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Saturday 31 March 2012

What does the Bible say about Wicca?

 

The Bible is very clear about its condemnation of witchcraft and its various forms.1 Following is a partial list of passages from the Bible concerning witchcraft, seances, necromancy, and other such occultic practices:
  1. Divination and magic
    1. Lev. 19:26, ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination or soothsaying.
    2. Isaiah 44:25, "Causing the omens of boasters to fail, making fools out of diviners, causing wise men to draw back, and turning their knowledge into foolishness."
    3. Acts 8:9,18-22, "Now there was a certain man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city, and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great . . . 18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21“You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22“Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you."
    4. Acts 13:6, "And when they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus."
  2. Mediums
    1. Lev. 19:31, "Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God."
    2. Lev. 20:6, ‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people."
    3. Lev. 20:27, ‘Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.’”
    4. Isaiah 8:19-20, "And when they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn."
  3. Necromancy - contacting the dead
    1. 1 Sam. 28 where Saul uses a medium to contact the dead.
  4. Sorcery - attempting to influence people through occult means
    1. Exodus 22:18, “You shall not allow a sorceress to live."
    2. Isaiah 47:12-14, “Stand fast now in your spells and in your many sorceries with which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to profit, perhaps you may cause trembling. 13You are wearied with your many counsels;
      Let now the astrologers, those who prophesy by the stars, those who predict by the new moons, stand up and save you from what will come upon you. 14“Behold, they have become like stubble, fire burns them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame; there will be no coal to warm by, nor a fire to sit before!"
    3. Rev. 9:21, "and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts."
    4. Rev. 21:8, "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
    5. Rev. 22:15, "Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying."
  5. Witchcraft
    1. Deut. 18:10-14, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12“For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you. 13“You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. 14“For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.
    2. 2 Kings 21:6, "And he made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord provoking Him to anger." (see also 2 Chron. 33:6) Source: CARM

Difference between Bible and Qur'an


Bible Qur'an
Monotheistic, Trinitarian, (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6-8; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14). Monotheistic (5:73; 112:1-4), denies the Trinity (5:73).
Jesus is God in flesh (Col. 2:9). Jesus is not God (5:17, 75).
Jesus was crucified (1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus was not Crucified, (4:157).
Jesus rose from the dead (John 2:19-20). Jesus did not rise from the dead.
Jesus was the Son of God (Mark 1:1). Jesus was not the Son of God (9:30).
Holy Spirit, 3rd person in the Godhead. He will bear witness of Jesus (John 14:26; 15:26). The Holy Spirit is the angel Gabriel (2:97; 16:102).
Salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). Salvation by sincerity and works (3:135; 7:8-9; 21:47; 49:14; 66:8-9).
The Devil is a fallen angel (Isaiah 14:12-15). The Devil, Satan, is not a fallen angel, but a fallen Jinn (2:34; 7:12; 15:27; 55:15).
Man is fallen, a sinner (Rom. 3:23). Man is basically good.
Disciples were Christians (Acts 11:26). Disciples declare themselves Muslims (5:111).
Worship on Sabbath (Exodus 20) then later on Sunday (Rom. 14:5-6; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2). Worship on Friday (62:9).
Miracles, numerous are recorded (1 Cor. 15:3-5, etc.). No Miracles recorded, except they claim the Qur'an is a miracle.
Makes numerous prophecies (Isaiah 53; Micah 5:2, etc.). Makes no prophecies.
Note, this list will expand as more are discovered.
Source: CARM

Why believe in Christianity over all other religions?



Critics often ask why Christianity is any better than any other religion in the world.  Of all the religions that exist, how can it be that only Christianity is true?  If God exists, why can't God use different religions?  Don't all paths lead to God?  Skeptics ask these kinds of questions all the time, and unfortunately, few Christians have the answers.  Therefore, in an attempt to demonstrate why Christianity is true and all other religious systems are false, I've prepared the following list of reasons for Christianity's superiority.

 

There are such things as absolute truths

If truth is relative, then the statement that truth is relative is an absolute truth and would be a self-defeating statement by proving that truth is not relative.  But, if truth is absolute, then the statement "truth is absolute" is true and not self-defeating.  It is true that truth exists.  It is true that truth will not contradict itself as we have just seen.  In fact, it is absolutely true that you are reading this paper.
If we can see that there is such a thing as truth in the world, then we could also see that there can be spiritual truth as well.  It is not absurd to believe in spiritual absolutes anymore than physical or logical absolutes.  Even the statement that all religions lead to God is a statement held to be a spiritual absolute by many people.  This simply demonstrates that people do believe in spiritual truth.  Why?  Because truth exists.  However, not all that is believed to be true actually is true.  Furthermore, all belief systems cannot be true since they often contradict each other in profound ways -- and truth is not self-contradictory.

 

Religions contradict each other; therefore, they cannot all be true.

Mormonism teaches that there are many gods in existence, and that you can become a god.  Christianity teaches that there is only one God, and you cannot become a god.  Islam teaches that Jesus is not God in flesh, where Christianity does.  Jesus cannot be both God and not God at the same time.  Some religions teach that we reincarnate, while others do not.  Some teach there is a hell, and others do not.  They cannot all be true.  If they cannot all be true, it cannot be true that all religions lead to God.  Furthermore, it means that some religions are, at the very least, false in their claims to reveal the true God (or gods).  Remember, truth does not contradict itself.  If God exists, He will not institute mutually exclusive and contradictory belief systems in an attempt to get people to believe in Him.  God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33).  Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that there can be an absolute spiritual truth, and that not all systems can be true regardless of whether or not they claim to be true.  There must be more than a mere claim.

 

Fulfilled Prophecy concerning Jesus

Though there are other religions that have prophecies in them, none are 100% accurate as is the Bible, and none of them point to someone like Jesus who made incredible claims and performed incredible deeds.  The Old Testament was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, yet the Old Testament prophesied many things about Jesus.  This is undoubtedly evidence of divine influence upon the Bible.
Please consider some of the many prophecies of Jesus in the following chart:
Prophecy Old Testament Prophecy New Testament Fulfillment
Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 Matt. 1:18,25
Born at Bethlehem Micah 5:2 Matt. 2:1
He would be preceded by a Messenger Isaiah 40:3 Matt. 3:1-2
Rejected by His own people Isaiah 53:3 John 7:5; 7:48
Betrayed by a close friend Psalm 41:9 John 13:26-30
His side pierced Zech. 12:10 John 19:34
Crucifixion Psalm 22:1,
Psalm 22:11-18
Luke 23:33;
John 19:23-24
Resurrection of Christ Psalm 16:10 Acts 13:34-37
Fulfillment of prophecy can have different explanations.  Some state that the New Testament was written and altered to make it look like Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (but there is no evidence of that).  Others state that the prophecies are so vague that they do not count (but many of the prophecies are not vague at all).  Of course, it is possible that God inspired the writers; and Jesus, who is God in flesh, fulfilled these prophecies as a further demonstration of the validity of Christianity.

 

The Claims and Deeds of Christ

Christianity claims to be authored by God.  Of course, merely making such a claim does not make it true.  Anyone can make claims, but backing up those claims is entirely different.  Jesus used the Divine Name for Himself (John 8:58), the same Divine Name used by God when Moses asked God what His name was in Exodus 3:14.  Jesus said He could do whatever He saw God the Father do (John 5:19), and He claimed to be one with God the Father (John 10:30; 10:38).  Likewise, the disciples also called Him God (John 1:1,14; John 10:27; Col. 2:9).  By default, if Jesus is God in flesh, then whatever He said and did would be true.  Since Jesus said that He alone was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one can find God without Him (John 14:6), His words become incredibly important.
Again, making a claim is one thing.  Backing it up is another.  Did Jesus also back up His fantastic words with miraculous deeds?  Yes, He did.
The eyewitnesses recorded the miracles of Jesus, and the gospels have been reliably transmitted to us.  Therefore, we can believe what Jesus said about Himself for two reasons:  one, because what He said and did agrees with the Old Testament; and two, because Jesus performed many convincing miracles in front of people who testified and wrote about what they saw Him do.

 

Christ's resurrection

Within Christianity, the resurrection is vitally important.  Without the resurrection, our faith is useless (1 Cor. 15:14).  It was Jesus' resurrection that changed the lives of the disciples.  After Jesus was crucified, the disciples ran and hid.  But when they saw the risen Lord, they knew that what Jesus had said and done proved that He was indeed God in flesh, the Savior.
No other religious leader has died in full view of trained executioners, had a guarded tomb, and then risen three days later to appear to many many people.  This resurrection is proof of who Jesus is and that He did accomplish what He set out to do: provide the only means of redemption for mankind.
Buddha did not rise from the dead.  Muhammad did not rise from the dead.  Confucius did not rise from the dead.  Krishna did not rise from the dead, etc.  Only Jesus has physically risen from the dead, walked on water, claimed to be God, and raised others from the dead.  He has conquered death.  Why trust anyone else?  Why trust anyone who can be held by physical death when we have a Messiah who is greater than death itself?

 

Conclusion

Why should anyone trust in Christianity over Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, or anything else?  It is because there are absolute truths.  Only in Christianity are there accurately fulfilled prophecies of a coming Messiah.  Only in Christianity do we have the extremely accurate transmission of the eyewitness documents (gospels), so we can trust what was originally written.  Only in Christianity do we have the person of Christ who claimed to be God, performed many miracles to prove His claim of divinity, who died and rose from the dead, and who said that He alone was the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).  All this adds to the legitimacy and credibility of Christianity above all other religions -- all based on the person of Jesus.  It could not be that Jesus is the only Truth, and other religions also be the truth.
Either Jesus is true and all other religions are false, or other religions are true and Jesus is false.  There are no other options.  I choose to follow the risen Lord Jesus.

Source: CARM

Neanderthal Man and the Bible



In 1856 the first fossils unearthed and recognized as Neanderthal were discovered (1) . Since humans are evolving, which implies that they are improving, the Neanderthal was often portrayed as very primitive and apish looking. Note Figure 1 and Figure 2 below (2,3,4). He was pictured as brutish because he was further back on the evolutionary scale. Modern humans, according to evolution, were more refined. These suppositions were not based on morphology and hard science, they were based on slanting the data to fit preconceived notions of how early man was supposed to look (5). As any forensic practitioner knows, it is IMPOSSIBLE, from a skeleton, to identify; extent of hair covering, hair color, nose shape, lip shape, skin color and race. Often is not even possible to properly identify the sex of the individual. In the pictures below, and many others like them, what Neanderthal looked like is left to the imagination of the artist. Consider that most anthropologists only have fragments of Neanderthal bones to work with. It is very easy to see that their presuppositions can influence their findings (6).
Picture of Neanderthal Man, published in 1909, based on La Chapelle-aux-Saints skeleton
Figure 1 (LEFT)
The picture is based on the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neanderthal skeleton, discovered in France in 1908. It was published in L'Illustration in 1909, and in the Illustrated London News about a week later. It was done by Frantisek Kupka, based on the work of Marcellin Boule.
 
 
 
 

Figure 2 (RIGHT)
This picture appeared in
Early Man
, a 1965 Time Life book.
What are the morphological (form and structure) facts about Neanderthals? Have these facts been properly utilized by those who claim to follow the evolutionary scenario? Is it possible to construct another picture of Neanderthal man that better fits these facts?
As a scientist and a creationist, I believe that Neanderthal man was fully human, a bona fide member of the Homo sapiens family. He was not an apish creature as he is often portrayed. These facts and findings can be harmonized with the Biblical record.



 

Facts about Neanderthal Man from Fossil Remains


Skeleton of modern human compared to Neanderthal Man.
Figure 3
Neanderthal on left,
modern man on right.
 
The following facts about Neanderthal man have been discovered through fossil remains found in various parts of Europe and the Middle East.
Neanderthal skeletons have been unearthed with the voice box intact. These are called hyoid bones. Neanderthal's hyoid bones are identical to modern humans. Neanderthal had the ability to speak.
Neanderthal man was shorter than modern man (7). Although shorter he was a very powerful individual. In figure 3 notice how much more surface area the knee socket on the Neanderthal skeleton has (8). This allowed for a greater attachment of ligament, tendons, and muscles. It also allowed Neanderthal to carry heavier loads with less strain. Neanderthal also had extremely thick bones. In figure 5 the extreme calcification of the bones is very noticeable. The rest of the skeleton exhibits similar traits.
The average brain size for Neanderthals is larger than modern humans (9). According to the evolutionary theory Neanderthals should have a smaller braincase. Neanderthal man was extremely muscular and strong. Notice the following quotes:
"One of the most characteristic features of the Neanderthals is the exaggerated massiveness of their trunk and limb bones. All of the preserved bones suggest a strength seldom attained by modern humans. Furthermore, not only is their robustness present among the adult males, as one might expect, but it is also evident in the adult females, adolescents, and even children." (10)
"Neanderthal was far more powerful than modern humans. Whereas archeologist can experimentally duplicate the wear pattern on tools such as were used by people form the Upper Paleolithic (the people that followed Neanderthal), the wear patterns on Neanderthal's tools cannot be duplicated." (11)
"The evidence indicates that Neanderthals were people of incredible power and strength - far superior to all but the most avid bodybuilders of today." (12)
"The vertebral columns of the Shanidar Neanderthals are similar to those of modern man but with a marked tendency to robustness. The ribs are thick. The upper limb bones disclose a pattern of morphology close to that of other Neanderthals of the Near East and of Europe. This pattern includes powerful shoulders, arms and hands built for grasping, pulling and lifting. The lower limb remains conforms to the pattern of Neanderthal man in that they are robust, powerfully muscled and in keeping with upright posture and bipedal gait. In addition it seems that the distribution of muscularity is such that powerful acceleration would have been possible in running, jumping or climbing." (13)

Picture of Neanderthal skull showing a flatter, yet longer and wider skull compared to modern man.

Picture of Femur bones from modern weightlifter and from a Neanderthal
Figure 4
Neanderthal had a flatter skull but it was longer and wider. The mandible was more robust than ours.
 
Figure 5
Femur bones from a Neanderthal (left) and a modern weightlifter (right).

More facts from the Fossil Record

The skull was very thick, note figure 6. It had prominent brow ridges. It was flatter, wider, but longer. The longer cranial cavity had what is often called an occipital bun, a pointed end. This allowed more room for a larger brain. The teeth were larger. The mandible was more massive and did not protrude as much as the modern version.
Culturally, Neanderthal was fully human (14). He buried his dead. He drew paintings on cave walls. He used fire and tools. He played the flute. He worshipped bears. He was cannibalistic. He cared for the injured and elderly. In essence he did the things that other humans have done down through history.
In summary, Neanderthal was more muscular, more agile, and stronger with a greater bone density than modern humans. He also had a bigger brain. He would easily overpower most modern day Homo Sapiens. When archeologists describe Neanderthal they often use the word "robust." This is a fancy way of saying bigger, thicker or larger.

Facts from the Bible

The people who lived before and immediately after the flood lived a very long time! This had a profound physiological effect upon their body systems. This would especially affect the growth of bones. The average age of the people mentioned in Genesis 5 (the ten generations from Adam to Noah) was 857 years. After the flood, from Shem to Abraham (ten generations), the average age was 323. Today the average life expectancy is about 78 years in the United States.

Life Spans
before the Flood

Life Spans
after the Flood


Biblical Patriarch Life Span Biblical PatriarchLife Span

Adam 930Shem600

Seth 912Arphaxad498

Enosh 905Salah433

Cainan 910Eber464

Mahalealel 895Peleg239

Jared 962Reu239

Enoch 365Serug230

Methuselah 969Nahor148

Lamech 777Terah205

Noah 950Abraham175

Man's nature had gone from bad to worse. The world was extremely violent (Genesis 6:5, 13). Any fossils bone of the antediluvians would show signs of this violence in the form of broken bones, scars, and healed over bone growths. The Bible says that these men accomplished great deeds and that they were "men of renown." (Genesis 6:4)
The ecological systems of the Earth underwent catastrophic changes with the coming of Noah's flood. These included; a restructuring of the atmosphere, changes in the magnetic field (15), great mountain building episodes and volcanic activity (16), the start of the ice age(s) (17), the beginning of a meteorological cycle based on rain and wind systems (Genesis 2:5-6, 9:16), a geological restructuring of the earth with great sedimentary deposition of water borne particles, a great earth wide extinction of air breathing land dwelling animals (Genesis 7:21-22), the deepening of the ocean basins to collect the flood waters (Psalm 104:5-9).
The nature of animals was changed. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was able to name all the animals. They apparently had no fear of man. After the flood this was a thing of the past. Some animals would kill people because God allowed man to avenge himself on any animal that killed a human (Genesis 9:5). Also the rise of Nimrod was made possible by his skill as a hunter, in other words he made a name for himself, by protecting people from the beast of the earth and their newly acquired ferocious nature (Genesis 10: 8-10).
 
Picture comparing cranium of a modern man with that of Neanderthals
Figure 6
A comparison of the cranium of a modern man and a Neanderthal man. In their construction Neanderthal looks very much like any other stocky, modern, muscular, well built person.
The Bible says that God was going to destroy not only mankind but also the Earth (Genesis 6:13). When Noah disembarked from the ark the world was a completely different world than the one he had been living in.

Are Neanderthals unique?  Are they FULLY human?

What caused Neanderthal's unique facial and skeletal characteristics? Evolutionists will tell you that since Neanderthal is an ancestor of modern humans the morphological differences are due to the evolutionary changes that are constantly remolding our features. Is evolution the only mechanism by which these changes could have been produced? Many scientists disagree with the theory of evolution. If there is a simpler answer does it not make sense to examine the evidence? What I would like to do is summarize and present evidence from my own research, and the research of others, that shows that non-evolutionary factors and forces could have produced Neanderthal's unique anatomical differences.
Neanderthal was not a combination half-man half-ape. He was fully human and was a full-fledged member of the human family (18). Although he carried this distinction there were some slight anatomical differences. I believe that these differences could be explained in the context of the events that occurred in the opening chapters of the book of Genesis. This included the events before and after Noah's flood.
Noah's flood was a major catastrophe that affected the earth. As has already been shown these factors affected all of the earth's ecological system. These changes in the ecological system affected the physiological systems of the humans that lived on the earth. Most modern day geologist and evolutionist do not fully comprehend the ramifications of the flood. The vast majority of these scientists follow the uniformitarianism principle as it relates to the events of the earth's prehistory. They believe that the "present is the key to the past." They will only accept as possible what is happening today. Since there are no earth wide floods occurring now there have never been any in the past. They have blinded their eyes to divine revelation. Since no one can prove with certainty what has happened in the past they refuse to consider any other position except their own. My assertion is that the earth's geologic structures and the biological system that we see in operation today can be fully explained in the context of Biblical revelation.
What were some of the physiological and environmental factors that produced Neanderthal man? Before we address this topic certain groundwork must be laid. As humans we tend to view things from our own perspective. We consider it normal to die at about 72 years of age. We consider it normal to be in a constant state of battle with various debilitating diseases. We consider it normal to age the way we do. We consider it normal to go through puberty in our teenage years and be married in our twenties. We consider it normal to retire at 65 because our bodies are too old to continue to function. We consider all these things normal because this is the only way of life that we have know.
But consider the facts as outlined in the Bible. Think about how different life would be if we had lived in the world before the flood. What if it was normal to have good health? What if it was normal to eat foods that actually helped retard or slow the aging process? What if it was normal to go through puberty at around 30 or 40 years of age? What if it was normal to be able to live 500+ years? What if it was normal to be able to conceive and bear children at the age of 100, or 200, or 300? What if the characteristic of Neanderthal morphology were normal? What if it were normal to have a bigger brain than you have now? What if it were normal to have a bone structure that was 20 to 25% more dense than you have now? What if it were normal to have a well-muscled and healthy body? A body that could do massive amounts of physical work and do this type of work for centuries.

Scientific illustration of the left side of Neanderthal man's head. Recent research has shown that he was a very modern looking individual.
 
Scientific illustration of the face of Neanderthal man. Recent research has shown that he was a very modern looking individual.

Figure 7
Compare these Neanderthals with Figure 1 and Figure 2. Recent research has shown that Neanderthal was a very modern looking individual. He was well muscled, extremely strong, and had a well developed skeleton. He also had all the cultural attributes of modern man. These drawings are the work of scientific illustrator Jay Matternes, from the October issue of Science 81.
What I am proposing is that we need to completely change our thinking about Neanderthal man. I propose that he is normal and we, modern day humans, are abnormal. If this is true, then in fact we have been devolving. We are on a downward path as a species. This goes contrary to the theory of evolution, but it fits nicely within the framework of biblical knowledge about our ancestry and our current path as a society.

Were they descendants of ADAM?

What would happen to a human baby that was born into the antediluvian world? Would it age and develop the way babies do today? My contention is that the Neanderthal characteristics were a physiological response to a human being living under the conditions as described in the early chapters of Genesis. There are several factors that we need to examine in our explanation of Neanderthal's unique morphology.
Neanderthal man was a direct descendant of Adam. He was therefore closer to the creation than we are. Adam and Eve did not suffer from genetic loading. Genetic loading is the devolution of our genetic material via mutations and alterations in our chromosomes. The Bible states that after Adam and Eve were created that God pronounced his creation very good (Genesis 1:31). Adam and Eve had perfect genetics. They would not suffer from many of the genetic diseases that we have today because of genetic imperfection. After Adam and Eve sinned then death and decay was projected into the picture. The question is often asked where did Adam descendant get their spouses. The answer is that they intermarried among themselves. This would not have caused any physical problems because there would have been no genetic loading. When a mutation occurs in the genetic material it is usually recessive. In other word it does not manifest itself unless it is matched with another recessive gene from the other parent. Adam's closer descendants did not have these mutated recessive genes. Abraham married his half-sister. This caused no genetic problems. As mankind progressed (devolved in reality), then God had to institute marriage laws. By this time humanity had built up a number of genetic mutations and marriage among close relatives would have caused defects and diseases.
What caused these genetic mutations? Many factors cause mutations. Some include ionizing radiation, non-ionizing radiation and chemical carcinogens (19). Atmospheric radiation reaches us from the sun and some naturally occurs in the rocks of the earth. Carcinogen are eaten, absorbed, or breathed.
What could have lessened the formation of mutations in the past? There are many theories. One concerns atmospheric and magnetic changes. According to the proponents of this scenario an increase in the strength of the earth's magnetic field, through its increased shielding effect, would have kept excessive solar radiation from entering the earth's atmosphere. This solar radiation has been implicated in many chromosomal mutations. But the sun is not the only source of radiation. The rocks of the earth give off natural radiation. Radon-222 (Radon for short) is a radioactive decay product of uranium-238 and radum-226. Radon has been shown to cause cancer in humans. Much radioactive rock is buried below the surface of the earth. The flood of Noah cause large-scale massive tectonic activity. There were great earthquakes and volcanoes. This brought the deeply buried radioactive elements to the surface of the earth. After the flood there was an increase in the background radiation both from the sun and the new volcanic deposits. It is interesting to note that the life span of the people mentioned in the Bible dropped dramatically after the flood. This would have been caused by the increase in the genetic malformations, which were linked to the atmospheric and geologic radiation.
Let us now turn our attention to carcinogens. Carcinogens are chemicals that we are expose to that cause cancer. In the pre-flood world the transport of carcinogens would have occurred at a different rate. The book of Genesis states that the earth at this time did not have a rain-evaporation cycle. All of the moisture was deposited by a dew process (Genesis 2:6). This would retard the spread of any chemical. These carcinogens would not have a transport mechanism and would therefore remain outside of the diet of the people before the flood. Only in recent times, when chemicals have been concentrated and become widespread, has the carcinogenic effect of chemicals been noted. After the flood the meteorological conditions of the earth changed. Rain was now a transport mechanism. This allowed man to ingest more chemicals and trace element than before. These newly ingested carcinogens would have had affects on the rates of cancer and disease. It would also have shortened the life span of people after the flood.
These shortened life spans would have cause vast morphological changes in human and animal anatomical systems as compared to organism that lived longer. Once again we must consider that God's intention was for humans to live a long time. We are living in a cursed world. God pronounced a curse on the earth (Genesis 3:17 ; 5:29). This cursing of the earth affected the production of increased solar and ground radiation, carcinogens, hostile environmental conditions, a change in fauna and therefore lessened nutrition, less oxygen and reduced atmospheric pressure. All of these factors tended to lessen the life span of post diluvium mankind.

Do they have a LONG life?

Little research has been done on the effects of aging, above the 120-year level, on the human anatomy. The reason that limited research has been done on this field is the constraints placed on scientist by the uniformitarian philosophy. Since humans usually do not live past 120 years of age today, they certainly did not live any longer in the past. The question still remains what would happen to a child born into the pre-flood world when the life expectancy was in the hundreds of years? Would not the environmental factors extant at that time affect his growth and development? We would not expect to see changes in human's morphology.
Much scientific literature addresses the subject of skeletal and cranial shape changes that would occur as a person aged. (20,21,22,23). This research presents a convincing case that accounts for the unique Neanderthal morphology to the cranium and skeletal features. The main thrust of this research states that as humans age, the skull flattens, it becomes wider, and it lengthens. The pronounced brow ridges can be accounted for by the long term and greater pressure that the Neanderthal chewing would place on the teeth and face (24). Since the Neanderthals were more muscular and heavier boned, the brow ridges would become more pronounced in order to allow the greater stress to be absorbed. All of these features would occur to modern man if he lived longer and had a heavier musculature (25). In other words, Neanderthal unique cranial features were a result on non-evolutionary factors.
Another factor to consider is the nutritional factor. Some Neanderthal skeletons exhibit skeletal changes that are consistent with rickets. Rickets is a vitamin D deficiency. The body's skin tissue produces vitamin D when the body is exposed to ultraviolet sunlight. People that do not have the proper amount of vitamin D develop rickets, which is a bending and thickening of some of the skeletal bones. The Neanderthal population lived during the Pleistocene Epoch, sometimes called the ice ages. They would spend most of their time in caves. They would tend to wear fur clothing, which covered most of the skin. All of these factors would not allow enough exposure to the sun and would therefore produce rickets. The first Neanderthal skeletons that were analyzed all show features characteristic with rickets (26). Once again this is a non-evolutionary explanation for Neanderthal features.

Conclusion

Neanderthal man was a direct descendant of Adam and Eve. He was fully human and was a product of his environment. Neanderthals were larger brained, more muscular, extremely strong, and longer-lived than modern man. We must not let our preconceived notions about supposed prehistoric men cloud our picture of the proper understanding of Neanderthal man. Only when we consider all the facts can we see the complete picture.
Neanderthal man was not a product of evolution. All of the evidence properly understood supports the Genesis account of early man as described in the Bible. 

Source: biblestudy.org

Dinosaurs and the Bible




An aura of mystery surrounds the dinosaurs. Where did they come from? Did they evolve? Did they really live millions of years ago? What happened to them? Are there any living today? Has any human being ever seen a live dinosaur?
Children and adults alike are absolutely fascinated by these mysterious monsters. Numerous books and movies have been produced to satisfy a seemingly insatiable hunger for information on these puzzling creatures. The truth of the matter, however, is that there are no real mysteries at all, once you have key information that is not generally known and is withheld from the public.
Come with me as we take a walk through history and uncover some amazing facts that will answer many of your questions about these “terrible lizards.”

 

Did Dinosaurs Really Exist?

Dinosaurs certainly did roam the Earth in the ancient past! Fossils of dinosaurs have been found all over the world, and their bones are displayed in museums for all to see. Scientists have been able to reconstruct many of their skeletons, so we know much about how they may have looked.

 

When Were Dinosaurs Found?

The story of their discovery began back in the 1820s, when Gideon Mantell, an English doctor, found some unusual teeth and bones in a quarry. Dr Mantell realized there was something very different about these animal remains, and believed that he had found an entirely new group of reptiles. By 1841, about nine types of these different reptiles had been uncovered, including two called Megalosaurus and Iguanodon.
At this time, a famous British scientist, Dr Richard Owen, coined the name “Dinosauria,” meaning “terrible lizard,” for this is what the huge bones made him think of.

 

What Makes Dinosaurs Different?

Other than the huge size of some dinosaurs, the major feature that really distinguishes dinosaurs from other reptiles (such as crocodiles) is the position of their limbs. Dinosaurs had posture that was fully erect, similar to that in mammals. Most other reptiles have limbs in a sprawling position. For instance, compare the way a crocodile “walks” with that of, say, a cow. Dinosaurs would have moved like a cow, with the limbs supporting the body from beneath. Crocodiles “waddle,” as their limbs project sideways from their body.

 

How Big Were Dinosaurs?

Some were as small as chickens, and others were even smaller. Of course, some dinosaurs were very large, weighing in at an estimated 80 tons and standing 40 feet high! The average size of a dinosaur, however, was probably about that of a small horse.

 

When Did Dinosaurs Live?

The story we have all heard from movies, television, newspapers, and most magazines and textbooks is that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. According to evolutionists, the dinosaurs “ruled the Earth” for 140 million years, dying out about 65 million years ago. However, scientists do not dig up anything labeled with those ages. They only uncover dead dinosaurs (i.e., their bones), and their bones do not have labels attached telling how old they are. The idea of millions of years of evolution is just the evolutionists’ story about the past. No scientist was there to see the dinosaurs live through this supposed dinosaur age. In fact, there is no proof whatsoever that the world and its fossil layers are millions of years old. No scientist observed dinosaurs die. Scientists only find the bones in the here and now, and because many of them are evolutionists, they try to fit the story of the dinosaurs into their view.
Other scientists, called creation scientists, have a different idea about when dinosaurs lived. They believe they can solve any of the supposed dinosaur mysteries and show how the evidence fits wonderfully with their ideas about the past, beliefs that come from the Bible.
The Bible, God’s very special book (or collection of books, really), claims that each writer was supernaturally inspired to write exactly what the Creator of all things wanted him to write down for us so that we can know where we (and dinosaurs) came from, why we are here, and what our future will be. The first book in the Bible—Genesis—teaches us many things about how the universe and life came into existence. Genesis tells us that God created everything—the Earth, stars, sun, moon, plants, animals, and the first two people.
Although the Bible does not tell us exactly how long ago it was that God made the world and its creatures, we can make a good estimate of the date of creation by reading through the Bible and noting some interesting passages:
  1. God made everything in six days. He did this, by the way, to set a pattern for mankind, which has become our seven day week (as described in Exodus 20:11). God worked for six days and rested for one, as a model for us. Furthermore, Bible scholars will tell you that the Hebrew word for day used in Genesis 1, can only mean an ordinary day in this context.
  2. We are told God created the first man and woman—Adam and Eve—on Day Six. Many facts about when their children and their children’s children were born are given in Genesis. These genealogies are recorded throughout the Old Testament, up until the time of Christ. They certainly were not chronologies lasting millions of years.
As you add up all of the dates, and accepting that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to Earth almost 2000 years ago, we come to the conclusion that the creation of the Earth and animals (including the dinosaurs) occurred only thousands of years ago (perhaps only 6000!), not millions of years. Thus, if the Bible is right (and it is!), dinosaurs must have lived within the past thousands of years.

 

Where Did Dinosaurs Come From?

Evolutionists claim that dinosaurs evolved over millions of years. They imagine that one kind of animal slowly changed over long periods of time to become a different kind of animal. For instance, they believe that amphibians changed into reptiles (including dinosaurs) by this gradual process. This would mean, of course, that there would have been millions of creatures during that time that would be “in between,” as amphibians evolved into reptiles. Evidence of these “transitional forms,” as they are called, should be abundant. However, many fossil experts admit that not one unquestionable transitional form between any group of creatures and another has been found anywhere. If dinosaurs evolved from amphibians, there should be, for example, fossil evidence of animals that are part dinosaur and part something else. However, there is no proof of this anywhere. In fact, if you go into any museum you will see fossils of dinosaurs that are 100% dinosaur, not something in between. There are no 25%, 50%, 75%, or even 99% dinosaurs—they are all 100% dinosaur!
The Bible tells us that God created all of the land animals on the sixth day of creation. As dinosaurs were land animals, they must have been made on this day, alongside Adam and Eve, who were also created on Day Six (Genesis 1:24–31). If God designed and created dinosaurs, they would have been fully functional, designed to do what they were created for, and would have been 100% dinosaur. This fits exactly with the evidence from the fossil record.
Evolutionists declare that no man ever lived alongside dinosaurs. The Bible, however, makes it plain that dinosaurs and people must have lived together. Actually, as we will soon see, there is a lot of evidence for this.

 

What Did Dinosaurs Eat?

The Bible teaches (in Genesis 1:29–30) that the original animals (and the first humans) were commanded to be vegetarian. There were no meat eaters in the original creation. Furthermore, there was no death. It was an unblemished world, with Adam and Eve and animals (including dinosaurs) living in perfect harmony, eating only plants.
Sadly, it did not stay this way for very long. Adam rebelled against his Creator, bringing sin into the world (Genesis 3:1–7; Romans 5:12). Because of this rebellion, Adam, and thus all of his descendants (you and me), gave up the right to live with a Holy (sinless) and just God. God therefore judged sin with death.
The Bible plainly teaches from Genesis to Revelation that there was no death of animals or humans before Adam sinned. (Consider just a few of the many passages, such as: Romans 5:12; Genesis 2:17; Genesis 1:29–30; Romans 8:20–22; Acts 3:21; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Corinthians 15; Revelation 21:1–4; Revelation 22:3.) This means there could not have been any animal fossils (and no dinosaur bones) before sin.
After Adam’s sin, animals and people started to die. It was now a different world, one of death and strife. A world that was once beautiful now suffered under the curse placed upon it by the Creator (Genesis 3:14–19). But a promise was given (Genesis 3:15) that God would provide a way for the penalty of sin to be paid so there would be a way for man to come back to God.

 

Why Do We Find Dinosaur Fossils?

In Genesis 6, we read that all flesh (man and animals) had “corrupted his way upon the Earth” (Genesis 6:12). Perhaps people and animals were killing each other; maybe dinosaurs had started killing other animals and humans. In any case, the Bible describes the world as “wicked.
Because of this wickedness, God warned a godly man named Noah that He was going to destroy the world with a Flood (Genesis 6:13). God therefore commanded him to build a great ship (the Ark) so that all the kinds of land animals (which must have included dinosaurs) and Noah’s family could survive on board while the Flood destroyed the entire Earth (Genesis 6:14–20).
Some people think that dinosaurs were too big, or there were too many of them, to go on this Ark. However, there were not very many different kinds of dinosaurs. There are certainly hundreds of dinosaur names, but many of these were given to just a bit of bone or skeletons of the same dinosaur found in other countries. It is also reasonable to assume that different sizes, varieties, and sexes of the same kind of dinosaur have ended up with different names. For example, look at the many different varieties and sizes of dogs, but they are all the same kind—the dog kind! In reality, there may have been fewer than 50 kinds of dinosaurs.
God sent two of every (seven of some) land animal into the Ark (Genesis 7:2–3; 7:8–9)—there were no exceptions. Therefore, dinosaurs must have been on the Ark. Even though there was ample room in the huge ship for large animals, perhaps God sent young adults into the Ark that still had plenty of room for them to grow.
Well, what happened to all the land animals that did not go on the Ark? Very simply, they drowned. Many would have been covered with tons of mud as the rampaging water covered the land (Genesis 7:11–12,19). Because of this quick burial, many of the animals would have been preserved as fossils. If this happened, you would expect to find evidence of billions of dead things buried in rock layers (formed from this mud) all over the Earth. This is exactly what you do find.
By the way, the Flood of Noah’s day probably occurred just over 4,500 years ago. Creationists believe that this event formed many of the fossil layers around the Earth. (Additional fossil layers were formed by other floods as the Earth settled down after the great Flood.) Thus, the dinosaur fossils which were formed as a result of this Flood were probably formed about 4,500 years ago, not millions of years ago.

 

Have Dinosaurs Lived in Recent Times?

If the different kinds of dinosaurs survived the Flood, then they must have come off the Ark and lived in the post-Flood world.
In the Bible, in Job 40:15–24, God describes to Job (who lived after the Flood) a great beast with which Job was familiar. This great animal, called “behemoth,” is described as “the chief of the ways of God,” perhaps the biggest land animal God had created. Impressively, he moved his tail like a cedar tree! Although some Bible commentaries say this may have been an elephant or hippopotamus, the description actually fits that of a dinosaur like Brachiosaurus. Elephants and hippos certainly do not have tails like cedar trees!
Actually, very few animals are singled out in the Bible for such a detailed description. Contrary to what many may think, what we know now as dinosaurs get more mention in the Scriptures than most animals! So dinosaurs—all the different kinds—must have lived alongside of people after the Flood.

 

Are Dinosaurs Mentioned in Ancient Literature?

The Bible mentions two dinosaurs by name and describes them in great detail. "Behemoth" (Job 40:15-24) and "Leviathan" (Job 41:1-34) From the description found in Job, scientists have attempted to identify these animals. They believe "Behemoth" is a Hippo and "Leviathan" is a Crocodile. But these scientists limited their choices to non-extinct species and did not consider the possibility of dinosaurs because man and dinosaur never coexisted. Oh really? Even in my own personal Bible a footnote suggests these two animals were a hippo and a crock! But there are some obvious reasons why this conclusion is wrong.
First, "Behemoth" cannot be a Hippo because of Job 40:17 "He bends his tail like a cedar". A hippo has a short tail like a pig. Behemoth, had a large tail shaped like a cedar tree (large and tapered). I believe a better choice is that Behemoth is a Brachiosaurus type of large land dwelling dinosaur. It fits the description perfect.
Second, "Leviathan" cannot be a Crocodile but is probably a Elasmosaurus type of large water-dwelling dinosaur. Here is what Job 41 says with my comments in brackets, "v9 you be laid low even at the sight of him? (This was a large animal) v10 No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him; v25 When he raises himself up, the mighty fear; (crocs don't raise up at all but are always low) Because of the crashing they are bewildered. v26 (This animal was large! This animal made seismic thunder as it walked. You know...that slow, low, terrifying thud that Jurassic park portrayed so well.) v26 The sword that reaches him cannot avail; (crocs are quite easy to kill with a good spear) Nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin. (Croc wrestling is a sport, the croc usually looses) v31 He makes the depths boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a jar of ointment. v32 Behind him he makes a wake to shine; (crocs make little wake if any) v34 He looks on everything that is high" (again it was a tall animal with a long neck).
What is significant about this is that if "Behemoth" and "Leviathan" are dinosaurs, then is it crystal clear that Job had either seen them personally, or there was a recent memory of them. This of course flies in the face of current evolutionary theory.
The Paluxy River in Texas is the home of Dinosaur National Park with hundreds of fossil dinosaur tracks. Right beside the dinosaur tracks are three sets of human fossil footprints and a large cat track. The most famous track is the Taylor Trail which consists of a series of 14 footprints in a left-right pattern. The stride and foot length is consistent throughout. The evidence is so convincing that several university students recently presented with all the data accepted that the human footprints were real, but doubted the dinosaur footprints were real. All the fossil footprints in the Park are genuine. No informed person would ever suggest that the human footprints were carved as was irresponsibly rumored 50 years ago. It is clear that man and dinosaur live together and co-existed at the same time. With this both science and the Bible agree!
So next time you order your favorite Chinese food dish, take a second look at the mural of the dragon on restaurant wall or on the take out container. Then go home an re-read Job 40-41!


Interestingly, the word “dragon” is used a number of times in the Old Testament. In most instances, the word dinosaur could substitute for dragon and it would fit very nicely. Creation scientists believe that dinosaurs were called dragons before the word dinosaur was invented in the 1800s. We would not expect to find the word dinosaur in Bibles like the Authorized Version (1611), as it was translated well before the word dinosaur was ever used.
Also, there are many very old history books in various libraries around the world that have detailed records of dragons and their encounters with people. Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly for creationists), many of these descriptions of dragons fit with how modern scientists would describe dinosaurs, even Tyrannosaurus. Unfortunately, this evidence is not considered valid by evolutionists. Why? Only because their belief is that man and dinosaurs did not live at the same time!
However, the more we research the historical literature, the more we realize there is overwhelming evidence that dragons were real beasts, much like our modern reconstructions of dinosaurs, and that their existence has been recorded by many different people, even just hundreds of years ago.

 

What Happened to Dinosaurs?

Evolutionists use their imagination in a big way in answering this question. Because of their belief that dinosaurs “ruled” the world for millions of years, and then disappeared millions of years before man allegedly evolved, they have had to come up with all sorts of guesses to explain this “mysterious” disappearance.
When reading evolutionist literature, you will be astonished at the range of ideas concerning their supposed extinction. The following is just a small list of theories:
Dinosaurs starved to death; they died from overeating; they were poisoned; they became blind from cataracts and could not reproduce; mammals ate their eggs. Other causes include volcanic dust, poisonous gases, comets, sunspots, meteorites, mass suicide, constipation, parasites, shrinking brain (and greater stupidity), slipped discs, changes in the composition of air, etc.
It is obvious that evolutionists don’t know what happened and are grasping at straws. In a recent evolutionary book on dinosaurs, “A New Look At the Dinosaurs,” the author made the statement:
Now comes the important question. What caused all these extinctions at one particular point in time, approximately 65 million years ago? Dozens of reasons have been suggested, some serious and sensible, others quite crazy, and yet others merely as a joke. Every year people come up with new theories on this thorny problem. The trouble is that if we are to find just one reason to account for them all, it would have to explain the death, all at the same time, of animals living on land and of animals living in the sea; but, in both cases, of only some of those animals, for many of the land dwellers and many of the sea-dwellers went on living quite happily into the following period. Alas, no such one explanation exists (Alan Charig, p. 150).
But, one such explanation does exist. If you remove the evolutionary framework, get rid of the millions of years, and then take the Bible seriously, you will find an explanation that fits the facts and makes perfect sense:
At the time of the Flood, many of the sea creatures died, but some survived. In addition, all of the land creatures outside the Ark died, but the representatives of all the kinds that survived on the Ark lived in the new world after the Flood. Those land animals (including dinosaurs) found the new world to be much different than the one before the Flood. Due to (1) competition for food that was no longer in abundance, (2) other catastrophes, (3) man killing for food (and perhaps for fun), and (4) the destruction of habitats, etc., many species of animals eventually died out. The group of animals we now call dinosaurs just happened to die out too. In fact, quite a number of animals become extinct each year. Extinction seems to be the rule in Earth history (not the formation of new types of animals as you would expect from evolution).

 

Will We Ever See a Live Dinosaur?

The answer is probably not . . . but, then again? There are some scientists who believe a few dinosaurs may have survived in remote jungles. We are still discovering new species of animals and plants today in areas that have been too difficult to explore until now. Even natives in some countries describe beasts that fit with what might be a dinosaur.
Creationists, of course, would not be surprised if someone found a living dinosaur. However, evolutionists would then have to explain why they made dogmatic statements that man and dinosaur never lived at the same time. I suspect they would say something to the effect that this dinosaur somehow survived because it was trapped in a remote area that has not changed for millions of years. You see, no matter what is found, or how embarrassing it is to evolutionists’ ideas, they will always be able to concoct an “answer” because evolution is a belief. It is not science—it is not fact!

 

What Lessons Can We Learn From the Dinosaur?

When we see the bones of dinosaurs, we can be reminded that death was not a part of the original creation. Death is actually an intruder, entering when the first man disobeyed God. The Bible tells us that because we are all descendants of Adam, we too have sinned: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12); “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We need to recognize that the wickedness in the world is because of sin, because man rebelled against God.
We can also be reminded that God, who made all things, including the dinosaurs, is also a judge of His creation. He judged Adam’s rebellion by cursing the world with death. Adam was warned about what would happen if he disobeyed God’s instruction not to eat the fruit of one particular tree. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).
Dinosaurs can also remind us that God judged the rebellion in Noah’s day by destroying the wicked world with water, resulting in the death of millions of creatures. The Bible teaches us that He will again judge the world, but next time by fire: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).
We can also be reminded that after this judgment by fire, God will make a new heaven and Earth: “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). And what will it be like in this new Earth? “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
But we are also warned that many will not be allowed into this new Earth but will suffer for eternity: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
Humans, who are all sinful from conception (Psalm 51:5), cannot live with a Holy God, but are condemned to separation from God. But, God provided a wonderful means of deliverance from sin. The Bible teaches that God offered the perfect sacrifice needed to pay the penalty for man’s sin. God’s own Son, the one who in fact created the world (Colossians 1:16), came to Earth as a man, as a descendant of Adam, to suffer the death penalty for sin. “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20–22).
The Lord Jesus Christ died on a cross, but on the third day, rose again, conquering death, so that anyone who believes in Him and accepts Him into his or her life, is able to come back to God and live for eternity with the Creator. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16); “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
For those who do not accept by faith what Christ has done for them and do not recognize their sinful nature and need for redemption, the Bible warns that such people will live forever, but will be separated from God in a place of torment that the Bible calls Hell. But for those who commit their lives to the Lord—what a wonderful message! What a wonderful Savior! What a wonderful salvation in Christ the Creator!
If you, the reader of this web page, want to know more about how you can spend eternity with the God of creation, please read on about the GOSPEL.