Interview on April 4, 2023 with David, who is studying anthropology, in the quad at
Pasadena City College.
Do you consider yourself religious?
David: A little bit. I pray and read the Bible and go to church. I’m a Christian.
If someone asked you why you think there’s a God, what would you say?
David: You can’t get something from nothing. For the universe to happen, it’s just a giant domino effect. For the domino effect to happen, someone has to push it.
Do you ever share your faith with other people?
David: No, I don’t really share it with people, but they know.
If someone asked you who Jesus is, what would you say?
David: The Son of God and their Savior. Christ is Lord.
Some Christians say abortion is wrong, but others say God gave us free will to make our own choices – what do you think about abortion?
David: He did give us free will, but that’s because He wants us to choose Him. He’s not going to force us to choose Him, because He loves us. Anyone who loves us will give usa choice and not force it. But with abortion, I consider it to be evil.
People say, “Oh, what if someone’s raped, or something like that?”
Those are less than one percent of all abortions. Most girls use it as a form of birth control. They want to get out of responsibility for their actions. They don’t want consequences.
If a biological male says that he is a woman, is he a woman?
David: No.
Do you think marriage can only exist between a man and a woman, or can two men be married or two women be married?
David: Under the law technically it’s anyone, but under God it’s only a man and woman. But for me, I don’t really see too much of an issue with that. As long as they choose God in the end, I think they’re doing okay.
What does it mean to choose God, especially if someone is rejecting God’s law?
David: Accepting God’s law in the end. Repenting.
Do you believe in life after this life?
David: I think there is a heaven and hell. I think the conditions for getting into heaven are not as specific as a lot of people say, but everyone should strive to be the best that they can. As long as they truly, truly strive to be the best they can under God’s law and accept that Christ saved them from their sins – in the end, it comes to the moment of truth whether you accept that Christ saved you.
So glad to see Pasadena City College in these pages as I retired from PCC three years ago after 31 years in mathematics. There are a number of fine faculty there: Dr. Ed Feser in philosophy comes immediately to mind. His name has appeared in posts here as he is an outstanding Catholic intellectual. He is a giant among midgets in the liberal arts sector–the very thing Christianity needs in the academic version of the culture wars. But this thread is about David, not Ed Feser or me. I am glad David’s answers reflect a Christian point of view far more than most other students interviewed. PCC has a reputation for academic excellence among community colleges and David is a good representative of that tradition. There are a number of small Christian groups on campus–all protestant– and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn David was involved with one. But also St. Philip’s Catholic Church is across the street from PCC and if David is Catholic he might be a parishioner there. Either way it seems David is in a very good place. God bless you David!
Heaven is for those who freely choose to love God. Hell is for those who knew enough about God and freely chose to NOT love God.
At the Last Supper Jesus said: John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” j
Note j: [14:15] 15:10; Dt 6:4–9; Ps 119; Wis 6:18; 1 Jn 5:3; 2 Jn 6
Love is the Greatest Commandment.
But there are other Commandments we must keep as well. When we fail, we should seek out the Sacrament of Reconciliation and renew our personal efforts to love God and others as best we can all the days of our life.
Knowing we should Love is one thing. Doing it consistently is another. Action speaks louder than words. Seek forgiveness and keep trying to Love God and others as we should.
Many of the comments on faith would differ from one culture or community with another. Moreover any faith, that is, religious beliefs and practices, historically speaking, had gone through many changes. We know that throughout the Levant region people’s faith were influenced by the many mythologies, be it Judaism, Christianity or Islam. And todate whatever changes were to be adopted were exclusively the prerogative of the respective clergymen. Lay people conversant with any issues should be given the opportunity to express their views/opinions or present good arguments. Most often their views or arguments are not entertained because they are not congruous with the clergymen’s teachings.