Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/497821
Oneofmyfavorite memories is of a friend of mine who has a doctorate and believes in evolution. It is one of his missions in life to convince me I am fool- ish to be- lieve my God made everything. One day exploring some buildings dating to colo- nial times he pounced. "Do you believe there was ever such an animal as eo- hippus," he asked. I said I did; we have their fossils. "Well," he continued, "ev- erybody knows eohippus is the first horse. He evolved into the modern horse over millions of years." "Have you conducted DNA testing?" I asked. "Does eohippus have horse DNA?" He was appalled at my unfairness; nobody can obtain DNA from fos- silized prehistoric ani- mals. He repeated that ev- erybody agrees eohippus evolved into horses. "You tell me you can prove evo- lution through this fore- runner of a horse, but without DNA you can- not prove this little guy is even related to the horse," I said. "Fact is, eohippus looks more like a fox than a horse; he has no hooves, and his legs are of such disparate lengths from front to back that he bounces like a pig instead of running like a horse." I ended with a question, "What have you got be- sides bones resembling tiny horse bones and spec- ulations from generations of paleontologists? What science have you got?" Reality is my bones re- semble pig bones as much as eohippus bones resem- ble those of a horse. Yet nobody imagines I evolved from a pig except peo- ple offended at my unbe- lief concerning evolution. Reality is without DNA I cannot pass a paternity test for my children but wealthy and powerful peo- ple can demand we scratch the idea of a Creator with- out DNA evidence. Don't get me wrong. Sci- ence is a great gift; it is a double gift having content — things observed in pat- terns of activity and there- fore known to and how ex- isting — and structure, the structure we call sci- entific method for learn- ing by experimentation. Praise God for the men and women who devote themselves to scientific disciplines — with disci- pline being the operant word. When we discipline our minds to accept what can be proven, to hold in tension what has not yet been demonstrated, and to let go of what simply does not emerge from facts in evidence — no matter how much we want or need to believe them — we are practicing science. When men and women with a lot of letters after their sur- name ask to be believed not for the evidence they present but for those let- ters following their name there is nothing scientific occurring. Such people are simply the mullahs of ma- terialism. The Wild Horse Neb- ula is about thirty million light years from earth, so distant it was only discov- ered after we orbited the Hubble Telescope. Within the nebula is a black hole about four million miles across. It is shaped like a cross. Psalms 19:1 states, "The heavens declare the glory of God". These facts — astronomical and scrip- tural — are verified obser- vations and thus science. The laminem molecule is what we call an adhesion protein. So tiny it can only be seen through an elec- tron microscope, it liter- ally binds the cells in our body together. It is the cat- alyst that makes a body possible. Colossians 1:17 declares, "In Him (Jesus) all things hold together." The laminem molecule is shaped like a cross. Again these facts are observed — the molecule and its de- scription and the corre- sponding Biblical declara- tion. This is science. Where it gets dicey is in the conclusions. Have I just proved beyond doubt that an all-powerful God designed the Wild Horse Nebula and the laminem molecule, planting those verses in the Bible so we get His point? Actually, no. There is nothing compel- ling — although it looks, quacks and walks like a duck — about the connec- tion between scripture and these celestial/physiologi- cal phenomena. I have no need to compel belief, nor to stifle debate. (Unlike the evolutionists who go to court to ensure Creation- ist-believing teachers can- not speak to impression- able children on school campuses.) But I would rather take my chances in honest and spirited debate than to rely on the arro- gance of those who think themselves above scientific proof for their positions. DNA anyone? Evolution offers what George Lucas presented in Star Wars, an impersonal and unloving force hold- ing us and ours together. God offers Himself, and His Son Who comes that we might have His life and love abundantly. He is not afraid to take His chances in the marketplace of ideas. The question be- comes whether we want the really real, or a fan- tasy that begins, "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…" JamesWilsonisthe author of Living As Ambassadors of Relationships and The Holy Spirit and the End Times — available at local bookstores or by e-mailing him at praynorthstate@ charter.net. GODTALK A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away Jim Wilson By Brady Mccombs The Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY A record number of young Mormons signed up for missions after church leaders lowered the minimum age in 2012, but new figures show the on- slaught of proselytizing Lat- ter-day Saints didn't lead to an equally dramatic spike in converts. Statistics released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints indi- cate there were 296,800 converts last year. The fig- ure marked a 9 percent in- crease from two years ago, even though the number of missionaries increased by 44 percent. The 85,150 missionaries serving at the end of last year were the most in Mor- mon history. However, the average number of people con- verted per missionary, per year dropped to about 3.4 in each of the past two years — down from an average of five the previous decade, church figures show. Mormon church spokes- man Eric Hawkins said a number of factors may con- tribute to fewer baptisms per missionary, including a world that is increasingly secular. He said it would a mis- take to say missionary work is less impactful, pointing out that the number of con- verts last year was the high- est since 1999. Mormon scholars say the decline is most likely due to the church sending many of its new missionar- ies to areas of North Amer- ican that could quickly ac- commodate the sudden in- flux but were already flush with Mormons. "All that's going to do is increase how many mis- sionaries aren't converting anybody," said Ryan Cra- gun, an associate profes- sor of sociology at the Uni- versity of Tampa who was raised Mormon but no lon- ger belongs to the faith. The figures also suggest it's becoming more diffi- cult to find people willing to convert to Mormonism, es- pecially in highly developed parts of the world where people are less apt to turn to religion for help because their basic needs are being met, Cragun said. Armand Mauss, a retired professor of sociology and religious studies at Wash- ington State University, said the figures also might represent a shift to hav- ing missionaries focus on bringing inactive Mormons back into the faith. Social scientists estimate that half or more of all con- verts stop attending church within a year of their bap- tism. As a result, new mis- sionaries have likely spent time trying to "reconvert" people who strayed, Mauss said. Today, missionaries are moving away from "conver- sion at any cost," and aim- ing for retention and reac- tivation of non-participat- ing converts, said Matthew Bowman, a history profes- sor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Mormon President Thomas S. Monson an- nounced in 2012 that the church was lowering the minimum age for male missionaries from 19 to 18, and to 19 instead of 21 for women. No explicit goals or objectives were set for the new group. David Evans, executive director of the Mormon church's Missionary De- partment, said in 2013 that the change was primar- ily aimed at giving young church members more op- tions to fit in a mission with other plans for college, mil- itary and marriage. Hawkins called the re- sponse from young Mor- mons inspiring, noting that the church has expanded the number of missions to 407, up from 347 before the age change. Women are serving more missions than ever: 25 per- cent of missionaries are fe- male now, up from 14 per- cent before the change, he said. The fact that the church didn't use the missionaries in potentially fertile con- version areas suggests its real intent in lowering the age was to prevent young church members from straying from the religion during the gap years that used to come between high school graduation and the start of missions, Cragun said. Young people, no matter their religion, tend to be- gin questioning their up- bringing and discovering new ways of thinking after leaving home for college, said Jan Shipps, a retired religion professor from In- diana who is a non-Mormon expert on the church. Allowing Mormon men to go straight from high school to a mission "gives them two more full years embedded in the church," Shipps said. NATION Conversion rate lags behind Mormon missionary increase TehamaCountyChurchDirectory RedBluff.... ABUNDANTLIFEFELLOWSHIP 21080LutherRd.•528-2499 Pastor J.E. Heitman • WORSHIP Sunday 11AM & 6PM ANTELOPE HOME FELLOWSHIP(SBC) Berrendos School 401 Chestnut St • 200-4112 • Pastor John Bohrer • WORSHIP • Sun. 10:30AM APOSTOLIC ASSEMBLY 1321 Nelson Dr. • 527-8541 Pastor Rudy Cepeda • WORSHIP • Sunday 1:00PM & Friday 7PM BETHEL ASSEMBLY OF GOD 625 Luther Rd. • 527-0445 Pastor David Blythe • WORSHIP • Sunday 10AM CALVARY CHAPEL 12375 Paskenta Rd. • 527-8219 Pastor Gilbert DeLao Jr. • WORSHIP • Sunday 9:00 & 11:00 am CHURCH OF CHRIST 1605 Park Ave • 529-3063 • Evangelist Gary Den WORSHIP • Sun. 11AM & 6:30 PM • Bible Study • Sunday 10AM & Wed 7PM CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Antelope 545 Berrendos • 529-2506 • Bishop Phillip Smith • Sunday 11AM CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Red Bluff 545 Berrendos • 527-7012 • Bishop Jim Wilhite • Sunday 9:00AM CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS 857 Washington St., Open Daily 9-11am Pastors Brad & Susan Harms•WORSHIP•Sunday 2PM•Bible Study Thur 2-4pm COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH 598 Round -Up Ave. 527-4203 Pastor Dr. Paul Wright • WORSHIP • Sunday 9AM • PRAYER • 6PM CORNERSTONE CHURCH OF GOD Hwy. 36, Jorgenson 527-9210 • Pastor Roy Duggins • WORSHIP • Sunday 10AM & 5PM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 501 Pine St. • 527-4361 Pastor Bruce Cloutier • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:15AM FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH Hickory & Madison • 527-4688 Pastor Dan Woolery • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM FIRST CHURCH OF GOD Jackson & Luther • 527-5717 Pastor Sean Story • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:15AM FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE Johnson & Hickory • 527-3361 Pastor Jesse Morris • WORSHIP • 10:30 AM FIRST SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH 585 Kimball Rd. • 527-5083 Don St. John • WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 525 David Ave. • 527-5754 Pastor Nancy Pharis-Cure • WORSHIP • Sunday 11:00AM FREEDOM CHURCH 601 Monroe St. • 355-2284 • Pastors Pete & Bev Williams • WORSHIP Sunday 10:30AM • YOUTH Thurs. 7PM GATEWAY BAPTIST CHURCH, IND. FUND. 12830 Glasgow Dr. 527-2964 • Pastor Jeff Eldred • WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM & 6PM LAKE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY CHURCH Lake Club • 347 6970 Jim Bredow, Pastor • WORSHIP • Sunday 8:30-10:15AM NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH 1625 Johnson St. • 527-8134 SERVICE • 10:00AM NEW HOPE FOURSQUARE CHURCH 645 Antelope Blvd, Suite 13 528-0642 • Pastor Christopher Church • WORSHIP • Sun.10AM • Youth, Thurs. 6 PM NORTH VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH (Ind.) 345 David Ave • 527-0543 Pastor Scott Camp • Sunday 11:00AM • northvalleyredbluff.com NUEVA VIDA 11841 Hyw 99W • Red Bluff • Spanish-speaking Pastor Freddie Villasenor • WORSHIP • Sunday 11:00AM OPEN VISTAS AWARENESS CENTER 807 Lincoln St. • 529-9285 Rv. Tresha Wing • SERVICE • Sunday 10:00AM OUT OF THE BOX MINISTRIES-COWBOY CHURCH 585-3070 22812 Antelope Blvd. –– Wednesday 7:00PM –– Sunday 10:00AM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Jefferson & Hickory St. • 527-0372 Rev. Beth Hoyt • 11:00AM Worship • 9:30AM Sunday School PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF GOD 370 Kimball Rd. • 527-6346 Pastor Mike Cox • WORSHIP • Sunday 11:00AM RED BLUFF COMMUNITY CHURCH 1920 Park St. Pastor Stan Kolbert • SERVICES • Sunday 9:30AM • 282-2248 SABBATH COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN 705 So. Jackson St. • 529-1890 Pastor Ron Largent • WORSHIP • Saturday 10:45AM SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH 515 Main St. • Father Sherwin Colaste MASS • Saturday 5:15, Spanish 7PM • Sun. 8:30AM, 10:30AM, Spanish 12PM THE SALVATION ARMY 944 Walnut St. • 527-8530 Major Kit Wetter, Pastor • SERVICES • Sunday 10AM & 11AM SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHRUCH 720 S. Jackson • 527-3733 Pastor Robert A. Clark • WORSHIP • Saturday 10:30AM ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH Jefferson & Elm • 527-3414 Pastor Dallas D. Dubke • WORSHIP • Sunday 8:30AM & 11AM ST. PETER'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Jefferson & Elm • 527-5205 Rev. Maryly Adair • Sunday 9:30AM, Holy Eucharist Rite II SUNRISE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP GARBC Corner of Cedar & Jackson 529-6884 • Pastor Chris Hurton • WORSHIP • 10:50AM • Bible Study 9:30AM TEHAMA COUNTY'S MERCY PLACE FELLOWSHIP, bilingual 836 Washington St., Red Bluff • 2:00 PM Sundays • 262-9474 TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL 8529 Placer Rd., Redding 243-5726 • For service dates & times • 529-9246 TRINITY MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 20920 Hampton Rhodes Dr. 528-8668•Pastor Loren Browning • WORSHIP • Sun. 10:45AM - Wed. 7PM THE ROCK CHURCH OF RED BLUFF 285 Gilmore Road • 527-7234 Pastor Vik Hylen•WORSHIP • Sun. 10AM & 6:30PM - Wed. 7:30PM - Mens Prayer Sat. 9AM VINEYARD CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP 738 Walnut St. • 527-2449 Pastor Steve Igarta • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM WALNUT GROVE CHRISTIAN CENTER RHEMA Bible Church • 527-9065 435 Round Up Ave.• Pastor Michael Ragsdale • WORSHIP • Sun. 10:30AM ZION CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES 836 Washington St. 529-1836 • Pastor Joshua John McKim • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:15AM Bowman... COMMUNITY CHURCH Bowman Rd. & Landes • 347-6130 Pastor Mark Lugg • WORSHIP • Sunday 10AM Capay... COMMUNITY FRIENDS CHURCH • 4th & Moller Ave. • 865-2806 Pastor Toni Brown • WORSHIP • Sunday 9:30AM Corning... BELIEVERS CHURCH OF GOD 783 Solano St. • 824-6502 Pastor Dan Steigmn • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:00AM CHURCH OF CHRIST 1418 South St. • 824-3603 WORSHIP • Sunday • 10:30AM CHURCH OF CHRIST 1440 Yolo St. • 824-4333 David King, Minister • WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM & 6PM CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Marguerite & Blackburn • Bishop Scott Davis • WORSHIP • Sunday 10AM CORNING FOURSQUARE 404 5 th St. • 824-5776 • Sr. Pastor John Gehrung WORSHIP • Sunday: adults 9:15, 10:30 AM • Tues.10AM prayer meeting FAMILY BIBLE CHURCH Marin & Pear Sts. • 824-0989 Pastor Joycel • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:45AM & 6PM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 506 Colusa St. • 824-3490 Pastor Chris Fissori • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:15AM • Sunday School 9AM FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1421 Marin St. • 824-5739 WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 824-5535 • 471 Marguerite Pastor Julie Horne • WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM GOOD NEWS LIGHTHOUSE 1520 East St. • Pastor Ben Rorie WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM • Bible Study 10AM • 824-0175 , Cell 701-9292 HARVEST CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH OF GOD 1006 6th St. 824-2091 • Pastor Michael Sharp • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:00AM IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHOLIC CHURCH 824-5879 814 Solano St. • Father Cormac Lacre • MASS • Sun. 10AM, Spanish 12PM INDEPENDENT LUTHERAN CHURCH OF CORNING Houghton Ave. between Solano and Yolo Worship: Sunday 11:00 am • Pastor Dennis Wyman • 526-4736 MT. OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH 341 Solano St. • 824-5530 Pastor Dallas D. Dubke • WORSHIP • Sunday 9AM NEIGHBORHOOD FULL GOSPEL CHURCH 901 South St. • 824-2323 Pastor Ken Killinger • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:50AM & 6PM NEW LIFE ASSEMBLY CHURCH 824-3426 • Pastor J.R. Gonzales WORSHIP • Sunday 10:00AM - Sunday School 9AM OLIVE BRANCH BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP 565 1st St. • 824-3661 • SERVICE • Sunday 10:30 AM SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH West & Butte • 824-2153 Pastor Robert A. Clark • WORSHIP • Saturday 11AM SONLIGHT WORSHIP CENTER 1520 East St. • 824-0175 Pastor Lenny Duval • WORHSHIP • Sunday 1:30 AM ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 820 Marin St. • 680-0353 Rev. Diana Lueckert • CHURCH • Sunday 10AM Cottonwood... FOURSQUARE CHURCH 2400 Rhonda Rd. Rev. Paul Shrum • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM & 6PM Dairyville... CONE COMMUNITY METHODIST CHURCH 11220 Hwy. 99E • 527-2329 Pastor Catherine Joseph • WORSHIP • Sun. 9AM El Camino... COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Hwy. 99W • 385-2314 Pastor Nancy Pharis-Cure • WORSHIP • Sunday 9:30AM SHADY REST FULL GOSPEL CHURCH 7211 Hwy. 99W 385-2155 • Pastor Andrew Dalson • WORSHIP • Saturday 7PM Gerber... BAHA'I FAITH OF TEHAMA COUNTY 385-1091 Prayer meetings Fridays 7:30PM Brickyard Creek Apartments FAITH HOPE LOVE MINISTRIES 21941 Chard Ave. 385-1431 • Pastor Ina Driggers • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM GERBER BIBLE FELLOWSHIP 301 Samson @ Ventura 385-1718 • WORSHIP • Sunday 10AM Los Molinos.... COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Sherwood & Josephine • 384-2656 Coordinating Pastor Nancy Pharis-Curie•CLayM Pastor Ray Watkins • WORSHIP 11AM MILL CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH HWY 99E and Taft St., 384-1564 Pastor Carl DeBiase • WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM & 6PM SPIRIT OF LIFE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF GOD 25235 Orange St., 310-4990 Rev. Kenneth & Pamela Auld • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM & 6PM Manton... MANTON COMMUNITY CHURCH Forward Rd. • 474-5156 Pastor Michael Stiener•WORSHIP•Sunday School 9:30 Sun. 10:45 Paskenta... PASKENTA FLOURNOY BIBLE CHURCH 13140 Round Valley Rd. Sunday 10:30AM • 833-0557 Platina... ST. HERMAN OF ALASKA MONASTERY Begum Gorge Rd. Abbot Herman • LITURGY • Sunday 8:30AM Rancho Tehama... COMMUNITY CHURCH (Non-Den.) • 585-2526 WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRIES Stage Coach Rd. • 585-2961 Rev. Richard & Della Tucker • SERVICES • Sun. 10:30AM, Wed. 6PM Tehama... ASSEMBLY OF GOD Third St. • 384-2603 Pastor Walter Bright • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM ST. STANISLAUS CATHOLIC CHURCH • 824-5879 Corner of 4th & D • MASS • Sunday 8:00AM - Bilingual Vina... VINA COMMUNITY CHURCH 5th & D Street • 839-2340 WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM & 6PM HOYT-COLE CHAPEL OF THE FLOWERS 816WalnutSt.-RedBluff FD 652 Thisdirectorysponsoredby: TEHAMA ESTATES A Retirement Community for the Active Senior Citizens 750 David Ave. - Red Bluff - 527-9193 Your Ad Could Be Here Call Daleen at (530) 737-5046 Hospice Gift and Thrift Store Thank you for ongoing support – M.-F. 9-5 • Sat. 10-4 Riverside Plaza Main Street 530.528.9430 FAITH » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, April 18, 2015 MOREAT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B3