The origin of my name--
"Do not try to bend the spoon, that's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth. There is no spoon. Then you will see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself". - The spoon boy from The Matrix.
I'm a guy that is ready to debate my views and put up a good fight. I am a Christian, a conservative, a creationist, pro-life, pro-preservation of marriage, against illegal immigration, pro-Bush, anti-terrorist, glad Saddam Insane is facing justice, anti-Communist, anti-socialist, believe the Bible is the word of God, that Jesus is the son of God, and that He created the world in six(24-hour)days, I like music, movies, and long walks on the beach...(forget the last part) I will gladly debate on all of these subjects unless I just say that I am not knowledgeable enough on the subject to debate properly.
I'm a member of the Presbyterian Church in America(PCA), and I love my church. It's one of the most biblical churches I've ever heard of. Don't get us confused with the Presbyterian Church USA(PCUSA). We broke away from them in the '60s when they started leaning to the Left and away from Scripture.
As I said before, I am a Christian. All people, myself included, deserve to go to heII on the charges of rebelion and disobedience to the supreme God of the universe. Jesus is the Son of God, incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary. Jesus was sent to earth for the purpose of "testifying to the truth" and saving humanity from their sin. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"(John 3:16). There are many who doubt this, based on many arguments. I'm debating on this subject quite a bit, so I want to post an argument for the Gospel account from one of my previous debates, feel free to comment on my profile about it:
Here's the concept: all explanations other than the biblical account have 1 thing in common; they all deny the Resurrection of Christ. So, this is the most pivotal issue; if Jesus actually did come back from death, there is no need to squabble about the other details. There are 3 pillars to this argument: Jesus' existence, OT prophecy, and the resurrection.
First, Jesus was a real person. He was written about by Christian, Jewish, and pagan historians. There are MANY non-Christian historians who mentioned Jesus. Tacitus in his Annals mentions that Jesus was crucified under Pontious Pilate and gives detailed descriptions. Josephus(an early Jewish historian)makes mention of Jesus, John the Baptist, and James(the brother of Jesus). Scholars note that the NT corroborates Josephus' History in minute detail. The correspondence between Pliny the Younger and the Roman Emperor Trajan corroborates the NT history including the persecution of Christians under Nero. These are all accounts that are independent from Christianity. Here's a quote from the Encyclopedia Britannica: "These independent accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus, which was disputed for the first time and on inadequate grounds by several authors at the end of the 18th, during the 19th, and at the beginning of the 20th centuries". Now, these non-Christian sources say that: Jesus was from Nazareth, He lived a wise and virtuous life, He was crucified in Palestine under Pontious Pilate during the reign of Tiberias Caesar (whose reign ended 37AD), His deciples believed Him raised from the dead, His enemies acknowledged He performed miracles(what they called "sorcery"), His deciples grew in number rapidly, and His deciples lived moral lives worshiping Him as divine(all non-Christian sources). With all this evidence, one would be ridiculous to deny that Jesus existed.
There is OT prophecy, which is an overwhelming bit of evidence for Christ's divinity. The prophets in the OT were required to be SURE that the message they gave was from God, because if they were wrong they would be stoned to death. There is no prophecy made in the OT that has ever turned out wrong (ones that have not yet occurred don't count). Take the book of Isaiah, for example. This book gives extremely precise and accurate descriptions of Jesus' life and death. In fact, until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, atheist historians would claim the book of Isaiah to be a post-Christ Christian forgery because of its incredible accuracy on the details of Jesus' life and death. The Dead Sea Scrolls debunk this, of course. You might say that the Apostles simply lied about the details of Jesus' life to make it fit with the prophecies, but this doesn't really make sense. You see, all of the Apostles(excpet John)died a martyr's death. People die for what they honestly believe to be true, but NO ONE would die for what they KNOW to be a lie. If the Apostles had lied about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, they would not have died for their own dishonest claims, they would simply confess their lies. So, we know that the Apostles didn't lie, they actually and truly believed what they were saying. About the prophecies, the OT contains over 300 of them concerning the Messiah, all of which Jesus fulfilled. The odd of 1 person fulfilling only 8 of these prophecies has been calculated to be 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000. This is the equivalent of covering the face of Texas with that many silver dollars, the entire state covered by a layer 2ft deep, and you mark 1 coin with a marker. Then you blindfold someone, tell them they can go as far as they want, but they must pick up only 1 coin out of the thoroughly mixed pile, and it has to be the marked one. THAT IS ONLY THE ODDS OF 8 PROPHECIES, JESUS FULFILLED OVER 300!!!
Now I'd like to go on to the resurrection. Firstly, one thing that is for sure is that there MUST have been an empty tomb, this is undeniable. The Apostles based all their teachings and credibility on this event being true, and the Jewish authorities were doing everything they could to suppress it. The Jewish authorities clearly knew which was the tomb of Jesus, and if it wasn't empty, they could just provide the body of Jesus and the Christian message wouldn't last a day. There are 3 theories presented by Christ-deniers to explain the missing body: The Conspiracy Theory, The Swoon Theory, and The Wrong Tomb Theory. The first claims that the Apostles planned to steal Christ's body and fake the resurrection. There's the normal stuff about the soldiers not taking a bribe or falling asleep because the wages of such is death, but that's not required. The reason this is wrong is the same reason I gave before that the Apostles weren't lying, they all died for their teachings. Remember, no one dies for what they KNOW is a lie. The second theory states that Jesus didn't die on the cross, but just passed out. There are many problems with this one. First, the Roman soldiers declared Jesus to be dead, and even stabbed Him in the side to make sure. These are soldiers who faught many bloody battles and executed many criminals. They've seen more death than modern day doctors. They knew He was dead. People who hold this theory have to say that Jesus, in His weakened state, wiggled out of His grave clothes, rolled away a stone that usually took several men, get past the Roman guards, walk about 7 miles, and(in His 1/2-dead state)convince His followers that He was the conqueror of death. The only thing amazing about this theory is the fact it was thought up. The third theory holds that the women went to the wrong tomb, found it empty, and proclaimed Jesus had risen from the dead. This is wrong for the reason I stated before. If they did only go to the wrong tomb, the Jewish authorities would simply go to the right tomb, produce the body of Christ, and Christianity wouldn't have lasted one day. So, there is no logical explanation for the empty tomb except that Jesus was the Son of God and rose from the dead on the third day.
I am also a Creationist. My belief in a young earth and the Genesis account have many historical and scientific grounds, but those are farther into the theoretical rhelm(although I hold them as absolute truth). The more observable defense of my beliefs(and offense on Darwinism)is the theory of Intelligent Design. Contrary to popular belief, there are many prominent scientists and mathematicians who doubt evolution and make an argument for ID. Here is a video including some of the said scientists, and the arguments they present, it's called Unlocking the Mystery of Life (it's about 1 hr long). -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUwitJXHjaQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pWXa3IUjo8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA3jGR12zhwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iULh7olGm9Qhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Je1GdGpsxIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXCmQdSl0GAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlw_bLk4BpEHere's a good quote from one of history's most respected scientists(and my personal favorite):
"One cannot be exposed to the law and order of the universe without concluding that there must be design and purpose behind it all.… The better we understand the intricacies of the universe and all it harbors, the more reason we have found to marvel at the inherent design upon which it is based.… To be forced to believe only one conclusion-that everything in the universe happened by chance-would violate the very objectivity of science itself... What random process could produce the brains of a man or the system of the human eye?… They (evolutionists) challenge science to prove the existence of God. But must we light a candle to see the sun?… They say they cannot visualize a Designer. Well, can a physicist visualize an electron?…. What strange rationale makes some physicists accept the inconceivable electron as real while refusing to accept the reality of a Designer on the ground that they cannot conceive Him?…. It is in scientific honesty that I endorse the presentation of alternative theories for the origin of the universe, life, and man in the science classroom. It would be an error to overlook the possibility that the universe was planned rather than happening by chance" – Dr. Wernher von Braun.
Some skeptics and scoffers view Christianity as a "blind faith", and dismiss it entirely. Although there are some Christians who have faith in God with internal-evidence only, I think it is our calling as Christians to find and reveal how confidence in Jesus' death and resurrection is what I call a Rational Faith. For those of you who wonder why I debate so much, this Bible verse is my motivation, and I hope that other Christians who read this will follow it's instruction:
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." - 1 Peter 3:15
I am a strong believer in male chivalry. Every time I hear about an incident of rape or domestic violence, it makes my blood boil to think that a man would hurt a woman. Here is a quote from the original Boy Scout Handbook that taught young men how they should behave in regards to others, and all I can say is that I wish these convictions were more common nowadays.
"The same thing that entered into the training of these men, knights, pioneers ... must enter into the training of the boy scouts of today. Just as they respected women and served them, so the tenderfoot and the scout must be polite and kind to women, not merely well-dressed women, but to poorly dressed women; not merely to young women, but to old women: to women wherever they may be found--wherever they may be. To these a scout must always be courteous and helpful. When a scout is walking with a lady or a child, he should always walk on the outside of the sidewalk, so that he can better protect them against the jostling crowds. This rule is only altered when crossing the street, when the scout should get between the lady and the traffic, so as to shield her from accident or mud. Also, in meeting a woman or child, a scout, as matter of course, should always make way for them even if he himself has to step off the sidewalk into the mud. When riding a street car or train a scout should never allow a woman, an elderly person, or a child to stand, but will offer his seat; and when he does it he should do it cheerfully and with a smile."(Boy Scout Handbook 1911 pg. 243-244)
Chivalry is the value I am grieved has been lost today. When this conviction was common place, the men were the most respectable human beings I have ever heard of. One of the most famous examples of chivalry that was taught to children constantly in the 19th and 20th centuries was the story of The Birkenhead Drill. Before you read it, all I can say is that I challenge all guys reading this to step up to our duties as men of honor and chivalry and set the example for those who don't. Let's be gentlemen.
"The facts surrounding the sinking of the Birkenhead are as follows. On January 8, 1852, the H.M. Troopship Birkenhead set set sail on a transport mission for Algoa Bay off the coast of South Africa. Aboard were approximately 640 men, women, and children including a large contingent of British troops bound for the Kaffir wars. At 2:00 a.m. in the morning of February 26, she struck a ledge off Cape Danger. Refusing to break ranks, the men stood at attention while the women and children disembarked on lifeboats. An order was given to stay clear of these small boats to prevent capsizing them and risking the loss of a woman or child. Twenty minutes after Birkenhead had hit the rock she was submerged. Within a matter of hours, the majority of the men who had been aboard were either drowned or consumed by man-eating sharks. Every woman and child survived."(The Birkenhead Drill, 2002, pg. 19-20)
Here's a quote I found that expresses what I feel, especially nowadays with peoples attitudes towards the war in Iraq.
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling, which thinks that nothing is worth war, is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature, and has no chance of being free unless made or kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." - John Stuart Mill
"Let it be known that you heard it from here
When I'm on this microphone you know I make myself clear
With the power, with the love with the boldness
Look in my eyes and remember who told you this
Payable on Death gonna hit ya hit-man
Talk all you want, I don't fear any man
Cuz ya frontin' ain't nothin but words to me
You never had the stuff and your butt ain't crazy enough
To handle, we come step to me
My King is He in the power of Three
So what you want you ain't down with us
You get so scared, so mad when I say the word Jesus
I ain't down, you preach too much
But if you ask me boy, I don't think I preach enough
I tell you God is real, so don't miss the boat
But since we come off hard, you say we shove it down your throats
You wanna talk that talk, walk that walk
I'm the only person you see, but it ain't me that you mock
Man is nothing, but you think that you're bad
Fool if it wasn't for my God, I would have already had you
Deny His name are you willing to admit it
And if so, are you willing to die for it
Cuz I am, He is my life and I don't fear death
Cuz he already paid the Price
All your talk and all your threats ain't jack blaspheme my God
Yo punk I'm not having that, turn away it's your own loss
Cuz all I can do is just take them to the cross" - Preach by P.O.D.
"The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you, and give you peace forever". :-)
xThereIsNoSpoonx90, The Man, The Myth, The Legend (jk)
