Hello, my friends. I apologize for the long delay in updating the website, and hope that you enjoy this new piece that I've written.

    The question of capitalism and socialism, and which of the two is more biblical, has plagued my mind for a long time. My brother attended Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and became friends with some people there who claimed to be Christian Socialists. My brother, being a very politically conservative Christian, was baffled by how these people could claim to be followers of Jesus and support wealth redistribution, and other socialist principles.

  As it turns out, there are several verses in the bible that support, or appear to support both sides. Let us first discuss the potential biblical motivation for socialism.

    In Matthew 19:23, Jesus said to his disciples: “Verily, I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven.” The scriptures indicate here that the accumulation of wealth makes it more and more difficult for a man to enter heaven.

 Christ also says on the Sermon on the mount: “Give to him that asketh thee: and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away.”(Matt. 5:42) It would appear here as if Christ is advocating complete charity and equality for people. This was said of the early church in the book of Acts: “All the believers were one in heart and mind. None claimed his possessions as his own, but shared all they had…There was none needy among them. When those owning lands or houses sold them, they brought sale money and put it at the apostles’ feet; distributed to any in need.” (Acts 4:32-35) It would appear here as if the apostles and the early church operated under a system of socialism which worked well for them.

    However, the context behind the words is equally as important as the words being said, so let us take these verses supporting socialism and critique them, to put them to the test to ensure they are valid. The verse from Matthew 19:23, when taken in context, reflects Christ’s teachings on the evils of loving wealth before loving God.The temptation to become a slave to wealth is much greater to a rich man than a poor person. It is not a sin to have wealth, but it IS a sin to love wealth before God.

      The verses from Matt. 5:42 and Acts 4:32-35 reflect the principles of charity in the bible. Often the bible talks about the importance of giving to the poor and taking care of those who are in need. However, you will find that both capitalism and socialism advocate charity. The difference between the two systems when it comes to charity and giving are simply that capitalism advocates private charity from churches or individuals, whereas socialism advocates state-controlled charity through wealth redistribution and often-oppressive taxation. It is not in the desired ends that the two systems differ, but in the means by which to achieve the ends. You will note that there is not one instance in the bible where Christ advocates forced government charity. All manner of Scripture in the Good Book refer to private charity given out of your own free will. “God Loves a Cheerful Giver.” The Bible never condemns wealth, but it does condemn its misuse. Money is not the root of all evil. The LOVE of money is theroot of all evil.

    You will also notice that the book of Proverbs talks in detail several times on the importance of being frugal with wealth. “Go to the ant, you sluggard!” Etc. The importance of hard work and being frugal is all over Proverbs.

     The Commandment of “Thou Shalt Not Steal” also clearly implies a biblical motivation for the right to private property, just as “Thou Shalt Not Kill” clearly implies a right to life. Let me expand on this point, to avoid confusion. The 10 Commandments hold several negative prohibitions from which we as humans derive our basic individual rights. When the 6th Commandment says "Thou Shalt Not Kill," it is saying that you and I possess the God-given right to live, which is so valuable and precious that God himself put down a prohibition in the Scriptures against taking the right to life away. Therefore, when we see it said "Thou Shalt Not Steal," it implies that every human being has an innate, God-Given right to private property, which is so precious that God himself put down a prohibition on stealing the property of others.

    In summary, it is clear that though socialism may appear to have a biblical basis, it falls short of living up to the biblical standard because all charity in the bible is private and freely given. Capitalism is the economic system advocated by the bible, and this is evidenced by the many Proverbs advocating the proper use of wealth and frugality, along with the principles of private property set forth by the commandment of “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

    That seems as good a summary of the biblical motivation for a capitalist worldview as I could possibly give. It is for these reasons that I strongly support the view that the Bible is inherently capitalist, and that due to the fallen nature of earthly man, we are incapable of living under socialism, and must have a free market in order to survive as a society.

So, I'm seriously getting tired of hearing about these "Occupy" (fill in city you live in) people. I don't claim to have a great understanding of politics or economics, but I do think that my understanding is basic, and since a lot of these "occupy" protesters are screaming about stuff that is pretty basic, I think I might actually be suited for writing about them.

I've been to some tea party rallies. I haven't been to any occupy protests, although I do want to. But jump on Youtube and watch the outrageous drama that is occurring with these occupy protesters. It's silly. They're like a bunch of children without a mommy to watch over them.

I was at church Sunday, and the Bible class discussion sort of went “political”. (Something I instigated.) I don’t even think it was political! Some current-day issues were brought up in class, and I noticed how quick everyone was to voice their opinion. Almost all of them, by the end, didn’t want to talk about politics in church, but by judging on how quickly everyone voiced an opinion, I don’t think that was the problem. I think it was because they were afraid. Like for some strange reason “separation of church and state” ran through their minds. Sure, the issues we talked about are also talked about amongst politicians, but that doesn’t mean it’s political. These issues were moral issues. We have no fear, in church, to talk about “Thou shalt not steal”, but then somehow we shrink behind The Wall of Tolerance when “Thou shalt redistribute the wealth” is enacted by our government. We don’t have a problem with “Thou shalt not murder”, but when the government says “Thou shalt terminate the unwanted pregnancy” we lower our heads, afraid to talk about it in church.

It’s almost like the church has become submissive and fearful of the government. Thankfully, the majority of Christians don’t have a problem talking about abortion in church, but I have found an increasing number of “believers” not only being apathetic towards, but believing in “redistribution of wealth”. It’s scary. I don’t even think a lot of them realize what their saying. One of my friends, in class, made a positive comment towards the “Occupy” protests. After class, I asked him what he thought about the protests and then kindly disagreed with his comment. He looked at me with shocked eyes and said, “Oh, don’t tell me you’re a tea party guy!” I raised an eyebrow and said, “Yeah, I am. But can you tell me about the Tea Party’s agenda?” He looked at me confused and shook his head. I continued, “Can you explain to me the agenda of ‘Occupy’ protesters?” His confusion became embarrassment, and he honestly shook his head. I leaned towards him and spoke quiet enough for only him to hear. I lovingly asked him, “If you don’t know the position of either side, why are you making an opinion?”

It’s so frustrating to me! So many people are making opinions that are uneducated and without reason. (Thankfully, my friend has a good heart so I trust he’ll think things through next time.) Americans listen to only the media and then run around repeating what they heard on TV. The coverage on the Tea Parties compared to the “Occupy” protests is dramatic and biased. Just search the “Occupy” protests on Youtube. You’ll (like me) be doubled over with laughter at some of the over-dramatic, hateful, slanderous, dirty-mouthed, and ridiculous things said and done by those protesters. BUT if the Tea Parties had done anything similar, they would have been ridiculed by the media, whereas the “occupy” protesters are adored. The obvious prejudice that is displayed by the media is overwhelming. The “Occupy” protesters are an example of immoral people seeking a solution to misunderstood moral issues. In other words, their logic is unreasonable and therefore their protests are contradictory. The things they yell for, to improve their lives, are the very things that are destroying America and our freedom.

What does this have to do with church? I believe the church is very much divided when it comes to core moral issues. It’s not about who goes to Tea Parties and who occupies a street. It’s not about who watches CNN and who watches FOX. (How can anyone NOT watch Fox? Jk!) It’s not about who uses an NIV and who uses a KJV. The difference is this: those who believe that the principles in scriptures are applicable to all areas in life, therefore strive to convince others as well, compared to those who are scared of offending people and being viewed as intolerant. The fact of the matter is that most of the issues plaguing America are MORAL issues caused by our IMMORAL government that has forsaken the principles of God’s word. Until Christians have the backbone to stand up for what’s right (Goes back to the ten commandments that are so applicable to our current government) America will continue down the spiritual depression it’s in. The financial crisis was caused by government. We know that. It’s being worsened by government. And the heart of the issue is a moral problem: greed. The church, and most importantly Christ, has always been, and always will be, the solution to a degrading culture.

     Just last night, as most of you know, the New York legislature voted to legalize gay marriage in the state of New York, becoming the 6th US State to do so. Now, afterwards, I was spending my evening as I often do, taking care of business on the computer, with my TweetDeck open as per usual. I couldn't help but notice the reaction coming from the people in my timeline. Most of the people tweeting (who are a very conservative bunch, mind you), were very happy the law had been passed. They were quite enthusiastic about it. It was really kind of a larger wake-up call for me. I was unaware that so many in my timeline who were conservative held that opinion.

    I have believed for a fairly long amount of time that Homosexuality was the issue that conservatives compromised on. I notice many people who claim to be conservatives but seem to only be conservative fiscally. I believe being a conservative is not just fiscal conservatism, but the whole package. I know several people who think that being conservative only means supporting less government spending, etc. on fiscal matters. I also know many people who think that homosexuality is an irrelevant issue at this point in time. That is to say, they think that there are bigger issues facing us right now than social issues, and that fiscal issues are what we should be paying attention to. I saw a lot of both in my timeline last night, and I couldn't help but keep asking myself the same question again and again in my head: "We claim to be conservatives. So why is THIS the issue everyone seems ready to compromise on? Why do we suddenly become liberal when it comes to THIS issue?"

     I have long thought of possible answers to that question. The issue of homosexuality in society and its place in marriage and the family seems to be one of the most difficult to debate issues of our time. No one wants to have the debate, because, like with so many other issues, if you take a particular stance you can be chastised as being "against allowing people to exercise their rights" or "anti-personal freedom" or a "hypocrite" for wanting more personal freedom and then being in favor of preventing a certain behavior be allowed. I would therefore like to state, first and foremost before I delve deep into the issue, that I am emphatically anti-homosexual marriage. I do not believe that it is moral or acceptable to allow homosexuals to marry, and I do not believe that homosexuals have a right to marriage.

     Now, assuming I didn't drive you off immediately after stating my general positions, let me say this: I do not hate homosexuals. As a Christian, I do not approve of the behavior, but I do not at all hate gays. I know several homosexuals, many of whom are incredibly intelligent, kind human beings. My belief that they engage in an immoral behavior does not translate into ANY ill will for them, or any dislike or rancor against them personally. I usually feel it necessary to clarify this in any article I write when I'm discussing a touchy issue, because many people forget that or assume otherwise and get their knickers in a twist about it. So once more, I do not hate gays. I do not bear them any ill will. I disapprove of their behavior, not of them personally. Now, bearing that in mind, let us delve into the heart of the issue.

     I hear often, those in favor of gay marriage shouting "You can't just outlaw gay marriage because it feels wrong to you. You're just trying to legislate your morality!" True enough, homosexuality is contrary to my moral values. But that is no reason to discard my arguments against it. I am a Christian, and i do believe homosexuality to be morally wrong, as it is said in the scriptures (1 Cor. 6:9-10, Lev. 18:22, directly condemning homosexuality and Deut. 23:17 condemning sodomy, used as a synonym for homosexuality in the Bible). It does run contrary to my sense of morality. But does this fact discount my arguments simply because it's my morality? Not at all! Permit me to sum up my answer to this question before elaborating:

     1) Morality determines where we are culturally.                                                                         

     2) Morality Necessarily Flows From Religion.

     3) Legislating Morality is not a bad thing, if done properly.

     4) We should not allow acts that are immoral and wrong.

     5) Homosexual marriage is immoral and wrong.

     6) Therefore, Homosexual marriage should not be allowed.

     Now, we have the argument in generic form. The argument I have presented is logically valid. That is to say, if the premises are true, the conclusion is true as well. It is a sound, logically valid argument. Now there is a difference between valid and true. My argument may be valid, but it the conclusion is only true if the premises are true as well. So let's elaborate, to ensure my argument is proper and sequitur. 

     1) Morality determines where we are culturally.

     There is no better way to find out where we are as a society than by looking at our sense of morality. This is why I find social issues to be just as important as fiscal ones, if not moreso because they show where we are morally as a society. We know from looking at periods in history that if society is acting immorally, bad things will follow. Whether it be the atrocity of the Supreme Court declaring a black man to be property in the Dred Scott Decision in 1857, or the equally atrocious decision of the Supreme Court, ruling that a baby in the womb was not legally a life and could be terminated at the preference of the mother in Roe v. Wade in 1973. Morality is critically important to society, and though many people try as they might to seperate the two, morality is also directly tied to fiscal politics. How can we examine the economy and the stock exchange without also examining the truthfulness of the statements made by those working in that field? How can we vote to elect a representative or senator without examining to some extent, the truthfulness of the statements he is making. We expect society to act morally. We expect our politicians to be honest with us (though not so much anymore perhaps), we expect the law to be followed, we expect the people working at the grocery stores to give us the proper amount of change and not short us, we expect the doctor to honestly tell us what we need to hear, and we expect those who break the law to be rightfully served justice for their crimes. It is only natural that morality determines everything about our society and the way we behave. Note that while certain progress has been made in the moral field, such as increased respect of rights for minority groups and women, there has also been a great moral failure in the world recently. What should not be allowed is looked on as commonplace. We regularly put before our eyes disgusting and decrepid materials on television or the internet, we now EXPECT our politicians to lie openly to our faces when they give speeches, we are losing our sense of right and wrong in many ways. It is now looked upon by many to be perfectly acceptable to commit adultery, and we have certain sites now GUARANTEEING a successful affair. We have public schools where it is perfectly commonplace for children to smoke marijuana and have sex in the stairwells! We are losing morality in every sense of the word, and it is no wonder that society is in turn spiraling downward. We're removing what is essential for society to work. As the great theologian C.S. Lewis once said:

     "In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in ourmidst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful."

     Truly, it cannot be denied that society is influenced in every way by its sense of morality.

     2) Morality necessarily flows from religion.

     One of the many arguments I hear against my position on this issue, is that I'm just legislating my morality. That I am trying to force my moral positions on those who may not hold it. That I cannot expect others to bend over backwards and contour to my sense of morality. That it is not okay to legislate morality at all.

     I emphatically disagree. True enough, not all people may hold my moral views on homosexuality. Many people may think that it should not be okay to mix morality and legislation. The fact that many people hold this position, does not change the fact that they are in error.

     Let us state the obvious first: Morality is critical to society, as we have just discussed. It is also true, that morality necessarily flows from religion. Your worldview and sense of morality is totally and utterly dependant on your religious beliefs. Opponents of my arguments often state: "But you're biased! You can't legitimately say that your religion is against gay rights, so you are, and we all must take that view!" It is very true, that my religious beliefs are the central tenet against gay rights, because my morality comes from my religion, and my relgion says homosexuality is wrong, so you do the math. This also does not immediately discount my argument. A Muslim, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Scientologist and an Atheist all behave the way they do based off of their religion. What is acceptable to an atheist may not be acceptable to a Christian based off of religious preference. What we think is okay is based precisely off of whether or not we think God is okay with it (if he even exists) and whether or not there will be punishment for it eventually. An atheist doesn't consider homosexuality wrong (or if he does, he hasn't a logical leg to stand on) because in his view, there is no God to give orders for behavior and there is no punishment for anything, so we should do what feels good. A Christian believes it to be wrong because they do believe God has voiced his opposition to it and that there will be punishment in the long run.  Society's behavior is determined by its morality. Morality is determined ultimately by religious preference. The conclusion that necessarily follows from these premises is that Society's behavior is determined by its overall religious preference. The implication that necessarily follows from this conclusion is this: We must therefore determine, which religion is the correct one, if any of them are, so as to properly know who's morals we should be following, or which sense of morality is correct. It is no secret that I am of the belief that Christianity is the correct religion and the correct morality for the world follows naturally from the Bible.

     Now, I'm not going to get into apologetics here, because it would make for far too long an article, and I'm banking on the reader (you) not being bored out of their minds at this point, but the answer to that question is one that deserves furthur inspection and debate. I recommend anything by Ravi Zacharias, or the great book I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist, by Norm Geisler and Frank Turek, with Foreword byDavid Limbaugh, which I believe to be the best apologetic work I've ever read.

3) Legislating Morality is NOT a bad thing, if done properly.

   The biggest negative use of words I find against my argument is the term "legislating morality." Many arguments have been made against that term and its usage. I however, find it inevitable in the real world. It is impossible not to legislate morality. There is simply no way we can have a government apart from morality. The entire purpose of government is to do the moral thing and protect the individual's rights and punish those who try and violate them. The question is not "Will we legislate morality?" but "Whose morality will we legislate?" Every law that is passed is an expression of society's morality in one way or the other. We outlaw abortion because we believe it to be murder, which is immoral. We believe in lower taxes and legislation expressing that sentiment because we believe it to be immoral to "legally steal" from those who have worked hard for their income. There can be no denying that we legislate morality. What is critically important, is that we choose the proper sense of morality to legislate (which i believe to be Christianity). For another great read on the topic of legislating morality, read the book Legislating Morality, also by Norm Geisler and Frank Turek.

4) We Should Not Allow Acts That Are Immoral And Wrong.

     This one is just plain old common sense. Only an idiot (or perhaps a postmodernist, but then again, aren't they essentially the same thing?) would argue that we should allow immoral and wrong acts. Government exists to prevent the immoral and wrong taking of an individual's rights while punishing those who commit those immoral and wrong acts.

5) Homosexual Marriage is Immoral And Wrong.

     My biggest regret with this article is that I am unable, because of length restrictions, to properly explain why the Christian morality is the correct morality. For that, I strongly recommend you take the time to read the works I've cited in my previous paragraphs. The men who wrote those works can properly explain to you in much greater detail, why the Christian morality is the correct morality. But knowing that the Christian morality is the correct morality, it can be easily and logically inferred that because the Bible says it is immoral, it is. That much is easily clear, because the Bible is abundantly clear on homosexuality, and morality is derived from religion, as we saw clearly in the second premise. Again, I STRONGLY encourage you to read the two Geisler & Turek books, as they will make it clear that Christian morality is the only proper morality, in a much better way than I ever could. So in conclusion here, we see that since homosexuality is in conflict with morality, we cannot condone it by allowing gays to marry in society.

    A common mistake made by proponents of the measure is to argue that the state should not allow benefits to some and not to others, and that marriage should be left up to the churches. Let me be VERY clear of my feelings on the matter there: Call it what you want, whether it be marriage, or a legal partnership, or a "civil union," it does not change what is being done. I am no stranger to those attempting to redefine the legal definition of marriage, in an attempt to make it seem as though nothing is wrong. A marriage is this: Two people of opposite gender, engaging in a sacred pact with God and each other, agreeing to belong to each other until they die, and to share all they have with each other both materially and physically, etc. Calling it a "civil union," and attempting to imply that homosexuals are NOT violating that sacred covenant, which is false. And knowing that this premise is true, we know that homosexuals are violating this covenant, and being moral beings under the proper morality, knowing that proper morals are to be respected, we know that the behavior cannot be condoned, which necessarily leads to the conclusion of the argument:

6) Therefore, homosexual marriage should not be allowed.

Gathering together all the premises, we see that due to its immoral nature, we cannot allow homosexual marriage. Let us summarize the 5 premises we used to get to this conclusion:

1) Society is defined in every way by its sense of morality, so it is critical that we are using the right one.

2) Our sense of morality necessarily comes from our religious beliefs, so it is critical that we are following the right religious belief.

3) Legislating morality is inevitable, so it is critical that we are legislating the right, correct morality.

4) It is simple common sense that we should not allow immoral and wrong acts.

5) Homosexuality is immoral and wrong based on the condemnations of it in the Bible, which upon furthur examination is seen to be the correct source of morality, and calling it a civil union doesn't make the immoral action any more acceptable or any less wrong.

Therefore, we cannot allow homosexual marriage.

    I hope this article has been informative and interesting. I tried to keep to a logical argument, and above all I'd like to ensure you all leave knowing that there is nothing wrong with having a political argument rooted in religious conviction. Because there is no such thing as true seperation of church and state. Because the churches are the source of morality, and morality is the reason for government, so there is no way to keep them seperate. Morality (and therefore religion) will impact government in some way or another always, so do not be afraid of having religious conviction as the basis for a political argument. Just know how to defend your position with logic and zeal. Thanks for your time, and I hope you enjoyed it!

An amazing way of telling the story of Jesus. Will you follow Him?

  From Karen, Victor, Taylor, Matt, Kelly, and Brendan

Have a very Happy and Blessed Easter!

If anyone has been really watching the news lately, you will see that my beloved state of Texas is going through the worst drought in a LONG time. We've also been having wildfires all over the state, including where I live.

Yesterday, my Governor bravely issued this

WHEREAS, the state of Texas is in the midst of an exceptional drought, with some parts of the state receiving no significant rainfall for almost three months, matching rainfall deficit records dating back to the 1930s; and

WHEREAS, a combination of higher than normal temperatures, low precipitation and low relative humidity has caused an extreme fire danger over most of the State, sparking more than 8,000 wildfires which have cost several lives, engulfed more than 1.8 million acres of land and destroyed almost 400 homes, causing me to issue an ongoing disaster declaration since December of last year; and

WHEREAS, these dire conditions have caused agricultural crops to fail, lake and reservoir levels to fall and cattle and livestock to struggle under intense stress, imposing a tremendous financial and emotional toll on our land and our people; and

WHEREAS, throughout our history, both as a state and as individuals, Texans have been strengthened, assured and lifted up through prayer; it seems right and fitting that the people of Texas should join together in prayer to humbly seek an end to this devastating drought and these dangerous wildfires;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICK PERRY, Governor of Texas, under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby proclaim the three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas. I urge Texans of all faiths and traditions to offer prayers on that day for the healing of our land, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of our normal way of life.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name and have officially caused the Seal of State to be affixed at my Office in the City of Austin, Texas, this the 21st day of April, 2011.

RICK PERRY

Governor of Texas

I ask that everyone would join me in praying for my state. God is known for working miracles, and he WILL answer his children's call. Forget what people say, forget who makes fun of you, have the courage that my governor had and proclaim that you will pray for God to help.

Will you join me?

~Karen

About a month ago, Glenn Beck gave this challenge to his TV audience.

  My parents and I decided that we would take up this challenge ourselves, remembering the many times when we had be out of work for years at a time, and people had helped us with love gifts.

  So today was the big day! After I finished school and some other things, mom and I got into the car and decided to head over to Wal-Mart to pick up some things. Before we left though, mom got the idea that we should get a Wal-Mart gift card as well as some food. We put our money together and got a $30 gift card and several bags of groceries.

  As we got into the car to head off to the Workforce mom said, "Karen, we need to pray about this and that God would direct us to the right person to give this to." I agreed, and as she was driving, I prayed for God's guidance and will to be done with this gift, and that He would help all of those around the country that were doing the same thing.

  After going on a wild goose chase to find the Workforce (that's a whole other story in itself), we finally made it to the parking lot. As we walked up to the doors, a woman came. I stopped her and asked if she was unemployed. She said "Honey I've been unemployed for a year and I'm on disability." She was in a hurry, but then I asked, "Do you have children?" She sighed and said "Yes I do." I then pulled out the gift card from my pocket and said "This is a $30 Wal-Mart gift card that we would like to bless you with, and we have some bags of groceries if you want them"

  The woman looked at the card, put her hand over her mouth and as she started to cry asked, "Are you serious?" Mom and I both said yes, and we held her as she cried for a moment. As we loaded the groceries in her car she told us something that blew Mom and I away. She said "I'm suppose to take my youngest daughter down to Texas Children's tomorrow for tests, and I didn't have money to buy the gas for the trip" Now Mom and I realized why we had been led to get the gift card.

  Then the lady asked, "Why are y'all doing this, what church are you from?" I answered, "Ma'am we're not with  our church, we were just lead to do to this for you because we're your American brothers and sisters, and Americans take care of Americans. She again wiped the tears from her eyes and said "that's right...that's right."

  Finally before we left, I gave her my pocket New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. She thanked me again telling me that she only had some children's Bibles for her girls in the house.

  As we drove away, I thought about how great it was to help her. I'm planning on talking to my parents about doing this once a month. We give to charities regularly, but this was very personal. Again, it was an American sister helping another American sister in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mom, dad, and I are glad we took Glenn Beck up on this challenge of kindness.

~Karen

     Our worldview determines the way we live our life. Our religious belief, moreso than anything else, determines our worldview. It is critical, therefore, for us to have the correct worldview and to live out our lives in adherence to it. But just as critical as what we believe, is the reason for why we believe it. We must look deeper than the surface level of what we believe, and find the deeper value for why we believe it. To use the analogy of a house, what good is a roof without a good foundation upon which to build it?

     I have never made any attempt to hide my adherence to the Christian religion. I wear the title of "Christian" like a badge of honor, and try to live my life as Christ would have me live it. (though i undoubtedly come up short sometimes, as do we all!) I believe the Holy Bible cover to cover, and acknowledge the divinity of Christ and his teachings. As I have matured, I have taken an interest in history, philosophy, and apologetics. (apologetics is, for those who don't know, the study and art of defending the faith)

     1 Peter 3:15 says:

     "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to anyone who asketh a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." (King James Bible)

     Matthew 22:37 says: "...Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy MIND..."

     I, as a Christian, am commanded by God to give a defense of my faith in Him, and to challenge other theories which go against His teachings, and defeat them. I will attempt to do so in this series of articles with a logical, scientific argument.

     In my opinion, the Church has not been doing a proper job of giving an answer for their faith against the other worldviews. In particular, Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The Church has, in many ways, accepted the doctrines of Darwinism and Atheistic principles, and have mixed them in with Scripture. (The Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, Theistic Evolution, Progressive Creation, etc) The lack of response from the Church has led to Christianity gaining a reputation of a "superstituious group of fools who place blind faith in something they have no proof of." The Church has failed to love the Lord with all our MINDS (Matt 22:37).

     In these articles, I will attempt to give a logical, philosophical, and scientific defense of the Christian faith. Many atheists or skeptics view the Christian religion as one of blind faith simply because they've never seen a Christian give a proper response. So let's recap and let me give you a heads-up of what's coming in the following articles:

     I believe wholeheartedly that the Bible is the infallable, inerrant, everlasting Word of God, and that it is scientifically and logically accurate. I believe the Theory of Evolution is the most dangerous lie ever concoted, and that it has never led to anything beneficial in society, and that it holds no relevance because it is a foolish, unproven, unprovable theory that lacks any scientific evidence. I believe that, though faith is indeed a part of Christianity, a knowledgable Christian requires much less faith than an atheist does in what they cannot prove. And I believe there is sufficient evidence in the known universe to dispell the theory of evolution and point towards the existence of a benevolent God who rules and guides the universe.

     I do hope you all enjoy the series, and I will recommend several other written works that defend the faith better than I ever could and in much better detail over the course of the series. If you are an objective seeker of truth, I have no doubt that by the time I am complete, you will, at the very least, have serious thought provoked in what you believe and what defines your worldview.

     But bear in mind, only objective truth seekers need read these articles. I can present a completely logical defense of my faith, but if you refuse to believe in God because you don't want to, then you have another problem entirely. Many atheists' skepticism of God is not scientific, but volitional. So if you don't believe because you don't want to, you need not read my articles. But if you do seek the truth, then I'll do my absolute best to provide a defense of the faith to get you on the right track.

     Thank you, and I look forward to the rest of the series!

                - Brendan M. Wren

~Karen

  Last Friday night, the Fogel family in Israel was sleeping peacefully in their home when their house was broken into, and the family was brutally attacked. The father, mother, 11 year old child, 3 year old child, and infant were killed, brutally. Miraculously, the attackers didn't notice two of the children in the house, and one the oldest child, Tamar,  was out with friends at the time. I have seen the pictures of the crime scene...I would NEVER post them here because they are so gruesome!

  While this whole story breaks my heart, and I have wept over it many times, in the midst of it the family's faith has shined through! Rabbi Been-Yishai (the father of the mother that was killed) was asked this in an interview:

“Where do you have the strength and restraint that you can talk now and strengthen us, without anger and without calling for vengeance – that is not in your voice? Where is the strength from?”

Rabbi Ben-Yishai answered, “I have worked in education many years, and as an educator, I try to strengthen and teach people faith. I understand that I cannot be satisfied with words and that I also must implement the same principles on which I have educated others. This is a test of my faith, and therefore I agreed to be interviewed.”

  Today, a story came out about the little 11 year old that was killed, Yoav. Above his bed, there was a little prayer written in Hebrew that read:

May it be Your will, Lord God and God of our forefathers,

That I love every one of Israel as myself, and

To graciously perform the positive commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself.

And may it also be Your will, Lord God and God of my forefathers,

That you cause the hearts of my friends and neighbors to love me fervently, and

That I be accepted and desirable to everyone, and

That I be loving and pleasant, and

That I be gracious and merciful in the eyes of all who see me.

As water reflects face to face, so the heart of man is to man.

And all for the sake of Heaven, to do Your will,

Amen

  While it will take time for this family to heal, their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is holding them up. I only pray that their faith will grow to the fullest extent.

~Karen

At the beginning of each school-day across the nation, millions of students start their day off (or should be) by standing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. What is so wrong with that? I mean, we are a Christian nation are we not? I found this photo and thought it was worth sharing because this happens all the time in the public schools these days.

“I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!”

Muslims are allowed to pray on Madison Avenue, then why are Christians forbidden from praying in public? What happened to our National Day of Prayer? President Obama says we can't have it. But Muslims are allowed to block off Madison Ave. in N. Y. and pray in the middle of the street? (Oh, and don’t forget that it is a monthly custom!)

Is this a Christian country or a Muslim country? This country was founded on “Christian” principles, but we are open for anyone to come reside here unless they start to undermine “our” founding documents and principles. It is very hard to understand why there is such a problem in having 'In God We Trust' on our money and having 'God' in the Pledge of Allegiance.

If you believe in the divine providence of America, it's time that we stand up for what we believe in! In your class rooms, or sporting events, make sure you fellow friends and/or family respect and honor our flag and country when we say the pledge. The men and women of our armed forces deserve the respect for the courage that they have shown by fighting and/or dying so we can live in a free country.

-Matt