God Said - Importance of Mathematics

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God Said:

And then there was Light.

Above is what I once saw on a tee shirt when I was a student at University of California, Berkeley. I was immediately struck. As I looked at the equations I immediately grasped the significance of the message. These four equation sum up exactly what we know about light. These are the equations we use to describe almost everything about light. They are known as Maxwell's Equations. Maxwell was not the first one to come up with all of them, but he did realize that they summarize nearly everything about light. When I first learned about them, I learned them in their integral forms in my lower division physics courses. In upper division and in many text books you will see them in their vector calculus forms. Here is a chart I found on a great website.

Maxwell's Equations Integral form in the absence of magnetic or polarizable media: I. Gauss' law for electricity II. Gauss' law for magnetism III. Faraday's law of induction IV. Ampere's law Differential form Discussion	Index Maxwell's equations concepts
HyperPhysics***** Electricity and Magnetism R Nave	Go Back

I'm not going to get into what these equations are and what they mean in great detail but to point out how connected electricity and magnetism are. For example, a moving electric field (such as an electric charge down a wire) generates and magnetic field. And a changing magnetic field can be used to generate an electric current (i.e. a motor). These equations represent the base principles for all of our electric/magnetic theories and devices. They can be applied in every field of science I can think of. For example in geology, piezoelectric rocks can generate electric fields and current. In addition magnetic rocks are also dug out of the ground.

I found out in my studies that mathematics is the language of science. Without mathematics there is no point to doing science. We would not be able to communicate, quantify, qualify, or analyze anything. Some have even said that it is through mathematics that we truly get a glimpse into the mind of God. We get to understand through it's logic and order how God put the universe together. Think of the Fine-Tuning argument for the existence of God. Without mathematics we could not measure or even grasp the concepts of cosmological constant and how much on a "knife-edge" on which they sit. We would not be able to see the tight tolerances these quantities must be in order to see that these qualities of the universe are not coincidental. However, it's more than all that. Mathematics is beautiful. It's almost too difficult to put it into words the way it makes me feel thinking about how so much fits together. It's like looking into the infinite, grabbing a small, minuscule piece and understanding it. I love it.

No one can deny that math is the product of reasonable, logical, ordered minds. It's principles and qualities transcend us. We don't invent math as much as we discover it. Like morality, there is no basis to assume that humanity came up with it. It appears more and more obvious the higher you go in mathematics and sciences. It's so in-your-face in the theoretical edge, I don't understand why some mathematicians don't accept God. I mean it's like closing your eyes and hoping despite overwhelming evidence. I simply don't have enough faith to ignore the Fine-Tuning evidence nor the mathematics.

Another source.

Atheism is Dead: Buddha and Jesus

My brother-in-Christ, Mariano, has done me the honor of helping him to write a post about the relationship that is often attempted to be drawn between the Buddha and Jesus. You can read the resulting article on his blog, Atheism Is Dead. It was a pleasure tag-teaming with him.

Atheism is Dead: Buddha and Jesus

Who Did It? You Or God? - Part 1

In talking to a few atheists online, I was amazed that some people argue that it doesn't make sense that God should hold us accountable for standards that we could not possibly keep. They argue if such a God exists then He is unfair because He could make everyone believe but doesn't so He is purposely condemning unbelievers to hell. They use this argument to deny God's existence because according to them, there is no way an all-good, all-loving God would allow evil or suffering.

Another argument is against the common Christian defense that explains the existence of evil and the reality of hell being due to human free will. These points are important and need to be answered. People need to understand what the Bible truly says about God's sovereignty and human responsibility. On what basis are you saved or condemned by God? How much of it is depended upon you and on your will?

The first thing I would point out is that the idea of "free will" is not even applicable. If people really had free will then we would be able choose not sin ever. No one who is honest can say that they keep all 613 laws in the Torah. Given that breaking one commandment is the same as breaking all of them, we all know that we fall under the condemnation of God.

What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."
"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."
"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know."
"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. - Romans 3: 9-31

The Bible clearly teaches that all human beings are trapped and imprisoned by sin. What does God say in the Bible about how we get free of sin? As it says above and in several verses: faith in Jesus Christ.

The next point that comes up is how do we find out this information? How do you get the opportunity to find Jesus. Some atheists offer that Christianity has no objectivity when it comes to truth. They say that people become Christians because that is what they are born into - indoctrinated with. They further contend that your religious worldview is solely depended upon your upbringing unless you break free as an atheist. I find myself in total disagreement. If they are right then all Christians would have been born in Christian households and there would never be religious conversions from one religion to another. From a human point of view, people choose what religion they will follow sand live with the consequences of that choice. God however takes the idea much further. He spoke through the Apostle Paul to say:

"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.'

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."- Acts 17:24-31

In other words, God puts each and everyone of us in the best place and at the best time of history and in the best circumstances that we can best find Him. Think of the implication. For some of us being born and raised as a Muslim is the best possible chance for that person to find Jesus! And some people do!

If you are reading this and you are not a believer than I ask you to consider the fact that you are not reading this by coincidence and consider that God is talking to you right now. Don't reject the call. Don't ignore it. Your part in your salvation is your response. God's already take the step of drawing you to Himself. You are reading this. Embrace the Gospel and you will be saved - Just believe that Jesus paid for your sins on the cross and the rose again three days later. Through Him you will be justified and fully become all you were meant to be. (Read part 2 of this post tomorrow).

World Breast-Feeding Week

It is World Breast-Feeding Week! Wooohoo! It's important to bring awareness of the need of mothers to nurse their babies for as long as they can. In my own children, I can see how much better for them it is, although it's not easy for the moms at all!

So how does the artist that brought you art centered around Suri Cruise's poop and Britney Spears giving birth, naked, on a bearskin rouge celebrate World Breast Feeding week? Well, Daniel Edwards makes a sculpture of Angelina Jole, naked, sitting on a bench, nursing two babies one in each hand. Okay.

Edwards is quoted as saying:

“Hopefully, my sculpture inspires an increase of wet nurses to assist women who have concerns about mastitis, or passing HIV to their infant,” said artist Daniel Edwards in his Connecticut studio where the Jolie statue currently resides.

Okay, so this this is supposed to inspire women everywhere of different races and cultures. They are planning to have variations of the statue with babies of different races. What does it saying to basically cast a white woman as the representative of all women feeding different races of children? It could be my liberal education, but I have problems with the racial overtones of such an image. We can't forget the historicity of such symbols

Here is a video on the making of the statue.


Edwards says that the sculpture is base on the following magazine cover.


Here is some more examples of Edward's art

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source 2

Scholar Dan Wallace on Podcast

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Yesterday, Dan Wallace was a guest on James White's Podcast The Dividing Line. Wallace is a scholar and author who studies and teaches about the New Testament. I enjoyed the program and their interaction. Wallace wrote one of the best textbooks for learning Kione Greek, the languages of the New Testament. He is considered an expert in textual criticism and the history behind the New Testament. The most interesting thing about the program I found was watching Dr. James White interacting with a peer. It was fun to hear them actually respond to the ideas and challenges raised by experts who disagree with them like Bart Ehrman. People are mistaken if they think that neither side is aware of the other and don't have good reasons why they hold the views they hold. You can read the blog post where the program is posted here.

Bart Ehrman Lecturing on "Misquoting Jesus"

I've had an opportunity to listen to a debate by Bart Erhman on his book, Misquoting Jesus delivered at Stanford. I realized that although I disagree with his conclusions there are somethings
I can learn from him. Rather than spend my time in this post refuting him (Jame White and William Lane Craig already handled him, i want to focus on something he said. He said that Jesus did not use it. Also when the early church and Jewish scholars used the scriptures this was the translation they were using. You can even tell most often it is this translation that is quoted from in the New Testament. I think that even if Jesus did not speak Greek He could read it. This point knock's Ehrman's argument about Jesus not actually saying the words in John 3 because you can't render them in Aramaic. Maybe Jesus and Nicademus carried on the conversation in Greek. We don't know. Although Ehrman got that part wrong, i learned that I can't just ignore everything he says because the part about Niocademus confusing Jesus' admonition to be "Born from above" with the idea of entering his mother's womb a second time make a lot of sense when you understand that the Greek could be understood either way given the context.

BartEhrmanNTCritic...

Here is the video!

John Todd a Former Illuminatist: (Explaining The Illuminati)

His name was John Todd, a former member of the illuminati. He warned us against their plans for world domination before he was framed and effectively discredit by the illuminati. The words that he left on his audio tapes are still coming to pass which puts lots of credibility on his claim that he was an insider. This audio tape speaks about the evil plans of the illuminati for world control. This is just another piece of the puzzle that explains what’s going on today’s world.

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Jewish / Judaism : Will the Messiah Institute New Commandments?, part 2 of 7

Mariano has started a series on one of his blogs exploring the idea of who and what the "Messiah" is supposed to be from the point-of-view of Judaism. This is a great start to what I know is going to be a great series of posts! Here is part 2!


Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Jewish / Judaism : Will the Messiah Institute New Commandments?, part 2 of 7

Apologetics MP3 Audio Series by Dan Oliger - Apologetics 315

Brian has posted a number of great mp3 audios of lectures and resources by apologists Dan Oliger. I can't wait to work through them. Thanks, Brian!

Apologetics MP3 Audio Series by Dan Oliger - Apologetics 315

Terminology Tuesday: Worldview - Apologetics 315

Brian has posted a great article defining "worldview". Take a look!


Terminology Tuesday: Worldview - Apologetics 315

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Jewish / Judaism : Jewish Messianic Concepts, part 1 of 5

Mariano has started a series on one of his blogs exploring the idea of who and what the "Messiah" is supposed to be from the point-of-view of Judaism. This is a great start to what I know is going to be a great series of posts!

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Jewish / Judaism : Jewish Messianic Concepts, part 1 of 5

Sudanese Journalist Lubna-Ahmed al-Hussein Trouser Trial

What's going on in Sudan? I just heard that a Sudanese woman, Lubna-Ahmed al-Hussein, who happens to be a journalist is on trail for breaking sharia. She could be punished by being lashed 40 times. What did she do? She, and 12 other women were arrested on July 3, 2009 because they wore pants in a restaurant. It's against the law in Sudan for women to wear pants. Ten of the women arrested have already accepted punishment of 10 lashes each, but Hussein and two other women still face charges. Apparently because she is appealing the law in court and trying to force the issue she could get 40 lashes instead of just 10. The law they are accused of breaking is committing "an indecent act which violates public morality or wears indecent clothing." The women were wearing "a loose-fitting top, headscarf and green slacks."

For Lubna-Ahmed al-Hussein this is really an issue of principle. She works as a journalist with the United Nations Mission in Sudan and could have avoided all of this but has waived her rights and has submitted to be judged by the local authorities. She wants to draw world-wide attention to the plight of women in Sudan under their laws and get those laws repealed. She said:

"If I'm sentenced to be whipped, or to anything else, I will appeal. I will see it through to the end, to the constitutional court if necessary," Hussein said. "And if the constitutional court says the law is constitutional, I'm ready to be whipped not 40 but 40,000 times."

Hussein told AFP thousands of women have been flogged for their clothing over the last two decades, but it is not publicized because those prosecuted fear no one would believe them. By becoming a voice for these women, Hussein said, "I've already won half the battle."

She appeared in court July 29 wearing on the same outfit she wore when she was arrested. And she appeared in court today, August 4. I saw today that Sudanese police mixed it up with about 50 protesters who came t0 support Hussein during her court appearance. Read that article here.

To many Westerners this all seems strange. We say that we are enlightened and women are equal to men and no one has the right to tell a woman how to dress. If we take this attitude and look down on the Sudanese we are being hypocritical. Sudanese law is based on Sharia. Muslims who believe in and practice these laws believes that they must obey them to be in right relationship to Allah. I can't fault them too much. In my own Christian denomination I grew up in, the Church of God In Christ, used to teach that women should not wear pants. People used to teach that a women who wore pants was going to hell.

Very few churches in my denomination still teaches this but I can't deny that it was taught. I believe that the Muslims teach this the same reason why people in denomination taught it: women wearing pants cause men to lust and tempt them into sexual sin. Or so they think. Personally, skirts are a bigger turn on for me...but if men are really honest, women are attractive no matter what they wear. I can find no place in the Bible that says that a woman is at fault for making me sexually aroused and fantasizing about her. That's not saying that a woman should go around purposely to tempt and seduce a man that she isn't married to, but I am accountable for my own sin in lusting after her. She isn't. Islam by definition can't make that distinction and be Islam. The teaching cannot bear up under the Bible, but the Koran demands it, according to the rulers of Sudan. I have an example from Genesis 38. Judah's son Onan didn't have to take his older brother's wife Tamar for his own after his brother died, but he did and instead of treating her as a full wife he used her for his own sexual satisfaction. God didn't like that so he was put to death. God holds us accountable for our own thoughts, words, and deeds.

I believe this is why Hussein will be be whipped. In a Muslim country I don't see how it can be avoided and uphold sharia at the same time. She argues that such laws are not supportable by the Koran and Hadiths but I would like to explore that further. I found one source that reports that she is a Christian but I cannot confirm that. The following video actually refutes the report that she is a Christian.

Here is a video report.


The Offending outfit



Original Link

Sudanese Journalist Lubna-Ahmed al-Hussein Trouser Trial

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Barack Obama's Birthday

I'm not sure what I'm more surprised about: a. Writing about the President's of the United States Birthday or b. that some people are still arguing that Obama lost the election because he wasn't born in the United State. I'm surprised about writing about Obama's birthday because before him I never cared when the President birthday was. He turns 48 today. As for the "birthers", "concerned citizen" who don't believe Obama was born in the United States, I think they are nuts to still be gnawing on that particular bone. He won. Get over it.

Here is a video of a lawyer named Orly Taitz as she "explains" why she does not think Obama was born in the US.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Is It Gospel? Crucifixion Description

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This song is most undoubtedly an example of Gospel music at its finest. The point of the rap is to describe the crucifixion and I believe that Hazakim nailed it. It's a great apologetic of the truth of the Crucifixion and why Jesus went through what He went through. It gives a lot of information. I knew before that there was a medical term for the experience of sweating blood,


called hematidrosis, before I heard this song, but I've got to say to put it into a rap shows a lot of skill and talent. You have got to hear this.

Atheism is Dead: Atheist Quotes / Atheism Quotes - Sam Harris Quotes

Mariano has compiled a list of quotes from atheist Samuel Harris. It's amazing how messed up a mind can become without God.

Atheism is Dead: Atheist Quotes / Atheism Quotes - Sam Harris Quotes

Truthbomb Apologetics: Jesus: The Intellectual

Here is an important announcement from Truthbomb.com I enjoyed the blog series about Jesus a few months ago. I can't wait to hear this.

Truthbomb Apologetics: Jesus: The Intellectual: "Jesus: The Intellectual
As he mentioned last week, Chad had the opportunity to share a message at my home church this past Sunday.

Listen to the message at the above link

Sunday Quote: Fred Hoyle on Fine Tuning - Apologetics 315

We have a great quote by Fred Hoyle posted by Brian on his Apologetics 315 blog. It should be definitely looked at.
"A commonsense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super intellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question."

Sunday Quote: Fred Hoyle on Fine Tuning

- Fred Hoyle

Phillip Johnson Lectures

Brian, whose blog Apologetics 315 you really should check out if you haven't, has tweeted links to 2 very interesting lectures by Phillip Johnson

Darwinism: Science or Philosophy

I found the lecture pretty informative but not really amazing. No new Information but worth listening to. The man's expertise is in law, I thought that he was going to talk about how Dawinism has changed our society's views on ethics and morality.

Can Science Know the Mind of God? The Case Against Naturalism

I liked this lecture better because he really discusses the implications of Dawinism.

Iron Sharpens Iron: Harold Camping Debates Dr. James White

Well the Debate that I never thought I'd see has happened. Harold Camping (left) agreed to debate James White (right) on his teachings on the radio show Iron Sharpens Iron. They debated Tuesday and Wednesday and then had callers call to talk to Dr. White on Thursday. And then callers talked to Camping On Friday. I thought that maybe the best way to report on it to break it up by days providing links to the mp3 files and commenting on each one.


Part 1 - July 28, 2009
By far, I think that this was the best of the four days. There was real interaction and real back and forth between the two. Unfortunately for Camping, he failed to be able to defend his teachings that the Church age is over God is no longer using churches, his due date for Christ's return in May, 2011, and demonstrated that he has embraced anihilism and modalism. Camping is way more heretical than I thought he was.
Iron Sharpens Iron: Harold Camping Debates Dr. James White (Part One)

Part 2 - July 29, 2009
Day 2 had no interaction between the two at all. It was almost like Camping just ignored that Dr. White was even there. Camping just presented his teaching for why he says the thing he says and ignored White's rebuttals.
Iron Sharpens Iron: Harold Camping Debates Dr. James White (Part Two)

Part 3 - July 30, 2009
Day 3 was where James White was alone on the show and accepting questions from listeners. I thought that questions were almost pointless - most of them. I'm surprised by the fact most of the people seemed to side against Dr. White. I was aghast. They didn't want to really throw full support to Camping but they seemed unwilling to throw him under the bus either. I kept thinking, did these people hear the same debate I did?
Iron Sharpens Iron: James White Reviews His Debate with Harold Camping

Part 4 - July 31, 2009
Day 4 was where Harold Camping was on Iron harpens Iron alone to answer questions that peoplehave concerning his exchange with James White. I was amazed. It was like he hadn't heard anything Dr. White had said. Instead He really just re-said everything he had said. One of the thing that stuck out at me is that he says that we can date Noah's ark to 4490 BCE, but he never explained how he go that date. Ther other problem I had that ecause he thinks that there is no church anymore. that God is no longer holding us to some of the same standards of fellowship and thinking that it is for us to know the date of Jesus' second coming. I'm concern because Camping really thinks he is right and seems to have no clue what people are saying to him when they try to correct him.
Iron Sharpens Iron: Harold Camping Reviews His Debate with James White