through different algorithms. These algorithms are related (if only because they provide the same answer), and it reminds me that different people have different perceptions of the same God. None of these are the whole picture. None of them is the totality of God. In fact, the revelation of God to an individual is merely a sliver of a glimpse of who He is. Even Moses, who was reported to be the greatest prophet, had a greatly limited view.  So, I would strongly discourage anyone from insisting that their concept of God was the only right one.  As long as the perception conforms to the descriptions provided by scriptures –those particular writings that are generally accepted by Christendom as the revelation of God’s story, then surely we shouldn’t prescribe another’s experience or understanding of God.

Instead of applying the God Algorithm to everything, I will just try to address five areas that struck me during my insomnia.  I called them imperatives because, to my mind, they are essential to what is human, how we can relate to our world and how we relate and communicate with each other. These five areas provide questions that God clearly answers—perhaps too conveniently for those who choose to believe otherwise. 

Using God as our algorithm, we can see order among chaos, purpose in contrast to futility, justice amidst fatalism, selfless love set against grasping gratification and a coherent history rather than random events that somehow bring us to this point in time.

There are answers.  Sometimes the answer is just the ‘nature of God’. This of course is untenable for critics, and I can identify with their complaint. We shall see though, that the alternative is even more untenable. It falls into the realm of the dismissive answer ‘just because’. Or, if you can’t prove it I won’t believe it; not recognising that not believing is believing the opposite. And this belief in the opposite, similarly, has no proof.

To my mind there are at least five essential elements to existence (possibly more) that demonstrate the hand of God. And these five essential things or ‘imperatives’ are apart from revelation through scripture or witness testimony; they are aspects of being human that confront everyone.

These are the 5 imperatives I wish to address:

Time imperative

Reason imperative

Life imperative

Moral imperative

Faith imperative

As the discussion proceeds, mention will be made of science and religion. Neither of these things is good or bad. They just are. We could think of science as man’s attempt to understand the physical universe and religion as man’s attempt to understand the spiritual dimension of his existence. I believe God can be found in both. But it is also true that God can be denied in both. It so depends on the purpose of the seeker.

 Is God anti science? No, God is science—if science means knowledge—and since God is God then all knowledge stems from Him. Has the church done harm to the message of God’s truth? Most assuredly! Many in fact claim to be alienated from the message of the gospel by their interactions with Christians and the church. This, however, does not invalidate the gospel. It just underlines the fallibility of people. On one account, that Christians have failed to live up to its message and, secondly, that those critics outside the church have focused on the patients receiving treatment for their infirmity (because, in a sense, that’s what church is) rather than the physician who provides an ultimate cure.

 

Time

When? A question often asked. Time dominates our lives. It’s a schedule or an anniversary. It’s an appointment or duration. It’s a history and the past and present as well as progress and the future. We use time to define speeds and rates, to create time scales, to date, to create rhythm, to compare records, to predict cycles of events and, even that highly challenging behaviour in busy lives, to devote time to something.

So, why is time an imperative? Is it essential to our humanness? Let’s imagine (if it’s possible) a world without time. Would it be possible to list instructions, to write a recipe, to have a sequence of events? You wouldn’t be able to refer to before or after. To refer to an event without a time setting deprives it of so much meaning. Routines would have no framework, plans would have no timetable; instead of a time line, history would be a random montage of events with no reason or pattern.

Even without a formal clock or calendar communities have followed the rhythms of the days and the phases of the seasons. Their myths, stories or histories are painted on the canvas of time. At the other extreme, modern society is obsessed with time. We date and time stamp out products, live by the calendar and assert that ‘time is money’. We panic when a change in century threatens to confuse our technology.

Time is part of the mathematics of science. The instances and applications of time in calculations are too varied and numerous to list. Scientists and mathematicians have even referred to time, unified with 3D space, as the fourth dimension. I don’t pretend to understand it but I believe it came in handy for Einstein in developing his theory of special relativity.

Also, we number the ages using calendars. Different cultures often use different reference points, though Christendom’s scale is becoming increasingly pervasive. We calibrate daily activities using a variety of chronometric devices.

Our lives are described by the significant periods through which we progress.  Whether it’s the stages of childhood, adolescence or adulthood we mark annually or the anniversaries we celebrate, time is a fundamental part of our experience. In the end the duration of our earthly sojourn is reported on our grave.

And yet, apart from God, all this is meaningless. It’s like a man marking his life’s progress by the length of his foot, for no purpose but to count the footsteps; his reference to every other step in human history an island of detail on a featureless background. Apart from a Divine purpose, attempts to colour this background with prehistoric ages and theories of the ‘Big Bang’ do little to explain a pointless, serendipitous existence.

A belief in God, however, sets the answer to the question ‘when?’ against a rich background of a masterpiece landscape. The One who was in the Beginning, who was and is and is to come, He created time (and everything else) and transcends time.   In some sense God is outside of time looking in. This is not an idea with which we can easily identify but that doesn’t make it any less true.

It was King Solomon who wrote ‘there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.’ He went on to write: He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  Ecl 3:1

‘In this day and age’ not everyone seems to appreciate the idea of eternity. And, I would think, it is the same people who don’t appreciate the God of the ages. God is discounted out of hand even though we mark the year with His birthday and a memorial day, and even though the date has been popularly assigned AD—Anno  Domini, the year of Our Lord.

What would convince these people of the reality of God? Would His appearance in bodily form? It’s been done! No, we all choose what we want to believe.

In terms of the scriptures it’s all about God’s timing. History is mapped out according to a Divine timetable.

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. Acts 17:26

With God outside of the sphere of time, scripture provides glimpses of his view of all history. The review of past events and the description of future events, in the bible, provides valuable evidence for those who live in the faith.

The appearance of Jesus Christ became the pivotal point in all history, and it was all about God’s timing: But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law. Gal 4:4. Even in his earthly ministry Jesus continually reminded his followers that ‘his time had not yet come’.

We only have a limited time on this earth, it’s true. Time is an imperative for our life, but if the bible is true then time is essential and eternity is a blessed hope. This is a hope which gives the journey through time reason and perspective.

The Algorithm—God—uses time as a constant. However, its value is known only to God. To us it is an unknown. Though many have tried to predict ‘the fullness of time’ it is not ours to predict. He is longsuffering to us, not willing that any should perish.

Reason

The whole idea that anything makes sense, to me, is a God idea. The universe is full of patterns, of numerical predictability, of laws of ‘nature’, of logical argument and of reason. ‘Come now and let us reason together says the Lord’. He created us rational thinking beings. Though faith is indispensable in a relationship with God, He expects Christians to have a knowledgeable, defensible faith. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1Pet 3:15

The improbability that the Earth with all its specifications for life just happened is fodder for many a Christian apologist. The statistical absurdity of it just happening adds reason to their faith. The carefully crafted history of the person of Jesus and the nation of Israel further add to the arguments of believers. Even as I consider these imperatives of ‘Time, Life, Morality and Faith’, viewed through the eyes of reason I can no longer conclude ‘it just is’. The overwhelming synchronicity between the story of the Gospel (the Bible) and the existence of life, morality and faith allows us to answer the questions ‘Reason’ prompts us to ask. That many choose, by reason, to accept alternate explanations, strangely, is part of that system, that way, that algorithm. It is the mystery of choice, of free will.

 

 

To determine a reason we usually ask ‘why’? To ask ‘why’ of a person is to seek purpose or motivation, and may certainly be a rational thing to do; to ask ‘why’ of an event, of a natural structure, of a phenomenon, presupposes some rules or laws—a mechanism by which things are organised—and that, to me, requires a mind of reason. It requires a person, one who provides the motivation, for things to conform to architecture or a plan.

To ask ‘how does it work?’ is more easily answered than ‘why’ since the answer requires a mere description of the event, of the effect, of the structure. Yet the explanation usually involves references to predictable laws. In fact we observe natural phenomena expecting to identify particular laws. Sometimes we can break down general laws with more fundamental laws. We may stipulate the behaviour of electricity using more basic understandings of electromagnetism but it doesn’t prevent the ‘laws of the universe’ from prevailing.

And if the physical universe is not sufficiently miraculous to effect faith in a creator, then surely life itself and the existence of a sense of good and evil weighs against this serendipitous theory that it just happened and it just is.

To reason and to argue a point assumes an ultimate truth. The defence of a contention is seeking to describe the reality—the true state or what is the case—although that defence is very much governed by one’s perspective and how close to reality your evidence is.

Because much of what we argue is about our beliefs, where the reality is unknown (in an a priori sense) or unknowable, our biases often cloud our clear thinking or logical constructs. What we want to believe dominates our interpretation of the evidence or ‘the facts’.

When taken as a whole, my personal belief is that the evidence, and the rationality of the philosophy, is enough to accept the bible and the world view it contains. Others construct alternative views based on their interpretation of the world. These, I find, are missing key causal factors. The idea that anyone can accept or reject the gospel regardless of the intellectual rigour they have applied is essential to its nature. The Good News, ultimately, is only accessed by choice. It is available to all. We could say that anyone can board the train but not everyone understands how it works, why it is running and, in some cases, where it is going; nevertheless, in the end all the passengers reach the destination.

So, reason is an essential part of faith. The greater your intellectual commitment to the belief the more effective your faith becomes. The prodigal came to his senses. In Isaiah the call was ‘to reason together’—to settle the matter. Women contended at Paul’s side for the gospel. Every Sabbath Paul reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews. In fact knowledge, the mind, wisdom and understanding are key themes in the journey of truth. Is 33:5,6 says

The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;
    he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
    a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
    the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.


Luke 1:73 Says Jesus would give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.

Not surprising also, the converse is true; that the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. Something slightly incoherent enters their thinking. Whether it’s the pride of life—failure to admit to the possibility of a higher being, the lust of the flesh—unwilling to relinquish the lure of temporal pleasures, or the lust of the eyes—the overwhelming tendency to only be drawn and satisfied by the physical…what is seen.

Reason is an imperative in recognising that God is the algorithm because, surely, it is impossible to solve any problem, to understand any process without logic or rational thought. That’s not to say that one has a mastery of the information or an appreciation of how the algorithm works, for God transcends human understanding. No, the knowledge, the understanding of the truth, needs only to be sufficient to recognise the validity and primacy of faith in God.

The suggestion that faith gives us access to a perfect perspective is indicated by 1 Corinthians 2:15-16 (NIV)

15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
    so as to instruct him?”[
a]

But we have the mind of Christ.

This suggests that understanding and insight comes after faith. We become enlightened, we grow in knowledge and truth. Once we were blind but now we see.

Life

I don’t pretend to be a biologist or even grasp the vagaries of genetics but there are a few things that stand out starkly which demand questioning.

The existence of life is a mystery. Yet scientists continue to speak of it as a minor inconvenience. Give it enough time and sufficient exotic chemistry, that’s all we need to explain its appearance. Why is it, then, that any recently expired life form remains so? Why it is that resurrection is considered impossible when all the ‘ingredients for life’ are present? What quality goes when something dies? Can we restart the electrochemical signals that we detected in life? Is that all there is to it?

Life is a mystery. So far, in science, physical aspects of life have been manipulated. Sexual and asexual regeneration have been mimicked in laboratories. The building blocks of cells and information codes of DNA have been identified. Yet, at the time of this writing, the purpose of the vast majority of the DNA code is still murky.

I find it amazing that, while unable to create life in a laboratory because it is so complex and elusive, some scientists claim that it will arise in primeval ooze over time. Others suggest that deep sea vents may have given rise to life or, as if to increase the degree of difficulty on purpose, some propose that it originated on Mars or elsewhere where no life has even been detected. There is also a small group who propose ‘alien seeding’ of life, which begs the question; how did they come across it?

If anything requires an algorithm it is this quality called life.

For the Christian the answer is comprehensive. God is life. He is the life giver. He is the light of life.

John 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

In his sermon on Mars Hill Paul put it like this:

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring

Though such a stance may seem ‘unscientific’ it doesn’t make it any less true. And then it is only unscientific insofar as we don’t have the means or the knowledge to test such a proposition. A similar statement could be made about genetic evolution—the idea that over time gene sequences somehow became more and more complex—yet seldom is.

I’m not ashamed of the belief that God answers the questions of what is life and why is life? To take the view that life follows a design, that each species contains a wealth of information coded into its DNA and that every living thing has a survival drive—a force, a tenacious in-built necessity to cling to life—and that these attributes reflect their maker and maintainer is rational and coherent. No naturalistic theory of life adequately explains why life exists and why is ‘wants’ to exist. Isn’t it the only thing in our experience that adapts and proliferates without our intervention, like it is pulling itself up by its own bootstraps?

Should a computer program exist that uses the data it receives to improve its performance and become ‘smarter’ we naturally deduce that this is the way it was programmed. So when Christians believe the same about life it is just as scientifically valid. Why is there such an aversion to allow that point of view? I long to hear a rational being say, ‘a creative God is one acceptable explanation for the existence of life (and everything) but I choose to believe otherwise.’ To admit that alternative theories are very lacking in definition and cause and dealing with the blatant contradiction to entropy that life presents, is merely stating the truth.

In every other field of science one can track the behaviours of quantities—the flow of energy, the change of form, the measureable properties. But when the living dies, when life departs, how does science track this quality. It is surely ‘a thing’. Life must be an attribute, a property, a quality that exists because it brings about change. It animates organic matter. It procreates in all manner of ways. In truth, life has altered our planet.

It’s not just the fact of life but also the quality of life that’s worth considering. Human life largely consists of surviving, then flourishing, then being distracted by work, pleasure, thrill or entertainment. These distractions seem to perform the function of preventing us from reflecting on our existence, on our inner self and on the spiritual dimension of our lives. Of course, again, it’s about individual choice and free will. Some people are satisfied, even relish, the superficial material world but we were designed for more than that. The abundant life that God promises is all about relationship, hope in the future and purposeful living.

Those that claim that there is only oblivion following death have no comment on the essence of life that passes from the body. The difference between the corpse and the living body is this inscrutable quality called life. Is there a measureable energy flow or is that quality the person. As C S Lewis postulated; man does not have a soul, he is a soul. He has a body.

Why does science say so little about what it is? If all life were annihilated from the Earth’s surface, those five or so astronauts in the space station wouldn’t know what to look for. They wouldn’t know where life had gone. It’s a mystery. Surely when it comes to life it requires a metaphysical explanation. It is a miracle. It is the breath of God.

 Morality

That God is the algorithm to deal with right and wrong, good and bad and reward and punishment was commonly accepted until recent centuries. How naturalism can somehow rationalise the reality of human conscience, of fairness and rejection of evil in terms of ‘survival of the fittest’ I can grasp—at a stretch. It would require an assumption that survival is fundamentally programmed into life (easily explained by a theist). Another assumption would be that some sort of group consciousness allows individuals to want everyone to survive. And thirdly, it would require a higher value of humanity as a whole than of the individual.

Well, this would produce an ideal society, but the world is not like that. Motives and behaviours of individuals and groups are diverse. There are laudable and reprehensible behaviours—good and evil, gentle and violent, peace-loving and warring. While this dichotomy exists there is considerable agreement of a sense of what ought to be. How people should behave.

And, to me, it’s not a vague suspicion. There is a clamour of opinions on ‘what’s wrong with the world’ and what they should do to fix it. That there is a demand in each person’s consciousness of ‘an ought’ is highly indicative of a higher existence, an eternal purpose and a greater reality. The whole aspiration for greater good, more beauty, satisfaction, happiness and selflessness hints that these things ought to be. Yet things are amiss.

The bible has much to say on this subject. Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Rom 1:14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) Paul explains that conscience is universal. To love your neighbour and to not kill or steal are clear standards. Of course people are free to disregard their consciences, to believe the lie that God isn’t there or doesn’t care.

To ignore the existence of an objective morality doesn’t negate it, however. At the very fundamental level truth is essential. No dialogue or intellectual conversation is meaningful without the understanding that a knowledge of the true state of affairs is the goal. As a species we value truth. Yet children are not so conscious of its importance. Often they are instructed that lying for their own benefit is wrong. In fact, codes of conduct, rules, laws and even manners proliferate in our society. There is a sense that there is a right way to do things.

Jesus said He is that Way. He claimed to be the Truth. The verse suggests that all meaning and purpose stems from Him—that right living is found in his example.

Some would argue morality on a pragmatic level. It exists because it works. The problem is that so much of crime and dishonesty works for so many people yet we condemn them. Piracy, pickpocketing and various other illicit trades have been and are the means for survival of certain members of society. Pragmatically, such behaviours could be considered ‘to work’ but we do not commend them. We would hate to be a victim of such behaviours. Instead, we would advise; ‘Get a decent job. Be a productive member of society. Care for children and the elderly.’ Surely, we say these things in the belief that there is a right way to live and behave.

And, Christianity, for the most part, has provided a moral compass for society—western society at least. Much of our legal system, the origin of welfare organisations and the respect for authority and hard work stems from Judeo-Christian culture. [It is remiss of me to avoid the tedium of citing examples but my feeble excuse is that I’m attempting to be brief]

That Christianity has in past history been associated with anything but love, goodness and ethical living says at least three things to me. One: that standing under the banner ‘Christian’ has, at times in history, been a pragmatic, self-serving decision. Two: that a moral and ethical standard exists and many people have fallen short of it (I have been a contributor to this group as, I imagine, have most believers) and three: claiming to be Christian as part of some cultural norm and being one are very different things. And then becoming a Christian and living a Christ-like life are usually opposite ends of a faith continuum. I would that Christianity be judged on the success stories of its followers, not on its failures. Shouldn’t you judge the philosophy, the belief system on its adherents, not on those who fail to obey its most basic precepts—love your neighbour—or are hypocritical to its teachings? But no.

The best test of Christianity is to look at Christ. His standard is beyond reproach. He sought justice for the downtrodden, support for the helpless and love and compassion for the unlovely. He encouraged transparency and hated duplicity. Followers of His teachings—His life—seek to be obedient to His Way and they do so with mixed success. He provides the perfect Way I ought to follow. But, following Jesus’ steps is not about attaining some sort of moral excellence in order to qualify for eternal reward; it’s about believing and receiving what Jesus has to offer and then wanting to align your life with His purposes. “By grace are you saved through faith … it is the gift of God.

In short; I believe God provides a Way we should live—an algorithm for behaviour—and it is an objective moral standard that we were designed for.

 

 

Faith

Everyone believes in something. Or more concisely, everyone has a belief. That belief is based on the notion that the belief itself is true. If establishing whether that belief is true beyond doubt is problematic then that belief is an item of faith. Religious beliefs are like this. They are beyond the realm of proof but people accept them by faith. They accept them because they believe that ultimately it will prove to be true.

There are all sorts of religious faiths and some are more fantastic than others. A vast number of people have such a faith. I think it’s because we desire to make sense of our existence and one way to do that is to attribute it to a higher power, the supernatural or a transcendental dimension. Interestingly, there are those who claim to be more scientific who believe in no-god. It is an item of faith they feel is true but they can’t prove it. They wish it to be true so they deny the possibility of a deity. Wanting to believe in God and wanting to believe in atheism are more descriptions of the state of a person’s heart than their mind. Rational arguments can be made for both positions. Weigh the evidence. My vote is for a loving creative God who is good and brings ultimate justice.

Of course you can be very scientific and still be a theist. It just alters your perspective of science. The evidence is then skewed to a theme of design and plan and meaning and purpose. The contrary view, looking at the same information, is one of chance, randomness, time as an agent and meaninglessness. Both views are beliefs—faith. Both views demand evidence and can be argued with some degree of sense … but only one offers hope.

So why is faith so pervasive? Researchers have credited faith as a marker for wellbeing. Schools and sporting clubs seek out chaplains to assist with student and player welfare. Parents are increasingly seeking out private Christian schools to provide a values based education for their children. Yes, there is also an opposite, corresponding movement to reject all things faith based, to eliminate student learning in religious education and to dispel belief as quaint, antiquated, unscientific mythology. This polarised view has more to do with an atheistic belief system and a prejudiced perspective than valid reasoning.

Some Christian commentators have alluded to a God shaped gap in people’s lives that only faith in God can remedy. Others have held that faith puts all things into a coherent picture. So through the lens of faith concepts such as time, reason, life and morality come into focus. It makes sense of existence—of life. An upsurge in Christian apologists (read defenders) argue the reasonableness of the Christian faith.

So, if all these observations are true—and for some people that’s a huge if—why don’t more people see the light, respond to the Gospel and enter into a trusting relationship with God. Well, faith is not just a cognitive decision, it is a heart matter. To commit to belief in Jesus you have to recognise a desperate need that He meets, to see that we are complete in Him and accept that His incursion into history has altered mankind and was done to provide personal transformation and empowerment to live a purposeful, joy filled life.

This is not a case of using God to solve the ‘problem’ of life and everything, rather, the algorithm is analogous to a family reunion—meeting the heavenly Father we never knew—and finding out where we actually fit in.

Of course this notion, that God is the algorithm—the way all questions can be answered and all problems finally solved—is just one aspect of a God who is beyond our description. He is the answer to so many questions. He is the algorithm that describes an equation to Light, Life and Love, but more than that; He is God. That God isn’t anything less than God patently suggests that the metaphor of God as the algorithm is staggeringly short of the mark – God is all in all.
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PostSubject: Re: God is the Algorithm?   God is the Algorithm? EmptyTue May 09, 2017 4:58 am

Wow..! I earnestly did try to read all of this post but my head started swimming a bit and I couldn't stay focused and eventually lost interest (yawn) but you do possess a staggering intellect no doubt and have a tremendous vocabulary!
I will try again...later (sigh).
Pssst...if it was written in the "Spirit", wild horses pulling at me could not have torn me away from reading it..jus' sayin':)
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PostSubject: Thank you   God is the Algorithm? EmptyTue May 09, 2017 6:40 am

I would argue the intellect and the vocab comments...and continue to seek the leading of the Spirit.

Thanks for the feedback.

I may be one of those people Paul writes about...wrong motives but Christ is preached so 'in that he rejoices'.

PS Sorry you were bored
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PostSubject: Re: God is the Algorithm?   God is the Algorithm? EmptyTue May 09, 2017 7:04 am

Thanks for responding, that is something I can respect and admire.
I can be a bit of an "ass" at times...but how else do you get to know someone...that you don't know but find interesting?
It's all good...even when it seems bad to us in by our own limited perceptions, Romans 8:28.
Look forward to reading more of your posts don't be discouraged, i'll try to be more respectful and attentive in the future, Anthony, my name is also Anthony :)

P.S., way to go, no knee jerk response, not easily offended, vain, or thin skinned...awesome!
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God is the Algorithm? Empty
PostSubject: Re: God is the Algorithm?   God is the Algorithm? EmptyTue May 09, 2017 5:12 pm

My friend...you "think too much" not healthy.
"It’s the thinking about thinking that intrigues me. I thought I would record these mental constructions in the hope that I could refine that perpetually adjusting jigsaw of reality in my head and at the same time provide some helpful perspectives in the search for the ‘meaning of life’."
First off, the reality that exists within our heads is not reality, why would you trust in that and share it even remotely as if a "Truth?"

The answers to "the meaning of life" are no where to be found in our own heads, this is a vain search from a vain source. I stopped reading at precisely this point in your writing. 
Now please consider the following video...
And ask yourself if you paused even momentarily within the "space" which Brother David describes here before forging ahead with your rather lengthy unedifying message? Did you see it...the opportunity? Were you open to receive it?
If not then your search should be focused on the "why not?".
All the answers you are searching for lay there, in that momentary gap in time that exists in a mental double take when you can't believe you heard what you heard emanate from what you think you saw in a flash of an image.

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God is the Algorithm? Empty
PostSubject: Interesting   God is the Algorithm? EmptyTue May 09, 2017 5:39 pm

I'm sorry, but it was a bit esoteric for me. I had to think about it.

Couldn't agree more that faith is a heart matter...so the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

But Paul doesn't have a problem with thining...contending and defending the faith... Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

But you're right...thinking themselves to be wise they became fools... it is a trap to easily fall into. So grace is essential and I grasp onto it with all my being.
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God is the Algorithm? Empty
PostSubject: Re: God is the Algorithm?   God is the Algorithm? EmptyTue May 09, 2017 6:25 pm

Good point and I do have a response but I choose to exercise restraint. At least you are willing to respond and engage, that is refreshing and much lacking on this site.
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PostSubject: Re: God is the Algorithm?   God is the Algorithm? EmptyTue May 09, 2017 8:50 pm

So that's your answer? Invoke Paul and quote a scripture after stating that you wrote this drivel off of the top of your head while in a state of sleep deprivation at 3am. Does Paul live in your head too? Seems awfully crowded. Is that where grace lives, In your head?
Sometimes, we cannot see that we are already in the trap i'm speaking to you in "donkey" speak now...eee...yah...eee...yah!
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