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William Shatner and other Legacies

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Every once in a while, celebrities make remarks about their legacies and the public also gets involved for a spell. Perhaps we all want to be remembered. Most of us want to have a legacy that is kind to us, but others may strive for a legacy of crime and evil. A song by Blue Öyster Cult titled "Goin' through the Motions" has several possible meanings , the most likely being about troubled relationships. It referenced earlier dreadful lyrics , but was a mite touching here: To thee, I dedicate this photograph  I'll even sign it "love to you" again And when it's faded and forgotten in some book You'll sometimes look... A celebrity was important enough to someone to want an autograph, but the singer knew he would be mostly forgotten. Will we forget Bill Shatner? Truth Jabs  by Dan Lietha, used with permission (click for larger) People probably know him from the Star Trek  franchise and hosting The UnXplained  documentary series, am

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

The New Creation of the World

People have been fascinated by ideas about the end of the world almost since it began — maybe Adam and Eve speculated on the subject. People lived for decades in terror of nuclear annihilation, and that specter looms again. NASA tells us why the Mayan prophecy of 2012 was wrong, but they  are incorrect because they speak from a naturalistic paradigm. Some consult the vague stuff of Nostradamus and various fortune tellers, others expect a giant rock from space. All wrong. The world will  end, but not in any way these folks expect. End of the World, Pixabay / Geralt (Gerd Altmann) When people say that the Genesis Flood is just an allegory, point out that Peter referred to the Flood as real when he wrote about the coming Big Bang at the end of the world in 2 Peter 3:5-10. Also, Jesus likened the end to the Flood in Matthew 24:37-39. There is a Judgment coming, and people need to be ready. There are people who think that perhaps the world will not be destroyed and remade, but more like i

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

Christian Students and Advanced Degrees

Some Christians may be reluctant to obtain advanced degrees, and it is possible to see why. The secular science industry has its tendrils in academia and such an environment is predominantly atheistic. Some professors actively seek to destroy the faith of Christian students. The world needs Christians being salt and light in various occupations, especially those in the sciences. Some scientists who are biblical creationists advise, in essence, that creationist students should keep low profiles about their beliefs so they can get the training and graduate. Graduation paper, Pexels / Ekrulila It has been rightly said that evolution makes atheists out of people, and there are people who professed to be Christians who lost their faith at universities. Maneuvering the secular minefield can be scary for Christian students who want to advance in their learning, but it doesn't have to be disastrous for them. Yes, learn what they are teaching — but you don't have to accept fake science.

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 , which is out of nothin

The Word in Creation

People get a mite confused about the Word. The word Word has several meanings, whether in English or usage in the Bible — you have my word on that. Christians refer to the Bible as the Word of God, and Jesus is also identified in the same way. Sometimes it helps to add written  Word when referring to the Bible. What was the apostle doing in John 1:1? Was he assigning a new title to Jesus? After all, we know that Jesus is the Creator (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1;8), and in Genesis, God spoke words when creating. Some of us simply accept it that Jesus is the Word, but there are reasons. John 1, Unsplash / Anthony Garand John affirmed that Jesus is God and the Creator, and it turns out that Scripture refers to the Word as a person in other ways, and he is part of the Trinity. All this links back to Genesis. To determine these things requires knowledge of the original languages, and help can be found by consulting some ancient writings. We don't need to do all that, thankfully

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

Genesis and the Waters Above

Genesis 1:6-8 has caused controversy for a mighty long time, and God is under no obligation to give us a full explanation for everything he says. We try to figure out things with science and theology. Sometimes we are successful, and other times debates continue. Let me say again that models and hypotheses come and go, but biblical creationists hold to the Word of God above all else — as it should be. People often have to delve into the original languages and the contexts of biblical passages. Some sections are very difficult to translate correctly, such as in this subject. ESA / Hubble & NASA, Sarajedini et al (Usage does not imply endorsement of site content) Creation scientists, like secular scientists, debate models and such. F'rinstance, the water vapor canopy over the earth was popular for a few years but was mostly abandoned because of both scientific and theological considerations. It doesn't help that some people believe that Genesis teaches Earth has a solid dom

Biblical Interpretation and Proper Context

When dealing with professing atheists and other religious groups, we expect them to take passages of the Bible out of context. These things can often be refuted quickly by examining the larger context. Sometimes it may require digging into the contexts of history, culture, language, and so on, but not always. (Indeed, most alleged contradictions in the Bible that were refuted by Veritas Domain were based on context tampering.) Some atheists object to our pointing out how they take things out of context, but it happens a great deal. Genesis and reading glasses, FreeDigitalPhotos / Janaka Dharmasena Christians tamper with the context as well. Those who actually believe the Bible probably do not do this intentionally, but it can easily happen. Especially when someone is teaching and mislead his hearers. (James 3:1 has a warning for teachers of God's Word — I reckon those who use bad hermeneutics make the Bible about us are in big trouble.) We should ride up on the hill for the bigger