“Being a Christian is the most rebellious thing you can do in a culture that celebrates everything except Truth”.

We are sliding into a Post-Truth era where lies are acceptable if convenient. It is becoming harder and harder to discern what is true and what isn’t. Where it was easier to combat Postmodernism by showing that you can only have one truth and not many different versions, Post-Truth is harder to fight, because people are willing to lie no matter what truth, facts, logic, or common sense you present them with.

Christianity rejects moral relativism. Many contemporary Western societies embrace the idea that truth is subjective. Morality is often viewed as personal preference. “Live your truth” or “What’s true for you may not be true for me” are popular adages.

We are in the midst of a war over truth. We are not fighting over the truth or falsehood of this or that claim. The fundamental goal of the Progressive Left (Socialists), is to relativize everything, relativize reality itself. He wants to be god of his own life, his own universe. This is how he envisions freedom. This is what Lucifer wanted when he rebelled against Heaven, complete autonomy.

We live in a postmodern world. With this thinking, clearly those in the past who claimed to have the answers were wrong. Anathema of postmodernism is intolerance. Its weapon is equivocation. Postmodernism refutes absolute truth over personal truth as it believes truth to be a social construct. It chooses power over truth. So, truth becomes what the powerful chose it to be. These are a few of the major signs of postmodernism. The agenda of Postmodernism is materialistic reduction. This wants to:

1. Move philosophy to the existential.
2. Move music and art to the sensual or trivial.
3. Move education to the skeptical.
4. Move spirituality to the mystical.
5. Move truth to the individual (relativism).

Christianity directly challenges this by claiming that Truth exists independently of human opinion, and that God defines right and wrong. Jesus declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life“ - John 14:6.

In a culture that often treats truth as negotiable, claiming objective moral truth is inherently countercultural. Objective truth refers to the concept that certain statements or facts are true independently of anyone’s beliefs, opinions, or perceptions. It exists independently of individual perspectives and remains consistent regardless of who observes or experiences it. Objective truths are considered universal and do not change based on cultural, societal, or personal biases. In other words, an objective truth is something that is objectively verifiable and can be supported by evidence, logic, and observation. It is not influenced by emotions, preferences, or subjective interpretations. Scientific principles and mathematical truths are often considered objective because they are based on empirical evidence and logical reasoning, leading to consistent and repeatable results.

Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, holds that reality exists as an objective absolute, facts are facts, independent of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes or fears. At a macro level this is true, there are objective truths and objective truths are true whether you know them or not, understand them or not, like them or not. In contrast to objective truth, subjective truth refers to statements that are dependent on personal feelings, experiences, or beliefs. These truths can vary from person to person and may not be universally valid or applicable.

Christianity opposes expressive individualism. A dominant cultural ideal today is: “Become whoever you want to be.“ One often hears: “You do you”, especially in Casino Resorts or Las Vegas advertisements showing people having fun.

Christianity instead teaches what Jesus said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” - Luke 9:23

Modern culture often places the self at the center. Christianity places Christ at the center. That reversal is deeply rebellious against prevailing cultural assumptions. It doesn’t mean that God does not love or respect the individual. Jesus often stopped whatever he was doing to talk or deal with one individual. Individualism is not the problem, it’s when the individual is placed above, or in place of God that problems occur.

Christianity refuses to worship the modern idols. Every society has idols. Historically they were statues. Today they often include:

• Wealth

• Status

• Sexual autonomy

• Political power

• Celebrity

• Technology

• Personal identity

• Consumerism

Christianity insists that none of these deserve ultimate allegiance. The First Three Commandments remain radically subversive. Exodus 20:3-7. It is not an accident that the Greatest Commandment according to Jesus was “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:29–31

Christianity challenges every political ideology. One reason Christianity has often been opposed from both the political Left and Right is that it refuses to be fully absorbed into either. It critiques:

• greed and exploitation

• racism

• nationalism as an ultimate identity

• class hatred

• authoritarianism

• sexual immorality

• abortion, euthanasia

• neglect of the poor

• vengeance

• corruption

It continually says: God’s Kingdom comes before every earthly kingdom. That makes committed Christianity difficult to domesticate politically.

Christianity teaches that freedom comes through obedience. Modern culture often defines freedom as: “Doing whatever I want.” This is the definition of autonomy. Autonomy is the Devil’s prime directive, the way he accomplishes that is through lies.

Consider this statement from a scientist. “Perception of truth frequently differs significantly from real truth. Moreover, given sufficient promotion and advertising, perception of truth becomes truth. Its promotion by commercial enterprise Is called marketing, commonly used in the furtherance of political, commercial, or various opportunistic ends by its promoters. When promotion is done by government or political groups, it’s called spin or propaganda. Pseudoscience is science fiction. …Unfortunately, neither computers nor human fact-checkers can, in general, tell fact from fiction. Or science from science fiction or from pseudoscience.” - Dr. John F. Clauser, Quantum Physicist and Nobel Prize winner

If the above statement resonates with you then you have to at least believe in objective truth and also trust subject matter experts, authorities in a particular field (given that they are devoid of any personal agenda). What Dr. John Clauser is talking about is Legitimization by Paralogy. Which means consensus in a lie until everyone believes it. It’s a fancy way of saying, if you are a good liar and you lie often enough, and enough people believe you, then the lie becomes reality and reality becomes a lie. We are inundated by ‘fake news’ from media channels, printed, televised or digital, and people are happy to proliferate it without bothering to verify anything. We may be used to lies coming from politicians, but we now live in a world where we are swimming in an ocean of (mis)information, most of it slanted, untrue, or downright false. Postmodernism makes Legitimization by Paralogy and Repressive Tolerance possible. This will eventually lead to totalitarianism, and once that happens, whatever autonomy we thought we might have will vaporize. For only the truth will set us free. Postmodernism is essentially a crisis of faith, being at its core an atheist world view. Love, Faith, and the Spirit of Truth are the only ways to fight this.

Christianity defines freedom differently: Freedom is becoming what God created you to be. Jesus said: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - John 8:32. This turns contemporary ideas of freedom upside down.

Christianity rejects the tyranny of public opinion. Modern culture is driven by:

• social media approval

• popularity

• likes

• followers

• reputation

Christianity teaches: “Fear God rather than man.” And by that it means ‘worship God’. “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. The early Christians were not particularly well educated, but they were wise. The apostles and disciples repeatedly refused to stop preaching despite imprisonment and persecution. Many were arrested and brutally killed for their beliefs. Their loyalty was to truth, not public approval.

Christianity has historically resisted totalitarian systems. Throughout history many authoritarian regimes viewed committed Christians as threats because Christians acknowledged a higher authority than the state. Examples include persecution under:

• Nero

• the Roman Empire

• the Soviet Union

• Communist China

• Nazi Germany (many Christians were killed along with Jews, especially those who harbored or helped the Jews)

• North Korea

• Islam

When the state claims ultimate authority, Christianity answers: “Christ is Lord.” Or “Christ is King”. That claim has often been politically explosive.

Christianity insists human dignity comes from God. Many modern worldviews ground human worth in:

• usefulness

• intelligence

• productivity

• autonomy

• social status

Christianity says: Every human being bears the image of God. – Genesis 1:27. That includes:

• unborn children

• the elderly

• the disabled

• the poor

• enemies

This belief has historically influenced movements for hospitals, abolition, charity, and universal human dignity. Biblical Worldview ‘relevance’ could be measured in years and decades. Today of course, these differences have been ‘appropriated’ by Western Culture, and so this aspect of relevance is not as noticeable. In certain disadvantaged situations (homeless shelters, famine relief, missionary education), however, it can still be seen quite easily. Let’s not forget that Christianity is the number one champion against sex slavery, child slavery, spousal abuse, poverty, and homelessness.

Christianity exposes the human condition. Modern culture often locates evil outside of ourselves: society, politics, economics, or upbringing.

Christianity begins with a harder claim: The fundamental problem is the human heart. As Jesus taught: “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come...” - Mark 7:21–23. This message is uncomfortable because it requires personal repentance rather than merely changing external systems. In many cases it has been shown that unrepentant guilt leads to mental illness.

Christianity refuses to redefine truth by majority vote. Cultures change, public opinions sway, but Christianity maintains that: truth does not change because opinions change, God’s character is constant, and moral truth is discovered, not invented.

A Biblical worldview establishes moral absolutes, grounded in God’s nature and revealed in Scripture.

• The Authority of Scripture – The Bible is accurate, authoritative, and sufficient for guiding life and faith (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Isaiah 40:8, Mat. 4:4, Hebrews 4:12).

• Absolute Moral Truths Exist – Right and wrong are defined by God’s character and His commands, particularly found in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 19:7, Matthew 5:18).

• · The Shema – Jesus distilled morality to two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:29–31)

Unlike relativistic worldviews where morality is subjective and ever-changing, a Biblical worldview affirms that moral truth is fixed because it is rooted in an unchanging God (Malachi 3:6).

Christianity often demands sacrifice instead of comfort. Consumer culture promises comfort, convenience, entertainment, self-fulfillment.

Christianity calls believers toward: service, generosity, forgiveness, self-denial, endurance, and loving enemies. Those virtues frequently run against prevailing cultural incentives.

Historically, Christianity began as a minority movement. The first Christians challenged:

• Roman Emperor worship

• pagan religious practices

• social hierarchies

• infanticide (abortion)

• gladiatorial brutality

• exposure of unwanted infants

Their refusal to compromise often led to persecution rather than social acceptance. From its beginning, Christianity understood faithfulness as potentially costly.

In the aftermath of the great fire of Rome, Nero sought to shift the blame onto Christians, who were already marginalized and often seen as a threat to the traditional Roman religious and social order. This marked the beginning of a systematic persecution that was unprecedented in scale and brutality. According to historical accounts, the Christians were subjected to cruel and humiliating punishments, ranging from being burned alive, to crucifixion, to being torn apart by hungry tigers and lions. Nero also reportedly executed the most prominent Christian leaders, Peter and Paul.

The early Christians went thru many plagues, the Antonine Plague (165–180 AD) and the Cyprian Plague (249–270 AD) for example were way worse than COVID 19 and there is written evidence that the Christians helped not only their own but the pagan unbelievers (knowing full well the plague was contagious).

In conclusion, we live in a world where truth is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish from falsehood. Lies, fake news and propaganda have the danger of enslaving us into a collective authoritarian political system where we will not have any freedoms, let alone autonomy. The algorithms are pulling us apart and people are being lulled into a hedonistic, consumer oriented materialistic worldview away from God, family, and society. Being a Christian is the most rebellious thing you can do in a culture that celebrates everything except Truth.

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Imagine a world where the past is irrelevant and should be discounted, where every wrongdoing of the past is to be judged by your current “truth”. In other words, subjective truth, subject to your feelings. We are moving from an era of postmodernism where truth is relative (you have your truth and I have mine), to a post-truth era where out-and-out lies are acceptable if convenient.

Objective truth refers to the concept that certain statements or facts are true independently of anyone’s beliefs, opinions, or perceptions. It exists independently of individual perspectives and remains consistent regardless of who observes or experiences it. Objective truths are considered universal and do not change based on cultural, societal, or personal biases. In other words, an objective truth is something that is objectively verifiable and can be supported by evidence, logic, and observation. It is not influenced by emotions, preferences, or subjective interpretations. Scientific principles and mathematical truths are often considered objective because they are based on empirical evidence and logical reasoning, leading to consistent and repeatable results.

Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, holds that reality exists as an objective absolute, facts are facts, independent of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes or fears. At a macro level this is true, there are objective truths and objective truths are true whether you know them or not, understand them or not, like them or not. In contrast to objective truth, subjective truth refers to statements that are dependent on personal feelings, experiences, or beliefs. These truths can vary from person to person and may not be universally valid or applicable.

In the essay “Repressive Tolerance” (1965), the German born American critical theorist Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979) of the Franklin School of political theorists argued that, under the conditions of advanced industrial capitalism, the only hope for realizing the original objectives of “liberalist” or “pure” toleration - freeing the mind to rationally pursue the truth, was to practice a deliberately selective “liberating tolerance” that both targeted and enacted the repression alluded to in the essay’s paradoxical title. This “liberating tolerance” would involve “the withdrawal of toleration of speech and assembly from groups and movements” on the Right, and the aggressively partisan promotion of speech, groups, and progressive movements on the Left. Repressive Tolerance basically means it’s OK to misbehave or lie if you are in the Progressive Left party (Communist party of which Marcuse was an ardent member). The end justifies the means.

As Aldous Huxley wrote: “The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause, or perceived good cause, is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior ‘righteous indignation’ – this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats.”

Legitimization by Paralogy means consensus in a lie until everyone believes it. It’s a fancy way of saying, if you are a good liar and you lie often enough, and enough people believe you, then the lie becomes reality and reality becomes a lie. We are inundated by ‘fake news’ from media channels, printed, televised or digital, and people are happy to proliferate it without bothering to verify anything. We may be used to lies coming from politicians, but we now live in a world where we are swimming in an ocean of (mis)information, most of it slanted, untrue, or downright false. Postmodernism makes Legitimization by Paralogy and Repressive Tolerance possible. This will eventually lead to totalitarianism, and once that happens, whatever autonomy we thought we might have will vaporize.

Deconstruction is the belief that the meaning of words is in the receiver not the sender. Words will have meanings the author did not intend. With this paradigm, it’s very easy to “spin” words to mean anything, and very easy to offend people that are ready to be offended (political correctness, wokeness). Meaningful dialog becomes difficult; knowledge and wisdom are harder to transmit from one generation to the next. Words become forbidden or “taboo”, and people can be doxed, cancelled, fired, ridiculed for just speaking certain things. Deconstruction was the father and Secular Humanism the mother of “woke” ideology.

Woke ideology is a mind virus that Dr Gad Saad calls “the parasitic mind”. It is a cult like behavior in that its fanaticism is impervious to facts, logic, or truth. Wokeness used to be the purview of the extreme Liberal Left but now, possibly as a knee jerk reaction, it has also infected the extreme Right. What started out as a Marxist derived consequence has now morphed into Fascist modus operandi. And so, the two extreme poles of political ideology have embraced this cult like behavior born from the pit of hell.

Let’s take a look at how it is expressed by the ‘Woke Left’ and the ‘Woke Right’. This list is curtesy of Christian Apologist Melissa Dougherty who puts the similarities in succinct and stark contrast.

1. The Woke Left: Revises history. America is stolen land and was founded as a slaveocracy built entirely on oppression. Every institution is rooted in systemic racism that still defines us today. Sounds familiar, right? The Woke Left claims truth is subjective. Your feelings define reality.
The Woke Right: Revises history. Hitler was a misunderstood Christian patriot who fought globalist elites and the Holocaust is exaggerated or fabricated. The Woke Right claims truth is secret. It’s hidden by elites in a grand conspiracy.

2. The Woke Left: The oppressors are white, straight Christian men – ‘white supremacy’. They are the cause of all the problems in the world because of their ‘white privilege’.
The Woke Right: The oppressors are the Jews. They lied about the Holocaust and secretly control everything and are the cause of all the problems in the world. Although, when it comes to antisemitism, both the right and the left agree.

3. The Woke Left: Criticism is proof of your rightness and righteousness.
The Woke Right: Criticism is proof of your rightness and righteousness.

4. The Woke Left: Their worldview reads microaggressions and systemic racism in every single interaction.
The Woke Right: Their worldview sees a conspiracy in every institution, media, publication, and historical consensus. History is not to be trusted, and governments are not to be trusted.

5. The Woke Left: Women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ are superior. White men need to sit down and shut up. White men are the oppressors due to ‘white privilege’, and the Jews are the worst form of white men oppressors.
The Woke Right: White Christian men are superior. Women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ need to sit down and shut up, especially the Jews.

6. The Woke Left: Is matriarchal, so emotion, empathy, inclusion over truth is important.
The Woke Right: Is patriarchal, so dominance, authority, and hierarchy over truth is important.

7. The Woke Left: Is built on bitterness and hatred for a group of people they blame for injustice.
The Woke Right: Is built on bitterness and hatred for a group of people they blame for corruption.

8. The Woke Left: Distorts scripture to deify the self. This is my true authentic self.
The Woke Right: Distorts scripture to deify the tribe. We are God’s true and pure people.

9. The Woke Left: Claims to be Christian. Jesus is a progressive social justice warrior.
The Woke Right: Claims to be Christian. Jesus is a nationalist political crusader.

10. The Woke Left: Is authoritarian in method.
The Woke Right: Is authoritarian in structure.

11. The Woke Left: Uses outrage and emotional manipulation to rally a following. Feelings are proof.
The Woke Right: Uses outrage and emotional manipulation to rally a following. Feelings and suspicion are proof.

12. The Woke Left: Likes social justice nationalism.
The Woke Right: Likes theocratic Christian nationalism.

13. The Woke Left: Violence is a feature.
The Woke Right: Conspiracy is a feature.

14. The Woke Left: Makes people believe lies by denying reality.
The Woke Right: Makes people believe lies by inventing reality.

15. The Woke Left: You are enlightened and awakened if you understand the hidden systems of oppression from the oppressors.
The Woke Right: You’re enlightened and awakened if you understand the hidden plots and conspiracies from the elites.

16. The Woke Left: Victimhood becomes their identity, a lens for interpreting everything.
The Woke Right: Victimhood becomes their justification, a license for extreme conclusions.

17. The Woke Left: Has secret hidden knowledge to help you understand reality.
The Woke Right: Has secret hidden knowledge to help you understand reality.

18. The Woke Left: Is built on critical theory (CRT).
The Woke Right: Is built on conspiracy theory.

19. The Woke Left: The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
The Woke Right: The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.

20. The Woke Left: Likes Socialism in all of its forms: Communism, Islamism (Islam + Sharia), Globalism. Does not like Christianity and Judaism even though they are more oppressed than Islamism.
The Woke Right: Likes Communism, and Islamism. Claims to be Christian but does not like Judaism.

Basically, the Woke Right is the best example of what it means to hate your enemies so much that you become just like them. What could have started as a knee jerk reaction to “white guilt”, and government lies, ended up creating similar cult like behavior on the extreme Right. There’s actually a whole lot more to this inversion, but I think this can give you an idea of what we’re dealing with.

I divided the “Woke Right” into five different categories:

1: The Cowards: Former pro-Israel conservatives who saw support for Israel after October 7 as a liability, so they folded under shifting polls, online pressure, and accusations of being “neocons.”

2: The Antisemites: Long-fringe voices on the Right who finally got a chance to practice their favorite hobby: “Jew hatred.” They adopted the Left’s language (“Zionist”, “Genocide”, “Apartheid”) and seized the opportunity to attack Jews while pretending they were simply opposing “forever wars.”

3: The Deluded “Realists”: Paleoconservatives, libertarians, and isolationists who genuinely believed the propaganda. They framed Hamas’s atrocities as “resistance” and Israel’s response as the real problem, convinced that abandoning Israel would magically end jihad and bring peace.

4: The Paid Voices: Influencers and think tank figures quietly funded by Qatar and Turkey. They suddenly developed a deep concern for Palestinians once the checks started clearing.

5: The Naive Nice-Guy Conservatives: People with friendly Muslim neighbors, coworkers, or gym buddies who couldn’t reconcile October 7 with their personal experiences. They convinced themselves that Israel is to blame for Islamic violence.

For those who haven’t noticed, politics is spiritual warfare. It always has been. The real ‘spiritual battle’ is a moral battle of maintaining truth, humility, and justice within yourself while engaging in public life instead of giving in to greed, power, and self-interest. A good visual example is the fact that anti-communist Chinese refer to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) as a ‘Devil bent on the destruction of humanity’ (and they are not even Christian). They also see the communist useful idiots as under a spell or zombified, as they will perform whatever task is asked of them without question or moral objection. So, in wokeism we have Marxist ideology showing up in both the Left and the Right squeezing the middle. Socialism, in its many guises creeping into our way of life.

Wokeness to the Left of me, Wokeness to the Right, stuck in the Middle with you.

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I borrowed that title from a chapter of CS Lewis’s Mere Christianity. It set me thinking, is Christianity hard or easy? I believe Christianity is hard.

Do we even know what Christianity is? Of course that’s not an easy answer, and many books have been written on the subject. But we can benefit from a little introspection and at least examine some major points. A bullet list if you will.

Across America, approximately seven out of ten adults (69%) describe themselves as Christian. Unfortunately, just 9%, one out of ten of those who call themselves Christian possesses a Biblical worldview.

Deism or Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is essentially a fake version of Christianity. Almost 4 out of 10 adults ascribe to this proverbial ‘spiritual but not religious’ point of view. This is another way of saying “I want the comfort of meaning without the discomfort of truth”. Nobody ever said truth would always be easy. The fact that a greater percentage of people who call themselves Christian draw from Moralistic Therapeutic Deism than rely on the Bible says a lot about the state of the Christian Church in America. Simply stated, Christianity in America is rotting from the inside out.

Would you be surprised to know that a significant percentage of Christians believe in:

· Karma
· Reincarnation
· Animism
· Being able to manifest reality
· Oneness
· Pluralism
· Universalism
· Mysticism
· Many other neo-pagan beliefs

Can you clearly articulate what exactly it is that you believe and why?

Let’s try five major talking points.

1. The belief that there is only one God (Exodus 20:3; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8) and He exists as a Trinity of persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Mat. 28:18-20). You will have no other Gods, no other thing before God. You are not God and will never become God. God is who we should rightly worship.

2. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus alone (Rom. 5:1; 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9). Your deeds (works) should reflect your faith (James 2:18-19). Christians should not be divided on this issue.

3. The belief that Jesus was crucified, died, was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead (John 2:19-21; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:14).

4. The belief in the deity of Jesus Christ as both God and man. He is the Son of God (John 1:1, 14; Col. 2:9; Mark 10-11; Mat. 11:27), and the Son of Man (Mat. 16:27).

5. The will of the Father is for us to listen to His Son and do what he commands (John 6:28-29). The heart of Jesus’ message to us was the Sermon on the Mount (Mat. 5; Mat 6; Mat. 7). Everyone is on board with the above first four items, but this one is a ‘tough row to hoe’. However, Jesus said (in the Sermon on the Mount) that many who ‘talk the talk but don’t walk the walk’, will not be recognized by Him (Mat. 7:21-23). So, the Sermon on the Mount must be taken seriously and acted on by all Christians.

We can get a general agreement on the first four points, but number five has some very difficult teachings. However, they were Jesus’ words, so…

Number five makes Christianity hard, but hey, nothing worthwhile is easy. We are not perfect, not even close. But we can strive for perfection, give it our best. That’s where it’s at. Let’s do it!

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Muslims are very good at getting things done with a minimum of technology. On 9/11 they basically brought down three World Trade Center buildings, four passenger airplanes and a section of the Pentagon destroyed, a death count of almost three thousand infidels, with basically some cell phones, box cutters, and a few beginner flying lessons. There have been over 34,766 (reported) terrorist attacks between 1979 and 2019, with a resulting 170,676 deaths.

Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during a speech in 2006 said “There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe—without swords, without guns, without conquests. The fifty million Muslims of Europe will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades.”

“We’re the ones who will change you,” Norwegian imam Mullah Krekar told the Oslo newspaper Dagbladet in 2006. “Just look at the development within Europe, where the number of Muslims is expanding like mosquitoes. Every Western woman in the EU is producing an average of 1.4 children. Every Muslim woman in the same countries is producing an average of 3.5 children.” As he summed it up: “Our way of thinking will prove more powerful than yours.”

The number you need for merely a stable population, not getting any bigger, not getting any smaller is 2.1 babies per woman. The U.S. is holding steady at basically that level. Some countries are well above that: the global fertility leader, Niger, is 7.46; Mali, 7.42; Somalia, 6.76; Afghanistan, 6.69; Yemen, 6.58. What do all these nations have in common? They are all Muslim countries. European countries are in real trouble as many are barely above one baby per woman.

As the population of all the European countries dwindles, Islam is busy exporting its people to all of Europe. Muslim women have a much higher fertility rate than any of their host countries (and they don’t believe in abortion). Soon the percentage of Muslims in European countries will surpass 10% of the population (of each host country), which is regarded as the critical mass. From that point on they have the power to elect their own officials, politicians, and enact their own laws (Sharia).

Islam does not assimilate into cultures; they dominate them and eventually conquer them, rendering their traditions and social values extinct. It’s the same tactics and methods Islam has used in their 1400 yr. history of infiltration, threats, violence, and submission, to their never-ending social demands, as they continue in their quest for world dominance. Islam is well established in Europe and already has a foothold here in the U.S. and we have terrorists living amongst us, planning their next attacks, right here on our soil, just as the hijackers did before 9/11, using our freedoms and liberties to achieve their evil agenda.

Also, western apathy will be its own Achilles heel. New York, the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, just elected a Communist/Islamist, violently anti-Jewish mayor. We were told never to forget 9/11/2001, but it looks like in less than 25 years we forgot completely, or… don’t really care anymore.

We are told over and over that those responsible for 9/11 must be disassociated with Islam and labeled as terrorists. But what if this entire premise is wrong? For it is not just Al-Qaeda and ISIS that show the violent face of Islamic faith and practice. It is Pakistan, where any statement critical of the Prophet or Islam is labeled as blasphemy and punishable by death. It is Saudi Arabia, where churches and synagogues are outlawed, and where beheadings are a legitimate form of punishment, so much so that there was almost a beheading a day in August 2014. It is Iran, where stoning women is an acceptable punishment and homosexuals are hanged for their “crime.” It is Brunei, where the sultan is reinstituting Islamic Sharia law, again making homosexuality punishable by death.

There’s no such thing as a “moderate” Muslim, the 90% do not speak out against (let’s say for the sake of argument) the radical 10%. Muslims will never stand up for America, against Islam. To do so would mean an eternity in hell, for disagreeing with or doubting Islam. Don’t expect American Muslims to stand for America, above Islam, but you can be sure, if cartoons or anything else considered against Islam is perceived, they will come out en mass. When the time is right and that time is coming, American Muslims will betray the US to Islam. Moderate or radical, Islamism is the enemy of the world.

Read Surah 18:21 and you will know why Muslims insist on building a mosque over Ground Zero (they ended up building one two blocks away). They also built mosques, as symbols of victory, over Spanish churches in Cordoba and Seville and Segovia, and took over Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. This practice started at the end of the 7^th century with the building of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

Surah 18:21 Thus, did We make their case known to the people of the city so that they might know that Allah’s promise is true, and that there is absolutely no doubt that the Hour will come to pass. But instead of giving thought to this, they disputed with one another concerning the People of the Cave, some saying: “Build a wall over them. Their Lord alone knows best about them.” But those who prevailed over their affairs²⁰ said: “We shall build a place of worship over them.”

Kill Non-Believers.

Surah 2:191, 2:193, 9:3, 9:5, and 9:29, 47:4 of the Quran effectively commands Muslims to kill the non-believers. These Surahs will give you an idea of what the ideology commands.

Surah 2:191 And kill them wherever you find them and turn them out from where they have turned out. And Al-Fitnah (polytheism) is worse than killing. And fight not with them at Al-Masjid-Al-Haram (the sanctuary at Makkah), unless they (first) fight you there. But if they attack you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.

Surah 2:193 And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah) and (all and every kind of) worship is for Allah (Alone). But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheist and wrong-doers).

Surah 9:3 And [it is] an announcement from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage that Allah is disassociated from the disbelievers, and [so is] His Messenger. So, if you repent, that is best for you; but if you turn away - then know that you will not cause failure to Allah . And give tidings to those who disbelieve a painful punishment.

Surah 9:5 But once the Sacred Months have passed, kill the polytheists ˹who violated their treaties˺ wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them on every way. But if they repent, perform prayers, and pay alms-tax, then set them free. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Surah 9:29 Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, nor comply with what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, nor embrace the religion of truth from among those who were given the Scripture, until they pay the tax, willingly submitting, fully humbled.

Surah 47:4 So, when you meet (in fight or Jihad in Allah’s Cause) those who disbelieve, smite (their) necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them i.e. take them captive). Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity (i.e. free them without ransom), or ransom (according to what benefits Islam), until the war lays down its burden. Thus [you are ordered by Allah to continue in carrying out Jihad against the disbelievers till they embrace Islam and are saved from the punishment in the Hell fire or at least come under your protection], but if it had been Allah’s Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight) in order to test some of you with others. But those who are killed in the Way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost.

Democracy and Imposing Sharia Law.

Surah 5:48 makes it clear that Muslims do not accept the manner by which men choose to rule themselves (Constitutional laws, Democracy), but that the Muslims must rule over us “in accordance with God’s revelations to you” (to the Muslims). This Surah puts them in direct opposition to the Constitutions of all Western Countries. Here is what their Qur’an says about: Jews and Christians. Surah 5:51, 5:54, and 5:60 label Jews and Christians as unfriendly and unworthy, people to not associate with.

The Qur’an Supersedes All Previous Scripture.

Surah 5:48 and 5:57 establish that the Qur’an supersedes all previous scripture and makes all other scripture suspicious. Later Verses of the Qur’an Supersede Earlier Ones (Surah 5:48). This means that the last Surah are what govern a devout Muslim and NOT the early ones. The latter ones are the ones calling for the killing of Jews and Christians. In fact, you might also want to note that Surah 5 and 9 are among the last three Surah written. To a devout Muslim, these commands are clear. We live in dangerous times.

There are 114 Surah in all and are not chronological but follow a specific order based on the length of the chapters, with the longest generally placed at the beginning and the shorter ones toward the end.

Islam is the third-largest religion in the United States (1.34%) after Christianity (67%) and Judaism (2.4%). The 2020 United States Religion Census estimates that there are about 4,453,908 Muslim Americans of all ages living in the United States in 2020, making up 1.34% of the total U.S. population.

There are three expressions of Socialism in the world: Communism, Islamism, and Globalism. They often collude with each other against their common enemy, the West.

In Europe Globalism has enabled Islamism to infiltrate most of the European Union. You can see how the cultural clash is going in the UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Sweden, Netherlands, etc. Not going to bore you with the relentless facts, you can look up the statistics yourself. In the US, both Communism and Globalism have used Islamism to weaken and divide the country. This technique is a century old as it was used by the Bolsheviks to help weaken Russia and destabilize parts of Europe and French and British controlled regions back in the 1920s.

The future is uncertain, but it looks like the chances that the US and the West will collapse to Socialism are almost certain. Islamism will most likely take over Europe in the next one or two generations, many countries around the world will fall to Communism, but in the US the fight will be between the Marxists and the Globalists. It will be interesting to see who wins, but I would venture to say that since most Americans will never give up their guns, Communism and Islamism will not be in our future. However, there is nothing to stop this country from becoming a socialist nation such as a Globalist state where the elite few control everything and the rest ‘own nothing but are happy’. Even if Islamism will not be the dominant factor in the US, it is all too willing to be the foot soldier for the Socialist ideology that has infiltrated and is masquerading as the Democrat Party.

The original Old Testament was written in ancient Hebrew while the New Testament was written in koine Greek. The word for word translation, or transliteration is very difficult to read. Remember that ancient scribes used no punctuation and no grammatical rules. The original ancient Hebrew of the Old Testament was written without vowels; vowels were added later. The Old Testament was originally translated into Greek and eventually into Latin. They rarely amended, edited, or updated their narrative. Therefore, over the centuries there have been many translations commissioned into more modern parlance. It is up to the reader (sometimes up to the church) to pick a translation you are comfortable with. It is true to say that different translations can sometimes have different nouns for things and places, but generally speaking the gist of the story is always preserved. Some are word-for-word (not transliteration but harmonized into modern speech), some are thought-for-thought, where the essence of the message is preserved but the words may be changed, and some are a hybrid approach where it is word-for-word except where it is more expedient to have a thought-for-thought translation.

People ask, is the Bible still relevant today? The world has changed, what can such an ancient book teach us? Well, maybe if you translate it into modern English, you will see that human nature, has not changed at all and the Bible is still relevant today.

Let’s take a look at Romans 1:18 – 32 which Paul wrote in 57 AD. In todays language he basically said:

Bad things will happen since people are choosing to not have faith in God anymore but embrace falsehoods. Especially since they have known about evil, it has been made known and explained to them in scripture (the Bible). The creation of the world, and natural beauty can clearly be seen and attributed to God (in the Book of Nature so to speak). People don’t have an excuse; they know better, they are aware of the moral law. Even though they know there is a God, they don’t praise or glorify Him, nor do they thank Him. They think themselves smart, but in reality, they are fools. They have exchanged God for other things, like money, pleasures, experiences.

So, God let them have their way, with sexual deviancy and degrading themselves and their bodies. People have exchanged faith in God for faith in man-made things, such as materialism and consumerism. God let them have whatever they desire, shameful lusts, as can be attested by the rise of LGBTQIA+ (here we can love the sinner without condoning the sin). This does not come without penalty of disease, health and mental issues, and death. God allows people to have depraved minds; He will not interfere (because of free will and other reasons).

People have become filled with all kinds of evil. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are constantly inventing new ways to do evil, ever-increasing ways to shock and become famous (look at the entertainment industry for reference). They have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Even though they know that if they do these evils, they will be denied eternal life, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Does that sound relevant to you?

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Every day, we're drowning in information, but starving for truth. And what's replacing it is something philosophers now call collective stupidity. A condition where masses accept shallow narratives and blatant lies without even noticing.

Imagine waking up one morning and realizing people around you have stopped questioning the world. The noise of life has grown deafening, the pace relentless, and the flood of information endless. What was once the mind's greatest strength, its ability to question, analyze, and grow, has dulled into quiet acceptance. Picture a society where critical thought disappears, where reasoning, reflection, and doubt are replaced by quick reactions, shallow opinions, echo chambers of agreement, acceptance of blatant lies disguised as truth.

Modern life doesn't reward reflection.

It rewards speed, emotional reaction, and conformity. Algorithms feed you what you already want to hear. Education systems reward memorization over discovery. Society quietly conditions us away from independent thought. Systems of power rely on training people to agree without understanding. When citizens consume passively, question less, and accept more, they become easier to manage and far easier to mislead. Critical thinking, once a mark of an educated mind, is now treated as inconvenient. It slows debates. It disrupts outrage. It questions ideologies. In a world obsessed with being right, even asking, "But is this true?" has become an act of rebellion.

Information overload problem.

Neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin points out that the average person now processes five times more information each day than just a few decades ago. Notifications, breaking news, advertisements, opinions, they bombard us every waking moment. Our brains were never designed for such constant input. When overwhelmed, the mind shortcuts. It leans on biases, group think, and familiar cues instead of careful reasoning. We look to others, friends, influencers, authorities for signals on what to think. This is social proof, a natural survival tool, but it can be exploited. A post with thousands of likes feels true not because we verified it, but because it looks true. A slanted opinion on the evening news must be true, how can it be otherwise? And this is how collective stupidity spreads. Not because people are foolish, but because we're conditioned to follow cues instead of thinking for ourselves.

Death of deep reading.

Neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf explains how our brains are being rewired by screens. We skim, we scroll, we click away. Sustained focus, long attention span, the kind needed for analysis and reflection, is fading. And without focus, critical thought collapses. Ask yourself, when was the last time you read something challenging, without checking your phone? When was the last time you paused after hearing a controversial idea just to think? These small habits of patience are disappearing. We now live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology. It’s not just ignorance; it’s the inability to verify truth claims. It’s the inability to think critically about the very systems we depend on.

The Dunning Krueger Effect is rampant today, Most people for example know next to nothing about ‘Climate Change’, or COVID-19 yet they have very formed opinions on it, mostly based on the constant barrage of news media surrounding the topic. And most people know next to nothing about Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, Israel, Judaism, Islam, but yet they are ready to march, protest, defend, attack like they know something.

The emotional barrier.

The decline of critical thinking isn't just technological or educational. It's emotional. Thinking critically is uncomfortable. It forces us to admit we might be wrong. It threatens our identities, our egos, even our sense of belonging. In a culture that values certainty over humility, this discomfort feels dangerous. And so, we retreat into safe spaces, tribes, slogans, and ideologies. We repeat instead of reason. We defend instead of dialogue. The Socratic method which fueled philosophy for centuries is replaced by outrage, memes, and cancel culture. Facts, reason, and common sense rarely change people’s beliefs, even if they are wrong.

The role of education and institutions.

To see the roots of this problem, we must look at the systems shaping our thinking. John Taylor Gatto, an award-winning teacher and critic of modern schooling, argued that the purpose of compulsory education was to produce obedient workers. In his view, schools were designed during the industrial era to prepare students for predictable, compliant roles. From childhood, we are rewarded for memorizing answers, not for asking better questions. Just like texting has made eloquence, articulation, and erudition obsolete, AI chat bots will make everyone homogenously ignorant. According to a New MIT Study, ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills.

In January 2016 Adam Hoffman reported that many studies in certain sciences are difficult to reproduce. One study asserted that findings in fewer than half of the psychology studies printed in prestigious journals could be reproduced. Stanford University’s John Ioannidis went so far as to say that across many scientific disciplines, “It can be proven that most claimed research findings are false. We are getting millions of papers that go nowhere.” Psychology? Going nowhere. Physics? Going nowhere, scientists are still divided as to what matter really is. Remember Nuclear Fusion? Going nowhere. Quantum computers? Going nowhere. Life on Mars? Scientists know full well there can be no life on Mars, but everyone wants to go there.

Conformity.

Conformity is praised; curiosity is labeled a distraction. Over time, the unspoken message becomes clear. Follow the rules. Don't rock the boat. This continues into adult life in offices, media, family, and even friendships. Speaking unpopular truths risks social rejection and so silence grows. But silence over time becomes complicity. Many people willingly surrender their freedom of thought because real freedom comes with responsibility and responsibility can be terrifying.

The social media effect.

Social media has taken this to a new level. Platforms that once promised connection now thrive on outrage, division, and manipulation. Every algorithm is built to keep you scrolling, reacting, and consuming, not thinking. You are nudged towards content that confirms your beliefs, encouraged to react instantly, emotionally, and often angrily (with click bait titles that many times have nothing to do with the content). In the age of misinformation, truth itself competes with virality. Ideas are judged not by evidence, but by popularity, a dangerous form of cognitive tyranny. Tik Tok and short form You Tube videos thrive especially because they are short and punchy.

Oxford Dictionary selected “post-truth” as 2016 Word of the Year. According to Oxford Dictionary, post-truth means “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”. Sadly, we are progressing from postmodernism to a post-truth world view. Post-truth accepts that there is an objective truth out there, but we may or may not choose to embrace it, depending on what is convenient at the time. Where we could combat postmodernism by showing that you cannot have a multitude of truths, post-truth is harder to combat because people are willing to lie or tell the truth depending on what is best for them. We are inundated by ‘fake news’ from media channels, printed, televised or digital, and people are happy to proliferate it without bothering to verify anything.

Facts don’t change people’s minds.

Politicians, marketers, and media exploit this, using emotional triggers to bypass reason. Repetition and familiarity replace truth. Once a belief feels right, we defend it even against evidence. This is confirmation bias, the trap of seeking only information that supports what we already believe. It is human nature, but left unchecked, it is intellectual quicksand. Facts, logic, and even common sense cannot penetrate a mind conditioned by lies.

The danger of group-think.

Even intelligent groups make disastrous decisions when dissent is silenced for the sake of harmony. Throughout history, progress has come from those willing to stand apart. Galileo, Darwin, Niche, Martin Luther King, who were all ridiculed or attacked for thinking differently. Thinking critically in today's society is an act of quiet rebellion. It risks misunderstanding, exclusion, even hostility. But it brings clarity, integrity, and the power of owning your own beliefs. Many of us feel anxious or unfulfilled despite living in an age of endless information. Why? Because we've outsourced our thinking to media, to trends, and to public opinion. We've abandoned inner dialogue, the ability to sit with a question and explore it deeply. No algorithm can think for you. No trending hashtag can replace your inner compass. When was the last time you took long walks by yourself just to ponder things?

So, what can we do?

Start with awareness. Notice when you're reacting instead of reasoning. Ask, "What's influencing my opinion right now? Am I open to being wrong?" Practice dialectical thinking, holding two opposing ideas in tension and exploring both. This is not weakness, it's intellectual strength. Socrates said, "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." It wasn't humility. It was a lifelong invitation to keep asking questions.

Critical thinking is a discipline. It requires reading books, not just headlines. It requires listening not only to those you agree with, but especially to those you don't. It requires humility to live with uncertainty and still seek truth. Critical thinking is not just an intellectual skill. It's a moral and even spiritual act. It's choosing truth over comfort, growth over certainty, freedom over approval. Once you begin thinking critically, you see the systems that shape you, the manipulation, the control. It can be overwhelming, even painful. But truth, however uncomfortable, is the only foundation for true freedom.

For a refresher short course into Critical thinking check out my Quick Guide to Critical Thinking.

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Technologies of the “Fourth Wave” (the era we are currently living in) are being harnessed to monitor and sway society into compliance. Advanced cell phone technology is in everyone’s pocket, social media is only one click away. Virtual Reality (VR) is expected to slowly replace real life (RL) and further isolate and control human beings. See the movie “Ready Player One” for a glimpse of what that dystopian future looks like, a future where everyone owns nothing but is happy. Friendships and families are to be forged in VR not in RL. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been successfully used for face recognition and for spying on people. AI influencers in social media will soon be swaying people towards a preferred agenda. Just like texting has made eloquence, articulation, and erudition obsolete, AI chat bots will make everyone homogenously ignorant. When fully deployed by universities and businesses, AI has the capability to replace a large portion of the human workforce. There will be no retraining or repurposing our way out of this technological advancement. It will take time, and it will go slowly at first, but the end game is inevitable. Any allusion that AI will create jobs or people will be able to retrain themselves to do other things is a lie. AI will never become sentient, that is a philosophical and scientific impossibility which would take too long to defend here, but it will become intelligent someday soon, and that is scary enough. AI coupled with existing Expert Systems, and Workflow Systems can already replace quite a bit of the workforce.

The ‘smart city’ concept is being pushed to place more surveillance equipment (flock cameras, Lidar, gauges, sensors, etc.) out in the streets, university campuses, parks, and eventually in all autonomous electric vehicles (all in the name of safety). This is the answer to a problem no one asked for. It will be sold as ‘added security’ and ‘lifesaving technology’. Everyone will be forced to have a Global Digital ID in their digital wallet, which will be used by the AI(s) to keep track of everyone. Coupled with some kind of social credit score mechanism, such as Environmental, Social, and Governance standards or ESGs, it can eventually be used to contain and control people. Big data collected on everyone would show what you did, where you went, who you talked to, what you bought, what vaccines you took (or haven’t taken). If you do something that is not liked by the state, your credit score goes down, affecting your ability to get loans, travel, or get entrance to certain places. This is currently used very effectively in China.

Virtual reconstruction of dead people is being touted as a wonderful thing. However, reconstruction of live people for nefarious ends can devastate lives. It’s easily foreseeable that in order to slander or ruin certain people, situations are created, and conversations exchanged that seem very real but have never taken place. This phenomenon already has a name: “deep fake”, as AI is already capable of “faking” interviews, pictures, and videos of things that have never happened. AI is being used to aid extorsion of innocent people by faking a kidnapping of someone and using a ‘deep fake’ of the victim’s voice. AI influencers on social media, AI avatars (“friends”) also on social media or other apps are popping up everywhere adding to young people’s addiction to the screen and increasing the obliviousness to the RL around them. Loneliness and mental illness among teenagers is on the rise. Grok (X’s new AI) now has “spicy” mode that explores new ‘soft porn’ fantasy content, even of real people (Taylor Swift anyone?).

It’s worth noting here that what most people refer to AI now, in articles and ads is not real AI, but brute force cloud processing and memory storage that mimics AI. Speaking of ‘the cloud’, it’s very convenient that the owners of the super server farms known as ‘the cloud’ have a certain monopoly in that they can de-platform any digital content they don’t agree with or does not conform to their liberal agenda. Elon Musk has admitted that the world will eventually be controlled by whomever has the best AI. The only thing slowing down AI development right now is power consumption. AI requires lots of it, and the current grid does not support much more.

Advancements in biomechanics coupled with AI are starting to make inroads into the transhumanist agenda. Transhumanism will happen slowly at first, as technology will be touted as beneficial to the handicapped community. Eventually these types of technological enhancements will find themselves inside healthy people. It is no secret that the future of the internet is touted as Neuralink (a brain to computer interface), a chip implanted in your brain to keep you connected to the internet 24/7. Although they are currently working on these technologies, the wide adoption is expected to usher in the “Fifth Wave” of technological advancement. It’s worthwhile to mention that DARPA and the Pentagon are heavily invested in these technologies. Nothing to fear here, right?

The questions no one wants to answer are these. What is humanity going to do with itself once it is no longer productive? Most people’s self worth is wrapped up in their job, what is going to happen when that is taken away? What will happen to the economy when people stop buying things because they are unemployed? Don’t let Elon fool you, guaranteed basic income is a pipe dream, its never going to happen.

People’s productivity replaced by AI, their insignificant lives monitored by AI via Global Digital ID, every aspect controlled by the tech overlords. Is it any wonder that the ‘elites’ (Oligarchy) want to cull the earth’s population down to a more manageable number? I’ll leave the how to all you conspiracy theorists out there. Its not like they haven’t been practicing.

If you enjoy reading about the dark future that awaits us, you can read a longer post called “The West Infiltrated by Communism, Islamism, and Globalism”. Remember, knowledge is power, the power to change the future! The future is not set in stone and can be changed.

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I often talk about the lack of Biblical worldview among us Christians, and it’s not an easy topic to breach as the reality on the ground so to speak is pretty dismal. This shameful reality should only serve to encourage us to do better, and with a little work I believe we all can.

In May 2021 Family Research Council’s Center for Biblical worldview (FRC) under the direction of George Barna (Professor at Arizona Christian University and Director of Research at its Cultural Research Center, Sr. Research Fellow at Family Research Council Center for Biblical worldview, and a Fellow at the Townsend Institute at Concordia University), to conduct a nationwide survey regarding aspects of Biblical worldview.

Across America, approximately seven out of ten adults (69%) describe themselves as Christian. However, based on the American Worldview Inventory conducted annually by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, just 9%, one out of ten of those who call themselves Christian possesses a Biblical worldview. The FRC survey explored how many people think they have a Biblical worldview. Roughly half of adults polled made such a claim but there are massive inconsistencies between what they believe and what the Bible teaches. Deism or Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is essentially a fake version of Christianity. Almost 4 out of 10 adults ascribe to this proverbial ‘spiritual but not religious point of view. This is another way of saying “I want the comfort of meaning without the discomfort of truth”. The fact that a greater percentage of people who call themselves Christian draw from Moralistic Therapeutic Deism than rely on the Bible says a lot about the state of the Christian Church in America. Simply stated, Christianity in America is rotting from the inside out.

Would you be surprised to know that a significant percentage of Christians believe in:

· Karma
· Reincarnation
· Animism
· Being able to manifest reality
· Oneness
· Pluralism
· Universalism
· Mysticism
· Many other neo-pagan beliefs

Can you clearly articulate what exactly it is that you believe and why?

So, if the majority of Christians don’t have a Biblical worldview what do they have? The predominant worldview in America is Syncretism, a mishmash of ideas and beliefs. Syncretism as a worldview refers to the blending of diverse beliefs, practices, or cultural elements from different sources into a harmonious whole. It involves the integration of seemingly contradictory or disparate ideas, often resulting in a new and hybrid perspective that may incorporate elements from various religions, philosophies, or traditions. Syncretism aims to create a cohesive framework that accommodates different viewpoints, fostering a sense of unity while acknowledging the diversity of influences that contribute to the synthesis.

As a rebuttal, I often get asked, well what then is a Christian Biblical worldview? That certainly requires a long answer, and books have been written about it, but I believe we can benefit even by a brief overview, a bullet list if you will, of what a Christian Biblical worldview might consist of.

What is a Biblical Worldview?

A worldview shapes how we interpret and respond to life’s fundamental questions. Every worldview must address four essential aspects: Origin, Meaning, Morality, and Destiny. Additionally, a valid worldview should pass three critical tests:

1. Experiential Relevance – Does this worldview make sense of our experiences in the real world?

2. Logical Consistency – Are its principles coherent and free from contradiction?

3. Empirical Adequacy – Is there sufficient evidence to support its claims?

A Biblical worldview is one that interprets and responds to life’s situations through the lens of biblical teachings. It acknowledges God’s authority, absolute moral truth, and the call to live according to His will. Below is a structured breakdown of a Biblical worldview in light of the four fundamental aspects:

1. Origin: Where Do We Come From?

A Biblical worldview holds that the universe and all life are the intentional creation of an all-powerful, all-knowing God. This belief establishes purpose and rejects the idea that life is a product of random chance.

• God as Creator – The Bible affirms that God is the sovereign Creator of the universe (Genesis 1:1, John 1:3). He continues to sustain and rule over His creation. The belief that there is only one God (Exodus 20:3; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8) and He exists as a Trinity of persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Mat. 28:18-20). You will have no other Gods, no other thing before God. You are not God and will never become God. God is who we should rightly worship.

• Satan as a Real Being – The Bible depicts Satan not merely as a symbol of evil but as a real spiritual adversary (John 8:44; 1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:11-12).

• Jesus Christ’s Identity – The deity of Jesus Christ as both God and man. He is the Son of God (John 1:1, 14; 8:24; Col. 2:9; 1 John 4:1-4), and the Son of Man (Mat. 16:27). He took on human form, lived a sinless life, and fulfilled God's plan for redemption (John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus was crucified, died, was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead (John 2:19-21; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:14).

These beliefs shape how Christians view reality: life has divine intent, there is a cosmic struggle between good and evil, and history is moving toward God’s ultimate plan.

2. Meaning: Why Are We Here?

The purpose of human existence is not self-fulfillment but alignment with God's design. A Biblical worldview teaches that our ultimate goal is to glorify God and grow in Christlikeness.

• Spiritual Growth – The Father calls believers to pursue holiness, continuously striving to become more like Christ (Romans 12:2, Matthew 5:48).

• God’s Plan for Humanity – Humans are created for a relationship with God, designed to reflect His image (Genesis 1:26-27).

Unlike secular worldviews that define purpose based on personal achievement or happiness, the Bible teaches that true fulfillment comes from knowing and obeying God.

3. Morality: How Should We Live?

A Biblical worldview establishes moral absolutes, grounded in God's nature and revealed in Scripture.

• The Authority of Scripture – The Bible is accurate, authoritative, and sufficient for guiding life and faith (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Isaiah 40:8, Mat. 4:4, Hebrews 4:12).

• Absolute Moral Truths Exist – Right and wrong are defined by God's character and His commands, particularly found in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 19:7, Matthew 5:18).

• · The Shema – Jesus distilled morality to two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:29–31)

Unlike relativistic worldviews where morality is subjective and ever-changing, a Biblical worldview affirms that moral truth is fixed because it is rooted in an unchanging God (Malachi 3:6).

4. Destiny: What Happens After Death?

A Biblical worldview provides hope and assurance about the afterlife. It teaches that eternal destiny is determined by one’s relationship with Christ.

• Salvation is a Gift – Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus alone (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 3:1-2). Your deeds (works) should reflect your faith (James 2:18-19). Christians should not be divided on this issue.

• Eternal Life for Believers – Those who trust in Jesus and follow His teachings will experience eternal life with God (John 11:25-26, Romans 10:9).

• The Mission of Evangelism – Christians have a duty to share the Gospel and lead others to salvation (Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19-20).

Unlike secular perspectives that see death as the end or an unknown mystery, a Biblical worldview assures believers that eternity with God is a promised reality.

Conclusion: The Relevance and Truth of a Biblical Worldview

A Christian Biblical worldview is not just a set of beliefs, it is a framework for understanding reality, making decisions, and finding purpose. It provides clear answers to life’s most profound questions and meets the tests of experiential relevance, logical consistency, and empirical adequacy.

For Christians, adopting a Biblical worldview means not only believing these truths but also living them out daily: in thought, action, and witness to others.

If you want to read a longer post on the relevance of a Biblical worldview, see my “Hey Who Invited God to This Century?” essay.

1^st Corinthians is a very important letter. This letter can be accurately dated to 55 AD, i.e. 25 years after Jesus’s death and resurrection. In it, Paul says that Jesus was crucified, died, and was resurrected. He was first seen by Peter, then the twelve, then by James his brother, then by a multitude of over 500 people, again many times by his apostles and disciples and finally by himself on the road to Damascus. Which is what converted him from a persecutor of Christians to one of the most ardent Christian leaders. Paul then says that many who saw the resurrected Jesus were still alive (making it difficult to not believe what he was saying).

Just a bit further in the letter he says that if Jesus was not resurrected from the dead then our faith is basically a sham. Easter proves that Jesus was who he said he was, the son of God. Let’s not forget Jesus raised Lazarus from being dead four days. To Martha, Lazarus’ sister He said: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” This is the significance of Easter.

Did God leave us any Easter Eggs? Of course, He did. My favorite one is the butterfly. If you are interested, you can read up on Metamorphosis. Evolution can’t explain the butterfly because evolution doesn’t create creatures that die before reproducing. But once in the cocoon, the caterpillar turns itself into a soup (basically it dies). The soup reconstitutes itself into a completely different and beautiful creature: the butterfly. Proving that yes, there is life after death even here on earth.

Happy Easter!

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In Part I – A Brief Overview of New Age: a Mystical Syncretism I talked about how you take the Druid movement of the late 18^th century, the American Rosicrucian Order of the early 20^th century, the New Thought movement of the early 20^th century, the Wiccan movement of the early 20^th century, interest in Shamanism and mind altering substances in the 1960s, and interest in Eastern religions and mysticism in the 1960s, you throw all of them into a cauldron and simmer at low heat and you get the modern New Age movement. Sooner or later, it is forgotten that this movement is not much more than a hundred and fifty years old and most of its premises were invented or made up. The New Thought (part of New Age) movement even found itself infiltrating traditional Christian Churches, mostly but not exclusively the large Evangelical mega churches, possibly to enlarge its attendance, popularity, profitability, or all of the above. Even the Catholic Church has not been impervious to this as Pope Francis has on occasion promoted Pluralism and Universalism.

The purpose of this paper is not to point out and accuse the various churches, or the pastors, and priests who are falling into this neopaganistic trap, but to point out the five New Thought or New Age precepts that are seeping into the Christian Church so that people can recognize them and be able to point them out (and avoid) if you should come across them.

The ‘Progressive’ Christian churches are being infiltrated both politically and spiritually. Politically, they are being led farther to the Left into Socialist ideology (think LGBTQ+ friendliness, Climate Change awareness, pro illegal immigrant, pro-Palestinian, Pro Choice, etc.) We are not going to talk about that here as this is an argument for another time. Spiritually, they are being led astray by New Age, or New Thought ideas, and that is what I want to talk to you about in this article.

There are five dangers of combining New Age with Christianity. You can see how these lead to one another. First, New Thought precepts show up as what is now sometimes called “The Law of Attraction”, the belief that positive thinking makes good things happen. Second, the belief that all is one or “Oneness”. This is a pantheistic view that is appealing to many New Agers. Thirdly, Pluralism the idea that there are many roads to Heaven and that all religions are valid and should be celebrated. Fourth, Universalism which believes that everyone who is a ‘good person’ goes to Heaven, and fifth Mysticism, which stresses the importance of personal spiritual experience. All of this sound good at face value, and they might even seem like a desirable upgrade to Christianity, but alas they each have inherent problems that act as a virus would, infecting the faith and weakening the foundations of the Church which should always be a Biblical Worldview.

For more in-depth analysis on New Age and other progressive beliefs seeping into and corrupting the Christian Church check out seasoned Christian Apologists such as Alisa Childers or Melissa Dougherty. They each have podcasts on YouTube and other platforms and have authored books on the subject.

I) The Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction is a concept that is often associated with New Thought, an aspect of New Age beliefs. It suggests that thoughts and beliefs have the power to manifest one's desires and shape their reality. According to this idea, positive or negative thoughts and emotions attract corresponding positive or negative experiences into a person's life.

The Law of Attraction is based on the principle that everything in the universe is made up of energy, including thoughts and emotions. By focusing on positive thoughts and emotions, individuals can align their energy with the positive aspects they desire, thereby attracting those experiences or objects into their lives. The Secret, a self-help book written by Rhonda Byrne, focuses on the law of attraction, which states that positive energy attracts positive things into one’s life. Also very popular is The Alchemist a novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho.

In the context of New Age beliefs, the Law of Attraction is often presented as a means of personal empowerment and creating a fulfilling life. It suggests that individuals have the ability to shape their own reality through their thoughts, beliefs, and emotions.

To apply the Law of Attraction, proponents often emphasize the importance of visualization, affirmation, and maintaining a positive mindset. Visualizing the desired outcome and consistently affirming positive beliefs can help individuals attract and manifest their desires. It is believed that the more someone focuses on positive thoughts and feelings, the more likely they are to attract positive experiences and opportunities. Some people use the word ‘manifest’, as in ‘manifesting’ something they want to happen. This is a totally unbiblical concept, and it smacks of heresy in that it puts the individual on par with God. There are some significant negatives to this unsubstantiated belief.

The Law of Attraction can create unrealistic expectations by suggesting that simply thinking positively or visualizing desired outcomes will automatically manifest them. While having a positive mindset can contribute to personal growth and motivation, it does not guarantee immediate or effortless results. This can lead to disappointment, frustration, and a sense of failure if the desired outcomes are not achieved.

The Law of Attraction lacks empirical scientific evidence to support its claims. It is considered more of a philosophical or spiritual belief rather than a scientifically validated principle. This lack of scientific grounding raises skepticism and questions about its effectiveness and reliability.

It is true that certain elements of the Law of Attraction have made their way into some Evangelical churches, leading to what is sometimes called the ‘get rich Gospel’ or ‘Prosperity Gospel.’ This teaching emphasizes material wealth and financial success as signs of God's favor and blessings. It suggests that if individuals have enough faith, positive thinking, and make financial contributions to the church, they will be rewarded with financial prosperity, abundance, and even restorative health. Critics argue that this interpretation of the Law of Attraction and its integration into Evangelical churches can have negative consequences.

The ‘Prosperity Gospel’ can distort traditional Christian teachings by placing excessive emphasis on material wealth and financial success. It may overlook other important aspects of Christianity, such as compassion, service to others, and the pursuit of spiritual growth. It often lacks a solid theological foundation, relying more on personal testimonies and anecdotes rather than careful biblical interpretation. It may cherry-pick Bible verses to support its teachings while disregarding the broader context and teachings of Scripture.

Some proponents of the ‘Prosperity Gospel’ may manipulate and exploit vulnerable individuals by pressuring them to give large financial offerings in the expectation of receiving blessings and prosperity in return. This can lead to financial exploitation.

The ‘Prosperity Gospel’ tends to simply the reality of suffering and inequality in the world. It may imply that those who are experiencing poverty or other hardships are solely responsible for their circumstances, which can lead to a lack of empathy for those in need. ‘If you don’t get what you want it’s because you don’t believe enough, or you don’t pray enough’. When followers do not experience the promised financial prosperity or health restoration despite their efforts and faith, it can lead to disillusionment, disappointment, and even spiritual harm. The focus on material gain or health restoration can overshadow the deeper spiritual growth and connection with God that Christianity aims to foster.

Not all Evangelical churches embrace the ‘Prosperity Gospel’ or the ‘Law of Attraction’. Many Evangelical Christians reject these teachings, emphasizing the importance of faith, service, and spiritual growth over material wealth. As with any belief or teaching, it is crucial to approach it critically and discerningly, considering its alignment with core Christian principles and values and a Biblical Worldview.

II) Oneness – Pantheism

Oneness implies that there is a shared essence or consciousness that underlies all aspects of reality. It suggests that the apparent separation between individuals, living beings, and even the inanimate world is an illusion, and at a deeper level, we are all connected and part of a unified cosmic web. The idea of Oneness has various implications within New Age beliefs. For example, the Gaia principle is named after the Greek goddess of the Earth, Gaia, and was developed by chemist James Lovelock and biologist Lynn Margulis in the 1970s. It implies that the Earth and its biological systems function as a single entity with self-regulatory feedback loops to maintain conditions favorable for life.

Oneness emphasizes that all beings, regardless of their differences, are interconnected and share a common essence. It encourages a sense of compassion, empathy, and respect for all life forms, promoting the idea that harming others ultimately harms oneself. It highlights the interdependence and symbiotic relationship between humans and the natural world. It encourages individuals to recognize and honor interconnectedness with nature, fostering a sense of stewardship and environmental responsibility. Progressives who accept LGBTQ+ agendas into the Christian Church use this principle as the backbone to their argumentation.

Oneness suggests that there is a spiritual dimension or higher consciousness that permeates all existence. It proposes that individuals can tap into this universal consciousness or divine essence to deepen their spiritual connection, access higher wisdom, and experience a sense of unity with the divine. This can lead to a Pantheistic or Panentheistic view of God and the Universe. Pantheism is where God = Universe and permeates everything that exists. Panentheism is where God = Universe + something else, where God is a spirit that permeates everything that exists. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all assert that God is distinctly separate from what He has created, and this is incompatible with a Pantheistic or Panentheistic view of God and the Universe.

Critics of the concept of Oneness argue that it can lead to an oversimplification of reality and neglect the importance of individuality and personal boundaries. The most dangerous flaw in the idea of Oneness is that it leads to the belief that personality is just an illusion. Dissolvement of personality can have catastrophic results as it can lead to religious nihilism. Religious nihilism is a philosophical perspective that posits the belief in the absence of inherent meaning, value, or purpose in material possessions and life on earth in general. Philosophers such as Friedrich Nietzsche and Arthur Schopenhauer have written extensively on the topic of religious nihilism, arguing that certain religious beliefs and practices can be nihilistic in the sense that they devalue life on earth and promote a sense of despair and hopelessness.

III) Pluralism

Pluralism means all religions are basically the same. It is part and parcel of a postmodern worldview, which includes relativism. Pluralism is not philosophically, theologically, or Christological tenable.

While all religions share a wisdom that is generally good for man’s spiritual “wellbeing”, it’s impossible for all religions to be true. For example, Hinduism states that divinity is present in everything (Pantheism or Panentheism). Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all assert that God is distinctly separate from what he has created. The implications of these different views run very deep, and they are fundamentally incompatible. It's logically impossible for both views to be true. This is a very deep, lengthy, and scholarly discussion on philosophy, theology, and the study of sacred scriptures, suffice it to say that while there is lots of wonderful common ground between many religions there are deep fundamental differences between them.

Christologically speaking, Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” – John 14:6-7

IV) Universalism

Universalism is a theological perspective that posits the belief in universal salvation or reconciliation for all human beings, regardless of their religious beliefs or actions. It suggests that all individuals will eventually attain salvation, enlightenment, or a state of harmony with the divine, irrespective of the paths they follow or the doctrines they adhere to.

Universalism emphasizes the inclusivity of divine love and salvation. It suggests that no one is excluded from the possibility of spiritual redemption or reconciliation with the divine. This perspective often challenges exclusive claims of salvation made by Christianity.

Universalism underscores the belief in a compassionate and loving nature of the divine. It suggests that the divine's love extends to all individuals, transcending religious boundaries and personal actions. This perspective seeks to emphasize the benevolent and merciful aspects of the divine.

Universalism often embraces religious pluralism, recognizing the validity and potential paths to salvation present in various religious traditions. It emphasizes the idea that different religious and spiritual paths can lead individuals to a common truth or divine realization.

Universalism typically rejects the concept of eternal damnation or the belief in a permanent state of separation from the divine (there is no Hell). It suggests that ultimate reconciliation and salvation are possible for all individuals, even those who may have led morally questionable lives or held divergent beliefs.

Many religions maintain doctrines that propose exclusivity or particular requirements for salvation. Universalism is more commonly associated with certain branches of Christianity, such as Unitarian Universalism and some liberal Christian denominations. However, variations of universalist thought can also be found in other religious and spiritual philosophies.

In the end, God will let into Heaven whomever He chooses to let in. However, Christianity is based on an exclusive claim. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. To Martha, Lazarus’ sister He said: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” But this does not mean all others will be forgotten. There will be a way of redemption for those who are willing. The attainment of perfection is a long, slow process and cannot be shortcut, or even derailed by death.

V) Mysticism

Mysticism emphasizes the direct experience of the divine and offers a deeply personal and subjective approach to spirituality and religious practice. This is known as Gnosis. Mysticism can be found within many religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and others. Mystical experiences and practices often transcend religious doctrines and cultural boundaries, emphasizing the universal nature of the divine. Throughout history, various mystical traditions have emerged within different religious contexts. Examples include Christian mystics like Meister Eckhart and Teresa of Ávila, Islamic Sufism, Jewish Kabbalah, and Hindu Advaita Vedanta.

Mysticism refers to the practice and experience of seeking direct, personal, and intimate communion or union with the divine or ultimate reality. It is a spiritual path that involves transcending ordinary perception and experiencing a deeper connection with the divine through divination, mediumship, and other mystical practices. It has no place in Christianity and should be vehemently avoided.

As an example, 'grave soaking', is a practice where individuals lie on or near the graves of deceased Christians, particularly those known for their spiritual power, in an attempt to receive a special anointing of the Holy Spirit. This practice is prohibited by the Bible as it is close to necromancy, the practice of calling upon the dead for help.

Mysticism emphasizes the importance of direct, unmediated experiences of the divine. It seeks to go beyond intellectual understanding and religious rituals, aiming for a personal encounter with the transcendent or divine presence. Mystics often describe these experiences as a sense of unity, oneness, or union with the ‘divine’.

Mystical practices are often focused on inner transformation and spiritual growth. They aim to transcend the ego or the individual self, seeking a deeper awareness of one's true nature and connection with the divine. Mystics may strive for virtues such as love, compassion, humility, and selflessness. Mysticism often involves contemplative practices such as meditation, prayer, chanting, or other forms of focused attention. These practices are aimed at quieting the mind, opening the heart, and creating an inner space for direct experience and communion with the divine. Prophesy and Speaking in Tongues have been accepted practices in some Christian Churches.

Mysticism frequently employs symbolism and paradoxical language to describe ineffable and transcendent experiences. Mystics often use metaphors, analogies, and poetic language to express the inexpressible and convey the depth of their encounters with the divine.

There are some inherent dangers associated with mysticism:

Mystical experiences are deeply personal and subjective, making them challenging to articulate and interpret accurately. There is a risk of misinterpreting or distorting these experiences, leading to misunderstandings or even delusions. Mysticism and the Occult may open the door to demonic influence.

Mystical experiences can be awe-inspiring and may lead to a sense of spiritual superiority or exceptionalism. This can inflate the ego and create a false sense of superiority over others who have not had similar experiences. Mystical experiences can be deeply individualistic, leading to a sense of separation from others and everyday reality. This can potentially result in social or emotional isolation if one is unable to bridge the gap between mystical insights and the interconnectedness of human existence.

In the pursuit of mystical experiences, individuals may become vulnerable to manipulation or exploitation by unscrupulous spiritual teachers or groups. This is how cults are formed. It is important to exercise discernment (the Spirit of Truth).

While it is true that Truth can only be experienced, and self-gnosis can have positive results especially thru meditation and contemplation, Christians need to be aware that the downside of mysticism is deviation from accepted orthodoxy of belief and a Biblical Worldview. This comes with its own inherent danger as there can be deviation from accepted truths and the real possibility of demonic influence. The early Christian Church went thru great pains to separate apostolic, pure, and correct belief (Biblical Worldview) from Heretical and Gnostic beliefs.

Conclusion

New Age practices like the Law of Attraction, Oneness, Pluralism, Universalism, and Mysticism are found in the Christian Church under many guises. They are all repudiated by Biblical passages. This would take too long to expound upon here. Suffice it to say, that even though New Age is a relatively young (a little over a hundred and fifty years) syncretism of mystical and spiritual ideas, its components and beliefs are in some cases thousands of years old, and the Bible specifically warns us about such aberrant beliefs. Such beliefs can not only lead people astray, sending them into deep, dark rabbit holes, but they can potentially open people’s souls to evil and demonic influences.

Objective truth is true whether you believe in it or not, whether you like it or not, and whether it’s personally comfortable or not. Christianity is true because the Bible is true, in the sense that its core teachings are immortal truths. Because Lord Jesus is who He said He is, the Son of God. That compromised and ‘Progressive Christians’ exist proves nothing. Indeed, Jesus Himself warned that many would profess His name without listening to what He said and who will perish (would not be reborn into eternal life) on judgment day, having never truly known Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:21-23). Lord Jesus warned that false teachers would come in his name to lead people astray (Matthew 24:5, 24), even the elect! False Christianity is exactly what you would expect to see if real Christianity is true. It is what Lord Jesus Christ predicted.

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The term "New Age" refers to a broad and multifaceted cultural and spiritual movement that emerged in the early 20th century, came to fruition in the 60’s, and is still going strong today. It encompasses a diverse range of beliefs, practices, and philosophies that often draw upon esoteric, metaphysical, and alternative spiritual traditions. The New Age movement is characterized by an emphasis on personal transformation, holistic health, consciousness expansion, and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. The movement is characterized by its eclecticism, drawing inspiration from both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, indigenous wisdom, and modern psychological and scientific insights. It often promotes pantheism, panentheism, or polytheism as a belief system and a worldview that combines spiritual and metaphysical concepts with elements of self-help, environmentalism, and alternative healing modalities.

Technically speaking, the New Age movement is an umbrella term for a syncretism of mystical practices inspired by the Druid movement of the late 18^th century, The American Rosicrucian Order of the early 20^th century, the New Thought movement of the early 20^th century, the Wiccan movement of the early 20^th century, Astrology and other mystical practices resurfaced in the early 20^th century, interest in Shamanism and mind altering substances in the 1960s, and interest in Eastern religions and Mysticism in the 1960s as well.

Druids – who were they?
Nothing is really known about the Druids. We cannot decipher their language, we don’t know what they looked like, what they did, but that has never stopped anyone from fabricating facts about them from thin air.

Edward Williams, also known as Iolo Morganwg, was a Welsh poet, antiquarian, and literary forger who played a significant role in the revival and reinvention of Druidic traditions in Wales. Edward Williams/Iolo Morganwg ‘claimed’ to have discovered ancient manuscripts and lore related to the Druids, which he incorporated into his writings and teachings, greatly influencing the perception, and understanding of Druidism during that time. However, it is worth noting that his claims and contributions have been subject to controversy and skepticism among scholars due to his tendency to fabricate or exaggerate historical material.

The Ancient Order of Druids was established in London, England, in 1781. It was initially founded as a fraternal organization that drew inspiration from the romanticized notion of ancient Druidic traditions. Over time, the Ancient Order of Druids incorporated rituals, symbols, and beliefs associated with Druidism into its practices, effectively creating a hybridized version of Druidic spirituality. Through its rituals, ceremonies, and organizational structure, the Ancient Order of Druids played a significant role in popularizing the modern concept of Druidism and its association with fraternal organizations.

The Rosicrucian Order – Mysteries and Mysticism
Harvey Spencer Lewis was an American occultist and mystic who established the Rosicrucian Order in America in 1915 after coming back to the US from Europe and being impressed by the Rosicrucian movement there. He is credited with introducing and promoting Rosicrucian teachings and practices in the United States, helping, to popularize the Rosicrucian movement in the country. Under his leadership, the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC) grew and became one of the most prominent and influential Rosicrucian organizations in the United States.

Harvey Spencer Lewis brought the AMORC to San Jose, California, in the year 1927. After establishing the Rosicrucian organization in New York in 1915, Lewis relocated the headquarters of AMORC to San Jose, where he established the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and the Rosicrucian Park. San Jose has since remained the central location for AMORC's headquarters and activities in the United States. The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is one of the largest collections of Egyptian artifacts and Egyptian sarcophagi today.

While the original Rosicrucian manifestos published in the 17th century were more mysterious and allegorical, the modern Rosicrucian Order, founded in the early 20th century, emphasizes personal development, mystical insights, and spiritual growth. It is important to note that specific tenets may vary among different Rosicrucian organizations, but some common principles found in the modern Rosicrucian Order include:

1. Spiritual Evolution: The Rosicrucian Order focuses on the idea that human beings are on a path of spiritual evolution and personal growth. Members are encouraged to strive for self-improvement and higher levels of consciousness.

2. Mystical Studies: The organization promotes the study and exploration of mystical and esoteric teachings from various traditions and cultures. Members are encouraged to delve into subjects like metaphysics, symbolism, astrology, and alchemy to gain deeper insights into the nature of reality.

3. Inner Alchemy: Rosicrucians often refer to the process of inner transformation as "alchemy." This concept involves transmuting the lower aspects of oneself into higher virtues and achieving spiritual illumination.

4. The Unity of All Life: Rosicrucians believe in the interconnectedness of all living beings and the universe. They see a divine spark in everything and emphasize living in harmony with nature and the world around them. The concept of “Oneness” is a recurring theme in all New Age beliefs.

5. Practical Exercises and Meditations: The Rosicrucian Order provides its members with practical exercises, rituals, and meditations aimed at fostering spiritual growth, personal development, and a deeper understanding of oneself and the cosmos.

6. Sacred Geometry and Symbolism: The Rosicrucian tradition often incorporates sacred geometry and symbolism as a means of understanding the underlying structure and harmony of the universe. This also is an ancient practice and has its roots in ancient Greek and Egyptian mystery cults.

7. Secrecy and Initiatory System: Like many mystical and esoteric organizations, the Rosicrucian Order maintains a level of secrecy and employs an initiatory system with different degrees or levels of membership. Members progress through these degrees as they deepen their understanding and commitment to the Order's teachings. Secret rights of passage are directly related to the original ancient mystery cults like: Eleusinian Mysteries, Orphic Mysteries, Dionysian Mysteries, Mithraism, Cult of Isis, Cult of Cybele, Cult of Osiris.

8. Service to Humanity: AMORC encourages its members to engage in acts of service and contribute positively to society. This altruistic aspect aligns with the belief in the unity of all life and the interconnectedness of humanity.

New Thought – New Age Infiltrates Christianity
The New Thought movement of the early 20th century was a spiritual and philosophical movement that emerged in the United States. It was influenced by various metaphysical and spiritual traditions, including Transcendentalism, Spiritualism, and the teachings of Phineas Quimby. The movement emphasized the power of positive thinking, the innate divinity of individuals, and the concept that thoughts and beliefs shape one's reality.

The New Thought movement emphasized the idea that individuals have the ability to transform their lives through the power of their thoughts and beliefs. It taught that by aligning one's mind with positive and harmonious thoughts, one could attract health, prosperity, and happiness. The movement rejected the idea of a punitive God and instead focused on the concept of a loving and benevolent Universal Intelligence or Divine Principle.

Prominent figures associated with the New Thought movement include Mary Baker Eddy, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Charles Fillmore, and Ernest Holmes. These individuals founded various organizations and wrote influential books that disseminated New Thought teachings. Mary Baker Eddy established Christian Science, Emma Curtis Hopkins became known as the "teacher of teachers" in New Thought, Charles Fillmore founded the Unity movement, and Ernest Holmes founded the Religious Science (later known as Science of Mind) movement.

New Thought teachings found expression in various forms, including books, lectures, and organized groups. These teachings influenced the fields of self-help, positive psychology, and the New Age movement. The New Thought movement continues to have an impact today, with many individuals embracing its principles as a means to achieve personal growth, spiritual understanding, and well-being.

Elizabeth Towne founded the periodical "The Nautilus" in 1898, which became one of the leading publications of the New Thought movement. Through her writings and editorials in "The Nautilus," she propagated New Thought ideas, including the power of positive thinking, the law of attraction, and the potential for personal transformation through mental and spiritual practices.

Towne's emphasis on practical application and self-help aspects of New Thought teachings made her work accessible to a wide audience. She authored several books, including "Practical Methods for Self-Development" and "Just How to Wake the Solar Plexus," which further popularized New Thought concepts.

Elizabeth Towne’s take on New Though was thru the lens of Christianity and it helped New Age to creep into modern Christian churches. This movement in Christianity is sometimes called “Prosperity Gospel”.

Wicca – The Return of The Witches
In the early 20th century, there was a growing interest in ancient and esoteric practices, folklore, and the occult in the UK. Gerald Gardner, an English civil servant, and amateur anthropologist became involved in various occult and magical societies during this time. In the 1940s, Gardner claimed to have encountered a group of practitioners who identified themselves as witches and were part of a surviving pagan tradition.

Gardner became initiated into this group and eventually developed his own system of witchcraft, blending elements of folklore, ceremonial magic, and ritual practices. He referred to this system as Wica (later spelled Wicca), drawing upon older forms of the word "witch."

Gardner's form of Wicca gained popularity and began to attract followers, particularly in the UK. He formed covens and initiated individuals into his tradition, establishing the framework for what became known as Gardnerian Wicca. The publication of his book "Witchcraft Today" in 1954 further publicized his form of Wicca and sparked interest and debate.

During this period, Wicca experienced a resurgence as it provided a contemporary and nature-oriented spirituality that appealed to individuals seeking an alternative to mainstream religious practices. The religious revival of Wicca in the UK during the first half of the 20th century laid the foundation for the subsequent growth and diversification of Wiccan traditions both in the UK and globally. It also influenced the development of other forms of modern witchcraft and pagan practices.

Carlos Castaneda – Shamanism is Cool
Carlos Castaneda was an author and anthropologist known for his controversial series of books that detailed his experiences with a Yaqui Indian shaman named Don Juan Matus. Born on December 25, 1925, in Peru, Castaneda moved to the United States and attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he pursued a Ph.D. in anthropology.

Castaneda's most significant achievement was the publication of his first book, "The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge," in 1968. The book recounted his purported apprenticeship with Don Juan, during which he claimed to have learned about shamanic practices, altered states of consciousness, and spiritual enlightenment.

In subsequent books, including "A Separate Reality," "Journey to Ixtlan," and others, Castaneda continued to describe his interactions with Don Juan and explored concepts such as dreaming, sorcery, and the manipulation of perception. The books presented a blend of anthropology, personal narrative, and metaphysical teachings, captivating readers with their unique blend of mysticism and adventure.

Castaneda's works gained significant popularity, attracting a wide readership and influencing the countercultural movements of the 1960s and 1970s. However, the authenticity and veracity of his accounts have been heavily debated and questioned by scholars, anthropologists, and critics. Some argued that his writings were fictional, while others believed he may have distorted or misrepresented indigenous practices for his own literary purposes.

Regardless of the controversy surrounding Castaneda's work, his books played a notable role in introducing shamanism, indigenous wisdom, and spiritual exploration to a broader audience. They sparked interest in alternative ways of knowing and contributed to the New Age movement's growth, inspiring individuals to seek personal transformation and expanded consciousness through spiritual practices (and sometimes through mind altering substances).

The Beatles and the Eastern influence
The Beatles' trip to India in 1968 had a significant impact on promoting Eastern mysticism and spiritual practices in the United States. During their stay at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram in Rishikesh, India, the Beatles immersed themselves in Transcendental Meditation (TM) and explored Eastern philosophy and spirituality.

Upon their return to the United States, the Beatles openly discussed their experiences with TM and their encounters with Indian spiritual teachings. The media coverage of their trip and interest in their spiritual pursuits generated widespread curiosity and intrigue among their fans and the general public.

The Beatles' endorsement of TM, coupled with their immense popularity as a band, provided a powerful platform for introducing Eastern spiritual practices to a Western audience. Their influence reached far and wide through their music, interviews, and public appearances, allowing them to share their newfound interest in Eastern mysticism and meditation.

Their song "Across the Universe" prominently featured lyrics inspired by their experiences in India, further exposing listeners to Eastern philosophical concepts. Additionally, the Beatles' album "The White Album," released after their trip, included songs that reflected their spiritual exploration and interest in Indian spirituality.

The Beatles' involvement with Eastern mysticism played a pivotal role in raising awareness and sparking curiosity about various Eastern spiritual traditions in the United States. It contributed to a broader cultural interest in meditation, yoga, and alternative spiritual practices during the late 1960s and beyond. Many celebrities were inspired to explore and embrace Eastern teachings, leading to an increased popularity and acceptance of Eastern philosophies and practices such as Buddhism, meditation, and yoga within Western societies.

Mysticism – The Return of the Fortune Tellers
The modern resurgence of astrology, numerology, and tarot card reading can be traced back to the early 20th centuries. During this time, there was a revival of interest in mysticism, occultism, and spiritualism in Western societies.

Astrology saw a significant revival during the late 19th century with the Theosophical Society, founded by Helena Blavatsky in 1875. The Theosophical Society popularized the study of esoteric and mystical teachings, including astrology, among its members.

Numerology also experienced a resurgence during the late 19th century, thanks in part to the work of occultists such as William Wynn Westcott and Samuel Liddell Mathers, who co-founded the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1888. The Golden Dawn incorporated numerology into its teachings and rituals, leading to a renewed interest in the practice.

Tarot card reading gained popularity during the early 20th century, particularly through the efforts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and its influential members, such as Arthur Edward Waite and Aleister Crowley. Waite's publication of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck in 1910, which featured symbolic illustrations and interpretations, contributed to the modernization and widespread use of tarot cards.

You take the Druid movement of the late 18^th century, The American Rosicrucian Order of the early 20^th century, the New Thought movement of the early 20^th century, the Wiccan movement of the early 20^th century, interest in Shamanism and mind altering substances in the 1960s, and interest in Eastern religions and mysticism in the 1960s, you throw all of them into a cauldron and simmer at low heat and you get the modern New Age movement. Sooner or later, it is forgotten that this movement is not much more than a hundred and fifty years old and most of its premises were invented or made up. The New Thought (part of New Age) movement even found itself infiltrating traditional Christian Churches, mostly but not exclusively the large Evangelical mega churches, possibly to enlarge its attendance, popularity, profitability, or all of the above.

We shall talk a little more about that in part II: What’s Wrong with New Age Influence in Christianity?

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“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Bible has been a relevant spiritual guide and a source of wisdom literature for two thousand years. For centuries the world has tried to live a life with a Biblical Worldview, but is it relevant anymore? Is a Biblical Worldview necessary in this modern world or is it passe? What is a Biblical Worldview anyway, and can’t I just be a good person, ‘spiritual but not religious?’

I am very worried about the recent rise of atheism, especially among youth, teenagers to late twenties (Gen Z), and twenty something to thirty something (Millennials). Universities are becoming a hot bed of atheism and increasingly hostile to theism. Currently, the prevailing intellectual and philosophical climate of both European and American life is decidedly secular, humanistic. For the last three hundred years Western thinking has been progressively secularized. Religion has become more and more a nominal influence, largely a ritualistic exercise. The majority of professed Christians of Western civilizations are unwittingly actual secularists. Most Christians cannot clearly articulate what exactly it is that they believe in and why. Lucky for us neither can most atheists.

A Theist can be a monotheist, polytheist, pantheist, or a panentheist. A monotheist can be a Deist, Christian, Jew, or Muslim. Christians for example should be espousing a Biblical Worldview (unfortunately only 6% of the US population does), but in reality, the great majority of theists and atheists espouse Syncretism as their worldview (88% of the US population).

Deism or Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is essentially a fake version of Christianity. Almost 4 out of 10 adults ascribe to this proverbial ‘spiritual but not religious’ point of view. This is another way of saying “I want the comfort of meaning without the discomfort of truth”. The fact that a greater percentage of people who call themselves Christian draw from Moralistic Therapeutic Deism than rely on the Bible says a lot about the state of the Christian Church in America. Simply stated, Christianity in America is rotting from the inside out. Only 9% of Christians, or almost one out of ten, have a Biblical Worldview.

Atheism is a philosophical or religious position characterized by disbelief in the existence of God or any gods. Most atheists adopt Secular Humanism as their worldview. The ontology of Secular Humanism is Materialism, it has an epistemology of science and reason only, and an axiology of good is better than evil.

After researching and thinking about it for many years I have concluded that atheists can delude themselves into identifying as atheists, but they can’t live like one. Atheism has no substance and no explanatory power; it is just a stubborn unwillingness to believe in God. So next, I went searching for what mechanism is propagating this paradigm. It can’t all be due to ignorance, or the unwillingness to put in the hard work of reading and researching, as one of the main propagators of atheism are our universities and institutions of higher learning. So, what is going on here? I looked for many years until I found it, and now it is all the more obvious. What is propagating atheism in this world, is the Socialist (Marxist, Communist, Radical Left, Progressive Liberal, Globalist, etc.) ideology that is spreading throughout the world. Socialism has been infiltrating politics, religion, the entertainment industry, and higher education for decades. Most people don’t realize what an evil ideology it is. For example, Russia, China, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, and Botswana are Communist countries. Not only are most of their people living in poverty (as compared to the US standard of living), but these regimes have killed a total of over 100 million people to install their ideology.

A Biblical Worldview is interpreting and responding to life’s situations using principles and teachings of the Bible. It includes believing in absolute moral truths, the authority of Scripture, and living in accordance with God's will. These are some of the main beliefs incorporated into a Biblical Worldview:

1. Origin: The belief that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe and still rules it today.

2. Origin: The belief that Satan is real and not just a symbol of evil.

3. Origin: The belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God and lived a sinless life while incarnated on earth.

4. Meaning: The belief that the Father wants us to ever perfect ourselves.

5. Morality: The belief that absolute moral truths exist and are defined in the Bible.

6. Morality: The belief that the Bible is accurate and authoritative in its spiritual teachings.

7. Destiny: The belief that salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned.

8. Destiny: The belief that Christians have a responsibility to share the Gospels with others.

9. Destiny: The belief that if we have faith in Jesus, we will have eternal life.

In May 2021 Family Research Council’s Center for Biblical Worldview (FRC), under the direction of George Barna (Professor at Arizona Christian University and Director of Research at its Cultural Research Center, focusing on worldview assessment and development, and cultural transformation. He is also the Sr. Research Fellow at Family Research Council Center for Biblical Worldview, and a Fellow at the Townsend Institute at Concordia University), to conduct a nationwide survey regarding aspects of Biblical Worldview.

Across America, approximately seven out of ten adults (69%) describe themselves as Christian. However, based on the American Worldview Inventory conducted annually by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, just 6% of adults in the US, and just 9% of those who call themselves Christian possesses a Biblical Worldview. The Catholic faith which composes the largest Christian denomination can only claim 2%. The FRC survey explored how many people think they have a Biblical Worldview. Roughly half of adults (51%) made such a claim but there are massive inconsistencies between what they believe and what the Bible teaches.

• 26% believe the personal accumulation of wealth have been entrusted to them by God to manage for His purposes.

• 29% believe that the best indicator of success in life is consistent obedience to God

• 33% believe that human beings are born with a sinful nature and can only be saved from the consequences of sin by Jesus Christ

• 47% believe that when they die, they will go to Heaven only because they have confessed their sins and have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior

• 48% believe that it is very important for their religious faith to influence every dimension of life

• 49% say that their most likely source of moral guidance in any given situation would be the Bible

• 49% accept reincarnation as a possibility after they die!

• 58% of self-identified Christians in the United States believe in the concept of Karma, according to the CRC Report (2021).

• 39% of U.S. adults read the Bible multiple times per year, while only 10% read the Bible daily. About 34% of U.S. adults never read the Bible

So, if the majority of Christians don’t have a Biblical Worldview what do they have? The predominant worldview in America is Syncretism, a mishmash of ideas and beliefs. Syncretism as a worldview refers to the blending of diverse beliefs, practices, or cultural elements from different sources into a harmonious whole. It involves the integration of seemingly contradictory or disparate ideas, often resulting in a new and hybrid perspective that may incorporate elements from various religions, philosophies, or traditions. Syncretism aims to create a cohesive framework that accommodates different viewpoints, fostering a sense of unity while acknowledging the diversity of influences that contribute to the synthesis.

A worldview has four aspects: Origin, Meaning, Morality, Destiny. It must pass three tests: experiential relevance, logical consistency, and empirical adequacy. Basically, there are two burning issues for us, the issue of worldview relevance to our lives and the issue of worldview truth as we understand it.

Origin

In the Biblical Worldview, the universe, including humanity, is believed to have been created by a transcendent and benevolent God. This provides a sense of purpose and meaning, as individuals believe they were intentionally created by a higher power for a specific reason. In Genesis, God is depicted creating the Universe step by step, creating the world and all life on it, and the first human couple: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” - Genesis 1:27 What does this phrase mean?

In the ancient world, it was rulers and emperors who were sometimes said to be “the image of God” which meant they were claiming to be the representative of God on earth. What Genesis is saying, therefore, is that we are all royalty. The early readers of Genesis knew the text was making the astonishing claim that all humans, not just rulers, have the dignity of being representatives of God on the earth.

This makes the Bible profoundly different from any other ancient text. As historian Tom Holland said in the 2022 Theos Annual Lecture on ‘Humanism: a Christian heresy’: “Gods in antiquity were not in the habit of endowing humanity with an inherent dignity. Quite the opposite.” For example, the ancient Babylonian creation story said the gods created humans to be their slaves. “The wellspring of humanist values lies not in reason, not in evidence–based thinking, but in history: the history of Christianity.”

Meaning

Atheists have Secular Humanism, an ethical and philosophical worldview that emphasizes human values and emphasizes the importance of reason, science, and critical thinking in understanding the world and solving problems, as a worldview. But the belief in the brotherhood of man is really the result of a Biblical Worldview. You can’t have a brotherhood of man without the Fatherhood of God. Who would the father of this brotherhood be if not God?
Atheism, in its worst-case scenario of Nihilism, says that life has no purpose and no meaning. Existentialism is a little better by saying that we make up our own purpose and meaning to life. This is where Secular Humanism leaves us, let’s make up our own purpose and meaning to life.

In contrast, the Bible tells us that we were created in God’s image. Although not perfect, we have the ability to become perfect. The teaching of deification in the Christian Church or theosis in Eastern Orthodoxy refers to the attainment of likeness of God, union with God or reconciliation with God. Theosis as such is the goal, it is the purpose of life, and it is considered achievable only through a synergy or cooperation between humans' activities and God's uncreated energies (or operations). Theosis was the early Christian response to Jesus’ instruction to “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” – Matthew 5:48 (NIV)

Morality

Overall, the Ten Commandments are a critical part of society, providing a clear moral framework and encouraging moral behavior. They help to promote social cohesion, prevent immoral behavior, and foster a sense of responsibility and accountability. Now, let’s consider these two quotes from the New Testament, Jesus told us to:

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” – Matthew 5:48 (NIV)

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV); Mark 12:29–31 (NIV)

These two quotes by Lord Jesus Christ are so simple they may go unnoticed. They may be simple, but they are by no means trivial, as contemplation and deep thinking will reveal they have the power to better the world and unite the three major monotheistic religions: Jewish, Islam, and Christianity. Think for a minute how much better off the world would be if these religions promulgated nothing more than these three commandments. No more wars, no more selfishness, no more differences, no more misinterpretations, bickering, violence, hatred. Isn’t that how the world should be? Isn’t that what religion should strive for?

Let’s give it a little more thought. ‘The Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man’, and ‘God our Heavenly Father wants us to be perfect like him’. Let that sink in for a while. Do we need any more laws, rules, guidelines to enlighten us? Are these not enough? How much better would it be if all religions espoused just these simple yet deep divine mandates? These lead to the golden rule everyone is familiar with: “do onto others as you would want others do onto you”.

Destiny

Jesus frequently spoke about the concept of eternal life and the promise of salvation for those who believe in Him. In John 3:16 (NIV), he said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Jesus often referred to the "Kingdom of God" or the "Kingdom of Heaven." He taught that those who follow Him and live according to His teachings will inherit this eternal kingdom. In Matthew 5:3 (NIV), he said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Jesus spoke about both heaven and hell as real destinations for the soul after death. He described heaven as a place of joy and eternal communion with God, and hell as a place of separation from God and suffering. In Matthew 25:46 (NIV), he said, "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Jesus taught that there will be a day of judgment when everyone will be held accountable for their actions. In Matthew 25:31-32 (NIV), he said, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats."

Jesus emphasized the importance of faith in Him as well as living a life characterized by love, compassion, and good deeds. In Matthew 7:21 (NIV), he said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." He warned that the path to eternal life might not be easy, and it requires commitment and dedication. In Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV), he says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Jesus taught that there will be a resurrection of the dead, where all people will be raised and face judgment. In John 5:28-29 (NIV), he said, "A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned."

Relevance

The issue of relevance of a worldview or belief-system can be simply stated in terms of ‘does it satisfy?’ or ‘does it add value to my life?’

Lord Jesus Christ referred to God as our Heavenly Father. The Father has an infinite personality, He gave us our unique personality at birth. Personality means an ‘autonomous being’ meaning a being with free will to choose right from wrong, good from bad. That person that is me, the ‘I am’, the ‘all of this is me’, survives death, and if I so choose, I will one day stand in front of the Father, the source, and the center of all that is visible and invisible.

With the ‘meaning’ need met, the ‘purpose’ question couldn't be far behind. For, if every action had eternal consequences, then the ‘purpose’ was rather straightforward: organize my life in such a way as to maximize the positive consequences of my choices and actions. Since my actions are important and significant, then these actions could be leveraged for either constructive or destructive ends. Thus, meaning became a foundation for purpose. If you need help finding your purpose, you cannot do much better than the hint the Father gave us. “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” – Matthew 5:48 (NIV)

It is not an accident that the Greatest Commandment (according to Jesus) was “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV); Mark 12:29–31 (NIV)

In other words, foster a personal relationship with God as a Father, and your neighbor as a brother. It is not ‘thou shalt’ and ‘thou shalt not’, but to enjoy and communicate and to try to please and share with God your Paradise Father.

But the core content of ‘direction’ turned out to be the imitation of the love and character of Jesus Christ the ‘Son of God’, as he lived on earth as the ‘Son of Man’. His character and life were a wild, swirling mixture of compassion, confrontation with the religious establishment, practical teaching, personal and private communion with His Father, community care, and personal destiny. The more I learn about Jesus, the more ‘direction’ I get.

Now, the words ‘meaning, purpose, and direction’, although important, are nevertheless only a subset of my needs. I need more than to 'feel good' inside about the choices I am making and the significance of the values they represent. I also need to experience things outside of myself. I need to experience uniqueness, and I also need to experience sameness. I need to be a part of a community of peers, and yet to be unique within that group. And the Christian community, historically considered, creates the setting in which this can be experienced.

This is surprisingly important. If God had only delivered a system of propositions to believe, then I theoretically could ‘get by’ with never having to interact with another human being, and thereby miss the opportunity to help and be helped by others; the opportunity to experience community. But instead, He created a community (by His occasional interventions in history by chosen prophets such as Abraham, Moses, etc.), and also created me with a ‘pull toward’ social interaction with this community. In other words, I am ‘built’ to need participation in community. The psychological and social sciences have amply demonstrated that my membership in a peer group is essential to my personal well-being.

This historical community is highly flawed (as most of you have no need for me to tell you), but there is nonetheless a cadre of individuals within it (and sometimes peripheral to it) that demonstrate the ‘direction’ discussed above. They live out the Second Greatest Commandment: ’Love your neighbor as yourself’. It is easy to discount religion in western culture because of its 'bad apples'; it is much more difficult to ‘explain away’ the extraordinary lives of those core disciples of Jesus Christ throughout history.

Consider the early, pre-Constantine church for a moment. The ‘relevance’ of the Christian faith for members of the Roman empire was an increase in lifespan of around 20 years! A recent book by a sociologist (Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity A Sociologist Reconsiders History, Princeton: 1996) argues that the Christian faith took over the Roman Empire by the sheer survivability of its members.

1. Early Christian communities provided a tight-knit social network where members supported and cared for one another. This sense of belonging and mutual aid contributed to the overall well-being and survivability of individuals within the community. For example, the difference in mortality rates among females who were not forced to marry very young, nor forced to undergo abortions. Mystery Cults of the times segregated by sex, Christianity embraced both men and women.

2. Christians were known for their commitment to caring for the sick, even during times of epidemics and plagues. This practice not only demonstrated compassion but also contributed to the survival of individuals who might not have received care otherwise. There is evidence that the Christians even helped and nursed the pagans (non-Christians) during the plagues

3. Christian teachings emphasized moral values such as compassion, forgiveness, and charity. These principles promoted a more stable and harmonious social environment, reducing conflict and enhancing the survivability of adherents.

4. Christianity played a role in reducing practices like infanticide and the abandonment of unwanted children. This contributed to the survival and well-being of infants who might have otherwise been left to die.

5. The Christian prohibition against certain practices, such as infidelity, promiscuity, and participation in violent spectacles, may have reduced the risks associated with disease transmission, injuries, and other threats to survival.

6. Christian communities responded cohesively to crises, such as natural disasters and persecution. This unity allowed for effective support and protection of members during times of danger.

An Example of Biblical Relevance

A brief overview of the current Ukraine vs Russia conflict

1. Throughout 2021, there were significant military buildups by Russia near the Ukrainian border, coupled with increased rhetoric and accusations from both sides.

2. Despite diplomatic efforts and warnings from Western nations, tensions continued to rise. The U.S. and NATO warned of a potential invasion, while Russia demanded security guarantees, including a promise that Ukraine would never join NATO.

3. On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking a dramatic escalation in the conflict. The invasion involved attacks on multiple fronts, including missile strikes on major cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv.

4. As of July 2024, the conflict is still ongoing and Ukraine is all but destroyed with most of her population either immigrated to other parts of Europe or defecting to Russia, a very sad situation.

Jesus’s Parable

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace." Luke 14:31

Would it not been better for Ukraine to have heeded Jesus’s advice?

‘Relevance’ could be measured in years and decades. Today of course, these differences have been ‘appropriated’ by western culture, and so this aspect of relevance is not as noticeable. In certain disadvantaged situations (homeless shelters, famine relief, missionary education), however, it can still be seen quite easily. Let’s not forget that Christianity is the number one champion against sex slavery, child slavery, spousal abuse, poverty, and homelessness.

What Will it Take to Believe?

I think that in order to increase spirituality, to have faith in a particular religion and to be a believer one must confront the epistemological question “what will it take for me to believe?”

The answer is different for everyone, for me it is an intellectual understanding. For me to believe that something is true, it must be consistent (all the pieces must fit correctly), it must be intellectually satisfying (it must feel right). Luckily, we live in a period of time where the basic truth claims of the classic Christian position are becoming easier to believe and, in many cases, to authenticate, if you are willing to put in the effort.

However, it may come as no surprise that the influence of Christianity in the United States is waning. Rates of church attendance, religious affiliation, belief in God, prayer and Bible-reading have been dropping for decades. Americans’ beliefs are becoming more post-Christian and, concurrently, religious identity is changing. Enter Generation Z: Born between 1999 and 2015, they are the first truly “post-Christian” generation. More than any other generation before them, Gen Z does not assert a religious identity. They might be drawn to things spiritual, but with a vastly different starting point from previous generations, many of whom received a basic education on the Bible and Christianity. The percentage of Gen Z that identifies as atheist is double that of the U.S. adult population (30% of Gen Z are atheist or agnostic).

Materialism is a shallow monist philosophy that cannot explain all of reality. Materialism is showing signs of giving up trying to reduce human consciousness to the physical brain matter and nothing else. Witness the rise of interdisciplinary research and dialogue between neurobiologists, cognitive scientists, computational linguists, mystics, theologians, and philosophers. We seem to be stuck with the fact that we are 'persons' (beings with a personality). We are irreducible beings, we have a body (which includes a brain), minds (we have consciousness and free-will), we have personality (I am). Modern Christian claims about the ‘soul’ are not as taboo as they once were. The New Testament tells us that in addition to the previous attributes, we also have a spirit that comes from God and a soul that is immortal.

Does this mean that I can 'prove the existence of God'? Or that there are no major problems within the Christian worldview? Or that the Church is not a constant embarrassment to the Living God? Of course not.

To my personal frustration, God doesn't seem to be interested in public displays of His power, or in doing circus-like tricks to get our attention, or in re-configuring our heads so that we can universally come to full consensus on some theistic argument. His basic modus operandi is ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’ Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV). He gives us hints, and data, and even a book of His actions in history (the Bible) and a ‘Book of Nature’ so to speak (the Universe) where the hand of a Creator is more than evident. He affords us many good arguments, and special events in history (the Bible). We develop wonder at the elegance of the mathematical and logical structure of the universe, are moved by the experience of interpersonal bonds, we sense that 'something more' is available and beckoning to us. But in the final analysis, we are personal beings as He is, and we must act as beings and not as automatons. God seeks spiritual human beings, not clones. We have adequate but not necessarily conclusive reasons to believe in His existence, His appearance and involvement in history, and in His desire to become constructively and meaningfully involved in our lives. He has a purpose also and it includes ‘adding value’ to those who want more. The intensity of this desire and purpose becomes apparent at the Cross: Out of love and desire for communion with humans, God becomes a man and takes upon Himself the future judicial consequences of our less-than-righteous lives, creating an environment in which God can be approached freely in history. Jesus' words in John 10:10 (NIV), often quoted but generally skirted over by Western culture, should be seen for the payload they really carry: ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’

"True religion is not about possessing the truth. No religion does that. It is rather an invitation into a journey that leads one toward the mystery of God. Idolatry is religion pretending that it has all the answers." Bishop J.S. Spong, Q&A on The Parliament of the World's Religions, weekly mailing, 2007-SEP-05. A religion must stand on its own claims and the truth of it must be experienced and validated by each individual.

No manmade religion can be perfect. But Christianity is a mighty religion, seeing that the commonplace disciples of a crucified carpenter set in motion those teachings which conquered the Roman world in three hundred years and then went on to triumph over the barbarians who overthrew Rome. This same Christianity conquered, absorbed, and exalted the whole stream of Hebrew theology and Greek philosophy. And then, when this Christian religion became comatose for more than a thousand years as a result of an overdose of mysteries and paganism (the dark age and the middle age), it resurrected itself and virtually reconquered the whole Western world. Christianity contains enough of Jesus' teachings to immortalize it. If Christianity would only grasp more of Jesus' teachings (the Gospels), it could do so much more in helping modern man to solve his new and increasingly complex problems.

Christianity suffers under a great handicap because it has become identified in the minds of all the world as a part of the social system, the industrial life, and the moral standards of Western civilization; and thus has Christianity unwittingly seemed to sponsor a society which staggers under the guilt of tolerating science without idealism, politics without principles, wealth without work, pleasure without restraint, knowledge without character, power without conscience, and industry without morality.

Is the Bible reliable? The Bible is a collection of 66 - 73 books written by 40 different authors over 1000 years. All these authors seemed to be congruent and agree on many things. The Old Testament the story of the Jewish people, and the New Testament the story of Jesus who was the Messiah and fulfilled 300 Old Testament prophesies. Even if you wanted to dispute some of them as being too vague. there are about 44 prophesies that are indisputable. Jesus is the Christ (the Anointed One), the Messiah, the Son of God.

1. There are over 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. When combined with Latin Vulgate manuscripts (about 10,000) and other early versions (Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, etc.), the total number of New Testament manuscripts is over 24,000.

2. The high number of manuscripts allows scholars to compare them to identify and correct errors. While there are variations among the manuscripts, the vast majority are minor (e.g., spelling differences). Less than 1% of the variants affect the meaning, and no core Christian doctrine is affected by these variants.

3. The earliest fragment of a New Testament manuscript is the John Rylands Papyrus (P52), dated around 125 A.D., which is only a few decades after the original text was written. Other significant early manuscripts include Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, both from the 4th century.

4. The Masoretic Text is the primary Hebrew text of the Old Testament, with manuscripts dating from the 9th to 10th centuries A.D.

5. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, these scrolls include parts of every Old Testament book except Esther and date from the 3rd century B.C. to the 1st century A.D. The Dead Sea Scrolls are remarkably similar to the Masoretic Text, showing that the text was preserved with a high degree of accuracy over a millennium.

6. The Septuagint a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from around 250 B.C. This version provides another line of textual evidence for the reliability of the Old Testament text.

The vast number of manuscripts, their early dating, and the consistency among them strongly support the textual reliability of the Bible. While no ancient text is perfectly preserved in its original form, the evidence for the Bible's textual reliability is considered superior to that of any other ancient document.

So, What's My Point?

Find out what it will take for you to believe in God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. If it is intellectual understanding you need, there is plenty of evidence out there and the logical arguments for the existence of God and his son Jesus Christ, you just have to do a little digging. If it is concrete evidence you need, that the Bible is a real book of timeless spiritual wisdom inspired by God, based on real historical places, people, and stories, you are in luck. We live in an era where archaeological discoveries about Biblical personalities, places and events are continually being discovered.

If you are the type of person who cherishes spiritual experience, then you are in luck, because we don’t just have the Bible but also the ‘Book of Nature’. All I have to do is experience good chocolate, a butterfly fluttering in the breeze, an unfolding sunset, the sound of a harp, the loyalty of a pet, the smile of an infant, the sound of gentle rain on a hot summer day, the clarity of the stars, the brooding of the ocean, laughter, tears at a reunion, wildflowers in the Spring, the full moon in the Fall, to know that this universe, in all of its glory and robustness, was created with our full and joyous participation in mind from the start!

It should not be trivialized that many people claim to have had a deeply spiritual and personal experience with God. This includes many former atheists. The personal experience does not have to be a vision or dream, although that is the most common way Muslims have converted to Christianity. Personal experience can take many forms and it can be a passage of scripture, a song lyric, a poem, a beautiful painting, a spectacular sunrise, etc. This should include near death experiences (NDE). For example, there have been reliable, trustworthy people that have remembered very vivid NDE, which do not use any (physical) senses or mind that have been later corroborated with conscious, lucid, non-related third parties.

Mathematics, and science, are indispensable to the intelligent discussion of the material aspects of the universe, but such knowledge is not necessarily a part of the higher realization of truth. If we had never seen water before, mathematics, philosophy, physics, or chemistry could not have predicted or known that the union of two gaseous hydrogen atoms with one gaseous oxygen atom would result in a new substance, liquid water. This comes about through experience. Technical analysis does not reveal what a person or a thing can do. For example: water is used effectively to extinguish fire. This is a fact of everyday experience, but no analysis of water could have been made to disclose such a property. Analysis determines that water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen; oxygen is the real supporter of combustion, and hydrogen will freely burn. There is no substitute for experience!

Did God leave any Easter eggs for us to find proof of His existence? Of course, He did. My favorite one is the butterfly. Materialistic science cannot explain the butterfly. Thousands of species of butterflies, each with a different kind of coloring, have little to no purpose in the animal world except to make us wonder at their beauty (they are not even very good pollinators). Evolution can’t explain the butterfly because evolution doesn’t create creatures that die before reproducing. But once in the cocoon, the caterpillar turns itself into a soup (basically it dies). The soup reconstitutes itself into a completely different and beautiful creature: the butterfly. Proving that yes, life after death is possible even here on earth!

Conclusion

There are many ways that the Bible is still relevant today and can help us cope with the craziness of the world around us. Here are a few short reminders of what the Bible can do for us today.

1. Provide Timeless Wisdom: The Bible offers ageless wisdom on human nature, relationships, and morality, which remains applicable in today’s society.

2. Reveal Moral Compass: In an era of post modernism and moral relativism, the Bible provides a steadfast moral compass, guiding individuals in making ethical decisions. As we slide into an era of post truth, the Bible shows us how to be discerning and open our eyes to the world around us especially with the help of the ‘Spirit of Truth’.

3. Give Hope in Difficult Times: The Bible offers stories of hope, resilience, and faith, providing solace during challenging times.

4. Addresses Materialism: In our consumer-driven society, the Bible reminds us of material wealth’s impermanence and spiritual richness’s value.

5. Importance of Community: The Bible emphasizes the significance of community, fellowship, and supporting one another, a message crucial in today’s individualistic world.

6. Guidance on Forgiveness: In a time of polarization and division, the Bible teaches the power of forgiveness and reconciliation, and who couldn’t use a little forgiveness?

7. Understanding Purpose: The Bible provides insights into life’s purpose, helping individuals navigate existential questions.

8. Emphasis on Love: The Bible’s central message is love – for God, for neighbors, and for oneself, a universal teaching that transcends time.

9. Addressing Fear and Anxiety: With rising mental health challenges, the Bible offers verses that comfort those grappling with fear and anxiety.

10. Insights on Justice: The Bible’s teachings on justice, equality, and righteousness resonate in today’s discussions on social justice and equity.

11. Valuing Humility: In an age of self-promotion, the Bible underscores the importance of humility and selfless service.

12. Navigating Relationships: The Bible provides guidance on building and maintaining healthy relationships, whether familial, platonic, or romantic.

13. Resisting Temptation: In a world full of distractions and temptations, the Bible offers guidance on staying true to one’s values.

14. Embracing Change: The Bible’s stories teach that change is inevitable, but with faith, individuals can navigate transitions with grace.

15. Power of Prayer: In an increasingly busy world, the Bible emphasizes the transformative power of prayer and reflection.

16. Unity in Diversity: The Bible teaches that all humans are made in God’s image, emphasizing the importance of unity and respect for all, regardless of differences.

Nothing worthwhile is easy and reading the Bible is a daunting task and this is why so few people even attempt it, and many do not complete it. The Bible is well worth reading even ‘cold turkey’ so to speak. However, due to its nature as a deep religious text and the historical narrative for the origin of the Jewish, and Christian faiths in order to be better able to unravel its often archaic meanings, it is necessary to have knowledge of geography of the region (complicated by the fact that each place or town has multiple names in antiquity completely different than today’s modern name) , a knowledge of history at least from 2000 BC to 100 AD, Greek philosophy, and knowledge of mythology (especially Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Egyptian). Additionally, like all religious books, it was meant to be read and re-read many times during the course of a lifetime. The Bible is not a single book but a library of books, meant to cherished through a lifetime and passed on to the next generations.

Hermeneutics is the proper understanding of what the Bible is trying to portray. This is why it’s very important to read the Bible in context, each individual book should be read from start to finish. Try and put yourself in the author’s shoes, what is he/she trying to tell the audience of that time (not ours). Try and take the circumstances of the times into account. Were they in a time of feasting or famine, war or peace, slavery or freedom? Were they in a time of spiritual revival, or in a time of pagan worship?

The Bible is so lengthy and some books so tedious, due to its archaic metaphor style of writing, constant repetitions, and sometime endless genealogies and enumerations that it is practically impossible for most people to read from cover to cover like a normal book. That’s why it’s important to have a reading plan, otherwise all the goodwill in the world will not be enough to get you through this monumental task. To add to the difficulties, you must also choose a translation, of which there are many. It is true to say that different translations can sometimes have different nouns for things and places, but generally speaking the gist of the story is always preserved. Some are word-for-word (but not transliteration but harmonized into modern speech), some are thought-for-thought, where the essence of the message is preserved but the words may be changed, and some are a hybrid approach where it is word-for-word except where it is more expedient to have a thought-for-thought translation. This is very important as it will either add to the frustration or enjoyment of reading the Bible. There are many ways to read the Bible:

1. Cover to cover.
2. Chronologically.
3. By historical relevance.
4. By spiritual relevance.
5. Isolate favorite books and keep re-reading those only.
6. Many others…

Again, no matter what way you read the Bible, you need a plan, a schedule, a quiet place, and some reference resources. Resources include Biblical Dictionary (for terms), Biblical Atlas (for geography), or a Study Bible, which normally includes all of the above resources, plus introduction for each book, and explanation and references for the less known names and phrases. One way that is probably not a good idea is to just open the Bible anywhere and read something out of context. It’s very difficult to make sense of a lot of the Bible if read out of context with the possible exception of Proverbs or Psalms which can be read on their own one at a time. If you are going to read a book of the Bible, please at least read it from start to finish, slowly, giving some thought as to where this book fits chronologically and think about what the author is trying to convey (hermeneutics).

Embark on the grandest adventure of all, a journey through the pages of the Bible, where wisdom flows like a mighty river, and every chapter holds a treasure. Let its words be the compass of your soul, guiding you towards a life of purpose and light. With each turn of the page, you uncover a new revelation, a beacon of hope, and a testament to the boundless power of faith. Embrace this epic voyage, for in the sacred text, you'll find not only words, but a path to eternity.

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It's really important to make a distinction between a Creed and a believer. When criticizing Islam, I'm criticizing a Creed and not its people. My immediate abbreviated answer for why I'm not a Muslim is because I'm a Christian, and I think as any Muslim would agree the two are incompatible. There are three areas I want to focus attention on. First, the founder of each tradition, so that would be Jesus and Muhammad. Second, on the rival conceptions of God, both religions are monotheistic, but Christianity describes God as a Trinity. Thirdly, the Quran versus the Bible, the two competing scriptures.

So, let's start with the central founding figures of each Faith tradition, in Islam, Muhammad is described as a prophet and in fact they go as far as to say that he's the last prophet after which no more Revelation is to take place. Let’s try to define what a prophet is, and what we should expect from a prophet. I would say that a prophet is a messenger from God who reveals something important about God and points us beyond this life to our next life, or life beyond death.  The reason I say that prophets point us to something beyond is because the mere fact that we apparently need prophets tells us that we are estranged from God, and if we weren't He wouldn't need to send Messengers to help us with our rebellious condition. If we weren't estranged from God, He would just communicate with us directly. So, because of that definition and what we think of as the role of a prophet, we should expect to encounter someone who directs our attention towards a different kind of life, one that is markedly distinct from the kind of life that we try to make for ourselves here and now without prophetic guidance. I think that this should be readily apparent in both their teachings and the witness of their lives. There should be something about them that forsakes the trappings of this life and instead invests in the life beyond, and by the trappings of this life I mean that a prophet should be indifferent towards things like money, power, pleasure, and sensuality. I don't need someone to tell me I should pursue those things, every corrupted instinct I have already tells me to go after those things, and to set my heart upon them. I would expect a prophet to tell me to aim for something other than what my most base desires are already telling me, a higher moral code.

In Muhammad, at least by his example, we have someone who seemed to invest significant effort into acquiring wealth, honor, power, and sensuality. He literally raised an army to himself, he fought battles and killed people, and he reaped the kinds of rewards that virtually every well-known warlord in history seeks for themselves. He seems to conduct himself the way that a typical warlord would do. He executed prisoners of war who had surrendered, he took and sold slaves, including women and children, he took many wives for himself, including Aisha bint Abi Bakr who was married to Muhammad when she was around 7 years old, and their marriage was consummated when she was around 9 years old.

Now, some people will object, and say that if we're  to be wary of Muhammad because he was a warlord, because he did things like kill people and buy and sell slaves and indulge in sensuality and the trappings of wealth and power and everything else then we should also hold Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Saul, and David in suspicion. If Moses claimed to be the final and fullest revelation of God, then I would be a little bit wary and skeptical of him too but he doesn't, he tells us that one day God will raise up a greater Prophet than him, and if all Muslims can do is say that Muhammad is no better than Moses, then that gives me a reason to look elsewhere because according to Islam, Muhammad's Revelation is the final one, it's the last lesson in the curriculum but it's no more morally or spiritually rich than the first revelation of God some 2600 to 1800 years earlier in the times of Abraham or Moses. In other words, it's a primitive take on God which had already been well established and known. Prophets are supposed to tell us something new that will lead us, not to repeat what has already been said 2600 to 1800 years before they were born.

Jesus Christ, by contrast seems to forsake the things of this life in teaching and example. He tells us to avoid ‘storing up’ treasures in this life which will only decay and end up being confiscated in the end anyways. Instead, he says we should ‘store up’ treasure in Heaven by doing God's will. The Bible depicts Jesus as someone who is celibate, who fasts, who deprives himself of the luxuries of this world, who prays all night long, who performs miracles, who identifies with the lowest members of society, who protects children, and who is indifferent towards honor, wealth, and power. 

Muhammad in contrast does not perform Miracles, he rules over the lowly, he apparently uses children instead of protecting them, and he grasps that honor, wealth, and power using all his might to get those things which again is no different from hundreds of other powerful figures from history who are war lords. So, what makes him different? Again, this is me asking that question to someone on the outside looking in, what should compel me to want to learn more about him, what makes him different, what makes him someone who points us beyond this life instead of all the things that my heart already desires?

In the case of Jesus, not only are his teachings unique and the kind of thing that I would expect from a true Prophet, but I also find the claims about him to be very compelling, especially his various miracles, such as healing the blind, the lame, the lepers, even the dead (in Lazarus’ case). His own resurrection was attested by his followers. The followers of Jesus either witnessed his resurrection from the dead or they lied about it. If they lied about it, then the surest test of that lie is the threat of severe punishment or even death if they hold to it, and in the case of the Apostles of Jesus, all of them except for one were threatened with death if they did not recant their claims about him returning from the dead. I don’t believe anyone would die for a lie, especially when they have nothing to gain and everything to lose, and yet that's exactly what they did. When every single one of them was put to that test they chose death instead of recanting their story.

Again, a prophet is someone who brings us some Revelation about God, the afterlife, or Ultimate Reality. In the case of God, we're talking about one who is Supreme, Perfect, All-knowing, Almighty, and Holy. He isn't a figment of our imagination, his being doesn't arise from us but rather we arise from his creative act, so what I would expect from a prophet's message about God is something at least somewhat surprising because I'm not those things, I'm not perfect, I'm not all-powerful, I'm not all-knowing, so when I encounter one who is, it should be surprising that they are so distinct from me. If someone comes to me with a message that sounds familiar and unsurprising, then my first instinct is to assume that the message that they are carrying isn't coming from another world, but from the one I currently inhabit, and I don't need a prophet to tell me about that.

However, the message of Jesus is full of surprises, even to a world that has been hearing that message for 2000 years. In the world that he lived in, they weren't just new, they were shocking to many people that heard them. Before Jesus, nobody thought it was a noble thing to identify with the poor, the sick, the lame, and the orphaned, not to mention women and children. Those conditions were seen as evidence of divine disfavor and there's certainly nothing rational about blessing and helping those who can't return the favor. Jesus was the first to insist on this, and the first to tie it back to the will of God.

Perhaps one of the most surprising things that Jesus reveals to us about the nature of God is God as a Trinity and particularly as God the Father, the Son, and Spirit. Interestingly enough, this seems to be a point that many Muslims seem to grab onto as an obvious weakness in Christian theology, but I think the reverse is true. A non-trinitarian formulation of God is actually a weakness if you want to try to say the kinds of things that Islam does apparently say about God. for example, one of the names of God is Al-Wadude in Islam which means ‘all loving’, to say that God is all loving means that this is something that you can always ascribe to him, and it doesn't require us to have been created for him, to be described in this way. If it did, then you'd be conceding that God's love is contingent upon us existing and therefore we would be needed for God to be what he is, but how can someone who is all loving, all-powerful, and utterly self-sufficient, require us to exist to be what he is? This raises a big difficulty in the Islamic conception of God. The Christian understanding of God solves this by telling us that within the divine being there are three distinct persons who are in perpetual exchange of love from all eternity while sharing in one divine nature thus one divine nature or one God and three persons to fulfill the nature of God which is love. A God who existed by himself from all eternity cannot be said to be all loving unless there was an object of love from all eternity as well. In the Christian tradition that is inherent in the divine nature, and since in the Islamic conception of God there isn't, we can't ascribe love as part of the divine nature in that system.

Now, what about the two contrasting scriptures? In Christianity we have the Bible, which is often thought of as a single book, but in reality it's a library or a canon of books written over the course of some say over 1000 years by dozens of authors, and yet in spite of that vast separation of space and time those authors managed to somehow coordinate a coherent system of thought that finds its fulfillment in the life and teachings of Jesus. Some scholars estimate that Jesus fulfills over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament, a conspiracy to coordinate an effort to develop a scripture like that, drawn from multiple generations of people, on multiple authors, of that length of time, that coheres in the life and teachings of Jesus is impossible. However, a book that is written by one person over a short length of time and claims to be the be-all to end-all of Revelation, well that's much easier to ascribe to a conspiracy or to just a simple deception. As it turns out, the Quran was dictated by Muhammad mostly orally and gathered as a manuscript by 650 AD, two decades after his death. There is verifiable proof that there are different versions of the Quran, and some of the oldest manuscripts show erasures, strikeouts, additions, corrections, and tapings over words or phrases.

The more I learned about the Bible, the more it interested me, but the Quran on the other hand at first glance it's written by one person and is just very easy to dismiss as something other than a true Revelation. The Bible can also lay claim to being the origin of most of what we think of now as monotheism, and an ethical system that is inseparable from the ethical DNA of even the modern world. The Quran by contrast doesn't introduce us to anything compelling that wasn't already in the Bible. If anything, it just rolls things back to much of what had already been described in the Old Testament, approximately 2000 BC in the times of Abraham, or 1250 BC in the times of Moses.

In the final analysis, the Quran seems to be intellectually and spiritually simple. It is internally and externally inconsistent. It does not bring any additional revelation, nor does it bring additional clarity to existing revelation from the Bible.

10 Reasons Islam Cannot be from God.

1.      Muhammad gave no sign as required by God.
2.      Muhammad’s revelation did not agree with the previous revelation of God.
3.      Muhammad takes great pains to deny the deity of Jesus.
4.      Muhammad frequently changed his revelations to suit circumstances.
5.      Muhammad denies the crucifixion of Jesus.
6.      Quran’s appeal of heaven does not extoll a higher nature.
7.      Quran’s morality does not extoll a higher nature.
8.      Quran is hundreds of years younger than the Bible.
9.      Quran has internal contradictions.
10.   Quran has external contradictions.

Muhammad gave no sign as required by God.

Islam cannot be from God because the prophet of Islam, Muhammad, did not pass God's first test for a prophet. Deuteronomy 18:21-22 tells us that God will authenticate those He sends as a prophet by having them perform signs. Muhammad gave no sign as required by God. Muhammad is mentioned a total of 4 times in the Quran, Isa (Jesus) is mentioned 25 times, and Musa (Moses) is mentioned 136 times.

Deuteronomy 18:21,22, NAS95 ₂₁ "You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' ₂₂ "When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”

Muslims recognize this and try to overcome the principle of God confirming his revelation with signs by asserting that the revelation of the Quran itself is a sign. When Muhammad was challenged by the Jews and Christians to produce a sign, he received a special revelation from Allah (the Quran).

Surah 6:37-39, _36. And they said: "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?" Say: "Allah is certainly able to send down a sign, but most of them know not." _38. There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book, then unto their Lord they (all) shall be gathered. _39. Those who reject our Ayat (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) are deaf and dumb in darkness. Allah sends astray whom He wills, and He guides on the straight path whom He wills.”

Muslims claim that the Quran itself is the sign God gave Muhammad. As we shall see, the Quran is internally inconsistent, externally inconsistent, and in some cases undecipherable or nonsensical.       

Muhammad is a false prophet
If you read Surah 69:44-47, we see Allah’s punishment for anyone who lies about 
the real God by forging a false saying. Allah says he will cut off his aorta.
”And if he (Muhammad) had a counterfeit statement concerning Us (Allah), We surely would have confiscated him by his right hand (or with force and strength). And then We certainly would have cut off his life artery (aorta), And none of you can hold Us back from punishing him.”

If you read Sahih Al-Bukhari, we found a Jewish woman who sought to revenge for the death of her family murdered by the hands of Muhammad and his men. Let’s read Sahih Al-Bukhari 47, Hadith 786 narrated by Anas bin Malik: A Jewish woman brought a poisoned (cooked) sheep for the Prophet who ate from it. She was brought to the Prophet, and he was asked, “Shall we kill her?” He said, “No.” I continued to see the effect of the poison on the palate of the mouth of Allah’s Apostle. Later this woman was beheaded. Muhammad was waiting to see if she has a cure for the poison. Let’s read Sahih Al-Bukhari vol 5, book 59, hadith 713 ...Narrated by 'Aisha: “The Prophet in his ailment in which he died, used to say, 'O 'Aisha! I still feel the pain caused by the food I ate at 'Khaybar, and now, I feel as if my aorta is being cut from that poison.'”

1.     First of all, notice what Aisha said, Muhammad indeed died from the poison.
2.     We know that Muhammad complained about the food he ate at Khaybar, this means that the only cause of Muhammad's death was the poison.
3.     Remember what Surah 69:44-46 says, anyone who lies about the god, Allah will cut his aorta. Muhammad said that he felt as his aorta was cut off by the poison.
4.     Here is where it gets so obvious that Muhammad is a false prophet.
5.     Muslims believe in what they call “Al Qadar, ردقلا, “which means destiny or divine predestination, where Allah is the only one who will decide how anyone will die, with no exception.
6.     This would therefore mean that it was Allah who wanted Muhammad to die in such a way.
7.     If the Muslims claim that Allah saved Jesus Christ from death by not allowing Jesus to die by Jewish hands, then why did Allah allow Muhammad to be killed by Jewish hands? Does that mean Allah loved Jesus more than Muhammad? 

Muhammad’s revelation did not agree with the previous revelation of God.

Islam cannot be from God because Muhammad's teaching does not pass the second test God gave for a prophet. Deuteronomy 13:1-4 tells us that no prophet will bring a revelation that conflicts with previous revelation. His revelation must agree with the previous revelation of God.

Deuteronomy 13:1-4, 1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

Muhammad's revelation contradicts the previous revelations in both facts and principles. Consider the account of Joseph. In the Quran, Surah 12, Yusuf Beginning in Ayah 21.

Surah 12:21-34, 21. And the Egyptian who bought him said to his wife: Give him an honorable abode, maybe he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son. And thus, did We establish Yusuf in the land and that We might teach him the interpretation of sayings; and Allah is the master of His affair, but most people do not know. 22. And when he had attained his maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge: and thus do We reward those who do good. 23. And she in whose house he was sought to make himself yield (to her), and she made fast the doors and said: Come forward. He said: I seek Allah's refuge, surely my Lord made good my abode: Surely the unjust do not prosper. 24. And certainly she made for him, and he would have made for her, were it not that he had seen the manifest evidence of his Lord; thus (it was) that We might turn away from him evil and indecency, surely, he was one of Our sincere servants. 25. And they both hastened to the door, and she rent his shirt from behind and they met her husband at the door. She said: What is the punishment of him who intends evil to your wife except imprisonment or a painful chastisement? 26. He said: She sought to make me yield (to her); and a witness of her own family bore witness: If his shirt is rent from front, she speaks the truth and he is one of the liars: 27. And if his shirt is rent from behind, she tells a lie and he is one of the truthful. 28. So when he saw his shirt rent from behind, he said: Surely it is a guile of you women; surely your guile is great: 29. O Yusuf! turn aside from this; and (O my wife)! ask forgiveness for your fault, surely you are one of the wrong doers. 30. And women in the city said: The chiefs wife seeks her slave to yield himself (to her), surely, he has affected her deeply with (his) love; most surely, we see her in manifest error. 31. So when she heard of their sly talk, she sent for them and prepared for them a repast, and gave each of them a knife, and said (to Yusuf): Come forth to them. So, when they saw him, they deemed him great, and cut their hands (in amazement), and said: Remote is Allah (from imperfection); this is not a mortal; this is but a noble angel. 32. She said: This is he with respect to whom you blamed me, and certainly I sought his yielding himself (to me), but he abstained, and if he does not do what I bid him, he shall certainly be imprisoned, and he shall certainly be of those who are in a state of ignominy. 33. He said: My Lord! the prison house is dearer to me than that to which they invite me; and if Thou turn not away their device from me, I will yearn towards them and become (one) of the ignorant. 34. Thereupon his Lord accepted his prayer and turned away their guile from him; surely, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

Now consider the same account from the Bible in Genesis 39:7-21

Genesis 39:7-21, KJV7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. 13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, 14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: 15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. 16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. 17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: 18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. 19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, after this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. 20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

Consider the differences in the facts presented about the lives of the Biblical characters. In the Quran, Potiphar was at the door when Joseph fled. He wasn't at home in the Bible Account. In the Quran, Potiphar believed Joseph while in the Bible Potiphar believed his wife. In the Quran, Joseph requested that he be put in prison so that he might avoid the temptation of women and in the Bible, he was imprisoned by Potiphar for accosting his wife. Surely it is easy to see the differences. Joseph is just a sample. There are other contradictions in almost every account of the lives of Bible people. In the Quran, one of Noah's sons died in the flood while in the Bible, all of them were on the ark. Compare the Biblical account of Lot with the Quran 's account of Lot (Lut in the Quran). In the Quran, Abraham's father was an idolater and forced Abraham to leave home for trying to teach monotheism, while the Biblical account has Abraham leaving after his father's death.

Now consider just one principle that is set forth in the New Testament with the principles set forth in the Quran.

The New Testament, Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”.

Surah 61:4. “Surely Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks as if they were a firm and compact wall.”

Surah 2:191. And kill them wherever you find them and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers.

Surah 2:193 And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah) and (all and every kind of) worship is for Allah (Alone). But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheist and wrong-doers).

What a contrast. Jesus says to love, forgive, and pray for your enemies. The Quran says to kill them. If that isn't a different doctrine than what was revealed, nothing is.

Muhammad takes great pains to deny the deity of Jesus.

Islam cannot be from God because it denies the deity of Jesus. In the Quran, Muhammad takes great pains to deny the deity of Jesus. It demeans Jesus and makes him just a man. The entire New Testament is filled with affirmations that Jesus is the Son of God. This by the many disciples who knew him, by roman soldiers, by John the Baptist, by his own assertion, and by God the Father himself. In Philippians, Paul asserts that Jesus existed in the form of God.

Minimal facts arguments for the divinity of Jesus:

Dr. Gary Habermas is a Christian philosopher and theologian who has proposed a well-known argument for the divinity of Jesus based on what he calls "the minimal facts." These facts are widely accepted by scholars, regardless of their religious beliefs, and include:

1.     Jesus died by crucifixion.
2.     Jesus' disciples believed that he rose from the dead and appeared to them. They kept this belief all the way to martyrdom.
3.     The apostle Paul, who was once a persecutor of the early church, converted after experiencing what he believed was a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus.
4.     James, the brother of Jesus, who was initially skeptical of Jesus' claims, also became a believer after allegedly seeing the risen Jesus.
Habermas argues that these facts are strongly supported by historical evidence and are difficult to explain by naturalistic explanations alone. He further argues that the best explanation for these facts is that Jesus truly did rise from the dead, and that this provides strong evidence for his divinity.

Surah 4:171 "O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of God naught but the truth. The Messiah Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a messenger of Allah and His Word, (“Be!” and he was) which was bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Ruh) created by Him; so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not: “Three (trinity)!” Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allah is (the only) One Ilah (God), glorified is He (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.”

Surah 17:111 “Praise be to God, Who hath not taken unto Himself a son, and Who hath no partner in the Sovereignty, nor hath He any protecting friend through dependence.”

Surah 112 “There is no god but God. He is One. He has no associate. Say: He is God, the One! God, eternally Besought of all! He begetteh not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him. Muhammad is the Messenger of God”

Philippians 2:5-9 “Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. ₈ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name.”

All four Gospels recount this baptismal scene but here is one example.

Matthew 3:13-17 “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'“

Muhammad frequently changed his revelations to suit circumstances.

Surah 5:46-47 _46. In their footsteps, We sent Jesus son of Mary, fulfilling the Torah that preceded him; and We gave him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light, and confirming the Torah that preceded him, and guidance and counsel for the righteous. _47. So let the people of the Gospel rule according to what God revealed in it. Those who do not rule according to what God revealed are the sinners. God gave Jesus the Gospel (The Good News) to fulfill the Torah that preceded it. So let Christians rule according to the Gospel and all those that don’t are revealed as sinners.

Surah 9:29-31 _29. Fight those who do not believe in God, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden, nor abide by the religion of truth - from among those who received the Scripture - until they pay the due tax, willingly or unwillingly. ₃₀. The Jews said, “Ezra is the son of God,” and the Christians said, “The Messiah is the son of God.” These are their statements, out of their mouths. They emulate the statements of those who blasphemed before. May God assail them! How deceived they are! _31. They have taken their rabbis and their priests as lords instead of God, as well as the Messiah son of Mary. Although they were commanded to worship none but The One God. There is no god except He. Glory be to Him; High above what they associate with Him.

Fight atheists(?) make Jews and Christians pay a tax. Jews said Ezra is the son of God? The Jews have never proclaimed that Ezra was the son of God. Christians said the Messiah is the son of God. Muslims do not believe in the son of God. Jews and Christians believe their rabbis and priests more than they believe the scriptures (this may be true, but it seems the same for Muslims as well).

Clearly God gave Christians the Gospel and wants them to rule according to the Gospel. So why do Muslims want to force Jews and Christians to follow the Quran or pay taxes because they are inferior? Why does the Quran say to kill non-believers (9:3 and 9:5)?

Muhammad denies the crucifixion of Jesus.

The central figure of the New Testament is Jesus. From his temptations in the desert to the resurrection, the focus of Jesus is his death on the cross to provide a sacrifice for mankind's sin. The Quran denies that Jesus died on the cross and that would then preclude his resurrection. It is the contention of Islam that God took Jesus into heaven and transformed Judas to look like Jesus. Muslims teach that it was actually Judas who died on the cross.

Minimal facts arguments for the crucifixion of Jesus:

Dr. Gary Habermas has presented several arguments in favor of the crucifixion of Jesus. One of his most well-known arguments is the "minimal facts" argument, which is based on a set of widely accepted historical facts about the crucifixion. The minimal facts argument consists of the following:

1.     Jesus’ crucifixion was recorded in all four Gospel accounts and Acts of the Apostles.
2.     Jesus’ crucifixion was recorded in non-Christian sources.

a.      Josephus (AD 37 – c. 100), Jewish Historian Antiquities 18, chapter 3
b.     Tacitus (c. AD 56 – c. 120), Roman Historian Annals 15.44
c.      Lucian of Samosata (c. AD 125 – after 180), Greek Satirist
d.     The Works of Lucian, Vol. IV “The Death of Peregrin” (scroll down to 11)
e.      Mara Bar-Serapion, Syrian prisoner
f.      A Letter of Mara, Son of Serapion (scroll down to just after footnote 19)
g.     The Jewish Talmud

3.     Jesus’ death on a cross is one of the most well-attested events of ancient history.

Minimal facts arguments for the resurrection of Jesus:

1.     Jesus died by crucifixion: This fact is widely accepted by both Christian and non-Christian scholars.
2.     The disciples believed that Jesus appeared to them after his death: The belief in the post-mortem appearances of Jesus is attested to by multiple early sources, including Paul's letters and the Gospels.
3.     The conversion of the skeptic James: James, the brother of Jesus, was initially skeptical of his brother's claims to be the Messiah, but he became a believer after reportedly seeing the risen Jesus.
4.     The empty tomb: The tomb in which Jesus was buried was found empty by his followers on the third day after his crucifixion.
5.     The origins of the Christian faith: The rapid growth of the Christian faith in the decades following Jesus' death and resurrection can be attributed to the belief in the resurrection, which served as a foundational doctrine for the early Church.
6.     The conversion of the Christian persecutor Paul: that the Christian persecutor Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) also became a believer after a similar experience.

Habermas argues that these six facts are historically well-established and have been accepted by a wide range of scholars, including skeptics and atheists. He further contends that the best explanation for these facts is that Jesus really did rise from the dead, as the disciples claimed.

Surah 4:157. That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the apostle of Allah"; But they killed him not, nor crucified him, But so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety, they killed him not.

The Bible clearly and plainly teaches that Jesus was crucified on the cross. This is verified by non-biblical sources as well.

Matthew 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, they parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.

Quran’s appeal of heaven does not extoll a higher nature.

Islam cannot be from God because its appeal is to man's lower nature rather than his higher nature. Compare the Biblical appeal of heaven to the Quranic appeal of heaven.

The Biblical Appeal

Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Peter 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you”

Mark 12:24-25 And Jesus answering said unto them, “Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.”

The Quran’s Appeal

Surah 37: 40-49. 40 But the sincere (and devoted) servants of Allah, For them is a Sustenance Determined, Fruits (Delights) and they (shall enjoy) honor and dignity, In Gardens of Felicity, Facing each other on thrones (of dignity): Round will be passed to them a cup from a clear flowing fountain, Crystal white, of a taste delicious to those who drink (thereof), Free from headiness; nor will they suffer intoxication there from. And beside them will be chaste women, restraining their glances, with big eyes (of wonder and beauty) As if they were (delicate) eggs closely guarded.

Surah 4:57. But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, We shall soon admit to Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath, - Their eternal home; therein shall they have companions [wives,] pure and holy; We shall admit them to shades, cool and ever deepening.

Surah 44:51. As to the righteous (they will be) in a position of security, Among gardens and springs; Dressed in fine silk and in rich brocade, they will face each other; So; and We shall join them to companions with beautiful big and lustrous eyes. There can they call for every kind of fruit in peace and security; Nor will they there taste death, except the first death: and He will preserve them from the penalty of the blazing fire.

Which makes its appeal to the higher nature of man, the Bible, or the Quran? Which is more likely to be from God - that which appeals to man's higher nature, or that which appeals to his baser nature? The Bible is more likely to be from God than the Quran because its appeal is to man's higher nature, while the appeal of the Quran is to man's lower nature.

Quran’s morality does not extoll a higher nature.

Islam cannot be from God because its morality is inferior to the morality taught by the New Testament. In examining the contradictions between the Bible and the Quran, we encountered Jesus' teaching that we were to love and pray for our enemies while the Quran says to fight and kill your enemies. There is a tremendous gap in the standard of morality between the two standards. Which is more likely to be from God, the high standard of morality, or the low standard of morality?

Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”.

Surah 61:4. Surely Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks as if they were a firm and compact wall.

Surah 2:190 - 191 And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits. And kill them wherever you find them and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers.

Quran is hundreds of years younger than the Bible.

Islam cannot be from God because it is based upon a document, the Quran, made after God said revelation was finished. The Old Testament (the Tanakh) written perhaps between 900 BC and 30 BC, was basically settled by the end of the First century AD. Even the New Testament was basically all written by 100 AD. By 400 AD the entire canon (collection of books) of the Bible was agreed upon and settled. The Uthmanic codex is believed to have been completed around 650 AD (although there is no proof of a document, and it became the official version of the Quran that has been used ever since.

Paul said that revelation would come to an end: 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”

Jude 3 tells us that the faith was fully delivered:

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

Peter said that everything that was necessary for man to be pleasing to God had been revealed.

2 Peter 1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”

The Quran

1.The earliest Quranic texts are on the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (691 AD).
2. The earliest Quranic manuscripts begin to appear during Abd al Malik’s reign in late 7^th century.
3. The Quranic manuscripts begin to proliferate during Al Walid’s reign (early 8^th century).
4. None of the manuscripts are complete or do they look completely like today’s Quran.
5. They continue to be changed and corrected by later Caliphs (up to 9^th century).
6. The Quran is finally canonized at Al Azhar University in Cairo in 1924
7. Currently there are still 31+ different version of the Arabic Quran.

Quran has internal contradictions.

Islam cannot be from God because it is based upon the Quran which has internal contradictions. Any revelation from God will be consistent within itself. It will not contain internal contradictions. For example,

Surah 96:1-2 1. Proclaim (or read) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, who created 2. Created man out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood.

The Quran says that man was created from a clot of blood.

Surah 6:2 (Also 7:12) 2. He it is who created you from clay, and then decreed a stated term (for you). And there is in His presence another determined term; yet ye doubt within yourselves!

The Quran says that man was created from clay.

Surah 25:54. It is He Who has Created man from water: Then has He established relationships of lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all things).

The Quran says that man was created from water.

Surah 4:157. That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the apostle of Allah"; But they killed him not, nor crucified him, But so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety, they killed him not.

Muslims deny that Jesus was killed even though the Gospels say he was. If he was not killed, he could not have been resurrected. If he was not resurrected, he could not be divine. So, in one fell swoop they can deny that Jesus was the Son of God. No one knows where the source of their knowledge comes from.

Surah 4:157. Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient.

This verse emphasizes the importance of adhering to the guidance and laws revealed in the previous scriptures. It also emphasizes the need for adhering to divine guidance in matters of judgment and justice.

Surah 5:46-47 46. In their footsteps, We sent Jesus son of Mary, fulfilling the Torah that preceded him; and We gave him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light, and confirming the Torah that preceded him, and guidance and counsel for the righteous. 47. So let the people of the Gospel rule according to what God revealed in it. Those who do not rule according to what God revealed are the sinners.

God sent Jesus and gave him the Gospel (The Good News) to fulfill the Torah that preceded it. So let Christians rule according to the Gospel and all those that don’t are revealed as sinners.

Not understood why Muslims keep saying that the Bible is corrupted since Allah clearly says that the Gospel and the Torah need to be followed. And if the Gospel says that Jesus was crucified, died, was buried, and on the third day rose again, then we must believe the Gospel.

Surah 9:3 “And a proclamation from Allah and His messenger to all men on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage that Allah is free from obligation to the idolaters, and (so is) His messenger. So, if ye repent, it will be better for you; but if ye are averse, then know that ye cannot escape Allah. Give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom to those who disbelieve”

Surah 9:5 Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Surah 9:29-31 29. Fight those who do not believe in God, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden, nor abide by the religion of truth - from among those who received the Scripture - until they pay the due tax, willingly or unwillingly. 30. The Jews said, “Ezra is the son of God,” and the Christians said, “The Messiah is the son of God.” These are their statements, out of their mouths. They emulate the statements of those who blasphemed before. May God assail them! How deceived they are! 31. They have taken their rabbis and their priests as lords instead of God, as well as the Messiah son of Mary. Although they were commanded to worship none but The One God. There is no god except He. Glory be to Him; High above what they associate with Him.

Fight atheists, make Jews and Christians pay a tax? Jews said Ezra is the son of God? The Jews have never proclaimed that Ezra was the son of God (this is not found anywhere in the Bible). Christians said the Messiah is the son of God. Muslims do not believe in the son of God. Jews and Christians believe their rabbis and priests more than they believe the scriptures (this may be true, but it seems the same for Muslims as well).

Clearly God gave Christians the Gospel and wants them to rule according to the Gospel. So why do Muslims want to force Jews and Christians to follow the Quran or pay taxes because they are inferior? Why does the Quran say to kill non-believers (9:3 and 9:5)? In conclusion, we see that the Quran is conflicted and inconsistent in these few Surahs.

Quran has external contradictions.

Islam cannot be from God because the Quran frequently contradicts the Bible. The Quran advocates the beating of wives who are perceived to be misbehaving.

Surah 4:34 Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means. Therefore, the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and to their husbands), and guard in the husband's absence what Allah orders them to guard (e.g. their chastity, their husband's property, etc.). As to those women on whose part you see ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly, if it is useful), but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance). Surely, Allah is Ever Most High, Most Great.

The Bible teaches that man is to love his wife and treat her as his own body.

Ephesians 5:25-29, 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.

Surely God will not change his mind about such a significant principle in husband-and-wife relationships. The Quranic ideal is contrary to the teaching of the New Testament.

There are three preconceptions which Muslims claim concerning their Qur'an. However, these claims are self-serving in that they cannot be proven.

1)     The Quran is eternally preserved. That is, the writ of the Quran is unchangeable and imperishable. It is inscribed in the guarded tablet of God, which cannot be corrupted in any way. Whatever is written in it has to be fulfilled: even the whole world together cannot avert its fulfillment.

(Surah 85:22) Inscribed on a well-guarded Tablet.

2)     The Quran is unchanged. This is false, as the early scrips have revisions, additions and deletions, scholars have known about these for a long time.

Surah 10:15; 18:27 And whenever Our clear revelations are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us say: 'Bring us a Qur'an other than this one, or at least make changes in it.¹⁹ Tell them (O Muhammad): 'It is not for me to change it of my accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Were I to disobey my Lord, I fear the chastisement of an Awesome Day.
(O Prophet),²⁶ recite to them from the Book of your Lord what has been revealed to you for none may change His words; (and were you to make any change in His words) you will find no refuge from Him.²⁷

3)     The Quran has been protected from any human accretions or deletions by Allah himself. This is false, see #2 above.
Surah 15:9 As for the Admonition, indeed it is We Who have revealed it and it is indeed We Who are its guardians.⁶

The contradictions pointing out that Surahs 4:82; 6:34; and 10:65 all say that God's Word cannot have any contradictions. Yet, in Surahs 2:106 and 16:101 the law of contradiction (also known as 'abrogation') stipulates that Allah uses contradictions and abrogation all the time. In fact, Dr. Jay Smith has found over 225 of them.

The Scientific Errors in the Qur'an:

1) Mountains (Surah 16:15; 21:31; 31:10; 78:6-7; 88:19) are not tent-pegs to keep the earth from shaking, since they are formed by volcanoes and tectonic plates, which create the shaking.

2) (Surah 86:5-7) Semen doesn't originate in the back of the kidney, an idea borrowed from Hippocrates in the 5th century BC.

3) (Surah 16:66) Cow's milk does not come from between the excrement and the blood of the cow's abdomen.

4) (Surah 16:69) Honey, which gives healing, does not come out of the bee’s abdomen, but from the Honeycomb, in the hive of the bees.

5) That it is odd to find in (Surah 65:12) the reference, "It is God who hath created seven heavens and as many earths." 

6) That (Surah 15:16-18; 37:6-10; 55:33-35; 67:5; 72:6-9 & 86:2-3) meteors and shooting stars are not missiles fired at eavesdropping jinn who seek to listen to the reading of the Qur'an in heaven, since they are made of carbon dioxide, vs non-material jinn?

Finally, one of the greatest problems for the Qur'an's is relevancy, such as what it says about women:

1) Polygamy is permitted in Surah 4:3, where 1 husband can have up to 4 wives.
2) Inheritance in Surah 4:11 stipulates that ”the male's is equal to that of two females”
3) The slavery of women is permitted in Surah 4:24, where it says “Forbidden are women…except those [slaves] whom your right hand possesses”
4) Wife Beating is allowed in Surah 4:34 saying that men may beat wives who disobey them, after first admonishing them, and then throwing them from their bed.
5) The Testimony of two women is equal to only one man in Surah 2:282
6) In Surah 2:223 it states, “Your women are a tilth for you (to cultivate) so go to your tilth as ye will”, which permits marital rape.
7) Divorce is permitted only to the husband in Surah 2:230. Yet he cannot have her back again as a wife, until another has sex with her, consummates it, and then divorces her, known by Muslims as "Halala Marriage". However, this is said to be forbidden now.
8) One of the most problematic statements in Quran for women is in Surah 65:4 which explains how long women should wait to remarry after a divorce. According to the Quran it is not problematic to marry prepubescent girls.

“And those of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the Iddah (prescribed period), if you have any doubt (about their period), is three months; and for those who have no courses (i.e., still immature) their Iddah is three months likewise, except in case of death. And for those who are pregnant (whether they are divorced, or their husband is dead), their Iddah is until they lay down their burden; and whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to HIM, He will make his matter easy for him.”

Conclusion

Islam in the modern era has been characterized by extreme conservatism. The Wahhabi movement founded in 1744 opposed all forms of change. They suppressed the Sufis and others who were seeking to grow in the modern world. The isolation of the Muslim world came to an end in the early part of the twentieth century due to involvement in World War I and the need for Arab oil. They achieved extreme wealth and world political power almost overnight. This revolutionary upheaval preempting evolutionary development is causing many problems in the Middle East.

Muslims have forgotten that Islam used Mohammed as an answer to a pagan, polytheistic society that worshipped many nature gods. Islam is the half borrowed (from Jewish and Christian), half invented religion of a Bedouin people. Unfortunately, in the attempt to spread their religion via coercion and military violence it has become the violent, vengeful religion of intolerant, authoritarian Islamist states.

The future is uncertain, but it looks like the chances that the West will collapse are almost certain. Islamism will most likely take over Europe in the next one or two generations, but in the United States the fight is between Communism and Globalism. It will be interesting to see who wins, but I would venture to say that due to the fact that most Americans will never give up their guns, Communism and Islamism will not be in our future, however, there is nothing to stop this country from becoming a Socialist nation such as a Globalist state.

Below are the ‘technical explanations’ of the various political systems. I’ve bolded the qualities that the United States currently displays to see where this country aligns more closely. This is purely subjective, and you may or may not agree. No country is a pure representation of any political system but a blend of two or more. The political climate of each country is complex and not conducive to simple categorization. The United States for example is not a Democracy, it is technically a Constitutional Republic. In reality, it is not even 100% that it has some of the markings of a Socialist state and quite a bit of Fascism and Globalism as well. China is a Communist country, but it allows some limited capitalism. Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, but it acts a lot like an Islamist country. However, to make sense of the world we sometimes need to generalize and speak in broad categories.

There currently are three general expressions of Socialism in the world today: Communism, Islamism, and Globalism. I posit that the West and western civilization is being infiltrated by Socialism in all three of its expressions. And, while Europe might lose itself to Islamism, and other parts of the world to Communism, in the United States because of the reluctance of its citizens to give up their guns Communism and Islamism will never fully take over. However, there is nothing to stop Globalism from taking over this once great country.

Benito Mussolini, the founder of Fascism, was a socialist his entire life. He founded Fascism as a fusion of nationalism and socialism. It was not a right-wing movement. It was a left-wing movement that mutated. Fascism is characterized by several key elements:

1. Authoritarianism: A concentration of power in a single leader or a small group of elites, often bypassing democratic institutions and processes. The state is seen as supreme, and the individual’s rights are secondary to the needs of the state.

2. Nationalism: An intense form of nationalism that often includes the belief in the superiority of one’s own nation or ethnic group. This can lead to exclusionary or xenophobic policies.

3. Totalitarianism: Aiming for total control over all aspects of life, including the economy, culture, and personal beliefs. Fascist regimes typically use propaganda, censorship, and state control of the media to enforce their ideology.

4. Militarism: A glorification of military strength and the use of force. Fascist regimes often have aggressive expansionist policies and prioritize military power.

5. Anti-Communism: A strong opposition to communist and socialist ideologies, often positioning themselves as defenders against leftist threats. One might think USA might qualify because of our ‘feigned’ hatred for Russia, but there is no equivalent hatred for China or any other Communist country so no we don’t qualify for this one.

6. Corporatism: An economic system where the state exerts control over various sectors of the economy through state-corporate partnerships, which often involves collaboration between the government and large businesses, while suppressing labor movements (think Big Finance, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Military Defense Industry).
   

Socialism is a political and economic ideology advocating collective or governmental control over the means of production, distribution, and exchange. Socialism as an umbrella term for socialist policies, can include Communism at the extreme left all the way to soft fiscal socialism on the right such as European style socialism (Globalism) where you have high taxation to provide social services like free health care, free education, and substantial pension and/or social security benefits. Globalism = open borders + free trade + single currency (i.e. euro) + common climate change, IDE, and immigration policies.

Socialism emphasizes:

1. Economic Equality: Aims to reduce or eliminate income inequality through redistribution of wealth and resources.

2. Public Ownership: Proposes that key industries and resources should be owned and managed by the state or cooperatives rather than private individuals.

3. Planned Economy: Supports economic planning to meet the needs of the population, rather than relying on market forces alone.

4. Social Welfare: Promotes comprehensive social welfare systems, including health care, education, and social services, to ensure that basic needs are met for all citizens.

5. Democratic Control: Often advocates for democratic processes in economic decision-making, with varying degrees of emphasis on direct versus representative democracy.
   

A Constitutional Republic is a type of government in which:

1. Constitutional Framework: The country operates under a set of fundamental laws or a constitution that outlines the structure, powers, and limits of government institutions. This constitution is designed to protect individual rights and ensure that the government operates according to established rules.

2. Republican Principles: The head of state and other officials are elected by the people or their representatives, rather than inheriting office or being appointed by a monarch. In a republic, sovereignty resides with the people, and elected officials are accountable to them. I’m sorry folks USA no longer qualifies for this.

3. Rule of Law: The constitution provides a framework for governance and enforces the rule of law, meaning that all actions of the government and its officials must comply with the constitution and legal standards. This ensures that power is exercised according to established rules and that individuals have legal protection.

4. Separation of Powers: Typically, there is a separation of powers among different branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) to prevent the concentration of power and to create a system of checks and balances.

5. Democratic Processes: While the specific mechanisms can vary, a constitutional republic usually includes democratic elements such as regular elections, the right to vote, and a system for representatives to make decisions on behalf of the people.
   

Communism is a political and economic ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless society in which the means of production are owned collectively. In practice, various historical implementations of Communism, such as those in the Soviet Union, China, and Cuba, have diverged significantly from Marxist theoretical ideals, often resulting in centralized state control rather than a stateless, classless society. The technical description of Communism includes the following key elements:

1. Collective Ownership: In a communist system, the means of production (such as factories, land, and resources) are owned collectively by the community or the state, rather than by private individuals. This collective ownership is intended to eliminate private property and ensure that resources are distributed according to need rather than profit.

2. Classless Society: Communism aims to create a society without class distinctions. The idea is that by abolishing private ownership and class structures, social inequalities will be eliminated, and all members of society will have equal access to resources and opportunities.

3. Statelessness: The ultimate goal of communism is to achieve a stateless society, where the state (which is seen as a tool of class oppression) no longer exists. In practice, this often translates to the idea that the state should "wither away" as class distinctions and conflicts are resolved.

4. Planned Economy: In a communist system, economic activity is typically organized through central planning. This means that economic decisions, including production and distribution, are made by the state or a central planning authority rather than through market mechanisms.

5. Distribution According to Need: Communism advocates for the distribution of goods and services based on individual needs rather than market forces or profit motives. This principle is based on the idea that in a society where resources are shared collectively, everyone can have access to what they need to live a fulfilling life.

6. Revolutionary Change: Many communist ideologies propose that achieving a communist society requires a revolutionary transformation of existing social and economic systems. This often involves the overthrow of existing political and economic structures that are viewed as oppressive or exploitative.
   

Islamism is a political ideology that seeks to implement Islamic principles and law (Sharia) as the basis for political and social governance. Technically, it includes:

1. Integration of Islam and Politics: Islamism advocates for the integration of Islamic principles into the political and legal systems of a state. It seeks to establish a government that operates according to Islamic teachings and Sharia law.

2. Sharia Law: Proponents aim to enforce Sharia, which covers not only personal conduct but also aspects of legal and social governance. This includes criminal justice, family law, and economic regulations.

3. Political Activism: Islamism often involves political activism, whether through democratic processes, social movements, or, in some cases, through revolutionary means. The goal is to influence or control state institutions and public policy according to Islamic values.

4. Religious Governance: It supports the idea that governance should reflect Islamic moral and ethical values, often emphasizing a return to what adherents see as the original principles of Islam.

5. Varied Interpretations: Islamism can manifest in different forms, ranging from moderate and reformist approaches to more radical and militant interpretations. The degree of emphasis on violence, democracy, or reform varies widely among different Islamist groups.
   

Globalism is a political and economic ideology that advocates for the increased integration and interdependence of nations through:

1. Economic Integration: Promoting free trade, international investment, and economic cooperation to create a more interconnected global economy. It supports policies that reduce trade barriers and encourage multinational economic activities (i. e. standard currency like euro).

2. Political Cooperation: Encouraging nations to work together on global issues such as climate change, security, and human rights, often through international institutions and agreements. This can include support for supranational organizations like the United Nations (UN) or the European Union (EU). Think of NATO, G7, WHO, WEF, etc.

3. Cultural Exchange: Fostering cross-cultural interactions and understanding by promoting global communication and exchange of ideas, goods, and people. It values the sharing of cultural practices and innovations across borders.

4. Global Governance: Supporting the development of international rules and standards to address global challenges and coordinate collective actions. This may involve creating or strengthening international regulations and institutions to manage global issues.

5. Universal Values: Emphasizing shared human values and rights that transcend national boundaries, aiming to address global inequalities and promote universal standards of justice and prosperity (i.e. common climate change, IDE, and immigration policies).

It will be very difficult for the populist (nationalistic) movement, in the United States or anywhere else in the West, to gain traction against the Globalists as they are operating along a multitude of vectors. These vectors are being used to push an agenda of Materialism, Consumerism, and elements of Marxism. Race and gender are weaponized to keep the populous divided and distracted. The end goal is power and control.

a)     Political (radical leftist dominated government)
b)     Media (televised, printed, and digital)
c)     Social Media (Big Tech collusion with government)
d)     Entertainment (movies, TV, video games, etc.)
e)     Education (at first with universities and now K-12)

Communist and Islamic countries (China in particular being the most dangerous) are willfully taking advantage of the Great Reset agenda (a Globalist strategy) for their own nefarious gains of world domination. Think about the fact that Communist and Islamist countries have unified under the BRICS agreement in contrast to the United Nations (UN), which is a Globalist union of the (mostly) Western countries. The world will be ruled and controlled by the elite oligarchy (powerful few). As democracies and republics disappear, there will only be three expressions of Socialist nations left: Communist, Islamist, and Globalist.

In today's digital age, we are inundated with information from various sources. Add to this the fact that we are now crossing over from a post-modernist world (truth is relative) to a post-truth world where truth, logic, facts, and common sense are unimportant and feelings rule. We are swimming in a sea of (mis)information. Sorting through this whirlwind of information and determining what is reliable and relevant let alone what is true or false, fact or fiction, can be a daunting task. Critical thinking becomes even more important to differentiate truth from lies, fact from fiction. Critical thinking refers to the process of analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information in order to make reasoned judgments and decisions. It involves using skills such as logic, reasoning, and reflection to assess information, identify biases, and develop informed opinions. Volumes have been written about it, but I thought I would provide a quick and easy guide to make it a little easier to tackle this extensive topic. These are just some of the benefits of critical thinking:

1. Improved problem-solving skills: Critical thinking helps individuals to approach problems in a systematic and logical manner, leading to better problem-solving skills.

2. Better decision-making: By evaluating different options and considering multiple perspectives, critical thinking can lead to better decision-making in both personal and professional contexts.

3. Increased creativity: Critical thinking can also foster creativity by encouraging individuals to consider unconventional approaches and ideas.

4. Enhanced communication skills: Critical thinking involves analyzing information and communicating ideas effectively, leading to better communication skills.

5. Greater self-awareness: Critical thinking requires individuals to reflect on their own beliefs and biases, leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth.

Overall, critical thinking is a valuable skill that can benefit everyone in both their personal and professional lives. While critical thinking is an essential skill, critical thinkers have historically been in short supply. Being a critical thinker can be challenging for several reasons:

1. Cognitive biases: Our brains are wired to take shortcuts and make quick decisions based on limited information. As a result, we may be prone to cognitive biases that can lead us to overlook important information or make flawed judgments.

2. Lack of training: Critical thinking is a skill that must be developed over time. Unfortunately, many educational systems do not explicitly teach critical thinking, leaving individuals without the necessary tools to engage in this type of thinking.

3. Emotional attachment to beliefs: We may be emotionally attached to certain beliefs or ideas, which can make it difficult to objectively evaluate information that challenges those beliefs. Facts rarely change people’s minds.

4. Information overload: In today's digital age, we are inundated with information from various sources. We are swimming in a sea of (mis)information. Sorting through this information and determining what is reliable and relevant can be a daunting task.

5. Time constraints: Critical thinking requires time and effort, which can be challenging to prioritize in a fast-paced society where there are constant demands on our attention.

Despite these challenges, it is possible to develop critical thinking skills with practice and a willingness to engage with information in a thoughtful and reflective way.

To have rational dialogue, we must assume that there are absolute truths. objective truths are true whether you know them or not, understand them or not, like them or not. In contrast to objective truth, subjective truth refers to statements that are dependent on personal feelings, experiences, or beliefs. These truths can vary from person to person and may not be universally valid or applicable.

We cannot have rational dialogue without presupposing logical absolutes.

If there were no logical absolutes, everything would be relative, and no truth could be established. The three Laws of Logic are logical absolutes.

1. Law of Identity: A is A
2. Law of Non-Contradiction: A cannot be both A and not A at the same time.
3. Law of the Excluded Middle: A is either true or false.

To be a critical thinker at a minimum you must have these seven skills:

1. Don’t assume.

2. Don’t be judgmental.

3. Be aware of other people’s biases.

4. Be aware of your own biases.

5. Gather facts from multiple trusted sources.

6. Present your arguments in a logical manner.

7. Avoid logical fallacies.

DON’T ASSUME.
It is very hard to do because our brains are wired to jump to quick conclusions. Not assuming has several benefits, including:

1. Increased accuracy: By not assuming, you are more likely to gather and consider all the relevant information before coming to a conclusion. This can lead to more accurate assessments and decisions.

2. Improved communication: Assuming can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications, which can damage relationships. By not assuming and instead seeking clarification, you can avoid misunderstandings and improve communication.

3. Better problem-solving: When you don't assume, you are more likely to identify the root cause of a problem and develop more effective solutions.

4. Enhanced creativity: Not assuming can also foster creativity by encouraging you to consider multiple perspectives and potential solutions.

5. Increased open-mindedness: Not assuming requires an open mind and a willingness to consider different possibilities. This can lead to increased empathy and understanding of others.

6. Avoidance of bias: Assumptions can be based on biases or preconceived notions, leading to flawed conclusions. By not assuming, you can avoid these biases and make more objective judgments.

Overall, not assuming can lead to better decision-making, improved relationships, and increased personal growth.

DON’T BE JUDGEMENTAL
It is very difficult to do because we are wired to jump to conclusions. When primitive man was faced with a ferocious animal, it was a good thing to not waste any time wondering if they were hungry or not. Today, not being judgmental has several benefits, including:

1. Improved relationships: When you are not judgmental, you are more likely to approach others with empathy and understanding. This can help build stronger and more positive relationships.

2. Increased open-mindedness: Not being judgmental requires an open mind and a willingness to consider different perspectives. This can lead to increased creativity and problem-solving abilities.

3. Greater self-awareness: When you are not judgmental, you are more likely to reflect on your own biases and beliefs. This can lead to greater self-awareness and personal growth.

4. Enhanced communication: When you are not judgmental, you are more likely to listen actively and communicate effectively with others. This can lead to better communication and fewer misunderstandings.

5. Improved mental health: Being judgmental can lead to negative emotions such as anger, resentment, and frustration. Not being judgmental can help promote positive emotions and improve mental health.

6. Increased respect for diversity: Not being judgmental can help promote respect for diversity and a greater appreciation for different cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles.

Overall, not being judgmental can lead to more positive relationships, improved communication, and personal growth. It can also help promote empathy, understanding, and respect for others.

BE AWARE OF OTHER PEOPLES BIASES
Being aware of other people's biases can help you to communicate more effectively, solve problems more efficiently, and work better in teams. It can also help you to view information more objectively and avoid misunderstandings or conflict. It is difficult to recognize biases if one is not trained to spot them. Being aware of other people's biases can have several benefits, including:

1. Improved communication: When you are aware of someone's biases, you can communicate with them in a way that takes those biases into account. This can help you to avoid misunderstandings and foster more productive conversations.

2. Greater empathy: Understanding someone's biases can help you to empathize with their perspective, even if you don't agree with it. This can lead to greater understanding and respect for others.

3. Improved problem-solving: When you understand someone's biases, you can work with them more effectively to find solutions to problems. This can lead to better problem-solving outcomes.

4. Increased objectivity: Being aware of someone's biases can help you to view their opinions and decisions more objectively. This can help you to evaluate information more critically and make more informed judgments.

5. Enhanced teamwork: When you understand and respect someone's biases, you are more likely to work effectively with them as part of a team. This can lead to better collaboration and teamwork.

6. Avoidance of conflict: Understanding someone's biases can help you to avoid conflict by recognizing when certain topics or viewpoints may be particularly sensitive for them.
   

BE AWARE OF YOUR OWN BIASES
Being aware of your own biases can help you to make better decisions, improve your relationships, and foster personal growth. It can also help you to think more creatively and avoid errors that could be caused by biased thinking. It is even more difficult to spot our own biases as we are reluctant to self-examine or be critical of ourselves (introspection). Being aware of your own biases can have several benefits, including:

1. Improved decision-making: When you are aware of your own biases, you can take steps to mitigate their influence on your decision-making. This can lead to better, more informed decisions.

2. Increased objectivity: By recognizing your own biases, you can view information and situations more objectively. This can help you to evaluate evidence and arguments more critically.

3. Improved self-awareness: Being aware of your biases can help you to better understand your own thought processes and beliefs. This can lead to increased self-awareness and personal growth.

4. Better relationships: By recognizing your own biases, you can be more open-minded and empathetic towards others. This can help to foster more positive relationships.

5. Enhanced creativity: Being aware of your biases can help you to think more creatively by encouraging you to consider alternative perspectives and solutions.

6. Avoidance of errors: By being aware of your biases, you can avoid making errors in judgment or decision-making that could be caused by those biases.

The study of biases is a deep scholarly dive into Philosophy, but just being aware of them  is a step in the right direction.

GATHER FACTS FROM REPUTABLE SOURCES
Wherever possible there must be independent confirmation of the “facts.” Encourage substantive debate on the evidence by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view. Arguments from authority carry little weight as “authorities” have made mistakes in the past. They will do so again in the future. Perhaps a better way to say it is that in science there are no authorities; at most, there are experts. Gathering your own facts from multiple trusted sources and comparing them side by side can have several benefits, including:

1. Increased accuracy: By gathering facts from multiple sources, you are more likely to get a complete and accurate picture of the situation. This can help you to make more informed decisions and judgments.

2. Improved critical thinking: Gathering facts from multiple sources requires critical thinking and evaluation of evidence. This can help to improve your critical thinking skills and ability to assess information objectively.

3. Enhanced credibility: By gathering facts from multiple sources, you are more likely to be seen as credible and trustworthy. This can help to build trust with others and increase your reputation.

4. Greater confidence: By having a solid understanding of the facts, you can approach situations with greater confidence and assertiveness.

5. Better problem-solving: By gathering facts from multiple sources, you are more likely to identify the root cause of a problem and develop more effective solutions.

6. Increased open-mindedness: Gathering facts from multiple sources requires an open mind and a willingness to consider different perspectives. This can lead to increased empathy and understanding of others.

Overall, gathering your own facts from multiple trusted sources can help you to make more informed decisions, improve your critical thinking skills, and increase your credibility and confidence. It can also help you to solve problems more effectively and approach situations with greater openness and understanding. It’s very important to start with true verifiable facts. We now live in a world where we are swimming in an ocean of (mis)information, most of it slanted, untrue, or downright false and most people are happy to go along with it and propagate it without verifying anything.

PRESENT YOUR ARGUMENTS IN A LOGICAL MANNER
Spin more than one hypothesis. If there’s something to be explained, think of all the different ways in which it could be explained. Then think of tests by which you might systematically disprove each of the alternatives. What survives, the hypothesis that resists disproof in this Darwinian selection among “multiple working hypotheses,” has a much better chance of being the right answer than if you had simply run with the first idea that caught your fancy. Try not to get overly attached to a hypothesis just because it’s yours. It’s only a way station in the pursuit of knowledge. Ask yourself why you like the idea. Compare it fairly with the alternatives. See if you can find reasons for rejecting it. If you don’t, others will.

Quantify measures in your hypothesis. If whatever it is you’re explaining has some measure, some numerical quantity attached to it, you’ll be much better able to discriminate among competing hypotheses. What is vague and qualitative is open to many explanations. Of course, there are truths to be sought in the many qualitative issues we are obliged to confront but finding them is more challenging.

If there’s a chain of arguments, every link in the chain must work (including the premise) — not just most of them. Use Occam’s razor. When faced with two hypotheses that explain the data equally well, choose the simpler.

Always ask whether the hypothesis can be, at least in principle, falsified. Propositions that are untestable, unfalsifiable are not worth much. Consider the grand idea that our Universe and everything in it is just an elementary particle, an electron, say in a much bigger Cosmos.  But if we can never acquire information from outside our Universe, is not the idea incapable of disproof? You must be able to check assertions out. Inveterate skeptics must be given the chance to follow your reasoning, to duplicate your experiments and see if they get the same result.

Presenting arguments in a logical manner can have several benefits, including:

1. Increased persuasiveness: When you present arguments in a logical and well-structured manner, you are more likely to convince others of your point of view.

2. Improved critical thinking: Presenting arguments in a logical manner requires critical thinking and analysis of evidence. This can help to improve your critical thinking skills and ability to assess information objectively.

3. Enhanced clarity: A logical argument is easier to understand and follow than a disorganized or confusing argument. This can help to ensure that your audience understands your perspective and reasoning.

4. Better decision-making: A logical argument can help you to make better decisions by providing a clear and structured framework for evaluating evidence and arguments.

5. Increased credibility: Presenting a logical argument can increase your credibility and reputation as a clear and rational thinker.

6. More effective problem-solving: A logical argument can help you to identify the root cause of a problem and develop more effective solutions.

Presenting arguments in a logical manner can take the form of deductive or inductive reasoning. Reasoning from “all things” to “some things” is deductive reasoning. Example of a deductive reasoning:

a)     All men are mortal.
b)     Socrates is a man.
c)     Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

Reasoning outward from “some things” to “all things” is called inductive reasoning. Examples of inductive reasoning:

a)     All the men I know are mortal.
b)     Therefore, all men are mortal.
a)     When I let go of objects, they fall.
b)     Therefore, all objects that are not held by something will fall.

Notice that when you move from the smaller circle to the larger circle, you must make assumptions that you cannot 100% prove. For example, you cannot prove gravity will always be consistent. You can only observe that it’s consistently true every time here on earth near you. Nearly all scientific laws are based on inductive reasoning. All science rests on an assumption that the universe is orderly, logical, and mathematically based on fixed discoverable laws. You cannot prove this. (You can’t prove that the sun will come up tomorrow morning either.) You literally must take it on faith. In fact, most people don’t know that outside the science circle is a philosophy circle and outside the philosophy circle is a religion circle. Science is based on philosophical assumptions that you cannot scientifically prove. The scientific method cannot prove, it can only infer. Science originally came from the idea that God made an orderly universe which obeys fixed, discoverable laws - and because of those laws, He would not have to constantly tinker with it for it to operate. If you are an atheist, you can choose to disregard the religion circle but that is an argument for another time.

AVOID LOGICAL FALLACIES
Overall, presenting arguments in a logical manner can help you to be more persuasive, improve your critical thinking skills, enhance clarity, make better decisions, increase credibility, and solve problems more effectively. Be mindful that you don’t fall into a false argument. There are many false arguments that people use to make a point, but here are some of the most common ones:

1. Ad Hominem: attacking the person instead of the argument. For example, saying that someone's argument is invalid because they are stupid, uneducated, or biased.

2. Strawman: misrepresenting an opponent's argument in order to make it easier to attack. For example, distorting someone's position to make it seem more extreme or ridiculous than it actually is.

3. Red Herring: Avoiding or sidestepping the central topic of discussion. Focusing on some different but related topic to sidetrack the opponent. A very common form of redirection.

4. False Dichotomy: presenting only two options as if they are the only possibilities, when in reality there are other alternatives. For example, saying that you are either with us or against us, when there may be many other positions that could be taken.

5. Appeal to Authority: citing an authority figure or expert as evidence for an argument, even when the authority or expert may not have expertise in the relevant area.

6. Slippery Slope: arguing that if one thing happens, it will inevitably lead to a series of increasingly worse outcomes, without providing evidence to support this claim.

7. Confirmation Bias: selectively interpreting evidence in a way that supports one's preconceptions or beliefs and ignoring evidence that contradicts them.

8. False Cause: assuming that just because one event happens after another, the first event caused the second event, without providing evidence to support this claim.

It's important to be aware of these false arguments and to strive for logical and evidence-based reasoning when making a point. Avoid circular arguments at all costs (where A is true because B is true, and B is true because A is true) a logical fallacy that doesn’t actually provide evidence

CONCLUSION

Critical thinking is a fundamental skill that enriches our decision-making, creativity, communication, and self-awareness. It enables us to navigate a complex world of information, biases, and emotional influences with clarity and insight. Although developing critical thinking can be difficult due to cognitive biases, emotional attachments, and the overwhelming volume of information we face, the rewards are immense. By consciously practicing the skills of logical reasoning, self-reflection, and open-minded analysis, we can better understand ourselves and the world around us. In an age where misinformation is rampant and assumptions are easily made, critical thinking stands as an essential tool for achieving accuracy, fairness, and thoughtful engagement with others. The pursuit of these skills not only sharpens our intellect but also fosters a deeper, more empathetic connection to the diversity of human experiences. It is my hope that with some introspection we will all work towards that.

The Ten Commandments are a set of moral and religious principles that are considered central to the Judeo-Christian tradition. They were given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai and are recorded in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament of the Bible. These commandments are considered to be the cornerstone of moral and ethical behavior in society, and their importance cannot be overstated. The Ten Commandments are still relevant today, as they provide a guide for living a moral and ethical life. They can be used as a tool for self-reflection and understanding how our actions relate to honoring God and loving our neighbor. Here are some of the ways in which the Ten Commandments are important to society:

1.     Provide a moral compass: The Ten Commandments provide a clear moral compass for individuals, outlining what is right and wrong. This helps individuals to make ethical decisions and behave in a way that is consistent with the values of society.

2.     Promote social cohesion: The Ten Commandments promote social cohesion by providing a common set of values and beliefs. When people share a common set of moral values, they are more likely to cooperate and work together towards common goals.

3.     Encourage respect for authority: The Ten Commandments teach people to respect authority, including parents, teachers, and other leaders in society. This helps to maintain order and prevent chaos.

4.     Discourage immoral behavior: The Ten Commandments discourage immoral behavior such as stealing, lying, and murder. By discouraging these behaviors, society is able to maintain law and order, and individuals are able to live in a safe and secure environment.

5.     Provide a basis for laws: Many of the laws in modern societies are based on the principles outlined in the Ten Commandments. For example, laws against murder, theft, and perjury are all based on the Ten Commandments.

6.     Foster a sense of responsibility: The Ten Commandments encourage individuals to take responsibility for their actions and to be accountable for their behavior. This helps to create a culture of responsibility in which people take ownership of their actions and work towards improving themselves and their communities.

Overall, the Ten Commandments are a critical part of society, providing a clear moral framework and encouraging ethical behavior. They help to promote social cohesion, prevent immoral behavior, and foster a sense of responsibility and accountability.

We live in a world of shortened attention span and while it may be difficult to crunch down the whole of the Bible’s wisdom into a one-minute TikTok video we can try with these two quotes from the New Testament. Jesus told us to: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” – Matthew 5:48 NIV

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:37-40 NIV; Mark 12:29–31 NIV

These two quotes by Lord Jesus Christ are so simple they may go unnoticed. They may be simple, but they are by no means trivial, as contemplation and deep thinking will reveal they have the power to better the world and unite the three major monotheistic religions: Jewish, Islam, and Christianity. Think for a minute how much better off the world would be if these religions promulgated nothing more than these three commandments. No more wars, no more selfishness, no more differences, no more misinterpretations, bickering, violence, hatred. Isn’t that how the world should be? Isn’t that what religion should strive for?

Let’s give it a little more thought. ‘The Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man’, and ‘God our Heavenly Father wants us to be perfect like him’. Let that sink in for a while. Do we need any more laws, rules, guidelines to enlighten us? Are these not enough? How much better would it be if all religions espoused just these simple yet deep divine mandates?

The Christian teaching of deification or theosis in Eastern Orthodoxy refers to the attainment of likeness of God, union with God or reconciliation with God. Theosis as such is the goal, it is the purpose of life, and it is considered achievable only through a synergy or cooperation between human activities and God's operations. Theosis was the early Christian response to Jesus’ instruction to “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Theosis leads to contemplation and meditation, and ultimately to the never-ending search for wisdom. One can argue that the proper role of saints throughout history is to show us what theosis looks like.

The Shema is a central prayer in Judaism and is considered one of the most important prayers in Jewish liturgy. It is recited twice daily by observant Jews and is a declaration of faith that affirms the belief in one God. The Shema's importance to Judaism lies in its affirmation of monotheism, the belief in one God, which is a core tenet of Judaism. The Shema is a call to love and serve God with all one's heart, soul, and might (strength), reflecting the importance of devotion to God in Judaism. The Shema also reminds Jews of their covenant with God, which is based on their faithfulness to God and the commandments.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”. - Deuteronomy 6:4-6

In Leviticus we find: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” – Leviticus 19:18

In addition to its theological significance, the Shema also has practical importance in Jewish worship. It is recited twice daily, during the morning and evening prayers, and is also recited during other important Jewish rituals, such as the Passover seder. The Shema is also traditionally the last prayer recited before sleep, symbolizing the importance of faith in God as one's final thought before resting. The Shema is also a symbol of Jewish identity and serves as a unifying prayer for Jews around the world. Reciting the Shema connects Jews to their history, tradition, and community, and reinforces their faith in God and the commandments.

Jesus's quoting of the Shema is of great importance to Christianity as it reflects the importance of monotheism and the belief in one God in the Christian faith. Jesus affirms the Shema and quotes it as part of the greatest commandment, saying, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" - Mark 12:29-30. By quoting the Shema, Jesus reinforces the importance of the monotheistic belief in one God that is shared by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Quran, Surah: 112, 113, 114). This is significant as Christianity emerged from within a Jewish context, and Jesus himself was a Jewish teacher who emphasized the importance of the Jewish scriptures and traditions. Jesus’s quotation of the Shema also highlights the importance of loving God with one's whole being, which is a central teaching in Christianity. The commandment to love God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength is seen as the foundation of Christian ethics and is emphasized throughout the New Testament.

Furthermore, Jesus's quotation of the Shema demonstrates his continuity with Jewish tradition and his recognition of the importance of the Jewish scriptures. This highlights the continuity between Judaism and Christianity and reinforces the idea that Christianity did not emerge as a completely separate religion, but rather as a fulfillment and continuation of Jewish tradition.

There are some similarities and connections between the Shema and Christian beliefs. For example, both Christianity and Judaism share a belief in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is the one and only God. In the New Testament, Jesus affirms the Shema and quotes it as part of the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:28–34 Adding the love of others and of self as secondarily important. The comment that “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” basically says that these two commandments are enough to describe the totality of our faith. Bishop Robert Baron has said that “…this may be the underlying principle to the whole Bible!”

Additionally, the Christian tradition includes the practice of reciting the Nicene Creed (which is a refinement of the much older Apostles Creed), which affirms the belief in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This creed echoes the monotheistic belief of the Shema, but also reflects the Christian belief in the Trinity (One God in Three, Three as One).

The belief in one God, as affirmed in the Shema, is a core tenet of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Abrahamic tradition, which is shared by these three religions, recognizes one God as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Moreover, the Shema is a call to love and serve God with all one's heart, soul, and might, reflecting the importance of devotion to God in Judaism. Similarly, both Christianity and Islam emphasize the importance of loving and serving God with one's whole being.

Jesus’s additional admonition to love our neighbor as ourselves basically wraps the ten commandments into two. For if we love God our Father with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors (brothers and sisters) as we love ourselves, we will not dare to violate any of the Ten Commandments.

The Didache also referred to as "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,", discovered in the late 19th century, is an early Christian document estimated to have been written during the late first century or early second century CE (80 AD – 120 AD). Although it was not included in the canon of the New Testament, the Didache offers valuable insights into the religious and ethical practices of the early Christian community. The Didache values the Schema and the Golden Rule so much it starts off with the following words on the first page: “Now the Way of Life is this: First, thou shalt love God who made thee. Secondly, thy neighbor as thyself, and all things whatsoever thou wouldst not have done to thee, neither do thou to another.” Through the first and second chapter it goes on to articulate all the many things that one must not do (basically from the Ten Commandments) in order to love one’s neighbor and oneself.

If we could only learn from our Prophets, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the early Christians who kept things very simple and understandable: ‘the Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man’. Keep that in mind as we work to perfect ourselves by loving God, loving our neighbors, loving ourselves. Do good and abstain from evil. Sound easy? Not so much! It is my hope that with some introspection we will all work on that. Remember, life is hard, God is good, don’t get the two mixed up.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NIV.

If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to be with you forever the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:15-18 NIV.

We are in the midst of a war over truth. We are not fighting over the truth or falsehood of this or that claim. The fundamental goal of the Progressive Left (Socialism), is to relativize everything, relativize reality itself. He wants to be god of his own life, his own universe. This is how he envisions freedom. This is what Lucifer wanted when he rebelled against Heaven, complete autonomy.

We live in a postmodern world. With this thinking, clearly those in the past who claimed to have the answers were wrong. Anathema to postmodernism is intolerance. Its weapon is equivocation. Postmodernism refutes absolute truth over personal truth as it believes truth to be a social construct. It chooses power over truth. So, truth becomes what the powerful chose it to be. These are a few of the major signs of postmodernism.

1.     Deconstruction - the meaning of words is in the receiver not the sender. Words will have meanings the author did not intend. With this paradigm, it’s very easy to “spin” words to mean anything, and very easy to offend people that are ready to be offended. Meaningful dialog becomes difficult, knowledge and wisdom are harder to transmit from one generation to the next. Words become forbidden or “taboo”, and people can be doxed, cancelled, fired, ridiculed, and attacked for just speaking certain things. Deconstruction was the father and Secular Humanism the mother of “woke” ideology.

2.     Pluralism - All religions are basically the same. While all religions share a wisdom that is generally good for man’s “spiritual wellbeing”, it’s impossible for all religions to be true. For example, Hinduism states that divinity is present in everything. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all assert that God is distinctly separate from what He has created. The implications of these different views run very deep, and they are fundamentally incompatible. It's logically impossible for both views to be true. This is a very deep, lengthy, and scholarly discussion on philosophy, theology, and the study of sacred scriptures, suffice it to say that while there is lots of wonderful common ground between many religions there are deep fundamental differences between them.

3.     Relativism - Truth is relative, no one is right or wrong. Good/Evil are relative (moral relativism). Goes along with pluralism. How many conflicting versions of the truth can actually be true? Truth is, by nature, exclusive. There are many different interpretations of the truth (the glass is half full, the glass is half empty), but only one truth (there is a glass, and it’s filled with water to the halfway point). You can’t have the same glass filled with water and not filled with water at the same time. If moral relativism was true, then you could not have any laws. The rapist would have as much rights as the raped, and the murderer would be as right as the murdered. Most people in the world would agree that torturing children for fun is wrong. Where do we get this natural law consensus?

4.      Materialism/Naturalism/Physicalism - It’s all physical (monism), no mind, no soul, and no spirit. What this causes is an unnecessary conflict between science and religion. Materialism is the denial that man possesses a soul and a spirit, and in the extreme form, the denial that man possesses a mind (apart from the physical brain), altogether. Materialism is an attractive world view – at least, it was before quantum mechanics altered our thinking about matter. Our best theory for how matter behaves still tells us very little about what matter is. Approximately 95% of the universe is invisible and unknown to scientists, and there is little consensus on the remaining 5%. Materialism cannot explain all of reality.

5.      Determinism - There is no free will (because of materialism). Materialism is left very wanting as a monist philosophy and discredited by many arguments, so it makes determinism most unlikely, and “free will” a much more accepted point of view. 

Pope Benedict XVI, Addressing the Bundestag, Berlin (22 September 2011) said
 “Many people have no stable points of reference on which to build their lives, and so they end up deeply insecure. There is a growing mentality of relativism, which holds that everything is equally valid, that truth and absolute points of reference do not exist. But this way of thinking does not lead to true freedom, but rather to instability, confusion, and blind conformity to the fads of the moment.”

The agenda of Postmodernism is materialistic reduction. This wants to:

1.     Move philosophy to the existential.
2.     Move art to the sensual or trivial.
3.     Move education to the skeptical.
4.     Move spirituality to the mystical.
5.     Move truth to the individual (relativism).

The Frankfurt School (as it became known) moved to New York City in 1935, bringing with it the dramatic convergence of Marxist philosophy, Freudian psychology, rank perversion, and all manner of lurid ideas and practices introduced for the dismantling of Western culture by the destruction and dismantling of the family.

Saul David Alinsky (January 30, 1909 – June 12, 1972) was an American communist activist and political theorist. His work through the Chicago-based Industrial Areas Foundation helping poor communities organize to press demands upon landlords, politicians and business leaders won him national recognition and notoriety. Responding to the impatience of a New Left generation of activists in the 1960s, in his widely cited “Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer” (1971) Alinsky defended the arts both of confrontation and of compromise involved in community organizing as keys to the struggle for social justice. – Wikepedia.com.

It is salient to note that it wasn’t just in the opening pages of the “Rules for Radicals” that Alinsky gave his “acknowledgement to the first radical” Lucifer. In an interview with Playboy magazine shortly before his death, Alinsky also said that when he died, he would “unreservedly choose to go to hell” and begin to organize the “have-nots” there, saying “they are my kind of people”. Alinsky was very influential in bringing Communism to the USA. He has influenced many politicians and educators in the last six decades. He had a great and well documented impact on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

In the essay “Repressive Tolerance” (1965), the German born American critical theorist Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979) of the Franklin School of political theorists argued that, under the conditions of advanced industrial capitalism, the only hope for realizing the original objectives of “liberalist” or “pure” toleration (as articulated by the British philosopher John Stuart Mill [1806-1873]) - freeing the mind to rationally pursue the truth, was to practice a deliberately selective “liberating tolerance” that both targeted and enacted the repression alluded to in the essay’s paradoxical title (Marcuse 1965, pp. 81, 85, 90). This “liberating tolerance” would involve “the withdrawal of toleration of speech and assembly from groups and movements” on the Right, and the aggressively partisan promotion of speech, groups, and progressive movements on the Left (pp. 81, 100). - Encyclopedia.com.

Repressive Tolerance basically means it’s OK to misbehave or lie if you are in the Progressive Left party (Communist party of which Marcuse was an ardent member). The end justifies the means. As Aldous Huxley wrote: “The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause, or perceived good cause, is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior ‘righteous indignation’ – this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats.”

"Perception of truth frequently differs significantly from real truth. Moreover, given sufficient promotion and advertising, perception of truth becomes truth. Its promotion by commercial enterprise Is called marketing, commonly used in the furtherance of political, commercial, or various opportunistic ends by its promoters. When promotion is done by government or political groups, it’s called spin or propaganda. Pseudoscience is science fiction. …Unfortunately, neither computers nor human fact-checkers can, in general, tell fact from fiction. Or science from science fiction or from pseudoscience." - Dr. John F. Clauser, Quantum Physicist and Nobel Prize winner

If the above statement resonates with you then you have to at least a) believe in objective truth and b) trust subject matter experts, authorities in a given field (given that they are devoid of any personal agenda). What Dr. John Clauser is talking about is Legitimization by Paralogy. Legitimization by Paralogy means consensus in a lie until everyone believes it. It’s a fancy way of saying, if you are a good liar and you lie often enough, and enough people believe you, then the lie becomes reality and reality becomes a lie. We are inundated by ‘fake news’ from media channels, printed, televised or digital, and people are happy to proliferate it without bothering to verify anything. We may be used to lies coming from politicians, but we now live in a world where we are swimming in an ocean of (mis)information, most of it slanted, untrue, or downright false. Postmodernism makes Legitimization by Paralogy and Repressive Tolerance possible. This will eventually lead to totalitarianism, and once that happens, whatever autonomy we thought we might have will vaporize. For only the truth will set us free. Postmodernism is essentially a crisis of faith, being at its core an atheist world view. Love, Faith, and the Spirit of Truth are the only ways to fight this.

Since the 1990s, the predominant worldview in America has been syncretism, which is a composite of many different worldviews, of which postmodernism, nihilism, and Marxism, all secular worldviews that opposes biblical truths, are main contributors. According to George Barna’s research the shift away from biblical worldview to secular worldviews (postmodernism, Marxism, secular humanism, modern mysticism, etc.) is most clearly reflected in our values. Citing research, he had conducted with historian David Barton, commonly held values in colonial America included civic duty, hard work, humility, faith, family, moderation, and the rule of law. The prevailing values in America today are much different: acceptance, comfort, control, entertainment, entitlement, experiences, expression, autonomy, and personal happiness. This shift has facilitated a change in the moral landscape.

Oxford Dictionary selected “post-truth” as 2016 Word of the Year. According to Oxford Dictionary, post-truth means “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”. Sadly, we are progressing from postmodernism to a post-truth world view. Post-truth accepts that there is an objective truth out there, but we may or may not choose to embrace it, depending on what is convenient at the time. Where we could combat postmodernism by showing that you cannot have a multitude of truths, post-truth is harder to combat because people are willing to lie or tell the truth depending on what is best for them.

In January 2016, just as the post-truth year began, Adam Hoffman reported that many studies in certain sciences are difficult to reproduce. One study asserted that findings in fewer than half of the psychology studies printed in prestigious journals could be reproduced. Stanford University’s John Ioannidis went so far as to say that across many scientific disciplines, “It can be proven that most claimed research findings are false. We are getting millions of papers that go nowhere.” Theoretical Physics? Going nowhere, scientists are still divided as to what matter really is. String Theory (The Theory of Everything)? Going nowhere. Remember Nuclear Fusion? Going nowhere. Quantum computers? Going nowhere. Life on Mars? Scientists know full well there never was any life on Mars, and there can be no life on Mars, but everyone wants to go there.

Here are some of the most heinous lies the Progressive Left is spreading. Heinous because of their damaging repercussions.

1. Border security is racist. If you believe America should know who is here and who is coming and going like most every other country, you’re a racist. If you want to slow down the influx of illegal immigrants, sex trafficking, and illegal drugs flowing into this country, you’re a racist.

2. Asking questions is science denying. If you question “Climate Change” and what can be done about it, you are a science denier. If you question the efficacy of wearing masks everywhere you go (especially outdoors in open spaces), or the efficacy of an endless stream of vaccines, even for people with natural immunity, or for children five years old and above, you are a science denier.

3. Men can be women and women can be men, or whatever. One of the most mind-boggling absurdities foisted on us by the modern progressive liberal is that a person’s sex is dependent on what they think it is. Any “assignment at birth” is an arbitrary constraint to who that person really is.

4. Hate speech is not free speech. The unfortunate truth is that many progressive liberals, trained by professorial progressive liberals (communists), think that they should be able to shut down speech they do not appreciate or agree with. They have safe spaces and mainstream American views can be shouted down and pushed out with threats and actions. You can shut anybody up by labeling their speech as “hate speech” and accusing the person as “racist”, “sexist”, “homophobic”, “transphobic”, etc.

5. It’s not about innocent life, but reproductive freedom. Increasingly, science (which worldview seems to be anti-science here?) is showing that by every objective definition the baby in the womb is indeed a human, with the inherent rights of a human, within a few weeks of conception. From brainwaves to heartbeats to pain reaction, in other words a person. Science continually pushes this obvious definition earlier and earlier. Because abortion is conflated with birth control, it is called a reproductive “right” (sometimes even women’s health) on the order of getting a contraceptive device or even pap smears and mammograms, anything except actually talking about whether we should condone the often wanton taking of an innocent human life. Any restrictions on abortion therefore are restrictions on a woman’s access to healthcare. See how much you can get away with when you refuse to call something what it is?

Postmodernism and all its tools are being exploited by the Marxist Progressive Left to bring about the destruction of society. Their goals are to:

1.     Destroy belief in God.
2.     Destroy the nuclear family.
3.     Destroy society so that it can be remade using socialist principles.
4.     Destroy the world economy so that it can be controlled by the elite few (oligarchy).

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn  in his book "Godlessness: The First Step to the Gulag", Templeton Address, London (10 May 1983) once said, “If I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible what was the main cause of the ruinous revolution (Communism) that swallowed up some 60 million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat: Men had forgotten God; that is why all this has happened.” Karl Marx who was the father of Communism, was not an atheist, he was a satanist. Communism has infiltrated the State (Federal and State politics), the Church (especially but not exclusively, the Catholic Church), the Educational System (both K – 12, and Higher Ed), the entertainment industry, and the media (printed, televised, and digital). As Karl Marx wrote, “Man is God”. And as Lenin, the father of modern totalitarianism, said, “We repudiate all morality derived from non-human (God) and non-class-concepts.” Mao Zedong famously once said “It is so rewarding (with endless joy) to fight against heaven, against earth, and against people. Lenin, and his successor, Joseph Stalin, did indeed become gods in Russia. Mao Zedong was god in China for 27 years, and Kim Jung-un is still god of North Korea.

There are those people who see evil and those who are blind to it.  Those who can see it, can rise above it, but those who can't see evil are more susceptible to being controlled by it. The devil is all about control and God is all about freedom, that's why God gives you free will and the devil tries to get you to consent to enslavement.  I believe that many people carrying out evil satanic agendas are doing so while having no clue that they're doing so. Evil doers are trying to destroy faith in God.  According to George Barna, in 1991 86% of the US population believed in a biblical God while by 2021 only 46% did. If you don’t believe in God, it’s much easier to believe in the lies perpetrated by the devil, and therefore won't recognize people’s satanic ways and evil agendas that they say are for your own good.

I believe evil is real, and that the presence of the devil in our world acting through corrupt people is very clear. I firmly believe we are dealing with spiritual warfare. Now, as dark as evil is, and with as many resources at its disposal, there's absolutely something everyone can do to defeat it.

a) Know your own principles and values and stand for them. People who don't stand for anything will fall for anything, but people who know what they believe in will fall for nothing.

b) Honor your Spirit of Truth. Your heart and gut feelings are God communicating with you through the Spirit of Truth. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

c) Open your eyes and see the evil. You must recognize evil before you can defeat it. And when you do see evil, have the courage to fight it.

d) Think for yourself. A critical thinker is harder to deceive. At the very least verify dubious claims and facts yourself with multiple trusted sources.

Whether you believe that the devil causes evil or that he metaphorically represents evil in this world, does not matter. Evil exists, and its earmarks are lies and deceit. Jesus said: “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – John 8:44 He also told the group of accusers that they were the children of the devil because they were spreading lies about Him and refusing to see the truth. So, the devil is not only the father of lies, but of those who suppress the truth.

From the beginning, the devil has been a liar. He told his first lies to Eve, to deceive her and draw her away from God. “Did he really say don’t eat of the tree of good and evil?”– Genesis 3:1. He was the first liar, which makes him "the father of lies". God speaks the truth, and the devil says the opposite, and man is confused. Ever since the Garden of Eden, this has been happening. The devil uses the world system to disseminate his lies - 1 John 5:19, and the lies are always growing in number and complexity.

Intellectual self-consciousness can discover the beauty of truth, its spiritual quality, not only by the philosophic consistency of its concepts, but more certainly and surely by the unerring response of the ever-present Spirit of Truth. Happiness ensues from the recognition of truth because it can be acted out; it can be lived.

In its simplest definition, discernment is nothing more than the ability to decide between truth and error, right and wrong. Discernment is the process of making careful distinctions in our thinking about truth. In other words, the ability to think with discernment is synonymous with an ability to think biblically. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 teaches that it is the responsibility of every Christian to be discerning: "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." The apostle John issues a similar warning when he says, "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" - 1 John 4:1. According to the New Testament, discernment is not optional for the believer, it is required. “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ “- Philippians 1:9-10. “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. “- Hebrews 5:14

Discernment, the ability to think biblically about all areas of life, is indispensable to an uncompromising life. It is incumbent upon the Christian to seize upon the discernment that God has provided for in His precious truth! Without it, Christians are at risk of being "tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine" - Ephesians 4:14. The Spirit of Truth is the spirit of discernment, the ability to feel the difference between truths and lies.

Paul gives us the recipe for success against evil in Ephesians 6:13-17 “Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

It’s difficult to reconcile the idea that this is a world in which truth prevails and in which righteousness triumphs. It so often appears that slander, lies, dishonesty, and unrighteousness (sin) prevail. Does faith, after all, triumph over evil, sin, and iniquity? It does. And the life and death of Jesus are the eternal proof that the truth of goodness and the faith of the spirit-led person will always be vindicated. They taunted Jesus on the cross, saying, “He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.” - Mathew 27:43. It looked dark on that day of the crucifixion, but it was gloriously bright on the resurrection morning; it was still brighter and more joyous on the day of Pentecost. Pentecost endowed people with the power to forgive personal injuries, to stay calm in the midst of the gravest injustice, to remain unmoved in the face of appalling danger, and to challenge the evils of hate and anger by the fearless acts of love and forbearance. The Spirit of Truth changed a group of tepid, timid, ignorant fishermen into ardent, valiant, and articulate martyrs for the Kingdom of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Their transformation inspired the world for the next two thousand years.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, in the article "Live Not by Lies," published in The Washington Post (February 18, 1974) said “The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie. One word of truth outweighs the world.”. In John 9:41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” What that means is that if you see an injustice, a falsehood, you are accountable to at least speak against, or to right the wrong to the best of your ability. If you don’t see (or understand), then you cannot be blamed and are guiltless. I wonder if this is why most of us today remain silent (choose to remain blind) in the face of so much evil, wrongful persecution, and falsehoods?

It seems the only fighting chance we have to discern truth from lies is by love, faith, and the Spirit of Truth. The only way to activate the Spirit of Truth is to love and follow our Lord Jesus Christ. May the Spirit of Truth open your eyes to the world around you. Amen.

It would be an understatement that the last few months have been full of history making events culminating in the nomination of Kamala Harris as Presidential candidate by the Democratic Party. Within 24 hours we were led to believe that millions of people sent in tens of millions of dollars to her election campaign (grass roots donations), and that all of the registered Democrats endorsed her (the people’s party). Then they tried to convict, assassinate, and otherwise get rid of Donald Trump but he got elected president anyway. Now, the Democrats are beside themselves with nonsense: he is not doing enough, he’s doing too much, he’s deporting decent people with a lot of tattoos, he’s going to get rid of Medicare and Medicaid, he’s going to get rid of all teachers, he’s going to get rid of Social Security, Elon Musk is going to steal your money, etc. etc.

All of this reminds me of a very short but useful book called “The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity” by Carlo M. Cipolla. This is a most informative tome and is so short it can probably be read in one sitting, but I will give you the quick salient points.

Carlo M. Cipolla (1922-2000) was an Italian economic historian best known for his work on economic history and his humorous and insightful essay on human behavior, "The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity." Cipolla studied at the University of Pavia (Italy) and later at the Sorbonne in Paris. He earned his Ph.D. in Economic History and went on to become a distinguished professor at several prestigious institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley.

Mr. Cipolla is an expert on the subject as he conducted research and experiments which led to the summarization of five laws of human stupidity:

1.     Always and inevitably, everyone underestimates the number of stupid (S) individuals in circulation.

2.     The probability that a certain person be stupid (S) is independent of any other characteristic of that person. Stupidity has nothing to do with how educated or not you are, how rich or poor, or how successful/unsuccessful you are.

3.     A stupid person (S) is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of people while deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses. This is the definition of a stupid person, a detriment to themselves and others.

4.     Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals (S). In particular, non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places and under any circumstances to deal and/or associate with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.

5.     A stupid person (S) is the most dangerous type of person. The corollary of the Law is that: a stupid person (S) is more dangerous than a bandit (B).

If we think about the four possible types of people, we could come up with:

H.    Someone who causes gains to others at possible losses to themselves. These we might think of as selfless people or sometimes helpless (H).

I.      Someone who causes gains to others and possibly gains to themselves. These we might think of as innovators (I).

B.    Someone who causes losses to others and gains for themselves. These we might think of as criminals or brigands (B). These are bad but you know what they want, power and money (your money). You can pretty much put most politicians in this category.

S.     Someone who causes losses to others and losses for themselves. These we might think of as stupid people (S). These are bad because they are an accident about to happen.

Now the next image suggests that it is very possible to have a mixture of stupid and helpless (H2), or stupid and brigand (B2) which would be a particular kind of bad as you would have a person that you know will cause harm or loss, but you don’t know when or how.

All this suggests some reflection on the performance of societies. According to the Second Basic Law, the fraction of stupid people (S) is a constant percentage which is not affected by time, geography, race, class or any other sociocultural or historical variable. It would be a profound mistake to believe the number of stupid people in a declining society is greater than in a developing society. Both societies are plagued by the same percentage of stupid people. The difference is that in the society which performs poorly you have the following situations:

1) the stupid members of the society (S) are allowed by the other members (H, I, B) to become more active and take more actions.

2) there is a change in the composition of the non-stupid section with a relative decline of populations of areas I, H1 and B1 and a proportionate increase of populations H2 and B2.

In fact, the historical analysis allows us to reformulate the theoretical conclusions in a more factual way and with more realistic detail. Whether one considers classical, medieval, modern or contemporary times one is impressed by the fact that any country moving uphill has the same percentage of stupid people. However, the country moving uphill also has an unusually high fraction of intelligent people who manage to keep the percentage of stupid people at bay and at the same time produce enough gains for themselves and the other members of the community to make progress a certainty.

In a country which is moving downhill, the fraction of stupid people (S) is still the same; however, in the remaining population one notices among those in power an alarming proliferation of the bandits (B) with overtones of stupidity (sub-area B2 of quadrant B in the figure above) and among those not in power an equally alarming growth in the number of stupid helpless individuals (area H2). Such change in the composition of the non-stupid population inevitably strengthens the destructive power of the percentage of stupid people (S) and makes decline a certainty. And the country goes to Hell.

We don’t know what the percentage of stupid people (S) in the US adult voting population is, but I would venture to say that the old Joe Biden approval rating is a good indicator (even with dementia he was averaging at around 40%). Add to that the percentage of H2 and B2, and we have a serious problem here.

The political climate of each country is complex and not conducive to simple categorization. The United States for example is not a Democracy, it is technically a Constitutional Republic. In reality, it is not even 100% that it has some of the markings of a Socialist state. China is a Communist country, but it allows some limited capitalism. Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, but it acts a lot like an Islamist country. However, to make sense of the world we sometimes need to generalize and speak in broad categories. There are currently three general expressions of Socialism in the world: Communism, Islamism (Islam + Sharia), and Globalism (see figure A). I posit that the West and western civilization is being infiltrated by Socialism in all three of its expressions. And, while Europe might lose itself to Islamism, and other parts of the world to Communism, in the United States because of the reluctance of its citizens to give up their guns Communism and Islamism will never fully take over. However, there is nothing to stop Globalism from taking over this once great country.

Both Communism and Islam are, at their core, totalitarian systems. Neither permits a private sphere that lies beyond the reach of ideology. Communism demands that every aspect of life, economic, cultural, familial, intellectual, be subordinated to the collective and the State. Islam + Sharia demands that every aspect of life, commercial, legal, familial, political, be subordinated to the state. In both systems, there is no meaningful separation between the ideological and the personal. Conscience, in both frameworks, is not sovereign. The system is.

Communism is represented in the East most prominently by Russia, China, North Korea, Vietnam, etc. Communism is the most extreme expression of Socialism as it does not generally allow for assembly of any kind. Religion is not allowed, and strict allegiance to the state is required by all citizens. Dissention is immediately quelled by police action or military force if necessary. Therefore, citizens are not allowed to own guns. Communism has long used infiltration, subversion, and intimidation to spread its influence (see figure A). When all else has failed, it has resorted to violence and is responsible for the death of tens of millions of people in the countries it has taken over. Notably, in China the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under Mao Zedong, at least 60 million people were killed. In Russia, under Josef Stalin 20 million and possibly as much as three times that were killed (according to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, in his book "The Gulag Archipelago," wrote that more than 66 million people were killed as a result of communism in the Soviet Union, including those who died in the purges, forced labor camps, famines, and executions. He arrived at this estimate through his research and personal experience as a survivor of the Soviet prison system).

Islamism is represented in the Middle East most prominently by Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and many other. Islamism is a political ideology that seeks to apply Islamic principles and laws to govern society (Islam + Sharia Law). It is rooted in the belief that Islam is not just a religion, but also a complete way of life that should inform all aspects of society, including politics, law, and social norms. Islamism is also extreme in that it is very similar to Communism in all respects except that no religion is allowed except Islam. Strict allegiance to the state and to Islam is required by all citizens. Dissention is immediately quelled by police action or military force if necessary. Therefore, citizens are not allowed to own guns. Islamism uses police action to impart fear into its citizens using strict adherence to Islamic laws (Sharia) as an excuse. Islamism is fairly similar to Communism with the notable exception that Communism is basically atheistic in that it does not allow any religion, and Islamism does not allow any religion except Islam. Islam is well suited for a socialist culture in that it is inherently rule based, strict, and militaristic at its core.
Islamism = Islam + Sharia law. These two elements combined want to govern every aspect of your life to the minimal details, religious and political. support for the working class and the poor (believers only) + rules governing trade, contracts, fairness, and ethical conduct + emphasizes community of believers + punishes unbelievers + private ownership is protected but regulated + no religion other than Islam + still uses slave labor (unbelievers). Islamism has long used immigration, conversion, and intimidation to spread its influence (see figure A). Like Communism, although to a lesser extent, when all else has failed, it too has resorted to violence.

Globalism is the relatively new expression of Socialism. It is somewhat different in that it is more tailored to the West (Canada, America, Western Europe). Globalism wants the world to be governed by a liberal elite oligarchy. These liberal elites come together regularly in Davos, Switzerland to cogitate ruling strategies and cooperative measures. They are the authors of the ‘Great Reset’ a plan to transform the Democracies and Republic of the world into a Socialist expression called Globalism (see figure A). The way Globalism is to be implemented in the West is through the Great Reset. The Great Reset aims to subdue the Unites States first as it is the strongest and most powerful Republic in the world. If the US folds, then so will all the others. However, it is currently acting on multiple American and Western European countries simultaneously (also Australia and New Zealand). Globalism = open borders + free trade + single currency (i.e. euro) + common climate change policies + Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE) + social welfare + democratic control.

figure A – simple depiction of world’s current geopolitical situation

Globalism

Globalism emerged as a dominant set of ideologies in the late twentieth century. As these ideologies settled, and as various processes of globalization intensified, they contributed to the consolidation of a connecting global imaginary. In 2010, Manfred Steger and Paul James theorized this process in terms of four levels of change: changing ideas, ideologies, imaginaries (set of values, institutions, laws, and symbols through which people imagine their social whole), and ontologies. Globalism has been seen as a pillar of a liberal international order along with democratic governance, open trade, and international institutions. At the Brookings Institution (a Washington, DC think tank), David G. Victor has suggested cooperation in carbon capture and storage technology could be a future element of globalism, as part of global efforts against climate change – Wikipedia.com

According to Wikipedia, the Great Reset Initiative is an economic recovery plan drawn up by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was launched in June 2020, with a video featuring the then Prince of Wales Charles III released to mark its launch. The initiative's stated aim is to facilitate rebuilding from the global COVID-19 crisis in a way which prioritizes sustainable development. WEF chief executive officer Klaus Schwab described three core components of the Great Reset 3:
1.     Creating conditions for a "stakeholder economy"
2.     Building in a more "resilient, equitable, and sustainable" way, utilizing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics.
3.     "Harnessing the innovations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution."

In her speech opening the dialogues, International Monetary Fund director Kristalina Georgieva listed three key aspects of a sustainable response to COVID-19: green growth, smarter growth, and fairer growth. The Great Reset was to be the theme of the 2021 World Economic Forum annual summit in Davos, Switzerland, scheduled for January 2021. Due to disruption from COVID-19, the summit was postponed to May 2021, and again to 2022. The Davos 2022 theme was "History at a Turning Point", and the summit was dominated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This Globalist initiative triggered a range of diverse conspiracy theories spread by the American far right and conservative commentators on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Such theories include baseless claims that the COVID-19 pandemic was created by a secret group in order to seize control of the global economy, that lockdown restrictions were deliberately designed to induce economic meltdown, or that a global elite was attempting to abolish private property while using COVID-19 to enslave humanity with vaccines. Great Reset conspiracy theories increased in intensity when leaders such as U.S. president Joe Biden, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau incorporated ideas of a post-COVID-19 "reset" in their speeches – Wikipedia.com. The question now is: are these really baseless conspiracy theories or are these world leaders organizing an oligarchical cabal to rule the world?

Philosopher Alexander Dugan in his book “The Great Awakening vs The Great Reset”, portrays the actors of the Great Reset as radical liberals who want to destroy the notion of collectivism of any kind: religion, family, political party, country, and in the end even biological constraints like sex/gender and humanism. The Globalist agenda (very similar to the Communist agenda) is to:

1.     Destroy faith in God.
2.     Destroy faith in the nuclear family.
3.     Destroy society so it can be remade using socialist principles.
4.     Destroy the world’s economy so it can be ruled by the elite few (oligarchy).

Each one of the above has a cascading effect on the next. The Globalist agenda is to actively undermine Judeo-Christian religions by encouraging atheism and satanism. Remarkably it leaves Islam pretty much alone. In the West, postmodernism has wreaked havoc on traditional religions such as Christianity and Judaism, by enhancing and supporting atheism (used here in the widest possible sense as people who don’t believe, don’t know, or don’t care about God), satanism, and neo-paganism (New Age spirituality). It is wreaking chaos, seeds of which sowed in the last century are now bearing fruit and culminating in a post-truth era. Materialism, relativism, Critical Race Theory or CRT (a form of Marxism) is taught in universities and now in all grades of education. Pluralism, universalism, relativism is now taught in many churches. Heads of states and politicians who have long embraced postmodernism are now outright embracing post-truth. Lies are acceptable, and it is a matter of who makes the lies more believable.

The wealthy liberal elite oligarchy has the luxury of thinking that their ideas are the ones that matter (and they are not of a Biblical worldview). They want to impose their postmodern worldview on the rest of the world, as they feel more qualified or destined to rule it. Their political view is liberalism, their worldview is Secular Humanism, an atheistic worldview which includes deconstruction, pluralism, relativism, materialism, determinism, and consumerism. As the Globalism meme says: “In the future everyone will own nothing and be happy”.

Liberalism (which is to mean radical Left liberalism) must destroy faith in God, destroy faith in the nuclear family, destroy the traditional biological binary concept of sex/gender, and finally destroy the concept of humanism or what it is to be human. Without faith in God, it is very difficult to have real virtue. So, in its place, the liberal must “virtue signal” by implementing “woke ideologies” such as saving the planet from “climate change” and provide equity to all.

The Great Reset is being welcomed into everyone’s home by liberal media, social media, and Hollywood. If you listen to news casts from any country in western Europe, they are very similar to each other and very similar to the news in the US. President Trump is vilified (more on why that is later), the flu is bad this year so get vaccinated, COVID-19 is still around so get vaccinated then boosted ad infinitum, Climate Change is an existential threat to humanity which must be combatted with green energy; borders must be open and migrants must be humanely welcomed, Russia is bad, Ukraine is good, China is our friend. It is the same nonsense, illogical, talking points everywhere you turn. Unfortunately, a large portion of the population who is not trained, or accustomed to critical thinking will believe all the propaganda the mainstream media will provide. The European Union (EU), NATO, and the United Nations (UN) are ‘all in’ on the Globalist agenda.

The Fourth Wave of Technological Advancement
Technologies of the “Fourth Wave” (the era we are currently living in) are being harnessed to monitor and sway society into compliance. Advanced cell phone technology is in everyone’s pocket, social media is only one click away. Virtual Reality (VR) is expected to slowly replace real life (RL) and further isolate and control human beings. See the movie “Ready Player One” for a glimpse of that dystopian future, a future where everyone owns nothing but is happy. Friendships and families are forged in VR not in RL. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been successfully used for face recognition and for spying on people. AI influencers in social media will soon be swaying people towards a preferred agenda. Just like texting has made eloquence, articulation, and erudition obsolete, AI chat bots will make everyone homogenously ignorant. When fully deployed by universities and businesses, AI has the capability to replace the majority of the human workforce. There will be no retraining or repurposing our way out of this technological advancement.

The ‘smart city’ concept is being pushed to place more surveillance equipment out in the streets, campuses, parks, and eventually in all autonomous electric vehicles. Everyone will be forced to have a digital id (in their digital wallet) which will be used by the AI(s) to keep track of everyone. Coupled with some kind of social credit score mechanism (such as ESGs), it can eventually be used to contain and control people. Big data collected on everyone would show what you did, where you went, who you talked to, what you bought. If you do something that is not liked by the state, your credit score goes down, affecting your ability to get loans, travel, or get entrance to certain places. This is currently used very effectively in China.

Virtual reconstruction of dead people is being touted as a wonderful thing. However, reconstruction of live people for nefarious ends can devastate lives. It’s easily foreseeable that in order to slander or ruin certain people, situations are created, and conversations exchanged that seem very real but have never taken place. This phenomenon already has a name: “deep fake”, as AI is already capable of “faking” interviews, pictures, and videos of things that have never happened. AI is being used to aid extorsion of innocent people by faking a kidnapping by using a ‘deep fake’ of the victim’s voice. It’s worth noting here that what most people refer to AI now, in articles and ads is not real AI, but brute force cloud processing and memory storage that mimics AI. Speaking of the cloud, it’s very convenient that the owners of the super server farms known as the cloud, have a certain monopoly in that they can de-platform any digital content they don’t agree with or does not conform to their liberal agenda. Elon Musk has admitted that the world will eventually be controlled by whomever has the best AI. Advancements in biomechanics coupled with AI are starting to make inroads into the transhumanist agenda. Transhumanism will happen slowly at first, as technology will be touted as beneficial to the handicapped community. Eventually these types of technological enhancements will find themselves inside healthy people. It is no secret that the future of the internet is touted as Neuralink (a brain to computer interface), a chip implanted in your brain to keep you connected to the internet 24/7. Although they are currently working on these technologies, the wide adoption is expected to usher in the “Fifth Wave” of technological advancement. It’s worthwhile to mention that DARPA and the Pentagon are heavily invested in these technologies. Nothing to fear here, right?

Destroying Faith in God
Destroying faith in God has multiple purposes: prevent association with a particular religion or church, destroy any basis for self-worth which will weaken what it means to be a human, and destroy the bedrock or foundation of moral values. So, destroy unity, keep people divided, sow chaos by loosening morals, encourage materialism and nihilism. The only collective to be exempt is race because at the moment race is useful to sow division, discontent, chaos, poverty, and abortion. Much is being done to destroy faith in God and promote materialism, atheism, satanism, mysticism, and neo-paganism (New Age). Postmodernism has been exploited to its fullest to push relativism, especially moral relativism, pluralism, and deconstruction. Deconstruction was the father of woke ideology. Unfortunately, the Jewish and Christian churches have been for the most part silent on this and on the next two points. Perhaps it is because they too have been infiltrated by the radical Left, the socialists. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out well in World War II and it will not work out well for us now.

Destroying the Nuclear Family
Destroying the nuclear family has been in progress since the early sixties. With the rise of the sexual revolution, feminism, and the accompanying rise in the use of contraceptives (especially with the invention of “the pill”), more women found themselves pregnant out of wedlock. With the rise of the welfare state, there was no incentive for fathers to stick around. Therefore, we see a rise in single parent homes. This condition is exacerbated by the easing of divorce laws such as no-fault divorce, and the loosening of abortion laws such as Roe vs Wade. Now we enter current times with divorces and single parent homes at an all-time high. The feminist movement was useful in its inception to support socialist ideals, now what? It looks like it’s being discarded by transgenderism. Leftist liberals can’t even define what a woman is anymore! In higher education, universities are now indoctrinating young minds into socialism, anti-capitalism, and materialism. Educators in K–12 are not only indoctrinating children into Critical Race Theory (CRT) a derivative of Marxism, but they are also overtly over sexualizing young minds and exposing them to LGBTQ+ ideology (especially transgenderism) without the consent of parents, in many cases subverting the parental authority all together. Destroying the traditional biological binary concept of sex/gender has the benefit of helping to sow confusion, division, discontent, chaos, immorality, and ultimately help to destroy the nuclear family.

Destroying Society
Once the destruction of the nuclear family is well underway it sets the stage for the destruction of society. Destroy society by destroying opposing views. The first order of business is to destroy free speech and any constructive discourse, then destroy opposing political parties. It’s especially important to destroy any semblance of nationalism and any form of populism. Populism is the antidote to the Great Reset. Abortion is condoned, euthanasia is promoted, and birth control required. This will serve to keep the population in check. But the real drive of population reduction is the career minded two-income nuclear family, or the one income broken family which has lowered the birth rate to less than two per family (below replacement). Transgenderism is being promoted to destroy the notion of sex/gender. Dangerous, poisonous drugs like fentanyl coming from China thru the porous southern US border are killing young people at unprecedented rate. Race is being used to keep society divided, at least in the US where racism has had historical problems. Social media has done its best to further isolate and divide people into echo chambers. In the meanwhile, people that don’t have an opinion or simply don’t care can spend endless hours watching movies or playing video games. VR may not yet be ready for prime time, but it will soon take large portions of society away from real life (RL) into never-never land. Right now, football, alcohol/drugs, and gambling are doing that job just fine. The story of Pinocchio comes to mind here, a real classic!

Destroying the World’s Economy
COVID-19 was engineered using gain of function research technology at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. This facility has ties to the CCP military. The only question which most likely will never be answered is: was it released accidentally or on purpose? Either way, the COVID-19 pandemic had two wonderful results for China: it caused the demise of Donald Trump, and it helped ruin the world economy. Why is that a good thing? Because Trump with his America First agenda and populist movement known as Make America Great Again (MAGA) is the only pushback on Socialism and all of its forms: Communism, Islamism, and Globalism. No matter what you think of his personality, there simply is no other world leader who has come close to his enhancement of populism. Populism, nationalism, patriotism are the only antidote to globalism. Ruining the world economy was the second perc of the pandemic and a great asset for China for it has the world’s largest slave labor force for cheap manufacturing. Cheap manufacturing is practically the only way countries around the world will be able to bolster their own economies by buying cheap goods from China.

The Great Reset would not let a great opportunity like COVID-19 go by. As a matter of fact, some conspiracy theory says that it actually planned or prepared for one. Countries like the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and others used the pandemic as an excuse to seize power and control by mandating draconian lockdowns of churches, schools, and small businesses (in Italy even curfews). The mask, social distance, and finally endless vaccine mandates gave the liberal elite oligarchy unprecedented power. Permanently mandatory digital vaccine passports (easily converted to a total bio-demo digital wallet such as a Global Digital ID) are currently being discussed at the G-20. Bill Gates has given the UN a whole lot of money to make Global Digital ID happen. Global Digital ID is a wonderful Great Reset device that will give the liberal elite oligarchy power and control over people (especially once coupled with AI face recognition, and a social credit score). They can keep track of all your demographic and health data, including all vaccines received, etc. They can keep track of your finances and all your investments. They can even be used to keep track of your carbon footprint to keep “climate change” at bay.

Climate Change, a word with no specific meaning or scientific basis, has been declared an existential crisis for humanity. The solution of course is to reduce the world population and the carbon footprint of all industrialized countries (not the developing countries or third world countries of course because they must produce cheap goods to feed an insatiable consumerism). So, keep the world population in check with pandemics, birth control, abortions, and euthanasia; reduce the carbon footprint by getting rid of oil, coal, gas, and nuclear power while switching over to green alternatives like wind and solar power. This agenda has the double benefit of enriching the liberal elite oligarchy and destroying the world economy in the process.

Economic Social Governance (ESG) metrics will be a politically correct agenda for further destroying the world’s economy. The term itself is opaque (like all things liberal); ESG brings environmental, social, and governance causes together under one umbrella. The environmental component includes things such as transitioning to wind and solar energy from fossil fuels, and to electric vehicles from gasoline powered ones. The social component includes racial and gender equity, diversity training for employees, economic equity for oppressed groups (to be defined by the liberal elite oligarchy), and gun control. The governance component focuses on how companies are run and includes racial and gender quotas. Once implemented at the business level to promote liberal elite oligarchy run companies and ruin conservative run competitors, the ESG can also be coupled with that Global Digital ID to further regulate your social credit score.

Finally, for the liberal elite oligarchy, which is always well invested in military infrastructure, it’s important to keep war going on somewhere around the world. Unfortunately, with technology having ushered in weapons of mass destruction (starting with the nuclear bomb) it has become an increasingly dangerous game to play. But they keep playing it!

The Islamic Threat
Muslims are very good at getting things done with a minimum of technology. They basically brought three World Trade Center buildings down with a death count of almost three thousand infidels with basically some cell phones, box cutters, and a few beginner flying lessons.

Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during a speech in 2006 said “There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe—without swords, without guns, without conquests. The fifty million Muslims of Europe will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades.”

“We’re the ones who will change you,” Norwegian imam Mullah Krekar told the Oslo newspaper Dagbladet in 2006. “Just look at the development within Europe, where the number of Muslims is expanding like mosquitoes. Every Western woman in the EU is producing an average of 1.4 children. Every Muslim woman in the same countries is producing 3.5 children.” As he summed it up: “Our way of thinking will prove more powerful than yours.”

The number you need for merely a stable population, not getting any bigger, not getting any smaller is 2.1 babies per woman. The U.S. is holding steady at basically that level. Some countries are well above that: the global fertility leader, Niger, is 7.46; Mali, 7.42; Somalia, 6.76; Afghanistan, 6.69; Yemen, 6.58. Notice what those nations have in common? They are all Muslim countries.

As the population of all the European countries dwindles, Islam is busy exporting its people to all of Europe. Muslim women have a much higher fertility rate than any of their host countries. Soon the percentage of Muslims in European countries will surpass 10% of the population (of each host country), which is regarded as the critical mass. From that point on they have the power to elect their own officials, politicians, and enact their own laws (Sharia).

Islam does not assimilate into cultures; they dominate them and eventually conquer them, rendering their traditions and social values extinct. It's the same tactics and methods Islam has used in their 1400 yr. history of infiltration, threats, violence, and submission, to their never-ending social demands, as they continue in their quest for world dominance. Islamism is well established in Europe and already has a foothold here in the U.S. and we have terrorists living amongst us, planning their next attacks, right here on our soil, just as the hijackers did before 9/11, using our freedoms and liberties to achieve their evil agenda.

We are told over and over that those responsible for 9/11 must be disassociated with Islam and labeled as terrorists. But what if this entire premise is wrong? For it is not just Al-Qaeda and ISIS that show the violent face of Islamic faith and practice. It is Pakistan, where any statement critical of the Prophet or Islam is labeled as blasphemy and punishable by death. It is Saudi Arabia, where churches and synagogues are outlawed, and where beheadings are a legitimate form of punishment, so much so that there was almost a beheading a day in August 2014. It is Iran, where stoning women is an acceptable punishment and homosexuals are hanged for their “crime.” It is Brunei, where the sultan is reinstituting Islamic Sharia law, again making homosexuality punishable by death.

The Communist Threat
The Communist threat is even more present in the US than the Islamic threat. We have had Communist sympathizers and closet Communists in this country for almost the last 90 years, but the threat has intensified since US President Richard Nixon visited China in February of 1972. Since then, China has been getting richer by exporting the fruits of its inexhaustible cheap (slave) labor. Now it holds the second largest military in the world. But it doesn’t really need it as it uses multiple ways to weaken its opponents: infiltration, subversion, espionage, cyber hacking, propaganda, etc.

1.     Espionage: China uses espionage to infiltrate foreign governments, military organizations, and businesses to gather sensitive information or gain a competitive advantage. Students and professors have been found to steal intellectual property.

2.     Cyberattacks: China has been accused of using cyberattacks to infiltrate foreign computer networks and steal sensitive information from all sectors, banking, education, science, medicine.

3.     Covert Operations: China uses covert operations, such as sending spies or agents disguised as diplomats or businesspeople, to infiltrate foreign governments, military organizations, or other groups.

4.     Hybrid Warfare: China uses a combination of military and non-military tactics to infiltrate and destabilize foreign governments or societies, such as propaganda campaigns, economic coercion, or political subversion. A lot of US politicians are heavily invested in China and are held at ransom by their greed. Confucius Societies at all major Universities have been found to be nothing more than a propaganda outlet for China.

5.     Support for Proxies: China provides support to proxy forces, such as local militias or insurgent groups, to further its strategic goals without direct military intervention. This can be a form of infiltration as China seeks to influence and control these groups.

The Great Awakening
The current “Great Awakening” can best be described in the words of Alexander Dugin. “The Great Awakening is a term used spontaneously by American protesters. That was a concept that was born just recently when the American people became more conscious of the true demonic nature of the globalists. That concerns first of all Americans that were under the illusion that everything was going more or less well, and that Democrats and Republicans inside the United States government represented two wings of the same liberal democracy. The Great Awakening for them was the discovery that behind the mask of the Democratic Party was something totally different, a kind of coup d’état orchestrated by globalists.

They are ready to apply all kinds of totalitarian measures against the American people. That had been inconceivable and impossible before. It started with Trump during the four years of his presidency and climaxed in the election fraud — the stolen election (2020), which was a clear picture of what is the Great Awakening. It is the understanding of the real nature of the Reset, of the globalists. The American people were hidden inside the American system, and now there are two completely different things: the American population (Trumpists, or nationalistic, patriotic Americans) and the globalist Americans (who hate America). And that is exactly the dividing line between the Great Reset and the Great Awakening.

Populism, nationalism, patriotism, is the only antidote to Globalism. In essence it is the only antidote against all forms of socialism (see figure A). We see discontent in the communist countries with sporadic protests (China, Cuba, etc.). We even see protests in Islamic Iran. But communist and Islamic countries have such a totalitarian control, where the military has tight rein on an unarmed populous, that true reform there is practically impossible.

It will be very difficult for the populist (nationalistic) movement, in the US or anywhere else in the West, to gain traction against the globalists as they are operating along a multitude of vectors.

a)     Political (radical leftist dominated government)
b)     Media (televised, printed, and digital)
c)     Social Media (Big Tech collusion with government)
d)     Entertainment (movies, TV, video games, etc.)
e)     Education (at first with universities and now K-12)

Add to this the very important fact that Communist and Islamic countries (China in particular being the most dangerous) are willfully taking advantage of the Great Reset agenda for their own nefarious gains of world domination. The Communists, Islamists, and Globalists sometimes will (for now) collude with each other against their common enemy, the West. These vectors are being used to push an agenda of materialism, consumerism, and elements of Marxism. Race and gender are weaponized to keep the populous divided and distracted. The end goal is power and control. The world will be ruled and controlled by the elite oligarchy (powerful few). As Democracies and Republics disappear, there will only be three expressions of socialist nations left: Communist, Islamist, and Globalist.

"Perception of truth frequently differs significantly from real truth. Moreover, given sufficient promotion and advertising, perception of truth becomes truth. Its promotion by commercial enterprise Is called marketing, commonly used in the furtherance of political, commercial, or various opportunistic ends by its promoters. When promotion is done by government or political groups, it’s called spin or propaganda. Pseudoscience is science fiction. …Unfortunately, neither computers nor human fact-checkers can, in general, tell fact from fiction. Or science from science fiction or from pseudoscience." - Dr. John F. Clauser, Quantum Physicist and Nobel Prize winner

If the above statement resonates with you then you have to at least a) believe in objective truth and b) trust subject matter experts, authorities in a given field (given that they are devoid of any personal agenda). If you don’t have these two, then the rest of this paper will have no meaning to you, and you should go do something else. What Dr. John Clauser is talking about is Legitimization by Paralogy. Legitimization by Paralogy means consensus in a lie until everyone believes it. It’s a fancy way of saying, if you are a good liar and you lie often enough, and enough people believe you, then the lie becomes reality and reality becomes a lie. We are inundated by ‘fake news’ from media channels, printed, televised or digital, and people are happy to proliferate it without bothering to verify anything. We may be used to lies coming from politicians, but we now live in a world where we are swimming in an ocean of (mis)information, most of it slanted, untrue, or downright false.

Oxford Dictionary selected “post-truth” as 2016 Word of the Year. According to Oxford Dictionary, post-truth means “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”. Sadly, we are progressing from postmodernism to a post-truth world view. Post-truth accepts that there is an objective truth out there, but we may or may not choose to embrace it, depending on what is convenient at the time. Where we could combat postmodernism by showing that you cannot have a multitude of truths, post-truth is harder to combat because people are willing to lie or tell the truth depending on what is best for them.

Objective truth is what Dr. Clauser is referring to when he says ‘…real truth’. Objective truth refers to the concept that certain statements or facts are true independently of anyone's beliefs, opinions, or perceptions. It exists independently of individual perspectives and remains consistent regardless of who observes or experiences it. Objective truths are considered universal and do not change based on cultural, societal, or personal biases. In other words, an objective truth is something that is objectively verifiable and can be supported by evidence, logic, and observation. It is not influenced by emotions, preferences, or subjective interpretations. Scientific principles and mathematical truths are often considered objective because they are based on empirical evidence and logical reasoning, leading to consistent and repeatable results.

Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, holds that reality exists as an objective absolute, facts are facts, independent of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes or fears. At a macro level this is true, there are objective truths and objective truths are true whether you know them or not, understand them or not, like them or not. In contrast to objective truth, subjective truth refers to statements that are dependent on personal feelings, experiences, or beliefs. These truths can vary from person to person and may not be universally valid or applicable.

Objective truth plays a crucial role in various fields, including science, mathematics, history, and philosophy, as it forms the foundation for reliable knowledge and understanding of the world. By seeking and acknowledging objective truths, we can strive for a more accurate and coherent understanding of reality. Can we profess to know what reality is completely and 100%? No, we cannot, but we can have a better and better approximation as we gather more and more true facts. We will just take Politics, Science and Religion as examples in a little bit.

Dr John Clauser is an scientist in the field of Quantum Physics, not only has he dedicated his life to the study of it he is also a Nobel Prize Winner for experimental proof that nonlocal quantum entanglement is real. This has huge implications for quantum computing, and unbreakable cryptography. Just because very few people even know what quantum entanglement is, that does not mean it is not real, it is a phenomenon that has been verified many times over the last few decades and finally Dr. Clauser has experimental proof of its existence that can be verified and repeated by other scientists. He is a subject matter expert on quantum entanglement.

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge” Stephen Hawking

Social Media has had a very deleterious effect on truth. A large majority of content providers on the internet are not experts/authorities in anything. Most just repost content from prominent bloggers and news reporters. Most news reporters are no longer reporters but are news commentators or opinion editorials. In large part this gives rise to conspiracy theories, and the social media algorithms make sure that all the content you consume reinforces that belief. There may be some conspiracies out there, but the sad truth is that most of what people believe to be conspiracy is in fact a healthy dose of ineptitude, stupidity, ignorance, and a pinch of bad luck.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias that refers to the tendency of individuals with limited knowledge or low ability in a particular area to overestimate their competence in that area or field. In simpler terms, it describes how people who lack expertise in a subject often mistakenly believe they are much more skilled or knowledgeable than they actually are. At the same time, those who possess higher expertise tend to underestimate their own abilities relative to others.

The effect was named after David Dunning and Justin Kruger, two social psychologists who first described it in their research paper published in 1999. Their studies revealed that incompetent individuals often fail to recognize their lack of competence because they lack the expertise needed to assess their own abilities accurately. This leads to what is often described as a "double burden" of ignorance: not only do these individuals lack the skills needed for a task, but they also lack the ability to recognize their inadequacies.

On the other hand, highly competent individuals may underestimate their abilities because they assume that others have a similar level of expertise. They might find the task relatively easy due to their high level of competence, leading them to believe that it is not a particularly challenging task for anyone else. The Dunning-Kruger effect has several implications in real-life situations:

1.     Unwarranted confidence: People with low abilities or knowledge may feel overly confident in their skills, leading them to make mistakes or poor decisions.

2.     Impostor syndrome: Highly competent individuals may doubt their abilities and feel like "impostors" despite their significant expertise.

3.     Decision-making biases: The effect can influence judgments and decision-making processes, both in personal and professional contexts.

4.     Skill development: Recognizing one's lack of competence is crucial for personal growth and learning. The Dunning-Kruger effect can hinder people from recognizing areas they need to improve upon.

Overall, understanding the Dunning-Kruger effect can remind us of the importance of humility and self-awareness in assessing our own abilities and making sound judgments. It also highlights the significance of seeking feedback and learning from others to develop our skills and knowledge. The Dunning-Kruger effect is a major contributor to belief in conspiracy theories. But it also has a deleterious effect in everyday life as we are naturally surrounded by Politics, Religion, and Science. It is natural to think that many modern-day topics are very complex and not everyone is an expert at everything. However, the internet and social media with its increase in self-proclaimed ‘experts’ (legions of want-to-be influencers) has given rise to conspiracy theories. Even the most absurd things can be proven when taken out of context. Millennials and Gen Z (teenagers) are especially susceptible to this because generally speaking, they have a short attention span, and don’t have the patience to study or think deeply about anything (think one minute Tik Tok videos to become an expert on anything).

Politics today is often mired in a Geopolitical web of intricate affairs, and unless you are a political scientist in constant touch with world news from multiple trusted sources, it is very difficult to understand what is happening in the world or even the US today in the world of politics. It is very convenient for politicians and the news media to exploit this by giving “one sided” or “slanted” representation of what is happening with the express intent to mislead the public. This adds to the general mistrust of both politicians, and the media.

Geopolitics is too complex for the average individual to comprehend because it involves a sophisticated interplay of geography, history, economics, culture, and international relations. Understanding geopolitical dynamics requires expertise in multiple disciplines and a deep knowledge of global affairs. The intricate web of alliances, conflicts, and power struggles between nations makes it challenging for individuals without specialized training to grasp the intricacies and implications of geopolitical events. As a result, the ever-changing geopolitical landscape often remains beyond the scope of casual understanding, necessitating expert analysis for meaningful comprehension. Most people know next to nothing about Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Judaism, Islam, but yet they are ready to march, protest, defend, attack like they know something.

Modern Science is becoming more and more complex, to the point that all scientific fields require specialization. It is impossible for anyone person to understand enough about any given field without considerable study and research. Most people for example know next to nothing about ‘Climate Change’, or COVID-19 yet they have very formed opinions on it, mostly based on the constant barrage of news media surrounding the topic.

Modern science is too complex for the average individual to comprehend because it encompasses a vast array of specialized fields, cutting-edge technologies, and intricate theories. As scientific knowledge expands rapidly, it becomes increasingly challenging for non-experts to keep up with the latest developments. Moreover, scientific concepts often rely on complex and abstract mathematics and technical jargon, making it difficult for lay people to fully grasp the underlying principles. To understand modern science comprehensively, one needs years of education and training in specific disciplines, highlighting the necessity of expert scientists who can translate and communicate these complexities to the broader public. However, there are many pseudo scientists or con artists that lead people to serious mistrust in authority and eventually in science altogether.

For example, there is such a thing known as ‘Pop Science’, this is the popularization of science by many popular personalities, from Stephen Hawkins to Bill Nye. In other words, from the reliable to the not so reliable scientist. How is a lay person supposed to know what is reliable science and what isn’t? What passes for Pop Science in published media, TV, and digital media is mostly unreliable. It is sensationalized, trivialized, dumbed down science. This is all that is available to the lay person of the complex science that has been going on for centuries.

Religion is another area where most people not only don’t know much about, but they also don’t care to inquire about either. Religion is often too complex for the average individual to comprehend because it involves belief systems (worldviews), histories, philosophies, and cultural influences (geographies and mythologies) that span millennia. With countless religions and their various interpretations, practices, and rituals, understanding religious complexities requires extensive study and cultural awareness. Additionally, religious concepts often address profound existential questions, morality, and spirituality, which can be intellectually and emotionally challenging for individuals to fully grasp without a deeper level of engagement and reflection. As a result, the rich and multifaceted nature of religion makes it a complex topic that benefits from respectful dialogue and continuous exploration to foster greater understanding.

Questioning the various faiths is not a bad thing, I would posit that it is a healthy thing to do. Asking questions is always a good thing. However, one should never ridicule something unless one is a bonified expert on the subject matter. I have found that people that ridicule the Bible for example, have never read it in its entirety let alone studied it in depth. To understand the Bible (or any other religious book), one needs to know the history, geography, philosophy, and mythology of the area, in this case the middle east, especially Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Egyptian. Again, we find there are many pseudo preachers or con artists that lead people to serious mistrust in authority and eventually in religion altogether.

And so, the Dunning-Kruger effect, sometimes coupled with an unbelief in subjective truth and a mistrust in subject matter experts can have a devastating effect on one’s grasp of reality and conspiracy theories abound. Not to say that all conspiracy theories are false, as most of them have at least a kernel of truth to them, and some eventually become the accepted truth over time. Also, not to say that all subject matter experts are neutral, non-biased, and have no selfish agenda to impart on the unsuspecting public. We are currently moving from a postmodernist world (truth is relative) to a post-truth world (truth or falsehood depending on convenience).

However, one should look at the world through a critical thinking lens (if at all possible). Critical thinking refers to the process of analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information in order to make reasoned judgments and decisions. It involves using skills such as logic, reasoning, and reflection to assess information, identify biases, and develop informed opinions. To be a critical thinker at a minimum you must have these seven skills:

1.     Don’t assume.
2.     Don’t be judgmental.
3.     Be aware of other people’s biases.
4.     Be aware of your own biases.
5.     Gather facts from multiple trusted sources.
6.     Present your arguments in a logical manner.
7.     Avoid logical fallacies.

Overall, critical thinking is a valuable skill that can benefit individuals in both their personal and professional lives. While critical thinking is an essential skill, critical thinkers have historically been in short supply. Being a critical thinker can be challenging for several reasons:

1.     Cognitive biases: Our brains are wired to take shortcuts and make quick decisions based on limited information. As a result, we may be prone to cognitive biases that can lead us to overlook important information or make flawed judgments.

2.     Lack of training: Critical thinking is a skill that must be developed over time. Unfortunately, many educational systems do not explicitly teach critical thinking, leaving individuals without the necessary tools to engage in this type of thinking.

3.     Emotional attachment to beliefs: We may be emotionally attached to certain beliefs or ideas, which can make it difficult to objectively evaluate information that challenges those beliefs. Facts rarely change people’s minds. As a result of the well-documented confirmation bias, we tend to undervalue evidence that contradicts our beliefs and overvalue evidence that confirms them. We filter out inconvenient truths and arguments on the opposing side. As a result, our opinions solidify, and it becomes increasingly harder to disrupt established patterns of thinking.

We believe in alternative facts if they support our pre-existing beliefs. Mediocre to incompetent politicians remain in office because we interpret the evidence to confirm our initial voting for them. News media continues to preach the ills of ‘Climate Change’ despite emerging research to the contrary. People continue to wear masks when outdoors and alone in their cars despite emerging research to the contrary.

4.     Information overload: In today's digital age, we are inundated with information from various sources. We are swimming in a sea of (mis)information. Sorting through this information and determining what is reliable and relevant can be a daunting task.

5.     Time constraints: Critical thinking requires time and effort, which can be challenging to prioritize in a fast-paced society where there are constant demands on our attention.

Despite these challenges, it is possible to develop critical thinking skills with practice and a willingness to engage with information in a thoughtful and reflective way. The full summation of human life is the knowledge that man is educated by fact, ennobled by wisdom, and saved or justified by religious faith. Physical certainty consists in the logic of science; moral certainty, in the wisdom of philosophy; spiritual certainty, in the truth of genuine religious experience.

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