Christianity Archives

May 30, 2025May 30, 2025

Only Humans Can Sing

The claim that animals sing just like humans is based on misinformation. Only humans can produce music, a fact supported by both definition and experience. A dictionary definition of music is: “The art of arranging sounds in time that expresses ideas and emotions to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.” The dictionary also gives the following definition of singing: “The use of the human voice to provide a succession of notes to produce a desired effect.” Only humans can sing.

Music has a proven effect on humans. My son Timothy was born with multiple handicaps. He was blind, severely mentally challenged, and had cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and schizophrenia. What Tim did not have was a problem with his hearing. If we put on a record of one of his favorite artists, he would smile and sit quietly through the entire record.

The Bible records the effect of music on humans. King Saul was mentally disturbed. The one thing that gave him peace was David and his harp (1 Samuel 16:14-16). The Old Testament includes many references to the role of music. In Daniel 3:5-15, we read that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, used music to call people to worship his gold image. In Ecclesiastes 2:8, we read that Solomon had singers serving him. In Nehemiah 12:27-28, we see that singers and players celebrated the dedication of the restored Jerusalem wall. The Psalms are songs, and many of them refer to making music.

Music has played a significant role in Christianity. Ephesians 5:19 tells Christians to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” A psalm is a current expression of needs. A hymn is a song of praise to God. Spiritual songs are songs that instruct or motivate. In recent years, Bill Gaither and others have popularized gospel music.

Can animals do these things? The answer is no. Only humans can sing. Animals make sounds and “songs” for survival purposes. Dogs bark, cats meow, and birds “sing” for survival reasons. Whales in the broad expanse of the ocean contact one another by emitting low frequencies that travel long distances. A cardinal sits outside our window and “sings.” But what is he actually doing? He is saying to all other cardinals, “Stay out of my territory and away from my mate or else.” He is not creating music.

Animal communication is a demonstration of God’s design and wisdom, but only humans can sing as a product of our spiritual nature in God’s image. Humans need to sing and make music. See Colossians 3:16 and Hebrews 2:12. God created us to enjoy the gift of music and use it to honor Him.

May 29, 2025May 28, 2025

Nighttime Pollinators Are Essential

There is considerable media discussion about the plight of bees, attributed to the use of insecticides and to climate change. The media overlooks the fact that bees and butterflies are primarily daytime pollinators. Of the approximately 350,000 flowering plant species, some depend on nighttime pollinators.

The long list of nighttime pollinators includes moths, cockroaches, beetles, slugs, snails, and bats. Many people consider them to be pests, especially cockroaches and beetles. For this reason, they target pollinators by applying chemicals to control them. The result is that desirable plants fail to reproduce and die out.

The answer to this problem is helping people understand the importance of being cautious about what they apply to their plants and why. Christians believe that God has designed all ecosystems, and good stewardship requires protecting what He has given us. People who reject God’s design for life are engaged in chemical warfare, in this case, against nighttime pollinators.

Reference: BBC.com “Where bees won’t go: The unloved pollinators of the underworld.”

May 14, 2025May 13, 2025

Why We Have Four Gospels

When I was an atheist, it seemed ridiculous to me for there to be four accounts of the same story. Why not have one good account instead of four shoddy ones? The answer to why we have four gospels did not come to me for many years.

The old explanation that four different witnesses reported different things did not hold up well. Having one complete account made more sense to me. I finally came to see why we have four Gospels is because of the readers, not the writers. One of the problems that many Americans have with the Bible is that they assume it was written for Americans. The Bible is not an American book, and it is not about Americans.

We have three synoptic gospel accounts written by different authors, specifically designed for different groups of readers. In spite of that, there is an amazing accord between them. The synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke give a general view, or synopsis, of the events of Christ’s ministry.

The scholars who study the gospels tell us that 606 of the 661 verses of Mark appear in Matthew and that 380 of the verses of Mark are found in Luke. Mark is the oldest and shortest of the synoptic gospels. Matthew is very Jewish and contains much material that would be of interest to the Jewish culture, as well as covering the material in Mark. Luke was a well-educated Greek and a physician. His writing does not contain the Jewish slant of Matthew, and his approach would appeal to the Gentile, or Greek, population.

The Gospel of John is not synoptic but evangelistic. John’s purpose is to convince his readers that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. The very nature of Jesus as the logos in John 1:1 is expanded and carried throughout the gospel. Much of the information in John is not in the other Gospels, because it has a different purpose and intent. It is an apologetic gospel to address the skeptic and the uninformed.

Suggesting that the reason why we have four gospels is to prevent details from being left out is a vast oversimplification. The four gospels together give us a logical, reasonable, and essential understanding of what and who Jesus was and what He came to do. The Bible gives us an accurate record of the gospel.

May 13, 2025May 12, 2025

Questions About Life in Three Categories

Everyone is curious about the things we see in nature. Our posts here and on Facebook often concern animals, plants, and ecosystems. Most people looking at living creatures believe they see design and have questions about life in three categories.

The first category of questions, asked primarily by scientists or the scientifically minded, is, “How does it work?” We want to know how DNA determines the various traits of living things. We are curious about how green plants convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into energy to power their cells. How does a bat find its prey in the dark? How can an octopus control eight arms independently? The questions are numerous.

The second category is, “What is the purpose?” Atheist scientist Richard Dawkins stops after the “how” question to say, “Biology is the study of things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.” But then he makes it very clear that he believes they are not designed and have no purpose. On the other hand, theologians look for a purpose. Since God created the world, He must have a purpose in mind.

Both scientists and theologians ask questions in the third category. They want to know, “How and when did this originate? How did the universe come into being? How did life come from non-living chemicals? When did the first human life originate, and how?” For believers, the Bible gives us basic answers to those questions. However, since the Bible is not a science textbook, it leaves many questions unanswered. That is where science can find answers.

Looking at questions about life in three categories, the third category is very contentious because scientists and believers disagree. I mean that unbelieving scientists disagree with believers and vice versa. But also, scientists disagree with other scientists, and believers disagree with other believers. The curious thing is that in recent years, scientists have resolved some of their disagreements. Those who once insisted that the universe was eternal have been forced to accept the evidence of a cosmic beginning about 13.8 billion years ago.

Believers, however, continue to argue about young-earth and old-earth theology. All believers need to accept the fact that the Bible does not tell us when the universe began or when Adam and Eve lived. As Christians, we must let the Bible speak where it speaks and allow science to speak where it speaks. Of the questions about life in three categories, the most important for believers to examine falls into the second category. “What is the purpose of life?” That is a question the Bible clearly answers. For example, read Romans 12:1-2, Romans 6:22, and Ephesians 3:10-12.

April 16, 2025April 14, 2025

Wealth and Religious Movements

Many times, rich people have an incomplete feeling when being rich is all they have accomplished in life. Rodney Stark, in his book The Triumph of Christianity, gives a picture of wealth and religious movements:

Buddhism – Buddha was a prince, and 55 of his converts were from nobility.

Zoroastrianism – Zoroaster converted a king, queen, and court of a nearby kingdom.

Taoism and Confucianism – Both began among Chinese elites.

Orphism and Pythagoreanism in ancient Greece – According to Plato, they were based on the upper classes.

Even Moses was an Egyptian prince, but he gave up his position. Compare that to Jesus Christ, who was born to very poor parents in a very simple and poor place. He never owned property or a house. As far as we know, He never traveled by a wheeled vehicle or animal until He came to Jerusalem on a donkey near the end of His ministry, not on a horse as the rich would have.

The twelve apostles and other followers of Jesus did not show the same poverty level as Christ. Fishermen could be considered wealthy in Jesus’ day. Peter (Simon) and Andrew were partners of James and John, who owned a boat and left it with their father Zebedee and his hired servants (Mark 1:20). Peter apparently owned two houses, one in Bethsaida and another in Capernaum. Mark’s mother owned a house in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12). Matthew was a wealthy tax collector, and so was Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). Joseph of Arimathea was very rich (Matthew 27:57), and Joanna and Susanna were wealthy women who supported Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3).

What is the connection between wealth and religious movements? Why are wealthy people the founders of various religions except Christianity, where Jesus stands out as an exception? Being rich doesn’t seem to bring the security and satisfaction people desire. In America, many of the wealthiest people have failed marriages and troubled children, with many overdosing or committing suicide. A strong argument for Christianity is the words of Jesus: “Therefore by their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).

Reference: Rodney Stark, in his book The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest Religion, page 100

April 15, 2025April 14, 2025

“Not Religious” Young People

In 1990, 8% of people aged 18-29 said they were “not religious.” In 2020, 42% of the same age group claimed their religion as “none.” Dr Ken Woodward retired after 38 years as a religion editor for Newsweek. He has reviewed a new book by Dr. Christian Smith titled Why Religion Went Obsolete. Woodward points out that other identities have superseded the claim that I am Catholic or Jewish or any other religious identification, including “Christian.” It is my experience that even those who attend a church service will not identify to their peers that they are Christians. Now, our population uses new identity titles such as “I’m female,” “I’m Democrat,” “I’m MAGA,” or “I’m LGBTQ.”

One of the great tragedies of “not religious” young people is the enormous collateral damage in terms of morality. In 1955, when you said something, no one would believe you were lying. Today, lying is common at all levels. For the “not religious,” sex has become a drug of choice, especially among those who don’t use chemical substances. The notion that a man and woman would not have sexual relations until they were married is considered archaic. For many, marriage is a financial arrangement open to being dissolved at any time by either party.

Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” The history of ancient Israel given in the Old Testament shows us loud and clear that when people forget God and His teaching, the nation collapses. There is enormous documentation of what brought about the collapse of the Roman empire, and the question for America today is whether we will profit from or repeat the lessons of ancient history.

One bright spot is that books like Christian Smith’s new book, which is subtitled The Demise of Traditional Faith in America, are getting some attention from modern readers. Christian Smith is a scholar, a sociology professor, and the principal investigator for the Global Religion Research Initiative at Notre Dame University.

We would add our small voice to the outcry of real scholars in America, begging our countrymen to wake up before our “not religious” children and grandchildren lose the freedom that made America great.

Reference: “Out of Practice” in Notre Dame Magazine for Spring 2025, pages 19-25.

April 14, 2025April 13, 2025

Holy Week and Tax Time

Many Christians observe this week, April 13-20, 2025, as Holy Week. For Americans, it is also tax time. As we think about the teaching and sacrifice of Jesus, Christian values and paying taxes become an issue. Some suggest that since the government uses our tax money to support immoral activities, they should not pay taxes. It is true that much of our tax money goes to things that oppose the teachings of Jesus Christ. Others seem to believe they can obtain salvation by observing Holy Week. This human tradition is not commanded in the Bible, but paying taxes is, so it is interesting that Holy Week and tax time fall in the same week this year.

The Bible makes it clear that Christians are to pay taxes. Jesus said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Romans 13 presents civil government as having a good function. In Romans 13:6-7, we read, “It is right for you to pay taxes for civil authorities are God’s official servants faithfully devoting themselves to this very end. Pay them all that is due them. Pay your taxes and import duties gladly – respect where respect is due, and honor where honor is due.”

Realize that these statements were made during the reign of one of the most violent and immoral governments the world has ever known. The Roman government was morally corrupt, sanctioning prostitution and throwing unwanted babies into the street to die. In spite of that, Christians were instructed to pay taxes. We might compare ancient Rome to America today, but that doesn’t change the fact that law and order are because of the civil government.

On the other hand, there is no biblical command to observe Holy Week. Events like “Ash Wednesday” are not commanded in the Bible nor practiced by the apostles and the early Church. The Bible makes it clear that we are not saved by any works or observance of special days. We are saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His death-conquering resurrection. We should remember that every day, especially every first day of the week, not just once a year.

Remember during this Holy Week and tax time that we are not saved by keeping special days, paying taxes, or doing anything else. We are saved only by the blood of Jesus Christ, but Jesus made it very clear in Matthew 25:31-46 that His followers would show they are saved by what they do for others. Serving the needs of others is the best way to serve the Lord and win the lost. Christians must remember that our true allegiance is to God and God’s kingdom, and no matter what happens in this life, we have something better ahead.

April 9, 2025April 8, 2025

The Persecution of Christians in Nigeria

The “Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List” says that the persecution of Christians in Nigeria is dramatic. Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, with more Christians killed for their faith there than in all other countries combined. In northern Nigeria last Christmas, armed militants descended on Christian villages. They burned houses, farms, and churches, beheading a preacher and leaving his head in a field for church members to find the next morning. The militants killed around 200 people and drove about 20,000 Nigerians from their homes. They left half of the buildings in the village in ruins, with roofs gone, walls reduced to rubble, lives lost, and families destroyed.

In America, we have church buildings where we can worship without fear, making it hard for us to comprehend what our brothers and sisters in Nigeria are going through. Alliance Defending Freedom is assembling a group of lawyers to give legal support at no cost to targeted Christians. Their stated purpose is to “advocate at the highest levels of law and policy internationally to inspire global action, creating generational legal precedents for freedom that bring relief and justice to the persecuted.”

Satan is having a field day with the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, but Christ is providing an answer to those being attacked. Satan is also at work in America, where many Christians are affected by political action on a national level. We must pray for our brothers and sisters in Nigeria and other countries, even our own.

Reference: Open Doors World Watch List

April 8, 2025April 7, 2025

Prejudice Against Christianity

One development in recent years has been the sanctioning of every religious belief system except Christianity. For example, the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and the University of Chicago recently implemented a “Quiet Time” program in eight Chicago public schools. In one ceremony, schools required students to invoke various Hindu gods to channel their powers. In another ceremony, students were told to kneel before a photograph of a religious figure. Meanwhile, there is prejudice against Christianity.

One Christian student refused to participate in these ceremonies, and the school informed her that her refusal would negatively impact her grades, affect her graduation status, and potentially jeopardize her eligibility to continue playing on the girls’ basketball team. This student’s case went to court, and the school system can no longer implement Hindu transcendental meditation.

An older example occurred in 1995 when a veterans group called Hurley appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. They claimed that forcing them to support and endorse the “Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston” violated their Christian beliefs. Such a case today would not support the rights of a Christian group, as shown in numerous court cases.

There is an old saying: “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it.” In today’s world, Christians do not have a right to say what they believe, while every other segment of American society does. Jesus taught His followers to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” No Christian is going to take up arms to force others to listen, but a prejudice against Christianity continues to cause us Christians to expect persecution that no one else in America faces.

This ministry is constantly threatened with violence if we continue this website and our efforts in prisons and the military. The prejudice against Christianity has threatened the right of Christian colleges, universities, and churches to have separate facilities for men and women. We Christians must pray for patience and freedom for our ministries.

Reference: Alliance Defending Freedom, Scottsdale, AZ, newsletter for February 2025.