Fact: British researchers have scientifically concluded that the chicken came first.

Theory: Evolutionary researchers have proposed proto-chickens. The first chicken came from the egg of a non-chicken. (Possibly... God didn't create Basset Hounds either, but this merely kicks the can down the road. Where did all of this original genetic information came from?)

Alternate Theory: The first chicken came from across the road.

Alien Theory: The first chicken came from across the galaxy.

If you were already here, I would challenge you to learn more about your worldview. We are told to be 'ready always to give an answer'. It will strengthen your faith and help you share it more effectively with others. Watch a couple of Sean McDowell's 'atheist challenges' on YouTube. It's not what you might think, Sean challenges Christians by role-playing an atheist to point out how ill-prepared most of us are to defend our faith.

If you weren't already here and this is new? First of all, congratulations! You've made the first step on an amazing journey. There are many resources available to continue your research. I did mention a few earlier:

- The Bible. Dust off any bible you have lying around the house and read the Gospel of John, in the New Testament. Once you start studying the bible more thoroughly, go old school and pick up or download the King James Version. If possible, download one that allows you to click on a word and see the exact meaning of the word in the original language. Then, when anyone trys to tell you what a passage really means, you are better equipped to discern the truth.

Sometimes, a commentary can be useful. I have spent many hours reading Matthew Henry. Reading the text with context can help to bring clarity and a deeper understanding. (It is not necessary for the issue of salvation though, the bible stands alone as God's word and the message is clear with a plain reading.)

How will you know biblical truth? There is only one way, read it for yourself. The bible is the Word of the living God and the bestseller of all time. (I'd say that's definitely worth a read, especially if you're at all curious about the Author.)

- Josh McDowell's book 'Evidence that Demands a Verdict'. Mr. McDowell started his research to prove Christianity wrong, evidentially, once and for all. (If you're not ready for the full encyclopedia of evidence, try 'More Than a Carpenter' by Josh. It's an easy read that still has plenty of compelling evidence.) 

- 'Cold-Case Christianity' by J.Werner Wallace. Mr. Wallace is a cold-case homicide detective in California. He decided to apply the forensic principles of cold-case investigation to the Gospels. As well as books, he has a great website, full of resource materials and well-organized, insightful answers to your questions.

- 'Expelled' movie by Ben Stein. Science should be about truth, not consensus. Available on YouTube or DVD.

- 'Mere Christianity' the book by C.S. Lewis offers a very logically based, step by step thesis of the Christian worldview.

You can also check out a bible believing church. You will need to be very vigilant here. Make sure that your church of choice doesn't add to, or take away from, the completeness of Jesus' sacrifice for your salvation. Many churches will pay Jesus lip service but deny His deity. It is important that you make sure your church doesn't contravene biblical truth.

Not into 'church'? You should realize that as followers of Christ, we are the church. It's not about the building. It's definitely not about people getting together once a week and pretending to be something they're not. It's not a social club, it's a place where we can learn more about God, talk to other Christians and be encouraged and grounded in our faith. Again, 'church' is any gathering of two or more believers. Could be in your home, could be on a forest trail, could be on a beach or in a coffee shop.   

Ask Jesus to come into your heart. Give Him the love and trust that He deserves. The God of the universe is offering you a free gift, what do you have to lose? What's the down side? You gain access to God's serenity in the here and now. You will have certainty of your acceptability for heaven.

Pray.
The God that created the universe said that He wanted to have a relationship with you. Relationships involve communication, so start talking! (And, even more importantly, start listening.) Start with gratitude for what you have received and see where it leads. Yes, you can talk to God. Yes, He will listen. Yes, He understands your problems... better than you do. Yes, He wants to give you everything you need. No, He is not a vending machine. You will have to learn the distinction between wants and needs and learn to trust that bad situations are often for good reasons. We can't always see the big screen picture from our particular darkened pixel.

What if you're wrong? You will never be disappointed, because if the mathematically impossible somehow turns out to be true and this is all a gigantic accident... you will never know. If your consciousness ceases when your corporeal form passes, you won't have lost a thing. Plus, you will have spent your time here on earth with peace in the understanding that you are special to God and that your life matters.

Thank you for taking the time to think! That is what this website is all about, urging you to do your homework and not take anything for granted. The key to making a cogent decision here is in realizing that our origins cannot currently be scientifically verified. No matter which conclusion we reach, a leap of faith was necessary to arrive there. I think we owe it to ourselves to ensure that the jump is rationally based.

As all the explanations involve a degree of faith, arbitrarily removing God from the option list is like intentionally ignoring the elephant, and then trying to explain the large mass of fecal matter in the room by postulating an on-going, highly-localized accumulation of mouse droppings.

We could have created an elegant theory involving the mice. (In fact, we could have probably qualified for major funding because we agreed not to consider the elephant.) However, since we did not preclude the elephant in the room, we were enabled to find the most rational explanation and respond effectively. (A clown and a shovel, as opposed to mousetraps.)

Science should always have the intellectual freedom to follow the evidence, wherever it leads. As should we..