TBC What's New Feed

The “curse of faith”? These critics are under the false impression that “faith” is a leap into the dark. On the contrary, biblical faith is based upon evidence. Many of the greatest historians and legal experts, not for sentimental reasons but on the basis of established scientific evidence, have turned from atheism to believe in everything the Bible declares, including the resurrection of Christ. They have come to this faith not by some mystical or emotional experience but based solidly upon overwhelming evidence that they say will stand up in any court of law.

Croc Fossils Hint at Extreme Longevity

ICR research continues to discover evidence that at least some fossil creatures experienced extremely long lifespans like those recorded for the early Genesis patriarchs. A recent ICR Creation Science Update article discussed small extinct fossil mammals that lived much longer and took longer to mature than similar-size living mammals.1

This makes sense. Assuming that this early longevity was not miraculous, any mechanism or mechanisms that enabled extreme human longevity would likely also have affected the animal kingdom. In two technical papers, I presented direct and indirect evidence for extreme longevity in giant fossil oysters and sharks.2,3 And a new paper describes how giant fossil crocodilians also show indirect evidence of great longevity. 4,5 By counting growth bands in bony skin plates called osteoderms, paleontologists have concluded that the giant crocodile-like animals Deinosuchus and Sarcosuchus imperator took at least 50 to 60 years to attain their full adult body sizes.

Genesis strongly hints that pre-Flood humans took longer to sexually mature since the youngest two ages at which Genesis 5 patriarchs are listed as having sons are 65 and 70.6 It is difficult to imagine pre-Flood humans undergoing puberty around 13, like today’s humans, and choosing to wait 50 years or more to get married!

If pre-Flood humans experienced delayed sexual maturity, they may have also experienced delayed skeletal maturation. Biologists have long noted that biological timescales, such as ages at sexual or skeletal maturity, lifespans, etc., tend to vary as adult body mass raised to the 1/4 power.7 So, one would expect delayed skeletal maturity to accompany delayed sexual maturity. Moreover, longevity studies of living animals have shown that delayed maturation and larger adult body sizes are often linked to greater longevity. Hence, the delayed skeletal maturation of these giant fossil crocodilians is indirect evidence of greater past longevity.

These two giant fossil crocodilians may or may not be ancestors of today’s crocodiles and alligators since they had some unique anatomical features not found in today’s crocodilians. However, the giant fossil crocodilians Gryposuchus croizati and Euthecodon brumpti both had long, narrow snouts that are very similar to the snouts of living gharials. Evolutionary scientists attribute this similarity to “convergent evolution,” in which the same body features coincidentally evolve in unrelated creatures.

But what if G. croizati and E. brumpti are simply giant pre-Flood gharials? Given that they had body sizes comparable to those of Deinosuchus and Sarcosuchus imperator, they very likely also had comparable lifespans and ages at maturity. Likewise, Purussaurus brasiliensis had a body shape very similar to that of living caimans. Was it simply a giant, long-lived, pre-Flood caiman? I am very encouraged by this research, and I hope you are, too. As former ICR President Dr. John Morris used to say, “It’s a great time to be a Bible-believing Christian!”

References

1. Hebert, J. Methuselah-Like Longevity in Pre-Flood Mammals. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org October 7, 2024, accessed December 17, 2024.
2. Hebert, J. 2024. Crassostrea Oyster Fossils Show Evidence of Extreme Longevity. Creation Research Society Quarterly. 60 (3): 171–190.
3. Hebert, J. 2024. Giantism and Delayed Maturation in Fossil Sharks: Evidence for Extreme Longevity? Creation Research Society Quarterly. 60 (4): 267–283.
4. Hebert, J. 2025. Fossil Crocodilians Grew Larger and Longer, and Lived Longer than Extant Crocodilians. Creation Research Society Quarterly. 61 (3): 172–188.
5. The Creation Research Society has graciously made the fossil oyster, shark, and crocodilian papers “open access” so that they may be freely read at creationresearch.org/crsq-by-decade.
6. The third-youngest age at which a Genesis 5 patriarch is listed as having a son is 90. So it seems likely that the three sons whose fathers were 65 and 70 at their births were born early in their fathers’ reproductive lives. Hence, even if these three sons were not firstborn, early humans were apparently still taking a long time to mature sexually.
7. Calder III, W. A. 1984. Size, Function, and Life History. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 139–161.

https://www.icr.org/article/croc-fossils-hint-at-extreme-longevity/

The New Atheists are angrily rallying all nonbelievers to close ranks in a battle to the death against “this debilitating curse: the curse of faith.” The New Atheists’ antagonism and determination know no bounds. They condemn not just belief in God but respect for belief in God.

The Jesus Seminar was founded by the late Robert Funk in 1985, along with other theologically liberal luminaries, including John Dominic Crossan and the late Episcopalian Bishop John Shelby Spong. They spent much of their time attempting to undermine the reliability of the Bible and were the darlings of the media, especially around the celebration of birth or death and resurrection of Jesus. In 1998 we took a look at the process they used to come to their conclusions in "The Hysterical Search for the Historical Jesus." The group still exists, but the drawing power of that fad wore off about a quarter of a century ago. The fad that replaced them was The New Atheists. It turns out many of them have decided Western culture needs Christianity if it is to survive.  In "The Short Shelf Life of ‘Inevitable’ Movements," John Stonestreet and Shane Morris talk about a recent online debate ono "The Majority Report" between host, Sam Seder and "an excellent debater" (unnamed): 

His was a fate like what has befallen the “New Atheists” of the 2000s. After a meteoric rise, with figures like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens claiming to be on the right side of enlightened history, a new graph by sociologist Christian Smith shows that New Atheism was essentially a 15-year “flash in the pan,” with their media mentions spiking almost entirely between the years 2005 and 2020. In the end, all their books, conferences, and media appearances never made that many new New Atheists, with their numbers nationwide never breaking the low single-digits, percentage-wise. Today, the only real traces of their meteoric movement can be found in old YouTube videos and used book bins.

While it’s too early for a postmortem, the transgender movement seems to be following a similar pattern. Five years ago, gender activists were effectively holding universities, corporations, and governments hostage. CEOs, elected officials, and celebrities alike trembled at the threats from online mobs. Then came J.K. Rowling, the Cass Report, the closing of the U.K.’s main gender clinic, the backlash against male athletes in women’s locker rooms and sports, the wave of high-profile “detransitioners,” and a new administration working to roll back the policy gains of trans activists. Now that sanity also seems to be returning to corporate America, even Target, the future of this supposedly inevitable movement is, to say the least, in doubt.

I am not sure what this tells us, other than that culture is fickle and changes to embrace whoever seems to have a better story at any given time, especially if the tale excludes the God of Scripture, who created all things, provided for them, and offers salvation to those who believe. Is it possible they simply cannot abide a God that is greater than themselves?

https://mailchi.mp/ab30e9504631/who-is-azealia-banks-and-why-should-we-care?e=169825fd77

My wife and I have often found these concerns on the minds of many of the people we have talked with and shared our desire to go overseas. These people have told us a number of times something like, “Hey if you’re so interested in church planting and evangelism, why don’t you just stay here and do those things? Our city could use you!”

I’ve responded to these statements with a bit of my testimony. I used to be an atheist and although I didn’t believe in God, I knew there was something wrong with the world. So, I often studied philosophy to learn how to live a good life. About 6 years ago, I read a book that presented the Bible as a source of truth and wisdom. I hadn’t heard the Bible referred to like this before. So, I found a Bible online and, as I started reading, I had questions. I took my questions to Google and, over time, I discovered [resources] in my language to eventually lead me to the gospel, to a Bible study, and to membership in a local church.

However, the access I had to Christian resources is not universal. Specifically, about three thousand languages have yet to have any part of the Bible translated for them. Let alone any website, radio program, or other Christian information accessible in their language. There are no believers close by and there are no churches. Even if someone heard that the Creator God of the Universe has spoken and His words are recorded, there is no way for a person in these areas and within these languages to access the gospel on their own. “And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” (Romans:10:14-15 [14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? [15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
See All...)

For me – knowing this truth and how God chose to save me – I cannot simply stand by while millions are dying without the opportunity to hear and perhaps claim as their own the saving gospel message that was so abundantly accessible to me.

Of course, there are needs in the States; there always will be. But there are also millions of believers equipped with the largest amount of Christian resources ever known to man including over 900 Bible translations (counting revisions) in English. These men and women can evangelize, disciple, and plant churches in their communities.

Our Savior is worthy to be praised by every tongue and tribe. Until that work is complete, we should have an outward, cross-cultural drive relentlessly pressing towards those who have yet to hear – those who have no Bible, no knowledge of Jesus – so that one day they will join in worshipping the only true God, now and forever.

—Current Student/Alumni, Radius International [Name withheld because of possible ministry in a “sensitive region.”]

We have already pointed out the fact that many of history’s foremost scientists—indeed, most of the founders of modern science—believed in God. Yet since Darwin and Freud, atheists have aggressively and dishonestly claimed to speak for the entire scientific establishment.

A case pitting religious freedom against employment discrimination between Liberty University and a former transgender employee may proceed, a federal judge ruled recently.

U.S. District Judge Norman Moon denied the evangelical Protestant university’s request to dismiss the case last week, saying it presents a “novel question of law” that has not yet been answered, Higher Ed Dive reports.

In his opinion, Moon decided “that religious institutions cannot discriminate on the basis of sex, even if motivated by religion.”

“This case — and the law it implicates — points to the delicate balance between two competing and laudable objectives: eradicating discrimination in employment, on the one hand, and affording religious institutions the freedom to cultivate a workforce that conforms to its doctrinal principles, on the other,” the judge wrote.

Moon wrote that “no source of law … answers the question before us,” but “a decision to the contrary would portend far-reaching and detrimental consequences for our system of civil law and the separation between church and state.”

The judge decided that Title VII allows employers to “discriminate on the basis of religion” but not on the basis of sex.

A former male employee who now claims he is a woman is suing the university for firing him in 2023. The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia is representing Jonathan Zinski, who now goes by the first name “Ellenor.”

Zinski alleges the Virginia university fired him from an information technology job after he changed his name and began taking transgender drugs, according to the lawsuit.

The case accuses Liberty of employment discrimination. However, the university asserts it was exercising its religious freedom.

Its doctrinal statement describes the “denial of birth sex by self-identification with a different gender” as a “sinful act prohibited by God,” and all employees are required to sign it.

https://www.thecollegefix.com/judge-rules-transgender-case-against-liberty-u-may-continue/

Obviously, energy can do none of this. It does not qualify to be the creator of the universe, much less of human beings. Yet this is the “great god” that atheists such as Christopher Hitchens worship. They say that our thinking, willing, loving, personal, all-knowing, all-powerful God, without beginning or end, is incredible—and theirs is scientific. And Hitchens dares to title a book God Is Not Great! That certainly is true of his “god,” but here we are, alive on planet Earth, and we need to know who we are, how we got here, and why. Atheistic, materialistic “science” cannot tell us.

Though lifeless itself, energy, the evolutionists’ god, must be the source of all life. It must conceive and put down in writing on DNA the “architect’s plans,” as Dawkins calls them, for constructing and operating every incredible nano-chemical machine within every functioning cell— “information and complexity which surpass human understanding . . . programmed into a space smaller than an invisible speck of dust.” Though impersonal and incapable of thought, the god “energy” must have created personal beings who can reason about it, though it cannot reason about them. These are only some of the personal, thinking qualities that energy must have in order to qualify as the originator of the universe and life.

Excitement is mounting in the archaeological community following recent revelations at the 7th International Symposium on Mount Ararat and Noah's Ark, held in eastern Turkey.

A collaboration of experts from Istanbul Technical University, Agri Ibrahim Cecen University, and Andrews University in the United States has been working since 2021 under the banner of the Mount Ararat and Noah's Ark Research Team. The team has focused its efforts on the Durupinar formation, a 538-foot geological structure composed of limonite and located approximately 30 kilometers south of the summit of Mount Ararat, near the Turkey-Iran border in the Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı.

The Durupinar formation has long captivated researchers and explorers due to its ship-like shape and dimensions that mirror the biblical description of Noah's Ark. According to the Bible, the Ark's dimensions were "a length of three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits." The structure's measurements, approximately 150 meters in length, align with this account.

In a key phase of their project, the team collected nearly 30 samples of rock and soil from the site. These samples, sent to Istanbul Technical University for analysis, revealed traces of clay-like materials, marine deposits, and seafood remnants, including mollusks. Experts determined that the materials dated between 3500 and 5000 years old. This timeframe coincides with the Chalcolithic period, spanning from 5500 to 3000 BCE, which is associated with the era of the biblical flood as described in Genesis.

The discovery of marine substances and shellfish in the samples suggests that the area was once submerged under water. These findings bolster theories that a catastrophic flood occurred in the region, aligning with the narrative of a universal flood found in various religious texts. "Our studies show that this region harbored life in that period and that, at some point, it was covered by water, which reinforces the possibility that a catastrophic event of great magnitude occurred," the researchers stated.

Mount Ararat, the highest peak in Turkey at 5,137 meters, was traditionally identified as the resting place of Noah's Ark. Its significance is noted in religious texts, including Genesis:8:4And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
See All...: "And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat." The mountain, an inactive volcano with a summit covered in perpetual snow, was a site of intrigue and pilgrimage for centuries.

The Durupinar formation itself was initially discovered by a Kurdish farmer in 1948 and brought to international attention in 1951 by Turkish Army Captain Ilhan Durupinar during a NATO mapping mission. Despite numerous expeditions and studies over the years, consensus on the site's significance remained elusive.

The recent analyses conducted by the research team reignited interest and debate. By employing technology and geological analysis techniques, the team aims to separate myth from reality. Their work focuses on examining the site's geological and archaeological significance without drawing premature conclusions.

The veracity of the tales surrounding Noah's Ark and the global flood remains a topic of debate among scientists and scholars. While some view the story as a foundational religious narrative, others consider it a myth or allegory.

"The evidence suggests that the story might have a basis in reality," noted researchers involved in the project.

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-845277#google_vignette

[TBC: It has been pointed out regarding this report, that “they are being careful with their wording, which is a good thing, as more investigation and evidence is needed.”]

Palestinians are again paying a heavy price as a result of Hamas's refusal to release the remaining 59 Israeli hostages (almost half of whom are believed to be dead) held in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. On that day, thousands of Hamas terrorists and ordinary Palestinians invaded Israel, murdering 1,200 Israelis and wounding thousands others. Another 251 Israelis – alive and dead – were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip.

Since then, Hamas could have avoided much of the death and destruction it brought on the Palestinians by simply releasing all the hostages, laying down its weapons and relinquishing control of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas, however, chose to drag the two million Palestinians of the Gaza Strip into a war that has claimed the lives of thousands and destroyed large parts of the coastal strip.

The US-brokered ceasefire-hostage deal, announced in January, provided Hamas with an opportunity to release all the hostages and end the war with Israel. Instead, Hamas chose to humiliate the hostages (and all Israelis) by publicly parading them while handing them over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

During the disturbing displays, masked gunmen in military uniform from Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups reappeared on the streets for the first time since the beginning of the war. During the war, some of the terrorists, pretending to be innocent civilians, got rid of their military uniforms and hid their weapons, and many found shelter among displaced families in humanitarian zones throughout the Gaza Strip. Others spent most of the time hiding in tunnels, where many of the Israeli hostages were (and still are) held.

The ceasefire-hostage deal collapsed on March 18 because Hamas is evidently not prepared to release all the hostages, disarm and cede control of the Gaza Strip. Hamas considers the hostages an asset and "insurance policy" for holding onto power.

Hamas says that it wants a commitment from Israel that it will end the war while allowing the terror group to remain in control of the Gaza Strip. Hamas also said it wants guarantees from international parties, including the US, that Israel would abide by such a commitment. Hamas, in other words, is saying that it wants to retain control of the Gaza Strip so that it can use the territory to launch more terrorist attacks against Israel in the future. Its leaders have already threatened to carry out more massacres against Israelis.

MEMRI [Middle East Media Research Institute]  reported on November 1, 2023: "Ghazi Hamad of the Hamas political bureau said in an October 24, 2023 show on LBC TV (Lebanon) that Hamas is prepared to repeat the October 7 'Al-Aqsa Flood' Operation [October 7 attack,] time and again until Israel is annihilated."

Hamad stated: "Israel is a country that has no place on our land. We must remove that country... The Al-Aqsa Flood is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth..."

Hamas leaders have also repeatedly made it clear that their terror group has no intention of laying down its weapons.

On March 9, 2025, at a Hamas event in Egypt honoring Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of Phase 1 of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, senior Hamas official Khaled Mashaal said that the Palestinians would never disarm and warned of a large "plot" threatening the "future of the Gaza Strip, its administration, regime, and weapons, and the resistance in it." He added: "The path of jihad and resistance is the way to regain the homeland, honor, and freedom, and to free the prisoners [from Israeli jail]. The world respects only the strong."

Also in March, another senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, stressed that his group was absolutely opposed to relinquishing its weapons and the "armed struggle" against Israel. "The weapons of the resistance are a red line," Abu Zuhri cautioned. He added that any discussion of disarming Hamas is "nonsense" and that the issue is "not up for bargaining, discussion, or negotiation."

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21484/palestinians-dying-because-hamas

Atheists say that belief in God is irrational. The New Atheists declare that “Religion is not only wrong, it’s evil.” What do they offer instead? Something even more incredible and outrageous. Their “god” is energy that operates by “natural selection.” If this is true, energy logically must have all of the qualities of the God of the Bible: it must be self-existent, without beginning or end, and it must be free from all laws—from the lawmaker that put in place the law of gravity and all of the other laws of chemistry and physics. Energy must have been able to plan the atomic weights and structure of the elements, put together the chemical periodic table, impose the rules for chemical bonding upon matter, and organize every elementary particle in such a way that atoms produce molecules that can form themselves into living cells.

There were a lot of times I just wanted to quit being a Christian—to fall into the shape of the world and say, ‘He’s not my God.’ How many times I thought that would be easier! But while I didn’t have many peers at my church, the elders there were really supportive. They had been Christians since WWII, and they knew how hard it was to follow Christ. But they also told me how blessed they were and what God did for them. They loved to tell the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel, standing for God among the Baal worshipers. Without that story and without those elders, I might have lost faith during my younger years.

—Reflections from a College graduate in Japan

Fortifying faith in Creation

From time to time, I am asked, “So what exactly is it that you do?” The short answer is that CMI exists to proclaim the truth and authority of the Bible in a sceptical world. We do so by providing credible answers to questions and sceptical challenges, demonstrating how real science affirms Scripture’s teaching about origins. We also proclaim the Gospel because our vision is to see the Lord Jesus Christ honoured as the Creator and Saviour of the world.

Part of ‘what we do’ is engaging with people at speaking events, all over the English-speaking world. Each year, speakers do tours in many other countries too. We also provide a wealth of books, magazines, videos, and online resources—such “linking and feeding” is an important aspect of our ministry. 

Periodically, CMI also puts on special conferences where a varied panel of experienced creation apologists showcase fascinating, faith-building information on biblical history, biblical biology, anthropology, earth science, astronomy, climate science, and more—as well as critiquing heretical and subtle arguments that are against the knowledge of God.

For instance, you might wonder: ‘With so many scholars who criticise Christianity and deride Scripture as flawed and in error, how can we know that the Bible is an authentic book?’ How are we to respond to the increasing number of reports of professing Christians deconstructing their faith, the so-called ‘exvangelicals’? What does ‘progressive Christianity’ have to do with beliefs about Genesis? And if Christians are to successfully defend their faith, how can we be sure to make our case logically?

“But how could I ever learn all this information in order that I have enough ammunition to hold my own in conversation?” Well, you don’t need to become an expert, to be able to say something that makes someone really think. Spending some time reading articles, listening to podcasts, and watching short videos can be incredibly productive. The numerous testimonies CMI has received following the launch of our ‘social media video project’ have been so encouraging—and millions are watching! 

For example, learn some of the many examples of ‘fast fossils’ that strongly argue against slow-and-gradual ideas in geology. Instead of evidence for millions of years, such fossils are powerful confirmation of the worldwide flood of Genesis 6-9. Also learn some of the amazing support for the Bible from extinct fossil creatures—how long-neck-long-tailed sauropod dinosaurs and intriguing mega-crocodiles are remarkable matches for the enigmatic Behemoth and Leviathan respectively (Job 40 and 41). 

Don’t be on the back foot when it comes to the knotty issues in today’s culture. What should I think about the issue of climate change? What ought I to be doing about it? How do I respond to the contentious issues of identity politics—racism, feminism, gay rights, transgenderism, and other aspects of ‘culture wars’? Amidst the seeming cultural chaos, where so many people are confused about their identity, we desperately need some biblical clarity. It is surely not enough for Christians merely to respect those with whom we disagree, e.g. on abortion or euthanasia. Ignoring all these issues is negligent, hoping they’ll go away is naïve, so what am I to do? How ought I to respond? 

Equip yourself with examples of wonderful design; for example, explore the complexities of human skeletal muscles, which are awesome evidence for the Designer God. Many other wonders of our bodies testify to His creative design too. These were showcased when thousands of athletes from around the world competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics.2 Being a successful Olympian is rarely down to natural ability or talent alone. Not all will win medals, but all will have trained hard to ensure that they give their best in their respective events. 

Likewise, effective Christian apologetics, defending the faith in a fruitful, God-honouring manner, requires some training and studying. The apostle Paul told Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). As well as getting to know your Bible better, build up a store of ammunition (compelling facts and strong arguments) that will prepare you to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).

Are you ready? If you’re feeling the need to get in trim, to improve your ‘spiritual muscle tone’, and to get up to speed in defending the faith, I recommend that you join a fitness programme! Creation magazine is one of the very best tools to help you regularly train your mind with biblical and scientific answers. For something more focused—to help you know, defend, and live out the truth of Scripture—check out CMI’s Rock Solid Bible Curriculum.3 And remember, all Christians have an ongoing responsibility to carry the Creation torch.

References and notes

1.     First published as Creation Update, CMI-UK/Europe, July 2024. 

2.     26 July–11 Aug; the Paralympics too, 28 Aug–8 Sept. 

3.     In 33 lessons, you’ll become familiar with the entire sweep of Bible history and get equipped to answer common sceptical challenges to Christian faith—rich, interactive, fun, visually stunning presentations.

https://creation.com/fortifying-faith-creation

Atheistic scientism doesn’t like this conclusion, but it is inescapable. This is what all of the evidence demands. Science cannot tell us what happened “in the beginning,” but it admits there surely was a “beginning” to the universe. Matter cannot spontaneously arise from nothing, nor could “nothing” birth the universe. Everything that exists could have been created only by an eternal, self-existent, nonmaterial, and infinitely personal, intelligent Being. We call that Being, God.

Biblical declarations about God agree precisely with all of the evidence science has been able to gather. It is not religious sentiment but all the known facts that drive us to acknowledge one true God, without beginning or end, who created all from nothing. Without Him, there is no answer to the most basic question facing us: the origin of the physical universe and of life.

There are many things in life that we believe in by faith. This is true of Christians and non-Christians, Creationists and Darwinian Evolutionists, those who believe in God and atheists alike. Some do not want to admit this is the case, but it is true nonetheless.

Some groups focus on what we might call the “how” and “why” questions and create the illusion that since we cannot give a precise explanation of the mechanics of how something happened, that means our belief or claim is untrue and their view is true by default.

Before I go too far, I should point out that faith is not a blind leap into the abyss of not knowingness. Proper faith is a belief based on verifiable evidence that the belief is true and either corresponds to reality or at least does not conflict with it.

Cults and false religious groups like the Jehovah’s Witnesses use this type of argumentation to confound Christians. They may ask, “How can God exist as a Trinity?,” “How can Jesus be God since God cannot die?” They then take a Christian’s inability to precisely explain the mechanics of “how” and “why” as evidence that supports their claims. But this is folly for they too believe things they cannot explain. Is God infinite and eternal? They believe this. Can they explain how or why that is the case? No, they cannot.

Some years ago, our friend Jonathan Miles suggested I read Among the Creationists: Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line by Jason Rosenhouse. As I read the book I thought, “This is a guy I could have lunch with and a great conversation.” He is not a Christian but wanted to understand what Creationists think and believe. He wanted to see them in their own environments. Being a missionary to cults and new religious movements often takes me into the places where they congregate, affirm and exchange ideas so I was intrigued. Evolutionists were also intrigued. Jerry Coyne, Professor of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, and author of Why Evolution is True wrote in his endorsement:

Those of us who battle creationism usually wage the war on the Internet, on paper, or in the courtroom. Rarely do we get to know our adversaries as people. Jason Rosenhouse is the rare exception. Equipped with remarkable empathy and a deep knowledge of evolutionary biology, he wades into creationist meetings, trying to understand the mindset that leads people to oppose one of the best-supported ideas in science.

In chapter 3 Jason gives his reasons for pursuing the subject in this way:

It is far more difficult to caricature and stereotype people you have actually met. Have a few conversations over lunch or during breaks at conferences, and suddenly they are no longer abstractions or types….There are a number of things in the book that would be worth commenting on but one of them just soars to the top for me and it focuses on the “how” and “why” questions. Jason relates an exchange he had with a teenager named Jane….I asked her, “If you think God explains how the universe came into being, then tell me how He did it.”

For Jason, Jane’s inability to articulate the mechanics of exactly how God created everything invalidated the idea that God was the creator. But then, as we read further, we find that Jason himself takes his belief in evolution just as much by faith as does Jane. Science tells us we are incidental by-products of a lengthy process of evolution by natural selection and that this process is wasteful, violent, and even cruel.

Notice, he does not provide the very thing which he insisted Jane produce to substantiate her claim, an articulation of the mechanics of exactly how everything sprang into existence from nothing, by nothing and for no apparent reason. Exactly how and why did the planets form and what was the exact mechanism for life to spring forth in the primordial soup? Or how and why … well you get the idea. Christians are accused of believing in “the God of the gaps.” That is, whenever they cannot explain something they simply assert “God did it.” The assertion isn’t necessarily false and evolutionists do the same thing, “evolution did it.” The inability to answer all of the how and why questions does not invalidate a claim but there should be good evidence and reason to support the core belief. Anything that came to be had a cause. God did not come to be but is eternally self-existing. On the other hand, the universe and all of its creatures had a beginning. So, the initial question is “what began it?” Both creationists and evolutionists have all of the same sets of evidence from which to work. This is a topic which very much intrigues us and we visited it a few years ago in Once Upon a Time … Plus Chance. In that article we noted:

There is clear evidence from creation of God’s existence. We know that from nothing, nothing comes. Anything that came to be, had a cause. On the evolutionary view, there is no first cause. In the beginning was nothing which exploded into everything.  Is this really rational science or is it faith?

“From nothing, nothing comes” is a self-validating argument. To assert otherwise is a blind leap into the abyss of not-knowingness.

[TBC: for full article and footnotes, pleas see: https://midwestoutreach.org/2025/03/13/the-how-and-why-questions/ .]

There couldn’t be something out of which everything came, because things are neither self-existent nor eternal. There had to be Someone, an eternal Being, without beginning or end and infinite in power, who created everything out of nothing. This One is not any of the pitiful, physical gods of idol-worshipers that men have made with their own hands. This is the God of the Bible. He revealed Himself to Moses with these words: “I AM THAT I AM [Yahweh-the self-existent One]” and through His prophets declared, “The Lord God made the earth and the heavens.” The Apostle Paul challenged the Greek philosophers on Mars Hill:

“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things . . . for in him we live, and move, and have our being. . . . [He even gives breath and life to those who hate Him and reject Him, such as Richard Dawkins and the other New Atheists.] Forasmuch then as we are the offspring [creation] of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. . . .”

The men who co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous were Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. Although neither was a Christian, they were men who cared deeply about helping alcoholics.

It is this continued portrayal of Dr. Bob Smith, and now Bill Wilson, as Christians, that has confused and deceived so many.

Both Wilson and Smith approved of and used a book called ‘Sermon on the Mount.’ This was written by New Thought adherent Emmet Fox, and was used as a mainstay in Alcoholics Anonymous until the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book was written.

It is not possible for men who follow and serve Christ to use this book. Why? The book denies that Christ is Savior, and in fact states that “Christ” is simply a title for Absolute Spiritual Truth.

And, of course, there was the spiritualism. Bill Wilson was immersed in it. Here is what early A.A. member Tom Powers says about the A.A. co-founders and their participation in this biblically forbidden activity:

“Now these people, Bill and Dr. Bob, believed vigorously and aggressively. They were working away at the spiritualism; it was not just a hobby.” (PASS IT ON, pg. 280) (emphasis mine)

Were these men Christians? No. Are the 12 Steps of Christ? No. Are the 12 Steps necessary for sobriety?

No.

It may be, however, that these Steps are necessary roadwork for the coming religious system.

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians:1:8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
See All...).

https://thewordlikefire.wordpress.com/2023/08/27/how-involved-were-a-a-s-co-founders-in-spiritualism/

Acts:11:26And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
See All...: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

The word church here is "ekklesia" in the Greek, which means the “called out ones.” Now, you can tell immediately that church doesn’t mean a building. As you read through the book of Acts, it talks about people meeting in homes. When persecution breaks out, the last thing you do is build a big building on a street corner! Believers will typically meet underground. But are those gatherings still considered the church? Of course! They are the “called out ones.” They are the ones who have become a new creation. They are the ones who are born again. They are the ones who are separated unto Christ. They are the ones called out to live, speak, and behave differently from the world.

Through the years, we have shown you some of the foolishness that goes on inside the walls of the visible church. But if you really think it through, they wouldn’t pull those stunts if they were just in the business of growing and equipping saints. They perform those antics to entertain lost people and make them feel comfortable. But is that what church is really for?

Maybe the real key is that we are supposed to be going out to where lost folk are instead of asking them to join us at church. Outreach vs. invite. But if we view the church as the training ground for believers, then resolving this issue becomes simple. We are supposed to get equipped at church and then go out into the world to let our lights shine brightly before men!

—Mark Cahill (born March 16, 1962, American author, speaker, and evangelist).