Here's the inside of the book...
Here's what the back reads:
George Burns once said, "By the time you're eighty years old you've learned everything. You only have to remember it." How true. The memory fades as time passes. But this generation is fighting the aging process like no other. While we may be able to slow down the aging process with hair transplants, tucks and cuts, by eating right and exercising, we can't stop it. What would you do to preserve your youth? What would you do then to preserve your most precious possession — your life? Would you be prepared to humble yourself and look to the One who gave it to you in the first place? To do so, simply ask yourself if you think that you are good enough to go to Heaven. Here's how to know: Have you ever lied (even once) or stolen (regardless of value)? Have you ever used God's name in vain, or had sexual thoughts about someone to whom you are not married? Have you ever hated someone? The shocking truth is that if you said yes to those questions, on Judgment Day God will see you as a lying thief, a blasphemer, an adulterer, and even a murderer. Jesus said, "Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart," and Scripture also says that if you hate someone, you are a murderer. This is the Bible's warning—if God gives you justice on Judgment Day, you will end up in Hell. Forever. But God is rich in mercy, and He made a way for you to be forgiven: "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus suffered and died on the cross, taking the punishment for your sins. Then He rose from the dead and defeated death. If you repent and trust in Jesus, God will forgive you and grant you eternal life. Pray something like: "Dear God, please forgive my sins (name them). I turn from them and trust Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. In His name I pray. Amen." Then read the Bible daily and obey what you read (see John 14:21). Now go to www.livingwaters.com and click on "Save Yourself Some Pain."
I laughed so hard the first time I saw this. I have a copy at home and I use it on my guests that come over. Then I leave it out for them to read the back. If you'd like a copy to give out to family and/or friends you can find it here: What Science Can Do To Stop The Aging Process
17 comments:
As ineffective as any other tract I've read. They always seem to beg the question.
I laughed so hard the first time I saw this. I have a copy at home and I use it on my guests that come over. Then I leave it out for them to read the back.
You definitely are easily amused, Trish.
"By Albert P. Zilch"
Oh, Ray's hillarious!
Azou -- every tract is irrelevant, impotent, etc. when it comes down to it -- only the Lord of Life can give you new life.
Reading a tract is like reading a book on weight-loss: it won't do the work for you. The real issue is why do you spend time denying Christ, denying the potency of a tract, etc., rather than investigating Christ Himself?
Now, granted, I've made some assumptions -- that you don't believe in Christ, that you don't study Him (by study Him I mean read the Bible, read Christian points of view vs. re-sets of Hitchens et al)...just an inference from your comment.
Tracts are only as powerful as the God Who uses this foolishness to reach the lost sinner, and only as powerful as the sinner's desire to actually listen to the voice of Christ.
Apart from these two things, a tract is only as powerful as the dead tree it's printed on.
Here's to hoping you have ears to hear one day, I mean truly hear, and not just swat the Truth away like a cloud of midges and gnats.
Actually, there have been a number of advances in slowing the aging process in recent years.
I imagine that it won't be too long before death becomes avoidable - at least for an indefinitely long time - via organ replacements, stem cell treatments genetic modifications and synthetic implant. I'm almost certain that this is not a good idea (you just need to watch a few 'Ghost in the Shell' type films and read some dystopian sci-fi to see the potential downsides!)
An interesting gimmick for the tract, to be sure. But as Azou said, totally ineffective unless the person already believes in God.
Cheers,
PS. you've been pretty quite of late Trish; been up to anything interesting?
All the advances in medical research to slow (not stop) aging are interesting but they won't be of a lot of help if you get hit by a truck.
There's about the same amount of evidence for life after death.
Did you know that yeast cells are immortal? They do not die of old age; given enough food and the right environment, they will continue to reproduce forever.
Did you know that with a little genetic tweaking, a nematode's lifespan can be extended to 6 times the normal length?
Did you know that birds atypically live long lives? Biologically speaking, the smaller the animal, the shorter its lifespan will be. Birds are an exception to this rule, however, and recent research suggests this might happen because birds seem to absorb free radicals ten times slower than we do.
Did you know that cell damage is what causes us to "age"? Did you also know that cell damage can be avoided?
While the predictions of extending the human lifespan tend to exist only on the fringes of science, some headway is being made. It's hardly silly to imagine that we'll be able to slow the aging process in the future; the issue seems to be one of getting it done, rather than understanding how to do it.
For more reading, I suggest the following references:
Michio Kaku's Time (tv, episode #2)
Paul Nurse, geneticist, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Medicine
Buck Institute for Age Research
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It seems to me the book is an exercise in hubris. It's fun to tweak the nose of popular culture and of science in general, but when it's done to reinforce the validity of your own world view, in complete ignorance of the thing being criticized, it's little more than pride.
aka. sin
Incidentally, Aubrey de Grey is also an interesting person to look up, with regards to our understanding of the aging process
Hey, Albert P. Zilch stole my name!
Actually, I know what can stop the aging process: death. I won't get any older after I die.
cheers from sunny Vienna, zilch
WEM
It seems to me the book is an exercise in hubris.
It seems to me that the book is an example of the old "bait-and-switch" con trick. It promises something on the cover, but it turns out to be a complete lie in order to draw you in to read a sales pitch for something else instead.
Old con trick.
All the advances to escape old age and death will be for naught. Here's why: Jesus says;
Mat 24:34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Mat 24:36 "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Mat 24:37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Mat 24:38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
Mat 24:39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man
Continue reading Matthew 24 for more. May God bless you with His gift of salvation as you seek to know the truth. There can only be one truth - otherwise the word means nothing.
Jenny, we've already advanced the lifespan of human beings. If you don't believe me, look to the Wikipedia entry for "Lifespan_Expectancy". Modern medicine alone has allowed us to live nearly twice as long (on average) as people in the US one hundred years ago.
It seems either Jesus was wrong about this, or your understanding of Scripture is imperfect. I mean this respectfully.
Whateverman, We were created to live forever initially, but, once sin entered the world, so did death. Eventually, we will all die and if science is able to help you live 'forever', one day, Jesus will return and take those who are His and those who are not (His) will live forever in Hell. I wouldn't want my worst enemy to spend eternity in hell. :(
My 16 year old daughter has told me not to trust Wikipedia since, she says, 'it's unreliable'.
I hope that you know that I mean this respectfully. :)
Well, ok Jenny, I can understand not wanting to trust Wikipedia. Let me ask you a question though:
Is it true or false that people live longer today than they did 100 years ago?
I don't know the correct answer to your question Whateverman. I'm sorry. If I look at my own family; my Grandma lived to 96 and her daughter, my Mom is 86 right now.... My nephew passed away last year at 25...
It's truly irrelevant to the original post which talks about "stopping" the aging process. That hasn't been done.
Going back to something you wrote in an earlier post:"It seems either Jesus was wrong about this, or your understanding of Scripture is imperfect." Can you be more specific? I'm not sure what you're referring to.
Hi Jenny,
Upon rereading this thread, it appears I may have misunderstood you. It started here:
Jenny wrote All the advances to escape old age and death will be for naught.
Up until your comment, the thread discussed our supposed inability to slow the aging process; I assumed your comment was just another way of saying the same thing. If instead you were saying that Judgement Day arrives regardless of how long we live, then I misunderstood you. if so, please disregard my comment about Jesus/scripture.
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I will reiterate, however, that science actually DOES help us to live longer. This fact can not be disputed by a rational westerner...
:)
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