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Change of Address

2010-10-19T16:27:00.002-05:00

Luke Historians has moved to www.lukehistorians.com.

It's Not Just Science

2010-04-26T00:24:00.003-05:00

Dr. Cornelius Hunter's recent article offers yet another reason why it's important to be an accurate historian...

"The influence of evolutionary thought reaches far beyond science. Consider, for example, the histories we are given of how the theory of evolution arose. Charles Darwin and co-founder Alfred Wallace were deeply influenced by non scientific considerations and these influences have, to a certain extent, been explored. Janet Browne, Peter Bowler, Michael Ruse, Keith Thomson, Neal Gillespie, Adrian Desmond and James Moore are but a few of those who have elucidated the cultural, political and other non scientific forces that influenced Darwin and Wallace. As Bowler explains, historians are now far more concerned about the social environment within which scientific knowledge was generated, and far more willing to admit that the development of science is not the inevitable triumph of a series of factually true assertions about the natural world. That sounds like good, solid historiography. But there’s a catch.

Today’s history tellers cannot avoid the undeniable non scientific influences in evolutionary thought. But they do avoid the obvious implication; namely, that evolution entails non scientific premises. It is, as it were, a social construct. Evolution is a theory created by humans, out of human concerns that have very little to do with science..."

Click here to continue.

The Evolution of Evolutionary Thought: Why Historians Analyze Evolutionists But Not Evolution

2010-04-08T12:21:00.005-05:00

An interesting article from Dr. Cornelius Hunter's blog, Darwin's God: How Religion Drives Science and Why It Matters:

"One of the reasons evolutionists are convinced their theory is true is because of the way the species compare to each other. The patterns we find amongst the species, say the evolutionists, prove Darwin’s idea beyond a shadow of a doubt. Such arguments pervade the evolution genre—from textbooks to popular literature—but what exactly do they mean? To understand this we must understand the evolutionary mind. These arguments have circuitous histories and baked-in assumptions that are now long forgotten. But they are worth remembering. Here is one example.

In the early years of modern science it was argued that motion was caused by contact between masses. In this mechanical philosophy, influences in the natural world were assumed to be transmitted only by direct mechanical contact. And while this may seem intuitive, the related assumption that there can be no vacuum was less obvious. But it was taken to be a fact. As Rene Descartes wrote in 1644, “some make the mistake of imagining [the heavens] to be a totally empty space … there can be no such vacuum in nature.”

For Descartes the planets moved around the sun because they floated in a cosmic whirlpool. And although Isaac Newton later disproved any such Cartesian whirlpool effect, the Lutheran philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Leibniz later promoted Descartes’ ideas. As Leibniz explained in 1715, the principle of plenitude disproves the existence of vacuums in nature:

Now let us fancy a space wholly empty. God could have placed some matter in it without derogating in any respect from all other things. Therefore he has actually placed some matter in that space; therefore there is no space wholly empty; therefore all is full.
It was a good example of how rationalism can produce certainty in even the most obscure notions. Empirical evidence gives one a healthy respect for nature’s complexities, but thought experiments lead to tidy conclusions..."

Click here to continue reading.

What is True Science?

2010-04-04T19:23:00.004-05:00

"The sad confession which every true scientific man learns to make is, 'I am ignorant; I want to learn'" - Louis Agassiz
The history of science is one of my primary interests. What constitutes science, how scientific opinion and data has changed or appeared, and what sort of influence the whole field of science has on culture, as well as vice versa. Despite all its glory, science is, after all, a very narrow vacuum of understanding when viewed in a historical context. It can only tell us so much, and when the majority of society places upon it burdens and responsibilities it cannot live up to, distortion is inevitable.

Hmm, perhaps a chiseling of definitions is in order. After all, science can apply to different things when used in a general context (i.e., historical science). In the comments on my last article, a debate erupted over whether or not Creation and Evolution are falsifiable and therefore “real science.” I tried to explain that Creation and Evolution are scientific worldviews whose sub-hypotheses constitute predictions, which are falsifiable, which thus constitute “real science.” After thinking things through for awhile and looking things up, I realized why there was so much confusion over what is true science.

Empirical science, technically, is true science. Empirical science is a system of study which deals with observable and repeatable – and therefore testable or experimental – evidence. I suppose we could call it the “useful science,” because it is from empirical science that we get medical advancements. Sounds like the sort of material that should be able to solve all the world’s problems, right? Before you place your faith in it, consider this...

Click here to continue reading.

Ring Around the Origins, a Pocket Full of Folly

2010-04-04T19:17:00.003-05:00

…Asteroids, asteroids, we all fall down.

“Evolution is so ‘out there’ that it’s on its way out,” a friend told me. She had many reasons to conclude that it is irrational of some scientists to proclaim that macroevolution is fact. But I’m unable to agree that it is on its way out. After all, since when has being wrong ever warranted removal from discussion in contemporary science and media? There is a sort of philosophic necrophilia permeating the evolutionary realm – evolutionists will cling to the dead body of their hypothesis like William Faulkner’s eccentric character Miss Emily did in A Rose for Emily just because it is too desirable to give up. One atheistic scientist interviewed by Ben Stein said that he couldn’t imagine anything more boring than to believe that the world was created. Au contraire, but have it your way if you must.
But you have no reason to assert that Evolution is science and Creation is not. They are two different models offered to explain what we see in the natural world today. We must admit that a broad generalization is in this mix, as there are different flavors of creationism (i.e., old earth, young earth). Beneath these scientific worldviews are different hypotheses pertaining to specific areas of study. The idea is to see which model best explains the data that we have from research. An example of this method in action is that of the theories used to explain where the electrical current in the earth’s core comes from.

Click here to continue reading.

Asteroids, Homeschooling and the Associated Press - Oh my!

2010-03-09T13:16:00.003-06:00

The following satire offers a glimpse into the recent most ridiculous buzz:

It's Official: An Asteroid Wiped Out the Scientists 150 Years Ago
After all, when in doubt, blame an asteroid. No other disaster will do.

When I was a child I once acquired a mainstream “educational” coloring book about dinosaurs. The last page in the book featured two parrots with the caption, “This is what dinosaurs look like today.” But I thought they were called birds, and nobody forced me to think like that. Following that train of thought, I would later conclude that Evolutionists don’t know science from Adam.

Consider this quick test: What is science?

If you answered, “The only unbiased, infallibly truthful source of answers that we know of,” then you are likely of evolutionary upbringing. I don’t mean any personal offense, but you’re also wrong. Science never gives us infallible answers. Essentially, it only asks questions. Science is a procedural tool used to discern evidence about the workings of the natural world (the key word being discern). Colloquially speaking, the definition of science is more inclusive than that, but let us be technical here. After all, the beginning of a good education in a subject should be to define the subject, shouldn’t it? [Insert the next few thousand Socratic questions here]
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Archaeologists Find More Evidence to Support Biblical Narrative

2010-02-22T22:04:00.007-06:00

(AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)

"JERUSALEM – An Israeli archaeologist said Monday that ancient fortifications recently excavated in Jerusalem date back 3,000 years to the time of King Solomon and support the biblical narrative about the era.

If the age of the wall is correct, the finding would be an indication that Jerusalem was home to a strong central government that had the resources and manpower needed to build massive fortifications in the 10th century B.C.

That's a key point of dispute among scholars, because it would match the Bible's account that the Hebrew kings David and Solomon ruled from Jerusalem around that time.

While some Holy Land archaeologists support that version of history — including the archaeologist behind the dig, Eilat Mazar — others posit that David's monarchy was largely mythical and that there was no strong government to speak of in that era..."

Click here to continue.

Once again, I'm surprised at what the world has failed to know. I thought everybody knew this. But then again, not everybody realizes that faith can be reasonable and sometimes "reason" is really blind faith. I still have yet to see any archaeological or paleontological evidence of macroevolution that hasn't been revealed to be a hoax.

"'There's a kernel of historicity in the story of the kingdom of David,' [Aren Maeir] said."

Tell me about it...

Prophecy Fulfilled - Evidence that Supports the Bible

2010-02-12T21:34:00.005-06:00

From Proslogion, the blog of Dr. Jay L. Wile:

"Norwegian Shooter’s latest comment got me thinking about my journey from atheism to Christianity. As I look back on that journey, I realize how similar my experience was to that of Dr. Esther Su. As a scientist, I have to believe in things that are rational. As a result, when a girl who I wanted to date kept talking to me about Christianity, I dismissed it, because the brainwashing I had received from authors like Bertram Russell indicated that Christianity was not rational. Of course, as is the case with most brainwashing, that turned out to be 100% false, but it took me a while to figure that out.

This girl eventually took me to a debate between an atheist who was a scientist and a Christian who was a scientist. The debate was interesting, but what was more interesting was that the Christian gave several references that I could read to learn more about the shocking idea that Christianity is rational. I reluctantly looked into some of those references, and eventually, I learned that atheists had lied to me most of my life..."
Click here to continue.

One Nation Under GOD - State Preambles

2010-02-03T23:04:00.005-06:00

From Ray Comfort's blog:

"The below is for those of you who are unwitting history revisionists--who believe that the United States was not founded as a Christian nation.

See if you can count how many States mention 'God,' 'Author of existence,' 'Supreme Ruler' and 'Almighty God'..."

Click here to read them all!

A True Story Is A True Story

2010-02-02T12:10:00.002-06:00

Pam & Tim Tebow (AP Photo)

So let'em tell it!
Liberal women's groups et al are offended at the prospects of a Super Bowl ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam. The reason? Because it is "likely to convey an anti-abortion message." In our ultra-sterile revisionist environment, more and more people appear to be developing an allergic reaction to history...
Click here to continue reading.

The Bible Was Written Before It Was Quoted? No Kidding!

2010-01-17T22:15:00.002-06:00

Pottery shard dug up during excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa, near Israel's Elah valley.

3000-2000 B.C. - Job exclaims how badly he wants his words written in a book - with an iron stylus and lead, to be specific (Job19:23).

1600-1400 B.C. - The Book of the Wars of the LORD is referenced (Numbers 21:14).

1525-1405 B.C. - Moses writes in a book as a memorial to recite to Joshua (Exodus 17:14). Moses writes down all the words of the LORD (Exodus 24:4). Moses writes down the Law and gives it to the priests (Deuteronomy 31:9).

1400 - B.C. - The Book of Jashar is referenced (Joshua 10:13).

1020-971 B.C. - King David writes at least a hundred and twenty-three Psalms.

1000 - B.C. - King David (before ascending the throne) laments the death of King Saul and Jonathan and tells certain men to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow, and it is written in the Book of Jashar (2 Samuel 1:18).

950-931 B.C. - King Solomon writes 3,000 proverbs, 1,005 songs (1 Kings 4:32) and Ecclesiastes, in which he concludes that the writing of many books is endless (Ecclesiastes 12:12).

640 B.C. - Hilkiah the high priest finds the book of the Law in the House of the LORD (2 Kings 22:8). King Josiah tears his clothes upon discovering that his people have disobeyed YAHWEH's Law (2 Kings 22:11) [Note that this is BEFORE captivity in Babylon].

627-574 B.C. - Jeremiah writes down the prophecy of Babylon on a single scroll (Jeremiah 51:60).

483-473 B.C. - Queen Esther commands the establishment of the customs of Purim, and they are written in a book (Esther 9:32).

44-95 A.D. - Jude, half-brother of Jesus Christ, quotes the antediluvian writings of Enoch, indicating that the beginnings of written Scripture are far earlier than 3000 B.C. (Jude 1:14-15).

2010 A.D. - Some scientists believe that none of the Bible was written until 600 B.C., and are therefore astonished to find a piece of Hebrew writing from the era of King David.

"Until now, many scholars have held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further. But the newly deciphered Hebrew text is about four centuries older, scientists announced this month..." (From Live Science, January 15, 2010)

Did I miss something?

Now I finally understand why discussing the Bible with nonbelievers is like arguing with aliens from a different planet. I was trying to tell them about the real Bible, and all this time they thought I was talking about fragmented Babylonian calenders and love stories copied by hyperventilating Jewish captives. I'm becoming more and more convinced that believers and nonbelievers alike enjoy giving entirely too much credit to pagans.

~Amanda~

Post Scriptum - Don't anybody start on one of those rants about circular reasoning (as though I don't already know what it is). Haven't you heard of the External and Bibliographic tests? Get with it!

Jesus Christ, The Narrow-Minded Bigot?

2010-01-10T22:02:00.002-06:00

"It's a commonplace scenario that was repeated recently: Christian invites unbeliever to salvation. Unbelieving onlookers wag their heads and proceed to enact the contemporary equivalent of stoning or the lion's den, whichever stamps the notion out quickest..."

Click here to continue reading.

The Star of Bethlehem

2009-12-31T17:39:00.020-06:00

We could spend our entire lifetimes drinking in the evidence for the creative GOD of the Bible within the finite basin of our universe and still never find it dry - the fingerprint of an infinite Designer, no doubt! Are you not impressed by the design of the giraffe, that can bow and raise its long neck quickly without losing consciousness? Look to the bombardier beetle, with its built in arsenal of chemical weaponry. Not impressed? Look to the smallest unit of living matter, the cell. Not impressed? Look to the complex symbolism within the Hebrew and Chinese languages. Look to the precise chemistry of the atmosphere, the way a fish breathes under water, the way the immune system fights like a trained army, and the way a mammal nurses its young. Still not impressed? Look to the heavens.

Behold a system so mathematically precise that you can fast forward and rewind an image of its motions with modern software.

"The heavens are telling the glory of GOD; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world."
~ Psalm 19:1-4

The actual Hebrew words in those sentences that are often translated as "declaring" or "telling" are çâphar (ספד) and nâgad (נגד). The meaning of çâphar is

"to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by impl.) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intens. to recount, i.e. celebrate:-commune, (ac-) count, declare, number, + penknife, reckon, scribe, shew forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer." Strong's Concordance.

Ah, doesn't that sound astronomical?

The word çâphar is the same word used in Job 12:8, 28:27 ("Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out"), 1 Chronicles 16:24, Psalm 78:6 ("That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children...") and many other verses.

The meaning of nâgad is

"to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by impl. (causat.) to manifest; fig. to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); spec. to expose, predict, explain, praise:-bewray, x certainly, certify, declare (-ing), denounce, expound, x fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, x surely, tell, utter." Strong's Concordance.

The word nâgad is used in Genesis 41:24 (when Pharaoh told Joseph about his dream, "I told it to my magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me"), Esther 4:8, Job 31:37, Isaiah 3:9, 21:6, 41:22 ("Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; as for the former events, declare what they were, that we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce what is coming..."), and many other passages.

Read Psalm 19 with this fuller understanding of the beautiful Hebrew words çâphar (ספד) and nâgad (נגד) and no longer does it simply mean that the starry sky is an impressive display to reflect GOD's glory. The celestial bodies have been placed there with a mission to communicate and verify the entire saga of salvation.

"Then GOD said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years...'"
~ Genesis 1:14

The Hebrew word in that passage often translated as "signs" is 'ôwth (אות), which means

"a signal (lit. or fig.), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.:-mark. miracle, (en-)sign, token." Strong's Concordance

Before I delay any longer, I really must let you see what one Christian lawyer on a quest to understand the Star of Bethlehem discovered along the way.

Hint: Remember that YAHWEH named the stars, not man (see Job 9 and Amos 8) - different cultures have told stories to go along with the stars, but they haven't changed the names and their meanings. Then recall the great sign that appeared in heaven in Revelation 12 about the woman clothed with the sun; the moon at her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head. Now prepare to realize that there is something historically significant about December 25th, and no, it has nothing to do with pagans, Santa Clause, or even a manger.

Introducing, Frederick A. Larson...

Post Scriptum to skeptics - Still not impressed? There's more...

~Amanda~

Christmas Eve in History - "When Science Gets it Right"

2009-12-26T22:14:00.008-06:00

Ray Comfort reflects on a historical Christmas Eve:

"Today in History -- December 24, 1968: Apollo 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0_Ki_-4Sqg

William Anders:

"We are now approaching lunar sunrise and, for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness..."

Click here to continue.

Be sure to remember this priceless snippet at the end:

"When a whining (Mother of Atheism) Madalyn Murray O'Hare attempted to sue NASA for the above, the courts tossed the case out because it was out of their jurisdiction. Funny."

-UPDATE-

This subject was also written about by Stacy McDonald:

http://yoursacredcalling.blogspot.com/2009/12/december-24-1968.html

Winning America's Heart Back by Amanda Read (11/16/09)

2009-11-18T09:39:00.004-06:00

How often have you looked at someone who passionately disagrees with everything you stand for and thought, “just look at the facts! You can’t argue with facts, if these people would just look at the truth they would have to change their minds!”? I’m discovering that with some people, no matter how often the facts are crammed down their throats, their beliefs will not change.

This summer a little book by C.S. Lewis caught my attention. In The Abolition of Man: How Education Develops Man’s Sense of Morality, Lewis taps into how the educational establishment controls the way people believe. His analysis surprised me, but the more I thought about it, the more it appeared to be true. The secret to educators’ success in controlling the culture is not their appeal to intelligence or rationality, but their appeal to emotions. To put it memorably, brainwashing has more to do with the heart than the mind...

Click here to continue reading.

Image by The Cross-Eyed Blog and Webzine

Why Study Historical Costume? Analysis by Jennie Chancey

2009-10-04T22:39:00.005-05:00

Jennie Chancey gives a fascinating analysis of why the study of historical costume is more than just an enjoyable hobby:

"...The study of clothing isn’t therefore just a frivolous hobby for me or something I do for the sheer fun of it. It is fun, but I take it as seriously as I take the study of any other facet of history or literature. Clothing has told a story from the Garden of Eden onward, and to ignore the story or pretend it doesn’t matter is to become bound up in our own age as the be-all and end-all of civilization–which it most certainly is not. When I study portraits of my foremothers, I see character leap from the canvas. I gain a better understanding of biography, of place, of historical antecedents. It’s why I’m so grateful I have photographs of my ancestors dating back to the 1840s. It’s why I absolutely love the fact that the Proverbs 31 woman is represented as clothed with feminine dignity..."

Click here to read the entire article.

Comprehensive Atheist Bible Study on the Gospel of Luke (by Ray Comfort)

2009-09-18T22:28:00.011-05:00

Ray Comfort is doing a study of the Gospel of Luke at his blog, Atheist Central.

"However, thanks to Bruce and his Bible, I was inspired during the following night to begin a comprehensive atheist Bible study on the Gospel of Luke. Why Luke? Because that’s what I had been reading and thinking of how atheists should read this wonderful book.

So, we are going to give Luke an autopsy and dissect every verse, scrutinize it, find out its meaning, and leave the conclusion to the skeptic who has dared to set aside his prejudices and look solely at the evidence, wherever it may lead him. My hope is that, as with each of the four gospels, it will lead you to the cross. Feel free to join me. Get your scalpel ready. Here goes..."

Continue reading the series below:

Circular Reasoning
The Catholic Church and Peter
Steven Spielberg Blew it
Extra Terrestrial Beings
Unbelief for Dummies
Don't be Like Them
A Word Atheists Shouldn't Use
How to Read the Bible and Stay in the Dark
"Sorry Elizabeth." Richard Gunther (cartoonist)
Back to Doctor Luke
...and more

From "Circular Reasoning":

"God was the author, and men were simply the "pens" He used to communicate His Word to humanity. Does it live up to this claim? After searching the Scriptures daily for almost 40 years, I am persuaded beyond doubt that it does.

Luke was also the (Ghost-writing) author of the Book of Acts. As a doctor, his narrative is methodical, and very meticulous. The book was written around 60 years after Christ (1).

It begins, as does the Book of Acts, by addressing a man named "Theophilus." It would seem that this "most excellent Theophilus" was a Roman official, and not merely a friend or associate of Luke. Yet nothing is known about him from other historical evidence. Perhaps he was simply a Roman officer who expressed an interest in Christianity, and who better to write to him than a man who said that he "had perfect understanding of all things from the very first"? So the question comes down to, do we trust Doctor Luke? Should we unquestioningly swallow everything he prescribes in this letter? Of course not. More than 200,000 people die each year because they trusted the medical profession(2). Honest skepticism is healthy.

The reason why Luke wrote to Theophilus "an orderly account," was that he "may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed." In a world of uncertainty, Luke was hoping to give him the certainty of a solid rock upon which he could build--an "anchor of the soul" upon which he could trust."

ALERT: Christian Girl From Muslim Family Runs For Her Life in U.S.A.

2009-08-23T17:40:00.011-05:00

Rifqa Bary is the 17-year-old daughter of Muslim immigrants from Sri Lanka that reside in Ohio. She says she came to know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior four years ago, and when her parents discovered her conversion this summer she fled to Florida to escape the very real possibility of being taken back to Sri Lanka to be disposed of in an "honor killing" or to be placed in an insane asylum. Listen to Rifqa explain her peril in her own words:

The girl's full name is said to be Fathima Rifqa Bary, but she only calls herself Rifqa, which is actually a form of the Biblical name Rebekah. Let us keep her in our prayers.
Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs has exclusive in-depth research on the case at http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/rifqa-bary-slow-motion-honor-killing/.

Origin of the Unoriginal: Episode I by Amanda Read, (8/18/09)

2009-08-19T16:27:00.004-05:00

Are you prepared for the drama…the romance…the comedy…of the original science fiction story? Ironically, it happens to be a true story. Sit right back and you’ll hear how the unbelievable hypothesis became the darling tale of a once scientific Western Civilization.

The origin of the universe is the ultimate nucleus of all debate. “Where did we come from?” – that very question, in all its cliché simplicity, is the prequel to the ultimate factors that determine an individual’s worldview. It challenges a person to decide how to regard life, death, the universe and morality. There is no detouring around it, though there are so many intellectual “scientific” thinkers that insist upon imagining fine print complexities and tut-tutting away all supposedly childish speculations because they would much rather have the public quietly accept their theoretical spoon feeding. Perhaps this sort of situation has always existed in civilization to some extent. In the past two centuries, so much has happened so quickly that probably few have given much thought to the fact that the debate of origins was given a very peculiar treatment not too long ago. Ah, it doesn’t appear too out of the ordinary anymore, because we have grown up immersed in it, regardless of which side of the debate we actually stand on. But there are plenty of extraordinary things in history that no one likes to talk about any more. Perhaps this has become one of them...

Click here to continue reading.

Image by The Cross-Eyed Blog and Webzine

Resurrecting Two Great Queens by Anna Sofia & Elizabeth Botkin, (7/16/09)

2009-07-21T14:23:00.008-05:00

We think it is important for us to study the great women of the past — to be inspired by their examples, to learn from their mistakes, to study how God uses people for His glory.

For the Reformation 500 Celebration in Boston two weeks ago, we were given the opportunity to come as historical reenactors — a new experience for both of us, but one we’re very grateful for...
Click here to continue reading.

(Image by Luke Historians, with photographs from Visionary Daughters)

UPDATE:
Also check out the Botkin family's latest completed project, Illustrated Timeline of the Reformation, available at the First Pacific Media store.

Cream Puff Culture by Amanda Read (7/09/09)

2009-07-16T20:22:00.003-05:00

“One reason why sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake.”
– Billy Sunday

I recall reading that quote in one of my Christian Daily Planner journals when I was about ten years old. It didn’t strike me as being a very profound quote at the time, but it remained vivid in my mind. Then one day I fully comprehended the point – people treat sin like a cream puff by telling themselves, “Just a little taste of it here and there won’t hurt anybody,” when they should be avoiding it like a deadly, venomous snake. Perhaps out of fear of working too hard to be pure and righteous – as many fantasize our old-fashioned ancestors to have done – our nation at the relatively youthful age of 233 is a land of cream puffs that don’t see the serpent coming.
“We’ll overtake you soon because we have more children than you,” a Muslim doctor once told my great-uncle. I’m sure we’ve all heard some variation of the fact before: the average Muslim family has 8.1 children, while the American birth rate barely reaches the bare minimum for a culture to survive beyond 25 years – 2.11 children – and that is counting the influx of Latino immigration. Discounting the immigrants, the fertility rate of American citizens is a scanty 1.6. This means that there is a good chance the United States of America could become an Islamic-dominated nation (along with European nations) within 50 years unless something changes soon...

Click here to continue reading.

UPDATE:

A new article provides more insight: Fact Checking Muslim Demographics

(Image by The Cross-Eyed Blog and Webzine)

Adulterous Diplomacy by Amanda Read (6/25/09)

2009-07-16T20:12:00.002-05:00

Within his first few months in office, President Obama has been photographed bowing to a Muslim king and recorded telling the Muslim world that Islam has a “proud tradition of tolerance,” all the while keeping mum about the unprincipled election fiasco that is keeping Ahmadinejad in power over Iran...

Click here to continue reading.

(Image by The Cross-Eyed Blog and Webzine)

The Mission Behind Luke Historians

2009-07-08T00:10:00.003-05:00

We will base our research and writings on the truth-seeking principles outlined by Luke, a follower and contemporary of JESUS CHRIST during the first coming, and author of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of the Acts of the Apostles.

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” - Luke 1:1-4

Our goals, therefore, are:

To compile accounts of things accomplished among us in our day and age, particularly the workings of members of the Body of CHRIST influencing various fields of mission locally and abroad (also including government, medical, science, film, music, literature, etc.).
To investigate and follow carefully from the beginning - that is, explore historical precedents, examine primary sources and contact eyewitnesses that offer insight into current events, and educate readers, viewers and listeners that might not otherwise have access to these materials.
To write out these findings in a consecutive, logical order and communicate them both efficiently and creatively; devote ourselves to the study of languages and cultures that will help us better understand and communicate as such (i.e., Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Latin...and contemporary languages).
To (with prayer for anointing from the HOLY SPIRIT) present the intellectual case for the Faith and Hope that is in us (the Biblical Worldview - 1 Peter 3:15), so that other believers (and nonbelievers whose hearts and minds are open) may know the exact truth about the things they have been taught.