Sophia: Do people sometimes ask you how they can know for sure that God is for real? I have my philosophical answer, but what do you say, Evan?
Evan: Well, first remind me of what you say, and then we might see how that fits with my approach.
Sophia: Well, what I say is that we can’t prove by reasoning that God exists. Every attempted proof proves to little or assumes too much. But reason can only function well when there an adequate basis of insightful intuition. And it does take courage to be true to what we recognize in faith-experience, because it is always possible for a skeptic to try to explain away that experience in terms of biology and social psychology.
Evan: Well, that sure is philosophical. Most of the people that I talk to would have some difficulty following all that. But sometimes people do raise questions about my credentials as a spiritual teacher, and sometimes they do worry about how they can be assured of being received into the spiritual family of God.
Sophia: So, what do you say?
Evan: Regarding the credentials of a spiritual teacher, I simply say that if we teach in spirit and in truth, then the spirit in you will resonate with what we are putting out. I don’t talk about cognitive certainty or proving the existence of God, because it just invites skeptics to stay stuck in the isolated intellect and raise objections, which goes on forever.
Assurance is an experience of the whole personality. It takes going forth as a full person—body, mind, and soul, and body—to find God. You’ve got to engage in reality, not just sit on the sidelines and wonder if the game is for real, if the struggle has a point. Our loving and merciful heavenly Father, whose spirit lives within, does not leave us hanging in suspense. But neither can he reveal himself to persons who do not sincerely open themselves, sincerely seek to know him. Sophia, if I were just meeting you, and if you expressed this concern, I would say, if you receive God as your Father, then you are a daughter of God. That means that you are born again. And that means that you have the power to overcome doubt. And that victory is your faith. Your salvation, your eternal life is assured. And you stay with the program by doing the will of your divine Parent. And the desire to do the will is the heart of righteousness. Look at Isaiah 32, where the prophet speaks of the spirit poured forth from on high, when the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness will be quietness and assurance.” Assurance of your secure standing in the spiritual family.
Sophia: Thank you, Evan. I can interpret what you say as an example of a philosophical account of how we develop our intuitive experience of God.
