Dr. Caroline Leaf, Neuroscientist

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Will Myers

By Guest Writer, Dr. Caroline Leaf

MULTITASKING IS A MYTH

See this 2.25min VIMEO

One of the plagues of modern existence is multitasking, which leads to the current plague of “hurry sickness” and obsessive time management. The truth about multitasking is that it is a persistent myth. What we really do is shift our attention rapidly from task to task, resulting in two bad things: (1) We don’t devote as much focused attention as we should to a specific activity or task or piece of information. (2) We sacrifice the quality of our attention. I call this “milkshake-multi tasking.”

Multitasking Is a Persistent Myth

This poor focusing of attention and lack of quality in our thought lives is the complete opposite of how the brain is designed to function and causes a level of brain damage. Every rapid, incomplete, and poor quality shift of thought is like making a milkshake with your brain cells and neurochemicals. This milkshake-multitasking, which is the truth behind multitasking, creates patterns of flightiness and lack of concentration that are unfortunately often erroneously labeled ADD and ADHD and that are too often unnecessarily medicated, adding fuel to the fire. And it’s a rapid downhill slide from there if we don’t get back to our God-design of deep, intellectual attention. What does deep, focused, intellectual attention look like versus milkshake multitasking? The answer is modeled in Proverbs 4:20–23: “My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight. Never stop thinking about them. These words are the secret of life and health to all who discover them. Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.” We understand that we are deeply intellectual beings –are you surprised? We are made in God’s image after all. He designed us to think through things one at a time in a focused, quality manner by paying attention, listening intently, keeping our eyes on one thing, and fixing it in our mind.

The 140-Character Twitter

This contrasts undeniably with the general pattern of modern life today in which so much attention is paid to twittering, instagramming, and facebooking to the point that we forget all about enjoying the moment. We are told by so-called social media experts that information needs to be in bite-size amounts and in a constant stream of new information before the previous information has even been digested. This is not stimulation; it is bombardment. We have been reduced to 140 characters and an addiction to looking for the next informational high. Students can’t sit quietly and enjoy reading a book, allowing their imagination to take flight. Before sharing some of the researched consequences of this milkshake multi-tasking momentum we are in, I want to assure you that I believe social media plays an important role in society, business, and life. When used correctly and in a balanced way, it is a phenomenal communications tool. I am all for progress. Used incorrectly, however, this good thing becomes a bad thing.

It’s All about Balance 

Our brain responds with healthy patterns, circuits, and neurochemicals when we think deeply, but not when we skim the surface of multiple pieces of information. Colossians 3:15 in the Amplified Bible explains peace as “soul harmony” that comes from Christ and that acts as an umpire who helps us think, choose, decide, and settle with finality all questions that arise in our minds. But milkshake multitasking switches off our brain, making soul harmony impossible. Scientists have found that the amount of time spent milkshake multitasking among American young people has increased by 120 percent in the last ten years. According to a report in the Archives of General Psychiatry, exposure to more television and other electronic media during the teenage years—such as playing a computer game while watching television—appears to be associated with increased depression and anxiety in young adulthood, especially among men. Considering that teens are exposed to an average of eight and a half hours of multitasking electronic media per day, we need to change something quickly.

Social Media Enthusiast or Addict?

Another concern this raises is whether you or your teen is a social media enthusiast or simply a social media addict? This is a very real problem—so much so that researchers from Norway developed a new instrument to measure Facebook addiction called the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale. Social media has become as ubiquitous as television in our everyday lives, and this research shows that multitasking social media can be as addictive as drugs, alcohol, and chemical substance abuse. A large number of friends on social media networks may appear impressive, but according to a new report, the more social circles a person is linked to, the more likely the social media will be a source of stress. It can also have a detrimental effect on consumer well-being because milkshake multitasking interferes with clear thinking and decision making, which lowers self-control and leads to rash, impulsive buying and poor eating decisions. Greater social media use is associated with a higher body mass index, increased binge eating, a lower credit score, and higher levels of credit card debt for consumers with many close friends in their social network—all caused by a lack of self-control.

We Can Become Shallow

Milkshake multitasking decreases our attention, making us increasingly less able to focus on our thought habits. This opens us up to shallow and weak judgments and decisions and results in passive mindlessness. Deep, intellectual thought, on the other hand, results in interactive mindfulness— the “soul harmony” presented in Colossians 3:15. This requires engaging passionately with the world. We need to increase our awareness of our thoughts and take the time to understand and reflect on them. Let us now take a look at some studies that show the impact of changing from a milkshake multitasking mindset to a deep, intellectual mindset. In 2012 a research group at the University of Washington did an interesting study on the effects of meditation training on multitasking. They found that the subjects of the study had fewer negative emotions, could stay on task longer, had improved concentration, switched between tasks more frequently, and spent their time more efficiently. These results excited me because I found similar results in my own research.

My Research

In my documented research with patients who had traumatic brain injury (TBI) and students and adults who had learning and emotional disabilities, I was astounded at the change in their cognitive and emotional function once they started applying a more deeply intellectual thinking pattern. I abandoned all traditional therapy, trained them in my 5-Step Switch on Your Brain® technique and showed them how to apply it to their daily life. The changes were almost immediate: improved focus, concentration, and understanding, shifting efficiency, overall effectiveness in producing quality work. There were even positive emotional changes, specifically in self-motivation and self-esteem. And it didn’t stop there; over time they continued to improve in cognitive and emotional functioning. Once they were set on a healthy thinking path, it continued upward in a cascading fashion.

ORDER the Switch on Your Brain with the 5-Step learning Process

In the ensuing past twenty years, I have seen this in thousands of patients and clients. This work is the result of God’s guidance because when I started down this path, it was the complete opposite my academic training. I instinctively began with and continue to use Scripture—specifically the drive and focus that is called for in Proverbs—as guidance and motivation for my research on the science of thought. This research produced what I call the Switch on Your Brain® 5-Step Process, which teaches people to use disciplined, focused attention to develop the kind of thinking pattern that has huge benefits on attention networks and saves us from the enemy of distraction.

The benefits of focused thinking and disciplined concentration are not just behavioral. Everything you do and say is first a thought in your physical brain. You think, then you do, which cycles back to the original thought, changing it and the thoughts connected to it in a dynamic interrelationship. As the Scriptures say: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7).

Scientists See Evidence

Scientists are seeing the evidence of deep, intellectual thought versus milkshake multitasking in the brain. Deep, intellectual thinking activates the prefrontal cortex (just above your eyebrows) in a positive way, producing increased concentration, less distraction, less switching between tasks, decreased emotional volatility, and overall increase in job completion. Scientists have also found that deep, intellectual thinking improves connections within and between nerve networks, specifically in the front part of the brain and between the front and middle parts of the brain.

Other researchers found that when an individual pays attention to a stimulus, the neurons in the cerebral cortex that represent this object show increased attention. We can also alter these patterns of activity by altering our attention, which remaps the cortex.

For more on Milkshake Multitasking and for references, see:

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Do Neanderthal Cave Structures Challenge Human Exceptionalism?

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Will Myers
June 16, 2016
By Guest Writer, Dr. Fazale Rana

When I visited Great Britain years ago, I was surprised at how difficult it was for me to cross busy streets. Because cars travel on the opposite side of the road, I found myself instinctively looking in the wrong direction when checking for oncoming traffic. I quickly realized that to avoid becoming a fatality, I had to be doubly cautious when making my way across busy intersections.

Over the years, I have also come to learn that an extra measure of caution pays off when navigating “scientific” claims that Neanderthals possessed symbolic and religious capabilities just like us. The latest claim centers around the mysterious structures Neanderthals “built” deep within the interior of the Bruniquel Cave located in southwestern France.1 A number of anthropologists interpret these cave structures as evidence for Neanderthal symbolism and religious behavior.

If Neanderthals displayed symbolic and religious capabilities, it would cause serious damage to the concept of human exceptionalism (which I would argue aligns with the biblical concept of the image of God) and the RTB human origins model. But did Neanderthals even build these structures, and if they did, what exactly do these structures evince?

The Bruniquel Cave Structures

In 1990, while exploring the Bruniquel Cave, speleologists (scientists who investigate caves) came across an ensemble of stalagmites arranged to form semicircular structures in a difficult-to-access chamber about 1,000 feet from the cave entrance. They discovered a total of six structures made from about 400 pieces of stalagmites, some of which appear to be stacked to form walls.

It was only in the last few years that archaeologists began to carefully study these structures. It turns out that the structures built from the stalagmite pieces date to around 175,000 years in age. About 120 stalagmite pieces also show evidence that they were heated by fire. Archaeologists have unearthed animal bones near the structures that show probable evidence that they were heated as well. Because the only hominids present in Europe at that time were the Neanderthals, archaeologists maintain that they were the ones who built these structures.

These mysterious structures raise a number of questions. Were they the work of a lone individual or did several Neanderthals work together to assemble the semicircular walls? If they were the work of a team, it could indicate that Neanderthals lived within a complex societal framework.

No one knows yet why Neanderthals built these structures, but many anthropologists are tempted to interpret these structures as evidence for ritualistic activities. Paola Villa from the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History states, “A plausible explanation is that this was a meeting place for some type of ritual social behavior.”2

The Challenge to the RTB Human Origins Model

Instead of understanding hominids as evolutionary intermediates, our biblically based human origins model—described in detail in Who Was Adam?—views Neanderthals and other hominids as animals made by God with limited emotional and intellectual capabilities, like the great apes. These capacities explain the remarkable behavior of Neanderthals, such as their tool use. But we maintain that, in spite of their intelligence, Neanderthals and other hominids lacked the image of God and, therefore, were not spiritual beings. We reserve that quality for humans alone. We view symbolism and religious expression as two facets of the image of God, and consequently, assert that Neanderthals and other hominids must lack those capabilities. Biological similarities between humans and hominids are a manifestation of common design, not common descent.

Did Neanderthals Build the Cave Structures?

Though a number of anthropologists are quick to attribute the Bruniquel Cave structures to Neanderthals, it may be that these hominids had nothing to do with them at all. This skepticism gains justification by the extreme rarity of these cave structures. It is curious that these structures date to 175,000 years in age—130,000 years before Neanderthals disappeared—and yet, the only known occurrence of stalagmite semicircles is in a single cave in France.

If building these types of structures was commonplace for Neanderthals, why haven’t we seen more examples of this type of construction? Contrast the rarity of these structures with the abundant evidence for human symbolism found throughout Europe. On this basis, it is hard to argue that the rarity of these structures is due to the “incompleteness” of the archaeological record. Nor does it seem reasonable to interpret these structures as representative of Neanderthal capabilities. In fact, the rarity of the stalagmite semicircles among Neanderthal sites could be explained if these structures weren’t made by Neanderthals at all. But if they weren’t made by Neanderthals, then who or what made these semicircles?

Some anthropologists suggest that cave bears made these structures. Cave bears make hollows in caves when they hibernate. According to paleoanthropologist John Shea of Stony Brook University, “When bears settle in for the winter hibernation, they push all kinds of litter to the side. This looks like a place where cave bears settled in for a nice nap over and over through time.”3 There is evidence for cave bear activity elsewhere in the cave, but not near the structures. However, University of Pennsylvania anthropologist Harold Dibble argues, “They say there’s no evidence of cave bears in this spot, [but] maybe they’re looking at the evidence for cave bears.”4 In other words, Dibble is suggesting that the structures attributed to Neanderthals actually reflects cave bear activity and should be interpreted in that manner.

At this juncture, it may seem far-fetched to attribute these structures to cave bears. Yet, when it comes to Neanderthals, anthropologists have a long history of interpreting archaeological finds as evidence for Neanderthal symbolism and religious activity, only to have that interpretation wither in the face of additional scientific scrutiny.5 In many instances, artifacts attributed to Neanderthal handiwork turn out to result from the activities of animals. For example, the “bird bone flutes,” thought to be made by Neanderthals, were found to be bird remains scavenged by hyenas. And the pollen grains at Neanderthal “grave sites,” thought to reflect ritualistic burials in which flowers were placed with the body, were in fact delivered to the graves by bees.

If Neanderthals Built the Structures, What Does It Mean?

If Neanderthals are the architects of the Bruniquel Cave structures, does it evince their symbolic and religious capabilities? Hardly. With only disputed evidence for Neanderthal symbolism and religious behavior, it seems unwarranted to interpret the stalagmite arrangements as evidence for symbolism and ritual practices. Given their rarity, these structures could have resulted from an “accidental” arrangement of stalagmites. Or perhaps they were the work of a single individual who had no real purpose behind the arrangement of the stalagmite pieces, other than pushing the stalagmite pieces around the cave chamber.

It is important to note that many animals produce structures, including chimpanzees. For example, these creatures make beds from specialized materials that they carefully place in selected locations within trees. Yet these creatures clearly lack symbolism and religious capacities. We don’t interpret the structures made by great apes as a manifestation of symbolism. So why should we conclude Neanderthals possessed these qualities based on the single occurrence of semicircles made from stalagmites?

Resources

For more articles exploring whether Neanderthals possess religious or spiritual capacities, please read my previous articles:

Subjects: Archaeology, Neanderthals, TCM – Human Origins

Dr. Fazale Rana

In 1999, I left my position in R&D at a Fortune 500 company to join Reasons to Believe because I felt the most important thing I could do as a scientist is to communicate to skeptics and believers alike the powerful scientific evidence—evidence that is being uncovered day after day—for God’s existence and the reliability of Scripture. Read more about Dr. Fazale Rana

Endnotes

  1. Jacques Jaubert et al., “Early Neanderthal Constructions Deep in Bruniquel Cave in Southwestern France,” Nature 534 (June 2016): 111–14, doi:10.1038/nature18291.
  2. Ed Yong, “A Shocking Find in a Neanderthal Cave in France,” The Atlantic, May 25, 2016, http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/05/the-astonishing-age-of-a-neanderthal-cave-construction-site/484070/.
  3. Nadia Drake, “Neanderthals Built Mysterious Stone Circles,” National Geographic, May 25, 2016, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/05/neanderthals-caves-rings-building-france-archaeology/.
  4. Ewen Callaway, “Neanderthals Built Cave Structures—and No One Knows Why,” Nature News, May 25, 2016, doi:10.1038/nature.2016.19975.
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Christian Metaphysics; What We Feel

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Will Myers

By Will Myers

The Word of God gives us what we need for life overflowing with wisdom leading to fruits of the Spirit which is joy and peace that one receives from God’s Glory. For instance, there are three Spirits that we can feel and learn of our desired relationship with our Creator Who is our Heavenly Father which are God’s Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit of Truth coming from all creation, and the Comforter sent from God in the name of His Son, Jesus that resides within each one.

God’s Holy Spirit contains the desires of God for each of us. God’s Holy Spirit contains all knowledge and possesses God’s Perfect Righteousness giving perfect ordering to all things. In Isaiah 28:16, God placed His absolute righteousness (stone; Zion=”in the essence of things”) giving perfect ordering to all things. Humans observes chaos and ordering from which we learn from both states (Romans 1:20). To God there is no chaos; man has not observed all of God’s perfect ordering.

When we are born again into God’s Holy Spirit His Spirit is self confirming; afterwards one knows Jesus and God, and becomes a receptor for God’s Spirit of Truth proceeding from the world and also within one is the Comforter sent from God in the name of His Son, Jesus. We can feel (metaphysics) and go through processes with the three Spirit of God; each testifying of God’s Son, Jesus, and telling of things to come; thereby, we learn truth from the world, our reasoning, and from God, our LORD.

Metaphysics simply means “after physics” or simply what happens when a person senses a signal which must be something physical that stimulates the senses. What is that person’s response? On a primal level, this would be the metaphysics. These collective responses constitutes the person’s mind. The mind contains probabilities and calculates probabilities and probabilities of probabilities (leads to philosophy and social sciences) on the quantum mechanic level; building a composite potentiality. A potential can be explained easily by using the example of heat. One can sense the heat at various locations in the field of heat. The potentiality of the heat field is the source of heat. Our mind calculates on the quantum mechanics level probabilities and they are like the heat field giving most-likely outcomes and suggesting what is in our best interest.

The following is a description of the human mind’s functionality; also, a description of the behavior of the matter in the universe including our body. But, lets denote a description of the perfect ordering of all things by God using mathematics because it is best used in this case. What I call the God Equation, (Uspace)times(Vspace)= Q, the Law placed in all things by God. In Isaiah 28:16, God said that He placed a stone in Zion, in the essence of things. Without this there would be no science. In God’s creation there is no chaos, only man observes part order and part chaos because man has not yet been able to observe all ordering; science is developing. The Perfect Righteousness of God exist giving perfect order to all things; the search for reality is developing.

The fact that God is perfect and what He does is perfect, we can represent some of God’s creation with a scientific equation because there is perfect continuity (no washed-out bridges on the road)and we can relate to man’s activity as man seeks his needs and fulfillment of his desires:

Uspace: The perfect Righteousness of God giving perfect ordering to all things.
Vspace: Simply the nexus of all things.
Q: The laws of God that constitutes the Christ Mind; something from a particle to the encompassing universe observed is a law of God. It was preordained at creation that we become like His Son, Jesus. The God Equation is Uspace times Vspace = Q for all form and potentials (Probabilities of the mind).

Romans 1:20King James Version (KJV)

20 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:

Observations of man:

First Observation of man: UspVsp[Sum: A(x) + B(y)] = Q(z); perfect z coming together.
Final Observation accessment of man: UspVsp[(Sum:A(x))(Sum:B(x)] = Q(z), the law.
Jesus, the Son of God, Guidance (The Perfect Life, making perfect choices): JesusVsp[(Sum:A(x))(Sum:B(y)] = Q(z); all perfect z’s; precept after precept until all mysteries are revealed (Romans 1:20). The perfect Love of God is in His Son, Jesus. Man will never realize reality. Jesus is a perfect gift; a gracious gift from God to return man to Himself. Our human senses, feelings, are the summation of our experiences. We are predestined to be like God’s Son, Jesus, by God’s molding (Uspace) from which we receive God’s perfect  ordering. This also is a metaphysical phenomenon.

The human mind makes observations and lives in the future of what’s next (nexus). God has done everything else. “God is love.” Love reigns supreme as a heater that warms all within it’s range. God is the source, and love is the warmth. The three Spirits of God that we experience, Holy Spirit, Comforter, and Spirit of Truth, is governed by the Love of God.

Romans 8:29
For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers.
Psalm 119:40
Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.
THE END GAME:
Matthew 24:14; “ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Revelation 14:6-8

6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

 

Revelation 14:6 (N.I.V.)

The Three Angels

6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

God Equations 7-17-16

 

 

 

 

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5 Things We Can’t Control

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Will Myers

June 7th, 2016
By Guest Writer, Kenneth R. Samples

As human beings we like to think that we are masters of our own fate. We enjoy thinking that we are autonomous individuals whose personal decisions have made us who we are in life. Philosophers even talk about libertarian freewill—defined as the view that an individual who freely made a specific choice could have decided differently (in contrast to some form of determinism). Yet while human volition is a great power in life, there are things that deeply shape our lives that are beyond our control, consent, or wishes.

In fact, upon reflection, it is rather shocking to consider how many critical things in our lives are outside of our control or choice. Specifically, there are five areas in our lives that we have no choice in, yet these greatly influence who we ultimately become.

1. Conception and Birth

We have no say in being conceived and born into the world, so the fact that we exist and have being is totally outside of our control. Our very life itself does not begin with us but rather depends upon the choices and actions of our parents whose lives depend upon their parents and so forth. Before we get to make real choices in life, our lives have to be chosen by others.

Think of the power and responsibility that parents hold over the lives of their children and, in contrast, the vulnerable dependence of children upon their parents. I cannot help but think of the tens of millions of tiny humans in America over the last 43 years who experienced death before birth in the wake of the Roe v. Wade legalization of abortion. These children were denied life in this world without any say. The existence and being of each individual person comes about without our consent.

2. Time of Birth

We have no say as to when we are born. Lifespan and quality of life could fluctuate significantly depending upon the era in which one lives. Our lives would have doubtless been dissimilar if we were born in ancient times or in the Middle Ages. However, life could also be very different even if a person was born just a few years earlier or later in history.

I recently read that 80 percent of the males born in the Soviet Union in 1923 were killed in World War II.1 These young men turned 18 years old in 1941—the terrible year that Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. In the first three months of that invasion, 3 million Soviet soldiers were killed. As a Soviet male, if you were born in 1923, the likelihood was great that you were doomed to a short life ending in a violent death. No wonder so many combat soldiers, especially in World War II, viewed life in fatalistic terms. For all of us, the time of our birth and the era of our lives is outside of our control and choice.

3. Place of Birth

We have no say as to the place of our birth and our subsequent upbringing. The location in which one is born and lives has a deep effect upon one’s overall life. Being born in Israel or in Italy or in Iran would likely carry with it very different life encounters and experiences. Depending on the country of birth, one may be exposed to Judaism, Christianity, or Islam.

Building on this point, skeptics sometimes claim that one’s religion is a mere accident of one’s birth. I’ll return to this topic in a follow-up article; but let me say now that if the skeptic’s assessment is correct, then even their secular beliefs are an accident of birth. Where we are born and live can deeply impact our life, yet none of us can decide on our place of birth.

4. Family of Birth

We have no say about our birth parents. Without choice, we are given our family, and with them, our physical traits, socioeconomic class, and basic outlook on life, among many other things. Since much of life seems to come down to either nature or nurture, our family has an incredible, if not incalculable, influence upon the person we become. In fact, it doesn’t seem possible to genuinely understand a person without considering their family connections. As we age we begin to ponder how our parents influenced us, and as we become parents ourselves, we wonder how we will influence our own children.

I recently watched a television interview with the mother of Columbine High School murderer Dylan Klebold. In the years since the terrible shootings, Klebold’s mother agonized over her responsibility in the massacre. She asked if there was something she did or didn’t do that ultimately led her son to become a mass murderer. She eventually concluded that the murders were something her son autonomously chose to do. We are given our family regardless of our approval.

5. Ideas Exposed to upon Birth

We have no say as to the world-and-life view to which we are initially exposed. Worldviews are usually first adopted from one’s parents and then only later personally chosen upon reflection. This grand exposure of ideas upon the young child’s mind includes his or her basic education, religion, philosophy, ethics, and politics, among many other areas. Our crucial and initial intellectual and philosophical mindset is given to us without recourse. What about the people who are seemingly nurtured into radical philosophies of life—people in groups like ISIS, the Ku Klux Klan, or secular totalitarian communism? Even if people later choose to reject these poisonous belief systems, think of the damage that is already inflicted upon the young minds. The initial ideas we are exposed to are given without our assent.

While human choice may still be one of the world’s greatest powers, many profound things happen to us before we are in a position to actually make a genuine choice.

In a follow-up article, I will offer some reflections on how we can think about these things outside our control. I hope you’ll choose to come back and consider those reflections next week.

Endnotes

  1. “99 Fascinating Facts about World War II,” Random Facts, March 19, 2011, http://facts.randomhistory.com/world-war-ii-facts.html.

Subjects: Worldviews

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How Can We Reconcile in a Way that Lasts?

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Will Myers

June 9, 2016

By Guest Writer, Dr. Hugh Ross

The Bible has a lot to say about reconciliation. Christians, for example, are called to be ambassadors for reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18–20). Now, a scientific study is affirming what the Bible has taught for thousands of years.1 Three researchers, through a nongovernmental organization in Sierra Leone, conducted a three-year study on residents in 200 Sierra Leone villages. The aim of the study was to help residents recover from the psychological damage of a 12-year civil war.

Reconciliation Can Yield Social Benefits

This civil war (which occurred from 1991 to 2002) was different from most in the past century in that it had little to do with ethnic differences. The war was predominantly fought over the illicit diamond trade. Nevertheless, more than 50,000 people were killed, thousands more were raped, and 65 percent of the population was displaced. The protracted conflict involved torture, atrocities, and war crimes.

In each village where horrific suffering had occurred, the study brought together the victims and the perpetrators of the war atrocities. In these meetings, the victims described their suffering and the perpetrators confessed their war crimes. The researchers discovered that the more truthful encounters resulted in greater social benefits, where individuals were more likely to forgive the perpetrators, engage in larger social networks, and contribute time and money to public goods and welfare projects.

These social benefits affirm the motto of the California Institute of Technology taken from John 8:32, “The truth shall make you free.” Honest confessions set people in those Sierra Leone villages free to forgive one another and to personally invest in the rebuilding of their communities and social networks. However, failure to practice the rest of John 8:31–32 and other Bible passages addressing reconciliation led to significant social costs on behalf of the villagers engaged in the study.

Reconciliation Can Also Yield Negative Psychological Effects

In nearly all instances there was a measurable worsening in anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress experienced by some of the villagers. Furthermore, these symptoms remained throughout the three-year study. The authors concluded, “Our findings suggest that policy-makers need to restructure reconciliation processes in ways that reduce their negative psychological costs while retaining their positive societal benefits.”2

The authors also commented briefly on how the negative psychological costs could be reduced. They noted that in each village there were individuals who chose not to testify of the atrocities they committed or experienced. Such omissions left huge holes in the extent of the reconciliation. They also drew an analogy between single-session versus multiple-session therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. They cite multiple research studies showing the long-lasting effectiveness of the latter and the fleeting benefits of the former. Likewise, the fact that the reconciliation meetings in the villages tended to be one-time affairs likely explains why the negative psychological effects persisted.

Reconciliation Needs Christ to be Long-Lasting

Bible passages such as Galatians 5 and 6 and Philippians 2 teach that humility, forbearance, compassion, and a serving spirit are disciplines that must be continually practiced for peace and reconciliation to have any degree of permanency. However, these disciplines can become a way of life only if human beings first submit themselves to their Creator. For the truth to truly set humans free, the entirety of John 8:31–32 must be applied: “If you hold to my teaching [Jesus Christ’s], you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Subjects: Christian Life, Ethics, War

Dr. Hugh Ross

Reasons to Believe emerged from my passion to research, develop, and proclaim the most powerful new reasons to believe in Christ as Creator, Lord, and Savior and to use those new reasons to reach people for Christ. Read more about Dr. Hugh Ross.

Endnotes

  1. Jacobus Cilliers, Oeindrila Dube, and Bilal Siddiqi, “Reconciling after Civil Conflict Increases Social Capital but Decreases Individual Well-Being,” Science 352 (May 2016): 787–94, doi: 10.1126/science.aad9682.
  2. Ibid., 787.
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Intimacy With God; The Great Imposition

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Will Myers

By Will Myers Intimacy with God is by God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us  power to have a joyful and fulfilling life by rejecting all negative elements in your life, and if they don&…

Source: Intimacy With God; The Great Imposition

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Intimacy With God; The Great Imposition

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Will Myers

By Will Myers

Intimacy with God is by God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us  power to have a joyful and fulfilling life by rejecting all negative elements in your life, and if they don’t leave immediately they shall be destroyed. There is nothing that can be between you and your Heavenly Father in which we come to know as our Father through the deeds of Christ Jesus.

Most people think that God lives so far from their daily lives until  if they believe in God they think that God lives millions of miles away and know not them. But, as recorded in Genesis 1, God created all that exist including humans and animals. He gave each one life; whereas, each life with freewill is constantly imposing on God and God’s perfect righteousness is imposing on humans. As a matter of fact, God’s perfect righteousness is imposing even on all matter and plant life at all times. God’s thoughts and revealing character has never been missing from humans daily interactions.

In the beginning God created all that exist and placed His perfect righteousness giving perfect order to all things (Ref: Isaiah 28:16, Zion means “in the essence of things). Humans are working to achieve or observe God’s perfect ordering. Since God’s perfect ordering has perfect continuity we can represent it symbolically with a math equation, UspVsp=Q, and in the beginning humans imposed on such. The Observer can be represented by a symbolic abstract math equation, the Observer Equation,  UspVsp[ Sum:A(x) + Sum:B(y)]= Q(z). All scientific endeavors must follow this form. When the form is applied at the quantum physics level then we are into the neurosciences studying our psychological processes. Of course, these endeavors shall produce a mind reading machine in the near future.

The equation, UspVsp=Q, states that God’s perfect righteousness (Usp) imposes on all existence giving perfect ordering (Vsp, all of the nexus in existence) to all things; whereas, Q are results; the laws; patterns resulting from a specific UspVsp pattern.

Humans must observe and absorb knowledge, and discover by comparing a known thing to a new thing. God’s design of humans and God’s design of all existence sets the stage for all observations. Humans thought and reasoning can be represented by the Observer math equation as represented above. It simply means as God’s perfect righteousness giving perfect ordering imposes constantly on humans and the human’s design imposing back on God’s perfect righteousness initial element (A(x)) encounters another element (B(y)) and they interact giving the first results (Q(z)). The x,y, and z’s represent characteristics of each element. From this process happening trillions times trillions times trillions…ect, we arrive at our present human states. God designed us to have intimacy with Him. It’s in the human design and the universe’s design to constantly imposing on each other. God is so perfect until He could fold the universe and big bang it again and make everything happen exactly as it did in our present universe even unto a subatomic particle. God’s power is infinite and we can not fully imagine it.

I went through the mathematical exercise to show the primitive beginning unto the present are definitely connected by God’s Intelligent Design, but we are saved by grace. God’s Perfect Righteousness, the Son of God, was sent into the world to fulfill the law because humans would never know God’s perfect righteousness due to our sin nature. Reality escapes humans; we see not the truth, but God has conditioned human to receive our Savior, God’s perfect righteousness. The Word of God came to earth wrapped in flesh to pay our sin debt and bring us into the Kingdom of God.

I have heard of a debate of whether God created humans as they look today or did we began as a small organism. This is no problem to me because God’s omniscience giving perfect ordering so that whatever is in God’s mind to be created happens at that moment; taking time to develop happens exactly as God thought; there is never a mistake. So, saying that God created humans at once is only a matter of time and not substance. The following scripture says it all: Romans 4:17; “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

 We are constantly having a relationship with God; we only have to realize and become aware of it through Christ Jesus. Through Him, we learn and fully believe that God is our Heaven Father Who is very intimate with each of us. In the future, will the state own our minds or will God Who gives freewill own our mind?

Ephesians 6:12King James Version (KJV)

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ecclesiastes 3:15King James Version (KJV)

“15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.” Our Savior Jesus was and is alive now; Savior Jesus is to be and God requires Jesus’s past teachings.

There has always been contact with God through His Perfect Righteousness giving perfect ordering to all things. God’s Son, Christ Jesus, fulfilled the Law; He is the wholeness of the Law; He is the completion of the Law, Q.

 

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GOD’S THREE SPIRITS FOR HUMANS

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Will Myers

By Will Myers

God designed all creation including the human design, mind and body. God’s perfect righteousness giving perfect ordering to all things has always imposed on mankind, and humans has always imposed on God’s perfect righteousness; Isaiah 28:16; “ Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” Zion means “in the essence of things” that gave perfect ordering to all things. There is no randomness in creation.

Romans 1:20; “ 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:”

Matthew 16:19
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

 

Matthew 13:33

“Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” This is being filled with God’s Holy Spirit liken unto yeast rising bread; the rising bread is liken unto your spirit growing into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 13:44
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

God’s Holy Spirit is what we can feel. God gave His Spirit to His Son Jesus without limitation, communing Spirit to spirit always. By the Holy Spirit we can observe all truth in the name of Jesus. Notable philosophers are human selfies effecting for a short time in human history mainly acting as a freeing motivation from norms of the time, but God’s Holy Spirit is the same yesterday, now, and forever giving eternal life to those that have received. The Holy Spirit contains all knowledge; all knowledge is within it’s light.

God has sent the Comforter in the name of Jesus to dwell within each of us. The Comforter testifies of things to come while making Jesus alive in each of us. Jesus is alive! John 14:16; “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”

The Spirit of Truth is from God, our Creator, that is in the world manifesting from God. The Spirit of Truth testifies of Jesus, and tells of things to come. For God foreordained creation that we become as His Son, Jesus. Humans learn from the Spirit of Truth in the world as each imposes on the other. Science is part of this collective knowledge.

Now, accepting our gracious gift of salvation, we can talk directly to God in the name of Jesus. Once One says Heavenly Father to an infinite God, He appears to One in the minds eye as his Son Jesus but also remains infinite God. We can then talk with God as we would to our earthly father. All things work for the good to those who love God and obey Jesus’s teachings. Believing, listen to every word from the mouth of God and obey; have a continuous conversation with your Heavenly Father.

The Word of God is sufficient for One’s life;  we must only believe and do what it says. Upon doing such, One shall reap the fruits of the Spirit which are joy, happiness, peace, and love bubbling in your heart. Ecclesiastes 3; “15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.” The scripture confirms that Jesus is the beginning and the end and lives now within each of us.

Knowing and obeying everything as the three Spirits give guidance and utterance we have a most fulfilling life with eternal life persisting without taking a break. Jesus is the fullness of the law of  the three prevailing Spirits unto humans; Who is One under God.

Ecclesiastes 3:15; King James Version (KJV)

“15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past” is fulfilled by the Son of God, Jesus. He was in the past but lives now; He is coming again fulfilling the past that He had established and justified when first in the world. The Word of God, past, present, and future has always been about Jesus, the Son of God. Believe and receive!

Things to come, God’s Holy Spirit is about to be poured out on earth starting the biggest revival in the history of mankind because the youth are being turned from God, and this is a no-no to God.

Revelation 12:10
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Revelation 21:2-4
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Know that the scripture is a blessing during any daily problem, regardless of how small or large because it is truth which holds true for all times and situations.

 

 

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Why Does Hydrogen Exist in the Universe?

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Will Myers
May 19, 2016
By Guest Writer, Dr. Jeff Zweerink

The third most abundant molecule in the universe has the most well-known chemical formula—H2O, or water. No one disputes the utility of oxygen for life, but hydrogen plays an equally critical role as a key component of water. Just as the existence of carbon and oxygen relies on a careful balance in the laws of physics, so does hydrogen.

In the Beginning…

Nearly 14 billion years ago, the known universe came into existence via the big bang. The unbelievable temperatures and densities made the early universe unrecognizable compared to today, but things began to quickly take shape. Roughly 10 seconds after the big bang, the universe consisted of protons, neutrons, and electrons—at least concerning the ordinary matter of our familiar world. Over the next few minutes, as the temperature continued to cool, the protons and neutrons assembled into some heavier nuclei, mainly helium. At this point, the composition of the universe was 75 percent hydrogen, 25 percent helium-4, 0.01 percent deuterium and helium-3, and trace amounts (10-8 percent) of heavier elements like lithium-7. However, slight changes in the strengths of the electromagnetic and nuclear interactions would have led to a much different picture.

As protons and neutrons collided, they fused together to make heavier elements. The slowest step in this process was the formation of a deuteron (one proton and one neutron). Once sufficient quantities of deuterons existed, they quickly added more neutrons and protons until something else stopped the sequence. (As figure 1 shows, elements with lots of protons and neutrons exist.) While the process would naturally stop at the formation of iron (since adding more protons or neutrons beyond this element consumes energy instead of producing energy), ending the chain at iron would likely leave no hydrogen leftover. Fortunately, the laws of physics conspired to ensure the universe would contain plenty of hydrogen.

Producing an Abundance of Hydrogen

The diagonal lines in figure 1 represent nuclei with the same number of nucleons (nucleons = protons + neutrons). Figure 2 zooms in on the region with small amounts of protons and neutrons. The solid boxes are stable nuclei where the dashed boxes are nuclei with short half-lives (less than one second). Notice that no stable nuclei exist for nucleon numbers 5 or 8. These two gaps stopped the fusion chain during the first few minutes after the big bang and resulted in a universe with lots of helium and an abundance of hydrogen.



Figure 1: Neutron Excess for Stable Nuclei
Image credit: HyperPhysics




Figure 2: Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

Not only do the laws of physics governing the stability of nuclei cause the 5- and 8-nucleon gaps, they also prevent other catastrophes that would remove all hydrogen. Because the neutron is heavier than a proton, fewer neutrons formed in comparison to protons, as the universe cooled. Neutrons also decay with a half-life of 10 minutes, further reducing the neutron-to-proton ratio. If protons existed in the same ratio during this period of fusion, all the protons would fuse to deuterium leaving none of the single proton form of hydrogen. More importantly, if a nucleus with just two protons were stable, all the protons necessary for hydrogen atoms would fuse into this diproton state.1 Yet, the laws of physics produced a sufficiently small neutron-to-proton ratio and an unstable diproton nucleus.

Some might respond that this fine-tuning is just a selection effect; the laws of physics had to take some form and then life developed based on the result. However, the fine-tuning shows more sophistication. It’s not that any set of elements would do, rather, water and carbon both exhibit an extraordinary set of characteristics that life requires to flourish. That the laws of physics takes a form that not only permits the existence of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, but also facilitates and even drives their production indicates that the universe is designed with a purpose.

Subjects: Physics, Laws of Physics

Dr. Jeff Zweerink

While many Christians and non-Christians see faith and science as in perpetual conflict, I find they integrate well. They operate by the same principles and are committed to discovering foundational truths. Read more about Dr. Jeff Zweerink.

Endnotes

  1. Max Tegmark, “Is ‘the Theory of Everything’ Merely the Ultimate Ensemble Theory?” Annals of Physics 270 (December 1998): 24–29.
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The Man, Jesus, Identifies With You

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Will Myers

By Will Myers

The incarnation of Christ Jesus Who became a human in the flesh and blood fulfilled the Messianic prophecy of Judaism that God would sent a Savior to make all of mankind peaceful receiving God’s love and rejoicing in their spirits while stopping all evil. The man, Jesus, was subjected to all of the pain and temptations, having the nature of a human. Jesus was 100% man, and 100% divine. The divinity existed in that Jesus, the man, kept communing with his Heavenly Father and receiving divine manifestations and words from God Who spoke and draw out things that God desired for His Son, Jesus. God filled Him with His Spirit. God and Jesus communed Spirit to spirit without limit.

After working many miracles, Jesus was crucified for our sins; by His wounds from the Roman whip we were healed in our spirit who is the true you. God has raised Jesus from the grave, and His resurrected body walked the earth for forty two days verifying His promise to be resurrected within three days. The resurrected Jesus was His divine nature. Now, we can speak with God without condemnation because there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus with Christ meaning “the anointed one.”

Coming to God with your heart filled with love and an open mind in the name of Jesus One can receive blessings for a happy, joyful, and a fulfilled life.

In Isaiah 28:16; “ Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” Zion mean “in the essence of things” whereas God placed His perfect righteousness in all things giving perfect ordering to all things. In such manner, God created the universe. There is no randomness in the universe nor the human mind but to man. Even with scientist exploding the nuclear bomb the explosion followed God’s perfect ordering alone with the collateral damages. There is no deviation from God’s perfect ordering even if man cannot observe it at the moment while experiencing a negative impact. With God there is no chaos.

The totality of the Word of God addressed to humans is to turn your minds and hearts to God, and listen to every Word from the mouth of God and obey. Each individual is responsible to be one on one with God in the name of Jesus. From this, we receive the promise of eternal life with a taste of eternal life during our earthly lives; thereafter, we pass into our permanent spirit with our Heavenly Father; for God is a Spirit.

 

 

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