            In our modern scientific world, the subject of God and religion is often seen as taboo. For a good number of scientists, there’s a lot of politics involved in science just as there’s a lot of politics involved in religion, and the two don’t always get along together.

Science and God

          “I tackled these two questions separately, one after the other. The first question I had to resolve was on God’s existence. I wrestled with it intellectually and spiritually. I reviewed the arguments for and against the existence of God from what I learned in philosophy, and ended up convinced that on balance, there were more convincing reasons to believe in God. In the meantime, I had to suffer secretly this personal, existential crisis because I felt so ashamed to share it with my seminary formators and co-seminarians since they knew me as someone who had been so sure about my vocation to the holy priesthood. I also prayed very hard, even challenged God to make me ‘see’ him more clearly and intellectually, as I felt I was like someone who has gone suddenly blind. I felt like the three magi who lost their way to where Jesus was. As they were nearing Jerusalem, the star that guided them in their journey from their country in the east suddenly disappeared from their sight.

Live your faith daily

Scientists have found that the physical constants of our universe and the conditions of the early universe are exquisitely fine-tuned for life. In other words, as we human beings sit roughly midway between the infinitesimally small atoms and the immensely large galaxies, our universe is so perfectly structured for us to exist – with the fundamental constants set to just the right values. 

God as fine-tuner of the universe

Part 1

Sometime early last year, I had the chance of visiting – with the intent of introducing my book – my alma mater, Sacred Heart Seminary, in Palo, Leyte where I spent eight solid years of my prime youth, high school and college.

Going home to my alma mater seminary

            In this life nobody is exempted from experiencing rock bottom or “end of our rope” moments – whence “hope,” having seemingly lost its significance, remains what it is: a plain empty word.
 


Irrefutable Reasons For Not Giving Up

I’ve been always enthralled about Japan’s global distinction of being a country where people live long, healthy lives – with Okinawa, in particular, the island with the most centenarians in the world. What are the secret formulae of Japan’s nonagenarians and centenarians? What is the secret to the healthy longevity the Japanese enjoy? Is it in their genes, the food they eat, their lifestyle, their attitude, or some other endemic factors that help Japan’s citizens gain extreme longevity?

Japanese longevity

I bumped into this fascinating story on social media:

People, not technology, make life

How to have a happy and meaningful life

Part 2

In the first part of this piece, I tried to recount some off-the-cuff memories or delightful vignettes of “puerile infractions” – or “petty old crime,” as it were – we have had in the seminary.

Going home to my alma mater seminary 

From our grade school years, for sure nobody would ever forget this rhyme: “Thank You God for the world so sweet, Thank You God for the food we eat, Thank You God for the birds that sing, Thank You God for everything!”  On hindsight, one feels what a simple way it was to express gratitude towards the bigger and smaller joys of life.

The magic of gratitude

The Inspired & Blessed column by OpinYon News columnnist, Bob Acebedo.

Inspired & Blessed

Latest News

People, not technology, make life

God as fine-tuner of the universe

How to have a happy and meaningful life

Irrefutable Reasons For Not Giving Up

Going home to my alma mater seminary

Going home to my alma mater seminary

The magic of gratitude

Science and God

Japanese longevity

Live your faith daily

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