Why Unbelief Might Be Godly?

“He modernized his religion. Let’s modernize it again to just say, love your neighbor.” (Wolf)

There is a really a few good points here, however its theologically derived at so (go figure).

(a) Paul and James both cut out the ‘love God’ part and plainly say ‘loving your neighbor is a fulfillment of the law’…meaning they saw one’s actions towards others as their honor to God…at least that’s how I have always viewed that.

(b) In Paul’s letters there is a sense of growth from a child to an adult and growing up – moving from milk to meat so to speak. It isn’t to absurd to think that growth could include less reliance on God – since this would be about assuming the role of an adult complete with decision making skills and a knowledge of good/evil within each decision we make…also responsibility. Maybe part of a good Christians growth is losing notions of utter reliance on God? This can be argued as a notion that makes sense.

I also tend to view having no belief in God as something people arrive at – and if God cannot understand why then it is strange to me (since I can). Is God really that upset with unbelief for the right reasons?

Advertisement

No Rapture, Dang.

I had a laugh and a 1/2 this week on Facebook about the idea the rapture would happen on May 21, 2011 – any rational thinking person obviously knew Harold Camping’s prediction was biblically fueled insanity that went a tad too far. Why was it not going to happen?

Easy, there is no such thing – well, as it is explained by Evangelicals anyways. Heck, I am not even sure the idea exists in scripture and is not whole-heartedly made up by hopeful thinking Christians trying to avoid their own mortality. It seems to me to be an idea read into scripture and not read out of it.

It’s fun wishful thinking the rapture. But that’s exactly what it is, wishful thinking (as Larry Norman ‘I wish we’d all been ready’ plays in the background).

Is God Religious?

Is God Religious?

Humans are religious and we have a whole spectrum of things we do with and for God…we create tradition, ritual, writings, etc.

However is this a one-sided notion…only us looking at God?

If God looks back, is He religious about humans? Does He focus all of His intention on us making us His religion?

The Need For Balance

Polarization of society is never a good thing, politically, economically, spiritually, etc.

In the last 10 years I have seen a movement in each area for polarization, mainly fueled by the media, but dividing a liberal & conservative gulf that seems entrenched in society now. I find it unhealthy.

I am not sure what standing ‘so opposed’ to something does for someone – except feed the fuel that creates ‘war’. And I don’t like war. In fact, I don’t like violence. Polarization puts you so far on one side you cannot hear what the other side is saying, which is like pretending to not be able to ‘hear’. For those with ears, use them.

There is something to be said for having a balance in life. Not being too much too one side or too much to the other.

I Like Me ‘Some’ Mormonism

I watched the South Park episode again on the beginning of Mormonism and had a few laughs…still quite funny.

I like the point of the show concerning some of the logic behind the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s writing process for the book. It does make me think one must suspend some reason for believing such a book – since we know much of the history of the America’s and how much of what is theorized does not jive. Not knocking being Mormon, just knocking the suspension of logic.

The end of the show kind of ends with the fact many of the people that are Mormon are really quite nice people and although the facts may be skewed, in the end the life they live is made worthwhile by that faith. I really have little problem with that – in fact I can identify. What I cannot identify is the less than critical examination many Mormons would give Joseph Smith and his writings…they kind of play it easy with him.

I don’t. Honesty won’t allow me.

Rapture Time Again!

Harold Camping (88) thinks the rapture will happen May 21, 2011. Koo-Koo!

“Camping, 88, has scrutinized the Bible for almost 70 years and says he has developed a mathematical system to interpret prophecies hidden within the Good Book. One night a few years ago, Camping, a civil engineer by trade, crunched the numbers and was stunned at what he’d found: The world will end May 21, 2011.” (SFGate.com) – see article “Bibilcal scholar’s date for rapture”

Well, thats like 15 days away from today…so we will get to test his prediction. What if he is wrong? Will Christianity have to start admiting that the rapture may in fact be a doctrine that is read into the bible and not read out of it?

Camping wouldn’t be the first to fail at his predictive skills, in fact early Christianity was pretty confident the world would end in their time frame…and the gospels have Jesus saying something rather peculiar to one of the disciples:

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matt 16:28)

Really? Didn’t they all actually die though? Did Jesus’ kingdom come to earth? Just an observation.

So for Harold to make the claims he is making is not really ‘new’…it seems even the gospel writers have Jesus making similar claims about his kingdom and it’s return. Top that off, there is not actual real scripture on the rapture – seems to be an inventive idea from about the 18th century.

We’ll see, maybe I am wrong but we will have May 21, 2011 to make even further headway into how bunk these claims might be.