‘SCIENTISTS’ BALDERDASH BEATS GURUS: An international team of researchers have conducted a survey to see whether people have higher regard for statements made by scientists compared with spiritual leaders, even if the people don’t understand what has been stated. To do this they presented people with apparently erudite statements that were really nonsense generated by a computer algorithm that puts together modern-day buzzwords and technical terms into grammatically correct but meaningless sentences. The statements were neither overtly scientific or religious. The team surveyed 10,195 participants from 24 countries, asking them to rate how credible they found the statements. The sources of the statements were ascribed to either a person with a fictitious name and described as “a spiritual authority in world religions” or to someone else with a different fictitious name yet described as “a scientific authority in the field of particle physics”. Overall, the survey revealed people gave higher credibility rating to the “scientific authority” source than the “spiritual leader”, even by people who identified as being “religious”. The research team called this phenomenon the “Einstein effect” and summarised their results: “across all 24 countries and all levels of religiosity, scientists held greater authority than spiritual gurus”. They then concluded: “These findings suggest that irrespective of one’s religious worldview, across cultures science is a powerful and universal heuristic that signals the reliability of information”.
References: Science Alert 13 February 2022; Nature Human Behaviour published online 7 February 2022, doi: 10.1038/s41562-021-01273-8.
ED. COM. This last statement may also sound like it came out of the balderdash producing algorithm, but it does make sense if you understand the term “heuristic” which means enabling someone to discover or learn something for themselves. Therefore, these researchers were claiming that people see science, and therefore the teachings of scientists, as the way to find the truth. It is interesting that even people who considered themselves religious put scientists above spiritual leaders. This has provably happened in the Christian church over the past century and a half, as the evolutionary words of Darwin, Lyell, Dawkins and Attenborough and their followers have been elevated above the Word of God on Six Day Creation, Noah’s Flood and other Biblical issues.
It pays to remember that when something is not true, it won’t ever be made true by being said by scientists, no matter how many university degrees they may have. To find the truth you need to go to the One who is the truth – The Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke the truth and backed up His words with actions that only the Creator could do.
Finally, don’t let anyone bluff you with ‘heuristic’ balderdash or big words. If something looks or sounds like balderdash it probably is, and being said by a scientific or religious authority will not change that. God’s Word uses plain language, meant for all to understand. If someone claiming to have scientific or religious authority tries to make it more complicated than it is, or change the plain meaning to suit current popular theories, don’t let them confuse you. If someone tries to bluff you with big words don’t be intimidated. Politely ask them to explain. If they can’t give you an answer in plain language, they probably don’t know what they are talking about.
We were recently called upon to deal with this issue when we were asked about a book by Ken Coulson, a Science PhD who proposed a new theory that to many appears to reconcile Darwin’s and Lyell’s theories with Genesis. The same author also made claims about dogs and evolution. For our response to both his claims see the questions:
What do you think of the book ‘Creation Unfolding’ by Ken Coulson? Is it evolutionist? Answer here.
Dogs have undergone many changes since people have been breeding them. Surely this is evolution? Answer here. Also see the item on dog genes in this newsletter below.
Further questions related to the issue of scientific authority:
A School Chaplain claims students lose faith unless we teach God used evolution. How do you reply? Answer here.
Can you show me one error made by Richard Dawkins? Answer here.‘https://mailchi.mp/creationresearch.net/creation-research-email-update-23rd-february-2022?e=ce21bf0337
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‘Let me share something I recently saw in Psalm 56. it is both surprising and encouraging.
Verse 3 has David saying, admitting … “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”
Here this giant of a man spiritually admits to fear!
But when he is afraid … he will still lean on the Lord.
Actually, the specific verb “to trust” used in this Verse (spelled “batach” in Hebrew) means “to be so confident in a person that you have absolutely no worry about him keeping his word!” So worry free in that regard that you are “careless,” without a fret or doubt or hesitation! The word is literally translated “careless” one time in the King James Bible.
David when afraid … that’s verse 3.
Now, look at Verse 11, near the Psalm’s conclusion. “In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.”
Wow!
His fear is gone!
I will NOT be afraid!
Is this not some form of spiritual growth?
From “fear” to “no fear!”
Excellent, dear David the Psalmist!
Now watch …
In Verse 3 … the fear comes before the trust … “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”
But by Verse 11 … the trust comes before the word fear is used! “In God have I put my trust (“batach” again): I will NOT be afraid what man can do unto me.”
Looks like sincere trust can dissolve fear!
Fear-crushing faith, that’s what David has developed!
Yes, that’s growth!
I remembered that perfect love can cast out fear, 1 John 4:18.
Now I know that perfect (mature) faith can as well!’https://drmikebagwell.org/2022/02/17/spiritual-growth/
I want to introduce you to Baptist preacher-teacher, Dr. Mike Bagwell. He has a Youtube channel where his Bible teaching may be viewed https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6xvokPmU8DUeU2LLBK_dkw.
Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
I didn’t really know Greg Locke before reading the following article and after reading the article I did a little search and was definitely surprised he is a graduate of the Ambassador Baptist College in Lattimore, NC and divorced. However, you shouldn’t judge a school totally by everyone of its graduates. Anyway, here’s the article and a link to a video of what Locke said about witches in his church.
‘The offering was over and the worship team at Global Vision Bible Church had just finished singing “Oh How I Love Jesus” when the Rev. Greg Locke began telling his church about his conversations with demons.
Those demons, he said, had revealed the names of a group of “full-blown, spell-casting” witches who’d been sent to infiltrate Global Vision, a nondenominational church east of Nashville, Tennessee, where Locke is pastor.
“To God be the glory, I lie not,” he told the congregation at Global Vision on Sunday, which was meeting in a packed tent on the church’s property. “We got first and last names of six witches that are in our church. And you know what’s strange, three of you are in this room right now.”
Locke told the congregation that he’d gotten the names while casting a demon out of a woman who had recently begun coming to Global Vision. The preacher, known for his sensationalist sermons about politics and COVID-19 skepticism — went on to describe the exorcism in detail, quoting a demon with scruffy voice who accused worshippers at the church of being witches.
Two of the witches were in his wife’s Bible study, said Locke, who warned the alleged witches not to make a move during his sermon. He then retold the New Testament story of Jesus casting a demon out of a man and into a herd of pigs, turning it into an extended monologue about witches in the church.’https://julieroys.com/tn-preacher-greg-locke-demons-witches-our-church/?mc_cid=d4f0a1201a&mc_eid=b13d34ad49
Here’s the link to the video https://twitter.com/hemantmehta/status/1493006473940635648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1493006473940635648%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fheavy.com%2Fnews%2Fpastor-greg-locke-church-address-video%2F
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
James 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
‘A German Bible museum has caused offense around the world by hosting a play that portrays Jesus, the Son of God, as transgender. In addition, the Biblehaus in Frankfurt has set up an LGBT exhibit falsely claiming the Bible endorses “diversity of gender.”
“The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven,” written by the English transgender author Jo Clifford, was performed on the 15th December.
First performed in Glasgow in 2009, the queen of heaven play involves “Biblical stories” being “reimagined by a transgender Jesus.”
Clifford, who identifies as a trans woman, explained the origin of the play in a 2019 interview.
“I had been brought up as a Christian and taught that when you’re unsure of what to do, you should try to think, ‘What would Jesus do?’ I thought, ‘Well, what would Jesus do if Jesus came back to earth now and was me, a trans woman? What would she do and what would she say?’ That was the origin of the play,” Clifford said.
The contradictory presentation of Jesus has been met with sharp criticism.
“The idea that there is a LGBTQ theme in the Bible is a lie,” Franklin Graham, son of the late global evangelist Billy Graham, said. “When homosexuality is mentioned in the Bible, it is sin—rebellion against God and associated with His judgment.”
“Any suggestion that Jesus Christ is transgender is not only false, it’s just sick,” Graham added. “This is simply man trying to bring God down to his own level.”
“Fortunately, we don’t have to wonder who Jesus Christ is because God tells us Himself in the Bible,” the evangelist added. “When God sent His Son on a rescue mission to earth to save us from our sins, He chose to come to us as a man, Jesus Christ.”
Spokeswoman for Binary, Kirralie Smith, said the play is an attention seeking stunt designed to offend Christians.
“Jesus is a man. Archaeological evidence and literature support the fact he is a historical figure. The scriptures declare he is male,” she said.
“An activist claiming Jesus is transgender is an offensive stunt aimed at triggering believers.
“It exposes the extremism and true nature of the trans agenda. It is simply another deception in a long line of reality-denying claims that undergird this political ideology.”’https://www.binary.org.au/jesus_is_not_transgender
Dr. Jeff Riddle reviews ‘…Matthew Barrett’s comments on problems with modern translations, with respect to the doctrine of the eternal generation of the Son, in his book Simply Trinity (Baker 2021), recently named by Christianity Today as a 2022 book of the year in the category of theology and ethics (read about it here).
Among other things, Barrett points out that in the twentieth century scholars “erased ‘only begotten’ from John’s corpus and replace this phrase with ‘only’ or ‘unique’ instead,” adding that due to this change “generations of Christians were never introduced to the concept of eternal generation” (186). He also announces, “that consensus is now changing, and fast” (187).
This illustrates the sometimes subtle (or not so subtle) theological problems that arise from modern texts and modern translations.
I also covered this issue in WM 207, reviewing part of a conversation between Barrett and Charles Lee Irons, and I did a text note on John 1:18 in WM 56.’http://www.jeffriddle.net/2022/01/wm-222-barrett-modern-translations.html
In Finland ‘Parliament Member Päivi Räsänen, who was interrogated by police for over 13 hours and questioned on how she interprets the Apostle Paul’s letters in the Bible, will appear in court next Monday over criminal charges for voicing her belief on marriage and sexuality.
She authored a 2004 booklet on sexual ethics describing marriage as between one man and one woman. She also expressed her views on a 2019 radio show and tweeted church leadership on the matter.
“I thought it was quite a privilege to have these kinds of discussions with the police,” Räsänen said in an interview with Alliance Defending Freedom International, a legal nonprofit that specializes in religious freedom cases and is supporting the 62-year-old former interior minister.
“I had many times during these hours the possibility to tell to the police the message of the Gospel, what the Bible teaches about the value of human beings, that all people are created in the image of God and that is why they all are valuable.”
It was like “giving Bible studies to the police,” she remarked.’https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-mp-says-prosecution-over-biblical-beliefs-a-privilege.html?uid=d3769f0ce2&utm_source=The+Christian+Post+List&utm_campaign=CP-Newsletter&utm_medium=email
Genesis 1:11
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”
‘One of the criticisms of solar power is that it is so variable. Clearly, a solar plant is going to produce no energy at night and an inadequate supply when the sky is cloudy. On the other hand, a suitable size plant could over-produce when sunlight is intense.
Plants have a similar problem. The rapidly changing incidence of sunlight on their leaves could, conceivably, cause problems within the plant. However, researchers have discovered that plants have mechanisms to cope with these variations, and one such mechanism could answer the old question: “Why are plants green?”
Plants produce high energy carbohydrate molecules from water vapor and carbon dioxide by the well-known process of photosynthesis. This endothermic reaction requires the input of energy in the form of light, and the reaction is catalyzed by the green dye chlorophyll. What many of us have not considered is why chlorophyll is green.
White light is a mixture of all three primary colors – red, green and blue – which have increasing frequency and, hence, increasing energy, in that order. The remarkable thing about plants, therefore, is that they are absorbing light energy only at either end of the visible spectrum while rejecting – and reflecting – the middle of the spectrum, which is green. Researchers have shown that this selective absorption of certain frequencies minimizes “noise” and, therefore, enables the plant to cope with rapidly changing conditions of sunshine.
God has made plants with a truly remarkable mechanism for growth.’https://creationmoments.com/sermons/why-are-plants-green/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-are-plants-green&mc_cid=1b22ebf3ce&mc_eid=00c1dcff3c
