tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89657643139835120592024-03-09T19:46:51.034-07:00oddXianoddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.comBlogger1186125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-13701553186648961252024-02-28T09:53:00.003-07:002024-02-28T10:47:37.320-07:00God's consistency, good purpose, and Man's free will<p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">God's omnipotence, logical consistency, good purpose, and Man's free will</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">God is logically omnipotent. That is, He is all-powerful in a manner that is consistent with His inherent nature. God's inherent nature is orderly and logical. This nature is exemplified in the logical orderliness of Creation. If He were not, He would not be God and we'd only have illogical, capricious, and incoherent Chaos. This aspect of His nature is described as one of the fundamental laws of logic, the law of non-contradiction. In other words, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand." Matthew 12:25.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">With this in mind, and assuming the Biblical Trinitarian God, the Father has a loving, logical, and good purpose for Creation, expressed as a meta-narrative in the Bible: The Son shall be glorified as Lord, Judge, and Savior over a Creature (mankind) made fit for eternal communion with God.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">As stated previously, God's inherent nature is logical. He is also inherently loving, just, and gracious, because one without the other is logically incoherent. Justice without grace is loveless tyranny, loving grace without consequential justice is objectively meaningless.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">It is also logically incoherent for a sentient being with an eternal spirit to not have an unforced ability to make choices (i.e., free will). An eternal robot would not be a fit companion for eternal communion with a loving God, therefore Man's free will is a logical necessity.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">It is also a logical necessity that such a free will being, made in the image of God, would choose its own authority over God’s authority. Man’s nature, just like God’s, is inherently self-sufficient.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mankind’s inherent nature is to rebel against God, therefore all mankind is logically and necessarily doomed to the eternal and just consequences of that rebellion. Eternal spirits in eternal rebellion against an eternal God merits eternal consequences. God’s good purpose accounts for all of this.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">God graciously elects many from out of these consequences through the work of the Savior, while leaving many under the penalty of rebellion. This is consistent with His inherent just and gracious nature. Who He graciously elects out of the consequences is according to His sovereign will, according to criteria unknown to us (Deut 29:29).</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection satisfies the demands of God’s justice and provides for the Holy Spirit to graciously transform our rebellious hearts and minds into ones that willingly submit to His Lordship, while maintaining our ability to make unforced free choices. We now inherently understand that we are not self-sufficient and obey out of love and gratitude.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Our journey on earth acts as a refinement and alignment to Christ (sanctification), so that when we die, we willingly surrender our self-sufficiency while still maintaining our free-will (glorification), thus becoming fit for eternal communion with God.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I hope you find this consistent with Scripture, helpful in your journey, and strengthens your apologetics. Richest Blessings in Christ!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Subject to edit for clarity/refinement</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 6pt 6pt;"><span style="color: #878a8c; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></span></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-821041217087504342024-02-25T04:49:00.007-07:002024-02-25T04:51:57.555-07:00Problem of Evil (PoE) solution, objections, and responses concerning slavery, “natural evil”, and objective morality from a debate with an atheist. I hope this is helpful.<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">The Biblical Christian answer to the PoE is simple: “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28</span></p><p><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><span style="font-size: 23px;">(Atheist dialog denoted with”>”)</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Simply, what we perceive as evil is ultimately part of a good purpose.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The good purpose is that God (particularly Jesus Christ) is glorified and shares that glory with His people.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We know the reason. We know the objective. You may not agree with or accept it, but we have the answer to the PoE. For the Biblical Christian, it’s not a problem at all.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">**Objections and responses**</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>So, in the Christian worldview, there's objective good and objective evil. God is said to be all good, perfectly moral.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">**Objection and response 1**</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>I note that the Bible talks about how you can own slaves for life, and beat them.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>So that seems like a problem. Unless you're going to tell me that slavery is objectively moral within Christianity or something. But I don't think anyone wants to bite that bullet.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Plain reading of Scripture implies that being enslaved to a human to any degree (forced, indentured, or even voluntary) is not an ideal circumstance and should be avoided, but is a fact of human socio-economic existence.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">God never endorses the practice of slavery. He only addresses moral treatment of slaves and consequences of violating it. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>In fact, the consequences are so punitive, it actually seems to discourage taking slaves!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">In fact, God prohibited chattel slavery through kidnapping:</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Exodus 21:16</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">“Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">It is popular to contextualize slavery as a moral issue today, but there is no guarantee that society will not ever adopt it as an acceptable socio-economic practice again.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">In fact, simple observation reveals modern society is rife with voluntary debt-slavery today. That is, I’m enslaved to work until I die because of my great debt - short of gaining my freedom by winning a lottery! Even then, I am not free from governmentally imposed tax-slavery!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We are all enslaved to something to one degree or another. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">**Objection and response 2**</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>I also note, just looking around, that god doesn't stop evils caused by man, when he could easily do that. I've been told this is because of free will. Okay. Seems weird. I mean if we are supposed to value free will, and god is perfectly moral, and he doesn't interfere, then... Neither should we?</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>If god is perfectly moral, and he thinks the correct thing to do is to let the rapist rape, don't interfere because free will is incredibly important and should not be interfered with, then</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>Isn't that what people should do too? Don't interfere. Don't stop the rapist.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>But that doesn't seem great.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">But He does “interfere”. He’s given us the moral law to temporally restrain and punish evil. He also “interferes” with the promise that temporal evil, short of gracious intervention, has eternal consequences. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">That’s why I support the death penalty for unrepentant and recidivistic murder and rape, btw, because I trust that promise.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">**Objection and response 3**</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>Further, I note that there seem to be really, really, really bad things that happen that no person is the cause of. Like a landslide destroying a school, killing all the children and teachers inside, some very slowly and painfully.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>No person caused this, its god's plan. God intentionally set this up to happen.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>I duno, if a person were to set off some charges on the side of a mountain in order to cause a land slide, to intentionally destroy a school and kill everyone inside, I would imagine that if morality is objective, this should be called evil. Yes?</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">>But for some reason if god does it, that's not evil? Its the exact same action, being taken intentionally.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">“Natural evil”, just like any other perceived evil, is 100% under God’s sovereign control. You keep implicitly making a category error. If God *murdered* people, then He would be inconsistent. That is not the case, however. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">All humanity is under the curse of death as a component of judgement tied to original sin. We will all die. God is justified to apply the *death penalty* as He pleases irrespective of any circumstance, but each and every death is accounted for within His ultimately good purpose.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The Gospel offers hope to those that fear any evil:</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">“*All things* work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”</span></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-34175332580273306912024-02-18T03:29:00.008-07:002024-02-18T03:36:47.427-07:00 “The universe exists because it’s the only way it can exist”<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">This phrase, or variations of it, is starting to appear in debates with atheists.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">This is a very unscientific statement. It ignores probability and science for special pleading.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">No scientist looks at a functioning system and asserts “it works because it works”; that’s tautological.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">That is, we have a good understanding of the variables required to have a universe like ours and what level of precision it requires to function. Therefore, it is reasonable to examine the likelihood of those variables converging from unguided processes into the finely tuned system in which humanity (and human consciousness; another highly improbable event!) exists.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">A minor example is the probability of these words having appeared as a result of unguided processes. We know that likelihood is so close to 0 that there’s practically no difference, yet here they are! The only reasonable conclusion is that there is an intelligent cause for the coherent appearance, thus obviating all improbability.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">God, as the intelligent designer and prime cause, made the anthropic universe’s probability 1 vs a number so close to 0 that it is practically indistinguishable from it. “It works because God made it work” (I.e., <i>Creatio, ergo Creator</i>) is therefore the only reasonable and evidential conclusion.</span></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-43128167481048383512024-02-11T03:24:00.006-07:002024-02-11T03:32:07.323-07:00Dr. Sweater, Christian apologist extraordinaire!<div class="separator"></div><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: verdana; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1382" data-original-width="1125" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBrhgzFwINxGEpew4KExdVxZ8Gkl-u-_f3ZbFeK-BNOMAa8jYJBTJOQgPriXd27iXtR8NTBlrjdiNJFw0arW0bri_afkAAjrrSX_YA1uHML-81kwxytXN8-_8MrYjTgFJsRDn1MbwUC9HdpuB7KY87_tntYCMieAdkegyYj77dGFHRZogMKOQu6uwQxzS/w214-h263/IMG_6660.jpeg" width="214" /></span></span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A new defender of the faith has joined the social media debate!</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBrhgzFwINxGEpew4KExdVxZ8Gkl-u-_f3ZbFeK-BNOMAa8jYJBTJOQgPriXd27iXtR8NTBlrjdiNJFw0arW0bri_afkAAjrrSX_YA1uHML-81kwxytXN8-_8MrYjTgFJsRDn1MbwUC9HdpuB7KY87_tntYCMieAdkegyYj77dGFHRZogMKOQu6uwQxzS/s1382/IMG_6660.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Dr. Steven Mitchell, aka Dr. Sweater, is a Christian author, award-winning international physicist, and tech entrepreneur. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I highly recommend you <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@drstevenmitchell?_t=8jn5dKov1bO&_r=1">check him out on TikTok</a>!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br /></span></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-29928931824987162432024-02-09T03:00:00.004-07:002024-02-11T03:54:38.009-07:00Atheistic naturalists/materialists believe in miracles, even if they won’t admit it<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimayE1aALjIe8D1RxLfPBiqgvLmIuPcxYEi6UrxT8l4XLa1p7v12GYcKaJuv5fAqYSD8uZpEG7ALy7le00Hspnsyx3yTNcqo23KWnGpqpDIXMmrwD0GthZ-xbBojsvqYCs2wG_GKFiDZpv7QIsiJ6MikGFO8RsHE3FqkjcVA9gY37elR1UoXinqpqZ-pIX/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimayE1aALjIe8D1RxLfPBiqgvLmIuPcxYEi6UrxT8l4XLa1p7v12GYcKaJuv5fAqYSD8uZpEG7ALy7le00Hspnsyx3yTNcqo23KWnGpqpDIXMmrwD0GthZ-xbBojsvqYCs2wG_GKFiDZpv7QIsiJ6MikGFO8RsHE3FqkjcVA9gY37elR1UoXinqpqZ-pIX/w100-h103/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="100" /></a></div><br />Food for thought: The creation of the universe, abiogenesis, and the emergence of human consciousness are so staggeringly improbable and rare, they are logically and evidentially miraculous events.</div>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-49275263766477692342024-02-08T12:51:00.001-07:002024-02-08T12:51:08.891-07:00Apologetica - AI for apologetics!<p>If you have friends, family, etc with questions about the Christian faith, there is a new AI Bot that I think is a good resource. I talked with the developer and he seems to be well grounded and faithful.</p><p>Check this out on Poe: <br /><a href="https://poe.com/Apologetica">https://poe.com/Apologetica</a></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-12627498192256365342024-02-01T11:24:00.005-07:002024-02-11T03:33:44.226-07:00Evidence for God’s existence - great article<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWw-C8gNad-ap6ETWo2D1Olp8UMIU4QysJbBo7bILDd7Xjkeg2WpQ2cZUtwqb80oCeb6QcBPxPAnNLrDMaWjhCGg0szo3Pj45wZK6GZZUDcdrnXG1dj4LXJGkrk3XTiiK6bDr9uMuY9M1z87jOPaOLiP15DFinjfoXXvS5H0dMqaRGY8iCdtUqGwl2T8H/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWw-C8gNad-ap6ETWo2D1Olp8UMIU4QysJbBo7bILDd7Xjkeg2WpQ2cZUtwqb80oCeb6QcBPxPAnNLrDMaWjhCGg0szo3Pj45wZK6GZZUDcdrnXG1dj4LXJGkrk3XTiiK6bDr9uMuY9M1z87jOPaOLiP15DFinjfoXXvS5H0dMqaRGY8iCdtUqGwl2T8H/w94-h97/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="94" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> <a href="https://gradresources.org/evidence-for-gods-existence/">Link</a> - very well reasoned and convincing </span></p><p><br /></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-40070732843299907382024-01-12T06:36:00.029-07:002024-02-11T03:51:48.867-07:00One can logically and scientifically hold to the Biblical account of the Earth’s age<p></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Christians are commanded to take every thought captive, so I developed a rationale that harmonizes young and old earth perspectives. This is intended to demonstrate an additional viewpoint for those seeking to reconcile scientific evidence while staying faithful to God's Word.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">With the frame of reference and primary authoritative source of truth for reality as the Bible and modern science as a secondary source, I propose that there is <a class="_3t5uN8xUmg0TOwRCOGQEcU" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empirical_evidence" rel="noopener nofollow ugc" style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">empirical</a> and scientific evidence supporting that the earth is both young and old, depending on the observer’s frame of reference.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FS6bHCLHgatmPzieilrsprGeSxYcHpi5mfzUVxWIRD03g4axwrvaQJe4gAuDjz0BHkM7dOWCip_yvS_R7peUArZ9MFCiv_T8jmmIFqn_UggSCn-MPusu-dicvxzUSiBxHle2qEY1vnzibIK2j0TLz9QaDdye7vz0-gRhFhjcFPr2oiJZmca7S3wP9gJ-/s2800/Creation-Account-Graphic.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1578" data-original-width="2800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FS6bHCLHgatmPzieilrsprGeSxYcHpi5mfzUVxWIRD03g4axwrvaQJe4gAuDjz0BHkM7dOWCip_yvS_R7peUArZ9MFCiv_T8jmmIFqn_UggSCn-MPusu-dicvxzUSiBxHle2qEY1vnzibIK2j0TLz9QaDdye7vz0-gRhFhjcFPr2oiJZmca7S3wP9gJ-/s320/Creation-Account-Graphic.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I do not assume <a class="_3t5uN8xUmg0TOwRCOGQEcU" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniformitarianism#:~:text=Modern%20geologists%20do%20not%20apply,deep%20lock%20of%20the%20past" rel="noopener nofollow ugc" style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">the present is the best interpretive framework for distant past events.<br /></a></span><p></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Personal experience has given me confidence in the trustworthiness of the Bible and that God is <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">logically omnipotent</em> and not bound by natural laws (supernatural).</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Biblical historical record evidence is that the earth is young, according to the frame of reference of the observer.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Modern science has provided evidence that <a class="_3t5uN8xUmg0TOwRCOGQEcU" href="https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/einstein/time/a-matter-of-time#:~:text=In%20the%20Special%20Theory%20of,on%20your%20frame%20of%20reference" rel="noopener nofollow ugc" style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">time is relative to the frame of reference of the observer.</a></span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Modern scientific observations of the geological record indicates a geological chronological age of approximately 4.5 billion years old.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Modern scientific discoveries also support a young earth (e.g., DNA in fossilized dinosaur bones, polystrate fossils, etc.)</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Conclusion: The historical observer experienced time at a different frame of reference during the Flood while the geological components of the earth were supernaturally chronologically accelerated, thus the earth can be logically understood to be both “young” in the Biblical frame of reference and “old” in the scientific frame of reference.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Thought exercise:</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The geologic earth aged as naturalism predicts, it just processed at an accelerated time frame.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some indestructible and immortal person standing underwater on the ground would observe time moving at a normal pace, therefore all the measurement systems modern science uses would be accurate.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">On the other hand if someone on the surface of the water were able to look down to the ground below, they would see an incredible site of rapid geological change, because the inorganic components of the earth were being vastly and supernaturally accelerated - basically like hitting ultra fast forward on a video.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Organic material was not exposed to this process so it would not have degraded at the same rate. Thus, Dino-DNA in geologically old strata.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Naturalists, of course will reject this scenario, as they axiomatically reject the supernatural. There will therefore be no use case or evidence one could <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ever, ever, ever</em> produce that they couldn’t rationalize away. Since they have no way of observing the past or duplicating the timeframe in a physical lab, they make up “just so” stories to fit their worldview based on their presuppositions.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In fact, the simulations that have been done using naturalistic assumptions basically illustrate my scenario. They don’t run the sim for 4.5 billion years, they artificially accelerate the time frame, just like God did with His divine Program. The frame of reference of the simulation observer is analogous to the Biblical observer’s.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This reconciliation allows the Biblical Christian to integrate modern scientific observations into our worldview without adopting materialistic naturalism’s presuppositions, which are essentially atheistic.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I think of myself as neither a Young Earth Creationist or an Old Earth Creationist, but rather a Biblical Science Creationist.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><p></p></h2>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-78368610011377748312024-01-07T17:22:00.034-07:002024-01-20T07:57:28.905-07:00 Traditional Creationism Apologetic<p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7LlqxyfoZJealvJ0p0j5-8CuSd7TLA-MtAT3CtUz3QH7RZFb-lWe17KG7VZzMC5WkrPQjlEgyb9AQlE0xPUNyqoN9-YWUwvgCJpjUYiOxAREsm57sN1IPxc386yqK4hweudiCloBpmViMdWii2zWzQIQQTSMT0sycGivZPsdSNFWRXj1ohPthR6Josl9/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7LlqxyfoZJealvJ0p0j5-8CuSd7TLA-MtAT3CtUz3QH7RZFb-lWe17KG7VZzMC5WkrPQjlEgyb9AQlE0xPUNyqoN9-YWUwvgCJpjUYiOxAREsm57sN1IPxc386yqK4hweudiCloBpmViMdWii2zWzQIQQTSMT0sycGivZPsdSNFWRXj1ohPthR6Josl9/w173-h178/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>Modern Biblical Christians are forced by popular culture to face this question:</span></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Could God have created the universe using the natural (I.e., time, space, energy, and matter) processes He developed in a way that meets modern scientific observations and still aligns to the literal 6 day Biblical narrative?</i></b></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Biblical Christians believe that God is, by inherent nature, logical but also not bound by natural human perspectives and wisdom.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 Corinthians 3:19a</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>For the wisdom of this world is folly with God</i></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Therefore, Biblical Christians have a responsibility to be skeptical of any scientific framework that implicitly or explicitly denies the Biblical Creator-God. Thus, we subjugate all scientific observations to the greater standard of Biblical Science. The branch of Biblical Science that deals with the observation and explanation of natural components is characterized here as Biblical Creation Science (BCS). </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">BCS is essentially Natural Science with the foundational axiomatic assumption that all nature originates from an Intelligence best revealed in the Bible. BCS is contrasted with the currently reigning worldview of Atheistic Natural Science (ANS, <i>my shorthand label</i>), whose foundational axiomatic assumption is that creation is the product of non-intelligent random chance and the interaction of fundamental natural components (time, space, energy, and matter).</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">BCS assumes God is the transcendent Master Developer and that the Creation program deployment occurred in six 24 hour stages:</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Day 1 - the introduction of natural components:</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">- The heavens (space) and the motionless watery earth (matter)</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">- A supernatural source of illumination (light) and starting the earth’s spin (time and energy)</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Day 2: Earth’s atmosphere (ocean and sky)</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Day 3: dry land, other water formations, and initial organic life (plants)</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Day 4: the Earth-observable universe</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Day 5: water and air based organic life</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Day 6: land based organic life and the special creation of Man</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSoQUs1sXSyDDriM2Z9DCgzR2SIvXtPLAyjn4OTbwJqC15YfMK3T28G1VM0GmkE2s5_0v5MasRbAf1QJKfcJ6zAK3IRJlMYMOZaElZN94RlPACCATo02Ttrq77cYCn1zKFChujhry-l5Xk5Gja_dGiMAd7py4YyGcoHHEqCtyN7RLMon5HqHOCNusupDK/s2800/Creation-Account-Graphic.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1578" data-original-width="2800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSoQUs1sXSyDDriM2Z9DCgzR2SIvXtPLAyjn4OTbwJqC15YfMK3T28G1VM0GmkE2s5_0v5MasRbAf1QJKfcJ6zAK3IRJlMYMOZaElZN94RlPACCATo02Ttrq77cYCn1zKFChujhry-l5Xk5Gja_dGiMAd7py4YyGcoHHEqCtyN7RLMon5HqHOCNusupDK/s320/Creation-Account-Graphic.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Click image for larger graphic</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Both BCS and ANS axiomatically assumes that, after the special creation event, natural laws generally progress in a uniform, steady and predictable manner. However BCS, unlike ANS, does not obviate miraculous events, such as the Great Flood and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Unlike ANS, BCS does not assume the present is the most trustworthy way of interpreting the past. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">An example of this is the assumptions of ANS cosmological, geological, and biological evolutionary theories which posit the necessity of homogenous uniformity of natural forces, particularly the requirement of the unchanging flow of vast quantities of time.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">BCS assumes the natural component of time is malleable to God and the implicit/explicit assumption of homogenous steady-state time flow in all places and all times by predominant ANS evolutionary theories is false.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Bible clearly states that human observations of God’s utilization of time are not perceptually equivalent (See Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8). And in Joshua 10 we are even given an example of God manipulating and slowing local time to accomplish His purpose while time progressed naturally external to the local area. The sun didn’t actually stand still, it was perceived that way by the local audience.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Creation account is undeniably recorded from an “Earth local” perspective, so the unfolding of the observable universe would have looked like a 24 hour “fast forward” of the creation events outside that viewpoint. All natural components would have progressed in a way that meets current scientific observations, except the natural component of time was accelerated. Something very similar took place under the water cover of the Flood event to break up the monolithic land mass (I.e., Pangea) of Day 3.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This interpretive framework rebuts any argument that “the Universe is old or God is a deceiver” in favor of God being in full control of the natural forces He created as a part of His program.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">God expects that Biblical Christians subordinate human wisdom to His Word. Therefore, we should subject all scientific observations and conclusions to this standard. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In other words, when ANS frameworks contradict BCS, faithful Christians should develop explanations that align with the Bible first, man’s wisdom second. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The universe is both old and young. It’s age is relative to the frame of reference of the observer.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Otherwise we are guilty of presuppositional capitulation.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">God’s observations fundamentally shape reality. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Man’s does not.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you’ve found this to be compelling or helpful, please share!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.oddxian.com/2024/01/one-can-logically-and-scientifically.html">Sister article here</a></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-14400732695643398352024-01-07T10:10:00.018-07:002024-01-24T06:13:44.749-07:00My general external posting disclaimer<p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jdXlkjSnEr-BZNlnzPDP8W7vwB90R1Pq6gBidoQ3rlZm8Y7DNPMyxm1DtnsZljAKxwjvPSfbpXX7TgiaZM_1Pa2v7TlhWsA58awHV8e9sEb7fNLf2sEo4uGByrXYJwjn6n9-_NYcKOf-P6ou8tcwM2jytYc1Syv9UEqmMlys4OUblyiy-HVTdnfvD1ir/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jdXlkjSnEr-BZNlnzPDP8W7vwB90R1Pq6gBidoQ3rlZm8Y7DNPMyxm1DtnsZljAKxwjvPSfbpXX7TgiaZM_1Pa2v7TlhWsA58awHV8e9sEb7fNLf2sEo4uGByrXYJwjn6n9-_NYcKOf-P6ou8tcwM2jytYc1Syv9UEqmMlys4OUblyiy-HVTdnfvD1ir/w118-h121/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I’ve been debating atheists and other worldviews online for about 20 years, on and off. It has proven a very effective method to refine my thinking. However, I have found it useful to set some ground rules:</span></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><ol class="ol1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My apologies, in advance if I don’t get to your particular comment; the replies are occasionally voluminous, so I am forced to “cherry pick”. I post these topics to defend and bolster faith with reason, engender lively debate, and for worldview comparison. I’m not here to convert you. That’s not my responsibility. My worldview is based on classical Reformed Theology, so please keep that in mind.</span></span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I sometimes toss out some non-fully formed thoughts out into the marketplace of ideas to get an idea of objections or perspectives I may not have considered as I mature my thoughts and apologetics. IOW: I don’t mind someone pointing out if I am illogical, but…</span></span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I tend to disregard ad hominem responses. Starting off with “you’re stupid” or “you’re a liar” won’t get me engaged. In fact, you’ll likely get ignored and not get to substantiate any good reasoning that follows with my participation. Echo chamber debates are not very productive.</span></span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">To deal with topics that engender a voluminous response, I look at comments that get either the most "up votes" or supporting comments, then work to respond to that commentor.</span></span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sadly, replying to comments has to fall sometimes to my greater priorities. My lack of response is likely me focusing on other things I deem higher priority and definitely not a tacit capitulation. I deny any claims of that, in advance. If you are respectful and reasonable, I will try my hardest to respond. If you’re a jerk, you become lowest priority and should refer to ground rule #1.</span></span></li></ol>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-15444903281677765132024-01-03T11:44:00.010-07:002024-01-20T07:55:10.131-07:00 God’s good purpose, the Problem of Evil, and the Epicurean Paradox<div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7LlqxyfoZJealvJ0p0j5-8CuSd7TLA-MtAT3CtUz3QH7RZFb-lWe17KG7VZzMC5WkrPQjlEgyb9AQlE0xPUNyqoN9-YWUwvgCJpjUYiOxAREsm57sN1IPxc386yqK4hweudiCloBpmViMdWii2zWzQIQQTSMT0sycGivZPsdSNFWRXj1ohPthR6Josl9/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7LlqxyfoZJealvJ0p0j5-8CuSd7TLA-MtAT3CtUz3QH7RZFb-lWe17KG7VZzMC5WkrPQjlEgyb9AQlE0xPUNyqoN9-YWUwvgCJpjUYiOxAREsm57sN1IPxc386yqK4hweudiCloBpmViMdWii2zWzQIQQTSMT0sycGivZPsdSNFWRXj1ohPthR6Josl9/w152-h156/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="152" /></a></div><br />First off, without an ultimately good God as an objective moral and teleological absolute, meaning and morality are subjective, so the foundational proposition of the Epicurean Paradox, “evil exists”, is objectively illogical.</span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span><span class="s2">However if God necessarily exists and is objectively and ultimately good, then evil must serve some objectively necessarily and ultimately good purpose. That is, evil is logically necessary for God’s good purpose. To wit: </span></span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span class="s2">P1: All that exists serves God’s good purpose </span><br /><span class="s2">P2: Evil exists</span><br /><span class="s2">C1: Evil serves God’s good purpose </span></span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span class="s2">Which, in turn, logically and necessarily begs the question, what is God’s good purpose?</span></span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span class="s2">The Biblical Christian worldview supplies the framework for the most logical, intelligible, and cohesive understanding of God’s good purpose, the role of humans within it and the logical necessity of evil: </span></span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span class="s2">A good and loving Creator-Father purposed to glorify His Son as the Judge and Savior of a Creature (Mankind) to whom He has imparted an eternal spirit, moral awareness, and individual sentience. God purposed Mankind as the object of divine Law, Justice, Mercy, and Grace.</span><br /><span class="s2">Mankind, as a morally aware and sentient being, committed evil by breaking God’s Law and initiated the process of God’s good purpose.</span></span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span class="s2">Those that are given ultimate Mercy and Grace will be glorified through Christ and enter into eternal communion with God and those that do not will receive the consequences of eternity separated from God’s Grace and Mercy, eternal Judgement. </span></span></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span class="s2">God revealed and curated the truth of His good purpose over time by the Holy Spirit via the Bible; the Biblical Christian’s primary material (vs immaterial) authoritative source of truth.</span><br /><br /></span></div><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-20619146717421846912023-12-20T05:10:00.042-07:002024-01-20T08:07:49.259-07:00A brief rationale for believing traditional Christian Creationism<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAylB5GqyGK2aGWnXoXI0RD39vVjJ4kCwW_kaHpnKvH66aGbOWOGH4zrEJb6_IUajLRlEPYpzhEmIziAgGKRAgwEdZ_gdEaeMLeNWA_1M0tazpe8TRQPzBofTF4Ml_nN-7f4t7ZnRNfPO0US3DJnZzQDA6ssT_alq-fldSWynUftsMBAxWY3WxjGMW1Rcv/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAylB5GqyGK2aGWnXoXI0RD39vVjJ4kCwW_kaHpnKvH66aGbOWOGH4zrEJb6_IUajLRlEPYpzhEmIziAgGKRAgwEdZ_gdEaeMLeNWA_1M0tazpe8TRQPzBofTF4Ml_nN-7f4t7ZnRNfPO0US3DJnZzQDA6ssT_alq-fldSWynUftsMBAxWY3WxjGMW1Rcv/w160-h164/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="160" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />1. Scientific Naturalism (SN), which is the prevailing modern scientific and mainstream worldview, by definition cannot account for the supernatural (i.e., immaterial and transcendent from nature) and its explanatory power is limited to natural and implicitly non-intelligent sources.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2. The natural universe is clearly governed by intelligible complex code - code that implies an Intelligent Developer (I.e., God) above/outside of nature (I.e., supernatural)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3. God can manipulate and accelerate His code in ways that would not match an internal observer’s natural perceptions/measurements (e.g., adult humans fully formed, 6 day creation, water into aged wine, etc.).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4. SN cannot naturally and scientifically account for the origin of the code (inherent order), origin of the universe (ultimate causality), origin of the mind (consciousness and purposefulness from chaos), or the origin of life (abiogenesis) and rely on their faith in “Scientific Naturalism of the Gaps” (SNG) which presupposes sufficient progressive knowledge about time, matter, energy, space, and happenstance = everything.</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Nothing + Happenstance -> Everything</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Matter and energy + Happenstance -> Life</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Chaos + Happenstance -> Order</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Chemical reactions + Happenstance -> Consciousness</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Inorganic goo + Happenstance -> Humans</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">5. Given the limitations of SN and the evidence above, it is reasonable to presuppose a supernatural Intelligent Developer (I.e., God) that has complete control over Creation’s program source code and is not beholden to its rule sets. He has revealed His Creation timeline in Scripture and any attempts to reconcile it to SN is presuppositional capitulation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">6. The Biblical Christian God supplies the framework for the most intelligible and cohesive understanding of God, creation, and the place of humans within it. I.e., A loving Creator-Father purposed to glorify His Son as the Savior and Judge of a creature to whom He has imparted an eternal spirit and individual sentience and made the object of divine Justice and Mercy. Those that are saved by Grace will be glorified through Christ in eternal communion and those that are condemned will receive the consequences of eternity separated from God’s Mercy. He revealed and curated this truth over time by the Holy Spirit via the Bible; the Biblical Christian’s primary material authoritative source of truth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Exodus 20:11<br /></b></i></span><i style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.</i></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Colossians 1:16</b></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.</i></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Hebrews 2:10</b></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.</i></span></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Romans 9:22-23</b></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"><i><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory</i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b>John 16:13</b></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></i></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.</i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b>John 17:17</b></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.</i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><b>John 10:35b</b></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">…and Scripture cannot be broken</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-53911214741513527682023-12-05T08:28:00.007-07:002023-12-06T04:34:38.285-07:00The Problem of Evil<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Why would an all-good and all-powerful God allow the existence of evil?</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Biblical Christian answer to the PoE is simple: “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” Rom 8:28</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Simply, what we perceive as evil is ultimately part of a good purpose.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The good purpose is that God (particularly Jesus Christ) is glorified and shares that glory with His people.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We know the reason. We know the objective. You may not agree with or accept it, but we have the answer to the PoE. For the Biblical Christian, it’s not a problem at all.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The foundation for my rationality is rock solid based on my authoritative source of truth. The atheist has much more of a “problem” in that they have no objective moral standard from which to judge what is “evil” or “good”. The torture of a 3 year old holds as much moral and rational weight as buying them an ice cream. It is a precarious basis for morality - rationally more akin to psychopathy than altruism.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank God that the foundations of modern social morality is built upon a Judeo-Christian framework and not atheistic rationalism.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUDPtXK-chZLw34b8CX2Ir6HM5C2ULg_sn3gYD_Z7EIFNmMGwDX7jXNMZntYiM-GD3eiTycbTYkwp1orWqntnrdegmy6-PKZSMtW43M51Q2TvE7CZdBq8IA2pRas1tPjdynNXHOG4rOGDoRH2K1sWCEFB7pjilKeqFDtDjNvqDD7I1jXrubwwr0-A9iV9/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUDPtXK-chZLw34b8CX2Ir6HM5C2ULg_sn3gYD_Z7EIFNmMGwDX7jXNMZntYiM-GD3eiTycbTYkwp1orWqntnrdegmy6-PKZSMtW43M51Q2TvE7CZdBq8IA2pRas1tPjdynNXHOG4rOGDoRH2K1sWCEFB7pjilKeqFDtDjNvqDD7I1jXrubwwr0-A9iV9/s320/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="312" /></a></span></div><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-76863162131920020222023-10-11T03:22:00.008-07:002023-10-11T03:23:46.628-07:00There are no children in hell<blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntjL4NTwbVkQDNXKv2Ghkznbh-E0NpnLiGN7WutQcSS4xBxs4nOIRfpP5_Pl3TN-W6nAY1o8KqaQLbOEwSlXWM3OtUKuf8dwzwlf1gSKdjpVtjI2oJpGEe1hC8JcolEY3Legufp8sYhFzMonE5PJd6hsdKx-opYHycUF30iiYGxPg8AVIoe_iJkNYao6z/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntjL4NTwbVkQDNXKv2Ghkznbh-E0NpnLiGN7WutQcSS4xBxs4nOIRfpP5_Pl3TN-W6nAY1o8KqaQLbOEwSlXWM3OtUKuf8dwzwlf1gSKdjpVtjI2oJpGEe1hC8JcolEY3Legufp8sYhFzMonE5PJd6hsdKx-opYHycUF30iiYGxPg8AVIoe_iJkNYao6z/w81-h84/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="81" /></a></div><p></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">Deuteronomy 1:39</p><p>And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.</p><p>Matthew 19:14</p><p>but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”</p><p>Matthew 18:2-4</p><p>And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”</p><p>Jesus, who exemplifies the character of God, loves little children, in and out of the womb.</p><p>It is good and necessary consequence that little children who die in their infancy are Elect.</p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-86386720086541664422023-10-08T09:32:00.005-07:002023-10-08T10:51:41.314-07:00What if the state of Israel fell and Christ did not return?<p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 38px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">Practically, nothing in terms of God’s plan. The physical kingdom of Israel fell long ago and was supplanted by the spiritual kingdom of Israel we call the church of Christ. This kingdom has the law of God written on their hearts by the constant indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who previously only acted internally as He would in certain individuals in certain circumstances.</span><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">This kingdom does not have physical boundaries and holy places. We are the temple that God inhabits and we carry the kingdom of Heaven with us wherever we go.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">This kingdom has an eternal king that set aside His glory for a time, joined us here in the material plane, and revealed the character of God as loving, forgiving, and sacrificial for His children.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Do not lose hope if the state of Israel falls and Christ does not return. He will come when and as the Father intended. His is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen.</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">John 18:36</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpoXTD4U_yCys-k_LE84pEurwfW0XwrUAsu8Q1WSz7E8dNaykueFMuXVgNytqrjk5kmgLLMttNKhC9M-KksTczfxaMfCc9FUY4sLOnGErFszMmM-pxjlb_d_quXAU6yVQJ-B6iIXUeUb7/s936/IMG_5671.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="936" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpoXTD4U_yCys-k_LE84pEurwfW0XwrUAsu8Q1WSz7E8dNaykueFMuXVgNytqrjk5kmgLLMttNKhC9M-KksTczfxaMfCc9FUY4sLOnGErFszMmM-pxjlb_d_quXAU6yVQJ-B6iIXUeUb7/s320/IMG_5671.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><br /></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-45648587908925055112023-10-08T09:19:00.002-07:002023-10-08T09:22:30.293-07:00Biblical inerrancy and infallibility with textual variances<p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 38px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">In the modern era, much ado has been made in the field of Biblical criticism concerning textual variances in the many historical copies we have that comprise our current set of Bible translations. Without a proper understanding and context, it can cause doubt about the fidelity of God’s Word in otherwise staunch Christians and cause weaker believers to stray from the faith.</span><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">First - No informed person denies that there are minor variations in the manuscript texts. That being said, none of these variations have any impact on historic and traditional core Biblical doctrines. The cohesive narrative of Scripture remains over and above the translations and refinements over the centuries.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Second - we do not have the original documents, but Biblical Christians believe that they were originally textually inerrant. There is no surprise minor variations happened over time. We accept some variation now, <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in the sense that the documents in their original languages are translated into the vernacular. That being said, working to refine the text so that it is as close to the original is a good work, if not critical to preserve God’s message to us.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Third - The reason we believe that the Scriptures are inerrant is because the Holy Spirit is the originator and curator of God’s written Word.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Finally and most importantly, Jesus said, “Scripture cannot be broken” - John 10:35. Our faith in God’s Word is sealed in the testimony of Christ. Don’t let false prophets lead you from the truth. “Test everything, keep what is good” - 1 Thess 5:21.</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8aze0Wgu1fyxTHYzQVxOAGISjI_SaqXJXu5hn_rHjhNvgw1UqqC41DblK5TuqIgUuddWHCxg3tDEf3g2sdToIxPtMIl8Z2L-uMOpxExo-71F17QPJQqMuuT6w4eCbEm-PPYSZxwMc9j4/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8aze0Wgu1fyxTHYzQVxOAGISjI_SaqXJXu5hn_rHjhNvgw1UqqC41DblK5TuqIgUuddWHCxg3tDEf3g2sdToIxPtMIl8Z2L-uMOpxExo-71F17QPJQqMuuT6w4eCbEm-PPYSZxwMc9j4/s320/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><br /><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br /></span><p></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-71571774493598796332023-10-05T04:39:00.012-07:002024-01-20T07:49:19.516-07:00On Scripture Alone (sola scriptura):<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0UJvHJRCB4n-VtP1PlVL2VmzKijKm0xpw4MY7Qpnu46VAQR-dC22kZ2oB16aERNRF5oUy_zhUZMTUGuji6q_qPRmWBq263hIR-O9JbwtODlrMEXIVW87hHz_b1a7C_4NQUgyJt9pYGcpOFL3L5lt_ePRa-as-D7FXoj1HlVgt31xj22Hkz2TvYpAIoBO/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0UJvHJRCB4n-VtP1PlVL2VmzKijKm0xpw4MY7Qpnu46VAQR-dC22kZ2oB16aERNRF5oUy_zhUZMTUGuji6q_qPRmWBq263hIR-O9JbwtODlrMEXIVW87hHz_b1a7C_4NQUgyJt9pYGcpOFL3L5lt_ePRa-as-D7FXoj1HlVgt31xj22Hkz2TvYpAIoBO/w165-h169/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="165" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Bible is true, trustworthy, authoritative, and infallible in all matters of the Christian faith because it is totally inspired, stewarded, and externally verified by the Spirit of truth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><i>John 17:17</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><i>John 16:13-14</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><i>2 Timothy 3:16-17</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Hebrews 4:12</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><i>2 Peter 1:21</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Cherry picking what is inspired and not inspired concerning the living Word is not a mark of the indwelling Spirit.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Biblical Christians trust that the Spirit has delivered God’s infallible Word through time and flawed vessels. If you don’t, you should take a step back with a cold hard look at yourself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Philippians 2:12</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>“When there’s something in the Word of God that I don’t like, the problem is not with the Word of God, it’s with me.”</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">— R.C. Sproul</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-21433146492021985132023-09-26T03:32:00.006-07:002024-01-20T07:46:29.720-07:00Scripture is our highest earthly authority <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eODpY1IT1rQ7fnTolLXThgrCc3ii-jnuXnbc_jOAQJZ10IWGDM4ZwpjDcFmRdieS__wm5Ic-YwFA8ju-lPbR4HgEyo4zGpxwfl0FGgGN8nTyA8ne7oFVbooR0J08q3q6VhPHUEwELMqnvUIs4if3NZtOsOmHWGsoR88xvaONjrx6qJ4dnt_ZxqCP2n2J/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eODpY1IT1rQ7fnTolLXThgrCc3ii-jnuXnbc_jOAQJZ10IWGDM4ZwpjDcFmRdieS__wm5Ic-YwFA8ju-lPbR4HgEyo4zGpxwfl0FGgGN8nTyA8ne7oFVbooR0J08q3q6VhPHUEwELMqnvUIs4if3NZtOsOmHWGsoR88xvaONjrx6qJ4dnt_ZxqCP2n2J/w228-h234/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="228" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> “…Scripture cannot be broken…”</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">By definition, God is the highest authority possible (Heb. 6:13), so what He says is the final arbiter of truth. And if the only place we have His words is Scripture, then Scripture is the highest court of authority to which we can appeal. Nothing else is on the same level, for only Scripture is “God-breathed”, or theopneustos (2 Tim. 3:16–17).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">From <a href="https://store.ligonier.org/the-heart-of-the-reformation-epub">The Heart of the Reformation Devotional</a></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-60365251943099802942023-09-25T03:23:00.006-07:002024-01-20T07:43:38.282-07:00 No one has seen God<p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXvNJkssOVMpU1K3V7LY2P2zDmu403cFC46iHqGxaGAYmayu1g-MVme-Qfuimt4VJCG4ugQmo4w6TaJTnmE08aXE0pAAKnDoF-QfcXkjWH28V4KwCv8i_iHzBbIgtNFQN6Sx1Jc6LoZXb9pNXSB9nYt7XBobShtujFQvjg12gOOldH__kRfb1ca0I30-Q/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXvNJkssOVMpU1K3V7LY2P2zDmu403cFC46iHqGxaGAYmayu1g-MVme-Qfuimt4VJCG4ugQmo4w6TaJTnmE08aXE0pAAKnDoF-QfcXkjWH28V4KwCv8i_iHzBbIgtNFQN6Sx1Jc6LoZXb9pNXSB9nYt7XBobShtujFQvjg12gOOldH__kRfb1ca0I30-Q/w115-h118/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="115" /></a></span></div><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">God is spirit (John 4:24), which means He is imperceptible to natural senses, such as the eye. The only way humans can physically “see” God is to see Jesus, the incarnate God-Man, (John 14:9) which is why I believe it was Christ walking in the Garden, judging Man, and prophesying of Himself. (John 1:18)</span><p></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-22855647914170522772023-09-25T03:08:00.005-07:002024-01-20T07:42:50.316-07:00God and evil<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXvNJkssOVMpU1K3V7LY2P2zDmu403cFC46iHqGxaGAYmayu1g-MVme-Qfuimt4VJCG4ugQmo4w6TaJTnmE08aXE0pAAKnDoF-QfcXkjWH28V4KwCv8i_iHzBbIgtNFQN6Sx1Jc6LoZXb9pNXSB9nYt7XBobShtujFQvjg12gOOldH__kRfb1ca0I30-Q/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXvNJkssOVMpU1K3V7LY2P2zDmu403cFC46iHqGxaGAYmayu1g-MVme-Qfuimt4VJCG4ugQmo4w6TaJTnmE08aXE0pAAKnDoF-QfcXkjWH28V4KwCv8i_iHzBbIgtNFQN6Sx1Jc6LoZXb9pNXSB9nYt7XBobShtujFQvjg12gOOldH__kRfb1ca0I30-Q/w168-h172/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="168" /></a></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; text-size-adjust: auto;">I think of God’s complete sovereignty over human and natural evil in this way:</span><p></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">God is weaving a tapestry of events. This tapestry is complex, with light and dark threads. The dark threads (evil) are the absence of the light (good) of God, but still essential to the overarching goal/theme, which is to maximize the glory of the Son as Judge and Savior-Redeemer of Man. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Gen 50:20, Isaiah 45:7, 2 Tim 4:1, Rom 8:28, Rom 9:22-23, Heb 1:3 (to name but a few)</span></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-48552570555393154312023-08-29T08:10:00.004-07:002024-01-20T07:41:45.607-07:00The Ultimate Question <p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="936" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPg0AiaiCEG9juvVZZrTyERnBIKD-Sq9P7YKMsy-SDaSh83osErFNpgIi4PTh7H_SF_WMvxkyck_Ulj0LnCKrDhfxaHQMtca8TItV8UNjTgR-RFxOukqSctu_4oy3BPt0mFSdissBxbAryaKYTr09iORael6a0z2bnZ8TxEV0CAz1wn3Mau_0F3-iLRoF/w201-h174/IMG_5671.jpeg" width="201" /></span>I’m sitting in a lounge in the airport on my way to LA for business. I had about an hour and a half ride to get here and, as I have a tendency to do, was thinking about ways to get people to think about how their fundamental perspectives color the way they think about everything else.</span></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One of the things that made me think of this particular topic was a couple of news articles that indicates a significant drop in the certainty of God’s existence among the general populace.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I believe that this is due in part to the vast amount of media available that presumes the universe is solely governed by natural law. The prevailing idea is that the universe and all the contents within it, including you and me, basically evolved from one state to another by a gradual process over vast amounts of time.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">You may not even think about it anymore. In fact, you may even hold diametrically opposing positions, such as a general acceptance of this autonomous evolutionary viewpoint while holding to some idea that there is a personal divine being or force engaged in aspects of your life.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">To really get to the heart of the matter, one has to consider what I believe is the ultimate question:</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Is the universe purposeful or accidental?</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I think it is safe to say the vast majority of humanity believes that we live in a purposeful universe. It’s very likely that you do, too. If you do, then there are implications you need to consider:</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If it is purposeful, who or what gives it purpose?</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Now, my answer to this question is the Christian Creator God. I have believed this since I was a little child, but as I got older, I was challenged to reconsider my belief. Before, I had a basic faith, but as I grew, I wanted more substantiation for what I believed. This became an exercise in deconstructing everything I thought was true and exploring what other options had to offer.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">To make a long story a little less, I came to the following summary realizations:</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><ol class="ol1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><li class="li3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Without a supernatural Creator God as the cause, there is no logical purpose for the universe and my existence.</span></li><li class="li3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Without a caring God, I have no hope.</span></li><li class="li3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Without a God that reached out to me, I would never be able to reach Him.</span></li><li class="li3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A supernatural Creator God is not bound by the natural laws He put in place.</span></li><li class="li3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Without an external authoritative source of truth, I cannot truly know Him.</span></li></ol><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">These realizations are fundamental to why I identify as a Biblical Christian. With Scripture as my prime source material, I am able to evaluate and contextualize all truth claims. Having a reliable external source helps me avoid self-deception and selfish rationalization. It also makes me very skeptical of alternative truth claims.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Thus, my worldview is odd compared to the prevailing cultural, social and “scientific” framework. My ultimate trust is in the Biblically narrated character of Christ as the revealed nature of God. Jesus is the means by which this universe was created and it exists to glorify Him and bring us into communion with Him. Every other consideration is meaningless in comparison.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Therefore, I have no practical or compelling reason to believe that we live in a universe that’s vast millions of years old. Or that all the “evidence” points to it. Or that random processes over these millennia could lead to humanity. I view it all in the context of Christ. We are here for His purpose and all reality bends to His will as revealed in His Word.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My prayer is that you can answer the ultimate question through faith in Christ and come to trust in Him and His Word for your hope and framework for evaluating everything. Be a Biblical Christian skeptic.</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPg0AiaiCEG9juvVZZrTyERnBIKD-Sq9P7YKMsy-SDaSh83osErFNpgIi4PTh7H_SF_WMvxkyck_Ulj0LnCKrDhfxaHQMtca8TItV8UNjTgR-RFxOukqSctu_4oy3BPt0mFSdissBxbAryaKYTr09iORael6a0z2bnZ8TxEV0CAz1wn3Mau_0F3-iLRoF/s936/IMG_5671.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span class="s2"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-81538614586295596552023-08-23T09:15:00.007-07:002024-01-20T07:40:03.105-07:00Young vs Old Earth/Universe Christians<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; text-size-adjust: auto;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXvNJkssOVMpU1K3V7LY2P2zDmu403cFC46iHqGxaGAYmayu1g-MVme-Qfuimt4VJCG4ugQmo4w6TaJTnmE08aXE0pAAKnDoF-QfcXkjWH28V4KwCv8i_iHzBbIgtNFQN6Sx1Jc6LoZXb9pNXSB9nYt7XBobShtujFQvjg12gOOldH__kRfb1ca0I30-Q/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXvNJkssOVMpU1K3V7LY2P2zDmu403cFC46iHqGxaGAYmayu1g-MVme-Qfuimt4VJCG4ugQmo4w6TaJTnmE08aXE0pAAKnDoF-QfcXkjWH28V4KwCv8i_iHzBbIgtNFQN6Sx1Jc6LoZXb9pNXSB9nYt7XBobShtujFQvjg12gOOldH__kRfb1ca0I30-Q/w211-h216/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="211" /></a></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; text-size-adjust: auto;">Old Earth/Universe Christian adherents are guilty, intentionally or not, of attempting to reconcile the Bible with material naturalism instead of taking Scripture as the prime authority. Young Earth/Universe adherents subjugate man’s wisdom and knowledge to God’s Word. (I confess to being deliberately provocative.)</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The naturalistic presupposition is uniformitarianism (I.e., natural laws are equally applicable across all places and times) and it is flawed on a cosmological scale. All naturalistic “empirical evidence” is based on it. It is an article of faith. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I have no problem accepting the laws of physics as a general operating rule but I presuppose the laws have not always been uniform in the past, nor will they necessarily be for all times and places. A simple google search can confirm my presupposition. As an example, the naturalistic proposition that “energy is *always* conserved” is neither rational nor scientific as it applies cosmologically. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Naturalists have faith that science will somehow develop a naturalistic explanation given enough time and information and grasp onto every fuzzy theoretical construct (e.g., dark matter and energy, multiverses, string theory, etc.) that supports it - “naturalism of the gaps”.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is a great article that illustrates this approach: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-multiverse-may-be-the-most-dangerous-idea-in-physics/</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I love this quote, in particular:</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">“we need an open mind, though not too open” - certainly not open enough to consider a Creator God!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My perspective as a Biblical Christian is to question the validity of concepts based on my authoritative source of truth. From that perspective, it is easy to see the chain of consequences naturalistic “deep time” leads to - a rejection of the special supernatural creation of the universe and Man in favor of a purely material naturalistic paradigm.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My own worldview accounts for deep time and the “appearance of age” as a byproduct of a meticulous Master Programmer aligning His program to the laws He developed and complete control over the speed at which that program processes, as well as the authority to supersede those natural processes, at will.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It doesn’t take a degree in physics to figure out that naturalism is not a trustworthy source on which to base a disregard of the plain reading of Scripture. There is too much fuzziness. The more science digs into cosmological scales, the more mysterious the universe becomes. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Now, let’s make sure and be clear - “naturalism” does not equal “science”, although for most practical purposes, they have become close to synonymous. I am a systems engineer/architect by trade, so I leverage logic and science everyday. That being said, I trust the Word of God over all logic and science, because “the wisdom of man is foolishness to God” and there is no practical reason for me to adopt the naturalistic views of deep time and other constructs they have used to ridicule faith in God and in the plain reading of His Word.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 Thess 5:21 says to “test everything, keep the good” - that is the question OECs have to ask themselves. Is it good to adopt scientific naturalism’s perspective when it contradicts the plain Word? Or is it better to assume that they have a flawed paradigm and work to recontextualize the “fuzzy edges” to meet a more Scriptural framework?</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">That’s all I’m attempting to do with the OP. Challenge the OEC’s base assumptions and hopefully cause reconsideration, because it is a path I treaded and came out with a new perspective.</span></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-57849908908388793312023-08-20T04:14:00.016-07:002024-01-20T07:38:36.434-07:00Naturalism of the gaps<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqtmQN6Fkf0VnOzuturPNT8kpLdEs1pzAEVRw8ckmyI0nS0-xUfyv_gU0O5lG6dow7eG6SbX2yVHRBER2jb5XkMfMxLcxWXtmfUR3VqsqCE0p7au3FOPIwtLZXfbJrQVQdRmofXHIfitycKHTlP_71kTCDI-El1VDVrQjR8iRH4O_Th515lF5QcVgjAzL/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqtmQN6Fkf0VnOzuturPNT8kpLdEs1pzAEVRw8ckmyI0nS0-xUfyv_gU0O5lG6dow7eG6SbX2yVHRBER2jb5XkMfMxLcxWXtmfUR3VqsqCE0p7au3FOPIwtLZXfbJrQVQdRmofXHIfitycKHTlP_71kTCDI-El1VDVrQjR8iRH4O_Th515lF5QcVgjAzL/w195-h200/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="195" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The naturalistic presupposition is uniformitarianism (I.e., natural laws are equally applicable across all places and times) and it is flawed on a cosmological scale. All naturalistic “empirical evidence” is based on it. It is an article of faith. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I have no problem accepting the laws of physics as a general operating rule but I presuppose the laws have not always been uniform in the past, nor will they necessarily be for all times and places. A simple google search can confirm my presupposition. As an example, the naturalistic proposition that “energy is *always* conserved” is neither rational nor scientific as it applies cosmologically. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Naturalists have faith that science will somehow develop a naturalistic explanation given enough time and information and they grasp onto every fuzzy theoretical construct (e.g., dark matter and energy, multiverses, string theory, etc.) that supports it - “naturalism of the gaps”.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is a great article that illustrates this approach: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-multiverse-may-be-the-most-dangerous-idea-in-physics/</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I love this quote, in particular:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">“we need an open mind, though not too open”</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It doesn’t take a degree in physics to figure out that naturalism is not a trustworthy source on which to base a disregard of the plain reading of Scripture. There is too much fuzziness. The more science digs into cosmological scales, the more mysterious the universe becomes. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Now, let’s make sure and be clear - “naturalism” does not equal “science”, although for most practical purposes, they have become close to synonymous. I am a systems engineer/architect by trade, so I leverage logic and science everyday. That being said, I trust the Word of God over all logic and science, because “the wisdom of man is foolishness to God” and there is no practical reason for me to adopt the naturalistic views of deep time and other constructs they have used to ridicule faith in God and in the plain reading of His Word.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1 Thess 5:21 says to “test everything, keep the good” - that is the question you have to ask yourself. Is it good to adopt scientific naturalism’s perspective when it contradicts the plain Word? Or is it better to assume that they have a flawed paradigm and work to recontextualize the “fuzzy edges” to meet a more Scriptural framework?</span></p><p><br /></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-2549661230896345342023-08-19T05:47:00.006-07:002024-01-20T07:36:55.715-07:00A logical reason to believe in the Creator God<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><ol class="ol1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvhi22BABZQtELBj-DYfXfifUwuHdSh8fln7HjFTAvcTWHGCFpUhrqSGsHWDeuzS6ZwYk_HCAnYw_sgc4T2Hqet9WxMikyNXilOfm0EgN8jFYEfhSqfc2MMaNorzoUIP5funIInYZ7WRubYGg2Hi1mA0Akw1B0o6nM59WNkSEIox_snroe0o9i434aXTj/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvhi22BABZQtELBj-DYfXfifUwuHdSh8fln7HjFTAvcTWHGCFpUhrqSGsHWDeuzS6ZwYk_HCAnYw_sgc4T2Hqet9WxMikyNXilOfm0EgN8jFYEfhSqfc2MMaNorzoUIP5funIInYZ7WRubYGg2Hi1mA0Akw1B0o6nM59WNkSEIox_snroe0o9i434aXTj/w157-h161/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="157" /></span></a></div><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We undeniably live in a cause and effect universe governed by natural laws</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This begs the question “what was the first cause”?</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This necessarily implies a non-natural (I.e., supernatural) prime cause, otherwise it’s “turtles all the way down” - that is - infinite regress</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The natural universe is intelligible and logical</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It is more reasonable to assume an intelligent supernatural prime cause than a random natural one</span></li></ol><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In other words: Supernatural singularity (the Creation event, i.e., the Big Bang) + fine tuning + intelligibility = God</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br /></span></p><p></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965764313983512059.post-11049561567793139332023-08-13T05:22:00.010-07:002024-01-20T07:34:53.248-07:00Deep Time, holographic reality, and the Master Programmer<p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXvNJkssOVMpU1K3V7LY2P2zDmu403cFC46iHqGxaGAYmayu1g-MVme-Qfuimt4VJCG4ugQmo4w6TaJTnmE08aXE0pAAKnDoF-QfcXkjWH28V4KwCv8i_iHzBbIgtNFQN6Sx1Jc6LoZXb9pNXSB9nYt7XBobShtujFQvjg12gOOldH__kRfb1ca0I30-Q/s547/oddXian-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="534" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXvNJkssOVMpU1K3V7LY2P2zDmu403cFC46iHqGxaGAYmayu1g-MVme-Qfuimt4VJCG4ugQmo4w6TaJTnmE08aXE0pAAKnDoF-QfcXkjWH28V4KwCv8i_iHzBbIgtNFQN6Sx1Jc6LoZXb9pNXSB9nYt7XBobShtujFQvjg12gOOldH__kRfb1ca0I30-Q/w154-h158/oddXian-logo.jpg" width="154" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>There is a general popular consensus that the universe is billions of years old. This “deep time” consensus serves as a key foundation for the framework of evolution as a theoretical mechanism for cosmology (how we understand the development of the universe at a grand scale), geology (how we understand natural forces that shape our and other planets), the incremental path of human development, all the way to down to the greater context of micro-adaptation in organisms.</span><span class="s2"></span></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Deep time is a relatively new concept. The general consensus throughout human history, particularly from a Biblical perspective, is that the earth and universe are, in general, young. There has been a ton of work to reconcile the idea of deep time versus the implicit young age of Creation from a plain reading of the text. It is easy to find information that both supports and denies the concept of deep time. You owe yourself a good examination of its origins and impacts on scientific, philosophical, and even theological thought.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My perspective as a Biblical Christian is to question the validity of concepts based on my authoritative source of truth. From that perspective, it is easy to see the chain of consequences deep time leads to - a rejection of the special supernatural creation of the universe and Man in favor of a purely material naturalistic paradigm.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My own worldview accounts for deep time and the “appearance of age” as a byproduct of a meticulous Master Programmer aligning His program to the laws He developed and complete control over the speed at which that program processes, as well as the authority to supersede those natural processes, at will. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">That is, from an outside observer, the act of creation would progress at a variable speed. Initial creation would seem to be on a very high clock speed (days 1-5), then gradually slowing to the point of the special creation of humanity (day 6), then normalizing into the pace we experience currently. So, the actual timeframe for creating the universe (6 24 hour days) would be equivalent to the “real time” we are in now.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">To support my worldview, there has recently been developed a “holographic reality” theory to try and reconcile scientific observations tied to quantum and relativity theories. That is, the deeper one looks into reality, the more it seems to run like a program.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It’s no surprise that as science progresses it points more and more toward a Creator. The Bible is the best foundational source to reconcile reality. That becomes more and more apparent, every day. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It also begs the question, “If the Biblical message is aligned to reality and best explains it at a fundamental level, what should be our response to the account and message of Jesus Christ?”</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This, my friends, is where the “rubber meets the road”.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span class="s2"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p>oddXianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15427095709766850092noreply@blogger.com0