Fossil Fiction

Did you know that there is evidence that the things being taught in schools about fossil facts are actually fossil fiction?

AnswersInGenesis points out this week that a conference held in 1980 with the leading scientists at the time came to agree on some key issues:

Without giving creationists any credit, the world’s leading evolutionists at that Chicago conference at least agreed on the same assessment of the fossil evidence reached (and predicted) by creationists long ago. As the summary in Newsweek put it: Evidence from fossils now points overwhelmingly away from the classical Darwinism which most Americans learned in high school.

In building up to that monumental conclusion (which should be posted as a plaque in all the nation’s science classrooms), the writer starts with man: The missing link between man and the apes … is merely the most glamorous of a whole hierarchy of phantom creatures. In the fossil record, missing links are the rule. … The more scientists have searched for the transitional forms between species, the more they have been frustrated. [emphasis added]

The concept of evolution touted in textbooks, then, is based on phantoms and figments of the imagination, not on fossils and the facts of science.

Two scientists, Gould and Eldredge, have said that gradual evolution expressed the cultural and political biases of 19th century liberalism. There are no facts that are concrete in the theory of evolution. Every written in textbooks that says that evolution is popularly believed and accepted by scientist is not...entirely true.

If you are into science there is so much more to this article. Check it out for your self.

Entire Article:
fossil finds

References from the AiG article
29. Adler, Jerry and John Carey. “Is Man a Subtle Accident?” Newsweek, November 3, 1980.
30. Lewin, Roger. “Evolutionary Theory Under Fire.” Science, November 21, 1980.
31. Gould, Stephen Jay and Niles Eldredge. “Punctuated Equilibria: the Tempo and Mode of Evolution Reconsidered.” Paleobiology, June/July 1977.
32. Stanley, Steven M. “Darwin Done Over.” The Sciences, October 1981.
33. Lewin, Roger. “Evolutionary Theory Under Fire.” Science, November 23, 1980.
34. Denton, Michael. Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. London: Burnett Books, 1985.
35. Threlkeld, Richard. CBS Television “Sunday Morning,” November 23, 1980.

Defunding the ACLU

As you may already know I'm not a very big fan of the ACLU. Read the follow and help out if you feel the same...

Petition to Defund and Expose ACLU
URGENT CALL TO ACTION
The ACLU: a wolf in sheep's clothing
Protect our religious and moral heritage...

The Alert

Exposing a Cash Cow

What's really behind the ACLU's drive to strip the Ten Commandments from our courthouses, nativity scenes from our towns, crosses from memorial sites, and "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance?

One thing … money.

The ACLU receives millions of dollars in court awards when they seek to remove symbols of the Christian faith from society!

Read the Special Report on how the ACLU is getting rich off Christians!

Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) seeks to prevent secular organizations (namely the ACLU) from collecting attorney fees after suing communities to remove religious symbols. Click here to read more about the Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005 (HR 2679).

The Action

URGENT CALL TO ACTION
50,000 ADDITIONAL PETITIONS NEEDED!

The Center for Reclaiming America for Christ supports this legislation, and is urging Christians to stand with us to EXPOSE AND DEFUND the ACLU.

The Center has already rallied nearly 200,000 citizen petitions and Center Executive Director delivered them to U.S. House leadership just prior to House passage of PERA. Currently, the Center is finalizing plans to present petitions of support to Senate leadership before the close of this legislative session (December 2006). We are calling on team members to help us mobilize an additional 50,000 petition signers. Please help by alerting your friends and family to take action with you on this important issue!

The Petition

THE "EXPOSE AND DEFUND the ACLU PETITION" STATES:

As a concerned citizen, I am taking a stand against the ACLU's radical agenda, which undermines our nation's moral and religious heritage. I join with citizens across the nation in protest of ACLU policies and actions to strip faith in God from the public square while promoting anti-family and pro-homosexual initiatives. I am calling on leaders in government and media to tell the truth about the ACLU's radical agenda. Furthermore, I demand lawmakers take the necessary steps to eliminate the monetary motives behind the ACLU's campaign to remove all mention of God from the public square. The ACLU does not represent me nor the vast majority of American citizens.

Simply sign the petition and then alert your friends.

The Update

Chris,

Last Friday, I presented your 'Defund the ACLU' petition to the leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives. Your name was presented among more than 195,000 of our E-Army activists who signed the petition in support of the Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA) -- a bill that seeks to keep the ACLU from exploiting America's taxpayers, as it works to eliminate all evidence of our nation's Christian heritage.

Let me tell you - that number is impressive.

And let me also say that, just yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to pass PERA, 244 to 173.

This is an exciting victory and a clear step in the right direction!

+ + ACLU Uses Your Money to Enact Agenda

As you know, putting an end to taxpayer funding of the ACLU and its agenda is of paramount importance. However, the Senate will need to take up the bill before it can become law.

For far too long, organizations like the ACLU have used loopholes in the law to threaten expensive court battles, which intimidates communities into surrendering their collective values.

In fact, the ACLU has already collected millions of dollars in attorneys' fees from America's taxpayers as it seeks to erase our precious heritage.

If you know anyone that has not yet signed our Defund the ACLU petition, please forward this message to them and ask that they sign by clicking here. Then their names can be included, alongside yours, when we deliver these petitions to the U.S. Senate.

Allies, Too

This is a little late now but still worth posting about. Last week the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) advocates with the Gay-Straight Alliance had their annual "Allies Week"...

It was a week to promote peace within the school for a safer school environment. "The national week was launched last year to create allies to put an end to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools."

Allies, Too was created this year not to oppose Allies Week but to help promote a safer school environment with a Christian twist.

The "Allies, Too" campaign gives Christians whose beliefs often conflict with the policies of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network the opportunity to support a safer school environment without compromising their beliefs.

"Still, the fact that our beliefs are different doesn't mean we can't work together for safer schools for everyone," said a statement by Exodus Youth. "So, Exodus Youth is creating the ‘Allies, Too’ campaign, in which Christian students can voice their support for safer schools without compromising their faith in God’s Word!"

Exodus Youth provides resources to help young people questioning their sexual identity and struggling with same-sex attraction find life and healing in Christ. Exodus International is considered the largest Christian referral and information network dealing with homosexual issues in the world.

As I said on my Love Won Out post there is no reason why hate has to enter the mix. This is a very peaceful way of showing Christian love and unity and a way to reach out to those who need God. Bravo, kids!

Link
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Christian Youth Launching LGBT Ally Week Counterpart

Something Fun

Considering the serious tone we've been setting here at ChristianEye lately I thought it was time for a little fun... but of course with a lesson. ;)

Matthew 16:24-25 (New Living Translation)
24Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. 25If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.

This video is by Mercy Me and is titled "So Long Self". Hope you enjoy it!

Why do we believe? (Feedback)

The following is the response from ConcernedFather to our latest Feedback discussions. I felt that, once again, this man has asked a question worth creating a new post for...

Thanks for your answer. I will be answering over the next few days, but things are rather hectic at the office right now.

I'm enjoying the debate, and I hope it will help atheists understand your point of view - and vice-versa.

My next post will be my last one. Since this is your blog, I'll let you have the final word. In the meantime, could you answer one question: 'Why do you believe that the bible was written by (your) god'. This is not a trap - just a genuine question, as I have problems understanding why believers take that for granted (muslims will believe the same thing about the Koran, of course). Tell a Christian that his wife is cheating on him, or that eating yogurt will make him invisible, and he will check your assertions before acting. But if you tell him that this book was actually written by the creator of the universe, the reaction is 'Oh, yeah, sure'. This really, really puzzles me. (We will make that a digression on the main subject - and I will not answer to you on that specific subject. Thanks).

Thanks for the good quesion! Its a tough one to answer because everyone would answer you differently. Believe it or not but that is actually an amazing thing! The bible was written by over 49 different people from all walks of life. There were shepherds, kings, doctors, priests, prophets, fishermen, etc. All these different types of people wrote what has become the Bible, inspired by the same God to give the same message! That God loves us and wants to bring us back into relationship with him!

With that said I can not tell you what others would say. I can tell you only my own testimony and why I do not bat an eye when others question my faith. Please read as I will point out some interesting stuff before I'm done.

I was actually born into a Christian home. I was raised with the idea that there was a God. Stay in church circles long enough though and you'll learn that a person raised in a Christian home doesn't make him a Christian and that sooner or later I would have to build my own relationship with God.

I lead a pretty normal life. I went to school and learned my abc's and sex ed. I went to camp and learned about God (but didn't accept him through the first few years of it). I lied to my parents and I stole from them and others. I learned to cuss and cheat. My goal in early high school was to have sex before I turned eighteen and I was mildly suicidal around sixteen. I was a normal kid.

You may have heard about other conversions to Christianity as being this day or that and that they had this powerful conversion experience. That happens and is awesome! I, however, can't tell you exactly what day I became a Christian. It was a gradual process for me. I'm sure at some point, as Romans 10:9-10 says, I professed Jesus as Lord and meant it but I can't tell you when. I was baptised late in my fifteenth year. (you'll note that I was already a Christian when I went through my suicidal period - proof that even Christians lose site of the shore now and then)

I did, however, have a vital change in my life when I turned seventeen. I had a car accident. I suffered a head trauma that caused temporary amnesia and swiss cheesed my memories. I had to stay in the hostpital overnight for observation. About a month later I had already been thinking about my life, the universe, and the afterlife more and it was then time for camp. I went to camp that year and God met me there. I can't fully explain what happened but I changed that year. I was, as us Christians put it, on fire! I knew what was true and wanted everyone to know as well.

I scared one of my best friends when I came back because I was so different than she knew me. Over the next year I also made a lot of mistakes because I had such great fire but so little knowledge. I changed that over time. I learned more about this God that I had a relationship with.

To this day I continue to try to absorb all the knowledge I can while maintaining my relationship with Jesus. Here is a snippet from AnswersInGenesis that I thought was appropriate:

‘While we are here on earth, it’s hard for us to test what each “holy book” says about heavenly things. But where books make claims about earthly things2 … aha! Here’s something we can test. Which book best explains the earth’s geology: why we find mountainous layers upon layers of sediments that look like they were pushed up and folded while still wet, and with dead animals and plants buried in them, all over the world? The Bible! Which book best explains biology: why plants and animals reproduce “after their kind”, why we have male and female, why women have pain in childbearing, why we have an ever-increasing number of mutations and genetic disorders—as if the creation is in “bondage to decay” [Romans 8:20–22]? The Bible!

‘And what about the number and distribution of humans around the world—calculating backwards using standard population growth rates gives us a handful of ancestors around 4,500 years ago, somewhere in the Middle East—doesn’t that fit with what the Bible says?3 Doesn’t it explain why scientists now say “race” is biologically meaningless, as if we are of “one blood” [Acts 17:26]?

‘And agriculture: is it just coincidence that many of our crop plants have been traced back to the “Fertile Crescent” between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which just “happens” to be where the Bible says Babel was located?

‘But here’s the linchpin: no other “holy book” that I know of describes death as an “enemy” [1 Cor. 15:26], which is what it clearly is. Just watch mourners grieving over the death of a loved one; it’s obvious that something’s wrong, death is an intruder, just as the Bible describes. And the Bible not only accurately describes the problem, but also the only logical solution.4 So, if in things that we can test, the Bible wins hands down, which “holy book” are you going to trust?’

I've experienced God's love and his grace. I've seen him heal people and I've watched him change lives. I've read the history and the accuracy of the Bible. When people try to tell me that there is no God I may not test their assertion at the time they tell me because I've already tested the same assertions at a heart level time and time again in the past.

Doubting is not a sin. I've doubted several times as a Christian. It can actually help draw you into a closer relationship with God. But when you find something you know to be true and that won't change from day to day (similar to gravity as an analogy) you trust it. You've tested it and found it to be true.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 (New Living Translation)
19Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20Do not scoff at prophecies, 21but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22Keep away from every kind of evil.

Isaiah 1:18 (English Standard Version)
18"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.

Feedback Worth Posting #2

(Read Feedback Worth Posting, and the comments, first before reading this)

See the comments section on the first post for the full comment by Concerned Father. I will be posting pieces of his comments and commenting on those snippets. -------------------------------------------------

All religions believe in supernatural beings or causes, but atheists refuse supernatural explanations, mostly because “extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof…(Sagan)”. Thus atheism cannot be a religion. To use a cliché, if atheism is a religion, then “not collecting stamp” is a hobby.

One of the definitions of supernatural (though probably not the main definition you were going for) is "Something that cannot be given an ordinary explanation". To give you an idea of what I was saying let me quote from an AnswersInGenesis article:

Let me explain. When most people hear the word “science,” they think of computers, jet planes, modern medicine, cars, electricity, cell phones and so on—our modern technology. The technology we are blessed to use today is a result of man gaining knowledge about the physical world (e.g., the properties of metals, and how they can be used to develop machines, etc.). This is knowledge that is based on what we can observe and repeatedly test in the present—a process commonly referred to as “operational science” or “observational science.”

Now, when it comes to the issue of origins (the topic of the Evolving Planet exhibit), this is very different from the observational science that has helped produce our technology. “Origins science” involves beliefs about the past that cannot directly be tested—beliefs about how the universe and life arose when there were no human witnesses.

Most visitors who go through evolutionary exhibits like Evolving Planet don’t realize that they are being subject to “storytelling” about the past. It’s a story (evolution) that is based on the belief that everything can be explained on the basis of natural processes. It’s a religion of naturalism or atheism, even though a deity or “holy book” is not mentioned in this exhibit. A gullible public is being indoctrinated in an intense atheistic “storytelling” to lead them to think about life the way the scientists who constructed the exhibit want them to think.

*********

But there is nothing wrong with not knowing all of the answer. Sometimes, “I don’t know” is the only honest answer and all others

Christians do not have all the answers either. Only God does. The Bible, though, is God's Word which means that many of the answers the world is looking for can be found inside it's cover.

Job 38:1-7 (New International Version)
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:

2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?

3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.

5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?

6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-

7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

Do you how the universe was created? I don't. I believe God did it in 7 days and can point you to evidence that the world is only around 6,000 years old but I can't slap down a thesis with the proof inside.

Most scientist talk of the big bang and macro evolution but neither one can be observed. It takes faith by those who claim these as truth to believe in them. *********

To quote Sagan again, “it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring”. Of course, this requires courage: the intellectual courage to admit one’s ignorance, and the courage to live without answers, and without certainties. But I would go as far as to say that this ability to answer the Sisyphean challenge of living in an absurd world is man’s most remarkable trait. And you know what? Since we as a species have started to refuse dogma - to refuse to believe that the earth is at the center of the universe, or that the sun was carried by Râ on his chariot - since then, we’ve also started to find SOME answers. Not all of course. But we know a lot more now than we did, and in my view our humble attempts at analyzing this universe with our simple tools constitute our noblest quest.

To this I would ask which part of the universe are you talking about when you say to grasp it as "it really is"? Are we talking physics, like gravity? I can most likely agree with you. Are we talking politics and how not one form of government is perfect? Most people could agree with you. Are we talking evolution? I can agree that micro evolution takes place but that there is no proof for macro evolution. Are we talking the big bang? There currently is no proof of that and most scientists are now veering away from that theory. Or are we just talking about the existence or non-existence of God? Once again, we may have to agree to disagree. *********The section on the verses I must say is not unexpected. As my brother was pointing out to me when he read these postings most verses like these are taken out of context. I would be fine teaching my children these things as long as the context behind them was clear.

The first verse (Deuteronomy 13:6) deals with historical laws that were put in place to be sure the people of God would not stray from the truth in a time before our Savior came. Once he came the heart of the verse (and verses like it) did not change but rather the way it was presented.

1 Timothy 5:20-21 (Amplified Bible) 20As for those who are guilty and persist in sin, rebuke and admonish them in the presence of all, so that the rest may be warned and stand in wholesome awe and fear.

21I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the chosen angels that you guard and keep [these rules] without personal prejudice or favor, doing nothing from partiality.

The second verse (Matthew 10:34) is also out of context. Jesus was not saying "Go and spread war! Make sure you leave no family whole!" But rather he was saying that even though he would want that all families stay together and that love would abound he knew that his message by its very nature would bring division. Just as the American Civil War brought division over the the idea of freedom for all people so too does the message of Christ (unfortunately) bring division over the idea of freedom from sin for all people.

The third verse is one of the most used verses out of context. As my brother put it "Spare the rod, spoil the child. It's not saying beat them so they understand but to discipline them. Discipline has a root word of disciple. Raise them to follow your beliefs and teachings."
*********

Again, I think that the world is in a pretty bad shape right now. We need actions (not prayers) tolerance (not clans), and people with the courage to see the world as it is (no more illusions). I encourage you to review you beliefs, and if not to abandon them at least to put them on the backburner, as a political gesture to make this world a better place for our children.

You are correct that the world is in pretty bad shape. I agree that we need action and you'll find that if you are looking to bring morallity back to our world the Bible holds the key. As I believe in a God who loves us and cares what happens to each and every one of us I also believe that you and I both need to be in conversation (prayer) with God on a regular basis. I, too, believe in tolerance but I feel it should swing both ways. Usually those who harp on tolerance are the same ones who are intolerant to those with different views than themselves. I also agree that we need to get rid of illusions but rather to see that there is design in this world; there was planning that went into it and a God who loves us enough to stay with us through the bad times. He's willing to help but he wants us to cry out to him. He wants us to come back to the one who created us. If we do this our nation will be healed and we will see change like never before. I speak out so that my children can have a better tomorrow.

Its been great having this discussion with you. I'm so glad that you are actually concerned by what your children learn and when. Many fathers these days are not caring for their children they way they should. I don't know how much of what I have said has made any impression but I pray that you will seek God and find him. That you and your family may be blessed beyond imagination!

Until then I bless you and hope you will read more of my blog and comment again sometime on a future post.

Chris

Murder and Hope - Two Different Articles on Stem Cell Research

[Keri's Post]
I was browsing through CNN this morning when I came across two entirely different articles basically about that same thing. Here we are, back to stem cells again, but I just want everyone to know that this kind of research is very close to my heart. I am excited about what stem cells can do for the world, but I’m not so excited about the millions of children we have to kill to make it happen... I found two articles today with completely different views, but ultimately the same goal.

First, the bad news, this particular article really ticked me off - Stem cells reportedly derived from 'dead' human embryo.

It’s all about how the scientist isn’t the one who killed the baby…it died on its own…now let’s take it apart and harvest its cells. It’s not morally wrong because the embryo is already dead…ya see??!! They also aren’t sure that if the embryo had been implanted into a mother’s womb that it might have continued to develop. How ridiculous can it get? They are simply side stepping the issue, it’s so hypocritical.

Think about it, if you had to have a heart transplant or you would die and the only person compatible with you was your own brother…all you had to do to get his heart, is kill him. How would you feel about that? You’d basically be killing your own family so that you can live another few years. But this is much worse, think about it like this. Instead of shooting your bother to kill him, you lock him away in a cage and forbid him to have food, water, and what he needs to survive. That way it’s not your fault he’s dead, he died on his own, you simply didn’t provide what he needed to grow. That’s what we are doing with these stem cells. By not providing the embryo with the chance to grow in a mother’s womb, we are in effect killing them. We are killing our family, we are killing tiny little babies just so we can survive for another couple of years.

Matthew 25:41-45 (New International Version) "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

The other article I read gave me a bit of hope - Stem cells proving popular gift.

What better gift can we give than the gift of life? This article goes on to explain how grandparents are storing their grandchildren’s cord blood from their birth. How awesome is that? They can store it for up to 25 years and can use the child’s own blood to correct defects and save lives. Now wouldn’t it be awesome if we were to create a cord-blood bank for every baby in the world? Cord blood is full of stem cells, apparently they aren’t as easy to manipulate as embryonic stem cells, but it’s unfortunate that no one has really tried that hard to research it. They’d rather take a life to save a life.

Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be..

Life is a great gift, please don’t take away someone else’s to give it to me though. When my husband and I have children, I promise you we will be saving the cord blood. If not for our own children, than for cord blood medical research that will hopefully be more effective and more ethically acceptable than embryonic stem cell research.

God made you special (VeggieTales)

The makers of VeggieTales signed with NBC to make a new Saturday morning cartoon which began airing two weeks ago. Unfortunately, the network did what most networks do when dealing with Godly material... they cut it out.

VeggieTales is a show that was created by BigIdeas Productions in the 90's made with computer animated vegitable characters. It was designed for children but made with enough adult humor to attract all ages. It has had a growing fan base since it was created. So when a show was introduced to be aired on national television it was a great success for the veggie crew.

According to NBC the show was edited to "comply with the network's broadcast standards".

"Our goal is to reach as broad an audience as possible with these positive messages while being careful not to advocate any one religious point of view," she said.

When I first heard about VeggieTales coming to tv I knew there would be a catch. More importantly though is that I thought that once again a good show caved to peer pressure and money and allowed their position to be comprimised. I was glad to read this:

"VeggieTales" creator Phil Vischer, who was responsible for readying episodes for network broadcast, said he didn't know until just weeks before the shows were to begin airing that non-historical references to God and the Bible would have to be removed.

Had he known how much he'd have to change the show — including Bob and Larry's tagline, "Remember kids, God made you special and he loves you very much," that concludes each episode — Vischer said he wouldn't have signed on for the network deal.

"I would have declined partly because I knew a lot of fans would feel like it was a sellout or it was done for money," he said, adding that "there weren't enough shows that could work well without those (religious) references."

I don't know what is going to come of all the uproar but I hope that NBC will allow the shows to air the way they were meant to air.

"What struck me and continues to strike me is the inanity of ripping the heart and soul out of a successful product and not thinking that there will be consequences to it," said L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council. "The series is successful because of its biblical world view, not in spite of it. That's the signature to `VeggieTales.'"

Marks said the network is "committed to the positive messages and universal values" of the show and expects "VeggieTales" to continue airing.

But Bozell isn't satisfied.

"If NBC is so concerned about that four-letter-word God, then they shouldn't have taken `VeggieTales'," he said. "This just documents the disconnect between Hollywood and the real world."

Link
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VeggieTale Censorship Stirs Controversy at NBC

Feedback Worth Posting

I've been having a conversation on my Jesus Camp post with a man concerned with my view point. I felt it a good enough conversation to post on...

I should point out that the people running this camp stated: "As for the evangelical community, my focus as a minister has basically been to bring an awareness to the Body of Christ (i.e. people who are committed followers of Jesus) of the potential spiritual dynamos we have in our children. My hope is that Christians will look past all the political mumbo jumbo and see this film for what it is--as one news source said, this is a movie about extreme faith, not politics. It's also about the importance of discipling children in the Christian faith. My hope is they will be able to see the more obvious truth which is children are capable of understanding, feeling, being an enthusiastic, and powerfully effective part of extreme faith in Jesus Christ because this is an extreme generation."

ConcernedFather said -

This camp is sick sick sick.

No one should have the right to tamper with the minds of young kids like that. This camp is a sect - nothing else. This is the equivalent of bringing kids to a KKK or neo-Nazi meeting! The authorities should intervene, and the people responsible - parents and organisers, should be brought to court.

Give the poor things a chance to make up their mind, please. Religious teaching - of any kind - should only begin at maturity. Education should concentrate on fostering compassion and respect for others - something that most religions claim that they support but fail (miserably) to implement. Have you read the newspaper lately?

Religious people, of course, would never agree to that. They are afraid that there would be very few takers at the end! That is why institutionalized religions understood a long time ago that they must start their indoctrination early in a child's life. No human beings raised in a rational environment would take all those superstitions seriously. Normal people grow up and stop believing in Santa Claus.

What the next step? Christian schools where all subject matters are forbidden except religion? Oh yeah, we know that you religious people like you have only one book on your shelves… Not that you've read it of course (otherwise you might realise that it contains quite a few atrocious recommendations...).

I'm so tired of seeing religions spoil my world, and the world of my children. So tired of those small, scared people who hate rationality, knowledge (and in general, women).

Ooohhh what a pity. The world is in a pretty bad state right now, and is in deep need of compassion, not more religious fanaticism.

Christian Eye said -

The only thing I will say at this time to this comment is that no one is forcing these children. There may be the rare exception of a mother who is an dictator in her Christian home and insists on it but most of them are coming to camps like these of their own accord. They are not being brain-washed. They are being taught. I'm sorry if you feel venomous towards religion but try to look around you and see that Christianity, true Christianity, is not like other religions. Also, see my post for today - When are We Teaching?

ConcernedFather said -

I believe you. I am convinced that the children went to the camp wholeheartedly - in the same way that German youth went to the Hitler-Jugend training camps.Young children are trusting little creatures that can easily be influenced, which is why we have laws against adults trying to seduce them, for instance (this is just an example - I am not inferring anything about the camp here).

As for your remark about Christianity, I'm sure that any good muslim, hinduist or buddhist would claim the same thing.

If we were to lists all the gods of all the religions in a small book (there are about 2000) with say a short description, your's would appear on page 46..or 74...or 87... But you would point to it and claim to be absolutely sure that it is the only 'real' god. From my perspective, this would be funny...if the consequences for humanity were not so disastrous.

And here is my response to that today:

ConcernedFather - thanks for writing again. I appreciate your willingness to have open dialogue without getting to emotional in your verbage... or vulgar.

I have lots of things going through my head that I could tell you. The only thing I think I can tell you in this limited space right now is to remember that even atheism is a religion. It is a religion of self. Most people would clasify a religion as having faith in something you cannot see and worshiping a greater power. When a child asks "why do I have to go to school" you answer "to get an education and get smart". When they ask why, you say "so you can do great things in this world". When they ask why again you answer "to help other people" or "to become powerful". When they ask why another time you say "because I said so!".

The point is that adults have to ask the same questions about life until they finally get to a question they can't answer. At this point they have their "absolute truth". Where did I come from, why am I here, who really cares? With Christians this absolute truth comes from God. With atheists this absolute truth come from the universe and man. You have to have faith that you are right, though, because you don't have the answers. The twist is that Christians have a document that from your point of view is just that - a document. But as a historical document alone time and time again man has tried to prove it wrong and time and again it has been found right. Whereas the evidence for atheism time and time again is found to be flawed and had to be "corrected".

Then, back to our children, the moral side asks the question - what do you want your kids to learn? Compassion? Matthew 14:14 (King James Version)- "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." Love? John 15:13 (New King James Version) - "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." Peace? Matthew 5:9 (New King James Version) - "Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God." Those things that are good to teach our children will be found in the Bible. Philippians 4:8 (New King James Version) - "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."

I know I'm not going to change your mind in this one comment but it may help you see where I'm coming from. Atheism is just another religion and religion in general can not be blamed for problems in our society (though sin can be blamed and even Christians sin, screw up and do foolish - even evil - things).

I encourage you to read some of my other posts as they should give you context for who I am and what I believe. Here are some other blogs with good answers:

Paul's Ponderings: Making Himself Known
Bird's of the Air: To Know the Unknowable
Just a Redneck Hangin out with Jesus: You Need to Understand
PostalOne: Forgiveness Knows No Limits
AnswersInGenesis: Creation - Where's the Proof?

God bless,

Chris

When are We Teaching?

God has been giving me great inspiration today so I hope I can get this across appropriately. I took my car in to get an oil change today. While I was waiting I sat down in a crowded Waiting Room next to a fairly new mother and across from a mother of a seven year old...

Naturally I was drawn towards children. Lots of different thoughts passed through my head but the one that stuck was the one that I think God wanted me to see. I was watching the little seven year old girl across from me. She had just picked up one of those magazines for children about the same time her mother had picked up a magazine of her own. As the woman flipped through the pages I saw that the daughter was sneaking peaks at her mother and flipping pages to match. When her mom obviously needed to find something in the back of the magazine I noticed that her daughter mimicked her. It was quite endearing.

Then I thought about the Nanny show I watched last night where the mother and father of two boys had completely stopped trying to raise their kids. The mother at one point blamed the childrens' foul language on tv, school and/or their father. They then showed video of her swearing over and over in the presence of her children and then more video of her children repeating the same words.

This got me to thinking. What are we teaching our kids? A better question would be when do we start teaching our kids? Well, most people would probably say that our children begin learning from us right away. How else do they learn to speak or to walk?

Yet some of the same people would then go on to say that as parents we should not impose our moral beliefs or attitudes on our children nor should we try to force them to share our beliefs. I agree but only in the sense that I don't agree with "imposing" or "forcing". Yet by swinging so far to the left on their thinking they have failed to realise that they are teaching their children these things whether they believe it or not.

Parenting is hard work. Whether you like it or not you have to be an example to your children. If you swear they will swear. If you fight they will fight. If you complain they will complain.

If you say that you are a Christian but then don't act like one your children will not become Christians. DCTalk once said "The Greatest single cause of Atheism today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny him by their lifestyles. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable". Children pick up on hypocrisy very quickly. They know when we are being real with them. I know many people who are not Christians today because they were raised in "Christian" homes but not by those acting like Christians.

But hiding from the responsibility of raising our children is not an option. As I said, we will teach them one way or another. Therefore, we should from day 1 (before that if possible ;)) be teaching our children through our example. If we're praying they will want to pray. If we're reading our Bible they will want to read too. If we surround ourselves with godly people while at the same time trying to reach out to the ungodly they will learn why.

The Apostle Paul said that we should follow him as he follows the Lord. We too need to have people that are examples to us. We look usually towards a pastor or another leader in the church. But don't forget that you too are an example everyday. And the people that will be watching you the most are your children.

Proverbs 22:6 (New King James Version)
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Love Won Out

There has been a lot of flack from gay rights activists lately regarding a group advocating that homosexuals have the ability to change...

Love Won Out is a conference that was setup through a group that believes that homosexuals are not born that was (which is popular opinion) but are rather changed over time through a series of experiences which reinforce this belief.

We'll admit, our conference offers a perspective on homosexuality that is in stark contrast to that which is touted by America's major gay organizations. While they claim that homosexuals are "born gay," we agree with the official position of the American Psychiatric Association that homosexuality develops across a person's lifetime and is likely caused by a complex combination of factors. Our purpose is to reach out with compassion to those struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction and their family members, debunking the myth propagated by gay activists that sexual orientation is fixed for life and cannot be modified.

There have been several incidences of people lashing out toward Love Won Out with hate messages.

Stubbornly ignoring this research (and the evidence of changed lives), gay activists routinely protest and disrupt Love Won Out conferences around the country. In St. Louis, billboards promoting the event (like those currently up in the valley) were defaced. In Minneapolis, a group calling itself the "Lesbian Avengers" blew rape whistles, shouted at the presenters and vandalizing the church's restrooms. In Houston, while one of the speakers was describing painful memories of childhood sexual abuse, a gay couple interrupted her with a French-kissing session in front of the podium.

I would hope that those who disagree with this message would keep an open mind. If you feel you must protest I would ask that you do it peacefully. I would ask the same thing of those who disagree with homosexuallity. There is no reason why hate has to enter the mix.

For those who may not realize it. I fully support the Love Won Out conference. I've read the book with the same title and agree fully with their position. I'll post more on this if requested.

Links
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Love Won Out
Hear our message, then judge

Keri

This is just an apology to those who have come the last two Sundays expecting to see a post from my wife. My beautiful wife was sick yesterday and was unable to post. She will be posting next Sunday - rest assured! :)

Dilbert Truth?

I found a post on the author of Dilbert's blog the other day that I wanted to get your opinion on...

...When I wrote my first book, The Dilbert Principle, I inadvertently stumbled on the most powerful, sure-fire book-selling concept ever: Say what other people are already thinking, but say it better than they are thinking it. In my case, I told people that their managers were as useful as the undigested bits of peanuts in a squirrel’s turd. (See, you just laughed.) Bingo – best seller.

All non-fiction best-selling opinion books are nothing more than your own opinions fed back to you with seasoning. Ann Coulter sells to conservatives who agree with her. Al Franken sells to liberals who agree with him. And they do it brilliantly, in my opinion.

I tried to violate that rule with a later book called Dilbert and The Way of the Weasel. My thesis was that everyone is a weasel, including you and me. Oops. I think seven people bought that book, and probably as gifts for people they don’t like. No one wants to hear that he or she is a weasel. People want a book that says OTHER people are weasels because that’s what they believe. Most people don’t want to risk having their mind changed...

What do you think of his opinion? Are we really that closed minded? I like to think that I can keep an open mind at least until I get to the truth. Then I stick with the truth and throw out the rest. I'm sure some would say that is closed minded but we do have to have a point where we are going to make a stand and refuse to bend. Otherwise we are like a ship without an anchor during a storm - tossed all over the place and in danger of being sunk!

If I find something I need to change in myself due to what he says I'll do my best to change but only if it is true. I can't necessarily call myself a weasel but I'm willing to hear what he has to say. The Bible says we are all sinners which is close. Call me a sinner and I'll agree with you but want to hear where your thoughts came from! Call me a child of God and I'd agree! I am a friend of Jesus. I am not condemned. I am a new creature! Call me whatever you want and I'll probably at least listen long enough to get at your train of thought. But, yes, once I'm there I will stand on what I know is true and the rest is just opinion. Your thoughts?

Philippians 4:8 (King James Version)
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Paul's Ponderings

Too good not to post...

Check out Paul's Ponderings today. His post was very well written and something I think we all need to read from time to time. Here is a snippet:

As we are in this fight with sin one of the most effective weapons we can use is letting our lives be consumed by doing good. We cannot simply remove sin from our lives because otherwise we create a vacuum that needs to be filled.

National Church Adopt-A-School Initiative

So today I was flipping channels and happened to stop on Walker, Texas Ranger. I don't watch this show because it isn't that interesting to me usually but this time the screen showed me a group I recognized...

The Power Team. What an awesome group! The Power Team is a group of men that started over 20 years ago that are motivational speakers and preachers of the gospel. Schools bring them in to motivate their children to stay off drugs and to catch a dream. Churches bring them in to show that you don't have to lose your dreams to become a Christian. Their hook is power lifting. The Power Team is comprised of some of the strongest and most physically talented Christian men in the world and they show off that talent in order to inspire.

So on the show the Power Team was invited to a school that Walker was undercover at as a principal. The idea was to motivate the growing number of drug users and dealers to change their ways. It did. The problem was that when the Power Team left the kids were stuck dealing with the issue on their own with only a fading dream to motivate them.

The National Church Adopt-A-School Initiative fills that gap. This is a real group that was started when a school principal came to a pastor and pleaded for help with his growing drug and violence problem. The church acted by becoming mentors, tutors and family support for these children.

The program was a hit! Violence and drug abuse went down and the desire to see the program spread went up. Now over 64 schools in the state of Texas carry this program.

"Mentoring is building relationships with kids. The problems that these teachers and principals and administrators are having are turning them into social workers — which is distracting them from education," he said. "We say, 'We'll be your social workers. We'll work with the problem family. We'll work with the problem child. We'll work with the gang problems. We'll work with the drug problems. We'll work with the failing students. We'll do all that on your behalf and become your support system.' "

This is a true example of the church taking action and becoming involved again with its neighbors and society. These are true dream builders.

Links
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Troubled Schools are Getting Help From Churches
National Church Adopt-A-School Initiative

Let There be Hobbits

Over the last several years there has been a controversy brewing over the discovery of fossils that point towards a race of hobbits...

In Flores, Indonesia, during 2003 scientists found a partial skull that appeared to be that of a newly discovered race of humans that they dubbed "hobbits". H. floresiensis stood about 3 feet tall and had the brain capacity of a chimp. It was decided that it was a subspecies of homo sapien similar to cro magnum man.

But more recently several legitimate scientists are questioning these findings. They feel that the more likely explanation and the evidence points to either a group of humans similar to pygmys or suffered from a disease known as microcephaly.

Because of the tremendous fascination the public has regarding our ancestry, a fossil hunter who finds a “human” fossil that seems to be unique receives much fame and fortune. The person who finds the second such fossil doesn’t even get a cigar. Thus, there is great incentive to be the first to find something new. Since the discoverer of such fossils “owns them” until he has thoroughly studied them and published his findings, all a paleoanthropologist has to do when he publishes is to build his case. No committee or board of scientists evaluates his fossils or his claims before the discovering scientist publishes. Only after he publishes does the scientific community decide if his case has any merit. If the scientific community later decides that he really hasn’t found anything new, the discoverer still has most of his fame and fortune. Hence, there is a tremendous advantage in making extravagant claims for newly discovered fossils, whereas the downside penalty is negligible. This has been the history of human fossil hunting, and it appears to be what is going on with the hobbits. However, after sober reflection by evolutionists, the claims for these fossils are becoming less sensational.

Please remember what I said over a month ago when I talked on Presuppositions. We all go into this type of research with them. The scientists who discovered these bones wanted to have the glory of a new find and not just another set of bones. They also were working with the assumption that evolution is true and therefore there must be evidence out there to support it.

When scientists reach the news with new discoveries to support evolution lets remember that there may be more than one way to tell the story.

Links
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"Hobbits" were real!
Scientists scuttle claims

Why does it Matter?

Why does it matter whether we know what is true? Why does it matter that we know how evolution is wrong and what it does to our society?...

Like I've said before there is a truth that is above all things and stands all by itself without the support of other truths. Humanists would say that this would be the universe. They would say that that is all there is and all there ever will be. They tell us that we are an accident of nature and that we don't have any true purpose for being on the Earth. My wife loves the part of one of Frank Peretti's messages called God's Way or My Way that points out how our children can go to biology class in high school and become so depressed and disillusioned and then they wonder why we have to give our kids classes on self-esteem so they won't go around killing each other. She loves it because she literally had a biology class that depressed her and made her question her existence and then had a 'self-esteem' class back to back with it.

This is what Ken Ham said in one of their Answer's in Genesis:

‘I’ve learnt a tremendous amount today,’ the woman stated. ‘This seminar has really helped my faith. Please tell me, how do I answer these objections from Bill, my husband?’

I thought for a moment, and then asked her, ‘Do you and Bill have any children?’

‘Why yes, we have three children, eight years old up to 13,’ she replied.

I told her, ‘If your husband was in front of me right now, I think I would say something like this to him.

‘Bill, I applaud your faith in God’s Word. That is very commendable. In fact, the only way we can know truth is because we have a revelation from the One who is truth. From the perspective of understanding what Christianity is all about, you are quite right, the Bible is all we need.

‘However, as you are aware, people will challenge you and your children in regard to this faith in the Bible. In fact, through the media and the education system, children and adults are bombarded with evolutionary ideas. They are being told there is no God. and that all life can be accounted for by chance random processes.

‘If we are honest, there is no way we can shelter our children from hearing such attacks on the Bible. They may hear it from their teachers at school, friends in the neighborhood, a television program, the local newspaper, a magazine they pick up somewhere, a museum, college, or, sadly, even in some churches! No matter how much you try to isolate your children from evolution, they will hear this teaching now or later.

‘Bill, what are you going to say to your children (whether young, or grown up), when they come and ask such questions as:

“‘Dad, I’ve heard that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, and this disagrees with the Bible, is this correct?”

“‘Dad, the majority of scientists say they can prove man evolved from some ape-like creature, and that the story of Adam and Eve is not true—do you have an answer for this?”

“‘Dad, the majority of people say you can’t trust the Bible because it is just a religious book, but real science has proved that God did not create the world the way it says in the Bible. Why shouldn’t I believe the scientists, after all they did put man on the moon, and have made wonderful inventions like computers?”

“‘Dad, where did the fossils come from? Do they fit with the Bible? If Genesis is not true, why should I believe the rest of the Bible, particularly when Jesus Christ quoted from Genesis? Is it true that there was never a world flood like the Bible states in Genesis? Every museum I’ve seen states clearly that all the scientific evidence proves evolution so why should I accept your faith in the Bible?”

‘Bill, the problem is that while the Bible is, in a sense, all we need in regard to understanding salvation, the Bible also tells us the following:

“‘But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” [I Peter 3:15].

“‘Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good” [I Thessalonians 5:21].

‘In other words, Bill, Christianity is not a blind faith, it is an objective faith—a rational logical faith based on facts. It is not like the blind, subjective faith of the evolutionist. Although we can’t scientifically prove our faith, because we can’t scientifically PROVE anything in relation to the past, none the less, we can logically defend our faith.

‘When men teach things that are contrary to Scripture, and endeavor to destroy people’s faith in God’s Word, then we are commanded to oppose this.

‘“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”( II Corinthians 10:5). (emphasis added)

Oops!

I've been posting now for almost two months and my wife just helped me notice that I posted the wrong verse above as my theme verse. How embarrassing! I really hope no one has been turned off by what it says:

1 Corinthians 10:5 (New King James Version)
But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

The verse that it should be and what it says:

2 Corinthians 10:5 (New King James Version)
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

I will get this changed probably by the middle of next week. If this has offended you (but obviously not too much if you came back to read again ;) ) then I really am sorry!

Chris

Hoping for Hope

Depending on the type of person you are this will give you hope or scare you...

WASHINGTON - A car crash severely injured the woman’s brain, leaving her in a vegetative state. But British scientists found startling signs of awareness when they peered deeper into her brain: She seemed to hear and follow — mentally — certain commands.

This novel brain-scanning experiment, reported Thursday, is sure to elicit pleas from families desperate to know if loved ones deemed beyond medical help have brain activity that doctors didn’t suspect.

It’s far too soon to raise those hopes, the British researchers and U.S. doctors stress. There’s no way to know if this woman ever will recover, and therefore if her brain activity means anything medically. Nor can many hospitals perform this type of brain imaging.

I truly hope that this pans out. I really do.

Unfortunately it raises some interesting moral dilemmas. For one, if it is found that all vegetative cases (or even most) have brain function that can be classified as coherent thought how will we treat our current patients? Will it be considered ethically wrong to pull the plug? Would we have to continue watching our loved ones be trapped behind their skulls able to think but unable to respond? Some think its morally wrong to pull the plug in any circumstance while others feel it wrong to let their loved ones suffer. This should increase the debate.

On a side note I must say I've been hearing a lot about the "use of only 10% of our brians" myth lately and I felt I should say something. I've added links below to some articles on the subject.

Links
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Scan detects brain activity in vegetative patient

Do We Use Only 10% of Our Brain?
The Ten-Percent Myth
Myths About the Brain: 10 percent and Counting

My Back to the Future Theory

Romans 8:30
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Ephesians 1:5
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will...

For a long time now I've had a theory about predestination...

I felt now would be a good time to share it. Its a bit hard to grasp for some but for others you will find it quite easy to see my point of view.

We always talk about how our God is omnipotent (all powerful) in that he created everything in this universe from the quasars and blackholes of the galaxies down to the dimples and freckles on our faces. When we get into trouble or when we are praying we are happy to know that God is omnipresent (all seeing) and will never leave us or forsake us. But I notice that some hate the word "predestination" because if God is omniscient (all knowing) then predestination to them means that he already knows if they are going to accept him as their savior or not and it means nothing is really worth the effort.

Then there are those who limit our God by saying that he choose to hide the future from himself so that we can have free will. I find this hard to believe considering the evidence of the Bible. How many prophecies were given just on the birth and life of Jesus? What is the book of Revelation if not a glimpse into our future? No, God knows what the future holds for us.



My theory is called "My Back to the Future Theory" because I came to it after watching the above scene so many years ago. I had this thought, "Why can God not just see the future but ALL possible futures? Why can't he see not only those things I did but all the choices I didn't take?"

My thought is that God knows all the choices I could make and he chooses to let me have free will over which choice I will make. He knows all my futures. I don't believe in parallel universes so I don't believe that there is an alternate me living out one of my other choices. I do believe that God has not limited himself to the present nor limited us to a fixed path. That lines up with the Bible.

Did I get too deep for you yet? It gets better. To the glory of God can you imagine how many choices there are out there when you factor in the whole of one man's existence and then factor in all the random choices of each person on the face of the earth affecting each and every other person's decisions! Wow!

Back to predestination - I see it as a tree. God has chosen us to walk the straight and narrow path straight up the trunk of the tree. But we've all fallen short and have veered off that path. Each decision we take brings us closer to the trunk or farther away. The trunk is God's perfect will and predestined path for all of us. We choose whether we will walk on it or not.

It goes deeper. There are things we could imagine in this world that will never happen on the path of life because they are outside what God wills. When God says something will happen it will happen. It doesn't matter what choices we make at this point because God's will supercedes our own. That is what I meant yesterday when I said arguing over Hitler's motives or even my own doesn't matter. We have choice but if that choice is going to interfere with God's ultimate plans for the human race then they will not happen.

I can't be certain my theory is the right one (and it is much deeper than I can go into on one post) but it does give me hope and lines up with what I see in the Bible. The point is that we all have a choice. God gave us that choice. He didn't tell Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of Life knowing that they would anyway. He didn't offer us salvation knowing ahead of time who would accept it and who would reject it.

Joshua 24:15 (New King James Version)
And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

If this intrigues you and you want to expand on what I've said feel free to comment!

History in the Eyes of the Victorious

I heard it said once that all history is biased by those who were victorious. Heroes would be villains if the other side had won and villains would be heroes...

I have a hard time disagreeing with that thought. The video I have on Darwin's Deadly Legacy is hosted currently by YouTube. I've had a lot of disagreement for it by those who have commented there. They disagree with the clips view that Hitler was motivated in part by Darwinism. They disagree that our culture's collapse of moralism is caused by us turning our backs on ultimate truth. They don't disagree, though, that Hitler was a monster.

But what if Hitler had won the war? What if the world was primarily occupied by communism-ran goverments? Hitler would have been seen as a hero. Winston Churchill would be considered a villain; Albert Einstein a traitor.

My next thought was that Christianity would be no more in that world. But that is where history would take a back seat to truth. You see, it doesn't matter how our history may be biased. It doesn't matter whether we argue over Hitler's morality or my own. I should say right here, though, that these things do matter just not in the overall scheme of things. Why? Because there is a truth out there that is true whether you believe it or not. Its true whether you like it or not. It's true whether you even know it or not. Its just true! Objective, external truth that stands in and of itself.

Truth trumps history. When this world passes away history will go with it. Only truth will remain. Hitler will still exist but his existence will not be biased by the overly righteous or even those who want to make his deeds less horrific. He will stand before the Light of the World and be seen for what he is. So will I and so will you.

So I guess the question becomes - what have you done with the truth that has been given to you?

John 1:1-5 (New International Version)
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

John 14:6 (New International Version)
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Romans 10:9-10 (Amplified Bible)
9Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.

Truth Project

Everyday I go through a process of reading and researching to find things I would consider worthy of letting you know about. The reason being that I feel that our world is straying further and further from the truth and needs to get back on track. I need to get back on track. It is good when I receive comments that contradict me because it helps be grow. It is better when I receive comments that are encouraging me. But it is awesome when I come across an article that reconfirms that I'm on the right track...

Focus on the Family has recently began what they call The Truth Project. It is designed to bring truth back into this truth deprived world

"With so few Christians having an accurate biblical worldview, many in the church are living lives that are, in many ways, undistinguishable from lives of non-believers," said Dr. Del Tackett, senior vice president of Focus on the Family and The Truth Project conference host and speaker, in a released statement.

A Barna Group survey in 2003 discovered that only 9 percent of born-again Christians have a biblical worldview. A more recent Gallup Poll found that about 3 out of 10 Americans continue to profess belief in a literal Bible today, which accounted a 10 percent drop over the past three decades.

So the site has several video lessons set up to teach us the fundamentals. I plan on checking it out more thoroughly as soon as I can. If I find it to be wanting I'll let you know. Until then pray that there is more of a hunger for truth in our world as the days get shorter.

Links
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Truth Project Confronts Scripture Skepticism
The Truth Project

What is a Hero?

I once heard it said in a movie (Serenity) that a hero is a person who gets other people killed...

That's really funny and I hope no one actually takes that seriously. The dictionary says this about heros:

A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war.

We have a habit of idealizing our heros. We see someone we want to emulate in every facet of their being and we elevate them to an almost god status in our lives. We did this with the rescuers of 9/11 and we've done this with the stars of American Idol.

But what about the hardened criminal who is hooked on drugs, raped his housekeeper and murdered his pastor? What if he were to be in the right place at the right time and saved a young boy from a raging fire? Would we consider him a hero or someone who just did something heroic?

I mention this extreme to point out a fact. Most heroes are just normal people that fill in the gray area of most people's minds. They are the moderate church goers or the guys who sleep in on Sundays. They may be mild alcoholics or they may just have a problem abstaining from sweets. They cheat on their taxes and they'll accept free cable if no one will be hurt. They're normal sinners (bring some Christianity back into it) but they are in the right place at the right time to do something heroic.

Or are they that normal? I mean, would you jump into a flaming house to save a child or even an elderly person? Or would you just cry for help or call the fire department? What is that inner spark that makes some "normal" people that are not necessarily good or bad people become extraordinary people in the heat of crisis?

I say this after reading the following article. I know nothing about this couple. I don't know if they were Christians or Muslims, swingers (look it up) or monogamous or any of the other traits listed above. What I do know is that in the end, in my eyes...they were heroes.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A couple found a man raping a young woman in their driveway and tried to flee with her but were shot to death by the attacker, police said.

The teenager was also shot and was expected to recover, police said. A suspect was arrested.

The couple came upon the attack when returning to their home in the Fern Rock neighborhood from a night out late Wednesday, police said.

The 18-year-old woman broke free and began screaming about the assault, and she and the couple then fled while the attacker fired at them with a semiautomatic handgun, according to police.

The three tried to hide nearby, but the assailant found them and fired more shots as they lay on the ground, Chief Inspector Joseph Fox said.

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Good Samaritans slain while interrupting attack, police say

A Prayer for “Baby Christians”

[Keri's Post]
I’m not always going to write on current evens when Sunday rolls around. Simply because there are so many biblical truths that I’m rediscovering. I consider them to be current events in my life and in the lives of all “baby Christians”. It’s Chris’ hope that people we don’t even know will read this blog and realize that God is not an abstract idea with no basis in our lives today. It is my hope to expand that a bit and impart some of my experiences (some good, some bad) in being a new Christian. With the hope that someone who is new to their faith will learn from all this and hopefully grow and mature a little easier than it has been for me...

Not many people know that I’ve only truly been Christian for a little over a year now. So sometimes I find it hard to express my feelings to non believers since I’m relatively new to faith in Jesus Christ. My spiritual journey took somewhat of a fast track though since there are already so many things I do know about God. I just didn’t know God personally until Chris introduced me. Thanks honey!

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

It truly has been like having a second adolescence with all of the awkward points along the way.

Today I’m going to talk about prayer. Before I was Christian, I would basically pray about the same things every night. “Help me with my test; give me the strength to get through tomorrow, thanks for the great weather, blah blah blah.” Well, that got boring even for me so I eventually stopped praying altogether. Now that I’m an actual Christian striving for a relationship with God I’ve noticed a difference in my prayers, but for a while there I was slipping back into the same old habit of asking for the same stuff over and over.

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:5-15

Before I was Christian, I didn’t think of God in that way. I never heard him speaking to my heart or to my mind. I was insanely jealous of all those who he did seem to speak to, and I used to think that I wasn’t living up to the divine nature he had given me, so that’s why he never talked to me. Now I’ve realized that he’s always been there talking to me and reassuring me when things go wrong, I just didn’t listen for him. My idea of him was wrong; I had not accepted him into my life. I had not given over my life to him. Now that I have, I’ve grown more and learned more than I ever did before. My life has finally come together since I’ve given away to him.

This morning I asked God how he wanted me to pray, and he told me that he just wants to have a conversation with me. He already knows what I want and what I need. He knows that I’m still struggling for clarification on many Christian issues. He already knows all these things, he wants me to ask for them anyway, but what he wants most of all is to simply hear from me and talk to me about my life. That’s how we should pray, we should just talk to God like we were talking to an old friend on the telephone. Seriously, he’s only a prayer away and he yearns to hear from you.

Erase the Chalk Mark? (Stem Cells)

Sadly, the findings were not as good as they we were first lead to believe. Remember when I said, "CNN reports that a new method has been introduced that would not hurt the embryo in the process!"?...

It seems that the scientists who published this study were not as clear as they could be on how they made this discovery. The researchers republished their work not long after they originally posted it but the news feeds had already picked up on the story and ran with it.

The theory was that they could use a process that takes one cell from an embryo and use it to make stem cells without killing the embryo. What they failed to mention was that they were not sure if it would work so they actually took five or six cells from the embryo for the tests which ended the life of the child.

So the question becomes whether or not we want to condone continued research in this fashion to allow an end result that would be morally acceptable. Will we allow the sin of killing the innocent continue if it will mean that we won't have to kill them anymore?

That is a very tough question to try to answer. I'm not sure I can answer the question. Its a simple equation on the outside. Part of me says we should just say no to this process but then the potential for more deaths increases. On the otherhand if we agree to the process the killings would hopefully be minimal but our hands would be stained with the lives of the innocent.

What is your thoughts on the subject? Is there a twist to the story I missed? Comment on this post to let me know.

Links
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Error Sparks Stem Cell Debate Confusion
Error Sparks Stem Cell Debate Confusion(2)