Map of Online Communities [infographic]

What if all of social networking communities were represented as continents on a map, based on the number of members? In 2010, it would have looked like this:

Map of Online Communities [infographic]

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Learning Like Neo? Matrix-Style Learning Might Be Here - Technology - GOOD

Remember in the Matrix movies where characters could learn new skills and information by directly uploading the data directly into their brains? Well it turns out that we are close to achieving such feats.

The researchers were able to "use decoded functional magnetic resonance imaging to induce brain activity patterns to match a previously known target state." In other words, a person seeking to learn a topic would watch a computer screen and have her brain patterns modified to match those of a person who already knows the content or how to do something.

I must admit that I prefer this method - through the visual cortex - instead of a hardware physically jacked into my head.


Learning Like Neo? Matrix-Style Learning Might Be Here - Technology - GOOD

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Answering Muslims: Saudi Arabia Executes another Woman for "Sorcery"

David Wood posted the following video from CNN. I don't condone sorcery but I don't think for a second that beheading a person for it is the way to handle it because we are not living in theocracy and I'm not willing to take the position that it's right to kill someone for something I can't prove. Reading books on sorcery does not mean that one is actually doing witchcraft or sorcery. One of the things that make this wrong is that I seriously doubt that a man would have been prosecuted or executed the same way. In theocratic Israel gender would not have mattered.




Answering Muslims: Saudi Arabia Executes another Woman for "Sorcery"

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Future Learning: David Merrill - YouTube

I totally agree that the best learning experiences are both visual and hands-on. Today in the digital age we can have both.




Future Learning: David Merrill - YouTube

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Did the Umayyads change the Qur'an? - YouTube

David Wood has posted another great video from L'Orientalist on his blog 

Muslims tell us that the Qur'an has been perfectly preserved. Oddly enough, there isn't a shred of evidence for this preposterous claim. Indeed, a brief examination of the history of the Qur'an reveals significant changes to the text. In this video, L'Orientalist shows that changes were taking place even after Uthman produced his revised, standardized edition of the Qur'an.

Answering Muslims - Did the Umayyads Change the Qur'an? 
Did the Umayyads change the Qur'an? - YouTube

Obama '60 Minutes' Interview: GOP Presidential Candidates' Core Philosophy Is The Same (VIDEO)

Image by jamesomalley via Flickr

Obama '60 Minutes' Interview: GOP Presidential Candidates' Core Philosophy Is The Same (VIDEO)

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Obama’s War on Religion | Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament

Image via Wikipedia

Dr Claude Mariottini has posted some very interesting thoughts about President Obama's record on protecting religion in the United States during his term. I think it's worth reading. However I think we might be saying the same thing about anyone who had been elected in 2008, given the current political climate going against traditional Christianity.


Obama’s War on Religion | Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament

Michael Voris, Diaa Mohamed, and Bart Ehrman on Thursday's DL

Since some readers of this blog seem to be clueless about what scholarly critiques look like, take a lesson from Dr James White and notice how an expert deftly handles not just the Word of God but also a variety of different subjects.




Michael Voris, Diaa Mohamed, and Bart Ehrman on Thursday's DL

23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health? - YouTube

Dr. Mike Evans gives a good lecture on health!




23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health? - YouTube

Leibniz on the Universe and its Author - Apologetics 315

Brian Auten posted the following quote from one of my favorite historical persons!

"...if we could sufficiently understand the order of the universe, we should find that it exceeds all the desires of the wisest men, and that it is impossible to make it better than it is, not only as a whole and in general but also for ourselves in particular, if we are attached, as we ought to be, to the Author of all, not only as to the architect and efficient cause of our being, but as to our master and to the final cause, which ought to be the whole aim of our will, and which can alone make our happiness."

- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, The Monadology, 1714 (more here)

Leibniz on the Universe and its Author - Apologetics 315

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Draculatheism - National Messianic Jewish | Examiner.com

Mariano Grinbank has written a great post pointing out how the 1992 movie Bram Stoker's Dracula is a good metaphor for atheism. Take a look:

Draculatheism - National Messianic Jewish | Examiner.com

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He Lives: Bad to Worse

I really enjoy Dr David Heddle's blog. In this post he takes both Dr Richard Carrier and John Loftus to task.

I see why such thoughts as Loftus' are "free." Carrier and Loftus are among your best and brightest? Sucks to be you.

Read the post at the link to see why he would write that.

He Lives: Bad to Worse

Answering Muslims: You are getting sleepier and sleepier . . .

This video raises questions that we should at least begin to ask





Answering Muslims: You are getting sleepier and sleepier . . .

The Top 7 Things You Can't Do as a Moral Relativist - Apologetics 315

About half a week ago, Brian Auten posted a great article pointing to what moral relativism is. He summarizes 7 things that a Moral Relativist can't do and be consistent. Here is a list.

Things You Can't Do as a Moral Relativist:

1. Relativists Can’t Accuse Others of Wrong-Doing
2. Relativists Can’t Complain About the Problem of Evil
3. Relativists Can’t Place Blame or Accept Praise
4. Relativists Can’t Claim Anything Is Unfair or Unjust
5. Relativists Can’t Improve Their Morality
6. Relativists Can’t Hold Meaningful Moral Discussions
7. Relativists Can’t Promote the Obligation of Tolerance

Bonus #8: Stephen Meyer, in the TrueU video series (which is excellent for group study), lists a couple more. Edit: Meyer's number 8 is: Relativists can’t complain about the problem of evil. But his number 2 is: The relativist can't complain about being mistreated.

As an added bonus, Brian even adds links to further resources. The really interesting thing about this list is that moral relativist still do it anyway and most miss the inconsistency in their own position. Follow the link to read Brian's article.

The Top 7 Things You Can't Do as a Moral Relativist - Apologetics 315

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War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds

A Guide To The World’s Electrical Outlets [Pic]

A Guide To The World’s Electrical Outlets [Pic]

Gospels and Acts as History by Timothy McGrew - Apologetics 315

Brian Auten just posted a lecture by Dr Timothy McGrew on the reliability of the New Testament. He explains why we should take the Gospels and Acts as Historical and not fiction. Brian posted Dr McGrew's lecture in Video format, MP3, and even the powerpoints! Follow the link to Apologetics 315 to get your hands on this information!

Gospels and Acts as History by Timothy McGrew - Apologetics 315

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OK, How Many Lies Can You Pack into One Video? Ask Michael Voris!

Dr. James White posted the following video and comments today on his blog.




You can read his comments on the video at the following link

OK, How Many Lies Can You Pack into One Video? Ask Michael Voris!

He responded to this video on today's Dividing Line. You can hear that at the following link.

Today on the Dividing Line: Michael Voris and 40,000 Denominations, Ehrman, Diaa Mohamed

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Darth Vader's Greatest Speech Ever Made - YouTube

Okay. This was beautifully done!!!

In his final moments, Anakin Skywalker recalls the days of The Clone Wars in the arms of his son.

A visual representation of Charlie Chaplin's famous speech from 'The Dictator' put into the Star Wars universe.
--------
Speech and audio taken from: http://youtu.be/qLci5DoZqHU

Music by Hans Zimmer

Darth Vader's Greatest Speech Ever Made - YouTube

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Bring it::Question Evolution! Campaign

It's an amazing thing how people like to claim that they are free thinking and approach everything with "healthy" skepticism yet still willing to claim that macro evolution is an undisputed fact. Part of science is questioning all conclusions and presuppositions - testing them to see what is true. I think a good example is how for a hundred years it was considered a fact that the speed of light is constant in all reference frames, but now it's being called into question and researched more. I see nothing wrong with that, although I think we will still find that it is constant, but it doesn't hurt to look. Why is it so bad to question evolution? Why wouldn't you want to make sure it's correct? I mean if it's true, more research can only confirm it. Mariano has pointed to me to two links to web resources that brings up such questions and invite others to do the same. The first one can be found at

Question Evolution! Campaign

Use this link to find out all about the campaign. The campaign was also written up in an article over at Creation Ministries International. You follow this link to read it.
The article even has a list of questions that are being considered problematic to the theory of evolution.

15 Questions summary

Note to would-be evolution defenders: please read the full brochure and linked articles before attempting to answer the questions, otherwise you will likely be wasting your time boxing at shadows.

1. How did life with specifications for hundreds of proteins originate just by chemistry without intelligent design?
2. How did the DNA code originate?
3. How could copying errors (mutations) create 3 billion letters of DNA instructions to change a microbe into a microbiologist?
4. Why is natural selection taught as ‘evolution’ as if it explains the origin of the diversity of life?
5. How did new biochemical pathways, which involve multiple enzymes working together in sequence, originate?
6. Living things look like they were designed, so how do evolutionists know that they were not designed?
7. How did multi-cellular life originate?
8. How did sex originate?
9. Why are the (expected) countless millions of transitional fossils missing?
10. How do ‘living fossils’ remain unchanged over supposed hundreds of millions of years?
11. How did blind chemistry create mind/intelligence, meaning, altruism and morality?
12. Why is evolutionary ‘just-so’ story-telling tolerated as ‘science’?
13. Where are the scientific breakthroughs due to evolution?
14. Why is evolution, a theory about history, taught as if it is the same as the operational science?
15. Why is a fundamentally religious idea, a dogmatic belief system that fails to explain the evidence, taught in science classes?

A lot of proponents of evolution admit that we don't have answers to these but they are confident that we will figure them out. In other words, they punt to faith.

There is even a video to go along with this campaign.




If anyone thinks they can answer these, please do. Bring it if you can.