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Showing posts with the label Bible

Chemists and Perfumers of Ancient Egypt and Israel

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As noted by many, historical disciplines such as origins science, geography, archaeology, and other things are forensic in nature . To reconstruct the past (with or without Gil Grissom and people like that), procedures similar to law enforcement detective work are utilized. The Bible is a historical document that has never been refuted in any way, and there are numerous clues in the texts to help researchers go all Lt. Columbo. Genesis includes details about Joseph, for instance. Connect those with other historical facts, archaeology, and science, pictures of the past emerge. Sphinx and pyramid, RGBStock /  Michal Zacharzewski Someone was able to know that a certain mummy was of an Egyptian nobleman because of the smell. The better processes and perfumes for embalming were utilized by families that could afford them, so chemistry as well as history and culture provide clues to the bigger picture. Indeed, some of the containers were labeled as to ingredients and purposes, others were s

Ham — Deified by Egyptians as Horus

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Some comparatively recent history, say, within two hundred years such as  Butch, Sundance, and Ethel is disputed . For that matter, there is dispute about the tall tales of Paul Bunyan. Some say there is no historical basis, others say Paul was a combination of two actual lumberjacks . It is a fact that the Bible provides accurate history, and no claim has ever been overturned by historical records or archaeology. Biblical people were real, not myths, allegories, fairy tales, or anything like that. Threads of history and culture relate to Noah's son Ham and his relationship with Egypt. Horus, WikiComm / Eternal Space ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ), modified with PhotoFunia and others Repeated verification of biblical records over such great amounts of time add support for the divine authorship of the Bible. You've heard of the Egyptian god named Horus, right? Mayhaps seen the Eye of Horus symbol, too. Sometimes he's a falcon, other times a dude with a falcon's head, or other manif

Naturalism, Theistic Evolution, and the Real Problem

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Since universal common ancestor evolution is taken for granted and asserted in all kinds of media, a Christian may be strongly tempted to think it must be true. Why not simply say that God used evolution and avoid the ridicule? That brings a prairie-schooner full of problems. Professing Christians are often afraid to take a stand for creation because they think science has proven evolution and an old earth. It is better to " just preach the gospel " and leave that other stuff for the scientists. Not hardly! Things get worse from there. Public domain images, with background and glow effect from Pixlr Atheists and other evolutionists reject evidence refuting evolution and affirming recent creation. When Christians compromise, they are showing disdain for the authority of Scripture and their lack of science knowledge. They are abandoning the biblical worldview and bedding down with the naturalistic worldview! It has many flaws, but compromisers are unaware or ignore them. Chris

Misportraying Atheists as Driven by Reason

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Back in 2013, an article in Psychology Today  portrayed atheists in a positive way. There was an undercurrent of victimhood where these nice folks just want to go about their business and just happen to disbelieve in God and the supernatural. They do not bother others. One problem atheists have is that those who are not so militant read and hear the propaganda from angry misotheists. That would explain how a co-worker reluctantly told me that she is an atheist, acting like she expected some kind of personal attack. It is the professing atheists who are on the prod . Although they portray themselves as moved by science, evidence, and reason, very few show skill in those areas. It is interesting that a discussion can be civil until evolution is not shown reverence. Then the fangs and claws come out because atoms-to-atheist evolution is foundational to their worldview. After all, they need a creation myth to go with their belief that reason brings some kind of salvation. Take a warning fr

Doubts on the Authorship of 2 Peter

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Admittedly, this post is a departure from the usual fare of this weblog. It is because Christians need to know about not only evidence that supports the authenticity of the Bible (such as historical records and archaeology), but dealing with attacks on it as well. Taking a critical view of many things is helpful, but when this approach is coupled with a scoffing attitude, almost nothing can penetrate such a mindset. A person like this presumes the worst about possible evidence against the Bible. Apostle Peter statue, Pixabay / Dog Warrior , edited at removebg , then cropped The Second Epistle of Peter was met with suspicion because it did not read like his previous epistle. Liberal scholars who tend to disbelieve the authority and authenticity of the Bible brought several assumptions to the table. Peter was lacking the intelligence that is exhibited in the second epistle, they claimed. There are several explanations to remove both of these doubts. People have different writing styles f

Adoption and DNA Surprises

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The science of genetics, pioneered by Gregor Mendel (peas be upon him), shows that the differences we see in people are from a relatively small number of genetic variations. One may think that people from opposite parts of the globe would have radically different DNA. Nope. What is featured below contains an interesting story about how a Christian couple adopted two children from Asia. There were several instances of Providence involved, as well as love. In addition, this family agreed to have some DNA testing — with surprising results. Family in sunset, Pixabay / Gerd Altmann The parents are of European descent and the adopted children are from East Asia. The differences in the mitochondrial DNA tests were surprisingly small. This fits with what they Bible tells us: We are all descendants of Adam and Eve, and that there are no races. We also see even more evidence that the world was created recently. At some point in your life, you’ve probably wondered about your heritage. . . . Thank

Babylon, the Tower, and very Ancient History

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Try a different kind of relativity. Kingston, New York has a corner in town where four buildings exist that were built around the time of the Revolutionary War. Quite a bit older than apartment complexes in the area. St. Augustine was established in 1565. Pretty old, but that would make someone from Europe yawn because they have some very old areas. Rome, Italy is thought to have been founded in 753 BC. Do we have a winner? Not yet. Take a look at Jerusalem, that  is old! But then...Babylon. Tower of Babel  by Lucas van Valckenborch, 1594 Babylon is the oldest city. Period. The Bible is the primary historical document, and Genesis tells us that after the global Flood, people weren't interested in obeying God and dispersing around the world. Nimrod was a bad dude  (even worse than Corn Pop ). He was a tyrant, organizer, city founder, and built the Tower of Babel. Nimrod was the Devil's quockerwodger . We have the Bible as history, and there are other historical and archaeologica

Ancient Egyptian Stone Supports Bible History

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Imagine being a farmer working your field in Egypt and finding a large limestone slab bearing ancient writing. That thing was interrupting his task, but it is beneficial to scholars of history that he notified the Tourism and Antiquities Police. The slab — a stele  — is of interest to biblical historians. As creationists and many other Christians have long maintained, history recorded in the Bible has never been disproved (despite foolish arguments from ignorance and silence such as, "Archaeology has not found..."). Biblical history been affirmed numerous times, though it sometimes takes many years. Sphinx of Apries, Wikimedia Commons / Louvre Museum ( CC BY-SA 3.0 ) Yes, I know it is not a stele in the picture, but I did not think I had a legal right to use one. Follow the link to the article and you'll see a good image. The hieroglyphics on the stele are still being translated, but it involves Pharaoh Apries. These pharaohs were known by many names. This one was also c

Double Standards in Academia: Deviants, but not Creationists

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Most of the time, having tenure is a protective shield for academics. There have been many times when a teacher goes rogue but is allowed to remain is because of tenure. It is a difficult process at that point to have someone removed. It was, anyway. Depends on ideology. Secular educational systems are strongholds for the religion of secular humanism , although they deny it. Someone who is one of those horrible Christians has to keep a low profile as well as believe evolution. To be a Christian who rejects Papa Darwin ends careers. Francis Quadrangle, University of Missouri original image: PxHere Professor Change Laura Tan worked at the University of Missouri. Although she was a Christian since 2004, she became an evolutionist because she thought that's where the science led. Dr. Tan began to doubt Darwin when teaching molecular biology and writing a textbook on the concept. She discovered that the science did not support the claims of evolutionists. When trying to find answers in

Design Denial is a Science Stopper

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by Cowboy Bob Sorensen From the standpoint of producing evidence for what they teach, biblical creationists can be baffled by the resistance displayed by anti-creationists. Some tinhorns claim that we never produce evidence — making such insipid claims on posts such as " Overview of Geologic Evidence of the Flood !" Material exposing evolutionary fraud and bad science is ignored or waved away. In literally thousands of books, articles, videos and such, Creationists and Intelligent design proponents have discussed how evidence for design is abundant. Instead of intelligently discussing interpretations of evidence, atheists and evolutionists go beyond insults and attempt to dehumanize us . Red-bellied woodpecker, Unsplash / Joshua J. Cotten When misotheists attempt to dehumanize us, it shuts down rational discourse. It also indicates fear on their part. Can't be letting evidence for design get wide circulation, nosiree! That's bad medicine for atheism. Further, what doe

Clear Evidence for God — No Excuse

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One of the most common complaints by professing atheists is that there is insufficient evidence for God. They have disingenuously redefined atheism from one who believes there is no God or gods  into lacking belief . Many will not give a direct answer as to what would constitute evidence for God, or even whether or not he would be able to make himself known. Many want God to meet their arbitrary subjective standards. The Creator of the universe is not a performing seal, old son. Webb telescope galaxies, NASA , ESA, CSA, and STScI (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Those of us who believe that the Bible means what it says know that despite their protestations, God has indeed made himself known. A standard argument by theists is to say that unbelievers just need to look around, his design is clearly evident. Do not  fall into the "prove it to me" trap because they are getting you to admit that you don't believe what God's Word says. Somehow, tinhorns li

Biblical Creation and the Ceratioid Anglerfish

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Anglerfish are denizens of the deep, dark, cold sea. They have, as Tim the Enchanter would say, "Nasty big pointy teeth!" Anglerfish have a bioluminescent lure that dangles in front of them to attract prey. Bioluminescence is when a creature chemically generates its own light; fireflies are actually bioluminescent beetles. They live so far down, the pressure is immense. Scientists find it difficult to keep them alive for research. One type of Anglerfish, the Ceratioid, is a bit of a difficulty for biblical creation: If everything was created very good , why does this happen? Cryptopsaras couesii , Wikimedia Commons / Masaki Miya, et al  ( CC BY 2.0 ) Interesting how what happens to C. couesii is wrongly used as "evidence" for Darwinism. You'll read about that in the link below. This is where it becomes part science and part theology. Yes, everything was very good in the beginning with no death and suffering, but something happened. When Adam sinned (the Fall of

He Arrived with Humility

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Study on it a while. Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. God is perfect in holiness and majesty, and everything in creation belongs to him. Jesus is the Creator (John 1:1-3, Heb. 1:2-3, Col. 1:16). He was born in the jerkwater town of Bethlehem, and lived in Nazareth — which was not exactly the Gangnam District of Seoul, savvy? We have all sinned against God, and are deserving of death (Rom. 3:23, 6:23). This began with Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1-7). God could have simply made the world go away. The Adoration of the Shepherds   /   Giorgione, 1505-1510 (they all look very white, though) The gap between creation and Creator is unfathomable, so why would he want to come to Earth? Out of love (Rom. 5:8), he emptied  himself , giving up his glory and took human form (Phil. 2:5-8). He was born of a virgin in humble circumstances. He was never regal in his earthly life. One reason for that is that Jesus was acceptable to the common man, not someone only catering to the rich

Science is Scrooged by Evolutionism

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That beloved story by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol , is superficially a story about the conversion of Ebenezer Scrooge from selfishness to kindness and altruism. According to fundamental evolutionism, Darwin intended his theory to be selfish and purposeless in its operation. Because evolution is made of squishy pliable stuff, Darwin's disciples appeal to teleology and design (using Natural Selection and Evolution as entities) and get away with it. This Scrooge of science cannot account for altruism in birds or in animals . Not just niceness out of convenience, but taking risks as well. If you study on it, evolution cannot account for altruism in humans, either. Scrooge looking at his dressing gown, A Christmas Carol  illustration by Arthur Rackham , 1915 Secularists try to evosplain kindness and altruism as something that animals do so they can have better "fitness" and increase their survivability, so animal behavior is a virtue. (Except when it's not. They

Abrupt Climate Changes, Global Warming, and the Genesis Flood

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Why biblical creationists are interested in claims about global climate change may not be readily apparent, but this is made clear when worldviews are taken into account. There are several interrelated factors involved. Sciences like climate change and evolution depend on an old earth, and an a priori refusal to admit that God is the Creator and makes the rules. The world will end according to his timetable, not human activity. In addition, secular science is openly supportive of leftist causes. Now, about those abrupt climate changes... Glacier, FreeImages /  ainhi People who have been frightened by doomsday prophecies by secularists should ride up on the hill and get the big picture. Not only do they reject the Creator who sustains his creation, but their track record on predictions is dismal . Secularists "see" evidence for their presuppositions where none exists, omit inconvenient information, or draw conclusions without considering all relevant facts. They fuel panic, s

Mount Hermon and the Genesis Flood

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Unlike Mt. Sinai , the location of Mt. Hermon seems to be undisputed. (Certain things about its ownership are contested by nations, but never mind about that now.) As it is with other mountainous areas, it is difficult to identify  that one ; Mt. Hermon has three distinct peaks. It is significant in the Bible for several reasons , such as a border marker and probably the place of Jesus' transfiguration. It has also been sacred to other people for a mighty long time. Perhaps there is something to the idea that it was home to the Nephilim? Mount Hermon, Library of Congress , 1905 People have long been interested in end-times prophecy, and it seems to be increasing because of the state of the world today. Mt. Hermon is a focal point for some views. This child is mostly convinced about the identity of the Nephilim, but people have differing views from their own reasons. I have no interest in presenting my beliefs here. Instead, there are things to consider when people who erroneously

The Magnetic Field and Biblical Archaeology

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Before we get to the main subject, there is some interesting news about the magnetic field of Earth. This shield surrounds our blue marble and protects us from harmful solar radiation, plasma, and such. It was recently discovered that when plasma strikes the magnetosphere, it vibrates and ripples like a drum membrane . The impact is spread out and dissipated to a large extent. The way buildings are designed to move in high winds or in earthquakes (resilience movement) comes to mind. To this child, is is an aspect of the magnetic field which is yet another example of the Master Engineer's design capabilities. Analysis by biblical creationists should be interesting. Earth's magnetic field, NASA / Walt Feimer (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Radiocarbon dating is useful for determining an approximate age of certain things, but its reliability is lessened when the object under scrutiny is very old. The magnetic field can help. It has signatures  where the age an

Why They Reject the Truths of Design and Creation

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by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Over at Evolution News, an Intelligent Design site run by the Discovery Institute, there was a fund-raising article. Nothing wrong with that since neither they nor biblical creation science organizations receive government funding — unlike the secular science industry. The author, Dr. John G. West, raised some points worth discussing in " The Biggest Obstacle to Accepting Intelligent Design ". Regular readers know that I have serious reservations about the "big tent" ID movement, but they often do good work showing flaws in minerals-to-microbiologist evolution. Both ID and creationists use intelligent design arguments about living things and specified complexities. Engineer at work, Pexels / RF._.studio Dr. West says the biggest obstacle for people to accept Intelligent design is: Not hearing the evidence in the first place . I reckon there's some truth to that. A spell back I was telling someone that I promote creation science, and the o

Throwing a DART into Space

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Imagine you are the near-earth asteroid Didymos, going through space and making chin music with Dimorphos about why neither of you is named after a false god. Suddenly, bam ! Your moon takes it on the chin from a human space vehicle that was designed to crash into it. To add insult to injury, the orbit of Dimorphos was noticeably changed.  Actually, this rude behavior was planned by NASA to see if it was possible to deflect a menacing asteroid headed toward Earth. Dimorphos, NASA / Johns Hopkins APL (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Yes, there have been big meteorite and asteroid strikes on Earth in the past, and there's a passel of 'stroids out yonder. One of significant size striking could be devastating to life here. Scientists wondered if they could make an impact (heh!) and possibly redirect this one through the DART project. The Italian Space Agency spiced things up by furnishing a spacecraft that rode along on DART, detaching a few days before the coll

In Search of Mount Sinai

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Wait, there is a need to search for Mt. Sinai? After all, it can be found on maps or with an internet search. That is true to some extent. However, it may depend on the mapmaker because the location of Mt. Sinai is disputed. What may be the majority opinion may not be the historical location. You savvy? Mt. Sinai is important in biblical history, as anyone who actually reads the Bible can tell you. Dealing with history of even 150 years ago can be difficult, and this involves thousands of years. Sunrise on a possible Mt. Sinai location, Unsplash / Vlad Kiselov There are several candidates for its location. Some can be dismissed by using the biblical text that describes travel time and landmarks. Other possible places suggested consider what the Bible says, and they incorporate other factors. Some are rather intriguing. The Bible presents Mount Sinai as a real location, and later in biblical history it took Elijah 40 days to get from Beersheba to Mount Sinai (1 Kings 19:3–8). The questi