"People who don't know anything about God are able to do the right thing on a regular basis. Without having any instructions from God or the Bible, these people are still able from time to time to live as God created us to live. Truth is everywhere, and it is available to everyone(p.78)."
Way back in 4 B.C., a few guys saw something extraordinary in the night sky. What they saw was so incredibly spectacular, they began following it only to end up years later at the feet of a toddler named Jesus. Who were these guys? Why did they come? Did they even know?
The Magi were a group interested in predicting the future via dream interpretation, magic, and other astrology. They, in essence, were the first gentiles (non-Jews or believers) to seek out Christ. Even though they had no concept of who God is, they sought out truth. In previous entries, statements were made regarding reality. In my opinion, God is the ultimate reality. And because we regard reality as something that is true, God is truth. "Truth is everywhere, and it is available to everyone (p.78)." The truth is bigger than any religion.
I am passionate for high-angle rescue. Let's just say I love dangling in the air from a rope. The reason I am comfortable in the air is the same reason why I'm comfortable inside a burning structure; I am confident in the equipment that protects me. The equipment I use has been tested and certified. I know without a doubt that it will do what it says it will do. If your life depended on a piece of hardware or equipment, would you want something that was tested and proven or something that was not tested and it's end results are unknown? Which would you choose? I would speculate that you would choose what has been tested and proven. If it's tested, then it has been certified. It is true to what it says it can do. If it hasn't been tested, the results are a gamble; false.
You see, God has given His creation an option to choose. Consequently, as His creation, we do not have the option not to choose. If we do not choose Truth, we have chosen what is false; a lie.
So what do you choose?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Are You "Gellin'?"
One of my most favorite sayings when I don't understand something comes from the Dr. Scholls' commercials; "I'm so not gellin'." Chapter 2 of Velvet Elvis deals with yet more questions. One of the most profound is, "With God being so massive and awe-inspiring and full of truth, why is His book capable of so much confusion(p. 45)?" Why can't this book that is supposed to teach us and guide us not be simply black and white? Why must there be so many gray areas? Why is God purposely vague in some of these manuscripts?
Scripture has been used, bent, and manipulated in extreme ways to fit another's personal agenda and not God's ultimate plan. Nazis, cult leaders, televangelists, and racists, for example.
This is why we must learn.
This is why we must study.
This is why we must question.
If we don't, we open our hearts and minds to something that claims to be genuine and later proves itself to be false. There are far too many people in the U.S. that claim to be Christians yet our country is in moral decline. Here are some statistics from the Barna Research Group. You can check it out for yourself at www.barna.org.
Faith Groups
- 8% of US adults classify as evangelicals. (2007)
- 35% of US adults classify as born again, but not evangelical. (2007)
- Atheists and agnostics comprise 10% of adults nationwide. (2007)
- 7% of the US population identify with a faith other than Christianity (2007)
- 69% believe in God when described as the all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today. (2007)
- 8% believe that God is the total realization of personal human potential. (2007)
Now don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling because there are so many 'believers'. See below.
Social Issues
- One third of born again adults (33%) say that abortion is a morally acceptable behavior, compared with 45% of all adults, 4% of evangelicals, and 71% of atheists and agnostics. (2004)
- 30% of all adults consider having a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex a morally acceptable behavior. (2004)
- 14% of Elders, 32% of Boomers, 41% of Busters and 40% of Mosaics consider having a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex a morally acceptable behavior. (2004)
These are Christians? Have they even handled a Bible let alone read it?
Look, if you want to do those things, that's your business. I may not agree with it, but that's my opinion [for whatever it's worth]. I've chosen my path just as you have chosen yours. But these folks that make the claim to be Christians (Christ-followers) are not even following His rules; His instruction. You're either a follower (one that follows the teachings and lifestyle) of Christ or you're not. There's no in-between. If you believe there is, you're only fooling yourself.
Nobody can read a book objectively, not even the Bible. We all have baggage based on our upbringing, experiences, and culture. When we read something, we are carrying all of these thoughts, memories, and quirks that make us unique and come up with our own interpretation of what we read. "The idea that everybody else approaches the Bible with baggage and agendas and lenses and I don't is the ultimate in arrogance. To think that I can just read the Bible without reading any of my own culture or background or issues into it and come out with a "pure" or "exact" meaning is not only untrue, but it leads to a very destructive reading of the Bible that robs it of its life and energy(p. 54)."
Nothing is ever learned until it is put into action. For example, if you read a manual on how to build something, how would you know if you learned anything until you built it? You build that 'thing' based on your interpretation of what the text (instruction) is telling you. There may be many fundamentals that cannot be overlooked, but you can customize it to your own liking. You interpret it. The same applies to Scripture. The "Bible is open-ended; it has to be interpreted. And if it isn't interpreted, then it can't be put into action. So if we are serious about following God, then we have to interpret the Bible. It is not possible to simply do what the Bible says. We must first make decisions about what it means at this time, in this place, for these people(p. 46)." The proper way of interpreting the Bible is called hermeneutics. Hermeneutics, defined, is the art and science of of biblical interpretation. The interpretation is based on the literal, historical, and grammatical context of the passage. Any Bible that is translated from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek is simply a translator's interpretation of what he or she believes the original manuscript is saying. Even our Bible is an interpretation. If you want to know truth, you have to seek it out by way of study and research. If you want to be 'spoon-fed', how would you know if what you're getting is genuine without questioning it? This is especially true of the Internet. It is a double-edged sword of fact as well as fiction so be aware.
So if you're willing to wrestle, argue, and question, "the Bible [will meet you where you are]. That is what truth does(p.64).
Scripture has been used, bent, and manipulated in extreme ways to fit another's personal agenda and not God's ultimate plan. Nazis, cult leaders, televangelists, and racists, for example.
This is why we must learn.
This is why we must study.
This is why we must question.
If we don't, we open our hearts and minds to something that claims to be genuine and later proves itself to be false. There are far too many people in the U.S. that claim to be Christians yet our country is in moral decline. Here are some statistics from the Barna Research Group. You can check it out for yourself at www.barna.org.
Faith Groups
- 8% of US adults classify as evangelicals. (2007)
- 35% of US adults classify as born again, but not evangelical. (2007)
- Atheists and agnostics comprise 10% of adults nationwide. (2007)
- 7% of the US population identify with a faith other than Christianity (2007)
- 69% believe in God when described as the all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today. (2007)
- 8% believe that God is the total realization of personal human potential. (2007)
Now don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling because there are so many 'believers'. See below.
Social Issues
- One third of born again adults (33%) say that abortion is a morally acceptable behavior, compared with 45% of all adults, 4% of evangelicals, and 71% of atheists and agnostics. (2004)
- 30% of all adults consider having a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex a morally acceptable behavior. (2004)
- 14% of Elders, 32% of Boomers, 41% of Busters and 40% of Mosaics consider having a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex a morally acceptable behavior. (2004)
These are Christians? Have they even handled a Bible let alone read it?
Look, if you want to do those things, that's your business. I may not agree with it, but that's my opinion [for whatever it's worth]. I've chosen my path just as you have chosen yours. But these folks that make the claim to be Christians (Christ-followers) are not even following His rules; His instruction. You're either a follower (one that follows the teachings and lifestyle) of Christ or you're not. There's no in-between. If you believe there is, you're only fooling yourself.
Nobody can read a book objectively, not even the Bible. We all have baggage based on our upbringing, experiences, and culture. When we read something, we are carrying all of these thoughts, memories, and quirks that make us unique and come up with our own interpretation of what we read. "The idea that everybody else approaches the Bible with baggage and agendas and lenses and I don't is the ultimate in arrogance. To think that I can just read the Bible without reading any of my own culture or background or issues into it and come out with a "pure" or "exact" meaning is not only untrue, but it leads to a very destructive reading of the Bible that robs it of its life and energy(p. 54)."
Nothing is ever learned until it is put into action. For example, if you read a manual on how to build something, how would you know if you learned anything until you built it? You build that 'thing' based on your interpretation of what the text (instruction) is telling you. There may be many fundamentals that cannot be overlooked, but you can customize it to your own liking. You interpret it. The same applies to Scripture. The "Bible is open-ended; it has to be interpreted. And if it isn't interpreted, then it can't be put into action. So if we are serious about following God, then we have to interpret the Bible. It is not possible to simply do what the Bible says. We must first make decisions about what it means at this time, in this place, for these people(p. 46)." The proper way of interpreting the Bible is called hermeneutics. Hermeneutics, defined, is the art and science of of biblical interpretation. The interpretation is based on the literal, historical, and grammatical context of the passage. Any Bible that is translated from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek is simply a translator's interpretation of what he or she believes the original manuscript is saying. Even our Bible is an interpretation. If you want to know truth, you have to seek it out by way of study and research. If you want to be 'spoon-fed', how would you know if what you're getting is genuine without questioning it? This is especially true of the Internet. It is a double-edged sword of fact as well as fiction so be aware.
So if you're willing to wrestle, argue, and question, "the Bible [will meet you where you are]. That is what truth does(p.64).
Monday, April 7, 2008
Allow me to pose a question...
Have you ever questioned someone in authority simply because you did not understand or agree with their position? If you answered, "yes" then you have probably been chastised, ridiculed, yelled at, etc. For some reason, authority figures do not want to be questioned. Why? Do they feel threatened? inadequate? vulnerable? perhaps even weak?
Growing up in and mostly out of the church environment, I was never taught to question authority. Especially those in spiritual authority [whatever that is]. When someone would ask me a question about why I believed what I believed concerning God, my only answer was "because that's how I was raised." I was a Christian that went to a hybrid baptist/pentecostal church because that's where my parents went. I never knew why and I would be so bold to say that neither did they.
School has never been very difficult for me; you find the answer in the material and memorize it for a test. Pretty simple. When I began seminary, the answers to the questions my professors were asking could not be found in any book. This was a very difficult position for me to be in. For the first time in my life, I began to question. I questioned why I considered myself a southern baptist. I questioned why I believed women should not be pastors. I questioned my professors on ethics and philosophies of the church. I too faced opposition...especially in the classroom.
But the most glorious part of all these questions was that the Bible I had been reading for the better part of 15 years opened itself up to me in a way I cannot even describe. I literally saw Scripture for what it really was and not some subjective view that had been burned into my mind. I met God. A God that for whatever reason loves a mud ball like me.
This entry deals with chapter 1 of Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. Rob states, "And this is why questions are so central to faith. A question by its very nature acknowledges that the person asking the question does not have all of the answers. And because the person does not have all the answers, they are looking outside of themselves for guidance(p.31)."
Maybe that is why some authority figures get upset when we question. They themselves refuse to question because they view it as a sign of weakness. This could not be any more false. Great leaders surround themselves with those that are smarter than they are within their given talents and fields.
Questions bring freedom. Why? Because if we become comfortable asking the "why" questions, we better understand that we don't have it all together ourselves. I have much to share. However, I will always have twice as much to learn. We should always remain teachable. "When everything gets answered, it's fake. The mystery is the truth (p. 33)."
Growing up in and mostly out of the church environment, I was never taught to question authority. Especially those in spiritual authority [whatever that is]. When someone would ask me a question about why I believed what I believed concerning God, my only answer was "because that's how I was raised." I was a Christian that went to a hybrid baptist/pentecostal church because that's where my parents went. I never knew why and I would be so bold to say that neither did they.
School has never been very difficult for me; you find the answer in the material and memorize it for a test. Pretty simple. When I began seminary, the answers to the questions my professors were asking could not be found in any book. This was a very difficult position for me to be in. For the first time in my life, I began to question. I questioned why I considered myself a southern baptist. I questioned why I believed women should not be pastors. I questioned my professors on ethics and philosophies of the church. I too faced opposition...especially in the classroom.
But the most glorious part of all these questions was that the Bible I had been reading for the better part of 15 years opened itself up to me in a way I cannot even describe. I literally saw Scripture for what it really was and not some subjective view that had been burned into my mind. I met God. A God that for whatever reason loves a mud ball like me.
This entry deals with chapter 1 of Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. Rob states, "And this is why questions are so central to faith. A question by its very nature acknowledges that the person asking the question does not have all of the answers. And because the person does not have all the answers, they are looking outside of themselves for guidance(p.31)."
Maybe that is why some authority figures get upset when we question. They themselves refuse to question because they view it as a sign of weakness. This could not be any more false. Great leaders surround themselves with those that are smarter than they are within their given talents and fields.
Questions bring freedom. Why? Because if we become comfortable asking the "why" questions, we better understand that we don't have it all together ourselves. I have much to share. However, I will always have twice as much to learn. We should always remain teachable. "When everything gets answered, it's fake. The mystery is the truth (p. 33)."
Welcome
Welcome to Religion's Foe. The purpose of this blog is to share insights with others in intelligent discussion regarding Christ's intentions with [our] reality. It is my goal that those who visit will:
-review
-investigate
-question
-share
their thoughts and insights based on the various posts. This is a neutral sight where questions are encouraged and beliefs shared via debate. Again, this is a sight for intelligent discussion. With the rules laid out, let the games BEGIN!
-review
-investigate
-question
-share
their thoughts and insights based on the various posts. This is a neutral sight where questions are encouraged and beliefs shared via debate. Again, this is a sight for intelligent discussion. With the rules laid out, let the games BEGIN!
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