Searching for God

The main text for my undergraduate philosophy course was called The Search for Meaning in Life, edited by Robert F. Davidson.  It must have been the standard text for introductory philosophy classes in the 1960’s.  Many years later, I discovered that it was the same text my husband used in his college introduction to philosophy, in an institution across the country from my home in California.

Davidson explains in the Introduction that the book brings together the thought of leading thinkers of the past and present “who have sought to appraise the nature of man and the problems of personal and social living, and to frame a philosophy that would clarify the meaning and purpose of human life and contribute to its enrichment.”[1]

Seeking meaning in our lives is a lifelong endeavor.  Not surprisingly, many of the writings excerpted in the text center around the question of whether God exists, and the impact of the answer to that question on the way we live our lives.

Mind you that while I was studying these readings in the Spring of 1966, Time Magazine posed this question on a black cover in large red letters: “Is God Dead?”  It was a relevant question at the time, and still is for this reason: people who believe that the universe and everything in it began and exists without any direction from God, and that God has no interest in us, live their lives differently than people who believe that God exists, always has existed, directed the creation of the universe, loves us and has a plan for each of us.  The belief that God exists and has a plan for each of us gives meaning to each unique life; that is the premise of the best selling book,  The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.

Therefore, the search for meaning in life is intertwined with the question of whether God exists.  Some of the best modern Christian apologists include the following:  C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity), Peter Kreeft (Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Your Questions, God’s Answers, Fundamentals of the Faith, Straight Answers to Tough Questions About Christianity), R.C. Sproul (Defending Your Faith: An Introduction to Apologetics), Lee Strobel (The Case for Faith, The Case For Christ), William A. Dembski/Michael R. Licona (Evidence for God), Scott Hahn/Benjamin Wiker (Answering The New Atheism), Paul E. Little (Know Why You Believe) and Timothy Keller (The Reason For God).   If you are searching for the answer to the question of the existence of God, these books are a good place to begin your quest.

For the most part, this blog presumes that the reader has concluded that God exists, and is concerned with the next step:  connecting to God.  At times, people who believe that God exists, and who may even attend a place of worship, feel disconnected to God.  The purposes of this blog are to explore ways to connect to God, to live our lives joyfully within that connection, to live in unity with those to whom we are connected by faith, and to live in peace with others.

Diane C. Reagan, July 6, 2011