WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:01.201 In many ways, Western 00:01.267 --> 00:02.736 Civilization seems to be 00:02.802 --> 00:05.205 experiencing its death throes. 00:05.271 --> 00:07.040 Its most respected institutions 00:07.107 --> 00:08.775 of government are increasingly 00:08.842 --> 00:10.710 mocked, its values are now up 00:10.777 --> 00:13.213 for grabs, and its citizenry, 00:13.279 --> 00:15.682 in some nations, seem absolutely 00:15.749 --> 00:17.684 dedicated to taking their 00:17.751 --> 00:19.886 country into civil war. 00:19.953 --> 00:21.521 And in our intertwined, global 00:21.588 --> 00:23.323 society, what happens to 00:23.390 --> 00:25.291 the West will inevitably 00:25.358 --> 00:28.094 impact the entire world. 00:28.161 --> 00:29.396 How did we find ourselves on the 00:29.462 --> 00:31.698 precipice of such chaos 00:31.765 --> 00:33.600 and self-destruction? 00:33.666 --> 00:34.734 To answer that question, we 00:34.801 --> 00:36.636 first need to understand a key 00:36.703 --> 00:38.972 element in the birth of Western 00:39.038 --> 00:40.874 Civilization to begin with. 00:40.940 --> 00:42.108 Because you can't understand 00:42.175 --> 00:43.843 what is happening to the West 00:43.910 --> 00:45.111 until you understand its 00:45.178 --> 00:46.613 changing relationship to the 00:46.679 --> 00:49.649 word of God, the Bible. 00:49.716 --> 00:50.950 Join us right now on Tomorrow's 00:51.017 --> 00:52.452 World as we look at 00:52.519 --> 00:53.653 "How the Bible Built 00:53.720 --> 00:55.422 Western Civilization." 00:55.488 --> 01:01.561 ♪ 01:01.628 --> 01:02.862 Greetings, and welcome to 01:02.929 --> 01:04.164 Tomorrow's World--where we make 01:04.230 --> 01:05.965 sense of your world through the 01:06.032 --> 01:08.368 pages of the Bible. 01:08.435 --> 01:09.636 Today, we're going to examine 01:09.702 --> 01:10.970 what is going on in 01:11.037 --> 01:12.772 Western Civilization from a 01:12.839 --> 01:14.541 point of view that you will not 01:14.607 --> 01:16.910 see in most analyses. 01:16.976 --> 01:18.011 We will also take a few 01:18.077 --> 01:19.212 opportunities to offer our 01:19.279 --> 01:21.414 faith-building free resource, 01:21.481 --> 01:23.316 The Bible: Fact or Fiction? 01:23.383 --> 01:24.284 Be sure to watch for the 01:24.350 --> 01:25.518 information you need to get 01:25.585 --> 01:27.287 your own free copy of this 01:27.353 --> 01:28.888 important booklet. 01:28.955 --> 01:29.856 Our program is broadcast all 01:29.923 --> 01:32.125 over the world, and citizens of 01:32.192 --> 01:34.427 many nations, small and great, 01:34.494 --> 01:36.229 tune in to Tomorrow's World to 01:36.296 --> 01:38.331 find real answers to the most 01:38.398 --> 01:40.467 important questions of life. 01:40.533 --> 01:41.668 And these days, 01:41.734 --> 01:42.735 many people all over the 01:42.802 --> 01:45.038 world are asking themselves: 01:49.342 --> 01:50.844 In some of the very democracies 01:50.910 --> 01:52.445 and republics that have been 01:52.512 --> 01:53.680 considered models of lawful, 01:53.746 --> 01:56.983 orderly, peaceful government, 01:57.050 --> 02:00.119 scenes of disorder, lawlessness, 02:00.186 --> 02:01.654 and conflict have become 02:01.721 --> 02:04.224 common sights in our newsfeeds 02:04.290 --> 02:05.792 and cable broadcasts. 02:05.859 --> 02:06.893 To be sure, it wasn't 02:06.960 --> 02:08.561 always like this. 02:08.628 --> 02:10.096 While many great civilizations 02:10.163 --> 02:12.265 have existed throughout history, 02:12.332 --> 02:14.267 in many ways, Western 02:14.334 --> 02:16.035 Civilization has created the 02:16.102 --> 02:18.571 modern world in which we live. 02:18.638 --> 02:19.739 Now I don't say this 02:19.806 --> 02:21.107 as universal praise. 02:21.174 --> 02:22.075 The history of 02:22.141 --> 02:23.042 Western Civilization is a 02:23.109 --> 02:25.144 spotty record, to be sure. 02:25.211 --> 02:26.646 The same nations and cultures 02:26.713 --> 02:28.281 that have given the world many 02:28.348 --> 02:29.716 gifts that are enjoyed by so 02:29.782 --> 02:32.018 many today have also been 02:32.085 --> 02:33.686 sources of conflict, 02:33.753 --> 02:35.555 subjugation, and warfare. 02:35.622 --> 02:36.956 Many nations that were once 02:37.023 --> 02:39.192 colonies of Western nations may 02:39.259 --> 02:40.760 find that they benefit from 02:40.827 --> 02:42.262 their association with Western 02:42.328 --> 02:44.130 culture and civilization, 02:44.197 --> 02:45.565 but that doesn't 02:45.632 --> 02:47.166 mean they always did so. 02:47.233 --> 02:48.167 And many of the West's 02:48.234 --> 02:49.836 accomplishments were financed in 02:49.903 --> 02:52.305 part by the wealth and resources 02:52.372 --> 02:54.407 it obtained from other nations. 02:54.474 --> 02:55.842 So, please don't take today's 02:55.909 --> 02:58.211 program as universal praise 02:58.278 --> 03:00.380 for Western Civilization. 03:00.446 --> 03:02.782 Only one civilization in all 03:02.849 --> 03:05.852 past or future history will be 03:05.919 --> 03:07.754 blameless, and we'll mention 03:07.820 --> 03:09.355 that civilization at the very 03:09.422 --> 03:11.090 end of our program. 03:11.157 --> 03:13.226 However, too many today fall 03:13.293 --> 03:15.828 into the trap of criticizing the 03:15.895 --> 03:17.664 West as if its culture and 03:17.730 --> 03:19.499 civilization has been nothing 03:19.566 --> 03:21.334 but a blight on the world since 03:21.401 --> 03:23.002 its birth in Europe and its 03:23.069 --> 03:25.104 spread across the world. 03:25.171 --> 03:26.472 While virtue signaling to one's 03:26.539 --> 03:28.508 enlightened peers by sneering 03:28.575 --> 03:30.243 at the West is extremely 03:30.310 --> 03:31.911 fashionable today, 03:31.978 --> 03:33.713 it is also ill informed 03:33.780 --> 03:35.915 and frankly, ironic. 03:35.982 --> 03:38.084 Because often the very values 03:38.151 --> 03:41.054 the critics of the West apply in 03:41.120 --> 03:43.323 their critique are values that 03:43.389 --> 03:44.591 were disseminated into the 03:44.657 --> 03:48.394 world by Western Civilization. 03:48.461 --> 03:49.596 Rather, the West has, 03:49.662 --> 03:52.265 historically, been a wellspring 03:52.332 --> 03:54.167 of advances in culture, 03:54.233 --> 03:56.235 civil government, science, 03:56.302 --> 03:58.972 technology, economic production, 03:59.038 --> 04:01.140 and human liberty and freedom 04:01.207 --> 04:02.575 that have shaped the modern 04:02.642 --> 04:04.110 world in which we live. 04:04.177 --> 04:05.345 Think of what music would be 04:05.411 --> 04:06.846 today without the gifts 04:06.913 --> 04:09.549 of Bach, Mozart, Handel, 04:09.616 --> 04:11.651 Chopin, or Beethoven. 04:11.718 --> 04:12.952 Or imagine a world that has 04:13.019 --> 04:14.420 never experienced the 04:14.487 --> 04:16.089 art of Michelangelo, 04:16.155 --> 04:18.191 Monet, or Rembrandt. 04:18.257 --> 04:19.592 The Industrial Revolution that 04:19.659 --> 04:20.727 brought advancements in 04:20.793 --> 04:22.028 production in Great Britain, 04:22.095 --> 04:23.663 Europe, and the United States 04:23.730 --> 04:24.731 eventually helped to raise the 04:24.797 --> 04:26.199 standard of living for millions 04:26.265 --> 04:28.501 upon millions of people 04:28.568 --> 04:30.670 all across the globe. 04:30.737 --> 04:32.171 Scientific discoveries and 04:32.238 --> 04:33.673 technological innovations that 04:33.740 --> 04:35.875 began in the West have 04:35.942 --> 04:37.644 transformed our understanding of 04:37.710 --> 04:39.712 the world and virtually every 04:39.779 --> 04:42.649 aspect of our day to day lives. 04:42.715 --> 04:44.417 And principles of personal 04:44.484 --> 04:46.486 liberty, limited government, 04:46.552 --> 04:48.454 individual rights, and the rule 04:48.521 --> 04:50.957 of law--born in the West 04:51.024 --> 04:52.125 and found amongst the 04:52.191 --> 04:53.760 words of the Magna Carta, 04:53.826 --> 04:55.028 the Articles of the U.S. 04:55.094 --> 04:57.063 Constitution, and the enduring 04:57.130 --> 04:58.598 legacy of English common 04:58.665 --> 05:00.199 law--those have been an 05:00.266 --> 05:01.534 inspiration for governments and 05:01.601 --> 05:03.536 peoples around the world 05:03.603 --> 05:05.304 who long for freedom and 05:05.371 --> 05:07.073 rights of their own. 05:07.140 --> 05:08.174 Where did those 05:08.241 --> 05:10.576 values truly originate? 05:10.643 --> 05:12.211 Some will point to the spirit of 05:12.278 --> 05:14.113 the Enlightenment or the 05:14.180 --> 05:16.149 so-called "Age of Reason" in 05:16.215 --> 05:18.484 17th and 18th century Europe. 05:18.551 --> 05:19.919 Many today like to point to how 05:19.986 --> 05:21.921 the "founding fathers" of many 05:21.988 --> 05:23.790 nations of the West studied the 05:23.856 --> 05:25.925 cultures of Greece and Rome, 05:25.992 --> 05:27.026 and to be sure, 05:27.093 --> 05:28.995 those influences are real. 05:29.062 --> 05:30.897 But they aren't sufficient to 05:30.963 --> 05:32.532 explain the growth and 05:32.598 --> 05:34.067 enormous influence of the 05:34.133 --> 05:36.803 West in global history. 05:36.869 --> 05:38.805 What is often ignored concerning 05:38.871 --> 05:40.640 the origins of Western 05:40.707 --> 05:41.974 Civilization is the 05:42.041 --> 05:44.944 influence of The Bible. 05:45.011 --> 05:46.713 That time-honored collection of 05:46.779 --> 05:48.448 writings of the ancient Hebrews 05:48.514 --> 05:50.416 and first-century Christians is 05:50.483 --> 05:52.151 the one book without 05:52.218 --> 05:53.720 which there would be 05:53.786 --> 05:56.956 no Western Civilization. 05:57.023 --> 05:58.291 Now that may be hard for some to 05:58.357 --> 06:00.760 swallow, but it's true. 06:00.827 --> 06:03.463 And understanding that fact 06:03.529 --> 06:05.565 provides insight not only into 06:05.631 --> 06:07.633 the success of the West, 06:07.700 --> 06:09.335 but also into its current 06:09.402 --> 06:12.004 decline into madness. 06:12.071 --> 06:13.973 We'll examine the Bible's role 06:14.040 --> 06:16.008 in Western culture next, 06:16.075 --> 06:17.310 but first let me pause to 06:17.376 --> 06:18.678 give you an opportunity to 06:18.745 --> 06:20.446 request today's free offer, 06:20.513 --> 06:23.082 The Bible: Fact or Fiction? 06:23.149 --> 06:24.751 This resource has been written 06:24.817 --> 06:26.319 to provide you with the evidence 06:26.385 --> 06:28.988 you need to prove the Bible 06:29.055 --> 06:31.057 is more than a mere book 06:31.124 --> 06:32.158 but is instead the 06:32.225 --> 06:34.494 word of God Almighty. 06:34.560 --> 06:35.762 Marshalling evidence from 06:35.828 --> 06:37.497 history, archaeology, 06:37.563 --> 06:38.965 literary research, 06:39.031 --> 06:40.733 and fulfilled prophecy, 06:40.800 --> 06:42.568 The Bible: Fact or Fiction? 06:42.635 --> 06:44.203 will strengthen your faith in 06:44.270 --> 06:45.838 God's Word and will 06:45.905 --> 06:46.973 help you explain its 06:47.039 --> 06:48.975 trustworthiness to others. 06:49.041 --> 06:50.276 And if you have never examined 06:50.343 --> 06:51.978 the actual evidence for 06:52.044 --> 06:53.479 the Bible for yourself, 06:53.546 --> 06:55.481 you need this information. 06:55.548 --> 06:57.083 Do not just assume the Bible is 06:57.150 --> 06:59.552 God's Word--prove the 06:59.619 --> 07:01.487 Bible is God's word. 07:01.554 --> 07:02.922 Request this resource, 07:02.989 --> 07:04.657 The Bible: Fact or Fiction? 07:04.724 --> 07:05.992 today, and finally put any 07:06.058 --> 07:09.228 doubts you or others might have 07:09.295 --> 07:12.565 about the word of God to rest. 07:12.632 --> 07:14.834 For today's free offer call... 07:20.239 --> 07:21.207 Or go to... 07:25.478 --> 07:27.113 This clear and straight-forward 07:27.180 --> 07:28.281 resource will help you 07:28.347 --> 07:30.316 understand this vital truth-- 07:30.383 --> 07:31.284 straight from the 07:31.350 --> 07:33.853 pages of the Bible. 07:33.920 --> 07:34.854 If you're calling for the first 07:34.921 --> 07:36.589 time, you will also receive a 07:36.656 --> 07:38.524 free annual subscription to 07:38.591 --> 07:40.259 Tomorrow's World magazine. 07:40.326 --> 07:42.094 Ten inspiring issues discussing 07:42.161 --> 07:44.597 news, science, and modern 07:44.664 --> 07:46.265 culture will help you make sense 07:46.332 --> 07:47.567 of your world from 07:47.633 --> 07:50.670 a biblical perspective. 07:50.736 --> 07:52.305 Call today and join millions 07:52.371 --> 07:53.973 around the world who are turning 07:54.040 --> 07:56.576 to Tomorrow's World for truth, 07:56.642 --> 07:58.611 prophecy, and hope in these 07:58.678 --> 08:01.881 confusing times. 08:01.948 --> 08:03.249 Call now! 08:03.316 --> 08:04.283 Or go to... 08:12.391 --> 08:13.626 Welcome back. 08:13.693 --> 08:15.061 At the end of our last segment, 08:15.127 --> 08:17.129 we said that the central source 08:17.196 --> 08:19.532 of Western Civilization--of far 08:19.599 --> 08:20.566 more importance than the ancient 08:20.633 --> 08:23.636 Greeks or Romans, or the ideas 08:23.703 --> 08:25.605 of the so-called Enlightenment, 08:25.671 --> 08:26.572 though they had their 08:26.639 --> 08:29.909 influence--was the Bible. 08:29.976 --> 08:30.877 And in this segment, 08:30.943 --> 08:32.111 we'll illustrate why that 08:32.178 --> 08:33.713 claim is true. 08:33.779 --> 08:35.248 Now, before I do, I need to make 08:35.314 --> 08:37.216 plain that no part of 08:37.283 --> 08:39.485 Western Civilization has 08:39.552 --> 08:41.387 truly conformed itself 08:41.454 --> 08:44.290 to the whole of the Bible. 08:44.357 --> 08:45.424 And those portions 08:45.491 --> 08:46.893 of its ancient wisdom the 08:46.959 --> 08:49.061 West has adopted, it has 08:49.128 --> 08:51.764 often grasped half-heartedly. 08:51.831 --> 08:53.232 The major religions of Europe 08:53.299 --> 08:54.600 that claimed the name 08:54.667 --> 08:56.302 "Christianity" have been, 08:56.369 --> 08:57.937 throughout their history, 08:58.004 --> 09:00.239 mixtures of biblical and heathen 09:00.306 --> 09:02.141 elements, with more connections 09:02.208 --> 09:03.376 to the ancient Babylonian 09:03.442 --> 09:05.144 mystery religions than many of 09:05.211 --> 09:07.113 their priests, pastors, or 09:07.179 --> 09:09.482 preachers would care to admit. 09:09.548 --> 09:11.517 In fact, many of the powerful of 09:11.584 --> 09:13.085 Europe and the West through the 09:13.152 --> 09:15.354 centuries have often taken the 09:15.421 --> 09:18.324 words of the Bible and twisted 09:18.391 --> 09:20.126 them to support their own 09:20.192 --> 09:22.094 abominations and abuses. 09:22.161 --> 09:24.096 Yet, Western Civilization 09:24.163 --> 09:26.465 as we know it would not 09:26.532 --> 09:28.634 exist without the Bible. 09:28.701 --> 09:30.603 And however imperfectly its 09:30.670 --> 09:32.405 teachings have been used and 09:32.471 --> 09:35.174 mishandled, the most significant 09:35.241 --> 09:36.842 and beneficial values and 09:36.909 --> 09:38.577 principles of Western culture 09:38.644 --> 09:40.579 have their origins within 09:40.646 --> 09:42.915 its God-breathed pages. 09:42.982 --> 09:45.017 There are too many such values 09:45.084 --> 09:46.886 to mention them all, but let's 09:46.953 --> 09:49.422 look at just a small sampling. 09:49.488 --> 09:51.257 Popular historian Paul Johnson 09:51.324 --> 09:52.892 once noted in the pages of the 09:52.959 --> 09:54.493 Wall Street Journal that the 09:54.560 --> 09:57.063 concept of "the rule of law" in 09:57.129 --> 09:59.031 Western culture--the idea that 09:59.098 --> 10:01.100 no human being, no matter how 10:01.167 --> 10:02.702 powerful or wealthy, 10:02.768 --> 10:04.603 is above the law--was 10:04.670 --> 10:06.539 "the greatest public achievement 10:06.605 --> 10:08.541 of the second millennium." 10:08.607 --> 10:10.209 And it is the Bible that 10:10.276 --> 10:12.144 provided the West with its most 10:12.211 --> 10:14.246 significant basis for 10:14.313 --> 10:16.182 "the rule of law." 10:16.248 --> 10:18.284 For instance, Deuteronomy 17, 10:18.351 --> 10:20.486 verses 18-20, highlight how 10:20.553 --> 10:22.655 kings are not above 10:22.722 --> 10:23.990 their people, and how they, 10:24.056 --> 10:27.326 too, must obey the law. 10:27.393 --> 10:30.563 Passages such as Leviticus 19:15 10:30.629 --> 10:33.232 say that rich and poor must be 10:33.299 --> 10:36.068 treated equally under the law, 10:36.135 --> 10:38.237 and Leviticus 24:22 says that 10:38.304 --> 10:40.339 both foreigners and native-born 10:40.406 --> 10:42.441 citizens must both live 10:42.508 --> 10:44.977 under the same laws. 10:45.044 --> 10:46.679 And when the law is broken, 10:46.746 --> 10:48.981 the West has a deep tradition of 10:49.048 --> 10:50.449 ensuring punishment 10:50.516 --> 10:52.518 is fair and balanced. 10:52.585 --> 10:54.120 We see that value reflected 10:54.186 --> 10:55.154 in Chapter 14 of the 10:55.221 --> 10:56.555 Magna Carta or in 10:56.622 --> 10:58.090 the U.S. Bill of Rights' 10:58.157 --> 10:59.258 prohibition against 10:59.325 --> 11:01.160 "cruel and unusual punishment." 11:01.227 --> 11:02.461 Again, we see the 11:02.528 --> 11:04.263 genesis of this value in 11:04.330 --> 11:05.831 Scripture and its 11:05.898 --> 11:08.167 regulation of punishment... 11:23.215 --> 11:24.950 Modern commentators try 11:25.017 --> 11:25.985 to characterize this 11:26.052 --> 11:27.753 statement as cruel, but 11:27.820 --> 11:29.555 legal historians have recognized 11:29.622 --> 11:32.124 it for what it really is. 11:32.191 --> 11:33.692 A condemnation of the idea 11:33.759 --> 11:35.428 that kings and authorities can 11:35.494 --> 11:37.196 impose whatever punishment they 11:37.263 --> 11:40.066 want, no matter how cruel, but, 11:40.132 --> 11:42.301 instead, must guarantee that 11:42.368 --> 11:45.104 punishment is fair and just, 11:45.171 --> 11:47.106 fitting the crime. 11:47.173 --> 11:48.541 Yet, the Bible's influence on 11:48.607 --> 11:50.276 Western culture extends far 11:50.342 --> 11:52.378 beyond legal foundations. 11:52.445 --> 11:53.813 In a world where human life was 11:53.879 --> 11:55.748 often considered cheap, the 11:55.815 --> 11:57.516 Bible taught early philosophers 11:57.583 --> 11:59.218 and reformers in Europe that 11:59.285 --> 12:00.853 human beings had a special 12:00.920 --> 12:02.955 dignity, placed in them 12:03.022 --> 12:04.924 by no less an authority 12:04.990 --> 12:07.593 than God, their Creator. 12:07.660 --> 12:08.761 We see this in 12:08.828 --> 12:12.965 Genesis 1:26-27... 12:41.460 --> 12:43.395 Consider, too, the sciences. 12:43.462 --> 12:45.397 Many point to Western scientific 12:45.464 --> 12:46.899 advancements and the scientific 12:46.966 --> 12:48.767 method of empirical 12:48.834 --> 12:51.170 experimentation as a key to the 12:51.237 --> 12:53.506 West's rise in the world. 12:53.572 --> 12:55.040 Yet when you study those who 12:55.107 --> 12:57.543 made those advancements, 12:57.610 --> 12:58.677 even in the beginning of the 12:58.744 --> 13:00.980 Enlightenment, it was belief in 13:01.046 --> 13:04.016 the law-giving God of the Bible, 13:04.083 --> 13:05.317 who designed the world 13:05.384 --> 13:07.286 of His own free will, 13:07.353 --> 13:08.954 that stirred those scientists 13:09.021 --> 13:10.756 to study the Creation 13:10.823 --> 13:13.058 and expect to find order in it. 13:13.125 --> 13:14.460 As Isaac Newton, 13:14.527 --> 13:15.861 a passionate student of 13:15.928 --> 13:17.630 the Bible, once wrote: 13:36.248 --> 13:38.684 Newton was not alone in this, 13:38.751 --> 13:40.519 and Western science owes 13:40.586 --> 13:43.189 its existence to the belief of 13:43.255 --> 13:45.391 early Western scientists 13:45.457 --> 13:46.492 in an orderly, 13:46.559 --> 13:48.794 lawful Creator of nature, 13:48.861 --> 13:51.697 as described by the Bible. 13:51.764 --> 13:53.532 The stability in the West of 13:53.599 --> 13:55.201 monogamous marriages of one man 13:55.267 --> 13:57.102 and one woman rearing children 13:57.169 --> 13:58.871 together was influenced by 13:58.938 --> 14:00.539 the New Testament commands 14:00.606 --> 14:02.274 concerning marriage and family. 14:02.341 --> 14:03.309 And it was the teachings of the 14:03.375 --> 14:05.511 Bible concerning mercy toward 14:05.578 --> 14:07.379 widows, orphans, and those in 14:07.446 --> 14:08.881 need that spurred the 14:08.948 --> 14:10.015 development of charitable 14:10.082 --> 14:11.917 organizations in the West that 14:11.984 --> 14:13.452 blossomed into orphanages, 14:13.519 --> 14:15.120 hospitals, and institutions 14:15.187 --> 14:17.022 designed to care for the 14:17.089 --> 14:19.024 elderly, the hungry, 14:19.091 --> 14:20.492 and the homeless. 14:20.559 --> 14:22.261 Truly, the Bible makes its 14:22.328 --> 14:24.763 presence felt in virtually 14:24.830 --> 14:26.498 every area of Western 14:26.565 --> 14:28.634 Civilization's foundations. 14:28.701 --> 14:29.735 The influence of the 14:29.802 --> 14:30.769 word of God in the thinking 14:30.836 --> 14:33.973 of the West is undeniable. 14:34.039 --> 14:36.141 Yet, if the eternal, divine 14:36.208 --> 14:38.277 truths of the Bible are such a 14:38.344 --> 14:40.346 fundamental source of Western 14:40.412 --> 14:42.514 values, then why does Western 14:42.581 --> 14:44.283 Civilization seem to be in its 14:44.350 --> 14:47.519 death throes in so many nations? 14:47.586 --> 14:48.921 We'll answer that question in 14:48.988 --> 14:50.589 our next segment, but first, let 14:50.656 --> 14:52.858 me take a very brief moment to 14:52.925 --> 14:53.993 give you information about how 14:54.059 --> 14:56.328 to request today's free offer, 14:56.395 --> 14:58.597 The Bible: Fact or Fiction? 14:58.664 --> 15:00.032 The Bible is the mind 15:00.099 --> 15:01.834 of God in print. 15:01.900 --> 15:02.968 This free resource, 15:03.035 --> 15:04.436 The Bible: Fact or Fiction? 15:04.503 --> 15:05.804 will help you prove 15:05.871 --> 15:07.273 this for yourself. 15:07.339 --> 15:08.674 When you begin to trust the 15:08.741 --> 15:10.609 Bible as the Word of God it 15:10.676 --> 15:13.145 truly is, you will begin the 15:13.212 --> 15:15.547 greatest adventure of your life. 15:15.614 --> 15:16.715 Begin yours with 15:16.782 --> 15:19.051 The Bible: Fact or Fiction? 15:19.118 --> 15:20.319 Order now, and I will be right 15:20.386 --> 15:21.620 back to explain how a 15:21.687 --> 15:22.955 civilization based so 15:23.022 --> 15:25.324 much on the Bible has 15:25.391 --> 15:27.626 gone so terribly wrong. 15:27.693 --> 15:29.261 This clear and straight-forward 15:29.328 --> 15:30.763 resource will help you 15:30.829 --> 15:32.698 understand this vital truth-- 15:32.765 --> 15:33.666 straight from the 15:33.732 --> 15:35.367 pages of the Bible. 15:35.434 --> 15:36.635 Call now! 15:36.702 --> 15:37.703 Or go to... 15:42.975 --> 15:44.043 In our last segment, 15:44.109 --> 15:45.978 we examined only a handful of 15:46.045 --> 15:47.680 ways in which the Bible has 15:47.746 --> 15:49.181 influenced the foundations 15:49.248 --> 15:50.382 and development of 15:50.449 --> 15:52.651 Western Civilization. 15:52.718 --> 15:54.887 But the fashion today is to deny 15:54.953 --> 15:56.288 the Bible's role in Western 15:56.355 --> 15:58.057 culture and understanding. 15:58.123 --> 15:59.024 For example, 15:59.091 --> 16:00.059 the late Christopher Hitchens, 16:00.125 --> 16:02.127 famous for his militant atheism, 16:02.194 --> 16:04.363 boldly declared in the title of 16:04.430 --> 16:06.665 one of his most popular books 16:06.732 --> 16:09.101 God Is Not Great: 16:09.168 --> 16:12.171 How Religion Poisons Everything. 16:12.237 --> 16:14.139 Author David Bentley Hart 16:14.206 --> 16:16.041 demolishes this pretentious 16:16.108 --> 16:18.043 claim in his book Atheist 16:18.110 --> 16:19.912 Delusions, where he examines 16:19.978 --> 16:21.613 Western Civilization and 16:21.680 --> 16:23.515 addresses Hitchens' claim that 16:23.582 --> 16:25.250 somehow religious beliefs, 16:25.317 --> 16:27.086 like those of the Bible, have 16:27.152 --> 16:30.022 poisoned "everything," writing: 17:16.135 --> 17:17.436 Yet, the spirit of Hitchens' 17:17.503 --> 17:19.004 conclusion is increasingly 17:19.071 --> 17:20.739 common in the West. 17:20.806 --> 17:22.141 And, frankly, there has long 17:22.207 --> 17:24.009 been a tension between the 17:24.076 --> 17:26.111 recognition that Western values 17:26.178 --> 17:28.147 originate in Scripture and 17:28.213 --> 17:30.682 the desire to base society 17:30.749 --> 17:32.117 on something other than 17:32.184 --> 17:34.219 Scripture--on some sort of 17:34.286 --> 17:35.788 secular basis that can be open 17:35.854 --> 17:38.457 to all beliefs, not valuing any 17:38.524 --> 17:41.460 one set of beliefs over another. 17:41.527 --> 17:43.262 As a result, some see the best 17:43.328 --> 17:45.998 means of expanding freedom 17:46.064 --> 17:47.332 is severing the ties 17:47.399 --> 17:49.101 between the culture's values 17:49.168 --> 17:51.537 and the Bible, completely. 17:51.603 --> 17:53.372 For example, in debate on 17:53.439 --> 17:54.706 the floor of the U.S. 17:54.773 --> 17:57.075 Congress in February 2021, 17:57.142 --> 17:58.677 Florida Representative Greg 17:58.744 --> 18:01.380 Steube read from Deuteronomy 22 18:01.447 --> 18:03.215 as part of his defense that 18:03.282 --> 18:04.883 women's sports should be 18:04.950 --> 18:07.019 reserved for biological women 18:07.085 --> 18:08.787 and against the idea that 18:08.854 --> 18:10.088 individuals can simply 18:10.155 --> 18:11.390 choose their own 18:11.457 --> 18:13.425 sexual gender identity: 18:13.492 --> 18:14.960 The Judiciary Chairman 18:15.027 --> 18:17.996 Jerry Nadler responded plainly: 18:18.063 --> 18:18.964 [Mr. Steube...] 18:26.038 --> 18:26.939 Now of course, 18:27.005 --> 18:27.906 many were outraged by the 18:27.973 --> 18:29.374 statement in the United States, 18:29.441 --> 18:31.410 and understandably so. 18:31.477 --> 18:33.812 Yet, do we want our civil 18:33.879 --> 18:35.380 governments imposing 18:35.447 --> 18:37.716 their own interpretations 18:37.783 --> 18:39.885 of the Bible on us? 18:39.952 --> 18:42.387 On the other hand, if God's will 18:42.454 --> 18:45.090 no longer plays any part in 18:45.157 --> 18:47.493 the values and morals that we 18:47.559 --> 18:50.028 maintain, then on what basis 18:50.095 --> 18:51.530 do those values and morals 18:51.597 --> 18:53.298 have any real authority in 18:53.365 --> 18:55.067 our culture at all? 18:55.133 --> 18:56.201 What will be the results of a 18:56.268 --> 18:58.337 society that tries to found its 18:58.403 --> 19:01.206 values on something other than 19:01.273 --> 19:04.042 God's authority and sovereignty? 19:04.109 --> 19:05.344 Frankly, we're beginning to 19:05.410 --> 19:08.180 experience those results today. 19:08.247 --> 19:09.147 Instead of marriages being 19:09.214 --> 19:11.717 understood as God's binding of 19:11.783 --> 19:14.186 one man and one woman, now 19:14.253 --> 19:16.722 marriages are treated as mere 19:16.788 --> 19:18.357 contractual arrangements between 19:18.423 --> 19:20.158 any two persons, to be made or 19:20.225 --> 19:23.128 broken at will, with families 19:23.195 --> 19:25.497 suffering as a result. 19:25.564 --> 19:27.466 In fact, even God's design of 19:27.533 --> 19:29.101 "male" and "female" is being 19:29.167 --> 19:31.069 essentially outlawed in many 19:31.136 --> 19:32.971 Western jurisdictions, as women 19:33.038 --> 19:34.773 are forced to share bathrooms 19:34.840 --> 19:36.575 and bathing spaces with 19:36.642 --> 19:38.977 biological men who identify as 19:39.044 --> 19:41.547 women, and young girls in sports 19:41.613 --> 19:43.515 competitions are being crushed 19:43.582 --> 19:45.317 by biological males with 19:45.384 --> 19:47.419 physical advantages no 19:47.486 --> 19:49.588 woman will ever match. 19:49.655 --> 19:50.822 Without the adamant and 19:50.889 --> 19:52.658 transcendent standard of the 19:52.724 --> 19:54.893 Bible, we are lost in a sea of 19:54.960 --> 19:57.729 chaos in which every man's 19:57.796 --> 19:59.565 opinion is as good as any 19:59.631 --> 20:01.533 other--and our halls of 20:01.600 --> 20:03.068 government and the streets of 20:03.135 --> 20:04.870 our cities are increasingly 20:04.937 --> 20:07.372 filled with the angry voices of 20:07.439 --> 20:09.541 people who are determined that 20:09.608 --> 20:12.377 their opinion will rule the day. 20:12.444 --> 20:13.979 What is the result of trying to 20:14.046 --> 20:15.781 run Western Civilization 20:15.847 --> 20:17.482 according to the vestiges 20:17.549 --> 20:19.117 of values from the 20:19.184 --> 20:20.819 Bible but without the 20:20.886 --> 20:23.055 Bible's divine authority? 20:23.121 --> 20:24.756 A world that corresponds very 20:24.823 --> 20:26.792 closely to that described by the 20:26.858 --> 20:28.794 Apostle Paul to the young 20:28.860 --> 20:30.963 evangelist Timothy. 20:31.029 --> 20:32.130 We see that description 20:32.197 --> 20:34.166 in 2 Timothy 3, 20:34.232 --> 20:36.335 beginning in verse 1... 21:11.737 --> 21:13.672 If you don't recognize our 21:13.739 --> 21:15.607 current world in Paul's 21:15.674 --> 21:18.143 description, you are blind and 21:18.210 --> 21:20.512 need to anoint your eyes. 21:20.579 --> 21:22.914 So, what should the West do? 21:22.981 --> 21:24.249 Is the descent of Western 21:24.316 --> 21:26.485 Civilization reversible? 21:26.551 --> 21:27.986 We've laid the groundwork for 21:28.053 --> 21:30.055 the cure, but the prescription 21:30.122 --> 21:31.657 is not one the West 21:31.723 --> 21:33.792 is likely to accept. 21:33.859 --> 21:35.027 Still, it's the 21:35.093 --> 21:37.496 only possible solution. 21:37.562 --> 21:38.764 We'll explain that cure 21:38.830 --> 21:40.766 in our concluding segment. 21:40.832 --> 21:43.035 Before we do, let me take one 21:43.101 --> 21:44.936 final opportunity to let you 21:45.003 --> 21:47.239 request our free resource, 21:47.305 --> 21:48.974 The Bible: Fact or Fiction? 21:49.041 --> 21:50.676 As long-time viewers are well 21:50.742 --> 21:52.511 aware, we never request 21:52.577 --> 21:53.945 donations from the public 21:54.012 --> 21:55.981 for any of our offers, 21:56.048 --> 21:57.549 and this is no exception. 21:57.616 --> 21:59.351 Jesus Christ commands us... 21:59.418 --> 22:01.153 "Freely you have received, 22:01.219 --> 22:02.821 freely give." 22:02.888 --> 22:04.356 We are supported completely by 22:04.423 --> 22:06.191 the Living Church of God and its 22:06.258 --> 22:08.226 worldwide membership, who want 22:08.293 --> 22:09.661 only to get this information 22:09.728 --> 22:11.697 into as many hands as possible 22:11.763 --> 22:14.466 before Jesus Christ's return. 22:14.533 --> 22:16.001 Request your own free copy right 22:16.068 --> 22:17.669 now, and I will be back to 22:17.736 --> 22:19.871 explain the only way Western 22:19.938 --> 22:21.840 Civilization can pull 22:21.907 --> 22:23.608 itself from the brink. 22:23.675 --> 22:25.877 For today's free offer call... 22:31.216 --> 22:32.184 Or go to... 22:35.787 --> 22:38.123 This clear and straight-forward 22:38.190 --> 22:39.725 resource will help you 22:39.791 --> 22:41.593 understand this vital truth-- 22:41.660 --> 22:42.561 straight from the 22:42.627 --> 22:44.930 pages of the Bible. 22:44.996 --> 22:45.997 If you're calling for the first 22:46.064 --> 22:47.699 time, you will also receive a 22:47.766 --> 22:49.534 free annual subscription to 22:49.601 --> 22:51.570 Tomorrow's World magazine. 22:51.636 --> 22:53.705 Ten inspiring issues discussing 22:53.772 --> 22:55.741 news, science, and modern 22:55.807 --> 22:57.509 culture will help you make sense 22:57.576 --> 22:58.710 of your world from 22:58.777 --> 23:01.446 a biblical perspective. 23:01.513 --> 23:03.448 Call today and join millions 23:03.515 --> 23:05.150 around the world who are turning 23:05.217 --> 23:07.719 to Tomorrow's World for truth, 23:07.786 --> 23:09.821 prophecy, and hope in these 23:09.888 --> 23:12.891 confusing times. 23:12.958 --> 23:14.092 Call now! 23:14.159 --> 23:15.360 Or go to... 23:23.602 --> 23:25.504 So, what can Western 23:25.570 --> 23:27.439 Civilization do? 23:27.506 --> 23:28.707 In our global society and 23:28.774 --> 23:31.009 economy, what impacts the West 23:31.076 --> 23:33.512 impacts the entire world. 23:33.578 --> 23:34.980 How can the West reverse course 23:35.046 --> 23:37.315 and pull itself back from the 23:37.382 --> 23:39.785 brink of self-destruction? 23:39.851 --> 23:41.219 As my good friend and frequent 23:41.286 --> 23:42.554 Tomorrow's World writer, 23:42.621 --> 23:44.456 Dexter Wakefield, likes to note: 23:54.366 --> 23:56.268 Building our civilization on 23:56.334 --> 23:58.904 anything less than a complete 23:58.970 --> 24:01.940 embrace of the Bible as God's 24:02.007 --> 24:04.009 own revelation with divine 24:04.075 --> 24:06.344 authority over all aspects of 24:06.411 --> 24:09.881 life and society will always 24:09.948 --> 24:12.851 have the same eventual results. 24:12.918 --> 24:16.121 Moral chaos, social conflict, 24:16.188 --> 24:18.857 and civilizational collapse. 24:18.924 --> 24:20.058 One of America's founding 24:20.125 --> 24:23.094 fathers, John Adams, understood. 24:23.161 --> 24:25.397 Speaking in 1798 to militia 24:25.463 --> 24:27.232 members in Massachusetts, 24:27.299 --> 24:29.734 then-President Adams noted that 24:29.801 --> 24:31.102 if the United States were to 24:31.169 --> 24:32.938 begin to seem virtuous only on 24:33.004 --> 24:34.973 the surface while the character 24:35.040 --> 24:37.242 of the American people 24:37.309 --> 24:39.344 began to degrade, the U.S. 24:39.411 --> 24:41.646 would become, in his words, 24:44.950 --> 24:46.718 Why? 24:46.785 --> 24:48.353 He answers: 25:19.484 --> 25:21.887 In fact, Bible prophecy speaks 25:21.953 --> 25:24.122 of a profound split that will 25:24.189 --> 25:26.691 come to Western Civilization 25:26.758 --> 25:28.226 when it does not repent of its 25:28.293 --> 25:29.961 half-hearted approach to 25:30.028 --> 25:31.563 biblical values--resulting in 25:31.630 --> 25:33.398 the fall and divine punishment 25:33.465 --> 25:36.268 of many nations of the West, 25:36.334 --> 25:37.335 specifically the 25:37.402 --> 25:38.703 British-descended nations of the 25:38.770 --> 25:40.972 world, and the rise of a 25:41.039 --> 25:42.941 dictatorship among the other 25:43.008 --> 25:44.676 nations that will eventually 25:44.743 --> 25:46.044 grip the entire world 25:46.111 --> 25:48.013 in its clutches. 25:48.079 --> 25:49.414 The result of these developments 25:49.481 --> 25:50.882 will take the world to the brink 25:50.949 --> 25:53.285 of self-annihilation, as Jesus 25:53.351 --> 25:56.621 says, Himself, in Matthew 24... 26:17.776 --> 26:19.277 Yes, thankfully, 26:19.344 --> 26:21.646 those days will be shortened. 26:21.713 --> 26:23.048 The world will be saved from 26:23.114 --> 26:24.916 itself and will begin its 26:24.983 --> 26:26.952 journey into the 1,000-year 26:27.018 --> 26:29.154 peace of Jesus Christ and the 26:29.220 --> 26:30.989 reign of His saints. 26:31.056 --> 26:32.924 That peace will not be brought 26:32.991 --> 26:34.426 about by a return to 26:34.492 --> 26:36.328 "Constitutional norms" or the 26:36.394 --> 26:37.963 values of the West, with its 26:38.029 --> 26:40.065 hybrid spirit of biblical 26:40.131 --> 26:42.133 values, heathen philosophies, 26:42.200 --> 26:44.502 and secular sentiments. 26:44.569 --> 26:45.971 Instead, Christ will 26:46.037 --> 26:48.373 teach the entire world to 26:48.440 --> 26:50.208 embrace the Bible as a 26:50.275 --> 26:52.978 whole--without reservation. 26:53.044 --> 26:54.946 Indeed, His teachings and the 26:55.013 --> 26:57.182 law of God, not man, 26:57.248 --> 26:59.284 will cover the earth as the 26:59.351 --> 27:02.420 waters cover the sea. 27:02.487 --> 27:04.122 Of course, you don't have to 27:04.189 --> 27:06.624 wait for Western Civilization to 27:06.691 --> 27:08.827 get its act together and begin 27:08.893 --> 27:10.562 embracing the book of books 27:10.628 --> 27:11.629 on which that future 27:11.696 --> 27:12.764 will be built. 27:12.831 --> 27:15.266 You can begin building your life 27:15.333 --> 27:17.369 on that book today, and 27:17.435 --> 27:19.270 requesting today's free booklet, 27:19.337 --> 27:21.039 The Bible: Fact or Fiction?, 27:21.106 --> 27:22.907 would be a great way to start. 27:22.974 --> 27:24.209 It's our privilege to be able 27:24.275 --> 27:25.610 to send it to you, just as it's 27:25.677 --> 27:27.012 our privilege to be able to 27:27.078 --> 27:29.214 meet with you here each week, 27:29.280 --> 27:30.181 and we hope you'll 27:30.248 --> 27:31.249 join us here again. 27:31.316 --> 27:32.450 Whether you tune in on 27:32.517 --> 27:33.685 television, YouTube, 27:33.752 --> 27:34.753 or on our website, 27:34.819 --> 27:36.254 you'll find Gerald Weston, 27:36.321 --> 27:37.622 Richard Ames, Rod McNair, 27:37.689 --> 27:39.557 and me ready and waiting for 27:39.624 --> 27:41.259 you--eager to share with you 27:41.326 --> 27:42.861 the life-changing teachings of 27:42.927 --> 27:45.296 Jesus Christ, the inspiring hope 27:45.363 --> 27:47.098 and sobering warnings of Bible 27:47.165 --> 27:48.933 prophecy, and the good news of 27:49.000 --> 27:51.503 the soon-coming Kingdom of God. 27:51.569 --> 27:55.273 Until next time, take care. 27:55.340 --> 27:56.975 For today's free offer call... 28:02.313 --> 28:03.281 Or go to... 28:06.618 --> 28:08.053 Call today and join millions 28:08.119 --> 28:09.788 around the world who are turning 28:09.854 --> 28:12.357 to Tomorrow's World for truth, 28:12.424 --> 28:14.392 prophecy, and hope in these 28:14.459 --> 28:15.927 confusing times. 28:15.994 --> 28:18.129 ♪ 28:18.196 --> 28:19.197 The preceding program is 28:19.264 --> 28:20.231 produced by the 28:20.298 --> 28:21.666 Living Church of God.