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Reasons Newsletter - 2008 - November/December
In the Divine Artist’s StudioBy Fuz Rana To create a masterpiece, an artist typically performs one process after another—sketching, refining, adding and layering color, shading, intensifying, and perfecting. Biochemists have discovered that life, much like art, also requires a series of steps. These steps include:
In the words of origin-of-life researcher David Deamer, “Looking down at this list, one is struck by the complexity of even the simplest form of life.” The overthrow of the traditional view of “simple” prokaryotes—once thought to be little bags of assorted molecules haphazardly arranged inside the cell—helps substantiate the case for life as a divinely created masterpiece. Microbiologists now understand that these tiny microbes display exquisite spatial and temporal organization at the molecular level. This organization adds an extra level of complexity that has yet to be explained away by naturalistic evolutionary processes. Common experience teaches that it takes thought and intentional effort to organize a space for functional use. By analogy, the surprising internal composition of prokaryotic cells reflects intelligent design. Instead of resembling a preschooler’s messy finger painting, the interior of the simplest living cell is best described as a carefully planned and marvelously executed work of art—one that masterfully carries out life’s most basic processes in living color. (Adapted from The Cell’s Design)
UFOs, IFOs, and Glowing LightsBy Hugh Ross When I arrived at Caltech for postdoctoral research, I was tagged for an “extra” assignment. Someone found out about my years of sky-watching as an amateur astronomer—a level of practical experience unusual among professional astronomers—and appointed me to handle UFO reports. Through stargazing I learned that the vast majority of the objects people report as UFOs are actually IFOs, “Identifiable Flying Objects,” natural or manmade. As a Christian, I learned something else in the course of fulfilling this assignment, something that became important to me in my efforts to help people move toward faith in Jesus Christ. I came to see that even supposed UFO sightings can become serious spiritual stumbling blocks. They lodge in people’s minds and nag at them, often stirring fears and wild imaginings about “what’s really out there.” People who’ve seen UFOs tend to become more susceptible to bizarre fantasies about alien life or to so-called New Age religions and philosophies. They develop serious doubts about whether or not the Bible tells the whole story—if they ever gave it any credence in the first place. Some even come to doubt their own sanity and withdraw from relationships in which their “secret” strange observation may leak out. That’s one reason I wish schools would include more physics and astronomy in their curriculum. Students might gain a better grasp of what’s realistic and unrealistic in terms of space travel. They would learn how to identify both the atmospheric phenomena and the celestial objects often misidentified as UFOs—noctilucent clouds, sun dogs, fireballs, Venus, the Pleiades, meteor showers, and the northern lights, for example. If you join us on RTB’s Alaska Cruise next summer, you’ll have an excellent chance to see at least two of these amazing visual spectacles: the Perseid meteor shower and the aurora borealis (northern lights). The Perseids peak in the wee hours of August 12, with dozens of meteors per hour. The aurora shows up most dramatically at or near solar maximum, the closer to 60° north latitude the better. Familiarity with these things helped me—and can help you—ask the right questions to enable a person to distinguish between an IFO and the rare residual UFOs (real, nonphysical phenomena associated with occult activity). You can learn more about both in Lights in the Sky & Little Green Men and The RUFO Hypothesis (DVD). For more information, see Lights in the Sky & Little Green Men and The RUFO Hypothesis (DVD).
“Jesus, Our Emmanuel”By Kenneth Richard Samples At the heart of historic Christianity resides an astounding truth-claim celebrated around the world at Christmas—the doctrine of the Incarnation: God became man in Jesus of Nazareth. This truth sets Christianity apart from all other religions (including Judaism and Islam). It is unique to Christianity to discover a God who takes the initiative in becoming flesh in order to redeem sinful human beings. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”1 Christianity’s theistic view of God sets the proper context for understanding the Incarnation. The God unveiled in the Bible is the one sovereign and majestic Lord. Historic Christianity affirms belief in one infinitely perfect, eternal, and personal (or superpersonal) God, the transcendent Creator and sovereign Sustainer of the universe. This one God is Triune, existing eternally and simultaneously as three distinct and distinguishable persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three persons in the Godhead share equally and completely the one divine nature, and are therefore the same God, coequal in attributes, nature, and glory. The term “incarnation” is of Latin origin, and literally means “becoming in flesh” (Lat. in carne, Gk. en sarki). While the Latin term is not contained in Scripture per se, the Greek equivalent is (John 1:14: Kai ho logos sarx egeneto—“And the Word became flesh”). The Incarnation sits at the heart of the biblical message because it reveals the person and nature of Jesus Christ. It teaches that the eternal Logos (Word), the Son, without diminishing His deity took to Himself a fully human nature. Specifically, this doctrine teaches that a full and undiminished divine nature and a full and perfect human nature were inseparably united in the one historical and divine person of Jesus. According to Scripture, Jesus Christ is God the Son in human flesh (theanthropos, the God-man). During the Christmas season, Christians celebrate the great truth of the Incarnation. In the Christ-child of Bethlehem God enters into human history and reveals Himself up close and personal. The astounding truth is that in Jesus, we encounter God in a real, personal, historical, and tangible way. 1. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1952), 154. In this quote, Lewis slightly rephrases a statement made by the ancient church father Athanasius (ca. 296–373).
FeedbackI just finished watching Dual Revelation. I was very impressed by the quality of the production and the content. Having the presentation revolve around a Christian man trying to find answers to questions posed by his daughter and coworker make the DVD very easy to watch and much more interesting than a discussion format. I think the DVD would make an excellent conversation starter for a discussion on the age of the earth or how the written Word and created Word support each other. Please keep up the good work at Reasons To Believe and may God bless the ministry. William Conner, RTB supporter
Stewardship: Finishing the YearThe holidays and year-end are fast upon us. Did you know that much of our support (almost 30%) comes in during just one month? If God has used RTB to strengthen your faith and enhance your walk with Him this year, we hope you will consider us in your December giving plans. The coming year holds exciting opportunities as RTB expands its ministry and impact. Your financial support during this pivotal holiday season will help us make the most of those opportunities. |
