A modern take on the ageless parable of the prodigal son:
The Curious Believability of Christianity
I think you can make a rational case supporting the Christian worldview. No other worldview is as logically feasible as Christianity. This is why I am an intellectually fulfilled follower of the Way (the original label for Christians). Yet, this is not the main reason I take comfort in my bible. The main thrust of my confidence in being an obedient Christian comes from a curious phenomenon that occurs when I lay my soul bare at night. When I’m hovering over my bible by candle light (unnecessary in our modern times but an extremely joyous practice — try it) a form of magic seems to take place. Soaked in prayer, note book in hand and Scripture at my disposal, I seem to be swimming in a womb that is bathing my deepest and most secret wounds. I find a gentle probing into my mind and heart that seems to tease out the doubts, fears and questions I have about my life and my future. This is not an intellectual exercise — which is the only thing available to a materialist — but transportation into a realm of transformation. I cannot prove it logically or with direct evidence. But I could prove it by dying for it.
Continue reading “The Curious Believability of Christianity”
The Christian and the State PART 5 – Political Correctness
In the first 4 parts of this series we established that the more judeo-christian a political theory is, the smaller the roll of the State seems to become. In short, Christian cultures believe God Himself sets the original blueprint for what rules a society follows and how human relationships are structured. Then the State steps in only to enforce this order:
If you observe past political theories that were based on atheistic worldviews (e.g.: former USSR, China, etc) you will note that they elevate the State to the role of God-hood. Something has to fill the power vaccuum. If a transcendent Creator does not exist to establish order and meaning, humans will coalesce into an elite leadership that will then play god over society. In short, the State becomes God because somebody has to: Continue reading “The Christian and the State PART 5 – Political Correctness”
The Christian and the State PART 4 – The American Experiment
The King who thinks he is God… soon becomes the devil.
It would be hard to look at history and find reason to disbelieve that statement.
According to Romans chapter 13, the State is God’s servant and will be judged by Him. Hence rulers who take the mantle of leadership in government will undergo a strict judgment and should rule according to justice and not ego or selfish ambition.
This simple but powerful concept rushed into the once barbaric Roman Empire after Constantine legalized Christianity in A.D. 312. The faith quickly “infected” culture and politics and turned the blood lusting Roman world into modern Europe, a hot bed of human flourishing. For nearly a thousand years after Constantine christened Rome, apostles, scholars, priests and bureaucrats yearned to create a legal system that would be deemed just by the God of their bible. Kings were told that they would be judged according to their righteousness and so pressure mounted on them to be just and fair to their subjects. In A.D. 1215 the Magna Carta was born of this urge and the origins of radical concepts of freedom for the common man were born. Unheard of ideals such as separation of Church and State, the legal system being above the King himself, protection from unlawful imprisonment and unfair taxation were in their embryonic form in “the Great Charter.”
Continue reading “The Christian and the State PART 4 – The American Experiment”
The Christian and the State PART 3 – The State
Webster’s dictionary, in 1828, defined politics as follows:
“Science of government; that part of ethics which consists in the regulation and government of a nation or state, for the preservation of its safety, peace and prosperity… …and the protection of its citizens… …with the preservation and improvement of their morals.” Continue reading “The Christian and the State PART 3 – The State”
Insects & Intelligent Design
Josh Shoemaker and Gary Braness have edited a book by several scientific contributors that looks at the insect world and its amazing design, complexity and beauty. They graciously sent me an advanced copy for my review. I highly recommend their work. You can purchase it on Amazon or at Lampion Press. The following blog post is based on their work.
As humans we often get lost in our own world forgetting that, in terms of sheer numbers, we are a minority of the Animal Kingdom. Tiny creatures make up the vast portions of the food chain and ecosystem, and far from being simple, they are themselves micro robots filled with genetic information and complex biological systems. Let us take a crash course in the study of the ocean of micro machines we call the insect world. Continue reading “Insects & Intelligent Design”
The Christian and the State PART 2 – Community
In Part 1 of this series on politics we looked at the importance of studying our history so we can know what has and has not worked in government. Our past also helps us understand who we are and where we are going. Now, in our second part, we will look at the structure of human relationships.
Job 25:2 states “…He establishes order…” and 1 Corinthians 14:33 says “…God is not a God of disorder…” One look at nature and we can see this to be true. A chicken egg, for example, has over 10,000 pores to allow the chick embryo to breath. At 19 days the chick starts pecking downwards towards the air space which contains 6 hours of oxygen. This is enough to allow it to rest and then wrestle the rest of the way through the outer shell and be born. Continue reading “The Christian and the State PART 2 – Community”
The Christian and the State PART 1 – HISTORY
In this series we will be answering two simple questions. First, what is the government supposed to look like in an ideal world? Second, what is the Christian’s relationship to the government? Before we can answer this we have to dust off our tools. One essential tool is history. The past is the key to the present and the future. Everything we have learned we have learned from the past. Our medical knowledge is built on past trial and error. Our airplanes are constructed with the help of past mechanical successes and failures. So why would we build our civilization without referring to the past? It would be disastrous in medicine and aviation, and it would be equally a disaster in politics.
“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other…”
– Isaiah 46:9-11 Continue reading “The Christian and the State PART 1 – HISTORY”
