CQQ #6: Loving a Stranger...?

Is it possible to say "I love you" to someone you don't really know?

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Thank you, J.K. Riki, for inspiring this topic!

Some people are quick to say "I love you" to someone they don't personally know very well. They may know some things about the person. They may have certain things in common. They may like the things that person says or does. But can they really say they know the person, and would this justify one's "love" for them?

For the record, this topic has nothing to do with romance (though it can be applied to any kind of relationship). But perhaps a good start would be to define what love really is.

Or, in this case, starting with what love isn't. Here are some common things people often confuse for love but are not actually synonymous:

Variety as Evidence for Intelligent Creation?

[Reading Time: ~9 minutes]

How does variety help support the idea of intelligent creation?

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[Click here to read Part 1.]

When I see the world and all that goes on in nature, I don't see randomness or nothingness; I see purpose, design, intelligence, emotion, even creativity. So many discoveries, ideas, all sorts of amazing things in this green earth that people often take for granted. So much has been put into our world that we may not even realize, even some possible answers that can arrive from close observation.

And all these things point to intelligent creation.

FFT #8: Rediscovering Worth

[Link Reading Time: ~6 minutes]

Does brokenness diminish one's worth?
[Click here to view the blog article.]

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Does brokenness diminish the worth of a person?

A number of people experience feelings of worthlessness due to their mistreatment and rejection by others, to no fault of their own. It's heartbreaking to see how those who ought to be loving—parents, the church, etc.—turn away those who need open arms the most: the broken, the lost, the sick, the outcasts...the very people that Christ Jesus came to rescue.

Check out this article from Paul Ahnert via his blog, The Metal Minister. It may pull at your heartstrings and get the wheels in your head turning!

(Article is approx. 6 minutes long.)
https://ahnertthoughts.blogspot.com/2017/03/rediscovering-worth-tale-of-3.html

CQQ #5: Alone in the Universe...?

Are we really alone in the universe? Could there be others?

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Thank you, Robert Pemberton, for suggesting this topic!

People have speculated over the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe, outside of our planet. But if such were the case, how would that possibly fit in, in God's plans? And if we are truly the only ones, then why is the universe so vast?

As far as we're concerned, God's plan of salvation was given to humankind; we were created in God's image and made for relationship with God. One could propose that God knew that humans in the future would create space programs and discover the rest of outer space—unique planets and satellite objects with properties of their own, asteroids, comets, new stars, constellations, black holes, even galaxies... So many wonders beyond our planet Earth. But the bible basically describes the history of humanity's relationship with God and His will for humankind on earth (with limited details on other elements outside of that; no one has ever reported the exact location of heaven or hell).