Evolution News and Views

Strong scientific evidence suggests that there is a purpose behind our existence and that a Designer is responsible. The Discovery Institutes's blog, Evolution News & Views, looks at the current debate between Intelligent Design and Darwinian evolution.

 Check it out here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad A. Gross

Related Posts

Video: Doubts on Darwinism by J.P. Moreland

Alvin Plantinga explains "The Evolutionary Argument against Naturalism"

Book Preview: Old-Earth or Evolutionary Creation? Discussing Origins with Reasons to Believe and Biologos

Common Objection #2

Objection: "(Religion is) the most potent source of human conflict, past and present." [1]

Whether it be your next door neighbor or one of the popular "New Atheists," the claim that religion is the main cause of humanities ills is becoming more and more common and the non-believer seems all to anxious to bombard the believer with such accusations as, "What about all the violence religion has caused?"

If those who attack Christianity continue to insist that the ordinary follower of Christ, who has never done anyone harm, must answer for the crimes committed by self-proclaimed Christians in history, then likewise atheists do not get to turn a blind eye to the brutality caused by their beliefs in recent world history.

In Dinesh D’Souza’s book, What's so Great about Christianity?, he demonstrates that while religion has been guilty of violent acts, its the atheist who has much more to answer for:

“Even taking higher population levels into account, atheist violence surpasses religious violence by staggering proportions. Here is a rough calculation. The world’s population rose from around 500 million in 1450 AD to 2.5 billion in 1950, a fivefold increase. Taken together, the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the witch burnings killed approximately 200,000 people. Adjusting for the increase in population, that’s the equivalent of one million deaths today. Even so, these deaths caused by Christian rulers over a five-hundred-year period amount to only 1 percent of the deaths caused by Stalin, Hitler, and Mao in the space of a few decades.” (2)

When one truly gives their life to Jesus Christ and accepts His invitation to follow, the fruit that results is love, peace, forgiveness, giving, etc.

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche predicted that the “death of God” movement would lead to the bloodiest century in history and a universal madness. Nietzsche was willing to admit that atheism is devoid of conscience.

Authors Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris, who continue to preach the “moral superiority” of atheism, would do well to reexamine the history of godless governments.

But wait! Wasn't Hitler a Christian? To get an idea of how Hitler really felt about Christianity, see here.

Courage and Godspeed,

Chad A. Gross

Resources:

1) Sam Harris, The End of Faith.

2) Dinesh D'Souza, What's so Great about Christianity, p. 215.

Convoy of Hope

Yesterday was a humbling, emotionally exhausting day. I was one of the hundreds of followers of Jesus Christ who showed up at the Convoy of Hope that took place at E. Russell Hicks Middle School in Hagerstown, Maryland. Our goal and mission was to provide for hurting families in the area and share the blessed hope that we have in Jesus Christ with whoever needed to hear it.

Reflecting on the day, I remembered the lady who asked for prayer for her husband who is dying of diabetes and has no health care.

Or the gentlemen who shared that his kidneys were failing and that he was on a list for a donor; upon finishing a prayer with him, he fell into my arms and wept. I could tell he had not felt loved in quite sometime. As I walked him out to where he could get his free groceries, he continued to thank me, tears rolling down his face.

I recall the young lady and her 1 1/2 year old son who were on there own. She shared about her past drug addiction and about how God had used her little boy to "straighten her out."

And the dear lady who accepted Christ as her Savior and with tears in her eyes, hugged me. She was a "New creation" (2 Cor. 5:17).

Upon returning home, and scooping up my oldest daughter into my arms, I could not help but weep for those whom I had met and prayed with that day. I could not help but admit to being spoiled. I remarked to my wife, "The last time I had to go to the doctor, I complained about how long I had to sit in the waiting room. Today, I met people who were dying and didn't have health care."

I was challenged by many of the things I had seen and heard at the Convoy of Hope and a few observations really stayed with me:

1) I met people that were hungry, poor, cold, sick, and/or broken, yet they longed for one thing more than any other: God. They longed for His comfort, His strength, and His provision. Their situation, in most cases, did not lead them to curse God, but to cry out to Him.

2) With all that the guests received that day- food, entertainment, haircuts, medical checks, and job opportunities- they seemed to appreciate one thing more than any other- that someone cared for them and took the time to show them love.

I was told, by a fellow worker, of a lady who had 9 to 10 of her family members with her and was able to get a free, professionally done, family portrait taken. As she walked into the prayer tent she was crying and remarked, "We (her family) have never had the chance to have a picture done all together, professionally like this." I wonder if she is still looking at the picture at this very moment.

Even more so, I wonder if God was watching and smiling because His church was together, being the body of Christ to those in need.

I was honored to be a part of the Convoy of Hope and sincerely hope that the guests gained as much from the experience as I did.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad A. Gross

Common Objections

In an effort to provide answers for those desiring truth, I am starting an ongoing series entitled Common Objections. In this series, I will be providing thoughts of my own, scholarly articles, and/or quotes from credible sources, addressing some of the more common objections to the Christian faith.

It is impossible for Truthbomb to cover every topic that is brought to our attention, therefore, this is a way in which readers can benefit from our work, as well as the work of other apologists and thinkers.

For our first objection in the series, we take a look at the growing claim made by atheists that they simple "lack belief in God." I myself have been entertained in the past listening to atheists in debates, defending the atheist position, but then are unwilling to admit that they should have to provide positive evidence that atheism is true!

Apologist Matthew Slick at the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, takes a look at the claim more and more atheists are making: "I lack belief in God."

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad A. Gross