Truthbomb Apologetics: The Goliath of Neo-Darwinism vs. The David of Intelligent Design

On his blog, Truthbomb Apologetics, Chad has summarized some great resources in the latest news on the ongoing debate between those who reject the existence of God and those who favor the idea that God created the universe. I like the term that Chad used: Neo-Darwinism. It's in use today but not all over. It'snot the same as the theories published by Charles Darwin, and has a way more atheistic bent and agenda. As for Intelligent design not all of its proponents believe that the intelligent designer is God - crazy as that is. I mean Richard Dawkins and others would either deny the blatant designed reality all around us or postulate extraterrestrial advanced civilizations seeding life on earth rather than fall down and worship God. Sad really. Here are two debates and comments of people from both sides. Take a look at the link. It's definitely a Goliath-size opponent we are facing, but just like God gave David Goliath's behind on a silver-platter, He will also show Neo-Darwinism for the farce that it truly is.

Truthbomb Apologetics: The Goliath of Neo-Darwinism vs. The David of Intelligent Design

Apologetics 315: Refuting Bart Ehrman's Skepticism MP3 Audio by Phil Fernandes

Brian has posted a great lecture on the work of Bart Ehrman. The lecture is by Phil Fernandez. He posted links to the video and to the mp3. For anyone who is interested in textual criticism and whether or not we can trust the Bible needs to listen to this.


Dr . Phil Fernandes - "Refuting the New Skepticism" from Gabe Ginorio on Vimeo.



Apologetics 315: Refuting Bart Ehrman's Skepticism MP3 Audio by Phil Fernandes

Sumerian Origin of Humans?

Image by rosemaniov via Flickr

Here is a documentary exploring how the ancient Sumerians looked at the origins of humanity. It presents the most bombastic, most radical fringe viewpoints and interpretation of the Bible and History that I'm not even sure if it gets the information about the Sumerians/Babylonians. Take a look at it with the goal of hearing another viewpoint. There is precious little that they can prove.







Sumerian Origin of Humans?

Actual Great Moments in De-Evolution: Twittering/Facebooking During Wedding

I enjoy Twitter and Facebook as much as the next guy, but does one really need to interrupt his wedding to update his social network profile statuses! This guy did. And the woman still married him!

These days, a crazy stunt or theme at a wedding is par for the course. Maybe it's the potential to create a viral video sensation (as well as lasting memories), or maybe people are just plain weird. But hey, if it's true love, who are we to judge?

Take this couple in the video posted after the break, which we found on Mashable. The groom, Dana Hanna, is dressed in his crisp, black tuxedo. The bride, whose name we don't know, is glowing in her white dress. Looks like a normal wedding ceremony, right? Well, it was, until Hanna pulled out his phone and changed his relationship status on Facebook to 'married' right there at the altar. Quick on her feet, the bride follows suit, and the crowd gets a good laugh out of it. But it's the preacher who delivers the punchline. "If it's official on Facebook, it's official in my book," he says.

While this stunt went over well this time, we wouldn't recommend everybody try it. It takes a special person to find this funny and play along, too. Hanna is a lucky man to have her.

My wife, Mitsouky, would have killed me!!!!!






Blogger: Favorite Media - Manage Posts
Actual Great Moments in De-Evolution: Twittering/Facebooking During Wedding

Remote Controlled Fighting Gundams Herald The Apocalypse And That's Okay

Just when I thought that Japan wasn't really that much farther ahead of us in robotics, I come across a video showing this! Two Gundam models slugging it out under remote control. I want one. It'd be only a matter of time that this could be applied to real life-sized robots. America, we need to catch up!





Remote Controlled Fighting Gundams Herald The Apocalypse And That's Okay

Dwindling In Unbelief: Collision: Are Douglas Wilson's beliefs good for the world? Part 3

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I came across a blog article attempting to systemize the "cultic" beliefs of 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 third post deals with Doug Wilson's stance on: a few different topics. My comments will be in read, the writer of the original article's words will be black.

On Crime and Punishment
The magistrate is God's minister of wrath against those who do evil. There would be only three punishments: death, lashing, and restitution. There would be no jails, prisons, or hospitals for the mentally ill.

Responsibility for the civil order is placed in the hands of magistrates, who act as God's ministers of wrath against those who do evil (Rom. 13:1-7). God's law sets forth three basic punishments for crime: death, lashing (essentially, a government-sponsored spanking), and restitution. There is a conspicuous absence of county jails, state penitentiaries, reform schools, and hospitals for the criminally insane. The goal of the sentence is to execute God's wrath. . . .

The article's writer is making it sound like Wilson and the Bible are calling for the death penalty of mentally ill people who don't know what they are doing. Wilson said "criminally insane". Then it just becomes an equal justice for everyone. If you disaobey the laws...this is penalty. What is wrong with that? Notto mentuion the amount of money it woiuld save the government not supporting criminals in prison who commit capital offense - if they are truly guilty.

On Elected Officials
We are all currently ruled by God-hating tyrants. Only male Christians (belonging to Doug Wilson's church) should be allowed to hold public office.

If we have God-hating tyrants ruling over us (and we do), then we must recognize that they rule by our invitation. First, our rulers are to be able men. ... The responsibility of civil, ecclesiastical and family leadership is given to men. … [I]t is an embarrassment and a reproach to the men to have women ruling a nation (Is. 3:12).
The men we choose are to fear God. The unregenerate do not fear God by definition (Rom. 3:18).
We are to choose men of truth. … A man who honestly believes erroneous doctrine may be sincere, but he is also deceived.
From this list of qualifications, it is apparent that, biblically, it is only professing Christians who are qualified to hold public office. (5)

Wilson is correct. That is what the bible is saying. IO don't think he is saying that only members of his own local church should lead the county, but Christians who are going to follow god no matter what should lead and I agree. The fear I sense here is that women will not have positions of leadership at all. This isn't true. We have proof that there were woman leaders in the first century churches.

On Disobedient Children You can't just kill your son for being disobedient. You have to bring a son that is "worthy of death" before the elders of the church (Doug Wilson's church) and have them kill him for for you.

[A] father may (and must) discipline his son, but he may not exercise capital punishment against him on his own authority. Instead, he must bring a son worthy of death to the elders of the city, who are charged with applying the civil penalty (Prov. 13:24; Deut. 21:18-21). (6)

Is this writer actually suggesting  that Wilson thinks that his church should execute children? Let's be honest. Wilson is only saying the Bible is correct. And let us also face facts if parents discipilined their children few if any would get to that point to need to be executed - meaning that they have become a danger to society.

Wilson is right

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

Atheism is Dead: The God Delusion is an Amusing Book

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Mariano has written a great thoughtful post about Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion.

Atheism is Dead: The God Delusion is an Amusing Book

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Archaeological Evidence for David and Solomon

Dr Claude Mariottini wrote a great a post about an article about the archaeological evidence of kings David's and Solomon's existences. The Tel Dan Stele (pictured on the left)  is actual evidence that David existed.

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Archaeological Evidence for David and Solomon

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: Will the Third Temple Be Built Next Year?

Dr.Mariottini has posted a news item from Israel Today. I never heard of this before. The story is:

According to a centuries-old rabbinical prophecy that appears to be coming true, on March 16, 2010, Israel will begin construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem.
During the 18th century, the Vilna Gaon, a respected rabbinical authority, prophesied that the Hurva Synagoge in Jerusalem, which was built during his day, would be destroyed and rebuilt twice, and that when the Hurva was completed for the third time, construction on the Third Temple would begin.
The Hurva Synagogue was first destroyed shortly after its initial construction when Muslims demanding the return of loans tore it down. The synagogue was rebuilt a hundred years later and became the most important Jewish house of worship in the Holy Land, only be blown to pieces by Jordanian troops during Israel's 1948 War of Independence.
In 2001, Israel finally decided to rebuild the landmark, which today stands in the center of the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem's Old City. The building is scheduled to be completed and the Hurva Synagogue dedicated for the third time on March 15 of next year.

I'm not so willing to dismiss the story out of hand. I mean I still think god talks to us through prophets. A true prophet is 100% right all the time when they art talking for God. Vilna Gaon was right about the Hurva Synagoge and I doubt that it is coincidental. Well looks like we'll see next year if construction begins on the 3rd Temple.I have heard that materials for the temple have already been gathered.

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: Will the Third Temple Be Built Next Year?

Kant's 'Critique of Aesthetic Judgment' Explained by Superhero Comics in 5 Minutes

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I found out about a lecture where the speaker used comic book characters to explain the work of philosopher Immanuel Kant.

"Reading Comics" author and ComicsAlliance contributor Douglas Wolk recently got on stage at the Ignite Portland 7 conference (where speakers get 5 minutes and 20 slides to to say whatever they want) and explained the "Critique of Aesthetic Judgment" by Immanuel Kant -- using superhero comics.

Anyone who has ever tried to wade through the nigh-impenetrable writing of Kant -- whom Wolk calls "one of the worst writers of all time" -- will appreciate this lucid and funny breakdown of the basic principles using Starro, "All-Star Superman," and adamantium claws.

Kant's 'Critique of Aesthetic Judgment' Explained by Superhero Comics in 5 Minutes

Apologetics 315: Terminology Tuesday: Middle Knowledge

On Apologetic 315's weekly series on Apologetics terminology this week is "Middle knowledge". I've posted a lot on the subject and I have come to the conclusion that it is a crock. It's really a trick so that you can have God's sovereignty and human free will reconciled. I don't think it works at all.

Apologetics 315: Terminology Tuesday: Middle Knowledge

Religion of Comic Book Characters (esp. Super-Heroes)

One of the things I like most about science fiction and superheroes is that they allow us to explore what it means to be human! Comic books, like all great literature and art, cover all the range of human experiences and expression. This includes religion and spirituality. No one can deny that your religion informs your world view. Your world view control how you think and what you do. It's no different for Superman or Spiderman; Wolverine or Batman. Check out the site to see some well-thought out analysis for the religious affiliations of some well known fictional characters. This is a real cool website! They writers of the site gives good reason for coming up with the religious affiliations they are prescribing to the characters. I may do more posts based on some of my favorite characters.

Religion of Comic Book Characters (esp. Super-Heroes)

Apologetics 315: How Do We Know Christianity Is Right? MP3 Audio by J.P. Moreland

Here is a great resource form Apologetics 315. It's a lecture by philosopher J.P. Moreland in which he explains why he know Christianity is true. I like this and agree with his points. They are some of the same points that convinces and convicts me.

Apologetics 315: How Do We Know Christianity Is Right? MP3 Audio by J.P. Moreland

Atheism is Dead: The Most Anti-Religion Book Ever Published

This is a great  post! Mariano describes the most anti-religious book ever  published! I don't want to give it away. Here is a hint:

This “book” is actually a volume which consists of the thoughts of one conceiver and was penned by 40 authors. Thus, the volume actually consists of 66 books.

Atheism is Dead: The Most Anti-Religion Book Ever Published

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Trinity : Who is the Creator, the Life Giver?

Here is Mariano's latest  essay on the Trinity. This time he analyzes what the Bible says about  who the creator is. The Father, the son, and the Holy Spirit are all credited with creation and giving life. You can look at his essay and get a list of scriptures showing this.

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Trinity : Who is the Creator, the Life Giver?

Atheism is Dead: Dawkins’ Debate Delusion

Mariano has a great a post analyzing Richard Dawkins' debates and lack of debates, including quotes about what Dawkins has said about why he does and does not debate.


Atheism is Dead: Dawkins’ Debate Delusion

Truthbomb Apologetics: A Quotable Quote from C.S. Lewis

Chad has posted a great quote from C.S. Lewis.

C.S. Lewis on the importance believing something because it's true:

"Christianity is not a patent medicine. Christianity claims to give an account of facts- to tell you what the real universe is like. Its account of the universe may be true, or it may not, and once the question is really before you, then your natural inquisitiveness must make you want to know the answer. If Christianity is untrue, then no honest man will want to believe it, however, helpful it might be: if it is true, every honest man will want to believe it, even if it gives him no help at all." [1]

I totally agree with Lewis. I love his point. The only response I can have is to believe the Gospel.

Truthbomb Apologetics: A Quotable Quote from C.S. Lewis

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: Defending the Bible: The King James Version

This is an awesome post. I like everything about it. It defends modern translations without denying the importance of the King James Translation. I would suggest that anyone who is interested in this should read The King James Only Controversy by Dr. James White.

In this post Dr. Mariottini is writing a response to an article by Paul Greenberg who give two passages to support an argument that the KJV is a better translation than more modern translations. Mariottini does a great job of explaining why the modern translations render the passages the way they do.

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: Defending the Bible: The King James Version

Iron Sharpens Iron: Ken Silva: The Gurus of the Emergent Church: A Response to the Mysticism & Universalism of Shane Hipps & Rob Bell

This was an exciting episode of Iron Sharpens Iron. Chris interviewed Ken Silva on the emergent church movement and why it's not Biblical. I agree. When the church is saying the same things as the world is saying, we have problems. Jesus is central and as the older Christians say its "Holiness or Hell".

Iron Sharpens Iron: Ken Silva: The Gurus of the Emergent Church: A Response to the Mysticism & Universalism of Shane Hipps & Rob Bell

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Trinity : Who is the First and the Last?

Here is Mariano's next essay on the Trinity. Here he evaluates what the Bible says about who is "first and last". The Bible clearly says the Father and the Son are "the First and the Last." Mariano lists the scriptures to prove it!

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Trinity : Who is the First and the Last?

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: How Willingly Do People Go to Hell?

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Mike Felker has posted a link to an essay by John Piper about how willing people are about going to hell. Piper wrote:

The reason the Bible speaks of people being “thrown” into hell is that no one will willingly go there, once they see what it really is. No one standing on the shore of the lake of fire jumps in. They do not choose it, and they will not want it. They have chosen sin. They have wanted sin. They do not want the punishment. When they come to the shore of this fiery lake, they must be thrown in.

I agree with Piper.We cannot mitigate hell by assuming that people who reject God really understand how horrible hell really is. I have a question. Would people in hell repent of their sins if given a chance? I doubt it. I'm sure that they would leave hell given a chance, but are they willing to submit to God and worship him? Most likely not. That is why the are in hell.

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: How Willingly Do People Go to Hell?

History's Turning Points - 1347 AD The Black Death

Here is a quote from the description for the video.

FOR MORE GREAT DOCUMENTARIES GO TO WWW.THEDOCUMENTARYCENTER.BLOGSPOT.COM THE BLACK DEATH-1347 AD When a plague-ridden ship landed in Venice in 1347, it was immediately put into quarantine...but no one could stop the rats from corning ashore. Within three years, a third of Western Europe's population was dead. It was the greatest calamity in history.

History's Turning Points - 1347 AD The Black Death

Atheism is Dead: The American Humanist Association New Ads, “No God? …No Problem!” Should Read, “No God? …No Business for the AHA!”

Here is another great article about the putrid propaganda set forth by the American Humanist Association. AMA defines the humanist position in its new ads as follows:

Humanism is the ideas that you can be good without a belief in God.

We Christians disagree. You can do go good things without God, but you can't be good or even know what is good without God. The AMA sure likes to lie.

Atheism is Dead: The American Humanist Association New Ads, “No God? …No Problem!” Should Read, “No God? …No Business for the AHA!”

John Onaiyeka & Ann Widdecombe vs Hitchens & Fry Debate Catholicism

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Here is a debate involving Christopher Hitchens. The Querstion being addressed: "Is Roman Catholicism A
Forece for Good in the World?"

At the beginning of the debate, the numbers were:

             Motion: The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world.
For: 678
Against: 1,102
Undecided 346

At the end of the debate, the numbers were:

For: 268
Against: 1,876

I've listened to the debate and while I disagree with many of the theological points of Roman Catholicism I thought that Hitchens and Fry were way too dishonest in how they painted the Catholic Church. And due to the Roman Catholic atrocities and decisions and lack of Biblical foundation and mistakes its way too easy a target. The truth is that this is true about every church. Churches are fallible because people are fallible. he word of God and the Church that Jesus established (spanning the centuries, nations, cultures, denominations, and creeds) is not corruptible, or in danger.

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it". - Matthew 16:18

The "rock" Jesus referred to is Himself  .not Peter. Jesus also said in Matthew 5:18:

"I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

Hitchens & Fry Debate Catholicism | Unreasonable Faith

Charla Nash Interview With Oprah

Recenlty the woman who was attacked and almost killed by a "pet" chimpanzee was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey. It's only a miracle that she lives.  She is extremley disfigured but she hsays she in no pain. You can see 8 minutes of the interviews at the link below


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH6MU7-1Hzw

Iliad Vs Bible

I found an interesting post on the internet where the writer seems to think that the Illiad parallels the Bible way too closely. I decided to write against each point raised. My comments are in blue.

I've been reading - well, listening to the audiobook of while commuting - The Iliad this week. The Biblical parallels are striking, and I'm wondering whether there's really a distinction here at all. Dig it:

* Zeus, son of Cronos, "keeps his gifts to men in two great barrels, one for miseries, one for blessings", and hands them out in response to prayers. Obvious Jehovah/Jesus parallel. When Zeus is in a cranky mood, watch out, he's going to stomp you like the OT Jehovah. Murder In Peckham stuff. But when he's feeling loving, hoo-boy, it's new testament time!

This is an over-simplification of the character of the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible does not relate to people based on just responding to their actions - prayers and sacrifices.  The God of the Bible relates to people on His own terms not ours.

* Zeus/Cronos has a whole bunch of lesser deities in wings and flowing robes wandering around doing his bidding. Now I know you're going to quibble and tell me angels aren't "lesser deities", but if you can distinguish the difference you're doing better than me. Heck, Wtf Are Angels?

Angels are not deities. They are not gods. They do God's bidding. His messengers. They are spirits...not ghosts, but an entirely  different class of being. Equating angels to lesser deities like the Olympian gods shows he knows nothing about what the Bible teaches about angels.

* If you want to receive favors from Zeus, you have to show up to the usual rituals. Sure, they sacrificed goats and bulls rather than donating pocket change, but the priest game is exactly the same.

In the Bible, sacrifices are offered to God to worship Him for who he is not to get anything from Him. He deserves our worship. No way to equate the two.

* Mortals have free will right up until the time Zeus and friends decide to screw around with fate, whereupon the usual gaggle of miracles and melodramas beset the puny humans. As per any other religion it looks a lot more like humans using gods as excuses for natural disasters and diplomatic lapses than it does the deep planning of superhuman intelligences.

The Bible does not teach that we have free will or that God has to do anything we want the way we want Him to do it. The Bible teaches that God has intervened in time to put every human being who has ever lived and will ever lived in the context that will accomplish the purpose He has...not what we want.

More to come, but you get the point. The game's the same, only the players change.

I sure hope he does  better than this.

There's an analogy with the Hindu patheon, too, I think (my ignorance shames me). My limted understanding of the Hindu faith(s) is that there is the cosmic soap-opera style stuff with the extra arms and suprising skin colours and so on, much in the style of the Iliad, but that's really incidental to the serious business of God who is one supereme deity.

I think that is dangerous to think that you can draw really close parallels with classical Hinduism. From what I've studied it just doesn't measure up well. I think you can make a case for Olympian gods paralleling the gods of Egypt because the Greek stole much of their ideas, science, and technology from Egypt. And the Romans got much of their culture from the Greeks.

Interestingly, some classical Greek writers distinguish between the gods and God, too. -- I asked my Latin teacher about this one, and she had said the distinction is something translators typically introduce, but not one present in the original writing. Also note that Zeus is not actually in charge, beyond being the strongest and so first among equals. There are a few powerful Gods - Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo - who are comparable in strength and so will not go up against each other directly, but instead act through deception.

There is no analogy to this in Christianity. God is one being and alone. No one is greater than He. No one can challenge Him.

Contention alert: I'd also suggest that they way many Catholics behave towards the Saints is very similar to the treatment that "minor deities" get in other systems. In fact, some 'local saints' are actually older gods.

I agree with this statement because I know that is how Voodoo and Catholicism coexist in a lot of cultures as well as some South American cultures. This is how a lot cultures were Christianized but that's not  how Christianity as we know it developed but how it has affected other cultures.

Does anyone know how the various Norse gods were supposed to relate to one another? Is Odin (after whom the farm upon which I grew up was named, insignificantly enough) God, while Thor and the rest are merely gods, or what?

Odin and Thor's relationship is close to the relationship of Zeus and say like Apollo - father and son - same as on human standards.

In a nutshell, the ancient greek and ancient norse mythoses are so similar there's no question of their having a common origin. The basic layout of gods is extremely similar - Zeus/Odin, Prometheus/Loki, Apollo/Balder, Hermes/Hermod, and so on. Both explain the origin of the Gods through the lineage of still more fantastic creatures - Gaia and her Titans for the Greeks, and Ymir and his Frost Giants for the Norse.

I don't see how they can be completely common.  Norse gods come from the northern Europe and the Olympians from the Mediterranean.

Odin/Zeus aren't necessarily capital-G God to the lesser gods, but they're certainly the fathers and kings of their respective pantheons. Both are the offspring of the elder Gods, who are themselves the result of intercourse between heaven and earth. Mortals are created by miscegenation, and generally considered either recreational fun or an unfortunate nuisance depending on the gods' moods.

Completely unlike the Bible.

The apparent distinction between these mythoses and the judaic God(s) is the notion that the original creator of the universe, rather than her/his creatures, constructs and is vitally concerned with the affairs of humans. In other words, monotheism. But then we have angels and seraphim and messiahs and devils and so on from the woodwork, and it gets higgledy-piggledy again. --Peter Merel

This is a major distinction. And the Judeo-Christian God is one god - not several - angels and seraphim and messiahs and devils are no where on the same level and they are completely subservient to God. He calls the shots. 

Actually gods mucking around with people's fates isn't really the way Greeks looked at things. Give me some time to come back to this, because there's a very interesting parallel to be made there.

The Bible does say that God is in control of all's fate. There is nothing that He doesn't know. There is a predetermination before the universe is even created. It's not mucking around....He is the source and deserves all praise and worship.

Iliad Vs Bible