By the Numbers

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Questions That Challenge Atheist Thinking


Questions That Challenge Atheist Thinking 

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Atheists often seem to have had a hard life of abuse and neglect. This makes them extremely self-centered, mean spirited, and arrogant. They blame the God they say doesn't exist and seem to take in out on believers. But if there's no God as they claim, how can they hate Him so? How can there even be moral evil without a divine standard? Does God force people to mistreat us? Should we be robots programed to be good?
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The Bible says God is good, created a good world, gave man free will to obey, or disobey him. Could objections to God and the Bible merely be an excuse? We all have free choice every day of our lives. It's us who make the bad choices. A loving God doesn't force us to be good, but the devil tempts us to be bad. It's our choice who we will obey. As an atheist, what do you mean?

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Are you saying God must give you special protection from disappointment?
Are you saying God must prevent people from abusing you?
Are you saying God must suspend his laws of nature so you can’t get hurt?
Are you saying God must keep your loved ones and friends alive?
Are you saying God must annul everyone elses free will in a way they can't harm you?
Are you saying God must make you happy, secure, successful or you won’t believe in Him?
If God did not exist—just nature exists, would that make you happy, successful, and secure?
Could it be that God has given us all abundant blessings for which you show no gratitude?
Can you show there is no personal creative spirit Christians call God?
What will happen if your way means God must take away everything he gave you to enjoy?
What if you will live alone in darkness eternally? Do you know it's impossible?
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 The Bible says, There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12. You're right--this life isn't fair, but God says the one to follow will be perfectly just and fair--both Heaven and Hell. We reap what we sow and deserve (Galatians 6:7). 
Here's good news: God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Romans 5:8-9). God can put His forgiveness, love, and peace in your heart, and give you a better outlook. Won't you ask for His forgiveness and truth? Jesus knows firsthand about injustice and pain, yet endured it for sinners--me and you. Yes, God loves all us sinners including atheists. Hell is worse than anything in this life, but the good world Heaven can be ours. It's your choice.  Say Lord, I turn from sin and self to trust You now and forever as my Savior, Lord and Guide.
 Let me also recommend some helpful books. Joyce Meyer's New York Times bestseller, Power Thoughts, 12 Strategies to win the Battle of the Mind. Charles Colson, Tough Questions about God, Faith, and Life. Norman Geisler & Frank Turek, I Don't Have  Enough Faith to Be  an Atheist.   God bless you in recovery. Thank U & thank  Him.
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Help for Persons with Low Self-esteem


 Help for Persons with Low Self-esteem

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Sarah’s name means princess, but she feels anything but a princess. Though an intelligent, nice looking woman, in growing up her alcoholic parents often ridiculed the things she said and did. Her parents didn’t cuddle, hug, affectionately touch, and praise her, but often scolded and criticized her. Consequently, she grew up feeling shy, withdrawn, uncomfortable in crowds, rejected compliments given her, had few friends and felt of little worth. Lacking self-confidence, she was often depressed and anxious thinking I’m just a born loser and will never amount to anything.
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The psychiatrist, Alfred Adler, coined the term “inferiority complex”. Most everyone feels inadequate or inferior at times. But to live with this attitude of worthlessness is not a burden our good and loving Creator meant for us to bear and we can overcome such feelings to become a healthy, happy, productive person in society.
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In this article, I will look at causes of low self-esteem and suggest ways to overcome this crippling lifestyle to become our best self.
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Some Causes of Low Self-esteem
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Faulty Theology. Yes, we humans are sinful. But that doesn’t mean that we’re worthless and God doesn’t love us. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” “God so loved the world” meaning sinful humanity. Self-worship, self-conceit, self-denigration, and selfishness is wrong. But self-love and self-respect is not (Matt. 22:39). Humility is not the same as humiliation or being put down.
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 Being unworthy is not the same as being worthless. While we’re a depraved fallen humanity, we’re still beings of dignity in God’s image a little lower than angels. While every aspect of our nature is affected by sin, we retain a rational, immortal, moral nature like our Creator.
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Now, Christians regard your sin nature crucified with Christ, and live by faith through Christ who lives within to motivate and empower you through love to overcome sin. Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:5-7.
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The Bible teaches equality between all persons, races and genders being of one blood. No one is to regard herself or himself either superior or inferior to anyone else. We’re to regard ourselves unique creations to fulfill God’s great plan for us. Human anatomy shows men and women compatible and equal in dignity but with different roles. It’s unjust to put women down because Eve yielded to temptation. Adam wasn’t deceived, could have stopped her, and the sin nature is passed on through him.   
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Sin and Guilt. Our conscience testifies to God’s moral standard. Though guilty of sin, we can come to God for forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration. We don’t save face by denying, ignoring or suppressing our sins. It only hardens our hearts, deepens our guilt, misery and further condemnation.
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Parent-Child Relationships. Psychiatrists and counselors know inferior feelings usually come from parental upbringing. Parents cause their children to feel unloved and unaccepted by excessive criticism, punishment, neglect, scolding, shaming, and setting perfectionist standards. Or, they don’t provide a loving environment of praise, appreciation, understanding and warm expressions of love such as cuddling, hugging and affectionate touching. Their children may repeat and pass on their poor example. We should encourage such children to regard handicaps, limitations, and a poor background as challenges to overcome and show faith in their ability.
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Unrealistic Expectations. Some persons set themselves up for failure. They feel that to succeed, be loved and be worthy, thy must meet other people’s standards. So, if I fail to meet these goals, I will feel pressured, shamed, frightened, or punished. Or, I must be in control, be first, be the smartest, be superior. Great aggressiveness sometimes is rewarded, but its failure can cause disappointment and emotional breakdown. A short thin guy is not likely to become a basketball or football star.  
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Community Influences. Persons often judge a person’s worth by their intelligence, attractiveness, education, money, power and achievements. Parents, school, friends, news media, government, businesses may value us by such criteria. Or, we may feel valued only for our possessions--a nice house, car, boat, or the latest technological gadget. Our true worth and success is not in what others think, or in what we possess, but in how we think and feel about ourselves. The most we can do is try to be wise and responsible with the gifts God has given us—that’s our worth.
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Some Ways to Achieve Worthiness
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Behave Responsibly. People helpers help themselves in helping others. Doing good for others brings its own reward. It’s more blessed to give than receive now and eternally (Acts 20:35). Don’t be critical of others mistakes, weaknesses, faults, deformities. Show respect, concern and appreciation of peoples’ virtues. It helps you both feel more worthy. Even when mistakes need correction, we can do it in a positive supportive encouraging way.  
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Deeper Your Understanding. It helps to explore the roots of our thinking. What experiences made me think, feel and act this way? Maybe I’m blaming myself when I’m not at fault or it was something that just naturally would have occurred with anyone. Talking problems over with an accepting counselor or trusted friend may gain insight, relieve guilt, and give a more positive attitude. Openly discussing past failures and injuries to an accepting counselor can unpack pent up fears, doubts, misunderstandings and relieve self-condemning attitudes.  
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Understand the Biblical Teaching about Man. Secular humanist doctrines are that we are just evolving animals destine for extinction. They can discourage, depress and lead us to suicide. They destroy absolute truth and morality and lead to chaos and dictatorship. They deny human worth, rights, the basis for moral living and can result in a blood bath of millions.
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Christian counselling is to encourage people with the Bible teaching that we have great worth being created in God’s image a little lower than the angels. Explain that God loves us, has a plan for our lives, wants relationship with us, and offers eternity in Heaven with him. Our great God and King has the last word (Psalm 2; Isa. 46:10; Dan. 4:35; Rom. 8:28; Rev. 22:12).
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Seek A Realistic Self-Evaluation. Serious long-term anxiety may require several exploratory sessions with trained counselors. Try listing what you feel are your virtues and strengths as well as your vices and weaknesses. Ask in each case what past experiences or other people’s opinions warrant inclusion on the list? Be deeply open and honest about both. Assess how to overcome harmful vices and improve virtues. Write out long-range goals and priorities.
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Learn New Skills. Sometimes counselors can help by suggesting counseles take education courses, read books, get in an exercise program, join a community project, take up a hobby, go to a Bible study and meditate on God’s Word. Such things inject new life and excitement into one’s experiences. Always seek to be courteous, friendly, respectful to others and they generally will return the same.
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Avoid Destructive Tendencies. We all have them and once we understand what ours are we can work on improvement. Serve people and don’t try to manipulate them. Dwell on the positive and not the negative that’s discouraging and depressing. Be grateful instead of angry and resentful when shown a fault. Realize discovery is the first step to improvement. Understand fear is natural and it doesn’t have to paralyze our actions. Prayerfully trust God for improved outlook and behavior.
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Deal Honestly With Sin. We all sin and our natural tendency is try to save face. We try to hide it, deny it, explain it away, blame our poor circumstances, or say God or the devil made me do it. All wrongdoing is ultimately rebellion against God. And only the blood of Jesus can take it away and make us clean new persons. Guilt feelings may be due to real guilt. Then we need to trust in the Savior of sinners who bore our sin and took our punishment on the cross. It’s your choice.
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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Serious Issues & Solutions

Serious Issues & Solutions 

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We naturally object to statements that we think untrue. We sometimes do have doubts about Christian faith even if raised in a Christian home, or are Christians ourselves. Consider these doubts and answers. I’ll present the objection in title or bold print below and the following paragraph will be the response in each case.
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There is no absolute truth.

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Are you absolutely sure? Then, opposites can be equally true. We don’t have to believe what our parents, children, teachers, doctors, lawyers, tax collectors, sales persons, bosses, or anyone else might tell us is really true. We don’t have to believe traffic signs, labels on medicine, house numbers, and a hundred other things we take for granted every day. In fact, we don’t even have to believe the statement above that “there is no absolute truth” is true either—it self-destructs. Honestly, can any statement be more ridiculous? Persons making this objection usually only apply it to spiritual and moral issues. They don't consider the evidence because it suggests they change their way of living to please God.
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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 only good.

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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 (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 1:18-32). We humans can do good, but we have a dark evil nature as well in thought, word, and deed. Realistically, we have both a dignity and a depravity.
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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 pretension 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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Science proves miracles never happened.

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How does science prove miracles never happened? Miracles are a matter of eyewitness history. Can science prove anything in history by experimental method like the existence of Napoleon or Caesar? If a Creator God exists, then miracles, angels, human souls and divine revelations certainly can exist. It’s only the false assumption of naturalism that denies it. The atheist would have to have exhaustive knowledge to disprove it. Moreover, human senses can detect spiritual things as God and angels if they choose to show themselves. Christ is better attested in history than what others believed without doubt.
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Evolution Best Explains the Origin of Life.

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There are several problems honest thinking people cannot ignore. How can something come from nothing? Nothing means no-thing or nonexistence, and no power to produce anything. How can order evolve from disorder? Drop red, white and blue confetti from a plane and it doesn’t arrange itself into the American flag. Life doesn’t emerge from non-life--spontaneous generation is a myth.. Blind lifeless chemicals can't arrange themselves into the complex life forms in any amount of time. There's no missing links--it's a whole missing chain. Life forms  have systems and organs genetically programmed to function together from the beginning. Such complex design strongly suggest an infinite designer--God.
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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, and I don't like 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? It’s too serious a matter just to risk eternal darkness and torment. 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. We even blame God for giving us the freedom to commit them. Would you prefer the opposite of free will? be programmed machines without human dignity.
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We cannot obey God’s laws 100% of the time. Nor can we take away sins already committed. This means we must humbly acknowledge our sin and trust the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man and Savior of us sinners.  Jesus paid for our sin in His death on the cross and His righteous is credited to our account. His resurrection proves all He said and did is true and He is our only hope for life eternal  in Heaven. Call Christ paying for our sins injustice if you like, but without Jesus we have no basis for injustice in an animal eat animal jungle.
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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 are justified, but not the proud self-righteous Pharisee (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, but cannot. 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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If God doesn’t exist, then human dignity, rights and freedom mean nothing. We’re mere soulless dirt as atheists believe or recycled energy and on our way to nothingness as pantheists believe. We can't know the Lord is good until we trust Him and see. Jesus is the only way, truth, and life for all who say--I trust in You Lord Jesus to be my Savior, Lord, and life Guide.
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If you know someone who feels this way, share this blog on www as a ministry to help a desperate world in need. Thank you. "Lord, bless my friend for his or her conviction,  courage, and Godly helpful ministry."
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For more short rebuttals of false assumptions I recommend, The New Atheism and The Erosion of Freedom by Robert A. Morey and The Christian Combat Manual by Dan Story, and True For You But Not For Me by Paul Copan. 

More Serious Issues & Solutions

More Serious Issues & Solutions

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We rightfully, but respectfully object to statements that we think untrue. Honest thinking people rightfully want good factual answers to their doubts whether Christian faith or other faiths. Trouble is many persons with doubts never take the trouble to find out the answers. I’ll present the objection in bold print and in the paragraph to follow respond in each case. You might like to download and print all my articles for individual or class discussions.
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                                                   Biblical Christianity Is Irrelevant.
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 Its pie in the sky by and by and not concerned with my everyday life needs.
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Its true Bible teaching doesn’t and can’t tell us who to marry or what work to pursue. But it’s of utmost relevance on three levels. Lifestyle---it warns us of destructive behaviors such as hatred, drunkenness, murders and encourages spiritual fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness (Gal. 6:19-25). Eternal abode—it gives us a choice between Heaven with a loving God, or Hell alone in darkness and torment (Matt. 5:28). Worldview---only the risen God-man confirms life after death, God’s reality, a rational world, human dignity, rights, freedom, ethics, justice, love, and purposeful living. No other worldview can match biblical Christianity in providing our most basic human needs. Other worldviews merely are limited subjective human opinions devoid of proof.
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                                                    The Bible Is An Immoral Book.

Bible characters did some really terrible shameful things. Moses, Israel's leader, and David a may after God's heart, were murders. Some Bible characters lie, rape, murder, even eat people.
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Yes, biblical characters did shameful sinful things. God had them recorded, but did not approve of their sinful acts. God used them despite their sins, just as God uses us today. Nobody is without sin and we must be fair to judge each case within its historical context (Rom. 3:23; 1 John 1:8, 10). Moreover, apart from the perfect God of the Bible, we have no basis to call any act right or wrong--we have only subjective human preferences. The Bible’s God is our perfect Creator, Life-giver, Lawgiver, Owner and Judge. Apart from the Bible’s God, we’re only animals without ethical standards and accountability who return to dirt. The fact that the Bible mentions the sins of its best characters whereas other books don’t shows its integrity and trustworthiness. Trust in Jesus can set us on a higher plane of more noble desires but even then we're only perfect in Him.
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                                                        Christians Are Against Sex.
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But sex is a natural, normal bodily function that is to be satisfied like hunger and thirst.
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God created us sexual beings and told us to be fruitful and multiply (Gen. 1:27). God is not against sex, only against its abuse. Common sense shows a man and women’s bodies are designed for each other, for the procreation of children and family life. Same sex marriages rebel against God’s design for marriage, and a husband with many wives cheat both the wives’ needs and the men who have no wives. Both are not God’s will as Jesus confirmed with the one flesh relationship (Matt. 19:4-6).
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                                                  I Try Sincerely to Keep the Golden Rule.
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So I’m a good person and should go to Heaven.
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You are assuming entrance to Heaven depends upon your being a good person and performing good deeds. How do you know what's “good” in God’s eyes? How do you know how much “good” God requires, or when you have done enough “good”? One percent cancer can contaminate the whole body and 1% sin can corrupt a perfect Heaven. A perfect God and a perfect heaven exclude all sin. Heaven is a gift of God, not earned by our good deeds. God’s way is for a person to humbly admit his or her sin and need of forgiveness and then trust the Savior of sinners (Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 4:12; Titus 3:5; Romans 11:6).
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                                          I Tried Christianity Once and It Didn’t Work.
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True faith in Christ works. But it’s not like an emotional high like being on drugs. It’s not getting everything you want. It’s not performing a ritual act, or just  joining a church.  True conversion occurs when God’s Holy Spirit enters us--we become a new person with new holy desires (2 Cor. 5:17). New spiritual life is evidenced in a new outlook on life, a new sensitivity to right and wrong, a new desire to learn God’s Word, a new concern to do God’s will, a new love for God, and a new hope to share this wonderful new experience with other persons. We're not perfect and must grow in right living. And yes it's a battle with the world, flesh, and the devil until we'll finally be with God in Heaven. In trusting the Savior, we are forgiven, but good works are not automatic. We grow by focusing on the things of God in daily submission. Dwelling on our faults and failures only drag us down.
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                                                   Science Has Disproved the Bible.
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Science is neutral and objective facts, but religion is just faith.
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Scientists can be as bias and anyone else and science theories continually change. Evolution is based upon a dogmatic naturalistic philosophy that ignores the facts of science that point to creation.  Christianity gave the conceptual framework for experimental science to flourish. Pantheistic and animistic religions regarded nature as indwelt by spirits to sacred to disturb. But Christianity said a rational and loving God created nature for us to explore and discover. The scientific method is based upon assumptions the Christian worldview guarantee, but not provable by science--laws of logic, orderliness of nature, reliability of our senses, and honest accurate data. Modern science could not have arisen apart from these imperatives of the Christian worldview. When science and Scripture are properly understood, God’s world and God’s Word will be in harmony.
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                                                  All Religions Are Essentially the Same.
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They all are different roads to God, all teach ethical principles, and just call God by different names.
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This shows both ignorance and insult toward world religions. World religions differ radically in their teachings about God, man, salvation and the afterlife. To imply their differences are not important is an insult to them. From a Christian perspective, three factors stand out. First, their views radically conflict which means only one if any must be correct. Second, only Christianity gives visible, objective, empirical evidence its God and teachings are true. Jesus alone gave evidence of being God come into our world shown by fulfilling ancient prophecies, performing miracles, and rising from the dead. No subjective mystic’s claim to universal truth can match that. Third, some religions practice cannibalism and human sacrifice. Is that just as good as Christ’s teaching to love your neighbor as yourself?
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                                                    The Church Is Full of Hypocrites.
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Church people don’t live what they profess.
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Have you given this an honest appraisal of the facts? First, every church member or person professing Christ may not be a  Christian. Second, nobody including true Christians can live a perfect life as the Bible says (1 John 1:8, 10). Yes, we all have moral failures in our fight against the world system of evil, our sinful nature, and Satan and his demons. Christians are not exempt from failure and must grow in godliness. But millions testify they’re better persons after trusting Christ than before. Third, what about all the non church hypocrites in bars, discos, businesses, politics, everywhere? Are you using church hypocrites as an excuse not to trust the Savior and go to Hell? Are you living up to all you think is right?
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                                                    Christianity Is Not Logical or Rational.  
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Persons who say this may mean it does not make sense to them or from their perspective. First, they may think they can’t be wrong, misunderstand, be illogical or be exposed to false teachings. Second, limited human knowledge is a mere speck in the circle of universal knowledge. Third, as C.S. Lewis pointed out, persons who assume the universe popped into existence by chance can’t be sure our thought is rational.  Finally, Christians can misunderstand or incorrectly explain biblical teachings as well. The objection requires we first understand what is true Bible Christianity taught by Jesus and his apostles.
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                                                       You Can’t Take the Bible Literally.
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Why? Who says so? Wouldn’t God say what He intends us to understand? If the Bible is God’s message to us about Himself, His plan of salvation, and how He wants us to live, wouldn’t He speak in plain language we could understand? Would God make us guess at what the Bible means if He loves us and wants to communicate with us? Further, figures of speech are normal in every language. If God made us with powers of communication, why couldn’t He make us to communicate with Him? What reason could God have for not speaking in understandable speech? Could this objection be only an unwarranted assumption that there's no real God who can act in our real world? The Lord spoke with His people and was understood throughout the Bible..
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                                                               I  Don’t Believe the Bible.
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I’ve heard it’s full of myths, fairy tales, and things impossible to believe.
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Hearsay is not always the best reason for believing things. Why not read it for yourself  before assuming a hostile dogmatic stance. It’s continually the world’s bestseller, the most influential book. Fairness requires we find out for ourselves before we condemn it on other people’s say so.
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Start with the Gospel of John that tells about the life of Christ. Many find the natural everyday events speak to them in a way that seems so true to human nature. There's no weird, fantastic things like statues moving, people turned into birds, or crosses walking. Such things as found in Greek literature and the apocryphal gospels are myths. But that's not true with Jesus who both claims and shows he is Lord of nature.
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Unless we have exhaustive knowledge, we can't say Jesus can’t be our God. Secular history and archaeology give abundant evidence Jesus is a real  man, even the God-man who walked among us. He showed the greatest love dying upon the cross to pay for our sin, and rising from the dead That  proves he is our God who offers us an eternal love-trust relationship.  Millions have taken the Bible statements true and found fulling life though Him. But that means we put God's will first, not what our sinful desires demand. Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Say, I trust You now Jesus as my Savior and Lord to live for You forever. Share your new faith with friends and loved ones.
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See When Critics Ask by Norman Geisler & Thomas Howe. Defending Your Faith by Dan Story. Tough Questions About God, Faith, and Life, by Charles Colson. 
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Nature Could Never Design Man

Nature Could Never Design Man


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Scientific and Open-minded Are Darwinists?


Darwin’s followers claim to be scientific and the only ones who really are. They base evolution upon fact, reason, evidence and truth. They oppose falsehood, superstition, and ignorance. They claim the scientific method of controlled experiment and observation is the only sure way to gain knowledge. They claim to gather data and follow it wherever it leads. So science destroys belief in creation and in a Creator.

Is evolution the conclusion reached by honest, unbiased, factual investigation? It's claimed science proves creation wrong and no God exists. So religious believers should make their peace with it, admit its established scientific fact, and stop being obstinate. It's said that people who oppose evolution are superstitious, ignorant, closed-minded, prejudiced, imperialistic, outmoded, unscientific, stupid, dangerous--period.

But all that being true, as evolutionists claim, what is the problem with honest questioning and investigation? Isn’t that what science is supposed to be about? Aren’t scientists supposed to consider alternative theories? If all the facts are in and evolution confirmed, wouldn’t honest scrutiny further establish evolution? Everything must point to man having evolved by chance from molecules. There can be no fear of arguments dumb believers in God and creation might offer. So why try to suppress their free speech; exclude their arguments from science textbooks? Their ignorance and falsehoods can only confirm the truth.

Now let’s consider some of the ignorant questions of these dumb religious people.

Is the Scientific Method the Way to Discover God?


It’s a good method to learn about nature and its laws. It utilizes our senses of seeing, hearing, feeling, touching, and tasting. It gives knowledge of material observable objects. But some things in life are not observable and experimental. For example, human thoughts, our past experiences, historical events, ethics, human dignity, beauty, logic. Does that mean they don’t exist? Certainly, we live as though they exist. So scientific method is inadequate to know about even many immaterial but real and crucial things.

Now what experiment demonstrates molecules can arrange themselves into men? None! Furthermore, empirical method depends upon prior unproved factors such as logic, accuracy, strict control, and honesty of the experimenter. It’s difficult for me to see how scientific method can demonstrate evolution. But isn’t that what’s supposed to demonstrate fact in science?

Evolutionists claim that molecules by chance and over time arranged themselves into men. In order to show this scientifically they would have to produce undeniable specimens or fossils of each successful step in the process. That would be conclusive and put all doubts and objections to rest. Yes, we know many varieties of worms, dogs, birds exist, but we don’t know that one kind of life form can change into another kind. Microevolution is fact; macroevolution is not.

Evolutionists know some things to be fact but their dogmatic philosophy that nature is everything won’t allow them to admit that the facts point to creation and a Creator. They know life doesn’t spontaneously pop into existence from nonlife. They know life forms have genetic limitations. They know acquired characteristics and mutations are not methods sufficient to achieve macroevolution. They know unconscious molecules have no mind to arrange themselves into man. They know randomness results in chaos not order. They know living cells are enormously complex and compact, a literal city of machines demonstrating intelligent design worthy only of God and creation. Yet they have been deceiving people about such things for decades.

I recommend the book The Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel. Lee is a journalist and former atheist who interviewed today’s leading authorities in the scientific fields of cosmology, physics, astronomy, biochemistry, biological information, and consciousness asking the tough questions and getting definitive answers. He turned up mountains of detailed evidence to show chance evolution is simply not good factual science. No science disproves God and even Darwin spoke of creation many times. 

How Could We Know If A Creator God Exists?     

Now people reserve the word God to mean something much more than man or nature. If God is just nature itself, we can learn its laws and patterns, and try to benefit from them. But God generally means a Creator and Sustainer of the material universe. So we couldn’t experiment with God in a test tube, examine him under a microscope, or observe him through a telescope. Its unlikely God would obey our commands, cater to our whims, and tailor his actions for our convenience. Moreover, if there’s a Creator we could do some unexpected and supernatural things.

Are we correct to assume no Creator exists? Is this a genuine scientific attitude or a closed-mind prejudice? You can draw a huge circle representing universal knowledge. Let’s be honest--a microscopic dot would represent our part of that knowledge. Our severe limitations forbid us to assume that no God exists, nature tied his hands, or God doesn’t care for man, or can’t act in recognizable ways in his world. Isn’t human ignorance arrogant to assume any such things?

Evolutionists know some things to be fact but their dogmatic philosophy that nature is everything won’t allow them to admit that the facts point to creation and a Creator. They know life doesn’t spontaneously pop into existence from nonlife. They know life forms have genetic limitations. They know acquired characteristics and mutations are not methods sufficient to achieve evolution. They know unconscious molecules have no mind to arrange themselves into man. They know randomness results in chaos not order. They know living cells are enormously complex and compact, a literal city of machines demonstrating intelligent design worthy only of God and creation. All this shows design that point to God. Yet they claim science disproves God even though the sciences point to God. They assume naturalism-of-the-gaps. And they have been deceiving people about all this for decades.

But is there any visual objective evidence of a Creator? Wouldn’t a Creator have to do things outside the normal patterns of nature to get our attention? Suppose someone told us, ‘I’m an angel or a prophet of God the Creator.’ His word would mean nothing—anybody could say that. We would demand some kind of credentials or evidence its true. But suppose someone told us unimaginable detailed events impossible for men to know or guess that occurred centuries later. Wouldn’t that be real evidence an all-knowing God existed as the Bible claims? This is exactly what Christian’s claim Old Testament prophets predicted of their messiah and fulfilled in Jesus.  

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6. 739-686 B.C. John 5:18; 10:30-33; 19:7.

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isa. 7:14;
 Matt. 1:21-23.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2. 750-731 B.C. Matt. 2:1-6; Luke 2:4-7.

“The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. Isa. 35:5-6; John 3:2, 21:24-25.

“My righteous Servant shall justify many; For He shall bear their iniquities.” Isa. 53:11; 2 Cor. 5:21; Luke 19:10; 1 Pet. 3:24.

“For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Ps. 16:10; 1000-975 B.C. Acts 2:31; Mark 16:6.

Evolutionist’s claim the paleontologist’s scattered bones demonstrate evolution. But Jesus’ miracles more closely meet scientific criteria. They were scrupulously observed, performed hundreds of times and rationally explained as evidence Jesus is our God, Creator, Savior and Judge. Jesus is no hoax but reasonable fact.

Here are specific unimaginable predictions Jewish prophets made of their future Messiah centuries before Christ. They predict Messiah as Mighty God, virgin born, God with us, in Bethlehem, would perform miracles, die to justify sinners, and arise from the dead. Such century’s earlier specific predictions would be impossible for limited man to guess or artificially fulfill. Jesus’ life depicted in the Gospels demonstrates he fulfillment all of them. No other religious literature contains fulfilled predictions. That’s objective evidence that shows people God is real. For only an all-knowing, God can tell us future details (Isa. 44:10).

Jesus gave visual objective evidence in his miracles. While the Gospels mention only 35, Jesus performed miracles to individuals and groups everywhere he went for more than three years. They were spontaneous upon request, in open daylight, and before hostile critics who couldn’t deny them even when he challenged them to do so. Jesus miracles demonstrated he is Lord over nature, demons, diseases and death. Believing nature’s set patterns as we do today, his disciples were always skeptical, astonished and often rebuked for lack of faith. Yet, his disciples became willing to experience horrible deaths because they knew Jesus was their Messiah and their risen God and Creator.
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 No other religion can show such miracles. It’s not lack of evidence keeping us from trusting the Savior, it’s a sinful life and a rebellious will. Will you say: Lord, I’m a sinner deserving Hell, but I trust you now and forever as my Lord, Savior, and Guide? I know repentance is humbling but it's God's way we receive the Savior and eternal life. God loves us enough to tell us the truth.
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