A Timeline of Dr. Russell Norman Murray's academic history

Byrne Road Cactus Club, Burnaby BC


Photo by Trevor Epp (April 2, 2011)

I was called 'The Don' and thekingpin.


Photo by Dave Murray (April 2, 2011)

Thanks for the cake, Chuck.

A Timeline of Dr. Russell Norman Murray's academic history by Chucky with assistance from thekingpin with some of the funny bits especially.

PhD Graduation Party April 2, 2011. Byrne Road, Cactus Club Cafe, Burnaby, British Columbia

Thanks to friends and family for the excellent PhD Graduation Party at Byrne Road, Cactus Club.

Thank you to Cactus Club, Byrne Road as well. Professional with first-rate food and service as it has been with every Cactus Club Cafe I have been to.

Dr. Russ Murray:)

Chucky...

(~1987) Russ becomes a fan of cult expert Dr. Walter Martin - the flame is kindled. He realizes there is more to ministry than Ernest Angley, Peter Popoff and Oral Roberts.

(1989) Russ attends a Christian college & careers bible study and makes some friends who notice and encourage his passion for apologetics. Russ makes fun of his friends by drawing comic strip stories about them and others. His friends Chuck and Bobby are easy targets. Bobby shows his muscles off for the girls at Bible school.

(1990) Russ decides to quit insurance and call center work and pursue an academic career in Biblical studies/theology/philosophy, starting with Columbia Bible College. Russ becomes acquainted with the Mennonite belief system that his goofy pal Chucky was raised with. This system is soon rejected for Reformed Theology. Sorry, Gerry. Russ hangs with Bobby Buff at school. They almost always skip chapel and play foosball. Russ takes classes from and befriends Chucky's relative, Gerry. Uncle Gerry mentors Russ and has a theory.

(1995) Russ completes his Bachelor of Arts degree. First trip to Britain with Chucky. Travelling by train and bus. Russ gets a sore toe in the Cotswolds. Chucky misreads the bus schedule and after failed attempt to hitchhike back to Stratford, asks a local to call a taxi. Russ has to have toe surgery in Birmingham. Chucky meets David Forbes, and eats haggis and black pudding at Brian Forbes' place. David keeps us up all night with crazy wonderful stories and then puts in a full day driving the double decker bus. Russ relaxes at the Giants' Causeway in northern Ireland. Chucky stops a crazy drunk lady from jumping into the River Liffey in Dublin. Russ used some of his counselling from Bible School and was told to "F off". Russ goes to Canadian Baptist Cemetary (part of ACTS at TWU campus) for his first masters. First attempt at focusing on theodicy. Russ becomes well-acquainted with the TWU photocopier.

(1997) Russ completes his MTS degree. Lack of support from some lovely baptist professors at ACTS drives Russ to aim for a PhD. Mega 2-part vacation - California to see Rush with Chucky, Greg D. and biological cousin Colin, then 2nd Britain trip with Chucky to check out schools. Looking for CD shops in San Francisco, we find ourselves in Castro district, by accident. The gay capital of the world. The Rush show was enjoyed by all. Later we would find a high quality recording of the very same concert. Post-show rendezvous was difficult, especially with no cell phones, but successful. Cousin Colin departs in mysterious fashion. We are ditched. We are not sure if Colin headed back to Castro. Greg D takes bus from Seattle and Russ and Chucky fly to London. Russ and Chucky rent a car and deal with the stress of trying to drive on the left and navigate out of central London to get to Cambridge. Chucky directs Russ down a one way street the wrong way. Schools visited: U. of London, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol. Russ recalls a stuck-up guy at London: "I don't know that your 1st class Christian honours are not our 3rd class honours."

(1999) Russ accepted for MPhil/PhD program at Manchester. Russ attends Manchester, discovers British bias against North American theological training, labelled as fundamentalist. Advisor was away at Germany for year. A source, with a similar name ;) tells me Prof. Jantzen, of Manchester, had it in for TWU students and she used to attend, and so she wanted me out. Prof. Pailin ended up being a real Pailin in the ass. Leaving his flat for a short trip back to Canada, Russ returns to find his Manchester flat burglarized. Conflicts at Manchester lead Russ to attempt switching to Nazarene Theological College (also in Manchester). Nazarene is blocked by their relationship with Manchester, politics force Russ to search for another school.

(2000) In despair about his situation, Russ sends out emails to a few other potential schools, prays, and the following day receives a call from Dr. William Kay at University of Wales, which offers a distance learning PhD. But must first complete a British MPhil degree. Russ started the MPhil while in Manchester. Did Chapter 1 in the UK. Chucky comes over from Belgium to visit at Christmas time, and Russ and Chucky are attacked downtown, Russ getting bottled. UK doctor attempts to fix the nose by hand, makes it worse. Nasal and dental reconstructive surgery were done after returning to Canada.

(2001) Russ works from home, and rekindles his relationship with the TWU photocopier. Russ learns statistics, as advisor (William Kay) has statistical background and they decide a survey approach to theodicy would be unique and interesting.

(2003) Russ completes the MPhil for U. of Wales with no revisions, despite having to deal with annoying vitreous floaters and sleep apnea related fatigue. Sleeping 12 hours a days to do 12 hours of work, including thesis writing and blogging.

(2004) Russ begins blogging, starting with thekingpin68 blog, with posts on various theological topics, and beautiful scenic photos of places around the world. A guy named "Jeff" becomes an early fan and voluminous writer, also providing occasional humourous photoshopped images. An annual feature is the “non-conformist of the year”, selected among Russ' many nicknamed friends. Bobby Buff is the 10-times winner. Russ begins work on the PhD.

(2006) Russ adds a second blog, satireandtheology. Today both blogs receive about 15,000 pages views a month combined. First PhD advisor (Mark) advises Russ to avoid a philosophical approach. Mark leaves the University; Russ is assigned another advisor (Rob). There is a long delay between advisors. Rob wanted way more work - lots of additions. Rob then leaves for another school (Chester).

(2009) Russ goes to Wales and impresses the examiners with his thesis defense (viva). The examiners ask for a more philosophical approach and revisions that took another eight months.

(2010) Russ finally gets word that his PhD revisions have been accepted. University of Wales, Lampeter is involved in merger with Trinity University College. The merged school is called University of Wales, Trinity Saint David. The merger slows up processing of the doctorate. Russ' doctorate was basically lost and was only found when he emailed the top three persons at TSD and they put pressure on the office to get it done. Diploma arrives in the mail with stamps from both University of Wales and University of Wales, Lampeter. Fortunately it is not bent like his Silver Surfer comic book. (2011) Russ develops a following among young, female Brazilian bloggers. Also some from Spain and Argentina.


Photo by Dr. Russ Murray (April 2, 2011)






BA, MTS, MPhil, PhD (Order on wall, PhD, up BA, down MTS, MPhil)
My wall completed after my PhD graduation party.
Photo by Dr. Russ Murray

Thank you to Philip Hayes for the last three images from Icanhasmotivation.com

Totalitarianism

Libya, desert oasis (Google images)

Libya, is of course in the news much lately.

CIA

Libya

'Government type'

'Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state'

In other words, a state theoretically governed by the people through local councils, but in actuality these councils answer to an authoritarian state. This type of state is also described philosophically as dictatorship and totalitarian.

Blackburn defines totalitarianism as a principle of government by which all institutional and private arrangements are controlled by the government/state. Autonomous groups and associations do not exist and as well there does not exist legally recognized private/public distinctions. Blackburn (1996: 379).

Philosophically, some possible implications for the Christian Church in a State if Blackburn's definition is followed closely or somewhat closely:

The Church could be made illegal and forced underground.

The Church could be heavily controlled by government authorities leading to a corruption of theology and practice.

The Church could be influenced by government authorities leading to some compromises and perhaps corruption in theology and practice.

It is possible the Church could be allowed relative freedom by government authorities to truly practice Biblical standards, but this historically seems less likely.

Therefore, philosophically, Christians should politically oppose totalitarian forms of government.

The objection could be made from the critic that the culminated Kingdom of God/Heaven will not be a democracy but as a Kingdom will therefore be totalitarian. However:

God shows love to his people. (John 3).

God elects and atones those in Christ by grace through faith. (Ephesians 1-2).

The new heaven and new earth of resurrected believers, (Revelation 21-22) we will be ruled by an omnipotent, perfectly holy God, although Christ will be king.

I therefore, do not reason Christ/God will be a dictator.

There are other very serious reasons of course for Christians to oppose totalitarianism as well, such as human rights, and other.

The issue of military force to battle totalitarian regimes is complex and needs to be looked at and reviewed in each case.

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford, University, Press.


Murzuq, Libya (trekearth.com)


The Sahara Desert, Jalu, Libya (trekearth.com)

THE END

Keeping with the sand theme...

My dear Mother sent me some photos from Maho Beach of Sint Maarten on the Dutch side. The Princess Juliana International Aiport is next to the beach...




This is actually where they drop off those packaged peanuts for the beach buffs.






That guy is classic. 'This is my vacation!'

Goofy email I received:

'Get back to me if Interested!!!

I have an orphanage project for you worth US$14,000,000.00. get back to me via email on (deleted@qatar.io) for more details.
Mr. Newton Hannington.'

PhD Viva experience

Solva, Pembrokeshire, Wales (trekearth.com)


Solva, Pembrokeshire, Wales (trekearth.com)

As my April 2 unofficial local PhD Wales gradation approaches, I thought I would for a few reasons, including as a public service to PhD students worldwide, present a fairly short post 'PhD Viva experience'. I do receive occasional emails on the issue. I hope I can assist some people.

The day prior to the Viva, I was sitting in my underwear (of all things) in my bed at a quite nice local Bed and Breakfast reading my Viva notes ranging from human consciousness, statistics/research methods, to theodicy, the problem of evil, free will, determinism, gratuitous evil, atheism, etc. All of sudden I heard a lady hammering on my door yelling. I thought, crazy British lady! And this was inside a building, downstairs, early in the morning. I had lived in Manchester for two years from 1999-2001 and are there are some 'characters' and so this explains my 'horrible attitude'. The lady was actually the very kind Welsh lady co-owner stating, 'Mr Murray urgent call from Canada, hurry'. Then I thought, I am gone less than a week and something has gone wrong already. Oh well, Mom and I agreed I needed to stay and get this Viva done. Turns out it was my good buddy from Manchester just wondering when I would be done with my business there in Wales so I could find a way to struggle with buses and trains to get to Northern England. Yes, the nice lady could not tell a Manchester accent from a Canadian one. My friend and I did not want some 'silly PhD Viva' to hold us from seeing football for too long. I mean a PhD Viva versus Manchester United at Old Trafford, come on, and my friend is an Arsenal supporter and he still went with me.

My advisors at Wales were very professional and knew enough about the topic of theodicy and the problem of evil, primarily philosophical and secondarily theological academically, in my opinion, that for the sake of originality it needed to be approached with empirical theology which included research methods and statistics and so questionnaires and surveys. The PhD thesis also included practical theology for originality. My skill-set unlike my advisors was more of a philosophical theologian and I actually wished to not only deal with more philosophical theology but more philosophy of religion. I had been learning more philosophy on the side since my time at Trinity Western University and Canadian Baptist Seminary. However, much of my philosophical work ended up edited out by the advice of my advisors.

Once all the revisions were done with my advisor at the time, he was pleased with the work and he reasoned, but could not promise, I would probably have few revisions. At the Viva, an internal philosopher of religion was brought in and an external theologian from London. They wanted more philosophical input such as review and argumentation concerning different ways of looking at the omnipotence of God for example within the work, and more philosophical discussion on certainty. Once we discussed issues at the Viva, they understood as a philosophical theologian and philosopher of religion I understood the concepts but the thesis had been somewhat guided differently. So, I was not happy with eight months revisions (as it turned out), as I would have liked to written a more of philosophical thesis in the first place. I was not angry with my advisors, but was angry with system.

If part A of the system with advisors asks for example, a, b, and c, to pass and part B of the system with the reviewers at the Viva asks for a, b, d, e to pass then there is differences with the approach.

The advisors required a thesis with an empirical/practical emphasis.

The reviewers required a more philosophical thesis.

The University wants successful PhD students, in general terms, as do all basically establishments.

Therefore:

There should be a more consistent approach within the PhD thesis review system.

Further:

My suggestion is to have the advisor as the internal reviewer and simply weed out students that are not likely going to pass prior to the Viva process.

The reviewers stated I demonstrated I knew the philosophical material lacking in the initial pre-Viva/pre-finalized version by my ability to discuss, debate/argue.

But, I truly feel for someone that is very academically book smart and does everything they are told to by their advisors, for example, a,b, and c and then run into reviewers that want a, b, d, and e, that is not a good speaker or debater. Does he or she perhaps end up with an MPhil? That would mean he or she would perhaps fail. I thank the Lord he gave me the skill-set and help to get through this glorified minefield.

On the other hand, it is an honour to have a PhD from Wales.

By the way, with the British system, the MPhil can be earned, prior to a PhD, as part one of the research thesis program, as I earned it, or instead of as a scaled down thesis.

Conwy Castle, Wales 2001 (Russ Murray)

Conwy Gardens, 2001 Wales (Russ Murray)


I thought of a new name for a modern denomination...

Me Church International




Another classic manager/actor from this blog's past, this time from Colombia. This involved a riot looks like, sadly.

The Elite

Cha Grande, Brazil (trekearth.com)

The Elite

A family friend, the same family friend from the Dr. Russell Norman Murray post 'The Battle of Ricky's: Dr. Kingpin and The Demon Chaser' wanted my professional opinion as a theologian and philosopher of religion on this topic. I was given the DVD series to copy to my hard drive within two days and then it was to be returned. It is produced by the The Prophecy Club and The Prophecy Club.com The DVD is Lindsey Williams 'The Elite Speak' The CD is Lindsey Williams 'Plans of the Elite'. 

Replacement video as the original link no longer exists. (July 2020)

   

Mr.Williams states he worked on Alaskan pipeline in the 1970s as a chaplain. He knew two in-charge persons which he calls members of the elite. He claims the elite economically run the world. He states today there is a new agreement between Russia and China with Russia supplying China with energy in an exclusive manner. He therefore reasons Russia and China are basically most important in the world scene for America. 

Mr. Williams then launches into a patriotic presentation on how many American companies now manufacture their products in other countries. He states that the elitists are responsible for this and the resulting US job losses. He reasons this has been a betrayal by the US political elected officials of the American people. He claims China's economy will be 40% larger than the US economy by 2040. He explains the US has more debt than rest of the world combined.

Mr. Williams reasons by 2012 the US dollar will be dead. The elitists have the Devil's Messiah and he ties this into the future antichrist of the Bible. The only way the elitists could make future slaves of the American people was to bring evolution into school, take prayer out of school and to get rid of the Christian God. He states that several counties in the US have ordinances that if there is a single complaint against a church that a church can be shut down. 

Eventually every single church not in compliance with the Devil's Messiah in the United States will be shut down. He suggests that one invest in gold and silver, the currency of the elite. Mr. Williams states that one should pay close attention to the price of oil as the higher that becomes the worse things could be for Americans. The major mortgage crisis will become worse. He suggests that Americans should stay out of debt. With the government bailout the elite will end up owning all commercial and domestic/residential mortgages in the USA. He urges his listeners to trust in Jesus Christ. He appears to be a King James Version only Bible supporter. He explains that the elite are not of any ethnic group as some would expect. 

My comments:

1.Thank you to my friend for providing me with this information. In a sense, knowledge is power.

2. I believe that billionaires that run corporations have very strong influences on economies, governments, and the markets. Is that a world-wide elitist conspiracy? Not sure. Not convinced. 

3. A Russia-China pact and a weakening United States is a potential threat to Western democracy in my opinion. 

4. With all due respect to my much loved American readers, links, followers and friends, the United States in not the only democratic country in the world here that matters but Mr. Williams acts like it is. He offends me a little as a Canadian/British intellectual. But, I do think the United States should protect its jobs and economy and its freedom, but I think other Western countries should as well! 

5. Whether the antichrist is a system only (my pastor's view for example) or a system and a person, which seems quite possible as the man of lawlessness of 2 Thessalonians 2:3, it would seem many of the world's wealthy and powerful would be enlisted by the antichrist. So, in the future the elite, so to speak, of all sorts will follow the antichrist, but so will many of the masses. 

6. Good to see that he is not stating a 'Jewish elite' for example, exists. The elite are not an ethnic group.

7. Concerning the King James Version. There were English versions before it. There are later versions based on possible earlier manuscripts. It is 'a' version. 

8. Good to see the gospel preached.

Majority Text 

NT Manuscripts

February 19, 2011 

Yesterday I was trying to clean up a mess from the day before as I had received a near mint book shoved and bent in my mail box by Canada Post, so now only a Fine. Canada Post does not want to take responsibility...we shall see! They want me to go after the sender. I see this as morally unethical and immoral. As I was leaving their parking lot in my vehicle I was rear-ended and now the bumper needs replacing. I was angry for about thirty seconds and then as the red truck approached I greeted the man with a 'Good Afternoon'. He admitted fault. My bumper is destroyed…for the fourth time. Each time I have not been at fault officially. I filed a claim online yesterday. We shall see. My poor ol’ Mom was jolted up a bit, as I was taking her shopping. No, the man in the red truck had nothing to do with the elite.

 

PMH sent me this, thank you.