What if We Destroy all Religious Books? – Ricky Gervais

“If you took all the works of fiction and holy books and destroyed them, in a 1000 years they would still be gone. But if you took all the works of science, in a 1000 years they would have all come back. Because all the tests would bear the same results.”

Ricky Gervais is a popular, frankly hilarious, and talented actor and comedian. Whether you like his particular brand of non-pc humor, you cannot deny his success, bravery, and wit. Personally I like most of his stuff, other than the poignantly anti-Christian stuff, but as a person who appreciates free speech, and a free market, I support his rights to speak on whichever topics in whatever way works for him.

I bring Mr. Gervais up today, on my little blog, to verbalize a thoughtful retort to one of his famous challenges against religion: “If you took all the works of fiction and holy books and destroyed them, in a 1000 years they would still be gone. But if you took all the works of science, in a 1000 years they would have all come back. Because all the tests would bear the same results.”

He has stated this multiple times in interviews, and remains one of the funniest and most likeable atheists, but upon hearing this over and over for years, I felt compelled to provide contrary ammunition for the Christian who may not know how to respond. The assertion itself is faulty, and as is usually the case with atheists, they paint themselves as logical, reasonable believers in empirical data and truth alone, while the religious appeal to unprovable magic and miracles.

I have explained the difference between empirical and historical or forensic sciences before, but a quick recap of how we must interpret data.

The Eiffel tower has testable attributes. Some of these are:

1,063 ft tall
Wrought Iron Lattice Tower
Weight is 10,100 tons
Located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France

If one were inclined, one could test and re-test for the accuracy of any of these statements. In Mr. Gervais’ example, yes, if these facts were all lost, they could all be recovered again, and restated in books as demonstrable, observable, repeatable, without any deviation, just like the boiling point of water. But what about these facts?

The Engineer was Gustave Eiffel-
The Tower was finished in 1889-

How do we know these are correct? If this information was lost, what would the tower be called? What date would be attributed. We might try to date the metal based on rust, and chemical tests, get some some spectrum of years with a tolerance between 1715 and 1940. If we do not have trusted historical sources to conclude facts from, we would be lost on all lost forensic data! This means that for many disciplines, we must find those historic, written sources, accurate, not tampered with, and found to fit the proper historical context. No one questions these two historical facts today, but it brings about an interesting point. The facts in this case must be believed; they are not testable, and repeatable.

All history is this way, including Biblical history, Cryptology, Archeology, Criminal forensics, Geology, Paleontology, and Cosmology.

So to Mr. Gervais’ assertion, would we indeed have the exact same books with the exact same facts? Yes, the math, experimental physics, chemistry, engineering, all empirical books would be recreated almost exact, and learned the same by Christian and atheist alike.

But what if we look at a couple of presuppositions disappearing, such as evolution, or the Big Bang Theory. Take dark matter as an example. This supposedly bountiful material, made up, and totally untestable, is used as an explanation of how first generation stars were formed in a vacuum of space (still very unclear how that process would work even if this imagined material existed). Dark matter is also needed to explain the gravity keeping spiral arms in tact on a spinning galaxy such as the Milky Way, because when you apply billions of years to it, actual science and math determine that it should have dissipated into a blurry mess by now.

Is it conceivable that if Dark Matter theories were destroyed, and a new people in a thousand years were offered the same exact data points, they might conclude that first generation stars could not have organized themselves naturally, and no mysterious material was aiding the impossible process? Is it conceivable that upon building back up all the lost observable data about the visible universe, and its motion, scientists might have to conclude that the spiral arms can’t be that old, that the clock like precision of the solar system looks designed, and that comets are young? Perhaps these scientists rebuilding all lost scientific knowledge in the future would refrain from invoking make-believe fudge factors to bolster a naturalist point of view. Afterall, that is exactly what the fathers of modern scientists thought when they first began to discover these things! It was obvious to them that a Creator organized the universe! Were they not in the exact same position that Gervais was describing once upon a time? And they concluded that God was a reasonable, and more likely answer!

What about scientists stumbling across the Grand Canyon 1000 years from now, and having to determine a geological cause? Without dedication to presupposition of deep time, a non-empirical belief, they would have to draw conclusions from what they observe, yes? Perhaps these scientists of the future would note data such as:

„Middle is higher elevation than the head waters (Kaibab Plateau)

„Both sides agree uplift of center occurred before the river was there (water doesn’t run uphill; another great observation for second graders)

„Gargantuan river delta that should be present is missing if the 1000 cubic miles of mud and rock were washed away slowly

„Stable, shear cliffs, little rock fall – not slow erosion, but washed out

„No Talus at base of cliffs – Amphitheaters hundreds of feet of sheer Cliffside over one mile from water, with no debris (washed out)

„It is relict – unchanged from what formed it, stable in current condition.

Perhaps without the tainting of modern uniformitarian paradigms, these hypothetical scientists would indeed conclude that this geological feature is quite obviously the result of a massive flood. Slow erosion could not have created it, nor could any river system imaginable, or observable on this earth.

This is only two of MANY examples of how present day scientists interpret facts to explain an observation. Using wisdom, and maturity, Mr. Gervais, and anyone who is touting this clever statement as a dismissal of the religious as illogical, can quickly see that it does not hold water. In fact, many new conclusions would be present, some I’m sure closer to reality, while others would inevitably be even more ridiculous than the Big Bang model, and evolution.

Luckily, all out historic knowledge HASN’T been destroyed, and we do indeed have not only a well-recorded history of when the Eiffel Tower was built, but also of the lineage, prophecies, and narratives of the Jewish nation. We have the religious, moral, and social result of a historic Resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. And we have centuries of Christian and secular writings verifying a long and rich history that helps us interpret and understand the data we find. If not for these histories, all present data and understanding would be so fractured, it would be almost impossible to be certain of anything.

So no, this statement, while it does sound clever initially, has no bearing on Christianity. In fact, the discovery of the organized universe has led many to belief in a Creator God. “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” – Rom.1:20

Hell – Annihilationism

After much study, it has become my position that Annihilationism, referring to those not found in the Book of Life at the end of all things being destroyed, and ceasing to exist, is a logical position to take, rather than the Orthodox position of ECT (eternal conscious torment).

After much study, it has become my position that Annihilationism, referring to those not found in the Book of Life at the end of all things being destroyed, and ceasing to exist, is a logical position to take, rather than the Orthodox position of ECT (eternal conscious torment).

It was customary for leaders and educators back at the time of the reformation to state plainly their position and be public about it to allow for contradiction, to see if it can be defended. This practice is what led to the 95 theses from Martin Luther. I would stand on the annihilation position, but with a reasonable amount of humility, as I am not seminary trained, nor do I have an advanced degree, and I could most certainly be wrong. I would also not choose to teach it in church, as my church does take the orthodox view, and if ever called to teach, I would operate under parameters we agree on, and would not choose to disagree with the elder-led position. I think that is only fair, and we must respect the umbrella we are under, and have each other’s backs. But I also recognize that healthy disagreement, whether debating free will vs predestination, sprinkled babies or immersed believers, premil or postmil, billions of years or seven days of creation, or any smattering of topics, it is fruitful to disagree, and spar from time to time, so that we may all benefit by staying engaged in the scriptures, seek answers, hone in on truth.

That being said, it is not a salvation issue, and therefore, taking a hard line on it, like I do with Salvation through Christ alone, or the Trinity, is perhaps a bit heavy handed. Nevertheless, despite running in to many Christian brothers who would prefer a more peaceable church journey, I tend to enjoy stirring the pot from time to time, if nothing else, then to at least practice girding up our loins. Iron sharpens iron, after all.

Let’s define the orthodox view:

It would be said by orthodoxy that ECT (Eternal Conscious Torment) Is Clearly Taught in Scripture:

Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Greek word aiōnios (eternal) is used identically for both outcomes: punishment and life. If “eternal life” means unending life with God, “eternal punishment” must likewise mean unending punishment — or else the parallel collapses?

Revelation 14:11 – “The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night…”

The phrase “forever and ever” (eis aiōnas aiōnōn) is the strongest Greek construction for endless time. The torment described here is conscious and unceasing — “no rest, day or night” — clearly not annihilation, right?

Daniel 12:2 – “…some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

“Everlasting contempt” (deraon olam) must persist to be meaningful. You can’t contempt something that doesn’t exist. If God is infinite in holiness, then sin against Him carries infinite weight. The consequence must therefore be proportionally infinite. Temporal sin doesn’t mean the punishment must be short-lived — just as a momentary crime (e.g., murder) can yield a lifelong sentence.

Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone else with words like:

“Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48) — drawn from Isaiah 66. This imagery suggests unending decay, not quick destruction. This is graphic and strong language to indicate a ceaseless situation. But this ceaseless torment demands we agree with an automatically immortal soul imbued to everyone.

Let us look at where this idea of an immortal soul comes from. If you lived your whole life without Bugs Bunny cartoon depictions of hell, or any preconceived notions of a devil and a pitchfork and roasting forever, and I handed you a Bible, and you simply read through it, imagine what you’d conclude about the end. Probably that you’d “not perish but have everlasting life.” Probably that some would receive a Second Death at the end.

Where would you point to convince yourself there’s millions of years of burning alive? I’m suggesting that as a layperson, without listening to what all these traditions tell us to think, can easily imagine walking away from the scripture and simply concluding a result as it is written; i.e. obvious death.

So why this axiom that a soul is automatically eternal? This is despite compelling verses such as, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” – Matthew 10:28.

The answer is, Plato! It was his assertion during a deeply philosophical time, that the soul was an immortal thing. The soul was to him eternal, immaterial, pre-existent, and indestructible by nature. So, by the time the Old Testament was being completed, and long before the New Testament, Plato’s views were already influencing the wider intellectual world — including the Hellenistic Jews and later Greco-Roman converts to Christianity. In ancient Hebrew though (pre-Plato), the soul (nephesh) was not seen as inherently immortal. People lived, died, and went to Sheol —but there was no clear doctrine of ongoing consciousness or immortality. Egyptian and Babylonian beliefs had afterlife ideas, but those were very different — ritual-based, not philosophical, and often only for the elite, rather than a unilateral belief.

Plato was one of the first to systematically argue for the soul’s immortality as a universal, philosophical truth. So no — the idea that the soul can’t die is not original to Hebrew or early biblical theology. It’s more Greek than God-breathed. But before we had Baptists, and Bugs Bunny, and horror movies, we had early church fathers, during the expansion of Christendom throughout the Greek and Roman world, and those steeped in church history are well aware that much of the culture crept in to early Christianity. The prior rituals were gone, and other than love God, love your neighbor, baptize one another, and take communion, there was not much left to take the place of the highly ritualized polytheistic world view. In the same way, philosophy and culture would have been prevalent even among genuine converts, and Greeks would inherently “know” that the soul was immortal before, and then after adopting the scriptures as true.

Origen (3rd c.) and Augustine (4th–5th c.) both inherited strong Platonic influence. They sincerely tried to synthesize Scripture with what they considered the “best” philosophy of the time — and Plato was the gold standard. So when they spoke of immortal souls, they weren’t quoting Scripture — they were echoing a Greek philosophical paradigm. It sounded right to them because it matched both their culture and their education. Origen in his work On First Principles, wrote:

“By an immortal and eternal law of equity and by the control of divine providence the immortal soul is brought to the height of perfection.”

This reflects his belief in the soul’s pre-existence and its journey toward perfection, concepts aligned with Platonic thought.

Augustine (354–430 AD), in The City of God, stated:

“The soul is therefore called immortal, because in a sense, it does not cease to live and to feel; while the body is called mortal because it can be forsaken of all life, and cannot by itself live at all.” Here, Augustine emphasizes the soul’s continuous existence, a view consistent with Platonic philosophy. These perspectives were not directly derived from Scripture but were interpretations influenced by the cultural and philosophical context of their era.

It wasn’t until the 14th Century that Dante’s Inferno depicted hell as a place of eternal, conscious, tailored torments and vivid, poetic visions that cemented the emotional and visual imagination of hell for centuries. It was this work that truly inspired our modern idea of hell, much like Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind modeled our image of aliens that have never been seen. One could not even engage with the specific medium and still hardly get away from it! While Dante certainly drew from Christian theology, much of the imagery is medieval, philosophical, and poetic, not biblical, and used Greco-Roman mythological structure (e.g., Charon, Minos, the underworld’s geography).

As I build the argument, I can rightly surmise that the origins of general beliefs regarding hell were not always based in scripture, but it does not excuse us from having to dismiss the framework applied to it. So what would a concise (but not exhaustive) rebuttal be? Quite simply, the consistent biblical use of terms like “perish,” “destroy,” and “death” rather than “eternal suffering.” The word eternal that is referred to over and over:

Matthew 25:46: “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

-is to say this is an eternal result, a permanent result. It does indeed determine things for all time, but simply indicates that the result is a permanent one. It’s either permanently life or permanently destruction. These are eternal results, meaning they last forever. But nowhere in scripture, except through faith in Jesus Christ, is life itself offered.

The prior discussed notion within orthodox Christianity that the soul cannot be destroyed is being asserted in ECT, but number one, if God created it then of course he can destroy it – “Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Number two, this automatic right to eternal life is never offered outside of Jesus! It is only congruous with Christ. He is the way and the hope, and the life, whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life, have life and life abundantly – and what is eternal life? It is literally defined for us by our creator as existence with him, and getting to know him:

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

We literally have the Creator of all things defining eternal life that only He can grant, and it is a perfectly defined truth, and non-existent without Him, in whatever form!

If eternal life is only ever offered to a sheep, as part of the bride of Christ, then what must be the opposite side of that coin? The bible never offers life without Him; quite the opposite, it always offers destruction. And to reiterate the initial point, this resurrection unto damnation, The White Throne Judgment in Revelation is described as the resurrection of those not found in the book of life, who will be cast into hell, explicitly called the second death, again very clear to the layperson.

We cannot just assert, but must back the assertion with scripture, and of course I’d encourage everyone to examine the truthful scriptures, whether to agree or rip me to shreds. But here are a few verses that touch on this repeated idea of a death:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” – John 3:36

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14

There is only one lawgiver and judge, the One [God] who is able to save and destroy. – James 4:12

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (apollumi); but to those who are being saved, it is the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:18

They perish (apollumi) because they refuse to love the truth and be saved. – 2 Thessalonians 2:10b

He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish (apollumi), but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies (apothnesko); 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die (apothnesko). Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26

if he [God] condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; – 2 Peter 2:6

You should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save that sinner’s soul from death (thanatos). – James 5:20

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction (olethros) from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. – 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

The first part of this passage shows that God will punish those who reject the gospel and verse 9 reveals exactly what this punishment will be: everlasting destruction. This obviously refers to destruction that lasts forever and not to an endless process of destroying without ever actually destroying, as supporters of eternal torment declare. After all, to perpetually be in the process of destroying without ever actually succeeding isn’t really destruction at all! This would be everlasting torment, which of course is never once described in scripture.

There are many more verses… so many more, and each reiterating this same obvious theme. We read perish, destroy, die, destruction. We read of chaff, and weeds being no more. This particular beaten horse, if it be not dead, is at the very least in immediate danger of expiring, with just a cursory reading through our Bible.

But, the ECT position may say, what if “death” is separation, not cessation?

In the Garden, God told Adam: “In the day you eat of it, you shall surely die.” But Adam didn’t die physically that day. So what happened? He died spiritually — separated from the life of God. This understanding of death as separation is carried into the New Testament: “You were dead in your trespasses and sins…” (Eph. 2:1)

“She who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.” (1 Tim. 5:6)

So if “death” means estrangement from the life of God, then the second death could be eternal separation — a living death, conscious and unending. Is “separation” a satisfying interpretation of “death” in Revelation 20:14? Or does it stretch the meaning too far from what the text plainly says?

I do not find this idea of separation while alive, and annihilationism to be mutually exclusive. I think there is great harmony in fact – this spiritual separation leading to an eventual permanent separation in death. The dread of such a solemn fate is taught and pondered and felt, and with it fear and wisdom.

But logically I would push back on someone who uses this as a pillar for their argument and ask this: if God is omnipresent, the creator of both heaven and hell, and his presence and his justice are throughout both, then how else could one actually be separate from God, other than ceasing to exist?

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! – Psalm 139:8

If God is omnipresent. and His justice and authority uphold even hell itself, then true separation — not just relational or moral, but actual existential separation — can only mean nonexistence. As long as something exists, it remains upheld by God. So if ‘death’ is complete separation from God, the only coherent way to understand that is annihilation — because anything else still requires divine sustenance, even if it is some form of ordained torture, as it would remain part of His creation.

This reframes the debate:

For the ECT side to say hell is separation from God, they must clarify: separated how? Not spatially — because God is omnipresent. Not ontologically — because nothing can exist apart from Him. So what is left? Relational separation? That feels weak compared to the finality Scripture seems to portray. This is not metaphorical ruin, but ontological finality — God withdrawing the sustaining breath, and the soul collapsing into nothingness.

This could be expanded into an extensive series of articles, or a book, so again, let us not be exhaustive and obnoxious in our detail. But if we truly believe that death is swallowed up in victory, then immortality is something that we must “put on”, immortality being a gift, and again is only every mentioned in synergy with Christ. We shall not perish but have everlasting life.

One final issue, saved for the end, because it is perhaps the only place in the bible where one could fire back at my position with a particularly poignant verse. I speak of course of this:

“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured out full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the lamb [Jesus].  And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast or his image, or anyone who receives the mark of his name.” – Revelation 14:9-ll

The phrase “forever and ever” (eis aiōnas aiōnōn) is the strongest Greek construction for endless time. Would the ECT Christian not be correct in referring to this?

It would seem to fit the narrative if not for a couple of key points. For starters, this is a book of apocalyptic language, obviously steeped in hyperbole, designed to color the pages in extreme illustrations, and to paint the most vivid depictions. Regardless of your position on interpreting Revelation, it is obviously dripping with descriptions beyond our imaginings, and to have a picture of death overstated here is not out of touch with the surrounding literature. Secondly, these verses have a sister verse in Isaiah:

Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,

 her dust into burning sulfur;

 her land will become blazing pitch!

It will not be quenched night and day;

 its smoke will rise forever. – Isaiah 34:9-10

As we can plainly see, there are terrific parallels in language between the two verses. Do we get the impression that the kingdom of Edom will burn forever and ever? Of course! But the rest of the chapter renders this interpretation impossible. It shows us an Edom that becomes a desert, that is filled with wild animals, where the people are “totally destroyed” and slaughtered. So how can the burning day and night forever mean what it is saying? Let’s view the terminology in parallel:

her dust [will be turned] into burning sulfur               – He will be tormented with burning sulfur

its smoke will rise forever                   – the smoke of their torment rises forever

It will not be quenched night and day                        – There is no rest day or night

Our conclusion must be that just as the rest of the Isaiah passage renders the literal interpretation moot, so it is with the rest of the Revelation passage, as the Lord follows through with His plans for total redemption, and a new heaven and earth. Night and day in this context must obviously mean that it will burn continuously until the utter destruction of the place is carried out in accordance with the will of God. Then we see the ensuing result, a desert fit only for animals, and a destroyed people. In the same manner, so also will the continual burning of the lost be, until they are destroyed; not tortured endlessly in some non-stop incomplete destruction process never to be fully carried out.

With this thought we come to the final crux of the issue at hand – What possible good would it do for redeemed and new world to have a large corner of it designated for endless torture? We imagine the mothers of unsaved children enjoying heaven knowing their kids are roasting in hell the entire time. Are their memories wiped, or can we be honest with ourselves, and say that logically we can all reconcile the justice of God’s wrath without the need for endless torture? We allow for hierarchy in hell, and degrees of punishment, the regret and pain of outer darkness, and gnashing of teeth, of course. But at a certain point it starts to become a warped version of justice, imagining 100,000 years of torment and death because you spent 60 years on earth being selfish. Or how about 1 million years? At what point does it become cruel that the person was ever made? Is this the character of God? Hasn’t this notion always struck caring Christians as a bit maladroit? Does speak well to the character of God, where we all celebrate the redemption of mankind, as millions of people scream in agony forever? Hitler might deserve it, granted, but at some point I’m going to be wishing that the old agnostic lady who made me cookies down the street would be let off the hook.

Bottom line is, when we read the bible without the shackles of cultural dogma, where in the word would we point to convince ourselves there’s millions of years of burning alive?

If I had only the Bible and no cultural baggage — what would I conclude? From the Old Testament:

“The soul that sins shall die” (Ezek. 18:4)

“They shall be as though they had never been” (Obadiah 1:16)

“The wicked are like chaff that the wind drives away” (Psalm 1:4)

From the Gospels and Epistles:

Repeated language: perish, destroy, burned like branches, die, second death.

Jesus warns of Gehenna — a valley of destruction, not eternal torture chambers.

John 3:16 again: the contrast is perishing vs. everlasting life.

From Revelation:

Even the Lake of Fire is explicitly called “the second death” (Rev. 20:14).

No verse shows unending screams — it shows final judgment, then new creation.

So what would I conclude?

Life is offered through Christ. Death — real, irreversible death — awaits those who reject Him.

Do you think the Church is ready to claim this? Or will tradition hold it back?

I imagine the church would remain rigid, unable to differentiate between gentler matters such as this, and serious matters, such as a watered down gospel, or justifying sin. They will see any attempt at weakening orthodoxy as an assault on the whole. Christians will not abide countering  any part of their beloved Confessions of Faith, which of course are lovely, wonderful guardrails and tools for discipling. But they are not scripture, and conversation about any tenants of them can cause defensiveness. Because in their view:

If this piece of doctrine is reconsidered, what’s next?

Is this the beginning of compromise?

Are we letting culture soften us?

Are we undermining the urgency of evangelism?

But I am not trying to attack orthodoxy, within which I am firmly ensconced for the most part. I am simply examining scripture for truth and a cohesive understanding of the Word. Could it be possible that automatic immortality is and was always pagan? If the wages of sin is death — why are we describing it as unending life in torment? And that’s a question that deserves to be heard without suspicion about my motives. There is nothing wrong with earnest study between brothers in Christ, and even if I’m totally wrong, it is worth it to present the argument precisely so it can be refuted. In debates I have been called gross, heretic, stupid, and Satan, by well-meaning Christians who believe so strongly against me that I am a rude offense to them, but we should not be scared to engage if our goals are to seek truth, and simply talk about what the scripture says. And if we part loving brothers in Christ who happen to disagree about something, then we are blessed to have been challenged, and sharpened, and to have sought truth in fellowship together.

Fasting

We’ve so deeply confused comfort with safety that anything that removes indulgence feels like danger—even when it’s actually life-giving.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” —Psalm 73:26

Fasting is a mechanism of denying self and focusing on God, found in scriptures. When done with the proper mindset, there is a clarity that can be achieved, and both physical and spiritual benefits enjoyed through fasting.

It is not like western medicine to recommend such an age old practice for multiple reasons. If someone were to get lightheaded and pass out on this recommendation, exercise to hard, or approach it unwisely, the doctor could be sued. This is coupled with western cultures ignorance of nutrition, preventative maintenance, and its penchant for treating symptoms with drugs rather than healthy food, exercise, and healthy living.

A clean fast would consist of water, coffee, green tea, and perhaps a bit of salt if needed. This is most difficult, but creates the best health benefits while engaged in the practice. For anyone struggling with eating disorders, it would of course be wise to temper what I say with wisdom and your own situation, because any type of fasting is not slated to be starvation, but instead, strategic subtraction for an intended purpose. That being said, with a proper scheduled time of fasting, the benefits soar with little actual threat to the health of the individual.

All the noise, all the cravings, all the “I’m dying” signals we feel after 12, 24, even 72 hours? They’re not rooted in need—they’re rooted in conditioning. Physiologically, the body is fine—better than fine, it’s healing, adapting, cleaning house. But the mind? The ego? The flesh? We’ve so deeply confused comfort with safety that anything that removes indulgence feels like danger—even when it’s actually life-giving. “Man does not live by bread alone…”
We say we believe it—but fasting exposes whether we actually do.

Fasting is an ancient, built-in, God-ordained response to the very affluence and overindulgence that poisons our souls and bodies today. Not only that, it is a multi-faceted gift. Spiritually, it reorients; Fasting humbles the soul (Psalm 35:13). It confronts pride, distraction, and self-sufficiency. It teaches you to hunger for God, not just comfort or control. Keep in mind too, Jesus assumed His followers would do it:

    “When you fast…” —not if (Matthew 6:16).

    Physically, it restores. In a culture of constant input (calories, dopamine, stress), fasting creates pause, triggering autophagy, fat loss, Hormone regulation, Mental clarity, inflammation reduction, immune rejuvenation, and resets the body’s rhythms.

    Culturally, fasting confronts. We live in a society addicted to immediacy, indulgence, and consumption. Fasting is resistance. It says: “I am not ruled by my cravings. My stomach is not my god. My comfort is not my goal.”

      It is an anti-Babylon, a departure from excess. From Moses to David, from Esther to Daniel, from Jesus to Paul—fasting appears:

      Before battle

      Before calling

      Before breakthrough

      During mourning

      During repentance

      During consecration

      It’s a time-honored tool in the life of God’s people—because it aligns us with dependence, clarity, power, and purity. In our culture today, where food is abundant, attention is scattered, and health is decaying—fasting is countercultural obedience that leads to both spiritual fire and physical healing—definitely one of God’s answers for modern man.

      Theologically we have precedence to fast, and this was done in obedience, without the physiological understanding we possess today:

      Humility & Dependence
      Joel 2:12–13 (ESV)
      “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
      Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

      Ezra 8:21 (ESV)
      Then I proclaimed a fast there… that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.

      Wisdom, Guidance & Decision-Making
      Acts 13:2–3 (ESV)
      While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul…” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

      Acts 14:23 (ESV)
      And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

      Fasting wasn’t occasional—it was part of the disciples’ rhythm for hearing God clearly.

      Spiritual Warfare & Strength
      Matthew 4:1–2 (ESV)
      Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

      Jesus didn’t fast to weaken Himself—He fasted to strengthen Himself before temptation.
      He fought Satan with Scripture in His mouth and emptiness in His stomach—and still had more authority.

      Clarity, Power & Breakthrough
      Matthew 6:17–18 (ESV)
      But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others… And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

      Daniel 9:3 (ESV)
      Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

      Mark 9:29 (ESV, KJV reference)
      “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.”

      But, how remarkable it is that we know so much about the actual health benefits today when we commit to this ancient practice:

      Autophagy takes place, literally meaning self-eating, is when our body starts breaking down old, damaged cells—junk proteins, cellular debris, even pre-cancerous cells. Autophagy targets misfolded proteins (like those associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s); Damaged mitochondria (energy factories of your cells); Viral remnants and possibly pre-cancerous cells; Debris from oxidative stress; Old immune cells and inflammatory materials.

      Ketosis takes place after about 36 hours, when glycogen stores are depleted. It is perfectly designed to begin fueling your body with ketones, a clean burning, anti-inflammatory fuel that uses your stored fat as energy. White fat is broken down into brown fat, and fat loss can take place between 0.5 and 1 pound per day (this is not an encouragement to use this as a method of fat loss overall, as after 90 hours, the body will have some diminishing health returns such as depleted immune system, muscle loss, and high cortisol as you enter a survival mode).

      Amazingly, after 24–48 hours, human growth hormone (HGH) can rise by 2–5x! This means recovery and lean tissue preservation is an automatic response to fasting. For those who are athletic, work out, and want to keep their gains, within the window of 24-90 hours, your HGH will work to maintain muscle mass while your body burns fat, effecting your overall body composition for the better! It’s like God built a system where once you focus on Him, the more efficient your body becomes—a reverse of the curse of indulgence.

      Your insulin drops to almost zero, and your dopamine receptors reset, creating joys over small things, and deeper moments of prayer and meditation. It is truly a corrective and contemplative journey through a few days of discipline. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” —Matthew 4:4

      When done responsibly, and I’d add the disclaimer for those with diabetes, or health concerns to talk to a doctor, fasting not only gives you an opportunity to spend time with the Lord in a busy affluent culture, but to give your body a much needed moment of reset when pursuing your health goals. To further the benefits of autophagy, stick with water, coffees, green tea, and don’t add calories or proteins that might come from juices or bone broth (a dirty fast). Green tea contains EGCG, which has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects, and caffeine from coffee increases lipolysis (fat breakdown) and thermogenesis. And with plenty of fat as rocket fuel for a slow steady body, and a sharp and calm mind, the surprising clarity that comes with a 72-80 fast will be a wonderful discipline to try.

      Unholy Trinity

      The legend of the first unholy trinity is an approximate history around the time of Babel. A nexus that would have dire consequences for all remaining time. People often ask if Christianity has borrowed its truths from other myths and cultures, but the bible tells us “…we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) It is my opinion that every false and opposing religion that detracts from the truth of the gospel has been orchestrated by such powers, and that casting doubt on a plan of redemption known about since the Garden of Eden is an efficient way for enemies of God to muddy waters. Let’s take a look back in time at this important period, where many lies began.

      Noah landed on the mountains of Ararat after the flood around 2350 BC, and our greatest geological features were laid down all over the world. Mountain ranges and gorges were formed, as great spillways washed millions of tons of sediment into oceans. Animals were swirled and broken and buried all over the earth, creating fossil graveyards, placing whale bones in deserts, and burying sea creatures on every continent high above sea level. Pillow lava formed great swatches of land, fault lines settled and cooled, and sedimentary layers were deposited over vast areas of the world. One such rock layer called the Cretaceous chalk beds of southern England can be traced to Ireland, across France and Germany, down to Israel and Egypt, and remarkably all the way to the mid-west United States, all having the same distinctive strata both above and below, and the same fossils within, an impossibility without the world-wide, calamitous flood of Noah. Mud and rock travelled hundreds of miles, exposing layers on canyon walls that had no erosion between, indicating catastrophe and rapid burial. From a Niagara Falls that would not exist had it millions of years to run its course, to the limiting factors of the Sahara Desert and the Great Barrier Reef, I unabashedly believe the great deluge of Noah’s day formed the world we see now.

                  Biblicists can trace all mankind back to that very ark. But the perfect world God had created was no more. You remember your Genesis, yes? Men lived to 900 years old. But the sky fell, the atmosphere changed, and the days of men were reduced. Going by a biblical timeline, people forget that it did not happen right away. This meant that the earliest patriarchs, such as Shem who lived to 600, Heber who lived to 464 years, Terah who lived to 205 years, would have been revered, even idolized by generations of people. Just for reference, Noah who died in 1998 BC could have known a two year old Abram (Abraham) if he had been in the same city. This would have been his great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather.

                  Certainly, if those of the line of Christ lived so long, other lines did as well. As beautifully complete a history as the bible is, it is only a history of the Hebrew nation. But Ham, and Japheth had sons and daughters, and it is quite conceivable that men of old who desired adoration let themselves be perceived as gods. Consider, according to Genesis chapter 10, Ham begat Cush, who begat Nimrod. It says Nimrod was a mighty one in the earth, and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel where history records severe idolatry. He then establishes Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar, which makes up the Khabur Triangle.

      The pieces of the legend begin with what we know from the word of God. In Babel, Nimrod, as this mighty hunter, wished to erect a tower. This building of a great tower was not for the worship of God, but rather in the face of God, and for man’s own exaltation and benefit. Nimrod, this self-proclaimed god-man, was the impetus behind its construction, for the sole purpose of challenging heaven with glorified self. The languages were confused, and the people were dispersed. But they all learned the same wrong way to worship, and all had the same champions to idolize.

                  There is no way to get this next part exactly right, for no ancient history of any peoples is even minutely comparable to the continuous and specific history of the Hebrew witnesses. Archeology often misses this, and it is to their peril, rather than the bible’s. No scholar worth his salt would dismiss biblical records over that of the incomplete, disfigured records of any other culture. And this is not a small point; Hebrews are the only ancient culture to have told the truth when logging their own defeats. The common practice was for losses to be erased from history, so that civilizations, such as Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Assyrian, could retain their perceived glory. But we know who glory belongs to, don’t we?

                              The bible tells us that Nimrod established the next cities, and history says Ninus established cities as well, Nineveh being one of them. Legend says that along the way, Nimrod picked up a bride named Semiramis. Some construed she was found on the street, perhaps engaging in the ‘oldest known profession’. No one knows for sure. But as men followed Nimrod for his prowess and civic leadership, the same citizenry looked to her for guidance in spirituality. Nimrod gave her the reigns as queen, allowing her to control the hearts of men.

                  The kingdoms that were established delved into debauchery. It was the beginning of opiates, and prostitution, and revelries of questionable intensions. There was of course drinking, and plenty of gossipy scandal, but worse than that were the sacrifices made under the guise of religious fervor. Virgins and I’m sorry to say, first born sacrifices were common occurrences. Amidst the cultish practices run amuck, Semiramis became pregnant. Now, who could say if it was Nimrod’s baby, or one of the frequent guests of the palace beds? There is insinuation, however, that the coup which ensued to avoid aspersion was also an epic power play, and quite possibly the most damaging thing the devil has ever concocted.

                  One night during a banquet, an evening of wicked carousing, Semiramis stepped up the intensity in every way. It became a raucous and sexual affair, and the queen made sure that the wine flowed, and the hallucinogens were ardently consumed. At the peak of the celebration, she had convinced her husband to be the sacrifice for the evening. Folklore indicates that he willingly allowed for his limbs to be tied to horses in the courtyard, and in his stupor was convinced he would survive, or be reborn. He was not.

                  Semiramis was not only the queen, but had become the high priestess of this ceremony, and when she gave the word, the party goers obeyed her wish, and goaded the horses into a frenzied gallop, ripping asunder the mighty king. Now, with a son in her belly, and her promising the king would return, she, like the Grinch, thought up a scheme, and thought it up quick. She promised that if his body was ripped apart and spread to the corners of Mesopotamia, or Shinar, then those cities who had a piece of Nimrod would flourish. She then, most promptly, asked for the pieces back, so she could reassemble her husband. She received almost every piece, if you believe the stories, save one. And based on Obelisk monuments built in his honor, I think you can guess which piece did not return to the palace. That’s right, it was his hand… Just kidding, it was his royal man-business.

                  This, of course, disallowed her to perform the reanimation of her late husband, and she convinced the people that since he could not return, his spirit had instead entered the sun, and had become the sun god, Shamash, which later became Baal. Semiramis had her child, and named him Ninus. She also told tales about herself, to dispelled reports that she had been a mere prostitute, and had given birth to someone else’s baby. The myth that she had never been born a baby, but was instead divine, spread throughout the known world. The moon had given birth to her full grown after one of its 28 day cycles by floating a great egg down to the Euphrates River. One distortion suggests that she was birthed by the river, or by the sea, and came to shore on a large seashell, similar to the story the Greeks would adopt about their goddess Aphrodite. This of course meant that Ninus, or Tammuz, had now become the defacto son of a sun god and of a moon goddess. You would think that this would be enough distortion for one super villain, but it was not. The rumor was also spread that Ninus was in fact the reincarnation of Nimrod. This was the justification Semiramis used to marry him.

                  The son of this trinity was known by many names, an amalgamation of real and fictional leaders throughout the ancient world. The name Ninus is not found in any cuneiform literature, the ancient writing of Mesopotamia, but Nineveh is ‘the city of Ninus’ in Greek, and Tammuz, his alternate name, is Akkadian, the language of Mesopotamian cultures such as Assyria and Babylon. He was known to be fond of rabbits, and also became a hunter like his father, which eventually led to his demise. The day came when he was killed by the wild boar he was hunting. The queen told the parishioners that a forty day period of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of his death was to be recognized. During this time, no meat was to be eaten. Meditation on Tammuz was to be commenced, shown outwardly and publically by making a ‘T’ on ones chest. Semiramis, also known by her Akkadian name Ishtar (pronounced Easter), soon dedicated a day of celebration in spring to her growing and mysterious religion, revering the queen of heaven’s fertility and sexuality, and her birth from the full moon. It became the tradition, of course, to utilize eggs and rabbits, and to dine on a pig, the source of her son’s demise.

      Semiramis was soon worshiped as the ‘queen of heaven’. In Babylon she built the first obelisk, 130 feet high, to honor the husband she destroyed with horses, which of course represents the non-returned phallus. It is interesting to note the obelisks that have been erected – if you will pardon the pun – in history, and by whom. The largest obelisk in the world, for example, is in front of the capitol building in Washington, D.C., the Washington Monument; certainly food for thought. The obelisk in front of St. Peter’s in Rome is one hundred thirty-two feet high and came from Heliopolis in Egypt, where Semiramis took the name Isis, and Ninus was known as Horus, or Osiris. The Egyptian mother and child were worshiped there, with the infant Osiris seated on his mother’s lap, an all too familiar image. The mother and the child. Countless Babylonian monuments show the goddess-mother Semiramis with a baby in her arms. After Babel, different names were applied. Just as Tammuz was an Akkadian name, so Semiramis had the Babylonian alias, Ishtar. Ancient Germans worshipped the virgin Hertha with child; Scandinavians called her Disa; in India, the mother and child were called Devaki and Krishna, and also Isi and Iswara; pagan Rome had Fortuna and Jupiter; in Greece, she was Ceres, or Irene, and he was Plutus; and in parts of Asia they were known as Cybele and Deoius. When Jesuit missionaries finally visited the Far East, they were incredulous to already find Madonna and child in Tibet, Japan, and also China, where Shing Moo was holding a child with glory around her head, painted as if it had been done by Italian artisans.

                  The fallout from this tangle of lives reverberated through the ages, and in these three persons, you have the origin of false idols, polytheism, reincarnation, self worship, virgin and first born sacrifices, prostitution, paganism, and witchcraft. What took place there at Babel so long ago was arguably the most detrimental series of events to mankind’s salvation ever conducted. The unholy trinity of Nimrod, Ninus, and Semiramis saturated the globe with unhealthy rituals, and it peaked in influence when Babylon set the tone for the world. Babylon, Assyria, Ur, they all eventually fell, but the poison had already seeped into every culture. With the languages confused, man spread from that nexus of abomination, and walked aspects of all false religions to come across the earth. The worship of fabricated gods has been a tool of evil ever since these traditions were set in motion, and mankind has suffered in its wake. It was such anathema to the Lord’s will that He wrote

      ‘Ye shall have no other gods before Me’

      with His very finger. A command often mistook, when it is not seen for the love and protection it provides.

      Not Just Redemption

      In Christianity, we rightly focus on Redemption, Justification through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the all encompassing meta-narrative, if you will, of the entire bible. The whole story from beginning to end is the story of the Lord redeeming His church by substituting His sinless life for our sinful one, and allowing God, the perfect judge, to apply forgiveness to our lives, covered by perfect blood.

      This is the Good News, the fundamental heart of the gospel, and receiving grace and a substitution for your misdeeds in front of a holy God is a victory worth celebrating. But there is another component to the Good News that is discussed less, and is so beautiful.

      My church happens to be steeped in fostering and adoption ministries. A relatively large percent of the congregation seems involved in it on some level, whether through actual fostering, providing support financially or physically, and certainly with prayers. The catalyst is knowing we are adopted into God’s family, and accepted as part of His bride, the church itself.

      2 Corinthians 18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

      Grateful that long ago, a plan was set in place to not only rescue millions, but to make then actual sons and daughters.

      John 1: 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
      13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

      This means that in contemplating with wisdom both your worth and your unworthiness, you are compelled to face a very real truth, by no power of your own, you were literally made princes and princesses of a King. Not just any King, but the King of Kings.

      Romans 11: 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root[b] of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.

      The natural world pointing to a spiritual truth, as the olive tree branches can indeed be grafted into a healthy tree, and grow long term fruit.

      These references to adoption are important, because though you needed forgiveness, you were granted much more than that. Think with me of the debt against you from a stranger. Not only that but a dirty stranger, one who has been unkind, perhaps even criminal towards you. Stolen, and bragged about it. But he comes to you, finally, after a life of bad decisions has caught up with him, and has no choice to beg for mercy before the law condemns him.

      You have been offended, hurt, damaged, and we all know the story, you decide to forgive. The man is overwhelmed with gratitude, saved from a fate of punishment and guilt. We understand this, of course, the forgiveness. But let’s take it a step further. What if after that, you handed him adoption papers?

      Think about it, this person who acted against you his whole life, you just hand him the papers, and say, “I would like to love you, and welcome you to my family, if you will let me. This way, I can care for you, house you, give you hope in a future you did not know was possible, and see to it that this desire to act against me becomes so unnecessary that it can’t happen again. And of course, this means that with me, and my other children, you are an equal heir to all I have. I know this sounds crazy, but truly, what’s mine is yours. I will love you like I already love them. You are not only forgiven, but you are mine. Oh, and I almost forgot, I am a King, so, you are the son of a King. Welcome to my family…. son.”

      A judge can forgive a sentence; a president can pardon guilt; but neither then takes the pardoned criminal, and welcomes them into their home, makes then a feast, and explains that the very house he has been welcomed in to is in fact his.

      We are redeemed, and thank the Lord for grace, for I humbly admit I need it for my many faults. But occasionally, I will stop consider what I have been promised, what status I have been given, and what that makes me worth. We often in our discourse, levy mistrust and judgement against the bible about its fairness. About whether God is just. But, consider, is it just that I have been made an heir to the Kingdom of God? Is it justice that I am a prince? I’ve done nothing, literally nothing to earn these titles. How can you think on the value God has ordained for your soul, and not be overwhelmed. You, who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, are the sons and daughters of a King.

      “All you need to do is find a single fossil out of place!”

      Once again, I recently received an unsolicited pelting of questions by an evolutionist online, in a Biblical Apologetics group no less. The descent into tension, as per usual, begins pleasant enough, where questions regarding my opinion are disguised as genuine interest, and after cautiously answering, and wishing the best of luck in further studies, trying to disengage peaceably, there are always follow-ups, and it becomes clear that no amount of either answering questions directly, or encouraging the other to keep studying, will redirect the vendetta that has now formed in their head; a personal mission to take on the stupidity of the bumbling, misinformed Christian.

      The temptation is always to fire back; to ensure the opponent there are indeed answers; that good science can be attained, and understood, and that evolution’s theoretical, absurd processes propped up by goal-post moving and fudge factors casts very reasonable doubt. But as anyone on either side of the argument knows, answering back simply begets a follow-up attack, and at some point, hopefully before rising tensions, someone just stops answering. That voice inside tells you they must feel victorious if you quit the debate, but you also tell yourself, I am a grown man, spending my Sunday arguing with someone on line who has no desire whatsoever to actually learn what my opinion is, seems silly. He wishes to prove how dumb I am, so that he can feel superior in his belief. Why? Well same reason as me; it feels good to bolster your understanding of the world, gain faith by withstanding the onslaught of counter-points. And let’s face it, it serves the ego, does it not? But Darwinian evolution has, since its inception, always served a more sinister purpose; providing intellectual ammunition for those those who desire greatly to deny God. Charles Lyell, the inventor of the geologic column, wished to save the sciences from Moses, after all. And many scientists admit the absurdity of evolution, the missing transition fossils, the circular reasoning.

      In this particular case, the debate was left when the evolutionist said, “All you need to do it find a single fossil out of place. Nobody has ever done that. This is your chance: just find a fossil that has life from two different geological periods in it. That would disprove evolution.
      But nobody has ever found such a fossil. You believe this to be a lie, so . . . show me the evidence that it is a lie.”

      Before this, I was stating the obvious facts of geology, that the geologic column exists truncated, out of order, and in no way resembles the geologic column so artfully cartooned in text books the world over. Furthermore, that fossils are found up and down, scattered this way and that, and are out of order all the time! Clearly, and as most geologists are coming around to, the layers we see were formed through catastrophe. Of course most still believe in millions of years, but with no erosion between layers, evidence of animals being buried suddenly, soft animal fossils, and geological sorting, catastrophe is now a staple of geologic observation. So where do they put the millions of years? In between the layers! Where there is no evidence!

      Why? Because in the the scientific world’s mind, evolution is a naturalist foregone conclusion, the only acceptable explanation of how we came to be, even among believers in that field, and they have been taught that it is an immutable fact of science. Furthermore, each field of science is parceled off in particular areas of expertise. The biologists “knows” the paleontologist has proof, they in turn “know” the geologist does. The geologist trusts the anthropologist has proof, and so on… so every observation is cemented into an undeniable belief that Darwinian evolution is fact.

      But no transitions exist when there should logically be MILLIONS! Think about it; slow gradual change through eons of time would produce animals in droves hardly discernable from one another. How is taxonomy even possible? Well, it would seem when we find an animal in the dirt, like soft bodied jellyfish, bats, or whales, they are always the fully formed version of itself, not what Darwin was expecting. To counter this obvious fact, many began promoting various versions of punctuated equilibrium; providing through mutation, great leaps forward in evolution to explain away the lack of evidence. Keep in mind, finding no evidence doesn’t make them question the veracity of evolution. It merely causes them to double down on a previously absurd and long denied process, but recycled in some new way, giving more power to time, and mutation then has ever been observed.

      So why can an evolutionist spout confidently about there having been no out of placed fossils ever found? For one, Bill Nye, in his famous debate with Ken Ham, blurted this nonsense amidst the back and forth, and it was never one of the points specifically countered. It was then pounced on as some death knell to be wielded triumphantly over the moronic creationists. But secondly, and most importantly, evolutionists, under the guise of adjusting the evolutionary model to a growing knowledge base, have taken any out of order anomaly, and either denied it, quietly acknowledged it while as little fanfare as possible, or adjusted the model to explain away the observation in a way that could not hurt the theory. The greatest part about evolution is that any number of things could have happened 100 million years ago, and no out of order fact could possibly sink the faith in this religion. So unlike good science, evolution is not making accurate predictions about what we will find (it has failed miserably in this regard), but rather, because “we already know it is true” anything we find can be adjusted to fit into it without compromising the overall belief. Then it just becomes scientists arguing for the best order of things in an echo chamber, while doubters of Darwin stare in disbelief at the utter lack of cohesiveness.

      An example, you say? Well, I am glad you asked. It is not surprising that fossils are being found in the “wrong place” all the time!

      1. We find them on the surface all the time. Just laying there, getting stepped over, millions of years, in rock that can be designated to the proper geologic level depending on what fossil is in it. “The rocks do date the fossils, but the fossils date the rocks more accurately.” J.D O’Rourke.
      2. “If there were a column of sediments … Unfortunately no such column exists.”
        Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Earth Science 1989, p. 326
      3. Even some of the most devout evolutionists are honest when confronting misplaced fossils; highly respected coauthor of the Theory of Punctuated Equilibria, Dr. Niles Eldredge, Curator, Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, since 1969, has written that the fossils cannot be used to date the rocks that they are found in. One reason for this is that we now know that all animal and plant kinds are found all the way “back” to the beginning of Cambrian layers.
      4. Cambrian layers we now know contain even vertibrates, the most complex forms of life, which it most certainly should not, but also contains every phylum we have a classification for, that appeared in full form, and vastly different than all the others. Imagine going from bacteria to a starfish, sponge, flatworm, crab, mollusk, and vertebrate, all at once! That is some powerful evolutionary magic right there.
      5. would the wrong place include living fossils? Animals found alive after being extinct for millions of years? Horseshoe crabs. Coelacanth. What about finding a living Wollemi pine that went extinct in the fossil recorrd 150 million years ago? Would that be considered the wrong place?
      6. To correct for finds that don’t fit, columns are corrected upwards, and downwards. The Nucha vancouverensis sponge, found in Canada, in a layer 220 million years old, was found across the world in a 500 million years layer with none between, and was corrected for.
      7. Grasses were not to have been formed until way after dinosaurs, but dinosaur dung was found to have grass in it. So it was corrected.
      8. Mammals were supposed to have evolved well after dinosaurs. But a large rodent was found with dinosaur babies in its digestive tract.
      9. Dinosaurs were supposed to have evolved into birds, a recent but latched onto theory, yet birds were found in wrong layers putting them together.
      10. Guadalupe woman and her modern burial site found in a layer 28 million years old certainly provides for a misplaced set of bones.

      It takes very little effort to find sharks teeth in North Dakota, whale fossils in the desert, petrified closed clams on mount Everest, and a myriad of other finds that did not hit the expected targets of evolutionary thinking. This is to say nothing of carbon found in coal, diamonds, dinosaurs, which should not be there if millions of years old. A great testimony to good science was when carbon dating was first discovered, science kept a journal that accredited scientists could add to when things were dated, and a bunch of dinosaurs, and extinct animals made it in, before the concerted effort to not publish more than half of the results, once they realized the dates were compromising the theory.

      Is it worth arguing back and forth with someone who is so sure nothing has ever been found out of place the world over that would topple the evolutionary house of cards? We know full well that every result will be crammed into some reorganized version, dismissed for the larger picture, taught in compulsory schooling with the drum beat of certainty, regardless of every prediction having fallen short. Evolution is a golden calf that, despite no evidence combating abiogenesis, irreducible complexity, the language of DNA and simultaneous ability for cells to read it, no transitions, and a dating set that has no solidarity whatsoever, will not die. Because as they have admitted, “Our willingness to accept scientific claims that are against common sense is the key to an understanding of the real struggle between science and the supernatural. We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counter-intuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.
      [Billions and Billions of Demons – JANUARY 9, 1997 ISSUE]”
      ― Richard C. Lewontin

      Language

      Ignoring observations of flood features, and population growth, and DNA complexity, and the myriad of other science that can easily be interpreted to point to created complexity, we can take a brief aside, and consider language for a moment. The spoken word, beautiful in its complexity, freedom, and innovation, allows mankind an additional unique place above the animal kingdom.

      As a Christian who believes in the authority of scripture, it is simple enough to consider man created in God’s image on day 6, and immediately engaging the Lord in conversation. The animals were named, the creation account was communicated, in order to be passed down, whether verbally, or in writing. We even see phrasing from Adam that he is utilizing language far beyond simple communication, and adding flair and poetry to his thoughts:

      Gen 2:23 Then the man said,

      “This at last is bone of my bones

      and flesh of my flesh;

      she shall be called Woman,

      because she was taken out of Man.”

      Evolutionists, of course, must take the unenviable position that somehow animalistic grunts and noises, grew in complexity and became language, the record of which goes back the expected 5000 years of a biblical world view. Furthermore, the evolutionist must contend with the fact that it seems language is MORE complex the farther back you go, rather than less. In English, we can easily point to the 1600’s writing of Shakespeare, a study deemed so difficult that it has been all but abandoned by public schools, and is not even required reading for some English Literature majors in college. Even going back a century or two, and cracking open some classic literature, realizing they did not have google, or dictionaries, or thesauruses, and to witness the colorful and beautiful command of language that is being written, even an intelligent person of today can appreciate how elevated it used to be.

      Beyond this though, language experts concede that Sanskrit, and other ancient languages, are more complex in their grammar, than our modern ones, though this fact is hardly publicized. The Société de Linguistique de Paris literally banned discussion on language origin, which lasted more than a century, because it conflicted with Darwin’s gradual processes, and was so filled with speculation.

      The evolution of linguistics is an idea only, and has no evidence. And to further complicate matters, linguistic experts concede that multiple ancient languages arose unrelated to each other. Akkadian, Semitic, Sanskrit, Sumerian, and others; regardless of how you break it down, not only are they severely different, but they are all complex, and complete.

      So the evolutionist, while denying that a creator had split tribes through language, must concede that multiple and different complex languages emerged within different people groups all over the world. This is to say nothing of the fact that within the ancient people groups, similar flood stories exist, indicating they all share the same history. There are over 270 ancient flood legends and traditions recorded in ancient history, 80% of them mention a large vessel saving the human race. 88% involve a favored family. In 70%, survival was due to the boat. In 95%, the flood was responsible for the death of mankind.

      Again, I find myself in the pleasurable comfort of knowing the authority of God’s word matches easily with what I observe. Hopefully, this is a small building block of support and faith for you as well.

      Stegosaurus

      Let us consider the Stegosaurus.

      This 8 to 10 ton reptile is worth considering as a fascinating piece of biological history, unique and fantastic. With two sets of bone plates extending vertically along the ridge of the backbone, and 4 large tail spikes, it possesses features no other creature has. Aside from how neat the reality of these are, we can also consider the implications in the fossil record.

      Of course, evolutionists fully expected that some transitional forms would be found showing the gradual development of plates, and spikes. But like the dismal truth of all specialized creatures in the fossil record, no such transitions exist. After over a century of searching, in every case the animals appear abruptly, and in perfect form. We know this instinctively, of course, and yet are forced to continue considering the unfounded assertion of molecules to man evolution despite no evidence.

      The absence of transitional fossils the world over was a problem for Darwin, and continues to be a problem for paleontologists today. But to add to the Stegosaurus observations, we will take a brief look at the magnificent jungle temples of Cambodia, produced by the Khmer civilization. Beginning as early as the eighth and extending through the fourteenth century A.D. one of, if not the greatest monarch and monument builder of this empire was Jayavarman VII, from 1181.

      The relief carvings along the temple wall show various animals.

      https://www.bible.ca/tracks/tracks-cambodia.htm

      A monkey, parrot, lizard, water buffalo, swan, and of course this famous picture of the stegosaurus. Is it though?

      Well, that would be the obvious conclusion from anyone who knew what a stegosaurus looked like, and happened upon the temple. Clearly this is a large lizard with plates along its back, and clearly there would not be many animals to choose from. Furthermore, none of the relief carvings are made up animals. But the temple was built in the 12th century, we are certainly not allowed to conclude that they actually saw one.

      This is one of many ancient examples around the world of dinosaurs being depicted on pottery, tapestries, coffins, and walls all over the globe, all of which must somehow be dismissed and explained away. This one of course is no different, and the Smithsonian takes their shot at it in the 2009 article Stegosaurus, Rhinoceros, or Hoax?

      In the article that can only be described as dripping with animosity against creationists, the author asserts that it cannot be a stegosaurus, and is more likely an animal surrounded by leaves, like it is in a jungle. Either that, or it must have been added later as a hoax. And to further back their claim that it MUST be something other than what it looks like, Creationists are described as those who “twist Biblical passages to support their view,” and “distort nature to fit a narrow theological view.” But calling it a bear with leaves, or saying it was carved as a joke with no evidence doesn’t sound like the creationist twisting and distorting to me.

      To further back their disparagement of concluding the obvious, they invoke the evolutionary champion, Carl Sagan, and his quote: “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” then further claim that evidence of dinosaurs living with man just doesn’t exist. Again I would reiterate that this is just one example of many all over the globe of every dinosaur we have a classification for being depicted in ancient art. But it is certainly ironic that they used Sagan, because the very same late evolutionist, Dr Carl Sagan, famous host of the Cosmos TV series, squarely faced the conundrum that dragon stories/art pose for evolutionists. Namely, that such stories and artifacts are found in cultures all across the globe (the strikingly realistic-looking brass behemoths adorning a 15th century cleric’s tomb in a UK cathedral, Icca stones T-Rex, and others), and that they are amazingly like several types of dinosaurs—which no one is supposed to have seen! Recognizing it quite properly as a puzzle to be solved for long-agers, he wrote a book about it, The Dragons of Eden. In this he proposed that somehow one part of our brain (the one that was inherited from whichever of our alleged reptile ancestors, in the evolutionist scenario, were living at the same time as dinosaurs) had retained its memories of what those ancestors had seen.

      Did you catch that? The great Carl Sagan said that the art appears because our brains inherited the memories and images through our DNA through millions and millions of years and countless generations, from when we were just animals living alongside such creatures. So picture it now… as you are carving your wall, and forming a monkey, a parrot, a water buffalo, things you see each day, you add the exact form of one of the most unique animals known to man, with some of the most striking features along its back imaginable, because deep in your mind you were once a reptile that saw one. This passes for science? This evolutionist is held in high esteem while at every turn, the Christian who stands on the foundation of the word of God, and who can easily observe the evidence of its truth throughout nature, is being told that we are twisting and distorting facts?!

      No where in the article is there any reasonable allowance whatsoever for the obvious reality, that it is what it looks like. Occam’s Razor, attributed to William of Ockham, is a principle that suggests the simplest explanation is often the correct one. The simplest, and most direct conclusion, based on observation, is that it is what it looks like. And so are the sauropods on the coffin in England. And so are the dinosaurs on the pottery in Peru. And on the Sant Jordi Tapestry, Plaza Sant Jaume, in Spain. And what’s more, Sagan knew this, and knew it so well that he felt compelled to address it. If the Smithsonian was being intellectually honest, it would acknowledge that, and perhaps spend its time coming up with a better explanation than us having the memories of when we were reptiles 60 million years ago, rather than berating Christians for accepting obvious observable data.

      THE IPUWER PAPYRUS

      As a mater of interesting archeology, the Ipuwer papyrus, also known as the ‘Admonitions of Ipuwer’, is an Egyptian text written on papyrus from around 2000 to 1600 BC, which would put it right at the period of time coinciding with the Exodus. This makes the document a very controversial one, for several reasons.

      As a matter of interesting archeology, the Ipuwer papyrus, also known as the ‘Admonitions of Ipuwer’, is an Egyptian text written on papyrus from around 2000 to 1600 BC, which would put it right at the period of time coinciding with the Exodus. This makes the document a very controversial one, for several reasons.

      Firstly it is incomplete, very damaged, and is missing the beginning, and the ending. Secondly, it makes reference to circumstances happening in the surrounding culture that parallel very closely with events of the Exodus. Since the Bible’s critics maintain that the exodus was fictional, and Christians maintain that the old testament records accurate historical narratives, the assertion of bible critics would be to maintain that the two references have no correlation.

      Let’s be clear about a couple things. Christians do not need to find corroborating archeology to believe, or bolster faith. Critics mistakenly insist that evidence must be found outside the Bible, which is an unfair bias, as the Bible itself is a library of many books of antiquity, not only remarkably preserved, but uniquely self-corroborating, despite authors being separated by time and distance. In fact, the Bible’s preservation is so well respected by historians, that if one were to dismiss it outright, they would be forced to dismiss all books of antiquity, all of them having far less evidence of reliability. Critics who demand evidence “other than the Bible,” mistakenly assume it is an invalid source of information.

      Also, Egyptian history is notorious for deleting negative or embarrassing details. Unlike the embarrassing testimony of sin, confusion, and lost battles, recorded truthfully by the Hebrews, it was not uncommon for Egyptian or other cultures to erase kings they didn’t like, destroy records of wars they lost, or keep details of enemies from notoriety. The result being a highly edited, and favorable account of an empire’s history, coupled with an untenable timeline of kings and events.

      That being said, it is always fun when archeology and other sciences do indeed support the authority of scripture, which happens often. As an example, in 2 Kings 18, it says:

      13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

      Critics often maintained such a king never existed, the Bible was wrong, and secular lists of ancient kings should be held in higher esteem than made up, untrustworthy scripture… that is until 1849, when Henry Layard uncovered the city of Nineveh, and found Sennacherib’s name at the gates.

      Arguing that because we haven’t found proof yet, means the scripture isn’t accurate is an argument from silence, and joyfully, often backfires when more evidences are found. But, let is digress back to the Papyrus in question.

      Here we have a rare look into some of Egypt’s difficulties, sufferings, and defeats, at a time where most historical records preserve only a sterling façade of power and glory. I highly recommend the documentary Patterns of Evidence regarding the Exodus, if you haven’t seen it, but let’s explore some of what is illustrated by the poetry on this Ipuwer papyrus.

      “The door [keepers] say: “Let us go and plunder.”… and the servant takes what he finds” (Exodus 12:36, The Jews plunder the Egyptians upon leaving)

      “poor men have become owners of wealth, and he who could not make sandals for himself is now a possessor of riches” (took silver and gold)

      “Indeed, the women are barren, and none conceive. Khnum fashions (men) no more because of the condition of the land.” (everything destroyed)

      “pestilence is throughout the land, blood is everywhere” (plagues)

      “the river is blood, yet men drink of it” (Exodus 7:24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile)

      “Indeed, gates, columns and walls are burnt up, while the hall of the palace stands firm and endures… towns are destroyed and Upper Egypt has become an empty waste.”

      “I have separated him and his household slaves”

      “Indeed, runners are fighting over the spoil [of ] the robber, and all his property is carried off.” – (This is an interesting one, because it is possible citizens are fighting over what has been left in the abandoned homes of the “robbers,” those who plundered the great city. They would be fighting over spoils out of great need.)

      Indeed, all animals, their hearts weep; cattle moan because of the state of the land.

      “Indeed, the children of princes are dashed against walls, and the children of the neck are laid out on the high ground.” – (tenth plague, death of Egyptian firstborn – At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.)

      “Behold, the fire has gone up on high, and its burning goes forth against the enemies of the land.” – Pillar of fire)

      “Behold, things have been done which have not happened for a long time past; the king has been deposed by the rabble.” – (slaves victorious over a king)

      “Behold, he who had no property is now a possessor of wealth, and the magnate praises him.”

      “Behold, the poor of the land have become rich, and the [erstwhile owner] of property is one who has nothing.”

      What an amazing document! So many parallels it is hard to ignore. This is by no means exhaustive, and many additional details can be determined by reading all of it, including consequences of the event. Details about barbarians looting afterwards, lead us to believe there was much devastation, and loss of power, opening the city up to looters. Remember, much of the army would have been destroyed in the Red sea.

      Of course, we have the perfect authority of scripture, and Jesus stamp of approval for the Old Testament, which He quoted often, in His fulfilling of the law. There are a great many other evidences as well that support the always trustworthy Scriptures. Kahun as an example could have been a slave village, was poor, and nearby. It had buried infants under the floors, possibly from the Egyptian slaughter of Hebrew babies, as well as evidence that the people left suddenly and definitively.

      The Amarna letters, ancient writing between Egyptian and Middle Eastern rulers, accuse tumult on a group labeled as Habiru, a probable term for Hebrews. Also at this same time we have evidence of cities like Jericho falling, an amazing discovery in its own right, since the walls somehow fell outward, unlike the collapse of normal walls in war.

      The bible, in proper exegesis, interprets itself, and is God breathed and certainly trustworthy. But, wow, is it fun to see amazing historical evidences that paint a clear picture, and support the truth that was known all along.

      Should Creationists Be scared of Quantum Mechanics?

      Quantum Mechanics is an innovative physics field, the math of which is certainly beyond my expertise, and that has merit as a study of how sub-atomic particles behave and interact. But despite physicists’ insistence, specifically those dedicated to evolutionary processes, it concerns operational sciences rather than origins. And what we run into is the lesson told many years ago by Socrates, that the smartest of us often think themselves wisest because of expertise in one subject they deem most important. This is born out in the poor philosophical conclusions of Hawking, and others, in my opinion, and since they were wise in one area, and share a world-view with main stream scientists, their perceived intelligence and respected reputations prevented critical examination of their philosophical conclusions.

      So much so that Hawking gets a pass when he says “because there is a law like gravity, the universe will create itself from nothing.” When he makes the truth claim that “free will is an illusion” without realizing he is admitting we have no reason to trust his own truth claims, including that one!

      Or how no one bats an eye when Biologist, Richard Dawkins has to remind us to ignore the appearance of design during his never-ending campaign against a designer: “Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.”

      Without evidence of any kind, Dawkins appeals to faith-based occurrences beyond nature while in the same book, (God Delusion) smugly attacking Christians for doing the same: “There are probably ‘superhuman’ alien civilizations elsewhere in the universe.” “There may well be a plethora of universes.”

      He is not rebuked for obvious circular reasoning: “We exist here on Earth. Therefore Earth must be the kind of planet that is capable of generating and supporting us.” Brilliant. (insert eye-roll emoji.)

      According to Socrates (and Plato) it is okay to be ignorant, because you can remedy it by learning. What is a dangerous enemy of knowledge is being caught in the illusion of knowledge while in fact being ignorant, because of pride.

      In the age of google warriors, and misinformation, it is often those who are smart at one subject who have the strongest opinions about many others, especially that which they don’t know much about. (The fact that atheists and scientists would levy this same charge at me is not lost on me. I am a student of many things, but do certainly attempt to hang my world-view on an authority higher than my own whenever possible. That being said, I would stipulate that I am not immune to that criticism either).

      Since Max Planck’s Nobel prize in 1919, Quantum Mechanics has been a tangent from classical physics (Newton) and was furthered by guys like Heisenberg, Einstein, and Bohr. The math supports the theories, and it solved problems that classical physics could not.

      But here is where the practicality and the problems lie. When you examine the functions, the math shows that wave functions exist as a superposition of all possible states. In this way, we can describe the characteristics of a particle. This makes all positions true simultaneously, and each position inevitable. Extrapolated to the absurd, this acceptance that all possibilities are true is one of the reasons for atheist/evolutionary appeals to a multi-verse, yet another unprovable fudge factor needed to explain the Big Bang Model in naturalistic terms, due to how impossibly finely tuned our universe is. (Stephen Hawking tinkered with this idea late in his life).

      It is already well documented in many works the dedication modern scientists have to materialism, evolution, and the anathema of Intelligent Design within the halls of academia; accept anything to prevent a “divine foot in the door”, even that which is absurd, by their own admission. This leads of course to faith in the impossible, the unprovable, the unobservable, and faith in these things, they persist, is supported by QM, because all possibilities exist at once.

      In this New Age, or post-modern age, this leads to a morally relativistic view of QM, that reality should be taken as subjective, or based on the observer. Both Einstein and Schrödinger didn’t like the mysticism known as “the observer collapses the wave function,” and even the Schrödinger’s Cat experiment, a now famous pop-culture reference from the Big Bang Theory show, was actually a purposeful reduction to the absurd, as Schrödinger relied more on the law of non-contradiction, rather than relativism.

      The basic, true laws of nature and logic, like causality, identity, non-contradiction, were not abandoned by the fathers of QM theorists, but has been popularized today as more and more appeals to a Godless universe meet headlong with direct observable facts that keep proving the Big Bang theory is poor science. Hence the need for faith based beliefs and fudge factors, such as dark matter, dark energy, the Inflaton, the multiverse, etc. You will notice, all of these fudge factors, the physicist and cosmologist must have “faith” in to keep hoping that the universe is Godless. But they do not attribute it to faith, as they lean on the crutch of relativity that QM provides for them. Since it is their specialized, elite field they hold in high esteem above the average plebian’s paltry understanding, they fall into the trap of valuing their elegant math-based conclusions over obvious empirical observations we see and understand every day. They surmise in their own minds every possibility is inevitable without God, as long as they don’t have to observe those conclusions today in real time. This appeal to deep time, or enough time, is the magic elixir poured into each opinion to add credence, and is done so with impunity, since this pillar of evolution is automatically ensconced in the public’s mind as “fact.” In this manner, they can criticize the Christian as ignorant, stupid, or insane (Richard Dawkins) while employing the same tactics themselves, faith being the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1).

      When we speak in laymen’s terms, it boils down to very smart scientists and mathematicians being so hyper focused on the minutia of QM, that they miss the forest for the trees. This is of course coupled with utter dedication to the presupposition that inorganic evolution is true, as it must be if we are to believe that directionless, purposeless, unthinking inorganic material somehow create intelligent order. We are once again faced with this persistent axiom, Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. Again, this is simply because all possibilities exist simultaneously, including one where there is perfect order.

      Doctor of Physical Chemistry, Jonathan Sarfati, a respecter of Newton, science, and a creationist, states it this way: “It is typical of these cases that an indeterminacy originally restricted to the atomic domain becomes transformed into macroscopic indeterminacy, which can then be resolved by direct observation. That prevents us from so naively accepting as valid a “blurred model” for representing reality. In itself, it would not embody anything unclear or contradictory.”

      Bottom line, QM works, has strong support, and is not a threat to creationism. In fact, some studies highlight its usefulness in nature, (sense of smell, photosynthesis, bird navigation). But with presuppositions on both sides, what we see is the confusing of QM with interpretations of QM. Luckily we have observable reality to rely on, and in that reality, we know how nature reacts unmanipulated by intelligence, and no amount of insistence that explosions create perfect order naturally will change that.