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Using Scripture to Interpret Scripture

A few months ago, I posted " Inner Knowledge of the Creator " on another site. Professing atheists often claim to "lack belief" that God exists because there is supposedly no evidence. Christians who play their game and let them judge the Creator of the universe to see if he is worthy of their  worship offer evidences. Those are rejected. Leaving the Word of God out of such a discussion is wrong — in fact, it is sinful. Not only is the evidence for God abundant (Rom. 1:18-23), they have an inner knowledge. Onteora Lake, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen Everyone has what is called general revelation , knowledge about God available to everyone. We are also given special revelation . This is the written Word of God, which obviously goes deeper and shows us the way of salvation. The Bible is the final authority, not the opinions of scoffer and other nay-sayerks. It has been discussed here and elsewhere that to interpret Scripture (as well as refuting scoffers, compromiser...

Atheists Speaking Highly of Christianity

Before we get into the main topic, I need to point out something. People tend to say that someone is honest or intelligent because that person is not antagonistic toward their point of view. Dr. Todd Wood has confused people about his stance on evolution , saying it has "gobs of evidence." Atheists said he is "honest" — implying the rest of us are not. Frankie the Rock (I mean, François de La Rochefoucauld) said, "We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us." Try admiring the intelligence of an opponent sometime. Be honest. Crowd of people, Pixabay / Keith Johnston (modified) Sometimes professing atheists will say good things about the Bible, Christianity, Christians, and so on. They are honestly expressing views that obstreperous atheists would find repugnant. C. Richard Dawkins made a rather startling statement that a Designer is a scientific hypothesis , yet remains an atheist. Also, he said that Christianity is " a bulwark ag...

Evil Reduced by the Creation Worldview

The way someone views the world includes ethics and morality, origins, expectations for the future, and more are contained in their worldviews. Christians who have a biblical worldview believe that it is true from the first verse and are supposed to live accordingly. A materialistic worldview (all that matters is matter, no God exists) does not have a consistent standard of morality . Fish-to-fool evolution is actually a religion to people with these beliefs, so if they cheat and steal, they are being consistent with their worldview. Man thinking by a lake at sunset, Pixabay /  StockSnap Materialists cannot be consistent in their beliefs, because they use logic (which is not material), and use logic in science — but science would be impossible without God ! An evolutionary worldview is prominent in leftist ideologies, past and present. Adherence to a biblical worldview (beginning in Genesis) reduces the evil that is brought by materialism. To read the article that inspired this pos...

Rewriting the Creation Message Affects the Gospel

People may think that evolution is a subject for biologists to discuss and creation is for science-denying theologians and religious fanatics, but those are false characterizations. Origins permeates many areas of our lives. Worldviews determine how we process information. Evolution is materialistic. That is, it is based on the belief that all that exists is matter and there is no God or spirits. It uses gradual, trial-and-error processes over long periods of time. Death is the hero because creatures die so "better" ones can live. The Bible describes the creation of everything in six days — without evolution. Bear Ghat Kill erodes drive, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen When professing Christians try to combine creation and evolution through things like Theistic Evolution, they do violence to the gospel message. In addition, they are saying that they do not believe the Bible, that it does not mean what it says! Why should an unbeliever trust the Bible about salvation through fa...

Blocked from Reality

People who are involved in Christian apologetics ministries (especially biblical creationists) are often ridiculed by atheists as "reality deniers" or with similar epithets. Critics claim the intellectual high ground because they believe reality and Christians do not, but that is posturing — and unwarranted. Everyone has the same facts, but their worldviews dictate how facts are interpreted. When atheists claim that that material things are all that exist and that  is reality, those are just arbitrary assertions. They have no facts. People who believe the Bible can see that atheists are blocked from reality. Gate - You shall not pass, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen Unfortunately, it is not just misotheists who are blocked. Many Christians are being harmed by the denial of the truth and authority of God's written Word. Evolution is a stumbling block for both believers and unbelievers, as people are told that particles-to-pastor evolution is a proven fact. (Indeed, evolutio...

Near-Death Experiences, Materialists, and Christians

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  It seems that people began speaking freely about near-death experiences (NDEs) after the book Life After Life  by Raymond Moody was published in 1975. There are numerous books, documentaries, personal anecdotes and more about NDEs. The subject is also very controversial — especially among scientists. Many experiences are dismissed as the brain having hallucinations at the time of death, but certain experiences are not so easy to reject because of details reported. Most of the accounts of the great beyond are pleasant, but there are some about going to Hell. Climbing stairs to Heaven, Pixabay / Tumisu A large number of natural scientists are materialists — essentially, they are atheists because nothing exists to them except material things such as molecules and atoms. Some tried to find a place in the brain where consciousness or the soul resides (those that admit that such things exist, that is) or try to find other explanations that don't conflict with...

The Stars and Biblical Truth

It is clearly seen in nature that God exists and is the Creator (Romans 1:20), and when we read the Bible, we see that its authors were well aware of his work in creation. Keep watch in your Bible reading for the many references to creation. Further, it is obvious that God likes beauty and order. Indeed, we are living in a world that was wrecked by the Genesis Flood, but it was designed to still  show beauty. When we look up yonder at the stars, we see beauty and order. A bit of astronomy reveals attributes of the Creator. ESA / Hubble & NASA,  Sarajedini  et al  (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Secular scientists keep trying to throw God out of creation with their naturalistic philosophies, but those are incoherent. For that matter, the vaunted Big Bang is being doubted publicly by some scientists  and others admit that they don't understand much about it at all. The heavens show the glory of God, and each star has its own glory. The inco...

No Ultimate Truth, but You are Still Wrong

The philosophy du jour  is postmodernism , which is very nihilistic. Previously, modernism  held to the belief that truth could be found, but postmodernism essentially holds to the claim that there is no ultimate truth. Biblical creationists as well as all Christians are to be ready to share the gospel to anyone, but a person having a philosophy of hopelessness makes it a mite difficult. One reason is that the "no absolute truth" aspect is self-refuting, but people who hold to it do not grasp the absurdity. Postmodern (because I said so) photo taken by Cowboy Bob Sorensen and modified at PhotoSketcher Some people may think that postmodernism fits with atheism, but that is not exactly right. While postmodernism complements the skepticism that is so common in society, but atheism disqualifies itself because they believe they have ultimate truths. Effective evangelism with postmodernism as well as atheism and others needs the examination of a worldview for internal consistency. ...

Blessings and Evidence of the Creator

Recently on X, the service formerly known  as Twitter, I had to deal with vituperation from angry atheists for some of my posts that pointed out flaws in evolution and supported creation science. Such things are expected and common, but seem to be increasing lately. Misotheists seem to have limited original thought, instead using rhetoric and attacks that are common to their group. Instead of dealing with the subject matter, they attack the person who posted it or the authors of the linked material. Then they fustigate the Bible while demanding proof of God's existence. Hedge bindweed photo by Cowboy Bob Sorensen, modified at PhotoFunia There are honest inquirers and there are mockers, and I'll allow that sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference. My guideline is that if someone is blasphemous from the get-go, there's no need to waste time on evidence; evidence is for believers . When I realize I'm being played, I move on. More importantly, evidence for God an...

Free Will and Evolution?

Misotheists often level a complaint about Christianity that there is no free will, sometimes indicating that God is a marionettist pulling our strings. When we sin, he punishes us even though it is not our fault. Admittedly, questions about free will have been debated by Christians for centuries. When such shallow attempts at theology are made by atheists, they conveniently ignore the fact that in their worldview , free will is impossible. Materialists reject the existence of God, so everything — even morality — does not make sense. Modified from image of train tracks merging, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen Some believers in fish-to-fool evolution admit that the logical conclusion of their worldview is that we are all dancing to our chemicals in the pale moonlight. There are some who presuppose evolution believe it provides free will. Debate in their camp ensues. A big problem here is that people do not understand the meaning of free will. We can make choices that are only consiste...

Pain and the Curse in Genesis

A common argument from misotheists against the existence of God is that since there is suffering in the world, God either does not exist or does not care. Some suggest he does not have much power. Christians also wonder why pain exists. God is condemned by unrighteous people to justify their rebellion (Job 40:8), but they do not see things from his perspective. They use prejudicial conjecture and statements without knowledge. Darwinists will say that pain evolved to help organisms survive; keep your fingers out of the fire. Cross and crown of thorns, RGBStock / Adrian van Leen Six days ago, this cowboy had torn meniscus surgery. It's a comparatively minor knee surgery and I went home the same day. It still hurts there and in other parts of the leg. Ibuprofen helps somewhat, but I really don't want to take the prescribed opioid. Naturalism relies on the complex scientific principle of Making Things Up™ because they are working from other conjectures that are also made up. While ...

How to Correctly Answer the Skeptic

When someone claims to be a skeptic , the word can have various meanings. Absolute Skepticism is a philosophy that nothing can be known except for the knowledge that nothing can be known. So how do you know even that is true? More commonly, people are skeptical of news or claims. Healthy skepticism demands support or verification of claims and helps people from being gullible. When it comes to atheists who claim to be skeptics, they usually make it clear that they cannot be convinced about God. Atheists often ridicule God, the Bible, Christians, and so on. These should be considered scoffers and misotheists, since a skeptic (in common usage) will consider evidence. On occasion, an unbeliever will want to have a discussion about evidence for the existence of God. Christians often argue in the worst possible way: Letting the unbeliever dictate the terms of discussion, and when asked to argue "on neutral ground," they are actually admitting that the Bible is wrong! Learn this we...

Faith in Evolution from Nothing, or in Creation from Nothing?

Misotheists and other evolutionists ridicule Bible-believing Christians for saying that God created the universe out of nothing. It is common for them to say that we believe in magic, using a definition of that word that appears to support their charge. However, materialists believe that the universe came from nothing. This is not empirical science even though some cosmogonists claim that it is entirely scientific. Not only do their  views fit the same accusation of magic leveled against us, but they disingenuously redefine nothing  to mean...well, something that is not nothing. Stargazing silhouettes, Pexels / Kendall Hoopes Some Christian compromisers add to the Word of God, inserting the pagan idea that God created everything by using existing materials. Interesting that unbelievers also have nothing but is really something that created the universe. You  can be a part of  Question Evolution Day , no charge, no sign-up! The fact is that God created ex nihilo , whi...

Bad Reasons to be a Creationist

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Biblical creation science is in a special niche of evangelical Christianity, and is not extremely popular. Many people who do follow it are enthusiastic and attentive. Because creation science is more intellectual than other areas that interest professing Christians, many people have little use for it. Take a look at the name: It has Bible, creation, and science. Another name that is commonly used is young-earth creation (YEC), but many of us are using that much less than before because we follow what the Bible teaches, and are not trying to force-fit science into Scripture. Creation, Pixabay / Karin Henseler It seems reasonable to assume that those involved in a smaller area of interest would be glad to have other people join us. Sure, it's great to fellowship with like-minded individuals, but this is not just a religious social club. Someone who identifies as a creationist isn't necessarily a Christian. In fact, there are a few reasons that people shou...

Refuting an Atheist Assault on the Middle Ages

While this post would have been a good fit at one of my other weblogs, the content was in reference to the article featured in " Big Space, Little Planet, and God ." The article featured below has several things that echo my own experiences dealing with professing atheists. Those who read it may remember a previous article was about why God bothers with Earth — and with us. The author mentioned the Middle Ages, and an atheopath decided that he should write to Creation Ministries International and set them straight. It did not go well. Nativity. Birth of Jesus / Giotto di Bondone,  c.1304 - 1306 The first thing worth noting is that the complainant is avoiding the main point of the article and focusing on one area so he could make hay with it. This is something that is a bane of authors and people active on social(ist) media: We try to make a point, then someone zeroes in on something else and hijacks the discussion. Keep in mind that misotheists display traits of narcissism ,...

Sharing the Gospel in Unfriendly Cultures

Sadly, many professing Christians will see that the subject is about evangelism and read very little, or skip it. People are dying and going to Hell, a place of unimaginable torment. Do you care? Jesus commanded his followers to share the gospel of God's love. Paul, Peter and others also emphasized it. Do you care? Evangelism is not just a job for the professionals, but all of us must be ready to share the gospel on some level. It can be done in groups or teams, but we must be able to do it by ourselves, which can be daunting. Outdoor conversation, Unsplash / Priscilla Du Preez Others may laugh, get angry, ridicule us ("Atheists will say mean things about me!") — but what did Jesus endure for us, again? There are ministries to help equip Christians to share the gospel, and creation science ministries exist to help us remove stumbling blocks that others have regarding origins. Of course, it is vitally important for professing Christians to be more than just professing  Chr...

Big Space, Little Planet, and God

It is indeed unfortunate that Christians can have their faith negatively affected by atheists spouting things that sound sciency, but are essentially hooey-laden personal opinions. Although other people make fact-free assertions, most of those are not directed at our faith. One of these speculations involves our place in the universe. When misotheists say things like, "We know the universe is unfathomably huge. Religious people believed it was small, but Earth is actually insignificant. If God exists, he would not care about it, or us." There are several problems with such remarks. ISS above Earth, NASA (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) First of all, it is prejudicial conjecture; the scoffer already suppresses the truth of God (Rom. 1:18-23) and uses this presupposition to spread unbelief. He or she has no logical basis for thinking that the Creator of the universe would not care about us. Next, the claim that people thought the universe was small is errone...

The Problem with God Begins at Creation

Many people claim they have a problem with God, or that God has a problem, because they think he is wicked or incapable. They are making their case from a limited perspective. We are human and God is infinite; the created cannot fully understand the Creator. In addition, people are in rebellion against him. Misotheists pretend God does not exist, then absurdly ridicule Christians who say that there is plenty of evidence for him (Romans 1:18-23). Read or listen more and they are condemning God to justify themselves (Job 40:8). The most common complain is evil in the world. Question mark and big door, Unsplash / Jac Alexandru Of course, things God considers evil are often accepted by these people. They are working from personal preferences and arbitrary standards. There's a prairie schooner-full of speculation, guesswork, uninformed opinions, prejudicial conjecture and all that good stuff used to contemplate and "explain" God. Very disrespectful. How about his point of view...

Lying for the Greater Good

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Many of us with some life experience look back on television, movies, and so on, seeing how moral values were more prevalent in the past. We object to the blatant immorality in modern programming and certain agendas being forced on us. Some of us watch very few modern shows. This is all relative, however. I will use The Andy Griffith Show  for an example. Some Christian values were present, and going to church was mentioned, but there was very little content that had any mention of biblical teachings. Many times, Sheriff Taylor and friends would lie to others. He lied to his son Opie, helped Otis the town drunk deceive his relatives to seem respectable, and more. We cannot expect biblical truth from secular entertainment — and never could. One problem with lying is that it shows disrespect for the other person and takes away his or her ability to choose. Also, in The Andy Griffith Show  (and many others), they lied for what seemed to be a greater g...

God Did Not Use Death to Create

There are some professing Christians that believe God used evolution for his method of creation, but that view is fundamentally flawed. If you study on it, one simple problem with that idea is how we react to suffering and death. While we know that everyone eventually dies, we are not passive about it. Credit: Freeimages /  V Fouche From the standpoint of atheistic naturalism, there is no hope. As I have stated before, my oldest brother had Down Syndrome. He lived much longer than expected, finally passing away at age 64. My father had dementia, Alzheimer's, and (I think) Parkinson's, and didn't know who I was — or who he was — at the end. Not too long after he died, my mother was taken by a malignant glioma. There are many other people I could mention who have lost loved ones and even suffer under conditions right now. However, we have that hope based on promises in the Bible for a grand reunion when everyone will be whole again. According to Scripture, death is an enemy ...