Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Around the World with Ken Ham

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 06:51 AM PDT

Thanks to AiG researcher Steve Golden for his valuable research for this blog item.
I received a letter from a supporter recently, who wanted to bring yet another example of the sad state of the church to my attention. Last month, a story was released about a Baptist pastor who preached a sermon on the inerrancy of Scripture—but really, it was a sermon against biblical inerrancy. (You can read the story online.)
Dr. Richard Kremer, pastor of Garden Lakes Baptist Church in Rome, Georgia, recently preached a sermon called “Is the Bible Inerrant?” which has since been removed from the church’s website (atranscript is still available).
Even though the sermon will appall you, I encourage you to read it and experience for yourself an example of what is being taught in part of the church! No wonder the church in this nation is in trouble!
In the sermon, the pastor challenges the accepted definition of inerrancy, claiming that the Bible has no original autographs.

There is no such thing as an original autograph of the Scripture, and to claim such a manuscript is the basis for the inerrancy is intellectually dishonest.

While it is true that we do not possess the original manuscripts today, Kremer is arguing that they never existed. He even goes so far as to claim that “the Bible is not a history book,” “the Bible is not a philosophy book,” and “the Bible is not a science book.” With all those caveats, what exactly can we trust in the Bible? More importantly, how can we trust all that it has to say about Jesus Christ? Well, that’s an exception, says Pastor Kremer.

When you come to talking about the character of God, the Bible is indeed inerrant. When you’re talking about the revelation of God in Christ, we can trust that information with perfect confidence.

My question to Dr. Kremer is this—“Who decided you can trust this section but not the rest? On what basis did you determine this? Or is it just your fallible human opinion?”
Well, as it turns out, Pastor Kremer’s issue with inerrancy largely hinges on the Genesis account of creation. And this should be a warning and lesson for all of us. Of course, his statement that “the Bible is not a science book” gave that all away—Pastor Kremer does not believe in a literal six-day creation. He says that the ancient biblical writers didn’t even know what geology was, so certainly the Genesis account of creation cannot be trusted.

I don’t want a scientist having to put his/her brain on ice because his/her discoveries contradict what the Bible allegedly teaches about one scientific discipline or another.

The goal of secular historians is often to discredit the miracles of the Bible, such as the Resurrection. Over the years, however, I’ve seen more and more pastors who are doing the exact same thing as this pastor. They are unwilling to defend a miraculous creation in six literal days because they have accepted the secular beliefs of the day in regard to millions of years (and even evolution). Thus they have unlocked a door that undermines the authority of Scripture at the beginning. They use man’s ideas outside of Scripture to reinterpret what the Bible clearly states concerning the account of Creation, the Fall, and the Flood. This then brings them one step closer to denying the miraculous Resurrection of Christ. After all, if we take secularist Richard Dawkins’s views of evolution and millions of years to the Bible, why not take his views that reject the Resurrection and Virgin Birth and reinterpret the Bible too? And we see this as Dr. Kremer goes on to point out supposed mistakes in sections of the Resurrection account (e.g.,when the women came to the tomb, etc.).
Often, when people argue against the inerrancy of Scripture, they will say things like, “Man is fallible, so we can’t trust the Bible because it was written by men.” This is a fallacy, since it does not follow that man has to make mistakes in everything he does. Of course, we know that man is indeed fallible, but that does not mean that men cannot write an infallible book, especially when they are inspired by the infinite Creator God to do so. But Pastor Kremer goes a step further and says that there are intentional contradictions in Scripture.

In the creation account of Genesis, chapter one, God creates everything in the world, then creates humanity last. In Genesis, chapter two, God creates humanity first, then creates the remainder of the natural order. The brilliant editor who brought those two accounts into one sacred text was fully aware of the discrepancies in the accounts—but he did not care!

One of the ways that some people try to discredit what Genesis teaches us about history is through the Documentary Hypothesis, which claims that there were at least four different authors who wrote the Pentateuch over many centuries and multiple editors (or “redactors”) who combined the writings into their present form. (For a detailed explanation of the Documentary Hypothesis, see Dr. Terry Mortenson’s article, “Did Moses Write Genesis?”)
Now, Pastor Kremer’s explanation of Genesis sounds awfully close to the discredited Documentary Hypothesis. There’s no doubt that Pastor Kremer mistrusts the Bible’s history. He even uses supposed contradictions regarding the circumstances surrounding the Resurrection to make his case. But our staff members have already responded to many of these alleged contradictions in our book series Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions. And Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell, AiG–U.S., wrote a detailed article dealing with the circumstances of the Resurrection.
When I hear these kinds of teachings where the trustworthiness of the Bible is being questioned, I often ask myself: What are the youth in the church learning from this? How are these teachings affecting their thinking? But we know the answer—they’re learning that God’s Word can’t be trusted, and thus they’re experiencing doubts about it! Sure, Pastor Kremer can try to say that passages about Jesus Christ are an exception and can be trusted, but that is not consistent with his views about Scriptural authority, and the teens in our churches know it. And statistics in America show clearly that at least two thirds of young people are leaving the church by college age. If this continues, the church will be only a relic in the future—as it is already in England today!
When Answers in Genesis contracted with America’s Research Group to perform the research for the book Already Gone (which we published in in 2009), we found that the vast majority of youths begin having their first doubts about the Bible in middle and high school. If you have never readAlready Gone, I strongly urge you to do so. In this time when the church in America is in big trouble because of the compromise of pastors on the authority of Scripture beginning in Genesis, we have to strengthen ourselves and our children in the knowledge that we can fully trust God’s Word.
One day Dr. Kremer will have to give an account to the God of creation of what he taught adults, teens, and children in his church. I would not want to be in his shoes! Scripture reminds us that teachers will bear a stricter judgment.

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. (James 3:1)

I’m also reminded of other Scriptures as I studied what Dr. Kremer is teaching his flock.

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6)

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)

Yes, it may sound harsh to say that shepherds in churches can be “wolves” because of their destructive teaching. (I am not saying, though, that these shepherds are not Christians—I believe the destructive term can fit Christians as well as non-Christians.)
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

ANNE WORTHAM

Anne Wortham is Associate Professor of Sociology at Illinois State University and

continuing Visiting Scholar at Stanford University 'sHoover Institution.

She is a member of the American Sociological Association and the American Philosophical Association.
She has been a John M. Olin Foundation Faculty Fellow, and honored as a Distinguished Alumni of the Year by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.
In fall 1988 she was one of a select group of intellectuals who were featured in Bill Moyer's television series, "A World of Ideas." The transcript of her conversation with Moyers has been published in his book, A World of Ideas.
Dr. Wortham is author of "The Other Side of Racism: A Philosophical Study of Black Race Consciousness" which analyzes how race consciousness is transformed into political strategies and policy issues.
She has published numerous articles on the implications of individual rights for civil rights policy, and is currently writing a book on theories of social and cultural marginality.

Recently, she has published articles on the significance of multiculturalism and Afrocentricism in education, the politics of victimization and the social and political impact of political correctness. Shortly after an interview in 2004, she was awarded tenure.
This article by her is an interesting perspective on our current president:

___________________________________________________________

Fellow Americans,

Please know: I am Black; I grew up in the segregated South. I did not vote for Barack Obama; I wrote in Ron Paul's name as my choice for president. Most importantly, I am not race conscious. I do not require a Black president to know that I am a person of worth, and that life is worth living. I do not require a Black president to love the ideal of America .

I cannot join you in your celebration. I feel no elation. There is no smile on my face. I am not jumping with joy. There are no tears of triumph in my eyes. For such emotions and behavior to come from me, I would have to deny all that I know about the requirements of human flourishing and survival - all that I know about the history of the United States of America , all that I know about American race relations, and all that I know about Barack Obama as a politician. I would have to deny the nature of the "change" that Obama asserts has come toAmerica .

Most importantly, I would have to abnegate my certain understanding that you have chosen to sprint down the road to serfdom that we have been on for over a century. I would have to pretend that individual liberty has no value for the success of a human life. I would have to evade your rejection of the slender reed of capitalism on which your success and mine depend. I would have to think it somehow rational that 94 percent of the 12 million Blacks in this country voted for a man because he looks like them (that Blacks are permitted to play the race card), and that they were joined by self-declared "progressive" whites who voted for him because he doesn't look like them.

I would have to wipe my mind clean of all that I know about the kind of people who have advised and taught Barack Obama and will fill posts in his administration - political intellectuals like my former colleagues at the Harvard University 's Kennedy School of Government.

I would have to believe that "fairness" is equivalent of justice. I would have to believe that a man who asks me to "go forward in a new spirit of service, in a new service of sacrifice" is speaking in my interest.. I would have to accept the premise of a man that economic prosperity comes from the "bottom up," and who arrogantly believes that he can will it into existence by the use of government force. I would have to admire a man who thinks the standard of living of the masses can be improved by destroying the most productive and the generators of wealth.

Finally, Americans, I would have to erase from my consciousness the scene of 125,000 screaming, crying, cheering people in Grant Park, Chicago irrationally chanting "Yes We Can!" Finally, I would have to wipe all memory of all the times I have heard politicians, pundits, journalists, editorialists, bloggers and intellectuals declare that capitalism is dead - and no one, including especially Alan Greenspan, objected to their assumption that the particular version of the anti-capitalistic mentality that they want to replace with their own version of anti-capitalism is anything remotely equivalent to capitalism.

So you have made history, Americans. You and your children have elected a Black man to the office of the president of the United States , the wounded giant of the world. The battle between John Wayne and Jane Fonda is over - and that Fonda won. Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern must be very happy men. Jimmie Carter, too. And the Kennedys have at last gotten their Kennedy look-a-like. The self-righteous welfare statists in the suburbs can feel warm moments of satisfaction for having elected a Black person.

So, toast yourselves: 60s countercultural radicals, 80s yuppies and 90s bourgeois bohemians. Toast yourselves, BlackAmerica. Shout your glee Harvard,Princeton , Yale, Duke, Stanford, and Berkeley. You have elected "NOT" an individual who is qualified to be president, but a Black man who, like the pragmatist Franklin Roosevelt, promises to - Do Something! You now have someone who has picked up the baton of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. But you have also "FOOLISHLY" traded your freedom and mine - what little there is left - for the chance to feel good.
There is "NOTHING" in me that can share your happy obliviousness. God Help Us all...

August 28, 2012

Your Daily Caller Profile

By: Jamie Weinstein

Ron Paul and the Romney-Ryan are incompatible --Crazy people march -- What about Afghanistan? --Distraction Politics -- Poll of the Day: Obama up in Florida --Tweet of Yesterday

1.) Ron Paul and the Romney-Ryan are incompatible -- Paul Ryan suggested Monday that Ron Paul and the Romney-Ryan ticket see eye to eye on many issues and Paul supporters should feel "comfortable" voting for the ticket . TheDC's Jeff Poor reports:

"Texas Rep. Ron Paul stopped short of endorsing the Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan presidential ticket during his event on Sunday night, but Ryan has a message for Paul and his libertarian supporters. In an interview that aired on the Fox News Channel, host Bret Baier asked Ryan to address Paul. 'We see eye to eye on a lot of issues,' Ryan said. 'We believe in sound money. We believe in economic freedom. We believe in the founding principles. We believe this is a watersheds moment for America, whether we are going to reclaim the American idea or a cradle-to-grave welfare state which is where I think the president is taking us. So, I think in the final analysis Ron, he and his supporters should be comfortable with us.'"

Ryan has every reason to want to get Paul's supporters to vote for Romney and him, but in reality, there is a wide gulf between Ron Paul and the Romney-Ryan ticket. Sure, there are a few things they may agree on --- or kind of agree on. But whether it's foreign policy or (to a lesser extent) economic policy, the two camps are a considerable distance apart. Whether you're in the Paul camp or the Romney-Ryan camp, if you are honest with yourself, you realize the two camps just don't mesh.

2.) Crazy people march -- Anarchists were out in force in Tampa Monday, though perhaps not to the extent they hoped to be. TheDC's David Martosko reports:

"Anarchists descended on the site of the Republican National Convention on Monday and their anger, directed at both sides of the political aisle, compensated for their small turnout. So-called 'black bloc' anarchists marched mostly peacefully, with far greater numbers of police, Secret Service agents and uniformed National Guard troops keeping the peace. Secret Service sources told The Daily Caller that law enforcement preparations called for the ability to respond to crowds of more than 2,000 activists, although no one expected more than 500."

3.) What about Afghanistan?-- Mitt Romney ought to address Afghanistan in his convention speech Thursday night -- or somewhere else soon -- say conservative foreign policy experts. TheDC's Jamie Weinstein (ME!) reports:

"American Enterprise Institute foreign policy scholar Michael Rubin said that he would like to see Romney speak more clearly about Afghanistan. 'It's all well and good for Romney to embrace the rhetoric of American exceptionalism, but words are not enough,' he said. 'We are at war in Afghanistan. The one thing Obama has never done is to commit to victory in Afghanistan; it's about time Romney does, and demonstrate that he means it.' Foreign Policy Initiative executive director Jamie Fly agrees ...'I'd like to see both candidates talk more about national security, especially issues like Afghanistan and Syria, which I think neither campaign want to address head on because the solution to such problems aren’t politically popular right now,' he said."

How can America be at war in Afghanistan and our president and his top contender for the post so rarely address it?

4.) Distraction Politics -- According to Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, President Obama is trying to distract from his poor economic record with side issues. TheDC's Matthew Boyle reports:

"Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell told The Daily Caller he thinks President Barack Obama's re-election campaign is trying to use things like the recent national focus on abortion issues to distract from his 'failed' record as president. 'If you've got a horrible record on jobs and the economy and on debt and deficit, and you have no energy plan, then of course, you're going to change the subject,' McDonnell said in a phone interview. 'That's why you see so much attention from the Obama campaign on Romney's tax returns, on Bain Capital, on social issues. It's a very small-ball campaign --- a campaign of division and fear --- very different than the hope and change that you saw four years ago, which was uplifting and positive.'"

You don't say? Politicians trying to distract from issues that hurt them and focus on issues that may help them? Unbelievable.

5.) Poll of the Day: Obama up in Florida -- CNN/Time poll of Florida: President Obama 50%, Mitt Romney 46%. The RealClearPolitics polling average has Obama up by just 1%.

6.) Tweet of Yesterday -- Jon Ward: how much time do you have?!! RT @GovHowardDean: I am on Ed tonight talking about Lies in Politics!!

VIDEO: Chris Matthews accuses GOP, Romney of playing "race card"

Socially Awkward -- Gov. McDonnell: Obama focusing on abortion to distract from 'failed' record

CNBC host Larry Kudlow: Obama would rather punish the wealthy than fix the economy -- 'All he wants to do is bash rich people and bash businesses. It's crazy to me'

Conservative foreign policy experts on what Romney should say in RNC address -- 'It's all well and good for Romney to embrace the rhetoric of American exceptionalism, but words are not enough'

Mark Judge: Mitt's joke and Chris Matthews' demented mind -- It was a joke about Donald Trump, people.

Andrew G. Bostom: Army willfully ignores Islamic motivations behind Afghan killings of US troops -- The Army says that the killings are mostly the product of personal disagreements between soldiers.

Christian Whiton: Israel may give war a chance -- Will the close presidential race start a war? It just might.

Erik Telford: Obama has kept his promises of hope and change -- Conservatives should give the commander-in-chief some credit.

Connor Toohill: Pres. Obama and Gov. Romney -- It's time to speak with our generation -- Will the candidates accept an invitation to speak directly to young Americans?

Can't see this email? Click here to view in your browser.

Geopolitical Weekly - Poland's Strategy


	VIEW MORE: - Security Weekly Reports - Geopolitical Weekly Reports - Watch Videos - Gain More Access
Poland's Strategy By George Friedman \| Aug. 28, 2012 Polish national strategy pivots around a single, existential issue: how to preserve its national identity and independence. Located on the oft-invaded North European Plain, Poland's existence is heavily susceptible to the moves of major Eurasian powers. Therefore, Polish history has been erratic, with Poland moving from independence -- even regional dominance -- to simply disappearing from the map, surviving only in language and memory before emerging once again. For some countries, geopolitics is a marginal issue. Win or lose, life goes on. But for Poland, geopolitics is an existential issue; losing begets national catastrophe. Therefore, Poland's national strategy inevitably is designed with an underlying sense of fear and desperation. Nothing in Polish history would indicate that disaster is impossible. Read More »

Guns Save Lives

Bystander with Carry Permit Shoots and Kills Suspect With Headshot Who Was Attacking a Police Officer in Baton Rouge

Posted: 27 Aug 2012 11:31 AM PDT

Brian Harrison, with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s department, was escorting a funeral procession when he pulled George Temple over to write him a ticket for interrupting the procession. According to East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s spokesman Greg Phares, Temple then attacked Officer Harrison. Perry Stevens happened to be walking nearby when he heard Officer Harrison [...] Related posts:

IL County Attorney Pushing to “Decriminalize” Concealed Carry in His State

Posted: 27 Aug 2012 08:35 AM PDT

One attorney in IL is taking steps to insure that law abiding citizens would be able to protect themselves in public. However, instead of pushing for a costly licensing system, Ron Dozier, is proposing that concealed carry simply be decriminalized for law abiding citizens. Under his plan in order to charge an individual with illegally [...] Related posts:

Savannah, GA Homeowner Shoots and Kills Suspected Home Invader

Posted: 27 Aug 2012 06:30 AM PDT

According to Savannah-Chatham police, the occupant of a home in Savannah, GA confronted a late night intruder in their home. During the confrontation the occupant shot and killed the late night intruder. When police responded they were told there was a dead man inside the home. Police have not released the identity of the homeowner. [...] Related posts:

Wounded in NYC Empire State Building Shooting May Have All Been Shot by NYPD

Posted: 25 Aug 2012 07:25 AM PDT

USA Today is reporting that most, if not all, of the wounded civilians in the Empire State building shooting were more than likely shot by NYPD bullets. Nine people were wounded in the incident, which was originally reported as a mass shooting. However now the facts seem to point to a single homicide by the [...] Related posts:

Apparently LL Cool J’s Fists Are Deadly Weapons – Actor Breaks Intruder’s Jaw, Nose and Ribs

Posted: 24 Aug 2012 03:07 PM PDT

Actor and rapper, LL Cool J (James Todd Smith), found an intruder in his Los Angeles home around1am Wednesday morning. Smith went into action and physically confronted the intruder. Smith broke the intruders jaw, nose and several ribs. LL Cool J held the intruder until police arrived. LL Cool J’s family was unhurt during [...] Related posts:

Monday, August 27, 2012

Around the World with Ken Ham

If You Get the Drift

Posted: 27 Aug 2012 06:45 AM PDT

When I was in Northern Ireland earlier this month, we noticed that a brief movie review appeared in a newspaper just to the south of us in the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Times on August 10 offered a brief review of the movie Ice Age: Continental Driftand it alluded to our Creation Museum. Here is how it read.

Ice Age: Continental Drift
Directed by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier. Voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Seann William Scott.
The latest indifferently animated Ice Age flick passes the time amiably in the manner of a mid-budget Saturday morning cartoon. Suburban mammoths argue. The squirrel is still funny. Ho-hum. The film is, however, remarkable in one regard. Showing a disdain for science that would seem extreme at a hearing on the teaching of creationism in Kentucky,Continental Drift argues that North America tore itself from Africa in an afternoon. Pardon? G cert., gen. release, 92 min. [emphasis ours]

So not only was there an allusion to our creationist ministry in Kentucky (most likely a reference to our Creation Museum, which has been mentioned in the Irish press a few times over the years) but also to our belief that the continents separated relatively quickly and did not “drift” over millions of years as the secularists believe.
Find more information on plate tectonics and “continental drift” in the Get Answers section of our website.
However, the exciting thing in regard to such exposure is that I do see the Creation Museum, AiG, etc. being referenced or alluded to around the world. There is no doubt that this ministry has made an international impact—regardless of how the secular press portrays us. By the way, here is what a Northern Ireland columnist wrote about our recent ministry tour.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

SM1'S BLOG 4 U

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Around the World with Ken Ham

Thoughts on Todd Akin from a Missouri Native

Geopolitical Weekly - Poland's Strategy

Poland's Strategy

Guns Save Lives

Monday, August 27, 2012

Around the World with Ken Ham

Featured Post

RT @anti_commie32: Keep up the great work!!! https://t.co/FIAnl1hxwG

Popular Posts

wibiya widget