Christianity Archives - DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

June 2, 2023June 1, 2023

After School Satan Clubs

One of the consequences of the rejection of God and Christianity in the United States has been the success of the Satanic Temple. This group, active worldwide, is headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts, and growing in influence in the United States. They have launched a nationwide campaign to bring After School Satan Clubs to elementary schools.

The Satanic Temple claims 700,000 members and has had several successes in opposing Christianity. Recently they gave the invocation at the San Marcos City Council, conducted a Los Angeles Satanic Mass, and administered “un-baptisms” in Boston. In addition, local Satanic Temples have engaged in Bible burning, drinking a blood-like fluid from a cup, and celebrating the sacrifice of goats.

The After School Satan Clubs offer a coloring book published by the Satanic Temple, which engages children in satanic rituals and constructing a pentagram, the official symbol of the Church of Satan. Clubs. The Washington Post commented, “The Satanic Temple is determined to give young students a choice: Jesus or Satan.”

The United States Supreme Court ruled in 2001 that elementary schools could not stop the evangelical “Good News Club” from hosting after school club meetings. The Satanic Temple is using that decision to justify having clubs that promote Satanic beliefs. After School Satan Clubs have reportedly been started in Utah, California, Ohio, Washington, Illinois, and Oregon elementary schools.

The message of the Satanic Temple ridicules Christianity, belief in God, and the Bible’s moral teachings. It seems this group would qualify as a “hate group” which could be legally challenged, but that will probably never happen. Nevertheless, Christians must be aware of this threat. Parents and local church leaders need to educate themselves on what is being taught in the schools and be ready to oppose satanic teaching if it comes to their communities.

References: The Christian Action Network and The Hill

June 1, 2023May 31, 2023

The Government Punishes those with Biblical Views

The Bible makes it very clear that God created male and female as two separate sexes. God told Adam, and likewise, future males, that they would provide by “the sweat of your face (Genesis 3:19). Through Eve, God told females that they would be able to fill the roles that males could not accomplish on their own, especially giving birth to children. Yet, today, the government punishes those with biblical views.

The word translated “help meet” in the old English of the King James translation (Genesis 2:20) is “ezer” in the original Hebrew, and it means “help.” It comes from a root that means “surround, protect, or aid” (according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). Modern translations say something like “suitable helper.” The Contemporary English Version from the American Bible Society translates it as “the right kind of partner.” It does not indicate that one sex is superior or inferior. The fact that they would have different roles is clearly stated and is repeated numerous times in the New Testament. (For example, see 1 Corinthians 7:1-16 and Ephesians 5:22-33.)

Society today has decided that respecting the difference between men and women violates the rights of various groups, and we must deny those differences. So the government punishes those with biblical views. We see this in Christian educational and religious organizations and even secular high schools and colleges nationwide. The government has decided that having separate restrooms for men and women violates the rights of men who want to use women’s facilities.

In Christian colleges, we see that the government punishes those with biblical views. Christian colleges with separate dormitories for men and women are receiving crippling fines and threats of closure. College of the Ozarks went to court, maintaining that women should not be forced to have male roommates. The broader question is whether the government can strip a private, faith-based institution of its constitutionally protected freedom because someone disagrees with their views about marriage and sexuality.

Another significant issue is whether a biological male who claims to be a female has the right to compete in women’s sports. The ACLU challenged a West Virginia law passed in 2021 to protect female athletes from having to compete with men. Federal Judge Joseph R. Goodwin ruled in favor of the law, stating it was constitutional. He wisely wrote, “While some females may be able to outperform some males, it is generally accepted that, on average, males outperform females athletically because of inherent physical differences between the sexes.”

Christianity espouses moral conduct found in God’s Word, but the government punishes those with biblical views and forces them to act against their moral beliefs. We must pray for America and those affected by the government’s actions in their distorted attempt to expand human rights. Churches may be endangered if they teach that men and women have different roles or even if they believe there are two sexes that are physically different.

References: Alliance Defending Freedom and The Hill

May 29, 2023May 26, 2023

Memorial Day Is No More Than the Beginning of Summer?

May 29, 2023, is Memorial Day in the United States. As our culture becomes more secular, rejecting Christian values and teachings, the significance of Memorial Day becomes lost. This special day began in 1868 and was called Decoration Day to honor soldiers who died in the Civil War. Those of us who have lived through modern wars should remember the 1.1 million Americans who have died in wars. Unfortunately, Memorial Day is no more than the beginning of summer or a day off work for many people.

The collateral damage of rejecting God and Christianity is that we have become a people who have lost the “attitude of gratitude” that goes with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible. Jesus instituted the communion, or Lord’s supper, as an act of remembering His sacrifice. When He said to partake in “remembrance,” recorded in Luke 22:19, the Greek word used was “anamnesis,” which means a “constant indwelled memory.” This means Christians should have an attitude that continually focuses on thankfulness for the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.

The Bible tells us to continually remember the blessings we have received. Ephesians 5:4 tells us to give thanks. Philippians 4:6 says to “be careful for nothing but in all circumstances by prayer and thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Colossians 2:7 tells Christians, “you have been taught to be overflowing with gratitude..” Colossians 4:2 tells Christians to devote themselves to prayer and “be alert and thankful as you pray.” Many other passages tell us to be thankful.

It is easy to allow the stresses of daily life and the constant bickering of political leaders to distract us from the good things we have because of the sacrifices made by others. Congress passed The National Moment of Remembrance Act (P.L.106-579) in December of 2000. It encourages all Americans to pause at 3:00 local time for a moment of silence to remember those who have died in service to the nation. Unfortunately, most Americans are unaware of this legislation or are too busy to obey it.

If, for you, Memorial Day is no more than the beginning of summer, take time to remember how blessed we are to live in the United States of America. Remember the many who have sacrificed for our freedom, and thank God for the blessings that have come from our ancestors trusting in Him and His Word.

May 26, 2023May 25, 2023

The Scourge of Pornography

One of the modern challenges facing us is the scourge of pornography. Before the technology age, getting pornographic material was very difficult. In my military experience, I was exposed to 16 mm films that were blatant porn, but those films were not available to the general public, and minors were not allowed to view them. Pornographic comic books were the main avenues of porn during my high school days, but you couldn’t buy them in bookstores or drug stores. However, the web has made pornography widely available.

Children today can go on the web and watch sex acts by adults, and many children know the names of porn stars. Kids know how to use computers to see whatever they want to watch, so attempts to lock out pornographic material are futile. When I used computers to teach high school science, it was a constant battle with kids going around the school system’s efforts to block pornographic material during class. But, of course, that was on school computers, so imagine what kids could do on their home computers.

A BBC report on May 9, 2023, summarized the research of psychologists into the effects of pornography on British children. It listed behavioral issues in eight-year-olds, such as profanity and violent language, directly related to viewing pornography. Elementary teachers attempting to stop disruptive behavior commonly hear the “f” word from their students, and the study shows a direct connection to watching pornography.

The scourge of pornography isn’t just a problem with children. On March 27, 2923, CNN reported on a study published in the Society for Personality and Social Psychology journal, showing that all human relationships are affected by involvement with pornography.

The Bible gives real solutions for Christians to avoid evil. In 1 Thessalonians 5:22, Paul tells us to avoid every appearance of evil, and Galatians 5:16-26 details the consequences of allowing “the works of the flesh” to saturate our thinking. Churches cannot remain silent about evil, including the consequences of lust. We must clearly teach children and adults what pornography does to children, marriages, and physical health.

The reason pornography is a major problem today is that it enriches certain people with money and influence. We can’t expect atheists and non-believers to stop the scourge of pornography. Therefore, Christians must be motivated to stop pornography’s spread, especially to children. However, many in the religious community avoid the subject.

May 25, 2023May 25, 2023

Deciding Who is Human and Who Isn’t

The Bible tells us that humans are created in the image of God, giving us a spiritual nature – a soul. That means all races and sexes of humans are equal. Galatians 3:28 says it well, “you are all one in Christ Jesus.” While that is speaking of Christians, it applies to all humans since anyone can become a Christian. Those who reject belief in God have a harder time deciding who is human and who isn’t.

In the past, people justified slavery based on the claim that certain racial groups were not human and thus could be exploited by those deemed human. People today use the same illogic to justify abortion.

People use various criteria for deciding who is human and who isn’t. For example, when I was a young college student in the 1950s, we were told that the ability to make and use tools was the deciding factor. That teaching was nullified when researchers found that many animals make and use tools. For example, researchers have seen macaques in Phang Nga Bay in Thailand crack nuts with stones and discard sharp flakes, similar to early human tools.

More recently, anthropologists have suggested that the ability to recognize yourself in a mirror is evidence of self-awareness and is a cognitive ability unique to humans. One reason for this interpretation is that chimps and orangutans show they recognize themselves when they look in a mirror. That led to the conclusion that chimps, orangutans, and humans are all one family. However, a recent study of bluestreak cleaner wrasses by cognitive scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan has shown that these inch-long fish can recognize themselves in a mirror.

When researchers put a parasite-like mark on cleaner wrasses’ throats and allowed the fish to see their reflection in a mirror, they rubbed themselves on rocks to remove the mark. The wrasse could also pick its picture out of four photos that included three other wrasses. It’s essential to point out that self-awareness allows the physical survival of these fish because the wrasses eat parasites off the bodies of other fish. Knowing which fish will seek their help and which will eat them involves recognizing faces. This private awareness is a survival feature God has given them and doesn’t translate to emotions, thoughts, or language.

Humans are unique because of our spiritual nature, created in God’s image. Therefore, other criteria for deciding who is human and who isn’t are doomed to failure.

Reference: Scientific American, June 2023, pages 16 and 19.

May 24, 2023May 23, 2023

How Humans Avoided Being Eaten by Carnivores

Have you ever considered how humans avoided being eaten by carnivores in ancient times since we are essentially defenseless? We aren’t stronger than large carnivores, have no teeth or claws for defense, can’t run very fast, and do not have camouflage. So if you believe in survival of the fittest, it is pretty obvious humans should not have survived.

The research done by scientists reveals some incredible planning that allows us to exist. Consider these facts:

1) Human color vision is unique from that of other animals. For example, carnivores have dichromatic vision with two color cones, while humans have three. Hunters can wear red and not spook their prey because the prey does not have red cones.

2) Human vision has better angular resolution than other animals allowing greater spatial processing. We can tell where an animal is long before it can see us. When you walk your dog, you can see another dog long before your dog does, and you know how far away it is.

3) Humans have group behavior and group communication. Our speech lets a group know what the carnivore is and where it is. Our brains have sound and behavior connected. Carnivores have blind-deaf disembodied brains, meaning that sight and sound are not connected in a carnivore’s brain. Seeing a human or hearing one does not tell the carnivore whether the human is a useful food source. In addition, a carnivore would have to fight a group of humans prepared for its attack, requiring more energy to track down than the energy it would get from eating one of us.

Studies by biologists have shown that if zebras and antelopes had the same visual and sound connections to their brains as humans, lions would starve to death. So God’s design is how humans avoided being eaten by carnivores that are stronger than us. These features, and our intelligence, allowed us to survive.

After the flood, God told Noah, “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand” (Genesis 9:2). So that is how humans avoided being eaten by carnivores. God designed the life system, including the animals that physically could use man as a food source, in a way that humans could exist. We are unique in our spiritual makeup in God’s image and in our physical bodies designed for survival.

Reference: “Comparative study of fibrillar collagen arrangement in the corneas of primates and other mammals” in Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, 290(12), 1542 – 1550.

May 22, 2023May 21, 2023

The Purpose for Human Existence

“Why do I exist?” People have discussed and debated the purpose for human existence from about every philosophical direction imaginable. Atheists have written books to tell us that we are just accidents with no purpose for existence. Many theologians give the trite answer, “Because God wanted to create us,” which is not much of an answer.

Recent evangelical ministers have used the analogy of couples deciding to have a child. If a child asks his parents, “Why did you have me?” What would they say? They might say, “Because we wanted a child to love.” Later, a parent might say their child has brought them great pride as they tell anyone who listens, “That’s my child.” Does that human parent comparison explain why God created us?

I would consider that it is not reasonable to suggest that we humans fulfill a need that God has. God does not have human needs. We don’t praise God because He has an ego problem or is struggling with depression. The Apostle Paul tells us to “glorify God” in Romans 15:6 and elsewhere, but that does not mean God needs us to build Him up because He lacks something. That would be like a political figure or an entertainer who needs people to praise him and build his esteem. Thinking that God has such needs is rooted in human attempts to create God in our own image.

In the Bible, we can find clues to help us understand more clearly the purpose for human existence. For example, the book of Job shows a conflict beyond our daily physical struggles. God never explained to Job the spiritual battle behind the purpose for his existence and which led to the pain he suffered. But after his dialogue with God, Job concluded that the answer is beyond human knowledge or understanding. Speaking through Ezekiel, God tells us that Job, Noah, and Daniel achieved the purpose for which they were created, but their righteousness could not make up for the sins of others. (See Ezekiel 14:14 and 20.)

The New Testament further clarifies the purpose for human existence. First, we see a major confrontation in the war between good and evil in Matthew 4:1-10 when Satan tempted Jesus. Then we see the culmination of the conflict in Revelation 20-22. People often fail to understand the Book of Revelation because they don’t understand that it is not describing a physical war. The war between good and evil is in a realm beyond this physical world. Ephesians 6:10-20 makes it clear that the purpose of our existence is beyond flesh and blood but involves a struggle “against the rulers, against the authorities against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

In Ephesians 3:8-13, Paul writes that his purpose in existing was “to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the Church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Revelation chapters 20 to 22 give a prophecy of the ultimate destruction of evil and the wonderful existence we all can have if we fulfill the purpose for which God created us. First, John 1: 5-9 makes it clear that we will not be perfect, but we will be forgiven and cleansed as we fulfill the purpose for human existence. Atheists try to tell us that evil doesn’t exist and that there is no reason for us to be here. However, the evidence and the biblical message show us the reason for our existence and the joy and love God makes available to us all.

May 15, 2023May 14, 2023

Make the Golden Years Fruitful

How we deal with old age is one of the things that distinguishes Christians from those who reject the Bible as their guide for life. Coming from a family of atheists, I have witnessed how they dealt with aging. I have watched my atheist friends use cosmetic devices and surgery to avoid the consequences of age. Of course, no cosmetic treatment or surgical procedure can remove the aches and pains that time brings, but following Christ can make the golden years fruitful.

For Christians, getting older is a time of growth in understanding and wisdom. In Philippians 3:7-12, Paul talks about looking back on things that he thought were important and considering them “rubbish” and that he “counts all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” We can make the golden years fruitful by following the positive teachings of Christ.

We read in Acts 17:19 about Paul bringing his message to the Areopagus, where older Greeks learned new things. Today our Areopagus is the web where we can share information and ideas. This ministry reaches people of all ages with the message that science and faith are symbiotic. Our websites contain a wealth of new understandings. In addition to this site, please check out doesgodexist.org and doesgodexist.tv. Maturity allows us to challenge our old misunderstandings and learn new things. Biblical examples include Apollos in Acts 18:24-28 and Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2-9.

We can make the golden years fruitful by repairing broken relationships. The Bible contains examples such as Jacob and Esau in Genesis 32-33, Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 45:4-5, and Jesus and Peter in John 21:7-17. Maturity is a time to overcome stubbornness and forgive. Jesus called His followers to forgive, but non-believers sometimes carry grudges to their graves. I have seen this happen in my family and friends who didn’t have a Christian basis for forgiveness.

The most significant benefit of being an older Christian is having a purpose in life. I have watched family members who retired from their secular employment or lost a spouse and had no life purpose as they died mentally, leading to physical death. Enjoying grandchildren, recreation, or hobbies lasts only so long. Having a purpose in life lasts right up to the end. Being a Christian in retirement allows me to devote much of my time and energy to the ministry that God has given me.

Matthew 25:31-46 lists things seniors can uniquely do to make the golden years fruitful. You can’t retire from God. Doing His will brings blessings beyond what the secular world can comprehend. Paul expresses this beautifully in 2 Timothy 4:6-22 as he looks back at his life, realizing it is about to end: “I am already being poured out on the altar, the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course….” Don’t let age rob you of the blessing of purpose and usefulness.

May 3, 2023April 28, 2023

How to Deal with Death

One of the most significant challenges of our time is how to deal with death, and as medical science advances, the issue becomes more critical. Some project that by the year 2050, the U.S. government will spend a trillion dollars a year on millions of institutionalized Americans with Alzheimer’s and advanced stages of dementia. That is 50% more than all federal, state, and local agencies spend today on K-2 public education.

On a more personal level, Americans often spend the largest amount on medical care during the last year of life, depleting family resources and frequently leaving surviving family members destitute. I personally know of widows in our area who are living on a day-to-day basis because they spent all their savings caring for a dying husband.

Medically assisted suicide is the current trend in how to deal with death. Ending one’s life at a time and in a place of their choosing is now legal in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and Switzerland, where it has been legal since 1942. Organizations worldwide and in the United States assist people in arranging legal medically assisted suicide.

At the moment, there are ten states and the District of Columbia that have medically assisted right-to-die programs. This trend began on November 22, 1998, when 60 Minutes broadcast a video of Michigan physician Jack Kevorkian administering voluntary euthanasia to Thomas Youk, a 52-year-old man with advanced Lou Gehrig’s disease. Oregon passed the nation’s first “death with dignity” law four years later, and other states followed after 2016.

In Canada, a person can end life as young as 18 and need not have any life-threatening illness. In 2021 over 10,000 Canadians ended their lives through state-approved euthanasia. This statistic highlights a significant “slippery slope” problem with euthanasia or assisted suicide laws. They can expand to include people who have minor mental or social struggles.

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “It is altogether unlawful to kill oneself because life is God’s gift to man and subject to His power, Who kills and makes to live. Hence whoever takes his own life sins against God.” In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Paul wrote, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” There is no easy answer to this question of how to deal with death. However, many of us will face the hard choices the end of life can bring.

Reference: “Putting an End to It” by Terrence Keeley in Notre Dame Magazine for Spring 2023, pages 47-50

May 1, 2023May 2, 2023

Nuclear Fusion to Power the Future

People today are concerned about “green energy.” The government is attempting to move the economy away from fossil fuels to protect the environment and reduce climate change. However, all of the alternative power sources have limitations. What we need is nuclear fusion to power the future.

Presently, the favored alternatives to fossil fuels are wind and solar, both of which have drawbacks. They include the expense of installing and maintaining them, plus the fact that sunshine and wind are only sometimes available. In addition, there are few locations where water power is feasible, and building dams on rivers can cause other issues. Nuclear fission is probably the most efficient method of generating electric power without putting carbon in the atmosphere. However, past catastrophes cause people to fear that option. Plus, nuclear fission creates waste that will be radioactive for years, and we have no place to store it.

On the other hand, nuclear fusion can release massive amounts of power. After all, that’s what powers the Sun and other stars. With nuclear fusion, there is no radioactive waste and no carbon to create greenhouse gases. The byproduct produced is helium, a useful resource in short supply.

Nuclear fusion to power the future sounds like the answer to all of our problems, so why aren’t we switching to it now? The problem is that science hasn’t found a practical way to do it. However, in December 2022, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California produced nuclear fusion in a lab. The tiny reaction was nowhere near what the Sun does, and it lasted only trillionths of a second. But it was a start. Thirty private fusion companies worldwide are using the Livermore breakthrough as a pattern to promise clean energy that would outpace wind or solar, or anything else we now have. The Fusion Industry Association suggests they could generate fusion electricity sometime in the 2030s.

Is nuclear fusion to power the future just a pipe dream, or could it really happen? God has given us everything we need for an advanced civilization. Intelligent planning of Earth’s history provided the fossil fuels needed to bring us into the modern age. Einstein’s equation e=mc² revealed the enormous power contained within each atom. By releasing some of that power, we have generated electricity by nuclear fission. By applying the intelligence God gave us, we can go a step further and release even more power through nuclear fusion. That could get us away from depending on energy sources that are unreliable or pollute the atmosphere.

The truth is that tiny atoms are held together by incredible power, and releasing that power can solve our energy needs. The power that holds every atom together had to have a source—the One who created everything and holds everything together. “[Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17 ESV).

Reference: “Homemade Suns” by Virginia Heffernan in Wired magazine, March 1, 2023