Looking for God: an Ongoing Tale - New friend, new theory
Tamara Jacobs sits down with Jeff, a friend of hers. They've come to meet with Mitch, a former college chaplain who still gets to the college now and then, especially since Tamara has been meeting with him weekly. She contacted him at the beginning of the year when she wanted to know how faith could have anything to do with Fanshawe students.
“Sorry I'm a little late today,” Mitch says as he settles into the booth. “I see you have brought along a friend. Is this going to become a habit? Glad to meet you! My name is Mitch.”
Jeff extends his hand. “Nice to meet you. I've heard some good things about you.”
I wanted you to meet Jeff,” Tamara said after the introductions. “Jeff is a friend of mine, kind of a science guy, and he's taken a course on the Bible at university. He has some very interesting ideas that I thought you might like to hear.”“Sure, ok,” Mitch responds, hoping his feeling of hesitation doesn't show through. He has a sense that the conversation with Jeff is going to be a bit demanding. “But may I order a burger first? And I think I'll have a beer with my food today.”
“Me too,” Jeff says. They order and the server brings their drinks.
Mitch begins. “The last time Tamara brought a friend we had a very interesting talk about fasting, the Muslim month of Ramadan, and Christianity. Maybe you have some things you'd really like to talk about this afternoon.”
“Well,” Jeff replies, “There is something I've been thinking about. You're a chaplain; you promote Christianity and you believe the Bible, right?”
“All of the above.”
“Ok, that's how I figured it. And with my questions, I don't mean to sound disrespectful or anything, but, well . . .”
“No problem; just let me know what's on your mind. No need to hurry.”
Feeling a little more relaxed, Jeff continues. “Here's what I've been thinking. People say the Bible is full of contradictions. When I first heard that, even though I don't really believe the Bible, I thought that it must be an exaggeration to say it is full of contradictions. I mean, if it is so full of contradictions, how can it have inspired a worldwide religion with, today, two billion people? So, I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
“But then I started remembering my science courses, learning about the Big Bang, and how the universe is billions of years old, and is expanding. There are some people who think there is even more than one universe.”
“Right, I understand what you are saying.”
Jeff continues. “And when I took a course on the first sections of the Christian Bible, we looked at the writings about the creation, you know, in Genesis one and two.”
“I do know those chapters.”
“Well, here's the thing. Those chapters talk about how the world first got started and they don't mention the Big Bang at all. On top of that, most Bible scholars say that the first chapter of the Bible describes a world that is more or less flat, is covered by a big dome, and that there is water below the earth and above the dome. So, as far as I can tell, the Bible starts off with a big error. So, how can anyone believe it after all?”
Mitch thinks to himself how much he likes questions like this. He takes another long sip of his drink and begins. “Here is how I see it. . .”
To be continued.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
“Sorry I'm a little late today,” Mitch says as he settles into the booth. “I see you have brought along a friend. Is this going to become a habit? Glad to meet you! My name is Mitch.”
Jeff extends his hand. “Nice to meet you. I've heard some good things about you.”
I wanted you to meet Jeff,” Tamara said after the introductions. “Jeff is a friend of mine, kind of a science guy, and he's taken a course on the Bible at university. He has some very interesting ideas that I thought you might like to hear.”“Sure, ok,” Mitch responds, hoping his feeling of hesitation doesn't show through. He has a sense that the conversation with Jeff is going to be a bit demanding. “But may I order a burger first? And I think I'll have a beer with my food today.”
“Me too,” Jeff says. They order and the server brings their drinks.
Mitch begins. “The last time Tamara brought a friend we had a very interesting talk about fasting, the Muslim month of Ramadan, and Christianity. Maybe you have some things you'd really like to talk about this afternoon.”
“Well,” Jeff replies, “There is something I've been thinking about. You're a chaplain; you promote Christianity and you believe the Bible, right?”
“All of the above.”
“Ok, that's how I figured it. And with my questions, I don't mean to sound disrespectful or anything, but, well . . .”
“No problem; just let me know what's on your mind. No need to hurry.”
Feeling a little more relaxed, Jeff continues. “Here's what I've been thinking. People say the Bible is full of contradictions. When I first heard that, even though I don't really believe the Bible, I thought that it must be an exaggeration to say it is full of contradictions. I mean, if it is so full of contradictions, how can it have inspired a worldwide religion with, today, two billion people? So, I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
“But then I started remembering my science courses, learning about the Big Bang, and how the universe is billions of years old, and is expanding. There are some people who think there is even more than one universe.”
“Right, I understand what you are saying.”
Jeff continues. “And when I took a course on the first sections of the Christian Bible, we looked at the writings about the creation, you know, in Genesis one and two.”
“I do know those chapters.”
“Well, here's the thing. Those chapters talk about how the world first got started and they don't mention the Big Bang at all. On top of that, most Bible scholars say that the first chapter of the Bible describes a world that is more or less flat, is covered by a big dome, and that there is water below the earth and above the dome. So, as far as I can tell, the Bible starts off with a big error. So, how can anyone believe it after all?”
Mitch thinks to himself how much he likes questions like this. He takes another long sip of his drink and begins. “Here is how I see it. . .”
To be continued.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
