World Events and Bible Prophecy

It seems that many Christadelphians have been making claims recently along the lines of major events happening in the world being an indicator that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled and that Jesus will thus return to earth soon. Those of you who are familiar with Christadelphian history (and also Christian history) will know that this is certainly not the first time they have made such claims, and I doubt it will be the last. In fact, the founder of the Christadelphians, John Thomas, made a claim of this nature over 100 years ago. Needless to say, Jesus did not return.

Rather than look at specific world events or Bible prophecy in detail, I thought it would be more interesting and more educational to point out what is usually missed when Christadelphians enthusiastically announce the modern day fulfilment of this or that obscure Bible verse.

My aim, as always, is not to ridicule Christadelphians but to educate and provide some tools to help you decide for yourself whether any particular prophecy has actually been fulfilled.

Ask the ABs: Questions to ask about the Bible

A curious mind is a sign of intelligence. One of the keys to discovering truth is to ask questions. Questioning anything will lead you closer to its truth, so long as you are honest and prepared to challenge your biases.

It takes real courage, but I encourage you to follow the evidence, wherever it leads.
If you never ask questions, you will never find the answers.

Never be afraid of doubt. Doubts about your faith are a sign that something is out of place. Something does not fit. By seeking to correct it you should arrive at a more robust world view. There is no harm in asking questions. What you find out may well lead you to a greater understanding.

If there are difficult questions burning in your mind, but you are afraid to ask them, then those are exactly the questions you must ask. Would you rather a difficult truth, or a comforting lie?

Below are some of my own questions, including some from when I was still a Christadelphian, and seeking a better understanding of the truth. You may find these thought-provoking. If you have questions of your own, I urge you to seek out the answers. If anyone tells you not to question, or even criticizes you for questioning, then ask them what they are afraid of. If they don't know the answers, look elsewhere.

Why would a good God allow children to starve to death?

This is going to be short. It may make you feel uncomfortable. That's the point. It should make you think.

Would you allow your children to starve to death?

If your answer is no, then congratulations - you are more moral than God.

So then is it right to thank God for putting food on your table, while millions of people starve every day?

And when you offer a prayer of thanks for that food, are you not really saying: "Thank you God for choosing me, over them" ?

Can your life have meaning without God?

The British Humanist Association have put out a great clip about how we derive meaning and purpose in our lives, once again brilliantly narrated by Stephen Fry.

The Bible Unearthed - Documentary Series

"The Bible Unearthed" is an excellent 4-part documentary series on the historicity of the Old Testament. It will give you a modern perspective on what Archaeology can tell us about the Bible.

I did have links to videos on YouTube here but unfortunately the videos have been taken down.
If anyone knows where to find this series online, let me know and I'll update the info here.

Why Evolution Is True

Here is an excellent talk given by Professor Jerry Coyne, who is a professor of biology. He has also written a book by the same title and that is referred to in the video.

Jerry Coyne also compares the theory of evolution with the theory of atoms and the germ theory of disease, saying that the evidence for all of these is strong enough that they are all considered as facts within the scientific community. If you accept that diseases are caused by germs (viruses and bacteria), and if you accept that all matter consists of atoms, and yet you do not accept evolution, then your position is inconsistent and likely to be dishonest.

Please watch the video. It will teach you some things about evolution, even if you already accept evolution.

The destruction of Tyre - what Ezekiel got wrong.

NOTE: This article has been updated on 15 Jan 2015.

In Ezekiel 26:7, the prophet Ezekiel apparently predicts Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of the ancient city of Tyre. Many Christadelphians point to this prophecy as evidence that the Bible must be divinely inspired.

As an aside, I never hear Christadelphians pointing to the Ezekiel 29 or 30 as examples of fulfilled prophecy. I have challenged several Christadelphians directly over that one, only 1 has attempted an answer (which I will post an article on in due course). You can read about that prophecy here.

As for the prophecy regarding Tyre, was the prophecy actually fulfilled? Let's take a closer look...

How do you know you're right?

Christadelphians believe they have THE TRUTH. For a minority religion that very few people in the world have even heard of, that's a very bold claim. Not only do they claim to have the truth, they claim that compared to all of the world's more popular religions (and also compared to the many people who are not religious) they are the ONLY ones who have the truth. Their small numbers do not bother them, for they will happily point to quotations such as Matthew 22:14 "many are called, but few are chosen". Ironically, pretty much every other Christian denomination also points to these same quotations as evidence that they are the chosen ones.

Do you see Intelligent Design everywhere you look?

I found this interesting...

Do you ACTUALLY believe in God?

This short video will challenge whether you actually believe in God, rather than just claim you do.

If you are sincere and honest about your faith, I urge you to try this test. You do not need to tell anyone the results. It will tell you something important about your belief in God. The test is in the form of a thought experiment. You do not need to do anything. You only need to spend some time thinking about it.

Evolution: The fossil record

Here is a must-see video if you want some good background on what the fossil record really says in relation to evolution.

From the video description:

"The crux of the argument made by proponents of Intelligent Design is that the theory of evolution is in serious trouble. They claim that the evidence for evolution is weak, the gaps in the theory are huge, and that these flaws should be taught to students. In this brilliant synthesis of scientific data and theory, Occidental College geologist, paleontologist, and evolutionary theorist Dr. Donald Prothero will present the best evidence we have that evolution happened, why Darwins theory still matters, and what the real controversies are in evolutionary biology."

The Case Against Christianity (by Matt Dillahunty)

Evidence for Common Descent: How we know we are apes.

Did we descend from apes? Are we related to all other animals?

Let's have a look at what I think is one of the best pieces of evidence supporting evolution: Our DNA.

Who lied to Adam and Eve?

What really happened in the garden of Eden? I was always taught that the serpent told the "first lie".

But what does the Bible say? The answer might shock you...

Evolution: Common misconceptions

When creationists discuss evolution, they invariably misrepresent it and thus they mislead their audience, who are often not scientifically literate themselves. I want to highlight some of the more common misconceptions creationists have regarding evolution. The point of this article is not to ridicule, but to educate.

Since you are reading this, you are obviously interested in the subject, and I commend you on your bravery for looking beyond creationist material and hopefully attempting to weigh up the evidence for yourself.

Do you really want to live forever?

Christadelphians and indeed all Christians look forward to some form of afterlife where they hope they will live forever. The idea has fascinated humans since the dawn of human existence. Ever wanting to escape our own death, humans have invented countless myths and legends about life beyond the grave.

The Bible, particularly the New Testament, also follows this pattern, promising eternal life to those who follow Jesus, and worship God. This eternal life is described in blissful terms, highlighting the human desire for something better than the life we experience now.

Creating God in your own image...

A scientific study published in the PNAS scientific journal in 2009 has raised interesting questions about one's belief in God, in particular how one determines what God thinks:

"For many religious people, the popular question “What would Jesus do?” is essentially the same as “What would I do?” That’s the message from an intriguing and controversial new study by Nicholas Epley from the University of Chicago. Through a combination of surveys, psychological manipulation and brain-scanning, he has found that when religious Americans try to infer the will of God, they mainly draw on their own personal beliefs."

Click here to read the rest of this article.

There is a link to the actual study itself at the end of that article, or you can find it HERE.

Dear believer...

This video was created for religion in general (not by me), but many aspects apply equally to Christadelphianism.

It's very interesting and thought-provoking...

Why did I once believe?

I was raised as a Christadelphian and was taught to fear God from a young age. I was taught religion at an age when I did not have the faculties to reason whether or not it was true. My knowledge of the world was tainted. I simply inherited the beliefs of my parents and teachers, who had each inherited their beliefs from their parents and teachers before them.

I lived in a bubble, an alternate universe, allegedly created by a supreme deity who loved everyone, but who was always just, and always watching. In my bubble, all of the "facts" I was taught pointed to the truth of the bible. I had so much evidence, or so I thought, in the form of fulfilled prophecy, detailed history, incredible consistency despite many authors writing over hundreds, possibly thousands, of years. Not one verse in the bible contradicted any other. I had a copy of the very words of God, and he had chosen ME out of all the billions of people on earth, many of whom were much less fortunate. It was great for me, but it sucked for them...

Creation vs Evolution: An introduction

When I was a believer and a creationist, I was taught many things about evolution that were simply inaccurate. It wasn't until I went to the various sources and discovered the evidence for myself, that I truly understood what it was about. I strongly recommend you do the same.

Here is an introduction to evolution for creationists who may have only really heard about it from their religious teachers, parents and peers. There's definitely more to learn beyond this, but hopefully this will whet your appetite...