Answering Askegg via Twitter

For the past few days I have been...um...dialoguing with a person on twitter about the nature of God, evidence for his existence, and human free will. He felt compelled to write a full blog post in response to the discussion. I feel honored. He obviously put a lot of thought into it. I've decided to respond in kind. In addition this essay is a lot more respectful and articulate that some his tweets. My words will be in red and his will be in black.

Compelled to choose freely

// July 8th, 2009 // Blog

I am in the midst of a discussion regarding the truth (or otherwise) of Christianity with @mmcelhaney on Twitter (his blog can be found here). Of course, it is a difficult task to distil complex notions about existence, philosophy, science, and theology into 140 characters of less. As a consequence may points span multiple tweets, spawning multiple threads in reply, which inevitably bring up new topics and a raft of new points to discuss and refute.

One of these points which we have been hitting back and forth is the conflict between free will and omniscience. Marcus’s latest explanation is this (starting at this tweet):

You are right billions of people are going to hell. But billions of people are also going to heaven and God knows who is going where.

Instead of asking why you got to go to hell, you are missing the fundamental question: Why do people go to hell?

People don’t go because God doe not go against their free will or that they chose the wrong religion. Everyone has failed to meet the standard for holiness that God has set. By definition, every human being capable of choosing to to disobey God deserves hell. Even those of us who are saved deserve hell. The only difference is that God has chosen to save some of humanity through faith in Christ – Ephesians 2.

Yes, God knows who will go to hell, and He could force every single person to repent. But he does not. Why? For reasons known only to Him. No one comes to Christ against their own will. Everyone who rejects him does so willingly.

If you interviews anyone in hell and tell them that all they have to do is serve God and they can get out of hell, they will refuse and walk right back into hell. Think I’m wrong? Well, you are making the same stupid decision today if you reject Jesus.

What a jumbled mess of theology and poor logic this is, but let’s see if we can unravel some of Marcus’s ahhh… misunderstandings.

The “fact” billions might be destined for Heaven has zero bearing on the “fact” that billions are also destined for Hell. There is a dichotomy in Marcus’s head. On one hand he has an all loving God who is willingly to kill his own son in order to save us from this fiery fate (not himself mind you, unless you want to delve into the murky depths of the trinity). Marcus wishes to ignore the terrible fate of those who “choose” to spend eternity in Hell to keep his precious image of Heaven intact. Marcus – will you have a good view from Heaven where you can witness the damned being tortured?

I think for the purposes of our discussion we will continue to leave the Trinity out of the discussion and save it for some other time. This guy is the one who misunderstands. The son willingly gave himself for us as the propitiation for our sins and no one deserves it.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrew 12:2

The other point is that Jesus did not die and stay dead He is alive. He rose.

But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. - Acts 2:24

I'm not ignoring the fact fate that many people are going to spend eternity in Hell. It bothers me. I don't want anyone to go to Hell. That is why I want to tell everyone I can that God has provided us a way to escape the fate that will befall us without God's intervention. God does not take joy in people going to hell.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." - Luke 5:32

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. - 2 Peter 3:9

In heaven there is no reason to think that those in heaven will be able to see or know anything about the torture in Hell. Where is that in the Bible, just an appeal to emotion...no substance to the argument.

The second part of that sentence is very telling: “and God knows who is going where”. This is classic cognitive dissonance in action, and has been my point throughout the discussion.

Marcus, imagine a time before creation. God could have created any one of an infinite number of possible universes. Being omniscient he would have known out each would play out and how their eventual destruction would come about. He would have known the intricate details of every molecule, dust speck, and living organism within each possible universe before he lifted his transcendental finger. He would have foreseen the creation of multiple religions and the false Gods that millions would bow down to. He knew which universes would contain billions of people who would end up “choosing” to reject his divinely invisible love and point themselves towards the burning gates of Hell. Yet to spite all of this he went ahead and created this universe – one in which billions do fall for the lies of “false religions”, following “false Gods” or no god at all, and wind up having the flesh burnt from their writhing bodies for all eternity. On this basis alone I would reject such a monstrosity of a being is such a thing existed (luckily there is no evidence for such a beast).

Andrew, you are missing one very important point. How would you know that any of us would exist if God had not allowed this kind of universe, neither you nor your children would exist as you exist now. God has a purpose in choosing this universe rather than another. I don't know what it is. However, I do know that God has only good intentions for His creation and not one of us knows enough of what's going on to challenge the decisions He has made. How do you know that things would not have been worse had God not allowed another universe? We don't. That's what being a Christian is about. Trusting God even if we don't know what the whole masterpiece looks like.

According to the theology of Christianity, God took human form as his own son so that he could pay the price of sin. Naturally, no one has been able to sufficiently answer why death is the price of sin, or why God, in his all loving mercy, could not adjust the price of sin to something less severe. You see, an all loving being would do anything and everything within his power to prevent harm from coming to those he loves, yet this is exactly what we do not see in the world. God routinely ignores prayer, sits idly by as thousands starve to death everyday, and allows his perfectly designed bacteria to infest, overcome, maim, and kill his beloved children. This is not a God I would be interested in worshipping.

Another attempt to use emotion rather than logic. This analogy does not fit where humanity is spiritually before coming to Christ. People who end up in hell are not Children of God (Joun1;1 John 3). The other things asking why would God not lower the price of sin to something less severe is a silly idea. Lowering the bar for righteousness is not Justice. It's about the character of God that sets the bar. Righteous is who He is. To lower the standard would be going against himself. Even our own secular wisdom says: "To your own self be true". Why shouldn't God do the same? As for disease and pain and suffering God has a purpose and I don't know what it all is yet, but God promises in His Word that.

Anyway, back to Marcus’s tweets:

“Everyone has failed to meet the standard for holiness that God has set.”

So why did God set the standard so high – surely he knew the organisms in this universe were not capable of attaining such lofty heights of morality without the mandated shedding of animal sacrifice, reaching its crescendo with the most perfect of all human sacrifices in the murder of Jesus himself? Oh, I am forgetting “free will” again, aren’t I?

When God first created everything, man was perfect able to meet that standard. Again Jesus rose from the dead so although his crucifixion was the worse thing that ever happened, Jesus won. He triumphed.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.^{d]"> - Colossians 2:9-15}

^d]">

No, I never said that Free Will comes into this at all. I'm not suggesting that our will trumps God's at all. I reject that humans have free will in that God must do anything according to our will. We do have will. We do have desires but they are subject to God's ultimate will. And don't forget we all go to Hell by default until we turn to God. Now how does that happen? How does God do that? Why doesn't He do that for everyone? No man can say...least of all me. All I know is if you haven't turned to God in total submisson and obedience you do not belong to Him.

The only difference is that God has chosen to save some of humanity through faith in Christ.

Wait a minute, I thought we had free will to choose to between eternal bliss, or complete agony? If God has already chosen who to save through “faith in Christ” then what can I do to change the ultimate outcome? Especially when God selected this particular universe from an infinite number of alternatives. This universe, where I would reach the inevitable and logical conclusion that such a being is impossible, not to mention terrifying.

Sorry to break it to you. We do choose, but not because of anything in us or from us. Read Romans 9. However the conclusion you draw is stupid. You are not free from sin and death until you come to God. Before that you are in slavery to sin. If you want to be free you got to go to Jesus. That is what the Bible teaches. Complaining about the fact that God has selects whom he has mercy on is silly. If you want to be saved then God has called you to be saved. If you don't then He didn't and you don't want to be saved anyway.

God knows who will go to hell, and He could force every single person to repent. But he does not. Why? For reasons known only to Him.

So God chooses not to save those people in Hell because that would somehow interfere with free will, to spite the “fact” he is omniscient and knows every decision anyone has or will make until the end of time.

I have never said that. You are going by a characature of what some Christians say they believe, which I reject because the Bible does not support it. As an unbeliever, you have nothing to add to that debate.

No one comes to Christ against their own will. Everyone who rejects him does so willingly.

Read those two sentences above again. Now again. Let it sink in. So is it only those people who know about Christ and willingly rejecting him who are destined for Hell? What about those billions who have never even heard the name of Jesus, or the millions of babies who die before being giving the chance to accept Jesus into their hearts, or have in thrust upon them in a baptism? How is this fair to those of us who have honestly evaluated the evidence for Christ (or any other prophet) and found it lacking? My head just exploded, but I suppose I should become familiar with that sensation now given where I am headed according to Marcus.

If you interviews anyone in hell and tell them that all they have to do is serve God and they can get out of hell, they will refuse and walk right back into hell. Think I’m wrong?

Hell yes! Who wants to have white hot pokers shoved into their eyes and their intestines gnawed by rats? This really shits me – how can you have a just and perfect loving god who allows such things?

Several points to make. Andrew, why do you think that is what Hell will be like. Nothing in the Bible talks about the torture you describe. Stick to the text please.

Let me give you a quick parallel: I have two beautiful daughters who want to play on the busy road outside. Now I love my kids, but I cannot interfere with their free will. I know playing on the road is dangerous and there is a good chance they will be badly injured or killed if they go out there, but what can I do? Is it their fault when they are struck by a truck and spread all over the bitumen?

You cannot interfere with your children's free will, but God can and does. He is in complete control of everything. Sometime he restrains what we do and sometimes He doesn't. For reasons and purpose we don't fully understand He works out the reality we experience. Your analogy fails because it attempts to explain something so infinite in finite terms that cannot possibly measure up.

Well, you are making the same stupid decision today if you reject Jesus.

There are many religions in the world today (not to mention now dead religions) which threaten eternal damnation for those who are foolish enough to reject their doctrines. The two most prevalent modern examples are Christianity and Islam, but it’s by no means limited to these two. If I am to avoid timeless suffering I must be sure of the faith I select, since both renditions of God are quite intolerant of disbelief.

God is not hiding if you want to know what the truth is you can find it. Read Isaiah 45.

Without substantiating your claim that Jesus is the only way to attain access to Heaven, then I can simple assert that you are making the same stupid decision if you reject the teachings of the final prophet of Allah. Your empty threats mean nothing without proving your case first. The scare tactics you have demonstrated here may have worked in the dark ages, but the church and your antiquated theology can no longer stand the education and rational thinking modern society has attained – fighting religion at every stage.

Jesus substantiated that claim when He walked out of that tomb with all power in His hand. We've been through this in Twitter. I've presented links to you for evidence for the resurrection and yet you haven't provided a shred of rebuttal for rejecting the fact that Jesus is what He said. All other religions deny this. Every single one of them. Hell is not a scare tactic. I serve God not because I'm afraid of goint to hell but because I love Him because He first loved me. I'm not better than anyone else. He has done nothing but show me love and kindness my whole life. Why would I not serve Him? He deserves it. Even if he had never done a thing for me other than allow my birth, I owe Him everything. You owe Him also. It's irrational to avoid the evidence just because you don't like where it points. You agreed with me that the standards God asks us to meet according to the Bible are too high for any person to attain. I agree. That is why Jesus came. He made up the difference for us. He lived the life we can't. Just like Adam damned us all through His disobedience, Jesus saves us through His obedience, life, sacrifice, and resurrection. All we have to do is accept it. IF you can't accept it, it isn't because God rejected you. It is because you have rejected Him.

You silly religion will be thrown on the scrape heap of history, like all those that came before it.

Dude, It's been 2000 years (5000 yrs or more if you count the Old Testament) and Christianity is sitll growing and people are still coming to Jesus. God loves you and desire a relationship with you. Seek Him and be truly free. As a parting point, I'm not suggesting that Babies go to hell and that a person would need to absolutely know about Jesus to be saved. I was talking about people who are alive now and have an opportunity to know who Jesus is. Babies go back to God automatically if they die. (see 2 Samuel 12:22-24 for an example of what happens when a Baby dies). I think what is more important is the realization that there were a lot of people who lived and died and yet we believe they are in heaven and did not have access to the the same knowledge of Jesus as we do now (see Hebrews 11). These men and women just followed after God with what they knew at the time. Jesus also said that all those who seek him would find him. I believe that this is true no matter what. So that anwers the problem of those who aren't born into Christianity or were born before Christ came. I'm sure that there were billions of people born before Christ will also be in heaven.

Terminology Tuesday: Inference to the Best Explanation - Apologetics 315

Here is the next installment of the series of posts explaining terms from Apologetics from Apologetics 315 blog.

Inference to the Best Explanation: Type of reasoning in which the truth of a theory or proposition is affirmed on the grounds that it best accounts for all of the available evidence. This type of inference is sometimes called "abduction" by those who think it is a type of reasoning distinct from induction or deduction.

Inference to the best explanation is common in daily life, the detective story and science. Advocates of cumulative case apologetics appeal to this kind of argument pattern in arguing for the existence of God.

Terminology Tuesday: Inference to the Best Explanation - Apologetics 315

Favorite Deadliest Warrior Episodes - Wallace vs Shaka Zulu

I found this video at


William Wallace Vs Shaka Zulu

I've blogged about this episode before, but now here is the video.

Richard Carrier vs William Lane Craig Debate MP3 Audio - Apologetics 315

Here is a debate posted on Apologetics 315 between Richard Carrier and William Lane Craig. They are debating about if Jesus'resurrection is true. Here is the Video.

This was a good debate. To be honest Richard Carrier is far more a formidable debater than I thought. I disagree with Dr. Craig that you can have this debate without questioning the veracity of the Bible. Carrier was perfectly in his rights to bring up if the Bible is true or not. I think Carrier is wrong that the gospels are fictitious symbolism. He rejects the idea that the reason why there are so many parallels is because God is painting a picture. Jesus is described as the sacrificial lamb that takes away the sin of the world. If you notice that every part of Jesus' life recorded for us mirrors the Old Testament as to what happens for Yom Kappur (Day of Atonement) and Passover. Why? God told Israel to keep those practices so that we can see Jesus fulfill them. Including there being a scape goat counterpart to Jesus in Barabbas, the murderer that was released instead of Jesus.

I have problems with Carrier equating the accounts by the apostles of Jesus' Resurrection with visions and hallucination. It's a proven scientific fact that two people can't have the same vision. In 1st Corinthians 15, Paul say that 500 people saw Jesus at once! And Paul had no reason to hallucinate Jesus. He was killing Christians! Before He saw Jesus for himself, Paul did not believe Jesus resurrected from the Dead. Carrier is wrong. I did like many of Craig's rebuttals especially about the testimony of women during the first century. Carrier tries to push metaphor and symbolism too far. He also asserted that some Old Testament prophecies were not fullfilled so people reinterpreted them. He offers no proof.

Richard Carrier vs William Lane Craig Debate MP3 Audio - Apologetics 315

Mr. Matthew Bellisario to Appear on the Dividing Line

I just heard that Matthew Bellisario will be on James White's webcast next Thursday, July 9m 2009. Bellisario will be defending Roman Catholic teachings on the Pope. TurrintinFan, one of the bloggers on AOM.org has been gracious enough to pull together resources for anyone who wants to understand what the discussion will be about. Get the information here. This I got to hear!

What Hollywood Believes - Billy Ray Cyrus

Billy Ray Cyrus most definitely has a Christian upbringing and worldview. I sure hope that he is passing this treasure to his children.

"If you're going to stand up for Jesus, your life will be a battle between light and darkness. And for everything that God will bring into your life that represents the light, the devil, he's such a sly fox, will come at you with two times more attributes of evil..."

"I made a lot of mistakes, but I was fortunate that I was brought up in a church where I heard about God's love and His forgiveness. I might have gotten a little wild, but I never left my faith. Luckily, teachings from the Bible were instilled so deep inside me that no matter how far I would stray, I'd still hear that voice that said, "You have a purpose, you have a reason you were put on this earth. you've got to be the person God wants you to be.'"

"By no means...am I proclaiming that I'm this perfect, religious person. I'm not. I'm not all of a sudden stepping up on a pedestal and saying I'm holier than tho, because I'm not. I'm a very imperfect person, but isn't that why God sent his son Jesus to earth? To save sinners like me?"

And like me. I liked this quote. It's not luck that he never forgot what was instilled into him, it's a gift from God.

Palin Announces Resignation on Video

I found a couple of videos of reports of the resignation of Sarah Palin as governor of Alaska. I think it's interesting to contrast Fox News' presentation versus CNN's


Fox News:


CNN:

I have no idea where this is going. We need to pray.

Sunday Quote: Isaac Newton on the Bible - Apologetics 315

Once again we have a great quote from a noted, world-famous scholar from Apologetics 315. This week its Isaac Newton

Sunday Quote: Isaac Newton on the Bible - Apologetics 315:

“I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by those who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.”

- Sir Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton is considered one of the greatest scientist ever. From his 3 laws of motion, you can derive all of classical mechanics in physics.

1. Object stay at rest or stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force
2. Force = change in momentum over change in time - or more famous - force = mass times acceleration.
3. For ever action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

He was the first to propose the inverse-square law that correctly predicts how the force of gravitation (and electric) fields decrease as you move away from the source. He is credited as one of the men who simultaneous developed derivative calculus! God used this man to contribute much to our knowledge of his creation. While I disagree with some of his theology (he rejected the Trinity as a Biblical doctrine for example) and although he studied mysticism and alchemy, I still admire him a great deal. He was a great scientist and he believed the Bible was true even though none of us completely understand it. He endeavered to understand it just as much he struggled to understand things like gravity and motion.

What Hollywood Believes - Hugh Hefner

This quote from Hefner comes as no surprise but its interesting to look into anyway.

"If a man has a right to find God in own way, he has the right to go the devil in his own way also... Religious leaders can attempt to persuade us of the correctness of their beliefs - they have this right, and indeed it is expected of them. They have no right, however, to attempt in any way to force their belief on others."

I halfway agree with Hefner. The Bible tells us that we don't get to go to God in our own way. Jesus is the only way. This does not mean that there aren't multiple paths, only that they all go through Jesus Christ. I agree that we have no right to force anyone to agree with us but we should warn and inform as much as we can.

What Hollywood Believes - Stephen King

Stephen King said:

"I think he's always been there [his work]...G0d is different in different books because it depends on the people you're writing about. I don't see myself as God's stenographer. As someone who believes in God, believes that God is a logical outgrowth of the fact that life fits together as well as it does, but that doesn't mean that we know God's mind."

King was discussing the existence of God and I agree with him. The fact that life and the universe fits so well together does point to God's existence and there is no way we can know all of God's mind except for what he has revealed to us. I could not tell if King believes that God has revealed himself or how. As a Christian I know the Bible is that revelation.

Ding Dong...Palin Is Gone

I just heard that Sarah Palin has announced today that she is resigning from her post as governor of Alaska. Some suggest that she doing this to free herself for traveling the country so she can run for President in 2012. The thought is that she won't be the target of investigations anymore for what she spends and where her time goes. On the Black Snob blog it's suggested that perhaps some scandal dealing with money will be coming out and she's getting out of the way of the explosion. I think that might be true.

source

What Hollywood Believes - Howard Stern

Howard Stern said:

"I'm sickened by all religion. Religion has divided people. I don't think there's any difference between the pope wearing a large hat and parading around with a smoking purse and an African painting his face white and praying to a rock."

I'm disappointed by Stern's remarks. No shocked, but concerned because of the platform he has. People listen to him. We as people mistakenly equate religion with spirituality. In the West we are great at compartmentalizing. Religion becomes a set of rituals and behaviors we follow for a definite time each week. Otherwise we live as we choose regardless of what those rituals say we believe. It's a lie. While those who worship rocks and other idols (worshiping anything outside of God is an idol) are often way more sincere and consistent in how what they say and do matches what they say they believe. However they believe a lie. Ultimately it's equally sad to live a lie as it is to believe a lie. I disagree with Stern there is a difference. Being a Christian is more than just rituals and behaviors. It should afgfect everything we say and do - how we live.

Truthbomb Apologetics: Featured Article: It Does Not Matter What the Bible Means to You by C Michael Patton

Chad has posted a link to great post on a theology blog, called Parchment and Pen. The article is called It Does Not Matter What The Bible Mean to You. The article points out that the people approach the Bible subjectively when they read it. At worse, some Christians believe that God will miraculously give them a message just for them and only them, and at even more worse people use their own culture, experience, and ideas to interpret the Bible without thinking about if it really is saying what they think it is. Okay, I'm not sure which is worse, but either hermaneutic (method of interpretation) will lead you down the wrong path. This is how some people could read Matthew 27:52,53 and conclude that the Bible has zombies! Iknow, try not to laugh.

⁵²The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

This article by Michael Patton goes a long way in explaining how this happen and why. He also councils that when we read the Bible we should be informed about the circumstances, culture, historical background of the writer when we read the Bible. He's not saying that men wrote the Bible. God inspired these people to write and guided them, but he didn't dictate it. He used their personalities and style to write the scriptures. 2 Peter 1:19-21 says:

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

I highly recommend this essay!

Source:
Truthbomb Apologetics: Featured Article: It Does Not Matter What the Bible Means to You by C Michael Patton

Terminology Tuesday: Epistemology - Apologetics 315

There is a great series of 10 posts coming out every Tuesday over at Apologetics 315. Each post will define a different term from Apologetics jargon. This week's term is "Epistemology" and it's the first term defined. Check it out. I can't wait to see what next week's term will be! I'm looking forward to expanding my vocabulary

Terminology Tuesday: Epistemology - Apologetics 315

Truthbomb Apologetics: A Pre-Release Strike: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Over at Truthbomb Apologetics, Dan Brown's new book is being announced and resources for finding out the truths behind the book are listed. This post is important. I am certain that a movie will be made based on this move too.

Truthbomb Apologetics: A Pre-Release Strike: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Is It Gospel? Hazakim's" Book of Books"

I love this song....let me just get that out first. The important thing to understand that the duo, two brothers, making up the group Hazakim refer to their music as "Hip Hop Hopologetics". They use hip hop music to praise God and teach apologetics. I enjoy the way they put their music together and the messages they convey. They have a new album coming out June 23, 2009.

This particular post is about Hazakim's song "Book of Books". I like this song because it talks about how important the Bible is. It reminds me that it really is a gift from God. In the Bible we get to hear the voice of God as he moved people to write down and record his messages. The Bible is extremely relavent for us today as it is for all time. This song is a great apologetic.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3: 16-17

Take a listen to the track:

Hazakim - Book of ...

This song is most definitely a gospel song.

Astrophysics Points to the God of the Bible MP3 Audio by Hugh Ross - Apologetics 315

Over at Apologetics 315 - Astrophysicist, Hugh Ross explains how the fine tuning of the universe is evidence for the existence of the God described in the Bible. Listen to the mp3.

I like the lecture a lot. Hugh Ross did a good job of showing that the Universe was created out of nothing and points to a cause who is just like the God described in the Bible. The evidence says that the cause must be external to the space-time continuum.


Astrophysics Points to the God of the Bible MP3 Audio by Hugh Ross - Apologetics 315

The Surahs of the Qur'an in Chronological Order

On his blog, James White posted a chart containing a chart placing the Surah of the Koran in a possible Chronological order.

96	68	73	74	1	111	81	87	92	89	93	94	103	100
108	102	107	109	105	113	114	112	53	80	97	91	85	95
106	101	75	104	77	50	90	86	54	38	7	72	36	25
35	19	20	56	26	27	28	17	10	11	12	15	6	37
31	34	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	51	88	18	16
71	14	21	23	32	52	67	69	70	78	79	82	84	30
29	83	2	68	3	33	60	4	99	57	47	13	55	76
65	98	59	24	22	63	58	49	66	64	61	62	48	5
8-9	110

What Hollywood Believes: James Taylor

James Taylor was quoted in What Hollywood Believes as saying that he believes that spirituality is an important part of recovery from drugs and alcohol. However he did say that his songs were "spirituals for agnostics." I think what is really telling is his answer to the question: "Does not having faith in a person God make it harder to stick with a 12-step recovery program?" He said:

"Twelve step programs say an interesting thing: Either you have a God, or you are God and don't want the job."

This freaked me out. I hope not all programs teach such a bad idea. It really speaks to where we are in our culture however. People have taken god off the thrones of their lives and replaced Him with themselves. This is why we are in the state we are in as a species and society.

James White debates Imam Shams

Last week Dr. James White debated the leader of the largest Mosque in New York, Imam Shams. I've had the opportunity to see portions of it. Hopefully we will get to see and hear more of it considering that it was well-documented. Dr White commented on it in his blog and he was on the Iron Sharpens Iron radio program discussing it. The link is on his blog. He even was nice enough to post some of the debate on YouTube

What Hollywood Believes: Bob Dylan

What Hollywood Believe records two thought from Bob Dylan that I find interesting. In the first one Dylan said:

"I feel a heartfelt God. I don't particularly think that God want me thinking about Him all the time. I think that would be tremendous burden on Him, you know. He's got enough people asking Him for favors. He's got enough people asking Him to pull string."

I get his sentiment, I just don't agree. God can do anything and can hear the prayers and thoughts of every human being every where and every when at the same time. I agree we should be more concerned with serving Him rather than what He will do for us.

When Dylan was asked about the nature of religion I really liked what he said.

"Well, religion is repressive to a certain degree. Religion is another form of bondage which man invents to get himself to God. But that's why Christ came. Christ didn't preach religion. He preached the Truth, the Way and the Life. He said He'd come to give life and life more abundantly. He talked about life, not necessarily religion... "

"A religion which says you have to do certain things to get to God...,which is by works: you can enter into the Kingdom by what you do, what you wear,what you say, how many times a day yopu pray, how many goood deeds you may do...That type of religion will not get you into the Kingdom, that's true. However there is a Master Crerator, a Supreme Being in the Universe."

Paul's Earthly Remains Found?

Fox news is reporting that the remains of Apostle Paul's body has been found under the bascillaca that bears his name in Rome. I've got two points:

1. What kind of remains were found? It's been 2 thousand years under most circumstances a human body would have long fallen into dust.
2. I think it's debatable as to whether or not Roman Catholic doctrine really reflects the writing of Apostle Paul.

Sunday Quote: John Polkinghorne on Fine-Tuning - Apologetics 315

Here is another great Sunday quote from Apologetics 315. This was awesome.

Sunday Quote: John Polkinghorne on Fine-Tuning - Apologetics 315:

“When you realize that the laws of nature must be incredibly finely tuned to produce the universe we see, that conspires to plant the idea that the universe did not just happen, but that there must be a purpose behind it.”

– John Polkinghorne

I fully agree because when you study the order of the universe...its structure...its qualities and characteristics you must can't help but be struck by the sheer awesomeness and the unmistakable fact that it is bigger than you. Something that has such intricate and ingenius design - from the galaxies to the Solar Systems to the planets to our bodies to subatomic particles - point to a mind that thought it up and carried it out. It's the only logical conclusion.

Gospel According To Transformers 2

One of the criticisms of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen is that it has no plot, no deepness. There are those who think that there is nothing of philosophical value in this movie. I could not disagree more. Yes there were plenty of action, spectacular special effects, and Megan Fox. Plenty of eye candy but nothing to make you think about anything important, right? Wrong. I saw duty and sacrifice modeled and exampled as themes in this movie and its predecessor. From the first film the theme "No sacrifice, no victory." was also drawn upon. We see several human and Autobots choose to do what was right to protect others no matter the cost to themselves. Another point is that came up is that we can choose to be good or bad like Jetfire or Wheelie. See the film to see what I am referring to. One of the quotes from the film that got my intention was when Optimus Prime said to Sam Witwicky:

"Fate rarely calls upon us at a time of our choosing."

That is profound especially our culture seems to be scizophrenic when it comes to what we believe about free will and destiny. Which is it? Do you choose your lot in life or does it choose you or does God orchistrate everything?

"Fate" is defined as follows:

1.	something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot: It is always his fate to be left behind.

2.	the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time: Fate decreed that they would never meet again.

3.	that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny: Death is our ineluctable fate.

4.	a prophetic declaration of what must be: The oracle pronounced their fate.

5.	death, destruction, or ruin.

6.	the Fates, Classical Mythology. the three goddesses of destiny, known to the Greeks as the Moerae and to the Romans as the Parcae.

–verb (used with object)

7.	to predetermine, as by the decree of fate; destine (used in the passive): a person who was fated to be the savior of the country.

While "destiny" is defined:

1.	something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.

2.	the predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.

3.	the power or agency that determines the course of events.

4.	(initial capital letter) this power personified or represented as a goddess.

5.	the Destinies, the Fates.

It seems to me that fate and destiny are almost the same thing. I'd say that we don't have the complete control over the circumstances that come up in life or what our ultimate purpose is in the plans and purposes of God, but we do have choice about our attitude and how we respond to that destiny.

What Hollywood Believes: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger said that he believes in God, but he defines that with respect to the fact he know evil exist. He seems to hold to the duality picture of reality. If there is evil then there must be good. I bought this for a while until I realized that there was point in the past where there was only God. No Angels, No Universe. Nothing but God. God is good. Therefore good can exist without evil! God's existence is not contingent on anything. But everything including the devil is contingent on Him.

Dialogue Comparing the Bible and the Qur'an

Respones to Jacob vs Jesus.

Over at the The Good Atheist blog there is a post the author made that argues that he can fulfill the same test for godhood that we Christians believe the Jesus passes. Through several "straw men arguments" the author says things about Jesus with nothing to back up his assertions then knocks the down with extreme prejudice, sarcasm, and condescension. Apparently the author believes that there are 3 tests.

1. Declaring to be God without proof.
2. Performing miracles without proof.
3. Dispensing moral platitudes without having scientific knowledge like the age of the universe and other scientific knowledge.

Why are these straw men? Simple. I want to quote given by many Christians that was summarized by Ben in his comments:

Did you also fulfill 200+ prophecies predicted 700+ years before your birth? Perhaps you died on a cross (as predicted you would, btw), then were resurrected 3 days later?

Ben explicitly challenged the post author's, Jacob's, assertion that there is no proof of Jesus' claim being true, by giving proof. The only way Jacob can answer the above question is by saying "No, but Jesus did." Instead of addressing the proof, Jacob danced around the issue by saying that proof doesn't matter because Jesus' claim is accepted by faith. It is a shame that he thinks faith and reason are mutually exclusive. They are not.

The way Jacob seems to be rejecting the evidence the Bible gives for his miracle working. Fine. Let's look at it a different way. Jesus' enemies had tried to explain away his miracles by claiming Jesus used the power of demons to accomplish his mighty deeds. IF there were no miracles, then why would they need to lie about how Jesus did those things. You can't use the power of demons to fight demons. Remember, "a house divided against itself cannot stand." No, Abraham Lincoln did to not come up with that statement. He was quoting Jesus.

And lastly, Jacob must think he's omniscient. How do we know what Jesus know and what he didn't know. He made the universe, why wouldn't He know what the age of the universe is? You can't argue from silence. We can't know all He did and did not know. The only thing we know he did not know is the date of his coming back. He said He didn't know.

Jacob, if you wanna know if Jesus was God or not, go back to the drawing board and study the evidence.

What Hollywood Believes: John Travolta

John Travolta is a scientologist. He's been with scientology since he was 21 years old. He says that it helps him put things in perspective."A film not doing well isn't a disaster - a plane crash is a disaster,..." He said thast he believes that there is life after death but you get to get to choose to be reincarnated or "just hang out, whatever you feel like." He admits that he prays and when asked to whom he prays he answered, "To the yet-not-fully-understood God concept."

I'm real disappointed with Travolta's answers because God is not a concept and I think it is a cop-out to throw your hands in the air and just say we don't know a lot about God because we cannot fully understand Him. We can't know everything about God and how he does what He does and why but we have no excuse for not know what he has revealed and walking in that. If you want to know more about God you can know.

Neda Agha Soltan, killed 20.06.2009, Presidential Election Protest, Tehran, IRAN

Neda Agha Soltan has been in the news because she has become a symbol for the Resistance fighters protesting the Iranian Elections over the past few weeks. Here are a couple of videos from YouTube showing what happened to her and who she was.

Atheism is Dead: Bill Maher’s Errata

Mariano has published a great article answering Bill Mahr's ignorance on his blog Atheism is Dead. He does an excellent job. Not only is Mahr refuted but Mariano also calls Christians to do a better job in explaining what we believe. Thanks, Mariano.

Atheism is Dead: Bill Maher’s Errata

It Does Matter - Jesus Is THE Way

I just read a post by Danielle Belton on her Black Snob blog. It's about Oprah claiming that there are many roads to reach God in general and Jesus is not the only way in particular. Her post is about the potential backlash from Christians in general and black Christians in particular. I read many of the comments and I noticed a theme that alarmed me and force a response from me.

As many folks pointed out, Oprah's views are well-known and public for years now. What bothers me is that there should be more of a backlash. More Christians should be speaking out and explaining that it is important that Jesus is the only way! This is what makes Christianity distinctive compared to all other belief systems. Without that fact Christianity looses all meaning. IT is important. As a Christian, I say "Jesus is the only way!" as a truth claim. It is either true or it isn't. If it is a lie than no one should be a Christian. You must make a decision and live with the consequences of that choice.

As for the other points that people raised that if Jesus is the only way than billions of people are excluded, I don't know what will happen to those who don't know or will ever find out about Jesus. All I know is God will deal fairly with them. As for you and I, who have heard the claim that Jesus is the only way, we are accountable for either accepting and believing that. It doesn't matter if our ancestors were enslaved and persecuted through men misrepresenting and twisting the Bible into lies because the Bible is still true.

It doesn't make sense that all roads will lead to God because they all conflict with one another. They can all be false, but only one can be true. Take the claims of Islam versus the claims of the New Testament. The Koran says that they neither crucified or killed Jesus but it was made to appear to the Jews and Romans that they had killed Jesus. But the Bible says without qualification that Jesus was crucified. He Died and was resurrected to life. Both of these books can't be true. Everyone must look at the evidences for himself/herself and decide.

I'm probably going to write more about how God may deal with those who never learn about Christ in the afterlife, but I will conclude with a small attempt. Think of all the Old Testament men and women who we know lived righteous lives by any standard - Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and any other religion you can think of. Muslims admire Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David, and many other heroes. No one would argue that any of these guys went to hell, yet they may not had any personal knowlege of Jesus. Yet they were declared righteous because they put their faith in God and trusted that God was going to save them and their people even if they themselves would not see it. This is what they were commended for. I've got scripture to back this up.

At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. 53Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"

Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."

"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. - John 8:52-59

There are other scriptures I could cite but I'll save it. Instead I want re-iterate that Jesus was either completely nuts, a big-fat liar, or He was the incarnate Son of the Living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - our Lord and savior of all mankind. Pick one. The evidence says Jesus is who He claimed to be and proved it by coming back from the dead never to die again. I agree with Joshua.

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:15

Jesus said:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." John 14:6-7

Oprah: Getting A Little Too New Agey For the Jesus Crowd?

Ban the Burqa In France?

You may have heard that France is considering making it illegal for Muslim women to wear their ceremonial veils called "Burquas" in France. There is a great post about this over at the Black Snob blog by Danielle Belton. Apparently, they are considering making this move because of France's "secular tradition." That is a horrible, I mean France for most of its recorded history was a staunch Roman Catholic nation. Now they wanna claim to be secular? The thing is if we say that it's illegal for Muslims to wear Burqas when will it end? We will get to the point that we will not be able to preach from the Bible in public as it reads sooner if such a thing happened here in the states. It's already like that in may European nations. Ms Belton does not think that this could happen in the United States, but we can already see them signs. People are really trying to secularize the West. They won't stop with Muslims.

What Hollywood Believes: Dolly Parton

Here is a quote from Dolly Parton regarding her conception of "God":

"Everybody thinks of God as a different thing. To me, God is that greater, higher energy - that greater, wiser wisdom. It's tha thing in all of us that we all have to draw from. I've always trusted God and trusted myself, which to are intertwined. I'm a creative person, and what gifts I have come fom that divine place that I try to tap into. So who have I got to be afraid of?"

I've got a two fold disagreement with her worldview. To Her God is impersonal. God's purposes, thought, and will are not separate from her own. This is not Biblical.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

- Isaiah 55:8-11

The other idea I can't get along with is the that trusting yourself and trusting God are intertwined.

But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is like the beasts that perish.

This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
Selah

Like sheep they are destined for the grave,
and death will feed on them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning;
their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.

Psalm 49:12-14

Instead,God tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Signature in the Cell MP3 Audio by Stephen Meyer - Apologetics 315

On the Apologetics 315 blog, there is a lecture by Stephen Meyer. Meyer is talking about the digital code embedded in the DNA of living cells. Meyer does a great job. No one disputes that the way information is encoded in our DNA is nothing short of astonishing. In some ways it is more efficient than our best information systems. Our computers are based on binary codes. DNA is based on twice as many bases. Binary is based on 0 and 1 but DNA has 4 bases. This means that much more information can be encoded. Meyer argues that everyone agrees that information can only be assembled and encoded by intelligence not material processes. I agree. No one picks up a book and assumes that the words and information contained in it shows up out of no where by chance. We automatically know that someone wrote it. Or when we run computer software we know that someone wrote it. Why would we assume DNA was different. Meyer did a great Job. Take a listen.

Signature in the Cell MP3 Audio by Stephen Meyer - Apologetics 315

Obama on Fatherhood

Whatever you may think about his politics or worldview, you have to admit that family is important to Barack Obama. The man loves his wife and his kids. As it should be! I admire that a great deal because that is the kind of man my father and brothers are and as I do my very best to be. The following video is worth seeing.

What Hollywood Believes: George Lucas

George Lucas is the creator of the Star Wars franchise and is one of the richest men on the earth today. In one interview he was asked about the religious overtones in the Star Wars series. He expressed an intelligent yet agnostic response

"I put the Force into the movie in order to try to awaken a certain kind of spirituality in young people - more a belief in god than a belief in any particular religious system. I wanted to make it so that young people would begin asking questions about the mystery. Not having enough interest in the mysteries of life to ask the question, 'Is there a God or is there not a God?' - that is for me the worst thing that can happen. I think you should have an opinion about that. Or you should saying, 'I'm looking. I'm very curious about this, and I am going to continue to look until I can find an answer, and if I can't find an answer, Then I'll die trying.' I think it's important to have a belief system and to have faith."

If you look at what the Jedi's believe in the movies, this pretty much sums it up. Thankfully the interviewer did pointedly ask Lucas "Do you have an opinion, or are you looking?" Lucas answered:

"I think that there is a God. No question. What that God is or what we know about that God, I'm not sure."

I really, really like George Lucas. I've got to admit that his movies and imagination have influenced me a great deal. I am pleased that he is a theist. Believing in God's existence is a fundamental intellectual step to maintaining sanity. The Bible tells us that the created order should be enough to convince us of God's existence. We have no excuse for coming at least that far if we are honest with ourselves and what we can see, hear, measure, and feel.

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. - Roman 1: 18-20

As for the second part of his answer about who God is and what know about him, this only comes by cultivating a relationship with him. Such a relationship must include spending time in God's revealed scriptures and philosophies. Considering that there are many competing texts and ideas that contradict each other only one of them must be from the creator or none of them. I find it hard to believe that if a person seeks God with all of his/her own heart that God will not make it plain to them what His purposes are.

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' - Acts 17: 24-28

The Black Snob Blog: Congress Apologizes For Slavery: So What? Now What

Last week, my wife told me that she heard that congress had officially apologized for slavery and the Jim Crow laws. I fell out. I never thought that such an apology would ever happen. Many folks are saying that it's pointless. I disagree. One reason why America has never began to get past slavery is because the government never officially apologized. In my opinion I think that there does need to be follow-up. Giving us money - paying for the pain and suffering of our ancestors is a slap in the face. What we need is something more concrete. For example, our ancestors, like my maternal grandmother's grandfather, wanted to learn how to read and were denied an education and a better way to make up for that is to give our children free college education. If America is truly sorry, then it should do more than just say, but do actions that will truly offset some of the damages caused by the legacy of slavery. Here is a great article from the Black Snob blog:

The Black Snob Blog: Congress Apologizes For Slavery: So What? Now What?

I have also found some great information from the following websites
Congress Apologizes for Slavery, Jim Crow
U.S. Congress apologizes for slavery

Addtionally NPR posted the following audio. Take a listen.

Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, drafted the resolution. Cohen explains the apology's long journey for Congressional approval and the significance of its timing.

20080730_tmm_03.mp...

Atheism is Dead: A. J. Jacobs - Night at the Royal Ontario Museum

Mariano has again written another brilliant post. This time it's responding to a book and comedy routine by comedian, A. J. Jacobs. Jacobs resolved to follow the prescriptions and rules set forth in the Old Testament for a whole year. He applied them using his own interpretation without regard to historical and cultural and Temporal contexts. Without this many rules in the Bible seem weird. But of course it seems weird because spirit and purpose of the law is being ignored. Mariano does a great job of taken the problem Jacobs had in applying scripture and explaining how the law comes into play today. This is a great article! Read it!

Atheism is Dead: A. J. Jacobs - Night at the Royal Ontario Museum

Fatherhood and Atheism: Paul Vitz Interview MP3 Audio - Apologetics 315

Here is an interview of Dr. Paul Vitz from the Apologetics 315 blog. Vitz's work has been featured before on Apolologetics 315 blog and I have found his work extremely interesting! He in no way tries to argue that all atheists have horrible fathers, only there seems to be a correlation between "bad" inattentive fathers and atheism. I for one would not wanna be a stumbling block for children as they seek God. This is extremely interesting!

Fatherhood and Atheism: Paul Vitz Interview MP3 Audio - Apologetics 315

What Hollywood Believes - Introduction

One of my good friends has allowed me to borrow a book entitled What Hollywood Believes by Ray Comfort. It contains quotes and interviews from the biggest stars and creators in Hollywood regarding faith, religion, and their real worldviews. This topic interest me because I know that Hollywood influences and permeates all of human culture today. They control the movies we see, the television we watch, the books and magazines we read, the music we listen to, and even the things we buy. Not to say that this is an aweful thing in every case but it does shine light on why our society is what it is and why it is getting worse. Just what are we competing with for the hearts and minds of ourselves, our children, and the future? For example, many people in the Hollywood elite support same-sex marriage. Do they hold to the same worldview and opinion of who God is and the infallibility of the Bible as I do? If some do, which ones? This book is a great way to view that and look at human pscholhogy. We can explore what makes us human looking at a book like this.

This post is the kick-off of a series of posts I'm calling "What Hollywood Believes".For time-to-time I will post an article about one of the celebrities featured in Ray Comfort's book and i want to hold up the celebrity's world view in the light of scripture. This should be interesting. I'm not going to cover everyone in the book - just my favorites.

Dying for Democracy

I have been hearing about the protests in Iran concerning their elections. it appears they have been fixed and people are not happy about it. They are activcely protesting and and people are dying. They are dying for democracy.

Here is the text posted on YouTube with the Video

Iranian girl , Neda and her father attend a peaceful rally in Tehran before things took a tragic turn.

The girl, known as Neda and thought to be 16, has become both a martyr and rallying cry for those opposed to the Iranian hardline government.

"Neda, your death will not be in vain," reads one message on Twitter, where her name is being used as a call sign for anti-government bloggers and is one of the site's most mentioned words.

The deaths follow threats from Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday that fresh opposition unrest would be met with "blood, violence and chaos".

Iranian state television is reporting that 10 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in yesterday's violence in Tehran.
Foreign media are banned from reporting on non-official events in Iran, where the state censors and regulates the information seen by its citizens and those abroad.

But a video clip showing a girl known as Neda, who is thought to have been no older than 16, bleeding to death while frantic attempts are made to save her life has been broadcast across the globe via the internet.

Reports from the country say the teenager had been watching Saturday's protests with her father when she was shot by Iran's militia.

A message posted with the original footage on YouTube alleges she was intentionally shot in the chest.

"I am a doctor, so I rushed to try to save her," the video's poster said.

"But the impact of the gunshot was so fierce that the bullet had blasted inside the victim's chest, and she died in less than two minutes.

"The protests were going on about 1 kilometre away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gas used among them, towards Salehi St.

"The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me. Please let the world know."

Neda, whose name means "voice" in Farsi, has been hailed as a martyr by those outraged at the brutality of the Iranian government's response to the election protests.

Clashes broke out soon after the presidential election on June 12, which many supporters of Iranian opposition parties claim was rigged to re-elect the hardline Islamist government.

The story of Neda's death has resonated with protesters across the world.

In America, pictures of her face have appeared on posters at protests against the Iranian government, hailing her as a martyr, US media reports.

Anti-government bloggers using Twitter to thwart the authorities' attempts to stop them communicating have started using her name as a call sign, making it one of the most mentioned words on the site.

""The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me. Please let the world know."

Neda, whose name means "voice" in Farsi, has been hailed as a martyr by those outraged at the brutality of the Iranian government's response to the election protests.

Clashes broke out soon after the presidential election on June 12, which many supporters of Iranian opposition parties claim was rigged to re-elect the hardline Islamist government.

The story of Neda's death has resonated with protesters across the world.

In America, pictures of her face have appeared on posters at protests against the Iranian government, hailing her as a martyr, US media reports.

Anti-government bloggers using Twitter to thwart the authorities' attempts to stop them communicating have started using her name as a call sign, making it one of the most mentioned words on the site.

Terminology Tuesday: Theodicy - Apologetics 315

There is a great series of 10 posts coming out every Tuesday over at Apologetics 315. Each post will define a different term from Apologetics jargon. This week's term is "Theodicy" and it's the first term defined. Check it out. I can't wait to see what next week's term will be! I'm looking forward to expanding my vocabulary

Terminology Tuesday: Theodicy - Apologetics 315

Is It Gospel? - Hazakim's "Genesis 32"

I love this song....let me just get that out first. The important thing to understand that the duo, two brothers, making up the group Hazakim refer to their music as "Hip Hop Hopologetics". They use hip hop music to praise God and teach apologetics. I enjoy the way they put their music together and the messages they convey. They have a new album coming out today.

For this post, I wanted to write about their song titled "Genesis 32". I love the song because these guys know how to make the Bible come alive. The song repeats the story about what happened when Jacob returned to Canaan after self-imposed exile to avoid the wrath of his twin brother Esau because Jacob tricked Esau out of his birthright and deceived their father and stole the blessing of the Firstborn son. And you thought your family was a soap opera, right? They the "D" in dysfunction. Anyway when Jacob is most anxious about what is going to happen when he meets his brother again, Jacob experiences a theophany. He talks to and interacts with a supernatural being. Scholars debate if this was God like one of the three men who met up with Abraham in Genesis 18, or if it was merely an angel. Jacob wrestled all night with being and would not let go until he was blessed. It was at this point that Jacob's name was changed to "Israel". The experience so profoundly changed Jacob that he named the place "Peniel" meaning "Face of God" because in Genesis 32:30

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."

The song recounts it better than I can. The only better way to understand what happened is to read the full about for yourself in Genesis!


Here is the song...take a listen.

Hazakim - Genesis ...

This song is most definitely gospel

Makayla and Matthias - June 20 2009

This is a slide show of family photographs taken June 20, 2009. I used the slide show tools from Photobucket.com to make it work.

Sunday Quote: Blaise Pascal on Truth - Apologetics 315

Apologetics 315 has published the following quote:

“Truth is so obscured nowadays and lies [are] so well established that unless we love the truth we shall never recognize it.”

- Blaise Pascal

This is true!

Sunday Quote: Blaise Pascal on Truth - Apologetics 315

Father's Day - June 21, 2009

Pastor Stewart asked me to speak in our church along with 2 other men in honor of Father's Day. It went well. Deacon Lamar Gaines and Brother Keith Warren Gaines did awesome. I've put a transcript approximating my remarks from that day. The text in "[]" was something I thought I was going to say but during the time I was delivering this, I thought that it was too far a digression but I included it today. The pictures are of my family.


Fatherhood is a gift from God. Plain and simple. It’s one of the best gifts that I have ever received and perhaps the most daunting. When I think of what being a father is I feel blessed and grateful because God did not have to give me Makayla or Matthias. I think of how I get to be a link in a chain that stretches back to the beginning of the human race. I get to pass on the things God wants us to know to a new generation as it was passed to me.

My own father is a good example for me. He showed me much about how important it is to provide for the family God has given you charge over. And although he always taught me that education was important, he himself modeled that the most important things you can learn are about God. God makes life worthwhile. I never have seen my daddy reading many things, but I have always seen him read and study the Bible as if life depends on him knowing as much about God as possible because it does. He instituted the policy in his household thst we all go to Sunday School every Sunday and he was always at YPWW and any other service he could go to. In addition every opportunity I have had came from God, through the sacrifices of my parents. These are the legacies that I have obtained from my father that I owe to Makayla and Mathias to pass on to them as I have received. I believe that this is the responsibility of every parent to their children (ie the children God has put in their lives.)

I’ve recently heard a lecture from a psychologist who studied famous atheist and found out they all had poor relationships with their fathers. He concluded that a bad human father makes it difficult (not impossible) to accept God as Father. Hearing this made me even more grateful for my father. It also challenged me because the last thing I want to do is to be a stumbling block to Makayla and Matthias to come to God.

There are a lot of scriptures about being a father. The Bible even gives examples of what not to do. For example when you have time check out Jephthah from Judges Chapter 11. Although Issac and Jacob were not horrible fathers, they still showed favoritism. That is also as fathers we must avoid. God doesn’t do it. We should not either. [As a freebee, at the risk of digressing too much, I’ve got to point out that election spoken of in Romans 9 and the way that God selects us in Ephesians 1: 4-6 says

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

I love it…for this is the gospel in a nutshell. Again this is what I want to make sure our children (and all of us) get.

The passage does not mean that God shows favoritism because “chose” which in the Greek is “eklegomai” means “chosen/pick out of a group” and carries the thought that what is selected is “picked without rejecting that which was not picked”. God picked you for Himself without rejecting anyone else. Just like when I choose to give Makayla a birthday gift in August, it does not mean that I’m rejecting Matthias if I don’t give him the same gift. I’m going to have press this point further at a different time.

Back to topic:] I want to focus on the scriptures that come to mind first about fatherhood.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets – Matthew 7:7-11

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. – Ephesians 6:4

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Pslam 17:3-5

These are just snippets of what the Bible teaches about fatherhood. Fathers are important to God and He is holding us accountable for the families He has graced us with. He wants us to call him “Daddy” and have that kind of right relationship with Him. This is why Jesus came and died. Remember Pastor Stewart’s message reminding us to remember we are children of God and admonishing us to remind one another?

I want to end with Romans 8: 14-16 which says:

because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.