Monday, March 25, 2019

Change, yes; evolution......?

The most persuasive-and dangerous-definition for evolution is "change through time." Just because organisms can be observed to change over a period of time does not mean that all life has a common ancestor. If we think of the classic peppered moth example, we started with light and dark moths (Biston betularia) and ended up with light-and dark-colored moths of the same species in different proportions. This exemplifies the creationist idea of variation within a kind.

The natural selection that produces the variety of living things we see today began after Adam rebelled against God. The concept of natural selection was published in a biblical context by Edward Blyth 24 years before Darwin published Origin of Species. Blyth is forgotten and Darwin is remembered because of the philosophic and religious implications of his idea, not the scientific applications.

Natural selection has been shown to change organisms but always within the boundaries of the created kinds. This type of change is often termed "microevolution," and the hypothetical type of change that turns fish into philosophers is known as "macroevolution." The large-scale changes through times are simply dramatic extrapolations of the observed phenomenon of natural selection. This degree of extrapolation has no basis in operational science. There are limits to the amount and type of genetic change that can occur-no matter what amount of time is allowed. As an illustration: if you can pedal a bicycle at 10 mph, how long would it take top reach the moon? Bicycles have limits that would make this goal impossible regardless of the time you have to accomplish it.

Click on this YouTube video...




Monday, March 18, 2019

The Argument from Sufficient Reason

The most influential form of the cosmological argument in modern times arose from Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), the German rationalist. The proof (Leibniz, 32-39) is stated:

1) The entire (observed) world is changing.
2) Whatever is changing lacks within itself the reason for its own existence.
3) There is a sufficient reason for everything, either in itself or else beyond itself.
4) Therefore, there must be a cause beyond this world for its existence.
5) This cause is either its own sufficient reason or else it has a cause beyond it.
6) There cannot be an infinite regress of sufficient reasons, for the failure to reach an explanation is not an explanation; but there must be an explanation.
7) Therefore, there must be a First Cause of the world that has no reason beyond it but is its own sufficient reason. The sufficient reason is in itself and not beyond itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0218GkAGbnU


Hebrews 1:2

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.


Monday, March 11, 2019

Keep going forward until that day

A burden of affliction is apt to make the Christian's hands hang down, and his knees grow feeble, to dispirit him and discourage him; but against this he must strive, that he may better run his spiritual race and course. Faith and patience enable believers to follow peace and holiness, as a man follows his calling constantly, diligently, and with pleasure. Peace with men, of all sects and parties, will be favorable to our pursuit of holiness. But peace and holiness go together; there can be not right peace without holiness. Where persons fail of having the true grace of God, corruption will prevail and break forth; beware lest any unmortified lust in the heart, which seems to be dead, should spring up, to trouble and disturb the whole body. Falling away from Christ is the fruit of preferring the delights of the flesh, to the blessing of God, and the heavenly inheritance, as Esau did. But sinners will not always have such mean thoughts of the Divine blessing and inheritance as they now have. It agrees with the profane man's disposition, to desire the blessing, yet to despise the means whereby the blessing is to be gained. But God will neither sever the means from the blessing, nor join the blessing with the satisfying of man's lusts. God's mercy and blessing were never sought carefully and not obtained.

Hebrews 12:12-17

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,”so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy;without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.  Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.