Brethren Apologist

We do wish to wrap up this topic of abortion. This post is going to tie up some final thoughts and will appear disjointed. There have been very direct things mentioned, but we should not ignored the ones who already had an abortion. There is, medically proven, several things that affect these women. There is the physical risk of an abortion which is not painless or safe as Planned Parenthood makes it out to be. There are health risks that show up immediately, or later and there is a toll on th...

Of all the arguments posted for abortion, this is the hardest one to grapple with. It is hard for now we are dealing with two very strong realities, especially as Brethren. We have life on both sides, and a responsibility to care for and help protect both. How would we, as Brethren, answer this question? The best answer is to start with prayer. Prayer allows us to connect with God, and He will give us the wisdom that only He can provide. He will help us through these hard decisions and questio...

This is one of the saddest, most poor excuse for abortion. The issue comes from several angles. First, the mother who says this, may still be in a mindset of wanting to party and the baby will keep the mother from "having fun". Second, the mother may be in a position where they do not feel they can keep the child and provide a good home. Third, the mother may just be wanting to not be "tied down". Either way, this is a horrible view of abortion. The solution to this is very simple: Adoption. "...

This is probably the biggest, and most widely used argument that this author has run across. Minus the hypocrisy of the ones stating this, this argument is also sad in that it does not follow the science. As the reader, you know the statement that is often used to make the case for such things as Global Warm...sorry, Climate Change, Transgender, Homosexuality, using untested, and unsure vaxines, and even social structures that defy norms that have been longstanding for generations. The mantra, "...

One of the worse arguments for abortion is this one. It is not viable. The idea of viability is the idea that the baby cannot live on its own. The issue with this line of reasoning is it bases a moral decision on whether the baby can live on its own or not. If that is the basis of argument, why not allow that same reasoning go for anyone? Can't live without an oxygen tank? Well, then Post-Natal Abortion is fine. Have to have expensive medicine to stay alive? Well, that calls for late, late term ...

One of the biggest thoughts in the abortion agencies is that it is not a baby. They base this on several things, one of which we will address specifically in part 2. There are many ways this argument is made. The baby is brought down to the level of being simply a gathering of cells, or a bit of tissue. This categorization not only assumes to eliminate the responsibility for their decisions to engage in sexual intimacy and becoming pregnant. The issue becomes that this position dehumanizes the...

Abortion is a hot issue in our culture today. On one side of the aisle there is the pro-life camp that wants all babies in the womb of the mother, to be saved and have their life protected. On the other side, there is the pro-death group that wants the right to kill the unborn child up to and including moments AFTER birth. This blog, of course, is not meant, nor will it ever attempt to solve this argument and debate, but instead to present how we as Brethren approach this topic. Brethren hold ...

How does the Brethren view communion? There are two common views. The first is the way that Lutherans and Catholics usually view the cup and bread. They are the literal body and blood of Jesus. Brethren follow in line with many in the AnaBaptist view of Communion that Communion is not literally the body and blood of Jesus but it is done in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Brethren Reject Transubstantiation. As Jesus taught about communion, "do this in remembrance". It is remembering...

The question about Bible translation is a rather large study. It is the debate between Traditional Text verses the Critical Text. There must be a preliminary understanding of these two different texts. The Traditional, or received, text is the text that is copied from the originals. Those who hold to the Traditional Text stand on the position that God's Word is known, preserved, and handed down to us through the halls of time. Those who believe in the Critical Text approach the Bible as a source...

At this conclusion of our proof for the Bible, it should be noted that we barely scratched the surface. Much more could have been said, and even more can be studied. However, enough evidence was given to prove the Bible is factual and accurate. Enough truth has been shared to give all who are reading a base upon which they can build their own study. How many reading this will ignore these truths? How many will decide this nameless blog and author is crazy? This does not affect this author in any...

If we were to ask about manuscript support for the most ancient of writings, could we produce that? If I were to say, "I do not believe Homer wrote Illiad." would I not be thought foolish? Why? Because of manuscript support. Here are some interesting things to note about some of the most well known writings from ancient times. Please note, this is not my list but I am reiterating what has already been done by others. Lucretius died around 55 or 53 B.C. We are not aware of the date for earliest...

Evidence for the Bible is not limited to only looking at artifacts and Science. Prophecy itself is evidence for the validity of the Bible. Prophecy, in this post, will have two parts. The first is prophecy, speaking to the present, and the second is prophecy speaking to our future. Of course, not being in the future, it will be substantially harder for us to validate this point, but by using logic and reason, we are able to do so. As we look at prophecy from the past, we have an unbelievable r...

In a previous post, it was mentioned that our knowledge and understanding of people and places may not be 100%. There are questions regarding where ancient cities were located or how far some old civilizations extended. Does this remove the authority of Scripture? Is this enough to make the case the Bible is not true? No. When we look at the Archaeological developments that have taken place over the course of the last one hundred plus years, it is exceptionally profound how much has been validat...

Science has become the catch all in today's society. Anyone wishing to appear educated believes in Science. Anyone who wants to appear to have a grasp of reality, they hold to Science. Anyone who wants to be intellectual, they are proponents of Science. For many, this means the Bible is no longer worthy of consideration because Science has replaced it, or has it? The belief that Science can speak to the truth of God is a misuse of Science in the first place. Second, the belief that Science can...

One of the strongest points for proof of the Scripture is the Historical proof of the Bible. The World has made several claims regarding the Bible in its Historical claims. Those attacks have been not only refuted but reversed against the attackers. What are some of these attacks? 1) Many doubted the existence of King David and even the nation of Israel before Solomon. This lasted until 1993 when the ancient mound called Tel Dan, was discovered to have these words carved, "House of David" and ...

Over the next six weeks, we are going to look at the evidence for the Bible. These blogs will never answer every question, nor will it anticipate every possible objection. What is desired is to put enough information in the hands of all the readers to go deeper with their own questions and study for themselves. The six points to be discussed are: The Historical Proof Scientific Proof Archaeological Proof Prophetic Proof Manuscript Proof Summation leading toward proof Each one of these poin...

Brethren are highly influenced by two major movements, Pietists (covered in another post), and AnaBaptists. What is it? Who were they? What was their main stance they are known for? These are the tree questions explored today. AnaBaptist is not a word that is used often, but many Christian churches are AnaBaptist. It does not mean we are against baptism, instead we believe in Believers baptism. Following the Scriptures, every time someone was baptized, it was to receive faith but because of fa...

This argument finds its basis in Genesis 3. The serpent asked Eve, "Did God really say?" This challenge still carries forward, including those who claim to be Christian as well. They will find themselves in a field of study called "Biblical Criticism". If you, reader, have a reaction as a teacher running her nails down a chalkboard, then that is exactly how this is to sound. The mindset is to bring to bear a thought denying the existence of God's true word and we have to "discover" it. Of cour...

For many today, the older writings of the past fail to rise to the issues and constructs of today. Instead they are simply something to learn, and keep as a reference. This charge, however, does not explain how the Bible, when put into practice, is able to lift mankind from the pit of despair to the heights of hope. It also does not answer how the Bible, after almost two thousand years, still has the ability to tell us about what is going on today and how things will turn out in the future. ...

We will not argue that mankind wrote the Bible. That is not our point of contention. If God chose, a sea sponge could have written it. Our point of contention is HOW mankind wrote it. The answer requires the understanding of inspiration, preservation and transmission. Once we answer these three things, we will trace the Bible. Inspiration is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit moved on the hearts and minds of mankind and led them to write what they did. Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us this. ...

The contradiction argument is not new. It goes back to the beginning (Genesis 3). Satan introduced doubt, Eve was deceived, Adam chose to sin. All who try to cast doubt on God's Word follow Satan's attack. From then till now, mankind has tried to destroy God's Word by undermining and casting doubts in rebellion against God. Let us address this argument with a series of questions and conclusions. First, if the Bible has so many contradictions, why do non believers, and even some claimed "beli...

Piety affects all of our life. It controls our public and private life, our existence, our entire being. Piety demands from us a way of living, a way to think, a way to act. No stone is left un-turned, no thought undisturbed. No point of our existence, whether physical or metaphysical, is left alone. What is Piety? Piety is our faith demanding and dictating how we live our life. In turn, our life, reflects our faith we claim to believe. One dictating to the other, and the other showcasing the ...

Love Feast is one of the most special parts of being Brethren, but for majority of Christianity, the most unusual and unknown. Having not been raised Brethren, the idea behind it was so foreign from anything heard before. However, having been Brethren, there is no way this amazing and humble service should be skipped. For those who may not know what Love Feast (LF) is, this will be an explanation. Like many other denominations and Christian circles, the Brethren do hold to two ordinances. Ordi...

One question, often thrown at Christians, especially in our political day, is, How can you vote for Trump or the Republicans? Good question. As Brethren who are A political, the question is mute. But, we do have a right to ask, How can a Christian vote Democrat? To do so is a betrayal of a professed faith, it is against a Holy God, and conscience itself. To vote Democrat, a Christian must Ignore what the Bible teaches. Deny the faith they confess. Deny their own conscience Ignore the godl...

The third key is the local church. If a church is ran Biblically, the body of Christ acts as a sounding board, a frame, a structure upon which we climb Spiritually. Most do not go to church. The reason unbelievers and many professing "Christians" do not go is because: "I don't need the church. I can worship on my own." "I would rather be on a boat fishing and thinking about God, than be in church thinking about fishing." "The church is full of hypocrites." "I have my own church at home becau...

How do we navigate the trials and struggles of life? No one answer solves this, and absolutly no one blog post will bring full clarity. The spectrum of trials are vast, requiring more than a simple answer. There are the emotional, physical, and mental struggles. Each one caused and affected by a multitude of underlying instances. The best way, especially for a short post like this, to help is to give ways Brethren work through these trials and struggles. There are three foundational keys we ...

Early on, Brethren were separatists, living in the world, but being sanctified out of the world (John 17:14-19). Trends, fads, popular positions, conflict, gossip, anything worldly, the Brethren desired to be out of that fray. Today, many Brethren have mired themselves in society, losing their identity in Christ. The focus has shifted from winning souls for salvation through Jesus Christ to more social justice work. There are, however, Brethren who separated, and reclaimed the positions of old...

There are several great books on pain and grief. These are some of my recommendations: 1) C.S. Lewis' "The Problem of Pain". 2) F.B. Meyers, "Peace, perfect peace", and finally, 3) "Good Grief" by Granger Westberg. Why do I mention these things? As I write this, a terrible destructive flood hit Tennessee and North Carolina. Both areas are reeling from major carnage. I wish to address the topic of pain, suffering, and a good God. This event shows us that pain and sorrow does exist. But ...

In this last installment, we are looking at why Christianity is unique and should be considered above all other beliefs is that: Christianity offers to everyone grace. Unlike all other religions where grace must be earned, in Christianity, grace is GIVEN, from God to mankind. We have to make the free will choice as to whether we will receive it or not. Other religions says we must find a way to merit grace. This makes it hard to be settled in the mind, whether grace has truly been found or not...

We are continuing our reasons for why Christianity should be chosen. Christianity is the one belief that affords assurance of Salvation. This differentiates Christianity from all other religions and belief systems in the world. In the other beliefs, the goal is to, hopefully, work enough to have the good outweigh the bad. But even the most ardent follower of these systems, if they are honest, will admit that they hope they will make eternal bliss but can't be certain. A. In Christianity, sinc...