DIVINE GEOTHEOLOGY AND THE CHRISTIAN FUTURE To explain this new vision of the universe and the world, we have had to devise a new branch of theology—distinct from the many that have emerged in recent times (many of which are, alas, useless or even harmful teachings found in our Christian schools, where they attempt to explain the revealed Holy Scriptures by distorting them and ignoring Tradition). We aim, instead, to bring to light the Creator’s overarching divine plans for planet Earth and all its inhabitants. Through creation and the Holy Scriptures, God reveals His will to every generation of the peoples He created *ex nihilo*—past, present, and future—inviting them to behold His omnipotence. Indeed, the history of the universe and of humanity is not explained by those who speak of chance or chaos—for they offer no plausible explanations—but rather, for those with the eyes to read and understand, the history of the Earth is explained solely by the One who created all things according to a plan and a purpose in which He invites us to participate as His children. The One who created man is the Lord; He knows man intimately and explains all things to us. Without His permission, not a single leaf falls unless He wills it, nor does a single hair fall from anyone’s head—across all generations, past, present, and future. God created every single atom of visible and invisible matter with a plan and a purpose, the full meaning and eternal intent of which are known only to Him. Beyond matter—which is entirely determined and unconscious of its own existence, governed by the principle that nothing is created or destroyed but everything is transformed according to precise laws established by God (laws we understand only in part)—He created spiritual beings. These beings are self-aware and conscious of their own existence, capable of making moral and material choices, and capable of desiring and believing; they are personal beings made in His likeness. He bound these beings to matter and called them "men" so that—through matter, which transforms but is never annihilated—God, the Creator of all, might be praised. Man—humanity as a whole—must praise and submit to God through matter, for all things serve Him! They are autonomous in their spiritual choices yet bound to matter with every breath of their existence. Within the human soul, the spirit is bound and united to physical matter—the matter we see transforming and governed by its own precise, perfectly functioning laws. Indeed, God populated the universe with autonomous spiritual beings unbound by matter (the angels) and with beings bound to matter (humans), who are therefore subject to its laws and history. Humans are thus both carnal and spiritual beings, endowed with reason and bound to matter and their own history. Every human soul bound to matter possesses a unique history linked to that matter and that timeline; this union creates the individual at the moment of conception—a person distinct from all others due to their unique history, even though they were formed from the same mold. Why, then, did the Infinite God create self-aware beings on earth composed of both clay and spirit? By creating man on an earth already prepared to receive him and governed by its own laws, God bound a conscious spirit to matter—something defined, subject to limits, and in constant transformation, yet never annihilated. Matter, like spiritual beings, will exist forever, even if not under the current physical laws. We now seek to understand what He tells us time and again in the Scriptures: God is immense and cannot be seen by any being He has created. Matter itself is unaware of its own existence—except through us—for it does not know that it exists. 4.725 God faces a dilemma regarding created beings: despite having created everything, He cannot be fully seen or known because He is infinite. There is no physical place, planet, or star in the universe where He can be adequately worshipped and obeyed in His totality by the beings He created. However, He created the Earth, where He took on human form. Here on Earth, the matter of the universe has been ennobled. Consequently, the peoples of Earth can have only one God, and their God is the same One who created the stars and planets—even those located billions of light-years away. There is but one God of the universe. Throughout earthly time, this God has progressively revealed Himself to humanity—both by making the perfections of His creation known to those with faith, and through the revelations and teachings of the Sacred Scriptures given to a specific people. When we study in detail the physical design of an engineer who has built a perfect machine or a city, we marvel at the great intelligence and insight invested in that project. In the Sacred Scriptures, we find a detailed account of God’s will and His heavenly plan for humanity and the universe; we can only offer praise to God. After the sin of Adam, God desires that all the peoples of the earth obey Him and submit to His will and eternal plans. No individual or people exists independently of God; indeed, even the civil authorities governing the peoples of Earth know that every human being must eventually die. They are thus compelled to seek an explanation for this death and the purpose of their people's temporary, earthly lives—and, furthermore, to justify the very basis of their own authority over them. How, then, does God govern the many peoples of the Earth? The answer is: God governs all the peoples of the Earth through Natural Law—a law that transcends the material nature of creation and regulates the relationships between God and created beings, and between God and the individual. ...between woman and man, between the individual and the community, between peoples or social groups... between man and his environment. Indeed, this is a law of justice rather than equality; it originates in the heart of God, is eternal, and is not subject to change. This law was codified and inscribed in a concrete and precise manner for a specific people—though other peoples and social groups, without knowing or reading it, have nonetheless roughly approximated it in their own communal and social structures. It was written on Sinai approximately 1,700 years before Christ. Indeed, we find these same general rules and principles of revealed justice within the social structures of other peoples across the earth, beyond the borders of Israel. In the Roman Civil Code, we find injunctions to honor the gods, honor one’s father and mother, and refrain from killing, stealing, and committing adultery; marriage between a man and a woman stands as the pillar of their social structure. The law teaches us not to hate but to love our neighbor and to live in peace within social groups—that is, with those alongside whom we dwell. Social transgression against these norms must always be punished by the guardians of the law, who represent authority. Yet, one might argue that this Natural Law does not exist, claiming instead that it is a human invention rooted in human traditions and fears. However, it is extremely difficult to explain—by mere chance—the formation of clans, tribes, lineages, ancestries, races, and civilizations (as detailed in the Scriptures) without identifying an original nucleus consisting of a man and a woman who bring children into the world and create small societies. Furthermore, there is a revealed law that echoes the precepts of the unwritten Natural Law—precepts also found in Babylonian codes and elsewhere. Do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not bear false witness before an authority, honor your father and mother... and furthermore, in the revealed law, we find the divine command to worship the one God through His liturgies! That said, one cannot conceive of life on planet Earth without placing the God who created all things at the center of the life of every created being and of the public life of a people. Before the God of mercy comes the one God who created everything; acknowledging and acting upon this is an act of justice—an act of gratitude and thanksgiving for this creation. One cannot conceive of a life—human or otherwise—that is independent of God. No such thing exists. God desires, above all, to be worshipped and acknowledged by everyone, and He makes this clear to us in countless ways, including through the revealed law. Yes, for just as He established laws to serve His grand design, there are also consequences for those who fail to abide by these laws or who do not acknowledge His sovereignty over all creation. If a man kills another man, he violates first God’s law, and subsequently human justice. His authority over all creation is absolute; He shares it with no one. The authorities who represent Him—appointed as stewards and dispensers of His gifts among societies and peoples—cannot devise plans that differ from, conflict with, or oppose the divine will. Natural Law carries significant implications, as it seeks justice by upholding both logic and physical laws, and by enforcing the law that governs relationships between conscious, self-aware beings. In an ancient formulation—the Natural Law that governed relations between individuals prior to the time of Moses—we find the principle: "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." This does not signify mere vengeance, but rather justice in the sight of God. Man sins first against God’s precepts and will, and only then against other beings. There is always a price to be paid for every transgression, without exception. Divine justice demands that error and disobedience invariably be punished. Just as a broken gear—which once served a specific function—prevents a clock from operating, so too does the failure to observe (or, worse, the active opposition to) the law governing human relationships create an irreparable breach when that transgression is directed against God. Man did not create this Natural Law; it comes from Heaven. Thus, God acts as both its guarantor and the ultimate judge. To transgress this law is to transgress against God. The consequences of an injustice are often not immediately apparent—much like the failure of an engine within a machine. It often takes time, but He who is not bound by time—having eternity on His side—has no trouble waiting before acting and meting out justice. God desires that not only the individual but all authorities submit to Him and uphold His laws, for these are the laws that ensure justice and lead to peace. Without them, there would be no future; the very existence of human beings on Earth would be impossible. The Earth endures because of a divine plan that God Himself will execute with absolute precision—indeed, in His mind, it is already fully realized and accomplished, as the Book of Revelation reveals to us. But who, today, is to remind us of this Divine Law and ensure it is upheld? Peaceful coexistence among peoples and within societies is possible only when everyone acknowledges at least a few shared, fundamental values—without viewing one another as threats, and without pitting one class or social group against another. All must share these fundamental values—specifically, the Natural Law; without it, a society has no future—it cannot come into being, exist, or endure. The Natural Law embodies the essential principles for coexistence at the personal, familial, individual, and societal levels. Who, then, must fiercely uphold the Natural Law among the peoples of the Earth? In the past, it was the elders of various communities and civilizations who guided society according to well-established moral rules; but today, who holds this authority? To whom is this role entrusted? The answer: to every authority exercising civil power. Every human being—whether consciously aware of it or not—has a duty to live in justice, a state attained through observance of the Natural Law. Justice brings peace and keeps us aligned with the will of the Creator of the universe. Therefore, every power and authority must strive above all else—with every ounce of strength—to establish justice, rather than equality; for equality is a value rooted in individual and social volition, not in divine justice. Respect for God’s law and adherence to the will of God—the Creator of all things—must stand at the forefront of every political agenda, since without this law, there can be no justice in communal life.