Does Tolerance Have Limits?
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George was shocked to read in the newspaper of a new law allowing people to have sex with animals as long as the animals were their own and not stolen. It seemed to him that law put human beings on an even lower level than the animals. While walking through the meat market, Sue gasped to see real people on meat hooks being sold for food along with chickens and pigs. She asked the owner how he could do such a thing. He replied that people taste good when cooked and seasoned right and that they supply the nutrition our bodies need better than any other animal. Tolerance, tolerance, tolerance--that's the buz word today.
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Is morality merely a matter of individual perspective? Must governments arbitrary force unethical laws upon us? Will a prophet or dictator arise to force his God's way upon us as his slaves, or put us to death? Have we no way to verify good from evil? Will waring dictators turn our world over to the rats and roaches? It seems to be rapidly moving in this direction. I believe God has given us moral laws and will hold us accountable. Will you give my position in these four principles honest open consideration? Have you really thought out the consequences of tolerance?
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A Created Universe Supports Every Bible Teaching Beginning with A Personal Ethical God. We know the universe is composed of all these things: matter, energy, life, consciousness, intelligence and will. We couldn't discuss it if it isn't true. We know also the universe is expanding, running down in usable energy, that we can regress only to its beginning point, and that it all depends on a greater cause outside itself. The universe had a beginning and a beginner--it's irrational to suppose it had no cause meaning nothing caused everything.
.
That greater outside starting and sustaining cause must be an eternal, self-existing, unchangeable, immensely powerful intelligence and will. It is what we can call a personal Being or God. Further, as Creator, Sustainer and Owner of His universe God's will is law supreme and decisive. Now this fits well with the Bible's personal ethical God. Moreover, only one Almighty can exist.
.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good (1:31). God made Adam first and Eve from Adam being the mother of all living (3:20). It's absurd to talk in genes and cells that no one would understand until modern times. God made only man in His image and likeness with dominion over His other creations that reproduced after their kind (1:25-6; 9:6).
.
All the Bible agrees with this including Christ the God-man (Gen. 2:21-22; 5:2; Psalms 8:4-6; 100:3; 1 Cor.11:7-9; 15:38-39; Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:5-6; Luke 11:50; John 17:5; Rom. 1:19-25). Dr. Geisler (Systematic Theology, Vol. 2. pg. 632) lists 300 Bible references to Creation. It's clear the biblical writers had no concept of a mindless evolutionary process nor of thestic evolution. They believed in a living, loving, moral Creator God.
.
Now can we be fair and open minded about evolution, the alternative to creation? That everything arose from nothing by chance over time simply doesn't correspond with the facts. Molecules to genes is an impossible jump. Molecules have no consciousness, life, mind or will that they can arrange themselves into life forms, not even in fifteen billion years. Like the Bible says things reproduce after their own kind. We can see many varieties of dogs, horses, monkeys, and men but never see dogs turning into horses or monkeys evolving into men. If animals are changing into other animals, shouldn't we see thousands of such examples everywhere today? Are we for tolerance for everything except what may be the truth?
.
Let's face it, the gene pool won't allow it. And if it happened in the past we should see thousands of skeleton examples but we have only a few disputed specimens. Life forms appear and later disappear in the geological strata unchanged. Furthermore, there's no living animals with a partially formed digestive system or partially developed heart or lungs--everything at the outset must be completely formed and functional. And, no experiment proves evolution. So, if it all points to God and creation, why can't we be honest about it? Isn't true science supposed to conclude what the facts suggest? Do we have tolerance for these real facts of science?
.
God Has Acted Decisively in our World So We Can Know of His Presence. If an all-powerful, eternal Spirit exists everywhere even surrounds us this very moment, how could we know it? I suggest three ways. One is if God's prophets predict unknowable events that occur--like Jesus said Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed (Matt. 26:33; 69-74). Or, Samuel listed 20 signs Saul would shortly experience verifying his being anointed king (1 Sam. 10). Such unknowable fulfillment about persons, nations, and Israel's Messiah show God's knowledge and presence with us. Tolerance required we give this our honest consideration.
.
Another way is that God's messenger's do things normally impossible for nature or man to do such as immediately heal visible diseases or raise the dead. Miracles that defy nature's patterns abound in Scripture. The third way is for God Himself to appear to us, tell us in many ways He is our God and demonstrate both the above ways. This too Jesus, the God-man, did by healings, nature miracles, accepting worship, forgiving sins, commanding angels, showing divine attributes, and being transformed as light before His disciples. What more could we ask? See my articles on Christ.
.
Talking about visible tests, Jesus miracles and prophecies serves that need and history is valid testimony. If we know we can accurately record events that transpire a day in our lives, that record would be true the next day and be no less true ten thousand years later. Jesus' apostles died torturous deaths in testimony there writings were true. Historians may accept two independent sources as verifying an event; the four Gospels, Acts, and the epistles are six independent sources verifying that Jesus is in fact the God-man. Honest mention of apostles faults and minor differences in the accounts further prove their integrity. More is known about Jesus historically than other persons such as Plato and Tiberius Caesar. Secular writers even give a sketch of events in His life corresponding to the Bible. See my other articles on history, prophesy, and miracles for more details.
.
Saying there is no God who can act in our world is not science--it's the dogmatic assumption of a closed mind. Honest science seeks the truth wherever it is found. No world religion but biblical Christianity furnishes such supernatural empirical evidence. It's absurd to ask Jesus to appear to every generation, do some miracles and die again on the cross so we can take pictures of it all for posterity? Jesus said that if we won't believe Moses and the prophets, neither will we believe if someone arose from the dead (Luke 16:31). Ironically, His resurrection is the best evidence of who He is mentioned in both secular and biblical history. Though brilliant skeptics have done their best to disprove it, or explain it away, they have not. See my articles on Jesus' resurrection.
.
God Has Given His Laws of How We Should Live and Will Hold Us Morally Accountable. Unlike many books, the Bible records both the noble efforts of God's heroes and their blemishes. It gives examples of how God uses righteous followers and how He punishes unrighteous ones and even uses them to punish His own people to awaken them to their sad end. God sends angels, prophets, apostles, evangelists, plagues, good seasons, great blessings, anything to get our attention and show us we need the Lord. We will be governed either by the loving God or by evil lying tyrants who likely will show us no tolerance.
.
God's nature demands moral purity of us: "Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God" (1 John 3:10). Nothing impure will be allowed into heaven (Rev. 21:27). Jesus said, "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man" (Matt. 15:19). Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). A head knowledge won't save us. Jesus said, "You must be born again" meaning God must take up residence in us to enable us to live for Him(John 3:7). Jesus is God and God loves us enough to tell us the truth.
.
Jesus as the Savior and Lord of us Sinners is the Starting Point. Jesus is God come into our world to save us (Luke 19:10; John 1:1-3, 14; Phil. 2:5-11). As God, He alone provides our authority, truth, dignity, freedom, morality, justice, love, ultimate purpose, and eternal life beyond the grave. Why deceive ourselves with other options that can't satisfy? Who loves us enough to volunteer to suffer the indignities the Savior did for us? He was ridiculed, cursed, slapped, beaten beyond recognition, crucified naked before glaring crowds to take away our sin, make us right before a perfect God, and give us entrance into a land more beautiful and wonderful than we can ever imagine?
.
Do we prefer some demonized Hitler to humiliate and destroy us, our people and our land rather than Jesus? Without Jesus it can become an insane world with no limits to what it will tolerate. Human conscience and compassion can become inoperative--believe it! (Lev. 18:21-24; 1 Tim. 4:2). I beg you to trust in the only One who really loves us and can make all things new. If we don't bow to Him now in love, we will bow one day in tears and judgment (Rom. 14:11-12). Say, Lord Jesus I trust You now to cleanse me from all sin and enable me to live that holy life pleasing to You until You come for me or I die and go to You. I won't be degraded by when others I don't show tolerance. I want your way, not the way of tolerance that is displeasing to You.
.
Now tell everybody you can about the Savior. You may download this blog, tweet it, and send it to a lost and dying world on it's way to hell. This is the best thing we can do for others and to make a better world. Thank you and God bless you sincerely my dear reader. You may link my blog with yours and help others find God's love in Christ. Just check file then save and send in upper left corner.
A Created Universe Supports Every Bible Teaching Beginning with A Personal Ethical God. We know the universe is composed of all these things: matter, energy, life, consciousness, intelligence and will. We couldn't discuss it if it isn't true. We know also the universe is expanding, running down in usable energy, that we can regress only to its beginning point, and that it all depends on a greater cause outside itself. The universe had a beginning and a beginner--it's irrational to suppose it had no cause meaning nothing caused everything.
.
That greater outside starting and sustaining cause must be an eternal, self-existing, unchangeable, immensely powerful intelligence and will. It is what we can call a personal Being or God. Further, as Creator, Sustainer and Owner of His universe God's will is law supreme and decisive. Now this fits well with the Bible's personal ethical God. Moreover, only one Almighty can exist.
.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good (1:31). God made Adam first and Eve from Adam being the mother of all living (3:20). It's absurd to talk in genes and cells that no one would understand until modern times. God made only man in His image and likeness with dominion over His other creations that reproduced after their kind (1:25-6; 9:6).
.
All the Bible agrees with this including Christ the God-man (Gen. 2:21-22; 5:2; Psalms 8:4-6; 100:3; 1 Cor.11:7-9; 15:38-39; Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:5-6; Luke 11:50; John 17:5; Rom. 1:19-25). Dr. Geisler (Systematic Theology, Vol. 2. pg. 632) lists 300 Bible references to Creation. It's clear the biblical writers had no concept of a mindless evolutionary process nor of thestic evolution. They believed in a living, loving, moral Creator God.
.
Now can we be fair and open minded about evolution, the alternative to creation? That everything arose from nothing by chance over time simply doesn't correspond with the facts. Molecules to genes is an impossible jump. Molecules have no consciousness, life, mind or will that they can arrange themselves into life forms, not even in fifteen billion years. Like the Bible says things reproduce after their own kind. We can see many varieties of dogs, horses, monkeys, and men but never see dogs turning into horses or monkeys evolving into men. If animals are changing into other animals, shouldn't we see thousands of such examples everywhere today? Are we for tolerance for everything except what may be the truth?
.
Let's face it, the gene pool won't allow it. And if it happened in the past we should see thousands of skeleton examples but we have only a few disputed specimens. Life forms appear and later disappear in the geological strata unchanged. Furthermore, there's no living animals with a partially formed digestive system or partially developed heart or lungs--everything at the outset must be completely formed and functional. And, no experiment proves evolution. So, if it all points to God and creation, why can't we be honest about it? Isn't true science supposed to conclude what the facts suggest? Do we have tolerance for these real facts of science?
.
God Has Acted Decisively in our World So We Can Know of His Presence. If an all-powerful, eternal Spirit exists everywhere even surrounds us this very moment, how could we know it? I suggest three ways. One is if God's prophets predict unknowable events that occur--like Jesus said Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed (Matt. 26:33; 69-74). Or, Samuel listed 20 signs Saul would shortly experience verifying his being anointed king (1 Sam. 10). Such unknowable fulfillment about persons, nations, and Israel's Messiah show God's knowledge and presence with us. Tolerance required we give this our honest consideration.
.
Another way is that God's messenger's do things normally impossible for nature or man to do such as immediately heal visible diseases or raise the dead. Miracles that defy nature's patterns abound in Scripture. The third way is for God Himself to appear to us, tell us in many ways He is our God and demonstrate both the above ways. This too Jesus, the God-man, did by healings, nature miracles, accepting worship, forgiving sins, commanding angels, showing divine attributes, and being transformed as light before His disciples. What more could we ask? See my articles on Christ.
.
Talking about visible tests, Jesus miracles and prophecies serves that need and history is valid testimony. If we know we can accurately record events that transpire a day in our lives, that record would be true the next day and be no less true ten thousand years later. Jesus' apostles died torturous deaths in testimony there writings were true. Historians may accept two independent sources as verifying an event; the four Gospels, Acts, and the epistles are six independent sources verifying that Jesus is in fact the God-man. Honest mention of apostles faults and minor differences in the accounts further prove their integrity. More is known about Jesus historically than other persons such as Plato and Tiberius Caesar. Secular writers even give a sketch of events in His life corresponding to the Bible. See my other articles on history, prophesy, and miracles for more details.
.
Saying there is no God who can act in our world is not science--it's the dogmatic assumption of a closed mind. Honest science seeks the truth wherever it is found. No world religion but biblical Christianity furnishes such supernatural empirical evidence. It's absurd to ask Jesus to appear to every generation, do some miracles and die again on the cross so we can take pictures of it all for posterity? Jesus said that if we won't believe Moses and the prophets, neither will we believe if someone arose from the dead (Luke 16:31). Ironically, His resurrection is the best evidence of who He is mentioned in both secular and biblical history. Though brilliant skeptics have done their best to disprove it, or explain it away, they have not. See my articles on Jesus' resurrection.
.
God Has Given His Laws of How We Should Live and Will Hold Us Morally Accountable. Unlike many books, the Bible records both the noble efforts of God's heroes and their blemishes. It gives examples of how God uses righteous followers and how He punishes unrighteous ones and even uses them to punish His own people to awaken them to their sad end. God sends angels, prophets, apostles, evangelists, plagues, good seasons, great blessings, anything to get our attention and show us we need the Lord. We will be governed either by the loving God or by evil lying tyrants who likely will show us no tolerance.
.
God's nature demands moral purity of us: "Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God" (1 John 3:10). Nothing impure will be allowed into heaven (Rev. 21:27). Jesus said, "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man" (Matt. 15:19). Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). A head knowledge won't save us. Jesus said, "You must be born again" meaning God must take up residence in us to enable us to live for Him(John 3:7). Jesus is God and God loves us enough to tell us the truth.
.
Jesus as the Savior and Lord of us Sinners is the Starting Point. Jesus is God come into our world to save us (Luke 19:10; John 1:1-3, 14; Phil. 2:5-11). As God, He alone provides our authority, truth, dignity, freedom, morality, justice, love, ultimate purpose, and eternal life beyond the grave. Why deceive ourselves with other options that can't satisfy? Who loves us enough to volunteer to suffer the indignities the Savior did for us? He was ridiculed, cursed, slapped, beaten beyond recognition, crucified naked before glaring crowds to take away our sin, make us right before a perfect God, and give us entrance into a land more beautiful and wonderful than we can ever imagine?
.
Do we prefer some demonized Hitler to humiliate and destroy us, our people and our land rather than Jesus? Without Jesus it can become an insane world with no limits to what it will tolerate. Human conscience and compassion can become inoperative--believe it! (Lev. 18:21-24; 1 Tim. 4:2). I beg you to trust in the only One who really loves us and can make all things new. If we don't bow to Him now in love, we will bow one day in tears and judgment (Rom. 14:11-12). Say, Lord Jesus I trust You now to cleanse me from all sin and enable me to live that holy life pleasing to You until You come for me or I die and go to You. I won't be degraded by when others I don't show tolerance. I want your way, not the way of tolerance that is displeasing to You.
.
Now tell everybody you can about the Savior. You may download this blog, tweet it, and send it to a lost and dying world on it's way to hell. This is the best thing we can do for others and to make a better world. Thank you and God bless you sincerely my dear reader. You may link my blog with yours and help others find God's love in Christ. Just check file then save and send in upper left corner.
Judge Roy Moore is running for reelection in November to Alabama Supreme Court. He is a man of God who upheld keeping God's Ten Commandments on display. Pray God will raise up millions of persons like him to fill government seats in nations all over the world.
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