Ray Comfort's Blog, page 56

Please Convert me to Atheistic Evolution

"The fish in the sea evolved lungs before venturing out on land. Judging by fossils, they evolved fins suitable for modification into legs before venturing out on land, perhaps for sculling along the bottom of estuaries or rivers. And quite a few modern fish (e.g. some lungfish, or the infamous 'walking catfish,' etc.) can venture out onto land occasionally, illustrating an intermediate stage between sea dwelling and land dwelling." Steven J.

I'm a skeptic. Actually, my doubts go a little deeper than mere skepticism. I don't believe you. You are the one making the claim--convince me. Make me a believer. Back up your belief with more than conjecture.

Tell me, why and how did a fish needed to evolve lungs before it ventured onto the land? How did it test them to see that they worked? If the first fish died when its lungs didn't work, how did it tell the others what was needed? How did the fish's heart know that there was about to make a radical breathing chnage, so that it could change itself to deal with sudden incoming oxygen?

Which of the 25,000 different types of fish are you talking about? What observable empirical evidence do you have for this happening? Did this fish also evolve legs so that it could move around? Why did it do this when it was still in water? If it evolved legs while on the land, were its lungs fully working as it did this? How long did it lay there without legs before they evolved?

Did both male and female evolve lungs and venture onto the land at the same time? Did they communicate to each other that their lungs were ready for the change from water to air, so that they could make this venture together?

Does it ever enter your wildly inventive mind that God could have created the lungfish as a fish with lungs, or the walking catfish as a catfish that walked?

Your claims are a million times more fantastic (in the truest sense of the word) than just one talking serpent. At least we maintain that the Supernatural was involved. You make no such claim nor do you back it up with reason. That would be okay, but the painful part is that you have so many unquestioning believers. Watch them deride me for my lack of faith. I need light. Convert me.

Picture: Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri)For Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.

The Atheist's Conundrum

This BBC clip talks about a "creature" and an amazing "new form of life." Notice how the commentator says that its designer is "evolving such clever designs."

This humanly designed creature shows the huge problem facing any professing atheist.

Think: how long do you believe that you would have to wait for something like this to design itself, starting from nothing? Such a thought is both humorous and preposterous.

Listen closely as the clearly secular designer talks about the real Designer. Then dare tell me that there's no God (Job 21:3):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSKyHmjyrkA&feature=email

Picture: Theo JansenFor Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.

Is Charlie Sheen an Atheist?

Charlie Sheen has been in the news a lot lately--for outbursts of anger, bad relationships, splitting with his publicist, restraining orders, drug and alcohol use, prostitutes, and threatened lawsuits. Lesser actors would give their right arm to be in a continual national spotlight. It seems that to his many fans, Sheen can do no wrong.

Even though he acts as if there is no God, he is not an atheist. He told "Entertainment Tonight" why he believes the Creator exists, saying, "Anybody that doesn't believe in God hasn't looked into the eyes of a child."

These words cleared any fan-base he may have had with American Atheists, Inc., who were greatly insulted. The troubled actor wasn't the only one upsetting the group. Earlier this year they called the "Today Show" and complained about the use of the maxim, "There are no Atheists in foxholes." Apparently they think there are a few.

Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists, explains why Charlie Sheen so offended them: "This statement insults millions of Atheists, Freethinkers and other nonbelievers who raise families and value their children. Imagine if he or some other prominent Hollywood star made a similar statement about Jews, black people or another group." Jews? Blacks? Atheists? I guess they believe there's some connection between ethnicity and their professed non-belief.

I believe that God created little children. I could never believe that any child could be the result of random chance. But I'm not offended by any atheist who thinks otherwise--who looks into the eyes of his child and sees a half-grown ape. I think it's disgusting, insulting, and ridiculous. But he has a God-given right to believe anything he wishes. No apology necessary.

Picture: Charlie Sheen, March 2009, by Angela George at www.flickr.com/photos/sharongraphicsFor Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.

How to Become an Atheist

There are two main hard and fast rules for anyone who would like to become an "atheist." If you are tempted, beware. It's not an easy thing to do.

The first rule is to ignore design in nature. You will see it everywhere; from the planets, to the atoms, to the birds and the bees, to the seasons, to the design of the human body, the design of fish, flowers, fruits, feet, and even fungus. And of course, the amazing-looking human eye. Everywhere you look and everywhere you can't look, you will see design.

Now here's the hard part. Ignore your God-given common sense. Admit that everything man made is man-made, but be uncompromisingly adamant that everything in nature came from nothing, with no Designer. Once you have set aside your acumen to do this, crown yourself as being intelligent. Very. Then find other atheists and they will confirm to you that you are indeed, intelligent.

The second rule is to "believe." This is very important, because if you let doubt in, it will let in fear, and that can be a scary thing when the issue at stake is a place called "Hell."

Believe that you are right in your beliefs. Believe that evolution is indeed true. Believe that it's scientific. Believe that there are no missing links, and believe that Richard Dawkins knows what he is talking about.

Believe that you are an ape, that you are not morally responsible because apes have no moral absolutes. Believe that your conscience was given to you by your parents and society, and not by God (always use a small "g" for God, if possible).

To grow as an atheist, you will need to learn believers' language--phrases like "There is no creation," "Evolution is a proven fact," and the powerful "Flying Spaghetti Monster." Learn the fine art of cutting and pasting, and responding with "Straw man!" That means you won't have to respond to anything challenging.

All this will give perceived intelligence. Never question evolution, and don't think for yourself.

Do these things, and you will be able to call yourself an atheist, or even a "new" atheist. How cool is that! Well, I should say, as much of one as you can be called one. No one can be a true atheist because you need "absolute knowledge" to say that there is no God. So until you are omniscient (like God), you will just have to do with pretending to be one.

Photograph by Manuel Brambila. Click on the eye for design details.For Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.

You May Have Your Doubts...

"This is the second time I've asked this question and no answer. Even Name can't tell me why John the Baptist recognized Jesus as messiah when he baptized him and later had to send two of his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the messiah." Milocat


Many have surmised that John was having doubts. It does seem that way, but it's hard to reconcile with the fact that when he first saw Jesus, he knew exactly who He was. He said, "Behold, the lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, 36). When Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened, John saw the Spirit of God descending upon Jesus like a dove, and he heard a voice from Heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:15-17).

However, two years of languishing in prison may have made John wonder about what he had seen and heard. If Jesus was the Messiah and He was doing miracles as John had heard that He was, why didn't He get him out of prison? Perhaps his question was really, "Have you forgotten about me?"

We know from Scripture that God didn't deliver John the Baptist from prison. Instead, He allowed him to be murdered. Yet he wasn't forgotten. Death doesn't separate us from God. It takes us into into His immediate presence.

However, those who have experienced the new birth (which began on the Day of Pentecost--see Acts 2) have a great advantage over John. They aren't reliant on mere visions or voices. I'm a Christian because God transformed me through the new birth of John chapter 3. He made me a new person overnight, opened my understanding, took me out of darkness into light, gave me His Holy Spirit, forgave my sins, and granted me everlasting life.

The first time I was born, it was dramatic in the truest sense of the word. I didn't exist, and then in just nine months I was birthed as a screaming, eating, sleeping, breathing, seeing, human being. The second time I was born, it was just as radical. You may doubt that, but it's something I can never doubt, even if I wanted to.For Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.

Breaking Atheism's Sunday Boredom

"Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?' When the men had come to Him, they said, 'John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'' And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflicti ons, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me" (Luke 7:18-23).

The Messiah's ministry was accompanied by miracles. Power flowed from His body. He healed the sick, raised the dead, caused the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, He cast out demons…and He preached the gospel of salvation. He told them that they were sinners, heading for Hell, and yet God in His great mercy had provided a Savior so that they could have Heaven.

Jesus said, "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." The Bible calls Jesus Christ a "stumbling block," and a "rock of offense." If you don't know what that means, attach your name to His and you will quickly find out.

You may be the most popular dude on the planet, but the moment you say that you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, the world will see you as a homophobic, brain-washed, self-righteous, hate-filled, dim-witted, anti-science, trouble-making, self-righteous, fear-mongering, anti-choice, war-causing, hypocritical, religious bigot.

You will be considered to be part of a fanatical sect--a cult that's responsible for the Roman Catholic crusades, the Catholic Inquisitions, witch-burnings, and every other religious atrocity that has occurred down through the ages.

Jesus warned that because you belong to Him, you will be hated for "His name's sake," men will separate you from their company, and people will even kill you thinking that they are doing God a favour.

But that's okay. This is because we know that the world hates Him because He speaks of their deeds, that they are evil, and we are hated because we belong to Him. We are highly favored...blessed by God with the gift of everlasting life.

The flight may be a little bumpy, but the landing is safe, and that's all that really matters in the light of eternity.For Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.

The Difference Between a Dummy and an Atheist

Someone gave me a dummy recently, which I put in the corner of my office. Almost everyone who enters my office is taken back by his presence. He has eyes, ears, hands, feet, and a head. He looks like a human being. So what's the difference between Ernie and the average atheist? Ernie doesn't have a brain, he can't speak, and doesn't have consciousness. He's not flesh and blood. He doesn't have a soul.

I recently interviewed a professor of biological evolution at UCLA. Even though we clashed philosophically, he conceded on the point of the existence of the soul. The thing that made him change his mind was the knowledge that in the Bible, the word "soul" and the word "life" are synonymous. He said that if that was the case, he believed that man has a soul.

Everyone has a soul. It is the soul of man that makes the brain work. If someone dies (the soul leaves the body) the brain no longer works. It is your life that looks out of your eyes; it's your life that speaks through your mouth, and it's your soul that is reading and analyzing these words.

However, man is more than just a soul. He lives in an incredible machine of working and moving parts--his amazing eyes, to his hands, and his brain. His beating heart pushes oxygen-enriched blood (that was being pulled in by his lungs) around his body and gives life to his flesh. We certainly are "fearfully and wonderfully made."

But man is more than a body and soul. He has something the Bible calls a "spirit." The body is his machine, and the soul is the power that moves the machine, but the spirit is the part of him that makes him conscious of his Creator. It is because his spirit is "dead in trespasses and sins" that he doesn't know God. Every testimony from every atheist confirms that bibical truth.

He knows of His existence because of creation and his conscience, but he doesn't know Him experientially until his spirit comes alive through the new birth of John chapter 3.

Without the new birth, you will die in your sins and lose your soul. You will lose your very life, your most precious possession. So prove that you are more than a dummy. Use your God-given brain and obey the gospel, so that you will be saved from death and Hell, and find everlasting life that is alone in Jesus Christ.For Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.

Why the Atheist Runs from God . . .

Every argument, every angry word, all the mockery, etc., that comes from the mouths of atheists does nothing but strengthen my faith in God. This is because I understand their perspective. They are like blind men who don't believe in light. It makes sense that they mock what they don't know, and that they especially mock the gospel, because God has chosen a foolish message to confound the proud.

The atheist doesn't know about God, but God knows all about him. He knows when the atheist sits down, and when he stands up. He sees his coming out and his going in. He knows this thoughts, and He even sees him in the darkness, as though it was pure light. Check out Psalm 139 for details.

Before my conversion, such thoughts gave me the creeps. But after my conversion I understood why. I was like a criminal who hears that he has been under police surveillance for years. His every word has been secretly recorded, and his every unlawful deed captured on video. The law has been watching his crimes and it has built up its wrath.

Such thoughts are not pleasant for any criminal, and that's why any thought of God (His omniscience and moral accountability) are not at all comfortable for guilty sinners. Thus the denial of His existence. There are lots of guilty heads in the sand of atheism.

However, now that my sins are forgiven and have I equity with God's Law, I am no longer a criminal on the run. I have been acquitted though faith in Jesus. I can face that Law on Judgment Day (a Law that equates lust with adultery and hatred with murder) without the slightest guilt or fear. How about you?For Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.

The Unicorn Myth...

This will be of interest to those of you who think that the Bible mentions the mythological "unicorn."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mHAsG1hky0For Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.

Earthquake in New Zealand

As many of you know, our home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, was hit with a massive earthquake Monday (2/21). This is the city where I spoke in front of a large Cathedral in the local Square for many years (pictured--before and after the quake).

My heart goes out to the many who have lost loved ones. Sue and I appreciate those of you (some atheists--who were kindly sympathetic) who have contacted us and assured us of their thoughts and prayers.

Our eldest son and his wife and child were visiting Christchurch when the earthquake struck. They are okay, and so are all of Sue's and my relatives, for which we thank God.

Many in the city had very frazzled nerves even before this quake. A 7.1 hit six months ago with no fatalities, and since then there have been more than 4,500 aftershocks. This one was much worse. None of my family know the Lord. May this make them realize the fragility of life.
Back in 1971, just before my conversion, a surfing buddy who was deeply into pornography got his girlfriend pregnant, was married at 16, and had the baby girl adopted.

At the age of 16, she searched out her natural parents, found them, and turned up at their doorstep, pregnant. My friend became a grandfather at 32 years old.

I tried to witness to him when I went back to New Zealand in 1992, but it didn't work out too well as it was in his surf shop, and customers kept coming in. Although he did say that he wanted to ask God about his younger brother, who had tragically committed suicide because he got into financial difficulty.

For some reason I thought about all this, this past Sunday, found his surf shop online, emailed him and was amazed to get a reply. He said that my god (he used a small "g") really scared him with the big earthquake they had six months ago (he used profanity to say how much it scared him). I then wrote back and said that I failed to tell him something when I last saw him, and added that Jesus said if you lust after a woman, you commit adultery with her. I said that Hell was real, and that God made a way for us to be forgiven and have everlasting life.

He responded "That is scary, you mean I have committed adultery about 140 times already today? Hell won't be so bad – at least all my mates will be there and all the naughty girls. Just don't tell me it will be onshore all day every day. That will really make me gnash my teeth. Heaven sounds really boring -- all the goody two shoes kids drinking tea and singing hymns all day. Is there surf there?"

I emailed back that there would be no friendship or any pleasure in Hell and talked about his misunderstanding of Heaven, hoping he would get back to me.

The following day, the earthquake struck. His shop was very close to the epicenter. I don't know what happened to him.For Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.