Tagged: God
Quick, But Essential, Note On Stopping Islam
Firstly, the best perspective to take on contemporary life is that Islam and the CooRahn need to be relegated to the “myth” section of bookstores and libraries—no different than Greek Mythology. This perspective stands in opposition to any others who would aim for something more, like “I will erase your name from history!! Muhahaha!!”
Secondly, as faithful readers know, my initial realization that something was grossly wrong with the world occurred while at an Evangelical Christian Seminary after I thought I saw something odd and subsequently discovered that the sentence, “We (Christians) need to stop doing (one nuanced type of apologetic), while simultaneously start doing everything we can think of to relegate Islam to the the myth section of bookstores and libraries,” and then observed that it DID NOT RECEIVE IMMEDIATE AND TOTAL AGREEMENT from other students and professors.
This leads to the point of this post.
Thirdly, mark today as the day that you will work with me to stop Islam by implementing the following rule: Accept any and all ideas put forward by those who likewise wish to relegate Islam and the CooRahn to the myth section of bookstores and libraries.
In other words, I do not believe this effort can succeed, this effect can occur if the typical hypercritical (and usually useful) methods of group dynamics are applied.
Here are some test questions to ask yourself which will demonstrate whether you understand this post and my “ask”.
- Should there be any limit to membership into the group who wants to relegate Islam and the CooRahn to the myth section of bookstores and libraries?
- Is it possible for someone to come up with a bad idea in the effort to relegate Islam and the CooRahn to the myth section of bookstores and libraries?
- Is it possible for someone to have a better idea than others in the effort to relegate Islam and the CooRahn to the myth section of bookstores and libraries?
- Should I be dismayed if I am the only one who sees my idea regarding how best to relegate Islam and the CooRahn to the myth section of bookstores and libraries?
- Should I be jealous that everyone is using someone else’s idea, which I cannot imagine working, to relegate Islam and the CooRahn to the myth section of bookstores and libraries?
- In the situation described by point 5, should I stop trying my idea about how to relegate Islam and the CooRahn to the myth section of bookstores and libraries?
- In the situation described by point 5, should I try to stop or work against those who are applying someone else’s idea regarding how to relegate Islam and the CooRahn to the myth section of bookstores and libraries?
(The answer to all of these is resoundingly “NO!”)
The White Church Hedge, The Black Church Codetalk
The preacher at the Black church (as a reminder, I am a member there, not completing an assignment for my degree or a tourist or a journalist) only mentioned the assassination in codetalk, “We know that everyone who mentions Jesus ain’t talking about the Jesus of the Bible.” I confirmed with a friend there that this was in reference to Kirk. In the end, the Black church thinks Kirk maybe was saved, but that didn’t prevent him from being racist and homophobic.
I called my parents and sister to see how their two pastors handled it. They both respectively said their pastors talked about the Evergreen Shooting, the MN lawmakers or Charlotte Blonde, and then Kirk. In the end, I know, like you know, that there exists some group of Kirk ultra-supporters that regular people don’t want to be associated with and this hedging and including other tragedies is done simply to not go “full retard”.
And that’s the state of preaching on this Sunday, Sep 14, 2025.
Fantasy Speech
I remember wondering if it was smart to skip seeing TDKR in Denver after the shooting in Aurora. Everyone I knew said we had to go. We went. We survived.
This time, I find myself wondering if I should go to church, and if I should take my kids to our church, a Black church, tomorrow. Why? Because obviously the crazies are out and about.
We’re going. And I would love the opportunity to speak.
So here’s what I would say if the pastor, who I don’t yet know well, pulled me aside and said, “We could use a word. I was hoping it wouldn’t be imposing to ask if you would say something.”
****
Let the church say, “Amen.”
Let the whole church say, “Amen.”
Pastor asked me to say a word. I was actually hoping he would. Here’s the truth. I almost didn’t come today. Then I decided that I would come for sure, but I almost didn’t bring my kids. Almost. What tipped the scales? The blood.
The blood.
Did you see the blood?
Seriously, I am curious. I want to know if you saw it.
The blood, did you see it?
I am a pilot. We take yearly checkrides. Mine was scheduled for that night and I needed to focus. So it was late at night before I saw the blood.
The blood, did you see it?
Seeing the blood was shocking, right? In my line of work, I often seen blood-soaked cloth. Or dried blood on a person. But blood like that? I can’t say I have seen that. Is that happening inside my body right now? If so, I don’t feel it, which is weird.
The blood, did you see it?
Is that what it takes to keep a human going? He was sitting. Is there a difference between sitting calmly and, say, running? Would there have been more pumping power if he had been running or just finished a set?
The blood, did you see it?
So despite some instincts which told me not to, I showed up today because of the blood. Do you get it?
The blood, did you see it?
Did you see the blood?
I did. And that’s why I came.
Pastor.
Attention Black Faith Leaders: We Need Black Preachers
I just read about how you’re trying to boycott Target.
In the comments, I read, “…Thank you.” As a white man, I take this to mean, “Thank you because, as you know, I would prefer to shop with Whites only anyhow.”
So let’s get this straight.
Segregation was real. And you (Black Preachers) got it to end.
Now you (Black Faith Leaders) advocate for segregation?
Seriously, you need to become Preachers again (Gospel Preachers, if you want my honest opinion). Something was lost in the generalization.
“Why Not?” (Rough Draft of a Sermon to a Black Congregation Inspired by This Morning’s Lackluster One)
The Blacks end their Sunday services with an actual, earnest invitation to follow Jesus. I have related that observation here many times. That is one of the many, many reasons why I attend their service, dragging my family in tow.
Yet, as noble and biblically sound as is the theology of Black Baptists, one thing the Blacks do not seem to understand is the “why” behind the diminishment of their congregations. I do. And yet given my irrevocable status as a white man, I am under no illusion that I will be preaching to a Black congregation anytime soon. But if I did, the below contains the flavor I’d bring.
****
(Always pause for what seems like an eternity before beginning. This is a known public speaking trick. People came to see you speak; they will be more and more silent and curious the longer you do not speak.)
“Why not?”
The gospels oftentimes connect the events of Jesus’ life with the word “immediately”.
In the original Koine Greek, the word translated means, “immediately”.
A few verses are in order.
“And immediately the little girl stood up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded.” Mark 5:42 LSB
“And immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” Matthew 4:20 LSB
“And immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.” Mark 1:42 LSB
“And immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.” Matthew 26:49 LSB
(The Blacks love when a preacher drives a point home. There is almost an emotional roller-coaster feel to this technique. Just when you think the preacher is losing the group, he’ll insist on lengthening the list and the congregation will vocalize that they are not only picking up what he is laying down, but that they don’t want him to ever stop. So I’d continue.)
“And immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.” Mark 1:28 LSB.
“Immediately the boy’s father cried out and was saying, “I do believe; help my unbelief.””Mark 9:24 LSB
“came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped.” Luke 8:44 LSB
“And immediately he rose up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.” Luke 5:25 LSB
(Now I’d have to be shouting over the whipped-up-to-a-frenzy congregants)
And in Luke Part 2, commonly known as Acts, we find,
“and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”” Acts 9:20 LSB
(Still loud, but signalling that the moment is passing, I’d belabor the word.)
Eeeee-mediately.
Immediately.
Immediately.
(Here I will share with the reader that Booker Taliaferro Washington in Up From Slavery has a chapter on public speaking and says the following. “If in an audience of a thousand people there is one person who is not in sympathy with my views, or is inclined to be doubtful, cold, or critical, I can pick him out. When I have found him I usually go straight at him, and it is great satisfaction to watch the process of his thawing out.” So here in the sermon I will search him out and pause until I find him or her. Then, looking at them, I will utter once and again…)
Immediately.
(Another long pause.)
Our problem is that we do not believe in immediately. It’s okay to admit it. We do not believe in immediately.
We are a culture with a great tradition of developing expertise. You know I am right, but to begin my defense of my claim, I offer for your consideration that a very popular book a decade ago made its claim easy to comprehend. The author said that all the best spent 10,000 hours on their particular skill or talent, before rewards came pouring in.
But we don’t need an expert who wrote a book to tell us anything.
We believe our kids should go to school for 17 years, add pre-k and it’s 18. And sometimes we encourage them to go for another 11 (“they’re called doctors”); that’s 29 years before we consider that they are ready to officially have a job.
I can tell you from experience that an Air Force pilot takes about 200 flight hours until they get their wings, but don’t be fooled, that process often takes 2 years of total time. And we don’t officially get the keys to the aircraft often for around 4 more years.
Immediately. Where is it? Not in us.
That’s why I say our problem is we do not believe in immediately.
Our problem is we do not believe immediately.
Indulge me as I give more examples.
True love…?
Waits.
Thank you. Please call them out as you are able.
A good thing takes…?
Time.
What’s the…?
Rush.
Don’t go too…?
Fast.
Tadpoles don’t turn into frogs…?
Overnight.
Only fools…?
Rush in.
Life’s not about the destination, life’s about the…?
Journey.
I don’t want to confuse anyone, but I know there are some biblical scholars here. So here’s one for ya’ll.
“Be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart…”
“Wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Back to our culture.
Good things come to those who…?
Wait.
I believe my claim stands.
We do not believe in immediately.
The reason we do not believe in immediately and the reason we follow our culture is two-fold. Firstly, we have bought—hook, line, and sinker—the man-made philosophy that the only things that exist are the material things. Worse, we raise are children under the assumption that the best teachers are those who know the most about the material world.
Secondly, we do not think when we read the Bible. And we do not read enough of the Bible. And we do not push the Bible’s claims far enough when we do read them.
Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
What are the heavens? What do you picture?
What is the earth? What do you picture?
Moreover, does anyone in this body of believers honestly think that their answers would match anyone else’s here?
All I you need to know for today is the heavens are immaterial. They cannot be calculated, measured, or weighed.
The heavens is from where the Word of God emanates. “Let there be light.” Where was God when he said that? The heavens. But where are the heavens?
We look towards the stars to see the heavens, as if the heavens lie beyond the material world. This is theologically unsound.
I need to be clear.
(The pacing of this next point is beloved by the Blacks.)
There is no telescope big enough; there could never be built a telescope large enough…
You hearing me people?
…you could fill an entire hemisphere of the planet earth with a telescope;
Anyone here understand yet?
…I am telling you, you can take half of all of the known universe and convert it into a telescope with the clearest lenses to see as far as possible and you still will not see the heavens.
(Slow way down here.)
We do not believe in immediately.
We don’t.
Why not?
Why not?
Why not?
“And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it happened, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.” Numbers 21:9 LSB
Immediately. Implied.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” John 3:14-15 LSB
Immediately. Implied.
Why not believe in the god who created the heavens and the earth? Why not believe in the most powerful, the all-powerful living god?
I know why you are hesitant. Every believer sitting next to you, in front of you, behind you, across the aisle from you, up in the choir loft, every believer here was also hesitant for the same reason. The reason is always the same. You’re hesitant because you think you know a thing or two about this god you’ve been hearing about. The trouble is you have limited him to the god of earth. Or maybe you’re some kind of uppity and have some method of imagining he is the god of the known universe. Well, I am here to tell you that you need to go bigger, and you need to start thinking biblically. God is the god of the earth and the heavens. The material and the immaterial. He is concerned with you and it takes no time for him to work. You might say he can start work on you, say it with me, immediately.
And on the immaterial side of life, love, faith, hope, and others, forgiveness, patience, compassion, he specializes in immediately.
So why not believe that Jesus can save you immediately? His call is irresistible. You know it, and I know it. His yoke is light, and his burden is easy. In fact, you’re doing the hard labor right now as you battle what you know to be right. You’re probably sweating. Am I wrong? Heart racing. Come on down, son. Jesus is calling.
****
Again, it’s a draft. For fun. And I would probably go a bit more orthodox Baptist somehow at the end. “Early, Early!, Sunday morning, he got up!” and all. But I felt like recording this idea anyhow and why have a blog if you only post stuff you’re comfortable with posting?
Another Example of the Rewards of Reading in General, and Reading the Great Books of the Western World in Specific.
I have written or implied here that it is my belief that the Great Books of the Western World set is nearly as inspired as the books of the Holy Bible. No one cares.
But I care. And so I persist. Here, then, is another example of the rewards of reading them. I am currently in Vol 4 “Religion and Theology” of the companion guided reader set “Great Ideas Program”. After Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, there was some Old and New Testament passages and now St. Augustine’s (aw-GUSS-tinz) Confessions.
Some backstory (“Learning is a change in behavior based on experience”) is relevant.
While at Seminary, studying the Bible in its original languages (which truly means being told aloud in English that translators fear “Yahweh was hot” will sound too human ((ergo, not separate—or the Holy in “Holy Bible” (((The “separate book(s)”))))) and so they have opted for the supposedly more esoteric and divine sounding “Yahweh was angry”), I persuaded myself that these early humans were exceedingly (and uniquely) concrete in their writing. And I still believe this to be true, the following reward notwithstanding.
For example of what I mean by this unique “concreteness”, I believe when Moses would tell the Genesis account, he would sweep his arm over his head, from horizon to horizon, as he said, “In the beginning God created the heavens” and then sweep his arm under his feet, from horizon to horizon, as he concluded, “and the earth.” Get it? In other words, I believe that he pointed at the night sky (in my mind I can never shake that all the Old Testament stories were told only after darkness near a pleasant campfire) as he said “heavens” and then the ground as he said “earth”. In short, I believe that Moses did not try to trick anyone or talk about anything unseen in order to talk about the unseen Yahweh. Put one other way, I don’t believe there are two steps of belief. It’s not “Let me explain one unseen. Got it? And then, stick with me, you’ll get God!”
No. For me, my theology—based on content of Bible, to include when it was written—all that the Bible authors ever did was use material world to explain spiritual world.
That backstory complete, let’s get to the heart of the post.
Augustine has a book (chapter) which translators subtitle, “Augustine proceeds to comment on Genesis 1:1, and explains the “heaven” to mean that spiritual and incorporeal creation which cleaves to God unintermittingly, always beholding his countenance; “earth,” the formless matter whereof the corporeal creation was afterwards formed…”
Like you’re undoubtedly thinking, I also thought, “That is an intense sentence. I had to read and re-read it too much to want more.” But I pressed on.
And as I read, with my gesturing Moses in mind, I couldn’t help but notice something. Augustine was spending a lot of time defining formlessness or describing how he couldn’t wrap his mind around it—despite wanting to understand it and then explain it to others.
Then it hit me.
My gesture theory is flawed, in one sense. At the stage of creation in verse 1 of Genesis, a careful reading reveals that this “earth” that Moses points to CANNOT be Planet Earth (however little Moses and mankind knew of it at the time) because the next part of the story is, “formless and void”. Planet Earth is not, formless and void, so something else MUST BE meant. But what?
I still say Moses gestured (and meant it) while he spoke. But I am now forced to clarify that he definitely added a clarification that means he does not believe he is talking about Planet Earth and the rest of the material universe when he gestures.
The new question on this Sunday of Sundays: According to the text, what did God create, by creating “the heavens and the earth”, because it certainly can’t mean material/corporeal/measurable bodies beloved by physicists?
Augustine wrote down his ideas. I have some reactions to those. Others have recorded their ideas. The idea here is not to suggest we can know what Moses meant. The idea is that we can live richer lives knowing that we don’t know what he meant.
“Learning is a change in behavior based on experience.”
In short: the reward for my reading from the Great Books of the Western World is that I learned, that despite my previous intentions and best efforts, that I was wrong. And the “right”, oddly enough, was plainly written and right in front of me for all this time, too. Fascinating.
Christian, You’re Wrong About the Rainbow Flag. It Is Wholly the Alphabet Mafia’s Symbol. Let Them Display it Proudly.
I put My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it will be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud…
So the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.
(The above should be thought of as “axioms” or “definitions”.)
What is most curious, to an Eagle Scout/combat veteran’s mind like mine, is the use of the word “bow”. It really drives home how early man was always struggling to find analogy for their language. They saw in the sky something new and in the shape of, well, what object would ancient man have had to analogize from? The shape of…hmm. Oh, I know. It looks like the bow and arrow’s bow! Perfect.
But more importantly, for you, Christian, is that nowhere is fabric or any tangible good mentioned.
If this doesn’t add divine peace to your life, something is wrong with you and you should use this moment to align yourself with some truth.
The Living God is not messing around, nor ever has, with his creation or his plan.
If you see a bow in the sky, like an archery bow, then be thankful that Yahweh is God (and a faithful one at that), and not some other punk deity.
If you see a colorful flag, then…do whatever conscience dictates. It really doesn’t matter and shouldn’t disturb you.
Christian Twistings 2: The Truer Question Behind “Who Created God?”
When I hear, “Who created god?” asked, I twist that into what I believe is the truer question, “Why do I believe life should make sense?” Or, worded another way, “Some parts of life make sense, and we value that. (This too makes sense.) Why doesn’t life as a whole make sense?”
Don’t get me wrong, “Who created god?” causes me to almost want to hear Christian apologetics answer. But these days, I prefer to get to the gospel as quick as possible. So I plan to twist and gain credibility with the twist. And then proceed.
Short answer to the above is, of course, a question.
****
“Why doesn’t life as a whole make sense, when the various parts of life make sense?”
“Let me ask you, ‘Does it need to make sense?’ And by ‘need’ I mean that you’re x amount of years into this life, and it hasn’t made sense yet (or did it used to and now it doesn’t?). So it seems to me that you are (and we all are) able to live without this ‘making sense’ issue/feeling solved. But I don’t want to put words in your mouth. So, I ask again, ‘Does it need to make sense?’ Because if it doesn’t need to, then the answer to both your original question and my ‘truer’ restatement of your question is, ‘I don’t know, but I do know that the Bible writers don’t concern themselves with ‘making sense’ of life. Their concern is your eternal salvation.”
The Apologetic for Those Who Believe in Active Spiritual Interactions, as if We Still Live in Bible Times
Some Christians believe that because the Bible records instances of exorcism, that that must mean there are humans walking the earth right now who have need of exorcism.
There is a problem with the initial reasoning, but I want to pass by that problem in favor of how to handle the conversation. Not just handle, but triumph.
If some well-meaning Christian in your life is shocked that you can believe the Bible is true and simultaneously not believe that we should spend any time on the concept of unclean spirits and demons etc., then simply respond, “I’m not the one who doesn’t believe. It’s you who doesn’t believe in these things.”
At this point, they’ll naturally fein shock and say, “What?! I am the one who does believe.”
Then you just say, “Then show me. Which one of our friends has an unclean spirit? Which one has a demon? Which church member does everyone know is the veritable town drunk of the dark spirit world? Point them out to me, please.”
They can’t, they won’t, and while it may not seem like they’re persuaded, rest assured that you have won.
The problem isn’t all of us who don’t “believe” such things are the same as they were back then. The problem is the people who claim to believe it, actually don’t believe it.
What they do believe, apparently, is everything the preacher says. Which is a problem.
And one other thing about this topic. Make sure to include that you think it is weird (‘cuz it is) that they would view it as a Christian behavior to convert someone into seeing demons and unclean spirits. “No, thank you.” “Thanks anyway.” “I’m fine with giving up that search from the start.”
The Fallout Is Not The Attack: Stay Focused—Especially When The Devil Is Involved
When is the last time you read a definition of the word “number”? Probably never, right?
Have you ever read one of the earliest definitions? Also “no”. I get it.
Nichomachus of Gerasa, around the time of Jesus, wrote, “Number is limited multitude or a combination of units or a flow of quantity made up of units; and the first division of number is even and odd.”
His overall task (as he saw it) was to defend the study of abstractions, like math—for its own sake. He writes, “Evidently, the one which naturally exists before them all is superior and takes the place of origin and root and, as it were, of mother to the others.”
In sum, within “science”, since arithmetic is first, it is greatest. So study it, he argues.
What I want you to see in this is the concept of order. Geometry is second to arithmetic because we can’t speak of geometry without using arithmetic terms and concepts.
The reason I want you to focus on “order”, Christian, is that headlines today include the removal of the Bible from some public school libraries.
Like all news, this event is published with the hopes of being sensational. And it certainly is. (Though I suspect many of us who brush the dust off the cover of our Bibles from time to time would save much of the sacred content until our children are teenagers.)
But we need to temper this sensational event (and future iterations of it) with the knowledge that this banning of the Bible is merely fallout of the attack (largely successful) against the Bible that has been ongoing for at least decades.
I say again, order.
Time for the gut punch.
Do you read the Bible to your kids and family?
My daughter, H-, from my first marriage isn’t talking to me right now. She’s thirteen and lives in a different town. We used to read the Bible as a rule before reading anything else.
Now in my second marriage and family, I tried some dinner time Bible reading for while (maybe a month), but the nature of my job kept interrupting it and “life gets in the way”, so that went by the wayside. (Never discount the sheer difficulty of the Bible.)
All the while, I created a Bible study podcast, mostly to help me study, but also with the idea that it’s easy and anyone could use it.
But it has been probably a good year or so since I’ve opened the actual Bible with my family. (I do have an old children’s Bible type book that I made it a point to read in full to my toddler and I am still reading it to my 1 year old from time to time.)
Finally, I can tell you that my church-going parents read us the Bible less than 5 times while we were kids.
The banning of the Bible at public school libraries is fallout, folks. The real attack is on our hearts, “hearts” in the Biblical sense.
The fallout is not the attack. The attack is real. The devil is real.
But so is our champion, Jesus the Christ, Yahweh our God, and the Holy Spirit.
Don’t be distraught.
But surely use the sensational event the way the LORD intends you to—repent! Begin anew. Read the Bible to your family. Make time.
(Comment below if you want recommendations on where to start. I’d be happy to offer ideas.)
Captain’s Log 