David Holden

Past ministry of David Holden

After service in the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) from 1969 to 1974, David Holden completed two years of formal theological training at the Sydney Missionary and Bible College.

After initially going back to secular work, David served as pastor of the West Rockhampton Baptist Church in Queensland Australia.
He has also served in interim pastoral ministry.

He has given numerous radio talks.
Spoken at Church camps.
Youth groups.
Taught Religious Instruction in schools.
After initially planning to serve overseas as a missionary, he came to realise (with the encouragement of several friends) that his missionary service is in the form of writing. With the help of the Internet, the teaching material is quickly going out to several contries from the home base in Australia.
Please pray for this work.

Reading Guide
For a basic introduction to Christianity, it is best to read the papers in the following order:

"The Beginning of Everything" or "The Mathematical Impossibility of the Theory of Evolution"
"The Objective Evidence For The Christian Faith" - This paper available in March.
"The Hindu the Muslim and the Christian"
"The Witness of Prophecy"
"God's Covenant With Abraham"
"The Kingdom of God"

After mastering the above, read:

"The Hand of God"

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NEWS ITEMS

"We Worship An Awesome God" Go
"The History of Julius Caesar and Jesus Christ" Go
"The Gospel and the fruit of the Gospel". Go
"Bali Bombers meet their fate". Go
"Debate". Go
"Read the Bible". Go
"That's My King" and "The Privileged Planet". Go
"The Hand of God" and "Wrong source of information" Go
"A Lesson From Life from a leading Atheist, Madalyn Murray O'Hair". Go
"Richard Dawkins". Go
"Conspiracy Theories" Go
"Foolish Belief", also "Car Development" Go

We Worship an Awesome God
The vital fuel source for all cellls: All living things need to manufacture Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) in order to survive. Scientists have discovered this energy-rich compound is manufactured by a complicated microscopic motor. The motor consists of at least 29 different parts which must fit together in the correct order. Every one of our body's fourteen trillion cells has many thousands of these amazing machines spinning at over 9,000 rpm. As each motor spins, the vital for life ATP molecules are produced. The molecules provide the power for everything that goes on in living cells, including the manufacture of DNA and RNA. Only God has the super intelligence and power to design and make the complicated machinery within every cell. Discovering this incredible machine is yet another blow to the theory of evolution idea that life has come about through a series of accidents. More information on this incredible machine is available in the September-November 2009 issue of "Creation" magazine. See pages 21-22. The magazine is available in many newsagents. See Creation.com regarding subscription. Click on external link. Use web browser back arrow to return to this page. Go
This article was uploaded on 09 Sept. 2009.

DNA Checking Machinery: In the same month of the report on the ATP fuel coming to me (September 2009), another discovery revealing the complexity of the machinery within every cell has emerged. A science reporter on ABC 'Radio National' (Australia) which was aired on Friday 4th at 0637 reports on the DNA checking ability of special micro biological machines (which are actually enzymes). These machines are at work in every cell in our body. They are constantly checking the DNA code. The micro machines face a big problem because there are three billion code letters which must be checked on a chromosome string, which if stretched out would measure two metres. If the code letters were printed in books, they could form a stack two metres high. The speed at which the remarkable task is performed has been a puzzle to scientists, but not any more.
It has been discovered that the enzymes work in pairs. They both latch onto a piece of code some distance from each other relatively speaking. They then send an electrical signal to each other. If there is a faithful transmission through the code to the other enzyme, they quickly move on to the next section of code. If however, there is a fault in the transmission, they then move slowly toward each other, laboriously checking each individual code. When a faulty piece of code is found, it is repaired. If a clear electrical transmission is restored, they then move quickly to the next section.
The above is another blow to the theory of evolution and clear testimony to the great genius of the one who designed the molecular machinery and put the three billion letters of code in place. We worship an awesome God.
This report, which starts with a discussion on HIV can be found at: http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2009/09/bst_20090904_0637.mp3
Go The Go link will take you to the ABC web site. You can skip the HIV part by quickly moving half way through the ten minute file.
The above file was accessed on 05 Sept. 2009.
This article was uploaded on 07 Sept. 2009.
Want more news on the failure of the theory of evolution? Check out a new paper titled, "Can The Theory of Evolution Survive The Attack of Science?" It is a free download from the main page. The above information is included in the paper (15 pages, uploaded on 02 November 2009).

The history of Julius Caesar and Jesus Christ
In my discussions with Atheists, I sometimes hear the claim that the Bible is a very ancient book, therefore it can’t be reliable, because we can’t be sure about history that comes from the distant past.
If I talk to an Atheist about secular history, he readily accepts the story as being true. The claim that it is too ancient to be reliable no longer applies. There is an approach which I sometimes use which can be effective in overcoming the inconsistency. The strategy is to talk briefly about readily accepted secular history before moving on to the more contentious subject of the history of Jesus Christ.
Take for instance, Julius Caesar, we know that he was assassinated in 44 BC. We even know the exact date on which he met his fate. It was the Ides of March, that is the fifteenth. The details don’t stop there. We also know that he was stabbed twenty-three times and that only one of the wounds was fatal; a deep wound in the back. Furthermore, the post-mortem revealed he was clutching a note warning of a plot against him. The above details were brought out in a TV documentary in 2008 titled, “Who Killed Julius Caesar?” The details are known to us more than 2,000 years after the event because eyewitness evidence was written down.
We know details about Jesus Christ today for the same reason. Details were written down regarding what he said and did. Among the many details reported about Jesus, we know that he was stabbed just once, and that was with a spear after his death on the cross to make sure he really was dead (John 19:34-37). The big difference between Scripture and secular writings is that Scripture is inspired of God. That means God moved the writers to write what they wrote (2 Tim. 3:16).
Regarding the death of Julius Caesar, it brought temporary euphoria for those involved in the plot, and little else. The outcome from the death of Jesus Christ is still being felt today in the lives of millions of people. Those who trust in the death of Christ for their sins gain the following:

• The assurance of sins forgiven and peace with God (John 3:16).
• Inner peace that the world can’t give (John 14:27, Acts 10:36).
• The benefit of a well-ordered and meaningful life when lived according to God’s will (Prov. 12:2, John 10:10, but the Godless endure much trouble. Rom. 3:9, 11).
• The assurance of a heavenly reward in the age to come (Eph. 6:8, John 14:2-3).

For more information on the saving work of Christ, see my paper, “The Hindu, the Muslim and the Christian”.
Uploaded on 05 June 2009.

The Gospel and the fruit of the gospel
In the 16th October 2008 edition of New Life Christian newspaper, a report is given of a Uniting Church minister giving his view of what the Gospel is. It quickly became apparent to me that this chap has failed to appreciate the distinction between ‘The Gospel’ and ‘The fruit of the gospel’. Among the many things he lists as being the Gospel he says:

“The Gospel is about invitation – joining in from where you are, not persuasion.
The Gospel is about bias – a particular regard for those on the margins.
The Gospel is about crossing boundaries – not respecting any division.
The Gospel is about leading – by being the servant of all.”
Its surprising how many people will accept such statements as being the Gospel, but they are not.

The Gospel
The first use of the word ‘gospel’ is in Matthew 4:23 where we read, “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” (Matt. 4:23).
The word ‘gospel’ (Greek euangelion) means 'good news'. In the above passage, we see Jesus tells the gospel, or good news of the kingdom of God. In another passage Jesus said, “... kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15, KJV). “... believe the good news!” (NIV).
After the resurrection of Christ, the gospel message changes. The apostle Paul makes clear to his readers what the gospel is. “... For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
We see from this that the focus of the gospel (good news) has shifted from the kingdom of God to the one who is the doorway to the kingdom.

The good news - post the ascension of Christ to the Father - is Christ-centred. It refers to the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ lived a life of perfect righteousness which is put to the believers account. “The Lord our righteousness” (Jer. 23:6. See also Rom. 1:17). Jesus also endured whipping and a cruel death on a cross. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21).

Jesus Christ stands in our place in regard to the righteousness that is required before God, and he also stands in our place with regard to the punishment required for sin. That is the substitutionary atonement. Part of the message includes the bodily resurrection of Christ and his ascension to the Father.
When a person proclaims the Gospel, he proclaims certain past historical events which are centred on the person and work of Christ. The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia says regarding the gospel.
“It is the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins and sonship with God restored through Christ. It means remission of sins and reconciliation with God. The gospel is not only a message of salvation, but also the instrument through which the Holy Spirit works (Rom 1:16).”

Pastors who fail to proclaim the work of Christ fail to proclaim the Gospel.
The Gospel is the good news of what God has done in Christ.
The fruit of the gospel is what God does in the life of the believer.
The Gospel, and the fruit of the Gospel should not be confused, those who do so end up declaring an unclear message.
For more information on another neglected and often misunderstood subject, the 'substitutionary atonement', see my paper titled, "The Hindu, the Muslim and the Christian", available from the main page.
Uploaded on 16 November 2008.
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Convicted Bali Bombers Meet Their Fate
09 November 2008. The convicted Bali bombers who took the lives of 202 people were executed by firing squad at 0015 hrs this morning. But that is not the end of the matter, they must next stand before God on judgment day to answer for their religion of hate and murder which has born fruit in the suffering of so many.
Jesus said, “‘By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, ...’” (Matt. 7:16-21).
Uploaded on 10 November 2008.
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Skeptics Vs Creationists
Recently I read a Creation Ministries booklet titled, “Skeptics Vs Creationists”. The booklet dealt with a formal debate between the two parties which was hosted by, and placed in the Sydney Morning Herald weblog of Margo Kingston, a well-known weft-wing Australian journalist.
Often in these types of debate, the person challenging the Creationist takes a purely atheistic approach, which means the first form of life was just an accident. Complicated forms of life are just the end result of a long series of accidents. See my paper, “Just a Few Accidents”.
Imagine my surprise when the Skeptic avoided the difficult problem of how the first instance of life occurred by allowing the possibility that God exists. In defence of evolution he says, “It is not about the origin of life. It is not about the origin of the universe. It is about the journey which has brought us from there to here; whether that journey was initiated or guided by God is outside the realm of scientific investigation.” (page 30).
It is easy to visualise a situation on judgment day where God challenges this man by saying, “If you believed it is possible I exist, then why didn’t you seek after me? Away from me you wicked fellow to the punishment you deserve!”
The Australian skeptics are described in the booklet as a group that “investigates the paranormal and pseudo-science from a responsible scientific viewpoint”. One member of the group runs a web site which aims to tackle the problem of uncritical thinking.
The theory of evolution is not accepted by a large number of scientists, but the skeptics have swallowed the theory “hook, line and sinker”. It appears to me that their ability of critically look at ideas only works some of the time.
God has created mankind, and we have the ability to communicate with each other. If we have the ability to talk with each other, then quite clearly, God has the ability to talk to us. Those who want to investigate the question of whether or not God has spoken to us should read the article, “The Objective Evidence For The Christian Faith” available from the main page in March 2010.
Uploaded on 01 November 2008. Return to - Index

Read the Bible
“For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6).

As a young man in the Air Force in the 1970s, I committed myself to the task of reading the Bible from cover to cover. One of the men who shared my room - a Christian - asked me what I was doing. I explained it was my intention to read right through the Bible.
He then explained to me his concern that I was getting a little too familiar with the holy book by spending so much time reading it. His view was one of adoration and awe for the book, so that you put it up on a shelf and stood back a little from it, taking it down occasionally to refresh your mind regarding an important passage.
My reply to him was that the Bible is a message from God to us which must be understood and obeyed. Failure to understand and obey can have serious consequences. The Bible is a tool for discovery and obedience. It is not an end in itself. God, the author of the Bible, is to be the object of our adoration and worship. I am thankful that I developed a keen interest in what God is telling mankind through his word.
My reading plan was quite simple. I started at the beginning of the Bible and committed myself to reading at least ten pages before going to the mess (dining room) for dinner. My plan was to read through the Bible at least twice before going to Bible College. I easily met my target by reading half way through the book for the third time before commencing studies at the Sydney Missionary and Bible College in 1974.
My commitment to read through the Bible came out of theological debate in my parents home. When I was a child, Jehovah’s Witnesses called in to the home to discuss the Bible. My maternal grandfather became concerned and came on at least a couple of occasions to debate their doctrines. He brought his more biblically aware brother, Sern Jensen.
I was too young to follow the debate, but I could see that my great uncle had a confidence about what he was declaring because of his knowledge of the Bible. I understood that what they were debating was important, so I vowed and declared that I would read the Bible from cover to cover so as to understand for myself what the truth is.
Today, people are not reading the Bible as much as they should. Part of the reason comes from the many distractions of the modern world. There are now many opportunities to choose superficiality and pleasure over substance and importance.
There are solutions. If the TV is a distraction, switch it off and commit yourself to not turn it on each night until you have read a set section of Scripture. Just as an athlete must set his mind to the task when training for his temporary prise, so too, those who study the word of God must set their mind to the task, because they work for a far greater prise.
Today I have read the Bible from cover to cover more than ten times, and the New Testament many more times. It is by reading the Bible right through that I am able to dig up many of its treasures.
Occasionally I am asked how I was able to write articles such as “God’s Covenant With King David”. The answer is, I have no easy method. As I continually read through the Bible, I take particular note of the topic I am studying at the time as I come across it in my reading. I don’t like to let treasure slip through my fingers so I take notes of important statements I come across. Sometimes I find I do not have all of the information I require until I read through the Bible again, focussing on the particular interest. Finally, the information is put together to form an interesting story for others to enjoy. The paper dealing with God’s covenant with King David is now part of a larger paper titled “The Hand of God”. You can now download that paper from the main page.
While that paper and others on the web site will be helpful for the student of God’s Word, they are no substitute to the exercise of reading the Bible. Those who are familiar with the truth will not so easily become the victims of error.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) Posted on 08 June 2008.
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That's My King
Those who have a data projector in their church and want to give a brief heart-warming soul-stiring message ahead of a further message, then the web site listed below may be helpful to you. The title of the message is "That's My King". It runs for six minutes. The file comes in several qualities, from Email quality (2.8 MB) to best quality at around 90 MB. Best quality is well worth the extra space on your hard drive.
It is not unusual for people to keep this audio/visual file on their computer and watch it several times. The web site is in the UK, it is being promoted by this site in Australia and the preacher is American. That's a worldwide ministry! The preacher has now gone to glory to meet his King, but the message lives on. Go to:
http://www.4-14.org.uk/thats-my-king-s-m-lockridge

The Privileged Planet
News update: Since posting the comment below, I have added more material. The paper attached to The Mathematical Impossibility of the Theory of Evolution is now titled A Finely Tuned Universe.

I don’t normally advertise DVDs, but “The Privileged Planet” is the first DVD in the intelligent design category which has that “I must see that again” quality about it.
Regarding the earth and its atmosphere, it is generally known that the atmosphere is held onto the earth by gravity. Well actually, there is more to it than that. Our earth has a hot molten iron core which is constantly in motion generating a magnetic field. The magnetic field is necessary to hold the atmosphere to the earth. Without the field, the atmosphere would be stripped from the earth by the solar wind. There are many other similar bits of information on the DVD.
The DVD makes the point that there are at least twenty physical laws which must be correct (little margin for error) to support a complex form of life. The number of laws known to be necessary for complex life has grown since the production of the DVD.
Some Atheists are making the claim that the correct laws for our existence are just a coincidence and that other amazing coincidences have happened in the past. For instance, the list of coincidences between Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy. I have refuted that argument in a short (one page) addition to my paper “ The Mathematical Impossibility of the Theory of Evolution” (5 pages). See page two on the main page of the web site.
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Photos
Those who like photos will be pleased to know that I have added an illustrative photo at the end of my document titled “God’s Covenant With King David”. Html version only. No room at the end of the .pdf version without going onto the next page, which would look untidy in the print version format.

The Hand of God
A booklet titled, "The Hand of God" was uploaded on 01 March 2007. It looks at the remarkable hand of God through time, culminating in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those who fall into error on the subject of the baptism of the Holy Spirit usually do so because they focus on a verse of Scripture here and there and fail to give sufficient attention to the overall plan of God as revealed in the rest of Scripture. When the overall plan of God is understood, many of the otherwise difficult passages of Scripture are clearly understood. It is the primary focus of this web page to give readers an understanding of the bigger picture before going into detail on individual verses of Scripture. Take a look at "The Hand of God" and enjoy. A free download (22 pages, .pdf format) available from the main page.

Wrong source of information
People can get themselves into a lot of trouble when they reject God and get their values from another source. Take for instance the case of Devin Moore, a young man in the United States who now sits on death row.
Devin was taken to an Alabama police station for questioning about a stolen car. He was initially cooperative, but suddenly lunged for the policeman’s gun. He successfully grabbed the gun and fatally shot the police officer. Before escaping in a police car, he shot and killed two more police. He was later captured and questioned about the incident. He is reported to have said at one point, “Life is like a video game. You have to die sometime.” (1)
If there is no God, then the claim that life is like a video game is largely true. You just live out your life the way you feel is best and take your chances. People like Devin need to know there is a God who gives meaning and joy to life. On the other hand, if God is ignored, the offender faces the certainty of a just punishment which lasts much longer than anything the courts can deliver. For information on how to get right with God, read, “Four Things You Need to Know”. (Available from the main page, page 1).
End Note: (1) (Helen Phillips, New Scientist, 21 April 2007, p. 33).
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A lesson from life, Madalyn Murray O’Hair
People fit fairly broadly into one of four groups when it comes to beliefs about God.

Those who are born again children of God through Jesus Christ who are passionate about their commitment to him.
Those who are God-fearing and may follow one of the world’s religions.
Those who acknowledge there must be a god, but make no commitment to follow him.
The atheist. The person who believes there is no God. Those at the bottom end of this group passionately proclaim their atheistic views.

Madalyn O’Hair, wasn’t simply an atheist, she was a passionate atheist. In 1952 she completed a law degree but never practised law. No doubt her knowledge of law helped her to advance her aims which were to take every thought of God out of American life.
In 1960 she filed a lawsuit (Murray v. Curlett) against the Bultimore, Maryland School District claiming it was unconstitutional for her son William to participate in Bible readings at Baltimore public schools. The case went to the United States Supreme Court which voted 8-1 in her favour, effectively banning ‘coercive’ public prayer and Bible-reading at public schools in the United States. Following the decision of the Supreme Court, she founded American Atheists.

Those who followed Madalyn’s atheistic beliefs were encouraged to give to her cause. She received large amounts of money which totalled in the millions. Some of the money ended up in her secret Swiss bank accounts. That’s not surprising. She did not believe there was a God to whom she must give an account on judgment day.
David Roland Waters was hired to work in the office of American Atheists as an office manager and typesetter. He was a devout atheist proven by the fact that he gave no thought for God when he committed some vicious crimes for which he spent time in jail.
David Waters continued in his Godless ways. He stole from the American Atheists organisation. He was convicted of stealing $54,000 from the organisation. During his period of employment at the office, there were several suspicious burglaries. Madalyn wrote a scathing article about David Waters exposing some of his crimes. The article was meant for members only, but a disgruntled member gave David a copy. David was furious and planned his revenge.

From 27th August 1995, Madalyn, her son Jon and Robin whom she had adopted were not publically seen again. She left a note at the headquarters of American Atheists in Austin implying an absence for some time and a visit to San Antonio, Texas. The following month, her son Jon ordered $600,000 (USD) worth of gold coins from a San Antonio jeweller, but took delivery of only $500,000 (USD).
After a lengthy absence, people began to speculate that they had fled the country with money stolen from the organisation. Eventually a murder investigation focussed on David Waters. Police concluded that he with accomplices had kidnapped the O’Hairs, forced them to withdraw the missing funds and then murdered them.
To escape the death penalty for the murder of the O’Hairs, David Waters showed police where they were buried. Two years to the day after revealing their burial place, David Waters died in prison of lung cancer.
As for the stolen gold coins, David Waters kept them in a suitcase in a storage unit rented by his girlfriend. It was secured by a cheap padlock. He took out $US 80,000 worth of coins and partied with his girlfriend. When he eventually came back to get more, he found the remaining $US 420,000 missing. Petty thieves operating in the area used a master key to gain access to the storage units. When they opened the storage unit and the suitcase, they struck gold. They spent the money in what can be best described as wild and reckless living. Police recovered only one of the gold coins.

Lets think for a moment about the beliefs of Madalyn O’Hair. Her belief was that if you could get rid of God in your life, you would be free and happy because you decide how to run your life, not God. You are only answerable to yourself. Because of this attitude, Madalyn repeatedly failed as an employee because she wanted to tell those senior to her how to run the business. Consequently, she was fired from several positions. She repeatedly failed in her relationships with men. Two marriages failed, and she had at least two failed illicit relationships.
As for the relationships between the Atheists in her office, instead of everyone being happy liberated people, there was bitterness and strife. Sometimes the strife developed into shouting matches with each person trying to make his or her view dominant.

Madalyn Murray O’Hair spent much of her life trying to get people to forget about God, but that did not stop God from reaching out to someone very close to her, her son William. In 1980 William under a move of the Spirit of God, placed his faith in Jesus Christ. He became a Baptist pastor and a passionate preacher of the gospel. Occasionally, when his mother organised a rally, he would rally believers to protest close by to counteract her false message. William knew first hand just how destructive his mother’s belief system was to her life.

What did the Atheists gain from all the millions of dollars they poured into their anti-God cause? The answer is, very little. They gave little thought to the consequences of giving money to a belief system which has no ultimate accountability, and they lost all of their money to people who engaged in self-indulgent living.
God honours those who honour Him.

“...Those who honour me I will honour, but those who despise me will be disdained.” (1 Samuel 2:30).

Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madalyn_Murray_O’Hair
TV programme, “Cutting Edge”, SBS, 06 February 2007.

Uploaded March 2007 Index

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Richard Dawkins
Just before Christmas 2006, The Courier Mail newspaper reviewed a book written by Oxford University Professor, Richard Dawkins titled, "The God Delusion”. As the name suggests, this book puts up arguments for the claim that God doses not exist. Dawkins denounces all religion as absurd.
One reviewer says, “Disappointingly, Dawkins fails to see the difference between moderate Christian groups and fundamentalists with links to terrorist groups.” Quite clearly, Dawkins is taking a rather simplistic approach to the subject he is dealing with. Would Dawkins be happy with a student taking a simplistic approach with a science subject?
Dawkin’s book has enraged believers such as Terry Eagleton, the Professor of English Literature at Manchester University. In comments published in the London Telegraph he complained Dawkins’s book contained “vulgar caricatures of religious faith that would make a first-year theology student wince”.
Rival science writer Professor Stephen Jones who wrote the best seller, “The Single Helix” said of Dawkins book, “... it was depressing to see the forces of irrationality coming back again”. Jones is the Professor of Genetics at University College London. (The Courier Mail, 23 December 2006, p. 25) Clearly, Dawkins can write a book with simplistic arguments attacking the existence of God, but can he go to a laboratory, put together some ingredients within a specially designed shell, then place his ‘seed’ in soil, water it and watch it grow up into a plant? Hardly likely. On just this one point, God wins, Dawkins loses. Web sites like this one are needed in an age where Christianity is coming under increased attack. Inform your friends so that they can be encouraged.
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NEWS
New paper: "Conspiracy Theories"
A year or two back, there was a documentary on TV on spying. Under the subject of ‘disinformation’ - you and I would call it just plain ‘lying’- a former KGB officer was interviewed. He confessed to working with another KGB officer on a book which had the aim of leading Americans to distrust their government.
The book took advantage of the then recent John F Kennedy assassination. It made the claim that Kennedy was shot on the orders of agents within the government and that government officials put measures in place to cover up their work. The book is a complete work of fiction apart from the basic facts.
In recent years there has been an increase in books with a government conspiracy theme. They are clearly written with the aim of getting as many people as possible to distrust the free and open democratic process which we enjoy. Some examples include the International Bankers conspiracy theory which became popular in the 1970s. That theory which has now lost favour wanted us to believe communism was financed by powerful international bankers.
More recently, a theory proposes the massacre of thirty-five people at Port Arthur in 1996 was carried out by or with the aid of the Australian government. A more daring theory claims the attack by terrorists on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon was carried out on orders of the Bush administration. The theory even makes the rather absurd claim that the damage to the Pentagon was caused by a missile instead of a jet airliner. Again, the aim of the theory is to get people to distrust their government.
It has come to my notice that some Christians are believing the stories and are helping to spread them. Those who think there is any substance to one or more of the stories may like to read my rebuttals. See file: 'Conspiracies.htm' accessed from the main page under the Refuting Error section (page three).
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Foolish belief
A few months back, I stood in line at a checkout where the steady progress of people past the cashier had come to a halt. A lady was rummaging through a box of stones on display. A sign on the side of the box said, "Lucky Stones". She had already grabbed four or five stones when she made the comment that she was trying to find the stone marked "Harmony". It apparently didn't occur to her that someone had simply collected the stones out of a river bed and had put labels on the stones with a nice sounding word to encourage buyers. At $1.00 per stone, she paid a high price for her foolish behaviour.
If you want to read something that really does make sense, read "The Objective Evidence For The Christian Faith". It's free. Access from main page. Index

Car development
Regarding the release of the new model Holden (VE) widely reported on in August 2006, one car reporter had this to say. “It has cost a staggering $1.2 billion to develop over eight years and has undergone the most intensive parts and components validation in the company’s history.” (Gordon Lomas, Cars Guide, The Courier Mail, 05 August 2006, p. 3).
Quite clearly, GMH did not think chance random processes could produce a good quality car. Chance random processes will not produce the complicated machinery found within all living things. If you want to see how hopelessly inadequate chance random processes are at producing a complicated piece of machinery, then read my paper, “The Mathematical Impossibility of The Theory of Evolution” accessed from the main page. For a slightly humourous look at the theory of evolution, go to: “The Beginning of Everything”.

The Da Vinci Code
This article has been moved to the end of the paper on Conspiracies (See 'Conspiracies.htm' or 'Conspiracies.pdf'). Index

ARCHIVE
News in this section has dropped out of mainstream current interest

Religious Instruction in Queensland
This news will apply primarily to residents of Queensland Australia, but may be of interest to others as well.
The Courier Mail (Saturday 15 April 2006, p. 1) reported on an attempt by the Beattie Labor government to change the laws governing religious education in Queensland. The proposed changes would have allowed Humanists, Athiests and others to push their views on to children. Thanks to those who have protested over these moves, particularly to clear thinking politicians such as Stuart Copeland who "slammed the laws, saying they hailed from the ‘loopy left of the Labour Party’" (CM, 18 April 2006, p. 2) and also Carolyn Cormack. The battle to present to children the truth has been won for the time being. Regarding this win, the Courier Mail says:

“Plans to widen religious education in state schools have been dumped after the Beattie Government bowed to pressure from conservative Christian groups. The backflip followed growing concern among Labor backbenchers that the Government would face electoral opposition from some Christian churches and right-wing community groups.
But humanist and representatives of some minority religions said the current rules were discriminatory and vowed to continue their fight for equal access. Premier Peter Beattie and Education Minister Rod Welford yesterday announced the Government had shelved the plan but did not rule out similar changes in the future." (Rosemary Odgers and Lachlan Heywood, The Courier Mail, 23 May 2006, p.1).
We may need to take up the fight at a later time as the last part of that report reveals.

See following, the earlier report from the Courier Mail and my comments:
The Courier Mail (Saturday 15 April 2006, p. 1) reports. “Any belief system could soon be taught in Queensland state schools following changes to the laws governing religious education. The changes will allow any group - religious or not - to offer spiritual instruction to children, provided their parents agree. The State Government has pressed ahead with the changes despite the protests of Christian churches worried about marginalising religion in schools ... Under section 75 of the Education (General Provisions) Bill 2006, due to be enacted this year, no student will attend religious education lessons unless their parents write to the school requiring them to do so. And in line with anti-discrimination laws, religious education classes will no longer be taught solely by church representatives. Groups with a non-religious system of beliefs - providing they are apolitical - will also be allowed to teach religious education classes. The Australian Humanist Society expects the Bill to be enacted in July...”
It appears the government has been swayed by the Humanist Society. The paper reports that the Humanist Society “has already drawn up a syllabus dealing with science-based education, creative thinking, ethical responsibility and the separation of the church and state.” (p. 1).
It appears that under the above system, a child’s knowledge that one day, he or she must stand before God and answer for what he or she has done is to be replaced by ‘ethical responsibility’. But why bother with ‘ethical responsibility’ if you think you can get away with a bit of self indulgance and perhaps a bit of crime as well? I think it was back in 2003 that the Beattie government made witchcraft legal in Queensland. The Beattie government also brought in Sunday trading. This legislation is another step in the wrong direction.
Parents with children in state run schools will need to monitor very carefully what their children are being taught. If they are not certain, they should probably decide to not have their children taught religious instruction through the school system.

Web sites like this one are becoming increasingly important in today’s world where people are facing distracting forces; the pleasures of the world along with God denying and God distorting doctrines. If you find this web site helpful, don’t keep it to yourself, tell a friend.

Yours in Christ
David Holden