Recently, a rather heated debate occurred at a table in Crossroads in the early hours of the morning. Who was there (beside myself) and how it came about is not important. What is important is the issue that was raised during the debate: the existence of God.

One of the participants posted an entry to his website detailing his reaction and immediate thoughts about the debate and asked anyone else who was involved to formulate their own responses, which he would then post.

Unfortunately, this person reconsidered and removed his post after I had already responded to it. Because I so firmly believe what I wrote, I feel that it needs to be posted here. Please remember that this is a response to another piece that I no longer have access to, nor would I post it here if I did have access to it. All direct references to the author of the original piece have been removed in the interest of anonymity, however references to and quotes from the piece itself have been left intact.

“We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.”

This is the first full sentence of what Catholics refer to as the Nicene Creed (modern wording), which we hold as the profession of our faith. Belief in one God is an essential tenet of Catholicism, as it is with the other religions that evolved out of Judaism. While we hold other truths to be essential to our faith, such as the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the existence of God is primary.

That said, I feel it is safe to attack the argument laid out by --------------------. The following is a quote:

“It could be said that the spiritual is different. But why should that be? Asserting that it is isn't enough; what's the difference? Sure, I can't prove the existence or non-existence of God. That doesn't change the issue. I can't prove the existence or non-existence of space aliens at this point, but they're out there or they're not.”

While it only seems fair to assert that the spiritual is no different from any other realm of human thought, this is certainly not the case. When we deal with the physical world, we deal with (mostly) concrete concepts such as length, width, depth, time, and a host of other dimensions that I am not qualified to write about. In addition to the physical world, we have the workings of the human mind. Intensely personal and mysterious, there is still much to be explored about our brains, such as how we think, our conscience, and how I am able to sit here and contemplate my own contemplations (metacognition, for all you educational psychology lovers out there). But our knowledge and understanding of our mental selves is indeed rooted in the physical world, as synapses fire and sensory organs provide data for analysis. Beyond the physical and the mental is the emotional, which often defies all logical reason (see women). However baffling, the emotional self is rooted in the physical world, as glands secrete and hormones do their thing.

Finally we come the point of my response—the uniqueness and personal nature of the spiritual self. I cannot prove the existence of God, nor can I prove the existence of space aliens. Unfortunately, space aliens are not God and should not be compared to Him. If space aliens do indeed exist, they exist in our physical world. By listening with a radio telescope, we might someday have proof of nonhuman intelligent life (alternatively, they can just fly over here and make a personal introduction). Conversely, the most powerful radio telescope will never find proof of God’s existence, nor will His existence be proven by any other physical means.

If a definitive answer of whether or not God exists is necessary, then religion is certainly not for you. The existence of God does not equate to the existence of space aliens or the spherical shape of the earth; rather, it equates to faith. For some, money may function as a god, or power, or sex, or anything one believes in. My god is the one God, the Father, the Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

On Sunday night, the best drama on network television (excluding HBO) was honored when Kiefer Sutherland was awarded the Golden Globe for Actor In a Leading Role - Drama Series for his work on 24. Congratulations, Kiefer, on your win and the recognition it brings to 24.

I've come to a realization, one that's been "brewing" for a while. I love 24. My week is not complete without 24. It is quite possibly the best drama on television right now. I hope it wins the two Golden Globes it's been nominated for. I know I'll be watching. Good luck, 24, and thanks for making my week complete.

Well, here I am, back in Norman. One week of relaxation (i.e. RA Orientation) and then on to 16 more hours of class.

My break was absolutely wonderful. Got to spend a lot of time with the family, the pets, and a very good friend. Activities included movie-going (Lord of the Rings and A Beautiful Mind, to name two), drinking coffee at various 24-hour establishments (Huck's and Round the Clock), bowling (although not that much), driving around (quite a bit of that), and getting crazy-drunk on New Year's Eve.

More to come...