In Search of God: GOD, RELIGIOUS SCRIPTURES & PROOF OF DIVINE RVELATION - Softcover

Gad, Dr. Mohamed

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1462024483 ISBN 13: 9781462024483

Publisher: iUniverse, 2011

Synopsis

Only God knows. We may ponder and choose our own path to receiving His Word, but we must realize ours is a human path. We cannot let blind faith, tradition, and ritual cloud our judgment and determine our perception of the world. The potent mix of fanaticism (whether tied to a nation or a religion), ignorance, and emotion has driven wedges among the peoples of the earth—wedges that need not exist at all. In Search of God: God, Religious Scriptures, and Proof of Divine Revelation presents the result of author Dr. Mohamed Gad’s twenty-five-year study of Christian, Islamic, and Judaic scripture, revealing the unifying truths of divinity, belief, and faith. In Search of God challenges serious students of all faiths and backgrounds as it examines proof for the existence of God, creation and evolution, prophecy, the identity of Jesus, the concept of the Holy Trinity, and the commonalities and spirit of revelation of the world’s three major religions. Dr. Gad’s personal journey and critical, spiritual investigation personify the human desire to understand God’s intention for us. Yes, only God knows, but armed with truth and tolerance we now have a chance to create a brighter future for our children and ourselves, a future in which we seek God, trust in Him, and are at peace.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

In Search of God

God, Religious Scriptures & Proof of Divine RevelationBy Mohamed Gad

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Dr. Mohamed Gad
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-2448-3

Contents

PREFACE........................................................................................................................xiINTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................xviiGOD, CREATION AND EVOLUTION....................................................................................................1BELIEVERS AND DISBELIEVERS.....................................................................................................1BELIEF IN SCRIPTURE............................................................................................................9DARWINISM REVISITED............................................................................................................14TOTAL EVOLUTION?...............................................................................................................19CREATION.......................................................................................................................20OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT PROPHESIES...............................................................................................24ABRAHAM, ISHMAEL AND ISAAC.....................................................................................................26THE TWELVE JEWISH TRIBES.......................................................................................................31JACOB'S (ISRAEL) PROPHECY......................................................................................................36MOSES'S PROPHECY...............................................................................................................38LORD SHINED FROM MOUNT PARAN...................................................................................................39ISAIAH'S (ISAIAS) PROPHECY.....................................................................................................41PARACLETE (PARAKLETOS).........................................................................................................48THAT PROPHET...................................................................................................................52BACA (MECCA)...................................................................................................................53THE TRINITY....................................................................................................................57ONE GOD........................................................................................................................57JESUS IS GOD?..................................................................................................................58ONLY BEGOTTEN SON?.............................................................................................................58SPIRIT OF GOD..................................................................................................................60SONS OF GOD....................................................................................................................61BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS?.........................................................................................................64THE ANOINTED ONE...............................................................................................................64I AND THE FATHER "ARE ONE"?....................................................................................................65FATHER AND SON.................................................................................................................66WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HELL, HEAVEN OR SIN?......................................................................................67GOD INCARNATE?.................................................................................................................69SEPTUAGINT LXX.................................................................................................................74JESUS, JONAH & THE WHALE.......................................................................................................76ORIGINAL SIN...................................................................................................................79COUNCIL OF NICEA...............................................................................................................80CALVINISM AND UNITARIANISM.....................................................................................................83MITHRAISM AND ZOROASTRIANISM...................................................................................................83RESURRECTION OF JESUS?.........................................................................................................89KNOWLEDGE & SCIENCE IN THE KORAN...............................................................................................92ALCOHOL........................................................................................................................92BIG BANG.......................................................................................................................94EXPANDING UNIVERSE.............................................................................................................94SMOKEY HEAVENS.................................................................................................................97EXPANDING UNIVERSE.............................................................................................................99BIG CRUNCH.....................................................................................................................99BURNING SEA....................................................................................................................100WE SENT DOWN THE IRON..........................................................................................................100CHEST TIGHTNESS AT HIGH ALTITUDE...............................................................................................102CLOUDS, HAIL AND LIGHTNING.....................................................................................................103CREATED ALL THE PAIRS..........................................................................................................105EARTH LIKE AN EGG..............................................................................................................111DEVELOPMENT OF BONE & MUSCLE...................................................................................................112EMBRYOLOGICAL ORIGIN OF SEMINAL FLUID..........................................................................................113EMBRYOLOGY OF FETAL DEVELOPMENT................................................................................................115THREE VEILS OF DARKNESS........................................................................................................119LYING..........................................................................................................................123MEMORIZATION...................................................................................................................124MOSES AND PHARAOH..............................................................................................................124JEWISH PROPHECY................................................................................................................133MOUNTAINS AS PEGS AND EARTH STABILIZERS........................................................................................138NERVE ENDINGS..................................................................................................................141ORBITAL MOTION.................................................................................................................142OZONE LAYER....................................................................................................................142PLANETARY MOTION...............................................................................................................143POSITION OF THE STARS..........................................................................................................145QUEEN OF SHEBA.................................................................................................................145RELATIVITY.....................................................................................................................148ROSE COLORED PAINTING..........................................................................................................149SEVEN SKIES....................................................................................................................152SKIES WITH A PURPOSE...........................................................................................................154SOLAR AND LUNAR YEARS..........................................................................................................155SPACE TRAVEL...................................................................................................................157THE NIGHT COILS OVER THE DAY...................................................................................................157UNDERWATER CURRENTS............................................................................................................159WATER BARRIERS.................................................................................................................160THE NUMBER NINETEEN............................................................................................................161THE MOON.......................................................................................................................164THE QURANIC (KORANIC) INITIAL "QAF "([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] or [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]).....................166GEMATRICAL VALUES..............................................................................................................167KORANIC INITIALS...............................................................................................................174EPILOGUE.......................................................................................................................177NEW EARTH AND HEAVENS..........................................................................................................177HEREAFTER......................................................................................................................178PRAYER.........................................................................................................................188JERUSALEM......................................................................................................................189FASTING........................................................................................................................196TITHE AND ALMS.................................................................................................................196REFLECTIONS....................................................................................................................198ABRAHAM'S DESCENDANTS..........................................................................................................207TEMA IN ISAIAH'S TIME..........................................................................................................208MAP OF ARABIA..................................................................................................................209ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND HIS WORK..................................................................................................210

Chapter One

God, Creation And Evolution

God and evolution for some are two different realms of thought that are considered diametrically opposed. When we see a table or a car we know that it could not have spontaneously evolved yet when we look at the glorious existence of our universe and life in all its forms some people refuse to acknowledge any possible role for a Supreme Creator and instead speak of evolution and Mother Nature as some sort of magical deities that run and transform all that we perceive. God is an entity that as humans we cannot fully conceptualize as He transcends time and all the constraints of the material world that we live in. Why not consider that God directs all evolutionary processes instead of the elusory notion of Mother Nature? To this end the argument will be put forth that there is overwhelming evidence for the existence of God. Afterwards we will contend that total evolution without guidance from a Higher Creator is impossible. The Creator of the universe and all life as we know it is the `hidden hand' behind all evolutionary processes.

BELIEVERS AND DISBELIEVERS

The human race is divided into believers and disbelievers. Some people believe in God while others do not. Some people believe in God yet not in Scripture. Belief in Scriptures may be partial or total; with some believing that Scriptures are God inspired but narrated by men while others believe that scriptures are entirely the word of God. Yet others maintain that Scriptures are only oral traditions and not God inspired. Disbelief is of varying degrees, encompassing a wide spectrum. In the English language, the terms agnostics and atheists are used to describe two extremes of disbelief. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of agnosticism is a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly, one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god. Atheism is defined as a disbelief in the existence of a deity or the doctrine that there is no deity. So is the agnostic more reasonable than the atheist or is the agnostic also hanging in limbo by a different thread of disbelief? Why do the disbelievers only accept Evolutionary Theory without considering the concept of Creation or Intelligent Design?

There may be observations that lead us to question or doubt the veracity of an idea or concept. Certainly, we all question ourselves about the existence of God but whenever we question we should be wise in our questions and reasonable in the answers we seek. One's expectations for belief may require that we physically see God but in failing to do so one cannot infer that God does not exist. Personal experiences, although possibly real, cannot be easily translated as evidence to those who have not experienced them. Atheists claim that science disproves intelligent design but can never provide any conclusive science to support this view. This article will argue that to the unbiased astute observer there should be plenty of evidence for intelligent design or as religionists would say the presence of God. Deists maintain that they can observe God's manifestations in themselves as well as in all that surrounds them.

The proof for the existence of God may be indirect and requires reflecting on the intricacies of life forms as well as the complexities of the universe. Even Darwin, who is considered the father of modern day evolution, had doubts about his theories, mainly relating to the absence of intermediary forms although other interesting arguments and questions were raised. The presence of the Cambrian Explosion with the appearance of complex life forms over 540 million years ago or the paucity of intermediary forms for bats which have been preserved in the fossil records dating back to 54 million years ago are difficult for the total evolutionist to explain; evolutionists must rely on more theories to explain their fundamental theory of evolution.

Darwin remarked in his book, The Origin of the Species, that the complexity of the eye is difficult to explain using the concepts of evolutionary theories. How did the brain learn to integrate and interpret visual observations and process color perception? Thinking about the presence of beauty Darwin acknowledged that evolutionary theories played no role in explaining this phenomenon. The concept of survival of the fittest is one of the premises on which the foundation of evolution is based but this partial explanation only relates to life forms and not to the intricacies of the inanimate universe. The universe and earth which was necessary to support life as we know it must have followed an orderly transformation from an initial chaotic state that cannot be explained by Darwinian Theory. Our universe is directed, suspended or sustained by powerful forces that require a Supreme Creator or God. To this end we will present evidence in support of a hidden hand, intelligent design or as other realms would argue the forces of God.

Hence, atheists are not forthright when it comes to their doctrine as one may question if God exists but cannot produce evidence to support this claim. There is a difference between atheists and agnostics as the former is stubbornly certain of their doctrine of disbelief and the latter is disingenuously noncommittal. Endless probabilities with an intangible concept called Mother Nature and order from disorder are all unsustainable concepts that rely on whimsical wishful thinking. These concepts lack scientific bases and require a reliance on great leaps of faith.

The theory of Evolution is just a theory with limited evidence and scope. Microevolution not macroevolution is evident and plausible. Evolution and Creation do not have to be mutually exclusive concepts. For the Creationist the Sustainer of the universe is fully capable of setting in motion evolutionary forces that are self-adapting to changes in the environment. Differences in the human race are examples of transformations on the micro evolutionary scale. Microevolution may explain Asian, Black and White races or the development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

Apes and humans have strong genetic similarities but this does not prove evolutionary linkage. Where is the science that proves humans evolved from apes? All we have are imaginary artistic renderings of hunchbacks that straighten out into Homo sapiens. Maybe as some of those lucky and more fortunate apes become slightly more intelligent they thought they could see further by looking straight rather than looking downwards and hurting their backs. Even though the DNA of the chimpanzee is 98.4% identical to that of human DNA this fact does not mean that this similarity is due to evolutionary processes. To use a crude analogy a person who constructs one car model may use similar materials to construct a vastly more superior car model but this does not imply that natural selection was responsible for the evolution of the more superior car model. From the Creationist perspective what may be more interesting is the fact these two phenomenally different looking and functioning life forms only have a 1.6% genetic discordance. However, the assumption that genetic DNA is the sole determinant of all the variabilities in these two life forms would suggest that only genetic makeup or physical components determine all features of a living creature. For the religionist who accepts scripture as divinely inspired the spirit imparted by God, to all living humans, is a nonphysical entity that may have no relationship to genetic makeup.

Likewise, men and women have a strong genetic resemblance but that does not prove that one evolved from the other. Just because there is a human resemblance, we cannot scientifically prove that females evolved from males or vice versa. If we follow the evolutionary thought process then we should ponder if the male and female human species evolved separately or spontaneously. Evolution and Creation should not be considered mutually exclusive concepts or ideologies that deter believers or disbelievers from venturing into these two seemingly separate realms of thought. One may set up table to argue for Evolution, Mother Nature, chaotic origins, and the probabilities of random transformation of order from disorder versus Creation or Intelligent Design. Some atheists claim that science does not support Intelligent Design since they cannot `see' the hand of God; however, Creationists maintain otherwise. The Creator is the intelligent force, creating order from disorder and setting in motion the micro evolutionary scheme.

How and when did the human procreative potential evolve? What created the attraction between males and females? Attraction of the different genders is necessary for procreation but which came first? Did gender identity develop before human attractive forces or did they develop spontaneously by chance? Did attraction develop before the development of procreative capabilities or did they both magically and simultaneously evolve? If your father were the very first Adam or your mother the very first Eve how many millions of years would Adam have to live before Eve spontaneously evolved so that they could have you? Yes, and who first programmed them then taught them how to conceive? The very first Adam and the very first Eve must have had simultaneous beginnings, coming together at the very same time and place to start to conceive.

Lets consider the intellectual capacity of the brain, perception of warm and cold sensations and our mental ability to process the dangers of each, manual dexterity with the sense of pressure applied on objects, pumping of the blood by our heart for every second we live, oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange via the lungs, filtering capacity of the kidney, the vocal cords and the ability to speak, the complexity of the ear and the ability to hear, the tongue and the ability to taste and enjoy food, the complexity of fetal reproduction, or other wonders such as regulatory genes that work to repair our body's cells.

All humans develop two sets of teeth, which meet the needs of a particular stage in their life, yet who is the Programmer who programmed our bodies thru this transformation? Only Intelligent Design can explain such a phenomenon and the burden of proof is on the atheist to prove otherwise or at least begin to accept the assessment that the believer is closer to the truth. Why do atheists wish to deny the presence of a Supreme Being or a Creator? The existence of God can be deduced whether we examine the intricacies of the universe or reflect on the simple to the most complex of life forms.

Darwinismis only a partial attempt to explain the transformation of life as we know it but cannot possibly explain the origin of life or the origin of this complex universe. Forces beyond observable science or laws of physics sustain the order found in the universe preventing planetary collision. God may be further explained in abstract terms as the alpha and omega or a Supreme Creator responsible for the presence of our material world yet transcending matter, time and space. Where matter or subsequent life forms come from is the alpha and where they end is the omega. Humans by definition are material, mortal, and finite in scope and therefore may have difficulties in accepting the presence of a nonphysical and eternal God. To assume our universe is the result of an uncontrolled Big Bang and subsequent Big Crunch, as the universe is presently expanding and will again collapse on itself, like a stretched elastic band, requires a big leap of faith. Who originated the Big Bang and from where did matter come from cannot be explained by a void; rather these phenomena depend on an alpha. All material things must have an alpha just as the very first Adam and the very first Eve. Emanating from God, the mover and shaker of our universe and the Creator of matter, time and space, is alpha, the beginning of times, and omega, the end of times.

The footprints of God are all around us. Entropy leads to disorder not order. The scientific evidence for the Big Bang theory and development of order from disorder resulting in our complex universe and beyond would require infinite probabilities. Left to chance disorder is the product of any set of probabilities. Entropy or chaos are the natural products of the Big Bang and should result in a disordered universe. The distance of the sun from the earth as well as the protective atmosphere around the earth, with the presence of the ozone layer, are vital for the creation and sustenance of life. The fine balance of planetary motion and the rotation of the earth give us night and day. The night gives us reprieve and rest from our long days. One would expect that a rational observer should find no plausible explanation, other than God, for our ordered universe.

There is no scientific evidence to explain how life or living organisms first evolved or how life could possibly transform from inanimate matter. Natural selection does not explain how life transformed from matter. The human body is made of atoms, and all our atoms come from the earth, yet we have characteristics that are distinctly different from soil or mud. What chance is there that if you spun some earthly particles together for eternity that on their own they would lead to some life form? Creation is a very rational concept for which there is every reason to accept and no reason to reject.

The atheist's views are not founded on sound logic or definitive scientific facts but rely on imaginary theories, half-baked truths, stretched beyond any reasonable science, and requiring fantastic imagination. These arguments are based on the premise of accepting complete evolution with unreasonable denial of the possibility of a Supreme Creator or Guiding Intelligence. The Evolutionary Theory is only a theory that cannot explain the origins of the universe, the origins of gender development or complexities of reproduction, physiological intricacies of human bodily organs, integration of the mind and body, the abilities of analytical thought, and as Darwin argued the development of vision or beauty.

Darwin's theories, with unverifiable intermediary forms, are sometimes accepted as facts rather than possible fiction. One may say that both arguments, at a minimum, are equally true but there can only be one eternal truth about the existence of God. One may have several hypotheses but eventually there is only one truth. If one comes across a table, chair or even a car can one conceive that with time any of these could have ever evolved? Everyone must decide for himself or herself about the truth of creation by looking at their own existence and the existence of their surroundings.

Evolutionary Theory depends on a tendency for the development of the more complex from the less complex, which is theoretically sustained by survival of the fittest, natural selection, or the ever-elusive concept of Mother Nature. However, with the millions of years of available fossil record there is a scarcity of intermediary forms or the presence of creatures halfway along the evolutionary path.

Since it is impossible to prove that God does not exist deists maintain that atheists are in no position to make definitive conclusions in support of their ideology. Hence, the self-professed scientific and logical atheists themselves are guilty of what they seemingly find distasteful in the deists. For atheists to accuse deists of being guilty of not being able to prove to them with the scientific proof that God exists belies the true fallacy in their arguments; because instead of proving their point or disproving the deists they firmly maintain their position without any proof. The atheist's claim of scientific support for their belief never materializes and instead they rely on theories that somehow take on lifelike qualities of definitive scientific facts.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from In Search of Godby Mohamed Gad Copyright © 2011 by Dr. Mohamed Gad. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1462024483
• ISBN 13: 9781462024483
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 236