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Showing posts from 2018

The Celebration of Christmas

Yes, we celebrate Christmas. No, we will not be manipulated into feeling guilty about it by Reverend Dourpuss or uninformed, legalistic Christians. Or professing atheists who pass along falsehood. Claims that Christmas is based on plagiarized pagan and mythic figures are false, pilgrim. Credit: Pixabay / RitaE I'll allow that there are some errors in our traditions, such as the Magi visiting Jesus in the stable (their visit was a year or two later, and it was probably a large group, not just three). What if Christmas did have pagan associations? If that was true, then Christians who shun Christmas are inconsistent because several things we know and use today actually do have pagan origins — which are largely forgotten. Those people might want to avoid the days of the week and months of the year if they want to be consistent, for example. December 25? I have read and some interesting arguments that insist that Jesus was indeed born on that date. Then I read others that make

Inner Survival Alarms

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen We all have various reactions to different kinds of alarms, whether conditioned, learned, or provided by the Master Engineer. Some reactions may be a combination of inner and learned, such as reaching for a gun or freezing in place at hearing a growl in the dark. When the smoke alarm goes off, we take some kind of action. Sirens from emergency vehicles prompt us to locate the sources and get out of the way. We several built-in alarms. Credit: Morguefile / Stuart Whitmore Something goes bang, you look in the direction of the sound. Hearing a strange noise at night can wake many people up so they can check it out or call the police. One time, I sat upright in bed because I had stopped breathing and disremembered to continue, but that passed. Smelling smoke, with or without an audible alarm, can get you moving. Taking hold of a hot pan sends a very fast message in your system to let go in a hurry.  Animals have inner alarms too, of course. Sometimes I wor

Ken Ham and Me

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Edited 11-07-2018 Somewhere around 1990 or 1991, I attended an Institute for Creation Research seminar in Schaumburg, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago). I first met Ken Ham ("on loan" from the Creation Science Foundation, if I have it right). Also, I met Drs. Henry M. and John Morris, Dr. Duane Gish, and I think a few others. Although I was not completely new to creation science and had been receiving ICR materials, this seminar made a big impression on me. Part of the reason was Ken Ham's presentations. Original image before modification courtesy of Answers in Genesis ICR, Answers in Genesis , Creation Ministries International , Creation Today , and other biblical creation science ministries uphold the authority of Scripture, the importance of foundations, and show how real science supports the Bible. But Ken's presentations had humor and directness that impacted me. Even in the period when I rudely put God on the back burner, I still h

Don't Let's do the Genetic Fallacy Our Ownselves

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen One of the first fallacies used by people who need rescuing from inconvenient truths is to reject something based on its source. This is known as the genetic fallacy . Now, don't be galloping on ahead of me. It can take a mighty long time to consider the truth claims based on every source, so those can be weeded out if they have a record of biased, sensational, or just plan silly reporting. For instance, Pravda (meaning "truth") was a propaganda arm of the Soviet Union, and people both inside and outside the USSR knew there was no truth in Truth back then. Many times, people will reject something, valid or not, because they dislike the source and the content gets them angry. Credit: Unsplash / Егор Камелев Atheists and evolutionists reject articles and videos from Christians and biblical creationists because they came from sources that they dislike. One tinhorn refused to consider secular science refuting his adoration of an interstellar

The BBC Evolution Test Fails

For a long time, the British Broadcasting Corporation was a trusted news source, and respected around the world. It's a mix nowadays. Some news is accurate, but quite often, the BBC shows a leftist bias.  On a side note, I was scolded by a miscreant for stating that the BBC was leftist and providing three supporting links . As expected, he retaliated. In this case, he dismissed two of the links because they were of the Daily Telegraph, a news source that is considered moderate, but he called "right wing". He ignored the content that was linked. Ironically, the third link that he ignored was indeed to a news organization with a Conservative bias. Let's get back on the trail we were riding, shall we? Credit: Freeimages /  Paul Pasieczny The BBC wanted to give people an educational quiz. It had seven questions with only true or false answers. No multiple choice, no shades of gray, no blanks to fill in, no essays. Since some folks are resistant to materialisti

What Will People Think of Me?

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Admit it, you've had some situation where you've said or done something where you seem as smart as a fence post, then been concerned about what other people think. It could have been making a comment on social media with bad wording or you speld somethn wrong. Maybe you were stopped at a traffic light and start mining for the irritation in your nose, then another car pulls up next to you and someone in the other car is looking. Or you pay for something at the convenience store and didn't have enough money, so you had to use a different method of payment. How often do we wonder what people think of us, and imagine that they keep that memory to make chin music with someone else? Then there are times you read something in social media and assume it's about you, so you get all het up even though you're not even named. Conversation , Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1879 Centuries ago, I'd be cutting up as a bratty child and my mother would say

Not Love is Not Love

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen While browsing social media, I came across the hash tag, "love is love", which was used in reference to homosexual relationships. This is nothing in which rational people can take pride. People hijacked the word "gay" as well as the rainbow (which they perverted for their own style), and are in open rebellion against God — their behavior is also unnatural. While it is irrational for atheists to wrap their identities in their rebellion against the God they pretend does not exist, it seems even more irrational for people to seek their identities in how they use their genitalia. It's mighty simplistic to write it all off as "love is love". As we have seen in the news and on the web, ever since the US Supreme Court redefined "marriage" to include same-sex relationships , there has been an increase in other deviant groups who want their sexual preferences recognized, accepted, and even celebrated. Those of us who be

Breaking News: C.H. Spurgeon did not Compose Sacred Writ

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Research indicates, science shows (when someone uses one or both of those phrases, you know something is guaranteed to be a fact) that the English Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon did not write any portion of the Bible. In addition, books of his sermons cannot legitimately be considered as sacred writ. Someone may object, "I don't cotton to your insinuation that Spurgeon fans think that his writings are infallible!" Well, I did get your attention, didn't I? Now let this child 'spain hisself. I'm choosing Rev. Spurgeon as my first example because so many people admire him. Yes, the "Prince of Preachers" had some good things to say. Yes, professing Christians know that he didn't get a revelation brought by an angel on golden plates that is to be a third testament to the Bible. No, I do not dislike him. In fact, many people that I admire use his material. Right, Phil, Todd, Dr. Mac, Dr. James, and others? I

Humor Fail

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Way back yonder, before Roku and other streaming devices, before we had the evil known as cable television, I saw an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show called "Father of the Week". It aired in 1962, so I appreciated it in syndicated reruns. Maybe I did see it on cable after all. Rob (his character) was giving a talk to the kids about being a comedy writer. When he stumbled , the kids laughed. He pointed out that people laugh because they are surprised; something is unexpected. The old slapstick pie-in-the-face routine lost its charm long ago because it was used so much, but can be funny when it has an unexpected twist. Surprise is lost when jokes have to be explained, and they're usually not as funny. My humor has been called "dry", and I see that this definition says that it is based on word play with a straight or "deadpan" expression. Well, some of my humor influences use plays on words. I like ambiguity in hu

Morality and Spy Stuff

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen What is spying ? That word has various meanings depending the individual. The meaning seems to have broadened nowadays, what with advances in technology, internet usage, and all that. Generally, it is obtaining information for your own purposes through secretive means. This is often done illegally or at least without the subject's knowledge and approval. Because I work with protected information, my employer has cameras to help them ride herd on us. Although we know about them, some folks feel "spied on". It is legal. Credit: Pixabay / Free-Photos Privacy concerns on the internet have given rise to encryption software for email and browsers, and even for files on your computer. Cyber security checks for and attempts to thwart spyware and malware that track your browser activity, and to keep hackers out of your system. Your smart TV is probably spying on you, and the makers do not have your best interests at heart. There is also industrial

Examining the Witnesses of the Resurrection

Using science, psychology, and years of refinement, investigators have developed some rather impressive systems at determining the truth of "Who did it" and "How it happened". This can apply to horrendous criminal cases, reasoning to a conclusion, and other applications. Credit: RGBStock / Robert Linder Circumstantial evidence can only get you so far. Forensic (historical) science involves determining past events with evidence that exists in the present, so it gets mighty difficult when a significant amount of time passes. Eyewitness accounts are extremely important, and when hitched to a team with circumstantial and forensic materials, you are likely to reach a logical conclusion. People who have watched courtroom dramas (on the screen or in person) may have encountered attorneys putting some hard questions to witnesses. This is to establish credibility or discredit the witnesses. In police matters, never let witnesses sit together . Separate them. Why? So

Thoughts on the Passing of Billy Graham

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen On February 21, 2018, a man beloved by millions of Christians died. Billy Graham was 99 years old, and spent decades preaching the straightforward gospel. I am not going to give you a mini biography since many other people have already done that. However, I have some things to say about him. Interesting that my father, a pastor in the ever-increasingly liberal United Methodist denomination, was fond of this Baptist preacher. Franklin (left) and Billy Graham, 1995, photo by Paul Walsh People packed out entire stadiums to see Billy Graham crusades, and many of those were supporters, some excited about his celebrity status, Christians bringing friends, the curious — and those who didn't know why, but were drawn by the Spirit of God. Although I had never attended a formal crusade, I think I was taken to see an associate of Graham, Leighton Ford . Back when I was a youngster, I was taken to see a movie from World Wide Pictures, the cinematic division of

Question Evolution Day and My First Video Interview

Although it is unlikely that anyone is interested, it is kind of fun for me to give background on some things that are old hat to many people. I seldom use Skype, and installed it in the first place for a media interview — if I recollect rightly. Bryan Melugin runs the site A Bit of Orange and posts videos under that name. I had posted several of his videos and articles at The Question Evolution Project , and we had corresponded a few times. Late in 2017, he contacted me about doing a video interview. He had done several others, and he takes them, splits them into smaller bits, does some editing, and presents them to the world. When he asked me, I was going through some rough patches and had things to deal with, so I said it would have to be later. We also had some scheduling conflicts, as both of his have jobs. It worked out that I had Monday, January 29, 2018 off from work so I could take care of some medical stuff in the morning. (It involved fasting, which I learned later

Mike Rowe Faces Intolerance of Opposing Views

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen People who watched the television show Dirty Jobs  that highlighted people who perform unpleasant and often hazardous work that allow the rest of us to keep our clothes and fingernails tidy know the host Mike Rowe. (The camera crew deserves high marks for getting involved as well!) If they doin't know him from the show, they may know his voice but not his name: this former opera singer uses his fabulous voice to narrate many documentaries and such. He is a professing Christian and an outspoken political Conservative, and uses his intelligence and wit to discuss his views. Someone may say that he's not a "real" Christian because he uses the occasional profanity, but I don't have such insight into someone's soul. Mike Rowe image credit: Wikimedia Commons /  Sklmsta I did not know that he also narrates a show called How the Universe Works, which promotes secular views on that subject, until a reader of The Question Evolution Projec