Roland Earnst Archives

March 31, 2026March 30, 2026

A Class Hated for Their Abominations

Is it possible that Christians could be a class hated for their abominations and their hatred against mankind? Unfortunately, the answer is “yes.” Building on yesterday’s account of Suetonius, we have the report of another Roman historian. Cornelius Tacitus lived around AD 55-120. He is known as “the greatest historian of ancient Rome.” Tacitus wrote Annals around AD 115, in which he recounts the great fire that burned much of Rome during Nero’s reign. Here is a shocking excerpt from that account: (Emphasis added)

“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.

“Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination when daylight had expired.

“Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man’s cruelty, that they were being destroyed.”

Nero probably set the fire himself, but he had to blame someone, and Christians were not popular in pagan Rome, even among the Jews living there. Christians became the scapegoats. Notice Tacitus’ historical confirmation of the biblical account of Christ’s crucifixion.

Could Christians today become “a class hated for their abominations” and “hatred for mankind”? In some countries and among some groups, they already are. As Christians, we must follow Christ’s teaching and example and love even those who hate us. (See Matthew 5:43-48.)

March 30, 2026March 29, 2026

Christians Accused of Being Troublemakers

Recently, we noted that Paul caused trouble for the silversmiths who made idols of Artemis in Ephesus. So many people were converting to Christianity that it was hurting the sale of Artemis idols. A riot broke out when Demetrius the silversmith accused the apostle Paul of being a troublemaker. History records other instances of Christians accused of being troublemakers.

During Emperor Claudius’s reign in AD 49, a series of riots erupted among the Jews in Rome. At that time, many Jews were becoming Christians, and the Jews who rejected the gospel didn’t like it. Claudius decided to expel all the Jews from the city. Roman historian Suetonius, who served as chief secretary to Emperor Hadrian (117-138), recorded this event. Though he wrote later, his position gave him access to the imperial records. He wrote:

“Because the Jews at Rome caused continuous disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from the city.”

“Chrestus” is a variant spelling of “Christ,” and Suetonius could not distinguish between Christ and the Christians. They were Christians accused of being troublemakers. We read in Acts 18:1-2 about two of the Jewish Christians who were expelled from Rome:

“After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.”

Suetonius’s account provides evidence from a reputable Roman historian supporting the biblical record. After meeting Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth, Paul preached to the Jews there, telling them Jesus was the Christ (Acts 18:5). However, the Jews “opposed Paul and became abusive” (verse 6), just as they had in Rome. This led Paul to declare that he was free from his responsibility to the Jews. He said, “From now on, I will go to the Gentiles.”

Suetonius also wrote about the great fire in Rome, likely started by Nero, who blamed it on Christians. More on that tomorrow. The key point is that Roman history confirms the biblical account. Earlier in Thessalonica, Christians accused of being troublemakers were called “these who have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Actually, they were turning it right side up, and we still have much work to do in that regard today.

March 27, 2026March 27, 2026

The Night Sky Is in Danger

Five months ago, we reported that a California company called Reflect Orbital planned to place 4,000 solar mirrors in a sun-synchronous orbit to reflect sunlight into Earth’s twilight areas. They claimed it would extend the hours of solar energy production, allow people to work later, improve safety, and boost crop growth. They planned to test the concept in April 2026. (You can find that posting HERE.) Now, space.com reports that they want to place 50,000 orbiting mirrors that are three times larger than the original plan. Are we facing the end of the night sky?

Adding to the Reflect Orbital proposal, in January, Elon Musk’s SpaceX announced plans to launch one million power-hungry data centers into space, where they can utilize solar energy. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must approve these plans, which they appear to be fast-tracking. Astronomers worldwide are alarmed.

Robert Massey, deputy director of the Royal British Astronomical Society (RAS), objected that these proposals are “absolutely the destruction of a central part of human heritage.” He said, “It would absolutely transform our view of the sky.” RAS and many other research organizations are filing objections with the FCC.

According to Massey, the night sky would be three times brighter because of Reflect Orbital’s sun-reflecting mirrors, and dark-sky sanctuaries where astronomers place their telescopes would be lost. The SpaceX data centers would not be as bright as the mirrors but would still be visible to the naked eye. Astrophysicist Noelia Noel at the UK’s University of Surrey said, “While innovation in satellite technology brings clear societal benefits, scaling to hundreds or even millions of bright objects—or deliberately illuminating the Earth from orbit—risks fundamentally altering the night sky. This would have profound consequences not only for astronomy but also for ecosystems, our cultural heritage, and our collective relationship with the cosmos.”

When the psalmist David admired the night sky, he had no satellites or solar reflectors to get in the way as he wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech; night after night, they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalms 19:1-4) I pray that we will always be able to be in awe of the night sky and see the message of God’s glory it conveys.

Reference: space.com

March 26, 2026March 26, 2026

Who Is Artemis?

In just a few days, as early as April 1, 2026, NASA will send astronauts to the Moon to orbit it and then return to Earth as part of the Artemis program. This will be the first time in over 50 years that American astronauts have traveled to the Moon. NASA named the project Artemis for several reasons. Why did NASA choose this name, and who is Artemis?

In Greek mythology, Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo. During the Apollo program, NASA successfully landed astronauts on the Moon six times between 1961 and 1972. The ancient Greeks believed Apollo was the god of the Sun, and Artemis was the goddess of the Moon. NASA chose to name the project Artemis to connect it to earlier lunar missions. Additionally, the Greeks believed Artemis was protective and closely linked to nature. This lunar mission emphasizes sustainability and long-term exploration. While the Apollo missions landed near the Moon’s equator, the Artemis astronauts will explore toward the Moon’s south pole, where they hope to find water. Another reason for choosing a female goddess is that NASA plans to land the first woman on the Moon.

So, who is Artemis? You may be familiar with the incident in Ephesus described in Acts 19. Ephesus was a Greek city in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). It was home to a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. Paul had been preaching there for two years (verse 10) and had led many people to be “baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus” (verse 5). Verse 20 states that “the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”

The gospel’s success in Ephesus angered some merchants, especially a silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis. Selling these idols brought in a lot of money for the local merchants. Demetrius stirred up a crowd, telling them that Paul was convincing people that “man-made gods were no gods at all.” He warned: “There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshipped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”

Demetrius’s speech caused a stir, and the entire city was in an uproar (verse 29). The people seized Paul’s companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, and took them into the theater. Only the city clerk was able to calm and dismiss the crowd, telling them that the matter should be settled in court, not in the theater of public opinion.

The question of “who is Artemis” can be answered by saying she is “no goddess at all.” I pray that the Artemis mission will be safe and successful. I also pray that we, as a nation, will not depend on false gods or goddesses but will turn to the one true God, just as many of the people in Ephesus did.

March 25, 2026March 25, 2026

The Benefits of Sunlight

It’s springtime, and one of the great things about this season is that it gives us more daylight hours. The benefits of sunlight and its warmth help plants grow, making everything feel new. In Genesis 1:14, we read that God cleared the air to make the lights in the sky visible, so they could separate day from night and serve as signs for seasons, days, and years. Animals rely on the Sun, Moon, and stars to know when to breed and when and how to migrate. Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis, which produces oxygen that humans and animals need.

The benefits of sunlight include both our physical and mental health. Sunlight regulates our circadian rhythm, the biological clock that controls sleep, appetite, and hormone production. Daylight boosts serotonin levels, signaling it’s time to wake up. Spending time outside in the sunlight helps our bodies produce vitamin D, which may help protect against dementia, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.

After a long, dark winter, going outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air makes us feel refreshed. Even sitting near a window with sunlight streaming in improves our mood. Light therapy is sometimes used to treat depression, especially seasonal depression during the winter months. While we consider the benefits of sunlight, we need to remember that excessive direct exposure to ultraviolet light can lead to skin cancer, cataracts, and macular degeneration.

Genesis 1:15 states that the “lights in the expanse of the sky” were meant to “give light on the earth.” John 1:4-5 tells us Jesus came to bring true light to the world. We could not live without the benefits of sunlight, and I wouldn’t want to live in a world without Jesus, who came to bring us light and life. John also reminds us that Jesus created the light and everything else that exists. (See John 1:1-14.)

March 23, 2026March 22, 2026

Knee Joint Design in Humans

One common criticism used by atheists against the existence of God is the so-called “poor design” of the human body. They criticize many areas, with the knee joint often being a focal point. In reality, a healthy knee joint has an impressive range of motion and can last for decades without significant wear. No human-engineered prosthetic knee can match this longevity. Even with the best available materials, all prosthetic knees tend to show signs of wear after just a few years.

One of the leading critics of the human body’s design is Nathan H. Lents, a scientist, author, and professor affiliated with the City University of New York (CUNY). He is especially critical of the knee joint. As an advocate for human evolution, he claims, “The problem is due to incomplete adaptation.” He states, “The anatomical adaptation to upright walking never quite finished in humans. We have several defects that are the result of the failure to complete the process… The ACL is vulnerable to tearing in humans because our upright bipedal posture forces it to endure much more strain than it is designed to.” It’s interesting that he used the word “designed,” even though he does not believe it was designed. He believes it simply evolved through natural selection acting on random mutations.

The truth is, the human knee functions as what engineers call a floating joint because it has no fixed center of rotation — it is free to rotate and roll. It is stabilized by ligaments, including the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). These ligaments work together with the femur and tibia to form a four-bar linkage mechanism. Professor Lents refers to people tearing the ACLs. However, the ACL is not a bad design. Injuries to it are uncommon in everyday life but are more frequent in high-impact sports such as soccer and ski jumping. Sports like tennis or skating generally do not pose a significant risk to the ACL.

Being overweight is another common factor contributing to knee problems. In the United States, more than two-thirds of adults are overweight, and one in three is obese. Just ten extra pounds of weight can add approximately sixty pounds of force to each knee during running. Obese individuals are twenty times more likely to require a knee replacement than those who are not overweight.

In reality, the knee joint is an ingenious design, as you can see in the illustration. Engineer Stuart Burgess explores this in detail in his excellent book, Ultimate Engineering. Many who view the human body as a product of evolution assume it is poorly designed without understanding the facts. God has created the human body with many remarkable engineering features, including our knee joints. Truly, ultimate engineering requires an Ultimate Engineer.

March 13, 2026March 11, 2026

Birding and the Brain

An article in New Scientist suggests that birdwatching may change brain structure and help protect against brain aging. Researchers at Canada’s York University studied 48 people whose hobby was birdwatching. Although they all shared an interest in birding, half were experts, and half were novices. The researchers found an interesting link between birding and the brain.

For the test, the researchers selected 18 bird species that looked somewhat similar. They showed each birder a picture of a bird for less than four seconds. Ten seconds later, they asked them to identify that bird species from four images of similar-looking birds.

Of course, the experts outperformed the novices at identifying the birds. They also showed increased brain activity in three areas. These areas of the brain are involved in object identification, visual processing, and attention/working memory. Birding involves all of those brain functions. The researchers concluded that “building expertise in birding reshapes the brain.” The test group ranged in age from 22 to 79. With age, our brain’s structural complexity and organization tend to decline, and the study showed that the decline was less pronounced in the expert birders.

What can we learn from this research on birding and the brain? It could be that those expert birdwatchers already had structural brain differences before they started birding. However, it supports the idea that maintaining brain activity helps to reduce the effects of aging on the brain. It also suggests that other activities or hobbies that use similar skills might also slow brain aging. The skills required for birding involve attention, memory, and sensory integration. Other activities involving similar skills could have the same positive effect on our brains.

We have often heard it said that if you don’t use it, you will lose it. That is true for physical abilities, and it is also true for brain-related activities. Being physically and mentally active helps to keep us healthy and sharp. I believe this principle can also apply morally. Living a life of good moral behavior and following the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5-7 and elsewhere in the New Testament can make us morally strong and prepared to face the temptations of daily life. Reading and meditating on the Bible, like birding, involves attention, memory, and sensory integration.

Reference: New Scientist magazine, February 2026, and online.

March 12, 2026March 11, 2026

Honeybee Pollination

We recently discussed that honeybees can make on-the-fly decisions individually and that they can also make group decisions by communicating with one another. Another important aspect of these remarkable insects is their role in honeybee pollination.

The flowers of various types of plants produce nectar. What is the purpose of nectar? Nectar is actually made up of two substances that are essential for plants—sugar and water. Flowers that produce nectar do so not for their direct benefit but to attract pollinators. Many plants depend on the wind to carry their pollen from one flower to another. However, this method is not very efficient because it requires a lot of pollen to fill the air, causing problems for allergy sufferers, while only a small amount will reach the intended target. A more efficient way to pollinate flowers is to attract pollinators, such as honeybees, to visit and collect pollen, either intentionally or accidentally.

Honeybees have pollen baskets on their legs to collect pollen for their use. Pollen contains protein, vitamins, minerals, and even fat, which benefits honeybees. But even more important is the nectar that honeybees use to produce honey. They accidentally collect pollen because their fuzzy bodies brush against the flower’s stamens. Honeybees even attract pollen without touching the stamens. The motion of the bees makes them positively charged, while the flowers have a negative charge, and static electricity pulls grains of pollen onto the bees’ fuzzy bodies. Honeybee pollination takes place when the bees visit another flower and deposit pollen on the sticky stamen. Ninety percent of the time, a honeybee will visit the same species of flower, which is helpful because pollen from one species would not aid a flower of a different species.

The bottom line is that 80% of the world’s most important crop plants are pollinated by insects. Two-thirds of North American crops depend on insects for pollination, and honeybees are the most vital pollinators for crops in North America. Honeybees are another part of the beautifully designed system that makes life possible in the world God created.

March 11, 2026March 9, 2026

AI to Study the Dead Sea Scrolls

Beginning in 1946 and 1947, some Bedouin shepherds accidentally (or providentially) discovered what has become known as perhaps the most important collection of ancient documents ever found. Known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, more were discovered in the Qumran caves near the Dead Sea until 1956. Researchers are now using AI to study the Dead Sea scrolls.

For Bible scholars, the significance of these documents lies in their confirmation of the accuracy of the transmission of many Old Testament books. Of 15,000 scrolls and fragments dating from the third to the first centuries BC, 40% contain Hebrew scriptures. The most complete Old Testament book is Isaiah, the messianic prophet who predicted much about Jesus Christ seven centuries before His birth.

These scrolls have been studied using paleography (the study of letter shapes), radiocarbon dating, and even DNA analysis of the animal skins on which they’re written. Now, researchers are using AI to study the Dead Sea Scrolls. They named their AI model “Enoch” after the Old Testament figure who didn’t die. (See Genesis 5:21-24 and Hebrews 11:5.)

To train Enoch, researchers used radiocarbon data from other scrolls found in various locations in the Judean Desert. They also instructed the model to analyze the distinctive styles of the characters, cross-referenced with other scrolls. Using this AI method, they examined over 130 scrolls and found that almost all of them were even older than previously estimated.

The bottom line is that these ancient scrolls containing Old Testament texts align closely with the text in our Bibles today. This demonstrates that the Bible has been reliably copied and transmitted over thousands of years. The Bible text today can be trusted to reflect the original writings. Although using AI to study the Dead Sea Scrolls is still in the early stages, it is providing us with a clearer understanding of how and when these documents were produced.

Reference: Biblical Archaeology Review, Spring 2026, page 10, and Wikipedia.org

March 10, 2026March 8, 2026

Waggle Dance Communication

Karl von Frisch, an Austrian scientist working in Germany during the 1940s, analyzed the movement of bees that became known as the ‘waggle dance.” The bees move in a figure-eight pattern, with each waggle occurring at the crossover point. The length of their dance indicates the distance to a nectar source, and the angle of the waggle shows the direction to find it.

A few years later, in 1949, Martin Lindauer discovered another use of the bee waggle dance. When a bee colony outgrows its hive, it must find a new home. The colony sends out scouts to search for potential sites. Choosing a suitable location involves considering various factors. The space must be large enough to support the colony but not so large that the bees cannot survive the cold winter months. Honeybees must keep their bodies above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, or they will die. They survive the cold by huddling in the hive and slowly vibrating their wings in sync. Their wing muscles produce enough heat to keep the hive warm, as long as the hive isn’t too large. They also prefer a hive entrance facing south to let in heat from the Sun and located about 15 feet above ground to keep out intruders.

The task of finding a new hive is given to worker bees that act as scouts. These scouts visit potential sites around the area and then report their findings to the colony using a waggle dance. Hundreds of scouts may go out in different directions, discovering various locations. So, how does the colony choose the best spot for their new home?

When each scout returns, the other scouts interpret the dance by feeling it with their antennae. The length and vigor of a scout’s dance reflect that bee’s opinion of the site’s quality. The dance also indicates the direction and distance to the location, enabling others to investigate. If another scout agrees that it’s a great place, it will return and join in the waggle dance. As more scouts visit and approve of the site, they join in, and consensus is reached. Then the entire colony flies together to the new location.

This is another remarkable way that bees cooperate and communicate to make decisions that benefit the entire colony. Just as bees make independent decisions about which flowers to visit and share that information with others in the colony, they can also reach group decisions through cooperative scouting and information sharing. Once again, we see evidence of design that cannot be explained by mere chance.