Forced religion (as practiced by Roman Catholicism during the middle ages) never produced spiritual awakening. It only produced fear. As is so common in history, history records are written by the conquerors and not the conquered.So many spiritual awakenings were persecuted and destroyed by Roman Catholicism.

It's sad that biblical Christianity is lumped together with religious institutions that do not practice the teachings of scripture:

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

So unfortunate that the world chooses to focus on the man made organizations that sacrifice scripture for power and material gain:

... the venerable theologian Thomas Aquinas once visited Pope Innocent II at his palace in Rome. Aquinas was stunned by the opulence. The Pope was counting out a rather large mound of gold coins and turned to Aquinas and glibly quipped, “You see, Thomas, the Church can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.'” To this Thomas solemnly replied, “True, holy father, neither can she now say, ‘Rise and walk.'”

One is man's religion the other is true Christianity.

Geologic Column System

William Smith first used the similarity of fossils to construct detailed geologic maps across wide areas. He used fossils to map and correlate rock layers and constructed the first geologic map of England and Wales in 1815.

By 1885 the finer divisions of the column had been identified based on the principles established by Steno, Smith, and Lyell. These ideas were also beginning to impact the study of biology, and Lyell’s long-age ideas played a major role in Darwin’s development of the theory of biological evolution over vast geologic eras.

It was "assumed" that by identifying the order of fossil succession, the layers could be correlated from one region to the next. Index fossils are still one of the major indicators of the age of a given layer. Shelled creatures such as ammonites and mollusks are the most commonly used index fossils.

Another problem with index fossils is that, rather than being proof of evolution, evolution was already assumed to have occurred. The changes in features in index fossils of different periods are assumed to be caused by evolution, and the presence of different organisms in different periods is then used to support biological evolution. This is a case of using an assumption to prove the assumption is true—circular reasoning by any measure.

As ideas on the formation and age of the earth changed, the ages assigned to the layers of the geologic column changed along with them. Different radiometric dating techniques have been developed to date the rocks, and thus the fossils in adjacent layers, but the use of index fossils is still the primary method of identifying and describing the strata in the rock record: not carbon 14 dating. If the carbon 14 test dates for a fossil do not fit the geologic column, "retesting is performed" until they fit within evolutionary thinking. Many times the printed material regarding carbon 14 dating states the highest limits and lowest limits are discarded and finding the mean average of the remaining numbers is used. Not an accurate scientific method of testing.

Misconception: The strata systems of the geologic column are worldwide in their occurrence with each strata system being present below any point on the earth's surface.
The notion that the earth's crust has on "onion skin" structure with successive layers containing all strata systems distributed on a global scale is not according to the facts. Data from continents and ocean basins show that the ten geologic column systems are poorly represented on a global scale: approximately 77% of the earth's surface area on land and under the sea has seven or more (70% or more) of the strata systems missing beneath; 94% of the earth's surface has three or more systems missing beneath; and an estimated 99.6% has at least one missing system.

Misconception: Strata systems always occur in the order required by the geologic column.
Hundreds of locations are known where the order of the systems identified by geologists does not match the order of the geologic column. Strata systems are believed in some places to be inverted, repeated, or inserted where they do not belong.

Misconception: Tectonic plate shift caused mixing of geologic column levels
If tectonic plates pressed together (quickly or slowly) the massive rock movement would grind any fossil into dust. Instead of finding a mixing of geologic column levels a complete loss of the fossil record would result.

Misconception: The geologic column and the positions of fossils within the geologic column provide proof of amoeba-to-man evolution.
All the animal phyla, including chordate fish, are now known as fossils in the Cambrian System. No ancestral forms can be found for the protozoans, arthropods, brachiopods, mollusks, bryozoans, coelenterates, sponges, annelids, echinoderms or chordates. These phyla appear in the fossil record fully formed and distinct, in better agreement with the concept of "multiple, abrupt beginnings" (creation) than with the notion of "descent from a common ancestor" (evolution). Nowhere on earth has a "missing Link" between lower forms and more developed forms ever been found. If inter-developmental species missing links) existed the earth should be over run with them. For almost 200 years those who believe in evolution have searched for missing link existence. They should be as plentiful as the fossils we, so often, find.

Story: a family in Alaska visits a geology museum. The first exhibit is a map of the geologic column systems. The geologist states that the geologic column systems was scientifically developed and is proof of the age of dinosaurs. The next exhibit is a full fossil of a dinosaur. The geologist states that the dinosaur proves the ages reliability of the geologic column system. One young lady asks the geologist a question: "If the geologic column proves the age of fossils and a fossil proves the accuracy of the geologic column, isn't that circular reasoning"? The geologist looks to her father to correct her "misconception". The father remains silent and looks to the geologist for a response."Interesting question" is his response and the tour continues.

Truth proven in a laboratory and by mathematics never changes. The laws of physics never change. There are scientific principles established centuries ago and proven by university peer review boards that have never changed. It's when science has a point they want to hold on to that they, forever, continue to search for further proofs. Many of these are based on assumptions that never should have been made in the first place and evolution is filled with these types of assumptions.

Carbon 14 dating is taught in grade school, junior high, high school, college and by all public service facilities (ex: PBS, NPR,etc.) as absolute scientific fact. One has to seriously dig into the subject to find scientists admitting C14 faultiness.

During the mid 70's my uncle taught a 12 year old Sunday school class and added this information as curriculum. Some of the young students began asking tough questions of their teachers. Instead of evaluating what these students were saying the students were almost expelled from the school. School principals were calling the pastor of our Church DEMANDING this intellectual heretic (using their words) be stopped immediately:

... and this is science?

The pastor responded in two ways:

1.He told the students when taking a test give the teacher the answers he's wanting.
2. He asked the principals "why can't the teachers offer scientific responses to these students"?

FWIW, during the 80's and 90's is was fashionable for college professors to debate science individuals who believe in creation. After the year 2000 colleges and professors will no longer (in general) debate on this subject. They were embarrassed so badly they refuse to go head to head. Instead they use university and public media to criticize those who want to challenge them. University and public media refuse to offer opportunity for opposing responses.

... and this is science.

I worked for a manufacturing firm for 35 years. The fastest way to get their attention is through their bottom line.

If people stopped buying drugs illegally the drug black market would dry up.

If people stopped watching sex/violent filled movies Hollywierd's profits would plummet and they'd scramble to produce an acceptable format.

Unfortunately it seems our countries people don't have the backbone or desire yet to go there.

As I stated previously a spiritual awakening is something that has to happen willingly. FORCED RELIGION never works and I say this as a firm Christian believer. A spiritual awakening has to change the hearts and minds of the people. This is where the American church has failed society.

The attitude of our nation is such that Godly spiritual intervention seems to be the only hope. History is repeating itself as it always has and (most likely) always will.

Great empires usually fall from within.

Thoughts:

1. Our entertainment is based on sex and violence. Forty years ago I said that as these two items become more predominant not only will our morals and ethics go down but we will become so use to them that we will become immune to the real thing when it happens in society. I'm of the 60's generation. Free love (sex) was something my generation desired but it was, more or less, kept in the back room. Our decedents now consider it their absolute right no matter how it hurts marriage,society children from unwanted pregnancies or themself.

2. As technology progresses video ha been able to accurately simulate what it looks like when a person is shot by a weapon. Blood, skin, clothing, etc, is seen being ejected just as it is when a person is really shot. We (especially those under 30) have become desensitised to killing and murder. All the younger generation has ever known is violent video games, music, movies and a legal system has given the entertainment industry the right to proceed. No matter what the outcome. The RIGHTS of Hollywood (to make money this way) are embedded in concrete. Lawyers and judges could care less how it effects society as a whole. Notice that as entertainment becomes more graphically violent it don't take long for the audience to get bored with the level of sex and violence they've gotten use to. So new innovative ways are devised to display sex and violence in even more debase ways both visually and psychologically.

3. When parts of society protest they are verbally mocked, abused and labelled as Nazi's trying to control their rights. Unfortunately it doesn't surprise me that most of these shooters are 30 and younger. It's all they know. Entertainment is what has taught them their ethics, morals and conflict resolution techniques. When parents attempt to intervene some have been taken to court by Child Protection Services or the ACLU. Parents are, either, caught up in this trend or they are afraid to say no to their children because of the courts and societal pressure.

4.Unfortunately I feel things will have to become significantly worse until the courts, politicians, etc, will decide to do anything. The problem is when this stage comes the pendulum will swing way to far the other direction. Constitutional rights will be sacrificed. We can see this already beginning to happen. A month ago several politicians and high level court judges suggesting eliminating the 2nd amendment. We say it can't happen here but then Germans said the same thing in the late 20's. This trend has been slowly forced on the American people but it's happened so slowly that no one thought we'd be where we are now. For the life of me, when I was 18 (1969) never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that we would be where we are today.

5. The Boiling Frog. The boiling frog is a fable describing a frog being slowly boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in cool water which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability or unwillingness of people to react to or be aware of threats that arise gradually.

Our society is in hot water now and can't/won't perceive it or feel powerless to do anything. I sincerely hope we wake up before number 5 happens. Personally our nation needs a spiritual awakening: not forced religion but something that will change the hearts of our people. At the end of the 18th century both France and England were going though social revolutions. England had a spiritual awakening which prevented a major revolution. France did not and we all know the history of the French Revolution.

I just watched the local news and:

1. How did this 7th grader obtain two hand guns??????????????????

2. What has effected our children and grand children that they are shooting each other?

I have my opinions but not ready to say I think they are accurate.

If interested I can continue to expose the unsolvable foundation problems of evolution. When scientifically examined it's house of cards comes crashing down.

Carbon Dating
First developed in 1945 by Willard Libby (1908–1980), a professor of chemistry at the University of Chicago. Fossils are dated by their position in the geologic column which originated around the time of Charles Darwin: 100 years before carbon dating was developed and not carbon 14. If carbon 14 dates violate the geologic column the numbers are ignored. More on this later.

Theory of carbon dating
Earths atmosphere is, roughly, 100 miles thick.

The earths atmosphere contains:
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
0.93% argon
0.04% carbon dioxide
0.0000765% radio-active carbon (c14)

Source
https://www.space.com/17683-earth-atmosphere.html

The nitrogen molecules float through earths atmosphere. On the periodic table carbon (atomic weight of 12) and nitrogen (atomic weight of 14) sit next to each other. As solar wind (suns radiation) strikes the atmosphere the majority is absorbed by the magnetic field (van allen radiation belts) that surrounds the earthy.

The small amount that penetrates earths atmosphere strikes nitrogen molecules, dislodges 2 electrons, and produces carbon 14. Scientists estimate that 21 pounds (9.525 kg) is produced and dispersed every year. Not a very large amount. This modified nitrogen weights as much as carbon 12 but is considered carbon (carbon 14).

Carbon 14 combines with oxygen a to make carbon dioxide. Carbon 14 is considered radio active because it's unstable and tends to loose electrons with time. Half life is 5730 years. This unstable break down happens on a random basis. While happily floating around the atmosphere plants breath in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.

Plants retain the carbon dioxide which means they contain carbon 14. Animals and humans come along and eat these plants. It is assumed that all living matter contains 0.0000765% of carbon 14. When living matter dies intake of carbon 14 stops and decay begins.

Living creatures experience carbon 14 decay but food intake replaces the small amount that decays. To radio carbon date a fossil the amount of c14 in the fossil is compared to the amount in the atmosphere.

Equilibrium
Carbon dating is applicable only to matter which was once living and presumed to be in equilibrium with the atmosphere.

Presuming the rate of production of carbon-14 to be constant, the activity of a sample can be directly compared to the equilibrium activity of living matter and the age calculated.

Accelerator techniques for carbon dating have extended its range back to about 100,000 years, compared to less than half that for direct counting techniques. One can count atoms of different masses with a mass spectrometer, but that is problematic for carbon dating because of the low concentration of carbon-14 and the existence of nitrogen-14 and CH2 which have essentially the same mass.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Nuclear/cardat.html

Notice the university's use of the word presumed! Likewise, notice the time limit published by this university professor: 100,000 years MAX. Yet carbon 14 dating is quoted for almost everything with numbers in the hundreds of millions and even billions of years.

Radio carbon dating inventor, Willard Libby, assumed that the amount of Carbon in the atmosphere was relatively constant. Scientists have calculated that the amount Carbon-14 in the atmosphere would become stable after 30,000 years. Libby’s tests showed that the amount of Carbon-14 entering the atmosphere was 12% greater than the amount decaying.

“"The troubles of the radiocarbon dating method are
undeniably deep and serious ... It should be no surprise, then,
that fully half of the dates are rejected. The wonder is, surely,
that the remaining half come to be accepted." (Lee, R. E.,
Radiocarbon, "Ages in Error", Anthropological Journal of
Canada, 1981, vol. 19, No. 3, p. 9)” (Ham, Snelling, & Wieland)

https://www.chem.uwec.edu/chem115_f00/nelsolar/chem.htm

If the earth has not reached equilibrium and carbon 14 is still increasing then all c14 dates are inaccurate. If the earth has not reached carbon 14 equilibrium it is under 30,000 years old: according to proven SCIENCE.

If all carbon 14 disappears after 100,000 years why is carbon 14 plentiful in coal? Likewise in diamonds?

Scientists, who are being honest, are saying that carbon 14 dating is taking it's final gasps. Yet, in public these same scientists "hold to the evolutionary line" because the alternative is unacceptable.

This is not science but a government and university sponsored religious belief. Faith in a theory. They choose, by an act of their will, not to believe because the alternative is unacceptable.

Just heard a shooting in Noblesville, Indiana. A seventh grader wielding two hand guns. When they can't obtain an AR15 they'll use something else. Bombs, cars, trucks, etc. When will we stop looking at the guns as the killers and find help for these disturbed people?

I own a hand gun and obtained a carry permit. So far I have "never" carried my weapon. This Noblesville, Indiana event occurred close to home and I'm having second thoughts about carrying.

Another question: this all seemed to have ramped up in 1999 at Columbine. What has happened to our society that has triggered this?

In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma yesterday a guy shoot several individuals at a restaurant. As the shooter left the restaurant he was confronted with a civilian who possessed a concealed weapon. The citizen shot the assailant and is being heralded as a hero. Had a citizen not had a weapon more people would have been shot.

Of course, the anti-gun people have no comment on this incident. The democrate's in congress are strangely silent. What they want is to deny guns to all citizens. When this happens only the drug lords, gang members, criminals and mentally disturbed will obtain guns illegally and all of the gun laws in the country won't stop them.

The laws of physics are universal throughout this universe no matter where one exists.

The first and second laws of thermodynamics are scientifically unshakable no matter what technologies we develop.

1st law: energy cannot be created or destroyed but only changes molecular form when used.
2nd law: (Entropy) Everything in this universe moves from order (complex) to chaos (simple).

The foundation of evolution is that life has evolved from lower forms to higher forms: chaos to order. This violates Entropy at every level. The only reason some things appear to have halted or slowed chaos is the involvement of human intelligence. Even this requires increased use of energy and human effort. Nature by itself will always exhibit Entropy.

Nothing can change from simple (chaos) to complex (order) forms without intelligent interaction.

Yet evolution is based on life developing from non-life. A theory not provable yet evolution is accepted no matter. In fact, the only repeatable test tube experiment performed in this area was performed by Louis Pasteur. His scientific conclusion (used and proven in everyday food production) was/is that once life is destroyed it does not regenerate on it's own.

One of the major reasons evolution isn't been rejected is because some people do not like the alternative.

Evolution was a theory developed in the late 18th and early 19th century. One can discuss numerous "proofs" given to substantiate the claims of evolution. The one question that science cannot answer is "What laboratory has generated life from non-life"? This is the foundation on which all "evolution" rests upon.

I was just watching a Nova documentary on our local PBS channel on genetic manipulation. Of all the hope they talked about an MIT professor (with a PHd ) made the final comment:

"We cannot create life from non-living matter"!

With all the intelligence this world has in trying to create life they admit it's impossible. They can create chemicals that exist when life does exits but not life itself. Please explain how unintelligent matter create life? Of course, two responses are offered:

1. Bacteria came on asteroids. Asteroids are either burned up in the atmosphere or a massive explosion (generating massive heat) will both destroy any kind of life.

2. Aliens. Even if we give credence to this concept how did their life forms develop? Evolution tells us that billions of years ago the Big Bang threw out all of the existing universe. When an explosion takes place massive amounts of energy is released. Massive amounts of energy results in massive heat. Again, any living organisms would be incinerated in the Big Bang.

Many of the foundational supports of evolution can be easily knocked out from under it. But this one monumental question of the origins of life has to be answered before any of this theory can be considered real science.

I get three to four messages a day from profiles with an attractive young woman claiming to be 20 something. My settings limit is women over 50 yet they keep coming. If it's a woman then she's, most likely, wanting money and has somehow fooled the system into saying she's 20 something but the software reads she's over 50. Unless that feature doesn't really work. I assume it's a guy posing as a woman trying to get money out of me. Either way I ignore them.

By the way, the constitution was written as much to limit our government and not just it's citizens. Because of the Supreme Courts of the 50'and 60's the trend is now to make it a document to mostly limit citizens. The original founders knew that the tendency is for big government to take advantage of it's citizenry and they tried to place limits of government. The constitution is being seen as an obstacle to the plans of some politicians (both parties) and big time finance.

The Sturmgewehr 44 was listed as an assault rifle because it had an automatic mode. Companies that manufacture semiautomatic rifles have never used the term assault rifle because it implies the weapon has an automatic mode. Automatic weapons are illegal for the USA citizen. One has to apply for a special license from the federal govenment to purchase one.

1. The vast majority of shooters have been found to have psychiatric problems though the news media never emphasis's this fact. All states have laws prohibiting these types of people from buying and owning weapons. How are they obtaining them? Why aren't the laws that are on the books being enforced?

2. Medical, law agencies and the military know of mentally ill people yet this information is not given over to agencies who do back ground checks.

3. BTW, the term ASSAULT RIFLE is a term that originated with the news media. Semi automatic weapons have never been marketed as assault weapons.

4. Earlier this afternoon I spent time viewing the history of mass shootings. They seem to have began in 1999 with Columbine High School. AR-15's have been around for a long time. What changed in our society that caused people to revert to this?

5. Most everyday shootings (more numerous that mass shootings) are caused by drug and gang wars. The vast majority of these weapons are purchased illegally. What will banning firearms do to slow down illegal weapons purchases?

6. Illinois has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Yet, their strict gun laws have not slowed gun violence.

7. Illegal drug use is against the law. How has stricter drug laws reduced illegal drug use?

Our country needs to spend more time and money in finding these kinds of people and helping them. Ever increasingly stricter gun (and drug) laws are treating a symptom and not approaching the problem.

Feminists do not want equality. They want control. Though a minor political influence part of the news media seem to give them excessive attention.

FWIW, gender discrimination against men has been growing. I've experienced it twice in the last 6 years. This is a side NEVER mentioned in the news. Only if a women has a complaint does it go viral.

All a woman has to do is say she's been discriminated against and companies fall over backwards to resolve things. Whether true or just an accusation to obtain an unqualified position.

Yes, this happened in a previous company I worked for. A man and woman applied for a specific position. One requirement was the ability to lift 50 pounds regularly. The line supervisor (self proclaimed feminist) was a woman and gave the job to the woman. After three days the newly promoted woman complained to the supervisor she was having trouble moving the heavy product. The supervisor ordered the guy who applied for the job to do any heavy lifting ... and this is equality.

IMO, I don't think the majority of women are radical feminists. Feminists are extremely vocal and the average women is not and seldom stand up to them. Unfortunately this comes across as the majority of women support them. As long as women don't express themselves in a louder voice men will assume women distrust and do not like men. So all we do is window shop.

Since you can't see electricity are you willing stick your finger in an AC wall socket? Just because one can't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

John 6:44- No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him ...

Generally humans have an inate awareness that there seems to be a higher power. However we cannot discover God, he has to reveal himself to us.