Piltdown Superman

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  A kind of holiday was made to celebrate Star Wars  movies, a cash cow for the Disney Corporation since 2012. Many space operas came along afterward, such as the dreadful  Starcrash  a year later. Fans do not really need a holiday, as there is something Star Wars  frequently happening throughout each year.  Some folks make a distinction between science fiction  which is generally more serious and thoughtful, and sci-fi , which is usually mental fluff. Early Star Trek  had real and imaginary science in their stories, and Stargate SG-1  used some actual science. Space war, Pixabay / Adis Resic Fantasy and science fiction have been around for a very long time, but it really took off in the twentieth century. Comic books had science fiction. Television and movies got into the act later. It is interesting that many Christians enjoy science fiction and sci-fi, but the majority of the authors of these and fantasy material (the...

God the Son, the second person of the Trinity , humbled himself and became the man Jesus. Out of love for us, he was crucified, dead, buried, and bodily resurrected. These are well-attested facts in the four Gospels. However, they have differing accounts about the details of what went on that morning. Scoffers have claimed that the differences are contradictory, but such claims cannot be supported. Written accounts of eyewitnesses are available from history. Close examination of the records is needed to deal with alleged contradictions and piece together the full narrative. Four Gospel booklets, Unsplash / alabaster_co Care must be taken to avoid placing modern approaches to writing onto ancient texts. For instance, women were traveling early in the morning. Was the sun up yet? How much of it? (After all, dawn  can mean different things, such as when the first part of the sun is above the horizon, or the entire solar ball.) How many women were there? Were they there at the same tim...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  The age of Gentlemen of the Rails — hobos — is mostly gone, but they had a long run mainly from the end of the American Civil War to the 1940s. These guys would hitch rides on freight trains and try to find short-term jobs. Television and movies had various portrayals of them that probably should not be taken as based in fact. Also, they were willing to work, unlike traveling tramps or sedentary bums . While itinerant workers like this were found worldwide, most were American. Locomotive 721 Entering Railroad Yard, Texas & Pacific Railway Company, Flickr / DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University The main reasons for the decrease in hobo migrants involved more economic opportunities appearing after WWII, but also the fact that steam engines were being replaced. Steam (choo choo) trains were a mite easier to climb aboard. It could be from a jerkwater town , a big city trainyard, or anything in between. With that bit of background done, we can ride...

It seems that theories of relativity are the domain of mathematical geniuses, but it is said that us reg'lar folk can get a handle on them. Uncle Albert Einstein had two theories, General and Special. When physicists study motion, that is mechanics . When the motions of objects in different locations are compared, that is relativity . People have studied motion and relative positions for millennia. Aristotle had some ideas, but got things wrong. Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei got on the prod about Aristotle's teachings and did his own studies. This brought changes in physics. Albert Einstein explaining relativity on chalkboard made at Hetemeel Then Isaac Newton got involved and further developed the relativity that Galileo had been working on. Great, Newtonian laws of motion were developed. Then came Albert Einstein and his theory of special relativity. Some folks say that his work replaced Newtonian physics, but that is not the case. He expanded on it. Interestin...

Scoffers often accuse Jews and Christians of stupidly accepting ancient texts and legends, then incorporating them into our belief systems. They claim Mithras, Osiris, Krishna, and other pagan myths had striking similarities to our beliefs — but those claims are utterly false . False religions and others have presented books and letters attributed to the apostles and other church leaders. In tense times, the canon was decided upon using specific criteria . The book of Revelation was not enthusiastically embraced at first because church leaders wondered if it was authentic. Heaven clipart, Free Christian Illustrations I'll allow that Revelation reads quite a bit differently than other New Testament books, and it has been used by heretics for their own agendas. But then, selecting verses for cultic agendas happens with rest of the Bible itself. Liberal scholars have tried to find reasons to downplay Revelation, but those sidewinders have been doing that stuff for quite a long time — ...

As many people know, particles-to-painter evolution is fundamental to atheism. One can have a reasonable dialogue for a short time with a professing atheist on a few subjects, but must not criticize evolution. (Indeed, I remember a discussion where the atheist woman thought the Christian was going to criticize evolution, and began to arch her back and extend her claws. It was  civil before.) Most of the vocal proponents of evolution are atheists, but the quality of supporters has declined over the years. Blur of sun and trees image by Cowboy Bob Sorensen One can often judge the substance of a position by its proponents. (No, a comely face and dulcet tones do not make something correct, nor do wise-sounding words. Intelligent supporters may prompt someone to listen more closely to a claim, yes?) Quality opponents can give someone serious pause. In days of yore, Darwin's disciples were plentiful and famous. They presented what appeared to be valid science according to what was known...

Many people grew up knowing about (and possibly playing with) crèche scenes of the Nativity of Jesus, which are useful to communicate the birth of Jesus. There are many traditions in Christianity that have little to do with the Bible. Do not disunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with such images. But they are not quite right. One wrong detail is that Jesus was born in a stable because there was "no room in the inn," and another has the three wise men or magi with the family, shepherds, and animals all together. Magi yard decoration, Pixabay / Michelle Raponi Don't be using this knowledge to show off and annoy people, pilgrim. The "wise men" probably did not reach Bethlehem for a couple of years after all the excitement of the birth of Jesus. The Bible tells us of three gifts , but there was probably a sizeable group of people that made the trek. The magi were important people, which is one reason Herod got all agitated by them. It is interesting to note that...

In some ways, professing Christians give aid and comfort to enemies of the gospel message. Many liberal theologians do not believe that the Bible is the Word of God and try to find flaws with it. After their scoffing is published, atheists and others use their words as ammunition against God. Scoffing can be seen with studies of Ancient Near East (ANE) cultures and mythologies that are used against the Bible. Since biblical creation and the Genesis Flood are primary targets of skeptics, its cosmology comes under fire. Pond off Sawkill Road, Kingston, NY, Unsplash /  Cowboy Bob Sorensen , modified with  FotoSketcher Numerous assumptions are made. One is that the Hebrews were just like their ANE neighbors, so why not incorporate their mythologies into sacred texts? Not only does that show profound ignorance of what they taught and believed, but rejects how the Hebrews knew that they belonged to Yahweh the Creator. Also, the greater context is ignored, including passage throughou...

Whether one likes it or not, concrete is a ubiquitous sign of human progress. Study on it a spell when looking around and seeing various forms of concrete in buildings, sidewalks, and so on. Like other things, it is subject to breaking down. Mayhaps it would last longer if it was made better? Well... When the ancient Romans were building their empire, they had brilliant engineering feats such as the aqueducts — which even made water flow uphill for a ways. Roman concrete was a big part of the construction. Also consider their Pantheon. Pantheon, Unsplash / Nicholas Martinelli Those feats don't fail after all these years. This amazes people who are locked into their belief of descent with modifications evolution, as their worldview requires humans to be unintelligent way back when. That is why they're constantly surprised by artefacts and records of historical talents. Biblical creationists have long said — and repeatedly vindicated — that humans were created as intelligent bein...

Some folks seem to have the notion that Charles Darwin applied science to his observations, leading to the publication of On the Origin of Species . That is not the case. He had ideas for which he wanted to find support. Interestingly, his writing was not intended as a way to kill God. People have debated whether or not Darwin was an atheist throughout his life, and his writing may imply that he was unsure himself. Reading Origin  one can see an unevenness, and maybe a vague defense of the Creator regarding pain. I gave Charlie a floral wreath at  PhotoFunia .  His writings had many unsupported claims for which he promised to provide evidence — but never produced . At times he supported atheistic materialism, but other times, he knew that what is seen in the world must have been designed in some way. A benevolent Creator would not have used so much suffering, so natural selection — nature — is the culprit. The timing and conditions back then were right for Darwin to becom...

A spell back, we examined characteristics of Noah's Ark and saw that the entire process was not just an series of miracles (see " Noah's Ark and the Miraculous " for those article links). Answers in Genesis has spent considerable time on the logistics of the Ark. Here are two more articles of interest. It has been a dogma of Darwinism that early humans swung down from the trees but had not yet evolved intelligence. Numerous examples of their genius ruins evolutionary presuppositions. That is because humans were created with intelligence from the beginning. Grinding peanuts with ox power, Wikimedia Commons / Michael Gunther ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) Indeed, the Bible mentions skills of people before the Genesis Flood which included metalworking and the like. (Some people speculate that Noah and family could have hired people to help build the Ark, even though they would have thought it was foolishness.) They lived a mighty long time, and after the Flood, Noah reached a total o...

In the twentieth century, John Dewey was considered a great intellectual. He is credited with developing the modern public school system. Dewey had some odd and contradictory ideas in his worldview. He was an atheist and signer of the atheistic Humanist Manifesto, which openly admitted that it was a religion. Also, he did not believe in absolute truth or knowledge. It is ironic that an educator did not believe in knowledge. Worse, his rejection of God made him blind to the fact that logic comes from God — without God, morality, knowledge, wisdom, logic, and science are impossible ! Those details did not matter to Dewey. While he did some things that helped the school system, he wanted children depending on others to do the thinking for them — reflecting the atheistic, evolutionary, and Marxist trends that were growing in the formerly United States at the time. It can be seen today that many people have no inking about how to do critical thinking. Also, notice how these sheeple tend tow...

Mockers of Christians and the Bible frequently make inane statements that Christians and creationists do not understand science, or worse, that we are " science deniers ." Some claim that creation scientists are not "real" scientists, as if instead of getting their degrees from actual universities, they came from Billy Joe's Bible Church Academy and Bait Shop. Some take a different tack, ignoring the fact that Christians founded many of the major sciences, then making false statements about history. One is that the Reformation led to attacks on science. Actually, the Reformation accelerated science. Wittenberg church door, Wikimedia Commons /  AlterVista  ( CC BY-SA 3.0 ) Remember what has been discussed before: Movements rarely happen overnight, nor are they triggered by one individual. Martin Luther nailed ninety-five theses to the Wittenberg church door on October 31, 1517, and many people consider that the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. It was an i...

It is not news that people throughout history have hated the Jews, and many want to eradicate them from their land. Especially Mohammedans, who have thugs working toward that end who murder men, women, and children. Modern Israel is a small strip land that most people would find unappealing. Yet the Hebrew people have survived persecutions and attempted genocide for millennia. The state of Israel testifies of fulfilled prophecy , which in turn indicates that the Word of God is true. The hand of God can be seen keeping Israel in existence. Israel Flag, Unsplash / Stanislav Vdovin Other peoples in the area inhabit historic lands, but modern Jews are genetically who they claim to be. Fanatical Islamic groups like Hamas and others want to join with the Palestinians (who have a flag but never had a country ) in destroying the Jews. Hatred for Israel seems to have been increasing in recent years, with the American Democrat party supporting terrorists! Hebrews have survived for thousands of y...

Although political correctness (a wide-ranging term often unrelated to politics) and cultural sensitivity frequently become absurd, sometimes they can be useful. Ayers Rock in Australia is also known as the Aboriginal name Uluru.  Easter Island and its people are now called  Rapa Nui . While it was arrogant of the white explorers to assign names of their own choosing without so much as a by your leave, leftist ideologies often demonize white people. The secular science industry embraces leftist cultural ideas, and this is illustrated with the history of Easter Island. Easter Island statues, Flickr / The TerraMar Project ( CC BY 2.0 ), modified at PhotoFunia On a side note, the head statues on Easter Island are famous. What is less known is that bodies of a sort are attached to those heads and buried underground. There are stories about how the isolated population of Rapa Nui degenerated and collapsed, even to the point of wars and cannibalism. A big part of it was ecoci...

Every once in a while, there will be news about a gospel, Bible fragment, or other ancient text that purports to provide special insight. People get all a-twitter about these things, thinking that knowledge can be gained from texts that were omitted from the Bible. Here is an expensive word that may impress your friends if you use it: pseudepigrapha . Essentially, it is an ancient text that is falsely attributed to a famous person. There are quite of few of those things. An infancy gospel is credited to Thomas, and I doubt he would approve of it. Apostle St. Thomas / El Greco, ca. 1612 One of my suspicions as to why people like rejected writings is that people want to feel special, and having what appears to be knowledge that others don't have may give them that imagined superiority. Indeed, that also fits with Gnosticism . While Gnosticism does not really have one definition and has changed over the centuries, essentially it means special esoteric knowledge. Also, they tend to b...

So, how about those Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, huh? Really impressive things worth writing home about... Except for one, all we have are stories and historical records. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon have been misnamed for more than one reason. According to traditional accounts, the gardens did not exactly hang, but were grown on roofs and things in the palace of Babylon. But the moniker did not get corrected. History is sketchy about them, and not written by eyewitnesses. Checking more closely, they were probably in a different location altogether. Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Wikimedia Commons / 19th century illustration (PD) People who bother to read their Bibles should recognize the name of Assyria. It was a kingdom. Vicious, nasty people at times. That was a reason Jonah did not want to obey God and call Nineveh, the capital, to repentance. He wanted God to punish them, and was disappointed that they did repent for a while. Later on, they went back to being bad dudes. Ass...

Although is is often interesting to learn about archaeological discoveries, it must be a tough job. Study on it. Not only are things very old and fragile, but archaeologists must study history, false narratives, shifting borders, languages — and modern political situations that may bring their work to a screeching halt. The Bible contains accurate history; nothing in it has been contravened by archaeology. Those of us who believe the Bible are not rattled by fallacious arguments from silence (something has not been found), knowing it is inerrant. Archaeology helps clear up certain things. Tablet from Nuzi, Wikimedia Commons / Zunkir ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) When reading the Genesis narrative around the time of Abraham, people may wonder, "What's that all about?" We know why Sarai told Abram to go in to her maidservant Hagar in Genesis 16, but it turns out that she is not the first person to suggest this. Also, why did Rachel steal her father's household gods in Genesis 31, a...

Huge numbers of books have been written about historical events and notable people, often attempting to go beyond recounting events. The lives and personalities of important figures are explored — and explanations for their actions are attempted. One of these is Charles Darwin. People may think that science was shaken by the wonderful discovery of evolution by natural selection, but that is not true. As discussed previously, significant events seldom happen spontaneously. Events, culture, help from others, and more helped Darwin attain popularity . Charles Darwin preaching in a church, made with AI at Bing The article linked below is by Neil Thomas, writing for the Discovery Institute. Although he is a professing agnostic (and Christians should be praying for him), he does not show contempt for Christianity. He has made a few mistakes, which is to be expected. Neil pointed out that Victorian England had reached a point where people were doubting the Bible, and this was exacerbated by i...

Several countries have special days set aside to pay tribute to those killed in the service of their countries. Today is ours. One tradition is to put American flags on graves of the fallen, and people tend to blur Veterans Day (which honors living people in the armed forces) with Memorial Day. It is a good thing to have holidays to prompt us to remember the fallen, and also for other noteworthy times in a culture or individual lives. We do something similar with birthdays and anniversaries. Establishing reminders is found in the Bible. Memorial Day flags and cross / Pxhere God instituted symbols and feasts to prompt Israel to remember him and what he did for them. The most obvious in the Old Testament is the rainbow, which is God's promise to never flood the entire earth again. Another famous reminder is  Passover , which had detailed instructions for the observance. Yesterday at church, we had Communion (the Lord's Supper). Passover was a strong foreshadowing of the time when...