Muhammad and the History of Islam

Muhammad and the History of Islam
Grand Mosque In Mecca literally covered with worshipers

One of the interesting things about Islam in our day is that most Muslims have never read the Qur’an. They also know little or nothing about Muhammad and the history of Islam.

Muhammad was born in Arabia in 570 when the region had many Christian and Jewish towns. There were even several large Jewish communities in Mecca and Medina. Muhammad believed that both Christians and Jews would accept him as a prophet who fulfilled both faiths. When they rejected him, he attacked the Jews in Mecca and Medina. He forced the male members of the Jewish group in Medina to dig a mass grave and then beheaded six- to nine hundred of them and sold the women and children into slavery.

Shortly before Muhammad’s death in 632, he began attacks on Byzantine Syria and Persia. In his farewell address, Muhammad said, “I was ordered to fight all men until they say ‘There is no god but Allah.’” Qur’an 9:5 says, “Slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush.”

The rest of the story of Islam was one of war, with Muhammad’s followers killing all the Jews and Christians they could find in the Mediterranean area. In 711, Muslim forces invaded Spain and later Italy. Most of my Muslim friends are quiet people who would never want to resort to war or force to establish Islam in America. The reality is that Muslims in America have set up their own communities, putting fences around them and not allowing other belief systems in – not even police, fire, or military personnel.

Contrast Muhammad and the history of Islam with that of Jesus Christ and Christianity. Jesus did not allow his followers to use military force to establish His Church. When Peter cut off the ear of Malcus, the servant of the high priest, Jesus healed the wound and said, “Put your sword in its place: for all they who take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Matthew 26:51, Luke 22:50-51 and John 18:26). The difference between the history of Islam and Christianity is huge. We still see it today in the “Holy Land” and in the lives of those who follow Christ in America.

For those who wish to explore Muhammad and the history of Islam more deeply, we recommend Dr. Rodney Stark’s book The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest Religion, pages 200-211 (ISBN 978-0062007698).

— John N. Clayton © 2025

Who Is to Blame for Cancer?

Who Is to Blame for Cancer?

Whom do you blame when you learn you have cancer? Many people blame God, but human actions often cause cancer. It is well-known that alcohol causes 13,500 deaths from drunk driving every year in the United States. It is not well-known that alcohol causes 20,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. every year. Who is to blame for cancer?

Dr. Timothy Rebbeck, a professor of cancer prevention at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, says that alcohol has long been known as leading to cancers of the mouth, esophagus, breast, liver, and colon. However, he says that recent studies have shown “even occasional alcohol consumption” is associated with other kinds of cancer risks.

The human body breaks down alcohol into chemicals that damage DNA, causing cells to grow out of control and become cancerous. Alcohol can also block the body from breaking down nutrients, leading to increased cancer risks. It can increase the blood levels of estrogen, leading to a higher risk of breast cancer. When combined with smoking, the National Cancer Institute says the risk is “multiplicative.”

Alcoholic drink companies have suggested that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is good for one’s health, but research shows that even one drink per day increases cancer risk. Who is to blame for cancer? Between alcohol, nicotine, pollution, and recreational drugs, a massive percentage of cancer deaths are caused by humans. Even second-hand smoke is a cause of cancer.

In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, we read, “Do you not know that you are God’s sanctuary and that God’s Spirit has his home in you? If anybody desecrates the temple of God, God will bring him to ruin, for the temple of God is sacred, and so you are.” God does not cause cancer, but He does not prevent the consequences of taking dangerous substances into our bodies.

— John N. Clayton © 2025
Reference: “Can alcohol cause cancer?” in USA Today by Eduardo Cuevas, January 3, 2025

The Example of Jimmy Carter

The Example of Jimmy Carter

Regardless of your political or religious views, you must admire former president Jimmy Carter, who died at age 100. Several days of Carter’s funeral services concluded in Plains, Georgia, on Thursday, January 9, 2025. Debates about Carter’s presidency will continue for a very long time, but nobody will question the quality of the man. He promised that as president, he would never lie to the American people, and he kept that promise. We can all learn from the example of Jimmy Carter.

Carter ran for president in 1976 and was in office for only one term. What is amazing about him is what he did after leaving office. His work with Habitat for Humanity involved him in building 4,400 houses. He was a peace broker, using his diplomacy to cool global conflicts. The Carter Foundation attacked the Guinea worm, a horrible scourge in Africa and Asia. As a result, the Guinea worm problem has been eliminated in virtually all places. Carter received a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his actions.

Through all of this, Carter continued to live in Plains, Georgia, and teach a Sunday school Bible class at the church he attended. For a former president to demonstrate integrity, be a humanitarian worker, and spend energy and time doing things to help others is a stark contrast to the typical politician. If we can all learn from the example of Jimmy Carter, perhaps a change will eventually come to our country.

— John N. Clayton © 2025

Reasons for Divorce

Reasons for Divorce

The Saturday Evening Post reprinted a survey of the reasons for divorce compiled in 1950 based on 425 divorce case files. The author, David G. Wittles, ignored what he called the “symptoms” and listed these nine as the actual causes of divorce:

1) Emotional immaturity
2) Our modern industrial civilization, which has wiped out many of the material reasons for family life.
3) The idea that romantic love is the main reason and sufficient basis for marriage.
4) Parental disapproval and mother-in-law trouble.
5) Differences in background.
6) Finances and lack of housing.
7) Jobs for women.
8) Ambition.
9) Infidelity.


We can speculate whether those are the same reasons for divorce today, but the bottom line is that when we throw out God’s plan, divorce is likely. A current survey would be very interesting.

Biblical marriage came about because (1) It is not good for men (or women) to be alone and (2) Men need a helper to fill in for what they cannot do by themselves – also true for women. (See Genesis 2:18). In 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, Paul explains the physical side of marriage, and all studies have shown that the best sex is with one faithful partner. Those who look for modern solutions to their sexual needs are 100% sure not to find them. The effect that marriage has on raising children is another essential part of this discussion. Blended families can work, but a stable nuclear family is the long-term best way to raise a child.

Ephesians 6:1-4 and Colossians 3:21 spell out what God intended for fathers to be. This has nothing to do with conception but how children are loved and cared for by the male image in their childhood. God’s plan has worked for centuries, and the basic needs of men, women, and children have not changed.

— John N. Clayton © 2025
Reference: “The Real Reason for Divorce” in the January/February 2025 issue of the Saturday Evening Post, page 76

Dry January and Alcohol

Dry January and Alcohol

Over a decade ago, people in the United Kingdom began a tradition called Dry January, in which participants pledged to give up alcohol for a month. According to National Geographic, more than 20% of Americans now participate. A part of this is due to educated people understanding what alcohol does to the human body.

When a person consumes alcohol, the liver breaks it down to acetaldehyde, which is highly toxic and a known carcinogen. In addition to damaging the liver, alcohol can cause serious damage to the heart, pancreas, brain, and gastrointestinal tract. Alcohol use is associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, dysbiosis (which is damage to the lining of the intestines), and certain types of cancer. It even weakens the immune system and impairs the brain.

Liver disease caused by alcohol is fat accumulation, leading to inflammation, scarring, and ultimately to cirrhosis – which is irreversible. Until the cirrhosis stage, the liver has an enormous regenerative capacity and could benefit from a Dry January. According to Carrie Mintz of Washington University in St. Louis, “…you can have noticeable health effects when you stop drinking alcohol for a month.”

It is essential to understand that this situation has worsened in modern times because modern distillation increases the alcohol content. In the days of Jesus, water was universally contaminated. Paul advised Timothy, “Do not continue to drink water only, but make use of a little wine for your digestion and your frequent ailments” (1 Timothy 5:23). In John 2, we read of Jesus turning the water into wine during a wedding feast, a very long affair when people needed to drink water treated with quality wine. The wedding feast was a feast and celebration, not a drunken brawl.

Steven Tate, a physician at Stanford University, describes alcohol use in America for many people as a “slip into an addiction.” There is no question that alcohol is the most destructive recreational drug in human history. Getting people to abstain for a month during Dry January may be an answer to reversing the trend as long as some other drug like marijuana doesn’t take its place.

— John N. Clayton © 2025
Reference: National Geographic magazine January 2025, pages 107-109 or online HERE

There Is No Time Machine

There Is No Time Machine

As we end another year, we look back and think about things we should have done differently. Hindsight is always better than foresight. There is probably no person alive who doesn’t wish they could change something from their past. Perhaps we made a bad investment or missed a good investment of either time or money. We may have spoken words to someone that we wish we could take back. Perhaps we failed to do something to encourage a person facing difficult times. We may have missed a golden opportunity to share Jesus Christ with someone. Whatever past regrets we have, we can’t do it over. There is no time machine.

Even if we could go back in time, we still might not get it right. Also, changing things in the past could have dramatic and potentially disastrous effects on the future. Seriously, we should be glad that there is no time machine. That also means we can’t see the future. What will the next year bring? Whether good or bad, we are probably better off not knowing. God is the only one outside of time who can see the future because it’s all present to Him. Being unlimited by time, God knows our past and sees our future.

Since there is no time machine and time for us moves in only one direction, we can choose to change the future. We can determine how to do things differently in the new year. Sure, we will continue to make mistakes, but that’s part of being human. The great thing is that the One who knows our past can forgive our mistakes because He entered time and did what we could not do. He took our sins on Himself so that we can look to the future with a clean slate.

Don’t beat yourself up over your past. In Christ, starting today, you have a new beginning. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalms 103:12). There is no time machine, and we don’t need one.

— Roland Earnst © 2024

The Christmas Season Again

The Christmas Season Again

We are once again at the Christmas season, which reminds us of the birth of Christ. This season also reminds us of the value of friends and family. More than at any time in recent memory, there is excitement about what to expect in the new year as polls show that the majority of Americans have a positive view of the future. At the same time, political differences are creating division between friends and family members.

The links below will lead you to previous Christmas posts where we dealt with misconceptions about Christmas, the connection between Christmas and creation, and the importance of Christmas as a time to renew relationships with family and friends. We pray that you will have a wonderful Christmas season, renewing your love for Christ and for others.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS AND CREATION
THE VALUE OF CHRISTMAS

— Roland Earnst © 2024

The Value of Women

The Value of Women

If you listen to media hype or read books written by skeptics, you might conclude that the Bible is a product of a bunch of men who wanted to keep women under their thumb. This desperate attempt to denigrate the Bible shows incredible ignorance of the value of women in the Old Testament and the teaching of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

The Old Testament portrays women as equal to men in every way. The creation account in Genesis 1:26-27 uses the plural term – “In the image of God created He THEM” – both men and women. The term “help meet” in Genesis 2:18 means one who would fill what is lacking in man. Modern translations use the term “helper.” The Bible describes men and women as having unique qualities of equal value. That is common sense, for how could a man produce offspring without a woman, and how could a woman become pregnant without a man?

The Old Testament does not portray women as merely glorified incubators. It called for men and women guilty of evil to be treated equally. (See Deuteronomy 17:2-7 and Numbers 5:5-7.) Proverbs 31:10-31 praises a woman who cared for her family and ran her own business. The laws of the Old Testament demanded that men were legally bound to care for their wives. Prostitution was forbidden, and kidnapping and rape were punishable by death. Women who were prisoners of war could be married or set free but never abused or sold. (See Deuteronomy 21:10-14, 22:25-29, 23:17.)

Jesus Christ treated women with respect and care, and the New Testament Church taught that women are equal in every way. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” It is true that politicians and selfish males have attempted to use the Bible to control others, but the Bible promotes equality and the value of women.

— John N. Clayton © 2024

The Recreational Use of Cannabis

The Recreational Use of Cannabis

Cannabis use in the United States has skyrocketed as many states have legalized it as a recreational drug. It is essential to understand that cannabis can be used for medical purposes to treat pain, nausea, insomnia, and various other disorders associated with chemotreatments. The issue is the recreational use of cannabis.

Forty-eight million Americans use cannabis regularly, making it a 33-billion-dollar industry. Cannabis products go far beyond the 1995 joints of weed with 4% THC content. We now have vape pens, oils, drinks, gummies, and lollipops with THC concentrations as high as 70%.

Amazingly, people are doing this without attention to the harm caused by the recreational use of cannabis. Alcohol has been around for a very long time, and we are just now finding its damaging effects on humans. A recent study reported in Animal Models and Experimental Medicine shows that alcohol causes women to experience disrupted menstruation and ovulation, including fertility issues, and affects men’s sexual function and sperm production. If we are only now learning the harmful effects of alcohol, imagine what we will learn about cannabis when it can be thoroughly studied.

Research is already showing a high correlation between psychotic disorders and cannabis use. A recent Danish study has shown that as many as 30% of schizophrenia cases could be attributed to the use of cannabis. Canadian research has shown that teens using cannabis are eleven times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder than non-users, and more than 4.5 million teens use cannabis daily.

Why do people use recreational cannabis? Could it be because our culture has rejected God as a source of well-being and people are seeking solutions to their emotional needs? The substitute for following biblical instructions has been the use of various recreational drugs, and cannabis is the latest drug of choice.

People choose to ignore the scientific evidence for the destructive nature of drugs as a substitute for faith. Biblical passages like 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 make the consequences clear: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit has His home in you. If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will bring them to ruin. For the temple of God is sacred, and that is what you are.” God does not prevent the consequences if we choose to abuse our bodies. We have seen that with previous recreational drugs, and it is already apparent with the recreational use of cannabis.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
References: The Week 11/8/24, page 11, and Reader’s Digest for November 24, 2024, page 40

Singing and Making Melody in Your Heart

Singing and Making Melody in Your Heart

We hear many sounds in the natural world. Animals make sounds as a vehicle to convey a need they have. Birds get a lot of attention because we enjoy the sounds they use to mark territory or find a mate, but it is not music. What is music? We define music as “an art form that combines either vocal or instrumental sounds, sometimes both, using form, harmony, and expression of emotion to convey an idea.” Ephesians 5:19 talks about “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

Genesis 4:21 tells us that Jubal was the father of the harp and the flute, and archaeological evidence shows that, along with drums, those were the first instruments of music. In 1 Samuel 16:14- 23, King Saul had mental issues, and his servants suggested that music might help. This led to David playing the harp in the presence of Saul, and every time he did, “Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil departed from him.”

Music has many forms and people have used it for dancing in every culture. The dancing can be part of worship, between two people, or by an accomplished dancer. All of these are possible because of the human relationship with God, as we are created in His image. Singing was part of many activities described in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word “zamar” was used when the singing was a praise to God. Singing aloud used the word “ranan,” while singing of God’s attributes was described by the Hebrew word “shir.”

In the New Testament, Greek words refer to an individual’s response to God in song. The Greek word “ado,” used in Ephesians 5:19, “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,” indicates that singing is to be done with understanding. The same word is used in Colossians 3:16. James 5:13 tells Christians to sing when they are happy. The word used there is “psallo,” and the same word is used in Romans 15:9 and 1 Corinthians 14:15.

Worship is not a spectator sport, and God did not intend for Church worship to be a time of entertainment. All of us should sing in worship, but some say, “I’m tone-deaf and don’t sing well.” The truth is that most of the singing in ancient times involved chants – not four-part harmony. God listens to your heart, not to your sharps and flats.

Today, many churches have paid singers and special programs that feature skilled musicians. These are wonderful to attend and listen to. I enjoy listening to Bill Gaither’s programs on television, but I don’t participate—I listen. One of our co-workers is Paul Foster, who has a beautiful voice and is a skilled musician. He has a daily YouTube program called “Songs of Encouragement.” It is a wonderful teaching tool for anyone but does not replace worship.

Music testifies to human uniqueness and is a great tool God gave us. God’s Spirit is a part of our singing in worship that unifies us and brings us closer to God. Don’t neglect your personal involvement in “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

— John N. Clayton © 2024