Interview with Professor Mater Atheos

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Chris Theon arrived for his two o’clock appointment at Professor Atheos’ office in the administrative building at secular university. Knock. Knock.

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“Come in, Mr. Theon.” Opening the door, the professor greeted Chris with a casual smile and invited him in to sit across from him at the little round table. Looking around the office Chris was much impressed. He said, “You sure have a lot of earned and honorary degrees and honors professor. You have filled your wall with them. You must be quite a knowledgeable man.”

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“Ha, ha. Oh, I’m just a humble person who worked hard and persevered. I understand you want to interview me about my beliefs.”

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“Yes, and thank you so much for giving me some of your time. I believe you’re called by many names.”

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“Yes, ha, ha. Some people think I’m an antichrist in league with the devil because of my beliefs. They call me atheist, humanist, materialist, naturalist, secularist, antitheist and some other things I won’t mention. They all mean I don’t believe in any God, miracles, angels, divine revelations, human souls or any religions and superstitions. The universe is eternal and self-sustaining. There’s no God and we should justify our beliefs by science and reason. I believe the scientific method of laboratory controlled, repeated, observable experiments is the only way to gain knowledge.”

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“Yes professor that’s certainly true in physics and chemistry. But wouldn’t you say archaeology, paleontology, geology and forensics qualify as sciences and give us knowledge as well? All these depend upon data of intelligent design in nature. Moreover, we can’t subject past events to laboratory controlled, repeated, observable experiments. And suppose there’s a Creator God who’s an infinite Spirit. Do you think he would submit to our laboratory, controlled, repeated, observable experiments so we can know he’s real? And who was around to observe and report on what happened at Creation. But here again scientists now know the universe is not eternal and this points to a personal intelligence to account for the persons and things we observe in the world.”

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“Ha, ha, well Chris I think evolution answers this whole question of God and creation and shows we no longer need God to account for things. Who can deny that evolution is a proven fact?”

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“Of course Dr. Atheos, if by evolution you mean many varieties of dogs and monkeys exist (microevolution). But, that’s no evidence that dogs change into horses and monkeys evolve into men (macroevolution).Where’s the evidence in nature that molecules can come alive, develop intelligence and arrange themselves into men? If it happened, shouldn’t we see thousands of fossils or transitional steps that would decisively prove it true? Besides, life forms are genetically programmed. Mutations are detrimental defects and don’t accumulative over generations. Enormously complicated animals and plants would have to be alive and functional from the start. So is evolution proven fact or mere speculative theory?”

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“Hum! (Professor Atheos became tight-lipped and raised his voice). Young man if a God of infinite goodness exists, he would desire to purge evil and suffering from the earth. And a God of infinite power could fulfill his desire. But evil and suffering exists. I think that does away with any notion of such a God.”

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“Professor, Sir, you’re right that this is a serious problem and I don’t think we limited humans have answers in specific cases. But we have some general answers that show it’s reasonable that a good God and providence exists. First, to prevent evil and suffering, God would have to create us as robots without free choice to either accept or reject him. That’s no honor to us or glory to him. Also, if God is infinitely good and powerful, then he certainly can defeat evil and suffering. Do we know he doesn’t have a good reason for the delay? Further, we’re all sinners who brought evil and suffering into the world, destroying them would be destroying us. So shouldn’t we be grateful for God’s delay? The Bible says God is patient and it’s not his will that any should perish but all come to the truth. Finally, if there be no God, everything is a given or just is, how can we even define good or evil as anything more than just our individual preference?”

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“Ah haw! You’re a Christian believer in the Bible. Well, I don’t believe in that heinous book. It’s full of evils like warfare, murders, and lies even of its supposedly holy people. It’s not the so-called ‘good book.’ How can you accept such literature and say it’s inspired by God?”

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“I’m glad you asked professor, sir. You are right the Bible is full of these things. But God doesn’t approve the lies, adulteries, murders, human sacrifices, sex with animals and other evils committed by persons in the Bible. He had them recorded to show they bring death and just retribution. God’s servants provide Bible lists showing how God wants us to live for our best interests. Consider the Ten Commandments, Sermon on the Mount and others.”

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“If we reject God’s authority for chance and evolution, then limited, conflicting, human opinions, and guesses are the result--we have no absolute truth or authority to say what’s good or evil. We’re without human dignity, without ethical standards, without human rights, without ultimate purpose, and without hope for an afterlife. Isn’t that what atheist philosophy offers us professor Atheos—chaos and complete despair?”

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“In atheist countries, it starts with lying promises of hope and citizen reforms followed with indiscriminate merciless human slaughter. Atheist countries destroy prosperity, human rights and belief in a higher authority in order to establish control. They have to build walls to prevent brave citizens from escaping their tyranny to a land where God is honored and people prosper.”

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“I’ve had enough of your impudence, Christian! The interview is over. Leave! “.

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As Chris walked out the door, he heard it slam behind him and Professor Atheos scream--“Christians are arrogant, narrow-minded, ignorant, intolerant, bigoted and just plain evil. They don’t believe in science and reason. Christians are atheist-phobic. How dare that upstart make me look bad?” With head held high, “I’m the professor with all the degrees and awards. He’s nothing. He’s just a piece of soulless dirt and    .  .  !!”  

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Chris left sadden that Professor Atheos was closed-minded in naturalistic philosophy. He prayed the professor would be willing to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who died to save us from our sins and give us a new understanding and help us make a better world here until we live with Him in the new Heaven on the new earth.
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Unbelief’s Issues and Answers

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We object to statements that we think untrue. Disbelievers in anything Christian often attack Bible believers who try to live a godly life and be a witness to their faith. This essay will address these issues with answes. It will uncover their assumptions, misunderstandings and give a response. I’ll present the objection in bold print and the following paragraph will be the response in each case.

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Jesus was only a good man and great teacher but not the Son of God.

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This statement is self-refuting. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and our Savior. If that’s not true, then Jesus is a liar or lunatic. And that would mean he’s not even a good man. Moreover, he did things over three years that demonstrated publically before large crowds that only God could do such as heal diseases instantly, walk on water, raise the dead, and assent into Heaven. Neither man nor nature can do such things—only God alone. Therefore, Jesus must be God as he claimed. Friend, have you read the Bible with an open mind or just uncritically assumed someone’s negative comments were correct?

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Man is not evil, but good.

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Though good, a bad environment can make persons turn bad. Provide good education, housing, jobs, and all basic human needs and people will be good.

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History and psychology show conclusively that man is naturally corrupt in thought, will, and practice. Children don’t need to be taught to lie, steal, cheat, or harm people or things. If man is good, why do people everywhere have locked doors, a police force, judges, prisons, and armies? This shouldn’t be true if people were really good. We can have evil thoughts even when we don’t act on them. Nazi Germany was the most educated people, yet murdered millions of Jews and anybody who disagreed with Hitler. Of course, monists can redefine sin and evil as illusion, but they can’t live at though it’s true—ask one to step in front of an oncoming train. Human pride prevents people from admitting their sinners. Scripture is true that man’s heart is deceitful and wicked (Jer. 17:9; Rom. 1:18-32).

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I’m an atheist who says dogmatically there’s no God of any kind.

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Just because you haven’t seen anything you would call a personal God, does that mean he can’t exist or can’t be an immaterial Spirit? Do you know what’s going on in the next town, next house, even the next room? If we could draw a circle big enough to represent universal knowledge, a period, if that, would represent a man’s knowledge. A person would have to know everything in time and space to say there’s no God, or God can’t act in our world, can’t perform a miracle, or can’t speak to a human mind. Isn’t atheism then an arrogant self-contradictory pretention to having a God-like knowledge? The agnostic says, ‘I don’t know or we can’t know about God’. Of course, he’s right that a mystic’s subjective claims about God (Muhammad, Buddha) have no evidential value. But he’s fooling himself if he hasn’t addressed the ancient detailed prophecies about the Jewish Messiah fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and Christ’s miracles, sinless life, and resurrection?

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Christianity is okay for you, but not for me.

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People have right to their own lifestyle. So don’t bother me with your religion. What feels good is true and right for me, not Jesus.

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Hedonistic lifestyles lead to disaster. They are a selfish disregard for others. They destroy trust, objects, friendships, families, and nations as well as the Hedonist. Some persons take pleasure in deception, robbery, rape and murder--would you call such things right? If a compassionate friend had the cure for your cancer, would you say, “don’t bother me?” Christians show compassion to tell sinners of the Savior from godless living and eternal Hell. Do you know no judgment day and no Hell exist? Can you prove it? And how would you feel and be if everyone applied your inconsiderate lifestyle to you, you’re friends, and your loved ones?

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I am not a sinner.

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 A sinner is a social outcast--a drunk, dope addict, or whore, but I’m not bad like that.

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We can always find others worse than us and condemn them. This makes us feel superior, self-righteous, respectable and prideful like the Pharisee in the temple (Luke 18:9-14). The truth is we all sin to different degrees and in different areas. Our list for respectability is different from our neighbors and usually doesn’t include our own sins. Unless there is an infinite, ethical Creator and Judge, nothing is absolutely true and morally right—then no higher authority than individual preferences exist. Abundant evidence shows there is such a God, which means there will one day be a judgment of all our sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. We cannot obey God’s laws 100% of the time, which means we must humbly acknowledge our sin and trust the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man and Savior of us sinners.

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I’m too bad a sinner.

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I’m not respectable. I’m a no-good, a whore, drunk, drug addict. God could never forgive me. Christianity is only for good, respectable persons.

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Surprisingly, the Bible teaches that “good people” go to Hell and “bad people” go to Heaven. Jesus said he had not come to call the righteous but sinners. In other words, prideful self-righteous persons unwilling to acknowledge their sin and unworthiness before God are doomed to Hell. But persons who humbly confess their sin and need of forgiveness, like the tax collector praying in the temple with the Pharisee, are justified (Luke 18:9-14). God will save any true repentant believer in Christ (Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9-10).

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I don’t believe Jesus arose from the dead.

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Jesus’ resurrection depends upon evidence, not an assumption of universal knowledge about nature. Five hundred witnesses saw Jesus after he arose from the dead (1 Cor. 15). Brilliant skeptics have devised a dozen failed theories to explain it away. The sealed guarded tomb, left grave clothes, Jesus appearances, skeptical disciples, establishment of the church, martyrs, Sunday worship, and the New Testament, dating time B.C to A.D., make no sense unless Jesus arose. See my articles on Jesus’ resurrection.
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Life is filled with difficulties, perplexities, injustices. I'm far from perfect, but am counted perfect in Christ who paid with His life for my sins in His death on the cross. I've trusted in Jesus' promise of eternal and more abundant life. I'm growing in learning God's will and love. Won't you too say: Lord, I trust You now as a sinner seeking a Savior and Guide for my life. Use me in love to learn Your way and share it with others. Thank You Lord Jesus.   

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­.                   .               .                      .                       .                     .

May I recommend some books to strengthen your faith? The New Atheism and The Erosion of Freedom by Robert A. Morey and The Christian Combat Manual by Dan Story. If God doesn’t exist, then human dignity, rights and freedom mean nothing. We’re mere soulless dirt as atheists believe or recycled energy on our way to nothingness as pantheist reincarnationists believe.

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Modern Opinions about Jesus Christ.

Who or what is Jesus Christ? Modern thinkers have a variety of opinions most of them more than a millennium after he walked the shores of Galilee. Let’s look at a list of them, then make some observations and finally ask some decisive questions.

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Ø  Astonishingly, Muhammad admitted Jesus was Messiah, a prophet, sinless and performed miracles. But of himself denied, he could perform miracles when asked several times to prove he was God’s prophet. Yet he claimed his coming centuries after Jesus made him God final authoritative prophet.
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Ø  Liberal “Christianity” thinks Jesus was a good man and great teacher but not God. But how could such a deceiver claiming to be God even be a good man?

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Ø  Jehovah’s Witnesses say Jesus is the archangel Michael, God’s first creation who came to earth, and died on a stake. He rose as an invisible spirit and supposedly returned to earth in 1914. But the Bible says the resurrected Lord Jesus was seen, touched, ate fish with his disciples and even said he was not a mere spirit. John. 20:27; 21:12-13; Luke. 24:39.

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Ø  Mormons claim man can become God and Jesus in one god among many. He’s the brother of Satan, was married, and that his cross is foolishness. Bible contradicts all these statements. Such statements are man’s saying without evidence.

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Ø  Mary Baker Eddy of Christian Science thought Jesus merely a pleasant idea or ideal of perfection. Jesus really taught we’re all sinners going to Hell if we don’t’ trust in the Savior.

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Ø  Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church claims Jesus was a man who failed and that he is the second coming of Jesus who will succeed. What evidence supports that?

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Ø  Baha’is say Jesus was only one of nine manifestations of God yet not God and didn’t rise from the dead. Now how would he know that?
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Ø  Unitarians say Jesus was a good man but his followers deified him. Can they prove that from the Bible? Or, is that their private bias?

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Ø  Hindus say Jesus was a guru and manifestation of god like anybody else, but not a Savior. Salvation is absorption into Brahma (universal energy) after release from many cycles of reincarnation. Hindus never lived in Palestine or saw Jesus, how could they know that?

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Ø  Rosicrucian's believe Jesus is a manifestation of cosmic consciousness. They are entitled to their beliefs and imaginings.

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Ø  Maharishi and Transcendental Meditation say Jesus is not uniquely God, but unlike most persons, he discovered his divine essence. Could their worldview exclude honest inquiry?

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Ø  New Agers claim Jesus was not the one true God or Savior but a New Ager who tapped into divine power the way anyone can. Jesus 2,000 years ago couldn’t have been a New Ager. Would New Agers endure torture and death to substantiate that as Jesus disciples did testifying he was God and Savior?

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Ø  Atheists dogmatically deny a personal God and some aggressively try to destroy belief of those who do. What evidence can show there’s no God? Much in science, nature, history and experience points to God. Have they given it honest open-minded inspection?
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                                Some Observations Are in Order.
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First, these religions claim exclusive truth and exclude others who disagree with them. They are each based upon prior assumption, limited human reasoning and preferences that often are found incorrect. Second, these religions contradict each other so not all if even one can be correct. Third, they furnish no evidence to show they are anything more than human opinions--no evidence of God.

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Now some general comments about these religions are in order. Unlike Jehovah's Witness, primary New Testament documents state many times that Jesus died on a cross, that he arose in bodily form, not as an unidentifiable invisible spirit, and that he was God not the angel Michael or the first created being. If Jesus proved he was a prophet by being without sin and by miracles, what substantiated Muhammad who did neither? To claim all religions are essentially the same by teaching good works is to ignore, discount and discredit basic religious differences and motivations. For example, radical Muslims believe killing Christians and Jews will likely get them into Heaven while Christians believe telling persons of the loving Jesus who died for them gives people opportunity for Heaven and makes a better world.

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                                       What Are Our Assumptions?

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I confess that my knowledge placed in a huge circle representing all knowledge would be a very small period. I don’t even know what’s happening in the next room. So, I can’t say an infinite Creator, Savior and Judge doesn’t exist, or that a Creator of men can’t take on a human nature, and body and live among us, or that Jesus Christ can’t be the God-man who died for my sins and arose from the dead. I would have to know everything in this space-time universe and be God to say such things impossible. I would be presumptuous and arrogant. And wouldn’t that be true of everybody?
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          Have You Considered the Evidence that the Jesus of History Is God?

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Was Jesus a real historical person? Historians accept two independent sources as verifying events and three really confirm the facts. With Jesus, we have the four Gospels, Acts, and the epistles making six independent sources all saying Jesus claimed to be God, performed miracles and fulfilled ancient prophecies of the Jewish Messiah. Jews hostile to Christian faith and alive when these documents were published would have disputed and destroyed Christian testimony if not true. The church fathers who followed the apostles quoted these documents and the events of Jesus’ life. Nineteen non-Christian writers wrote of Jesus often in derision but mentioned details of his life such as his virgin birth, baptism, cured lame and blind, raised people from the dead, was betrayed by Judas, died on a cross and was raised from the dead.

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The Gospels boldly connect Jesus’ life with names, towns, events, and dates that can be checked and verified by eyewitnesses even asking them to do so. They cite prominent emperors, governors, priests and local laws, customs, and traditions. Ancient documents and archaeological artifacts confirm Jesus’ life is historical fact, not anything like myth, legend, or fairy tales. More is known about Jesus than about undoubted persons such as Plato and Tiberius Caesar.
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                                 Would You Die for What You Knew to Be a Lie?

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Remember Jesus miracles often astonished his disciples and he rebuked their unbelief who knew nature’s laws as we do today. The Gospels show them slow and almost forced by the facts to believe Jesus’ resurrection though he predicted it several times. Fellow Jews expelled them from synagogues that meant condemnation to Hell. Jews rejected and ridiculed them and later Romans tortured them to death. Can you seriously believe they underwent all this for what they knew to be a lie?
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   Is It Possible to Extract the Supernatural from the Gospels and They Make Sense?

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Throughout the Gospels Jesus claimed to be God and to prove it by performing miracles. He astonished his disciples and his critics accused him of blasphemy since no mere man could claim to be God. Can we extract these supernatural elements and the accounts still make sense?

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John chapter 5 mentions Jesus closely identifying himself with his Father in healing and raising the dead. He cites John the Baptizer, his miracles, his Father, and the Scriptures that testify to his being God. The Jews clearly understood the cited witnesses showed Jesus was equal with God so they accused Jesus of blasphemy (5:18).

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Similarly, in John 10 Jesus declared he was Messiah and did miracles in his Father’s name since he and the Father were one. Fiercely angry, the Jews attempt to stone Jesus for blasphemy for claiming to be God (John. 10:29- 33).  

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In Mark 2:1-12, four men let down a paralyzed man on a cot through a house roof since the room that was too crowded to enter at the door. Jesus forgave the man’s his sins. Some scribes reasoned Jesus blasphemed since only God could forgive sins (2:6-7). Then Jesus healed the man saying it was just as easy for him to heal as to forgive sins. Is there a clear message here?  

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In Matthew 26:63-65 Caiaphas, the high priest, and the Sanhedrin were amazed that Jesus said nothing at his trial in his defense. Put under oath, Jesus affirmed he was the Messiah and Son of Man mentioned in Daniel 7:13 who would come in the clouds of Heaven. The high priest tore his clothes and charged Jesus with blasphemy condemning him to death (26:64-67).

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Now in every account Jesus identifies himself with God the Father. Like the Father, Jesus can heal and raise the dead—he cites four witnesses to prove it. He does the works of his Father and is one with Him—it makes angry Jews attempt to stone him. He forgives sins that only God can do. He testifies to be the Messiah and Son of Man who will come in the clouds of Heaven. In each case, Jesus is accused of blasphemy, as the Jews clearly understand he was a man claiming to be God.

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Now if we extract these supernatural elements we make the accounts utter nonsense. Further, hostile eyewitnesses still alive when the accounts were published would quickly deny them and disprove Christianity at its outset. So the accounts must be absolute truth that Jesus is God equal to the Father.
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                      Will You Consider This Your Greatest Opportunity?

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I had heard of many beliefs and theories but one day heard that Jesus was God and Savior of sinners. I knew I was far from perfect by my own moral standards and anybody else’s. I didn’t understand all about an ethically perfect God or perfect Heaven. But I put my trust in Jesus who promised me eternal life and a place with him in Heaven.

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I understand now that Jesus Christ, the resurrected God-man offers mankind all our basic needs.Only his resurrection assures us of life after death. It confirms he is God and all he taught is true. He taught we are not perishing soulless dirt or impersonal energy but beings of dignity created in God’s image. Thus, we have dignity, rights, freedom of choice, and a real ethic since everything we think, do and say will either be rewarded or punished. This makes life explosive with purpose. In Christ, we can work to achieve a better would of love and goodness rather than hate and destruction.
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All this is called the Christian worldview. None of the above opinions has a basis for these things. Would you like to trust the Savior and then work with me for this better world? Send these articles to loved ones and friends. It’s worth more than their gaining the whole world and losing their own soul. Also, see my articles on Jesus’ resurrection.
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Bible Errors or Critic's Errors?

Bible Errors or Critic’s Error?

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Atheist Lee Strobel was a journalist living for himself caring about professional success, not moral living. He liked to provoke Christians citing apparent Bible contradictions and difficulties. Not having answers Christians become flustered and embarrassed which made Lee feel smug and superior. He wondered how people could be so naive and dumb to believe the Bible with all its mistakes and absurdities. But when his wife became a Christian, he saw wonderful changes in her life. He began to think that maybe he was judgmental and should look more closely at the Bible. He too became a Christian and his attitude and life changed to godly interests.

Christian philosopher, logician, theologian, author and debater, Dr. Norman Geisler studied the Bible intensely for forty years and made a list of 800 alleged contradictions and errors. Yes, he knew there were difficulties and alleged contradictions. But he knew this as a logically valid syllogism.

God cannot err.

The Bible is God’s Word.

Therefore, the Bible cannot err.

The Bible says, “God is truth” (John 14:6). Jesus said to the Father, “Your Word Is truth” (John 17:17). The Psalmist exclaimed, “Your word is truth” (Ps.119:160). Inspiration is God’s breathing out his truth and God cannot lie (2 Tim. 3:16; Titus 1:2). Yes, men wrote it in their own styles, vocabulary and perspectives but God directed their wills and their pens to record the truth (2 Peter 1:20). So what the Bible says, God says. And yes, humans err, but Jesus was the all-knowing God-man. And that makes a huge difference.

Truth is what corresponds to reality. And Bible truth relates not only to spiritual and moral matters but to history and science as well--it’s simply impossible to separate the two. For example, Christ’s incarnation, virgin birth, not being sinful, miracles, death and resurrection are all vital spiritual teachings, yet inseparable from historical and scientific realities. Jesus said the Old Testament already written was God’s Word and the New Testament yet to be written would be too.

What Bible critics often deny, the archaeologists’ spade has repeatedly dug from the ground. Satan always seeks to instill doubt in the trustworthiness of what God said (Gen. 3:1) and to blind the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4). When one finds an apparent error, acknowledge that it may be in the copies not the original manuscript, or may be a faulty translation, or a wrong interpretation. Dr. Geisler has come up with seventeen common sense principles of interpretation that the critics always seem to ignore. I’ll briefly discuss seven with examples, and suggest sources for resolving alleged errors.    

Critics assume the Unexplained is Unexplainable. Is it wise to assume this passage an impossible contradiction that can’t be explained? Are we certain we haven’t overlooked something? At one time scientists had no natural explanation for meteors, eclipses, tornadoes, and hurricanes. But they didn’t throw up their hands in despair and stop all research. Instead, it challenged and motivated them to further research and discovery. At one time critics said there was no writing in Moses’ day. But writing was discovered two thousand years predating Moses. Critics said the Hittite empire mentioned only in the Bible didn’t exist until the Hittite library was discovered in Turkey. That’s only two of a great many examples.

   

Critics presume the Bible Guilty Until Proven Innocent. Truth is told far more often than falsity. In all communications, we must assume information given is correct until found faulty. For example, with road signs, traffic signals, food labels, restroom signs, law suits. If these weren’t correct, then accidents, poisoned foods, embarrassment, and jail sentences would destroy us. Innocence isn’t some special privilege granted the Bible but the fair and intelligent approach true in all of life. By signaling out the Bible for negative destructive comment, could the critics be revealing an unfair and hostile prejudice?

 

Critics Confuse Our Fallible Interpretations with God’s Infallible Revelation. As limited human beings, we all make mistakes. Jesus, the God-man said, “Truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:17). Scripture is final authority on all it discusses. But we finite humans can misinterpret both God’s Word and God’s world. So keep these two principles in mind: Certain scientific fact today can become changing scientific fantasy tomorrow. And while God’s Word is always right, its human interpreters might not be right. When all truth is in and properly understood, there should be no final conflict between science and Scripture.

Critics Fail to Understand the Context of the Passage. The Bible says, “There is no God” (Ps. 14:1). Wrenching Bible statements from their context can make the Bible seem contradictory and teach things it doesn’t teach. In context, the verse says, "The fool has said in his heart, there’s no God." The Bible interpreter should consider the immediate context, the historical context, and the whole Bible context in some passages. Jesus’ statement “Give unto him who asks you.” wouldn’t mean you’re to give nuclear weapons to a terrorist nation or a loaded pistol to a child. Disregarding context is perhaps the greatest interpreter’s fault.

Critics may Neglect to Interpret Difficult Passages by Clear Ones. Some passages aren’t clear and may appear to teach things opposed to other things clearly taught in the Bible. The classic one is Paul verses James in salvation teaching. James is teaching that salvation before men is seen in good works (James 2:14-26). Whereas Paul is teaching justification before God is by grace through faith taught clearly in many passages (Rom. 4:5; 11:6; Titus 3:5-7; Eph. 2:8-9). Another passage is Philippians 2:12-13. Here Paul is saying in reverence and awe toward God we are responsible to outwardly display the good deeds that God enables us to will and do for his good pleasure. 

Critics may Base a Teaching on an Obscure Passage. Important teachings of Scripture are clear and taught in many places. Things that are rare and obscure should not be regarded as important doctrines. For example, First Corinthians 15:29 mentions “baptized for the dead.” Just what that means we can’t be sure and should not base a doctrine upon it. One snake-handling group built their whole religion around Mark 16:18 “they will take up serpents . . . and it will not harm them.” Paul did this on the island of Malta but it’s not God’s command to the church (Acts 28:3-6).

Critics Presume the Bible Approves all it Records. It doesn’t. Critics point to Rahab’s lie, David’s adultery, Solomon’s polygamy, Moses’ murder and say the Bible’s a shameful immoral book. Inspiration insures a true and accurate record but not God’s approval of human sin. The Bible shows as no other book does how sinful even the best of us are and how desperately we all need God’s grace and forgiveness.

Now if we really don’t want answers to such problems as the critics above raise. Then, of course, we will ignore such answers as given above and feel justified being free to live our own life apart from God and fulfill our own sinful desires. But if we honestly seek to know the truth to alleged errors, I suggest just two sources. When Critics Ask, by Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe. And, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, by Gleason L. Archer.

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