oddXian: Challenge the Consensus

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII Part VIII Part IX Part X Order the DVD at: http://forerunner.com/realjesus/part1.html

Story here Incredible cognizant dissonance - instead of mulling the worldview that causes this insanity, blame the gun... Modified to add: In cyberspace, a young man with short blond hair calling himself Sturmgeist89 - presumed to be the school gunman - had spent the past few weeks broadcasting an extremist world view, weaving together far-left and neo-Nazi strands. Together it formed what he called the "Manifesto of a Natural Selector". "I cannot say that I am of the same race as this miserable, arrogant and selfish human race. No! I have evolved a step higher," he wrote in a blog. In his account on the video-sharing website YouTube, which he accessed for the last time just hours before the shooting, Sturmgeist89 wrote he was "prepared to fight and die for my cause". "I, as a natural selector, will eliminate all who I see unfit, disgraces of human race and failures of natural selection." from here

Just about a week after Ray Boltz, now Clay Aiken, who is referred to as a "born again Christian" admits to being gay. Beyond the label, what do the details reveal? At this point, the only information I've seen comes from People Magazine: Clay Aiken: I'm a Gay Dad . Let's look to the details of the article: Says Aiken: "I have no idea if he'll be gay or straight. It's not something I'll have anything to do with, or that he'll have anything to do with. It's already probably up inside the code there ... Aiken here seems to place all the responsibility on the "code", that is, I assume his genetics, and therefore if it's in his genetics, then it must be okay. So, examine the logic in this, if a person discovers in a particular situation their natural response is to lie, does that make lying okay? Should we then affirm the practice of lying? Suppose a person is born with a nature of malice, or greed, or coveting, or lust, are...

Original questions posted here... - my hastily composed answers below: 1. Biblical Law . Matthew 5:17-18 says quite clearly that Jesus demands Christians follow Old Testament law completely, to the smallest possible point. Why don’t they? Matthew 5:17-18 17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Answer: Actually, the passage says that Jesus came to fulfill the Law. His righteousness in fulfilling the law through His perfect obedience is credited to His children. Romans 5:19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous . 2. Infanticide . The modern Christian churches of the world tend to gloss the fact that God is a child killer—the 10th plague in Egypt—and say that Jesus set t...

Nationally, the Southern Baptists have adopted statements discouraging women from being pastors, but their 42,000 U.S. churches are independent and a few have selected women to lead their congregations. Quote taken from here .

Over at Reformation 21, Dr. Ligon Duncan provides some insightful quotations from John Newton that link our beliefs with our practice when it comes to conversing with others in religious debate.

A professor of Vatican university verbally attacked creationism and fundamentalists while touting the merits of Darwinian evolution according to a Foxnews.com article. ...... Take time to read the article. I think you will be shocked. Take for example the following quote, "Creationism from a strictly theological view makes sense, but when it is used in scientific fields it becomes useless," Ravasi said. What exactly does a statement like this mean? That special creation has theological value but no practical value? Let Pope Benedict himself tell you, "the word of God can never simply be equated with the letter of the text" Ministries such as Answers In Genesis that work in the field of creation science have been unambigious about what the real issue is. In an article on their website, Ken Ham has explicitly stated, "AiG’s main thrust is NOT ‘young Earth’ as such; our emphasis is on Biblical authority." These statements from the Vatican clearly show that t...

In reading about Ray Boltz, I came across a church website which in it's welcome stated: You will find a warm welcome whoever you are -- straight or gay, white or black, Asian or Hispanic, conservative or liberal, old or young, rich or poor, deaf or hearing, married or single, transgender or any gender identity. Like the early Church, we are a rainbow congregation! and under it's beliefs in a section entitled "CREEDS" stated: "...Our denominational Statement of Faith is tied to the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, which have served as the basic creeds of Christianity since the early days of the Church. Beyond these basics, however, we leave it to each individual to work out the details of his or her faith in accordance with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures. Unlike many churches, we do not feel it is healthy or wise to try to compel each individual to believe exactly alike. We respect our congregants and treat them like adults who have bo...

FYI - A book review of "The Shack" by William P. Young may be found at Challies Dot Com - Informing the Reforming .

“...If this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live. It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be … I really feel closer to God because I no longer hate myself.” Quote taken from here . Ray Boltz, in coming out of the closet,does the following in the above quote: 1. Denies Scripture when it speaks to God creating all things "good" and when it speaks to the "fall" of man - by falsely assuming that just because he is the way he is now necessarily means God created him that way. 2. Commits a fallacy of presumption in that (having FALSELY presumed that God made/created him this way) God would not then send him to hell. 3. Falsely assumes his subjective feelings of reconciliation are valid apart from the objective truth of the gospel (i.e., that Christ died for sins, and that reconciliation on this basis also involves man confessing his sin nature and sinfulness - as opposed to either assigning res...

Craig Finn, lead singer and songwriter for Brooklyn's the Hold Steady, writes about drug addiction, casual sex, and Jesus. This quote taken from here . It's not unusual (though it's inconsistent with the Christian faith) to find those who live a "dual life" ... on the one hand affirming religion and on the other living contrary to true religion. Two reasons can stand behind this situation. First, the individual may be lost (even though they affirm religion, ... but may not understand the gospel, etc.) and therefore the practice "contrary to true religion" is consistent with their true nature and condition. On the other hand, the individual may be saved (hence the affirmation of religion) but lack sanctification (hence the practice "contrary to true religion") While at times it may be difficult to distinguish, I think the pastoral counsel I heard from John Piper one time is helpful - "it's best to take people wherever they are and le...

If there is no God, and man is totally free, then why must one "do to others as you would have them do unto you"? (Note - if it is recognized that one is free and that one just must accept responsibility and consequences, ... then if one is willing to accept the consequences, then must one "do unto others what they would have others do to them?)

William Lane Craig responds...

The following quotes are from a new nurse on her experience of death, taken from here . Her words powerfully speak for themselves. At my job, people die. That’s hardly our intention, but they die nonetheless. Usually it’s at the end of a long struggle — we have done everything modern medicine can do and then some, but we can’t save them. When George Clooney and Juliana Margulies went through these routines on “E.R.,” it seemed exciting and glamorous. In real life the experience is profoundly sad. a death like this is unsettling Often at work in the hospital I hear John Donne in my head: Death be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so. But after my Condition A I find his words empty.

This enduring “sex difference in competitiveness,” he concludes, “must be considered a genuine failure for the sociocultural conditions hypothesis” that the personality gap will shrink as new roles open for women. When men and women take personality tests, some of the old Mars-Venus stereotypes keep reappearing. On average, women are more cooperative, nurturing, cautious and emotionally responsive. Men tend to be more competitive, assertive, reckless and emotionally flat. Clear differences appear in early childhood and never disappear. For social-role psychologists, the bad news is that the variation is going in the wrong direction. Quotes taken from As Barriers Disappear, Some Gender Gaps Widen Interesting article, particularly in seeing that when the results don't go one's way, then it can't be because there's a basic difference between men and women, so off to the races to try to explain it away anothe way.

OK, maybe it's not right to get joy out of the misery of others, but I just cannot stop laughing at this...

I want to memorize this! This song is performed by Shai Linne and appears on the album 116 Clique:13 Letters (2007) . Hook: I'm not ashamed of the gospel, y'all It's the power of Christ that can save us all In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed And who lives by faith? The righteous will! (Verse 1) Awake from your slumber, rise! A letter from the wise The book of Romans- the Christian faith summarized By Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus Called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel (1:1) Chapter 1:16-17 is the thesis Because our sins are colossal, hearts are harder than fossils (1:21, 29-31, 2:5) That's everybody's plight; cant' solve it- goodnight! How do sinners get right in a Holy God's sight? Amazing is the answer, see- Romans states it candidly The first three chapters- God's case against humanity Whether it's idolatry (1:23) or religious hypocrisy (2:1, 23) No one can possibly see the charges and say "It's not for...

Discussion abounds as to whether Christians are being "inconsistent" while giving support to a woman for a high public office while not allowing women to serve as leaders (pastors, officers) in the church. Of the various answers I've read, Al Mohler's is perhaps the best so far, but even he stops short suggesting the Scripture addressess the church but does not speak to civil office (which to a large degree is true). Can an answer be given to this question from Scripture? I say Yes. My answer follows: A seminary professor (RTS) once put it this way, 1. In the HOME, God has established men as the head. 2. In the CHURCH, God has established men as the leaders. 3. In the WORSHIP of the church (which is central to all we do, & an example to other areas of life) God has established men as the leaders. I would add to this: 4. While God does not specifically speak to other areas of life, these examples certainly set precedent. 5. At the same time, as with Deborah, whi...

...science isn't about truth... Quote taken from here as Adam Savage advocates evolution over "something else"

"All great stories begin with the question, 'What if . . .'" Rudyard Kipling "great" as in large . "stories" as in fairy tales .

The battle is no longer over whether science or religion will give us truth, but over the very existence of truth.” We desperately need to recognise this, and learn how to wage war on this new front. One of the most dangerous things we can do is continue to concentrate our forces on that side of the city which is no longer under attack. Great quote from R.C. Sproul, Jr., which I picked up from here .

This ought to go over well in a divorce settlement. Men's Fidelity Controlled By Cheating Genetics What sinful behavior will we make a genetic excuse for next?

Dr Lirwan Mohammed, the executive secretary of the Bauchi Action Committee on Aids, said the polygamous culture of northern Nigeria had increased the spread of the disease. Polygamy, as we have discovered, has become a potent source of spreading the HIV scourge in Nigeria," he said. Quote taken from here .

Often, unstudied Christians (I speak from experience) misunderstand the questions others ask concerning free will. To the Christian, free will often raises the thought of issues related to man's ability and responsibility when it comes to original and actual sin. However, for the naturalist / nihilist, while the issue can involve matters related to ability & responsibility (i.e., ethics), it's often more a question of being and meaning, that is... if matter is all there is, and if the cosmos operates with a uniformity of cause and effect in a closed system [some differ on this], and if man is more or less a machine, then the question among naturalists & nihilists when it comes to "free will" deals more with significance, dignity and meaning. James Sire in his book The Universe Next Door puts it well when he says: "The issue of human freedom goes deeper than these naturalists see... [SURE] I can do what I WANT, but WHAT I WANT is the RESULT of PAST STATES...

Some may not know this is out: