January 4, 2021

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Press On | Life, Liberty, and Accessibility for All | Martian Geology and the. . .

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Press On

The report from General Conference Treasury about the loss of income for the world budget saddened me. We’ve never seen anything like this in modern history. A world crisis has impacted us all. More than ever we need to show the strength of those brothers and sisters during the depression.

I remember a visit I made to a lovely Christian woman who would come to help my wife and our kids once a week in the city of Curitiba, Brazil. She lived in a small shack on the outskirts of the city, with one bedroom for the couple and one small daughter. They faced hunger and financial crisis, but she would not touch the Lord’s money. After we finished prayer, she told me to wait and picked up a small envelope with her tithe. I’ll never forget that touching experience and the faithfulness of that sister.

We’ve faced crises before, and this message must go on to prepare people for Jesus’ coming.

Leo Ranzolin Sr.
Estero, Florida

Life, Liberty, and Accessibility for All

The essay “Life, Liberty, and Accessibility for All,” by Stephen Chavez (September 2020), was a refreshing reminder of a sermon Jesus would preach if He spoke those words today. The final words belong in the memory book of all Review readers. “Sometimes Christians’ commitment to the principles of the kingdom of their Lord produces an improved quality of life right in the here and now. We should not fear or apologize for efforts for eternity that bring material blessings to our neighbors and our nation.”

Andrew Hanson
Chico, California

Martian Geology and the God of Discovery, History, and Redemption

I was delightedly surprised to see Ronny Nalin’s article “Martian Archaeology and the God of Discovery, History, and Redemption” (October 2020). Our readers need such materials to aid them in processing developments in this area of science.

In his reflections Nalin states that “new entities don’t come out of nothing.” That this is true should be a no-brainer. Similarly, the theory of abiogenesis, or chemical evolution, which holds that biologic systems evolved from nonbiologic chemicals, is strongly embraced by most of the theorists and designers of the Martian rovers. Their mission, in part, is to validate the theory (not fact) of evolution. Beyond accessing the geologic history of Mars, the rovers, using onboard gas chromatograph mass spectrometers, search for vestiges of past life (microbial) on Mars. In doing this, they look for chemical signatures that can be made only by biological processes.

For example, what is true on Earth is true on Mars. On Earth the average natural abundance of carbon 12 to carbon 13 is 90 to 1. But if you were to analyze the residue from something that was once alive, the ratio would be 92 to 1, a definite biosignature. Numerous attempts to make such a discovery have all failed.

These past failures are more than enough to lead secular scientists to conclude that chemical evolution of life is an invalid hypothesis for Mars, and that the “message from Mars” should lead to the same conclusions for Earth.

Kent Knight
Hermiston, Oregon

Above the Fray

Thank you for Michael Peabody’s article “Above the Fray” (November 2020). I don’t remember when our society has been so consumed with so many baseless rumors and conspiracy theories.

I grew up when some Adventists would point at this or that headline and suggest it was another stepping-stone toward inevitable persecution. I, for one, am happy to see that kind of speculation disappear from my Adventist congregation.

That’s why I’m bewildered that so many people buy into rumors that have no basis in fact. It seems that we, Christians dedicated to truth and truth-telling, should be foremost in standing up for verifiable facts, not chasing the devil’s rabbits, as Peabody so eloquently stated.

Ruth Ellis
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Comments from AdventistReview.org

Resilience in a Time of Crisis

In the midst of the pandemic and the global socioeconomic crisis, the message of the seven steps to resilience is timely for each church member to apply in their evangelism tasks. This is a practical way to become the salt of the earth, just as Jesus commanded us in Matthew 5:13.

Daniel Jimenez Espinoza

Twenty-Four Weeks of Blessings

Providing food and making contacts in the community brings to mind Matthew 25 and Isaiah 58. Thank you, Jackson church.

Milton Hare

Biblical Justice in a World of Social Unrest

My wife and I have been members of many of our churches, and our favorites have always been multicultural. There is only one human race. If our leaders would recognize this and proclaim it, it would be another way for the church to lead in equality.

Jim Bob

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