Contrasts between Christ and His Critics

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The world is in conflict and always has been since Adam ate the forbidden fruit in disobedience to God. We have numerous conflicting views today all agreed in trying to dethrone Christ. Christian students entering secular and sometimes supposedly Christian colleges sit under professors doing all they can to undermine their beliefs. Statistics show that up to 80% of supposed Christian students graduating from secular colleges lose their faith. Textbooks and teachers just don’t see things the Christian way. Students are awed with such a display of knowledge thinking these teachers are smart persons with PhD's. My parents and my pastor never told me about such things. And students are expected to pass tests giving answers teachers say are correct.
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Teachers may regard Christian students as bigoted, homophobic, religious fundamentalists and work to have them leave with views like their own. So much of what believing parents tried to instill in the hearts and lives of their children seems lost and the church loses them to service of Christ. While “heart” in the Bible refers to the complete inner person—mind, feelings, conscience and will, churches stress the heart hardly mentioning the mind leading persons to believe Christianity is all emotional and anti-intellectual. And church leaders rarely discuss critical issues students face in school. Sadly, these skeptical students become tomorrow’s world leaders.

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What now are these contrasts between Christ and his critics? They are crucial issues with serious consequences for life and behavior, maybe even the survival of civilization. What did Jesus say contrasted with his critics?

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Is Man Created or Evolved?

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“From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female (Mark 10:6).”

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But Darwin and his followers such as Marx, Freud, Nietzsche, Huxley, Russell, Rorty, Dawkins, and others teach man evolved from slime. Further, they use evolution to explain everything. They see varieties in living creatures, similarities in their makeup, and can classify them in an order of complexity. They claim acquired characteristics and mutations are the mechanisms of change. Thus, life forms evolved from the simple to the complex and have a common ancestor. We don’t need to assume God to fill in the gaps in our knowledge.

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Biologists know experiments demonstrate that life can only come from the living. Change is limited genetically so that dogs don’t turn into horses, worms to snakes or monkeys to men no matter how much alike they appear and are  classified. Acquired characteristics and mutations simply can’t make such changes possible. Moreover, there is no simple to complex display of fossils that alone could prove such change. Specified complexity is obvious throughout life forms—each living thing has multiple complex organs and systems that work together in harmony that could never have originated by chance given any amount of time. So living things must be complete and functional from the start and to reduce even one organ or system—say liver or respiratory system--makes life impossible.
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Modern experimental science originated by theists and Christians before Darwin gained ascendency. Christian belief in a rational orderly world created by a rational knowable and benevolent God is largely what made experimental science possible. Further, women are in God’s image as well as men and titled to the same dignity and respect (Gal. 3:28) but fulfill different roles. God is a better gap-filler than nature simply because it’s obvious the evidence points to a creative rational Mind--God. Good science doesn’t reject evidence and possibility but goes where the evidence leads.   

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Is Man both Body and Soul?

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Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell (Matt. 10:28).”

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Atheist psychologists such as Wundt, Watson, Skinner and others deny the existence of the human soul. They claim there are no souls and no Hell to shun. We are merely evolving sexual animals in heat seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. Oh, how the deceiver and destroyer must laugh at that.

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Honest reflection can radically see man is unique and on a higher plain than animals or machines. Whether we call it mind, soul or self, man is an I who is self-conscious, with power of abstract thought, ethical discrimination, appreciation of beauty, need for worship, companionship and creative endeavors. All this is in keeping with his being in the image of God. It’s so foolish to reject the holy purposeful life Jesus offers us as seen today in every sphere--education, entertainment, government, law and science. It spells the death of human decency and the coming judgment God warned us about in the second Psalm.  
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Is Ethics Based on God or on Culture?

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Jesus said, “You are of this world, I am not of this world . . . you will die in your sins if you do not believe that I am He . . .  If you abide in My word you are My disciples indeed. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:23-23, 31).”

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Freud, Nietzsche, Rorty, Dewey, and other critics say ethics based on faith in God is weakness and insanity. Persons and cultures create their own reality and morality. The fact is that if individuals and cultures create their own morality, then there is no universal objective morality. This leads to chaos, injustice, and warfare allowing tyrants to usurp power to oppress and enslave us. There simply is no foundation for right and wrong, good and evil unless there is a personal ethical God who has set absolute standards and holds individuals and nations accountable. And this personal ethical God is exactly what biblical Christianity alone provides. We’re either governed by God or oppressed by tyrants. And only the holy loving God shown us in Christ qualifies.
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God or Atheism in Practice?

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

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Marx and Lenin deny God and say we must eliminate the bourgeois landowners by violence if necessary since they exploit and destroy the worth of the proletariat or poor people. We must establish an equitable classless society. Socialism’s promises of freedom from tyranny by landowners are deceptive. Instead, it destroys free market exchange, takes away land, private enterprise and incentive to production. It is corrupt government that controls individual lives and reduces people to poverty.
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Its classless society is achieved by eliminating all who oppose the government by brutal imprisonment or a blood bath of millions.  Socialists have to build walls to keep their people from escaping their tyranny and oppression. Their promised humane benefits are all lies. Every form of secular humanism destroys the dignity of people making us mere animals and even reducing us to soulless dirt that can be manipulated and murdered.

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Also, Islam is oppressive as well. The Qur'an teaches infidels who won’t submit to Allah are enemies of the state especially Christians and Jews, and they can be killed. This happens today when and where Islam is in control. Shari’ah Law derived from the Qur'an and the Hadith governs politics, economics, banking, business, contracts, social issues and private lives of citizens under Muslim control. Women too have little freedom and in some places must wear black clothing covering everything but their eyes. Strange how Muslims men say it wrong for women or wives to flaunt sex in society, but alright with all the beautify maidens they will have in paradise.

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All this above is radically different from the teaching of biblical Christianity and Jesus. Christ taught all persons are in God’s image entitled to the same respect, rights, and loving concern. First, love to God in obedience to his Word, and second, love shown other persons would immensely improve our individual lives and world conditions. Atheists and critics who misconstrue and misrepresent Christian teaching should be ashamed. Jesus said they are of their father, the devil (John 8:44) and if they were willing to do God’s will they would know concerning his doctrine (John 7:17).
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Resurrection or No Afterlife?

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Jesus again said, “I am the resurrection and the life . . . whoever lives and believes in me shall never die (John 11:25).”

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Dewey, Rorty, Foucault, and other atheists insist there is no afterlife and life itself is an accident of nature. We don’t need a PhD to know man is more than an unconscious, unthinking rock. The only certainty about whether there is life after death is that a living person could return from the dead. This is exactly what biblical Christianity claims in Christ Jesus. Careful candid examination of the evidence, not closed-minded bias and dismissal would disclose the truth. Brilliant minds have for centuries tried to explain away Jesus’ resurrection but failed. Honest skeptics being fair with the evidence have become joyous Christians. 
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Heaven or Wishful Thinking?

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Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions . . . I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:1-3).”

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Freud, Marx, Nietzsche, Feuerbach and others say religion is illusion, wishful thinking, an opiate of the masses, and pie in the sky. But subjective claims aren’t evidence. If we are open to a loving Creator desiring relationship with man made in His image, Heaven is most reasonable. It seems irrational that human hostility would deny a loving Creator. Studies of atheist backgrounds show such persons have had bad relationships with their father or serious disappointment in life. Hostility too can result from guilt and fear of judgment and Hell.  
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Rule of God or Government?

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Jesus said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s (Matt. 22:21).”

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Atheist views as humanism, socialism, secularism, naturalism don’t believe this because there is no God. So nothing belongs to God. This is an assumption that never has been proved. It would take exhaustive knowledge to prove. God is Spirit not within the scope of scientific demonstration. Visible eyewitness testimony established Jesus as the God-man. Wars between religious peoples and nations are bad but nothing like atheist government dictators like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and numerous others. Every government operates under a worldview either constructive or destructive.

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Of course, a Creator and Sustainer of everything indirectly would be over everything. Secular governments that outlaw belief in a personal ethical God destroy the foundation for human dignity, restrict freedom, produce a police state, oppress and murder citizens who cry for liberty from oppression. But citizens would support fair and equitable rulers who treat them justly and uphold human dignity and rights—a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Biblical teaching realistically recognizes both the dignity and depravity of man. Following Isaiah 33:22, government under God is divided into three divisions: the judicial, legislative and executive. Recognizing wealth and power tends to corrupt politicians; each branch is assigned duties and limitations to serve as checks and balances on the others. A constitution is needed to spell out the rights and procedures the people may expect to uphold. Citizens running for limited terms of office must clearly state their aims and be held responsible to the citizens who elect them. Criticism of government is welcomed recognizing our human limitations and failures and need for citizen input.
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Evils or Just Nature?

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Jesus said, “This is the condemnation that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness because their deeds were evil (John 3:19).”

 

We are hurt by natures’ calamities and moral injustices. But the fact is that if there is no good personal God to know, set standards and judge evil, then there’s no basis to call anything evil—opinions are just individual preferences. All events and behaviors are simply a normal part of nature—no way to call any happening good or evil, right or wrong, just or unjust. But aren’t even our feelings of wrongness pointers to God? Jesus’ answer to physical and moral evils was “repent or perish." (Luke 13:1-5).” Human evils began in wrong attitudes that lead to evil actions.

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Life is full of unavoidable choices. The wrong choices may bring an eternity of painful torment and grief. Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). If He meant you, won't you pray, Lord, I acknowledge I'm a sinner destined for eternal damnation unacceptable to a perfect holy God and unfit for an eternal perfect Heaven. Lord, I trust You now and forever to be my Savior and Guide through life. Help me live to please you from this day forward.
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Please share these vital articles God has given me. It's the best thing we can do for our fellowman.
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I recommend Understanding the Times by David A. Noebel to whom I’m indebted for my outline. It's a very good book for a college philosopy course. U are welcome to link with me & get my articles.
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Christian Love or Atheist Power?

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Two crucial worldviews compete for man’s allegiance and control of planet earth: biblical Christianity and atheism. I don’t believe most persons fully or rightly understand the essence and implications of either. We can either be nice guys or mean ones since everyone’s influenced by their background, maturity, moods, circumstances, health, social conceptions and misconceptions. And sometimes, we don’t really know, understand or believe what we profess to believe. Could the above title capture the essence of each worldview? You may vehemently protest the suggestion and I affirm your right. But let me explain and you may see it differently.

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Biblical Christianity and its Implications. 

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Creation “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). If God created them, then God would have to exist before his creation and be an eternal, unchanging, self-existent, infinite, immaterial, intelligent being. Since God can’t create himself, he must be an eternal unchanging self-existent being. And since he created a material universe, he must be an immaterial (Spiritual) being who existed prior to and greater than the space-time material universe he created. And as science, good sense and the Bible shows everything didn’t just pop into being but are effects of an independent intelligent cause. So then, God is the Source, Sustaining and Unifying Explanation of everything that exists.

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The Fall of Man.

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“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them” (Gen. 128). “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Gen. 3:6).

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God provided a perfect environment that met man’s every need. But Adam and Eve chose self over God, rebelled against God’s rule, and ate the one forbidden fruit in the whole garden. In that moment, man died spiritually being separated from his perfect Creator, Life-giver and Owner. Would you protest if the offspring you loved and provided for disobeyed you? God’s expelling them from the garden was another act of love since if they ate from the tree with the fruit of life they would have no further opportunity of redemption. The ground was cursed, man had to work harder to produce food, the woman now suffered pain in childbirth, and spiritual and physical death passed on to all Adam’s descendants since they inherited a sinful self-centered nature.

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Critics can argue all day about how man’s creation and fall is no more than fairy tales. But how would they write an account that all generations and cultures could accept and understand? The Bible consistently teaches the creation and fall of man were real historical events and human redemption makes no sense unless they’re true.

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Redemption in Christ.

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“ God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

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What could make it impossible of the universe’s Creator to take on the body and human nature of a man? Nothing! “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 3:16; 15:13

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God spoke through prophets, apostles, angels, miracles, fulfilled prophecies, and last of all through his Son, the God-man who visited us here on earth and both claimed and empirically demonstrated that he is God. Only an unwarranted assumption amounting to infinite knowledge can deny these things. And honest research of Christ’s life will show more evidence for his existence than for Tiberius Caesar or Aristotle who historians have no doubt. No world religion gives the visible eyewitness evidence Jesus gave of his purity, love, wisdom, transfigured glory, and bodily resurrection.

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Because Jesus arose from the dead, we know there’s life after death and he is God as he said--thus all he taught is absolute truth. He taught we’re in God’s image giving us the basis for human dignity, rights, freedom, ethical accountability, justice, love, life with ultimate purpose, and opportunity for eternal life. He gives us the choice to trust him for salvation and Heaven, or eternally endure our self-provided torments in the darkness of Hell. Jesus is hope and love.

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Biblical Christianity provides the philosophical framework for interpreting reality. Experimental science took hold in Christian Europe. Modern science’s founding fathers were devout Christians such as Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Boyle, and Pascal. They believed God’s creation real, rational, orderly, dependable and good like its Creator. The Bible encouraged Christians to explore the heavens, subdue the earth, and to test and verify everything. Further, it provides the moral requirements as honesty, integrity, discernment, humility, and truth without which science would be impossible.

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Prior to that time paganism thought nature to sacred, capricious, cyclic, illusory, magical, or fated which discouraged experimental investigation. If evolutionists hadn’t borrowed from biblical Christianity, it’s doubtful their belief in blind chance and mindless accident would result in scientific method. Naturalists simply take it all for granted today. Further, naturalists are willfully blind that matter, life, mind, personality, truth, order, rationality, and morality cannot evolve from nothing even in infinity--they require an eternal, self-existent, infinite, intelligent Creator.    

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A Renovated World.

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This world has been corrupted from the beginning by man’s rebellion toward his loving Lord. God once purged it with water and promised to purify it again with fire. All who enter God’s perfect new world will be like their Lord pure, undefiled, godly people acceptable to him and fit for Heaven. God’s people didn’t earn his acceptance by following rules, rituals, joining a church, positive thinking, doing good deeds as good as these things are. They humbly trusted in the promised Savior and then sought to live for God as scripture teaches.

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“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Cor. 2:9. See Revelation 21.

Atheism and its Consequences.

Whether they dress as socialists, humanists, secularists, naturalists, materialists or anti-theists, they are atheists who deny a god of any kind and have a SERIOUSLY different agenda. It denies the biblical Christian basis for faith, family, freedom and a secure future. Atheism prides itself on being rational and scientific and claims world religions, especially Christianity, are superstitious and ignorant. But you judge whether that’s true.

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Atheists believe everything came about by chance and evolution and that man is really just the   soulless dirt he came from. Atheists say they are the superior informed elites. They must guide the ignorant masses to do what’s best for them. There’s no future world so we must make the most of the time we have and achieve what greatness we can for ourselves. And since there is always conflict in the animal world, it’s always survival of the fittest so the strong must vanquish the weak. Atheists must take what they can while they have time. And since there’s no higher authority, people always have conflicting opinions and preferences. So the government must assume strong control
and force citizens to obey less everything become chaos and anarchy. It may require elimination of obstinate and religious elements one step at a time or a revolutionary bloodbath as in Russia, China and other socialist countries. Without moral incentive within, atheist elitists must impose laws, penalties, and taxes to force their will from without.

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Let’s not fool ourselves, nature’s essence is always might makes right, survival of the fittest, animal eat animal. Whoever atheist elites deem uncooperative may be mistreated, manipulated and murdered if they don’t comply for the greater good of the rest of us unbelievers. And it may be U and your loved ones.

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BUT, at every point: creation, man’s fall, redemption, and new creation, God in love seeks rebellious self-centered man. Yet, man fails to acknowledge his Life-giver or appreciate God’s wonderful gifts. Unlike atheism, love doesn’t force itself on others. So God gives many witnesses to and warnings of coming judgment—Christianity in essence is love. Atheist hurtful power or Christian helpful love--both have life and death consequences: it’s your choice! Pray, "I choose You Jesus as my Savior and Lord to live for You and tell others about You. Thank You Lord." Now show you mean it by sharing these articles with friends and loved ones so they may learn God's Word and be saved. God bless you in your work of faith and labor of love.  See the book list below.

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           Are Sincerely Held Beliefs All that Matter? 

 

We live in a multicultural society where persons sincerely hold conflicting beliefs. Naturally, we want and try to be inoffensive and popular. We don’t want people to think our views odd, extreme, or ridiculous. But being clear-headed, we simply can’t avoid some things. As the opposite of true is false, the opposite of right is wrong. It’s impossible for a statements to be true and false or actions right and wrong in the same way at the same time. That’s basic universal, unavoidable logic. We can’t communicate or even think apart from it.

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Some views are more accurate than others are as the number 40 is closer to 30 than number five. Some behaviors are better as respect is better than disrespect. But some are lies and disasters we should avoid. We usually believe what parents, teachers and others in our society tell us. We don’t doubt or question their authority until we hear something different with evidence to the contrary. So what we have been taught and believed may prove to be wrong.With conflicting beliefs everywhere on the planet, do we know our area is where the truth is, or only our teachers are the right ones. How?

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With this in mind, let’s look at some sincerely held beliefs of secularists who say there’s no God, Muslims who say Allah is God as revealed in the Quran, and Christians who claim Jesus is God as disclosed in the Bible.

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Some Sincerely Held Secular Beliefs

•   There’s no absolute truth or morals since all is in flux or evolving. It's just one opinion verses another. There really is no final authority other than each person's own opinion.
•   It’s a pregnant woman’s right to kill human life growing in her if it’s unwanted or interferes with her career. In fact, we would be stronger to dispose of the weak elements of society as seen in nature among predator and prey.
•  The Bible really doesn’t teach homosexuality is a sin. People in ancient times simply didn’t understand it’s a human need just like eating and sleeping. People can't help it.
•   Christians who say Jesus is the only way to God or Heaven are arrogant, bias, intolerant, narrow-minded, and dangerous. They want to impose their beliefs and morality on us.

Some Sincerely Held Muslim Beliefs 

•   Muhammad informed us that the angel Gabriel revealed the Quran to him alone in a cave. That alone makes him the seal of the prophets or final authority for human beliefs. Infidels must submit to Allah or it's better that they die.
• The Quran says slay the infidels who will not accept Islam as the only true faith. “Slay the pagans wherever you find them … Fight those who believe neither in Allah nor the Last Day.” Surah 9:5, 29 Muhammad's life is the model for ethical living and what advances Islam.
•   Muhammad admitted Jesus was a true prophet of God who performed miracles (Surah 3:49). But when asked to perform a miracle to prove he is a prophet also, he refused. Surah 6:109; 21:5; 29:50. 
•   Centuries after Jesus (570-632 AD), Muhammad denied Jesus was crucified on the cross. Surah 4:157.

Some Sincerely Held Christian Beliefs 

•  The Bible told us to be honest, fair, and truthful, love God first, and love our neighbor as yourself. Our neighbor being other persons in need.
•  Children are a reward from the Lord. Psalm 127:3. And the all-knowing God says homo- sexuality is sin and says so clearly in lists of other sins. Gen. 19:5, 8-11; Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:26-28; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Tim. 1:10; Jude 7.
•  Jesus not only claimed to be Messiah and God, but also fulfilled ancient prophecies about the coming Messiah and God. Isaiah 7:14; 9:6: 53; Ps. 22; John 1:45; 4:25-26; 5:18: 10:30, 33.
•  Jesus claimed to be the only way to Heaven and there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for friends. Jesus, in his humanity, died for us while we were sinners and His enemies. John. 14:6; Romans 5:8-10.

Evil or hurtful things happen to people and property when good people don’t speak out and take a stand against them. If there’s no divine authority above man who sets standards and holds us accountable, then secularism is right and anything goes. If Muslims can show visible, objective evidence God spoke to Mohammad, then Islam is right. Where conflicting human opinions, preferences, feelings and guesses prevail, tyrants arise and force their views, their truths, and their ways upon us. They decide who lives and dies. Therefore, it is imperative we have good, clear, objective evidence of the truth.

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As a Christian, I respect the right of all persons in God’s image to think and have their own viewpoint. We’re none perfect, or infallible. But I take my stand that the overwhelming evidence is with Jesus is God, Savior and the only hope for this increasingly wicked world.

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Christians believe God has made Himself known in creation, conscience and Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the God-man who said He is the Way, Truth, and Life and no one comes to the Father except by Him (Jn. 14:6). He further said, “If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24). That means eternal separation from a morally perfect God and being alone in darkness and torments forever. Jesus showed His claims true before skeptical disciples who know nature' laws and hostile eyewitnesses who sought his death. Jesus fulfilled numerous Messianic prophecies, lived a sinless life, performed many miracles, died for our sins, and arose from the dead seen by 500 eyewitnesses (1 Cor. 15). That’s visible, objective evidence His claims are true. Honest thinking persons have a sure basis to trust Jesus as their only Lord and Savior.

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Jesus' apostle Peter said this, "Men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know." Acts 2:12   “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 Jesus and His apostles (followers He sent with His message) cared enough to warn us of ultimate disaster. Again, it was not one man's statement always alone in a cave. These were public announcements of things others saw and knew to be true.

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If perhaps Christian beliefs make more sense to you than secular and Muslim beliefs, you would like to become a Christian. You may by commitment of faith to Jesus as your Savior from sin and Lord and Guide in live. Pray Lord, forgive me a sinner. I trust You now to come into my life and live with me as my Savior and Lord doing the things that please You. Also, you may link on to my articles and share them with friends. May U prosper in good things.
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Two Fishermen Discuss What God Might Be Like

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John was ecstatic to show his friend Sam his new rod and reel. They fish at Little River in the woods back of his house—no telling what they might catch.

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With their rods and a pail of wiggly crawly worms the boys sat down on the big grey, hard rock jutting out from the riverbank, bated their hooks and caste their lines.

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“I bet I get a big one before you do” John said, casting his line way out to bang the water creating wider and wider circles floating downstream.

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“Don’t be too sure,” Sam, replied, “I know where the fish are. The boys sat there thinking.

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Sam spoke first. “I wonder how fish came to be in this river in the first place. They came from the ocean, but how did they get there? How did anything, fish, worms, bushes, animals, people originate? Things didn’t magically appear from nothing. Nothing means no-thing exists, not even space and time.”

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“You’re right Sam. Nature itself has no conscious mind and will to plan and create anything. Living things are super complex. People, for example, have complex organs, bodily systems, and a thousand parts that must function together at the beginning. This world couldn’t happen by chance. Atoms didn’t arrange themselves into Adam.”

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“Ops! I feel something. I think I’ve got one.” John pulled up on his rod, started rapidly winding and winding and winding his reel, until the fish appeared. “Oh man, it’s a nice one. It’s a flounder off the bottom. It’s got both eyes on one side and maybe weighs five pounds. I’ll eat well tonight. I hope I can catch a couple more.”

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“That’s a beauty,” Sam confirmed. “I hope to catch a few too.”

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John, looking serious, “You’re right Sam. Things can’t come from nothing. Force and chance can’t explain how the world started. They’re unconscious, mindless. A conscious mind far, far above human genius is required to create the enormously complex plants and animals we see everywhere. Nothing can live with a half way developed digestive system, or partly produced reproductive system, or legs or eyes. It’s all got to be intact and functional at the outset.”

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“That’s right John, what practical good are unconscious, mindless forces? Nature can’t hear our cries, can’t answer our prayers, can’t tell us what’s good or bad, and can’t even know about us. It’s not God, it’s nothing.”  

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“Oh, oh, I think I’ve got something.” Sam pulled on his rod that went one direction then another. Wow, it must be a big one. It’s got a lot of fight.” He pulled and wound excitedly. His rod moved all around the water. Finally, the fish appeared. “It’s over a foot long black bass maybe eight pounds. Ha! Ha!” jumping up and down. I got one too, a big one.”  

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“Getting back to what you said that something can’t come from nothing. My college science professor said the universe is running down like a wound up clock so it can’t be eternal. The second law of physics called entropy or heat dispersion shows its beginning. So Sam everything that came to exist depends on something eternal. Entropy suggests one eternal God as the Source of all existence.”

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“Right John and that Source of everything must be one God, not many limited Gods as ancient Greeks and Romans imagined--there can be only one absolute Source, not many conflicting limited ones.”

“And Sam, if God’s eternal, he can’t change or cease to exist. His power and all that he is would be ever the same and everywhere upholding his universe. And a Creator of this material universe would have to be a mind and not a physical giant like Zeus.”

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“John, this God is no uncaring ‘Thing.’ To create us, he must be a living person, only infinitely greater who can hear our prayers, know our needs, guide our lives, and being eternal give us eternal life. It seems science and logic points to the God of the Bible.”

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“Yes, it’s what my Sunday school teacher said was taught in Romans 1:20.”  

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Bamm! Something hit John’s hook hard and is running away with his bait. It must be a big one. John pulled and winded, pulled and winded until a large bass appeared above the water.

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“Wow! That looks to be maybe a seven or eight pound bass. It will be good eating tonight,” John said with a big smile and nod.

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 John, why don’t we invite both our families for a fish fry in my back yard tonight? Doesn’t that sound like fun?”     

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“Yes, that’s a good idea. Let’s do it. But Sam, one thing bothers me about God.”

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“What’s that”, Sam?

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“It seems a real God exists in logic and theory. But unlike a magician, we can’t pull him out of a hat for display like magicians pull rabbits. How do we know God is more than theory, even if good scientific theory?”

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“Good question, John. My pastor answered that one for me in last Sunday’s sermon. God put skin on when He came into our world as Jesus Christ, sacrificed himself on that painful bloody cross for us hell-deserving sinners, and arose from the dead. That proved both life after death and his promise of eternal life to all who trust him as their Savior and Lord.”

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“Oh, yes, I’ve trusted him too, head nodding. And I feel even more convinced from our fishing discussion today. Catching fish is fun. But sharing the good news of Christ is so much better. I want to be a fisher of men as our Lord commanded. It’s our highest honor and humanities only hope of cleansing from sin, peace with God, loving service and assurance of eternal life.”
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"Jesus said, follow me and I will make you a fisher of men" John 14:6. Other than a life glorifying God there can be no greater activity than telling others Jesus is the Savior of us sinners. Won't you vow in utter sincerity to try each week to tell someone that you know you're going to be with Jesus in eternity and they can to if they will admit their sin and truth Jesus to be their Savior. Just share a few Bible verses such as John 3:16; 36; 5:24; 14:6 and have them bow and pray Lord save me a sinner. Amen. So be it.

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Is It True That There Is No Absolute Truth?

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A Bible-believing seminary student attended a postmodern church by mistake. The pastor preached that all religious beliefs are true. Sermon over the student tried to slip out unnoticed, but the pastor with booming voice and a big smile shook his hand and asked if he lived in the area.
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He replied, “No sir, I’m a seminary student living in Bowling Green, home on break.”
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“Wonderful” the pastor said, “What are your beliefs?”
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“I’d rather not say sir,” replied the seminary student.
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“Why not son?” asked the pastor.
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“Because I don’t want to offend you sir,” he replied.
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“Oh, son, you can’t offend me because I believe all religious beliefs are true. It’s okay, he said, nodding and smiling. “Please tell me what you believe.”
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“Okay,” the student leaned toward the pastor, cupped his hand around his mouth so those going out the door wouldn't hear him, and whispered, “Sir, I believe you’re going to Hell!”
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Pastor Postmodern stood straight, eyebrows raised; face turned pink as cool aid, cleared his voice and replied, “Well, guess I’m wrong after all. All religious beliefs can’t be right since yours certainly isn’t.”

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Pastor Postmodern's Rethinking
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This seminary student put huge troubling question marks in Pastor Postmodern’s mind about absolute truth. The pastor thought all college and seminary professors taught there’s no objective truth, or if so, we can’t know it. All truth is relative, not absolute. Statements can be true for you but not for me.

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Scratching his head, the light came on. Every one of these denials assumes there is absolute truth. And if there isn’t, then we have no sure reason to believe anything anybody says—religious or secular. Nobody could ever tell a lie and we can’t live by relativism. Oh, to think I paid those misfit professors to feed me demonic deceptions that destroy men’s souls denying absolute truth.

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When someone makes a claim that’s true all opposing claims have to be false. If it’s true that 2+2=4, then any number other than #4 is false. And that never changes. Truth is truth for everybody, everywhere, at all times. Truth is what corresponds to reality. It’s telling it like it is. In a room with the temperature 75%, some persons may feel cool, others comfortable, and others hot, but 75% is the same temperature for everybody, everywhere, at all times. People once believed the world was flat, but discovered it's round. The truth didn’t change. Its round no matter what people believe. One can’t even argue against truth without assuming the truth of their arguments to disprove truth. Absolute truth then is unavoidable and is always absolute, exclusive, and knowable. Everything opposing it is false and a lie.

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People hope to get the truth from parents, children, doctors, teachers, politicians, food labels, advertisements, salespersons, and the list is unending. Relativism of truth and morals is certain breakdown of society that leads to a dictatorship of forced slavery to curtail anarchy.

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What Then Is Fair and Truthful?
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Persons sometimes ridicule Christians as narrow-minded, bigoted, intolerant, arrogant, unloving, dogmatic, absolutist, imperialistic, even dangerous for saying their faith is true. But why is this only directed to Christians? It seems they alone have an the only sure basis for absolute truth. An infinite personal, ethical Creator is the only certain basis for absolute truth, and for human dignity in God’s image, human rights as God holds us accountable, ethics as God’ given ethical standards in creation, conscience and Christ. There can be no more certain basis for absolute truth than in the absolute standare of God Himself shown to us in the person of Jesus by his claims to deity with fulfilled prophecies and multiple miracles that prove it.

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The above objections apply to everybody who says their beliefs are true. Socialists say they’re politically correct. Atheist professors deny absolutes. Pantheists think the universe’s energy is god. Muslims believe the Quran is unquestionable truth and they should force infidels to accept it. All these groups hold beliefs claimed absolute truth but deny it to others. But unlike Jesus, they show no evidence their claims are true.

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Isn’t it hypocritical to condemn Christians for judging--always taken out of a context that specifies hypocritical judgment, Matthew 7:1-5--while their accusations judge Christians? Only Christians preach that God is love and that we should love one another because only Christians have a basis for love. God enables us to love by putting His love in us, and He will one day judge our behavior toward our fellow man. Before Christ came, the world had no concept of a loving God. Today society ignores the biblical basis of moral concern and responsibility—agapa. Society defines love to mean any physical pleasure and unrestrained sex with anybody anytime--eros.

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 How Tolerant Is The New Tolerance?
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The “buzz word” today is intolerance. Tolerance no longer means to respect a person’s right to hold views you believe false and disagree with. The absolutist’s view of truth and morals angers our postmodern secular society. You must accept their view as true and not claim your view is absolute truth. It’s like Nazism—Hitler murdered anyone who disagreed with him. Laws made behind closed doors are suspect because lawmakers know public protest. Christian teaching requires honest, fair, free, open debate that seeks the most good for citizens.

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 Pastor Postmodern converted to Pastor Truth-teller. Until now unwilling to admit it, he knew world religions and philosophies differ radically in their beliefs about God, man, salvation, and life after death. Limited human beings make opposing assumptions that are often no more than human guesses. Buddha’s philosophy, Confucius’ wise sayings and Muhammad’s claims could be their subjective human thinking. And we know these conflicting views can all be true and give no objective evidence of being true.

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The Only Certainty!
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The only certainty about such things would be if God himself came into our world, told us who he was, and did things honest, fair-minded people, who could put aside their pride and prejudice, could believe. And this is exactly what the New Testament, the Christian creeds, and Christians from Jesus until today claim. Christian faith is the only world religion that can show multiple ancient detailed prophecies of Messiah that fit Jesus exactly.

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Bible Christianity is the only faith that can show published records proclaiming Jesus deity and miracles within three decades of Jesus’ life--witnesses still lived who could verify the facts. And creeds and hymns used in the churches were incorporated into the letters of the apostles scholars believe go back to within three to eight years after Jesus’ death (Rom. 1:3-4; 1 Cor.11:23; 15:3-8; Phil. 2:6-11; Col. 1:15-18; I Tim. 3:16; 2 Tim. 2:8; John 1:1-18; 1 Pet. 3:18-22). Christian martyrs didn’t die to blow up innocent men, women and children and send them to Hell, but to verify God’s truth with their own blood. Bible Christianity is God’s authority—it teaches love, respect, free speech, truth. As such, it has no rivals--it alone is God's absolute truth. 
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Jesus is the Source of truth because He's our creator. He then is the Judge of whether we follow His will. And He can be our Savior if we trust Him to save us as unworthy sinners. In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Have you come to the Savior of sinners yet? If not, won't you humbly admit your sin and trust Jesus to save you? Then link this blog to yours & share God's truth with as many persons as possible. See my note below. God bless you as you unashamedly share God's absolute truth.
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Three Friends Discuss Good and Evil

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#Evil    #Worldviews
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Land laid waste, strewn bodies hacked to pieces, fields blood drenched, women and children forced to be prostitutes and slaves, families torn apart. It’s history. Genghis Kahn, the Huns, Vikings, Caesars, Hitler, Stalin and Mao—the list of heartless killers never ends. Today, instead of slaughtering each other with spears and swords, we can devastate our planet with ballistic missiles carrying atomic warheads.

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Why can’t people live together in peace and work for a good world thought Terra as she waited on her friends to bring the drinks and pizza to the park table?

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Pan arrived with the drinks. “Hello, Terra, have you been waiting long?”

“No Pan, I arrived five minutes ago. I brought a chocolate cake.”

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“Great. I love chocolate. Chris does too. Here he is with the pizza. Everybody dig it. Boy, this will be a good outing. What subject would be good to discuss today Terra?”

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“Well I’ve been thinking about wars, devastation and our real danger of destroying life on this planet. We can discuss what we think about good and evil and what might be the outcome. Do you guys agree?”

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“Oh yes, Terra that bothers me too.” Pan grabbed a big piece of pizza and a bottle of green tea, “Chris, is that alright with you?”

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“Sure, Terra what do you think about good and evil?”

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The Materialist View

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“Well, they both definitely exist and I prefer the good. Since man evolved, we’ve been slaughtering each other in larger numbers with greater efficiency. It’s scary. We might exterminate everybody. Or, if we don’t, a huge asteroid slamming earth might. The universe has always existed--it’s just energy evolving into plants, puppies and people. Maybe people exist on other planets too. We can’t escape destruction. Even if the sun doesn’t blow us up our lights go out when we return to dirt. I think science proves me right. It’s our fate. So, ‘do your own thing’ seems logical. Shrugging her shoulders--eat, drink, be merry for tomorrow we die. But, it bothers me. What do you think Pan?”

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The Pantheist View

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Smiling, “I think this sure is good pizza. But I’m glad it’s plain cheese. I don’t eat meat. It might be one of my ancestors. Ha! Ha!”

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“I largely agree with Terra. The universe is a mass of energy that assumes different shapes. But I believe its all illusion. It’s like the movie horse and rider moving across the screen. Flick the switch and it disappears. It was never there. It’s like vegetation that comes to life in the spring, dies in the fall and returns next spring.”

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“Justice requires we reap what we sew—things assume thousands of forms and lifetimes until ceasing to exist. They’re absorbed into the World Soul like waves of the sea coming to rest.” The universe is a principle, a force—it’s god. And as part of it, I’m god. Only ignorance imagines that pains, death, disasters, disunities are real.”

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“Chris, finish off that big piece of chocolate cake and tell us what you think.”

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The Christian Theist View

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 “Hum. That lunch was good. Okay. First, I’m thankful I live in a country that still respects human life, allows free speech and opposing worldviews. But I believe my view of the world is what makes this possible. And I believe my view alone gives life dignity, a basis for ethics, makes sense of justice, truth, love, freedom, responsibility, assures us of an afterlife, and furnishes ultimate purpose for living. So goodness will triumph.”

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“If we can put our philosophy aside, science shows the universe is not eternal. Like a new wound clock, it’s running down, so it must have had a beginning, a starting point. Good sense, experience, and science shows non-existence can’t produce existence. Something can’t come from nothing—nothing is mindless, powerless, space less, timeless, a no-existence. So the nonexistent universe didn’t produce itself—that’s a logical contradiction. Then something must have produced it.

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“An eternal source is necessary to explain this temporal dependent universe, and its cause must be equal to or greater than its effect, the universe itself. It would be the source of all life, consciousness, intelligence, power, and will existing in the effect. That being true, we owe our every breath, our every heartbeat to our source.”

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“I know of no evidence that molecules can evolve or arrange themselves into men even in fourteen billion years. True science acknowledges amino acids in nature do not form proteins or a chain in DNA sequence, and they easily break up. One microscopic DNA molecule contains as much information as a big city library. This requires a creative intelligence far exceeding a human mind. The human body is irreducibly complex and must be alive and functional at the outset. And the anthropic principle of 122 factors—right atmosphere, water, temperature, gravity--shows the physical universe is exactly what it must be for man to originate on earth.”

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“Chris, it sounds like you believe in God. Do you believe the Arab who claimed an angel told him God’s word?”

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“No Terra. I believe the man who came from heaven, lived a perfect life, healed the sick, in love gave his life on the cross to correct our wrong doings, arose from the dead, and promised all who trust in him eternal life. He’s the only hope for this evil world. Not just some man who came out of a cave and claimed an angel nobody else saw. Jesus is the One who loved us and died to save us."

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“As made in God’s image, we have dignity and choice--we will not be annihilated. King Jesus will imprison evil forever and restore the earth to its original paradise. He triumphed over death, the devil, deceit and evil. We can too if we choose life in him and his restored paradise.” Would you like to say, Lord Jesus I'm a sinner and I trust you now and forever to be my Savior, Lord and Guide. Done! Thank you Lord. I know according to your word: "he who hears Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24). Praise God I'm born into God's eternal kingdom right now to live forever with Him.

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Dr. Evangelical Speaks at Darwin University

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#Darwin     #Secular
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Darwin University President, Dr. Secular, introduces the speaker.  With administrative approval and as president, it’s my privilege to introduce my longtime friend and our speaker today. He holds to a faith and worldview opposed to what we believe and teach here at Darwin University. This should challenge the thinking of those who believe we secular humanists devoted to Darwin are too closed-minded and arrogant to allow a speaker even hinting at God, religious authority and freedom.

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Dr. Norman Evangelical (Norman L. Geisler) is a well-known and highly esteemed educator who founded an evangelical theological seminary. He has written seventy some books, numerous articles in scholarly journals, and for many years taught philosophy, logic, ethics, Bible and theology. He’s widely known for his Baker Encyclopedia on Christian Apologetics and his Systematic Theology. He fearlessly debates us secular scholars in the U.S.A. and around the world. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our speaker and philosopher-theologian Dr. Norman Evangelical. --Boo. Boo. Boo.

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Thank you my friend, Dr. Secular. I’m not here to survey the arguments for God’s existence, or to present the arguments against mindless molecules evolving or arranging themselves into men. I do hold to those arguments, however, and intellectual integrity requires we consider them seriously. I’m here today to show contrasts between two faiths, two opposing worldviews, and the crucial differences they make for our lives. These two opposing views are secular humanism and biblical Christianity. Each has the most serious and practical consequences.

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I don’t believe any mystic’s mere claims to be God or tell us about God whether it’s Zoroaster, Muhammad, Moses, or Jesus. You or I could make the same claim. The radical difference with Jesus is no mere claim. Jesus did things we can only ascribe to God such as heal various diseases immediately, walk on water and raise the dead. And his disciples published these events not centuries later but within three decades or less while living persons hostile to Jesus would have utterly repudiated all false claims. Jesus’ skeptical disciples didn’t stupidly believe in fairy tales, would not change their Jewish faith to risk being caste into Hell, and would not endure rejection, persecution, and torturous deaths for what they knew to be a lie. So, based upon arguments alluded to above and upon Jesus, I present four crucial contrasts between the two worldviews. My topic is:

                          The Essential Foundations of Human Existence.

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First, consider human dignity. The Bible teaches all persons are descendants of our first parents, Adam and Eve, created in God’s image, immortal, a little lower than the angels. This gives all humanity great dignity and the same equality. No inherent difference exists between a person’s race, color, nationality, age, belief—all are persons. So we should show all the same great respect and care. But secular humanism says soulless man is here by accident. He’s only a more sophisticated animal crawled up from the slime pit to which he returns at death. Nietzsche and Hitler enacted evolutionary humanism, Mother Teresa and Salvation Army’s General Booth divine creation. Secularism regards us dispensable soulless dirt; Christianity mandates God’s creations be treated with dignity.

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Next, consider ethics. The Bible teaches a Personal Creator, Life Giver, and Moral Lawgiver set standards to insure our health and happiness, our security and sanity and that abuse of God’s standards results in his just but loving discipline. Humanity has God’s witness of conscience and God’s Holy Spirit reflected in peoples’ acknowledging a moral code and strongly protesting when abuses such as deception, robbery, rape, murder turn upon them. But evolutionary humanism suppresses these witnesses and denies God’s existence. Thus, evolutionary humanism has no basis for ethical standards--nature's is can't tell us ethics ought. Without a personal ethical absolute authority anything is permitted. Right and wrong is just limited, conflicting human opinions which boil down to might makes right. Whoever gets the big stick can enslave others helpless to resist. Such tyrants can order the extermination of millions, which is exactly what 20^th century Godless dictators such as Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and others did.

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Further, consider marriage. . In biblical teaching God made Adam directly a living soul and Eve from him since no suitable mate existed among the animals. Jesus was clear that the one flesh marriage at the beginning is permanent. God hates divorce and it only shows the hardness of human hearts. That one flesh marriage excludes a person’s having many spouses despite its flagrant abuse in biblical times and today. One man cannot show proper attention to many wives and it’s terribly unfair to men without wives. Further, male and female bodies show God designed us with compatible anatomies for a one-flesh relationship to have children, and that’s something evolutionists find difficult to explain.

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Evolving secularism has no sexual bounds. Same sex marriage even people having sex with animals is now being considered; after all that's all we are.  Homosexuality carried out consistently would eradicate the human race and it provides no true family model of both genders. God married Adam to Eve, not Steve. And God meant man to be head and loving leader of his wife and to discipline their children. God created both genders in his likeness but for different roles clearly shown by man’s physiology being bigger and stronger and woman’s being helpless during pregnancy and nurturing babies. Women are in God’s image and entitled to good treatment as much as men.

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Finally, consider government. The Bible teaching is that God ordains governments to enact laws, which protect citizens and secure their well-being. It includes raising taxes and use of the sword or capital punishment for violators. Christian citizens are to obey government laws except when they annul God’s higher moral laws and freedom to preach the good news of Christ as Lord and Savior. Bur secular governments can ignore God’s laws. They decide what is true, what’s law, who lives, and do so without moral boundaries as human dignity, marriage, sex. They are tyrants and world history confirms it.

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Friends, fight for survival of our family, of our children, of human dignity, of human freedom, and of human life. Please, work with me to raise the Christian flag in this human crises and cultural war. In Christ, we can save human dignity and equality, save ethical decency, save marriage, and have a just and compassionate government. The Darwinian philosophy of molecule to man can only enslave and destroy us, make us worthless dirt to be manipulated and murdered.

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Thank you for having me. I’ll be happy to answer any questions in your lounge next door. In addition to my books mentioned above, check out my others books on the table below. Again, thank you so much for having me.
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