Topical Studies                                                                                                          Power Point Show

Scripture Reading:  Psalms 33:1-15

BIBLE QUESTION BOX

May 2004

 

Intro.

1.  God’s word is always true, regardless of what men say – Rom. 3:4.

2.  Why we must give answer from God, not man, in addressing those things that are eternal – 1 Pet. 3:15 (Rom. 4:3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).

 

#1:  When were cave men supposed to have existed?  Before Adam & Eve?  (How could that be?) After Adam & Eve?  (Did man regress to grunting & not knowing how to be human?)  Or, did cave men exist at all?

1.  School textbooks are filled w/ references to “cave men” (half-ape creatures from which we descended).

2.  When were cave men supposed to have existed?  (Evolutionists say the so-called “Neanderthal” people lived 28,000-125,000+ years ago.)

3.  Assumptions:

  a.  Assume cave dwellers were inferior beings. 

    1)  Type of domicile one lives in says nothing about his “humanity.”  A man who lives in a cave in no more “half-animal” than a dog is “half-human” because it lives in a house!

    2)  Pueblo Indians lived in caves (were they semi-human?).

    3)  100 years ago people were still living in caves in Palestine.

  b.  Assume such creatures (half-animal) actually lived.

  c.  Assume the accuracy of dating processes used to assign timeframe.

4.  Before Adam & Eve?  (How could that be?)  No, Adam was 1st man – Gen. 5:1; 1 Cor. 15:45.

5.  After Adam & Eve?  (Did man regress to grunting & not knowing how to be human?) 

  a.  The assumption that living in caves meant grunting regressive life.

     -Anthropology has shown many cave sites w/ strictly “human” forms of habitation (cooking, sewing, tools, weapons, pottery, art work, religious artifacts, furniture).

  b.  Fact:  Bible talks about people living in caves…

    1)  Lot & his daughters – Gen. 19:30.

    2)  Places of refuge – Judg. 6:2 (1 Sam. 13:6; 1 Kgs. 18:4); Heb. 11:38.

  c.  Evolutionists have progressively abandoned the view that “Neanderthals” were “semi-human brutes." 

6.  Don’t be intimidated by “cave men” propaganda.  Give Biblically sound, scientifically accurate information to our children – answer their questions & fortify their faith in this age of unbelief.

 -(Source:  The Common Propaganda Regarding “Cave Men,” Wayne Jackson)

 

#2:  What does the Bible say about euthanasia?

1.  Euthanasia:  “The intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit.”  [Performing the last act that intentionally causes a patient’s death (cf. giving patient a lethal injection).]

2.  Assisted suicide:  Someone provides a person with the information, guidance & means to take his/her life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose.

3.  Oregon permits assisted suicide, The Netherlands & Belgium (both).

   -Oregon’s “Death with Dignity Act” - 129 phys.-assisted suicides (98-02).

4.  Why do people choose euthanasia/assisted suicide?  Oregon, 2002…

  a.  Fear of losing autonomy (84%)

  b.  Decreasing ability to take part in enjoyable activities (84%)

  c.  Losing control of bodily functions (47%)

  d.  Being a burden on family, friends & caretakers (37%)

  e.  Fear of inadequate pain relief (26%).

5.  Euthanasia is not:  Withholding “extraordinary means” to maintain life (nobody is forced to “hook up” or stay “hooked up” to machines to live).

6.  Distinct difference:  Attempting to save life (or provide relief from pain) & the deliberate intention to terminate a person’s life.

    -Allowing death is not equivalent to producing death (1 Kgs. 17:12).

7.  What saith the Scriptures?

  a.  “…a time to be born, and a time to die” (Eccl. 3:2).

  b.  Death is the price for human rebellion:  Spiritual & physical – Eccl. 12:7 (spiritual, Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12; physical, Gen. 3:19).  Death is inevitable (Heb. 9:27).  But…

  c.  You shall not murder (Exo. 20:13; Rom. 13:9).

  d.  Human life is sacred: Precious gift from God – Acts 17:25 (Isa. 42:5; 1 Tim. 6:13).

      1)  No person has the God-given right to destroy life:  Suicide, assisted suicide, & homicide.

      2)  Abortion & euthanasia:  Weakest, most vulnerable of society.

  e.  Body is not ours (God’s); Use to His glory – 1 Cor. 6:15, 19-20.

  f.  When men wanted to die…were not killed – Num. 11:15; 1 Kgs. 19:4; Jonah 4:3, 8.

8.  Is a Christian morally obligated to treat (prolong) terminal illness? 

  a.  Death comes to us all.  (Some diseases kill but w/ treatment, life continues in an otherwise normal fashion.  Other, incurable diseases hasten death with no treatment to retard its inevitability.

  b.  Not wrong to accept death; wrong to cause death.

 

Conclusion

1.  Such questions have moral & ethical ramifications.

2.  Must always respect life; live by faith; not sin against self or others.

3.  If you are still in sin, you are dead & need life that Christ gives (Jno. 11:25-27; 14:6).