Question: Do plants have a soul? Should we use animals for food? Answer: No, plants definitely do not have a soul. Neither do animals have a soul. According to the Bible, human beings were made "in God’s image" (Genesis 1:26). This God-likeness includes having a spirit and a soul. Animals definitely do not have the […]
Question: When debating with an atheist about the origins of life I used your statement (see below) In order for life to come about by a chemical accident, as atheists and scientists committed to materialist explanations assume, several things must have happened which simply can not happen. First of all, a genetic code, capable of […]
Question: Could you explain the Quran prophecy about the Byzantines and Sassanids at this Islamic site http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/347/ Response: We should call this a prediction rather than a prophecy. The fact is that if you look at the history of the Sassanid Persians and the Byzantine Empire you will see that they fought continuously for over […]
ARS will be sponsoring a six-hour class on Islam 9:00-4:00 Saturday May 4th. The location is 15610 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena, CA 90249. Teachers will include Dan Conder and John Oakes. The cost for the class is $20. Suggested reading, schedule, registration and more information will be posted soon. For more information, contact Jan at joakes01@san.rr.com
Question: Why does the Septuagint Bible consist of additional books (3 Kings, 4 kings, Maccabees,etc.) and psalms (151,152)? From my understanding some of these books and psalms were found in the DSS, so why wasn’t it included in the canon? Answer: The question of what the content of the Septuagint is/was is not an easy […]
Question: Have you ever done the Miller experiment from 1953, where they synthesized 22 of the 24 amino acids we need to live? If so how did it turn out? Answer: There are hundreds of thousands of chemists. Probably no more than one or two have ever tried to repeat the Miller experiment because there […]
Question: My Church cannot really give me answers to alot of the evolution questions I have and direct me to either Kent Hovind or some other creation website. I know from talking to a lot of my atheist friends this source is not reliable. I also have an atheist friend who is studying history. His […]
Question: I was wondering your position on a natural route of healthy living. I was reading a response you had about how it is not a sin to use modern drugs to help with physical pain or psychological disorders. What about alternatives to it? The more I get into natural ways to resolve health issues […]
What is the most convincing evidence for the existence for a supernatural being? Answer: The most convincing evidence for the existence of God, at least for me, is the indirect evidence provided by the inspiration for the Bible (and all the evidence which supports belief in the inspiration of the Bible). For this I strongly […]
Question: I was hoping you could answer my a question on Isaiah 45:14. It seems to say that Cyrus the Great would gain tribute or conquer Egypt, Cush and the Sabeans (which I believe are Ethiopians). But Cyrus the Great never conquered Egypt. Rather Cyrus’ son Cambyses invaded Egypt and conquered Egypt. He then tried […]
Translated power points from John Oakes’ teaching tour in China. From Shadow to Reality Mandarin 680.50 Kb Problem of Pain and Suffering Cantonese 1.38 Mb Christianity and the Paranormal Cantonese 6.68 Mb The Bible From God or Man? Mandarin 2.78 Mb Acts and Church History Mandarin 6.70 Mb
Question: As a student studying Biology I personally believe in evolution, and I also believe in God. However, I have been struggling to figure out whether I should interpret Genesis chapter 2 literally. I looked at two different prestigious scientists who are both Christians but claim evolutionary creationism or bios logos. The first is Dr. […]
Question: Does Genesis 1:7 say that there is water above the expanse(sky)? Does the Bible support this wrong cosmology? Answer: Genesis chapter one is not a scientific treatise and should not be treated this way. It is a theological treatise, stating that God created everything in the universe, giving a rough order in which the […]
Question: In the Septuagint it states that Methuselah was 167 when he begot Lamech. But that would mean that Methuselah living up to 969 would have survived the flood. The Bible states only 8 people were on the ark. Is there any earlier Old Testament text that gives Methuselah a different age when he begot […]
Question: I come from a VERY Catholic family. This Christmas was naturally a very…interesting time. ANYWAYS, they brought up a statement/question that I felt ill equipped to answer. They made the statement that back in OT days, when Jews made a sacrifice, they would have to partake (i.e. eat) the sacrifice to consummate the covenant. […]
Comment: I would like to address the question in your webpage concerning a friend that is being persuaded by people like Hitchens and Dawkins. I hope that you pointed out to this person these unarguable facts. No one has ever seen God. Not one prayer that has been prayed has come true by divine intervention. […]
Request: I have a former student who is in college and really questioning his faith and is starting to believe in the arguments presented by Hitchins and Dawkins. Recently he posted this "question" asking for people to comment and give him feedback. I am looking for anyone who could help me give some meaty and […]
Question: I am a Jew who lives in Israel, in recent times I began to wonder why my way, Judaism, is true. I talked with some rabbis, and their best claim against the other religion was that Judaism has survived thousands years. Despite all of the pogroms, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, even though they were […]
Dr. John Oakes, Robert Carrillo and Mark Wilkinson will be teaching an 8-week 16-hour introduction to the Old Testament on consecutive Saturdays Feb 25-April 14 at the Mission Center of Hope in San Diego, CA. For an outline, more information or to register see below. Outline: Week 1. John Oakes and Robert Carrillo. Intro to […]
We are reposting an article on a biblical and historical perspective of Christmas from 2007 for your enjoyment. Merry Christmas. John Oakes Is Christmas a Christian Holiday? Christmas sure has taken a beating lately, seemingly from all sides. The secularists demand that we say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, while some believers have threatened […]
Question: Some non-believers do believe Christ rose from the dead. The historical evidence is great. We mark our calendars by the event. Sadly even liberal Christians buy the baseless fairy tale that the writings of Josephus were "revised" or the book of Luke was "planted" in the Roman libraries despite not a shred of evidence […]
Question: I recently read a report prepared by an archaeologist from the Israeli Antiquities Authority which stated that Nazareth could not have been occupied during the Herodian Period (the time of the birth of Jesus Christ) because no ruins or other archaeological evidence from that period had been found in or around Nazareth. He did […]
A lesson by Dr. John Oakes 11/30/2011 in San Diego, CA. The topic is living by faith, which means believing in things not seen and living like an alien and stranger in this world. Living By Faith 9.29 Mb
A lesson by Dr. John Oakes 11/30/2011 in San Diego, CA. The topic is living by faith, which means believing in things not seen and living like an alien and stranger in this world. Click here to download.
Question: I wonder about the Eden "project" and the fact that it was so imperfect, so how did God plan for it to exist (even if man haven’t sinned)? – If Adam and Eve were immortals, why did God ask them to multiply; where would all their descendents live if there would be billions of […]
Why do you believe what you believe? Why should others believe it too? Wouldn’t it be great if you could answer both questions with the same answer? With his new book, Basis for Belief, ARS boardmember Brian Colon will teach you how to think critically about your faith, provide reasons for why you believe in […]
This lesson was given by Dr. John Oakes 11/20/2011 in San Diego, CA. The topic is the significance of the Old Testament sacrifices to Christianity. Notes: OT Sacrifice and Christianity Sacrifice Prefigure PPoint 526.37 Kb Sacrifice prefigures audio 9.51 Mb
Question: Can Monotheism be proven? Answer: The simple answer is no, monotheism cannot be proved. There is no mathematical equation, the end of which, if solved, would result in having "proved" the reality of monotheism. On at least some level, monotheism is believed on faith. To the Christian, monotheism is accepted by faith in the […]
Question: Dr, a Muslim presented me with these arguments. I find it difficult to refute. There are too many coincidences.. Can these be true Sir? And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. (Isaiah 29:12 KJV) Truth stands out […]
Question: A Muslim gave me this. What are your thoughts? The similitude of Jesus pbuh is of Adam pbuh. Even Adam pbuh had no mother nor father. If following your logic, then Prophet Adam would be a greater God because he came into existance with no father nor mother. You see for God( The Father) […]
Question: Is jesus the only religious leader who performed miracles? Answer: No, Jesus is not the only religious leader who performed miracles. However his miraculous ministry was absolutely unique in at least one sense, as I will discuss below. Let me start with a list of famous religious leaders. I will only list ones who […]
Question: Proverbs 6:6-8 says that an ant has no ruler. Is this a scientific inaccuracy? Would the conclusion be different if God were to say this instead of the wise man? Would it be a biblical error when Jesus asks "Why are you thinking these things in your heart?" Would it not be more accurate […]
Request: I am a minister and college student who has found himself on the defensive a lot lately about the topic, "Does God exist?" When searching for references about this topic for a research paper I came across the Butt-Barker Debate of 2009 published by Apologetics Press on YouTube and on DVD. After reading information […]
Question: Talking with Jehovah’s Witness always gets confusing. My question is in Daniel when he says that Michael the Archangel will lead the people, how do I explain to my aunt and cousins that Jesus is NOT Michael and is fully God and fully man even though they interpret most angel verses in the Bible as Jesus […]
Question: I am interested of what do You think about "theistic evolution" aka BioLogos? (including http://www.asa3.org/) I read a book of Collins "The language of God": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Language_of_God:_A_Scientist_Presents_Evidence_for_Belief and found it very interesting. As a PhD student, I am attending one course called "History and Philosophy of Science and Technology" and I have to write some […]
Question: I have a question regarding the translation of Isaiah 53:8 and whether or not Jesus had children. The only reference that I’ve found to Jesus never having children is in Isaiah 53:8; however the only translation that indicates such is the 1984 NIV, all other translations render it differently making no reference as to […]
Question: Gen.2:7 says that "God proceeded to..blow into his (Adams) nostrils…and the man became a living soul." Elsewhere in the Hebrew text animals are spoken of as "souls" (Gen.1:20; Num,31:28 ect)It seems to me a soul is what we are, not something we have. Eccl.3:19 says that at death man has no superiority over the […]
Question: What happened to the Garden of Eden? More specifically, is the Garden of Eden intact and located at some point on the Earth? Reading through Genesis shortly after The Fall of Man we see Adam and Eve no longer in the Garden, but I wonder what happened to this physical location? A few possibilities […]
Dr. John Oakes and Mark Wilkinson taught a class on how to understand and interpret the Bible. This was a 7 hour class. The suggester book for this class is "How to Study the Bible For All It’s Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stewart. Notes Hermeneutics Hermeneutics PPoint 1.04 Mb AUDIO is no longer available […]
Question: I wanted to ask you a question about several verses in the book of Jude. In Jude 1:14-15 Jude references an apocryphal book called 1 Enoch. I was wondering what you thought about this reference to the book of Enoch. And do you think that this might hint at an apocryphal book as being […]
Question: I wanted to ask, how would you respond to a comment like this, done in the form of a cartoon: http://www.martinspribble.com/2011/09/12/soldier-crab-is-hostile-to-religion I know that it is useless to argue or to try to convince people who are blocked and refuse to believe anything about Christianity, but I was wondering if you had any thoughts […]
A fun video of a typical atheist trying to claim Jesus was not a real person: stumped by the evidence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WUQMJR2BP1w
Question: Can you explain the Baha’i prophecies in this website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_prophecies Response: I have looked at these "prophecies" of Baha-ullah. To be honest, I am not all that impressed. For example, he predicted in the 1860s that the Ottoman Empire would fall apart. The reason this is not all that impressive is that by the […]
Question: Is Saint Augustine’s exegesis of the 2nd and 3rd chapters of Genesis correct? Do a Google search: First Scandal. Answer: No, it is not. I found the article you are talking about using Google. He makes a bit of a simplication to conclude that there are two points in Augustine’s exegesis of Genesis 2 […]
Question: Any thoughts on the book "The God Part of the Brain" by Matthew Alper? Answer: Note: This book has as its thesis that religious thought is entirely the result of genetic/physiological causes which were created due entirely to evolutionary forces. It is published by Sourcebooks, Inc., Naperville, Illinois. There is a lot of good […]
Question: Does the Baha’i faith claim to have fulfilled prophecies? Answer: Yes, it does. The Baha’i faith began in the mid-nineteenth century, started by a Persian man by the name of Baha-ulla (actual name Mirza Hussein Ali). His work was preceded by a John the Baptist-like figure the Bab, who was also Persian. This religion […]
Question: You write "All four gospels are quoted in patristic writings (a technical term which means writings by the early church "fathers.") before AD 100 in books such as the Epistle of Barnabus, the book of Clement of Rome and the Didache." There is nothing said about the four Gospels in the "Clement of Rome". […]
Question: Where did the concept of the soul, after-life, and triune God originate? Some say that the concept of the soul is only mentioned when David tries to stir up his troops before battle, giving them something great to hope for, that Heaven and Hell and scarcely mentioned in the Bible, and lastly that the […]
Question: Is evolution true? Do all the living today have a common ancestor? Answer: Scientific theories, by their very nature, are never "true." The best one can do with any theory is show that it is consistent with the observable evidence. The answer is that the modern theory of evolution is a good scientific theory. […]
Question: Is it possible that the disciples made up the story of Jesus? I have heard several claims that the disciples could have just invented a Messiah-like figure based the Old Testament prophecies that predict the Messiah. For example the the prophecy on 30 silver coins (which is explained in Zecharia and not in Jeremiah, […]
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