Category Archives: Atheist

Till The Dirt, the new band headed up by Atheist frontman Kelly Shaefer, is now streaming their new single "Starring Role". And if you're wondering why the production sounds so damn heavy, it's because Till The Dirt brought legendary death metal producer Scott Burns out of retirement for the project.

"'Starring Role' is the first track on the album," said Shaefer. "It's a song that ranks among my favorites on the record, and also a favorite of producer Scott Burns. It's a straight up ripper! It encompasses all of the unique hybrid qualities of this whole album. Lyrically it is a song about the oddness of dreams and the role we sometimes do not seem to play, or understand as we awake from them. This is a perfect banger for cranking loud, and driving at high speeds!"

Till The Dirt will release their debut album Outside The Spiral on August 25. Pre-orders are available here.

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TILL THE DIRT (ATHEIST) Streams New Single "Starring Role" - Metal Injection

Henri de Lubac distilled Dostoevskys importance to our own times: Yes, Dostoevsky was a prophet: because he not only revealed to man the depths that are in him but opened up fresh ones for him, giving him, as it were, a new dimension; because, in this way, he foreshadowed a new state of humanity.

For the past three months or so, Ive been discussing The Drama of Atheist Humanism by Henri de Lubac during the weekly sessions of the FORMED Book Club. Along with my co-hosts, Father Fessio and Vivian Dudro of Ignatius Press, weve been engaging with the insightful brilliance of the Jesuit theologian and philosopher as he grapples with the minds of four great atheist philosophers, Ludwig Feuerbach, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche and Auguste Comte. There is so much that I could say about de Lubacs penetrative analysis of the ideas of these four men, each of whom has profoundly influenced the secular humanist culture in which we find ourselves, but Id like to focus instead on de Lubacs discussion of the great Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoevsky.

The third part of de Lubacs book, entitled Dostoevsky as Prophet, examines how Dostoevskys novels serve as a response to the atheist humanism of his times and as a prophecy of the rise of Nietzscheanism and its consequences, as well as serving as the antidote to Nietzsches poison.

Beginning with a summary of the common misreadings of Dostoevskys work, de Lubac suggests that, even when Dostoevsky stands revealed as a genius, he has not yet been understood. Whereas his critics flounder in the shallows of perception, Dostoevsky dives and delves into the spiritual depths. He explores an entirely different domain to that of the atheists who remain trapped within either the confines and constraints of mere matter or the confines and constraints of the subjective egocentric self, both of which deny the existence of the spirit or the spiritual. Endeavouring to fathom the domain of the spirit, Dostoevsky looks into and through a formidable unconscious in order to catch a glimpse of a mysterious beyond. Nowhere is this made manifest more evidently, de Lubac writes, than in Notes from Underground:

In it, Dostoevsky declares some of the most exalted truths of any of his writings through the spokesman of a miserable and abject failure who explores the lower depths of his nature with cynicism. Dostoevskys underground represents both the hidden world of the subconscious and the sacred cave in which the prophetic voice is raised.

Through such an approach, De Lubac insists, Dostoevsky compels us to follow him in uncovering the spiritual depths of being. In order to buttress his insistence on the primacy of the spiritual in Dostoevskys work, de Lubac then quotes Dostoevsky directly. They call me a psychologist, Dostoevsky wrote, but it is not true: I am a realist in the highest sense of the term; that is to say, I show the depths of the human soul. In making such a distinction between the quasi-scientific psyche and the spiritual reality of the human soul, Dostoevsky was showing himself to be, in his own way, a metaphysician. Once this is understood, we can understand his novels as invitations to the spiritual adventure to which he summons us. In this light, we might be reminded of the words of G. K. Chesterton. An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered, Chesterton wrote. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered. Although the juxtaposition of Chestertons paradoxical wit and whimsy might seem to sit a little uncomfortably beside Dostoevskys dark and doom-laden novels, if we see inconvenience as a soft euphemism for suffering, we can see that the Russians spiritual adventures are informed by this Chestertonian understanding of the connection between suffering and the adventure of life. An adventure is only suffering rightly considered, Dostoevsky might say of his own work. It is not the suffering itself that purifies or crushes the soul but our response to it.

Perhaps the greatest proof of Dostoevskys stature as a genius is his enduring relevance and perhaps perennial pertinence. As the years go by, Dostoevsky grows in stature, de Lubac writes. The novelist no longer seems merely a psychologist and a metaphysician; he has the look of a prophet. Like Shakespeare (and misquoting Jonson), Dostoevsky is not of an age but for all ages.

We will conclude this brief appraisal of Dostoevskys stature as a prophet with Henri de Lubacs distillation of Dostoevskys importance to our own times:

Yes, Dostoevsky was a prophet: because he not only revealed to man the depths that are in him but opened up fresh ones for him, giving him, as it were, a new dimension; because, in this way, he foreshadowed a new state of humanity (that is to say, he heralded it by giving a preview of it); because in him the crisis of our modern world was concentrated into a spearhead and reduced to its quintessence; and because there is the vital adumbration of a solution there, a light-fringed cloud for our present journey through the wilderness.

The Imaginative Conservativeapplies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politicswe approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please considerdonating now.

The featured image is Portrait of Fedor Dostoyevsky (1872) by Vasily Perov, and is in the public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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Dostoevsky the Prophet - The Imaginative Conservative

When it comes to transgender thought, even famed atheist Richard Dawkins has questions.

The evolutionary biologist said on a recent episode of his podcast, The Poetry of Reality, that its distinctly weird and an odd distortion of reality to believe there are more than two sexes.

Sex really is binary, Dawkins said during his conversation with journalist Helen Joyce. Theres no question about it. Youre either male or female. And its absolutely clear.

You can do it on gamete size; you can do it on chromosomes, he continued. To me, as a biologist, [its] distinctly weird. People can simply declare, I am a woman, though I have a penis. Helen, what do you think lies behind this odd distortion of reality?

Joyce, for her part, responded by noting how protected the topic of transgenderism has become pointing to the fact that asking basic questions is often dismissed as hate speech.

Listen to the latest episode of CBNs Quick Start podcast:

[J]ust asking very obvious questions like, Dont you think that if we allow people to self-identify their sex this will lead to, for example, destroying womens sports or putting rapists in womens jails? People would turn this back on me and say, You think that trans people are predators? Youre a bigot,' she said.

Joyce agreed with Dawkins assessment, arguing men identifying as women and vice-versa is in-name-only and not in any way rooted in science or biological reality.

There isnt a sense in which a man can become a woman, except linguistically, she said. I guess, OK, he can have operations. Most trans people dont have any operations, dont take any medicine, but that doesnt change your sex.

J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series,has made similar commentsin the past.

In the summer of 2020, Rowling wrote it isnt hate speech to speak the truth about biology and the reality that there are only two sexes: male and female.

[E]rasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives, she wrote.

The famed authorhas also acknowledgedthe intellectual contradictions that undergird transgender thought, specifically wondering how according to leftist ideology the following concepts can both be true: (1) There is no sex and gender binary and (2) someone can be born into the wrong one of two sexes.

The contradictions drive me crazy, she said in December. Were simultaneously told gender is innate and inborn, and that its a choice, a performance. All of these things cannot be true. If its a choice, then, clearly, its not innate.

In the spring of this year, Dawkins spoke out in support of Rowling.

[W]eve seen the way J.K. Rowling has been bullied, he said. [She] stood up to it, but its very upsetting that this tiny minority of people has managed to capture the discourse and to really talk errant nonsense.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up forFaithwires daily newsletterand download theCBN News app, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

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'Sex Really Is Binary': Even Atheist Biologist Richard Dawkins Is ... - CBN.com

Some teenagers and young adults jumped at the chance to attend World Youth Day in Portugal for the excitement and experience of being abroad. Others described an interior restlessness that drew them to Lisbon.

"God has just been speaking to each of us in our hearts," Natalie Lucey, an Arizona resident, said as she walked toward Lisbon's Eduardo VII Park, where an estimated half-million people gathered Aug. 3 to greet Pope Francis for World Youth Day's official welcome ceremony.

An American flag draped around her shoulders, Lucey and an international group of 150 people walked together up a cordoned-off avenue leading to the park, where security guards and volunteers guided them to spaces where they could congregate.

For Lucey, 32, it was her second World Youth Day; she attended the festival in 2016 when Poland hosted the event. Lucey told NCR a friend's invitation was the impetus she needed to attend World Youth Day this year.

"And the graces I've received from doing that have been unbelievable," she said.

The national flags of all the pilgrim groups that greeted Francis spoke to the diversity that World Youth Days attract. Young people from North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand all gathered in the park, exchanging friendly nods and smiles if they were unable to find a common language.

"This is a global event of all the youth. There are so many youth from all over the world," Rafael Zorita, 17, of Mexico told NCR in Spanish. As a Catholic, Zorita said he wanted to be at World Youth Day, though he added that the gathering is open to everybody.

"What I like the most is that the pope said that God calls each person by name," Zorita said. "For example, there are people from Uruguay, China, Japan, [Korea]. It is kind of amazing because God is connecting so many people."

About 100 feet from Zorita, who wore a black sombrero and a white T-shirt autographed by other pilgrims, a group of students from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh camped out by a tree. They noticed a reporter's Boston Red Sox hat and said hello.

"Just being with thousands and thousands of other Catholics, it's an amazing experience. To see all these different cultures but to still all be united in our faith," said Hannah Valenty, 21, a physics major who said she had not traveled outside of the United States until arriving in Portugal.

"And Pope Francis is awesome," Valenty added. "I just want to see him too."

Valenty's fellow Duquesne students, Emma Polen, Kate Spadavecchia, and Gwendolyn Sobkowiak, nodded in agreement. They complimented the hospitality of their host nation, adding that even grocery store clerks had shown them unexpected kindness.

"Everyone has just been so kind and patient, and just respectful, even if we don't speak Portuguese. They're very open to helping us out," said Sobkowiak, who is a Quaker but added that she was enjoying the Catholic youth festival.

Also at Eduardo VII Park, 17-year-old Joao Paulo Rodrigues of Lisbon told NCR in his native Portuguese language that he was moved by the encounters with people his age from all over the world.

"It's an opportunity to speak with others, to exchange experiences, to share stories, and to make friendships," said Rodrigues, who added that he is inspired to live his life as a Catholic "with intensity."

"If I were an atheist, I'd be an intense atheist," he said. "Being Catholic, I'm Catholic at heart. And for this reason, I have to always live with Christ in my day-to-day life."

Other young Catholics at Eduardo VII Park did not describe having as strong a religious instinct or devotion.

For young pilgrims like Jason David Silva-Lopez his brother, Mark Alexis, both from Montreal, World Youth Day felt more like the beginning of a journey of discovering what the Catholic faith will mean to them in life.

"I really want to go deeper into my roots," said Silva-Lopez, who added that the diversity of life he had already experienced at World Youth Day had convinced him of the need to build bridges between cultures.

"You need to accept everyone, whether or not their religion is the same as yours," he said. "Just embrace them. Just because someone has a different religion, it doesn't mean they're as different from you as you think they are."

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Sombreros, baseball caps and new friendships: Vignettes from ... - National Catholic Reporter

Fan-filmed video of ATHEIST's June 14 concert at Brick By Brick in San Diego, California can be seen below.

ATHEIST's "Focus And Presence" North American tour with fellow progressive metal pioneers CYNIC, which kicked off on June 10 in Austin, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Kelly Shaefer-fronted act's "Piece Of Time", "Unquestionable Presence" and "Elements" releases.

When the tour was first announced earlier this year, Shaefer said in a statement: "This tour has been something that Paul (Masvidal, CYNIC frontman) and I have been talking about in some capacity since we were in our early 20s. It's surreal to share a 30-year milestone together, and this tour will showcase for us a chance to play songs from our first three records as a special trilogy anniversary set, including songs not performed live in decades. Two titans of technical progressive metal coming together for a unicorn of a tour....one you will not want to miss!

"I'm also excited to announce that joining me on this tour and beyond will be an all-new lineup of ATHEIST! These four straight killers of musicians will be alongside me as ATHEIST heads out with CYNIC to celebrate 30 years of our first three albums 'Piece Of Time', 'Unquestionable Presence' and turning 30 this year 1993's 'Elements'! We'll be playing tracks from those three albums exclusively in one of the longest sets we've ever done! The set will include several songs that have not been played live in three decades.

"Joining returning bassist Yoav-Ruiz Feingold (GRAVITON) and myself to round out ATHEIST are Dylan Marks (FERMENTOR/BEEKEEPER) on drums, Alex Hadaad (ARKAIK/DESSIDERIUM) on guitar and Jerry Witunsky (ANCIENT DEATH) on guitar.

"I couldn't be more excited to perform this special set with such talented players. They have shown tremendous respect for the music and the attention to detail needed to pull off these songs live. Talk is cheap, right? So be sure to secure your tickets early to the 'Focus And Presence' North American tour 2023 to see for yourself and help us celebrate alongside our brothers in CYNIC who will be performing a special 30th-anniversary set for their release 'Focus' as well.

"See you on the road!!"

Earlier this year, ATHEIST re-released its entire discography, comprised of four albums that span the band's 30-year career, on all streaming services worldwide. The return to digital platforms was the first phase of a comprehensive reissue campaign. The second phase offers their albums in various physical formats with all-new revised layouts. All four studio albums will be available on CD and vinyl on July 14 via Nuclear Blast.

Shaefer commented: We are proud to bring the musical catalog of ATHEIST to the mighty Nuclear Blast. We couldn't ask for a better place to land the musical creations of ATHEIST that now span over 30 years. It's exciting to know that our music will be made available on all formats by the biggest metal label on EARTH!"

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Watch: ATHEIST Performs Special 30th-Anniversary Set In San ... - BLABBERMOUTH.NET

July 7, 2023 Blackbraid Blackbraid II(Self) Bloodbound Tales From The North(AFM) Butcher Babies Eye For An Eye/Til The Worlds Blind(Century Media) Feuerchwanz Fegefeuer(Napalm) Hatebreed The Rise Of Brutality/SupremacyRe-Release (Dissonance) Nita Strauss The Call Of The Void(Sumerian) Withering Scorn Prophets Of Demise(Frontiers)

July 14, 2023 Atheist ElementsRe-Release (Nuclear Blast) Atheist JupiterRe-Release (Nuclear Blast) Atheist Piece Of TimeRe-Release (Nuclear Blast) Atheist Unquestionable PresenceRe-Release (Nuclear Blast) Calligram Position | Momentum(Prosthetic) Deitus Irreversible(Candlelight) Edge Of Paradise Hologram(Frontiers) Eleine We Shall Remain(Atomic Fire) Evile The Unknown(Napalm) Houston Relaunch III(Frontiers) Kikimora For A Broken Dime(Frontiers) The Neal Morse Band An Evening Of Innocence & Danger: Live In Hamburg(InsideOut) Robledo Broken Soul(Frontiers) Tailgunner Guns For Hire(Fireflash) Voyager Fearless In Love(Season Of Mist) Winterstorm Everfrost(AFM)

July 21, 2023 Cadaver The Age Of The Offended(Nuclear Blast) Greta Van Fleet Starcatcher(Lava/Republic) Mizmor Prosaic(Profound Lore) Outer Heaven Infinite Psychic Depths(Relapse) Oxbow Loves Holiday(Ipecac) Pelican The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The ThawRe-Release (Thrill Jockey) Saint Agnes Bloodsuckers(Spinefarm) Thunder Horse After The Fall(Ripple) Voivod Morgth Tales(Century Media) The Zenith Passage Datalysium(Metal Blade)

July 28, 2023 Astralborne Across The Aeons(Prosthetic) Girlschool WTFortyfive?(Silver Lining) Iron Savior Riding On Fire The Noise Years 1997-2004(Dissonance) Saul This Is ItThe End Of Everything(Spinefarm) Sevendust Truth Killer(Napalm)

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July 2023 Hard Rock And Metal New Releases - XS ROCK

Majorities in most of the 24 nations surveyed by Pew Research Center this spring say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. But attitudes differ widely across countries and often within them. Religiously unaffiliated adults, people on the ideological left and women are more likely to support legal abortion.

This analysis focuses on public opinion of abortion in 24 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.

For non-U.S. data, this report draws on nationally representative surveys of 27,285 adults conducted from Feb. 20 to May 22, 2023. All surveys were conducted over the phone with adults in Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Surveys were conducted face-to-face in Hungary, Poland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. In Australia, we used a mixed-mode probability-based online panel.

In the United States, data on views of abortion comes from a survey of 5,079 U.S. adults conducted from March 27 to April 2, 2023. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Centers American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATPs methodology.

Here are the questions used for the analysis, along with responses, and the survey methodology.

A median of 71% of adults across the 24 countries surveyed believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while a median of 27% believe it should be illegal.

In the United States, where a Supreme Court decision ended the constitutional right to abortion last year, 62% of adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. U.S. support for legal abortion has not changed in recent years.

In Europe, there is widespread agreement that abortion should be legal. In nearly every European country surveyed, at least 75% of adults hold this view, including roughly 25% or more who say it should be legal in all cases. Swedes are especially supportive: 95% say it should be legal in all or most cases, including 66% who say it should be legal in all cases.

Poland stands out among the European countries surveyed for its residents more restrictive views, at least compared with the views of other Europeans. Over half of Poles (56%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 36% say it should be illegal in all or most cases.

Attitudes about legal abortion vary in the Asia-Pacific region. Majorities say it should be legal in all or most cases in Australia, India, Japan and South Korea. But in Indonesia, 83% of adults say it should be illegal in all or most cases.

In Israel, 51% of adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 42% say it should be illegal in all or most cases.

In all three African countries surveyed Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa majorities say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, including 89% of adults in Kenya and 92% in Nigeria.

In South America, views about legal abortion are divided in Argentina and Mexico. But in Brazil, seven-in-ten adults say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.

Abortion rules are more restrictive in countries where support for legal abortion tends to be lower. Abortions in Brazil, Indonesia and Nigeria are only permitted when a womans life is at risk, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. In Israel, Kenya and Poland, abortion is permitted to preserve a womans health. Most other countries surveyed have more permissive regulations that allow abortions up to a specific point during the pregnancy.

Compared with previous Pew Research Center surveys in Europe, India and Latin America, more people now say that abortion should be legal in all or most cases in many countries.

Attitudes toward abortion are strongly tied to how important people say religion is in their lives. In countries where a greater share of people say religion is at least somewhat important to them, much smaller shares think abortion should be legal.

For example, 99% of Nigerians say religion is important in their lives and only 8% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 20% of Swedes see religion as important and 95% support legal abortion. People in India are outliers: 94% of Indians view religion as important, but 59% also favor legal abortion.

Economic development plays a role in this relationship, too. In countries with lower gross domestic product per capita, people tend to be more religious and have more restrictive attitudes about abortion.

But the U.S. stands apart in this regard: Among the high-income countries surveyed, Americans have the highest per capita GDP but are among the most likely to say religion is important to them. They are also among the least likely of the high-income countries to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Religious affiliation is also an important factor when considering views of abortion within individual countries. On balance, adults who are religiously unaffiliated self-identifying as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular are more likely to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases than those who identify with a religion.

This difference is largest in the U.S., where 84% of religiously unaffiliated adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared with 52% of religiously affiliated Americans. Of course, differences also exist among religiously affiliated Americans, too: White evangelical Protestants are the least likely to favor legal abortion.

In countries where there are two dominant religions and negligible shares of religiously unaffiliated adults, there are often divides between the dominant religions.

Take Israel, for example, where 99% of adults affiliate with some religion. In Israel, 56% of Jewish adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared with 23% of Muslims. And 89% of Jews who describe themselves as Hiloni (secular) favor legal abortion, while only 12% of Haredi (ultra-orthodox) or Dati (religious) Jews agree. Masorti (traditional) Jews fall in between, with 58% favoring legal abortion.

Views differ by religion in Nigeria, too, even as the vast majority of Nigerians oppose legal abortion. One-in-ten Nigerian Christians support legal abortion in all or most cases, compared with just 3% of Nigerian Muslims.

In 15 of the 18 countries where Pew Research Center measures political ideology on a left-right scale, those on the left are more likely than those on the right to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Again, Americans are the most divided in their views: 91% of liberals support legal abortion, compared with 29% of conservatives.

Gender also plays a role in views of abortion, though these differences are not as large or widespread as ideological and religious differences.

In seven countries surveyed this year Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, the UK and the U.S. women are significantly more likely than men to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

In an additional six countries in Europe and North America, women are more likely than men to say abortion should be legal in all cases. In Hungary, Poland, India, Indonesia, and in all the African and Latin American countries surveyed, men and women have more similar views on abortion.

Note: Here are the questions used for the analysis, along with responses, and the survey methodology.

Read more from the original source:

Legal abortion widely supported globally, especially in Europe - Pew Research Center

By Douglas LeBlanc

Four years after the Bishop of Truro led a solicited report on religious persecution, the United Nations Security Council has adopted one of its key recommendations.

Under the resulting policy, the U.N.s secretary general will offer an annual oral report on threats to international peace and security related to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FRoB). The first such report is due on June 14, 2024.

At the request of Jeremy Hunt secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs (2018-19) Bishop Philip Mounstephen led the research and writing of the report, which provided deeply detailed accounts of persecution across the world.

Im delighted by this news of the implementation of one of the key recommendations of the Truro Review especially in the light of the fact that last year it was deemed unlikely that any Security Council Resolution on Freedom of Religion or Belief would be possible, Mounstephen said in a Church of England report.

That its happened is huge credit to the U.K.s U.N. team and speaks volumes of the U.K.s commitment to this vital human right. This, along with other recent actions, puts this issue firmly on the international geopolitical table.

Hunt and Mounstephen introduced the report in 2019

Jeremy Hunt, who now serves as the U.K.s chancellor of the exchequer, added his praise: Im proud and delighted to see this key recommendation of Bishop Philips report implemented and send my warm congratulations to the U.K. team at the U.N. on their very impressive work.

The Truro Review concentrated on persecution of Christians, which it deemed the most frequent threat to what it called Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). The report acknowledged that threats to FoRB take many forms, including the harassment of irreligious persons:

The Rohingya community in Myanmar have suffered grievously, as have the Yazidis in Iraq. The Ahmadis have been persecuted since their inception. Whilst it is right to recognize the suffering of Christians in India and China, it would be quite wrong to ignore the persecution of Muslim communities in those countries, including the Uighur Muslims, who have suffered appallingly. In many places in the world it is certainly not safe to admit that you are an atheist. Jehovahs Witnesses have experienced severe persecution historically, and are certainly not free of it today.

Bishop Mounstephens crozier features a black hook that symbolizes the role of a bishop to drive away threats to the well-being of his flock. Mounstephen, previously a leader of the Church Mission Society and the Church Pastoral Aid Society, has taken the role of guardian to a broader scale in his concern for persecuted Christians.

The Truro Review speaks in a brisk voice of indignation about the abuse of people based on their beliefs. Despite the impression those in the West might sometimes have to the contrary, the Christian faith is not primarily an expression of white Western privilege. If it were we could afford to ignore it perhaps, the review says. But unless we understand that it is primarily a phenomenon of the global south and of the global poor, we will never give this issue the attention it deserves. That is not to patronize, but it is to be realistic. Western voices that are quick to speak up for the worlds poor cannot afford to be blind to this issue.

There is even a note of humility as the review acknowledges the evergreen reports of violence directed against belief. The sad fact is that this report will be out of date even by the time that it is published. And such is the sheer scale of the problem that whilst we have ranged widely in our analysis we make no claim to be wholly comprehensive.

The work of Bishop Mounstephens team has a permanent home online that offers its interim report(Easter 2019), final report(July 2019), reference material, and much else.

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United Nations Takes U.K. Bishop's Advice on Persecution - The Living Church

As mentioned in Part 1, many Christians struggle to connect the Bibles history with the real world because theyve been so influenced by secular, naturalistic teachings, particularly the six stages of the story of evolution (cosmological, geological, chemical, biological, human evolution and eventual heat death).

Even if many Christians dont believe in evolution per se, theyve still been indoctrinated into believing in millions-of-years history and other evolutionary teachings. The attacks on Genesis have been so massive that many Christians (even high-profile pastors, apologists, and Bible college professors) have largely given up trying to defend it, and most believers cant answer basic questions.

And if the average adult cant answer these questions, then chances are their children wont be able to, either. This means that their children could easily reject all of the Bible, which is exactly what has been documented as happening at an alarming rate in the West since 2000, where George Barnas research1 showed that 70% of young people from Christian homes who attended state-run education had abandoned the faith of their parents.

Most people in our churches dont understand that the Bible is a history book. Christianity is not based on myth or interesting stories but on real history. There was a real Adam to whom we are all related. There was a real garden and fall, which is why we are all sinners. There was a real curse, which is why there is death and suffering.

Lets look at just a few verses in Genesis and see what it plainly says about some of the social issues of today.

Biblically, we see that marriage is meant to be between one man and one woman (just like our original parents). The fact that we become one in marriage, as we see in Matthew 19:46 and Ephesians 5:2829, is because Eve was taken out of Adamthey were one flesh. Eve could not have come from some preexisting animalthis would destroy the basis of oneness in marriage.

As Genesis plainly teaches, there are only two created genders, not an evolving spectrum of them. And human life is precious, and we have inherent worth and value from the moment of fertilization to the last breath of old age because we are created in the image of God.

As the sovereign creator of all, God has dictated what is right and wrongmorality is, therefore, not arbitrary. Because God is holy and righteous, there are moral absolutesthey emanate from who God is.

And so, because Genesis 111 is the seedbed of not only these but all Christian doctrines, it is imperative that Christians be able to defend and proclaim the first of our 7 Cs of HistoryCreation.

Skeptics love to ask for proof of Gods existence as if it is just so obvious that there is none. And yet, the obvious question is, What evidence would you accept as proof of the creator God of the Bible? Because if you dont know what you are looking for, how would you recognize it when you see it?

Well, one obvious answer is that you would expect to see evidence of design in nature because we understand that all creations have a creator, buildings require a builder, and inventions have an inventor.

The Bible even speaks to the fact that the creation proves that there is a Creator. As Scripture says,

So, do we see evidence of incredible design in nature? Is there really an excuse not to believe in Creationthe first of the 7 Cs of biblical history?

Interestingly, atheistic evolutionists dont have a problem admitting to seeing design in nature, as evidenced by this quote from arch-atheist and evolution promoter Richard Dawkins:

However, in an attempt to skirt the obvious implication that design indicates a designer, the atheist argues that although nature appears to show evidence of purposeful design, everything in it was somehow brought about through purely naturalistic processes without any intelligent input. So, they argue it looks designed but isnt.

But what is the difference between something that only appears to be designed and something that was purposefully designed? Because the complexity of the design we see in nature is truly incredible, even at the microscopic level in the simplest living things. An example comes from PhD geneticist Michael Denton.

To grasp the reality of life as it has been revealed by molecular biology, we must magnify a cell a thousand million times until it is 20 kilometers in diameter and resembles a giant airship large enough to cover a great city like London or New York . . . What we would then see would be an object of unparalleled complexity and adaptive design.

On the surface of the cell we would see millions of openings, like the portholes of a vast spaceship, opening and closing to allow a continual stream of materials to flow in and out. If we were to enter one of these openings we would find ourselves in a world of supreme technology and bewildering complexity.3

Now, Dentons comparison of living things having similar qualities to (sophisticated technological creations that humans have created) airships and spaceships, and his use of superlative language such as unparalleled complexity and supreme technology, speaks to the magnitude of design that scientists observe.

Indeed, the biological technology we observe is truly mind-boggling when one looks at the complexity of even so-called simple life forms. Micro-constructs such as the minuscule motor protein kinesin, which operate like the mail delivery people inside cells and stroll along on two legs, carrying packages around with military precision and enviable accuracy, are (at least so far) admittedly beyond human intelligence to create.

And when we add design features into the equation, such as the incredible variety of eyes in living things, marvelous mechanisms like the mind-blowing immune system, life-saving systems such as the blood-clotting cascade (triggered when creatures are injured), or simply the existence of a coded language system in the form of DNAscientists freely admit that creating such mechanisms is unattainable by even our most intelligent scientists.

As Jack Szostak, an evolutionist from Harvard Medical School, admitted,

When you boil it down, belief in atheistic evolution entails believing that non-intelligence is far better at designing things than an intelligence isbetter even than the supreme intelligence on the planet (the human mind) that was supposedly unintelligently designed by that very process.

So, ultimately, atheists admit we do find the evidence youd expect to find if God exists (design). The evidence of Gods existence is literally all around them and even within them!

However, to sidestep the obvious conclusion that God exists, they suppress that truth, and instead of intelligent design, they champion unintelligent design. So, it isnt as if there is no evidence for God, but they choose not to see it. They are willingly ignorant of the Genesis account of creation (and Noahs flood), as 2 Peter 3:57 says, and will be held accountable for their willing unbelief:

However, remember our other former question? What is the difference between something that only appears to be created and something that was purposefully designed? Well, one way to differentiate between the two is our innate understanding that the more complex something is, the more intelligence it likely took to design and create it.

For example, anyone examining a paper airplane would instantly know it had been designed. How? Well, the finished product is made from components that do not have the capability to self-arrange themselves into such a specific, aerodynamic shape.

Paper is made from wood pulp, which is made from trees. However, trees dont have the ability within themselves to become papera mind is required to create processes to do this.

Evolutionists might tout natural selection and genetic mutation as supposed creative mechanisms that could somehow evolve creatures from one kind to another given enough time. However, natural selection only selects from, and genetic mutations only corrupt preexisting genetic information.

So, they certainly cant account for the creation of the supposed first living organism in the third stage of the evolutionary story (chemical evolution) because the first living thing would have needed a genetic code for natural selection to select from or for mutations to mutate and change!

And they certainly have never been observed causing the transformation of one unique kind to another (biological evolutionthe supposed fourth stage of the story of evolution) either. They only make variations of the same kind of creaturenever new ones. They simply arent creative in any true sense of the word. Now having said that, lets return to our paper airplane example because there are other factors to consider.

Even if there was a naturalistic process that somehow transformed trees into paper, no matter how many sheets of paper might be produced, the specific arrangement of that paper into a structure with the ability to soar through the air (should the right propulsion be applied to it) adds a further level of complexity beyond that of the arrival of the paper itself.

Now extrapolate those thoughts and compare them to another kind of airplane, like a US F-16 jet fighter. There isnt a person with an iota of common sense who would argue that something like that machine could somehow come into being without intelligent input.

Again, we recognize that the increased complexity of form, function, and features equals increased intelligence behind the design of whatever product is being discussed. And yet, the simplest living thing we observe is vastly superior in technological ability to an F-16it isnt even close.

Some atheists attempt to counter this idea of obvious design by pointing to examples of apparent design found in nature, such as crystals or snowflakes. However, such examples only go to prove the creationist viewpoint.

Unlike the paper or jet plane mentioned earlier, in which component parts do not contain inherent properties that could cause them to form, crystals and snowflakes are formed because of the intrinsic qualities their parts initially possess.

Snowflakes, for example, show beautiful, highly ordered design patterns which automatically arise under simple freezing conditions. The water that forms snowflakes is doing what comes naturally, given the properties of the system.

There is no need for any intelligence, external information, or programming to be added to the system in the case of a snowflake forming. The existing properties of the water molecule and the atmospheric conditions are enough to inevitably give rise to snowflake-type patterns.

To clarify the difference between real and apparent design even further, compare a crocheted doily to a snowflake. Both have a beautiful, organized pattern that appears designed.

And yet, whereas water has inherent properties that allow crystal formation and attachment to occur in specific temperature environments, the doily is made from cotton yarn. And cotton does not have properties that self-arrange it into yarn, nor does yarn have the inherent ability to deploy itself into artful arrangements.

One (the snowflake) did not require an outside intelligence to arrange it, while the other (the doily) did. And when we look at the world around us, what we see is example after example of the complexity and incredible engineering inside living things that simply could not come about through naturalistic processes.

And when you think about it, as beautiful as every snowflake is, the spontaneous creation of a snowflake compared to how living things might have spontaneously arisen is incredibly weak.

Recognizing true design comes naturally to us, and we appreciate and value modern technology. We want faster, more efficient computers. We are fascinated by spaceships soaring to Mars, submarines diving to incredible depths, mind-activated prosthetic limbs, and dynamic movies with ultra-real effects. And again, when we see advanced technology, we understand that it takes intelligent minds to make it.

However, nothing man-made compares to the complexity of living things. So, why is it then that highly intelligent people around the world are unwilling to believe that there is a God who created them that is vastly more intelligent than they are? Because believing in God means that they should also believe in and obey the rules that he has given them.

The world around us clearly supports a plain reading of the Genesis account of creation and, as a historical text, exhibits everything one would expect to find. As Romans 1:20 (read earlier) says, design is clearly demonstrated all around us every day, so no one has an excuse not to believe in God. This is why the Bible says,

Remember, there isnt a scientific fact properly interpreted that contradicts a plain reading of the Bible. It is only evolutionary interpretations of facts we see in the present that contradict what the Bible clearly says. Belief in the story of evolution, which has never been observed, cannot be duplicated in a laboratory, has no historical documentation, and actually breaks laws of science (such as the law of biogenesis), is truly an unscientific worldview.

Of course, we do live in a seemingly contradictory world at times. We live in a place of great love and beauty yet observe ugliness and cruelty. And that is why Christians need to be able to understand and explain the fall, which explains the origin of death and suffering.

So, tune in next week when we will gain more insight into our journey through the 7 Cs of History as we arrive at the second CCorruption!

Originally posted here:

Part 2The First of the 7 C's of History: Creation - Answers In Genesis

Elon Musk is one of the most radical thinkers of our generation. One interview of his on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from 2015 is a prime example, as the pair disagreed on the potential of forming a human colony on Mars.

Colbert has been working in the late night scene for more than two decades, having started out as a correspondent on Comedy Centrals The Daily Show. This was in the programs Jon Stewart era.

With this kind of experience under his belt, Colbert has definitely endured many arguments with various guests. These have ranged from the most insignificant, to others which carried a lot of weight.

As an example, he once hosted fellow late night TV icon Bill Maher on his show. In their conversation, Maher admitted that the pair were complete opposites. Colbert is of course open about his adherence to religion, while his guest on the day is a self-proclaimed atheist.

Colbert has also clashed on the same topic with Ricky Gervais. While often taking more of a live-and-let-live approach, Gervais was not a fan of one particular question in their discussion, which led to a very lively debate between them.

RELATED: Stephen Colbert Apologized To Donald Trump During Their Rare Interview, But The Host Clearly Wasn't Taking Him Seriously

One of Colberts most uncomfortable interviews was with the actor T.J. Miller, at least according to fans. It wasnt quite the same level of weirdness with Musk, but their respective opinions on life on Mars were almost night and day.

Elon Musk has made a name for himself as an enigmatic entrepreneur and mastermind behind groundbreaking ventures like Tesla and SpaceX. Under the latter banner, he now has set his sights on a target that seems straight out of science fiction: terraforming Mars.

The richest person on earth according to Investopedia, Musk firmly believes that transforming an entire planet to make it habitable for human beings can become a reality in the not-too-distant future.

Terraforming is the process of deliberately modifying a planets environment to make it more Earth-like. The concept has been a topic of fascination for scientists and science fiction writers for decades.

The idea of turning Mars specifically into a second home for humanity has captivated the public imagination, but it is Musk who appears to have boldly stepped forward to champion the cause and bring it into the mainstream.

RELATED: Elon Musk And Jeff Bezos Are Two Of The World's Richest Men, But They Flaunt Their Net Worths Very Differently

Musks audacity can nonetheless overtake reality, at times. As far back as 2017, he was targeting to send people on trips to Mars by 2022.

Elon Musks global profile and success has multiplied many times over since he was interviewed by Stephen Colbert for The Late Show in September 2015. Even so, he was already known as something of an eccentric figure even back then.

As a matter of fact, the host compared him to outlandish Marvel character Iron Man / Tony Stark, and wondered whether he saw himself as a superhero or a super villain. In typical Musk style, he simply responded:

Well, Im trying to do good things.

Colbert was clearly skeptical from the beginning, implying that it was impossible for a billionaire to also try and do good things for the world. On the potential of the human race colonizing Mars, he questioned the feasibility of such a plan. Why do we want to go to Mars? he posed. Its uninhabitable. Its very inhospitable.

RELATED: Stephen Colbert Handled An Awkward Interview Like A Pro In His Most-Watched Youtube Video Of All Time

In response, Musk responded by insisting that the answer was simple: terraforming Mars. One of the ways he suggested doing this was to nuke the planets atmosphere, which strengthened Colberts perspective of him as a super villain.

The debate between Elon Musk and Stephen Colbert in 2015 was mostly cordial. Whatever relationship might have existed between the pair appears to have since soured somewhat, however.

If nothing else, this could be evidenced by the fact that the multi-billionaire has never appeared on The Late Show again ever since. Some may argue that Musk is a busy man, but he has continued to feature on various talk shows, including Real Time with Bill Maher in late April 2023.

Colbert was also very openly and strongly critical of Musks buyout of Twitter in 2022. Speaking during a monologue, he said: The discourse in America is about to get way worse thanks to new Twitter CEO Elon Musk.

He also addressed a specific tweet by the mogul that he found in bad taste, and also used that particular occasion to take a jibe at his physical looks. Musk blaming [a] victim of violence. Thats not just awful, that is beyond the pale and so is Elon Musk, said Colbert. Look how wide he is... Not so much Moby, hes just a d***!

Originally posted here:

Stephen Colbert And Elon Musk Had Opposite Views About Life On ... - TheThings