Month: January 2011

Evolution and the Flying Spaghetti Monster

Post author By Peter Wilson
Post date January 23, 2011
No Comments on Evolution and the Flying Spaghetti Monster

In 2005, Bobby Henderson wrote a letter to the Kansas State Board of Education expressing his opposition to their recent decisions concerning the teaching of Intelligent Design. He claimed to be a member of a parody religion known as Pastafarianism which worships the Flying Spaghetti Monster. His skillful use of rhetoric and humor turned the idea into an Internet phenomenon – today it has a polished website and 14.6% of the French editors of Wikipedia claim to believe in it. Yet, his own parody easily shows the foolishness of these common anti-creationist arguments.

The argument generally goes that if Intelligent Design or anything else that might be characterized as creationism is allowed to be taught alongside evolution, then every single creation story must be included, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. This argument embodies the perspective that the notion of a creator God is just as silly, imaginary, and unscientific as, well, a Flying Spaghetti Monster (hereafter known as the FSM). One need not provide further evidence to point out the atheistic nature of this line of thinking.

I once pointed out in a discussion with an ardent atheist that belief in evolution requires a belief that such a ridiculous creature could one day evolve. I posited that an octopus could eventually take on characteristics that allow it to fly, giving an air-bound creature the “noodly appendages” that are so emblematic of the FSM. His predictable retort described me as totally ignorant regarding what Darwinism is all about. Little did I know that I’d be vindicated by a project called The Future Is Wild, which includes a documentary and a cartoon series aired on Discovery Kids.

The project is centered around imagining what creatures might be around 5, 100, or even 200 million years from now. Yet, they repeatedly claim that it involves much more than that:

“Every animal and plant in The Future is Wild could really exist. Our science team devised each one as a viable, living organism. Their place in the environment, their life cycle and their place in the food chain are all authentic.”

What’s more, the team involved in the creation is not made up of artists, but 16 scientists that are “experts in fields such as geology, climatology and biology.” To be clear, they are claiming that the processes of biological change originally theorized by Charles Darwin could realistically make their imagined world come to life given the right conditions and enough time. That’s where Squibby comes in.

Squibby is the playful pet of the main characters of the cartoon series. He is a cross between a Gibbon (which resembles a monkey) and a squid (yes, a squid), giving him the proper name, “Squibbon.” The resemblance to the FSM is striking:

Because of their tree-dwelling ancestry, squibbon can “fly” through the trees. The relation to a squid gives it the same “noodly appendages” as the FSM (the Future Squid Monkey?) Really, except for the fact that the squibbon only has one large round body mass instead of two, these two creatures are not decidedly different from one another.

Galatians 6:7 tells us that God s not mocked. Indeed, when vast numbers of people reject their creator, the resulting foolishness is limited only by our imagination. The absurdity of Henderson’s “monster” makes it an effective and humorous parody. As we have seen, atheists themselves must believe such a ridiculous thing could someday exist in order to be consistent in their worldview.

Tags FSM, intelligent design, scoffers

Culture Current Events History The Last Days The World

Worshiping Moloch

When we read the Bible and come across Moloch, the God to which people offered babies as a sacrifice, we seldom think it has anything to do with people of our time. You’ll be surprised to discover we’re really not all that different.

Worshiping Moloch.

Tags abortion, idols

Reward The Christian

Reward in Heaven

Recently a friend asked me a question about the reward mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:14:

If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

He had heard that the promised reward was contingent upon a Christian’s Bible reading and/or spiritual knowledge. My friend is wise to mull over this reward as Colossians 3:2 clearly tells us to “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Comparing scripture with scripture will shed some light on the subject of rewards and works.

Before getting into the main passage, let’s sidetrack to a similar subject presented in the Gospels. The Bible tells us in Matthew 6:20 that we should not lay up treasures on earth, but treasures in heaven. What are these treasures? Is it possible they are related to the reward in 1 Corinthians 3:14? We are not given any direct connection between the two verses, but Matthew 6:20 gives scriptural support to the idea that treasures (rewards) in Heaven are a biblical idea and not a lone, misunderstood verse.

Again in the Gospels, consider Mathew 25:20-30. Here we read the parable of servants and talents which clearly indicates a possibility of authority and/or rule over things to come based on what we do here with our resources in this life. God seems to be telling us that our faithfulness will be rewarded when we see him again. Again, no direct connection is given to the verses above, but we do have further support that all may not be equal in Heaven. This would correspond much more to a capitalistic class system rather than a socialistic or communistic approach where all are theoretically given equal privileges.

In ,light of this, what does the reward in 1 Cor 3:14 refer to? Are we rewarded according to the level of our Bible reading, spiritual knowledge, or something else? Reading this verse within the broader context of verses 1-15 will lead us to the answer.

Paul begins Chapter 3 by informing us that he is dealing with carnal Christians who are mere babes in Christ. He continues in verse 2 by elaborating that Christians must begin their studies drinking spiritual milk before they are ready for spiritual meat. Paul then proceeds to denounce divisions (i.e. modern denominations) that in his day were centered on Paul and Apollos (similar to Calvin, Luther, et. al.). Paul explains in verse 6-7 that man can plant spiritual seeds and water but God brings the increase.

1 Cor 3:6-7 is a scriptural continuation of the harvest verses of Matthew 9:37-38, Luke 10:2,John 4:35 and the sower parable of Matthew 13:3 and Luke 8:5. Verse 8 elaborates that the planter and waterer are one (as in the body of Christ), but even so, each individual Christian will receive a reward according to their own labor. Verse 9 tells us that we labor with God as both his husbandry (workers) and that we are his building built on the foundation of Jesus Christ (verses 10-11).

Now the clear message begins to come to light. Paul proceeds to tell us in 1 Cor 3:12 that Christians can build precious things or worthless stubble on their spiritual foundation of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, in verses 13-15; God will make this work manifest by trying it with fire. Any man’s work that survives this fiery purge will be given to him as a reward, while any man’s work that burns shall be a loss. This is very important to read for two reasons. First, it is clear that our actions on this earth have an impact on our heavenly reward. Second, it gives rock-solid support for the doctrine of eternal security!

Now, having read 1 Corinthians 3:14 within the context of 1 Corinthians 1-15, we should have a better understanding of the reward we will receive. As can be seen by the verses in context, the reward Paul discusses is first mentioned in 1 Corinthians 8. 1 Corinthians 8 clearly attributes the reward to the same Christians mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6-7. These Christians are not earning this reward through regular bible study or spiritual knowledge but through earnest attempts at evangelism and witnessing to the lost. What does this mean for us? It means we need to stop using bible studies and prayer meetings as excuses to avoid what we are called to do: witness to the lost.

In order to properly finish this biblical analysis, I must end it on a caveat. God knows your heart (Acts 1:24, Acts 15:8, Romans 8:27). If you read this article and go running off to witness based solely on a desire for God’s rewards: you are falling into a similar error as that of Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:21). Conversely, if you are spiritually lazy, do not use the pretence of not seeking rewards as an excuse to not witness (Matthew 25:26, Hebrews 6:12, Ephesians 6:6). I pray that you will seek the spiritual middle ground and witness for the same reason that we obey God in any other facet of our lives – solely because it pleases him (1 Corinthians 1:21, 2 Timothy 2:4).

Tags reward, works

Cool Tools MetaV The Bible Vision

Quality Interaction

I’ve been out shopping for cars recently, and it has reminded me of one of the shortcomings I’ve noticed among Christian websites I tend to visit. As usual, I intend to fill this gap through our efforts at SoulLiberty.com. Let me explain.

Something I appreciate about car websites is that they put a lot of effort into showing you the main features of each model. I can see the inside and outside, and often do a 360-degree tour. In each view, I can see certain areas featured; click on them and find out more details, see a video, etc. Of course, a lot of this is designed to dazzle the buyer into an emotional state where he simply must have that car becuause “it’s just so cool!”

But aren’t certain things about the Bible just “so cool?” I happen to think so. Then, why not present things in such a way that conveys that feeling to the new or maturing Christian student? If a storytelling professor can make statistics look like the most interesting thing in the world, can’t geeky web designers do the same with the most epic and fascinating story of all time?

Guttenberg invented the printing press for one big reason: to distribute the Bible to as many people as possible. That was a time when Christians were the master of new technology intended to carry out God’s calling. Today, the most high-tech ideas are motivated by material gain or fulfilling other carnal lusts. How can we begin to turn this back around?

One place to start is by implementing today’s technology to aid in teaching Biblical ideas. Yes, churches and ministries are always adopting new tools, but they were new to the world 5-10 years ago. One of my 2011 goals is to bring the Bible itself into a tool that is barely over a month old. That’s the future. Right now, we have some catching up to do.

Go back to the car example: our website applied that years-old idea to the Ark of the Covenant. While a clip from Indiana Jones might invoke the “that’s so cool” thoughts, I felt it would be better to make something different. What we have now is a 3-D model of the Ark that can be explored from the exterior and interior. You can click on icons to learn about key features, just like that Corvette you’ve been drooling over. It’s interesting, informative, and biblical. It links yesterday to today through technology and by linking the Ark’s symbolism to our daily Christian walk.

What I am not advocating here is a wordly approach to evangelism with focus groups, high-pressure marketing campaigns, and so on. There’s nothing wrong with advertising, however. Isn’t that what evangelism is anyway – advertising the Gospel far and wide? I’m also not arguing that putting a little more glitz into a website will have a direct impact on the visitor’s journey to salvation. I’m simply pleading for a higher standard. Give God your best each and every day in everything you do, and it will eventually rub off on others.