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Home > All persons > Heather Locklear
Heather Locklear is a Actor American born on 25 september 1961 at Los Angeles (USA)
Birth name Heather Deen Locklear
Nationality USA
Birth 25 september 1961 (57 years) at Los Angeles (USA)
\");"; var sefjspfok = '\n\ google_ad_client = "ca-pub-0242156374298669";\n\ /* film-carre-pagepersonne */\n\ google_ad_slot = "6694731144";\n\ google_ad_width = 300;\n\ google_ad_height = 250;\n\ '; //afp(sefjspfok, 'p_bf1', 0, 300, 250);	Heather Deen Locklear (born September 25, 1961) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place, for which she received four consecutive Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. Her other notable television roles include Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J. Hooker and Caitlin Moore on Spin City, for which she earned a further two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. She had a recurring role on the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland and a main role on the TNT drama-comedy television series Franklin & Bash in 2013.
Locklear's notable film roles include the science-fiction thriller Firestarter (1984), the action comedy Money Talks (1997), and the romantic comedy The Perfect Man (2005).
Locklear was romantically linked to several Hollywood personalities including Scott Baio. She was married to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee from May 10 1986, to 1993. After their divorce, she married Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora on December 17, 1994, in Paris. She gave birth to their only child, daughter Ava Elizabeth, in 1997. As of 2010, Ava is modeling and plans to be an actress. Locklear filed for divorce from Sambora in February 2006. The following month Sambora filed for joint custody of their daughter and enforcement of a prenuptial agreement. Their divorce was finalized in April 2007. In the same month, Locklear began a relationship with fellow Melrose Place alum Jack Wagner. In August 2011, Locklear and Wagner announced they were engaged. Locklear's publicist announced that the engagement was called off in November 2011.
Driving controversies
In September 2008, Locklear was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence by a California Highway Patrol officer just outside Santa Barbara after she was seen driving erratically. Police had been tipped off about Locklear's driving by Jill Ishkanian, a former reporter and editor at Us Weekly magazine, who saw Locklear outside a market in Montecito, California. Ishkanian photographed the incident and then sold the photos to celebrity news website TMZ.com for $27,500, though she claims it was entirely a chance meeting and denies following Locklear or setting her up in order to obtain photographs. Locklear was formally charged on November 17, 2008, with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. A blood test detected no alcohol or illegal narcotics, but Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Lee Carter stated that they believe the prescription medications she consumed for her anxiety and depression "could have impaired her ability to safely drive a motor vehicle". On January 2, 2009, Locklear pleaded no contest to reckless driving, and in return the district attorney dismissed the DUI charges. Locklear was sentenced to three years of informal probation, a DMV driver safety class and a $700 fine.
On April 21, 2010, Locklear was arrested on suspicion of hit and run, when a "No Parking" sign was wrecked at 4 a.m. and vehicle debris was found. Police discovered that her car, parked in her garage, showed apparently matching damage. Her lawyer confirmed that Locklear had been cited for a traffic misdemeanor as the vehicle's owner, but said it was not clear who was driving at the time of the accident. On May 26, 2010, the Ventura County District Attorney announced that no criminal charges will be filed because there was "insufficient evidence" to determine who was driving the car at the time of the collision.
911 calls
In March 2008, a 911 call was made by someone who claimed to be Locklear's doctor and said that Locklear was trying to commit suicide. Emergency responders were dispatched to Locklear's home. Her publicist later said that Locklear had never requested any medical assistance and the Ventura County Sheriff's Department later stated that no further action was taken once they arrived at Locklear's Westlake Village home, as she appeared to be fine. They did, however, state that they believed the call to be genuine. On June 24, 2008, she checked into a medical facility in Arizona for psychological issues including anxiety and depression, and requested an in-depth evaluation of her medication in order to receive proper diagnosis and treatment. Her agent confirmed that she was suffering from anxiety and depression. On July 23, 2008, Locklear returned home after four weeks of treatment at the facility.
On January 12, 2012, Locklear's sister called 911 when she believed Locklear was in danger after reportedly taking prescription drugs and alcohol. Emergency personnel responded and Locklear was taken to Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California, but was reported to be out of danger the following day.
David Zucker
Joseph Merhi
Filmography of Heather Locklear (19 films)
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Scary Movie 5 (2013)
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee
Genres Comedy, Comedy-drama, Horror comedy, Horror
Themes Films about sexuality, Comedy horror films, LGBT-related film, Lesbian-related films
Actors Ashley Tisdale, Simon Rex, Erica Ash, Molly Shannon, Heather Locklear, J. P. Manoux
Roles Barbara
Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan get together to make a sex tape with over 20 cameras beside Sheen's bed. The time-lapsed tape fast forwards through the two doing all sorts of bedroom antics, including gymnastics, riding a horse, and having clowns jump in under the sheets. Sheen is pulled into the air by a paranormal force and thrown against walls, shelves, and doors until he lands on the bed again. Lohan is frightened so she decides to go home when she flies into the air as well; she becomes possessed and throws him into the camera and kills him. The text explains that Sheen's body was found that day but he didn't stop partying until days later, and that his three kids were found missing, Lohan was arrested, again, and a reward was put out for the missing children.
He Loves Me (2011)
Actors Heather Locklear, Max Martini, Dylan Neal, Megan Charpentier, Gabrielle Rose, Leah Gibson
Roles Laura
Laura, agent immobilier, demeure dans une magnifique villa avec son mari Nick et leur fille, Émilie. S'ils semblent filer le parfait amour, Laura n'est pas vraiment satisfaite et épanouie dans sa vie de couple, et va trouver refuge dans les bras de Sam, un musicien qui vit au jour le jour, et dont le côté baroudeur l'attire irrésistiblement. Il réveille en elle des sensations oubliées, et entretiennent une liaison dangereuse. Mais très vite, Laura est rongée par la culpabilité, et vit dans la crainte de mettre en péril ce qu'elle a construit. Elle décide alors sous les conseils d'une collaboratrice de consulter une psychologue, qui lui fera avouer un passé très douloureux. Très vite, Laura découvre que son mari entretient lui aussi une relation adultérine... Tiraillée entre le désir de sauver sa vie de famille, et son amour pour Sam, elle sera très rapidement rattrapée par de vieilles histoires faisant étrangement écho aux conclusions de sa psychologue.
Flying By (2009)
Actors Billy Ray Cyrus, Heather Locklear, Olesya Rulin, Patricia Neal, Arabella Field, Robert Gossett
Roles Pamela
A real estate developer goes to his 25th high school reunion without his wife, and finds his old teenage band playing. They get him up on stage for a couple of songs, and convince him come to a rehearsal. His wife is outraged that he played. His daughter thinks it's kind of cool. His mother, in a retirement home, encourages him to enjoy life. He feels some temporary relief from the pressures of business complexities and the stress of marriage tensions. The band gets booked at a popular bar, which leads to a last minute booking to open for a reunion tour, with the possibility of additional tour dates. But the band has internal conflicts. He faces a tough decision to give it a shot even though it will affect his marriage, his family, particularly his daughter, and his business.
Flirting with Forty (2008)
Directed by Mikael Salomon
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romance
Themes Christmas films
Actors Heather Locklear, Robert Buckley, Vanessa Williams, Cameron Bancroft, Chelah Horsdal, Stefanie von Pfetten
Roles Jackie Laurens
Jackie est une femme divorcée, décoratrice d'intérieur vivant à Denver. Elle a deux enfants et, pendant les fêtes de Noël, sa meilleure amie Kristine lui offre un voyage à Hawaï. Un voyage sans enfants qui va lui permettre de rencontrer un beau moniteur de surf, Kyle. Mais, une fois le retour venu, il est difficile de maintenir une relation amoureuse à distance malgré plusieurs allers-et-retours.
Game of Life (2007)
Directed by Joseph Merhi
Actors Tom Sizemore, Tom Arnold, Heather Locklear, Jill Hennessy, Richard T. Jones, Orson Bean
Roles Irene
The film plot follows a children's soccer team which is the common link for a multi-layered story giving a candid look into the intersecting lives of five families living in Los Angeles. Oranges examines the complexities of racial and class divisions, and reveals that despite the fragile volatility of human relationships, family is what holds us together and unites us all.
Nora Roberts' Angels Fall (2007)
Directed by Ralph Hemecker
Genres Drama, Thriller, Romance
Actors Heather Locklear, Johnathon Schaech
Roles Reese Gilmore
Reece Gilmore (Locklear) is the sole survivor of a massacre at a Boston restaurant where she worked as a chef. After a stay in a mental hospital due to PTSD, anxious and restless, she hits the open road with no destination in mind, desperate for a fresh start. When her car breaks down in a picturesque Wyoming town, Reece takes a job cooking at the local diner to earn enough to repair it and move on. But as she gets to know the townspeople, mystery writer Brody (Schaech) in particular, she considers putting the past behind her and settling down.
Directed by Mark Rosman, Mark Rosman
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Romantic comedy, Romance
Themes Children's films
Actors Hilary Duff, Heather Locklear, Chris Noth, Mike O'Malley, Ben Feldman, Vanessa Lengies
Roles Jean Hamilton
Single mother Jean (Heather Locklear) relocates every time she gets her heart broken by another guy, much to the dismay of her teenage daughter, Holly (Hilary Duff). Holly devises a plan to invent a secret admirer for her mother, so she'll be happy and not have to relocate anymore. Holly overhears her friend Amy's (Vanessa Lengies) uncle Ben (Chris Noth) ordering flowers for a woman, and decides to use his advice on women (which she acquires by telling him she needs help for a school project on romance). Following Ben's advice, she sends her mother orchids and other gifts and love notes, and is soon communicating with her mother as this fictitious admirer (who Holly names Ben) via the internet. As her mother becomes more interested, Holly has to find a photo of this admirer. She sends one of the real Ben, and then devises a reason why they can't meet in person, claiming he is working in China.
Directed by Joe Dante
Genres Comedy, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Films about films, Mise en scène d'un lapin ou d'un lièvre, Films about birds, Mise en scène d'un canard, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère
Actors Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Timothy Dalton, Joan Cusack, Heather Locklear
Roles Dusty Tails
Tired of playing second fiddle to Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck demands his own movie from the Warner Bros., but they promptly fire him. Aspiring stuntman DJ Drake is asked to escort Daffy off the studio lot, but the ensuing chase leads to the Batmobile demolishing the studio water tower. DJ is fired, and returns home with Daffy hitching a ride, discovering his father and action star Damian Drake is actually a secret agent. Damian instructs his son to travel to Las Vegas, find his associate Dusty Tails, and gain the mystical Blue Monkey diamond before being captured by the Acme Corporation, led by the childish Mr. Chairman. DJ and Daffy head for Vegas. Meanwhile, Bugs' routines fall apart without Daffy, so V.P. for Comedy, Kate Houghton, is sent to rehire Daffy or face being fired herself. Bugs informs her of the situation and they pursue DJ and Daffy in Damian's spy car.
Directed by Boaz Yakin
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Romance
Themes Feminist films, Political films, Buddy films
Actors Brittany Murphy, Dakota Fanning, Marley Shelton, Donald Faison, Jesse Spencer, Heather Locklear
Roles Roma Schleine
Molly Gunn (Brittany Murphy) is a carefree and fun-spirited girl, living off the ample trust fund of her late rock legend father, Tommy Gunn. Molly falls for singer Neal Fox (Jesse Spencer) when he plays at her birthday party thrown by her best friends, Huey (Donald Faison) and Ingrid (Marley Shelton). They have a night of passion but he leaves in the morning, saying that he can't stay in Molly's carefree life. Adding to Molly's misfortune, she finds out that her father's accountant embezzled her money, so she is left penniless and homeless. She moves in with her best friend, Ingrid who tells her that in order to stay with her, she must find a job.
Double Tap (1997)
Directed by Greg Yaitanes
Genres Thriller, Action, Crime
Actors Heather Locklear, Stephen Rea, Peter Greene, Mykelti Williamson, Kevin Gage, Robert LaSardo
Roles Agent Katherine Hanson
Katherine, agent FBI infiltrée dans les milieux de la drogue, voit son travail d'approche anéanti par un mystérieux tueur, Cypher, qui signe d'une "double frappe" et d'une patte de lapin ; elle essaie de s'en approcher, pour savoir qui est derrière. Mais ce tueur lui est bien sympathique, car il semble avoir des principes et une histoire bien triste. Amoureuse, va-t-elle rester fidèle à son devoir ?
Money Talks (1997)
Directed by Brett Ratner
Genres Comedy, Action, Adventure
Themes Transport films, Films about automobiles, Road movies, Buddy films, Chase films
Actors Chris Tucker, Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear, Elise Neal, Michael Wright, Paul Sorvino
Roles Grace Cipriani
Franklin Maurice Hatchett (Chris Tucker) is a small-time car wash hustler and ticket scalper who owes money to a local gang leader named Carmine (Damian Chapa). He gets dimed out to the police by an investigating news reporter named James Russell (Charlie Sheen) after unintentionally thwarting Russell's attempts to have him confess his crimes on camera, and is taken to jail. When placed on a prison transport unit, he is handcuffed to a French criminal named Raymond Villard. The transport unit is attacked on a bridge, with mercenaries killing all the police officers and prisoners except for Franklin and Villard; the mercenaries are Villard's men, but since he is handcuffed to Hatchett he decides to bring him for the moment, and they escape on a helicopter with another French criminal named Dubray. While on the helicopter, Hatchett overhears the two discussing the location of a cache of stolen diamonds. Hatchett then jumps out of the helicopter after realizing that Villard and Dubray plan to kill him. While eating at a local diner, Franklin and Villard's mugshots are shown on the news as the two men who killed several police officers. Two other officers in the diner then recognize Franklin, and chase him into the street. He is able to elude them, and decides to call Russell after seeing his face on an advertisement.
Directed by Hugh Wilson
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Actors Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, Stephen Collins, Dan Hedaya, Victor Garber
Roles Gil's New Wife
At Middlebury College in 1969, four young friends, Elise Elliot (Goldie Hawn), Brenda Morelli (Bette Midler), Annie MacDuggan (Diane Keaton), and Cynthia Swann (Stockard Channing), are graduating. As graduation gifts, valedictorian Cynthia presents the girls with matching Bulgari pearl necklaces. As the graduates take a commemorative picture of the four of them (presumably for the last time), Cynthia makes Annie, Brenda and Elise promise that they will always be there for each other throughout the remainder of their lives.
Directed by Stephen Surjik
Genres Comedy, Musical
Themes Films about films, Films about music and musicians, Musical films, Buddy films
Actors Mike Myers, Christopher Walken, Dana Carvey, Tia Carrere, Kevin Pollak, Kim Basinger
Roles Herself
Wayne and Garth now do their acclaimed Friday-night TV show in an abandoned doll factory in Aurora. At the end of the broadcast, Wayne, Garth, and his friends, head into the Mirthmobile, and off to an Aerosmith concert. After the band's performance, Wayne and Garth head backstage (thanks to backstage passes), and praise Aerosmith as they did Alice Cooper in the previous film.
Directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman
Actors Heather Locklear, Linda Purl, Edward Albert
Roles Betsy Frieze
Her Wicked Ways (1991)
Actors Barbara Eden, Rosie Malek-Yonan, David James Elliott, Heather Locklear, Stuart Wilson, Julie Fulton
Roles Melody Shepherd


April is Community Banking Month for the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), and Pioneer Bank, one of the independent banks in the area, is joining the professional group in shining a spotlight on community banks' role in fostering economic prosperity.
Community banks make roughly 60% of small-business loans and 80% of agriculture loans that originate from the banking sector.
They also contribute tax dollars that help maintain local municipalities and keep local neighborhoods viable.
Here are some other facts.
• Community bank loan growth has outpaced that of non-community banks for six consecutive years.
• Community banks added 700 offices between June 2017 and June 2018, even as some larger counterparts continued their exodus from local communities.
• Small businesses that apply for loans with community banks are the most successful and most satisfied, according to a study from the 12 Federal Reserve Banks.
• Civic service is second nature to community banks, as reflected in ICBA's National Community Bank Service Awards.


Just like in Journalism 101, learning the 5 W's – Who, What, Where, When and Why – is important in digital marketing too, because digital marketers are professional storytellers. In this post, I will focus on the "WHEN" as it relates to digital marketing. My inspiration for this post was the fact that it's summertime when so many companies decrease or even stop their marketing efforts – which, by the way, has been proven to be a bad mistake.
So let's take a look at the importance of "when" – whether it's the time of year, month, week, or even time of day – and see why "timing is everything" in digital marketing, too.
There are plenty of "rules" about marketing that people follow, sometimes a bit too blindly. For example, the old chestnut about cutting back on marketing activities during summer vacation and the November/December holiday season.
But now that our smartphones go everywhere we do – even to Grandma's house during Christmas – your target audience can almost always be reached. And they may even be willing to check out digital marketing messages during those times (especially during Grandma's vacation slideshow from Branson, MO).
In the first quarter of the year, you're (hopefully) executing things that you planned in Q4 of the previous year. Target audiences may be dealing with the post-holiday blues or financial struggles due to excessive gift-giving, or just plain "back to work" malaise.
Customer acquisition: Kick off the new year with a bang! It's time to try something new!
New product/service: New year, new you!
Savings offer: It's a long year ahead, let's make sure you stay within your budget!
And of course, the ever-popular New Year's resolutions.
By springtime, your marketing activities should really be in full swing. In fact, those kinds of messages dovetail nicely with the weather and outdoorsiness of the season.
Customer acquisition: It's springtime – let's rejuvenate your business!
New product/service: Spring into spring!
Savings offer: Savings are in bloom!
It's also a great time to refresh your website or even your brand.
The dreaded summer vacation months. It's the time when – traditionally – marketers slow down or even stop communicating with their customers and prospects.
Customer acquisition: Head back to school/work with confidence!
New product/service: We're setting off fireworks with our latest offering!
Days getting shorter. Temps getting colder. And lots of holiday planning, cooking and shopping to do. Who has time to think about work?
Customer acquisition: Finish the year strong – and start next year even stronger!
New product/service: Here's a gift from us to you!
Savings offer: Last chance to save this year! Holiday pricing!
Plenty of holiday themes to go with, from giving thanks to family love.
If you're thinking on a monthly basis, think like a car salesman. You want a strong first week to build momentum so you don't have to stress about meeting your quotas in the last week.
This is where plenty of research and knowledge about your customers and prospects is key.
Always be aware of your target audience's monthly schedule. Do they typically do their spending early, middle or late in the month? Or is it a constant thing for them?
Monday = Don't bother me, I'm recuperating from the weekend and wishing it was longer.
Tuesday = OK, buckling down to start really getting stuff done.
Wednesday = Hump day! Still working hard, but now there's light at the end of the tunnel.
Thursday = Still going strong. Even thinking about a celebratory drink or two this evening.
Friday = Counting the minutes! Weekend weekend weekend!
That's why many studies show that those three middle days are probably the best options for sending out marketing messages. But again, with so many of today's working people online 24/7, chances are good you'll catch them paying attention every single day.
Don't use yourself as the example in this scenario, because you might be a morning person or an afternoon person or a night owl – but your target audience is likely a mix of all of these.
Because of that behavior, make sure you stand out from the crowd!
Digital Marketing Leads the Way!
Have you thought about the impact of timing on your digital marketing efforts? Do you have any "timely" success stories to share?


text:
Bernie Wilson
Published: August 23, 2022, 7:01 PM
Updated: August 23, 2022, 8:55 PM
Tags: Fernando Tatis Jr., Sports
Tatis apologizes to Padres, fans for 80-game drug suspension
Published: August 23, 2022, 7:01 PM Updated: August 23, 2022, 8:55 PM
San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. speaks to the media about his 80 game suspension from baseball after testing positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)
SAN DIEGO – Fernando Tatis Jr. apologized privately to his San Diego Padres teammates for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, then publicly expressed remorse for the 80-game suspension that will keep him off the field well into next season.
"There's no other one to blame than myself," Tatis admitted Tuesday.
"I'm really sorry for my mistakes," he said. "My dreams have turned into my worst nightmares."
The star shortstop helped make baseball fun again in San Diego with a youthful swagger and flashy talent in his first three big league seasons. But his suspension just as he was about to return from a broken wrist has been a damper as the Padres scrap to hold onto a wild-card playoff spot, and has even led to some fans turning against him.
"It's going to be a very long process to gain everybody's trust again, to gain that love back that I have stabbed straight to the heart," he said.
Looking and sounding downcast, Tatis spoke in the Padres' dugout while sitting next to general manager A.J. Preller.
"Sorry fans, good baseball fans, and I'm learning. I'm maturing," he said.
"I'm going to remember how this feels and I'm going to make myself never be in this position ever again," said the 23-year-old Tatis, who was dressed in a red polo shirt and jeans.
Tatis also announced that he will have surgery as soon as possible on his troublesome left shoulder. He resisted getting the surgery in the offseason and then broke his left wrist in a motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic in December.
Tatis was suspended 80 games on Aug. 12 after MLB said he tested positive for Clostebol, an anabolic steroid. Tatis originally said he accidentally took a medication to treat ringworm that contained the banned substance.
Asked about the ringworm story, Tatis offered a clarification, saying he had been dealing with a skin infection for some time, took some medication and tested positive soon after.
"There's no excuses. I need to do a way better job knowing what is going inside my body," he said.
"I haven't made the right decisions in these past two weeks, month, even the start of the year. I made a mistake and I regret every single step I have taken," he said.
The son of a former major leaguer, Tatis said he has "let so many people down, mentioning owner Peter Seidler and Preller by name. "I have failed every fan, I have failed my country, I have failed my family, my parents."
Some fans have taped over the "Tatis Jr." on the back of jerseys they wear to games. The Padres have removed some large banners at Petco Park bearing Tatis' image, edited him out of a hype video celebrating their City Connect alternate uniforms and scuttled a Tatis bobblehead night on Sept. 7 in favor of a Juan Soto T-shirt giveaway.
Tatis was getting close to making his season debut after rehabbing following surgery on his fractured left wrist in mid-March.
Tatis addressed his teammates in the clubhouse earlier Tuesday.
"He was sad," said left fielder Jurickson Profar, who worked out with Tatis in the Dominican in the offseason.
"It's not easy. You make a mistake and then you have to talk in front of your teammates because you let them down," Profar said. "It's not an easy situation but he stayed strong with it."
Profar said Tatis "has a long way in front of him. For him, it's going to take forever. He wants to play baseball again. I heard he's going to do the surgery, too. It's a long road back. ... I know he's going to work hard and come back and show people he can play great baseball."
Profar said the Padres players "forgive him. He's our teammate, he's our brother, and we're going to be behind him."
Manny Machado, who has carried the Padres offensively all season, said Tatis said what his teammates wanted to hear.
"It's a hard conversation you've got to have," Machado said. "He came up here and spoke in front of a big group, which is not easy in the circumstances that it is. It was a first step. I'm glad he did it and now we can put this behind us, everyone in here as well, and continue to play baseball. He's going to be cheering for us, rooting for us always, and we're going to be here for him for whatever he needs.
"We're all family here, we all back each other up," Machado said. "He's a generational talent and he's going to have to learn from his mistakes. We've all made them. We all get forgiven and we move forward and we grow from it."
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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text:
"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER" Peter's Exhortation To Elders (5:1-4)
"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"
Peter's Exhortation To Elders (5:1-4)
1. At all times, but especially during persecution, the people of God
need good leadership
2. In His Divine wisdom, the Lord saw fit to organize His church in
such a way that the condition He witnessed during His earthly
ministry ("like sheep having no shepherd" - Mt 9:36) should not
last for long
3. His plan calls for local congregations to be overseen by qualified
men, known as "elders", and whose responsibilities were to "shepherd
the flock of God"
4. In our text (1Pe 5:1-4), we read of such men, and Peter's
exhortation to them.  In this lesson, we shall...
a. Briefly summarize what is said about elders in the Lord's church
throughout the Scriptures
b. Consider the exhortation given by Peter to the elders in 1Pe 5:1-4
[We begin, therefore, with...]
I. A BRIEF SUMMARY CONCERNING ELDERS
A. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH...
1. Local congregations as soon as possible were organized under
the leadership of elders - cf. Ac 14:23
2. In every example we have, there was a "plurality" of elders in
each church, never just one elder - e.g., Ac 20:17; 21:17-18
B. THE WORK OF ELDERS...
1. Can be seen by the use of terms that are used interchangeably
in the Scriptures
a. Such terms as "elder, pastor, bishop, shepherd, overseer"
b. That they refer to the same position is evident by their
use in:
1) Ac 20:17,28 -- where elders are called "overseers"
(bishops), and charged to "shepherd" (pastor) the church
2) Tit 1:5-7 -- where "elder" and "bishop" (overseer) are
used together
3) 1Pe 5:1-2 -- where "elders" are told to "shepherd"
(pastor) the flock of God, serving as "overseers"
(bishops)
2. As "older men", therefore, they are to watch over (bishop,
overseer) the flock, and to tend (shepherd, pastor) the sheep
C. THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR ELDERS...
1. With such an awesome responsibility to watch over and tend the
flock of God, one can understand that it takes men with who
are truly qualified
2. Two lists of qualifications for elders are found in
1Ti 3:1-7; Tit 1:5-9
D. OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ELDERS...
1. Is to recognize and respect them - 1Th 5:12-13; 1Ti 5:17-20
2. To obey and be submissive when they lead scripturally -
He 13:17; 1Pe 5:5
[Think of elders, then, as your "spiritual advisors", as "shepherds";
who are to be mature, experienced Christian men charged by God to
"watch out for your souls"!
With this brief summary fresh in our minds, let's now consider...]
II. PETER'S EXHORTATION TO ELDERS
A. THE BASIS FOR THIS EXHORTATION...
1. As coming from one who is a fellow elder
a. Peter could have "commanded" them, using his apostolic authority
b. But practicing what he will preach in verse 3, Peter chose
to "exhort" them as a "fellow elder"
2. As coming from one who is a witness of the sufferings of
Christ, and a partaker of the glory that will be revealed
a. He has certainly been an eyewitness of Christ's suffering
b. But he has also been a personal partaker of the suffering
of Christ as described earlier in 1Pe 4:13; cf. Ac 5:40-41
c. And so will be a partaker of the same glory referred to
later in verse 4
B. THE EXHORTATION ITSELF...
1. "Shepherd the flock of God"
a. To tend (pastor) to the people of God; for this reason,
elders must be...
1) "able to teach" - 1Ti 3:2
2) "able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict
those who contradict" - Tit 1:9
b. As Paul told the elders of the church in Ephesus, this
involves "taking heed" to themselves as well - cf. Ac 20:28-30
2. "which is among you"
a. Their responsibility is for the sheep in the congregation
where they serve
b. Even as Paul told the Ephesian elders:  "the flock, among
which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers" - Ac 20:28
c. The concept of one or more elders (bishops, pastors) over a
plurality of churches is foreign to the New Testament
3. "serving as overseers"
a. Here the work of elders is summarized:  to oversee the
flock of God
b. But notice that Peter calls such oversight as "serving"
c. In keeping with what is said later, the role of elder is
one of a servant, not a lord
4. "not by constraint but willingly"
a. A man cannot be appointed to serve against his will
b. Indeed, there is nothing wrong with "desiring the position"
- cf. 1Ti 3:1
c. But the moment he loses the desire to serve willingly, he
should step down, for he will not be able to serve as he ought
5. "not for dishonest gain but eagerly"
a. An elder may be financially supported for his work - cf.
1Ti 5:17-18
b. But the motive for service is not to be money, but an
eagerness to save souls!
6. "nor as being lords over those entrusted to you"
a. As implied before, the oversight is a position of service,
not to be abused by assuming a dictatorial role
b. A sobering thought is that elders are "entrusted" with the
souls under their care, and they will be called to give an
account! - He 13:17
7. "but being examples to the flock"
a. Just as sheep are best led, and not driven, so it is with
the people of God
b. Qualified elders will have less problem getting people to
follow them and submitting to their care
c. When elders do not provide examples of spirituality, the
flock is more likely to rebel against their leadership
C. MOTIVATION TO HEED THIS EXHORTATION...
1. First, perhaps a subtle reminder that "elders" are also under
authority...
a. There is one who is "the Chief Shepherd" (Jesus) who will
one day appear
b. One to whom they will have to give an account - He 13:17
2. But more positively, a promise of recognition for faithful
a. "you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade
away"
b. Like the "inheritance" reserved in heaven that "does not
fade away" - cf. 1Pe 1:4
1. Those who serve well as elders are certainly worthy of "the crown of
glory" that awaits them
2. Hopefully, as we better understand the exhortation given by Peter,
we will appreciate the work they do in the kingdom of God...
a. We will "esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake"
(1Th 5:13)
b. We will "obey", and "be submissive", so they can watch out for
our souls "with joy and not with grief" (He 13:17)
In our next lesson, we shall consider Peter's exhortations to those who
are younger (1Pe 5:5-9)...
The Complexity of the Design Process by Jeff Miller, Ph.D.
The Complexity of the Design Process
Typically, in the first semester of engineering school, an introductory course presents broad concepts about engineering. Students may learn the basic differences in the engineering fields (e.g., civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical, structural, etc.). They may spend some time considering ethical dilemmas that engineers have often faced in their careers. First-year students also usually give some consideration to the design process. Even in its basic form, the design process proves to be very complex, even before considering the specialized scientific knowledge required to design a given item.
Many steps are necessary in order to get a product to the public. Consider one introductory engineering textbook's template for the design process (see Introduction to Engineering..., 2004, pp. 10,32):
Problem symptom or expression; definition of product need; marketing information
Problem definition, including statement of desired outcome
Conceptual design and evaluation; feasibility study
Design analysis; codes/standards review; physical and analytical models
Synthesis of alternative solutions (back to design analysis for iterations)
Decision (selection of one alternative)
Prototype production; testing and evaluation (back to design analysis for more iterations)
Production drawings; instruction manuals
Material specification; process and equipment selection; safety review
Pilot production
Inspection and quality assurance
Packaging; marketing and sales literature
The design process is unquestionably lengthy, technical, complex, and calculated.
Now consider the Universe. Consider the perfect interaction between all entities in this Universe: between plants and animals; between animals and humans; between the Sun and Earth; between the Moon and Earth; between insects and plants; between the circulatory system and the respiratory system. The list could go on infinitely. The finely-tuned machine that we call the Universe is an engineering feat of amazing proportions. Consider the knowledge level and expertise that would be necessary for such perfect design—knowledge and expertise that humans lack. The created order implies an omniscient and eternal Designer, Who must be the Chief Engineer of all engineers, to have produced such a product.
Will a series of random accidents over millions of years result in sophisticated photographic equipment? And then, if given enough time, will that camera eventually spontaneously come to life? And then, given enough additional time, will that living camera grow legs and start walking around? The first step is impossible, much less the subsequent steps. The complexity and design inherent in the camera demands more than mere happenstance. However, turning to the design that the camera emulates, the human eye, scientists assert that the eye could have just happened on its own by accident. But that viewpoint is incorrect. Both products required design in order to get them to the "consumer"—and one took much more knowledge and insight than the other.
If someone were to throw a rock into space, would it eventually spontaneously explode? And from that explosion, is it logical to conclude that that rock would come to life, grow wings, and have babies that evolve into other creatures? To ask is to answer.
Scientists recognize the complexity of the design process. However, when they peer into the amazing Universe, many of these scientists abandon logic and reason, and assert that it all just happened by accident. Many of the engineering feats of the creation are unparalleled by human designs and always will be, even if we spent countless hours, millions of dollars, and used a multitude of engineers. Evolutionists believe that this Universe, which is infinitely more complex and sophisticated than anything humans could ever design, especially without engaging in biomimicry, just happened on its own? Go figure.
Introduction to Engineering at Auburn University: Manufacturing—Industrial and Systems Engineering(2004), (Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing).
The Case for Christianity by Robert C. Veil, J.D.
The Case for Christianity
by Robert C. Veil, J.D.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: A.P. auxiliary writer Robert Veil, Jr. formerly served as a district attorney for the Washington County State's Attorney's Office, and previously maintained an active private law practice. He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law, and currently preaches in Martinsburg, West Virginia.]
To "make a case" for something is to explain convincingly why it is true or to be believed. This may be done in any number of ways. It involves looking at the evidence in support of something, and considering its implications. This may also involve considering arguments opposed to it and analyzing what, if any, validity they may possess.
The case for Christianity is strong and convincing. Studying the arguments in favor of Christianity with an open mind can be a faith-building and truly life-changing experience. Such an analysis provides hope and encouragement not only as to this earthly life, but into eternity.
Christianity, as a system of belief, is far and away superior to the religions and inventions of man. It holds up extremely well by comparison. Consider a few of the major areas in which the case for Christianity is so clearly convincing.
First, Christianity makes sense. It makes good sense, not only from a theoretical and philosophical standpoint, but in a very tangible and practical way. Christianity, unlike manmade systems, is a religion of reason and common sense. It presents the honest student with a logical, reasonable way of life. Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1-2). The word "spiritual" in verse 1 translates in the American Standard Version a word meaning "of or belonging to the reason." That is, it pertains to our faculty of thinking, our reason. It is translated in the KJV and NKJV with the English word "reasonable." The footnote in the NASB suggests the word "rational" and Young's Literal Translation has "intelligent."
The Gospel appeals to our understanding. It is a system of belief based, not solely upon emotions (although there is an emotional element), but upon careful thought and reasonable conclusions. "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)" (Ephesians 3:1-4). By reading and considering what the inspired apostle wrote, one can discern or perceive that it makes sense—that it contributes to an understanding of the mystery of Christ.
Second, the God of the Bible is infinitely above all of the gods of human creation. One of the tell-tale characteristics of the various religions invented by men down through the years is how their gods tend to reflect and look like the people and cultures who created them. They are of human origin, and they look all too human. As Robert Milligan observed long ago, "Like people like gods is true to every earth-born system of theology."[1] Even the most enlightened cultures have created gods who pale by comparison to the God of the Bible. Quoting further from Milligan:
Take, for example, the theology of the ancient Greeks, the most enlightened, elevated, and refined heathen nation known in history. They excelled in all of the [civilized] arts…But, nevertheless, their theology was but a transcript of depraved and fallen humanity. In it is clearly seen every element of man's [sinful nature].2 Uranus, the most ancient of their gods, is said to have hated and imprisoned his own children. Saturn made war against his father Uranus, and also attempted to devour his own male children. But his son Jupiter drove him from Crete into Latium, where, for a long time, he remained concealed from his ambitious and revengeful offspring. In Greece was also worshiped Venus, the goddess of licentiousness; Bacchus, the god of drunkenness; and many other gods and goddesses of like character.3
Third, Christianity is beneficial to mankind. Wherever its influence goes, mankind benefits. Cultures touched by the influence of Christianity tend to fare much better than secular societies, so long as they persist in their adherence to Bible principles. A few examples will illustrate this point:
a) Women. Unlike the creeds of men, the Bible is filled with noble women. Eve, the mother of all living; Abigail, the beautiful, intelligent, and wise wife; Esther, the queen who saved her people; Ruth, the loyal friend; Lydia, an example of hospitality, and the first Christian of Europe; the widow, whose lowly mite was the greatest contribution of them all; and Mary Magdalene, loyal to the Savior to the end. These, and scores of others, illustrate how women are depicted on the pages of the Bible. Their character is described in admirable and lofty terms. Their conduct is presented in a manner consistent with their good character. Anyone (man or woman) can read their life stories and be inspired to imitate them.
Also, the doctrine of the Bible with regard to women elevates them to a high, imitable standard. Consider the "worthy woman" as described in Proverbs 31:10-31. In summary, she is rare, valuable, trustworthy, profitable, beneficial, vigilant, efficient, hard-working, well-organized, supervisory, wise, strong, perceptive, capable, compassionate, brave, well-endowed, supportive, optimistic, kind, hard-working, revered, and praiseworthy. That is a far cry from the way women are depicted in the creeds and doctrinal statements of manmade religions. Such depictions would have been revolutionary in manmade works only a few generations ago.
This lofty ideal is often overlooked or misunderstood in the culture. I remember the first time I heard a college professor refer to the apostle Paul as a "misogynist." At the time, I did not even know what the word meant. When she said it a second time, I made a note of it, and later looked up the word. It means a hater of women. When the instructor repeated her statement a third time, I questioned her openly in class. I asked her what proof or evidence from Paul's writings she had for such a statement. Of course, she was unable to produce any, and simply talked around the question. I met with her in her office after class, and pointed out what her word actually meant. I then quoted for her an actual statement of Paul, very much on point: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it" (Ephesians 5:25). She conceded that perhaps her statement was a bit extreme. I agreed. The inspired writings of the apostle Paul, together with the totality of the Scriptures, have done more to elevate and exalt women over the history of mankind than all feminist and other writings combined. If you are a woman, the Gospel calls you to a life of dignity, value and appreciation!
b) Men: When you stop and think about it, Christianity is the one thing which can give meaning and purpose to the life of a man (Ecclesiastes 12:13; Job 28:28). It confronts him with the lifetime challenge he needs in order to find ultimate fulfillment and happiness.
The Bible presents man made in the very image of God himself (Genesis 1:26-27). Many religions hold their gods at arm's length, something to be feared, even disdained. Yet the Bible describes the creation of man in the "likeness" of God, in his "image." In many ways, man is comparable to God. He is capable of great accomplishments, wonderful love and mercy, inventive prowess, and great progress. Christianity calls man to actually be more like the God who wants man to imitate him. It is one of the rare systems of belief which encourages men to assume a higher standard of living. If you are a man, the Gospel calls you to a higher plane of love, leadership, and respect for others.
c) Children: Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven (Luke 18:16). Has it occurred to you that being childlike in heart is requiredto be a Christian? Amazingly, God not only cares about and protects children, but requires his followers to imitate them.
This is one of the reasons why Christian people have such great natural abhorrence toward the common practice of abortion. They have seen in the Word of God a glimpse of the precious value of a child. They see the child's personhood, moral value, personal worth, and, most of all, purity. The child, yet unborn, is the ultimate image of hope, promise, and prospect for the human family. Christianity does not underestimate children. It embraces and looks to them with admiration. If you are a child at heart, the Gospel calls you to a life of purity, innocence and happiness.
d) The poor, the oppressed, and the down-trodden: The Bible shows us God's concern for the needy (Leviticus 23:22; James 1:27). This concern, reflected in the ancient harvesting laws for ancient Israel, is alive and well in the Christian dispensation. All around the globe, churches of Christ are actively sheltering and protecting the needy, as envisioned and planned by God. "The poor you have with you always," but only in Christianity do we find a completely workable plan for caring for them. Take away the compassionate principles of Christianity, and the poor become hordes to be manipulated, abused, and ultimately destroyed. If you are a widow, an orphan, poor, weak, oppressed, neglected, prejudiced, or under-privileged, the Gospel calls you to a life of honor and respect.
e) The imperfect, the mistaken, the lost: The church is not a haven or country club for the perfect, but a hospital for the forgiven. "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Romans 5:6-9).
When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he knew they were ridden with problems. Yet, because of the influence of the Gospel in their lives, there was great hope. "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God(1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
Christianity is the one system of belief which can make you a better person! It appeals to your higher nature. It calls you from a life of sin and slavery to a life of forgiveness, justification, and hope. It bespeaks a way of life far above anything you have imagined before.
The case for Christianity is strong and convincing. This cannot be truly said of the dreamy confusions of Mysticism, the vacuum of Buddhism, the rituals of Hinduism, or the ravages of Islam. Christianity appeals to one's heart and soul, one's higher being; it appeals to the truth.
The next time you or someone you know begins to doubt the value of Christianity, or is tempted to feel like one religion is as good as another, remember what Christianity is. Remember that it makes sense, and that it makes people better, more like the amazing God who created them.
1 Robert Milligan (1868), Reason and Revelation (Cincinnati, OH: R.W. Carroll & Co.), p.31.
2 The phrase "sinful nature" is here used not to describe an innate or inherited tendency, or "original sin", but a typical and universally observable feature of adult people everywhere, (Romans 3:23).
3 Milligan, pp. 31-32.
The Bitter Fruits of Atheism [Part II] by Kyle Butt, M.Div.
The Bitter Fruits of Atheism [Part II]
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Part I of this two-part series appeared in the July issue. Part II follows below, and continues, without introductory comments, where the first article ended.]
SEXUAL DEVIANCE AND PERVERSION
Not only does atheistic evolution devalue human life, it also taints many of the most important areas of human interaction. Sexuality is one area of human behavior that has been completely disrupted by the erroneous concepts of evolution and atheism. In a work he titled Ends and Means, atheist Aldous Huxley wrote:
I had motives for not wanting the world to have meaning; consequently, assumed it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find reasons for this assumption.... For myself, as no doubt for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. The liberation we desired was simultaneously liberation from a certain political and economic system and liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom(1937, pp. 270, 273, emp. added).
Following Huxley's argument, if we assume that the world was not created by God, and that there is ultimately no real meaning to human existence, then we can have sex with whomever, whenever, and in whatever way we choose. Evolutionary atheism offers sexual deviance a blank check to be filled out in whatever way each "naked ape" chooses. Numerous examples can be shown in which atheistic evolution is used to explain and defend sordid sexual perversions.
RAPE AND EVOLUTION
Working under the assumption of naturalistic evolution, and knowing the ethical implications of such, Randy Thornhill and Craig T. Palmer co-authored a book titled A Natural History of Rape, published by the MIT Press in 2000. In their preface they stated that they "would like to see rape eradicated from human life" (p. xi). A noble thought—to eradicate such a detestable practice. Their self-professed purpose is to educate their readers as to the causes of rape. They feel this education will help their readers understand rape better, and be more fully equipped to initiate programs that will prevent rape more efficiently than the current programs.
Yet, as noble as their suggested aim may be, Thornhill and Palmer embarked on an impossible task. Since they apply naturalistic, evolutionary thinking to rape, they are forced to say, in essence, that there is really nothing ultimately wrong with the practice (although they do not like it and want to see it eradicated). In the third chapter, titled "Why Do Men Rape?," the authors note: "The males of most species—including humans—are usually more eager to mate than the females, and this enables females to choose among males who are competing with one another for access to them. But getting chosen is not the only way to gain sexual access to females. In rape, the male circumvents the female's choice" (2000, p. 53).
Comparing humans with animal species, the authors view rape as a natural way for males to circumvent the selection process. In fact, they claim: "Human rape arises from men's evolvedmachinery for obtaining a high number of mates in an environment where females choose mates" (p. 190, emp. added). They further state that "[e]volutionary theory applies to rape, as it does to other areas of human affairs, on both logical and evidentiary grounds. There is no legitimate scientific reason not to apply evolutionary or ultimate hypotheses to rape" (p. 55).
In their proposed "scientific" reasons why men rape women, Thornhill and Palmer suggested that in some cases heavy metals such as lead "disrupt psychological adaptations of impulse control," which may lead to a "higher rate of criminality" (p. 58). They stated: "Lead may account for certain cases of rape, just as mutations may" (p. 58, emp. added). Thus, rape may simply be caused when a male of a species is exposed to an excess of some type of heavy metal like lead or by mutations. Sam Harris added: "There is, after all, nothing more natural than rape. But no one would argue that rape is good, or compatible with a civil society, because it may have had evolutionary advantages for our ancestors" (2006, pp. 90-91). Joann Rodgers quipped: "Rape or at least rape-like acts clearly exist in many species, giving additional weight to both rape's 'natural' roots and its 'value' in our biological and psychological legacy" (2001, p. 412). She further commented: "Even rape, fetishes, bondage, and other so-called aberrant sexual behaviors are almost certainly biologically predisposed, if not adaptive, and may therefore be what biologists call 'conserved' traits, attributes or properties useful or essential to life across all cultures and genomes" (p. 11, emp. added).
The fallacy with this line of thinking is that it flies in the face of everything humans know about moral decisions. Furthermore, it transforms a vicious, morally reprehensible activity into something that may occasionally be caused by mutations or other phenomena that exempt the rapist from taking responsibility for his actions. Such "scientific" explanations for an immoral action like rape are absolutely appalling. When boiled down to its essence, as Thornhill, Palmer, Harris, and Rodgers, have so well illustrated, proponents of naturalistic evolution can never claim that any activity is wrong in an ultimate sense. This being the case, any action that a person chooses to do would be considered just as morally right as any other action, since all human behavior would be the by-product of evolution. As Darwin himself said, "A man who has no assured and ever present belief in the existence of a personal God or of a future existence with retribution and reward, can have for his rule of life, as far as I can see, only to follow those impulses and instincts which are the strongest or which seem to him the best ones" (1958, p. 94, emp. added). If a man follows his impulse to rape a woman, atheists cannot say, and more and more will not say, it is wrong.
In the section dealing with abortion (in part one of this series), we noted how evolutionists often appeal to nature to justify immoral behavior. They claim that if animals can be found to exhibit a certain behavior, it is then moral for humans to engage in that behavior as well. Evolutionists have followed this line of reasoning in their defense of homosexuality. For example, the Oslo Natural History Museum opened the world's first exhibit documenting cases of "homosexual" behavior in nature. One of the statements in the exhibit reads: "We may have opinions on a lot of things, but one thing is clear—homosexuality is found throughout the animal kingdom, it is not against nature" (Doyle, 2006).
In a Live Science article titled, "Animal Sex: No Stinking Rules," the author wrote:
Animals flout established rules when it comes to the game of love and sex. In fact, the animal kingdom is full of swingers. Bonobos are highly promiscuous, engaging in sexual interactions more frequently than any other primate, and in just about every combination from heterosexual to homosexual unions. Mothers even mate with their mature sons.... Bonobo societies 'make love, not war,' and their frequent sex is thought to strengthen social bonds and resolve conflict. This idea could explain why bonobo societies are relatively peaceful and their relatives, chimpanzees, which practice sex strictly for reproduction, are prone to violence (n.d.).
Of course, the fallacy of such thinking has already been exposed. Immoral behavior cannot be justified by referring to animal behavior. Furthermore, homosexuality is certainly "against nature," that is, the natural way that God designed humans to function. The inspired apostle Paul condemned homosexuality:
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due (Romans 1:26-27, emp. added).
Homosexuality controverts human nature in at least two fundamental ways. First, on a basic physical, anatomical level, homosexuality disregards the natural use of the sexual organs of men and women. Males and females were designed to be sexually compatible in order to reproduce and bear offspring (see Genesis 1:28). If homosexuality was a natural, genetic occurrence (which it is not—see Harrub and Miller, 2004), the genes responsible for it would quickly disappear due to the inability of same sex couples to reproduce. Second, God designed men and women to be capable of a relationship, in marriage, unlike any other human relationship. When a man and a woman are joined together, they become "one-flesh," a biblical phrase that describes the epitome of intimacy and compatibility (Genesis 2:23). God specifically designed Eve, and all future women, to be perfect helpers suitable for Adam and subsequent men. And, while it is true that sinful humans often fail to achieve the intimacy and oneness designed by God, it is not because of faulty design, but of people's sinful decisions. God designed men and women to be naturally compatible both physically and emotionally. Homosexuality circumvents that inherent compatibility.
SEX BEHIND THE BIKE SHEDS
In the United States of America, one would be hard pressed to find a person who does not understand that teenage pregnancy among unwed mothers is a colossal problem in this country (as well as many others). Contributors to the official Web site of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, explain: "Despite hitting the lowest level in 30 years, 31% of teenage girls get pregnant at least once before they reach age 20" ("The National Day...," 2008). The site further informs its readers that 750,000 teens per year get pregnant. In order to curb this destructive trend, the government sanctioned a day designated as "The National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy," the seventh annual of which occurred on May 7, 2008. Organizations that partnered in this effort included The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Medical Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the March of Dimes, the National 4-H Council, and a host of other well-known groups.
In the official Teen Discussion Guide of "The National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy," the authors noted: "Sex has consequences—both physical and emotional." They further stated: "Not having sex is the best and safest choice to prevent pregnancy..." ("Teen Discussion Guide," 2008). In a section of the guide titled "Fact or Fiction," the authors wrote: "Fact: Abstinence is the only 100% effective way to prevent pregnancy" (2008). It is abundantly clear that the general population of approximately 300 million people in the U.S. recognize teen pregnancy as a problem and would like to see it stopped.
The only sure solution to teen pregnancy is equally clear—total sexual abstinence among unmarried teenagers. When thinking about ideas or philosophical frameworks that would encourage such abstinence, where would one turn? The obvious answer is to the New Testament. The Bible repeatedly stresses the need for sexual purity, and condemns sexual activity outside of the marriage bond. Hebrews 13:4 makes that point abundantly clear: "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." The apostle Paul admonished his readers to "put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5, emp. added; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:18). The New Testament clearly and consistently presents sexual guidelines that, if followed, would prevent 100% of out-of-wedlock teen pregnancy.
When attention is turned to the philosophy of atheistic evolution, the situation is much different. Not only do the logical implications of evolution not prohibit teen pregnancy, they actually encourage and justify it. In June 2006, Dr. Lawrence Shaw, deputy medical director at the Bridge Centre in London, spoke at the 22nd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology ("Teenage and 60-Year-Old...," 2006). In his speech, he explored the alleged evolutionary history of humans, and how that heritage affects present human behavior. Speaking directly to the issue of teen pregnancy, Shaw stated:
Therefore, before we condemn our teenagers for having sex behind the bike sheds and becoming pregnant, we should remember that this is a natural response by these girls to their rising fertility levels. Society may "tut, tut" about them, but their actions are part of an evolutionary process that goes back nearly two million years; whilst their behaviour may not fit with Western society's expectations, it is perhaps useful to consider it in the wider context (as quoted in "Teenage and 60-Year-Old...," 2006, emp. added).
Shaw's rationale is in complete harmony with the implications of evolution, while at the same time completely at odds with what is morally justified. In Sex: A Natural History, Joann Rodgers wrote about a high school sophomore who was longing to entice the local football star into a "few stolen kisses" or a sexual "backseat tumble." Concerning this teen, Rodgers wrote:
Her physiological need, her reproductive status, and her strategies are not altogether removed from that of the Florida black beetle, Lara the bonobo, or the castle-bound Guinevere longing for Lancelot. Athleticism and body building, one-night stands, romantic love, and jealousy, along with infidelity, monogamy, and homosexuality, are so universally demonstrable across species and cultures that they have long been presumed in large measure to have been drawn through the filter of sexual evolution and biology" (2001, p. 11).
According to evolution, promiscuous teenagers are not morally responsible for negative sexual behavior. They simply are programmed to pass on their genes to the next generation. Teenagers who are getting pregnant might not fit into "Western society's expectations," but they are not doing anything immoral or wrong—according to the theory. They are simply acting on their evolutionary impulses that span back some two million years, just like black beetles and bonobos.
EVOLUTION AND ADULTERY
Why would a person make a solemn vow to be sexually faithful to his spouse in a committed marriage relationship, but then break that vow and commit adultery with another person? Is there anything morally wrong with adultery? As with other deviant sexual practices, evolutionary theory explains adultery in purely naturalistic terms, absolving adulterous perpetrators of any moral delinquency. In her article titled "Are Humans Meant to be Monogamous," Jeanna Bryner said: "Evolutionary psychologists have suggested that men are more likely to have extramarital sex, partially due to the male urge to 'spread genes' by broadcasting sperm. Both males and females, these scientists say, try to up their evolutionary progress by seeking out high-quality mates, albeit in different ways" (n.d.). Bryner quoted Daniel Kruger, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, who said: "We're special in this regard [the tendency to be monogamous—KB], but at the same time like most mammals, we are a polygynous species." Bryner then explained: "Kruger said humans are considered 'mildly polygynous,' in which a male mates with more than one female" (n.d.). According to atheistic evolution, adultery is not a morally debased breach of a marriage contract, but rather simply the outworking of the "evolutionary urge" to pass on one's genes to the next generation in the most effective way possible.
Joann Rodgers noted: "Indeed, lifelong monogamy appears to be as rare in us as in the animal world, at least among the so-called alpha or most powerful males and females" (2001, p. 341). Rodgers further stated: "Other evidence for a natural tendency to infidelity emerges from how easily and simply our behavior and our biochemistry can be subverted to the game" (p. 341, italics in orig.). She paralleled human sexual behavior with studies done on birds, such as the reed warbler, bluebirds, and the pied flycatcher, as well as other animals, such as primates and prairie voles. Concerning these studies, she said that "evidence for the prevalence and reward of promiscuity in females is considerable" (p. 342). Rodgers concluded:
And in humans and most animals, adultery and infidelity—what Fisher calls "nature's Peyton Place"—are widespread, common, tolerated, and in fact reinforced by our biology. Only if promiscuity really maximizes a woman's reproductive edge is it worth both the risk and her having evolved those subtle deceits such as hidden ovulation and the capacity to hide or fake orgasm (p. 343).
Notice that Rodgers takes it to be a matter of fact that humans naturally commit adultery. She reasons that such is the case because adulterous females maximize their reproductive "edge." In fact, she is so bold as to state that if adultery were not evolutionarily productive, it would not exist, and the fact that it occurs so often, both in humans and in animals, is evidence that it is beneficial as far as evolution is concerned.
What does Rodgers have to say about the feelings of guilt and shame that often accompany adulterous relationships? She admitted that "[g]uilt and shame always seem to be part and parcel of sexual cheating" (p. 341). But she suggested that "shame, guilt, and concepts of sexual morality evolved just as surely as our tendency to stray" (p. 379, italics in orig.). Analyzing adultery, then, from an evolutionary standpoint, it is simply a natural, inherited behavior, that is often accompanied by the evolved emotions of shame and guilt, but it has several practical, reproductive advantages and that is why it persists. According to such evolutionary thinking, humans should hardly even attempt to regulate sexual activity or apply moral constraints to it. Rodgers quipped: "What seems to be the case is that human societies do best when they live and let live, up to a point, in order to keep our social responsibilities and our biological drives in some balance" (p. 353, emp. added).
Such thinking is debased and illogical. Sexual misconduct is not a product of evolution, it is the product of selfish decisions made by the parties involved. Society cannot clear its bespattered conscience with a single swipe of the evolutionary eraser. We must face the fact that we as a society are acting immorally, and we must resolve to teach the one philosophy that can remedy the situation: there is a God in heaven and we must live according to His Word.
Since sexual behavior such as promiscuity before marriage, adultery, and homosexuality are generally viewed by atheistic evolutionists as "mainstream" and harmless when involving consenting adults, most evolutionists have no problem openly declaring them to be products of evolution. Yet it is difficult, though not impossible, to find an "honest" evolutionist that will extend the logical implications of atheistic evolution to fringe, grotesque sexual behaviors such as pedophilia. In truth, if adultery and promiscuity are nothing more than the outworking of evolutionary urges, are not all sexual behaviors? Who is to say which behaviors are "moral" and should be maintained, or which ones are "immoral" and wrong? Such is the quagmire into which evolutionists have plunged themselves.
In a chapter titled "Bad Sex," Joann Rodgers wrote: "In addition, even the criminal justice system is coming to recognize that while pedophilia and other forms of exploitive sex must be punished in order to protect victims, the perpetrators may also be victims—not necessarily of any abuse but of their biological predispositions" (2001, p. 429, emp. added). She then quoted psychiatrist Fred Berlin, who said: "Nothing in the research suggests that perversions are 'volitional' or that their expression is a failure of self-control" (p. 429, emp. added).
Notice the implications involved in these statements. Pedophiles allegedly are victims of their biological predispositions. Furthermore, their actions are not "volitional" (based on their own choices or freewill), nor are their actions a failure to control their urges. One has to wonder why, then, such behavior should be punished. If it is not volitional, or controlled by a person's will, we cannot expect punishment to alter the behavior. Furthermore, if pedophilia is not a lack of self-control, why would we expect punishment to hinder those contemplating committing such acts in the future? If pedophiles are biologically predisposed to sexual perversion, cannot will themselves in any other direction, and are not suffering from a lack of self-control, punishment can neither change their behavior nor discourage them (or others) from future involvement in it. If evolution is true, then all sexual behaviors, including pedophilia, homosexuality, necrophilia, bestiality, polygamy, and promiscuity are equally "moral" options. As Rodgers wrote:
In the origin and development of species, no surviving component of sex, can be considered unnatural or unnecessary. All aspects of sex observable in animals today, no less than sexual reproduction itself, are what biologists and psychologists call "highly conserved." All aspects of sex are the evolutionary winners across the eons of natural selection, of trial and error. They persist in us and every other creature precisely because of their importance in survival (2001, pp. 4-5, italics in orig.).
ATHEISTS' SEXUAL AGENDA
Not only is sexual perversion and promiscuity a direct and logical implication of atheistic evolution, but such sexual laxity is one of the primary aims of the atheistic community. In 2007, atheistic writer Christopher Hitchens wrote a book titled god is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Hitchens has been critically acclaimed as "one of the most prolific, as well as brilliant, journalists of our time," according to the London Observer. The Los Angeles Times stated that he is a "political and literary journalist extraordinaire." In god is not Great, Hitchens repeatedly argues that biblical sexual purity and monogamous sexual fidelity are not only undesirable, but actually destructive. In his list of four irreducible objections to religious faith, he included that faith "is both the result and cause of dangerous sexual repression" (2007, p. 4). Just six pages later, he wrote that it is absurd to think that someone could know that there is a God and "to know what 'he' demands of us—from our diet to our observances to our sexual morality" (p. 10). Later in the book, Hitchens wrote:
The relationship between physical health and mental health is now well understood to have a strong connection to the sexual function, or dysfunction. Can it be a coincidence, then, that all religions claim the right to legislate in matters of sex? The principle way in which believers inflict on themselves, on each other, and on nonbelievers, has always been their claim to monopoly in this sphere (p. 53).
In opposition to the "sexual repression" that Hitchens assigns to all religions, he stated: "Clearly, the human species is designed to experiment with sex" (p. 54). He also stated: "Sexual innocence, which can be charming in the young if it is not needlessly protracted, is positively corrosive and repulsive in the mature adult" (p. 227).
In his final chapter titled "The Need for a New Enlightenment," Hitchens concluded his book with a plea to banish all religions. He wrote:
Above all, we are in need of a renewed Enlightenment, which will base itself on the proposition that the proper study of mankind is man, and woman.... Very importantly, the divorce between sexual life and fear, and the sexual life and disease, and the sexual lifeand tyranny, can now at last be attempted, on the sole condition that we banish all religions from the discourse (p. 283, emp. added).
From Hitchens' writings, it is abundantly clear that one of his primary purposes for getting rid of God is so he, and those who adopt his atheistic propositions, can "experiment" sexually as evolved animals without any fetters of conscience. [NOTE: Many of the religions that Hitchens discusses are guilty of approving unbiblical injunctions regarding sex that deserve denunciation, such as forbidding to marry. Hitchens' point, however, is clear: all religions, including New Testament Christianity, should be abolished so that no sexual restrictions hinder unregulated sexual experimentation.]
Hitchens is certainly not alone in his desire to see atheism propel human sexuality into an unregulated realm of experimental promiscuity. Militant atheist Sam Harris, in his Letter to a Christian Nation, attempted to explain to Christians that sexuality has nothing to do with morality. He wrote:
You [Christians—KB] believe that your religious concerns about sex, in all their tiresome immensity, have something to do with morality.... Your principle concern appears to be that the creator of the universe will take offence at something people do while naked. This prudery of yours contributes daily to the surplus of human misery (2006, p. 26).
Harris further commented that "any God who could concern Himself with something as trivial as gay marriage...is not as inscrutable as all that" (p. 55).
Other atheists have advanced the banner of sexual anarchy into realms such as pornography. David Mills, in Atheist Universe, titled chapter nine "Christian Fundamentalists and the 'Danger' of Internet Porn" (2006, p. 190). In that chapter, Mills extrapolates from his atheistic philosophy that pornography is harmless and morally neutral. He stated: "When viewed in historical perspective, it is difficult to believe that teenage males are genuinely harmed by sexual images.... No credible sociological or psychological study of this question has discerned any harmful effects whatever of a teenage male's viewing photos of nude women or of adult copulation" (p. 197). Mills further proposed that senseless religious moralizing is to blame for the fact that pornography has ever been stigmatized as immoral. He brazenly asserted: "When all the religious and moralistic blathering is dismissed, opponents of internet porn have failed utterly to document any empirical 'harm' to teenage males..." (p. 198).
Mills is demonstrably wrong in his assertion that no documented empirical evidence verifies that teenage males are harmed by pornography. Numerous studies document that, among other deleterious effects, viewing pornography "can lead to anti-social behavior," "desensitizes people to rape as a criminal offence," and "leads men and women to experience conflict, suffering, and sexual dissatisfaction" (Rogers, 1990). According to one study of rapists, half of those surveyed "used pornography to arouse themselves immediately prior to seeking out a victim" (1990). In addition, heavy exposure to pornography "encourages a desire for increasingly deviant materials which involve violence, like sadomasochism and rape" (1990).
Mills, Hitchens, Harris, and many of their fellow atheists are attempting to strip away all moral "regulations" from human sexuality. Make no mistake: atheism justifies sexual conduct of any kind, and those atheists who understand this point are demanding that all societal regulations on sex be abolished. As Joann Rodgers aptly summarized:
Animals, insects, and bacteria, with their multiple desires, mutinous genders, alternative sex lives, and sometimes violent mating habits, behave in ways that we humans, in our arrogance, consider graceless if not immoral. And yet what we may consider profane in nature is indeed profound.... With evolutionary biology as our guide, however, we are better able to see what has long been concealed in our nature and nurture, and that the profound is not at all profane (2001, pp. 40-41, emp. added).
THE ATHEISTIC OBJECTION
Of course, atheists do not sit idly by while their philosophy is accused of grotesquely immoral implications. They fire back with the idea that millions have been abused, tortured, and murdered at the hands of "Christians." Atheistic apologists then proceed to detail horrible crimes that took place during the Salem Witch Trials, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition. David Mills wrote: "The Crusades, the Inquisition, the witch burnings, the torture of 'infidels' were all carried out in the name of the Christian God. While it is unfair to hold Christianity responsible for perversions of its teachings, it is nonetheless indisputable that, historically more people have been slaughtered in the name of the Christian religion than for any reason connected to atheism" (2006, p. 48). Hitchens' book god is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything contains copious examples of crimes against humanity perpetrated in the name of religion. The second chapter of his book is titled "Religion Kills." In it, he discussed several countries he visited. He stated: "Here then, is a very brief summary of the religiously inspired cruelty I witnessed in these six places" (2007, p. 18). The paragraphs that follow that statement document multiple tortures and murders done in the name of specific religions.
Hitchens and others can easily document atrocities performed in the name of religion. But does this prove that all religion is false, and that if a person can spot a flaw or comprehend a fallacy in one religion, then he has effectively disproved the validity of all religions? Absolutely not. Can you imagine what would happen if this type of argument were used in other areas of life? Apply such thinking to food: since many foods are poisonous and have killed people, all foods should be avoided. Apply the thinking to electricity: since many people have died while using electricity, all electrical use is detrimental to society. Or apply it to activities like swimming: many have drowned while swimming, thus all swimming leads to drowning and should be avoided. What if the logic were applied to surgery? Since it is true that thousands of people have died during or as a result of surgery, then all surgery should be avoided, because it leads to death or is in some way physically detrimental to society. Obviously, the ridiculous idea that all religion is detrimental to society, simply because it can be proven that some religions are, should be quickly discarded by any honest, thoughtful observer.
New Testament Christianity does not stand or fall based on the validity of competing religions. In fact, Hitchens and others are right in asserting that many religions are detrimental to society. But they are wrong to lump true Christianity in with the rest of the useless lot. New Testament Christianity is unique, logically valid, historically documented, and philosophically flawless. It does not crumble with those religions that are filled with "vain babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge" (1 Timothy 6:20). Instead, New Testament Christianity, as personified in the life of Jesus Christ, shines forth as the truth that makes men free (John 8:32).
Furthermore, it should be noted that atheism is not discredited based on the behavior of its adherents. Some atheists are kind to others, hard-working, and considerate. Does this prove that atheism is true? No. On the other hand, some atheists shoot their classmates because they consider them less fit. Does the brutal, immoral behavior of these individuals discredit atheism as a philosophy? Not necessarily. No philosophy can be correctly assessed based solely on the behavior of those who claim to follow it. Hitchens correctly stated: "The first thing to be said is that virtuous behavior by a believer is no proof at all of—indeed is not even an argument for—the truth of his belief" (2007, pp. 184-185).
Having said that, we must hasten to state that a philosophy can be correctly assessed by considering only the behaviors which are based on the correctly derived, logical implications of the philosophy. In regard to the crimes done in "the name of Christianity," even atheists admit that such crimes were justified by twisting the teachings of the New Testament. Notice that Mills conceded: "While it is unfair to hold Christianity responsible for perversions of its teachings, it is nonetheless indisputable that, historically more people have been slaughtered in the name of the Christian religion than for any reason connected to atheism" (2006, p. 48, emp. added). Harris made a similar statement: "You probably think the Inquisition was a perversion of the 'true' spirit of Christianity. Perhaps it was" (2006, p. 11, emp. added). An honest reading of the New Testament lays bare the lucid fact that activities such as the witch hunts and inquisitions were not behaviors based on the logical implications of the teachings of Christ in the New Testament. Jesus taught people to treat others with love, kindness, and respect—the way they, themselves, wish to be treated (Matthew 7:12).
Notice, however, that the behaviors and views decried in this series about the fruits of atheism are directly derived from a proper understanding of atheism, and are propounded by the atheists themselves. Who said that atheistic evolution destroys all moral absolutes? Who stated that parents should have the option to kill a child a month after it is born? Who proposed that humans are no better than bacteria, and that 90% of the human population needs to be eliminated? Who suggested that sexual promiscuity, teen pregnancy, rape, and homosexuality are natural products of the evolutionary process? Evolutionary atheists are the ones promoting these ideas. Radical Christian fundamentalists are not building rhetorical straw men by concocting outlandish, grotesquely immoral behaviors out of thin air. On the contrary, the immoral actions and attitudes arising from atheistic evolution are clearly spelled out and advocated by the atheists themselves. If a person who claims to be a Christian kills a one-month-old child because the child is a hemophiliac, that person violates every principle derived from an accurate understanding of New Testament teaching. If an atheist does the same, he does so with the full force of a proper understanding of atheistic evolution justifying his behavior.
The concept of God is the only rational basis for an ultimate moral standard. When the concept of God is eradicated from a philosophy or society, that philosophy or society cuts off its ability to make moral decisions. In turn, it forfeits the ability to "eradicate" such actions as rape, theft, murder, or any other immoral vice. As John Paul Sartre appropriately commented, "Everything is indeed permitted if God does not exist, and man is in consequence forlorn, for he cannot find anything to depend upon either within or outside himself" (1961, p. 485). When the Bible succinctly stated, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God,' they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good" (Psalm 14:1), it offered accurate, divine commentary on every person, society, or philosophy that would abandon the notion that God exists—"They are corrupt."
In truth, the false philosophy of naturalistic evolution fails on many accounts, not the least of which is its inability to provide a foundation for ethics. The denial of a divine, ultimate standard of morality throws one into hopeless confusion about how actions such as rape should be viewed. Naturalistic evolutionists who are honest with their theory's implications can say they do not "like" things like rape, or they think it is best that rape be stopped, or that they think it might be more beneficial to the majority for the action to be limited or eradicated, but they have no grounds on which to say it is absolutely, morally wrong.
In stark contrast to the foundationless ethics of naturalistic philosophy, the concept of God provides the perfect rationale on which to base moral determinations. There is a God who sees both "the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3). He will call every person into account for his or her actions (Revelation 20:12-15). Therefore each individual is responsible to that God for any actions he or she commits in violation of His moral standard found in the Bible (Ephesians 3:3-4). Rape, murderous abortion, school slayings, genocide, and other such heinous crimes against humanity are not biological, evolutionary by-products passed down to humans from some mammalian precursor, nor are such crimes biological "malfunctions" caused by mutations. Such actions are sinful, morally reprehensible crimes against humanity and God by individuals who have chosen to ignore the ultimate moral standard God manifested in His Son Jesus Christ and recorded in His Word, the Bible.
"Animal Sex: No Stinking Rules" (no date), Live Science, [On-line], URL:http://www.livescience.com/bestimg/index.php?url=&cat=polygamous.
Bryner, Jeanna (no date), "Are Humans Meant to be Monogamous?" Live Science, [On-line], URL:http://www.livescience.com/mysteries/080319-llm-monogamy.html.
Darwin, Charles (1958), The Autobiography of Charles Darwin, ed. Nora Barlow (New York: W.W. Norton).
Doyle, Alister (2006), "Birds and Bees May Be Gay: Museum Exhibition," [On-line], URL:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061012/sc_nm/environment_homosexuality_ dc;_ylt=AhEiR4DtDaCUi1h7KCssWvms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlY wM5NjQ-.
Harris, Sam (2006), Letter to a Christian Nation (New York: Alfred A. Knopf).
Harrub, Brad and Dave Miller (2004), "This is the Way God Made Me: A Scientific Examination of Homosexuality and the 'Gay Gene,'" Reason & Revelation, 24[8]:73-79, August, [On-line], URL:http://apologeticspress.org/articles/2553.
Hitchens, Christopher (2007), god Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (New York: Twelve).
Huxley, Aldous (1937), Ends and Means (London: Chatto & Windus).
Mills, David (2006), Atheist Universe (Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press).
"The National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy" (2008), [On-line], URL:http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/national/default.aspx.
Rodgers, Joann (2001), Sex: A Natural History (New York: Henry Holt).
Rogers, Jay (1990), "The Documented Effects of Pornography," The Forerunner, [On-line], URL:http://forerunner.com/forerunner/X0388_Effects_of_Pornograp.html.
"Teen Discussion Guide" (2008), [On-line], URL:http://www.stayteen.org/quiz/assets/2008_ND_teen_guide.pdf.
"Teenage and 60-Year-Old Mums are Consequences of Evolution" (2006), European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology, [On-line], URL: http://www.eshre.com/emc.asp?pageId=795.
Thornhill, Randy and Craig T. Palmer (2000), A Natural History of Rape (Cambridge, MA: MITPress).
"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER" Peter's Exhortation ...
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The question by Gary Rose


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E3 2019 Rumors: New Consoles, New Games and More
Games • May 24, 2019
With E3 being so close, the rumor mill is going round and round, creating more rumors, revealing more leaks, making everyone anxious about what's to come or not. Here are some of the rumors that might be true, as they do carry some weight to…
Nintendo Switch Models At This Year's E3?
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Nintendo, the Kyoto-based company, is one of the biggest game producers in the world. It created franchises such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon. Nintendo collected an impressive fanbase worldwide. Unfortunately, we have some sad news to deliver to Nintendo fans. The company's…
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./gradlew clean build
cp app/build/outputs/apk/app-alpha-matrixorg.apk ./alpha.apk

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