Conservation versus natural selection - in creation.com

There is a conflict between the desire for conservation and belief in Darwinian natural selection. This paper has now been published on creation.com 11 March 2021.

When efforts to stop nature changing over time (conservation) conflict with the belief that nature does change over time (evolution) - creation.com

How should Christians respond to Conspiracy Theories?

Conspiracy theories have become increasingly popular in society at large, and amongst Christians. Why is that, and how should we as Christians respond? Part of the attraction is the desire to solve mysteries, to be at the cutting edge of research, but they can be unsatisfactory – I confess I have read quite a few of them, trying to weigh truth and falsehood. Christians are of course a people who are committed to truth, and are called to a higher level of moral conduct than the world. There is a balance to be struck between seeking to understand the world at a deeper level, and maintaining sound judgement so as to be a good witness to non-believers. But also, people increasingly want to know what is true in a Post-modern world that sometimes seems dystopian. Christians are asked to provide answers to complex questions.

Q flag with message WWG1WGA - wiki commons Anthony Crider

Firstly, we need to consider what a conspiracy theory is. It may be noted that conspiracies do occur, and there are laws against conspiracies in the legal system. People may be charged with conspiracy to defraud, or to rob a bank, or to commit murder for example. Conspiracies normally involve several people working together in secret to commit a crime. The Police gather evidence, and then it is presented in court by the officers and prosecution lawyers so that it may be tested. In that sense the prosecution case may be described as a conspiracy theory, until the case is proven, or rejected.

Unfortunately, what often passes as conspiracy theory today doesn’t deserve to be called theory. This is because there is insufficient evidence, or no attempt to gather evidence or engage in validation. Conspiracy hypotheses, or conspiracy hunches, or even just plain old-fashioned gossip may be a more appropriate description. Some of the conspiracy claims descend into new age beliefs, with beliefs about aliens mixed in, or that leading western leaders such as the Queen are possessed by lizards. That is a good clue to move on, and pay no further attention.

But on the other hand, increasingly today any political or social position that doesn’t agree with the official narrative of politicians and the main stream media is labelled a conspiracy theory. We may note that politicians don’t always tell the truth, and the media often seeks to establish truth through sentiment instead of through objective discussions; this along the lines of a Humean approach to ethics. Increasingly, the media doesn’t allow honest dialogue over controversial subjects, but promotes its own preferred, and rather narrow agenda. More often-than-not today, television presenters interview their own internal correspondents in a way that establishes the limits of social interaction over various issues. Perhaps they are not even aware of their bias. 

It is in this context that people seek out alternative media. But even here we find increasing censorship, and this is plain to see. Twitter and Facebook ban, or shadow-ban, people for voicing the wrong opinion. An alternative to Twitter, Parler, was closed down by Amazon Web Services because it was becoming popular by conservative voices. As well, Google searches are weighted towards official fact checkers, thus hiding alternative views, which makes weighing competing claims and evidence increasingly difficult.

So, there is a real struggle to get to grips with what is true in our society, and what we are allowed to think or say. But often it is necessary to keep an open mind between the claims of the mainstream media and the alternative media when there is insufficient evidence to form an opinion. Otherwise, we risk being deceived, and if we share such things, we may spread false gossip. We can say that some conspiracies are true, and are tested, some may be true, but are not tested, and some are obviously false. Real discernment is needed sorting the wheat from the chaff.

Christian response to conspiracies

We also need to recognise that unscrupulous people can play both sides of an argument at the same time to sow division. The devil may even appear as an angel of light for instance (see 2 Corinthians 11). Paul warns against listening to those who might lead us away from the gospel and a pure devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent.

In secular terminology, there is the concept of Hegelian dialectics. The formation of a thesis and an anti-thesis, with the devil, or people with evil intent, influencing both sides of the argument. This allows the formation of a new synthesis away from biblical Christianity. In the context here deception may arise through the official narrative of the mainstream media, and / or through the conspiracy narrative of the alternative media. We may be led to act in ways that are not Christian by allowing us to become angry through false beliefs and fears for example, whether from official sources or alternative ones.

Q

An example of conspiratorial thinking and the danger of error on both sides is possibly QANON – for several years cryptic messages were posted on the web, which seemed to support Donald Trump against the so-called Democrat ‘swamp.’ This led to groups of people, and many Christians, to search out the hidden meaning. Q seemed to have access to inside information, thus supporting his credibility. But Q failed in the end to stop Trump losing, and many Christians are deeply troubled by this – they perhaps loved Trump too much thinking he is a saviour. But it takes away from faith and true prayer. Some have suggested the Q cryptic game was a way of getting people hooked. There is another possible darker motive: that Q’s ‘Trust the Plan’ was similar to the Marxist Operation Trust from the former Soviet Union, which ran from 1921-26. It deceived patriots into thinking there was a plot to get rid of the communists, when there wasn’t – it only exposed the patriots to capture and defeat. The devil, and the ideological forces of this world, can play both sides, left and right, at the same time to ensnare God’s people.

Heavenly Wisdom 

It is in this context that we need heavenly wisdom – it is a blessing to have the Scriptures that are full of wisdom. The Word of God is our only true foundation.

In Matthew 7:24-27 we are told to put into practice the words that Jesus spoke – it is like building our house upon the rock, who is Christ. Jesus said that we shouldn’t cast our pearls before swine, or give to the dogs those things which are sacred (Matthew 7:6). If these pearls are pearls of wisdom, then it is analogous to searching for truth from amongst non-believers. We may be deceived – instead let us build our houses upon the rock by searching out truth in Christ and in his word.

We are told in this passage that we can pray and that God hears us. We can pray for deliverance from the world system. Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

But some may respond that the Bible encourage conspiratorial views. Revelation 17-18 speaks of mystery Babylon, a controlling world system ruling over the affairs of mankind. It seems conspiratorial. Both Daniel and Revelation give prophecy in terms of hidden coded information (for example the 7x70 of Daniel 9:24-27), although the code begins to unfold when centred upon the work of Christ. But even so, for those who love to search out these prophecies, we need to remember to focus upon the main theme of Scripture, which is Christ and the health of his Church, and hold future prophecy lightly when it has not yet been fully revealed.

Daniel 2 also speaks of the great statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, with head of gold, chest of silver, thighs of bronze, and legs and feet of clay and iron. This represents world powers, and yet the final power is brittle – we are told that the statue will fall, crushed under the feet of the stone kingdom that will be established – that is interpreted as the Church with Christ as head. Jesus said to Peter and the disciples that He (that is Christ) is the great rock-face, and that Hades will not prevail against the Church which is built upon the rock. In this light we as believers have spiritual authority to prophecy in the world – and to the world. To bind evil spiritual powers through prayer, and to pray for righteousness, bringing people into God’s freedom through faith in Jesus (Matthew 16:18). If we are going to trust the plan, then let us trust God’s plan, and use the authority that God has given us, not casting our pearls carelessly before the world by getting carried away with untested conspiracy theories. 

Putting Luther and the holocaust into context

It is important to remember the suffering of Jews and offer regret for anti-Semitism at this time of remembrance for the inhumanity of the Holocaust (Holocaust Memorial Day 27 January). Simon Ponsonby makes some valid points in his Christianity Magazine article on Luther and the Holocaust The shocking truth about Christianity and the Holocaust The shocking truth about Christianity and the Holocaust (premierchristianity.com). But we need to put this into context so as not to create a narrative that may undermine Christian faith and become anti-Christian. It may for example lead Christians to a sense of guilt that is not warranted, or to reject Christianity altogether. How far Christians today should repent for the actions of our distant forefathers is an open question, but we need to learn the lessons of history so as to avoid repeating them.

While Luther’s contradictions are well known, we should not forget the great sacrifice that many people, largely from Christian nations, made during the war-time struggle to end Nazi tyranny. This action brought an end of Hitler’s death camps. Even in Germany, brave theologians such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer stood against fascism and paid with their lives. The darker side of Luther’s more complete teaching were in fact revealed at the time in Britain, with its negative influence on the German psyche. For example, Peter Weiner’s Win the Peace pamphlet Martin Luther: Hitler’s Spiritual Ancestor laid it out in detail for the British reader in the 1940s. 

Historical context

In historical context, a sometimes-fierce struggle for identity developed between Jewish and Christian believers from the earliest centuries. This struggle is related to the personhood of the Messiah and the entity that is Israel. With this struggle, anti-Semitism grew in response from the fourth century after the joining of Church and State. The Christian Church gained a power and wealth from Rome it had not had before, and with power came opportunity for abuse. The Roman Church claimed authority over all of Christendom, and Jews faced discrimination and forced conversion.

Augustine had taught that Jews should at least not be killed, which partially tempered Jewish suffering. But regrettably the rhetorical preaching style of some other early theologians, such as John Chrysostom, led to riots and violence against Jews – and pogroms have continued into modern times. Chrysostom was well read by Luther, although we may note that the golden-mouthed theologian also applied his rhetorical preaching against Christian luminaries such as the Roman Empress Aelia Eudoxia, thus at least not showing favouritism. But the lesson for modern evangelists and theologians is that we need to be careful with how we preach and teach. Through respectful dialogue, and in humility, we can at least build understanding between Jews and Christians over questions of identity.

Reformation

After initially embracing Jews in the hope of their salvation, Luther came to fiercely oppose them with his later teaching, thus showing himself to be inconsistent and a poor follower of Augustine. As well, absolute obedience to the state formed part of Luther’s teaching, which partly explains German acquiescence to the Nazi regime. But we should not forget some of the good teaching that Luther recovered, such as the doctrine of justification by faith. And with the coming of the Reformation there was a desire to break from the corruption and power of Rome. Unfortunately, it only put in place a new set of power structures based upon nation states. Protestant and Catholic states used their power to put to death opponents across Europe, measurable in terms of hundreds of thousands of bodies, and justified in terms of a divine mandate.

The Reformation in Britain followed more closely the teaching of John Calvin, especially as escaping French Huguenots settled in the country. Calvin persistently believed in a future revival amongst Jews because of divine election, and called for respect towards them, so moderating the Lutheran hostility. And many Jews have come to faith over the centuries and made a positive contribution to the growth of the faith. The struggle for ascendency between Protestants and Catholics lasted for several centuries in Britain, but with the new settlers there was also a growing non-conformist tradition that faced persecution from both sides – for example as outlined in Joseph Besse’s Collection of Sufferings of the People called Quakers. When we look at anti-Semitism in context, we need to remember that Christians of different persuasions persecuted each other through many centuries, and this collective suffering was because of an abuse of power by state-sanctioned churches and poor theology.

The naturalistic influence upon the holocaust

The other influence that led to the rise of fascism and anti-Semitism in early twentieth century Germany was a liberal, naturalised faith. As a result, many came to reject faith altogether with a preference for Paganism and nature worship, and acquiescence towards acceptance of evolution. The German Church was compromised by a liberal faith through theologians such as Friedrich Schleiermacher, and with the influence of higher biblical criticism the authority of Scripture was undermined, as was the moral voice of the Germanic churches. This helps to explain why, in response, Karl Barth, the main author of the 1934 Barmen Declaration, was so set against natural theology.

Hitler’s belief was in essence Positive Christianity – a faith devoid of any real meaning, and without a divine being that one might be relationally accountable towards. Hitler spoke of Almighty God in Mein Kampf (My Struggle) but it was in terms of the ‘iron logic of nature’ having creative power over humanity – a power that could not be resisted. Essentially, God was the power of evolution through violent struggle and natural selection. Arthur Keith, in Evolution and Ethics, commented that the Nazi leader in Germany was “an evolutionist not only in theory, but, as millions know to their cost, in the rigor of its practice.” Darwinian survival-of-the-fittest and eugenics informed the Nazi mindset to rationally justify genocide, as much as any real commitment to the Lutheran faith.

Issues of identity today

The question of identity still divides Jews and Christians into the twenty-first century, and divides Christians who hold to the Reformed Covenantal theology on the one hand, and Christian Zionism on the other. Ponsonby uses the opportunity of his article to promote some of the doctrines of Christian Zionism. The Reformed tradition is often accused of holding to super-secessionism: a position that is sometimes asserted to be anti-Semitic. Put simplistically, it is the belief that following the death and resurrection of Christ, God rejected Israel and chose the Church instead. On the other side, some supporters of the State of Israel advance a dual-covenant theology: one for Jews that maintains the continuation of the Old Covenant, and one for Gentile Christians under the New Covenant. And yet when we read Paul's teaching about the weakness of the Law, that it was a curse to those who fail to keep it perfectly (Galatians 3:10), is it really loving to call for Jews to live in that light by denying them the blessing of the gospel? 

When we study Scripture, we ought to place Christ at the centre of our theology. In this regard, it is possible to find a way forward that builds bridges across the identity crisis – it is a way of faith for Jews and Gentiles. Reformed theologian David Holwerda explains it well in his book Jesus and Israel: that through His life, ministry and sacrificial work Christ became Israel and so offers redemption to both Jews and Gentiles. Within the Reformed tradition the Messiah is seen as fulfilling Israel’s mandate as one born King of the Jews. He is the rock of our salvation, and the root in to which we are all grafted, Jews and Gentiles alike. It is in this sense that Christ brings Jews and Gentiles together in Him as one-new-man (Ephesians 2:14-15), thus establishing peace. It isn’t that God rejected Israel, but Israel and the Jews are included in the divine plan of salvation alongside Gentile believers.

Ongoing political questions today

With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 Jews were given the opportunity to live in their historical homeland, with the hope of peace. The advance of a Jewish State followed the horrors of the Holocaust. Unfortunately, the land of Palestine, or the Holy Land as Jews perceive it, was already occupied by Palestinians, a third of whom were Christian in the early twentieth century. As a result of this new Jewish homeland, the two sides have often been at war, and many Palestinians have died, lost their homes or been exiled. Palestinians refer to the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of people as al-Nakbah, meaning disaster. And Jews continue to struggle to find peace in the land. It is our duty as Christians to work for peace, justice and reconciliation between both sides in the ongoing struggle in the Middle East.

Summary

The practical outworking of anti-Semitism arose through an abuse of power and the careless rhetorical preaching style of a number of Christians, both of which need to be acknowledged, and we can learn the lessons of history. This also raises questions with regard to the proper relationship between Church and State. While we ought to offer regret over anti-Semitism and remember the horrors of the holocaust, let us not develop an unwarranted narrative that becomes anti-Christian. We need to seek understanding through dialogue between Jews and Gentiles over the question of Israel’s identity, and between different Christian positions.

Andrew Sibley

Donald Trump and the Hebrides Revival

A recent video on Youtube by Dr Clarence Sexton makes a number of statements about Donald John Trump, the 45^th US President, and his link to the Hebrides revival that occurred between 1948 and 1952 [1]. An internet search shows that such claims derive from various blogs that date back at least to 3 September 2017. The earliest blog post I can find is by the National Day of Prayer of Wyoming and the Mountains States, entitled Donald Trump’s Connection to the Hebrides Revival [2] and a second later blog seaministries.org makes further claims relating to Trump’s Bible. [3]

The first claim is that Donald Trump is closely related to two elderly Smith sisters, Peggy and Christine, who were powerful prayer warriors in the Hebrides revival, and to a young boy called Donald Smith, who was allegedly their nephew and convert in the revival. However, this family connection to Trump is not accepted by sources close to those involved. Kathie Walters has written an historical account of the Hebrides revival (called Bright and Shining Revival) having first-hand information from those involved. She rejected the connection, printed as a correction on Sapphire Throne Ministries blog on 21 August 2018, having consulted with leading historians and family connections. The young boy was called Donald Macphail, not Smith [4] [5], although there was a Donald John Smith connected to the revival, possibly the blacksmith mentioned by Duncan Campbell.[6] [7]

The family history expert in the Hebrides is Bill Lawson (hebridespeople.com) – through personal correspondence he confirms there is no evidence of a link at least back as far as the ‘early 1700s’, reiterating common knowledge that the Smith name derives from a trade, so is not an historic clan name. The two Smith families – that of Peggy, Christine and possibly Donald John Smith on the one hand, and the line of Trump’s mother on the other, also come from different parts of the Lewis island – the first family from Barvas, the second, Trump’s line, from South Lochs, later Tong. Thus, a close family link is not accepted by family and local historians. Of course, a more distant link is possible through other ancestral lines of Trump’s mother, such as the Macleod and Macaulay clans, but of questionable consequence.

The second claim, which relates to Trump’s Bible, arose on 14 March 2019 through Faithwalk Ministries International and the connected seaministries.org [3], although there may be earlier sources. This is that the Bible used in Trump’s inauguration, that was given to Donald Trump by his mother, was first used in the Hebrides revival, and that she received it from one of the Smith sisters, who were her aunts. Not only does this blog repeat previous claims that were shown to be false in August 2018, but it adds another unsubstantiated claim, that can also be shown to be false. The Washington Post has previously given details of the inauguration Bible (18 January 2017), asserting that it was published in 1953 in New York – and this is confirmed via a friend’s correspondence with the Museum of the Bible. This is the Washington Post’s comments

“The president-elect’s second Bible selection references his Presbyterian upbringing in Jamaica, Queens, in New York City. His mother gave it to him on June 12, 1955, upon his graduation from Sunday Church Primary School at First Presbyterian Church on Children’s Day.

The Bible is a revised standard version published by Thomas Nelson and Sons in New York in 1953 and is embossed with his name on the lower portion of the front cover,” Barrack, the inauguration chairman, said in a statement. “The inside cover is signed by church officials and is inscribed with his name and the details of when it was presented.” [8]

So, in summary, an internet search shows a different picture, with authoritative evidence from 2017 and 2018 available: that regrettably Donald Trump, and his Bible, are not closely connected to the central characters of the Hebrides revival of 1948-1952. However, there have been a number of revivals in Hebrides in previous years, and clearly his mother was a devout Christian woman who was committed to raising her son in the Presbyterian Church.   
Andrew Sibley
References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyMghy2Zpqk
[2] https://ndpwy.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/donald-trumps-connection-to-the-hebrides-revival/
[3] https://seaministries.org/ronsreflections/364-PRESIDENT-TRUMPS-TRUE-HISTORY?sel=1-
[4] https://sapphirethroneministries.wordpress.com/tag/hebrides-revival-and-president-trump/
[5] https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Bright_and_Shining_Revival.html?id=K2VXBNWimBkC&redir_esc=y
[6] http://www.revival-library.org/index.php/pensketches-menu/historical-revivals/the-hebrides-revival
[7] https://ukwells.org/revivalists/outer-hebrides-revivals and https://ukwells.org/wells/shader-2
[8]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/01/18/the-symbolism-of-trumps-two-inaugural-bible-choices-from-lincoln-to-his-mother/

Liberals again - Steve Chalke challenges biblical inerrancy

I want to think that Steve Chalke is really a nice guy committed to building the Evangelical wing of the Christian Church, of which he is a pastor. But he seems determined to force through his own liberal agenda and challenge charitable opinions of him. But being charitable, I question whether he really knows where his theology comes from, and where it will lead if not challenged. His latest controversy can be read here.

http://www.christianitymagazine.co.uk/Browse%20By%20Category/features/Have%20we%20misread%20the%20Bible.aspx 

He questions bits of the Old Testament he doesn't like, not just in terms of meaning, but in terms of original content and seeks a conversation. Of course, many conservatives seek to get to the heart of the revealed message by reading it and understanding it in context and asking searching questions about the meaning of difficult texts. Of course we need to read Scripture accurately by digging deeper, but he takes it further and questions biblical inerrancy itself. So bits of the Bible he doesn't like or understand are not really seen as God's word, but may contain error in the original revelation. But he likes Jesus.

 

Steve's desire for an endless conversation in theology sounds remarkably like the theology of the liberal Protestant Friedrich Schleiermacher, who also liked Jesus, but not much of the Old Testament. Schleiermacher was a product of the Enlightenment with its Greek commitment to dialogue in opposition to the revealed text of the Hebrew Bible. Authority in then placed subjectively in man and not in God, and the progressive humanistic mindset turns away from the need for divine grace.

 

But where do you stop if you start chopping and changing through endless dialogue? Liberalism leads us towards muddle and incoherence, where even the concept of love may lose meaning, as was found with the rise of fascism in Germany. Schleiermacher was one influence in the rise of fascism because it undermined faith in God's word. By seeking to understand Scripture through a form of Greek dialogue concepts may change their meaning until objectivity is lost. Steve's approach is a recipe to undermine faith in God's revelation to mankind, and ultimately even to undermine a commitment to Jesus' command to love one another. Steve needs to think deeper about where his theology has come from and where it will lead. He needs to change track.

 

 

   

Example of Liberal Myopia - Ekklesia again

Liberals often take pride in being more sophisticated than conservatives, especially conservative Christians who are occasionally seen as fundamentalists. But liberals can suffer from a very narrow minded, dare I say black-and-white, view of the world. Ekklesia for instance, again jumping into bed with humanists, see a direct connection between creationism and fundamentalism - they write that; 'Creationism, which rejects evolutionary science on the basis of literalistic readings of religious texts skewed towards fundamentalist world views.' http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/20162 

Many of the guys and gals in that organisation have degrees, so why the failure to engage accurately with those they criticise? Surely they can do better than this.  

 

Comet Ison - was it a sign of the second coming ?

There was a lot of chatter on the internet about Comet Ison in relation to it being a sign of the second coming. The hope was that it would burn brightly over the earth in the run up to Christmas Day. But Ison burned up following its track around the Sun - a bit like putting a snow ball in the fire and expecting it to survive.

But interestingly, Ison underwent its own death and resurrection, as reported at www.spaceweather.com Its demise was announced prematurely on the web by scientists as it seemed to disappear near the Sun. But then it popped out the other side and was visible on SOHO LASCO C3 imagery. It then was seen to ascend, and finally disappeared into a cloud of its own making as it burnt up.

So was it a sign of Jesus and the second coming? You must decide for yourself. Of course the modernist mindset would sneer at this. But in the pre-modern period reading signs in the heavens was part of the work of those who studied the stars. For instance, the wise men from the East followed a star to Bethlehem to worship Jesus, the newly born king of the Jews. Reading nature semiotically may not suit those who wish to read nature in a simplistic literal sense, but we should note that it has a long and noble history.

Post Script 13/1/2014: It would seem Comet Ison completely disappeared. But in its place appeared Comet Love Joy - a sign of the Holy Spirit perhaps? You decide. See also:
http://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=23&month=11&year=2013

The Tyranny of Secular Humanism

Ted Cantle, writing in the Guardian Comment is Free blog, argues that education policy should move away from religious diversity.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/03/faith-schools-religious-discrimination-boundaries

Instead he believes all schools should move towards a secular ideal where humanism is given pre-eminence. He thinks that religious education leads to communal enmity and hatred in society. He writes that 'The Fair Admissions Campaign has a simple aim – that all state-funded schools in England and Wales should be open equally to all children, without regard to religion or belief.' It is of course a good ideal to seek harmony in the community, but does secular humanism, that does not regard the value of religion or belief, provide the answer? Furthermore, we ought to ask questions about the content of religious education. If we all followed Jesus' teaching to love our enemies, then wars would cease. It is offensive to suggest that such teaching necessarily leads to communal hatred.

The problem is that the secular humanist' dominance in education provision does not respect the faith of individual believers, but seeks to indoctrinate children away from their family or community beliefs. For instance consider the way evolution is forced upon the schools systems, where even the discussion of creation in the school science lessons is forbidden. This is really a form of tyranny against religious believers, and has echoes of the education policies in the former Soviet Union.
 

Cracking the Darwin Code - new book by Andrew Sibley

Cracking the Darwin Code is now published and available on Amazon. This book explores the non-scientific foundations of acceptance of deep-time and evolution.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cracking-Darwin-Code-Non-Scientific-Foundations/dp/0956214614/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375558407&sr=8-1&keywords=cracking+the+darwin+code

Anthony Latham has written an encouraging review - as follows; '...a very well researched book that gives considerable historical and philosophical detail in a short space. The influences of various religions and philosophies upon scientists over time are explained in a scholarly way. It is heavily referenced and provides a good foundation for anyone who wants to research this area.'
 

GM crops add little to yields

Geoffrey Lean writes that GM crops are not at the fore-front of increases in crop yields. Traditional methods involving cross pollination are far more successful.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/geneticmodification/10064255/The-inconvenient-truth-about-GM.html

Junk DNA, the sin of ENCODE and the sacredness of Darwin.

ICR have a useful article that highlights the response of some Darwinists to the ENCODE findings http://www.icr.org/article/7383/. It is interesting to see how protests against ENCODE use religious language. Apparently to do good science that challenges Darwinism is a 'sin', which shows that evolution is really a secular religion.

"ENCODE's biggest scientific sin was not being satisfied with its role as data provider; it assumed the small-science role of interpreter of the data." (Graur, D. et al. 2013. On the immortality of television sets: "function" in the human genome according to the evolution-free gospel of ENCODE. Genome Biology and Evolution).

More intolerance from the left - Polly Toynbee

Polly Toynbee adds her voice to those seeking to whip up hatred and a witch hunt against Christians through use of unnecessary polemical language. She speaks for instance of a 'nest of bigots' over the question of acceptance of gay marriage Toynbee - gay marriage debate uncovered nest of bigots. And typical of many humanists she also deliberately misrepresents Christian teaching as if wilful ignorance in theology is a good thing. She should seek to understand Paul's interpretation of Moses for instance before commenting on this matter, and seek to understand the Christian teaching of the dignity and status of human beings created in the image of God. But to deliberately misrepresent another person's position does not show tolerance, respect or understanding - for an educated person wilful ignorance is simply not good enough. Despite this attack Christians are in fact major givers to charitable causes in terms of both time and money in a non-judgemental manner. Toynbee's comments are deeply offensive.

 

While growing up and trying to understand political philosophy I came to the conclusion that the position of the liberal left is ultimately incoherent. For the liberal mind politics is driven by sentiment and subjectivity and therefore is intellectually weak. The mindset of the liberal left calls for tolerance for all, except of course for those Christians who hold to intellectual coherence and objectivity in matters of politics and ethics. The liberal mind calls for tolerance, then must speak and act with intolerance towards those who disagree with them. Critics of the liberal left must be silenced at all costs, and if that means persecuting Christians and dragging them before the courts on issues of conscience then so be it. For the liberal mind sentiment only goes so far (which is why they also care so little for the killing of aborted babies - but that is another story). 

 

Another voice frozen out of the public square

Another example of a voice frozen out of the public square for dissenting from the liberal agenda is that of David Bellamy who criticised global warming. His work for the BBC dried up in 2004 after calling global warming 'poppycock'. Whether he is right is not the issue here. The issue is whether there is room for dissenting voices in the modern world, or must they always be silenced? The BBC froze me out because I don't believe in global warming: Outspoken as ever, David Bellamy reveals why you don't see him on TV any more

 

The Daily Mail also comments on the success of David Attenborough who is very much an establishment figure. ... meanwhile, the man who's never OFF the telly says 'curb population or nature will do it for us': Wildlife legend Sir David warns that mankind is a 'plague on the Earth' Attenborugh urges the world to curb the global population growth because it is, he believes, unsustainable. Of course there is a limit to how many people the earth can hold, but as the same time we can recognise that God wishes to fill the earth with people, and that ultimately he will provide. But population growth slows as communities become wealthier. The way to decrease population growth is to respect others and share the world's resources around more fairly, together with good education for all where we recognise our collective responsibility to one another and to care for the world.

Louie Giglio forced out of Presidential inauguration

Louie Giglio has been forced out of the Presidential inauguration because of an old sermon that took a traditional position on gay rights Giglio outed. Giglio did not retract this.

The sermon had warned against gay rights because he saw it as "...a movement to seize by any means necessary the feeling and the mood of the day, to the point where the homosexual lifestyle becomes accepted as a norm in our society.” With some irony Wayne Besen, who is the founder of Truth Wins Out, responded to Giglio, saying that “It would be a shame to select a preacher with backward views on L.G.B.T. people at a moment when the nation is rapidly moving forward on our issues.”

Besen has rather proved Giglio's point, but is this really what liberal gay rights is all about, to force through one view and silence dissent through direct discrimination?           

 

Steve Chalke causes offence to evangelical Christians – the gay debate

   Steve Chalke has tacitly compared traditional evangelical Christian views on homosexuality to being akin to support for slavery in an article in Christianity Magazine. This I find offensive. There is also a useful response from Greg Downes . Of course Steve wishes people to be nice to him because of his own humanity, but he needs to be aware that those believers who disagree with him are genuine Christians who believe in loving others, and they/we need to be accorded the same respect he desires for himself. The reason for Steve’s article is that he wishes to preach an inclusive gospel that celebrates monogamous homosexual relationships. However, he misses the point I fear because the gospel is about inclusion ‘in Christ’ where Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, writes the Law on our hearts. This is the ongoing work of sanctification in the believer. Does Steve really understand the gospel I wonder? There is another form of slavery that comes from lack of knowledge; as Jesus said ‘Then you will known the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:32). But where Steve does have a point is that Christians do need to find ways of loving gay people even as they disagree about their lifestyle choice. This is respect.

Remembering the humanity of individuals in the debate over gay marriage

   Sadly, the debate over homosexuality and gay marriage is continuing to generate more heat than light. Stephen Fry for instance has suggested that those opposed are ‘screeching’ extremists, although he seeks to pacify the Church of England by suggesting there is no desire to force priests to marry gay couples. Regrettably, Fry is not a lawyer and there is no authority behind his statement, nor does he seem to understand how the law works and clerics may well find themselves taken to court in test cases on this very matter.
   In response to such concerns former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey compares the secularising agenda behind this to Nazism. ‘Remember the Jews in Nazi Germany,’ he asks, and argues that the Holacaust began with dehumanising name-calling. But that was just ‘…the first stage towards that totalitarian state.’ He believes then that we ‘…have to resist them.’ because we ‘…treasure democracy. We treasure our Christian inheritance and we want to debate this in a fair way.’ Martin Robbins though calls Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, a ‘disgrace’ for the crime of affirming the traditionalist position Gay marriage 'Nazis' and the disgrace of Lord Carey. Carey is I think right to put up an argument for a traditional understanding of marriage in line with the teaching of the Established Church, although a shame that we often cannot make our case without engaging in excessive rhetoric.
   It is also a shame that many are now vilified for holding to a view that was widely accepted and considered normal and mainstream just a few years ago. How times change so quickly. And there does seem to be wider agenda here to remove the Christian voice from the public square of discourse, and the gay movement appears to be merely a useful tool to attack and silence Christians and the Church. But in our desire to protect ourselves as Christians we must nor forget our primary calling is to be ministers of grace in a hurting world.
   And caught in the middle of this fierce debate are real people, often hurting and confused about who they are, with competing voices for their attention. In response to this concern Mark Meynell makes a compelling case that we need to remember the humanity of human beings, created in the image of God, behind the hurling of labels and insults I'm a Christian who won't label sexuality. Will Young has also expressed the concern that he feels an imputed sense of shame for himself, and is present in other gay people, that arises he believes because of the words of churchmen and women. Will Young is not alone- Inflicted shame still damages many gay people. There is indeed a misplaced sense of shame, but the human condition is more complex than to argue that it always arises from other people. True shame is a spiritually defined emotion that may arise in all of us because of our intrinsic God-given humanity, and its purpose is to call us upwards in love towards wholeness and the spiritual aspect of our existence and away from the lust and idolatry of the flesh. Shame calls us towards God, and to the hope of a better life. And this I think reflects something that is lacking in this debate. That is to acknowledge two central Christian themes; that of transformation and transcendence.   
   When faced with ministries that counsel those with a gay disposition there are often expressions of outrage on the basis that gay sentiment is a given at birth and further comment is inappropriate. The claim, often made without strong supporting evidence, is that it is nature and nurture, but as Meynell argues, we need to move beyond labelling people according to their sexuality. There is the claim for instance in Chalke’s article that homophobia is the cause of a lot of the mental struggles that gay people face, however my own experience of counselling those with homosexual inclinations is that there is a disjunction between the physical and mental, and often even a continued desire for the opposite sex that causes mental anguish over who they are. These issues are complex.
   Now of course Christians can sometime have an unloving attitude that says to gay people that they need to just ‘snap out of it.’ This was effectively the approach of the Pelagians who held that mankind could reach spiritual maturity through self-effort alone. This is of course not the gospel found in the New Testament and Augustine emphasised divine grace in response to a gospel of works, although Christians often seem to overlook such grace and fall into error. Both sides in this debate often deny the need for the grace of God. Those who are vulnerable and experience gay sentiment often go through a struggle that they do not seem able to win, perhaps because they seek to do it in their own strength and do not understand how to take hold of the grace of God, even though for Christians they may even pray very hard.
   The secret I would suggest is how to fight. A weak analogy is perhaps to consider the martial arts that teach people to use their opponent’s strength against them. I would suggest we need sometimes to just turn temptation aside and in humility let the love and grace of God wash over us as we refocus our minds upon who we are; that is as men and women created firstly in the image of God and to resist labels such as gay or straight.
   The Christian gospel, the good news, is concerned with ministering the reality of grace and divine love to people; a grace and love that is present in the world and comes down to us through the life and death of Jesus Christ, and worked out through the Holy Spirit. That is; it is a costly grace, but not one of ultimate loss and sadness, but one born in the hope of forgiveness, resurrection and transformation into the image of Christ. And it is the possibility of transformation that is the hope of the Christian believer. That God can take us from where we are and work in us a new life that rises up in worship towards God.
   The concept of new birth in Jesus has become a well-used cliché for Christians, but it is true nonetheless. As human beings we are created to be bearers of the divine image, a calling away from false lusts and idolatry of whatever colour. So transformation leads to transcendence. That is, that ultimately the purpose of each one of us is not to lust after, or idolise the flesh, but to worship God, to refocus our minds not on fleshly things that fail us and cannot satisfy, but on spiritual things that endure; as the Westminster Shorter Catechism states, ‘The chief purpose of man is to worship God and to enjoy his presence for ever.’ That is not to say that the flesh plays no part of the hope of resurrection, Christians are not Gnostics who believe that flesh is evil, but instead it is a flesh that is renewed and clothed ultimately with God’s glory as our physical being and mental life are brought into harmony.

And a Happy Christmas to you too Richard

Richard Dawkins offers his own Christmas message by way of an attack on the Roman Catholic Church. 'Being raised Catholic is worse than child abuse': Latest incendiary claim made by atheist professor Richard Dawkins A bit O.T.T. I would suggest, when the Law of Moses very clearly teaches against child abuse.

Dawkins looks like a man oppressed by his own thinking, he clearly needs setting free by the 'enlightenment' of God's grace. What he cannot see is that the mind needs to have a rational life that is not bound by the material world, but can transcend it through divine revelation. Of course we need to keep our feet on the ground so we don't get carried away with the fairies, but at the same time we need to lift our minds and souls out of the mud and mire of the life that binds our bodies down to earth. If you read this Richard, have a happy Christmas.

GM Crops - government wishes to push them through regardless of concerns

Owen Paterson, the Environment Secretary, wishes to push through GM crops and dismisses opponents as modern Luddites. Surely we can have a debate over this without vitriolic attacks on opponents. But this is perhaps the modus operandi of modern government.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9733589/Food-minister-Owen-Paterson-backs-GM-crops.html
 

Denying Jesus Christ in Schools and Child Abuse

There is a growing secular campaign to downgrade or remove mention of Jesus Christ in school assemblies according to government guidelines on daily acts of worship in schools. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9667435/Jesus-Christ-should-be-downplayed-in-school.html

Now, I have always felt a little uneasy about forcing non-Christian children to take part in acts of Christian worship against their will, this because true worship should be in spirit and truth. However, I absolutely believe that schools should teach children about Christian doctrines and the solid foundation that Christianity provides to a coherent and loving set of ethical standards. Instead the Government's proposals seem like a recipe for relativism and subjectivity in ethics, superficially attractive to the weak minded, but ultimately a path to chaos and tyranny where the sight of truth, and then love, is lost.

There are evidently some with guilty consciences who have personal reasons to wish to exclude Christ from the moral landscape; the evidence that there are paedophile rings actively exploiting children in some social welfare homes is deeply disturbing. It is of course wrong to falsely accuse people without evidence and due process of law, but it is clear that many libertines find the witness of Christ to be deeply troubling, although we should not forget that some atheists retain higher moral values than even some professing Christians. But equally, we should remember that God himself has promised to be a father to the orphans and widows, and those who abuse children will have their day in court; if not in this life then in the divine court. One may wonder however what hope the moral atheist can have in a sense of absolute justice? But God is not mocked, and those who have abused children will be called to account and their deeds exposed to the light.

Sadly though even many Christians want God to be so soft he wouldn't hurt a fly, but God reserves for himself the right to take vengeance and we should be rightly fearful of his anger. I hope God is angry when children are abused. Yes, Christ 'suffered' and enjoyed the children's exuberance, but he also took a whip and drove out the corrupt money changers from the temple courts demonstrating his sense of justice.

The atheists and secularists though have nothing to offer and their bankrupt and vacuous moral foundation only opens the door to the greater wickedness of the libertines. It is time for Christians to take a stand against such moral relativism so that we can retain respect for the dignity of humanity, especially the weak and powerless. The recent exposures will I believe force a moral awakening in our land.          

Fallujah and long term responsibility to human health in times of war

Recent research, in four separate reports, has looked at the possible causes of increased birth defects in children born in and around Fallujah in Iraq. This town received very heavy bombardment due to its resistance to the US army during the second Iraq war. Concerns have though been raised about the use and effect of modern munitions which use undepleted or even slightly enriched uranium, together with the effect of lead and mercury in other ordinances. See: Guardian Comment is Free 'The victims of Fallujah's health crisis are stifled by western silence' by Ross Caputi

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/25/fallujah-iraq-health-crisis-silence

I would point out that we can't sweep this under the carpet as some would like and pretend that everything the West does is morally correct. I would suggest that we do have a responsibility to ensure the long term health and well being of a community and environment even if, regrettably, wars are justifiable in the short-term. 

 

A Christian Conscience in the Public Square

Once upon a time it was illegal to be a practicing homosexual, but the law was changed to give freedom to those who did not wish to live according to a Christian moral code. But how times have changed, now it is becoming increasingly apparent that in many areas of public life it is illegal to be a practicing Christian with a keenly honed conscience. In our increasingly secular state the law protects the right of consumers in using services, but it does not protect those who wish to serve the public within the framework of a Christian ethos. There have been some important equality moves in the past, even many supported by Christians, but the law is now creating and extending equality legislation on the basis of sentiment and lifestyle choices, not on objectively established criteria of what it is to be human. In other words, the law is becoming detached from reality and is being used to persecute people on the basis of their deeply held faith.   

The latest case involves a gay couple taking another B&B to court http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19991266 Of course many Christians would turn a blind eye to what people do in private, but these cases pick-out the vulnerable Christians who are not sophisticated enough to play the modern games society expects. This is though, I would suggest, a hollow victory for the gay community because some (perhaps it is only a minority) seek to deny other people the freedoms they have won for themselves, and the law is moving towards the isolation of Christians from large areas of public life, areas such as adoption, counselling and marriage where the church has been central to the life of the community in the past. The Christian community has a strong sense of social concern and a deontological understanding of human rights and values, but the state is cutting it off from its vocation, this on the basis of sentiment, materialism and consumerism so as to establish, rather ironically, social equality.

Of course we need to be careful to recognise the humanity of gay people, many are genuinely hurting, but at the same time we need to remember the humanity and conscience of Christians in public life as well.