{"id":3476,"date":"2012-09-13T12:01:12","date_gmt":"2012-09-13T16:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/?p=3476"},"modified":"2012-08-13T22:35:18","modified_gmt":"2012-08-14T02:35:18","slug":"is-god-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/2012\/09\/is-god-real.html","title":{"rendered":"Is God Real?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Many people still ask, \u201cIs God Real?\u201d I personally know that the answer is a resounding YES! But others want evidence, scientific proof that God is real. I\u2019m happy to have Sanjay C. Patel<\/strong><\/a>, author of God Is Real – The Stunning New Convergence of Science and Spirituality<\/strong><\/a> as my guest today. He studied theology, Sanskrit, ancient cosmology, advanced yoga and meditation techniques, among many other subjects, earning a degree in Divinity at the BAPS Swaminarayan Ashram in India. He continued studies of modern science and ancient spiritual texts for 30 years. His discoveries regarding the convergence of science and ancient texts were published in mainstream science journals and presented at the 22nd International Congress of History of Science in Beijing. Here\u2019s what he has to say:<\/p>\n

Just Ask Your Kids: Is God Real?<\/strong>
\nBy <\/strong>Sanjay C. Patel<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

After decades of research, new discoveries demonstrate the intentionally metaphorical nature of Biblical Genesis. Undeniable and coherent patterns have emerged that agree with modern discoveries of our universe. There are far too many convergences with modern science to have arisen by chance.
\nThis provides the proof that the Biblical descriptions, though metaphorical, are not ad hoc either. They are meaningful. They are elaborate and deliberate. They are numerous and coherent. In all, there are 21 agreements with modern science. This means the new correspondences between science and ancient spirituality are REAL. Three thousand years old, without the use of scientific instruments, they could only be arrived at through divine inspiration. Finally, for the first time in history, we have truly objective proof of God.<\/p>\n

In Genesis, the 21 agreements with modern discoveries about our world imply a completely new understanding of the ancient book\u2019s true significance. They solve the question of the centuries\u2019 old debate concerning its allegedly short seven-day timeline. Each of those days is actually an eon. Each is 2.28 billion years long! Moreover, the words \u2018earth\u2019 and \u2018water\u2019 do not refer to our planet Earth and its oceans. They refer to the primordial elements earth (or dust) and water when they were first created in our universe. This was very early in its history.(1, 2) With this new insight, the sequence of creation in Genesis suddenly links together scientifically like a necklace of sparkling stars.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It is a fact that text has no meaning without context. This is especially true for ancient texts such as the Bible and equally so for other spiritual traditions such as ancient Yoga from India. Ancient yogis (people who had mastered yoga) described our oceans, Earth, and Universe using complex metaphors, too. These ancient metaphors have also been deciphered.<\/p>\n

Scientists are stunned by all these ancient agreements with modern discoveries. Many of them have been published in mainstream, peer-reviewed, international scientific journals. This is the gold standard of scientific research and this is the very first spiritual study of its kind to appear in such high ranking publications. As has science, spirituality has come of age!<\/p>\n

We live in rapidly changing times. People\u2019s beliefs are becoming more rational. Many, particularly the younger generation, are becoming more scientific in their outlook. Why? Because they experience the success of science all around them. It\u2019s part of their lives. The cellphones in their pockets, the laptops on their desks, the study of science at school, the science channels on TV, and so much more. Simply put, if they believe their touchscreen phone is real, they will believe the science behind it is real.<\/p>\n

This growing generation of people, already in hundreds of millions, is becoming more analytical and skeptical of spiritual beliefs. They want scientific proof of God. They want a reason to believe in ancient scripture and its teachings. They look at the Bible and ask a simple question: If God is real, why is the very first page of Genesis wrong? Why does it conflict with science?<\/p>\n

The usual answer is, faith is believing what the eye cannot see.<\/p>\n

But these youngsters are growing up in an environment that already scorns \u2018blind\u2019 faith. And even more so a teaching that contradicts science. These newer generations therefore face a much greater challenge to their spiritual beliefs than ever before. As months fly by, it is becoming exponentially difficult for them to maintain their beliefs.<\/p>\n

If rational and scientific answers are not forthcoming, this generation and all future ones will eventually grow into atheists or agnostics at best. This frightening change is proceeding rapidly. You can see it happening before your eyes. If you ask your teenager or go to a college campus today and ask: \u201cIs God real?\u201d Most will answer, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d The answer will be even more negative if you ask them the morning after a natural disaster or a tragedy like the Batman movie theater massacre.<\/p>\n

The deep erosion of spiritual belief is accelerating. For the past few decades the faithful have defended the enigma of Genesis by saying it does not contradict science because it must be metaphorical. But how could such a stance satisfy the doubts of a young, skeptical mind? To many, it sounds like a cop-out.
\nThere\u2019s a difference between evidence of God and proof of God. Evidence is material that suggests God may exist. Proof demonstrates God exists. The power of science is that it rests with nothing short of proof. Evidence is merely a starting point. Today, court juries and other discussion bodies are increasingly asking for proofs, too. This new trend is known as the \u2018CSI effect.\u2019 100 percent proof is the only acceptable standard.<\/p>\n

Today, we have that golden, 100 percent proof of God. In light of recent discoveries made in science and a 30-years analysis of ancient metaphors, these age-old texts radiate an elegant and mathematically accurate picture of our cosmos!<\/p>\n

Proof of God, not evidence, is what the new generation is asking and many are craving for. And as this need has arisen, so has the proof. Remarkably, it resides precisely at the interface of the most cutting-edge science and the most ancient spirituality. Over 100 stunning new agreements between the ancient metaphors and the modern megapicture of our universe prove they must have been divinely inspired and that God is real.
\n***************<\/p>\n

Check out Sanjay C. Patel<\/strong><\/a>‘s book,f God Is Real – The Stunning New Convergence of Science and Spirituality<\/strong><\/a>
\nSources.<\/em>
\n(1) A gravitationally lensed water maser in the early Universe, C. M. Violette Impellizzeri, John P. McKean, Paola Castangia, Alan L. Roy, Christian Henkel, Andreas Brunthaler, & Olaf Wucknitz, Nature 456, 927-929, 18 December 2008, | doi:10.1038\/nature07544; <\/em>
\n(2) A search for gravitationally lensed water masers in dusty quasars and star-forming galaxies, J.P. McKean, C.M.V. Impellizzeri, A.L. Roy, P. Castangia, F. Samuel, A. Brunthaler, C. Henkel and O. Wucknitz, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. (2010), 2010 September 1. doi:10.1111\/j.1365-2966.2010.17617.x; correspondence, Rich Barvainis, 11\/11\/10.<\/em>
\n***************<\/p>\n

Take the 31 Days of Self-Love Challenge<\/strong><\/a>–a pledge to do something loving for yourself for the next 31 days–and get my book, How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways<\/a><\/strong> for free at http:\/\/howdoiloveme.com<\/a><\/strong>. Read my 31 Days of Self-Love Posts from 2012 HERE<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Please leave comments under my posts so we can stay connected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many people still ask, \u201cIs God Real?\u201d I personally know that the answer is a resounding YES! But others want evidence, scientific proof that God is real. I\u2019m happy to have Sanjay C. Patel, author of God Is Real – The Stunning New Convergence of Science and Spirituality as my guest today. He studied theology,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[480,479,481],"class_list":["post-3476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-positive-mental-attitude","tag-god-is-real","tag-sanjay-c-patel","tag-science-and-god"],"yoast_head":"\nIs God Real? - Lessons from a Recovering Doormat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/2012\/09\/is-god-real.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is God Real? - Lessons from a Recovering Doormat\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Many people still ask, \u201cIs God Real?\u201d I personally know that the answer is a resounding YES! 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Let Me Count the Ways, a She's appeared on hundreds of TV and radio shows, including Oprah, Howard Stern, and Good Morning America and has been quoted in dozens of publications, including the New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Marie Claire, and Men\u00b9s Health. After being a consummate People Pleaser who felt unworthy of getting her own needs met for many years, Daylle found a path of self-love that enabled her to build her self-esteem and reinvent herself into a dual career. She learned to get taken seriously without being overtly assertive when she became one of the first women to start an independent record label (on a dare!) and learned to play ball nicely and successfully in an industry dominated by men. To help independent musicians empower themselves, Daylle writes music business books for Billboard\/Random House, including the very popular Start & Run Your Own Record Labe and I Don't Need a Record Deal! Daylle's books have been translated into over 10 languages and are popular around the world. She speaks for colleges, organizations and corporations. Through her company, Project Self-Empowerment, Daylle creates programs and materials to help people empower themselves. One goal is to raise the money to self-publish her book, How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways and give it away for free in colleges and through organizations, to give thanks for all her blessings. 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