Wednesday, April 20, 2011

In defense of miracles

Statue of Jesus Christ in Carrollton, Ga.

In modern America, we live in culture in which religious thought and beliefs are often ridiculed and discarded in favor of secular thought.  All religions are commonly derided as myths.  A new generation of atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, is not content to coexist with religious believers, but seems determined to drive all religious thought from the public forum.

Yet in reality, a belief solely in logic and reason is not logical or reasonable.  Atheists must realize that, given the immense amount of available information in the universe, we cannot know everything.  Yet if we cannot know everything, how can we even be sure that we can’t know everything.  We cannot know for sure what we can and cannot know.  What we don’t know may change or contradict something that we think we know.  This is why science books are constantly being rewritten.  It is foolish to arbitrarily rule out the existence of God if we cannot know that he actually does not exist.

As Rabbi Derek Leman of Stone Mountain’s Tikvat David Messianic Congregation discussed on his podcast, naturalists, people who reject the supernatural, have a self-defeating philosophy.  Drawing on C.S. Lewis’ book Miracles, Leman notes that reasoning refutes itself:  “If reasoning is nothing more than moving particles of matter or energy in my brain, then I have no basis to trust knowledge as a valid concept...  Reasoning used to not exist, at least in the naturalist worldview and the evolutionary creationist worldview.  So we should ask the question:  how did it come into existence?  There was no designer according to this theory, and indeed until there were thinkers, there was no such thing as truth or falsehood, so thinking must have evolved by natural selection.  But how could this happen when our thoughts and sensations were subrational?  What mechanism made them capable of knowing truth and making inferences that are fact?  This is a real problem and it imposes on the naturalist the very embarrassing task of trying to show how randomly evolved reasoning could also be a power of seeing truths.  In other words, if reason developed through random means, why should we believe that anything that comes to us through reason is actually what we would call truth?”

People who reject the supernatural constitute a minority of the world’s population.  According to, only 8 percent of the people in the world are atheists.  That number holds true for the United States.  A USA Today/Gallup poll from 2010 reports that 92 percent of Americans believe in God.  In Georgia, deep in the Bible belt, only 2 percent do not believe in God according to  Even political partisanship doesn’t make a very big difference in belief in God.  According to Gallup, eight percent of Democrats and independents do not believe in God.  This is consistent with the national average.  On the other hand, Republicans are more theistic than average with a rate of only one percent of nonbelievers. 

What these statistics demonstrate is that naturalists exhibit a superior attitude, deriding the majority for their belief in God, without any evidence that their atheistic beliefs are correct.  In effect a small part of the population, without any additional information or evidence that the majority lacks, is taking the position that they have special knowledge and enlightenment.  In fact, more and more of this minority is feeling the need to evangelize their faith, the belief that God is nothing more than a myth and can be replace by something as contrived as a “Flying Spaghetti Monster.”  There is both an arrogance and an irony to this position, especially in light of the lack of evidence against a deity.

Christ the Redeemer in Rio (Sean Vivek Crasto)
The belief in God by an overwhelming majority of the world’s population would seem to bear out the Bible’s contention that knowledge of God is “made plain by God” and that “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:18-23).  The people of the world may not have seen or read Judeo-Christian scriptures, but they can see the evidence of God’s existence from his creation.  Those who reject this obvious truth “claimed to be wise, [but] they became fools” (v. 22). 

Further, as Christian apologist Chuck Colson points out, naturalism and logic cannot adequately explain the four major questions of life.  Colson points out that secular naturalists cannot explain how the universe originated.  Their only answers toward how to solve the world’s problems are utopian ideals that, when put into practice by less than perfect human beings, often result in piles of dead bodies.  They view the purpose of life as self-fulfillment, but cannot explain the evolutionary purpose of altruism.  In light of Darwin’s ideal of survival of the fittest, it makes no sense to help the poor and the weak at your own expense.

On the other hand, if God does exist, then it is both reasonable and logical to believe in miracles.  If God created the world, whether by speaking it into existence as it presently appears or through the process of evolution, then it follows that he has the power to intervene in nature.  It would be a simple matter for the God who created the world to part the sea or resurrect the dead.  It would be more difficult to believe that God would be unable to effect miracles.

As John Leonard, Atlanta Creationism Examiner, recently wrote, “It makes perfect sense that a supernatural God could, and would employ explicable, reproducible natural world phenomena to confirm His awesome power by His ability to predict, control and manipulate nature.”  Because a miracle can be explained by the scientific method does not mean that it is devoid of the supernatural.  Even if we find a rational explanation, the supernatural should not necessarily be discounted.

As an example, Leonard cites scientific rationales for the plagues that God sent upon Egypt in the days of Moses (Exodus 7-12).  Each plague plus the parting of the sea (Exodus 14) can be explained and corroborated scientifically.  However, the timing of these miracles and the resulting freedom for the Israelites implies a divine hand at work for specific purpose.  The fact that God used natural phenomena to work his will does not make his control over nature any less thorough or the result any less miraculous. 

God’s greatest miracle was the sacrifice and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ, but not because of the mere triumph over death.  If God is truly the creator of life then he would obviously have control over life and death.  The difference in the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ is that it granted the gift of eternal life to anyone who chooses to accept it. 

Without Christ we are all living under a sentence of death for our sins.  The miracle of Jesus is that God has offered us a free pardon, a get-out-of-jail free card.  By accepting God’s offer and Christ’s sacrifice, we all have the chance to escape eternal death (as a few have returned to speak of).  The miracle is that God freely offers love, redemption, and salvation to us in spite of our sins.  This is the miracle of Easter.

Belief in God and science are not mutually exclusive.  Many scientists and educated people are Christians and believers in God.  In Atlanta, those who are interested in science and God can attend the monthly meetings of the Atlanta chapter of Reasons to Believe.  The group meets on the last Thursday of each month at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta.  The group is also on Facebook.

Readers not in the Atlanta area can find local chapters on the Reasons to Believe website.

3 comments: said...


Allah, your Lord and the Lord of all that exists sends a warning to all Christians and reveals in the following Verses of the Qur’an that Jesus is ALIVE, Jesus a Muslim and Jesus is NOT His son. This means the Blood Cult of Christianity has been feasting on an anonymous Jew under the pretense of “Holy” Communion. It also means Christians can eliminate the Christian Cannibal Cuisine from their diets, consisting of cursed Jew’s {swine-flesh infiltrated with parasitic worms}, Jew-god corpse and the diabolical beverage; Jew-god blood. The following Verses of the Qur’an cannot be found in the Koran, because the Koran is not the book of the Muslims. The Koran is a satanic version of the Qur’an, authored by Satan’s Offspring aka Jews. Nor will you delusional Christians find these truths in your forged Holy book: How to Worship and Serve Your Hostile Jew Masters for Dummies aka New Testament.

(O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allah aught but the truth. The Messiah Isa {Jesus}, son of Maryam {Mary}, was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah and His Word, (“Be!” – and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Ruh) created by Him; so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not: “Three (trinity)!” Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allah is (the only) One Ilah (God), glorified is He (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.)

(And because of their saying (in boast), “We killed the Messiah Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allah,” -- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it appeared so to them [the resemblance of Isa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man)], and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not [i.e. Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)].

(And when I (Allah) revealed to Al-Hawariyyun [the disciples of Isa [Jesus] to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: “We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims.)

(“He [Isa {Jesus}] said: “Verily, I am a slave of Allah, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet;)

(Such is Isa [Jesus], son of Maryam [Mary]. [It is] a statement of truth, about which they doubt [or dispute].)

(This is the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt.)





(Verily, those who disbelieve [in the religion of Islam, the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] from among the people of the Scripture [Jews and Christians] and Al-Mushrikun will abide in the Fire of Hell. They are the worst of creatures.)

(The dwelling of such [people] is Hell, and they will find no way of escape from it.)



Now that the truth has come to you lying Christians, you can pull your forked tongues out of your hostile Jew Masters deformed asses and use it to praise and give thanks to Allah, your Lord and Creator. Also, you Christian cannibals should quit your day jobs as the Jews toilet paper, because it only pays shit.

Messenger of Allah
& Defender of Islam said...

The Eucharist of the Hell-fire


(Verily, the tree of Zaqqum)

(Will be the food of sinners.)

(Which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger.)








(Like the boiling of scalding water)




(Nay! You shall come to know!)

(Again Nay! You shall come to know!)

(Truly, Hell is a place of ambush--)

Messenger of Allah
& Defender of Islam

19 April 2011 said...

Jesus’ Descent

Jesus will soon descend upon the earth, but it will not be so Christian’s can murder him for the purpose of bleeding him out so they can take their satanic baths in his blood to wash their evil sins away, nor for the purpose of eating his flesh and drinking his blood under the pretense of “Holy” Communion; the diabolical and cannibalistic Christian practice. Allah, your Lord and the Lord of all that exists reveals what Jesus will do when he descends to the earth in the following Verses of the Qur’an.

(“By Him [Allah] in Whose Hand my soul is, surely, the son of Mary [Isa {Jesus}] will shortly descend amongst you people [Muslims], and will judge mankind justly by the Law of the Qur’an {as a just ruler}, and will break the Cross and kill the pigs and abolish Jizyah [a tax taken from the people of the Scriptures [Jews and Christians], who are under the protection of a Muslim government. This Jizyah tax will not be accepted by Isa [Jesus] and all mankind will be required to embrace Islam with no other alternative.] Then there will be an abundance of money and nobody will accept charitable gifts.)

(And he [Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)] shall be a know sign for (the coming of) the Hour (Day of Resurrection) [i.e. Isa’s (Jesus) descent on the earth]. Therefore have no doubt concerning it (i.e. the Day of Resurrection). And follow Me (Allah) (i.e. be obedient to Allah and do what He orders you to do, O mankind)! This is the Straight Path (of Islamic Monotheism, leading to Allah and to His Paradise).

(And remember when Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection: “O Isa [Jesus], son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say to men: “Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?” He will say: “Glorified are You! It was not for me to say what I had no right to say. Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden and unseen.)

(“Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah) did command me to say: “Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them; and You are a Witness to all things. [This is a great admonition and warning to the Christians of the whole world].)



(Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dawud [David] and Isa [Jesus], son of Maryam (Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allah and the Messengers) and were ever transgressing beyond bounds.)






(And on the Day of Resurrection you will see those who lied against Allah [i.e. attributed to Him sons, partners] their faces will be black. Is there not in Hell an abode for the arrogant?)

(Surely, what you are promised must come to past.)

Messenger of Allah
& Defender of Islam