Atheism

Definition:
Dictionary.com

Quote:

1. Disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods.
2. The doctrine that there is no God or gods.

Language origin: Greek

“a” (negative, negator) – “theos” (god) = “No God”

Antithesis:

Theism – Belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in a personal God as creator and ruler of the world. (Dictionary.com)

Self-definitions

* “An atheist is someone who believes and/or knows there is no god.”
* “An atheist lacks belief in a god.”
* “An atheist exercises no faith in the concept of god at all.”
* “An atheist is someone who is free from religious oppression and bigotry.”
* “An atheist is someone who is a free-thinker, free from religion and its ideas.”

Reasons:

1. Lack of Evidence

Example:

The supporting evidence isn’t good enough for him to affirm God’s existence. (agnostic?)

2. Illogical

Example:

Says there is evidence contrary to God’s existence.

3. Non-Issue

Example:

Lack belief in God the way they lack belief in invisible space snails in orbit around Saturn.

Common Presuppositions

(NOTE – NOT universally adopted. The ONLY common belief is a belief that God does not exist.)

1. There is no God or devil.
2. There is no supernatural realm.
3. Miracles cannot occur.
4. There is no such thing as sin as a violation of God’s will.
5. Generally, the universe is materialistic and measurable.
6. Man is material.

7. Generally, evolution is considered a scientific fact.
8. Ethics and morals are relative

Example Argument

God is supposed to be all good and all powerful. Evil and suffering exist in the world. If God is all good he would not want evil and suffering to exist. If He is all powerful then He is able to remove all evil and suffering. Since evil and suffering exist, God is either not all good (which means he is not perfect and not God), or he is not all powerful (and limited in abilities and scope). Since either case shows God is not all good and powerful, then He does not exist.

Mission: Prove a negative, absolute statement
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Your mission, should you choose to accept it – is to state that there is absolutely no god, and that the concept of god is absolutely false -then, to provethis statement: NO GOD =1

First, we have to make a couple definitions. A CANNOT be A and NOT A, at the same time.

To say there is NO God is an absolute statement. So, if you say that there is NO God, No God = NOT A. If you say that there IS a God, God = A. A cannot be A, and NOT A at the same time, remember. So, the mission is to prove that A =/= A – but A = NOT A.

If A = god, and NOT A = No god

A cannot be A, but MUST be NOT A, in order for NOT A to be true.

NOT A and A are not equal, and cannot have the same value – so, we must accept that NOT A =/= A.

In order for NOT A to be a true statement. A MUST be false. In order for NOT A to be accepted true, the axiom of “A =/= NOT A” MUST be accepted – thus, absolutes must be accepted, in order for there to be NO god. No is an ABSOLUTE statement – thus, A MUST be false, and it MUST be accompanied by a proof, for the statements GOD = A , and NO GOD = NOT A, to be logically true.

So, since we’ve established that “No God”, and “God” are mutually exclusive – we’ll move on.
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“No God” is a negative value – so, the mission is to prove a negative. God cannot exist, and there must be proof of God’s non-existence – or there is still a possibility of A equaling A.
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To prove that A = A, however, is still pretty hard. It’s an axiom, like 0=0, or 1=1. To prove that God = A, requires that Not A also be proven false. So, on the other side, we’re also stuck.

But, we’ve proven that it’s impossible to “prove” God’s existence, or non-existence – and, we HAVE proven the existence of absolutes. So, it’s now possible to use absolutes in our argument,s henceforth. A, forever after, CANNOT also be NOT A – thus, unless you invalidate absolutes altogether, and thus, any scientific method, you’re stuck with absolutes as an axiom. So to accept that A cannot be NOT A did absolutely nothing but prove absolute exist. So, let’s move on.

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So, here’s the next question – if a statement is unprovable – how can it be absolute?

The answer?

It can’t.

So, the basic statement Atheism is founded upon is based upon belief, to put it bluntly – yet contains an absolute statement – which, in order to be undeniably correct, would have to prove a negative – something which has NEVER been done in the history of logical thought.

So, in order to back up that absolute statement saying there is NO god, you would have to prove a negative – but, how do you prove that the negative of something which you say does not exist, does NOT exist – without recognizing it’s existence?

On the other hand, any Religion has only the burden of evidence to bear – not the burden of proof – because all religions are based upon faith in the unprovable – not an absolute statement of fact. If you believe something, you believe IN something. You have no need to prove the non-existence of a thing – you just have to prove a thing exists. Also impossible, but not because of logical impossibility – but factual impossibilty. Noone, but the God believed in, can know ALL the facts – so, it’s unprovable. There is evidence, of course – which an Atheist can never have – there CAN be no evidence of the NON existence of something – because there would be nothing to see, if the thing which does not exist – doesn’t exist.

Existence is either believed, or disbelieved – but it is never known, with complete certainly.

Christians are commanded to be “salt” – but what does that really mean?

Matthew 5:13

Quote:

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

We are to have influence in the wold around us – when people look at us, and at what we do, we are to be obviously different – not necessarily fanatical, (though some may consider us so – I have NO shame whatsoever in being called a “fanatic” for Jesus) or “in your face” about what we consider “improper”. But, in our own lives and actions – in what we stand up to, stand up for, and endorse – what we DO – we are to be obvious, holy and sincere examples of the principles taught by Jesus, His disciples, and every word contained in the Bible. We can’t pick and choose which ones we consider right, or wrong – we can only consider contexts and underlying meaning, concerning some parts in the Old and New Testament – and then, the underlying principles still must be followed, even if we’re no longer required to follow the “letter” of the law – we still must follow the “meaning” of the law. Always.

Salt is many things, but let’s look at a few things that salt has always been, historically, and in the Bible.

In the Bible:

1. A symbol of a binding covenant (Lev. 2:13)

2. A healing and cleansing aid (2 Ki. 2:20-21)

3. A stimulant to the appetite (Job 6:6)

4. A preventive of decay (Luke 14:34-35)

5. A promoter of peace (Mark 9:50)

6. A stimulant to our testimony (Mt. 5:13)

7. An evidence of grace (Col. 4:6)

In a Christian:

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Our Preserving Ability

Salt wards off rot and decay! It is rubbed into meat in an effort to preserve it.

Sodom and Gomorrah – Gen. 18:16-33. They could have been saved by the preserving influence of just 10 righteous men. So it is in America today. I am convinced that the presence and the prayers of “salty” Christians has done more to preserve this nation than anything else we could name. It is the righteousness of God’s children that made America great and it is what keeps this country from being judged today, Pro. 14:34.

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Our Penetrating Ability

Salt will penetrate and infiltrate whatever it touches. It is an aggressive substance. It dissolves easily in liquid, permeates solids.

Look at the early church! Acts 8:1 – They so upset the world, then, that the “establishment” was after their lives – that’s not “living quietly”, to me.

Acts 8:4 – After being scattered to the four winds – they still went about the very thing that caused them to be persecuted. What does that tell you, Christian reader? Hrmm?

Acts 17:6 – We’re meant to be ACTIVE. “These men who have upset the world”, it says – do you “upset the world” by attempting to be mild, non-controversial, and try your hardest to “keep from offending” people? I don’t think so. If I’m “upsetting the world”, I’m on the right track, ladies and gents.

The church should be a militant army charging the very gates of Hell. No, not militant, as in army, as in camo-wearing gun-toting militia – but we should be activists – not for some PAC – but FOR our GOD and what HE calls right, and AGAINST what He calls wrong! That’s our JOB, people.

Matt. 16:18. – Even if you reject the “militant” image – you can’t deny that we are commanded, by the previous verse, to DEFEND your Lord, when He, or His principles are attacked. There IS no option.

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Our Purifying Ability

Salt has remarkable cleansing ability.

2 Kings 2:19-22 – Elisha cleansed the waters at Jericho with salt.

In ancient times, newborn babies were washed in salt to cleanse their bodies and to give firmness to their skin, Eze. 16:4.

Salt in a wound can cleanse the area. Often, Christians have a purifying effect on the world around them. They ought to behave differently when the child of God walks up. Don’t be offended if they stop talking when you come around. Just thank God that you are acting as a purifying force in the world around you.

Every meat offering was to be made with salt – Lev. 2:13. So it is with our lives.

We are to offer our lives as an offering to the Lord, Rom. 12:1-2.

In that passage, we are told to be non-conformists. Did you catch that? We’re SUPPOSED to be different. SUPPOSED to be set apart (which is what the world “holy” means….), SUPPOSED to be clearly demarcated from the world around us.

When we are, it proves that we are worth our salt…

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Our Pleasing Ability

Bringing out the best.

Salt blends and adds flavor to food. In fact, there are some foods that are better off not eaten, if there is no salt.

So too, the Christian should flavor the world around him. As salt, we are to so live our lives that we bring out the best in those around us. That is what Jesus did time and again, and that what you and I are supposed to be doing for His glory! Phil. 1:27

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Our Poisoning Ability

Salt kills some things! Ever poured salt on a slug? Slugs and salt do not mix! Salt poured on a lawn will kill the grass. Too much salt is not good for your blood pressure.

Abimelech, in Judges 9:45, took a city and the sowed the city with salt to prevent the ground from being used to grow crops. He killed the fields with salt.

By the same token, when true Christianity is sowed into the lives, homes and communities of the world, some things will be put to death. We can make an impact on our world by the very fact that Christianity is pure poison to sin. When Jesus comes into a life, drinking, cussing, fighting, hating, killing, drugging, loose living, etcetera, are all put to death in the name of Jesus – 2 Cor. 5:17.

See, people SHOULD call us killjoys – if the “joy” in question is something God specifically calls SIN. Sure, Christians sin, too – if any Christian says he or she is perfect – they need a reality check. But, we are called – to call a spade a spade. we are called to recognize sin, and call it what it is. We are not to be deceived by “alternate” lifestyles, or “white” lies, or recognize “relative” morality – there is only ONE truth, there is only ONE way, and there is only ONE life – and all of those come directly from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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Our Promoting Ability

Salt creates a thirst for water in those who are exposed to it…

As salt, the Christian has the wonderful opportunity to promote a thirst for Jesus in the world. Remember what the Lord told us? He said that out of our innermost being would flow rivers of living water – John 7:37-38.

When we live as Christians should live. When we take the call of Jesus seriously and live right, look right, act right, talk right, worship right, dress right, etc. Then we have the ability to create a thirst for Jesus in the hearts of those around us. When that happens, we can point men to Jesus and share with them the water of life. Sadly, most Christians do not promote thirst, but ridicule instead. Too often, we live substandard immoral lives and the world sees it and says, “Why should I receive Jesus? I live just as good as that crowd down at the church!” Fact is, they are often right! Let’s so live that we ever prove them wrong. Our lives must be above reproach if we are to create a thirst for God in the world around us!

We must never give anyone cause to say, “If that is a Christian, then I never want to be one.” Instead, our lives ought to motivate people to say, “That is what I want my life to be.”

Brendan Manning has this to say:
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable“

Is that you? Is that me? If so, we need to turn things around, and do it quickly.

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Our Proven Ability

Salt changes nearly everything it touches – food, water, etc. We are called to be thermostats and not thermometers in the world around us. We are to be the instruments that God can use to implement change in a wicked world. When genuine, New Testament Christianity touches this sinful, wicked world, there will be change of some variety. We just need to be sure that we are changing the world and not the other way around!

The modern mentality, “We have to be like the world to win the world.” We’ll win more if we are like Jesus!

BE NOT CONFORMED!

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In Practice

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Dangers to Avoid

Salt was a very valuable in the ancient world. So valuable, in fact, that the Roman Legions were often paid their wages in salt. This payment was called the “salarium.”

This where the expression, “Not worth his salt.” comes from.

It was possible for salt in that day to lose its flavor. The salt used then was far different from that which we see today. Our salt is a chemical compound called chloride of sodium or sodium chloride. The salt used in the ancient world was either mined from the salt cliffs along the Dead Sea, which were 7 miles long and several hundred feet high, or it was evaporated from the waters of the Dead Sea. Either way, it was always mixed with mineral or vegetable matter. When this substance was exposed to the elements or when it touched the earth, the salt lost its salty taste. Even the surface salt that was dug from the cliffs was discarded because exposure to he light rendered it tasteless. This tasteless salt also lost all the qualities that made it so valuable and sought after to begin with.

It is possible for Christians to loose their saltiness as well. This happens to us when we, just like salt in ancient times, come into too close contact with the world. When get to be more like the world than we are like the Lord, then we have lost that thing that sets us apart and makes us valuable to the Lord’s Kingdom work.

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A Destiny to Abhor

In ancient times, when salt lost its savor, it was then taken out and cast into the footpaths. It was used much as gravel is in our day. Its only purpose then was to kill out the weeds that might grow in the road, and for me to walk on to keep their sandals out of the mud. Literally, it was to be trodden under the foot of men.

Every Christian reading this needs to understand that when we lose our saltiness and when we cease to function as salt in the world, then we too have become good for nothing, and while we cannot lose our salvation, we can most certainly lose our usefulness to the Lord and to His work. When this happens, we have become something to be trodden upon and treated with contempt! When we are living for the Lord, men may not like us, but there is often a certain respect for the stand we take and for the testimony that we possess. When we allow our testimony to become tainted by sin and the world, then men will walk upon our testimony and we become absolutely useless to the Lord as a vessel of witness.

I do not know about you, but I do not want to wind up being cast out as a vessel by the Lord. I would like for my life to be useful to Him. I would like for Him to be able to use my life to bring others to Himself. I really would like to be a blessing and a light for the Lord. I believe that every child of God reading this wants to be a salty Christian for the glory of God.

Paul knew that the potential always existed for him to be a castaway – 1 Cor. 9:27.

I see that potential in my life as well, and I do not want that. How about you?

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In Conclusion

Chistians are NOT called to be “quiet” – when SIN is the issue. Christians are NOT called to be so unnoticed that noone around them could EVER tell they were Christians. If everyone you come in contact with DOESNT know what you believe – you’re doing something wrong, folks. It should be obvious – it shouldn’t be something ANYONE has to guess at – it should be as plain as the nose on your face.

I was almost inconsolable, recently, when I realized the amount of damage I was doing to any attempt on my own part to advance the cause of the gospel – when I was in sin myself, and not renouncing it. My “mission” recently, so to speak, has been to make absolutely no bones, whatsoever, as to what I believe. Especially on the internet. I spend the bulk of my free time on the ‘net, and it’s simply ludicrous for me NOT to be an “ambassador” for Him – while I do “my thing” online. Oh, it takes a LOT more time – but I’ve been amazingly changed by the experience. Not only do I feel exonentially more fulfillment, in everything I do – as long as i do it for the glory of God, I don’t feel “guilty” about the time i spend on the net, anymore – because I have no compunctions about dropping whatever i’m doing and defending my faith – not aymore.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel – for it is the power of God, to salvation, for anyone who believes”

Don’t be ashamed, and PRAY that noone has to guess who you are. If it’s not obvious – are you “in the world”, or “in Christ”?

Quite possibly one of the most important questions you’ll ever ask yourself.

I used to HATE it when this didn’t go my way. It’d get me down, depressed, and oh, so pissed off.

Praise the Lord, I’m no longer bound to the emotional savagery that
washes over you when it seems everything in life is conspiring to drown
you, and crush you.

See, I live by a different paradigm, now. My goal is NOT to advance
myself, and to make sure I’m #1 on everyone’s list. It’s to advance the
cause of Christ! So, like my friends from Skillet,

 Quote:

I’m a beep, I’m a vapor
I’m just a blinking light
I’m a beep, I’m a vapor
And I’m about to evaporate

And the future’s robbing my soul
I’m face to face with my futility
And my life is slipping away
Inhaling my mortality

And I feel my skin’s just a shell
Underneath is my reality
I breathe dimensions unknown
It conquers my mortality

It’s a mad world will it ever stop?
Will the madness end?
While my body decays my soul does not
Death is just the beginning

And the future is robbing my soul
Inhaling my mortality

‘Vanity of vanities – all is vanity”, says the preacher
– and I’m inclined to agree with him. Everything I’ve ever set my heart
on, save God, has been systematically dismantled, bit by bit. I know
why, too – I still claim ownership over my own life, in many respects,
and count my worthiness in other’s esteem, much too often.

God’s solution, as usual, is to pare my life down to it’s essence – He asks me, like Peter:

 Quote:

15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him,
“Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love
Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to
him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son
of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the
third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all
things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

– John 21:15-19

That’s all that matters, folks.

Not job, not significant other, not children, not hobbies, not skill, not esteem – just read this.

 Quote:

23 And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will
be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The
disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said
to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 “It
is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were even more astonished and
said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Looking at them, Jesus said,
“With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are
possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left
everything and followed You.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there
is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father
or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, 30 but
that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age,
houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms,
along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 “But
many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”

Yeah, I’m some religious nut. You betcha, kids. I stand on the promises
of God. I don’t need man’s affirmation, I need God’s. “Whom God loves,
He chastens”, though, is also something that comes to mind for a
Believer. God destroys you, in order to build you up. Doesn’t sound
like fun?
Oh, it isn’t. You Jesus was kidding, above, when He says “Children, how
hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God”? Heck no. I wouldn’t trade it
for anything in the world, though.

Cause despite the “refining” I’m going through right now – like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – I’m FIREPROOF

Job 13:15 – “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

​​​​As much as I love obscure references, and favor subtlety over most
things – a quote from Pontius Pilate, though thought provoking, just
didn’t cut it anymore.

 Quote:

“What is Truth”?

As little as I put the gloves on, and prefer the gloves off, I figured I may as well skip pretenses.

I write from a Christian perspective. I write from the perspective of a
child of God. Not a perfect one – “For there is none righteous, no, not
one” – but one who DOES strive to become more and more like Him. I
write to point out error, to contradict untruths, to defend my faith,
and my Lord.

Does that make me untolerant? You betcha. Call me intolerant – cause
I’ll agree. I cannot tolerate what God cannot tolerate.

 Quote:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Now, I’ll qualify the preceding statement – “toleration” is limited to actions,
not people. If you say you cannot “tolerate’ someONE, you’re actually
wrong. You either tolerate, or do not tolerate, their actions. The
person is necessarily excluded, because the person is something
entirely different.

 Quote:

tol·er·ate
1. To allow without prohibiting or opposing; permit.
2. To recognize and respect (the rights, beliefs, or practices of others).

I cannot, and will not allow ideals, practices, or actions contrary to
those in the Bible to pass without opposition anywhere I frequent.
Obviously, I can’t tell people “don’t curse” in a sandbox-type arena,
and I can’t tell people not to do something that is “allowed” somewhere
– but I can oppose it by either advancing the opposite ideal, or
advancing an alternative course that does not involve something
directly contrary to the beliefs I’m required to defend and be a
proponent of. I can also make it my personal mission to make it
absolutely obvious that I’m a Christian, and that my actions will
reflect it, regardless of the arena. That’s our role, as Christians, is
to be salt (re: my recent entry)
and light, in a world becoming darker and darker. We’re the ones who
put a light upon practices, actions, and ideas that should be
illuminated for the darkness they are.

“Here I stand, I can do no other”, said Martin Luther – well, I agree
with him. A Christian without Christian principles, without the
willingness to stand up and say “that’s wrong” is no Christian at all,
but merely an imitation of an imitation.

A Christian willing to compromise the precepts laid out in the Bible to
keep from “making waves”, or to be “tolerant”, or to avoid persecution
is worse than useless. He’s the salt that lost it’s saltiness, and was
used to pave roads with – to be walked over.

A Christian who compromises his OWN moral code, and does what he knows
is wrong is a full-armed slap in God’s face. I’ve been there, and so
has every single Christian, at one point, or another. The question is,
then:

 Quote:

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

I’ll answer the same as Paul did, to his own question:

 Quote:

May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

We all screw up, we all slip, we all fall, and we all come up battered and bruised, afterwards. But, do we falter in our Pilgrim’s Progress, or do we dust ourselves off, tend to our wounds (which almost always are self-inflicted), and continue on?

There’s only one choice. We are here for one purpose, and one purpose
alone – to give glory to God. We can only do that if we “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
We can’t do that by “letting things lie” – we’re called to be set
apart, or, holy . This means that in all things, with every person we
come in contact with, our difference should be plainly, and absolutely
evident. “We are His workmanship, created for good works in Christ”.
Now, that doesn’t mean all of us are called to “shout it from the
housetops” – but some of us are. I’m relatively sure I happen to be one
of them.

So don’t get upset if I seem a bit overt with other people, fellow
believers. Instead, rejoice that His word is going out. If you think
I’m going about things the wrong way – take me aside, privately, and
show me, according to God’s word, that I’m wrong. I don’t mind being
told i’m wrong. But, keep in mind the following, before you do.

 Quote:

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. – 2 Ii. 4:2

Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
Titus. 2:15

Dearly loved friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about
the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about
something else, urging you to defend the truth of the Good News. God
gave this unchanging truth once for all time to his holy people. I say
this because some godless people have wormed their way in among you,
saying that God’s forgiveness allows us to live immoral lives. The fate
of such people was determined long ago, for they have turned against
our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. – Jude 1:3-4

Now, don’t get me wrong – it’s not our place to trash people, or put
them down, or tell them how terrible they are. it’s our place to
simultaneously condemn sin as what it is, and to both be proponents of our Lord, and defenders of His precepts.

Some have the gift for this, some do not. It’s the
responsibility of all, but some do it by service, some by witness
(living a godly life), some by teaching, some by encouragement, and
others by preaching and apologetics (root word apologia – make a defense).

But anyway, that’s just my “mission statement’ for you.

Yeah, this is a different “me” than some of you have seen before. Well,
that’s something I’m upset about. And something I intend to change,
with Gods help.

If you’re a Christian, I’m your brother, and hopefully I’m an
encouragement, or a goad toward a closer relationship with Him, at very
least.

If you’re not a Christian – I hope what I say gets under your skin, and
I hope the recognition that absolute TRUTH exists, is more than an
existential concept, brings you closer to the knowledge of the God I
serve.

Joshua is my namesake. So I’ll leave you with this.

 Quote:

“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for
yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your
fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites
in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15

Those “gods” could be self, pleasure, money, a literal “other god”,
paganism, mysticism, atheism (you DO know that’s a religion too,
right?), humanism, or a host of others. I’ll stand against them all,
and be the “voice crying in the wilderness”.

Some of you still have no idea what I’m talking about

Hence, the “motto” change. Some of you will never have a clue in the
world where I’m coming from, until the day you die. I’ll just be
another “right wing nutjob jesus freak”.

I hope there’s not many, because I’ll tell you, that’s not a good place
to end up. It’s hot – and I’m from Arizona – I can tell you about hot.

Some of you will be angry at me – and frequently. Some people do NOT like to hear truth. When it’s absolute truth.

That’s fine. I can take the heat. Just remember – it’s not about YOU – it’s about what you DO.br>

I love children. If they weren’t taught to behave, well, they get on my nerves, but I still love them.

I have two beautiful daughters. You’ve likely heard all about my
youngest, Gabrielle, by now. She’s adorable. Sweet disposition, smiles
for everyone.

I think I’ve mentioned my oldest, Kaylie Jordan, once. I lived for that
child. When I was still married, my wife told me once that she wondered
if I loved my daughter more than I did her. Well, now that I think
about it… I do, and did. She is… was… such a joy. The problem is,
I haven’t seen my little girl since November of 2001. I talked to her
for roughly 9 months afterwards, and didn’t hear from her mother at all
till early in 2003. I got to talk to her for about 5 minutes, and that
was the last time I heard from her. I miss her more than I can say. I
have pictures, but… I can’t look at them today. So I’m not going to
post them. Hopes has seen a couple of them.

I… as much as I love Gabby – which i truly think is just as much as I
love Kaylie, I couldn’t help it, as soon as I woke up this morning,
just hugging Gabby to my chest and whispering, with tears running down
my face, that i wish she could see her big sister. I won’t say she’s in
my mind constantly. I’d be lying. In a lot of ways, I try *not* to
think of her too much – because it HURTS. It’s been a year and a half
since I’ve talked to her, and close to 3 years since I’ve seen her, and
it’s still like an open wound.

She was.. is (I think of her in past-tense, sometimes – I think it’s a
sign of mourning… but I try to fight that tendency.) just the
sweetest little thing you’ve ever seen. Blue eyes, blond hair, in curls
down her back (even at 2 and a half). She was Daddy’s Little Girl. I
just really don’t know what to say about her, now. I can still see the
look on her face, the day I had to leave for Mississippi. I stayed as
long as I could. I think I had a pseudo-breakdown when I got divorced,
and I was really a mess. I had left the military, I couldn’t hold a
job, cause I’d just break down in the middle of work… it was not
pretty. If you’ve ever seen a grown man cry in the middle of a
warehouse full of other men, you’ll know exactly what i mean. I was
seriously out of it. I stayed as long as i could, solely to see my
daughter, as long as possible. My wife, as bad as we’d been to each
other, knew that that girl meant the world to me. She let me have her
the whole week before I left, and oh… the look my little girl gave
me, after I’d held her tight, for about 5 minutes, it seemed… it
broke my heart. I see that little face while dreaming, every so often,
and I wake up choking off a scream.

My ex-wife took at look at my face, and she todl me that if I didn’t go
now, I’d never be able to make myself do it. I think she was right. I
had my car packed up, and I drive about 25 miles, tears streaming,
until I finally couldn’t see. At a gas station, out in the middle of
nowhere – in the middle of the desert, i pulled off, sat at a filthy
picnic table, and cried – I think it was 2 hours. I’m not quite sure.
Several people asked me if i was alright – I told them “no” – but that
I would be, in a little while. I *think* they understood me, but I’m
not sure.

Finally, a policeman – I don’t know if someone called him, or he just
stopped by – probably the former – pulled up, and talked to me. I was
cried out, worn out, and wrung out, by this point. I looked a wreck,
and I felt it. He asked me what was wrong. I told him – “I just left
the person I love most in this entire world, in the hands of a person I
hate most”. His first question was “your ex?” I could only nod. He
talked to me for a minute or two, and told me to stay safe.

i just sat there, and smoked cigarettes, for another two hours. I’ve
never come closer to suicide than that moment. Only two things kept me
from it – a merry-go-round of images – her birth, her smiling, her
laugh, her face, while sleeping – and a little voice, almost too subtle
to notice, reminding me that I was God’s child.

Something I will NEVER forget, as long as I live. I believe that this
was the one and only time I’ve heard something directly from my Lord. I
heard it, clear as day. Remember – I’m in the middle of the Arizona
desert. I grew up there.

 Quote:

A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His
holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the
prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

I heard that, clear as bell, in my head. I don’t think i’d heard that verse in years. I’d never connected it with me.

 Quote:

A Father for the fatherless

God, I just want you to know, tonight, that I remember your promise.
I’m crying right now, writing this, and i can barely see the keys. but
Happy Father’s day. Please, watch over her for me. She was, and is,
yours, to begin with – but you know how much i love her. Just keep an
eye on her. Most importantly, bring her to know You. I don’t know how
I’d stand not seeing her when i see You. Please grant my prayer. be a
father to the fatherless.

From “A Ship of Fools”, by Richard Paul Russo (Phillip K. Dick Award Winner)

 Quote:

“There was no one thing that raised doubts within me, no one tragedy or
horror. It was an accumulation of small,personal tragedies and miseries
that I saw around me, directly, and indirectly, in all parts of the
ship, in stories people told me, in the Church’s historical records as
well as my own observations of daily life. There were so many people,
good people with deep and abiding faith, who nonetheless suffered
terribly in their lives – physically, emotionally, or both. People
whose prayers never seemed to be answered.
“The most distressing,
and troubling, were the children. Young, innocent children, who could
not have sinned, could not even know what sin was, and yet who lived
protracted, agony filled lives, or died horrible, painful deaths. There
weren’t many, but I couldn’t understand it for even one. Why did these things happen?” She slowly shook her head. ” I had no answers. None.
“I could not reconcile these things with my earlier conception of a
benevolent, all-powerful God who listened to our prayers and who
interceded in our lives. The priests would tell me that the suffering
was a test, or a lesson for us to learn from. Or, alternatively, that
God’s ways were just too mysterious for us to ever understand, that
applying any kind of logic or looking for rational reasons for why
things happened was useless”

She turned, and looked directly at me. “I could not accept any of these
answers. I still can’t. So I began to seriously doubt God’s existence.
Or, I told myself, if God did exist, if he was omniscient and omnipotent, could intercede in our lives and ease or end our suffering, but chose not to, or in fact chose to make us suffer… then I wanted nothing to do with such a God.”
“Father Bernard recognized my growing doubts, even though I had not
overtly expressed to him. Actually, they were more than just doubts. I
was ready to quit my studies and abandon my plans. He encouraged me to
take some time for myself – away from the Church, away from my studies,
away from my family and friends. He encouraged me to meditate on my
doubts, upon my faith. Like Jesus, I went into the desert.”
“I spent ten days there, ten days in the desert. I packed food and
water for two weeks, a sleeping pad, and nothing else. Not even a
Bible. After ten days, I had what I can only describe as a revelation.
An unconventional revelation, some might even call it heretical, for it
differs from the standard Church doctrines. Some people might put it
off to a fevered mind addled by heat and thirst and semistarvation,
hallucinations caused by days of isolation. But it was all so crystal
clear to me, everything finally falling into place, and it all made
sense to me at last. It felt right, it felt true.
Most importantly, the understanding, the feeling of rightness, stayed
with me long after I’d left the wasteland and returned to my quarters.
It remains with me to this day.”

I had to fight the urge to question her, to encourage her to speak.
“Free will,” she eventually said. “That’s what I finally understood. True free will. When God created human beings, he bestowed on them the greatest gift besides His love. Out of His love. Two gifts, really, but so interconnected, they’re like one. First, the capacity to do anything, good or evil, wise or unwise, loving or hateful. Second, true free will to act upon that capacity.”
“Those are God-like qualities. Not in power, but in choice. If he had
created us in such a way that we could only do good, if we were
incapable of acting badly, selfishly, causing pain or harm, then the
notion of free will would be meaningless, would it not? Not only that,
true free will precludes God’s intervention in our lives. (Note: I disagree with this, to an extent, but I’ll say more about that later.)

There is no free will if God intercedes to protect us or save us from
the consequences of our own, or other people’s actions and choices. We
have to face those consequences ourselves. That is the price we pay for
free will.”

Great passage. There’s a bit more, and I disagree very slightly with
one point he makes, but man, that was powerful to read. There’s another
bit I’ll post soon, but I need to go, or I’ll be late for Church if I
don’t go.

Great stuff at the Bible study tonight.

The topic we’ve moved to is “Wisdom”, and Solomon’s application of it – or lack thereof.

Tonight: “The Foundation of Wisdom”

Job 28:12-28

 Quote:

12 “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

Where are we to look for wisdom, says Job. If you know who Job is,
you’re halfway there. Job was perhaps the first book of the Bible
written. It chronicles the story of the most righteous man of his time.
A man who God bragged about to Satan.
Now, knowing God’s standards of Holiness, and perfection… he was
likely very close to the mark, by faith and deeds. Satan told God he
could break him. He failed. Job lost everything he had, but He kept his
faith in God. God rewarded him richly for it, once the story ends, and
Satan is defeated. Job, his friends, and everyone to follow learned a
lot of lessons from his experience. The following is part of it. What
is history for, other than to learn from?

 Quote:

13 ” Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the
living. 14 “The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘It is
not with me.’ 15 ” Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, Nor
can silver be weighed as its price. 16 “It cannot be valued in the gold
of Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire. 17 ” Gold or glass cannot
equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold. 18 “Coral
and crystal are not to be mentioned; And the acquisition of wisdom is
above {that of} pearls. 19 “The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor
can it be valued in pure gold.

Here’s everywhere it is not. Here is everything that it cannot be
exchanged for. It’s not valuable in the sense that most people
interpret as “valuable”. Wisdom is valuable in another way.

 Quote:

20 ” Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of
understanding? 21 “Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living And
concealed from the birds of the sky. 22 ” Abaddon and Death say, ‘With
our ears we have heard a report of it.’

It’s nowhere we’d go of our own accord, he’s saying. It’s hidden, and
cannot be found. Frustrating, you might say. But read on.

 Quote:

23 ” God understands its way, And He knows its place. 24 “For He looks
to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens. 25
“When He imparted weight to the wind And meted out the waters by
measure, 26 When He set a limit for the rain And a course for the
thunderbolt, 27 Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and
also searched it out.

So, wisdom is from, and is held by, God Himself. So what do we need to do to be wise?

 Quote:

28 “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’ “

Pretty straightforward. Sort of. Fear is not meant as “abject terror”.
Your father loves you, right? Think bad to your childhood. What did he
do when you screwed up? He punished you. Were you literally afraid of
your father, simply because he could punish you if you did something
wrong? Or did you have a considerable, healthy respect for him? Did you
still love him, even though you “feared” him? Would you respect him if
he let you get away with anything you wanted, and never punished you
for doing wrong? If you would… you shouldn’t. God punishes those who
belong to Him, because He loves us. He wants to let us know that we
can’t run roughshod over His Holiness. He has rules, boundaries, and obviously, being all-knowing, He knows what’s best for us.

Wisdom is practical application of knowledge – not theoretical concepts.

Wisdom is common sense – to an uncommon degree.

Wisom is doing the right thing – even in a situation you’ve never
encountered before. You know what is right, and what is wrong. You do
what is right.

A God as awesome as ours, and as Holy, should be feared. He’s not the “god” of the flower children – only
peace, joy, love and happiness… He is a Holy God, a powerful God, a
Just God, and a God who cannot stand sin. Period. In His mercy, He
witholds instant judgement of our sin – He allows us a chance to take
the way out He provided. Thopse of us who have taken that way out – we
aren’t exempt from fear. In fact, we frequently have altogether too
cavalier a view of God. God is Awesome. Our God is the same God who
created us, the universe(s?), parted the Red Sea, appeared as a pillar
of fire, and caused Israel to ask Moses to beseech Him not to appear to
them anymore – they were afraid they’d die if they saw Him again. He
was that awesome.

That’s the God we say “I don’t need you” to? All I can say is… God is holy, as well as merciful. If you don’t request His grace and live by His principles with His help,
and not on your own steam, you’ll face that holiness, justice, and
wrath, one day. f you’ve ever lied, you’re a liar. So am I. If you’ve
ever held anything at all as more important than God – you’re an
idolater. So am I. If you’ve ever considered anything but the God of
the Bible (or been mistaken as to the attributes of the god you’ve
considered “God”)as your “god”. or “deity” (including yourself) –
you’ve had a god before Him. Guilty myself. If you’ve used God’s name
for anything but addressing God? You’re a blasphemer. Me too. Set apart
every seventh day to God, and dedicated it to Him, and Him alone? No?
You broke the Sabbath. Me too. Honored your father and mother, every
single time? Even as a teenager? No? Another one down. Guilty myself.
Murdered anyone? No? Jesus had an interesting thought about that. Ever
hated anyone? Thought about killing someone? Told someone you hated
them, in anger? Murderer. I’m guilty then, too. Ever stolen anything? A
pen? A paper clip? Thief. I’m guilty. Ever lied? You’re a liar. So am
I. Ever wished you had something someone else had? Been discontent with
your current situation enough to wish what he had was yours? You’re
covetous. I have been too.

So, that all being said… we’re all lawbreakers. That law is what we’d
have to keep, our entire lives, without a single, solitary, slip, for
our whole lifespan – to measure up to God’s standards, and be
considered “good enough” to be in His presence. When you die, there are
only two places you can end up. Heaven (with God, and everyone else who
“measured up”), or Hell (apart from God, and subjected to punishment,
forever). Pretty stark? Yeah, it is. The Old Testament had a way out of
man’s predicament, though. Sacrifice. Slaughter an animal, put it on a
big altar, and burn it up. That animal’s life is symbolically given for
yours, and your sins were considered forgiven. Until God came up with a
“more excellent way”. He came down Himself, lived a perfect life as a
man, died, in our place, taking all of the sins – past, present, and
future, in Himself, and thus paid the panalty for everyone who believes, in a leap of faith that it’s true, and follows Him, sacrificing worship of self for eternal life.

That’s the message. As condensed as I can get it.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If you know what right
and wrong is – and I’ve just listed what “right” is – and don’t do it – that’s sin.

Once you know what sin is, here’s the question: Is there a penalty for
sinning? Yes. Death. So… how do you escape that death penalty? Not
just physical death – dying, forever. A long, long, time. How do you
escape that? You do one thing.

You say “Thank you”.

To the one who created you, loved you, and wants you to be saved from His judgement, by His mercy.

Believe that Jesus exists. Believe that He did what He said – “gave His
life as a ransom for many”. Believe that you cannot ever, ever be good
enough to meet God’s standards. BUT – you accept the gift He gives.
Life! Jesus was real. He was on earth for one purpose. To save us from
ourselves.

He told us this: “I am the way, the truth, and the life – noone come to the Father but through me.”

Will you? I don’t want to see you face God’s Justice, without His mercy
to counterbalance it. The mercy will not be in evidence, should you
reject God’s gift to us. All you’ll meet is his Justice. He already
gave us the rules. And a way to “qualify”, though through nothing we do
ourselves.

Here’s that tagline you were waiting for. Yeah, I’m done typing.

The only things separating God from Man are the sins of man and the
Justice of God. Mercy can only be given by God if man’s free will is
exercised to accept it, and choose God over self.

I hope you’ve chosen God over self. If not, life is very short. Is that
short time of self-gratification worth an eternity of paying for it? I
don’t think so.

Studies would suggest it

It’s a long article, but very, very informative. I love that site. I
really don’t get people who say that gay marriage is good for anything
but the dilution and destruction of an institution already under severe
strain due to the “free love” echoes still reverberating through our
society. Don’t they read their history? Heck, I read as much history as
I do science fiction – and I read a LOT of science fiction. Do people
not LEARN their history anymore? Or are they too lazy to connect the
dots and see parallels with the historical decline of other societies?

The Clincher

I found these quotes fascinating.

 Quote:

It appears to me that our culture labors in an advanced state of decadence; that what many people mistake for the triumph of our civilization actually consists of powers that are disintegrating our culture; that the vaunted ‘democratic freedom’ of liberal society in reality is servitude to appetites and illusions which attack religious belief; which destroy community through excessive centralization and urbanization; which efface life-giving tradition and custom.

-Russell Kirk

 Quote:

As I have looked back across the ruins and landmarks of antiquity, I have been stunned by the parallels between those societies and our own. For most of us the destruction of Carthage, the rise of the Greek city-states, and the Fall of Rome are mere ghosts of the past, history lessons long forgotten. And such things as the capture of Constantinople, the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the collapse of the kingdoms of France and Spain, and the slow withering decline of the British Empire are much less clear and less memorable. Most of us do not remember much from our history lessons about the French Enlightenment or, for that matter, the issues that led to the American Revolution. But this is the legitimate background of our own place in history, it is vital that we reconsider the nature of life in those earlier times. For within those eras and movements are the seeds of the troubles we face today.

– Jim Nelson Black

I still don’t believe why the left wing considers their viewpoint the
“intellectual high ground”. Even from a purely historical standpoint –
are they so arrogant that they absolutely refuse to admit that the same
thing can happen to us? Are they so ignorant that they don’t know their
history at all? Or are they so self-centered that they don’t care what happens to our country, as long as they keep their “pet projects” going?

It’s simply baffling. Where do they get off totally rebuilding the
society that’s made us the unchallenged, dominant force on the world
scene, seemingly on a whim?

Don’t they remember Rome? Don’t they READ anymore?

The TV is not just to stare mindlessly at. Don’t use it to vegetate in
front of a sitcom, or a ballgame – or even to watch the spoonfed drivel
they call “news”. Use it to LEARN. Or better yet – use your brain, and
READ. You know, the thing they did before they had the boob tube.

*sigh*

But who am I kidding. People get annoyed on the internet if posts go over 100 words. bleh. Frickin’ read.

An oldie – but a goodie.
——————————-
I heard a great, great message today, on the way to church. It was from a man by the name of Ravi Zacharias. I really love how thought provoking his teaching is.

Here’s what he mentioned.

 Quote:

“Every baby starts life as a little savage. He is completely selfish
and self-centered. He wants what he wants when he wants it–his bottle,
his mother’s attention, his playmate’s toy, his uncle’s watch. Deny
these things and he seethes with rage and aggressiveness, which would
be murderous were he not so helpless . . . He has no morals, no
knowledge, no skills. This means that all children, not just certain
children, are born delinquent. If permitted to continue in the
self-centered world of his infancy, given free reign to his impulsive
actions, to satisfy his wants, every child would grow up a criminal, a
thief, a killer, a rapist.” (Minnesota Crime Commission, cited in You
And Your Child, Charles Swindoll [Nelson Publishers, 1977], pp. 33,34)

“We’ve somehow come to believe, that if only we educate them,
somehow they will be all right. Send them to college, they will be all
right. I think D.L. Moody said it well. ‘If you come across a boy who’s
stealing nuts and bolts from a railway track, and you want to change
him, and send him to college, at the end of his education he’ll steal
the WHOLE railway track. All we do is make ourselves more sophisticated in our duplicity.”

“If we present man with a concept of man which is not true, we may well
corrupt him. When we present him as an automaton of reflexes, as a mind
machine, as a bundle of instincts, as a pawn of drive and reactions, as
a mere product of heredity and environment, we feed the nihilism to
which modern man is, in any case, prone. I became acquainted with the
last stage of corruption in my second concentration camp, Auschwitz.
The gas chambers of Auschwitz were the ultimate consequence of the
theory that man is nothing but the product of heredity and environment
– or, as the Nazis liked to say, “of blood and soil.” I
am absolutely convinced that the gas chambers of Auschwitz, Treblinka,
and Maidanek were ultimately prepared not in some ministry or other in
Berlin, but rather at the desks and in lecture halls of nihilistic
scientists and philosophers.”

– Viktor Frankl

If our educational system needs to read anything today, as they take
out the Ten Commandments – if they put up what Viktor Frankl wrote, as
they walk into those halls, they’d have the answer to the dilemna that
is arising in our time.

Just read Hitler’s Mein Kampf – he’ll tell you where he
got it from. Hitler clearly stated in Mein Kampf – The evolutionary
fury that generated in his mind why the strongest needed to survive and
obliterate the weaker. In the name of darwinistic evolution, he
obliterated millions of people.

What it tells me, is this – if the heart is corrupt when it is born,
and if knowledge alone does not change us, what then, is needed? It is
a very simple statement, by Solomon of old – My son, cries wisdom, give
me your heart.

Isn’t that just hilarious? Right after Hitler was
mentioned on the Jossh forums, earlier, (I wonder if that was a
reference to me… I’m guessing it was. I may just be paranoid though.
If so, he really needs to learn his history. Hitler’s concentration
camps were filled with almost exclusively ethnic groups he disliked,
and the members of any religion he disliked.) I get this quote handed
to me. God is so good, isn’t He?

If you don’t know what Hitler’s concentration camps were really about,
or if you’ve never taken the time to study up on it, I suggest two
references. Schindler’s List, the amazing movie of Steven Spielberg, and a little book by a wonderful woman of God, named Corrie Ten Boom. “My Hiding Place“

But that was just on the way to church! I promised myself I’d share that, cause it was just such a powerful message.

So, on to tonight’s sermon.

Text
Pastor Bill, like I said earlier, is working through a series
concentrating on the life of Joseph. We’re at the point where Joseph
lets his brothers know who he is, and he issues them an invitation.

He basically pointed out that God issues an invitation, just like
Joseph did, to the brothers that sold him into slavery, and were now at
his mercy, the second most powerful man in the world.

1. Come closer.

Joseph was dressed as an Egyptian – to believe him, they had to see for themselves.

When Nathaniel asked Phillip “can anything good from Nazareth” – Phillip replied “Come and See”.

When the women who came to annoint Jesus’ body came to the tomb, the
angel told them “Come and see where they laid Him – he is not there”

2. Savor

Everything that tastes good has a specific flavor, a specific,
particular group of things that you instantly associate with it.

Taste and see, that the Lord is good, says the psalms.

3. Mercy vs Justice

God equally balances being loving and merciful, with being just and holy.

The Holiness of God requires that he be given what belongs to Him – the
worship, and the glory due Him as our creator, and as our savior. His
justice requires that a penalty be paid for the wrong we do in our
lives.

His Love requires that He take an active interest in the lives of His
creation. His mercy requires that His glory is shown by His opportunity
to escape His judgement by sacrificing Himself for us – our response to
such an act of mercy should be worship, and the desire and attempt to
be holy, which is what he requires, as a Just God. His Justice is
satisfied, His Holiness is acknowledged and emulated, His Love is
displayed to all, and His Mercy is shown to be faithful.

God is a balanced whole.

That’s what I learned tonight.

Had a good talk with my dad about the inherent nature of humanity,
earlier today. He said that the very quickest way to get people to show
what they believe is to bring up the topic of sin.

If you say sin exists, people immediately recognize what I’d consider
sin in their lives, which almost immediately divides people into the
camps. Those who recognize no form of morality save that an individual
person defines as their own, as “correct”, and only for them – Or those
who believe that morality can only come from an absolute definition.
From that point, the “religious” viewpoints differ, but those are the
two major camps.

It’s an interesting study in human behavior, he said, after we talked
about it a bit. It just goes to show that what defines us are our
beliefs. Our beliefs are not solidified, at least to others, until they
are publicly shared. Otherwise, we’re “just like them”. Once we show
ourselves to be different, we’re more recognizable, and the refinement
process begins. The compatible world views, from non-compatible world
views. The sorting process is almost subconscious to some people, I
think. We make “value judgements” almost instantly – once we begin to
mature, and our ideals are cemented, we begin to sort out everyone by
that filter.

If someone’s world view becomes sufficiently different from your own,
that person cannot be considered a friend. When they become close to
incompatible, that person becomes an enemy. If someone solidifes their
opposition to your world view, that hardens your resolve to defeat the
enemy, and the debate, at the initial levels, and open war, at the
extreme, begins.

That’s the admittedly broad-stroke brush I’m painting with, but it
applies well enough. When a Christian identifies openly with his faith,
those who are “conformed to this world” instantly recognize a potential
opponent, I believe.

I’m still just floored how quickly the 180 occurred. I’ve never seen
anything like it. I’m amazed by the accuracy of description the Bible
has for life’s issues more and more every day.

I’m glad I took this chance. It’s taught me a lot about life, and my
faith. I appreciate your (somewhat unknowing) assistance in
demonstrating an object lesson to me. God just used you to teach a
Christian about his faith.

Oh, just something you may want to think about. Joseph said this, later on in Genesis, and it just hit me.

Gen 50:20a
“As for you, you meant evil against me, {but} God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result”

and the New Testament verse based on it.

Rom. 8:28
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

IXOYE

So, you’re stopping by here – maybe for the first time.

You’re thinking to yourself… where is this guy coming from?

Well, this is my small attempt to answer you.

My name is Joshua Whipps. I was born on June 30th, 1978; previously divorced, and newly remarried to Bethany, who authors a blog called “A Picturesque Life“; a father of three, stepfather of two more, adopted father to yet another (let me make this simple: his, hers, ours, and theirs = 6 kids), and a Reformed Baptist. I’m the son of a NASA Engineer and a (former) church Music Director, and oldest of 6 children. I was homeschooled until age 13, went to a private Christian school until 11th grade – at which time I finished up my high school years in homeschool, once again.

Since this is also an apologetics blog, I’ll give you a bit of my theology. I hold to the same doctrines stated in the 1689 London Baptist Confession (which actually dates from 1677) – I’m Calvinist in soteriology, obviously, learning to become Presuppositional in apologetic approach, and Covenantal in theology. I attend Michael Memorial Baptist Church, in Gulfport, MS.

I’m ex-military (USAF, Avionics, Guidance and Control), but I’ve had quite a few different jobs in my “working life” thus far. Computer repair (and builds), lawn maintenance, parks & rec, electronics repair, freelance web design, garage door installation, restaurant management… lots of stuff. What I do now is install garage doors here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Why do I blog (when I do!)?

That’s easy. Writing, for me, is a compulsion. Much like reading. I read, on the average, 3,500 pages per week – not counting any reading I do online. Which, I might add, is not chump change either. I’ve been writing regularly for about 6 years now, in various formats, and it’s something I really enjoy.

What have I done around the net?

Currently, I run several websites – this one, of course, our extended family site, Whipps Family Circus, AOMinions.org and the site for my game project, Fringespace.

Well… shortly after I started “seriously” on the ‘net – ’99 or thereabouts, I started a little site called “Scifihaven”. To make this a short story, I “marketed” beginning science fiction and fantasy authors to publishers, while giving them a “showcase” for their work. It went well, for a while, but like most group projects, interest waned in several members, and it eventually folded.

I volunteered for a group called “CyberAngels”, at roughly the same time. Basically, they helped people who had issues with cyberstalking, online crime, and the like. This was back before it was a “big deal”.

I’ve run, assisted, and participated in various gaming groups – or “clans”. Most notably “New Dawn.” I ran that group for a couple years and was a member for over 4 years. I’m also a (former) member of the group “Men of God,” an evangelistic gaming ministry that does actual outreach work on gaming servers. (Online gaming is a HUGE mission field. Millions of people – and especially teenagers, play online games – with barely a wisp of Christian influence.)

I’ve written several articles about gaming, Christian apologetics & theology, and posted on my former blog, at Oblivion’s Gate for over a year. I “debate” occasionally as well – most notably at MekTek’s political/religious “debate” forums, and in the chat channels of Alpha & Omega Ministries, and the Undernet chat channel #apologetics. Out of those “debates”, I’ve begun an apologetics ministry that I call “Shade Tree Apologists”.

Dude… why that name?

RazorsKiss is a name I created for Elite Plus, when I was 8-9 years old. I’m a huge space sim fan, by the by. (Check my main website out, if you want to see how much I like gaming 😀 I’ve kept it since that time, and it’s been my consistent “online handle” since there _was_ an internet. Not for any particular reason, to begin with – but it has become a statement, in several ways. So, that’s the origin.

Symbology:

RazorsKiss conjures up images of sharp edges, dark places, a hint of “warmth” in an otherwise hard-edged, gothic atmosphere. It is two diametrically opposed objects, juxtaposed in one composite word. It is blood-red, shining, glinting light, off of a sinister object. It is a indictment of the gothic culture, by using their symbology, and turning it around from a Christian perspective. It is the sort of name that “gets you in” to the youth culture – but carries connotations that put you just a bit ill-at-ease.

Ideologically:

Razors are some of the sharpest bladed objects we’ve created. They are small, they are subtle – and they can draw blood with even the smallest cut. They can split hairs, cut hairs – and yet, create the smoothest of skin – with the sharpest of blades. The sharper the razor, the better the shave, and the smoother the result is. You need a very sharp razor, to have a very good shave.

In logic, in debates, and in apologetics, things work the same way. Your logic has to be very concise, your explanations must be clear, your mind must remain sharp, and your attention should be very focused. People tell me that I stare daggers, when I’m concentrating. I’m an incredibly focused person – when I want to be. I’m also very lazy at times – perhaps as a counter to the focused part of me. There IS some element to the “Occam’s Razor” reference that Ed mentioned. That’s one of the reasons I’ve kept it, actually.

Otherwise:

It’s a cool name, it’s very distinctive, I love black, silver, and red (favorite colors), the name is an old and virtually unused “trademark”. The only other people who use it (at the time of this writing) are a German Xanga goth – and an old German metal band. My selection far predates both. A Super Star Destroyer is named “Razor Kiss”, in a Star Wars book (Warlord Zsinj’s second) – but my name predates that as well.

So, basically… I made it up at 9 (Why? How? I have no idea. It popped into my head. I’m a huge reader – and have been since the age of 3. I read truly INSANE amounts every week – so who knows where I picked it up. ) – and I’ve kept it, because it’s “edgy” (oh… is that a theme? :D), and because it’s unique, and distinctive.

So, anyway. Yeah. I like the name.

I could probably write more…

But we’ll leave it here, for now.

Comments open: What would you like to know?

Q. “How do you read 3,500 pages per week?”

A. I speed read. Seriously. Roughly 2,000 wpm.