Evolution and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF)

 

Some people say Christians can believe in Darwinian evolution. What do the Freedom from Religion Foundation and other unbelievers say about the relationship between evolution and unbelief? Should schools and the government promote evolution but not creation? 

Singing, Creation, Children, and Instrumental Music

Why do babies love singing even more than instrumental music? Why is singing important in worship? What does this show about creation?

From birth, every child loves to hear singing. Have you ever wondered why?

Our God-Given Ability to Appreciate Vocal Music

An article in a creationist magazine describes a study of MRI scans of the human brain. They determined there is a “unique area of the brain, which appears purpose-built to analyze singing” (not just to analyze sound or even music in general, but specifically vocal music).

“The results showed that ‘the response to sung music was substantially and significantly higher than the sum of the response to speech and instrumental music.’ … Research indicates that it’s a top-down ‘hard-wired’ capability…” given even to infants.*

To paraphrase, all people are born with a God-given ability to recognize, appreciate, and respond favorably to vocal music. From birth, not only can we distinguish singing from speaking and from instrumental music, but we give a “significantly higher” response to vocal music than to speech or to instrumental music.

Did Jesus View Scripture as Accurate, Inspired Authority?

Many people doubt or deny the accuracy or authority of the Bible. Did Jesus believe in the accuracy of Creation, Noah's flood, and Jonah? Did He believe the Old and New Testaments were inspired by God as authority and a standard to guide people to know and obey the word of God? May we take a middle-ground position that we are followers of Jesus but we doubt some Bible teachings?

Click/tap here to view this material as a video Bible study.

Click/tap here to see PowerPoint slides and charts for this study.

Why Do People Believe Evolution Instead of Creation?

Do people believe evolution because they have been convinced by examining scientific evidence? Is evolution scientific but creation is unscientific? Is evolution promoted but creation suppressed? Do all scientists believe evolution? Are scientists always objective? Are people's views influenced by bias, preconceived ideas, and personal desires?

Click/tap here for free PowerPoint slides and charts to accompany this material 

Sir Isaac Newton’s Model Solar System and God

How can we demonstrate the existence of God to those who doubt or disbelieve? Isaac Newton, one of the greatest scientists in history, used a model of the solar system to show that the Creator of the universe must exist.

Jesus as Creator and Preserver of the Universe

Only God could create the heavens and the earth, but the Bible says Jesus did it! What does this tell us about who Jesus is? What does His role as Creator tell about His power and wisdom? What authority does He possess? What is His relation to the Father and to us as creatures? Is He a created being or is He eternal?

Finding Fault with God vs. Trusting in God

Sometimes people allow questions about why God acts as He does to hinder them from believing in Him or serving Him. Must we answer every such question in order to serve God, or is the solution found in evidence for faith and trusting God to always know and do what is good?

Glory and Honor to the Lord Our God

Why does God deserve to receive glory and honor? How should we express honor for God? Should we honor God for His majesty, character, and works? Are we expressing proper honor by our worship and our lives?

Click here to view this material as a free video Bible study.

Click here to see the free PowerPoint charts that accompany this material.

Introduction:

If someone asked why you should serve God, what reasons would you list?

It is possible to have improper reasons, but here are some good reasons:

* Salvation from sin

* Heaven and hell

* Spiritual blessings (peace, hope, guidance for life, etc.)

* Better life (moral uprightness, good family relations, etc.)

* Love of God

We want to discuss a reason that I fear our lists would often omit.

Why Is Bible History Important to You?

What claims do Bible writers make about the accuracy of their history? Did they write myths and legends or historical events? Did they record eyewitness testimony? How important is this history to our evidence for God, Jesus, and the Bible? Is Bible history essential to our understanding of our purpose in life and salvation from sin?

Consensus Thinking: Right / Wrong Based on Mainstream / Majority

People often determine what they believe in religion and morality based on the consensus, majority, or "mainstream" thinking, especially experts, scholars, or scientists. This occurs in government, media, education, denominations, etc. Is truth determined by polls and surveys or by the Bible?

Why Did God Make Mosquitos?

If God is good and wise, why would He make mosquitos that cause discomfort and problems? This question helps us understand other concerns about suffering.

God Is All-Powerful, Almighty, Omnipotent

The Bible affirms that God is the Almighty: all-powerful and omnipotent. Consider the power God has as Creator and Ruler of the Universe, the only God who can perform miracles, forgive sin, and give men eternal life.

Why Do We Have Mass Shootings?

Every society has had evil people, but today we have people who seek to murder as many of their fellow citizens as they can. This did not exist in our society 50 to 60 years ago. So why do we have it today? There may be many factors, but consider the connection to other changes in our society in the last 50 to 60 years:

Lessons from Snow

An article about "Snowflake Bentley" included the following:

"Wilson (Willie) Bentley (1865-1931) was born on a farm in Jericho, Vermont, ... [an area with] an average annual snowfall of over 120 inches."

"At age 15 he began drawing snowflakes while looking at them through his microscope – no easy task, because most of them melted before he could complete a drawing. At age 16 he learned about a camera that could be used with a microscope. His parents saved the money--and when Willie was 17 they bought him the camera. It took him over a year of failures before he finally achieved his goal – a photograph of a snowflake, the first one ever taken." (Acts and Facts, 12/2011)

Bentley eventually made thousands of such pictures for universities and science magazines.

"At age 66 Bentley published a large ... book of his photographs titled Snow Crystals ... Less than two weeks after his book was published, he walked six miles home in a snowstorm, caught pneumonia, and died two weeks later."

So, with incredible irony, this man who devoted most of his life to the study of snow, ultimately died from walking in a snowstorm!

Consider some lessons we can learn from snow.

Astronauts and Faith in God and the Bible

Astronauts demonstrate that, contrary to common belief, many people trained in science still believe in God and the Bible.

What Is the Meaning of Life?

Introduction:

What is the meaning of life? Without doubt, this is one of the most challenging, and yet one of the most fundamental, questions the mind can consider.

People throughout history have pondered the purpose of life. Philosophers spin theories. Poets write songs. Young people drop out of society to "find out what it's all about." Older people may remain within the "establishment," but they still wonder.

Obviously life is real. No one can deny that the world exists and people exist. You live, eat, sleep, breathe, and move. But do you understand why you exist?

Please consider with me the challenging question of life. What is it really all about? To answer this question, we will look at three specific questions.

Humanism and the Bible

Introduction:

Few people were aware of, or concerned about, the Humanist philosophy until recently. As it has become more influential, it has become better known. Yet still few people really understand it or realize the depth of its influence on society.

The purposes of this study are to acquaint people with the major doctrines of Humanism, to demonstrate the influence it is having in our society, and to compare its teachings to those of the Bible.

Modernism, Miracles, and the Bible

Introduction:

The purpose of this study is to examine the teaching of modernism about miracles and to consider how Christians should respond.

I. A Description of Modernism

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A. A Definition of Modernism

==================

Modernism, as a religious philosophy, is believed to some extent by many (probably most) denominational preachers who claim to be Christians. Its adherents may differ widely in viewpoint, but we define its major concepts as follows:

Modernism is the belief that the Bible is not infallible but may contain errors or inaccuracies. It generally begins by claiming the Bible contains inaccuracies in history, geography, or science; then it expresses doubt about Bible accounts of miracles and prophetic predictions; then it ends by denying or questioning fundamental doctrines such as the Deity of Jesus, the sacrificial death of Jesus, the nature of God, etc.

Separation of Religion and ... Everything!

Introduction:

***********

We often hear people speak of "separation of church and state."

*****************************************************

Many people think this proves that somehow government should never support or encourage anything religious. More recently, this idea is being used to claim that people's religious views should have no influence on the government.

We can easily document that this was never what the Founding Fathers meant when they wrote the Constitution, but what does God think?

The purpose of this lesson is to consider how religious belief is being systematically excluded from daily life.

*****************************************************

The End of Darwinism Part II

The End of Darwinism Part II

by David A. Noebel

Following are the last of 14 arguments posited favoring Darwin's theory of evolution followed by the scientific evidence against each one. The beginning of this article can been found in the August issue at www.schwarzreport.org.