11/20/2009 - 

These Vamps Don't Bite

11/13/2009 - 

The Sky is Falling!

The world is going to end. No, really, science proves it. Thanks to the second law of thermodynamics, the universe is rapidly decaying. Some day all available energy will be expended and all motion and life will cease. Astronomers and physicists have tested, and continue to test, this physical law every which way—but thus far, the verdict remains grim. The end is coming and there’s no escaping it.

In chapter 6 of his book, Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, astronomer and RTB founder, Hugh Ross, explains that this particular “doomsday” scenario gained ground in the nineteenth century thanks to British physicist William Thomson (a.k.a. Lord Kelvin). According to Hugh, Thomson “pointed out that the universal dissipation of mechanical energy would inevitably lead to a complete diffusion of heat, the cessation of all motion, the exhaustion of potential energy, and a universal state of death.”

Thomson published this prediction in 1851–1852 (see his papers, here and here). Since then scientists have tried to find a way around this imminent, universal “heat death.” But the data consistently support a scenario such as Thomson described. Hugh explains that scientists can now “calculate exactly how the heat-death scenario will unfold.” He adds that they can also “determine how the different death events along the way will affect advanced life-forms, including human beings.”

Apocalyptic ruin

The latest disaster film, 2012, depicts the world ending in the most spectacularly violent manner computer-generated special effects can provide. Fireballs plummet from space, mega-earthquakes rip continents apart (goodbye, California!), and tsunamis surge over Mount Everest. I guess that’s the type of scenario one might expect to see unfolding at the end of the world. But astronomers have painted a more likely—and far more chilling—picture that includes the eventual decrease in knowledge, the end of consciousness, and the end of meaning. (Astrophysicist Paul Davis lays out these dismal scientific forecasts in his lay-friendly book, The Last Three Minutes. The Astrophysical Journal offers a more rigorous explanation.)

These gloomy predictions put a dent in the claims of naturalism and secular humanism. For example, the Council of Secular Humanism, in its Statement of Principles (2002), declares, “We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance.”

“Ironically, if the universe is it, as the Council asserts, then the pessimism and despair they vehemently deplore represents the only reasonable response to reality,” Hugh observes. “The truth we have learned is the inevitability of ignorance.”

But don’t panic...

There’s good news: (1) The universal heat death scenario at least is trillions and trillions of years away; (2) There is an escape route.

Contrary to the implications of the Council for Secular Humanism, the Bible is full of optimism, hope, knowledge, and truth. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus prefaces statements with “I tell you the truth.” And the truth is that Jesus is coming back to this Earth someday to claim those who belong to Him.

Which brings us to the topic of Christian obsession with the End Times (Left Behind, anyone?). In an article published in Christianity Today, Dudley Rutherford, pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, CA, reminds believers, “The Bible makes it clear that no one knows the day or the hour...You can know the season when Jesus is coming back, but anytime someone makes a prophecy that this is the day, I know it’s not the day.”

Doomsday prophecies, like the one fueling panic over December 21, 2012, attempt to divine secret knowledge that God has deemed classified, as is His right to do so. Even Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Therefore, it is foolish to attempt to pin a date on Christ’s return.

Rather than working ourselves into a tizzy trying to calculate the time of the Second Coming, believers should “keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come....because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” It’s our job to obey His commands to spread the Good News.

As for the film, 2012, if the reviews are anything to go by, you’d probably be better off renting Independence Day. Same director, but at least it’s got aliens. And as Sandra pointed out last week, “audiences love aliens.”

And vampires. Check in next week for Sandra’s take on New Moon and an age-old human problem.

— Maureen

Resources:

The biblical God’s offer of salvation is backed up by plentiful evidence of its validity. RTB offers a slew of resources addressing key aspects of the Christian worldview, such as the incarnation, resurrection, the historical and scientific accuracy of Scripture, and more.

11/06/2009 - 

The Supreme Kind

Aliens!

Oh snap!

Audiences love aliens.

Holla back!

It’ll be huge, man. Huge.

Considering all the money raked in from alien- and UFO-themed blockbusters, the market for them has indeed been huge. And year after year the themes get darker, more sinister; the visual effects, more shockingly gory.

Back in my mom’s day, Close Encounters of the Third Kind may have been enough to beckon those curious about alien life-forms. But nowadays the only way to satiate sci-fi and horror hungry fans is with films like The Fourth Kind, which opens today. The movie’s fan page on Facebook asks this intriguing question, What do you believe?

 

 

 

My first inclination is to believe alien and UFO sightings are fueled more by sipping too much of grandpa’s old cough medicine than by real events. But that’s when being down the hall from RTB scholars helps straighten out my thinking.

Kenneth Samples points out, “While it may be tempting to dismiss the phenomenon as the captivation of eccentric or sectarian groups, most UFO reports come from average people. And while UFO experts estimate between 90 and 95% of all reported UFOs are either natural phenomena, hoaxes, or man-made crafts, some 5 to 10% defy such explanations.”

The 5 to 10 percent that defy explanation are known as residual UFOs (RUFOs).

In their book Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men, astronomer Hugh Ross, philosopher/theologian Ken Samples, and national security expert Mark Clark point out the characteristics of these residual UFOs (or RUFOs).

These RUFOs

• favor certain times and locales.
• keep pace with human technology and science fiction.
• seem to have always been around.
• match the scientific literacy of their witnesses.
• make repeat visits to certain witnesses and sites.
• visit a select few.
• appear to be alive.
• arouse disturbing emotions
• may cause bodily and psychological harm
• deceive their human contacts.

 

So who or what is behind these RUFOs? Jacques Vallée, author and widely known UFO specialist, notes, “The UFO phenomenon represents evidence for other dimensions beyond spacetime….The UFOs are physical manifestations that simply cannot be understood apart from their psychic and symbolic reality. What we see here is not an alien invasion. It is a spiritual system that acts on humans and uses humans.” *shudder*

When we consider these characteristics with what demonic behavior would look like, it becomes clear who the culprits are. And, as Hugh, Ken, and Mark add, “The conclusion that demons are behind the residual UFO phenomenon is a testable one. According to the Bible, demons attack only those individuals who, through their activities, pursuits, beliefs, friendships, and possessions, invite the attacks (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:15–43; Judges 9:22–57; 1 Samuel 15:1–16:23; Psalm 106:36–43; Luke 11:14–26; Acts 13:6–11; 17:12–20; 1 Corinthians 10:18–22; Revelation 9:20–21).”

Perhaps it’s a good thing that the days of the endearing, Reese’s-pieces-eating alien in E.T. and the furry suburbanite A.L.F are long gone. Now that the big and small screen aliens of today are sans fluffy filters, audiences are more likely to recognize them for what they really are.

Maybe in a few years moviegoers will sit back and watch a film about close encounters of the fifth kind (where the abductee suffers bodily harm or death). But when the end credits role, we can take comfort knowing that God is the Supreme Kind. Or, as one of my favorite bands sings, “If the Devil is 6, then God is 7.”

—Sandra

 

For more on UFOs and extraterrestrials, check out RTB’s topic page here.

 

 

 

 

10/30/2009 - 

It's No Contest

Another October has come to a close and tomorrow night neighborhoods will come alive with trick-or-treaters on their annual quest for candy. Whether you man the door at home or help out at a community “Trunk-or-Treat,” I bet you’ll see pint-sized Optimus Primes, Bumblebees, and Megatrons making the rounds.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen reigns as the box office champion of the year. My husband, a fan from childhood, brought the film home the day it was released on DVD. In between metal-crunching battles among Autobots and Decepticons, the human protagonists learn of the long history shared by our planet and the alien robots. As the story goes, a rogue Transformer (known as “the Fallen”) came to Earth in 17,000 BC to drain our Sun’s energy. The good Autobots thwarted the Fallen’s plans and banished him from Earth—thus, inspiring his desire for revenge.

I’ll admit the movie’s plot is convoluted, but this backstory about the Fallen brought to mind archetypes of ancient Near Eastern creation myths—and how they compare to the Genesis creation account.

Similarities

Scholars estimate 1440 BC as the earliest date Moses could have written Genesis. At that time many prominent creation myths existed already, such as those of Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Mesopotamian legend claims that gods Marduk and Tiamut battled for control of the world. Marduk won, breaking his opponent’s body in two and using the pieces to form the heavens and Earth. The Egyptians generated multiple creation stories, usually involving the emergence of a creator god and the world from primeval waters.

These and other myths actually share several broad themes with the Genesis account. RTB’s own theologian/professor/homeschool mom, Krista Kay Bontrager, notes some of these similarities in her Bible study guide, The Bigger Picture on Creation.

Major Themes of Ancient Near Eastern Creation Myths:

• Existence of one or more supreme creator(s)
• Primeval watery chaos
• Separation of light and dark
• Sky as a watery expanse
• Separation of Earth (dry ground) from the sky
• Creation of the sun, moon, and stars
• Origin of animals
• Origin of humans (male and female)
• Assignment of humanity’s roles/functions
• Origin of evil

So, do these similarities compromise the truth of Genesis? No. Krista explains, “Given this historical backdrop, it should not be surprising that the Bible’s account of creation shares certain literary features with the creation myths of its ancient neighbors. Such similarities...enrich our appreciation and understanding of the biblical account.”

Besides, getting down into the details of the various creation stories reveals some major differences between Genesis and the myths of the ancient Near East.

Differences

The cultural, philosophical, and theological implications of the Genesis creation account still impact today’s world, but also had an immediate purpose for Moses and the Israelites. Genesis was meant to directly contradict the neighboring myths of the day and to tell the Israelites the truth about their God and His creation.

No rival: Whereas the Mesopotamian gods battled each other for control of the world, YHWH has no rival and no competition for supremacy. Even Satan’s powers dim considerably when compared to those of the biblical God.

No explanation for God’s existence: The Egyptians tried to explain the existence of their creator god by saying he emerged from the primeval waters. YHWH requires no such backstory—He simply is.

Dignity of humanity: Krista points out that unlike neighboring myths, which often depicted people in degrading roles, Genesis ascribes to humanity the image of God. As bearers of this image, every individual inherently deserves dignity. Furthermore, God doesn’t assign Adam and Eve menial tasks or subject them to slavery; rather He places them as rulers over the earth and all its creatures.

Creation not evil: Throughout Genesis 1 God describes His creation as “good” or “very good.” In their article, “Was Evil Present in God’s ‘Very Good’ World?” Dr. Hugh Henry and Daniel J. Dyke elucidate a possible reason for doing so:

“In ancient creation accounts, such as the Baal Epic or the Enuma Elish, a cosmic struggle occurs between good and evil. These powers are often associated with physical aspects of the created order. For example, the sea—personified as Yam in Canaanite mythology and as Tiamat in Mesopotamian mythology—is associated with evil. By declaring such objects tob [Hebrew for “good”], God negated a major concept of pagan thought; these items are not evil, but simply part of His creation.”

Additionally, Genesis 1–2 made it clear to the Israelites that God alone created the whole world. Therefore, only He is worthy of worship. And, as Isaiah 44 illustrates, worshipping idols of any kind is demeaning and foolish.

Most importantly, Genesis sets the stage for the ultimate love story. John 3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God’s unfailing love transforms fallen people into “saints in the kingdom of light.” And that generous compassion is evident from the get-go as God the Creator broods over the “formless and empty” Earth and carefully transforms the void planet into a lush home for humanity.

- Maureen

Resources:

To learn more about the Genesis creation account, check out these resources:

• Krista’s Bible study guide, The Bigger Picture on Creation.
• More articles by Dr. Hugh Henry and Daniel J. Dyke: “What Does a ‘Very Good’ World Look Like? Part 1 (of 2)” and “What Does a ‘Very Good’ World Look Like? Part 2 (of 2).”

10/23/2009 - 

Nacho Average Discovery

• has a beginning
• is stretching outward
• will eventually come to an end
  

• has a beginning (John 1:1–3; Hebrews 11:3)
• is stretching outward (Job 9:8; Psalm 104:2)
• is coming to an end (Isaiah 34:4; Hebrews 1:10–12; 2 Peter 3:10).
  

10/16/2009 - 

Repeat Perfomance

While in high school my husband, Darren, developed a talent for video production. He learned early on the various setbacks a video producer can experience while working on a project. One of the most frustrating occurred while taping something for his dad’s church. Halfway through, he discovered he had recorded over the only copy of a different video for the same church.

Late evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould points out in his book, Wonderful Life, that if someone were to “rewind” life’s history and record over it, the results would be completely different. RTB’s biochemist Fuz Rana puts it this way, “the very essence of the evolutionary process [as a random, unguided force] renders evolutionary outcomes nonrepeatable.”

Yet throughout nature we do see examples of repetition, known as convergence. Fuz describes convergence as “the widespread pattern in nature in which unrelated organisms possess nearly identical anatomical, physiological, behavioral, and biochemical characteristics.”

Some examples of this phenomenon include:

1. echolocation in toothed whales, microbats, and shrews;
2. silk weaving abilities in spiders, weaver ants, and other “bugs”;
3. “the ability to ‘learn’ vocalizations by imitation rather than by instinct” in hummingbirds, songbirds, and parrots;
4. the wings of bats and birds;
5. and, on a molecular level, the independent appearance of a particular enzyme in flowering plants and a division of vascular plants known as lycophytes.

(For more extensive lists, see Fuz’s article, “Convergence: Evidence for a Single Creator,” and Wikipedia’s entry on the topic.)

If evolution, due to its inherently random nature, cannot repeat patterns, then how is convergence possible? From a naturalistic standpoint some suggest that comparable environments, ecological niches, and other pressures cause natural selection to result in similar traits. Fuz, however, maintains that this proposition does not adequately explain the frequency with which convergence occurs. He writes, “If evolution is indeed responsible for the diversity of life, one would expect convergence to be extremely rare.”

But convergence does concur with the existence of an intelligent Creator who utilized certain traits over again. Take the ratites, for example.

"Yet when she [the ostrich] spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider." - Job 39:18

Ratites are a group of flightless birds that includes ostriches, rheas, emus, cassowaries, kiwis, and others that all share certain common behavioral and physical traits, yet they are geographically separated from each other. Usual evolutionary explanations for this phenomenon proposed that these birds descended from a common flightless ancestor and that the different ratite species formed and spread out before the continents drifted apart. However, other evolutionary studies “estimate the emergence of the various lineages of flightless birds to have occurred at times that don’t correspond to the breakup of the continental landmasses.” And researchers recently discovered three distinct lineages for these birds, which mean “flight was lost on three separate occasions in ratites, not once.” It seems the history of ratites better fits a creation explanation. (See Fuz's article, "Flightless Birds Run Down Evolution," for more details.)

So why would God frequently reuse designs? Why not? Filmmakers, like Alfred Hitchcock and Tim Burton, often develop signature styles and motifs that mark their work as uniquely theirs. Could not the supreme Creator leave His own divine signatures throughout nature for us to find and rejoice over?

— Maureen

Resources:

Fuz has written quite a bit about convergence. Explore the “Convergence” topic on RTB’s website to see his articles.

10/09/2009 - 

Hurts So Good

10/02/2009 - 

What Are the Odds?

There’s a great scene in The Empire Strikes Back where the crew of the Millennium Falcon tries desperately to escape a fleet of Imperial star destroyers. Knowing the Falcon is sorely out matched by the size and fire-power of the enemy vessels, Captain Han Solo resorts to flying his ship into a huge asteroid field to evade pursuit.

C-3PO screeches in protest, “Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!”

Han snaps, “Never tell me the odds.”

I’ll ask anyway

Some people may not want to know the odds, but to me it only makes sense. For instance, what are the odds of natural processes producing the universe and Earth in such a way that advanced life, particularly human, is possible? According to RTB’s own Hugh Ross, the probability of everything lining up just-right by chance is extraordinarily low. In his book, The Creator and the Cosmos, Hugh lists 66 stringent astronomical and terrestrial parameters that must be met to enable Earth to support life.*

For example, we have our own asteroids to worry about. As counterintuitive as it seems, our little blue orb needs to take hits from asteroids and comets, but not too many or too few. If the rate of Earth’s collisions with asteroids and comets were greater, “too many species would become extinct.” And, if we received fewer impacts, the planetary “crust would be too depleted of materials essential for life.”

Enter Jupiter. Both Jupiter’s mass and its distance from Earth impact the rate of asteroidal and cometary collisions. If Jupiter’s mass were less or its distance any greater Earth would experience far too many collisions. Conversely, if the kingly planet’s mass were greater or its distance less, “Earth’s orbit would become unstable.”

Okay, so for us to exist, the rate of asteroidal and cometary collisions must be just-right and for that to happen, Jupiter’s mass and distance from Earth must be just-right. And that’s not all! The rate of change in asteroidal and cometary collision frequency must also be just-right. As I mentioned earlier, the probability of these parameters falling into place naturally is very, very low. For example, Hugh estimates that the probability the “position and mass of Jupiter relative to Earth” will be conducive to life’s existence is .01.

Taken altogether, the parameters necessary for life’s existence put serious constraints on the possibility of a life-friendly planet like Earth forming naturally. Hugh puts it this way:

“With considerable security, therefore, we can draw the conclusion that even with a hundred billion trillion stars in the observable universe, the probability of finding, without divine intervention, a single planet capable of supporting physical life is much less than one in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion.”

That’s making the odds of surviving a trip through an asteroid field look pretty good.

In our favor

Prior to working at RTB, I had no idea it mattered where Jupiter is or how big its size or that those galaxies far, far away also must be fine-tuned to support life on this planet. From a strictly natural view, the odds against our existence are overwhelming, but with God in the picture the circumstances of the universe, galaxy, solar system, and planet we call home are unanimously in our favor. So we might want to find out all we can about the odds of how the delicate precision seen throughout creation support life. They demonstrate the fine hand of our loving Lord and give physical evidence for the truths in His Word.

Psalm 8:3–4

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

Psalm 147:4–5

"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit."

Psalm 136:7–9

Give thanks to God “who made the great lights— His love endures forever. the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.”

– Maureen

Resources:

*The list of parameters necessary for life’s existence has grown since The Creator and the Cosmos was published. See here and here for Hugh’s updated lists.

For more on the fine-tuning of the universe, check out one of Hugh’s latest books, Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, or browse the “Design” topic on RTB’s Web site.

And to read about how multiverse theory impacts arguments regarding apparent design, see Jeff Zweerink’s booklet, Who’s Afraid of the Multiverse?

09/25/2009 - 

Ballroom Lessons

09/18/2009 - 

A Real Good Thing

Born in 1985, I’m the youngest person on RTB’s staff and a member of the Millennial Generation (alternatively known as Generation Y or Generation Next). According to the press, my peers and I are rapidly becoming known for a few generalized characteristics, such as our tech savvy, our tendency to live at home longer than previous generations, but most especially for our overdeveloped sense of entitlement. An article on CBS’s website provides an apt description for our upbringing:

 

“They were raised by doting parents who told them they are special, played in little leagues with no winners or losers, or all winners. They are laden with trophies just for participating and they think your business-as-usual ethic is for the birds. And if you persist in the belief you can take your job and shove it.”

 

Fortunately, not all the news about my generation is as cringe worthy as that. But our culture as a whole has gotten into a mindset of entitlement and fairness. Everyone wants to get what they think they deserve—and they usually think they deserve the best. And fairness—the distortion of which often means readjusting standards so no one gets their feelings hurt—has become the ultimate goal.

 

No wonder we balk at the idea that “good” people could end up in Hell.

 

All-access pass?

If someone is judged a “good person” by whatever earthly scale, it’s only fair that they be allowed to enter Heaven. They deserve to walk through those pearly gates. Conversely, certain people shouldn’t be forgiven. Right?  

 

C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce explores this dilemma. While on a sort of field trip to the foothills of Heaven, a specter from Hell, whom the narrator calls the “Big Ghost,” encounters the redeemed spirit of a co-worker who murdered another man while on Earth. The Big Ghost is appalled at the seeming unfairness of the situation. He declares, “I’m a decent man and if I had my rights I’d have been here long ago and you can tell them I said so.” But the Spirit reminds the Big Ghost that, in truth, he wasn’t a decent man—no one was.

 

As the narrator discovers while listening to conversations between the Ghosts and the Spirits, no one deserves salvation. Oft-quoted Romans 3:23 says “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The Spirit of the redeemed murderer explains to the Big Ghost that by rights everyone deserves Hell, not Heaven.

 

But Romans 3:24 adds that all who believe and accept God’s terms “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” The solution to humanity’s greatest problem, that of sin, is so simple—yet, it is difficult for us to humble ourselves and submit to God’s will. Even after experiencing Hell, the Ghosts in The Great Divorce often would rather have things their way and be miserable, than give up their precious vices and be happy in Heaven. In Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, Hugh Ross explains,

 

“The gradual transformation of desires and motivations that takes place when one bows to Christ as the master of life and invites the Holy Spirit to metamorphose him into the image of Christ...There is no loss of free will in the process of giving one’s life to Christ. The new believer continues to exercise free will in cooperating with, or resisting, the Holy Spirit in the transformation process.”

 

Image courtesy of Creative Commons license.

 

Our sense of entitlement tells us the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card should be ours automatically, but God does not adjust the standard of holiness to accommodate stubborn humans who will only accept salvation on their terms. The truth is God is the only one who exercises true fairness. He doesn’t play favorites. Everyone has the option of accepting his mercy.

 

Christian rock group the Newsboys puts it this way:

 

“When we don’t get what we deserve,

That’s a real good thing, a real good thing;

When we get what we don’t deserve,

That’s a real good thing, a real good thing.”

 

- Maureen

 

Resources:

 

If you haven’t read Lewis’s The Great Divorce, I highly recommend checking it out. See here for clips from an excellent one-man presentation of the book by actor Anthony Lawton.

 

For more on Heaven, see these articles from RTB:

• “How Can I Get to Heaven?”
• “Barriers to Salvation”

 

To further explore tough questions about God and Christianity, check out Hugh Ross’s Why the Universe Is the Way It Is and Kenneth Samples’ Without a Doubt.