Awesome Wonder Woman Fan Film Trailer Video
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
FacePalm of the Day - Debunking Christianity: The Basis for Morality is Empathy
Do non-believers have a basis for saying some things cause harm? I think so. Just look at a burning child. We have a computer that computes the steps. Our brains. Such things cause harm. It's obvious. The basis for morality is empathy. The divine command theory has no room for it. If God is thought to command killing witches then empathy be damned. While there are two greatest commandments the only one that counts is the first one. Christians need not be concerned with the plight of human suffering, only loving the god in one's head.
Why the fail? Simple: True burning a child causes harm to the child, but why should that matter if I don't care? Loftus claims that empathy should be the basis of not doing such evil acts as burning a child, but does that mean that it's okay to burn a child to death if I don't care about causing harm to the child? According to his logic, the only reason I would not cause another living thing wrong is because of the empathy I feel for other living things. But what do you do with people who feel no such empathy. Are they wrong? How can you tell? Loftus' basis for morality has no firm foundation. Why should I care about human suffering as long as it's not me? Loftus and other atheistic grounding for morality is no grounding at all.
Debunking Christianity: The Basis for Morality is Empathy
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Recognizing the Gospel
Today we will be considering what the Gospel is and what it isn’t so we can think about what to share and how to share it.
There are a lot of different ways to approach this but I
want to start by looking at Acts 15. First a little background – start with
verse one.
Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. – Acts 15:1-6
We can see here that people have called the nature of the Gospel into question from the beginning of the Church even while the people who actually been with Jesus personally were still alive. Some important things to point out is that people wanted a Gospel based on what they thought was important. In this case: what they saw as the basis of Judaism – the Laws of Moses in general and the custom that all men must be circumcised in particular. Every single heresy and cult begins with corrupting the Gospel.
Look at the form of the argument given in verse 1: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This is a pattern. “Unless you are ________, according to the custom taught by _______, you cannot be saved.” The only difference between all other heresies is that they just fill in the blanks differently. For example, historically, Mormonism had said “Unless you are a Mormon, according to the custom taught by Joseph Smith, you cannot be saved.” In Islam: “Unless you are a Muslim, according to the custom taught by Muhammad in the Quran, you cannot be saved.” You can summarize every worldview and every religion in a similar way.
Just like the First Century Christian, we have to combat heresies today because they lead people away from God. Let’s take a look at what the Apostles did. They held on to what the Gospel fundamentally is. Look at verses 6-11
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Peter starts by showing what God has already validated that Gentiles did not have become Jews to be Believers by treating Gentile believers no differently than the Jewish Believers. Peter defines the Gospel: Salvation through the grace of our Lord Jesus. This is the same as taught throughout the New Testament. Paul, Peter, James, John, and all those following Jesus taught this. More importantly Jesus said of Himself!
23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” – John 8:23-24
The first century church was just stating what Jesus had already said. We must do the same today. Therefore let us define the Gospel the way we are supposed to. It is stated in various ways but always the same thing: We all deserve death because of our sin but we are saved from sin and death by faith alone though Jesus alone, according to Scripture alone. Here is one of my favorite ways of stating the Gospel and what it means to us.
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20
People try to deny and avoid the Gospel. Part of witnessing is disarming their defenses and pointing them back to Jesus. One objection that keeps getting raised is the fact that we come to Christ by faith. The world objects to the Gospel by trying to redefine faith into something the Bible never tells us to believe. “Faith” is not believing something or anything despite a lack of evidence or contrary to reality. God does not condone it nor commands it. Many people you may find yourself witnessing to might try to use this objection. Don’t fall for it. Also we have to know what “Faith” is for ourselves. Let us look at an example of what real faith looks like and how it should be applied.
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:6,7
We know from Hebrews that Faith is trusting in God, but not without evidence. Or continuing and deepening relationship with God is part of that evidence. What we need to focus on right now is why is “Faith” contrasted by the sense of “sight”. We know from Hebrews 11 that faith is the evidence of things we cannot see. This points out how unreliable our eyes and how we process that visual information we get from them truly is. Ironically the sense of sight is the faculty we rely on most but the most easily fooled. This is why we are told to hold onto our faith and trust in God’s word not on what we see or think. Our eyes are not ultimately trustworthy. I’ve got some proof of that.
Look at this image: All the hearts are actually the same color. Our brains fill make the hearts different colors
http://www.psy.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/AIC2009.html
We live in a 3D world, right? How do you know? Do you see in three-D? Nope….not with our eyes. You cannot project a 3D image on a 2D surface – which is the on the back of the eye. Our minds fills in the third dimension because we know it should be there. This is also a blessing of having two eyes instead of one – perceiving depth and distance – it’s not a coincidence. But let me show you how easy we can be fooled if we go on our eyes alone
See 2D moving image that look 3D. (Yeah, I could have chosen other images but I want to make sure y’all were paying attention.)
Such effects are everywhere. In all our media. Taking advantage of how our brains work so our minds think we are seeing what really isn’t there. Here is another example.
So the take-home point is that you can’t trust your eyes alone to understand reality. This why the Bible says we need faith! Here is another example of such an effet!
Let’s look at two quick videos on how some of Brothers in the Lord are doing witnessing.
Let’s look at two quick videos on how some of Brothers in the Lord did some witnessing.
Old School – Dr SM Lockridge
Current – Dr James
White and Ivey
This is what the people we witness to have to deal with – the Gospel. We all do. No matter what. As you sit in your seat today, what have you done with the Gospel? Have you gladly accepted it? Do you live by it? Is it more precious to you than anything else? If you cannot answer “Yes” to any of the above questions, you need to find out why you can’t and make some changes so that you can. Jesus loved us so much that He proved it. We cannot do any less.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Was Abraham justified by faith or works? BibViz Project Contradiction #2
- Romans 4:2
- For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory.
- James 2:21
- Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
What then shall we say that Abraham, [a]our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified [b]by works, he has something to boast about, but not [c]before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:So in context, Paul is not saying that you don't have to do good works. Only that those good works don't save you. Your faith in Christ is what saves you.
9 Is this blessing then on [d]the circumcised, or on [e]the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then was it credited? While he was [f]circumcised, or [g]uncircumcised? Not while [h]circumcised, but while [i]uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which [j]he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which [k]he had while uncircumcised.7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
8 “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
13 For the promise to Abraham or to his [l]descendants that he would be heir of the world was not [m]through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are [n]of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.
16 For this reason it is [o]by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the [p]descendants, not only to [q]those who are of the Law, but also to [r]those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and [s]calls into being that which does not exist.- Romans 1:1-17
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [h]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. - Ephesians 2:8-10
Same author as Romans!
As for James's context. One must read his letter and let God speak through him.
So what kind of f works is faith dead without? It's not following traditions and paying lip service to God without living out God's commands is it? Nope. That is the kind of works Paul was referring to in Romans. The kind of works James is clearly discussing is helping and serving others - explicit in James 2:15. And he took on this point even earlier.
14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can [n]that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, [o]be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is [p]dead, being by itself.
18 But someone [q]may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that [r]God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and [s]as a result of the works, faith was [t]perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. - James 2:14-26
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not [ab]bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [ac]by the world. - James 1:26-27
So if one is honest, you must conclude that there is no contradiction here!
Was Abraham justified by faith or works?
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Know Your Bible
Many people who oppose God recognize if they can discredit or disprove the Bible, Christianity has nothing to stand on and they can go about their business justified. This is why we must be like the Apostles – so familiar with scripture they cannot twist us up and deny that the Word of God is binding on them. Here is an example. How would you disarm this argument?
The thought here is that all these animals and beings are false and mythical and are referred to the Bible but the Kangaroo, the one animal on this list that we know exists is not in the Bible. There are several ways to answer this. Keep in mind that anyone who bring up such an argument raises it to try to avoid the issue that they need to deal with: the Gospel. The first thing to do is to not skirt the issue but ask are these in creatures in the Hebrew and Greek or just in the English translation – the King James Version? They are in the King James Version and most of these are mistranslations given that 500 years ago the King James translators did not have as good handle of Hebrew as we have today – that is why these creatures are not found in newer and more accurate English translations.
We can prove that by actually looking up where each creature comes in the KJV and then comparing the verse with a newer translation. Therefore if you do not like things like satyrs, cockatrice, or unicorns in your Bible, get a newer translation that better renders Hebrew.
Sea Monster
See Job 7:12, Psalm 74:13,14. Isaiah 27:1, and Ezekiel 32:2 (NIV for these). Many scholars associate any Biblical mention of Sea Monster with “Leviathan”. Leviathan often appears in newer English rendered as “crocodiles” and I’m not too sure I agree with that translation choice given that “Leviathan” is a big part of Jewish Extra Biblical texts. Also given that only 5% of the earth’s oceans have been explored, how do we know that there is no Leviathan? The only verse in the KJV that has “sea monster” in it is Lamentations 4:3 but in NIV “sea monster” is rendered as “jackals”.Leviathan
See Job 41, Psalm 74:14; Psalm 104:26; Isaiah 27:1 See above “Sea Monster”.Behemoth
See Job 40:15. “Behemoth” is rendered “hippopotamus” in CEV translation. Like Leviathan, with all the various animal that exist and have existed it is irrationally to conclude that the Bible authors did not know what they were talking about. And yeah, maybe Job is referring to a hippo.
Dragon
Twenty-two
verses in the KJV in the Old Testament. In the NIV all references to “dragon”
are in Revelations. For example Deuteronomy 32:33 renders “dragons”
as “serpent”. And some of the places where dragon is being used it’s not
talking about an animal but a metaphor for pharaoh. Sometimes leviathan is called
a “dragon”. Some of the references are not referring to a creature but is
metaphorical. We do not have much of a way to be sure one way or the other when
it comes to books like Revelations. Either way you and I still need Jesus.
Giant
Nineteen verses in the KJV contain the word “Giant”. Newer translations like the NIV use the Hebrew words like “Nephelim” and “Rephaites” instead of translating the words to “Giant(s)” Scholars are split if these were people of superhuman size or not. The Bible does not restrict us to either interpretation. Regardless of where you come down, there is no way it matters when it comes to your own sin and need for Christ.Cockatrice
Four verses in KJV contain the word “cockatrice”. A cockatrice is a mythical creature. All four references in the NIV has it rendered as a snake. This makes sense given Isaiah 14:29:Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.
How could a creature come from a serpent and not be a snake? Simple: it has to be a serpent.
Kangaroo
Kangaroos are not in the Bible. It is a good thing Kangaroo are not in the Bible because no one who lived in the Middle East and Egypt during the times the Bible were written in would have seen one. This is actually evidence of the Bible being true.Satyr
Satyrs are mentioned in the KJV twice in Isaiah. The NIV renders the Hebrew word as “wild goats” in both cases. This is a better translation and fits the context of the verses.Talking Donkey
Balaam’s donkey spoke to him in Numbers 22:21-33. Verse 28 very specifically says that the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth so that she could speak. How is this so unbelievable? If you believe that God spoke all of reality in existence, how would this be difficult? It would not. Easy peasy. Nor does the text suggest that this was normative.Unicorn
“Unicorn” appears in the KJV nine times. It’s a mistranslation. The NIV uses “OX”There are a lot of animals and creatures we know that do exist are not mentioned by name in the Bible, this doesn’t change the need of every man, woman, and child for Jesus. This is how you could redirect such a conversation back to what matters – the Gospel. This is what they have to deal with. We all do. No matter what.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013
How many men did the chief of David's captains kill? BibViz Project Contradiction #1
It is quite possible that both authors may have described two different incidents, though by the same man, or one author may have only mentioned in part what the other author mentions in full.
Concluding that there is a contradiction or one of the authors is wrong there is unwarranted. Neither author says that they are talking about the same event although they are talking about the same man.
How many men did the chief of David's captains kill?
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