tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55822533671350772152012-02-02T11:46:52.597-08:00This blog discusses the historical reliability of the Bible, the creation/evolution debate and apologetics in general.bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comBlogger6401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-31026079580425122562012-02-02T11:34:00.000-08:002012-02-02T11:46:52.667-08:00

In recent years, design has made a comeback into areas once monopolised by Charles Darwin’s views. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Joel KontinenDarwinists often claim that there are no scientific papers that take a pro- intelligent design approach. They tend to believe that all Darwin-doubters are motivated by religious convictions and nothing else.This view is misleading. Since 2004, the number of

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This planet of ours is obviously not warming as fast as some alarmists believe. Image courtesy of NASA.Joel Kontinen In September 2011 Ivar Giaever, a Nobel winning physicist, resigned from the American Physical Society (APS) as a protest to its policy statement that regards the evidence for climate warming as incontrovertible. Last week 16 prominent scientists published an op-ed in The Wall

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Clouds can at times look like flying saucers. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. (Creative Commons 3.0.)Joel KontinenRecently, CNN reported on a disk-shaped object that was found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden. The news initially surfaced in July 2011. Peter Lindberg, a Swedish submarine entrepreneur, spoke about the discovery to the media. As his submarine firm needed more

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Why do most people reject Darwin? NPR blogger asks. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenNPR blogger Marcelo Gleiser wrote an interesting blog post, asking why it is difficult to believe in evolution. Yes, he used the word ‘believe’.He lamented that only 39 per cent of Americans believed in Darwinian evolution.“The evidence for evolution is overwhelming. It's in the fossil record, carefully

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James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Joel KontinenMany Christians find it difficult to believe that the idea of millions of years cannot be found in the Bible. The word day in Genesis 1 in particular seems to cause huge problems. Some would say that with the Lord a day is like a thousand years – but only in Genesis 1. Few would believe that Noah was in the belly of a

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Joel KontinenAnswers in Genesis launched Answers Research Journal (ARJ), a peer-reviewed online technical journal, in January 2008.While sceptics were quick to criticise the journal and doubt its contribution to science, ARJ is still going strong. According to the AiG website:“The quality of scholarship from such a wide range of creation researchers has surpassed even our highest expectations.

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-63662373224124939642012-01-22T05:22:00.000-08:002012-01-22T05:46:24.617-08:00

Image courtesy of Albert Kok, Wikipedia.Joel KontinenWhen two slightly different species of sharks get offspring, the result is called evolution in action, at least in AFP’s reporting on the issue.Their offspring are sharks. In spite of this obvious observation, the hybrid sharks seen in Australian waters are advertised as proof of Darwinian evolution.Such hybrids are not as rare in the animal

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-32760813124754611052012-01-21T07:27:00.000-08:002012-01-21T08:19:16.849-08:00

Gustave Doré (1832–1883): Creation of Light. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Joel KontinenRecently, the titles of two articles in New Scientist magazine illustrated the current state of origins theories: The Genesis problem and Why physicists can't avoid a creation event.“How do you get a universe, complete with the laws of physics, out of nothing?” the magazine asks. The text is surprisingly honest

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-55073104155283738842012-01-20T06:55:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:05:52.150-08:00

Atheists do not have a need for God in this scenario. Image courtesy of José-Manuel Benito Álvarez, Wikipedia.Joel KontinenSome Christians, especially those affiliated with the BioLogos Foundation, have recently spoken about the need to embrace evolution.However, atheists think that this is not logical. In a debate with Kenneth Miller on the topic Does Science Make Belief in God Obsolete? the

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Darwin’s ideas had consequences for thousands of Americans. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenIdeas have consequences. Some of Charles Darwin’s thoughts had extremely dire consequences for thousands of people in America.According to the North Carolina Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation website: “Between 1929 and 1974, an estimated 7,600 people were sterilized by choice, force or

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-26940995497425705472012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:002012-01-18T08:02:52.176-08:00

Queen Victoria in 1897. Image courtesy of W. and D. Downey/National Archives of Canada. Joel KontinenScience is one of the most prestigious science journals in the world. However, this does not necessarily mean that everything it says is reliable. It has, for instance, been mistaken about our origins more than once or twice.Last week Science’s newsletter SCIENCE News This Week included an

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-48839273672968307452012-01-17T05:31:00.000-08:002012-01-17T05:35:14.433-08:00

The Terra Nova expedition of 1910–1913 tried to find evidence for Darwinian evolution. Image courtesy of Cherry-Garrard, Apsley, Project Gutenberg.Joel KontinenRobert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) was a British navy officer known for his ill-fated expedition to Antarctica. He and his team lost the race to the South Pole and also lost their lives on the return trip. On January 17th, 1912 they reached

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-39475797620418375682012-01-16T06:32:00.001-08:002012-01-16T06:52:31.147-08:00

Image courtesy of Wikipedia (Creative Commons 2.5).Joel KontinenThroughout church history, ideas that are completely opposed to Christianity have often tried to infiltrate the church. In the early days, the apostles had to warn the believers of a salvation by works view stemming from the observance of Judaism. Later, Gnosticism became an even bigger threat.In the past two centuries or so, two big

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The Fall resulted in thorns and thistles. Joel KontinenFirst we had a power blackout caused by a blizzard and then two days later my laptop refused to function. Then we had more and longer blackouts.Evolutionists often claim that anything less than perfect design means no design. However, in this case, a power grid that almost always works is still designed and so is a computer that once in a

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-84998717098533879662012-01-08T11:34:00.000-08:002012-01-08T12:13:15.808-08:00

George Orwell, the father of newspeak. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenCriticizing Darwinian evolution is an attack against science, Paul Wolpe argues in the latest issue of New Scientist in a genuine Orwellian way: “SCIENCE is under assault. In the US and throughout the world, rhetoric about evolution, stem cells, global warming and other controversial and cutting-edge technologies

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-79239719437485376172012-01-07T11:40:00.000-08:002012-01-07T12:08:17.381-08:00

Many theologians have doubts about Adam.Joel KontinenIf human history teaches us anything, it at least tells us that it is difficult for us to believe that a transcendent Creator can communicate with us in an understandable way.However, our thinking will not change reality. If God was powerful enough to create everything in the cosmos, He is capable of telling us how He did it.Unfortunately, many

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-2895189705260163362012-01-06T10:20:00.000-08:002012-01-06T10:55:33.306-08:00

Joel KontinenWhen Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, he was not only greeted by shepherds, who were members of the lower class, but also by the magi, stargazers who had the wherewithal to leave everything and embark on an investigative journey to see what was going on.Traditionally, Epiphany is celebrated on 6th January to remind us of this historical event. Men who studied the stars met the One

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-1530478660544325282012-01-04T10:29:00.000-08:002012-01-04T10:34:48.740-08:00

Joel KontinenKen Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis (USA), often speaks of ultimate authority. In this brief video clip he talks about the difficulty of interpreting the past. In the Bible, God tells us that He was there in the beginning so He knows what He is talking about.

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-36159696106645293152012-01-01T10:41:00.000-08:002012-01-01T10:51:59.690-08:00

A false Cheetah. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel Kontinen Last week brought us news about the demise of a chimpanzee named Cheetah at the age of 80. However, it was soon reported that this chimp was born long after the first Tarzan films were shot. The real Cheetah starred alongside Johnny Weismuller and Maureen O’Sullivan in Tarzan films in the 1930s. The media and science reporters are fond

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-9992907523883119922011-12-31T11:33:00.000-08:002011-12-31T12:49:07.469-08:00

The Israeli flag is not flying high at Reuters. Image courtesy of Math Knight and Zachi Evenor. Joel KontinenIt is often assumed that the western media’s reporting on the Middle East conflict is objective but in reality it is biased. Recently, Henry Silverman, a researcher at Roosevelt University, examined 50 news items published at Reuters.com on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-66404960443441095142011-12-31T04:26:00.000-08:002011-12-31T04:41:48.523-08:00

Gliese 581 c was touted as the first habitable Earth-like exoplanet. Image courtesy of ESO.Joel KontinenIn recent years, habitable exoplanets have often made headlines around the world. However, a closer examination has usually shown that the hype has been premature. Recently, astronomer Chris Tinney reviewed Ray Jayawardhana’s book Strange New Worlds: The Search for Alien Planets and Life

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-9959422118760417252011-12-30T11:09:00.000-08:002011-12-30T11:14:02.173-08:00

Derek Ager (1923-1993) was sceptical of Charles Lyell (pictured above). Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenDerek Ager, a British palaeontologist and geology professor, was no friend of creation, but he said some honest words about uniformitarianism, the geological view of slow gradual processes that prompted Charles Darwin to propose the theory of evolution: “Just as politicians rewrite

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-50613951017325781902011-12-28T10:54:00.000-08:002011-12-28T11:11:35.913-08:00

Rev. John MacArthur. Image courtesy of www.oneplace.com.Joel KontinenBelievers in evolution usually assume that they are rational and critical thinkers. One thing that they seldom if ever are rational about, and critical of, is the ability of natural processes to create all that there is. Some time ago, John MacArthur, a well-known American pastor, Bible teacher and author, described their

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-40836207332846606742011-12-26T10:23:00.000-08:002011-12-26T10:39:54.373-08:00

Images courtesy of NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech.Joel KontinenDuring the past few years, exoplanets have repeatedly made headlines. However, when the initial buzz was over, the discoveries turned out to be much ado about planets that could not even in theory support life as we know it. As planets are found through indirect methods, some of them might not actually exist at all and most have been too hot

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-3101426157230337512011-12-24T04:30:00.000-08:002011-12-24T04:34:35.293-08:00

Joel Kontinen The Flood of Noah’s day was one of the major turning points in the history of our planet. While many people choose not to believe that the event was a global catastrophe, it was very real for those who had to encounter it, and it changed our world completely.All reconstructions of the distant past that fail to take into account the Flood will thus give a false picture of the earth’s

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-1825723776475488132011-12-23T12:26:00.000-08:002011-12-23T12:47:51.225-08:00

The death of Kim Jong-il caused North Koreans to express their grief in public. Image courtesy of www.kremlin.ru.Joel KontinenThe death of the North Korean ruler caused his subjects to express their grief in public. It seems that for them the passing away of Kim Jong-il was a great tragedy (unless, of course, they were paid to cry and grieve in public).Kim Jong-il died just two days after the

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-18053514212407700882011-12-22T01:40:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:52:56.555-08:00

A blind crab does not speak of evolution but of degeneration. Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011) used blind salamanders as an argument against creation. However, animals that live in perpetual darkness do not testify of Darwinian evolution but of adaptation to their sunless environment where there is no need of eyes. Joel Kontinen Christopher Hitchens, who according to philosopher Alvin Plantinga

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-85943580180158635392011-12-05T04:56:00.000-08:002011-12-05T05:21:57.651-08:00

Genesis describes the ark and the global flood convincingly. Joel KontinenMany skeptics think that the author of Genesis borrowed an ancient Babylonian myth in writing his account of the Flood. But a closer look at ancient documents reveals that this cannot be true. We know of over 200 flood legends. It seems that almost every culture has its own version. This suggests that there was a

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-77425884318708359202011-12-04T04:50:00.000-08:002011-12-04T05:12:17.726-08:00

The Bible tells us about the God who stepped into real history. El Greco: Christ carrying His cross (1580). Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenWhat is blind faith? It might have to do with relying on an explanation without examining whether the model actually describes reality correctly. One might choose to have blind faith because it could feel more comfortable than faith based on

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-32505134366746947192011-12-03T23:57:00.000-08:002011-12-04T00:12:42.898-08:00

Joel KontinenBiology textbooks, popular science magazines and natural history museums often claim that we share 98 per cent of our genes with chimpanzees. However, recent research shows that the percentage is actually much lower.In a brief video, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati of Creation Ministries International explains how big a difference even 5 per cent would be:

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-88792748667036186242011-12-03T04:44:00.000-08:002011-12-03T04:52:36.098-08:00

Paul White (1910-1992) wrote 19 Jungle Doctor books. He accepted Christ as Saviour on 3rd December 1926.Joel Kontinen85 years ago an Australian teenager made a decision to follow Christ. Little did he know then that he would go to Tanganyika (as Tanzania was then called) as a medical missionary and become world-famous with his Jungle Doctor books.I read most of the books (all I could get my hands

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-66616036111210446892011-12-01T11:21:00.000-08:002011-12-01T11:50:11.152-08:00

The created world looks wonderfully designed.Joel KontinenJohn Ray (1627 –1705) is widely regarded as the father of natural history. A fellow of the Royal Society, he sought to study the created world with Genesis as his explanatory grid.He saw the handiwork of God in creation. In 1691 he published a book entitled The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of Creation, which says a lot about his

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-83043229091600611102011-11-29T09:52:00.000-08:002011-11-29T10:08:27.986-08:00

Joel KontinenA book can have a powerful effect. Just think about the Bible. It has changed the lives of millions of people, giving them new hope.In 1859 Charles Darwin published his manifesto On the Origin of Species. While it did not explicitly address the issue of origins, for many people it served to make the Creator redundant.A century later (1961), two professors - a scientist and a

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-7581813791536905042011-11-27T09:56:00.000-08:002011-11-27T10:42:53.038-08:00

The Flood of Noah’s day left huge fossil graveyards all over the world. Joel KontinenWhales do not usually end up in a dry desert over a kilometre (0.6 miles) above sea level. But this is what has happened in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Palaeontologists dug up at least 75 well-preserved whale fossils. They found the mass graveyard when the road leading through the desert had to be widened.Most

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-57798102551884995582011-11-26T00:54:00.000-08:002011-11-26T01:15:36.013-08:00

Joel KontinenThe human body is a marvel. It certainly looks like it has been designed very intelligently. In a lecture he held last year, mathematician Alexander Tsiaras spoke about his research on the pre-birth development of a human being. The expressions he used are rather revealing. · Just made you marvel· The marvel of this information· It was hard not to attribute divinity to it.· It's

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The universe might be full of marvels but this does not mean that it made itself. Image courtesy of Mila Zinkova, Wikipedia.Joel KontinenIt’s Thanksgiving Day on the other side of the Atlantic, reminding us that we have many reasons to be thankful. Some people who are marketing the Law of Attraction will remind us that we have plenty of reasons for thanking the universe – as if the universe

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The Roman historian Tacitus thought Christianity was "a most mischievous superstition." Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenDisparaging Christianity is not a recent invention. Describing the fire that destroyed parts of Rome in AD 64, historian Cornelius Tacitus (AD 56 – ca. AD 117) characterised the early Roman followers of Christ in all but flattering terms in his book Annales: ”

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-60329400244958115222011-11-19T11:12:00.000-08:002011-11-19T11:37:46.510-08:00

Michelangelo: The Creation of Adam (ca. 1511). Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Joel KontinenWhile the BioLogos Foundation is spreading the view that Christians can believe in evolution and the Bible, more and more laypeople think otherwise. In August, Creation Ministries International’s Super Conference in Canada brought together 800 people and tens of thousands watched the event on the Internet.

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-5146078408920430922011-11-19T06:48:00.000-08:002011-11-19T07:24:53.846-08:00

Jesus believed that Adam and Eve were real historical people. Joel Kontinen Genesis is the key to understanding the Bible. Chapters 1-11 tell us about: · The origin of the universe· The origin of man· The nature of man · The origin of sin, suffering and death · God’ goodness and faithfulness · The horror of sin ( the Fall, the Flood, the confusion of languages at Babel)· The biblical model of

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Neanderthals obviously enjoyed music. Joel KontinenNot so long ago, evolutionists were reluctant to believe that Neanderthals could think very deeply about anything. However, in the past 150 years researchers have had to change almost everything they thought they knew about these early humans.In this week’s issue of Nature, Clive Gamble, professor of archaeology at the University of Southampton

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-53098759310710117912011-11-15T10:22:00.000-08:002011-11-15T10:54:39.989-08:00

Joel KontinenTwenty years ago Berkeley law professor Phillip E. Johnson challenged Darwinian materialism with his book Darwin on Trial. He took a critical look at the philosophical foundation of evolution and found it was all but objective. The book made headlines and it sold over 250,000 copies. What On the Origin of Species was to evolutionists and The Genesis Flood to the creation movement,

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-62864026661328196932011-11-13T00:18:00.000-08:002011-11-13T01:01:28.533-08:00

If people believe that they are descended from apes, they will not have an objective basis for morality – or that’s what they will assume. Joel Kontinen“When looked at in evolutionary terms, clinging to the moral high ground could be seen as an irrational position,” Laura Spinney concludes in New Scientist magazine. Spinney examines the views some psychologists have of corruption and cheating.New

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-19382453025628428102011-11-12T03:47:00.000-08:002011-11-12T04:22:22.707-08:00

The newest Darwinian fable features an ape. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenThe origin of language is a big mystery for Darwinists who only accept naturalistic explanations. A recent explanation has to do with the origin of languages. Katja Liebal, of the Max Planck Institute, and colleagues examined the communication of young great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orang-utans) and

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-21657626887790047162011-11-11T10:05:00.000-08:002011-11-11T10:31:36.325-08:00

Hoatzins. Image courtesy of Cláudio Dias Timm, Wikipedia. Joel KontinenProblems for Darwinian evolution are not about to disappear. More difficulties are cropping up all the time. The latest features the South American bird Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin).Last month, a team of German, Brazilian and French scientists published a paper in the journal Naturwissenschaften on the origin of the Hoatzin.

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-26133111416778047002011-11-09T09:51:00.000-08:002011-11-09T10:09:24.150-08:00

The roof of this synagogue in Munich was badly damaged on the Kristallnacht as a result of Nazi vandalism. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenThere is nothing new under the sun. The Jews have throughout history been accused of almost anything, for instance the Black Death of the 1350s. The real reason, in addition to anti-Semitism, has often been jealousy. The western press and the

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-41481618254645097082011-11-08T09:36:00.000-08:002011-11-08T09:41:20.910-08:00

Joel KontinenThe world is full of beauty, which is testimony of creation. Tiny birds and even smaller nano motors speak of wonderful design. However, we also see or hear about bad things, such as earthquakes and tsunamis that are consequences of the Fall. Answers in Genesis posted a new video clip in which Ken Ham speaks about death:

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-51053382076730289032011-11-06T04:47:00.000-08:002011-11-06T05:11:34.182-08:00

A sceptic has no need for God in this scenario. Image courtesy of José-Manuel Benito Álvarez, Wikipedia.Joel KontinenSceptics are not actually fond of Alvin Plantinga, emeritus professor of philosophy at Notre Dame University, as he has repeatedly criticised “the four horsemen of the new atheism” (as he calls them), or Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens.

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-61854054232811953222011-11-05T06:10:00.000-07:002011-11-05T06:15:13.430-07:00

Erosion can carve canyons but few would believe that it could carve presidents. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenIt is not all too uncommon for sceptics to claim that design in nature is merely an illusion. Richard Dawkins, for instance, assumes that “the illusion of purpose is so powerful that biologists themselves use the assumption of good design as a working tool.”Few would believe

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-35981061348081070102011-11-02T11:12:00.000-07:002011-11-02T11:31:44.228-07:00

This week's New Scientist takes a look at those who are not convinced by ideas like Darwinian evolution.Joel Kontinen Evolutionists have studied their Orwell well and adopted his newspeak. As exemplified by this week's New Scientist, they characterise dissidents as “opponents of science”, “the forces of anti-science” and those who hold “apparently perverse positions.” New Scientist informs us,

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-10296242121282993562011-10-29T03:22:00.000-07:002011-10-29T04:08:01.139-07:00

Richard Dawkins refuses to debate theists. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel Kontinen Richard Dawkins likes to get his voice heard. But there is one thing that he is not so fond of, and that is appearing in forums where his view might be subject to critical analysis. Recently, Dawkins turned down an invitation to debate Christian apologist Dr. William Lane Craig. He said that he would not share a

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-41657701158392107962011-10-26T10:10:00.000-07:002011-10-26T10:13:27.526-07:00

Dr. Eugenie Scott. Image courtesy of Carrie Sager, Wikipedia.Joel KontinenA just-released film “examines the hijacking of science education by religious fundamentalists.” The claim is a rather interesting one, as evolutionists have a monopoly on science education in the USA and elsewhere. The film No Dinosaurs in Heaven features Dr. Eugenie Scott, the executive director of the National Center for

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-19923615273621224452011-10-23T12:07:00.000-07:002011-10-23T12:30:20.811-07:00

The polar bear and the grizzly bear belong to the same Genesis kind. Image courtesy of Ansgar Walk, Wikipedia.Joel KontinenMicroevolution and macroevolution are concepts that one often bumps into in discussions on the Darwinian view of the development and biodiversity of life. Many people assume that microevolution refers to changes within an existing species and macroevolution has to do with

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-87552956415796846792011-10-23T04:47:00.000-07:002011-10-23T05:16:10.842-07:00

The biblical model of marriage is based on Genesis: an exclusive and permanent union of one man and one woman. Joel KontinenIn August 2011 a group of American psychologists held an academic conference aimed at changing current views on paedophilia, making it into an acceptable sexual orientation. Their organisation, known as B4U-ACT, consisting of psychologists and health care professionals,

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-25085647473817720452011-10-22T06:05:00.000-07:002011-10-22T06:43:11.302-07:00

Harold Camping predicted that the world would end on October 21st. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenHarold Camping made headlines with his prediction that Jesus would return on May 21st and that the world would end five months after that or on October 21st.Mr. Camping used his date for Noah’s Flood to calculate the rapture. He said that one day in the Bible corresponds to a thousand

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-73186786674265188812011-10-22T03:17:00.000-07:002011-10-22T03:42:11.422-07:00

Pakicetus inachus. Image courtesy of Arthur Weasley, Wikipedia. Joel KontinenIt is becoming increasingly difficult to believe in the Darwinian story of how whales became marine animals. Recently, a team of Argentinean and Swedish researchers found a whale jawbone in Antarctica. The bone is assumed to be 49 million years old.In the early 1980s, evolutionists announced the discovery of Pakicetus,

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-23938866754575408362011-10-20T10:27:00.000-07:002011-10-20T10:57:07.022-07:00

Joel KontinenMany Bible scholars assume that since some genealogies (such as Genesis 5 and 11) appear to be symmetrical, one can extrapolate tens if not hundreds of gaps from them.This widespread belief stems from an essay William Green wrote in 1890. He attempted to reconcile millions of years with Genesis. Scholars have since then basically repeated this view without counting the generations in

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-60782007099002924732011-10-16T10:57:00.000-07:002011-10-16T11:43:40.713-07:00

This family tree is based on the erroneous idea of continuous development. Joel Kontinen It seems that it is time to discard the idea of grunting cavemen with fingers that were all thumbs. Last week the journal Science published a report on an ancient workshop where the early inhabitants of South Africa prepared a mixture based on ochre and stored it in abalone shells. The workshop was found in

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-49613643810111602012011-10-16T00:00:00.000-07:002011-10-16T00:41:51.073-07:00

Joel Kontinen Jonathan Sarfati, who has a PhD in chemistry, is one of the best-known defenders of the Bible. He works as a CMI scientist, speaker and writer. He has written several bestsellers, including Refuting Evolution 1 and 2, Refuting Compromise and The Greatest Hoax on Earth?Dr. Sarfati contributes regularly to Creation magazine and the Creation.com website. He is also featured in several

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-77959649447639076292011-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:002011-10-15T07:38:27.073-07:00

Reading this book can be an effective means of reducing the number of abortions. Joel KontinenPoliticians should encourage people to read the Bible. It could have very beneficial results – especially for unborn babies. According to an American study conducted in 2007, frequent Bible reading is an effective way to get one to resist abortions and defend the traditional view of marriage. In a

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-48668065528328591142011-10-15T03:20:00.000-07:002011-10-15T03:32:33.570-07:00

Joel Kontinen Richard Dawkins is not exactly known for mincing his words. In an interview on Revelation TV in March 2011 he says that evangelical Christians who see evolution as the enemy have got it right. The more “sophisticated theologians” are happy to live with evolution, but they are deluded.This is an interview that theistic evolutionists like Karl Giberson, Francis Collins and

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-15766428457040395822011-10-13T10:47:00.000-07:002011-10-13T10:59:27.030-07:00

The apostle Paul is an example of the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenWhen someone’s religion turns into fanaticism, it tends to spell trouble for some other people. The New Testament book of Acts recounts its effect on a man called Saul. He did everything he could to punish and persecute the followers of Jesus Christ.But then something happened: On

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-20178339111750494822011-10-11T09:44:00.000-07:002011-10-12T10:00:59.682-07:00

Joel KontinenNo nation under the sun is like Israel. Four millennia ago, God promised Abraham a nation and a land. As the years went by, He revealed more about the future of the descendants of this man, who dared to trust in His promises.God warned that He would scatter the Israelites if they disobeyed Him. That is exactly what happened. He also promised that He would bring them back to their own

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-72643654102232008812011-10-09T10:16:00.000-07:002011-10-09T11:04:18.965-07:00

BBC does not want to favour Christianity. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenThe British papers have been abuzz with the news that the BBC is about to cease using BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, year of the Lord) in favour of the more neutral designations BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).The statement “As the BBC is committed to impartiality it is appropriate that we use

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-9220848919938913272011-10-09T05:04:00.000-07:002011-10-09T05:54:43.681-07:00

Joel Kontinen Denying Islam can lead to severe problems, especially in Muslim countries. In 2009 an Islamic court in Iran sentenced Youssef Nadarkhani to death because of apostasy. He had become a Christian. The police arrested Nadarkhani for the first time in 2006. The Iranian Supreme Court upheld the ruling against him last year. Nadarkhani, the pastor of a small house church, will be hanged

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-37013657007846765622011-10-08T07:00:00.000-07:002011-10-08T07:49:02.726-07:00

The traditional costume of a Herero woman includes a stylish hat. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. A century ago, German scientists did not believe that Hereros were as developed as Europeans.Joel KontinenLast week, a 60-member Namibian delegation brought the skulls of 20 of their deceased forefathers to Windhoek from Germany, where they were kept on display in museums. The Nazis did not invent

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-68339040075016865472011-10-07T11:23:00.000-07:002011-10-07T11:36:42.278-07:00

The fieldfare (Turdus pilaris). Image courtesy of Martin Olsson, Wikipedia.Joel KontinenWe can see the effects of the Fall in the bird kingdom in the autumn. A few days ago a very aggressive fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) wanted to eat all ripe hawthorn berries for himself and drove a redwing (Turdus iliacus) away.The aggression turned out to be in vain, however. The next day, there were enough

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-24505670330071105182011-10-04T10:15:00.000-07:002011-10-04T10:21:17.595-07:00

Joel KontinenHow many human races are there? According to Genesis, the answer is one. Charles Darwin and other evolutionists used to argue for several races (see quotes here and here), but recent research has indicated that they were mistaken.The apostle Paul says that all humans originate from one man, Adam. Answers in Genesis has a brief video that explains the biblical view of race:

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-73775463781390890232011-10-03T12:12:00.000-07:002011-10-03T12:16:07.275-07:00

Joel Kontinen Metamorphosis, Illustra Media’s new butterfly documentary, challenges Darwinian evolution and presents a strong case for intelligent design in butterflies.Here’s what happened when an independent journalist attended Southern California premiere of Metamorphosis:

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-80757901994972927842011-10-02T10:50:00.000-07:002011-10-02T11:47:24.722-07:00

Karl Giberson does not like Answers in Genesis. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenKarl Giberson believes that God used evolution in creating the world and that evangelical Christians should embrace his view of origins.A decade or so ago, Dr. Giberson edited the now defunct Templeton-sponsored newspaper Science and Theology News that in effect was a forum for promoting theistic evolution.

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-19654865636670748982011-10-01T11:20:00.000-07:002011-10-01T11:55:55.955-07:00

Michael Shermer uses language in an Orwellian way. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenDr. Michael Shermer, the editor of Skeptic magazine, writes a monthly column for Scientific American. Recently, for the umpteenth time he used the expression intelligent design creationists, which some Darwinians erroneously assume is a genuine term.It is not. Using a similar analogy, one might call the

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-22544565924790664152011-10-01T07:51:00.000-07:002011-10-01T08:29:27.268-07:00

Jesus regarded Genesis as history. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenMany Christians refer to the descriptions in Genesis 1 and 2 as the creation story. The noun "story" is somewhat problematic, however. While it can mean “a true narrative, or one presumed to be true, relating to important events and famous people in the past” (Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, s. v. “story"), it has a

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-86660411834119841282011-09-30T23:50:00.001-07:002011-09-30T23:54:44.980-07:00

God promised Noah that He would never again destroy all life on earth by a flood. Image courtesy of Jerry Magnum Porsbjer, Wikipedia.Joel KontinenAfter the Flood described in Genesis, God told Noah: ”I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-51687740794354926902011-09-29T10:56:00.001-07:002011-09-29T11:19:28.520-07:00

The Sooty Shearwater's (Puffinus griseus) long migration suggests that Noah’s Flood could not have been local. Image courtesy of Mike Baird, Flikr/Wikipedia.Joel KontinenSome Christians and especially sceptics think that the Flood of Noah’s days was a local inundation in either Mesopotamia or the Black Sea area. However, this view that many progressive creationists and theistic

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-73556952935228051502011-09-27T10:59:00.000-07:002011-09-27T11:41:17.960-07:00

The Neanderthals obviously loved making music.Joel KontinenOnce upon a time evolutionists promoted Neanderthal man as a stooped, grunting ape-like creature. That time has passed ages ago. Recent research suggests that the Neanderthals were fully human, just like you and me. In the 1970s, archaeologists discovered a ravine at La Cotte de St Brelade on the Channel island of Jersey. They found over

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-87782798281554805402011-09-25T06:59:00.000-07:002011-09-25T07:13:05.707-07:00

New research suggests that one should not regard small changes in the beak size of Darwin’s finches as evidence for evolution. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenEvolutionists acknowledged recently that Darwinian evolution is slower than they had assumed. In August, Josef Uyeda, a zoologist at Oregon State University, and colleagues published a paper in the Proceedings of the National

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-84397367102495622322011-09-25T03:38:00.000-07:002011-09-25T03:57:28.359-07:00

Joel KontinenWe cannot go to see a Christian woman who is in prison awaiting the death penalty because of her faith in Jesus Christ but but we sign a petition for the release of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian. You can sign the petition here.

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-46520202302409400272011-09-24T10:53:00.000-07:002011-09-24T10:57:28.821-07:00

Joel KontinenThis brief video from Answers in Genesis shows why Darwinian evolution cannot have happened. There is no real evidence for molecules-to-man evolution, which ultimately requires life to have appeared from non-life, without which it could never even have started.

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-57686966979526039622011-09-24T05:10:00.000-07:002011-09-24T05:20:33.416-07:00

The statue of C. S. Lewis in Belfast. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenWhen C. S. Lewis stepped into the sidecar of his brother’s motorcycle in September 1931, he did not believe in Jesus. However, before they reached their destination, he had become a Christian.A little earlier he had given up on his atheism.Historians do not tell us how fast C. S’s brother speeded on their way to a zoo

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-48361225054954905252011-09-22T11:57:00.000-07:002011-09-22T12:21:31.711-07:00

Sir David Attenborough does not tolerate criticism of Darwinian evolution. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenLast May Philip Bell of Creation Ministries International (UK) spoke at a Church of England school in Exeter. The consequences were surprising: While Bell visited the school on a Religious Education study day, that did not stop some British humanists from assuming that creationists

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-18608338055639299032011-09-22T11:54:00.000-07:002011-09-22T11:57:08.933-07:00

Joel KontinenThe pro-Palestinian bias is probably the most prominent trait in the media’s reporting on the Middle East. This brief video illustrates the approach:

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-18152615033274006652011-09-19T10:45:00.000-07:002011-09-19T10:50:57.196-07:00

Joel Kontinen50 years ago, when evolutionist Sir Julian Huxley had just claimed that creationism was dead, two Christians – a scientist and a theologian – published a book that started the modern creationist renaissance. Drs. Henry Morris and John Whitcomb’s The Genesis Flood (1961) has become a Christian classic. Watch an interview with Dr. Whitcomb:

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-80395071720711143502011-09-18T04:03:00.000-07:002011-09-18T04:07:50.264-07:00

This brief book exposes faulty logic in evolutionary arguments.Joel KontinenPhD astrophysicist Jason Lisle has written a much-needed introduction to the way evolutionists attempt to discredit Christians. In doing so, they often use faulty logic and even evasion. A common ploy is to add the ending ism to creation, portraying the origins debate as one of evolution vs. creationism.Instead of

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-147591528526130432011-09-17T11:37:00.000-07:002011-09-17T11:41:25.731-07:00

This book deals with some of the most common misconceptions people have of the Bible.Joel KontinenSceptics often see contradictions in the Bible. While there may be difficult passages in Scripture, a closer look at the assumed discrepancies will show that the sceptics are wrong. Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions (Master Books, 2010), edited by Ken Ham, deals with 40 of the most common

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-31946368639572079532011-09-17T05:41:00.000-07:002011-09-17T05:46:41.525-07:00

Jesus’ example inspires Christians to care for the sick, new study shows. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.Joel KontinenRecently, David Hughes, an evolutionary biologist at Pennsylvania State University, and colleagues presented their research results on religion and epidemics. Richard Dawkins and every other extreme atheist should definitely read their conclusions. Christianity in particular

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-43743938443612637672011-09-15T10:13:00.000-07:002011-09-15T10:21:26.638-07:00

Joel KontinenAnswers in Genesis recently posted a brief video on the importance of making a distinction between two kinds of science, i.e., operational science and historical or origins science:

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-61235151275523805712011-09-15T10:05:00.000-07:002011-09-15T10:09:02.098-07:00

Joel KontinenHere’s an interesting video on the objectivity of the media’s reporting on Israel:

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-56011377213419050762011-09-14T08:33:00.000-07:002011-09-14T10:07:19.536-07:00

A red fox. Image courtesy of Bernd Blumhardt, Wikipedia.Joel KontinenApproximately a hundred years ago Nature published a fascinating article about a fox that had a habit of wearing sheep’s wool. A Mr James Day told the journal that he and his father had noticed that a fox used to search for something in a hedgerow. It turned out that the fox was collecting sheep’s wool caught in the thorny

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-19098150723376147512011-08-29T05:43:00.000-07:002011-08-29T05:54:50.997-07:00

An American sceptic does not believe that Paul wrote all of Paul’s letters. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Joel Kontinen To say that sceptics and atheists are interested in the Bible would be an understatement. Judging by the volume of words they have written, few themes intrigue them as much as Christianity. (Darwinian evolution might be a rare exception.) Recently, Tim Callahan, the

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-5444267759447000392011-08-28T05:35:00.000-07:002011-08-28T07:18:32.920-07:00

It is not difficult to guess where Daddy Long Legs gets its name. Image courtesy of Mehran Moghtadai, Wikipedia. Joel Kontinen The list of animals that have not changed for assumed hundreds of millions of years is getting longer all the time. New 3-D model research of tiny fossilised Opiliones or harvestmen a.k.a daddy long legs reveals that they have scarcely changed in over 300 million

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-77410391961514234142011-08-26T23:45:00.000-07:002011-08-26T23:53:32.895-07:00

Some atheists /agnostics believe in this book. Joel Kontinen Old surveys can reveal interesting details. In an American poll conducted in November 2007, 6 per cent of atheists /agnostics said they believed that the New Testament is the Word of God. 5 per cent regarded the Old Testament as God’s Word. 5 per cent believed the same of the Torah, 4 per cent of the Koran and 3 per cent of the

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The cross protects from superstition. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Joel Kontinen Superstition can be fatal, at least in the Omo River area in Ethiopia. Although the government has prohibited the killing of little children, the elders of the Kara tribe still drown ”cursed” babies in the river invested with crocodiles since they believe that such children attract evil sprits to the area.

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The eel joins the long list of living fossils. Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons. Joel Kontinen The list of living fossils is becoming longer with almost every passing month. The newest addition is an eel recently discovered in the Pacific Ocean. Found in an underwater cave, the eel was dubbed Protoanguilla palau. Its discoverers, a joint US– Japanese team, published their findings in

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The birds that lived at the time of these dinos were not necessarily tiny. Joel Kontinen According to the Darwinian story, birds are the descendants of dinosaurs. For a long time, researchers have nevertheless known that at least crow-sized birds lived during the time of T. rex. Some years ago, scientists found an ostrich-sized fossil bird called Gargantuavis philoinos in France.

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-85692170144486771382011-08-20T07:28:00.000-07:002011-11-19T11:28:13.663-08:00

Joel KontinenCreation Ministries International (CMI) hosted a six-day creation conference at Muskoka Bible Centre in Canada. 800 people attended the conference and some 35,000 watched the live recordings on the Internet. The presentations were also broadcast on at least one local radio station.If you missed the conference or its live recordings, you can still watch the archived presentations on

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-39159575571062015312011-08-19T10:50:00.000-07:002011-08-19T10:57:23.105-07:00

Marco Palmezzano: Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth (ca. 1490). Image courtesy of Wikipedia. The cross has been a source of controversy for two thousand years. Joel Kontinen An atheistic organisation is suing the National September 11 Memorial and Museum because it displays a cross-shaped beam. To at least four American atheists, the object causes “dyspepsia, symptoms of depression,

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Michael Shermer. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Joel Kontinen We all have our favourite expressions. Dr. Michael Shermer, editor of Skeptic magazine, is no exception. In a recent blog post he used the slogan “humans are pattern-seeking animals” twice. He was writing about complementary and alternative medicine on Skepticblog. One might ask whether his approach is at all sceptical.

bwanajoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13795914964696929602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582253367135077215.post-77250007162367731782011-08-15T04:51:00.000-07:002011-08-15T05:37:04.409-07:00

Christ Pantocrator mosaic from Daphni, Greece, ca. 1080-1100. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Jesus did not see discrepancies in Genesis. Joel Kontinen Old myths don’t die off easily. A glaring case is that of the two “contradictory” creation accounts, one in Genesis chapter 1 and the other in chapter 2. A few years ago, New Scientist magazine used this argument. More recently, Austin

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Joel Kontinen Creation Ministries International (CMI) is holding a six-day creation apologetics conference at Muskoka Bible Centre near Toronto, Canada. The Conference starts today at 9.00 AM Eastern Daylight Savings Time (UTC -4). The speakers include doctors Jonathan Sarfati (chemistry), Emil Silvestru (geology), Robert Carter (marine biology), Jim Mason (nuclear physics), John Sanford

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Thorns and thistles are consequences of the Fall. Joel Kontinen If one has a basically uniformitarian view of the past, i.e., if one assumes that the present is the key to understanding the past, one might easily reach incorrect conclusions and fail to notice it. At About.com, Austin Cline has written a series of posts on supposed errors in Genesis. In his latest instalment he argues that

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In the perfect world of Eden, the earliest humans saw flowers. Joel Kontinen Dinosaurs were not supposed to have seen flowering plants or angiosperms, at least not according to the evolution-based worldview. Charles Darwin thought that the origin of flowers was an abominable mystery, i.e., it did not support his view of evolution at all. The fossil record does not have much to say

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