August 21, 2007

Religions without God

An interesting thought from "Western Civilization, Our Tradition" by James Kurth:

The rejection of the Christian faith by Western elites does not mean that they have rejected all faiths. Despite the claims and conceits of rationalists and scientists, every human being believes in some things that cannot be proven (and therefore cannot be established by reason) or that cannot be seen (and therefore cannot be established by science) and that therefore have to be taken on faith. Ever since the coming of the Enlightenment, Western elites have adhered to a variety of secularist and universalist faiths, which in effect have been religions without God.

I have been at a loss for words when it comes to explaining how non-religion is a religion itself, and Kurth may have taken care of it...

Posted by alan at 3:40 PM

August 6, 2006

A great article about women in ministry

Hopefully I'm "back" as a blogger. I'm going to school full-time and working full-time...not leaving much "time" for everything else :-)

Either way, this is a great article a teacher recommended I read:

Women’s Service in the Church: The Biblical Basis

I'm not saying I agree with it 100%, but it does give plenty to think about...

Posted by alan at 3:58 PM

June 21, 2005

Hating and loving goodness

Since I haven't had something else intelligent (or otherwise) to say recently, here is the next quote I marked in C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity (in the last paragraph of chapter 5):

They offer an explanation of how we got into our present state of both hating goodness and loving it.

("They" being Christians.)

When I read that book, I found that statement ironically true, although out of context it may not make sense. Earlier in the same paragraph he makes a different point:

Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness. It therefore has nothing (as far as I know) to say to people who do not know that have done anything to repent of and who do not feel tha then need an forgiveness.

Could that be summarized as saying, "Christianity only makes sense in context"?

Posted by alan at 8:36 AM | TrackBack

June 6, 2005

If only I could write like this...

Another great "A Slice of Infinity" for everyone to take a look at, "Journeys Before Our Own." One great quote:

The last verse of the book of Judges captures the situation and the mood of one stage in their history: "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit" (21:25)...The lessons they were left with are still timely in their importance and lasting in their urgency. Casual religion has serious consequences. Religious hypocrisy is altogether deplorable.

Posted by alan at 9:11 AM | TrackBack

June 4, 2005

Types of truth

The subject of truth came up during a Sabbath School lesson gathering last night. A young man named Shawn posited that there were three forms:

Without going into it too much, the only truth that matters when sharing is the pertinent type -- otherwise, why share it?

(I think this holds true for non-theological truth too...)

Posted by alan at 7:44 PM | TrackBack

June 2, 2005

Information Overload

Speaking of interesting articles, today's "A Slice of Infinity" installment is worth your time to read. Even if you don't believe in God, "Seeking Sense in an Age of Confusion" posits a potential reason why we struggle for order as we are deluged by items seeking our attention. An excerpt:

The voices clamoring for our attention range from the mystical voices of popular sitcoms, to the voices that promise an unbiased and serious engagement with issues and concerns. We are left with the impression that the world is one of chaos, a mess in need of individual, even if incompatible, interpretations. And yet we find such an impression troubling. If the world is one of chaos, why do we find in ourselves the desire for order, meaning, and purpose?

The world we live in is a created order. It functions by design and intent of a purposeful Creator. The denial or refusal of God, God's wisdom, or God's way tends to lead to a substitution of worship, wisdom, and way, not a complete vacancy of it....

Posted by alan at 10:35 AM | TrackBack

May 28, 2005

Evil

Back in Navy Nuclear Power School, which I attended during the Cold War, I had an interesting conversation with my teacher, a Lieutenant. Although we both agreed in the malevolence of the USSR's government, I suggested that given the same restrictions on the press, Americans would degenerate to the same types of actions. The Lieutenant felt otherwise -- somehow we were intrinsically better. (In fairness to him, I suspect if I bluntly asked him if Americans were individually "better" than Russians, he would have said no. But I digress.)

In a National Review review of Theodore Dalyrmple's new book, The Doctor Is In, David Pryce-Jones quotes a perfect summary of my thoughts:

"Men commit evil within the scope available to them."

I suppose that makes me sound like a glass half empty kind-of-guy, but I do feel that the lust for power aligns with the propensity for evil, so unaccountable human governments, regardless of philosophical foundation (e.g. capitalism or communism), will deteriorate into tyranny.

Those of us who believe in Christ can see past this negative world-view -- we have read the back of the book, and have seen that there is a happy ending. All pain and suffering, and the sin that leads to it, will go away...

And we don't have to wait until the happy ending to see glimmerings of how it will be. I subscribe to the RSS feed of RZIM.org's A Slice of Infinity. In her article, "The Course of Waterfalls," Jill Carattini writes:

...Their claim is clear: Humanity has adapted to a blind and indifferent universe like water to the shape of its container.

Ernest Gordon may have at one time agreed. An officer of the British army during the Second World War, he was captured by the Japanese while at sea. At the age of 24, he was sent to work in the prison camp that would be constructing the Burma-Siam railroad.

...Treated like animals, the prisoners became themselves like beasts trying to survive. Adapting to their harsh captivity, theft was as rampant as disease among them...

Each night the Japanese guards would count the work tools before anyone was permitted to return to camp. One evening, when a shovel was found to be missing, a guard shouted relentlessly that the guilty man must present himself. When no one responded, he ordered callously, "All die! All die!" At this, a young man stepped forward, confessing to the theft, and was immediately killed before them.

...

After the incident with the shovel, upon returning to the camp, one of the guards discovered a mistake in their counting. There had never been a missing shovel. One innocent man had sacrificed his life to preserve the life of his fellow inmates.

Attitudes among the camp began to change dramatically. Instead of men in a detached game of survival of the fittest, they began to look out for each other...

Since my excerpts don't do Ms. Carattini's piece justice, please read it for yourself. And then think, if the voluntary death of one man for other prisoners who previously could have cared less about his welfare could have such a marked effect on the whole camp, what greater effect can the voluntary death of a sinless Son of God for a world that mostly continues to reject Him have on all of us?

Posted by alan at 11:05 AM | TrackBack

May 10, 2005

Amusing Ourselves to Death

An interesting RSS feed today from RZIM.org, "Amusing Ourselves to Death." A great caution to our age -- where entertainment is more readily available than ever...

In Sabbath School class two weekends ago, we discussed the parable of the sower. I said I felt pretty confident I didn't have the issues outlined in the earlier verses, but worried about verse 19. How about you?

13 And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." (Mark 4:13-20, ESV)

And...does verse 19 fit with Stuart McAllister's RZIM.org article?

Posted by alan at 8:15 AM | TrackBack

Benny Hinn & Oral Roberts

Flipping through Sky Angel, I ran into a show with Benny Hinn and Oral Roberts chatting...quite a historical convergence in a Pentecostal televangelist sense...

I didn't really pay a whole bunch of attention. Oral Roberts talked about a meeting he had where the whole audience was healed at once, his folks picking up myriad crutches, hearing aids, glasses, etc. the following day preparing for the next session. Benny Hinn said he hoped for the same thing, and Evangelist Roberts prayed for that, starting off with speaking in tongues...

Personally I'm more than just skeptical, but am interested because of curiosity and not wanting to close my mind to what might be...

P.S. In an awful trick of TV and lighting, Oral Roberts looked like he had red eye the whole time...a demonic effect...

Posted by alan at 8:01 AM | TrackBack

December 26, 2004

Review: "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis (5 moose)

5 moose bookA week or so ago I finished reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis and I couldn't recommend a book more highly. Warmth and logic seem to exist separately, but Mr. Lewis combines them in an incredible way...

The version I have also has "The Screwtape Letters" -- another good work (although I wouldn't give it 5 moose like I have "Mere Christianity").

I'll end my review here...but will be quoting more great part of C.S. Lewis' masterpiece in this blog...

Posted by alan at 4:07 PM | TrackBack

November 30, 2004

A hall with many doorways...

The second thought I marked in C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" was at the end of a discussion of a metaphor (which compared choosing a denomination to being in a hallway with many doors). Once again taking it out of context doesn't do it justice, but I believe it's most important points will still come through clear...

When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules common to the whole house.

Amen.

Posted by alan at 12:00 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

November 29, 2004

What would C.S. Lewis say about same-sex marriage?

In no way to I want to imply that C.S. Lewis would support (or oppose) same-sex marriage, but I thought this quote from "Mere Christianity" was very interesting:

Before leaving the question of divorce, I should like to distinguish two things which are very often confused. The Christian conception of marriage is one: the other is the quite different question--how far Christians, if they are voters or Members of Parliament, ought to try to force their views of marriage on the rest of the community by embodying them in the divorce laws. A great many people seem to think that if you are a Christian yourself you should try to make divorce difficult for every one. I do not think that. At least I know I should be very angry if the Mohammedans tried to prevent the rest of us from drinking wine. My own view is that the Churches should frankly recognise the majority of the British people are not Christians and, therefore, cannot be expected to live Christian lives. There ought to be two distinct kinds of marriage: one governed by the state with rules enforced on all citizens, the other governed by the Church with rules enforced by her on her own members. The distinction ought to be quite sharp, so that a man knows which couples are married in a Christian sense and which are not.

Posted by alan at 12:00 PM | TrackBack

November 28, 2004

"It has every available quality except that of being useful."

Below is the first quote I marked in C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity." It looses some because it's out of context -- part of a discussion of how C.S. Lewis uses the word "Christian." The bolding is mine, italics his...

Far deeper objections may be felt--and have been expressed--against my use of the word Christian to mean one who accepts the common doctrines of Christianity. People ask: 'Who are you, to lay down who is, and who is not a Christian?' or 'May not many a man who cannot believe these doctrines be far more truly a Christian, far closer to the spirit of Christ, than some who do?' Now this objection is in one sense very right, very charitable, very spiritual, very sensitive. It has every available quality except that of being useful. We simply cannot, without disaster, use language as these objectors want us to use it.

He then explains by example, showing how the word "gentleman" entirely lost it's old meaning as people changed it from being "...something recognisable; one who had a coat of arms and some landed property." He continues:

A gentleman, once it has been spiritualised and refined out of its old coarse, objective sense, means hardly more than a man whom the speaker likes. As a result, gentleman is now a useless word.

I will admit I had no idea that the word "gentleman" had such a different previous meaning...

Posted by alan at 10:52 PM | TrackBack

November 25, 2004

Happy Thanksgiving

I really should return to visiting family down stairs, but I did want to wish a heartfelt Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who reads my blog. I realize that you may disgree with much of what I post, but I think we can all agree that we are thankful to live in a society where it can be written.

With terrorism as it is, I will admit I feel less certain what tomorrow holds than I ever have, but I can honestly go with the corporate prayer said before each meal in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village":

"We are grateful for the time we have been given."

Thank you God, and God bless you, the reader...

Posted by alan at 11:18 AM | TrackBack

November 23, 2004

The Law of Nature

An interesting quote from C.S. Lewis at the end of the first chapter of "Mere Christianity":

These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in.

That small quote doesn't do the whole chapter justice...

Posted by alan at 9:53 PM | TrackBack

November 21, 2004

Review: "All Things New" by Steven Curits Chapman (3 Moose)

3 moose CDAs part of a World Vision promotion, I donated $20 and received Steven Curtis Chapman's "All Things New." He has been one of my favorite Christian artists, so I was going to buy the CD regardless -- paying a little extra made sense :-)

All Things NewI don't want to say I'm disappointed in the album, but I was hoping for something that had at least a couple of super-catchy tunes. I can't remember where I read the review, but it led me to believe that this CD would be Steven at his best -- but I'd argue it's him at his "normal."

Which, of coure, is really good. Unlike some of his other productions, however, I won't be choosing the same song(s) over-and-over to sing along with the chorus. Luckily CD tracks don't wear out, otherwise I would no longer be able to listent to "Bring it On" from "Declaration." :-)

Even when he seems to try to recreate the successes of past, it isn't quite there. For instance, "Big Story" off this CD is reminiscent of "The Great Adventure" (off the album of the same name). It's a good song, but not equal...

Don't get me wrong -- this work has some great tunes, but it's neither "Dive" or "Declaration" in my book. Two that especially deserve a listen are "Last Day On Earth" and "Angels Wish." The beginning of the latter especially pulled me in:

Was God smiling When He spoke the words
That made the world
And did He cry about the flood
What does God's voice sound like
When He sings, when He's angry
These are just a few things
That the angels have on me

What would we have seen on God's face when the last children drowned in the flood?

Yes, I imagine He did cry...

Please buy the album. It is worth the purchase price, and even if it wasn't I'd consider it a donation to keep a great artist's ministry going. I'm not sure how long it will be possible, but please also consider buying it via donating $20 to World Vision.

As one final note, if you are a fan of Steven's more thoughtful songs, then you might award this CD 4 moose. Based on my preferences, I give it 3 moose out of 5...

Posted by alan at 12:35 PM | TrackBack

November 12, 2004

Christians are still worse than atheists...

Last night I called a hiatus on discussing politics on the Conversations About God E-mail Discussion Group I moderate. However, people couldn't stop -- and although I didn't let them through, I did respond to some. I don't include what I am replying too because I have not asked permission to do so...

Hi __________...

Sorry...since I zapped the discussion of politics I'm not going to let this through.

Having said that, Hitler's hate of the Jews was not religiously based (ditto with Nazi-ism). Regardless of whether Christians didn't properly speak up, it was an atheistic belief system that sent millions to gas chambers (even if it was a nationalistic atheism).

As for Stalin and Mao, I agree that any belief system could be called "a religion." However, clearly when people blame religion for the ills of the world, they aren't including communism or atheism. My note was in response to the false belief that religion is more responsible for cruelty than atheism. Pure power corrupts evenly across the political spectrum, but it's also true that it was Judea-Christian thought that has been responsible for the republics/democracies that have shown the most freedom (including freedom of religion) -- although I'll admit that the "experiment" is short-lived in historical terms.

It's especially interesting that the freedom to show such energetic rejection of religious thought that is sweeping many in western civilization was provided to them by people who they wouldn't allow govern if they were alive today...

Take care

Alan

P.S. Please don't get me wrong...I don't want to let religion off the hook. I just think that it is unfair to judge religion more harshly given the same

Hi __________...

Only because I can't see this not leading back into politics, I'm not letting it through...

But to answer your question.

Imagine you have a roommate who throws their clothes all over the place. You ask if there can be a rule that dirty clothes must go in the hamper and clean clothes in the closet and dresser.

Your roommate refuses. Are they not then "forcing" you to live in a mess?

When it comes to the "rights" that many are fighting for, it's the equivalent. If everyone can do whatever they want, I am forced to live in the results of their moral squalor.

I'm not asking for a Talibanic society. I'm asking for a give and take where society gets to decide what is appropriate and what is not. Those who scream loudest for freedom really are only asking for the freedom they want (and are glad to limit freedoms they don't agree with).

Take care

Alan

Hi __________...

I'm not letting this through because I called a hiatus on political discussions...but since it's directed at me, I won't ignore it :-)

[ snip of a quote from the writer's original post that I included in my response ]

I still disagree. Cruelties are from the evil heart of man -- religion, nationalism, etc. is just an excuse.

You might notice that I did limit myself most to Christianity in my response to you. Radical Islam may ultimately "take the cake" before the world ends...but I definitely don't believe that Christianity has equaled atheistic governments in brutality.

As for Hitler, please take a look at:

http://www.nationalreview.com/shiflett/shiflett012102.shtml

One good quote from Hitler in it is, "One is either a Christian or a German. You can't be both." (1933)

Sure, Hitler may not have been an atheist. Regardless, the evil system he convinced his nation to embrace was. (And just because someone wraps himself in the flag of faith doesn't mean that they are a spiritual person -- people will say anything for power...)

Ultimately the point of my post was that it's unfair to judge religion more harshly than non-religion. As I said, we are evenly merciless...

Take care

Alan

Hopefully this weekend will be politics-free on the list. It takes too long for me to respond coherently -- and I'm sure some of you would disagree that I have been coherent in my responses :-)

Posted by alan at 5:21 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

November 11, 2004

Christians are more cruel than atheists...

A couple of notes I added to a mailing I moderate...

First, one related to a discussion of "moral authority," God, and atheists:

[ Alan's note: I wasn't saying that atheists don't have morals -- just that their "absolute moral authority" is themselves. (I would also suggest that many of them who have great problem with "forcing" them to obey my God's morals have no problem forcing me to obey their morals.) I just don't think they have the "higher ground" by not having religious beliefs infect their political views. Both opinions are equal, should be given even weight in a debate, and then the public should decide...

Also, I suspect you have fallen for a popular misconception. Atheistic governments have been responsible for far more deaths and crimes than Christianity has. Things like the Crusades and Inquisition don't even start to compare with what atheistic governments did last century alone -- Stalin, Mao, Hitler, etc. -- all based on atheism, not religion (and Stalin and Mao each killed far more each than Hitler).

The difference is that "Christians" who have committed atrocities have ignored the teachings they claim to be following, whereas those who have tortured and murdered in the name of communism and other atheistic government systems have been true to their belief systems.

I'm not saying we are better than atheists -- we have all fallen short. It is not fair, however, to say that the greatest cruelty has been done in the name of religion -- at best you can only say "equal" cruelty has been done. Atheists are just as prone to be merciless. ]

A second one connected to a discussion as to whether moral or civil laws are legitimate:

[ Alan's note: Would you agree that a law is just that says that a public billboard cannot picture naked people having sex? Is that not a moral law?

I don't think anyone has a problem with civil or moral laws -- they just have problems with the laws they don't agree with.

Please don't get me wrong. I personally believe that, generally, the only laws that should be made are those that protect me from you (and visa versa). What you do to yourself, as a whole, should be up to you. That, of course, sounds simple on the surface but still requires judgment calls -- not everything that can hurt others is physical (e.g. the billboard I mention and the children who would see it)... ]

Posted by alan at 8:21 PM | TrackBack

Equality of thought...

I moderate a nightly theological e-mail discussion group, "Conversations About God". Thanks to the election, the last few mailings have included discussions of politics. Here's an "Alan's note" that I had below one of last night's posts:

[ Alan's note: I'll go one step further...if you cannot use religion in making laws, what is the atheistic way to establish absolute moral principles? What atheistic moral principle requires a 65MPH speed limit? What atheistic moral principle requires we pay for welfare? What atheistic moral principle rejects prostitution as a valid occupation?

I'm not saying that I can't give arguments why each of those are legitimate government concerns, but without God morals are relative, not absolute -- and how can absolute laws be based on a foundation of sand? Ultimately an atheist's source for absolute moral principles is himself/herself -- and I'd much rather trust God for those :-)

Ultimately I feel that a political opinion I have based on my religious beliefs is just as valid as one an atheist holds without any spiritual basis (and visa versa). However, I see just the opposite argued -- if I have even the smallest spiritual reasoning in the foundation of a view, that's somehow forcing my religion on someone else and thus is (absolutely) illegitimate.

In circumstances like that I believe the religion (and morals) of atheists are forced on me... ]

Posted by alan at 8:50 AM | TrackBack