On why is there something rather than nothing...

One response to this was "Why is there God rather than nothing?" This answer seems to ignore the basic fact that there is something.

My comment is in no way conclusive to the overall matter of the existence of God. It just says that the conversation will continue.

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/theism/cosmological.html

Images and Idol Potential

Not surprisingly, the new generation doesn't read. They like pictures. There is something more insidious about pictures than words. It is like pictures bypass a certain part of the brain that involves discernment. Both mediums create a world inside the person, except pictures are more difficult to evaluate because one would need to respond with a picture in order to converse. Perhaps the new generation is thinking in pictures. We do know that alphabet constructed language is more efficient than pictogram based language. I am sure this is a problem being studied by a diligent and perceptive social scientist. I am just talking here and will do a bit more reading to see how this idea pans out with respect to the thoughts of others.

My thesis remains the same: images more easily become idols than words. Until we return to a world of words we can expect negative effects upon societies as a whole. The current "lull" in overall violence, may just be a statistical flucuation.

A method of last resort

When disobedience occurs, the correction method of last resort is violence. When conflict occurs, the resolution method of last resort is violence. Whether by correction or resolution, violence is an available and justifiable option. People, in their most justifiable states, improperly use violence. No set of humanly enforced guidelines can put to death the violence within every individual.

On Creativity

If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never be creative.

- Sir Ken Robinson

Honor, Shame, Wisdom

Where there is no honor and no shame there is no wisdom.

When Discussion Ends

Discussion ends when the impasse is revealed. This is a time when a point of disagreement arises that cannot be overcome.

At this point, it might be good to see if refusal to agree is an act of will that ignores evidence in disobedience to reason. Reason makes demands. One cannot deny reason in the name of reason.

The Why Game...

Children play the why game of infinite regression.

Adults play the same game in a very fanciful way. When we say that anything can be questioned, we are in effect, playing the why game.

I think it is safe to say that finding an ending for the why game is a sign of maturity. This is not to discourage intellectual curiosity. It is however a reason to draw lines in morals and ethics in a manner that is beyond why by definition. God is an appropriate answer to question of what is beyond why.

How do you know what to do?

This is a question that has vexed many a believer, including myself and the answer is what I call a "no answer." It doesn't really help, even though it does help.

The answer is, after a while, you just do.

A simple analogy to help in understanding can be found in moving your arm. You really don't know how you do it, you just do it. Specialized training for moving your arm comes from a variety of places for various purposes, and you can get better at moving it. You still don't know how you do it. Neurobiologists are beginning to understand the underlying biochemical processes, even to the point of building some amazing bionics, but they don't know how you "do it" either.

(Now, you may think I am mixing a "what" with a "how." I am really addressing that which allows me to know and act and having a single source. The same problem applies when we know what to do, but not how to do it, when there are no historical references to help.)

Walking with God is much like this. There are some clear guidelines, but they aren't the problem. The problem is the grey areas.

The old adages amount to everything: read the bible, fellowship with believers, ask questions, seek Him with your whole heart, avoid compromise, avoid sin, get up when you fall, be open to criticism, pray, give to all that you can, stand for what is right, do not love your life more than God, understand the bottom line fundamentals, know your limits, love and obey God, love your neighbor, know you are in a battle, guard your heart, renew your mind, etc., etc…

Do these things with frequency and you will find knowing what to do in the grey areas will become less bewildering…it may never be easy.

Here is where you should have confidence. God is with you. He is helping you. He is walking with you. You are not alone. And since He is helping a lot of people, don't let it get to your head.

On Being Right

Everyone likes to be right. I love being right. It gives me a confidence that I can stand up to anything and even if physically or verbally defeated, can know in my heart I was treated with injustice and that God will vindicate me.

But being right is not enough.

My prayer is that as much as I am right let me express the equivalent love. Let not my keen observations lead me down a path of pride or self-righteousness. Let not my observations lead to a solitary despair. No, let me give to others where they are what I am given from God to give with all humility. Let me somehow reach out with God's love where correct information alone simply cannot heal.

On Criticizing The Church

In an email exchange a friend remarked that believers need to stop criticizing the church and repent. At first it made sense, but as I thought about it, I realized that the problem it was trying to solve, which is primarily unity within the church, went far beyond the offered remedy.

The church is called to unity. This is a clear scriptural mandate (Rom 5:5, Eph 4:13, Col 3:14). This state of unity has yet to have been achieved. Disunity has been a part of church life since its inception. Nonetheless, we work toward the ideal with all of our hearts. In this sense, the remark in question is correct in implying we need to do something differently.

Where the statement leaves the recipient wondering is exactly what to do differently.

Criticism is correct and biblical. The whole book of James is essentially an indictment against pride and base desires. Does the book of James recommend that we not criticize? No, criticism is part of correction and without proper discernment there is no vision of truth.

Additionally, the statement does not address the immense difficulty in trying to achieve unity. It is not fairly treated with a one liner that tells others what to do, implies that the advice giver is not part of the problem and ignores corrective biblical mandates. Our best individual response would be more reflective of Daniel, where there is a personal taking on of the burden in prayer, recognizing a connection to the misguided acts of brothers and sisters, asking for forgiveness and then acting on the guidance received. Group responses are an amalgam of individual responses and the individual response must be driven by the Holy Spirit.

Now this is a one liner I can take to heart.

Prenatal Vitamins or Sex Change Hormomes

Ok...our wonderful insurance health system is willing to pay for sex change hormones for the person who feels nature made an error, but is unwilling to pay for disease preventing prenatal vitamins.

BTW, pregnancy is often considered a pre-existing "condition" and as a result is not covered through loopholes around the HIPAA laws.

References
https://my.tennessee.edu/portal/page?_pageid=34,277618&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

http://www.spcollege.edu/central/hr/Open_Enrollment/HR%20FORMS%20SITE/WebSite/Retiree/2007%20medicare%20pffs.pdf

http://www.1stagency.com/forms/2007/Trinity%20International%20Brochure.pdf

https://perfdata.hrsa.gov/MCHB/mchreports/tvisreports/ui/Abstracts/Abstract.aspx?AbstractIndex=9&FY=2003&MCHBBranch=Perinatal%20and%20Women

http://www.okdhs.org/NR/rdonlyres/7383E510-C5E4-4CEC-ABF0-DCC96720EC12/0/PT0737_WF07N.pdf

http://rebeccaaugephd.blogspot.com/2007/05/city-worker-pushes-for-sex-change.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002923955_sexchange10m.html

http://www.tsroadmap.com/reality/insurance.html

http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/phealthcare/0,,midwife_46wb,00.html

Being happy when you know too much...

I have come to see that the more knowledge one gains the more difficult it is to maintain "happiness." There is so much suffering, so much deceit, and so little ability to effect immediate change. It is a sure path to depression when you consider how little power you really have.

It is the knowledge of God alone that brings comfort. It has taken me a long, long time to experience this. Our power comes from Him, for his purposes, by His timing. It is not our own, nor is it for ourselves.

The pain of knowledge still increases with learning. God's grace and joy somehow match to counter the pain.

It is so important to recognize the actuality of the pain. Denial is a sure path to apostasy.

Evolution and Creation

The more I think about the debate, the more I read the writings on both sides, the more that I see that the attacks are against the proponents as people and not against the ideas.

There is a very serious disconnect that I don't believe will be resolved anytime soon. At some point, people are going to start losing physical assets to stand for the truth if the truth is going to stand in the hostile context we call the modern world.

On Confirmation

Often I hear Christians talking of some event "confirming" something that should or should not have done.

I believe this practice is dangerous.

It presupposes a contextual understanding of the events in our lives that I do not believe is truly possible. Say for example, someone wants me to wait for them to leave work. I wait as long as I can but realize that if I don't leave I'll miss my train. I leave alone to get the train and when I get there, the train is late. Is that "confirmation" that I should have waited to leave work with my coworker?

I say there is no evidence that supports the claim. The late train is not a necessary indicator that should be understood in light of the decision to leave work. This is the type of superstitious thought that prevents worshiping God with one's whole mind. Such positions undermine the strength of a believer's walk and their testimony.

On Action

Why is it necessary to act with God's help?

Because for any decision (i.e. non-criminal, moral) one can make, there are valid reasons the justify the action.

Do I buy that house, for example. There are reason to do it and reasons not to do it. God's guidance is vital to know what to do and when to do it.

Now, God's guidance is not necessarily like getting direction from a manual. It is something that permeates your being until it starts to flow through you.

Jeremiah 10:23

Jeremiah 10:23 in the New King James reads:

'O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walk to direct his own steps'

Where does this leave us? It leaves us to be committed to knowing and understanding him that he may direct our steps and that we are willing to follow that direction.

It points us away from any standard of conduct based on analysis apart from him.

It points us away from "doing what we want to do."

It points us away from allegiance to influences apart from him.

It does not, as some may think, point to blind obedience. No, God calls us to understanding and knowledge. Reason is in no way antithetical to faith.

As nature's boundaries point us in various directions for progress, so God's boundaries point us in directions toward his prescribed progress.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Jeremiah 9:23-24 in the New King James reads:

'Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in him might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness
judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord.'

For those who would claim that God cannot be known, this scripture stands flat against it. Professional theologian and agnostic alike are wrong in the postion that He cannot be known.

As is God's way, he strips away any pretense that what a man has apart from him can be pleasing to him. All are equal before God. The one who believes this will learn to walk in complete confidence in front of all opposition.

Additionally, our ultimate value is not what we have, but in our relationship with God.

Let us glory together in knowledge and understanding of Him, that the feelings that come from glorying may be true and reflect the eternal.

History will reveal

For any ongoing argument, history will reveal who was right.

The content of the argument does not matter: abortion, evolution, creationism, sexual preferences, morals, what to teach, role of govermentment, etc...

Honesty tries to express itself with as much clarity as it is able. But it can never assess itself without outside help.


Truth, which sits on top of honesty, will eventually break through that history may reveal.

Asking and Answering Questions

The one who asks the questions controls the conversation. Refusal to answer a question does not mean there is not a "direct" answer.

To be reasonable you must...

"Have to" is something that we are all bound by, believer and non-believer alike.

The Trump Card of Faith

The trump card of faith ends conversation for the one who is unwilling to follow. It should always be used with care...

Christianity and Social Responsibility

There are two primary commandments given by Jesus to love God and to love neighbor. A neighbor can be defined as anyone you that you have the capacity to help whose troubles are immediate and presentable. This definition of neighbor does not support the idea that the church's ministry is limited to its own.

Obviously there are a myriad of difficulties in deciding which neighbor to help as we are all painfully aware of our neighbor's troubles and struggle to maintain a healthy balance of our needs with theirs. This difficulty however should not shroud the basic responsibility that we've been asked, commanded, to fulfill.

The church that does not selflessly reach out to neighbors near and far is most definitely falling short of God's calling. The decision of who to help is both a matter of prayer and one of just getting out there and helping.

Character and Self-Interest

Character is not about either/or. Don't do this. Do that. Neither is about strict obedience to a written code or unbounded tolerance. Context and the needs of the community and the individual shape how good character expresses itself. Self-interest works against character and is unfortunately unrewarded when it conflicts with other's interests.

On Character

While reading When No One Sees, a book by Os Guiness, I came across a quote describing American presidents as walking scandals because of their lack of character.

The issue of character is not only one of scandal, but of realism and covering. We need to make sure that when we talk about character we talk about the struggle it takes to support it, that it may grow and change. Character may or may not be fixed, but the resulting actions are always in line with an ideal character held by the person upheld moral strength or weakness. Since love covers and keeps matters private as much as possible, the fact that we eat up private issues points to a general lack of love and concern for the repair of the person's character.

Ordering Observations

I've often thought about how to best organize ideas. It is a tremendously complicated subject matter and I quickly became overwhelmed. I realized that the best organizing method was one that flowed naturally with who I am.

I tend to think in short "thought" bites that get right to the point and move on. Deep thoughts are strings of thought bites.

Additionally, the thoughts do not come neatly arranged in packages and that which is not pertinent to the present is forgotten. When something is then needed, I'll go back to the beginning and rebuild the string of thought bites. And since anything can be related to anything else, deciding where to draw lines can be difficult, especially when you want to be right.

So I realized I can only be right for short amounts of time and the rest of the time I have to gather the scurrying thoughts.

It is all about the medium that fits you. Some can easily write books, essays, songs, fill out spreadsheets, fill out questionnaires, etc. Me, I respond with a few words that I know are right and just move on…the organization often stops at the end of my response.

The Body

There is only one point of reference for interacting with both the world and God...it is the body.

Self editing and blogging

For me, I can see that blogging will require me to edit myself differently. I have to trust that the thoughts will come out as intended, in the order that is necessary. I have to see it as an opportunity to express in stream instead of bits and bytes.

Scientists can say they don't know...

It is interesting that scientists can claim they don't know and that is ok, while on the other hand a theologian is supposed to know. I gather the claim that he, the theologian, knows God puts a bit of pressure on him to have answers. The theologian however is not God, so the pressure is a bit unfair. God does not provide answers google search style. Yet when the theologian does claim to know, the scientist often replies that he can't possibly, even though the scientist himself doesn't even have a place to start.

Welcome

Welcome!!!

This blog is simply an interactive area for comments that come to me as time passes. As a committed Christian, much of the content will reflect that point of view. The subject matter will revolve around my seven areas of interest: philosophy, language, math, music, religious studies, psychology, and sociology. As these are broad categories, they have application is many situations in which a person can find themselves.

As the blog evolves, I'm sure it will take on a life, direction, and meaning in ways that cannot be predicted.

The main purpose of the blog is to function as a vehicle of expression and sharing. I hope your journey here is as much fun for you as it is for me.

Blessings,

James