How to Kill a Spiders (rough copy)

Currently The Hawk Is Howling By Mogwai The Sun Smells Too Loud see related

Xanga, its been too long.

Hello Xanga I have not blogged on you in a long time, and for that I am sorry. It seems that I have hit a point in my life worth writing on Xanga about. It seems I have realized that I have, somewhere in the past year I would say, become ashamed and uncomfortable with my nerdyness. This was somthing I formerly took great pride in. I would not hesistate to verbally expload to someone about the wonders of the realm of Middle Earth or explain my nerdish Marvel superhero fantasies. I also feel like I am being drained of my creativity by some mysterious force (hmmm wonder what that could be) I am not saying that I am not creative I just feel less creative then I used to be. Another thing is I am not confident in any creative endeavor (I am referring to when it comes to writing) I used to write all the time but now I am scared I will write somthing stupid and i need to get over that and just write. The blame should be placed on School, writing has become a essay thing period hey there is a creative writing class... but thats it. GRRR!

On a Happy note, I like a girl named Rachel Wann a whole lot and she is awesome and here is why

1. She is a beautiful person inside and out! She is kind and considerate and overall great to be around

2. She gets me, lol

3. When we combind our brains amazing things happen (SuperGoldfish)

4. I don't think I could ever be mad at her she makes me smile :) effortlessly

Hmmmm, I think I am going to go read the Bible.

God :) Is Real

By Marilyn Adamson

Just once wouldn't you love for someone to simply show you the evidence for God's existence? No arm-twisting. No statements of, "You just have to believe." Well, here is an attempt to candidly offer some of the reasons which suggest that God exists.

But first consider this. If a person opposes even the possibility of there being a God, then any evidence can be rationalized or explained away. It is like if someone refuses to believe that people have walked on the moon, then no amount of information is going to change their thinking. Photographs of astronauts walking on the moon, interviews with the astronauts, moon rocks...all the evidence would be worthless, because the person has already concluded that people cannot go to the moon.

When it comes to the possibility of God's existence, the Bible says that there are people who have seen sufficient evidence, but they have suppressed the truth about God.¹ On the other hand, for those who want to know God if he is there, he says, "You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you."² Before you look at the facts surrounding God's existence, ask yourself, If God does exist, would I want to know him? Here then, are some reasons to consider...

1. Does God exist? The complexity of our planet points to a deliberate Designer who not only created our universe, but sustains it today.

Many examples showing God's design could be given, possibly with no end. But here are a few:

The Earth...its size is perfect. The Earth's size and corresponding gravity holds a thin layer of mostly nitrogen and oxygen gases, only extending about 50 miles above the Earth's surface. If Earth were smaller, an atmosphere would be impossible, like the planet Mercury. If Earth were larger, its atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, like Jupiter.³ Earth is the only known planet equipped with an atmosphere of the right mixture of gases to sustain plant, animal and human life.

The Earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze. Any closer and we would burn up. Even a fractional variance in the Earth's position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible. The Earth remains this perfect distance from the sun while it rotates around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph. It is also rotating on its axis, allowing the entire surface of the Earth to be properly warmed and cooled every day.

And our moon is the perfect size and distance from the Earth for its gravitational pull. The moon creates important ocean tides and movement so ocean waters do not stagnate, and yet our massive oceans are restrained from spilling over across the continents.⁴

Water...colorless, odorless and without taste, and yet no living thing can survive without it. Plants, animals and human beings consist mostly of water (about two-thirds of the human body is water). You'll see why the characteristics of water are uniquely suited to life:

It has an unusually high boiling point and freezing point. Water allows us to live in an environment of fluctuating temperature changes, while keeping our bodies a steady 98.6 degrees.

Water is a universal solvent. This property of water means that thousands of chemicals, minerals and nutrients can be carried throughout our bodies and into the smallest blood vessels.⁵

Water is also chemically neutral. Without affecting the makeup of the substances it carries, water enables food, medicines and minerals to be absorbed and used by the body.

Water has a unique surface tension. Water in plants can therefore flow upward against gravity, bringing life-giving water and nutrients to the top of even the tallest trees.

Water freezes from the top down and floats, so fish can live in the winter.

Ninety-seven percent of the Earth's water is in the oceans. But on our Earth, there is a system designed which removes salt from the water and then distributes that water throughout the globe. Evaporation takes the ocean waters, leaving the salt, and forms clouds which are easily moved by the wind to disperse water over the land, for vegetation, animals and people. It is a system of purification and supply that sustains life on this planet, a system of recycled and reused water.⁶

The human brain...simultaneously processes an amazing amount of information. Your brain takes in all the colors and objects you see, the temperature around you, the pressure of your feet against the floor, the sounds around you, the dryness of your mouth, even the texture of your keyboard. Your brain holds and processes all your emotions, thoughts and memories. At the same time your brain keeps track of the ongoing functions of your body like your breathing pattern, eyelid movement, hunger and movement of the muscles in your hands.

The human brain processes more than a million messages a second.⁷ Your brain weighs the importance of all this data, filtering out the relatively unimportant. This screening function is what allows you to focus and operate effectively in your world. The brain functions differently than other organs. There is an intelligence to it, the ability to reason, to produce feelings, to dream and plan, to take action, and relate to other people.

The eye...can distinguish among seven million colors. It has automatic focusing and handles an astounding 1.5 million messages -- simultaneously.⁸ Evolution focuses on mutations and changes from and within existing organisms. Yet evolution alone does not fully explain the initial source of the eye or the brain -- the start of living organisms from nonliving matter.

2. Does God exist? The universe had a start - what caused it?

Scientists are convinced that our universe began with one enormous explosion of energy and light, which we now call the Big Bang. This was the singular start to everything that exists: the beginning of the universe, the start of space, and even the initial start of time itself.

Astrophysicist Robert Jastrow, a self-described agnostic, stated, "The seed of everything that has happened in the Universe was planted in that first instant; every star, every planet and every living creature in the Universe came into being as a result of events that were set in motion in the moment of the cosmic explosion...The Universe flashed into being, and we cannot find out what caused that to happen."⁹

Steven Weinberg, a Nobel laureate in Physics, said at the moment of this explosion, "the universe was about a hundred thousands million degrees Centigrade...and the universe was filled with light."¹⁰

The universe has not always existed. It had a start...what caused that? Scientists have no explanation for the sudden explosion of light and matter.

3. Does God exist? The universe operates by uniform laws of nature. Why does it?

Much of life may seem uncertain, but look at what we can count on day after day: gravity remains consistent, a hot cup of coffee left on a counter will get cold, the earth rotates in the same 24 hours, and the speed of light doesn't change -- on earth or in galaxies far from us.

How is it that we can identify laws of nature that never change? Why is the universe so orderly, so reliable?

"The greatest scientists have been struck by how strange this is. There is no logical necessity for a universe that obeys rules, let alone one that abides by the rules of mathematics. This astonishment springs from the recognition that the universe doesn't have to behave this way. It is easy to imagine a universe in which conditions change unpredictably from instant to instant, or even a universe in which things pop in and out of existence."¹²

Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner for quantum electrodynamics, said, "Why nature is mathematical is a mystery...The fact that there are rules at all is a kind of miracle."¹³

4. Does God exist? The DNA code informs, programs a cell's behavior.

All instruction, all teaching, all training comes with intent. Someone who writes an instruction manual does so with purpose. Did you know that in every cell of our bodies there exists a very detailed instruction code, much like a miniature computer program? As you may know, a computer program is made up of ones and zeros, like this: 110010101011000. The way they are arranged tell the computer program what to do. The DNA code in each of our cells is very similar. It's made up of four chemicals that scientists abbreviate as A, T, G, and C. These are arranged in the human cell like this: CGTGTGACTCGCTCCTGAT and so on. There are three billions of these letters in every human cell!!

Well, just like you can program your phone to beep for specific reasons, DNA instructs the cell. DNA is a three-billion-lettered program telling the cell to act in a certain way. It is a full instruction manual.¹⁴

Why is this so amazing? One has to ask....how did this information program wind up in each human cell? These are not just chemicals. These are chemicals that instruct, that code in a very detailed way exactly how the person's body should develop.

Natural, biological causes are completely lacking as an explanation when programmed information is involved. You cannot find instruction, precise information like this, without someone intentionally constructing it.

5. Does God exist? We know God exists because he pursues us. He is constantly initiating and seeking for us to come to him.

I was an atheist at one time. And like most atheists, the issue of people believing in God bothered me greatly. What is it about atheists that we would spend so much time, attention, and energy refuting something that we don't believe even exists?! What causes us to do that? When I was an atheist, I attributed my intentions as caring for those poor, delusional people...to help them realize their hope was completely ill-founded. To be honest, I also had another motive. As I challenged those who believed in God, I was deeply curious to see if they could convince me otherwise. Part of my quest was to become free from the question of God. If I could conclusively prove to believers that they were wrong, then the issue is off the table, and I would be free to go about my life.

I didn't realize that the reason the topic of God weighed so heavily on my mind, was because God was pressing the issue. I have come to find out that God wants to be known. He created us with the intention that we would know him. He has surrounded us with evidence of himself and he keeps the question of his existence squarely before us. It was as if I couldn't escape thinking about the possibility of God. In fact, the day I chose to acknowledge God's existence, my prayer began with, "Ok, you win..." It might be that the underlying reason atheists are bothered by people believing in God is because God is actively pursuing them.

I am not the only one who has experienced this. Malcolm Muggeridge, socialist and philosophical author, wrote, "I had a notion that somehow, besides questing, I was being pursued." C.S. Lewis said he remembered, "...night after night, feeling whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England."

Lewis went on to write a book titled, "Surprised by Joy" as a result of knowing God. I too had no expectations other than rightfully admitting God's existence. Yet over the following several months, I became amazed by his love for me.

6. Does God exist? Unlike any other revelation of God, Jesus Christ is the clearest, most specific picture of God revealing himself to us.

Why Jesus? Look throughout the major world religions and you'll find that Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius and Moses all identified themselves as teachers or prophets. None of them ever claimed to be equal to God. Surprisingly, Jesus did. That is what sets Jesus apart from all the others. He said God exists and you're looking at him. Though he talked about his Father in heaven, it was not from the position of separation, but of very close union, unique to all humankind. Jesus said that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father, anyone who believed in him, believed in the Father.

He said, "I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."¹⁵ He claimed attributes belonging only to God: to be able to forgive people of their sin, free them from habits of sin, give people a more abundant life and give them eternal life in heaven. Unlike other teachers who focused people on their words, Jesus pointed people to himself. He did not say, "follow my words and you will find truth." He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me."¹⁶

Currently Opposite Way By Leeland see related

Proving God With Science

Proving God Exists Through The Examination of Our Universe
By Josh Peete

Was It Just A Freak Coincidence That Life Can Flourish On Earth?

By looking at the contents of the universe, we try to find order and understand all that is around us. In doing this, we can then empirically test our findings to show how objects within the universe function. This allows us to make sense of our existence and gives us the tools to predict future events from a posteriori knowledge.

The term, predict future events, may be misleading when taken out of context. The intention of this phrase is used when watching a wine glass drop to the floor or when putting a pot of water on a burner. By testing over and over again that water boils at a temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit, we can predict the future by saying any time I see water rise to the temperature of 212 then it will boil. The same goes for the wine glass, we can always expect the wine glass to fall down toward the earth and break on the floor. We can predict the future by saying that any time I see a glass drop it will not fly into the air and break on the ceiling. A posteriori knowledge allows us to predict events and make sense of the way our world functions.

The human scientific knowledge base gets bigger and bigger with every new discovery. But instead of merely asking how do objects function in the world, which science does, we must answer the question what did it take to allow objects to exist? An object in this context is defined as anything that can be studied so an object can be an atom, a chemical compound, or a mountain. By tackling this question, we can then find if the natural causes that allow objects to exist are mere coincidence.

The first example of an amazing coincidence that was necessary for all existence is how chemicals were created. Steven M. Barr writes in his essay, Anthropic Coincidences, that humans are made up “of no less than twenty-five different chemical elements.” All together, there are almost one hundred different naturally occurring chemical elements that we know of in the universe. The question must be asked, “Where did all these chemicals come from?”

After the big bang, hydrogen was created and all other chemical elements were developed deep within stars. Barr explains that when the star explodes at the end of its life it releases the new element into space. The first element to be produced after hydrogen would be a fusion of two hydrogen atoms called deuterium. “The force of nature that cements nuclei together is called the “strong nuclear force.” Had the strong nuclear force been weaker by even as little as 10 percent, it would not have been able to fuse two hydrogens together to make deuterium, and the prospects of life would have been dim indeed.” Barr also goes on to say that if the nuclear force had been stronger by 10 percent then the reaction would have been the opposite. The nuclear reactions within stars would occur too fast and then the life of stars would be considerably less than they are now which would in turn effect how long planets would have light for. If stars energy were used up in millions of years as opposed to billions, would intelligent life have an opportunity to develop?

Another example of an anthropic coincidence that Barr gives us is the necessity of quantum mechanics to work exactly as it does. If quantum theory were not in place, then all matter would not be stable. “Subatomic particles form stable atoms with well–defined chemical properties. Were it not for the principles of quantum theory, matter would be amorphous and protean to such a degree that it is hard to imagine a living organism being possible.” The coincidence that quantum theory works makes it so that chemicals can exist. Without chemicals, there are no planets or stars. Without planets and stars, no life can exist. Is this coincidence or designed?

An objection to the first anthropic coincidence is that humans base knowledge from experience. The human experience has told us that many chemicals are needed for life and that without the physics of how those chemicals work, life is impossible. We come to these conclusions by studying our own experience. But, it is possible that life does not have to function as we perceive it to. Maybe with different physics principles, a different type of universe can exist where life functions perfectly fine. Just because the physics principles we hold true to our universe are necessary to sustain our understanding of life, it is still possible that this universe could have had different physics principles that sustain life.

The problem with this objection is that even if physics principles other than the ones our universe holds allows life to exist, there would still be a step – by – step process to achieve life. It would be amazing for every single step to occur and the end result is simple life on a planet. What would be even more amazing is for every single step to occur and the end result is an intelligent life form on a planet pondering upon its origins. So, the coincidence does not lie in physics principles themselves rather it lies in the step – by – step process that must occur to allow life to exist.

An objection to the second anthropic coincidence is that physicists now suspect that the universe’s creation and life’s existence is due to deep underlying principles. For the universe to function in the way it does it needs to have space, time, gravity, three dimensions, etc. etc. The contrary to this would be impossible and no universe or could exist under such conditions. It is not a coincidence that quantum theory works the way it does because deep underlying principles make it work in only one certain way.

The problem with this objection is that the deep underlying principles could have been a number of different possibilities. By concluding that the physics in our universe can be the only way the universe works is another example of how humans take our knowledge of existence and then claim that thinking of existence in another way would be impossible. This is like saying, since no human has experienced a universe that has different underlying principles then it is not possible for one to exist. The universe could have existed in many other different ways, it just so happened that it functions the way it does. Just because humans do not have empirical evidence for a universe that holds different physics principles does not mean that having different physics principles are impossible.

Was There A Cause To The Universe In Which Our Planet Belongs To?

1. Everything is caused by something other than itself.
2. Therefore the universe was caused by something other than itself.
3. The string of causes cannot be infinitely long.
4. If the string of causes cannot be infinitely long, there must be a first cause.
5. Therefore, there must be a first cause, namely God.
6. Everything that has a beginning in time has a cause.
7. The universe had a beginning in time.
8. Therefore, the universe has a cause.
9. The only thing that could have caused the universe is God (because the cause has to be spaceless and timeless).

Those who disagree with this argument do not believe there was a beginning of time. Doubters believe that the scientific account of the big bang did not occur as empirically proven by science, rather there was time infinitely in the past.

The human mind is unable to image a universe where there is no space and time. Image a box that has nothing in it. The space in that box is empty, but this does not mean that there is no space in the box. The same with time; imagine a universe where there is no time that flows linearly. It is impossible to image. The way our minds interpret our experience is by having space and having time. Those who believe that time is infinite, call upon their human experience, which tells them that imagining the contrary is impossible.

New scientific evidence from Time Magazine in June 2001 shows that the big bang occurred 15 billion years ago. Before the big bang there was no space and time. It is impossible for our human minds to comprehend what happened before the big bang, refer to the box again, we can only think of empty space not no space. It is also impossible for us to think of time that does not flow literarily. Time started when the big bang occurred and the big bang occurred everywhere at one time. Then all the matter and energy that the universe can use during its existence was created at the time the big bang occurred. A type of anti-matter pushes all the galaxies and solar systems away from each other. The speed at which this occurs is constantly getting faster, pushing galaxies and solar systems further and further apart. But these galaxies and solar systems are not moving into space that never existed. Outer space must be thought of as having positive curvature. A good way to image the way outer space is shaped by taking a piece of paper and making both ends touch each other. If something traveled in a straight line going further and further into space, it would in theory end up back where it started. So again in theory, a galaxy could end up exactly where it started at the dawn of time if it kept moving in the same direction. This will not happen because before this could occur, all the energy that the big bang created will be used up. Eventually the universe would enter a dark era. The only thing that will be left is cosmic waste. There will be no light and no energy 10^100 trillion years from now, just burnt-out cylinders of stars and dead planets. Eventually, all the matter will collapse into black holes then the black holes will disintegrate that matter into particles. These particles will bind together to form big atoms larger than the size of our universe. That’s the end. There will still be space, there will still be time, and there was a beginning to both. Something must have caused this universe to exist and the cause has to be both spaceless and timeless. The cause had to have been able to function where there is no space, which is unimaginable, and with no time which is also unimaginable.

It was not a freak coincidence that life can flourish on Earth and there was a cause to the universe that our planet is apart of. Barr showed evidence of how anthropic coincidences such the process of how chemicals came into existence and the necessity of quantum mechanics were both needed to function exactly as they do to allow life to exist. With scientific evidence showing how the universe both began and how it will end proves that the universe had a beginning in time but will have no end in time. Everything with a beginning in time has a first cause that the first cause of the universe had to be both timeless and spaceless.

Currently Who Speaks for Planet Earth? By And Then There Were None see related

Fire!!

right now i am tottally on fire and it feels great!!! I went to Prayer Meeting at church and it was a wonderful expierence. I also recently started a prayer meeting at school and i just hope that it grows and becomes this intense thing!!! I AM IN LOVE RIGHT NOW!!!!  :)

WITH GOD!