W
Whispering Voice
The Bible Explained, part 19A/40: Creation and Evolution: Your Worldview
Recently published book available for sale.
Details follow:
-----<front cover text>
THE BIBLE EXPLAINED
A Guide to the Holy Bible
for Parents and Teenagers
-----<back cover text>
Where did you come from?
What is your purpose?
What happens when you die?
These questions--and more--are answered in 'The
Bible Explained', which is based on the teachings
of the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is a collection
of ancient books which claim to be the word of the
one and only God. This one and only God claims to
be the sole creator, owner, and sustainer of all
things; he further claims to hold the one and only
key to eternal life. Are these claims true? Get
the facts and then decide for yourself.
This document is meant to be understood by everyone,
and is therefore written in plain, simple language,
avoiding complex religious jargon.
Understand the Bible like never before.
-----<table of contents>
Introduction
Quest for Truth
The Holy Bible
Origin and Destiny
The Big Picture: Good and Evil
The Story of Man
The Purpose of the Earth
The Standard and the Test
Work: The Key to Success and Life
Pyramid Society
Failure of Man
Male and Female
Family Relationships
Marriage and Family
Sexual Immorality
The Value of Life
Multiplication and Overpopulation
Racism
Creation and Evolution
Government
Politics
Justice
Words, Speech, and Censorship
Church Matters
Monotheism, Jews, and Christians
Temptation
The Nature of Evil
Life and Death of Satan
Reincarnation
The Rapture
The End Times
The Near Future
Preparing for the Future
Groups and Labels
Understanding Judgement
Preparing for Death
Conclusion
Appendix A: Questions and Answers
Appendix B: The Ten Commandments
Appendix C: Marriage
-----<availability>
The above book is available for purchase at:
http://www.amazon.com
Search for:
TITLE: "The Bible Explained"
AUTHOR: "Arrant Knave"
ISBN-10: "1468197061"
ISBN-13: "9781468197068"
Or try this direct link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bible-Explained-Parents-Teenagers/dp/1468197061
-----<excerpt from book>
Creation and Evolution
The so-called 'culture war' is a manifestation of
the ongoing battle between good and evil. At the
heart of this battle are two opposing worldviews:
Creation and Evolution. Creation is based on the
assumption that the universe is the product of
intelligence; Evolution is based on the assumption
that the universe is the product of chance. If the
universe is the product of intelligence, what
should we expect to see? If the universe is the
product of chance, what should we expect to see?
Both worldviews assume the existence of knowledge,
intelligence, and truth, but what is the source of
truth?
Authority and Imagination: If you're a parent,
you've probably had a verbal exchange with your
child wherein the child repeatedly asks 'why?' and
you do your best to provide answers -- yet the
child persists in asking 'why?' to the point where
you exhaust all your answers and simply blurt out
'because I said so!' We all believe things because,
ultimately, someone -- usually an authority figure
-- said so. In our time, there are two popular
authority figures: God and Charles Darwin -- the
father of the theory of Evolution as expounded in
his book 'On the Origin of Species', which was
first published in the year 1859. The human mind
hates a void: if we lack an answer to a question,
we instinctively provide one -- be it real or
imagined.
Making Presuppositions: The Archaeologist and the
Biologist: An archaeologist unearths a fragment of
a stone tablet which apparently contains markings
of about a dozen characters of a supposed human
language; the archaeologist quickly concludes that
the markings are the product of intelligence. Why
did he not conclude that the markings are the
product of time and chance? A biologist observes
the intricate genetic code contained in a cell --
more information than which is contained in many
copies of the Encyclopaedia Britannica; the
biologist concludes that the code is the product of
time and chance. Why did the biologist not conclude
that the information is the product of
intelligence?
Your Worldview: How do you view the world? There
are essentially two worldviews: Creation and
Evolution. Your worldview determines how you
interpret information. The creationist sees design
(not chance) in everything; the evolutionist sees
chance (not design) in everything. The creationist
believes in the existence of law and order; the
evolutionist believes all things are products of
chance and randomness over time. If an evolutionist
claims to believe in the existence of law and
order, then he ought to ask himself some probing
questions: Where do laws come from? What are laws
made of? Why are laws consistent throughout time
and uniform throughout space? Why do laws continue
to exist? What upholds them? On the other hand,
creationists believe in the existence of an all-
powerful, omnipresent, immaterial (spirit) being
who created and upholds all things: "In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
[Genesis 1:1] "...and upholding all things by the
word of His power..." [Hebrews 1:3]
The Scientific Method: The scientific method is a
means of obtaining knowledge by way of testing all
things and holding on to the truth while discarding
lies: "Test all things; hold fast what is good." [1
Thessalonians 5:21] The scientific method is based
on the assumption that truth exists -- and that
truth is absolute, eternal, and omnipresent, since
truth cannot vary from place to place or from time
to time.
Observations and Assumptions: In the realm of
natural science, it is common to assume that
present-day processes extend indefinitely into the
past. However, science is not based on assumptions;
science is based on observation. Consider the
following scenario: Suppose you walk into a room
and see a table with an hourglass on it; the sand
in the hourglass is flowing at a steady rate from
the top compartment into the bottom compartment;
both compartments contain an equal amount of sand.
You may conclude that the sand has been flowing for
half an hour -- which seems reasonable; however,
notice the assumptions made: You've assumed the
hourglass was set in motion with the top
compartment completely full and the bottom
compartment completely empty; you've assumed the
rate of flow has been constant from the beginning
and is equal to the current rate of flow; you've
assumed that nothing has tampered with the
hourglass since it was set in motion. Of course,
you've also assumed that the hourglass is the
product of intelligence -- and can therefore be
understood; and that you possess the intelligence
to understand it, meaning that you've also assumed
that you yourself are the product of intelligence.
Past, Present, and Future: Present-day processes
cannot be extrapolated indefinitely into the past,
since the universe is in a state of decay -- and
this decay could not have been ongoing forever:
there was a point in time when the decay started.
When? Why? Knowledge of the past is based on
assumptions; knowledge of the present is based on
observation; knowledge of the future is based on
speculation. Science is based on observation;
science is not based on assumptions or speculation.
Of course, we expect the laws which operate in the
present to continue operating in the future, but
why? Because the universe is subject to chance and
randomness? -- or because the universe is subject
to law and order?
Setting Limits: In your quest for the truth, do you
set boundaries where none exist? The natural
scientist begins with the assumption that nothing
supernatural exists. Therefore, his conclusion is
set from the very beginning: nothing supernatural
exists. Are you willing to scrutinize your dearly
held beliefs? Are you willing to pursue the truth
at all costs -- even if it leads you from the
natural world into the supernatural realm? Are you
willing to follow the truth -- even if the path
takes you to a "religious" text?
-----<availability>
The above book is available for purchase at:
http://www.amazon.com
Search for:
TITLE: "The Bible Explained"
AUTHOR: "Arrant Knave"
ISBN-10: "1468197061"
ISBN-13: "9781468197068"
Or try this direct link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bible-Explained-Parents-Teenagers/dp/1468197061
-----<copyright notice>
The above excerpt from 'The Bible Explained' is copyright
2010 by Arrant Knave. All rights reserved. No part of this
document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means without the
prior written permission of the publisher, except by a
reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be
printed in a newspaper, magazine, or journal.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are
taken from the New King James Version (R). Copyright (C)
1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.
-----<end of book promotion>
Recently published book available for sale.
Details follow:
-----<front cover text>
THE BIBLE EXPLAINED
A Guide to the Holy Bible
for Parents and Teenagers
-----<back cover text>
Where did you come from?
What is your purpose?
What happens when you die?
These questions--and more--are answered in 'The
Bible Explained', which is based on the teachings
of the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is a collection
of ancient books which claim to be the word of the
one and only God. This one and only God claims to
be the sole creator, owner, and sustainer of all
things; he further claims to hold the one and only
key to eternal life. Are these claims true? Get
the facts and then decide for yourself.
This document is meant to be understood by everyone,
and is therefore written in plain, simple language,
avoiding complex religious jargon.
Understand the Bible like never before.
-----<table of contents>
Introduction
Quest for Truth
The Holy Bible
Origin and Destiny
The Big Picture: Good and Evil
The Story of Man
The Purpose of the Earth
The Standard and the Test
Work: The Key to Success and Life
Pyramid Society
Failure of Man
Male and Female
Family Relationships
Marriage and Family
Sexual Immorality
The Value of Life
Multiplication and Overpopulation
Racism
Creation and Evolution
Government
Politics
Justice
Words, Speech, and Censorship
Church Matters
Monotheism, Jews, and Christians
Temptation
The Nature of Evil
Life and Death of Satan
Reincarnation
The Rapture
The End Times
The Near Future
Preparing for the Future
Groups and Labels
Understanding Judgement
Preparing for Death
Conclusion
Appendix A: Questions and Answers
Appendix B: The Ten Commandments
Appendix C: Marriage
-----<availability>
The above book is available for purchase at:
http://www.amazon.com
Search for:
TITLE: "The Bible Explained"
AUTHOR: "Arrant Knave"
ISBN-10: "1468197061"
ISBN-13: "9781468197068"
Or try this direct link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bible-Explained-Parents-Teenagers/dp/1468197061
-----<excerpt from book>
Creation and Evolution
The so-called 'culture war' is a manifestation of
the ongoing battle between good and evil. At the
heart of this battle are two opposing worldviews:
Creation and Evolution. Creation is based on the
assumption that the universe is the product of
intelligence; Evolution is based on the assumption
that the universe is the product of chance. If the
universe is the product of intelligence, what
should we expect to see? If the universe is the
product of chance, what should we expect to see?
Both worldviews assume the existence of knowledge,
intelligence, and truth, but what is the source of
truth?
Authority and Imagination: If you're a parent,
you've probably had a verbal exchange with your
child wherein the child repeatedly asks 'why?' and
you do your best to provide answers -- yet the
child persists in asking 'why?' to the point where
you exhaust all your answers and simply blurt out
'because I said so!' We all believe things because,
ultimately, someone -- usually an authority figure
-- said so. In our time, there are two popular
authority figures: God and Charles Darwin -- the
father of the theory of Evolution as expounded in
his book 'On the Origin of Species', which was
first published in the year 1859. The human mind
hates a void: if we lack an answer to a question,
we instinctively provide one -- be it real or
imagined.
Making Presuppositions: The Archaeologist and the
Biologist: An archaeologist unearths a fragment of
a stone tablet which apparently contains markings
of about a dozen characters of a supposed human
language; the archaeologist quickly concludes that
the markings are the product of intelligence. Why
did he not conclude that the markings are the
product of time and chance? A biologist observes
the intricate genetic code contained in a cell --
more information than which is contained in many
copies of the Encyclopaedia Britannica; the
biologist concludes that the code is the product of
time and chance. Why did the biologist not conclude
that the information is the product of
intelligence?
Your Worldview: How do you view the world? There
are essentially two worldviews: Creation and
Evolution. Your worldview determines how you
interpret information. The creationist sees design
(not chance) in everything; the evolutionist sees
chance (not design) in everything. The creationist
believes in the existence of law and order; the
evolutionist believes all things are products of
chance and randomness over time. If an evolutionist
claims to believe in the existence of law and
order, then he ought to ask himself some probing
questions: Where do laws come from? What are laws
made of? Why are laws consistent throughout time
and uniform throughout space? Why do laws continue
to exist? What upholds them? On the other hand,
creationists believe in the existence of an all-
powerful, omnipresent, immaterial (spirit) being
who created and upholds all things: "In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
[Genesis 1:1] "...and upholding all things by the
word of His power..." [Hebrews 1:3]
The Scientific Method: The scientific method is a
means of obtaining knowledge by way of testing all
things and holding on to the truth while discarding
lies: "Test all things; hold fast what is good." [1
Thessalonians 5:21] The scientific method is based
on the assumption that truth exists -- and that
truth is absolute, eternal, and omnipresent, since
truth cannot vary from place to place or from time
to time.
Observations and Assumptions: In the realm of
natural science, it is common to assume that
present-day processes extend indefinitely into the
past. However, science is not based on assumptions;
science is based on observation. Consider the
following scenario: Suppose you walk into a room
and see a table with an hourglass on it; the sand
in the hourglass is flowing at a steady rate from
the top compartment into the bottom compartment;
both compartments contain an equal amount of sand.
You may conclude that the sand has been flowing for
half an hour -- which seems reasonable; however,
notice the assumptions made: You've assumed the
hourglass was set in motion with the top
compartment completely full and the bottom
compartment completely empty; you've assumed the
rate of flow has been constant from the beginning
and is equal to the current rate of flow; you've
assumed that nothing has tampered with the
hourglass since it was set in motion. Of course,
you've also assumed that the hourglass is the
product of intelligence -- and can therefore be
understood; and that you possess the intelligence
to understand it, meaning that you've also assumed
that you yourself are the product of intelligence.
Past, Present, and Future: Present-day processes
cannot be extrapolated indefinitely into the past,
since the universe is in a state of decay -- and
this decay could not have been ongoing forever:
there was a point in time when the decay started.
When? Why? Knowledge of the past is based on
assumptions; knowledge of the present is based on
observation; knowledge of the future is based on
speculation. Science is based on observation;
science is not based on assumptions or speculation.
Of course, we expect the laws which operate in the
present to continue operating in the future, but
why? Because the universe is subject to chance and
randomness? -- or because the universe is subject
to law and order?
Setting Limits: In your quest for the truth, do you
set boundaries where none exist? The natural
scientist begins with the assumption that nothing
supernatural exists. Therefore, his conclusion is
set from the very beginning: nothing supernatural
exists. Are you willing to scrutinize your dearly
held beliefs? Are you willing to pursue the truth
at all costs -- even if it leads you from the
natural world into the supernatural realm? Are you
willing to follow the truth -- even if the path
takes you to a "religious" text?
-----<availability>
The above book is available for purchase at:
http://www.amazon.com
Search for:
TITLE: "The Bible Explained"
AUTHOR: "Arrant Knave"
ISBN-10: "1468197061"
ISBN-13: "9781468197068"
Or try this direct link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bible-Explained-Parents-Teenagers/dp/1468197061
-----<copyright notice>
The above excerpt from 'The Bible Explained' is copyright
2010 by Arrant Knave. All rights reserved. No part of this
document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means without the
prior written permission of the publisher, except by a
reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be
printed in a newspaper, magazine, or journal.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are
taken from the New King James Version (R). Copyright (C)
1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.
-----<end of book promotion>