By Dr. Don Bierle, FaithSearch President

Atheists, secular humanists, and some others maintain “there is no God.” It is somewhat “faddish” among youth today, even those who grew up in the church, to announce that they are now atheists. Many other people, including Christians, struggle to gain certainty on the matter of God’s existence. Why the doubts?

Atheists deny the truth of the Bible, while doubts arise in others because they are shaken from their confidence in the clear declarations about God in the Bible. Neither seems to have considered that in addition to Scripture, God has provided external evidence to support His existence. 

[A discussion of one external argument for God is included below. Other arguments will follow in future issues of the Paraclete.]

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A New “Face” for Evangelism?

With the increased use of social media and mobile devices, it is inevitable that it impacts the way we communicate. What about faith and evangelism? 

In a new report produced in partnership with Lutheran Hour Ministries, the Barna Group asked American adults how they discuss spirituality online. Through posts, comments, and profiles, many Christians believe that technology and digital interactions have made evangelism easier. The survey found that three in ten (28%) share their faith via social media, and almost six in ten (58%) non-Christians say someone has shared their faith with them through Facebook^®.  [Read more…]

Two of You?!

You may remember the sensation created when it was announced that a scientific laboratory had actually used cloning techniques to produce Dolly the sheep in 1996. 

For research on brain diseases like Alzheimer’s, more predictive treatment would result if research were conducted on primates because of the similarity of their brains to ours. Besides, cloned primates (which would each have an identical DNA makeup) would remove the uncontrolled variable of genetic differences and reduce the number of animals needed for any given study.  [Read more…]

Abortion Stopper?

One factor reportedly contributing to choosing abortion is that the prospective mother can’t see the embryo or fetus growing within. Further, the abortion industry has convinced many that it is just a “blob of tissue” and not a real person. That may be about to change. [Read more…]

By Dr. Don Bierle, FaithSearch President

Suicide. It’s something most of us would rather not talk about. For some, it is too personal and painful to discuss. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S. alone, there were 45,000 suicides in 2016 compared to 17,000 murders and 38,000 automobile deaths. In addition, there were 25 suicide attempts for every completed one. It is astounding to realize that someone attempts to end their life every 28 seconds in the U.S.! What is going on? [Read more…]

Glimpses of Redemption in God’s Creation Design

One result of the advent of sin into the world was a curse upon the creation, including humans (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12). By His grace and wisdom, God placed within created organisms designs for humans to discover which can reduce the effects of the curse. Such is the case with the Morpho butterfly, native to the rain forests of Central America.

Scientific studies of this butterfly’s eyes have inspired a new camera. When incorporated into special goggles worn by a surgeon, s/he is able to detect imbedded and dyed cancer cells (by infrared fluorescence) and tumors directly through the overlying skin. This minimizes the number of incisions needed and assures that cancer cells are not left behind in the body.  [Read more…]