(As I ponder)
Is There A God?
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This question would inevitably
pop out when one ponders on the meaning of life as
one would usually do in the face of some uncertainties.
In the absence of any theological or philosophical grounding , as
is usually the case with most, one couldn't quite conclude with any iota
of certainty. It would seem to be a lot less confusing if one
goes ahead in life with "work, eat and drink for
tomorrow we die" attitude, or perhaps just follow what some old popular
sages have said and let the hereafter sort itself
out. But that, of course, would be most careless, if not out-right
irresponsible. It would be like taking a random number and hoping
the winning number is struck. Only, in this case, your eternal future is
put at stake.
In an attempt to seek the 'Truth', in other words, to
prove the existence or otherwise of a god or gods for whom my life purpose
was, I was led to read about Madalyn
Murray O'Hair, the 'famous' American atheist
who had successfully taken God out of the American school system. But in
spite of her hateful tyrades against religions
and religionists, she hadn't come up with anything
concrete to prove beyond reasonable doubt the non-existence of some supreme
beings. In fact it is a lot logical to believe that a supreme intelligence
existed to cause a big bang in nothingness rather than to reason that an
accidental Bang occured in an absolute nothingness to have caused
the Universe with its infinite amount of galactical matter. In any case,
how would love, beauty and emotions figure in an accidental creation,
let alone the existence of forces among sub-atomic particles
that govern the make-up of the myriads of substances
that form specific parts of living and inanimate matters? One
could only sigh in utter wonderment, 'Surely, there must be a god or gods',
or by whatever name one refers him or them as. Any other conclusion could
only be due to one's 'sophisticated ignorance' masquarading as "liberated
enlightenment".
Unfortunately,
eversince
man decided that there was a god, he 'created'
many more for his many purposes. This explains the existence of a variety
of gods, with their respective throng of devotees who devotely and
unashamely worship them for whatever they
thought they are worth. As an instance, there is the strange
god of the phallus in Japan which young giggling Japanese girls would kiss
for fertility each year; the god of love in India with its pre-occupation
with the philosophy of Kamasutra, and many more like gods, all of whom
are given due worship by their devotees who are otherwise civilized.
Perhaps in a modern and enlightened society this category of gods could
be rejected against the test of modern morality, however, there are others
- Jupiter, Zeus, Maitreya, Brahma, Quanjin, Krisna, Haile Selaisee, Buddha
and a host of other so-called divinities proclaimed by some 'prophets and
prophetesses', who probably could stand such a test. Come to think of it,
which be the true god? By any logical conclusion, either one of them
is true or none is. In view of their differing tenets, though all perhaps
could stand the test, but then none could be entirely true for all
could have added some figments of man's imagination for none of their
prophets could back up their respective claims by any divine protocol.
None, no one, even if the name of Saint Gabriel was invoked! Unless there
was a being from heaven who came and proclaimed the truth in no uncertain
way then none is yet the bearer of the full truth. In otherwords, the real
God-Creator, if He exists at all, could still be scratching His head
awaiting for man's accurate proclamation of His truth. If you are subscribed
to one or two now, you should seriously reconsider your position, for you
could be way off target.
There was one, though, who claimed,
" I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except
through me" John 14:6. Again, "No one has gone up to heaven except
the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven..." John
3:13; and again, "...I have come from heaven..." John 6:38. Those were
tall claims by any earthly standard, just way and above all other
claims. He was either a joker, an occult guru, a liar, or He is what he
claimed to be: "The Father and I are one." John 10:30. The Jews detested
Him, the Qur'an says of him as 'whisked to heaven alive' and shall
come back to judge all man at the end of time, and the Christians worship
Him as Saviour and Lord. What claims He made stood the test of divine protocol
- He preached of God, the Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth,
and His love for mankind, and His claims are backed not only by
the writings of ancient prophets, but even by the fulfilment of those prophecies:
His sufferings on the cross, His death and resurrection, and afterwards,
by the power of the Holy Spirit, His empowerment of a succession
of apostles to proclaim His Truth (Mathew 28:19-20) which todate has spread
far and wide, influencing man's cultures, laws and ways of life in very
positive manners.. His name is Jesus Christ, 'the word made flesh, who
was with God in the beginning..'.John 1:1-2). He founded Christianity.
If His claim were true then Christianity is not just a religion made by
man or proclaimed by the prophets, but a religion founded by Heaven: "
You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom
of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever
you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Mathew 16:18-19.
The Church, as Christ proclaimed, holds the keys of the Kingdom of
Heaven which were first handed over to Peter who passed them
along through apostolic succession. Perhaps therein lies the whole truth,
the true Church
and the true God. Shouldn't you find out more? You have nothing to lose
except, perhaps, your search time; you have everything to gain, the least
being knowledge of christianity. You owe it unto yourself to seek
the truth. " ...you will learn the truth and the truth will make you free."
John 8:32. Check
it.
Continue?
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.JESUS IS LORD.
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Brief History of The
Catholic Church
in Sabah
The Catholic Church
was brought into Sabah (then North Borneo) in 1857 with Rev Monsignior
Carlos Quarteron as its first Prefect. Father Quarteron was a seafarer-turned-priest.
During his hayday as a seafarer, Fr. Quarteron plied the high seas of the
South China and the Sulu trading in slaves and other contraband until he
got caught up in a very bad storm which almost cost him his life. In the
midst of his ordeal he fell to his knees in earnest prayer and made a vow
to heaven to become a missionary if he survived. He survived and kept his
vow. He took up religious life with the Mill Hills Missionary based in
Milan, Italy where in 1855 he was conferred the title of The Prefect
Apostolic of Milan which included Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo as its
outreach mission areas. The first outreach base in North Borneo was established
in Labuan and later at the Gaya Bay which, probably now, is Kota Kinabalu. |
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