Evidence for God to Answer Challenges Archives - Page 2 of 31

September 9, 2024September 8, 2024

False Stories Travel Faster than the Truth

A study of 126,000 stories spread on Twitter by around three million people from 2006 to 2017 showed that false stories travel faster and reach more people than the truth. That is not new, and it’s true in every aspect of our lives. In 1710, Jonathan Swift wrote, “Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it …”

During my 41 years of teaching science in public schools, I always told my students, “Don’t believe something just because I say it. If I can’t show you solid evidence, then just regard it as one person’s opinion.” That didn’t endear me to the other faculty members in my school, but it led to much discussion and activity in my classes.

False stories travel faster than the truth, and it is easier for people to latch on to misinformation. Why is that? Here are some reasons psychologists give:

(1) Our default setting is to believe what others say. Psychologists refer to this as “truth bias.”
(2) Repetition breeds belief. When people hear something repeatedly, they remember it and begin to believe it, even if it is implausible.
(3) Vivid stories and images remain in our memories and influence our thinking.
4) People buy into things that confirm their beliefs, whether true or not.
5) We tend to be around like-minded people who reinforce our thinking, while we mistrust those with whom we disagree.

All of these factors are true in today’s world. False stories travel faster, and when trying to debunk false information that someone believes, begin with kindness and respect for the person’s view. Peter wrote that we must always be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…” Did Jesus Christ confront misinformation, and did He have a way to overcome it? The answer to both of these questions is “yes.” He confronted doubt with proof. The entire “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5-7 is saturated with instructions to His followers on how to live out the truth of their faith.

Rather than arguing with unbelievers, we need to show them the truth of Christianity by how we live and what we do. The Church needs to use the same techniques I used in teaching science. Show people what is true, not because “I say so,” but with kindness and respect show the evidence. Then, live out your faith so others can see Jesus in you.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
References: “Lies spread faster than the truth” in the journal Science vol. 359, no. 6380, pages 1146-1151, and the textbook Exploring Psychology, 13th edition.

September 5, 2024September 4, 2024

“Aliens Are Controlling Earth’s History”

When this ministry began in 1968, one of the first things we ran into was a host of claims that aliens are controlling Earth’s history and its people. Science fiction writers claimed the Tunguska event of 1908, in which a meteorite exploded in the atmosphere above Earth’s surface, was the crash of an alien spaceship. In 1968, a Danish bartender named Erich von Daniken published a book titled Chariots of the Gods, claiming that aliens precipitated the advance of some civilizations and that accomplished human genetic advancement. Writer Charles Berlitz claimed that the Bermuda Triangle was an alien spaceport and the underwater city of Atlantis where aliens destroyed any trespassers.

In our various publications, we have shown that scientific evidence easily explains these things without alien involvement. Despite the evidence and scientific facts, we continue to see a flood of material suggesting that aliens are controlling Earth’s history. An “Ancient Alien” television series offers alien explanations of many things, including Albert Einstein’s work. Chariots of the Gods was made into a movie. Hollywood has not missed the opportunity to exploit the alien nonsense and draw an audience from people unaware of the evidence.

As you might expect, skeptics of Christianity have used the alien hypothesis to explain biblical stories. Some even claim that Jesus Christ was an alien who came to change the direction of human culture. Biblical stories of everything from Adam and Eve to Noah have been attributed to alien involvement in human affairs. People who say that aliens are controlling Earth’s history have criticized our archaeological material, such as the “Beyond Reasonable Doubt” video series.

The fact is that Jesus Christ lived, the Bible is the Word of God, and aliens are not involved in human history. If there are other civilizations on other planets in other galaxies, we will probably never know about them because they are so f ar away. Science fiction can create fantasies, but Christ is real and can help you with your struggles in life.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: space.com

August 16, 2024August 14, 2024

Inconsistency of Well-Educated Skeptics

It has become fashionable in the media to bash the Bible, but the inconsistency of well-educated skeptics who denigrate the Bible as a fictitious writing does not stand up. This essay is not about bashing skeptics but about encouraging them to reconsider their views on the credibility of the Bible.

Most skeptics do not question the credibility of Plato’s writings, but how many ancient copies do we have of Plato’s work? The answer is seven. No educated scholar would question the works of Pliny even though, once again, only seven copies exist. Herodotus and Suetonius are required reading in most universities, but we have only eight manuscripts for each. Even Socrates and Aristotle exist in less than 50 ancient copies. It is easy to understand why this is the case because these manuscripts were hand-written and produced hundreds of years after the author lived. We agree that these copies are valid and that their message is clear.

In comparison, roughly 5600 early New Testament copies and fragments are in museums worldwide. Well-known ancient scholars also quoted from the New Testament. Justin Martyr quotes 268 times from the gospels and 43 times from the letters of Paul. Origen quotes 9231 times from the gospels, 349 times from Acts, and over 8,000 times from the letters. If you add up all the Bible quotes known to scholars, there are 19,369 quotes from the gospels, 1,352 from the book of Acts, 14,905 from the letters, and 664 from the book of Revelation. This adds up to 36,289 quotes by ancient writers.

We see the amazing inconsistency of well-educated skeptics accepting writings with only seven or eight ancient copies while rejecting biblical manuscripts of similar ages with over 35,000 quotes. Because of the huge number of manuscripts and quotes available, we can check on the integrity of biblic a l translations. Attempting to justify rejecting Christ because you don’t want to live as He says is one thing, but being dishonest and inconsistent with evidence is something else.

We warmly invite you to take our free correspondence course “Beyond Reasonable Doubt.” Simply send us your USPS address, and we will send you lesson # 1. This is an opportunity for you to delve deeper into the evidence supporting the Bible’s credibility and reconsider any doubts you may have. – John N. Clayton
jncdge@aol.com
Does God Exist?
1555 Echo Valley Drive
Niles MI 49120

August 15, 2024August 14, 2024

UAP Sightings

The scientific community has rejected UFOs, but in their place, we have “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” or UAPs. From 2001 to 2020, people reported almost 99,000 UAP sightings. A huge percentage of these reports are easily explained. They include drones, satellites, balloons, the planet Venus, vapor from unspent fuel released from a SpaceX rocket, airborne trash, military aircraft, and even flocks of migrating birds.

Nearly every day, we get a letter or email from someone who claims that aliens control Earth’s history. Suggesting that Jesus Christ was an alien is just a way of discounting the Bible and the whole concept of the spiritual world. However, some skeptics claim the UAP sightings prove this rather foolish viewpoint.

It is essential to understand that the Bible does not say Earth is the only place where God created life, and life’s complexity makes it extremely difficult to attribute it to chance. Some have gone to extremes to claim other forms of life could exist on other worlds, but life is typically defined as carbon-based life with oxygen and water. UAP sightings have not given evidence of any alien life.

The Bible gives Christians a purpose in life, and all other views offer no real purpose for existing. Atheists attempt to bypass this problem by denying that evil exists, but reality shows that to be false. We urge everyone to look at the evidence and form their life around the same truth that Thomas finally came to when Jesus said to him, “Reach your finger here and behold my hands, and reach your hand here and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing.” (John 20:27).

For more data and scientific discussions of UAPs, see Science News for August 10, 2024, and science.nasa.gov/uap.

August 8, 2024August 7, 2024

Persecution of Christians Today

One of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous paintings is “The Last Supper.” This beautiful painting shows Jesus and His disciples at the Passover meal described in Mathew 26:26-29. While da Vinci’s work might not be theologically perfect, it is a classic work of art. At the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony in Paris, we saw an example of the persecution of Christians today.

The opening ceremony featured boats carrying 6500 athletes down the Seine River. On the banks of the river, 300,000 spectators watched as the ceremony was broadcast worldwide. The boats passed under bridges featuring entertainers from Lady Gaga to Gojira to Marina Viotti. Music groups and dancers ranged from heavy metal to opera.

One of the bridges featured a parody of da Vinci’s great painting with drag queens ridiculing Jesus and the disciples. The French reporter Gabrielle Cluzel wrote, “Since when do we need an excuse to spit on Christians?” This is a part of a global attack on faith by skeptics and atheists. It is interesting that this attack was on Christianity. Why did the Olympic planners not choose Mohammed and his many wives? The answer is obvious – the French were trying to avoid violence. Since the followers of Jesus are supposed to “turn the other cheek,” they figured an attack on Christianity was safer.

In July 2024, our local congregation had a booth at the two-day city fair in Dowagiac, Michigan. I was working the booth on the first day of the fair when a gang of a dozen or so teenagers on bicycles came by our booth. They figured an old man in a church booth was an easy target, and they began a jeering, abusive display ridiculing belief in God. I responded by challenging them to a public debate with a microphone. I offered to show them evidence that God exists and that the Bible is His word. They decided they weren’t ready to publicly debate a retired science teacher.

Those who say there is no perse c ution of Christians today are simply out of touch with what is happening in the world. The Olympic opening ceremony with the drag queens mocking “The Last Supper” demonstrates how wrong they are.

August 7, 2024August 6, 2024

Blaming God for the Problems of Today

People are often blaming God for the problems of today. That shows a misunderstanding of who God is and what He does. In Matthew 24:4-13, Jesus described what we see today. He said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things will happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom…” The things Jesus described are happening today, and they are caused by humans.

In the Old Testament, God handled rebellion by removing His protective hand from His people. In New Testament times, the events leading to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. were the result of military actions by humans. In today’s world, God is not causing Putin to attack Ukraine or Hamas and Hezbollah to attack Israel. God did not cause COVID. It is unreasonable to expect God to step in to stop human greed and selfishness, and He should not be expected to prevent the results of sexual practices He warned humans not to avoid.

God’s promise to Christians is that eventually, He will do away with all of the consequences of human selfishness and greed. That even includes the pain and suffering we all endure in this physical life. Revelation 21:1-7 pictures this beautifully, describing the creation of the New Heaven and New Earth: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and He will live with them… He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” It’s time to quit blaming God for the problems of today and turn to Christ to receive the joy of life now and hope for the future.

August 2, 2024July 30, 2024

Christian Minimalism

One of the earmarks of Christianity is the level of involvement it calls for. When someone asked Jesus Christ what the greatest commandment is, He replied, “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind.” This is actually a quote from Deuteronomy 6:5 and is unpopular in our world today. Our culture expects Christian minimalism and has coined labels to denigrate Christian involvement in life.

So-called “Christian nationalism” is called evil and destructive. Christian involvement in the military has been suppressed based on it being too exclusive. Issues such as gender transformation, abortion, and gay lifestyle choices are promoted and held in esteem in America today. The government shuts down any attempt by Christians to point out the consequences of these choices. The media and politicians apply words such as “extreme” to anyone who is identified as having Christian values.

It is essential to point out that no one following the teachings of Christ would advocate for Christianity being part of any political persuasion. Jesus made a clear declaration that His followers would “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, Jesus tells His followers to love their enemies, turn the other cheek, and to go the second mile. Christians might not agree with someone else’s choice, but Jesus forbids any physical action against that individual.

What bothers those who attack Christianity is the level of commitment that Christianity promotes. One of the great parables that Jesus taught tells of a man going on a business trip who gives three servants things to take care of while he is gone. One gets five units, one two units, and the other one unit “according to their ability.” When the man returns, the one given five units and the one given two units receive the same praise because they have used what they were given. The man with one unit receives condemnation because he buried his talent and didn’t use it. (See Matthew 25:14-30.)

Instead of Christian minimalism, committed Christians will give 100% to promote the teachings of Christ. This upsets the media and politicians, who then try to destroy Christianity, and that is happening in America. At the same time, there are some who call themselves “Christian” but want to be minimal in their involvement. They ask questions like: “Do I have to attend?” “How much do I have to give?” “What is the minimum I can do?”

We don’t ask, “What is the minimum I must do to have a good marriage?” We neither ask, “What is the least I can do to be a good parent, a good soldier, a good teacher, etc?” Why is our culture so opposed to those who act on 100% constructive action? The answer is that politicians, the media, and the skeptics want us to practice Christian minimalism because they feel threatened when Christians live out their faith 100%.

July 29, 2024July 28, 2024

Three Basic Questions About Creation

In our day of complicated philosophical questions, politics, and power struggles, it is easy to forget the fundamental questions relating to the existence of God. The evidence for God’s existence is simple and straightforward. There are three basic questions about creation:

#1) Was there a beginning?
Taking the position that matter/energy is eternal flies in the face of all the evidence and violates scientific laws, such as the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

#2) Once we establish that there was a beginning, the next logical question is: What caused this beginning?
To say existence is uncaused means maintaining that something can come from nothing. That is a violation of scientific laws, including the laws of conservation.

#3) If we understand there was a beginning and that it was caused, what or who caused it?
Was the cause blind mechanistic opportunistic chance, or was it Intelligence? If it was Intelligence, there would be a purpose for the creation, and the creation should show order and design. Chance is random and chaotic.

The Bible spells out the purpose of the Intelligence that did the creating. It explains how humans are created in the image of that Intelligence. Our role in the war between good and evil is not hard to understand. Denying the existence of evil is a refusal to look at history. Theologians and philosophers have complicated this simple picture, but the average high school student can understand it.

What we believe about creation and about ourselves has massive consequences. Getting away from the basics has caused division in the various denominations and generated conflict between special interest groups and individuals. This column explores many of the challenges to faith, but the three basic questions about creation should not be a matter of debate. We all need to work to address the challenges of a world rejecting God and setting itself up for tragedy.

July 12, 2024July 8, 2024

The Futility Of Atheism

One of our co-workers, Douglas Jacobi, is far more educated and articulate than I am and works with atheists and skeptics daily. We have reviewed his books and worked with him in various settings over the years. Douglas presented an interesting set of quotes from atheists and believers about the futility of atheism. I would encourage you to think about the implications of these statements:

ATHEISTS-
Julian Barnes – “I don’t believe in God, but I miss Him.” Many atheists grew up in a home whose parents tried to instill faith in them but failed. Barnes points out that the existence of a standard for morality that works and a guide that gives purpose to life is missing from the belief system of an atheist.

Thomas Nagel – “I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers … I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that.” The idea that intelligent people are atheists and religious people are not is a bogus belief. See the “Scientists and God” section of our quarterly journal.

BELIEVERS-
G.K. Chesterton – “If there were no God, there would be no atheists.” This was tried in Liberal Mo, where all religious beliefs were forced out of the city. The city collapsed in less than three years, and the leading promoters of the godless city stated that he never wanted to live in a town with no churches again. Immorality and selfish abuse ruled, and the atheists left town.

Os Guinness—Many of the Church’s defectors are not atheists or even agnostics but in limbo between the characteristic halfway houses of “believing without belonging” or still “belonging without believing.” The Church is not immune to human weakness, but letting human failures drive you away is no answer to hypocrisy.

ATHEIST EPITAPH –
“Here lies an atheist: all dressed up and no place to go.” The futility of atheism is because, for an atheist, there is no purpose in living and no hope when he dies.

Reference: DouglasJacoby.com

July 10, 2024July 8, 2024

The Issue of Mindsets

Both believers and non-believers are affected by their mindsets. In the 55 years our ministry has existed, we have found that the mindset of people on both sides of issues is the source of conflict between atheists and believers, evolutionists and creationists. Dr. Katherine Beals, an education expert, wrote an excellent article on the issue of mindsets. She distinguishes between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.

The fixed mindset leads to the following ways of thinking: I know best – This is good enough – I’ll never be that smart – I want to avoid making mistakes – I give up. As you read those five statements, consider what you hear from older people in established congregations today. They reject any proposal to do things differently even though there is no scriptural reason for not using another method. The same problem exists with evolutionists who are so fixed in their mindset that they refuse to listen to any attempt to harmonize belief in God with their evolutionary theories.

On the other hand, the growth mindset leads to these ways of thinking: Is this my best work? – Mistakes help me learn – Feedback is valuable – I improve with practice – I won’t give up. Jesus commonly used the phrase, “What do you think?” The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 is full of admonitions to the people of His day to think with a growth mindset.

Interestingly, Jesus Christ ran into the issue of mindsets as He dealt with people in matters of faith. The Pharisees and Sadducees had fixed mindsets, and they crucified Jesus because He didn’t fit their mindset. At the same time, gentiles had a growth mindset, wanting to know more and being willing to change. For example, the story of Cornelius in Acts 10 shows that he had a growth mindset and was willing to change. In Paul’s missionary journies, he found that Jews had a fixed mindset while the Gentiles had a growth mindset.

The Church today is struggling with the issue of mindsets. Young people have a growth mindset, and the older congregations have a fixed mindset. This is manifested in many ways. The real problem is that congregations with a fixed mindset will eventually die out. From the beginning, Christianity, with its growth mindset, grew and is still growing. Fixed-mindset congregations will die when the fixed-mindset members die, but the Lord’s Chuch will continue to grow and expand. Our ministry is about growth and learning. Won’t you join us?

Reference: Skeptical Inquirer for July/August 2024, pages 49-51