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pastorphilip

Listed below are comments made by pastorphilip between Monday, 17th August 2009 and Saturday, 21st November 2009.

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How religious was Einstein? 9:21pm on 21 Nov 2009 I'm told that when Einstein was asked if he believed in God, part of what he said was: "We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library, filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books; it does not know how....That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human beings towards God. We see the universe marvellously arranged and obeying certain laws, but only dimly understand these laws."

It appears that Einstein - while not believing in a personal Creator - recognised design in nature, and humbly acknowledged the limitatons of human knowledge.

Not a bad place to start. But those with a Bible in their hands can go considerably further.....just as far as God's revelation of Himself in Scripture takes us.
Don't label me ... 09:05am on 21 Nov 2009 Forgive my late entry into the discussion - had problems proving my identity to the BBC!

As I understand it, under European Law parents have the right to bring up their children according to their beliefs and convictions. There will, of course, come a time when children decide whether or not to embrace these as their own, but to leave them confused about their identity as regards the tradition into which they were born seems to me to be a thoroughly bad idea.

(BTW, this particular aspect of EU law should guarantee that the Christian view of origins, according to the Bible, ought to be respected and not ridiculed to children, when it reflects the convictions of the child's parents. Don't you agree?)
Atheists reach out to agnostics 4:47pm on 27 Oct 2009 It is worth remembering that an individual's search for God needs to involve more than the intellect.

The Bible says: "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29v13)Intellectual inquiry on its own simply won't cut it.

Is it unfair to suggest that many atheists and agnostics seem to look for God in the same way a burglar looks for a policeman?!
Ted Haggard: the fight-back continues 10:03pm on 26 Sep 2009 Helio,

Isn't 'Common Sense Atheism' a contradiction in terms?
Assisted suicide: to prosecute or not to prosecute? 08:59am on 25 Sep 2009 No-one could minimise the trauma of those who are terminally ill, or the emotional agony of family and friends looking on. As a pastor, I have had to observe such sad situations at close quarters.

However, there are very clear reasons why no Christian could ever agree with assisted suicide:

1. Our lives belong to God: it is for Him to decide when our time on earth is done.

2. In Scripture several people asked God that their lives should end - in none of those cases was that prayer answered.

3. Christians know that death is not the end of existence - we will all live forever somewhere. One question that demands an answer is therefore "If I bring my loved one's life to an end, where am I sending them to?" Why are we afraid to address this vital issue?
Darwin on Newsnight 10:15am on 14 Sep 2009 I caught part of the discussion on Newsnight, and noticed - once again - the absence of a credible Christian spokeperson to put the Biblcal position. (Kind of reminded me of a previous occasion on Newsnight, when it took 3 people to try to answer Ken Ham of AIG in another 'balanced' debate!!!!)

Interesting that the film has been given the title 'Creation'....wonder how much of that thought will come through? I can recommend the CIM documentary 'Voyage that shook the World' as thoughtful look at Darwin's life and work - and the conclusions that flow from it.
John Rawls on Religion 09:04am on 08 Sep 2009 That man is a moral being is clear to all thinking people. How there can be any ultimate right and wrong without an absolute moral standard is not so clear. To have a bottom line in morality requires acknowledgement of a Sovereign Creator.....GOD.

"Every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14v12)
One thing that separates man from the animal creation is that he is morally accountable.
Rejecting the concept of God does not postpone that ultimate appointment!
How to read John Calvin 10:52pm on 30 Aug 2009 Thought this morning's piece on Calvin was both interesting and very balanced. Thanks to Bert, Will and the rest of the SS team.
Some creationists have been doctored 2:01pm on 18 Aug 2009 A few examples of things which point to Creation rather than Evolution:

* Evidence of design in the Universe, the earth, and Man himself. (The planet on which we live gives all the indication of having been fine-tuned for human life.)We are surrounded by observable natural laws.

* Man is clearly different from other animals - physically, mentally and spiritually.

* The absence of transitional forms in the fossil record - the 'missing link' is still missing;

* Philosophically, the Creation model is certainly preferable to one which says we came from nothing, are here for no reason and are headed nowhere. The Bible teaches that Man finds his fulfillment in being rightly related to God - the inner longings of our own hearts confirm that this is so.

* While we are God's creation, we are flawed because of sin (see Genesis 3), and - in contrast to the idea that we are getting better and better - the evil we observe in our world can be traced back to sinful human nature. This, of course, is why we needed a Saviour, which God provided in the person of His Son,Jesus Christ, Who died on the Cross to make it possible for our relationship with God to be restored.

Of course, there is very much more, and an abundance of material available to help in getting to grips with this neglected body of evidence.
Some creationists have been doctored 5:25pm on 17 Aug 2009 I'd have thought 'Christian Atheist' was a contradition in terms....but perhaps the comment was tongue-in-cheek!

Few people seem to be aware of the scientific evidence which is consistent with the creation model, simply because that information is effectively censored from public view. (eg no series of programmes
called 'God's Blueprint' on BBC N. Ireland!)

Professor Verna Wright observed that, in so many places, 'Evolution is not debated - it is regarded as a basis for further discussion: that is brainwashing.'

As I say, honesty in this area seems to be scarce!

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