Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 213

Questions on Heaven from Corban University Students

Last month I did a Q&A on Heaven at Corban University’s chapel. I enjoyed meeting students and sharing what God’s word says about our eternal home. (I’ll be going back to Corban in May to teach a three-day graduate course titled “Spend 3 Days in Heaven,” which can be taken for credit or audited. If, and only if, it’s what God has for you and you’re able to travel to Oregon, I would love to see you there. Learn more about the class.)

During the chapel session, students submitted some great questions, but unfortunately we didn’t have time to get to all of them. Campus Pastor Dan Huber shared the remaining questions with me, so I wanted to provide answers for the students and also for anyone who has had similar questions. Special thanks to EPM staff member Julia Stager, who pulled all these answers together!

Here’s the full-length video of the session.

Here are some highlights from the students’ questions. I’ve also included the complete list below.

How can we start a conversation with unbelievers on Heaven, especially those (unbelievers) in our own homes?

See Is the subject of Heaven a good evangelistic topic? and How can I be better prepared for evangelism?


Was Heaven created as a result of The Fall?

See Was Heaven created as a result of the Fall?


Is Heaven a real physical place somewhere in this universe?

Answered at Will Heaven really change locations?


We all really like food. :) Will we eat good food in Heaven?

See Will we eat good food in Heaven? How will it taste like?


What is your response to the book Heaven is for Real? What do you think of the people who claim to have seen Heaven or Hell and then return to this world? What is your view on stories involving an unbelieving person dying, getting a glimpse of Hell, and then returning to life to tell of the story?

See my blog post Heaven is for Real, 90 Minutes in Heaven, and other books about visits to Heaven or Hell

      

The full list of questions and answers:

Will we instantly know other believers in Heaven even if we had never met them on earth? 

Answered at Once in heaven, will people know and recognize those they knew on earth?

On this new planet, is there going to be knowledge of good and evil? Could the new planet turn out with sin just like this one?

Answered at Will we have the opportunity to sin in Heaven?

If we are all rulers in the New Earth, who will be ruled? How does that work/look?

Answered at How does having a servant’s heart affect one’s rewards in Heaven?

Will knowing some of our loved ones are not with us in Heaven make us sad? I have a hard time seeing myself joyful in Heaven knowing that some of my friends and family are in hell and it's too late to do anything. Your thoughts?

Answered at If our loved ones are in Hell, won’t that spoil Heaven?

If we will live on the New Earth, what is the purpose of the New Heaven?

Answered at What does the Bible mean by the term New Heavens?

We all really like food. :) Will we eat good food in Heaven?

See Will we eat good food in Heaven? How will it taste like?

What will we do in Heaven? Will we be with people from our lives, recognize them and even "socialize" with them?

Answered at What will do in Heaven?

What if something tragic has happened but it’s not your fault, but you keep blaming yourself for it? And you can’t stop.

See Guilt, God and Self-Esteem and I carry around unbearable guilt. Is there any hope for me?

How can we start a conversation with unbelievers on Heaven, especially those (unbelievers) in our own homes?

See Is the subject of Heaven a good evangelistic topic? and How can I be better prepared for evangelism?

What does Heaven look like now? Do people have bodies now?

Answered at What will our bodies be like in the present, intermediate Heaven?

My church read your book about Heaven and everyone is excited about Heaven; I’m concerned because now many don’t want to face this world.

See Heavenly Minded and of Earthly Good

What do you think about Rob Bell's idea of Heaven?

See my blog post Rob Bell’s Love Wins

How can we do all things for the glory of God? How would I go about watching football for the glory of God?

See Culture, Creator, and Anticipating a Redeemed Earth

In Mark 12:18-27 it discusses marriage at the resurrection. Will there really be no marriage then or am I misreading?

Answered at Will there be marriage in Heaven?

Will the New Earth have the same land masses as now?

Answered at New Song, New Car, New Earth

Do those in Heaven, like family members and friends, know how we are doing here on earth?

Answered at Do people now in Heaven know what’s happening on earth?

Do you think there will be animals in Heaven? Specifically, will OUR animals be in Heaven?

See Will there be animals in Heaven? and Pets in Heaven?

Will there be sports in Heaven?

Answered in my blog post Faith and Football

Do unborn babies go to Heaven?

See “If an unborn baby is better off in God’s presence…” See also Do infants go to Heaven when they die? and Will we be reunited with children who have died?

What is your response to the book Heaven is for Real? What do you think of the people who claim to have seen Heaven or Hell and then return to this world? What is your view on stories involving an unbelieving person dying, getting a glimpse of Hell, and then returning to life to tell of the story?

See my blog post Heaven is for Real, 90 Minutes in Heaven, and other books about visits to Heaven or Hell

Can you expound upon 2 Cor. 12 and the differences between the 1st, 2nd, 3rd Heaven?

See What is the first, second, and third Heaven?

Is Heaven a real physical place somewhere in this universe?

Answered at Will Heave really change locations?

Will we remember anything from our lives here on earth when we are in Heaven?

Answered at Do people now in Heaven remember what happened on earth?

I have been tempted to do things I shouldn’t be doing, and I want to stop, but things have happened to make me want to keep doing it. How do I stop?

See Is there hope for me and my addiction?

If Heaven is real, what proof of it can we see on earth?

See Is Heaven real? The evidence for Heaven (video)

How will the treasures I've "stored up in Heaven" affect my life there? How much should "heavenly rewards" factor into our anticipation of heaven?

See How much will rewards really matter on the New Earth? and How does a servant’s heart affect one’s rewards in Heaven?

Where does a believer go when he or she dies? Straight to Heaven or is there a waiting period until Christ returns?

See Are we instantly with the Lord when we die?

Will we be able to see those suffering in hell from heaven? Will they be able to see us?

Answered at Is there awareness in Heaven of events on earth?

There's not a whole lot said in the Bible about what it will be like in Heaven. Why do you think that is?

See What does the Bible say about Heaven?

On page 8 in your heaven booklet you say that we will go to a place without suffering but it's not Heaven. Where in the Bible does it say that?

The booklet says that the place we go when we die IS Heaven, but it is the present Heaven, not the future or eternal Heaven. See Present Heaven vs. Eternal Heaven

Was Heaven created as a result of The Fall?

See Was Heaven created as a result of the Fall?

What made you want to be a writer and does your writing help you express your faith and help you grow closer to God?

See Writing as Ministry First, Vocation Second; Why I Write Fiction, and Creativity in Writing; and browse the rest of my blog posts on writing.

The Lord’s Prayer says “your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” What do you think it means to bring heaven to earth? Examples?

See The Ultimate Answer to the Lord’s Prayer “They will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven”

Do we, as believers, have the ability to bring 'Heaven' to earth? i.e. some ministries entire theology being based around this (signs and wonders).

I’ve not yet addressed this topic, but will in my next book to some degree. For a fairly balanced approach to this subject, see “Signs and Wonders,” a sermon by Henry Dixon.

Do you think the dispensationalist perspective affects your view of Heaven?

Generally, one of the most contentious issues regarding the dispensationalist perspective is in relation to the millennial kingdom. For more on this, see Further Thoughts on the Millennium

Whom Would You Choose?

If you had the opportunity to spend the evening with any person who’s ever lived, whom would you choose? Probably someone fascinating, knowledgeable, and accomplished. High on my list would be C. S. Lewis, A. W. Tozer, Jonathan Edwards, Hudson Taylor, and Charles Spurgeon. Or how about Ruth, David, Mary, Paul, or Adam and Eve? I’d enjoy meeting Eric Liddell, the great runner and Christ-follower portrayed in Chariots of Fire.

Perhaps you’d choose someone beautiful and talented. Maybe you’d hope that at the end of the evening he or she would have enjoyed your company enough to want to spend time with you again.

Is Jesus the first person you would choose? Who is more beautiful, talented, knowledgeable, fascinating, and interesting than he?

The good news is, he chose you. If you’re a Christian, you’ll be with him for eternity and enjoy endless fascinating conversations and experiences. Incredibly, he’ll also enjoy your company and mine. After all, he paid the ultimate price just so he could have us over to his place for eternity.

Most of us would love to spend the evening with a great author, musician, artist, or head of state. God is the master artist who created the universe, the inventor of music, the author and main character of the unfolding drama of redemption. Head of state? He’s king of the entire universe. Yet if someone says, “I want to go to Heaven to be with God forever,” others wonder, Wouldn’t that be boring?

What are we thinking?

The very qualities we admire in others—every one of them—are true of God. He’s the source of everything we find fascinating. Who made Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart? Who gave them their gifts? Who created music itself and the ability to perform it?

All that is admirable and fascinating in human beings comes from their Creator.

      

His Final Interview: C.S. Lewis on the Future and Space Travel

Shortly before he died November 22, 1963 (yes, the same day as John F. Kennedy), C. S. Lewis granted his final interview to Sherwood Elliot Wirt, of Decision Magazine. It’s a fascinating interview. I found the final two questions and answers interesting:

Wirt: What do you think is going to happen in the next few years of history, Mr. Lewis?

Lewis: I have no way of knowing. My primary field is the past. I travel with my back to the engine, and that makes it difficult when you try to steer. The world might stop in ten minutes; meanwhile, we are to go on doing our duty. The great thing is to be found at one’s post as a child of God, living each day as though it were our last, but planning as though our world might last a hundred years.

We have, of course, the assurance of the New Testament regarding events to come. I find it difficult to keep from laughing when I find people worrying about future destruction of some kind or other. Didn’t they know they were going to die anyway? Apparently not. My wife once asked a young woman friend whether she had ever thought of death, and she replied, “By the time I reach that age science will have done something about it!”

Wirt: Do you think there will be widespread travel in space?

Lewis: I look forward with horror to contact with the other inhabited planets, if there are such. We would only transport to them all of our sin and our acquisitiveness, and establish a new colonialism. I can’t bear to think of it. But if we on earth were to get right with God, of course, all would be changed. Once we find ourselves spiritually awakened, we can go to outer space and take the good things with us. That is quite a different matter.

As a fan of his space trilogy, I especially love Lewis’s final answer in light of the biblical teaching of a new heavens and New Earth, in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13). In such a new universe, with a new outer space, might people build and travel and explore to the glory of God?

The stars of the heavens declare God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), yet how vast and distant they are. God made countless billions of galaxies containing perhaps trillions of nebulae, planets, and moons. Not many in human history have seen more than a few thousand stars, and then only as dots in the sky. If the heavens declare God’s glory now, and if we will spend eternity proclaiming God’s glory, don’t you think exploring the new heavens, and exercising dominion over them, will likely be part of God’s plan?

As a twelve-year-old, I first viewed through a telescope the great galaxy of Andromeda, consisting of hundreds of billions of stars and untold numbers of planets, nearly three million light years from Earth. I was mesmerized. I also wept, not knowing why. I was overwhelmed by greatness on a cosmic scale and felt terribly small and alone. Years later I first heard the gospel. After I became a Christian, I found that gazing through the telescope became an act of delighted worship.

From the night I first saw Andromeda’s galaxy, I’ve wanted to go there. I now think it’s likely I will.

It’s hard for me to believe God made countless cosmic wonders intending that no human eye would ever behold them and that no human should ever set foot on them. The biblical accounts link mankind so closely with the physical universe and link God’s celestial heavens so closely with the manifestation of his glory that I believe he intends us to explore the new universe. The universe will be our backyard, a playground and university always beckoning us to come explore the wealth of our Lord—as one song puts it, the God of wonders beyond our galaxy.

      

The Elements in True Reformation

In his excellent (though unlikely titled) book Hot Tub Religion, J. I. Packer asks “What would a work of divine reformation in our churches today look like?” Great question, and I loved the six answers Packer—one of my all- time favorite people—offers.

First, there would be a sense of biblical authority—that is, an awareness that biblical teaching is divine truth and that the invitations and admonitions, threats and warnings, promises and assurances of Scripture still express the mind of God toward mankind. The Bible would be honored again as the Word of God, and the perverse, pluralism of liberal theology, which addles the brains and blinds the hearts of many, would wither and die. The root of this pluralism is that teachers feel free to ignore some of the things the Bible teaches and to pull others out of context. The fruit of it is that God’s people are led astray into dry places and the Holy Spirit of God is completely quenched. Reformation always begins as a call from God to “come out of the wilderness” of subjective speculation and spiritual impotence and learn again in humility the true teaching of the written Word about grace and godliness, knowing that the secret of power for living lies here. Thus, unhappily, reformation always leads to controversy for some resist the message.

Second, there would be a spirit of seriousness about eternal issues. Heaven and hell would be preached about, thought about, and talked about once again. Life in this world would once again be lived in the light of the world to come, and the Philippian jailer’s question, “What must I do to be saved?” would be seen as life’s basic question once more. For most of this century the church, liberal and conservative, in all denominations, has been so occupied with this world that minds turned to eternity have been the exception rather than the rule. Sociopolitical, cultural, sporting, and money-making interests have dominated Christian minds rather than the laying up of treasure in heaven. A work of reformation would change that, not by withdrawing Christians from these fields of action, but by radically altering their perspective on what they are doing so that God’s glory and eternal values would become the chief concerns.

Third, there would be a passion for God, transcending any interest in religion or cultivation of religiosity. One’s relationship to God would be seen as the most important thing in the world, and a Bible-based awareness of the greatness and awesomeness of God, the eternal Savior-Judge, in whose hands we ever are, would displace all cheap thoughts of God as just a useful pal.

Fourth, there would be a love of holiness growing out of deep conviction of sin, deep repentance, deep gratitude for forgiveness and cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ, and a deep desire to please God. Casualness about righteousness, cutting moral corners, areas of blatant self-indulgence, love of luxury, and broken commitments have disfigured twentieth-century Christianity at all levels. This would change, as indeed it needs to, for moral standards among Christian people. As in the world around them, seem to be getting worse rather than better. It is frightening to see how little believers nowadays seem to be bothered about personal sin.

Fifth, there would be a concern for the church. Christians would catch the biblical perspective, in which the church is the center and focal point of God’s plan and the display ground of his saving and sanctifying wisdom (see Eph. 3:1-12). They would be deeply concerned about the image that the church presents to the world, and any form of unfaithfulness, carnality, false doctrine, formalism, disorder, or wrongheadedness in the church would cause them distress and send them to their knees. God should be honored, not dishonored, in his church, and the church should show itself strong in standing against the world and testifying to its Savior. These are universal Christian concerns at reformation times, and saints at such times will endure and risk anything in order to see the church move in the right direction.

Sixth, there would be a willingness to change—whether from sin to righteousness, or from lassitude to zeal, or from traditional patterns to new procedures, or from passivity to activity, or any other form of change that was needed. Believers would come together to praise, pray, encourage each other, and see what they could do together to advance the cause of Christ. It would be as if they had awakened after a long sleep. They would wonder how they were able to be somnolent, apathetic, and inactive for so long. What new things they would find themselves doing cannot be specified in advance beyond this general formula, but should God work in reformation, it is safe to say that newness of discipleship and change of ways in some shape or form would be the experience of us all.

      

Evaluating Movies in Light of Scripture

On my Facebook page, someone asked: "Randy, you often mention that you and Nanci have been to a movie. I'm curious about what kind and rating of movies you attend. I'm interested in how you regard the type of movie (violence, sexual overtones, etc.). Should Christians knowingly attend such films? This of course also applies to TV programs."

Good movies are hard to find. I know, we’re supposed to pretend that movies have no influence on us, or our children. That way we can be cool and go with the popular drift of culture and prove that not all Christians are uptight and moralistic.

But sexually explicit—and even suggestive—movies, TV, books, etc. are unacceptable according to Ephesians 4-5. Non-gratuitous violence can be acceptable for adults, I think, as long as it neither tempts us to do violence nor desensitizes us to true violence. Figuring that out will vary from person to person. But certainly our general Christian tolerance for sexual immorality is way too excessive. Remembering that Jesus is always with us, and asking ourselves what He thinks, should make a big difference.

Some Christians might say, “But it’s almost impossible to rent a movie without sex and offensive language.” There are Christian movie-review sites that can help you make good selections for family viewing. (Check out www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies; www.movieguide.org; or www.pluggedin.com.) There are also services which offer edited movies, television adaptors which edit profanity, and DVD software that cuts offensive scenes from movies.

Even then, we need to make sure that we are evaluating what we are watching in light of Scripture. Instead of His Word simply being one more influence on us, God intends it to be authoritative over all other influences. I read it not simply as one more source of input but as the Source and the authoritative standard by which I judge all other input.

I evaluate Seinfeld or Friends in light of Scripture. Then, if I’m discerning, in my opinion, I stop watching Seinfeld or Friends. Why? Because the themes, while amusingly handled, are often (not always, of course) immoral and tempt me to think in those terms. I evaluate Gladiator in light of Scripture and realize that the themes of courage, the quest for human rights and liberty, and standing up with comrades in making principled sacrifice is biblical. I also discern that the movie’s theology of people without Christ going to Heaven and reuniting with unbelieving family members is false. Using biblical discernment, I glean the true things from the movie, while screening out the bad. Only then is my mind protected from the subtle or not-so-subtle undermining of truth.

Bottom line, suppose there were no decent movies—what then? I enjoy good movies, but the Bible never commands us “Watch movies.” It does command us to “Guard your heart.”

      

The History, Memories, and Nostalgia of "Real Books"

I thought Kevin DeYoung’s post about “real books” (which I’ve included part of below) was interesting. I enjoy reading on my Kindle and iPad, and I love e-books, and haven’t given up on them, and doubt I ever will. But I still buy more printed ones, especially for research. If I believe I’m going to go back to the book, not just read it once, I tend to buy the printed version, which I mark up in a way that doesn’t work for me in the e-book equivalents to “making it my own.”

I like what Kevin says about the history of certain books on the shelf. I like the different look and feel, even the bent up covers. I have books I read as a young Christian in high school, then in college, others as a young pastor. There are books I read to my daughters when they were three or five or seven. They are indeed like “old friends.” (The covers I’ve included in this post are some that bring back memories for me.)

The books on my shelves convey a physical nostalgia, not just of content and characters, but of the book itself. Sometimes I remember where I bought them and read them. I look at the dates inside, occasionally finding a stray note or phone number. Sometimes even their smell is familiar. And when I buy used books, which I often do, I like to see other people’s names and the words they’ve underlined, reminding me that the book has a history, and now I have entered into that history.

None of that is a criticism of e-books. Their advantages are unique, and so are those of printed books. I thank God that I live in a time where we can choose between them, and enjoy them both.

Why I Hope Real Books Never Die (and They Won’t)

by Kevin DeYoung

I have tried to get into ereaders. Really I have. First, someone was kind enough to give me a Kindle. It seemed pretty cool at first. I could download books instantly. I didn’t have to weigh down my carryon bag when traveling. What a treat.

I read two books on my Kindle and got tired of it.

Then I tried reading books on my iPad, definitely a better reading experience in my opinion. I prefer the white page and back lit screen over the electronic ink. It was exciting to think (again) that from now on I could purchase most books whenever and wherever I wanted to. I could buy something new while on vacation. I could finish something in the airport and get a new book right from my seat, without having to lug around any extra pounds. The iPad even allows you to flip the page with your finger just like the real deal. What a gift.

I read two books on my iPad and got tired of it.

Perhaps I am a wishful thinking bibliophile, but I just don’t think the physical book is going the way of the dodo bird. No doubt, many scholars and students will house parts of their reference libraries on an electronic device. Some frequent flyers will stick books on their tablets instead of in their brief cases. And some techno-geeks will conclude that everything is better on an Apple product. I’m sure  ereaders will make inroads. They serve a useful purpose. But only to a point.

Old books are like old friends. They love to be revisited. They stick around to give advice. They remind you of days gone by. Books, like friends, hang around.

And they prefer not to be invisible.

Read the rest of Kevin’s post.

      

 

"The Heart and Conscience Has Room Only for God"

In my post last week, I addressed the issues related to the new federal healthcare requirements that will force unwilling institutions to provide abortifacient drugs and contraceptives. I also shared about the Manhattan Declaration petition to President Obama (please sign the petition if you haven’t already). This issue is of immense importance, as it will likely result in many Christians having to either violate their consciences as they bow the knee to government, or commit civil disobedience in order to follow their God-directed consciences.

In the video below, listen to a Lutheran minister testifying before the House Oversight Committee on the contraceptive-abortifacient mandate. Rev. Harrison’s five-minute opening statement thoughtfully captures the issue in a way non-Lutherans should be able to understand and respect.

Here are some further insights from The Gospel Coalition. This is worth reading, and following the links to the other documents:

The FAQs: The Contraceptive-Abortifacient Mandate

What is this contraception mandate everyone keeps talking about?

As part of the universal health insurance reform passed in 2010 (often referred to as "Obamacare"), all group health plans must now provide—at no cost to the recipient—certain "preventive services." The list of services includes sterilization, contraceptives, and abortifacient drugs.

If this mandate is from 2010, why are we just now talking about it in 2012?

On January 20, 2012, the Obama Administration announced that it would not expand the exemption for this mandate to include religious schools, colleges, hospitals, and charitable service organizations. Instead, the Administration merely extended the deadline for religious groups who do not already fall within the existing narrow exemption so that they will have one more year to comply or drop healthcare insurance coverage for their employees altogether and incur a hefty fine.

Read the full article.

      

Bert Elliot: a faithful star, rising night after night for Christ

Missionary Bert Elliot (brother of martyred missionary Jim Elliot) went home to be with Jesus last Friday. Nanci and I met Bert and his wife Colleen in January 2006, which marked the fiftieth anniversary of the martyrdom of the five missionaries in Ecuador. In our church services I interviewed Steve Saint, son of martyr Nate Saint; Steve McCully, son of martyr Ed McCully; and Mincaye, one of the tribal warriors who killed the missionaries and later came to faith in Christ. Afterward we joined Bert and Colleen and other Elliot family members  for dinner at Jim’s childhood home.

(Left to right in the photo: Mincaye; Steve Saint; Colleen and Bert Elliot, holding Jim’s picture; and Steve McCully.)

In 1949, when Bert and Colleen were students at Multnomah Bible College, they were invited to Peru by a missionary. They became missionaries to Peru years before Jim went to Ecuador.  

When we discussed their ministry, Bert smiled and said, “I can’t wait to get back from furlough.” At that time, they were in their eighties and in their sixtieth year as missionaries, still joyfully reaching people for Christ. Until that weekend I didn’t know anything about them. They may have served Christ faithfully under the radar of the church at large, but not under God’s.

Bert said something to me that day I’ll never forget: “Jim and I both served Christ, but differently. Jim was a great meteor, streaking through the sky.”

Bert didn’t go on to describe himself, but I will. Unlike his brother Jim, the shooting star, Bert was a faint star that rose night after night, faithfully crossing the same path in the sky, to God’s glory.

In missions work, suffering sometimes results in a short life culminating in martyrdom, sometimes in a long life of daily dying to self and living for Christ. I believe Jim Elliot’s reward is considerable, but it wouldn’t surprise me to discover that Bert and Colleen’s will be greater still.

“Multitudes that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:2–3, NIV).

After a visit to see Bert and Colleen in Peru a few years ago, Lars Gren, Elisabeth Elliot’s husband, wrote, “They are available for any who call or that ring the doorbell whether expected or unexpected. Along with open doors there are the Bible Studies, their involvement in the Christian School... Plus an exceptional drug program leading addicts into a new life based on Scripture… All this after 56 years on the field with no thought of the rocking chair or hanging out a shingle saying, ‘busy, please call again’. What a life of service.”

Lars goes on to write, “On our last day, Bert said that if he had been given paper and pencil and told to draw out the perfect wish and plan for his life, it would not have been half as good as what the Lord opened for them. He quoted from Psalm 16, ‘the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.’”

Bert and Colleen Elliot have lived a long obedience in the same direction. Whether we follow God to leave our country or to stay here, all of us are likewise called to a life of faithful endurance, empowered by Christ.

      

How Much Would We Expect Accidents to Know about the Accident of Their Beginnings?

I was listening to God in the Dock on audio, and was struck by this portion of an interview with C. S. Lewis:

Questioner: Materialists and some astronomers suggest that the solar planetary system and life as we know it was brought about by an accidental stellar collision.  What is the Christian view of this theory?

Lewis:  If the solar system was brought about by an accidental collision, then the appearance of organic life on this planet was also an accident, and the whole evolution of Man was an accident too. If so, then all our present thoughts are mere accidents—the accidental by-product of the movement of atoms.  And this holds for the thoughts of the materialists and astronomers as well as for anyone else’s. But if their thoughts—i.e., of Materialism and Astronomy—are merely accidental by-products, why should we believe them to be true?  I see no reason for believing that one accident should be able to give me a correct account of all the other accidents. It’s like expecting that the accidental shape taken by the splash when you upset a milk jug should give you a correct account of how the jug was made and why it was upset.

      

Much Would We Expect Accidents to Know about the Accident of Their Beginnings?

I was listening to God in the Dock on audio, and was struck by this portion of an interview with C. S. Lewis:

Questioner: Materialists and some astronomers suggest that the solar planetary system and life as we know it was brought about by an accidental stellar collision.  What is the Christian view of this theory?

Lewis:  If the solar system was brought about by an accidental collision, then the appearance of organic life on this planet was also an accident, and the whole evolution of Man was an accident too. If so, then all our present thoughts are mere accidents—the accidental by-product of the movement of atoms.  And this holds for the thoughts of the materialists and astronomers as well as for anyone else’s. But if their thoughts—i.e., of Materialism and Astronomy—are merely accidental by-products, why should we believe them to be true?  I see no reason for believing that one accident should be able to give me a correct account of all the other accidents. It’s like expecting that the accidental shape taken by the splash when you upset a milk jug should give you a correct account of how the jug was made and why it was upset.