What Difference Does God Make?

[Randy_Carson]

If a thing makes no difference, it is a waste of time to think about it. We should begin, then, with the question, “What difference does God make to earth, to now, to our lives?”

It is, perhaps, the most basic apologetics question of all, and I look forward to reading your responses.

 

[Jon_S_1]

If a thing makes no difference, it is a waste of time to think about it. We should begin, then, with the question, “What difference does God make to earth, to now, to our lives?”

It is, perhaps, the most basic apologetics question of all, and I look forward to reading your responses.

God gives us reason to be something other than animals.

I guess that’s a starting point for me!

Or perhaps the idea that I exist at all and whoever is responsible for that deserves my praise.

 

[Aloysium]

The earth exists, with God as its Cause. What matters that which has most worth have in your life? Your possessions, reputation, power and influence, good looks, physical and/or mental strength - if transient things that can disappear in an instant mean so much, imagine He who is has no beginning and no end. All the light, beauty, truth and goodness, God is. And, some people settle for so little.

 

[Butaperson]

The most simple way to begin is that God is the truth.

Why does it truth matter? Because false conclusions lead to false judgement and throws off the balance of what is true. If I think there is a stair below my foot when there is really a three-foot drop, I am going to fall and get hurt. If I think that the world is flat when it is really round, I am going to be too filled with fear to sail very far from my home and miss out on a diversity of culture. So if I think that God does not exist when in fact He does, what will that do?

First of all, it leads to the conclusion that there is no meaning to life. I was at a sleepover once and a friend asked “What would you do if you knew you had one day to live?”. I could not think of anything to do except go to confession, go to church, and hope. My non-religious friend said she would get drunk, and I couldn’t help but think…why would you do anything? If you “knew” that within 24 hours you would simply not exist, then why does it matter if you get drunk or get laid or discover a new planet or stay at home and sleep? Why does it matter that you were even born? If I were an atheist and I knew I had one day to live, I’d kill myself and get it over with.

Second of all, it leads to a complete lack of a moral code. Every civilization of the world is run on some sort of a moral code, what you should do and what you should not. However, you may have noticed these codes breaking down. The brand new secular generation questions “Why not? Why not do drugs, why not have sex all over the place, why not kill people, why not?”. And they are absolutely right. Without religion, without God, there is no such thing as an objective moral code, or any moral code. This generation says “As long as you don’t violate other people, you can do whatever. Just don’t hurt other people”. What if the next generation doesn’t even say that? Most will deny it, but without a singular ruling force (God) structure breaks down and nobody can say what is actually right or wrong anymore.

I’ll think of more later and edit this. But that’s my two cents so far.

 

[undeserving]

When i had no faith, and did not pray , my life was miserable. I was a cruel person, I was unkind, I enjoyed putting down others, I was surly and rude and saw no reason not to be…I was blind to anything good. Jesus changes all that. There was an ideal to live up to, an example to follow. There was a purpose to life. Thats what i have experienced.

 

[marylauravicuna]

God is happiness, love, etc.

In America, I do think that a lot of philosophical information on the perfect society/real love and affirmation is only really known or experienced by a few people. As a result, many people believe that ways in which people are using one another is “love”, while these relationships are really causing depression. We have so many movies where an ideal of romantic love is held up that has some good elements but is not fully satisfying, but the Church teaches us about sacrifice - which creates a satisfying joy and love. This information may only be mostly held in faithful Catholic theology departments which are a rare find.

Definitely, I believe that most faithful Catholics from relatively holy family backgrounds living in simplicity are enormously blessed compared to the inner-city of our society that has become a magnet for distorted ideas of love, social justice, and family with a result in complete societal breakdown that continues to the next generation.