Hmm, Anon beat me to it.
First of all, I want to thank you for the kind words of encouragement. What happened was my wife has Hashimoto Disease. It has to do with Thyroid anti-bodies which in turn triggered a really powerful flare-up of Rheumatoid Arthritis. She was virtually bed ridden with pain and extreme fatigue.
Running a blog while taking care of five little kids and the household on my own was just not an option. I thought that blogging had come to an end.
However many weeks it’s been later, Wendy is somewhat improved. She is on Prednisone and pain meds (hopefully neither for too long) which have given back some mobility and energy to her.
I’ve decided to blog again but no longer almost exclusively about atheism. For that reason (most people would associate this blog wih atheism) I’ve started a different blog “Thesauros” which is Greek for "Storehouse of information / wisdom."
It can be found at thesauros-store.blogspot.com
Again, thank you for your encouragement.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Misquote!
One of the most misquoted verses in the Bible is, “The love of money is A root of MANY kinds of evil.” I think you know how it usually goes. Another line, not from the Bible but misquoted nevertheless is, “Power TENDS to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Lord Acton. I think you know how this one is usually presented as well.
People sometimes take that (mis) quote and use it as a means of suggesting that there is something wrong with power itself. Actually, Jesus talks more about the problem of power when it’s NOT used at all as opposed to power that is used improperly.
We live in a moral universe and that means, “Knowledge carries responsibility.” As Edmund Burke has said, Evil triumphs because good men and women refuse to do what’s needed.
On the other hand, when good men and women take action, other people who wish to be left alone in their support of evil, or in their lack of effort to stop evil, or to even accept that evil exists - these other people accuse those men and women of attempting to establish a theocracy. Those same people, who live on the periphery of reality say silly things like, “You can’t legislate morality.” Well, the fact is, we can and do legislate morality all the time. What else are we doing with laws like, Don’t steal, Don’t kill, Don’t drink alcohol before driving, Don’t have sex with little girls and boys, if not legislating morality?
I suppose because of my own childhood issues, and those of our children the topic of the sex trade, human trafficking and abuse in general catch my attention. In my mind, not doing anything about the sexualization of our children is just as evil as any potential power wielding of a corrupt theocracy. I mean, if you don’t care about what’s happening to our children, just exactly what DO you care about? You don’t need to answer that. I know the answer. The answer is, you care about yourself and your own selfish desires.
According to National Geographic, in the world TODAY there are 27 million slaves, real slaves. That’s more slaves than were taken from Africa during four hundred years of the North American slave trade.
Many millions of these slaves are working in the sex trade.
Many millions of THOSE are children.
Some are girls under five years of age, most 9 to 13.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953379_1953494_1957160,00.html?cnn=yes&hpt=T2
There are places in the world today where children are openly sold for what amounts to rape - and that takes place in broad daylight with the permission and protection of the local police.
World leaders know about this.
Social organisations know about this.
You know about this.
Out of a fear that if we tell others what to do, others might tell us what to do, those who “live in the world” wind up doing nothing at all. They call it tolerance; a highly valued trait in today’s world of sin and let sin. May God have mercy when it comes time for us to answer for our do-nothing attitude.
We cannot allow those who wish to live by selective or relative morality to dictate to the rest of us that we should just ignore the plight of these souls. Atheists and the like say that what takes place between consenting adults should stay between consenting adults. This, with the full knowledge that most adults in the sex trade began their journey of sexualization as children which, as I’ve said before dictates that the very concept of consent as an adult is a farce. Only the profoundly ignorant believe these people have any real choice. In fact studies show conclusively that as a fact of the sex trade those who most want to remain in the trade or who want to return after having made an attempt to leave the trade are those who have been most abused (began the youngest, sold / put to work by their “caregivers,” who have been in the trade for a very long time) who are least able to make such a decision.
Consenting adult - “Oh, I think I’ll quit working as a prostitute and become a fashion designer or the CEO of some company, or maybe work as a nurse.” Ya. Right.
If power tends to corrupt, it is only because all people ARE corrupt. We are corrupt in our sins of commission and omission.
People sometimes take that (mis) quote and use it as a means of suggesting that there is something wrong with power itself. Actually, Jesus talks more about the problem of power when it’s NOT used at all as opposed to power that is used improperly.
We live in a moral universe and that means, “Knowledge carries responsibility.” As Edmund Burke has said, Evil triumphs because good men and women refuse to do what’s needed.
On the other hand, when good men and women take action, other people who wish to be left alone in their support of evil, or in their lack of effort to stop evil, or to even accept that evil exists - these other people accuse those men and women of attempting to establish a theocracy. Those same people, who live on the periphery of reality say silly things like, “You can’t legislate morality.” Well, the fact is, we can and do legislate morality all the time. What else are we doing with laws like, Don’t steal, Don’t kill, Don’t drink alcohol before driving, Don’t have sex with little girls and boys, if not legislating morality?
I suppose because of my own childhood issues, and those of our children the topic of the sex trade, human trafficking and abuse in general catch my attention. In my mind, not doing anything about the sexualization of our children is just as evil as any potential power wielding of a corrupt theocracy. I mean, if you don’t care about what’s happening to our children, just exactly what DO you care about? You don’t need to answer that. I know the answer. The answer is, you care about yourself and your own selfish desires.
According to National Geographic, in the world TODAY there are 27 million slaves, real slaves. That’s more slaves than were taken from Africa during four hundred years of the North American slave trade.
Many millions of these slaves are working in the sex trade.
Many millions of THOSE are children.
Some are girls under five years of age, most 9 to 13.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953379_1953494_1957160,00.html?cnn=yes&hpt=T2
There are places in the world today where children are openly sold for what amounts to rape - and that takes place in broad daylight with the permission and protection of the local police.
World leaders know about this.
Social organisations know about this.
You know about this.
Out of a fear that if we tell others what to do, others might tell us what to do, those who “live in the world” wind up doing nothing at all. They call it tolerance; a highly valued trait in today’s world of sin and let sin. May God have mercy when it comes time for us to answer for our do-nothing attitude.
We cannot allow those who wish to live by selective or relative morality to dictate to the rest of us that we should just ignore the plight of these souls. Atheists and the like say that what takes place between consenting adults should stay between consenting adults. This, with the full knowledge that most adults in the sex trade began their journey of sexualization as children which, as I’ve said before dictates that the very concept of consent as an adult is a farce. Only the profoundly ignorant believe these people have any real choice. In fact studies show conclusively that as a fact of the sex trade those who most want to remain in the trade or who want to return after having made an attempt to leave the trade are those who have been most abused (began the youngest, sold / put to work by their “caregivers,” who have been in the trade for a very long time) who are least able to make such a decision.
Consenting adult - “Oh, I think I’ll quit working as a prostitute and become a fashion designer or the CEO of some company, or maybe work as a nurse.” Ya. Right.
If power tends to corrupt, it is only because all people ARE corrupt. We are corrupt in our sins of commission and omission.
Believing in and adhering to the objective morals, values and obligations of the Christian paradigm protects us from believing lies like “Anything that feels so good can’t be wrong.”
Many a marriage has been torn apart and millions of children’s lives have been irrevocably damaged by men and women believing that the “love” they feel for someone other than their partner can’t be wrong because it feels so right.
Ignoring the objective morals, values and obligations with which we are born leaves us defenceless to argue against what we feel.
But that’s relativism for you.
Many a marriage has been torn apart and millions of children’s lives have been irrevocably damaged by men and women believing that the “love” they feel for someone other than their partner can’t be wrong because it feels so right.
Ignoring the objective morals, values and obligations with which we are born leaves us defenceless to argue against what we feel.
But that’s relativism for you.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Good Without God
Have you ever met someone who doesn’t believe in God who sees h/herself as NOT being a good person?
No, of course not.
And you never will.
When we invent our own moral system of right and wrong, we always invent a system that ensures that “we” pass.
This fact alone give us a glimpse of how inherently corrupt and evil we actually are.
No, of course not.
And you never will.
When we invent our own moral system of right and wrong, we always invent a system that ensures that “we” pass.
This fact alone give us a glimpse of how inherently corrupt and evil we actually are.
Islamic Bloggers
Saw this blog, written from the perspective of a Muslim view of the world.
Admittedly we in the West give Muslims a lot of material to criticise. Like atheists (I get to say that A LOT when writing about Islam and those who follow it), Muslim extremists see all crimes and exploitation as coming from Christians. One comment on this blog was:
"We here at this blog give you news from all of the holy spirit guided christian activity"
Mmm, not exactly, Galatians 5:22,23 gives you as clear a description that is possible to give of Holy Spirit guided activities.
Verses 19 - 21 give a description of thoughts and behaviours that are in opposition to the Holy Spirit.
Like atheists, followers of Islam take the latter and say it is the former.
Like atheists, biased, bigoted and stupid people believe them.
Admittedly we in the West give Muslims a lot of material to criticise. Like atheists (I get to say that A LOT when writing about Islam and those who follow it), Muslim extremists see all crimes and exploitation as coming from Christians. One comment on this blog was:
"We here at this blog give you news from all of the holy spirit guided christian activity"
Mmm, not exactly, Galatians 5:22,23 gives you as clear a description that is possible to give of Holy Spirit guided activities.
Verses 19 - 21 give a description of thoughts and behaviours that are in opposition to the Holy Spirit.
Like atheists, followers of Islam take the latter and say it is the former.
Like atheists, biased, bigoted and stupid people believe them.
FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE
"He believed that the values of self-sacrifice inherent in Christianity undermined the cultural development; that democracy and socialism, which treated all people equally, stifled individual creativity and genius; and that universal suffrage gave power to the masses. Therefore, it was up to exceptional individuals to take leadership. He outlined his plan for a new generation of “supermen” who “were free from sentimental inhibitions and prepared …to use violence in the building of a new, nobler world.” (Hitler was one of his most committed followers).
"Thus Spake Zarathustra" (1883-1884). Cited in Christopher, J.R., Wittet, G.G., Modern Western Civilization. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1991, 214.
"Thus Spake Zarathustra" (1883-1884). Cited in Christopher, J.R., Wittet, G.G., Modern Western Civilization. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1991, 214.
Boulder as big as a house
Some family in Germany built their house under a boulder as big as their house.
Guess what happened.
If you like to read funny comments (black humour) about a story, this is a good one.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/01/26/boulder-germany-home.html#socialcomments
Guess what happened.
If you like to read funny comments (black humour) about a story, this is a good one.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/01/26/boulder-germany-home.html#socialcomments
Burqa Ban in France
It's no wonder women love us men so much.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/01/26/france.burqa.ban/index.html?hpt=T2
In some countries (Islam) men MAKE women wear a burqa even if they DON'T want to wear it, and in other countries (atheist) men WON'T LET woman wear a burqa even if they DO want to wear it.
The similarities between Islam and atheism are numerous and striking.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/01/26/france.burqa.ban/index.html?hpt=T2
In some countries (Islam) men MAKE women wear a burqa even if they DON'T want to wear it, and in other countries (atheist) men WON'T LET woman wear a burqa even if they DO want to wear it.
The similarities between Islam and atheism are numerous and striking.
Last week I came across this passage in G.K. Chesterton’s book Orthodoxy. While opposing turn-of-the-Century British Modernism, he maintains that he is still a rationalist, and so provides a very rational answer:
"If I am asked, as a purely intellectual question, why I believe in Christianity, I can only answer, “For the same reason that an intelligent agnostic disbelieves in Christianity.”
I believe in it quite rationally upon the evidence. But the evidence in my case, as in that of the intelligent agnostic, is not really in this or that alleged demonstration; it is in an enormous accumulation of small but unanimous facts.
The secularist is not to be blamed because his objections to Christianity are miscellaneous and even scrappy; it is precisely such scrappy evidence that does convince the mind. I mean that a man may well be less convinced of a philosophy from four books, than from one book, one battle, one landscape, and one old friend. The very fact that the things are of different kinds increases the importance of the fact that they all point to one conclusion.
Now, the non-Christianity of the average educated man to-day is almost always, to do him justice, made up of these loose but living experiences. I can only say that my evidences for Christianity are of the same vivid but varied kind as his evidences against it. For when I look at these various anti-Christian truths, I simply discover that none of them are true.
I discover that the true tide and force of all the facts flows the other way."
"If I am asked, as a purely intellectual question, why I believe in Christianity, I can only answer, “For the same reason that an intelligent agnostic disbelieves in Christianity.”
I believe in it quite rationally upon the evidence. But the evidence in my case, as in that of the intelligent agnostic, is not really in this or that alleged demonstration; it is in an enormous accumulation of small but unanimous facts.
The secularist is not to be blamed because his objections to Christianity are miscellaneous and even scrappy; it is precisely such scrappy evidence that does convince the mind. I mean that a man may well be less convinced of a philosophy from four books, than from one book, one battle, one landscape, and one old friend. The very fact that the things are of different kinds increases the importance of the fact that they all point to one conclusion.
Now, the non-Christianity of the average educated man to-day is almost always, to do him justice, made up of these loose but living experiences. I can only say that my evidences for Christianity are of the same vivid but varied kind as his evidences against it. For when I look at these various anti-Christian truths, I simply discover that none of them are true.
I discover that the true tide and force of all the facts flows the other way."
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow is glad that his mother didn’t kill him.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/story/2010/01/25/sp-nfl-superbowl-tebow.html
Ignoring her doctor’s suggestion that she abort her fifth child, Tim’s mother gave birth to her son instead. Today, Tim is a star athlete and by all accounts a fine man.
He is also glad to be alive.
He wants to tell people that he’s glad to be alive.
Some people don’t want that to happen.
Jemhu Greene, president of the Women's Media Center and representing secular (secular = Demanding a separation from God in all areas of life) people of the world, said the pro family ad that is scheduled to air during the Super Bowl is ACTUALLY an anti abortion ad. Of course. Pro family equals anti abortion.
Secularists don’t want anything supporting the life of the pre born being seen on national television.
Sad - but predictable.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/story/2010/01/25/sp-nfl-superbowl-tebow.html
Ignoring her doctor’s suggestion that she abort her fifth child, Tim’s mother gave birth to her son instead. Today, Tim is a star athlete and by all accounts a fine man.
He is also glad to be alive.
He wants to tell people that he’s glad to be alive.
Some people don’t want that to happen.
Jemhu Greene, president of the Women's Media Center and representing secular (secular = Demanding a separation from God in all areas of life) people of the world, said the pro family ad that is scheduled to air during the Super Bowl is ACTUALLY an anti abortion ad. Of course. Pro family equals anti abortion.
Secularists don’t want anything supporting the life of the pre born being seen on national television.
Sad - but predictable.
Even the Pagans
A guy named Matthew recorded what are perhaps Jesus’ most profound and challenging words. It’s often called the Beatitudes, and in one part Jesus is explaining to us that “even pagans can love those who love them back.”
Isn’t that the truth? Sometimes I encounter someone who is, well, let me use one guy’s own words, “People either love me or hate me. And nobody loves me.” I actually like the guy but I’ve met others who I just could not find any aspect that allowed me to appreciate who they were.
Because God does so with us, we too are to love those who simply are not loveable.
What sometimes happens, if we’re lucky, is we find someone who is difficult to love, and WHEN we see or hear something that we like, we move toward civility. And then we pat ourselves on the back. “Wow,” we commend ourselves. “That is such a difficult person. I don’t know anyone who likes her, yet I can be kind to her. I’m a pretty good person.”
Truth is, you don’t need God, or faith to do that. You don’t even need to be a decent human being to do that. When people do what we want or say, or when they look or sound how we want, well, even a pagan can love someone like that.
We are to love as God loves. God loves His enemies. God loves those who hate Him. God loves those who try to convince others that He doesn’t exist.
God does not love us because of who we are.
God loves us because of who He is.
God is love.
The reality is, loving our enemies, doing good to those who persecute us, praying for the good of those who persecute us is a supernatural gift. It is not something that we can do on our own. Yet without this kind of love taking place our world, our civilization is doomed.
Doing what’s normal is not good enough.
Isn’t that the truth? Sometimes I encounter someone who is, well, let me use one guy’s own words, “People either love me or hate me. And nobody loves me.” I actually like the guy but I’ve met others who I just could not find any aspect that allowed me to appreciate who they were.
Because God does so with us, we too are to love those who simply are not loveable.
What sometimes happens, if we’re lucky, is we find someone who is difficult to love, and WHEN we see or hear something that we like, we move toward civility. And then we pat ourselves on the back. “Wow,” we commend ourselves. “That is such a difficult person. I don’t know anyone who likes her, yet I can be kind to her. I’m a pretty good person.”
Truth is, you don’t need God, or faith to do that. You don’t even need to be a decent human being to do that. When people do what we want or say, or when they look or sound how we want, well, even a pagan can love someone like that.
We are to love as God loves. God loves His enemies. God loves those who hate Him. God loves those who try to convince others that He doesn’t exist.
God does not love us because of who we are.
God loves us because of who He is.
God is love.
The reality is, loving our enemies, doing good to those who persecute us, praying for the good of those who persecute us is a supernatural gift. It is not something that we can do on our own. Yet without this kind of love taking place our world, our civilization is doomed.
Doing what’s normal is not good enough.
Back Again
Good weekend at the hockey tournament. The kids did really good - came in second. Had to spend an extra night at the hotel because of a nasty storm. Travelling from the hotel to the rink was treacherous and the other families were sooo nice, so attentive, caring. It was then that I realised -
‘I’m thirty years older than these other parents of their nine-year-olds. They’re taking care of the elderly man in the group; making sure that the old man is ok.’
It was nice in a weird sort of way.
The logistics of five little kids in a hockey rink in a different city for three days was not doable so Wendy stayed home with the other kids. Our town got the same storm as the one that kept me away. While I was gone, someone came over and shovelled the driveway for Wendy.
I’ve sure been blessed with knowing a lot of nice people.
‘I’m thirty years older than these other parents of their nine-year-olds. They’re taking care of the elderly man in the group; making sure that the old man is ok.’
It was nice in a weird sort of way.
The logistics of five little kids in a hockey rink in a different city for three days was not doable so Wendy stayed home with the other kids. Our town got the same storm as the one that kept me away. While I was gone, someone came over and shovelled the driveway for Wendy.
I’ve sure been blessed with knowing a lot of nice people.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Social Darwinism
If somebody used my views to justify a completely self - centred lifestyle, which involved trampling all over other people in any way they chose, roughly what I suppose, at a sociological level social Darwinists did - I think I would be fairly hard put to argue against it on purely intellectual grounds. I think it would be more: “This is not a society in which I wish to live. Without having a rational reason for it necessarily, I'm going to do whatever I can to stop you doing this.”
I couldn't, ultimately, argue intellectually against somebody who did something I found obnoxious. I think I could finally only say, “Well, in this society you can't get away with it’ and call the police.”
I realise this is very weak, and I've said I don't feel equipped to produce moral arguments in the way I feel equipped to produce arguments of a cosmological and biological kind.
Nick Pollard talks to Dr. Richard Dawkins
I couldn't, ultimately, argue intellectually against somebody who did something I found obnoxious. I think I could finally only say, “Well, in this society you can't get away with it’ and call the police.”
I realise this is very weak, and I've said I don't feel equipped to produce moral arguments in the way I feel equipped to produce arguments of a cosmological and biological kind.
Nick Pollard talks to Dr. Richard Dawkins
Funny? Shameful? OR Stupid?
1) Arizona Atheist: ‘Red light cameras are a bad idea for two reasons -
One, the police are using them for surveillance.
Two, when people slam on their brakes so as not to be caught running a red light, others from behind are crashing into them.’
I'm not kidding. That's what he wrote.
A.A. doesn’t blame the accidents on the second driver tailgating with the intention of running the red light along with the guy in front of him (hence the need for the cameras in the first place).
A.A. lays the blame for accidents on the cameras themselves.
==========
2) Random atheist: This guy says that speed traps create dangerous driving conditions. As this atheist described it - “The guy in front of me had to slow down from 120kms to 50kms in a very short distance to avoid getting a ticket. I almost crashed into him.”
R.A. is following a guy @ 70kms over the speed limit and he blames the “Peace Officers” (as he put in quotation - signifying sarcasm) for almost “causing” an accident.
===============
3) In a post “Endless Possibilities,” I talked about human trafficking and the sex trade. I described this as a tragedy that is supported and endorsed by those who adhere to situational ethics and selective morality; a world-view in fact that cannot bring itself with any conviction, coherence or logic to say that ANYTHING is right or wrong. Atheism drives a philosophy, under the banner of pseudo tolerance, which states, “You don’t judge me and I won’t judge you.”
Nothing! Absolutely nothing in defence, unless you count peurile jokes and strawman changing of the subject.
=============
4) Atheists on one of my posts are telling me that social Darwinism isn’t really Darwinism.
I ask, “What is that wrong with Social Darwinism; eugenics etc.? It wouldn't be hard to make a case, in a world of limited resources, that the weak and defective simply should not take away from the genetically strong. If it isn't wrong for other animals, why is it wrong for human animals?”
No one. Not one atheist has an answered - On atheism there ISN’T an answer as to why this action is right and that action is wrong.
================
I’ll let you decide whether these vignettes present atheism as funny, shameful, stupid or a combination of all three - All I know is, they present attitudes that sure are common to those holding to atheism.
One, the police are using them for surveillance.
Two, when people slam on their brakes so as not to be caught running a red light, others from behind are crashing into them.’
I'm not kidding. That's what he wrote.
A.A. doesn’t blame the accidents on the second driver tailgating with the intention of running the red light along with the guy in front of him (hence the need for the cameras in the first place).
A.A. lays the blame for accidents on the cameras themselves.
==========
2) Random atheist: This guy says that speed traps create dangerous driving conditions. As this atheist described it - “The guy in front of me had to slow down from 120kms to 50kms in a very short distance to avoid getting a ticket. I almost crashed into him.”
R.A. is following a guy @ 70kms over the speed limit and he blames the “Peace Officers” (as he put in quotation - signifying sarcasm) for almost “causing” an accident.
===============
3) In a post “Endless Possibilities,” I talked about human trafficking and the sex trade. I described this as a tragedy that is supported and endorsed by those who adhere to situational ethics and selective morality; a world-view in fact that cannot bring itself with any conviction, coherence or logic to say that ANYTHING is right or wrong. Atheism drives a philosophy, under the banner of pseudo tolerance, which states, “You don’t judge me and I won’t judge you.”
Nothing! Absolutely nothing in defence, unless you count peurile jokes and strawman changing of the subject.
=============
4) Atheists on one of my posts are telling me that social Darwinism isn’t really Darwinism.
I ask, “What is that wrong with Social Darwinism; eugenics etc.? It wouldn't be hard to make a case, in a world of limited resources, that the weak and defective simply should not take away from the genetically strong. If it isn't wrong for other animals, why is it wrong for human animals?”
No one. Not one atheist has an answered - On atheism there ISN’T an answer as to why this action is right and that action is wrong.
================
I’ll let you decide whether these vignettes present atheism as funny, shameful, stupid or a combination of all three - All I know is, they present attitudes that sure are common to those holding to atheism.
Do You Know Anyone
Do you know anyone BUT atheists who think that the Old Testament Covenant still applies to how Christians should live today? Anyone? Anyone at all?
No. I didn’t think so.
Atheists, the ones who deny the existence of God.
Atheists, the ones who deride the Bible as a worthless Bronze Age Book.
Atheists, the ones who tell followers of Jesus how they should be living their lives.
Over the last year or so, I’ve posted, almost on a daily basis, verses from the Old Testament (atheists don’t even know that the New Testament exists) that appeal to followers of God to show mercy, fairness, kindness, and gentleness to aliens, neighbours, family and servants. 100's of verses have been posted.
Yet -
Atheists tell Christians that if they aren’t stoning their disobedient children, they are somehow not following God.
Do you know anyone with the logic of atheists?
No. I didn’t think so.
Atheists, the ones who deny the existence of God.
Atheists, the ones who deride the Bible as a worthless Bronze Age Book.
Atheists, the ones who tell followers of Jesus how they should be living their lives.
Over the last year or so, I’ve posted, almost on a daily basis, verses from the Old Testament (atheists don’t even know that the New Testament exists) that appeal to followers of God to show mercy, fairness, kindness, and gentleness to aliens, neighbours, family and servants. 100's of verses have been posted.
Yet -
Atheists tell Christians that if they aren’t stoning their disobedient children, they are somehow not following God.
Do you know anyone with the logic of atheists?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
This thing [a scale model of our solar system] is but a puny imitation of a much grander system whose laws you know, and I am not able to convince you that this mere toy is without a designer and maker; yet you, as an atheist, profess to believe that the great original from which the design is taken has come into being without either designer or maker! Now tell me by what sort of reasoning do you reach such an incongruous conclusion?” – Sir Isaac Newton
God is my refuge
There is no way out of the human dilemma. Upon that realisation, a person does not lie down in weakness, but in absolute exhaustion. It is just a reality that unless God will be a refuge for us, then there is no way out, death and hell have the final victory. In every crisis of life, the consistent teaching of our Lord is that God is our refuge.
God is our refuge and strength
an ever-present help in times of trouble
Therefore we will not fear
though the earthquake come
and the mountains fall into the sea
though the oceans rage and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging
Be Still And Know That I Am God - Psalm 46
Until we are hit by sorrow, tragedy, disaster, a refuge is the last thing we seek for God to be.
Atheists continually see Christianity as being for the weak.
And that's true.
However, there is a huge difference between the weakness of refusing to think, as it is with atheists, and the weakness that comes from facing facts as they really are.
. The former is a drowning man, out of pride refusing to grasp the hand offering to rescue.
. The latter is a drowning man reaching for the offered hand out of a desire to survive.
I ask you. Which is the fool?
. The one that admits weakness and accepts help? OR
. The one who dies because he refuses to admit his weakness?
Connecting with God comes only through our admission of powerlessness to save ourselves. It is this aspect of God which is at the basis of redemption. When we get convicted of our sin (which is the most direct way of recognising the human dilemma) we know that we cannot carry the burden of our dilemma. We also know that God cannot just up and forgive us without our first repenting or our condition. If God did just forgive anyone and everyone, it would mean that God is not just. If we are forgiven without repenting (which means to turn around and go the other direction) if we are forgiven without being personally altered, then that forgiveness is a sign of unmitigated weakness in God. Unless God’s forgiveness brings about an order of holiness and rectitude, forgiveness becomes an abominable, meaningless thing.
This is precisely what atheists want.
As history has shown and as the future will confirm, the human dilemma is too big for us to solve. However, when we cast ourselves unreservedly on God, we will find God to be exactly the kind of refuge we have always been longing for.
We know nothing about redemption or about forgiveness until we recognise and admit that we are enmeshed and entrapped by a personal problem; then we begin to understand why we need to turn to God, and when we do turn to Him He becomes a refuge and a shelter and a complete rest.
God is our refuge and strength
an ever-present help in times of trouble
Therefore we will not fear
though the earthquake come
and the mountains fall into the sea
though the oceans rage and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging
Be Still And Know That I Am God - Psalm 46
Until we are hit by sorrow, tragedy, disaster, a refuge is the last thing we seek for God to be.
Atheists continually see Christianity as being for the weak.
And that's true.
However, there is a huge difference between the weakness of refusing to think, as it is with atheists, and the weakness that comes from facing facts as they really are.
. The former is a drowning man, out of pride refusing to grasp the hand offering to rescue.
. The latter is a drowning man reaching for the offered hand out of a desire to survive.
I ask you. Which is the fool?
. The one that admits weakness and accepts help? OR
. The one who dies because he refuses to admit his weakness?
Connecting with God comes only through our admission of powerlessness to save ourselves. It is this aspect of God which is at the basis of redemption. When we get convicted of our sin (which is the most direct way of recognising the human dilemma) we know that we cannot carry the burden of our dilemma. We also know that God cannot just up and forgive us without our first repenting or our condition. If God did just forgive anyone and everyone, it would mean that God is not just. If we are forgiven without repenting (which means to turn around and go the other direction) if we are forgiven without being personally altered, then that forgiveness is a sign of unmitigated weakness in God. Unless God’s forgiveness brings about an order of holiness and rectitude, forgiveness becomes an abominable, meaningless thing.
This is precisely what atheists want.
As history has shown and as the future will confirm, the human dilemma is too big for us to solve. However, when we cast ourselves unreservedly on God, we will find God to be exactly the kind of refuge we have always been longing for.
We know nothing about redemption or about forgiveness until we recognise and admit that we are enmeshed and entrapped by a personal problem; then we begin to understand why we need to turn to God, and when we do turn to Him He becomes a refuge and a shelter and a complete rest.
“It seems to me that when confronted with the marvels of life and the universe, one must ask why and not just how. The only possible answers are religious. I find a need for God in the universe and in my own life.”
– Arthur L. Schawlow (Professor of Physics at Stanford University, Nobel Prize in physics)
– Arthur L. Schawlow (Professor of Physics at Stanford University, Nobel Prize in physics)
1 Peter 1:8 - Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
This joy that Christians have is not manufactured. It is not a human joy. It is not some chemical mixture in the frontal lobe. It is supernatural. In many cases the joy comes without the person becoming fully aware of its growing presence. We become so used to trudging through life that it’s only in hindsight that one becomes astonished at the power with which s/he handled what would normally be a very troubling experience. Only in hindsight do we realize that Jesus is changing us for the better. Only in hindsight do we realize that the promise of Jesus to bring joy and peace into our lives is no empty promise. It’s a promise that comes to us and is fulfilled in us with power and perfection.
This joy that Christians have is not manufactured. It is not a human joy. It is not some chemical mixture in the frontal lobe. It is supernatural. In many cases the joy comes without the person becoming fully aware of its growing presence. We become so used to trudging through life that it’s only in hindsight that one becomes astonished at the power with which s/he handled what would normally be a very troubling experience. Only in hindsight do we realize that Jesus is changing us for the better. Only in hindsight do we realize that the promise of Jesus to bring joy and peace into our lives is no empty promise. It’s a promise that comes to us and is fulfilled in us with power and perfection.
Ya Like Puzzles?
My wife enjoys jigsaw puzzles. She has boxes of them stacked in the storeroom. Sometimes, like Christmas holidays, an armload of puzzles will be brought upstairs and she and the kids will spend time visiting about stuff while putting these things together. Once in a while, when cleaning up, the kids will put a boxtop on the wrong box, i.e., the picture on the box will not match the picture that’s made when the puzzle is put together.
In a sense, the puzzle boxtops are like our world-view. For example, I’m a Christian because the picture, or the world view presented by the teaching of Jesus best matches the pieces of life’s puzzle. Though we observe the same pieces of the puzzle, atheists have chosen a different boxtop, a different world view. That’s a problem for atheists and here’s why. I’ll use the Singularity as an example.
In putting together pieces of the puzzle (evidence) for the beginning of the universe, atheists are finding the picture that the evidence is creating does not match the materialist boxtop. As most people know, you don't need to have very many pieces of the puzzle in place before you recognise that you've got the wrong boxtop.
Now, if that happened to you, if the puzzle pieces were coming together in a manner that was creating a picture that didn’t match the picture on the top of the box from which the puzzle pieces came, what would you conclude?
Any normal person would conclude that they have the wrong boxtop - the wrong world view. The puzzle pieces (evidence) can’t be wrong. They are what they are. However, our world view CAN be wrong.
Remember, our boxtop, our world view isn’t the puzzle itself. The boxtop is just a guide; a point of reference that helps us make sense of the puzzle itself.
In a case where the boxtop doesn’t match the puzzle, any normal person would search among the many and varied puzzle boxes lying around. A normal person would set aside any personal preference and find the right boxtop that fits the picture that our pieces of the puzzle is making.
In a rather strange and pathetic attempt to hide their mistake, instead of allowing the evidence to determine the correct world view, atheists are trying impose their world view onto the evidence. Rather than looking for the right boxtop, like any normal person would do, atheists actually believe that it’s IMPOSSIBLE for them to have the wrong boxtop. Why, they’re logical and reasonable and intelligent. How could they have the wrong boxtop? When the picture that is coming together in the puzzle doesn’t match the boxtop, atheists don’t say their world view is wrong. Instead, they say that the puzzle itself is wrong, the puzzle pieces, they say, aren’t actually what they appear to be.
That sounds ridiculous of course, but atheists are doing exactly that.
In atheist world:
. What appears to be a stream in the puzzle itself, is actually the race track on the boxtop.
. What appears to be a bush in the puzzle itself, is actually the tire of a race car on the boxtop.
. What appears to be evidence of design, say the atheists, is actually the precision placement of broken pieces of concrete that comes with any great explosion. Pfft!
. What appears to be specified, complex, coded, formulated information, something that all observation says only comes from an Intelligent Agent, atheists say this is just the lucky placement of mutated material goo.
This reinterpretation of the evidence takes place among not just the brute beasts on the street but even among intelligent atheists in white coats.
In regard to this reinterpretation of the puzzle pieces, Francis Crick states, “Biologists must CONSTANTLY KEEP IN MIND that what they see was not designed, but rather evolved.”
Imagine! Everything the atheist biologist examines screams design, but because of his pre determined and erroneous world view, he has to say, “No design. No Design. NO DESIGN! Those puzzle pieces might look like design but they’re actually something else. The pieces are wrong and my boxtop is right.”
How scientific is that!
Atheists seem to think that picking a world view is simply a matter of preference.
It isn’t!
The picture on the boxtop has to match the picture when the pieces of the puzzle are put together.
In a sense, the puzzle boxtops are like our world-view. For example, I’m a Christian because the picture, or the world view presented by the teaching of Jesus best matches the pieces of life’s puzzle. Though we observe the same pieces of the puzzle, atheists have chosen a different boxtop, a different world view. That’s a problem for atheists and here’s why. I’ll use the Singularity as an example.
In putting together pieces of the puzzle (evidence) for the beginning of the universe, atheists are finding the picture that the evidence is creating does not match the materialist boxtop. As most people know, you don't need to have very many pieces of the puzzle in place before you recognise that you've got the wrong boxtop.
Now, if that happened to you, if the puzzle pieces were coming together in a manner that was creating a picture that didn’t match the picture on the top of the box from which the puzzle pieces came, what would you conclude?
Any normal person would conclude that they have the wrong boxtop - the wrong world view. The puzzle pieces (evidence) can’t be wrong. They are what they are. However, our world view CAN be wrong.
Remember, our boxtop, our world view isn’t the puzzle itself. The boxtop is just a guide; a point of reference that helps us make sense of the puzzle itself.
In a case where the boxtop doesn’t match the puzzle, any normal person would search among the many and varied puzzle boxes lying around. A normal person would set aside any personal preference and find the right boxtop that fits the picture that our pieces of the puzzle is making.
In a rather strange and pathetic attempt to hide their mistake, instead of allowing the evidence to determine the correct world view, atheists are trying impose their world view onto the evidence. Rather than looking for the right boxtop, like any normal person would do, atheists actually believe that it’s IMPOSSIBLE for them to have the wrong boxtop. Why, they’re logical and reasonable and intelligent. How could they have the wrong boxtop? When the picture that is coming together in the puzzle doesn’t match the boxtop, atheists don’t say their world view is wrong. Instead, they say that the puzzle itself is wrong, the puzzle pieces, they say, aren’t actually what they appear to be.
That sounds ridiculous of course, but atheists are doing exactly that.
In atheist world:
. What appears to be a stream in the puzzle itself, is actually the race track on the boxtop.
. What appears to be a bush in the puzzle itself, is actually the tire of a race car on the boxtop.
. What appears to be evidence of design, say the atheists, is actually the precision placement of broken pieces of concrete that comes with any great explosion. Pfft!
. What appears to be specified, complex, coded, formulated information, something that all observation says only comes from an Intelligent Agent, atheists say this is just the lucky placement of mutated material goo.
This reinterpretation of the evidence takes place among not just the brute beasts on the street but even among intelligent atheists in white coats.
In regard to this reinterpretation of the puzzle pieces, Francis Crick states, “Biologists must CONSTANTLY KEEP IN MIND that what they see was not designed, but rather evolved.”
Imagine! Everything the atheist biologist examines screams design, but because of his pre determined and erroneous world view, he has to say, “No design. No Design. NO DESIGN! Those puzzle pieces might look like design but they’re actually something else. The pieces are wrong and my boxtop is right.”
How scientific is that!
Atheists seem to think that picking a world view is simply a matter of preference.
It isn’t!
The picture on the boxtop has to match the picture when the pieces of the puzzle are put together.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Devil’s in the Details
I’ve just had an atheist tell me that because people were wrong about Thor pulling the sun across the sky, and Zeus beating the drums of thunder, or the other way around, I’m not sure, that people have been “100% wrong” about God being involved in the workings of nature.
It’s a bit like someone who denies that auto makers exist saying, “Because we’ve shown that there isn’t an army of ants turning cranks in the engine compartment (like people once thought) and because we've shown that there isn’t an army of moles pressing leavers to squirt oil (like people once thought), therefore we know that vehicles are not manufactured, they just happen.
Ok, bad example but time is short and the principle is the same.
This atheist has stated, “It's interesting to point out that throughout the entire history of scientific investigation, not one supernatural explanation has ever been confirmed as true.” Besides Zeus and Thor, he doesn’t give any examples, but let’s give him the benefit of doubt. I’ll be the first to admit that Christians have said some pretty stupid things - things admittedly said in ignorance.
What this atheist (atheists are those who believe that our's was the first intelligence to arise) doesn’t understand is that while the details (Greek mythologies) have been wrong, that in no way takes away from the Christian doctrine of Creator God. This doctrine states that the universe with its exquisitely finely tuned constants and qualities could not and did not come into being from nothing apart from the willed initiation and design of Creator God.
Because the evidence so strongly supports a supernatural explanation for the universe, people like this atheist and better known atheists like Ricky Gervais (very funny man) and Richard Dawkins have been reduced to positing an infinite number of universes to explain the why and how of our universe.
Why have they done that?
Because according to current evidence, the only way to explain the why and how of this universe is a supernatural cause; a cause that operated outside of nature.
That of course is not allowed in the narrow atheist world.
Because atheism does not allow anything outside of the material to exist, atheists have been forced to come up with the idea of an infinite number of universes. The theory being that with an infinite number of universes, one such as ours could come into existence -
. without a natural cause (current evidence says nothing natural existed)
.NOR a cause from outside of nature -
No nature.
No super nature.
It Just Happened! Ta Da!
With an infinite number of universes, even the impossible becomes possible.
In atheist world, that's how things work. So far atheists have been 100% wrong in their suppositions as to how this took place but that doesn't stop them from trying. Even though atheists have been ONE HUNDRED PERCENT WRONG to date, they expect us to believe their next guess will be the right one.
So I asked this atheist if he was perhaps leaning pretty heavily on atheism of the gaps but he wouldn't answer. I asked him quite a few questions actually but he wouldn't answer, so I’ll ask them again here and perhaps someone else would be brave enough to take a shot.
I said:
"we (meaning you and other materialists) don't know "yet" the material cause of the universe"
THAT is a gap in your knowledge. Yes?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
===============
I said:
You do not have evidence that the cause of the universe is material BUT you are confident, so confident that a material answer will be found that you toss aside the current lack of evidence and simply claim, "Nature did it."
As far as you're concerned an answer that will probably come in the future is as good as having an answer now - Yes?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
============
I said:
“The evidence is that nothing natural existed at the singularity.”
Are you saying that there WAS something material in existence at the singularity?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
============
I said:
“The evidence is that NOTHING comes into being without an external cause.”
Are you saying that there ARE things that DO come into being without an external cause?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
==================
I said:
“The evidence is that the external cause for the beginning of the universe could not have been natural.”
Are you saying that there IS evidence for a natural cause in existence at the singularity?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
=================
I said:
"The evidence is that if the cause was not natural then it must have been outside of nature, or super natural."
Are you saying that everything CAN come from nothing by nothing?
Or that the universe brought itself into existence;
Or that matter created itself;
Or that matter preexisted itself?
Or are you relying on one of the dozen or more atheist origin of the universe mythologies being tossed around by those desperate to avoid the metaphysical implications of Big Bang Cosmology?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
=================
Even though atheists have been 100% wrong in their ideas of how this universe came into existence without the presence of anything natural / material in existence at the singularity, they continue to press for new and more bizarre scenarios, all in an attempt to avoid the metaphysical implications of Big Bang Cosmology.
It’s a bit like someone who denies that auto makers exist saying, “Because we’ve shown that there isn’t an army of ants turning cranks in the engine compartment (like people once thought) and because we've shown that there isn’t an army of moles pressing leavers to squirt oil (like people once thought), therefore we know that vehicles are not manufactured, they just happen.
Ok, bad example but time is short and the principle is the same.
This atheist has stated, “It's interesting to point out that throughout the entire history of scientific investigation, not one supernatural explanation has ever been confirmed as true.” Besides Zeus and Thor, he doesn’t give any examples, but let’s give him the benefit of doubt. I’ll be the first to admit that Christians have said some pretty stupid things - things admittedly said in ignorance.
What this atheist (atheists are those who believe that our's was the first intelligence to arise) doesn’t understand is that while the details (Greek mythologies) have been wrong, that in no way takes away from the Christian doctrine of Creator God. This doctrine states that the universe with its exquisitely finely tuned constants and qualities could not and did not come into being from nothing apart from the willed initiation and design of Creator God.
Because the evidence so strongly supports a supernatural explanation for the universe, people like this atheist and better known atheists like Ricky Gervais (very funny man) and Richard Dawkins have been reduced to positing an infinite number of universes to explain the why and how of our universe.
Why have they done that?
Because according to current evidence, the only way to explain the why and how of this universe is a supernatural cause; a cause that operated outside of nature.
That of course is not allowed in the narrow atheist world.
Because atheism does not allow anything outside of the material to exist, atheists have been forced to come up with the idea of an infinite number of universes. The theory being that with an infinite number of universes, one such as ours could come into existence -
. without a natural cause (current evidence says nothing natural existed)
.NOR a cause from outside of nature -
No nature.
No super nature.
It Just Happened! Ta Da!
With an infinite number of universes, even the impossible becomes possible.
In atheist world, that's how things work. So far atheists have been 100% wrong in their suppositions as to how this took place but that doesn't stop them from trying. Even though atheists have been ONE HUNDRED PERCENT WRONG to date, they expect us to believe their next guess will be the right one.
So I asked this atheist if he was perhaps leaning pretty heavily on atheism of the gaps but he wouldn't answer. I asked him quite a few questions actually but he wouldn't answer, so I’ll ask them again here and perhaps someone else would be brave enough to take a shot.
I said:
"we (meaning you and other materialists) don't know "yet" the material cause of the universe"
THAT is a gap in your knowledge. Yes?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
===============
I said:
You do not have evidence that the cause of the universe is material BUT you are confident, so confident that a material answer will be found that you toss aside the current lack of evidence and simply claim, "Nature did it."
As far as you're concerned an answer that will probably come in the future is as good as having an answer now - Yes?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
============
I said:
“The evidence is that nothing natural existed at the singularity.”
Are you saying that there WAS something material in existence at the singularity?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
============
I said:
“The evidence is that NOTHING comes into being without an external cause.”
Are you saying that there ARE things that DO come into being without an external cause?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
==================
I said:
“The evidence is that the external cause for the beginning of the universe could not have been natural.”
Are you saying that there IS evidence for a natural cause in existence at the singularity?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
=================
I said:
"The evidence is that if the cause was not natural then it must have been outside of nature, or super natural."
Are you saying that everything CAN come from nothing by nothing?
Or that the universe brought itself into existence;
Or that matter created itself;
Or that matter preexisted itself?
Or are you relying on one of the dozen or more atheist origin of the universe mythologies being tossed around by those desperate to avoid the metaphysical implications of Big Bang Cosmology?
Atheist: [No Answer] Just - They were wrong about Thor, so you’re wrong too.
=================
Even though atheists have been 100% wrong in their ideas of how this universe came into existence without the presence of anything natural / material in existence at the singularity, they continue to press for new and more bizarre scenarios, all in an attempt to avoid the metaphysical implications of Big Bang Cosmology.
Matthew 13:44 - "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."
What incredible peace and joy lies in the heart of the person who has found the greatest treasure this stage of life has to offer - Jesus Christ.
What incredible peace and joy lies in the heart of the person who has found the greatest treasure this stage of life has to offer - Jesus Christ.
Not In My Universe
Atheists say they have good reason to be atheists. For example:
Atheists observe a reasonable universe.
Atheists observe a universe and think that's no big deal.
Atheists observe a mathematically precise universe.
Atheists observe a universe and think that's no big deal.
Atheists observe a universe the operates according to order and logic.
Atheists observe a universe and think that's no big deal.
Atheists observe a universe that is known and knowable and because of that atheists correctly conclude that order and truth and logic exist because - well - hmm - with only the evidence of nature allowed, there really ISN'T any reason why things should be the way they are. According to atheists, things are just this way because we’re really, really lucky.
Based on the multi verse theory, there WILL be a universe where atheists think logically, but it doesn’t happen in our universe - does it?
Based on the multi verse theory, there WILL be a universe where people accept that logic and truth and reason can only exist if they are the result of an unchanging objective Source and Standard of logic and order and design. But that’s not our universe.
In our universe we have atheists.
In our universe atheists don’t make sense.
In our universe, logic and order and truth aren’t the reasons for people becoming atheists.
In our universe, atheism is not based on what is observed, or measured or tested and calculated.
In our universe, atheism is a chosen world-view that is then IMPOSED upon science to force a conclusion that cannot possibly be reached upon the basis of observation and testing.
Atheists observe a reasonable universe.
Atheists observe a universe and think that's no big deal.
Atheists observe a mathematically precise universe.
Atheists observe a universe and think that's no big deal.
Atheists observe a universe the operates according to order and logic.
Atheists observe a universe and think that's no big deal.
Atheists observe a universe that is known and knowable and because of that atheists correctly conclude that order and truth and logic exist because - well - hmm - with only the evidence of nature allowed, there really ISN'T any reason why things should be the way they are. According to atheists, things are just this way because we’re really, really lucky.
Based on the multi verse theory, there WILL be a universe where atheists think logically, but it doesn’t happen in our universe - does it?
Based on the multi verse theory, there WILL be a universe where people accept that logic and truth and reason can only exist if they are the result of an unchanging objective Source and Standard of logic and order and design. But that’s not our universe.
In our universe we have atheists.
In our universe atheists don’t make sense.
In our universe, logic and order and truth aren’t the reasons for people becoming atheists.
In our universe, atheism is not based on what is observed, or measured or tested and calculated.
In our universe, atheism is a chosen world-view that is then IMPOSED upon science to force a conclusion that cannot possibly be reached upon the basis of observation and testing.
Monday, January 18, 2010
No Reason
Those immersed in scientism / materialism would have you believe that spiritual experiences, what people take to be a connection with Creator God are nothing more than delusions, untrustworthy. Why? Because in atheist world the non material does not exist, cannot exist, must not exist.
To say that only the material exists is to say that Constantine, Copernicus, Augustine, Kepler, Loyola, Galileo, Teresa of Avila, Brahe, Calvin, Descartes, Pascal, Boyle, Bunyan, Newton, Wesley, Leibniz, Whitefield, Mersenne, Jonathon Edwards, Faraday, Herschel, Elizabeth Bayley Seton, Joule, Finney, Kelvin, Sojourner Truth, Ohm, Livingston, Ampere, Spurgeon, Pasteur, Tolstoy, Mendel, Booth, Billy Sunday, Steno, Evelyn Underhill, Gassendi, Schweitzer, C.S. Lewis, Lin Yutang, Waugh, Hammarskjold, Simone Weil, Merton, Muggeridge, Eldridge Cleaver, plus billions of others were and are all wrong about their spiritual experiences.
I said in the post “I’m an Atheist http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/im-atheist.html that science is not only built on philosophy, it’s built upon bad philosophy, a self defeating philosophy.
Philosophy is a collection of ideas, information and theories compiled in an effort to understand or to make sense of various areas of life. These are the same ideas, information and theories upon which science rests. To suggest that ideas, logic, consciousness and information exist while not being material leads atheists to make rather peculiar statements in a hopelessly futile effort to make atheism cohere with reality.
For example, leaders in the atheist community would have you believe that YOU, the you that is reading this and contemplating what it means is just an illusion. Purist materialists, those who are not just dabbling in atheism because it makes them feel good in a perverse manner, HAVE to believe that YOU do not exist, that your choices are not choices, that your consciousness is not consciousness but an illusion.
Atheists tell us they live by reason alone. This is more than just a tad ironic since the atheist’s reasoning is based upon faith. After all, to defend reason by the means of reason is circular thinking and as any atheist worth h/her salt knows, circular reasoning is worthless.
Here is what we know:
. Our ability to reason came from a preexisting intelligent agent - OR
. Our ability to reason came from mindless matter
Atheists have to believe, they are forced to believe, they have no other choice than to believe, BY FAITH no less that our ability to reason came from mindless matter. Why faith? Because there is no evidence to support the conclusions that atheists have drawn. In fact, the conclusions drawn by atheists CONTRADICT our observations.
- Consistent observation tells us that specified, complex, formulated, coded information ONLY comes from Intelligent Agents.
- Consistent observation tells us that the effect cannot be greater than its cause.
- Consistent observation tells us that it is impossible to give something that you don’t have, YET atheist materialists believe that inanimate, inorganic, mindless, unintelligent matter produced intelligent life, intelligent life that is capable of reason and logic.
It makes much more sense to those of us who haven’t limited our search for truth to only a very narrow band of evidence, that our minds are able to comprehend truth and reason because they were designed by the Creator of truth and reason.
As the series on Intelligent Agents (first post, “Nothing Did It) http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2009/12/nothing-did-it.html) showed, materialism cannot explain the presence of a specified, complex, coded instructions found in each and every cell. Neither can materialism explain our ability to reason, to use logic, to process information and draw relevant conclusions. Instead, atheists are forced to say that reason and consciousness are an illusion.
There’s no scientific reason for them to say that, but they have to say it anyway.
To say that only the material exists is to say that Constantine, Copernicus, Augustine, Kepler, Loyola, Galileo, Teresa of Avila, Brahe, Calvin, Descartes, Pascal, Boyle, Bunyan, Newton, Wesley, Leibniz, Whitefield, Mersenne, Jonathon Edwards, Faraday, Herschel, Elizabeth Bayley Seton, Joule, Finney, Kelvin, Sojourner Truth, Ohm, Livingston, Ampere, Spurgeon, Pasteur, Tolstoy, Mendel, Booth, Billy Sunday, Steno, Evelyn Underhill, Gassendi, Schweitzer, C.S. Lewis, Lin Yutang, Waugh, Hammarskjold, Simone Weil, Merton, Muggeridge, Eldridge Cleaver, plus billions of others were and are all wrong about their spiritual experiences.
I said in the post “I’m an Atheist http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/im-atheist.html that science is not only built on philosophy, it’s built upon bad philosophy, a self defeating philosophy.
Philosophy is a collection of ideas, information and theories compiled in an effort to understand or to make sense of various areas of life. These are the same ideas, information and theories upon which science rests. To suggest that ideas, logic, consciousness and information exist while not being material leads atheists to make rather peculiar statements in a hopelessly futile effort to make atheism cohere with reality.
For example, leaders in the atheist community would have you believe that YOU, the you that is reading this and contemplating what it means is just an illusion. Purist materialists, those who are not just dabbling in atheism because it makes them feel good in a perverse manner, HAVE to believe that YOU do not exist, that your choices are not choices, that your consciousness is not consciousness but an illusion.
Atheists tell us they live by reason alone. This is more than just a tad ironic since the atheist’s reasoning is based upon faith. After all, to defend reason by the means of reason is circular thinking and as any atheist worth h/her salt knows, circular reasoning is worthless.
Here is what we know:
. Our ability to reason came from a preexisting intelligent agent - OR
. Our ability to reason came from mindless matter
Atheists have to believe, they are forced to believe, they have no other choice than to believe, BY FAITH no less that our ability to reason came from mindless matter. Why faith? Because there is no evidence to support the conclusions that atheists have drawn. In fact, the conclusions drawn by atheists CONTRADICT our observations.
- Consistent observation tells us that specified, complex, formulated, coded information ONLY comes from Intelligent Agents.
- Consistent observation tells us that the effect cannot be greater than its cause.
- Consistent observation tells us that it is impossible to give something that you don’t have, YET atheist materialists believe that inanimate, inorganic, mindless, unintelligent matter produced intelligent life, intelligent life that is capable of reason and logic.
It makes much more sense to those of us who haven’t limited our search for truth to only a very narrow band of evidence, that our minds are able to comprehend truth and reason because they were designed by the Creator of truth and reason.
As the series on Intelligent Agents (first post, “Nothing Did It) http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2009/12/nothing-did-it.html) showed, materialism cannot explain the presence of a specified, complex, coded instructions found in each and every cell. Neither can materialism explain our ability to reason, to use logic, to process information and draw relevant conclusions. Instead, atheists are forced to say that reason and consciousness are an illusion.
There’s no scientific reason for them to say that, but they have to say it anyway.
“As an academic scientist I am a passionate Darwinian. But I am a passionate anti-Darwinian when it comes to politics and how we should conduct our human affairs.”
Richard Dawkins, A Devil’s Chaplain – Selected Essays (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003), p. 10-11'
When asked about this, when asked if we can just pick and choose when Darwinism is working and when it isn't, Dawkins replied, "Sure."
Richard Dawkins, A Devil’s Chaplain – Selected Essays (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003), p. 10-11'
When asked about this, when asked if we can just pick and choose when Darwinism is working and when it isn't, Dawkins replied, "Sure."
In All These Things
What humans so often fail to realize is that our problems, our losses, our pummelling by life, while difficult, are also opportunities for growth and courage. This is doubly so for the Christian. The chief source of pain that results from hardship is not the hardship itself but our resistance to the hardship. We spend so much time trying to wiggle out of our problems that we completely miss the learning that can be taking place within the problem. As a Christian, you are not always protected FROM life’s difficulties. But you will be protected THROUGH life’s difficulties. This is joy. This is strength. This is character. This is seen in the lives of Christians in Haiti. Their faith is allowing them to move beyond the immediate pain and loss and immediately take another step upward on their spiritual journey. "In all these things we are more than conquerors."
Amazing Grace
How sweet the sound to those of us who have accepted God’s offer of forgiveness. To those still fighting against their Creator the thought is anything but sweet.
The scenarios typically given by atheists involve Hitler or a paedophile. While I think that atheists will be quite satisfied with the punishment that Hitler receives(assuming they will be able to focus on anything but their own fate), their point is that, in theory, just before he died, Hitler or a paedophile could have genuinely repented of h/her actions and received forgiveness from h/her Creator. An example of this actually happening is given in the Gospels in the account of one of the criminals who was crucified with Jesus, asking for forgiveness and Jesus saying to this criminal, "Today, you will be in paradise with Me."
Preposterous, ridiculous, unfair, absurd, insane are just some of the ways that God’s grace, as demonstrated through His offer of forgiveness to all who ask, is described.
One atheist described it this way.
“All those twisted bastards have to do is say, "Heavenly Father, in Jesus' name I repent of my sins and open my heart to let Jesus come inside of me. I come before you that I’m guilty. I admit to you that I’ve done horrible things to many people. Jesus, You are my Lord and Savior and even though I’m a degenerate scum, I believe you died for my sins and you were raised from the dead. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank You Father for saving me in Jesus' name. Amen.” See. [Anybody] gets to go to heaven. You accept Jesus as your personal lord and savior and whatever you’ve done, it no longer matters. Ignoring that you might have even killed a child? NOT IMPORTANT. Because according to the New Testament, all you have to do is ask for forgiveness and BAMMO. Get out of hell free card. FUCK THAT!”
Ironic, isn’t it? Atheists are repelled by how unfair the grace of God seems to them. They WANT people to be punished. And yet, and YET atheists demand that God should ignore THEIR sins, forgive them without ANY repentence on their part, and force them against their will to spend eternity in His presence.
And if He won’t do that (and He won’t force anyone to go against their wishes) atheists pout and pretend He doesn’t exist AND at the same time tell Creator God to His face, “This is why I refuse to believe in You!”
The scenarios typically given by atheists involve Hitler or a paedophile. While I think that atheists will be quite satisfied with the punishment that Hitler receives(assuming they will be able to focus on anything but their own fate), their point is that, in theory, just before he died, Hitler or a paedophile could have genuinely repented of h/her actions and received forgiveness from h/her Creator. An example of this actually happening is given in the Gospels in the account of one of the criminals who was crucified with Jesus, asking for forgiveness and Jesus saying to this criminal, "Today, you will be in paradise with Me."
Preposterous, ridiculous, unfair, absurd, insane are just some of the ways that God’s grace, as demonstrated through His offer of forgiveness to all who ask, is described.
One atheist described it this way.
“All those twisted bastards have to do is say, "Heavenly Father, in Jesus' name I repent of my sins and open my heart to let Jesus come inside of me. I come before you that I’m guilty. I admit to you that I’ve done horrible things to many people. Jesus, You are my Lord and Savior and even though I’m a degenerate scum, I believe you died for my sins and you were raised from the dead. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank You Father for saving me in Jesus' name. Amen.” See. [Anybody] gets to go to heaven. You accept Jesus as your personal lord and savior and whatever you’ve done, it no longer matters. Ignoring that you might have even killed a child? NOT IMPORTANT. Because according to the New Testament, all you have to do is ask for forgiveness and BAMMO. Get out of hell free card. FUCK THAT!”
Ironic, isn’t it? Atheists are repelled by how unfair the grace of God seems to them. They WANT people to be punished. And yet, and YET atheists demand that God should ignore THEIR sins, forgive them without ANY repentence on their part, and force them against their will to spend eternity in His presence.
And if He won’t do that (and He won’t force anyone to go against their wishes) atheists pout and pretend He doesn’t exist AND at the same time tell Creator God to His face, “This is why I refuse to believe in You!”
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Joy Comes From Faith in Jesus
So often I praise God with , “Thank you that you are in charge Father.”
This faith that I have in Jesus is based on almost three decades of friendship with Him. I trust Jesus for the same reason I trust my wife. Experience.
As the apostle Paul once said, “I know the One in whom I believe.”
This allows me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
This faith that I have in Jesus is based on almost three decades of friendship with Him. I trust Jesus for the same reason I trust my wife. Experience.
As the apostle Paul once said, “I know the One in whom I believe.”
This allows me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
I’m An Atheist
Science uses non science to support itself. Without reading further, can you answer why that statement is true?
Answer: Science itself is based on philosophy. Atheist driven science is based on bad philosophy.
Here's why.
First, To say, as one atheist said on his blog that “Science is the only objective source of truth,” is to make a philosophical statement.
Second, To say that “Science is the only objective source of truth,” is not just a philosophical statement, it’s bad philosophy.
Here’s why.
“Science is the only objective source of truth,” is a truth statement, but it’s NOT scientific truth. The statement itself cannot be proven by science.
Guess what that means?
Atheists who believe “Science is the only objective source of truth,” are believing a self-defeating statement; they’re believing a self-defeating statement upon which atheist driven science itself is based.
It’s unreasonable.
It’s incoherent.
It’s illogical.
It’s atheism at its best.
Here’s the truly sad part. When atheists read this, they will simply say,
“I don’t have to be reasonable. I’m an atheist. I’m a free thinker. I can believe whatever I want.”
Answer: Science itself is based on philosophy. Atheist driven science is based on bad philosophy.
Here's why.
First, To say, as one atheist said on his blog that “Science is the only objective source of truth,” is to make a philosophical statement.
Second, To say that “Science is the only objective source of truth,” is not just a philosophical statement, it’s bad philosophy.
Here’s why.
“Science is the only objective source of truth,” is a truth statement, but it’s NOT scientific truth. The statement itself cannot be proven by science.
Guess what that means?
Atheists who believe “Science is the only objective source of truth,” are believing a self-defeating statement; they’re believing a self-defeating statement upon which atheist driven science itself is based.
It’s unreasonable.
It’s incoherent.
It’s illogical.
It’s atheism at its best.
Here’s the truly sad part. When atheists read this, they will simply say,
“I don’t have to be reasonable. I’m an atheist. I’m a free thinker. I can believe whatever I want.”
Saturday, January 16, 2010
“The Lord does not look at things as we do. We judge by outward appearance. The Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
For those who know the surface Rod, I’m a good man. Good for the community. Caring and compassionate. Giving of myself, my time, my money.
When forced to stand in the bright light of God’s goodness, I much more resemble a predator - dangerous, treacherous and shockingly cruel.
For those who know the surface Rod, I’m a good man. Good for the community. Caring and compassionate. Giving of myself, my time, my money.
When forced to stand in the bright light of God’s goodness, I much more resemble a predator - dangerous, treacherous and shockingly cruel.
I Can't Do Haiti
I'm all tapped out. I've got nothing left. Oh, I've got money to send. Anyone can do money. But the videos? Can't do it. News casts? Nope.
The scale of the tragedy is too much, too horrific. I can't imagine what it must be like there. And the worst is not even close to over.
The scale of the tragedy is too much, too horrific. I can't imagine what it must be like there. And the worst is not even close to over.
Amos 5:21-24 - I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. For let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Endless Possibilities
“Young models: No experience required. The possibilities endless.”
I live in a community with the highest rate of child prostitution in the nation. Children, crouched on the floor of vehicles giving blow jobs to men who, through selective morality have rationalised this vile and disgusting behaviour.
I can just hear the atheists now. "Who are you to judge?"
The above add appeared in a local paper. Endless possibilities for children desperate to leave an already desperate home situation. The only modelling however is posing in porn movies.
I read this and then feel the rage coming back as I replay encounters with atheists and free thinkers who turn a blind eye to human trafficking in the sex trade.
Staggeringly naive or viciously insensitive.
I wish the former but believe the latter.
Children believing a web of lies. Predators promising fortune and instead giving slavery. Bodies and souls, stolen. Rape. Threats. Manipulation. Beatings and drug addiction.
In a perverted version of:
“You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours,”
atheists and free thinkers grant porn pushers and pimps free reign in a world where:
“You don’t judge me and I won’t judge you.”
“An evil will come upon you that you will not be able to charm away.”
Atheism - Where the possibilities are endless.
I live in a community with the highest rate of child prostitution in the nation. Children, crouched on the floor of vehicles giving blow jobs to men who, through selective morality have rationalised this vile and disgusting behaviour.
I can just hear the atheists now. "Who are you to judge?"
The above add appeared in a local paper. Endless possibilities for children desperate to leave an already desperate home situation. The only modelling however is posing in porn movies.
I read this and then feel the rage coming back as I replay encounters with atheists and free thinkers who turn a blind eye to human trafficking in the sex trade.
Staggeringly naive or viciously insensitive.
I wish the former but believe the latter.
Children believing a web of lies. Predators promising fortune and instead giving slavery. Bodies and souls, stolen. Rape. Threats. Manipulation. Beatings and drug addiction.
In a perverted version of:
“You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours,”
atheists and free thinkers grant porn pushers and pimps free reign in a world where:
“You don’t judge me and I won’t judge you.”
“An evil will come upon you that you will not be able to charm away.”
Atheism - Where the possibilities are endless.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Study that Says - Duh!
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/01/15/hpv-infections-new-couples.html
Our government paid someone to “discover” this!
The presence of HPV in one partner was the strongest predictor of finding the same strain in the other partner, the team found.
"If one partner was infected with HPV, the other partner's chance of also being infected with the same type increased over 50 times," Burchell said in an email. "One does not need to have many sex partners to get HPV. Simply having one infected partner is enough to pose a very high risk for HPV infection."
Who would have thought?
Our government paid someone to “discover” this!
The presence of HPV in one partner was the strongest predictor of finding the same strain in the other partner, the team found.
"If one partner was infected with HPV, the other partner's chance of also being infected with the same type increased over 50 times," Burchell said in an email. "One does not need to have many sex partners to get HPV. Simply having one infected partner is enough to pose a very high risk for HPV infection."
Who would have thought?
Conclusion: A Question for You
This is the last post in a series on Christians and sin.
The first post in this series was: My Favourite Commandment
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
The second: My Favourite sin
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-sin.html
The third: I yam what I yam
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-yam-what-i-yam.html
The fourth: The Big Lie
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/big-lie.html
The fifth: Let’s be Honest
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/pharisee-in-me.html
The sixth: The Pharisee in Me
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/pharisee-in-me.html
Those outside the Church many times express shock and outrage when Christians disobey the One they claim to follow. As I’ve stated in this series, far too many Christians react in a similar manner. My question for both groups is, why? Is there anything in the Bible to suggest that God uses “good” people to accomplish His plan for Creation?
Do you not remember Lot and his daughters? Noah and his drunken stupor? Solomon and his wives and concubines? David killing his “lover’s” husband? The murderer Moses? Samson who loved his prostitutes. The wickedness of Eli’s sons? The liar Jacob? The denial of Peter? The doubting of Thomas? The murderer Saul?
Abraham, as with those who trust Jesus for salvation was COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUS. Anyone who knows the account of Abraham’s life knows that “righteous” cannot mean that he was perfect, or even good. Abraham, like every human alive was at the very least a liar and a deceiver. We do not become righteous in a behavioural sense. Based upon our acceptance of Jesus’ offer of forgiveness, we are COUNTED as righteous.
The only reason that God uses spiritual failures is because that is the only kind of human beings that He has to work with.
To a person, we humans are hypocrites, liars, cheats and bigots.
To a person, we humans are selfish and self-centred and rebellious to the core.
Both Kierkegaard and Lewis say something similar in regard to sin and forgiveness.
Lewis said, “No one knows how bad he is until he’s tried really hard to be good.”
Kierkegaard said that the way to become authentically Christian is to take any one of Jesus’ teachings and try to keep it.
These men are not saying that following any one teaching of Jesus would make us better Christians. What they mean is that if we try to follow Christ’s teaching, we’ll be driven to an awareness of our own sinfulness and the need for continual forgiveness.
As Kierkegaard said, “It’s a consoling idea that we are always in the wrong and we can do nothing to remedy the situation.” I couldn’t agree more. It’s a concept somewhat similar to the freedom that comes with accepting that “The only person I can change is myself.” Many refuse to accept the truth of either statement and both they and those around them suffer accordingly.
God takes those of us who are lost, and weak and who are like sheep without a shepherd and He makes us forgiven and faithful - faithful in our desire, NOT our success, but our desire to serve the One who made it possible for us to live in a forgiven relationship with our Creator.
Those on the outside use the witness of our imperfections as an excuse for a continued rejection of Jesus’ offer of salvation.
Let us, who know the goodness of our Saviour and Creator use our imperfections as a reminder that everyday we need forgiveness. Let us, who know the goodness and mercy and grace of our Creator "come boldly and with confidence to the throne of grace where we can receive mercy and find grace in our time of need." Amen and Amen.
The first post in this series was: My Favourite Commandment
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
The second: My Favourite sin
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-sin.html
The third: I yam what I yam
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-yam-what-i-yam.html
The fourth: The Big Lie
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/big-lie.html
The fifth: Let’s be Honest
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/pharisee-in-me.html
The sixth: The Pharisee in Me
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/pharisee-in-me.html
Those outside the Church many times express shock and outrage when Christians disobey the One they claim to follow. As I’ve stated in this series, far too many Christians react in a similar manner. My question for both groups is, why? Is there anything in the Bible to suggest that God uses “good” people to accomplish His plan for Creation?
Do you not remember Lot and his daughters? Noah and his drunken stupor? Solomon and his wives and concubines? David killing his “lover’s” husband? The murderer Moses? Samson who loved his prostitutes. The wickedness of Eli’s sons? The liar Jacob? The denial of Peter? The doubting of Thomas? The murderer Saul?
Abraham, as with those who trust Jesus for salvation was COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUS. Anyone who knows the account of Abraham’s life knows that “righteous” cannot mean that he was perfect, or even good. Abraham, like every human alive was at the very least a liar and a deceiver. We do not become righteous in a behavioural sense. Based upon our acceptance of Jesus’ offer of forgiveness, we are COUNTED as righteous.
The only reason that God uses spiritual failures is because that is the only kind of human beings that He has to work with.
To a person, we humans are hypocrites, liars, cheats and bigots.
To a person, we humans are selfish and self-centred and rebellious to the core.
Both Kierkegaard and Lewis say something similar in regard to sin and forgiveness.
Lewis said, “No one knows how bad he is until he’s tried really hard to be good.”
Kierkegaard said that the way to become authentically Christian is to take any one of Jesus’ teachings and try to keep it.
These men are not saying that following any one teaching of Jesus would make us better Christians. What they mean is that if we try to follow Christ’s teaching, we’ll be driven to an awareness of our own sinfulness and the need for continual forgiveness.
As Kierkegaard said, “It’s a consoling idea that we are always in the wrong and we can do nothing to remedy the situation.” I couldn’t agree more. It’s a concept somewhat similar to the freedom that comes with accepting that “The only person I can change is myself.” Many refuse to accept the truth of either statement and both they and those around them suffer accordingly.
God takes those of us who are lost, and weak and who are like sheep without a shepherd and He makes us forgiven and faithful - faithful in our desire, NOT our success, but our desire to serve the One who made it possible for us to live in a forgiven relationship with our Creator.
Those on the outside use the witness of our imperfections as an excuse for a continued rejection of Jesus’ offer of salvation.
Let us, who know the goodness of our Saviour and Creator use our imperfections as a reminder that everyday we need forgiveness. Let us, who know the goodness and mercy and grace of our Creator "come boldly and with confidence to the throne of grace where we can receive mercy and find grace in our time of need." Amen and Amen.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Pharisee in Me
This is the second last post on a series about Christians and sin.
The first post in this series was:
My Favourite Commandment
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
The second: My Favourite sin
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-sin.html
The third: I yam what I yam
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-yam-what-i-yam.html
The fourth: The Big Lie
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/big-lie.html
The fifth: Let’s be Honest
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/lets-be-honest.html
There are two churches in our little town. Both evangelical, Bible based, socially concerned congregations. These congregations are as good as congregations get.
Still like most congregations, the one we attend carries within it the idea that sin, the reality of sin, the entity of sin is a problem that is dealt with at the front end of salvation. Sinners need to be saved but once they are saved we just get on with the business of living, of “making” a living. The people of course would vehemently deny this. My interaction with them as a counsellor however, shines a bright light on the desire common to all, which is our desire to hide the real self, to avoid transparency.
Believing (wishing?) that sin is dealt with at the front end of salvation causes us to hide our true selves from others and from ourselves. Believing this lie brings to a congregation a lack of transparency that is deadly for any Church body.
It’s as deadly as pretending that radical Islam isn’t at war with us.
It’s as deadly as pretending that satan isn’t out to destroy us.
Pretending that we can defeat this enemy on our own is building into our Christian life a "failure by design" scenario.
Whenever not sinning becomes the goal over and above living in a state of forgiveness for our sins, look out!
“Who among you is without sin?” was the withering blast from Jesus.
“You brood of vipers,” was hurled by John toward those who wanted to look “good” (Pharisees / us) to the outside world while ignoring the filth within.
“If we claim to be without sin, we lie to ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
The question being asked by Ginx, and one that is relevant to the point of this series of posts is, “If we aren’t becoming better people, what does Christ and Christianity have to offer people of the world?”
Um, how about salvation, forgiveness, mercy and grace?
These things are not found anywhere - except at the foot of the cross. That is why the early Church was so attractive. When we love one another, people look to Jesus because the world does not possess love - Nor mercy, nor grace and especially not forgiveness - Not the kind the Jesus offers.
When pretending to be good is more important than maintaining our salvation, when pretending to not sin is more important than honestly dealing with our sin, we are working against and not for our Saviour. The judging, the hiding, the hypocrisy of it all makes non Christians gag.
Following Jesus is an intensely personal walk. We are saved the same today as we were the first day that we brought our sin filled lives to the alter. We need God’s grace on a daily basis. We need His forgiveness on a daily basis. Who would turn down an opportunity to receive God’s grace except one who doesn’t want to be vulnerable to that grace?
And that, Ginx, is about as much as I want to say, for now. For you to judge Christians for buying expensive suits is understandable - I guess. On the other hand, you and I and everyone else are susceptible to self-deception. We are all prone to justifying our actions.
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst.”
Notice that Paul doesn’t say, “I was the worst.”
Our state in sin is present tense and will remain so until the day of Jesus’ return.
There never has been and never will be a Christian whose life doesn’t possess thoughts and actions contrary to the will of God. One of the things that is able to keep us on track is the knowledge that when any conversation turns to talk of sinners, the conversation is about “me.”
The most amazing thing, and this is something that Ginx and all others need to know, is not that I and other Christians will continue to sin until the day that we die, but that in spite of our sin God not only ALLOWS us to have a relationship with Him, He longs to have a relationship with us. He died to make that relationship possible.
He did that for you!
The first post in this series was:
My Favourite Commandment
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
The second: My Favourite sin
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-sin.html
The third: I yam what I yam
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-yam-what-i-yam.html
The fourth: The Big Lie
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/big-lie.html
The fifth: Let’s be Honest
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/lets-be-honest.html
There are two churches in our little town. Both evangelical, Bible based, socially concerned congregations. These congregations are as good as congregations get.
Still like most congregations, the one we attend carries within it the idea that sin, the reality of sin, the entity of sin is a problem that is dealt with at the front end of salvation. Sinners need to be saved but once they are saved we just get on with the business of living, of “making” a living. The people of course would vehemently deny this. My interaction with them as a counsellor however, shines a bright light on the desire common to all, which is our desire to hide the real self, to avoid transparency.
Believing (wishing?) that sin is dealt with at the front end of salvation causes us to hide our true selves from others and from ourselves. Believing this lie brings to a congregation a lack of transparency that is deadly for any Church body.
It’s as deadly as pretending that radical Islam isn’t at war with us.
It’s as deadly as pretending that satan isn’t out to destroy us.
Pretending that we can defeat this enemy on our own is building into our Christian life a "failure by design" scenario.
Whenever not sinning becomes the goal over and above living in a state of forgiveness for our sins, look out!
“Who among you is without sin?” was the withering blast from Jesus.
“You brood of vipers,” was hurled by John toward those who wanted to look “good” (Pharisees / us) to the outside world while ignoring the filth within.
“If we claim to be without sin, we lie to ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
The question being asked by Ginx, and one that is relevant to the point of this series of posts is, “If we aren’t becoming better people, what does Christ and Christianity have to offer people of the world?”
Um, how about salvation, forgiveness, mercy and grace?
These things are not found anywhere - except at the foot of the cross. That is why the early Church was so attractive. When we love one another, people look to Jesus because the world does not possess love - Nor mercy, nor grace and especially not forgiveness - Not the kind the Jesus offers.
When pretending to be good is more important than maintaining our salvation, when pretending to not sin is more important than honestly dealing with our sin, we are working against and not for our Saviour. The judging, the hiding, the hypocrisy of it all makes non Christians gag.
Following Jesus is an intensely personal walk. We are saved the same today as we were the first day that we brought our sin filled lives to the alter. We need God’s grace on a daily basis. We need His forgiveness on a daily basis. Who would turn down an opportunity to receive God’s grace except one who doesn’t want to be vulnerable to that grace?
And that, Ginx, is about as much as I want to say, for now. For you to judge Christians for buying expensive suits is understandable - I guess. On the other hand, you and I and everyone else are susceptible to self-deception. We are all prone to justifying our actions.
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst.”
Notice that Paul doesn’t say, “I was the worst.”
Our state in sin is present tense and will remain so until the day of Jesus’ return.
There never has been and never will be a Christian whose life doesn’t possess thoughts and actions contrary to the will of God. One of the things that is able to keep us on track is the knowledge that when any conversation turns to talk of sinners, the conversation is about “me.”
The most amazing thing, and this is something that Ginx and all others need to know, is not that I and other Christians will continue to sin until the day that we die, but that in spite of our sin God not only ALLOWS us to have a relationship with Him, He longs to have a relationship with us. He died to make that relationship possible.
He did that for you!
Christians have joy because - The joy of the Lord brings mental and emotional healing:
Psalm 94:19 - When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
Two opposing thoughts cannot occupy the mind at the same time. Perhaps the greatest antidote to anxiety is a trusting relationship with Jesus our Lord. My prayer every night is that God would grant my children the gift of faith. It is the greatest gift in the world. Trust of course is built strong over time. I can tell you however that Jesus is more than able to prove Himself to you if you will only let Him. Do that and you are in for the most exciting ride of your life, for the rest of your life.
Psalm 94:19 - When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
Two opposing thoughts cannot occupy the mind at the same time. Perhaps the greatest antidote to anxiety is a trusting relationship with Jesus our Lord. My prayer every night is that God would grant my children the gift of faith. It is the greatest gift in the world. Trust of course is built strong over time. I can tell you however that Jesus is more than able to prove Himself to you if you will only let Him. Do that and you are in for the most exciting ride of your life, for the rest of your life.
Let’s Be Honest
Ginx asked me to do a post on Christians who sin. He did so because some Christians wear expensive suits and this really irritates him. Because we Christians sin so persistently, one post just won’t do.
The first post in this series was, My Favourite Commandment
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
The second: My Favourite sin
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-sin.html
The third: I yam what I yam
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-yam-what-i-yam.html
The fourth: The Big Lie
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/big-lie.html
If we we're honest with ourselves about human nature, we would know that the question is not “How could a Leader sin so grievously?” but “Why hasn’t it happened sooner?” When we live in such an atmosphere of denial how can we help but be ambushed by the sin that we pretend (usually for each other but also sometimes for ourselves) is no longer there?
Atheists know this. Why don’t we? Just who do we think we are? Whether it’s a public leader or us, when we “fall,” (meaning our sin has been exposed) it’s not because we’ve come to the end of the line - it’s just the truth of the situation is now known to others.
Having our sins exposed can actually be a good thing. In Daniel we find, “Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end . . .” When I tell my clients that the affair or whatever is a great opportunity for growth, they look at me like I’m crazy. What I mean is, the exposure of sin SHOULD send us back to the drawing board, back to basics, back to Jesus.
How can we possibly present a gospel of forgiveness if it is being presented by people who supposedly don’t need forgiveness anymore? And if the point of the Gospel is forgiveness, daily forgiveness, then why do we pretend that we can somehow outgrow our need for forgiveness? How in the world can I suggest a forgiveness for you that I myself don’t need? How is it that a Church that was once filled with the most base that society had to offer, now makes those people feel like it would be one more place where they feel “less than” and unacceptable?
It is a fact of relationships that we connect through our points of weakness - We do not connect through our points of strength. We, who profess the name of Jesus do so because we've recognsed and admitted that humans are weak, we are in need of forgiveness, forgiveness on a daily basis.
God help us if we pretend otherwise.
The first post in this series was, My Favourite Commandment
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
The second: My Favourite sin
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-sin.html
The third: I yam what I yam
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-yam-what-i-yam.html
The fourth: The Big Lie
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/big-lie.html
If we we're honest with ourselves about human nature, we would know that the question is not “How could a Leader sin so grievously?” but “Why hasn’t it happened sooner?” When we live in such an atmosphere of denial how can we help but be ambushed by the sin that we pretend (usually for each other but also sometimes for ourselves) is no longer there?
Atheists know this. Why don’t we? Just who do we think we are? Whether it’s a public leader or us, when we “fall,” (meaning our sin has been exposed) it’s not because we’ve come to the end of the line - it’s just the truth of the situation is now known to others.
Having our sins exposed can actually be a good thing. In Daniel we find, “Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end . . .” When I tell my clients that the affair or whatever is a great opportunity for growth, they look at me like I’m crazy. What I mean is, the exposure of sin SHOULD send us back to the drawing board, back to basics, back to Jesus.
How can we possibly present a gospel of forgiveness if it is being presented by people who supposedly don’t need forgiveness anymore? And if the point of the Gospel is forgiveness, daily forgiveness, then why do we pretend that we can somehow outgrow our need for forgiveness? How in the world can I suggest a forgiveness for you that I myself don’t need? How is it that a Church that was once filled with the most base that society had to offer, now makes those people feel like it would be one more place where they feel “less than” and unacceptable?
It is a fact of relationships that we connect through our points of weakness - We do not connect through our points of strength. We, who profess the name of Jesus do so because we've recognsed and admitted that humans are weak, we are in need of forgiveness, forgiveness on a daily basis.
God help us if we pretend otherwise.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A Bit of Canadian History
~ 17,000 men from China took part in building the Western Canadian portion of the Canadian Pacific Railroad.
4,000 died in the process
The survivors disappeared into history with not even one of their names remembered as having been part of this Herculean task.
4,000 died in the process
The survivors disappeared into history with not even one of their names remembered as having been part of this Herculean task.
The Big Lie
Ginx asked me to do a post on Christians who sin. He did so because some Christians wear expensive suits and this really irritates him. Because we Christians sin so persistently, one post just won’t do.
The first post in this series was: My Favourite Commandment
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
The second: My Favourite sin
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-sin.html
The third I yam what I yam
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-yam-what-i-yam.html
While Ginx feels strongly about how much Christians spend on clothes, I personally think there is something far worse. We, as Christians, often perpetuate a lie.
The biggest sin, the most damaging sin that Christians perpetrate is the message that we can become good people, that we can live beyond the grasp of sin, that we can attain holiness this side of heaven. Thousands of books have been written and billions of dollars have been made telling people, Christian and non Christian alike that we can, if we “do God” just right, someday be free from the influence of sin and thereby be righteous people here on earth.
That’s why we are so surprised when Preachers fail. We mistakenly believe that Pastors must somehow be closer to perfection than we are. Why else would they be Pastors? How else could they be allowed to be Pastors?
I walk a fine line in counselling. On the one hand, I want people to know, that I know, “There but for the grace of God go I.” I want the clients to know that I don’t see myself as more spiritual than they. I’m just this guy with some training and experience who feels called to walk alongside those who are hurting. The problem with that is, people WANT to believe that some people CAN get it right. People want to believe that I’m better than they are in the area for which they are seeking help. They want to believe that if I can get it right then perhaps they too can get it right.
After all, why should someone come to me if I’m just as screwed up as they are?
If my clients understood the nature of sin, they would not be surprised at all that - yes I’m a marriage counsellor and - yes my wife rates our marriage at 9/10 - but I don’t always treat her the way I should. My insensitivity is not reserved to the blogsphere. If we understood the nature of sin, we would not be surprised at all when Pastors are caught with someone other than their wives, or when Christian business people succumb to greed, like buying expensive suits. In reality, I think that we don’t WANT to understand the nature of sin. We want to believe the lie of possible perfection because if perfection or “very good” is possible then:
We’re ALMOST there.
We’ve almost got it figured out.
We’re almost holy even as our Father in heaven is holy.
All it will take is:
Just one more rededication.
One more book.
One more really sincere prayer of repentance.
What a joke! And worse, the joke is on us. That’s why there is such outrage when very public Christians leave their marriages or are charged with fraud or ?. By falling into the grips of sin, the Singer or Politician or Evangelist is making the charade of perfection impossible to maintain for the rest of us. They’re making “us” look bad.
Can you see how wrong that is? Can you see how far from reality that is? In truth, we aren’t ALMOST close to anything resembling leaving sin behind. To believe otherwise, to present to the world otherwise is to set the teaching of Jesus up for ridicule. To present otherwise is to “give great opportunity to the enemies of the Lord to despise and blaspheme Him.”
Should we who follow Jesus be different? Should there be less sin in our lives as a result of following Jesus? Yes and yes. And in reality, there is less sin in our lives - NOT - than in other people’s lives necessarily, but less than before we met Jesus. I truly am a new creation in Christ Jesus. When I told a women who I went to highschool with about my life, and what I’ve been doing she replied, “You! But you were the worst one! Yes, Jesus does rescue from slavery to sin. Jesus does give us the option and the ability to resist a pattern of sinning, but sin is not and never will be absent from our lives and we’re fools if we think otherwise. Christian or non Christian, we’re fools if we think otherwise.
The first post in this series was: My Favourite Commandment
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
The second: My Favourite sin
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-sin.html
The third I yam what I yam
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-yam-what-i-yam.html
While Ginx feels strongly about how much Christians spend on clothes, I personally think there is something far worse. We, as Christians, often perpetuate a lie.
The biggest sin, the most damaging sin that Christians perpetrate is the message that we can become good people, that we can live beyond the grasp of sin, that we can attain holiness this side of heaven. Thousands of books have been written and billions of dollars have been made telling people, Christian and non Christian alike that we can, if we “do God” just right, someday be free from the influence of sin and thereby be righteous people here on earth.
That’s why we are so surprised when Preachers fail. We mistakenly believe that Pastors must somehow be closer to perfection than we are. Why else would they be Pastors? How else could they be allowed to be Pastors?
I walk a fine line in counselling. On the one hand, I want people to know, that I know, “There but for the grace of God go I.” I want the clients to know that I don’t see myself as more spiritual than they. I’m just this guy with some training and experience who feels called to walk alongside those who are hurting. The problem with that is, people WANT to believe that some people CAN get it right. People want to believe that I’m better than they are in the area for which they are seeking help. They want to believe that if I can get it right then perhaps they too can get it right.
After all, why should someone come to me if I’m just as screwed up as they are?
If my clients understood the nature of sin, they would not be surprised at all that - yes I’m a marriage counsellor and - yes my wife rates our marriage at 9/10 - but I don’t always treat her the way I should. My insensitivity is not reserved to the blogsphere. If we understood the nature of sin, we would not be surprised at all when Pastors are caught with someone other than their wives, or when Christian business people succumb to greed, like buying expensive suits. In reality, I think that we don’t WANT to understand the nature of sin. We want to believe the lie of possible perfection because if perfection or “very good” is possible then:
We’re ALMOST there.
We’ve almost got it figured out.
We’re almost holy even as our Father in heaven is holy.
All it will take is:
Just one more rededication.
One more book.
One more really sincere prayer of repentance.
What a joke! And worse, the joke is on us. That’s why there is such outrage when very public Christians leave their marriages or are charged with fraud or ?. By falling into the grips of sin, the Singer or Politician or Evangelist is making the charade of perfection impossible to maintain for the rest of us. They’re making “us” look bad.
Can you see how wrong that is? Can you see how far from reality that is? In truth, we aren’t ALMOST close to anything resembling leaving sin behind. To believe otherwise, to present to the world otherwise is to set the teaching of Jesus up for ridicule. To present otherwise is to “give great opportunity to the enemies of the Lord to despise and blaspheme Him.”
Should we who follow Jesus be different? Should there be less sin in our lives as a result of following Jesus? Yes and yes. And in reality, there is less sin in our lives - NOT - than in other people’s lives necessarily, but less than before we met Jesus. I truly am a new creation in Christ Jesus. When I told a women who I went to highschool with about my life, and what I’ve been doing she replied, “You! But you were the worst one! Yes, Jesus does rescue from slavery to sin. Jesus does give us the option and the ability to resist a pattern of sinning, but sin is not and never will be absent from our lives and we’re fools if we think otherwise. Christian or non Christian, we’re fools if we think otherwise.
I yam what I yam
Ginx asked me to do a post on Christians who sin. He did so because some Christians wear expensive suits and this really irritates him. Because we Christians sin so persistently, one post just won’t do.
The first post in this series was: “My Favourite Commandment”
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
The second post: “My Favourite Sin”
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-sin.html
One of the things about becoming a Christian is that it is God who draws us to Jesus Jn.6:44. Atheists would like to use this as “See! I told you there wasn’t freewill.” Wrong, wrong, wrong yet again.
God draws to Jesus those He ALREADY knows will accept His offer of salvation.
God draws to Jesus those He ALREADY knows will exercise their freewill to stop rejecting their Creator and instead they will CHOOSE to accept the forgiveness being offered.
God does this drawing in by means of two primary methods.
.One, is through an awareness of God’s love and patience and mercy and grace.
.The other method of drawing in is through opening our eyes to our desperate need for forgiveness, i.e., opening our eyes to our sinful and corrupt nature.
Often these two methods of contact are used in combination.
I’m a really good example of Christians who sin. I don’t own any expensive suits, Ginx, but . . .
Anyhow, there’s another guy who is very similar to me. The apostle Paul described himself as the “worst of sinners.” That’s really something for a Pharisee to say. You have to understand that Pharisees believe that they can be “good” people, just based on their behaviours. Now, this guy Paul? The guy killed and tortured people so, you know, he was pretty bad. On the other hand, Paul justified his killing because he was doing it for a good reason - to get rid of Christians.
The thing is, I’m just as bad. If motives and thoughts count, Paul’s got nothin on me.
Some people might say,
“That’s stupid. If we go by what we think, then all of us would fail.”
Now you’re getting it. :-)
Our thoughts determine what we do.
Pure thoughts > pure actions.
Evil thoughts > evil actions.
“For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean." Mark 7:21-23
This was written, I might add, several thousand years before psychologists “discovered” the same.
Without God’s standard, without the objective morals, values and obligations that exist BECAUSE God exists, we all invent a moral code that ensures that we pass. Without God’s objective standard of right and wrong we judge others by their behaviours while judging ourselves by our intentions. Like the Pharisees of Jesus time, many today judge one’s righteousness by outward appearance. For many, our goodness is dependent on what we can get away with. Not so in God’s world. God judges by who we really are and we really are desperately wicked.
The process that takes us from thinking that we’re good people, to accepting reality is shown in Acts 9:18. Prior to meeting Jesus, Paul thought that he was a good person. He thought in fact that by killing Christians, he was doing God a favour. After his encounter with the risen Jesus, Paul’s physical and spiritual transformation from blindness to sight was described as “Something like scales falling from his eyes.”
When God reveals our sinfulness to us, we go from self-righteousness (thinking that we are good in and of ourselves) to realising we have no righteousness apart from that given to us by Jesus. When God reveals our sinfulness to us, we go from finding fault with others (Paul persecuting Christians) to realising that those who we’re condemning are loved by God. God loves atheists and when I condemn atheists as opposed to atheISM, I am fighting against God Himself. When I condemn atheists as opposed to atheISM, I am working against what God is doing in their lives. Not a good situation.
I am what I am and what I am is a sinner in desperate need of forgiveness.
So, if I’m “saved” aren’t I supposed to be a good person? Now that I’m a Christian, aren’t I supposed to be perfect? That’s what many people seem to think. That’s the standard to which they hold us. Actually, that’s just a smokescreen. For example:
1. People demand that Christianity make Christians perfect
2. People see that Christians aren’t perfect
3. People use that as an excuse for not becoming a Christian
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not blaming atheists or anyone else for thinking that Christians are supposed to be these really good people.
That’s a lie that we ourselves project and in some cases, we even believe it ourselves. More on that in the next post.
The first post in this series was: “My Favourite Commandment”
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
The second post: “My Favourite Sin”
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-sin.html
One of the things about becoming a Christian is that it is God who draws us to Jesus Jn.6:44. Atheists would like to use this as “See! I told you there wasn’t freewill.” Wrong, wrong, wrong yet again.
God draws to Jesus those He ALREADY knows will accept His offer of salvation.
God draws to Jesus those He ALREADY knows will exercise their freewill to stop rejecting their Creator and instead they will CHOOSE to accept the forgiveness being offered.
God does this drawing in by means of two primary methods.
.One, is through an awareness of God’s love and patience and mercy and grace.
.The other method of drawing in is through opening our eyes to our desperate need for forgiveness, i.e., opening our eyes to our sinful and corrupt nature.
Often these two methods of contact are used in combination.
I’m a really good example of Christians who sin. I don’t own any expensive suits, Ginx, but . . .
Anyhow, there’s another guy who is very similar to me. The apostle Paul described himself as the “worst of sinners.” That’s really something for a Pharisee to say. You have to understand that Pharisees believe that they can be “good” people, just based on their behaviours. Now, this guy Paul? The guy killed and tortured people so, you know, he was pretty bad. On the other hand, Paul justified his killing because he was doing it for a good reason - to get rid of Christians.
The thing is, I’m just as bad. If motives and thoughts count, Paul’s got nothin on me.
Some people might say,
“That’s stupid. If we go by what we think, then all of us would fail.”
Now you’re getting it. :-)
Our thoughts determine what we do.
Pure thoughts > pure actions.
Evil thoughts > evil actions.
“For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean." Mark 7:21-23
This was written, I might add, several thousand years before psychologists “discovered” the same.
Without God’s standard, without the objective morals, values and obligations that exist BECAUSE God exists, we all invent a moral code that ensures that we pass. Without God’s objective standard of right and wrong we judge others by their behaviours while judging ourselves by our intentions. Like the Pharisees of Jesus time, many today judge one’s righteousness by outward appearance. For many, our goodness is dependent on what we can get away with. Not so in God’s world. God judges by who we really are and we really are desperately wicked.
The process that takes us from thinking that we’re good people, to accepting reality is shown in Acts 9:18. Prior to meeting Jesus, Paul thought that he was a good person. He thought in fact that by killing Christians, he was doing God a favour. After his encounter with the risen Jesus, Paul’s physical and spiritual transformation from blindness to sight was described as “Something like scales falling from his eyes.”
When God reveals our sinfulness to us, we go from self-righteousness (thinking that we are good in and of ourselves) to realising we have no righteousness apart from that given to us by Jesus. When God reveals our sinfulness to us, we go from finding fault with others (Paul persecuting Christians) to realising that those who we’re condemning are loved by God. God loves atheists and when I condemn atheists as opposed to atheISM, I am fighting against God Himself. When I condemn atheists as opposed to atheISM, I am working against what God is doing in their lives. Not a good situation.
I am what I am and what I am is a sinner in desperate need of forgiveness.
So, if I’m “saved” aren’t I supposed to be a good person? Now that I’m a Christian, aren’t I supposed to be perfect? That’s what many people seem to think. That’s the standard to which they hold us. Actually, that’s just a smokescreen. For example:
1. People demand that Christianity make Christians perfect
2. People see that Christians aren’t perfect
3. People use that as an excuse for not becoming a Christian
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not blaming atheists or anyone else for thinking that Christians are supposed to be these really good people.
That’s a lie that we ourselves project and in some cases, we even believe it ourselves. More on that in the next post.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
My Favourite Sin
Ginx asked me to do a post on Christians who sin. He did so because some Christians wear expensive suits and this really irritates him. Because we Christians sin so persistently, one post just won’t do. The first post in this series was: "My Favourite Commandment"
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
If people were to go by my behaviours, they would probably say that Rod’s favourite sin is judging. Anger would be a close second and they both mix together rather nicely to form a potent combination of nasty. While Jesus has brought me a long, long way, my willingness to flirt with anger and judging is far too common. I’ve harmed more relationships with these two behaviours than any of the other crap that I’ve pulled over the years.
Atheists who throw Mt.7:1-5 at Christians do so for no other reason than to deflect criticism of their own behaviours. They misunderstand the message completely and not so innocently.
Nevertheless, my own judging of others is completely out of line.
“THEREFORE YOU have no excuse or defence or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practising the very same things [that you censure and denounce]. [But] we know that the judgment (adverse verdict, sentence) of God falls justly and in accordance with truth upon those who practice such things. And do you think or imagine, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God's judgment and elude His sentence and adverse verdict? Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repent.” Romans 2:1- 4
When it comes to judgment day, I’d much rather be accused of being too forgiving than too judging. I want to be too forgiving, but instead, I’m someone else. Luckily for me, we are living in the age of forgiveness. God is persistently refusing to give up on wayward people such as myself. The day of justice will come, but it is not now.
Here’s the thing about judging. Judging is the opposite of mercy. Our Creator is a working definition of Mercy - Our God IS Mercy.
A couple days ago, I heard an atheist say that if Jesus hasn’t come by now, He isn’t ever coming back. Gee, that’s original. 2nd Peter 3:2-15. Rather than thinking that this amount of time is a long time to wait, we should be blown away by God’s mercy. I don’t like to wait for thirty seconds for my kids to obey me and God waited for thirty years for me to come onside. God will not cut short the days He has planned for Creation until every last person who is going to be saved, is saved.
That is one of the things that is wrong with judging others and trying to change others. There is nothing in God’s plan about “fixing the world,” prior to Jesus' return. During this stage, sinners don’t get fixed. We get saved.
Once I’m saved, it is not my job to go out and fix others. My job is to point others toward the same salvation that was offered to me. As is oft said, evangelism is one beggar telling other beggars where to find food. As Christians, we don’t leave the realm of the sinner. As Christians we are merely given the tools that allow us to interact in a different relationship to sin, our sin.
Just a few important facts:
Both heaven and hell will be filled with sinners.
Heaven is for sinners who have accepted their state of sinfulness and accepted forgiveness.
Hell is for sinners who have refused to accept their state of sinfulness, and refused forgiveness.
Both heaven and hell will be filled with people who don’t think they deserve to be there.
http://makarios-makarios.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-commandment.html
If people were to go by my behaviours, they would probably say that Rod’s favourite sin is judging. Anger would be a close second and they both mix together rather nicely to form a potent combination of nasty. While Jesus has brought me a long, long way, my willingness to flirt with anger and judging is far too common. I’ve harmed more relationships with these two behaviours than any of the other crap that I’ve pulled over the years.
Atheists who throw Mt.7:1-5 at Christians do so for no other reason than to deflect criticism of their own behaviours. They misunderstand the message completely and not so innocently.
Nevertheless, my own judging of others is completely out of line.
“THEREFORE YOU have no excuse or defence or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practising the very same things [that you censure and denounce]. [But] we know that the judgment (adverse verdict, sentence) of God falls justly and in accordance with truth upon those who practice such things. And do you think or imagine, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God's judgment and elude His sentence and adverse verdict? Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repent.” Romans 2:1- 4
When it comes to judgment day, I’d much rather be accused of being too forgiving than too judging. I want to be too forgiving, but instead, I’m someone else. Luckily for me, we are living in the age of forgiveness. God is persistently refusing to give up on wayward people such as myself. The day of justice will come, but it is not now.
Here’s the thing about judging. Judging is the opposite of mercy. Our Creator is a working definition of Mercy - Our God IS Mercy.
A couple days ago, I heard an atheist say that if Jesus hasn’t come by now, He isn’t ever coming back. Gee, that’s original. 2nd Peter 3:2-15. Rather than thinking that this amount of time is a long time to wait, we should be blown away by God’s mercy. I don’t like to wait for thirty seconds for my kids to obey me and God waited for thirty years for me to come onside. God will not cut short the days He has planned for Creation until every last person who is going to be saved, is saved.
That is one of the things that is wrong with judging others and trying to change others. There is nothing in God’s plan about “fixing the world,” prior to Jesus' return. During this stage, sinners don’t get fixed. We get saved.
Once I’m saved, it is not my job to go out and fix others. My job is to point others toward the same salvation that was offered to me. As is oft said, evangelism is one beggar telling other beggars where to find food. As Christians, we don’t leave the realm of the sinner. As Christians we are merely given the tools that allow us to interact in a different relationship to sin, our sin.
Just a few important facts:
Both heaven and hell will be filled with sinners.
Heaven is for sinners who have accepted their state of sinfulness and accepted forgiveness.
Hell is for sinners who have refused to accept their state of sinfulness, and refused forgiveness.
Both heaven and hell will be filled with people who don’t think they deserve to be there.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”
Monday, January 11, 2010
My Favourite Commandment
Ginx thinks that I should do a post on Christians who sin. He thinks that I should do this because some Christian men wear expensive suits.
Because I have a lot to say, and because we Christians sin so persistently, one post will not do. Therefore this will be a series.
First of all, what is “sin” or “sinning”? As I define it, sin is anything that contradicts or goes against the will of our Creator. In order to let us know His will, we have been given guidelines.
To help with clarity, if this was regarding the guidelines that come with your vehicle, it would be a sin to rev your engine to 6,500 rpms and hold it there for five minutes. Manufacturer’s guidelines, whether for your vehicle or for you are meant to protect the product from damage.
Stripped down to the bottom line, OUR Manufacturer’s guidelines say, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength and Love your neighbour as yourself.” These two guidelines encompass all the others. Another way of putting it is, “Treat others the way you would want others to treat you.” Examples of what that might look like are, don’t murder, don’t take what doesn’t belong to you, don’t tell lies, etc. etc. Most people reading this are quite familiar with these guidelines as they are found in the “Ten Commandments.”
All Christians have at least one favourite commandment. The favourite is usually the one(s) that we find easiest to obey. You can tell which commandment is someone's favourite because that's the one that is commented on when other people AREN’T obeying it. This isn’t just a Christian behaviour. Most people love making up rules for themselves and others. And most people love pointing out when others aren’t keeping the rules. In fact we have whole programs called The News that give us the details of how people haven’t kept the rules. Rules are one of the easiest ways of keeping score. Rules tell us Who’s good. Who’s bad. Who’s in. Who’s out. Some people have jobs to ensure that other people keep the rules. Others, often Christians, take it upon themselves, on a voluntary basis, to make sure that other people are keeping the rules. If this type of behaviour is kept within the confines of one’s home, usually the negative impact on society is kept to a minimum.
Unfortunately, enforcing “rule keeping” (aka proper or acceptable behaviour) takes a special kind of personality. That’s why the Bible has guidelines about how the “Spiritual Leader” of the home should go about guiding his family in rule keeping / obey God’s law / not sinning.
NOTE: The role of Spiritual Leader should not be confused with any other type of leadership role in the home.
I can tell that Ginx is getting anxious to hear about Christians who sin so I’ll get to that straight away.
I can’t tell you how many Christian husbands I’ve worked with who believe they are doing a good job of being the Spiritual Leader of their homes. Instead they’re spiritual bullies or tyrants.
From the perspective of the counselling that I do, a Spiritual Leader models for the family what it means to:
Submit
Forgive
Be a servant-leader
Display mercy and grace and tenderness and gentleness to the members of his family.
So very many of the men with whom I work display none or at least very few of those characteristics - BUT - at least no one in the family is allowed to go to a movie on Sunday.
In homes with Spiritual bullies, it’s not always the Sabbath rule that’s the favourite, but there will be some rule or set of rules that this leader is forcing on his family as a means of keeping track of how good he / they are doing in their relationship with Jesus. Their kids might hate them and their wives might want to leave them, but they're very good at making sure their kids do not wear jeans to Church, thereby proving in their own minds how close they are to the Lord.
One guy in particular stands out. Pastors are especially prone to neglecting their families while “doing God’s work.” It’s a notoriously difficult profession in which to find balance. At any rate, this Pastor would tell me, session after session how he was praying in tongues and having these profound visions and his church was growing by leaps and bounds (we must not forget that God’s blessings are not necessarily a sign of our good standing). Yet, like the cases mentioned above, his kids hated him, and this, his third wife wanted to leave him. When I moved him toward the above picture of Spiritual Leadership - servant leadership - he became very agitated, moved to the edge of his chair and with his index finger stabbing the air this Pastor said, “I am NOT going to be the suffering servant in this relationship!” And with that, ended his third marriage. The congregation split. A couple people left Christianity for good.
Whenever we put rules and appearance ahead of loving people, the results are tragic.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day had their favourite commandments as well. Interestingly, and for no obvious reason, their most favourite was the Sabbath. Don’t do ANYTHING on the Sabbath. Like modern day spiritual tyrants, the Pharisees had found their identity in keeping rules. While “Keeping the Sabbath” originally meant, ceasing from your normal routine (an incredibly psychologically and physically healthy thing to do) the Pharisees had established thirty-nine CATEGORIES of things you could not do on the Sabbath. Pharisees - then and now - live by the saying, If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing to the extreme.
Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength, and Love your neighbour as yourself. Keep only these two commands and you will be keeping all the rest as well.
. Without the help of our Creator, consistently loving God and loving others as we love ourselves is impossible. That’s because loving others requires that we put others before ourselves.
. We’re usually pretty good at keeping rules that make us look good in the eyes of others. Unfortunately for us, God said, “I don’t want your sacrifices. I want you to show mercy.”
Loving others / Keeping rules.
Guess which we choose as a means of showing to ourselves and others our degree of holiness?
God’s laws were meant to be a means of blessing us, of protecting us from the inherent human tendency toward self-destructive behaviours. Rather than being blessed by these guidelines, this inherent human tendency toward self-destructive behaviours causes us to take these very same rules and create for ourselves and others an impossible burden of keeping score.
The more that people’s lives feel out of control, the more rules they are likely to add to their daily routine.
What a dreadful mess we’re in. Who can save us from ourselves? Thank God that it’s already been done. While we were still His enemies, Jesus died for us, setting us free from the power of sin. Inner freedom is at our finger tips. All we have to do is reach out and take hold of His offer.
Because I have a lot to say, and because we Christians sin so persistently, one post will not do. Therefore this will be a series.
First of all, what is “sin” or “sinning”? As I define it, sin is anything that contradicts or goes against the will of our Creator. In order to let us know His will, we have been given guidelines.
To help with clarity, if this was regarding the guidelines that come with your vehicle, it would be a sin to rev your engine to 6,500 rpms and hold it there for five minutes. Manufacturer’s guidelines, whether for your vehicle or for you are meant to protect the product from damage.
Stripped down to the bottom line, OUR Manufacturer’s guidelines say, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength and Love your neighbour as yourself.” These two guidelines encompass all the others. Another way of putting it is, “Treat others the way you would want others to treat you.” Examples of what that might look like are, don’t murder, don’t take what doesn’t belong to you, don’t tell lies, etc. etc. Most people reading this are quite familiar with these guidelines as they are found in the “Ten Commandments.”
All Christians have at least one favourite commandment. The favourite is usually the one(s) that we find easiest to obey. You can tell which commandment is someone's favourite because that's the one that is commented on when other people AREN’T obeying it. This isn’t just a Christian behaviour. Most people love making up rules for themselves and others. And most people love pointing out when others aren’t keeping the rules. In fact we have whole programs called The News that give us the details of how people haven’t kept the rules. Rules are one of the easiest ways of keeping score. Rules tell us Who’s good. Who’s bad. Who’s in. Who’s out. Some people have jobs to ensure that other people keep the rules. Others, often Christians, take it upon themselves, on a voluntary basis, to make sure that other people are keeping the rules. If this type of behaviour is kept within the confines of one’s home, usually the negative impact on society is kept to a minimum.
Unfortunately, enforcing “rule keeping” (aka proper or acceptable behaviour) takes a special kind of personality. That’s why the Bible has guidelines about how the “Spiritual Leader” of the home should go about guiding his family in rule keeping / obey God’s law / not sinning.
NOTE: The role of Spiritual Leader should not be confused with any other type of leadership role in the home.
I can tell that Ginx is getting anxious to hear about Christians who sin so I’ll get to that straight away.
I can’t tell you how many Christian husbands I’ve worked with who believe they are doing a good job of being the Spiritual Leader of their homes. Instead they’re spiritual bullies or tyrants.
From the perspective of the counselling that I do, a Spiritual Leader models for the family what it means to:
Submit
Forgive
Be a servant-leader
Display mercy and grace and tenderness and gentleness to the members of his family.
So very many of the men with whom I work display none or at least very few of those characteristics - BUT - at least no one in the family is allowed to go to a movie on Sunday.
In homes with Spiritual bullies, it’s not always the Sabbath rule that’s the favourite, but there will be some rule or set of rules that this leader is forcing on his family as a means of keeping track of how good he / they are doing in their relationship with Jesus. Their kids might hate them and their wives might want to leave them, but they're very good at making sure their kids do not wear jeans to Church, thereby proving in their own minds how close they are to the Lord.
One guy in particular stands out. Pastors are especially prone to neglecting their families while “doing God’s work.” It’s a notoriously difficult profession in which to find balance. At any rate, this Pastor would tell me, session after session how he was praying in tongues and having these profound visions and his church was growing by leaps and bounds (we must not forget that God’s blessings are not necessarily a sign of our good standing). Yet, like the cases mentioned above, his kids hated him, and this, his third wife wanted to leave him. When I moved him toward the above picture of Spiritual Leadership - servant leadership - he became very agitated, moved to the edge of his chair and with his index finger stabbing the air this Pastor said, “I am NOT going to be the suffering servant in this relationship!” And with that, ended his third marriage. The congregation split. A couple people left Christianity for good.
Whenever we put rules and appearance ahead of loving people, the results are tragic.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day had their favourite commandments as well. Interestingly, and for no obvious reason, their most favourite was the Sabbath. Don’t do ANYTHING on the Sabbath. Like modern day spiritual tyrants, the Pharisees had found their identity in keeping rules. While “Keeping the Sabbath” originally meant, ceasing from your normal routine (an incredibly psychologically and physically healthy thing to do) the Pharisees had established thirty-nine CATEGORIES of things you could not do on the Sabbath. Pharisees - then and now - live by the saying, If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing to the extreme.
Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength, and Love your neighbour as yourself. Keep only these two commands and you will be keeping all the rest as well.
. Without the help of our Creator, consistently loving God and loving others as we love ourselves is impossible. That’s because loving others requires that we put others before ourselves.
. We’re usually pretty good at keeping rules that make us look good in the eyes of others. Unfortunately for us, God said, “I don’t want your sacrifices. I want you to show mercy.”
Loving others / Keeping rules.
Guess which we choose as a means of showing to ourselves and others our degree of holiness?
God’s laws were meant to be a means of blessing us, of protecting us from the inherent human tendency toward self-destructive behaviours. Rather than being blessed by these guidelines, this inherent human tendency toward self-destructive behaviours causes us to take these very same rules and create for ourselves and others an impossible burden of keeping score.
The more that people’s lives feel out of control, the more rules they are likely to add to their daily routine.
What a dreadful mess we’re in. Who can save us from ourselves? Thank God that it’s already been done. While we were still His enemies, Jesus died for us, setting us free from the power of sin. Inner freedom is at our finger tips. All we have to do is reach out and take hold of His offer.
Open the Eyes of my Heart
There is a huge difference between how atheists and spiritual people see the world. I call what Christians possess as “Wide Band Awareness.” We know that there is more to life than what meets the senses. Atheists COULD experience more of life but they have deliberately restricted their knowledge to that which the senses can perceive. They have deliberately restricted the amount of knowledge they can attain. This has been done for one reason and one reason only. To allow themselves contact with that which is outside of nature would pose a grave threat to the atheist world-view.
This is unfortunate because it keeps the atheist from knowing h/herself to the fullest extent possible. While that type of life CAN be lived, it is a very second rate type of living. It’s a life where any admission of weakness, or flaw must be avoided. For to admit weakness or flaw implies a need for help or assistance.
As someone who longs to follow Jesus, I know that I am weak and that I behave in ways that I cannot explain beyond, “I’m an asshole.” Unlike atheists, I cannot be a good person without His help, His influence, His guidance. Unlike atheists, I AM weak. I Am in need of help. It’s been my consistent experience that God is a God of love and justice. I know that God will see me through it all. God wants us to understand what He is doing in our lives; He wants us to see and to discern how it is that He is changing us. This takes time because we are so slow to obey, and only as we obey do we “see” morally and spiritually. John 7:17
Atheists are not just blind in this regard. They are willfully blind. They purposely avoid knowing themselves as fully as possible. Because they ignore the evidence of His creation they are free to deny the existence of Creator God.
Even if the news is grim, I want to know myself better. I want to know my Saviour better. Lord open the eyes of my heart so that I might obey and thereby understand.
This is unfortunate because it keeps the atheist from knowing h/herself to the fullest extent possible. While that type of life CAN be lived, it is a very second rate type of living. It’s a life where any admission of weakness, or flaw must be avoided. For to admit weakness or flaw implies a need for help or assistance.
As someone who longs to follow Jesus, I know that I am weak and that I behave in ways that I cannot explain beyond, “I’m an asshole.” Unlike atheists, I cannot be a good person without His help, His influence, His guidance. Unlike atheists, I AM weak. I Am in need of help. It’s been my consistent experience that God is a God of love and justice. I know that God will see me through it all. God wants us to understand what He is doing in our lives; He wants us to see and to discern how it is that He is changing us. This takes time because we are so slow to obey, and only as we obey do we “see” morally and spiritually. John 7:17
Atheists are not just blind in this regard. They are willfully blind. They purposely avoid knowing themselves as fully as possible. Because they ignore the evidence of His creation they are free to deny the existence of Creator God.
Even if the news is grim, I want to know myself better. I want to know my Saviour better. Lord open the eyes of my heart so that I might obey and thereby understand.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Persecution Complex
That’s what Christians are accused of having. I think there’s some truth in it. Not as much as atheists would like to believe but true nevertheless.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” Matthew 5: 10-12
I’ve read about people living far shortened lives in North Korea, spending their last years in tiger cages simply for being Christians. I’ve spoken with members of the underground Church in China. Jobs lost. Separated from families. Jailed. Not allowed to meet in groups of more than two people, worship for the underground Church takes place while walking down the street in groups no larger than three. I’ve read about Christians in Somalia (there are less than a thousand) having to hide their Bibles lest they be executed by Muslims. Only last week, once such woman was shot to death after an informer came to the door, asking for prayer and Bible reading.
I couldn’t tell you how many Bibles and books about the Bible that I have in this house. I don’t have to hide them. I can speak to whom ever I want about my Lord and Saviour. I can go to Church and raise my children to know about Jesus. All of this I can do freely. Persecution is something foreign to my experience.
Persecution - pursuing the failure of another individual or group of individuals because of who they are, what they believe, how they look or speak. I don’t know what the dictionary says but that’s my definition. Jesus said, “If they hated Me, they’re going to hate you [His followers] also.”
There was an instance about fifteen years ago where my employer told me that as long as I held to my Christian beliefs, I’d received the last promotion I’d ever get. This might sound weird, but when my employer told me that, it actually brought to me a sense of peace. I felt peace because I knew in my heart that nothing except the presence of Jesus in my soul was driving him to such desperate measures. I’ve always worked in secular agencies and I believe absolutely that it would be unethical to promote my faith, especially to the clients. There was NOTHING overt about my following Jesus in the workplace.
If I had been acting like I do on this blog I could have understood it. None of the push-back that I receive on this blog is persecution. I deserve everything I get. But this employer, well that was different. I was one of four Clinical Supervisors and I was good at what I did. I believe that the only reason my boss was obsessed with my belief in Jesus, my faith in Jesus, my love for Jesus, was that the love that I receive FROM Jesus was being passed on to some pretty difficult to love clients and staff. The likeness and presence of Jesus was showing, and for an atheist, that was intolerable.
That, of course, is what drives any and all persecution that Christians experience. The presence of Jesus is intolerable to a fallen world. People like Christopher Hitchens feel smothered by His presence. Richard Dawkins feels threatened by His presence.
The fact that Jesus WILL build His Church is an absolute nightmare for atheist and Muslim fundamentalists.
The victory is secure. The game is won. Our side wins and there is not a damn thing that atheists or Islamo fascists can do about it. Oh sure, there is going to be some bloody skirmishes here and there. The Bible tells us that at some point there were be an intense and sustained attempt to kill every Christian on earth. I actually believe that atheist heads will be on the same chopping block but that’s another story. In the end, Christ is coming in power and glory to banish evil from His kingdom for ever and ever, Amen.
Some people feel irritated by that; they’re frustrated and threatened by that. What God is going to do in the future is what atheists want Him to do, today. They want suffering and death and evil to be taken away forever. The dilemma for atheists is that when evil is done away with, as enemies of their Creator, they’ll be going with it. Trying to be part of the solution to the presence of evil, atheists make the same mistake that atheists have made for millennia. Trying to abolish followers of Christ and what they believe and teach simply drives them deeper into the arms of Jesus. Hangers on, like the entertainers Ginx describes (Tila Tequila is an example) run away at the sight of persecution and the purified Church becomes so attractive that rather than eliminating Christianity from the globe, the Church grows and grows and grows.
Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.
As members of the underground church in China told us, “Please do not pray for freedom from persecution for us. Pray that God’s love will be known to millions and millions more every month.”
“These trials have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold . . . may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1st Peter 1:7.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” Matthew 5: 10-12
I’ve read about people living far shortened lives in North Korea, spending their last years in tiger cages simply for being Christians. I’ve spoken with members of the underground Church in China. Jobs lost. Separated from families. Jailed. Not allowed to meet in groups of more than two people, worship for the underground Church takes place while walking down the street in groups no larger than three. I’ve read about Christians in Somalia (there are less than a thousand) having to hide their Bibles lest they be executed by Muslims. Only last week, once such woman was shot to death after an informer came to the door, asking for prayer and Bible reading.
I couldn’t tell you how many Bibles and books about the Bible that I have in this house. I don’t have to hide them. I can speak to whom ever I want about my Lord and Saviour. I can go to Church and raise my children to know about Jesus. All of this I can do freely. Persecution is something foreign to my experience.
Persecution - pursuing the failure of another individual or group of individuals because of who they are, what they believe, how they look or speak. I don’t know what the dictionary says but that’s my definition. Jesus said, “If they hated Me, they’re going to hate you [His followers] also.”
There was an instance about fifteen years ago where my employer told me that as long as I held to my Christian beliefs, I’d received the last promotion I’d ever get. This might sound weird, but when my employer told me that, it actually brought to me a sense of peace. I felt peace because I knew in my heart that nothing except the presence of Jesus in my soul was driving him to such desperate measures. I’ve always worked in secular agencies and I believe absolutely that it would be unethical to promote my faith, especially to the clients. There was NOTHING overt about my following Jesus in the workplace.
If I had been acting like I do on this blog I could have understood it. None of the push-back that I receive on this blog is persecution. I deserve everything I get. But this employer, well that was different. I was one of four Clinical Supervisors and I was good at what I did. I believe that the only reason my boss was obsessed with my belief in Jesus, my faith in Jesus, my love for Jesus, was that the love that I receive FROM Jesus was being passed on to some pretty difficult to love clients and staff. The likeness and presence of Jesus was showing, and for an atheist, that was intolerable.
That, of course, is what drives any and all persecution that Christians experience. The presence of Jesus is intolerable to a fallen world. People like Christopher Hitchens feel smothered by His presence. Richard Dawkins feels threatened by His presence.
The fact that Jesus WILL build His Church is an absolute nightmare for atheist and Muslim fundamentalists.
The victory is secure. The game is won. Our side wins and there is not a damn thing that atheists or Islamo fascists can do about it. Oh sure, there is going to be some bloody skirmishes here and there. The Bible tells us that at some point there were be an intense and sustained attempt to kill every Christian on earth. I actually believe that atheist heads will be on the same chopping block but that’s another story. In the end, Christ is coming in power and glory to banish evil from His kingdom for ever and ever, Amen.
Some people feel irritated by that; they’re frustrated and threatened by that. What God is going to do in the future is what atheists want Him to do, today. They want suffering and death and evil to be taken away forever. The dilemma for atheists is that when evil is done away with, as enemies of their Creator, they’ll be going with it. Trying to be part of the solution to the presence of evil, atheists make the same mistake that atheists have made for millennia. Trying to abolish followers of Christ and what they believe and teach simply drives them deeper into the arms of Jesus. Hangers on, like the entertainers Ginx describes (Tila Tequila is an example) run away at the sight of persecution and the purified Church becomes so attractive that rather than eliminating Christianity from the globe, the Church grows and grows and grows.
Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.
As members of the underground church in China told us, “Please do not pray for freedom from persecution for us. Pray that God’s love will be known to millions and millions more every month.”
“These trials have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold . . . may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1st Peter 1:7.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
I Could Never Do That
“I don’t even know his last name.” That was the theme of a country song on the radio a month or two ago. It’s about a woman taking home a man from the bar and in the morning she’s feeling (hee hee) naughty because she didn’t even know his last name.
In an age of HIV / AID’s I think the promotion (hee hee) of that kind of life-style is criminal. It wouldn’t matter if she knew his full name and family history. She was having sex with a man she’d just met - Bad Idea!
And that is why I could never be a disc jockey. The lifestyles described in secular music, if followed (“I love their songs because they describe life as it is.”) will virtually guarantee
. broken relationships,
. children being raised by multiple “uncles”,
. a life of never knowing real love and
. unhappiness
while living a chronic pattern of using others and being used by others.
Love, according to those geniuses in the secular world is described by “If the person that you want to fuck is cute, and rich and desired by others then, like, you’re in love."
To make sure that it's true love and not just infatuation, look for telltale signs of love like, possessive, controlling behaviours, or the sometimes hard to recognise greed / need / lust combination. True love the kind promoted by celebrities is jealous and obsessive and absent of the freedom promoted by the religious. Of course love is sex but most of all true secular love is based on impulse and defies all rational self-control. Really all you need to find love in the secular world is to be emotionally stunted and sexually disoriented.
Probably ten years ago, or so, I was riding with a couple staff to a meeting when a certain song came on the radio. With a “Oh I love this song” she turned it up. It was that song “Every where you go. Every move you make, every breath you take, I’ll be watching you.” A love song, Pfft!
I mentioned that it sounded like a theme song for stalkers. This mental health counsellor, for the first time, saw that song in a light other than obsession = love.
At this very moment my four-year-old is down stairs singing to Band Hero, “Do you want to be my lover . . .”
I could never be a disc jockey forcing / indoctrinating the most vulnerable among us with secular values.
In an age of HIV / AID’s I think the promotion (hee hee) of that kind of life-style is criminal. It wouldn’t matter if she knew his full name and family history. She was having sex with a man she’d just met - Bad Idea!
And that is why I could never be a disc jockey. The lifestyles described in secular music, if followed (“I love their songs because they describe life as it is.”) will virtually guarantee
. broken relationships,
. children being raised by multiple “uncles”,
. a life of never knowing real love and
. unhappiness
while living a chronic pattern of using others and being used by others.
Love, according to those geniuses in the secular world is described by “If the person that you want to fuck is cute, and rich and desired by others then, like, you’re in love."
To make sure that it's true love and not just infatuation, look for telltale signs of love like, possessive, controlling behaviours, or the sometimes hard to recognise greed / need / lust combination. True love the kind promoted by celebrities is jealous and obsessive and absent of the freedom promoted by the religious. Of course love is sex but most of all true secular love is based on impulse and defies all rational self-control. Really all you need to find love in the secular world is to be emotionally stunted and sexually disoriented.
Probably ten years ago, or so, I was riding with a couple staff to a meeting when a certain song came on the radio. With a “Oh I love this song” she turned it up. It was that song “Every where you go. Every move you make, every breath you take, I’ll be watching you.” A love song, Pfft!
I mentioned that it sounded like a theme song for stalkers. This mental health counsellor, for the first time, saw that song in a light other than obsession = love.
At this very moment my four-year-old is down stairs singing to Band Hero, “Do you want to be my lover . . .”
I could never be a disc jockey forcing / indoctrinating the most vulnerable among us with secular values.
Heard Across the Isle
As the wheels locked into place and the plane banked to the right as it climbed through the clouds, the middle-aged man across the isle from me asked the attractive women seated next to him, “So where do you call home, sweetheart?”
Attractive women: “I’m working out of Saskatoon but my home is Heaven.”
Silence.
:-)
I used to have a list of all the references in the Bible describing us as aliens and strangers on earth.
Grrrr - can’t find it. Yet this woman was correct. All of us are just passing through. I’ve been assigned a task to complete during my brief stay on earth and when it’s finished, I’m going home.
Attractive women: “I’m working out of Saskatoon but my home is Heaven.”
Silence.
:-)
I used to have a list of all the references in the Bible describing us as aliens and strangers on earth.
Grrrr - can’t find it. Yet this woman was correct. All of us are just passing through. I’ve been assigned a task to complete during my brief stay on earth and when it’s finished, I’m going home.
Spoken Like A True Atheist
Ablogger shared these words of atheist wisdom with me.
“Human beings are valuable - as long as they are valued by others.”
From an atheist’s perspective, truer words were never spoken. ‘Humans have value as long as someone values them,’ and the rest can be, and are thrown away by the tens of millions on a yearly basis.
February 7 / 09 - MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A doctor's license was revoked Friday in the case of a teenager who planned to have an abortion but instead gave birth to a baby she says was killed when clinic staffers put it into a plastic bag and threw it in the trash. The baby’s mother alleges in her suit that "she witnessed the murder of her daughter" and said she "sustained severe emotional distress, shock and psychic trauma which have resulted in discernible bodily injury."A clinic co-owner entered the room and used a pair of shears to cut the baby's umbilical cord, the suit said. She "then scooped up the baby and placed the live baby, placenta and afterbirth in a red plastic biohazard bag, which she sealed, and then threw bag and the baby in a trash can."
So the baby, whom the mother didn’t value one second before, suddenly became valuable when she could see it. What wasn’t murder to her one second before, felt like murder one second later. What became murder for the mother did not seem like murder to the clinic workers. Subjective morality. This is the life that atheists want for you and for me.
"Eugenic sterilization is an urgent need . We must prevent multiplication of this bad stock." Margaret Sanger, Birth Control Review.
The unwanted, the inconvenient, the undervalued, the ugly, the poor, the wretched, the pitiful. The most helpless and hopeless of our world are by and large left to the vultures. All the people that Jesus told us to serve as though they were our superior, those of an atheistic mind-set discard as being beyond useless.
From conception to natural death, Christians believe that all humans have value because we are all created in the image of God. Because of this, Christians find it abhorrent when atheists defend Stalin and Marx while tearing down Mother Theresa.
"Birth control must lead ultimately to a cleaner race." Margaret Sanger. Woman, Morality, and Birth Control. New York: New York Publishing Company.
Christians find it repugnant when atheists ridicule and mock those who love others not in spite of, but because of their wretchedness. Atheists however see no problem with their inverted value system because Stalin et al. advanced the human species by getting rid of the weak and unwanted, especially those who were unwanted because they were Christians.
"Eugenics is the most adequate and thorough avenue to the solution of racial, political and social problems. Margaret Sanger. "The Eugenic Value of Birth Control." Birth Control Review
Unlike atheists, those who work in Mission Hospitals, Shelters, Orphanages, Food Distribution Programs etc. actually value the humble, the meek, the weak and the rejected.
“Human beings are valuable - as long as they are valued by others.”
If there is one sentence that summarizes the atheistic world-view, that might well be the most succinct. If today’s atheist doesn’t adapt to changing styles, s/he too will lose value. In the cold-hearted world of atheism, the philosophy of survival of the fittest watches and waits its chance to pounce with an unblinking eye.
“Human beings are valuable - as long as they are valued by others.”
From an atheist’s perspective, truer words were never spoken. ‘Humans have value as long as someone values them,’ and the rest can be, and are thrown away by the tens of millions on a yearly basis.
February 7 / 09 - MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A doctor's license was revoked Friday in the case of a teenager who planned to have an abortion but instead gave birth to a baby she says was killed when clinic staffers put it into a plastic bag and threw it in the trash. The baby’s mother alleges in her suit that "she witnessed the murder of her daughter" and said she "sustained severe emotional distress, shock and psychic trauma which have resulted in discernible bodily injury."A clinic co-owner entered the room and used a pair of shears to cut the baby's umbilical cord, the suit said. She "then scooped up the baby and placed the live baby, placenta and afterbirth in a red plastic biohazard bag, which she sealed, and then threw bag and the baby in a trash can."
So the baby, whom the mother didn’t value one second before, suddenly became valuable when she could see it. What wasn’t murder to her one second before, felt like murder one second later. What became murder for the mother did not seem like murder to the clinic workers. Subjective morality. This is the life that atheists want for you and for me.
"Eugenic sterilization is an urgent need . We must prevent multiplication of this bad stock." Margaret Sanger, Birth Control Review.
The unwanted, the inconvenient, the undervalued, the ugly, the poor, the wretched, the pitiful. The most helpless and hopeless of our world are by and large left to the vultures. All the people that Jesus told us to serve as though they were our superior, those of an atheistic mind-set discard as being beyond useless.
From conception to natural death, Christians believe that all humans have value because we are all created in the image of God. Because of this, Christians find it abhorrent when atheists defend Stalin and Marx while tearing down Mother Theresa.
"Birth control must lead ultimately to a cleaner race." Margaret Sanger. Woman, Morality, and Birth Control. New York: New York Publishing Company.
Christians find it repugnant when atheists ridicule and mock those who love others not in spite of, but because of their wretchedness. Atheists however see no problem with their inverted value system because Stalin et al. advanced the human species by getting rid of the weak and unwanted, especially those who were unwanted because they were Christians.
"Eugenics is the most adequate and thorough avenue to the solution of racial, political and social problems. Margaret Sanger. "The Eugenic Value of Birth Control." Birth Control Review
Unlike atheists, those who work in Mission Hospitals, Shelters, Orphanages, Food Distribution Programs etc. actually value the humble, the meek, the weak and the rejected.
“Human beings are valuable - as long as they are valued by others.”
If there is one sentence that summarizes the atheistic world-view, that might well be the most succinct. If today’s atheist doesn’t adapt to changing styles, s/he too will lose value. In the cold-hearted world of atheism, the philosophy of survival of the fittest watches and waits its chance to pounce with an unblinking eye.
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