Evolution theory has many contradictions.

1. We don’t reject the theory of evolution simply because it is “just a theory.” We reject it because it is a theory that is inconsistent with scientific observations.

2. We don’t object to defining those creatures that survive to be the fittest for survival. We do, however, object to circular reasoning when it is used to date rocks and fossils. We object to circular reasoning when the theory of evolution is used to calibrate a molecular clock, and then that molecular clock is used to tell how long it took for species to evolve.

3. Some parts of the theory of evolution are testable, and some parts are not. Microevolution (the development of variations in species) has been confirmed by breeding experiments, and establishes the accuracy of Mendal’s genetic theory. Macroevolution (the development of new kinds of species) is only partially testable. The parts that are testable have failed the tests.

4. More and more scientists certainly are doubting the theory of evolution.

5. Disagreement among biologists (regarding the theory of evolution) are rampant because the evolutionary “facts” are merely opinions. There are no serious disagreements among biologists about other, non-evolutionary, biological concepts (how organs work, etc.) because these truths have been discovered using the scientific method.

6. The common ancestor of apes and humans hasn’t been found because there wasn’t any.

7. The theory of evolution must explain how life began on earth if it is to explain where all the existing life-forms came from. The scientific evidence is overwhelming that life could not have originated on its own through purely natural processes.

8. Random mutations, even when filtered by natural selection, cannot produce new biological features.

9. The Second Law of Thermodynamics does explain why life could not have originated without conscious intent.

10. Mutations can prevent genes from functioning properly, but can’t produce genes with a previously unknown function.

11. Natural selection does explain variation within species, but cannot explain the origin of new species.

12. Speciation rate would have to greatly exceed extinction rate for some period of time for evolution to create all the species alive today. The current extinction rate is measurable, and (to some people) alarmingly high. Nobody has seen a new kind of plant or animal evolve naturally.

13. There are no transitional forms, living or fossilized.

14. Living things do show evidence of design.

15. Living things are irreducibly complex, which could not have been produced by a series of partially functional prototypes.

you didn't evolve in your mom's wound

scientists haven't been able to demonstrate evolution in an embryo yet.

Have fun trying to figure that one out....

Predestination

My friend asked me to do a post on the topic of Predestination.
This is a big and broad topic. So we will see how far I go into this post and decide on where I am going with it next.
With that said, I think my friend was referring to the Calvinistic idea of predestination in TULIP beyond mere overall Sovereignty.

I personally believe that God is no doubt Sovereign over all things. The questions really come into play when we get into the details of how it all works out. God, being all knowing and beyond ANY boundary (such as time and physical location) that all humans are trapped by, allows ALL things to happen. Some attribute free will and others attribute it all to God and his sovereign. The discussion can go all over the place from here. It gets messy!

Free Will versus Sovereignty

Where do I stand? Well honestly, I am still studying these things and have not settled in on ONE particular theory. I do not really agree with all the points of Calvinism and I am not completely against them either. There is a lot of gray area. I could go into the TULIP discussion and my analysis on that, but not today. (At least not in this post.)

I want to stick to the original topic of predestination and not delve into TULIP.

The more I have studied this and dwell on it, the more I find myself in that gray area. I think both sides (Calvinists, Arminists) both have great points and use the Bible (sometimes out of context) to support themselves.
I have gone through periods of wrestling over these things. Take the topic of election for instance:

One day I might say, "God 's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world was based upon His foreseeing that they would respond to His call."
Then the next day I would wake up and be like, "no that does not make much sense, because it gives human way too much response and responsibility. It almost puts man and man's choice ahead of God and His plan. I don't like that." It must be "God 's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will."
Then the next day I say to myself, "but what about faith, obedience what about when Moses or Jeremiah 'changed God's mind' by praying for their people?"

There is a balance. There is an area that is hard to understand. There is something more than just Calvinist all out Sovereign will of God and the complete Free Will of human choice.

Btw, if you think about it, there is still Sovereignty in The Arminius approach (whether they admit it or not)...notice how both arguments start with "God 's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world..."

You think about it long enough, (and throw the fact that God allowed us to discuss it), it is more and more amazing how God is ultimately in control. And He uses both man and things beyond man to control man. WOW.


In just the basic idea of predestination:

tells us, “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” and 11 declare, “He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.…In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” Many people have a strong hostility to the doctrine of predestination. However, predestination is a biblical doctrine. The key is understanding what predestination means, biblically. The Greek word proorizo, which carries the meaning of “to determine beforehand,” “to ordain,” “to decide upon ahead of time.”

If God is choosing who is saved, does not that undermine our free will to chose and believe in Christ? The Bible says that we have the freewill choice – all we have to do is believe in Jesus Christ and we will be saved (; ). The Bible never describes God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who was seeking Him (). Somehow, in the mystery of God, predestination works hand in hand with a person being drawn by God () and believing unto salvation (). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. Both facts are equally true. proclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!”



This post, I realize is just scratching the surface of the itch.

Intelligent Design is not Creationism

I have been longing to see ANY type of empirical evidence over unguided process that evolutionists claim! There is NONE. All the evidence I have seen is shallow, stretched to the max, and not reliable at all. It is ridiculous. Thus why many scientists have turned to Design.

Design by a Creator is reality, not illusion. Some ID guys are Christians, but not all. ID does not claim who the Creator is. It just is reaching for something deeper than the Darwinism.

ID guys do not usually argue about the common descent.

ID is not based on religious texts.

For most ID guys, "God" is nature, for others, God is in nature.

Creation is separate in many ways! The Creator is identified intelligently as the Christian God of the Bible. Common descent is defeated in the Creation story line. And obviously, Creationism is based on religious text. Creationism will agree that evolutionists and Darwinists are off base in their arguments and this is why Darwinists and evolutionists claim that ID and Creationism are one and the same. THEY ARE NOT ONE AND THE SAME.

Darwinists will try to keep both ID and Creation OUT of the classroom and they will try to defeat both of us at the same time. Do not let them push the TRUTH down. As far as I am concerned let them defeat ID...we are not ID...we are Creationists! Do not let them group us into the same boat as ID!

Micro and Macro "evolution"

It is not "Evolution" that Christians struggle with, but rather Darwinism

It is important that people understand the major differences between Macro-evolution and
Micro-evolution.

While not ALL Christians will agree with me here, I think the majority (on one level or another) will agree that God allows for adaptations, in His own creation. This kind of "micro-evolution," both Atheistic Darwinist and Christian scientists both will typically agree does occur in real life.
The Darwinists take these adaptions and make them into something much bigger than they really are. They claim that the adaptions are actually mutations and they are good mutations because through the course of natural selection...these are the mutations are essential for survuval. Survival of the fittest.

Where Christians will differ largly is that these adaptions are natural and a part of God's plan. He made each and every animal unqice and special. Some would survive and others not.

The biggest difference between Christians and Darwins is the begining of all Creation. Christians believe that the world was created by God.

But even Darwinism did not claim an absolute "origin of all life." Despite the obvious play on words - the tilte of Charlse Darwin's book.

The biggest mistake Christians claim from within Darwinism is the origin of ALL beings from a one cell being. This type of macro-evolution, you will not find in Christian belief. God created each being unique and seperate from each other.

While Darwins try to find and exagerate the similarities between all beings. Christians find beauty in the differences. We stand in awe and wonder in how each and every being/species were created by God.

While Darwins stand in wonder of how each and every species developed from a one-cell being.
Christians stand in wonder of how each and every species developed from one being, Almighty God.

New Surrender- Anberlin

I got the new album and I love it. It is really catchy.
At first I was thinking that some of the songs are a little harder/darker than their last album, but that is not really true the more I think about it. Anberlin has always had those tough songs that make you think on all of their previous albums. They are always catchy and stick with you even if they are a little dark.
Although not all of the songs are that way. Some of the songs in New Surrender are really upbeat and happy.
I hear a little bit of Relient K, Coldplay, classic/orginal Anberlin, and Switchfoot in this album.

My two favorite songs right now are: Burn out brighter and Haight Street
But I do not dislike any of them.
And I have a great appreciation for the cleverness of the song Breaking.

Check out the album on Youtube or Myspace - but definitely purchase the album too!

Oswald Chambers on Sanctification

Sanctification is not something Jesus Christ puts into me: it is Himself in me.

SANCTIFICATION
"This is the will of God, even your sanctification." 1 Thessalonians 4:3 The Death Side. In sanctification God has to deal with us on the death side as well as on the life side. Many of us spend so much time in the place of death that we get sepulchral. There is always a battle royal before sanctification, always something that tugs with resentment against the demands of Jesus Christ. Immediately the Spirit of God begins to show us what sanctification means, the struggle begins. "If any man come to Me and hate not . . his own life, he cannot be My disciple." The Spirit of God in the process of sanctification will strip me until I am nothing but "myself," that is the place of death. Am I willing to be "myself," and nothing more - no friends, no father, no brother, no self-interest - simply ready for death? That is the condition of sanctification. No wonder Jesus said: "I came not to send peace, but a sword." This is where the battle comes, and where so many of us faint. We refuse to be identified with the death of Jesus on this point. "But it is so stern," we say; "He cannot wish me to do that." Our Lord is stern; and He does wish us to do that. Am I willing to reduce myself simply to "me," determinedly to strip myself of all my friends think of me, of all I think of myself, and to hand that simple naked self over to God? Immediately I am, He will sanctify me wholly, and my life will be free from earnestness in connection with every thing but God. When I pray - "Lord, show me what sanctification means for me," He will show me. It means being made one with Jesus. Sanctification is not something Jesus Christ puts into me: it is Himself in me. (1 Cor. 1:30.)