Is it selfish to have more than two children?

An article on BBC News' website raises the question as to how many children, families in the U.K. should be allowed.

The article begins:

Parents who have more than two children are "irresponsible" for placing an intolerable burden on resources and increasing damage to eco-systems, says a leading green campaigner.

Curbing population growth through contraception must play a role in fighting global warming, argues Jonathon Porritt.

This week, the Optimum Population Trust (OPT), of which Mr Porrit is a patron, launched its "Stop at Two" online pledge to encourage couples to limit their family's size.

Mr Porritt said earlier this month: "I think we will work our way towards a position that says having more than two children is irresponsible." (Click here to read the whole article)

I found this article interesting. It brings about some ethical questions. If the number of children were to be limited to 2 per couple, ultimately, would abortion be implemented to maintain only 2 kids per family such as the 1 child per family in China?

The argument for only 2 kids in this article is to help protect the environment. But in the end, what means would be implemented to ensure a cap on having only 2 children? What would be the result of a family with one child becoming pregnant with twins? What attitude would a community have towards a family with 4 kids (like ours)? Would they be deemed as scapegoats for various environmental issues? What is of greater importance, raising image-bearers of God to know God and love Him or reducing the "carbon footprint"?

btw - I know the argument for limiting the number of children people have is weak and alarmist, but it is interesting fodder for thought. It begs ethical answers to questions being put forth.

Snowy Day

Hello,

For those of you interested in seeing our snowy day, you can click here. We had about 1 foot of snow yesterday which is the most in 18 years.

New Church Website

Our new church website is now up. Check it out at ccleatherhead.com. We're really excited about it.

We want to be able to communicate to the community what the community of God is. Our prayer is that this website will bless the church and those seeking answers.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Anti-God Adverts on London Buses

The British Humanist Association is a "charity" here in the U.K. to "liberate" people from belief in God. They are raising funds via "charitable donations" to put signs on 60 London buses reading

THERE'S PROBABLY NO GOD. NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE.

Richard Dawkins according to The Telegraph (HT: Ann B), has graciously donated up to half of the costs for this anything but noble campaign. I struggle to see how this can be considered a charity. How many hospitals and orphanages were started by atheists? How much good has been done by Christians who believe that God is good? It is interesting that the charity status of churches is being rethought and organizations such as this can have charity status. I also find this campaign riddled (as expected) with depraved human wisdom.

There is the notion that life can truly be enjoyed apart from God. Genesis chapter 3 anyone? This is the oldest trick in the book. If there is no God, I would say it isn't time to stop worrying, but to start! That means when a person dies, life ceases. That means I should get everything I can for myself out of this life. That means, it doesn't matter who I hurt in the process as long as I achieve my own happiness. That means that there are no true morals and therefore what I deem to be morally acceptable is ok for me regardless of what kind of hurt or damage that may bring others.

There's no God, enjoy your life... This is a statement that says 'be your own god' and thus there is no true atheist. It is a statement of life without consequences. Sure, there may be earthly consequences for actions, but what if there isn't? Did Hitler receive the just reward of his deeds on earth? No, he cowardly took his own life. Does that mean he simply ceased to exist escaping the judgment for all the wrongs he wrought? But then again, if evolution is true, he didn't do anything wrong because he was only trying to propagate survival of the fittest by forging a master race and killing off the 'weak'. Really Hitler is a true champion of evolutionary thought and self deification!

If there is no God, a man like Hitler should be honored because then he truly understood the purpose of life. He effectively served his own purposes living for his own enjoyment, no worries! Do whatever you want without consequence. BUT, if there is a God, then Hitler hasn't escaped any judgment. Hitler is accountable for his every action. He is then not a hero but a cosmic felon who will receive his just punishment.

If there is a God then there is divine authority and moral absolutes. That means that certain forms of 'enjoyment' that break that divine code are a violation of what is good. Man expects judgment, but right judgment is essentially divine in origin. Thus by divine design man expects evil to be punished but at the same time man wants to deny that evil exists because evil is the opposite of good. Says the atheists, "I want to live my life my way, you live your life the way you want, but if you violate my morals then you face judgment." But where is the source of the judgment? Who says that your morals are worthy of upholding?

If there is no absolute truth then there is no absolute untruth and everything is relative. That would mean there is no true authority only imagined authority that comes at the hands of the evolutionary strong resulting in extinction of the weak for the weak absolutely violate the relative morals of the strong. In this view there is no law or power outside of man who chooses his own destiny neutralizing anything and anyone who stands in the way.

You cannot have it both ways. Either there is no God and you can do whatever brings you pleasure regardless of the pain or destruction it brings on others. OR there is a God and we are accountable to Him (thus the concept of justice) and need to find our source of enjoyment in Him rejoicing in justice and truth. So what will it be?

Do we deify a perditious man like Hitler, or do we yield to the divine God/Man Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself to serve man and save man from man's own destructive ways?

Nobody can make the choice for you, but choose you must. And live with the consequences of your choice you must!

UK acknowledges Evangelism!!!

According to the European Centre for Law and Justice, the United Kingdom has received two Syrian refugees into the country on the grounds that their lives were in danger because of their Christian beliefs.

Essentially a Syrian couple who had both converted to Christianity from Islam were sharing their faith in online chat rooms. The article says,

As a result of their conversion, which is deemed apostasy under Sharia’ law and subject to death, the couple began receiving death threats which included a video of a beheading. The husband’s family told him that if he did not return to Islam the family would move against him and “wash their shame” – a phrase that he was told meant that he would be put to death.

The article goes on to say,

In its landmark decision, the Court recognized that a true commitment to Evangelical Christianity requires evangelism and that the circumstances of such converts to Evangelicalism in the Muslim world do pose a serious threat to life.

In other words, their faith commands telling others that Jesus is the only way to heaven. The U.K. acknowledged their faith and defended their faith. Although this profession was extremely offensive to the Islamic community in Syria, this biblical conviction of theirs was upheld.

What does that means to the rest of us here in the U.K.? The U.K. government is always quick to try to silence biblical evangelism. Sharing the Gospel ultimately comes down to telling others that their religion is invalid because only Jesus pardons sin. This is highly offensive to adherents of other religions (including atheism, secularism, (ir)rationalism, and naturalism which ARE religions).

This defends the right of the Christian to practice his/her faith even when others are stating that it is not right to claim Jesus as the only way to heaven.

So keep telling people about Jesus while it is still day, for the night is coming when no one can work (John 9:4).

Click here to read article.


HT: Greta D

What if there was no God?

A high school not too far from here had an event called: Does God Exist? They had me come and speak on whether or not there was a God. It was a great opportunity. It brought my mind to something that Ravi Zacharias quotes in his book "Can Man Live Without God?". He quotes a British journalist named Steve Turner. He wrote the following creed which has become known as the Modern Thinkers' Creed.

Modern Thinkers Creed
We believe in Marx, Freud and Darwin
We believe everything is OK
as long as you don't hurt anyone
to the best of your definition of hurt,
and to the best of your knowledge.

We believe in sex before, during, and
after marriage.
We believe in the therapy of sin.
We believe that adultery is fun.
We believe that sodomy’s OK.
We believe that taboos are taboo.

We believe that everything's getting better
despite evidence to the contrary.
The evidence must be investigated
And you can prove anything with evidence.

We believe there's something in horoscopes
UFO's and bent spoons.
Jesus was a good man just like Buddha,
Mohammed, and ourselves.
He was a good moral teacher though we think
His good morals were bad.

We believe that all religions are basically the same-
at least the one that we read was.
They all believe in love and goodness.
They only differ on matters of creation,
sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.

We believe that after death comes the Nothing
Because when you ask the dead what happens
they say nothing.
If death is not the end, if the dead have lied, then its
compulsory heaven for all
excepting perhaps
Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Kahn

We believe in Masters and Johnson
What's selected is average.
What's average is normal.
What's normal is good.

We believe in total disarmament.
We believe there are direct links between warfare and
bloodshed.
Americans should beat their guns into tractors .
And the Russians would be sure to follow.

We believe that man is essentially good.
It's only his behavior that lets him down.
This is the fault of society.
Society is the fault of conditions.
Conditions are the fault of society.

We believe that each man must find the truth that
is right for him.
Reality will adapt accordingly.
The universe will readjust.
History will alter.
We believe that there is no absolute truth
excepting the truth
that there is no absolute truth.

We believe in the rejection of creeds,
And the flowering of individual thought.

If chance be
the Father of all flesh,
disaster is his rainbow in the sky
and when you hear:

State of Emergency!

Sniper Kills Ten!

Troops on Rampage!

Whites go Looting!

Bomb Blasts School!

It is but the sound of man worshiping his maker.

Researchers in the UK intend to teach 5 year olds 'the pleasure of gay sex'

According to the Daily Mail, the British government has given £600,000 of tax-payers money to a research group to implement a program in 14 primary schools indoctrinating them in the 'pleasures of gay sex'. This agenda will target children as young as 5 years of age!

I agree with Simon Calvert of the Christian Institute who said: "When an adult who is working in a primary school suggests that children should explore their sexuality, that should result in a complaint to the police."

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

HT: Ann B

Persecution Outbreak in Orissa, India

I just wanted to take a moment and ask everyone to pray for Christians in India. There is a wave of persecution that has recently broken out in Orissa and other areas where Christians are being beaten, homes taken away, Bibles burned, and forced to convert to Hinduism.

Follow this link to watch a 5min video by KP Yohannan on what is going on there. Let's join in the fellowship of suffering in praying for these brothers and sisters.

A couple days getting away

Sunday we had a united service with a local Baptist church. It was a real blessing to come together with Bible believing Christians of another church body (though part of the same Church universal) to worship the Lord together.

Our facility was unavailable last Sunday as it was being used for something else, so being building-less provided an opportunity for a united service. The pastor of the hosting church asked me to teach which, you all should know by now, I eagerly accepted. I spoke on 1 Peter 1:23-2:3 teaching about desiring the pure milk of the Word. If you want to listen to download the teaching, click here.

After the service we made our way to the East Sussex coast where we spent 2 nights camping. When we bought our tent before family camp, we received an offer from the tent manufacturer for a free night's camping if we stay for at least 2 days, so that's what we did. Here is where we camped (thanks google maps).

View Larger Map

We spent some time in and around Eastbourne on Monday and then Tuesday we struck camp and went to Hastings. We had dinner that night with Doug and Lisa Keen and their kids (Doug pastors Calvary Chapel Hastings) then headed back to Leatherhead. It was a tiring/refreshing time (all those who go on holiday/vacation with small children know what I mean). To see pictures of our getaway, click here.

Holiday Advertisement

I found this very interesting. We received an advertisement in the mail for a summer holiday, and this is the picture that came with the advertisement. I had to scan it in.

For those of you from back home (Southern California), you will probably notice this immediately. Here is a family on the beach in summer wearing scarves and coats.

This is a small taster of life in England for those of you back home.

Take care!

Sin cannot be ingnored

Our local council authority (Mole Valley District Council) this month launched a campaign to combat chewing gum being thrown anywhere besides the rubbish bin. We all know the feeling on a warm summer day of stepping in some pre-chewed gum on the street.

What interested me in this is not so much the intent of the campaign but the avenue of advertising. There are two different advertisements I have seen, the "Sin / Bin" advertisement and one that is almost identical reading "Guilty / Not Charged".

What captivated me is the dichotomy of the conscience in juxtaposition to relativism. These two signs clearly show that there are things that are right and wrong. The interesting part of it is that chewing gum is the subject. Without realizing it, there is a greater message being put across. Sin is not trivial. It doesn't matter how "lite" the crime is, it is sin. This advertisement expresses the fact that the conscience absolutely rejects the idea of relativism.

But here is a greater issue. What seems more trivial is enshrined as an issue of right and wrong, but the weightier matters are treated as trivial (lying, adultery, pornography, abortion, bitterness). The real issue isn't simply an issue of cleaner streets, but of the fact that we have sinned against a holy God. I'm not speaking in regards to spitting out chewing gum, but rather the other things we chew on such as materialism, lusts, hate etc.

The universal truth is preached through this simple "gum ad". Sin is for real and there is a real penalty for sin. No it is not an £80 fine, but rather eternal judgment for sinning against a holy God. But here is the Gospel. The eternal fine has been paid by Jesus on behalf of those who put their trust in Him.

May this be an encouragement to us as we share the everlasting Gospel. The conscience of man agrees with the fact that all have sinned. Once that is made clear, there is an avenue to tell of the Good News!

Genesis TV

By way of update, some people (stateside) have asked me about how the Genesis TV show "Cross Talk" has been. For those who are unaware, Ron Matsen (pastor of Calvary Chapel Portsmouth) hosts a two hour slot on Genesis TV. The first hour is a verse by verse study, and the second hour is a call in Q/A session.

Here is an excerpt of one of the Q/A's I did with Barry Forder of Deal Christian Fellowship earlier this month.

So for those who are interested, you can watch this clip:

Calvary Chapel Leatherhead has a Facebook page.

I just launched a page for Calvary Chapel Leatherhead on Facebook. If any of you Facebookers want to add it to your pages, just click on the Facebook button below to go to the page and you can add it there.

Sourceflix

I'm looking forward to the completion of Sourceflix's current video project on Israel!