HE'S SMART, SO HE MUST BE RIGHT!

"An intellectual is so smart he doesn't understand the obvious."

      It seems to me that we mere mortals give way too much credence to people who we perceive to be very intelligent. The more letters that a person has after his or her name, such as BS, BA, MS, PhD, MD, JD, etc, the more intelligent they must surely be. So, their pronouncements on a variety of issues must be correct because they're smart! Some have been educated in the finest institutions of higher learning. It does not matter if the issue that they're commenting on bears any relation to their particular discipline or education. They're intelligent, so they must be right...right?

     Professor Stephen Hawking is thought by some to be the most intelligent person on the planet. He has studied and written about Einstein's Theory of Relativity and is on the cutting edge of cosmological science. He's really, really smart! Recently, Professor Hawking stated...

"There is no Heaven or afterlife...that (heaven) is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark" 

 ...He opined that the human brain was a computer which would stop working when its components fail. He said that there was no Heaven or afterlife for broken down computers. Is he right? Is what he says true?

    The Bible speaks of a man who is acknowledged to have been the wisest, or most intelligent, man to have lived. His name is Solomon. He was the king of Israel. When he ascended to the throne he asked God to bless him by giving him...

                 "...an understanding heart to judge your people to discern

                      between good and evil." (1 Kings 4:9)

...God was so pleased that Solomon didn't ask for long life and riches for himself or for the lives of his enemies that in addition to the wisdom that he asked for, God gave him great riches and honor. Kings came from far and wide to consult with Solomon because of his proverbial intelligence.

    The Bible clearly acknowledges the source of Solomon's intelligence.

               " And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, " (1 Kings 4:29)

    The Bible has a word for intelligence. The Bible calls intelligence, that is applied intelligence, Wisdom. The Bible also says that the foolishness of God is greater than the wisdom of man. (1 Corinthians 1:25)

    So, when God, through the Bible, speaks of an afterlife in a place called Heaven, I tend to take God at His word over that of Dr. Hawking. 

              " Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "

                                                                                  (Matthew 5:3)

              " For our citizenship is in Heaven... "  (Philippians 3:20)

              " Then I saw a new Heaven and a new earth."  (Revelations 21:1)

    Jesus spoke of Heaven while He was on earth as recorded by the Apostle Matthew. The Apostle Paul asserted that a Christian's citizenship is in Heaven. The Apostle John speaks of a new Heaven in the Book of Revelations. These are just three mentions of Heaven from the Bible. There are more.

     Who do you believe, God or Dr. Hawking? Why? I believe God, that the Bible is true. I'll explain why in a future post.