Christian Living Archives - DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

July 26, 2024July 23, 2024

The Cost of Entertainment

Reader’s Digest carried a Forbes report that the cost of a concert ticket for Adele was $1011, and for a Taylor Swift ticket was $958. Those are gate prices, but the cost of entertainment is clear. The message is that people are willing to spend massive amounts of money to be entertained. An article on the same page states that the number of Americans who say they have no close friends has quadrupled in the past 30 years. What message do those numbers give us? We suggest that these two points are related.

Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” As our culture becomes increasingly obsessed with things and pleasure, the cost of entertainment or finding anything meaningful increases. How long does it last if you spend $1000 to be entertained by a talented performer? How much does it help you when you face severe problems in your life? Do you have someone to go to when you need counsel or help?

Evolution tells us that whatever gives life meaning must be what makes us more fit than those around us. That may be true for plant or animal life, but humans have a need far beyond just survival. Being entertained does not meet a human’s psychological, social, or spiritual needs. Those steeped in atheism and naturalism have no place to go and no one to turn to when they have spent all of their resources on being entertained. Having been raised in an atheist family by atheist parents, I can tell you that when I had a child born with severe disabilities (blind, mentally challenged, with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy), my family was of no help at all. It was close friends who came to help me find answers.

I have faced death several times in my life, and being entertained was not on my list of things to spend money on. I have found joy in using the money God has blessed me with to help others who are less fortunate. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).” As the cost of entertainment increases, you can find real, lasting joy in being a friend to others. In fact, it can last for eternity.

Data from Reader’s Digest July/August 2024, page 83

July 19, 2024July 16, 2024

Human Failures of People Who Claim Christianity

This ministry is not affiliated with any denomination of Christianity nor with the Catholic Church. Unchristian actions and teachings of people who claim to be Christians have often catalyzed the growth of atheism and “nones” in America. Our ministry is made up of those who refuse to be part of all human creeds and denominations and rely 100% on the teachings of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible. We focus on evidence for God’s existence and the Bible as the Word of God, not on the human failures of people who claim Christianity.

On July 5, 2024, the Vatican announced the excommunication of Italian archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano for refusing to recognize the authority of Pope Francis. Vigano was the Vatican’s ambassador to the United States from 2011 to 2016. He said that the Pope was a servant of Satan for overlooking corruption in the Catholic Church, such as pedophilia. Getting involved in organized religion’s controversies is not within our work’s mission. Still, the history of Catholicism and the cases of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy shows the human failures of people who claim Christianity but don’t follow the authority of God’s Word.

Atheists, skeptics, and people struggling with their faith need to understand that the human failures of people who claim Christianity have nothing to do with the truth of the Bible. The evidence for God’s existence is vast, and the evidence for the credibility of the Bible is strong. Our videos on doesgodexist.tv demonstrate that evidence. Our free courses on evidence and booklets giving answers to faith challenges are available to anyone disturbed by the hypocrisy and inconsistency of organized religion.

That doesn’t mean we have all the answers. We are just a group of Christians struggling with today’s challenges and trying to serve God. We believe the words of 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the person who belongs to God can be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Please join us in reaching a corrupt and chaotic world with the message of hope.

Reference: The Week magazine for July 19, 2024, page 8, and BBC.com

July 9, 2024July 8, 2024

Negatives of Marijuana Use

We live in Buchanan, Michigan, which some have called “The Marijuana Capitol of the Midwest.” Others have dubbed the town “Bucannabis.” I have lost count of how many marijuana outlets there are between Buchanan and Niles, Michigan, but there must be at least a dozen. It has been interesting to see the proponents pushing the supposed benefits while ignoring the negatives of marijuana use.

It is true that the number of drug arrests in our area hasn’t changed much since the legalization was instituted. However, we see a high percentage of out-of-state license plates on cars at these establishments, so our local data may not be meaningful. Commercial sales of marijuana have exceeded 48 million users in the United States, while medical issues are the most disturbing aspect of the negatives of marijuana use.

Medical information is now available in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the British Medical Journal, and from studies done at Columbia University. We know that cannabis has a very negative influence on the outcomes of pregnancy. Recent studies have linked marijuana to bad health outcomes involving the lungs, hearts, brains, and gonads of users. Smoking weed increases the risk of clogged arteries and heart failure. It has also been linked to chronic bronchitis, and cannabis plants bring metal pollutants such as lead into the user’s bloodstream.

The biblical teaching that our bodies are the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 3:16) tells us the importance of caring for our bodies. That includes not engaging in the use of recreational drugs as we learn the harm they can cause to our bodies. As the negatives of marijuana use become apparent, we see the wisdom of God’s instructions.

Reference: Scientific American for March 2024, pages 20-21.

June 14, 2024June 10, 2024

A Time to Honor Fathers

Father’s Day is celebrated in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and India. In the U.S., Father’s Day began in West Virginia on July 5, 1908, as a one-time commemoration of the death of 360 men which left about 1,000 children fatherless in the worst coal mining accident in U.S. history. Many local communities had their own Father’s Day celebrations, but it did not become a national holiday until 1966. That’s when President Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation designating the third Sunday in June as a time to honor fathers. President Richard Nixon followed that in 1972.

The role of being a father is of great importance to Christians. The Old Testament concept of “Father” was simply an “ancestor.” In the New Testament, the Greek word for father is “pater” and was a title of honor. Ephesians 6:2 tells children, “You must honor your father and mother, which is an important commandment with a promise.” Verse 4 tells fathers, “Do not rouse your children to resentment but bring them up with Christian discipline and instruction.” The teachings of Jesus changed society from matriarchal, where women raised the children, to a system in which fathers take an essential role in child training.

In Philippians 2:22, Paul writes, “But you know that Timothy has proven himself to be like a son in fellowship with his father and has shared my servitude to proclaim the gospel.” In Colossians 3:21, Paul writes, “Fathers, do not fret and harass your children lest their spirit should be broken.” As a public school science teacher, I saw the struggle that kids without fathers had to overcome. Their mothers did their best, but a fatherless child has no father image to relate to. Boys had no example set before them, and girls did not have a valid male image to relate to as they grew up.

Too many men do not have the courage or strength to be a father. Often, a man who has fathered children runs away and leaves the job of raising the child to the mother. As the father of three children, I know how difficult it is to be a father. Father’s Day is a time to honor fathers and reflect on our relationship with God, who wants to be a father to each of us. God desires us to reflect His love back to Him. Remember that “God so loved the world (us), that He sent His one and only Son into the world not to condemn the world but to save the world” (John 3:16-17).

May 21, 2024May 20, 2024

THC Problem with Children

Discover magazine reported an incident that demonstrates the THC problem with children. A five-year-old Colorado girl ate some gummy bears that contained THC. Recreational marijuana is legal in Colorado and many other states, and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol ) is the psychoactive drug from cannabis. Edible THC products include candy and cookies, which are attractive to children. In this case, the parents and doctors could not awaken the girl, and she remained unconscious for 16 hours.

Hospital-reported cases of THC exposure in children under the age of six increased more than 1,000 percent between 2017 and 2021. About a third of the children were treated and released, but 15% required hospital admission, and 8% were sent to intensive care. The THC problem with children is that it is concentrated in candy, cookies, or brownies that appeal to kids. Children overdose on THC, which remains in their body fat for several days, and there is no antidote for THC poisoning and no reversal agent or special treatment.

In the Colorado case, the family had no forms of marijuana or cannabis in their home, and they did not know she had eaten the THC-laced gummy candy. They had been on a camping trip where other campers had given the gummies to the girl. This is a new concern for parents and a problem that will grow. The marijuana industry has no supervision or control, and cities that have opted to allow unrestricted marijuana distribution are going to see increasing problems as kids find products that give them a drug high.

We live in an area of Michigan where marijuana retail shops are very active and numerous. As we drive around our community, we see many license plates from surrounding states where marijuana is still illegal, and often, children are in the cars. Even families with no forms of marijuana must be cautious about allowing their children to visit other homes where THC edibles might be present.

Our society has rejected God’s plan for responsible living. Many of our neighbors and friends cannot give a reason or purpose for their existence. When you see no purpose in life, seeking an escape from problems and finding a way to feel good becomes a priority. The THC problem with children is just beginning to rear its ugly head, and we must make parents aware of the dangers. We must also help people realize that God has created them for a purpose and that life and health are gifts worth protecting.

Reference: Discover magazine for May/June 2024, pages 20-23.

May 13, 2024May 12, 2024

Biblical Wisdom on Anger

“Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” That’s the advice Paul gives in Ephesians 4:26, and it’s good advice. Recent research offers new meaning to that biblical wisdom on anger. Paul goes on to write, “…and give no opportunity to the devil.” Jesus said concerning the devil, “He was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). Anger is one more method the devil uses to murder us.

A team of researchers set out to “examine the acute effects of provoked anger…on endothelial cell health.” Endothelial cells line the interior of the body’s blood vessels and play an essential role in blood flow and blood pressure. Previous research had shown that in the hour before a heart attack, people were more than twice as likely to have experienced anger or emotional upset compared to the same time the previous day.

In this new research, the team recruited 280 healthy adults and put them through an eight-minute anger recall test. They monitored blood samples, blood pressure, and the capacity of blood vessels to dilate. That dilation ability is essential for heart health. Research links lower dilation to a higher chance of heart attacks.

After eight minutes of thinking and speaking about a recent experience that made them angry, the test subjects had reduced blood vessel dilation capacity for forty minutes. If eight minutes of recalling and describing an anger experience can result in forty minutes of reduced blood-vessel capacity, what might be the effect of ruminating on anger to the end of the day, overnight, or even longer? This research gives new reasons for releasing your anger before sunset.

Biblical wisdom on anger gives more evidence for the accuracy of God’s Word.

References: Microsoft News, and Journal of the American Heart Association

May 10, 2024May 7, 2024

Mother’s Day and Motherhood

In 16th century England, a celebration called “Mothering Sunday” was the time for a special dinner in honor of the mother of the children in the family. The American celebration began in 1905 when Anna Jarvis started a campaign for a national day to honor all mothers. On May 10, 1908, a Mother’s Day service was held at a church in Grafton, West Virginia, where the mother of Ms. Jarvis had taught. Then, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

The Bible holds mothers in high esteem. Exodus 21:15-17 prescribes the death penalty for hitting or cursing one’s mother. In Deuteronomy 21:18-21, stoning is the penalty for refusing to obey one’s mother. Jesus demonstrated the importance of caring for mothers by assigning His mother’s care to John, one of the last things He did while hanging on the cross (John 19:25-27).

Mother’s Day is essential because American society has denigrated the importance of being a m o ther. In American culture, success for women is measured by achieving status in the business or educational community. Caring for children is assigned to daycare centers, and having children is a minor part of a woman’s overall role.

Those of us who teach in the public schools have seen the consequences of denigrating motherhood. I was called to the principal’s office for a parent conference concerning a discipline problem with a young man in my class. His mother came into the conference wearing a business suit and serving notice that she needed to attend an important conference at work, so our meeting must be brief. When the mother heard about the problems some teachers were having with her son, she stood up and yelled at him. Before storming out of the room, she told him that she hated him and wished he had never been born.

I saw tears rolling down the young man’s cheeks. He looked at me and said, “Why doesn’t she love me?” All I could say was that I wanted him to know I loved and cared for him and wanted to help him. I had a special relationship with this student, but his story is repeated over and over in America. Gangs exist and grow because they fill in the hole left in the lives of many young people who lack parental love and support.

There is nothing a woman can do with her life that is more important or meaningful than being a mother. I am glad Mother’s Day gives us at least one day a year when we honor the great women who are the builders of the fabric that makes our lives good and our country great.

Historical data from Old Farmer’s Almanac/A l manac.com

April 19, 2024April 15, 2024

If Religious Books Are Not Widely Circulated

Daniel Webster was an early American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress. He also served as the 14th and 19th U.S. Secretary of State under presidents William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Millard Fillmore. Here is a prescient quote from Webster.

“If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, then error will be. If God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendency. If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will. If the power of the gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of this land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end.” ― Daniel Webster

Webster’s prediction of what America would be like “if the power of the gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of this land” is indeed coming true. We need political leaders today who recognize that.

Reference: Quoted in GoodReads.com

March 25, 2024March 24, 2024

Faith in God Brings Healing

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing that nearly 50,000 people died by suicide in the U.S. in 2022. That is a 3% increase over 2021 and the highest recorded number. In a CNN Opinion article, Carrie Sheffield reported that, along with other data, “scientific evidence suggests faith in God brings healing.”

For example, the Harvard University School of Public Health released data showing that 68% of women and 33% of men attending weekly religious services are less likely to die “deaths of despair,” which would include suicide, drug overdose, or alcohol poisoning. Also, the National Bureau of Economic Research found that states with decreased religious participation had increased deaths of despair.

Furthermore, the “Psychiatric Times” reported that two-thirds of 93 observational studies showed lower rates of depressive disorder symptoms in religious people. Boston University researcher Brian Grim reported that 84% of scientific studies show faith is a positive factor in addiction prevention or recovery.

Those of us who have worked with young people from rough family situations have seen that those who survive are usually the ones who find a faith connection, offering a positive alternative to the drug and sex culture. You can’t discount the fact that faith in God brings healing in overcoming dysfunctional family experiences.

Carrie Sheffield wrote a book on her faith journey titled “Motorhome Prophecies: A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness.” Ms. Sheffield grew up in a highly dysfunctional home and became a “bitter agnostic.” She received a scholarship that allowed her to earn a master’s degree from Harvard. After many experiences in business, she became what she calls a “Protestant Christian” in 2017. In telling her story, Ms. Sheffield says that the biggest hurdle she had to overcome was “comprehending the difference between human religious abuse and healthy faith in God.”

We believe Ms. Sheffied is correct that scientific evidence suggests faith in God brings healing from life’s bad experiences. A biblical connection to God and understanding the teachings of Christ will help people cope with life and the collateral damage of their past.

Reference: “I survived a nightmare childhood. God and science gave me a better life” by Carrie Sheffield in CNN Opinion’s Newsletter for March 13, 2024.