God’s existence and why I write about him

January 29, 2024

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor Local Voices

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God’s existence and why I write about him

January 29, 2024

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor Local Voices

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Mr. Dave Aycock responded to my effort to explain how one might know God exists by dismissing it as a “ham-handed attempt” and calling into question the very idea that one might be able to explain God without using the Bible.

I intentionally did not rely on scripture as an authority for my arguments because I was trying to persuade those who do not themselves believe in it. I also happen to believe that it is indeed possible to use reason to explain God since God himself gave us reason to understand him, foremost, and the rest of his creation. Saying God is not accessible by reason is going to sound awfully anti-intellectual to non-believers and confirm the notion that faith and reason are at odds, when in fact they most certainly are not.

Also, Mr. Aycock accused me of “dismissing science as an unfaithful touchstone” when in fact I simply made the rather obvious point that God’s existence cannot be proven scientifically. Science is wonderful. It is also a gift of God, but since it is the method by which we understand the material universe, and God is immaterial, it is simply not the right tool for proving God’s existence.

However, I would say that the discoveries science has made and continues to make concerning the fine-tuning of the universe points inexorably to a divine origin and ultimate cause.

I’m not sure why Mr. Aycock thinks that he as a Christian cares for others but that I do not, or that I’m judging people by simply trying to explain the existence of God. I guess my previous letters critiquing certain ideas, like the moral approval of killing human life in the womb, were offensive to Mr. Aycock. As a Christian, I wonder exactly which of my views he disagrees with and why.

In any case, his letter was emblematic of much of the criticism aimed it me in that it fails to effectively address my arguments, mis-characterizes them egregiously, and resorts to ad hominem attacks.

If attempting to carefully and methodically explain God and our faith is so offensive to Mr. Aycock, I welcome him to try and do so and hope he can refrain from the kind of petty personal attacks he seems to enjoy so much.

Trey Hoffman

Peachtree City, Ga.

7 responses to “God’s existence and why I write about him”

VisionaryJax

February 1, 2024

I am with you, Suz! Well said.

Says Trey, “I’m not sure why Mr. Aycock thinks that he as a Christian cares for others but that I do not…”

I will tell him why we get the impression he doesn’t care about others. Based on his letters to The Citizen Trey:

Does not care about LGBTQ folk, blames their very existence as visible people for many problems in the world and the USA.

Does not care about women and would reduce them to chattel slavery by mandating to them what they may and may not do with their bodies.

Does not care about POC and immigrants as seen in his support for the former president who is encouraging civil war on the border right now to keep immigrants out at a time when immigration rates are lower than they have been since the 1960’s.

Does not care about immuno-compromised people (or the elderly or anyone, really) as evidenced by his anti-mask and anti-vaccine rants during the pandemic.

Does not care about children and future generations of Americans as evidenced by his support for the former president who now boldly brings fascist/Nazi rhetoric to the fore. Authoritarian fascism is what Trump represents, and Trey has written many letters about his support for Trump. Clearly he does not care for America’s future.

Does not care for Democrats or “the left,” whom he has demonized with tremendous disrespect routinely in letter after letter.

This is why people think you don’t care for others, Trey. You write regular letters to the editor demonstrating the many ways you don’t care for others, and then you couch it in your religious beliefs. Suz is right, the god who agrees with you, Trey, is certainly not the Jesus of my journey.

And despite the fact you don’t seem to care for others, Trey, the Jesus of my journey does care for you — and many Christians here do, too. Many times we’ve asked you in these comments: Are you OK? Because we worry that your anger and vitriol are eating you up. Don’t let it happen! Come to the compassionate side. We care.

PS sorry if I comment on this twice! I made a post the other day, but it never showed up here, so this is a redux.

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1. CherieBWerginz
  
  February 5, 2024
  
  Wow! How quickly politics are brought into this editorial. As a Christian myself I like to read people’s opinion on all kinds of issues. Both with Trey and Dr Adcock. You bring up “feelings” of not caring for LGBTQ and etc. you bring in Trump then try to mingle our Christian faith in not caring or accepting today’s social culture as normal. Take out all social issues in politics. If the left progressives would concentrate on the south border control, inflation, deep state, one world order, Iran and much, much more, Christians would ban together. PRAYING TO OUR Lord and Savior.
  Bringing to this conversation for not loving and caring for LBGTQ… lobbying for women’s rights, Trump propaganda and so forth is secondary to the crisis America has now.
  
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  1. VisionaryJax
    
    February 5, 2024
    
    Cherie, maybe you haven’t paid that much attention to Trey’s letters here at the Citizen. They are as I described them in my (oops! sorry) two responses: he links his Christianity to each of the issues: a woman’s right to choose, the LGBTQ folks’ right to exist, support for MAGA/Trump, and disdain for the left/Democrats.
    
    I didn’t bring politics into this; Trey is all about politics. He asked why another Christian would feel that he didn’t care for others; I showed him why, using his own words, as it were.
    
    You say, “If the left progressives would concentrate on the south border control, inflation, deep state, one world order, Iran and much, much more, Christians would ban together. PRAYING TO OUR Lord and Savior.”
    
    You might be interested to know that illegal border crossings dropped to their lowest number in two years in 2023, under President Biden. You can’t say “the left” has opened the borders.
    
    You say we should concentrate on the “deep state,” but what does that mean? Can you give particulars of what/who the deep state is? If not, I must assume it is just a conspiracy theory, and it would be perfectly outrageous if lawmakers spent their time chasing shadows. Likewise, one world order? Who or what is that, and how should the left concentrate on it?
    
    Iran, I think, President Biden is giving a lot of thought to right now.
    
    “and much, much more,” you say … If only the left would concentrate on much, much more? I think the left DOES concentrate on much, much more? Not sure what your point is here.
    
    Sorry if you feel like the discussion of Christianity has turned political, but the subject was why someone might think Trey doesn’t care about people as a Christian, and the political subjects demonstrate the answer to that question.
    
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    1. CherieBWerginz
      
      February 6, 2024
      
      VisionaryJax, “ You might be interested to know that illegal border crossings dropped to their lowest number in two years in 2023, under President Biden. You can’t say “the left” has opened the borders.” Where on earth did that statement come from. Here is just one article that disputes this propaganda https://thehill.com/opinion/4423296-matthews-illegal-immigrants-double-under-biden-and-thats-just-the-start/
      Your reference to Biden on Iran, huh? Even the Generals are advising him differently and our “ Commander and Chief” is asleep at the wheel, literally. Topic: Deep State, One World Order, The WHO? Did you not hear or view the Davos discussions? By the way, Gov Kemp attended.
      
      Trey, in my opinion, is speaking to those endowed in scripture. They get it.
      
      Wake up America!
      
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      1. VisionaryJax
        
        February 6, 2024
        
        Sorry, Cherie. I cannot cite my source on immigration, and boy, is my face red. If I find it again, I will re-post. In the meantime, let’s consider this bit of business from the Cato Institute:
        
        The increase in the immigrant share of the population from 2012 to 2022 was the lowest for any decade since the 1960s when it declined. The 2012–2022 growth was just 0.7 percentage points—less than half the growth from 2000 to 2010. The growth in the immigrant share is down by 76 percent since the 1990s.
        
        So, you can rest easy, the Great Reset is not going to turn Georgia into a Spanish-speaking territory. FWIW, I personally find it disgraceful the way we viciously guard the border and want to make people GET OUT of our country. If the USA is the city on a hill we say we want to be, then we ought to be welcoming the ones the Statue of Liberty says we welcome. I find it sad and shameful that we don’t, but that’s a subject for another editorial and is too far left, I fear, for anyone here.
        
        You say … “Your reference to Biden on Iran, huh? Even the Generals are advising him differently and our “ Commander and Chief” is asleep at the wheel, literally. Topic: Deep State, One World Order, The WHO? Did you not hear or view the Davos discussions? By the way, Gov Kemp attended.”
        
        I am, I admit, confused by most of this. Biden literally asleep at the wheel? Maybe literally is not what you meant to say? You said in your previous what you wanted was for the left and progressives to concentrate on Iran, and I feel certain Iran is getting some large portion of the left and progressives’ bandwidth at the moment.
        
        As for the rest of it … Deep State, One World Order, and now the WHO and Davos? WHO is the World Health Organization. How do they figure in here? And Davos with Kemp in attendance? Can you tell me what any of this means to you? Otherwise I assume it is all conspiracy theories and not worth the concentration of the left and progressives.
suz

February 1, 2024

Boy, do I feel sorry for God.

Trey Hoffman is going to “explain God” and (if I understand his original letter) Trey is going to convince us that his belief in Him is the basis of his views and opinions?

The opinions we have become familiar with over the years, filled with anger and lacking in compassion. But mainly, just sad…

No. Thanks anyway, Trey. I’ll just stay with the God I have found–The One God, Loving Father/Mother of us ALL; the Universal Christ.

I trust you will discover you have known Him all along!

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VisionaryJax

January 30, 2024

Hi Trey!

I don’t know why Dave finds your letters offensive, but I can give you a general idea why a Christian would find them offensive …

• They frequently lump “the left” and “the Dems” in with demons, sinners, and evildoers. You can catch more flies with buttermilk than vinegar, my man.

• They frequently reflect a desire to reduce women to chattel slavery by demanding we as a society deny women their right to bodily autonomy. If you were a woman being told what you had to do with your body, you might understand this one a little better.

• During the pandemic your letters frequently championed conspiracy theories and rejected actual science regarding masks and vaccines — if anyone took your advice on these matters, they could have ended up dead.

• They frequently reflect a desire to deny human rights/civil rights to LGBTQ folk.

• They frequently extolled Donald Trump/MAGA as the best option for America. In fact DT tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power after he lost the last election, attempting to overthrow the government. He has been found liable for sexual abuse; a judge found the charge of rape had been “substantially” proven, so we know he is a sexual abuser. He talks like a Nazi, declaring immigrants “poison the blood” of our nation — he also acts like a Nazi, recently encouraging governors to send National Guard troops to TX to fight the feds, more evidence that he is the enemy of democracy, not its defender. Your support for Trump/MAGA on its face is offensive to anyone who follows the command of Christ to love our neighbor as ourself.

You say you wonder why David seems to think he cares about people and you do not, well, here is a short list: by your own record here in letters to the editor, you don’t care about immigrants, you don’t care about women, you don’t care about LGBTQ folks. In fact the only people I can see that you care about at all are conservative white men of your particular brand of Christianity.

And, if you bothered to read the comments you would see that despite your offensive presentations here, other people do care about YOU. Very often in these comments, someone has said: “Trey, we’re worried about you. Are you OK?” Even people you very clearly don’t care about! Because of a God who is love, they still care about you.

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