Christian Love or Atheist's Brilliance?

October 16th 1555. The one day marked in British history as "victorious" for two Anglican clergymen who were burnt alive at the stake outside Balliol College of Oxford University. The two referred to cannot be any other than Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer.

But why this waste of life? Could it be their conviction that the Catholic Church who ordered their execution believed in the Transubstantiation while these two didn't? To make things a little simpler, this long word simply means a change of a substance from a loaf of bread to the body of Christ and red wine into the blood of Christ. The Catholic Church taught - and still teaches - that at every altar around the world, at the Eucharist or Holy Communion, a miracle takes place when a piece of bread changes into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, and the eating of this assures the partaker of entry into Heaven after death on condition that no mortal sin is committed without penance whilst still alive.

Ridley and Latimer denied the reality of the miracle - and they had a point. The host, which is not bread but a thin round wafer, remains the same after the blessing. Latimer and Ridley insist that these two substances are only symbols representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ crucified, and with this, they paid with their lives, with one of them crying out that may the light of truth will never be extinguished here in England as the flames started to lick.

Then came the publication of Charles Dickens' writings some 283 years after Ridley's demise, giving quite a detailed description of the Anglican Church in his day, and it wasn't pleasant! He likened it to riding the high horse of morality whilst heavily judgemental towards sinners, right to the point of hating them and condemning them all to Hell - and yet still remaining mutually exclusive from such sinners. And such was English society during the 1838 Dickensian era when theft and prostitution thrived in the city streets amidst dirt and squalor. And each Sunday, these well-to-do people, dressed in the most expensive height of smart fashion would be seen filing into a nearby church where no thief or prostitute dare venture.

Moving forward into the present and with the advance of the Internet, I see something very sinister happening right before me. Sinister? In Italian, the word is sinistre, meaning left, such as my left hand or left foot. Maybe "weird" instead? Perhaps that's more appropriate. But it's not good. I'm referring to the closure of our church at Ascot, along with most if not all other churches, and the advance of popularity towards atheists on YouTube. This coronavirus pandemic had our Government order the shutdown of all public gatherings including churches, creating instead, "virtual meetings" on the computer screen, followed by "virtual coffee" on Zoom. And so each of us appears in a small individual frame, set in a structure which is not unlike a pigeonhole. 

Although our elders are excited that "more people tuning into our services than before" - in referral to outsiders, whether Christians or unbelievers - nevertheless such virtual meetings cannot hold a candle to the real thing, the proper church meeting where strong bonds, body contact and hugging have all proven to be very beneficial to all three, spiritual, physical and mental health alike.

Lack of physical contact brought in by fear of this pandemic has already proven detrimental to me personally, but I'll come back to that. Instead, I have become rather intrigued by up to nine celebrities which I'll divide by three groups of three. Three authors: Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens, all self-confessed atheists. Then I'm already familiar with three BBC reporters: Andrew Marr, Simon Reeve and Brian Cox, of whom only Andrew Marr is the atheist, the other two are more likely agnostics, although both might have had bad experiences with organised religion, at least Simon Reeve admit this. Then the three YouTubers, all self-confessed atheists: Cosmic Skeptic whose real name is Alex O'Connor, Genetically Modified Skeptic, whose real name is Drew McCoy, and SciManDan, whose only clue to his name being Dan or Daniel. Of the three YouTubers, I have met and spoken to Alex O'Connor face-to-face at Oxford.

Concentrating on the three YouTubers, their popularity is reflected by some stats I did in preparation of this blog. Between them, at midday on 8/8/2020, they have 133,794,891 views. This is divided as follows: SciManDan: 76,238,071 views and 371k subscribers. Drew McCoy has 26,546,736 views with 296k subscribers, and Alex O'Connor has 31,010,084 views with 360k subscribers. Boy! I wish that many would read my blogs!

Of the three, SciManDan I found to be more intriguing. Married with children, he has several channels, one of the rebuking the Flat Earth theory. Another is a tutorial on physics, where I learn that energy is always transferred from one source to another without petering out, a concept I should have learned at school.

His rebuke against Flat Earth and his knowledge of physics bring out his high level of education. And for a Christian such as I am, this poses a level of embarrassment. This is due to the awkward fact that Flat-Earthers are generally Christians who believe that our planet is a divinely-created flat disc covered with a solid glass-like dome which is referred to as the firmament, according to Genesis 1:6-8.

Among Christians, Flat-Earthers are a tiny minority. Although here in the UK, committed Christians makes up about 2% of the population, a great number of them believe in Theistic Evolution, thus accepting that the Earth is a sphere billions of years old and organic evolution went through its process under God's guidance and supervision. Over the years I have associated with Christian graduates who were committed to Theistic Evolution, on a regular basis. Then there is a class of Christian believers who are Biblical Creationists and I'm in that class. Therefore what do I believe in?

I believe that the heavens, that is, the entire Universe, and the Earth were created supernaturally in 6x24-hour days as narrated in Holy Scripture. The Earth is a sphere wrapped by an atmosphere, and it has always been that, a sphere. As for the firmament, this was not a glass-like dome covering a flat disc. Instead, the Hebrew indicates an expanse, a layer of water vapour in the upper atmosphere surrounding the planet. Whether it was in the stratosphere or the troposphere, I cannot be sure, but as any meteorologist would agree, the firmament or expanse is not there now. Therefore, what has happened to it?

Could the collapse of the expanse, along with tremendous tectonic movements within the Earth's crust be the cause of the Noachian Deluge which wiped out all antediluvian life? And that which is endorsed as historic by Jesus Christ himself? However, that's a topic for another day.

Thus I could be classed as one of a small minority who stands by my conviction. The likes of SciManDan could laugh aloud if he were to read this. But this along with the embarrassment is the presence of what I would call Hyper-Creationists who believe in a flat earth and also partakes in the Christian faith. Such people make me ashamed to be a Christian, especially under the scrutiny of well-educated atheists.

But going back to the Coronavirus pandemic, I miss the church service and fellowship resulting from being physically present. However, one friend of mine runs an outdoor Bible class at South Hill Park, not far from my home. Eight people, I think, were present including two couples, three single men and myself. Then I was involved in an incident there where, I'm sure, would convince any learned atheist that Christianity is nothing more than man-made religious opium.

Months of lockdown was beginning to take its toll. Unable for us to travel, repeated hospital appointments along with repeated calls for an ambulance, watching my beloved suffering intense pain, her immobility, this wretched compulsion to wear facemasks when having a covering over my face affects my throat, causing irritation and coughing, watching a Democracy turn into a Police State where anyone not wearing a mask in public is likely to get nicked...

This fear. This universal hysteria! This universal and hysterical fear of a virus which seems to be proving that it's far, far less fatal than that which is spewed out by the Government, its allied scientists, and the Media, both TV and newspapers. Figures of death statistics are shown to be inflated, including the death statistics of those who were tested positive but had died from a different cause, even after recovery from the initial pathogenic infection. And so far, although the rate of infection is rising again, forcing quarantine for everyone returning from certain countries overseas, the rate of hospital admissions and death numbers remains static.

One afternoon this week, I return from a shopping trip to see my wife lying on the floor with the phone in her hand, trying to call for an ambulance as she lay gripped in agonising back pain. Quickly I took out the bottle of Morphine oral solution from the cupboard and gave her seven millilitres, which is below the maximum ten, and spoke to the person at Ambulance Control at the other end of the phone saying that everything is in hand and an ambulance is not required. I then watched Alex recover as I laid her on the sofa. One sidekick of morphine is sleepiness, and so she slept as I made my way to the Bible study group.

Seeing my beloved lying on the floor when returning home is not a new thing at all. The first time was when she was pregnant with our second daughter and she was rushed by ambulance to hospital where she was kept in overnight. Fortunately, both she and the baby were okay. But there were other times, later in life, when I find her unconscious and not breathing, as her throat muscles had involuntary tightened around her airway, and I had to carry out a resuscitation procedure on her.

Therefore, my spirit was very low when I made off to the Bible study group. Only seven other people were there but the circle was very wide in relation to the few who were present. When looking for a place to settle - straightforward, really - a panic began to ensue as if I was the disease itself and people began to fuss, lest I pass the (non-existent) virus to them.

And that was when I tipped over the edge. My anger and frustration, up to the present contained, suddenly exploded. And out came language so strong that any thick iron bar would buckle under its force. Six of the people took my onslaught in silence, most likely realising that such a release of tension was necessary for my future wellbeing.

But not Steve, the unmarried moralist who had to mount his high horse to shout back at me not to swear like that. Oh, I could have knocked his lights out! Nothing - indeed nothing - could have added insult to the wound in a way this moralist had just done! This episode gave me a very bad worldview of the Christian faith.

It's not the first time my view of the Christian church had dipped so low! As I might have said before: If it wasn't for God's grace and familiarity with the Bible, this experience would have cemented my atheism forever! I actually believe that the likes of Steve would have sent many to Hell rather than to Heaven. Therefore, by making a comparison, had the likes of Alex O'Connor, Drew McCoy, SciManDan, or even Andrew Marr or Sam Harris had been present, I believe that one of them would disregard any virus threat to lay both hands on my shoulders and quietly instruct me to breathe deeply and smoothly. 

"You are right in everything you have said. Now gently... Breathe in, breathe out, be calm and let your emotion gently settle."

And guess what, during my lifetime I have calmed a few angry men by using that very method. And it works.

Brian Cox - more approachable than many a religious moralist?

All this makes me ask: Do other Christians ever get angry? If not, then indeed they are truly regenerated in Christ - whilst I'm still in my sins. But if they do, how do they deal with it? Especially the likes of Steve. An interesting point here.

This Dickensian attitude among Christians could become a thing of the past if Christians show true agape love for each other. And that, I feel, is what the Church desperately needs in order to outshine the most clever of atheists. And according to what I have seen and heard, Christians just don't have such agape love. Plenty of education, yes, plenty of wealth, yes, holding down good jobs, yes. But having the same love God has for us? - Er, no. We all fall short in this area, including me. Until we change, atheists will always run rings around us in mocking ridicule.

Mentoring? Yes, That is Good.

Without a shadow of of a doubt, the Internet has opened up a new world previously hidden from our private lives. And especially You-Tube. And after spending several years browsing through many of the website's numerous videos, by chance I came across one particular channel, and soon after, I became a subscriber of one young atheistic student with remarkable knowledge and insight for one still a teenager, despite that he still has yet to attend university. He has my head spinning despite him being young enough to be my grandson. Okay, his name is Alexander J. O'Connor, bearing the stage name of Cosmic Skeptic. 

Alexander J. O'Connor

Together with his high level of knowledge, whilst on air I found him to be reasonably humble. He does not slag off the ordinary Christian believer. Rather, he respects his beliefs. Rather he aims his guns at the "Big Shots" - the better-known evangelists and televangelists for debunking Science and advocating Supernatural Creationism, especially to a wide audience with their intention to "enslave the minds of young children to religious ignorance and from the wonders of Scientific facts." The "Scientific facts" referred to here are to do with Historical Geology and Darwinian Evolution, a rather small section of General Science, which also includes man-invented contrasts such as between civic engineering and watchmaking, along with chemistry, medicine, thermodynamics, computers, navigation, meteorology, astrology, magnetism, the elements (atoms, molecules, etc.), acoustics, optics, oceanography, volcanic and seismic sciences, plate tectonics, along with many other branches, all growing out of the three most important boughs of the Scientific tree-trunk - Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth Science. Even Physical Science itself has three branches - Physics, Chemistry, and Astronomy. Therefore in such a vast array, Darwinism occupies only a small branch, yet this small branch of science is taken to mean the whole of Science versus Divine Creation.

As a UK resident (Oxford, I believe) he had recently flown to California upon an invitation to make a thirty-minute presentation to an audience at a conference centre, followed by a further thirty minutes of questions from his listeners. And so there he was, a British teenager dressed in an open neck shirt without a tie, most likely the youngest presenter the centre has ever hosted. Yet possessing the knack and ability to challenge the older, more experienced, smart-suited televangelist whose motives sometimes comes over as more financial rather than spiritual or Gospel-centred. His presentation was about why he favoured science and atheism above creationism-based religion. And that includes all religions, not just fundamental Christianity.

There at first seems to be a vast chasm between this lad and myself when I was his age. Where he had accumulated such knowledge for his age I cannot be sure, but one thing I am aware of. That is if I was born around the year 2000, give or take, and happen to live next door, he would be a towering giant in the intellectual sense by comparison to myself, a dwarf. Yet we both have very similar backgrounds. We both grew up as Roman Catholics and by the time we have reached teenage years, we both had become disillusioned with religion. Perhaps his definition of an atheist is more true to himself than it was for me. Because during my teenage years I actually hated God and everything to do with religion, namely the churches. And whether the same applies to O'Connor, that's not for me to say. But there is one area he himself had brought to attention: And that during his presentation, he admitted that he has a fear of Hell, after watching videos of lost souls of people being tormented by the Devil and his minions after their deaths, leaving him with the awareness of the possibility of its existence.

That is not a good position to be in. Such videos can strike fear into those who watch them, and does not generate admiration or worship to God at all. I strongly advice not to watch these videos at all because these videos does not edify, nor does it draw the one who is watching closer to God. In fact, I actually believe that he who watches such videos will doubt the love of God rather than emphasise it. I know. When prompts for such videos had appeared on You-Tube, out of curiosity I clicked to view - with regret. I was left trembling with fear myself, even if I was a true believer in Christ myself for many years. The cause of such fear? Several factors:

a) The awful truth that had it not been for the atonement itself made by Jesus Christ on the cross, then I'll end up in Hell myself, making every achievement accomplished completely pointless. This leads to,
b) Dread of my beloved wife suffering unending torment in Hell herself. I just could not bear such a thought.
c) The cruel reality of the creation of all mankind by God if his destiny is eternal torment after death.
d) Whenever I'm out and about, watching people going about their daily business, including families with babies and young children, then pondering on their eternal destiny.
e) Considering whether I was "lucky" to have been born in a "Christian Country". What chances of Heaven is there if I had been born in a non-Christian country, such as in Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, or other pagan lands? And what about those who are Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, or involved in some other para-faith heresy? And all showing devotion to their particular religion?

And so Alexander J. O'Connor and I have basically the same religious upbringing - adhesion to the Roman Catholic faith. And both of us put off by it. Of course, I cannot see into O'Connor's mind. But I can see into my own. And this is what I have seen:

That the Roman Catholic Church has based its soteriology on a bad translation of their Latin Vulgate Bible. Where I'm referring to is the Greek word for Repent, found in the New Testament. The actual Greek word is Metaneo - a change of mind. The Latin words for change of mind is Mutatio Animi. But the Latin Vulgate Bible, upon which the whole of Roman Catholic theology is built, instead has the Latin word Paenitentia, now translated Repent in the English New Testament. But this Latin word does not mean merely a change of mind. Rather it indicates a seeking for forgiveness of sin by means of specific works, including set prayers. The Church of Rome has a sacrament essential for this way of salvation - Penance.

So if the life of a devoted Catholic is to mind carefully not to sin, go to Mass every Sunday and holy days, confess to a priest at least once a year, and do the penance set by the priest - any trip up, a fall into sin - especially of a severe kind - then it is Hell. One can be a devoted Catholic for an entire life, but still end up in Hell after committing a last minute sin immediately before death. Then we wonder why we either devote ourselves to the Virgin Mary as intercessor between us and God, or to actually hate God or to deny his existence.

And at the age of twenty years of age was when I was told about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone. It was then when I believed that I was "born from above" acquitted from all sin, a new creation, and became an adopted son of God. The entire transition from death to life was wholly forensic. That is, the act was carried out in the heavenly Court, without any works done on my part.

A forensic judgement of sin might have been made from above. That is a fact, but this does not necessarily mean the reality of it in day-to-day living. Rather, a confusion soon arose in my mind on why there seem to be a conflict between my new faith and that of my former faith. Then to add to the confusion, a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses came to our door and started to debunk the genuineness of both Roman Catholicism and my new faith in Jesus Christ alone, with their insistence that unless I become one of them, I would not receive eternal life at all. What a confusion! However their denial of the reality of the Holy Trinity had quickly made me decide that I will never become one of them, but that did not stop the ongoing debate. Thus, so soon after conversion, I came to realise that there are different facets of Christianity, and all disagreeing with each other as well as each group insisting that they are the ones who are doing the will of God and they alone will inherit eternal life.

To believe in the free gift of eternal life given to the sinner by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone was incredibly difficult for one who grew up believing that salvation is to be earned. Believe me, it took years for me to undo everything I have learnt. And added to this was the idea that eternal life was something earned by holding specific doctrines and belonging to a specific group. There we go again. Eternal life earned, not giving freely as a gift. Hence the intensifying of the confusion, and drifting along a shoreless ocean like a rudderless ship. What I needed was a mentor. And a mentor I accepted. But not in person, for he lived across the Atlantic, but instead, through his writings.

Thus shortly after conversion, I became aware of a large Christian bookshop just opposite St. Paul's Cathedral in Central London. I began to go there every Saturday afternoon to look for anything that would build up my faith and to learn more about different faiths and why they believe their creeds. It was not long before I came across a rather thick book which bore the title: False Doctrines Answered from the Scriptures, by Dr. John R. Rice, D.D., Litt. D. (who died by the end of the 1970's). The very first multi-chapter section dealt with The Errors of Romanism, together with Jehovah's Witnesses and many other groups which had skewed from Biblical orthodoxy. Gradually the picture became clear. However, Dr Rice was an advocate of Eternal Security of the Believer, or as we now refer to as Once Saved Always Saved. Dr. Rice advocated this truth with a passion, something that would have beneficial effects for the rest of my life.

More than a decade later, I became acquainted with someone who had some books he no longer wanted. So he asked if I can have them, and he gave them to me freely. These books were each written by the late Dave Hunt, founder and former head of The Berean Society, whose aim was always to check teachings and sermons with Holy Scripture. I have four of his books, three of them had made an impact on my Christian life. They were:

1. How Close Are We? - Examines how the life of Jesus Christ here on Earth fulfilling Old Testament prophecy right up to the Crucifixion, Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension. Therefore the author was able to focus of the imminent return of Jesus Christ without setting any dates.

2. The Cup of Trembling - Concerning the present city of Jerusalem and the ongoing fight for governance between the Jews, the Palestinians, and even by the Vatican. Details the Abrahamic Covenant and how this effects both the Jews and the Arabs and their ancestors.

3. A Woman Rides the Beast -  A detailed history, doctrines and customs of the Roman Catholic Church going back to Constantine and beyond.

These three books all had an impact on my Christian life, something which might have been the motive behind the vision I received in October 1992 to visit Jerusalem and to pray over the city, which I did in 1993. His fourth book, Global Peace, I did not find so inspiring, but that did not hold me back from accepting Dave Hunt as my second mentor. Hunt, like Rice, was also an advocate of Eternal Security of the Believer.

But I did not want to be too reliant on my mentors to believe in Once Saved Always Saved, especially after facing challenges against it from fellow church members and itinerant preachers alike. And getting stuck into the Bible was what I needed. To let the Bible speak for itself. So by persisting reading of Holy Scripture, I have discovered for myself that of the three characteristics of God - Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent - all three revealed in Psalm 139 for example - Omniscience had struck me as the most supportive characteristic for Once Saved, even if the other two played a role as well. Other Old Testament chapters such as Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and Zechariah 11:12-13, along with a great many prophecies foretelling the life of Jesus Christ are such revelations of Omniscience! And concerning us believers, God first foreknew, then he predestined, then he called us, and we are yet to receive glory (Romans 8:29-39, Ephesians, chapters 1-2.) Jesus himself promised eternal security, especially in the Gospel of John chapters 6, 10, and 17. It is even "hidden" in some of the parables spoken by Jesus, for example, the Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13:24-32) - which indicates that although tares remain as tares, it is also true that wheat remain as wheat, which being a species in itself, does not turn into tares. Then following is the parable of the Yeast (v.33) where a woman mixes yeast into the unbaked dough which not only leavens the dough, but the yeast (which I believe represents the Holy Spirit) cannot be separated again. Hints of Eternal security.

However, reading prophecy - and there are tons of it in the Old Testament - not only from Isaiah to Malachi, but in the Psalms, and in other parts of the Old Testament too, not only foretells the coming of the Messiah but the restoration of Israel as a sovereign State after 2,500 years of none existence (the last of its sovereignty was wiped out with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC) yet around 700 BC, Isaiah asked, "Who has seen such things? Who has heard of such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be born at once?" (Isaiah 66:8).

Yes it can and it did. It took place on May 14th, 1948. That was the day the British Mandate lowered its flag, and the Israel flag was hoisted up in its place. It was the one day Israel once more became a sovereign nation, just as Isaiah prophesied! And I had the privilege to walk the streets of Jerusalem after Israel became a sovereign nation, and I was able to see for myself the revival of its Jewish customs. And like a young sapling of a tree, at first I needed a mentor just as the sapling needed a stick to help support it. But as the sapling puts down its roots deep into the ground, so likewise, as I rooted myself firmly into the Bible, I was no longer in need a mentor, neither does the tree. Instead, I'm ready to mentor somebody else, just as the tree is ready to bear its fruit.

Flag of Israel

The Bible may be a book of fables in the eyes of Alexander O'Connor, but with a large section of prophecy, many already fulfilled to startling accuracy, no other religious book can hold a candle to the verity of Holy Scripture.