1. Not all angels are good; an angel might be the devil in disguise.
2. Good angels are at war with the evil ones.
3. Angels were created by Jesus and are inferior to Him.
4. Angels have tremendous power, but Jesus is more powerful.
5. Angels have limited knowledge.
6. Angels are not to be worshipped.
7. Angels will one day be judged by believers.
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Related:
7 Things You Ought to Know About the Devil
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A Miscellany of Links
Some things to pass holiday down time and gear up for the Christmas season.
= Charity:
4 SEND A PRE-PAID PHONE CARD TO A LONELY SOLDIER OVERSEAS via USO
4 Let's Say Thanks
Sending a free note to make soldiers feel appreciated.
4 Products from Not for Sale
Give Christmas presents that help people break free of slavery.
4 Aid Sudan
= Diversions:
4 Coffee Cup Art
4 Martian Landscapes
4 Nat Geographic's International Photography Contest 2009
= Serious:
4 You’re teaching my child what?
"We know now that teens’ poor decisions are likely due not to lack of information, but to lack of judgement. And there is only one thing that will bring that: time."
4 On Reading Old Books Like the Bible
"Secularists reading the Bible are too often like ethnocentric tourists visiting a foreign country. ... The Bible isn’t what they are used to reading and they read it badly."
4 A Pocket Guide to New Testament Theology
= Charity:
4 SEND A PRE-PAID PHONE CARD TO A LONELY SOLDIER OVERSEAS via USO
4 Let's Say Thanks
Sending a free note to make soldiers feel appreciated.
4 Products from Not for Sale
Give Christmas presents that help people break free of slavery.
4 Aid Sudan
= Diversions:
4 Coffee Cup Art
4 Martian Landscapes
4 Nat Geographic's International Photography Contest 2009
= Serious:
4 You’re teaching my child what?
"We know now that teens’ poor decisions are likely due not to lack of information, but to lack of judgement. And there is only one thing that will bring that: time."
4 On Reading Old Books Like the Bible
"Secularists reading the Bible are too often like ethnocentric tourists visiting a foreign country. ... The Bible isn’t what they are used to reading and they read it badly."
4 A Pocket Guide to New Testament Theology
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Smelling Coffee
Contemporary Christian music has a lot of silly fluff, but there is some good, God-centered stuff.
A favorite artist is Chris Rice. He writes songs that are ... different, musically interesting, and full of truth. One of my favorites is Smelling Coffee. Here's the bridge:
Here's the whole song with a cute, and also kinda different, video:
A favorite artist is Chris Rice. He writes songs that are ... different, musically interesting, and full of truth. One of my favorites is Smelling Coffee. Here's the bridge:
Every little breath, every heartbeatI rarely get through that without a lump forming in my throat. How much I rely on that mercy that's new every morning.
Is a gift of love that You give to me
You keep givin’ even when I’m asleep
‘Cause I know You never stop watchin’ over me
I wake up, my past is gone
‘Cause Your mercy’s new with the mornin’ sun
I’m forgiven, I’m free, it’s a brand new day
‘Cause Your faithfulness is the greatest...
Here's the whole song with a cute, and also kinda different, video:
Monday, November 16, 2009
On the Question of Torture
Would you torture a man to save him?
Little Jashon was missing after his mother's body was discovered. The suspect in his mother's murder is a multiple felon who has killed a child before.
At 17-months-old, even if unharmed, this little boy wouldn't survive long without care. As John at Verum Serum points out, this is basically the ticking time bomb from torture debates.
Any torture debate usually turns into a disjointed mess because people start talking past each other. There are three questions that must be asked, and they must be dealt with independently and thoroughly.
1) Is torture ever acceptable?
2) Is torture ever effective?
3) Is [a given act] torture?
The first question must be answered before the second is discussed because if it is never morally acceptable, it doesn't matter if it's effective.
The third question is essential because we have to decide if a procedure is torture before we try to apply the other two questions to it. For instance, if waterboarding is not torture, it's pointless to bring it into arguments about whether torture is wrong. Both questions need to be resolved separately.
In any debate — whether the topic is politics, religion, a new pet, or updating procedures at work — we need to make sure we pay attention to what the questions really are and whether they're being addressed properly. We serve our Master better with a reputation for clear thinking and honest discussion. And the debate may even prove fruitful.
As to the matter at hand, I'd love to know how you would answer the above questions, but the real, and heart-rending, question is, would you torture a man to save that little boy?
I'm afraid I probably would, but I'm pretty sure I'd be a bit sick to my stomach afterward either way.
[Oh, and they've found a body that's probably the boy's.]
Little Jashon was missing after his mother's body was discovered. The suspect in his mother's murder is a multiple felon who has killed a child before.
At 17-months-old, even if unharmed, this little boy wouldn't survive long without care. As John at Verum Serum points out, this is basically the ticking time bomb from torture debates.
Any torture debate usually turns into a disjointed mess because people start talking past each other. There are three questions that must be asked, and they must be dealt with independently and thoroughly.
1) Is torture ever acceptable?
2) Is torture ever effective?
3) Is [a given act] torture?
The first question must be answered before the second is discussed because if it is never morally acceptable, it doesn't matter if it's effective.
The third question is essential because we have to decide if a procedure is torture before we try to apply the other two questions to it. For instance, if waterboarding is not torture, it's pointless to bring it into arguments about whether torture is wrong. Both questions need to be resolved separately.
In any debate — whether the topic is politics, religion, a new pet, or updating procedures at work — we need to make sure we pay attention to what the questions really are and whether they're being addressed properly. We serve our Master better with a reputation for clear thinking and honest discussion. And the debate may even prove fruitful.
As to the matter at hand, I'd love to know how you would answer the above questions, but the real, and heart-rending, question is, would you torture a man to save that little boy?
I'm afraid I probably would, but I'm pretty sure I'd be a bit sick to my stomach afterward either way.
[Oh, and they've found a body that's probably the boy's.]
Friday, November 13, 2009
Just Eisegesis
A new(-ish) specialty Bible is about to hit the market. "The Poverty and Justice Bible is your guide to explore God’s messages and challenges regarding the poor," according to Bibles.com. "It highlights more than 2,000 verses that spell out God's attitude to poverty and justice."
And when they say "justice," they mean "social justice," by which they mean helping poor people — a good thing as long as it's properly done.
But I have my doubts about this product. The sample on their website shows a highlighted scripture on justice:
They also have a section of essays on poverty related topics including ... military spending?!
This is not the only essay reflecting such shoddy thought. I don't think I'd want to put this thing in the hands of an impressionable young person.
I'm glad these folks want to remind Christians of our duty to the poor. I'm glad they're trying to help folks understand the Bible. I just don't think they're very good at it. I don't hold out much hope for this product which is looking like the same old Christian Left eisegesis.
(HT: Tim Challies)
----------
Related:
Debt Relief and the Jubilee
Helping the Poor Biblically
Loving Neighbors 7000 Miles Away
And when they say "justice," they mean "social justice," by which they mean helping poor people — a good thing as long as it's properly done.
But I have my doubts about this product. The sample on their website shows a highlighted scripture on justice:
"The Spirit will come and show the people of this world the truth about sin and God's justice and the judgment. The Spirit will show them that they are wrong about sin, because they didn't have faith in me. They are wrong about God's justice, because I am going to the Father, and you won't see me again. And they are wrong about the judgment, because God has already judged the ruler of this world" (John 16:8-11 CEV).Is Jesus talking about poverty and "social justice" here? No, clearly not. But it's got the word "justice" in it, so they highlight it. This is hardly a representative sample (they claim the Bible has over 2000 verses on poverty), but given this and all the other scriptures I've seen these kinds of folks abuse, I fear many verses will be misrepresented as refering to charity and welfare.
They also have a section of essays on poverty related topics including ... military spending?!
"Since 1945, the United States has spent more than $19 trillion on defense. If you were to spend $26 million per day since the birth of Christ, you still would not have spent as much as the United States has spent on defense since the end of World War II."Um, how much more poverty and suffering would there be in the world if we'd lost the Cold War?
This is not the only essay reflecting such shoddy thought. I don't think I'd want to put this thing in the hands of an impressionable young person.
I'm glad these folks want to remind Christians of our duty to the poor. I'm glad they're trying to help folks understand the Bible. I just don't think they're very good at it. I don't hold out much hope for this product which is looking like the same old Christian Left eisegesis.
(HT: Tim Challies)
----------
Related:
Debt Relief and the Jubilee
Helping the Poor Biblically
Loving Neighbors 7000 Miles Away
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