Steven Colborne's Blog, page 11

Will There be a Day of Judgement?

The idea of hell strikes fear into the hearts of everyone who acknowledges the awesome power of God. It is only right to appreciate God’s power and freedom, and truly, if God is able to make a creature suffer in one moment, He can choose to prolong suffering for as long as He wills.

While the concept of hell is theoretically possible, then, will it be a reality or is it merely part of the ancient fables of organised religion — is it part of our history, but not part of our future?

My own understanding is that religion is just as relevant today as it always has been. Even though there is a perception that churches are often empty these days, there are still many God-fearing people who are dedicated to studying the Scriptures and seeking God’s will. Many people find that reading the Bible or the Qur’an completely changes their perspective on all the most important questions at the heart of the mystery of life, and reading the Scriptures tends to provoke people to take the ideas of paradise and hell very seriously.

If one reads the Bible or the Qur’an, it becomes clear that more than being an ancient fable, Judgement Day is at the heart of God’s plan for the future of humanity. In the Qur’an, the day of judgement is described as God’s ‘binding promise’. So it would seem that we do have to take the idea seriously.

In recent years, my own work in the realm of philosophical theology has been focused on trying to understand the Day of Judgement, both the reasons for it and what it will entail. I have found the clearest direction on the subject can be found in the Qur’an, which was revealed after the Bible and contains many corrective statements aimed at guiding human beings towards right conduct, with the Day of Judgement as an ever-present focus. I have written about the free will debate and how the conduct of human beings relates to the existence of a sovereign God, and how we can make sense of Judgement Day if in truth God is in control of the unfolding of all events (my books are available here if you’re interested).

Whether the Day of Judgement is near or far, no one except God knows. He chooses to keep the timing secret. But it’s best to see your life as a spiritual journey with God at the centre, because He created you, sustains you, and has the ultimate say over your destiny.

If God is Good, How do we Explain Suffering?

One of the main reasons why people develop an interest in philosophy and religion is because they want to understand the reason, or reasons, why we suffer. A major line of attack directed at people of faith is in relation to the problem of trying to reconcile the existence of a good God with the amount of suffering that we see on the News and that we experience personally.

Both the Bible and the Qur’an provide answers to the problem of why we suffer, though the perspectives they present are different in some ways. The Bible presents the view that sin and suffering are closely linked to the fallen nature of man, and in the Qur’an God says that man was created for toil and trial. Both religions point to the resurrection of the dead and a Day of Judgement, and fear of the existence of hell is perhaps the main reason why people reject religion altogether.

But should we walk away from God because we hate suffering, or should we draw close to Him and try to understand His will?

One of the main reasons why I wrote my book God’s Grand Game: Divine Sovereignty and the Cosmic Playground was to try to make sense of the suffering I have experienced personally, and the suffering of all sentient beings. Thankfully, God has enlightened me in various ways as I have prayerfully tried to make sense of the problem of suffering, and I have been equipped to use the gift of writing to share my insights with others. Therefore, I warmly offer everyone reading this an invitation to explore the key issues surrounding the problem of suffering by reading God’s Grand Game, which can be purchased here.

If we fervently seek after God, we can rest assured that He will be gracious and merciful to us and answer the questions we have surrounding the reasons why we suffer with love and compassion. Please, take a step in that direction today.

The Role of Medicine in Mental Health Care

My local hospital has been undergoing a big refurbishment. They have been building new wards for mental health patients. I find it sad that this is happening.

The new building for outpatients is called Trinity, and I assume it’s because there is a Trinity Church and a Trinity Road in the locality. It got me thinking about the connection between mental health care and religion.

How would Jesus view the new inpatient wards that are being built? How would he view the way mental health patients are treated, the use of medication to target what is often described as chemical imbalances in the brain?

As we all know, Jesus was a healer. Medication for mental health patients would probably be an alien idea to him. If he could see the suffering of patients who are forced to take medications that often damage the body, I think he would be deeply troubled. It’s a sad truth that medication is over-prescribed, especially on psychiatric wards, while talking therapy, which could really help patients, is not generally prioritised.

Of course, nothing happens aside from the will of God. It is part of His activity in creation that these wards have been built. It seems to me that God often uses suffering to refine and teach people certain things, and it’s important to recognise that on one level these wards are part of God’s plan, and God’s plan reflects His loving and merciful actions.

From another perspective, Satan is the ruler of our present world and I get the feeling he is responsible for so much of the suffering that patients on mental health wards experience. These are troubling times for Earth and healthcare in certain situations has become less about compassion and healing and more about power and money. Healthcare has increasingly become an industry, and companies cannot make money unless their medicines are used. The more their medicines are used, the more money they stand to make, so this leads to pressure on doctors to keep prescribing medicines even when the philosophy behind the production of these medicines is unsound.

What can we do about this? We can open up conversations about the true role of the brain in human experience and encourage more humane treatments wherever possible. People usually only struggle with their mental health due to broken relationships and unstable families, and medication does very little to address these issues.

While the church should always be a place of healing, naming buildings that facilitate the activities of an inhumane system ‘Trinity’ – a reference to God Himself – would seem to be an affront to the loving mission that characterises the person and teaching of Jesus.

I long to live in a society where healthcare is truly about love and healing, but it may well be that such a desire will never be fulfilled in our broken world, because God is preparing creation for the coming judgement when we all will be called to account.

May God show mercy and forgive those who are allied with Satan in making the mental health system a place of suffering rather than healing.

Thought Process

I am being attacked. What should I do?

Jesus says, do not resist an evil person. Turn the other cheek.

But the Qur’an teaches fighting is right when you are being oppressed by an evil person. So should I retaliate with an equal act of aggression? I believe the Qur’an teaches this would be just.

Should I abide by the teaching of Jesus or the Qur’an?

The Qur’an is the Word of God, and in it God describes Islam as the religion above every other religion. However, the Qur’an also teaches that some Christians are Godly and will go to paradise.

So am I a Christian or a Muslim? What would please God the most? When I pray about my faith, God assures me that I am a Christian. Therefore, it would make sense for me to obey the teaching of Jesus as regards conflict.

Should I heed the voice of God? I think I should, because the will of God is even higher than any Scripture He has created. God is sovereign over Scripture and not the other way round.

So what should I do? God says the best thing I can do is surrender and follow the teaching of Jesus. I may have to suffer, but the beatitudes say blessed are the poor in spirit and the meek. Jesus never condoned fighting.

But can we trust the New Testament as accurately reflecting the teaching of Jesus? My understanding is that the Qur’an says the Bible has been corrupted. But to what extent and in what way?

We need to have further interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims to establish to what extent the Bible has been corrupted. It may be that the truth can be found. If the Qur’an is the Word of God and says the Bible has been corrupted we have to take this seriously.

An added consideration is that God has told me my past, present, and future sins are entirely forgiven and I can do whatever I like. One thing I know to be true is that God is in control of everything that happens. God’s will is what will happen, and whatever I do will be what God wants me to do.

My overarching concern is to please God and avoid the punishment of the fires of hell on Judgement Day.

God is mighty and wise and He is most merciful. Maybe He will grant me an easy way out of this ordeal? He is the Lord of mercy, the giver of mercy.

If you have anything to add that could aid the clarity of this thought process, feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you.

15 Free Philosophical Theology Books

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Up for grabs is a feast of theological delights, from God’s Grand Game, which explores the divine sovereignty versus human free will predicament and it’s relevance to Christianity, to Discovering the Qur’an, which offers reflections on my first complete reading of the Qur’an, to Christianity, Islam, and the One True God, which is a groundbreaking work of interfaith theology. Explore a dozen other free books (short reads, full-length books and compilations) and I hope you’ll find something to challenge and inspire you!

The easiest way to participate is to visit StevenColborne.com and simply click or tap the cover of a book you would like to read. You will be directed to a retailer choice page (choose from Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble and more). Download and enjoy! When you’ve finished reading, drop me an email and let me know what you thought – steven@tealightbooks.com. Thanks!

NB: If you go to download a book and it isn’t showing as free at your preferred retailer, please check back in a day or two.

Theological Reflections on Unfairness in the Financial System

With prices of utility bills and food and drink rising, I know I’m not alone in struggling to pay my bills at the moment. I’m in the worst position I’ve ever been in financially — at the end of my overdraft and having to sell whatever I can to afford even the most basic groceries.

I still regard myself as living with abundance. I can turn on a tap whenever I need a drink, and fortunately I have an emergency food supply which means I will survive (God willing) until I can afford to do some shopping again. We must always be thankful for the way God provides for us each and every day. He gives abundantly to whoever He will and sparingly to whoever He will. Such are the ways of God; the Almighty; the controller of all.

Being at the end of my overdraft got me thinking about debt and borrowing. In both the Bible and the Qur’an, usury is denounced. Usury is “the action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest” (Oxford Languages). There are companies I have seen charging upwards of 300% interest on loan repayments, which is surely the very definition of extortionate. I am no expert when it comes to the intricacies of the financial system, but anyone can see that such rates serve to take advantage of people in need.

I went through the process of applying for several loans in recent weeks with the motivation that I would be able to fund the growth of my author business and get out of my overdraft at the same time. I had problems with my loan applications due to the credit checks that lenders carry out. Even though when I ran a check myself I found that my credit score was classed as ‘pretty good’, I was still refused a loan by one lender despite the interest rate being very high (which is the lender’s security when offering loans which they consider to be higher risk). The lender’s credit check had seemingly produced a score of ‘not good enough’.

Increasingly, loan applications are rejected on the basis of a credit check alone. Not only loan applications, but also some purchases of products. I recently discovered that credit checks are part of the online checkout process of at least one leading broadband provider here in the UK. Fail the credit check and you are not entitled to broadband at the best rates, it would seem.

Surely, the practice of running automated credit checks is a great evil. They do not take into account the nuances of personal circumstances and they discriminate against people in an unkind and unfair way. In reality, there is no reason to believe that someone who has struggled financially in the past will necessarily do so again, which is presumably the assumption made by those who run these credit checks. In reality, the past does not determine the future: God determines the unfolding of all events and there are always infinite possibilities available to God. One’s life can always unfold in any number of different ways in any given moment and automated credit checks do not allow for this reality.

Also, the reasons why you are given your particular credit rating are kept hidden, so you may well feel mystified as to how the credit checker arrived at their decision. And the automation of credit checks creates an unfair power balance between lender (or retailer) and applicant — if the credit check is negative, this essentially silences the applicant without giving them any obvious way to dispute the decision, putting them at the absolute mercy of the lender and the website/software that carry out the check.

I suppose it’s no secret that love of money has corrupted the world. The whole idea of profiting from the misery of others is truly a terrible evil and is one of the reasons why I think the world is more corrupt now than it was in the days of Noah. I have experienced this first-hand in the mental health system, where drugs are used to control human emotions that are perfectly natural, with pharmaceutical companies profiting while patients suffer terrible effects of medication that they are persuaded or sometimes forced to take.

It’s interesting to consider whether money is in itself evil. I’m mindful that money has been part of the makeup of human societies for a long time, and its function within society is exemplified in both the Bible and the Qur’an. We have the Parable of the Talents in the Bible (Matthew 25:14-30) which would appear to normalise the existence of a monetary system, and I’m mindful of Matthew 22:21 — “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s” — which does the same. I don’t think Jesus ever denounced money itself, though he did drive the money changers out of the temple (see Matthew 21:12-17) so was clearly against money corrupting the things of God. In the Qur’an, regulations about bride gifts and inheritance laws are detailed, charitable giving is mentioned repeatedly, as is going in search of ‘God’s bounty’, all of which have financial implications. I don’t recall anything in the Qur’an that denounces money itself.

While I’m not aware of any instructions in the Bible or the Qur’an which denounce the existence of a monetary system entirely, the Bible does say that you cannot worship both God and money (Matthew 6:24), and greed is considered sinful (see, for example, Luke 16:19-31). I have a sense that the world is out of control at the moment, and love of money — leading to corruption in both business and healthcare — is perhaps the root of the problem.

Of course, God is not surprised. God is in control of all things, always. The rule of Satan on Earth is part of the grand story that God is unfolding on our planet and of which we are all a part. We may well be living in the End Times, and Jesus may well be returning to Earth soon. God only knows. According to the emphatic teaching of the Qur’an, God will judge every human being on a Day that will measure a thousand years in our reckoning (Surah 32:5), though God chooses to keep the timing of that Day secret. Those who have corrupted the financial system will have to justify their actions, which they will find are laid out in a clear record.

I’m glad that God stopped me from pursuing a recent loan application after I prayed about whether or not I should proceed. Being in greater debt would have caused me additional stress, and while I’m always happy to take on stress for purposes that make the Lord glad, I would never want to do so if such an undertaking would be feeding into a system that is corrupt. In the short-term, I am struggling even to afford to eat, but I don’t mind at all, as long as my thoughts, words, and actions are pleasing to God.

May God be merciful to all. Amen.

Don’t Worry, God is a Just Judge

If you’re suffering due to oppression, it can be difficult to hold onto an eternal perspective. This is why I’m always encouraging people to read the Qur’an, because the Scripture is full of warnings about the Day of Judgement. God describes the resurrection and judgement as His ‘binding promise’. God is going to judge every human being for everything they have ever done. God knows the secrets and intentions of every heart.

Of course, we don’t have free will, this is also true. But it’s not necessary for there to be free will in order for God to administer justice, as I have discussed in my book Christianity, Islam and the One True God. I do recommend reading the book, as it contains insights which I think many people would find helpful.

We are living in difficult times, and it can sometimes feel as though everything is against you. If you are experiencing stress, anxiety, or fear, it’s likely because the actions of somebody are causing this. But you can take comfort in the fact that God keeps a clear record of every wrong and everyone will be subject to judgement for even the tiniest detail of their life. Everything is in a clear record.

Be mindful of God, race to do good deeds, give charitably to the poor and needy, honour your parents, and read the Scriptures. Be quick to repent if you have done wrong — God forgives all sins.

Obedience to God vs Obedience to Scripture?

Friends, sometimes in life it’s difficult to understand what God is doing. He is so awesome in power and wisdom and creation is His playground. He does whatever He will and is under no constraints or obligations. God’s ways can seem strange and unfathomable.

I know my post yesterday ruffled a few feathers, so I chose to delete it. I do understand that people of faith can be very passionate about defending holiness and purity, and I used a phrase in my post yesterday that would have been unsettling to some who are grounded in their faith.

I try to always act in accordance with the will of God. Sometimes, God instructs me to do things which are counter-intuitive, and I have to make the difficult decision of whether to be obedient or not. I think it’s always wise to put God first, even above what is written in Scripture. When Abraham was ordered to sacrifice his son, he obeyed God even though it was counter-intuitive. According to the Bible and the Qur’an, God was delighted with Abraham’s obedience.

It is commonly believed that Satan rebelled against God when he was asked to bow down before Adam. Yet he said to God, “because You have put me in the wrong…”. It was God’s will that Satan would rebel against Him. It was part of His plan for creation.

Contrary to what some Christians have told me they believe, it is possible for God to contradict things that are written in Scripture. Surely, God is above Scripture — He created Scripture and defines its meaning. The contents of Scripture does not restrict God in any way.

If you are faced with the choice of whether to obey the voice of God or whether to obey something that is written is Scripture, which do you choose?  I think it’s wise to put God first, though of course God is in control of any obedience or disobedience. That is the truth. 

I wrote nothing yesterday that was out of line with what God has revealed to me about His purposes for my life. God has emphasised to me repeatedly recently that I am free and forgiven, and I believe Him. Even so, I would hate anyone to feel upset or angry towards me. I have nothing I wish to prove and am not interested in arguing with anyone.

My reason for writing is to share philosophical and theological insights. I believe that Truth can liberate and heal people, and I hate suffering and love mercy. Serving God and helping others — these are my overarching motivations.

I’m sorry if you wanted to comment on or ‘Like’ yesterday’s post and were unable to locate the post because it had been deleted. In any case, I only ever approve comments that are kind and courteous in their tone, as I always want my blog to reflect positivity and good will.

The Lord is high above all. Glory be to Him. Amen.

Indoctrinated

Of course you are indoctrinated. You were taught how the world works, you were encouraged to follow a path through childhood and into adulthood, you watch the news, you read books.

So how much of your worldview is your own, and how much is indoctrination? Ask yourself this question honestly. You will know, deep down, whether your beliefs are your own, or whether you are piggybacking on the beliefs of others.

Imagine if you were entirely free from all the constructs of the world. What, then, would you believe? Perhaps you have not yet experienced total destruction of your ego — utter emptiness of mind — and therefore your thoughts are shaped in a certain way that is not your own.

When you speak, is it your parents speaking? When you write, is it your teachers writing? When you get angry, is it the emotion of others?

You have to be destroyed, and then start again, in order to see clearly. Brokenness and freedom and close allies. Let go of everything you have ever been taught, experience the world as it really is, and then you will truly be able to discern what matters and which path you should follow.

Why Don’t I Commit to Either Christianity or Islam?

A few months ago, a friend and reader of this blog suggested I was ‘sitting on the fence’ spiritually. In other words, the fact that I don’t commit wholeheartedly to Christianity or Islam troubled him, or at least that’s what I inferred from certain comments he made.

The position that I find myself in is that there are some important theological matters dividing the Qur’an and orthodox Christianity that I have been unable to resolve. The most significant of these is the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, and specifically the supposed deity of Jesus Christ.

Please understand that I take the idea of hell very seriously. So when I listen to or read the Qur’an and hear warnings that joining partners with God is punishable with hell and that Jesus was merely a man — a prophet — it causes me to hold back from participating in Christian worship that deifies Jesus.

The reason why I haven’t become a Muslim is simply because God tells me that this is not His chosen path for me. It is not out of any kind of fear that I haven’t become a Muslim, I believe the Qur’an is a divine revelation and the clearest guidance humankind has been given concerning matters of religion. But even above Scripture I trust in the things God says to me, and when I ask God whether I should go to a mosque and start performing the ritual Muslim prayers, He always tells me ‘no’. Instead He tells me that I am entirely free to do whatever I wish with the remainder of my life and that my past, present, and future sins are entirely forgiven.

It’s not easy for me living without a community or spiritual home. I get very lonely at times. But I haven’t felt comfortable sitting or kneeling in church and reciting liturgy that could, if the Qur’an is to be believed (and I do believe it is truly a divine revelation) be blasphemous. Religion, for me, is not about simply picking a side and sticking to it, which is what some of my Christian friends who reject the Qur’an seem to be doing. What matters to me is that I am right with God, who has the power to make me suffer. Most of the people who argue that Jesus is the only way to salvation haven’t even read the Qur’an, so they are in no position to argue that Quranic teaching about Jesus is in error.

Why would God tell me that I can do whatever I like and that I don’t have to be concerned about practising a particular religion? It’s because I have lived a deeply troubled life and God wants to reward me both for my suffering and for the devoted spiritual efforts I have made. As hard as I find it to accept, it seems that God wants me to simply enjoy life. It’s surprising to me that God would relax what He demands of me and give me this kind of freedom, because ever since I read the Bible properly for the first time around fifteen years ago my whole life has centred around serving God. But I think God’s plans involve me marrying and taking it easy, in the short-term at least.

Some people reading this may think that when I say I hear the voice of God I am deluded. Believe me, I have wrestled with this wholeheartedly. I do believe that when God speaks to me it truly is His voice and not the voice of Satan or some kind of brain disorder. I don’t believe brains cause thought; I have a detailed explanation of my views on this in my book God’s Grand Game. And I don’t think Satan would be wanting me to listen to the Qur’an and read the Bible and pray fervently to God, which I have been doing on a daily basis. So I feel it’s unlikely that every time I hear God’s voice it is actually Satan or some other demonic entity deluding me. And other people have told me that God talks to them, so I know I’m not alone.

What I always return to is my high view of the sovereignty of God. Everything that happens is willed and directed by God. The only way to truly discern the will of God is to see what transpires in reality. Once something happens, we know that that was God’s will. Until then we can speculate and argue about which of God’s revelations is more truthful, but God does whatever He will, He always has total control and total freedom.

Funnily enough, the most intuitive place I feel I would want to go to try and meet a future spouse is a church or a mosque. I have met girls that I would like to marry, but it seems God has always had other plans. I don’t know how I’m going to get married outside of socialising, but I’m not really accustomed to getting drunk and partying these days. Perhaps you could pray for me in respect of this. I was in the process of organising two events to bring together like-minded people in London but these plans have stalled, unfortunately. I joined a litter-picking group at my favourite local park, but it’s mostly older people doing the picking so I don’t know whether I’ll meet someone there. I could try dating apps again, I suppose.

But forgive my digression into matters of the heart!

In closing, I will just mention that I’ve given Perfect Chaos a redesign. I hope that you like the minimalistic approach I have taken.

Glory to God in the highest!