oddXian: Challenge the Consensus

Just had a friend send me a few excerpts he drew from a work by Albert N. Martin which distinguishes Christianity from others. Worth the read. ...... 1. According to the Bible, a Christian is a person who has faced realistically the problem of his own personal sin. One of the many things which distinguishes the Christian faith from the other religions of the world is that Christianity is essentially and fundamentally a sinner's religion. 2. A biblical Christian is one who has seriously considered the one divine remedy for sin. A unique feature of the Christian faith is that it is not a religious self-help scheme where you patch yourself up with the aid of God. Just as surely as it is a unique tenet of the Christian faith that Christ is the only Savior for sinners, so it is also a unique tenet of the Christian faith that all of our true help comes down from above and meets us where we are. We cannot pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps; God in mercy breaks in upon the human sit...

Oh My! Have you read what the Salt Lake Tribune reported? Did I sense this one coming or what? (See post below: Will Faith or Politics Win the Day with Sharpton?) It's almost laughable to read "This visit was not about politics..."

Have you ever noticed the Newspapers and News Agencies are never lacking news ... the kind that points both to the sinful nature of man and a direction for the world (from an earthly perspective) that progressively seems to be working its way toward the exact type of trials, tribulation, and war the Scripture prophesies? I was just wondering with all the hype from Secular Humanists about establishing a Utopia ... ...that is possible (and that can come about through reason and humanistic principles), when they read the news just what they're thinking and when they intend to act, for it's clear to me every day that if they intend to bring about such a utopia, they've got a significant work that needs to be done, and given both the development and proliferation of new weapon systems especially in consideration of the race and relationships between the peoples and powers who are developing them ... given the progression of history, the willingness of man to use firepower, and t...

A quiet unassuming yet significant battle looms not just on the horizon but is making headway into American culture and life. To this point, it's only been a topic of incidental but passing conversation, even among Christian circles. It's a battle that's been fought before in other places (only to return to the Christian position), and a battle that will eventually come to the forefront in American life. Interesting enough, this battle deals with an issue that has already become a field of study (chronobiolgy / circaseptan rhythms: see here and here ), but also one where the persuasion of the evidence points strongly to the side of Christian truth. The issue involves our cycle of work and rest. More and more, though quietly like the onslaught of a cancerous disease, there's an attack on the sanctity and observance of the Lord's Day. This issue is one that deserves attention not only because it is relevant to the world in which we live, and because it will hav...

Over the last few weeks, we have seen and heard numerous bold attacks on Christianity. There can be little doubt that the angry wing of the atheist community has been emboldened by the loud and onbnoxious public entertainment efforts of vocal angry atheists like Hitchens, Harris and Dawkins. Unfortunately for the Itchy and Scratchy wing of the non-believers movement, repeating oft refuted and tired arguments by screaming louder and adding cuss words and finger-wagging does not make them valid. ...... We have honestly heard nothing new. The atheist scientists, who often claimed before that science cannot prove or disprove God, seem to have abandoned that position now by making liberal use of science to account for things that previously was in the religious or theological realm. Morals are especially popular, with memetic and societal evolution supposedly accounting for morals. That argument represents a glaring ignorance of the issue, but it does sound nice and "scientific" t...

An Interview with Mark Driscoll In February 2007, Michael Horton had the opportunity to interview Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church (Seattle, Washington) and author of The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out without Selling Out (Zondervan, 2004). This interview was originally broadcast on March 11, 2007 on The White Horse Inn radio program. To hear the entire interview online, go to www.whitehoresinn.org, click "Previous Programs," then click "Broadcast Archives"at the top of the page. Can you give us some background on your congregation? It's mostly a younger crowd, isn't it? Well, it started that way. I'm in Seattle, one of the least-churched cities in America. There are more dogs than evangelicals in our town. I started here as a non-Christian, I became a Christian when I was 19, got married at 21, started a Bible study at age 25 that today is over 6,000 people. I think we're the fifteenth fastest growing church in America right now. So, ...

My pastor has introduced me to this methodology - I really think it is a powerful and cross-applicable system. I am enjoying the book and I just found their podcast series . Practice #1 - Clarify The Win Even the best team can't score if it can't find home plate. In this conversation, we'll discuss the importance of clearly defining wins at every level of your organization. Practice #2 - Think Steps, Not Programs Before you start anything, make sure it takes you where you want to go. In this conversation, we'll discuss the importance of a clear ministry strategy. Practice #3 - Narrow The Focus The longer a ministry operates, the more complex it becomes. In order to maintain a winning organization, we must continually face the challenge of narrowing its focus. Practice #4 - Teach Less For More People are bombarded by thousands of messages every week. If the local church is going to be effective, it must cut through the noise. It must learn to say only what needs to be sa...

Why don't I have a good feeling about this one? It is reported that Rev. Al Sharpton asks to meet Mormon church leaders after his controversial comment about Mitt Romney. The question concerning the outcome is this: Will Sharpton cave in and come away professing Mormons to be true believers (though they are not) in order to maintain his political clout, or will he stand upon the truth even if it causes him to lose credibility and popularity in the eyes of the populace? Sharpton's handling of his response to the issue (that he "wasn't saying that Mormons didn't believe in God" but that "we weren't going to have to rely on atheists to defeat Romney")is going to be both the battleground and the proof of the pudding. .....Will he sidestep the issue of the Mormon beliefs (and will the Romney campaign, the Mormon Church, and the press allow him to do this) by continuing to cast his remarks in the sense that Mormons were not under consideration but ...

In this post, I will respond to the article written by Paul Kurtz entitled “ Why I Am a Skeptic about Religious Claims ” on the Council for Secular Humanism Website. Paul takes the historic position of a skeptical atheist, as opposed to a dogmatic or critical atheist; concluding that “…the skeptical inquirer finds inconclusive evidence-and thus, insufficient reason to believe-that God exists, that God is a person, that all ethical principles must be derived from God, that faith in divinity will enable the soul to achieve eternal salvation, and that ethical conduct is impossible without belief in God. On the contrary, skepticism based on scientific inquiry leaves room for a naturalistic account of the universe. It can also recommend alternative secular and humanist forms of moral conduct. Accordingly, one can simply affirm, when asked if he or she believes in God, "No, I do not; I am a skeptic," and one may add, "I believe in doing good!" I’ll examine his reasons ...

According to FoxNews , Reuters is reporting that some residents in Hong Kong are calling for an "indecent" label for the Bible, saying "the text contains passages that are too gory for young eyes." Apparently "At least 838 complaints had been registered Wednesday with the city's Television and Entertainment Licensing authority after an anonymous Web site, truthbible.net, said the Bible "made one tremble" with its sexual and violent content, including rape and incest, the news agency reports." Take a guess: While the anonymous Website is written in Chinese, with a name like "truthBible.net" , do you think the website host(s) and their followers are really concerned about "indecent" material, or concerned about an entirely different agenda altogether (... like that of trying to suppress the propagation of Biblical truth)? What do you think is the probability they also are including ANY other books (i.e. history books, or e...

How would you respond if: 1. You had a neighbor who though he was a member of the PTA and the home run king for the men's softball team, was cheating on his wife and then told you that adulterers are good people, they are good citizens, and though they are different than you, they hope one day you will change your position on adultery and tell others you've been wrong? 2. You had a neighbor who though she is an accomplished musician and cook, sees nothing wrong with serving as a stripper (or perhaps a prostitute) to make extra income, then she comes to you and says that though your views are different, she hopes one day you won't be so closed minded, but tell other people you've been wrong in thinking the way you have? 3. You had a neighbor who though he paid his bills and was known for being bright, and popular and a gifted speaker, participated in child pornography, or trafficing in drugs, or cheating on his taxes, or "you name it", then came to you and s...

Ever wondered both WHEN and WHY the change takes place… If a five year old boy pulls the pigtails of a five year old girl, his teacher says he has done something (or is being) bad, but when Paris Hilton is sentenced to jail, commentators respond she is “not a bad girl, but a ‘good’ person”. Is there a different set of standards for adults than for children? Commentators are not alone. Does not the unbelieving world do the same thing every day when it comes to redefining sin? (... and denying both the nature and culpability for one's actions) When does the standard and change take place? When one is age ten, or age twelve, or fifteen, … or when one’s agenda demands the standard no longer mean what it once did or be applied the way it once was? Makes me grateful for all the kindergarten teachers whose wisdom often goes unnoticed. Ever heard a person say “I really didn’t mean to yell at you”? Really, would it not be more genuine to tell the truth and say that one did mean to yell ...

With all the interest in the recent debate, I thought some may be interested in reviewing "The Great Debate" between Greg Bahnsen and Gordon Stein, for a taste of presuppositional argument.

As the debate has come and gone, and my time for writing has been limited, let me make a few brief remarks about the debate as well as about a few of the arguments discussed during the debate. I'm sure more will come from my team members here at CS. The debate itself, while a good idea and while it has received a great deal of publicity, offers little by way of apologetic stimulation and impression, and even less when it comes to pursuasive argument in either direction, though the gospel itself was presented, and the difference the gospel makes in a person was on one level displayed. As with any debate, the initial defining of the topic, parameters, participants, etc. are all of significant importance, and weakness in any area (or more than one area)will be reflected in the debate that follows. I'm sad that this was true in several areas concerning this debate. This is not to take away from any of the participants (theists or non-theists)for they are each good at what they ...

We now turn our attention to the massively popular, number one bestseller, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. I'm not going to review the book here because I've read a much finer review of it than I am capable of doing. What I wish to point out in this short entry is what I believe should be the obvious and yet it isn't to the majority of our culture. ...... One of the lesser temptations I have faced and resisted is the tendency of reading Satan's words from the Bible in a malevolent sounding voice. Especially when reading to c hildren I am so careful to avoid the evil snarling interpretation of that old serpent. You know the one - the exaggerated 's' sounds, the harsh guttural growl, the cynical evil inflection. These are the characterizations that young people would expect from the prince of darkness and these expectations would probably be shared by adults as well. For this reason I am always careful to read Satan's words as if he was the most winsome and d...

How common it is now even among some Christians to hear people say "You know, people shouldn't pick on or condemn homosexuals, especially if they were born that way." It's clear that the homosexual agenda is having some effect and that their message is getting out to some degree, even if among the undiscerning. But, has it ever occurred to you that some homosexuals are some of the greatest examples of "victim mentality" ever found? Think about it ... ...when it comes to LIARS, do you ever hear anyone make the claim "I was born that way" in order to justify their actions and escape condemnation? ... when it comes to THIEVES, do you ever hear anyone make the claim "I was born that way" in order to justify their actions and escape condemnation? ... when it comes to MURDERERS, do you ever hear anyone make the claim "I was born that way" in order to justify their actions and escape condemnation? ... when it comes to ADULTERERS, do ...

Is it just a case of "Politics As Usual" or is it "Something More"? In a CNN article this morning entitled "Sharpton accused of 'Bigotry' after remark on faith" , it's stated that Sharpton made a statement during a debate about Rommney saying "As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that; that's a temporary situation,", to which Romney's spokesman Kevin Madden responded by saying "It is terribly disheartening and disappointing to hear Reverend Sharpton offer such appalling comments about a fellow American's faith," and "America is a nation of many faiths and common values, and bigotry toward anyone because of their beliefs is unacceptable." Romney is also quoted as saying "...That's a great thing about this country. We don't decide who's going to be in office based on what church they go to." Here...