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This is an updated and expanded version of a short, one-part article which I first authored in April of 1997. It contains all of the original comments and responses, as well as a huge amount of brand new material which I have added in January of 2017, and also today, March 16, 2018, over twenty years after the original article was written. It is now a three-part series. In light of the death of noted theoretical physicist and cosmologist, Stephen Hawking, only two days ago, I think you will find this series to be particularly relevant at this current time. I hope you enjoy it.

Following is part of a conversation in which I engaged with a friend on the Internet regarding modern science, and how some people -- for one reason or another -- have chosen to abandoned their faith in God and the Bible, and have placed their faith instead in the doctrines and theories which are supported and promoted by those educators who claim to be telling us the truth in our modern-day educational system. My friends remarks are set apart in quote blocks, while my responses to him follow immediately after his comments. Perhaps you will identify with some of what we are saying here:

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. . . This carries on into all of my realms of thinking - I never EVER try to assume (being human, I occasionally slip), nor do I ever take anything as it is told to me unless I am sure the source is concrete enough to stand on. In my personal belief, the bible isn't sturdy enough. The mention of a deity is (not to mention miracles and the like), in my eyes, against many of the laws of matter and energy that so far have withstood the test of time and LOTS of potential debunking.

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Well, actually, I also tend to be a very analytical, mental type of person. However, I must admit that I am saddened to learn that you have made modern science your religion. People have to put their faith in something. I have chosen to place my faith in God and the Bible. Whether you will admit it to yourself or not, it does require a type of "blind faith" to believe many of the theories which today have been accepted as indisputable fact by a lot of scientists in the different disciplines. Don't get me wrong. There is a lot of truth in the natural sciences which explain how things work, such as biology, for example. However, when they start spouting off their theories -- such as evolution, for which the missing links have never been discovered -- telling us that the Earth is billions of years old, and other such things which clearly contradict the Bible, then, personally, that is where I have to draw the line and protest.

While honest scientists are obviously motivated by a desire to understand the mechanics of our world -- as well as that of the Universe as a whole -- and to also improve the human condition, at the same time, I have long held the view that one of the darker by-products of some of these sciences -- which the Bible refers to as "science falsely so called" -- is that they try to discredit God and the Bible. That may not be what they initially intended to do, but when such sciences promote ideas which directly contradict the Bible, then they are in effect forcing people to make an actual choice between the two. Of course, there are likewise some militant, atheist scientists as well who do not even try to hide their disdain for God and the Bible. The Apostle Paul writes as follows:

"O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:"


Please note that in the previous verse, the word "science" is derived from the Koine Greek word "gnosis". This word is normally translated as "knowledge" in the New Testament of the King James Version of the Bible. This is the only verse where it is actually translated as "science", and I am not sure why the translators made this particular choice.

At any rate, the point is, not all knowledge, and thus not all science, is necessarily good. This is in fact an issue which I discuss in my companion article entitled "Science and Technology: The Forbidden Knowledge?". Let me just say this: There must have been a very good reason regarding why Adam and Eve were prohibited from nearing the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that was located in the middle of Garden of Eden, as we see by these verses:

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat . . . And he [the LORD] said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? . . . And unto Adam he [the LORD] said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return . . . And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."


Clearly, whatever knowledge Adam and Eve gained that day was not good for them, was probably too much for them to handle, and was not intended for them to have. Thus, God chose to do what He did that sad day by driving the First Pair out of the beautiful Garden of Eden, and making it impossible for them to ever return to that wonderful place. Following are a few more verses which discuss these darker kinds of knowledge:

"For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."


"This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish."


"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"


"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."


How well the previous verses describe some of the knowledge and science which is known to the world today, which has been used to discover, invent and create certain thing which have been painted for us as good things, when in fact they are quite evil. Clearly, their implementation has not born what I would consider to be positive results. I am reminded in particular of nuclear weapons and other types of WMD -- Weapons of Mass Destruction -- and the murderous practice of abortion, for example. They are instruments of death, and not instruments of life.

Returning to the public education system, sadly, many people have swallowed their lies. We really can't blame the young children. After all, they are too immature and inexperienced in the ways of the world to know and recognize that some of the things they are being taught is utter nonsense. I wonder if you [meaning my Internet friend of decades ago] personally have spent as much time reading and studying the Bible as you have in reading and accepting what you have been taught in school. Why is it that certain people are so quick to accept without question what is taught in our public schools and on university campuses, yet they totally reject or have a hard time accepting God's truth, as it is written in the Bible?

I have mentioned a few times before that even if I had never read the Bible a single time, just by looking out across a beautiful landscape, or up at the star-filled night sky, or at the wonders and profound complexities of ocean life, or human life, or animal life, it would be enough to convince me that there is indeed an intelligent Designer and Creator behind it all. For me personally, there is ample proof of God's existence. Being the logical person that I tend to be, I would be humbly and honestly forced to recognize this truth. A number of the Bible's authors expressed this very same viewpoint in the multitude of their writings. I am reminded of what King David and the Apostle Paul wrote in particular:

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;"


"[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."


"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"


The Apostle Paul's conclusion is quite clear, and absolutely correct. Nonbelievers are without excuse, because they are in fact surrounded by strong evidence for God's existence in the natural world, yet they stubbornly deny Him, wilfully remain in their blind ignorance, and continue to cling to so many of their misguided ideas. However, exactly as Paul also told the supposedly wise Greeks on Mars Hill two thousand years ago, God has grown tired of their ignorance, and their deep-seated stubbornness, and requires that all people everywhere repent of their unbelief, as we see by the following verse:

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:"


The subjects of ignorance and spiritual blindness -- willful or not -- are addressed in quite a few other verses which we find in God's Word. Let me share some of them with you for your personal consideration:

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."


"And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."


"(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day."


"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."


"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear."


"Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."


"And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."


"But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him."


"And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."


"And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know."


"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant."


"But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart."


"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."


"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."


"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself."


"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."


The pages of the Bible also dedicate quite a bit of space to the examination of human stubbornness. This is particularly true when it comes to the discussion of the stubbornness and rebelliousness of the ancient Israelites, who repeatedly and quite often departed from the ways of the Lord, and chose to go their own way, with dire consequences for doing the same. Again, following are some sample verses for your personal consideration:

"I prayed therefore unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:"


"If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear."


"And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way."


"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king."


"And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God."


"Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house."


In the following verses that are found in the Book of Jeremiah, the word "imagination" is translated from the Hebrew word "sh@riyruwth". This word actually means stubbornness or hardness. Why the translators chose to translate it as "imagination" is beyond me.

"But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward."


"And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink."


"For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not."


"Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear."


"Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law; And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me: Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour."


But God's warnings against willful ignorance, stubbornness and spiritual blindness are also made equally clear in the Bible. He repeatedly admonishes us to not harden our hearts, or allow our hearts to grow cold against the truth of His Word -- or the conviction that the truth of His Word brings to our hearts -- and His Will for our lives. Following is yet another set of verses for your personal consider. Note in particular God's warning to not harden our hearts when it comes to the issue of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. This is obviously the worst mistake of all:

"Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."


"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."


"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"


"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."


"For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened."


"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."


"And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?"


"And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept."


"Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen."


"Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?"


"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."


"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."


"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;"


"Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years . . . Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God . . . While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."


"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God . . . While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."


"Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts."


Please go to part two for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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