Quotable Quote - R A Torrey

Men hope by the denial of God's existence to shield themselves from the discomfort of His acknowledged presence.

Reuben Archer Torrey was born in January 1856 and died in October 1928. He was an American evangelist, pastor, educator, and writer.

In 1889 R A Torrey joined D L Moody in his evangelistic work in Chicago and became superintendent of the Bible Institute of the Chicago Evangelisation Society.

Five years later, he became pastor of the Chicago Avenue Church in 1894.

What Kind of Atheist are You?

There are at least three types of atheist mentioned in the Word of God. This sermon preached in Newtownabbey Free Presbyterian Church explores the question: what type of atheist are you?

It is based upon the words of Psalm 14:1: The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

The Stupidity of Stephen Fry

The "comedian, actor, writer, presenter, and activist" Stephen Fry has been much in the news this past week, railing against a 'God' that doesn't exist. A video clip has been released from a Southern Irish Television show, entitled: The Meaning of Life, which will be broadcast on RTE 1 at 10.30pm on Sunday night [8th February 2015].

This video clip shows Stephen Fry delivering a tirade, when asked what he would supposedly say to God at the gates of heaven. Fry, who claims to be an atheist, denounces this God of his own imagination as being "utterly evil, capricious and monstrous". He continues: "How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It’s not right. …"It’s utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?"

The wrongs of Integrated Education for Bible Believers

Adapted from 'The Quiver', the e-newsletter of Newtownabbey Independent Christian School

A number of state schools in Northern Ireland are moving to 'Integrated' status. For some it is purely a mechanism to remain open and it is not that there is a strong conviction about the principles that underpin integrated eduction. A state primary with the Newtownabbey area is planning to move to be an integrated school in September 2015 for the sole reason of remaining open.

It is worth remembering that there are serious issues with integrated schools for Bible believing Christians:

1. These schools are profoundly ecumenical in character and ethos. They may profess to be 'Christian' in character, however, in reality, they are ecumenical schools.

A Contradiction in Terms

Ed Milliband, the British Labour Party leader, has described himself as a "Jewish Atheist'. On a recent visit to Jerusalem he professed that he does not believe in God, but that he does still have ‘faith’. He said: "I have a particular faith. I describe myself as a Jewish atheist. I’m Jewish by birth origin and it’s a part of who I am. I don’t believe in God, but I think faith is a really, really important thing to a lot of people. It provides nourishment for lots of people".

According to him this faith is perfectly compatible with being an atheist and gives him hope that he can ‘change the world’. He would be the first Jewish prime minister if he were to win the next election.

To describe himself as a "Jewish atheist" is a contradiction in terms. An anecdote is related by Dr Robert Steele, in his Exposition of the Shorter Catechism, of an ancient Prince who once asked his Chaplain to give him some clear evidence of the truth of Christianity in a few words. The Chaplain replied in four words, "The Jews, your Majesty!"

Creationists at heart!

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have supposedly broken through a symbolic mark in recent days. Daily measurements of carbon dioxide levels recorded at an United States government agency laboratory on the island of Hawaii have topped 400 parts per million for the first time in the modern age.

The claim is made that the last time carbon dioxide levels were regularly above 400 parts per million was 3-5 million years ago. In the evolutionary scheme of things this is supposed to be before modern humans existed.

BBC News - Carbon dioxide passes symbolic mark

CNN - CO2 levels hit new peak at key observatory