God is invisible because God is a living spirit and as such has no size or shape. If He had size or shape, He would have limits beyond which He would not exist. God has no limits because He is everywhere and in everything. Although He is invisible in the sense of size and shape, we can see Him in everything that is around us; He is the beauty in every flower and the firmness in every rock. Most importantly, we can see Him in everyone we meet because He is the goodness and love within them.
Q. I am not questioned about my faith, but about the existence of God and heaven.
Just about everyone has at some time or another has had doubt about God's existence and how to demonstrate that existence. Most books on apologetics (explaining and defending the faith, not apologizing for believing) address this question in detail. Here, I will give a synopsis of a couple of the demonstrations.
The Design Argument. As we look around us, we see the order and beauty of nature that surrounds us. Could this order and beauty be the result of some intelligent design and conscious purpose, or just a random happening? If it were a random happening, why do all daisies look the same, why do all people have two eyes, why do things always fall down when we drop them rather than sometimes falling up or sideways? This intelligent design and conscious purpose is what we call God.
The Kalam Argument. Kalam is an Arabic word meaning "speech," but it has come to mean a certain type of philosophical reasoning. The argument, which has appeal to both Christians and Muslims, is this:
- Whatever begins to exist has a cause for its coming into being.
- The universe began to exist.
- Therefore, the universe has a cause for its coming into being. We call this cause God.
It is difficult to give a description of heaven because no one has seen it and come back to tell us what it is like. Even the Bible describes heaven by telling us what it isn't:
- "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9, NIV)
Rather than looking at ways of demonstrating the existence of heaven, let's look at some of the alternatives:
- Atheist. Since there is no God, there is no image of God (soul). When we die, our existence is over.
- Ancient Pagan. After we die we become ghosts inhabiting a gloomy, dark underworld.
- Panthiest. We are all drops of the cosmic ocean. When we die the drop returns to the ocean; there is no individuality.
- Reincarnationist. When we die, our soul gets another earthly, mortal body.
- Skeptic. No one knows what happens after death.
As you can see, none of these come close to the Christian concept of heaven as a place of eternal joy in the presence of God.
Recommended reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraphs 33, 231, 326, 1023-1029
Kreeft, Peter & Tacelli, Ronald K., Handbook of Christian Apologetics, InterVarsety Press, Downers Grove, IL 60515, 1994, pages 45-88, 257-279
Laux, Fr. John, M.A., Catholic Apologetics, TAN Books & Publishers, Rockford, IL 61105, 1990, pages 1-24
Kreeft, Peter, Fundamentals of the Faith, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, 1988, pages 24-53
Q. I don't exactly know about the Blessed Trinity.
Q. Are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all one person?
Q. Are God and Jesus two different people?
The Blessed Trinity, like the other dogmas of the Catholic Church, is a belief that has been held since the teaching of Christ to the Apostles. The Trinity is not found clearly defined in any passage in Sacred Scripture, nor does the name "trinity" appear within its pages. However, in order to be considered "Christian," one must believe in the Trinitarian God. In the first centuries the Church sought to clarify what the Trinity was by deepening its own understanding and by defending it against errors. In order to do this, the Church had to develop its own terminology which is reflected the dogmatic statement:
- "In God there are 3 Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of the 3 persons possesses one Divine Substance."
The term "substance" designates the divine being in its unity (there is only one God); it doesn't mean that God has a size or shape. The term "person" designates the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (these persons are really distinct from each other).
Attempts to describe this relationship clearly always fall short. St. Patrick is credited with using the shamrock; one stem composed of three leaves. Others have used water; a material which exists as ice, liquid, and steam. No matter how it is described, the Trinity is three persons in one God.
Recommended reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraphs 232-256
Sheed, F. J., Theology for Beginners, Servant Books, Ann Arbor, MI 48107, 1981, pages 25-48
Duggan, G. H., S.M., Beyond Reasonable Doubt, St. Paul Books & Media, Boston, MA 02130, 1987, pages 55-86
Q. How does God know where I am and why does He love me? (asked by a 6-year-old)
God knows where you are because God is everywhere. As King David said:
- "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths (sheol), you are there." (Psalm 139:7-8, NIV)
God loves you because God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). Just as your parents love you because God gave you to them, God loves you because He gave you the very breath of life, your soul, and you are special to Him.
Q. Why would the Lord God on Jesus' death send Him to hell rather than a place other than hell?
This passage from the Apostles' Creed has always caused problems for English readers because of the use of the word "hell." 1 Peter 3:19-20 says:
- "(H)e went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built." (NIV)
This abode of the dead is called sheol in Hebrew, hades in Greek, and purgatio in Latin. Flavius Josephus, a Pharisee and Jewish historian writing sometime between A.D. 60 and A.D. 100, describes this place as the abode of those awaiting the opening of heaven and hell; both believed by the Pharisees to be closed until a time determined by God. This place is divided into two parts divided by a huge chasm; one part for the unjust and the other part (called the Bosom of Abraham) for the just. Holy Scripture calls this abode of the dead "hell" because the occupants were deprived of the vision of God; although not all are destined for eternal damnation. Jesus went there to bring the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. Christ's work of redemption applies to all men of all times (past and future) and all places. No one comes to the Father except through Christ (John 14:6).
Recommended reading:
Luke 16:19-31
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraphs 631-637
Whiston, William (translator), "An Extract Out Of Josephus' Discourse To The Greeks Concerning Hades", The Works of Josephus, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA 01961, 1992, pages 813-814
Q. Man was made in the image of God. Was man made in the substance of God?
Man was made in the image and likeness of God in that God has created in each one of us a spiritual being, our soul. God's "substance" is His essential nature, His oneness. We are not God and do not share in His "substance."
Recommended reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraphs 355-368
