Phinehas' top 5 most anticipated movies for 2010

So...um...is ATeam and/or Predators on your top 10, Tyler?

I never really watched A-Team that much, but the cast definitely interests me, so I'd say it's in my top 10 for sure.

I just can't get that excited for another Predator movie after the character was raped 3 consecutive times. Well, he was semi-raped in Predator 2, but was full-on raped in AVP and AVP:R

If the trailers look good I might check it out, but I have extremely low expectations.

No Problemo Phin

2010 looks to be a banner year for movies

Dots: Dude, have you seen what 2011 looks like???

2010 looks like garbage compared to what 2011 looks like! :)

Out of all of these I hope Predators is
better than it has been for a long time.

Please guys! Make a good Predator movie!

iron man 2
daybreakers
kick ass
the expendables
clash of the titans
predators

Well mine are

Iron Man 2
Tron:Legacy
Kick-Ass
Scott Pilgrim
Predators
Clash of the Titans

Top 5:

1) Kick Ass
2) Iron Man 2
3) Clash Of The Titans
4) The Last Airbender
5) Tron Legacy


@Corndog

My thoughts exactly. I thought Predator 2 was a good film

great list and here are my top 5

ironman2

kickass

inception

the last air bender

Scott Pilgrim/Tron Legacy

hey phin... didnt realize you had an article. cool. I enjoyed it. I unfortunately unless its a cartoon cant go on account I have small kids. Oh well. I will see them on DVD.

I definitely like your list. All except Predator. That one not too much.

its good to hear from you. I have missed my friends on cbm and could use some laughs! hope your NY was good. Looking forward to some movies this year. Maybe I can runaway to catch a few! haha!

awww Thanks phine.;) Ive missed you too.

I am behind on Wonder Woman readings I am sorry to say. But oh! they JUST opened up a comicbook store around from where I live!!! I am so psyched! I live in the boondocks kind of so I am very excited for this. When I went they were closed so im gonna go back tomorrow again. I went to Barnes and Nobles... they suck! They never have what I want. I looked for Blackest Night and of course they didnt have it! >:( They never have anything and if you ask they are like duhhhhh... I tried to look online but I want to check out this place tomorrow first =) I remember when you commented before when you first finished reading it. I recall you being blown away and it made me more eager to get it. Now that I have gotten everyone else what they wanted I can get what I want.

Yeah... I look forward to 2010 being a better year for movies. that sounds futureistic huh... 2010... my daughter and I were talking about that. gg.

For all you A-Team haters.

KIR Ask away! If you want discretion, contact me via this page. That's fine too! Leave your email in the message box and respond very quickly.
As far as my beliefs go, I'm not pigeoned holed into a denomination. I believe in the inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures. And that is the premise by which I engage in any theological discussion.
:)

Wow. Those are lot of questions.
I'll try and be thorough.
"and yet you say you believe in God and I wondered why?"
I had the benefit of being raised in a "non-religous" home. The only exposure I had was an occasional invitation to a friends church or my rarely seen maternal grandparent that would drop some seeds. But no outright theology was parlayed into my mind. When I was about six years old, I asked my Vietnam Vet father, who had subscribed to Roman Catholism but was embittered, about God. He said, "I don't talk about that, ask your mother." I never forgot that, and found it a profoundly peculiar attitude. My parents divorced and lived with my mother. Afterwards, she was delving into New Age mysticism which I found to be far more incredulous than Christianity in its fundemental beliefs. That isn't to say I accepted Christianity outright, either. For example, I rejected the notion of Hell. And asked the commonly asked question, "how can a loving God...blah blah blah?".
Later, my brother knocked-up his girlfriend and it rattled him to his foundations. He needed to find deeper meaning to things so he turned to God. He rededicated his life to Christ and began to testify of Him to me through His Word and through history. I didn't accept right away, but I listened. It was compelling, but nothing that I was willing to allow to influence my life in such an all-consuming way as it did my brother.
On my nineteenth birthday, I had decided to walk (I had a car but I just wanted to build an appetite) over a big hill to Denny's from my house to have their free meal on your birthday special. Well they ended the program that very week! I was furious! I walked home hungry, angry, and I suppose, contemplative. LOL
I called my brother expressing my woes, and he said, "When are you going to give your life to Jesus?"
"but what does it for you?"
KIR, I can't explain it, but I responded in the affirmative. I hung up the phone and spoke outwardly to Jesus. "I'm a sinner, please fogive me. Please come into my life and be my Lord and Savior." Or something like that...
Something happened but without any emotional influence. Very difficult to translate. But I changed. There is a scripture passage that best explains it, 2 Corninthians 5:17-19.
Looking back now it looked somthing like this:


Ok ok, not quite like that, but I would dare say, just as dynamic! :)

Before, I was mediocre in my desire to know anything, afterwards my mind was as a sponge. I absorbed everything. The cosmic tumblers seemed to fall into place as it were. It was like recieving the prize in Highlander. The missing links were no longer missing. I know that seems backwards, but it is the step of faith that revealed everything like when Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade stepped out onto the stone bridge did he realize what was there all along. He had to step out to see it.


I'm not part of the YouTube production group that is mentioned in the vid, btw.

I'm not given to mysticism too easily. But there is a spiritual dimension that can't be too easily explained by man's wisdom or cunning. Nor is it easily dismissed with naturalist skeptism that doesn't want to deal with answers that are beyond their understanding. You know, I associated with it later like the first Matrix movie(Though this movie came out several years later)! We are born into a bondage that I was unaware that I was in. Those that are asleep can be weapons of the enemy. That movie flourished with many Christian spiritual themes.

About the Church of Rome and Dec. 25;
Well, I don't have nice things to say about either one. That Church perpetuates idolatrous superstitions and keeps their people in ignorance. They actually told their people that they shouldn't read the bible (It wasn't until this latest Pope, Benedict, that heard an open call to read it). But it wasn't until after the bible was printed and distributed to everyone that the age of reason and enlightenment came upon society. Much against the behest of Rome. In fact those found with bibles were rigorously persecuted by the nations ruled by Roman Church.
Many of the doctrines like mariology and transubstantiation are not found in scripture and much worse, are drawn from the ancient idol-worshipping greek teachings and/or beliefs. "Christmas" is no exception to this tale of weirdness.
Here is yet another You Tube video that is in 4 parts. I invite you to watch them all. To the chagrin of most, I don't and won't celebrate "Christmas" for much of the reason given by the following facts:


Here is a link to a really good book that debunks misconcieved beliefs about the bible:

http://email.wnd.com/hostedemail/email.htm?h=5c18ed156d653e207796c2d113a6a84b&CID=5626993246&ch=0B8B5D189E72140BCEA21D5320DC09A6

That's all I got for now. I'll let you reply.

"I also have a few books that talk about the paganism that was incorporated into the catholic religion unknowingly to the church it seems."

Please pardon my cynicism, but I don't think it was 'unknowingly'.

"...I think the bottom line you gotta have faith. Trust is not one of my strong suits."

Yes! Of course you have to have faith, silly! You have faith and trust in the institution that you put your kids in everyday, Monday through Friday from 8-3, that they'll be kept safe, and well treated. Maybe that they'll even learn something. It is an informed faith. Not a blind one. It'll take time. But if you are sincere in your faith ask Yahweh, your Father in Heaven and He'll reveal it to you.
Matthew 7:7-11

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give you good things to those that ask Him!"

On FAITH-Hebrews 11:1,3:
Faith is the realization of things expected, the evidence of things not seen...Through faith we understand that the world was ordained by the Word of God, so that the things which we see are not made of things which did appear.

"I will explain more later."

Looking forward to it!

"i have racked up on all those ww comics you told me at that comic store!"

I've been champing at the bit to talk to you about those too!

"but I can feel, touch, see and smell this institution."

Yes, but unless you have a mic and camera to capture everything said, you don't know what's being put in your kid's head. The point was faith. You put your faith into the engineering of your car or a plane, that it won't fall apart while driving/flying causing you to crash and kill your family. Everyone has faith to some degree in what you don't see, touch, and smell.

Habakkuk 2:4
"Behold the proud.
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by faith."

"Its hard to have faith when you feel like at any minute someone is going to say: "haha..got you! made you look""

I sympathize. But you're talking from the perspective of man. Not God. It's best for me to go to the Source:

Luke 18:17
Jesus said,
"Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

"How is it informed if there is no document of HIM."

Yes there is. The Bible. History. Archaeology. Geology. Geography. Most of the sciences. And, oh yeah, the Holy Spirit. :)

"The bible is at best written by man and man is known to err."

No. It was all written by fallible men. King David of Israel wrote some of the most profound portions, yet was a murderer and adulterer. Is God so small in your eyes that He can't work through fallible man? He created the universe, parted the Red Sea, had an ass speak to assuage the maddness of a prophet, gave His enemies hemorroids, and was born of virgin. And what? You want the Bible hand delivered to you by winged angels, or something???
Ok. Ok. I was being a little snarky in the end. Sorry. :-P

"There are so many inconsistencies in the bible, old and new."

Where??? Have you read the Bible without Roman Catholic glasses? I have studied this thing, in and out a few times. I haven't run across such inconsistencies. Just common misconceptions that are easily answered. So what are they? A third of the prophecies within have already been miraculously fulfilled. If you want inconsistencies, watch Star Trek:

LOL


"Would santeria fall into that?"

Partly, its Voo DOO DOO mingled with Roman Catholism. Again, the Roman Church structured such as to leave room for idolatry. Anyone that faithfully reads the Word of God with objectivity would quickly realize this.

These people do have faith in the spiritual realm, but walk in spiritual deception and are lulled into the lie. Not to mention, people who maintain a folk faith are doomed to two possibilities:
1. They either completely and blindly accept the teachings that has been handed down to them without weighing out their merit.
2. Outright reject all things associated to it, leaving themselves scarred.

Scar tissue is the toughest of tissues...makes the heart hard.

"You cannot have 2 gods..."

Sure you can! Most do. It doesn't necessarily have to be a deity, but it can be.
A god is anything that you set over you as a final authority on a matter.

"paganisms is nothing new to the christians anyway"

Only for those that deviate.

"I have noticed every year we have strayed less and less from the "true meaning of christmas" and just did our own thing for the kids."

Sounds to me, you're following right in step. There is no true meaning as it relates to Christ and His birth. Did you watch the video? I don't believe that they are the ones that you caught on History/Discovery Channels. They are relentlessly doing their best about once a month to repudiate the bible. If it wasn't legit and was just myth, they wouldn't waste there time. No. The other religious books out there don't get the same air time as the bible, if at all. I love it! :)

"People have sixth sense, see things, psychic, clairvoyant- would you say that is proof of God?"

Certainly evidence towards the spiritual realm, but not God working through them.

"Evil happens of course so if evil exist so must the good so that what keeps me believing but shouldnt it be something more than that?"

Evil is the deviation from that which is good.

"Something more tangible?"

How about the intricacies of this creation? All this happened without the aid of a Designer? Silly. Have you considered the human eye? The red blood cell? The planetary elyptical orbit of this solar system that is necessary for preservation of life and defies the mad reasoning of evolution? The two sexes necessary for all sorts of things; procreation, sexual development, gender roles, internal familial support. Just awesome to sit back and ponder. Eventually, in order to deny this, you'd really have to create quite a fanciful alternative.
See John 4:24; Romans 1:20-23

"I think you had it better without too much religion but now have found the grace of God. (did i say that right)"

Yes. But I didn't have any "religion" at all. And I didn't really involve myself into a "religion" so to speak. I have a relationship with Jesus that isn't facilitated by an institution of four walls.

"Does it really give you more than that?"

Absolutely!

"When I am feeling so down, when I hurt it doesnt give me solace or comfort speaking with God. I get angry. Why?"

Why would He listen to you? You're not right with God in the first place. Get yourself right first. Confess your sins to Him. Repent. Accept Christ and His free gift to you and trust. Read your consistent Bible and obey what says.

"How can it be simple as saying: "I accept YOU" Something so complex, so divine can be that simple?"

Because He wants everyone to do it. If it were complicated, those that learn much can boast in their intelligence. But God despises such boasting. Specifically because by saying that you had anything to do with your own salvation, it would undermine Christ's perfect work on the Cross. Grace is a free gift. This gift requires people to humble themselves. Love doesn't work well with pride.

"Why dont I have that?"

Your problem manifested itself in the statement, "Its hard to have faith when you feel like at any minute someone is going to say: "haha..got you! made you look"".

The answer is within you.

"Am I messed up?"

Yes! Welcome to the club of six billion people! :)

Finally KIR, I consider myself your friend and am honored that you are comfortable enough with me to share some of your story. Thank you. I look forward to your reply.

"But going to church was not the answer."

Of course it is not the answer. It's putting the cart before the horse. Faith is the foundation by which you build your knowledge. You either put faith in man and his teachings, or you put it into God. By faith you trust that all the knowledge that your teachers and professors are passing on to you is absolutely true with no deviation or miscalculated. By faith, again, you trust that the car and plan was built (I erroneously said engineered before) without defect. By faith you trust the school building not to collapse, or extra-curricular teaching is being pumped into your kid's head.
And/or God is true and man is liar. I opt for option two.

C.S. Lewis once wisely pointed out that Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or He was Lord.

I will answer your questions later. I have a lot on my plate right now. But if you get this, know that I read your reply and will respond soon. :)

"During the time of Emperor Constintine he picked and chose what would be in the bible. He decreed Jesus would be the son of God,born of the virgen Mary. He decided to do away with the gnostic gospels and centries later we have the dead sea scrolls."

That is entirely not true. The prophecys, ironically enough, that foretold Christ's birth through a virgin were in the Dead Sea Scrolls that long predated Constantine. The Carthage Council in 397 AD as well as other set up a rule of canonization (rules by which qualified a divine inspired text or letter) that had nothing to do with Constantine. The Church started long before him fighting the heretical teachings of the gnostics it is even vaguley mentioned in the bible. Consider the writings of Polycarp. Its written that he has referenced all but 11 verses of the New Testament. Polycarp was a direct disciple of the Apostle John.

Apparently John the Baptist was the one who babtised Jesus... but if Jesus were the son of God wouldnt it have been the other way around?

Not at all. What does Baptism represent?

"but Jesus made the most noise. He was a rebel in his time... not at all like the peace loving man he is portrayed in the bible. He did not turn the other cheek, but rather would turn over the tables in the taverns him and his disciples."

No He didn't make the most noise as revolutionary. The only thing He did that was noisy was tell people to obey the word of God, not men. The turning of the tables had nothing to do with Himself. It was a defense of the sanctity of "His Father's house" and the poor people that were getting railroaded by these so-called merchants. Not a defensive act for Himself (turning the cheek). Jesus was no pushover, but he wasn't a rabble rouser either. I think you should read the New Testament again with a new mind. Free of religion and these so-called scientists that are polluting your mind. I suggest you start with the Gospel of John.

"There are so many things that was claimed to have evidence of GOd yet with todays knowledge and technology can be explained one way or another and if we havent yet..."

Yet even with all the scientific acheivments (which were started by Christians to better know God through nature) everything begins and ends with Him. He's the Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the end. Do you remember Jannes and Jambres in the bible? They were the ones that simulated the staffs into a serpents before Moses, as well as many of the other plagues. Plus, there will be many lying signs and wonders that lead people away from knowing God (2Thessalonians 2:9-12).

"its only a matter of time."

So is death. Tomorrow isn't promised to you and you will meet your maker unprepared. Get prepared. Don't you find it odd how you strive with this one issue so? Above all else. If atheists were legit, why care at all? Eat drink and be merry. But God has put eternity into the hearts of men (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

"Maybe if I just turned everything off I will hear HIM?"

YESSSS!!!!! Read 1Kings 19:10-13

"dont worry if you would like to stop this conversation at any time."

No. Its just that though your questions are answerable, it is very time consuming to answer them all. If we could just narrow it down to just a few per post that would be very helpful.

Finally, just know that if I answer all your questions, you will find new ones. There'll come a point when you will need to make a decision. I would be stupified if I was a part of it. But this is almost a fruitless endeavor until then.

"I dont wish to be tiresome of anything."

Never.

This is from apologist Charlie Campbell. Chew on this:

WRITTEN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS:

What evidence do you have that there is a God?”

The very existence of the universe itself is evidence that there is a God. Let’s think about this for a moment. There are only three options for the existence of the universe. One, that it has always been. Two, that it came into being by itself. Three, that it was created. The first option, that the universe is eternal, has been utterly rejected by the scientific community. The motion of the galaxies, the background radiation echo, and other evidences all overwhelmingly point to the fact that the universe sprang into existence at a particular point in time, something scientists call the Big Bang. Option two, that the universe created itself, is philosophically impossible. Of course, before the universe existed it would not have been around to do the creating. Obviously, a non-existent universe could not have done anything! It did not exist. We all know that nothing can not do anything. Nothing is nothing. It (if we could even call nothing an it!) cannot see, smell, act, think, or create. So option one and two can be thrown out on scientific and philosophical grounds. Option three, that something or someone outside of the universe created the universe, is the only reasonable option. Let’s imagine I am holding up a painting. When you see a painting, what proof do you need to establish the fact that a painter exists? Nothing else besides the painting itself. The painting is absolute proof that there was a painter. You do not need to see the painter to believe that he or she exists. The painting is all the evidence you need. It would not be there if the painter did not exist, and so it is with the universe. The existence of the universe itself proves absolutely that there is a creator.

“What evidence do you have that the Bible is actually true?”

If I had to narrow it down to a few evidences, I would probably say: fulfilled prophecies, archaeological discoveries, and the Bible’s amazing unity. The Bible, unlike any other religious book, has demonstrated itself to be the Word of God through its ability to rightly predict the future. There are literally hundreds of very specific prophecies in the Bible that were spoken hundreds of years before their fulfillment that have already come to pass. No other religious book can verify itself in this way. The Bible has also been proven to be historically reliable by numerous archaeological discoveries. To date, there have been more than 25,000 archaeological discoveries that have verified the names of persons, places, events, and customs mentioned in the Bible. Finally, there is the Bible’s amazing unity. Here is a book that is actually a collection of sixty-six different books, written down by more than forty different authors, over a period of 1,500 plus years, on three different continents, in three different languages, and it addresses life’s most controversial topics from beginning to end. You would think there would be chaos, confusion, and contradictions, yet the Bible miraculously remains absolutely consistent and internally harmonious from beginning to end. These three evidences (fulfilled prophecy, archaeological discoveries, and the Bible’s amazing unity) build a compelling case for the divine origin and historical reliability of the Bible.

“Hasn’t the Bible undergone corruption as it was translated hundreds of times down through the centuries?”

The Bible has been translated into hundreds of different languages down through the centuries. You are right about that, but the text of the Bible has been accurately preserved all the way through. How do we know that to be the case? First, there is the manuscript evidence. Today, there exists several thousand partial and complete, ancient handwritten manuscript copies of the Bible, some dating as far back as the third century B.C. These manuscripts have allowed textual critics and scholars to verify that the Bible we have today is the same Bible the early church had. Secondly, there are the writings of the church fathers. By church fathers, I am referring to leaders in the early church. In their commentaries on the Bible, their letters to one another, and their letters to other churches, these men quoted the New Testament Scriptures alone more than 86,000 times. Their quotations have allowed scholars to reconstruct 99.86% of the New Testament. There are only eleven verses in the New Testament that the church fathers apparently never cited. These two evidences, the manuscript evidence and the writings of the church fathers, verify conclusively that the original text of the Bible has been accurately preserved.

“What about those who have never heard of Jesus? Will they be condemned to hell?”

The Bible says that God is loving (Psalm 103:8, 1 John 4:10) and that He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). If a person has never heard of Jesus, the Bible says that God is going to be absolutely fair with them (Psalm 98:9), and that He will judge them based on what they do know through the testimony of creation and their conscience (Romans 1:20, 2:12-15). If a person truly seeks to know God, the Bible says that “God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).” There are many ways that God can get the truth about salvation to those who truly seek to know Him. He can send a missionary (Acts 10), a radio broadcast, or a Bible (Psalm 119:130). Theoretically God could send a vision (Daniel 2) or an angel (Revelation 14:6). You have heard the truth. You have heard of Jesus’ death on the cross for your sins and God will hold you accountable for what you do with that information.

“If God is so loving, why does He allow evil and suffering?”

This is the most common question people have regarding God. Here is an interesting question for you to consider. What do you propose God should do about it? To stop evil and suffering, God would have to stop every act that causes any suffering. To do that, He would have to stop those who cause the suffering (adulterers, liars, murderers, criminals, fornicators, etc.). Wouldn’t that mean He would have to put a stop to you too? Haven’t you, by your own actions, caused some of the suffering that exists in the world? Haven’t you hurt somebody’s feelings? My friend, God has not destroyed evil because He would have to destroy us. By permitting evil and suffering to continue, God is actually showing the world mercy. The Bible says that there is coming a day when God will stop evil (2 Peter 3:7-13). He will judge sinners, put them away forever, and create a new heaven and a new earth where there will no longer be any death, mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4). In the meantime, God is using the suffering that exists for good (Romans 8:28, Philippians 1:12). Often, when a person is suffering, they turn to God and receive the kind of help they truly need.

“Haven’t certain books of the Bible been lost?”

No. The supposedly “lost books” of the Bible that have been found, the so-called gospels of Thomas, Philip, and Mary Magdalene, were not lost gospels, they were pseudo gospels that the early church rejected as uninspired, spurious writings. The Christian church was familiar with these documents, but purposely left them out of the Bible, easily recognizing that they were not divinely inspired. We too can be certain these books do not belong in the Bible. Why? First, they were not written by any of the apostles or their close associates (e.g., Mark or Luke). Most scholars, Christian and non-Christian, date these Gnostic gospels to the second and third centuries, long after the time of Christ. Secondly, these writings contradict authentic revelation. You can be absolutely confident that God, who inspired (2 Timothy 3:16) the men to pen the words of the Bible (2 Peter 1:21), saw to it that none of the inspired writings were lost. It would be foolish for us to think that an all-knowing, all-powerful God could lose track of books He intended to put in the Bible, or anything else for that matter.

“Why would God have created us, if He knew in advance that so many people would be eternally lost?”

God being omniscient certainly did know before He created us, that many would reject Him and end up eternally separated from Him. His foreknowledge is perfect. So then, why did He create us, even knowing in advance that many would be lost? I believe the simplest answer is this: Just as the Lord knew many would reject Him, He also knew that many would freely receive Him and enjoy eternity with Him. Apparently, even knowing that many would reject Him and end up in hell, He felt it worth it, so that we who would receive Him, could have fellowship with Him, and Him with us. Why should God have not created humans, just because some would refuse to love Him and submit their lives to Him? That would allow evil to triumph over good. I wouldn't refuse to start a family just because I realize that some of my descendants will reject the gospel and end up in hell. Why? Because I know that many will not. I realize that by having kids, I become the trunk, if you will, to a large family tree. I realize that it is very likely that some of my descendants will reject the gospel and go to hell. Should I have refused to start a family because these will suffer? No. Why? Because many of my descendants will not go to hell but will get to enjoy the glories of heaven forever! And those who do suffer will end up in hell of their own free accord. By me fathering (or grandfathering) children, I am not in any way forcing them to go to hell. They will have the option to receive God's mercy and forgiveness. So I'm not going to withhold the blessings of eternity from my children and other descendants, because of the evil actions of a few. This is also true with God. He knew that some would reject Him, but He also knew that some would receive Him.

“Why do Christians reject the apocryphal writings that are in the Catholic Bible?”

There are numerous reasons why Christians (including those making up the early church) have rejected the apocryphal books as authoritative or divinely inspired. Let me share with you four reasons. First, the apocryphal writings contain numerous teachings that contradict authentic Scripture (e.g., praying for the dead, the doctrine of purgatory, the teaching that salvation is available through good works and the giving of alms). Secondly, the apocryphal writings contain numerous historical, geographical and chronological errors. Thirdly, Jesus and the apostles cite the Old Testament nearly three hundred times in the pages of the New Testament (referring to it as Scripture); they never quote any of the apocryphal books accepted by the Roman Catholic Church. Fourthly, the apocryphal writings were never included in the Hebrew Bible. The Jews themselves, from whom the apocryphal writings came, did not accept the writings as divinely inspired. The apocryphal writings were not formally declared to be authoritative and inspired by the Catholic Church until the Council of Trent in A.D. 1546. The Catholic Church’s acceptance of these writings into the canon of Scripture was an effort to counter the teachings of Martin Luther and the other leaders of the Reformation. These men were pointing out that many teachings of the Catholic Church came from the Apocrypha, not the sixty-six books of the Bible.

“What about homosexuals? Do you believe that they go to hell?”

The Bible says that anybody who refuses to turn from their sin and receive God’s forgiveness will end up in hell, whether they be a heterosexual or homosexual. Does the Bible teach that homosexuality is a sin? Yes, very clearly (see Leviticus 18:22, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Romans 1:26-28), but it also says that fornication (sex between an unmarried man and woman), lying, stealing, and drunkenness are sins. So, let us lay aside the whole issue of homosexuality for a moment and imagine that our homosexual friends are married, monogamous heterosexuals. They still have a problem. They, like all of us (Psalm 143:2), have broken a number of God’s other commandments. No matter the sin, every person, heterosexual or homosexual, must turn to the Lord and trust in Christ, in order to be saved (Acts 4:12, 17:30-31).

“Can God make a rock so big that He cannot move it? Yes or No?”

With the way you have worded the question a simple “Yes” or “No” answer will not work. Either answer would suggest that God is not omnipotent (all-powerful), something the Bible clearly affirms (Genesis 18:14, Luke 1:37). Your question is like asking someone, “Have you stopped beating your wife yet? Yes or No?” For the person who has not been beating his wife, a simple yes or no answer will not do. If he says yes, he implies that he used to beat his wife. If he says no, he lies and implies that he is still beating his wife. The same is true with this question. A yes or no answer will not work. I will answer your question this way; God, because He is omnipotent, can create any kind of rock that He wants to and because He is omnipotent, He can lift any rock that He creates.

“Why aren’t dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible?”

First, we should not expect to see the word dinosaur in the Bible. The term was not coined until a famous paleontologist, Sir Richard Owen, gave them that name in 1841–nearly eighteen centuries after the New Testament was finished. Second, just because a creature is not mentioned in the Bible does not mean that it did not exist. There are thousands of creatures that are not specifically mentioned in the Bible: giraffes, alligators, penguins, just to name a few. Thirdly, the Bible does actually mention at least two different creatures that very well may have been dinosaurs: Behemoth, and Leviathan. Behemoth is described as having a tail like a cedar tree (Job 40:15-19). Of Leviathan, the Lord said to Job, “…indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up….Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle? Who can open the doors of his face, with his terrible teeth all around? His rows of scales are his pride” (Job 41:9-10, 13-15a). Scales? Terrible teeth? So fierce that no one would dare wake him up? It is easy to see why numerous Biblical scholars have concluded that Leviathan may have been a dinosaur.

"How could the gospel writers have accurately remembered all that Jesus said and did?"

We must remember that the disciples had the supernatural aid of the Holy Spirit. On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance [What?] all things that I said to you” (John 14:25-26). Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would help them by bringing to their remembrance “all” the things that He told them. In addition to the help of the Holy Spirit, it’s reasonable to assume that the disciples took detailed notes (Matthew being a tax collector would have been skilled in shorthand). Thirdly, it would be hard to forget the things Jesus did. Many of Jesus’ teachings were accompanied with extraordinary miracles that would have left a indelible (permanent) impression upon the disciple’s minds.

“I always hear Christians say that Jesus fulfilled all of these prophecies. If that's true, where are they located in the Bible?”

This is an important and very good question. The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would be born of the seed of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3, 22:18), of the tribe of Judah (Gen 49:10), and into the lineage of David (2 Samuel 7:12f). The Bible foretold the city in which He would be born (Micah 5:2), that He’d come while the Jewish temple was still standing (Malachi 3:1, it was destroyed in A.D. 70), that He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), that He would perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6), that He’d be rejected by His own people (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:7). The Bible also foretold the precise time in history when He would die (Daniel 9:24-26; a good commentary on the Bible reveals that this passage equates to 483 years after the declaration to reconstruct the city of Jerusalem in 444 B.C.). The Bible also foretold how He would die (Psalm 22:16-18, Isaiah 53; Zech. 12:10) and that He would rise from the dead (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27-32). These are just some of the prophecies that were fufilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are many more and you can click here for an in-depth answer.

“My friend, who is a Mormon, has pointed out that the Mormon church seems to be growing faster than most Christian churches and indicated that this seems to be a sign of God's blessing. How might I respond to that?”

This is a common line of reasoning amongst the Muslims as well. You might point out to your Mormon friend that large numbers are not a reliable indicator of God's blessing and then point out to him that there were only eight people who survived the Flood (Gen. 7:13, 2 Ptr. 2:5). Numerically speaking, it appeared as though the people outside the ark were the ones in the right, when in fact they were the very ones who perished. Jesus also said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and MANY are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and FEW are those who find it" (Mat. 7:13-14). Numbers do not determine truth when it comes to doctrine.

"Does 2 John 10 mean we shouldn't allow cultists into our homes?"
Ron Rhodes gives a good answer to this. He writes, "According to 2 John 10, we are not to receive into our homes or even greet anyone who comes to us and does not believe that Christ is come in the flesh. How does this apply to cultists? Should we turn them away? I do not believe this verse prohibits Christians from allowing cultists into their homes in order to witness to them. Rather it is a prohibition against giving cultists a platform from which to teach false doctrine. The backdrop to this is that in the early days of Christianity, there was no centralized church building where believers could congregate. Rather, there were many small house-churches scattered throughout the city. As we examine the New Testament, the early Christians are seen "breaking bread from house to house" (Acts 2:46; cf. 5:42) and gathering to pray in the house of Mary, the mother of Mark (Acts 12:12). Churches often met in houses (see Col. 4:15; Rom. 6:15; 1 Cor. 16:19; Phil. 2). The use of specific church buildings did not appear before the end of the second century. So, apparently, John is here warning against (1) allowing a false teacher into the church, and (2) giving this false teacher a platform from which to teach. Seen in this way, this prohibition guards the purity of the church. To extend hospitality to a false teacher would imply that the church accepted or approved of their teaching. If the church were to extend hospitality to a false teacher, he would be encouraged in his position and take this action as an acceptance of his doctrine. This should never be. It is also possible that John may be forbidding Christians to allow false teachers to stay in their houses. It must be remembered that, in the early church, the evangelistic and pastoral ministry of the church was conducted primarily by individuals who traveled from location to location -- from house-church to house-church. These itinerant pastors depended on the hospitality of the people of a local congregation. John is directing the church not to extend this kind of hospitality to teachers of false doctrine. Christians are not to let cultists stay in their homes and use their homes as a base of operations from which to spread their poison and their false gospel. In any case, this verse does not prohibit Christians from allowing cultists into the home for evangelistic purposes. When a Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon shows up on the doorstep, for example, the Christian should feel free to invite him or her into the living room in order to witness to them."

http://www.easycart.net/AlwaysBeReady/2_Books.html#BK-020