Nobody doubts that we live in a dangerous world. On August 17, 1999, more than 40,000 of our citizens were suddenly buried beneath concrete and steel in a horrible earthquake. Even after more than a decade, many people who lost loved ones in that tragedy are trying to cope with depression and have turned to prescription medicines. It seems like every day there are reports on the news of terrorism, and we see the crying fathers and fainting mothers of those who are killed. On the radio, we hear reports of traffic accidents and the numbers of dead and wounded. It is true that death shows no respect for age or social class. But it just doesn't seem fair when babies die in a bus accident. We struggle to find a reason why the innocent should fall victim to the errors of another. All the while, we wonder how or if all of this could be prevented. Is it all just a matter of fate?

Only about 7% of Turks believe that there is no God. This small minority would tell you that everything happens by chance and that random evolutionary forces drove mankind’s progress from single-celled organisms to advanced, intelligent beings. Atheists, as they like to call themselves, often have confidence that one day mankind will discover the scientific secret that can overcome the ultimate fate of all – death.

In contrast to the previous group, the vast majority of Turks believe in God. Some believe that God made the world by an instantaneous miracle, while others believe that God used evolution to create our world. Additionally, some people believe in fate—a concept that is difficult to define but based upon the idea that everything is predetermined. They believe He has written everything down and this is what will happen. There are no exceptions. At the same time, people who believe in God generally believe that God is good and loving. But the contrast between those beliefs seems illogical and raises some serious questions.

Did God create those 40,000 people to die in an earthquake and leave their loved ones in depression for more than a decade? That doesn’t sound like a loving God. Does God ordain by fate that our youth be blown up by mines planted in the road by terrorists? Could a loving God be pleased that fate is accomplished when a boy falls into a ditch and dies in front of his mother’s eyes? If God really is loving, how can we accept His implication in the terrible things we just mentioned? It just doesn’t make sense! Perhaps that is why some people try to alter their fate.

There are many ways that people try to know and alter their fate. Some look at horoscopes, coffee grinds, and tarot cards, while others take a more religious approach. They pray and go on pilgrimages, thinking that God will listen and change the course of human history. They think that their good works will please God enough that He will change their lives for the better.

“Perhaps if we sacrifice an animal, God will find favor toward us and change our fate,” they think.

But can you really alter your fate? And if so, where would you start? What can you depend on in an uncertain and dangerous world? Is there anything that you can really believe in?

Let’s start by looking at the world from the atheists’ perspective. What can atheists really believe in? Well, atheists can believe in what they can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. They believe that what exists is only what can be measured scientifically. Therefore, in their minds, fate (if it even exists) can only be altered by using science to change our environment and conditions. Death seems to be everyone’s “fate,” so scientists are working to overcome death by learning what causes life and death. They hope to find a cure for death through medical science. But the atheist viewpoint also has some serious flaws.

In 1500 AD we could not measure or understand the existence of microwaves. And yet, 500 years later even little kids use cell phones in Istanbul to talk to their grandparents in Mardin. Microwaves were always in our universe. But we just didn't know it, nor could we imagine it then. We couldn’t see, hear, or smell them. Right now we can’t see God or prove scientifically that He exists. But that does not mean He doesn’t exist. It means that we simply cannot measure Him. It is always possible that God exists in a realm that we cannot measure. A person who uses science as their basis for not believing in God can’t actually be an atheist. He/she must admittedly be an agnostic according to their own rules. They must admit that they simply do not know if God exists or not.

An engineering student at a local university had to take a class in philosophy as an elective. As a very practical person, he was frustrated at having to read philosophy and he did not hide his disdain for it. One day a passage from his philosophy book was read in class. René Descartes, a famous philosopher, said,

“I think, therefore I am.”

The student shouted,

“What a bunch of nonsense! How stupid can you get? The philosopher is wondering if he really exists!”

Despite the impatience of the student at what was obvious to him, the philosopher put his finger on a basic question. How do we understand our universe and even our own existence? One way is by simply observing nature. But we have already seen that simple observation can’t account for or answer all of life’s questions. Thus, the approach of the atheist to understand the world and fate is flawed at the very foundation.

Like the atheist, a majority of those who believe in God also study nature. If it is within their power, they also attempt to change the things that are changeable. A perfect example is the use of science to find cures for sickness. But there is one other thing they do that the atheist does not do.

Believers study the Creator and His character to understand the things that God will and will not alter. Through prayer and deep study, they can learn what is fixed and what is changeable. Because it is impossible to study the Creator directly, they work to understand Him through the things He has made and the revelations given to His prophets in the holy books. Like atheists, those who believe in God (imanlılar) believe in what they can see, touch, taste, smell, and hear. But their belief about the physical universe is based upon the belief that the universe was made by God, not random chance. Moreover, a God that is both knowable and still involved with His creation.

Whether you are an atheist, a believer, or just simply curious, if you want to know the greatest secrets of the universe, the truth about fate, and the true character of God, we invite you to keep reading.

--- End of lesson ---

The next lesson is from book 1:'Was There Evil in the Beginning?'