Obama on Life

I didn't watch the Rick Warren "debate" (double interview), but I have seen select parts, and I found the transcript. For me, the most telling exchange for Obama was:

Warren: [A]t what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?

Obama: Well, you know, I think that whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.

First thing, I think McCain looked better at this event (which most everyone agrees) because he was willing to just state what he believes. On nearly every question, Obama looks like he is squirming. He uses a lot of weasel words, and looks like he is dodging.

Second, Obama is a Senator, the highest level of lawmaker in the country. He is applying for President, the highest level of the executive. He would likely be responsible for appointing several Supreme Court justices, the very ones who will decide this issue.

There is no higher "pay grade" to defer to! (I don't think Obama actually logically thought this out, again, just weasel words).

Third, scientifically, we cannot answer a question of rights. Science can tell us when life begins, and that is at conception. Logic can tell us the meaning of our decisions. That is, under the current interpretation, our rights are not inherent in who we are. The are gifted to us, by the state, upon our "good works" to please the state (in the current case, being born).

That is a dangerous position, and one contrary to the Declaration of Independence (which states our rights come from "the Creator").

Fourth, the Biblical (theological) perspective is that our rights come from our being created in the image of God, from conception. Nowhere to hide there.

Obama then goes on to spout the myth of "legal but rare". I addressed this over a year ago. If abortion is a moral evil, it should be illegal. If it is morally acceptable, then we shouldn't care how frequent it is.

Six

Six is the number of man. It is noticeably one short of the number of God (7).

Man was created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:24).

Also, the Babylonians (often the model of human centered society) were facinated with 6, and 60's, and 600's. Our system for time is influenced by them (60 second minutes, minutes in hours, 360 (6 x 60) + some days per year, 360 degrees, etc.)

As, I mentioned earlier, the number of the ultimate (final) man is 666 (Revelation 13:18).

New Link

I am adding a new link to the "Handy Links" section. Hopefully this will help me check over there more often.

Paul Apple is an excellent teacher, and devoted Bible student (which is an essential part of being a Bible teacher).

Five

There is no particular theme attached to five. Instead, I have selected a few verses (chapters 5, verses 5), and there contexts:

• "And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died." (Genesis)
• "In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote." (Daniel) One of the three instances of God writing with His finger. The other two are in Exodus 31:18 (the Ten Commandments) and John 8:6 (Jesus writing in the sand)
• "Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew)
• "And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things." (Acts) Don't doubt that a single sin is not worthy of punishment. Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden for one sin. Ananias and his wife died for a single lie.
• "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Ephesians)
• "And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." (Revelation) Referring to Jesus, set to open the title deed to the universe, and bring about the final judgment.
• "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." (Galatians)
  

Story versus Clock

Pastor Wilson is ripping up a book "The Doors of the Sea", by Hart. Hart has a problem with Calvinism, and Wilson is (rightly) showing how there is little Biblical alternative to Calvinism. But one of his statements reminded me of a recent point I made (in "Miracles").

"If the world and all its heartache and resident evils were a clock, then the only sane conclusion would have to be that the clock is broken... But the world is not a clock. The world is a story." (italics in original)

Wilson is far more eloquent than me. If you doubt Calvinism, it is worth reading this post, and the others in its series.

Falsifiable

Evolution is a long and brittle chain. For the atheist, every link must be strong and true - else the "God of the gaps" will leak in. Not that I am a fan of the "God of the gaps". But, it should help some atheists to see the futility of their problem. Thousands of smart people looking for decardes for some way to deny God (some ignorant, but many are intentionally searching for an alternative to God). But this is the best they have...

I have discussed the problem of the as-yet unknown atheistic explanation of the origins of life. I have also ridiculed the notions of macro-evolution (the assumptions of common descent and the transmutation of species).

But there is also the problem of "stellar evolution". This is the process by which clouds of hydrogen (the initial product of the Big Bang) becomes the first generation of stars. These stars are believed to have been short lived, and formed the heavier elements which make our sun more stable (and thus, longer lived).

Only one problem. There is no model by which hydrogen will form a star! (without the magic of dark matter)

This is a subject which is rather interesting to me, so I will continue to investigate. There is a apparently a "Millennium Simulation Project" which has a lot of relevant data.

Crossanized?

I had an interesting witnessing encounter. A person identified themself as "Concerned Christian Now Liberated" (not the shortest handle on the planet). They seemed vaguely Christian, although doctrinely weak.

Finally, he said he was "Crossanized". I've never heard that particular label. Nor have I read anything by Crossan. I have seen a couple of his books at the library (you know, the storehouse of apostates and heretics). I will have to read one of these books.