Snakes on a Primate

July 25, 2006 Posted by Roger Overton

A new report was featured on FoxNews.com over the weekend:
“Fear of Snakes May Have Driven Pre-Human Evolution.” Here’s the “scientific
argument” in a nutshell:

“To avoid becoming snake food, early mammals had to develop ways to detect
and avoid the reptiles before they could strike. Some animals evolved better
snake sniffers, while others developed immunities to serpent venom when it
evolved.

Early primates developed a better eye for color, detail and movement and the
ability to see in three dimensions — traits that are important for detecting
threats at close range.

Humans are descended from those same primates.”

What do other scientists think? “Harry Greene, an evolutionary biologist and
snake expert at Cornell University in New York, says Isbell's new idea is very
exciting. ‘It strikes me as a very special piece of scholarship and I think
it's going to provoke a lot of thought,’ Greene said.”

Frankly, I found this article hilarious. “The [snakes] had to do
something to get better at finding their prey, so that's where venom comes
in,” Isbell said. “The snakes upped the ante and then the primates
had to respond by developing even better vision.” It sounds like a game of
cards or two countries at war. Country X developed machine guns, so Country Y
developed missiles. Country X “upped the ante” by putting scopes on their guns,
so Country Y made even bigger missiles.

But here’s a really good one: “Primates went a particular route,”
Isbell told LiveScience. “They focused on improving their vision to keep
away from [snakes].” Apparently the primates were in full control of the
evolutionary capabilities… never mind that natural selection is a
non-intelligent mechanism of advancement. We must have lost the ability to
focus on certain improvements some where along the line, otherwise men would
have focused on not going bald a long time ago.

And my favorite: “If snake and primate history are as intimately connected
as Isbell suggests, then it might account for other things as well, Greene
added. ‘Snakes and people have had a long history; it goes back to long before
we were people, in fact,’ he said. ‘That might sort of explain why we have such
extreme attitudes towards snakes, varying from deification to ophidiphobia,
or fear of snakes.’” You know, because people have never deified or feared
anything else. Someone must have evolved due to fear of cows, since they
deified them.

The only reasonable explanation I have for this
article (note it’s not at all a scientific one since scientific evidence was
not provided) is that it’s an elaborate advertisement for Snakes on a Plane.
Both this article and the movie are rooted in irrational thought. But maybe
it’s the other way around… maybe Jackson is fighting snakes on a plane because
primates feared them to begin with!

Category Posted in Book Reviews, Main Page, Roger's Posts 6 Comments »

Book Review: The Hidden Smile of God by John Piper

July 24, 2006 Posted by Roger Overton

The Hidden Smile of God is Book Two of John Piper’s series The Swans are Not Silent. Each volume collects three biographical messages Piper’s given on historical figures in the Christian faith. In this volume, Piper expounds on the afflicted lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd and explains how their suffering can help us today.

John Bunyan is most famous for his book The Pilgrim’s Progress, though many are also familiar with his biographical Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. Living in England in the 17^th century, Bunyan saw times of religious freedom and religious persecution. Due to his commitment to his faith, he was imprisoned for twelve years away from his wife and children.

While most of us have heard of John Newton (author of Amazing Grace), few of us have heard of his friend William Cowper. They both lost their mothers at age six, but Cowper also suffered from not having a father who loved him properly. Though his poetic gift resulted in some beautiful hymns, he suffered from severe depression and attempted suicide numerous times throughout his life.

Piper claims that Jonathan Edwards’ biography of David Brainerd “has inspired more missionary service, perhaps, then any other book outside the Bible.” (13) Failing to succeed at Yale, Brainerd looked to opportunities aside from education in which to serve God. He found his calling in evangelizing Indians, a service he recounted as incredibly lonely in his diary. Though his lonely depression was difficult, his battle with tuberculosis was his most costly challenge and it took his life at only twenty-nine years of age.

The Hidden Smile of God is a great opportunity to learn about three men I knew very little of through the helpful pen of John Piper. As usual, Piper’s insights are thoughtful and immensely practical. I particularly benefited from his reflections on four points Bunyan made about suffering: “God has appointed who shall suffer… when they shall suffer… where this, that or the other good man shall suffer… and what kind of sufferings this or that saint shall undergo.” (68-70) Through all our sufferings, be they external, physical, or mental William Cowper reminds us, “Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.” (80)

Category Posted in Book Reviews, Main Page, Roger's Posts No Comments »

Victory in Death

July 22, 2006 Posted by Roger Overton

I’ve made the case before that men, especially fathers, are
to blame for the breakdown of families and some other cultural problems we
face. Based on the arguments I’ve made, readers might suspect that all the men
in my life failed me in some way. In fact, one of the things I’m most thankful
for is the abundance Godly men I’ve been blessed to learn from. Here’s an
example of one of them…

Five years ago today, my friend Ryan met his savior face to
face. He was the sort of person you always enjoyed being around; always with a
smile on his face. When I went to visit him in the hospital, he was usually
playing with the other kids (being the only teen in the children’s hospital).
Ryan saw his cancer as an opportunity to reach out to others in Christ’s love. I
was amazed at his memorial service to find out how many people he impacted that
I’d never met.

What made Ryan so strong in his faith? Aside from the saving
work of Christ, it was his earthly father, Marty. Marty is an example of how a
good father can have a positive impact beyond his family. When I heard the news
of Ryan’s imminent passing I was away working at camp and had to face the
grieving process alone. But an email from Marty encouraged me more than
anything else could, and it still does to this day- five years later:

What is Victory? Depending upon the race you are in,
it certainly can be defined differently in each situation. In the game of
life, as many put it, we all realize that everything that we buy will
eventually rust, corrode, and break. These items can

own us in the way we have to spend weekends tightening every nut and bolt on
the swing set so the monster contraption doesn't eat our kids alive, changing
oil in the car or tending the garden.

Yes, we can have something in life that can grow stronger. Relationships
with people. It is work. It can be fragile. Many relationships
break and do not get repaired. My son, Ryan, has made numerous
relationships and those who meet him have seen character qualities that uplift
them. Years ago, a little four year old boy told Mommy he wanted Jesus in
his heart. The prayers that followed began the rest of his life in
becoming more Christ-like. Ryan has blessed people with his bright spirit
and compassion. He enjoys making people happy. As in all growth, it comes
in steps. As in all marathons, in your mind you can picture the end, even
though it is not in sight. In our lives, we usually don't know what the end
will look like.

…We talked about a subject that has come up between us for some time now.
Very soon, Ryan will feel no pain and as was told to another man on a cross 2000
years ago, 'Today, you shall be with me in paradise!”

Folks, don't fool yourself. We can look at death in the face and agree
with the bible, “Oh

Death, where is thy sting? Where is thy victory?” We can't
consider it as death, it won't be over. Ryan will just move from the
short painful side to the eternal rejoicing side…. now that's livin'!
Don't misinterpret this as not hurting. He's going to be called home by
the Creator soon. Ryan might question if he has done what he was supposed
to in life, but when Ryan leaves this short physical life of 16 years and moves
onto eternal life, he will get to hear the greatest relief statement anyone
could hope for. “Well done My good and faithful servant.”

Our prayer is that you will join us all someday in heaven. We are crying
now. For our own sadness. We will miss him. We do have a deep
joy that we will be reunited with him.

Category Posted in Main Page, Miscellaneous, Roger's Posts 5 Comments »

O Links, Where Art Thou?

July 20, 2006 Posted by Roger Overton

Dr. Andrew Jackson (know around here as the SmartChristian) has just launched a new project: RedBlueChristian.com. Looks like there will be some interesting discussions ahead between both sides of the Christian political spectrum. It's summed up well by the “Generous Politic” subtitle in the top right corner.

Our good friend Tom Puls has been keeping his well-trained eye on the entertainment industry, so you better go Check Your Puls.

Justin Taylor has been doing some great posts lately, as usual, so instead of linking to each and every one, just go in Between Two Worlds.

Did you know that us A-Team members aren't just into blogging, but also logging?! At least according to Apologetics.com. While you're thinking about it, mark your calendars for August 19th when we will be guests on their radio show to discuss apologetics and logging. Greg Koukl will be on the week prior to us talking about hearing God's voice- so there's at least two weeks you shouldn't miss!

Category Posted in Main Page, Miscellaneous, Roger's Posts 3 Comments »

A Prayer for the New Agers

July 19, 2006 Posted by Amy Hall

While cleaning out my car yesterday, I found a paper hidden away in the 2005 layer. It was “A Prayer for the New Age”–something Roger and I picked up during this fact-finding mission last year.

It’s difficult to read. In fact, I hesitate to even put it on the blog, but I think it’s important that we think about the beliefs others have–beliefs that have real implications in the lives of real people, including some of my friends. What if you believed this:

I am the creator of the Universe.

I am the Father and Mother of the Universe.

Everything came from me.

Everything shall return to me.

Mind, spirit and body are my temples

for the Self to realize in them

My Supreme Being and Becoming.

All I can say is, a universe where I am God is a very poor universe indeed. And my prayer for the New Agers is that they would find the true source of the universe in all of His beauty, majesty, and holiness. Being His creature is far more wonderful than being one’s own second-rate god.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name!

Category Posted in Amy's Posts, Apologetics, Main Page 3 Comments »

It's Not Looking Good for Liberal Christianity

July 18, 2006 Posted by Amy Hall

It seems that liberal Christianity is not the wave of the future that so many people predicted, as Charlotte Allen explains in her LA Times editorial: Liberal Christianity is paying for its sins. [Please note that I know of many orthodox individual Presbyterian and Episcopal churches (and grew up Presbyterian!), so the following doesn't describe every individual church.]

What sins, you ask? Some examples:

The Presbyterian Church USA, at its general assembly in Birmingham, Ala., was turning itself into the laughingstock of the blogosphere by tacitly approving alternative designations for the supposedly sexist Christian Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Among the suggested names were “Mother, Child and Womb” and “Rock, Redeemer and Friend.” Moved by the spirit of the Presbyterian revisionists, Beliefnet blogger Rod Dreher held a “Name That Trinity” contest. Entries included “Rock, Scissors and Paper” and “Larry, Curly and Moe”….

The Presbyterian Church USA is famous for its 1993 conference, cosponsored with the United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and other mainline churches, in which participants “reimagined” God as “Our Maker Sophia” and held a feminist-inspired “milk and honey” ritual designed to replace traditional bread-and-wine Communion.

As if to one-up the Presbyterians in jettisoning age-old elements of Christian belief, the Episcopalians at Columbus overwhelmingly refused even to consider a resolution affirming that Jesus Christ is Lord. When a Christian church cannot bring itself to endorse a bedrock Christian theological statement repeatedly found in the New Testament, it is not a serious Christian church. It's a Church of What's Happening Now, conferring a feel-good imprimatur on whatever the liberal elements of secular society deem permissible or politically correct….

The result of incidents and positions like these is a drastic drop in the percentage of protestants in mainline churches from 40% in 1960 to 12% today:

Some of the precipitous decline is due to lower birthrates among the generally blue-state mainliners, but it also is clear that millions of mainline adherents (and especially their children) have simply walked out of the pews never to return….

Incidentally, why the correlation here between blue states and mainliners? Did liberal Christianity lead to blue-state conclusions, or did blue-state thinking lead to liberal Christianity? Or is there a third factor involved, connecting the two?

When your religion says “whatever” on doctrinal matters, regards Jesus as just another wise teacher, refuses on principle to evangelize and lets you do pretty much what you want, it's a short step to deciding that one of the things you don't want to do is get up on Sunday morning and go to church.

Read the rest of the article here.

Category Posted in Amy's Posts, Main Page, Religion (General), Theology 5 Comments »

Do not run, we are your friends!

July 15, 2006 Posted by Roger Overton

In the 1996 film Mars Attacks!, Martians try to take over
the world with funny little laser guns. One of my favorite scenes is when the
aliens are running around Las Vegas zapping people and from their translation
box we hear “Do not run, we are your friends!”

This mixed messaged is an excellent illustration of some
recent world events. On June 22, 2006, a report was filed in many news agencies
that Hamas (the elected militant government of Palestine) was prepared to recognize
the right of Israel to statehood. This was, potentially, a significant step
toward reaching peace between the conflicting neighbors. The problem is that
Hamas does not want peace. Only a few days later (June 25, 2006), Hamas
militants kidnapped Corporal Gilad Shalit from within Israeli territory.

Quoting from the 1988 Hamas Charter, Wikipedia summarizes
their position this way: “Hamas rejects “so-called peaceful solutions and
international conferences” as incapable of realizing justice or restoring
rights to the oppressed, believing “there is no solution for the
Palestinian question except through Jihad.”” Roughly 70% of Palestinians freely elected a
terrorist organization as their government that had a platform of bringing
death to Israel.

Despite the mixed messages, the actions of Hamas show that
they do not recognize Israel’s right to exist, nor do they look for peace
without the extermination of their neighbor. On the other hand, Hezbollah and
Iran have been quite clear about their intentions. The President of Iran has
repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel and conveniently the kidnapping
of more Israeli soldiers occurred during the G8 meeting.

The situation is quite clear: The enemies of Israel do not
want peace with Israel, they want peace without Israel. And in order to get it,
they will continue to seek weapons of mass destruction, terrorize Israeli
civilians, and test the resolve of the unstable Israeli government. If we (the
United States) are truly friends of Israel, we will stand by them now and if
need be aid in the dismantling of Hamas, Hezbollah, and ultimately Iran.

Stay informed with an Israeli reservist: Yoni Tidi. Also
check out an hour from Dennis Prager’s show on Thursday for commentary
and a brief historical background on the current conflict.

Category Posted in Main Page, Politics, Roger's Posts 2 Comments »

Scientists Say Paralyzed Man Moves Physical Objects With His Mind

July 13, 2006 Posted by Amy Hall

Some excerpts from the article describing this amazing feat (HT: The Pearcey Report):

A man paralysed from the neck down has shown he can open email, control a TV and move objects with a robotic arm by thought alone.

The 25-year-old American patient, Matthew Nagle, had a computer-linked implant placed in his brain that enabled him to operate devices just by thinking about it….by imagining a particular task being carried out….

Known as the BrainGate Neural Interface System, it consists of an array of electrodes that record neural activity from the motor cortex of the brain.

Signals from the implant are decoded and processed by a computer, allowing them to be translated into movement commands.

First, Mr. Nagle learned to move a computer cursor by focusing his thoughts on the task….

He was able to open simulated e-mail, draw circular shapes on the computer screen, play a simple video game called “neural Pong”, and change the channel and adjust the volume on a television.

Ultimately, he could open and close the fingers of an artificial hand and use a robotic arm to grasp and move objects.

Initiated by his will to move (the initiation is not in itself a physical process, nor is it determined by a physical process, but the action is initiated by the will of the man), Nagle’s thoughts are then translated into something physical (the electrical impulses in his brain) which are then translated by man-made equipment into information used to move physical objects in the world.

The real mystery, known to God alone, is how the desires of our minds are translated into the physical impulses of our brains–how something non-physical interacts with the physical. Scientists can only build machines that measure the physical impulses, but they could never have access to the thoughts themselves. The truth is, the will to move parts of our body is not determined by physical impulses, it causes them.

The title of this post may have surprised you, but it shouldn’t. You move a physical object every day with your mind–your own body!

Is it any surprise, then, that the God who created a way for your mind to interact with the physical machine of your body can Himself affect the physical world, though He is non-physical?

Category Posted in Amy's Posts, Main Page, Philosophy, Science 8 Comments »

Imago Dei in Mormonism

July 11, 2006 Posted by Roger Overton

One of the more controversial beliefs in the history of
Mormonism is that of Exaltation- that man has the potential to be like God in
every way. LDS President Lorenzo Snow famously put it this way (on September,
18 1898): “As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be.” Despite
public belittling of this doctrine, it is still very much part of the official
teaching of the Church.

Current President Gordon B. Hinckley has downplayed the
doctrine: “I don't know that we teach it. I don't know that we emphasize it. I
haven't heard it discussed for a long time in public discourse. I don't know. I
don't know all the circumstances under which that statement was made. I
understand the philosophical background behind it. But I don't know a lot about
it and I don't know that others know a lot about it.” (Time, 1997)

However, in the most recent issue of the Church’s magazine Ensign,
President Hinckley seems to a bit more about it than he’s let on in the past
(HT: Reformed Baptist Thinker):

In the account of the Creation of the earth,
“God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

Could any language be more explicit? Does it demean
God, as some would have us believe, that man was created in His express image?
Rather, it should stir within the heart of every man and woman a greater
appreciation for himself or herself as a son or daughter of God.

President Hinckley clarifies his idea of Imago Dei by relating our bodies to
God’s physical body:

I remember the occasion more than 70 years ago
when, as a missionary, I was speaking in an open-air meeting in Hyde Park,
London. As I was presenting my message, a heckler interrupted to say, “Why
don't you stay with the doctrine of the Bible which says in John, 'God is a
Spirit'?”

I opened my Bible to the verse he had quoted and
read to him the entire verse:

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

I said, “Of course God is a spirit, and so are
you in the combination of spirit and body that makes of you a living being, and
so am I.”

Each of us is a dual being of spiritual entity and
physical entity. All know of the reality of death when the body dies, and each
of us also knows that the spirit lives on as an individual entity and that at
some time, under the divine plan made possible by the sacrifice of the Son of
God, there will be a reunion of spirit and body. Jesus's declaration that God
is a spirit no more denies that He has a body than does the statement that I am
a spirit while also having a body.

I do not equate my body with His in its refinement,
in its capacity, in its beauty and radiance. His is eternal. Mine is mortal.
But that only increases my reverence for Him. I worship Him “in spirit and
in truth.” I look to Him as my strength. I pray to Him for wisdom beyond
my own. I seek to love Him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. His
wisdom is greater than the wisdom of all men. His power is greater than the
power of nature, for He is the Creator Omnipotent. His love is greater than the
love of any other, for His love encompasses all of His children, and it is His
work and His glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His
sons and daughters of all generations (see Moses 1:39).

The explicit teaching here is that God is composed of
physical and spiritual, and thus so are we. But it is the underlying principle
that’s key. Though President Hinckley notes a number of differences between God
and himself, these differences are not of kind but of personality. It would be
much like comparing two oak trees of different ages. They both grow green
leaves and provide shade, but the older is taller and stronger than the other.
Likewise, in Mormon theology, God and man are of the same specie- man is simply
less developed than God. Whether it’s acknowledged or not, this doctrine is
still fundamental in the teachings of Mormonism.

Category Posted in Main Page, Mormonism, Roger's Posts 2 Comments »

47 Degrees of Separation

July 3, 2006 Posted by Amy Hall

I find this article, “Genealogists discover royal roots for all,” incredibly fascinating. Two excerpts:

The longer ago somebody lived, the more descendants a person is likely to have today. Humphrys estimates that Muhammad, the founder of Islam, appears on the family tree of every person in the Western world….

It works the other way, too. Anybody who had children more than a few hundred years ago is likely to have millions of descendants today, and quite a few famous ones.

I'm often awed by this concept: if a specific man and a specific woman had not had a particularly delightful evening at a specific time back in 452 AD, most of us wouldn't be here. Crazy. Sometimes I wonder about all the people I'll never know who contributed to my existence.

As for the article, besides bringing home the fact that we influence the world drastically through our children (and consequently, our choices that lead to children have tremendous significance), it inspires questions like this: If you could go back in time to stop one person–say, King Edward II–from procreating, would you be willing to give up Washington and Jefferson if it meant no Darwin? What if I threw Humphrey Bogart into the deal? (You can place him on either side of the equation, as you see fit.)

Category Posted in Amy's Posts, Main Page, Miscellaneous 7 Comments »