Bible Archives

November 12, 2025November 11, 2025

Paranthropus boisei – The Media’s Man

A Reuters article by Will Dunham claims that bones linked to an extinct human relative have been discovered in Kenya. Soon after this article was published, we received emails asking if this supposedly disproves the biblical account of Adam and Eve. Paranthropus boisei is another example of the media seizing an opportunity to undermine the Bible. Let’s examine the evidence:

1) The fossils have been assigned to the species Paranthropus boisei. The first discovery of this species was made in 1959 by Mary and Louis Leakey, who described the specimen as “gorilla-like.” The brain volume is 450 to 550 cubic centimeters, which is chimp-sized. By comparison, the average human brain is 1,300 to 1,400 cc. In 1959, the media nicknamed Paranthropus boisei “Nutcracker man” because of its large teeth and powerful chewing muscles.

2) Hand bones of the specimen indicate it could make and use stone tools. Today, we know that tool use does not necessarily demonstrate a direct connection to humans. Even birds use tools to extract insects from holes, and monkeys break open coconuts with large rocks.

3) The fossils show that Paranthropus boisei could walk upright on two legs. Many animals can walk on two legs, including birds, kangaroos, some monkeys, and some dinosaurs. An erect posture has nothing to do with whether a fossil is from a human ancestor.

The biblical definition of a human is a life form created in the image of God. This is a spiritual likeness, not a physical one. In Genesis 2:7, we read, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.” The Hebrew word translated “formed” is “yatsar,” meaning to shape or mold, as an artist shapes a statue. If God used physical prototypes to house His spiritual creation, that is not a problem.

Paranthropus boisei has no bearing on the biblical account or the human spiritual nature in God’s image. This is simply another desperate attempt by the media to discredit the Bible.

Reference: reuters.com

November 7, 2025November 4, 2025

Religion Is Essential for America’s Survival

Can a political system survive without religion? The founders of America and the writers of the Constitution did not think so. George Washington wrote, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to a political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” The question for us is whether America survives as our population and our leaders increasingly reject religion and embrace immorality. Our founders clearly believed that religion is essential for America’s survival.

John Adams, our second president and who helped Thomas Jefferson draft the Declaration of Independence, wrote, “We have no government in power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.” It’s clear why religion is essential for America’s survival when you look at the Declaration of Independence, which states that our rights are endowed by the Creator and that all men are created equal. The atheist claims that men are not inherently equal and that only the fittest survive. Historically, slavery was justified by whites who argued they were superior and that people of color were inferior at birth. Any honest reading of the biblical account shows that since all humans are made in the image of God, we are inherently equal.

Religion is Essential for America’s survival, and the architects of our modern society understood that the vital foundation of any stable political and economic system relies heavily on religion, morality, family life, and love. A society that lacks these core elements will eventually fall apart, and we are witnessing that collapse accelerate today. Making America great again depends on restoring its moral health. Christ laid the foundation for stability when He sacrificed Himself for the Church, emphasizing its importance. That’s why the “Does God Exist?” program works tirelessly to share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

November 4, 2025November 3, 2025

Transgender Detransitioners and the Church

One criticism often leveled against our ministry is that we are religously biased against the transgender community. However, this criticism is flawed on several points. First, our ministry’s primary concern is solely with whether the biblical record is accurate. Second, physical evidence indicates that transgender medical treatments can be harmful and are often influenced by political and financial motives rather than the best interests of young people. The transgender movement also tends to dismiss transgender detransitioners—individuals who regret their choices and wish to revert to their birth gender.

Scientific evidence clearly shows that the transgender movement is misguided, but this information is not readily available to young people, their families, or the public. Studies reveal that 85% of children who once desired to be the opposite sex during puberty eventually outgrow those feelings. When not encouraged to transition, 17 out of 20 children with gender dysphoria resist the urge to transition. According to the American Psychiatric Association in 2013, gender dysphoria affected only 0.014% of boys and 0.003% of girls. A 2021 study in Pennsylvania found that 9.2% of public high school students did not identify with their biological sex—an increase of about 900% in less than ten years.

When children are encouraged to transition, many will eventually regret that choice and may seek acceptance from the Church community. The challenge for Christian congregations is how to respond to transgender detransitioners who come to the Church. In Old Testament times, nations at war with Israel practiced castration of captives. Historians note that captives were often castrated to serve as court servants, cutting them off from their families, ancestors, and culture, while ensuring they could have no descendants. They were left with no identity other than that of servants to their new masters.

In the Torah, eunuchs are not allowed to serve in the priesthood (Leviticus 21:20) or to worship with the assembly (Deuteronomy 23:1). In the New Testament Church, we see acceptance of eunuchs. Acts 8 describes the conversion and baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch after Philip explained the meaning of the prophecy of Jesus in Isaiah 53. If he had advanced the scroll a couple of turns, he might have read Isaiah 56:3-5, where God shows compassion for eunuchs.

Christians must love and care for all people in need while also teaching children and their parents about the destructive effects of the transgender movement. Congregations need to address this issue similarly to how they handle the dangers of destructive drugs. Preventive education is part of a Christian’s duty, but showing compassion and love to those harmed by evil in today’s world is also a core teaching of Jesus Christ. Transgender detransitioners need to understand that God loves them.

Reference: “Detransitioners in Your Church Doorway?” By Jonathan P. Clemens in Eikon, volume 4, issue 2, fall 2022

October 31, 2025October 28, 2025

Earth Needs Jupiter

Jupiter is by far the largest planet in the solar system. Its mass is 2.5 times greater than the combined mass of all other planets in the solar system. It divides the planets of the inner solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) from the outer planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). We have previously mentioned that the gravity created by Jupiter’s mass acts as a shield to protect our planet from comets coming from outside the solar system. Additionally, Jupiter influences Earth’s climate cycle. More than that, Earth needs Jupiter for its very existence.

As the solar system was formed, Jupiter’s massive gravity prevented gas and dust in the inner solar system from being pulled into the Sun. These materials coalesced into the inner planets, including Earth. As the planets formed, Jupiter’s gravity helped stabilize the orbits. A recent study co-led by Andre Izidoro of Rice University in Houston demonstrated that Jupiter shaped the structure of the solar system. Earth needs Jupiter today, just as it needed it at the beginning.

According to Izidoro, “Jupiter didn’t just become the biggest planet—it set the architecture for the whole inner solar system. Without it, we might not have Earth as we know it.” As gas and dust swirled around the newly formed Sun, Jupiter’s massive gravity created ripples that formed rings of material which clumped together by gravity to form the inner planets. Earth needs Jupiter because, without it, the material that formed the planet would have spiraled into the Sun.

Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth,” but it doesn’t specify the process God used or how long it took. If the Bible included every detail, it would be an enormous book. But the Bible is not a science book, and scientists are still exploring the processes God used in creation. It is fascinating to consider how complex the creation process must have been, yet the first verse of the Bible contains the essential facts. There was a beginning. God did it. The creation of a functioning universe, a solar system, and a planet for human habitation is summarized in five Hebrew words—“reshith elohim bara shamayim erets.”

References: space.com and science.org

October 29, 2025October 28, 2025

Female Moths Listen to Plants

For years, scientists have known that plants vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies when their internal water pressure changes. Recently, they learned that drought-stressed plants or plants that have been cut produce ultrasonic sounds loud enough to be detected by a moth’s ultrasonic hearing. Dr. Yossi Yovel and a team of researchers at Tel Aviv University took this a step further to see whether female moths listen to plants and avoid laying their eggs on those that are distressed.

The researchers found that female Egyptian cotton leafworm moths avoided laying eggs on tomato plants that made distress-related sounds. Unhealthy plants do not allow the moth larvae to thrive. The sounds plants make when they are distressed or unhealthy are outside of the range of human hearing, but insects, bats, and even some small mammals can hear them.

Learning that female moths listen to plants, Professor Yovel speculates on whether “all sorts of animals will make decisions based on the sounds they hear from plants, such as whether to pollinate or hide inside them, or eat the plant.” Taking this even further, Dr. Lilach Hadany, also of Tel Aviv University, speculates on whether plants can pass information to each other through sounds and act on those sounds. “This is an exciting question,” she told BBC News. Previously, researchers learned that plants can communicate with each other through their roots.

The researchers, however, emphasize that plants are not sentient and that this interaction cannot be considered “communication” in the “conservative definition of the term.” Nonetheless, we can look at our own bodies and recall the statement of David in Psalms 139:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Likewise, we see that other forms of life are “fearfully and wonderfully made” as well. Everywhere we look in the natural world, we see evidence of a wonder-working hand that has gone before.

References: bbc.com and elifesciences.org

October 27, 2025October 26, 2025

Alaskan Dinosaurs

We usually think of dinosaurs as reptiles that lived in tropical jungles, and were part of the ecosystem that produced fossil fuels like coal and peat. We even see articles about places like the Galápagos Islands referring to iguanas, lizards, and other reptiles, such as the Komodo dragon, as modern-day dinosaurs. The truth is that dinosaurs were unlike any modern creatures on Earth today, and there were Alaskan dinosaurs.

Alaska magazine reported on extensive fossil evidence of the northernmost dinosaurs that ever lived. During the time these dinosaurs existed, Alaska did not have a tropical climate, because many of the fossils were found in permafrost. The first fossil fragments of Alaskan dinosaurs were discovered in 1994 in the Talkeetna Mountains. In the Colville River watershed, researchers found fossils of a tyrannosaur called Nanuqsaurus, meaning “polar bear lizard.” In 2016, a hadrosaur fossil was announced, and in 2020, a velociraptor was displayed for the public. In 2021, Dr. Patrick Druckenmiller, the only vertebrate paleontologist in Alaska, published a paper in the journal Current Biology describing a dinosaur nest containing eggs with embryonic dinosaurs. Along with dinosaur fossils, large numbers of bird fossils and an early salmon ancestor have been found.

Discoveries of Alaskan dinosaurs reveal that they were adapted to thrive in a wide range of environments where modern animals, including humans, could not survive. Jurassic Park movies do not give a complete picture of the dinosaur world. God prepared the Earth for humans with purpose, intelligence, and design. Our planet was created with life in all environments, providing everything humans would need to survive, while also allowing humans to find and even synthesize these resources.

The discovery of dinosaurs, especially Alaskan dinosaurs, suggests that the human race is not a chance accident. The Creator had us in mind. God prepared Earth for human habitation so that we could fulfill His purpose. We were created for a purpose, and our world shows that we can know there is a God “through the things He has made” (Romans 1:20).

Reference: Alaska magazine for November 2025 (pages 38-40)

October 24, 2025October 23, 2025

Religious Holy Waters and Scams

There is almost no limit to what various religious hucksters will do to make money and persuade others to join their religious systems. Selling religious holy waters and scams is nothing new. The Bible records instances where deceivers tried to convince people to buy into their false claims.

In Acts 8:9-24, we read about a magician named Simon who convinced others of his powers by performing magic tricks they did not understand. When Simon saw Peter and John perform miracles, he tried to buy their ability. In Acts 19:11-16, seven sons of a Jewish priest saw Paul perform exorcisms. When they tried to duplicate that, the man leaped on them, overpowered them, and forced them to run away naked and injured. We might smile at these misguided attempts to scam people by religious charlatans, but the problem still exists today.

You can buy a variety of Holy Waters on Amazon.com. Some believe that water blessed by a Catholic priest can cure diseases or purify something unclean. In Islam, water from the Zamzam well is sold in Mecca for $64.99 for 5 liters and is said to work miracles and provide benefits. Water from the River Jordan, claimed to purify those who drink it and cure illnesses, is sold for $9.29 for 300 ml. For Hindus, the waters of the Ganges River are sold for $8.99 for 100 ml.

It is essential to note that the Bible never presents water of any kind as having any medical benefit. A popular country song by Carrie Underwood titled “Something In the Water” talks about baptism. The truth is, the power isn’t in the water; it’s in the blood of Christ, given for our sins. In Christian baptism, we are buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. (See Romans 6.) Don’t waste your money on religious holy waters and scams. The salvation Christ offers is free because He paid for it.

Reference: Skeptical Inquirer, May/June 2023, pages 30-31, and Amazon.com.

October 23, 2025October 22, 2025

Adam’s Origin Update

Genesis 2:10-14 indicates that the “Garden of Eden” was located where four rivers flowed—the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates. This region is called the “Fertile Crescent” by modern mapmakers and gets its name because of the rich soil that once supported abundant plant life, as the Bible states. In recent years, some anthropologists have claimed that humans originated in Africa, and detailed “trees” of human evolution are included in anthropology textbooks. By asserting that humans were created in Africa rather than Asia, this theory conflicts with the biblical account, leading many people to doubt the Bible’s accuracy. So, what is the truth about Adam’s origin?

As technology advances, two ancient skulls discovered in China have been reclassified, once again altering the anthropological understanding of human history. The Yunxian skulls initially labeled as Homo erectus are now identified as Homo longi because modern technology reveals they lack the traits of Homo erectus. In addition to Homo sapiens, there are two racial groups for human-like fossils—Neanderthals and Denisovans. The Denisovans are the older race, and the skulls found in China exhibit their features.

The biblical account of Adam’s origin is not at odds with this new information since the Bible does not specify a date for Adam and Eve. We do know that DNA evidence shows we are all related. “God has made of one blood all the nations that they should inhabit the whole Earth” (Acts 17:26).

Reference: science.org and scienceandculture.com

October 22, 2025October 22, 2025

Solar Reflectors in Space

Joshua chapter 10 records an incident in which the Sun stood still to provide light for “about a full day” so that Joshua could lead the Israelites to defeat the Amorites in battle. I don’t pretend to know the details of how that happened, but I have heard a suggestion that God provided a miraculous way to reflect the Sun’s light into the Valley of Aijalon until the victory was complete. From the perspective of someone in that location, it would appear that the Sun stood still. Now, a California-based company called Reflect Orbital wants to do something like that with a constellation of solar reflectors in space.

Reflect Orbital hopes to launch a 60-by-60-foot (18-by-18-meter) mirror into orbit in April of 2026 to test the idea. If the plan succeeds, they want to place 4,000 solar reflectors in space to orbit in a sun-synchronous orbit between the poles. They would follow the boundary between day and night, providing reflected light to areas in the twilight zone. Reflect Orbital says it could enable solar power generation during peak morning and evening hours, improve crop growth, allow people to work into the night, and provide emergency lighting for disaster zones. Reflect Orbital has applied to the FCC for a license, claiming they have the funding and have already received 250,000 requests for service.

Astronomers and those interested in wildlife are very concerned. For example, Robert Massey, Deputy Director of the Royal Astronomical Society in the UK, said, “The central goal of this project is to light up the sky and extend daylight, and obviously, from an astronomical perspective, that’s pretty catastrophic.” With 4,000 solar reflectors in space, each reflection could cover a 5-kilometer area where some agency has requested and paid for service. However, atmospheric scattering would reach an undefined surrounding area. For up to 100 kilometers, the mirrors would appear like very bright stars.

Light pollution is already a problem, increasing by 10 percent per year since the introduction of LED lights, causing fewer stars to be visible in the night sky. Light pollution is also linked to the decline of beneficial insect populations, as well as increased sleep disorders and depression in humans. In addition to affecting astronomical observations, the solar reflectors in space could disrupt migratory birds that depend on the stars for guidance.

Instead of dreaming about what humans can do, maybe we should carefully consider what we should or should not do. Anyone who has experienced the night sky in one of the rare dark sky areas remaining can appreciate the words of the psalmist David: “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him? (Psalms 8:3,4 ESV)

Reference: space.com

October 15, 2025October 15, 2025

Archaeological Discoveries Supporting the Bible

Our Beyond Reasonable Doubt video series faces a challenge: it can’t keep up with new archaeological findings. The fall issue of Biblical Archaeology Review announced two new archaeological discoveries supporting the Bible.

The Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities reported an inscription carved into a desert rock face in southern Jordan. The inscription features two cartouches, which are Egyptian hieroglyphic oval shapes containing the names of royalty. In this case, they display the name of Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses III, who reigned from 1186 to 1155 BCE. One column shows his birth name, while the other shows his throne name and title. Other cartouches of Ramesses III have been found in the Sinai, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, indicating the Egyptian-Arabian trade route. This is the first one discovered in Jordan.

The second find is a report from Matthew D.C. Larsen about discovering what is called the Boudrouml prison in Corinth. The existence of the Boudrouml prison has been known since the early 20th century, when Herbert F. deCou first excavated it. However, newly found inscriptions carved into the pavement by prisoners offer insights into life in Roman prisons. The spelling and grammar errors in the inscriptions reveal the prisoners’ lack of formal education. These messages also show boredom, rage, and personal devotion. One inscription reads, “Lord, do not show mercy on the one who threw us in here.” The evidence of Roman prison life aligns with what the Bible describes regarding Peter and Paul’s imprisonment.

As archaeologists continue their excavations and new technologies analyze the findings, they find more archaeological discoveries supporting the Bible. Those who try to cast doubt on the biblical record will find themselves at odds with the evidence.

References: Biblical Archaeology Review and the Beyond Reasonable Doubt video series