Tag: John N Clayton

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The Koran Is Not From God

The Koran Is Not From God

Several Muslims want to know why we don’t promote the Koran in the same way we promote the Bible. The answer to that question is that our ministry deals with evidence, and the evidence is that the Koran is not from God. We have studied the Koran, which is available in Penguin Classics ©1974 and translated by N.J. Dawood (who is a Muslim).

Some of our Muslim friends respond that you have to know Arabic to understand the Koran, but that is not true of the Bible. There are translations of the Bible in many languages, and all are understandable. Not all Muslims believe all that the Koran actually says. Many Muslims are ignorant of the Koran, just as many “Christians” are ignorant of the Bible. We are comparing the books, not what people believe.

We are looking at scientific accuracy. Our websites deal with scientific statements in the Bible that science has shown to be correct. Can the same be said of the Koran? Here are some examples of scientific problems with the Koran:

Al-Nisa 4:23 – Nursing passes on genetic traits from mother to child.
Fact: No genetic traits are transmitted by nursing.

Al-Nisa and Al-Araf – Semen comes from the back or kidney area.
Fact: Semen comes from the testicles and prostate.

Prophets 21:31, The Bee 16:15, Lugman 31:10, The News 78:6-8 – God threw down mountains like tent pegs to keep the Earth from shaking.
Fact: Mountains do not keep the Earth from shaking and are not like tent pegs.

Al-Saffat 37:6, Al Jinn 72:8-9, Al Tariq 15:16-18 – A piercing flame is a shooting star – a weapon of God used to strike devils.
Fact: Meteorites are solid lumps of matter that survive passage through Earth’s atmosphere and reach the ground.

Al-Anam 6:38 – All animals and all things that fly form communities like man.
Fact: Many forms of life do not live in communities.

Al-Nahl 16:69 – Honey emerges from a bee’s abdomen and heals men.
Fact: Honey is produced in a hive, not in a bee’s abdomen.

Al-Naml 27:15-44 – Solomon talked with ants, birds, and giants.
Fact: This kind of communication does not happen.

This is a short list of errors that indicate the Koran is not from God. No such list can be taken from the Bible, even though it gives several scientific statements. Our “doesgodexist.org” website has a correspondence course that contains these and other examples in Appendix A and Appendix B.

— John N. Clayton © 2024

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What Is the Evidence for Vaccines?

What Is the Evidence for Vaccines?

This ministry is dedicated to the proposition that science and faith are friends, which requires looking at evidence. We mean objective physical evidence, not tabloid claims or religious tantrums. So, what is the evidence for vaccines? Vaccines can indeed cause an allergic reaction, but so can eating wheat in some individuals. In fact, eating wheat products has killed a few people.

In 2022, children in South Sudan were dying from measles. The government began a vaccination campaign in 2023, and medical workers there now tell us that measles is almost totally unknown. The Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C., says that in the past 50 years, the measles vaccine saved nearly 94 million lives. The oldest weekly peer-reviewed medical journal in the world is The Lancet, founded in 1823 in England. In May 2024, the Lancet said vaccines against the 14 common pathogens have saved 154 million lives over the past five decades – six lives every minute. Vaccines have reduced global Infant mortality by 40%.

The shining light of vaccines is the smallpox vaccine, which British physician Edward Jenner developed in 1796. Before that time, smallpox killed millions of people, and others were left with scars, infertility, blindness, and crippling. Abraham Lincoln and Mozart both survived smallpox. A worldwide vaccination campaign by the World Health Organization eradicated smallpox in 1977.

The big issue in South Sudan right now is malaria, which killed 7000 people in 2022. Children are especially vulnerable to malaria, and parents are doing extraordinary things to get their children vaccinated. What is the evidence for vaccines? They help save lives.

God did not cause these diseases. Human error, ignorance, greed, and selfishness all increase them, but God has given us tools to combat horrible diseases. I remember when polio was killing my friends and classmates in the 1950s and how eager I was to get the Sauk vaccine, which stopped that plague. Christians must be on the front lines of ensuring that vulnerable people can get vaccinations.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “The Staggering Success of Vaccines” in Scientific American, November 2024.

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E-cigarettes Have Created a Teen Vaping Problem

E-cigarettes Have Created a Teen Vaping Problem

As America moves away from God, young people are desperately searching for a substitute for the peace that faith brings. Since they came on the market in 2007, e-cigarettes have created a teen vaping problem. When a person inhales vapor laced with nicotine, the drug is quickly absorbed through the blood vessels and can reach the brain in as little as 10 seconds. This rapid absorption means that addiction comes very quickly.

Roughly 2.8 million young people use tobacco products, according to The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control. One in four of those using e-cigarettes say they use them every day. Data on long-term use of e-cigarettes is limited. Young people assume that vaping is safer than cigarettes, but frequently, other toxic chemicals are in the ingredients.

The 2023 Verkada Teen Vaping Survey of 2,650 Americans found that 96% of teenagers who vape view it as a problem, and 61% consider themselves addicted. More than half (54%) of the teens expressed a desire to quit vaping. The Vercada survey also found that 9 out of 10 teachers reported vaping to be disruptive to learning environments. When users who vape don’t have access to nicotine, they become agitated and sometimes belligerent. Anger management becomes an issue. This causes school attendance problems and conflicts with the students’ families. It’s also an issue for the Church as many teens who vape find it hard to participate in teen classes or activities.

Christians must learn about the dangers of nicotine and alcohol. In the New Testament, we find Christ and the apostles warning repeatedly about the dangers of the world, and vaping joins the list of world agents that bring addiction, heartbreak, conflict, and death. Help for teen vaping addiction is available at THIS LINK.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “The Problem Clouding the Classroom” in the NEA Magazine for October 2024, pages 38-41.

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Singing and Making Melody in Your Heart

Singing and Making Melody in Your Heart

We hear many sounds in the natural world. Animals make sounds as a vehicle to convey a need they have. Birds get a lot of attention because we enjoy the sounds they use to mark territory or find a mate, but it is not music. What is music? We define music as “an art form that combines either vocal or instrumental sounds, sometimes both, using form, harmony, and expression of emotion to convey an idea.” Ephesians 5:19 talks about “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

Genesis 4:21 tells us that Jubal was the father of the harp and the flute, and archaeological evidence shows that, along with drums, those were the first instruments of music. In 1 Samuel 16:14- 23, King Saul had mental issues, and his servants suggested that music might help. This led to David playing the harp in the presence of Saul, and every time he did, “Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil departed from him.”

Music has many forms and people have used it for dancing in every culture. The dancing can be part of worship, between two people, or by an accomplished dancer. All of these are possible because of the human relationship with God, as we are created in His image. Singing was part of many activities described in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word “zamar” was used when the singing was a praise to God. Singing aloud used the word “ranan,” while singing of God’s attributes was described by the Hebrew word “shir.”

In the New Testament, Greek words refer to an individual’s response to God in song. The Greek word “ado,” used in Ephesians 5:19, “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,” indicates that singing is to be done with understanding. The same word is used in Colossians 3:16. James 5:13 tells Christians to sing when they are happy. The word used there is “psallo,” and the same word is used in Romans 15:9 and 1 Corinthians 14:15.

Worship is not a spectator sport, and God did not intend for Church worship to be a time of entertainment. All of us should sing in worship, but some say, “I’m tone-deaf and don’t sing well.” The truth is that most of the singing in ancient times involved chants – not four-part harmony. God listens to your heart, not to your sharps and flats.

Today, many churches have paid singers and special programs that feature skilled musicians. These are wonderful to attend and listen to. I enjoy listening to Bill Gaither’s programs on television, but I don’t participate—I listen. One of our co-workers is Paul Foster, who has a beautiful voice and is a skilled musician. He has a daily YouTube program called “Songs of Encouragement.” It is a wonderful teaching tool for anyone but does not replace worship.

Music testifies to human uniqueness and is a great tool God gave us. God’s Spirit is a part of our singing in worship that unifies us and brings us closer to God. Don’t neglect your personal involvement in “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

— John N. Clayton © 2024

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Thoughts About Dandelions

Thoughts About Dandelions

You may not have kind thoughts about dandelions, but they are actually useful plants for animals and humans. The name “dandelion” comes from the French “dent de lion,” meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the coarsely-toothed leaves. Until the 1800s, people would pull grass from their lawns to make room for dandelions and other beneficial “weeds” like chickweed, Malva, and chamomile.

Here are some reasons for saying that dandelions are useful:

#1. Birds, insects, and butterflies consume nectar or the seeds of dandelion.
#2. Honey from bees pollinating dandelions is quite delicious.
#3. Dandelion root can be used as a substitute for coffee.
#4. Dandelion is used in folk medicine to treat infections and liver disorders.
#5. Dandelion tea is a diuretic.
#6. Dandelions can be used to make dye.
#7. Every part of a dandelion, including roots, leaves, and flowers, can be used for food.

Dandelions remind us of three celestial bodies—the Sun, Moon, and stars. The yellow flower resembles the Sun, the puff ball resembles the Moon, and the dispersing seeds resemble the stars. A gust of wind often transports away dandelion seeds, which travel like tiny parachutes as far as five miles from their origin!

Whatever your thoughts about dandelions, whether you like them in your lawn or not, they are, quite possibly, the most successful plants, masters of worldwide survival, and part of God’s design of living things.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Our thanks to Joe Kramarz for this data.

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The Curse of Incarceration

The Curse of Incarceration

The Does God Exist? ministry recently mailed out our 6,000th apologetics course to a person in prison. Over the years, we have presented our programs in prisons throughout the United States. I recently had a conversation with an inmate who said he was glad to be in jail, where he was learning things from other prisoners to help him not get caught when he gets out and resumes his life of crime. This shows that the curse of incarceration is not working.

The solution to this curse is to change our concept of how to handle a person who has committed a crime. From a financial standpoint, when taxpayers must pay for a person who will be in jail for many years or even life, the cost is massive. There are some bright spots in this very dark problem. In Texas, a program called C.A.S.A (Christians Against Substance Abuse) has been able to change the lives of literally thousands of incarcerated men and women through education and counseling. Several chaplains in Texas prisons are using the “New Life Behavior” curriculum.

Recently, two factors have made getting our life lesson materials to prisoners more challenging. The mail service is more expensive, and prisons have extreme requirements for delivery because so many prisoners have received mail with hidden drugs.

Christians believe that every human being is created in the image of God and should be shown the “agape” kind of love that Jesus taught. (See Matthew 5:43-44.) Prisons should be places where people are rehabilitated, not tortured. We cage dangerous animals, and caging a human is like caging a vicious dog. It doesn’t make the dog less vicious. That is the curse of incarceration.

Educating and rehabilitating humans would be far less expensive than our present system, where most prisoners are simply learning how to be smarter criminals and commit more crimes when released. Will America wake up to this need? If it happens, Christians are the ones who will lead the way.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Information on CASA is available from Kings Crossing Prison Ministries at https://www.kingscrossingprisonministries.org/.

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Trashing God’s Creation

Trashing God’s Creation

The Bible tells us that God created our planet to be a beautiful place and gave humans the responsibility to take care of it. However, we see today that humans are trashing God’s creation.

Several times in my life, I have had the privilege of being in an area where no human activity had ever been present. From the underwater gardens in the Galapagos Islands to isolated regions of Alaska, the beauty of the natural world has astounded me. In Australia, I was allowed to be in places where the nearest human city was hundreds of miles away, and the beauty was breathtaking. Canoeing in Canada’s Quetico wilderness was another place where I saw incredible beauty. Numerous trips to the bottom of the Grand Canyon allowed me to see an unspoiled natural environment.

Finding unspoiled places today has become increasingly difficult. Human greed, selfishness, and materialism have led to trashing much of our planet. Many people have sensed this loss, including those who may not see it as God’s creation but cannot deny the destruction of the natural world. One organization is the Ocean Conservancy, which is involved in global cleanup. One of their programs is the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), which uses volunteers to pick up trash worldwide.

In 2023, ICC volunteers collected 1,947,483 cigarette butts, 1,358,870 plastic beverage bottles, 853,086 plastic bottle caps, 762,803 food wrappers, 563,390 plastic grocery bags, and a variety of trash, adding up to 14.3 million items. The issue of trashing God’s creation has gotten more attention since scientists discovered that microplastics contaminate all oceans and even show up in the human bloodstream. Medical research shows that these tiny plastic particles combine with chemicals to produce cancer, birth defects, brain damage, infertility, and various other health issues.

We see skeptics blaming God for these illnesses and problems when the root of much of the pain and suffering is humans trashing God’s creation. Christians cannot assume that this problem is unrelated to their faith. We need to be leaders in caring for God’s creation just as we must lead in helping our world understand Christ’s wisdom as He tells us how to live and how to treat each other.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: The Ocean Conservancy in their Splash newsletter for Winter 2024

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Is Prayer a Waste of Time?

Is Prayer a Waste of Time?

We recently received an email from a man saying, “I have quit praying. It is a waste of time. Nothing I ask for ever happens or comes.” Is prayer a waste of time?

I understand the man’s comment. When my son was born, I prayed he would be healthy and blessed with a keen mind. After about six months, we learned that he had congenital cataracts. I prayed that his vision would be restored after cataract surgery, but then we learned that he had retinal problems and would be blind. I knew some blind friends who were very bright and had purposeful lives, so I prayed that my son would be bright and full of potential. However, by the time he reached school age, it was evident that he was mentally challenged.

At that point, I had to ask myself, “Is prayer a waste of time?” As a Christian, I knew the Bible said I should pray (John 16:24, Mark 11:24, Matthew 5:44, James 5:16). While studying this question, I gradually realized that prayer was never about physical needs. Jesus warned that problems would come (Matthew 24:4-13). Prayer did not remove issues for Jesus or Paul.  Jesus was still crucified, and Paul still had an affliction (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).

The Bible teaches that prayer is primarily about spiritual issues, not physical ones. That doesn’t mean we should not talk with God about physical problems, but the promises of what prayer will do are spiritual. James 1:5 tells Christians to pray for wisdom, not intelligence. James 5:13-14 says, “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray.” (KJV) The Greek word “afflicted” is “kakopatheo,” meaning to suffer evil. This is not about physical affliction but letting evil take over your life. The use of oil mentioned in the passage was not about medicinal value but a symbol of gladness or spiritual nourishment. (See Deuteronomy 33:24, Psalms 23:5, and Job 29:6.)

Colossians 3:2 tells Christians to “Set your mind on things above, not on things on this Earth.”  Philippians 4:6-7 tells Christians that prayer will guard our hearts and minds, not skin and joints. Is prayer a waste of time? I have had atheist friends tell me they don’t understand how I keep going with all the things that have happened in my life. They don’t realize that prayer brings what this passage calls “the peace of God.” Peace doesn’t come from politicians or things of this world. Realizing that you have a purpose for existence is a beautiful reward of being a Christian. My prayer for you is that you will find that peace.

— John N. Clayton © 2024

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Blind Cave Fish Find Food

Blind Cave Fish Find Food
Blind Cave Fish – Mexican Tetra

How is bat guano controlled in caves, and how do blind cave fish find food? Like all natural balances, there is a relationship between these two questions.

With vast numbers of bats in caves, over many years, their droppings could fill the caves if there were no natural ways to reduce the volume. Dr. Josh Gross at the University of Cincinnati has discovered that blind cave fish actually eat bat guano. It provides food for the fish, which would otherwise have nothing to eat.

What the fish get from the guano depends on what kind of bats live in the cave. Fruit bats will have some sugar in their guano, and bats that eat insects will have some protein in theirs. The next question is, how do the fish find the guano that will nourish them? The answer is that the fish have taste buds under their chin and on top of their heads.

The fish avoid destructive bacteria that might be in the guano because some of the taste buds can detect lactones in the bacteria that would taste bitter. These taste buds are called tuft cells, and in addition to harmful bacteria, they can detect dust mites and mold.

Everywhere we look in the natural world, even in the darkest caves, we see God’s design and handiwork, even in how blind cave fish find food. Romans 1:20, “We can know there is a God through the things He has made,” has special meaning when we see examples like this.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
References: “A Matter of Taste” in Scientific American for November 2024, page 16 and Nature Communications Biology

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The Accents of Their Mothers

The Accents of Their Mothers

According to an article in American Scientist magazine, newborns cry in the accents of their mothers. They differ in their cries when they are first born, and this translates into speech later on. In the seventh week of pregnancy, the unborn baby begins to move and discover its body and world. The abortion issue is incredibly complex.

Doctors have told me that babies react emotionally to sounds that have been a part of the mother before the baby’s birth. If a woman has been abused by her husband during pregnancy, the child will scream and move away from the husband after birth. A mother singing to the baby in her womb will find that those same songs will calm the child after birth.

Many years ago, as a graduate student at Indiana University, I was privileged to attend a concert for music majors by the violinist Isaac Stern. During a break in his music, he introduced a tune that he called a mystery melody. The story goes that Stern was playing a piece while his mother was listening. She asked him where he got the piece, and Stern said he didn’t know. His mother said, “I wrote it when I was carrying you and played it over and over, but I didn’t save it, and it was never published.” Stern played it to honor his mother.

Stories like this one are numerous and remind us that a human embryo is not just an extension of the mother’s body. Morning sickness happens because the woman’s body recognizes there is a foreign object in her. We know that unborn babies are aware and react to what is going on in the outside world. Late-term babies will fight the intrusive medical hardware being used to do an abortion. Now, we know that newborns cry in the accents of their mothers.

The abortion issue is incredibly complex, but the “woman’s right to choose” argument has the wrong timeline. She chooses whether to have a child or not when she enters a sexual relationship. Denying that the baby is a human flies in the face of all the evidence.

Discarding God’s moral laws is the root of the abortion issue and also the complex end-of-life issues. The slippery slope is real, and we must discuss what we want our society to be like in the future. Survival of the fittest started with Darwin, and we see it today in these issues.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “Baby Talk” in American Scientist magazine for November/December 2024, pages 368-374