Evidence for God in Morality Archives

August 5, 2026August 4, 2026

The Courage to Help Someone in Need

Americans are a culture of cowards. We should have the courage to help someone in need. What do we feel when we see a homeless person, or someone on a street corner holding a cardboard sign that says, “Need Food”? Of course, some people make a business of begging and have no real need, but we cannot let that fact keep us from doing what Jesus called His followers to do.

Matthew 9:35-36 tells us: “Jesus went through all the towns and villages …healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” What is your reaction to needs? In Michael Clemen’s book Why Aren’t Christians More Like Jesus, he points out that real Christianity is doing what Jesus would do. James 2:14-26 points out that faith without compassion is useless (verse 20). Our faith must have feet. Going to a building where you sit in a pew once a week is not what being a Christian is about. Clemens calls that “Churchianity.”

Every person we read about in the Bible who was converted to Christ had the courage to help someone in need. In Acts 9, Dorcas was making garments for the needy. In Acts 16, Lydia opened her home for people who needed lodging, including Paul. Throughout the book of Acts, Barnabas was an encourager. Today, the opportunities for service include caring for people who can’t care for themselves, helping care for children, or getting groceries or medicine for a shut-in. If you have the skills, it might be maintaining or repairing a vehicle for someone who can’t afford it. It could even be visiting or using your phone to encourage someone who needs a friend.

A living, dynamic faith is a faith of action. Read James 2:14-26 and be like Christ. Jesus was not a wimp, and neither can His followers be.

July 20, 2026July 19, 2026

Voting in Michigan and Biblical Teaching

We are in a time of voting in Michigan, with various political candidates urging us to vote for them. How does biblical teaching apply to us as we vote? Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). As is always the case, we need to consider who wrote it, to whom, why, and how the original audience would have understood it. In this case, Jesus addressed the “hit men” of the Pharisees, who were trying to trap Him with a question they thought would put Him at odds with the Law of Moses. Jesus says, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?” and then makes the statement about paying taxes. The Jews did not have the right to vote for Roman leaders.

Matthew 22:21 does not describe how we, as Christians, should respond to voting. All over Michigan right now, men and women who believe in God and the Bible as the Word of God are providing information about what is happening in our state. Before voting in Michigan, we need to learn how a candidate would handle the following issues:

1) The Michigan State Board of Education has decided to change the health curriculum guidelines for K-12 to include teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity beginning in grade 4. Classroom time for teaching reading and math is reduced to do this, and the teaching calls for the acceptance of all lifestyle choices as equal. Meanwhile, Michigan has fallen to #44 nationally in reading and math.

2) Some public schools have permitted children to change their gender in secret without parents’ knowledge or permission. Because of that, some schools allow boys who say they are changing their gender to participate in girls’ sports and use girls’ locker rooms and bathrooms.

3) In Michigan, abortion is legal for any reason and at any stage of a pregnancy. Regulations and reporting requirements have been removed from clinics, and the abortion pill now causes 70% of abortions without doctor supervision. Michigan has also stopped regulating the disposal of fetal remains.

How you vote is up to you, but when voting in Michigan or any other state, it is essential to know how a candidate would respond to these and other issues.

Data from “Citizens for Traditional Values” 517-321-1390 ctvmichigan.org

June 12, 2026June 20, 2026

Love Makes Us Vulnerable

Love makes us vulnerable. C.S. Lewis wrote many wonderful books filled with great wisdom. I think Mere Christianity is the greatest, but recently I reread one I hadn’t read in many years. Maturity and life circumstances, particularly losing my wife to cancer, gave me new insight as I read it again. It is The Four Loves, in which Lewis describes four Greek words for love. The Greek language in which the New Testament was written was much more precise about the various emotions that English describes with the word “love.”

Lewis says that the Greek “storge” is what we might call “affection.” “Friendship” is the Greek word “philia.” “Eros” is the Greek term for romantic love. But the greatest of the loves, as described in the New Testament, is “agape,” which Lewis describes as “charity.” It is godly love that endures no matter the circumstances. We have written about agape before, so I will not repeat what we have already said. However, in the section on agape, Lewis makes a statement that is worth taking to heart and even memorizing. Here is what he said:

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

The wisdom of C.S. Lewis reminds us that love makes us vulnerable, but failing to love makes our lives “irredeemable.” Take a chance and love as God loved, even those who do not return that love. In doing so, we follow the example of Jesus, and our lives will be richer for it.

May 18, 2026May 16, 2026

Africa’s Massive Size

How big is Africa? With Africa’s massive size, you could overlay the United States, China, India, Eastern Europe, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Japan on top of Africa with no overlap among the countries.

Many misunderstandings stem from the way maps are drawn. Mercator maps, which we are familiar with, show the United States as a very large landmass, and we know it has many natural resources. How blessed Africa is in terms of natural resources remains unknown because of Africa’s huge size and human exploitation. Wars have been fought over much smaller areas of land.

The implications of Africa’s massive size are enormous, with the greatest being an abundance of natural resources along with an abundance of people who need to hear the Gospel. Nearly every element necessary for technology can be found in Africa. However, the exploitation of the people in Africa has prevented the extraction of most of these resources, and many are still unexplored. Human greed has prevented us from using the abundant resources God has provided, but the problem all begins with the exploitation of other humans.

Reference: Skeptical Inquirer, volume 50 #3, pages 52-59

April 15, 2026April 13, 2026

Social Darwinism at Work

The African country of Nigeria is an interesting test case for examining the effects of social Darwinism at work. The root of Nigeria’s problems dates back to the late 19th century, when European countries met and divided up Africa. They were interested in the natural resources available on that continent and in the market opportunities for European products.

Great Britain gained control of what is now Nigeria, created by the amalgamation of some Islamic states into what became northern Nigeria. Some parts of the country were put under the control of Christians, but northern Nigeria was handed over to agnostics who believed in Darwinian evolution. The British government appointed Sir Frederick Lugard as governor of northern Nigeria in 1912. Lugard placed the leadership in the hands of radical and violent Islamists known as the Fulani, who were known for terrorizing and pillaging the peaceful Christian villages.

Frederick Lugard was not a fan of Islam, but with his Darwinian view, he felt that the Fulani were more evolved than the darker-skinned natives. He considered their lighter skin color to indicate they were farther up the ladder of evolution and therefore closer to the white race. This attitude was in keeping with that of Charles Darwin. Lugard’s wife, Flora, shared his opinion and compared black people to animals that needed to be managed as livestock.

While social Darwinism at work was destroying northern Nigeria, areas of Nigeria under Christian control prospered. In those areas, Africans held key positions in the administration not because of the shade of their skin but because of their skills. Christian missionaries had free access to establish schools and to promote modern agricultural and business practices.

In Nigeria, we have seen over many years the results of social Darwinism at work. Religious violence and persecution have resulted in more Christians being killed in Nigeria than in all other countries combined. A radical Islamic group called Boko Haram aims to establish Nigeria as an Islamic state. Since 1999, the Muslim-dominated northern Nigerian states have implemented strict Sharia law.

We can place the blame for Nigeria’s disorder on religious conflict between Muslims and Christians, but it really goes back to social Darwinism at work. As Christians, we believe, as the Bible teaches, that all people are created in God’s image and therefore equal and deserving of our respect. Evolution teaches the struggle for survival in which the strong dominate and even destroy the weak. Those who follow the teaching of Christ protect the weak, defend the oppressed, and care for the sick. Which of those philosophies creates a better country and a better world?

Reference: “The Nigerian Experiment” by Amanda Witt on salvomag.com

For more on this, read Darwin Comes to Africa by Olufemi Oluniyi

April 13, 2026April 11, 2026

Purpose in Life and Euthanasia

One of the greatest challenges in life is to know why we exist. For Christians, our existence has a clear purpose. The book of Job offers a clear picture of the war between good and evil, and Jesus Christ taught His followers that they would be active soldiers in that war. Ephesians 6:12 tells Christians, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 3:10 tells us that championing this struggle is the Church’s purpose. As a Christian, I can tell you that I have a purpose in life, and that makes my life full of meaning.

So, how do atheists explain their purpose for existing? For the young college student who is at the top of their game, the answer may be to enjoy the “survival of the fittest.” What is the answer for those who are not the “fittest”?

Noelia Castillo was a 25-year-old woman who ended her life against the wishes of her family, the Catholic Church, and the Spanish government. She spent her teenage years in a state-run foster care facility. She was sexually assaulted multiple times, including a gang rape, after which she jumped from a 5th-floor window, leaving her a paraplegic. She ended her life under a Spanish law that was intended for the elderly. Intellectuals are now debating what purpose in life she could have had.

Philosophers and psychologists can argue all they want, but the fact is, as a Christian, Noelia COULD have had a great purpose in life. How many young women in Spain have been raped or gang raped, and need to know that they can recover from that horror by someone who has been there? What influence could she have had on the Catholic Church?

In America, the debate is centered on “death with dignity.” Unless we present a purpose for living in the debate, we will never reach a real consensus. Your author is 88 years old and has his share of pain. To end my life prematurely would destroy a time in my life when I can uniquely speak to younger people about why their lives can be full of meaning. The key is to use the tools God has given all humans to make this world a better place in which to live.

Reference: The Week magazine, April 10, 2026, page 15.

March 23, 2026March 22, 2026

Knee Joint Design in Humans

One common criticism used by atheists against the existence of God is the so-called “poor design” of the human body. They criticize many areas, with the knee joint often being a focal point. In reality, a healthy knee joint has an impressive range of motion and can last for decades without significant wear. No human-engineered prosthetic knee can match this longevity. Even with the best available materials, all prosthetic knees tend to show signs of wear after just a few years.

One of the leading critics of the human body’s design is Nathan H. Lents, a scientist, author, and professor affiliated with the City University of New York (CUNY). He is especially critical of the knee joint. As an advocate for human evolution, he claims, “The problem is due to incomplete adaptation.” He states, “The anatomical adaptation to upright walking never quite finished in humans. We have several defects that are the result of the failure to complete the process… The ACL is vulnerable to tearing in humans because our upright bipedal posture forces it to endure much more strain than it is designed to.” It’s interesting that he used the word “designed,” even though he does not believe it was designed. He believes it simply evolved through natural selection acting on random mutations.

The truth is, the human knee functions as what engineers call a floating joint because it has no fixed center of rotation — it is free to rotate and roll. It is stabilized by ligaments, including the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). These ligaments work together with the femur and tibia to form a four-bar linkage mechanism. Professor Lents refers to people tearing the ACLs. However, the ACL is not a bad design. Injuries to it are uncommon in everyday life but are more frequent in high-impact sports such as soccer and ski jumping. Sports like tennis or skating generally do not pose a significant risk to the ACL.

Being overweight is another common factor contributing to knee problems. In the United States, more than two-thirds of adults are overweight, and one in three is obese. Just ten extra pounds of weight can add approximately sixty pounds of force to each knee during running. Obese individuals are twenty times more likely to require a knee replacement than those who are not overweight.

In reality, the knee joint is an ingenious design, as you can see in the illustration. Engineer Stuart Burgess explores this in detail in his excellent book, Ultimate Engineering. Many who view the human body as a product of evolution assume it is poorly designed without understanding the facts. God has created the human body with many remarkable engineering features, including our knee joints. Truly, ultimate engineering requires an Ultimate Engineer.

March 19, 2026March 18, 2026

Impact of Marijuana on Neurological Development

Widespread marijuana use in the Western world has not been around long enough for its effects to be fully understood. Alcohol has been used much longer, and its destructive effects are well-documented. We are concerned about the impact of marijuana on neurological development in youth. Your author lives in a marijuana hub. Currently, in Buchanan and Niles, Michigan, there are 26 marijuana shops of various kinds. We see license plates from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin belonging to those purchasing marijuana and vape products.

Scientific data on the long-term effects of marijuana are starting to emerge. A recent study tracked the marijuana use of 460,000 young people in California from early adolescence until age 25. It revealed a significant impact of marijuana on neurological development. Thirty-three percent of users developed depression, and twenty-five percent needed treatment for anxiety. Compared to non-users, teens who used marijuana had much higher rates of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Dr. Lynn Silver, a pediatrician at the Public Health Institute, explains that marijuana significantly affects brain receptors, and she hopes their study will encourage kids to think twice before they vape or eat a gummy. She states, “With legalization, we’ve had a tremendous wave of the perception of marijuana as a safe, natural product to treat your stress with. That is simply not true.”

First Corinthians 3:16 says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God has His home in you? If anybody desecrates the temple of God, God will bring them to ruin, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” We see this principle playing out today in the impact of marijuana on neurological development in young people.

References: The Week for March 20, 2026, page 21, cedclinic.com, and healthday.com

March 13, 2026March 11, 2026

Birding and the Brain

An article in New Scientist suggests that birdwatching may change brain structure and help protect against brain aging. Researchers at Canada’s York University studied 48 people whose hobby was birdwatching. Although they all shared an interest in birding, half were experts, and half were novices. The researchers found an interesting link between birding and the brain.

For the test, the researchers selected 18 bird species that looked somewhat similar. They showed each birder a picture of a bird for less than four seconds. Ten seconds later, they asked them to identify that bird species from four images of similar-looking birds.

Of course, the experts outperformed the novices at identifying the birds. They also showed increased brain activity in three areas. These areas of the brain are involved in object identification, visual processing, and attention/working memory. Birding involves all of those brain functions. The researchers concluded that “building expertise in birding reshapes the brain.” The test group ranged in age from 22 to 79. With age, our brain’s structural complexity and organization tend to decline, and the study showed that the decline was less pronounced in the expert birders.

What can we learn from this research on birding and the brain? It could be that those expert birdwatchers already had structural brain differences before they started birding. However, it supports the idea that maintaining brain activity helps to reduce the effects of aging on the brain. It also suggests that other activities or hobbies that use similar skills might also slow brain aging. The skills required for birding involve attention, memory, and sensory integration. Other activities involving similar skills could have the same positive effect on our brains.

We have often heard it said that if you don’t use it, you will lose it. That is true for physical abilities, and it is also true for brain-related activities. Being physically and mentally active helps to keep us healthy and sharp. I believe this principle can also apply morally. Living a life of good moral behavior and following the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5-7 and elsewhere in the New Testament can make us morally strong and prepared to face the temptations of daily life. Reading and meditating on the Bible, like birding, involves attention, memory, and sensory integration.

Reference: New Scientist magazine, February 2026, and online.