Author: Rev. Charles Pugh

Do you have a degree at an “Institution of Higher Learning”?  Virginia Tech is said to be one such University and yet many of our Universities have even forgotten what made them able to call their Institution a University.  One Lesson coming to my mind from the VT Tragedy and my own ensuing tragedy is “Unify Diversity” (#8 in my “Top Ten” Lessons tabbed above).  If you have never researched the history of our Universities, I challenge you to do so.  I challenge you to take a look at the founding statements of the Ivy League schools and you will begin to understand how our great United States of America has been able to be so blessed; yet, there are blessings going unclaimed today…

I trust that this opening paragraph intrigued you enough to look further.  I trust that you will be curious enough to dig deeper into what I am saying and see the Truth of the lessons I am talking about.  Just as I have been writing about in all of these Blogs, I have come to better understand the Wisdom of the Ages (see the 05-03-08 “I KNOW a Secret” Blog).  This is not a secret that I wish to keep from others. I want others to KNOW what I do and the ONE that I KNOW.  I want you, dear reader, to feel the JOY that I feel from the GOD OF HOPE (Romans 15:13) no matter what is happening around you!  I want you to be comforted from the GOD OF ALL COMFORT (2 Corinthians 1:3).  I want you to KNOW this peace that I do through the GOD OF PEACE (Romans 15:33).

I KNOW these things through my study of GOD’S revelation in the Creation, through HIS SPECIAL REVELATION—The Bible, and through HIS PERSONAL REVELATION–THE LORD JESUS CHRIST of History.  My faith is certainly not a blind faith; it is very reasonable faith, consistent and corresponding to the reality that we know (unless we hide from it or refuse to see it).  How does this faith compare with the faith of a mere Naturalist (who inconsistently claims to only believe in what he can see)?  How does this faith compare with Evolutionary Darwinism?

Unfortunately, it was a “Charles” that codified that “theory” with his 1859 racist publication of “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life” (the original full title of Charles Darwin’s book).  Yet, I am a “Charles” who is illustrating its failure to adequately answer life’s questions and also working on a book that historically ties the Modern Creation Movement to the very “Institution of Higher Learning” where the “worst U.S. Shooting Massacre in history” occurred on 04-16-07.  I am LIVING the SUPERIORITY of a faith that has the most reasonable answers to all of life’s questions, despite the incredible trials going on around me and in my life.

Dear friend, do you care about your own life?  Do you care about the lives of those you love?  Do you care about the lives of those you really don’t love (If not, why not?)?  I do care and have sacrificed MUCH to help others see what I see, and KNOW WHO I KNOW.  PLEASE, dig a little deeper (look at the other things on this site; don’t merely dismiss them without thinking about them).  Challenge me if you can find nobody else to take up your questions.  Contact me with the information below.  I would love to talk with ANYONE further.  You too, can learn from the HIGHEST INSTITUTION of LEARNING and KNOW how to PREVAIL through life’s tragedies, as I have and am.

Today is my birthday and I am thinking about growth again…Are you able to learn?  Are you able to grow?  We all learn and grow in ways, but how?  How do we learn?  We learn when we are exposed to and challenged with new information.  How do we grow?  We grow when we are challenged to move beyond where we are (be it physically, emotionally and mentally, or spiritually).  Yet, we will not change or grow until we choose to act on what we have been challenged with.  This is a principle applying to every aspect of life!

Have you wondered why so many young people today seem to have so many more problems?  These problems are often so intense that they lead to introspection and isolation.  When there is a blow-up from this isolationist thinking, it can lead to an event such as what Seung-Hui Cho committed on 04-16-07.  I submit that young people today have more problems because their lives are often more defined by comfort and entertainment, rather than by being challenged.  In fact, this “comfort mentality” plagues most in our society, not just young people.

Schools and Universities have often “dumbed down” the education standards.  Governments often look for common political opinions, rather than challenging the people to grow and change.  Churches often “water down” the message so as not to offend, rather than challenge people through the Truth of the Word of God.  No wonder problems follow in all these areas.  How much more growth would we see if we simply took the initiative to challenge those around us in various ways?

I CHALLENGE you to THINK with me here! Don’t make the mistake of focusing on comfort more than on growth and allowing yourself and your thinking to be challenged.  Check out the other thought provoking blogs and other things on this site.  See if you can be challenged to learn from the VT Tragedy and even my own ongoing tragedy.  It would be a great birthday present to me to know that you have grown through my challenging you to think and act appropriately; to know that you are learning to prevail, despite any tragedy!

Have you considered why the 04-16-07 VT Tragedy occurred?  What about why 09-11-01 happened?  Could there be specific reasons why tornadoes are so prevalent this year or why floods are historically devastating in the middle of the U.S. (and even in other parts of the world. like China)?  Why is it currently cooler in the Eastern U.S. and so hot in the western U.S.?  What are the forces in place that bring about these things?

One of the most well-established principles in the physical Creation is the principle of Reaping and Sowing.  This is related, but not quite the same as the principle of cause and effect or of Newton’s third law of motion summarized as: “to every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.”  GOD has Created and established a delayed reaction in time to many of the actions that we take.  This operates not only in the physical realm, but also the emotional and spiritual realms.  We recognize this principle easily through agriculture.  When you plant a particular seed, this will lead to the growth of that seed in time and whatever product or fruit that will eventually come from it.  Incidentally, this defies the idea of evolution being true and will serve to teach us in every area of life if we desire to learn.

Scripture makes it clear that GOD warns us to fully consider this principle:. Galatians 6:7 says:  “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”  This text goes on to explain how this applies in the non-physical realms as well.  What you do, no matter how small, does make a difference!  It also makes a difference if you fail to do something, as there are other forces in this world that are at work.

What are you sowing or failing to sow that would make a difference?  What are you reaping or what will you be reaping (there is that delayed time between sowing and reaping)?  There are other forces at work in this world too and our actions and inactions even impact them.  Check out the other blogs and items on this website.  You may wish to view the related blog entitled, “Thinking Why?”  Know that things do happen for a reason, though we may not always realize exactly why.  One day, we will know and we will realize how all of our actions and inactions have impacted others.  Are you ready for that day?

One place where you expect to find intelligence is on a University Campus.  There is much research that is done on or in conjunction with our college campuses.  Virginia Tech is one of the top research institutions in the country.  This town of Blacksburg has even been coined as “the most wired town in America” and has led the way in Internet and computer technology.  There are numerous businesses that have sprung up in town in what is called “The Corporate Research Center.”  There is even a “Smart Road” in town (one of only two worldwide) where cutting edge research is done in relation to travel and road conditions.  The company cloning animals is also in town and has worked with Virginia Tech to clone several animals here.  With all this intelligence, you wonder how there could be such ignorance as well.  How could there be such an atmosphere that would even allow for the Tragedy that occurred here on 04-16-07?

The fact is that no matter how intelligent we may be we still are ignorant of how so many things work.  Intelligence is also unable to prevent many tragedies (though it can prevent some and help prepare for others).  We cannot fully understand why the wind blows as it does or why it spins and produces tornadoes that cause such devastating damage.  We cannot fully understand why an intelligent student could bring himself to such a point to be able to take so many lives, as Seung-Hui Cho did on 04-16-07.  Well, we need not be ignorant of some things we can understand about this event and how to help prevent such a thing from happening again.

One area where we need not be ignorant is how each human being is a soul that has independent thought and is far superior to any animal in the Creation.  Yet, many very intelligent people still remain ignorant about this very obvious truth and so many place their pets above the people in their lives.  I was listening to a program on the Virginia Tech sponsored public radio station this past Saturday which again reminded me of the contrast between intelligence and ignorance in this area.  The program is “Calling All Pets” and is hosted by Zoologist Patricia McConnell, PhD and Adjunct Associate Professor of Zoology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  Dr. McConnell has many good things to say about animal behavior and is an esteemed expert in this.

I have been disappointed to hear how she so blatantly equates animals with human beings (though there is quite an obvious difference noted in much of her advice given).  This is based upon an evolutionary mindset that sees human beings as merely highly developed animals.  No wonder we can have people go to extreme measures to save and preserve animal life, but be so quick to support aborting a developing human being or abandon some human being who is less than what one desires.  Dr. McConnell was even giddy when talking about the science of “mirror neurons” that are found in our brains and also in the brains of animals (she says, “other animals,” indicating her belief that people are just another form of an animal).  She mentioned how this was discovered by accident when scientists were studying “other primates”—monkeys in this case.

Friend, every human being is a body, soul and spirit that is Created in the Image of God!  We are distinct from the animals and are not related to them through any alleged evolutionary development.  There is absolutely no fossil evidence that demonstrates any transitional form of any animal or any human being.  There is variety among animals and there is variety among human beings.  There are some similarities between us in that we have the same Creator.  We should appreciate and care for the animals that are a part of GOD’s Creation, yet we must see the far greater value of each human being.

Check out my poem “Learn to Prevail—32 to 33” and how many have not properly learned that Seung-Hui Cho was a human soul.  Look at the connection between evolutionary thinking that has prevailed at this Intelligent University, Virginia Tech, and what happened here to help birth the modern Creation Movement (see my blog “Expelled”).  If this ignorant mindset prevails, there will most certainly be more tragedies, because human life will be devalued.  Let us learn to not be ignorant here, but use the intelligence that GOD has given us!

This is a record breaking year for tornados across the United States.  News of the 4 boy scouts recently killed from a tornado in Iowa and dozens more injured shows how tragedy can strike anyone at nearly anytime.  Historic record flooding is ravaging the Midwestern U.S. and fires are devouring multiple acres of land out west.  A large wildfire (said to have started from lightning) in Eastern North Carolina even spread smoke up into this area of Virginia on Thursday.  Many of these natural disasters will impact all of us through yet additional increases in food and energy costs.  Nobody knows exactly why all these difficulties are facing us now, however, it should cause us to pause and reflect on things we may need to change.

Tragedy should help us learn.  Much has been learned and improved in our Universities following the 04-16-07 VT Tragedy.  There are still other things that must be learned, which is why I established and am blogging on this website.  If we do not learn from the events that happen in life, and particularly from the tragedies, then we are asking that more trouble happen to us in the future.  We all need to grow and change appropriately to best live in the reality of this world.

I was reading in Psalm 55 today and came to verse 19.  It says that the people afflicting King David were going to be afflicted by God since they would not change nor fear HIM.  I have written before about the importance of Fearing the LORD.  As noted, that is also the first lesson to be learned that I have determined coming from the VT Tragedy and my personal tragedy.  If we fear the LORD as we should, we will realize that we need to change and work to do so as appropriate.

Friend, what or whom do you fear?  Are you afraid that a tornado might take your belongings or impact your life?  It could.  Are you afraid that floods or drought and fires will engulf your belongings or impact your life?  They could.  Are you afraid that someone might begin shooting around you and injure or take your life?  They could.  Do you fear change?  You need not.  Are you afraid of what you may face after death?  You should be, unless you are prepared.  Check out the Gospel tab above.  Look over the Top Ten Lessons from Scripture that we all need to learn.  Read over the other blogs I am writing and consider how you may need to change.  Fear the LORD above all and you will begin to change as you should!