Here is the first installment of a series setting forth persuasive evidence that the Bible is objectively true. I am surprised that there exists a need for me to do this type of exposition, because I would think that others would have already accomplished these things in detail, things which appear self evident enough to me. But as I look around, I do not find clear, concise, presentation of the analytical arguments for Christianity. There are a large number of evidences, extremely rational and hard-fact based persuasive positions, to consider.
In no particular order, I shall just plunge in.
While the authors and book are liberal themselves, the book How God Changes Your Brain presents objective and factual subject matter which supports, stripped of its rhetoric, the face value reading of the facts the Bible asserts.
The book is a summation of conclusions reached through voluminous research in the field of neuroscience. Andrew Newberg, MD and Mark Waldman are authors (NW). What I find fascinating about the book is that if you are capable of filtering out the authors commentary-bias, which is unsupported and dogmatically liberal, the factual content of the book compels the reader towards a factual, objective, unequivocal, real-world God. And that’s not the god of the liberals.
But returning to the main point, science everywhere supports the face-value and objective statements of Scripture, and does so before the eyes of both conservative Christian scientists, and before the eyes of every other persuasion of scientist as well. Though world-views and biases come packaged with the prose, we will to large extent seek to side-step the world-view of the authors and report to you the compelling nature of the facts that are available for digestion.
Newberg & Waldman, Ballantine books, 2009
The book begins with a quote:
“Humanity has every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral
standards and values above the discovers of objective truth.” –Albert Einstein.
The quote isn’t bad, but it misses the ultimate point. Proclaimers of high moral standards are revealers and discoverers of objective truth. But that’s a digression.
What I do here is state a quote from the book, a factual assertion that the authors are presenting as a result, a conclusion of their (peer reviewed, physical laboratory) studies. I note their statements by placing a page number after each. I then intersperse the statement from the Bible that as asserted this fact, or advocates the positive behaviour.
I shall have to return to this post many times to fill in the Bible verses. Bear with me while I complete it.
U of Pennsylvania neuroscientists, after studying the brain & God for
15 years then state:
“God can change your brain.” (p4)
Where NW assert God changes your brain, the Bible states that if your brain is changed, you will know the will of God. So, the statements are not equivalent, but interestingly related.
“…be transformed by the (E)renewing of your mind, so that you may (F)prove what the will of God is…” Rom 12:2b
“If you see God as a vindictive deity…such a belief can actually
damage your brain…” (p5)
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;There is no health in my bones because of my sin. – Ps 38:3
Contrastingly:
1 John 4:7
[ God Is Love ] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
There have been recent books, “…The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins,
The End of Faith, Sam Harris; and God is Not Great, Christopher Hitchens – that argue that religious beliefs are personally and societally dangerous. But the research, as we will outline throughout this book, strongly suggests otherwise.” “…particularly disappointed with the lack of empirical evidence that these writers have cited…” (p11)
It is not surprising to me that people who wish to factually assert the non-existence of an infinite, all power being, use only rhetoric and not objective evidence. It is intellectually dishonest to try to base such a position on evidence. What evidence, one wonders, could you site? The huge vastness of the nothingness you cataloged one mid-summer’s morning? The complete inventory of all the rocks you checked under for God? Atheism is not an evidentiary position, it is an irrational faith position. The Bible calls it foolishness.
1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good. -Ps 53:1
“Spiritual practices….enhance neural functioning…in ways that
improve physical and emotional health.” (p6)
fear the LORD and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones. Pr3:7b-8
“Spiritual practices…enhance cognition, communication…creativity”
Cognition & Communication:
The mouth of the [Godly] righteous utters wisdom Ps 37:30
Creativity:
In the beginning God created…[everything] God created man…in the image of God He created him…
Cognition:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Ps 111:10
“Health benefits associated with meditation and religious ritual cannot
be denied.” (p7)
“Spiritual practices…improve memory…slow down neurological damage
caused by growing old…” Ch2
“…God becomes neurologically real…” Ch3
“these [religious] experiences often generate long lasting states of
unity, peacefulness, and love” Ch4 (they do MRIs on praying Nuns)
“…psychiatrist Vicktor Frankl…imprisoned in a Nazi death
camp…said that the single most important thing that kept a survivor alive was faith.”
“Not only are we neurologically inclined to act selfishly, but we are
also neurologically equipped to detect acts of selfishness …in others.
When we do, we unconsciously react in a punitive, authoritarian manner.” If a person “dwells obsessively” on the conflict between his altruistic and
authoritarian/selfish natures, “he or she can do as much damage to the
brain as a lifetime of alcohol and drugs.” (p135)
“When researchers…introduced the concept of God during
a..competition…participants acted more generously toward their
opponent….”
(p136)
“Studies have shown…the more compassionate we become, the more
generous those around us become. And when we perceive others as being sensitive to our needs, our brains respond with greater generosity…” (p137)
“Negative remarks and memories are more strongly encoded in the brain,
and they are the most difficult memories to eradicate.” (p141)
“In essence, our brains are designed to mimic the emotional expressions
of others…” (P141)
“No matter how you look at it, exposure to, or expression of, any form
of anger is hazardous, not only to the health of the individual, but to society as well…”
“The number one best way to exercise your brain Faith.” (p163)
“The second best way to exercise your brain Dialog with others.”
(p162)
[I interject: i.e. the golden rules]
“The eight best…Smile. …the mere act helps to interrupt mood
disorders and strengthen the brain’s neural ability to maintain a positive
outlook…”
(p151)
“Third best…aerobic exercise…”
“If we don’t have faith that we’re making the best decision we can,
then we will be swallowed up in doubt. And doubt, at least as far as your brain is concerned, is a precarious state in which to live.” (p164)
“Faith is essential for maintaining a healthy brain…” (p 165)
“Focus on God long enough, and God becomes neurologically real….And
if you intensely focus on wealth, monetary issues will permeate your mind and influence your behavior in the world.” (p167)
“With practice, you can build up to twenty to forty minutes a day,
which may be the ideal range of time to enhance the neural functioning of your brain.”
(p175)
“I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my
meditation.” -Psalm 119:99 (NASB)
“Anger is defense…In relationships…If we express it [anger] openly
we stimulate defensive neural circuits in the other person. Thus, whoever
gets angry first…will lose the argument.” (p201)
“Like intimacy, compassion is associated with greater emotional and
psychological health.” (p215)
“…it takes most people 4 to 8 months to go 21 days without
complaining…” p240
