religion

The problem of Good Deeds and Faith

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This entry is part 7 of 7 in the series God versus religion - why?

Any attempt to say that we must have faith  and do stuff above and beyond that to earn our salvation – it takes away from Jesus’ death, as I mentioned – but it also takes away our only means to judge for ourselves whether or not our faith is real.  By saying that faith alone isn’t enough – people are taking away our ability to stand firm in our belief – before we die / before it’s too late – whether or not our faith is real and therefore whether or not we are saved.

This is what happens when you don’t believe in God

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This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Science vs. God

Without recognizing that we are special because we have the breath of life from God – I supposed there’s a lot to be afraid of.   Thinking that machines will self-actualize, like HAL in 2001 A Space Odyssey, could lead one to be afraid of AI.  Knowing that it takes the breath of God to make us what we are, leads one to not be afraid of AI.  No matter how smart we may think we are – we don’t have, and never will have, the ability to give anything the breath of life from God. No.  It’s not AI that we need to be afraid of. …

The problem of faith, hope, belief and knowing

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This entry is part 19 of 20 in the series The problem of ...

The concern here is that when we say things like we “know” certain things because the Bible says so, we run the risk of turning people off to the message we are trying to give.  Something that was meant to be caring and loving can be construed as something that sounds uncaring and insensitive.  I think we need to remember that we believe God meets us where we are, and so when we talk with others who faith isn’t as strong as our or maybe have no faith at all, we also need to meet them where they are – not where we are.

Science vs God – The Concepts of String Theory

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This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Science vs. God

Given that I’m a “lowly mortal” and not perfect – I need to be sure you get this next part.  What is suggested here is only a possibility – a possible explanation of why we might perceive these 11 dimensions.  I make no statement as to what God actually did, does or will do.  It’s an explanation of how the Bible and science might be much more in line than many people think – as opposed to the all too easy position to take that the Bible and science are totally at odds with each other.  

Evolution debate will soon be history?

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This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Science vs. God

One of the warnings we get from Jesus is this – Mt 10:32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” Like I said – the question of who gets credit for “evolution” – whether it’s atheistic or theistic evolution – is a huge deal.  Who gets the credit, from your point of view?

Are Muslim and Christian “jihadists” driving us to the End-Times? 2

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This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series What God versus religion is about

In the days of Noah, people were evil in their hearts.  Tell me – how great is the evil in our hearts when even our talk of religion – what’s supposed to be our beliefs about God – turns into the kinds of things it is today?  How much evil does it take for one Catholic to call another Catholic equal to a jihadist?  How much evil does it take to have some Catholics call other Christians equal to a jihadist?

Can we know if God still cares about us?

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Can we know if God still cares? Of course, that assumes that God did exist in the past. And it assumes that God still exists now. And it assumes that at least at some time in the past – God used to care. That’s a lot of assumptions. Whether you care to make none of them – some of them – or all of them – please read on and see what you think at the end.

Which came first – the chicken or the egg?

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True – the chicken isn’t quite so glorious to look at as a beautiful sunset or the night sky when there’s no other lights to obscure all the stars. But is the chicken any less one of God’s creations than this planet called earth and all the stars in the sky? One minor little question though – where did that first chicken come from in order to produce the protein that was used to make the first egg?

I’m gonna be like you dad

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Just in case you didn’t catch the difference there – besides the answer changing from “probably not” to “no” – two of the words were capitalized. Instead of this being about the boy and his father – it’s about God the Father and Jesus the Son.
So what happened?
If everyone wants it to be differently – why wasn’t it?

Religious Freedom in China – intro

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This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Religious regulation by government

This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Religious regulation by government Like the United States, The People’s Republic of China has freedom of religion.  It says so in the U S Constitution and in the PRC Regulations on Religious Affairs, so it must be true?  Right?   I mean – just look at the first amendment for the U. S. – Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Surely all those laws we have that restrict and / or control what religions can say / do / believe can’t possibly go against this amendment. Can they? In the same way, Article 2 of the Regulations on Religious Affairs for China says – Citizens have freedom of religious belief. That must be equally as true as the one in the U S, right? Actually – they are pretty much equally true.  One difference is that in the U S, we pass separate laws chipping away at the freedom of religion. […]

The more you tighten your grip, Satan …

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But with the spiritual war – there’s a danger with the killer instinct.  When Satan has someone down – going too far to beat the person into a feeling of hopelessness can actually be a bad thing.  As Screwtape tries to point out to his nephew – there’s a danger.  God does His greatest works with people in those really down moments.  There’s a fine line between someone being down and out – versus down and looking for help / hope.

The problem of Either/Or: Free Will vs Predestiny

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This entry is part 17 of 20 in the series The problem of ...

Many people take one side of an issue. It’s an either – or thing. .But what of there’s another possibility?
No – not a third option, but the possibility that “either” and “or” are both correct.
Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Especially when people are so passionate (stubborn?) about the issue.

The problem of “Fear of the Lord”

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This entry is part 14 of 20 in the series The problem of ...

This confirms what I’ve often said here – when we get our English translations of the Bible, the words used just do not get across the intent of the authors – they don’t paint an appropriate picture of what was going on at the time – the emotions and feelings involved – and therefore, we don’t truly understand or appreciate what the Bible tries to tell us.

The problem of “fear the Lord”

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This confirms what I’ve often said here – when we get our English translations of the Bible, the words used just do not get across the intent of the authors – they don’t paint an appropriate picture of what was going on at the time – the emotions and feelings involved – and therefore, we don’t truly understand or appreciate what the Bible tries to tell us.

The problem of a “pleasing aroma” to God

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This entry is part 9 of 20 in the series The problem of ...

By now – hopefully the Christians who weren’t already aware of what these passages meant have now learned something. Something very hopeful, especially in times of trouble. For the non-Christians – I pray you have also learned something, and that this will help to change your view of what you maybe thought was a heartless God.

Who’s afraid of science?

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This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Science vs. God

On top of that, many people are taught that science is too hard to understand. The truth is, pretty much anything can be made to seem to hard to understand. If someone uses really big words – words that are only known to the “insiders” in whatever field it may be – anyone on the “outside” probably wouldn’t have a clue what’s being talked about. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Revelation: Introduction – part 1

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This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series Book of Revelation: the seven letters, and our reaction to them

It seems that what is probably the most common use of the word apocalypse – meaning the end of the world – isn’t even biblical in origin. It’s one instance where the book of Revelation write about the end of the world, as we know it – and that one instance is turned into the new “definition” of the word.