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The London Times reports on the new Atheist Bus Campaign sponsored by prominent atheistic writer Richard Dawkins.

“There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” That is the cheery message London buses will be carrying if Richard Dawkins, the atheist, can raise enough cash.

The slogan is to be daubed across 30 Westminster buses in retaliation for a series of bendy-bus Christian messages. CBS Outdoor, the bus advertising company, said that it would run the atheist ads in January. “Religion is accustomed to getting a free ride,” said Dawkins, who will match donations up to £5,500.

I would have to say that I worry less and enjoy life more knowing there is a God than I would if there wasn’t a God. Now compare Dawkins’ bus slogan to the closing words of Ecclesiastes and decide which is true wisdom.

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Related post: Humanist Bus Campaign

BiblePlaces.com presents Views That Have Vanished — a collection of over 700 never-before-seen photographs taken in Israel and the surrounding areas in the 1960s.

In the early 1960s, David Bivin went to study at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Armed with a Yashica-D medium-format camera, Bivin traveled the land of Israel and the surrounding regions taking photographs of biblical sites, archaeological excavations, and everyday scenes. Today these photographs provide a window on a land that has changed radically, as a result of the construction of cities, the Six Day War, and the unification of Jerusalem … The collection includes photographs of Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Greece, and Rome.

The Photo CD is on sale for only $20 from now until October 31 (free shipping in the U.S.). Click here to see a sample of “then and now” shots from the collection.

• Taliban Kills Aid Worker. Taliban soldiers killed a Christian aid worker from South Africa in a drive-by motorcycle shooting. A Taliban spokesman said, “We killed her … because she was spreading Christianity.”
• Through the Storm. Bill Reichart reviews the new book written by Lynne Spears, mother of Britney and Jamie Lynn (published by Thomas Nelson). Lynne describes her book as “the story of one simple, Southern woman whose family got caught in a tornado called fame and who is still trying to sort through the debris scattered all over her life in the aftermath.”
• Lord of the Rings Live in London. The Royal Albert Hall and the London Philharmonic Orchestra will present The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring in high definition with Howard Shore’s Academy award-winning score performed live on stage by the original soundtrack orchestra and choirs. I so want to be there!
• Sarah Palin Live in New York. Gov. Sarah Palin enjoyed some good-natured fun at her own expense on Saturday Night Live this weekend, which enjoyed its highest ratings in 14 years. Tina Fey’s impersonation of Palin is pretty amazing. (Can you tell them apart? Apparently Alec Baldwin can’t!)

The Big Picture celebrates World Animal Day (October 4, 2008) with stunning pictures of animals from all around the world. Here are my two favorites. (You can click on the pictures for larger versions.)

        Polar Bear and Cub | Stuttgart Zoo

        Common Kingfisher | Bird of the Year 2009

Started in Florence Italy in 1931 at a convention of ecologists, World Animal Day has since expanded its focus from its original intent, which was to bring attention to endangered or threatened species. The day is now set aside as a time to reflect on all of the animals we share this world with, and our involvement with them – and to spur action to commemorate that respectful relationship.

Yesterday’s message in the Called series was titled Called to Communicate, taken from 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. The main idea of the message was that we are called by God to communicate the gospel to other people. Here is a brief outline of the message:

I. Compelled by Christ’s love (2 Corinthians 5:11-15)
    A. Persuade others about Christ.
    B. Have a right motivation.
    C. Be convinced that Christ died for all.

II. Seeing others through Christ’s eyes (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)
    A. Regard no one from a worldly point of view.
    B. Recognize that Christ makes all things new.

III. Serving as Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
    A. God gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
    B. God has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Note: Click on the Sermons tab at the top of the blog for this and other messages.

Abraham Piper encourages us to judge people by the direction they’re going, not by the place where they are. “The same choice that’s a life-saving step forward for an unbeliever or struggling Christian would be pitiable retrogression for someone farther along.”

Bob Hyatt quotes David Sanford on the one mistake we dare not make. “If we learn anything from the Psalms, it’s that God isn’t afraid of our emotions, our struggles, and our questions. The one mistake we dare not make, Philip Yancey reminds us, is to confuse God (who is good) with life (which is hard). God feels the same way we do–and is taking the most radical steps possible (Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and more to come) to redeem the present situation.”

Justin Taylor quotes Michael Horton on Bible interpretation. “The best way to guard a true interpretation of Scripture, the Reformers insisted, was neither to naively embrace the infallibility of tradition, or the infallibility of the individual, but to recognize the communal interpretation of Scripture. The best way to ensure faithfulness to the text is to read it together, not only with the churches of our own time and place, but with the wider ‘communion of saints’ down through the age.”

Ray Pritchard discusses bad behavior in the Bible. “I love stories like this because they remind me that God is the real hero of the Bible. During a radio interview I was asked why so many Bible characters had serious flaws. My answer was simple. That’s all God has to work with. All the perfect people are in heaven. The only ones on earth are the folks with serious weaknesses. The talent pool has always been pretty thin when it comes to moral perfection … That’s what grace is all about. We do the messing up–and God does everything else.”

Pulpit Magazine quotes Richard baxter on serious preaching. “For myself, as I am ashamed of my dull and careless heart, and of my slow and unprofitable course of life, so, the Lord knows, I am ashamed of every sermon I preach; when I think what I have been speaking of, and who sent me, and that men’s salvation or damnation is so much concerned in it, I am ready to tremble lest God should judge me as a slighter of His truths and the souls of men, and lest in the best sermon I should be guilty of their blood. Me thinks we should not speak a word to men in matters of such consequence without tears, or the greatest earnestness that possibly we can; were not we too much guilty of the sin which we reprove, it would be so.”

Here is a neat animation of the sun from The Big Picture. Depending on your connection speed, it might take a minute to load and start spinning for you.

“An animation of the sun, seen by NASA’s Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) over the course of 6 days, starting June 27, 2005.” (Courtesy of SOHO/EIT consortium)

“In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.” (Psalm 19:4-6)

Visit The Big Picture for more amazing pictures of the Sun.

Related post: The Size of the Earth Compared to Other Objects in Space

In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the New International Version Bible, Bible publisher Zondervan has launched a massive 90-city, 44-state tour called Bible Across America. You can track tour stops and real time blog updates at the Bible Across America website.

I remember getting my first NIV Bible back in 1978. It was one of those brown, hardcover editions. It opened up a whole new world of Bible reading and memory for me and pretty much changed my life. So happy 30th anniversary to you, NIV! You can swing that bus by my house anytime.

• Lawsuit against God dismissed. “A judge has thrown out a Nebraska legislator’s lawsuit against God, saying the Almighty wasn’t properly served, because of his unlisted home address.”
• Trek Alert! SlashFilm has photos from the new Star Trek movie. The bridge looks awesome. My son asked, “Why does the technology look cooler when you’re actually going back earlier in time?” I guess the Star Wars prequels had the same problem.
• Free Christian Film Festival. If you are in central Florida, check out the Greater Orlando Christian Film Festival, which kicks off today at Regal Cinemas in Orlando. The festival is sponsored by Christian Film Festivals of America and is evangelistic in purpose.
• Mystery Worshipers. The Wall Street Journal reports on churches hiring professional “mystery worshipers” to evaluate their church. “To try to keep their flocks, churches are turning to undercover inspectors, who note water stains, dull sermons and poor hospitality.”
• Q-Drum. Check out the Q-Drum, a low cost rollable water container for developing countries. Looks like someone re-invented the wheel, but in a good sense this time!

  

The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding has put together a new guide to help teens evaluate the media in their lives. The guide is called: How To Use Your Head To Guard Your Heart: A 3(D) Guide To Making Responsible Media Choices.

The 3(D) Guide allows you to teach your students how to move from being “mindless consumers” of media, to an approach of “mindful critique” as they learn how to filter all media through the lens of a Christian worldview. Because teenagers are at a developmental stage where intellectual and cognitive abilities are taking shape, the 3(D) Guide is a tool that allows adults to walk alongside students as they begin to develop the ability to think for themselves.

The 3(D) Guide teaches students 3 Media Evaluation Steps:

1. Discover: Discover the message and worldview communicated in the piece of media.




2. Discern: Evaluate attitudes, values, behaviors, beliefs and worldview elements in light of God’s Word.




3. Decide: Make God-honoring decisions regarding their media use, consumption, and habits.

This looks like great material for youth groups, small groups or youth retreats. The cost is $17 for a pack of 10. You can download a free leaders guide here. You can also download a free media survey to get a handle on how your teens utilize media in their lives.

HT: Stand to Reason

Related posts: Taming Technology in the Home series

Dr. Albert Mohler explains why there can be no middle ground when it comes to the issue of abortion:

One side defines the issue in terms of a woman’s right to control her own destiny … The other side … bases its assumptions on the claim that a human being, at any stage of development, has an intrinsic right to life that must be respected by all humanity …

For the better part of four decades, some have attempted to find a middle ground between these two positions, but to no avail. The reason quickly becomes clear. If abortion is to be understood as a fundamental right, no woman can be denied the exercise of that right. If abortion is the taking of innocent human life, no justification can be offered for abortion as a means of ending an unwanted pregnancy — none at all. Middle ground would be possible only if we can assume that the right to abortion is not fundamental, but merely provisional, and that the unborn child does not have an intrinsic right to life, but only a provisional right. Efforts to frame the issue in this way fail because neither of these assumptions can [be] qualified in this way and remain coherent.

Dr. Mohler also points to a recent essay by Professor Robert P. George of Princeton University detailing Sen. Barack Obama’s views on abortion. George states at the outset of his essay:

Sen. Barack Obama’s views on life issues ranging from abortion to embryonic stem cell research mark him as not merely a pro-choice politician, but rather as the most extreme pro-abortion candidate to have ever run on a major party ticket.

I know this is a hot button issue, but how important is the abortion issue to you in the upcoming election? Will the candidates’ views on abortion influence your vote?

Click here for more abortion related posts.

The GE Healthcare Timeline of Fetal Growth illustrates the development of a fetus from week 6 until birth as viewed through ultrasound. The timeline highlights important developments in the fetus over time accompanied by stunning 4D ultrasound images of the baby in the womb. (You can click on the images to see a larger version.)

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13-14)

HT: Stand to Reason