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Questions and Answers

Revival
Abortion
Aids
Capital Punishment
Euthanasia
Evolution
Pornography
Homosexuality and Gay Marriage (Dr Peet Botha has written extensively on the subject and has been
a very effective speaker for CFT. If you would like to order his book
"Homosexuality - Questions & Answers", you can look at his website: www.homosexuality.co.za.

Questions answered on:

REVIVAL

Q: What is revival ?

A: It can be described in various ways but essentially revival is simply God amongst His people in power and glory. Duncan Campbell, from the Hebrides revival, once said:"Revival is not churches filled with people but people filled with God". Revival implies a rejuvenation and a return to the biblical pattern for God's people. The church, at Pentecost, enjoyed a powerful outpouring of God's Spirit and the revival spread far and wide. Throughout history God has seen fit to send times of refreshing to His people. In times of revival Christ is at the very center as the glorified Lord to whom all must bow.

Q: What are the characteristics of revival ?

A: God-given conviction of sin; mourning for sin begins amongst God's people and later extends to the unsaved; confession of sin is thorough and deep; restitution (returning of stolen goods, apologizing, etc.) are the natural outflow of repentance which means a change of mind regarding sin and God; the joy of forgiveness through faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice for sin; lives obedient to Jesus Christ; the fellowship of the saints; missionary zeal to bring the Gospel to the lost.

Q: What about visible manifestations - aren't they a sign of revival ?

A: Many supernatural signs and wonders have been observed and recorded in revivals. However, visible manifestations are not necessarily a proof that revival is genuine. Counterfeit manifestations are characteristics of false revivals. Any movement which has physical manifestations as its central focus, such as laughing, animal noises, 'jerks', etc., is immediately suspect, especially if the above-mentioned characteristics of revival are absent. Revival leaders, such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, warned against physical manifestations when they become the epicenter of a movement and were detached from true repentance and the fruit of the Spirit. A revival is, by its very nature, bound to be accompanied by emotional excitement. However, once the idea gains acceptance that the degree of the Spirit's work is to be measured by the strength of emotion or outward manifestations, the Spirit of God is quenched and revival comes to an end.

Q: How does revival happen ?

A: One needs to understand that revival is a sovereign act of God - only His work can be called revival. While there is no simple formula for "getting revival" on a large scale, we are encouraged by God's Word to seek Him for revival (see 'What does the Bible say about revival?'). Revival is, as Jonathan Edwards puts it, "a special season of mercy" and the place and timing are according to His will. However, personal revival is a must for every Christian.

Q: What does the Bible say about revival ?

A: The Scriptures are a hand-book about revival. The following are just a few choice revival jewels:

"Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy"(Ex 15:6);

"One man of you shall chase a thousand; for the Lord your God, He it is that fights for you, as He has promised you"(Ex 14:13-14);

"Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before"(Ps 68:28);

"Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name" (Ps 80:18);

"Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved" (Ps 80:19);

"Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you?" (Ps 85:6);

"...and to revive the heart of the contrite" (Isa 57:15);

"Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!" (Isa 64:1);

"As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the quake before you!" (Isa 64:2);

"So he said to me, 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,'says the LORD Almighty" (Zec 4:6);

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8);

"With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:33);

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 Pet 1:3).

Q: What should I do to have personal revival ?

A: We borrow from Jim Eliff's "Five Resolves for Personal Revival". Personal revival begins when the believer faces his sin honestly. The following resolves are not a formula but are required of every believer:

1. REPENT OF EVERY KNOWN SIN.

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent" (Rev 3:19). RESOLVED: I will not go to bed this evening nor live this day without fully repenting of all known sin against God.

2. FORSAKE ALL QUESTIONABLE HABITS AND ACTIVITIES.

"For whatever is not from faith is sin" (Rom 14:23b).

RESOLVED: I will not go to bed this evening nor live this day without removing from my life every habit or activity I cannot be absolutely sure is approved by God.

3. MAKE RIGHT ANY WRONGS BETWEEN YOURSELF AND OTHERS.

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First become reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matt 5:23-24).

RESOLVED: I will not go to bed this evening nor live this day without doing all that is possible to correct any wrongs between myself and others.

4: COMMUNE WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER AND THE WORD.

"Revive me, O Lord, according to Your Word" (Ps 119:107b). "Pray without ceasing" (1Thess 5:17).

RESOLVED: I will not go to bed this evening nor live this day without spending quiet moments with God in prayer and sincerely meditating on His word.

5. TRUST GOD TO USE YOU AS HIS INSTRUMENT IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS

"Brethren, if anyone amongst you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way, will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (Jas. 5:19-20).

RESOLVED: I will not go to bed this evening nor live this day without asking and expecting God to use me as an effective instrument of revival in someone's life.

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Questions answered on: 

ABORTION

Q: What is abortion?

A: The natural or unnatural death of an unborn baby is an abortion. Spontaneous abortions (miscarriages) happen naturally. However, if there is any outside assistance, in whatever form, to abort the baby, then the murder of a God-given life has taken place. Planned Parenthood International, the biggest promoter of abortion in the US and in many other countries, once wrote in one of their pamphlets, during a moment of tactical weakness, "An abortion kills the life of the baby after it has begun".

Q: What happens during an abortion?

A: The method depends on the age of the baby. In the first 12 weeks a favourite method is suction curettage. The suction, 25 times the force of a household vacuum cleaner, tears the child apart. The pieces are counted and if the head doesn't come out with the suction, forceps are inserted to crush the baby's head and force its removal.
Between the 4th and 8th month the usual method is Dilatation and Evacuation (D & E). Various instruments, including forceps are inserted into the mother's womb and the baby is pulled apart piece by piece. The suction method is sometimes used to remove all the parts and the placenta.
Another abortion technique (which is fortunately becoming a less popular method) is the saline method which is usually used for unborn infants between 4 and 7 months. A powerful salt solution is injected into the amniotic sac. The child slowly dies (it can take 2 to 3 hours) as it swallows and breathes the salt solution. Often mothers experience the baby thrashing about inside them before the salt overcomes it completely. When the child comes out it is often badly burned and shriveled. Occasionally babies survive the procedure and are born with severe complications. An example is Gianna Jessen, born despite a saline abortion in 1977, but suffers from cerebral palsy as a result.
A ceasarean section abortion is exactly like a C-Section birth except that the baby is usually killed before being removed from the mother. If still alive the baby is often left in a bucket until it dies. There are also various chemical means (such as prostaglandin) which are increasingly used for abortions.

Q: And pain for the baby?

A: Excruciating pain must be felt as the baby is ripped apart or burnt with salt, without an anaesthetic. Recent research has shown that an unborn baby is very sensitive to touch and pain after just a few weeks of life. The worst methods of torture are comparable to the agony inflicted on the baby during an abortion.

Q: But isn't it unfair to children to bring them into a world where they're not wanted?

A: "Unwanted" describes the attitude of the adults, not an actual condition of the child. So the problem is not unwanted children but unwanting adults. Many women are degraded when their value is judged by whether or not they are wanted by men (pornography promotes this attitude). Just as a woman's value is real whether or not a man recognises it, so a baby's value is real whether or not his mother or father recognises it. There are always more couples crying out for babies to adopt - even if abortion was totally illegal, there would still be a demand for adoptable babies.
The problem of unwantedness is a good argument for wanting children, but a bad argument for aborting them. The worst form of unfairness to "unwanted" children is to deny them the right to live. This is surely the ultimate form of discrimination.

Q: But isn't a foetus just a potential human, a blob of tissue which could become a person?

A: The pro-abortionists have mostly abandoned this argument since medical science (especially modern foetology) has proved the full humanity of the unborn baby. Nothing needs to be added to the baby in order to make it more human - just the chance to grow and be cared for is necessary. Abortion denies this chance.

Q: What about the argument that a mother should be allowed to "control her own body"?

A: That may be so, but when she has a baby inside her there are 2 people involved. Genetically, the mother and her baby are separate individuals from conception. The baby has its own lungs, respiration, blood circulation and fingerprints that are not the mother's. The baby may rely on the mother for protection and nourishment but so does a baby that is already born. Thus, a woman does not have the right to control the destiny of another human being - the baby inside her.

Q: What about the thousands of women who die from 'back-street' abortions?

A: Before legislation of abortion on demand in the USA in 1973 over 90% of abortions were done by doctors or nurses in their offices and not in back alleys. It is a blatant lie that thousands of women die each year in South Africa as a result of back-street abortions. The Department of Health's own figures contradict this and they can only confirm that less than a hundred women die from botched abortions every year. All pro-abortion groups in foreign countries pressing for the legalisation of abortion have lied about the number of back-street abortions. Even politicians have been known to parrot these lies. Scottish MP David Steel asserted in 1975 that 2 million illegal abortions in Italy each year caused the death of 2000 Italian women annually. According to the World Health Organisation 259 maternal deaths occurred in Italy in 1974, of which only 20 were due to abortion. This is in line with our Health Department's findings in South Africa. If Mr Steel's claim was factual, every woman in Italy (including nuns) would have had at least 5 abortions during their lives before they even started to bear children.
Anyway, women will still die from abortions, legal or illegal. Back-street abortions (most of which are performed by qualified medical staff) may occasionally be dangerous for women - it is always dangerous for their babies!

Q: What about RU486?

A: This is not the only abortion drug used by mothers to kill their unborn babies. Other drugs, including the 'night-after pill' and certain preventative methods such as IUD's also abort babies.

Q: What does the Bible have to say about abortion?

A: The Bible forbids the killing of innocent people (Ex 20:13);
The Israeli midwives were commended by God for refusing to obey Pharaoh's command to kill all male babies at birth. (Ex 1:16-21);
When Rebekah was pregnant with Jacob and Esau, the Bible says, "The babies jostled with each other within her" (Gen 25:22);
God told Jeremiah, "I knew you in the womb" (Jer 1:5);
In Luke 1:41,44 there are references to the unborn John the Baptist, who was at the end of his second trimester in the womb. The word translated "baby" is the Greek word "brephos" which is the same word used for the already-born Jesus (Luke 2:12,16) and for the babies brought to Jesus to receive his blessing (Luke 18:15-17);
Exodus 21:22-25 indicates that the life of the unborn baby is equal to the mother's.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body" (Ps 139:13)

Q: What can I do about abortion?

A:

• Pray and seek God for revival. Read and distribute the CFT information 'Questions answered on Revival'.
• Educate others, your family, friends and your church, about abortion. Contact CFT for information about arranging presentations at meetings.
• Use your vote to support pro-life candidates. Let politicians and political parties realise that they will lose votes by supporting abortion rights.
• Write letters to editors of newspapers and decision-makers.
• Organise support for those who choose to keep their babies instead of aborting them. The church should assist in counseling and giving material aid to mothers and their children.
• Be willing to support pro-life rallies. Another method is to identify and expose the abortionists and the hospitals where abortion is practiced.

Sources

• 'Planned Parenthood, Planned Barrenhood' Human Life International, Maryland 1988.
• 'Focus on the Family with Dr. James C. Dobson', March 1995.
• Randy Alcorn, 'Pro Life Answers to Pro Choice Arguments', Oregon 1992.
• John Ankerberg & John Weldon, 'When does Life Begin?', Tennessee 1989.
• Dr and Mrs J.C. Willke, 'Abortion: Questions & Answers', Ohio 1985.
• Bogomir M. Kubar, 'Is your Contraceptive really killing babies"', 1988.
• 'The abortion debate - exaggerations continue', Press Statement by CFT, 10 May 1995.
• 'Operation Anti-adoption', Citizen, Vol 9 No 4, April 17, 1995.

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Questions answered on: 

AIDS

Q What is AIDS ?

A AIDS is an acronym for Acquired, that is something one has which was not originally there; Immune, that is to do with the body’s ability to fight disease; Deficiency, that is the lack of; Syndrome, that is how the patient looks and feels.

AIDS is caused by infection by the HIV virus, which is an acronym for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus selectively infects a particular subset of lymphocytes (white blood cells) accounting for profound defects in immunity. If a person is HIV positive it means that the person is almost certain to develop AIDS and die, since , thus far, there is no cure for the disease.

Q How does one gets AIDS?

A Aids is an behavior related disease. It is untrue that everybody is at risk. Only those who lives dangerously are likely to contract AIDS. In the USA AIDS was originally called GRID - Gay Related Immune Deficiency. This is because the first outbreak of AIDS there(in 1981) was among the homosexuals. The US Health Department found that 76% San Francisco gays who were tested, were HIV positive. Although homosexuals are in the highest risk group all other forms of promiscuous behavior are becoming just as dangerous. It is no coincidence that people who are likely to get STDs(Sexually Transmitted Diseases) are especially at risk when it comes to AIDS.

Although sexual activity with infected partners is by far the most common way of getting AIDS there are also other ways to get infected: using intravenous drugs; receiving contaminated blood (many haemophiliacs or "bleeders" have been infected in this way); mothers can pass the disease to their children during pregnancy and via breast-feeding.

Q What happens when someone gets infected with HIV ?

A In the first 2-8 weeks there may be a 1-2 week flu-like illness plus some swelling of the lymph glands. The HIV test usually becomes positive in the first 4-12 weeks. The next stage is the latent period, when the infected person looks and feels well even though he is HIV positive. This stage may last several years. The person is still infectious. Three to seven years after infection a HIV positive person starts to get frequent persisting ‘minor’ problems, such as weight loss, occasional fever, swelling of the lymph glands, skin rashes and mouth sores. Five to ten years after infection the person gets more severe problems such as tuberculosis, persistent diarrhea, brain infections and dementia, various cancers, and severe weakness. This stage progresses to death, despite all known forms of treatment.

Q Aren’t condoms the answer for protection against AIDS?

A In a 1989 report (Aids, Sexual Behavior and Intravenous Drug Use) by the Russel Sage Foundation and the U.S. Public Health Service, it states: " Little is known about the effectiveness of condoms ….. in actual use. Condom failure rates for contraceptives are known with some sets of users experiencing high failure rates".

As Dr. James Dobson so aptly said: "Even if we spend another $50 billion to promote condom usage, most teenagers will not use them consistently and properly. The nature of human beings an the passion of the act do not lend themselves to a disciplined response in young romantics".

Dobson says that the process of recommending condom usage to teenagers inevitably conveys five dangerous messages:

( 1 ) That "safe-sex" is achievable.
( 2 ) That everybody is doing it.
( 3 ) That responsible adults expect them to do it.
( 4 ) That it is a good thing.
( 5 ) That their peers know they know these things, breeding promiscuity.

Planned Parenthood’s own data show that he number one reason teenagers engage in intercourse is peer pressure. Therefore, anything that we do to imply that "everybody is doing it" results in more - not fewer - people who give the game a try.

Q Did God send AIDS?

A There are certain laws which God has put in place and if mankind refuses to obey these laws he must suffer the consequences. Since "the wages of sin is death" we should not be surprised when promiscuity results in heartache, disease and death. God does not "take pleasure in the death of the wicked" but invites sinners to "choose life". When we live without God the guaranteed results are sin, death and eternal damnation. On the other hand, if a person has lived a loose sexual life and has contracted AIDS they should not give up hope. God promises forgiveness, cleansing and eternal life to the one who confesses his sin and turns to Christ the Saviour.

Q What does the Bible say about it?

A AIDS was not known during the times in which the Bible was written. However, the Bible is valid for all ages and has plenty to say about homosexuality, loose sexual living and the diseases and death which result: "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you" (Ex 15:26).

"You shall not lie with mankind as with womankind - it is an abomination. …Defile not yourself in any of these was, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants…and if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you" (Lev28:22-28)

"There is a way far from her, and come not nigh to door of her house: lest thou give thine honor unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: …and thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed" (Prov5:8,9,11)

"There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Prov 16:25)

"In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received the due penalty for their perversion" (Rom 1:27)

"…Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:15)

Q What can be done about it?

A Dr. Joe McIlhaney, obstetrician-gynecologist from the USA, where the "safe sex’ message has been tested and proved a miserable failure, has this to say: "The public announcements about ‘safe sex’ infuriate me, because what they’re saying is that you can safely have sex outside marriage if you use condoms, and you don’t have to worry about getting an STD. The massage is a lie. The failure rate of condoms is extremely high, …". He went on to say, "The people who made my automobile know how it works best and what I need to avoid car problems. They tell me that in my Ford manual. Likewise, God knows how we work best, and He gave us an ‘owner’s manual’ for the human race - the Bible. In it, He tells us not to have six until we are married; not to have sex with anybody other than the one man/woman to whom we are married; and to stay married for the rest of our lives. That’s the one and only prescription for safe sex".

The answer to the AIDS problem is so straightforward that only the "will-not-see" can miss it! We repeat the statement in CFT’s pamphlet, ‘How to say No!’: "Abstinence is not ‘safe sex’ it is ‘saved sex’". Programs like ‘True Love Waits’ (TLW promoted by CFT in South Africa) have been extremely successful in promoting chastity. For more information on TLW write to: TLW; Suite 1507; 320 West Street; Durban 4001.

Finally, the ultimate answer to the AIDS crisis is revival. When people turn to God one of the first areas to get cleaned up is sexual behavior. Read and distribute, ‘Questions Answered On: Revival’.

Sources:

* DOBSON, Dr. James. 1992. Aids and the myth of safe sex. Joy!, Oct/Nov.
* LEXETRAN (Pty) Ltd & DE LA RAY, Prof R.P. 1993. Long-distance truck drivers in Southern Africa: their knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and behavior concerning AIDS. Pretoria. March 31.
* MONTEITH, Stanley. 1992. Aids: The unnecessary epidemic. Sevierville: Covenant House Books.
* WALTON, Rus. 1988. Biblical Solutions to Contemporary Problems. Arlingron Heights: Christian Liberty Press.
* ZUMA, Dr. N.C. Dlamini. 1994. Draft speech to be delivered at the Youth Rally on Saturday 3 December 1994 at the World Trade Center on the behalf of the Minister of Health. December 3.
* 1991. We need your help to prevent AIDS. SALUS, December.
* 1991. WORLD AIDS DAY - Sharing the Challenge. Supplement to the Sunday Times, December 1.
* 1995. Aids drive stepped up. Daily News, May 29.
* 1995. Cameron’s Corner. Family Research Report, March-April.

AIDS disease review

 BACKGROUND

The acquired immunodeficiency virus (AIDS) is caused by a human retrovirus, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which was discovered in 1983 by Barre-Sinoussi et al. at the Institut de Paris.

HIV TRANSMISSION

HIV CAN BE TRANSMITTED BY	HIV CANNOT BE TRANSMITTED BY
1. Sexually, via contact with infected blood, semen, and cervical and vaginal fluids (most frequent mode). 2. Following transfusion of blood or bloodproducts from donor infected with HIV. 3. Using HIV-contaminated injecting or skin-piercing equipment. 4. From a mother infected with HIV to her child, during pregnancy, at birth or after birth from breastfeeding.	1. Coughing or sneezing 2. Work or school contacts 3. Water or food 4. Swimming pools 5. Sharing cups, glasses, plates etc. 6. Donating blood 7. Handshakes 8. Touching or hugging 9. Using telephones 10. Public baths 11. Insect bites 12. Using toilets

 

CLINICAL CONSEQUENCES OF HIV INFECTION

All individuals infected with HIV will, if they live long enough, eventually become unwell and die as a result of this infection.

There are two viruses known to cause AIDS:

• HIV-1 is the principal virus wich causes AIDS in most parts of the world and it has, on average, an incubation period of approximately 8-11 years.
• HIV-2 is confined mainly to West Africa, but has been seen in the UK. It has a much longer incubation period than HIV-1.

HIV-disease refers to the whole continuum of pathology experienced once a person is infected with HIV. HIV disease has various stages, with AIDS being the endstage:

STAGES OF HIV DISEASE

STAGE 1	Acute infection Some HIV infected persons (but not all) experience an acute, self-limiting seroconversion illness within a few weeks of becoming infected with HIV. This illness is usually associated with swollen lymph glands.
STAGE 2	Asymptomatic infection This continues for many years but all the time the virus continues to replicate and cause damage to the immune system and frequently to the nervous systems.
STAGE 3	Persistent generalized lymphadenopathy Some people who are infected with HIV develop it but otherwise feel well.
STAGE 4	Symptomatic illness Eventually the immune system is damaged below a threshold at which it is no longer able to prevent opportunistic microbes from causing illness. The end stage of stage 4 is known as AIDS.

 

 Patients with HIV infection often present with associated problems. Some lesions present in the same way as in uninfected individuals, while others may be more widespread or modified in appearance.

ORAL THRUSH

Presentation: Large areas of whitish membrane that can easily be scraped off the mucosa, leaving reddened areas that do not bleed.

PERIANAL GENITAL HERPES SIMPLEX

Presentation: Herpes simplex in HIV-related immunodeficiency often presents not as clusters of vesicles but as areas of ulceration that fail to heal and that may become secondarily infected

ORAL HERPES SIMPLEX INFECTION

Presentation: May present as the usual clusters of vesicles on the lips but in HIV there may be extensive intraoral lesions with large areas of ulceration.

PSORIASIS

Presentation: Psoriasis presents with well-defined, thickened, salmon-pink skin plaques with superficialsilver scalding, which may occur anywhere on the body but which are typically found on extensor surfaces. In the late stages of AIDS, pre-existent psoriasis may become much worse or it may develop for the first time.

WARTS

Presentation: Warts that have a viral aetiology are often more widespread and more exuberant in late-stage HIV infection. Occasionally, removal is indicated to rule out malignant change.

SEBORRHOEIC DERMATITIS

Presentation: Once immunosuppression is severe, seborrhoeic dermatitis may become severe and cause the patient much distress.

SECONDARY SYPHILIS

Presentation: Secondary syphilis presents in the usual way with a non-itchy, copper-colored macular rash that may involve the palms. It has to be differentiated from the rash of HIV seroconversion or a drug reaction (cotrimoxazole)

KAPOSI’S SARCOMA

Presentation: Multiple purplish-brown macular or papular lesions that can occur anywhere on the skin or in the body, apart from the brain. Kaposi’s sarcoma is almost always of multifocal origin and thus extensive surgery to achieve a cure is not indicated.

PNEUMOCYSTIS CARINII PNEUMONIA

Presentation: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is the most common mode of presentation of AIDS in intravenous drug abusers (who rarely get Kaposi’s sarcoma) Another clinical clue is the presence of scars of previous shingles in a young patient with pneumonia. Shingles often develops well before patients develop an AIDS defining diagnosis.

CEREBRAL TOXOPLASMOSIS

Presentation: Toxoplasmosis is a protozoal infection and, once a person is infected, viable organisms are carried asymptomatically in the long term.

If severe immunosuppression occurs, then the organisms can reactivate and usually present as cerebral space occupying lesions with headache, paralysis of limbs, visual impairment, or epileptic fits. Occasionally, primary infections may occur.

CRYPTOCOCCAL INFECTION

Presentation: Cryptococcal infection usually presents with vague febrile illness or malaise; a headache and signs of meningeal irritation develop later.

‘SLIM’ DISEASE

Presentation: In certain parts of Africa, AIDS is so common that the local population use the expression ‘slim’ to describe a wasting disease associated with recognized or unrecognized secondary infections, underlying neoplasia, or HIV alone.

THE FUTURE ?

The terrible twin of HIV infection – tuberculosis – is beginning a resurgence worldwide, with current predictions (1994) suggesting a 12-fold increase in tuberculosis in the developing world within the next eight years. In addition, atypical mycobacterial infections, highly resistant to treatment, have long been associated with HIV disease. More recently multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, secondarily to HIV infection, is presenting enormous problems in the US.

 

THE ABSTINENCE MODEL

Abstinence before marriage and intercourse with one mutually faithful, uninfected partner inside marriage, are the only totally effective means of preventing AIDS. Other proposed means of prevention can only reduce the risk, but fail to eliminate the spread of the deadly disease. The only way to avoid the AIDS epidemic is to practice abstinence and mutual faithfulness in marriage.

In an age where pre-marital sex is propagated and sex is consumerised, it is essential to return to sound moral values. Basically every possible means to provide protection against contracting AIDS were exploited and tested thoroughly. The efforts were fruitless as the AIDS epidemic continues to escalate. The real and proven solution lies within the borders of a loving marriage relationship between one man and one woman.

The prevailing attitude amongst most of our youth and educators, is that remaining faithfully committed to one’s partner is kind of quaint and a foolish decision. Much of our culture seems to be an attempt to escape from boredom, emptiness and loneliness by continually pushing out the borders of experience. This culture is maintained and further stimulated by explicit pornographic magazines, pornographic and anti-family video’s and TV productions, the media and music, just to mention a few. Only recently people started to realize that a return to fidelity, abstinence and faithfulness should be recommended.

Traditionally educators opt for the comprehensive sex education model which states: "The model promotes the view of man as just a higher animal (B.F. Skinner, Pavlov, etc.). He can’t stop biological arguments. All one can hope for is to provide training and contraceptives and a way out for mistakes (abortion)." This philosophy has creatively contributed towards the current moral decay in society.

However, the abstinence model is a proven solution which can be applied to a marriage relationship as well. It states; "The model sees man as having a mind, intellect and spirit and as a rational being who can exercise self-discipline, think abstractly and make decisions based on future expectations. People have the capacity to dream, to choose and to love."

Gen. 1: 27 gives account of how God created mankind: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." God made man and woman a unity which describes the character and personhood of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) which is One. Gen. 2: 24 states: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh."

The Bible further compares the relationship between Israel and the Almighty God with a marriage relationship. This comparison continues in the New Testament as Jesus Christ will return to come and fetch his bride - those that accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour. In Malachi 2: 15-16 one reads: "Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and sprit they are his." And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. "’I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God of Israel....." God hates unfaithfulness and the sins that accompany that behaviour. In Hebrews 13: 4 we read the following: "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." Furthermore Jesus Christ did his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. This act of Jesus reaffirms the importance of the marriage covenant as it was instituted by God. John 2: 1-11.

Mutual faithfulness in marriage and abstinence before marriage provides a solid foundation to familial mutual love. Mutual faithfulness brings forward trust, respect and true love. True love is patient, it is kind, it perseveres, it is not self-seeking and it always protects. Marriage should be esteemed by all and then those around us will realize what true happiness means.

The directions are clear: Keep yourself sexually pure before marriage and be faithful to one another as a married couple.

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Questions answered on: 

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Q. Why do you support capital punishment?

A. What matters is not whether we support it but whether it is supported by the Bible. And the Bible is very clear on this matter. In view of fallen mankind's deep-seated wickedness and for the well-being of the human race, God in His mercy instituted civil government as the visible manifestation of the justice of God in human society. He invested the government with the authority to judicially wield the sword of execution on the murderer. The penalty for violating the sanctity of life is stated in Genesis 9:6. "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed". Why? "For in the image of God He made man". God so highly estimates human life that He will not suffer murder to go unavenged. Though justice belongs only to God, He delegates it to institutions He sets up among men. God created man in His image and clothed him with His authority to judicially enact the death penalty upon the sin of murder after the due process of law, because it is the only way in which a land can be purged from the guilt of such an atrocious public crime: "Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses ... bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed except by the blood of the one who shed it" (Num 35:30 & 33). The Hebrew word in the sixth commandment is rightly translated "murder" not kill: i.e.. murder is the unlawful taking of life. Capital punishment is the lawful, God-ordained taking of a life.

Q. But this is just the Old Testament! Doesn't the New Testament do away with the law?

A. The death penalty instituted by God in Genesis 9:6 was before Mosaic law and was not meant for one dispensation but "for all generations to come" (Gen 9:12). Jesus said that He did not come to "abolish the law but to fulfil it" (Matt 5:17). The divine authority invested in the government is repeated in the New Testament where it says, in Romans 13, that the civil government "does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer ... to punish those who do wrong". Keep in mind that the sword is a weapon (and this was well understood in the Roman times) which is capable of inflicting all sorts of injury, including death. (See below, "What does the Bible say about it?" for more New Testament verses.)

Q. Didn't Jesus reject the capital punishment idea in the story of the adulterous woman?

A. The story in John 8 is not an example of Jesus rescinding or altering Old Testament law. Jesus did not say that the woman should not be executed for her crime, but rather, he challenged the morality of her accusers, i.e., if they were also guilty of the same crime, they could not lawfully put her to death without also bringing the same penalty upon themselves. Israel, as a captive nation, was not living under Old Testament law. The right of "high justice" belonged only to the Roman government. Thus, by seeking to have Jesus commend the crowd's death penalty, the religious leaders were seeking to put Him in conflict with Rome as a revolutionary. On the other hand, they hoped to catch Him with the other extreme by making Him deny the Old Testament. Jesus saw the trap and resisted both extremes. Finally, the Old Testament requires two witnesses for a capital crime. Thus, when her accusers slunk away in shame (possibly because some of them had also committed adultery with the same woman) there were no witnesses, and therefore no case.

Q. Surely the Biblical principle of "love" excludes the possibility of capital punishment?

A. It is because God is a God of love that He provides the means to protect society form public evil. It is when the Divine commandment to "love your neighbour" breaks down in the heart of man, that the civil government's sword of the death penalty is designed to uphold and protect the sacredness of life.
The Lord is love personified but He is also a God of justice. Under His justice we are all sentenced to death for our personal sins. His love, which forgives the repentant sinner, is perfectly in harmony with His justice which insisted on capital punishment for His beloved Son, Who paid the penalty for sin by bearing the ultimate punishment - death and separation from God.

Q. What about the possibility of innocent people being wrongly sentenced to death?

A. Though this possibility exists it does not make the Biblical principle of capital punishment invalid. It is the State's responsibility to ensure that an alleged killer is given as fair a trial as humanly possible and only executed if guilt is proved beyond all reasonable doubt. Since courts are not perfect, mistakes may happen. Consolation can be taken in the knowledge that the accused will also stand before God's judgement seat where perfect justice will be dispensed on the basis of perfect knowledge. The innocent will be vindicated and the guilty condemned.
On the other hand, the possibility of executing innocent persons in error is far more remote that the possibility of saving the innocent victims of criminals who may have been detered by the prospect of capital punishment.

Q. Isn't the abolition of capital punishment necessary for civilised nations?

A. It depends on what you mean by civilised. Most "civilised" nations condemn capital punishment as "uncivilised barbarity". However, the same nations consider the abortion of babies as morally justified and civilised. When abortion is legal it becomes a capital offence to be an unwanted baby! If euthanasia is legalised "medical assassins" will soon have the knives in the aged and incurable. Can we call a country civilised when pornography and homosexuality is protected by law but parents who give their children a loving Biblical hiding are found guilty of "child-abuse" because of a ban on corporal punishment? Secular humanists will answer with a resounding "yes". Christians, who stand on God's unchangeable Word, answer with a firm "no". Pagan man, out of a blind and fanatical hatred against heaven defies the absolute authority of God's Holy Law, and ends up calling evil good and good evil. The result is the opposite of civilisation. Consequently, "the earth is filled with violence through them" (Gene 5:13) and "because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" (Eccl 8:11).

Q. What does the Bible say about capital punishment?

A. Besides the many verses already quoted the following verses should also be noted:
"For out of the heart of men proceed ... murders..." (Matt 7:21).
"Every authority instituted among men ... who are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right" (I Pet 2:13 & 14).
"The murderer shall surely be put to death" (Num 35:16).
"If anyone takes a life of a human being, he must be put to death ... whoever kills a man must be put to death..." (Lev 24:17-22).
"Anyone who kills with the sword, must himself be killed with the sword" (Rev 13:10).
"All they that hate me love death" (Prov 8:36).

Q. What can be done about it?

A. We must remember that the State, and only the State, has the right to bear the sword in vengeance, no matter how derelict it may be. While citizens have their right to self-defence (Ex 22:2), they do not have the right of vengeance, neither against child molesters, rapists, abortionists, etc. Even when wickedness abounds, men do not have their right to take justice in their own hands since it belongs only to God Who delegates it through His lawful representative, the State.
The solution is not more lawlessness (i.e. revolution) but reformation and repentance. Read and distribute "Questions answered on Revival". Let us follow the example of the ancient city of Ninevah, and "call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent, and withdraw His burning anger so that we shall not perish?" (Jonah 3:8).

Sources:

• John Price, ‘Capital Punishment in the balance’, (De Rebus) February 1995
• UCA News, February 3 1995
• Kerkbode, ‘Doodstraf owerheid se plig sê Gereformeerdes’, 21 January 1994
• The Christian Lawyer, Vol 1 No 2 1993
• ARCP, SPYSC and CPSA Newsletter, September 1994, Vol 6 No 8
• Dr Brian Abshire, ‘The Sixth Commandment and Capital Punishment’, a sermon, Milwaukee
• C.J. Williams, ‘No Hanging: The Death of Justice’, Great Britain
• Christian Living Today, Issue 61, May/June 1995

 

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Questions answered on: 

EUTHANASIA

Q. What is euthanasia?

A. The Greek meaning is: 'eu'-easy, happy, painless; 'thanatos'-death. A British House of Lords definition is "a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable suffering". Some draw a distinction between 'passive' and 'active' euthanasia - the difference between the withdrawal of treatment to allow death, and deliberately putting someone to death, usually to secure release from pain - sometimes called "mercy killing". Other definitions to remember are: 'voluntary euthanasia' - with the person's consent; 'living-will' - a declaration made in advance where the person directs that they should not be kept alive by artificial means (usually this is associated with 'durable power of attorney' where someone is appointed in advance to make medical decisions for the person when they are unable to do so for themselves).

Q. Why is the euthanasia debate becoming so prominent?

A. There is a growing drive to legalise euthanasia and a proliferation of 'Right to Die' societies. Back in 1948 the World Medical Association adopted the Declaration of Geneva which rephrases in modern language the 24 centuries old Hippocratic Oath containing the words: "I will give no deadly drug to any, though it be asked of me, nor will I counsel such". However, this has been contradicted in the past few decades. An editorial of the Californian Medical Association of September 1970 ('A New Ethic for Medicine and Society') stated that in the future people will be eliminated whose quality of life does not meet certain medical criteria, and that next to birth control there will be death control. Society will accept euthanasia, either voluntary of compulsory, as "the new ethics of relative rather than absolute and equal value will ultimately prevail".
One needs to consider the whole picture to understand the "new ethics" which justifies the killing of human beings. Humanistic thought, which controls most educational systems and governments, is responsible for this new, anti-Christian way of thinking. For instance, the British Humanist Association states: "Humanists are sympathetic to voluntary euthanasia. By this we mean helping people to die painlessly if their lives have become hopeless, with no prospect of relief before death and if they wish to die. But these conditions must be rigidly adhered to". Humanists consider euthanasia as part of their agenda, together with homosexual rights, abortion on demand etc. Since humanism believes that man is simply a product of evolution it has no foundation for upholding the sanctity of life. Killing unwanted babies and the aged are the logical conclusion of humanistic philosophy.
Though seldom admitted, economic pressures are often the reason for advocating euthanasia rights. Some openly argue that families as a whole should be able to decide what happens to their older members so that they can free resources to care for their younger members. Others have gone so far as to suggest that people should 'volunteer' to be 'put down' at the age of 65 and be given 'hero status' for their contribution to society.

Q. Surely, euthanasia is acceptable if it is voluntary?

A. Beside the obvious Biblical response which is that God has given life and only He has the right to take it, there are also a number of other considerations why 'voluntary' euthanasia is unacceptable and dangerous:

• Its voluntariness is often counterfeit and always questionable. In the Netherlands, doctors have tried to coerce patients, wives have coerced husbands, and husbands wives, to undergo 'voluntary' euthanasia. Elderly people begin to believe that this is what society expects of them and that euthanasia is "brave", "wise" and "progressive". The result, as Dutch Attorney General T.M. Schalken stated in 1984, is that "elderly people begin to consider themselves a burden to the society, and feel under an obligation to start conversations on euthanasia, or even to request it".
• It is often inseparable from, and inherently linked to overtly involuntary forms of euthanasia. There is now ample evidence from Holland, which is the forerunner in liberalising euthanasia, that 'voluntary' euthanasia is accompanied by the practice of crypthanasia (active euthanasia on sick people without their knowledge). Besides many other recorded cases, one of the most infamous was the report, in 1985, of mass secret killings in the De Terp senior citizen's home in The Hague. A member of the Board of the Dutch Society of Voluntary Euthanasia has pleaded for involuntary active euthanasia for the demented, the elderly, the unconscious victims of road accidents, and Thalidomide-impaired children, while the president of the same society publicly defended the perpetrator of the De Terp killings.
• Society undergoes an ominous change. The elderly are made to feel that society wouldn't mind getting rid of them. The Dutch Patients' Association stated in 1985 that "in recent months the fear of euthanasia among people has considerably increased". In their fears, people do not distinguish 'voluntary' form 'involuntary' euthanasia. A study conducted among Dutch hospital patients showed that many fear their own families because these are the people who could decide or pressure them to request death. Out of fear of euthanasia some elderly people refuse to be hospitalised, to see doctors or to take medicines.
• The promise of 'voluntary' euthanasia is false. Euthanasia is supposed to spare the sick person the agony that precedes death or the sufferings of a prolonged illness. When Wibo van den Linden filmed one Dutch patient's preparations for 'voluntary' euthanasia (shown on national TV), the unfortunate lady displayed extreme anguish and despair as the fixed day of execution approached. The normal way to die, if God permits, is to be surrounded by cherished members of one's family who won't let one go. Euthanasia causes extreme psychological suffering - the exclusion of a person form the community of the living while one is still alive. Because of the cruelty of the procedure, some of the most prominent champions of euthanasia - Foster-Kennedy in America, Lenz in Germany, and van den Benz in Holland - did not even consider 'voluntary' euthanasia and advocated only the covert, involuntary variety.
• It must also be rejected because of the fundamental discrepancy between the uncertainty of human and medical judgments, which are fallible, and the deadly certainty of the act of euthanasia. Patients' requests for euthanasia are often unreliable because of pressures from society and the family. Doctors have traditionally rejected euthanasia because they realised that diagnoses are uncertain and prognoses of the time of death are notoriously unreliable.
• 'Voluntary' euthanasia, is unnecessary because pain and suffering can be controlled. The Hospice Movement has shown that it is possible to control pain, provide companionship and assist terminal patients and families in preparing for death. Hospice patients hardly ever request euthanasia because they do not feel abandoned nor do they feel that they are a burden.
• It should be feared and rejected because of the irreparable damage it causes to medicine. The certainty that the doctor will do everything in his power to help the patient vanishes when euthanasia is allowed. Patients realise that some doctors who are prepared to put patients to death at their own request will also be capable of doing it without a patient's knowledge. In an era of euthanasia, patients' attitude toward doctors is increasingly marked by distrust, suspicion and fear.

Q. What does the Bible have to say?

A. Human beings are not animals but unique beings made "in the image of God" (Gen 1:26-28).
"You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13).

Life is a gift from God and the moment of death is God's prerogative.
"Man's days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed" (Job 14:5);
"My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me" (Psalm 31:15);
"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12);
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die" (Eccl 3:1-2);
"...And I hold the keys of death and Hades" (Rev 1:18)

Suffering can be a blessing. "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character; hope" (Rom 5:3-4)
"Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer ... Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev 2:10)

God can heal even the hopeless cases. "...heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers, and cast out demons" (Matt 10:8)
"Nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37);
"...who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases" (Psalm 103:3).

Q. What can I do about euthanasia?

A. Start by holding fast to God's revelation about life and death (see Scriptures above). Do not allow humanist thought to infiltrate your way of thinking. Paul's warning must be heeded: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" (Col 2:8). Hold on to the fact that each human being has objective value in an absolute sense, since God declares this to be so. Refuse the relativistic moral code of humanism which results in the killing of the weak, the unborn and the aged.

Earnestly seek God for revival. ONly the supernatural intervention of God which brings people back to a culture of godliness will be effective in reversing humanism and its culture of killing. Read and spread, 'Questions Answered On: Revival'.

• COLLINS, David, 1993, Legal withdr4awal of life-sustaining medical procedures, International Journal of the Medical Defence Union, Number 1.
• DE VILLIERS, Prof Etienne, 1992, Genadedood, Die Voorligter, November.
• DIAS, Sonia, 1992, Letter to the Editor. The Natal Witness, September 3.
• FENIGSEN, Richard, 1989, A Case against DUTCH EUTHANASIA. The Medical Education Trust.
• Healthcare Opposed to Euthanasia. 1992, Euthanasia: Doctor's Duty? Patient's Right?. London: HOPE.
• League on the Dutch Cabinet Position on Euthanasia. Commentary by Dutch Physicians.
• MOLL, Dr Tony, Euthanasia, RSA: (unpublished document by Doctors for Life).
• MOLYNEUX, Dr Chris. Euthanasia: Mercy of Murder?. Christian Living Today, Issue 48.
• RODWAY, Anne. 1994. Euthanasia - Precise definitions are needed. British Medical Journal, Vol 309: p 52, July 2.
• Sapa-Reuter, 1994. UK ban on euthanasia 'must stay'. Citizen. February 17.
• South African Law Commission. Bill to regulate euthanasia and to provide for matters incidental thereto.
• STRAUSS, S.A. 1993. The 'right to die' or 'passive euthansia' : two important decisions, one Ameriacan and the other South African. SACJ, University of South Africa.
• WEBER, Doris, 1990. Wer nicht pass, muss sterben, Germany: Publik-Forum Material- mappe.
• World Federation of Doctors Who Respect life, 1992. The War Between Bentham and Kant. April & September.
• 1994, Euthansia Update. Alert, No. 9. Spring.
• 1994, Life and death decisions belong to the Almighty God. South East Christian Witness, May/June.

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Questions Answered On:

EVOLUTION

Q: What is evolution?

A: It is the theory that all species of plants and animals developed from earlier forms. An essential feature of the theory is advancement towards higher, more complex forms of life. Change can only be called evolution if it is a move towards greater complexity or a higher form. Change within the same level of organisation is variation (a frequently observed phenomenon). Change towards a lower level is devolution (also frequently observed). One should never forget that neither variation not devolution is evolution.

 

Q: Why do you believe the theory of evolution to be untrue?

A: Man competent scientists of various disciplines have shown that evolution offends the principles of rigorous science. They see that many of the so-called facts of evolution arise from carefully selected evidence and depend upon preconceived interpretations of the observations. There is no scientific evidence to support the theory, and their is a great deal of evidence which conflicts with the theory. Science is able to show that the probability of evolution is far less than the chance that if every person in the world flipped a coin, every single one would come up heads. The famous scientist, Fred Hoyle, put it forcefully when he said that the chance of evolution was less than the chance that a tornado blowing through a junk-yard could assemble a Boeing 747, all ready to fly.

A wealth of scientific evidence exists which refutes the whole idea of evolution. However, to use just one example from the fossil records: Wendell R. Bird, in 'Origin of Species Revisited', quotes from evolutionists who admit that when it comes to the fossil record "creationists seem to have the better argument". Bird, like other before him, makes it very clear that scientific fact is not hurting the concept of creationism but it is hurting the theory of evolution - so much so that one evolutionist (Mark Ridley) admits that "no real evolutionist, whether gradualist or punctualist, uses the fossil record as evidence in favour of the theory of evolution".

For evolution to be true, a number of scientific principles must be broken, the most prominent being the Laws of Thermodynamics which state that energy in a system cannot be created or destroyed and, in a closed system, the amount of useful energy must decrease. To put it simply, order descends to chaos - the very opposite of evolution which calls for an ascension of simple life forms into more complex (like amoeba to man) as time progresses. The well-known scientist/author, Prof Wilder-Smith, notes: "The second law of thermodynamics seems thus to describe the whole situation of our present material world perfectly and the Bible very clearly confirms this description. For example, Romans 8:22-23 teaches us that the whole creation is subjected to 'vanity' or to destruction. Everything tends to go downhill to chaos and destruction as things stand today".

However, the main reason for believing evolution to be untrue is that the Bible totally contradicts it.

 

Q: Why do many scientists and virtually the whole educational system cling to the theory of evolution?

A: Without the comfort of evolution they must accept the alternative, which is the existence of God, and, for most, this is too horrible to contemplate as it would destroy their whole humanistic world view. The Humanist Manifesto I states, "Humanism believes that man is part of nature and that he has emerged as the result of a continuous process". This belief is echoed in the Humanist Manifesto II, which claims that "science affirms that the human species is an emergence form natural evolutionary forces". Biologist Julian Huxley said: "I use the word 'Humanist' to mean someone who believes that man is just as much a natural phenomenon as an animal or a plant, that his body, his mind, and his soul were not supernaturally created but are all products of evolution, and that the is not under the control or guidance of any supernatural Being or beings, but has to rely on himself and his own powers". Scripture teaches us that the enemies of God suppress the very obvious truth about God as Creator and Judge (Rom1:18-25). They hate and fight God from birth with all their intellectual and emotional powers (Rom 3:10-18;8:7; Eph 2:1-3).

 

Q: How does the theory of evolution influence behaviour?

A: If evolution is true then there is no right or wrong and no Creator to whom we are accountable. This attitude influences every area of life. For instance, since evolution teaches that man is nothing more than an impressive mammal, sexual behaviour has become increasingly predatory and bestial. It is quite consistent for the humanist (for whom evolution is the foundation of all he believes) to accept that sexual practices among humans can be as varied as they are among animals. Thus, sex outside of marriage and homosexuality must of necessity be accepted as alternative lifestyles; abortion is simply the "survival of the fittest"; there is nothing to prevent paedophilia becoming an accepted lifestyle.

 

Q: What about theistic evolution? Doesn't that allow for evolution and creation?

A: This view states that God used evolution as His method of creation. However, evolutionary and Biblical paradigms (concepts which provide a framework) cannot exist together - they are mutually exclusive. Either may be reconciled with scientific paradigm, but not with each other. This is because each of them is 'holistic', seeking to embrace the whole of reality. They cannot both be true since they propose totally different views of God, man and nature, and both claim exclusive truth for what they teach. It has been aptly said that theistic evolution is just a way of smuggling God through the back door.

 

Q: What does the Bible have to say about the matter?

A: REGARDING CREATION: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1);

"So God created them in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Gen 1:27);

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding" (Job 38:4);

Jesus said, "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female'" (Mark 10:6);

"God, who created all things" (Eph 3:9);

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what is visible" (Heb 11:3).

REGARDING CHRIST AS THE SOURCE AND REASON FOR CREATION:

"For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, ... He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together ... and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things..." (Col 1:16 & 19);

"... and through Whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word" (Heb 1:2 & 3);

REGARDING THE RELIABILITY OF MAN'S WISDOM: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding ... do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil" (Prov 3:5 & &);

"For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate'. Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ... for the foolishness of the God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength" (ICor 1:19, 20 & 25).

 

Q: What can I do about it?

A: FIRSTLY, recognise that evolution is, like all other attacks on the Bible, fought in the minds of people. Man has not driven God to the sidelines of His universe. There are only some who delude themselves that this is so.

SECONDLY, also recognise that the God-haters are not fighting individual battles; they are fighting a total war. If we are going to be obedient soldiers, we need to step back and look at the big picture before going into battle. Only when we know what we are fighting for, will we be able to fight with wisdom and see the victory of the Lord.

THIRDLY, if the Lord leads you, learn as much as you can about the subject (some of the sources mentioned below may be useful). After studying as much material as possible, go out and challenge the evolutionary lie. Never be afraid that you will be made to look a fool. Remember it is the evolutionist who has the hard time - trying to defend an almost indefensible hypothesis. In debates against creationists it is almost unheard of for an evolutionist to win these days. We should vigorously point out the holes in evolutionary theory because there are holes.

FINALLY, we must seek God for true revival to slay the enemy of secular humanism and its evolution god which seeks to dethrone our Lord. Refer further to the article on, "Questions Answered On: Revival".

 

Sources:

• Gerhard Berghoef & Lester Dekoster, 'The Great Divide', (The Banner of Truth Trust) Michigan, 1988

• Philip Stott, 'Vital Questions', (Valamin) Kranskop, 1994

• Prof E.H. Andrews, 'Christ and the Cosmos' (Evangelical Press) Hertfordshire, England, 1986

• David A. Noebel, 'Understanding the Times' (Summit Press) Manitou Springs, 1992

• Credenda Agenda, Vol 5/Numbers 5 & 6

   

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  Questions Answered On:

  PORNOGRAPHY

   

  Q: How do you define pornography?

  A: Pornography comes from the Greek words "porno" and "graphia" meaning "depictions of the activities of whores". Any material, text, photo, electronic or otherwise, which is sexually explicit and intended primarily for the purpose of sexual arousal is pornography.

   

  Q: What's wrong with pornography?

  A: After counselling and studying the behaviour of 300 sex addicts psychologist Dr Victor Cline says pornography affects adults in 4 ways:

  1. ADDICTION: Porn users get hooked even in the early stages because of the exciting and powerful imagery which is frequently called to mind and fantasized about. When "the wave" hits them, porn addicts are consumed by their appetites, regardless of the costs or consequences. Their addiction virtually rules their lives.

  2. ESCALATION: As time goes by the addict needs rougher, more explicit, more deviant, and "kinky" kinds of materials to get their "highs" and "sexual turn-ons". Their behaviour reminds one of drug addicts.

  3. DESENSITISATION: Materials which were originally perceived as shocking, taboo-breaking, repulsive and immoral become acceptable and commonplace.

  4. ACTING OUT: There is an increasing tendency to act out sexually the behaviour viewed in the pornographic materials. This may result in molestation, rape or other sex-crimes.

  Dr Cline says the consequences of porn-addiction is not just the possibility of committing a serious sex crime but rather its "disturbance of the fragile bands of intimate family and marital relationships".
  Children are harmed by viewing pornography. Various researchers have shown that the biggest users of pornography are boys form 12 to 17 years of age.

   

  Q: That may all be true for 'hard-porn' but what about non-violent, 'soft-porn'?

  A: The following studies are amongst many others which show the harmful effects of non-violent soft-core pornography: James Weaver, University of Kentucky communications professor, shows that men who viewed such materials developed a loss of respect for women and believed women to be more sexually permissive or promiscuous than they had imagined before the viewings. Prof Zillman and Prof Jennings Bryant of the University of Houston found evidence that shows that an exposure to non-violent pornography leads to an increased interest in violent porn.

   

  Q: Is there any proof that the availability of pornography leads to more rapes?

  A: Researchers Murray Straus and Larry Baron report that Alaska and Nevada lead all other states in the USA in readership of pornography per capita - they also have the highest rape rates. They state in their study, "The fact that... sex magazine readership.. is strongly and consistently correlated with rape supports the theory which holds that pornography endorses attitudes that increase the likelihood of rape."
  A 5 year study of Oklahoma County showed that as the number of pornography outlets were closed the number of rapes went down.
  According to the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, Cincinnati police found an 83% decrease in major crimes such as rape, larceny and robbery from 1974 to 1979 on a particular city block after a massage parlour, an X-rated bookstore and a "soft-core" movie theatre were shut down. Assault rape in Denmark increased by 300% since they legalised pornography in 1967. A study conducted between 1964 and 1974 reveals that countriies where regulations on pornography have relaxed show dramatic increase in rape - Australia 160%, USA 139%, New Zealand 107%, England 94%.

   

  Q: What about human rights - freedom of speech and freedom of the press?

  A: Neither English common law nor the framers of the US Constitution intended to protect obscene materials that exploit and degrade women and children. Repeated court rulings, including the US Supreme Court in 'Miller v. California' 1973, as well as R v Butler 1992 (Canada), showed that obscenity and certain categories of porn, are not within the ambit of freedom of speech.
  All freedoms have limitations. Freedom of speech does not protect libel, slander, false advertising, perjury and conspiracy.
  The rights of women (especially the "right to dignity") and children, also protected in the South African Constitution, can be weighed against the right of freedom of expression when it comes to pornography.

   

  Q: Does the Bible have anything to say about pornography?

  A: There are constant references to sexual purity in the Bible. Jesus indicated that a lustful thought was the same as a deed. Some helpful verses: "For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life" (I Thess.4:7);
  "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to the person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than to cause one of these little ones to sin" (Luke 17:1&2);
  "Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death" (James 1:15);
  "I will set before my eyes no vile thing" (Psalm 101:3);
  "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things" (Phil.4:8);
  "You shall not commit adultery... You shall not covet your neighbour's wife...." (Exodus 20:14,17);
  "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart..." (Matt.5:28);
  "...due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more" (Eph.4:18&19);
  "Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters nor adulterers...will inherit the Kingdom of God" (ICor.6:9).

   

  Q: What can I do about it?

  A: If you are not free from all influences of pornography confess your sin so that you can enjoy a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Inform your fellow Christians in your local church about the dangers of pornography. If you need more information ask an organisation involved in fighting porn (like CFT, Africa Christian Action, etc) to address a meeting. Prayerfully and carefully research the extent of porn in your local area. Start by pleasant requests to shopkeepers to remove porn from their shelves. If there is no response increase the pressure by informing the owner of the local store (or chain of stores) that you and your friends will not buy from their shop until they get rid of porn. Write to legislative bodies and the press to complain about porn.
  Seek God for revival. Only this will quench the growing appetite for pornography. Refer further to the article on, "Questions Answered On: Revival".

   

  Sources:

  • Catherine Itzin, 'Pornography - Women, Violence and Civil Liberties', (Oxford University Press) 1992

  • Dr Victor B. Cline, 'Pornography's Effects on Adults & Children', (Morality In Media) New York

  • Pornography: A Report, (American Family Association) Tupelo, 1989

  • Report of the Task Group: Film and Publication Control, to Dr MG Buthelezi, Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, Pretoria, December 1994

  • Ernest Todd (Letter to the editor of Citizen) 16 October 1994

  • John H. Court & Judith Reisman, 'Porn Again: Cause and Defect', Australia, April 1992

  • Peter Hammond, 'Finding Freedom from the Pornography Plague', (Africa Christian Action) 1994

  • H. Robert Showers, Esq., 'Myths and Misconceptions about Pornography', (NCAP) 1990

  • Simon Winchester, 'An Electronic Sink of Depravity', (The Spectator) 4 February 1995

  • 'US Attorney General Commission on Pornography', Final Report, 1986

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