And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.—Romans 12:2 (KJV)

 

 

     Famous Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias once said that the hardest apologetical question he has ever struggled with was the question of why the transformation that goes on in a Christian’s spirit when they accept Christ is not more readily observed in the Church. If Christians are supposed to be examples of Christ, why are they so often observed as conforming to this world and its principles? Why, if Christians claim to be so changed by God, do we not see that change on a regular basis? At first glance this does not seem to be a very hard question to answer. Christians sin too. Nobody should be expected to be perfect, not even Christians. While this is true, the Bible does state many times that as Christians we should be different. We should stand out and be a light in this dark world. But if every Christian was a light to this world, one would think this world would be more thoroughly lit.

     Throughout history, and even to this day, one of the most legitimate questions that has been asked by the skeptics of Christianity has been this very question. Mahatma Gandhi once remarked, “I Like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christian are so unlike your Christ.” Shawn, of beliefinpeople.wordpress.com, recently talked of his impression of Christians today in response to the question, “How could Christians positively impact your perception of them while still holding to the Bible?”.

 

                       “Stop talking and start living. I understand that Christians aren’t supposed to be perfect, nobody is. However, when I look at someone who’s accepted Jesus into their hearts, something should look… I dunno… different.

 Something should be different. If the scriptures are true and believers are fundamentally changed, Christians should be better than the rest of us: kinder, more compassionate, more loving, more understanding, more empathetic, less materialistic,  less capitalistic less judgmental, less dramatic, more grounded, happier. Something that will make me think “hey, I want the life that person has, I want whatever they’re having too.”  —Shawn (http://christianincollege.com/2009/10/01/interview-with-an-atheist-shawn/)

As a Christian myself, I can say that there is no better question that can be asked then the one asked by Gandhi and Shawn. Tough as this question is to answer, it does have an answer.

     The best example of the Christian faith comes from Christ himself. Jesus Christ is unlike any other human that has ever walked the planet. Jesus never lusted, never hated, and never coveted. Jesus Christ was sinless. The story of Jesus’s life on earth is the nucleus of the Christian faith, and is the perfect example of an ideal Christian lifestyle.  In fact, the word “Christian” comes from the Greek word “Christos” which means “follower of Christ”. Jesus came into this world as a man with the intent to save us from our sins and show us how to live righteously.

     The reason Jesus is so important in answering this question is because he is frequently forgotten by skeptics when they are constructing an opinion on the Christian worldview. People often base their opinions of Christianity on other Christians. In other words, they establish their views on Jesus using man as the window. I would challenge the skeptic to read the Bible and get a good idea of what Jesus was about, and then view man using Jesus as the window. This is what Christians are called to do in the bible, and this is what gives the term “Christian” meaning. I am not making excuses for any sins that Christians commit. They are still sins and any negative reaction to those sins on the part of the skeptic is 100% legitimate. Just because a person is a Christian does not mean they get to be excused from wrong-doing. However, I am simply saying that when one becomes a Christian, they are vowing to follow Jesus, not other Christians. So don’t let other people taint your view of Jesus. The only pure example of Jesus there is, is in the Bible. Any other method one uses to establish an opinion on Jesus will only end in disappointment. This is only the first part of my answer, however.

     Secondly, there are many good examples of people’s lives being truly and radically changed by God. The world is an extremely populated place, and if history is added to the mix, it multiplies even further. Many have called themselves Christians and not followed the Bible. The Bible says that God will say to many who claimed to be Christians, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Sadly, the cases in which Christianity is extorted gain much more attention the stories in which Christianity’s true values are shown. That being said, a short study of Christianity’s ancient and recent history reveals some extraordinary people who capture the essence of Jesus’s message.

     A good example of a transformed life can be seen in the testimony of Adonirham Judson. Adonirham Judson was a missionary who dedicated his life to reaching the tribal people of Burma. His story shows the change that can be brought by a commitment to Jesus. When Adoniram Judson attended college, he was a skeptical Christian. He believed in God only because his parents had. While in college, Adoniram developed a relationship with a man that he called “E”. E was an atheist. By the time they both left college, Adoniram had abandoned his Christian roots, and had become a self-described “free thinker”.

     A couple years later, while on his way home from a job interview, Adoniram stopped by an inn to rent the room for the night. The inn keeper told him that there was only one room left, and that it was adjacent to a room that housed a very ill man. The inn keeper did not think the man would survive the night. Adoniram  took the room anyway as he was tired and needed sleep. Sleep, however, did not come that night. The groans of the dieing man’s pain kept him awake all night. While laying in bed, awake, Adoniram wondered where the man would go after he died. He began to question his rejection of life after death.

     By the time morning came, Adoniram was still tired and still uneasy about the questions that had plagued him during the night, but he brushed them off and made his way downstairs. As he was paying the inn keeper, Adoniram asked how the man was doing. The inn keeper replied that the man had finally died in the early hours of the morning. When Adoniram heard this he asked who the man was, the inn keeper then proceeded to describe his old college buddy, E. Later Adoniram found out that E was, indeed, the man who had died. This greatly troubled Judson and on his way home he was struck with the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Adoniram could not deny Christ any longer, on his way home, Adoniram committed his life to the Lord.

     Adoniram Judson went on to become a missionary to Burma. He lived amongst the tribal people of Burma for the rest of his life. By the time he died, Judson had successfully translated the Bible into Burmese, brought education to the Burmese people, and helped bring countless people to Christ. He remains to be one of the most successful and remembered missionaries that has ever lived.

     The life Adoniram Judson shows the humility that one receives by devoting themselves to God. Judson gave up his career and moved to a remote peice of jungle in southeast Asia to educate the uncivilized and sometimes violent people of Burma. There is no doubt his life was hard. He lived in the same conditions as the tribesman, and translated the Bible into one of the hardest languages on earth—second only to Chinese. He battled disease, and hunger, and yet he still chose to stay and preach the Gospel. His life mirrors the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. We were and still are morally and intellectually illiterate in God’s eyes. But he still loves us and chose send His only Son to die for us so that we might be saved. Adoniram Judson along with people like Charles Finney, Smith Wigglesworth, and Jonathan Edwards continue to show us that a life that is devoted to Christ can bring unprecedented change to our world.

     The question of why some are changed and why others aren’t correlates directly to the level of long-term commitment that one has. Some change faster than others. I even know a former drug addict whose commitment to God helped him quit a meth addiction cold turkey.

     If anyone were to ever ask me the same question that Gandhi and Shawn have asked, I would strongly urge them to study Christ and his teachings, because Jesus is the only pure example of goodness. As Christians, we are to follow Jesus and no one else. Jesus does change those who devote themselves to Him. I would also urge them to not become discouraged in their search for good Christian people who truly follow Christ. Admittedly, those who only claim the title of Christian but not the lifestyle vastly outnumber the ones who do, but I would ask that they don’t let that become a reason to stop looking. Real devotion to Christ is easily recognizable and if they search they will find Jesus. The Bible tells us that the Lord reveals himself to those who ask. Lastly, I would repeat that Christians follow Jesus, and that if they study Jesus and his promises, they will find that they want what Jesus had, which was a personal relationship with God.

     Finally, I understand the views of the skeptic regarding this issue. While I don’t blame the skeptic  for his skepticism, I would challenge him to search for God. Despite what reasons he may hold for not believing in God, I would urge him to study the life of Christ and its legitimacy and really form a personal opinion on Jesus using the Bible. Look at Jesus’s life and see his goodness. The Bible tells us that when we give our lives to God, God will give us the desires of His heart. Those who are changed are those who truly give their lives to Christ. While many claim the title of Christian there are fewer that commit to God. I hope every day that I may stay as true to Christ as possible. I fail constantly, but I still know that God loves because of what he says in the Bible. I hope that through continued devotion to Him, I may be purified even more by His word. I only hope that someday I can find favor in the eyes of the Lord, not by my works, but my personal devotion to Him and His word.

    

 

     During the reign of the Catholic Church and its Holy Roman Empire, the common belief regarding the shape of the earth was that our planet was flat. The clergy used a couple different verses from the Bible to illustrate their point. However, any study of the Bible will reveal that, in order for the Bible to support the theory of a flat earth, numerous contexts and verses must be twisted or thrown out. In reality, the Bible does not teach that the earth is flat.

     To make a conclusion on the Bible’s definition of the shape of the earth, one must look to the Bible. Some of the verses used against the Bible, in support of the “flat-earth” theory are as follows:

 

     He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.–Job 9:8

     
     He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent–Psalm 104:2

     After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.–Revelation 7:1

 

These verses were not written to define the shape of the earth. If common sense is used, one can easily see the poetic and visual symbolisms. Job 9:8 actually holds some scientific confirmation. Science has shown that our universe (the heavens) is expanding. The fact that the Bible says that God “stretches out the heavens” brings confirmation to this evidence. Psalm 104:2 speaks of how God “stretches out the heavens like a tent”. Once again, this confirms scientific evidence. The phrase “like a tent” shows that the author is using a simile. Similes are used often in every form of writing. They are easily spotted, and never confused with literal the literal meaning. The same is true for the Bible. There are times when the Bible should be interpreted literally and times when it is obviously metaphorical. To use this verse in support of the flat-earth theory would deny common sense. Lastly, Revelation 7:1 shows the same metaphorical speech. The ”four corners” of the earth can be likened to a map. Maps have four corners–at least most of them do. Common sense is also required to explain this passage. Likewise, common sense is required to interpret everything. Common sense was given to us by God. He would not deny His own common sense. Only humans are capable of that.

     So where does the Bible speak of a round earth? I found that a very legitimate explanation can be found in a book called Scientific Facts in the Bible by Ray Comfort.

 

          “The Scriptures tell us that the earth is round: ‘It is He that sits upon the circle of the earth.’ (Isaiah 40:22) The word translated ‘cricle’ here is the Hebrew word chuwg, which is also translated ‘circut’ or ‘compass’ (depending on the context). That is, it indicates something spherical, rounded, or arched–not something that is flat or square. The book of Isaiah was written sometime between 740 and 680 B.C. This is at least 300 years before Aristotle suggested, in his book On The Heavens, that the earth might be a sphere. It was another 2,000 years later (at a time when science believed the earth was flat) that the Scriptures inspired Christopher Columbus to sail around the world.” (pg. 11-12)

    

 

 

The Bible is amazing in its knowledge. How could the author of Isaiah know the earth was round 300 years before Aristotle–presumably the first man to suggest that the earth was round? This shows the Bible’s Devine origins. The Bible does not contradict truth, and this is why it says the earth is round.

 

 

     The biggest opponent of Young Earth Creationism is the theory of Old Earth Creationism. Old earth creationists generally believe that the earth is older than 6000 years. They interpret Genesis 1 figuratively as opposed to literally. There are various theological theories that have been created to interpret Genesis 1, and science lends some evidence as well.

     The “Day/Age” theory says that the six days of creation were not literal days but unspecified periods of time–or ages. Two of the biggest reasons people believe in Old Earth Creationism is because they are looking to fit evolution into the Bible, trying to fit in a race of people before Adam (pre-Adamic race), or a combination of the two. There are other reasons as well, but these are the most popular. The day/age theory argues that the Genesis 1 cannot be interpreted literally with 100% confidence. The Hebrew language uses the word “day” to mean different things. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary lists these meanings.

 

English Words used in KJV:

day 2008
time 64
chronicles + 37
daily 44
ever 18
year 14
continually 10
when 10
as 10
while 8
full 8
always 4
whole 4
alway 4
miscellaneous translations 44
[Total Count: 2287]

 

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), [often used adverbially] :- age, + always, + chronicles, continually (-ance), daily, ([birth-], each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, × end, + evening, + (for) ever (-lasting, -more), × full, life, as (so) long as (…live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, × required, season, × since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), × whole (+ age), (full) year (-ly), + younger.

—Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

Advocates of an old earth use the many different meanings of the Hebrew word “yom”, meaning “day”, as an example of why Genesis 1 cannot be interpreted literally. Because there are so many meanings for “day” we cannot accurately conclude that Genesis 1 meant the word “day” to mean a literal 24 hour period. When combined with evidence for the Big Bang, which alludes to an older earth, there seems to be a good argument for an old earth.

     The Gap Theory focuses on  the time before the six days of creation. This theory was created using Genesis 1:1-2,

                                                                                 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

                                                                                 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.–Genesis 1:1-2

Some theorists have said that there is a possibility that there might have been a gap of time between these two verses. Once again, when talking about the events that took place during this “gap”, evolution and pre-Adamic race theories seem to be popular. This theory, however, does not appear to be as popular among theologists simply because of its lack of biblical evidence. The verses above are really the only verses the Gap Theory has on its side. Because of this, gap theorists often use science as their main argument, and then use these verses to back it up.

     Lastly, a popular belief among old earth creationists is the belief that the flood of Noah was not worldwide like the Bible says, but only a couple hundred miles wide. Perspective becomes this theory’s greatest ally. One could say that, from Noah’s perspective, it would appear that the flood was worldwide because of its unprecedented size. This theory does not really directly speak of the age of the earth, but it is often combined with an old earth theory to show evidence for evolution. A worldwide flood would prove to be  a strong blow to the theory of evolution–especially with regard to the fossil record. Therefore, many old earth creationists see the need for a different explanation of the Flood of Noah.

     Despite the earth’s true age, Genesis was not written for the purpose of showinghow old the earth is or the method in which it was created. Genesis tells the story of a loving God who created us and gave us a beautiful planet to live on. Genesis relates God’s purpose for us and how we messed up His plan by introducing sin into the world. This sets the stage for the rest of the Bible which talks of man’s struggle for redemption, and the Saviour who came to die in order for us to be redeemed through his blood. It is not hurtful to postulate about the age of our earth, but one should always remember that this is not the point of the book of Genesis. Many Christians have argued amongst themselves and ended up totally missing the point. The point is that we were created by a Most High God, and not by a random stroke of chance. Genesis gives value and meaning to the human life, and our focus should not be wasted on trivial arguments like the age of the earth. Whether the age of our earth is 300 billion or 6000 years, it was still created by God.

 

 

     In the last century, Christianity has come to be known as an anti-intellectual belief system. Since all Christians reject the view of atheistic evolution, and since atheistic evolution is generally excepted by today’s naturalistic community, the world views Christianity as a worldview based on blind faith and no empirical evidence whatsoever. The truth actually supports the contrary. Science is compatible with Christianity, it’s just that naturalists don’t always define science correctly.

     Evolution is probably the most widely known theory on the origin of life that exists on our planet. Converse to popular belief, evolution isn’t famous for its evidence, it’s more widely known for the controversy it has created since it’s birth. The scientific community, as a whole, still remains divided on the true origin of life. The evolutionists call the intelligent designers pseudo-scientific and the intelligent designers do the same. This is because both sides have different philosophical presuppositions.

     When a person makes the comment, “Science has proven this to be true…” they are making an inaccurate statement. Science cannot prove anything. The scientific method is just as fallible as the scientist that performs it. There are many instances in history where scientific laws have been shown false. The Law of Spontaneous Generation comes to mind at this point. This law was excepted for a longer time then evolution has existed, and one day it was shown to be untrue. The misconception that many people have about science is that it has a mind of its own. The statement “Science says X” is popular among scientists–like science has a mind of its own and actually has a stance on things. This belief is bogus to say the least. Science is based on and interpreted according to the presuppositions held by the scientist. Think about it. This world only has one fossil record. Yet there are many different interpretations of the fossil record. Some claim that it contains billions of years of macro-evolution, and others claim that it is evidence of a worldwide flood. What makes this so? The presuppositions of the scientists. If science actually had an opinion, then there would be no controversy over the subject of the origin of life, abortion, or homosexuality. There have been studies done on all these subjects, and both the naturalistic and intelligent design worldviews claim to have “proven” the other wrong. That simply cannot be true.

     Science is fallible just like man. We (atheist or Christian) cannot use it as an infallible source for truth. We can use it as evidence, but not as proof. The proof comes in the philosophy. If one’s presuppositions are wrong, then they are doomed to draw inaccurate scientific conclusions. As fallible humans, we need an infallible source for truth. Otherwise, truth is unattainable. Since man (science) cannot provide that, we need a divine, omniscient source. If anyone is to acknowledge the presence of truth, they must acknowledge the presence of a truth giver. Christianity does not reject science, it only holds the Bible as the supreme source of truth. Naturalists gave that trophy to science. Unfortuantely, naturalists can never attain truth until they figure out that they are not capable of finding truth by themselves. They need an infallible source. Science does not meet this requirement. God does.

 

 

      Young Earth Creationism is the belief that the earth was created about 6000 years ago in six 24 hour days. It is also probably the oldest interpretation of Genesis around. Before the birth of evolution, there was no argument about how long the days were because there was no need for them to be any longer. When evolution became popular and people started thinking that our earth was older than what was previously believed, the theory of a young earth suddenly gained many opponents. The age of the earth is not mentioned in the Bible. Science does not shed any more accuracy on the issue either. One’s belief on the age of the earth depends entirely on how they interpret the scientific and theological evidence.

 

     Much debate arises on the issue of how the word “day” should be interpreted in Genesis 1. Should it be interpreted literally or figuratively? In the Hebrew language the word “day” has different meanings. Depending on the context and modifiers present, the word “day” can mean a 24 hour period, an “age” (or an unspecified amount of time), a year, and various other, more specific meanings. Strong’s Greek & Hebrew Dictionary gives a more thorough description.

 

English Words used in KJV:

day 2008
time 64
chronicles + 37
daily 44
ever 18
year 14
continually 10
when 10
as 10
while 8
full 8
always 4
whole 4
alway 4
miscellaneous translations 44
[Total Count: 2287]

 

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), [often used adverbially] :- age, + always, + chronicles, continually (-ance), daily, ([birth-], each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, × end, + evening, + (for) ever (-lasting, -more), × full, life, as (so) long as (…live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, × required, season, × since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), × whole (+ age), (full) year (-ly), + younger.

—Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

     As can be seen, the word day is used 2287 times in the Bible, and there is a pretty extensive list of different meanings. When the word day is interpreted without context, a lot of questions arise as to the author’s original meaning of the word “day”. However the Bible sheds some light on this by giving us some specific terms.

     “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light ‘day’, and the darkness he called ‘night’. And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”—Genesis 1:3-5

     The phrase, “And there was evening, and there was morning”, appears for every single day except the seventh. While “day” has numerous possible meanings, “evening” and “morning” have considerably less. Smith’s Bible Dictionary says this about the word day and its modifiers “morning” and “evening” :  

     “The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, Levit 23:32 deriving it from Gene 1:5 ‘the evening and the morning were the first day.’” —Smith’s Bible Dictionary

The terms “morning” and “evening” seem to allude to a literal day in this instance.

     Another argument that young earthers use pertains to the Fall of Man. The Fall of Man occurred when Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the Tree of Good and Evil. This argument is often used when one is specifically trying to refute the notion that evolution is compatible with the Bible. The argument asserts that the days must be literal or else the Bible does not accurately portray the Fall of Man, therefore denoting the Bible’s inerrancy. If sin did not enter the world until after Adam and Eve ate the apple, then that means death didn’t either. Death didn’t come to the world until sin did. If the days of creation represented evolutionary time periods of millions of years, death would have had to occur before sin. If this is true then the Bible isn’t accurate in its depiction of humanity’s decent into depravity, it would then follow that the Bible was not infallible–a fundamental Christian belief. Therefore,under the circumstances of this argument, advocates of Theistic Evolution must either deny evolution or deny the Bible as a pure source of truth.

     Lastly, Young Earth Creationists have attempted to date the earth’s age by using biblical dates. Several timelines have been created, but none have been able to achieve much attention from those who do not oppose evolution. It seems that this argument is due to continue for a long time. There are other theories out there about the age of the earth and this is just one of them. What is unique about Young Earth Creationism, however, is that it stands alone. There are numerous old earth theories  but only one young earth theory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have already talked about what Christians think about Creation. The real point I try to make when explaining creation to someone is that regardless of the age of the universe, and the way it came into being, there still has to be an intelligent designer. Our earth could not possibly have come about by chance. However, I would still like to talk a little bit about the different beliefs on creation. I’m not going to post them all here. I’m going to separate them into parts. But let me define some of the various standpoints that Christians hold on the creation of our universe.

Young Earth Creationism: Young Earth Creationism (YEC for short) probably gets the most criticism from both Christians and non-Christians alike. “Young-earthers” hold to the belief that the six days of creation were literal 24 hour days, and generally interpret Genesis more literally then other theories. Also, YEC believes that the flood of Noah was worldwide.

Old Earth Creationism (OEC): Old Earth Creationism is a very general term. Most of the other theories that I post on this page will fall under this category. All OEC theories have similar beliefs. They all believe that the earth is not young and interpret the days of creation symbolically. Lastly, some OEC theories do not include a worldwide flood but instead substitute a flood that was still catastrophic, but only covered a couple hundred miles.

The Gap Theory: The Gap Theory is based on Genesis 1:1-2. Some have speculated that there was a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. The Bible itself does not specify either way, but many have postulated that there was an undefined amount of time between these two verses. This gap has been used as evidence such as Biblical support for evolution all the way to a pre-human race that lived before us.

Day Age Theory: The Day Age Theory could be defined as opposite the Young Earth theory because the Day Age theory interprets that six days of creation symbolically. This is because the Hebrew word used for day has several meanings, only one of which is a literal day. Another way “yom” is used in Hebrew is “age”. Day Age theorists claim that the earth was created over a period of six different ages–or undefined periods of time.  Again, evolution is often used to fill in this time, as is a pre-Adamic race.

Theistic Evolution: Theistic Evolution accepts all the evidence that Atheistic Evolution does only it does not accept the notion that God does not exist. Theistic Evolutionists believe that God created the world over a period of billions of years using evolution i.e. Macroevolution. They interpret Genesis symbolically, and generally do not believe in a worldwide flood.

 

 

     When looking for answers about God, or the Christian faith in general, the Bible should never be discounted as a source of evidence. There is no more pure representation of God than the Bible. The Bible never contradicts God, and God never contradicts His word. Often the Bible is overlooked by those who are not familiar with it. God regularly receives judgement based on bad examples when the true answer is sitting in the Bible just waiting to be discovered.

     A most frequent bad influence are the various acts committed by the Catholic Church during the Reformation and the Spanish Inquisition. People blame Christianity for events such as these all the time. Let’s look at the actions of the Catholic Church during the Reformation.  Countless lives were lost in pursuit of religious freedom, and all this murder was committed by a group of people who actually called themselves a Church. In fact, the doings of the medieval Church didn’t exhibit any traits of true Christianity whatsoever. To go into detail about this would steal away from the point of this article, but anyone who wishes to compare the Holy Roman Empire with the Bible will very soon find that there are few similarities as far as morality goes.

     Christians also have a tendency to misrepresent Christ. This is because we are all sinners. Christians are not made pure by the Law, but by the blood of Jesus. We still sin. This is no excuse for us, but we still do sin sometimes. Every man, Christian or not, is tempted to lie, steal, cheat, cuss, lust, etc. So when someone who calls himself a Christian commits a sin, they are not following Christ’s example, but that of this world. So Jesus should not be blamed for this. 

     In conclusion, when an assertion is made about the Bible, check to see if this assertion lines up with the Bible. If the Bible confirms it, then the assertion is most definitely true. If not, it is not a trait of Christianity, and should not be used as one. Never, deny the Bible as a source. It is the only source to look to on the matter of truth. To strip the Bible of this title is to fallaciously write off the truth about God.

 

     Ray Comfort talks to some evolutionists on the validity of the theory of evolution.

 

 

     I have heard this assertion so many times–more than I care to share. It seems an atheist cannot talk about morality without making attacks on the goodness of God. This is because an atheist cannot logically back up his support for morality. It is possible for an atheist to be a nice person. I have no doubt that most of them are , indeed, nice. But they cannot logically give reason for why morality is necessary. This is why so many of them try to turn the argument upon God and the Bible and try to paint God as an evil creation of the human mind, thus making them look moral and more intelligent by comparison. However, this is nothing but a fallacious argument, set upon unfounded assumptions, with the intention of ripping it apart. The truth is that God is sinless. There is plenty of proof for this in the Bible.

     Context is an important thing to be aware of in the Bible. One cannot read a group of verses and then make assumptions about the Bible’s message as a whole. This is a favorite trick of the Bible critic. They quote a passage, make a false interpretation, and then tear the Bible apart based on a handful of verses. This isn’t how the Bible should be read. When reading the Bible–especially the Old Testament–one can’t draw conclusions from a couple of verses or even a chapter. There are instances in the Bible where certain events take place as a result of events that took place four or five chapters before the present chapter. Many atheists have not even read the Bible, so for them to make conclusions on the Bible and the morality of God based off of one chapter is not logical. Go read Beowulf’s last monologue and then see what you can deduce about the story using only that monologue. You can’t do it. The same goes for every other book. The atheist seems to make an exception for the Bible however.

     Some atheists claim to have read the Bible. They treat it like a merit badge. If they have read the Bible then that means they know the whole story. They can now freely make conclusions because they have read it cover to cover. Well, guess what. I have read Shakespeare’s play Ceasar, but I can’t remember every word of it. If I wanted to tell the story to someone else, or explain a certain part of the story, I would have to do some re-reading in order to discuss it effectively. This is also true of the Bible, but even more so. If an atheist reads the Bible at all, it is most likely read like a novel. They read the page and then turn the page and go on to the next one until they see the maps at the back of the book. The Bible is more than a book of stories. It is historical, philosophical, theological, and prophetic. The Bible is meant to be studied. It is the word of God. You study God’s word and you are studying God Himself. Whether you believe in God’s existence or not, you have to study the Bible intensely even to scratch the surface of what it has to offer. Sadly, most atheists don’t think it worth their time to learn about God, but they still choose to waste it by trying to refute Him. I am not a rocket scientist. If I went to NASA and yelled “No, no! You’re doing it all wrong.” their reaction would be to ask my identity and inquire of my credentials. If said, “I am a graduate of high school physics.”, I would be laughed at. Just because one has read the Bible doesn’t mean they have studied it. In order to fully understand the Bible, one must first understand things like the culture of the times, the original translation, and the context. Reading the Bible once cannot possibly suffice.  If atheists studied the Bible as much as the teachings of Chuck Darwin and Richard Dawkins, they would soon find that the Bible is more than a book of stories, and the Bible would have fewer critics. Unfortunately, I suspect that the average atheist conveniently ignores the study of the Bible for this very reason.

    I have never met an atheist who tried to paint God as immoral while using a New Testament verse to back it up. It is always the Old Testament. Why is this? Because the Old Testament is where all the death happens. It’s true. The Old Testament has a lot of stories about warfare, but there are a number of things that must be thrown out or twisted in order for God to be portrayed as immoral.

     1. The New Testament must be completely discounted.

     God is so often judged, and made to look emotionless and unloving. But so many people do this without even reading the New Testament. Jesus said, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7). Jesus was God incarnate. One cannot call God immoral without leaving Jesus’s existence out. Jesus was the most loving and sinless person to ever walk the earth. Just read the New Testament and see if you can think of someone more loving. We are to read the Old Testament in light of Jesus. We cannot forget the teachings of Jesus when interpreting the Old Testament.

     2. The concept of God’s wrath must be forgotten.

     Throughout the Old Testament there are instances where God tells the Israelites to attack  certain tribes. Often people think that God is wrong for doing this, but there is never an instance in the Bible where God judges a person or a group of people without being provoked. Often you will also see God allowing those people to have a chance for forgiveness also. God never judged without cause. Cause is something that the atheist always leaves out.

     3. The judgements against Israel must be done away with.

     Often times people will accuse the Israelites of being immoral, and then conclude that God was immoral because He “allowed” the Israelites to do such things. This is incorrect. God is angry with the Israelites just as much and if not more times in the Bible then He is with the other nations in the Old Testament. The Israelites were held to a higher standard. At one point God punished Israel just for complaining. God never played favorites.

     4. Cultural contexts must be thrown out.

     The Hebrews are often accused of being terrible people. Critics like to assert that Israel was opressive towards women, and that they killed babies. Actually, women were treated much better under Jewish law compared to other societies that were present back then. The Midianites for example worshiped a false god that demanded sex as a sacrifice. Women, most of the time young girls, would be forced to participate in orgies. They would be repeatedly raped by multiple men. This would happen every time the men decided they felt like “worshiping”.  As for babies, the Midianites also worshiped a god that demanded child sacrifice. Children were seen as tools of “worship” rather than human beings. If you weren’t raped or killed during your childhood, you grew up and did the same thing to your children.

     There are times in the Bible when God commanded the Israelites to kill children. This was a result of God’s wrath. When a tribe repeatedly harassed and attacked Israel God dealt with them swiftly and thoroughly. While the killing of children might seem repulsive, theologically speaking, those young children were immediately sent to heaven with God and spared the evil indoctrination they would receive as adults, thus sparing them future judgement.

     Today, we are under a New Covenant. In the Old Testament, God established a law and demanded that man be judged by that law. The problem was that man could not possibly adhere to the standards God set. (For more information on the Ten Commandments, see my post on entitled “The Ten Commandments”.) In order to remedy this, God sent His only Son to pay the price for our sins for us (John 3:16). Jesus tells us that the wages of sin is death. In the Old Testament, man had to pay this price for sin. When Jesus came, Jesus paid that price—once and for all. The result of Jesus’s sacrifice was that we no longer need to die for our sins. All we have to do is repent. God does not judge us anymore. Instead he has granted us mercy, and has chosen to let us come live with Him for eternity. One day, those who did not choose God will be judged by the old law. But God has given us our whole lives to turn and follow Him. He is so merciful.

     The more a person studies the Bible, the more they will be able to make sense of it. The Bible is an epic book. It is, like I said, impossible to make sense of it upon reading it only once. You must study it. Study the words and what they mean not only in English but in the original translations. You must understand the history behind it. One cannot argue the Bible with validity if they have only read it lightly through once.

Does the Bible opress women? Are Christians taught to favor men in the Bible?  Ravi Zacharias answers this tough question while speaking at Penn State University.