It's about time

The chart above depicts the lifelines of notable Old Testament personalities, assuming that Adam and Eve were created in year zero. Years run vertically in the chart. Personalities are horizontal in the chart. The bottom of each line marks the birth and the top the death (except for Enoch who simply walked with God). The horizontal line marks the year of the flood.

Three things interest me about the chart. Note that Methuselah died the year of the flood. Note also that Methuselah could have spoken with Adam and gotten a first-hand account of the events immediately following the creation. Noah, in turn, could have spoken directly with Methuselah and received the information second hand, not multiple versions later, but only two. And last, note that the lifespans are dramatically shorter for all those born after the flood, although 175 years is still impressive (Abraham). Names are from the King James version.

Some people think that the long spans prior to the flood are because the people couldn't tell the difference between years and months. That would mean that Adam would have died at 77 instead of 930. While that would make the age at death more in line with what we are accustomed to, it is strange that Cainan would have been just under six when he begat Mahalaleel and Mahalaleel would have been about five and a half when he gave birth to Jared. Which is the more astounding do you think?

Assume for the moment that the Biblical account of Creation is accurate and that everything was created in the adult form. What if you could be there the second week and look around? How old would Adam appear to be? How about a fully grown elephant? A horse? A dog? We would estimate different ages based on our experience of how long it takes for a creature to reach the adult stage. Yet, they would all be one week old (give or take a few days). Each would have the appearance of distinctly different ages, much like the different ages of the earth given by different processes.

As Einstein would say, "It's all relative". Kind of makes you go "Hmmmm". References for the chart available on request.

Beat the Clock

How old is the earth?

That should be easy to calculate from any number of processes.  And it is.  The problem is that the different processes give different answers.  Here’s basically how to do it. Let’s say there is a process (radioactive decay) that converts one substance (call it A)into another (call it B).  All we need to know is the rate of conversion and the amount of substance B created by the process.  We can observe the current rate of conversion and assume that has been constant over time.  We can assume that all of substance B currently in existence was the product of the conversion.  Divide the quantity by the rate and you get the time.  Simple, no?

What’s that you say?  How do we know that all of B came from the conversion process?   I told you.  We assume it.  Now what?  How do we know there was no change in the conversion rate over the years?  We assume it.  For short periods of time that is not a bad assumption.  What?  You want to know how we can be sure the rate did not change over millions of years?  What kind of radical trouble maker are you anyway?  What part of ASSUME do you not understand?

Besides, the earth must be billions and billions of years old in order for evolution to have created the current array of humans and livestock form the primordial rocks.  No intelligent person doubts the extreme age of the earth.  Anybody who thinks the earth is young must be some kind of nut.

More to come . . .

He is Risen

Perhaps is is fitting that my last post was about Christmas and this is about Easter. After all, the resurrection is the whole point of the miraculous birth. Jesus was not jus the perfect sacrifice; He has risen to execute His own last will and testament.

Don Francisco did a wonderful song from Peter's perspective called He's Alive. If you have never heard it, please listen and place yourself in Peter's situation.

Once you do that,you will feel, as Jairus did, Gotta Tell Somebody.

Have a Happy Easter, with good reason.

I wish for you a very Merry Christmas

December the 25th is not a "Winter Holiday", it is designated as Christmas Day.
It is also very likely NOT the birthday of Jesus the Christ, but it is a designated day to remember that event. (Shepherds would not likely have been "in the field" in winter.) The event was attended by some celestial signs and visitors, but nobody bothered to mention the actual date. Perhaps the date was considered of less significance than the import of the event. God had visited man - no, God had become a man. The second Adam had been born to redeem us all from the taint left by the first Adam. Good News, indeed.
Here is the major distinction of Christianity from other religions: The way of salvation was invested not in following elaborate rules, but in a Person. Messiah Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it. In those hours on the cross, He absorbed all the sins of the world - past, present, and future.
And that is why I can wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Eat Right, Part 3

I would like to follow up on a thread from a previous post. In it I stated that I was mad at the "faith" people. I must admit, I am one of them. There is a general misunderstanding about the teachings of faith. It has been labeled the "name it and claim it" or "blab it and grab it" movement by people who do not really listen to the message. For years Christianity was known as the "Great Confession." Evidently someone was saying something. What folks failed to realize about confession was that it means "saying the same thing (to speak together)." It basically means to agree with YHWH about the situation. Faith begins where the Word of God is known.

Forsaking All I Take Him (at His word) = Faith. False Evidence Appearing Real = Fear. I had an object lesson in this at Disney World of all places. Once upon a time there was a movie called "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" which Disney turned into an attraction. At one point on the ride the overwhelming physical evidence was that you are on a train track and the train is bearing down on you from in front. The noise, the lights, the shaking all contributed to the effect. That was False Evidence Appearing Real. Now, in spite of the emotional connotations, we knew that Disney would not just run their customers down with a train. If only we had that much faith in YHWH.

YHWH was the only One present at creation. Everyone else has to try and figure what happened by looking at the evidence. The problem with evidence is that we always come to it with our own filters firmly in place. It is a fact that the fossil record does not present one smooth transition from goo to you. Is that because intermediate fossils were somehow lost? Or did they never exist in the first place? The answers to those questions are not a part of the record. Honest people can disagree as to the "correct"answer, because it does not matter to the actual record. The fact is there are gaps. To one person that is proof that gradual evolution did not occur. To another, it is proof that there are things yet to be learned.

And so it is with the "believing God" folks. Some of them are actually trying to believe themselves. That did not work for Satan. (OF course, you could make the argument that he very nearly pulled it off.) Believing God comes down to the quite precise science of … well … believing GOD. Whatever He said must be true. As Mary the Mother of Jesus said, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

Thus endeth the sermon for today.

Eat Right. Be Fit. Die Anyway.

This title was a T-shirt inscription that I saw when taking my mother-in-love to have a carotid ultrasound. It reminds us that life is fatal. As one wag put it "You'll never get out alive." Or as the Bible says "it is appointed to man once to die…"

If any of you followed the link above, you know I left out part of that quotation (of course, the ellipsis tells you something was omitted, but the link tells you what was left out). In my not always humble opinion, the omission is the whole point. My first wife died several years ago from ovarian cancer – that is what the death certificate says. Each of us dies from something even though G*d installed a healing program in our bodies called the immune system. The body is fully capable of repairing minor damage (broken bone, laceration, infection) on its own as long as the immune system is intact. At some point, through lack of "the will to live" or perhaps through a direct attack on the system or from the cumulative effects of life ("old age") or fear, the immune system stops doing its job and something will be listed as the "cause of death." When the spirit departs the body, the body dies.

I don't mean for this to be a downer. I thought of using Dave and Blarney (Dave and Blarney Discuss Life and Death Part 1), and I still might follow the Health Care series with that as kind of a natural segue. But first I wanted to explain how I got there. When my first wife died, we were attending a "Charismatic" church that believes in the today healing power of God. Most Christian churches believe that it is G*d's will for people to be well (why do Baptists build hospitals and churches offer prayers for the sick?). We prayed for healing, we searched the scriptures for healing, we listened to tapes of healing, and she died anyway. I'm sure there was more we could have done. I'm sure there was more I could have done. She lived two years longer than the oncologist thought she would, but she wearied of the fight. She told me while we were in the hospital for what turned out to be the last time "I want to go home." Thinking that she meant our earthly home, I was calling to make arrangements for hospice care when she slipped out. Even though the doctors made an effort to revive her, she was gone. Earlier she had seen a vision of people dancing a "funny dance" as she called it. They were in the corner of the room, but of course not visible to me. And then she was gone. I was devastated. Why had she died despite our and the physician's best efforts? At the funeral the pastor was honest enough to say "I don't know."

I can tell you now that I was angry at G*d, angry at myself, angry at the "faith" people, just angry. Fortunately for me, my son was living with us. He had been a great help through the battle, assisting with moving Sharon from the upstairs bedroom to the family room and back again. He had prepared a bed for Sharon to sleep in when we went home from the hospital. But that wasn't the home to which Sharon had referred. If not for him and my granddaughter, Brianna, I might not have survived the next several months. We would weep together as we watched home videos. She would come and sit on my lap and we would hug. I needed that. The two inside dogs were a great comfort to me also. We had prayed and Sharon had died anyway. Some reporter had once told Oral Roberts "I happen to know that you prayed for so and so and she died." His reply was "Son, everybody I ever prayed for dies at one time or another." Oral Roberts never claimed to heal anyone – G*d healed through him. People criticized him for building a hospital, but he understood that all healing comes from G*d. And I understand that, too. G*d is the source, first of the immune system, then of the knowledge of the body granted to doctors, and of the gifts of healing. For the sensitivities of my Jewish readers, I omit the vowel just as the early writers presented the YHWH without vowels.

And here is the beginning point: either G*d exists or He doesn't. I can respect the agnostic who is not sure. The atheist is a conceited
fool. For most people there is ample evidence of G*d's existence in nature. The atheist, in effect, says "I have seen all there is to see and know all there is to know and G*d is nowhere to be found." In his arrogance, the atheist claims the attributes of G*d for himself (omniscience, omnipresence, etc.). He is his own god. So let me state that I know I am not smart enough to be YHWH, but that I believe He exists. I have seen His hand on my life and the lives of others. I also believe the Bible is His word and that it means what it says. I have learned, too, that a walk with YHWH is an intensely personal journey. From sin to faith, each person is on his or her own (I think it no coincidence that the center of "sin", "faith" and "believe" is "I"). No one sins for someone else, and no one has faith for someone else. And no one knows the condition of another's heart. What I say may help you (I hope it does), but the thoughts come from me.

Well, no they don't. I probably have never had an original thought in my life. What I mean to say is these are the thoughts that help me. They come from YHWH or other people (through books or messages), and I have internalized them. After this life, there is another and left to my own devices I would not have a pleasant one. Thank YHWH for Jesus. I wish I could hold myself up as a paragon of virtue. I really want to be one, but I am not. I know me and I know my faults and my failures – as a father, a husband, and a person. Paul thought he was the chief of sinners, but I think I have him beat. I need a Savior and thank YHWH, I have one. I was a sinner, I got saved by grace and I am a child of the living G*d. I still fail, but I can go on and (in the words of the Army) be all I can be in Christ, the Messiah. And when I die (which I surely shall someday in spite of diet, exercise, and prayer) I have the expectation of a great afterlife. I hope you do, too.

Happy Mother’s Day

Isn't it interesting that we have this national holiday to recognize mothers, no matter who their offspring turned out to be? Charles Manson had a mother. So did Ted Bundy.

And, as it turns out, so did Jesus of Nazareth. Catholics have raised His mother to an idol. Protestants want to throw her under the bus. Can't we find a middle ground? After all, the Angel thought she was special (Luke 1):

²⁶And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

²⁷To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

²⁸And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

²⁹And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

³⁰And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

³¹And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Well, now: "Highly favored" . . . "Blessed among women". . . "Favor with God". It certainly seems like she would be due at least a little bit of honor. If God thought enough of her to entrust His Only Begotten Son to her and Joseph, we should venerate her at least as much as we do Abraham, David and any of the patriarchs. This is not to say we need to worship her as though she were God, but she was certainly touched by God. Carrying the Holy Child for nine months is at least as impressive as watching God part the Red Sea, wouldn't you say?

So, then… Happy Mother's Day, Mary.

Dave and Blarney at Christmas

Dave: Merry Christmas, Blarney.
Blarney: I don't celebrate Christmas.
Dave: Oh, okay, belated Happy Hannukah.
Blarney: I don't celebrate any mythological holidays.
Dave: Really?
Blarney: Absolutely. I only celebrate authentic holidays.
Dave: Such as?
Blarney: Kwanzaa.
Dave: But you aren't African-American.
Blarney: See how racist you are! All you right wingnuts are racist, sexist, homophobes!
Dave: Excuse me?
Blarney: Okay, this time. But you really should seek help.
Dave: That's the whole point of Christmas. I do seek His help. I mean, though, how does a statement of fact morph into a racist statement?
Blarney: Just because my skin is white, does not mean I can't be black. What about Bill Clinton?
Dave: The first black president?
Blarney: Exactly. According to Andrew Young, he is every bit as black as Obama and has probably been with more black women than Obama. Yet his skin is just as white as mine.
Dave: We started with me wishing you a Merry Christmas and now you accuse me of being racist because your skin is white?
Blarney: No, Dave, I called you a racist because you are a right-wing nut and all of you are racist, sexist homophobes.
Dave: O-o-o-kay. What do you think of Achmadinejab?
Blarney: He's a great statesman.
Dave: You don't think he is racist because he wants to eliminate the Jews?
Blarney: He is not any more racist than Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, two of my other heroes.
And you hate the Jews because they killed your Jesus.
Dave: You are wrong on two points Blarney. No, three points. First, Jesus was a Jew. He was the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Second, the Jews did not kill Jesus, the Romans did. Last, I don't hate either the Jews or the Italians because it was all part of God's plan to purchase redemption for us.
Blarney: Well, uh...
Dave: And Blarney, both Jesus and I love you. The whole point of Christmas is that God visited this planet in human form to provide redemption for our sins. So, like I said, Merry ...
KwanzHanuChristmas.
Blarney: ....

You Easter, I say Resurrection Day

Being, as you know, a Christian, I have more regard for Easter than I do for Christmas. There are several reasons for this, chief being that the whole point of the birth of Christ (say, did you know that was what Christmas was about?) is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Without such resurrection, in the words of Apostle Paul, we are lost.

But, of course, we can see the fruits of this resurrection in the changed lives of not only the original apostles and believers, but those we know who have been born again.

And since this is the most important Holy Day or holiday, you will begin to see - actually we have already seen - attacks on this doctrine. Last year it was the Da Vinci Code. This year it is the Lost Tomb of Jesus. I find that the following two postings do an admirable job or stating the truth. Please read them in their entirety and enjoy.

What Do We Mean When We Say "Christ is Risen?" by Fr. Theodore Stylianopoulos

Why do you seek the living one among the dead? Some remarks on "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" Rev. Eugen J. Pentiuc, PhD, ThD

You will see a lucid debunking of the film's basis.

The Watchmaker

Here is a beautiful poem, suitable for sharing with your children or grandchildren. You can even download the poem with music for a mere $5.

My friends Hawkeye and Camojack will like it and will probably have an extended post at their sites.

Dave and Blarney Discuss Jesus

Blarney: I know why the Christians hate the Jews.

Dave: What are you talking about?

Blarney: Well, you know how Mel Gibson let out that anti-Jewish tirade? He's the one who made that movie about Jesus. The Jews killed Jesus and so Christians hate them.

Dave: Blarney, you are so confused. Jesus was a Jew and it was the Romans who killed him. If Christians should hate anybody, it would be the Italians, not the Jews. But Christians cannot hate either of them.

Blarney: Why not?

Dave: Because it was all part of a plan to redeem mankind from Satan. You see, my sins and your sins are what put Jesus on the cross.

Blarney: Sin is such an outmoded term. And who are you to call me a sinner? That's pretty intolerant, if you ask me.

Dave: I included myself in the sinner group and, in fact, listed myself first. We have all sinned and fallen short of God's standard. That's the whole point of redemption.

Blarney: What's so special about Jesus, anyway?

Dave: Well, Blarney, that is one of the central issues for Christianity. Is or was Jesus God?

Blarney: I'm not sure how to answer that. I wouldn't want to offend you.

Dave: It's really a simple question with only two possible answers. Is Jesus God?

Blarney: Well, I know that a lot of Christians think he was. I'm sure his followers at the time were really impressed.

Dave: Yes, Blarney, but the question is really about what you think. Is Jesus God?

Blarney: Well, aren't we all gods in some sense?

Dave: Answer the question. Is Jesus in the same class as the one true God? Is He the same as God?

Blarney: Well, the Jews and the Muslims don't think so. He was a great moral teacher, though.

Dave: Again, it isn't about what others think. It is about what you think. And Jesus could not have been a great moral Teacher if He were not God. Is Jesus God?

Blarney: Well, in the sense that you mean, I would have to say no. I'm sorry if that offends you.

Dave: I'm not offended, OK, so now let me ask you, did this Jesus, who is not God, think that He was God? Did He believe that?

Blarney: Well, how can you ever know what someone believes unless they tell you.

Dave: Work with me, Blarney. Do you think He believed He was God?

Blarney: Well, I can't really be sure, but I guess He did. I mean, yes.

Dave: OK, so this Jesus, who was not God, believed He was God. That makes Him insane, doesn't it?

Blarney: Well, maybe I was wrong. Maybe He really knew better, but just wanted to reinforce His teachings by letting people think so.

Dave: Sort of like Ward Churchill pretending to be an Indian so he could be an authority on Indian affairs?

Blarney: Yes, that's it.

Dave: Doesn't that make Him a fraud?

Blarney: You're being awfully judgmental.

Dave: See, Blarney, that's the point. Either Jesus was God, or He was insane, or He was a fraud. There is no other choice. "Great Moral Teacher" only applies if He were not insane and not a fraud.

Blarney: Ah, there's the flaw in your argument.

Dave: Excuse me?

Blarney: You assume that someone can't be a teacher if they are insane or a fraud. That's not true. Those are not things that disqualify an individual from teaching, or even being a college professor.

Dave: You can't be serious. And besides, the issue is not "teacher" but "moral teacher", even "great moral teacher."

Blarney: That's the trouble with you right wing types. You are so judgmental. We liberals would never stop someone from teaching just because they are insane or frauds.

Dave: {sigh}

Once Upon a Time...

... there was a woman named Elizabeth, who was thought to be barren. However, through miraculous circumstances she became pregnant. In the sixth month of her pregnancy, an angel visited her cousin, Mary. The angel told Mary that Elizabeth was already pregnant and that Mary soon would be. This was startling news, so Mary went to see Elizabeth. While there, she confirmed that Elizabeth was pregnant and that so was she. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months.

Now, Mary was engaged to a man named Joseph and when she returned he was quite startled to see that she was three months pregnant. He thought about quietly divorcing her, but an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to worry. So they went ahead with the marriage plans. However, about that time, there was a census and Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to register. Due to the traffic, and the fact that they traveled slowly (Mary being pregnant and all), they arrived late at night and all the hotels were filled. One innkeeper kindly allowed them to stay in a barn. Mary gave birth to their first-born son and called him Jesus. Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes and laid him in a feed trough. (Later people would call him the Bread from Heaven.)

God was so proud of the birth, that He sent angels again, causing a great light in the sky. They announced the birth to shepherds. The shepherds were so excited, they ran to see. After the excitement died down and the census was complete, Mary and Joseph took care to perform the required rituals and were amazed by some prophecies that people made about the baby. Joseph prepared a home for his growing family in Bethlehem.

Now, when the angels lighted up the sky, magi from the East noticed. They spent some time gathering gifts and organizing a caravan, then set out for Jerusalem (where else would the King of the Jews be, but the capitol?) After nearly two years, they arrived at the palace and enquired about the new king. Herod's scribes told them they had missed it by a few miles and might want to check Bethlehem. They told Herod the time of the star and were surprised that it appeared again as they left the palace. The "star" led them to the house and they saw the young child, but did not return to Herod.

God also warned Joseph to flee, thereby escaping the slaughter of those under two by Herod. They stayed in Egypt for a while. Once Herod died, they returned to Israel and Joseph's original hometown of Nazareth. They stayed there until Jesus was ready for his Bar-Mitzvah. But that is another story.

Merry Christmas again.

Merry Christmas

Yes, without the X (although X is the first letter of Christ in Greek). I thought I would share with you the Christmas story, this being the Christmas season and all.
First, the really short version (John 3:16):

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Then, the slightly longer version (John 1:1-5,9-14 - KJV) (John 1:1-5,9-14 - NIV)


Have a blessed Christmas season.

The One True Church

I figure we'll get a lot of mileage out of this one. Consider this: Since the term Christian originated in Antioch, and since they have not changed the worship service in centuries, maybe the Greek Orthodox Church fits the title.

Okay, that should set up the debate. See you later.

What's It All About?

Burning the Bible is OK.
Flushing the Koran (impossible, by the way) is not.
Burning the flag is OK.
Disrespecting Islam is not.
What's wrong with this picture?
Ever since the Ten Suggestions were outlawed in public places, we have things like this going on. And we wonder why.
According to the Bible (Hey, it's my blog, I can refer to it if I want), sin comes in three basic forms:

1. Sin is the trangression of God's law. 1 John 3:4
   
2. Sin is knowing to do good, but refusing. James 4:17
   
3. Sin is doing something you think is wrong. Romans 14:23

So, while it is possible for you and I to do the exact same thing with one sinning and one not, there are some definitive things that are sin no matter who does them. However, our relativistic world would prefer that all "sin" be in the mind, and therefore not real. If sin is not real, we don't need to worry about an accounting for our sins. We certainly would have no need of a Savior. "If it works for you, fine" doesn't cut it where the rape and abandonment of an eight year old girl is concerned.

Long Live the Pope

And now begins the liberal media attack on yet another institution. Columns in the paper today began with a bashing of the previous Pope for being too much in favor of what his church stood for over the centuries. The new Pope is a holdover, they say, of antiquated ideas. Why should tradition count for anything? Newer is better.
This isn't too much different than wanting judges who are free to think for themselves instead of upholding antiquated documents like the Constitution. The liberal letter writers have the gall to claim that the "right wing is distorting the judcial filibuster". It's all about the good judges that should be appointed. It is not about discrimination against the religious right. No matter that they have previously gone on record as saying that anyone with deeply held religious beliefs is unqualified for public office.
Stand by, shock and awe will follow.