Keeping Our Purposes Straight

The post to which I’ve attached this article gets into some rather strange philosophy. I think it counts as a strong argument for Christianity. But I want to emphasize here something that I have written in the comments there. Someone had said how great it would be if God would spell out “Happy New Year!” in the stars once a year. I wrote,

I don’t think God wants to make the evidence that blatant, Keith.

Let’s not be fooled by the current discussion, for it’s all too easy for the process to fool us. God’s purposes in this world can be obscured in a conversation like this one. It’s not about whether someone is clever enough to figure out the clues. It’s about whether someone is willing to move toward him in a personal relationship.

There are clues, of that there is no doubt. The evidences are everywhere: in the origin and design of the universe; in our human attributes (very non-natural!) of consciousness, free will, identity, purpose, and rationality; in God’s historic interaction with his people, recorded in the Bible; in Christ himself, and in his historically rather well-attested resurrection; in our (again, very non-natural) sense that we were made for better things, and our longing for that sense of home; and much more.

But the evidences are not of the sort that compel belief one way or another. It’s possible to mount a case either for theism or against it. I think that in itself is remarkable, considering that balance has remained for centuries on end.

So what it comes down to is the opportunity to choose.

Suppose God did spell out his name in the stars (something even more spectacular than “Happy New Year!”, you know). Would everyone love him? Would everyone acknowledge his goodness? Just knowing he exists is not enough. It’s about knowing him.