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Showing posts with the label History

The Bible and Copernicus

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There are many stories floating around about Nicolas Copernicus, but many are completely false. (Atheistic revisionists are partly to blame.) He was in fact a Christian who believed that studying the heavens glorified God. His views did not contradict the Bible. Copernicus is credited with the heliocentric view (the earth orbits the sun). He reluctantly brought forward his view. Church leaders were enthusiastic about it at first, and geocentric (the earth moves around the sun) scientists and philosophers opposed him. Copernicus in the tower at Frombork , Jan Matejko, 1872 His model was discussed for about seventy-five years, but it seems to have received some backlash from Galileo. Frankly (mind if I call you Frank?), Galileo was a bit of a jerk and brought trouble on himself . (Atheistic revisionists made up many things about him, too.) Galileo drew from the work of Copernicus, then brought physical evidence to the discussion of which objects orbits what; it was no longer just philoso

William Stukeley, the Royal Society, and a Plesiosaur

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Although atheists and other anti-creationists try to avoid inconvenient truths, some of us still try to present them. First, many insist that creationists lack the intellectual prowess to be scientists. We show them that many great scientists of the past were Christians , even biblical creationists. Then they may whine that we are discussing dead people, so we tell them about modern scientists that are biblical creationists . No, they are disqualified because the only true  scientists are materialists. Lather, rinse, repeat, they move the goalposts like they were jet propelled. Plesiosaur skeleton, Flickr /  Kim Alaniz  ( CC by 2.0 ) In 1660 London, the Royal Society was formed to encourage the development of natural philosophy (the earlier term for what is now called science). While some sidewinders say that biblical creation science was initiated fairly recently, the Royal Society had members who believed the Bible, including recent creation and the Genesis Flood. One of their member

The Fading of the Alleged Fact of Evolution

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As discussed here several times before, a movement, revolution, or other large effect on a society seldom spontaneously generates. Mayhaps you have heard how something was "ahead of its time" or the world was not ready for it. Conditions were not right for that thing. Other sweeping changes occur, leaving people wondering how they took root. Slowly. Charles Darwin is treated like a brilliant scientist for creating evolution, but that is the opposite of the truth . The conditions in Victorian England were right for his conjectures, and the prominent Huxleys helped him out . Darwin caricature, 1871, Vanity Fair , modified at remove.bg At the time of Darwin and even before, people were becoming more blatantly rebellious to God and disrespectful to the Bible. (Interestingly, the only degree that Charlie earned was in theology, which lends credence to the suggestion that he lifted the biblical creation narrative and was making a naturalistic religious text!) Many factors came toge

Trusting the New Testament Manuscripts

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The word apologetics  comes from the Greek word Î±̓πολογία ( apologia ), which essentially means to make a reasoned defense or argument. (In this regard, an apology does not mean saying one is sorry.) We discuss the Bible internally and also use outside references. There are apologists for many things. Biblical apologists strive to show that the Bible is true. Otherwise, it is simply an item of curiosity for stuffy intellectual types having parlor discussions with brandy and cigars. Our faith would be worthless, Question Evolution Day would have no relevance, we would be worthy of ridicule. Section of P-45 Greek papyrus manuscript of the Gospel of Luke, via Wikimedia Commons That is not the case. The Bible has been shown to be an important historical reference, and it is the Word of God, changing lives and bringing salvation. Interestingly, some of the technology that backfires on evolutionists  has been used to examine extremely delicate biblical manuscripts that could not even be o

Archaeology and the Fall of Jericho

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So many events of ancient history are only known through word-of-mouth stories, some artefacts, and even written accounts. The Bible has never been refuted by archaeology, and archaeologists used to respect the Bible even if they were unbelievers. Today, some try to wave off biblical events using bad reasoning. The Battle of Jericho was a significant event marking the conquest of Canaan. The Israelites were led by Joshua, successor of Moses. Jericho was an imposing city with a double wall, and God miraculously intervened. The Taking of Jericho , James Tissot, ca. 1900 There is no doubt that Jericho existed. In fact, there were walls around the city before Joshua got there. After it was burned, other people decided that it sure would be a shame to let that prime real estate go to waste, so they moved in. Jericho went without walls for many years after its conquest because nobody wanted to run crosswise of Joshua's curse on whomever rebuilt the walls. There are many archaeological fa

Ancient Amazon Cities Illustrate Biblical Truth

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If you saddle up and ride down Bolivia way, mayhaps to finally solve the mystery of the demise of Butch and Sundance , you will notice lots of rainforest. There are satellite images, but the overgrowth is mighty thick. Legends of lost cities of the Amazon have some truth. A few days ago, we discussed sonar . It uses sound waves to detect and examine things unseen. Light detection and ranging — lidar — uses laser to (in this case) obtain images beneath the overgrowth using a helicopter. What was revealed is startling. Cloud forest habitat in Bolivia, Flickr / US Fish & Wildlife Service ( CC BY 2.0 ) (usage does not imply endorsement) Believers in particles-to-pilot evolution consider early humans to be stupid because they have not evolved much in the way of intelligence or cognition. Then they get surprised to see that those people were far more intelligent than the evolution narrative requires, and they are not teaching from empirical evidence. The Bible tells us that mankind was

The Wonder and Why of Christmas

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Some folks get jaded with Christmas, reading or hearing readings of the birth of Jesus, the arrival of the Magi, the census taken while Quirinius was governor, and more. Same old thing every year, right? Some of us terribly miss the "same old" that we will never have again... If we slow down and pay attention, there is a great deal to give us a sense of wonder. Hundreds of years before, Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be born of a virgin . Micah 5:2 prophesied where. Ironically, some prophesies were fulfilled by unbelievers. Nativity of Jesus figurines, Pexels / Susanne Jutzeler We can also find out that there are many misconceptions surrounding Christmas (especially that "Christmas is pagan and you can't celebrate it" nonsense ). That bad old innkeeper who turned Mary and Joseph away, but his kindhearted wife attended to the delivery — never happened. The Magi were powerful king makers, and there was probably an entourage, not just three (three gifts  are me

Isaiah and the Virgin Birth Prophecy

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It may come as a shock to some folks, but biblical prophets did not necessarily  foretell future events. They spoke the words of God and admonished wayward people. However, some prophesied noteworthy events — such as Isaiah and the virgin birth of Jesus. Atheists cannot handle prophecy and try to denigrate it by saying people who came later got creative and fabricated the foretelling. (They assert but never provide evidence.) Isaiah 7:14 reads, ". . .the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. . ." Disputes exist if she is a virgin or only a young woman. Isaiah , Ernest Meissonier, 1838 There are several problems with this passage. If the girl was just a young woman, the prophecy is no big deal. Also, the word translated as young woman or virgin can legitimately be translated either way. Context is important, as are historical events. We learn, to the dismay of misotheists, that it was indeed a virgin that conceived according to prophecy. Isaiah is a beloved book of the

Those Enigmatic Philistines

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When reading history in the Bible and seeing the word Philistines , one might want to heave a sigh and mutter about troublemakers. The most famous passages about them are probably with David and Goliath (who was probably a mercenary), Samson beating up on them, and when Philistines took the Ark of the Covenant. They are mentioned numerous times throughout the Old Testament. More often than not, they were indeed troublemakers. They cause problems today for Bible scholars and historians who want to know who they were in the first place. Pottery Votive Gift to Philistine Shrine, 9th Century BC, Flickr / Gary Todd (Public Domain) Philistines lived in several areas, and seem to have come from Crete. The Bible seems to conflict with other historical accounts and archaeology. However, there are several things that need to be considered, including that the name itself seems to have been used loosely — and retroactively. The Philistines are a problematic people group in the Bible. Scholars arg

Unreliable Dating of Human Fossils

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First, a bit of something that grinds my gears. Many articles and videos (including the one featured below) are titled in the form of a question, and some folks seem compelled to reply without dealing with the material. News flash: Writers are not asking for opinions, they are answering the question in the title. You savvy? There are people who want to know if the dating methods used on human fossils can be trusted, and what kinds of problems such vast numbers of years present for the Bible. Those used on human fossils have problems. Homo naledi skeletal specimens, Wiki Comm / Lee Roger Berger research team ( CC BY 4.0 ) I reckon it's easy to get the idea that the dates assigned to fossils of humans, apes, and alleged humans are correct. After all, these are knowledgeable people who speak with authority and tell us the dating methods used. They can even go into the details of the processes if we ask nicely. But not only are there problems with the processes, all dating methods re

Darwinist Haushofer Influenced Holocaust Views

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People seldom develop concepts on their own. They get inspirations and influences from a variety of people. If one ponders how they arrived at their religious or political beliefs, several influencers will probably come to mind. Adolf Hitler had a great deal of help with his evils . He has sparked research by historians, psychologists, and others who want to learn how he gained power, and able to commit so many atrocities for several years. Hitler wrote Mein Kampf , but many of his thoughts were under the inspiration of Karl Haushofer. Karl Haushofer, circa 1920 (colorized at Img2Go , further modified) There were evolutionary views before Darwin, and Haushofer was among those who welcomed Darwin's ideas. It is interesting that the idea of Lebensraum (struggle for living space) was asserted to be the duty and even the moral right of the superior race to take land away from the inferior races. Haushofer was all for it. — but did anyone ask, "How do you know?" What determin

Biblical Chronology Integrated with Historical Witnesses

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Christians know that the Bible is the written Word of God, and many unbelievers admit that it is historically accurate. However, people have struggled with correlating the chronologies with historical events. There are several reasons for discrepancies. Biblical creationists like the dates of James Ussher, but a few consider them almost sacred text. He did have some flaws in his methodology, and in the years since, new knowledge has come to light. Also, other historical records are sometimes inaccurate or use different dating methods. Clocks, Pixabay / Gerd Altmann ( geralt ) It was learned that different anchor dates  were used in texts. Those were not always used consistently and sometimes changed altogether, so adjustments had to be made. There are two major schools of thought on chronologies that are discussed in the paper linked below. Although it is rather long and detailed, people like me are able to get something useful out of the material, and not study the numerous charts. Th

Evosplaining Ancient DNA

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When Darwin's acolytes evosplain, anything goes. The complex scientific principle of Making Things Up™ is frequently invoked, bringing along compatible principles such as bad logic, ignoring inconvenient facts, and all that good stuff. When dinosaur soft tissues were found, it was, "Katie, bar the door!" Evolutionists assume deep time (it is imperative for their storytelling), so they tried all sorts of rescuing devices to get away from the implications. Similar things happen with ancient DNA. Derived from DNA and clock images at Clker clipart DNA is fragile, so it should not last very long. Ideal conditions can extend its shelf life on occasion. The narrative demands deep time, so it is presumed that Neanderthal DNA is 50,000 years old. Because evolution. Darwinists put on top hats and tap dance around the age limits of DNA. They simply cannot allow themselves to face the fact that evidence consistently shows that the earth is far younger than they want to believe. Ther

That Papyrus with Sayings of Jesus

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A papyrus was made of plant fibers and a popular way of writing documents, taking notes, and so on in ancient times. This was a budget writing method, and there were more durable (and expensive) materials. They can last a long time in the right conditions. Oxyrhynchus was a city in Egypt that had a passel of papyri (including biblical writings) in garbage dumps. There are many reasons biblical material could be there, such as mistakes, copies may have been upgraded to better material — or the owners realized they were not valid. Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 3522  (I can't legally use 5575), Wikimedia Commons / public domain There are many manuscripts and fragments, and they keep scholars quite busy. The Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 5575 has sayings that are attributed  to Jesus as well as short quotes from real Gospels. Surprisingly, even this spurious piece has value, helping researchers date other materials and so forth. Also, it helps reveal the how seriously people took the biblical manuscript c

Animal Companions by Divine Design?

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There is an odd old man who walks his little dog around the apartment complex, and he talks to it as if he is hearing it ask questions and reply to his own. But I do not think this widower of several years is crazy — that is just how the relationship plays out. Evolutionists tell fanciful stories about the domestication of the cat  as well as how we got our canine friends . Unfortunately, an Intelligent Design organization's writer linked below accepts this storytelling as well as deep time, but the rest of his article is interesting. Women with dogs taking in the view, Pexels / Dmitriy Ganin We have a special rapport with our animal friends, and they become family members. They are given a great deal of time and affection, and money is spent on food, upkeep, medical bills, and more. When they die, many of us grieve . We give, but they cannot give back in kind. Sure, some do work, but you can't exactly hitch up a team of bearded dragons to pull a plow. There are folks who have

Reasons Genesis is History

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As explained previously, this biblical creation science site upholds the authority and accuracy of Scripture, so it is helpful to discuss archaeological and other material on occasion. For example, David, Saul, and Solomon  have been validated, and an ancient Egyptian monument mentioned Judah . Then we encounter tinhorns who say that the early chapters of Genesis are not written as history: The creation week is some kind of framework, or it is mythology used to teach some kind of lesson. Wrong! There are effective ways to determine that Genesis is intended to be read as history. Dame's Rocket, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob When examining claims, doing a internal critique is helpful (similar to how presuppositional apologists show that atheism is incoherent). People can set up questions to see if the Bible is consistent, but also how the rest of the Bible authors treat Genesis. For example, since Jesus said that he came to speak the truth, he referred to Genesis as authoritative and histori

Dragons and an Ancient Seismoscope

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When we learn about the genius of ancient humans, most people probably find examples of it mighty interesting. Darwin's disciples who are consistent with their beliefs find these things problematic. Why? The evolutionary paradigm. We evolved some something apelike and stupid, so there should not have been time for intelligence to evolve as well. Check those streaming services for ancient inventions programs. Also, there is that Antikythera device that was discovered on a Roman ship. These and other artifacts are considered "out of place" by evolutionists. Then there is the Zhang Heng seismoscope. Zhang Cheng seismoscope, cropped from WikiComm / Thank you for visiting my page (yes, really) ( CC BY 2.0 ) Seismo...seismic...earthquake... What may be Zhang Cheng's greatest invention is the seismoscope. It was able to detect distant earthquakes and report their direction with the help of dragons. Well, images. Some folks may think that dragons are the pet animal of Chin

The Enlightenment and Misrepresenting Religion

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In many philosophies, to be enlightened  means to have attained a superior mental or spiritual place. Professing atheists use it to claim that they are free from the bondage of religion, therefore, are superior to religious people. This in itself is fallacious and gives lie to their claim. Misotheists even have a period in history called the Enlightenment (or Age of Reason). This was an intellectual movement that the philosophers of the time adored. Modern secularists say that religion held back scientific progress and brought in the falsely-named Dark Ages. Storming of the Bastille , Anonymous, 1789 Enlightened atheists — alleged freethinkers — are making assumptions and spreading them as facts. The most egregious is that Christianity imprisons minds, but that's the opposite of the truth. Science was more of a curiosity than something useful for many years (nor did it have the worshipful status that Scientism  has today). Nonetheless, the founders of scientific disciplines were ge

Domestic Cat Evolution Story Fails

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Those of us who have known our cats and had some with us for years understand that the love exchanged remains long after they are gone. Basement Cat has been gone for over three years but I still get misty-eyed. God has created many gifts for us, whether food or things to discover and use, to better our lives. I fully believe that pets are a part of it. Believers in chemicals-to-cat evolution tell a tail about gradual domestication and call it evolution. Even though the story seems plausible, there is no evidence of evolution. Basement Cat on computer looking at Basement Cat, photo by Robert N. Sorensen Cats may have become domesticated from certain wild cats in Africa. Many are the size of house cats ( Rusty-spotted cats are a bit smaller). Some cats have a nasty disposition that can never be tamed. An example of the deceptive nature of evolutionary storytelling is the claim that thirteen genes changed by natural selection in the domestication process. Akshully, that number between

Validating the Early Israelite Kingdom

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It may seem unusual to find material about ancient Bible history on sites that primarily focus on creation science, but we also uphold the accuracy, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture. Some among the faithless claim that Saul, David, and Solomon were minor actors in unimportant tribes. It may seem like reasonable speculations at first glance, but such ideas cannot be supported. While criticism is ramping up in some areas, archaeological evidence is being discovered that supports the Bible and refutes the critics. Meeting between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon , Piero della Francesca, 1466 There will always be scoffers who try to undermine the historicity of the Bible. There are numerous instances where it was said to be wrong because "archaeology never found..." (which is a fallacious argument from silence), and then Scripture has been vindicated by later discoveries. We're talking about thousands of years, so many things have turned to dust and been blown away by