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Posted by Anthony on June 24, 2010
Here is a post that is a long time coming. First some caveats: my target audience here is the Bible-believing Christian, namely the kind that takes the Scriptures as authoritative. That said, I believe that Christianity manifests the true account of the moral code, and as such I think that what follows might apply to non-Christians, too.
Ok, now, this will sound like a weird place to start, but stick with me a moment. I consider myself a conservative (although more precisely, a libertarian-constitutionalist-voluntaryist) but I wasn’t always one. I grew up on default… that is, more or less as a liberal, especially on political and economic issues. What changed? Well, when I came to the place where I decided that Truth mattered, I realized that my belief system should, to the best of my ability, resemble reality.
This notion that I should adjust my mind to the world as it really was was really critical in shaping how I’ve come now. You see, there are lots of things that I wished were the case. Unfortunately, they aren’t. For example, I might wish that the members of the government can be trusted to look after the interests of the citizens, but it just isn’t the case. (Formative for me on this point was Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky). History and today’s newspaper reveal otherwise.
I have learned that in life, actions have consequences. I can try to shut my eyes to them and hope that by magic this time the action will have a different consequence (the one that I wished would happen) or I can accept reality. Accepting reality made me into a conservative.
Now, I say all of this in prelude because in this post I’m going to tackle something that I think even conservatives don’t get right a lot of times. I have heard liberals and pacifists and progressives all say something very similar to… “Violence is never the answer.” But I have heard conservatives say it, too. A quick google search reveals people across the spectrum making this statement.
But every sane person knows that, in fact, there are times when violence is the answer. Even most insane people know that sometimes violence is the answer.
So what we have here is a sentiment that is casually flung around that nearly all of us know isn’t true. In short, in saying such a thing, we are out of touch with reality. And one of the things I’ve learned about holding sentiments that don’t actually mesh with the real world is that inevitably bad things result. For example, if you think that you can step in front of a bus going 70 mph without getting hurt, a bad thing will result. Some times, the ‘bad things’ aren’t immediate or clear, but never fear, God cannot be mocked: we reap what we sow. Read the rest of the entry… »
Posted by Anthony on June 18, 2010
Yesterday I was on KFUO AM radio out of St. Louis, MO. You can listen to the segment here:
KFUOInterviewJune17 (12.5 MiB, 55 hits)
I believe I’m in the first half of the segment.
Topic: “Can you prove there is a God?”
We could tackle this topic another 3 times before we’ve covered a fraction of what could be said.
Posted by Anthony on June 17, 2010
One of the things I’ve come to realize is the truth of this statement:
As the dead do not know the living, or even that they themselves are dead, so too irrationality does not know rationality.
Augustine argued that evil was not a ‘thing-in-itself’ but always some good thing that has been corrupted. Evil is a direction away from good. I think he is right about that and I know now that there are many examples of the same principle. Rationality and Irrationality are one example. The Living and the Dead, another. Morality and Immorality yet one more. I’m sure there are others, and now that I am more alert to the principle I’ll keep my eye out for them.
But it does raise interesting questions: if the dead do not know they are dead how are you to proceed if you are a live person in the business of raising the dead?
Posted by Anthony on June 11, 2010
Athanatos Christian Ministries is launching an book club. The year long membership delivers one book a month for just $10 a month- including shipping! The books selected continue to influence Christian thought and provide useful insight for apologists in particular, Christians in general, and readers of all stripes, as they grapple with Truth. The list includes both fiction and non-fiction and the authors span centuries and countries.
To learn more and sign up click here.
Current line up (subject to revision)
(In no particular order)
- G. K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy | Amazon Link | Buy Direct
- Blaise Pascal’s Pensees | Amazon Link | Buy Direct
- George MacDonald’s Lilith | Amazon Link | Buy Direct
- Simon Greenleaf’s Testimony of the Evangelists
- Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov
- Martin Luther’s Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians
- John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
- William Paley’s Natural Theology
- The Apologies of Justin the Martyr
- John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress
- David Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Posted by kathym on June 5, 2010
Do you know why God says things like “Thou shall not commit adultery”, or “Remember the Sabbath”, or ” Thou shall not covet”? Pretty much all of the 10 commandments? I don’t think it’s because He is on His throne looking down on humanity with a stern look, ready to annhiliate anyone who breaks a commandment. And those of us who like to use the word “holy” as the standard of measurement can often shake their pointed finger at us in such a way that causes us to cower away from this “loving” God.
Doesn’t it say while you were yet a sinner Christ died for you? Did God accept you because you were so good? And how did He reveal Himself to you? Did He touch your heart with mercy and compassion or an iron fist?
I think that the commandments are in place because God knows how sensitive we are and easily crushed. Some of us more so than others but it’s in all of us. Our nature is emotional and hard as we may try to avoid these emotions they are there. Some people, such as myself, are moved deeply and I’m not afraid to show it. Some are moved just as deeply but are able to keep it to themselves. Others may express their emotions in forms negatively in forms of anger, cynisism, suspicion; distancing themselves from their feelings.
Think of it like this. If you are a parent you know the boundaries you have set up for your child. You see beyond the moment and the child does not. Sometimes, you do not delight in setting that boundary but you must. Perhaps you have forbidden your child to watch a horror film because you know that child is going to be adversely affected by it. You see beyond the moment. You do not delight in saying no even when all his/her friends are going. That is not the point. The point is that you know how sensitive your child is and the long term effects.
I think this is God’s heart, too.
The Church should be displaying God’s heart. I understand it is necessary to live righteously and stand for righteousness. Yet, first and foremost I believe our hearts must be pure. The Bible tells us that God searches our hearts and to examine our hearts. That tells me not only does He know we can fool ourselves, but how necessary it must be for us to think about our intentions which are found in our hearts.
Not only do I think this means we should be careful to be compassionate within our churches, but outside as well; even more so. How we stand for righteousness, howbeit necessary to be bold, must be so driven by love that the hearer will be compelled to listen and be drawn to God.
Don’t you see a mixture today? I do. I see some representing God with the evidence of Christ’s love – primarily through their compassion and mercy – and, I see those among us who represent God with an iron hand.
Any situation I approach is almost always with utmost sadness for the person involved. Sometimes it is anger at the injustice. But it then leads to compassion and mercy. Some may say I have the gift of mercy. I don’t believe so. The Bible tells all of us to love mercy, to be merciful; compassionate. Isn’t this and only this what Jesus was all about?
The old saying goes, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar” is true. We must express the sweetness of God. If He should mark iniquity, who could stand? That same mercy we received while we were yet sinners should be offered in the same way to others. Anything less is not who God is.
I have been touched the deepest and sustained when not getting what I knew I deserved. That’s God’s heart toward humanity. This love is what the world does not know. If we display the world’s love it will fail.
When we express the right kind of love to others, we will see more who not only turn to God, but stay there.
While we hold true to the commandments, may we reveal the Father heart of God and not a harsh task master.
Posted by kathym on June 2, 2010
It is common for Christians to talk about being led by the Holy Spirit. Examples are, “The Holy Spirit led me to this particular scripture” or “God is telling me to go pray for that person” or “God is leading me to have a Bible study”, (or God told me to move to Albuquerque). These are pretty common statements I have heard in my 33 years of church attendance.
I thought of something today. Why doesn’t God ever lead us to buy a new car or house for someone? Or just hand someone $100? Or $1,000? Just because?
This happens here and there. But it’s not the norm. Shouldn’t it be?
Here’s my point. It seems that our love should be extravagant. I mean, I think we should be knocking people’s socks off. I think that the display (putting our money where our mouth is) of God’s love has got to look so different than the world that people will be constrained to know God.
Our charitable good deeds are matched and even exceeded by others. We talk the talk but how well do we fare in showing it? Because we’ve gotta be doing something that means something. Talk is cheap. No one is impressed. But action that costs you something for someone else’s benefit speaks loud and clear.
Jesus didn’t just tell us God loves us. He showed us.
Who can deny Peter’s love for Jesus? He was so passionate…so loyal…so happy. Yet, when push came to shove it was revealed to Peter where his limitation was. He was so sure. So certain. And then the cock crowed and Jesus’ gaze penetrated through the humanity that is within all of us, and Peter was brought face to face with himself.
I imagine a Church where all of us are giving like crazy. Going up to strangers and giving them money. Buying a new car for your next door neighbor. Or paying for the family sitting next to you at a restaurant.
If God is telling all of us what to do, if the Holy Spirit is leading us to go here and there, then how come more of this isn’t going on?
What is God really saying to all of us? Are we listening? Or are our sacrifices pretty pitiful and perhaps unpleasant to God?
When someone receives something they know they didn’t deserve, something happens. Whether that undeserving is in the form of a stranger who wonders why you paid for his coffee or giving a gift to someone who hates you…divine nature is set into motion. Cutting through all the nonsense, hype, noise, trends… religion; truth, unabashed is seen in rarest form, like a precious gem, unknown and hidden to humanity…undiluted, untarnished. Pure love from God flowing through our hands to a world who does not know Him.
I’m tired of the books that keep saying the same thing. I’m tired of bells and whistles that entertain. I’m tired of seeker-friendly. I’m tired of user-friendly. I’m tired of hoops and bandwagons. I’m tired of methods and strategies. It’s become too easy to fill our lives with every form of outreach while we are really ignoring what we are supposed to be doing.
When we love others more than ourselves, it’s gonna show. If we don’t, it’s gonna show. And that, and only that, will show the world who God is… or who He isn’t.
