blackbird

If you are just going to stick with a one-liner without reading anything, we probably are wasting our time. Science has not proven the theory of evolution. Why do you think it is called a theory? A theory is just that, an unproven speculation.

I have a new book which I have not had time to read yet, but the title pretty well answers your comment. "Darwin's Universe: From Nothing, By Nothing, For Nothing -- Survival for Nothing" by Yan T. Wee. This refers to the fact evolutionists have no explanation for why man is here. To them the universe and mankind were just some kind of cosmic accident. That makes absolutely no sense at all. If you believe in the theory of evolution, you have a serious problem because then you have a number of impossible questions to answer. First how did a complex universe suddenly appear out of nothing? Secondly, why? Why does the universe and mankind exist? Evolutionists have no answer because apart from God there is no answer. quote We are just walking molecules, birthed through a cosmic accident, dancing to the music of our DNA, and destined to disappear in a cosmic blink - nothing less, nothing else. And when we look to science and evolution for answers, all we get is a blank look. Life has no real purpose dude - it is about the survival of the genes in us - feeding, fending, fleeting and fathering - just live through it and get it over. Our final destination is the hole in the ground. But is it true? Perhaps we are: From Someone, By Someone, For Someone. Perhaps there is an unexplored and awesome universe beyond the Darwinian world of survival for nothing. Unquote back cover of the book. The question is are we here as just a (Darwinian) cosmic accident or is there a reason for our existence?

No, science has not proven evolution. If you are serious about knowing the truth, you could start by reading some of these articles. There are about 790 articles on the subject at this link. Refuting Evolution: Foreword & Introduction - creation.com This is just the beginning. There are many aspects to this. You need to do some serious study. I cannot boil it down to a few sentences on here for you. I have tried that with others on here before and realize it is a waste of time. Most people are not serious on here about anything to do with theology or biblical matters. If you are serious about knowing the truth, you will have to put some effort into it yourself.

Correct with a few clarifications I would add. God created the universe according to Genesis. God is transcendent or separate from the creation. The creation is not God and God is not a part of creation. He is a separate spirit and existed through eternity past before he created the universe. The question of suffering is answered by the fall of man when Adam and Eve rebelled against God. The universe became a corrupt fallen place. Why Is There Suffering? | Bible.org The so-called "Christian" priests , who abused their power and caused suffering, may not have been Christian as they were not following the Bible but rather a false religious system. The Holy Roman Inquisition went on for four hundred years, but the false religious system existed far longer than that. When the Roman Empire collapsed in the early centuries, the Papacy or Holy Roman Empire took over and controlled controlled kings and countries for centuries.

"Pantheism is the belief that reality is identical with divinity,[1] or that all things compose an all-encompassing, immanent god or goddess.[2][3] Pantheist belief does not recognize a distinct personal god,[4] anthropomorphic or otherwise, but instead characterizes a broad range of doctrines differing in forms of relationships between reality and divinity.[5] Pantheistic concepts date back thousands of years, and pantheistic elements have been identified in various religious traditions. The term pantheism was coined by mathematician Joseph Raphson in 1697[6][7] and has since been used to describe the beliefs of a variety of people and organizations. Pantheism was popularized in Western culture as a theology and philosophy based on the work of the 17th-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza, in particular, his book Ethics.[8] A pantheistic stance was also taken in the 16th century by philosopher and cosmologist Giordano Bruno.[9] Ideas of pantheism existed in South and East Asian religions (notably Sikhism, Hinduism, Sanamahism, Confucianism, and Taoism) and in Tasawwuf (Sufism) within Islam." - Wikipedia This is one of the main differences between Biblical Christianity and eastern religions such as Hinduism and the other is eastern religions. That is, they believe in a multitude of gods and think that the material universe is identical with the gods.. While the Bible teaches God is a distinct personal God who can be known in a personal way and who knows each individual who establishes a relationship with his Son in a personal way. This God is not a part of the material universe as in Pantheism of eastern religions, but is transcendent from it since he created it. It is important to understand the nature of these religions if one is going to engage in meaningful discussion about their beliefs on subjects like reincarnation, which is unknown to the Bible or the God of the Bible.

Quote Part 2: Since Hinduism does not share a unified system of beliefs, all that can be done here is to identify its main concepts in comparison with the Bible. God: In Hinduism, God (Brahman) is believed to be unknowable, the one impersonal, ultimate, spiritual reality. Hindus claim that there are 330 million gods. The Bible, in contrast, teaches there is one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Spirit—who can be personally known. God is all-powerful and omnipresent, but is not monistic (God as everything). Creation: Hindus accept various forms of pantheism and reject the Christian concept of creation where God is separate from his creation (Genesis 1:1). According to Hinduism, Brahman alone exists; everything (the universe, earth, man, rocks, animals, fire, etc.) is ultimately an illusion (maya). Brahman caused the illusion of creation. There is no beginning or conclusion to creation, only endless repetitions or cycles of creation and destruction. History has no value since it is based on an illusion. Humanity: The eternal soul (atman) of each human is supposedly a manifestation of Brahman mysteriously trapped in the physical body. A person must live repeated lives or reincarnations called Samsara before the soul can be liberated (moksha) from the body. On the other hand, the Christian God says each person is important. God created all people, including you (Genesis 1:26-27), so you could freely choose to know and love Him (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-10). Sin and Salvation: Hindus have no concept of rebellion against a holy God. There is no clear plan of salvation in Hinduism. Moksha (freedom from infinite being and final self-realization of the truth) is the goal of existence. Yoga and meditation are taught by gurus (religious teachers) and are supposedly ways to attain moksha. Hindus hope and strive to eventually leave the cycle of reincarnation. In contrast, Christianity teaches that one's personality, soul, body, and mind are important to God and unique. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person, not have people become a part of Him. Jesus: Jesus is not seen as the Messiah, God's Son, or as physically resurrected. He was simply a man who realized his divine nature. In contrast, the Bible presents Jesus as God's perfect Son, holy, divine (second person of the Trinity), resurrected, and also fully human. Hinduism stands in complete contrast with the Bible's view on many of the key issues of life. Hinduism is not just another way to God; it is a completely opposing system of belief that promotes worship of a multitude of gods. Ultimately, the Bible compels Hindus to leave their beliefs and come to faith in Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) and calls Christians to share the message of Jesus with Hindus whenever possible (Matthew 28:18-20). Unquote What do Hindus believe? What is Hinduism? (compellingtruth.org) This information is important to know. Jesus said ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. Knowledge and truth are something we should all strive for if we want our minds to really be free.

quote What do Hindus believe? What is Hinduism? Hinduism is the world's third largest religion. The origin of Hinduism can be traced back to the Indus valley civilization around 4000 to 2200 B.C. Much of its history is uncertain. However, it is clear that around 4,000 years ago a developed group of people lived in Northwest India. The major influences of Hinduism occurred when nomadic, Indo-European tribes invaded Northern India (around 1500 B.C.) from Russia and Central Asia. They brought the religion of Vedism (an ancient religion that included chanting and sacrifices). Their beliefs mixed with the local Indian native beliefs. Religious principles mixed, including the Hindu beliefs of reincarnation, multiple gods (polytheism), and the spiritual unity of humanity (monism or "one ultimate reality"). Over time, this religious mix of ideas grew through written scriptures known as the Vedas. Originally passed down orally, these ideas were written down between 1400 and 400 B.C. The Hindu scriptures are massive, and consist of: The Veda: The oldest of the Hindu scriptures is the Veda, which literally means "wisdom" or "knowledge." The Vedas contain hymns, prayers, and ritual texts. The four Vedas are the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajuraveda, and the Artharvaveda. The Upanishads: The Upanishads are a collection of writings composed between 800-600 B.C. that marked a change to mystical ideas about humanity and the universe, particularly noticeable in the idea of the Brahman and the atman (the self or soul). The Upanishads came to have a great influence on Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. The Ramayana: The Ramayana is one of the two major epic tales of India, the other being the Mahabharata. A sage-poet named Valmiki wrote the Ramayana that consists of 24,000 couplets describing the life of Rama, a righteous king who was supposedly an incarnation of the God Vishnu. The Mahabharata: The Mahabharata is the second epic. It is the story describing the deeds of the Aryan clans. It consists of some 100,000 verses composed over an 800-year period beginning about 400 B.C. Contained within this work is a great classic, the Bhagavad Gita, or the "Song of the Blessed Lord." The Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gita is the most sacred of all Hindu books and is also the best known and the most read of all Indian works in the entire world. This is despite the fact it was added late to the Mahabharata sometime in the first century A.D. The story in the Bhagavad Gita describes man's duty, which, if carried out, will bring nothing but sorrow. This story has had great impact on Hindu belief in its endorsement of bhakti, or devotion to a particular god, as a means of salvation. Since Hinduism does not share a unified system of beliefs, all that can be done here is to identify its main concepts in comparison with the Bible. Unquote What do Hindus believe? What is Hinduism? (compellingtruth.org) I hope this will help to understand exactly what the Hinduism religion is all about. We need to go back to basics and examine these belief systems if we are going to know what this subject of reincarnation is all about and where the idea came from. This is the first part. The next part I will quote sheds more light and compares Hinduism with Christianity and gives more detail.

Actually the folks that claim peer review as the gold standard should also tell you creation articles that don't agree with their world view are rejected out of hand. That means the so-called peer reviewed system is biased and useless in the creation debate. Peer review is asking people who do not believe in God or the Bible to judge articles which are based on a biblical view. Complete waste of time.

The sad reality is Socialism or a welfare state is like that. The government brings a system in for universal care and fails to deliver because they just don't have enough money, doctors, and resources to go around. B.C. has 900,000 people without a family doctor. So how many Canadians do not have a family doctor? Must be millions. The local walk-in clinic is only open for a few hours a day and people are lined up outside around the building to get in. Totally inadequate for a town of 20,000. They must wait an hour or more. I went to a walk-in clinic in Winnipeg a number of years ago and it was so crowded and I caught the Noravirus there. I was as sick as a dog that night. So much for walk-in clinics. Thousands of Canadians in need of urgent surgeries and treatments have been put on waiting lists and many died waiting. I would think if politicians and their supporters are going to bring in Socialist or public services, they should be prepared to fund them properly and run them efficiently and not be denying people necessary treatments and services. This is worse than no public system because they outlaw private services so there is no other option for people. "I think when we hear about Canadians going overseas to seek medical treatment, it again is a reminder that our universal health-care system is no longer functioning adequately to meet the needs of Canadians," said Dr. Katharine Smart, president of the Canadian Medical Association. "The fact that people feel they need to go to the United States or Mexico or Southeast Asia or somewhere else in the world to have their surgery or other medical conditions dealt with, I think reminds us that our system is failing." ‘Living in pain’: Canadians travel across the world to avoid surgery backlog (msn.com) It should be mentioned that our interventionist governments, including all three or four levels, federal, provincial, municipal, and regional, I believe also are a major cause of our massive housing shortage in Canada. Governments control everything including what land is available to build on, and all the red tape regulations to obtain land and build homes on it. This has created a situation where Canada has a huge geographic land mass and a small population but still there is a massive shortage of housing. Look no further than our political leaders for the cause.

The Bible does not support reincarnation at all. In fact it teaches "27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: " Hebrews 9:27 KJV After death one either goes to heaven or hell. There is no reincarnation as some other person or creature. The whole message of the Bible really does not support reincarnation. Here is an article on how the Hindu Scriptures compare with the Bible. How does the Bible compare to Hindu Scriptures? A Christian Perspective! – PercyParakh.com

No, that's not what I said about discrimination. You are twisting what I said. The only discrimination I was talking about is pointing out there are false religious systems or false religions. That has nothing to do with how one treats people. I never said anything about how to treat people. That's your assumption. Disagreeing with belief systems is not discrimination or being pompous. You would have to accuse Jesus of the same thing because he said there is only one way to God and heaven, that is, through him. He would not agree with or accept the other religions in the world. Yes , I believe certain things are true and certain things are false. That has nothing to do with the word pompous. Again that is your false claim. Anyone who doesn't agree with your world view is a scam artist. The Devil has deceived most of the world and that's no lie.

No, I say the KJB is the only inspired Bible in the English language because I have a mass of proof, not the least of which is the Bible itself. You simply haven't studied the subject or read much information on it and so don't know. Discrimination simply means differentiating between good and bad, right or wrong. If you don't do that, you must live in a mess of confusion. Distinguishing between various choices and ideas in life is part of walking on the correct path. I am not ashamed of trying to do the right thing and believe the right thing. Life is matter of making the correct choices. There is nothing "pompous" about having certain clear beliefs. God calls everyone to have faith him his Son and his written word. The problem is we live in a world of rebellion against God, apostasy, and unbelief. If you want to be on that path, that is your choice. Not mine. I thank God who is the one who gives grace and faith to people. No, I am not anything like a televangelist. I don't have the knowledge or skills for such a thing and no desire to be one. I am simply pointing out the reality of the world and what I believe the answer is. It's your choice what you want to do. If you want to muddle through a life of confusion, poor choices, and reject the truth of the Bible and God, that is entirely your choice. But the KJ Bible could help you and if you believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, your life could be a major change for the better. That's my opinion.

Most of what you point out are true. There are thousands of different denominations. But one thing you have to remember is many of these different denominations do hold to certain fundamental beliefs that they agree on. There are certain basic beliefs that many denominations agree on. Also, belief is to a large extent an individual thing meaning each person is accountable for his personal beliefs. Individuals cannot control what large groups or denominations believe. But if the denomination is in serious error, at some point the individual should leave it and not continue supporting it. Down through history there have been small groups or individuals who rejected much of the false teachings of Romanism. These groups of Christians were genuine Bible believers because they placed the basic Bible teachings above man-made doctrines as in Romanism. During the middle ages many of them were declared to be heretics and tortured or killed by Rome. Rome ran the Holy Roman Inquisition for four hundred years to try to rid the world of all heretics. At least the Reformation led to freedom of religion and defeated the tyranny of Rome ruling the world and imposing it's false system on every individual in society. There was a long period in history when the clergy or priests controlled every individual in their diocese and even to the extent that everything a person did came under their authority. This is hard to believe and most people do not know this. But it is true. Corruption was rampant and if you were not in the privileged class, you were just a slave and the church controlled every inch of your life. That was true tyranny. Kind of similar to Communist countries like N. Korea or China. If you wish to learn more about the history of the Roman church, you can buy the kindle book from Amazon and read parts of it. It is the History of the Holy Roman Inquisition which lasted for centuries. There are many other books that also describe the history of the Roman church that most people do not know about and many will not believe even if told by books. Yes, there are and have been cults that did bizarre things and at least one cult that would refuse certain medical treatment for themselves and their children. The point is the world is an evil place as I explained. Man is a fallen being with an evil, corrupt nature because of the rebellion and fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve. On top of that the Devil (Satan) is a real person who has certain powers over this world for the time being. Those are the reasons we have evil in the world, crime, wars, false religious systems etc. for the time being. But the Bible is the final authority on what is true and what is false because it is God's revelation to man. I believe the KJ Bible is 100% accurate revelation of God's word in the English language. Everyone has to decide for themselves what they believe because God has given man free will. He did not choose to create robots. He created humans with a brain and gave certain commands and a conscience. It is up to man to use his brain and conscience correctly.

This website explains it with references to the Bible. I would use the KJ Bible to look up any references. Do We Receive Our Resurrection Bodies When We Die, or at the End of the Age? | Desiring God "The Bible makes it clear that those who belong to Christ will receive their new bodies at Christ’s return (1 Cor 15:23)(1 Th 4:16). The bodies of those in Christ who have died will be resurrected and glorified first, and “then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds” (1 Th 4:17), at which time we will receive our glorified bodies." When will we receive our new glorified bodies? - JesusAlive.cc But it should be understood for a person to born again he must believe Jesus Christ is God and not just a messenger. Salvation depends on believing Jesus is God and that he died and shed his blood for one's own sins. One must receive and believe on him as one's personal Savior and Lord. That will guarantee eternal life and a resurrected body in the future. Yes, there are religions which lead to discrimination and suffering in the world. The Bible teaches the opposite. There are many bible believers doing good in their lives and the world and contributing to various charitable causes to help people. The Bible forbids hate and encourages believers to love thy neighbour and help those in need.

You think reincarnation is the be all and end all, but in fact Christians who die will at some point receive new bodies and will live forever with Christ who is God.

Yes, there is a lot of truth in that, I would agree. But the point I was making is those who were believing and following the Bible did not start the wars. The Bible teaches peace. Again people have a right to defend themselves. There is doubt about Constantine's Christianity or beliefs. The Roman church was kind of a descendent of the Babylonian pagan religion and is a false church and not a follower of the Bible through history. So their crusades and inquisition against heretics were in opposition to the what the Bible teaches. So in conclusion, your point about religion being one of the causes of wars does not negate the truth of the bible and is not an argument against biblical Christianity. Claiming wars were associated with some religions will not excuse one from believing the Bible. One thing that is often missed in this discussion is the fact that when a person becomes a believer, they are transformed into a child of God by adoption. They receive a new nature. They become new creatures in Christ. This means God looks upon them as one of his own children or sons or daughters. The benefits that flow from this are infinite and priceless. The Holy Spirit of God indwells every believer. This has profound meaning and implications. The world becomes a different place. They become a part of God's family and have an eternity to look forward to with God. The physical body may die and disappear but the soul and spirit live forever with Christ who is God.

I said wars are fought over religion, but also for other reasons. But people who are being attacked as the Ukrainians are have a right to defend themselves. Some religions are warlike in nature. Bible-believers are not taught to start wars. There have been a lot of wars fought over politics or building empires such as the world empires in the past, the Roman Empire for example, the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great, the Nazis, the Communist revolutions. These had nothing to do with religion.

What makes the King James Bible empirical or different than other books or religious statement from other religions? What is the difference between the KJB teachings on Christianity and Buddhism for example? That is a fair question. The answer is in what the KJBible says. quote Because of this, the Scriptures are effective in teaching spiritual truth about God, about morals, about salvation, and about our future hope. The Scriptures are capable of rebuking those who are not obeying its commands. The Scriptures also provide correction. They answer the question, How can a person who is not doing the will of God correct his life and make it correspond to the will of God? They also provide training, or schooling, in righteous living as well as teach all the truth about God, His righteousness, His justification, and the righteousness that He can provide for a Christian. The end result is that the man of God as he studies the Bible will be equipped thoroughly, as the Scripture states, for every good work into which God leads him. Unquote the whole article is at this website: 3. Why Believe the Bible? | Bible.org Wars are not caused by correct Biblical understanding and following. Wars are caused by the fallen, corrupt, evil human nature. Wars are sometimes caused by wars between different religious groups but that is not the fault of the Bible teachings. Jesus never said force or wars should be used to spread his message or gospel. But there are or have been hundred or thousands of different religions in the world. According to the Bible there is only one correct belief system because there is only one true God, the God of the Bible. Since he commanded his followers to love thy neighbour as thyself, in theory, there should be no wars if everyone followed the Bible. But the world is to a certain extent under the control of Satan, a fallen angel who was once called Lucifer (Isaiah ch.14) in the KJB. You combine that with the fact man is corrupt and has an evil nature, then you get wars.

No, there is only one earth, one universe, one mankind and only one God. This is just one article about why a person should believe the Bible. I gave links for supporting articles. I cannot give all the information on a posting in a few sentences on here. If you don't read the articles, there is nothing anybody can do to help you. It rests with you to investigate and read the articles on links. Why Believe the Bible? | SES Why should I believe the Bible? | GotQuestions.org 3. Why Believe the Bible? | Bible.org Hopefully you will read these articles and understand the information. If you do not bother there is little point in carrying on posting on the forum for obvious reasons. If you read an article and you want to discuss some point we can do that. That would make sense. But just back and forth posting without any depth is pointless.

Just because you "want" to believe in something is absolutely no basis for believing in it. Belief must have some basis. In the case of Christianity, belief is based on God's revelation to man meaning the King James Bible (God's word in English). quote Reincarnation is the ancient belief that after death, a person continues to undergo a series of deaths and rebirths into a new body until ultimately reaching a state of purification from sin. At this stage, the cycle of reincarnation ceases as the human soul obtains oneness with the spiritual "Absolute," and thereby experiences eternal peace. Reincarnation is taught in many pagan religions with origins in India, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism. Christianity and reincarnation are not compatible. While many who believe in reincarnation claim that the Bible teaches it, their arguments hold no biblical foundation. Unquote Is Reincarnation in the Bible? (learnreligions.com)

Most people don't believe in the Bible or Jesus Christ. That is why the Bible says: " 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13, 14 KJV I think what you need to determine is whether the Bible is authoritative and to be believed, that is, the King James Bible. Nobody else can do that for you. You will have to investigate and study it yourself.

While there are certain countries that have large numbers of one religion or another, there are scattered Christians in middle eastern countries and various countries around the world. There are also large numbers in China although they are heavily persecuted. So that proves nothing. It does not disprove the truth of the Bible. Also the Bible originated in Israel and spread to other countries from there. That does not disprove the truth of it. There are many different religions the world. The evidence that the Bible and Christianity is true is very strong. But it would take a little effort on your part to learn more about it. Perhaps you are not ready for it. I don't know.

There is really nothing at that link that negates the teaching of hell in the Bible. "DOES THE OLD TESTAMENT TEACH THE CONCEPT OF HELL? I have read several critics of the doctrine of hell insist that the concept of hell cannot be found in the Old Testament. After asserting this, they say that we cannot establish the doctrine of hell when the Old Testament “does not teach this concept.” I would respond first by saying that as Christians, we have more than ample teaching in the New Testament to establish the doctrine of a literal, eternal hell (see Matthew 3:7, Matthew 3:12, Matthew 5:29-30, Matthew 18:9-12, Matthew 13:38-42, Matthew 13:49-50, Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43-47, Luke 12:5, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Jude 7, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 20:13-15, and Revelation 21:8). This New Testament teaching is quite consistent, though, with the Old Testament. First, the OT contains many references to God’s wrath. He is often said to be angry at wickedness (see, for example, Deuteronomy 32:22, Psalm 2:12, and Psalm 18:7). Psalm 7:11 is one of many verses that indicate this indignation or anger is directed toward those who perpetrate this wickedness (“the wicked”). The OT prophets repeatedly speak of a time when the Holy One would have His “day” — a day of justice in which He would express His anger toward sin and visit judgment on sinners. They referred to this as “The Day of the Lord.” (Isaiah 2:12; 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 13:5, 30:3; Joel 1:15, 2:1,11,31; 3:14; Amos 5:18,20; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7,14; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi. 4:5)." What Does the Old Testament Say About Hell? - Apologetics Index

If a number of eye witnesses basically give the same account, it doesn't really matter how long ago it happened. But here is an interesting article about a famous lawyer in the 1800s who set out to prove the resurrection of Christ was false. You may find this interesting. FAMOUS LAWYERS PROVE THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST – The Teaching Ministry of Bill Nugent (bnugent.org)

The reason God has a place called hell is because he is a just God. People make their own choice to go there. They can choose to listen to God in the King James Bible and go to heaven if they wish. This website goes into detail about this. Bible Verses About Hell: 21 Eye Opening Scriptures (whatchristianswanttoknow.com)