Religulous?

Does God exist? This movie proves…that you can cherry pick any “experts” you want and get your intended result. I am increasingly skeptical of all “documentaries” that are coming out these days (on both sides).  Atheists will probably enjoy the flick…

Theism 101-Belief and Definition

Last week we discussed the supernatural component of theism. What differentiates atheism from theism is the belief, or lack thereof in the supernatural which we defined as action or power unrestrained by temporal or natural constraints as observed by science and experience. I would like to revise the definition as follows: action ,power, and essence unrestrained by and independent of temporal or natural constraints as understood by current science and experience. The theist believes that this definition fits in our universe, while the atheist believes this to be a mere philosophical ruse. Theism judges the scope of scientific knowledge and personal experience to be unsuitable for discerning the truth/untruth of the supernatural.

Quite appropriately, theism is then the rejection of naturalism as sufficient. Naturalism fails to answer all the questions that the theist has, therefore he is reasonable to suspect that supernaturalism is possible and believable. As belief remains the key differentiation between atheists and theists, we will next look into the common atheist claim of a “lack of belief”.

Theism 101–Supernaturalism and Definition

As conceived, theism consists of two parts—a supernatural component, and a belief component. Due to the broad nature of these definitions a wide variety of theisms may be expected. This is the situation we find ourselves in today making it important to differentiate between the various subsets of theism. To do so let us know consider more closely the two components of theism.

First the supernatural component. Supernaturalism is defined as, “the quality of being attributed to power that seems to violate or go beyond natural forces”¹. It is important to differentiate between this definition and others as this definition allows for the supernatural to work within the confines of natural phenomena as observed on this earth. I believe that an even better definition of  supernaturalism would be  action or power unrestrained by temporal or natural constraints as observed by science and experience. As such, we will use and expand upon this definition in our discussions here. Next week we will look into the belief component.

 1. Supernaturalism. Dictionary.com. WordNet® 3.0. Princeton University. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/supernaturalism (accessed: February 25, 2008).

Imagine No Religion Campaign.

There are approximately forty-six churches in the town I live in, which is home to a little more than fifty thousand people. I would hardly call the area “unchurched.” However, As I was driving to work one day I noticed a sign on a billboard that stated in Olde Anglish print, “Imagine No Religion.” I have to say that this billboard has caused me to think.

On the practical side, do billboards like this work in heavily churched areas? I would tend to think that this would be a galvanizing factor for Christians. But what about atheists and other doubters? Do they feel that they are not alone any more? How does this make atheist feel? Evangelical? Bold? Something to think about at any rate.

Consider this article as well.

Denominationalism

A series on denominations and denominationalism may seem out of place on a theism/atheism blog, but I believe it will become clear by the end of the series that the two are more inter-linked than previously thought.

When discussing Christianity (a more narrow version of theism) the topic will invariably come up. Therefore, I believe it to be in the best interest of all to settle the denominationalism question before serious debate occurs. This will hopefully:

1. Clarify allusions and quotations as well as other sourcing issues.
2. Alleviate misrepresentations.
3. Reduce dependence on organizations and reemphasize scripture in discussions.
4. Illuminate the Scripture’s stance on the issue.

I will hopefully be starting this up again next week and revisiting some of the issues already covered in some more detail.

Introducing Theism…and Atheism…

Substantially, there are intrinsic difficulties in both explaining and understanding what theism (and by extension, atheism) entails. The various theisms and atheisms with their billions of adherents compound the difficulty of the task of initiating the broader public into “the debate.” Adding to this difficulty is the enormity of the literature, phraseology, and counterpoints on each side of the debate, a problem which becomes a non-starter for the majority of potential newcomers to the issue. Apart from the vitriol and ignorance displayed by many “debaters” on each side of the aisle, this may be the key deterrent for the majority of the uninterested public. Even the most engaged theist may despair of ever knowing enough to fully defend his position.

In light of this reality, and due to the popular rather than elitist aims of this blog, my next intention in addition to the already developed themes, (which I will have more on tomorrow) is to slowly develop a basic understanding of theism and atheism through an ascending series of essays on basic to advanced topics pertaining to the key issues. My intent is not to show my learning, but to learn as we go and to establish a precedent for ensuing conversation on this blog. The first topic will be Theism 101, which I intend to unveil next Monday.

I would appreciate any comments and insight as we proceed. I believe this would greatly enhance the quality of the discussion. Also, to anyone who comes to this site, take a moment and fill in the atheism and theism pages with an acceptable definition. I would prefer that atheists and theists post on their own pages, but if you want to cross post, please identify yourself as an opponent to the view you are describing in the interest of fairness.

Government on Earth

Vox’s lesson on Ron Paul’s rejection: Keep on protestin’.

 This reminds me a little of the message of Samuel to the Israelite people, “[I Samuel 8:10] And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
[11] And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
[12] And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
[13] And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
[14] And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
[15] And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
[16] And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
[17] He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
[18] And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
[19] Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
[20] That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”

…keep on protestin’.

This has to be embarassing to Atheists

Another embarrassing episode by another embarrassing atheist. Joy, which by the way is emphasized as a Christian virtue, makes the point that without our medicines today people would be able to hear God. I for one would like to hear God audibly…I guess I will have to give up the occasional Excedrin…

Da Theist is Back.

If anyone has followed this blog, they know that there has been precious little activity since the month of June. Well, that may be over now as my dear wife is in remission and life is returning to normalcy. We would like to thank those who prayed, especially jamsco and Tom who commented on the thread.

 The goal is to post once or twice a month until life is rythmical again, and then get back to my themes I started earlier in the year.

 I would also like to thank the atheists for posting on the definition page at a much higher rate than the theists on their page. It appears we may have something to learn from them after all.

My Father’s Day

I spent Father’s Day yesterday primarily in the comfortable confines of my home with my wife and daughter. That day reminded me why we all need fathers, and that those of us with good fathers owe a tremendous debt to him, and how that those of us who have in no means arrived ( I mean myself) should reflect on how we can better fulfill the fatherly ideal..

The day started with Punjab (one of the names I call my girl) calling to us to get her out of her crib. From that point on it was a roller coaster of primary and nursery care. My wife has cancer and is undergoing chemo-therapy. One of the aspects of her treatment is a shot after the treatment. You may have seen the commercials for Nulasta. This is not nearly as happy a drug as the commercials convey. One of the side effects most commonly associated with the use of this drug is mild to moderate (according to the commercial) bone pain. After this shot my wife has to deal with the following things: first, she is very tired from the four chemo drugs she gets on Friday. Second, she is very nauseous from the same drugs. Third, around six at night the bone pain begins to settle in.

Now allow me to paint a picture for you. From seven in the morning to ten at night Father’s day was an exercise in…well, fathering. I changed diapers, fed the baby (she eats solid food, not breast milk watched her, put her to bed, repeated…drove the two of them to the oncologist’s office for the shot, drove them back, put them down for naps, which seems awkward to write, worked on a web-site for my church, made lunch, fetched things for my wife who could not sit up without risk of losing said lunch, gave her medicine, changed some more diapers, watched some Southern Gospel program that Punjab loves, put them both to bed, worked on my classes for Seminary.

All-in-all, a very busy day, but it revealed something to me. Fathers day is not about getting a tie or a grill or a steak (we ate Ramen), but is about remembering what our Father’s did for us. Thinking back on how my father did many of the same things for me, I cannot help but find myself inadequate. I can only think that it is times like these that God uses to fuse an idea into your being…the idea of Ephesians 5:33 “Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself.”  And of chapter 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

The opportunity to live these verses makes yesterday the best Father’s day ever.

Good News!

I will never cry when I hear stories like this.

New Computer in Mourning

With the arrival of my new power machine I have discovered myself to be quite busy getting it up to speed. In this regard the Mac commercials are quite accurate. As this is the case, I do not anticipate any blog posts until Monday morning, when we will hit this thing with new zeal and computing power!

Profiling the Christian Churches–The Southern Baptist Convention

From SBC.net:

Since its organization in 1845 in Augusta, Georgia, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has grown to over 16 million members who worship in more than 42,000 churches in the United States. Southern Baptists sponsor about 5,000 home missionaries serving the United States, Canada, Guam and the Caribbean, as well as sponsoring more than 5,000 foreign missionaries in 153 nations of the world.

The term “Southern Baptist Convention” refers to both the denomination and its annual meeting. Working through 1,200 local associations and 41 state conventions and fellowships, Southern Baptists share a common bond of basic Biblical beliefs and a commitment to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world.

You become a Southern Baptist by uniting with a Southern Baptist church, one in friendly cooperation with the general Southern Baptist enterprise of reaching the world for Christ. Typically church membership is a matter of accepting Jesus as your Savior and Lord and experiencing believer’s baptism by immersion.

The Southern Baptist Convention’s main distinctives are cooperative program, conservative politics, and biblical authority. However, the Convention, despite the cooperative nature of the organization, is anything but uniform. However, the majority of SBC churches are similar in style as well as substance. Here are some of the different churches in the convention:

Saddleback Church is one of the nations largest churches and is a member of the SBC, as is the former Jerry Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church. One of the more controversial SBC churches is the Sandals Church of Riverside, CA home of the JC Girls ministry that uses a model of ministry many would find compromising in most Christian circles, but according to those involved with the ministry, merely incorporating the non-judgmental attitude that Jesus commanded.

Southern Baptists of some renown are:

The venerable Vox Day, Pastor Rick Warren, the aforementioned Pastor Jerry Falwell, formerly Jimmy Carter , and also formerly Bill Clinton.

Roberts on Hitchens

I have not completely read the debate, so I will not comment on who won, but Dr. Roberts shows some of the typical errors that Hitchens makes in his atheist apologetics. Hitchens’ method is the all-too-common method of spraying rhetorical bullets rather than honing in on an argument and understanding it. Many people are too uninformed on a topic to refute what he says and it goes unchallenged. Not so in this case. Bravo, Dr. Roberts.

Denominationalism: Functionalities and Failures Part I

If the multiplicity of denominations, variety of doctrine, and compounding of splits in the Christian Church (Yes, I believe the church is universal) has you confused, you are not alone. It is the sole purpose of this series to cover denominationalism in such a manner that the confusion is gone and light is shed on the vastness of the scope of the church. Choosing a church should not be a difficult decision, but it has become so due to the multitude of voices calling for your attendance, and unfortunately, your wallet as well. This adds to confusion and consternation in the selection of an assembly. Therefore, without any further delay, let us consider now, where the church comes from, when it split up, and who comprises its many parts.

I.                    The Origin of the Christian Church.

The Church, (upper case for the Church Universal, lower for the local assembly) has not always been around, but was started at a historical time, with historical people, and therefore is a historical fact. As to the timing of this church it is not my desire, nor plan to approach in so short an article. Rather we will look to a commonly agreed upon period of the church as its practical beginning for this short study—The Apostolic Church. The Church started to grow with the missionary journeys of the Apostles, especially Paul. These men spread the Gospel from Spain to India, and everywhere between. At this time, the Lord led the Apostles to begin to appoint elders over the churches to govern their spiritual as well as physical growth.(Titus 1:5) These elders then grew the church and certain of them grew to great stature:

Clement of Rome

Irenaeus

Origen

Basil the Great

Augustine of Hippo and,

Ignatius to name a few.

These men, and countless others grew the church from its Apostolic infancy, until a fully mature denominationalism took control—that of the Roman Catholic Church, which seized ultimate control between the time of the edict of Milan in 313 to the end of the sixth century. Besides these we see the Waldenses and Primitive Baptists in individual and small group settings until the time of the Protestant Reformation.

II.                 The Schism of the Protestant Reformation.

The Protestant Reformation did not start with Martin Luther’s 95 theses, but rather with a less known figure—John Wicliffe. Wicliffe was born nearly 200 years before Martin Luther, and was the first primary protestor against what he perceived to be the abuses of the Roman Church. In order to cover this briefly, we will condense the following events:

Wicliffe—frontrunner of protesting against the Roman Church

Martin Luther—frontrunner of protesting indulgences and the common language Bible. Established Lutheran Church as one of the first real alternatives to the Catholic Church. Luther never broke from the Catholic Church, however.

William Tyndale—English Bible producer and contemporary of Luther. His work was instrumental in the foundation of a basis for the Anglican Church, which we know to have had other benefits to King Henry VIII.

John Calvin—Calvin was the systematizer of the Reformation and was one of the first prominent reformers to advocate total secession from the Roman Church.

The Protestant Reformation did not occur overnight, but it lead to vast changes in society, government, science, and of course, Christianity.

III.               Current Denominationalism.

The current situation in which the Church finds itself is as a large family with many step-families. Which do I chose, which do I like better, which suites my taste, are common thought lines for where to align oneself, along with family history. The current situation is an offshoot of the Reformation, as anyone with any foresight could have predicted, splitting from Rome did not conclude the matter, but rather made it easier to split and split again. For example, here is a list of some current denominations today:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations

All I could say at the reading of that list is, “WOW!!!” Christianity today has become a form of niche-marketing. Who can come up with a concept to cover “this” group, “I’ve got this group covered.” Etc. Thus, people are faced with a problem. Which is the true church? Is there a true church anymore? If not, where did it go? I hope to cover some of this in the next few weeks, but suffice it to say, everyone cannot be right. That said, the history of Christian Denominationalism is not something to cover in one short post, but rather a study of immense volume. I consulted several 3,000+ page volumes in preparation for this post. Hopefully we have brought out some food for thought and have given you something to ruminate over until we come back next week with: Denominationalism: Functionalities and Failures Part II—Denominationalisms Functionalities in the Past.

Top Ten Implications of the Song, “God Gave Rock and Roll to You.”

Many have heard CCM Luminaries Petra sing the aforementioned lyrics to this song which was a rework of Argent’s song by the band KISS.

 Just for fun, what are the implications of such a song.The song states:God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you
Put it in the soul of everyone
Do you know what you want you don’t know for sure
You don’t feel right, you can’t find a cure
And you’re gettin’ less than what you’re lookin’ forYou don’t have money or a fancy car
And you’re tired of wishin’ on a falling star
You gotta put your faith in a loud guitarChorus:
God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you
Gave rock and roll to everyone (oh yeah)
God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you
Put it in the soul of everyoneNow listen
If you wanna be a singer, or play guitar
Man, you gotta sweat or you won’t get far
Cause it’s never too late to work nine-to-fiveYou can take a stand, or you can compromise
You can work real hard or just fantasize
But you don’t start livin’ till you realize - I gotta tell yaGod gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you
Gave rock and roll to everyone
God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you
Put it in the soulGod gave rock and roll to you (to everyone he gave the song to be sung)
Gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to everyoneGod gave rock and roll to you (to everyone he gave the song to be sung)
Gave rock and roll to you, saved rock and roll for everyone
Saved rock and rollChorus repeats out…I know life sometimes can get tough and I know life sometimes can be a drag
But people, we have been given a gift, we have been given a road
And that road’s name is… rock and roll The implications are as follows:1. Classical Musicians are actually the rebels against God and should be suing the rock & roll crowd for muscling in on their territory.

2. We should pity historical figures who had this song in their soul that they had no means to get out.

3. That rock musicians are using God’s music to spread the devil’s message.

4. That Marilynn Manson (sic?) is God’s choirboy, and Steve Green is a rebellious non-conformist.

5.  Head banging and other rock & roll stage performance techniques were created out of compassion for the deaf.

6. The sooner churches get rid of “Traditional Worship” services, the better.

7. The halleluiah chorus was an invention of the devil to enslave the people of the middle ages. 8. Angels will play electric guitars and not harps.9. They sold their souls for rock & roll is actually a Christian Testimony.10. And Finally, Ozzy Osbourne may actually be sane.

To the Task at Hand

I love discussing all things religious, especially Christianity, so I do not claim any sense of scientific objectivity apart from my own efforts to so reason. That said, there is an overlying purpose to this blog, like a complimentary thread of though running parallel to all other activity herein. That thought is the “understanding of both theism and atheism.” Being myself something of a neophyte, I have appealed to others to assist with my task, which may prove to be Herculean. So, without further ado, I present Dr. William Lane Craig in a Q & A session from ReasonableFaith.org (Excerpt, the rest can be read by clicking the link):

In my discussions with atheists, they are using the term that they “lack belief in God”. They claim that this is different from not believing in God or from saying that God does not exist. I’m not sure how to respond to this. It seems to me that its a silly word-play and is logically the same as saying that you do not believe in God.
What would be a good response to this?
Thank you for your time,
Steven

Dr. Craig responds:Your atheist friends are right that there is an important logical difference between believing that there is no God and not believing that there is a God. Compare my saying , “I believe that there is no gold on Mars” with my saying “I do not believe that there is gold on Mars.” If I have no opinion on the matter, then I do not believe that there is gold on Mars, and I do not believe that there is no gold on Mars. There’s a difference between saying, “I do not believe (p)” and “I believe (not-p).” Logically where you place the negation makes a world of difference.

Atheism Now!!!

The following author would have you beleive that atheism is strong, encompasses tens of millions of Americans, and is growing very rapidly. Unfortunately, for him, he is confused. Atheists always clamor about the differences between themselves and agnostics, but here he tries to lum them together, along with secularists and humanists (regardless of what they believe in). This give rise to much bigger numbers than other polls suggest. However, the data does speak to something else. We probably should hesitate to think of America as a Christian nation as of right now. However, it is definitely a theist nation. Atheism has always been a marginal position in any society. Now they are just louder.

Ordination?

Lay hands suddenly on no man (I Timothy 5:22) takes on a whole new meaning in this case.

Well, Faith Actually

The following is an exchange at the Sojourners Presidential Forum on Monday.

Hillary Clinton here describes her personal faith.

O’BRIEN: You don’t talk a lot about your faith, truly. I — I know because I have Googled everything you have ever said, actually.

(LAUGHTER)

O’BRIEN: But I’m going to ask you a delicate question. Infidelity in your marriage was very public. And I have to imagine it was incredibly difficult to deal with. And I would like to know how your faith helped you get through it.

CLINTON: Well, I’m not sure I would have gotten through it without my faith.

And, you know, I take my faith very seriously and very personally. And I come from a tradition that is perhaps a little too suspicious of people who wear their faith on their sleeves, so, that a lot of the…

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: … a lot of the talk about and advertising about faith doesn’t come naturally to me. It is something that — you know, I keep thinking of the Pharisees and all of Sunday school lessons and readings that I had as a child.

But I think your — your faith guides you every day. Certainly, mine does. But, at those moments in time when you’re tested, it — it is absolutely essential that you be grounded in your faith.

For some people, being tested leads them to faith. For some people, being tested in cruel and tragic ways leads them away from faith. For me, because I have been tested in ways that are both publicly known and those that are not so well known or not known at all, my faith and the support of my extended faith family, people whom I knew who were literally praying for me in prayer chains, who were prayer warriors for me, and people whom I didn’t know, who I would meet or get a letter from, sustained me through a very difficult time.

But I — I am very grateful that I had a grounding in faith that gave me the courage and the strength to do what I thought was right, regardless of what the world thought. And that’s all one can expect or hope for.

I hope Senator Clinton does not mind if some who are more apt to show their faith (read sincerely religious) are skeptical.

Christians in Government

As the Republican Party appears ready to vanish before our eyes many Christians who take a look around will start to feel as if they no longer have a political home. As a matter of fact, many are already putting pressure on Christians to give up on the Republican Party in favor of “voting your conscience” with the Libertarian or Conservative Parties. On this topic, I have two brief thoughts.

First, I will try to keep this blog politic-free for the most part, (see Didasko.WordPress.com if that is your subject of choice) but occasionally, politics touch on religion, and that we would have to agree more often than many would prefer. That being said, do Christians really belong in the political arena? Hopefully every believer in Christ has asked themselves this question. I say that because Christians should be the least prone people to do something that everyone else is doing without weighing the soundness of a choice against Scripture. I leave you with the following link until Thursday, when we will pick this up again, and everyday (except Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday) until we finish the discussion. http://www.Didasko.WordPress.com

Profiling the Christian Churches–Independent, Fundamental, Baptists

Fundamentalism started as a mainly Presbyterian movement in the early twentieth century, but since the forties it has grown to encompass many independent Baptist congregations. Having had some experience with the movement, I would like to expand on last weeks post in order to further segregate fundamentalism. Southern Baptist and many Independent Baptists would agree that they have very little in common as the years go by, so I will cover them in separate articles.

First, Independent Baptists adhere to the following acrostic as creedal:

B—Biblical Authority.

A—Autonomy of the Local Church

P—Priesthood of the Believer

T—Two Offices (Elder & Deacon)

I—Individual Soul Liberty of the Believer

S—Saved, Baptized Church Membership

T—Two Ordinances (Communion and Baptism)

S—Separation of Church and State This sets forth the basic doctrines that most of these churches hold. However, it gets more interesting and varied from here.

I will touch on this to some degree in my series on denominationalism’s benefits and negatives, but independent churches can give rise to something I call Authoritarian Autocracy. This is a case where a single, typically charismatic, male figure, so dominates the church as to run a mini kingdom. Using excuses that he is responsible directly to God, and that he was called and not the church, he sets up the congregation in his image without any sort of oversight. This situation tends to stifle true spirituality and engender deification of the leader.

Secondly, independent churches are mission and evangelism oriented. I know that I do not have to expand on this, the sites at the end of the article should do fine.

Third, many IFB churches are King James Version Only. This is quite a schismatic debate, as can be seen from the following articles.

Pro-KJV, Anti-KJV

Fourth, IFB churches practice, to varying degrees separation. They practice church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6:1-2), and separation from worldliness, (I John 2:15-17, 2 Corinthians 6:14). Music (non-CCM), clothing (dresses for women, suits for men), movies (i.e. not going to theatres), and avoiding tattoos, piercings, and other counter-culture expressions are methods of conforming to the image presented in their doctrine.

Fifth, IFB churches typically fall into the following doctrinal snares:

1. Baptist Bride–Only members of good, separated, baptist churches will be saved, and the church in only local, not universal. Link–Yeah, there’s nothing joining the church together now–like the Holy Spirit?
2. Armenianism–Only they do not like to admit it. Link–Yeah, he’s an Arminian.

3. Uneducated Laity–This is even seen as more spiritual. (caveat; I do not think that God requires education, but that men typically do). Link–This article is fairly balanced, but many take his bullet points and run with them.

Of course I cannot be exhaustive in so short a space, but much of the distinctives of IFB churches have been listed out herein. However, I must advise that these comments are not universal as an IFB church I have attended is Calvinist, Universal Church, with an educated minister who likes to discuss Lapsarianism, tripartite nature, and the faults of Preterism. Mostly, I intend with this post to showcase the divergence of IFB churches from SBC, Presbyterian, and other Protestant Fundamentalists. The following links will show a diversity of approaches to fundamentalism that cannot be contained in a weekly blog post.

The GARBC, Fundamental Baptist Fellowship, World Baptist Fellowship, Way of Life Literature, Bob Jones University, Baptist Bible College,

Denominationalism: Functionality and Failure

Over the next seventeen weeks, on Mondays, we will examine the functionality and failures of denominationalism in the light of political, social, and religious pressures. We will set out to accomplish this in a seventeen step process as follows: week one will set for the history of denominationalism, weeks two to eight will demonstrate the seven functions that denominationalism serves in the past, present, and future of Christianity, week nine will highlight the history of the Non-Conformist, or Independent Church movement, weeks ten to sixteen will showcase the seven benefits of non-denominational polity, and week seventeen will pronounce a verdict.

As one can imagine, this will not be a minor task, but if we will stick with it the results will be fascinating.

Something is wrong with this quiz.

You scored as Karl Barth, The daddy of 20th Century theology. You perceive liberal theology to be a disaster and so you insist that the revelation of Christ, not human experience, should be the starting point for all theology.

At least Charles Finney was near the bottom of my ranking. Also interesting is that I scored nearly twice as high on Calvin as Augustine who the Reformer admired so highly. It is fun anyway.

http://quizfarm.com/run.php/Quiz?quiz_id=7092

The Grim Reaper will be Busier?

As many of you may have heard, Dr. Jack Kevorkian was released from prison on Friday, June 1, 2007. The “good doctor” claims to have assisted 130 people with suicide.1 The only reason he ever went to jail is because in one case the man could not activate the procedure himself, so Dr. Death did it for him. I only have two questions for those who support his cause. Would it not be better to offer counseling or medication to those who wish to die than to prematurely end their life? Second, if someone wishes to die, would they be considered sane enough to make that choice considering that self-preservation is one of man-kinds strongest impulses?

Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, OH MY!

As you will undoubtedly notice, not that there is any consistency here as of yet, Sundays don’t have any posts. I have a Monday series that I will be announcing soon, and a Tuesday series in its third week. That said, these days will unfold in the following manner on a typical week:

      Sunday—No posting. I am not a Pharisaical Sabbath observer, but I believe the Lord set an example for Christians to follow, and the Lord deserves .142857142857 of my week for mediation, worship, and prayer, as well as time with the family. Therefore, no posting on Sundays.

      Monday—Minor posting with a big post. My series on denominationalism will dominate the day, so I do not expect to post much else on Mondays.

      Tuesdays—Minor posting with a big post. My series on denominations will dominate this day. Once again I do not expect to post much the rest of the day.

Wednesday through Saturday will have heavier (in number) postings. I hope this is a workable model of writing and will give RSS and occasional-visit folks an idea of when to check the site out. Also, I expect to have all my posts up for the day by 9:00am EST.

Further Defining a Refining Process

Concerning the blog. I hope that the visitors I have had have taken the time to read what I have said concerning my desires for this venture. However, after thinking about it for some time, I feel the need to really sit down and delineate my expectations for myself, my readership, and my blog.

Regarding myself. I do not feel the need to disclose that much about myself at the outset, but this much I will. I am a young, recent college graduate, with a wife (one), a child (one), a job (two), and no pets. I have no desire to out myself, my family, my company, or anything about myself in order to prevent repercussions from occurring. In this crazy internet age, people can get too much info about your family, and I don’t want any of it to be free. Also, concerning my work and living arrangements, I do not wish to disclose the living arrangements for obvious reasons, but the work information for a less obvious one. I have read that companies do internet checks on people they wish to hire, and I want nothing I write here to prevent my career from going where I want it to go. Finally, I am enrolled in Seminary, I am an assistant (pro bono) pastor, and an avid fan of history, religion, and basketball/football depending on the time of the year. This should be more than enough information about myself. My expectation is that posts will be original, informative, creative, and accurate. Sometime fun too.

About my readership. Thanks for viewing. Please come back again. To my friends, welcome. To strangers, welcome. To all, please take a moment if you are an atheist or theist to write a brief definition comment on the appropriate page. Other than that, if you like the blog, please recommend to your friends.

Finally, the blog must have the following purpose: Not to convert, but to provoke. I have no delusions that I can say anything to change the mind of someone who disagrees with me. However, I believe that thoughtful dialogue will be helpful in the following ways. For atheists, I want to present a more whole picture of Christianity, as opposed to the “sound-bite” Christianity that many champions of atheism spew out. Also, I hope to bring out thoughts that you may not have considered. For Christians, I hope to edify, encourage, exhort, and embrace you in your Christian walk. Many of the articles that will post will be directly concerning things you want or should know about. To general theists, agnostics, and members of other religions. I hope that as time goes on this blog will enhance your understanding of the existence of God.

Blogs can be a lot of fun. If no one ever reads this blog, at least I will have had fun putting it together.

A good post by Mr. Day

Homeschool supporters will like this.

Profiling the Christian Churches–Fundamentalists

As a reaction to theological modernism at the turn of the 20^th century, fundamentalism became a force within greater Christianity. Though typically marginalized, fundamentalists enjoy rather broad support and boast large membership numbers. “Conservatively estimated, there are at least 30 million Christian fundamentalists in the U.S. alone.1”  Fundamentalists are hard to define by denomination (they are present in most if not all), but they can be identified by a set of creedal statements, such as infallible revelation from God, the divinity of Christ, the Second Coming, etc. Therefore, the grouping is rather large and spans several denominations.

If the Episcopalian Church is a moderating position between Protestantism and Catholicism, then Fundamentalism is a polarizing position between the two.  Fundamentalists further sharpen key Reformation disagreements in the areas of individual priesthood vs. sovereign priesthood, priority of Scripture or the conflation of Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterium. Therefore, many fundamentalists do not associate with organizations that are involved ecumenically with Catholics.2

Fundamentalism is too broad to be a denomination, but is influential enough to warrant our attention on this site.

Points of Interest in Fundamentalism:

Bob Jones University and Pensacola Christian College are two larger fundamentalist schools with several thousand students.

Fundametalists are primarily in Baptist Denominations such as the Southern Baptist Convention, General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, and some smaller IFB denominations.3

 

See a bus coming down your street on Sunday. There is probably a fundamentalist behind the wheel.4

Famous Fundamentalists

Does he exist? There are a few notable fundamentalists though.

• Rev. Ian R.K. Paisley—First Minister of Northern
  Ireland, Leader of the DUP, Moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church.

• Jerry Falwell, although his inclusion would be excluded by many within the fold.—Founder Moral Majority,Founder
  Liberty
  University, Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church.

• J. Gresham Machen—Professor Princeton Theological Seminary, Founder
  Westminster Theological Seminary, Founder Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Sources used in this article.

http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/fund.html

http://wayoflife.org/fbns/fbns/fbns236.html

 

http://www.wpipbereanradio.org/ministries.html

Something to think about during Memorial Day Week

The following is an excerpt from the movie “Gods and Generals” documenting a (fictional?) conversation between Colonel Jeb Stewart and Colonel ‘Stonewall’ Jackson.

Lieutenant Colonel Stuart reporting for duty.               

Colonel Stuart.

- That's an impeccable hat, sir.

- Thank you, sir.                  

- Colonel Stuart. You use tobacco?

- No, sir. Not in any form.  

Neither do I. I find I like it too much.

Sit down. 

I understand from your record that you are
West Point, class of '  .          

Served since in the cavalry,
Ft. Clark, Texas.

Operations against Apache, Comanche. You are a native Virginian.                   

Fought with Longstreet and Ewell, sir.

Nasty business. Merciless climate.                   

Glad to be home, sir.

The Apache were defending their homes, as we will be defending ours.                   

If we fight as well as the Apache, I pity the Yankee invader.

Colonel Stuart, if I had my way we would show no quarter to the enemy.                   

No more than the redskins showed your troopers. The black flag, sir.

If the North triumphs, it is not alone the destruction of our property.                   

It is the prelude to anarchy, infidelity...

...the loss of free and responsible government.                   

It is the triumph of commerce. The banks, factories.

We should meet the invader on the verge of just defense...                   

...and raise the black flag. No quarter to the violators of our homes and firesides.

Our political leadership is too timid to face the reality of this coming war.                   

They should look to the Bible. It is full of such wars.

Only the black flag will bring the North to its senses and rapidly end the war.                   

Well, colonel.

One way or the other, the South

will give them a warm reception.                   

You'll be in charge of the cavalry in the Harper's Ferry district. 

Your experience and your zeal will be invaluable.                   

Thank you, sir.

And, colonel...                   

...know that I will tell my men always to gallop toward the enemy…    

...but trot away.

"Trot."

Source: http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/g/gods-and-generals-script-transcript.html

Maybe Lawrence Summers was Just a Good Darwinist

This article sets forth some of Darwin’s less P.C. ideology.

Billions are not Millions are not Thousands

Someone has got to have it right. Don’t they? Origins Studies are fascinating in their complexity and scope, but frustrating in that they create impenetrable cliques where new ideas are not welcome. Evolutionists do not know what Creationists believe and vice versa. Below are some articles on the most mainstream origins positions.

This one is actually humorous on the meeting of two sides.

Evolution with some credentials.

Intelligent Design.

Young Earth Creationism.

The Gap Theory.

Theistic Evolution.

Day-Age Theorists.

Maher has problems

Reading this story brings to mind why it is that theists and atheists so often do not get along–shock-jockery.

Narcissism, Nepotism, or Something Evil

Why in the world do we need another blog? 

Certainly I must have thought this through.

Some would claim I am narcissistic. To them I offer this thought. I do not want you to know my name, who I am, where I work, who my family is, what church I go to, etc. etc. That does not sound narcissistic to me. You may counter, “You just like the sound of your voice then.” I am afraid you would be incorrect on that count as well. I do not lean on my own expertise, but I compile research with small inferences added. “Well then,” you may say, “you just think more highly of yourself than you ought to think.” Now that may be the case, but it is hardly the reason for the blog. If I fail to communicate on any level with people I will quit, but I by no means assume that this will become the next big thing in blogging.

What of nepotism then? Honestly, I have to say that while I prefer the company of those who agree with me, sometimes it is helpful to branch out and examine what the other side thinks. This site is not a place for cronyism.

“Well then,” the antagonist continues, “you must be up to no good, something evil.” To this I can only say–depends.  If you are a theist you will probably like allot of what I say, but by no means all. If you are an atheist, you will probably disagree most of the time, but other times find yourself applauding. There is no conspiracy here. As a matter of fact, I would rather represent my audience than myself. Let me know if you have any ideas on how I can accomplish that.

Well, I probably need to make a separate post to say what I am really up to here.

The Philosophical Evolutionary Complex™

The The Philosophical Evolutionary Complex™ encompasses three primary concepts that ensconce the entirety of humanistics dogma. They are:

1. Survivalism: Genetic, ethical, spiritual, and mental morphoses that enhance survival chances. This is considered to be valid both individually, as well as within a species or genus.

2. Progressivism: Things get better as time goes by. After all, look at all that science has done for us.

3. Atheism: When taken to its moral, natural, and reasonable conclusion, The Philosophical Evolutionary Complex™ leads to atheism.

I coined the phrase last year in my efforts to beter understand the humanistic dogmas and lines of thought. This, of course is a very breif overview, but I believe that with a little more work it will be sufficient to describe “the other side’s” philosophy.

 The following are articles related to ethical evolution from both sides.

http://www.atheists.org/Atheism/ethics.html

http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/sociobio.html

P.S. The Philosophical Evolutionary Complex™ is not to be confused with The Evolutionary Complex/Systems

Epic Karma!

Say what you will about the NBA, but the lottery last night provided me with no end of amusement. Two teams that tanked last season were betting on getting two of the best players in the last 4 years in their draft, and perhaps the best center in 10 years. However, it was the team that rejected their Jail Blazer mentality, dumped bad character, added good character, drafted well last year in spite of falling out of their #1 spot based on record to #4, won 32 games, and had the rookie of the year last year that won the lottery. So, on the one hand you have teams acting in ethically questionable manners and on the other, a team trying to redeem itself. And the atheists say there is no God.

RE: Late Post

Sorry about the late post, but I came down with a migraine as I was finishing the post. Enjoy the read, and correct any mistakes. Let me know what you think.

Profiling the Christian Churches—The Episcopal Church

Owing its foundation to the split between England and
America, the Episcopal Church had its beginning in the very foundation of this country1. A long and storied past of Presidents, wars, and influence remains a source of pride to Episcopalians everywhere2.

 

The

Episcopalian
Church takes a moderating position between Protestantism3 and Catholicism. The Church does not have a Pope, but they do have a strong leadership model. Tradition is strongly emphasized, but not canonized or uniform across the denomination. Liturgy and sacramentalism are practiced, but you would be hard pressed to find anything about indulgences, anathemas, or purgatory. However, you will find this statement in their catechism:

 

Q: How are the sacraments related to our Christian hope?
A: Sacraments sustain our present hope and anticipate its future fulfillment.4

 

This is not a typical protestant formula. Of course there are many other areas where we can see that the Episcopal Church takes the middle position, but this is neither the time nor the place. Next, we will look at key 21^st century trends and battles of the Episcopal Church.

 

The Episcopal Church is in the middle of some very heated debates currently. First, is the ever-present (seemingly) debate on the ordination of homosexual bishops5. This controversy has threatened to split the church. However, and this leads to another of their controversies, the Episcopal Church has opened a case to keep churches within the denomination6. Conservatives have been considering leaving the denomination, but this case may strike a severe blow to their chances of success. Lastly, also related to the Liberal-Conservative rift within the Church, is the battle of theology7. In many denominations, such as Southern Baptist, or conservative Presbyterian denominations, the difference between liberals and conservatives typically only touches a few doctrines, and could more easily be described as pragmaticism on the one side and worldliness on the other. However, the Episcopal Church faces strong forces within, not concerned with minor trivialities such as small groups, or CCM, but with major doctrines of the Church. This rift has already led to many churches leaving the denomination, (see the above lawsuit link) and many more considering it, while thousands have individually left their churches. How this battle plays out will decide the very nature of the church.

 

Lastly I want to add some flavor to the profile by describing the one-of-a-kind aspects of this denomination.

 

1. Color—I do not think that another American Protestant denomination has such a rainbow of color in their services, buildings, and very core.
2. Cathedrals—The
   Cathedral
   Church of
   St. John the Divine, and the National Cathedral are not your typical American church.
3. People—The Episcopal Church encompasses a wide demographic, including minorities and those whose lifestyle is not condoned in almost every other denomination.
4. Monks and Nuns—No, really. They have monks and nuns.

 

All in all, the Episcopal Church presents a colorful, historical portrait of the church in
America, in which all denominations can learn some valuable lesson.

 

Famous Episcopalians:

 

President George H. W. Bush, General Colin Powell, President George Washington, President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, President Gerald Ford, Robert E. Lee,

 

More at:

 

http://biblia.com/christianity2/3b-episcopalians.htm

http://www.adherents.com/largecom/fam_anglican.html

 

Resources used for this profile:

 

www.episcopalchurch.org

www.virtueonline.org

http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/index.shtml?gclid=CJvuqu6ooowCFRIxSgods20R0whttp://www.stjohndivine.org/index.html

http://www.stdavidspokane.org/ArtatStDavids.dsp

Tuesday Profiles

On each Tuesday, I would like to present a profile of a denomination in America. These profiles will be brief, general, and hopefully free of bias (most denominations are quite different from my own). I would like to do this in an effort to put forth the differences within broader Christianity so that in debate we can be more clear about what we are referring to. All too often people generalize about Christians, (and atheists too) when debating, which leads to a misunderstanding. By understanding the positions of those around us we can converse on a more intellectually sound level. Enjoy the read.

Some day I am going to have to post about denominationalism.

What are the pros and cons of denominationalism? Here is one. Guess which category it falls under.

Or do we follow Christ?

Now that protestants are free from the pope we should anoint a new one, right?