(388) Fri 27 Jun 97 16:04 By: David Ragland To: All Re: Sissys ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0b8a 22db8080 @MSGID: 1:3800/49 0015ba08 The Truth About Homosexuality Commentary by David Ragland In an age where the wiles of rationale are being used to validate everything that suits the whims of the flesh, it is imperative that Christians tell the truth to the world. Those things, which are in many ways attractive, but deadly for the flesh as well as one's immortal soul, should be exposed and explained by the people of God at all costs. God's view and not the world's view should be propagated for all of humankind. Homosexuality is a detrimental perversion of something that God created. The world would have us believe there is nothing wrong with what two consenting persons, regardless of sex, do privately and intimately. The truth is that homosexuality is an abomination to God and therefore, should also be to those who love God and respect His word. God clearly decreed: Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.... Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants (Lev. 18:22, 24,25). Amidst all the mewling for "gay rights," we ought to pay careful attention to what God says about homosexuality. God takes this problem seriously, and He deals with it firmly. He classes homosexuality among the most vile sins of humankind. Yet, homosexuality has become so wide spread and pervasive, that whole corporations, formerly dedicated to the promotion of family values, have begun pandering to the will of the sexually perverse. For example, one can easily imagine Walt Disney rolling over in his grave at the thought of the material presently placed in movies produced in his name. Southern Baptists, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, is calling for a boycott against Walt Disney Co. and its subsidiaries. They accuse the entertainment giant of abandoning its wholesome image of the past to promote homosexuality. Delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention Dallas overwhelmingly approved a sweeping boycott of Disney's theme parks, stores and all of its subsidiaries; including ABC television and radio during their last annual meeting. Southern Baptists and other conservative religious groups are understandably angered because Disney now offers health benefits to the partners of its homosexual employees. Disney has also, in its boundless subservience to mammon, allowed ``Gay Days'' organized by gay rights groups at its theme parks. This is the worst thing about homosexuality--the spiritual result. Granted, it degrades the individual and distorts his moral values. Sex becomes a nonchalant kind of physical recreation that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere, with anybody. But the clincher is what homosexuality does to the soul of a person, leading him or her into gross sin. The Bible says that homosexuality ranks beside drunkenness, extortion, and idolatry as a despicable form of ungodliness. It declares that a homosexual cannot inherit the kingdom of God, anymore than a common thief could. David Ragland Email: devilfoe@eatel.net --- SLMR 2.1a Sure, Patrick, but will the Pontiac do warp nine?! * Origin: Tequilla Sunrise BBS (504)756-0383, Baton Rouge, LA (1:3800/49) SEEN-BY: 10/3 12/12 24/888 102/2 943 105/72 106/2000 114/262 441 124/1 SEEN-BY: 130/1 1008 133/2 143/1 147/34 2021 167/166 170/400 202/1207 213/213 SEEN-BY: 218/2 801 890 900 901 907 1001 261/1108 270/101 275/429 280/1 SEEN-BY: 280/169 282/1 62 283/120 284/29 300/603 310/666 322/739 323/107 SEEN-BY: 324/278 343/600 346/250 352/3 356/18 371/42 377/86 382/92 387/5 SEEN-BY: 388/1 396/1 45 690/660 730/2 2401/0 2442/0 3603/420 3612/41 300 SEEN-BY: 3615/50 3619/25 3632/21 3651/9 3652/1 3667/1 3828/2 @PATH: 3800/49 1 124/5125 1 396/1 218/907 801 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (389) Fri 27 Jun 97 16:11 By: David Ragland To: All Re: Salvation ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:4c8d 22db8160 @MSGID: 1:3800/49 0015ba0a If you have any questions about the below text on Salvation email ask me here in this echo, netmail or email me at (devilfoe@eatel.net) if you don't want to be harassed by the malevolent element in here for asking about and believing in Jesus. Are You Saved/Born Again? A VERY PERSONAL QUESTION Have you been born again? Have you experienced the spiritual rebirth Jesus said was absolutely necessary for entrance into heaven? This is the one thing, according to the Word of God, that will determine your eternal destiny. If you really want to know how to be born again, here is the answer from God's Word. We must recognize the fact that we are sinners, that we've violated God's laws -- and we all have. God says, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. . .There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not."5 We must repent of our sins. The Bible says, God "commandeth all men everywhere to repent."6 Jesus said, "Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish."7 It was for our sins -- yours and mine -- that Jesus, the Son of God, left heaven and came to earth to give up His life that we might be forgiven. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us."8 Then Jesus rose from the dead, proving His victory over sin and death. We must receive Christ into our lives as our Savior from sin. We read in the Bible, speaking of Jesus Christ, "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name."9 THE PROMISE OF GOD The moment we open our hearts to the Lord Jesus and place our complete trust in Him -- and Him alone -- as our Savior, God promises to forgive our sins, save our soul, and reserve us a home in heaven. God says, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life."10 Jesus promises, "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."11 You can be born again simply by praying and asking Jesus Christ to work this miracle in your life. Although it's your heart's attitude that counts, here's a suggested prayer that might help guide you: God, I am willing to repent of my sins and receive Jesus as my Savior. I do believe He died for me and was raised again to give me new spiritual life. Thank you, God, for saving me. If you truly believe, you will be born again and you will begin an exciting, eternal journey, one that can take you through the pressures of this life like nothing you've ever experienced before! Bible references: 1John 3:3, 2John 3:4, 3John 3:6, 4John 3:7, 5Romans 3:23, Ecclesiastes 7:20, 6Acts 17:30, 7Luke 13:3, 81 John 3:16, 9John 1:12, 101 John 5:13, 11John 5:24. David Ragland --- SLMR 2.1a Congratulations Data, it's a girl. Troy - The Offsprin * Origin: Tequilla Sunrise BBS (504)756-0383, Baton Rouge, LA (1:3800/49) SEEN-BY: 10/3 12/12 24/888 102/2 943 105/72 106/2000 114/262 441 124/1 SEEN-BY: 130/1 1008 133/2 143/1 147/34 2021 167/166 170/400 202/1207 213/213 SEEN-BY: 218/2 801 890 900 901 907 1001 261/1108 270/101 275/429 280/1 SEEN-BY: 280/169 282/1 62 283/120 284/29 300/603 310/666 322/739 323/107 SEEN-BY: 324/278 343/600 346/250 352/3 356/18 371/42 377/86 382/92 387/5 SEEN-BY: 388/1 396/1 45 690/660 730/2 2401/0 2442/0 3603/420 3612/41 300 SEEN-BY: 3615/50 3619/25 3632/21 3651/9 3652/1 3667/1 3828/2 @PATH: 3800/49 1 124/5125 1 396/1 218/907 801 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (390) Fri 27 Jun 97 16:15 By: David Ragland To: All Re: Sissyfags ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:0f01 22db81e0 @MSGID: 1:3800/49 0015ba0c Homosexuality Was it your search for love that led you into bondage, and has that which promised to be the fulfillment your heart longed for led you instead into activity that has you in chains? Are you one of many who has become a slave to the lifestyle that has deceived you in your search for love? You may be questioning what is a love slave? A Love Slave is one who has been searching for meaningful love but instead has become a slave to the deception of homosexuality and lesbianism. The devil has and is leading thousands upon thousands of men and women, boys and girls into the sin of sexual deviation. The invitation into deception is so enticing, offering love as the bait, but what is the consequence once one is caught and bound in the chains of darkness? Once the trap has sprung and the shackles are fastened -- where is the love? Is love one physical exhibition after another, or does love go beyond what parts of the human body can be manipulated? Is love men lusting for other men and boys and women burning with inordinate desire for other women and girls? Is it a subculture with its' own language, customs, and set of behavior patterns trying to establish its' own definition of love? Is love the continual cycle of searching through the gay crowd for that special one who will offer the night's satisfaction? With the affected behavior, and the affected appearances, many are masquerading themselves as "gay" when on the inside, their hearts are broken, expectations are shattered, and lives are ruined. Outside of God's order there can be no peace, no real love, no real fulfillment, no lasting satisfaction. In this era of deception, so many are buying the lies of Satan and are burying themselves in the degradation he offers. Little do you realize when you have become a love slave to Satan that you are the slave of a hard cruel master who motivates you to lead others into the same bondage that you are in. What you are is what your master has made you, you are a pawn in his game, for not only does he have his chains upon you, he has a whip on your back and you are driven to perform as he directs. "Know you not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Romans 6:16 SODOMY IS SUICIDE! WHY DO YOU WANT TO DIE? Pray Something Like This... Jesus, this day I ask you to forgive me of my sins and come into my life. I confess that I am a slave to sin and I cannot be free. In your name, Jesus, I renounce all the powers of homosexual and lesbian spirits in my life. I curse the chains of darkness and accept the freedom of God's love, in the powerful name of Jesus Christ I am free!!! I would like to hear from you! To request literature or more information about God's word please E-mail me: devilfoe@eatel.net --- SLMR 2.1a The days of the digital watch are numbered * Origin: Tequilla Sunrise BBS (504)756-0383, Baton Rouge, LA (1:3800/49) SEEN-BY: 10/3 12/12 24/888 102/2 943 105/72 106/2000 114/262 441 124/1 SEEN-BY: 130/1 1008 133/2 143/1 147/34 2021 167/166 170/400 202/1207 213/213 SEEN-BY: 218/2 801 890 900 901 907 1001 261/1108 270/101 275/429 280/1 SEEN-BY: 280/169 282/1 62 283/120 284/29 300/603 310/666 322/739 323/107 SEEN-BY: 324/278 343/600 346/250 352/3 356/18 371/42 377/86 382/92 387/5 SEEN-BY: 388/1 396/1 45 690/660 730/2 2401/0 2442/0 3603/420 3612/41 300 SEEN-BY: 3615/50 3619/25 3632/21 3651/9 3652/1 3667/1 3828/2 @PATH: 3800/49 1 124/5125 1 396/1 218/907 801 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (391) Fri 27 Jun 97 16:25 By: David Ragland To: All Re: Creationism 1/2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1ba5 22db8320 @MSGID: 1:3800/49 0015ba0e Evolution V. Creation The Biblical account of creation is scorned by nonbelievers, patronized by liberals, and often inaccurately paraphrased even by conservatives. The Bible is God's own account of creation, corroborated by Jesus Christ (Mark 10:6-8, etc.), who was there! The following line of rationale demonstrates the reasonableness of Biblical creation. Admittedly, it will not compel belief on the part of those who refuse to believe, but then no line of rationale will overcome that particular brand of rebellion. People given to this type mindset are not rejecting a particular line of rationale per se, but the authority that is behind it. The Bible is to be taken seriously and literally. God will someday hold us accountable for believing what He says! Furthermore, the Biblical account or our origin is reasonable and logical, fully in accord with all true science and history. It would seem that two basics belief systems are in place with regards to origins. These are, in simplest terms, evolution or creation. Either the origin of things can be understood in terms of continuing natural processes, or they cannot; one or the other. If they cannot, then we must resort to completed supernatural processes to explain the origin of at least the basic symptoms of the cosmos. Evolution and creation thus exhaust the possibilities, as far as origins are concerned. This means that if we can demonstrate either model of origins as false the other must be true. There is no other option. By definition, evolution should still be occurring now, since it is to be explained by present processes, but it isn't. No evidence exists that life, at present, is becoming more complex. No one ever observed true evolution in action and no one knows how evolution works, or might work. Since no one has ever seen it happen this means it is not science, since it is not observable. Evolution must be accepted on faith. Actually, there is no evidence at all that evolution ever took place in the past either. In all recorded history, extending back nearly five thousand years, no one has ever recorded the natural evolution of any kind of creature (living or non-living) into a more complex kind. Furthermore, all known vertical changes seem to go in the wrong direction. An average of at least one species has become extinct every day since records have been kept, but no new species have evolved during that time. Stars explode, comets and meteorites disintegrate, the biosphere deteriorates, and everything eventually dies, so far as all historical observations go, but nothing has ever evolved into higher complexity. But how about prehistoric changes? The only real records we have of this period are presumably to be found in the sedimentary rocks of the earth's crust, where billions of fossil remains of former living creatures have been preserved for our observation. Again, however, the story is one of extinction, not evolution. Numerous kinds of extinct animals are found (e.g., dinosaurs), but never, in all of these billions of fossils, is a truly incipient or transitional form found. No fossil has ever been found with half scales/half feathers, half legs/half wings, half-developed heart, half-developed eye, or any other such thing If evolution were true, there should be millions of transitional types among these multiplied billions of fossils. In fact, everything should show transitional features. But they do not! If one were to rely strictly on the observed evidence, he would have to agree that past evolution has also been falsified. If evolution did not occur in the past, and does not occur at present, then it is entirely imaginary; not a part of the real world at all. This leaves creation as the necessary explanation of origins. This fact is also confirmed by the best-proved laws of science, the law of conservation in quantity and the law of decay in complexity, or the famous First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics. The First Law notes that, in all real processes, the total quantity of matter and/or energy stays constant, even though it frequently changes form. A parallel principle in biology notes that "like begets like", dogs are always dogs, for example, though they occur in many varieties. The Second Law notes that the quality of any system; its usefulness, its complexity, its information value, always tends to decrease. In living organisms, true vertical changes go down, not up, mutations cause deterioration, individuals die, species become extinct. In fact, everything in the universe seems to be headed downhill toward ultimate cosmic death. The First Law notes that nothing is being either "created" or "evolved" by present processes. The Second Law notes that there is, instead, a universal tendency for everything to disintegrate to run down, and finally, to "die." The whole universe is growing old, wearing out, headed toward ultimate stillness and death. This universal "increase in entropy" leads directly to the conclusion that there must have been a creation of things in the past; otherwise, everything would now be dead (since they are universally dying in the present). Again, we are driven to the logical necessity of a primal creation a creation that was accomplished not by present natural processes, but by past supernatural processes. This means, however, that we cannot deduce anything about that creation except just the fact of creation. The processes of creation, the duration of the period of creation, the order of events all are hidden from us by virtue of the fact that our present observed processes do not create they only conserve and deteriorate! Nevertheless, there must have been a creation and, therefore, a Creator! Being the Creator of the infinitely complex, highly energized cosmos, that Creator necessarily must be omniscient and omnipotent. Having created life, as well as human personalities, He must also be a living Person. No effect can be greater than its cause. Therefore, He is fully capable of revealing to us knowledge about His creation knowledge which could never be learned through studying present processes. It almost seems that He must do this, in fact, since. He surely is not capricious. He would not create need and women who long to know the meaning] of their lives, yet neglect or refuse to tell them anything about it. Assuming, then, that He has revealed this information to His creatures, just where is His revelation to be found? There are numerous books of religion, ancient and modern, but their cosmogonies do not contain any account at all of the creation of the universe. The answer, therefore, has to be in His record of creation in the book of Genesis, for there is no alternative. There are only three creationist ''religions'' in the world Christianity, Islam, and Judaism and all three base their belief in creation on the record of Genesis. >>> Continued to next message --- SLMR 2.1a Clones are people two. * Origin: Tequilla Sunrise BBS (504)756-0383, Baton Rouge, LA (1:3800/49) SEEN-BY: 10/3 12/12 24/888 102/2 943 105/72 106/2000 114/262 441 124/1 SEEN-BY: 130/1 1008 133/2 143/1 147/34 2021 167/166 170/400 202/1207 213/213 SEEN-BY: 218/2 801 890 900 901 907 1001 261/1108 270/101 275/429 280/1 SEEN-BY: 280/169 282/1 62 283/120 284/29 300/603 310/666 322/739 323/107 SEEN-BY: 324/278 343/600 346/250 352/3 356/18 371/42 377/86 382/92 387/5 SEEN-BY: 388/1 396/1 45 690/660 730/2 2401/0 2442/0 3603/420 3612/41 300 SEEN-BY: 3615/50 3619/25 3632/21 3651/9 3652/1 3667/1 3828/2 @PATH: 3800/49 1 124/5125 1 396/1 218/907 801 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (392) Fri 27 Jun 97 16:25 By: David Ragland To: All Re: Creationism 2/2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1b55 22db8320 @MSGID: 1:3800/49 0015ba10 >>> Continued from previous message Without exception, all the other religions and philosophies of the world have based their beliefs concerning origins on some form of evolutionism. That is, they all begin with the universe (space, time, matter) already in existence, then speculate how the forces of nature (often personified as various gods and goddesses) may have generated all the systems and living creatures of the world out of some primordial watery chaos. Only Genesis even attempts to tell how the universe itself came to be. Whether most people believe it or not, therefore, the creation account in Genesis is God's record of His creation. Jesus Christ also taught this truth, so surely any true Christian should believe it. This account does not allow even the possibility of evolution, since everything was created "after its kind" (Genesis 1:24), and since, after six days of creating and making things, God "rested from all His work" (Genesis 2:3), and so is no longer using processes which "create" things, as theistic evolutionists believe. Instead, He now is ''upholding things" (Hebrews 1:3) through His law of conservation the "First Law." The entrance of sin into the world brought a disordering principle into the Creator's perfect creation, in the form of God's "curse" on the "whole creation" the principle of decay and death the "Second Law." Thus, the natural laws now governing the processes of the universe are not laws of origin and] development, as evolution requires, but of conservation and decay, in accordance with the truth of primeval special creation. If we now wish to know how long it took for God to make all things, we can learn this from His Genesis record and only there since we cannot legitimately project present processes back into the creation period. That account says He did it in just six days of work followed by a day of rest, thus providing the pattern by which men and women were to order their daily lives throughout history. Ever since that first week, people have actually done this - even those who reject His account of creation! "But how long were those clays?" someone may still ask. Only God can answer that question, and He does define lids terms! "God called the light Day," says the account, in the very first use of the word "day" in the Bible (Genesis 1:5). The "day" thus is the light-period in the diurnal light/darkness cycle, which began on "the first day," and has continued every day since. "But what about the evidences for the earth's great age?" others will ask. The answer is that there are no such evidences! All calculations that purport to give this kind of evidence are based on present natural processes, and, as we have seen, it is not legitimate to project these into the creation period. Furthermore, all such processes invariably involve the principle of decay, and these can never be assumed to have operated uniformly ill the past. Although thermodynamics specifies that all processes must be decay processes, the rate of decay depends on the science of kinetics not thermodynamics. Every process functions at its own rate, which may, and does vary widely with time, depending on how the many "variables'' which control it happen to vary. If one allows for the tremendous acceleration of most processes at the time of the global hydraulic cataclysm described in Genesis, he will conclude that these processes, instead of pointing to the earth's great age, really point to the earth's great Flood! Although one may escape from this chain of logic if he wishes, the fact remains that the chain is logical and reasonable. When mixed with faith, there is peace and joy in believing God's straightforward, rational, simple, satisfying, and truly scientific account of creation in Genesis. David Ragland email: devilfoe@eatel.net --- SLMR 2.1a Clones are people two. * Origin: Tequilla Sunrise BBS (504)756-0383, Baton Rouge, LA (1:3800/49) SEEN-BY: 10/3 12/12 24/888 102/2 943 105/72 106/2000 114/262 441 124/1 SEEN-BY: 130/1 1008 133/2 143/1 147/34 2021 167/166 170/400 202/1207 213/213 SEEN-BY: 218/2 801 890 900 901 907 1001 261/1108 270/101 275/429 280/1 SEEN-BY: 280/169 282/1 62 283/120 284/29 300/603 310/666 322/739 323/107 SEEN-BY: 324/278 343/600 346/250 352/3 356/18 371/42 377/86 382/92 387/5 SEEN-BY: 388/1 396/1 45 690/660 730/2 2401/0 2442/0 3603/420 3612/41 300 SEEN-BY: 3615/50 3619/25 3632/21 3651/9 3652/1 3667/1 3828/2 @PATH: 3800/49 1 124/5125 1 396/1 218/907 801 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (393) Fri 27 Jun 97 16:30 By: David Ragland To: All Re: The Truth 1/2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:53f8 22db83c0 @MSGID: 1:3800/49 0015ba12 "YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH" by E.O. Jones The halls of academia will soon be filled with students, and their minds will be filled with the latest beliefs and ideas of their teachers. One idea that will be sown in their minds is that truth is unknowable, and the uninitiated will not notice that the teacher's belief is presented as the one truth that is known! Parents and students should give some attention to what follows here, for it could make an eternal difference. If parents have no answers to offer their newly skeptical students, the teachers word will often be accepted as authoritative. If the student has no skill in judging ideas, he is doomed to be nothing better than the ink blotter, soaking up both true and false propositions. It is certain that the skeptic is in error, for if, as he asserts, nothing can be known, then it cannot be known that nothing can be known. If it can be known that truth is unknowable, then it may be that other truths can also be known. Failing in skepticism, the student is tempted to become agnostic. The agnostic does not deny that there is truth, but asserts his belief that ignorance about philosophical or religious principles is the rational outcome of thought. If there is no rational test of truth then one may not say, "I know." His statement will be a rather fuzzy assertion that there may be truth, but you can never be sure you have found it. It is important to note that his belief is based on the outcome of rational thought. If there is another way to know truth, his theory fails. It should be freely admitted that rational thought leads only to agnosticism in philosophical and religious principles, but boldly asserted that rational thought is not the only source of truth. It is important that every student understand this so he will not be intimidated by the teacher and professor who speaks as if he knows it all. There are no philosophical or religious principles that cannot be logically challenged, and that that includes the pronouncements of the instructor, the other students in the class, and even one's own beliefs. Some are not oriented to careful thinking and may find themselves overwhelmed by the presentation in class, and these should seek help. But the fact that your belief can be logically challenged does not mean it is untrue; it only means that you are a finite thinker and that you need to check your finite thoughts with the Infinite! With certain conditions, Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth!" That is in accord with common sense and common experience. It is also philosophically and religiously sound. Before we explore this subject further, let us define the term, "truth". We may say broadly that a true proposition is one that corresponds to a real state of being. Many paths have been followed in the search for that real state of being. Received custom may be offered in proof of truth, but it is inadequate since customs vary from culture to culture, and from time to time. Tradition is put forth, but is also found inadequate since it must itself be judged by some permanent standard. And we cannot forget that Jesus condemned the Pharisees who made the law of God of no effect by their traditions, tradition was a means of evading truth! Consensus gentium, "agreement of the nations," appeals to many, and Cicero wrote, "That concerning which the nature of all men agrees is necessarily true." That this is not true is evident from the agreement of the nations at one time concerning the shape of the earth. Closely related to this is the appeal to authority. But we know that people come to opposite opinions simply because they choose different authorities to consult. Nothing is true simply because ipse dixit, because he, the authority of my choice, has said it. Instinct is offered as evidence, but fails when one person's instinctive truth differs from another's. Some "feel" sure something is true, only to discover that feelings are a poor guide. Many have taken the wrong fork in the road because of a feeling truth, but those who have seen a mirage in the desert are not as easily convinced. Mathematicians appeal to intuition, axiomatic or self-evident truth, but many non-mathematical intuitions are self-evident only to a particular person, and they often prove to be false. Pragmatism proposes that the true is that which works, if the consequences of acting on the proposition are satisfactory, the thinking is true. This seemingly innocuous statement has wrought great mischief for our nation, especially in its educational system. It is the ground for the belief that all truth is only relative, and that what was true a generation ago may no longer be true. It proposes an individualism that grants the right to each person to create his own truth, his own moral code, and defies all comers who appeal to a higher law! Consistency is also offered as a criterion of truth, and it appears to be a self-evident truth that contradictory propositions cannot both be true. Something cannot be true and false at the same time. If one says, "I do not think" he experiences the contradiction quickly when he reflects that the full statement must be, "I think that I do not think." All true propositions are consistent, but it does not follow that all consistent propositions are true; the student of logic recognizes this as the fallacy of illogical conversion. One may read false accounts of events that are consistent yet untrue. Closely related is the idea of coherence as the best criterion of truth. This refers to an inclusive consistency, consistency that extends to all other consistent propositions, and provides a check on all the other propositions I hold to be true. It may be that the addition of the new will unmask the error of one previously held. Coherence is the best test for truth available from a philosophical stance, but its fallibility is revealed when it is found to include untrue propositions when new true propositions are discovered. Its product is tentative. Let us return to our simple definition of truth as noted above: We may say broadly that a true proposition is one that corresponds to a real state of being. Then why not simply use correspondence as the criterion of truth? It is clearly the only dependable one. Yet it is impossible for me to compare my idea with the reality to which it refers. We compare ideas to ideas in utilizing the coherence criterion, but we can go no further with unaided reason. Then what should the Christian young person who is returning to school do when confronted with ideas that contradict that which he has been taught at home and in the Church? 1. He should be unafraid of finding out the truth about anything, and he should be ready to reject that which is proven untrue. 2. He should not be intimidated by his teachers and professors and should carefully examine each proposition they propose. 3. He should question those who question the truth he has believed, and look for the inconsistencies and incoherence in their systems of belief. They are always there! 4. He should remember that only God knows what ideas correspond to the real state of being. >>> Continued to next message --- SLMR 2.1a I am Locutus of Borg. I demand Earl Grey tea - for 10000. * Origin: Tequilla Sunrise BBS (504)756-0383, Baton Rouge, LA (1:3800/49) SEEN-BY: 10/3 12/12 24/888 102/2 943 105/72 106/2000 114/262 441 124/1 SEEN-BY: 130/1 1008 133/2 143/1 147/34 2021 167/166 170/400 202/1207 213/213 SEEN-BY: 218/2 801 890 900 901 907 1001 261/1108 270/101 275/429 280/1 SEEN-BY: 280/169 282/1 62 283/120 284/29 300/603 310/666 322/739 323/107 SEEN-BY: 324/278 343/600 346/250 352/3 356/18 371/42 377/86 382/92 387/5 SEEN-BY: 388/1 396/1 45 690/660 730/2 2401/0 2442/0 3603/420 3612/41 300 SEEN-BY: 3615/50 3619/25 3632/21 3651/9 3652/1 3667/1 3828/2 @PATH: 3800/49 1 124/5125 1 396/1 218/907 801 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (394) Fri 27 Jun 97 16:30 By: David Ragland To: All Re: The Truth 2/2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:5308 22db83c0 @MSGID: 1:3800/49 0015ba14 >>> Continued from previous message 5. He should remember that Jesus said, "I am the Truth," and discover the joy of seeking Him, and finding Him, in the search for truth. I have come to more certitude of truth in a half hour with Jesus than in many hours of philosophical thought and discussion. "I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:6. 6. He should remember that truth is know by continuing in the doctrine of Christ, and that such truth is truly liberating to him, and I might add, often frustrating to his teachers. "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32. 7. He should open himself fully to the truth, and be willing to obey the truth he discovers. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." John 7:17. The one who is unwilling to do God's will cannot find truth 8. He should not tear down his old house until his new house is ready to be occupied. He should never abandon the experiential truth of God's grace in his life simply because he is at a loss to fully explain it philosophically. Patience is the key; he must not be blown about by every wind of doctrine. 9. He should fully explore any new belief system, and consider all of its implications. He may do this by pushing the logic of it to its extreme. That which seemed logical in isolation may fail the test of coherence. 10. He should read the Bible and pray every day. C. S. Lewis said it is important for Christians to remind themselves of what they believe by private devotion. 11. He should read a conservative book after each liberal book. He must maintain his balance and reject the temptation to ingratiate himself to his instructors by adopting their viewpoints. 12. He should attend a vibrant, evangelistic Church every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and prayer meeting on Wednesday evening. Here is the gathering of the Body of Christ, and an atmosphere favorable to the germination and growth of truth, righteousness, and true holiness. 13. He should remember that only God knows truth with absolute certainty, and that when he draws near to God, God draws near to him. God will speak mediately to him through the Scriptures, and immediately to him by the Holy Spirit who dwells in him. 14. He should be assured that God knows his thoughts, understands his intellectual doubts, and through the Spirit is pleased to lead him into all truth! 15. He should save this article and re-read it periodically to refresh his mind concerning the fallible humanity of his teachers and professors, and to remind himself of practical ways to make h imself proof against error. I speak all this from experience. I know the temptation of Satan to intellectual pride, and I know the humbling experience of learning best while sitting at the feet of Jesus. There is nothing in the revealed religion of Jesus Christ that insults the reason of man; but there is much that goes beyond it. How are we to learn the truth that transcends reason? It is given us in the revelation of God in the Holy Bible. Faith is also a way of knowing, and if properly guarded, the best way. It must be properly guarded, of course, because there is also false faith and false assurance. Thank God for the Bible! Here we compare spiritual things with spiritual, and daily discover sparkling new diamonds of truth! Let us all, churches, parents, and students join in prayer for revival in our schools, and that every Christian student will bear witness of the Truth! Peace be with you, courtesy of Lunatic Fringe a.k.a. David Ragland, devilfoe, Trumpeter, and the Kraken --- SLMR 2.1a I am Locutus of Borg. I demand Earl Grey tea - for 10000. * Origin: Tequilla Sunrise BBS (504)756-0383, Baton Rouge, LA (1:3800/49) SEEN-BY: 10/3 12/12 24/888 102/2 943 105/72 106/2000 114/262 441 124/1 SEEN-BY: 130/1 1008 133/2 143/1 147/34 2021 167/166 170/400 202/1207 213/213 SEEN-BY: 218/2 801 890 900 901 907 1001 261/1108 270/101 275/429 280/1 SEEN-BY: 280/169 282/1 62 283/120 284/29 300/603 310/666 322/739 323/107 SEEN-BY: 324/278 343/600 346/250 352/3 356/18 371/42 377/86 382/92 387/5 SEEN-BY: 388/1 396/1 45 690/660 730/2 2401/0 2442/0 3603/420 3612/41 300 SEEN-BY: 3615/50 3619/25 3632/21 3651/9 3652/1 3667/1 3828/2 @PATH: 3800/49 1 124/5125 1 396/1 218/907 801 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (395) Fri 27 Jun 97 17:09 By: David Ragland To: All Re: Abortion ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:41b4 22db8920 @MSGID: 1:3800/49 0015ba16 The Deadly Truth About Abortion By David Ragland SAFE? . . . NOT HARDLY! Robert Crist has faced legal actions in Texas and Missouri for "botching" abortion procedures. Yet, the Associated Press announced recently that Robert Crist, an abortionist that "still" operates out of Kansas City and St. Louis, has killed another patient in a botched abortion at a Planned Parenthood-run abortion clinic. This most recent death brings the toll to three for Crist. That is to say, three would-be mothers have died by his hands, but a more accurate take is that he is responsible for the deaths of six human beings! The babies killed in this grisly enterprise must also be taken note of. All the while, our liberal press remains amazingly quiet on this issue. One opportunity after the next comes and goes for the media to atone for their complicity. Yet, continually they are decidedly mute regarding the deaths of multitudes of women; victims of so-called "safe" and "legal" abortions. Sadly, the public at large has bought a rancid bill of goods from our media. They assert that it is the illegal abortions that are the culprit. Moreover, they would have us believe that, if not for interference from the pro-life advocates the illegal abortions would not take place. This is an obvious ploy to turn the pointing finger around, but it will not work as long as the truth can be told in this great land of ours! They make the assertion that tens of thousands of women were dying as a result of "back-alley" abortions before Roe v. Wade. The Center for Disease Control recorded less than thirty abortion-related deaths from both legal and illegal abortions in 1972, the year before Roe v. Wade. The deception worked, and we in America were given "safe and legal" on-demand abortion. But the truth was that most of the "back-alley" abortionists opened new offices in strip malls and pricey office buildings around the country. Overnight their profession was legitimized and legalized, not to mention protected with the full force of the Supreme Court. The Clinton Administration has added the FBI and the Department of Justice to the list of defenders of the abortion industry. But what are they protecting? Candace Crandall, writing in the Summer 1996 issue of The Women's Quarterly (hardly a pro-life journal), finds that they are protecting an industry with an increasing number of unfit doctors and unregulated clinics that go to great lengths, sometimes illegally, to cover up their deadly mistakes. In her article "Legal But Not Safe," Ms. Crandall chronicles the long string of deaths from "safe and legal" abortions. Year by year the list of women killed by abortionist grows frighteningly longer: Three years ago, Guadalupe Negron, a 33-year-old mother of three, died on David Benjamin's operating table watching her life bleed out of her, covered only in her own vomit. Benjamin was convicted of second-degree murder. The New York state health department had pulled Benjamin's license just two weeks before Negron's death, but allowed him to continue while his case was under appeal. Santa Ana, CA clinic operator Alicia Hanna was caught loading the body of Angela Sanchez into the trunk of her car after Hanna had botched the never licensed to perform procedures. This hard reality prompted her to drive to Mexico to dump Sanchez's body. Hanna was convicted and sentenced to sixteen-years-to-life. Two weeks before Christmas in 1995, Carolina Gutierrez frantically tried to get help from the Miami clinic that had performed her abortion, only to be have clinic personnel hang up on her. Repeated attempts to contact the clinic by Gutierrez were met only by the clinic's answering machine. The calls were never returned. Gutierrez went into septic shock two days later. Over the following six weeks, hospital workers tried to save her life through massive amounts of antibiotics and eventually amputating both her legs to stop the spread of gangrene. Gutierrez died February 5th, 1996. Slowly, the truth about what the abortion industry is hiding is coming to light. The CDC has recorded over 550 confirmed deaths from legal abortion procedures, with hundreds of thousands of others suffering life-threatening complications from their abortions. Additional abortion deaths go unreported. Several medical journals, including the prestigious American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, have recently carried articles decrying the cover-up by abortionists who falsify death certificates to protect their abortion business. The political nature of the abortion question has allowed the abortion industry to fight off attempts by state health regulators to apply industry-standard regulations to their businesses. You see, when abortion is brought up as a moral question, abortion supporters claim the issue is strictly a medical procedure between a woman and her doctor, but when regulations applied to every other procedure between a patient and their doctor are applied to the abortion industry, those supporters claim that abortion is a right, not just a medical procedure, and not subject to regulation. This little shell game is quickly losing it potency as the list of names of women killed by so-called "safe and legal" abortion continues to grow. And the health standards by which abortion businesses are held to continue to decline. But there is hope. The end of the abortion industry as we now know it should be near. It won't come because of political pressure or community outrage. Pro-life terrorists won't rid us of the plague through plastic explosives. The end is probably coming through attrition and actuaries. Malpractice insurance is almost impossible to come by for abortionists because of the shoddy medicine uniformly practiced by the abortion industry. In addition, abortionists are increasingly rare to find. There will always be the back-alley butcher who will do anything for money, but very few medical schools train future doctors on the procedure, and the ranks of the practicing abortionists are being rapidly depleted through attrition; a fact frequently pointed out by abortion supporters. Let us pray that communities will apply enough pressure to ensure that basic health regulations are followed by the abortion industry. Let us pray that women who have been damaged by botched abortions will be given a hearing by the press and the courts. Maybe the deaths of women like Guadelupe Negron, Angela Sanchez and Carolina Gutierrez will help end this moral and medical blight. When that day arrives, we as a country can begin the spiritual renewal that will give life and prosperity back to our country. (Chronicles 7:14) I hope I'm still around when that day comes! David Ragland --- SLMR 2.1a Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a Abortionist/Baby Killer * Origin: Tequilla Sunrise BBS (504)756-0383, Baton Rouge, LA (1:3800/49) SEEN-BY: 10/3 12/12 24/888 102/2 943 105/72 106/2000 114/262 441 124/1 SEEN-BY: 130/1 1008 133/2 143/1 147/34 2021 167/166 170/400 202/1207 213/213 SEEN-BY: 218/2 801 890 900 901 907 1001 261/1108 270/101 275/429 280/1 SEEN-BY: 280/169 282/1 62 283/120 284/29 300/603 310/666 322/739 323/107 SEEN-BY: 324/278 343/600 346/250 352/3 356/18 371/42 377/86 382/92 387/5 SEEN-BY: 388/1 396/1 45 690/660 730/2 2401/0 2442/0 3603/420 3612/41 300 SEEN-BY: 3615/50 3619/25 3632/21 3651/9 3652/1 3667/1 3828/2 @PATH: 3800/49 1 124/5125 1 396/1 218/907 801 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (396) Fri 27 Jun 97 17:18 By: David Ragland To: All Re: Design Argument ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:1232 22db8a40 @MSGID: 1:3800/49 0015ba18 An Argument For Design: The following remark was made in a talk.origins posting: Also, isn't it curious that the convincing examples of design invariably look man-made? It sort of suggests that some people are creating God in man's image. Interesting point. Answer: The point raised here is valid and very important. When people talk about design in life they speak of design as human beings with human limitations would design things. More than that they tend to think in terms of adaptation at the superficial morphological level. However we must consider the matter more carefully. A being with powers far beyond ours, far beyond even our potentially most elaborate computer emulations would approach the problem of designing life differently. We most, in assessing the possibility of design, take those powers into account. If we look at systems designed by human beings they are hierarchical in component structure, composed of elements relatively simple in structure, use subsystems that have readily calculable properties, have little or no self-repair capabilities, and are fragile and short lived in terms of system stability. These characteristics of human design are dictated by the weak powers of humans. The being we are speaking of would quite naturally use more advanced techniques. Consider the problem of designing life. We require a self-maintaining, self-repairing system which maintains system integrity under a wide variety of environmental conditions indefinitely. This is not a simple problem. It is readily seen that the design choices made by human beings are inadequate. Instead of artificial hierarchies of simple components our designer can and would use a complex dynamic system, a wildly chaotic collection of components with attractors with broad basins. The designer can do this because said designer has the power to analyze the behaviour of very complex systems. Such systems have high adaptive stability. We can predict that designed life would this feature. It does. Such a designer would exploit the advantages of binary encoding of information with falling prey to the fragility inherent in human designed computer programs. Instead the information would be in the form of component descriptions with the process control being resident in the aforesaid chaotic attractor. The digital data in the system would play an essentially passive role. We predict this. DNA has the predicted role. The designer can use complex polymers which dynamically fold into desirable three dimensional configurations to provide catalyst hot spots. The designer can afford to do so because the designer can predict with certainty what folding sequences such polymers will follow. We predict that designed life will make extensive use of such polymers. They are called proteins. The designer can and would exploit highly complex sequences of chemical reactions that are both idiosyncractic and highly efficient since the designer would be able to know how such sequences would work. Moreover the selected sequences would maintain stability within an environment in which vast numbers of other chemical reactions are going on. We predict the use of such sequences. Life uses idiosyncratic, highly efficient sequences of reactions. These chemical sequences are stable in the cellular environment. The designer would package the complexity of life into a package, not a uniformly standardized one, but rather one with a basic structure that can be varied in a large number of ways to handle a wide variety of environments. We predict that that designed life would have such a basic unit of structure. It does. It is called the living cell. I could go on but I think the point is clear. Life is not designed in the way a human designer works. We ask "How would a being with godlike powers design life?" Given such powers the way such a being would approach design is predictable. Accordingly we can predict the characteristics that designed life would have. It has those characteristics. Thus we conclude: Life was designed. David Ragland --- SLMR 2.1a I'll jump off that bridge when I come to it. * Origin: Tequilla Sunrise BBS (504)756-0383, Baton Rouge, LA (1:3800/49) SEEN-BY: 10/3 12/12 24/888 102/2 943 105/72 106/2000 114/262 441 124/1 SEEN-BY: 130/1 1008 133/2 143/1 147/34 2021 167/166 170/400 202/1207 213/213 SEEN-BY: 218/2 801 890 900 901 907 1001 261/1108 270/101 275/429 280/1 SEEN-BY: 280/169 282/1 62 283/120 284/29 300/603 310/666 322/739 323/107 SEEN-BY: 324/278 343/600 346/250 352/3 356/18 371/42 377/86 382/92 387/5 SEEN-BY: 388/1 396/1 45 690/660 730/2 2401/0 2442/0 3603/420 3612/41 300 SEEN-BY: 3615/50 3619/25 3632/21 3651/9 3652/1 3667/1 3828/2 @PATH: 3800/49 1 124/5125 1 396/1 218/907 801 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (397) Fri 27 Jun 97 17:51 By: David Ragland To: All Re: Okay, did he fall or what ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @EID:3cd9 22db8e60 @MSGID: 1:3800/49 0015ba1a The question was once asked of me in here: "How do you explain the discrepancy regarding Judas' suicide account in Matt. 27:5 and Acts 1:18. The below answer applies to all alleged biblical inconsistency claims. Critical thinking born of fairness instead of rebellion will clear this up for anyone. Anyone interested in the TRUTH that is. Matthew tells us Judas hanged himself, while Peter tells us he fell and was crushed by the impact. The two statements are indeed different, but do they necessarily contradict each other? Matthew does not say Judas did not fall. Likewise, Peter does not say that Judas did not hang himself. Both accounts can be true and supplementary. A possible reconstruction would be like this: Judas hanged himself on a tree on the edge of a precipice that overlooked the valley of Hinnom. After he hung there for a time, the limb of the tree snapped or the rope gave way and Judas fell down the ledge, mangling his body. The fall could have been before or after death as either would fit this explanation. This possibility is entirely natural when the terrain of the valley of Hinnom is examined. From the bottom of the valley, you can see rocky terraces 25 to 40 feet in height and almost perpendicular. There are still trees that grow around the ledges and a rocky pavement at the bottom. Therefore, it is easy to conclude that Judas struck one of the jagged rocks on his way down, tearing his body open. David Ragland --- SLMR 2.1a We do what we can but it's never enough. * Origin: Tequilla Sunrise BBS (504)756-0383, Baton Rouge, LA (1:3800/49) SEEN-BY: 10/3 12/12 24/888 102/2 943 105/72 106/2000 114/262 441 124/1 SEEN-BY: 130/1 1008 133/2 143/1 147/34 2021 167/166 170/400 202/1207 213/213 SEEN-BY: 218/2 801 890 900 901 907 1001 261/1108 270/101 275/429 280/1 SEEN-BY: 280/169 282/1 62 283/120 284/29 300/603 310/666 322/739 323/107 SEEN-BY: 324/278 343/600 346/250 352/3 356/18 371/42 377/86 382/92 387/5 SEEN-BY: 388/1 396/1 45 690/660 730/2 2401/0 2442/0 3603/420 3612/41 300 SEEN-BY: 3615/50 3619/25 3632/21 3651/9 3652/1 3667/1 3828/2 @PATH: 3800/49 1 124/5125 1 396/1 218/907 801 890