Curtis & Leroy saw an ad in the Kentville Advertiser Newspaper in
> Kentville, N.S. and bought a mule for $100.
> The farmer agreed to deliver the mule the next day.
> Te following morning the farmer drove up, and said: “Sorry, fellers, I
> have some bad news for you, the mule died last night.”
> Curtis & Leroy replied; “Well then, just give us our money back.”
> The farmer said; ” Can’t do that…I went and spent it already.”
> They said; “Okay then, just bring us the dead mule.”
> The farmer asked; “What in the world ya’ll gonna do with a dead mule?”
> Curtis said; “We gonn’a raffle him off.”
> The farmer said; “You can’t raffle off a dead mule!”
> Leroy said; “We shore can! Heck, we don’t haft’a tell nobody he’s dead!”
>
> A couple of weeks later, the farmer ran into Curtis & Leroy at the Co-Op grocery store and asked: “Say…what’d you fellers ever do with that dead mule?”
> Curis, said; “We raffled him off like we said we wuz gonn’a do.”
> he added; “Shucks, we sold 500 tickets fer two dollars a piece and made a profit of $898.”
> The farmer said; “My Lord, didn’t anyone complain…?”
> Curt is said; “Well, the feller who won was really upset. So we gave him his two dollars back.” Curtis and Leroy now work for the government. They’re overseeing investigation of the Senate and the spending scandal.
I’m writing to extend a personal invitation for all subscribers to the most important Christian observance of the year, as Jesus himself directed. It will be held at sundown on Thursday April 2nd. 2026*
You are warmly invited to join more than 20 million world-wide in 240+ lands who will be attending either in person at Kingdom Hall’s or on Zoom. If you would like further information visit ‘JW.org‘.
This is a re-print of a well-circulated email I received. I do not know the author, but am very impressed with the logic offered, perhaps you will be also…?
By Jason Carlson and Ron Carlson
Is the Bible the Inspired Word of God?
During a question and answer session at a recent speaking engagement, a university student asked me, “Why do you believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God?” Now this is a very interesting question; and probably one of the most important questions any Christian could ask themselves. What is so special, so unique about the Bible that Christians believe it is literally the inspired word of God?
In answering this student’s question, I encouraged him to consider the following facts about the Bible:
First, the Bible is not just one single book. This is a more common misconception than many people realize, especially with people who do not come from a Judeo-Christian background. Rather than being a single book, the Bible is actually a collection of 66 books, which is called the canon of scriptures. These 66 books contain a variety of genres: history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom literature, letters, and apocalyptic just to name a few.
Second, these 66 books were written by 40 different authors. These authors came from a variety of backgrounds: shepherds, fishermen, doctors, kings, prophets, and others. And most of these authors never knew one another personally.
Third, these 66 books were written over a period of 1500 years. Yet again, this is another reminder that many of these authors never knew or collaborated with one another in writing these books.
Fourth, the 66 books of the Bible were written in 3 different languages. In the Bible we have books that were written in the ancient languages of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic; a reflection of the historical and cultural circumstances in which each of these books were written.
And finally, these 66 books were written on 3 different continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. Once again, this is a testament to the varied historical and cultural circumstances of God’s people.
Think about the above realities: 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents. What’s more, this collection of books shares a common storyline- the creation, fall, and redemption of God’s people; a common theme- God’s universal love for all of humanity; and a common message- salvation is available to all who repent of their sins and commit to following God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength. In addition to sharing these commonalities, these 66 books contain no historical errors or contradictions. God’s word truly is an amazing collection of writings!
After I had shared the above facts with this student, I offered him the following challenge: I said to him, “If you do not believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, if you do not believe that the Bible is of a supernatural origin, than I challenge you to a test.” I said to the student, “I challenge you to go to any library in the world, you can choose any library you like, and find 66 books which match the characteristics of the 66 books in the Bible. You must choose 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, written on 3 different continents. However, they must share a common storyline, a common theme, and a common message, with no historical errors or contradictions.” I went on to say, “If you can produce such a collection of books, I will admit that the Bible is not the inspired word of God.” The student’s reply was almost instantaneous, he emphatically stated, “But that’s impossible!”
“But that’s impossible!” It truly is impossible, for any collection of human writings. However, the Bible passes this test. The Bible contains 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents, with no historical errors or contradictions. The entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, bears the mark of Divine inspiration.
The next time you encounter someone who asks you why you believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, try sharing this challenge with them. Better yet, don’t wait until you’re asked, just go ahead and share this challenge with a friend today. You don’t even have to mention the Bible up front, just ask them if they think it would be realistic to assemble such a collection of books. After they say, “But that’s impossible!” you’ve got a ready-made opportunity for sharing the truth of God’s word with somebody!
Supplemental: What did Isaac Newton have to say about the Bible? Click on this link: Isaac Newton on the Bible.
Isn’t it exciting to hear there may be earth-like planets, namely those that orbit suns similar to our own, perhaps even in abundance ‘out there’ in the universe?! Yes, but let’s take a step back and analyze ‘why’ its exciting for a moment.
Could it be that our human emotions are based on hope? What I mean is this; based on human history, (I refer to written history and not speculative pre-history), there have been many technological accomplishments, however, sociologically not so much, or to put it simply, human relations have, for the most part, been an abysmal failure.
Arguably, history has recorded that modern man is pretty much a failure in human relations. For instance when has there ever been an extended period in at least 2000 years that hasn’t included wars, genocides, oppression, atrocities, ad infinitum!
In my humble opinion failures throughout history have engendered a present day ‘faint hope’ that somewhere, somehow, mankind will find relief, or to put it another way, ‘salvation’, from his earthly experience. (I would also submit this is the very basis of the ‘theory’ of evolution.) In other words an attempt to absolve humanity from our blood stained past, and even more so, its present!
Its no secret that the dramatic increase in world population has brought about the prospect of mass-extinction, despite enormous potential for increase… why? In a nutshell; the answer is clearly human mismanagement, be it environmentally, politically, or economically!
But I digress; returning to the aforementioned planetary discoveries; what is it that really excites us about them? Isn’t it all about finding relief from our human failures? The vain hope that if there is life on other planets it may somehow point the way to discover or make human life somehow successful, an existence that has eluded us on earth?
For example, remember the classic Sci-Fi movie “The Day The Earth Stood Still”? An alien galactic envoy arrives to warn that robots were authorized to arbitrarily enforce galactic peace. They were said to be programmed to obliterate any planet who threatened a galactic peace protocol by the misuse of atomic power! (A very human approach no doubt!)
In conclusion, I submit that mankind as a whole is missing the ‘woods for the trees’. What I mean by that is the greatest human to ever live provided us with the way out of our failed human condition, the way to achieve what many are now seeking in the stars.
He told us what to seek, how and where to find it, and the result would be nothing less than everlasting life on a paradise earth! Therefore shouldn’t that be our primary focus? Because whether we seek it or not, earth is scheduled for exactly that ideal future by its eternal Creator! Indeed, have faith: it really will happen, with, or without, our personal benefit, and right here on planet earth!
Stories on the news often stimulate memories, particularly for seniors. Tonight there was a mention of the ‘False Creek’ waterway between West end Vancouver and West side Vancouver. By water it’s about 1.2 kilometers according to A.I.
My friend and I were regular Crystal Pool* swimmers in the 1950’s, not more than 13 years old at the time. After swimming in the Crystal Pool we were still filled with youthful vigor.
For no particular reason one of us, probably me, got the so-called ‘bright idea’ to boldly swim across to Kitsilano Beach (i.e. related Vanier park). It was barely in sight after sunset, directly across from the old Crystal Pool, an area known as Sunset Beach.
Since we had donned our street clothes after our swim at the pool, we had to determine how to do this challenging feat. Again we had a bright idea, namely, we would undress (possibly with swim suits on) and place our clothes on some scavenged beach wood in order to keep it dry as we pushed it ahead of us right across the harbor! Of course it also served as extra buoyancy as we hung onto it.
Indeed we did exactly that, keeping our clothes above water as we swam. I have no idea how clean the water was in those days, all I know is it was quite cool compared to the Crystal pool salt water, but not really cold either as this was in summer. Currents, and/or tides, didn’t cause us any problems, perhaps just out of good fortune. In fact as I recall we laughed about our bold endeavor as we kept in contact swimming across False Creek adjacent English Bay.
Now when we got across to a rocky beach area, it dawned on us it was going to be an unfamiliar and perhaps distant walk to the bus line needed to return to our homes in Southeast Vancouver!
Since we were flushed with success and feeling somewhat over-confident it seemed only natural we could just swim back to Sunset beach and that’s exactly what we did!
This episode in my young life has remained secret from that day to this as far as I can recall. And please note; I do not recommend it for youths, or anyone today, especially considering the great possibility of a far more polluted False Creek today than in the ’50’s and ’60’s, though I have no specific information.
Is it possible for our puny human brain to actually be in touch with the Creator of all things? Arguably its a question philosophers and thoughtful people have struggled with since the beginning of written history.
For instance speaking of human history, year after year archeological discoveries confirm entire ancient civilizations now being uncovered in South America were ‘primarily’ based on worship of an all powerful god in one form or another.
In truth its simply no exaggeration to say there is an innate desire in all humanity to communicate with a supreme Creator! And with limited knowledge, many societies have conferred this desire on objects of wood or stone, in the vain hope they would be heard and benefit therefrom. Is so-called ‘modern man’ really so different? Or is technology filling that very same role today? Its a fair question considering how much focus of attention is given to it in all its material forms, from smart phones to orbiting satellites.
Of course it is obvious to thinking people a far, far, superior entity exits some refer to as the ‘first cause’ of all life on earth. Ever more true science clearly points to a Creator of life on earth in all its genetic forms. Generations of observant mankind see abundant visible evidence of this.* However this is also backed up by inspired prophetic scriptures with positive reinforcement of that evidence, in spades!
Can it truly be said there is solid evidence to base hope and belief on other than lifeless wood or stone, effigies, technology and icon’s, or even paintings, etc, but rather on an invisible all-wise and loving spiritual God?
Albert Einstein epithet; “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” [Science, Philosophy and Religion]
In fact scientific confirmation is being added every day, consider this….and keep in mind this was written thousands of years before DNA confirmed this… “Your eyes even saw me as an embryo; All its parts were written in your book Regarding the days when they were formed, Before any of them existed.” (Psalm 139:16 NWT Bible) Hebrew scripture written by King David;
Another example; “He (God) stretches out the northern sky over empty space, Suspending the earth upon nothing” (Job26:7 NWT Bible)Again, recorded scripture written thousands of years before space travel confirmed this fact, during a time when most of mankind believed the earth stood on on the back of a turtle or an elephant or had some other ignorant idea!
These are just a couple of examples of the accuracy and authenticity of inspired scriptures, i.e. Holy Scripture. As if simple observation of all life and beginning to be understood ecological systems on planet earth were not enough in and of themselves!
What is more, he has promised to restore this sadly damaged planet to its optimal condition, including all mankind…. “….he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.” Also he says: “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”(Revelation21:3-5)
“He is the Maker of the earth by his power, The One who established the productive land by his wisdom And who stretched out the heavens by his understanding.” (Jeremiah51:15)
True; humility is needed in order to acknowledge plain observable truth that we are the product of an invisible, spiritual, benevolent all-mighty-Creator, well represented by his son. Please visit JW.org for much more news and information plus a free study of the Bible, you’ll never regret it!
Just in the USA about 49,476 people died by suicide in 2022! Many of those being youths. How incredibly sad is that!? Indeed the prospects for youths and even adults was severely affected by the Covid-19 virus and variants. But that is only one cause for giving up on life itself. My point in addressing this tragic issue is somewhat related to John Milton’s epic poems; ‘from paradise lost to paradise regained’ * but not entirely…please read on;
No doubt the absence of hope is the root cause of many if not most suicides! Clearly then, what is needed is real hope for the future based on solid facts.
Where can we find such real hope in a world that consistently engenders economic greed; government corruption; destruction of the environment; crime and violence; and the list goes on!?
The promise of ‘a return to paradise’ is a main theme of scripture. And scripture has been proven to be just as reliable as the rising of the sun. How can this be said? To begin with most scripture is recorded history of God’s dealings with man. That being the case, it’s possible to compare the biblical record with the known facts of history. Does it meet that litmus test, indeed it does! In fact many times the previously doubted Bible record has been proven correct when new archaeological and/or other factual historical evidence comes to light.
Indeed scriptures have shamed critics and proven to be accurate beyond any contradiction time and again, including references to known science; for one example the Psalmist said ‘his makeup was written down in a book before he was born’! A perfectly clear reference to only recently known DNA! And again, the scriptures refer to the ‘circle of the earth hanging on nothing’! These words were written thousands of years before science confirmed them. Obviously the Bible was ‘inspired’ by the one who created these wonders we have only begun to appreciate!
The answer my friends is ‘written on the wind’, in a manor of speaking. The rotten conditions that exist on our beautiful planet are not in keeping with its purpose at all. ** Little wonder so many people feel hopeless. We naturally and rightly wish for a better world, a united world of mankind living in peace and security with plenty for all! And that is exactly what is promised for those who exercise faith in our Creator’s promise to regain paradise lost!
‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away,’…. ‘And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away’…. ‘And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.’….’Also he says: “Write, for these words are faithful and true.'(Revelation 21:1-5 excerpts)
** “For too long, we have been waging a senseless and suicidal war on nature. The result is three interlinked environmental crises: climate disruption, biodiversity loss and pollution that threaten our viability as a species.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
Scientists say we are reaching a tipping point for many of earth’s normal life cycles. What is a tipping point you may ask? It is a point estimated to be where there will no longer be any possibility of natural environmental restoration!
As depressing as the current slide towards a world that is at its ‘tipping point’, amazingly restoration is still possible! Not by all those who have contributed to its destruction, such as failing governments of all kinds, and greedy merchants, to name just a few contributers.
“You must pray, then, this way: Our Father in the heavens, let your name+ be sanctified Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth.” Indeed that is the only real remedy for the downward spiral of environmental conditions, AND ongoing human suffering!
Thanks for visiting, and please also visit my post here for further encouragement:
Please take note; There never has, and never will be, an evolutionary jump, gradual or otherwise, from one genetic ‘kind’ to another! In actual fact there has never been, nor ever will be, a ‘beneficial or progressive’ mutation!!
I know this is not what you have been taught from unwitting sources and blind news reports. Just think about it; mutations, animal or vegetable, always result in degradation of some kind. Mutations simply do not result in ‘improvements’ or ‘advancements’ genetically, period. In simple terms a mutation is a damaged DNA gene, resulting in defects or illness. Much less the speculated millions of them to produce some significant change in life forms! No, there is simply no evidence this has ever happened, not even one, except in science fiction such as ‘Mutants’ movies!
On the other hand there’s a a very natural and normal process called ‘entropy’! Entropy is literally the breaking down to ‘disorder’ from something that is ‘ordered’. This applies to inanimate objects as well as animate (living) cells. Think about what would happen to your car if you were to park it in a farmers field and do nothing to it for years. In time it would deteriorate and eventually be reduced to little more than basic elements. Exactly the same process happens to living cells, only much more quickly!
With living cells the same natural process is simply called aging (or ageing). Remember the Eagles song ‘All We Are Is Dust In The Wind’? Even better stated in scripture; “For dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19)
The same principle applies to any living creature born with an abnormality, not withstanding the help of modern medical science. A defect will not and cannot be an improved version of any particular kind, much less be a ‘stepping stone’ to becoming an entirely ‘different’ kind of creature, as the theory of evolution requires!
Indeed, all biological creatures, human or animals age, (atrophy) and die, returning to dust just the same as physical objects eventually do.
This is science fact, not fiction, and it cannot be ignored. Yet that is what is done by those advocating evolution.
To further demystify this theory; within the dog ‘family’, there are a great variety of animals, all related, from foxes to wolves to jackals and coyote’s, besides a countless number of domestic dog’s. Great diversity within the dog family for sure, and all genetically linked. Yet at no time has a ‘dog kind’ of animal ever been a ‘bird kind’, a ‘fish kind’, or an ‘insect kind’ of creature, or vice versa, except in human imagination! Once again as the theory of evolution depends.
This must not be confused with the well proven capability of most life forms to adapt to environmental conditions, so please ‘read my lips’….
‘Adaptation is not evolution!’ It simply does not result in a stepping stone or so-called ‘big jump’ change to a different family kind of creature!
Contrary to popular opinion, Darwin’s own observation of Finches proves this point. He noted there was a change in the size and shape of bird beaks as they ‘adapted to different food sources’. But that ‘natural adaptation’ does not begin to support evolutionary theories, namely any change from a bird kind of creature to some other kind!
Variations in each ‘family kind’ are often confused by the human designation of ‘species’. For example a wolf and a fox terrier may be regarded as different species, as categorized by anthropologists etc, but that does not make them a different ‘family kind’ of animal. The same is true of black or gray squirrels, varieties of moths, or even the 10,000 ‘species’ of birds!
In other word, differentiating creatures as different species does not necessarily separate them genetically, they may simply be a member of their own ‘family kind’. Describing animals within each ‘family kind’ as different ‘species’ merely tends to obfuscate reality.* Separation of family kinds by this arbitrary and often confusing method is a little like classifying basketball players as different from each other because they play on different teams, wearing different colored shorts!
The point is that there has never been fundamental changes within each and every ‘family kind’ so as to become a member of a ‘different family kind’.
And that includes us humans. For example; Asian, Caucasian, Negroid, Germanic, et al, are all simply members of ‘human kind’. All are of the very same genetic pool, not different ‘species’. Evolutionists designations not withstanding, humans are not, and never have been, part of the ape ‘family’, or any other family kind of creature.
Recent genome studies are adding more proof of this every day. Humans and apes are simply unrelated, that is a science fact.**
Therefore please do not be misled by a confusing and completely unsupported theory. So-called ‘transitional’ human artifacts, namely bits and pieces of bone which likely could be contained in a single travel trunk, and do not even begin to support the idea of millions of years of so called ‘dead ends’ as required by this theory, or its many variations. Evolutionary theories, based on the mythical idea of ‘millions of years’ of mutations has been so frequently revised and re-worked is not even just a single unified theory anymore.
No matter how many millions of year’s are suggested, basic well-proven scientific principals apply, and those principles completely contradict evolution. It will always remain just a theory no matter how frustrating that is for its advocates.
Frankly, in my view, the main proponents are those who are too proud to accept the obvious… namely; all life on earth, animal and vegetable, is so highly complex and detailed that it simply could not be other than the product of a power and intelligence far beyond our human understanding, well known in most cultures as the ‘Creator’.
‘Creation’, should not be marginalized by theories which attempt to undermine the glory and beauty of our blue marble planet, and especially not its wise, supremely intelligent Creator.
Indeed all life on earth, including ‘mankind’, gives abundant evidence of an awesome Creator, the one who made “each one according to its kind” so that everything was “very good”. (please read Genesis, chapter 1, in the holy Bible).
But if you are still in doubt, please view this very revealing utube video. If your not convinced of ‘divinity’ after seeing what this Mathematician has to say, there is nothing more to be said!
** International science team concludes; “During the last decade it was commonly accepted that humans and…. chimpanzees, only differed by 1.24 % in our DNA sequences. This (new) discovery shows that this figure is absolutely incorrect and, what is more, may be ten times higher.” Also; “Humans and primates are qualitatively different.” (extract from 2009 study), click here for… 2009 science team report
Quotation: “The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will make you an evolutionist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.” Werner Heisenberg (father of quantum mechanics!)
What’s it like to view the earth from outside the space station? After 9 spacewalks NASA astronaut Mike Fincke puts it this way;”…seeing the whole cosmos of creation….it’s just awe-inspiring”.* Other astronauts have this to say: “I felt very insignificant in that vastness of space,” Ms Sharman says. “Seeing Earth so clearly, the swirls of clouds and the oceans, made me think about the geopolitical boundaries that we construct and how actually we are completely interconnected.”
Ms Stott says she loved living with six people from different countries “doing this work on behalf of all life on Earth, working together, figuring out how to deal with problems”. Astronaut Kimiya Yui recently (2025) observed; “The views from the ISS are all spectacular, but the collaboration between Earth and the starry sky is simply the best,”
However, in spite of such well informed expressions, the focus since mankind has achieved ability to circle the earth in orbit, has arguably become the exploration of ‘other’ planets, besides the moon. So my question is ‘why’? Hasn’t it become abundantly obvious to all thinking people, the earth, often called ‘mother earth’* is the very special, very specific, home of mankind? Just how much scientific, factual. evidence is needed to verify this very basic, very obvious, truth?! Exploration is apparently a natural trait of humans. However as has often been said; we actually know less about what’s in deep ocean waters than we do about near space! Doesn’t that suggest the great emphasis on space exploration is a strange, even ‘unnatural’ bias for major exploration efforts? Is our insatiable appetite for plundering valued resources even being extended beyond earth now!?
(quotation) “Maybe the most amazing fact about Earth is that it’s the only planet we know that supports life at all. A lot of things had to go right for this to be possible. For one, our planet is perfectly distanced from the sun in what scientists call “the Goldilocks zone” because it’s not too hot and not too cold
The Earth is also protected from solar radiation thanks to its magnetic field, and kept warm by an insulating blanket we call the atmosphere. And most important, it has the right building blocks for life — mainly water and carbon.
Take note of this quote by ethnobotanist and anthropologist Wade Davis: “The fact that carbon dioxide combines with water, sparked by photons of light, to give us the food we eat and air we breathe – That’s the formula of life” (i.e. learning how the Kreb’s cycle converts the sugars assembled by photosynthesis into cellular energy through aerobic respiration, “was a miracle to me.”)
If we are truly curious to learn more about life, why not focus our attention on life on our wondrous, beautiful, even mysterious planet, instead of making haste to explore other planets, planets so far proven to be completely lacking in the countless features of our earth, not to mention any form of life.? * And all such efforts creating serious, if not dangerous, competition between nations no less!
If you had a house needing repairs, but it was still fundamentally sound, would you simply ignore it to pursue some other far less attractive place in a hostile neighborhood? No, the logic of space exploration, as stimulating as that may be for us it simply does not meet the litmus test of sanity! But then what grandiose human activity ever has? E.g. consider the ongoing environmental damage caused by the industrial revolution with all its now known attendant detrimental consequences to the environment, not to mention damage resulting from the ‘nuclear age’, or as yet untold harmful consequences from the computer age!
Isn’t it crystal clear by now all mankind is, and has been, complicit in destroying planet Earth whether knowingly or unknowingly?
Yet there is a genuine hope for the future, not by the hands of mankind, rather in spite of mankind! Indeed the Creator of this beautiful ‘blue marble’ well knows how to restore his perfect creation, to remove any and all who are exploiting or causing shameful environmental damage!
* * Note: “…his invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship,..” (Romans 1:20)
* Indeed the euphemism ‘mother earth‘ may be quite apropos’ given all components of the human body are most likely only found on earth – including 60% water. This begs the question; ‘Who is the Father of the Earth?’ The one who used those components to create all the awesome and complex life forms from those components! Think about it!
* “…Mars is effectively one big desert.” (the words of Professor Rabinovich, Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. In our Creators’ own reliable prophetic words: * “….look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be called to mind….” (Isaiah 65:17) …”and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” (Revelation 11:18) Thanks for viewing!
My comment: ‘The Book of life’
“Earth is a book, our Mother indeed, chapters are seasons, timely to read. Plans for all life, real pages to turn. Cover to cover, lessons to learn. Noble blue marble, a world in decline, soon to be fixed by He who designed!”
Recent airplane ownership of a Piper tri-pacer afforded me the opportunity to invite some local neighbors along with family to explore one of our BC coastal gems.
With picnic lunches and eager families we took off and landed in less than 30 minutes on one of the small pristine Gulf Islands * just South of Nanaimo.
It was uninhabited in those days, the 70’s, with a cleared grass center right down the middle about 2500′ from shoreline to shoreline, a little rough but perfectly ok for my venerable ‘milking stool’ Piper, so nick-named due to its high landing gear.
It took a couple of flights to transport all of us from my Butler-Howroyd home airfield in North Saanich, but worth it. Kids fished off rocks at the Southern end, and we all enjoyed the brief outing away from city life.
When time came for a return flight, I found the battery weak on my yellow bird. Spinning the prop by hand to start the engine now became necessary. With throttle and brake set, I cranked until nearly exhausted without result! Likely a flooded fuel issue. Spinning the prop in reverse finally cleared it, and thankfully the faithful Lycoming engine roared to life. I’m not sure what we could have done if it hadn’t started!
Two round trips and a day on a tiny gulf island. It was a memorable experience for us all.
* Hudson Island, named after the Hudson’s Bay Company, (31 Acre Island) next to much larger Thetis Island.
Here is a slightly edited version and PLEASE NOTE: HORRIFIC DOCUMENTED CASES OF CHILD ABUSE IN THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS REPRINT.
By secular standards, the Catholic Church is a corrupt organization and
Federal authorities should treat it like one!
Neil Macdonald · CBC News · Posted: Aug 26, 2018 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: August 26, 2018
WARNING: This column contains disturbing details
Imagine for a moment that a big, admired multinational corporation, one selling a beloved product, was employing large numbers of male pedophiles and rapists, operating in rings all over the world, and that their crimes had been uncovered in Australia, Ireland, Canada, the Philippines, Belgium, France, Austria, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Britain, Germany and the United States, and, further, that senior executives had systematically covered up and suppressed evidence, transferring and enabling hundreds of predators, betraying thousands of victims.
What would happen to the company is not terribly difficult to imagine.
At a minimum, the U.S. government would likely use its Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law to go after not only the rapists and molesters, but also the company’s executives, up to and including its CEO if possible, seizing the company’s assets and seeking the harshest possible prison terms. That’s the sort of thing RICO was invented for. The company would almost certainly collapse. But of course no company’s warranty guarantees everlasting life, and no company maintains that its CEO is chosen by God.
Grand jury report: (continued) The Roman Catholic church does, which is the only explanation for why, after the release of a grand jury report that detailed more than 1,000 cases of sexual abuse in Pennsylvania over several decades by more than 300 predators in clerical collars, many of whom are still alive, millions of American Catholics continued to attend mass.
(DISGUSTING GRAPHIC DOCUMENTED CASES ARE DELETED FROM THIS REPRINTING HERE)
‘We showed no care for the little ones’: Pope’s letter vows to end sex abuse, coverups
Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Josh Shapiro, told reporters last week that high church officials “routinely and purposefully described the abuse as ‘horseplay’ and ‘wrestling,'” choosing to transfer the pedophiles to other congregations (where they’d have a whole new selection of horseplay partners), or send them away for prayerful reflection before returning to duty.
Unfortunately, though, Shapiro said, the statute of limitations has run out in most of the cases, or the priests involved had died. Pity, Shapiro was implying, because if they could, authorities would vigorously pursue and prosecute and imprison not only the perpetrators, but their enablers and protectors. Or not. Actually, probably not. Inevitably, that scale of prosecution – we are talking about inflicting severe damage to the Catholic Church in the United States – would require steadfast political will, and seriously, what politician seeking re-election wants to alienate 24 per cent of Americans, many of whom, despite clear evidence of the church’s moral rot, insist on believing it is infallible? Pope Francis released an open letter to the world’s Catholics after the Pennsylvania revelations, basically repeating the company line. (Alessandra Tarantino/Associated Press)
The same goes elsewhere. Revelations of horrors in all the above-mentioned Western countries (here in Canada, there was documented abuse in Quebec, British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, where the church’s Mount Cashel orphanage was operated as sort of a prison for child sex slavesresulted in dismissals of some church officials, some lawsuits and a handful of criminal convictions, but not much more than that.)
Each time, the Pope or one of his high subalterns would lament human frailty, and drone on about the sacred duty to protect the most vulnerable, while privately fighting to thwart civil suits or conspiring to keep facts from investigating authorities.
Pope Francis, who enjoys the most saintly reputation of any recent pope (except for John Paul II, who was actually made a saint, despite all the ugly revelations on his watch) released an open letter to the world’s Catholics after the Pennsylvania revelations, basically repeating the company line: gosh, sorry, that was terrible, we must do better, God bless you all, go in peace.
Noting first that “most of these cases belong to the past,” (don’t all cases belong to the past?) the Pope banged on for 2,000 words about feeling the pain of the vulnerable, and the necessity of ensuring it doesn’t happen again (and again and again and again), but his central theme was expressed right off the top in a line from Corinthians: “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it.”
Yes. Of course. Let’s compare the spiritual suffering the Pope claims the revelations have caused him to that of a child being sodomized by an adult stalker in a clerical collar, a monster the boy probably doesn’t think he’s even allowed to complain about.
Resisting change
The right thing for the Pope to do would be to waive his sovereign privilege (he is a sitting head of state), and invite criminal authorities to freely and fully access church records worldwide, and drain the holy swamp. He might also consider at this stage ordaining women, because women are God’s creatures too, perfectly able to spiritually guide the faithful, and, umm, don’t tend to rape children.
But the privileged old men who run the church aren’t going to allow any of that. They’re a bit like gun control opponents, opposing an obvious solution on doctrinaire grounds.
There actually have been a few attempts to use the RICO statute against priests, notably in Cleveland, but jurors did not convict
When former Oklahoma governor and former federal prosecutor Frank Keating, a practicing Catholic, compared the church’s obsession with secrecy to the Mafia’s, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles demanded his ouster from a church board examining clerical abuse. Keating resigned from the panel.
Mahony, who covered up sexual abuse by priests in California, according to church records, retired peacefully at age 75. Only after a court order compelled the Los Angeles archdiocese to open its files on abuse was Mahony gently rebuked by the church.
The National (news cast)
Pope Francis condemns priestly sexual abuse.
Pope Francis condemned priestly sexual abuse and its cover-up by the Catholic Church, in a public letter. In addition to demanding accountability, Francis begged forgiveness for the pain suffered by victims and said Catholics must be involved in any effort to root out abuse.
By any secular standard, the Catholic Church is a corrupt organization. It in fact sets the standard for impunity.
Cardinal Bernard Law, who presided over the coverup of the church’s famous Boston sex abuse scandals, was plucked and brought to Rome by Pope John Paul II, where he resided until he died at the Vatican, beyond the reach of American prosecutors.
Earlier this year, after Bishop Juan Barros of Chile was accused of covering up clerical abuse, Pope Francis denounced the accusers’ “calumny.” When it turned out that there was merit to the accusations, and that the Vatican had been informed of the problem, Francis claimed he’d been misinformed. A few weeks later, all 34 of Chile’s bishops tendered their resignations. Francis eventually accepted three of them.
And now, Catholic activist Susan Reynolds has gathered thousands of signatures on a letter demanding the resignation of all American bishops. It would be the right thing to do, but at a guess, the very notion amuses America’s bishopry, comfortable in their armour of piety.
RICO, aggressively deployed by federal prosecutors using wiretaps, search warrants and informants, would be far more effective. They can’t all flee to Rome.
This column is part of CBC’s Opinion section. For more information about this section, please read this editor’s blog and our FAQ.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neil Macdonald
Opinion Columnist
Neil Macdonald is an opinion columnist for CBC News, based in Ottawa. Prior to that he was the CBC’s Washington correspondent for 12 years, and before that he spent five years reporting from the Middle East. He also had a previous career in newspapers, and speaks English and French fluently, and some Arabic.
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I left rather late in one afternoon and flew directly from Victoria airport over Georgia Straight and coastal mountains to the 108 airstrip. It was (is?) an excellent paved strip capable of handling larger airplanes as intended. However as the sun set I was amazed at the total absence of anyone in the vicinity, including a nearby store and golf course!? In fact even while I spent the night under the stars in a sleeping bag right on the golf course, yet I never saw a single person! To this day that is puzzling.
It was intended only as a quick educational trip to 108 ranch resort 300 miles from Vancouver B.C. Block Bros. Realty a well known Vancouver real estate firm beginning in 1960’s Vancouver, had sponsored, and financed this recreation retreat. In spite of considerable investment and promotion it never succeeded as hoped for several reasons. For more information on this project go here: http://108 Ranch Resort by Block Bros. Realty
Despite the reasons for its eventual failure, including driving distance from Vancouver, Henry Block * had developed notable features, 18-hole PGA golf course, clubhouse, swimming pool, restaurant and lounge, and a 20-room lodge, which were completed by 1972, to encourage investors.
I was very intrigued by it as a youthful Realtor in Vancouver. So sometime after acquiring my pilot’s license, and airplane, I decided to take a quick trip from my Victoria base to take a look at it.
In any case the next day, perhaps because of some disappointment at the 108, I decided to fly South before returning home. As I did I noticed a small airstrip next to Green Lake and decided to land and have a look. It was a very dry dusty landing, but just across the road there was a ‘dude ranch’* where a family from the lower mainland was vacationing that welcomed me! Somewhat overwhelmed by their hospitality, I ended up joining an evening around open camp fire, but not before a trail ride that was an experience of a lifetime in the afternoon! See this great video on the Flying U Ranch!: * * * Flying U dude ranch
With very limited ‘horse sense’, I was invited to join the family galloping (and I do mean full speed) through a forested area you could hardly call a trail! I hung on for dear life as small trees and bush brushed my legs and threatened to rip me off my steed, it really was the experience of a lifetime!
Afterward we drank some beers around a large and hospitable camp fire under a starry night. I could not believe how fortunate I was, and only wish I had my own family with me there. Once again I slept in my sleeping bag out in the open under an awesome Caribou sky as can only be fully seen far away from city lights.
The next morning I took off early in a huge cloud of fine dust from the short dirt airstrip, and after doing a low pass or two over the ranch, headed South to Vernon. At an airstrip shop there I found partners who had sold me a Mooney airplane previously. As fellow pilots, typically, they gave me the keys to a vehicle in order to briefly spend a few sunny moments on a lakeside beach! However, it was past time to head home and I did so that afternoon.
Only less than a two day experience, but as memorable as ever can be for me!
From deep within her bowels came a foreboding, muffled, BrrruuUMMPUMPP!
Like a wounded beast with its belly ripped open, the pride of B.C. Ferries ‘Queen of Prince Rupert’s’ fate was sealed. Thirty-five hundred tons momentum rammed her onto Haddington Reef, fifty miles from the Northern tip of Vancouver Island.
Moments earlier, throbbing engine vibration masked the quick rise and fall of our ship’s deck underfoot. Always in tune with his ship, Captain Callan sensed the aberration even in his sleep. Sitting bolt‑upright in his elevated Captain’s chair, he pushed off the armrests and reached the central bridge console in two strides. Grasping large twin aluminum control handles, he arcing them back ninety-degrees against stiff hydraulic pressure, neutralizing forward thrust. Another ninety degree arc forced nine meter (30′) stainless steel props into full reverse pitch!
Five decks below, engine machinery thrashed wildly. Our ninety-nine metre (325′) ship shuddered and bucked like a startled mare!
It was ‘too little, too late’. As quickly as it had begun, all ships’ movements abruptly ceased. Suddenly it was eerily quiet!
For early rising passengers strolling the passenger deck, the braking force felt much like a sudden stop in heavy city traffic. Only minor injuries were reported.
It was just after 0600 hours (six a.m.) Saturday, August 12th 1967.
Most passengers and crew were aroused from sleep by the abrupt silence of diesel engines and cessation of motion. Many were in small, overnight cabin berths.
Back on the bridge, the Captain bowed his head momentarily, as if experiencing actual physical pain. He suddenly looked much smaller than his tall, lanky, middle-aged Anglo Saxon frame.“That’s it. . .” He stated stoically through clenched teeth, to no one in particular; “We’re on it.”
Struggling to comprehend the meaning of his words, my mind raced back recalling recent events. We had departed Prince Rupert, B.C. in mid-afternoon on our regular Southbound summer schedule, with nearly a full load of passengers and vehicles. To maintain the twenty hour one-way schedule, we sliced through a thick summer fog at normal cruising speed of almost eighteen knots (about 20 m.p.h.). In such fog conditions, navigation fully depends on ships’ radar and well-defined charts, much like an airliner flying solely on instruments. Only a few minutes had passed since a three-man bridge crew began their six-hour ‘morning watch.’ I was one of two relieving Quartermasters, a.k.a. Helmsman.
Captain Callan was present on the bridge also. His concern for safety in heavy fog conditions had kept him up most of the night, backing up the watch keepers. (Ironically, some speculate that Captains presence on the bridge ‘contributed’ to the accident owing to an unconscious reliance on his support.)
My own responsibility for that first hour on watch was to assume a fog ‘lookout’ position on the port side of the wheelhouse (bridge), and to alternate on the helm with the other quartermaster hourly. On the wheel, we steered a course ordered by the Watch Officer.
Pre-dawn morning coffee was just beginning to kick in for crew, while the Captain was now understandably dozing in his traditional oak chair on the Starboard side of the bridge. As we headed for our home port of Kelsey Bay on Vancouver Island, first light was just beginning to filter through the surrounding cotton-like fog and gloom. It was like floating in a big wet cloud. Fog ‘lookout’ is an oxymoron since the only thing actually visible was our bow wave some eighty feet below the bridge lookout position. With the port wheelhouse window open, I listened intently for horns or whistles. The idea being to try to detect any small boats that may have escaped radar detection. It was difficult to hear anything over waves of throbbing vibration from our twin diesel engines. Boring through that soggy, porridge‑like coastal fog at full normal cruise speed was normal routine in mid-August.
Wiping freezing condensation from my eyebrows, I zipped up a heavy seaman’s jacket. For his part, the Officer of the Watch had seemed to confirm our ships’ precise location by checking both short and long range radar screens. He peered down into their cone shaped hoods for several moments as soon as he had assumed the ‘con’ as officer of the watch.
The ship’s position, course, and speed, became his exclusive responsibility when bridge control was turned over to him. This was true even with Captain present, (unless the Skipper assumed that role by clearly stating he was “taking the con”).
Steering between B.C.’s many coastal islands and the mainland requires skillful multi-course adjustments on the ‘Inside Passage’ route. Fjord-like passages such as the fifty-mile long Grenville Channel near Prince Rupert are narrow for a ship the size of ours. Observing ‘rules of the road’ with a mixture of other marine traffic, large or small, is always vital.
Clearly it was the deck officer who bore the burden for any navigational errors. Regardless, as soon as we struck the reef, I too felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach!
Just before we struck the reef, I observed kelp vegetation on the surface of the water, passing down the port side. However, since this was only my second two-week tour of duty on the Prince Rupert run, I quietly asked my senior (Quartermaster) partner if that should be reported. Fatefully, he shook his head, dismissing it as trivial information. Apparently kelp can in fact grow and/or appear anywhere in coastal waters, however in hindsight, it was my concern that it may have been an indication we were already off course.
At that precise moment all else seemed perfectly normal because we were blinded by the fog. The Watch Officer, after checking radar, had stepped into the radio shack, aft of the bridge, in order to review weather forecasts.
He was chatting with the Radio Officer when we first grazed the rocks.
Shock, mixed with some feelings of guilt, at first numbed this young husband and father. Thank God, facts would soon reveal that a last minute change of course could have led to an even more tragic consequence, perhaps even a ‘Titanic-like’ disaster, rather than prevention!
Regardless, in one brief moment, two hundred and ninety-nine passengers and several dozen crew members were forced to accept a new reality; we were now dead-center in a serious maritime accident. In fact we were all just catching up to what the Captain had instantly realized; our ship’s hull was seriously damaged and held by a submerged rocky reef or shoal.* He quickly blew our ships loud horn 6 or more times as per marine emergency procedure, and ordered the ships’ radio officer to broadcast; ‘pan pan pan’ then international distress signal!
When fog later cleared, the ship was within sight of First Nations fishing community Alert Bay, on Cormorant Island, just a few miles away!
In the eerie silence following the grounding, Captain Callan only sagged for a moment. Then with British ‘stiff upper lip’ grit he quickly regained his composure, taking charge of himself and his crew. Immediately after sounded the ships horn 6 or more times he ordered the evacuation of all passengers and most crew members! There was no way of knowing if we would remain on the reef, or even capsize as the tide went out! It soon became clear that all crew members’ drew needed strength and courage from the Captains calm display of authority.
As chance would have it, my emergency station assignment was designated ‘bridge messenger’ allowing me to personally witness unfolding events on the bridge, right alongside the Skipper. If other means of communication failed, my job was to relay messages and instructions throughout the ship, including the engine room crew if necessary.
Below the car deck level, matters quickly became critical. Engine room engineers and oiler assistants were shocked to see their beloved twin-diesel engines literally bounce up and down half a meter (19″) when we first hit the rocky sea bottom. Then machinery had nearly flown apart as the Captain hurriedly reversed prop pitch.
That was enough to put the fear of God in them, but now sea water began flooding into fuel tanks and engine room spaces. They only needed to be told once to shut down whatever they could and evacuate up steel ladders to the car deck.
Meanwhile, on the upper decks, catering staff, making up the majority of total crew members aboard, took care of frightened, rudely awakened passengers by directing them to lifeboats, and life-rafts. The seamen deck crew also went to their assigned emergency evacuation stations.
Those seaman (deckhands) took charge of loading and launching our four, fifty-two-person, fiberglass lifeboats, and many life rafts. Carefully they lowered passengers down to water level and cleared the ship.
All crew members did their jobs well in this hour of test. In only ninety minutes all passengers had evacuated the ship and safely arrived in Alert Bay or were en route there. Many passengers were transported by helpful Alert Bay fish boats. These had quickly responded to our emergency radio calls, or the ship’s whistle, cautiously maneuvering through fog banks to locate and assist us.
Those local fish boats also towed some of the lifeboats and life-rafts to Alert Bay dock, tied together chain-like so they wouldn’t get lost in the fog. Less fortunate boats were rowed with oars manned by ship’s crew members, or slightly bemused passengers!
Despite the fog, or perhaps because of it, there were few signs of panic. Of course there was little sense of abandoning a ‘sinking ship,’ since the flagship of B.C. Ferries fleet was solidly grounded, showing no signs of leaving her perch anytime soon. Few passengers realized how close we had come to a real tragedy.
Gratefully, I now understood that a last minute attempt to alter course, if caused by my reporting kelp on the surface, would not have avoided our grounding. In fact, any emergency turn or action might well have created an even more serious disaster!. Rather than coming to firm halt, crosswise on top of Hadington reef, we could easily have gone to the bottom, in minutes by a more glancing bottom strike, with the loss of many lives!
As it happened, the only injuries were a few bumps and bruises when we came to a sudden stop.
As fog burned off in early afternoon sunshine, passengers and crew joined local onlookers in amazement at the strange sight. The receding four and one-half metre (15′) northern tide now created the optical illusion the Queen of Prince Rupert was rising out of the water.
(thick bunker ‘C’ oil is visible below high tide line, also covered life boats. Firmly held by the reef, while surrounding tidal water dropped, gave the impression a giant undersea creature was raising her on its back. News reporters soon arrived in float planes, circling the unique sight, camera’s clicking as fog banks lifted. At maximum low tide the ship’s water line was more than two meters below normal.
Very fortunately the ship remained nearly level with no apparent threat of capsizing despite her ungainly appearance. Sludge-like ‘bunker c’ fuel oil leaking from her punctured hull was clinging to the sides, completing the sad picture – a picture soon to be published around the globe.
Over the next twelve hours, tidal action continued to carry oil and sea water in and out of lower decks, including crews’ quarters, engine room machinery spaces and mixing with surrounding kelp beds. It was a minor ecological disaster and not a pretty sight!
With passengers safely ashore, a salvage plan was soon put into action. Professional scuba divers arrived on the scene to survey the hull damage and quickly located a number of gashes and punctures. Fiberglass insulation bats were packed into two of the largest holes, eleven meters (36′) and three and one-half meters (11′) each, by fifteen centimeters (6″) wide, located near the keel.
With incoming sea water somewhat abated, powerful high capacity pumps brought alongside on a barge began extracting tons of sea water, reducing it to a manageable volume. To further lighten her load, forty cars were cautiously driven off across timber planks onto a barge, a dangerous job accomplished by volunteers, mostly from crew members.
Ocean going Island Tug and Barge Company towboats arrived on the scene the next day. Just before high tide at 1900 hours (seven p.m.), with other boats acting as stabilizers, they tried, but at first failed, to re-float the stricken ferry. Finally, but after several attempts, the white, blue, and oil streaked Queen of Prince Rupert quietly and gracefully slid off the rocks, her dignity only slightly restored.
Everyone now held their collective breath to see if she would remain afloat! Straining pumps maintained the status quo against the incoming sea water.
With another forty-seven cars, trucks, and recreation vehicles still chained to the car deck, the ship was towed across Broughton Straight to Vancouver Island, dead slow, to preserve those temporary patches. Achoring in the safety of shallow waters off Port Hardy for 24 hours, an emotionally drained skeleton crew ‘diligently’ monitored water volume throughout the night. Divers reinforced the temporary patches. In the morning with everything appearing stable, it was decided to attempt a risky, thirty-six-hour slow-tow to Burrard Dry dock in North Vancouver.
While en route, we anchored for a few hours in Nanoose Bay on Southern Vancouver Island after water pumps quit owing to contaminated fuel. A decision was made to off-load the remaining passenger vehicles, and reunite them with anxious owners waiting on shore. Again using wooden planks for ramps, vehicles were ‘tipsily’ transferred to a barge and taken ashore.
With generators off-line, the normally air conditioned ship became like a floating sauna in August heat. Those of us acting as a skeleton crew had to sweat it out all the way to the destination port. Numerous curious boaters circled our lifeless vessel as we traveled down Georgia Straight between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Finally we passed under scenic Lions Gate bridge and entered Vancouver Harbor. Many local residents turned out to watch our passage as radio stations broadcast regular progress reports.
The good news! Many passengers, mostly Americans, involved in the accident actually spoke highly of their experience. Not only had serious hardship been almost miraculously averted by the solid grounding, but residents of Alert Bay proved to be gracious hosts during their brief stay there.While they had waited for transportation to Vancouver Island, passengers were temporarily ‘bivouacked’ on cots in the Alert Bay (Indian) school, were entertained by traditional native dance, and served a ‘potlatch’ salmon dinner. For tourist passengers, this turned out to be a ‘highlight’ of their vacation. A few even returned to travel again on the refurbished Queen of Prince Rupert ferry in subsequent seasons, (perhaps hoping for de ja vu!)?
Surprisingly, the entire incident resulted in a ‘media event’ throughout the world, publicity that nearly offset the 1.5 million dollar repair costs, because subsequent seasons were fully booked, especially by American tourists who became aware of British Columbia’s beautiful ‘Inside Passage’ route! It seems that ‘any publicity is good publicity.’
All aboard B.C. Ferries, eighth largest maritime fleet in the world (in 1967).
* Hadington Reef is described as “a bank of glacial material embedded with boulders” by Oceanographer Dr. W.H. Mathews.
I’ve touched on this subject before but am compelled to add to it because of ongoing observations. As a senior citizen, I feel very blessed to have been able to observe ‘some’ of nature throughout many years now, without being a back-woods hermit or luddite*.
Though I cannot claim to have been on African Safari’s, or an explorer in deep sea quests, yet from my viewpoint and experience it is utterly obvious that we have only begun to appreciate the complexity and diversity of life on planet earth.
That complexity and diversity of life on earth speaks volumes to me. It says that there is a power and intelligence far beyond human capability, yet still within our capacity to appreciate… if we are humble enough.
Humility is sadly lacking in most of humankind. Philosophers throughout the ages prefer to theorize, even that somehow we may only exist in a dream world. Descortes famously said ‘I think therefore I am!” A complex belief that internal thought and doubt are the only things we can trust. Even today’s science suggests by sheer accidental means we have developed into the ultimate life-form on earth. Even worse, that we are capable of managing our own affairs, and even all other life-forms of the earth wisely. Clearly real facts have proven otherwise!
These assumptions, supported by never-ending, conflicting and unsupported fanciful theories, strikes me as the greatest weakness of our kind, otherwise known as absolute arrogance!
Countless generations of mankind. even those of first nations peoples, has proven beyond a doubt we desperately need superior guidance to manage our affairs and care for all life on earth, including the environment. This may well be the simple, primary purpose of human life.
Its becoming more obvious to thinking people every day; this unique and beautiful planet was never intended to be managed in isolation from its designer and builder. Isn’t it about time we humbly and respectfully acknowledge that basic truth?**
*luditte: a person opposed to new technology or ways of working.
** He is “the Creator of the heavens, . . . the Former of the earth and the Maker of it.” (Isa 45:18) He is “the Former of the mountains and the Creator of the wind” (Am 4:13) and is “the One who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them.”
Self-awareness alone certainly cannot be the sole criteria, since thousands of species don’t appear to qualify for that.
So what exactly defines ‘life’? I may not be qualified to answer this question unequivocally, however in my humble opinion
Life is ‘a state of shared existence’ granted by a benevolent eternal Creator! He alone is the author and originator of all life, since he alone has existed forever, having the power and desire to share ‘His timeless existence’ with others, just how many ‘others’ is a question we may never come to know!
This existential concept may only be grasped by contrasting it with death, the complete absence of ‘any’ existence!
When viewed from outer space, the earth itself could be described as a biological jewel, teaming with temporarily existing life in stark contrast with surrounding space – and every other known object in it.
Indeed, due to His abundant quality of generosity and love, our life-giving Creator has chosen to share his own eternal existence with creatures both fleshly and spiritual in nature. The fleshly ones, particularly humans, on an ideal, environmentally perfect, planet we call earth. What’s more all life appears to exist in a universal ‘space-time’ continuum of his making.
I submit this is a rational explanation strongly implied by the Apostle Paul…
“..by him we have life and move and exist, even as some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his children.’” (Acts 17:28)
‘…The One who stretched out the heavens, Who laid the foundation of the earth, And who formed the spirit of man within him.” (Zachariah 12:1)
Not often, but occasionally I see an article that I believe is worth sharing with those who may have similar likes as me. The following is reproduced from a Nice News (nicenews.com) subscription for non-commercial information purposes. Imho empathy is as essential to human life as the air we breath and hope you will find it as positive as I do…
Babies Begin Developing Empathy Around 18 Months, Study Says
Past research has shown that the human brain is hardwired for empathy and forming relationships, but at what point in our development do those characteristics emerge? A new study, published in the spring edition of the journal Cognitive Development, says it’s earlier than you may think — at about 18 months of age.
Around the same time that babies are learning words beyond “mama” and “dada,” walking on their own, and starting to feed themselves, they’re also developing the first inklings of “empathic concern,” the scientists say. They reached this conclusion by analyzing 127 mother-child pairs, bringing them in for behavioral experiments when the children were 6, 10, 14, and 18 months old, per a press release from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
The researchers tracked the children’s response to another person’s “simulated pain,” finding that their concern in reaction to the strangers’ “distress” was most pronounced by the 18 month point. They also discovered that a mother’s emotional intelligence affects the child’s.
“The more sensitively mothers responded to the needs of their infants, the greater the capacity of the children was in their second year of life to show empathic concern for a stranger,” the release reads, with study author Markus Paulus adding, “Children learn from [caregivers] how to deal with negative emotions. As a result, they are subsequently able to apply these lessons themselves.” (italics added)
Please Note the comment: ‘Children learn from caregivers!’
It was 1982 I think. We were living in a modernized log cabin in Rock Creek. Located halfway across B.C. close to the US border crossing at Midway. It was an 8+ acre property backing on the Kettle river, last pristine one in BC some said.
I had little or no experience as a farming type but was hoping to become self-reliant, much like the hippy movement preceding that time. So when my acreage grew a fairly profitable crop of hay, I hired a neighbor with a machine to bail it for a shared percentage. Then, with the help of a visiting friend, we stacked the hay in anticipation of sales.
Some hay did sell, but a fair amount remained unsold. Noticing a large old International 4×4 pickup truck for sale along the highway one day, I offered to swap hay for the truck, partly because hay was difficult to keep. Surprisingly we made a trade; the beginning of another real life adventure for me.
My oldest daughter had secured a job eight miles away in Midway, so it occurred to me I should trade that unused behemoth for something she could use for transportation to work.
So one cold clear winter day I struck out on a back road, (Highway 33 Kelowna to Rock Creek *) and soon realized that heavy old beast, likely with age-hardened tires, was completely unstable on that icy winter road! While transiting an elevated section at slow speed, it began to spin uncontrollably! With no way to stop it, I bailed out and helplessly watched, spell bound, as it slid off the road, almost in slow motion, thundered down a 25′ bank and came to a stop with a loud bang, slamming onto a large bolder!
That was just the beginning! First I tried to restart, but ironically the ignition key broke off! At that point I thought this was definitely not my day and the truck would be a write off. Not to mention traffic on that back road was few and far between in those days. Also day’s were short with temperatures below zero at that time of year. But surprisingly a tanker truck came by before long. Driver seeing the situation stopped, gratefully I related my plight including the broken key. (This is where the story becomes truly miraculous! )
Without a word of a lie, that tanker truck driver handed me a ring full of keys he said he had no more use for, and astonishing, one of the keys on that ring worked in my vehicle’s ignition, which started right up! However being wedged up on that large rock it would not move. The driver had waited, so I climbed aboard, only slightly optimistically of finding more help somewhere down the road.
Now several miles further along there was a rare off-road dwelling came into view, so I riskily offloaded in hopes of obtaining ‘any’ help. To my utter amazement the self-reliant owner offered exactly what I needed, namely a heavy solid steel pole not less than 6′ long and 2″ diameter! (I have no idea what its intended purpose was.)
Almost as miraculous as the ignition I soon thumbed a ride back to the truck with that large steel pole in a small, convertible Triumph sports car, with the top down! Indeed the top had to be down to accommodate that large steel pole. The driver was disregarding low temperatures, while enjoying a crystal blue daylight winter sky.
Returning to the crash site, I was soon able to leverage that old bullet proof truck off the bolder with the steel pole,* * started it up, and crawled parallel to the road until able to climb back onto it! I know this all must sound unbelievable, but I swear it is the truth. And there’s even more to this story!
To return the steel pole, I drove the several miles and pulled off in the lenders driveway. At that very moment there was a loud bang under the hood! Battery damage when the truck hit the rock cracked it open and caused it to explode, spraying battery acid all over the engine compartment! It instantly occurred to me that if that battery had exploded earlier, I would once again have been stranded!
At that point I thought my good fortune must surely have run its course, but wait.. On hearing my plight the generous homesteader told my to ‘go down to his basement and take any one of his spare batteries being kept on chargers’!!
Needless to say I was dumbfounded by all this unexpected help. In conclusion; I made it to Kelowna right at sundown and stayed overnight in a motel. The very next day I was able to substitute that old beast of a truck for a reliable old Mazda! (In fact that is yet another surprising story!) That car served my daughter well for transportation to her job in Midway.
* Hwy 33, Rock Creek to Kelowna, is now ‘greatly improved’ road.
** “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”
Please note; There never has, and never will be, an evolutionary jump, gradual or otherwise, from one genetic ‘kind’ to another!
I know that probably isn’t what you’ve been taught, or what the general media promotes, but I truly believe reasonable people will at least have serious doubts after considering some factual evidence.
For example; there has never been, nor ever will be, a ‘beneficial’ mutation!
Think about it; mutations, animal or vegetable, always result in degradation of some kind. Mutations simply do not result in improvements, period. In simple terms a mutation is a damaged DNA gene, causing defects or illness. And even though the theory of evolution dictates there has to have been millions of them to produce some significant change in life forms, there is simply no evidence this ever happened, not even one, except in science fiction such as ‘Mutants’ movies!
On the other hand there’s a a very natural and normal process called ‘entropy’! Entropy is literally thebreaking down to ‘disorder’ from something that is ‘ordered’. This applies to inanimate objects as well as animate (living) cells. Think about what would happen to your car if you were to park it in a farmers field and do nothing to it for years. In time it would deteriorate and eventually be reduced to little more than basic elements.
With living cells the same natural process is simply called aging (or ageing). Remember the Eagles song ‘All We Are Is Dust In The Wind’? Even better stated in scripture; “For dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19)
The same principle applies to any living creature born with an abnormality, not withstanding the help of modern medical science. A defect will not and cannot be an improved version of any particular kind, much less be a ‘stepping stone’ to becoming an entirely ‘different’ kind of creature!
Indeed, all biological creatures, human or animal age, (atrophy) and die, returning to dust just the same as physical objects eventually do.
This is science fact, not fiction, and it cannot be ignored. Yet that is what is done by those advocating evolution.
To further demystify this theory; within the dog ‘family’, there are a great variety of animals, all related, from foxes to wolves to jackals and coyote’s, besides a countless number of domestic dog’s. Great diversity within the dog family for sure, and all genetically linked. Yet at no time has a ‘dog kind’ of animal ever been a ‘bird kind’, a ‘fish kind’, or an ‘insect kind’ of creature, or vice versa, except in human imagination!
This must not be confused with the well proven capability of most life forms to adapt to environmental conditions, so please ‘read my lips’….
‘Adaptation is not evolution!’ It simply does not result in a stepping stone or so-called big jump change to a different family kind of creature!
A good example is Darwin’s own observation of Finches. He noted there was a change in the size and shape of bird beaks as they ‘adapted to different food sources‘. But that ‘natural adaptation’ does not begin to support evolutionary changes from a bird kind of creature to some other kind!
Variations in each ‘family kind’ are often confused by the human designation of ‘species’. For example a wolf and a fox terrier may be regarded as different species, as categorized by anthropologists etc, but that does not make them different ‘family kinds’ of animal. The same is true of black or gray squirrels, varieties of moths, or even the 10,000 ‘species’ of birds!
In other word, differentiating creatures as different species does not necessarily separate them genetically, they may simply be a member of their own ‘family kind’. Describing animals within each ‘family kind’ as different ‘species’ merely tends to obfuscate reality.* Separation of family kinds by this arbitrary and often confusing method is a little like classifying basketball players as different from each other because they play on different teams, wearing different colored shorts!
The point is that there has never been fundamental changes within each and every ‘family kind’ so as to become a member of a ‘different family kind’.
And that includes us humans. For example; Asian, Caucasian, Negroid, Germanic, et al, are all simply members of ‘human kind’. All are of the very same genetic pool, not different ‘species’. Evolutionists designations not withstanding, humans are not, and never have been, part of the ape family kind, or any other family kind of creature.
Recent genome studies are adding more proof of this every day. Humans and apes are simply unrelated, that is a science fact.**
Therefore please do not be misled by a confusing and completely unsupported theory. So-called ‘transitional’ human artifacts, namely bits and pieces of bone which likely could be contained in a single travel trunk, and do not even begin to support the idea of millions of years of so called ‘dead ends’ as required by this theory, or its many variations. Evolutionary theories, based on the mythical idea of ‘millions of years’ of mutations has been so frequently revised and re-worked is not even just a single unified theory anymore.
No matter how many millions of year’s are suggested, basic well-proven scientific principals apply, and those principles completely contradict evolution. It will always remain just a theory no matter how frustrating that is for its advocates.
Frankly, in my view, the main proponents are those who are too proud to accept the obvious… namely; all life on earth, animal and vegetable, is so highly complex and detailed that it simply could not be other than the product of a power and intelligence far beyond our human understanding, well known in most cultures as the ‘Creator‘.
Creation, often described as ‘mother nature’, should not be marginalized by theories which attempt to undermine the glory and beauty of our blue marble planet, and especially not its wise, supremely intelligent Creator.
Indeed all life on earth, including ‘mankind’, gives abundant evidence of an awesome Creator, the one who made “each one according to its kind” so that everything was “very good”. (please read Genesis, chapter 1, in the holy Bible).
But if you are still in doubt, please view this very revealing Youtube video. If your not convinced of ‘divinity’ after seeing what this Mathematician has to say, there is nothing more to be said!
** International science team concludes; “During the last decade it was commonly accepted that humans and…. chimpanzees, only differed by 1.24 % in our DNA sequences. This (new) discovery shows that this figure is absolutely incorrect and, what is more, may be ten times higher.” Also; “Humans and primates are qualitatively different.” (extract from 2009 study), click here for… 2009 science team report
For views of a DNA scientist, visit my post: ‘Evolution vs Intelligent Creation’
Noted quotation: “The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will make you an evolutionist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.” Werner Heisenberg (father of Quantum Mechanics.)
If there is one thing you can say about ‘paleontologists’ is that they have more imagination than avant garde artists!
For example; from mere impressions in well worn seaside rocks they can visualize entire species and families of living sub-human creatures! Amazing isn’t it, reminds you of the attempts to justify a theory of evolution by fashioning pieces of bone together and naming it ‘Piltdown man’, which has been long since been ‘debunked’!
Like those who perpetrated that particular myth, no doubt the objective of many in this field is to, shall we say, gain recognition and credit for great discoveries. However objective examination of real facts simply do not support the ‘thousands of years’ they hypothesize, regardless of exercising very (modern) human imagination!
Even if the so-called rock impressions vaguely resemble human impressions, which is extreme conjecture, the age of the rocks themselves is completely unknown and undetermined!
So-called carbon dating etc, which by the way they don’t even bother to offer as evidence for making bold statements about the age of said rocks(?), continues to be a highly unreliable method as experts will confirm. No, even those dating methods simply do not provide reliable evidence for the formation of rocks, bones, and vegetation – much less provide support for belief humans existed millions of years ago!
Still high-priests of evolution will continue to promote and advocate some animalistic forms of human existence long before ‘modern man’, based on such things as mere well worn rock impressions. Impressions which by the way are well known to be created by ocean tides and currents to mention just a few ‘natural’ processes.
But sadly, similar to TV evangelists, science based glory seekers will continue to exert their imagination, creating illusions for a Nieve public, often well supported and misguided by news media, unfortunately.
The popular concept that Christmas is based on the birth of the most significant human to have ever lived is actually an ‘anti-Christian belief… how can this be so?
There’s no better explanation than that the principal religions of Christendom have themselves been party to the misinformation guiding their flocks into this amazing dilution. Why this was undertaken could be summed up in one word; politics.
Whether we agree or disagree about the reasons, shortly after the last of the faithful followers of Christ died, there was a major secular movement to incorporate pagan religion into the actual teaching of Christ, and it has been highly successful.
Indeed, the majority of Church-goers today are taught the outrageous untruth that Christmas is based on the birth of Christ. How sad that is!
Please note: the following information is only for truth seekers!
A Historical Timeline of Christmas celebration;
1513 BCE – 60 CE (1600 years of recorded Bible History)
Period of inspired Biblical writings and prophecies, many concerning Jesus Christ. No mention of his date of birth; nor its being celebrated by his 12 apostles.
No mention of Christmas. No mention of any holy person celebrating a birthday – only sinners (like Pharaoh and Herod). (Gen. 40:20; Matt. 14:6; Mark 6:21-28; John 18:36)
2269-2030 B.C.E.
History of Sun worship. Began in ancient Babylonia by worshiping the sun god Shamash & Nimrod – parallels exist between Babylonian New Years & Christmas celebrations. (historian Pimlott in ‘The Englishman’s Christmas‘).
500 BCE Celtic Druids used mistletoe winter solstice celebrations due to it being viewed as magical, mysterious, and sacred.
150 BCE Romans began celebrating Saturnalia (where many Christmas traditions find their origin)
45 BCE
Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar making December 25 (not today’s 21 or 22) the date of the winter solstice (shortest day of the year).
33 CE Jesus was Killed. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that “wicked men & impostors” would slip into the congregation and mislead many. (2 Timothy 3:1
Josephus popular 1st Century Jewish Historian reported that Jews did not celebrate birthdays, 1st century Christians (former Jews) continued the tradition of NOT celebrating them.
The foretold apostasy began after the death of the apostles (Acts 20:29, 30) A period where Mithraism (syncratic Hellenistic mystery religion) was practiced in the Roman Empire. Mithras was a Roman soldiers god whose legendary birth (as some stories go) resembles the birth of Christ (being born of a virgin in the presence of shepherds). Devotees of Mithra (says the Catholic Encyclopedia) celebrated the birthday of the invincible sun (dies natalis Solis Invicti) on December 25. L.M. Wright, author of “Christianity, Astrology, And Myth” 2002; suggests that the early Christian Church was influenced by much of the myth and symbolism of Mithraism. The cult of Sol Invictius was the Roman Empire’s leading official cult of the fourth century – (Wikipedia)
4th Century Christmas began being celebrated as Christ’s Birthday. Early Catholic Church Fathers banned the use of Mistletoe in Christmas celebrations due to their pagan origin. Origen & Tertullian Catholic ecclesiastical writers of the 2nd & 3rd centuries spoke against Birthday celebrations. Tertullian made no mention of Christmas in his thorough lists of celebrations.
218 – 222 Roman Emperor Elagabalus introduced the holiday of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, “birthday of the unconquered sun” was to be celebrated on Dec. 25 (where many Christmas traditions find their origin), and promoted it empire-wide when it reached its height in popularity.
Pope Gregory I wrote to Mellitus, his missionary in England, telling him “not to stop such ancient pagan festivities, but to adapt them to the rites of the Church, only changing the reason of them from a heathen to a Christian impulse.” Thus reports Arthur Weigall, who once was inspector general of antiquities for the Egyptian government.
313 All religions, even Christianity were legalized in Roman territory.
325
In the 1st counsel of Nicaea, Roman Emperor Constantine standardized Christian beliefs. According to the Catholic Church, Catholics began adopting pagan customs into Christianity. By the end of the century, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
336 CE 1st historical record of December 25 as the assigned date of Jesus Birth
All Religions (including formerly persecuted Christianity) in Roman territory were legalized. It took nearly the entire 4th century for the Roman empire to transition State Religion from pagan cults to Christianity. The Merging of cultic tradition with Christianity greatly assisted in this transition.
567 The Council of Tours “proclaimed the 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany as a sacred and festive season.”—The Catholic Encyclopedia for School and Home.
10th Century
Christmas, along with Christianity, spread to Russia, where it became fused with the winter celebration of the ancient Slavs, honoring the spirits of the ancestors. (The Great Soviet Encyclopedia)
16th Century
Christmas traditions spread to branches of Protestants during the Protestant Reformation.
1644 In England, Parliament discouraged Christmas feasting due to its heathen origin
1652 Parliament banned Christmas by law
1659 – 1681 In North America, Massachusetts Bay Colony banned Christmas n which violators were subject to fine.
1772 The Baptist Church of Newport [Rhode Island] observed Christmas for the first time. This was about 130 years after the founding of the first Baptist church in New England.
1836 Alabama became 1st U.S. state to legalize Christmas
1843 Commercialism revived Christmas, Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” and Christmas Cards originated in London.
1907 Oklahoma became the last U.S. state to legalize Christmas.
1927 Jehovah’s Witnesses abandoned Christmas celebrations after learning of its pagan origins.
Summary:
An overwhelming majority of sources agree that Christmas was almost entirely influenced by pre-Christian pagan celebrations.
There was no mention of Christmas nor any celebration of Christ’s birthday for hundreds of years after Jesus & his apostles died. The book Sacred Origins of Profound Things states: “For two centuries after Christ’s birth, no one knew, and few people cared, exactly when he was born.” Thus birthday celebrations, even of gods and leaders, were condemned as far as the late third century even by Roman Catholic leaders.
Einstein once said: “imagination is the highest form of research”. His words seem to fit many scientists and educators today. Many human traits are laudable, however true imagination is rare!In fact despite years of worldly education and training, most present day scientists and teachers are implicitly missing genuine imagination, imagination such as Einstein himself demonstrated.
Case in point: advanced beings of high intelligence in the universe have often been imagined, yet the concept of a ‘Creator’ of all things is commonly dismissed! I’m suggesting the reason is because of a self-imposed limit on ‘genuine’ imagination, a blind spot when it comes to imagining an all-powerful God, a Creator of all things!
Yes a general human inability to embrace the concept of a living being with such vast unlimited power and intelligence, Creator of the entire universe and all life in it, as so clearly set out in inspired scriptures!
When astronauts walked on the moon, they were struck not only with the beauty of earth, but the very profound feeling they were witnessing the work of a timeless, all-powerful Creator.But if it is within our ability to grasp, or imagine such a Father of all life, how hard is it to visualize that he would ever allow imperfect humans to destroy this jewel of his creation!? No indeed, genuine imagination, and logical well-founded faith based on the ‘book of nature’ alone, provides real hope for relief from our rapidly declining world system of things; economic, political, and religious.In fact such relief is actually ‘inevitable’, why? Because a Creator of all life cares for his works of creation, as indeed we humans care for our very best works. Our Creator will not see either the earth or mankind completely destroyed; ‘that’ my friends is truly… unimaginable!!
Copyright; Gavin Hurlimann (slightly edited) Note: this article supplements my own ‘Evolution Critique’ posting.
The disciplines of science have already proven that the Christian God of the Bible exists because the solid, rigid, fixed & unbreakable laws of physics.
To avoid fish hooks, confusion & for the ease of the reader; let’s be VERY EXACT with our terms & definitions.
The Laws of Thermodynamics are concerned with heat, mechanical energy, and the conversion between the two. All physical, biological, & chemical processes known to man are subject to these laws. Science often speaks of four (4) laws of thermodynamics, but only two (2) have any meaningful connection to Christianity.
They are the first (1st) & second (2nd) laws of thermodynamics.
It’s important to note that these “Laws” are not a hypothesis. They are fixed, rigid, consistent & unbreakable by anything/anyone in the natural world.
1) The first (1st) law of thermodynamics – also known as the conservation of energy – states; “Nothing is presently coming into existence or going out of existence: matter & energy may be converted into one another, but there’s no net increase in the combined total of what exists”.
In other words, even if matter is converted to energy and vice versa, there will never be an “increase or decrease” in the total amount.
Therefore, if the matter and energy are neither created nor destroyed, then where did all the matter and energy in the universe come from?
Either;
a) the universe somehow came into existence without God, even though science has proved that it is impossible for something to arise out of nothing,
b) everything always existed in the universe, an idea that science has also proved impossible, or
c) God created it. This “is” most reasonable, plausible & rational explanation in light of this scientific Law & the following Laws & evidence.
1st Conclusion:
Science openly acknowledges that according to the first (1st) Law of Thermodynamics, there is no scientific explanation for the origins of the universe & life – apart from an Act of God.
2) The second (2nd) law of thermodynamics states that the entropy (breakdown or disorder) of a closed system cannot decrease, it only gets worse;
Every system, left to its own devices, always tends to move from order to diso, it’s energy tends to be transformed into lower levels of availability (for work), ultimately becoming totally random & unavailable for work”.
Scientist & author Isaac Asimov explains; “The universe is constantly getting more disorderly. . . . .all we have to do is “nothing” & everything deteriorates, collapses, breaks down, wears out, by itself – and that is what the second law of thermodynamics is all about.”
Two simple examples of entropy;
1) The exterior paint on an un-maintained house with eventually peel & fall off.
2) All human beings break down & die. The current death rate from old age is 100%.
In other words, left to itself & over time, everything tends toward disorder, randomness, and disorganization – unless there is intervention by an intelligent utility.
Naturalistic evolution “demands” that every physical system, from the atomic level on up, is the result of a spontaneous and increasingly complex and well-ordered process of assembly. Darwin suggested that living organisms, for instance, came about via a long string of infinitely complex, yet “random” evolutionary processes.
If planet Earth was an entirely closed system, such progression would be in complete violation of the second (2nd) law of thermodynamics. It’s important to note, however, that our planet is “NOT a closed system” in terms of thermodynamics, mostly because planet Earth is receiving energy from the sun.
However, the hypothesis of evolution runs contrary to the second (2nd) law of thermodynamics is on a general, large-scale view.
Entropy observed.
The trend, according to these unbreakable scientific laws, is that entropy (breakdown or disorder) is increasing, and thus natural processes must also be breaking down – not building up or “evolving” into something more complicated as postulated by the hypothesis of evolution..
Simple observation empirically confirms the truth of the second (2nd) law of thermodynamics. Paint on a house chips and peels. Dust builds up. The house itself falls into disrepair if preventative steps are not taken. Living things die & rot & finally decompose. We can observe the results of the second (2nd) law of thermodynamics every day.
The hypothesis of evolution however, requires much more than just a simple change in entropy (breakdown or disorder). For evolution to be valid, the theory requiresmore than water freezing or the formation of salt crystals or dust collecting into a solar system. To evolve from non-life, matter on Earth would have to constantly, consistently, and directly move “AGAINST” the force of entropy (breakdown or disorder). However, this is “scientifically impossible”.
DNA is “NOT” a result of naturalistic evolution as the science of DNA has proven.
Evolutionists claim that life evolved in very small, simple mutational steps over billions of years in an open system like Earth.
But mutations “ARE” entropy (breakdown or disorder) and mutations occurring in a constant, beneficial manner “ARE” a violation of the unbreakable, scientific, second (2nd) Law of Thermodynamics.
2nd Conclusion:
The first (1st) & second (2nd) scientific laws of thermodynamics are fixed, rigid, consistent & unbreakable. Nothing in our natural world – including the hypothesis of evolution – can violate them.Except according to science, an Act of God.
3) Since 2013 NASA & SETI astrobiologists have acknowledged that all DNA originates from an intelligence outside of the observation of our current utilities.
So in light of this, a belief in the God of Creation is “not unwarranted” – or at least, not dismissed without rational consideration.
To illustrate further, all plant, animal & human DNA requires three (3) critical components;
a) information
b) communication
c) language.
Genuine science views DNA as a marker of intelligence NOT evidence of biochemical evolutionary processes. In simple terms; DNA cannot be “made” by biological evolution.
So, the science of DNA “rules out” all plant, animal & human life observed yesterday & today as the current end game of the hypothesis of evolution.
Why is this not common knowledge?
Andrew Kibler provides an responsible explanation in his post of Dec 4 2018;
“Science can take a good 5 to 10 years before it even begins to become mainstream. That’s on a good note though. People’s beliefs, worldviews and careers are on the line with some scientific discoveries, so it could take even longer. When it was discovered that light had “travel time” it wasn’t instantaneouslyaaccepted. It took 50 years to become mainstream after some hard battles”.
So, using the Laws of Logic;
d) DNA exists in all plant, animal & human life.
e) DNA is not the product of naturalistic evolution.
f) DNA is a marker of intelligence.
g) Logically, DNA is the product of something outside of the utilities of science.
h) The certaincy of scientific law leaves us mere humans with a couple of alternatives. In Western civilization the intellegence that creates intricate individual DNA is commonly referred to as the God of the Bible
i) Or aliens, if God is too hard a pill to swallow.
J) Panspermia& Directed Panspermia – a possible scientific alternative to God “or” evolution, involving aliens has zero evidence & the hypothesis remains on the fringes of credibility.
k) Finally, modern physics has demonstrated that consciousness mind does exist independent of matter. Mind & matter can & do interact.
l)This is a game-changer for the scientism, atheistic obsessed, as there is now no scientific basis for denying God’s existence.
3rd & Final Conclusion:
According to the scientific first (1st) & second (2nd) Laws of Thermodynamics it is impossible for the hypothesis of evolution to occur.
According to the science of DNA, it is impossible for DNA to be created by an evolutionary naturalistic process.
Which leaves: Evidence + Belief + Faith = God.
And because God exists, it follows that He created everything, including us.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
A group of scientists are close to recognizing that there “might” be a God. They are astrobiologists.
S.E.T.I. stands for “Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence” and comprises several groups of scientists that were combining their expertise to try to discover if there is intelligent life anywhere out in the universe. [1]
In order to decide how they would recognize intelligent life, they had to determine some basic criteria that they could apply to observed phenomena that would characterize only intelligent origins. For example, if they saw certain patterns like Morse Code in a radio transmission, infra-red radiation, or gamma ray bursts, they would be certain that it had originated only at an intelligent source.
Since the early 1980s they have never detected any intelligent life anywhere else in the universe.
Recently however a couple of these scientists, Vladimir I. Cherbak and Maxim A. Makukovb, had the bright idea to apply the criteria they had created for SETI to the results of the DNA studies that have emerged. The conclusion was exactly one word, “Wow!”. [2]
They found that DNA shows patterns that could only have been created by intelligence. The odds of an error were less than 1 in 10 (exp) 13. (1 in 10 trillion). Their conclusion is that DNA is not random, but is the definite result of an “intelligence”.
The astrobiologists published their conclusions in a peer-reviewed journal in their field named Icarus. [3]. Peer-reviewed means that other experts in the same field have poured over their work and conclusions and have given it their consensus.
Click on the link below in [3] if you want to see some of the article and the charts of DNA that show the clear proof of intelligent design.
It’s likely you haven’t heard about this if you aren’t in the field. But it must be causing head scratching through a lot of research institutes and concern among evolutionists. It takes courage for these scientists to come forth and go against the entrenched dogma of evolutionists and the backlash that will surely come. But the truth will win out because it can’t be suppressed indefinitely.
“The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. SETI projects use scientific methods in this search. For example, electromagnetic radiation is monitored for signs of transmissions from civilizations on other worlds. Some of the most well known projects are run by Harvard University, the University of California, Berkeley and the SETI Institute.”
[2] The “Wow! signal” of the terrestrial genetic code. Vladimir I. shCherbak, Maxim A. Makukovb
Excerpt from the Abstract: “Here we show that the terrestrial code displays a thorough precision-type orderliness matching the criteria to be considered an informational signal. Simple arrangements of the code reveal an ensemble of arithmetical and ideographical patterns of the same symbolic language. Accurate and systematic, these underlying patterns appear as a product of precision logic and nontrivial computing rather than of stochastic processes (the null hypothesis that they are due to chance coupled with presumable evolutionary pathways is rejected with P-value < 10 (exp) –13). The patterns display readily recognizable hallmarks of artificiality, among which are the symbol of zero, the privileged decimal syntax and semantical symmetries. Besides, extraction of the signal involves logically straightforward but abstract operations, making the patterns essentially irreducible to natural origin.”
“Icarus is a premier scientific journal dedicated to the field of planetary science. It is published under the auspices of the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS). The journal contains articles discussing the results of new research on astronomy, geology, meteorology, physics, chemistry, biology, and other scientific aspects of the Solar System or extrasolar systems.
Source: Vladimir I. shCherbak & Maxim A. Makukovb: Icarus Journal May 2013.
Resources: The Wedge of Truth: Splitting the Foundations of Naturalism: Philip Johnson. Publisher, Intervarsity Press. Downers Grove, Illinois USA.
Ultimate Proof: Resolving the Origins Debate by Dr Jason Lisle. Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group, Inc.
Heisenberg Uncertainty (indeterminacy) Principle: Dr Mario Beauregard, Dr Henry Stapp, Dr Richard Conn Henry, J.P. Moreland.
Psychology and Religion by Carl G Jung. Publisher: Yale University Press.
New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition. Intervarsity Press. Leicester England.
Vladimir I. shCherback and Maxim A. Makukorb, Icarus Journal May 2013.
Is God a Delusion: Dr John Lennox 14 March 2015. YouTube.
The Mind and the Brain: Dr Jeffery M. Schwartz. Publisher Haper Collins.
I’ve written about many subjects on this blog but there is none that equals the significance of this one considering the uncounted millions of human lives lost in the 20th and now the 21st Century!
Very often we hear the expression ‘they made the supreme sacrifice’, usually meaning humans have sacrificed their life for some political objective as determined by government’s led by emperor, dictator, monarch, president, prime minister, etc., etc, elected or not.
I suggest this scenario is little changed throughout thousands of years of human history, i.e. the projection of a nations power, or defense, via the sacrifice of their human population! *
Therefore the question that I believe may fairly be asked then is this; Are such human sacrifices not in reality ‘religious perversion’?!
For example; historian’s well discern that in the Mayan culture human sacrifices were often made to ensure the success of crops or other untold various interests. Interestingly, in our day, those ancient human sacrifices, be they men, women, or children, are often regarded as atrocities, perverted abuses of the populace by their rulers, supported by their religious representatives, in other words the ruling elements of their society!
“politics and nationalism…exalted the state as divine…or identified it with the march of God in history.” For some, the “worship of the state as the personification of the spirit of the nation was essential for realization of the national destiny.” (Ideas in Conflict, Edward Burns) *
My question is; what has changed today? Modern day governments may regard themselves as well informed and progressive, but doesn’t the sacrifice of human lives for one national purpose or another simply reflect all those ancient sacrifices made in the Mayan culture, or in hundreds of other cultures throughout thousands of years of human history?
When young men and women are encouraged, even trained, to make the ‘ultimate sacrifice’ of their lives for some national, or dare I say ‘cultural’ cause, what difference is there to all those ancient societies? Societies that interestingly no longer exist in spite of those sacrifices.
How can it be said that ‘modern’ man is any more advanced in his thinking than historically significant societies like the Mayan’s and countless others?
The reality is that mankind is in darkness spiritually speaking. No amount of technological advances can overcome this fact. No matter how it may be couched in glowing terms, human sacrifice is still a common practice after thousands of years. In other words there has been no progress spiritually for the nations of mankind, in fact the scale of human lives lost in national conflicts is ever increasing, aided and abetted by religious elements as always. “Kill one man and you’re a murderer, kill a million and you’re a conqueror.” (Jean Rostand quote)
Why can’t it be understood that ‘God wants mercy and not sacrifice’? (Matt. 9:13) Make no mistake about it; sacrificing human lives for any national purpose is in no way the ‘will of God’! They have not and will not receive his blessing for doing so. On the contrary, they are condemned by him for doing so.
As the BeeGee’s song of decades ago said it… ‘the answer my friends is blowing on the wind’, the ‘scriptural wind’ imho.
* “Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.” (Albert Einstein)
