From Big Bang to String Stuff

Sean Carroll
California Institute of Technology
Ph.D., Harvard University

Science is progressing, knowledge is expanding or should I say increasing. This is a good presentation most of us can grasp.

Can you imagine how far beyond us God must be to have set this all in motion, much less keep it going. Oh yea, we have it all figured out ... NOT.

In GOP base, a 'rebellion brewing' - Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin - POLITICO.com

In GOP base, a 'rebellion brewing' - Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin - POLITICO.com: "A quick tour through the week’s headlines suggests the Republican Party is beginning to come to terms with the last election and that consensus is emerging among GOP elites that the party needs to move away from discordant social issues.

There was Sen. John McCain's daughter and his campaign manager who last week demanded that their fellow Republicans embrace same-sex marriage. Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman – the most devoted modernizer among the party's 2012 hopefuls – won approving words from New York Times columnist Frank Rich for his call to downplay divisive values issues. The party’s top elected leaders in Congress, meanwhile, spooked by being attacked as the “party of no,” were recasting themselves as a constructive, respectful opposition to a popular president.

But outside Washington, the reality is very different. Rank-and-file Republicans remain, by all indications, staunchly conservative, and they appear to have no desire to moderate their views. GOP activists and operatives say they hear intense anger at the White House and at the party’s own leaders on familiar issues – taxes, homosexuality, and immigration. Within the party, conservative groups have grown stronger absent the emergence of any organized moderate faction."

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Does Sen. John McCain's daughter speak for John McCain? Do they really believe the election was lost because of some position on homosexual marriage? OK, if that makes you feel better about yourself.

National Statistics on Belonging, Belief and Behavior

American Religious Identification Survey

Twenty years makes a difference. “Nones” are increasing or at least feel a liberty in coming out of the closet. More vocal atheists are formulating their theology. We are as nice as Christians and we don’t need God to do it appears to be the theme and rally cry.

More Atheists Shout It From the Rooftops from NYT article shows “And now parents were coming out of the woodwork asking for family-oriented programs where they could meet like-minded nonbelievers.”

So is God dead … again? Christians are still 75% of the US population so it may be too early for a funeral. Did Jesus say everyone (or even a majority) will become Christian and then the end will come? No. He said this gospel will be preached to the whole world and then … (Mat 24:14) “Few there be that find it” my still apply. (Mat 7:14) Of the 75% how many are cultural Christians and how many have experienced a personal revelation of God that will remain convincing through coming deceptions?

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast

Revelation 13:15 (King James Version)

¹⁵And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

(I would have preferred Al Gore but his holographic debut has been expunged.)

Here is Prince Charles Holo: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4174795

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

Where in the following passage do we see Christians taking over the world. Where are influential men convincing the world through wise words to do the right thing. Pay particular attention to, ²⁶For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” Has God somehow changed is modus operandi?

Does this passage irritate you? Is this old thinking from some unenlightened time? Is this beneath you? Are you so very important and thus find this insulting and demeaning to you as a child of the King?  If so (in “you may be a red neck” terminology) you may be a Dominionist.

Did God tell Abraham to stay in Ur and affect it for good, influence it for Godliness, alter the Ur society for the better? Did God instruct Moses to work within the Egyptian system so that God could have His way? Was Lot to hang around Sodom and be a good witness, thereby saving many? Did God tell Noah to just hang in there and do the best you can, things will get better because of your influence? Did Rehab stay in Jericho and run for city council?

“Come out of her my People” has been a consistent command of God echoing throughout time.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (King James Version)

¹⁸For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

¹⁹For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

²⁰Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

²¹For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

²²For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

²³But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

²⁴But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

²⁵Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

²⁶For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

²⁷But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

²⁸And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

²⁹That no flesh should glory in his presence.

³⁰But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

³¹That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Hal Hits A Home Run - Global Governance

Mr. Lindsey's report for April 17 is particularly good. He does an excellent job exposing the basis for our financial turmoil today. I believe we are plunging head long into the time of the end and there is little we can do to stop it as individuals. We should however know and understand the historical underpinnings of our calamities. Understanding may aid us from being sucked into the vortex of developing deception.

Does this mean we will not see financial improvement? That's not the point. There will still be financial ups and downs on the road to Armageddon. The focus is on the end game.

I Chose Jesus and I’m Proud of It?

“I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, "You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself." My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Free Will – A Slave by C. H. Spurgeon is well worth a pilgrim’s time.

I come from an Arminian background and my understanding of Calvinism is slight. My increasing awareness of certain deceptions pressing against Christianity is curious. Possibly it is my own curiosity, maybe these deceptions are simply becoming more prolific, or perhaps more spiritual forces are at work. To what end or benefit this curiosity is to anyone but me is questionable.

One commonality within these deceptions is a man centered focus. "It’s all about me." I am therefore sensitized to positions that focus on man first and foremost as opposed to God centrality. Arminian approaches to God are certainly more man focused than Calvinistic approaches. Arminian man chooses God and God reciprocates by accepting him. Calvinistic man has no ability to choose God because of man’s fallen nature. God chooses those whom He wishes and man can only respond and be grateful for the selection, or is that election. (From my limited understanding.)

A Calvinist would have no problem with a “many paths to God” question. For a Calvinist there is no path from man to God. The path is from God to man. Humanism could not survive in a Calvinistic atmosphere. There exists no air for humanists to breathe. Does this make Arminian views deceptive? I can not go that far. I'm not that smart. But I see it allows an opening for deception to enter.

Am I now a Calvinist? I am a Christian and grateful to God for being one. I am not proud of any intestinal fortitude or innate wisdom producing my selection of Jesus Christ out of the many choices available to me. Does that make me a Calvinist? Somewhat.