I have often wondered not only how one can believe in a deity, but why do people believe in something that is not tangible, like their God. Some folks claim that their God intervenes or guides their lives on a daily basis and even their every thought. I realize that not all religions teach this, but many branches of Christianity and Islam do.
We humans have many questions about life and one of those is, “Why do people believe in God?”

* Does belief seemingly protect you from harm’s way? Are you invisibly protected from gunfire or other weapons death? Thousands of people die every year that related to guns. I’m quite sure many of them felt God’s presence before their untimely death.

* Are you afraid of death? Most of us are, both believer and non-believer.

* Are you afraid of life? There are many of us handling life’s problems…rationally. You can too!

* Do you believe because you were told you should? Sometimes, family and friends put an extreme amount of pressure on their loved ones to believe in supernatural beings and doctrine.

* Are you afraid there might be a Hell or another type of punishment after you die? If you’re going through the motions of religious rituals and doctrine just to keep your ass from going to some mythological place of punishment…chances are that you don’t really believe.

* Does your God make you feel secure? If you need a sense of physical security, get a gun or a dog. If you need emotional security, get counseling from a therapist.

* Does your God keep you from murdering or raping someone? If you need your God to keep you from committing heinous crimes, then seek counseling and implement better self-control and judgment.

* Would you be an alcoholic or drug addict if you lost your belief? Self-control is the key to a drug-free life.

* Does your God heal your body? Why would your God heal you, but ignore the thousands of other diseased folks that die everyday?

Why is it about a God anyway? You can believe in yourself and achieve/accomplish most any task, either as an individual or with other supporting members of the human race. I live without a belief in deities…you can too!

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Welcome back, brothers and sisters!!! 

Today we are going to discuss the parable of the ten virgins and the bridegroom.  Jesus was talking to His disciples about be ready for the last day when He shared the following parable:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight there was a cry made, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh;  go ye out to meet him.’  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.”

“And the foolish said unto the wise, ‘Give us of your oil;  for our lamps are gone out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘Not so;  lest there be not enough for us and you:  but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.’  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;  and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage:  and the door was shut.”

“Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’  But he answered and said, ‘Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” – Matthew 25:1-12 (KJV)

Brothers and sisters, the message of this parable is very sobering.  Let’s break this parable down and discuss the thrust of the message.

First of all, cast in the role of the bridegroom is the one and only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.  The ten virgins represent us, believers and non-believers.

Okay, so now that we know the cast, what is the tie-in to the oil and the lamps?  That’s simple, actually.  Why do we need lamps?  Lamps help us to see where we are going, right?  We are blinded when we are surrounded by darkness.

The lamps, beloved, represent our spirits/souls.  Why do I say this?  Consider the following scripture:

“The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” – Proverbs 20:27 (KJV)

So if the lamp represents our soul/spirit, what does the oil represent?  The oil represents the Holy Spirit, which is attained through Christ Jesus.  Remember, beloved, that though Jesus is not present with us physically on earth anymore, He lives here in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  This is the same Holy Spirit that God the Father filled Jesus, His only begotten Son, with after He was baptized by John the Baptist.  Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is also known as the Light of the World.  Having His light in us, we can rejoice in knowing that our lamps will be lit and shining brightly at the moment that Jesus comes for us.

You see, beloved, the Holy Spirit is the oil that shines brightly enough that all can see our light, which is the presence of the Lord in our hearts.  How can people see that light?  Well, let’s look at the type of light that the Holy Spirit emanates, as described by the Apostle Paul:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law.” - Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)

You see, beloved, when we live in Christ, we are to be faithful and obedient servants of that which He blesses and graces us with.  Frankly, the manner in which we live should be a strong witness for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Remember, brothers and sisters, as His servants, our lives should be lived in such a manner as to reflect to others our service to our Lord and Savior.  That means we are to let the Lord’s light shine through us for all to see.  Jesus said the following about this:

“Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;  and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV)

Beloved, the 5 virgins that heed the Lord’s word, and live by it, are those that He will find doing His work when He returns for His bride, which is the church.  The church is comprised of all those who have accepted salvation given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Only those that have Christ in them will be called home to be with the Lord.  Those that do not have Christ in them have souls/spirits filled with darkness instead of light.  Since there will be no light found in such people, they will be passed over when the believers are called home.  Consider the parable of the ten virgins, and listen to what Jesus said would happen when He calls His servants home:

“Then shall two be in the field;  the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two women shall be grinding at the mill;  the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Watch therefore;  for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.  Therefore be ye also ready:  for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, ‘My lord delayeth his coming’;  and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites:  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 24:40-51 (KJV)

Brothers and sisters, no one knows when Jesus will return.  Jesus Himself said that only the Father knows the appointed hour.  The point is that we are supposed to constantly live our lives doing the work of our Lord and Savior so that in that “twinkling of an eye” when Jesus does return, we are found as faithful and obedient servants, diligently doing His work and will.

Unfortunately, beloved, there are many that live without Christ in their hearts.  They do not have the oil of the Holy Spirit burning brightly within them and emanating His light in their lives.  This, brothers and sisters, is all the more reason for us to constantly have our lamps lit with the oil of the Holy Spirit.  By sharing, embracing, and living the Lord’s word and love, we will be more effective in shining His light through the darkness in order to reach those that are presently lost.  Just as we were once lost before being found, we are incredibly blessed with the opportunity to help gather many of our Shepherd’s lost “sheep” by lighting up the path that will lead them home to Him.  This is our mission, beloved, and the time is now to carry it out.

No one should take for granted that the Lord will not come back for “x” amount more time.  We simply do not know the Lord’s return date and time, as only the Father knows.  Jesus could return in 5,000 years, 5 months, 5 weeks, 5 days, or in the next 5 seconds.  Regardless of how long it is until Jesus returns, we need to commit ourselves to doing His work every single day of our lives.  When He returns for us, let’s bless and glorify Him by meeting Him with as many well-oiled lamps as possible!!!

I would like to ask each and every person taking part in today’s discussion a few questions.  If the Lord Jesus Christ were to return in the next few seconds, would you be ready?  Would the Lord find your lamp lit brightly by the oil of the Holy Spirit?  Just as importantly, are you confident and assured that all of your family, friends, and loved ones would be found ready if Jesus were to return in the next few seconds?  Are you confident that hte majority of people in this world are ready to meet the Lord?

Let’s be honest, beloved.  There are a great many people that are not yet ready to meet Jesus Christ.  If Jesus were calling His faithful servants home today, an incredibly large number of people would be among those left behind.  Evidence of this can be found all throughout the world today.  Just turn on the 6 o’clock news, or go for a drive through the city, and you will see that much of humanity is spiritually lost and adrift at sea, without boat or life jacket.  This, brothers and sisters, is the urgency of our mission.  Just as with the 5 foolish virgins, those who are not ready to meet the Lord when He calls His faithful home will find out the harsh reality that the time for making the decision to commit their lives to Him has passed.

Beloved, ask the Lord for the endurance, strength, perseverance, and courage to work tirelessly to share His love and His word with as many people as possible.  The Lord will give you the words and the guidance you need through the Holy Spirit.  The time is now, beloved, for us to increase our staffing levels of faithful and obedient servants to take part in the Lord’s harvest.  Let’s get to work!!!

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you would like to, please pray the following prayer:

“Lord God Almighty, I know that I am a sinner and that I am lost.  I know that I need to be saved from sin, but I also know that I can’t save myself.  Lord Jesus, I know that only You can save me.  I know that you paid for my salvation with your own life and blood on the cross.  I know that when You rose from the grave on the third day, you provided everlasting life to all who trust in You.  Right now, I lay down my life and let go of my pride, my vanity and every other sin that has kept me from You.  Lord Jesus, I now completely trust my life to You.  I open my heart to You, Lord.  Please come into my heart.  Please forgive me of all of my sins, and please accept me as Your child.  From this point on, I commit my life to You.  Please guide me and provide me strength as I begin to live the rest of my life for You.  In Your precious and matchless name I pray.  Amen.”

Beloved, if you just prayed that prayer then you can rejoice in knowing that you now have the presence of the Lord in your heart.  While you will still face trials and tribulation in this world, you will never again face it alone.  Nurture your new relationship with the Lord and grow that relationship by getting to know Him better.  You can do this by studying His word (the bible), while also making talking to Him continually through prayer made with thanksgiving and supplication.  All you have to do to find out what the Lord had in mind for your life when He made you is to ask Him to shape your life in manner in which serves His will and then embrace the changes that He makes in you and your life.  Welcome to the family, beloved!!!  You are precious in your Heavenly Father’s eyes, and the angels in heaven are rejoicing in your decision to accept Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior:-)  We are happy to have you!!!

Thank you for joining us for today’s discussion.  I hope you will be able to join us for tomorrow’s next discussion.  Now, go enjoy this day that the Lord has made, and make the most of it.  Be glad, and rejoice in it!!!  Share the Lord, His love, and His word with as many people as possible, doing so just as freely as the Father shared His only begotten Son with us:-)

May the Lord bless you, keep you, guide you, and make His face to shine upon you and your loved ones always.

Your brother in Christ,

Rev Jason Thurwanger

Something has over the past few weeks been brought to my attention by 4 separate internet friends. Each in turn very politely and gently asked why I never or at least only very occasionally write about death and dying. I suppose considering even the very name of my blog, that would be the fore most topic of discussion.

I should explain, I get a lot of email and I do appreciate every one the jokes the wise saying all of it, please keep them coming. I realize thoughts of death and dying are very personal and very private for many. We share thoughts and feelings back and forth in the more private one on one setting of email.

My first thought to this was, what are you talking about? I share those thoughts often. Then as I thought more of it I realize that well be more via the emails than here on the blog.

Three of the messages in a very gentle way went on to essentially ask if I might be in some sort of denial since I never or rarely write about it.

I have been giving this some serious thought, this is an important issue or it is to me anyway.

I think this depends on your definition or use of the word denial. So where am I at with all of this. I do know my days are numbered, I accept that. I have my affairs in order. I believe I am ready to answer the call when the Good Lord calls me home. I am not afraid to face that day. In this way I do not believe I am in denial. I love my life on this earth and am saddened at the thought of leaving it and those in it.

I am struggling to find the wording to get the message across as I mean it. Maybe I am using a form of denial in my daily life. Maybe, it is like I carry a form of it around in my pocket to be pulled out and used as needed. I accept my health conditions, with that comes that very deep sadness. That feeling of sadness if real and runs through my entire being. I struggle to deny that feeling of sadness to over whelm and take over my entire being. If I allowed that to happen, I could turn into a blubbering crying mess. What would that accomplish? it would deprive me of the very life I so enjoy and am saddened at the thought of leaving. The inner me would quit living my life before the physical me does.

I know what I am trying to say. Does it make sense the way I have expressed it?

The Good Lord has placed a time and a date on a Heavenly calendar. I don’t know that time or date. I do know I can’t change it. What I can do is focus on truly living my life right up to the last minute. If I am saddened by the thought of leaving it, why would I give up on it. Is that a form of denial? Maybe, I am not sure. I may not have a tomorrow or a next week but I do have this minute and I am going to make the most of it.

Welcome back, brothers and sisters!!!

Today we are going to discuss the parable of the wedding banquet.  This is a parable that Jesus spoke to the chief priests and Pharisees of the temple.  The parable is as follows:

“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, whcih made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding:  and they would not come.  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, ‘Tell them which are bidden, ‘Behold, I have prepared my dinner:  my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready:  come unto the marriage.”  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:  And the remnant took his servants, and intreated them spitefully, and slew them.”

“But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth:  and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then saith he to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.’  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good:  and the wedding was furnished with guests.”

“And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there was a man which had not on a wedding garment:  And he saith unto him, ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?’  And he was speechless.  Then said the king to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness;  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  For many are called, but few are chosen.” – Mattew 22:2-14 (KJV)

Brothers and sisters, let’s break down the parable, staring with the cast.

The king of the parable represents God the Father.  The son that the king has arranged a marriage for is Jesus Christ.  The bride to be is the church of Christ, which is all who live in the Lord.  The servants that were sent out to invite the guests represent the prophets.  The first group of guests that was repeatedly invited was the Israelites, God’s chosen people.  Remember, that though many prophets were respected and revered for a time, they usually ended up being persecuted/killed by the very people they were trying to reach with God’s message.

The second group of guests are the Gentiles, or the non-Jews.  When the Jewish people repeatedly rejected the Father, His word, and ultimately Jesus Christ and the Gospel He shared, the Gentiles were blessed with the opportunity to receive the Gospel and to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior while also receiving the gift of salvation that is found only in the only begotten Son of God.

Why was the one guest in the parable cast into outer darkness for not having on a wedding garment?  The answer is simple.  Do you know what the wedding garment is that the guests were to be clothed with?  Consider the following scripture:

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God;  for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” – Isaiah 61:10 (KJV)

You see, beloved, in order to attend the marriage of the Lamb of God, we must be attired appropriately.  We know that the only person we can get the appropriate attire from is Jesus Christ.  Why?  Through Jesus our sins are washed away, our hearts are purified, and we are clothed with the robe of righteousness.  The person in the parable without the robe of righteousness was a person that had not given their life to Jesus Christ, and was subsequently not wearing the necessary robe of righteousness.  Therefore, the inappropriately attired guest offended the king (God the Father). 

Brothers and sisters, there are people in this world who call themselves Christians, yet Christ is not found anywhere in them.  Such people often assume that going to church, periodically praying, and sometimes reading the bible and quoting chapter and verse is sufficient.  These are usually people that rejoice in sin Monday through Saturday, while attempting to live a Christian life on Sunday.  These are referred to as Sunday Christians, or Convenient Christians, and they do not have a place at the Lord’s table.  Why?  Beloved, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior 365 days/year and 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Likewise, we are to be His servants at all times as well, living obediently and faithfully in serving Him.  Unfortunately, some are not sincere in their service to the Lord.  Jesus spoke of such people when He said the following about the day of judgment:

“Not everyone that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;  but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?  and in thy name have cast out devils?  and in thy name done many wonderful works?’  And then I will profess unto them, ‘I never knew you:  depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” – Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV)

You see, beloved, while we can fool our fellow man into believing that we are someone we are not, God always knows who we are.  God knows our hearts and knows all there is to possibly know about us.  A few acts, or a few words, do not make a faithful and obedient servant in Christ.  A faithful and obedient servant of the Lord lives in service to Him at all times, while also having the Lord in his/her heart at all times.  We love His word, regularly study it, and He writes it into our hearts.  We take every opportunity to share the Lord’s love and word with anyone we can reach.  We are never ashamed to confess to others that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and Jesus is not ashamed of presenting us to the Father and speaking on our behalf.  Beloved, let’s live Christ in our lives all day, every single day.  Let’s study His word regularly as diligent students, and let’s do His work always as faithful and obedient servants are to do.  The Lord has already given us everything by blessing us with the gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Let’s show Him how much we appreciate His sacrifice, His love, and His forgiveness by doing His work and will unceasingly and with a glad heart.

Beloved, if you have not yet received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you would sincerely like to, then please pray the following prayer:

“Lord God Almighty, I know that I am a sinner and that I am lost.  I know that I need to be saved from sin, but I also know that I can’t save myself.  Lord Jesus, I know that only You can save me.  I know that you paid for my salvation with your own life and blood on the cross.  I know that when You rose from the grave on the third day, you provided everlasting life to all who trust in You.  Right now, I lay down my life and let go of my pride, my vanity and every other sin that has kept me from You.  Lord Jesus, I now completely trust my life to You.  I open my heart to You, Lord.  Please come into my heart.  Please forgive me of all of my sins, and please accept me as Your child.  From this point on, I commit my life to You.  Please guide me and provide me strength as I begin to live the rest of my life for You.  In Your precious and matchless name I pray. Amen.”

I you just prayed that prayer, honestly seeking the Lord, then you are now saved.  The robe of righteousness is now available unto you, and though you will still face adversity in this world, you now have the Lord with you to face and overcome anything that comes your way.  Nurture your relationship with the Lord by talking to Him often through prayer with thanks and supplication, while also studying His word.  Ask the Lord to guide your every path, and follow the path that He sets before you.  You no longer serve the sins and lusts of this world.  Your chains that tied you to the things of this world have now been broken.  Serve the Lord with all your heart, and always seek His will in all things.  Welcome to the family:-)  Know that the angels in heaven are rejoicing at your decision to give your life to the Lord!!!

I want to thank you all for joining in on today’s discussion.  I hope you will be able to join us for tomorrow’s next message.

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed rest of the day.  Remember, you are loved by the very Creator of earth, the heavens, and all life with a love that is perfect, complete, and powerful beyond our present ability to fully comprehend.  Precious one, He made you in your mother’s womb, and you are very special to Him:-)

May the Lord bless you, keep you, guide you, and make His face to shine upon you and your loved ones always.

Your brother in Christ,

Rev Jason Thurwanger

Yesterday was a good day for a lot of reasons but for 3 in particular.

Vi came home. she has spent the past week up in Thompson baby sitting grandchildren.

The refrigerator is out of the living room and back into the kitchen. Which means the kitchen reno is virtually complete. Just a few trim board and things like that need to be finished. And “I DID IT ALL MYSELF”. I suppose to be fair I should acknowledge that Earth Angel Henri Chevillard and others may have helped a bit. Maybe instead of saying a bit, I should say helped “some” but I DID THE REST OF IT. OK, OK you got me, Earth Angel Henri did about 90% of the work but I DID THE REST.  Oh wait, Eric and Lynda did help when they could, there was also brother-in-law Neal……. Hmm, maybe I should be saying every job needs a good supervisor and I DID THAT or at least between naps I DID THAT. I thank God for the Earth Angels in my life. I have to do a post on that. I think of Henri. He donated literally hundreds of hours. I say donated I mean that, when I tried to pay him at least a little something he politely declined. Knowing there are people such as this in this world of ours just makes me feel good inside.

Yesterday I got a phone call that has me excited. This weekend my Aunt Isabel is coming for a visit. I really enjoy her visits and spending time with her. I know I have written about past visits.

Now this is going to be more than just a nice visit. During the visit “a world championship title” will be place on the line. In the past Aunt Isabel and I have battled long and hard for this title. This weekend the title will again be on the line.

We both enjoy playing the card game crib. In a visit we will play numerous games. Two or three years ago we sat down to play and I declared it to be for the championship of the world. One game and the winner takes the title. Very quickly I realized for something as Important as the “Championship of the World” instead of one game it should be 2 out of 3, then 3 out of 5, no best of seven. She took the title home with her to Swan River.

We played again about a year later. Aunt Isabel put the title on the line. Still stinging from the defeat of the year before, I sought ways to possibly distract her or make her feel the pressure. Would she crack under the additional pressure if I made it a high “stakes money” game. I outlined the rules to her. It was to be best of seven plus to even enter the tournament we each had to ante up 25 cents. Well she didn’t crack under this additional pressure and again the title returned with her to Swan River.

We have a lot of fun playing. I am looking forward to the visit. Any tips or suggestions on how I can gain the edge , I mean this is for the “Championship of the World”.

I thought I would finally post an updated bio, as well as the new commenting policy I was working on.
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This year, I decided to start over.

I spent my college years pursuing a degree as a Christian minister, and stopped just short of beginning the post-graduation job search. Ministers leaving the faith isn’t unheard of – but I saw the life ahead of me, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Throughout my teenage years, and during my time in Bible college, I had serious doubts with the legitimacy of Christianity. Even while I was extolling the virtues of faith from the pulpit, my intellect disputed the words spilling from my mouth.

I decided I could take no more. I decided I would not make a living out of the fear and weakness of others. I would not line my pockets with the dirty money of the religious economy. I would not indoctrinate young children into a single worldview. I would not endorse a philosophy that has taken the lives of millions of people throughout history. I would not spend the rest of my life pretending to know what really happens to people after they die.

On August 29th, 2009, I cut the intoxicating delusion of faith from my intellect, and I renounced Christianity publicly and left the faith for good.

It was one of the most empowering and proud moments of my life. I refused to settle for supernatural non-sense, and I finally embraced the true value of a mind liberated by free-inquiry. Over the next few months, the response was overwhelming; the traffic on my blog nearly tripled, and I received more criticism for my work than ever. The nastiness wasn’t confined to random internet trolls, but past acquaintances and even family members decried my conversion. Emails, IMs, awkward phone calls and in person conversations were nearly incessant for the initial ‘coming-out’ phase of my atheism.

It was a slew of spiritual doctors who were all trying to diagnose my ‘condition’ – I was told that I ‘never had faith in the first place’ or that I was just ‘bitter and angry at the church’. I was told that I would ‘burn in hell’ and would be separated from God forever. I didn’t believe any of this non-sense, but what was abundantly clear was that these people viewed my atheism as a threat to their own belief system. I felt embarrassed for them – their outbursts were childish and stupid.

What has deeply impressed and humbled me is the response of my family and of my close friends. They never hesitated to accept me, even though my philosophy ran completely contrary to theirs. I read an article about atheism from Focus on the Family – they suggested that ‘all atheists have a strong hatred towards their own fathers or family units’ – but I quite love my dad and my family. I grew up in a loving and unique home, in a family with two caring parents. A true rarity in this day in age. I have no qualms with my own upbringing, and in all honesty, I wouldn’t have changed a bit of it.

My atheism is not the result of bitterness. It is not the rebellion of a young mind. It is not the eruption of repressed emotion – and I think this is what frustrates my detractors the most. If you spend any decent amount of time reading this blog, you won’t walk away thinking that this is the ravings of a petulant child, but of a well-reasoned adult.

It is my hope that this blog will help me create the best book I can – thanks to everyone who has been along side me through this process, and for those just discovering TPD, please get involved in our pursuit of intelligence, free-inquiry, and knowledge.

-Adam

I saw the following on another website.  It’s worth repeating.

People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

I’ve never been very religious or considered myself so. I was raised in a southern Baptist church and encouraged and coached to believe in Christ. I have been baptised. I have read the Bible. I don’t know that I can buy in or believe in that with all of my being. I certainly don’t like to be associated with most of the people who call themselves christians.

I’ve been in the church scene and know how absolutely judgemental that can be. My wife endeavoured to find a church she felt comfortable in a few years back. Since I am normally working on Sunday, she went by herself, taking our kids with her. She felt as though she was being sized up and categorized immediately upon hitting the doors. Single mom. Two kids. Poor thing. I have visited other churches and the zealous eagerness that permeates each smiling face is more than off-putting, it’s overwhelming.

It’s one thing to believe in something, it’s another thing entirely to judge someone less or try to pressure someone to believe “your way” just because they are of a differing opinion. I have had friends who I just stopped talking to because every time I came around them, that is all they wanted to talk to me about. Your religion can and should be an important part of who you are, but letting it be everything you are… Nothing should consume you that totally and wholly, especially something that is as easy to misconstrue as religious doctrine. Just the fact that the Bible has been translated through several different languages is enough to worry me, much less having someone on a pulpit telling me what he thinks it means.

I don’t say all this to criticize people who follow Jesus or any other religion. I encourage everyone to use the mind that they were given to find their own path. I myself am a bit agnostic. I feel I am cognizant enough to recognize that everything didn’t happen as some sort of domino effect and that we aren’t left alone to our own devices. I have seen too much and witnessed to many strange and wonderful things to feel otherwise. I believe there is some guiding force, some higher power. I personally call this presence God. I worship God in my own way and pray to him on my own time.

Think for yourself and believe what you feel is the truth. That’s the choice we were given to make.. don’t let someone else impact your choice.

There’s not going to be an LIGFY next week, so you better make this one last.

New blood first:

Chic Noir gives surprising accurate dating rules for men.

Michael Wears a Hat states the benefits men get from cradle robbing.

Thras critiques Half Sigma’s opinion on abortion.

Also check out J R’s and DaveinHackensack’s blogs.

And the rest of you grinders:

Prime analyzes It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia from the viewpoint of game.

Chuck reports on a beta supreme who’s wife is obsessed with Twilight.

Dave from Hawaii analyzes the wretched wrongness of the American diet.

Roissy takes on a story about cuckolded men.

Obsidian reveals why most women are incapable of addressing the realities of the sexual marketplace.

Zdeno writes at 2 Blowhards on the nature of nightclubs.

Bhanu Prasad writes on the women who have lost out in the sexual revolution.

Al Fin states that Obama is bringing slavery back to the world and reports on a new aphrodisiac for women.

11minutes gives the reason why women believe in the myth of inner beauty.

Master Dogen mocks the androgyny of today’s youngsters.

Alex Birch remarks on the paradox of liberalism.

Martin Regnen reminds us why nerds and smart people deserve to be picked on.

Max critiques hard determinism.

From Girl Game: LILGRL has two great potato recipes, and Aoefe debunks the “soulmate” myth.

Hunter is annoyed by his beta friends.

The Kap’n explains why he hates the homeless.

Kamal S writes a two-part essay on truth, privilege, and oppression.

MarkyMark notes that Western women have difficulty dating overseas.

691 writes on the value of mentors for a young man.

OneSTDV states that the Internet has ended the concept of the sweetheart.

Professor Hale outlines a plan to reform how graves work.

Roosh goes on a dune buggy adventure.

Talleyrand demolishes the notion that women select the “best” men.

Sofia thinks people over 30 are BO-RING.

Sparks123 takes a balanced look at evolutionary psychology.

Mark Baachman offers a New Deal for women.

Ben Leonard reports on the addictiveness of junk food.

Genius says why it’s not easy being hung like a horse.

J reports on the reasons for CUNY’s decline.

Robert Stacy McCain has fun with a troll.

Gerard O’Neill blames feminism for the debt epidemic among the Irish.

T. aka Ricky Raw posts Part 2 of his review of Precious.

Guy White develops a method for distinguishing race.

Jeff Riggenbach claims there never was an Old Right.

Agnostic writes on when it’s a good idea to fight for a good-looking older woman.

William Lind states that political correctness is cultural Marxism.

Daniel Larison explains how, despite the fantasies of conservatives, Sarah Palin is almost identical to John McCain.

Srdja Trifkovic analyzes the self-destruction of Catholicism and Protestantism.

John Robb writes on how to smash an insurgency.

Joe Bageant states that there’s no difference between the Democrats and Republicans.

Mike Payne reports on the fall of Playboy.

Mencius Moldbug lays out his plan to conquer America.

Razib Khan writes on the silent secularization of the U.S.

Jesus and Mary of Quran vs. the Celebrity Culture
http://forum09.faithfreedom.org/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4725&start=20

Hi the good friends here

The West must love Jesus and Mary as mentioned in Quran as their Social role Model to save the family institution- a natural bond, instead of following the Celebrity Culture so rampant in West perhaps mostly promoted by the confused Atheists Agnostic having no revealed Book or a natural system for life.

It is true that the reason oriented and enlightened Christians find no rational hero in the mythical concepts of Jesus- being son of god or god, and Mary- as an intercession, presented by cunning Paul and Church and the sinful scribes; and hence they leave Christianity silently .The Celebrity culture hardly promotes any family bond for sure.

The Church and the Christians should therefore present Jesus and Mary of Quran as a role model to salvage all such people.

This is also useful for the Atheists to become pro-life.

I love Jesus and Mary as mentioned in Quran

Thanks

After years of debating over the Internet (they rarely debate outside), believers and non-believers have finally reached a consensus on something about God: God is incredible.

in.cred.i.ble

adj.

1. not credible; so implausible as to elicit disbelief

2. extraordinary; astonishing.

UPDATE: There is a sequel to the above comic. It can be found here.

Yesterday was a very special day for me. About a month ago right here on the blog I got a message from a high school buddy of mine.

Chuck Paxton and I were good friends through high school. Sadly, as is so often the case right after high school our individual lives took us in different directions and we lost contact. It is mind boggling to me when I think, high school, that was 38 years ago. How did 38 years go by so very quickly.

Memory or at least mine is a funny thing. There are often times when I can’t remember something that happened an hour ago, but I have memories of things that happened 40 years ago.

For Chuck and I my memories go way back to even before we had girl friends. One day maybe I will post some of the “high jinx” we got up to.

My memories carry back to another high school friend. Teri Dowler definitely fell into the cute chick category. I can remember way back to when Teri and Chuck started dating. They did make such a good couple. I think that was in grade 11. I chuckle now when I think of how our friendship evolved. I can’t say our friendship began before we discovered girls, oh, we knew they were there. There is a big step involved for young guys going from “knowing” they are there to having the nerve to talk to one or even ask a girl out. We were friends through that stage. I chuckle because I think back to how our “priorities” changed. We for sure remained friends we just didn’t hang out together as much. I am sure Chuck will echo these same feelings back to me. It was sort of, huh, hang out with Chuck on a Friday night or go on a date with a girl. That certainly didn’t seem to be a hard decision. We double dated on occasion and the friendship carried on.

I had know Teri before they started dating but obviously got to know her better as she dated Chuck. I think I was about 16 at the time and as I got to know her better, I could see not only was she a cute hot chick she was also very very nice. Through high school we went.

Now, I want to say I attended their wedding about a year or two after high school. Hey, I am memory guy and will have to leave it at, I am pretty sure I attended their wedding. From there we pretty much disappeared from each others lives. Careers, life in general taking us in different directions.

Chuck and I only reconnects a month or two ago when he reached out through cyber space, found me here on the blog and left me a message. Since then emails have been going back and forth, with an occasional phone call thrown in.

Chuck was scheduled to actually be passing through Winnipeg,yesterday, He kindly stopped over to the house for a visit. Time restraints made the visit short but we reconnected as friends. So much time has passed we could have met as virtual strangers but for me anyway it wasn’t like that. We immediately fell into the comfortable feeling you have when talking to a dear friend.

Chuck, I thank you so very much for first off locating and then reaching out to contact me and for then taking the time to stop by for a visit. I appreciate it buddy. Let’s please try to stay in touch.

Reestablishing the friendship is great, no question of that. Sadly, it is not all good news. Teri passed away April 27/09.  I quote from one of our emails.

“Teri was diagnosed with lung cancer in Oct ‘07 and spent the neat year and a half going thru chemo, radiation treatments and major surgery trying to beat it, but nothing worked and she passed away April 27 ‘09″.

When I read that email, I did get a lump in my throat and tears did come to the eyes.

Only, yesterday did I learn Teri had initially be stricken with cancer 30 years ago. Went through all the treatments and beat it, such a strong and courageous lady. Chuck and family, my heart is bleeding for you.

So very many times I have said it is so much more difficult for the families. Chuck is a strong man and will get past this with time. Talking to him yesterday I could see and feel his pain at the loose of a life time partner.

I ask please for prayers for Chuck, his family and all that are currently in or facing such a very difficult and painful time.

Chuck, buddy, I may not have been around for you in the past, I didn’t know. But know I am here now.

An Atheist loves his fellow man instead of god. An Atheist believes that heaven is something for which we should work now – here on earth for all men together to enjoy.

An Atheist believes that he can get no help through prayer but that he must find in himself the inner conviction, and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it and enjoy it.

An Atheist believes that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help to a life of fulfillment.

He seeks to know himself and his fellow man rather than to know a god. An Atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An Atheist believes that a deed must be done instead of a prayer said. An Atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanquished, war eliminated. He wants man to understand and love man.

He wants an ethical way of life. He believes that we cannot rely on a god or channel action into prayer nor hope for an end of troubles in a hereafter.

He believes that we are our brother’s keepers; and are keepers of our own lives; that we are responsible persons and the job is here and the time is now.

One type of finch evolves into a slightly different type of finch – Just a few more cycles and it will evolve into Angelina Jolie, or something along those lines.  Golly, I guess that proves macro-evolution once and for all.  My bad.  I’ve been wrong all along.

—

12 Rules To Govern And Live By For Destroying An Economy And A Nation – Great list by Dan.  If I didn’t know better I’d think a certain nation was dutifully following them all.

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Great analysis of Bart Ehrman’s ironic and contradictory thinking. 

In the end, Jesus Interrupted can be best summarized as a book filled with ironies. Ironic that it purports to be about unbiased history but rarely presents an opposing viewpoint; ironic that it claims to follow the scholarly consensus but breaks from it so often; ironic that it insists on the historical-critical method but then reads the gospels with a modernist, overly-literal hermeneutic; ironic that it claims no one view of early Christianity could be “right” (Walter Bauer) but then proceeds to tell us which view of early Christianity is “right;” ironic that it dismisses Papias with a wave of the hand but presents the Gospel of the Ebionites as if it were equal to the canonical four; and ironic that it declares everyone can “pick and choose” what is right for them, but then offers its own litany of moral absolutes. Such intellectual schizophrenia suggests there is more going on in Jesus Interrupted than meets the eye. Though veiled in the garb of scholarship, this book is religious at the core. Ehrman does not so much offer history as he does theology, not so much academics as he does his own ideology. The reader does not get a post-religious Ehrman as expected, but simply gets a new-religious Ehrman–an author who has traded in one religious system (Christianity) for another (postmodern agnosticism). Thus, Ehrman is not out to squash religion as so many might suppose. He is simply out to promote his own. He is preacher turned scholar turned preacher. And of all the ironies, perhaps that is the greatest.

Hat tip: Alpha & Omega Ministries

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Hungry Americans: Debunking The Hype – How many hungry are there?  What are the real problems?  Also see where Dinesh D’Souza has interesting reflections on this:

This book, some of his articles, and many of his speeches make the following point: “Indeed, newcomers to the United States are struck by the amenities enjoyed by poor people. This fact was dramatized in the 1980s when CBS television broadcast a documentary, People Like Us, intended to show the miseries of the poor during an ongoing recession. The Soviet Union also broadcast the documentary, with a view to embarrassing the Reagan administration. But by the testimony of former Soviet leaders, it had the opposite effect. Ordinary people across the Soviet Union saw that the poorest Americans have TV sets, microwave ovens and cars. They arrived at the same perception that I witnessed in an acquaintance of mine from Bombay who has been unsuccessfully trying to move to the United States. I asked him, Why are you so eager to come to America? He replied, I really want to live in a country where the poor people are fat. Dinesh D’Souza “

A few months ago, I was coerced into attending a performance of Nicky Chaver’s Academy of Arts performance of “Creation.” I knew I was in for a long evening when the disembodied voice of the narrator (Ken Hines, I think) declared:

“Science changes, but God’s Word never changes.”

Uh – okay – the whole nature of science is to re-evaluate, explore, test, discover, hypothesize and change if need be. If, like the Bible, science never changed, we’d still think that the Earth was the center of the universe and that epilepsy was the result of demon possession.  This statement written by Chavers demonstrates the elemental lack of understanding most fundamentalist Christians have about science.

So, thankfully, science does change.

Religion, especially false religion, often fears curiosity, doubt, discovery, freedom and science. If religion possesses ultimate Truth, what does it have to fear from science?

Avoid any religion that tells you to “ignore that man behind the curtain!”

Physically am feeling fine, just still have the worn out feeling but better than before. Seem to have an extreme case of what I call my wonkie head going on. Have started 3 or 4 different posts in which I have been on a roll just rambling away. Taken a break and come back and have been unable to pick up my thought process or where it was I was going or trying to say. I have dozens and dozens of those kind of saved posts. I read them now and keep thinking I must have some thought in mind or some point I wanted to make. Who knows? Maybe I was just rambling away with the thoughts of the moment that lead no where.

We all know that everyone we meet in life is fighting their own battles, facing their own issues. We all wear a mask, the face we put on for the world to see. On the surface we may see the lives of others as being just so perfect or wonderful. We just can’t see beyond the public face they are putting on. We all have our issues. I am asking please for what I suppose could be called a general prayer for everyone. May every single person on this planet receive the love and the support they need in this day. May both Heavenly and Earth Angels abound this day.

Welcome back, friends!!!

Today we are going to break down the parable of the talents. At talent, as used in the parable, was a variable unit of weight and money used in ancient Greece, the Middle East, and Rome. Jesus shared the parable of the talents with His disciples. The parable is as follows:

“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.”

“Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them another five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.”

“After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, ‘Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.’ His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee a ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’”

“He also that had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.’ His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’”

“Then he which had received one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.’ His lord answered and said unto him, ‘Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” – Matthew 25:14-30 (KJV)

 So what does this parable mean? Very often you will find people willing to tell you that this parable is all about money. This is not so. While the parable uses talents (money) given to the servants, the example of the money that was given is symbolic of something far greater. Let’s break this down and see what this is all about.

First of all, the lord of the servants symbolizes our Lord, Jesus Christ. The servants are those who claim to serve the Lord, such as Jesus’ apostles at the time, as well as Christians yet to come.

Okay, so now that we know whom the players are, what exactly is the point? The “talents” of the parable symbolize the gifts that the Lord bestows upon us. This includes blessings of ability, knowledge, wealth, hope, faith, etc. Most importantly, this includes the word of God. Why did the lord of the parable commend and reward the first two servants? He rewarded them, because they had been faithful and obedient in their service to Him. Rather than being selfish or lazy, both of the first two servants actively worked to make the most of what their lord had given them. Subsequently, when their lord returned, they were able to return more back to the lord. Beloved, I’m sure you see the parallel here. Just as the lord of the parable returned after having been away for quite some time, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior will also return after having been in heaven for quite some time. When the Lord returns, all will have to give account of themselves. As the apostle Paul wrote:

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” – Romans 14:12 (KJV)

As we saw in the parable, the third servant did absolutely nothing productive with what his lord had given him. Instead, he just buried it in the ground. Beloved, there are unfortunately many people in this world that do the same with what the Lord has entrusted to them and blessed them with. Rather than use the gifts they have been given to do the Lord’s work, they bury their “treasure”. In so doing, they are unfaithful and disobedient to the Lord. For those that are unfaithful and disobedient to God, there will be severe consequences, including being cast into “outer darkness”. Beloved, are not called to kick back. We are called to serve. If we do not serve the Lord, then we have not really accepted Him as our Lord and Savior.

Brothers and sisters, when we face the Lord don’t we all want to see a pleased look on His face? There are no sweeter words you could imagine Him saying than, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” There’s only one way to do that, beloved. We must use what the Lord has blessed us with in order to prove ourselves as obedient and faithful servants of the Lord and good stewards of His gifts. This includes using any abilities that we have been blessed with to their utmost, and using all of our available resources to constantly spread the Lord’s love and word throughout the world. This is the Lord’s work, and we are all called to do it. While many of us will have different roles to carry out, different blessings/abilities, and different burdens, the things that unite all servants of the Lord are our faithfulness, obedience, and willingness to put serving Him above serving ourselves.

Beloved, Jesus Christ is truly Lord of all. However, each one of us has to decide what type of servant we want to be. I pray that each and every person taking part in this discussion will commit themselves to being a faithful and obedient servant that puts all that God has blessed them with to the utmost use in order to serve and glorify God and His blessed name. This includes using our tangible and intangible assets/blessings. Most importantly, it means sharing His Gospel with others. The Lord will reward us based on our faith and obedience to Him. Don’t look for those rewards in earthly treasures that will fade away with time. Rejoice in knowing that the Lord rewards with heavenly treasures:-) 

Beloved, don’t be timid in sharing the word of God. Just as the Lord’s love and word saved you, sharing the same with someone else may help them to turn their lives over to Christ. The best return we can provide to our Lord Jesus Christ is to show our faithfulness and obedience as we work to bring more laborers (believers) into the harvest. That only happens by making the most of what God gives us and sharing His love and word with all people that we can reach.

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you would like to do so, please pray the following prayer:

“Lord God Almighty, I know that I am a sinner and that I am lost.  I know that I need to be saved from sin, but I also know that I can’t save myself.  Lord Jesus, I know that only You can save me.  I know that you paid for my salvation with your own life and blood on the cross.  I know that when You rose from the grave on the third day, you provided everlasting life to all who trust in You.  Right now, I lay down my life and let go of my pride, my vanity and every other sin that has kept me from You.  Lord Jesus, I now completely trust my life to You.  I open my heart to You, Lord.  Please come into my heart.  Please forgive me of all of my sins, and please accept me as Your child.  From this point on, I commit my life to You.  Please guide me and provide me strength as I begin to live the rest of my life for You.  In Your precious and matchless name I pray. Amen.”

Beloved, if you just prayed that prayer sincerely, then you are now a citizen of Christ’s eternal kingdom. You are saved, precious one!!! A new creation has been born in you, as Jesus Christ has now taken root in your heart. You will still face problems in this world, but you will never again face those problems alone. Get to know your Savior by studying His perfect word, and share His love freely with all you encounter just as He has unconditionally bless you with His powerful and perfect love. Welcome to the family:-)

If ever I can support you in prayer over any area of your life, please send me your prayer request(s) either through the “Comments” box at the end of this message, or by emailing me directly at jasonthurwanger @ dellmail.com (no spaces). It is always a blessing to join you in prayer.  It is truly a wonderful and blessed thing when we come together to unleash God’s power through prayer.  He is truly greater than anything this world, or the enemy, can throw at us:-)  Praise God!!!  Thank you, Jesus!!!

Remember, if you would like to order the new book “Strapping On the Whole Armor of God – Suiting Up For Spiritual Warfare), please visit my website at http://www.yourbrotherinchrist.com .  If you prefer to order by mail, you will also find the mailing address on that website.  This book is very valuable in helping people understand how to go about securely and effectively putting on the whole armor of God that the apostle Paul refers to in Chapter 6 of Ephesians.  We are praying that many people will receive this book and be blessed in their walk with the Lord by reading it.

Thank you for joining in today’s discussion.  I hope you will join us for tomorrow’s day of prayer for this week’s prayer requests, as well.  Have a wonderful and bless remainder of the day.  Remember, this is the day that the Lord has made.  Let’s rejoice, and be glad in it:-)

May the Lord bless you, keep you, guide you, and make His face to shine upon you and your loved ones always.

Your brother in Christ,

Rev Jason Thurwanger

Richard Dawkins has famously said that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution has made him, not just an atheist, but “an intellectually fulfilled atheist.” In other words, by mixing a scientific theory with an ideology, Dawkins has found that his strict naturalism is, as it were, bolstered by the idea of evolution. Put still another way: a person challenged to defend his or her atheism can point to evolutionary theory as something that fits with atheism rather nicely, thank you very much. 

But wait. What other ideas fit rather nicely with Darwin’s theory of evolution? Surely not young earth creationism. You’re unlikely to ever hear a young earth creationist say, “Darwin’s theory of evolution has made it possible for me to be, not just a young earth creationist, but an intellectually fulfilled young earth creationist.” But there are other ideas, and not just atheism, that do seem to go rather nicely with Darwin’s theory of evolution. For some examples, it’s certainly not difficult to imagine someone saying any one of these things (however repulsive in some cases):

• “Darwin’s theory of evolution has made it possible for me to be, not just a liberal theologian, but an intellectually fulfilled liberal theologian.”
• “Darwin’s theory of evolution has made it possible for me to be, not just a Nietzschean, but an intellectually fulfilled Nietzschean.”
• “Darwin’s theory of evolution has made it possible for me to be, not just a capitalist, but an intellectually fulfilled capitalist.”
• “Darwin’s theory of evolution has made it possible for me to be, not just a mass murderer, but an intellectually fulfilled mass murderer.”
• “Darwin’s theory of evolution has made it possible for me to be, not just a soldier, but an intellectually fulfilled soldier.”
• “Darwin’s theory of evolution has made it possible for me to be, not just a eugenicist, but an intellectually fulfilled eugenicist.”
• “Darwin’s theory of evolution has made it possible for me to be, not just a nationalist, but an intellectually fulfilled nationalist.”
• “Darwin’s theory of evolution has made it possible for me to be, not just a socialist, but an intellectually fulfilled socialist.”
• “Darwin’s theory of evolution has made it possible for me to be, not just a misogynist, but an intellectually fulfilled misogynist.”

What makes Darwin’s theory of evolution so intellectually malleable that it can (at least theoretically and plausibly) accomodate so many divergent ideas, from the pro-social humanism of Albert Camus to the blood cult of Adolf Hitler? If you’re inclined, and sufficiently motivated and creative, you can connect the dots of evolutionary theory to all sorts of ideological positions, including Richard Dawkins’s style of atheism. Isn’t that interesting?

Busted: Exposing Popular Myths about Christianity by Fred von Kamecke

Busted
Thanks to Andrew Rogers of Zondervan for sending me this book to review. I had requested for Andrew to send me a book that he thought would be a good book for my readers. I think he chose quite well.
Busted deals with various myths about Christianity. Kamecke, as he writes, does not take the pains to document his sources. Neither does he write in a scholarly fashion. He writes for the common person who does not have the time to fight his way through difficult tomes to find the answers that they are seeking.
Busted busts many myths about Christianity. Whether the myth is that Christianity is a cruel, heartless religion, or that Jesus didn’t die on the cross, or that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead; these myths are busted. Perhaps one has heard the myth that the Bible books were chosen by a bunch of big-wigs in the fourth century, and were not simply thee Word of God as recognized by the church- Busted!
On, and on, and on, Kamecke simply destroys myth after myth.
What is very nice about this is that the book deals with the issue at hand in a very good manner. This book has no vitriolic tone. Neither does it call names or ridicule. In fact, good-natured humor plays a large role in the book.
At the end of each chapter is included a section that gives resources that one can go to for the purpose of learning even more about that particular myth.
I hope that this book gets the attention that it deserves. It is a gift to God’s people, that is definite.

View all my reviews >>

I have always enjoyed Carolyn Porco’s talks. She is the director of CICLOPS, the Cassini Imaging Science Team. Cassini is currently in orbit around Saturn.

In this talk given at the AAI 2009 Convention she covers some interesting topics (see video below). These include the question of science and atheism, can science determine if a god exists and the contribution of Galileo to the scientific method.  I think the latter subject is very important in the International Year of Astronomy. We keep being distracted from it by religious apologists whose only motive is to find excuses for the Church’s treatment of Galileo, in the process often distorting or denying Galileo’s scientific contributions. Porco also discusses problems with the modern-day public attitudes towards science.

A soap opera?

I have often though that a TV soap could be produced based on a scientific institute and showing all the normal human crises that scientists face – just like non-scientists. But at the same time portraying the satisfaction and exhilaration that comes from doing science. I am sure this could be much better than the routine soaps based at hospitals and police stations.

Carolyn Porco thinks the same way. And she has experience with Hollywood to back her up. She was a consultant for the film Contact, based on Carl Sagan’s fictional book Contact.

She includes some amazing images taken from her work on the Cassini mission. A really dramatic shot of Saturn, back lit by the sun and the small blue dot of the earth peeping through its rings.

Watch more videos from AAI 2009.

Thanks to RichardDawkins.net: ‘Science in Hollywood’ by Carolyn Porco.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGSv-uZCOyY

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