{"id":7980,"date":"2020-04-08T09:16:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T13:16:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/?p=7980"},"modified":"2020-04-08T13:15:24","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T17:15:24","slug":"evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/","title":{"rendered":"Evidence for God\u2019s Existence in the COVID-19 Response"},"content":{"rendered":"

While\u00a0attempting to mitigate the total collapse of the\u00a0US\u00a0financial infrastructure in 2007,\u00a0Chair of the Federal Reserve, Ben\u00a0Bernake, said,\u00a0\u201cThere are\u00a0no atheists in foxholes or ideologues in a financial crisis<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this\u00a0current\u00a02020 COVID-19\u00a0crisis,\u00a0Craig Melvin (Today<\/em>\u00a0show host on MSNBC Live)\u00a0confessed\u00a0that he has never asked anybody before to pray live during the broadcast\u00a0and then\u00a0he asked\u00a0Bishop T. D. Jakes to pray.<\/a><\/p>\n

President Trump\u00a0declared a\u00a0National Day of Prayer\u00a0this past\u00a0March 14<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Governor of Ohio, John Kasich, has revisited his faith. In an April 6\u00a0USA Today editorial<\/a>, he opines,\u00a0\u201cLike many of you, I have been\u00a0in and out of a funk these past weeks,\u00a0\u2026Right now, I\u2019m out of that funk, and I\u2019d like to tell you why\u00a0\u2026\u00a0\u00a0I walked for over six miles, keeping a safe social distance from other walkers and joggers, the whole time thinking about where we were as a society and where I was with God.\u201d<\/p>\n

The entire world has suddenly mobilized. Many are praying. Humanity corporately is attempting to heroically\u00a0protect and preserve\u00a0one of God\u2019s highest values\u2014life.<\/p>\n

A Curious Response to COVID-19<\/h2>\n

In this time of distress, why is\u00a0mankind\u00a0not<\/em><\/strong> collectively\u00a0acting based upon\u00a0their\u00a0professed\u00a0evolutionary\u00a0worldview\u00a0(philosophical naturalism)?<\/p>\n

Human evolution\u00a0would dictate that we all simply let the\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0virus run through humanity. Natural selection\u00a0would then\u00a0leave society with only the strongest.\u00a0Either adapt or perish.\u00a0Let the weak die. Let\u00a0the strong survive.<\/p>\n

In an age of unbelief, there are those who\u00a0say\u00a0there is no God, we came from nothing, there is nothing after we die, and\u00a0as carbon-based entities we have no more meaning than a piece of coal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Famed atheist\u00a0Richard Dawkins\u00a0had the courage to admit\u00a0this when\u00a0he said,<\/p>\n

In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won\u2019t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe we observe has precisely the properties we expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference\u2026.DNA neither knows nor cares. DNA just is. And we dance to its music. (River Out of Eden<\/em>, pp. 132-33<\/a>)<\/p>\n

If\u00a0philosophical naturalism is true, then we are required to\u00a0end the quarantine now. Let the hospital workers endure the consequences of the profession they chose. Start digging the mass graves and the sooner the better so we can simply\u00a0get on with enjoying today.<\/p>\n

A Teachable Moment<\/h2>\n

For those who tend to believe godless evolutionary naturalism,\u00a0how do you\u00a0explain the current collective response of humanity to preserve nothing more than pieces of coal?<\/p>\n

Pastor\u00a0Tim Keller challenges, \u201cIf your origin is insignificant, and your destiny is insignificant, then have the guts to admit that your life and all lives are insignificant<\/a>.<\/u>\u201d\u00a0If we came from nothing, we are going into nothing, and there is no meaning in our present existence, then humanity\u2019s collective response is inexplicable.<\/p>\n

The Meaning of Humanity\u2019s Response to COVID-19<\/h2>\n

From the beginning of creation, God desired that mankind be \u201cfruitful and multiply.\u201d\u00a0Mankind was born to live.\u00a0The spiritual advice that Governor John Kasich\u00a0received that helped him out of his \u201cfunk\u201d was,\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re born to live, not to die, so our focus should be on living, not dying<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

God\u00a0desired His creation to be teeming with life.\u00a0Death is the enemy. Death was the unwelcomed invader in the original creation.\u00a0We do not desire the weak to die or mass graves to be dug. And we are willing to give up economic security in the present for the preservation of life.<\/p>\n

Currently humanity is exalting God\u2019s value system\u00a0of life! The whole earth is full of God\u2019s\u00a0glory.<\/p>\n

In rare moments\u00a0like this one,\u00a0mankind cannot help\u00a0itself\u00a0from ceasing\u00a0its\u00a0suppression\u00a0of God\u2019s truth in unrighteousness (Rom 1:18)\u00a0to demonstrate something related to our original created purpose.\u00a0We are more than pieces of coal. Life\u00a0was our original destiny and is filled with\u00a0meaning. Therefore,\u00a0we are all acting collectively\u00a0to preserve life now.<\/p>\n

Praise God that philosophical naturalism and its horrible implications are NOT TRUE. And praise God that mankind cannot consistently live as if there is no God.<\/p>\n

So,\u00a0praise God\u00a0for this moment.<\/p>\n

But let this moment lead you to one more consideration\u2014the ultimate life.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 and\u00a0Easter<\/h2>\n

Those we save now will die\u2014eventually.<\/p>\n

So, then, does valuing what God values\u00a0\u2013\u00a0life, result in any discernable different outcome than the philosophical naturalist? Should we just start digging the mass graves?\u00a0What is\u00a0existence\u00a0without the hope of life?\u00a0\u00a0What is existence without the hope of life after death?<\/p>\n

Despair.<\/p>\n

For we were born to live not to die as John Kasich\u2019s spiritual advisor said.<\/p>\n

If God intended\u00a0for\u00a0us as humans to value and be filled with life then in a world of death, how can we not despair and resign ourselves to the same bleak outlook as the philosophical naturalist?<\/p>\n

Consider the current overlap of two events\u2014the predicted peak of the death-count resulting from COVID-19\u00a0coming at the same time as\u00a0Easter. Is this\u00a0timing a mere meaningless coincidence?\u00a0Or, is the timing a world-wide, purposed-filled, divine instruction to consider\u00a0the source of\u00a0ultimate and eternal meaningful life?<\/p>\n

There was only One born of\u00a0man\u00a0whose specific destiny was death. He was born\u00a0to die\u2013unlike us. He entered this world to die for us so that, get this, we might live\u2013having the life God originally intended. Furthermore, God the Father, granted Him resurrected life\u00a0promising\u00a0that\u00a0same resurrection to all who put their faith in Him. They will experience life eternally!<\/p>\n

The\u00a0historically established fact of Jesus Christ\u2019s\u00a0resurrection<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0from the dead<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0provides humanity with\u00a0its\u00a0only<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0path to\u00a0fullness\u00a0of life. This Easter, go online and hear\u00a0how God has valued life to the degree that He overcame death. Hear\u00a0the proclamation that \u201cHe is Risen\u201d\u00a0and its\u00a0transforming\u00a0implications on your life!<\/p>\n

\n

Join Faith Church LIVE!<\/em> this Easter Sunday at 8am on our Facebook page<\/a> or at faithlafayette.org\/sermons<\/a> (and then available on-demand in both places).<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While\u00a0attempting to mitigate the total collapse of the\u00a0US\u00a0financial infrastructure in 2007,\u00a0Chair of the Federal Reserve, Ben\u00a0Bernake, said,\u00a0\u201cThere are\u00a0no atheists in foxholes or ideologues in a financial crisis.\u201d In this\u00a0current\u00a02020 COVID-19\u00a0crisis,\u00a0Craig Melvin (Today\u00a0show host on MSNBC Live)\u00a0confessed\u00a0that he has never asked anybody before to pray live during the broadcast\u00a0and then\u00a0he asked\u00a0Bishop T. D. Jakes to pray…. read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":7984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nEvidence for God\u2019s Existence in the COVID-19 Response - Faith Church Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Evidence for God\u2019s Existence in the COVID-19 Response - Faith Church Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While\u00a0attempting to mitigate the total collapse of the\u00a0US\u00a0financial infrastructure in 2007,\u00a0Chair of the Federal Reserve, Ben\u00a0Bernake, said,\u00a0\u201cThere are\u00a0no atheists in foxholes or ideologues in a financial crisis.\u201d In this\u00a0current\u00a02020 COVID-19\u00a0crisis,\u00a0Craig Melvin (Today\u00a0show host on MSNBC Live)\u00a0confessed\u00a0that he has never asked anybody before to pray live during the broadcast\u00a0and then\u00a0he asked\u00a0Bishop T. D. Jakes to pray.... read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Faith Church Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-04-08T13:16:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-04-08T17:15:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20200408091529\/Man-Looking-to-Heaven.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1618\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brent Aucoin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brent Aucoin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/\",\"name\":\"Evidence for God\u2019s Existence in the COVID-19 Response - Faith Church Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-08T13:16:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-04-08T17:15:24+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/05b28a5b78c722884ce2c38fdbc64ebf\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Evidence for God\u2019s Existence in the COVID-19 Response\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/\",\"name\":\"Faith Church Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/05b28a5b78c722884ce2c38fdbc64ebf\",\"name\":\"Brent Aucoin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20210309150430\/AucoinBrent2020.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20210309150430\/AucoinBrent2020.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Brent Aucoin\"},\"description\":\"Pastor Brent Aucoin serves as the Pastor of Seminary and Counseling Ministries at Faith Church. He is the president of Faith Bible Seminary, and is a counselor and instructor for Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/author\/baucoin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Evidence for God\u2019s Existence in the COVID-19 Response - Faith Church Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Evidence for God\u2019s Existence in the COVID-19 Response - Faith Church Blog","og_description":"While\u00a0attempting to mitigate the total collapse of the\u00a0US\u00a0financial infrastructure in 2007,\u00a0Chair of the Federal Reserve, Ben\u00a0Bernake, said,\u00a0\u201cThere are\u00a0no atheists in foxholes or ideologues in a financial crisis.\u201d In this\u00a0current\u00a02020 COVID-19\u00a0crisis,\u00a0Craig Melvin (Today\u00a0show host on MSNBC Live)\u00a0confessed\u00a0that he has never asked anybody before to pray live during the broadcast\u00a0and then\u00a0he asked\u00a0Bishop T. D. Jakes to pray.... read more","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/","og_site_name":"Faith Church Blog","article_published_time":"2020-04-08T13:16:07+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-04-08T17:15:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1618,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20200408091529\/Man-Looking-to-Heaven.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Brent Aucoin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brent Aucoin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/","name":"Evidence for God\u2019s Existence in the COVID-19 Response - Faith Church Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-04-08T13:16:07+00:00","dateModified":"2020-04-08T17:15:24+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/05b28a5b78c722884ce2c38fdbc64ebf"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/evidence-for-gods-existence-in-the-covid-19-response\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Evidence for God\u2019s Existence in the COVID-19 Response"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/","name":"Faith Church Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/05b28a5b78c722884ce2c38fdbc64ebf","name":"Brent Aucoin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20210309150430\/AucoinBrent2020.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20210309150430\/AucoinBrent2020.jpg","caption":"Brent Aucoin"},"description":"Pastor Brent Aucoin serves as the Pastor of Seminary and Counseling Ministries at Faith Church. He is the president of Faith Bible Seminary, and is a counselor and instructor for Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries.","url":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/author\/baucoin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7980"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7980"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8011,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7980\/revisions\/8011"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}