Recent comments and some free promotion

Fire Lake, BC (photo from trekearth.com)

My friend from Manchester, England, Mr. Richard McIntosh recently interviewed Dr. Gary Habermas concerning the resurrection:

http://www.garyhabermas.com/audio/2008-03_manchester_radio.mp3

Richard's blog:

http://destructionofgog.blogspot.com/

Since I spend about half of my blogging time commenting on other blogs, here are some of my recent comments.

These are my comments and not the comments of the authors of the blog links.

This is free promotion for some of you. I am not favouring anyone's blog, but I am presenting my better comments from what I can remember.

Rick presented a letter from an ex-Mormon:

http://mormonismreviewed.blogspot.com/2008/07/letter-from-ex-mormon.html

For readers to ponder on...

The critic will get nowhere with an educated Biblical Christian or scholar if the critic denies the concept of the Trinity simply because the word is not in the New Testament. The concept is in the New Testament and the word describing it was formulated at a later date.

That is an aspect of systematic theology with many true Biblical doctrines.

Rick discusses Acts 7 and prophets:

http://mormonismreviewed.blogspot.com/2008/07/acts-chapter-7.html

Prophets with such a supposedly important message dealing with restoration LDS doctrine in its early stages should have been found in the Hebrew Bible. The message should be something that can be somewhat gathered from the current text, as in a misinterpretation by Hebrew and Christian scholars.

And polytheism, as in more than one true God in nature, in existence, cannot be theologically sustained in either the Hebrew Bible or New Testament. It has been heretical to believe that more than one true God exists.

Modern Christianity does not need restoration; It needs reformation as the essential truth is already in Scripture.

Jeff writes about Donatists and I need some satire for this article:

http://jeffjenkinsocala.blogspot.com/2008/07/donatists.html

I have heard of Donatists (at TWU), and the Doughnutists/Donutists that anonymous mentioned. Perhaps Jeff, you should arrange an academic debate between the two groups with the loser, if there is one, agreeing to change the sound of their name. This is far, far, far, too confusing.

Will the Doughnutists have holes in their reasoning? Or will they be very holy?

Jim presents an interesting perspective on the relationship between God and Satan:

http://deityquest-jeleasure.blogspot.com/2008/07/satans-relationship-with-god.html

From Revelation 20:10, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire, and punished forever. This seems to indicate conscious punishment. I can accept the fact that he will be destroyed in the sense of made powerless and his kingdom destroyed.

and:

As God wills all things within Biblical and Reformed theology, Satan is an instrument of God. But, Satan is not forced to commit evil and does this with a degree of freedom.

Robert responds to this:



http://sanctifusion.blogspot.com/2008/07/real-faith-or-realpolitik.html

What 'crap' are they talking about? They can imply that Christian groups that do not agree with them believe in 'crap', but it is rather meaningless to state this without further explanation. It risks simply appealing to persons that hate aspects of traditional Christianity (and others) and want to go to a church with doctrines more acceptable to modern thought.

Abbey presents some interesting history and philosophy:

http://abssoapbox.blogspot.com/2008/07/who-are-you.html

Nice art. I doubt these paintings could be completed in 27 minutes.

Within secular society many persons have an idea of how many things work, but do not have a reasonable handle on the philosophical underpinnings and assumptions that lead to a secular worldview.

and:

The will works through the spirit/mind. As persons are fallen and corrupt this would include the body and spirit/mind, and therefore the will would be corrupted. In my PhD, I speculate a Reformed based chain that starts with the human nature which is now corrupted, consciousness, desires and motives leading to wilful decisions and actions. All things are willed by God and therefore God in a sense is the first cause in this human chain and influences persons as he wills. The human will makes choices and persons commit actions influenced by God within one's corrupted nature. The Holy Spirit can regenerate and influence persons to do God's will obediently as opposed to disobediently when left to the corrupted nature alone. God can also influence the unregenerate for his purposes. The human will to have any freedom at all must make choices without being forced or coerced, and I reason persons have this type of freedom.

Drugs are an unfortunate cultural aspect of rock music. One cannot likely go to a major rock concert without smelling marijuana. Even still a minority of rock musicians are very skilled. As with studying philosophy and theology, one must be able to take the good from a person or group and filter out the rest. The Beatles have had some very good music, but an appreciation of their music should not equal an appreciation of their worldview. Sadly, too many fans do not separate musical appreciation from worldview and are sucked into wrong philosophy and at times religious thought. A Christian must be mature and educated enough to filter out the negative aspects of non-Christian culture. As a fan of the Beatles later music and someone who has studied secular philosophy and liberal theology, I must state the latter would have been potentially much more damaging to me if I was not guided by God. This is because the philosophy and theology was presented in a more convincing professional way than were the Beatles amateurish ramblings.

Vicki discusses healing:

http://vleasure.blogspot.com/2008/07/healing-is-possible.html

I would love to be healed of physical and spiritual problems today. No amount of money would be worth the value of this healing. But, as you mention true (lasting) healing is through Christ, as since we all die, everlasting healing is of primarily importance. God promises a restored Kingdom where suffering will not exist as Revelation 21 explains.

In regard to the naturalistic critics, if there is only death, this life has limited meaning as our suffering here ultimately culminates in death and nothingness. If life continues after death in some way it may have meaning, and definitely has meaning in the presence of the triune God.

GGM presents a project on the Sermon on the Mount:

http://shalomistheword.blogspot.com/2008/07/sermon-on-mount-1.html

I appreciate the overview. Jesus Christ being of the line of David, his virgin birth, his supernatural ministry, and resurrection, are four very important points that demonstrate he is the fulfilment of the Messiah of the Hebrew Bible.

Of course there are other points as well.

http://thekingpin68.blogspot.com/2008/07/theism-and-deism.html