Christianity Archives

March 26, 2025March 25, 2025

Christians Using Contraceptives

A conflict among various denominations and the Catholic Church involves Christians using contraceptives. The objection to contraceptives is that by preventing a child from being born, humans are playing God. We are not talking about abortion, in which the embryo has its own DNA and is not an extension of the mother’s body. The root of the pro-abortion/pro-life debate is the question of what a human embryo is. In the question of birth control, we are dealing with what we can do with our own bodies. So, what does the Bible teach about conception?

There is no Bible passage condemning contraception. Some have referred to Genesis 38:8-10 in which a man named Onan “spilled it on the ground.” If you read the context of that incident, it was not because he was practicing contraception, but because he was refusing to do what the Levitical rules required to continue his dead brother’s legacy.

In Luke 14:28-32, Jesus makes it clear that God intends for Christians to consider the cost of their actions. Counting the cost of having a child should certainly be essential. In 1969, Elvis Presley recorded a song titled “In the Ghetto,” written by Mac Davis. The song was a major hit for Presley and begins with a classic demonstration of the problem:

As the snow flies

On a cold and gray Chicago mornin’

A poor little baby child is born

In the ghetto

(In the ghetto)

And his mama cries

’Cause if there’s one thing that she don’t need

It is another hungry mouth to feed

In the ghetto

(In the ghetto)

Those of us involved with the education of the general population must not give bad information or withhold information about contraception. Having a baby should not be an accident but a conscious thought and decision of a married husband and wife. Where the Bible is silent, we should be silent, and an area where the Bible is silent is Christians using contraceptives.

March 21, 2025March 20, 2025

All Humans Worship Something

The New Testament Greek word for worship is “proskuneo.” It literally means “to kiss the hand” and can be interpreted as prostrating oneself in homage. All humans worship something, and it can be politics, a cause, a movie actor/actress, a sports figure, the NFL, glamour, sex, or anything else. The New Testament identifies five kinds of worship.

VAIN WORSHIP – In Matthew 15:8-9, Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13, pointing out that vain worship involves merely following human rules and rituals. We see a form of vain worship in Colossians 2:13-23 involving asceticism, flagellation, and some eating disorders.

IGNORANT WORSHIP – In Acts 17:22-24, we find Paul telling the Greek philosophers about the God who was unknown to them. The willful ignorance described in 2 Peter 3:4-5 still exists today as people are unwilling to look at evidence. This is especially true of atheists and agnostics. (See Romans 1:20.)

PERVERTED WORSHIP – We see this in many New Age beliefs, witchcraft, and the drug culture. Worshipping the body and sex is described in Romans 1:21-25.

TRUE WORSHIP – This is the worship God desires. John 4:23-24 and 1 Corinthians 14:15 spell out what productive, useful worship is all about. True worship will involve our mind so we know what we are doing and why. The passage in 1 Corinthians 14 tells readers to “stop acting like children” and think like adults. Worship is not a spectator sport and has no financial component. Every act, every prayer, and every part of being a Christian involves knowing what you are doing and why.

All humans worship something, but true worship gives value to life and reduces fear and anxiety. We urge you to worship as John 4:23-24 calls us to. When we do that, we will find answers to our life struggles.

March 20, 2025March 19, 2025

Ten Excuses People Use

A friend in Dublin, Ireland, sent me a list of ten excuses people use. His article is titled “Ten Reasons Why I Never Wash,” but it is really ten excuses people use to avoid worshipping God and following Jesus.

1) I was forced to wash as a child, so I will not do it now.

2) People who wash are hypocrites who think they are cleaner than others.

3) There are so many kinds of soap that I could not decide which one was right, so I didn’t use any of them.

4) I used to wash, but it got boring.

5) I still wash on special occasions like Christmas.

6) None of my friends wash.

7) I’m too young to wash. When I am older and a bit dirtier, I might start washing.

8) I really don’t have time to wash.

9) The bathroom is never warm enough for me to wash.

10) The people who make soap push washing to make more money.

As I read through the Irish list on washing, I thought of what people would say to Jesus when the end comes. In Matthew 25:35, Jesus talks about people who need food or water, and we have to ask what excuse we will use for not helping people who lack food and water. In verse 36, He talks about people needing clothing, those in prison, and those who are ill. We must consider what excuses we will offer for not addressing those needs.

Humans rationalize their selfish inaction. This list of ten excuses people use should pry us from our inconsistent excuses and get us involved in following Jesus and addressing the real problems facing people today.

March 18, 2025March 17, 2025

A World of Skepticism

When I was a child, I lived in a country of integrity. I saw my father buy a car with a handshake, and no one had any doubts about the vehicle, the price, or the finances to pay for it. As a young man in wartime, I did not doubt the president’s integrity. What the president said was always true, politicians would do what they said they would, and people believed them to be honest even if they failed to deliver. Now, it is a world of skepticism.

In today’s world, to buy a car, you must wade through a maze of forms from the dealer, the government, and the insurance companies. No matter which political party is in control, they deliberately mislead us. I have a skeptical friend who researched the background of United States Congress members. He found that 36 have been accused of spouse abuse, 7 have been arrested for fraud, 19 have been charged with writing bad checks, 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least two businesses, 3 have done time for assault, 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit, 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges, 8 have been arrested for shoplifting, 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits, and 84 were arrested for drunk driving in 2023.

Those are just the ones for which he could find the data. How many have been involved in these and other vices but have not yet been caught? What do we expect in a world where people reject the Bible and God while living by the survival of the fittest philosophy? In the natural world, animals use deception to fool other animals, but that should not be true of humans. If you don’t believe in a higher power and your only goal is being the fittest no matter what it takes, that leads to a world of skepticism.

We subscribe to several skeptic magazines dedicated to exposing fraud while promoting naturalism and evolutionary thinking. They can offer no purpose for human existence and are very good at exposing religious fraud. The “Center for Inquiry” and the “Freedom from Religion Foundation” are leading organizations in the skeptical movement, and they sponsor workshops, tours, and lectureships worldwide.

Being skeptical when you deal with humans is essential, and that includes being skeptical of skeptics. On this website, we try to offer what the Bible actually says, not what some denominational leader might say it says. In a world of skepticism, we present facts to support and not destroy faith. We are certainly not immune to making mistakes, but if we are aware we have made one, we will try to correct it. Welcome to doesgodexist.today.

March 7, 2025March 4, 2025

Being a Christian Is More than “Churchianity”

For many people in America, being a Christian means attending a worship service in a physical building once a week, once a month, twice a year (Easter and Christmas), or only when a tragedy or death strikes the family. That is far from what God intended as revealed in His Word. It is not Christianity but might be called Churchianity.

The word “Christian” originally meant “Christ-like” or belonging to Christ. Acts 11:26 tells us, “The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.” It was not a label they put on themselves but what the people of Antioch used to describe the disciples of Christ.

In his book Why Aren’t Christians More Like Jesus? Michael J. Clemens coined the word “Churchianity” to describe those who feel that going to Church is all they must do to be in a saved relationship with God. Jesus said many times that being a disciple meant following Him 24/7, not just once a week or less.

Americans have been turned off by what has happened in Christian churches. We have all seen the arrogant pushes of televangelist fundraisers, political activism by churches, blatant hypocrisy by preachers and church leaders, cult activity, immorality, pedophilia, and abusive behavior of church leaders exposed in the media.

Galatians 5:22-23 describes what being a Christian (not a Churchianity participant) involves. Christians demonstrate love (agape), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Romans 12:3 describes what authentic Christianity is all about: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment according to the measure of faith God has given you.”

Reference: Why Aren’t Christians More Like Jesus? by Michael J. Clemens, Keledei Publications, ISBN 9781958139493

March 4, 2025March 3, 2025

The Facts Concerning Gender Transitions Become Clear

President Trump issued an executive order to cut off federal funds for institutions that engage in the chemical and surgical mutilation of those under age 19. This reminds us of the struggles many people deal with as their children seek gender transitions. Like the abortion issue, gender transition is being decided by people who don’t understand the implications of their decisions. This is without any consideration of the religious implications involved in changing one’s gender. We are seeing the facts concerning gender transitions become clear.

Puberty blockers and cross-gender hormones are life-long medical interventions with severe complications. They become less effective with long-term use, the side effects are severe, the cost is enormous, and they result in shortened life expectancies. Other countries have reduced or eliminated government funding and the availability of gender treatment drugs. As the facts concerning gender transitions become clear, the U.K., Sweden, and Denmark all strictly limit their use.

To expect a child to make non-reversible life-changing decisions is a foolish course of action. Surgical actions, such as mastectomies and genitalia operations, along with chemical and drug treatments, can lead to permanent infertility and high costs. Trans kids can be excluded from athletic participation because they have a biological advantage over non-trans girls. The cause of gender dysphoria is hotly debated, but the fact that it affects troubled kids’ lives cannot be debated.

From a Christian standpoint, this issue is one where we must exercise compassion and empathy. Like other issues in dealing with the LGBTQ question, Christians cannot endorse these lifestyles because they bring suffering and medical issues to all who struggle with their feelings. God’s design of male and female is strong, and human attempts to change it are doomed to much collateral damage.

As the facts concerning gender transitions become clear, we must realize that physical attacks on LGBTQ individuals are wrong and must be condemned by the Christian community. We must all work together to bring stability into everyone’s life, obedience to God’s instructions, and conformity to the role God intends for us.

Reference: Presidential Executive Order January 28, 2025

February 28, 2025February 27, 2025

Polytheism and the God of the Bible

Evidence of Christianity’s validity is the fact that every religious belief system outside of the Bible is a polytheistic invention of humans. People around the world, especially in Asia and Africa, believe in multiple “gods.” Historically, the same was true of the Greeks and Romans. Wikipedia lists 33 gods and goddesses, including Pelee (the goddess of volcanoes), Minerva (the goddess of weather), Zeus and Thor (the gods of lightning), Poseidon (the god of Horses and seafarers), Titan (the god of the oceans), to name a few. How can we compare polytheism and the God of the Bible?

The God of the Bible is incorporated in the Hebrew word “YHWH,” translated as LORD (all caps), or more correctly Yahweh. The events surrounding the death of Christ show that Yahweh controls all the things attributed to human-invented polytheistic gods. Matthew 27:45-56 describes each area of control: Three hours of darkness shows God’s control of astronomical events. The earthquake that splits rocks shows God’s control of geological events. Bringing people who had died long before showed God’s control of life. This description of God’s control over the creation is unique to the biblical account, giving evidence of the difference between polytheism and the God of the Bible.

The tearing of the veil was especially significant. The veil was commanded in Exodus 26:31-33 and Leviticus 16:2 to separate God from humanity. God was in the “Holy Place,” and humans could not even enter that place. Tearing that veil, removed it as a barrier no longer separating us from God. This incredible change is a cornerstone of Christianity. John 1:1-14 and Colossians 1:15-20 describe God taking on human form to draw people to Himself.

In Acts 17:23-30 Paul describes to the polytheistic culture in Athens the biblical concept of God: “…in Him we live and move and have our being for we are His children.” Throughout the New Testament, we find calls to “repent.” That does not mean to remember and beg forgiveness for every mistake you ever made. It means to “think differently.” In Acts 2:38, Peter calls his audience, and us today, to “repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.” We need to think differently about the nature of God.

As we compare polytheism and the God of the Bible, we are reminded of an excellent little book by J.B. Philips titled Your God is Too Small. That same admonition needs to be given to the world today. We cannot achieve the unity that Jesus prayed for and called us to (John 17:20-23) until we understand the uniqueness of Yahweh.

February 21, 2025February 19, 2025

Churchianity vs. Christianity

One of the things that frustrates congregational leaders and is used by atheists and skeptics to discredit the Church is that many Christians do not understand the difference between orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Orthodoxy is having the correct doctrine, and orthopraxy is having the proper practice. Both are essential, but a vast percentage of those who “attend church” are people who only practice orthodoxy. ”Churchianity” is saying to oneself, “I have doctrine, and I believe, so that’s all I need.” That is logically wrong, but more importantly, it’s biblically wrong.

Read Matthew 8:21-22, 9:9, 16:24, 19:21, and John 21:21-22. What phrase do all of those passages have in common? The answer is “follow me.” What did Jesus do? Did He go to worship service once a week?” Is that all He expects of us? Read Matthew 25:31-46. Does Jesus picture those who are saved as weekly church attendees who could quote selected biblical passages? Is that all there is to Christianity?

Read Matthew 6:19-21 and ask yourself what “treasures” Jesus is talking about. What good are earthly treasures when you face the end of life or the loss of someone you love? At those times, the value of following Jesus becomes clear. Is your heart set on earthly treasure or heavenly treasure?

The loss of young people from the Church today is not because they have a problem with Jesus Christ but rather because they see no practical value in Churchianity. We urge you to follow Jesus and practice orthopraxy as well as orthodoxy. Churchianity is a false way of life and has nothing to do with what Jesus intended for us to do and be.

— John N. Clayton © 2025
Reference: Why Aren’t Christians More Like Jesus by Michael J. Clemens, Keledei Publications, ISBN 9781958139493

February 14, 2025February 10, 2025

Conquering Fear Through Faith

We live in an age of anxiety. The American Medical Association says that fear is the number one health issue in the United States. Americans spend massive amounts of money on alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, and pop psychologists and psychiatrists to help them deal with fears. The problem of conquering fear is not new, and the Bible uses the phrase “fear not” 366 times.

Susan Giboney, writing in the March 17, 2025, issue of Power For Today, tells of a person she calls the superhero “Anxiety Girl” who can jump to the worst possible conclusion in a single leap. One of the causes of fear in our day is collateral damage from rejecting God. If this life is all you have and you are in danger of losing it, you have a lot to be anxious about. Here are five suggestions about how to reduce the effect of being an “Anxiety Superhero.”

#1) Building faith leads to conquering fear. This program offers courses, DVDs, and books to help fearful people actively build faith in God. Faith can help you realize that this life is not all we have. We are not talking about blind faith but evidential faith.

#2) Listen to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Read Matthew 6:25-34 and think about the questions it raises. What do you worry about? Having water, how you look, what you wear, what will happen tomorrow? Read the words of Christ and think!

#3) Know what the Lord will deal with the wicked. Read Psalms 94:16-23 and 1 Corinthians 10:13 and understand that Christians have relief from the awful things in this world.

#4) The Bible calls us to repent. That means we must learn to think differently. Repentance is not just sorrow for our mistakes, although that can be part of it. Read Philippians 4:8 and follow its advice. Focus on the good things. If the news upsets you, don’t watch it. If the TV show is negative or violent, turn it off. Don’t watch depressing movies or listen to songs full of profanity. Avoid abusive people. The Church is the “called out ones” and can provide help and support.

#5) Trusting God to do what He says leads to conquering fear. Read 2 Peter 3:9 and understand God wants you to be saved and to live with the forgiveness promised through Christ. God provides continuous cleansing and a better existence beyond this life. (See 1 John 1:6-10.)

We all have an instinctive drive to avoid death, but the fear that fills us with anxiety is what affects our lives from day to day. Faith addresses and reduces that fear. Drugs and other alternatives to God do not.

January 29, 2025January 28, 2025

Muhammad and the History of Islam

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

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

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

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

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

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