Beyond The Upper Room : Personal
Whoops out pops the weasel . . .
I don't know about you, but I am kind of tired of Christians labeled as stupid simply because they do not buy into political correctness. It's stupid to believe in creationism they say, anyone with just common sense knows that all of this just happened.
Now, I cannot prove how it happened but I can tell you one thing, it was not the result of some atoms just bumping together long enough to just accidentally get all tangled up and whoops out pops the weasel.
Ah, they say, that's where you are mistaken. Evolution preserves the survival of the fittest and guarantees the very best for the future. Really? Why? Who cares? If all there is,is just atoms and electrons and material stuff that bounced around long enough to do that, pray tell me who made the glue that keeps it all together? Furthermore, why keep it all together if there is no purpose beyond just keeping it together? So, why bother debating such an absurd allegation?
Well, I know that I am preaching to the choir; but, believe-it-or-not I do have a point.
The point is you simply are wasting your time arguing against willful ignorance. Peter told us that this foolishness would be propagated in the last days, when he wrote:
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: (2 Peter 3:5 AKJV)
So, for me it just makes good sense to believer the author of Hebrews when he writes,
And, that's just the point. We Christians are sometimes just too timid or intellectually lazy to challenge the intellectual integrity of those that propagate these doctrines of men. A friend of mine, Wilson Turner, a professor who taught at Stanford University once remarked in a conversation we had that statistically there are simply not enough zeros that can be added to any number of chances for a random collection of atoms (never mind where they came from) to produce even the most elementary biological cell, much less explain the "accidental" structure of the universe.
Hosted by Jim Roane at 2:16 PM
Labels: Apologetics, Personal, Theology
The Bigots Among Us . . .
I don’t know about you, but do you sense a lot of bigotry out there among some Christians? I can almost guarantee you that if I mention Billly Graham or Mother Tersa or Pope Francis on a blog that I will get a rash of responses that inform me that they are either headed for Hell or should be since none of them are branded with the right theology.
Billy Graham is New Age. Yeah, can you believe that? I thought that the New Age wave was a thing of the trendy past. Apparently not. He’s New Age they say because he leaves some wiggle room for someone who has never heard the name of Jesus to have a slight chance of getting into Heaven. Never mind that he insist that Jesus is the only door, for these self-appointed purveyors of righteousness it is enough that the door wasn’t opened soon enough. So, unfortunately these poor ignorant souls are left to fry in Hell for ever and ever, world without end. Amen and amen.
And, Mother Teresa, whom I had the privilege to meet and also to closely associate with those that knew her best . . . well, poor Mother Teresa is sizzling away in Hell right now according to some of my fundamentalist buddies. Kind of sad, but they insist on it. Why? Well, because she was Roman Catholic, but primarily because she rigorously insisted that even a Hindu had the right to die in the comforting arms of sisters who really cared—whom she appropriately called the Sisters of Charity. Oh to God that we had more sisters and brothers of charity! Christ’s love was unconditional; so should ours be.
Then there is Pope Francis. I’m not Roman Catholic but much of my theology is similar as is the case for most of us—i.e., the Trinity, the virgin birth, the Resurrection, and so-forth—although, I do have my disagreements; as do all Protestants, or they would not be protesting.
Nevertheless, I am not prepared to usher them into Hell simply because we have a difference of opinion. My theology is this regards is best described in the words of the following hymn—
—‘No Other Plea’ by Lidie H. Edmunds, 19th Century
Now, I am not so naïve to believe that this is all that is needed to live a fully informed and fruitful Christian life; but I am saying that it is enough.
Hosted by Jim Roane at 9:13 AM
Labels: Orthodoxy, Personal, Theology
Staying focused has always been a problem with me. I am absolutely fascinated with almost every aspect of life. Now, that doesn’t mean that I am good at everything that I attempt, but I try.
Language is a good example. A linguist, I am not. But, I have been able to master a passable fluency in a couple of foreign language and have a good basic comprehension of a third. My portfolio of academic experience includes everything from meteorology to naturopathic medicine, and, of course religious studies.
However, he is where the rub comes in. If I have one regret it is that I have spread myself to thin; trying perhaps to be all things to all men. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t enjoyed some of the unusual bypaths that I have taken. It is nice to know a little about weather and medicine. My experience as a weatherman in the U.S. Navy was fabulous, as was my time in hospital work. Fortunately, most of the time I was able to maintain an active ministry, as a sailor preaching in the Philippines, or as director of administration for the Mission of Mercy Hospital in Calcutta.
My regret is that I ~ remember, honest confession is good for the soul ~ have not spent more time on my knees and in searching out the richness of God’s word. Oh, I teach New Testament theology, and Biblical hermeneutics, apologetics, and a few other subjects like world religions and so on; but . . . when it is all said and done, all that really counts is whether or not I have been faithful in reaching my generation for Christ.
So, I along with C.T. Studd, the famous cricketer and missionary, I say:
(Poem: “Only One Life” by C.T. Studd)
Hosted by Jim Roane at 1:48 PM
Beyond The Upper Room : Personal
Whoops out pops the weasel . . .
I don't know about you, but I am kind of tired of Christians labeled as stupid simply because they do not buy into political correctness. It's stupid to believe in creationism they say, anyone with just common sense knows that all of this just happened.
Now, I cannot prove how it happened but I can tell you one thing, it was not the result of some atoms just bumping together long enough to just accidentally get all tangled up and whoops out pops the weasel.
Ah, they say, that's where you are mistaken. Evolution preserves the survival of the fittest and guarantees the very best for the future. Really? Why? Who cares? If all there is,is just atoms and electrons and material stuff that bounced around long enough to do that, pray tell me who made the glue that keeps it all together? Furthermore, why keep it all together if there is no purpose beyond just keeping it together? So, why bother debating such an absurd allegation?
Well, I know that I am preaching to the choir; but, believe-it-or-not I do have a point.
The point is you simply are wasting your time arguing against willful ignorance. Peter told us that this foolishness would be propagated in the last days, when he wrote:
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: (2 Peter 3:5 AKJV)
So, for me it just makes good sense to believer the author of Hebrews when he writes,
And, that's just the point. We Christians are sometimes just too timid or intellectually lazy to challenge the intellectual integrity of those that propagate these doctrines of men. A friend of mine, Wilson Turner, a professor who taught at Stanford University once remarked in a conversation we had that statistically there are simply not enough zeros that can be added to any number of chances for a random collection of atoms (never mind where they came from) to produce even the most elementary biological cell, much less explain the "accidental" structure of the universe.
Hosted by Jim Roane at 2:16 PM
Labels: Apologetics, Personal, Theology
The Bigots Among Us . . .
I don’t know about you, but do you sense a lot of bigotry out there among some Christians? I can almost guarantee you that if I mention Billly Graham or Mother Tersa or Pope Francis on a blog that I will get a rash of responses that inform me that they are either headed for Hell or should be since none of them are branded with the right theology.
Billy Graham is New Age. Yeah, can you believe that? I thought that the New Age wave was a thing of the trendy past. Apparently not. He’s New Age they say because he leaves some wiggle room for someone who has never heard the name of Jesus to have a slight chance of getting into Heaven. Never mind that he insist that Jesus is the only door, for these self-appointed purveyors of righteousness it is enough that the door wasn’t opened soon enough. So, unfortunately these poor ignorant souls are left to fry in Hell f
or ever and ever, world without end. Amen and amen.
And, Mother Teresa, whom I had the privilege to meet and also to closely associate with those that knew her best . . . well, poor Mother Teresa is sizzling away in Hell right now according to some of my fundamentalist buddies. Kind of sad, but they insist on it. Why? Well, because she was Roman Catholic, but primarily because she rigorously insisted that even a Hindu had the right to die in the comforting arms of sisters who really cared—whom she appropriately called the Sisters of Charity. Oh to God that we had more sisters and brothers of charity! Christ’s love was unconditional; so should ours be.
Then there is Pope Francis. I’m not Roman Catholic but much of my theology is similar as is the case for most of us—i.e., the Trinity, the virgin birth, the Resurrection, and so-forth—although, I do have my disagreements; as do all Protestants, or they would not be protesting.
Nevertheless, I am not prepared to usher them into Hell simply because we have a difference of opinion. My theology is this regards is best described in the words of the following hymn—
—‘No Other Plea’ by Lidie H. Edmunds, 19th Century
Now, I am not so naïve to believe that this is all that is needed to live a fully informed and fruitful Christian life; but I am saying that it is enough.
Hosted by Jim Roane at 9:13 AM
Labels: Orthodoxy, Personal, Theology
Staying focused has always been a problem with me. I am absolutely fascinated with almost every aspect of life. Now, that doesn’t mean that I am good at everything that I attempt, but I try.
Language is a good example. A linguist, I am not. But, I have been able to master a passable fluency in a couple of foreign language and have a good basic comprehension of a third. My portfolio of academic experience includes everything from meteorology to naturopathic medicine, and, of course religious studies.
However, he is where the rub comes in. If I have one regret it is that I have spread myself to thin; trying perhaps to be all things to all men. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t enjoyed some of the unusual bypaths that I have taken. It is nice to know a little about weather and medicine. My experience as a weatherman in the U.S. Navy was fabulous, as was my time in hospital work. Fortunately, most of the time I was able to maintain an active ministry, as a sailor preaching in the Philippines, or as director of administration for the Mission of Mercy Hospital in Calcutta.
My regret is that I ~ remember, honest confession is good for the soul ~ have not spent more time on my knees and in searching out the richness of God’s word. Oh, I teach New Testament theology, and Biblical hermeneutics, apologetics, and a few other subjects like world religions and so on; but . . . when it is all said and done, all that really counts is whether or not I have been faithful in reaching my generation for Christ.
So, I along with C.T. Studd, the famous cricketer and missionary, I say:
(Poem: “Only One Life” by C.T. Studd)
Hosted by Jim Roane at 1:48 PM