GOD Unplugged. (continued from page 2)

     (or how to get religion off of your back forever)

 click for full 300K version or translate

Most people are turned off by religion. I don’t blame them - it did me (and still does at times).  But is there any proof there is a supernatural world in addition to the natural world?  If so, should we all buy crystals or a Bible?  I quit being afraid of asking hard questions about religion and what I found out is below.  See the booklet The Spiritual Emergency Manual, which tells you exactly what the Bible promises to deliver on Health and Wealth; and why troubles come.

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Give me some evidence, buster

Is there evidence that God is real or do people just pretend He is?

 Here you uncover two types of people.  One type will say that expecting evidence cancels your ability to believe or have faith.  They would argue we have to accept God blindly.  They would point out the bible says, "without faith it is impossible to please God."  Jesus had no problem accommodating 'doubting' Thomas after his resurrection, though He did say that those who didn’t need evidence were to be happy and envied in not needing that proof.

 Another group will argue it is pure fantasy to believe in something without evidence.  For instance, if I had unwavering confidence (faith) that the earth was flat - would it be?  Of course not.  We’ve all seen pictures and talked to those who have seen a first hand account.

 The Bible itself says knowledge is admirable.  Proverbs says knowledge is better than gold and is something wise men obtain.Pv 9:10, 21:11  Hosea says that God’s people are destroyed without it.  Before this, I based my beliefs on what friends and culture thought rather than finding a grounded logic or reason to believe for myself.

GOD UNPLUGGED! CONTENTS

How it started

Think for Yourself

What’s in it 4 Me?

Isn’t Praying Medieval?

Give Me Evidence

Jesus: Liar or Lunatic?

What does the Bible REALLY say?

Can there be more than 1 religion?

 First I had to face if there was any evidence of God at all.  Logic is one thing, but there ought to be signs in history, archaeology, geology, astronomy and other sciences that don’t contradict what the Bible states.  By reading multiple sources from atheists and Christian scientists, I figured I could look at both arguments and decide which seemed more credible.  And I did:

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL.

The bible is an amazing book.  Written over 1,500 years by over 40 different authors at different times in history, it has amazingly survived attacks by its enemies like no other book.  From the days of the Roman emperors to present day communist countries, it has been the target of complete annihilation and continues to thrive in readership and reference.  (Amazing for a book that merely teaches submission to governing authorities, goodwill toward your fellow man and personal diligence).  Not only do all authors agree on the same subject, unlike any other great work, they are painfully frank about their shortcomings and failures.

•Using the same method as used with any ancient text from Homer to Caesar to Shakespeare, it’s historical evidence and reliability is better than any 10 pieces of ancient literature combined.  When the dead sea scrolls were found, parchments (written 1000 years prior to our earliest known copies) matched current copies in the meaning of every sentence!  Of course the original scrolls had long ago deteriorated and been copied.  Copying and cross checking the content was so strict, the words hadn’t changed!  Even works, like Shakespeare, written a few hundred years ago have copies that don’t match, so we aren’t sure which is the correct version.

•No archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference. Early this century, the National Academy of Sciences listed 100 discrepancies between the bible and science. Now there are debatabley a few.  •The ability of the Bible to predict the future is astounding.  The book of Isaiah predicted Christ's birthplace, His death place, the way He would die, how much money would be paid to betray Him, on and on and on.  Old Testament prophecies regarding; invasion by Alexander the Great, the fate of cities like Tyre, Sidon, Samaria, Palestine, the reuniting of the Jews and establishment of the state of Israel - the most hated minority in their region - and hundreds of other events were all foretold hundreds of years before any existence.

Resource: Evidence that Demands A Verdict,

Josh McDowell, Thomas Nelson publishers

Astronomy. 

A vast majority of scientists believe in God.  According to Gallup, as a vocation they run only second to pastors.  Albert Einstein claimed science actually “proved” the existence of God.  The Universe and its properties are so immaculately designed and balanced, there is no model that could account for it “by chance”.  Leading astronomers determined that there is indisputable evidence for the “big bang” theory - and by virtue - a Beginner of the bang.  Some scientists highly dispute this conclusion but offer no better proven theory that holds up under all branches of science.  This may not prove the God of the Bible, but considering a few years ago “Big Bang” was just one of 5 main theories, it’s interesting it’s been narrowed to the only one consistent with the Bible.  There's much, much more in:

Resource: The Creator and the Cosmos,
Hugh Ross Ph.D. 800-482-7836

Evolution.

Even agnostic evolutionists have begun to break ranks.  It takes more faith to believe in evolution than the Bible.  The NY Times best seller Origins, and others, give overwhelming examples.

• The major evidence used to “prove” man evolved from apes in the famous Scopes Monkey trial was a single tooth.  Years later the entire skeleton was found.  The tooth belonged to an extinct pig!  Over the years “the experts” have declared they’ve found the “missing link” in bits of bones and teeth from Java Man, Piltdown Man, Neanderthal Man and others.  But, the anthropologist who discovered Java Man later reversed himself and admitted it was some sort of gibbon.  Neanderthal man is today classified by all scholars as 100% human.  Piltdown Man turns out to be an elaborate ape jaw bone hoax doctored to look millions years older than the 50 years it turned out to be.
• Most recently, 40% of an ape-man skeleton (called “Lucy”) was discovered in 1972. Found: a knee bone “proving” apes began to walk upright.  Talk about faith!  That knee bone was found buried 200 feet under (away from) the partial skeleton!  The end of the bone -showing how and where it would fit - was crushed beyond recognition!  Besides the fact chimps walk upright too, other full human skeletons that did walk upright have been dated earlier than Lucy - She couldn’t have come later unless we develouted! If evolution was fact, we should have hundreds or thousands of "missing links" from each stage of evolution just like we have thousands of early human ones. There ain't any! Textbooks and museums still perpetuate this myth afraid to admit their are wrong.
• Evolutionists have another unexplained problem with life itself.  If life was ‘sparked’ by chance (making amino acids) it would have to be in methane and ammonia.  No life form can survive in methane and ammonia OR survive the destructive power of lightening that would have to hit it. Besides, how did the methane and ammonia come about?
• The odds of getting hit by lightening are 1 in 600,000.  The lottery? - 1 in 5 million.  The odds of randomly arranging (not creating) a very simple "system" with 200 integrated parts over a period of 30 billion years- is 5 x 10¹⁰⁴.  That’s the number 5 with 104 zeros (0) behind it.  Of course, a simple protein molecule would not have 200 integrated parts;  it would have a few more.  1 x 10⁴⁵⁰  (450 zeros) to be exact.  Mathematicians consider any event with a probability less than 1 x 10⁵⁰ to be impossible.  Yet evolutionists blindly cling to their theories.
• There are no life forms in the lower 2/3rd’s of the earth’s crust.  In the top 1/3, suddenly, in abundance, all kinds of advanced life forms appear.  Where are the evolving ancestors?  Every fossil (plant or animal) found in the oldest of rocks, compared to living ones, are essentially the same.  Even Darwin conceded he had no examples of one species evolving into another  - and there still is none on record.  Furthermore, when you try to cross a horse and donkey (mule), a zebra and horse (zebronkey) or other breeding mix, you always get a sterile animal that cannot reproduce.  This alone speaks volumes that evolution ain't easy.

The notion that every form of life (by coincidence) evolved from a molecule into highly complex birds, bees, trees and lawyers - takes more faith than a belief in God. But this shouldn’t surprise us. Science used to believe the world was flat.  20 years ago, scientists thought red meat was essential to human diet. In 1995, science said breast implants caused cancer and got a $4.5 Billion judgement in court - 2 mos. later they were proved wrong. There is far more tangible evidence for creation than evolution in all sciences.  But, if you can find just 1 clear proof of evolution, John Grebe, Dir. of Basic and Nuclear Research for Dow Chemical (& the inventor of Saran Wrap), will give you $1000.

Resources: Evolution: A Theory In Crisis,
Michael Denton, Ph.D.. 800-482-7836                        The Collapse of Evolution, Scott Huse, Baker Book Co.

Testimony.  Many different eyewitnesses recorded what happened in the New Testament.  Millions more have been proclaimed over the last 2,000 years.  Testimonies from every continent - of personal experiences with God - documented by continual changes in their life, personality and motivations.  People like Chuck Colson, a very aggressive, ambitious lawyer (called Nixon’s ‘hatchet man’), was convicted of felonies in the Watergate scandal.  After asking Jesus into his life in jail, (and despite offers from businessmen guaranteeing him millions of dollars) he started a charity - Prison Fellowship - to help prisoners.  Taking an annual salary of only $37,000 (donating all speaking fees and publishing profits over the past 17 years) he is considered by many to be the most significant moral leader today with the exception of Billy Graham.  What could possibly have this power?  There is no other religion or experience in the world where people miraculously changed -  not of merely their own effort - but a change from within.

Eliminating Jesus as a Liar or Lunatic.

Finally, we come to the point where we can eliminate Christianity as being in contention for being the religion.  It’s very simple.  1) We know Jesus really existed.  2) We know the bible is the most accurate of ancient historical documents. Some would like to say, “Yes Jesus lived, but he was only a great moral teacher."  But He didn’t leave that option.  When Jesus came, He told everyone He was God. (Mark 8:29, Mark 14:61-64, John 19:7).  If He wasn't God, we have only two options:

He knew He wasn’t God    or   He didn’t know He wasn’t God.

If He knew that He wasn’t God, He was a liar, a hypocrite and evil for promising eternal salvation, help during troubles, etc.  More than that, He was stupid for being tortured and killed for it.

If He really didn’t know he wasn’t God, he was a lunatic and should have moved to Waco, Texas with David Koresh.  Either way, by logic and His own words, you can only accept Him as God.

Pascal (the great mathematician) says that if this stuff is bogus (and you believe it anyway) you are only out a lifetime of trying to do good to others and praying to someone who isn’t there.  On the other hand, if this stuff really is the only way to heaven - and you don’t buy it - you go to hell.  That’s a pretty big downside.  If the bible is true, hell is every pain and agony there is - mentally, physically and spiritually, tormenting you for eternity.  Not some cartoonish sauna, being the slave of a mean guy with a pitchfork, but the real hell.  Thirsting for companionship, health, love and peace of mind forever without ever being satisfied.  So, for once I now understood the religious wacko's who wouldn't quit talking about religion.  They may not do it well, but they are mostly, sincerely concerned for us.  And, you would do just about anything, to wake those you love and make sure they didn’t meet with this fate.

What does the bible actually say?

The Quick Drift of the Bible:  (with apologies to Cliff’s Notes, Readers Digest and the Author Himself)

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