The Scopes Trial which took place in July of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee, is known to many as the Scopes Monkey Trial. The ACLU engineered this trial in order to test anti-evolutionary legislation that had been passed in Tennessee earlier that year. Modern public perception of this trial has been established mostly by the 1955 play (and 1960 movie) called "Inherit the Wind." However, according to an article in the secular American Heritage magazine, the public perception is wrong. Here are some factual corrections to that perception.
"Evolutionist Mary H. Schweitzer of North Carolina State University has d iscovered flexible blood vessels inside the fossilized thighbone of a '68-70 million year old' Tyrannosaurus rex1 from the Hell Creek formation in eastern Montana. Further investigation revealed round microscopic structures that look to be cells inside the hollow vessels." In another recent discovery, a "microbiologist in California dissected a '25-to-40-million-year-old' Dominican stingless bee from amber. 4 Spores of bacteria were found inside the insect and actually grew when placed in the proper medium. Dr. Cano, the discoverer, took careful measures to avoid contamination. Analysis of the DNA extracted showed it was very much like the DNA found in bacteria growing in bees today."
David Cloud has an excellent article on his site that I encourage you to read. It deals with our tendency to speak of salvation using unbiblical phrases. We talk about "giving our life to Christ" or "inviting Jesus into our hearts" as if these phrases truly described the act of salvation. They do not. That does not mean that those who use these phrases are unsaved. It only means we are sloppy in our terminology. This is important because these phrases are also sloppy in doctrinal meaning. We are not saved by inviting Jesus into our hearts but by believing on Him. It is true that we receive Him (John 1:12; Colossians 2:6), but this refers more to a receiving of His way and person. Our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Why should we invite Jesus in? The point is that we should get as close as possible to biblical terminology and meaning. Sloppy appeals for converts tend to make sloppy converts.
I received the following excellent comments on the earlier blog called Using Biblical Terminology. I often can see points in the different sides of arguments and wanted to give everyone a chance to see another side of this. My thanks to the one who gave this response (I will leave you anonymous): "Brother I greatly enjoy David Cloud's material, but on this issue of asking Jesus into our hearts I think he is making a mountain out of a mole hill. Consider the following verses: Galatians 4:6 - God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts. Ephesians 3:17 - That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. While these verses are not exactly a sinner's prayer, the idea of Jesus in our hearts is in there sufficiently and so I don't understand why Bro Cloud 'blasts' asking Jesus into your heart so adamantly."
A couple of years ago, I (along with others) questioned the wisdom of the great number of Christians who supported Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion." Unfortunately, those who questioned the movie were often attacked as extremists who cared not one whit for the souls of men. I was not against any use of the films popularity as an open door for witnessing. What bothered me was the blatant promotion of the film by those who said they had biblical convictions on other things. My problems with the film included its outright errors, its rigid conformity to Catholic tradition, its dependance on a certain mystical writing, its emphasis on the blood and gore of the crucifixion (with an R rating), its association with actors who played in X-rated films, and the background, beliefs, and comments of its director, Mel Gibson.
