Ask an Atheist

Ask most atheists what was in the beginning and they will say "Evolution." Press him on what was before evolution--what was its initial cause, and he will be stumped. He cannot give an answer as to where the material came from for evolution to bring life into being. For the initial cause to make sense, it had to be something that was immaterial (non-material), of which God is. The Bible says that it was the Spirit of God that moved upon the face of the waters (see Genesis 1:2).

So that brings the atheist to his only defense. He asks "Who then made God?" His real dilemma isn’t that he believes that God doesn’t exist, but that he doesn’t understand how God could exist eternally. If that’s the case, then every human being is an atheist. No one can wrap his finite mind around the eternal nature of God.

However, who of us can comprehend the infinitude of space? Imagine sending an incredibly powerful laser beam into space, and it traveling in a particular direction for tens of billions of trillions of miles. It will never reach an end. Now move your beam slightly to the right of that first direction in which you pointed it, and send it tens of billions of trillions of miles, and it will never come to the end of space. Repeat the beam exercise a million times in a million different directions, and never will you come to an end of an infinite space in any direction you point it.

Such thoughts become too much for the human mind, and thoughts of God and His eternal nature are the same. But there is something that can make the mind ache even more. Go back to the thoughts of the immensity of space. Get a grip on all those different beams of light going for hundreds of billions of trillions of miles in a tens of millions of directions, each beam moving an infinite distance away from the other beams, as it reaches into space.

Think how "large" space is, then say to yourself that God made it. But more than that, He fills space with His presence. He is omnipresent (everywhere at once). But even more than that. He is as much "God" at a point a billion trillion miles into space as He is in your presence at this moment of time. He is not divided in thought.

Then add to that, the fact that He holds all knowledge of every thought and deed of every human being in His infinite mind, and you have scratched the tiny surface of the surface of thought, about the greatness of God.

Memory Verse, Cool Quotes, Typos Answers

"He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises Him" (Proverbs 14:2).

"It amazes me to find an intelligent person who fights against something which he does not at all believe exists." Mohandas Gandhi

"Atheism is a crutch for those who cannot bear the reality of God." Tom Stoppard

There five Typos. THE ANSWERS ARE IN CAPS.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". [A PERIOD SHOULD ALWAYS GO INSIDE QUOTES]. Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?" Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit ["SPIRIT" SHOULD BE CAPS AS IT IS A REFERENCE TO GOD], he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit["SPIRIT" SHOULD BE CAPS AS IT IS A REFERENCE TO GOD] is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the spirit["SPIRIT" SHOULD BE CAPS AS IT IS A REFERENCE TO GOD]." Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:1-18) [THIS REFERENCE IS INCORRECT. IT SHOULD BE VERSE 19].

How Perceptive are You?

There are five typos in the below text. Can you find them?

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:1-19).

The Ultimate Lie

Imagine there’s no Hell
It’s easy if you try
No fire below us
Above us only sky

Imagine all the people
Who didn’t have to die
They refused to listen
Instead they chose a lie

Imagine Jesus dying
It’s easy if you try
Imagine you ignoring Him
And falling for the lie

Imagine there’s a devil
Blinding sinners' eyes
Imagine you believing him
Beelzebub--Lord of the flies

"But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

"And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Corinthians 2:11).

Beelzebub, n. The Devil; Satan. [Hebrew ba‘al zəbûb, lord (of the) fly, alteration of ba‘al zəbûl, lord prince.]

Today's Atheist Memory Verse

"The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God [so He never punishes]" (Psalm 10:4 -- Amplified Bible).

The Power of the Imagination

Atheists flatly reject the Genesis Fall, in which we are given the biblical explanation as to why there is disease, suffering and death. So they have no account for the suffering of this world. It is because of this, that they will often quote Monty Python: "All things sick and cancerous, all evil great and small, Putrid foul and gangrenous, the Lord God made them all..." Their thought is that if God did exist, then He alone, not man, is responsible for the pains of this world.

The normal "idolater" creates a version of God to which he can snuggle up. He quote-mines Scripture and creates an all-loving, kind, and forgiving God. He leaves out the fact that the Bible tells us that God is holy and just, and will by no means clear the guilty. He passes over verses such as "Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished" (Proverbs 16:5). Then once he has created his benevolent image of God, he bows before it, and it is to that image that he brings his prayerful petitions. The problem is, his god doesn’t exist. But that is of no consequence to him, because the idolater can easily find a church that preaches the attributes of his idol. Under the sound of the many modern pulpits, his faith will grow as he listens to sermons that confirm his error.

The atheist does the opposite of the regular idolater. He quote-mines the Scriptures and searches out the harsher judgments of God, and builds an image of God he finds to be repulsive. Then, once he has made his idol, he flatly rejects it. And so he should. The image that he has made of God is evil. It is without love and mercy. And so the atheist has the same problem as the idolater. The image only exists in the atheist’s place of imagery...in his imagination,

Providing Proof that Darwin Existed

(Watch how atheists avoid answering this--there's good reason for their silence. They don't know how to intelligently respond to it, without digging themselves into a deep hole).

Mudley replied: "How about I take you to his tomb? If you really wanted to make a stink, you could probably convince someone to open it so that you could examine the corpse."

Sorry, there’s no "corpse." After around 120 years of decomposition, all you will have is skeletal remains.

"You could also compare the DNA of the corpse to the DNA of his descendants, and to the DNA of the hair which was taken from his desk, which you had mentioned in a previous post."

That would just prove that it’s the same man whose hair was on the desk. I want proof before I will believe as you do. Also, how do you know that those who claim to be his descendents are actually his offspring, without having faith in genealogical records?

"There are also photographs of him, and books and papers published in his name."

We have photographs of a man who people maintain was Charles Darwin. Do you have any eye-witnesses who knew him, and can testify that those pictures are authentic? How do you know who wrote the books and papers? A name on a book proves nothing.

"He is also mentioned in records such as the ship roster of the HMS Beagle."

Who wrote the records? How can you have faith in a man you don’t know, who wrote records in a roster 177 years ago? And how can you be sure that they haven’t been altered down through the years? It’s healthy to be a skeptic who refuses to have a blind faith in the documents of men, because that’s all you have.

Unlike you taking me to the tomb of Charles Darwin, I can’t take you to the tomb of Jesus because He didn’t have one. But 2,000 years after His death and resurrection, I can introduce you to Him. There’s my empirical proof. If you fulfill the conditions for the introduction (humility, repentance, and trust), you will stand with your mouth open in unbelief at how He will transform you overnight. See John 14:21 for further details.

A Good Question

"Crucifinch said... I like your blog, Ray, but that last paragraph confuses me. I was under the impression that your blog was a vehicle for converting atheists, if possible. However, by saying "Watch how atheists avoid answering this" makes it seem that your audience is actually other like minded Christians, and the purpose of this post is to mock atheists, or provide reassurance to Christians of how feeble the atheist position is. Who exactly was this post intended for, Ray? Or this blog? I really am curious, I mean no malice."

Crucifinch...have you ever been in a good open air preaching situation? That's what this blog is--online open air preaching. In a good "open air" you have what is called a "heckler." He is usually a colorful character who is often upset. He is loud and somewhat agressive. He is the one who attracts the crowd (who's going to gather around to hear a preacher?). It is his presence that holds the crowd long enough for me to share the gospel--that God offers everlasting life to those who obey Him. While I am directing myself at the heckler, I am also speaking to the crowd.

That's what's happening on this site. We have more than one "heckler" here, and they give this blog the life it needs to keep people coming back. But there’s a crowd listening (this blog gets emailed out daily). That's why I am honored to have atheists here. I bait them and they bite (I'm a "fisher of men" see Luke 5:10). Most of them have said that they are closed to the gospel, but the others who are on the sidelines may have an open mind. Those are the ones to whom I am speaking--unsaved fence-sitters.

If these atheists really hated me, they wouldn't keep coming back. But they stay because they enjoy crossing swords.

For your interest, here is an example of a colorful heckler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA0gmiuJ6sQ

I hope this helps. I hope you, the regular atheists, and the rest of our crowd have a wonderful Christmas.

Let's See the Evidence

"At least there's evidence to support the existence of Charles Darwin."--Mudley

I'm a skeptic when it comes to the existence of Charles Darwin. I would be grateful if you could give me some evidence that he did exist. Thank you.

(Watch how atheists avoid answering this--there's good reason for their silence. They don't know how to intelligently respond to it, without digging themselves into a deep hole).

Merry Darmas

Once a year, Christianity celebrates the birthday of its Founder. A little more than 2,000 years ago a tiny babe was born in the small town of Bethlehem.

Come all ye faithful and join in a new celebration of another birthday. On February 12th, 2009 it will be 200 years since a tiny babe was born in small town of Shrewsbury, England.

Before the end of 2008, there were an amazing 102 celebratory events scheduled in 19 countries and it was hoped to make this an annual event "to celebrate science and humanity every year, on, or near, February 12, Darwin's birthday."

It does seem that evolution and established religion have other things in common besides wanting to celebrate the joy filled birth of their founders.

The Vatican claims to have the bones of Peter in their actual possession (although this has never been verified), and late in 2008, headlines read "Darwin's beard hair on display."

According to the BBC, the beard hair is now part of a Natural History Museum exhibition in London. Apparently it was taken from Darwin's desk in 1882 by female relatives (although this has never been verified).

After 200 years, Charles Darwin has been resurrected. Today, he is exalted among men and adored by millions of faithful believers who joyfully sing his praise.

Darwin has been deified, and so it won't be long until someone finds that his image has evolved on a grilled cheese sandwich.

Without a doubt, the theory of evolution has all the trimmings of a true religion. One day it may even get its own Bible...

The Cats are Back

The other day I said that God had made kittens cute, and that man’s attempt at interbreeding had messed up the process. This was my second blunder in two days. My apologies. I was under the impression that our domesticated kittens were always cute. Apparently they weren’t when they began being domesticated (although I can’t seem to verify that fact). Once I realized that I had messed up, I removed the post so that I could get my facts straight.
Still, God has given mankind the ability to interbreed animals, including cats. Some turn out cute, and some turn out ugly.

Can someone explain to me why we can only interbreed after each kind? Why is it that we can’t cross-breed different species? I know that modern science has at least four definitions for the word "species," but I am asking why we can’t interbreed a dog with a cat, a duck with a chicken, or a cow with a horse. Does evolution have an explanation for this? The Bible certainly does. It says that every animal brings forth after its own kind (see Genesis 1:21, 24, 25).

I Was Wrong

I have often said that there is no such thing as an atheist with common sense. I was wrong about this, and I apologize for saying it.

Penn Jillette is an atheist with common sense and perception. After seeing this five-minute clip, I have a great deal of respect for him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM

More Moonlight

The moon has a lot of silica on its surface, which is a very reflective mineral, ideal for reflecting the sun. The moon turns at exactly the same speed it orbits, so we never see the other side. The sun and the moon govern the tides, more by the moon than the sun since it is closer to earth. When the moon is close to earth the tides will be high in that region, since the gravitational pull of the moon pulls the water on earth towards it. The moon causes tides, which cause waves to break along shores (also waves at sea). This tumbling effect brings oxygen into the water, which keeps sea life alive. If the moon was larger or closer the tides would be devastating, if it was smaller or further away the tides would fail to oxygenate the water and most sea life would die.

The moon governs our entire tidal system. Yet atheists, in the name of science, mock the thought that the moon can "rule the night" (see Genesis 1:16). Perhaps in time science will discover that the moon has relationship to the night. Sadly, atheism has done to science, what hypocrisy has done to Christianity.

When a man (or woman) professes atheism, he immediately disqualifies himself to speak as a representative of science because his premise is a violation of the fundamental rule of science--"nothing created everything.”"

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

"If you have proof the Bible is wrong I would hope you are a kind enough person to share it with all us misguided children of the Light...I am hoping you agree with just about everyone in knowing that the moon is not a source of light. In which case: Gen 1:16 is wrong ['And 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']."

You had better contact those misguided folks who compile dictionaries. Have them remove the word "moonlight." They say: moonlight--noun, "the light of the moon." Also have Shakespeare’s "Midsummer Night’s Dream" banned from learning institutions. William wrote: "Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung..."

Then contact the ignorant scientists at NASA. They are deceived into thinking that moonlight exists: "Moonlight, remember, is no more exotic than sunlight reflected from the dusty surface of the moon. The only difference is intensity: Moonlight is about 400,000 times fainter than direct sunlight." Don’t leave out country singer and writer Leann Rimes for her mistaken hit "Can’t Fight the Moonlight," and the producers of the hit TV series Moonlight.

All these mentally-challenged folks are uneducated flat earthers, who need to sit at the feet of the intelligent modern atheist, and learn that there’s no such thing as moonlight.

If the Shoe Fits

If a man throws a shoe at a dog, nothing much happens. However, if he throws a shoe at a Head of State and calls him a "dog," something big happens. The perpetrator is arrested and may face up to 17 years in prison. His crime escalates, according to whom it is committed against. This may be a strange thing to have to explain, but the man goes to jail even if he doesn’t believe that jail exists.

When we sin, we violate the moral Law and sin directly against God (see Psalm 51:4). The Law has already arrested us (see 2 Peter 3:7). We are not going to escape (Romans 2:3). If we die in our sins, the divine Law will eventually execute us and send us to Hell (Revelation 21:8). This will happen even if we do not believe in the existence of Hell.

The problem with the atheist is that he doesn’t believe in his own quote-mined version of God. He has an image of God that doesn’t exist. He is only an atheist in his own mind.

He needs to pull back the curtains and think of the infinitude of space and the immensity of creation. Then think of the immensity of the God who created all these things. When those thoughts are allowed to flood his brain, he should then add the thought that this Creator is perfect and holy, and is to be feared.

It is that healthy fear of God ("the beginning of wisdom) that will send us to the cross. There we may taste the sweetness of mercy, rather than the bitterness of His terrible wrath: "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword; Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!"

The Faith of the Atheist

"Supposing there was no intelligence behind the universe, no creative mind. In that case, nobody designed my brain for the purpose of thinking. It is merely that when the atoms inside my skull happen for certain physical or chemical reasons to arrange themselves in a certain way, that gives me, as a by-product, the sensation I call thought. But if it is so, how can I trust my own thinking to be true? It's like upsetting a milk jug and hoping that the way the splash arranges will give you a map of London. But if I can't trust my own thinking, of course I can't trust the arguments leading to atheism, and therefore have no reason to be an atheist, or anything else. Unless I believe in God, I can't believe in thought; so I can never use thought to disbelieve in God." C.S. Lewis (ex-atheist)

An Important Question

"Jesus didn't abolish death. People still die and, as before His birth, peoples' souls still live on forever."

Of course people still die. However, the Bible still says, "Jesus Christ abolished death" (2 Timothy 1:10). So you have a choice. Either those who believe that death has been abolished are mentally challenged, or there is something here that you don’t yet understand.

The Scriptures tell us that sin has resulted in capital punishment for humanity (see Romans 6:23). We die because we are criminals in God’s sight. However, for those who repent and trust in the Savior, that death sentence is instantly commuted. It is nullified. God shows us the immutability of His promise of commutation by giving us His Holy Spirit. The Bible says that He "seals" us with His Spirit as a token of good faith, so that we have even more than His promise.

It’s as though God said that He abolished darkness, and then quietly gave a secret light to those that trust Him (see Psalm 25:14). So, each person who has the light no longer walks in darkness--they have "the light of life." This is what Jesus was speaking of when He said, "I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).

Bottom Line

Christians know God. Atheists don't. There's no argument...

The Charles Darwin Bible--Late January, 2009

• The history of Charles Darwin
• Why is the evolution versus creation so important?
• How can you know if evolution is true?
• What did Darwin believe about God?
• "Contradictions" in the Book of Genesis
• Questions believers in evolution can’t definitively answer
• How to Know God Exists

Berkley Brainwashing--Trees are our Cousins

"Biological evolution, simply put, is descent with modification. This definition encompasses small-scale evolution (changes in gene frequency in a population from one generation to the next) and large-scale evolution (the descent of different species from a common ancestor over many generations). Evolution helps us to understand the history of life. Biological evolution is not simply a matter of change over time. Lots of things change over time: trees lose their leaves, mountain ranges rise and erode, but they aren't examples of biological evolution because they don't involve descent through genetic inheritance. The central idea of biological evolution is that all life on Earth shares a common ancestor, just as you and your cousins share a common grandmother. Through the process of descent with modification, the common ancestor of life on Earth gave rise to the fantastic diversity that we see documented in the fossil record and around us today. Evolution means that we're all distant cousins: humans and oak trees, hummingbirds and whales." http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/evo_02

Nothing to Sing About

I was listening to the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel's Messiah recently and thinking about what atheists have as an equivalent. An equivalent? They don't have a Bible, they don't belong to a Church, they don't have a relationship with God, and they don't have their own music. That's because they have nothing to sing about. Without God, atheism would have no reason to exist.

God bless Handel for using his God-given gifts to glorify the Giver. God gave man the ability to create music, and godly music has the ability to give us a small taste of Heaven.

What an incredible heritage we have as Christians. How rich biblical Christianity is in history. Its missionaries have taken the message of salvation to the ends of the earth.

And what a glorious future it promises: "Jesus Christ has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

When Tragedy Strikes

My eyes have been leaking a lot lately. I found it hard to clearly focus on a news item that showed a San Diego man at a press conference, reacting to the tragic deaths of his wife, his two young daughters and his mother-in-law. A fighter jet had landed on his house, and, in an instant, swept them into eternity.

As he leaned for support on his pastor’s arms, he said that he didn’t have any animosity towards the pilot of the downed plane, calling him a "hero." Then he said, "I know there are many people who have experienced more terrible things. Please tell me how to do it, because I don’t know what to do."

It seems that everything this man leaned on for security--his beloved family and even his home, were taken from him. He told reporters: "Nobody expected such a horrible thing to happen, especially right here, right [in] our house. I know God is taking care of my [family]."

In times of such despair, there is great consolation in Christianity. God promises to work this tragic incident out for his good: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Parody: "to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire."

You have to see this 34-second clip to believe it. (If you don't see the clip above, you can watch it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ5UlsS82oE)

It’s narrated by a very hateful woman, who is using nothing but nasty scare tactics to terrify weak-minded people. And she will get her little following, even though she is nothing but fear-mongering. The clip shows that she is both ignorant and intolerant. She is an uneducated extremist.

Lady, water does not burn. Get it? That’s basic science. You know nothing of the disciplines of exact science.

The clip is a classic example of a straw man. It reveals your hypocrisy. If you really cared about people, you wouldn’t spend your time lying about something you know nothing about.

Instead of throwing around stupid statements about common water being "devastating," you would be better off doing some good in the community. If I am ever in the situation you described, you can be sure that I will throw water on the fire, and I will laugh at you and your silly beliefs when I do it.

I want to know how much you were paid to do this. You are obviously an uncaring, uninformed, niave, narrow-minded, money-hungry liar. I can see it in your face.

What do you take me for--a fool? Luke 12:20.

"Amanda said... What exactly are you parodying here? Are you saying that people's failure to heed warnings about fire = atheists' failure to heed warnings about hell? Nonsense. One should never throw water on a grease fire; it will cause the grease to splatter and will spread the fire. Don't believe me? We have video of it happening. We have scars of someone who was burned. We can do an experiment ourselves to test the theory (although I'd recommend letting the MythBusters team do it). I've even seen grease fires with my own eyes and know how quickly they can spread. Where's the video of Hell? Where are the scars of people who've been in Hell? What experiment can we do to prove that Hell exists? Who here has seen Hell with their own eyes? With the fire, we're not just relying on testimony. We have other ways of proving the claim that flaming oil + water don't mix. With Hell, we have only testimony."

Amanda. In answer to your question "What experiment can we do to prove that Hell exists?" There is one. God promises to reveal Himself supernaturally to all who repent and trust in Jesus Christ (see John 14:21). If He does that (as He did in my life and the lives of millions of others), then He is real, the Bible proves to be His Word, and His testimony is true (see John 3:33). We love you enough to warn you that Hell is an absolute reality, despite the scorn it brings.

Today's Atheist Memory Verse

"'. . . . you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:30-31)

The Anvil of Eternal Justice

In a recent political scandal, commentators spoke of a "culture of corruption" surrounding a certain high profile politician. In reference to the fact that he had violated the law, one commentator said, "The line kept moving," and that he seemed to have "lost his moral compass."

That’s the result of the theory of relativity. Mankind has a theory that there is no absolute right and absolute wrong. The strange thing about it is, he is absolutely sure that he’s right when he says that no one can be absolutely sure about anything. The political commentators also said that he thought he was invulnerable. Pride and arrogance are often the bedfellows of corruption.

The fallen political figure is typical of the proud human heart. He lives in a culture of corruption where he pushes the moral envelope. Like the proud politician, he thinks he’s invulnerable. However, the line of right and wrong is not relative. It is written in stone. It doesn’t change, move, or soften. When the moral Law is violated, the sinner becomes an anvil for eternal justice. Time will show that to be true.

The political commentators called the politician "ethically challenged." That’s modern vernacular for saying that they thought he was a criminal. The only way to prove that, is to try him by civil law.

The same applies to you and me. We are extremely ethically challenged. If found guilty on Judgment Day we will go away for more than a long time. It will be for eternity. But the Judge is rich in mercy, and He kindly offers us a reprieve in the gospel. Read about it in the New Testament. Do it today. You may not have tomorrow.

Eternal Publishment

"No one deserves hell. There's simply nothing that a human could do that would justify eternal punishment." Alex

Alex, you have just revealed something about your character. Jeffery Dahmer raped murdered, dismembered, and then ate his victims. If one of them was your little brother, would you want Dahmer to go to Hell? Or are you quite happy (assuming that you are an atheist) for him simply to be dead. How about Hitler? Where would you like him to end up? Are you happy also for him to be dead? Then that reveals something about your attitude to six million dead Jews. Have you no desire for retribution? Doesn’t their blood cry out for justice? Perhaps you should go and see the movie "The Boy in Striped Pajamas." Maybe it will do something for you.

The Investigator

An investigator was asked to listen to the testimony of four eye witnesses to a bank robbery. He found that three of the witnesses said that there were only two bank robbers, while the fourth disagreed. He adamantly maintained that there were three.

Did the investigator therefore conclude that the bank robbery didn’t take place? Of course not. He began to think deeply as to how the testimonies could harmonize, and rightly came to the conclusion that one of the bank employees had been an accomplice to the robbery.

If, for some reason, the investigator had the preconceived notion that all the witnesses were liars, he wouldn’t be an "investigator." If he is seeking the truth, he must set aside all personal prejudice and attempt (within the bounds of reason) to harmonize his eye-witness testimonies.

If anyone wants to investigate the "contradictions" of the testimony of the gospels, he must put aside preconceived notions--all personal prejudice, and humbly seek the truth. For those who do so, it doesn't take long to see their perfect harmony.

A Question About Fear

"Ray, Would you say that you are pro-fear? That's the jive I get from this post. Thank again, -- Kaitlyn."

I thank God for fear. It keeps me from harm. Fear stops me going near the edge of a thousand foot cliff. It keeps me away from poisonous spiders and snakes. It tells me to put on a seat belt. Fear stops me from taking risks when I’m on the top of a ladder, and can’t reach something.

Fear has a bed-fellow--it is called "common sense." Common sense stops me from going near the edge of a thousand foot cliff, keeps me from poisonous spiders and snakes. Common sense tells me to put on a seat belt. The two, fear and common sense, go hand in hand. That sort of fear is good.

There is also a fear that is bad. The Bible says that it has "torment." That’s not the fear to which I am referring.

Contrary to what many may think, I am not a "Hell-fire preacher." I believe that Hell is a real place and I therefore continually warn of its reality, but I don’t think that people should become Christians because of a fear of Hell. Rather, they should come to Christ out of a fear of the God that can cast them into Hell:

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:4-5).

So what's the difference between fearing Hell and fearing God? The two are separated by the moral Law. It is the Law (the Ten Commandments) that shows me that God is perfect and holy. The Law also shows me that I am not. It reveals that lust is adultery in the sight of God, and that hatred is murder. It brings a knowledge of my depravity.

The Law shows me that I justly deserve Hell. It convinces me that I will be without excuse on the day of Judgment. That's why the Bible warns that it is "a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God." Those who fall into His holy hands will only be those who deliberately stepped off of the high cliffs of sin.

It’s only when I realize that I deserve Hell that I can truly appreciate the love and mercy of God, in providing a Savior. Through trust in Jesus I still fear God, but I no longer fear Judgment Day, because my sins have been forgiven. This is the meaning of "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).

Coming Soon: The Atheist Bible (January 2009)

. "Contradictions" in the Bible
. Questions atheists can’t definitively answer
. When famous atheists met their Maker
. Commentary written especially for atheists
. Arguments for atheism
. The ten most common mistakes atheists make
. How to know God exists

What atheists are already saying:

"Your stupidest idea to date."
"Atheists don't need a Bible."
"We're capable of thinking for ourselves, thank you."

Atheism is the epitome of the sin of ingratitude.

You Won't Find it.

"Tim said... By the way Ray, can you find me the verse that says you have to forsake your sins to be saved? Don't find a verse that says something that you interpret it to mean 'turn from sin’ find me a verse that literally says ‘turn from sin’ or ‘forsake sin.' You won't find it."

• "He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13, italics added).
• "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7, italics added).
• "They said, Turn you again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever" (Jeremiah 25:5, italics added).
• "Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11, italics added). See also Joel 2:12, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Ezekiel 18:21.
• "The Lord knows them that are his. And, let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Timothy 2:19, italics added).

No doubt Tim will ignore Scripture and hold on to the error that someone can be saved without biblical repentance. This common belief has not only filled the contemporary Church with false converts, but it has created multitudes of bitter "backsliders" (also false converts) many of whom are now bitter and angry professing atheists.

If you have never grasped the biblical truth of spurious conversion, please take the time to freely listen to "True and False Conversion" on www.LivingWaters.com

The Worst of Sins

In December of 2008, a report which studied to conduct of 30,000 high school students found that 30 percent of students admitted to stealing from a store within the past year, a two percent rise from 2006. More than one third of boys (35 percent) said they had stolen goods, compared to 26 percent of girls. An overwhelming majority, 83 percent, of public school and private religious school students admitted to lying to their parents about something significant, compared to 78 percent for those attending independent non-religious schools. "Despite these high levels of dishonesty, these same kids have a high self-image when it comes to ethics." Some 93 percent of students indicated satisfaction with their own character and ethics, with 77 percent saying that "when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know."

These are violations of God’s Law--lying, stealing and dishonoring of parents. It’s significant that the religious schools had higher rates of Lawlessness and that self-righteousness was rampant. While experts and philosophers suggest a multitude of reasons as to why this is happening, it traces itself back to a lack of the fear of God. Their concept of God doesn’t include retribution for transgression of His Law. Idolatry is probably the hardest to detect, but it is undoubtedly the worst of sins, because of the door it opens.

The Bottom Line

"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11-12).

"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).

Painted into a Corner

"Ray. I have no idea about what Darwin believed about the evolution of sex. I do not care. It is not a matter of name calling either. The problem is that you just assumed that Darwin postulated something because it was something about evolution. No lifetime has been so long that a single scientist could have solved all the questions about the theory by her/himself. This is the point (in case you missed it). What you really would have to know is not what Darwin thought about the evolution of sex, but what is currently known. In science we have no prophets, no messiahs. We work and work and work, and results get published, and knowledge increases. Why would I be limited to find out what, and 'if,' Darwin thought when there is a bunch of current knowledge that would give me a better perspective? G.E."

G.E. It’s not a matter of solving all the questions of his theory. It’s only one of a million cans of worms he opened. When you eliminate a Creator, you are stuck with the ramifications. We have male and female throughout creation. Darwin and every believer in evolution believes that male and female evolved. There was a time when there was no male and no female, and then over millions of years, they came about through the process of evolution to a point of having the ability to reproduce. You don’t know how they reproduced before that point, but you are stuck with the fact that before there were both sexes the only way they could carry on their species, was to be asexual. That’s unless you say that "in the beginning there was male and female," and that cuts too close to the Genesis bone for an atheist.

Creation--Too Profound

Charles Robert Darwin went to meet his Maker on April 19, 1882, in Downe, England. Upon his death, Darwin's family arranged for him to be buried in St. Mary's churchyard in the village of Downe. However, William Spottiswoode, the President of the Royal Society wrote to the Dean of Westminster Abbey requesting that Darwin be buried in its prestigious cemetery. Darwin once wrote:

"I feel most deeply that the whole subject is too profound for human intellect. A dog might as well speculate on the mind of Newton."

It’s interesting that Darwin spoke of the mind of Newton. Here is what Newton said about God:

"Repentance and the remission of sins relate to transgressions against the two first Commandments. We are to forsake the Devil, that is, all false gods and all manner of idolatry, this being a breach of the first and great commandment. And we are to forsake the flesh and the world, or as the Apostle John expressed it, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye and the pride of life, that is, unchastity, covetousness, pride and ambition; these things being a breach of the second of the two great Commandments. And we are to believe in one God, the father, almighty in dominion, the Maker of heaven and earth and of all things therein, and in our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, who was born of a Virgin and sacrificed for us on the cross, and the third day rose again from the dead and ascended unto heaven...And as for the Christian worship, we are authorized in scripture to give glory and honor to God the Father, because he hath created all things, and to the Lamb of God, because he hath redeemed us with his blood and is our Lord, and to direct our prayers to God the Father in the name of Christ ..."

Ironically, Charles Darwin is buried in Westminster Abbey, close to Sir Isaac Newton.

Still Huge Gaps---More than 30 Years Later

"Scientists concede that their most cherished theories are based on embarrassingly few fossil fragments and that huge gaps exist in the fossil record" ("Puzzling Out Man’s Ascent," Time magazine, November 7, 1977).

Interesting Quote

"There are no detailed Darwinian accounts for the evolution of any fundamental biochemical or cellular system, only a variety of wishful speculations. It is remarkable that Darwinism is accepted as a satisfactory explanation for such a vast subject—evolution—with so little rigorous examination of how well its basic theses work in illuminating specific instances of biological adaptation or diversity." Molecular biologist James Shapiro, "In the Details...What?" National Review, 19 September 1996, pp. 62–65.

Today's Atheist Memory Verse

"Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Eccl. 12:13-14).

Why do Females Exist?

All animals, all fish and reptiles have the ability to reproduce of their own kind because they have females within the species. No male can reproduce and keep its kind alive without a female of the same species. Dogs, cats, horses, cows, elephants, humans, giraffes, lions, tigers, birds, fish, and reptiles all came into being having both male and female. If any species came into existence without a mature female present (with complimentary female components), that one male would have remained alone and in time died. The species could not have survived without a female.

Why did hundreds of thousands of animals, fish, reptiles and birds (over millions of years) evolve a female partner (that coincidentally matured at just the right time) with each species?

In Reference to the "Sexes Without Sex" Post

The evolutionary explanation of where male and female must have come from, has angered some believers in the theory. Calling me an idiot, a rat, a dummy, stupid, a hypocrite, an imbecile, dense, brainless, a dimwit, an uneducated fool, a liar, or a combination of these is okay. However, names with sexual connotations will be deleted.

Some of you have written long and sincere comments, and then ended with a remark I have to delete, when I would prefer to let it through.

It would strengthen the evolution case (instead of resorting to name-calling) to instead explain what Darwin did believe about the origin of male and female. Enlighten me.

Dimensio said, "In fact, distinct gender emerged as a result of organisms being able to reproduce through the sharing of genetic information in reproduction. Initial 'sexual' reproduction of this nature was essentially gender-neutral, as there was no 'male' or 'female' assignment because any given organism could share or receive compatible genetic information from another organism of the same species. Gender differentiation emerged as a result of specialization of this ability."

Dimensio...Can you please explain to me how you know this to be true?

Sexes Without Sex

The contention between Darwin’s theory of evolution and the Bible’s account of creation is extremely significant. This is because if evolution is true, the Bible is a fallacy.

Darwin theorized that mankind (both male and female) evolved in their pre-human state alongside each other over millions of years, both reproducing after their own kind before the ability to physically have sex evolved. They did this through "asexuality" ("without sexual desire or activity or lacking any apparent sex or sex organs"). Each of them split in half ("Asexual organisms reproduce by fission (splitting in half)." Ask A Scientist, Biology Archive, http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/bio99/bio99927.htm.)

"Sexual reproduction would never have begun to evolve, and would never have continued to evolve to become as sophisticated as it is today in many plants and animals, unless it offered a significant evolutionary advantage. As to what this advantage might be, however, is still the subject of continuing debate in the scientific community. Theories about the evolution of sex have proven to be very difficult to test experimentally, and so the answer is still very much open to speculation" (www.evolutionary-philosophy.net/sex.html).

In other words, they have no idea why pre-humans stopped splitting in half and started having sex, or why male and female exist throughout creation.

In contrast, the Bible maintains that God instantaneously created man (in His own image) and woman, giving them the ability to reproduce after their kind. So the Bible and the theory of Darwinian evolution are not only apposed to one another, they are incompatible. The only commonality is that they are both miraculous, and they both require faith to believe them.

Those who believe in the theory of evolution are passionate, and for a good reason. If Darwin was right, man is simply an animal with no moral accountability, and his desires therefore to procreate are merely natural survival instincts.

However, if the Bible is true, it throws a huge, cold, and heavy wet blanket over man's desire to sow wild oats. It not only says that he is accountable, but that there will be severe retribution for his adultery, fornication, and even for lust (see Matthew 5:27-28).

So if you are wavering between the two, you had better find out which one is true. There are no repercussions if evolution is true. However, if the Bible comes out the winner, you may find yourself losing your most precious possession (see Matthew 16:26).