The Basis For our Faith

In the creation / evolution controversy, it is often the case that non-believers consider creationists to be superstitious fools who cling to a mythical God.  But when the facts are brought to light, it is actually those who do not believe in God who’s faith is ill-placed.  The basis for the Christian faith is far more than just a whim or gut feeling.  Our faith is backed up with reasonable scientific evidence which makes it the more logical choice than the faith of the unbelievers.

It’s sometimes difficult when we look at the naturalistic world we live in and come to the conclusion that there must be something out there that is supernatural.  We don’t see supernatural things going on around us.  Everything we see working in nature today has a natural explanation for how it functions so it is difficult to grasp something supernatural because we never get to see it in action.   What nature cannot explain is how the universe and everything in it came to exist.

All matter in the universe has specific behaviors with no known exceptions.  These behaviors have been identified and have been given descriptions which we call the laws of nature.   The law of Gravity is one of them.  These behaviors of matter are what gives us the order and functionality we have in nature today.  If it were not for the law of gravity, life could not exist.  And so it is for the other laws of nature as well.

Something has been in existence forever.  We know this to be true because if ever there were a time in our history when nothing existed, then nothing would now exist.   The law of Cause and effect states that for every material cause there must be an adequate prior cause.  There are no known exceptions to this law.  Something is out there that has to have existed forever.   Something exists now, therefore something has to have existed forever.  What is it?

There are only 3 possible answers to explain our origins.  Either the universe has always existed, or the universe created itself out of nothing, or the universe was created.   We have already eliminated the second option so that leaves only 2.

Has the universe always existed?    The law of Conservation of Energy and Matter states that matter and energy cannot be created in nature.  Matter and energy can be changed back and forth from one form to the other but it cannot be created or destroyed.   Simply stated, what we have in existence today is all we have ever had and all that we will ever have.   The law of increased entropy states that usable energy is becoming less and less available.  The hydrogen which fuels our sun and the stars is being consumed and not being replenished.   The fossil fuels we use here on earth are being consumed and are not being replenished.  Eventually, all of this usable energy is going to run out.  The stars will die, the sun will go out and our universe will become a dark, dead, lifeless place.   These two laws of nature tell us that what we have now is what we have always had and that it is slowly running down.  Has the universe always existed?  No it has not.  Not in this form anyway.  Something, or someone, had to get it here, wind it up and jump start it.   Something adequate to the task had to cause it to exist.

Option #1 has been eliminated.  That leaves only one option left to explain our origins.  The universe was created.

When all of this is considered together, it is evident that the existence of our universe is not possible under the laws of nature which govern the behavior of all matter.  The creationists have faith in an intelligent all knowing all powerful supernatural creator.  The atheistic naturalists have faith in a naturally occurring supernatural event.   Neither of these have ever been observed therefore both require e a degree of faith.

When I look around at nature with its order, beauty, complexity and symmetry, I do not see a natural occurring supernatural event which caused the existence of our universe.  Rather, I see the handiwork of an intelligent all knowing all powerful supernatural creator.

I’m basing my faith on the more probable and intelligent choice.

Psalms 14:1

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.

Written by David Hersey

 

 

Posted in David Hersey | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Basis For our Faith

The First Moon of Spring Bunny

It’s Easter time again: a time for candy, colored eggs, more candy, egg hunts, some more candy…  While many observe this holiday in some religious way, to a lot of people Easter is just another day of festivities for children.  (And as far as secular holidays go, it’s definitely a fun day for kids).  As Santa Claus is to Christmas, the fictitious Easter Bunny is the central figure of this particular spring holiday.  Being that Easter is usually considered by the religious world at large to be a celebration of the resurrection of Christ, we may wonder why people don’t call that bunny “The Resurrection of Christ Bunny.”  But the truth is that would be incorrect anyway, for (as far as the Bible is concerned) Easter has nothing to do with the resurrection of Christ at all.

While it is true that the English term “Easter” is mentioned once in the King James Version of the Bible (in Acts 12:4), it is not in reference to any Christian holy day.  In fact, the New Testament Greek word for Easter is “pascha” meaning “Passover” (a Jewish holy period).  Of the 28 other times “pascha” is used in the Greek New Testament, the KJV translators correctly translated it “Passover.”  Yet in Acts 12:4 (possibly at the command of King James) they used the term “Easter.”  As the context of the passage proves, Acts 12:4 makes no reference to the resurrection of Christ at all, but rather deals with King Herod’s persecution of Christians at the time of the Passover (vv.1-3). Neither would Herod temporarily cease persecuting Christians so that he could observe a Christian holy day.  How absurd!

It is also noteworthy to mention that the term “Easter” (originally “Eostre,” an Anglo-Saxon term meaning “goddess of spring,” or “fertility”) is of pagan origin. Furthermore, the day itself is calculated by the first full moon of spring (not the Passover, as some assume).  Thus, the word “Easter” is an inappropriate term supplied by the KJV translators, and this has caused much and needless confusion over many generations.  So maybe instead of calling that bunny the “Easter Bunny,” perhaps people should call it the “Passover Bunny” or (more to the point) the “Pagan Bunny” or the “First Moon of Spring Bunny.”  Though the “bunny” is a secular symbol, these designations would at least be more truthful.

Posted in Aaron Veyon | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The First Moon of Spring Bunny

Stem Cell Research

Stem Cell Research: Needless Death

Politicians who believe a particular “cause” will increase their odds in a voting booth can often be heard (loudly) beating the drum for that cause on the campaign trial. If a public poll appears to indicate that Americans are in favor of something—a check of the wind, so-to-speak—many politicians adopt that cause with gusto. But occasionally, it would be nice if the politicians would check the facts rather than checking the wind and popular opinion. Americans would be better informed and better served if those nominated for office would educate themselves on the facts.

For instance, embryonic stem cell research has been a political hot button for several years. Many elected officials and celebrities take pleasure in locking arms together and demanding that the government fund embryonic stem cell research. To hear their rhetoric, one might believe that these cells harvested from human embryos could not only cure Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, but also give us peace on Earth and resolve gridlock on the nation’s interstates. Surely the average person can see through this political grandstanding. [One wonder’s how much money the abortion lobbyists have funneled into this debate to keep the issue in the headlines.]

In reality, we know today that those embryonic stem cells are totally unnecessary. Stem cell research can continue without the destruction of innocent embryos. Adult stem cells provide the answer. Initially, the controversy was allegedly whether or not the stem cells were “pluripotent”—meaning cells that have the ability to become almost any cell in the body. These special cells can become healthy heart tissue or nervous tissue which could potentially be used to treat congestive heart failure or various brain disorders respectively. Currently stem cells are collected from four different sources: adult tissue, umbilical cords, aborted fetuses, and leftover embryos stored from in vitro fertilization procedures. The real controversy surrounds where the stem cells are collected from.

Prior to 2001, it was believed that only embryonic stem cells—that is, cells collected from aborted fetuses or embryos—were pluripotent. However, in the past six years, several peer-reviewed research studies have clearly shown that adult stem cells are also pluripotent. In fact, in January 2007 researchers demonstrated they could derive human stem cells from the amniotic fluid surrounding babies in the womb. Adult stem cells collected from this method would potentially provide an endless source of stem cells that are easily available for research. According to USA Today staff writer Elizabeth Weise, “The researchers at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., were able to get the amniotic cells to differentiate into fat, bone, muscle, blood, nerve and liver cells.” Simply put, we do not need embryonic stem cells. The current “score” is 72 to 0—meaning there are currently seventy-two conditions successfully being treated using adult stem cells (see http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm), whereas embryonic stem cells have still yet to show any benefit in treating human conditions.

Dr. Mae-Wan Ho wrote a paper comparing the “score” between embryonic (ES) and adult stem cells.  After reviewing studies employing embryonic stem cells she concluded: “These latest results show that the ES cells need to be genetically modified and extensive manipulation in vitro before they can be transplanted safely. Direct transplant of ES cells are known to give rise to teratomas (tumors—BH) and uncontrollable cell proliferation. There is already evidence that ES cells are genetically unstable in long term culture, and are especially prone to chromosomal abnormalities.” This is not exactly the scorecard that the media has been presenting the general public.

The American people should be bold enough to hold politicians and the mainstream media accountable: “Why promote embryonic stem cells if the adult stem cells work?”Why do individuals continue to promote the “potential” benefit of embryonic stem cells when it has been unmistakably shown that adult stem cells are working better? What does this tell us about the value our society is placing on human life? Have we forgotten that the first step toward the Nazi Holocaust was when physicians began to selectively determine which lives were worth living? Much of the moral decay we are witnessing today is a direct result of society in which human life is no longer valued. Robert Reily observed: “The problem is that, by denying the possibility of a relationship between God and man, atheism also denies the possibility of a just relationship between men…. Human life is sacred only if there is a God to sanctify it. Otherwise man is just another collection of atoms and can be treated as such” (1988). Children (and adults) need to be taught that life is precious, and reminded that God views life to begin before birth (see Isaiah 49: 1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13-14; Job 3:13-16, etc.). Otherwise, without intervention, society will continue to treat humans as simply a collection of atoms—and we will continue to watch the onslaught of needless deaths.

For a more detailed review of the stem cell controversy please see the January 2006 issue of Think available online.

Posted in Brad Harrub | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Stem Cell Research

Trinity

GOD IS A TRINITY

QUESTION: “I have a friend who is a Jehovah’s Witness who says there is no trinity in the Bible. She says that the God of the Bible is Jehovah only and that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were servants (angels) of Jehovah. Is that what you understand about the God of the Bible?”

MY ANSWER: In the beginning there was God:

1. The FATHER and SPIRIT are mentioned in Gen. 1:1-2.

2. JESUS CHRIST (i.e. the WORD) is mentioned in John 1:1

3. The two readings establish that all three members of the Godhead were present at the CREATION!

Genesis 1:1-2 – 1 in the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (KJV)

John 1:1 – in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (KJV)

The Godhead is a trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Godhead exists and is one in purpose (i.e. intent); these three are in complete accord in all things.

Consider the following as Biblical proof that God consists of FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT:  The first four books of the New Testament (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) state the facts for us regarding the trinity – All three members of the Godhead were present and identified at the baptism of Jesus by John the baptizer in the River Jordan.

Matt. 3:16-17 – “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (KJV)

Mark 1:10-12 – “And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And immediately the Spirit drives him into the wilderness. (KJV)

Luke 3:21-22 – Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (KJV)

John 1:32-34 – And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (KJV)

Posted in Garreth L. Clair | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Trinity

Heaven Holds My Standards and Ideals

We are all familiar with the idea of a standard.  Perhaps the most common standard is the ruler, a flat stick of wood on which is inscribed twelve numbers sequentially, evenly spaced at regular intervals.  The entire ruler is known as a “foot.”  The smaller divided spaces as “inches.”  In the construction industry, this standard is critical for consumers to know exactly the amount of product they are receiving.  Were a construction worker to depart from this standard and provide less, the consumer would balk at the product and cry foul, and rightly so.  So also, one would be upset were he to receive a ticket for running a green light, get charged for a gallon of milk when he only bought half a gallon, or get an “F” on a test on which he missed no questions.  We expect agreed upon standards to go unaltered.

While the above conventions are humanly devised, it is a fundamental mistake to say that all standards are simply the product of human invention.  The implication of such a notion is that Nazi Germany was not wrong in its extermination of seven million Jews.  Neither could Stalin have been wrong when he intentionally starved to death six to eight million Ukrainians in the early 1930s.  If all standards are humanly devised, then standards of right and wrong must be humanly devised as well.  If such is the case, then no higher standard than humanity itself could judge an action to be wrong.  That implies that if humanity (or a certain contingent thereof) agrees upon it, it must be right, regardless of how atrocious it may be.  Such is the quagmire into which one wades when he leaves heaven out of his thinking.

Indeed, in order to escape the morass of problems that results from the notion that humans invent morals, one must appeal to a standard of morality that is above and beyond humanity.  The Bible sets forth God as the source of all things morally praiseworthy, and the ultimate standard for right and wrong (Luke 18:19, James 1:17).  This means that heaven holds my standards and ideals for morality and right living.  How does heaven reveal this message to me?

First, God reveals the standard for right living through the life and person of Jesus who is the Christ, God in the flesh.  Jesus reveals to us who God truly is (John 1:18), teaches us what God’s will is (John 7:17), and provides for us a perfect example for how to live (1 Peter 2:21).  Titus 2:11-12 says of Jesus, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

Second, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to His apostles and prophets to guide them into all truth (John 16:13).  These apostles were inspired by God’s Spirit to preach, teach, and write the things which they saw and heard of the life of Jesus (John 14:26).  These men of God spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).  When they wrote these things down so that others could read them, they revealed the very mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).  We may understand what they wrote, and apply them to our lives as we seek to live in a morally praiseworthy way (Ephesians 3:3-4).

Third, as I seek God within my life, I must handle the scriptures in a responsible way.  Paul told Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).  I must be honest with the evidence that is presented (Luke 8:15).  I must make personal application of the truths of the word of God to my life (James 1:21-27).  I must not wrest the scriptures to my own destruction (2 Peter 3:16).

It is not the case that a single human, a group of humans, or the whole of humanity are the standard for right and wrong.  Each person must look to heaven, wherein dwells righteousness (2 Peter 3:13), for his standards and ideals.  Indeed, heaven holds all to me!

Posted in Kevin Cauley | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Heaven Holds My Standards and Ideals