You! MC O-Rigins (Wesley the Creationist)

In 2006 Abingdon Press (Methodist publisher) put out Can You Believe in God and Evolution: A Guide for the Perplexed by Ted Peters and Martinez Hewlett. They discuss creationism, intelligent design and evolutionary theism. If they follow the example of John Wesley (d. 1791) they will join the ranks of Orthodox Protestants who take Genesis as Historical Narrative (OPGHN, “opgane”) who believe that creation took place in six regular days and that the Global Flood of Noah’s time was a significant geologic event.

Regarding the Fourth Day of Creation Week, John Wesley comments, “This is the history of the fourth day's work, the creating the sun, moon and stars.” Note that we have the creating of stars and not just their appearance (as progressive creationists claim). Often it is stated that Genesis tells us the “Who” of creation but not the “How.” In contrast, we read in Wesley’s commentary on Genesis, “The work of creation not only proceeded gradually from one thing to another, but advanced gradually from that which was less excellent, to that which was more so.” The six days of Creation Week go from less complex to more complex. Even the most basic atom is complex if we go down to the quark level.

Wesley comments on the sixth day and the how of creation:

The evening and the morning were the sixth day - So that in six days God made the world. We are not to think but that God could have made the world in an instant: but he did it in six days, that he might shew himself a free agent, doing his own work, both in his own way, and in his own time; that his wisdom, power and goodness, might appear to us, and be meditated upon by us, the more distinctly; and that he might set us an example of working six days, and resting the seventh. And now as God reviewed his work, let us review our meditations upon it; let us stir up ourselves, and all that is within us, to worship him that made the, heaven, earth, and sea, and the fountains of waters. All his works in all places of his dominion bless him, and therefore bless thou the Lord, O my soul [emphasis added].

Wesley said that numerous geologic formations were “doubtless formed by the general Deluge.” [1] Wesley held that the original “very good” creation held no death, disease or destruction. [2] Wesley tells us that at the perfect beginning, “there were no agitations within the bowels of the globe, no violent convulsions, no concussions of the earth, no earthquakes…” [3] Thus, the evidence of death and devastation in the fossil record must be post-Fall. Originally, man and beast were vegetarian (Ge 1:29-30). Wesley comments, “there were no birds or beasts of prey; none that destroyed or molested another; but all the creatures breathed, in their several kinds, the benevolence of their great Creator.” [4] There are fish eating fish in the fossil record, so it must be post-Fall. Regarding the Lord’s promise not to send another worldwide flood, Wesley said, “God had drowned the world once, and still it is as provoking as ever; yet he will never drown it any more, for he deals not with us according to our sins.”

The topic of creation was so important to Wesley that he wrote the two volume work Survey of the Wisdom of God in the Creation (1763). [5] Wesley was a creationist and held that creation occurred about 4000 years before Christ. [6]

If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don’t believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can’t see, the things of God? (Jn 3:12, Message)

May your heart also be "strangely warmed."

Notes:
1) Refuting Compromise by Jonathan Sarfati (Master Books, 2004), p. 130.
2) ibid.
3) ibid., p. 199.
4) ibid., p. 206.
5) The Great Turning Point by Terry Mortenson (Master Books, 2004), p. 42.
6) ibid.

Adam to Abraham (A2A): The Dating Game

Orthodox Protestants who take Genesis as Historical Narrative (OPGHN, “opgane”) believe the Genesis record gives us a clear chronology from Adam to Abraham. There is no evidence of gaps. [1] Seth named Enosh (Ge 4:26) so he was his direct descendant and not a distant relative. In Jude 14 we are told that Enoch was the seventh from Adam, so no gaps are possible there. Lamech named Noah (Ge 5:29) so he was his biological father and not his great great grandfather. Arphaxad must be the son of Shem and not his grandson since he was born just two years after the flood. Methuselah’s name means “when he dies it shall be sent” and the year of his death is when the Global Flood started. This shows how accurate and tight the historical chronology from Genesis is - Methuselah could not have died after the Flood!

Adam and Eve lived at the beginning of creation not millions of years later (Mk 10:6). Since the beginning of creation man has been able to see God’s eternal power and divine nature through observing creation (Rom 1:20) – man has existed since the beginning and is not a latecomer in cosmic history. If millions of years really existed before the Flood, scripture could have made that plain. Second Chronicles 14:9 refers to a million man fighting force.

Jacob told Pharaoh that his life so far was short (130 years) compared to his forefathers (Ge 47:9), thus confirming the long ages of the antediluvians (900’s). The Sumerian King List also documents long ages before the Global Flood and a drastic reduction in life spans afterward. The Sumerian King List shows eight kings before the flood and if we don’t include Adam and Noah, this matches the historical chronology from Genesis. The Sumerian system of math was based on 60 instead of the decimal system (base 10). If we convert the life spans of the line of Seth from decimal to base 60 we can see that the Sumerian King List is somewhat close to the actual values from Genesis. For Mahalalel we have 8*3600=28,800 and 9*60=540. The totals for all eight differ by only 5%.














To many, long life spans seem incredible. Just think of the number of dreams Adam had in 930 years. One way to live longer is to avoid disease. A group of dwarfs in southern Ecuador get neither cancer nor diabetes due to their unique genetic makeup.

We can see from this chart by Walt Brown (click to see larger image) that Adam lived at the same time as Methuselah, Methuselah lived at the same time as Shem and Shem lived at the same time as Isaac! So Isaac could have verified Shem’s first hand knowledge of the genealogy, Shem could have done the same with Methuselah and Methuselah could have checked his facts from Adam himself! A chronology you can trust from the man made from dust. Adam and Eve had plenty of practice with number theory when they counted the thousands of stars at night. Bookkeeping the “begats” would be no problem for the first Edenite.

From Adam to the Flood is 1656 years. For hundreds of years people could chat with the perfect couple (initially) who once lived in a utopia named Paradise. Both Genesis and Josephus agree that Abraham was born 290 years after the Flood. [2] Abraham could have compared his genealogy with Shem, who was still alive in his time. Abraham is generally considered to be living around 2000 BC. Therefore, the traditional date of creation of around 4000 BC seems correct. The Mayan calendar places creation at 3114 BC which is not that far from the date of 4004 BC given by Ussher.

Some reply that radiometric dating forces a lengthening of the Genesis chronology. The book and DVD “Thousands not Billions” provide decisive evidence that radioactive dating actually supports the Young Earth Science (YES) position. This book, which summarizes the findings of the RATE project includes both scientific and biblical evidence.

All the men named in these genealogies were sinners: “Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One” (1 Tim. 1:15, Message).

NOTES:
1) Refuting Compromise by Jonathan Sarfati (Master Books, 2004), pp. 289-297.
2) ibid., p. 291.

Dear Geico

I love your funny “caveman” ads, but disrespect for our ancestors is looked down upon by many cultures of the world. Your underlying message seems to be, “It not only takes a village, it takes a village idiot named Caveman to sell insurance.” During the Ice Age it made sense to live in caves!

The most famous cavemen were the Neanderthals.  New Man, that is what Neanderthal means, is my brother. The Choctaw, of which I am a member, have a tradition that all people spoke the same language (Choctaw) and that after building a tall mound to reach the sky the languages were confused. This is a variant rendition of the historical account of the Tower of Babel found in Genesis (Adam’s favorite book). That is, all peoples, including Neanders, have a common origin. An update from the journal Archaeology provides evidence that Neanderthals and moderns interbred.  

Some Neanderthals had red hair! Neanders made wood structures covered with hide. They made javelins, a flute, body ornaments and used fire and spices for cooking. They even made a deep underground structure without natural light. 

A fascinating piece, "Neanderthals are Still Human” shows that the hyoid bone, which is important in speech, is the same as the hyoid bone in moderns.  Also their brains were bigger. There were also ritualistic burials with goat bones. Jack Cuozzo had the opportunity to x-ray some of the original Neander skulls in Europe and found that they must have lived to the great old age of around 200 years!

The mitochondrial evidence that some claim puts the Neandertals into a separate group actually falls within the range of modern genetic dispersion.

I would encourage your fine organization to concentrate on advertising customer value and fair pricing rather that putting down our brilliant relatives from a few thousand years ago. Stress the actuarial basis for honest pricing rather than picking on the noble caveman!

Yo Schmookie!*

Here’s hoping that you’re having a swell day, but that you’re not swelling!
Are you bent on self-destruction? Have you seen GoodFellas more than three times? Is your goal to blow up tall buildings? There is a bold contrast between the big bad dude and the Real Messiah: “A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of” (Jn. 10:10, Message). Knowing your Creator (the Intelligent Designer) brings joy; thieving brings prison.
Would you rather have plastic furniture or plastic explosives? Have you ever stuffed a space monkey in your trunk? Seeking vitality through pain is not the answer; childlike humility is:
"Truly I say to you, Except you are converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 18:3,4).
Violence addiction can result in loss of life. Consider this caution from The Ultimate Guidebook, “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).
There is more to life than support groups and insomnia. Would you rather join the Fight Club or the Righteous Revolution (Mt. 10:34-42)? Is your best friend’s cousin named Parker Morris? Do you love others? Does anyone care about you? Is your twin twin brother named Tyler?
Make soap, not war. You are made in the image of God and have tremendous worth. You should care for your body (take a bath occasionally) and be a good steward of the talents God has given you (cf. Eph. 5:29, Ex. 31:1-5). Getting beaten up is not fun, but self-torture is completely pointless. The Real Book About The Meaning Of Life states, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 Jn. 4:18). Focusing on the needs of others will overcome your feelings of danger regarding yourself. Scrap Project Mayhem and join Project May-all-the-glory-go-to-Him.
Your father may not have been the best role model, but the true Messiah from Nazareth will not disappoint. If we believe in Jesus we can experience the lavish love of God and reach perfection when he returns (1 Jn. 3:1-3). The Prophet (Acts 3:18-23) suffered real pain inflicted by others. Christ bled and died and took the punishment we deserve for our wrong actions and thoughts. If we trust in him we will have eternal life (Jn. 3:13-18).

DON’T FIGHT CLUB RULES:
1) Talk about Jesus (Lk. 12:8).
2) Talk about Jesus more (Jn. 1:40,41).
3) When someone beats you up and says “Stop!” - talk about Jesus (Acts 5:40-42).
4) 2 or 3 should speak at a time (1 Cor. 14:26-33).
5) One day at a time (Lam. 3:19-23).
6) Wear clothes (Gen. 3:21).
7) Meetings continue as needed (Acts 20:9).
8) Each member (even new ones) must perform their function in the body (Rom. 12:3-8).

God made man perfect (Eccl. 7:29), but we now have a messy world since Adam made a wrong choice and ate from the forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which lead to the great rebellion (Gen. 3). Job suffered for some special reasons and even the weather was against him (Job 1:18,19). Suffering hits us all because we live the a creation twisted by the Fall and awaiting rescue (Gen. 3:17,18; Rom. 8:18-22). Christian apologist Francis Schaeffer points out that even though we all Fall down, man is still noble:

Another question in the dilemma of man is man’s nobility. Perhaps you do not like the word nobility, but whatever word you choose, there is something great about man. I want to add here that evangelicals have often made a serious mistake by equating the fact that man is lost and under God’s judgment with the idea that man is nothing – zero. This is not what the Bible says. There is something great about man, and we have lost perhaps our greatest opportunity of evangelism in our generation by not insisting that it is the Bible which explains why man is
great. [1]

Is cruelty intrinsic to humanity? Schaeffer gives some vital insight here:

We can explain that man is cruel [because of the Fall], without God being a bad God. There is a hope of a solution for this moral problem which is not intrinsic to the “mannishness” of man. If this cruelty is intrinsic to the “mannishness” of man – if that is what man always has been – then there is no hope of a solution. But if it is an abnormality, there is a hope of a solution. It is in this setting that the substitutionary, propitiatory death of Christ ceases to be an incomprehensible concept. … God did not make man cruel, and He did not make the results of man’s cruelty. These are abnormal, contrary to what God made, and so we can fight the evil without fighting God. [2]


Notes:
1) The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer, Vol. 1, p. 278.
2) The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer, Vol. 1, p. 301.

True Stories:
Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Proverbs 19:1
Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted (BBE).

“enough with the Schmookie” (rev.)

*If your name is Shmookie (sub “p” for “k” in the Seinfeld episode) or if the content applies, let the shoe fit.

-- Answer to Puzzle for July 2008 post --

The following months have 31 days:  Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Aug, Oct, Dec

Adam's Blog [stardate 032,172.781]

“Palmettos and Recurrence Dreams”

  Do you enjoy braiding you daughters’ hair?  I was pondering the trunk of a palmetto tree and admired the braided pattern the Intelligent Designer gave this plant.  I could imitate this design to make rope!  I invented a small version of the palmetto trunk and if you put your fingers in each end it’s difficult to escape.  My children love this toy! I named it an HTU for Holistic Tube of Unity.

  I had a strange dream the other strange day.  In the dream I was sleeping, as I woke up I said, “MADAM, IN EDEN I’M ADAM.”  Next, I went to the garden and noticed that three fourths of my tulips were missing.  A funny thing about ¾ is that it’s NEVER ODD OR EVEN.  A while later Dennis and Edna were caught fighting, so I gave my verdict: DENNIS AND EDNA SINNED.  This series of events repeated itself over and over and over.  By the way, aren’t groundhogs cute?

  The Intelligent Designer made the world during the first six days of history.  Unlike my adorable offspring, I never said “goo-goo gah-gah.”  I had no mom or dad to hug or kiss me.   Some call me “Dusty” for that is what the Creator made me from and where my destiny lies [~ Ge 2:7, 3:19].  Since Eve was taken from my rib, some have nicknamed her “Reeba.”  Before the day I ate the bad fruit, my dreams had no animal deaths and none of my children had fatal accidents.  Our sinless, deathless paradise is gone, but our loving Creator has promised a coming Savior [~ Ge 3:15, 1 Jn 3:8, Rev 22:3].  I love to eat radishes and squash.  I am the first Adam.   Deep time? What’s that?  I have been stuck by thorns, but I have never Ben Stein…  

[note: palindromes are in ALL CAPS SPACL LA]

Puzzle FUN!!

Attention planetosis victims!  Here is a super fun, non-math, puzzle.  The two names below have a special meaning.

And now without further time-warps here are the two enigmatic names:

  1) Janmar Mayjul
  2) Augoc T. Dec

Hints:

•   not a character in Sagan's "Contact" (book or movie)
  
•   Not related to Nellie Narrow-Way
  
•   not a hologram or a quark
  
•   EvoEmo is a good guess, but wrong
  

This puzzle may be answered by the following:

•   residents of the Privileged Planet may apply
  
•   Aliens between the ages of 900-1500 are excluded
  
•   Earthlings within the interval [-.75, 1005] may guess
  
•   All relatives and friends of Ben Stein are eligible
•   Answer appears in the Sep 2008 post
  

Seven and the Weekness (can YOU feel it?)

  Carl Sagan quotes the following in “Cosmos,”
The universe seems… to have been determined and ordered in accordance with number, by the forethought and the mind of the creator of all things; for the pattern was fixed, like a preliminary sketch, by the domination of number preexistent in the mind of the world creating God.
Nicomachus of Gerasa
Arithmetic I, 6 (c. 100 A.D.)[1]
According to Sagan's story a message from the "intelligent designer" is hidden in the number pi (3.14159265358...).  Despite the hopeful promise of conversing with highly intelligent aliens, "Cosmos" leaves us with an EvoEmo attitude (see prior post).

  The number seven is often thought to be perfect or mystical. The reciprocal of seven leads to an ellipse. The five visible planets (Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn), which travel in an ellipse, plus the sun and moon are considered to be the ancient foundation for the days of the week. Is there a better explanation? Fred Schaaf observes, “…unlike the day month, season and year – all of which have an astronomical basis – the time period known as the “week” seems, at first, to have no obvious relation to anything in nature.” [2] Schaaf points out that many “…adopt the seven-day week simply in imitation of God's six days of creation and one of rest…” but holds that there is a better reason for the seven day week, “The most likely answer is that there are seven celestial objects that have been known since ancient times to move regularly against the background of the distant unchanging stars: the five bright planets, the Sun, and the Moon.”
  
  Is Schaaf reasoning well founded? Why is each luminary associated with each day of the week? What about Saturday reminds us of Saturn. What is it about Mondays that reminds us of the Lunar orb? Why is Earth-day not included in the week? Would not a five day week make more sense on this assumption, based on the five visible planets?

  There are alternative explanations that are just as plausible. Some cultures, such as the Japanese, use the elements as the basis for the week. Why should this lead to exactly seven days? Consider the possibilities:
Four days: Earth, Air, Wind, Fire
Five days: Earth, Air, Wind, Fire, Metal
Six days: Earth, Air, Wind, Fire, Metal, Wood etc.
There are seven colors in a rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. Has anyone suggested this as a basis for the days of the week?

  The well-known historian Flavius Josephus (c. 37-100 A.D.) holds to the “beginning of the world” hypothesis for the origin of the week: “That in just six days the world, and all that is therein, was made. And that the seventh day was a rest, and a release from the labor of such operations…” [3] We will refer to this basis for the week as the “Josephus Principle.” The empirical distribution of cultural heritage favors Josephus’ view. Approximately 53.2% of the earths’ population belongs to cultural traditions that hold to the Josephus Principle - that is the origin of the week is derived from the interval of time that the Intelligent Designer used to make the world. [4]

  There is corroboration of the Josephus Principle from China. The seventh day of the Chinese New Year (first lunar month) is known as the “Birthday of Mankind.” [5] [6] According to Chinese folklore, the first human being was made on the seventh day. It is sometimes called “Everyone’s Birthday.”

  Has the Intelligent Designer provided a hint of the near universal seven day week within our own bodies? According to John Boslough, “A number of body-clock watchers believe we also tick to an array of weekly cycles. These regulate changes in body chemicals, the response pattern of the immune system, and a cyclic rise and fall of heartbeat and blood circulation. These rhythms, some chronobiologists believe, may help explain the designation of the seven-day week as a unit of time – the only calendar unit that does not trace its origins to astronomy.” [7] Why is it that difficult and hectic days often have the name “Monday?” Why is no restaurant named TGIM?

             sun MOON stars sky
             each week has 7 days
             can you SAY why?

NOTES
1) quoted in Contact by Carl Sagan, 1985, Arrow ed. 1986, Arrow Books Limited, London, p. 422.
2) “Why Seven Days” by Fred Schaaf,http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/
1994_Febuary_March/Why_Seven_Days_
3) Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, Ch. 1, par. 1, http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-1.htm
4) Christianity 33%, Islam 20%, Judaism 0.2%, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0904108.html
5) “Chinese New Year” http://www.abcmalaysia.com/tour_malaysia/chn_nw_yr.htm
6) “Sou Bao: The Chinese Birthday Bun” http://chaxiubao.typepad.com/chaxiubao/
2005/02/sou_bao_chinese.html
7) “The Enigma of Time” by John Boslough, National Geographic, March 1990, Vol. 177, No. 3, p. 127.

 ---- 
have you hugged an "opgane" today? (Orthodox Protestants who take Genesis as Historical Narrative)?
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GLOAT = Ge3
-> the Fall was man's Greatest Loss Of All Time
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BEN STEIN where are you??