John N Clayton Archives

January 11, 2024January 9, 2024

Aliens Visiting Planet Earth

The media has been full of claims that the government is hiding evidence from the general public about aliens visiting planet Earth. In this day of lying politicians and scams and fakes, it is essential to not buy into any claims too quickly.

The claims that were leaked out to the general public include the following:

1) A group of U.S. airmen found a downed alien spacecraft in Rendelsham Forest, England.

2) Sixty-two children in Zimbabwe witnessed a flying saucer near their playground.

3) A UFO knocked ICBMs offline in Montana.

(4) Various videos from the US Navy show aircraft maneuvering beyond what any earthly craft can do.

All of these and others are included in a film titled The UFO Movie They Don’t Want You to See, produced by Brian Dunning. (It is available for viewing on YouTube at the link below.) The reason we are interested in this film is that there have been those who claimed that aliens are responsible for the Bible, that Jesus Christ was an extra-terrestrial, and that the biblical narrative was given by aliens to guide gullible people into believing in God instead of knowing their true origin. This film exploring evidence about aliens visiting planet Earth has no religious interest and, in fact, is promoted by skeptic organizations.

It is important to understand that it is not our intent to say there is no life in outer space. With the massive number of galaxies, stars, and planets, other life forms may exist. God may have chosen other methods to conduct the war between good and evil. The problem is that the nearest star to our solar system is 4.3 light years away, and the closest galaxy to our Milky Way Galaxy is 750,000 light years away. Those distances are too great to allow any civilization to have an interest in us. Science fiction about aliens visiting planet Earth would have us believe that time and space can be controlled by aliens with intelligence far beyond our own. Some people choose to believe that even though it requires much more faith than to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

The UFO Movie They Don’t Want You to See, produced by Brian Dunning

January 10, 2024January 9, 2024

Bristol Bay and God’s Design

There are many fascinating facts about Alaska. One of them is how landlocked species of fish, animals, and plants receive the required nutrients. With the weather extremes, short growing season, and lack of soil, making the area biologically rich requires an extraordinary life form. Fishing lodges thrive throughout the Bristol Bay area because sport fishers consider it one of the most desirable places to catch wild salmon and trout. In addition to the sport fishing, native people and commercial fishing operations make a living in the Bristol Bay area. Both humans and wildlife in the area depend on one fish species, the red salmon, or as it is also known, the sockeye.

More than 60 million wild salmon pour into Bristol Bay every year, sustaining the wildlife and human economy. Sockeye eggs provide food for all five species of Pacific salmon, but they also allow the land-locked species Arctic char, Dolly Varden trout, and rainbow trout to exist. The fry, smolts, and adults support commercial and subsistence harvesting.

The total mass of sockeyes each year is in the millions of tons. After the sockeyes have spawned, they die, and their carcasses provide nutrients that allow plants to thrive in an area with very little soil. Without the sockeye, the entire Bristol Bay area would be a biological desert unable to support any fish or animals that eat fish.

Mining operations are trying hard to get permission to establish several kinds of mines in the Bristol Bay region. Undoubtedly, such operations would create roads capable of hauling metals, mining equipment, chemical leaching, and waste materials. Supplying food and managing waste from hundreds of miners and support personnel living in the Bristol Bay area for years at a time could destroy the fragile ecosystem, harming those who depend on it. The more scientists study the ecology of Alaska, the more they become aware of its fragility.

Bristol Bay speaks of our need to care for the creation that God has placed in our hands. It is hard to experience this area and believe its formation and natural balance happened because of blind, accidental chance. We must not allow it to become a showcase for selfish human greed and mismanagement.

Reference: Alaska Magazine for February 2024, page 48.

January 9, 2024January 8, 2024

Why Women Have to Experience Menopause

We get some interesting questions in this age of skepticism and rejection of God. One that came up recently is why women have to experience menopause. Like many questions raised by those who wish to deny God’s existence, this question is rooted in ignorance and a failure to think carefully.

Most members of the animal kingdom die when they can no longer reproduce. Mammals such as elephants and orangutans remain fertile throughout their lives. The number of animals that live beyond their reproductive years is very small. It has only been documented in a few species, including humans, orcas, and short-finned pilot whales.

There is no scientific explanation for the uniqueness of the human reproductive cycle. Dr. Shankar Singh of McMaster University in Canada maintains that this is because men favor younger mates, but this evolutionary explanation ignores the genetic implications that come with it. The more logical explanation of this fact is the different roles women have at various stages of life. In Titus 2:1-5, Paul talks about older women teaching younger women.

As we get older, our roles change. There is a reason for humans to live beyond the time when they can produce offspring. Teaching, leading, and serving can be more effective when done by older humans. That is not true of fish, birds, rodents, insects, or most mammals.

It is a good design that older women can no longer reproduce. My 70+-year-old wife says the thought of having a baby at her age is appalling. For orangutans and elephants, a female having offspring late in life helps maintain the species, and the whole group raises offspring, not just the mother.

Instead of asking why women have to experience menopause, we should note that God’s remarkable design of reproduction uniquely shows His handiwork.

Reference: National Wildlife, winter 2024, page 17.

January 8, 2024January 7, 2024

Accomplishments of Older People

I debated with an atheist on a radio program on the topic of evidence for the existence of God. The radio host mentioned that I was retired from public school teaching after 41 years in the classroom. The atheist began a lecture about how people invent a god when they get old because they want to have someplace to go that allows their existence to continue. My atheist friend said, “It’s only old people who are about to die who believe in God because they can’t make any real contribution to humanity, and life is hard when you get close to death.” I countered with some accomplishments of older people.

For example, poet Maya Angelou received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at age 82. Julia Child wrote a cookbook at 87, and Frank Loyd Wright designed several of his best houses at 91. Astronaut John Glenn was a medical guinea pig going back into space at age 77 to allow doctors to study the effects of space on an older person.

After I had given several illustrations of the accomplishments of older people, my atheist friend said, “But you are obviously old, and that is why you invented God to deal with your impending death.” I responded by pointing out that our ministry has been showing evidence for the existence of God since 1968, so our work did not start in my old age.

It is true that sometimes people don’t stay up to date with new data and techniques as they get older. That is why we subscribe to nearly 100 periodicals, including atheist publications, so we can “be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). The debate over whether the qualifications of a politician or teacher can be diminished because of age depends on the individual. We may not know the answer to every question people may ask, but neither does anyone else.

As for the accomplishments of older people, age and experience frequently offer a better answer than modern philosophy. Let us deal with the evidence for the existence of God and not rely on human theories and youthful atheist philosophies.

Reference: The Mayo Clinic Health Letter for December 2023

January 5, 2024January 2, 2024

The Role of Religion in a Democracy

People are waging a war of words concerning the role of religion in a democracy and whether the Christian faith should have any role in America’s future. An organization titled Americans United for the Separation of Church and State has sent out a plea for donations to fight what they call “Christian Nationalism.” They maintain that the government cannot support Christian values. With that goal in mind, they are engaged in several lawsuits against prayers at public gatherings and government support of schools with religious connections.

The opposing view comes from groups like the Association of Mature American Citizens, publishers of AMAC Magazine. They maintain that a “moral society flows from a focus on freely held faith” (James Madison). They also quote John Adams: “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.” AMAC also heavily quotes Jefferson and Washington in the view that America was founded by men who saw Christianity as the basis of human rights. What is the role of religion in a democracy?

There is a difference between maintaining that faith has no role in determining the rights of people and believing that there is only one faith that calls for certain moral rules to be law. Jesus made it clear that there is a separation between what we give to the government and what we give to the work of God. Matthew 22:21 says clearly, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Thomas Jefferson said, “Neither Pagan nor Muslim nor Jew ought to be excluded from the civil rights of the commonwealth because of his religion.” That teaching is biblically sound, but the government must have a moral standard to govern by. In Romans 13:1-6, Paul tells Christians to support those who govern, “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad” (verse 3). The question is, “How does a government decide what is right and what is wrong?”

There are experts like Peter Singer, the DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, who maintain that the government should put to death anyone who is mentally ill, of great age, or in the late stages of a terminal disease. This flies in the face of Christian teachings, but some states are already implementing it in various ways, such as government support for the destruction of human life. If a politician holds to a religion that teaches that those who reach the age of 50 should be killed, how will that influence the practice of the government?

Madison talks about a “moral society,” and Adams speaks of the Constitution being made for a “moral and religious people.” So, what is the role of religion in a democracy? Christians support the separation of church and state, but the moral teachings of what is right and wrong cannot come from scholars, politicians, or some religions. The future of our children and grandchildren depends on getting people to understand that right and wrong do exist, and not all religions and political belief systems understand that.

January 4, 2024January 2, 2024

God Gave Predators the Tools They Need

The balance we see in the natural world is strong evidence for design rather than chance. God gave predators the tools they need to control the population of animals that reproduce in large numbers. Owls are a great example of skillful predators. Rodents can cause significant harm to humans if their populations get out of control. However, in some cases, humans have interfered with the natural function of the predators of mice and rats, allowing the population of those rodents to grow to the point of threatening human populations.

In places where humans have not interfered with the natural balance, the design features of predators allow them to control rodent populations. Winter snow cover benefits rodents because they can move under snow. This security would let rodent numbers explode were it not for predators designed to catch them under the snow. One of those predators is owls.

An owl can capture a rodent under two feet of snow by detecting infrasonic low-frequency sounds. Dr. Cristopher Clark at the University of California, Riverside, has been studying how the design of owls allows them to have this skill. Using modern equipment, Dr. Clark has found that only low-frequency sounds can penetrate deep snow. The owl’s facial disk is especially sensitive to these low-frequency waves, and the infrasonic detectors are located right behind each eye. The owl will hover in midair over a spot where it senses prey. When the owl receives the low-frequency sounds, it plunges into the snow to grab the prey with its talons.

Between owls, foxes, and some subsurface animals, God gave predators the tools they need to control the rodent population, protecting humans. The predators’ special equipment is required to remove the rodents, and the design of that equipment indicates it was not a mere accident.

Reference: “Snow Hunting Owls” on nwf.org and in National Wildlife magazine Winter 2024, page 8.

January 3, 2024January 2, 2024

Gender Reassignment Liability Laws

Gender reassignment liability laws are a significant challenge facing doctors. Those laws allow people who have been given gender-modification drugs or surgery as minors to sue for injuries many years later. In Mississippi, the statute of limitations is 30 years. The problem with transgender medical care is that the long-term effects of medication are unknown, and surgical actions are irreversible.

Feeling that you have the mind of a female in the body of a male (or vice-versa) creates all kinds of difficulties. There is a massive need for scientific investigation of the causes of trans behavior and alternatives that avoid medical intervention. The Bible says God created male and female (Genesis 1:27), and our bodies are not designed for gender changes.

It is a scientific fact that male and female bodies are not identical. We are not just talking about genitalia but also size, muscle distribution, strength, and respiratory capacity. The list of lawsuits from female athletes claiming that trans athletes have an unfair advantage over them is vast and growing. In one case, a girl was hospitalized when she was hit in the face by a volleyball spiked by a trans girl on an opposing team. The injured girl said she was used to spikes from girls on opposing teams, but the male body of the trans girl was beyond what she had seen before.

This whole situation is a mess. Before we saturate young people with drugs and surgery, we need to discover their real needs and address those issues. Years from now, gender reassignment liability laws may become a huge issue for medical personnel.

January 2, 2024January 1, 2024

Loneliness Crisis Is Deadly

A recent USA Today article gathered data from the University of Michigan and Harvard University, showing that loneliness has increased dramatically in the United States. According to the article, 61% of adults ages 18 to 25 feel profound loneliness. Harvard professor Jeremy Nobel has established an initiative called “Project Unlonely” to address this loneliness crisis.

Professor Nobel classifies three types of loneliness:
(1) Psychological loneliness – not having anyone to trust or confide in
(2) Societal loneliness – feeling systemically excluded because of such things as gender, race, or disability
(3) Spiritual loneliness – feeling disconnected from oneself.

The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory report says that loneliness increases the risk of premature death by 26%, equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The American Heart Association says that feeling lonely increases a person’s risk of heart disease by 29% and stroke by 32%, indicating that the loneliness crisis is deadly.

The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says that the solution to loneliness is to take 15 minutes a day to reach out to someone you care about or look for ways to serve others. He says that when we are with someone else, we must give them our full attention and put away our devices. He further states that schools, companies, and healthcare facilities must adopt strategies to reduce loneliness.

Nowhere in the USA Today article is the Church mentioned. The fact is that the teachings of Christ offer a real solution to loneliness. Read Acts 2:41-47, and you will see an excellent cure for loneliness. Read Matthew 25:31-40 and see what Jesus considers essential in how we live our lives. Christians can avoid the loneliness crisis by becoming active in building relationships and serving others.

Having a relationship with Christ gives us an understanding of our purpose for existing. Loneliness results from a world dominated by “survival of the fittest” and “looking after # 1.” The loneliness crisis in America has become an epidemic and is just part of the collateral damage that comes from rejecting God.

Reference: “Americans are lonely, and it’s killing them” by Adrianna Rodriques in USA Today 12/27/23

December 27, 2023December 26, 2023

Birds that Swim in Cold Water

Scientists have only recently come to understand many designs in nature. An interesting example is how birds that swim in cold water survive without hypothermia. The feet of ducks, gulls, loons, and geese show an example of incredible hidden design.

In these birds, arterial blood enters the leg and cools down. On its way to the heart, ventral blood picks up the heat released by the arterial blood in a process called “countercurrent heat exchange.” A mesh of arteries and veins called the “rete mirabile” (Latin for “wonderful net”) surrounds the blood vessels and amplifies the heat exchange. This arrangement limits the amount of heat the bird loses, saving it from having to use energy to reheat the blood. When you combine this discovery with the design that allows them to stand on one leg, you see how they are ideally suited to live in cold climates.

It is truly remarkable that virtually all climate zones have life forms perfectly designed to live in them. God created life to fill the whole earth regardless of climate conditions. Romans 1:20 says, “We can know there is a God through the things He had made.” Birds show the design of living things that radiates the wisdom and knowledge of the Creator. The foot design of birds that swim in cold water is just one great example of that.

Reference: Audubon magazine winter 2023, page 52

December 26, 2023December 19, 2023

Are You Content with Your Life?

Recent studies of the mental state of college students show that 45% of them are too depressed to function well, and 10% of those have tried or are contemplating suicide. The use of chemical drugs to bring contentment has grown at an incredible rate. The number of psychological descriptions of mental discontent has grown so large that psychologists now have labels for almost everything imaginable. Are you content with your life?

Jesus Christ lived with twelve dysfunctional, ordinary men. The followers of Christ were not highly educated or leaders in their communities. In some cases, they abruptly left their regular station in life to follow Jesus. In Luke 14:16-24, Jesus tells a parable about a man preparing a great dinner and inviting people to come. The invited people made excuses for not coming, ranging from needing to look at a recently purchased property to a guy who just got married. The twelve men who followed Jesus didn’t procrastinate and give excuses about why they couldn’t follow Him. However, they still struggled with contentment:

*The brothers James and John had their mother appeal to Jesus to give them the choice positions in His kingdom (Matthew 20:20-23).
*Peter was boisterous and competitive (John 21:20-22).
*Thomas struggled with his faith (John 20:24-28).
*Philip and Andrew were skeptical about what Jesus could do (John 6:7-9).

In Philippians 4:12, Paul stated that he had LEARNED to be content. When you read the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5-7, you see that many of His words were designed to enable His followers to find contentment. Learning not to be angry with others (Matthew 5:22-25) brings contentment. Avoiding pornographic activity (Matthew 5:27-28) and not wanting revenge but caring about others (Matthew 5:38-44) can do wonders for our mental attitude. Making prayer personal in a quiet time with God and practicing forgiveness can relieve stress (Matthew 6:6-15). Not being obsessed with making money can bring huge rewards (Matthew 6:19-21 and 25-34).

When you read about the first century Church in Acts 2:42-45, you learn that their activity led to contentment for everyone – even those who were not part of the congregation. Ephesians 3:14-21 gives a picture of contentment. God is a relational God who does not want us to be stressed. Spend some time learning to comprehend what Paul had learned. Christians should be the most contented people in the world. With the stress of life today, being content is critically important. Are you content with your life?