Bible Contradiction?

"How can Adam die when he ate the forbidden fruit, and then live to 930?"

"But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:17).

CONTRADICTION: "And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died" (Genesis 5:5).

EXPLANATION: Adam died the moment he sinned and broke fellowship with God--the Source of all life. At that second, death entered his body and he began to degenerate (to age). The Bible also tells us that a “day” to the Lord is a thousand years to humanity (see 2 Peter 3:8), and Adam died within that “day.”

I thank God for every one of you (incuding atheists), and wish you a very happy Thanksgiving

Does God “repent” or doesn’t He?

"And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart" (Genesis 6:6).

CONTRADICTION: "God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of a man that he should repent" (Numbers 3:19).

EXPLANATION: God is without sin, so any references to Him and repentance merely mean "a change of mind."

There are at least twenty-six references to God repenting, and every time it is used it is in a context of changing His mind or purpose in punishing or rewarding a person or group of people.

However, man is sinful and when the Scriptures speak of man repenting it is in reference to him changing his mind and turning from sin. It mans to "confess and forsake" his sins. Numbers 3:19 is saying that God is not like a man, who needs to repent of lying. He can be trusted to keep every promise He makes.

How Many "Gods" are There?

"And God said, let us make man in our image" (Genesis 1:26).

CONTRADICTION: "Unto you it was showed, that you might know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him" (Deuteronomy 4:35).

EXPLANATION: The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ was preexistent with God before He was manifest in Human form. He was the "Word" (the voice of God) that created all things: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:1-2, 14). Look at what Jesus said of Himself: "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30) and "And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one" (John 17:22).

Goodbye Atheists

Around 2004, I was with our film crew in Las Vegas. We were interviewing people for our television program outside the famed Bellagio Hotel. One of the reasons it’s famous is because it has a magnificent computerized fountain that plays music as water bursts into the sky with each crescendo.

During that time they played some music that almost brought me to tears. I never knew what that song was called, and for years I have longed to hear it again. But recently, to my great joy, I heard it. Here is the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLHq7rgHOLk

As I listened to its incredible melody, tears streamed down my face. One of the reasons for the tears was its title. It is called "Time to Say Goodbye." I have often watched people say goodbye to their loved ones at airports and my heart breaks for them, because one day there will be a last goodbye. All of us will say goodbye to everything we love and hold dear to us.

The Christian carries around a deep and heavy sorrow. He is like a man who sees villagers happily living beneath a great dam. He has seen cracks in the dam and he knows that they will soon die if they don’t move from where they are living. But the villagers refuse to believe his warning, and even mock his every word. His sorrow is that their deaths will be totally needless.

I know that when I say goodbye to my loved ones for the last time, I will see them again at the resurrection of the just and the unjust. If you want that incredible consolation, stop doubting, and take a long and honest look at the Ten Commandments. They are going to justly damn you forever. Then take a long look at the Savior on the cross. That’s what can save you completely. Then move out of the sinful village of this world, through repentance and faith in Jesus. When your sins are forgiven, instead of having God against you, "God will be with you":

Goodbye Origin: 1565–75; contr. of "God be with ye."

An Atheist’s Honest Question

"My question for you is, if the whole point of accepting Christ is that it makes you righteous, do you mean righteous as in compassionate, loving, etc. . . . or righteous as in clean, pure, or saved? Or am I completely missing the point and you actually mean something else altogether? Because if it's the first one (compassionate, etc.), I think that many Christians and non-Christians alike fit that profile." Sarah

I will do my best to answer your question. There are two sorts of “righteousness” being spoken of here. Living a compassionate and clean life is a form of righteousness. It’s living in a righteous way. However, the righteousness that we speak of in becoming a Christian, is what is called "imputed" righteousness. This is the one that saves us from death and Hell. Let me try and explain with an analogy.

Let’s say your father lost his wife years ago to a drunk driver, and he strictly told you never to drink and drive. Even though you could drive a car, you didn't have a license, so you gave him your word that it would never happen.

But one night you had too much to drink, and without his permission you grabbed your dad’s keys and took your friends for a quick joyride in his new car.

You hit the freeway and decide to show them how quickly it accelerates. Suddenly a dog is in front of you! You swerve to miss the animal, and the next thing you know, you awake in the hospital with the police at your bedside. You not only destroyed your dad’s new car, but you seriously injured your three friends, and ran two other vehicle’s off the road. You didn’t have a license, and your blood alcohol level was off the charts. You are in big trouble.

At your trial, you can’t begin to justify your actions. What could you say for your justification? What could get you off the hook? Could you say that you didn’t mean to do what you did? That you were not drunk? That plenty of people drink and drive? That you are sorry and won’t do it again. Of course you should be sorry, and of course you shouldn’t do it again. You do the only thing you can do. You plead guilty.

The judge fines you $250,000 to cover damages, $100,000 for court costs, and he fines you $200,000 for the crime of drunk driving, and for driving without a license. The total is $550,000 or imprisonment. You don’t have two beans to rub together. You are horrified that you are going to prison for a long time.

Suddenly your dad steps up to the bailiff and asks to speak to the judge. He then gets out his checkbook, writes a check and gives it to the judge. The judge looks at the check, then at you, and says, "You father just paid your fine in full. You are free to go."

You find out later that your dad made a huge sacrifice to pay your fine. He sold his beloved house, and used a life-time of savings. He is now penniless; but his sacrifice has saved you from a long prison term. Tell me, how are you going to now feel about your dad, and about his incredible sacrifice? You would be truly sorry for what you did, very humbled by what he did, and unspeakably grateful to him. Isn’t that true?

In a sense, your father’s sacrifice gave you a type of "imputed" righteousness. You couldn’t justify yourself, let alone declare yourself righteous. You knew that you were a guilty criminal. It was your father’s payment that “justified” you. The payment that he handed the judge immediately made you right with the law. It had no demands on you. You were declared righteous the moment it was paid. You did nothing to deserve it, and after a lifetime of living to please your dad, you still won’t deserve it. It was his unmerited gift of love to you.

Here now is the message of Christianity. We have all deliberately violated God’s Law. We willfully gave ourselves to the sins of lust, greed, lying, stealing, blasphemy, ingratitude, adultery, hatred, fornication, gossip, and anger. Keep in mind that God is so holy, He sees lust as adultery, hatred as murder, and any sort of lying is so serious to Him that He warns that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire.

Who of us can justify ourselves under the light of that perfect Law (the Ten Commandments)? Dare we say that we are not guilty? Dare we say that our sins weren’t willful, or that there are people worse than we are? Remember, the moral Law shines into the heart. God sees your thought-life. He sees the unclean sexual desires, the hidden sins of conceit, selfishness, the envy and jealousy, etc.

If we stand before that Law of the Day of Judgment, it will justly condemn us to Hell. Our crimes against God have put us on death row. It patiently waits for the moment of our execution. We have nothing to offer the Judge in payment for our crimes. How could we ever make things right? We are without hope.

Hence, the gospel. God sent His Son. He created a body for Himself, lived a perfect life, then paid the fine for the Law that we violated. He paid it through excruciating suffering. God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Then He rose again on the third day. Now, upon our repentance and faith in Jesus, the Judge can legally dismiss our case. We couldn’t justify ourselves, but God justified us (made us righteous) through the death of His Son.

It’s important to understand that the Christian isn't simply a forgiven criminal. God actually clothes Him with the righteousness of Christ. This is “imputed” righteousness. It is difficult for us to conceive of such a thing, but that means (in God’s eyes) the one who trusts in Jesus is made absolutely perfect, pure, holy, and righteous. This is because God "puts" righteousness on those that trust alone in the Savior.

That may not mean too much to skeptics and atheists right now, but on Judgment Day they will suddenly see that the Christian is free from the demands of the Law. It can’t touch him. He is right with the Law, and the Scriptures even say that he can have “boldness” on the Day of wrath. The Christian escapes execution. Death can’t touch him. He has escaped the damnation of Hell.

That righteousness will come to you the moment you confess and forsake your sins. You will be born again, and God will give you a new heart with new desires. So, what are you waiting for?

Set aside your questions, your arguments, and your doubts, and humbly and earnestly call upon the name of the Lord. Go on. You may not have tomorrow. Time is ticking, and it will eventually take you into eternity. It may happen in time, or in the lack of a heartbeat.

The moment you find the truth of what I have just told you, you will join the ranks of those who look upon that sacrifice--that old rugged cross--that bloodied torture stake, with new eyes. You will find a place of genuine godly sorrow, heart-felt humility, and unspeakable gratitude for such amazing grace . . . for the gift of eternal life.

USC Conversation with Patrick

Please note: This audio clip contains bad language.

Bird Brain

"The Celtic Chimp said...Ray, Birds and all animals are most certainly impressive, no doubt. I have often sat in contemplation like that myself. I just come to a different conclusion to you. Ever wonder what goes on in the mind of a bird?"

Celtic...Yes. Almost every time I look at them. How do they know how and when to build a nest? How do they choose who to hang with? How do they recognize old friends (they all look the same)? Why don't we see fat sparrows? What are they singing about? Who teaches them music? How come they can all sing on key? How do they know that they are sparrows so that they can hang with other sparrows? Birds of a feather do flock together (how many sparrows do you see flying with seagulls?). Are they nervous on their first flight? Who warns them about cats? If it's their mom and dad, how do they communicate with their kids? Do they dream? What do they dream about? Cats? If they think, do they think in English or Chirp? Probably Chirp. Are they taught language skills while in the nest or afterwards at some sort of hidden Chirp school? Does the language have a similar structure to human language? When they all get together for a sing along (we often hear loud tree choirs), do they have a conductor? Is anyone is charge, or is it just a jam session of golden oldies?

As an atheist it must be a little frustrating having no one to thank for all this. How can you not stand in awe at the intelligence of the mind that put all this together? I marvel at the genius of God. Einstein did. Newton did. You don't. You see the meal but you never taste it...because you don't want to. What a tragedy.

Open Air at USC

[pic. Students have a committee meeting at the "heckler's mic."]

I preached for nearly two hours at USC on Thursday (with an invitation from a USC professor). I was a little nervous just before I began. This was a prestigious university. It was a Mecca of intellectual understanding, and it was the educational home of men like John Wayne. But once things were under way the nervousness left, as it always does.

So, what would these intellectual minds come up with for arguments against Intelligent Design, the reality of sin, the existence of God, and of Heaven and Hell? Nothing new. They had the same old boring arguments. Nothing to back up evolution. Zilch. It was just a matter of addressing the intellect, then moving to the level playing field--the conscience. The moral Law left them as guilty as sin before a holy God.

One young man (Patrick) heckled me for about 30 minutes. Rejection of God left him with no purpose in life. He didn’t know why he was alive, where he was going, where he came from, and he admitted him that such thoughts were incredibly frustrating. He had nothing on which to hang logic. He had no absolutes. Nothing was sure, and he couldn’t even come to the conclusion that he was sane. Nothing makes sense when we reject God. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning, the ending, and the in-between--the reason for existence. He is light and life itself. Reject Him, and you are stuck with the alternative. Death, futility, and darkness.

Awed Speechless

We have a bird-feeder by a window in our living room where I do most of my writing. Every day I watch birds feeding, fluttering, fighting, and then flying off. But, as a Christian, I can’t help but think deeper about what I witness every day. Each one of these little creatures is an amazingly made independent flying machine. I have read the biography of the Wright brothers and was fascinated by the fact that they continually studied principles of flight that they saw in birds, before they constructed their own flying machine. We have the miracle of flight now, because the Wright brothers copied God’s handiwork. They watched as birds twisted their wings in flight, and how they used their tail as a rudder. If God hadn’t given them clues though His creation, we would probably still be grounded today.

I watch these little birds land in a tiny space with absolute precision, flutter their amazingly made wings, and move their heads with incredibly delicate movements. Each one has its own personality, and a mind to feed on that which will benefit it. It has a memory of where the food is, and instinctively mixes with birds of its own kind, but its tiny eyes are peeled for cats. One cat or the movement of my hand and a dozen of them will leave in an instant. They don’t panic at the first sign of danger and fly into each other, but in a split second they fly away in amazing unison. It’s not as if one of them sounds an alarm and they leave. It’s an instantaneous exit.

Each bird has a tiny brain, muscles that move the tail and twist the wings, a thirst, a hunger, an instinct to build a home, to start a family, to daily search for food and to snooze at night. They have a brain that coordinates tiny feet, its wings, a stomach, digestive juices, lungs that pull in air, kidneys, bowels, a liver, blood, and a pumping heart that sends it and oxygen through the tiny brain that keeps each little bird alive and kicking.

How blind we are to the absolute genius of God. It grieves me that I can go through life and look at any part of creation, and not be awed speechless by God’s amazing hand. But I did that for 22 years of my unsaved life. I was a blind man, unaware that there was anything outside my own dark little world. What is even more grievous, is that sinful man denies God due praise for His wonderful creation.

The Testimony of an Atheist

"Having not been raised to believe in God, I didn't. I avoided the subject until my 20's, when curious friends and relatives openly inquired just what it was I believed in, since I didn't go to church or show any signs of faith at all. They assumed I must be an atheist, and I assumed so also. Soon I began justifying my lack of belief by using logic (I thought) to claim God was impossible, too abstract to exist. I started joining any atheist groups I could find, and debating Christian acquaintances, especially on the issue of evolution.

"Eventually, being an atheist meant having to be well-versed in the arguments of the other side; I had to know exactly what it was I claimed to not believe. I read a lot of apologetics books on Christianity and intelligent design. And they made sense! How did the universe and life come into existence, and the immensely complex, creative, self-aware human brain? Or even a bacterium or hydrogen atom? The only explanation for it was God." AP

The Unanswered Prayer of the Atheist

The atheist has a problem with both answered and unanswered prayer. Here’s a scenario that no doubt happens daily somewhere in the world. A young boy becomes deathly ill. The entire family gathers for prayer. However, despite earnest and sincere prayer, the child tragically dies. Their explanation for the death is that God took him to heaven because He wanted the child there. That’s seen by the atheist as "unanswered prayer." Or the child miraculously makes a recovery, which the family hails as an evident miracle. God obviously answered the family’s prayers by saving the child from death. The atheist maintains that it wasn’t answered prayer but that the child recovered because his body healed itself.

Was the recovery a miracle? Perhaps. Then again, perhaps it wasn’t. Only God knows. The fact is that we have no idea what happened. However, one thing we do know is that answered or unanswered prayer has nothing to do with God’s existence. Let me explain. My wife has a Dodge Caravan. Let’s say it has a problem. What would be my intellectual capacity if I concluded that it had no manufacturer simply because I couldn’t contact them about the dilemma? The fact of their existence has nothing to do with whether or not they return my calls.

Neither does God’s existence have anything to do with the fact that there are those who have experienced miracles, seen visions, or supposedly heard His voice. The sun doesn’t exist because we see its light, or because we feel its warmth. Its existence has nothing to do with any human testimony. Nor does it cease to exist because a blind man is not aware of its reality, or because it becomes cloudy, or the night falls. The sun exists, period.

God’s existence isn’t dependent on the Bible or its authenticity, the existence of the Church, the prophets, or even creation. God existed before the Scriptures were penned, before creation came into existence. Even if the Bible was proved to be fraudulent, God would still exist.

Adamant atheist April Pedersen writes, "The human trait of seeking comfort through prayer is a strong one." This is true. However, April fails to see that human nature itself is very predictable. If men will not embrace the biblical revelation of God, their nature is to go into idolatry. "Idolatry" is the act of creating a god in our image, whether it is shaped with the human hands (a physical "idol"), or shaped in the human mind through the imagination. Those who create their own god then use it as a "good-luck charm" to do their bidding. The idolater uses his god for his own ends. He calls on his god to win a football game, a boxing match, the lottery, and, of course, to win a war. Idolatry is as predictable as it is illogical.

[Excerpted from God Doesn’t Believe in Atheists (Bridge-Logos)]

Questions/arguments from a Skeptic

1. God is Light, yet He creates the sun, for what purpose?

He created the sun so that we could have life on this planet. Without the sun, there can be no life.

2. God is Light, and He creates Himself by saying let there be light.

God is light, but the sun is created light. Science tells us that it had a beginning. God was its first cause.

3. God creates the moon as a light, but we know it is not a light.

We are aware that it merely reflects the sun's light, but it is a light that shines at night, as the Bible says. Haven't you heard of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata?

4. Why create a light before the sun/stars/moon? Surely God can work in the dark just as easily.

Again, God is light. He doesn't need anything to show Him His creation. The darkness it like light to Him (see Psalm 139:11-12).

5. God creates the Earth before the Sun, what gravitational field is the Earth sitting in?

Every planetary body (including the Earth) is surrounded by its own gravitational field, which exerts an attractive force on all objects. God created gravity, and He holds all things together by His own power (see Colossians 1:17).

6. God creates things in three days with "evening and morning" yet in order to have an evening and morning it relies on the Earth to rotate and the light source to come from a point, but God is everywhere.

God created every law of nature, and He is not bound by His own creation. He has power over thunder, lightning, earthquakes, the sun, and the wind, and even over you...as you will eventually find out.

7. Why did God only create radiation of a certain wave-length?

You will have to ask Him that one yourself. However, please realize that He will not even hear (take notice of) your requests while you have sin or doubt in your life (see Psalm 66:18). So don’t expect an answer (see James 1:6-7).

Genesis "Contradiction."

Does God have a body or is He a spirit?

"And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day" (Genesis 3:8).

CONTRADICTION: "For a spirit hath not flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39), “God is a spirit" (John 4:24).

EXPLANATION: The reference to God “walking” is what is known "anthropomorphism." This is common in Scripture and attributes the characteristics of man to God, using words like "face" and "hand" when describing Him and what He does. For example, when the Bible says that "the eye of the Lord is in every place beholding the evil and the good," it doesn’t mean that God has a physical eye that is everywhere. It simply means that God is omniscient--that He sees everything.

The Ultimate Consolation

Jim (left) was tragically killed in a bicycle accident on Wednesday. He left a lovely wife (Kelly) and their two children. His passing was a reminder that this life is "the shadow of death" (see Psalm 23:4), and as the Bible says, the whole of humanity sits in that dark shadow (see Matthew 4:16). They are not going anywhere. They are just sitting, waiting for it to come to them.

How unspeakably thankful I am that "Light has dawned." For the Christian, the shadow has gone. The light of the glorious gospel of Christ banished it. Death has lost its sting for those that trust in the mercy of God. Jim was deeply into Wicca before he received the gift of everlasting life (see Romans 6:23). His death sentence was commuted because of Calvary. The moment he repented and trusted in Jesus, he was saved from the demands of eternal justice.

No doubt, some will say that the fact that he tragically died is proof that there’s no loving God. Such is the erroneous philosophy that comes from the modern gospel. Don’t believe when preachers tell you that Christians don’t get sick, have problems, or get killed. When it rains, we get wet too.

Christianity doesn’t promise a smooth flight. Just a safe landing. That’s what Jim had. You can have it too, if you will repent and trust the Savior. Do it today. Death and Hell are a good reason to do so.

Genesis "Contradictions"

"How animals were created before man and then after man?"

"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them' (Genesis 1:26-27).

CONTRADICTION: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being . . . Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name" (Genesis 2:7 & 19).

EXPLANATION: "It was only the animals in closest proximity and most likely as theoretical candidates for companionship to man that were actually brought to him. These included the birds of the air, the cattle (verse 20—probably the domesticated animals), and the beasts of the field, which were evidently the smaller wild animals that would live near human habitations. Those not included were the fish of the sea, the creeping things, and the beasts of the earth mentioned in Genesis 1:24, which presumably were those wild animals living at considerable distance from man and his cultivated fields." Dr Henry Morris

Bus Adverts...Lonely Atheists

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5B3CgN-s2s

"I find it hilarious that the same people who accuse Christians of not spending money on poor people have gone and spent money on this ridiculous, worthless, idiotic ad campaign instead of maybe providing food and presents to poor people this holiday season." Jinx McHue

"Mistakes” in The Book of Genesis

"How can light be created before the sun?"

"Then God said, ‘Let there be light'; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:3-5).

CONTRADICTION: "Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day" (Genesis 1:14-19).

EXPLANATION : God is light (1 John 1:5, Revelation 22:5). He eternally existed, before He created the Sun to give light to the earth.

Back from Paris

We had a wonderful five days in Paris. We filmed under the Eiffel Tower, and around other well-known places in the city, including the amazing Notre Dame. I spoke three times on Sunday at the church, which was huge, and had an overflow of people sitting in the parking lot. It was by far the liveliest church in which I have ever spoken. The people were extremely hospitable and drove us wherever we wanted to film. This included a Monday morning visit to Paris’s prestigious evolution museum (Grande Gallerie de l'Evolution), which turned out to be packed full of stuffed animals that God had created.

We searched for about an hour, then finally asked authorities for the evolution section. The only "evidence" was a stuffed image of the discredited "Lucy" and a copy of Origin of Species. Believers in the theory have encouraged me to visit museums to see proof of transitional forms. The evidence was less than pathetic.

From there we went to Le Louvre and had the thrill of interviewing one man in front of the Mona Lisa. Then we had dinner in a restaurant and viewed the city from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. All in all it was a wonderful time, and to top it off we got some incredible footage for Season 4. Thanks for your prayers.

Genesis "Contradictions"

"Did it take God one day or six days to create?"

"These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens" (Genesis.2:4). SEEMING CONTRADICTION: "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. ... And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day . . . And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made" (Genesis 1:3 - 2:3).

EXPLANATION: The word "day" (used in Genesis 2:4) is a reference to a period of time (not millions of years). In science we use it to describe a "solar day"--a division of time equal to the time elapsed between two consecutive returns of the same terrestrial meridian to the sun. The Hebrew word (pronounced "yome") means "a space of time defined by an associated term."

PLEASE NOTE: I am speaking at a church of 7,000 in Paris, this Sunday (I didn't know that there were 7,000 Christians in France)), so I may not have access to the blog.

I return Tuesday (God-willing). Christians--I value your prayers. Atheists, please continue to think for me. Thanks.

A Request to Atheists

A publisher has asked if I can suggest someone to give a me Foreword for my new book, You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, But You Can't Make Him Think.

Any takers? If we use it, I will make sure you get attribution. The book is due out Jan/Feb. 2009, so you will need to be quick. Thanks.

Answers to Questions Atheists Can’t (definitively) Answer

1. What was in the beginning? [Atheists have a dilemma when they say that there was nothing in the beginning. This is because nothing cannot create something. If they say that there were gases (or something) in the beginning, then it’s not the "beginning," because the gases or the “something” already existed. Who or what made them? This is why reasonable atheists admit that they just don’t know, humbling though it may be].
2. Do human beings have more intrinsic value than animals? [If your pet dog and your neighbor are drowning, and you can only save one of them, who would you save? If it’s your neighbor, why? To an atheist, both the dog and the human being are both a mere species of animal, so their value is completely subjective. Most, if pressed, would say that they would save the human being, but they have no real explanation as to why he has more worth, other than to say that there is moral pressure from the social order to value a person more than a dog].
3. What happens after death? [The only way any of us can speak with any authority about the subject of death, is to have reliable information from someone who has been there. God has been there. He transcends death. He is both on this side and on "the other side." When we remove God from the equation, we are left with mere conjecture].
4. What is the purpose of life? [Without reference to a Creator who made us with the purpose of eternal fellowship, life has no real rhyme or reason. We are just tiny specs on a big ball of dirt, flying through space, striving to be happy, but with no purpose for existence].
5. Why there is order in all of creation? [If we believe that creation came into being through a big bang, it is important to understand that all explosions cause chaos. Order can only come through an in intelligent designer. Why then is there order from the tiny atom through to the massive universe? Why do summer, fall, winter and spring come around each year, at different times of the year, in different parts of the world--always in the same order? Why can we predict the sun’s rising to the second a 100 years into the future? Why is there order in the makeup of the eye, the ear, the brain, the blood, the heart, liver, kidneys, hands and feet? Every part of creation screams (to a thinking mind) that there is a Creator].
6. Why is there a sense of morality in every civilization? [How do we instinctively know that it’s wrong to kill, to lie, to steal, etc. Where did this universal morality come from? The only reasonable explanation is the one given by the Bible--that "the work of the Law is written in their hearts" (Romans 2:15), and that God Himself has given light to every man (see Romans 1:18-20)].
7. Why does every civilization believe in a Creator? [While an atheist may be quick to point out that some religions within certain cultures (such as Buddhism) are atheistic, mankind has never found any civilization (no matter how primitive) that didn’t worship some sort of Creator, whether it be the sun, or an idol].
8. Why does every sane person have a conscience, even when it is not dictated by society? [If we didn’t accept that the conscience is inherent within every human being, we could never rightly administer civil justice. Morality is shaped by, but does not originate from society].
9. Which came first--the chicken or the egg? [Without "the book of beginnings" (the Book of Genesis) to tell us that God made the chicken first (see Genesis 1:20), we are merely guessing as to its genesis. If an atheist believes it was a chicken, where did it come from, and how was it given life when there was no egg from which to hatch? If it evolved without an egg, why did evolution change its mind and introduce eggs, if it was doing okay without them. Also, why and when did a rooster become necessary to fertilize the egg so that a chicken would form within it, and which came first, that rooster or its egg? If the atheist maintains that the egg came first, who then made it, (and again) who fertilized it, and who sat on it so that it would hatch? And that’s just the beginning of the beginnings dilemma. Which came first--the eagle or its egg? How about the duck? The owl, the kiwi, the tiny humming bird, and the big old albatross? There is no end to it, if you reject “In the Beginning God created..."].
10. How did nothing create everything? [It is primary science to understand that it is impossible for nothing to create anything, let alone everything. Material creation cannot be made by nothing. Something had to create it, and the Creator of all things was and is the non-material Spirit of the eternal God, who dwells outside the dimension of time (see Titus 1:2), and is infinitely beyond the comprehension of human understanding].

From, The Atheist Bible due Jan. 2009

Which Came First?

The following are some attempts (by believers in evolution), to answer the question about which came first--the blood, the heart, or the blood vessels, and why:

"Which came first? Blood (albeit in a different form), I'd guess. Why? I don't know."
"Would you really listen to an explanation? It would be a lengthy one and I fear I couldn't avoid using big names such as ‘coelom’ or ‘deuterostomia.'"
"The concept of oxygen transporting molecules is much older than any kind of blood vessels."
"Those are questions for an evolutionary biologist..."
"That is a very common tactic . . . Ask a series of questions that would take two years of formal study to answer. And you expect to answer it in a blog comment."
"Get real, Ray."
"...No one needs evolution to show that you are out in left field with your irrational belief system."
"As I understand it, blood came first, then blood vessels, then the heart."
"All you need is a little imagination Ray. But I will not go there. It would require too much space."
"Ask them expecting an answer. Don't ask them expecting to catch people in a lie. You might learn something."
"I don't know how circulatory systems evolved. I'll go down to the local university and ask a biologist about it."
"You have a tendency to oversimplify scientific positions and ideas to the point where they become gross misrepresentations of the original idea, especially when these ideas are repeated by people who post on your blog who are not experts in the subject."
"Biology is not my science. So, I'm not the person to answer your question.”
"I'd give you an answer, but I fear my cat will get more use out of it than you would Ray."
"Maybe if you used the internet for it's original purpose, you might *gasp* learn something."

The only answer to these questions is that Almighty God supernaturally made the human body (and every other creature) with a heart, lungs (needed for oxygenated blood), kidneys (to get rid of bad blood) vessels, arteries, blood, skin (to hold it all in), etc., all at once. Unthinkable for an atheist, but true.

Evolution and the Beginning

Zoologists have recorded an amazing 20,000 species of fish. Each of theses species have a two-chambered heart that pumps cold blood throughout its cold body.

There are 6,000 species of reptiles. They also have cold blood, but theirs is a three-chambered heart (except for the crocodile, which has four). The 1,000 or so different amphibians (frogs, toads and newts) have cold blood and a three-chambered heart.

There are over 9,000 different species of birds. From the massive Andean Condor with its wingspan of 12 feet to the tiny hummingbird (whose heart beats 1,400 times a minute), each of those 9,000 different species have a heart and blood. There are four chambers in their heart: the left atrium, the right atrium, the left ventricle, and the right ventricle--just like in a human.

Of course the 15,000 species of mammals have a pumping four-chambered heart, that faithfully pumps blood throughout a series of intricate blood vessels to the rest of the body.

There are also a million named species of insects, and scientists estimate that there could be another million waiting to be discovered and named. All these different insects have an "open circulatory" system. Their blood flows from the blood vessels out the end into the body cavity. It swishes around the body cavity until it gets sucked back by the heart into the other open end of the blood system somewhere else. This is in contrast to mammals where the blood never leaves the blood vessels at any stage.

Here’s an interesting question or two for the thinking evolutionist. Can you explain which came first (the blood or the heart) and why? Did the heart in all these different species of fish, retiles, birds, amphibians and insects evolve before there were blood vessels throughout their bodies? When did the blood evolve? Was it before the vessels evolved or after they evolved?

If it was before, what was it that carried the blood to the heart, if there were no vessels? Did the heart beat before the blood evolved? Why was it beating if there was no blood to pump? If it wasn’t beating, why did it start when it didn’t know anything about blood?

If the blood vessels evolved before there was blood, why did they evolve if there was no such thing as blood? And if the blood evolved before the heart evolved, what was it that kept it circulating around the body?

We Knew it Was Coming...

"Col2v8 said...G'day Ray, I know this is off topic, but my 6yr old son wants to know why Kirk is smoking in episode 38? I think he deserves an answer... it's a good question after all, especially in light of your "Scratch & Sniff" picture book (which he has) that emphasizes the danger of smoking cigars and being around people who do. What do you suggest I tell him?"

Col2v8...Tell him that we had to make the nasty character (that Kirk played in that episode) look really mean. So he wore black, an evil-looking long coat, was unshaven, and he smoked that big cigar. Here's the irony. KIRK SHOT ME IN THE CHEST, IN THE SAME SCENE. We knew that we would get complaints about the cigar and not the gun. Please tell your boy on our behalf that the stinky cigar made Kirk feel really sick (even though he didn't inhale), and that the only dumb people smoke anything. Kirk also held a cigar (as a rich man) in another episode, and both of us robbed a bank in another one. Let him know that we don't advocate cigars or robbing banks :). Thanks for writing. I hope that helps.

Concert pianist, Huntley Brown, and the presidential candidates.

Why I Can't Vote For Obama
By Huntley Brown

First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support. Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him.

Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness. I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christ follower) means He leads I follow. I can't dictate the terms He does because He is the leader.

I can't vote black because I am black; I have to vote Christian because that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning to name a few, wrong economic concerns will soon not matter.

We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, don't judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don't know

Obama so all I can go off is his voting record. His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007.

NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (01/31/2008)

To beat Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton as the most liberal senator, takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with.

There is a reason Planned Parenthood gives him a 100% rating. There is a reason the homosexual community supports him. There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas etc. love him. There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court. There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill. There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion. There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito. These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.

Let's take a look at the practice he wanted to continue

The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedures:

A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg with forceps. (Remember this is a live baby)
B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.
C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.
D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole.
E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

God help him. There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law.

Think about this: You can't give a kid an aspirin without parental notification but that same kid can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane.

There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years.

Obama tells us he has good judgment but he sat under Jeremiah Wright teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright's sermons. I wonder why now?

Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 "Go and make disciples of all nations." This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to think like you, walk like you; talk like you believe what you believe etc. The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?

Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets that said they have a ...

1. Commitment to the White Community
2. Commitment to the White Family
3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community.
5. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions
6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the White Value System
7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.

Would you support a President who went to a church like that?

Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets of Obama's former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would have been marching outside.

This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20 years and just discovered he went to a racist church. The church can't be about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the whole world.

A church can't have a value system based on race. The churches value system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if itʼs a white church or a black church it's still wrong. Anyone from either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote.

Obama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian James Cone, author of the 1970 book A Black Theology of Liberation. Cone once wrote: "Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him.

Cone is the man Obama's mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?

So what does all this mean for the nation?

In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing - judgment.

Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king. First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 "Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."

Then God says

1 Samuel 1:18 " When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."

Here is what we know for sure.

God is not schizophrenic

He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain. As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God.

Maybe I am the one not hearing but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it.

For all my friends who are voting for Obama can you really look God in the face and say; Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four Supreme Court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy.

I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama's positions. Finally I have two questions for all my liberal friends.

Since we know someone's value system has to be placed on the nation,

1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation.

2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?

Blessings, Huntley Brown