John N Clayton Archives

March 7, 2021March 5, 2021

The Bible Contains All We Need to Build a Faith to Live By

How do we know that the Bible does not omit some books that should have been included? How do we know that all of the books in the Bible should be there? Skeptics and religious writers frequently raise these questions. The truth is that we don’t have to be in doubt about whether the Bible contains all we need to build a faith to live by.

When someone claims that some “lost book” should be included in the Bible, the simple answer is to read it. You don’t have to be a biblical scholar to see very quickly that the books of the Apocrypha should not be part of the canon, or accepted Bible books. The apocryphal books either contain material already covered in the Bible or contradict Paul’s writings and the teachings of Christ.

When the Church decided what books to include in the canon of the New Testament, they used four criteria:

1) APOSTOLICITY – Was the book written by an apostle or companion of the apostles?

2) ORTHODOXY – Is the writing in agreement with the teaching of Christ?

3) ANTIQUITY – Did the writing come from the generation of the apostles?

4) USE – Was the writing widely accepted and used by the early Church?

When a manuscript is not included in the biblical canon, it is easy to see why. A good example is the gnostic writings which include elements of Greek mythology, astrology, food taboos, ascetic practices, and intermediary beings. Gnostics liberalized sexual morals, and some even questioned marriage.

The Bible contains all we need to build a faith to live by. Its clarity and completeness stand unique. Second Timothy 3:16 tells us that scripture provides all we need to be “completely furnished to all good works.” That excludes attempts by opponents of the Bible to dilute or modify the teachings.

— John N. Clayton ˆ 2021

Reference: “Canon of the New Testament” in The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Abingdon Press.

March 5, 2021June 1, 2021

Beer Goggles and Young People

“Beer goggles” is a slang term that refers to how alcohol consumption lowers a person’s sexual inhibitions. The ignorance of high school and college students about sex and alcohol is appalling. Dr. Miriam Grossman M.D. has written a booklet titled “Sense and Sexuality” to help college and high school students better understand the relationship between alcohol and sex. It also advises women about “hook-ups” and their ultimate result.

The beer goggles phenomenon is not new. There is a scientific reason why a person seems more physically attractive after you have had a few drinks. Drinking affects the nucleus accumbens, the area of the brain that determines facial attractiveness. Both men and women may be more attracted to a member of the opposite sex at a party serving alcohol. Intimate behavior releases a hormone called oxytocin, which triggers “the biochemistry of attachment” making a person vulnerable.

Grossman references a study from Princeton University in which 91% of women admitted to having feelings of regret about a sexual relationship, and 80% said they wished the sexual experience had never happened. God created sex to be a special bonding agent in marriage. When used as God intended, it makes it one of the most positive experiences humans can have. When it is misused, the result is overwhelmingly negative. First Corinthians 15:33 tells us that “bad company corrupts good morals.” Associating with those who don’t follow God’s intended use of our bodies leads to destructive results.

Dr. Grossman’s book is available from the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women, 112 Elden Street Suite P, Herndon VA 20170. Website cblwomen.org or phone 888-891-4288.

March 4, 2021March 2, 2021

Madagascar Huntsman Spiders and Leaf Traps

Spiders are incredible creatures. There are more than 45,000 known species of spiders, and each of them has unique features that allow them to prosper in a wide variety of environments. We usually think of spiders making webs to catch insects, but spider silk has other uses. Researchers have seen Madagascar huntsman spiders using silk to make leaf traps.

These huntsman spiders (Damastes sp.) take two leaves about the same size and fasten them together with silk to make a pocket. The pocket creates a cool and dark environment that is attractive to small frogs escaping the Sun’s heat and seeking refuge from predatory birds. What the spider has done is design a trap to catch frogs as a source of food. The spider hides in the back of the pocket and ambushes any frog that ventures in.

Biologists are still researching this case where Madagascar huntsman spiders appear to be intentionally capturing and eating vertebrates. In the natural world, there are many instances where life-forms survive even though their survival seems unlikely.

A spider eating frogs certainly doesn’t fit the evolutionary theory of progression, but it does speak eloquently of a unique design built into a particular ecosystem. It is just one more case where the more we know of the creation, the closer we get to understanding the Creator’s wisdom.

For more information about interesting spider species, click HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Reference: Science News, January 30, 2021, page 10.

March 3, 2021March 1, 2021

Do Mutations Show Poor Design of Life?

During the virus pandemic, we hear a lot about mutations. Do mutations show the poor design of life? Skeptics use the flawed design argument as proof that there is no creator God.

Several misunderstandings are involved here. First, a virus is not living according to the usual definition of life. To be called living, something has to be able to move, breathe, respond to outside stimuli, and reproduce. Viruses don’t breathe, nor can they move or even reproduce on their own.

The mutations that are causing the COVID-19 virus to change have to do with spike proteins that allow the entry of a virus into cells. One recent mutation called E484K made enough of a change in the spike protein to allow a new attack on human cells. You can sort of compare a spike protein to a key to open a door into a cell. Various animal cells open to different spike proteins. The Journal of Medical Internet Research reported that “The ever-increasing interaction between humans and animals is one leading factor in facilitating the emergence of new pathogens.”

This is an oversimplification, but the point is that the body’s design keeps us alive. Medical science is advanced enough to understand this design and to do something about it. Scientists have been studying this group of viruses for many years, making it possible to develop a vaccine in less than a year instead of several years. It is only because we understand our bodies’ design and how the cells work that we now have a defense against COVID.

Do mutations show poor design of life? The answer is “no.” There are two messages here. One is to get the vaccine whenever it is available to you. The second is to understand the incredible design of living things. Once again, we are reminded of God’s design in creation. We are not a product of blind chance.

March 2, 2021March 1, 2021

People Hate Bugs, However…

The January 11, 2021, Proceedings of the National Academies of Science written by scientists from all around the globe raised an issue about problems associated with the decline of insect populations. The report points out that insecticides, herbicides, light pollution, invasive species, climate change, and agriculture and land-use changes are causing the loss of 1 to 2% of Earth’s insects each year. People hate bugs, and yet we can’t live without them.

We have written numerous times about the design of insects and how they benefit human life. Insects pollinate the food we eat. They are a significant part of the food chain, they get rid of waste, and in many cultures, they are a basic food. In my military survival training, I remember being taught how to eat grasshoppers, ants, crickets, and a variety of ground insects.

University of Connecticut entomologist David Wagner who directed the scientific study, said, “Insects are absolutely the fabric by which Mother Nature [we would say God] and the tree of life are built.” The classic example of this problem is the struggle that beekeepers have with the dramatic decline of honeybees. Wagner goes on to point out that in the midwest, we are “creating a giant biological desert, except for soybeans and corn, in a giant area.”

People hate bugs, and we tend to resist any desire to help insects prosper. We must remind ourselves that they are part of God’s design, and the problems they cause are always related in some way to human mismanagement. We must wisely use what God has given us.

Data from Associated Press, January 16, 2021.

February 28, 2021February 27, 2021

Christian Messages on Face Masks

As people wear masks during the pandemic, many people place messages on them. There certainly is no problem with that, as long as the message is not vulgar or abusive. We have seen many “Black Lives Matter” mask messages and messages about defunding police, supporting police, supporting political candidates, and women’s rights. It seems that almost any cause can be advertised, except for Christian messages on face masks.

In Mississippi, a 3rd grader named Lydia Booth wore a mask to school that said, “Jesus Loves Me.” She not only was forced to remove the mask, but the school threatened with suspension for wearing it. We have heard from students at the college level who have been disciplined for similar public expressions of faith. If other messages are permitted, Christian messages on face masks should also be.

The founders never intended the First Amendment to curtail public expressions of faith. This third-grader had no financial interest in wearing a mask to express her faith. This reminds us of an incident recorded in Acts 4. The religious leaders commanded Peter and John “not to speak at all nor to teach in the name of Jesus” (verse 18). They responded by saying, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (verses 19-20).

God expects our priorities to be clear, with our faith at the top of the list. That is not only the message of the Bible but also the message of those who wrote the Constitution.

February 27, 2021February 26, 2021

God’s Rototiller the Lyrebird

One of the less known necessities of the natural world is the need to aerate the soil. Without some device to rototill your gardens, the ground would be so hard nothing could grow in it. Worms, moles, groundhogs, and insects work the ground so plants can grow, but the world’s most efficient agent to do this is God’s rototiller, the lyrebird.

These birds of eastern Australia have rake-like feet that are so strong they can crush scorpions. Lyrebirds do more than any other form of life to till the soil. One lyrebird can turn over and aerate 388 tons of material on the ground every year while reducing fire risk. Lyrebirds eat insects that they kick up as they work the soil, reducing the danger of insect infestations.

Humans have learned what it takes the get the soil to yield its best crop. We plow and disk the ground to prepare it for producing plants that give us our food. God’s rototiller, the lyrebird, does it more efficiently by controlling even the pests that would defeat our efforts. The natural world continues to reveal God’s design in ways that we are just beginning to understand.

Reference: National Geographic February 2021, page 20.

February 26, 2021February 25, 2021

Chemicals in Cosmetics – What Price Beauty?

A large percentage of the problems we have in life are our own doing. One of the places where this is becoming increasingly apparent is in the chemicals used in cosmetics.

The list of human problems is multiplying as more chemicals are used in beauty aids. Toluene is a solvent used in nail polishes and has been linked to miscarriages and some cancers. Foundations and eye shadows contain parabens, which disrupt hormones causing allergies and have been linked to miscarriages, cancer, and ADHD. Lipsticks and other cosmetics contain formaldehyde which causes cancer. Shampoos and conditioners contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which can cause liver damage, thyroid disease, and developmental issues. Many perfumes and deodorants contain phthalates which contribute to asthma, diabetes, and ADHD.

In their winter edition of Solutions magazine, the Environmental Defense Fund published stories of women working in beauty salons who have had miscarriages. The list of diseases they link to beauty products includes many soaps and lotions.

We cannot blame God when we use chemicals in cosmetics that cause serious diseases or organ failure. The real issue here is that most of us don’t know what will harm us and what will not. We urge our readers to look at the product labels to see the chemicals in cosmetics and lotions to ensure that what we use to improve our looks doesn’t cause serious health issues.

February 25, 2021February 24, 2021

Arctic Ground Squirrels Hibernate

Squirrels in Arctic areas seem to have a hibernation technique which could be described as suspended animation. Arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus purryii) go into a state of deep torpor breathing once a minute with a heart rate of five beats per minute. Every two to three weeks, the squirrels revive for 12 to 24 hours, but they don’t eat, drink, or eliminate during that time.

Researchers from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, have found that hibernating Arctic ground squirrels have skeletal muscle breakdown, releasing nitrogen to compensate for lack of food. Even though this is happening, the squirrel’s total muscle mass doesn’t change. It appears that they have protein stored up to handle their needs, but scientists are trying to understand where and how that protein is made available. This is another designed characteristic that allows life to exist in the Arctic.

Realize that there are unique problems in an ecosystem that is shut down for eight months. The design of larger animals allows them to migrate, and caribou herds go great distances to survive the Arctic winter. The migration of salmon into Arctic waters is another provision for animal survival. The salmon become food for Arctic animals, and their bodies become fertilizer so plants can grow in an area with virtually no soil.

Smaller animals have a big problem because they can’t migrate, and their plant-based food sources have a very short growing season. It appears that Arctic ground squirrels are a vital link in maintaining the balance of food and plant growth. The squirrels bury seeds so new plants can grow, and they provide a nutrient source for predators like wolves and wolverines. The complexity of how they do this has led to a whole new area of biology with its own magazine–Nature Metabolism.

Scientists are researching the Arctic ground squirrels’ metabolism to understand how this complex system works. Whatever the biochemistry involved, it is highly complex and strongly supports the belief that God designed life forms to survive even in a col d environment.

Reference: Nature Metabolism December 7, 2020 and Science News for January 30, 2021, page 10.

February 24, 2021February 24, 2021

Practical Value of Christ’s Teaching on forgiveness

Many teachings of Christianity offer solutions to the problems we face in the 21st century. Skeptics claim that the Bible is an ancient book of myths with no relevance to life in the modern era. That is not true! The practical value of Christ’s teaching on forgiveness speaks to divine inspiration and validates the Christian life.

One area that relates to depression and mental illness is how we forgive people who have wronged us. The evolutionary explanation tells us to live by the survival of the fittest, and getting even is a key to survival. In reality, that doesn’t work, but Christ’s teaching on forgiveness does.

Trying to demonstrate your superiority by getting even contaminates all human relationships. I have seen unbelieving friends and family members spend much of their lives trying to get even with someone who wronged them. People are often estranged from siblings, parents, or children because they follow an unchristian approach to perceived wrongs.

Christ taught a different approach. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus told his followers, “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you, but if you do not forgive those who sin against you, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.” This is in such contrast to human nature that in Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asked Christ how many times he must forgive a brother. Peter thought he was generous by suggesting a limit of seven times. Jesus responded by saying seventy times seven. He didn’t mean 490 times. He was saying that forgiveness of a brother, friend, or even an enemy is unlimited.

The practical value of Christ’s teaching on forgiveness is proven by the fact that failing to forgive will eat you alive, mentally and emotionally. Most of us have no problem forgiving the mistakes of a small child an unlimited number of times. We need to have that same spirit in dealing with family members and others. If you are a Christian and someone has wronged you, don’t carry a grudge and build a wall between you and that person.

Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Our capacity to forgive is one of the most critical demonstrators of that love. If you are not a Christian, I suggest that there is help from God in feeling forgiveness, leading to better mental health and freedom from depression. The practical value of Christ’s teaching on forgiveness demonstrates that it is not based on human wisdom.