Jon – Page 2 – NONVIOLENT CHRISTIANS

A Film: Against the Tide, Finding God in an Age of Science

By Jon Kauffman

In this film, Oxford Professor John Lennox and Hollywood actor Kevin Sorbo discuss the scientific evidence for God and the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.

Does science bury God? Lennox demonstrates that science and Christianity are compatible.

Are science and faith in conflict? John answers no. The fact is science supports faith.

John Lennox learned the German and Russian languages and lectured at universities in communist countries Hungary, East Germany and the Soviet Union. And where does an atheistic philosophy lead. We can see what happened in the atheist communist countries who tried to eliminate God and to keep dignity for human beings. The experiment in atheism failed.

The atheism/Christianity debate is not about science. The debate is about philosophy and worldview.

A quote from the movie’s website: https://againstthetide.movie/

Against the Tide is a travelogue, an examination of modern science, an excursion into history, an autobiography, and more. But at heart, it is the story of one man’s daring stand against the tide of contemporary atheism and its drive to relegate belief in God to society’s catalogue of dead ideas.

Join the conversation between Dr. John Lennox—esteemed Oxford professor, mathematician, and philosopher of science—and veteran Hollywood actor and director Kevin Sorbo as they journey from Oxford to Jerusalem and explore the evidence on which Lennox’s Christian faith stands firm.

A quote from Movieguide.org.

AGAINST THE TIDE is a stirring documentary about Christian Oxford University professor John Lennox and his life of intelligent debates against renowned atheists. MOVIEGUIDE® Award winning actor Kevin Sorbo travels to Great Britain to meet Lennox for this must-see movie. Later, the pair visit the Holy Land to explore Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

The movie begins with Kevin Sorbo, who rose to fame by playing Hercules on TV in the 1990s. Later in Sorbo’s career in the movie GOD’S NOT DEAD, Sorbo played an atheist who challenges one of his university students to prove that God isn’t dead. A Christian student in his class quotes John Lennox, a Christian professor who refutes atheism. Cut to Great Britain where Sorbo ventures to meet Lennox.

The pair meet and chat in the same pub, The Eagle and The Child, where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien contemplated Christianity. Viewers learn that Lennox is an Irishman and grew up in a family that challenged him to think deeply about other people’s points of view. One of Lennox’s teachers encouraged him to go to college, unlike so many of his peers, and Lennox went to Cambridge to study mathematics. His zeal and interest for God and Christianity grew, and he found himself having healthy debates with people about God.

Lennox believes that to make a convincing argument, one must base their truth claims on the evidence. Lennox spent time behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War and learned that communism has always gone hand in hand with atheism. Many of his travels helped strengthen his arguments against renowned atheists like Richard Dawkins.

Halfway through AGAINST THE TIDE, Sorbo and Lennox travel to the Holy Land to unpack the historical validity of Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Sorbo continues to ask Lennox about the reliability of the biblical authors and questions of that sort. Lennox always responds in a collected manner and draws on physical and intellectual reasoning for the hope Christians have in Jesus. Although science has made important discoveries and innovations, for Lennox and believers around the world, science simply can’t contain the glory of God.

AGAINST THE TIDE is extremely well written and features stellar archival footage clips that bring Lennox’s points of view to life. The music is also evocative and fits seamlessly with the on-screen action. Kevin Sorbo makes a great intellectual companion of John Lennox, and the pair have great back and forth conversation that helps debunk the age-old debate about the existence of God. The movie also might make viewers want to travel as well and experience the same feelings of the two gentleman who unearthed truth while abroad in the Holy Land.

AGAINST THE TIDE has a very strong Christian, biblical worldview. It stresses God as Creator and Jesus as God Incarnate. However, due to the religious discussion and debate, there are some references to Anti-Christian, atheist arguments and attacks. Of course, Lennox always brilliantly refutes these attacks and arguments with stronger Christian arguments and answers. MOVIEGUIDE® commends AGAINST THE TIDE for all older children and adults. AGAINST THE TIDE will strengthen their Christian faith and, hopefully, bring new people to Christ.

A quote from Patterns of Evidence: https://store.patternsofevidence.com/products/against-the-tide-dvd

Against the Tide is a travelogue, an examination of modern science, an excursion into history, an autobiography, and so much more. But at its heart, it is the story of one man’s daring stand against the tide of contemporary atheism and its drive to relegate belief in God to society’s catalogue of dead ideas.

Dr. John Lennox – esteemed Oxford professor, mathematician, and philosopher of science – along with veteran Hollywood actor, producer and director Kevin Sorbo journey from the university hallways of Oxford and Cambridge to the Holy Land to explore the intersection of science and Christianity, and the evidence on which Lennox’s Christian faith stands firm.

Along the way Prof. Lennox recounts his scholarly travels in the Soviet Union, and adds that experience to his debates with prominent atheists, including Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Lawrence Krauss, and Peter Singer.

Then, as Kevin Sorbo and Prof. Lennox walk where Jesus taught – from the top of Mount Precipice to the Sea of Galilee – they dive deeper into the origins of Christianity right where it all happened, and ultimately reach the crux of their conversation: do science and history refute the Bible?

Dr. Ron Paul Discusses Ukraine

Is Washington Fighting Russia Down to the Last Ukrainian?

Interesting Views of the Ukraine Conflict

What Putin is doing is wrong but he has clear reasons why he is doing this.

Why is Ukraine the West’s Fault? John Mearsheimer.

Foreign affairs expert Professor John J. Mearsheimer discusses history and causes of the current Ukraine/Russia conflict. NATO Expansion, European Union Expansion and promoting democracy.

Jim Rickards: Russia and Ukraine Explained

This war could have been avoided!

Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Ray McGovern and John Mearsheimer

Where we go from here? Who is to blame? How is Ukraine to Blame? How is Putin to blame? How is the US to blame? How is the European Union to blame? What is the involvement of China and India?

History of the region and attitudes that caused the war. How should the US respond?

Ukraine Update | Frederick Kagan By Jordan Peterson 3/4/2022

Russia, Ukraine, and the West | Frederick Kagan | The JBP Podcast | #230 By Jordan Peterson 2/28/2022

Perhaps the Russians are fighting a legal war of self-defense? Kovalik says 14,000 Russian speaking Ukrainians, Roma and members of the LGBT community have been killed in the last 8 years by Neo-Nazi who are now members of the Ukrainian military and police force. 500,000 people living in Donbass are also Russian citizens. 1,500,000 citizens of Donbass have been displaced by the Ukrainian Neo-Nazi.

Daniel Kovalik: Why Russia’s Intervention in Ukraine Is Legal Under International Law

Revised 4/27/2022

Evidence in Egypt for the Exodus?

Some archeologists claim that evidence for the Exodus does not exist in Egypt. This Associates for Biblical Research article examines some the evidence. The article also compares different views.

Until several years ago I thought that evidence for the Exodus in Egypt did not exist. When I found out I was wrong, this produced a boost to my faith.

There is a great deal of evidence for the Exodus to be found in Egypt.

When Did the Exodus Happen?

Other interesting facts about the Israelite sojourn in Egypt.

Documentary Review: Patterns of Evidence, The Exodus

The Exodus is a search for evidence for the Exodus in Egypt.

Documentary Review: Patterns of Evidence the Moses Controversy

The Moses Controversy discusses the evidence demonstrating that Moses had an alphabet to write the Pentateuch and that the Israelites were literate and could read what Moses wrote.

Book Review: Lost Sea of the Exodus, A Modern Geographical Analysis, By Dr. Glen A. Fritz

Fritz looks at the evidence for the Red Sea crossing occurring at Nuweibaa at the Gulf of Aqaba.

Book Review: Wholly Different; Why I Chose Biblical Values Over Islamic Values, By Nonie Darwish (2017)

By Jon Kauffman

Today I finished reading “Wholly Different” by Nonie Darwish. I learned a great deal about Islam. We are at war in the Middle East. How dangerous is Islam to America?

Quotes from “Wholly Different:”

The worldwide phenomenon of Islamic terrorism is not a sign of power but a cry for help by a dying religion. A religion that does not even believe in itself and must lie to survive. But unfortunately, the West does not see it this way. Western counties keep trying to appease Muslim culture, rescuing Muslim refugees, and giving honor and respect to a dying religion that has been mired in sin for too long.” Page 167.

In chapter 9 Darwish demonstrates how Islam breaks each of the 10 commandments.

“In theory, Muslims accept the Bible as true revelation – except that they believe both Old and New Testaments to have been ‘corrupted’ by the Jews and the Christians…..Islam replaced both the Golden Rule and the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ with ‘Kill your neighbor if he’s a non-Muslim.’” Page 170.

Darwish continues on page 180, “Not only does Islam reject the Sixth Commandment, it actually enshrines killing as the most important form of worship and devotion to Allah. “Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah” is an Islamic slogan that you can see repeated by members of Hamas on Palestinian television.”

Darwish tells us that “Allah was the name of the chief pagan god of the Kaaba in Mecca before Muhammad.” Allah and the God of the Jews and the Christians are nothing alike. God is a God of love, mercy, and peace. Allah is a god of war, lies and pride.

“Islam has no understanding of the Biblical concept of loyalty to God out of love. Islamic loyalty to Allah is out of fear of a distant master who is eager to punish humans.” Page 174

Darwish compares the culture of America with the culture of the Middle East. “But one does not even have to be a devout Christian to be blessed by Biblical values and to benefit from the principles of good living and a sound mind that they support. As an outsider who came to this country after thirty years in the Muslim world, I can see very clearly just by living in the U.S – even if one is an atheist who hates the Bible – that the benefits of a healthy culture shaped by the Biblical Fruits of the Spirt are everywhere, plentiful for the taking.” Page 197.

“The evil One did come six hundred years after Jesus was raised from the dead in the same Middle East that brought us the Bible truth. And he has been chasing that truth out of the Middle East ever since.” Page 211

“Muslims defend this Islam-sanctioned child abuse by saying that children are also abused in the West. But there’s a huge difference: In the West, those who physically harm children go to jail. In Muslim culture, child abuse is the accepted norm.” Page 212.

There are many commonalities between Western feminists and the defenders of Islam. Their common enemy is Biblical values, and especially the lifelong marriage covenant between one man and one woman. Both belief systems are ruthless about sacrificing family happiness for what they see as loftier goals. While the ultra-left feminist carries a sign that says, “I am proud of my abortion,” the Muslim feminist says, “I am proud to sacrifice my son and husband to jihad.” Both ideologies obviously stand against the nature of women and what is best for them.” Page 255.

“Biblical family values are by their very nature a threat to Islam. Muslims often envy the citizens of the West, wondering, how come Western governments value the lives of their citizens but ours don’t? and why do women in the West enjoy the loyalty of their husbands and respect in the political system? The answer is Biblical values.” Page 229.

Abu A’la Mawdudi, the most influential Islamic theologian of the twentieth century, proudly stated that Islam is a totalitarian system and a form of fascism, just like Nazism and Communism, that would destroy all personal freedom. Page 260

Expressions such as human rights, women’s rights, child abuse, voting, constitutional republic, democracy, and “government of the people, by the people, for the people” were never heard by the citizens of Islamic states until Western technological advance brought them to the Muslim world. The old war between Islam and the West was reignited – but this time as an ideological war. Islam right now is in a fight for survival, but the West unfortunately does not know that.”

Biblical ethics were designed by the true, loving God to give us the best life possible, a happiness that is even beyond our imagination. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are ours to keep, but only if we keep on hoking tight to our Bible. Page 293.

Darwish says: When I started this book, I had thought of about 14 or 15 differences in the moral values between the Bible and Islam. By now, I have more than fifty, and I’m still counting:

We are all sinners vs. They are all sinners.
Life is sacred vs. death is worship
Pleasing God vs. Pleasing Human Beings.
Judge the sin and not the sinner vs. Judge the sinner, not the sin.
Redemption from sin vs Immunity from sin.
Guided by the Holy Spirit vs Manipulated by human terror.
God the redeemer vs. Allah the Humiliator.
Healing of spirit, body, and soul vs. No healing is needed.
Jesus came to save us vs. We have to save Allah and Muhammad.
Jesus died for us vs. We must die for Allah.
Confession of sin vs. Concealment of sin.
At war with the devil vs. at war with flesh and blood.
The truth will set you free vs. lying is an obligation.
Trust vs. distrust
Faith vs. submission.
Fear not! Vs. Fear as a tool of enforcement.
Children of God vs. enemies or slaves of Allah
One man and one woman vs. one man and a Harem.
Transformation vs. conformity.
Changing yourself vs changing others.
Fearing God vs. fearing man.
Praising vs. cursing.
Personal prayer vs. exhibitionist prayers.
Prayers for all vs. prayers only for Muslims.
Vengeance is the Lord’s vs. Vengeance is prescribed for Muslims.
Forgiveness and mercy vs. reveling in unforgiveness.
Upholding human rights vs. sacrificing human rights.
Work ethic vs. wealth through conquest.
More than conquerors vs. to conquer is to prevail.
God loves us all vs. Allah hates non-Muslims.
Love your enemies vs. hate Allah’s enemies.
Covenant of peace vs. covenant of war.
Self-control vs. controlling others.
The wages of sin is death vs. die in Jihad to be forgiven.
Pride is a sin vs. Allah is prideful
Humility vs pride.
Envy is a sin vs the envious can put the evil eye on those they envy.
Lust and gluttony are sins vs. Lust and gluttony are Allah’s lure to Jihadists.
Anger is a sin vs. anger is a tool for power.
Self-reliance vs. dependency/reliance on caliphate/government.
Love your neighbor vs. kill your non-Muslim neighbor.
Both men and women shall not commit adultery vs. only wives have to be faithful.
Stealing is a sin vs. seizing non-Muslims’ property is a right.
Thou shalt not bear false witness vs. lying and slander are obligatory in defense of Islam.
Thou shalt not covet vs. covet the possessions of Allah’s enemies.
The Bible vs. a Rebellion against the Bible.
Constitutional republics vs. totalitarian theocracy.
Christianity controls sin vs. Islam controls governments.
The Kingdom of God is not of this world vs. Allah and the state are one.
Government serves the people vs. the people serve the government.
An ethics revolution vs. a counter-ethics revolution.
In harmony with human nature vs working against human nature.
Joy vs. shame.

Pages 295-297

Ironically Hitler’s wish for the Islamization of Europe is being fulfilled today. Pleasing Muslims has become a top priority of politicians in Europe and America, who put it above pleasing and protecting Western citizens. Page 300.

Amazon says:

Western countries are ignorant of true Islamic values, says Nonie Darwish. Darwish is an Egyptian-American, former-Muslim human rights activist who is frustrated with mainstream America’s talk of tolerance and assimilation. In Wholly Different, Darwish sets non-Muslims straight about tenets of Islam that are incompatible with free society.

For the first time, Darwish tells the whole story of her personal break with Islam, starting with the brutal physical violence and rigid class system she witnessed and culminating with the spine-tingling visit she received from President Nasser after her father, fedayeen commander Mustafa Hayez, was assassinated by Israeli Defense Forces. She lays out the “seventh-century values” of Islam that religious extremists are so intent on protecting through global warfare—values that set Islam apart from the other Abrahamic religions.

Please Read Wholly Different

Anyone who cherishes the spiritual freedom offered by Jesus and the political freedom offered by the West, must read “Wholly Different, Why I chose Biblical Values over Islamic Values” by Nonie Darwish

Amazon: Wholly Different

Al Kresta interviews Nonie Darwish, March 3, 2022.

Also see:

Book Review: “America’s War for the Greater Middle East.”

Fear of Dea th

Did God Really Command Genocide?

By Jon Kauffman

I just finished reading “Did God Really Command Genocide?” by Paul Copan and Matthew Flanagan.^1.

Copan and Flanagan made interesting and convincing arguments that God did not command genocide when he told the Israelites to conquer the promised land.

They begin by exploring the possibility of God commanding his people to kill innocent men, women, and children. Were the Canaanites innocent? Did Israel drive out the Canaanites or kill them all.

They continue exploring how the book of Joshua would have been viewed by people of that day and demonstrate the hyperbolic nature of the book of Joshua.

Back Cover

Reconciling a Violent Old Testament God with A Loving Jesus

Would a good, kind, and loving deity ever command the wholesale slaughter of nations? We often avoid reading difficult Old Testament passages that make us squeamish and quickly jump to the enemy-loving, forgiving Jesus of the New Testament. And yet, the question remains.

In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.

Reviews

“Copan and Flannagan address the arguments of the atheists who use divine violence in the Bible to undermine belief and confidence in God. Not only are they adept at biblical interpretation and philosophy as they effectively counter this challenge, but they also write in a deeply compelling way that will appeal to both students and laypeople.”

—Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College

“In their wide-ranging book, Copan and Flannagan go beyond standard treatments of Old Testament warfare; they incorporate biblical, theological, philosophical, ethical, legal, and historical perspectives on a much-debated but often-misunderstood topic. This volume makes important strides forward in laying out a case for the coherence of divine command theory in connection with these Yahweh-war texts.”

—William Lane Craig, research professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology

“This is a very lucid and helpful discussion of this troubling topic.”

—Gordon Wenham, professor of Old Testament, Trinity College Bristol

“This brave, hard-nosed, and wide-ranging study constitutes a serious attempt at facing all the varied aspects of a question that troubles so many people. Well done!”

—John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

“As a full-scale follow-up to the excellent popular treatment of the topic in Is God a Moral Monster?, this book provides the most thorough and comprehensive treatment of the problem of violence in the Old Testament that I have encountered. The authors tackle the aggressive charges of the new atheists, as well as other equally sceptical but less strident critics of ‘the God of the Old Testament.’ And they do so with a blend of careful biblical exegesis and incisive moral argumentation. The book reaches deep but remains readable, and the summaries at the end of every chapter are a great help in following the case as it is steadily built up. All of us who, in teaching or preaching the Old Testament, are constantly bombarded with ‘But what about the Canaanites?’ will be very grateful for these rich resources for a well-informed, gracious, and biblically faithful reply.”

—Christopher J. H. Wright, International Ministries Director, Langham Partnership; author of Old Testament Ethics for the People of God and The God I Don’t Understand

“Does your god order you to slaughter your enemies? Did God’s command to the Israelites to kill the Canaanites set a pattern for human behaviour? Do Joshua’s wars justify the Crusades? Does the Bible promote violence against dissenters and opponents, as the Qur’an does? Reading the Bible as a modern book leads to false conclusions, the authors show clearly. Comparing writings from Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, and the Hittites with biblical texts, they demonstrate the common use of exaggerated language—so that ‘all’ may not mean ‘every single person,’ for example—bringing clearer understanding of God’s apparently genocidal commands about the Canaanites. Carefully argued, with clear examples and helpful summaries, these chapters give Christians sound bases for defending and sharing their faith in the God of love, justice, and forgiveness. This is an instructive and very welcome antidote to much current thought.”

—Alan Millard, Rankin Professor Emeritus of Hebrew and Ancient Semitic Languages, University of Liverpool

Pacifism

Copan and Flanagan made extremely strong arguments for their position throughout most of the book. In the final chapter, they discuss “Turning the Other Cheek, Pacifism, and Just War.”

Copan and Flanagan attempt to prove that Christians can use violence in War. Their case is very weak. They take biblical passages and stories out of context and do not demonstrate that Jesus would approve of Christians fighting in War. For an upcoming blog post, I plan to discuss their arguments.

Book is available at Amazon^2.

.Paul Copan (Ph.D., Marquette University) is the Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He has authored and edited thirty scholarly and popular books, including Is God a Moral Monster?

Matthew Flannagan (Ph.D., University of Otago) is a researcher and a teaching pastor at Takanini Community Church in Auckland, New Zealand. He is also a contributing author to several books.

^1.Paul Copan, Did God Really Command Genocide? Coming to Terms with the Justice of God. (BakerBooks, Grand Rapids, MI, 2014)

^2.Amazon

Does Just War Exist?

Greatest Heresy of All Time? Just War Doctrine?

Jesus and the Roman Centurion, Matthew 8:5-13

Reasons Christians Give to Say Violence by Christians is Legitimate

Edited: 2/23/2022

The Loser Letters

A Comic Tale of Life, Death, and Atheism.

Today I read an interesting, relaxing, and fun-to-read little book. “The Loser Letters,” by Mary Eberstadt.

Here is what Amazon says of the book.

A wickedly witty satire, The Loser Letters chronicles the conversion of a young adult Christian to atheism. With modern humor rivaling that of the media lampooning Onion, found on college campuses all over America, A. F. Christian’s open letters to the “spokesmen of the New Atheism” explain her reasons for rejecting God and the logical consequences of that choice. Along the way she offers pithy advice to famous atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, in the hope of helping them win over more Christians.

“Of course we score big time with the young guys who aren’t responsible for anything, and don’t really care about anything besides spending most of their time in the basement playing video games and texting girls,” A.F. Christian points out. But what about all those serious, thoughtful people who are Christian believers? If the New Atheism is to make real headway, she argues, its advocates must do more to persuade intelligent theists living meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Amid the many current books arguing for or against religion, social critic and writer Mary Eberstadt’s The Loser Letters is truly unique: a black comedy about theism and atheism that is simultaneously a rollicking defense of Christianity.

Echoing C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters and Dante’s Divine Comedy, Eberstadt takes aim at bestsellers like The God Delusion and God Is Not Great with the sexual libertinism their authors advocate. In her loveable and articulate tragic-comic heroine, A.F. Christian, Dawkins, Hitchens, and the other “Brights” have met their match.

Fear of Death

By Jon Kauffman

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood, Jesus too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14, 15. NIV

I am currently reading the “Case for Heaven” by Lee Strobel. ^1.

In the first chapter, Lee interviews Clay Butler Jones, DMin, and provides many quotes concerning the fear of death.

Harvard researchers released a new study documenting that attendance at religious services dramatically reduces deaths from suicide, drugs, and alcohol. Attending services at least once a week cut these so-called “deaths by despair” by 33 percent among men and a whopping 68 percent among women, compared to those who never attended services.

“People often talk about an epidemic of suicide,” concluded Jones, “but the real epidemic is the increasing rejection of a robust belief in an afterlife. That’s what is miring more and more people in hopelessness. ^2.

Strobel and Jones discussed methods people use to gain immortality. For example, they may have children or build something great or track down their genealogy. But the fear of death remains.

A trio of deer crossing the Swan River in Salmon Prairie #MontanaMoment
*Copyright © 2021 by Leon Kauffman*

In his book, Clay Jones quotes an exchange between atheist Richard Wade and a spiritual skeptic named Anne, who wrote to say that her fear of death was causing her such severe panic attacks that she would almost pass out.^3.

Faced with the abject failure of various attempts to achieve immortality apart from God, many atheists have taken another approach to dealing with the fear of death. Maybe, they say, dying isn’t so bad after all. Perhaps it’s actually better than the idea of immortality. Maybe the grave is a blessing in disguise. “They try to paper over the fear of death by maintaining that they wouldn’t want to live forever anyway,” Jones said to me. “They claim that eternal life would be supremely boring.^4.

Jones pointed out that heaven will not be boring, “if heaven is real, then God will make all things new, and he will be continually creating a world of joy and wonder for us. If God can create all the beauty and excitement of our current universe, he’s certainly capable of creating an eternally stimulating and rewarding experience for his followers in the new heaven and the new earth.” A Bible verse that says as much popped into my mind: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”^5.

But what if heaven is not real? As philosopher Thomas Nagel said, “if life is all we have, then losing it would be ‘the greatest loss we can sustain.’”^6.

As a physician wrote in Psychology Today, ‘I’ve tried to resolve my fear of death intellectually and come to the conclusion that it can’t be done, at least by me.’”

….Christianity, in contrast, offers the best possible outcome for followers of Christ after they pass from this world. Reveling in God’s presence. Reuniting with loved ones. Living without tears or struggles or fears. Experiencing a wondrous world of adventure, excitement, and exploration. Contentment, joy, love—forever. It’s no wonder that even the atheist philosopher Luc Ferry concedes, “I grant you that amongst the available doctrines of salvation, nothing can compete with Christianity—provided, that is, that you are a believer.”^7.

Caeli, the author of the “Modconspiracy” blog recently said in her post “Life on ‘D’ Street”:

I was one who feared death and hell. Though I lived a life fit for that dreaded place, the fear of the unknown would come to haunt me at night. That was what life in D Street (Matthew 7:13b) was for me before I decided to take permanent residency on ‘C’ Street (Isaiah 35:8, John 14:6)…. When you become a new creation, the fear of death loses its power. Fear of the unknown only remains when the soul has no certainty on its destination. Death is like closing your eyes to sleep.^8.

“There are no atheists in foxholes.” War correspondent Ernie Pyle may have been the first of many to use this quote. This quote demonstrates that when death is lurking nearby, people often turn to God.

Susan Kelley performed a study, “Are There Atheists in Foxholes? Combat Intensity and Religious Behavior,” and found many World War II veterans participate in religious activities and even today (75-95 years of age) are still deeply involved in religious activity.^9.

My fear of death is the number 1 reason I searched for Jesus and wanted a “born again” experience. Before my rebirth, I gave very little thought to serving Jesus or a relationship with him. Before finding salvation in Jesus, I was terrified of death. Perhaps that is why I was blind to the fact that Jesus required that I forgive those who have harmed me. See “Is it Possible to Forgive?”

But Jesus is the antidote to the terror of death. I know from experience. Soon after I experienced the rebirth, I nearly drowned swimming in a river. I tried to swim too far. My arms and legs were weak, I could no longer swim, I was sinking, and had no hope of rescue. I felt a great calm and knew I would see Jesus soon. Suddenly a fisherman who could swim like a fish grabbed my arm and rescued me.

Many atheists claim they have no fear of death. I wonder, is it true?

^1.Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven, A Journalist Investigates the Evidence for Life After Death. (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2021)

^2.Strobel, Case for Heaven, Page 12.

^3.Strobel, Case for Heaven, Page 17.

^4.Strobel, Case for Heaven, Page 20.

^5.Strobel, Case for Heaven, Page 21.

^6.Strobel, Case for Heaven, Page 22.

^7.Strobel, Case for Heaven, Page 23.

^8.Caeli, Modconspriacy, “Life on ‘D’ Street”, WordPress, 2021

^9.Susan Kelley, No Atheists in Foxholes: WWII Vets Remain Religious. (Cornell Chronicle,2013)

Would I Kill Jesus?

By Jon Kauffman

The soldiers who killed Jesus were men like us, trying to make it in the world. Likely many had families. Quite possibly they had been taught, when they were young children that it is good and patriotic to be a soldier and fight for the state. Perhaps their parents encouraged them to be soldiers to take advantage of the career and leadership opportunities available to soldiers. Perhaps they were told stories of how Jewish “terrorists” such as the Maccabees had killed many Romans.

As soldiers, they were told that the people they killed on the cross were enemies of the state and a threat to their families. Many of those killed in Jerusalem at that time were insurrectionists, rebelling against unjust Roman rule.

*Zooming in on Holland Peak in the late day light #MontanaMoment Copyright*
*© 2021 by Leon Kauffman*

If I had grown up in Rome and become a soldier would I be different? If I had been commanded to nail the hands of Jesus to the cross would I have refused if I thought that he deserved that death because the state told me he deserved it? How would I know that Jesus was innocent? How would I know Jesus was the Son of God? What if I refused to obey my orders? Would I be willing to be court marshaled or executed on the cross myself for refusing to obey orders? Could I follow a just war ethic?

Does Just War Exist?

Greatest Heresy of All Time? Just War Doctrine?

Jesus and the Roman Centurion, Matthew 8:5-13

TWO WIDOW’S (DYNA)MITES

Agent X has been gone awhile.

Fat Beggars School of Prophets

Mark 12:41-44

Let’s review:

Jesus is at the temple in Jerusalem. He’s been making quite a stir (to put it mildly) between his riotous (yes, righteous too) actions and his incendiary preaching (which is tantamount to picking a fight (which will get him killed)) leading us to the offering box, then at that point (AT THAT POINT) in the story, he decides to sit down and watch people make their contributions to the temple of God.

Maybe you noticed that I put in bold all caps font there that it is AT THAT POINT in the story when Jesus decides to do this. Call me crazy, but I sense that says something about something.

The text reports that he observes many rich people make contributions. But then he sees a poor widow make a contribution. And the text evaluates the value of each. The rich put in “large…

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