My Logical Case for God

Dear Nephew,

I have viewed with interest your comments on various issues as an atheist. I see that you claim there is no logical case for the existence of God and that religion is just emotion. May I suggest some logical arguments for you to consider?

To frame the discussion, let us start by defining God as a possible intelligent creator of the universe we can see and study. Let us assume that if he exists, he allows us agency or freedom of action. This is a reality we see in little children at a young age, our own desire for liberty, and the existence of good and evil (in a socially generic sense) because of individual choice. Let us also acknowledge that if he exists he has not shown himself to men at large – we do not see him peering down on us from the heavens. The question then becomes, is there a logical argument for an intelligent being that ordered creation and gave us life as free agents?

First – what does scientific man think? The greatest minds of the 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st centuries (Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking respectively) all invoked God in their arguments, i.e., they recognized God and pondered how he had created the universe. Individually they may not have accepted the Gods of specific religions, but they saw an intelligent hand at work in the cosmos. If they acknowledged God, is it not logical that we, as inferior intellects, also acknowledge God? 

Second – what does scientific man observe? The finely-tuned balance of all matter and life in the universe bespeaks an intelligent, ordered design. How many big bangs would it take to create by chance a perfectly operating BMW, yet a BMW is a very simple machine when compared with the operations of a single biological cell? A specific example of fine-tuning I came across recently was in Michio Kaku’s book “Parallel Worlds”. (Michio contributed significantly to String Theory) In cosmology, the value Omega refers to matter density in the universe. Quoting Michio, “For Omega to be so close to 1 so many billions of years after the big bang would require a miracle. This is what is called in cosmology the fine-tuning problem. God, or some creator, had to ‘choose’ the value of Omega to within a fantastic accuracy … (of) 1.00000000000000 one second after the big bang. In other words, at the beginning of time the value of Omega had to be ‘chosen’ to equal the number 1 to within one part in a hundred trillion, which is difficult to comprehend. Think of trying to balance a pencil vertically on its tip … for years!” He points out that if this matter density had not be set so precisely neither the universe nor us could exist. To list just a few other examples of fine-tuning in the universe (including biology) would require volumes. Some people know how to fine-tune materials into a working BMW. Is it illogical to think that an intelligent creator knows how to fine-tune a big bang and the complexity of a single biological cell to create a universe full of life?

Third – if One and Two suggest there could be an intelligent creator, is there evidence a creator has communicated specifically to man in a scientific expression? Yes, as scientists see in the laws of General Relativity and Quantum Physics, but let me use a different more interesting example. The Bible Code may be such evidence. It is the first five books of the Old Testament or more specifically the Torah. It was given to Moses about 1,500 BC. He was instructed to write it letter by letter without punctuation and it was to be copied exactly the same way. Throughout the centuries Jewish scholars suspected something special when they found the names of very prominent Jewish leaders, that lived after Moses, “hidden” in the text. In the computer age, Jewish scholars subjected the text to scrutiny and found the names of 66 prominent Jewish leaders using “equidistant letter sequences in the book of Genesis.” This paper was reviewed by three peers before being accepted for publication in Statistical Science in 1994. Other prominent historic events were found such as details about the Kennedy assassination. Some events were found before they happened, such as the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin (one year prior but not the exact date), and comet Shoemaker-Levy’s impact on Jupiter and the exact date of the occurrence (a few months prior). The current perspective is that it is a holographic code so complex that it includes all probabilities of all our choices in life. With today’s technology we can find things in the code easily after they happen. We do not have computers powerful enough yet to decipher the future probabilities clearly. How is it possible that Moses was given a program containing all our lives and the probabilities of our choices in 1,500 BC? Who gave this advanced computer program code to Moses? I think we can agree that Moses did not have the knowledge to write it. He that gave it to Moses, said his name was Jehovah and that he had created the heavens and the Earth under the direction of his Father. Given the computer analysis of the code and its evident complexity, which is well beyond our current knowledge, is it logical to accept Jehovah’s claim?

As an aside, one of the great experiences in my life was to visit Jabal Musa (the Mountain of Moses) in NW Saudi Arabia. The layout is exactly as the Book of Exodus describes – unlike the traditional site of Mt. Sinai on the Sinai Peninsula.

Fourth – is there evidence the creator has communicated directly to our most intelligent scientists in a manner similar to Jehovah with Moses? Not to my knowledge. I am not aware of any that have claimed such communication. Is it logical to conclude then that an intelligent creator does not exist? Is it logical to conclude, because he has not communicated to our top scientists, that he has not, will not, and cannot communicate with anyone?

Fifth – since I claim a personal experience with Jehovah or Christ – the son of God and creator of our heavens and Earth – is it logical to accept that as valid? Logic says it cannot be denied as possible if a creator exists. Logic also suggests that a creator’s direct communication with the things he creates is entirely possible and probable. My children accept me as their “creator” and we have regular contact. There are also children who do not know their creator parents, but that does not suggest they do not exist. Does your lack of experience with God logically negate or disprove his existence, or does it invalidate my experience with him?

Sixth – my experience with Christ was very emotional, and I did not see him. Does that emotional experience logically negate the interpretation of that experience? First, the experience was shared equally by the man with me – very strong evidence for its reality. But second, let me deal with your issue about religion being just emotion. Emotion is real and it connects us to many things – some very special to us. How do I know I love my wife? How do you know you love your wife? Because you feel the love you have for her, does that logically negate the relationship? What is interesting about emotion, is that it is not limited by distance or time. Of course cell phones now give us visual and audible connection over distance and time, but I think you know my meaning. Scientists have observed for years the connection between twins, even when separated by great distance. Married couples also develop this closeness.

In the age of snail mail I had an experience with Pat that transcended distance by future time. I was in Korea and she was in Hawaii with the kids. I got very sick on a Saturday and knew I would be DNIF (Duty Not to Include Flying) and would therefore not get to join my family in Hawaii as scheduled – I had to complete my checkride in the RF-4C first. On Sunday morning I was in bed, sick enough to not get up for church. The phone rang. It was the Command Post with a letter from Pat, sent two weeks earlier to my friend in Okinawa, to be dispatched up to Korea on the courier flight that had just arrived. I dragged myself out of bed and went to retrieve the letter. In the letter she expressed concern about me getting sick, and counseled me to get a Priesthood blessing, so that I would complete my checkride and arrive in Hawaii on time – she wrote this two weeks prior! I went to church, got a blessing, was healed, completed my checkride on time and arrived in Hawaii on schedule.

Is this emotional connection understandable in science? Yes – in Quantum Physics this is explainable in “quantum entanglement” or “association” and the related “effect at a distance.” In quantum theory, if I create two communications devices and associate or entangle them during their manufacture, I can create what Einstein called “spooky action at a distance.” If I have one device and you the other, let me send you to New Zealand. When we communicate with the device, it will be instantaneous (not the speed of light) and completely secure. If I send you to Pluto, when we communicate it will be instantaneous. If I send you to the other side of the universe, when we communicate it will be instantaneous. Chinese and American military scientists have already demonstrated these principles – there was a news item about this just one week ago. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) demonstrated such communication over about 30 km at MIT in 2005. The Chinese reported similar success last week. So, entangled twins and couples have the ability to be in communication with each other over great distances – usually connected emotionally or telepathically. Is it illogical to consider that we could be associated with the creator and receive emotional/telepathic communication from him? We could of course, use our liberty to shut him out or ignore him – just as we can a spouse or twin.

Seventh – let us go to Court. The case being considered is this: Is there a God? Can I be a witness for God? Yes, because I claim an experience with him and can describe his attributes and detail the knowledge that was passed to me. Can you be a witness against God? I submit that logically you can not be. Why? Because you have had no such experience and therefore cannot witness against my observations of God – that I am mistaken – he is really someone else who you know as Mr. X. To put it another way, you may have an opinion about Michael Jackson’s doctor being a murderer, but your opinion will never be accepted in court. On the other hand, if you had experiences with the doctor, you could present your experiences as evidence for or against him.

I therefore submit that your atheism is simply a lack of experience – that your experiences are not sufficient to argue against God, or sufficient to negate my experience with God. One day you will be a witness for God along with me and it will be a great and wonderful thing to you.

Love,

Uncle Neil

9-11 and The United Sharia of America

9-11 reminds me that there is a significant Islamic population that believes our Constitution of liberty is contrary to the will of Allah. They fight our liberty as a false religion. The Creator’s gift of liberty is evident in every young child’s celebration of independent action. It is enshrined in our founding documents for all humanity to follow. While it is true that some of our liberty has been corrupted by excessive government, it is also true that Islam’s original message has been corrupted by multiple religious dictators who place themselves between man and God. Their goal is to continue to deny liberty and to bring us to submission to their view of God, or defeat us by all means. In their mind a Mosque near Ground Zero is both a sign of their 9-11 victory and the beginning of our submission. I am not prepared to give up the liberty we have been granted by God, and is upheld in our Constitution, in favor of a United Sharia of America. How about you?

May God bless those who have lost loved ones in the fight against radical Islam in Beruit, in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, at Al Khobar Towers, the Riyadh Military Mission, the US Embassies in Africa, on the USS Cole, on 9-11, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Mindanao, and at Ft. Hood.

I hope it does not take another 9-11 to finally secure our borders.

Health Care Restoration

Health Care Restoration – in short – get the Feds out of the industry and let us back in!  

First the facts ... (then the solutions):

1. The US free enterprise market has produced the greatest health care system in the world – look at all the people in the world who flock here to get surgery, etc. Our family experienced this system when I was retired from the military and worked for Boeing – it was awesome!

2. The US has lots of experience with government-run health care. It is these medical programs that have problems – so why are the Feds taking over health care and why are we letting them?:

a. Military, Veterans and Native health care – as I described last week in “Standards for Neglect.”

c. Medicare, which is going broke – so, pay more taxes! Doctors in Anchorage have been refusing new Medicare patients for a couple of years, because Medicare doesn’t pay our bills! When I retire from the military, we get Medicare, but because of the Anchorage situation, all military retirees are seen at the “Standards for Neglect” military hospital. And get this – to fund the new health care program the new law CUTS MONEY OUT OF MEDICARE – what does that say to the fastest growing segment of our population – the aged! “Hurry up and die!”

d. Medicaid, which is also having problems – so, pay more taxes! Actually, I hear this program is much better than Medicare. My Mother-in-law, who has Medicare as part of her coverage, gets worse care than her illegal-on-welfare neighbors and relatives who are on Medicaid.

3. The Supreme Court has ruled that the new Federal "Affordable" Health Care Act is constitutional as a (massive) Federal tax program. 

So, is the solution more government-run health care?

Absolutely not! Government-run systems have a monopoly on our health care “business.” With no competitors, there is no incentive for them to be efficient and to keep us satisfied. With no profit being generated there is no ability to expand services when demand is up other than to increase taxes. What happens is rationed care, i.e. managed neglect.

The very best health care is found in the competitive, free-enterprise marketplace, where profit drives services based on demand, and a satisfied customer is job #1. That is the health care we all want – right?

OK – so how can we access the best system in the world?

Being financially independent is the best way, i.e., make enough money and buy your own health care plan.

Yes! Yes! I know! It is too expensive for some, and pre-existing conditions keep others out because of higher premiums.

So how do we solve the access problem?

PHASE ONE  - Make Medical Access More Affordable

1. Remove the Insurance Monopolies:

Break up the State insurance monopolies by allowing insurance companies to compete for business in all 50 states. Significantly increased insurance competition will drive down costs and stimulate efficiencies. Regulating inter-state commerce is one of the constitutional roles of the Federal Government – in this case they need to regulate it by first ALLOWING inter-state commerce to occur! Get out of the way Feds!

2. Make Insurance Personal and Transportable:

Medical insurance should be owned by us and travel with us where-ever we go – just like our car insurance. Pat’s Mom is tied to Hawaii by her insurance – away from Hawaii for more than three months and she is out of coverage! How many of you have insurance tied to your company, and what happens when you lose your job?

3. Give us Personal Digital Medical Records:

A digital copy of our medical records should be with us. Some of my key medical information is on a chip on my Military ID. Doctors should not have to rediscover our health details – when we are unconscious.

4. Tort Reform:

Limit malpractice awards to reasonable amounts set by independent and elected State health commissions (Federal standards could also level the playing field for all the States). Doctors pay outrageous amounts for malpractice insurance – that bill gets passed on to us one way or the other. I cannot sue the Military health care system, so I have no protection from mal-practice. The right to sue for redress of wrongs drives quality in the commercial system – awards are simply out of control.

These Phase One reforms mean that fewer need help obtaining health care – YEA! Lower taxes!

PHASE TWO: Get the Federal Government out of Health Care (except in their limited Constitutional role of regulating inter-State commerce in support of Phase One)

1. Transfer Care for the Poor and Unemployed to the States:

This step keeps the Federal Government in its limited Constitutional role and puts care for the poor closer to home – in the States. Best practices will naturally migrate from State to State, improving the whole – an advantage a Federal program lacks.

2. Set up State Voucher Systems:

Provide the poor with State vouchers that can only be used to buy insurance that meets State and Federal standards. Adjust the vouchers based on need: those below the Federal poverty line (or State poverty line if it is higher) get a 100% voucher. Those above the poverty line would receive lesser amounts (e.g. 80 – 60 – 40 – 20 – 0 percent). The significance of this step is that this is NOT government-run health care. It is the poor buying commercial health care with a government voucher. We choose the insurance that meets our needs.

3. Pre-existing Conditions Vouchers:

Coverage for pre-existing conditions (including those from birth) can also be provided through the State voucher system based on need.

That’s it! What are we left with – America’s exceptional free-enterprise health care system for all of us – unfettered by Federal over-regulation, interference, and monopoly!

A closing question you may have thought of: what would I do with the military health care system? Keep only that portion required to support military combat operations. We need health care professionals in the war zones – not at home.

Standards for "Neglect"

Ha! Ha! I have to laugh at my family and friends that think government run health care is the way for America to go. What fools.

As a USAF fighter pilot, I enjoyed health care for the elite – the Flight Surgeon Clinic was for me and my family (Military health care is government run heath care). When I went off flight status, we were relegated to Family Practice – oh joy! We have endured that, and celebrated every time we were referred to commercial providers who are so much more efficient, thorough, quick, etc. They have to – if they don’t do it right, the customer goes to someone else – competition – what a concept!

Now we have “Obama care.” Yes – some parts of the law have already kicked in!

One part in effect is “Standards for Care.” I call them Standards for “Neglect” – you will see why.

Two stories: (1) My military health care experience and (2) My neighbor’s private commercial care. Surprise! Surprise! His care is affected by new government standards also!

(1) My story:

Knee pain cranks up while I am visiting New Zealand. I get back to Alaska, 10 June, and the pain is not going away. I have a physical fitness test due and I cannot run.

I schedule a doctor appointment – I get seen in about one week. He puts me on a “Profile” – no running test for me.

He orders an X-ray.

“Doc, how about an MRI, this seems to be a soft tissue injury to me. The Median Collateral Ligament (MCL) is where the pain is.”

“Sorry – I have to order an X-ray first.”

About a week later I am expecting a result, but no call. I call on a Friday.

“The Doctor has up to 72 business hours to get back to you” – that is sometime Wednesday, next week!

No response! Remember, I am an active duty military officer who is required to maintain physical fitness for military deployment.

OK, I become a pest!

By 1 July I have a referral for Physical Therapy (PT) “ASAP” – still no MRI. At PT I am told they have no room for an “ASAP” – too many injured soldiers to deal with. OK – that’s fair, so I go up to Referral “Management” (Won’t you love your health care being managed). The young Captain nurse tells me they will NOT refer me to a commercial provider. Why? Because the Standards for Care say they have 30 days to provide me with PT. She schedules PT for me on 29 July!

“That is not my Standard for Care!” I exclaim, “That’s a Standard for Neglect!”

She doesn’t budge and the Doctor, whom she trumped, confirmed to me later that, “Yes, the Standards for Care is part of the new health care law that is in effect – and we have to live within it.”

A week later the pain has become worse and now my hip is becoming involved. I go to the PT Clinic. There are three technicians (Airmen) sitting behind the desk chatting.

“Excuse me, do you have any cancellations?”

All three laugh (at a Lt. Col.) in unison, “Noooo.” OK – I am miffed!

“Well, I need a cane NOW.”

“Sir, we can set up an appointment.” Note: I’m starting to get respect – not as a customer, but as an Officer.

“No. I need a cane NOW. I have had knee pain for more than one month and now the pain is going to my hip. I am not a doctor, but I think I need to get weight off my knee by using a cane. I tried my wife’s cane this morning, but it is wood and has been cut short. I need a cane NOW. Who has the authority to get me a cane NOW?”

Within a few minutes I was given a cane, but the first time PT evaluated my knee was 29 July – about 45 days after seeing the (powerless) Doctor. They ordered an MRI which I got on 2 Aug. The MRI confirmed an MCL injury and swollen bursa sacks above and below the knee cap.

Welcome to rationing through process management, based on Standards for Neglect! Ha! Ha! You fools!

(2) My neighbor’s private, commercial, government-directed health neglect, story:

I told my neighbor my story. To my surprise he trumped mine!

He took his son in with an obvious infection/fever. To his surprise he was not given any anti-biotic or anti-viral. Why? The doctor told him that the new health care law does not allow him to prescribe a medication until the patient has been sick for more than seven days – you read it – more than 7 days.

Next time they have to go in, “Doc, Johnny’s been sick for 7 days. What can you do for him?”

Ha! Ha! Go ahead – turn your life over to the government health care professionals – they do such a GREAT JOB!

My thoughts on health care solutions, next week.

Why I Voted for Joe Miller

Lisa Murkowski was appointed a US Senator, December 2002, in a nepotistic move by her father, then Governor of Alaska, Frank Murkowski. I was angered by this move – it was clearly corrupt. One of the other candidates under sham consideration was a former 4-Star General that I had worked for – Joe Ralston. He was far more qualified in my view.

A few months after Lisa was appointed, I was on a Northwest Airlines flight to Washington DC, and was surprised to see Lisa sitting across the aisle from me in Coach. It was a long flight, so I wrote down my three top concerns on an envelope, then leaned across the aisle and passed it to Lisa. I suggested that if she had any questions to just ask me.

My note introduced me as a US citizen originally from New Zealand and an Alaska resident. I was a retired USAF officer who had returned to active military service immediately following 9-11. I was stationed in Alaska and was known by my fighter-pilot call sign as “Kiwi.” My three top concerns related to national defense:

1. Win the war against radical Islam by continuing to engage them in their home

 – not ours

2. Secure our borders

3. Extend the obscure 1997 law that allowed the Department of Defense to (voluntarily) recall retired personnel that were experts in skills that were short. This was the law under which I returned to active military service and it was to expire in 2003.

Lisa did engage me in conversation and we spoke for about 45 minutes. I found her very gracious and a good listener. She was not aware of the law I referenced, so I acquainted her with that. I told her bluntly that her appointment was an act of nepotism, and that I was opposed to it. From my perspective she would have to work very hard to get my vote. She acknowledged the nepotism and recognized an extra responsibility to prove herself to Alaskans.

She did work very hard and she got my vote in 2004. So why did I not vote for her in 2010?

The United States is clearly in decline. The housing, education and healthcare bubbles have all been caused by the Federal Government’s take-over of major portions of these industries. As these bubbles are bursting the corrupt politicians in Washington are plunging us into bailout debt that even our grandchildren will not be able to pay. But these "thieves" were elected by "we the people." Therefore we have asked them to steal for us - whether we be the poor or we be the States. "We the people" need to see our own corruption and vote for good and honest representatives who will follow the principles of limited Constitution government.

Part of this corruption is the seniority system and earmarks that bring home the gravy and keep us voting our senior representatives back in. I saw Lisa as a career politician intent on keeping herself in power by supporting that gravy train. I can no longer support that system and the only way to exercise term limits is at the polling booth. I put a term limit on Lisa Murkowski in the hope of restoring limited Constitutional government.

Joe Miller, if you do not pursue limited Constitutional government, I will term limit you also!

Kiwi