Biblical Heritage Center Blog

New research findings on DNA have not only heightened interest in and enthusiasm for human genome research, but also fanned the flames of the debate between proponents of creationism or intelligent design and believers in Darwinism or evolution. Both sides are digging into their positions, but concede that the new debate hinges in part on the interpretation of the word "function." On one side are Darwinists who have bolstered their arguments against a creator in part with studies that show at most 5 percent of human DNA is "useful." On the other side are faith bloggers who for the past week have hailed, as a counterpoint, a new study that seems to show that 80 percent of DNA is "functional." Read complete article at -- http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765612880/ENCODEs-junk-DNA-findings-renew-debate-about-creation-evolution.html

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life’s new poll, released today, found that” One-in-Five Adults Have No Religious Affiliation.” The number of Americans who do not identify with any religion continues to grow at a rapid pace. One-fifth of the U.S. public – and a third of adults under 30 – are religiously unaffiliated today. This is the highest percentages ever in Pew Research Center polling. Interestingly, many of the country’s 46 million unaffiliated adults are religious or spiritual in some way. Two-thirds of them say they believe in God (68%). More than half say they often feel a deep connection with nature and the earth (58%), while more than a third classify themselves as “spiritual” but not “religious” (37%), and one-in-five (21%) say they pray every day. The percentage of Protestants is also decreasing. In 2007, 53% of adults described themselves as Protestants, but surveys conducted in the first half of 2012 found that fewer than half of American adults say they...

I have been working on a chapter in our book that is about TZEDAQAH . It is the Hebrew word that is translated as “righteousness,” but which many rabbis, including Jesus, used to mean “alms giving.” TZEDAQAH is the single most important word in the teachings of the Jewish Jesus. That alone should make it the most important word to every Christian too. Jesus said, “For I tell you that unless your TZEDAQAH surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Torah, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” [i] TZEDAQAH is the way into the Kingdom of Heaven, according to Jesus. Jesus also said: “ When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before him , and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left . [ii] . . Then they (the group on the left) wil...

A trip to the synagogue with Jesus would have been a eye opening experience. Luke records a visit that is loaded with a treasure chest of cultural clues that will help you understand just what it would have been like to go with Jesus on that day. Read complete article at –  http://www.biblicalheritage.org/DTB/1012_Going_With_Jesus_to_Synagogue.pdf