One of the oldest stories in the Bible concerns the Tower of Babel. Some people today question whether it is simply a myth, with no other evidence outside of the Bible. But, like numerous other events recorded in the Bible, there are historical and archaeological records – from non-Jewish sources – which corroborate the Biblical record.
It is written in Genesis 11:1, 7-8: “Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words … let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:1, 7-9) The word babel in ancient Hebrew means “confusion”.
Location of Babel is described in Genesis 10 as in the land of Shinar. Other Biblical passages also reference Shinar, such as Joshua 7:21, Isaiah 11:11, Daniel 1:2, and Zechariah 5:11. The ancient Sumerian name for the Tower of Babel – as is known today – is Etemenanki, which means “House of the foundation of heaven on earth.” [1]
Tower of Babel stele
A black stone dated to 604-562 B.C., 45x27x11 cm, is inscribed in cuneiform script and depicts the Tower of Babel, showing it to have been built in seven stages. Also depicted on the stone is a figure of King Nebuchadnezzar II, with what is believed to be a scroll with plans for rebuilding of the tower. The stone does not provide information to date the original tower construction prior to Nebuchadnezzar’s reconstruction. The tower is named Etemenanki, “The house, the foundation of heaven and earth, ziggurat in Babylon” and the actual artifact is currently housed in the Schoyen Collection. The middle part of the inscription has been erased, though the conquering ruler’s inscription was never inserted. A ziggurat is essentially a stepped rectangular pyramidal tower, often built in stages and with an outside staircase. Schoyen Collection commentators note that the ziggurat was originally built in Babylon around the time of Hammurabi, about 1792-1750 B.C. Restoration began under Nabopolassar and was completed by Nebuchadnezzar II. [2]
Esagila Tablet
A Seleucid stone tablet from Uruk, written in cuneiform, dated to 229 B.C., is currently on display in the Louvre (AO 6555). It is known as the “Esagila” tablet because it records courtyards built in Esagila, a temple of the god Marduk in Babylon. The text was copied from an earlier document which describes reconstruction of the Marduk temple during the reigns of Nabopolassar (625-605 B.C.) and Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 B.C.). Large stairs were discovered at the south side of the building, where a triple gate connected the Etemenanki with the Esagila. The more interesting portion of the tablet contains writing mentions the ziggurat Etemananki, “House of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth”. The tablet describes Etemananki as a multi-tiered tower and provides precise measurements of seven stories, design of the base, and stairways. This tablet is also valuable because it illustrates a complex mathematical system used by the Babylonians, which was “sacred” and only intended to be used by the “wise men”. [3]
Greek historical records
At least two Greek historians mention this tower. One was Herodotus (ca 484-425 B.C.) in his work Histories. He describes a massive tower in Babylon consisting of eight stages and is surrounded by a ramp. Herodotus stated the length of the base tower is a furlong (about 200 meters or 600 feet). [4] A second Greek source, Diodorus Siculus, also mentions the tower (Book II, 7-10).
Dating construction of the tower
Construction of the Tower of Babel, based on historical and archaeological records, has generally been dated to roughly 3500-2400 B.C. Sargon I is known to have ruled around 2350 B.C. in the capital city of Akkad, in the Mesopotamian valley. History indicates that Sargon I destroyed the temple in Babylon at that time and it was later rebuilt by Sarkalisarri around 2250 B.C. Halley’s Bible Handbook indicates the events occurred the 4th generation after Noah’s flood, around the time of Peleg (Genesis 10:25), about 101 years after the flood and 326 years before the calling of Abraham (Genesis 10:26). [5] Many scholars place the birth of
Abraham roughly prior to 2000 B.C., so this fits with dating of the tower as prior to about 2350 B.C. How much prior is difficult to determine since Biblical genealogies are known to contain gaps, making the time periods longer – maybe much longer - than they might initially appear.
John H. Walton, Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, describes a historical setting for the culture at that time which was conducive to building of such a structure. For example, baked brick technology was used around 3100 B.C. And, development of the ziggurat was used in the early Dynastic Period, ca. 2500 B.C., with early prototypes dating back to the late Uruk period, ca. 3500 B.C. [6] So, the Biblical narrative describing building of this tower is well corroborated by extra-Biblical lines of evidence.
The whole earth?
One issue that some raise involves dating of people groups in other parts of the world prior to the usual dating for the Tower of Babel. For instance, carbon 14 dating and artifacts found in the Americas have been dated much earlier than 3500-2400 B.C., possibly more than 14,000 years ago. There are three possible explanations for this. Either the tower was actually constructed earlier than the records seem to indicate, the migrations out of Mesopotamia were later than thought, or a combination of the two. A third possible explanation involves Biblical use of the phrase “the whole earth”. This phrase was used by Moses, author of Genesis, in chapter 11, verses 1, 4, 8, and 9, and is derived from the ancient Hebrew words koi ‘erets. These words are also used by Moses in Genesis 41:57 to describe from where people came to purchase grain. This was during the time Joseph was in Egypt. Hugh Ross makes the point, in discussing the famine of Joseph’s time, that it is important to use the writer’s frame of reference:
“We understand these words to signify that the famine devastated all the lands of the ancient Near East in and around Egypt. We do not interpret them globally, as implying that Australian Aborigines and American Indians came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.” [7]
Likewise, is it possible God only needed to confuse the languages of those people living in the Mesopotamian valley region to accomplish His purpose? Perhaps the events recorded in Genesis 11 concern only the people living in the Mesopotamian region during that time and not people groups living in very disparate regions of the globe. In the third millennium B.C., there was no method of communication between people of the Middle East and people of the Americas other than a very long camel ride. The “whole earth” or “whole land” during the time of Moses and Abraham may have encompassed what the people knew of, not very distant lands of which they had no knowledge and no communication.
[1] Jona Lendering, “Etemenanki (Tower of Babel)”, Livius: Articles on Ancient History, accessed 1 Jan 2014.
[2] The Schoyen Collection, “History: Babylonian”, MS 2063, website accessed 1 Jan 2014.
[3] Iselin Claire, “The ‘Esagila’ Tablet”, Louvre Museum, website accessed 1 Jan 2014.
[4] Herodotus, The History of Herodotus, (London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1936), p. 181
[5] Henry H. Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1965), p. 83.
[6] John H. Walton, “Is there archaeological evidence for the tower of Babel?”, Associates for Biblical Research, written 10 May 2008., accessed 1 Jan 2014.
[7] Hugh Ross, The Genesis Question, (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1998), 142-143.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
The science of thankfulness
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord” (Psalm 92:1)
Journal of Clinical Psychology
A study published August 2013 in the Journal of Clinical Psychology confirms what many previous research studies have concluded: Gratitude is good. Dr. Robert Emmons, UC Davis, and Robin Stern have found that clinical trials demonstrate the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and long lasting positive effects in a person’s life, including improved immune function, lower blood pressure, as well as reduced risk for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders. Gratitude is defined as a “cognitive-affective state that is typically associated with the perception that one has received a personal benefit that was not intentionally sought after, deserved, or earned but rather because of the good intentions of another”. [1]
Robert Emmons and Robin Stern introduce the intriguing notion of incorporating gratitude as a psychotherapeutic intervention. They note that many rigorous, controlled experimental trials have examined the benefits of gratitude, which is linked more strongly to mental health and life satisfaction than any personality trait. These include such positive traits as hope, optimism, and compassion. Employing gratitude as a discipline offers protection against destructive impulses of envy, resentment, greed, and bitterness. People who are thankful can more effectively cope with stress, recover more quickly from illness, and enjoy better physical health.
Thankfulness and coping ability
One of the most salient features of people who are grateful is effective coping, as revealed by a wide array of research studies, according to Psychology Professor Philip C. Watkins, Eastern Washington University. Thankful people positively reappraise negative events, leading to increased ability to cope. And, grateful processing of bad events helps to bring closure, decreasing the intrusiveness and negative affect of troubling memories. [2] In the Bible, when Saul killed 85 priests and was seeking David’s life (1 Samuel 22), David reappraised the negative events and said to God: “I will give you thanks forever” (Psalm 52:9).
Gratitude and thankfulness research project
In research conducted over eight years by Robert Emmons, it was discovered that those persons who kept a gratitude journal on a weekly basis or engaged in daily gratitude exercises reported the following:
• fewer physical complaints
• more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals, such as academic achievement, compared to subjects in other experimental conditions
• higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination and energy
• more likely to help another person with a problem [3]
The Apostle Paul had more reasons than most of us to not be thankful: beaten with rods, stoned, left for dead, shipwrecked, stranded in the ocean, imprisoned, naked, cold, hungry, and no smart phone (2 Cor. 11:25). Nonetheless, Paul mentioned thankfulness or thanks at least 48 times in his New Testament writings. Often in spite of circumstances, he willfully chose to thank God:
“in everything give thanks” (1 Cor. 5:18)
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15)
“thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57)
[1] Robert A. Emmons and Robert Stern, “Gratitude as a Psychotherapeutic Intervention”, Journal of Clinical Psychology, Volume 69, Issue 8, pages 846–855, August 2013
[2] Philip C. Watkins, Gratitude and the Good Life, (Springer, 2013) pp. 159-174
[3] Robert C. Emmons, Thanks! How The New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007).
Journal of Clinical Psychology
A study published August 2013 in the Journal of Clinical Psychology confirms what many previous research studies have concluded: Gratitude is good. Dr. Robert Emmons, UC Davis, and Robin Stern have found that clinical trials demonstrate the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and long lasting positive effects in a person’s life, including improved immune function, lower blood pressure, as well as reduced risk for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders. Gratitude is defined as a “cognitive-affective state that is typically associated with the perception that one has received a personal benefit that was not intentionally sought after, deserved, or earned but rather because of the good intentions of another”. [1]
Robert Emmons and Robin Stern introduce the intriguing notion of incorporating gratitude as a psychotherapeutic intervention. They note that many rigorous, controlled experimental trials have examined the benefits of gratitude, which is linked more strongly to mental health and life satisfaction than any personality trait. These include such positive traits as hope, optimism, and compassion. Employing gratitude as a discipline offers protection against destructive impulses of envy, resentment, greed, and bitterness. People who are thankful can more effectively cope with stress, recover more quickly from illness, and enjoy better physical health.
Thankfulness and coping ability
One of the most salient features of people who are grateful is effective coping, as revealed by a wide array of research studies, according to Psychology Professor Philip C. Watkins, Eastern Washington University. Thankful people positively reappraise negative events, leading to increased ability to cope. And, grateful processing of bad events helps to bring closure, decreasing the intrusiveness and negative affect of troubling memories. [2] In the Bible, when Saul killed 85 priests and was seeking David’s life (1 Samuel 22), David reappraised the negative events and said to God: “I will give you thanks forever” (Psalm 52:9).
Gratitude and thankfulness research project
In research conducted over eight years by Robert Emmons, it was discovered that those persons who kept a gratitude journal on a weekly basis or engaged in daily gratitude exercises reported the following:
• fewer physical complaints
• more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals, such as academic achievement, compared to subjects in other experimental conditions
• higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination and energy
• more likely to help another person with a problem [3]
The Apostle Paul had more reasons than most of us to not be thankful: beaten with rods, stoned, left for dead, shipwrecked, stranded in the ocean, imprisoned, naked, cold, hungry, and no smart phone (2 Cor. 11:25). Nonetheless, Paul mentioned thankfulness or thanks at least 48 times in his New Testament writings. Often in spite of circumstances, he willfully chose to thank God:
“in everything give thanks” (1 Cor. 5:18)
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15)
“thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57)
[1] Robert A. Emmons and Robert Stern, “Gratitude as a Psychotherapeutic Intervention”, Journal of Clinical Psychology, Volume 69, Issue 8, pages 846–855, August 2013
[2] Philip C. Watkins, Gratitude and the Good Life, (Springer, 2013) pp. 159-174
[3] Robert C. Emmons, Thanks! How The New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007).
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Scientific evidence for crossing of the Red Sea?
Can modern science show that natural underwater formations and wind patterns could have opened a pathway for the ancient Hebrews, led by Moses, to cross the sea on dry land? The Bible states:
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” (Exodus 14:21-22)
ABC News
Earlier this year, ABC News reported that Naum Volzinger, a senior researcher at St. Petersburg's Institute of Oceanography, and Alexei Androsov, Hamburg, Germany had examined the conditions in the Red Sea near the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Their research seems to indicate a reef existed that would have been about seven kilometers in length from one shore to the other side. Around 3,500 years ago, the reef would have been shallower, allowing it to be exposed by a strong wind of about 67 mph blowing overnight. [1]
National Center for Atmospheric Research
A computer modeling study was conducted by researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) shows how wind could have parted the Red Sea as described in the book of Exodus. The study showed that an easterly wind blowing at a rate of 28 m/s (about 63 mph) could reveal an existing land bridge. In attempting to determine the location, researchers used data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) to examine the eastern Nile delta configured for the Late Bronze Age. The geography shows shallow lagoons in the area of modern day Lake Manzala toward the Pelusiac branch of the Nile.
The researchers examined an area near the Kedua Gap (30.9812° N, 32.4553° E) from West to East, about 3–4 km long and 5 km wide. In the first set of experiments, their model results showed that, after about 12 hours, the reef became fully exposed and passable with realistic bathymetry. The second experimental set studied a wind setdown in the area of eastern end of the Lake of Tanis, from Damietta to Pelusium during the Egyptian New Kingdom Period (approximately 1250 BC). In the location where the Pelusiac branch of the Nile flowed into the Lake of Tanis, a Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) hydrodynamic model was utilized and showed that a gap opened in the waters, resulting in a land bridge extending about 3-4 kilometers eastward. A passage five kilometers wide remained open for four hours leading toward an archaeological site later known as Tell Kedua. [2] One could reasonable conclude that stronger winds could have opened up a passage in a shorter time period. And, when the winds receded, the deluge of waves rushing back to fill the space would have been significant.
Scientific literature contains a written record from British Army Major-General Alexander Tulloch one day in early 1882 of a wind setdown that occurred in the eastern Nile delta between Port Said and Kantarah:
“… a gale of wind from the eastward set in and became so strong that I had to cease work. Next morning on going out I found that Lake Menzaleh, which is situated on the west side of the [Suez] Canal, had totally disappeared, the effect of the high wind on the shallow water having actually driven it away beyond the horizon, and the natives were walking about on the mud where the day before the fishing-boat...” [3]
Does this prove the Biblical account?
Simple answer – no. What this shows is that it is reasonable to believe the event was possible, given the depth of the bodies of water in this area in eastern Egypt and given the physics of the power of wind to move water. Does God need a perfect confluence of factors – high land shelf under low depth of water with the proper wind speed and direction – to accomplish His purposes? Of course not. If there really is a God who created the universe, He could have caused the Israelites to walk across the Pacific Ocean on dry land if He chose. What these studies demonstrate is that God could have directed Moses to an area where He knew there was a land bridge ready to be used for the salvation of His people.
Maybe the timing was coincidental?
Perhaps this event actually occurred and the Israelites were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, making for a terrific story that actually had nothing to do with a deity. If that is true, the coincidences are fantastical. Here are a few:
• The timing was perfect for the Israelites who were trapped with Pharoah’s army quickly approaching (Exodus 14:10)
• The wind began to blow at the exact time Moses raised his staff (v. 21)
• The waters returned at the time Moses, from the other side, stretched out his hand toward the sea (v. 27)
• The entire Egyptian army was caught in the sea as the waters collapsed back on them (v. 28)
Anyone who believes these events happened by chance has more faith in coincidence than Jews and Christians have in God.
[1] Amanda Onion, “Scientists explain Red Sea parting and other miracles”, ABC News, published 12 Feb 2013, accessed 22 Nov 2013.
[2] Carl Drews and Weiqing Han, “Parting the waters: Computer modeling applies physics to Red Sea escape route” National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Sept. 21, 2010.
[3] Tulloch AB (1896) Passage of the Red Sea by the Israelites. Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute (now Faith and Thought) 28: 267–280.
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” (Exodus 14:21-22)
ABC News
Earlier this year, ABC News reported that Naum Volzinger, a senior researcher at St. Petersburg's Institute of Oceanography, and Alexei Androsov, Hamburg, Germany had examined the conditions in the Red Sea near the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Their research seems to indicate a reef existed that would have been about seven kilometers in length from one shore to the other side. Around 3,500 years ago, the reef would have been shallower, allowing it to be exposed by a strong wind of about 67 mph blowing overnight. [1]
National Center for Atmospheric Research
A computer modeling study was conducted by researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) shows how wind could have parted the Red Sea as described in the book of Exodus. The study showed that an easterly wind blowing at a rate of 28 m/s (about 63 mph) could reveal an existing land bridge. In attempting to determine the location, researchers used data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) to examine the eastern Nile delta configured for the Late Bronze Age. The geography shows shallow lagoons in the area of modern day Lake Manzala toward the Pelusiac branch of the Nile.
The researchers examined an area near the Kedua Gap (30.9812° N, 32.4553° E) from West to East, about 3–4 km long and 5 km wide. In the first set of experiments, their model results showed that, after about 12 hours, the reef became fully exposed and passable with realistic bathymetry. The second experimental set studied a wind setdown in the area of eastern end of the Lake of Tanis, from Damietta to Pelusium during the Egyptian New Kingdom Period (approximately 1250 BC). In the location where the Pelusiac branch of the Nile flowed into the Lake of Tanis, a Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) hydrodynamic model was utilized and showed that a gap opened in the waters, resulting in a land bridge extending about 3-4 kilometers eastward. A passage five kilometers wide remained open for four hours leading toward an archaeological site later known as Tell Kedua. [2] One could reasonable conclude that stronger winds could have opened up a passage in a shorter time period. And, when the winds receded, the deluge of waves rushing back to fill the space would have been significant.
Scientific literature contains a written record from British Army Major-General Alexander Tulloch one day in early 1882 of a wind setdown that occurred in the eastern Nile delta between Port Said and Kantarah:
“… a gale of wind from the eastward set in and became so strong that I had to cease work. Next morning on going out I found that Lake Menzaleh, which is situated on the west side of the [Suez] Canal, had totally disappeared, the effect of the high wind on the shallow water having actually driven it away beyond the horizon, and the natives were walking about on the mud where the day before the fishing-boat...” [3]
Does this prove the Biblical account?
Simple answer – no. What this shows is that it is reasonable to believe the event was possible, given the depth of the bodies of water in this area in eastern Egypt and given the physics of the power of wind to move water. Does God need a perfect confluence of factors – high land shelf under low depth of water with the proper wind speed and direction – to accomplish His purposes? Of course not. If there really is a God who created the universe, He could have caused the Israelites to walk across the Pacific Ocean on dry land if He chose. What these studies demonstrate is that God could have directed Moses to an area where He knew there was a land bridge ready to be used for the salvation of His people.
Maybe the timing was coincidental?
Perhaps this event actually occurred and the Israelites were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, making for a terrific story that actually had nothing to do with a deity. If that is true, the coincidences are fantastical. Here are a few:
• The timing was perfect for the Israelites who were trapped with Pharoah’s army quickly approaching (Exodus 14:10)
• The wind began to blow at the exact time Moses raised his staff (v. 21)
• The waters returned at the time Moses, from the other side, stretched out his hand toward the sea (v. 27)
• The entire Egyptian army was caught in the sea as the waters collapsed back on them (v. 28)
Anyone who believes these events happened by chance has more faith in coincidence than Jews and Christians have in God.
[1] Amanda Onion, “Scientists explain Red Sea parting and other miracles”, ABC News, published 12 Feb 2013, accessed 22 Nov 2013.
[2] Carl Drews and Weiqing Han, “Parting the waters: Computer modeling applies physics to Red Sea escape route” National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Sept. 21, 2010.
[3] Tulloch AB (1896) Passage of the Red Sea by the Israelites. Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute (now Faith and Thought) 28: 267–280.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Not free to be Christian
If you are able to live your Christian faith through public worship, Bible reading, and speaking your beliefs, be thankful. Others have not been so fortunate.
Former NFL Offensive Player of the Year Craig James said, “I’d love to do it” when offered a one-hour show on Fox Sports. A “very flattering, complimentary” press release was issued listing Craig’s credentials stating he would be an asset to their coverage. He did the show on Saturday night and received a telephone call on Sunday evening stating his services would no longer be needed. Was this because his on-air performance was sub-standard? No, it was because Fox Sports became aware that Craig had previously made a comment while running for Senate that he believes a marriage should be between a man and a woman. [1] Did Craig slander homosexuals or advocate violence or discrimination? No, he simply stated his viewpoint, based on his Christian beliefs, which is apparently not permitted in America any longer.
Today, as I write this, the Associated Press reported the cancelation of the weeklong festival of Mar Girgis, which had been held annually for more than a century, attracting up to two million Coptic Christians from across Egypt. The government canceled the event fearing it would be a target for Islamic militants. Christians in Egypt make up about 10% of the population and recently Islamist “Mobs torched, looted or destroyed at least 40 churches.” [2] Egyptian Christians simply want to be free to follow their beliefs, but face repression from radicals in the Muslim majority.
A third example, reported on Nov. 12, 2013, involved public executions in North Korea, some of which were for offenses such as owning a Bible. Other offenses included watching South Korean movies. South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported that as many as 80 so-called criminals, in seven different cities, were executed. In the city of Wonsan, victims’ heads were covered with bags, tied to stakes and shot to death. Authorities gathered a crowd of as many as 10,000 in Shinpoong Stadium, some of whom were children, to watch. [3]
Censorship of Christians began in the 1st century when Peter and John were commanded by the Jewish rulers, elders and scribes to not speak or teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). Two millennia later believers are still being told to sit down and shut up. Censorship may take the form of violence or, more likely in the West, financial and legal repercussions. Will we have the courage to say, as did Peter and John, ““Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)
[1] Marvin Olasky, “Christians need not apply?” World Magazine, November 16, 2013.
[2] “Egypt’s Christians Find Little to Celebrate”, Associated Press, reported in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Nov. 17, 2013.
[3] “North Korea publicly executes 80, some for videos or Bibles, report says”, FoxNews.com, reported Nov. 12, 2013.
Former NFL Offensive Player of the Year Craig James said, “I’d love to do it” when offered a one-hour show on Fox Sports. A “very flattering, complimentary” press release was issued listing Craig’s credentials stating he would be an asset to their coverage. He did the show on Saturday night and received a telephone call on Sunday evening stating his services would no longer be needed. Was this because his on-air performance was sub-standard? No, it was because Fox Sports became aware that Craig had previously made a comment while running for Senate that he believes a marriage should be between a man and a woman. [1] Did Craig slander homosexuals or advocate violence or discrimination? No, he simply stated his viewpoint, based on his Christian beliefs, which is apparently not permitted in America any longer.
Today, as I write this, the Associated Press reported the cancelation of the weeklong festival of Mar Girgis, which had been held annually for more than a century, attracting up to two million Coptic Christians from across Egypt. The government canceled the event fearing it would be a target for Islamic militants. Christians in Egypt make up about 10% of the population and recently Islamist “Mobs torched, looted or destroyed at least 40 churches.” [2] Egyptian Christians simply want to be free to follow their beliefs, but face repression from radicals in the Muslim majority.
A third example, reported on Nov. 12, 2013, involved public executions in North Korea, some of which were for offenses such as owning a Bible. Other offenses included watching South Korean movies. South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported that as many as 80 so-called criminals, in seven different cities, were executed. In the city of Wonsan, victims’ heads were covered with bags, tied to stakes and shot to death. Authorities gathered a crowd of as many as 10,000 in Shinpoong Stadium, some of whom were children, to watch. [3]
Censorship of Christians began in the 1st century when Peter and John were commanded by the Jewish rulers, elders and scribes to not speak or teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). Two millennia later believers are still being told to sit down and shut up. Censorship may take the form of violence or, more likely in the West, financial and legal repercussions. Will we have the courage to say, as did Peter and John, ““Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)
[1] Marvin Olasky, “Christians need not apply?” World Magazine, November 16, 2013.
[2] “Egypt’s Christians Find Little to Celebrate”, Associated Press, reported in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Nov. 17, 2013.
[3] “North Korea publicly executes 80, some for videos or Bibles, report says”, FoxNews.com, reported Nov. 12, 2013.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Is Intelligent Design theory a science stopper? The ENCODE project
The Intelligent Design theory of life on Earth has been labeled a “science-stopper” by some who believe in a purely naturalistic evolutionary beginning and development of living organisms. The assertion accuses ID theorists of invoking a supernatural cause to natural processes that are not well understood. Is that true? Ardent atheist Richard Dawkins, wrote in his influential 1976 book The Selfish Gene, that non-coding DNA functioned like a “parasite” within the genome. In the evolutionary process, these useless segments of the genome remained after fulfilling their function, raising the question, according to Dawkins, of why a creator would insert worthless code into a genome. Even Francis Crick, Nobel Prize winner and co-founder of the double helical structure of DNA, in 1980, dismissed most of the genome as “little better than junk”. He continued by predicting that it would be “folly” for scientific researchers to “hunt obsessively” for function for many sections of DNA. [1]
Beginning in 2003, the National Human Genome Research Institute initiated an ambitious project named ENCODE, the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements, with the goal of identifying functional elements in the human genome sequence. The ENCODE project continued where the Human Genome Project left off. The first phase concluded in 2007 and the results of the second phase were released on September 15, 2012 in the form at least 30 papers published in several scientific journals (Nature, Genome Biology, and Genome Research). After $185 million, research by 32 groups involving more than 440 scientists, the consortium has discovered function for roughly 80% of the genome, including more than 70,000 “promoter” regions where proteins bind to control gene expression. They have also identified almost 400,000 “enhancer” regions which regulate expression of distant genes. [2] Researchers mapped more than 4 million regulatory regions where proteins interact with DNA. They performed more than 1,600 sets of experiments, using state of the art DNA sequencing technologies, generated more than 15 trillion bytes of raw data and consumed the equivalent of more than 300 years of computer time for analysis. [3]
The researchers found that, though only a small amount of genome directly manufactures messenger RNA for protein-coding, much of the DNA becomes transcribed into non-coding RNA molecules, some of which regulate gene expression. This critical function can operate to turn on or turn off certain portions of the genome. In the past, these segments were often called DNA deserts or “junk DNA”, because they did not appear to have any useful function. In 2000, when the Human Genome Project presented its first rough draft of the sequence of bases, the initial results seemed to confirm evolutionary theory that perhaps 97 percent of the 3.2 billion bases had no apparent function. About 1.2% of the genome bases were found to be involved in protein-coding, which was somewhat expected. However, the ENCODE project found about 8-9% of the bases were involved in regulation. According to computational biologist and project manager Ewan Birney, “One can use the ENCODE data and come up with a number between 9 and 80 percent” attributable to functional significance. [4] It could take decades to fully analyze and comprehend the raw data, but results at this time clearly indicate that vast portions of DNA previously considered to be useless are indeed useful.
Eric D. Green, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) stated: “"During the early debates about the Human Genome Project, researchers had predicted that only a few percent of the human genome sequence encoded proteins, the workhorses of the cell, and that the rest was junk. We now know that this conclusion was wrong." [3] While naturalistic Darwinian theorists essentially considered these regions to be the molecular equivalent of a human appendix – useless leftovers from our evolutionary past – intelligent design proponents asserted that function could be discovered for most or all of these. So, which theory would have been considered more of a science-stopper just a few years ago? Rather than an alleged God-of-the-gaps, “junk DNA” could logically be considered evolution-of-the-gaps reasoning.
Biochemist Dr. Fazale Rana notes that “researchers are uncovering more and more examples of the functional importance of junk DNA. In light of this ongoing advance, it is becoming harder and harder to maintain that genomes are riddled with useless evolutionary vestiges.” [5] Even more intriguing, the methods of data organization within DNA are uncannily similar to those utilized in digital data storage by humans today. Stephen C. Meyer, PhD, University of Cambridge, noted that the hierarchical layering within the genome allow for vast amounts of data storage: “The functions they perform are so strikingly similar to functions that we’ve designed to solve similar information and storage problems in high tech digital computers.” [6]
Rather than applying the brakes to scientific discovery – a common accusation - belief in God and Christianity in particular was the impetus for the greatest expansion of knowledge and discovery throughout much of history. Of the major world religions, Christianity is based on reason, giving rise to exploration of logical physical laws of the universe and a rational creator. A very short list of scientists who have made critical discoveries while holding to a strong Christian faith were: Johannes Kepler (laws of planetary motion), Isaac Newton (mathematics), Nicholas Copernicus (astronomy), Francis Bacon (experimentation and inductive reasoning), Robert Boyle (gas laws), Michael Faraday (electricity and magnetism), William Kelvin (modern physics), Max Planck (quantum theory), and Gregor Mendel (mathematical foundations of genetics). Some additional 20th century Nobel prize winners in the sciences with a strong faith in God include: Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schroedinger, Gugleilmo Marconi, and Arno Penzias. [7]
The discovery of function in regions of the human genome that were previously thought to be useless leftovers from our evolutionary past further illustrates the fact that belief in an intelligent creator is not a science-stopper; on the contrary, it provides the philosophical impetus to uncover the intricacies of the creation. Other examples could be cited, such as the big bang theory. Prior to Georges LeMaitre and Albert Einstein’s discoveries that the universe is indeed expanding, the prevailing understanding of the cosmos was that of a steady state, with no discernible beginning. That would have been more of a science-stopper than belief in the Bible, which states the universe had a beginning. Astrophysics caught up with the Bible and now we are witnessing the same phenomenon on the level of molecular biology.
[1] Francis Crick, quoted by Daniel James Devine, “Debunking Junk”, World magazine, 6 Oct 2012.
[2] Brendan Maher, “ENCODE: The human encyclopaedia”, Nature, Vol. 489, Issue 7414, 5 Sept 2012.
[3] NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute. “First holistic view of how human genome actually works: ENCODE study produces massive data set.” ScienceDaily, 5 Sep. 2012, Web 28 Dec. 2012.
[4] Stephen S. Hall, “Hidden Treasures in Junk DNA”, Scientific American, 8 Sept 2012.
[5] Fazale Rana, “Gene deserts take the life out of evolution’s best argument”, Reasons to Believe, 6 Apr 2011.
[6] Stephen C. Meyer, quoted by Daniel James Devine, “Debunking Junk”, World magazine, 6 Oct 2012.
[7] Tihomir Dimitrov, “50 Nobel Laureates and Other Great Scientists Who Believe in God, 2007.
Daniel James Devine, “Debunking Junk”, World magazine, 6 Oct 2012.
Beginning in 2003, the National Human Genome Research Institute initiated an ambitious project named ENCODE, the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements, with the goal of identifying functional elements in the human genome sequence. The ENCODE project continued where the Human Genome Project left off. The first phase concluded in 2007 and the results of the second phase were released on September 15, 2012 in the form at least 30 papers published in several scientific journals (Nature, Genome Biology, and Genome Research). After $185 million, research by 32 groups involving more than 440 scientists, the consortium has discovered function for roughly 80% of the genome, including more than 70,000 “promoter” regions where proteins bind to control gene expression. They have also identified almost 400,000 “enhancer” regions which regulate expression of distant genes. [2] Researchers mapped more than 4 million regulatory regions where proteins interact with DNA. They performed more than 1,600 sets of experiments, using state of the art DNA sequencing technologies, generated more than 15 trillion bytes of raw data and consumed the equivalent of more than 300 years of computer time for analysis. [3]
The researchers found that, though only a small amount of genome directly manufactures messenger RNA for protein-coding, much of the DNA becomes transcribed into non-coding RNA molecules, some of which regulate gene expression. This critical function can operate to turn on or turn off certain portions of the genome. In the past, these segments were often called DNA deserts or “junk DNA”, because they did not appear to have any useful function. In 2000, when the Human Genome Project presented its first rough draft of the sequence of bases, the initial results seemed to confirm evolutionary theory that perhaps 97 percent of the 3.2 billion bases had no apparent function. About 1.2% of the genome bases were found to be involved in protein-coding, which was somewhat expected. However, the ENCODE project found about 8-9% of the bases were involved in regulation. According to computational biologist and project manager Ewan Birney, “One can use the ENCODE data and come up with a number between 9 and 80 percent” attributable to functional significance. [4] It could take decades to fully analyze and comprehend the raw data, but results at this time clearly indicate that vast portions of DNA previously considered to be useless are indeed useful.
Eric D. Green, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) stated: “"During the early debates about the Human Genome Project, researchers had predicted that only a few percent of the human genome sequence encoded proteins, the workhorses of the cell, and that the rest was junk. We now know that this conclusion was wrong." [3] While naturalistic Darwinian theorists essentially considered these regions to be the molecular equivalent of a human appendix – useless leftovers from our evolutionary past – intelligent design proponents asserted that function could be discovered for most or all of these. So, which theory would have been considered more of a science-stopper just a few years ago? Rather than an alleged God-of-the-gaps, “junk DNA” could logically be considered evolution-of-the-gaps reasoning.
Biochemist Dr. Fazale Rana notes that “researchers are uncovering more and more examples of the functional importance of junk DNA. In light of this ongoing advance, it is becoming harder and harder to maintain that genomes are riddled with useless evolutionary vestiges.” [5] Even more intriguing, the methods of data organization within DNA are uncannily similar to those utilized in digital data storage by humans today. Stephen C. Meyer, PhD, University of Cambridge, noted that the hierarchical layering within the genome allow for vast amounts of data storage: “The functions they perform are so strikingly similar to functions that we’ve designed to solve similar information and storage problems in high tech digital computers.” [6]
Rather than applying the brakes to scientific discovery – a common accusation - belief in God and Christianity in particular was the impetus for the greatest expansion of knowledge and discovery throughout much of history. Of the major world religions, Christianity is based on reason, giving rise to exploration of logical physical laws of the universe and a rational creator. A very short list of scientists who have made critical discoveries while holding to a strong Christian faith were: Johannes Kepler (laws of planetary motion), Isaac Newton (mathematics), Nicholas Copernicus (astronomy), Francis Bacon (experimentation and inductive reasoning), Robert Boyle (gas laws), Michael Faraday (electricity and magnetism), William Kelvin (modern physics), Max Planck (quantum theory), and Gregor Mendel (mathematical foundations of genetics). Some additional 20th century Nobel prize winners in the sciences with a strong faith in God include: Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schroedinger, Gugleilmo Marconi, and Arno Penzias. [7]
The discovery of function in regions of the human genome that were previously thought to be useless leftovers from our evolutionary past further illustrates the fact that belief in an intelligent creator is not a science-stopper; on the contrary, it provides the philosophical impetus to uncover the intricacies of the creation. Other examples could be cited, such as the big bang theory. Prior to Georges LeMaitre and Albert Einstein’s discoveries that the universe is indeed expanding, the prevailing understanding of the cosmos was that of a steady state, with no discernible beginning. That would have been more of a science-stopper than belief in the Bible, which states the universe had a beginning. Astrophysics caught up with the Bible and now we are witnessing the same phenomenon on the level of molecular biology.
[1] Francis Crick, quoted by Daniel James Devine, “Debunking Junk”, World magazine, 6 Oct 2012.
[2] Brendan Maher, “ENCODE: The human encyclopaedia”, Nature, Vol. 489, Issue 7414, 5 Sept 2012.
[3] NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute. “First holistic view of how human genome actually works: ENCODE study produces massive data set.” ScienceDaily, 5 Sep. 2012, Web 28 Dec. 2012.
[4] Stephen S. Hall, “Hidden Treasures in Junk DNA”, Scientific American, 8 Sept 2012.
[5] Fazale Rana, “Gene deserts take the life out of evolution’s best argument”, Reasons to Believe, 6 Apr 2011.
[6] Stephen C. Meyer, quoted by Daniel James Devine, “Debunking Junk”, World magazine, 6 Oct 2012.
[7] Tihomir Dimitrov, “50 Nobel Laureates and Other Great Scientists Who Believe in God, 2007.
Daniel James Devine, “Debunking Junk”, World magazine, 6 Oct 2012.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Why the papyrus fragment does not prove Jesus had a wife
The papyrus contains four words, written in Coptic, an ancient language used by Egyptian Christians. These translate into English as: “Jesus said to them ‘my wife’”. The words are written on a fragment about three inches by one and a half inches that was provided by a private collector. Karen King, Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School, was given the fragment to analyze and translate. She reported the news of the discovery to the 10th International Congress of Coptic Studies.[1] The piece of papyrus is now in the hands of a private collector and nothing is known about the circumstances of its discovery.
If authentic, this papyrus appears to provide some interesting insights into cultural mores of the time. However, there are a number of reasons why it does not prove Jesus Christ was married. First, researchers have little or no context for the message on the fragment. Only a few lines of writing are partially able to be translated. Because there is writing on both sides, it appears to have been part of a book or codex, though at this time, none of the remainder of the codex has been made public, if any more even exists. Other writing on this fragment seems to reference an alleged discussion between Jesus and his disciples in which Jesus twice mentions his mother. It is speculated that an original may have been written in Greek, then translated into Coptic for Egyptian Christians. This is of extremely little evidentiary value on which to base any conclusion. We have no idea from where this fragment came or what was written in the rest of the codex.
Second, even if the fragment is authentic, it is dated to the late second century, about 150 years after the death of Jesus. Initial examination by experts seems to indicate the fragment is probably from this time period, based on the appearance, language and grammar, though additional chemical composition of the ink remains to be completed. In the second century and later, many pseudopigraphal “gospels” were written, such as the Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary and the Gospel of Judas. None of these were written by the named authors and none were written during the lifetimes of the apostles. These are typical of the Gnostic genre that was prevalent during that time period which were inferior to and frequently contradicted the authentic gospel accounts. The authentic gospel narratives (Matthew, Mark, Luke) were written during the middle of the 1st century or late 1st century in the case of John. These four were accepted by members of the church, many of whom had personally seen Jesus or the apostles and could attest to the narratives.
Dr. Simon Gathercole, Senior Lecturer in New Testament Studies at the University of Cambridge and expert on apocryphal gospels, commented on the fragment. He noted that, in relation to other gospel accounts, the language in the fragment most closely resembles some of that found in the Gospel of Thomas, a pseudopigraphal Gnostic writing. Here are a couple of the comparisons.
Thomas 101:3: My true Mother has given me life.
Fragment line 1: My mother has given me [life].
Thomas 114:1: Simon Peter said to them, “Let Mary come out from us, because women are not worthy of life.”
Fragment line 3: Mary is worthy of it. [2]
Third, reliable writings from the first century, which followed very soon after the life of Jesus, provide numerous details of his life, with no mention of a wife. These include the canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) as well as writings of Peter, James and John, who had lived with Jesus. Furthermore, Paul’s 13 letters are well-authenticated to have been written prior to his death by A.D. 64 and these mention nothing of Jesus being married. In fact, Paul specifically mentions wives of the apostles when writing to the Corinthians around A.D. 54:
“Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” (1 Cor. 9:5)
If the apostles, such as Peter (Cephas) were cited as examples of those with wives, would it not have been significantly more impactful to mention the Lord’s wife, if he had one? And, it would seem to be contrary to Jesus’ character to marry when he knew he would be dying and returning to the Father at an early age, leaving behind a young widow.
Fourth, even the scholar who found the artifact cautions that it has not been verified as authentic. When asked if she has doubts regarding the authenticity of the fragment, Karen King told Time magazine: “Oh, yes, absolutely. I think something like this needs to be questioned further. “ [3]
Even liberal New Testament scholar John Dominic Crossan, who doubts the resurrection, has no doubts about Jesus being single. Using an avian analogy, he stated: “There is no evidence that Jesus was married (looks like a duck), multiple indications that he was not (walks like a duck), and no early texts suggesting wife or children (quacks like a duck), … so he must be an incognito bridegroom (camel in disguise).” [4]
Finally, regarding the fragment in question, Dr. Karen King wrote:
“It does not, however, provide evidence that the historical Jesus was married, given the late date of the fragment and the probable date of original composition only in the second half of the second century.” [5]
[1] Harvard Divinity School, “Jesus’s wife? Scholar announces existence of anew early Christian gospel from Egypt.” ScienceDaily, 18 Sept 2012. Web. 25 Sep. 2012.
[2] Simon Gathercole, “Did Jesus have a wife?” Tyndale House Residential Centre for Biblical Research, accessed 30 Sept 2012.
[3] Stephan Faris, “An Interview with the Discoverer of ‘Jesus’ Wife’”, Time World, 25 Sept 2012.
[4] Darrell L. Bock, Breaking the DaVinci Code, (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2004), 31-32.
[5] Karen L. King, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife…’” A New Coptic Gospel Papyrus, Forthcoming Harvard Theological Review 106:1, January 2013, p. 1.
If authentic, this papyrus appears to provide some interesting insights into cultural mores of the time. However, there are a number of reasons why it does not prove Jesus Christ was married. First, researchers have little or no context for the message on the fragment. Only a few lines of writing are partially able to be translated. Because there is writing on both sides, it appears to have been part of a book or codex, though at this time, none of the remainder of the codex has been made public, if any more even exists. Other writing on this fragment seems to reference an alleged discussion between Jesus and his disciples in which Jesus twice mentions his mother. It is speculated that an original may have been written in Greek, then translated into Coptic for Egyptian Christians. This is of extremely little evidentiary value on which to base any conclusion. We have no idea from where this fragment came or what was written in the rest of the codex.
Second, even if the fragment is authentic, it is dated to the late second century, about 150 years after the death of Jesus. Initial examination by experts seems to indicate the fragment is probably from this time period, based on the appearance, language and grammar, though additional chemical composition of the ink remains to be completed. In the second century and later, many pseudopigraphal “gospels” were written, such as the Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary and the Gospel of Judas. None of these were written by the named authors and none were written during the lifetimes of the apostles. These are typical of the Gnostic genre that was prevalent during that time period which were inferior to and frequently contradicted the authentic gospel accounts. The authentic gospel narratives (Matthew, Mark, Luke) were written during the middle of the 1st century or late 1st century in the case of John. These four were accepted by members of the church, many of whom had personally seen Jesus or the apostles and could attest to the narratives.
Dr. Simon Gathercole, Senior Lecturer in New Testament Studies at the University of Cambridge and expert on apocryphal gospels, commented on the fragment. He noted that, in relation to other gospel accounts, the language in the fragment most closely resembles some of that found in the Gospel of Thomas, a pseudopigraphal Gnostic writing. Here are a couple of the comparisons.
Thomas 101:3: My true Mother has given me life.
Fragment line 1: My mother has given me [life].
Thomas 114:1: Simon Peter said to them, “Let Mary come out from us, because women are not worthy of life.”
Fragment line 3: Mary is worthy of it. [2]
Third, reliable writings from the first century, which followed very soon after the life of Jesus, provide numerous details of his life, with no mention of a wife. These include the canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) as well as writings of Peter, James and John, who had lived with Jesus. Furthermore, Paul’s 13 letters are well-authenticated to have been written prior to his death by A.D. 64 and these mention nothing of Jesus being married. In fact, Paul specifically mentions wives of the apostles when writing to the Corinthians around A.D. 54:
“Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” (1 Cor. 9:5)
If the apostles, such as Peter (Cephas) were cited as examples of those with wives, would it not have been significantly more impactful to mention the Lord’s wife, if he had one? And, it would seem to be contrary to Jesus’ character to marry when he knew he would be dying and returning to the Father at an early age, leaving behind a young widow.
Fourth, even the scholar who found the artifact cautions that it has not been verified as authentic. When asked if she has doubts regarding the authenticity of the fragment, Karen King told Time magazine: “Oh, yes, absolutely. I think something like this needs to be questioned further. “ [3]
Even liberal New Testament scholar John Dominic Crossan, who doubts the resurrection, has no doubts about Jesus being single. Using an avian analogy, he stated: “There is no evidence that Jesus was married (looks like a duck), multiple indications that he was not (walks like a duck), and no early texts suggesting wife or children (quacks like a duck), … so he must be an incognito bridegroom (camel in disguise).” [4]
Finally, regarding the fragment in question, Dr. Karen King wrote:
“It does not, however, provide evidence that the historical Jesus was married, given the late date of the fragment and the probable date of original composition only in the second half of the second century.” [5]
[1] Harvard Divinity School, “Jesus’s wife? Scholar announces existence of anew early Christian gospel from Egypt.” ScienceDaily, 18 Sept 2012. Web. 25 Sep. 2012.
[2] Simon Gathercole, “Did Jesus have a wife?” Tyndale House Residential Centre for Biblical Research, accessed 30 Sept 2012.
[3] Stephan Faris, “An Interview with the Discoverer of ‘Jesus’ Wife’”, Time World, 25 Sept 2012.
[4] Darrell L. Bock, Breaking the DaVinci Code, (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2004), 31-32.
[5] Karen L. King, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife…’” A New Coptic Gospel Papyrus, Forthcoming Harvard Theological Review 106:1, January 2013, p. 1.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Muslim lawyer in Iran is a hero
At great personal risk and facing a possible nine year prison term, Mohammad Ali Dadkha, a Muslim lawyer in Iran argued in court for the release of Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. On Saturday, September 8, the Christian Pastor was released after spending three years in prison for attempting to register a Christian house church and questioning the compulsory Islamic education of his children. In 2010, the pastor was sentenced to death and Iran’s judiciary upheld the sentence in February. [1]
We commend the courageous actions by Dadkha for advancing religious freedom in a society that is not especially tolerant of Christians (or other faiths). The lawyer has previously defended 11 Christians in Anzaly and eight in Shiraz who were arrested for their religious activity. He is one of the few human rights lawyers in Iran who has not yet been imprisoned. Dadkha co-founded Iran's now-banned Center for the Defense of Human Rights along with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. The Christian Post reported that, last month, the lawyer was informed he would be receiving a nine-year sentence for "acting against the national security, spreading propaganda against the regime and keeping banned books at home." [2]
In May 2012, it was reported that Dadkha was under immense pressure to make false television confessions. “Tomorrow is my last day to either make television confessions or go to prison. I will go to prison, and I will not [be forced to] leave my homeland,” he said. “They told me that if I didn’t confess, they would enforce my sentence. They talked to me for long periods of time and I did not accept it. I will say now that if one day I say things, they are not credible and I must have been under conditions where I was forced to say those things. I hope God maintains my power.” [3] We are thankful for Dadkha and hope others will be as courageous as this man for the right of religious freedom.
[1] Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post, “Iran releases persecuted Christian Pastor”, 8 Sept. 2012.
[2] Katherine Weber, Christian Post, “Youcef Nadarkhani Is Free, But His Lawyer Still Faces Threat of Imprisonment”, 11 Sept. 2012.
[3] International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, “’Confess on TV or Go to Prison,’ Authorities Tell Dadkhah” 14 May 2012.
We commend the courageous actions by Dadkha for advancing religious freedom in a society that is not especially tolerant of Christians (or other faiths). The lawyer has previously defended 11 Christians in Anzaly and eight in Shiraz who were arrested for their religious activity. He is one of the few human rights lawyers in Iran who has not yet been imprisoned. Dadkha co-founded Iran's now-banned Center for the Defense of Human Rights along with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. The Christian Post reported that, last month, the lawyer was informed he would be receiving a nine-year sentence for "acting against the national security, spreading propaganda against the regime and keeping banned books at home." [2]
In May 2012, it was reported that Dadkha was under immense pressure to make false television confessions. “Tomorrow is my last day to either make television confessions or go to prison. I will go to prison, and I will not [be forced to] leave my homeland,” he said. “They told me that if I didn’t confess, they would enforce my sentence. They talked to me for long periods of time and I did not accept it. I will say now that if one day I say things, they are not credible and I must have been under conditions where I was forced to say those things. I hope God maintains my power.” [3] We are thankful for Dadkha and hope others will be as courageous as this man for the right of religious freedom.
[1] Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post, “Iran releases persecuted Christian Pastor”, 8 Sept. 2012.
[2] Katherine Weber, Christian Post, “Youcef Nadarkhani Is Free, But His Lawyer Still Faces Threat of Imprisonment”, 11 Sept. 2012.
[3] International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, “’Confess on TV or Go to Prison,’ Authorities Tell Dadkhah” 14 May 2012.
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