Supreme Court says America practices "ceremonial Deism"

Ever wondered how "in God we trust" stays on our money or "one nation, under God" stays in the pledge of allegiance.  Well, Lincoln Steed, editor of Liberty Magazine has a great editorial on this and it turns out the Supreme Court considers it "ceremonial Deism".  Basically they are saying "dead religion"so it has no bearing on where we are or where we are going.  It is neutered.  How do you like that description of "religion?"

You can read about the 2 cases where the Court issued these rulings here.
I encourage you to read the editorial here.

Does Science undercut Belief in God?

Last night I went to a lecture by Dr. Collins of Messiah College.  The lecture was entitled "The Fine Tuning Design Argument"and it was hosted by the WWU Philosophy Dept.  Having done a bit of reading on Intelligent Design, I am somewhat familiar with contours of the argument but I always seem to forget the specifics when it comes to discussions with those who are opposed to I.D.

If you have ever wondered how bigotry and prejudice take root, then Chimamanda Adichie has a great warning to us.  IT begins in believing that an entire people can be characterized by a single story, all Ethiopians are starving, All whites are oppressors, all Mexicans are lazy.  Stereotypes like this breed strife and distrust, but these stories are always incomplete and partial at best.  Her words, "The consequence of a single story is that it robs people of dignity," are words that need to be heard.  They need to be heard by everyone who struggles with seeing people from a single vantage point.  You can hear the 19 minute talk at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg.

False Teachers and Military Supply Lines

For those who follow news, the last few days have posted a number of articles, blogs, etc. on the Trijicon sights the military is using on their rifles in the various conflict zones. Turns out the Trijicon company puts verses like these on their scopes:

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” (John 8:12 NIV)

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV)

“And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19 NIV)

There are others and no one has compiled a complete list of all the references, but this can be nothing short of false teaching at its apex. Since when does a scope carry Jesus implications? It doesn't. Yet again, those without strong foundations in Christology and a true relationship with Jesus Christ have hijacked the word and defamed the name of Christ. If you want to make a weapon, fine. But don't brand it with Scripture verses related to Jesus, the savior of the world and compare your product to the risen Lord.

All Christians would de well to pay attention to their hermeneutics and ensure that they are Christ exalting and honoring, not slick gimmicks to make a buck or worse, deceive gullible souls.

christianity-New Age dialogue #5

On Dec 1, 2009, at 9:53 PM, Joshua Williams wrote:

I thought of some things. I remember seeing you mention that you were trying to see if there were some "self-help" value in some of the new age stuff. While my lines may be blurry in my beliefs between Christianity and my adapted beliefs, I am still fairly clear on the line from the Christian perspective. I may be able to help you use some of the findings in a Christian way.

The most powerful form of prayer is gratitude from my perspective. This is not to say that one should nor could trick God into giving them what they want by being grateful (Dude is way too smart for that :)

Christianity-New Age dialogue #4

On Nov 30, 2009, Josh wrote:

Scott,

My relationship with God has been first in my spirituality since I was young. I was devout in prayer, and still am today. I will say that today I am more thankful to God than I was in the past.

I was Christian when I was young, and just felt the presence of God and that was enough for me. In high school I remember hating Christians because I had seen many ugly things that disgraced the God I knew. I set out to know the one true God. I felt that God was telling me, "If you want to know me then pray everyday and I will show you." (Something along those lines, it was more felt than dictated.) I prayed everyday for a year. 

What is postmodernism? by Elliot Villareal

What is postmodernism?

Any answer you give is a cultural construct supported by a group.  If you don't like the answer, then go find another group.

Who is Jesus?

Any answer you give is a cultural construct supported by a group.  If you don't like the answer, then go find another group.

What is the gospel?

Any answer you give is a cultural construct supported by a group.  If you don't like the answer, then go find another group.

Is this how reformed theologians think?

Any answer you give is a cultural construct supported by a group.  If you don't like the answer, then go find another group.

Can I know anything about God?

Any answer you give is a cultural construct supported by a group.  If you don't like the answer, then go find another group.

Can I know anything about Jesus?

Any answer you give is a cultural construct supported by a group.  If you don't like the answer, then go find another group.

Can I know anything about anything?

Any answer you give is a cultural construct supported by a group.  If you don't like the answer, then go find another group. 

Note: A good friend of mine wrote this skit in reference to a conversation he had been involved in where  a group of theologians were discussing the question, "What is the Church?"  Based upon the answers he was hearing and the appeal to postmodern philosophy that was taking place, he thought it might be wise to understand the full impacts that such a philosophy has on the nature and meaning of salvation.  This would be a great skit.

The Manhattan Declaration

There is a great declaration related to the sanctity of Life, Marriage and religious liberty which has recently been published.  it is called the Manhattan Declaration and you can read it here.  I signed on tonight and encourage you to read this well thought out piece.

Here is an excerpt:

"While the whole scope of Christian moral concern, including a special concern for the poor and vulnerable, claims our attention, we are especially troubled that in our nation today the lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are severely threatened; that the institution of marriage, already buffeted by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is in jeopardy of being redefined to accommodate fashionable ideologies; that freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized by those who would use the instruments of coercion to compel persons of faith to compromise their deepest convictions." 

Mohler on The Economist's Falling Birthrate Article

Here is a quote from Albert Mohler's editorial on the recent article in The Economist:

The bad news is that the girls who will give birth to the coming, larger generations have already been born. The good news is that they will want far fewer children than their mothers or grandmothers did.

Do they really mean what they say here? The fact that these girls have already been born is "bad news." The good news is that they are likely to want fewer children, offers the essay.

...In the end, the economic calculations and forecasts are less important than the moral concerns raised by this cover story. The assumption of the article seems to be that human beings are primarily economic agents, who should be moved into the workplace as soon as possible. This is a sadly deficient understanding of human nature and what it means to be human. The depreciation of family life (and specifically of motherhood) found in this essay reveal a great deal.

A society that celebrates a falling fertility rate is a society that is trading maternity wards for nursing homes. There is something very troubling and very sad about that exchange. Not least among the troubling questions is this: Just who will come visit and care for the aged when the aged outnumber all the rest?

Read the full article here.

Christians and the Muslim Fast of Ramadan

There are some interesting posts floating around the blog-o-sphere related to the recent Christianity Today article on whether Christians should celebrate the Muslim Fast of Ramadan. People seem clearly divided on the issue, however, I am most aligned with McDermott's response. He says,

"Christians may fast alongside Muslim friends, either as a gesture of friendship or in order to open dialogue, but not as part of Ramadan itself. Christian fasting is fundamentally different from Muslim fasting. Christians must make clear that their view of God, God's approach to us, and therefore fasting as part of our relationship to God, are each different from Muslim views." - Gerald McDermott, Jordan-Trexler Professor of Religion, Roanoke College

Unlike Wilson who believes it is an expression of serving a false god or engaging in false worship, I would argue it is a point of connection, however like Joel Hunter, a point of connection is not a spiritual discipline, rather it is a social contact. If engaging in the fast opens up social contact that allows the truth of the gospel to be shared, then by all means do it. That said, I have some reservations that I am still working out in my own mind, based on my time as a missionary in Africa.

Many of the Mbunda people we worked with rose early each morning and prayed circling a tree, dropping flour as they walked. Over time I came to learn that this act was a ritual which left an offering for the spirits and the ancestor to whom they were praying. Would it then be appropriate to engage in this act from a desire to make social connection? Would I truly be able to share the gospel truth with my Mbunda brothers and sisters, or would I be setting the stage for a severe form of syncretism? These are the deeper questions that must be wrestled with and each individual believer must seek God's leading in the Word and in the Spirit.

I personally do not see a problem with engaging in the Fast, as part of making the connections, Jesus calls us to fast, but he doesn't call us to walk around trees and sprinkle meal offerings for spirits. Others may disagree, and I respect their conviction. Yet all must be sure that the gospel which is preached is the pure Gospel of God's complete forgiveness of sin and acceptance as his children apart from any spiritual discipline we engage or fail to engage. I think what is being hinted at in all the answers and posts is the deeper question of "What will Christianity look like in a Muslim culture?" of maybe better "Is arabic culture different from islamic religion?" These two questions are huge and there is alot of scholarly work out there on these problems. We would do well to wrestle with a corollary in our context "How much has american culture become associated with christian religion?"

Public Morality and Religious Belief

While reading the periodical Liberty, I ran across this quotation:

"In a pluralistic society a fundamental assumption of public policy is the recognition that everything immoral need not be declared illegal. The public morality that is expressed in law reflects a consensus derived from public debate...Social realities as well as religious principles must be taken into account in judging the wisdom of any legislation. Citizens who come to different conclusions are not necessarily immoral or unchristian. The tendency to so brand one's political opponents suggests a kind of moral fascism." -from an editorial in America dated 9/13/1980.

These sentences reflect a profound understanding of the Constitution's freedom of religion clause. Too often many religious and non-religious people have forgotten these truths. We live in a nation where every worldview is acceptable. The humanist, the Christian, the scientific, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, atheist, etc. All of these worldviews are essentially religious for each of them posit a claim to the manner in which Truth can be known. To some it is the teaching of a leader, to another it is the a person himself, and to still another a method of inquiry, but all of them are religious, for even to deny religion is a religious belief in itself which is as dogmatic as any faith commitment.

The struggle then becomes allowing each person to pursue their conscience freely and in a manner which doesn't force any other person to violate their conscience. This is where the rubber meets the road. Take for instance gay marriage. Personally I am opposed to it, but to deny another the ability to "marry" is to force my beliefs upon them. That said, to dictate that I must marry them and accept their marriage is to force their beliefs upon me. I am not opposed to gay marriage as much as I am opposed to telling an employer they are required to provide benefits to same sex marriages when those marriages violate their consciences. Or telling me that to speak in opposition of gay marriage is somehow a hate crime. It isn't, it is a matter of conscience. The road must go both ways, and that is a lesson many religious and non-religious folks forget. And regardless of the issue, the right and left inside the Church often forget it about one another.

The question then becomes - When can one person's religious liberty be forced upon another? When can one's beliefs become the norm by which all other beliefs must conform? The answer comes from Christ - "Love your neighbor as yourself." Only when you are willing to allow their beliefs to become your absolute, can you lobby for your beliefs to become their absolute. This simple lesson, if remembered would curb many of the political fights that exist today.

If you want to be able to deny someone benefits because of some choice they are making, then they have every right to deny you benefits because of some choice you are making (the number of children you have, for instance). If you want to fire someone, or hire them based upon their religious persuasion (you could also read political, environmental, socio-economic, etc.), then you must grant them the opportunity to do the same thing. Then and only then will we find out the true nature of our actions and the true motivations of our politics.

Under this schema, St. Paul's statement, taken out of context I realize, has some bearing. "All things are permissible, but not all are beneficial." When we grant liberty broadly, individuals will find out very quickly which choices are permissible and which are beneficial, then their "issues of conscience" will be shown for what they are religious freedom or religious fascism. For if they are willing to live with the consequences of their choice(s) and not impinge upon another's freedom, I would submit they are truly issues of conscience. However, if they are unwilling to live with the consequences and instead are willing to override another's conscience in order to have their own ways, then fascism, whether of the right or the left, is at play.

...Read more

Polyamory, not polygamy

Here is a great commentary on a recent newsweek article concerning the changing tide of sexuality in the Western World.

Polyamory -- The Perfectly Plural Postmodern Condition

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