Evidence for God in Morality Archives - Page 6 of 76

February 14, 2024February 13, 2024

Ministering to the Needy and Homeless

Across the United States, church officials are threatened with prison time for helping homeless people. Churches in Bryan, Ohio; Denver, Colorado; Tempe, Arizona; Houston, Texas; Santa Ana, California; Brookings, Oregon; and Pottstown, Pennsylvania, have been threatened with legal action by city authorities for ministering to the needy and homeless.

The problem in these cities is that zoning laws and codes prohibit churches from serving food or providing shelter for people who are in need. When churches violate those rules, the police are required to shut down the services. In the cases cited, the cities offer no alternatives for churches ministering to the needy and homeless.

Jesus made it clear that His followers should meet the needs of those without life’s essentials. He said in Matthew 25:31-40 that His followers should provide people in need with food, water, clothing, medical help, and shelter for the homeless. He expects His followers to provide counseling and support for those in prison.

Eric Tars, the legal director at the National Homelessness Law Center, said, “You’re very much damned if you do, damned if you don’t.… Officials would have thrown the innkeeper in jail for offering his manger to Joseph and Mary because it wasn’t zoned for residency and didn’t meet the fire code.”

This situation is only going to get worse as migrants are bused into cities and left to fend for themselves. The secular world is not going to help them, and, as is always the case, it will be up to churches to find a way to address their needs. There are creative ways to address the problem, but any help will involve cost. The bottom line is whether churches want to do what Jesus taught His followers by ministering to the needy and homeless.

Reference: “Could helping the homeless get you criminal charges? More churches getting in trouble” by Claire Thronton on USA Today

February 6, 2024February 5, 2024

Different From Any Other Life Form on Earth

One of the conflicts between naturalists and Christians is whether humans have unique characteristics or are just animals conforming to the survival rules of nature. The biblical view of humans is that we are created in the image of God. That means we have a spiritual makeup that is different from any other life form on Earth.

Someone sent us an article about a student who asked the famous anthropologist Margaret Mead what she considered the first evidence of civilization in an ancient culture. Mead reportedly said the earliest evidence is a broken and healed femur. She pointed out that if animals break a leg, they die. They become easy prey for predators as they can’t get to a water source to drink or hunt for food. If you are a naturalist believing that chance environmental factors drive all life, that is the only option.

If you find a skeleton with a healed femur, you know that someone at that time cared for the person. Healing of a broken femur takes time. Someone carried the person to a safe place and protected them for a significant time, feeding them, providing water, and supplying medical help until the bone healed. Mead’s point is well taken and shows how humans are different from any other life form on Earth.

In Luke 10:30-37, Jesus tells a parable about a man usually referred to as the good Samaritan. A man has been robbed and is lying beside the road naked and half dead. What jumps out to us in the story is that two men who saw the injured person and refused to help were a priest and a Levite, religious leaders. The Jews hated Samaritans, but it was a Samaritan who took care of the injured man. The point is clear that followers of Christ should care for others who are less fortunate. Failure to do that shows an unwillingness to do what Jesus taught.

Humans are different from any other life form on Earth. We recognize the needs of other humans and are called to act on those needs. Doing that is evidence of God’s image in us. A predator might eat the injured man, obeying the natural animal instincts. Because of human uniqueness, we are called to love and serve others.

January 26, 2024January 22, 2024

Celebrating Our Own Special Holidays

We recently received an article from a Christian woman working in a Christian assisted living facility telling about the value of special days to those in care facilities. She pointed out Romans 14:5, which says, “One person decides that one day is holier than another. Another person decides that all days are the same. Every person must make his own decision.” The word “holiday” in its original use meant “holy day,” and holy means “sacred, dedicated to God.” We need to find reasons for celebrating our own special holidays.

Our sister in Christ found that she could improve the lives of residents in the facility where she worked by making every day memorable by assigning notable food names to certain days. One day would be Fettuccine Alfredo Day, and another might be Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day. Incorporating food holidays into meal planning gave residents something to look forward to. It told everyone that small celebrations remind us that every day is special and life is worth living.

In ancient Israel, there were a host of special days to remind the people of the blessings of God in ways they might otherwise overlook. They had frequent celebrations of a good harvest, of being free from domination by others, and of the good things that had happened in the past. Jesus used parables to talk about good things even though the circumstances of the common people were bleak at that time. Think of how special days Americans celebrate can bring joy into our lives.

We need to avoid gloom and doom mentalities and rejoice in the good things God has given us. Besides positive national celebrations, add ways of celebrating our own special holidays as we remember the good things God has done. And don’t forget to bring these special celebrations to those who are isolated and fighting the battles of health and old age.

January 17, 2024January 16, 2024

Suggestions for Expressing Gratitude

The Bible repeatedly urges Christians to have an attitude of gratitude, repeating the instruction to give thanks to God and to those who serve in the Church. There is a great deal of evidence that expressing gratitude benefits our physical and mental health. An atheistic view denies gratitude. Looking after # 1 does not move a person towards being thankful, isolating and affecting how the atheist lives. We recommend an article in The Saturday Evening Post titled “The Gratitude Resolution.” It has these suggestions for expressing gratitude:

“Multiple studies have shown that expressing gratitude is associated with a host of mental and physical benefits. Being consciously thankful can enhance empathy and self-esteem, reduce aggression, counteract negative emotions and improve sleep, mood and immunity. So make a resolution this year to be more grateful.”

The article goes on to suggest keeping a daily gratitude journal, complimenting those who serve or help you, and sending “thank you” notes to people who have helped you in some way. Can you imagine what effect it would have on the world if everyone followed those suggestions for expressing gratitude? Christians need to set an example that will encourage others to follow.

Reference: “The Gratitude Resolution” in The Saturday Evening Post for January/February 2024, page 21.

January 12, 2024January 10, 2024

The History of Scams

How old are scams, and how have they affected their victims? Some older folks believe that we live in a unique age of scams, but the truth is they have existed throughout human history. The history of scams began when Eve was scammed by the serpent. The Bible describes the consequences of many cases in which someone was lied to, scammed, or misled.

Scams offer to make the victims more intelligent or attractive or benefit them financially. The line the serpent gave to Eve was, “In the day that you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you shall be like gods.” The Bible says, “The woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:4-6). The history of scams shows the same approach used up until modern times.

In the 1860s, the vibrating exercise belt was advertised as a way to shake away fat and tone muscles (it does neither). In the 1920s and for several decades after, the Charles Atlas fitness regimen urged people to drink up to five quarts of milk a day to be fit. Today, there are many claims of ointments, devices, and programs designed to improve people’s looks or offset typical afflictions of old age. Today’s scams have popular names attached to them and make ridiculous claims of what they will do.

The tragedy of modern scams is that people spend money trying to look better when they could use that money to feed hungry people or relieve pain and suffering in the world. If their belief system is “survival of the fittest,” they might even lose their life savings trying to be “fit.” Falling for a scam is an exercise in futility that wastes time, money, and energy while producing disappointment, anger, and frustration.

God calls us to be more concerned with our inner beauty than our exterior beauty. Each stage of life is an experience, and we can enjoy the journey from birth to death if we rely on God’s plan for our lives. Just as Satan scammed Eve in the Garden of Eden, he is after each of us today. We must learn from the history of scams and avoid the forbidden fruit the scammers offer. We can use our time and money to obey God’s teaching to make this world a better place.

January 3, 2024January 2, 2024

Gender Reassignment Liability Laws

Gender reassignment liability laws are a significant challenge facing doctors. Those laws allow people who have been given gender-modification drugs or surgery as minors to sue for injuries many years later. In Mississippi, the statute of limitations is 30 years. The problem with transgender medical care is that the long-term effects of medication are unknown, and surgical actions are irreversible.

Feeling that you have the mind of a female in the body of a male (or vice-versa) creates all kinds of difficulties. There is a massive need for scientific investigation of the causes of trans behavior and alternatives that avoid medical intervention. The Bible says God created male and female (Genesis 1:27), and our bodies are not designed for gender changes.

It is a scientific fact that male and female bodies are not identical. We are not just talking about genitalia but also size, muscle distribution, strength, and respiratory capacity. The list of lawsuits from female athletes claiming that trans athletes have an unfair advantage over them is vast and growing. In one case, a girl was hospitalized when she was hit in the face by a volleyball spiked by a trans girl on an opposing team. The injured girl said she was used to spikes from girls on opposing teams, but the male body of the trans girl was beyond what she had seen before.

This whole situation is a mess. Before we saturate young people with drugs and surgery, we need to discover their real needs and address those issues. Years from now, gender reassignment liability laws may become a huge issue for medical personnel.

January 2, 2024January 1, 2024

Loneliness Crisis Is Deadly

A recent USA Today article gathered data from the University of Michigan and Harvard University, showing that loneliness has increased dramatically in the United States. According to the article, 61% of adults ages 18 to 25 feel profound loneliness. Harvard professor Jeremy Nobel has established an initiative called “Project Unlonely” to address this loneliness crisis.

Professor Nobel classifies three types of loneliness:
(1) Psychological loneliness – not having anyone to trust or confide in
(2) Societal loneliness – feeling systemically excluded because of such things as gender, race, or disability
(3) Spiritual loneliness – feeling disconnected from oneself.

The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory report says that loneliness increases the risk of premature death by 26%, equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The American Heart Association says that feeling lonely increases a person’s risk of heart disease by 29% and stroke by 32%, indicating that the loneliness crisis is deadly.

The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says that the solution to loneliness is to take 15 minutes a day to reach out to someone you care about or look for ways to serve others. He says that when we are with someone else, we must give them our full attention and put away our devices. He further states that schools, companies, and healthcare facilities must adopt strategies to reduce loneliness.

Nowhere in the USA Today article is the Church mentioned. The fact is that the teachings of Christ offer a real solution to loneliness. Read Acts 2:41-47, and you will see an excellent cure for loneliness. Read Matthew 25:31-40 and see what Jesus considers essential in how we live our lives. Christians can avoid the loneliness crisis by becoming active in building relationships and serving others.

Having a relationship with Christ gives us an understanding of our purpose for existing. Loneliness results from a world dominated by “survival of the fittest” and “looking after # 1.” The loneliness crisis in America has become an epidemic and is just part of the collateral damage that comes from rejecting God.

Reference: “Americans are lonely, and it’s killing them” by Adrianna Rodriques in USA Today 12/27/23

December 18, 2023December 16, 2023

What Book Do You Swear By?

When people are sworn into public office, they commonly place their hand on a Bible and promise to faithfully execute the duties of that office. Courts used the same book for swearing in witnesses. Recently, some have substituted other books for the Bible. In Doylestown, Pennsylvania, on December 4, 2023, Karen Smith, the new school board president, took the oath of office with her hand placed on top of six books frequently challenged or banned from school libraries. What book do you swear by?

Deciding what books are appropriate for school libraries is a nation-wide issue. If school libraries are open to all students, is there an age level where a book is inappropriate? For example, the book Beyond Magenta promotes transgender lifestyle for teens and is one of the books Smith used for her swearing-in. Another is The Bluest Eye, with graphic depictions of a nine-year-old girl being sexually abused by her father. The book Night by Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel accurately depicts his experience in a concentration camp, but is it appropriate reading for a second grader?

What book do you swear by? The fact that people are replacing the Bible with other religious books or books promoting atheism and alternate lifestyles is a reflection of American culture today. As society vilifies Christianity and religious belief, the choices of public officials become more secular. Churches, religious colleges, and universities are being forced to close their doors or give up their moral teachings. Public school restrooms must be open to all sexual orientations. As a retired public school high school teacher, I can only imagine the problems schools will face with the new standards.

Reference: phillyburbs.com

December 14, 2023December 12, 2023

What the Future Holds

Many people question what the future holds for America, and they are answering that question in various ways. Surveys in 2023 report that 39% of millennials and 40% of Gen Zers have spent money on “prepping.” These surveys show that 30% of all Americans are taking steps toward emergency preparedness.

Election anger is one of the reasons cited for fear of destruction characterized by widespread looting. Retired Air Force Col. Drew Miller has established “Fortitude Ranch” with seven compounds around the country equipped with weapons and food storage to withstand societal collapse.

Obviously, we have no way of knowing what the future holds. But Christianity is not vulnerable no matter what happens. Christians were present when the Roman Empire collapsed, and Christianity grew during that period. Other countries have collapsed, but the Christians who lived there continued and sometimes did well.

In Matthew 24:6-7 Jesus said, “You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see to it that you are not troubled: for all these things shall come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places.” He went on to say that even His followers would be affected by all of this, but they would be saved in the end.

I hope that the followers of Christ in America are numerous enough and convicted enough to save what the politicians might destroy. Even if not, we are in a greater kingdom than any on Earth now or in the past. Our preparation for what the future holds should be to continue to do what Jesus called us to do in helping others and providing whatever we can for those in need. We must not become part of the problem.

Reference: USA Today

December 11, 2023December 10, 2023

Pain and Suffering Do Not Disprove God

Despite statements by atheists and skeptics, pain and suffering do not disprove God. Skeptics question how a person can believe in God when there is so much pain and suffering in the world. Several atheists have said that this is the best argument against the existence of God. This challenge is very weak, but many people use it as a tool to support their rejection of God. However, they are overlooking several vital facts:

1-Atheism offers no real alternative to the question of pain and suffering. If you have no purpose in existing, how do you deal with pain and suffering? All atheism can suggest is when pain is too severe, kill yourself. The massive increase in suicides, especially in older people, is because they see no purpose in their existence. Those of us who believe in God know that evil and good do exist, and we are part of the war between them. Chapters 1 and 2 of Job make that clear.

2-Pain and suffering do not disprove God because they are caused mainly by humans who reject God’s plan for life. War, murder, abuse, most diseases, and all socially caused pain are produced by humans. Do we really expect God to straighten out every mess we create? Blaming God for most of the pain in the world cannot be justified.

3-Atheism does nothing to relieve the pain in the world. Atheism calls for no sacrifice to battle pain and suffering because of its dogma of “survival of the fittest” and believing that humans are just animals. Ask yourself how many atheist organizations around the world are fighting disease, social problems, and the results of war and crime. Atheist groups don’t build hospitals and schools or operate shelters and offer food, water, and clothing to those in need. Read Matthew 25:34-40 and see what Jesus calls His followers to be and do.

4-Atheists and skeptics see nothing positive in pain and suffering. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh” and its benefits to him. He says, “My strength is made complete in weakness” and “I am content in infirmities, ill-treatment, for when I am weak, I am strong.”

I have had a lot of pain in my life, including the death of a child and a wife and personal abuse from a wide range of sources. All of this has reinforced my life’s purpose and direction. I have seen the promise of God working in my life. “No trial will come your way but that which all mankind endures. But you can trust God not to allow you to suffer beyond your powers of endurance, but when you are tested, He will make a way out so that you will be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Pain and suffering do not disprove God. Nobody likes pain of any kind, but rejecting God because of it is allowing a false message to destroy our purpose for existing.