This book provides, through the semi-fictional character Benjamin Buchanan, strong but simply presented evidence for the existence of God. Benjamin�s �ten good reasons� are argued from the perspective of a scientist and Christian. They are based on a combination of a) logical reasoning, and b) his observations on the awesome (literally!) combination of factors which have combined to make life possible on planet Earth � including God�s human family. The book should inspire readers to see Earth, its rich resources and lifeforms, from a more reverential perspective � essential in an environmentally and socially stressed planet!

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The “beginning” is not a lifeless “soup”, in a lifeless ocean, on a lifeless planet,in a lifeless solar system, in a possibly lifeless galaxy.The “beginning” is space, atoms, gravity, magnetic forces, and the origin of theexact and complex formulas for atmosphere (78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and1% carbon dioxide and other gases), for water (H2O, 2 parts hydrogen to 1 partoxygen), the formulas for the 106 known elements, and the even more complexformulas for the 20 amino acids which form protein.Protoplasm is the base of all life—plant and animal – and protoplasm is formedof protein, fats, and carbohydrates.Evolution theorists make no effort to explain these origins. They just presumethat lifeless matter in a lifeless “soup” was struck by some unknown force andsuddenly sprang to life by some unknown process, and evolved in to all the lifeforms that have ever existed on planet earth—plant and animal.Not one shred of evidence has ever been discovered to validate their theory—nosediment in ancient soil or rocks of any pre-biotic “soup”; no parts or parts ofparts of any organism or plant evolving in to a different species.To date, the “beginning” remains an unsolved mystery.

The “beginning” is not a lifeless “soup”, in a lifeless ocean, on a lifeless planet,in a lifeless solar system, in a possibly lifeless galaxy.The “beginning” is space, atoms, gravity, magnetic forces, and the origin of theexact and complex formulas for atmosphere (78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and1% carbon dioxide and other gases), for water (H2O, 2 parts hydrogen to 1 partoxygen), the formulas for the 106 known elements, and the even more complexformulas for the 20 amino acids which form protein.Protoplasm is the base of all life—plant and animal – and protoplasm is formedof protein, fats, and carbohydrates.Evolution theorists make no effort to explain these origins. They just presumethat lifeless matter in a lifeless “soup” was struck by some unknown force andsuddenly sprang to life by some unknown process, and evolved in to all the lifeforms that have ever existed on planet earth—plant and animal.Not one shred of evidence has ever been discovered to validate their theory—nosediment in ancient soil or rocks of any pre-biotic “soup”; no parts or parts ofparts of any organism or plant evolving in to a different species.To date, the “beginning” remains an unsolved mystery.

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For those committed to the beliefs of Christianity — perhaps more so for those of the Catholic faith — the conception of Jesus is deemed an immaculate, non-sexual event. He was conceived within the womb of Mary through the Holy Spirit, whereupon Mary’s spouse and Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, was faced with the issue of accepting his wife’s fidelity in the entire matter. This loosely describes the divine conception of Jesus as derived from words found in The New Testament of The Bible, while it is hoped that hackles of certain readers will not be raised through words appearing in “The Near and Far Sides of Death” (NFSD) where similar claims are made. Namely, along with Jesus’ divine conception, we have been conceived in much the same manner, although under entirely different circumstances.

In a very distant past, well before there were galaxies “far, far away” and prior to the bestowal of mortality on any cosmic being, the initial birth of everyone who has ever existed took place. This momentous occasion occurred about 14-billion years ago when we collectively emerged arm-in-arm with the entire universe, or more fittingly, the emergence was an energy-upon-energy arrangement. Such is the manner in which our lives actually began, although parties interested in researching the event will be hard pressed to find any form of intelligence or mortality within the enormous burst of radiant energy that signaled our arrival. In truth, the entire referenced era, plus several subsequent brief periods are non-reviewable.

Following a colossal upheaval at “time-zero” of which we were a part — dubbed the Big Bang — our incipient mortality lay in a dormant, yet highly charged state that featured billions of years of cosmic development, or cosmic gestation as it were. This hard-sell proposal forms a major theme of the story, and though it appears well beyond the pale of rational belief, it becomes wholly credible after reviewing facts and discussion that are relevant to the topic. An excerpt from NFSD that is part of this relevant discussion appears below. It addresses the angst-ridden issue of abortion.

“Many of those in the clergy and laypersons alike believe that life begins at conception, when a sperm cell fertilizes a female ovum. At the moment of this one-on-one encounter within a female fallopian tube, some will openly endorse the existence and reality of life, even though only a genetic code exists that will later establish and identify a unique human form having intellectual propensities. Further, under these primal, entry-level conditions of development, life is granted the same validity, the same sacred status it receives during any post-natal stage. Based on the largest of pictures, which includes the characteristics of our cosmic world and the presumed nature of its creator, I’m convinced the proper outlook is one in which conception becomes the first breath of mortality.

The belief is upheld by the fact that palpable judgments regarding a scheduled beginning of life, or life under any terms, is established as a matter of human judgment, which is always subject to error — and far too often, wrong. Does a person exist who is capable of rendering such lofty decisions? Life is a sacred gift and attempts to distinguish its base identity, let alone its scheduled reality, should be cautiously approached. In addition, an individual claiming to have properly defined the issue will be singled out as one capable of defining the appointed time when God intended life should exist. Would the creator of everything decree that life is established at some designated moment of pre-fetal, fetal, or post-fetal development, which parallels our conventional but limited visions of life? Isn’t it possible that His would be a perspective of far broader scope, one in which life may have commenced during a recent past when our species awakened from an intellectual darkness? Probing the issue further, isn’t it most likely that God would believe it all began when his creative will featuring life with intelligence was made manifest some 14-billion years ago? Through an acceptance of this grass-roots belief, I have to sincerely question how it differs from a major theme of this work; and I have not endorsed the belief with intentions of lending credence to the theme. As a matter of basic principle and without regard for physical differences, how does the amorphous structure of life at an early biological, blastocystic stage significantly differ from the formless structure each of us displayed when God created the Universe and decreed that our existence was imminent within its womb of space and energy?”

As part of the effort to validate our long-lived existence, a universal, anonymous inner self is taken to task; for it is every person’s inner psyche that clings to the belief that mortality is the only form of life that is within human reach, thereby curtailing any belief that one’s life also extends to a very ancient past. There is another issue related to this pivotal, yet squeaking-hinge topic that is of greater significance. It concerns the most essential and earliest event that led to a cosmic genesis, whereby the basis of our above mentioned divine inception was established.

Before serious studies of the Universe got under way, which now fall under the umbrella of a relatively new branch of science called cosmology, many individuals puzzled over the source of earth’s population and the vast array of things surrounding them, while of late, such assorted “things” have become quarks, leptons, black holes, dark energy, etc., as cataloged by a relatively small group of astute observers — physicists, astrophysicists, astronomers, and others. During past millennia and through the current day, a profound question has been bounced off of walls, brains, and sundry other (impenetrable?) surfaces: Did everything that exists come about through natural causes, or might a transcendent agency be held accountable? Both of these avenues are explored in the NFSD narrative, but the latter option becomes the accepted mode that better explains our near incomprehensible existence on the only known habitable planet in the entire universe.

The centuries-old mystery surrounding the origin of the cosmos — and as proposed in this story, the beginning of its host of embryonic sentient beings — has led to the introduction of a phrase committed to such primary matters, namely, a first cause, or First Cause if cosmic origins are deemed otherworldly. The First Cause of this story is in line with that of the 13th century theologian and philosopher, Thomas Aquinas, who cited an uncaused Cause, which is/was, God; and which has been an ongoing choice of many, both before and after Aquinas’ time.

Having been present in the cosmos from the instant of its creation, even though our cognitive abilities were in a state of disarray at that moment, then we also would have been initially present within the mental wherewithal of its creator. In addition, this state of divine coexistence would hold true at all times, whether considering our pre-mortal cosmic existence, or a later mortal presence on our planet — or any other planet populated by thinking organisms. Through the acceptance of God’s first-cause creative activity, then an acceptance of our presence within his mental wherewithal during this period becomes a prescribed occurrence. This purchases the belief that God didn’t create the cosmos with the intent of extravagant cosmic display, but that his primary focus was dedicated to the creation of cognitive beings who would not only respond to his eternal presence, but would also provide a means for future eternal souls. The status of our collective pre-cosmic existence would have been that of a guest within the thoughts of a creative divine Host, a spiritual affair that certainly would have bestowed on our imminent collective birth a certification of divine conception. Following our divine inception and cosmic birth, we began an arduous 14-billion year trek filled with unbelievable events, which constitutes a long list of issues that make up our “near-side” adventures — near side with respect to an imaginary marker called death. Through the introduction of several of these issues, it is shown that we exist by virtue of a pattern of events that lends a pre-ordained appearance to the Universe, as though its outcome were the result of an intelligently conceived plan. It is shown that finely tuned parameters and environments are commonplace in the cosmos, that it/we cannot possibly exist as a random shot-in-the-dark occurrence.

Regarding this issue and as presented in a brief superficial manner, consider what has already been claimed. There appears no feasible way, even if astronomically high odds are allowed, that we exist today as the product of chance. When considering the fact that we’ve arrived as the end result of the Big Bang, how was it then possible to have advanced from a colossal burst of radiant energy to complex thinking organisms, all in the absence of some underlying form of guidance? This dismisses scientific proposals called multiple world theories — the “multiverse” — wherein our universe is amenable to life, because someone, something did intend that extravagant cosmic display be rendered. Through the multiple world theories of scientists, falling heir to a habitable universe is simply a matter of chance, in which an infinite number of available cosmic venues provides the opportunity. And if there are an infinite number of universes somewhere “out there”, then there should be an infinite number of inhabitants who qualify as your twin, triplet, quadruplet, and so forth, ad infinitum. Dang! Those guys must be inhaling some really good stuff.

Through the foregoing words, it may seem as though I’m degrading the role that scientists play in our world, when in fact I applaud their efforts and only wish theirs wasn’t such a grueling path of endeavor, that awe inspiring discoveries would become more frequent. Indeed, much of the NFSD story rests on scientific disclosure, where the intent is one of depicting an intelligent, pragmatic Creator who can be discerned through his revealed creative works, apart from revelations that arrive through the mysticism and miraculous beliefs that underlie orthodox religions. Further, based on prior comments, you may be inclined to believe that religion and science are the ham hocks and beans of this story, while its main thrust is to show that along with concepts of time, the mind, an inner self, and (gasp!) heaven, concepts of death are also falsely contrived. Throughout the story, attempts are made to discern designs and appointments of transcendent quality that precede death’s ostensible finality — near side events — as well as these same qualities that are conceivably found on the far side of mortal endings. In this manner, the span of one’s life becomes vastly extended in duration and occurs without interruption, whereby death is literally squeezed from its customarily prominent position and is phased out of existence.

Another facet of the story is the ongoing acclamation of intelligence, which is touted as the raison d’être of the Universe, and with that credible belief on the table, the human brain must also receive its share of accolades. It will be shown that intelligence is virtually the only attribute we can share with our creator, and therefore it is portrayed as the much heralded biblical image of God in which we’ve been created. Of common note, intelligence has elevated us above so-called laws of the jungle — almost — all of which is made possible through the Brain’s memory, but the issue is more than one of mere survival or memory as such. It is through the interactive loop of divine intelligence, coupled with mortal intelligence via the Brain’s memory, that potential souls exist and eternal souls become real That is, one’s brain-invested memory is a half-way house, a safe haven for their potential soul. We are what our memories allow us to be, while at a fundamental level, one’s body merely serves as a conveyance for the memory-empowered person within: An entity with the potential of becoming an eternal soul made eligible for residency in a place that far exceeds customary belief. The story ends with justifiable conclusions that render death a superstitious fabrication. Conversely, eternal souls become as real as the Creator who brought the cosmos and ourselves into existence, while heaven and earth are brought together such that they are intimately engaged with a divine being. Well, actually heaven gets lost in a final tally of non-perishable items sustainable in an eternal environment. In a manner of speaking, it doesn’t make the cut for those things deemed eligible for “Team God”. Immortal souls, however, are not left out in the cold of expanding cosmic space, but are gathered up and closely united within the Captain of the aforementioned team.

In conclusion, I’m sure you’ll find the tale of your cosmic pilgrimage an enlightening as well as sometimes amusing narrative. It might also pinch your conscience on occasion, or raise your body temperature, your ire as previously mentioned, but it should also raise questions in your wondrous, one-of-a-kind brain that are quite provocative.

For those committed to the beliefs of Christianity — perhaps more so for those of the Catholic faith — the conception of Jesus is deemed an immaculate, non-sexual event. He was conceived within the womb of Mary through the Holy Spirit, whereupon Mary’s spouse and Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, was faced with the issue of accepting his wife’s fidelity in the entire matter. This loosely describes the divine conception of Jesus as derived from words found in The New Testament of The Bible, while it is hoped that hackles of certain readers will not be raised through words appearing in “The Near and Far Sides of Death” (NFSD) where similar claims are made. Namely, along with Jesus’ divine conception, we have been conceived in much the same manner, although under entirely different circumstances.

In a very distant past, well before there were galaxies “far, far away” and prior to the bestowal of mortality on any cosmic being, the initial birth of everyone who has ever existed took place. This momentous occasion occurred about 14-billion years ago when we collectively emerged arm-in-arm with the entire universe, or more fittingly, the emergence was an energy-upon-energy arrangement. Such is the manner in which our lives actually began, although parties interested in researching the event will be hard pressed to find any form of intelligence or mortality within the enormous burst of radiant energy that signaled our arrival. In truth, the entire referenced era, plus several subsequent brief periods are non-reviewable.

Following a colossal upheaval at “time-zero” of which we were a part — dubbed the Big Bang — our incipient mortality lay in a dormant, yet highly charged state that featured billions of years of cosmic development, or cosmic gestation as it were. This hard-sell proposal forms a major theme of the story, and though it appears well beyond the pale of rational belief, it becomes wholly credible after reviewing facts and discussion that are relevant to the topic. An excerpt from NFSD that is part of this relevant discussion appears below. It addresses the angst-ridden issue of abortion.

“Many of those in the clergy and laypersons alike believe that life begins at conception, when a sperm cell fertilizes a female ovum. At the moment of this one-on-one encounter within a female fallopian tube, some will openly endorse the existence and reality of life, even though only a genetic code exists that will later establish and identify a unique human form having intellectual propensities. Further, under these primal, entry-level conditions of development, life is granted the same validity, the same sacred status it receives during any post-natal stage. Based on the largest of pictures, which includes the characteristics of our cosmic world and the presumed nature of its creator, I’m convinced the proper outlook is one in which conception becomes the first breath of mortality.

The belief is upheld by the fact that palpable judgments regarding a scheduled beginning of life, or life under any terms, is established as a matter of human judgment, which is always subject to error — and far too often, wrong. Does a person exist who is capable of rendering such lofty decisions? Life is a sacred gift and attempts to distinguish its base identity, let alone its scheduled reality, should be cautiously approached. In addition, an individual claiming to have properly defined the issue will be singled out as one capable of defining the appointed time when God intended life should exist. Would the creator of everything decree that life is established at some designated moment of pre-fetal, fetal, or post-fetal development, which parallels our conventional but limited visions of life? Isn’t it possible that His would be a perspective of far broader scope, one in which life may have commenced during a recent past when our species awakened from an intellectual darkness? Probing the issue further, isn’t it most likely that God would believe it all began when his creative will featuring life with intelligence was made manifest some 14-billion years ago? Through an acceptance of this grass-roots belief, I have to sincerely question how it differs from a major theme of this work; and I have not endorsed the belief with intentions of lending credence to the theme. As a matter of basic principle and without regard for physical differences, how does the amorphous structure of life at an early biological, blastocystic stage significantly differ from the formless structure each of us displayed when God created the Universe and decreed that our existence was imminent within its womb of space and energy?”

As part of the effort to validate our long-lived existence, a universal, anonymous inner self is taken to task; for it is every person’s inner psyche that clings to the belief that mortality is the only form of life that is within human reach, thereby curtailing any belief that one’s life also extends to a very ancient past. There is another issue related to this pivotal, yet squeaking-hinge topic that is of greater significance. It concerns the most essential and earliest event that led to a cosmic genesis, whereby the basis of our above mentioned divine inception was established.

Before serious studies of the Universe got under way, which now fall under the umbrella of a relatively new branch of science called cosmology, many individuals puzzled over the source of earth’s population and the vast array of things surrounding them, while of late, such assorted “things” have become quarks, leptons, black holes, dark energy, etc., as cataloged by a relatively small group of astute observers — physicists, astrophysicists, astronomers, and others. During past millennia and through the current day, a profound question has been bounced off of walls, brains, and sundry other (impenetrable?) surfaces: Did everything that exists come about through natural causes, or might a transcendent agency be held accountable? Both of these avenues are explored in the NFSD narrative, but the latter option becomes the accepted mode that better explains our near incomprehensible existence on the only known habitable planet in the entire universe.

The centuries-old mystery surrounding the origin of the cosmos — and as proposed in this story, the beginning of its host of embryonic sentient beings — has led to the introduction of a phrase committed to such primary matters, namely, a first cause, or First Cause if cosmic origins are deemed otherworldly. The First Cause of this story is in line with that of the 13th century theologian and philosopher, Thomas Aquinas, who cited an uncaused Cause, which is/was, God; and which has been an ongoing choice of many, both before and after Aquinas’ time.

Having been present in the cosmos from the instant of its creation, even though our cognitive abilities were in a state of disarray at that moment, then we also would have been initially present within the mental wherewithal of its creator. In addition, this state of divine coexistence would hold true at all times, whether considering our pre-mortal cosmic existence, or a later mortal presence on our planet — or any other planet populated by thinking organisms. Through the acceptance of God’s first-cause creative activity, then an acceptance of our presence within his mental wherewithal during this period becomes a prescribed occurrence. This purchases the belief that God didn’t create the cosmos with the intent of extravagant cosmic display, but that his primary focus was dedicated to the creation of cognitive beings who would not only respond to his eternal presence, but would also provide a means for future eternal souls. The status of our collective pre-cosmic existence would have been that of a guest within the thoughts of a creative divine Host, a spiritual affair that certainly would have bestowed on our imminent collective birth a certification of divine conception. Following our divine inception and cosmic birth, we began an arduous 14-billion year trek filled with unbelievable events, which constitutes a long list of issues that make up our “near-side” adventures — near side with respect to an imaginary marker called death. Through the introduction of several of these issues, it is shown that we exist by virtue of a pattern of events that lends a pre-ordained appearance to the Universe, as though its outcome were the result of an intelligently conceived plan. It is shown that finely tuned parameters and environments are commonplace in the cosmos, that it/we cannot possibly exist as a random shot-in-the-dark occurrence.

Regarding this issue and as presented in a brief superficial manner, consider what has already been claimed. There appears no feasible way, even if astronomically high odds are allowed, that we exist today as the product of chance. When considering the fact that we’ve arrived as the end result of the Big Bang, how was it then possible to have advanced from a colossal burst of radiant energy to complex thinking organisms, all in the absence of some underlying form of guidance? This dismisses scientific proposals called multiple world theories — the “multiverse” — wherein our universe is amenable to life, because someone, something did intend that extravagant cosmic display be rendered. Through the multiple world theories of scientists, falling heir to a habitable universe is simply a matter of chance, in which an infinite number of available cosmic venues provides the opportunity. And if there are an infinite number of universes somewhere “out there”, then there should be an infinite number of inhabitants who qualify as your twin, triplet, quadruplet, and so forth, ad infinitum. Dang! Those guys must be inhaling some really good stuff.

Through the foregoing words, it may seem as though I’m degrading the role that scientists play in our world, when in fact I applaud their efforts and only wish theirs wasn’t such a grueling path of endeavor, that awe inspiring discoveries would become more frequent. Indeed, much of the NFSD story rests on scientific disclosure, where the intent is one of depicting an intelligent, pragmatic Creator who can be discerned through his revealed creative works, apart from revelations that arrive through the mysticism and miraculous beliefs that underlie orthodox religions. Further, based on prior comments, you may be inclined to believe that religion and science are the ham hocks and beans of this story, while its main thrust is to show that along with concepts of time, the mind, an inner self, and (gasp!) heaven, concepts of death are also falsely contrived. Throughout the story, attempts are made to discern designs and appointments of transcendent quality that precede death’s ostensible finality — near side events — as well as these same qualities that are conceivably found on the far side of mortal endings. In this manner, the span of one’s life becomes vastly extended in duration and occurs without interruption, whereby death is literally squeezed from its customarily prominent position and is phased out of existence.

Another facet of the story is the ongoing acclamation of intelligence, which is touted as the raison d’être of the Universe, and with that credible belief on the table, the human brain must also receive its share of accolades. It will be shown that intelligence is virtually the only attribute we can share with our creator, and therefore it is portrayed as the much heralded biblical image of God in which we’ve been created. Of common note, intelligence has elevated us above so-called laws of the jungle — almost — all of which is made possible through the Brain’s memory, but the issue is more than one of mere survival or memory as such. It is through the interactive loop of divine intelligence, coupled with mortal intelligence via the Brain’s memory, that potential souls exist and eternal souls become real That is, one’s brain-invested memory is a half-way house, a safe haven for their potential soul. We are what our memories allow us to be, while at a fundamental level, one’s body merely serves as a conveyance for the memory-empowered person within: An entity with the potential of becoming an eternal soul made eligible for residency in a place that far exceeds customary belief. The story ends with justifiable conclusions that render death a superstitious fabrication. Conversely, eternal souls become as real as the Creator who brought the cosmos and ourselves into existence, while heaven and earth are brought together such that they are intimately engaged with a divine being. Well, actually heaven gets lost in a final tally of non-perishable items sustainable in an eternal environment. In a manner of speaking, it doesn’t make the cut for those things deemed eligible for “Team God”. Immortal souls, however, are not left out in the cold of expanding cosmic space, but are gathered up and closely united within the Captain of the aforementioned team.

In conclusion, I’m sure you’ll find the tale of your cosmic pilgrimage an enlightening as well as sometimes amusing narrative. It might also pinch your conscience on occasion, or raise your body temperature, your ire as previously mentioned, but it should also raise questions in your wondrous, one-of-a-kind brain that are quite provocative.

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A RELIGIOUS NOVEL OF THE FUTURE
WHICH INCLUDES:
BEFORE THE BEGINNING
THE BLACK NOTHING
TALKING WITH GOD
SISTER OF JESUS
ROUND TRIP TO HEAVEN


The novel starts with an imaginative description of what it was like before the birth of our universe, when a black void awaited creation by God. After a series of personal communications with God, it describes how a sister of Jesus will be born to live on earth. It concludes with 300 people being selected and given a free visit to heaven.