"Why is the government considering polar bears for the endangered species list while their population approaches an all-time high?" A short interview from the online edition of the Wall Street Journal answers this question. Though the issue of global warming has a number of complexities, two items are not complex: the population of polar bears is approaching an all-time high and environmentalists want to rewrite laws to accommodate climate change.

In two previous post, I imply that the issue of global warming is overdone: "Power Line: Headline of the Day" and "Sun, Not Man, Main Cause of Climate Change." As the political climate heats up over this issue, I am still a skeptic. To get a glimpse of the environmental nonsense associated with polar bears and global warming, check out this short interview editorial.

One of the recent creationist websites that I regularly read is Creation on the Web. An article caught my attention last night with its opening paragraph. “A creationist inquirer plays devil’s advocate and asks why we bother with apologetics, or defending the faith, at all, whether presuppositionalist or evidentialist. Dr Jonathan Sarfati responds, pointing out the biblical commands to defend the faith, as well as examples in Scripture. And we show examples of many people coming to faith in Christ after honest questions were answered. Conversely, refusal to answer honest questions helps feed the sceptical claim that Christians really have no answers.” While Dr. Sarfati’s response goes back to 2005, Creation on the Web posted it yesterday and it is still relevant in 2008.

Dr. Sarfati is one of the creationist defenders from whom I have greatly profited. He has been prolific in his defense of young earth creationism, as reflected by his bibliography. On a number of occasions, I have highly recommended his DVD entitled “Arguments Creationists Should NOT Use.” In addition, I use his book Refuting Compromise for a class that I teach on Biblical Creationism. To read his response, click “Why use apologetics for evangelism?“

The above picture is an eight-week old "fetus" (taken from http://www.pathlights.com). In looking at the picture, I think of two items. First, it is better to think of the above fetus as a baby rather than some type of immaterial substance. The baby in this picture looks human. And, this should not surprise a Christian for the Bible presents unborn babies as being fully human from the time of conception. For example, David describes himself as being sinful from the time of conception in Psalm 51:5 [show]Psalm 51:5 [5]Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
(for more biblical support, click here, here, here and here). Just looking at this picture should convince anyone of the baby’s humanity. And, if the baby is considered human, it also follows that it would be an act of murder to terminate this helpless child’s life in the first trimester of his life. If you are in doubt about this assessment, you need to look at the following graphic video at Justin Taylor’s blog: "This Is Abortion."

Second, I am reminded that a presidential election is just around the corner. As the presidential candidates for both Republicans and Democrats do battle to represent their respective parties in the 2008 election, it is good to remind ourselves that one of the moral issues involved in the upcoming election is the issue of abortion. To be certain there are other significant issues involved with this election, such as the major issue related to the type of judicial appointments a president would make, but the issue of abortion has not gone away. Since today is the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we need to keep in mind with our vote in the next election that we must vote for a candidate that reflects the core moral values as reflected in the Bible. In keeping with this responsibility, we should check out where each respective candidate stands on abortion. For information on where each candidate stands on Roe v. Wade, click here to see each candidate’s position. May God help us in the next election to think beyond our wallet to those biblical values that glorify God.

Since tomorrow is the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, I thought you might find Justin Taylor’s interview with Robert P. George, a member of the President’s Council on Bioethics, profitable. Along with Christopher Tollefsen, Dr. George has written the highly recommended Embryo: A Defense of Human Life. While George is on record for opposing on moral grounds the Roe v. Wade decision, his focus in the interview is on the poorly reasoned legal decision in the Roe ruling, the great influence that Presidents have in shaping abortion policies, and finally what we can do in stemming the tide of this moral atrocity. Though the interview is not long, you will benefit from reading “An Interview with Robert P. George.”

I was glad to see that on Tuesday, an Austrian Supreme Court ruled that “a chimpanzee cannot be declared a person.”

The chimp has quite a facial profile.

Does he look like anyone from your side of the family or your spouse’s? He most emphatically does not look like anyone on my side of the family or my wife’s? Looking past my cynicism, it appears that this chimpanzee case may have another day in court since the Vienna-based Association Against Animal Factories plans to appeal this case to the European Court of Human Rights. Though this animal-rights group had pragmatic concerns with this court case—not as an attention-getting measure because of any commitment to an evolutionary-based dogma, it, nevertheless, does reflect some level of distortion in the created order (Rom 1:18-25 [show]Romans 1:18-25 God's Wrath on Unrighteousness [18]For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. [19]For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. [20]For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. [21]For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22]Claiming to be wise, they became fools, [23]and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. [24]Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, [25]because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (ESV)
). I am convinced that humanity, as God’s image bearers, especially those redeemed through the blood of Christ, has a stewardship to be concerned about the welfare of their animals (Prov 12:10 [show]Proverbs 12:10 [10]Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
). However, no matter what the pragmatic concern may be, the distinction between God’s image bearers and chimpanzees is violated whenever anyone seeks to have an animal legally declared as a human being. For more on this story, read
News to Note, January 19, 2008 - Answers in Genesis

How do Bible-believing Christians respond to questions about abortion and ethics? Creation on the Web has posted a response to a letter about these issues. Check out the post “Questions Regarding Abortion and Ethics” by Dr. Jonathan Sarfati.

I read this CNN article today: “Bush drilling plan could threaten polar bears, panel chairman says.” When it comes to oil, you can see why we are under the control of other countries. Democrats put Polar Bears before our country’s security.

This is such a sad commentary on our political milieu that it made Power Line’s Headline of the Day. John Hinderaker’s post summarizes the issues well: “This is what happens when committee chairmen are all Democrats. National security? Ho-hum. The economy? Who cares? Polar bears? Now, there’s a crisis!” Don’t miss reading this brief post.

Creation on the Web has recently posted an interesting interview with Christian surgeon, Dr. Vij Sodera. This interview was initially done by Philip Bell and Tim Matthews, and appeared in the magazine Creation (29 [December 2006]: 52–54).

Dr. Sodera was born in India and has resided in England since he was four years old. He went to school at St Clement Danes Grammar School in London, while gaining major scholastic awards for academic achievement and art, and he graduated with distinction in chemistry from Sheffield University Medical School in 1975. In 1981 Dr. Sodera became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. For 19 years he was in charge of a Minor Injuries Department in West Sussex and has run, since 1987, his own private Minor Surgery clinic, “The White Lodge Clinic.” He has also written a formidable book, One Small Speck to Man: the Evolution Myth (Vija Sodera Productions, 2003).

The Surgeon’s mission is “to make the evolution myth extinct.” As Bell and Matthews continue their interview, they note that the subtitle of his book the Evolution Myth implies “that evolutionists believe something that they cannot prove—and more importantly, something that is not supported by the evidence. In Dr. Sodera’s own words: “I wanted to produce a book that was full of scientific, logical arguments coupled with plenty of images to challenge the reader. True scientists should look at all the evidence—even the evidence they don’t like—and accept what it points to. Of course, if people choose to willfully reject God, then it doesn’t matter how much they know—there will be a fatal void in their thinking.”

To read this intriguing interview with Dr. Sodera, click Surgeon with a Mission.”

“If God can do anything, then can He make a being more powerful than Himself?” This is a twist on an “old trick question: ‘If God can do anything, can He make a rock too heavy for him to lift?’ or ‘ … can He make two plus two equal five’ or ‘make a square circle’, etc.” According to Dr. Jonathan Sarfati the basic answer to this question is “An all powerful God can do or make anything, but it’s meaningless to say that he can do or make a nothing. A logically contradictory state of affairs is not a thing at all, but NOTHING.” You can read more details in his article “If God can do anything, then can He make a being more powerful than Himself?”.

Answers in Genesis has recently started a new website exhibiting their online technical journal, Answers Research Journal. “ARJ is a professional, peer-reviewed technical journal for the publication of interdisciplinary scientific and other relevant research from the perspective of the recent Creation and the global Flood within a biblical framework.”

As the journal’s editor-in-chief, Dr. Andrew A. Snelling, explains: “For many years I have had a vision for an online technical journal publishing the very best creationist research at the highest possible professional level and presentation. Previously the best creationist researchers had to wait for four or five years for the next International Conference on Creationism to submit their papers to a forum and publication in which they could be assured of the highest standards of peer review, presentation, and dissemination. Furthermore, the paper (rather than online) publication of the ICC Proceedings has restricted the dissemination of this top-quality research. Even though the ICC is now moving to concurrent electronic publication, timely dissemination is still restricted and delayed by cost considerations…. It is my hope that now, because of both the rapid publication we will be offering in the Answers Research Journal (within two to three months of receipt) and the free-of-charge online publication to ensure the widest possible dissemination of their cutting-edge research results, leading creationist researchers around the world will make publication in the Answers Research Journal their first consideration. In this way I am confident the Answers Research Journal will quickly be at the forefront in setting the trend for online creationist technical publications, a ‘must-see’ for all serious creationist researchers and students.” To examine AIG’s new journal, go to Answers Research Journal.