Good morning friends,
Happy Leap Day! What are you going to do with your extra 24 hours?
Quote of the week:
According to geneticist Michael Denton, even the smallest bacterial cell, which weighs less than a trillionth of a gram, is “a veritable microminiaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery, made up altogether of 100 thousand million atoms, far more complicated than any machine built by man and absolutely without parallel in the non-living world.” – Is God Just a Human Invention and Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists
Now, here are your weekly links:
- Loopholes in the evolutionary theory of the origin of life – Dr Sarfati, a Ph.D. chemist, explores some of the most-cited ‘explanations’ of biochemical evolution, and shows how they point to a Creator, not ‘time and chance’.: https://creation.com/loopholes-in-the-evolutionary-theory-of-the-origin-of-life-summary
- Does the Miller-Urey experiment explain how life originated on Earth? | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2024/02/24/does-the-miller-urey-experiment-tell-us-anything-about-how-life-originated-on-earth-3/
- What About God of the Gaps? | CrossExamined.org – If you present the cosmological or design arguments to skeptics at least a few times, it’s extremely likely that you’ll hear the words “That’s a ‘God of the gaps’ argument.” This objection is rooted in the idea that because a number of things throughout human history have been wrongly attributed to the supernatural activity of God or gods, we can now safely dismiss God as a cause behind anything else we observe. These previous misfires include primitive myths like lightning bolts being signs from Zeus and Thor to the universally admired Isaac Newton positing God as a mechanic to straighten out errant orbits. We later learned that lightning has to do with electrical qualities, while wobbly orbits turned out to be the result of other bodies in orbit around the sun: https://crossexamined.org/what-about-god-of-the-gaps/
- 3 More Logical Fallacies to Avoid (and How to Tell When Someone Else is Committing Them) – Apologetics for the Church: https://apolotheo.wordpress.com/2018/09/24/3-more-logical-fallacies-to-avoid/
- 4 Reasons Why Christianity is True – Discover the Compelling Evidence: https://notashamedofthegospel.com/apologetics/4-reasons-christianity-true/
- Twenty good arguments for Christianity: https://pjsaunders.blogspot.com/2013/01/twenty-good-arguments-for-christianity.html
- Young Christians are leaving the church – Here’s why – A 2018 Pew Research Center Report polled a growing group in America: “religious nones.” This group describes themselves as “nothing in particular” when asked if they identify with a specific religious group. The vast majority are ex-Christians, and most are under the age of 35. Pew asked a representative sample of these “religious nones” why they now reject any religious affiliation and provided respondents with six possible responses.: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/young-christians-are-leaving-the-church-heres-why
- 5 Terrible Reasons Your Kids May Think They Can Outgrow Christianity – What on Earth would lead a kid to believe Christianity is something to be outgrown? Unfortunately, I think there are a lot of reasons why this happens, and much of the time it’s rooted in either the lack of effort many parents put into discipling their kids or their lack of direction (i.e., they may be putting in effort, but not the necessary kind of effort given today’s challenges). Here are some reasons that stand out to me: https://natashacrain.com/5-terrible-reasons-your-kids-may-think-they-can-outgrow-christianity/
- Are all sins equally bad? Or are there degrees of severity for different sins? | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2018/09/30/are-all-sins-equally-bad-or-are-there-degrees-of-severity-for-different-sins-3/
- Humans: Purposely Designed – The human body is designed unlike any other creature. Our ability to communicate and understand, to feel emotions, and to think rationally shows that we are created for a purpose-to have a relationship with God.: https://answersingenesis.org/what-is-the-meaning-of-life/humans-purposely-designed/
- What Was the Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?: https://www.str.org/w/what-was-the-sin-of-sodom-and-gomorrah-1
- Episode 091: Masturbation and the Christian – Christian Research Institute – Although masturbation (solo sex) is a nearly universal behavior, it is rarely discussed in the church. However, the increasing support in the media for solo sex as a healthy activity means the church must begin to address it. The moral legitimacy of this behavior has long been debated in Christian circles. To arrive at a biblical conclusion, we need to go beyond prohibitions to consider the positive teaching on sexuality with its profound theological implications. God intends sexuality to teach us what it means to be made in His image and, more importantly, what it means to be in relationship with Him. When we understand the design of biblical sexuality, coupled with the nature of Christian discipleship, it is clear this is not a legitimate sexual activity. The central New Testament passage discussing sexuality in marriage makes clear that the focus of marital intimacy is satisfying my spouse – not my personal pleasure. In this way, our sexuality should reflect the larger call of discipleship to self-denial and love for others.: https://www.equip.org/postmodern-realities/episode-091-masturbation-and-the-christian/
- The Multiplexed Design of Neurons – Reasons to Believe – Researchers from Duke University have discovered that neurons employ time-division multiplexing to transmit multiple electrical signals along a single axon.1 The remarkable similarity between data transmission techniques used by neurons and telecommunication systems and computer networks is provocative. It can also be marshaled to add support to the revitalized Watchmaker argument for God’s existence and role in the origin and design of life.: https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/the-cells-design/the-multiplexed-design-of-neurons
- Letters to a Mormon elder : James R. White : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive – this is just a limited preview, but it gives you an idea what is in the book: https://archive.org/details/letterstomormone00whit/page/n1/mode/2up
- Learning from Academics Who Left Mormonism – J. Warner Wallace – I have six half-brothers and sisters who were raised in the Mormon faith. When I first become interested in Christianity, I investigated the claims of the gospels simultaneous to my investigation of the Book of Mormon. While the gospels passed the test I typically apply to eyewitnesses, the Book of Mormon did not. My journey led me to trust the Jesus of Christianity but reject the Jesus of Mormonism. As a result, I’m interested in the stories of others who have become similarly convinced Mormonism is evidentially false. That’s why a recent book, Leaving Mormonism: Why Four Scholars Changed Their Minds, caught my attention. I had the chance to interview one of it’s authors, Corey Miller, to see what motivated him to write the book.: https://crossexamined.org/learning-academics-left-mormonism/
- America’s Godly Heritage 1 – David Barton.flv – YouTube – Historian, Founder and President David Barton Wallbuilders, talks about Americas Godly Heritage – bulletproof George Washington and so so many inspiring lost American facts. This is just an introduction to the unbelievable forgotten information about our country. He restores your faith and hope in this great land.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pme3o0WimkU&list=PL9A8002C80FA935C5&index=2
- Undying Worm, Undying Men: The Eternal Horrors of Hell | Desiring God: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/undying-worm-undying-men
- Athanasius of Alexandria – Wikipedia – Athanasius I of Alexandria, also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or, among Coptic Christians, Athanasius the Apostolic, was a Christian theologian and the 20th patriarch of Alexandria (as Athanasius I). His intermittent episcopacy spanned 45 years (8 June 328 – 2 May 373), of which over 17 encompassed five exiles, when he was replaced on the order of four different Roman emperors. Athanasius was a Church Father, the chief proponent of Trinitarianism against Arianism, and a noted Egyptian Christian leader of the fourth century.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasius_of_Alexandria
- Should a Christian play video games? | GotQuestions.org – The question is not “Can I play video games?” but “Would video games be the best choice?” Will this edify me, show love to my neighbor, and glorify God? We are to pursue praiseworthy activities, not simply permissible ones. However He leads you, passionately follow Him above all else. Prepare for eternity. Every sacrifice will seem insignificant when we meet Jesus.: https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-video-games.html
- Who Wrote The Gospel Of Luke & Acts? | Reasons for Jesus: https://reasonsforjesus.com/who-wrote-the-gospel-of-luke-acts/
- Can the Bible Be Reliable if It Had Human Authors?: https://www.str.org/w/can-the-bible-be-reliable-if-it-had-human-authors-
- Jesus, Our Substitute – Ligonier – The word vicarious is extremely important to our understanding of the atonement of Christ. The late Swiss theologian Karl Barth once said that, in his judgment, the single most important word in all of the Greek New Testament is the minuscule word huper. This little word is translated by the English phrase “in behalf of.” Barth was clearly engaging in a bit of hyperbole in making this statement, because many words in the New Testament are arguably as important or even more important than huper, but he was simply seeking to call attention to the importance of what is known in theology as the vicarious aspect of the ministry of Jesus.: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/jesus-our-substitute
- William Lane Craig Q&A: If God Knows My Decisions How Do I Have Free Will? – YouTube – If God knows my decisions before I make them, does that mean I am not making free choices? What is Divine Fatalism? What impact does God’s foreknowledge have on decision making? This is a question that Dr William Lane Craig answered during the 2013 Apologetics Canada Conference question and answer period.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7USxGUOefrg
- Self-Discipline Is the Gateway to Christian Maturity – Redeeming Productivity – If you want to grow as a Christian, you must learn discipline. Because self-discipline is the gateway to Christian maturity. In the next article I will talk about how we can practically cultivate self-discipline and dispel some common misunderstandings about it.: https://redeemingproductivity.com/self-discipline-is-the-gateway-to-christian-maturity/
- Powers of Ten (1977) – YouTube – Powers of Ten takes us on an adventure in magnitudes. Starting at a picnic by the lakeside in Chicago, this famous film transports us to the outer edges of the universe. Every ten seconds we view the starting point from ten times farther out until our own galaxy is visible only as a speck of light among many others. Returning to Earth with breathtaking speed, we move inward- into the hand of the sleeping picnicker- with ten times more magnification every ten seconds. Our journey ends inside a proton of a carbon atom within a DNA molecule in a white blood cell.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0
- Ministry Presentation: Doing Outreach and Apologetics on College Campuses in Columbus, Ohio – THINKAPOLOGETICS.COM: https://chab123.wordpress.com/2024/02/28/ministry-presentation-doing-outreach-and-apologetics-on-college-campuses-in-columbus-ohio/
He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “May this never be!” Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone ‘? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” Luke 20:9-18
Blessings to you all