Mankind is constantly searching for answers to the questions “What is the meaning of life?”, “Does God exist?” and “Is there life after death?”. Whether your personal search is spiritual or non spiritual, we all search. For some the search is brief. For most of us however, the question is always there, either on the surface or in the back of our minds.  These are life’s biggest questions, and the search can be a long one. Sadly, many people abandon their search and choose instead to base their lives on the one label out of thousands that logically “feels right” to them. Monotheism, atheism, pantheism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Calvinism, agnostic, gnostic, Mormon, Christian, Jew… we are divided into religions, beliefs, theories, philosophies… the list goes on. This is what I call “searching for God in reverse”. Instead of living by a label, shouldn’t you do at least a little research, and live your life based on the results of that research?

Enter the Six Degrees of Separation:

Call it a guide, roadmap, chart, path… whatever you would like. The six degrees of separation are simplified breakdowns that outline distinct levels of separation between man and God, defining the full range of belief/nonbelief whether dedicated atheist, full-on church-goer, or somewhere in between. The story behind the creation of the six degrees is simple. For whatever reason, after 35 years of searching for answers after I left formal religion, I was blessed to receive positive proof of God’s existence at the moment of my father’s death. For me, that experience and the questions that followed brought me back to formal religion and subsequently to the birth of the six degrees.

Each of the six degrees is designed to eliminate the clutter that prevents us from moving forward on our journey of faith. Each degree begins with a single question to be answered. This is followed by a description and concludes with links to research, discussion and explanations that can be used as research and are presented by those much more knowledgeable than I. The combined knowledge and experiences of these resources will help you re-assess your current belief and get you moving along the path. I’m confident that along the way you’ll be as impressed as I am with their rational explanations, logic, and reasoning.

The six degrees have no specific entry point since all of us are already somewhere on the path based on our current belief. How you progress through the degrees is up to you. You may choose to read thru all the degrees or decide to find a starting point from the summary provided below. When you find the definition that most feels like you right now, review the specifics for that degree, and then use the provided resources to help move forward.

The six degrees are:

Non-believers (Sixth degree of separation)
Skeptic/Searcher (Fifth degree of separation)
The Void (Fourth degree of separation)
New Age/Spirituality (Third degree of separation)
God without organized religion (Second degree of separation)
God with formal religion (First degree of separation)

Before you begin your journey, let me add a word of caution. You will undoubtedly discover other resources as you search, along with conflicting information. False and misleading information is everywhere. My goal is simple; point you to some of the same resources I found, both before and after my experience, that I found logical and compelling. They helped me answer the question of “who/what” and subsequently are helping me discover the answer to “why”. These are people from all walks of life who provide insight from multiple perspectives. Some are doctorate level within their field, others are not. As we all know, education does not equal knowledge. You will ultimately need to decide for yourself who is right and who is wrong, and whether they present a compelling argument. I have placed biographical information at the end of this document so that you can become familiar with the resources referenced herein. They include detectives, religious clergy, scientists, former atheists and others who converted to first degree belief from other religions and philosophies. I find these last two categories particularly appealing, for these are truly the people who did their own research and let the conclusions change their lives.

Ready? Here we go.

The Non-Believer (Sixth degree of separation):

Primary question: – Is our universe an accident or an intelligent creation?

In the broadest sense, the sixth degree is reserved for those who do not believe in intelligent creation. This includes those who have decided they simply don’t care, those who believe it’s all chance, and those who say they care but believe we will never figure it out.

However, by far the largest and most vocal group in the sixth degree are the atheists. Due to their prominence, passionate discourse, and determination to lock everyone else into the sixth degree, they deserve both special recognition and special attention, along with their closely connected kin, scientists. Of all the residents living in the sixth degree, the atheist and scientist are the most poorly equipped to find the answer, and I will be happy to explain why, both here and in follow-up articles. Every time I think of them, I am reminded of the story where multiple blind men are touching different parts of an elephant, trying to describe what it is. You know what happens… One says tree, another says snake, etc. The limitations faced by the blind men are very much analogous to science and atheism.

Please don’t get me wrong. I spent my life in a career of logic and science. However, I am a firm believer in an old quote that has been variously attributed to Louis Pasteur, Francis Bacon and even Sir Issac Newton. “A little science estranges men from God, but more science leads them back to Him”. I’m counting on science to figure out the universe. Only then will they understand it as God’s creation. I am firmly convinced that science will eventually prove religion, not disprove it. However, when scientists willingly limit the lines of evidence that guide their study and (even worse) depend solely on the current woefully inadequate set of tools, they cannot possibly succeed. They are literally blind people touching only parts of the proverbial elephant.

Of course, there are many other reasons people spend their life in the sixth degree. First, there’s the issue of evolution vs the Bible. They don’t seem to go together, nothing matches up. The resources provided in this level will help you understand this common concern. As for my own explanation, please consider this… Most of us (myself included) can remember an experience where we came to a different conclusion than many of our friends simply because we did not have all the information. You’ll find evidence here that evolution itself does not preclude the existence of God. You’ll learn more about this plus evidence in the fossil record from Dr. Frank Turek. I think you will begin to see the high probability that we just don’t have all the facts.

Another big reason that locks people in the sixth degree is the presence of evil. Is there anyone who hasn’t asked themselves “Why would a just and loving God allow bad things to happen to good people”? Whether good or bad, there are answers.

Remember, the primary question at this level is not God or no God; rather it is a decision whether creation was personal or impersonal. At this point your goal is to examine the evidence of intelligence vs chance in order to arrive at a conclusion and hopefully break free of the sixth degree so that you can truly begin your search. Before sending you off to review specific resources, I would like to leave you with a few quick facts I learned in my search that point to the existence of a Creator:

1). The universe fits together in extremely specific ways, with EXTREMELY high odds against existence and survival.
2). Our universe was created in an instant by methods that exceed its own rules for existence.
3). Alternate theories for accidental life in a pre-biotic environment have all failed to produce organic life.
4). The simple logic that a universe created accidentally would be chaotic and random. Where did the 4 laws of nature come from? What about morality? There is more to the universe than just the creation of the universe itself.

Years before I had my own experience, the answer for me was intelligent creation over chance. I could never feel comfortable in the sixth degree. That is when my own search began.

Resources for escaping the sixth degree:

In the biography section at the end of this document you will find the biography of J. Warner Wallace, a converted atheist and cold-case detective. He is a wonderful speaker whose honesty and passion comes across immediately. His material dealing with this particular level requires a few minutes so that he can build his case, but it’s time well spent. Let’s start with his first two points on how the origin of the universe points to God and introduce you to the fact that the Creator of the universe, whether personal or impersonal, had to be “outside the room”… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjBwuQ3iTKs

Continuing on, let’s move to J Warner’s third point in this same presentation: This particular video is 14 minutes long. I wrestled with the information for the first 12 minutes as he built the case, but I’m so glad I listened to it all. He is absolutely spot-on, and after proving his point he concludes by pointing out a basic problem to producing our universe without intelligence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4uRWk06Wo0

Dr. James Tour is a pre-biotic synthetic organic chemist. You’ll see in this presentation that he is both adamant and passionate about the claims made regarding how to reproduce the creation of organic life. Answer: we can’t. He debunks the science of creating life from a factual viewpoint, with an attitude I can only describe as “I dare you to prove me wrong”. You will always find residents of the sixth degree whose standard answer is “We’ll figure it out, someday”. That’s a cop-out. As you’ll see later when watching Dr. Frank Turek, that’s like an atheist saying “I don’t have evidence, I don’t have an answer. I just know you are wrong”… That isn’t an answer. Here is the link to Dr. Tour’s presentation, a bit long at 22 minutes, but it provides quite a bit of information:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4sP1E1Jd_Y

Major questions in the sixth degree revolve around the issue of the uncaused cause (the true single difference between a theist and an atheist) and whether that cause was personal or impersonal. If personal, and God created the universe, then who created God? Let’s look to J Warner Wallace for his answer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpSsrM_SEJQ

Let’s begin our introduction to Dr. Frank Turek with a short 4 minute clip answering the question “What About Evolution?”?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdkQ3e3-FAw

As much as I enjoy Dr. Turek, I have added this next 7 minute clip with more than a little trepidation adding it as an intro to his work. I am used to seeing it, but to an early searcher it’s painful to watch for the first four plus minutes as an atheist performs his normal drive-by attempt. As so often happens, he ends up leaving at 5:00, walking out before conversation is concluded. I decided to include this for 2 reasons: 1.) Listen to the overuse of labels in this video. It is a prime example of how we waste our time trying to place labels on everything. 2). PLEASE do yourself a favor and pay particular attention to the video starting at 5:20. This is a wonderful example of an often ignored point, the clarification of what should be required to debate theism and atheism. This is also a good explanation of why I use the term “drive-by” when speaking of an atheist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QepTGHiSSn4.

For those who follow the logic that a belief in science means that you cannot believe in religion, please consider reading the following article. It IS possible for science and religion to co-exist. https://insider.pureflix.com/education/intelligent-design-vs.-evolution-inside-the-battle-over-creation?utm_campaign=AIG&utm_content=75683566

Ravi Zacharias provides explanations that are both passionate and logical. His work covers many topics spread throughout the six degrees. Here he provides a viewpoint on the issue of free will vs determination. The preface to his answer also provides insight referenced from an agnostic/atheist that further exposes the prejudice of science against religion. Let’s call it a two-for-one deal.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whr2mFIe5NA

 Skeptic/Searcher (Fifth degree of separation):

Primary question: – “Do I have a desire to search for an answer to the reason for intelligent creation?”

We enter the fifth degree by virtue of our desire to answer the primary question. We exit the fifth degree by finding that answer.

If the six degrees had a true starting point, this would be it, since all searches begin with wondering “what’s the meaning of life?” or “how did I get here?” or the always popular “is there life after death?”, questions that are the hallmarks of this level. The skeptic and the searcher share the fifth degree by virtue of the fact that they have not yet formulated a decision, but they have vastly different goals/futures.

Let’s first take a look at the skeptic. The skeptic has decided that intelligent creation may be possible, even likely, but the answer has no real meaning or impact on their existence. Really? The singularly most important question of your whole existence, and it doesn’t matter? Whether the roadblock is physical or spiritual, something blocks their desire to find an answer. 

The fifth degree is also one of the possible landing zones for the “nones”, those who believe that formal religion doesn’t matter and claim no religious affiliation. Whether they admit it or not, that equates to saying God does not matter. Let me ask you a simple question. If you knew that God exists, and there was even the slightest possibility that there is something waiting for you after this brief time on Earth, would you really believe it doesn’t matter?

Now let’s take a look at our very close friend, the searcher. The searcher wants to know more. If all goes as planned, they are only a temporary resident of the fifth degree. Unfortunately, many things can stall and/or stop their search. A searcher may want to move forward but find themselves unable to proceed. Here again, physical and spiritual roadblocks can come into play. The pressure of everyday life, lack of resources, peer pressure, spiritual misdirection… all of these can cause delays in moving forward. Lost in the maze of information, they fall prey to the previously mentioned searching for God in reverse instead of proving to themselves the probability of God and then determining what they should do once they know God is real. 

If you become trapped in the fifth degree, remember to simplifiy and focus on information that will help you move forward. You already have come to a personal realization that the universe is an intelligent creation. You are still dealing with “who”, and are not yet ready to tackle “why?”. 

Fifth degree research will require touching on all the resources provided in the remaining degrees. Clearly there’s a mountain of information to go thru… This is one of the reasons searchers can become lost in the maze. Reducing the remaining levels to a primary question and providing an initial set of resources that will enable you to logically move thru the levels is the key. That’s why all resources are focused on moving you forward. 

Resources for leaving the fifth degree:

All levels above this are resources for this level. However, there are a few topics that are specifically oriented to the fifth degree:

For example, as you search for answers be aware that you may not like the answer you find. Let’s listen to Jimmy Wallace (J Warner’s son) as he discusses the people he has met who say “Even if I did find God, I wouldn’t want to believe because I don’t like what I see”. Do you really have that choice? Have you truly tried to look for an answer? From my own personal experience, I can tell you that I thought this same way for a very long time. Each time, searching more deeply helped me realize that the reasons actually do make sense even though sometimes the answer isn’t what we would hope for… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvgcKQ23jNI

There is something else you should be aware of. I am just going to leave this here to bookmark or view as you see fit. You may find yourself looking for it later. As you move thru the six degrees you will likely find your views and attitudes changing. This can present difficulties in personal relationships. The following video is an interview with Lee and Leslie Strobel that discusses the strain on their marriage once Leslie changed her beliefs. You will notice that both Lee and Leslie are described as atheists, but in my opinion Leslie announces almost immediately that she was actually a searcher. From what I see on the web, Lee is now the more visible speaker of the two, but the message here is to be aware of differences and not to let them dissuade you. It will work out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ8rpWJ-chg

 The Void (fourth degree of separation):

Primary question: – “Do you believe that the probable answer to the meaning of life lies solely in a philosophy for the way you live your life, the existence of multiple gods, or a single Creator?”

For reasons I don’t fully understand, I have tried every day for weeks as this comes together to change the name of the fourth degree, but I keep coming back to The Void. Why? Millions, if not billions on a world scale, live in the fourth degree. I certainly do not have any intention of disparaging other belief systems. We all have free will and make our own choices. For me however, I received proof that God exists, and I refuse to deny it. That is the main reason the fourth degree became the Void. You can find any philosophy, theory or belief system that you want in the Void except a single Creator. Therefore, understanding that there is a single Creator will lead you out of the fourth degree.

The fourth degree may be called the Void, but’s it’s a crowded place. You can have zero gods, or even hundreds of millions. You can find any name you’d like to give the afterlife, or you can just have a general life philosophy of how we should be when we are here on earth. You can be reaching for enlightenment, Nirvana, or higher consciousness. Some or perhaps even most members of the fourth degree accept the probability that the universe was created intelligently. Most accept that there is something beyond this existence, but it is important to clearly distinguish between the fourth degree and our next level, the third degree (Sprituality). Fourth degree residency may or may not be spiritually based. Third degree is absolutely spiritual in nature. Fourth degree residents will typically have a specific name for their belief system. They have rules, structure, etc. but not a single God. Third degree residents will lean towards a single God or Creator, but they have less formal structure and no defined name for their belief.  Another difference between residents of these two degrees is what I will grudgingly call “proof” (it’s not, and I will be happy to explain why in a future article). Fourth degree residents may have documents and legends to draw on, but the third degree has the internet! Ask yourself where you stand on the items identified above. For example, if you identify with a belief system that has a name, you are likely a fourth degree resident. If you find yourself saying “I’m just spiritual”, you likely live in the third degree.

Resources to escape the fourth degree:

The fourth degree is the level at which it’s important to start developing an awareness of the many differences between first-degree religions and other religions. Let’s listen to Ravi Zacharias as he dives into some of the differences, while also providing background on the defintion of multiple other religions/philosophies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjpAC9S0C50

Here’s another short answer from Ravi to a gentleman from Nepal that explains the belief in one God rather than millions. Ravi’s background is non-Christian; he is a magnificant resource for this level. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFXSIp5xmmA

Let’s go to Dr Frank Turek for the first video. He explains how to refine your search for a “true” religion and discusses evidence for other religions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnKOTqJx45c

New Age/Spirituality (third degree of separation):

Primary question: – “Does spirituality logically lead us to a generic Creator/creative force or the God of the Bible”?

Ah, life in the third degree. For me, it is the land of nostalgia, a trip back to the old neighborhood. I lived here for 30 years. It’s a fascinating level where many people spend their lives, perfectly content and fairly confident that our spirit lives on after death. What they (and I) failed to understand are the very real dangers and misinformation that abound.

The third degree is the primary level where residents will relate modern day “proof” of both a creator and the probability of an afterlife. This proof comes from either the internet, a TV show, a friend’s story, etc. It can also come from a personal experience. It provides the hope that we are, can be, or will be actually more than what we are here on Earth. Many people are quite comfortable here, as was I, and why not? There are ample personal experiences freely shared, plenty of testimony and “evidence” that says you have found the answer. Comfort food is everywhere. That is one of the dangers.

For a long time, I was satisfied living here. The evidence was persuasive. Near Death Experiences (NDEs) and psychics had surely provided the answer. I was a huge fan of John Edward and James Van Praagh, among others. I’ve read the first four John Edward books, completed his audio course, been to three of his shows in different cities and watched every possible episode of Crossing Over plus it’s mutations. I attended a James Van Praagh show taping where I witnessed a very convincing and probably spiritual event outside the studio. I know exactly how powerful the attraction is. The dangers at this level can NOT be understated. If not for the blessing of my own experience I would still be living in the third degree, but I escaped. Isn’t it strange that the experience which should have proven to me that the third degree was home instead convinced me that I had to leave and continue my search?

Please do not misunderstand… There is clearly much more to be learned from the study of NDEs, but they need to be in context. It’s obvious to me that there are actually two parts to a NDE that must be defined. There is also good reason to believe there is a tie-in to spiritual roadblocks, which needs to be discussed as well.

Those who live in the third degree become complacent. They have their hope, their safety blanket, and it comes without all those pesky rules of life in the first degree. I was only able to escape after having my own personal experience. What about those who have not had that blessing? Worse still, what about those who HAVE and are now trapped in the third degree due to a misunderstanding of the experience? For those in that category, I would like to propose an alternative way to consider the primary question for the third degree, and hopefully urge you on towards the realization that’s there’s more to be learned. Consider this: To have reached the third degree, you are already willing to accept a personal creator instead of an impersonal one. You have acknowledged the probability of a single God instead of multiple gods. Now ask yourself this… Is it logical to reach this point and ignore all the remaining proof of God, the life of Jesus, the Bible… all of it? It just doesn’t make sense.

There are three main reason people refuse to leave the third degree in search of a deeper meaning: 1). It’s all too fantastic to believe (hence the reason to better understand the evidence), 2). You follow the idea that “My God wouldn’t do that” (one of my chief beliefs earlier in life) or 3). Deep down, you don’t like the rules He may insist on. I hope I can help you break free of those roadblocks. Once I knew the reality I discovered that the “who/what” had been permanently resolved, allowing me to focus on the “why”, the deeper meaning, the explanation behind the answer.  I have been on that quest for the last 10 years. I’m sure I’ll continue discovering the answers for the rest of my life. Thankfully, many things that made absolutely no sense are clear now. I may not like every single answer, but that does not mean it isn’t the answer.

Escape from the third degree:

I want to add a note of explanation before we proceed. Resources from this point forward will have elements that help you escape from both the third- AND second-degree existence. This is because you won’t find any videos specifically written for the six degrees of separation. Those trying to provide escape from the third degree do so by proving the existence God and Jesus, followed subsequently by the Bible. These are primary factors in both first and second-degree discussions, so those resources are automatically part of third degree research.

Resources to help escape the third degree:

One of the primary reasons for long-term residency in the third degree is becoming stuck on the concept of a generic God, frequently watered down further to be called Father Creator. You must reason for yourself why things are as they are. May I suggest a particular emphasis on proving that Jesus was a real person. As you will discover, Christianity is often called a resurrection religion because of the following truth: if Jesus actually lived, and was actually resurrected, then his story is true, and you must pay attention whether you want to or not.

Let’s begin our resource review with a short introduction on those who were non-believers, have become theists, and discovered proof of the resurrection. You’ll also notice in this brief video (containing several different resources) that J Warner Wallace introduces an interesting piece of hidden evidence which adds weight to the conclusion that the Bible and Jesus are real. I don’t know about you, but I was unaware of this evidential fact about blood and water separating before watching the video. See what I mean about having more to learn about the Bible? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t58hzxkDBjg 

Now, listen to Lauren Alaina describe her firsthand witness of what happened when her stepfather died. Notice this is a testimony about passing, not NDE. They need to be kept separate in your mind and judged differently. I would like to highlight two points that meant so much to me personally. She says, quite happily and matter-of-factly that this event happened and it changed my life. No fanfare, just a statement of fact even if it sounds strange to others. Secondly, near the end she mentions that she does not understand why not everyone gets this experience and her sadness that not having it can change/deny/harm your faith. Both of those describe exactly where I am coming from.  I’m one of those who could have easily suffered the same loss of faith.  Personally, I think what her stepfather saw and heard is real. Of course, powerful testimony is always bound to be refuted by science, usually by being labelled as merely a chemical reaction. In their minds, there is no way to prove that what he experienced was more than that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmrHQW-rsP0

Here’s a 13 minute video from Matt Mittelburg, part of the RZIM team, discussing exactly why Jesus and the resurrection matter – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNjKEbKGoYo

Now, we visit with J. Warner Wallace again, this time discussing additional evidence of the resurrection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAOUsfYv8aE

I know some of you may revolt at listening to a member of the clergy, but consider for yourself this excellent sermon by Bishop Robert Barron. Let’s make a deal. Listen for the first full 5 miniutes as he builds his case. If you are able to turn it off after that, so be it. For me though, the comparison of the resurrection vs  Star Wars (yes, Star Wars) is much more logical than I could have imagined. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qW45nEHJHw

Dr. Gary Habermas is well known in the study of resurrection evidence. Let’s listen to this short clip on his summation of evidence for the resurrection. As you expand your search you will no doubt find several presentations well over an hour, but I have chosen this one to get you started.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8fKZ9QyHH4

Are you one of those who believe that the Bible is false because you see what you think are contradictions, particularly in the Gospels? This was a biggie for me personally. Once I started researching I found dozens of videos on this topic that provided a reasonable explanation. In fact, J. Warner Wallace has multiple videos on this. Let’s take a quick two minute visit with our former atheist cold case detective and discover his unique perspective on examining the validity of the Gospels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtVP7N8mAQw

Here is another version of the same argument presented by Jimmy Wallace, J. Warner’s son. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c59ZMKGinUo

Are you perhaps one of those who have a problem believing the gospels because they were allegedly written so long after the resurrection of Jesus? That’s the question asked at the beginning of this video. Abdu Murray, from RZIM, explains what we know about the actual gospel timeline. It’s much closer to the actual time of Jesus that many people would like you to believe! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ksvhHEoMLM

Belief in God but not formal religion (second degree of separation):

Primary question: – “Does a belief in the God of the Bible mandate a need for formal religion?”.

We can sum up the second degree of separation in one thought: God yes, religion no. Without deeper c onsideration, there are many reasons we would prefer living in the second degree instead of accepting formal religion. Scandal, abuse, problems understanding the Bible, religious leaders that fail to sustain faith, false prophets, arguments between first-degree residents, not understanding why God puts restrictions on mankind… the list goes on. Many say that religion is not important to them or they fall victim to the pressures of daily life and believe they no longer have time for religion. Still others believe that because God loves us, we are forgiven. They apparently think we have a “get of jail free card”. Forgiveness? Sure, but you must commit to at least trying to do better next time. Oops, there’s one of those pesky rules again. Even more have convinced themselves that religion causes harm. Leaving the second degree requires that each of these be understood as the roadblock that they are, after which they can be removed, and progress can continue.

Many people jump from the third degree into second degree existence and stop, based solely upon the internet. Videos describing Near Death Experiences give us comfort that there is a God and that he’s watching over us… We’re safe no matter what. Even worse, those I refer to as “false prophets” are everywhere. God spoke to me and here is his message! “I never believed in him but that’s ok” stories abound.  If you search through YouTube it seems like God has spoken to almost everyone on the planet. I must admit, it is a powerful reason to make you believe we’re safe without going further. Throughout history there have been and will be false prophets, and we certainly have more than our share in today’s internet world. Please do not let your search, nor your impression of religion, be tainted by these individuals that lead you to believe it’s ok to stop short of the goal. They exist because of mankind’s fallen nature, and I’m comfortable that they will be dealt with at the proper time. Are there any true prophets today? Probably. History tells us that there have been prophets. Perhaps there still are. That is something you’ll have to decide as you continue your search. Listen to both your heart and your head. I have learned over the last 10 years that if I ask for guidance, I’ll receive it. Sometimes not right away, and not in the form I thought, but the guidance is there if only we ask.

Now let’s take a moment to discuss another of the many common reasons that people stay away from religion. Religion is fractured. Everywhere you look you will see group A telling us that group B has it wrong. They will also quote from the Bible to explain why they are right. In far too many cases, they will also proudly proclaim that a particular scripture verse explains conclusively why Group B is wrong and even evil. Indeed, some groups believe everyone else is assured of damnation because of how poorly they have reviewed scripture. Sigh….

The truth is that you’ll find an equal number of opposing viewpoints proclaimed by Group B, with their own scripture references and interpretations. After reviewing far too many of these, I would like to pass along two cautions: 1). Beware of Group A telling you what Group B believes. All too often, the statements they claim as facts range anywhere from misleading to flat out wrong. 2). Listen to both sides and decide for yourself. You will develop a sense of what feels right to you. Differences and arguments between first degree residents has no bearing on progression to the first degree. We are dealing with two thousand years of interpretation, that discussion is part of life in the first degree. Do not let it become a reason you never join in the first place.

The list goes on, and we could talk about the issues forever. Social pressures, science, and even what we perceive as cultural advancement all must be seen in the light of day and understood as roadblocks.

Resources for leaving the second degree:

Formal religion is often and correctly associated with the Bible. Understanding why the Bible is real, factual, and still has tremendous meaning to us today is crucial. We’ll begin with a few videos to help in this area.

Check out this video from Fr. Mike Schmitz – I’ve included it for the simple reason that this was me, particularly before my experience, but still many times even after. I didn’t understand the Bible. I didn’t like what I thought I read, and I shut down. Fr. Mike explains why we can’t do that. Between taking things out of context, not understanding first century Jewish culture, missing symbolism, and by, as he says “standing over the bible” to pick and choose, many answers can be lost or misunderstood. As I have mentioned several times before, we have to face the fact that sometimes we just won’t like or understand the answer. Does that make it wrong? No, of course not. God has infinite wisdom, knowledge and a few billion years of experience that we don’t. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNW-gaIVANo

One of the primary reasons people disregard the Bible is that the Gospels appear inaccurate.  You’ll find several references that pop up throughout our journey to help you unbderstand why this is not true. In our next video J. Warner Wallce discusses why the Gospels can be trusted as eyewitness accounts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IILhWeT1PYQ

Around nine years ago, a hip-hop video was produced slamming religion while professing a love for Jesus. I freely admit that I will not reference it here. I probably should, because it’s a perfect example of the misleading and grossly incorrect “hit pieces” of modern culture, but I refuse to spread the hate. Somehow, I found Fr. Pontifex’s hip-hop response first. It will always, and I repeat… always count as one of the milestones in my own return to the Church. One of the primary reasons that people leave formal religion (and there are many) is the belief that the Church is harmful along with the overall lack of leaders providing strong belief.  Listen to this priest during this video and you will feel his heartfelt love of God and The Church, the other side to the story of human failure that drives people away from religion. He reaches young people (and even those of us who are not as young anymore) in a way that few can. This video, which I consider a must-view, can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru_tC4fv6FE

 Belief in God and the need for formal religion (first degree of separation):

Primary question: – “Am I living the life I should be living?”

This is the final test, the biggest question. Residence in the first degree is generally defined as belief in one God, the God of creation, plus participation in a formal religion. If you are just now entering the first degree you are probably thinking “Wow, do you know what you are asking for in today’s world?” to which I can only answer “Do you know what you have been missing”?

It’s not all roses however. I wish that I could proudly proclaim that life in the first degree is all peace, love, and understanding, but that wouldn’t be telling the complete truth. There is peace that residents of other degrees cannot know. There is love beyond measure, but we are a bit lacking on the understanding.  Unfortunately, we must deal with errors in interpretation due to multiple language translations, our own human misinterpretation, failures in human leaders of our churches, multiple man-made and spiritual roadblocks, and the general clutter caused by two thousand years of history. Religion has fractured. There are several thousand slightly different formal religions that live in the first degree and all believe they have the correct interpretation.

Now what?

First, remember that you are on a journey. I had no idea what I would learn when I became a first-degree resident. The Bible tells us that if we seek Him, we will find him. The resources I have provided will hopefully provide a starting point that will lead you to a deeper understanding. Take me for example. If someone had mentioned 10 years ago that I would be authoring this type of website, I would have quite literally laughed in their face, but here I am.  I am a great example of a line you’ll hear in Fr. Pontifex’s first-degree resource video: “The Teacher will teach when the student is ready to listen”. After 10 years, I am ready to listen, ready to follow my feelings.

Second, please remember one thing: this is earth, not heaven. Humans on Earth fail, no matter what role they play or how much trust we have given them. Believing that formal religion has no value because humans fail makes no sense. Do we burn down all the hospitals because a doctor fails? No. Blaming formal religion for human failure is simply wrong. We are the failure, not God and not his message.

Third, remember that our world is continually inundated with negative and misleading information. Every question has an answer. Search for that truth. I may be paraphrasing, but John Henry Newman is credited with the following phrase you will find referenced in Bishop Barron’s review of “The Case For Christ” … “In matters religious, we rarely come to a sense because of one clinching argument. Rather, it is by a whole series of probable arguments, hunches, intuitions, experiences, and witness of others”. You will find while searching that the overall body of evidence is overwhelming, but the falsehoods need to be cast aside.

Fourth, remember that you will find human failure in church leadership, just like everywhere else. If in doubt, or if something feels a bit off, search for a different parish, a different source. Trust your feelings and let them lead you.

Here is the good news. We are loved, and we have a beautiful eternity after this if we choose it. Active participation in first-degree life leads to knowledge, questions, more knowledge and then more questions. How far into the first degree will you explore? Will you be one of those who attend a religious service as long as it’s near a good restaurant that you can get to ahead of the others by leaving early? Will you feel good about having attended a service and rest on a belief that you are all set or will you dig deeper? Will you put the proper priority on changes in your current life that are needed to prepare for the next life?

There is so much to learn, and the choice to continue is yours. I hope you’ll follow thru beginning with the resources I’ve provided. I hope that thru God’s grace the right people and experiences come into your life, as they did mine, so that you will want to reach for more.

Godspeed, my friends.

Resources for the first degree (In progress)

Naturally, first degree resources are meant to reinforce first degree membership, not escape from it!

Here is a short video where Ravi Zacharias references a book by Joel Osteen. His message is simple. Can you really live your best life without the Cross? Church membership today seems to be all about feel good experiences and much less about worship. Joel Osteen’s message and the thousands he draws are proof positive of that fact. I see it in my own journey. I currently attend a church that has been losing members to another parish for the last several years. When we ask our friends why, we hear that the Church has upbeat music and “feels good”. The service is also “contemporary”, whatever that means. I place this here just to ask the hypothetical question. What does worship mean to you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1jZcdiQysE

Resource Biographies:

J. Warner Wallace (and his son, Jimmy Wallace)

Jim Wallace’s biography can be found in several places, including here…. https://ses.edu/academics/faculty/j-warner-wallace/

He is a cold case detective who converted from atheism to theism at age 35. He now leads a group called Cold Case Christianity. He examines the case for God and the Bible from a crime scene perspective, letting the facts lead him to a conclusion. He has well over 600 videos/podcasts on multiple topics. I enjoy his perspective on looking at Christ and the Bible from a cold case approach. Can’t understand why the Gospels appear different? He has an excellent answer. Wondering what factors lead strongly to the conclusion that the universe looks like a creation instead of an accident? He has a convincing argument. He presents everything from an evidence-centered approach which is both refreshing and logical. I recently discovered that his son Jimmy, also a police officer, has a podcast called “The Incarnate Investigation”. Jimmy is a new resource to me. As I find out more, I will update this reference. So far, I like what I have heard.

 Bishop Robert Barron

Bishop Barron is an American Catholic bishop based in (I believe) Santa Barbara, Ca. He is the founder of The Word On Fire Institute. A charismatic speaker, you can listen to any of his conversations and immediately understand that he is an intelligent and well-versed member of the clergy. I believe he has a degree in philosophy. Although his philosophical approach strikes me personally as a little overboard on some topics, Bishop Barron has a passionate, well-conveyed viewpoint. In particular, he adds deep understanding that has helped me personally make sense of confusing passages in the Bible, an absolute key to life in the first degree.

Bishop Barron has a large following and is heavily involved with social media. While this is relevant to reaching his target audience, he has run afoul of several other social media personalities. Remember what I told you… there is significant disagreement and varying viewpoints, even (perhaps especially) in the first degree). I suggest ignoring the turmoil and listening to Bishop Barron for his in-depth historical knowledge and obvious love of God. Then you can decide for yourself.

Nabeel Qureshi

I discovered Nabeel Qureshi less than a year ago. Formally a devout Muslim with strong Muslim family ties and an VERY in-depth understanding of the Quran, he was finding difficulty believing the Muslim faith as he dug deeper and converted after being introduced to Christianity. He applied the same drive to learning the Bible that he had previously applied to the Quran and became an extremely strong voice of Christianity.

Imagine my complete shock when I subsequently learned that Nabeel died of stomach cancer a few years earlier at the young age of 34! I was devasted. My first thought of course was that this makes no sense. How/why would God call such a wonderful speaker home so soon? Remember though, just because we don’t know the answer doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense.  For now, I’m comforted in the knowledge that Nabeel’s work lives on in video. Can there be a better tribute to a person’s life? And speaking of tributes, please take a moment to read this tribute written by Ravi Zacharias.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/09/17/why-this-muslim-turned-christian-speaker-resonated-with-so-many-before-his-death-at-34/

Dr. Frank Turek

I first discovered Dr. Turek’s work while Googling discussions on atheism. He is the founder of CrossExamined.org, found at http://crossexamined.org. I discovered he is a convert from Catholicism to Protestantism. I can’t say I agree, but like I said, we all have our views, and I find his work very helpful on many topics.

Dr. James Tour

Dr. Tour is a senior scientist with impressive credentials in synthetic chemistry, a pre-biotic environment. His bio can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tour. They say that 86% of scientists are atheists. Dr. Tour is clearly in the other 14%. If you ever want to have a discussion on the formation of life itself, here is your man.

Dr. Gary Habermas

Dr Habermas’ bio can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Habermas. His specialty is studying the historical arguments and proof concerning the life and resurrection of Jesus. I strongly believe in the principle espoused by Bishop Robert Barron and others when they say, “If the resurrection is real, you need to follow Jesus”. Dr. Habermas is an expert in this area.

Lee and Leslie Strobel

Lee and Leslie Strobel were originally atheists. Information on them can be found at https://www.thecaseforchristmovie.com/about_lee. I was somewhat amused to discover that Lee Strobel’s listings on Google seem to outpace those of his wife Leslie, since Leslie was the first to convert from atheism to Christianity, which was the impetus for a lot of angst in their marriage, followed by Lee’s eventual realization that Leslie was right.

 

Fr. Pontifex (real name – Fr. Claude Burns)

There are three events in my life that I look at as turning points; major events that formed me and moved me forward in my search. His response to the rap video “Why I Love Jesus But Hate Religion”, which is titled “Why I Love Jesus and Love Religion” is one of those turning points. Fr. Pontifex is a Catholic priest who began rapping at age 17. His bio can be found at http://frpontifex.com.

Ravi Zacharias

I feel it is important to spend a few paragraphs introducing our final resource, Ravi Zacharias, a converted skeptic who was born in India to an Anglican family. Ravi was a skeptic until age 17. While on a hospital bed after attempting suicide, he was handed a Bible and his life changed forever. He is a prolific international speaker, author of multiple books, and founder of RZIM.org. I discovered Ravi while researching Nabeel Qureshi. Ravi Zacharias died of cancer in May 2020 at age 74. If you listen to any of his videos for 5 minutes, you will see that he brings an extremely powerful, personal, logical and heartfelt message that, based on his background, can be matched by only a few.

Since his death, profoundly serious allegations of impropriety have been lodged against Ravi Zacharias. As of this writing, the internet is full of backpedaling and promises to investigate, all the usual moves that occur when this happens. So why would I still include him as a resource? That’s an easy answer. As much as I wish he were still alive to defend himself, that is not the case. I will say this. His detractors are possibly correct if the information is corroborated, but they are equally incorrect to silence the message just because the messenger is a failed human being. They seem to forget many things, including my oft-mentioned fact that this is Earth, not heaven. On earth humans are tested, and all fail to some degree. Some fall from a greater height than others, true, but I have full confidence he will answer appropriately for whatever transpired. Listen to the man, then decide for yourself if the message is valid. I also invite you to check out a blog I recently discovered, http://defendingravi.com. It appears to be an extensive lists of thoughts and updates provided by Ravi’s son, Nathan. It’s clear to me after reading just a few posts that cancel culture is at work, and I applaud Nathan’s efforts to shine the light of day on some of what’s been happening. I strongly beleive there’s more to this story. Even if true, we can not and should not cancel the message just because the messenger had (or maybe did NOT have) faults.