PZ Myers' Little Twit

I had to smile when I saw that I had made headlines once again on PZ Myers' popular blog. He called me a "loon" and a "little twit."

The amazing loon (pictured) has a habit of catching fish by swimming calmly along the surface and then abruptly plunging into the water. Its name probably comes from an Old English word meaning "awkward person." It is a reference to the loon's poor ability to walk on land.

PZ sure nailed me. I do abruptly plunge into the waters of this dying world to fish for men, and I am certainly awkward doing anything else.

I do think that he missed it though with little "twit." Down-under (where I'm originally from), a "twit" is a pregnant goldfish.

So, it looks like in Myers' eyes I have evolved from The Banana-Man, to a beautiful bird, to a small goldfish. This seems impossible because bananas don't become birds, and then birds don't become fish. Or do they?

Actually, this is an amazing example of the little heard-of "Myer-evolution"—-which is one step beyond Macro-evolution.

Myer-evolution is a new hypothesis—where plants could have perhaps possibly evolved into animals--over millions of years, of course. One powerful example could perhaps be the Venus Flytrap, which opens wide its "mouth" and eats flies for lunch, when it detects them crawling onto its tiny evolving "tongue."

Give it a few million years and the Venus flytrap could perhaps possibly evolve eyes, maybe some legs, and it could walk away looking for lunch, rather than to have to wait for it to come to it. We will call this animal Myerflyerstupidium (see artist's impression).

Expect to see it on the cover of National Geographic and as a fact in children's textbooks real soon.

EDIT: Myer's to Myers'. No correction needed for "Myerflyerstupidium."

Click here to add the title...

The archive that will appear out of the many will be a result of the complexity of being. So it is with archives to date: not a terrible wrong, but a terrible order of wrongs. It should be kept in mind that there is no full complete, symmetry.

An Atheist's near Death Experience

It seems that I have provoked talk of a near-death experience from PZ Myers. In his popular blog he talks about how death's cold hand touched him last summer.

He was having his heart examined by means of a "stress test," when it nearly gave out. He said that it was similar to driving in a car and having the engine suddenly gasp and splutter. He felt utterly helpless. "It was like driving along on your car and suddenly the engine starts to gasp and splutter because it's not getting any fuel, and I felt the same thing you would in such a situation: helpless, because no amount of pumping the gas pedal helps, nor can I will gas to the motor, and betrayed. I rely on that heart, I take it for granted, and there it was, failing me."

It was a very moving testimony, and one that we can all identify with. PZ then says,

"And then I felt myself going. My guts went all watery, and I felt the unpleasantness of nausea with a flabby feeling that no, I wasn't even going to have the strength to vomit. My limbs went all rubbery and limp. I kept sweating — a cold, clammy sweat. There was a roaring whisper in my ears, and all I heard as the doctors milled about was a distant 'waa waa waa' sound. My peripheral vision faded, and it seemed like I was staring down a narrow tunnel. And I was alone."

I took the time to read comments about the post. Hearts were really touched. Some atheists even became teary-eyed, and some spoke of their own near death experiences.

PZ added that he had the thought, "'So this is what dying feels like.' I felt no panic or fear, just a little sad about ceasing to exist, and I thought about the important things in my life."

A "little" sad? Is he kidding? Doesn't he love life? After what he then said about his love for his wife and children...a little sad? I don’t believe it. Thank God that PZ made it through his horrible experience.

After giving such a graphic account he wanted to make sure that the flock didn't panic and stray into theism, so he exhorted:

“... I can tell you that as the darkness descends, there will be no gods or angels rising to judge you. You'll be alone, no matter how crowded the room, and the only judge you'll face is yourself. There will be no authority looking over your shoulder and telling you whether your life was worthy or wasted, and if there were, it's opinion would be irrelevant — all that will matter is that you can look back and find happiness and accomplishment. We live our lives for our life's sake, rather than for illusions about rewards and satisfaction after we're dead."

Here's the big and obvious disconnect. PZ, you didn’t die. You were alive during your whole near-death experience. If you get "near" something, you are not there. Yet. So, I hope you read this next statement slowly, and then think seriously about the claims of the gospel:

"It is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27, italics added for atheists).

A special PS for PZ: Your status with the atheistic community means little (look at how many turned on you when you criticized their "I have no beliefs," etc). What matters is your eternal salvation, and that of your beloved wife and children. That issue is more serious than a heart attack.

RAY COMFORT, DEAD AT 61

I have been thinking about what I would write if I knew that that was going to be tomorrow's "Atheist Central" headline. What would I say to those who believe that God doesn't exist? After some serious thought, here is what I think would be my last words:

Our life is our most precious possession. Yet it's like a small and isolated puddle of water that is quickly evaporating in the heat of a dry desert. Even though we may surround ourselves with people and things to keep us busy, we are alone in this desert called "life."

We are alone with our thoughts and fears. Let me speak to that part of you; that hidden and vulnerable part that you carefully guard.

I would like you to consider one thing; your demise. Nothing else really matters. Please listen to me because in the darkness, there really is light. That is, if you care to look for it.

Death is a part-payment for wages well-earned. It is a due sentence given by Divine Justice that none of us can deny--"But I say unto you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." A morally perfect Creator sees our thoughts, and holds us accountable to that standard.

Look at some more of the Commandments: You shall not steal. You shall not lie, or covet. You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain. You shall have no other gods before me. Their purpose is to show us that we have sinned. Have you kept or violated the moral Law? Have you put other "gods" before Him?—things to whom you have given your affection-—nature, pleasure, people? Have these become your idols.

Be honest with yourself and let your conscience remind you of things you have done, that you knew were morally wrong. Without that knowledge you will never, ever, call upon the mercy of the Judge. It is "knowledge" that causes a dying patient to trust a skillful surgeon who can save him from sure death.

Knowledge is power, and in this case, it has the power to lead to your salvation. It can take you to the One who can save you from death, and from what comes after death--a very real and terrible Hell.

What is sometimes called "saving knowledge" was mentioned by the prophet Hosea, hundreds of years B.C. God said through him, "My people are destroyed though lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). My problem before I came to know God was a lack of knowledge, and it is probably your problem also.

So, to be saved from death and Hell, you must have "knowledge of sin." Do you have it? Did the Law of God get through to you, or did your pride stop it from doing its incredible work? I trust you have been humbled by the Commandments, so that you can appropriate the further knowledge that the gospel brings, knowledge that can save you from death.

The most wonderful truth you will ever hear is that God is rich in mercy. Guilty though we are, He in His great love provided a Savior--One who is able to save His people from their sins. Without Him, sin will be the death of you. It will justly sweep you into Hell. But God became a Man—-Jesus of Nazareth, and took the punishment for our sins upon Himself. He was bruised from our iniquities. God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We broke God's Law (the Ten Commandments) and Jesus paid our fine in full. That means that God can legally dismiss your case. He can commute your death-sentence and let you live.

After He had purchased our salvation, Jesus rose from the dead, destroying death forever, for all that obey Him—-"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:8-9).

So, please, repent today. Confess your sins to God, and then forsake them. Then trust alone in Jesus for your eternal salvation and God will forgive you and give you everlasting life.

So there you have it. Those would be my dying words to you. There would be no arguments about God's existence, and no contentions about speciation or the age of the earth. If you obey the gospel, these things will be seen for what they really are. They will fall away like moths that cling to the sides of the space shuttle as it rises in power towards the heavens. They are insignificant bugs that will be forgotten the moment you come to know Him "whom to know is life eternal." I would add one more important Post Script to my last words: I love you, care about you, and want more than anything else to see you in Heaven. Please don't disappoint me.

Btw. This isn't the first time I have proclaimed my death on this blog. One day I will get it right.

My Atheist Experience

"Hi Ray! You sure did sound pretty stupid this afternoon on the Atheist Experience! Thanks for letting us all know about how your presuppositions completely affect your infantile thinking! I'd love to see you call in again, Ray, that was really entertaining. Thanks for making me laugh so hard at your petty attempts to try and validate a bronze age belief system..." PurityOfEssence

Laughter is good for the soul, and I'm pleased my appearing on "The Atheist Experience" did this atheist's soul some good. I don't know who first said that laughter does us good, but it certainly is backed up by the 3,000 year-old Bronze-age Book...and science is just starting to catch up on that truth.

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones."

Here's what scientists recently discovered:

"Researchers at the University of Maryland found that when 20 healthy volunteers smiled and guffawed while watching the comedy, Kingpin, their blood flow increased by 22 percent, about the same increase caused by aerobic exercise. But when volunteers watched tension-filled scenes from Saving Private Ryan, their blood flow decreased 35 percent.” (The Week magazine, March 25, 2005).

I laughed a little too. Matt and Russell are really nice guys and they certainly gave me a fair shake. I had an enjoyable atheist experience.

PurityOfEssence said, "Thanks for letting us all know about how your presuppositions completely affect your infantile thinking!" I presume that this is someone who has had the atheist experience. I'm not sure what experience an atheist can have, but I'm sure it is subjective, and I'm also sure that those who have had it come to the table to talk about the existence of God, with their own presuppositions.

Before the program, "The Atheist Experience" blogspot said:

"Anticipation for this one has been off the chain. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it in my 12 off-and-on years of being involved with AETV, and I imagine we'll easily have the largest UStream viewership we've ever had. With about 4½ hours to go at the time I'm writing this, already the chat room is packed. By the way, you can stop sending us 'Q for Ray’ questions now. We've gotten literally hundreds of them..."

So I'm a little mystified that more atheists aren't now telling me how much I bombed.

One atheist thought that I lied about transitional forms, and said one of my analogies crashed. A number of others said that I made a fool of myself (nothing new there). Godlesspanther said, "I think all three of you did a great job. The show turned out well, Thank you Ray. Thank you Matt. Thank you Russell." Atheist Arianna Fenton-Ham added, "I wanted to say that I was really pleased to hear that you were going on the show, and I thought the conversation was nice. I liked hearing your perspective -- once you got past all your rhetoric."

More atheists: "I listened to the interview on AE and enjoyed it very much," "I'm glad you called into the show and, while I disagree with most of what you said, it was a good show."

There was even a comment from one of the hosts (Russell): "We had a great time too, Ray, in all sincerity. Thanks for joining, swing by any time you're in Austin. And thanks for the bumper at the end :)."

Someone who called himself "ChemicalWolf" said, "Wow, Ray...Not since the Roman Coliseum has a Christian taken such a spectacular beating. You got DESTROYED!" I wonder if he watched the same program as the rest of us? Or perhaps his name gives us a clue as to why he didn’t see things too clearly.

Maybe the guys on "The Atheist Experience" were too nice. Someone needs to really take me down. It needs to be someone who is extremely eloquent and knowledgeable, and with a sarcastic and cutting tongue...someone who has already publically called me "an ignorant fool," a "flat earther," an "idiot" (on CNN), has mocked me on TV a number of times, and has told university students to rip my writings out of a book. Then again, no one would really like to see the Professor take me down, would they? Silly idea.

P.s. Russell/Matt. If you are ever in Southern California (we are 15 minutes from Disneyland), I would love to buy you lunch.

A COUPLE MORE: "Hello! I'm a long time listener of 'The Atheist Experience' program, and I just listened to the show where you were a call-in guest. I emailed them about this as well-- that was my favorite show they have ever done. I really enjoyed the discussion. I just wanted to say that I hope you consider going on there again. I think it's something that people from both sides of the issue can enjoy listening to. Thanks again, Sara."

"Ray, in response to this post: I greatly enjoyed the discussion today, and I wouldn't characterize it as 'you bombed'. You strongly and earnestly presented and defended your views. Matt and Russel, likewise, responded exactly as I would have, and I admit that I was fist-pumping over some of the responses. I enjoyed the discussion because it was rigorous and thought-provoking and exposed the theological and intellectual underpinnings of both sides. While I am squarely in the AETV column, I think it's fair to say that you aren't getting a torrent of condescending atheists because you really did generate a direct, open, polite, and unexpectedly candid discussion. I think most of us were not expecting that. I would absolutely love to hear you on the show again another day."

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-atheist-experience

One cannot base one's conduct on the idea that everything is determined, because one does not know what has been determined.
SH

The Coming Atheist Debate

"Ray, this is important. The show will occur at 4:30 p.m. central time. So don't try to use the excuse that you mistakenly thought it was 4:30 pacific. It truly is a shame that we have to try to flush out all of the reasons you might come up with to avoid the show so that you can't use them yourself. It's completely necessary, but still a shame." Shawn Phillips

You need not be concerned. When they call, I will pick up the phone. I love this sort of thing and I'm honored to be on.

You may not be aware that I was the one who instigated the ABC Nightline atheist debate, and paid our opponents to show up. I instigated my speaking at American Atheists Inc. National Convention in 2001. My opponent in that case chickened out after I sent him one of my books, and had to be shamed into flying me over. I was the one who offered Richard Dawkins $20,000 for a debate, but was told he didn't debate creationists. Yet he did a debate this month with a creationist on Revelation TV.

I also challenged Bill Maher to a debate on his program in front of his audience (he’s really brave in front of his own crowd). I didn’t hear back from him. I challenged Berkeley University atheists to a debate during the Origin of Species giveaway. They declined.

Most of the atheists on this blog don’t even have the courage to give their real names, as they bravely share their convictions behind the anonymity of their computer screens.

However, I must say that ThunderfOOt not only challenged me to a debate, but showed up by himself at this ministry. God bless him.

By the way, if you are expecting some sort of blood-bath on Sunday, I think you will be disappointed. I like Matt and will treat him with respect, and knowing him, I’m sure it will be mutual. What I would have liked is for the phone lines to be opened up to the public, but from what I understand they don’t have that capability. That would have added some heat.

So I will be waiting for my call on Sunday . . . God willing, of course (James 4:15).

P.s. If you know of any other atheist organizations who would like an interview/debate, just let me know. They are pretty hard to find. There’s a lot of chicken-liver out there.

Picture. Chicken liver.

Blumen

The Atheist Experience

Matt Dillahunty of "The Atheist Experience" contacted me, and has kindly invited me to be a guest on his show this Sunday.

Should Atheists be Stoning Homosexuals?

Atheists often ask why Christians aren’t stoning homosexuals to death "because the Bible tells you to do that!" They are normally adamant that the Scriptures have translation errors, but with certain convenient verses they don't doubt that these are the original unchanged texts.

Most atheists are quick to tell you that Thomas Jefferson was a theist, and not a Christian. But they aren't so quick to tell you that in 1778 Jefferson penned a law that prescribed castration for those that were then called "sodomites." [1].

Jefferson wanted mere castration, but the Virginia Legislature ignored him. They so saw sodomy as such a filthy practice, they continued to prescribe the death penalty. Before 1962, the crime of sodomy was a felony in every state in the U.S., punishable by a long term in prison often with hard labor. [2].

Should we then make the assumption that an atheist from Virginia should therefore push for the death penalty for homosexuals; and that if he's from any other State at least encourage long terms in prison with hard labor, simply because his forefathers did?

However, atheists go one further with their senselessness argument. They expect Christians to instigate the 3,000 year-old civil law of another nation. They do this to try and justify their own sinful lifestyle. These and other senseless arguments are thin bushes, behind which they try and hide from God.

Btw. I love homosexuals and pray that they find everlasting life that is alone offered through the new birth of John chapter 3.

NOTES:
1. Thomas Jefferson, A Bill for Proportioning Crimes and Punishments 1778 Papers 2:492--504 http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendVIIIs10.html
2. The Nation: Margot Canaday, "We Colonials: Sodomy Laws in America ," September 3, 2008 http://www.thenation.com/article/we-colonials-sodomy-laws-america

I have often been criticised for mistakes I have made for which those who have been critical of me have not the balls nor wit themselves to commit.

Atheist Earrings, etc.,--for the Diehard Fundamentalist Atheist

"I suspect that a lot of parole boards look favorably upon ‘getting religion.’ This of course provides an incentive for prisoners to profess some religion. And I doubt that atheist groups are nearly as busy proselytizing in prisons as religious sects are." Steven J.

Atheists are some of the most agressive proselytizers I know. I'm not sure as to why they don't visit prisons. I have spoken in a number, and can say that there is some personal risk, and of course, there is no financial return. That may be the reason.

The many atheists I know are religious zealots, and Richard Dawkins is their number one evangelist. He's spreading the word worldwide--with his fund-producing books, Atheist T-shirts, crocoduck ties, patches, hoodies, bags, buttons, atheist earrings, DVD's, and even evolution necklaces. He does TV interviews, radio interviews, speaks at universities and special dinners, and pushes his message on billboards and on bus signs. He's very busy proselytizing (unless you think he's just in it for the money). I may be wrong, but I don't think he goes into prisons.

Having said that, I believe that it is legitimate to spread the message in which you believe, and to give people tools to do the same. Professor Dawkins wants people to "Come out." I want them to "Come in." The comparison stops there. I don't have his eloquence or persuasive ability.

I like the professor. May God keep him in health so that he continues to courageously speak out against religious hypocrisy. It sure is needed. He is almost as offended by it as I am.

Pic. A Richard Dawkin's necklance, available at http://store.richarddawkins.net/collections/accessories

The Religion of Atheism

"Ray, I know you have heard this before, you fail to understand. Atheism is the antithesis of religion. Perhaps this will help: antithesis | anˈtiθəsis | noun ( pl. -ses |-ˌsēz|) a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else : love is the antithesis of selfishness. By calling atheists religious, you are again lying."

You will also find in the dictionary that one meaning of the word religious is "scrupulously faithful." This is where I believe that atheists are religious. Although most are adamant that they have no beliefs, the opposite is true. Atheists have great faith.

In the face of an incredibly intricate and ordered Nature, they believe that there is no evidence of intelligent design. That takes amazing faith.

They believe the idea of evolution. They believe that there is evidence that proves the theory to be a scientific fact. They also believe the earth is billions of years old, and scoff at anyone who doesn't believe as they do.

Look at Talkorigin's take on the age of the earth:

"The generally accepted age for the Earth and the rest of the solar system is about 4.55 billion years (plus or minus about 1%). This value is derived from several different lines of evidence."

So you can confidently believe that the earth is about 4.55 billion years old, if you have faith in radiometric dating methods.

Let's look briefly at the track record of beliefs about the earth's age. In the late 1700's the earth was believed to be about 75,000 years old.

In 1862, calculations changed that belief to between 20 million and 400 million years. Then it was changed to 56 million years old. In 1897 it went back to 40 million, then later to 80 to 100 million years.

When radiometric dating was invented that changed the belief to between 250 million to 1.3 billion years. In 1927 that was changed again to 1.6 to 3.0 billion years.

However, "modern" dating methods changed the belief once again to around 4.53 to 4.58 billion years. Modern folks tend to forget that all past dating methods were thought around the time they were done, to be "modern."

It time, future "modern" dating methods will no doubt change the date once again, and when that happens, the faithful will believe they have the truth. This is because they have unquestioning faith in what they are told. That's because they are "Faitheists" —the scrupulously faithful followers of the religion of atheism.

By the way; the Federal Bureau of Prisons lists "Atheism" under "Religious Categories." So for those atheists who are brave enough to fess up to their non-beliefs when the law catches up with them, they won't feel alone.

Atheism and the Age of the Earth

"The age of the Earth has been within the same range (two to five billion years) for roughly your entire lifetime. Prior to radiometric dating, of course, no one really knew how old the Earth was (Kelvin's attempt, back in Darwin's day, to argue that it could not be more than 20 million years old was overturned by the discovery of radioactivity). Since then, the range has been narrowed repeatedly, and the margin of uncertainty reduced, from 2 to 5 billion years to 4.5 to 4.6 billion years." Steven J.

Do you have any idea of the time-length of a million years, or of a thousand million years? You speak of billions as though they were a few minutes, tossing them around like a fishmonger tosses fish at a fish market. And then you admit that scientists have changed from two billion to five billion, just in my little lifetime, and expect me to believe that they now have it right.

I don't accuse you of lying when you say that you believe all this stuff, because it's your God-given right to believe anything you wish. But you (in another comment) accuse me of lying when I say that I have no idea of the age of the earth. But I truly don't. Why should I trust what you say or trust the scientists in whom you have so much faith, when they have changed their minds by an incredible variable of 3,000,000,000 years?

Your desire to get far from any thoughts of God (and moral responsibility towards Him), have sent you into a world of blind faith in untrustworthy ever-changing data, and in very fallible man.

In another of your comments you say that I should "correct" misunderstandings of evolution of the average street person. In other words, you want me to join your evolutionary evangelistic team and then spend my time teaching people about the theory. But I don't see these as "misunderstandings." They are ridiculous and unscientific beliefs that turn people from God to a childish and unthinking fable.

I will do no such thing. Instead I will continue to challenge anyone and everyone as to what they believe, and present the truth of Holy Scripture—that God created the world, made male and female--with the amazing ability to reproduce after their own kind. And I will be sure to add that He (in His loving mercy) provided a Savior who defeated death, and that He offers everlasting life to all those who repent and trust in Jesus Christ. That's a fact, not a fable.

A Song Written by Atheists, for Atheists

Atheists now have something to sing, and I like both the tune and the sentiment behind the revealing lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orqBWCOZOGo

I couldn't help but notice that the words don't deny the existence of God. Instead they reveal that atheists are deeply offended by two things. The first is religious hypocrisy; and so they should be. We should all be sickened by those who spill blood as they say "God is great!"

The second offence is God, as revealed in the Bible. The Scriptures tell us that He requires moral accountability, and that rubs the fur the wrong way.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Bible spoke of this. It said, "[That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot" (Romans 8:7, Amplified Bible).

So kudos (praise) to whoever created this excellent song (if you think the song created itself, give the song itself the praise).

Look at how the Bible describes atheists in general. It says that they,

1. Ignore creation—proof of a Creator—leaving them "without excuse."
2. They refuse to thank God for the gift of life.
3. Their thoughts become futile (e.g. the imagination of evolution).
4. They become fools who believe they are intelligent (they profess to represent science).
5. They imagine God as being an unprincipled little old man.

Nailed, by a 2,000 year old book:

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things" (Romans 1:20-23, NKJV).

One other thought. To say that God is "great" is the understatement of eternity. Great just means "large in size or in power." The Hoover Dam is great. But there are no words to describe God because there is nothing by which we might compare Him. The sun is a tiny part of His infinite creation; and looking at its magnificence for just ten seconds will blind you for life.

Compared to its Creator, it is nothing but a snuffed out candle on a very dark night. Yet the atheist compares Him to a nasty little old man. The god that atheists don't believe in, doesn't exist.

An Atheist Interviews Richard Gunther

http://madartlab.com/2011/03/02/ray-comforts-personal-cartoonist/

FYI: The interviewer (nice guy) does ask why Richard isn't acknowledged on "Atheist Central." However, his name is at the top of the blog (has been for years), as well as a link to his own site (at the bottom), and now and then I have Richard as a guest-blogger.

Some of you keep asking why I won't go on "The Atheist Experience" (Matt Dillahunty seems like a nice guy). I would love to go on, but the invite would have to come from them. I often do interviews with atheists, and I enjoy doing them--they have always been polite and respectful.

1000000244

Opinion

If I have a pinion nut in one hand and two pinion nuts in the other hand, then what do I have?
A difference of opinion!

A panda walks into an ice cream shop. The shop owner asks "hey, what can I get ya?" Then the panda says, "I'd like a big scoop of....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................green tea ice cream." The the shop owner says, "okie dokie! but what was up with the big pause?"
"oh these? *holds up paws* i've had these my whole life"

1000000237

The Know-it-all Atheist

"But wisdom is justified of all her children." (Luke 7:35).

You can see the fruit of wisdom by the lives of those who follow it. This godless world is like a know-it-all teenager. He gets a buzz from dope, enjoys sex with his gorgeous girlfriend, loves driving fast cars, and going to wild parties. He lives on the edge, ignoring the wisdom of his parents.

Zoom forward 15 years at his memorial service. He became addicted to coke, got his girlfriend pregnant, had a failed marriage, and ended up killing himself through driving drunk. It happens all the time. You can’t tell anything to a hedonist teenager, who thinks he knows best.

So it is with this world who thinks it knows best. To them, God is the ultimate party-pooper. But look at the trail of godless destruction—suicide, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, STD's, wars, abortion, hatred, greed, corruption, fear, hunger, radiation poisoning, an impending international financial collapse, uncontrollable pollution, sky-rocketing gas prices, and a mass of other consequences of refusing the counsel of God.

The Bible personifies "Wisdom" at the beginning of the Book of Proverbs, and speaks to rebellious humanity:

"Because I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But you have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear comes as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices" (Proverbs 1:24—31).

God forbid that this should happen to this wise-in-its-own-eyes generation. May it wake up and seek God before it does.

EDIT: "abortion" added.

Protestant Atheists

The mass of protest against me for saying that nature "improved" this earth, proves my point. Nature cannot improve anything. However, we know that evolution believes that after the Big Bang, the earth became multifarious--with seasons, clean air, tall trees, and diverse foods, etc., until the planet could sustain life.

As Steven J. rightly said, "Nature isn't trying to make things better (and so can neither succeed nor fail in doing so). Earthquakes and other natural disasters can neither advance nor hinder the goals that nature, evolution, and natural selection do not have. Nothing is an 'improvement' by the standards of impersonal forces of nature."

He is absolutely right. The improvements and diversity of life had nothing to do with nature. Another atheist said, "Ray using the word improvements is wrong; it is subjective. The only constant in nature is that it's changing. Not good, not bad, that is all relative to the individual."

However, as human beings, we aren't like inanimate nature. We have the ability to recognize that a beautiful snow-capped mountain and rich and fertile soil is a vast improvement over lifeless lava. We also know that a cascading waterfall and rolling green grass is a visual improvement on black volcanic upchuck. To say that there have been no improvements in nature (from the beginning) would be disingenuous.

Of course it wasn't nature that gave us these amazing enhancements so that we would breathe, have our feet firmly planted on this earth, enjoy the seasons, and eat of the fruits the soil so wonderfully produces. It was God (see Acts 14:17).

Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, etc., aren't nature doing anything. They are evidences of the Genesis curse. We live in a fallen creation that is also evident by disease, suffering, and death.

And our death will be the damning evidence (the smoking gun) for sinful humanity. It will be the final nail in our coffin. God, the Supreme Judge of the Universe, will have the last word.

Then again, you don't need to wait until death comes to you. Instead of living in atheistic denial, you can have the courage to face it head-on, by trusting in Jesus Christ—"who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." Believe it; appropriate it, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

EDIT: Added "evolution believes that," and "We know that oxygen-impregnated air is an upgrade on no air at all, and gravity is a hefty improvement on a gravity-less earth" removed.

The Atheist's Refrigerator

"Ray, your post, while implicitly admitting that your earlier claim (that atheists in general think that earthquakes are nature making improvements) is false, still claims that some of them think that. Given the diversity of beliefs compatible with 'God does not exist,' you may even be right about that ... but I have never read any such comment by an atheist and think that you should be required to support that assertion." Steven J.

I appreciate that concession. However, it doesn't need "support," because it's axiomatic. My worldview says that we live in a fallen creation, evidenced by earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, hurricanes, suffering and death.

Your worldview says that nothing caused nature, but your "nothing" (according one of your previous comments) is nothing as in "There's nothing in the refrigerator." Meaning that there is something there, but nothing you desire to eat.

So let's pick it up four billion years ago, not too long after the beginning of what surrounds us. It looks nothing like what we have today; nothing but barren molten and lava.

But in time, plates shift through massive earthquakes that lift the earth changing the volcanic landscape into soil, waterfalls, lakes, flowers, and beautiful fruit-bearing trees. Nature is making things better. It is improving and, in time, will even be able to support life, filled with birds, fish, bugs and butterflies, with rolling green hills and pristine snow-capped mountains.

As more time passes, the sea floor explodes as more volcanic activity violently shakes the earth and forms more land, which will also (in time) become fruitful.

Millions of years pass. One day a massive earthquake lifts the sea floor once again, sending a huge tsunami across the earth, clearing it of trees, creatures, and anything in its path. Again, time passes. Grass once again appears, with even more fruit trees, vegetables, dinosaurs, and all sorts of other strange and wonderful animals. Planet earth is being refined, and beginning to look closer to the life-supporting earth as we know it.

Fast forward to Japan in March, 2011. Another massive earthquake sends a huge wave of water across the landscape, once more clearing it of all in its path. But this time it swallows thousands of apes (this is not my worldview), trees, and other structures.

Nature hasn't finished expanding and making improvements. Only time will reveal the amazing advancements of this indifferent thing so often called "mother nature."

The tragedy in Japan that caused such unspeakable misery and death was (according to Darwinian evolution) simply nature...still improving things. You have no other choice but to accept this distasteful conclusion. It is your view of this planet's history, and today is tomorrow's history. Why should anything change, just because it's abhorrent?

You dare not abandon your worldview and concede that we live in a fallen creation--because of the moral implications. But I can see why you gravitate towards your cold definition of "nothing." There is something in the fridge, but for some reason it turns your stomach to even look at it. I strongly suggest that it's not what you see that turns your stomach, but that something is seriously wrong with your godless appetite.

I speak from experience, and know that in our sinful state we don’t "hunger and thirst for righteousness," but rather "drink iniquity like water."

NOTE, EDIT: "molt" to "molten"

My "Misrepresenting" Atheism

"I thought for sure Ray said he would stop misrepresenting atheism a long time ago." DBW

There are no rules with atheism. They have no pope to wave at them and tell them what to do. They don't have an Atheist Bible to instruct them, and so they don't even have a clear agenda as to what they are supposed to be doing.

Some believe that nothing created everything (see sidebar video for a list), while others deny that any say such thing, in spite of the evidence. Some say that they don't know what created everything. Some won't even use the word "created," because it signifies you-know-Who.

Some believe nothing created everything, but that the "nothing" they believe in, wasn't nothing. They think it was something, but not God.

Some say that they "know" that God doesn't exist. Others say that you can't know because you need to be omniscient (like God) to know everything. Some Atheists say that they have no beliefs, while others rightly say that it's lame to say such a thing.

Some atheists admire Richard Dawkins and believe anything he says as though it were gospel, while others don't. They say that he doesn't speak for them. Some think macro evolution and micro evolution are the same thing, when they're not. Others know the difference. Some believe that the rumblings of Nature are Nature making cruel improvements, others don't.

Some Atheists think that they are primates, and some aren't so sure when they think about it. Some think that the earth is eternal, and some know that such a belief is scientifically impossible because of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

The list is never-ending because with "no-rules atheism," anything goes. Their beliefs are so diverse, there's no way anyone could correctly represent them or what they believe, even if they wanted to.

I'm sure you would agree with me when I say that no two human beings can agree on any one thing. This is because human nature has been utterly corrupted by sin. We all think that we are right. Husbands disagree with wives, children with parents, and neighbors fight like cats and dogs. Catholics disagree with other Catholics, Moslems with Moslems, politicians fight each other tooth and nail, and Christians bicker with each other big time.

Despite the confusion in all this, God is faithful to lead you if you are seeking truth. Just open a Bible and humbly pray for His direction.

The Scriptures simplify the whole complexity of contention with this wonderful truth: "He who has the Son, has life" (1 John 5:11-12). It's a light in the darkness of these times. God knows those that love Him and who are His, and that's all that will matter in eternity.

An Atheist's Reminder to Give

"Could Living Waters spare some money for the Japanese Red Cross, or another good charity? I know 'give' isn't your first reaction to tragedy (that would be 'exploit'), but the Japanese people need help, right now, and they're not going to be too concerned about the character of whom it comes from."

Some of you are new to this blog, so I thought I would set a few things straight.

I appreciate this kind reminder from atheists, to support the Japanese. However, I had already sent support through the American Red Cross.

For those of you who keep comparing me to the Westborough Baptist church, I want to point out a few things.

First, I have never said that God sent the recent earthquake and tsunami as some sort of judgment. There are an estimated one million earthquakes each year throughout the earth, so how could I possibly know which are just the earth shaking, or God judging a nation?

Second, it is very clear that the Westborough Baptist church is a hate-filled church. Those who have been with this blog since its conception will tell you that I don't hate atheists.

If I did, why would I give away thousands of dollars-worth of dinner vouchers, send financial help to atheists when asked, make and give away genuine leather jackets and vests to atheists, as well as give away thousands of books—just to atheists?

If I ever have a meal with you, I will be quick to pick up the tab. Ask the Orange County Atheists—40 of them invited me to dinner once. The Westborough Baptists don't do things like that.

Neither do they tell you of God's love and mercy, or preach the cross. If you search this blog you will find hundreds of references to the love of God—and you will find that, almost daily, I plead with you to get right with God. Misguided though you think I am, why would I do that if I didn't care?

The Westborough Baptist church doesn't honor or respect all men. They dishonor our courageous and self-sacrificing soldiers, and our flag. I honor all men and love this country, and I will continue to preach the gospel that was so honored by our godly Founding Fathers.

So go ahead and liken me to these hate-filled folks and say that I'm in this for the money if you wish. But you now do it knowing that it's not true.

http://www.redcross.org/

The Atheist’s Explanation for Killer Quakes

An atheist can't blame God for the earthquake that recently took so many lives in Japan. As much as he would like to, he can't say "God-did-it!" because he thinks there's no evidence for God. Blaming Him for it would make as much sense as his blaming Snow White for a snow storm.

But atheism says that there is a good reason for the 8.9 killer quake and the horrific Tsunami that followed. It is nature making improvements. Everything is getting better. People being crushed to death or drowned in a Tsunami is just part of the work of nature.

Also, cancer, suffering, pain and death are nature improving things through evolutionary change. It was evolution that improved nature when it gave the leap to the frog and the bark to the dog. It gave oxygen enriched air to the lungs, the wings to the bird, and brains to the nerd. It also gifted us with the four seasons, myriads of colorful flowers, the snow-caped mountains, the cool running streams, music, love and laughter. It all started with nothing, and over millions of years, here we are in this wonder called "life." That’s evolution for you...making things better.

So if you have tragically lost loved ones through cancer, atheism says that you will just have to deal with it because it's all working for the good of...well...nature. It's like a beehive, or communism. If you have to be stung to death for the good of the hive, or shot to death for the good of the State, it doesn't really matter because you are nothing more than a very small cog in a big wheel. You are part of a species that will fail to survive. Richard Dawkins was right when he said "Blindness to suffering is an inherent consequence of natural selection. Nature is neither kind nor cruel but indifferent."

If it sounds hopeless and depressing, it is. Evolution has left you as nobody among billions, on a dot of a planet among trillions, waiting around for the pains of life and ultimately death. You don't know where you came from, you don't know what you are doing here, and you don't know what happens after death. But that doesn't matter to an atheist. All that really matters is that you are free to enjoy yourself here and now by throwing yourself into fornication, adultery, pornography or homosexuality. Anything goes, because there is no God and no Hell. Probably.

The Christian world-view is a little different. It says that when there are killer earthquakes, or tornados, or hurricanes that ravage humanity, it's a confirmation that we live in a "fallen" creation (see Genesis 1-3). When cancer kills hundreds of thousands each year, or when a loved one dies, it just confirms the truth that we live in a fallen creation.

It also confirms that God is not the smiling divine butler He's made out to be. He is angry at humanity for all its evil. Disease, pain, suffering and death endorse the biblical account of both man's sin and God's holiness.

Despite our sinful rebellion, God is rich in mercy and will grant everlasting life to all who will repent and trust in the Savior. The cross of Jesus Christ is proof that the most vile of us has great worth in the sight of Almighty God. Jesus took punishment for our sins, and rose from death to save us from Hell. He paid the fine so that we could leave the courtroom; such is the love of God.

So there you have it. You can choose to believe that nothing created everything, that you are no body waiting to die, and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and end up in Hell. Or you can obey the gospel and get right with God, find everlasting life, have a reason for life, and then enjoy "pleasure forevermore."

NOTE: Edits were made after the publication of this post, removing the word "evolution" and "evolving," in reference to earthquakes.

Imposing the Atheist Worldview

"And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. And the Lord said, 'To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; we mourned to you, And you did not weep.' For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by all her children'" (Luke 7:29-35).

I love the way the Bible exposes how modern atheists, just like the religious leaders at the time of Christ, reject the will of God and try to impose their will on others.

Those who accept God's will, will always justify Him, but those who don't, try and justify themselves and religiously try and impose their will on others. The irony meter hits the top when atheists say that God doesn't exist, and in the next God-given breath, accuse Him of genocide, or of encouraging slavery. It is superfluous to say it, but if God doesn't exist He didn’t kill any Canaanites or encourage slavery.

So what does an atheist want from the Christian? He wants him to dance the childish dance of secularism. He wants the Christian to adopt the secular worldview and forget all about Judgment Day, Hell’s existence, Jesus, the cross, and the promise of everlasting life.

Notice how the Scriptures reveal that those who refuse God's will, whine no matter what. They can't be pleased. The modern idiom is "damned if we do, and damned if we don’t." There is no compromise between Christianity and this sin-loving world. We are either living in the kingdom of darkness or the Kingdom of Light.

Those who are in the world hate the light and won't be satisfied until its last flicker goes out, leaving the world in moral darkness. That day is getting close. We have a generation that has given themselves to blasphemy, pornography, fornication, homosexuality, adultery, and every other dark sin their heart desires.

And in darkness they will stay, until the light of what the Bible calls "the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord" exposes their evil deeds and they get their just due. May this world come to its senses, and come to Christ, before that Day.

No Atheists in an Earthquake

Earthquakes have been on my mind recently; not just because of New Zealand and Japan's recent killer quakes, but because I read a first-hand account from a friend who was in the Christchurch when it struck. That frightening account convinced me that the many quakes I had been in were nothing but "tremors."

I live in Southern California, and there is a very real chance that we will get a big one soon. So I have been considering the options, and have come to the conclusion that I won’t be getting under a table. One picture convinced me that the safe place is beside something solid...not under it.

The picture was of one of the two-foot high crushed cars caught under a collapsed San Francisco freeway, after a massive quake. Beside the car was a two-foot high "safe zone." If the driver had known that he could get out and lie beside the car, the odds are he wouldn't have been crushed in it.

Such thoughts make sense, and help me create a plan of survival for the future. Good information is our most precious commodity. It can make us rich, save us pain, and even save our lives in an earthquake. Many people are dead today because they didn’t bother to find out what to do in a quake. Others are no doubt dead because they were given bad information.

I watched the sad figure of Christopher Hitchens talk about his future and the drastic things he is doing to make sure he has one. I also watched him tell an audience that he didn't need ten minutes to disprove God. He got a laugh, but the item didn't make us privy to how he disproved God. My guess is that he didn't. Instead, he more than likely spoke eloquently about hypocrisy, or amputees, or biblical atrocities, slavery, or evolution. None of these things disprove God’s existence, because it can’t be done. No doubt, few in his audience noticed, nor cared. They were there to be entertained and any information about their eternal future wasn't important to them.

However, here's some information I have found to be true, for those who think their eternal is important. Each of us have to face a holy God on the Day of Judgment, whether we believe in Him on not. God has graciously provided a safe zone for those who repent and trust in Jesus. It's now up to you as to whether or not you believe that information, and make provision for the future that counts.

Are Atheists Children of God?

"And if my child continues to deny that I exist, I send him into everlasting torment? Nice chain o' logic there." Jim Delpy

If your child denies that you exist, I think it would be wise to take him to a good child psychiatrist. If you clothed, fed, and educated him, and even gave him his own room, taught him right from wrong, loved him and nurtured him, and he denied that you exist, he certainly needs evaluation or he's just plain rebellious to a point of being really weird. Either way, you should make that trip to the psychiatrist.

Your alluding to God sending His children to Hell is a typical mistake often made by those who profess to be atheists. God never sends His children to Hell. All of them will go to Heaven. However, children of the devil will go to Hell, and that's what the Bible clearly says we are until our sins are forgiven, and we are born into the family of God.

The things that comes so naturally to us—lust, pride, greed, anger, hatred, selfishness, ingratitude, etc., are not attributes of God, but are from the god of this world. Jesus said that he is our father and it's his will we readily do.

The second big mistake atheists make is that they trivialize both sin and God's righteousness. They see little wrong with greed, hatred, lying, anger, lust, pride, envy, ingratitude, stealing, adultery, or the killing of a baby in the womb. This is because until we come to Christ, we are "ignorant" of God’s righteousness. How true that is. We have no idea of what "holiness," or "perfect righteousness" are, but that's what we must face on Judgment Day.

If you lift your hand to strike your dog, there probably won't be any repercussions. Try and hit a police officer and you may go to jail. Try and hit a judge, and you will go to prison. But if you lift your hand to strike the President of the United States, and you will probably be shot before you even get a hand to him.

It's the same crime, but each one has a different punishment, depending on the status of the one whom the crime is against.

Every time you sin, in thought, word, or in deed, you are sinning against a morally prefect and holy God, and at the same time you are "storing up wrath" that will be revealed on Judgment Day. If God gives you justice, you will be damned. You have fair warning, and you may repent and be forgiven because of what Jesus did on the cross.

He took the wrath of the Law of God upon Himself, so that your case could be dismissed. You can be forgiven every sin you have ever committed, if you trust alone in Jesus Christ who died for sinners and rose again on the third day. You are not a child. You are a grown human being, so please give this some mature thought.

A Question for the Thinking Atheist...

I watched a program on the National Geographic channel recently. It documented the hunting down of Nazis who escaped to Argentina after the Second World War. The hunters were passionate to see that justice was done. They didn’t wanted to simply kill the Nazi leaders, they wanted to try them in the criminal court so that justice would be done. The heart of their passion was "You have to pay one day for the crimes you commited."

The question is, "Why?" Why punish anybody for anything? These people committed crimes many years earlier, and punishing them wouldn't bring back any murdered Jews. So what's the big deal with the desire for justice? If you can't give any answer to that question, there's something deeply shallow about you as a person.

Justice is what separates man from the beasts. We are not evolved primates--as evolutionists and atheists would have us believe. It's our intuitive morality that puts us head and shoulders above primates. We crave for justice because we are made in the image of God.

Each of us has an inner knowledge of right and wrong--we also know that we were created by God, despite any fantasies as to the contrary. Con-science means "with knowledge," and with that knowledge is a dread that we are morally responsible to Him. The Bible likens this to light, and says that we stay away from the light in fear of it exposing us for what we are. Criminals. Hell is not just a cuss word, or a place to where we may conveniently send Hitler. It's a reality. That's why each of us needs the Savior. See needGod.com for details.

It all about

impersonal production of a truth which for the most part is total lie.

Atheists Question my Education

A number of atheists want to know details of my education, and have also asked what religious credentials I hold, suspecting that I am unqualified to speak for God.

I was automatically placed in the top class in high school, which meant that I was taught French and other subjects that turned out to have little to do with everyday life. Even then I figured out that students passed exams, not because they were intelligent, but because they had a good memory and could regurgitate crammed knowledge onto a piece of paper. From kindergarten through high school I had 13 years education, and attained "School Certificate."

I left school at 17, began working in a bank, and later started a successful business when I was 20 years old. I came to know the Lord at 22, and began seven years training in a local church, was then ordained as a fulltime pastor and spent 3 ½ years pastoring in Christchurch, New Zealand.

I also preached open air almost daily for 12 years in "Speaker’s Corner" in the heart of our city. During that time I began receiving invitations to speak throughout the country, then overseas and ended up speaking in over a thousand churches from almost every denomination and in many countries.

In 1989, I responded to an invitation to be on pastoral staff at non-denominational Calvary Chapel in Southern California.

So there are my credentials. They're not too impressive, but no one needs credentials or even an education to refute atheism. A child could do it.

ADDENDUM
"Wait a minute is the French Engineer correct, I assumed by School Certificate you meant you Graduated, are you a HS drop out?"

In many countries students don't have a "Graduation." They attain school certificate and leave.

A 13.7 Billion Year old Archive.
Nice!

The Atheist’s Invisible Father

Here's a typical reaction to my question about how the first fish was able to test his new lungs that evolved, over time, under water: "Ray's stupid, erroneous, childish, ignorant imaginings of what the theory of evolution is are designed to make evolution into another creation mythology."

Our resident expert believer did kindly take the time to explain how fish got lungs. Steven J. said, "It would have involved individuals who spent most of their time in the water and, on occasion, ventured briefly onto land (perhaps to seek food, perhaps to escape drying ponds and seek new bodies of water)."

So he believes it wasn’t one fish, but a group of "individuals" (what is commonly call a "population") with gills, that ventured up onto the land to look for food or water, gasped, and then went back to their pond that lacked food and water. They kept repeating that process for the time that was necessary for them to develop genes that produced an offspring that would evolve lungs, and the needed heart--that could deal with the new input of oxygen. This would have taken millions of years.

The key is to believe that all this happens because of "time." Frogs can turn into princes, with the magic kiss of time.

The theist is accused of a thoughtless "God-did-it." For the evolutionary atheist it was a matter of "Father-Time-did-it." He waved his wand, and made the impossible possible.

Of course, an evolutionist wouldn't express the process in such a trite way. For him, time just is. But it's the magic of time that makes lungs and hearts, something we don't know how to do--from nothing, at this point in time.

With all this, I have finally figured out where I stand on this theory. I have no belief in evolution. I have a non-belief in the theory and will I stay that way until someone provides me with real evidence, instead of all this childish conjecture.

One believer did say, "If you insist on 'God did it,' then the question is which God? How do you know? When did God do it? How do you know? How did God do it? How do you know? How can we test a supernatural claim? We can't. Case closed."

They are good questions (and they do have good answers), but the questioner made a one-word mistake as he concluded. He should have written mind closed rather than case closed.

Do Archives or Objects there in - Even if a concept - have an independent, objective reality.

Who Was the Greatest Man--Atheist or theist?

"When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he'" (Luke 7: 24-28).

Who do you think was the greatest man who ever lived. This excludes Jesus of Nazareth--who wasn’t simply born of a woman. He was "only begotten of the Father"). He wasn't of the sinful descent of Adam, as all men and women are, despite the fact that some who think that they are apes and that original predecessor was an ape.

Do you think the greatest man was a scientist, a politician, or perhaps an author? There certainly have been great men; men such as Churchill and Einstein, or Ghandi. But they all fade when compared to a wild man who was clothed in camel’s hair, had a leather belt, ate locusts and wild honey, and shouted at people in a desert. John didn't wear fine clothing, live in luxury or have a great education. He was a prophet. He spoke for God, and Jesus said that not a human being that has even lived was as great as John.

God chose this man when he was still in the womb and set him aside for one purpose--to be a special messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah.

So why don't we see prophets like this in contemporary society, telling us what God requires? Hebrews chapter one tells us:

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they"(Hebrews 1:1-4).

So if you want to know what God requires of you, read the words of Jesus (particularly the Gospel of John). He tells us that He came to suffer and die for the sin of the world and rise on the third day--so that each of us could escape the terror of Hell and have everlasting life. He said, that to enter Heaven, every one of us must be born again. So make sure you not only hear what He says, but that you obey His words of warning.

Philosophomon..?

Please Convert me to Atheistic Evolution

"The fish in the sea evolved lungs before venturing out on land. Judging by fossils, they evolved fins suitable for modification into legs before venturing out on land, perhaps for sculling along the bottom of estuaries or rivers. And quite a few modern fish (e.g. some lungfish, or the infamous 'walking catfish,' etc.) can venture out onto land occasionally, illustrating an intermediate stage between sea dwelling and land dwelling." Steven J.

I'm a skeptic. Actually, my doubts go a little deeper than mere skepticism. I don't believe you. You are the one making the claim--convince me. Make me a believer. Back up your belief with more than conjecture.

Tell me, why and how did a fish needed to evolve lungs before it ventured onto the land? How did it test them to see that they worked? If the first fish died when its lungs didn't work, how did it tell the others what was needed? How did the fish's heart know that there was about to make a radical breathing chnage, so that it could change itself to deal with sudden incoming oxygen?

Which of the 25,000 different types of fish are you talking about? What observable empirical evidence do you have for this happening? Did this fish also evolve legs so that it could move around? Why did it do this when it was still in water? If it evolved legs while on the land, were its lungs fully working as it did this? How long did it lay there without legs before they evolved?

Did both male and female evolve lungs and venture onto the land at the same time? Did they communicate to each other that their lungs were ready for the change from water to air, so that they could make this venture together?

Does it ever enter your wildly inventive mind that God could have created the lungfish as a fish with lungs, or the walking catfish as a catfish that walked?

Your claims are a million times more fantastic (in the truest sense of the word) than just one talking serpent. At least we maintain that the Supernatural was involved. You make no such claim nor do you back it up with reason. That would be okay, but the painful part is that you have so many unquestioning believers. Watch them deride me for my lack of faith. I need light. Convert me.

Picture: Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri)

Cougar fingers...

Up

The Atheist’s Conundrum

This BBC clip talks about a "creature" and an amazing "new form of life." Notice how the commentator says that its designer is "evolving such clever designs."

This humanly designed creature shows the huge problem facing any professing atheist.

Think: how long do you believe that you would have to wait for something like this to design itself, starting from nothing? Such a thought is both humorous and preposterous.

Listen closely as the clearly secular designer talks about the real Designer. Then dare tell me that there's no God (Job 21:3):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSKyHmjyrkA&feature=email

Picture: Theo Jansen

Spray here...

Is Charlie Sheen an Atheist?

Charlie Sheen has been in the news a lot lately--for outbursts of anger, bad relationships, splitting with his publicist, restraining orders, drug and alcohol use, prostitutes, and threatened lawsuits. Lesser actors would give their right arm to be in a continual national spotlight. It seems that to his many fans, Sheen can do no wrong.

Even though he acts as if there is no God, he is not an atheist. He told "Entertainment Tonight" why he believes the Creator exists, saying, "Anybody that doesn't believe in God hasn't looked into the eyes of a child."

These words cleared any fan-base he may have had with American Atheists, Inc., who were greatly insulted. The troubled actor wasn't the only one upsetting the group. Earlier this year they called the "Today Show" and complained about the use of the maxim, "There are no Atheists in foxholes." Apparently they think there are a few.

Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists, explains why Charlie Sheen so offended them: "This statement insults millions of Atheists, Freethinkers and other nonbelievers who raise families and value their children. Imagine if he or some other prominent Hollywood star made a similar statement about Jews, black people or another group." Jews? Blacks? Atheists? I guess they believe there's some connection between ethnicity and their professed non-belief.

I believe that God created little children. I could never believe that any child could be the result of random chance. But I'm not offended by any atheist who thinks otherwise--who looks into the eyes of his child and sees a half-grown ape. I think it's disgusting, insulting, and ridiculous. But he has a God-given right to believe anything he wishes. No apology necessary.

Picture: Charlie Sheen, March 2009, by Angela George at www.flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics

Shotgun a Mutant!

How to Become an Atheist

There are two main hard and fast rules for anyone who would like to become an "atheist." If you are tempted, beware. It's not an easy thing to do.

The first rule is to ignore design in nature. You will see it everywhere; from the planets, to the atoms, to the birds and the bees, to the seasons, to the design of the human body, the design of fish, flowers, fruits, feet, and even fungus. And of course, the amazing-looking human eye. Everywhere you look and everywhere you can't look, you will see design.

Now here's the hard part. Ignore your God-given common sense. Admit that everything man made is man-made, but be uncompromisingly adamant that everything in nature came from nothing, with no Designer. Once you have set aside your acumen to do this, crown yourself as being intelligent. Very. Then find other atheists and they will confirm to you that you are indeed, intelligent.

The second rule is to "believe." This is very important, because if you let doubt in, it will let in fear, and that can be a scary thing when the issue at stake is a place called "Hell."

Believe that you are right in your beliefs. Believe that evolution is indeed true. Believe that it's scientific. Believe that there are no missing links, and believe that Richard Dawkins knows what he is talking about.

Believe that you are an ape, that you are not morally responsible because apes have no moral absolutes. Believe that your conscience was given to you by your parents and society, and not by God (always use a small "g" for God, if possible).

To grow as an atheist, you will need to learn believers' language--phrases like "There is no creation," "Evolution is a proven fact," and the powerful "Flying Spaghetti Monster." Learn the fine art of cutting and pasting, and responding with "Straw man!" That means you won't have to respond to anything challenging.

All this will give perceived intelligence. Never question evolution, and don't think for yourself.

Do these things, and you will be able to call yourself an atheist, or even a "new" atheist. How cool is that! Well, I should say, as much of one as you can be called one. No one can be a true atheist because you need "absolute knowledge" to say that there is no God. So until you are omniscient (like God), you will just have to do with pretending to be one.

Photograph by Manuel Brambila. Click on the eye for design details.