A Challenge To Open Hearts & Minds

                     A Challenge To Open Hearts & Minds

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Politically correct is most incorrect if it seeks to stifle truth. We humans have minds that innately think, weigh evidence, and seek to discern truth from falsehood. Free speech is our inherent right and should be mandated everywhere by law. Authorities political, scientific, or religious that seek to suppress truth stifle the well being and progress of society. We must understand that truth is universal and reasonable, not just my truth against your truth that leads us to disrespect and strife. The questions below give Christian evidence authorities increasing seem to ignore, discount, ridicule, and marginalize from the public arena. I trust you to give it your honest objective reflective thought.
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Does Empirical Science Put God Beyond Human Knowledge? Some scientists claim we can't know anything that is not tested by repeatable, measurable experiments. The truth is only present physical objects are subject to such testing. Historical events, ethics, law, art, philosophy, even what you ate for dinner last week is not subject to such testing. Yet we know these things exist in the real world. Scientists assume even before they begin their experiments, that the world exists, it is knowable, our senses give accurate information,  we can think logically, and honest accurate data are imperative to discover truth. What is this then but a mountain of faith? 
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Consider this question seriously: If God could create a great universe with its laws, then would lessor things like angels, men, miracles, and heaven be difficult? Surely creation of the  greater means no problem for the lessor. And, if the Bible's God is Spirit or Mind, isn't it wrong-headed to expect to discover Him with microscope, telescope, or contrived experiments. Even supposing God exists, can we demand He perform a miracle we can film to prove He exists and can act in our world? What if God made us in His image for loving relationship with Him, then wouldn't it seem reasonable for Him to make Himself known to us?  But! maybe not on our terms.
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Isn't this the crucial question? It's not whether God exists, since we may intellectual believe some kind of God exists, but care nothing about Him. When we don't know God, we may fear He may not have our best interests in mind. That fear may cause us to ignore or discount all evidence that points to Him. It doesn't matter if He's said to be our Creator, loves us, or gives us the breath we breath--we just don't know what to expect. We humans prefer our ways and don't want to stray from our comfort zone of what we think right for us. We wonder, will this God give me what I want?

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 Unlike superstitious pagans, Christians believed God created a rational knowable world for us to explore and enjoy which provided for experimental science. He provided us the foundation and authority for absolute truth, ultimate purpose, human dignity, ethics, justice, love, and life after death. All this gives us hope and makes life worthwhile. So He's a good and wise God who loves us.

Christians believe Jesus is the God-man who walked among us doing good (John 1:1-3, 14). He even died to pay for our sins, and arose again to give us abundant life (John 10:10; 2 Cor. 5:21). Before Jesus', time, pagans offered sacrifices to their fearful vengeful gods. So it was unthinkable of God to love us so much to die such excruciating pain nailed to a cross, be naked, cursed before glaring eyes, and laughed at, bearing the punishment for our sin. It didn't matter how ignorant, foolish, poor, hateful, selfish, ugly, misfit, rejected we might be, or might become--Jesus loves us to give His life so we can have eternal life.
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We have abundant evidence Jesus is the risen Son of God. It launched the Christian church that dates the calender (Acts 1:1-3; 2:22-24). Jesus underwent ridicule, torture, and death so we today can know Him as our Savior, Lord, and Guide. Paul mentioned 500 people saw Jesus after His resurrection many still alive when he wrote 25-30 years later (1 Cor. 15:1-8). Jesus is the world's only visual evidence we have life after death, and Heaven if we trust Him to save us.
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Friends, evolutionary science is based on naturalist assumptions: But no experiment shows a dog can change into a horse, monkey evolve into a man. Mindless molecules can't arrange themselves into men even in billions of years no more than red, white, and blue confetti thrown from a plane can form the American flag.. There's no one missing link, but chains of them between all the life forms. Artists pictures in science textbooks are no proof. Those who don't want a loving God in their life have to fall back on evolutionary assumptions. The naturalist claim there's no God, is arrogant and used to excuse life apart from the God who really loves us and wants us to know Him? 

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If the Beginning Universe Didn't Create Itself, Then What Did? All science is based upon a cause and effect relationship so that whatever has a beginning must have a cause. It's illogical to think a nonexistent universe could created itself. Then, the cause of the finite, material universe must be timeless, immaterial, intelligent, powerful, and personal. And its cause can't come into or go out of existence, but is eternal, self-existent, and prior to creation. These characteristics describe the Creator God of Genesis 1:1; the self-existent I Am of Exodus 3:14, eternal Word (Mind or Lord Jesus) of John 1:1-3, 14 and Christian's Redeemer of Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:14-18.  
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Doesn't Our Conscience tell us we're responsible to Moral Law and its Lawgiver? The philosopher Immanuel Kant thought it implied justice, immortality, and God. Excuses make no sense unless we break a moral law. We suffer guilt and shame to break one. We feel a sense of duty to save life even at the risk of our own. All cultures share laws for as against genocide and rape. We judge the human race for moral progress or regress. Moral laws are discovered, not invented. We may deny the moral law, but when someone cheats, steals, lies, or abuses us, we scream foul! So then, it's a moral world. We violate God's known moral standards and need His forgiveness and power to live better.

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Can't true events, if accurately recorded, be just as true millenniums later as when recorded? The Gospels tell us essentials of Jesus' life and each one adds its own details and perspective that is verified in secular history. We don't have to know everything to know something. Ancient people knew nobody can walk on water, raise the dead,  heal visible diseases unless God does it (John 3:2; 21:24, 25). For over three years, Jesus astonished His disciples, and hostile witnesses with hundreds of visible miracles that demonstrated His claims to be God were true. Talk about empirical tests!!

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Won't you say YES! to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ? Christians don't live perfect lives. Nobody in the Bible did, but Jesus.  It's His righteousness upon which we depend. His victory over sin is why He can save us sinners. We have victory over the world's system of evil, over Satan and his demons, and over our own sinful tendency as we focus on our Lord, trusting in His forgiveness, His love for us, His goodness, and power. We become God's people and all things become new as we keep surrendering our self-centered lives into His Almighty loving arms. Whatever your need, won't you say: Lord, I trust You right now to save me the sinner, and to be my Lord and Guide throughout life. That's the best decision of your life.
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Now to grow in Christ get a Bible and really study it. I recommend for English readers, the "Life Application Study Bible". It's clear living translation and many helps are far superior to any other Bible I know. Read, link on to, & share these gospel articles on the www to win others to the Savior. Lord, help this brother or sister be faithful and abundantly fruitful. In Jesus name, amen. Praise God!
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Animal Philosophy, Or Jesus Faith?

                        Animal Philosophy, Or Jesus Faith?

We all live by faith and what we accept as facts. Equally brilliant and educated persons can believe either the animal philosophy of evolution, or the Jesus faith of the Bible, especially the New Testament. The purpose of this article is to explain both and discuss some difficulties people have with them. I hope you find it helpful.

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Darwin's Theory Is Called Naturalistic Evolution.  Charles Darwin (1809-1882) is famous for his theory that all living things descended from a single cell life form in the past by natural selection. So we don't need the personal ethical God of the Bible anymore as nature explains everything. Since his time many of the world's educational systems have adopted Darwinism as the most scientific and reasonable explanation of the world and applied it to every field of learning.

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Jesus Faith Is Called Biblical Christianity. The Bible opens with the statement that God created the heavens and the earth, and later that God created the animals to reproduce after their own kind, but made man--male and female--direct and distinct in His rational, moral immortal image dominant over the animals and for relationship with Him. God provided a beautiful garden with everything man needed for healthy and happy living and walked and talked with man in happy relationship. 

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God  explained two particular trees in the Garden of Eden. Eating from the tree of life meant they would live with God in happy relationship forever. But they were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or they would die. God wanted people to trust and obey Him in happy relationship forever, but had to test their desire with freedom of choice. Satan, an angel God created had disobeyed God, and used a serpent to tempt the couple to disobey God. They ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which meant their choice for a world of good and evil. 

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God in mercy expelled Adam (made from ground) and Eve (mother)  from the garden lest they eat from the tree of life and lose their opportunity for eternal life in paradise restored. From their time until today all people have this inherited tendency to distrust God and choose self interest. But God, knowing this would happen, gives us invitations throughout life to take steps toward Him. Even in Adam and Eve's day, God promised a redeemer (Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4). Ever since God has been speaking to us through conscience, the Bible, Holy Spirit, angels, miracles, prophets, apostles, judgments, blessings, dreams, and visions that point the way to God and the redeemer His Son Jesus Christ--the God-man who walked among us (John 1:1-3, 14, 29; 3:13-36; Heb. 1:1-3; Phil. 2:5-11).  

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What Darwin's Theory Means for Everyday Life. If evolution is true, then we're soulless animals only evolved to a higher degree than the others, and nature is bloody in tooth and claw. As part of it, we too are prey and predator who must do whatever it takes to be the survivor. We can have rules and make laws, but if to lie, steal, rape, fight, or murder is more beneficial and satisfying, then why not? Stepping on people is ultimately no worse than stomping a bug. Guilt and shame, rights and justice, make no sense. Ultimately it's each person's opinion, and whoever gets the big stick, beats the rest of us into submission. In essence, no Jesus means no God, no afterlife, no human dignity, no judgment, no ethical responsibility and everyone is free to do their own thing be it minister to others which doesn't make much practical sense, or murder them. The world is a meaningless jungle and death ends it all.

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What Jesus Faith Means for Everyday Life. If Jesus is the God-man, then the Bible is God's Word, the foundation and authority for truth, hope, security, and human well-being. Created in God's image, we are beings of dignity and destiny. It matters greatly what we do and what others do to us--God is watching and will see justice is achieved.  God loves us and has a plan for each life, but we are free to reject God--we can think we know better that the all-knowing, all-wise, and loving Creator. We can come to know God by trusting in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to pay for our sins, arose again and was seen by 500 people. Jesus' righteousness is credited to us. God comes to live in us and work out His will in our life. We can have cleansing, peace, love, joy, and victory as we focus on Him and His will. Being a saint means we are set apart unto God's service, not that we will be perfect in ourselves. We have God's promise that we will one day live with Him eternally in that restored Paradise called Heaven. If we don't want God and His right ways, His love and goodness can't be forced on us. He will justly let us have our own way and rightful place--Hell.  

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Difficulties With Evolution. Some persons are quick to shout evolution is fact because all the scientists say so, or at lease the intelligent ones. Evolution is shown by the varieties of dogs, cats, monkeys, and people. There are fossils of prehistoric men and one day we'll find the missing links. A chimpanzee  has 99% DNA, the same as man. Creationists don't get papers published in the science journals. Experiments show chemicals mixed together can produce amino acids which form the basic constituents of life. Mutations and time can produce anything. And we believe in science, not in spirits and superstition.
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But we have to assume mindless molecules can arrange themselves into all the complex life forms. And each is intelligently designed with multiple compatible systems and organs requiring original creation. None of the above arguments and others show anything but that the wolf for example in designed with the genetic capacity for a variety of dog descendents. Check out my articles on science.

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Difficulties With Jesus Faith. I don't see anybody walking on water, raising dead people to life, or ascending into Heaven today. Is there a rule God must perform miracles at your demand, or could it be at crises times He decides? There are so many different versions of Christianity. God invites us to study His Word and grow in understanding and favor with Him; He doesn't force us all to believe the same way. Christians seem to be hypocrites rather than good people. Are you sure who the real Christians are, and what is your definition of good if there is no God. There can't be a good God with so much evil in the world. If God allows us free will, then we're free to do as we like--would you prefer God make us all robots? How do we know God even exists? Science operates on the principle of cause and effect. So the begun material universe requires a cause that is an eternal, powerful life and Mind. Check out my articles on worldviews and Bible benefits. There are good honest answers to each of these questions and others. Biblical Christianity has answers for persons willing to seek and find them. See also my article: Darwin's Missing Links, Or Jesus' Miracles"
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Now let me invite you to have the most crucial experience of human life. Say, Lord Jesus Christ, I turn to You now in humble admission I'm a sinner deserving your eternal justice. But I thankfully trust You to come into my life, take away my sin, and help me live for You from this day forward. Thank You Lord.
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See my notes below, and serve the Lord by sharing this and other articles with others on the web. God bless.
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Will We Go to the Stars?

                                Will We Go to the Stars?

We've put a man on the moon? We've sent space probes that give us detailed pictures of planets in our solar system and on out into space. We've discovered hundreds of planets circling hundreds of stars. One science channel program discussed planting a colony on Mars. Telescopes have mapped out the ends of the universe and cosmic background radiation shows the universe is not round like a basketball but stretched out or oval like an egg. I'm neither astronomer nor physicist, so I must rely on what they say. What does both science and the Bible say about other worlds?

                What Does Science Say about other Worlds?

Modern telescopes show us there are billions of galaxies like our Milky Way Galaxy each containing billions of stars that must contain billions of planets. It seems reasonable that some are inhabited with intelligent life forms like us. Could aliens travel in space to reach us or we to reach them? And would their advanced civilization be helpful or harmful, develop us or destroy us?

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There were millions of reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOS) in the 50's. Television science fiction series such as Star Trek and others became very popular. Movies of space exploration fascinated young movie goers. People grew up wondering if we had been invaded by flying saucers and extraterrestrials. But the reports turned out to be of natural phenomena, home made or experimental aircraft, or pranks. No visible evidence was found of flying saucers, sighted aliens, crash debris, or persons found to have travel in a space ship.
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Today scientists know of multiple problems that would be connected with space flight. Even the closest stars in our galaxy are light years away. Light travels at approximately 186,000 miles a second. If we  or aliens could travel through space at just 1% of the speed of light or 6.7 million miles an hour it would take 25,000 years to reach another planetary system. It would require hundreds of generations. Just the known hazards of space such as dust, gas, gravity, radiation, and black holes could prove fatal. A little pebble traveling at thousands of miles an hour colliding with the space craft would destroy it. The ship would have to steer away from meteors, comets, asteroids, wandering planets and things in the darkness maybe impossible to detect.
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Enormous quantities of food, water and other supplies must be preserved. It seems doctors, medicines, labs, machines, mechanics, engineers would be needed as well. Such a super large scale project would demand a huge space craft and its cost would break world banks. Experiments to be encountered in a long term space journey were conducted with only eight people in a 3.15 acre capsule. Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels varied wildly to toxic levels. Cockroaches multiplied out of control. And long term confinement in limited space would cause mental breakdowns. It seems machines and robots would work better but even they would break down after awhile.
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You may have heard all we need to populate a planet is water. Don't believe it! That's science fiction. Human life on earth requires literally hundreds of exactly right factors that are not known  elsewhere in our galaxy--it's called the anthropic principle.
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Even a slight variation of earth's gravity, heat,  atmosphere, chemical composition, water, light, rotation, magnetism would make all life impossible. Smaller planets closer to the sun enable us to receive the right amount of light and heat while those bigger planets further out protect us from incoming meteors and space debris. The moon's craters evidence this protection and its gravity enables our tides to cleanse the oceans whose right amount of water enables us to have the right atmosphere. Earth contains the right elements needed in our bodies such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium. Our distance to the nearest star and our exact location between the spiral arms of our galaxy and hundreds of other factors enable us to live on earth.
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Such utter complexity working in harmony couldn't be an accident of chance and must be a God thing. A nonexistent universe couldn't create itself and the scientific physical law called entropy means heat energy will spread out and one day the universe will become cold, inactive and dead. The universe is the effect, and its cause must be an infinite, self-existent, immaterial, and independent intelligence much like what the Bible describes as God. What now does the Bible say about other worlds?
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             What Does the Bible Say about other Worlds?
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The Bible is clear that ultimately there are only two worlds to which we can go as our eternal home, and they are as different as night and day. Both worlds are the same for all their occupants, but our experiences in our new world will be very different since we all are different persons with different ways. In other words, we are forming our character every day by the things we think, say and do, our beliefs and behaviors, attitudes and acts, what we like and dislike, how we respond to others and even to what we understand about God. At death our character is fixed and final (Heb. 9:27; Rev. 22:11).  So it's most important that we assess ourselves in light of all this--we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-8).
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The Natural Man Will Go to the World of Darkness to Reap What He's Sown in this World.
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I like to party with my friends and don't see anything wrong with a few social drinks and drugs. Why are Christians against some sexual pleasures that are just a natural part of different lifestyles? There's nothing wrong to exploit nature's resources, its beauty, its animals, or anything to make me rich and powerful. We have to get what we can while we can. I don't believe in those Bible myths of alleged miracles and God. With so many conflicting religions, we can never know if any religion is right.  Christians are judgmental to say some things are wrong and I don't believe that nonsense about being born again. Everybody knows we can only come from our mother's womb. We have to live it up and get what we want today since we may not have tomorrow. Gal. 3:19-21; Rev. 21:8; Jude 12-13. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
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The Spiritual Man Will Go to the World of Light to Reap What He's Sown in this World.
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My body is God's temple, so I try to avoid harmful things that could  enslave me, and to use by body to serve  the Lord I love. Sex is God's precious gift for our pleasure and for producting children in covenant relationship with God and our spouse. Nature's resources, beauty, animals, and objects too are God's gifts for our benefit which we are to care for and use responsibly. Its no advantage to gain the whole world and lose our own soul. I once was blind to the things of God until I opened my heart and invited Jesus to save me. It was like being born all over again with a new outlook on life, a love for God, His Word and His will. I've found the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He lives within me and I'll go to live with Him as my eternal home in His world of light. Gal. 5:22-25; 1 Cor. 3:9-14.  Lord, I love You, trust You, and want my life to count for You eternally.                 
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What Does the Bible Say About the End of the World?
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"What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:11-13).  

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What Does the Bible Say About the Two Worlds?
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"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:2-3).
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"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (Gal. 6:7-8). Yes, by trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior we join His world of light; rejecting Him confines us away in darkness forever. But our degree of rejoicing together in light, or degree of torment alone in darkness, is decided by how we live now. If we don't want God in our life, He respects our dignity and choice--He lets us have our own way, forever. And being ungrateful for His benefits, we'll cease to have them. Think about it! Is that what U want?
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"We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). Which world will be your eternal home--His light, or your darkness? Say, Lord Jesus, I trust You to come into my life, save me from sin, and be my Guide forever. Thank You. 
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Darwin's Missing Links, or Jesus' Miracles?

                 Darwin's Missing Links, or Jesus' Miracles?

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Believing in Darwin's missing links or in Jesus' miracles both require a commitment of faith as we can't observe or experiment with either. But! What we believe will decide what our world becomes. Either nature is everything making us evolving perishing animals fighting each other to survive, or Jesus performed miracles showing he's our God and we're in his image with our world saved from barbarism with the prospect of Heaven. Either alternative has the most serious consequences for us and our world. Let's check it all out.

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Why not believe in Darwin's missing links?

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Since we see no miracles or evidence of God, and evolution explains everything, then that's what happened. Yes, the thousands of missing links are the actual proof of evolution.  But since many intermediate life forms didn't survive and were lost, we're confident they did exist whether we find them or not.  All the varieties of fish, reptiles, and birds show evolution occurs. So we're free to make our own kind of world and reach for the stars. It's all so logical, scientific and factual. Let's not get tripped up in ignorant religious superstitions and myths.
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Abundant evidence shows evolution is fact. Life forms arose spontaneously and evolved by chance over time through acquiring good characteristics and favorable mutations. We can classify life in its order of complexity, animal body fluids and DNA are similar, structures such as a monkey's arm and man's arm are similar, embryo's show evolutionary stages of growth, and useless appendages as the appendix are an evolutionary hangover. We can breed improved life forms. What more can we ask?

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Why not believe in creation by God?

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Could we have been looking in the wrong places not really wanting to see evidence of God? All science operates on a cause and effect basis so we know this dependent complex universe must be the effect of an infinite, independent, immaterial, self-existing, intelligent cause not unlike what the Bible calls God. And if God has claim on our life, we may willfully ignore or suppress the evidence of God desiring our way rather than His. If God designed us superior intelligent creative beings, wouldn't it mean he desired relationship with us and has our best interests at heart? Moreover, if God created the universe, then angels, miracles, and revelations would be a small achievement.
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Physical law of heat loss shows things left to themselves deteriorate, not improve.  Honest science admits life comes only from life, not spontaneously arise from dead chemicals. Specified complexity of life cells shows an encyclopedia of instructions of what each life form must be. Yes, there are varieties of  reptiles, fish, and birds that within limits adapt to their environments. But no evidence one changes into another (macroevolution). For example, the fossil fish Coelacanth claimed 60 million years old was found swimming unchanged. Mindless molecules can't arrange themselves into animals or men  no matter how much time. All the fossils once claimed to be primitive men's bones have turned out to be either some monkey forms, real human bones, or contrived fakes designed to deceive the public. The facts correspond with the Bible statements that God created things separately and to reproduce after their own kind.
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Evolution's arguments such as classification of complexity, similar body structures, DNA and fluids would be the same whether evolution or creation.  Of course life forms would have similar structure as fishes have fins, reptiles legs, and birds wings to fit in their  environments whether sea, land, or air. There's no rule God must make things entirely different. Embryo evolutionary stages and useless appendages are arguments of ignorance. Irreducible complexity means each life form must be complete and functional at the outset and cannot survive with a partially developed digestive, reproductive, circulatory system or organs to see, hear and move. Just as an example, the chicken came before the egg. Roosters must pregnant hens who must lay on eggs and furnish the chemical needed for egg shells to develop proving creation. Isn't designed sexual union imperative with all mammals?

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Why should we seriously consider Jesus' miracles?

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We rightfully are cautious and critical about reports of miracles. People report unusual, surprising and beneficial events they call miracles when the circumstances aren't fully known. The Bible cautions us to test the spirits as fake healers, deceivers, even lying wonders of demons are in the world associated with the occult, error or evil (Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 16:14).
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But we've already shown there's every reason to believe in God as Creator who wants loving relationship with us. Miracles would be God's way to attract human attention and confirm His power to act in our world. When our knowledge is like a grain of sand on the beach of knowledge, we have no basis to say in advance what the Almighty Creator and Lord of nature can and cannot do if and when it suits His purposes.  To arbitrarily rule God out may prove to be the biggest mistake of our life!
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These invalid closed minded objections attempt to tie the Almighty's hands. (1) Nature's laws won't allow miracles. (2) Events within nature must be natural, not supernatural. (3)  No such miracles today make them historically incredible. (4) Regular natural events make rare miracles  improbable. (5) Science rejects unrepeatable and untestable miracles. (6) A real miracle would make nature chaotic and science impossible. (7) Persons who testify of  miracles aren't qualified. (8) Miracle reports supporting doctrinally diverse religions cancel themselves out. (9) Miracles are myths of prescientific imagination. (10) Mystery religions of gods supernatural birth, death, and resurrection abound in Jesus' day. (11) The Bible has been radically changed through the centuries.
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Nature and evolution simply can't account for everything. I've discussed these above objections in other articles and shown they amount to an unsubstantiated prejudice against God acting in our world or having any claim on our life. They are neither scientific, factual, nor in our best interests. (1) The universe requires a self-existent infinite, independent, intelligent cause like the Bible's Creator God. (2) We know nonexistence can't produce anything, which again points to an originating self-existing cause. (3) Mindless chance would be an irrational chaotic accident that couldn't produce a rational world--naturalism is a loser. So let's consider the evidence now with an open caring and candid attitude; we may discover what millions have found to be the joy of their life, even hope of life eternal and fulfilling.
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What's the evidence for Jesus' miracles?
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I like Dr. Norman L. Geisler's book, Miracles and the Modern Mind. And I like his definition,"A miracle is an act of God to confirm the Word of God through a messenger of God." We specifically are examining the miracle claims of Christ that he is the Son of God, and the Lord and Savior of all who trust in him. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).
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1. No reputable historian would deny the existence of Jesus or what's said of him. Nineteen pagan writers mention names, places, events associated with Jesus. Roman historian Tacitus mentions Pontius Pilate put Christ to death as a malefactor and that his prophecy of the Jerusalem temple destroyed was fulfilled. Pliny the Younger says Christians worshipped on the first day of the week and adored Jesus as God. Celsus despised Christianity but mentioned statements in Matthew, Luke, and John such as Jesus' virgin birth, flight to Egypt, cured the lame and blind, raised the dead, was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, crucified and resurrected. Only skeptical writers of last few centuries even questioned Jesus' life.  The claim that Jesus life and miracles is myth is itself myth. See He Walked Among Us, by Josh McDowell & Bill Wilson.
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2. There is nothing like Jesus' miracles in other world religions.  He healed sicknesses, lepers, the paralysed, blind, lame, deaf, epileptic, withered hand, cut off ear. He controlled nature in turning water to wine, stilling a storm, feeding thousands with little food, walking on the sea, cursing a fig tree that withered. Several times he caste out demons. His brought cold stiff corpses back to life as the widow of Nain's son, Jarirus' daughter, stinking Lazarus. He was transformed to light,  raised from the dead, and ascended into Heaven. Miracle traditions in other religions occur centuries later of  Buddha who denied god and Muhammad who disclaimed miracles. The mystery religions of a dying and rising god came after apostolic times and never claimed a virgin birth, sinless God-man who died to save sinners, arose again, and promised to one day judge humanity.

3. There's nothing false or tricky about Jesus' miracles. They usually  occur in the daylight before persons close at hand.  He healed people spontaneously upon request, and sometimes at a distance. For three and a half years he healed people before crowds at the sea shore, the temple, and passing through towns when people brought their diseased, sick and maimed. He healed them immediate without relapses and the  healed were known both before and after. Jesus challenged his opponents to find fault in him which forced them to admit his miracles,  but attribute their good to the devil. The apostle John says these are only a part of his miracles which must have been hundreds (Jn 21:24-25).
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4. Natural explanations can't explain away Jesus' miracles. Nobody can fake so many and such varied kinds of miracles--nature miracles, healings, casting out demons, and raising the dead. They can't be freaks of nature, hypnotism, coma, or  magic. They were not like statues crying blood or the walking cross of the Apocryphal Gospels. His healings were not done under cover of night in a tent at a distance using speaking devices and manipulative techniques like fake healers requesting money. And doctored up skulls to look half human shouldn't be made to deceive us about a supposed race of ape-men. Modern translations are made from many early Greek manuscripts and the New testament is now estimated to be 99% accurate and the most accurate document of antiquity.
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5. Jesus' miracles are entirely credible.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke published their accounts within  thirty years of Jesus' death from earlier documents, and not in the second century as critics would have us believe. Proof his disciples were not ignorant of nature's patterns is that they were at first astonished and skeptical. Jesus repeatedly rebuked them for unbelief. They were skeptical even about his resurrection though he raised three persons and told them several times he would die and rise again. Jesus and his apostles taught honesty, integrity, and the world's highest moral standards in the Gospels and Epistles. Would you endure ridicule, torture, and horrible death for what you knew to be a despicable lie? Neither did Jeus' disciples! See  Lk. 1:1-3; Jn. 19:35; Acts 1:3; 2:22-24; 2 Peter 3:16
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6. Jesus continually claimed to be God all the while he performed his miracles. He claimed to be the bread of life and fed thousands on two occasions with little food. He claimed to be the resurrection and the life and raised three persons from the dead. He fulfilled multiple prophecies about his virgin birth, sinless life, death for sinners, and resurrection. He claimed the attributes of God: He existed before the world came into being (Jn. 17:4, 24). He is in heaven and on earth at the same time (Jn. 3:13). He forgives sins as God (Matt. 9:1-8). He knows all things (Jn. 16:30). The Jews fully understood his claims to be God rather than just a man (Jn. 10:33).
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Our world is at the crossroads. We will side with Darwin saying nature is everything meaning atheism is true and live an animal lifestyle returning to barbarianism. Or, we trust in Jesus who gives us salvation, truth, moral standards, human dignity, freedom for responsible living, justice, love, a rational world, and hope for eternal life. Loving and serving Jesus who paid for our sins on the cross will make a better world. Darwin's atheism  will reduce us to animals and destroy all hope. WHICH LIFE DO YOU CHOOSE?  Think about it carefully.
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The World's Excuses & God

                             The World's Excuses & God

They did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to those things which are not fitting.  . . . You are inexcusable O man, who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.

                                                                                      ---Apostle Paul, Romans 1:28; 2:1
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God's apostle makes a serious indictment against us humans. Are we guilty as charged? You be the judge but try to be honest--I know it's hard. Let's consider it as objectively as we can under four questions.
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 What does Biblical Christianity offer the world?

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Christians believe a rational moral God created the universe and made us humans in His rational, moral, immortal image and likeness. Unlike animals, this gives us humans a greater dignity and a destiny. Being rational we can create, solve all kinds of problems and have relationship with God. Being moral, our inborn conscience tells us to treat others the way we would want them to treat us.

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All this being so, we can have relationship with our Maker now and eternally--it's our choice. And it makes us responsible to God, ourselves, our fellow-man, and  for  God's world as His stewards. Because we all descended from Adam (means from the ground) and Eve (means mother of all people), we all have the same dignity, rights, moral laws, and are due the same humane treatment and God's justice. This is the Christian foundation and rationale  for truth,  free speech, ethics, land ownership, justice, love, government, law, rights, freedom, religion, philosophy, science and all human endeavors. It's unlike all others and makes for a good world.

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What do Christians say is evidence that they are correct?

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Creation. First, creation of the universe. Today's science is in accord with the Bible which shows the universe can be traced back to a beginning point. Moreover, what has a beginning must have a beginner since the universe can't create itself. What doesn't exist can't create anything. Further, the present universe is dependent upon a prior outside independent source. That source must be immaterial, eternal, self-existent, unchangeable, and an omnipotent mind and will  to explain everything we know about in our world. In fact, that source is like the great biblical "I Am" (Exodus 3:14; John 1:1-3; Heb. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-17; Rev. 1:18).

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Then, creation of life and mind. They cannot arise spontaneously from nothing.  Unconscious chemicals can't give what they don't have. Mindless molecules don't arrange themselves into men given any amount of time; it requires a creative Mind or Arranger. Eyes, ears, limbs as well as digestive and reproductive systems don't just magically appear but must from the start be complete and functional which again requires creation and a Creator. Partly formed organs and systems aren't fit to survive. Nature can only select what's in the gene pool and mutations are harmful. Moreover, the often touted ape-men which would be the real disproof  of creation have been shown to be either monkeys or men not missing links. Further, chimps can't communicate complicated human language.
Even supposing DNA in monkeys and men is the same, it's the different arrangement that makes the difference..

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Yes, the chicken must first hatch the egg with the needed chemical to form its shell and then lay on the egg for it to hatch which again demonstrates creation. Nature's beauty strikes us with wonder and awe that there must be Someone who knows and cares about us.

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Conscience. If there is law, then there must be a great moral Lawgiver and so much in human life testifies to that. We know that what hurts us hurts other persons like us. But our fallen conscience is fallible, can be distorted (Romans 2:15) and even seared by intense evil (1 Timothy4:2). Nevertheless, the law of the Lord is a perfect reflection His perfect divine nature (Psalms 19:7; Matthew 5:48).
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Abundant evidence testifies to this objective moral law. It's universal. We can't avoid making moral judgments. We know injustice only because we know justice. It's the objective moral standard by which we measure human progress or regress. Breaking it causes us to make excuses. We suffer guilt. It's discovered, not invented. We risk our lives out of a sense of duty. All cultures disavow genocide and rape. We naturally detest some things such as to cheat, steal, murder, be disloyal and protest them done to us. 

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Christ. God didn't tell us everything we want to know at once but revealed Himself and His will  gradually in time periods testing our obedience  under various conditions.  Jesus is our fullest revelation of God. If we can put our dogmatic assumptions aside, we can see  the evidence points to a great Spiritual Creator who best explains everything. Then human souls, miracles, angels, divine revelations, and God taking human form becomes reasonable because He loves us and made us for relationship. If our knowledge amounts to a dot in the universal circle, doesn't dogmatic denial speak of human arrogance while honest consideration speaks of fairness and wisdom?

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No historical persons compare to Jesus. What other person is said to do such supernatural things? Jesus fulfilled multiple prophecies such as being virgin born in Bethlehem, lived without sin, performed multiple miracles, claimed to be God, died for sinners, arose from the dead, ascended into heaven before 500 staring eyes. Jesus' deity is no myth adoring disciples imagined centuries later.

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Unlike other founders of religion, hymns and creeds speaking of Christ's deity within the first 15 years after his death are incorporated into the epistles. The four Gospels, Acts and epistles are published within 40 years. Secular writers mention many details of his life such as his disciples believed him to be God and died horrible deaths in testimony to it.
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All this cannot be said of any other founder of religion. Actually, more historical information is recorded of Jesus that any other noted person. Archaeology too verifies details of persons, places, and events of Jesus' time. Jesus then is the God-man and King of kings.

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Why general objections do Christians see in non-Christian views?

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If they claim there's no God who can act in our real world--that seems paradoxical being a Godlike knowledge they don't have. Their views can  all be shown to be either practical atheism which makes us soulless dirt or pantheism which reduces us to recycled energy.  Some are half truths as deism (god out there) and monism (god is everything). Some are complete lies such as that the truth is that we can't know truth. Atheists claim physical and moral evils preclude an all good and powerful God not realizing evils are a meaningless judgment without that God as the standard. Others clearly contradict which disproves all cannot be true if any--for example mind verses mater. They make their advocates hypocrites who must fall back on realistic Christian premises such as truth, honesty, human dignity and justice to survive.  But when we forget God, we become ruled by tyrants and subject to God's judgment.
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The above are shown to be the arrogant reasoning's of men. Only an infinite, self-existent, personal, ethical Creator God can provide, unify and make sense of everything including our existence, dignity and future.

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What specific excuses do we humans use to excuse us from God and our responsibility?

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Human history contains a long list but I can mention only a few with brief comments.  Animism that makes nature indwelt by spirits but still acknowledges a supreme but unknown god. Pantheism which makes everything one ultimate substance being mind or spiritual energy. Polytheism that claims many little gods evolved from nature each with its own domain that fight each other and die. Materialism says everything is matter or degrees of compressed energy. Deism that acknowledges God who created the world then forsake it to run by natural law. Panentheism (process philosophy) that supposes God is evolving with the world as mind is in a body. Dualism supposes two equal opposing principles but two exact equals reduce to the same one. Syncretism attempts to unity religions downplaying their differences claiming all religions lead to the ultimate. Cultism claims some charismatic teacher who alone has discovered the truth. Evolutionism that says the universe is always evolving so that there can be no absolute truth and morals. Relativism based upon evolution that claims no ultimate truth nor morals. Scientism (science alone is authoritative), which claims we can only know reality by controlled experimental testing and even then not absolutely. Secularism that says the supernatural is merely superstition. Humanism that affirms man must save himself since there's no God to save us. Modernism teaches you must accept beliefs in fashion today. Postmodernism affirms religious beliefs are subjective. Tolerationism accepts all beliefs not claimed absolute.  Selfism being me and my desires are all I have to care about. Statism is when the Almighty State usurps control of wealth, land, religion, speech, education, news, entertainment, family, and people's lives--people give up their freedom and obey the state to survive.
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All the above ideologies either ignore or deny the existence and authority of God over our lives. They result in a meaningless flux of human supposition that invites chaos and then tyranny. 
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 "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father . . . the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:15-17).
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They all reduce to ignoring God, His supernatural evidence, instructions, and setting up ourselves as the authority and guide for our  lives. Jesus said it's a matter of will. "If  anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine" (John 7:17). God's Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). We really are without excuse (Jeremiah 29:13; Acts 17:30-31).

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Friend, may I suggest a better way. Our Creator, Life Giver, Lawgiver, Judge and Savior in love pleads with us to kneel in trust acknowledging we are sinners. Then pray Lord, I come to You as a humble sinner trusting You to forgive my sins, save me and be my Lord and Guide forever. Thank You Lord. John 1:29; 3:16-17, 36, 5:25; 8:12; 14:6. Now share your God given faith with everybody and pray human hearts will trust in our only Savior. God bless and use you in this crucial opportunity of the most vital things of life.

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A Brilliant Scientist & Devout Christian

                                    A Brilliant Scientist & Devout Christian

                    Being unable to cure death, wretchedness and ignorance,
                    men have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things.

                                                                                             ---Blaise Pascal, Pensees

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One huge difference between men and animals is that people can reflect on deep philosophical issues. We can ask the big questions of life that as far as we know animals cannot. Is there a personal ethical God? Is there life after death? Is the world going anywhere? Does life have objective meaning? Does morality make any real or lasting difference?
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Often we do anything to avoid such questions and their possible consequences. We watch TV, movies, play ear pounding music, play sports, go shopping, party, read light literature, the Internet, any kind of amusement or business to take our minds away from God and our responsibility to Him.
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Some feel inadequate to form opinions on deep subjects.  With centuries of continued debate, some people wonder if we can have any final answers. Others simply see no practical relevance of them to their real world and lives. But the issues won't go away and consciously or unconsciously we have underlying worldviews like wearing colored glasses that color  our viewpoints whether we are willing to face it or not.
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Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) attributes this to our fallen sinful state (Rom. 1:18). He believed we fill our lives with business to ignore or suppress our inborn moral and spiritual responsibilities. He devised a more practical rather than logical approach to draw us back from our diversions. Let's first consider the background of Pascal as scientist and philosopher and then his famous wager.
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Pascal - The Pioneer Renaissance Scientist.
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His scientific contributions. Though he lived only 49 years, Pascal was an accomplished scholar in many fields. Others said of him that he was one of the most advanced thinkers of his time and one of the founding fathers of the new experimental science. This brilliant Frenchman laid the foundations for infinitesimal calculus, integral calculus, the calculus of probabilities, and he contributed to geometry and number theory. He became a first-rate experimental scientist practicing the newly emerging scientific method of forming a hypothesis and verifying or falsifying it by experimental testing.
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With his technological intuition and productive imagination, he is credited with inventing the syringe, the vacuum cleaner, the hydraulic press and he developed the first public transportation system in Europe. Desiring to help his father calculate his taxes, he invented the first digital calculator or adding machine being the precursor to our modern computers.
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His philosophy of science. As a member of the Catholic Church, he supported the findings of Copernicus and Galileo. He had respect for authority, but unlike Plato he believed truth didn't just rest on authorities of analytic reasoning but must be established by experimental testing.  Science continues to progress as it explores nature's mysteries gathering data and experimenting with sound explanatory hypothesis. We can never be absolutely certain about our theories  so that new theories may replace old ones. Science has its limits. His view resembles the twentieth century philosopher of science Karl Popper. But Pascal recognized that science could never change human nature. Scientific progress could not change our human will and people did not form their basic beliefs by reason and science alone. Furthermore, science could not make us wise, happy, or good.  Some came to regard Pascal as the first modern man.
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Pascal - The Devout Christian Defender.
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His profound religious experience. While crossing the Seine River during a storm, he came to trust in Jesus Christ and the truths of the Christian faith. He wrote a memoir about it sown in the lining of his clothes discovered after his death. It consisted of notes and fragments and was really only an outline of a proposed book defending the Christian faith. It came to be known as his Pensees(Thoughts). He was sick for a long time unable to work and is believed to have died of meningitis.
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His Pensees affirmed  he believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and not in the God of the philosophers and scholars. He had a heartfelt joy and peace unlike any before that must be found only in ways taught in the Gospels. This did not cause him to renounce his scientific and mathematical interests but regard them in a new light as service to God. The themes he wrote about the nature of man and the relationship of faith and reason set him apart in a most unique way.
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The enigma of man. Human nature is a paradox of both greatness and wretchedness, both the glory and refuse of the universe. We receive greatness being created in the image and likeness of God reflecting God's glory though in a limited way. At the same time, we are wretched being fallen beings from Adam's sin  inheriting his sinfulness, guilt and corruption (Ps. 51:5; 58:3; Rom. 5:12, 18-19; 1 Cor. 15:22).  The ultimate solution is to know both God and our wretchedness so that Jesus Christ can strike a balance and we can find redemption in Him. Only in Christ can we truly know God, ourselves, the meaning of life and of death.
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Reasons of the heart. Pascal believed reason was not contrary to religion and can be helpful, but one comes to know God through faith or insight or willful trust of the heart. He mentioned a list of evidences as pointers to God. Among them biblical prophecy, miracles, Christ's resurrection, the continued existence of the Jews, the church's continued witness despite persecution, and Christianity's explanatory power.
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He asserted that reason and science have limits and need illumination of faith and divine revelation. Traditional proofs for God unlike geometry are not certain or presented as to complicated and remote and don't give knowledge of Christ. Knowing about God is not the same as knowing and loving God. They may convince the mind but not the heart. The heart for Pascal is the instinctive, immediate, intuitive apprehension of truth and of God in Christ. And scientific research today aligns itself with intuition as vital to discovering truth.
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Pascal - His Wager.
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To adopt Christianity over atheism we need to first understand the context of Pascal's Wager. It was never intended as an evidence attempting to prove God's existence. It was intended for persons  suspending judgment on ultimate issues. It was directed to French deists, skeptics, and free thinkers. It was meant to awaken persons indifferent to God, death, and immortality. It was a cost-benefit analysis that whoever wages against God has nothing to gain and everything to lose. Let's look at the Wager.
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                        Let us weigh up the gain and the loss involved in calling heads that God
                        exists. Let us assess the two cases: if you win you win everything. If you
                        lose you lose nothing. Do not hesitate then; wager that he does exist.
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Being catholic, Pascal is of course speaking of the Christian God of the Bible and  the Church. He mentions the first of two alternatives, we can believe in God and commit to him in trust. It results in two outcomes of being correct or incorrect. If belief in God is correct, the believer stands to gain everything--infinite gain of eternal life with God in heaven. If belief in God is incorrect as God doesn't exist, the believer has lost nothing.
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The second alternative is to wager against God refusing to commit to him. Disbelief also has two outcomes of being correct or incorrect. If we refuse to believe and God doesn't exist we gain nothing. But if we refuse to believe and God exists we lose everything being inner purity, peace, joy, love, freedom, security and dignity in this life, and our choice forever casts us into the darkness and torments of hell. This is a most crucial and ultimate wager that we are wise not to dismiss or deny since that would mean we're already made our choice.
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Now we must examine criticisms made of the Wager and the responses. Several objections have been made both by Christians and non-Christians and we will look at each with a response.
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1. It's God who saves us--we can't save ourselves or even believe apart from God. The Wager can be a tool to awaken our consciousness to our need. God does the saving but we do the accepting or receiving of God's gift through faith (John 1:11-13; 16:8-11). Apart from God's Spirit convicting and opening us to His truth, we would never come to Him on our own (Acts 16:31; Eph. 2:8-9).
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2. Performing a religious function does not make a person Christian. True, reading the Bible, going to church, singing hymns, receiving the sacraments, baptism, and so on doesn't save anybody (Titus 3:5-7). But Christians used them to give understanding of God and of our need.
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3. Forcing the Wager on someone promotes intellectual dishonesty. Pretense is dishonesty but to open one's mind to the truth is not dishonesty. The meaning of death is a most serious topic we need to prepare for. God's love can't be forced on anyone; it has to be a free will response.
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4. The Wager makes faith a cold pragmatic gamble. It's a common sense appeal to try God to see that He is good as Scripture says (Psalm 34:8). Clear honest reasoning about what could be our worst forever nightmare shows wisdom. It's like visit to the doctor for a physical check up.

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5. If God doesn't exist, the Wager becomes life wasted on a lot of religious nonsense. Actually,  faith in the Christian God and His way motivates us to all kinds of good works. It's the basis for truth, love, trust, justice, human compassion, service to others. Without it, human abuse of every kind seems self-preservation and fair game--we are just perishing animals fighting to survive. No God means the world is going nowhere, death ends all, life has no meaning, suicide seems an easy way out of a horrible situation.
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6. The Wager is no guarantee so seems to be a waste of time. Life forces us to make choices of many uncertain outcomes. Multiple unknown factors may be at work but we must choose. If we are wrong thinking God's exists and He doesn't, it won't matter if death is the end. But if we are wrong thinking God doesn't exist and He does, then eternal loss in darkness and torments for our sins is the outcome. Doesn't wisdom dictate we choose God every time?
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7.  What if we gamble on the wrong God? No God but the Christian biblical God is right. He has given us supernatural evidences, signs, reasons to believe. These include miracles, fulfilled prophecies, the sinless Savior, his claims, his resurrection, Christianity's capacity to make sense of the world when other religions do not. Further, non-Christian religions have none of this and are only the opinions and guesses of men.
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8.   The Wager works equally well with all subjective religions that make an infinite claim.  Biblical Christianity is unique. Most religions are based upon the teaching or thinking of a wise man (Confucius), claim of angelic revelation (Islam, Mormonism), monism (Hinduism, Buddhism) and are all subjective religions. Their basis is supposed human wisdom or experience alone. Only Bible Christianity furnished evidences of a supernatural God who acts in the real world and makes promises about future conditions and life after death.
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9. The Wager will not convince hardened skeptics and committed atheists. Pascal didn't intend the Wager for such persons and didn't use theistic arguments to persuade people of God's existence. God gives us the freedom to reject Him, and persons will even knowing it's true and can't rebut such arguments. The priests plotted to crucify Christ after seeing Lazarus raised from the dead (John 12:9-11). Intellectual knowledge without inner transformation of God's Spirit is not saving faith (Titus 3:5).
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10.  Why bet my certain freedom now against an uncertain heavenly good. Self rule now is nothing to compare to the weight of glory that awaits us with God in heaven. God promises us things more wonderful than we can ever imagine--angels, loved ones, no death, sorrow, illness, crime. And it's for eternity.
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11.   Isn't it wrong to use fear of harm or threats to get people to believe? No. It's like warning of a rattle snake. The threat is real and must be heeded. And being the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, God sets the rules.
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12. A holy God would prefer honest skeptics to pragmatic believers. No, unbelief is founded upon rebellion, arrogance and leads to idolatry. It prevents us from wanting God's way. "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good" (Psalm 14:1).

In light of all this I urge you to take the issue most seriously and invite Jesus to become your Lord, Savior and Guide for life. It's the winning choice every time.
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I've borrowed heavily from Kenneth Richard Samples book, Without a Doubt Answering The 20 Toughest Faith Questions, ch. 6. Books on Pascal you might like are: Peter Kreeft, Christianity For Modern Pagans: Pascal's Pensees. Thomas Morris, Making Sense of It All: Pascal and the Meaning of Life. A. J. Krailsheimer, Blaise Pascal, trans.
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Human Evolution--Did We Climb from the Slime?

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#Evolution
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Even though we are regarded as experts in our field of science, philosophy, theology, or whatever, we still may have biases. We can feel so certain we're right about the facts but they turn out not to be facts at all.  We may so intensely want something to be true that we stretch the truth and dismiss alleged contrary evidence as foolish. Even the great Albert Einstein so wanted the universe to be self-existent that he miscalculated his theory of General Relativity because it implied a definite beginning of time, matter and space. He didn’t like the fact that a beginning implied a self-existent Beginner or Creator.
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Our bias may be peer pressure from our colleagues, a prestigious good paying job we don’t want to lose, too much pride to admit we’re wrong, or other series consequences affecting our lives. Sometimes it takes real integrity and courage to be honest.

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Now it’s often said science is fact, but religion is mere theory and preference. Well, are you sure? I know that what’s often been called scientific fact in one decade is found to be error the next. And what has sometimes been called theological nonsense at one time was discovered later to be true and known before science discovered it. For example, science a century ago discovered what the Bible said centuries before that life is in the blood and that quarantine of diseases prevents their spread. Isn't that an amazing fact? That being true but unknown to science, might other Bible teachings be true and worthy of honest investigation?

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I believe I can show several reasons we didn’t climb from the slime and that God created us with a dignity and destiny evolution won’t allow. In this article, I will discuss evolutionist’s unproved assumption, spurious arguments, ignoring of evidence, and human destruction.

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Naturalistic Evolutionist's Unproved Assumption

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Yes, multiple life forms exist, but that they all by chance descended from one single cell millions of years ago can't be demonstrated by science. No scientific experiment proves it. No fossible remains exist to show all the necessary steps in evolution and the divisions animals and plants take. No spontaneous generation is known to occur from dead chemicals. The probability against the right chemicals combining is immense.  As far as we know every life form descends from it's own kind though verities of kinds exist within the genetic pool. Naturalistic evolution is only an assumption.
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For three reasons it seems impossible for  naturalistic evolutionists to say no Creator who made man directly and in his image exists or can act in our world. One, in the universal circle of knowledge our knowledge is limited to a small dot. We don't even know what exists or may occur in the next room, outside our office, or down the road. Two, if God be an all pervading Spirit everywhere as the Bible teaches, then he is all around us and our limited senses can't detect him. Three, if God be a Creator upon which the world and life depends, then he designed and made all things conform to his will and can change them any way any time he so desires.
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If God exists people may have souls, angels may appear, God may speak,  and miracles may occur. For a Creator of the universe, miracles and God’s intervention and revelation would be trivial. God could do anything He desires, any place He chooses, for any reason He thinks best. Only an unwarranted bias could deny a supernatural God. So such things must be demonstrated by honest credible eyewitness testimony and cannot be dismissed by philosophical prejudice. See my other articles for evidence of God and his actions within our world.

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Evolutionist’s Spurious Arguments

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Good science is demonstrated by repeatable measurable controlled experiment. Experiments were conducted on fruit flies since they had a very short lifespan. All that many generations of fruit flies proved was that they can be made to have mutated and handicapped wings and legs but not become anything other than fruit flies. Evolution failed the experiment and isn't based on experiment.

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Evolutionary theory is that life forms are improving in ability to survive. A law of physics (Second Law of Thermodynamics) is that things naturally deteriorate. Breeding can improve life forms but only from what is already in their genes as no new genetic material is created. Acquired characteristics and mutations are not a sufficient mechanism to change one life form into another. Genes are fixed by inheritance. A great many mutations designed to function together would be required. But mutations are detrimental and are not passed on. So atoms didn't on their on accord arrange themselves into Adam--God made us. and in His rational, moral, immortal image.
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Useless appendages are said to be a carryover from evolution. But that is an argument from ignorance. It was once thought there were over a hundred useless such appendages such as the appendix. But further research demonstrated these appendages have been found to have specific uses in an animal’s life cycle after all. Only a small number are in doubt today. Another evolutionist's argument based on ignorance.

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We can classify similarities of life forms in an order of complexity that shows evolution. We could if creation were true as well. And yes, a monkey’s arm is similar to a man’s arm; life forms have similar organs, systems, fluids and DNA. But there’s no rule God must make every life form different. Indeed, birds must have wings to fly, land animals legs to walk, fish fins and a tail to swim and all require lungs, mouth, and a reproductive system and so on. What really needs explanation is how sex differences throughout the animal and plant kingdoms could come about except by or from a Creator. This is a problem evolutionists are without answer while creationists do--the almighty will of God. 
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 The human embryo’s development shows the steps of transition from its animal ancestors. Absurd! What was once thought to be a fish’s gills and a monkey’s tail were no more than undeveloped parts of a human baby. Abortionists use this silly argument to torture with acid or cut up and murder human babies without mercy. Evolution doesn't enhance human dignity but diminishes it and leads to human destruction. Aren't the Brits correct to call it EVILution?
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We know varieties of animals exist and so given enough time we are all related to a common ancestor. Yes, there are varieties of dogs, horses, monkeys, and men. But we don’t know that dogs change into horses or monkeys evolve into men. Genetic limitations forbid it. Microevolution (limited change) is known fact; macroevolution is speculative theory. And the real evidence can best be explained by a  Common Designer, not a common ancestor. Dead mindless molecules can’t arrange themselves into men no matter how much time. Design requires a Designer—a Living Intelligence and will.

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Missing links show man descended from a lower form of life. That would be the real proof of evolution. But even the term “missing links” is prejudicial influencing persons to believe evolution. That molecules can arrange themselves into men would require thousand of bones demonstrating it step by step. But all we have is a few disputed hoaxes. Paleontologists occasionally announce they have found the missing link to enjoy world fame for a brief time until their find is shown to be only some kind of monkey form. The Tennessee Scopes trial convinced Americans Nebraska man was the missing link that proved evolution. So science was right and religion wrong and shouldn’t be allowed to be taught in school textbooks. The fossil found turned out to be an extinct pigs tooth. Still in many minds it caused God and morality to take a nose dive. Get real! The alleged ape-men turn out to be either monkeys or men. Why not give human dignity and destiny serious and honest consideration with all the evidence for the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Evolutionist’s Ignoring of Evidence

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First, evolutionists know only life can produce other life. There’s no spontaneous generation from the non-living, but this is required in evolution theory. Further, everything that is alive must have been designed to be that way from the start or what is termed specified complexity. Imagine a single celled amoeba taking on multi-cells, developing legs to walk outside water and eyes to see where it’s going and somewhere along the line a brain to control everything. And what about when these things are only partially developed—a partial eye, leg, digestive or reproductive system? It seems ridiculously funny but that must be what must take place. If any one of those organs or systems were destroyed, the organism would become helpless. Do unconscious, mindless chemicals arrange themselves into people? That’s what evolutionists must believe.

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Evolutionist’s Theory of Human Destruction

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If the theory of evolution is true, then we’re only soulless dirt. We come from the elements of the ground to which we return. People’s skin even takes the colors we see in dirt being brown, black,  white, red and yellow. As soulless dirt, somehow evolved by chance from slime, we are only a more evolved animal. Our only law is survival of the fittest, which means we must exercise power over weaker animals. Whoever gains power can manipulate and murder us without remorse. What a terribly sad wicked state evolution has brought to us!
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The Savior and Lord who died and rose again, Jesus Christ, gives back everything evolution takes away—absolute truth, human dignity, rights, ethics, justice, love, Heaven. Doesn’t it make more sense to trust our lives into His care?
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If we don't knell before our Savior now, we will knell before Him as Judge at the great white thrown. So will you knell now and say, Jesus I come to You as a humble sinner and trust You  as my Lord and Savior right now and forever. So be it.  Sharing these blog articles can bring about immense good in people's lives both now and eternally. Just link them with your blog.
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Nature Could Never Design Man

Scientists tell us a living cell has enough genetic information to fill a set of encyclopedias—it’s a virtual city of compact complex machines working in harmony. And molecules would have a number of impossibly difficult hurtles to even form a cell. But we don’t have to take the scientists word for it. Just perceptive observation can show how utterly impossible this is for unconscious mindless nature to create man in any amount of time. Take the human body as an example.

Consider the external design shown only in a person’s head. Eyes in the head on top of the body give maximum distance of vision—why aren’t they at the waist or feet? Eyes are recessed and proper distance apart for depth of vision and protection with eyebrows to obstruct drips, eyelashes to retard dust, tears to clarify vision. Ears located on sides of the head for expanded range of sound and shaped to trap sound. Nose juts out with double nostrils to insure breathing if a nostril is clogged. Mouth is in the head for food intake designed to take food downward and out of the body. It has biting teeth in front where needed to bite and  teeth behind to crush what’s bit, a tongue to move food around and internal acids to digest food. Can we suppose blind nature knew how to fix things this way even in billions of years?

Eyes, ears, nose, mouth all have many essential functioning parts to carry messages to the brain.

Man’s brain is encased in a hard protective shell surrounded by hair to keep in warmth. The human brain is so compact and so complex with connections sending chemical and electrical messages in a split second and it would take a large library to match the information it can contain. Further, it’s believed we use only a small part of our brain capacity. Doesn’t all this suggest fiat creation rather than evolutionary process?

Science knows nothing can’t produce something and life doesn’t come from nonlife--that suggests an eternal self-existing living cause, namely God. Further, life forms show specified complexity not found in nature—compare arrowheads with creek stones, sand castles with sand dunes, the four known presidents faces of Mount Rushmore with natural mountains. Further, life forms are irreducibly complete and functional at the outset—no partially developed heart or reproductive system can survive.

Evolutionists make counter claims. They say human embryos go through animal stages such as a worm and fish, and the fetus’ backbone looks like an animal’s tail—they even base abortion on it. But life forms are programmed at the outset. They say bodily appendages such as tonsils, appendix and thymus gland are useless evolutionary carryovers. Over a hundred such vestigial organs were once claimed, but uses are now known for all but a disputed few. It’s said both animal and human genetic material are composed of four letters and 99% identical. But it’s not identical material but different arrangement that counts.

Could evolutionist arguments be based upon ignorance or just blind prejudice? Does true investigative science have to exempt God at the outset? Do we know so much as to say no God exists? Aren’t we supposed to follow the evidence wherever it leads? Doesn’t experimental science have its limits? Could the “gaps” in our knowledge be filled in by a naturalistic bias? Weren’t modern experimental scientists’ believers in God, creation and many even Christians? Aren’t many scientists’ Christian believers even today? And isn’t it the rational order of the Christian worldview that is the very basis for experimental science? All these questions deserve honest answers from honest open-minded people.

Inherited adaptability to environment does occur such as the changing length of the finches’ beak. But mutations are usually destructive, not passed on, and millions are required in conjunction to make a significant change—it’s not a sufficient mechanism to change one life form into another. The universe is running down, not building up as evolution suggests. A genetic plan must come from an informer, a mind. Randomness never arranges itself into order—red, white and blue confetti dropped from an airplane doesn’t form itself into the American flag on the ground. Life forms look designed simply because they really are designed by their great Designer.

The probably of this all coming together by unconscious mindless nature in an evolution of time and chance is infinitely improbable, not even in 15 billion years. Consult a textbook explaining the complexity, intricacy and compatibility of the human body. Surely, common sense compels us to admit all this marvelous design cannot be due to a common ancestor but attributed only to a common intelligent self-existing Designer or God. A love-trust relationship with our Maker may be the plan and purpose of life. We won’t know until we sinners trust in the loving Savior who died to pay for our sins.

Maybe it’s Darwinists’ and not the Bible that’s in denial—see Psalms 14:1; 19:1-2; 139:14; Romans 1:20-21. Rose Publishing puts out pamphlets with much good easy to understand information. For college students the 5 Minute Apologist, by Dr. Rick Cornish gives maximum answers in minimum time. It covers most subjects at a reasonably price.

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