Has God Been Neutered?

In a recent sermon a familiar argument was used that diminishes the sovereign grace of God and the sufficiency of grace. Since the original Greek was cited I decided to go home and check my Greek sources. Since I am not a Greek scholar I may only interact on a layman’s level, and you will have to judge whether my arguments make any sense at all.

Since Kenneth Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament made an even stronger case than did my pastor I will mainly interact with him. Basically the argument that was made is based upon a phrase in Ephesians 2:8-9. So I will quote the verse below:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

As a note, the “it is” in verse 8 is italicized. That is because the Greek does not have it. It is added to the English translation in order for an English speaking person to understand the thought.

The word “that” in the phrase “that not of yourselves” is the point in question. What does “that” refer to?

Kenneth Wuest states:

The definite article appears before the word “grace” here, pointing the reader back to the same statement in verse 5, and informing him that the writer is to elaborate upon this previously mentioned statement. The reader of this exposition is urged to go back to the exegesis of verse 5 and refresh his memory as to the total meaning of Paul’s statement, “For by grace are ye saved.”

I could not agree more. The context bears this out. There is no other source of salvation, and Paul is clearly being consistent with himself in other places. But Wuest goes on to formulate an argument, which is very popular in the next paragraph. Read carefully.

The words, “through faith” speak of the instrument or means whereby the sinner avails himself of this salvation which God offers him in pure grace. Expositors says: Paul never says ‘through the faith.’ As if the faith were the ground or procuring cause of the salvation.” Alford says: “It (the salvation) has been effected by grace and apprehended by faith. The word “that is touto, “this,” a demonstrative pronoun in the neuter gender. The Greek word “faith” is feminine in gender and therefore touto could not refer to “faith.” It refers to the general idea of salvation in the immediate context. The translation reads, “and this not out from you as a source, of God (it is) the gift.”

I had reread this paragraph several times looking for the unspoken assumptions. It is one thing when your pastor announces from the pulpit his tradition that God gives every man the ability to exercise faith and that man must be a morally free creature in order for God to be able to judge him for choosing sin. This I can handle and find rather easily. It is quite another when dealing with a scholar, who’s traditions may be much more subtle. That is exactly what we have here.

Part of the assumption is that God is merely the source. The unspoken tradition here is that man must have a free-will to go and get this present called grace that awaits every individual out in the mail box. Unless you activate the grace of God, it remains only a gift waiting to be opened. Notice Wuest’s words, “…this salvation which God offers him in pure grace.”

However, Paul is in no way giving this definition of Grace. Grace is never “offered” in this text! I can’t stress this enough. This underlying assumption must be challenged. Paul says we are saved by grace, not made savable.

Let’s go back through the text and see how Paul arrives to verse 9 when he makes the grand closure, “that not of yourselves”. Since chapter divisions are not inspired I will begin with chapter 1.

1:4 “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world”

1:5 “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself”

1:6 “He freely bestowed [grace] on us in the Beloved”

1:8 “He lavished on us” [forgiveness]

1:13 “you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise”

2:4 “His great love with which He loved us”

2:5 “made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”

2:6 “raised us up with Him”

2:6 “seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

So let’s review our English. In every verse of action, the subject is God. We are His objects in Christ including when Christ was raised from the dead. God chooses. God predestines. God bestows grace. God lavishes grace. God seals us. God loves us. God makes us who were DEAD to be alive. God raises us up with Christ. God seats us with Christ.

Now I am to believe that even though there are references to believers believing, this is supposed to be the activator of God’s grace? God sovereignly acts all throughout the text as saving perfectly. Yet Wuest would have us believe grace is only offered? The believer is the sovereign of whether or not God’s grace is effective? Even Wuest seems to contradict himself when he says in the second paragraph, “…therefore touto [that] could not refer to “faith.” It refers to the general idea of salvation in the immediate context.”

Does Christ not procure faith for the believing ones? How do dead men believe? Does salvation not consist of faith too?

The text is about God, not man. Yet our Traditions are so man-centered we do not even realize that we have followed the worlds thinking. Every religion is not about whether grace is necessary, but whether or not grace is sufficient of itself. Only the Reformed Faith is consistent on this point.

Another serious problem in the above exegesis offered by Wuest is if faith is not a part of the “that not of yourselves”, then we do have exactly what Paul says we should not have, room to boast!

Think carefully with me. If God has given all men some form of prevenient grace so that all may believe equally with equal ability, then why do some men believe and others do not? Is it because some are smarter or more spiritual or wiser or is it just the luck of the draw?

If my believing is not caused by the above list of things that God does, then when in heaven I can say to the one who did not believe, “I believed and you didn’t, therefore I have the ability to boast over you.” The truth is, God did not choose me because I believed. I believe because chose me, predestinated me, raised me from the dead (explain free-will with that!) and loved me, IN CHRIST!

You might be asking why I have bothered to be nit-picky. To be honest, it is simply a matter of truth. God’s Word should have the final say over our Traditions, whether we are aware of them or not. Also formulating this kind of theology offers no apologetic to the religions of men. When big named philosophers such as Francis Beckwith (President of ETS) revert back to Rome, what could possibly be argued for him to stay in Evangelicalism? He believes Grace is necessary too.

The argument of the Reformation has never been that Rome rejects Grace, but that Grace alone is sufficient to bring about a dead sinner and raise him to spiritual life. That’s why we believe.

Soli Deo Gloria

Jacob Laughs

Jacob has his big laugh. I was at work. The beauty of the cell phone. How did we ever live without them? Listen here.

Pictures Make Us Prolife? I Hope So

I realize I am being skeptical, but Albert Mohler's recent post "In the Womb" -- One Look and Your Eyes Are Opened, states in its opening paragraph:

The public discussion about the power of ultrasound and modern imaging technologies has revealed something fascinating -- the pro-abortion movement does not want us peering into the womb. The view inside the womb transforms the moral debate over abortion. Once that image is seen, the vocabulary necessarily changes.

Now I have to ask the obvious question. If the pro-abortion movement doesn't want us "peering in" the womb, why are members of the Left the source of his post? Look at the picture that is used.

Mohler even states the source as being National Geographic. Now I am not arguing National Geographic can not be used as a source. But last I checked, National Geographic was not a bastion of conservative pro-lifers. So if a bunch of Evolutionists are publishing this material, then their worldview still forces those on the Left side of the isle to suppress the truth of God with even more force. Mohler should know this. So I am left wondering if God has truly hardened the American Left and even many Christians as a part of His Judgment?

The pictures will be amazing. Perhaps Mohler is right. Yet when so many abortion doctors have been literally pulling babies apart limb from limb, when so many babies have literally been burned to death kicking and looking for a place to escape the poisonous solution while mommy struggles wondering what all the fuss is about, when Tiller the Killer in Kansas is allowed to illegally give birth to a baby up to the head and then kill a kicking infant by stabbing it in the back of the head, if all of this can take place now, what are a few pictures going to do? How many abortionists philosophers admit the baby is a human being?! Some pro-abortionists actually have funerals for their babies and encourage women to grieve over their planned loss!

Perhaps I am being cynical, but until Americans are forced to face the truth that we are suppressing God's law and that we are in fact committing murder in His sight, how will this ever stop. John Piper asked a great question. Suppose Mohler is right (and I desperately hope he is), what do we do if abortions become illegal? We as Christians must be willing to stomach the idea that some people will still commit murder. Are we willing to follow through with what that may entail for our judicial system? Are we ready to condemn those that still seek to murder the most innocent, our children? This could be your 15 year old next door neighbor.

There is much the pro-life movement must work out if they are going to be convincing to the American people as a whole. Unless God and His Law become the center of attention, we will only be seeking further trouble.

Redemption Accomplished and Applied...Finally!

I have finally finished it! Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray is a work every man should read and teach to his family. The first half of the book deals with the nature of the Atonement itself, its Perfection and its Extent. This is foundational to the applied work of Christ by the Spirit.

The Ordo Salutis (Order of Salvation) is then discussed. From Effectual Calling to Glorification, all aspects of salvation are explained. So much of this is sorely lacking in Evangelical churches today. We know how to write a check or lose weight for Jesus, but many of us have no idea why the Trinity is foundational to salvation.

One of my favorite chapters in this book was entitled Union With Christ. Page 164 asks great questions then offers a great answer:

What is it that binds past and present and future together in the life of faith and in the hope of Glory? Why does the believer entertain the thought of God's determinate council with such joy? Why can he have patience in the perplexities and adversities of the present? Why can he have confident assurance with reference to the future and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God? It is because he cannot think of past, present, or future apart from union with Christ. It is Union with Christ now in the virtue of his death and the power of His resurrection that certifies to him the reality of his election in Christ before the foundation of the world--he is blessed by the Father with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ just as he was chosen in Christ from eternal ages.

Again on page 169 he says,

The life of faith is the life of love, and the life of love is the life of fellowship, or mystic communion with Him who ever lives to make intercession for His people and who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

The case is clear. Not only does the Christian have his identity in Christ and is joined to Christ's life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension, but he also has Christ in union with his earthly life. The Christian knows by faith that when he suffers, Christ is there with him. It is a two way street. By this the Christian is strengthened to endure his many trials in this age. As Peter says in the Spirit, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation."

Get it. Enjoy it. Be blessed by it. We truly stand on the shoulders of giants.

God's Wrath At VT?

Sitting back and waiting to see how Christians would respond the Virginia Tech shootings has caused me to wonder if anyone has a Christian worldview anymore. The Blogs I normally read seem to understand the Biblical worldview, but hey, I would expect nothing less from solid Christian men. Yet many give poor answers to what happened at Virginia.

In my own church an emotional video was played with a compassionate male voice talking about how God was at the Twin Towers in a deep personal way. "I was there." was literally repeated over and over again. It was almost nauseating for the answers were not coming (atleast they weren't till I preached. I simply hate contradicting others in my own church, but oh well.).

One web site asks the relevant questions about the recent situation at Virginia Tech:

Immense tragedies such as this raise a host of questions. Where is God in all this? How could he allow this to happen? What kind of anguish would cause someone to randomly shoot people, and then commit suicide? What can we do as a society to prevent such tragedies in the future?

These questions are needed to be dealt with but must be done not seeking some way to help God out. God doesn't need a defense minister. This is exactly what happened when the Tsunami occurred and 9/11. Minister after minister came running out to defend why God would allow such things. None of the answers were ever dealing with the Biblical text.

For instance, Father John was asked why did these shootings happen. His response to Fox News:

Antoinette, I have been asking myself similar questions. Over the last few days, as new information about Cho has been revealed, my opinion on how this particular case is relatable to societal causes has evolved. From conversations with medical professionals and from my own pastoral experience, I think an increase in this type of violent act is due primarily to a combination of things. First, it’s due to an upswing in psychiatric instability in our youth. Secondly, a copycat phenomenon is made possible by worldwide communication. In response to other e-mails, I will explain later on why I think we are seeing an increase in psychotic behavior.

Mental instability is the problem. Perhaps if this man lived during the times when Asians were being used to forge the Railroad in this country, he would have shot all of the fat cats too? Was this man living in such a life of poverty or lower class or race that he had to have hatred for fellow students?

At Christianpost.com CBN is quoted as saying:

Meanwhile, the world-renowned evangelist says, "God has given us a free choice and there's evil in this world. I tag this on the devil. He's responsible. He's the one who wants to seek and he's the one who wants to destroy," according to CBN.

So now the Devil made me do it is being offered by some Christians. The glaring contradiction should be obvious to all. Free choice, but the devil....

Graham says,

"The Bible makes it very clear that God loves us. He cares for us," he added. "I want students to know that God loves them and God has not abandoned them and that He's there for them right now if they'll just reach out by faith."

What does this mean? Tell that to those non-Christian students being shot. "Hey, on your way to destruction I just want you to know God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life."

Grant Thomas comments on Christianity Today:

Why do people wonder why God doesn't stop all evil in the world? God allows us to make the choice and most people choose to follow the evil human nature. People are NOT innately good. They are wicked and selfish by nature and the problems caused by humans are their fault NOT God's. It has always been that way and it always will. God will not intervene and stop all evil, but He will punish the evildoers. The people who follow God will get their reward when they are judged. In the meantime, WE are responsible for the evil that happens. If anything...God weeps at how wicked we are.

God is weeping and is wondering what to do. In the end He will judge us, but why bother with all of this. This is no answer. In fact, if we are just "choosing to follow the evil human nature", how could God ever stop sin? Will there be the ability to sin in heaven? What is the purpose of sin?

I'd like to attempt to give a more Biblically based answer in 3 points. First the wrath of God as explained in Romans 1 and 9, then the nature of sin in sinners from Romans 3 & 5 and finally looking at the Son of God as Lord and Judge of men.

1) On September 10th 2000, I was talking with my son about Romans 1:18, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,..." Here we have a text that speaks of God's wrath always being revealed from heaven above. Yes, I admit I am an oddball. Talking with my then 4 year-old son is hardly something that is practiced by most Christian parents. Yet is it not going to eventually have to be dealt with? The next day I had to only reinforce what I had already been teaching my son, while many were coming up with excuses.

God's wrath is being displayed in this world. It is an attribute of God that He actually desires to demonstrate. For my 15 years as a Christian I have seen this attribute displayed in various ways I would never have guessed God would do. Yet every time this happens, God is being blamed for destroying the lives of innocent men and women. Although it is true that the students at Virginia Tech were innocent in the sense they did nothing to deserve being shot by some murderous geek, yet no one is innocent. All men must die and then the judgment.

Events like Virginia Tech, 9/11 and the Tsunami are great reminders that men are by nature children of wrath and abide under His wrath. Without reminders like these men would simply ignore God. Notice this text in 2 Peter, "He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter;"

There you have it. God has been reminding men with examples of a coming Day of Judgment. You might ask what is the purpose? Why does God allow evil men in the world. Romans 9 is very clear, though you might not know it from Christians who manipulate the text.

Romans 9:17 says, "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.'"

It is God's purpose to display His wrath against sin and ungodliness. Who better than the mighty Pharaoh and his many false gods to destroy? God has chosen to display not only His wrath but to use wrath as a backdrop for His even greater display of Grace in the salvation of His elect.

Evil has a purpose. Calamity has a purpose. At Plymouth Plantation an acting Pilgrim was asked "Why do you believe in a God that took away half of your settlement that first winter?" His response was most Biblical. "Who are we to question God?"

We may not know what the purpose of a particular event is in the life of this passing age. We do know this. "...that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." If you are a Christian, we have enough Biblical witness from Joseph and his evil brothers to Christ's crucifixion that God is truly working all things for His own glory and our good.


2) The problem of evil is the fact that men are sinners from the heart. How often do we hear today the Semi-Pelagian view that men are sinners but that men still have a free-will. Roman 3 says,

""THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
"THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";
"WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS";
"THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN."
"THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."

How often this text is said to refer to just those who are not seeking God. Yet we know there are God-seekers, so this text can't be referring to everyone. Much of the problem with Christianity today is that we have appealed to the evangelistic model of "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life" that there is simply no fear of God even by many Christians. As has been said, "What you win them with is what you must keep them with."

If we continue to preach a Gospel that doesn't deal with sin and God's Law we will continue to see people attempting to make excuses for God when evil or calamities happen. Our response should be Jesus' words, "Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

We must get back to explaining what the Bible actually teaches about men. All are in Adam and in Adam all die. Men are dead in trespasses and sin. Men are slaves of sin. This isn't just parts of men while their will is unaffected. It is all of man's faculties, mind, body, soul, will, ect..

3) The last point is Christians must stop proclaiming a Jesus that is getting on His hands and knees and begging and failing to save over and over again, but a Jesus that commands men everywhere to repent. We must remind men (and apparently Christians as well) that Jesus is the Lord of Glory. He is the Judge of men's souls. There is a Day coming in which the Son of Man will be revealed in all His power and glory, and He will execute judgment and wrath on all ungodliness. He will also gather His elect to Himself.

This point can not be understated. Simply saying Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life is simply to shallow. We must bring men to an understanding that they must face Christ in the final day. That He will judge their sin and cast out all those not written in the Book of Life. We see everyday, including at Virginia Tech, that Christ has the ultimate authority to bring men to judgment at any time.

Our days in this life are numbered, and men, according to the Scriptures, are like grass in the field. We are here today and gone tomorrow. Jesus said all who come to Him will have eternal life. Come to Him today.

I realize this could be far better said and probably could have used better arguments. Then again, it is just me.

Soli Deo Gloria

Joel's Links

Kuddos to Joel Kasselman for this article written by Robert Locke in 2002 and Ted Sampley in Jan 2007. Sampley explains that America has had to deal with Islam since its inception. There are some groups of people that are reasonable. Islam has demonstrated it is not one of them.

Sampley argues that the idea of appeasement as President Adams tried simply was succumbing to terrorism of the 18th century. Instead of terrorists strapping bombs to themselves, people were being kidnapped and sold into slavery. What do we have today on the Left? Appeasement all over again.

People on the Left side of thinking in this nation need to go back to history and try to understand a religion they are always saying we need to understand. Islam believes Christianity is corrupt and had a false prophet write new scripture (Koran) in order to prop up her false beliefs. Locke is correct when he says that Islam has a "sense of superiority and destiny of domination". Islam by its nature must bring everyone into submission to Allah, either by conversion or sword.

Locke is also correct when continues his sentence, "combined with a curiously inflamed sense of victimhood, for example the ongoing obsession with the crusades as having political relevance to the present day". This is an odd thing. Yet we see it with the almost violent King James Only advocates and the wonderful (sarcasm) Fred Phelps. How they play the persecution (old ladies bumping into them with wheel chairs) bit makes them feel as though they are suffering for God.

In an email conversation I had with a Yugoslavian or Czeckoslavian (I can't remember which and that email is now lost) he attempted to play the persecution bit by the supposed the Christians that were slaughtering masses of people. This persecution may have been real, but it was not being done by Christians. This leads to a crucial misunderstanding by Islam of the West. They simply believe Christendom and Christianity are the same thing. They are not. Can anyone even think of a Christian country in western Europe today? Have not all become atheistic or secular?

The United States is truly running on the fumes of her forefathers. If she falls, the west will fall with her. Islam may claim persecution, but Byron (?email, but could not verify source) is right when he points out that many of the countries that are "occupied" by Islam today were once Christian. How many thousands of Christians were put to the sword in order to conquer these nations? If Western Christendom did not stop the violent advance of Islam, there would be no freedom to even argue about this today.

May God preserve the West by waking her up. May He use whatever it takes to do so!

Thompson's Views Stated

Thanks to a nudge by Pastor Groover, I decided to go and watch the U-Tubes of Fred Thompson. Perhaps in this clip he may not sound quite as inspiring as Guiliani does as to why he is for Victory against the Terrorists. He does have the overall conservative principles needed to persuade myself. Perhaps this clip will help you to understand him better.



One of the first questions is about abortion. He is right. The reason abortion is such a huge debate in this country is the fact that nine judges without any Constitutional authority legislated bad law from the bench. His answer about having Judges fix the problem is problematic though. Judges can not fix this problem. Even if Roe V. Wade were overturned, it would be seen by the Left as a take over in the Courts (Remember, Leftists need not be consistent when they do it.). The answer must come through a debate in Congress via a Constitutional Amendment.

Would he be willing to lead a conservative movement to take back not only the White House but Congress as well?

Sam YellowBack

Why is it that a non-conservative Republican like Rudy Giuliani is putting the Dems on defense? While the entire field of Republicans that are running for President have thought it wise to attack Bush's policy on the War, here is one candidate attacking the Liberal's incoherent worldview.

On Rush Limbaugh's site, Giuliani is quoted as saying:

They hate us, not because of anything bad we've done. This has nothing to do with any aggression on the part of the United States of America. It has nothing to do with anything America is taking from anyone. It has nothing to do with Israel and Palestine. They hate us for the freedoms that we have and the freedoms that we want to share with the world because the freedoms that we have and the freedoms that we want to share with the world are in conflict with their perverted interpretation of their religion. Their maniacal, violent, and perverted interpretation of their religion, in which they train their young people to be suicide bombers, and they train them to hate you and despise you and they train them to hate your religion and to not allow you to have religion of your own or anyone else. They hate us for the reasons that are the best about us, because we have freedom of religion, because we have freedom for women, because women are allowed to participate in society, because we have elections, because we have a free economy. Well, we're not giving that up, and you're not going to come and take it from us.

Here you have it folks. A Republican that wants to be President. I have said it several times on this Blog. If there any Conservative Republican that wants to be President all that needs to be done is to stop attacking Bush and start attacking Democrats?

Here in Kansas we have one of our Conservative, Pro life, Pro family, Sam Brownback running for President. Have you ever heard of him? I suspect not. Right from the start he blew it. He attacked Bush and the War in Iraq. He sided with the Democrats that must lose the War at all costs. He is simply not leadership material. That is a shame. I hate seeing a non-Conservative (Guiliani) defeat Liberals when such golden opportunities have been squandered by the Brownbacks.

Perhaps this is the fault of Bush himself. Instead of destroying the Dems while they were (still are) committing Harry Cary, he hopes the Rush Limbaughs will carry the water. This Ronald Reagan did not do.

Conservatives are starving for true leadership. Guiliani is offering just that. Is there any Conservative willing to lead? Please!

Look to the Son

When John said there is a New Heavens and a New Earth coming, I don't think he meant that we needed to go look for a new Earth somewhere else in the neighborhood. For the Left and Evolutionists like Stephen Hawking that is exactly what they intend to do.

This story in the BBC news reports that a new planet has been found. It is a mere 20 light years away. If it is so close then "This remarkable discovery appears to confirm the suspicions of most astronomers that the universe is swarming with Earth-like worlds."

Although it is admitted "We don't yet know much about this planet", that doesn't stop them from making videos and offering descriptions about what a great possibility it would be to move there. It is even described as "The Earth-like planet that could be covered in oceans and may support life." So with all of the maybes, we should all be doing as Hawking says and "move to a planet beyond our Solar System to protect the future of the species."

Now don't get me wrong. If Hawking wants to "build a passenger spaceship" and take every Liberal Leftist there, that is fine with me. In fact, let me help them pack their bags. Is this really salvation? In the Evolutionary world, if man dies out...so what?!

Liberalism has several major flaws, the chief of which seems to not be able to recognize that sinful human nature will follow man wherever he goes, Evolution notwithstanding. Hawking and those like him interpret the world from an idolatrous point of view. They have so suppressed the knowledge of God within them and all around them, that they are willing to save themselves to another planet. Which is easier to believe? That God created us and sent His Son to save sinners and raised Him from the dead, or getting on a ship and sailing away into the void of night to a planet that offers...what?

The Evolutionary world view is so bankrupt it actually asserts the ridiculous, and that is somehow lauded as intellectual. My friends, if you believe in this silliness please let me explain something to you. God created the earth. It is man's designed place to live. Jesus said in Matthew 5, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." At the Return of Christ, all of the evil that men like Hawking supposedly dread shall be over and cast out. The trouble is, until Hawking comes to Christ his dreams will eventually perish with the passing of this age.

There is simply no real hope in Hawking's world. Christ and Christ alone is the only true Savior. Look to the Son!

REID MUST GO

I thank my God that the Democrats are not in full control. They have certainly invested themselves in defeat. The War must be lost at all costs. I have bit my lip watching the Dems align themselves with the Islamic Terrorists, but after hearing about Harry Reid comments it is the duty of every Red Blooded American to speak out against him. By now you have heard his statement:

"I believe myself that the secretary of state, secretary of defense and — you have to make your own decisions as to what the president knows — (know) this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq (Wednesday)," Reid said.

Yes the War is over according to Reid. He is now officially siding with the Terrorists. He has officially denigrated our troops morale. If he were Washington, the Revolution would have been lost. If he were Linclon, this Nation would have been splintered and lost. If he were Patton, War War II would have been lost and the Germans would be slaughtering Jews worldwide. If he were protesting Vietnam, we would have lost to the communists.

Hold on. That's right. These people committed treason in the 60s and no one stopped them forcing the United States to lose a War they had actually won. They are committing Treason now and Republicans stick their finger in the wind to see if it is o.k. to say anything. This is due to a lack of leadership coming from the White House.

I hereby demand, as an American who believes America can and should win this War, that Harry Reid be forced to step down from his position. I also Demand that President Bush lead the charge. If Democrats may call for the Attorney General's resignation (along with the miriads of others, yet somehow the reverse never seems to happen), then any man with any common sense should demand Reid's.

REID, STEP DOWN!