With the audio message, I wanted to write a few words concerning this blog. Even though this blog awhile back passed my other blog, thekingpin68 in average monthly traffic, I still struggled somewhat with the purpose for this blog. With the other blog, it has been for a long time clear in purpose with philosophical theology, philosophy of religion, and Biblical Studies, especially now once again that I have a decent scanner and can work with New Testament Greek properly.
With this blog is just became so obvious that when I did news related theological posts the blog did reasonably well. I will continue to write theological, philosophical, and satirical posts related to the news and Islam and other comparative religions in regard to Christianity and within Christianity. So, I may write about groups considered academically non-Christian and compare and I may write about other groups considered Christian and compare.
This is an academic and spiritual exercise. A couple of persons messaged me on Facebook in regard to Islam, as in a concern that my articles risked a non-loving approach. Look, I do not hate Muslims or any people or group, and anyone that wants to get on this blog and start writing that kind of stuff about me, please do not bother in regard to Islam or any group because that is simply not the case and any person that knows me well would support me on that point.
I subscribe to Matthew 22 and Mark 12 and so I am to love God with all my heart, soul and mind, and my neigbour as my self.
I am also to love my other Christians as in John 13.
But there are also Biblical calls to stand up for the truth as with 2 Timothy 15 and 1 Peter 3: 13-17.
Therefore, as a Christian I need to stand on this blog in both love and truth.:)
Again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
This is me in my 'Michelin Man' BC winter jacket back in 2008. The older gentlemen and owner of the house, I presume, came out for a few seconds to see which persons were in front of his place and then quickly went back inside.
'But sir, I am a theologian.' I thought. And then I thought, 'On the other hand, it is nice not to be hassled'.
The first scan is from Browning page 63, the other Oliver page 220. I only scanned part of Oliver.
BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
OLIVER, O.G. Jr. (1996) ‘Christmas’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.
My framed PhD degree document will stay wrapped up until after my graduation party in March.
I thought I would write another Islam related post. Again I am not an Islamic scholar and I will remain true to my blog header while maintaining a distinction between this blog and the more theodicy, problem of evil, citation orientated thekingpin68.
'London - As the clock struck 11:00 and people stood for Armistice Day’s two minutes of silence, Islamic protesters in London burned a model of a poppy and shouted out messages such as "British soldiers burn in hell."
About 35 protesters, many with their faces masked, gathered near Hyde Park. They set a model of a poppy on fire at the stroke of 11am, and then marched through the area carrying signs and chanting.
Messages on the signs included "Hands off Muslim lands," "Islam will dominate," "There is no God but Allah," “Our dead are in paradise, your dead are in hell” and "British soldiers burn in hell."
The protesters said they were members of a group called Muslims Against Crusades.'
Regardless of my theological and philosophical differences as a Christian theologian and philosopher of religion, with Islam, the radical Islamists hardly made a good case for their cause by their classless burning of a poppy and shouting during two minutes of silence.
As noted several times, I realize there are kind-hearted Muslims and I had a Muslim friend in the UK while I lived there. I am not against Muslim people or any people, period.
In a general terms, I am a supporter of NATO and the Armed Forces. This does not mean I blindly support every mission, however, I certainly respect in general terms the sacrifices of the Armed Forces past and present, both dead and alive.
So...
I think that all persons that live in the United Kingdom should at least minimally appreciate the freedom afforded to them by the Armed Forces past and present through sacrifices, this without a blanket endorsement of all missions past and present.
There was an official public ceremony taking place.
Therefore, I conclude, that these Muslim protesters should at least minimally respect the two minutes of silence and shut up and stand still.
The masked faces showed signs of cowardliness. If they are going to protest they should have the guts to show themselves, or go and look for a job, or go back to class, or the pub or mosque or whatever.
The Bible teaches that unless one is written in the book of life, one will reside in the lake of fire, forever. This is according to many scholars likely figurative literal language and literature in regard to hellfire, but the everlasting distance from God is certain as in Revelation 20, even if in the less probable case of annihilation over everlasting punishment, which has been discussed on thekingpin68 and satire and theology.
'It has been customary to describe the Crusades as eight in number:
the first, 1095-1101; the second, headed by Louis VII, 1145-47; the third, conducted by Philip Augustus and Richard Coeur-de-Lion, 1188-92; the fourth, during which Constantinople was taken, 1204; the fifth, which included the conquest of Damietta, 1217; the sixth, in which Frederick II took part (1228-29); also Thibaud de Champagne and Richard of Cornwall (1239); the seventh, led by St. Louis, 1249-52; the eighth, also under St. Louis, 1270. This division is arbitrary and excludes many important expeditions, among them those of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In reality the Crusades continued until the end of the seventeenth century, the crusade of Lepanto occurring in 1571, that of Hungary in 1664, and the crusade of the Duke of Burgundy to Candia, in 1669. A more scientific division is based on the history of the Christian settlements in the East; therefore the subject will be considered in the following order:
I. Origin of the Crusades; II. Foundation of Christian states in the East; III. First destruction of the Christian states (1144-87); IV. Attempts to restore the Christian states and the crusade against Saint-Jean d'Acre (1192-98); V. The crusade against Constantinople (1204); VI. The thirteenth-century crusades (1217-52); VII. Final loss of the Christian colonies of the East (1254-91); VIII. The fourteenth-century crusade and the Ottoman invasion; IX. The crusade in the fifteenth century; X. Modifications and survival of the idea of the crusade.'
Knight, Kevin (ed.)(2010), Crusades, New York, New Advent.Org.
Now reasonably the Crusades ended several years ago prior to the establishment of the present United Kingdom in 1707.
Certainly for one, even politically, Europe is much more secularized and less Christianized than it was in the fifteenth century.
One does not have to be an expert in political science and history to realize that the British are in the Middle East for minimally significantly differently reasons than in the era of the Crusades.
Therefore the current British military missions are not Crusades.
Further:
At Bible School and 'semetary' I was taught that the Islamic world connected religion and state so tightly that it saw the West in the same light. The West was like in the Middle Ages, but it is a cop-out to state these London protesters in the 2010s do not know that Britain is primarily a secular democracy and not a Christian Western country.
'"Our aim is not violence but if people come to us with violence, Muslims will defend themselves."
He added: "We will do this again. Until the British people condemn the British Government for these illegal wars, we will not stop protesting."
Posters bore slogans including "Hands off Muslim lands" and "Islam will dominate", and flags bore Arabic writing with the words "There is no God but Allah"....'
'Of the three arrests made, two were for public order offences and one was for assaulting a police officer....'
'There are suspicions Muslims Against Crusades is a splinter group of Islam4UK, founded by Anjem Choudary, a British Muslim extremist formerly a senior figure in the now banned Al-Muhajiroun and Islam4UK groups.'
When I see them shouting, masked and acting disrespectfully, I have reason to doubt that violence is not a real possibility.
'(CNN) -- A Somali militant group publicly executed two teenage girls Wednesday after accusing them of being spies for the Somali government, according to the group, eyewitnesses and a relative of one of the girls.
"Those two girls were evil and they were spies for the enemy (the Somali government), but the mujahedeen caught them and after investigation, they admitted their crime, so they have been executed," said Sheikh Yusuf Ali Ugas, commander of Al-Shabaab in Beledweyne, a town in central Somalia.
The teens were blindfolded with their hands behind their backs against a tree, and shot, according to a local journalist.
A resident of Beledweyne told CNN that Al-Shabaab called on the town's residents to come out and watch the execution.
"Hundreds of people came out to watch the execution," he said. "It was very bad ... the girls looked shocked and were crying but [no one] could help."
A relative of one of the teens denied they were spies...'
'Al-Shabaab is waging a war against Somalia's government in an effort to impose a stricter form of Islamic law, or sharia.
Somalia has not had a stable government since 1991, and fighting between the rebels and government troops has escalated the humanitarian crisis in the famine-ravaged country.'
'Two accused spies, teenage girls aged 15 and 18, have died amid a fusillade of bullets from a firing squad organised by a hardline Islamist militia in Somalia.
Horrified residents of the town of Belet Weyne, in western Somalia, were forced to watch the execution by al-Shabab on Wednesday. One woman fainted as the girls were gunned down by 10 masked executioners.
"Those who watched the event could not bear the painful experience. Two very young girls were shot as they watched and no one could help," said Dahir Casowe, a local elder...'
'Only shortly before the executions, Sheik Mohamed Ibrahim sentenced the girls to death for spying for government soldiers fighting al-Shabab. The only qualifications Ibrahim needed to be appointed a judge by al-Shabab were that he be male and know the Quran...'
'Human Rights Watch said in an April report that al-Shabab imposes "unrelenting repression and brutality".
Somali militants photo: AP / Farah Abdi Warsameh
I do not claim to be an Islamic scholar, my expertise with four earned degrees comes in the subjects of the nature of God, the problem of evil, theodicy, and to some extent, atheism in regard to the problem of evil.
Online sometimes I read certain critics, some of them atheistic, some not, that like to lump all religions together as if the choice is between being an atheist and intelligent and a theist and an idiot. I should point out in my MPhil and PhD theses research I came across both intelligent atheists and theists.
Some of these more radical atheists and radical anti-religionists often to varying extents try to connect those like the Somali rebels and their radical Islamic law with someone like myself that is a Christian theologian, philosopher of religion and Biblical scholar.
Well, for both the non-believing critic and Christian reader, I will point out some differences. I am not going to compare all of Islam to all of Christianity. I realize not all Muslims act like these Somali rebels and not all Christians have my beliefs and actions.
Admitting we are both monotheists...
Here are some very non-exhaustive comparisons:
1. These Somali rebels are seeking to overthrow a present government and establish one based on their religious and political worldview.
'Al-Shabaab is waging a war against Somalia's government in an effort to impose a stricter form of Islamic law, or sharia...'
Romans 13: 1-6
Be Subject to Government
1Every (A)person is to be in (B)subjection to the governing authorities For (C)there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
3For (D)rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
4for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an (E)avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
5Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also (F)for conscience' sake.
6For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
F.F. Bruce explains that according to Paul in Romans the state is given the divine ordinance to govern. Christian obedience is actually a way of serving God. Bruce (1985)(1996: 221).
Cranfield notes that pagan imperial state was still divinely appointed by the Biblical God in Paul's theology. Cranfield (1992: 322).
Mounce states similar (1995: 243-244), but acknowledges a government will sometimes overstep what is its 'rightful domain'. Mounce (1995: 244). He lists the religious disobedience of Peter and John in Act 4:19 as being proper. So, proper Christian worship, and the right to do so takes divine priority over the rule of the state.
My following of Romans 13 would rule out my involvement with a group and/or organized Christian military rebels to trying better establish Christian rules and laws within the Lower Mainland, BC, and Canada by force. This in my mind would not rule out participating in the lawful practice of democracy and government.
So...
The Somali rebels are religious and political militaristic revolutionaries.
My religious worldview in regard to propagation is non-militaristic.
Therefore:
The religious views are radically different on the subject of religion and government.
I reason that via Romans 13, I am to obey the state, in my case in Canada, which is secular, as long I am reasonably allowed to follow Biblical Christian standards.
A philosophical argument could be made that a state must maintain law and order in order for a Christian to justly obey it. And the Roman Empire was at times executing Christians and was still, in a sense, maintaining law and order and was therefore to be obeyed.
I would not completely eliminate the possibility that government in extreme cases could be so corrupt that it no longer maintained significant law and order and should not be obeyed.
So...
An establishment of stronger Islamic law and new government is a goal of the Somali rebels.
My religious view allows for civil disobedience only in extreme cases.
Therefore:
The religious views are radically different on the subject of religion and government.
2. I would not shoot or sanction the shooting of teenage girls or anyone simply they were supposedly spies.
They were the ages of 15 and 18, and so by international standards the 15 year old was a child and the other barely an adult. Even if a real crime was committed, which is VERY questionable, certainly it was not worthy of execution.
So...
The Somali rebels are interested in arbitrary and brutal political and religious punishment.
My religious worldview is interested in the protection and betterment of young teenage girls, adult or not.
Therefore:
The religious views are radically different in regard to human welfare.
3. I would not shoot or sanction the shooting of two young teenage girls because their religious views were different than mine.
Mark 12 and Matthew 22 both feature Jesus Christ commanding his followers to love God first and foremost, in modern terms all their spirit and mind, and other persons as much as self.
So...
The Somali rebels were not concerned with loving these teenage girls in a religious sense, and had a misguided sense of justice.
My religious view is attempting (and not succeeding perfectly) at the highest divinely inspired human forms of love and justice.
Therefore:
The views are radically different in regard to religious toleration.
Further:
It would seem that actually maintaining law and order, as in Romans 13, would be the only reason for me to perhaps to kill someone if an authorized officer of the state, either police or military, or like, was not immediately present to prevent loss of life.
BRUCE, F.F. (1985)(1996) Romans, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
CRANFIELD, C.E.B. (1992) Romans: A Shorter Commentary, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
MOUNCE, ROBERT H. (1995) The New American Commentary: Romans, Nashville, Broadman & Holman Publishers.
1. My previous post on this blog in the comments section has recent comments concerning the humanity of Christ which were originally posted in GGM's blog, 'Shalom is the Word' in reciprocal links.
The post will much more challenging than this one, if that suits you.
2. I am in hope awaiting my final PhD hard copy documentation from the University of Wales.
In the meantime I am working on my e-book, assisting my Mother in several areas and making preparations for me to eventually leave Greater Vancouver for work elsewhere.
Feel free to mention institutions, but I have decided I am not going to do that, but I will certainly comment on any kind comments and suggestions.
When I was younger I really liked rain, and mildly colder weather and I still like rain, not the esthetics of it, but the refreshing nature of it. In that sense, I have been fortunate enough to live in two places that rain a lot, Greater Vancouver and Greater Manchester. When I was younger I had some brief experience with the Alberta winter with family and thought it was cool, literally and figuratively. However, the last few years I have visited Florida, for a second time and Southern California for a second time, having also been on another time to Northern California. These trips combined with my two vacations to see family in Greater Phoenix have me thinking that it is in many ways easier and more comfortable to live in an area of the world where it is warmer and sunnier.
I also have visited Reno and surrounding area and did not care for it, overall. Being chased out of a steakhouse restaurant washroom by the 'crazed owner' with 'Pope Chucklins I' was one reason, but many people in that area seemed to dislike outsiders. That is rather counterproductive for an area which specializes in tourism.
Perhaps they hate being second to Las Vegas. Perhaps Reno should be renamed Lost to Vegas.
I spent the first part of my life in rainy overcast areas where there were minimal sunny days. With my British passport if I move back to the UK for work that will be the kind of weather I will face. Mind you, with Greater Vancouver and the UK the rare sunny days, especially in summer, can be very nice, but those kinds of days are common in places like California, Florida, Texas, Spain and Portugal year round. Now, I could use my UK citizenship which is also EU citizenship to move to a warmer EU locale, but I only speak English and so that would quite complicate any move.
As a Canadian I could stay in Canada, but other than Greater Vancouver, the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, and perhaps a few other areas, most of Canada receives cold winter and winter like conditions many months a year. To be honest, I like playing in the snow like I did as a child in BC and Alberta, and the snowmobiling was fun in Alberta. But it is just more difficult to travel and go to work in colder conditions.
My last two degrees are from Wales, and so are British and European, so certainly some employers should at least consider me for a position in that system as a Theologian and Philosopher of Religion. But I am a moderate conservative and most of the departments are liberal of sorts. This could be a difficult fit, and this as already been demonstrated with my hassles with Manchester and my first PhD appointment.
Being blocked by the Research Committee from transferring to an affiliated Christian institution after I quit the main (Police) academy was not a good sign for future fellowship with these types of departments although Wales has worked out fine.
Canada is apparently slightly smaller in population than California and is a lot less Christianized than the United States, Canada being more like Western Europe in that regard. This is a major reason I likely will not be able to accomplish my career goals locally with few places to apply to. With my career being in Theology, Philosophy of Religion and Biblical Studies it looks like the United States is the best place to look. I want to work in a warmer climate and my family in Arizona, which will include my Mom when I move on, would like me to live closer to them. Therefore, I will need to look for work in areas that are fairly close to them by car, or plane. This would be the Western United States and if this would not work out I would look Eastward.
I have been to New York City once. It would be fascinating to work there for a season, but I was there during spring and just found it very humid and uncomfortable with all the concrete buildings and few trees. As a teen I visited Washington DC and Virginia and liked it, although I saw the impressive Europe like historical parts of DC only.
Of course, much of it depends on who would hire me. If the best job offer was in Australia I would of course have to strongly consider it, as I would Hawaii or Southern France.
Another issue for consideration for me is if I had any local friends in an area, or anyone willing to act like a friend.
I saw this on Looney's blog.
Countries in the World visited followed by Provinces,
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (trekearth.com)
This reminds me of Western films from when I was a little boy.
In November, 2008, I wrote an article entitled: How to blow-up your blog without thinking too much. Please consider this post a follow-up. If one is already very, very, well-known in the field he or she blog about perhaps he or she can get away with more and play by some different rules, I suppose. However, most bloggers are not.
1. I do not want to come across here at all as a blogging know-it-all, or a know-it-all in any way. But, I wish to share some of my blogging philosophy...once again.
2. I have been blogging with this blog, satire and theology since 2006, and according to Blogger statistics I am averaging 10, 000 page views per month. I have been blogging with thekingpin68 since 2004, seriously since 2006, and receive about 5, 000-6, 000 page views per month. So, I am a moderately successful blogger with about 15, 000 page views per month, which is still much better than most bloggers do, and so I think I do have some at least fairly important things to state.
3. A right thing I have done is to concentrate on reciprocal blog linking which has helped promote my blogs online. Also very importantly some of my articles, especially with my more academic blog, thekingpin68, are being linked online.
4. A mistake I have made, and I have recently noted this on Facebook, was to basically ignore Google/Blogger followers for six years. With the rise of Twitter, which I have no interest in, and Facebook/Networked Blogs followers which I have worked on, I should have paid more attention to it. Now, as a result with my blogs I have a good amount of Facebook followers on both blogs but only have a decent amount of Google/Blogger followers due to my recent push. For me, I am online enough and Twitter is extra work I do not want or need.
I missed the opportunity for years to visually display my followers with two applications on my blogs, which others were doing, but I basically ignored the marketing possibilities. Yes, an impressive amount of reciprocal links looks good but images of followers for both Facebook and Google/Blogger adds public credibility.
This public credibility does not make my blogs good or right, but means people care about them. If others see this they are more likely to pay attention and see how and where God has guided my work to be good and right, by God's grace.
5. Some may state that I should not be concerned with these things and just share the gospel and related. I do not agree. I should desire to present the gospel, Biblical Studies, theology, philosophy of religion and related as effectively as possible with my talent and skill God has given me. Blog image is not near as important as blog content, not even close, but presenting my blogs as readable and worthwhile by others through links and followers is an important marketing tool. A person comes on my blog and thinks....people care about this blog.
Marketing is so important.
6. Marketing is a reason I always desire to have comments, because '0' comments does not look good. But, more importantly, I am not interested in writing an online diary and really appreciate the public interaction. It makes blogging far more educational and fun for myself and readers. I have so much to learn and my commenters assist.
7. I still reason some Christian and non-Christian bloggers are hurting their own cause and working toward blowing-up their blogs and basically writing an online diary. They are too strict in their overall blogging approach.
8. Many bloggers are too strict concerning comments. Ever wonder why I allow and even encourage off-topic comments? Because I want readers to feel welcome and at home and I hope therefore they will return and contribute more to my work. If I refuse to publish a comment because it is off-topic, I quite likely will never hear from that person again. More bloggers should be much more appreciative for any respectful comments at all. Fine, if ones does not want to publish SPAM, do not, and of course feel free not to publish disrespectful comments, comments from trolls etc.
But one should not be offended and block or delete comments that the blogger does not like in some personal, narrow sense.
9. Do not expect commenters to be as interested in your material as you, the blogger, are. People are busy and accept a respectful comment on your work. Do not make yourself the overly judgmental spiritual/intellectual judge of comments. I am turned off by bloggers that will not publish my kind comment where I state little and promote my blogs. If you are kind to me, I will quite likely read more of your blog and comment more, but if you disrespect me and deem my respectful comment unacceptable, you have likely lost a contact. And I reason many other contacts will see it in a similar way if his or her comment is blocked or deleted. Also, do not expect others to necessarily read all your rules of engagement for comments before commenting. Many people will not. With strict bloggers this may lead to the comment being blocked or deleted and a lost contact.
Boooom!!!
'But I stubbornly got my righteous way!'
So, many Christian bloggers do this and I think it is destructive for building a blog.
10. In the same way, bloggers should attempt to reply to most comments. When this is reasonable. Remember you must try to network unless you want that online diary. Networking means that you are not going to easily and necessarily find a bunch of clones that think and act just like you, so loosen up a bit, chill out. Do not look at your blog as a power trip but as a chance to network with others, to share with other Christians and non-Christians.
11. I have a PhD in Theology (Philosophical Theology), and Philosophy of Religion. From a marketing perspective, years ago, I decided that with my thekingpin68 blog, if I presented it like an online academic journal I would have difficulty gaining readers. So, I kept it at the same high academic level but added photos and humour. I reasoned the more effective academic approach was not to market it as an academic journal but market it like an academic lecture in a classroom of young people that wanted to learn at the highest level while at the same time being entertained.
This blog, satire and theology is a more readable version if thekingpin68, but the philosophy presented is the same.
12. Being open to others does not mean one must weaken his or her theological stances. My moderately conservative Reformed views have grown not only through six years of public blogging with many that are non-Reformed, but also through MPhil and PhD degrees at Wales which is secular and moderately liberal.
My PhD topics were theodicy, the problem of evil, atheism, liberal Christianity and free will and determinism and my Reformed, Biblical philosophy and faith has grown. These views have been shared on my blogs. My views have been challenged severely especially with the PhD and MPhil degrees. God has guided me.
I truly believe many Christian bloggers have fear of being theologically challenged and therefore often avoid dealing with those of other views. I am meaning in practical and not just philosophical terms, bloggers can feel threatened. Now, I am not stating one should look for trouble, or get in endless debates. These can become tiring and a waste of time. I am simply suggesting one be an open-minded blogger.
Mark 12:28-40 (New American Standard Bible)
28(A)One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and (B)recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?"
29Jesus answered, "The foremost is, '(C)HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;
30(D)AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'
31"The second is this, '(E)YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
32The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that (F)HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM;
33(G)AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, (H)is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." (I)After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.
See also Luke 10...
Autumn...yes deleted from previous post and added here. I placed new comedy material in previous post.
Guadalupe Mountains, National Park, Texas (trekearth.com)
1. I visited Carson City, Nevada several years ago with Saint Chucklins of Ditch. We were in a hockey draft with my brother in Reno. Being the good fundi-Menno Chuckles was not into gambling, and I was not into it either, having been told it was sin by a professor at Canadian Baptist Seminary and by a Mennonite professor at Columbia Bible College.;) Well, I actually am not into wasting money. We were therefore bored with Reno and found a lot of the hired help rude.
In Carson City, I wondered where Johnny Carson was that day. We had to use the washroom and there was no public washroom, so we quickly dashed into a steakhouse restaurant in a fancy old building. I went but Cardinal Chucklins took longer. There was a sign stating that the facilities were for the use of patrons only.
When were both done the owner chased us down the street threatening to have Pope Chucklins, the Innocent arrested. I said something along the lines of 'Go ahead we are from Canada'.:)
The End
2. I saw a couple of stories on this group on CNN.com and watched a couple of videos. I am no expert on the story or the cult. That is not primarily what this post is about.
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A group of 13 Salvadoran immigrants missing in southern California amid fears that they planned a cult-like mass suicide have been found alive, unhurt and upset to find they were the subjects of an extensive search.
Authorities had been scouring the Palmdale area of northern Los Angeles County on horseback and by helicopter Sunday in search of the group, which included eight children between the ages of 3 and 17, said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. A resident spotted one of the vehicles identified in the lookout at a park and notified the sheriff's department, he said.'
The search began Saturday afternoon, when the husbands of two women in the group reported them missing, the Sheriff's Department said. One of the men said their wives were part of a "cult-like group" and had been "brainwashed" by its leader, and Whitmore said the wife left a purse with her husband and asked her "to pray over" it.
When the husband opened the purse, he found money, mobile phones and notes that "talked about meeting Jesus, talked about deceased relatives soon to meet up," Whitmore told CNN earlier Sunday.
That raised concerns that the group members planned to take their own lives, he said.'
The husbands told investigators that the group had broken away from a Christian church in the Los Angeles area "and formed a separate group that included both traditional and non-traditional practices and beliefs," the Sheriff's Department said Saturday. Its leader, whom investigators identified as Reyna Marisol Chicas, had taken her followers on a similar outing six months ago "in the apparent belief that there was going to be a major earthquake."'
But she said some congregants would meet separately, in their own prayer groups outside the church, and among those groups beliefs could vary. Chicas, she said, never took on a leadership position at the church beyond greeter at Sunday services, but may have been more assertive within a prayer group.
Chicas had slowly severed social ties with the couple -- no longer wanting to drink or go out as they used to.
They last saw her at the church about six months ago.'
End of citations.
Now, with the following:
'he group had broken away from a Christian church in the Los Angeles area "and formed a separate group that included both traditional and non-traditional practices and beliefs,'
'But she said some congregants would meet separately, in their own prayer groups outside the church, and among those groups beliefs could vary.
Those of you that know me personally, and those of who read my blogs, thekingpin68 and satire and theology, will quite possibly realize I am a non-conformist, free-thinker and although I am teachable, I do not primarily let others do my Biblical Studies, theology and philosophy for me.
However, I am still a traditionalist. At least in the sense that I reason the Scripture was inspired by God, presented historically through prophets, apostles and Scribes, and that the Word is the living God that also became incarnate and is the risen Lord. This living Lord does work through his Church. That is present tense.
Based on this view, my Biblical work, theology and religious philosophy is historically grounded and therefore it has an objective aspect and is not primarily subject to my personal thoughts and interpretations. Of course I interpret but it is through a historical Biblical lens, with the assistance of the Church through scholarship, preaching, and personal interaction.
I value the observations and views of others that share in the appreciation of Scripture in context, and I am not my own island when it comes to Biblical Studies, theology and philosophy of religion (the secular perspective on religious philosophy).
I therefore do not favour a break away from the Christian Church with the formation of personalized little groups. I am against cult-like Christianity and cultic pseudo-Christianity.
In addition:
I do not have a problem with the formation of independent churches or new denominations when it is for the sake of Biblical truth. But, this needs to be done with a view that the worldwide unofficial Church of Christ should not be abandoned. Where there is agreement on essential doctrines there can still be fellowship, intellectual fellowship at least, even when there is disagreement on secondary issues.
Browning, W. R. F (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Pres
I have observed some Christian and non-Christian fashion blogs in my web searches. I in no way claim to be overly fashionable or a fashion expert.
But here is my take on this cover. The females in white are doing fine. The older lady in the multi-coloured outfit may be colour blind and not realize that her dress looks like it was made of raked up leaves. The one guy is wearing a brown jacket with gray pants, and even I know that does not work well. The man wearing the red jacket with the blue pants looks like an American car salesman pushing deals and 'steals' on July 4th in live television ads.
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These albums are all new to this blog.
I have done other posts on this subject.
The year without a Santa Claus? For some fundamentalists is that not every year? But, I am no apologist for Santa. If I had children I would not build the Santa story as if it were real, and certainly would emphasize Christ in Christmas. At the same time, I would not suggest my children tell other children that Santa is fictional.
Or that Santa is of Satan! I understand that Christ was not likely at all born on December 25.
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Browning states, that the early Church had no celebration for the birth of Christ. The date of the birth was unknown. Eventually, the birth of Christ within the calendar was given a single day of January 6. In the 4th century the Church designated December 25 as a good day for the celebration as it had been the pagan festival of Sol Invictus when the sun triumphed over darkness of winter as the days became longer again. Browning (1997: 63).
To me, this issue is rather on the unimportant side theologically. The Church simply put aside a yearly day, and season to celebrate the birth of Christ.
I reason the religious groups that place far too much emphasis on this issue are probably to some degree cultic and therefore have more serious theological problems concerning the nature of God, human salvation, law and grace they should be concerned with.
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Church of Christ preacher Ira North.
(Video deleted on Facebook, note June 21, 2020)
I do not know much about him. I have no firm opinion, but I can see the modern secular liberal critic looking at the cover and thinking, 'That fundamentalist was struggling with his sexuality and was considering having a sex change operation, but the repressive Church was condemning him for it and therefore he stayed a man'.
He seemed quite conservative, but was trying to preach through a woman's perspective.
Imagine that, trying to understand the perspective of someone radically different in some ways.
How non-21st century is that?
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Ephesians 5:25-27 (New American Standard Bible)
25(A)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and (B)gave Himself up for her,
26(C)so that He might sanctify her, having (D)cleansed her by the (E)washing of water with (F)the word,
27 that He might (G)present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be (H)holy and blameless.
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Santa's Helpers: Bizarre Records.com
Carl Preacher: Bizarre Records.com
The joke is on me. Christmas Eve 2000 in downtown Manchester, Pope Chucklins the Non-resistant and I were attacked by three men outside after dinner. They were actually part of a group of about thirty men.
The three were losing in the fight against me and so one of them threw a bottle and took out my two front teeth and broke my nose.
When I called home, my brother stated 'All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth'.
I eventually received crowns in Manchester that had to be redone eventually in BC. The nose was 'fixed and straightened' by hand without anesthetic while I was in Manchester. That too had to be redone when I came home. My surgeon here said the doctors had made the nose worse in England. He joked that my nose internally was near my ears.
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The black Bob Ross in a fancy white suit? There. I have no interest in it being just Jesus and me. And I have no interest in it being just Jesus and Carl. Carl, theologically there is no room for a fourth member of the Trinity.
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Does his desired 'feelin' have something to do with the overuse of some illegal or legal substance?
No judgment here, I do not know anything about the man, but if not, I 'swear' he looks like some of the folks around here that use 'BC Bud'.
By the way, someone in my complex, which is mainly 55 years and up, even though I am many years younger than that, smokes cigarillos many evenings after dinner. After midnight the type of cigarette changes to something that you cannot (yet anyway) buy at the grocery store.
Bizarre Records.com
As well, in the park across from our complex some nights are pot smoking parties and they take place in the park down the road. That was park I had spotted the cougar walking into a few months ago.
The cougar busting up a pot party. That would be funny to see.
Our society here in BC is quite liberal on the subject of marijuana.
No, I have never smoked anything and have no intention of doing so. I have put years into my brain and I have no intention of messing with it with smokes of any kind.
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That puppet albums reminds me of that creepy film Magic (1978). I did not watch the movie but remember the disturbing television promotional ads as a child.
I just do not 'get into' that type of puppetry, and so I guess Sesame Street is still my intellectual level for puppets.
I have nothing against either gentleman. Richard Dawson is a fine comic actor and host.
This is posted for educational and satirical purposes.
Quotes from:
Dawkins
World of Dawkins 'Religious people split into three main groups when faced with science. I shall label them the "know-nothings", the "know-alls", and the "no-contests".'
There is also room for persons who are educated in both science and religion. It is closed-minded to overlook such a possibility. This would not make someone a 'know-all', or 'no contest', but simply someone with education in both science and religion.
A pejorative term for the concept that only the methods of natural science and related categories form the elements for any philosophical or other enquiry. Blackburn (1996: 344).
If at first you don't succeed....kill 'im. (Family Feud)
Dawkins
"I suspect that today if you asked people to justify their belief in God, the dominant reason would be scientific. Most people, I believe, think that you need a God to explain the existence of the world, and especially the existence of life. They are wrong, but our education system is such that many people don't know it."
Granted there are religious people that are not very educated within religious studies.
There are also non-religious people not very educated within their particular worldview.
One of my complaints on this blog over the years has been the overall lack of philosophical education within the Western education system until University/college.
Christian theism can appeal to first cause philosophical arguments which reason that an immaterial, non-measurable, infinite, eternal, first cause created the laws of science.
Therefore:
This would be mainly/primarily an appeal to philosophy/philosophy of religion and not science.
As well:
Philosophical ontological (and related) arguments are secondary considerations concerning the existence of God within Christian faith.
Philosophical ontological (and related) arguments are for theism and not the necessarily the Christian God.
Therefore:
Christianity primarily appeals to historical, Biblical revelation for a belief in God.
Richard Dawson: I asked you to name a time when people usually get out of bed. And being the Einstein you are, you said..."Morning." Our survey said...[Bzzt]
Richard Dawson: Zero. And then as if that wasn't bad enough, I asked you, name a time when people usually go to bed. You said, of course..."Night." Our survey said...[Ding!]
Richard Dawson: Two!
Dawkins
"...when it comes to choosing from the smorgasbord of available religions, their potential virtues seem to count for nothing, compared to the matter of heredity.
A good point, but then some persons are educated in religious philosophy and faith, and do not simply follow the worldview of parents.
So:
Children often grow up being taught the worldview of parents.
The worldview often goes significantly intellectually unchallenged by the children.
Some parents are religious.
Some parents are non-religious.
Therefore:
The worldview of children who become adults could be religious or non-religious.
"Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence."
Yes, some religious faith is not warranted. On my blogs this type of faith is challenged again and again.
Those who hold that empiricism and science provide the ultimate answer to all questions do not have all the specific answers on how this takes place.
Therefore:
Faith may be placed in energy/matter (time and space, as well) as its own cause.
As well:
Religion can be a cop-out, but so can simply following pop science philosophy which can in ignorance and without proper religious education, reject all religion as blind faith.
Anyone that dismisses all religious academia and its philosophical and theological complex workings as pseudo-academic is intellectually ignorant on the issue, and there are plenty of these people on-line.
“ABC has told me that a sponsor has complained about my making anti-Nixon jokes. I would just like to say that I believe Mr. Nixon did his best to destroy this country.”
Dawkins
"It is often said, mainly by the "no-contests", that although there is no positive evidence for the existence of God, nor is there evidence against his existence. So it is best to keep an open mind and be agnostic. At first sight that seems an unassailable position, at least in the weak sense of Pascal's wager. But on second thoughts it seems a cop-out, because the same could be said of Father Christmas and tooth fairies. There may be fairies at the bottom of the garden. There is no evidence for it, but you can't prove that there aren't any, so shouldn't we be agnostic with respect to fairies?"
There is not historical documentation from many sources over many years from different geographical areas for fairies at the bottom of a garden.
There is Biblical historical documentation of approximately 3500 years of actual persons, from various regions who experienced God. There are scribes, prophets, apostles and of course the resurrected Christ who are actual documented persons.
I conclude:
The documentation would still be actual even if the Scripture contained some falsehoods, meaning a false comparison and false analogy is presented.
Firstly, speaking of academic follies, as I mentioned in thekingpin68 blog comments, Skubalon in links on his blog posted the story of a Christian in the USA involved in an academic conflict with a University. For my satire and theology readers/comment writers I will post the headline here. Please feel free to comment on this interesting topic.
Well, I have gone over my hassles with Manchester more than once (see 'A good guy...' posted April, 2010) but other follies have occurred. Here is one example.
My first trip to see Wales, Lampeter, my new campus and my advisor was in early 2004. I was to stay a few days. I had been staying with my friend Documentary Man in Greater Manchester and had to take the journey to west Wales. See map below.
Well according to RAC and its fuel and mileage claim calculator the driving distance from Manchester to Lampeter is 157.07 miles/252.78 km and about 3 hours 24 minutes.
Having never been to that part of the UK, and having not driven on the left side of the road since 1997, I decided to take the train. British Rail had no direct route to Lampeter and so I had to take several trains without sleeping in order not to miss my changes, and eventually got close enough to Lampeter to find a bus that would drive me to the centre of Lampeter, from which I could carry my luggage to the campus.
This trip which started very early in the morning in Manchester took approximately 9 hours. I arrived in the afternoon quite tired as I still had jet lag. I had only arrived in Manchester a day or two earlier. I managed to find a main office that directed me to my room. I then cleaned myself up and introduced myself to my advisor. He stated that I must have been tired and that he would see me for a meeting that evening with a several other PhD students.
I arrived at the meeting that evening and judging from the questions being asked there was basically, as there was with me at Manchester, a fairly large gulf between what I had been taught with my first two Christian degrees, and picked up with my own research and what they had been taught within the British system.
The planned discussion which took place concentrated on the methodology of certain writers as opposed to the theology or philosophy of writers. There was more concern with the assumptions and methods of Biblical writers and those who wrote on the Bible and theology, than the philosophical views presented.
This was a different approach for the most part me, although, I did do some methodological work at Canadian Baptist Seminary at Trinity Western University, for example. But my primary focus was the views presented as opposed to how these views came to be. Having written my MPhil and PhD theses I do now have a greater appreciation for background information and methodology. There is plenty of it with my PhD although it is far less interesting for me to research and write.
Much less interesting for readers too, hence you do not see much of it.
It has its educational benefits. A concern I have with it is its potential abuse. For example, reading into Paul's objections to homosexuality in Romans 1 and I Corinthians 6, in that Paul was a single man, and perhaps homosexual and was therefore speaking against a personal struggle he had. This opposed to simply recognizing that Paul, or a scribe on behalf of Paul, had a philosophical and theological objection to homosexuality as sin.
All of the students it seemed, when presenting seemed to favour methodology over philosophy and I was thinking that as a result they all seemed more like Biblical scholars doing PhDs in Biblical Studies as opposed to one like myself who was a philosophical theologian doing a PhD in Theology, who has now basically become a philosopher of religion as well. I do Biblical Studies too, of course.
When my turn came to speak, I stated although I did not neglect backgrounds and methodology, the philosophical views were primary to me. One gentlemen from the Caribbean got quite upset by that and also by the fact I stated I used the historical grammatical method of reviewing Scripture, which would use some methodology by the way. This as opposed to what I stated was overly subjective methodological approaches that risked reading motives into the writers of Scripture and modern writers of Biblical Studies, theology and philosophy of religion.
The gentlemen insisted that I did not know what I was doing and would not pass at Lampeter. Now I had just done a 40, 000 MPhil thesis at Wales, Bangor with no revisions after marking, and so I was confident but realized, as I still do now, that I always have much to learn. He insisted that after the meeting he would get my email address and so he could send me some information on how it is done. I stated that was fine.
Admittedly, since these men (no women there, figures) were apparently more so Biblical scholars than theologians they were ahead of me in certain areas of Biblical education.
I then spoke on my work with the problem of evil and theodicy and basically received some pretty blank stares as if no one knew what I was taking about. No one challenged me and I seemed to gain respect.
The gentlemen from the Caribbean, which I deduce was a kind man basically, came up to me after the meeting and seemed a little less cocky. He asked for my email address and it contained 'grandfinale' and does one of my present ones. He then asked me what it meant. Here, I thought I was going to have some fun. I asked him if he had heard of Rush from Canada. He said, yes. I told him I was the guitar player and I did a famous solo called 2112 Grand Finale from the album All the World's a Stage. I thought he would see through my joke, but he did not and so I did not go out of my way to correct him. I think I implied I was joking, but I am not sure how clear he was on it though. I told him to feel free to email me with his instructions but I cannot remember if he ever did. He went on to state how he could only do the PhD at Lampeter for as long as his Bishop in the Caribbean would cover it financially and allow it. I thought that perhaps he was obeying the party line from the Bishop and was glad I had no such line to follow in order to maintain myself in a PhD program.
I mentioned the gentlemen to my academic advisor at a later point, and I was told he was struggling. I hope he made it.
Aberystwyth is apparently about 50 km north of Lampeter. Wales is a beautiful country, by the way.
I think I am a 'little' too young to have done that 1976 solo.
