Danielle Belton's The Black Snob - The Snob Blog - Who Doesn't Want to Be Related to Michelle Obama?

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I came across an interesting bit of news. It's been shown that there is a white woman who is 4th cousin to Michelle Obama. And this lady says she wants to meet Michelle and talk and recall old family stuff. I'm amazed by that. I have white cousins too. I doubt that they would really want us to show us tp show up on their doorstep. I could be wrong about that but don't forget the black family who said they can prove that they are descendant from Thomas Jefferson? The white descendants would not hear it or embrace the black. I think that is what would be majority reaction - shame and guilt.


Danielle Belton's The Black Snob - The Snob Blog - Who Doesn't Want to Be Related to Michelle Obama?

Dwindling In Unbelief: Collision: Are Douglas Wilson's beliefs good for the world? Part 1

I came across a blog article attempting to systemize the "cultic" beliefs pf Doug Wilson. I like Doug Wilson and I have been blessed to hear some of his lectures and debates and I am quite impressed. The writer of this particular article is not impressed or happy in the slightest regrading what Dr. Wilson stands for. I'd like to respond to this writer because I want to affirm that about a great many things Wilson is correct. This first post will address the firestorm that has followed Wilson concerning his public words concerning slavery. However I think I need to start with a general observation. The reason I like him so much is the reason why his critics hate him: He's sold out on the Bible. He says it is true and right even if he doesn't like what it says. The article provides a link to a transcript of a booklet that Wilson co-wrote about slavery called Southern Slavery, As It Was. Most of my remarks for this post will come from this link.

Many attack Christianity and the Bible that point out that the Bible condones slavery whenever they find a Christian standing against abortion or the homosexual agenda. This is a smoke screen. In this booklet, Wilson co-wrote:

This points to the need for Christians to learn the biblical way of avoiding “problem texts.” This is the way of a priori submission. Christians must recognize that they are under the authority of God, and they may not develop their ideas of what is “right” and “fair” apart from the Word of God. And when the Bible is our only standard of right and wrong, problem texts disappear. This entire issue of slavery is a wonderful issue upon which to practice. Our humanistic and democratic culture regards slavery in itself as a monstrous evil, and it acts as though this were self-evidently true. The Bible permits Christians to own slaves, provided they are treated well. You are a Christian. Whom do you believe?

I believe the Bible. And as much as it pains me, I have to concede the possibility that a man in the mid 19th century could have been a Godly, born-again, Bible-believing Christian, just as much as I am, and yet held slaves. Wilson is right. For me to admit that is difficult because it was my ancestors who were slaves not his. I have a very much personal stake in the question. I like this article because it points out that the kind of slavery practiced in America cannot be equated with the slavery in the Greco-Roman world or of Ancient Israel. I totally agree with this.

I must however disagree with the attempt in Southern Slavery, As It Was to basically say that Southern Slavery was not as bad as the secularized modern media has portrayed it. I'm not naive nor biased. I do not think that every white male who owned slaves in the south beat, mutilated, raped, and mistreated their slaves. However, though publication does not try to pretend that none of my forebearers suffered, it does suggest that most of the horrors were exceptions and not the rule. Evidence provided for their view was that there was few revolts and uprisings, and the Slave Narratives recorded during the depression contains relatively few horrors of being a slave. Wilson takes these as reasons to think that things weren't really that bad. I have a few very good reasons to disagree.

At least for the people I am directly descended from I can say because of the oral history that has been passed down to me, that their lives were not comfortable nor very happy. For the women who had children by their masters, I can't say whether or not they were raped...at best it was "sexual harassment" by today's standards. Sexual Relationships where one person has that much power over another, where one could not possibly had felt safe enough to say "no", could ever be ethical. One of my great-great-great grandmothers was kept chained because she would not submit to being mistreated. She wasn't the only one.

Also further consider that some of those former slaves who recounted their lives as slaves could surely have been afraid to to tell everything that happened to them because they didn't know if some people (remember the Klu Klux Klan) would take offense and kill them or loved ones. They knew the government would do nothing to protect them. I mean it hadn't, why would it start? In addition that was a generation that didn't always talk about the past. It was almost as if (at least in my family) they didn't talk about the unpleasantness of their lives they could move past it.

The contention, that the black family was stronger during slavery than today might be a valid point. But it was strong despite slavery not because of it. People then were way more willing to live up to their responsibilities even when they didn't always feel like it. I think it was because they were really trying to follow God with all they knew how and believed that God would save them from slavery just like my father's great grandmother, Mary Lucas. I have not really tried to find out how many families were broken because people were sold away from each other. It happened to my great-great-grandparent. Mary thanked God that was able to get her husband back. Me too. MY great grandmother was born soon after that. So, yes, I have a personal stake in that.

American Slavery was based on skin-color racism. The slavery of Ancient Israel was not. Under the Biblical rules for slavery there were commandments for treating slaves as people and joint-heirs in the gifts of God! I'm willing to bet that Mary did not get that kind of treatment.

One last point. Wilson contended that the majority of slaves were content being slaves and that was why there were few uprising. I disagree. He mentions slave mentality but does not really explore what that does when applied to a single segment to a society for generations. My ancestors were stripped of the languages, culture, denied the right to an education, emasculating and humiliating men and women, and told that they were inferior. In effect they were told that God loved them less. Not all people fell for it but is has had devastating results, reverberating to this day. The Bible never said it was right to treat slaves in this way. If you want a good idea from a contemporary source on how they kept slaves in check read the Autobiography of Frederick Douglas and Willie Lynch's Speech On His Methods For Controlling Slaves which says:

Gentlemen:

I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First, I shall thank you The Gentlemen of the Colony of Virginia for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me on my modest plantation in the West Indies where I have experimented with some of the newest and still oldest methods for control of slaves. Ancient Rome would envy us if my program is implemented. As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious King, whose version of the Bible we cherish, I saw enough to know that your problem is not unique. While Rome used cords of wood as crosses for standing human bodies along its old highways in great numbers, you are here using the tree and the rope on occasion.

I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree a couple miles back. You are not only losing valuable stock by hanging, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the field too long for maximum profit, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed, gentlemen, you know what your problems are; I do not need to elaborate. I am not here to enumerate your problems, I am here to introduce you to a method of solving them.

In my bag here, I have a fool proof method for controlling Black Slaves. I guarantee everyone of you that if installed correctly, it will control the slaves for at least 300 years. My method is simple and members of your family and any Overseer can use it.

I have outlined a number of difference(s) among the slaves; and I take these differences and make them bigger. I use fear, distrust, and envy for control purposes. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies and [they] will work throughout the South. Take this simple little list of differences, think about them. On top of my list is "Age" but it is there only because it begins with an "A." The second is "Color" or "Shade," there is intelligence, size, sex, size of plantation, status of plantation, attitude of owner, whether the slaves live in the valley , on a hill, East, West, North, or South, have a fine or coarse hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action but before that, I shall assure you that distrust is stronger than trust and envy is stronger than adulation, respect and admiration.

The Black Slave, after receiving this indoctrination, shall carry on and will become self-refueling and self-generation for hundreds of years, maybe thousands.

Don't forget you must pitch the old black versus the young black and the young black male against the old black male. You must use the dark skin slave vs. The light skin slave and the light skin slaves vs. The dark skin slaves. You must also have your white servants and overseers distrust all blacks, but it is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us. They must love, respect and trust only us.

Gentlemen, these Kits are keys to control, use them. Have your wives and children use them, never miss an opportunity. My plan is guaranteed and the good thing about this plan is that if used intensely for one year the slaves themselves will remain perpetually distrustful.

Thank you gentlemen.

In conclusion, I agree that a person can be a Christian and a slave holder. However Christian lives his life with the intention of pleasing God. And I just don't see how the American system of slavery pleased God. He used it alright for his ultimate purposes that are still unfolding for us today, but I doubt He had joy over the sorrows and plights of so many. I agree with my Great-Great-Grandmother, Mary, who saw the Civil War as God sovereignly and decisively freeing our people from servitude and judging America - North and South for sins. I know she saw it that way (though she didn't quite say it that way) based on what knowleged of he has been passed through my family.

Dwindling In Unbelief: Collision: Are Douglas Wilson's beliefs good for the world?

Theism & Atheism: Points of Tension - Apologetics 315

From Apologetics 315, here is a great lecture by Ravi Zacharias in which he explains that Christian Theism is the best world view for answering how we should live and atheism begs the question.

Theism & Atheism: Points of Tension - Apologetics 315

YouTube - Bill Maher reads from The Purpose Driven Life

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Here is a YouTube video showing the comments of Bill Maher's on Rick Warren's best-selling book Purpose Driven Life. It shows that Maher has no idea what Warren wrote. He doesn't understand the Bible and in no way wants to worship our creator and glorify him. He has no idea what God's purpose for humanity is. He thinks he was being funny, but what I saw was a show. He denied the power of what he was reading and it seemed to me be very sad.



YouTube - Bill Maher reads from The Purpose Driven Life

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Dr. Terry Mortenson defends biblical creationism on public radio

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I appreciate Mike for placing this link on his blog a few days ago. I had a chance to listen to the discussion and I would really like to see Dr. Terry Mortenson to be given the opportunity to explain the evidence for a young earth. Instead there was a lot of ideas and thought batted around. I wanna see numbers people! Unfortunately, there are few scientists who accept evolution who are willing to engage in real meaningful debate with scientist who disagree. Each side should give their best evidence, best objections, and conclusions and see who still standing when the smoke clears. I wonder if I will ever live to see such a debate? I guess for now I will have to settle for the debate I found posted on the Apologetics 315 blog concerning an Old Earth Creationist debating a Young Earth Creationist. Here is the link to the post I did pointing to that.

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Dr. Terry Mortenson defends biblical creationism on public radio

In Defense of the Faith Apologetic Ministry » Blog Archive » Jesus and the Eyewitnesses

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Here is a great lecture on why Christians are confident of the eye-witness testimony of the life, death, burial, resurrection, and the acts of the Apostles! It's really cool!




In Defense of the Faith Apologetic Ministry » Blog Archive » Jesus and the Eyewitnesses

Debate: David Wood vs. Ali Ataie: "Who Was Muhammad?"

This is a great debate. Instead of looking at Jesus, this debate turns to look at the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. The truth is I thought Wood was great. I did not like Ataie's arguments. Wood said the only answers that Islam could give to the objections he raised could be either:
1. Reject the sources or 2. re-interpret the material. Ataie ended up doing both. The most aggregious problem I
 had was that Ataie tried to say the Deuteronomy 18:18-19 was about Muhammad. HOW!!!!? Verses 18 -22 says:

 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.  If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.  But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."
 You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?"  If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

I don't get it. Jews and Christians for centuries believed that God was telling Moses and us that this Prophet was Jewish! Muhammd was not a Jew. No way this could have been about him




YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Is there a Connection Between Jesus and Pythia , the priestess at the Oracle at Delphi?

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There is a thought being perpetrated that  Jesus is no different than the women who served as the Oracles of Delphi. The priestesses were called the Pythia.  Let's look at whether this connection makes any sense. Let's look at two characteristics for comparison: a. The origins of their prophetic abilities and b. The accuracy of their prophecies.

Origins.
Jesus was able to accurately foretell the future because He claimed to be God. In order to understand Jesus, you have to look at the context in which Jesus ministered. Traditionally, prophets in Judaism did not give vague prophecies that can be interpreted any number of ways that were non-verifiable. All the prophecies of the Old Testament can be either demonstrated as having been fulfilled or  are yet to be fulfilled.  According to Jewish tradition, if a prophet is ever shown to be wrong in what he/she said, that prophet was no longer believed. This is the context in which Jesus spoke.

As for the Pythia, it was said that they got their power from the Olympian gods. The thing is it has been shown that the Temple of Delphi sits on three tectonic faultlines and gases such as  ethylene escape up out of the earth. In an enclosed space, exposed for a significant amount of time, ethylene can cause hallucinations and altered states of consciousness.


Accuracy.
Let us use the measuring stick of  Judaism for evaluating prophetic infallibility. If a prophet or prophetess is wrong, even once, then he/she is not from God. While Jesus was one person and many women over a thousand years were the Pythia, it's fair to apply because all of the Pythia claimed to have the same source.

Concerning Jesus, I want to focus on 4 of the prophecies Jesus gave. Repeatedly in all 4 Gospels, Jesus predicted His arrest, torture, and death. Most historians agree that Jesus was right! Jesus predicted the destruction of the Jewish temple. Matthew 24:1,2 says:

Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.".

We know Jesus was right because the Romans destroyed the temple and Jerusalem in 70 AD.Jesus was right again! I want to point out that we can't say that because the account was written after 70 AD, the write just added it and Jesus never said it. The same account is told in Mark 13, which almost everyone dates to before the 70's AD! The third prophecy of Jesus, I'd like to point out is found in Matthew 24:32-35:

 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

Many people want to say that Jesus was wrong because not all of the events in verses  4-31 took place during the disciple's generation. However the word translated "generation" could have been rendered "race" as in "human race". Therefore Jesus was not saying that all the signs would be taking place necessarily in the lifetime of those who were hearing him, but before the human race ends.This particular interpretation is not as strong as looking at what thing was Jesus referring to that the generation he spoke to  that would happen in their life time.There isn't any cause to view "these things" as Jesus' second coming. Jesus was referring to the destruction of the temple in particular. And again, that did happen.

The fourth prophecy I'd like to bring up is that Jesus predicted his resurrection three days after his death.Even if you don't believe that, you have to admit that the first Christians believed that. And I know it's true because I have personally experienced the resurrected Christ personally by His changing me.

As for the Pythia, all I  need to do is show how one prophecy is wrong. Many times the Delphic Oracles were open to multiple interpretations. The inquirer would pick the one they liked and if it did not go the way they had interpreted, the inquirer would assume the gods meant one of the other interpretations. Here is an example:

One famous visitor was King Croesus. He was a king in the fifth century BC. He ruled ancient Lydia, now western Turkey. He went to the oracle at Delphi.
“Now, tell me: should I march against the King of Persia? He has a large army.”
“Yes, King Croesus, you should march. Cross the River Halys. After that you will destroy a large kingdom."
King Croesus did march to war with the King of Persia. But King Croesus lost. A kingdom was destroyed. But it was King Croesus’s kingdom

 Clearly Croesus had the wrong understanding or the gods did not understand what he asked. Either way, Jesus' track record is way better. Jesus is unique. 


Sources
Encyclopedia Mythica - Pythia
Wikipedia - Pythia
How were the oracle of Delphi's prophecies always true?
Delphi - Oracle
Famous oracular statements from Delphi

Clash of the Gods Video Gallery

Clash of the Gods is a documentary series that explores the historicity of famous mythology and how they impact society and culture. Great idea. The production is great. The myths are retold and illustrated. And then the question is asked "what is the reality?" Then current theories are presented, I like the series. Also behind the series is the idea that all mythologies/religions are related and parallels are drawn. Most often it seems like the makers of the series intend to make Christianity as being no more true than any of the myths presents and even goes as far as saying many ideas of Christianity are borrowed from pagan mythology! This is being dishonest and is just tacked on without debate or discussion. I've been doing a series of posts debunking such ideas so at least they are giving me fodder on which to base new posts!  So far they have done the following Myths.

Perseus
Zeus
Hades
Hercules
Odessyus
Medusa
Thor
Minitaur


Clash of the Gods Video Gallery

Siku's Jesus - As A Flash Puzzle

Okay I may be having too much fun with this. I think I'll have to post one of these once a week.



Crate Yours @ NackVision.com

Bible Defended - Common Sense Atheism » Top 20 Evil Bible Stories

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I found the following article on a website. It started with the following quote. The words front he post will be in black and mine will be in blue.

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

- Richard Dawkins

There is plenty of evil in “the Good Book,” but here are some highlights:

Notice how none of these examples are given a context, nor any discussion on why it was not necessary or why the author thinks that he know what "evil" is. It is important to recognize that there are people who really see God this way and read the Bible from this mindset. It is a mindset that says "How dare you, God, have the gall to tell me how to live the life you gave me!"

1. God drowns the whole earth.
In Genesis 7:21-23, God drowns the entire population of the earth: men, women, children, fetuses, and perhaps unicorns. Only a single family survives. In Matthew 24:37-42, gentle Jesus approves of this genocide and plans to repeat it when he returns.

Did God capriciously just decide to wake up one day and say "I think I'll destroy earth today!"?  No. Look at the text. God did not tell Noah to build the ark on Monday and sent the flood on Tuesday. Recall how people were described:

The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.  So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." - Genesis 6:5-7

and

Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. - Genesis 6:11-12

2. God kills half a million people.
In 2 Chronicles 13:15-18, God helps the men of Judah kill 500,000 of their fellow Israelites.

It was a war....not genocide - and only soldiers and not non-combatants.  This was after Judah and Benjamin split from the other 10 tribes. Do not forget that Judah won because they trusted God.

3. God slaughters all Egyptian firstborn.
In Exodus 12:29, God the baby-killer slaughters all Egyptian firstborn children and cattle because their king was stubborn.

We aren't talking about babies...but adults also! I mean come'on  - 9 plagues came before and they didn't let Israel go. How is it God's fault? Don't forget Egypt was killing all sons born to Israel slaves.  They got a taste of the horror what they visited on their slaves.

4. God kills 14,000 people for complaining that God keeps killing them.
In Numbers 16:41-49, the Israelites complain that God is killing too many of them. So, God sends a plague that kills 14,000 more of them.

Um...the author does not seem to know why the Israelites kept dying because of their own disobedience!

5. Genocide after genocide after genocide.
In Joshua 6:20-21, God helps the Israelites destroy Jericho, killing “men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.” In Deuteronomy 2:32-35, God has the Israelites kill everyone in Heshbon, including children. In Deuteronomy 3:3-7, God has the Israelites do the same to the people of Bashan. In Numbers 31:7-18, the Israelites kill all the Midianites except for the virgins, whom they take as spoils of war. In 1 Samuel 15:1-9, God tells the Israelites to kill all the Amalekites – men, women, children, infants, and their cattle – for something the Amalekites’ ancestors had done 400 years earlier.

Remember that in ancient times, this is what people did! You move into a territory, you kill the inhabitants. This is the point. God commanded it to punish the inhabitants for their sins. 

6. God kills 50,000 people for curiosity.
In 1 Samuel 6:19, God kills 50,000 men for peeking into the ark of the covenant. (Newer cosmetic translations count only 70 deaths, but their text notes admit that the best and earliest manuscripts put the number at 50,070.)

The numerical discrepancies come from reading numbers in Hebrew. Those people died not for curiosity but disobedience and disdaining God. God was sending a message. He has every right to make that point anyway he wants to make it.

7. 3,000 Israelites killed for inventing a god.
In Exodus 32, Moses has climbed Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments. The Israelites are bored, so they invent a golden calf god. Moses comes back and God commands him: “Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.” About 3,000 people died.

Picture it, Moses is on Sinai getting the ten commandment and down in the camp. Israel was breaking all of them! Aside from the idea that they had not had the law yet,they still knew that God brought them out of Egypt and they should have been thankful enough to worship only Him.

8. The Amorites destroyed by sword and by God’s rocks.
In Joshua 10:10-11, God helps the Israelites slaughter the Amorites by sword, then finishes them off with rocks from the sky.

Um....it was a war remember?

9. God burns two cities to death.
In Genesis 19:24, God kills everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from the sky. Then God kills Lot’s wife for looking back at her burning home.

Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of its wickedness. No different than executing a pedophile or rapist. a for Lot's wife...the angel told her to not look back and she disobeyed. When we disobey God, why doesn't he have the right to allow us to suffer the consequences? Simple, He does.

10. God has 42 children mauled by bears.
In 2 Kings 2:23-24, some kids tease the prophet Elisha, and God sends bears to dismember them. (Newer cosmetic translations say the bears “maul” the children, but the original Hebrew, baqa, means “to tear apart.”)

Um they weren't children. Think juvenile delinquents tried as adults.

11. A tribe slaughtered and their virgins raped for not showing up at roll call.
In Judges 21:1-23, a tribe of Israelites misses roll call, so the other Israelites kill them all except for the virgins, which they take for themselves. Still not happy, they hide in vineyards and pounce on dancing women from Shiloh to take them for themselves.

God didn't do that. God didn't tell them to do it.  Here the Bible is describing what happened. The Bible is not saying that we should be have this way or to do those things! So why did things like this happened?

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. - Judges 21:25

12. 3,000 crushed to death.
In Judges 16:27-30, God gives Samson strength to bring down a building to crush 3,000 members of a rival tribe.

Not a tribe...the Philistines who were trying to subjugate Israel.  Samson sacrificed himself to kill as many of Israel's enemies as possible.

13. A concubine raped and dismembered.
In Judges 19:22-29, a mob demands to rape a godly master’s guest. The master offers his daughter and a concubine to them instead. They take the concubine and gang-rape her all night. The master finds her on his doorstep in the morning, cuts her into 12 pieces, and ships the pieces around the country.

Again descriptive not prescriptive! God did not tell anyone to do any of this. 

14. Child sacrifice.
In Judges 11:30-39, Jephthah burns his daughter alive as a sacrificial offering for God’s favor in killing the Ammonites.

Again descriptive not prescriptive! God did not tell Jephthah to do any of this.

15. God helps Samson kill 30 men because he lost a bet.
In Judges 14:11-19, Samson loses a bet for 30 sets of clothes. The spirit of God comes upon him and he kills 30 men to steal their clothes and pay off the debt.

God purposed to put Samson in a position to be opposed to the Philistines. There was a purpose in what happened. Don't forget Samson was angry because he lost the bet unfairly. They cheated.

16. God demands you kill your wife and children for worshiping other gods.
In Deuteronomy 13:6-10, God commands that you must kill your wife, children, brother, and friend if they worship other gods.

Worshipping other gods was a capital offense in Ancient Israel. It won't fly in many Muslim countries today either. Each society gets to pick its own laws and God deserves that kind of loyalty and devotion.

17. God incinerates 51 men to make a point.
In 2 Kings 1:9-10, Elijah gets God to burn 51 men with fire from heaven to prove he is God.

There were skeptics In Elijah's time too just like today!  Besides, this is out of context. the men were sent to arrest Elijah. The point wasn't to show that Yahweh was God but to protect Elijah and prove a point don't go talk to foreign deities.

18. God kills a man for not impregnating his brother’s widow.
In Genesis 38:9-10, God kills a man for refusing to impregnate his brother’s widow.

Onan was sleeping his brother's widow but when he orgasmed he pulled out and this was to degrading to her because he did not have to marry her if he did not want to have children.  He was being selfsh. That is why he died.

19. God threatens forced cannibalism.
In Leviticus 26:27-29 and Jeremiah 19:9, God threatens to punish the Israelites by making them eat their own children.

Again, God does not make threats. He makes promises. This was about people who disobey God and turn on him. Things would get so bad that they weould eat their own children. This actually happened too.

20. The coming slaughter.
According to Revelation 9:7-19, God’s got more evil coming. God will make horse-like locusts with human heads and scorpion tails, who torture people for 5 months. Then some angels will kill a third of the earth’s population. If he came today, that would be 2 billion people.

It's not evil...ity's wrath. wrath that all of humanity deserves. If you want to escape this wrath you need only to turn to Christ. Put your trust in Him and believe He is who He said He is - that He died for you and rose again all that so you don't have to be separated from God forever.

Common Sense Atheism » Top 20 Evil Bible Stories

Jesus in the Bible and the Qur'an

Here is a debate that James White posted on YouTube. Unfortunately the sound cuts out in part 2. I think that it will be fixed soon. This is great from what I hcan see and hear. We see two knowledgeable people put the best case for the Christian view of Jesus verses the Islamic view of Jesus. This is what separates the two religions the most: Who do we say Jesus is - Prophet or Savior - Teacher or God!

A dialogue that took place November 7, 2009, in Queens, NY, between James White and Imam Syed Z. Sayeed.

Jesus in the Bible and the Qur'an Part 1

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Tenacity of Israel’s Faith

Here is the next part of Claude Mariottini's series about Israel's exile and history. It's really interesting because in this we see How God deals with people. It's archetypal. God does chasten his people top purify us. And then like Israel He will restores us when He gets ready!

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Tenacity of Israel’s Faith

Political Yearbook Photos -- Even Obama Had an Awkward Phase

I found this great slide-show of famous politicians of today's school picutes. I guess it is true everyone is black-mailable!

While the rest of you are frantically untagging the acne-plastered drama club photos that Aunt Gertie was kind enough to scan, we are reminded that certain celebrities might not have it so easy. From Barack Obama to Nancy Pelosi to "Billy" Clinton, click below to see what we dug up from politicians' pasts.

Political Yearbook Photos

This is a 1957 Natrona County High School yearbook photo showing Dick Cheney on the school's football team in Casper, Wyo.
Natrona County High School / AP
Barack "Barry" Obama seen in his 1978 senior yearbook class photo from the Punahou School Yearbook in Honolulu.
Punahou Schools / AP
Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky is shown in three photos taken from her freshman, sophmore and junior yearbooks at Beverly Hills High School.
AP
Michelle Obama graduated from Chicago's Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in 1981.
Whitney Young / AP
Nancy Pelosi - 1962 Trinity College.
Trinity College
Sonia Sotomayor in the Nassau Herald Yearbook, 1976. Sotomayor earned an A.B. summa cum laude in history from Princeton in 1976.
Princeton University / AP
Portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton as a high school student at Maine East High School, Park Ridge, Illnois, 1965.
Tim Boyle, Getty Images
President Bill Clinton at the age of 16, in his high school yearbook photograph in the early 1960's.
Getty Images
A 1964 yearbook photo of George W. Bush from Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass.
Phillips Academy / AP
This 1969 Harvard University yearbook photograph shows former Democratic presidential candidate and one-time veep Al Gore.
Harvard Yearbook Publications / AP

Political Yearbook Photos -- Even Obama Had an Awkward Phase

YouTube - V for Vendetta Speech

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Here is one of the commentaries on politics and government I have ever heard. I really need to read the graphic novel.

Atoms and Their Electrons

Atoms and Their Electrons

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Fascinating interview with Evolution Critic, Dr. David Berlinski

This is a great interview. David Berlinski is a scientist! He is not a Christian (he said so in this video)! Yet He questions macro evolution. He is not alone and there are many scientists who disagree with Dawinian Evolution. I'm so glad Mike found this and put it on his blog. Berlinski should debate Richard Dawkins. I'd like to see that. Berlinski is not as theist, so Dawkins should be willing to talk. He won't though because He knows his position is indefensable..



THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Fascinating interview with Evolution Critic, Dr. David Berlinski

Aunt Jemima's Revenge: Suspected Serial Killer Anthony Sowell Proves That The Police Don't Give A Damn About Black Women As Crime Victims

I'm sure by now that you have heard of horrible serial killings in Cleveland Ohio by a convicted rapist named Anthony Sowell. I'm amazed that he got away with this for so long. The reason why is because he was murdering black women and the authorities did not care enough to find several women when they were reported missing. I have posted a link below to a blog that I think sums up the feeling of many. Here is a news video








Aunt Jemima's Revenge: Suspected Serial Killer Anthony Sowell Proves That The Police Don't Give A Damn About Black Women As Crime Victims

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Trinity : Which Member of the Trinity is Omnipotent?

Here is the next post in Mariano's series of posts on the Trinity! Here he lists all of the scriptures that talk about God's omnipotence!

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Trinity : Which Member of the Trinity is Omnipotent?

I agree with Mariano's question in the post Title. All of the persons of the Trinity are omnipotent. Omnipotence is a quality of being and in his being God is one. Therefore, by definition, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost have the same essence of being so omnipotence is a quality they all have.

Atheism is Dead: Dan Barker Sues Barak Obama

Mariano brings up very good questions in this post. He asks that if all religion should be banned from public celebration by the government, then why does no one complain about Halloween. For example President Obama's administration threw a Halloween party for poor children and the families of soldiers overseas. This is nothing new i think every President had done this for decades. That isn't the point. The question is if Dan Barker wants to get rid of the government supporting celebrating Christmas and Easter, then why no problem with Halloween? Mariano correctly points out that Halloween is religious based too - paganism. Seems like a double standard to me. Read Mariano's take...it's very insightful!

Atheism is Dead: Dan Barker Sues Barak Obama

RC Sproul Report from November 5, 2009

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I was blessed to go to the sermon by RC Sproul at the KFAX Speaker Series in Fremont, California. I had a blast! Sproul is better in person than I ever thought! I thought that Sproul was amazing in video and in audio recordings, but no where near as fun  and I heavily enjoy Sproul's work. His text was from Acts 17:29-31 which says:

 "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."

He spoke about the fact many of us, who claim that God saved us, seem to never give any thought  to what God has saved us from. He pointed out that in America today, people - Christian and Non-Christian - don't believe in the Biblical fact that God will pour His wrath out on everything and that without Jesus, you will be swept up in that wrath. I whole heartedly agree. Here are some points that stood out to me:

1. Dr. Sproul gave his testimony that he first came to salvation as a college freshman in 1950. He was told of Jesus by the captain of the football team. RC heard Ecclesiastes 11:3 -

If clouds are full of water,
       they pour rain upon the earth.
       Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
       in the place where it falls, there will it lie.

RC said that he saw himself as that tree - broken, sinful, fallen, and lost.  He said he pleaded to God for mercy and God gave it to him.  Funny, what God uses to call us to Himself.  He said that he then read the Bible and the Old Testament scared him because He understood that there really is a wrath coming.

2. Sproul also said that in 40 years of teaching a question that keeps comes up is: "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Sproul answered the question with two words: "They Don't!" There is no one good enough. We are all sinful and deserve the wrath of God. I agree with Sproul. No one likes it. But it's unavoidable. Sproul said that its the wrong question. A better question is "Why do good things happen to bad people?" I agree. Whenever anything at all good happens to us, it is the mercy of God.

3. Sproul also gave several examples as to how Jesus answered this question. We have two different examples in Luke 13:1-5 which says

 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

Jesus' answer applies to every calamity and every problem.

4. There was also question and answers at the end. Two questions I asked came up that I think is worth documenting here. Sproul was asked about whether he was millennial or post-millennial in his views on Jesus' return. Sproul replied "What day of the week is it?" We all was laughing so hard. He then said that he hasn't gotten a concrete view on it all yet. And he was asked about when he thought the book of Revelation was written he said that he now thinks that the evidence pointed to the 60's AD. Unfortunately, he was not able to fully explain why he thought that because it was the last question he had time for.

Stand to Reason: Radio Archives

Here is a link to an interview of Dr. David Berlinski by Dr. Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason. I really like Berlinski. I hope he finds saving faith in Jesus Christ, but he does an awesome job refuting the ideas of Darwinian Evolution. Also for an agnostic, he understands the dangers of atheism and what its logical conclusions are. I think the reason why he is so good at this is because although he is not especially religious, his Jewish background has got to give him the grounding he has to look at this. I agree with so much of what he says and I like his personality. I think someone who is not a christian should be putting his/her finger in the eye of people like Richard Dawkins. Berlinski actually enjoys it. I wish that Dawkins would debate him. Berlinski cannot be ignored because Berlinski is not religious and is challenging them because of logic and science.

Stand to Reason: Radio Archives

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Colbert vs. Francis Collins

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Again with the hilarity!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Francis Collins
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor U.S. Speedskating

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Colbert vs. Francis Collins

Atheism is Dead: Richard Dawkins Rules Out Abiogenesis, part 2 of 2

Mariano has published the 2nd part of a great post about about Richard Dawkin's latest book. this is from the point of view of seeing that Dawkins has an anti-religious ax to grind in his book the Greatest Show On Earth.

Atheism is Dead: Richard Dawkins Rules Out Abiogenesis, part 2 of 2

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Translation of “Secret Mark”

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Dr Mariottini has found a link to where you can read the translation made by Morton Smith of a "lost letter" from Clement of Alexander that he found at the end of a book from 17th century. The letter contains a passage from a secret version of Mark's gospel. It's interesting to read. Some warning flags that have already waved include that no one else has reported seeing this letter and the truth is the letter contains more than enough gnosticism to mark it as something that should not be included as scripture.

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Translation of “Secret Mark”

John 6 from the Great Falls Conference

Here is more spectacular exegesis of a passage of scripture that plainly teaches that no one comes to God on their own. I'd really like to hear the Arminian viewpoint on John 6:44 in particular. How do they get that it's up to us to accept on our own without God? I see no way I was able to do it on my own. I read Chosen But Free(CBF) but I don't think Geisler can handle this particular passage at all from the "People have free will to choose to accept or reject Jesus" perspective. I really would like to read a better Arminian treatment on the subject. CBF doesn't cut it.





John 6 from the Great Falls Conference