Shanktified!

This is post is part of a series of replies. If you landed here first, please see the intro post here.

The God character hardened Pharoah’s heart and did all these wonders through Moses, when he could have simply softened Pharoah’s heart so he would let them go. Or, being omnipotent, he could have simply zapped all the Israelites out of Egypt and into the land of milk and honey to begin with. Why did he choose to harden Pharoah’s heart and do things the hard way? Well, the Bible clearly says that it was to display of all his awesome power and glory, so everyone will know that He is the Lord. So why, then, would this God not want people to know the vastness of our amazing universe? As much as this character liked to take credit for things, it seems out of character for Him to describe our planet and universe which He supposedly created in such a two-dimensional way. Again, why a circle (which is flat) and not a ball?

Again, I don’t know why He choose to reveal what He did, as He did. It’s not for me to argue. (Not that I think He is disturbed by our asking questions (at least not when the intent is to seek the truth). And you do bring up a great point; “The Heavens do declare the Glory of God” (see Psalm 19:1) and it’s impossible for me to study the heavens and not be amazed at it’s incredible design and not believe there is a designer. St. Paul put it this way:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:18-21)

This is post is part of a series of replies. If you landed here first, please see the intro post here.

Ron wrote: I know of no scientific law the refutes the Bible.

The whole idea of scientific “law” is a fallacy. For instance, the “law” of gravity is merely a very well-founded theory which has not been disproven.

By referring to gravitational theory as “law,” one is thereby placing our current understanding of the mechanisms behind that which we refer to as gravity into the realm of absolutes. By calling it “law,” we are saying that X absolutely causes Y, which could actually be incorrect. What we do know is that Y occurs, and X seems to affect it. However, it’s possible that someday we will discover that Z really affects it, and that both X and Y are merely affected by the cause of Z.

That said, there is much evidence to suggest that many stories which are told in the Bible either didn’t happen, or didn’t happen when/how the stories say they did. Contrary to what some creationists with important-sounding titles may claim, there was no global flood, no one inhabited Jericho at the time when Joshua is said to have conquered it, and dinosaurs did pre-date humans by millions of years. Further, the few sentences which Christian apologists use as “proof” that Jesus even existed were refuted as forgeries hundreds of years ago.

Are you doubting Jesus existed? If so, that puts you way outside the realm of even most athiests. Sure they disagree that He was God, but no one credible seriously doubts His exsistance.

You missed my question/statement. I know of no scientific law (as is currently understood) that contradicts the Bible.

As an aside, I’d love to see this evidence of your posts. That could be a huge aside. Do you have a blog of your own? If so, I’d be happy to link to it.

And speaking of gravity and evolution (or in this case the big bang). Where did gravity come from? (No need to chase that rabbit if you don’t want to.)

Ron wrote: Elsa, many did believe it was just a circle. It’s even possible Isaiah may have thought so (although there’s no evidence to support that). That’s not my point. My point was that it turns out scripture was right.

How so? By basically calling the world a disc?

I stand corrected. Perhaps I should have said, scripture is still not wrong.

Ron wrote: I should note here that Isaiah was inspired by the Holy Spirit when those words were written. Therefore, I see no problem with Isaiah not fully comprehending the science behind what he wrote.

So why didn’t the Holy Spirit inspire Isaiah to write, It is he that sitteth upon the ball of the earth? Surely people had worked with “balls” of clay back then before they shaped it into pottery.

* I’ll ask him Seriously, I do not know.

Ron wrote: Incidentally the “flat earth” people are nuts.

This we can agree on, lol. But why would “God” allow his creation to be described as an immovable disc or flat square that rests on pillars, with a dome-shaped firmament separating the earth from the heavens, when the real nature of our universe is so much more awe-inspiring?

I don’t know anyone who hears the phrase “the four corners of the earth” and therefore concludes the earth is a flat square. But this is getting a little foolish. Particularity, when you are so opposed to even the concept of God that you type “God” in quotes or refer to Him as “The God character” (see next post). It’s offensive. I’m sure your point here is not to offend, so I’ll continue. But really - I think we are chasing rabbits.

This is post is part of a series of replies. If you landed here first, please see the intro post here.

Ron wrote: Matthew 24 doesn’t reference a dual night/day setting. That’s why i didn’t use it.

Of course you didn’t use it. Matthew 24 basically infers that judgment will come to Israel and nowhere else. How else would one escape it by fleeing to the mountains?

It’s generally agreed that those verses in Matt 24 are actually referring to the destruction of Jerusalem and the 2nd coming. And BTW those that fled to the mountains when Rome leveled Jerusalem were spared.

Note to Elsa: Before you begin reading my reply. It might help you to understand better where I am coming from. You can do that best by listening to this teaching/sermon called Hell’s Best Kept Secret. It’s meant to teach Christians how to share their faith, but if you will take the time to listen it will give me a point of reference and keep me from a lot more typing. And while you might not agree, you’ll at least understand my game plan.

To Elsa and the rest of the Internet: Because of the huge amount of material in Elsa’s comment (here) and because it takes us so off course from the original theme of my post about Ron Paul, I have started a series of posts to handle each point. Some will not go much further, but I would imagine some will take on a whole new life of their own as well.

1. Matthew 24
2. Does Science Disprove the Bible?
3. Is God’s Plan Better?
4. Why Ron (that’s me) Believes the Bible
5. Personal Experience = Truth?
6. Loving God and Hell Reconciled
7. Could She Be Wrong?

Is George W. Bush America’s first Christian Universalist President? Chuck Baldwin asks Bush’s Faith-based supporters to consider the facts.

…how would our Christian brethren react if someone came into their church and said that “all religions pray to the same God”? I dare say such a statement would be met with the most vehement rejection. Yet, that is exactly what President Bush has said repeatedly. The latest example was just last Friday, October 5, 2007.

In an interview with Al Arabiya reporter Elie Nakouzi, Bush said, “I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God.” (Source: WND) Bush has made this same statement throughout his Presidency. The statement obviously reflects a deep-seated belief.

Of course, George W. Bush is the first President in U.S. history to celebrate Ramadan in the White House. He is also the first President to worship and pray in a Shinto temple.

Read the full story here.

An excellent point by UMAction:

Methodist News - Institute on Religion and Democracy
“Muslim Aid is very open about the faith that motivates its relief and development work. UMCOR, in contrast, is largely silent about Jesus Christ and the Bible. No wonder there is such easy agreement between them.”
—Mark Tooley, IRD’s Director of UMAction

Come on UMCOR, use my donations to update your website to give praise to Almighty God who empowers us, through His Spirit and by the grace offered through Jesus Christ, to reach out in love to those who suffer and are less fortunate than ourselves; in the hope that God would be praised and Christ be made known throughout the world to the Glory of God.

Loving People Means Pointing Them to the
All-Satisfying God

Now back to what it means to be loved. The idea has been almost totally distorted. Love has to do with showing a dying soul the life-giving beauty of the glory of God, especially his grace. Yes, as we will see, we show God’s glory in a hundred practical ways that include care about food and clothes and shelter and health. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Every good work should be a revelation of the glory of God. What makes the good deed an act of love is not the raw act, but the passion and the sacrifice to make God himself known as glorious. Not to aim to show God is not to love, because God is what we need most deeply. And to have all else without him is to perish in the end. The Bible says that you can give away all that you have and deliver your body to be burned and have not love (1 Corinthians 13:3). If you don’t point people to God for everlasting joy, you don’t love. You waste your life.

[Source: Piper, Don't Waste Your Life, p34-35, (emphasis added)]

Luke 9:26:  For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.

Luke 12:8-9:  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:  (9)  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

2 Timothy 2:12:  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

1 John 2:23:  Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

2 Peter 2:1:  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

I’m getting ready for a mission trip to Honduras next Jan. If you want to come with me or help, please read the letter I sent to a few friends. Oh and here are some pictures from this years trip.

Continue reading »

I hate to cry.

But thanks.

NRO reports Episcopal Church has gone off the deep end.  SHOCKING!!!

Scrappleface may just be the first prophet of sarcasm.  Stop doing that Scott.

On a more serious note: This is what happens when you start picking and choosing the scriptures you want to obey or not.

If you are not checking for comments often on my blog, here are a couple good ones of late:

Psychologist, Dr. X, chimes in on “Why Evolution Matters”

and Pumkinhead brings up an excellent point on Ron Paul and whether his views of evolution matter as president.