|
Creationism Worrying the Richard Dawkins Crowd |
|
|
|
Written by Paul Dean
|
|
Friday, 18 July 2008 |
“Atheist evangelist, Prof Richard Dawkins, speaking at the 20th anniversary of
the Edinburgh International Science Festival in April 2008, said the rise of
creationism in British schools raised a serious problem for science teachers. ‘
It is a very worrying trend,’ he said, ‘and I think a lot of it has come over
from America and Australia…I have spoken to a lot of science teachers in schools
here in Britain who are finding an increasing number of students coming to them
and saying they are Young Earth creationists. Now this is a belief that the
Earth is only 6000 years old, and it is such staggering mistake that it is very
concerning to hear this. It is no small error—it is equivalent to someone
believing, despite the evidence, that the width of North America from one coast
to the other is only 7.8 yards.’”
Of course, Richard Dawkins is basing his comments on assumptions that cannot be
proven and failing to differentiate between experimental science and historical
science. Christians have the high ground here, not only philosophically, but
even scientifically. For example, there are molecular limits to natural
selection; there is more evidence of rthe design of life; and the idea of
mutations which once fueled evolutionary thought is in fact its undoing.
On today’s edition of “Calling for Truth,” we’ll discuss philosophical,
scientific, and theological issues related to Creation. Our guest is Dr. Rob
Carter with Creation Ministries International. He obtained a BS in Applied
Biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1992. He then spent four
years teaching high school biology, chemistry, physics and electronics before
going to the University of Miami to obtain his PhD in Marine Biology. He
successfully completed this program in 2003 with a dissertation on “Cnidarian
Fluorescent Proteins.” While in Miami, he studied the genetics of pigmentation
in corals and other invertebrates, designed and built an aquaculture facility
for Caribbean corals, performed well over 500 SCUBA dives, many of them at
night, and licensed a spin-off product of his research (a patent-pending
fluorescent protein) to a biotech company.
Write Comment (2 Comments) |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Watching TV for the Glory of God |
|
|
|
Written by Paul Dean
|
|
Wednesday, 16 July 2008 |
In a recent bible study in which I was privileged to participate, the leader
mentioned that we need to do all that we do for the glory of God; we need, for
example, to watch TV for the glory of God. A woman in the study asked the
question that a number of others wanted to ask, “How do you to that?” Her
question may be taken in a number of ways but at its essence is this simple
thought: as a believer, if I’m going to watch TV, I want to do so for the glory
of God. Tell me how to do that.
Some might consider TV watching to be a benign or a neutral activity. Others may
consider it to be strictly off limits for the believer. Some may consider the
issue to be one of minutia or theological hair-splitting. They might be inclined
to say, “You think too much. Relax.” At one level, we do need to relax. However,
as God’s people we must be thinking people. We must be people who think
biblically. And, if God’s word says that we are to do all that we do for the
glory of God, we must figure out how to do that. If we take that admonition
seriously, and we should, we must develop a theology of watching TV for God’s
glory or the reality is that we sin in our TV watching no matter what it is that
we watch.
Obviously, this dynamic may be applied to every area of our lives. On today’s
edition of “Calling for Truth,” we will use the activity of TV watching to bring
out some biblical principles in connection with all that we do. We’ll talk about
a biblical worldview in this regard. And, we will talk specifically about how to
watch TV for the glory of God. Our special guest will be Doug Hoover, an elder
and certified biblical counselor at Providence Baptist Church, in Greer, SC.
Write Comment (0 Comments) |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Thinking Big About Relationships |
|
|
|
Written by Paul Dean
|
|
Wednesday, 16 July 2008 |
We take so many things at face value and fail to think deeply about them. In so
doing, we miss not only the big picture as believers in Christ, but we miss
God’s purpose and thereby we miss being part of His kingdom building enterprise.
Of course, that should not be.
What a privilege to be part of God’s kingdom and co-laborers with Him. The
reality is that we are building someone’s kingdom all of the time whether we
realize it or not: either ours or God’s. Even things we consider to be mundane
are not mundane when seen in this light. That dynamic is true in every area of
our lives, including that of relationships. Relationships are not merely surface
associations we have with others. They are not something we decide we like or
don’t like in one sense. The truth is that God has created us to be in
relationship with Him and with others. The issue is how to see all of our
relationships as God sees them, how to make them better, how to glorify God in
them, and how to impact this culture through those relationships.
Part of being effective in this regard is getting hold of the big picture about
relationships. On today’s edition of “Calling for Truth,” that’s exactly what
we’ll talk about with our special guest Jeff Jowers, Minister of Youth and
Family at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Powdersville, SC.
Write Comment (0 Comments) |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Q&A Friday |
|
|
|
Written by Paul Dean
|
|
Friday, 11 July 2008 |
Commentary on Items in the News this week
Questions from our callersWrite Comment (0 Comments) |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Strategically Positioning the Church |
|
|
|
Written by Paul Dean
|
|
Friday, 11 July 2008 |
We’ve done a mini-survey for today’s edition of “Calling for Truth.” In addition
to dialogue with spiritual leaders in different parts of the country, I’ve
elicited some e-mail responses to this question: “What is the most strategic
thing the church can do to make an inroad into this culture for Christ?” The
broadcast is built around some of the principles that emerge from those
responses as well as interaction with a number of callers.Write Comment (0 Comments) |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Is God Dead? Not Yet… |
|
|
|
Written by Paul Dean
|
|
Monday, 07 July 2008 |
From the most recent issue of Christianity today: “You might think from the
recent spate of atheist best-sellers that belief in God has become
intellectually indefensible for thinking people today. But a look at these books
by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, among others, quickly
reveals that the so-called New Atheism lacks intellectual muscle. It is
blissfully ignorant of the revolution that has taken place in Anglo-American
philosophy. It reflects the scientism of a bygone generation rather than the
contemporary intellectual scene.”
It seems that when Time Magazine declared that God was dead in 1966 that the
rumors of His demise were greatly exaggerated. Obviously, the true and living
God is alive and well. At the same time, the “God is dead” movement is on life
support in some sense itself. If so, what are the implications of such a
dynamic?
It is interesting that there has been a rekindling of interest in and
development of natural theology. Some regard this development to be positive for
the church while others do not. What is the answer and why? At the same time, do
we not want to foster a cultural climate in which God is intellectually
acceptable? Are their ways to facilitate that climate apart from natural
theology and does that facilitation go far enough?
On today’s edition of “Calling for Truth,” we’ll discuss those issues and more
under the heading: “Is God dead? Not yet!"
Write Comment (0 Comments) |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
A Few Principles Concerning Religious Liberty |
|
|
|
Written by Paul Dean
|
|
Friday, 04 July 2008 |
|
There is no little confusion as to what the relationship between the church and the state should be. Yet, the notion of a composite society, that is, a non-sacral society, finds its genesis in the New Testament and its revelation that the church is a people within a people. That the church should be seen as co-extensive with society is to miss the point of Christ’s redemptive plan and the calling of a people to Himself by grace. His kingdom is not of this world or else His followers would fight (Jn. 18:36).
Despite the contemporary confusion related to this critical subject, a number of the nation’s founding fathers understood New Testament truth in connection therewith, in part, if not in whole. They were certainly influenced by pious men, not the least of which was John Leland, a Baptist preacher committed to Christ and biblical, religious liberty. His words may be surprising to the modern Christian, but let the reader hear: “Let a man be Pagan, Turk, Jew or Christian, he is eligible to any post in that government.”
On this Independence Day anniversary, July 4th, 2008, the topic of discussion on “Calling for Truth” will center upon principles of religious liberty as evinced by the New Testament vision of a composite society. Some of our comments may be surprising, but, let us remember that Scripture is our authority, not tradition, and that the saints of Christ must not only being reformed (transformed) by the new birth, but be committed to ever being reformed by the light of Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Write Comment (0 Comments) |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
The Supremacy of Christ in the Realm of Knowledge |
|
|
|
Written by Paul Dean
|
|
Thursday, 03 July 2008 |
We live in a culture that chips away at the truth through a variety of means. Among those means are philosophical commitments to relativism, theorism, and deconstructionism.
At the same time, the unbeliever is faced with a dilemma: when he makes an assertion regarding truth, he has no philosophical justification for making such a statement on a non-biblical worldview. In other words, he might make statements of absolute certainty, but, when pressed in terms of his worldview and its coherence or consistency, he must admit that he is completely uncertain about those very same statements. It is the Christian worldview alone that makes sense out of reality and our experience.
The bible says that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. On today's edition of "Calling for Truth," we will talk about the Supremacy of Christ in the realm of knowledge and the confidence that reality brings to the believer in every endeavor or conversation.Write Comment (0 Comments) |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Schisms, Heresies, and – Victory! PCUSA Rejects Orthodoxy |
|
|
|
Written by Paul Dean
|
|
Monday, 30 June 2008 |
Meeting in San Jose, California, the Presbyterian Church USA, the liberal branch of American Presbyterianism, moved to approve homosexual clergy on June 27, 2008. The debate has been going for years and the denominational homosexual activists have finally prevailed at the denomination’s General Assembly. What they approved is certainly unorthodox. At the same time, what they have rejected goes deeper than the issue of homosexuality. Whether intended or unintended, at the heart of the matter, is a redefining of the way of salvation.
Such a move illustrates the Scriptural truth elucidated in the old hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation:” “Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed, By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed.” At the same time, that dynamic is not the end of the story. The hymn says further: “Though there be those who hate her, And false sons in her pale, Against both foe or traitor, She ever shall prevail.” Christ did say, “I will build my church.” Who can stay His hand?
On today’s edition of “Calling for Truth,” we’ll talk about this historic move by the PCUSA and its implications. We will then turn to Christ’s promise and our response. There will be schisms and heresies. But, there is victory despite such.Write Comment (0 Comments) |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Audio 
