Is God Evil?
I found this “Motivational Poster” today:
Of course, as a believer in God who also places a high emphasis on rationality, I see this as somewhat of a challenge. There are many out there on both sides, who would have us believe that thinking and believing don’t go together. The underlying assumption is that Christians are blithering idiots who refuse to see truths or facts right in front of their faces. Unfortunately there are far too many Christians about whom that accusation is true. We have dropped the ball in many ways when it comes to dealing with rational arguments against our cause. We don’t do a good job of giving the reason for the hope that we have, and this causes us to lose credibility. (more…)
The Truth War
I’m adding one more series to my plate here on this site. As you know I’ve taken a nose dive into the Cedarville conspiracy issue. I’ll give a brief history if for a wrap up. Cedarville has been in the midst of some philosophical controversy over the past 5-6 years, and as a result some Bible professors have been let go, for what has been cited as “violations of the faculty handbook”. These professors are some of the more “Conservative” professors at Cedarville. They stand for conservative hermeneutics. Because these conservative professors have been let go, and because certain other “Liberal” professors have not been let go, there has arisen a group of students, as personified in the Facebook group “Students who want the truth about the faculty exodus away from Cedarville,” who have jumped to the conclusion that Cedarville is intentionally trying to oust its conservative faculty to replace them with liberal faculty so that they can move away from such things as “Conservative Hermeneutics… Biblical Truth… Scriptural Authority… Her Baptist Roots…” Now there are a plethora of issues that surround this. I’ve tackled the logical error that is the assumption of what is going on – the conspiracy theory that has arisen. But now I’m going to get into some other areas of this.
Total Depravity
As usual I apologize for my long drought of posting, and call on my typical excuse of busyness. Though I do have to say that on my list of priorities this blog is not very high. I certainly enjoy posting here, though there are a myriad of other responsibilities and distractions which can and have squelched my time for posting. Thank you for bearing with me.
Today I want to examine the doctrine of Total Depravity. I first want to state its importance. It is vital doctrine to believe for Calvinism, but it is also a crucial doctrine for the whole of Christianity. Much of the foundation of what we believe rests upon the truth of Total Depravity.
Briefly, Total Depravity (also called total inability) states that when Adam fell, all of mankind as a whole fell. The punishment for this fall is death, as God had warned Adam prior to the fall. This death takes place in three stages. Physical death is the end of our time on this planet. Eternal death is the unending punishment for our sinful state. Spiritual death is the depravity in which we find ourselves. Each man1 is spiritually stillborn. What is the nature of this death?
Our DNA
God has for each of you a DNA - not just a physical DNA but also a spiritual DNA
This quote is from the commencement address at ICS Uijongbu, delivered by Dr. Josephine Kim of Harvard University - a former ICS graduate - on Saturday May 26, 2007 and it blew out the left side of my head! I almost couldn’t contain the outburst that welled up inside me at hearing her say this, and for the whole rest of her speech, I don’t think I hear anything she said because I couldn’t stop mulling over this quote and plumbing the depths of its implications. It is probably going to be the springboard of a long series of discussions as I intend to unpack the doctrines that have most significantly impacted my life over the last few years - that is the doctrines of soteriology as innumerated by John Calvin. Now I say it that way instead of saying Calvinism because it is not as though I believe them for any merit I see in Calvin. I simply believe these doctrines on the basis of the Bible first and foremost and the conclusions of my own logical journey through the philosophical issues - with the Bible as my filter. (more…)
Mission Statement
I find it appropriate to start this blog off by stating its purpose. I’ve been seeking a milieu lately for my own random thoughts, particularly with regards to theology. I have a xanga blog, but that is more of a ‘hey this is what’s going on with me’ type of blog. It’s sometimes performed this function, but I desired to have something I could devote solely to this purpose. I have found myself in minor disagreement lately with some of the people around me on the ‘finer points’ of theology, and I’ve only had one recourse when it comes to discussing these: my wife. But while she agrees with me on many things, and humors my ramblings, she has trouble understanding that when I ramble about such, I’m not trying to complain about the people I disagree with, I’m just trying to speak the Truth. Besides which, it is a lot to dump on her, and it stresses her out. So I have this as an alternative outlet. (more…)