Historical Posts
Fact or Fiction?
Is evolution fact or fiction?
A response to an article in TIME (April 8, 1996) included the following: “Creationists would have us believe the ‘theory’ of evolution is questionable. In fact, evolution is as incontrovertible as the orbiting of the earth around the sun. A vast majority of educated people agree that evolution and heliocentrism are correct, although both contradict a literal interpretation of the Old Testament.”
A lot of people will read a statement like that and never question it, but I am not one of them. This article presents evolution as fact, but is evolution fact or fiction? The fact that a lot of educated people believe something in no way makes that thing right. Further, there is nothing in the Old Testament which would suggest that heliocentrism (the earth orbiting the sun) is incorrect. We speak of the sun rising every morning and setting every evening, but we are not denying heliocentrism when we use such expressions. The Bible is not a science book, but when it addresses scientific issues, it is remarkably accurate. Isaiah wrote of the rotundity of the earth long before Columbus sailed to the New World (Isaiah 40:22). Job eluded to gravity centuries before the concept because a scientific fact (Job 26:7).
Further, if evolution is an established fact, where is the proof? Fact or Fiction?
- There is no proof of evolution, only assertions!
- Is there any evidence that life came from non-life?
- Is there any evidence that monkeys became men?
Evolution literally means change. Within nature there is room for a lot of change. There are many different kinds of dogs. They come in all shapes and sizes. But, no dog every changed (evolved) into a cat. No fish every changed (evolved) into a bird. And, no monkey ever became a man. If they did, where is the proof? By that, I mean real evidence, not merely an artist’s conception!
It takes a whole lot more faith to believe in evolution than it does to believe in creation. The complexity and design in our universe demands a designer (Psalm 19:1-3;139:14). Our existence demands an explanation. “Every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4).
Fact or fiction? Evolution is not a viable explanation for origin, a fact, no matter how many educated people argue to the contrary. It remains just an unproven theory, a fiction, with no evidence. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). That’s not fiction, but fact!
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
Return to the Home Page
I’m a Creationist… Are You?
A creationist worldview holds back innovation and scientific understanding?
Recently, in a video posted on YouTube by a science advocacy group, called “Big Think,” former TV show host and scientist, Bill Nye voiced his concerns about how a creationist worldview is holding back innovation and scientific understanding in the United States. You really have to view the video to get the full impact of what he said and how he said it, but he has caused quite a stir in religious circles with his remarks. Mr. Nye did not really say anything new, in this video. Atheists and others who advocate for evolution have long believed that those of us who believe the Biblical account of creation do so because we don’t know any better. They think of us as ignorant, uneducated simpletons, who ought to be pitied for our lack of enlightenment. This kind of intellectual snobbery is used to intimidate people into believing in evolution and has even led some who call themselves Christians to attempt to find some kind of harmony between the Bible doctrine of creation and the theory of evolution.
Many creationists are afraid to identify themselves for fear of reprisals.
In an article posted by Apologetics Press online, Jeff Miller argued against the assertions made by Mr. Nye and cited sources, which list the names of thousands of scientists, past and present, who believe in God and the Biblical account of creation. One such source, was quoted, “On my list I have well over 3,000 names including Nobel Prize winners, but, unfortunately, a large number of persons that could be added to the public list, including many college professors, did not want their name listed because of real concerns over possible retaliation or harm to their careers.” What is truly sad about all of the controversy over creationism vs. evolutionism is that many creationists are now hiding their beliefs and are afraid to identify themselves for fear of reprisals against them. Something must be done about this, before all creationists are shoved into the proverbial “closet” by evolutionists.
Be vocal – Scientific evidence confirms the Bible’s account of creation.
It is high time that creationists began to be as vocal about their beliefs as evolutionists are about theirs. We must arm ourselves with scientific evidence that confirms the Bible’s account of creation and we must use that knowledge to defend against evolutionary attacks. We must not attempt to compromise with evolutionists by seeking to find harmony between evolutionary theory and the Bible, where none exists. In particular, I want to encourage Christians who have advanced degrees in science, engineering and medicine to become advocates for the truth and respond to the allegations made against them by people like Mr. Nye.
I am a creationist.
I would like the public record to reflect the fact that I am a creationist. I am not a “theistic evolutionist,” or even an “intelligent designer.” I believe that the Biblical account of the creation of the cosmos, found in Genesis 1 and 2 a literal and historical account of how the universe was made. I do not believe that any part of it was mythical or allegorical, but that it all happened in just the way that the Bible describes it. I know that there is documented, scientific proof, which establishes that the creation account in Genesis is accurate and that the “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3). I am completely convinced of this, so that my faith is unshakeable.
I am not an idiot – I was not brainwashed.
Furthermore, I would like the public record to reflect that I am not an idiot. I was not brainwashed into believing these things, as a child. As a matter of fact, I did not attend any kind of church on a regular basis, until I was 15 years old. At that point in my life, I had bought into the theory of evolution that the intellectual snobs were selling. I had to be convinced that evolutionary theory was wrong and that the Biblical account of creation was right. I have been a Christian for almost 30 years now, and my faith in the Bible has only gotten stronger. My faith is not something that I have to make up for a lack of evidence. I have faith because of the evidence (Hebrews 11:1).
Stand up with me.
Won’t you stand up with me, dear reader, and identify yourself as a creationist. Don’t let fear paralyze you into inaction. If you still need to be convinced that the Bible is right, then, by all means, investigate its claims. Visit the Apologetics Press web site mentioned earlier. Follow the links there to other web sites and dig deeply into the evidence you will find. I am supremely confident that you will be convinced of the veracity of the Bible, as I am, because the truth is out there and it cannot be denied. Mr. Nye has predicted that, in a couple of hundred years, the creationist worldview will no longer exist. Many others have made similar claims about the Bible and about Christianity. But, as Jesus put it, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew. 24:35).
Content by Russell Kline
Return to the Home Page
Questions and Answers 2010-06-27
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
I. Question One – “Is Christianity a religion or a relationship? Or both?”
“A lot of my friends have been saying that Christianity is just a relationship with God. I understand that you need to go through the steps of salvation to be saved but they think you just need to pray, read the Bible, etc. So what I’m really asking is, “Is Christianity a religion or a relationship? Or both?”
A. First, we need to stress that everyone is in a relationship with God whether they realize it or not.
1. Matthew 12:30. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
2. One is either with God or against God. There is no middle ground.
3. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15.
4. Jesus said…
a) John 8:24. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
b) Luke 13:3. I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
c) Matthew 10:32. “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
d) Mark 16:16. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
5. If we don’t believe or practice these things which Jesus commanded, do we love him? According to Jesus, we do not!
6. So is Christianity a relationship… I would say that it is a term that describes one’s relationship with God. If one is a Christian, then that one is in a RIGHT relationship with God.
B. Is Christianity a religion?
1. Religion – the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power.
2. In the Bible, the word for “religion” as applied to Christianity is threskeia.
a) This word focuses on the external aspect of one’s faith.
b) How one expresses his faith.
c) James 1:26-27. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
3. So, yes, Christianity is a religion.
a) It is a belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power.
b) It is an outward expression of that belief in the way we behave.
II. Question Two – “Why did God make the earth?”
A. Wow! What a question!
B. The easiest answer is that God made the earth for us to live on! But I think the one who asked the question maybe wanted to know why God made Us.
C. Why did God make us?
1. Some things we can not know for sure.
2. We do know this. God is love. 1 John 4:8. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
a) Everything that God does issues forth from His love.
b) Therefore, I believe that God loved the idea of us.
c) God loved us before He created us.
d) Much like a man and a woman love the idea of having a child.
(1) Even before that child is conceived, they love the idea of it.
(2) Therefore, they decide to bring a child into existence.
e) Remember that God is described as our Father.
III. Question Three – “Why did God give us the Bible?”
A. God gave us the Bible as a guide. Psalm 119:105.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
B. We can’t read God’s mind, so he had to give us a book to tell us what He wants us to know. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10.
But as it is written: “ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
C. The Bible gives us everything we need to be pleasing to God.
1. 2 Peter 1:3. As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.
2. 2 Timothy 3:16-17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
IV. Question Four – “What constitutes worship?”
“Do we need to include the five acts that we do on Sunday for it to be true worship?”
A. The most basic definition of the word “worship” is “to show reverence and respect toward another.”
B. As the question states, God has authorized five ways in which we are to worship Him.
1. Singing. Ephesians 5:19.
2. Praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:21.
3. Bible Study. Acts 20:7.
4. The Lord’s Supper. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
5. Giving as we have been prospered. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2.
C. By example, we know that Christians gathered together on the first day of the week to worship. Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:18; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2.
D. However, only two of the acts of worship are LIMITED to the first day of the week.
1. Those two are giving and the Lord’s Supper.
2. We have plenty of examples of singing, praying, and Bible study being performed at other times.
a) Acts 16:25. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
b) 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Pray without ceasing.
E. No, I do not believe that all five acts of worship must be present for one to be worshiping God.
1. On Wednesday evenings when we gather together, study, sing, and pray, we are worshiping God.
2. However, on the first day of the week, we need to have all five acts of worship present to be pleasing to God.
V. Question Five – “A wife is to keep silent in church but ask her husband. If a husband understands or tells her something that is not correct is she lost because of what her husband tells her?”
A. The relevant passage is 1 Corinthians 14:26-35.
How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
1. This passage teaches that a woman is to keep completely silent in the assembly.
2. She is not to utter a sound.
3. This would mean that it would be wrong for a woman to sing.
4. Furthermore, what if a woman did not have a husband? She would have no one to ask her questions!
5. We must ask, “Does is passage apply to us today?”
B. I have never attended an assembly like the one mentioned in the above passage.
1. I have never attended an assembly when someone spoke in a language they had never studied.
2. I have never observed on in the process of receiving a revelation.
3. I have never been to a service where there had to be an interpreter present who had the gift of interpretation.
4. Three classes of people are told to keep silent in this passage:
a) One who spoke in another tongue if there was not interpreter present.
b) A prophet who is speaking must be silent when another receives a revelation.
c) Women must keep silent.
5. Silent – sigao. To keep silent. To hold one’s peace.
6. This was an assembly different from any we will come across today.
7. These women who were told to ask their husbands questions at home would have been asking prophets! There was no need for them to worry about getting bad information.
C. Today, women are not commanded to be completely silent but to learn in submission. 1 Timothy 2:11.
Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.
1. “Silence” – hesuchia. Quietness. Tranquility arising from within. Causing no disturbance to others. Meek.
2. Does not mean that they are not to utter a sound.
3. A woman is not forbidden to ask a question as long as she is not disrupting the service or taking control of the service in doing so.
4. Furthermore, a woman today has the Bible available to her. Not true for those to whom Paul was writing in 1 Corinthians 14.
VI. Question Six – “what verse specifically tells the wife to love her husband and what Greek word is used?”
“In the Father’s Day sermon you closed saying wives are to respect and love their husbands. Other than the general commands for Christians to agape one another, what verse specifically tells the wife to love her husband and what Greek word is used?”
A. The verse I was thinking of was Titus 2:3-4.
The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children…
B. The Greek word that is used is philandros.
1. Comes from the Greek word for love, phileo. Which means tender affection.
2. And from Andros which means man or husband (implied when “wife” is used in context).
VII. Question Seven – “Cursing is wrong. What about euphemisms?”
“Cursing is wrong. What about phrases that most of us use like, “Oh shoot,” “Son of a gun,” “Holy cow,” etc. How can these be ok when you are meaning the same thing just substituting another word?”
A. You have a good question.
B. These phrases are called “euphemisms.”
1. Euphemism – a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt.
2. If you look up the word “shoot” you will see that it is a euphemism for a certain four letter word that also starts with “sh.”
a) Now, the word “shoot” is not wrong when you are using it in any other way.
b) But if you are saying it as a substitute for that other “s” word, then it is wrong.
3. Look up “heck.”
4. Look up “son of a gun.”
5. “Golly”
6. “Darn”
7. “Freakin” (I won’t even say it.)
8. All of these words are merely substitutes for more harsh words.
C. As Christians, we ought to refrain from using euphemisms.
VIII. “Is it wrong for a Christian family to put up a nativity scene at Christmas?”
A. In my mind, the one thing that sets the church of Christ apart from false churches is it’s view of the authority of the Scriptures.
1. Colossians 3:17. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
2. We understand that we must have authority for those things we practice.
3. We understand that the silence of the Scriptures does not authorize.
B. The Bible nowhere authorizes Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus as a special holiday.
1. How can we claim to respect the authority of the Scriptures as a church but then promote a religious holiday that is not authorized?
2. This does not mean that we cannot celebrate Christmas as a simple national holiday.
3. But to attach religious significance to it is unauthorized.
C. Some claim to find authority in Romans 14:5-6.
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.
1. It seems a stretch to me to apply this passage to Christmas.
2. Nevertheless, some feel that this passage authorizes them to pick a day to celebrate Jesus’ birth as long as they don’t bind it on other people.
D. Is it wrong to set up a nativity scene?
1. At the very best, I believe it is very unwise.
2. At the worst, it could be sin for promoting an unscriptural holiday.
Content by Ralph Price
Return to the Home Page
