Historical Evidence for God and Thanksgiving

Let's face it, this whole creation vs evolution debate really stems back to one main question. Is there or isn't there a God? Frankly, everyone has their obvious opinions and has a right to believe whatever they want to believe. No one can force another to believe what they believe. That is why it is so disturbing that our government is shifting so far into a direction that almost seems to be repeating history (in a bad way). People are pushing our school systems to brainwash children into only learning about evolution instead of giving equal opportunity to let children make their own decisions on what to believe.

Along with creation, prayer, and the bible, the true origins of Thanksgiving have been taken out of the public school system. Some people may be surprised to learn that this historical holiday has a decidedly religious background. There is a plethora of documents from various leaders who referred to God in regards to the Thanksgiving holiday and feast.

May we take this holiday to truly consider the the blessings of the Lord and that without Him our forefathers never would have come to this blessed country to declare freedom for themselves the their children.

"Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare." Psalm 75:1

George Washington Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine."

G. Washington.

[source]

Abraham Lincoln Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1863

"The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to invite and provoke the aggressions of foreign States, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

The needful diversions of wealth and strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship. The axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people; I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer to our beneficent Father, who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to him that, for such singular deliverances and blessings; they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth."

Abraham Lincoln

By the President: William H. Seward, Secretary of State.

[Source]

Richard Dawkins on Creation & Evolution at Iowa State University

Richard Dawkins was at Iowa State University on November 17th sharing his views on creation, evolution, and moral decisions with students and the community. He noted some very interesting view points that are strikingly similar to those of Bill Nye and his book "Undeniable". When asked about his thoughts on Iowa's legislation to allow creation to be taught in public schools, Dawkins replied, "I am a lover of truth. The fact that we can explain the illusion of design [in] the earlier pseudo non-explanation … offends me as an educator because I feel it gets in the way of young people [learning] the elegant beauty of why they exist."

He also stated that schools cannot allow for equal time for all views on how people were created. 

Brainwashing: (noun) a forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up basic political, social, or religious beliefs and attitudes and to accept contrasting regimented ideas (Merriam-Webster)

When we don't allow for equal time for creation and evolution, are we not brainwashing children into believing what we want them to believe? Creationists are not calling for the evolution theory to be pulled out of the text books. They are simply asking that the theory be taught as just that... a theory, not fact. Children should be given equal opportunity to hear the biblical account and the other theories out there that people have come up with. They should also be taught that both word views require faith to believe. While Creation has it's roots in the biblical account with scientific evidence to back it up, the evolution theory has it's roots in a big bang that no one saw in person and scientific evidence that doesn't quite add up.

Does this not sound like what the Communists and Nazis did to their people. The government decided what they were going to be taught and believe. Is not America a free country? Are we not allowed to believe whatever we want to believe (Christian or not Christian) and if so, why are our children not allowed to decide what they believe?

See this excerpt from The Declaration of Independence:

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations [to take or make use of without right], which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. (emphasis added)

The first amendment is a result of the usurpatations that the British put on their people before they came to America:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petitition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The government should not be dictating what children are taught in school. Equal time should be given to students regarding creation and evolution. Parents should be the main influence on their children, not government schooling.

"I Will Believe Nothing That I Cannot Understand"

Below you will find an excerpt of a true story written by Walter L. Wilson, M.D. as seen in a book that he wrote in 1940 called "Remarkable New Stories: Told By the Doctor". It's a testament of how we often say things to support our position without thinking of the implications that it has on everything else we know to be true. The young man in the story refused the believe anything that he could not understand, yet was proven this his logic was wrong.

In the same manner, many people will refuse to believe in anything they cannot see. With this logic, they cannot believe in oxygen because it cannot be seen.

We hope you enjoy this story...

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How Does the Butterfly Get Out?

by Walter L. Wilson M.D.

At the close of my address, a young man came to me with the air of one whose intelligence had been insulted. He said, "Surely you do not mean to tell me that you believe in the resurrection?" I replied, "Certainly, I do. A resurrection of the human body will take place in God's good time, just as there is a resurrection of seeds in their appointed time." He looked at me in astonishment, as though he thought I had very poor sense and really needed someone to look after my affairs. Then he said to me,"Do you mean to tell me that you believe that Lazarus came out of the grave when Jesus spoke to him?" "Yes," I replied, "certainly and positively; there is no question about it. Jesus had given him his life. Jesus had allowed it to be taken from him, and then Jesus could give it back to him again, and He did so." Again my young friend expressed his disdain for my foolish belief, and said, "You look intelligent. How is it that one who is intelligent would believe such foolishness?"

By this time I thought it fitting that I should check up on this wise young man and see how much he really knew, so I said to him, "I suppose you reject the record of the resurrection because you cannot understand it. Am I correct in this?" "Yes," he replied, "you are! Tell me, how did Lazarus come out of the grave?" I said to him, "Now you have changed the question. First, you inquired as to whether Lazarus did come out, and I replied that he certainly did. Now you ask me how he came out, and I must reply that I do not know."

The young man seemed to think that he had gained a signal victory, so I said to him, "Do you reject the truth of the resurrection simply because you cannot understand it?" He answered most emphatically, "Yes sir; I will believe nothing that I cannot understand."

I thought it was only fair that I should take him at his word and so I said, "Do you believe that butterflies come out of cocoons?" He replied that he did. I then asked, "How does the butterfly get out?" This question baffled him. The other students standing around had a hearty laugh, while he was seeking to find some answer that would reveal his marvelous knowledge and his wonderful understanding of nature.

After a few moments he replied rather officiously, "It bites its way out, of course."

"How many teeth does a butterfly have?" I asked.

He hardly knew what to say to this simple question, so he replied, "I do not know. How many teeth does it have?

"Well, you see there is at least one thing that you do not know," was my reply. "As a matter of fact a butterfly does not have any teeth at all, not even a mouth, but only a long, slender proboscis." Again I asked him, "How does the butterfly get out?"

He replied, "I suppose it emits a sort of acid which burns a hole through the cocoon."

To the great amusement of the other students, I asked him if he did not think it would be a strange paradox if a butterfly could emit an acid strong enough to burn through the tough cocoon and yet would not burn the butterfly. He admitted that this was true and that he must be wrong.

"That is right," I said, "So there are two things that you do not know. Tell me, how does it get out?"

By this time other students had gathered around in large numbers to see the young man who would believe nothing he could not understand. His reply to my third question was, "I suppose it must swell up and burst its way out."

Quickly I answered, "Now there are three things that you do not know, for the cocoon is waterproof, air proof, light proof and heat proof. How could it swell up when there is no air with which to expand? Did you ever try to tear a cocoon with your hands?" (I noticed that he had large, strong hands like a blacksmith's.) He replied that he had often tried to do it, but had never succeeded.

Then I said to him, "You cannot tear a cocoon with your big, strong hands, but you are so wise and well informed that you are confident that the soft, tender butterfly could tear it by swelling up with air which it does not have."

By this time the students standing around were saying various and sundry things about this young man who knew so much.

Again I asked him, "How does the butterfly get out? He began to color and reveal his discomfort. His guessing was at an end. He had to admit that he did not know. I then asked him, "Does the butterfly come out of the cocoon?"

"Yes, certainly it does," he answered.

"So did Lazarus come out of the tomb when Jesus spoke," I replied, "but I cannot tell you how he did it."

This argument ended the hostile attitude of the young man. He retreated from the room defeated. I did not have the opportunity of presenting the Gospel to him. However, that evening a number of those who listened to him and realized the foolishness of his argument attended the services at the church. Their curiosity had been aroused, their hostility removed, and a few of them accepted Christ as Saviour and Lord in subsequent meetings.

Source: wholesomewords.org

Bill Nye is Undeniably Against Children, Not For Them

Inspired by the debate with Ken Ham in February 2014, Bill Nye set out to write a book to bring awareness to his belief in evolution, "Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation".

In an interview with New York Times, Mr. Nye says a few surprising things regarding his book that may cause the Creationist corner to wrinkle their brow...

Here is an excerpt from the interview:

You say in the book that your concern is not so much for the deniers of evolution as it is for their children. Do you think the science stakes are higher now than when you started “Bill Nye, The Science Guy” show in 1993?
Yes, because there are more people in the world — another billion people all trying to use the world’s resources. And the threat and consequences of climate change are more serious than ever, so we need as many people engaged in how we’re going to deal with that as possible. And we have an increasingly technologically sophisticated society. We are able to feed these 7.2 billion people because of our extraordinary agricultural technology. If we have a society that’s increasingly dependent on these technologies, with a smaller and smaller fraction of that society who actually understands how any of it works, that is a formula for disaster. So, I’m just trying to change the world here.

This should sound a little concerning. Mr. Nye says he is concerned for the children, yet he blames them for using the world's resources. How does Mr. Nye suggest that we "deal with" climate change? Is he suggesting we eliminate children to bring the population back down? After all, is this not the "survival of the fittest" put in practice? The ones who cannot defend for themselves and make a difference in the world are the first to be eliminated.

"Children who accept this ludicrous perspective will find themselves opposed to progress. The will become society's burdens rather than it's producers..." - excerpt from page 10 of "Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation" (bold emphasis added).

With this statement, Mr. Nye is damning children who believe in God and Creation. With all this said, it does not sound that Mr. Nye is for children, but advocates eliminating those who do not agree with his worldview.

Another except from Bill Nye's interview with the New York Times:

A lot of the real action between evolution and creationism happens in the classroom, inside the schools. The scientific buffet style of your book — it takes all matters large and small when it comes to the universe and science and evolution and steps you through all of it — do you imagine a child in a creationist-friendly household managing to get his hands on the book and stealing away with it?
A man can dream! It would be great if the book is that influential. My biggest concern about creationist kids is that they’re compelled to suppress their common sense, to suppress their critical thinking skills at a time in human history when we need them more than ever. By the time you’re 18, you’ve made up your mind. It’s going to be really hard for you, as they say in the Mormon tradition, to “lose your testimony.” But if you’re 7 or 8, we got a shot.

Is Mr. Nye suggesting that creationist children are stupid... that they don't have common sense or use "critical thinking skills"? He speaks as if there is no common sense or critical thinking involved in Creationism. On the contrary, there is much scientific evidence to prove the account of the Bible. (A great resource to learn about the evidence for creation is Kent Hovind's Creation Seminar.)

Mr. Nye is correct about the sensitivity of a child's mind at a young age... does he realize that he actually just used a teaching from the Bible?

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

This doesn't mean you should brainwash them! Children should be made aware that there are two beliefs in our origin, the account of the Bible and the evolution theory... and that BOTH take faith to believe in and follow. Mr. Nye's goal is to brainwash the minds of children at a tender age so that when the grow up they will not "lose their testimony" of the "facts" proving evolution. He would not allow for any teaching of creationism in schools, only the advancement of his worldview.

Something is very, very wrong with this... what do you think?