Qualifications or Fairness

Is it fair that a blind person cannot conduct a medical operation? Is it fair when a high school dropout is not hired for a position that requires a higher degree? Is it fair when a deaf person is not hired to take dictation?

Its not a question of fairness. Its a question of qualifications.

Someone must be able to see to conduct a medical operation
Someone must have the degree for certain jobs
Someone must be able to hear to take down someone's words accurately

So why when the qualifications for Biblical ministry are clearly spelled out in Timothy does it suddenly become a question of fairness?

I Timothy 3:1-13

Qualifications for Overseers

1The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2Therefore an overseer£ must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,£ sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons

8Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,£ not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11Their wives£ likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Titus 1:6-9

Qualifications for Elders

5This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—6if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,£ and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7For an overseer,£ as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound£ doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

What's your theological worldview?

What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Reformed Evangelical You are a Reformed Evangelical. You take the Bible very seriously because it is God's Word. You most likely hold to TULIP and are sceptical about the possibilities of universal atonement or resistible grace. The most important thing the Church can do is make sure people hear how they can go to heaven when they die. Reformed Evangelical 86% Fundamentalist 71% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 71% Neo orthodox 61% Roman Catholic 54% Charismatic/Pentecostal 39% Emergent/Postmodern 25% Classical Liberal 21% Modern Liberal 14%

Episcopol Church Counciled to table action against Pittsburgh Bishop

"In brief, I would urge TEC (The Episcopal Church) and other Anglican bishops to pray for and take action so that this process pauses indefinitely," the Rev. Ephraim Radner said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Episcopal Church's three senior bishops stopped short of banning Duncan from his religious duties last week when the presiding bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, sought to inhibit him. Duncan was, however, certified as having "abandoned the Communion of this Church" and Episcopal bishops are expected to vote on a final decision later this year.

The charge essentially means that the bishop has effectively left the church.

Duncan has been leading his Pittsburgh diocese toward a split with The Episcopal Church over its liberal direction on Scripture and homosexuality. The Pittsburgh bishop has expressed little hope that the national church would get back in line with Anglican tradition and is currently planning to form a separate orthodox Anglican body in the United States with other conservative bishops.

The Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of Anglicanism, widened rifts in the Anglican Communion when it consecrated openly gay bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire in 2003.

Radner urged the Episcopal bishops to vote to table the matter of Duncan's status and discipline "indefinitely." He believes the national church is not in a position to judge anything especially during a time of confusion and discernment.

I doubt this advice will be followed.

Order of Worship = Structure for Evangelism?

The typical order of Worship on Sunday:

I. Entering the Presence of God

A. Call to Worship
B. Songs of Praise
C. Prayer of Confession
D. Assurance of Pardon
E. Psalter Response
F. Hymn of Praise

II. Hearing God's Word to us

A. Old Testament Lesson
B. Epistles Lesson
C. Gospel Lesson
D. Sermon

III. The People's Response

A. Hymn of Response
B. Confession of Faith
C. Prayers of the People
D. Offerings
E. Closing Hymn

Doesn't evangelism use the same structure?
I. Call and Convict the person of their sins
II. Teach them the Grace of God and the Gift of Salvation
III. Hopefully their response to the Gospel of Grace positive and they are welcomed into the people of God.

Ten Commandments and the Believer

Q. 104. What are the duties required in the first commandment?
A. The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God;[446] and to worship and glorify him accordingly,[447] by thinking,[448] meditating,[449] remembering,[450] highly esteeming,[451] honouring,[452] adoring,[453] choosing,[454] loving,[455] desiring,[456] fearing of him;[457] believing him;[458] trusting[459] hoping,[460] delighting,[461] rejoicing in him;[462] being zealous for him;[463] calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks,[464] and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man;[465] being careful in all things to please him,[466] and sorrowful when in any thing he is offended;[467] and walking humbly with him.[468]

Q. 105. What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the first commandment are, atheism, in denying or not having a God;[469] idolatry, in having or worshipping more gods than one, or any with or instead of the true God;[470] the not having and avouching him for God, and our God;[471] the omission or neglect of anything due to him, required in this commandment;[472] ignorance,[473] forgetfulness,[474] misapprehensions,[475] false opinions,[476] unworthy and wicked thoughts of him;[477] bold and curious searching into his secrets;[478] all profaneness,[479] hatred of God;[480] self-love,[481] self-seeking,[482] and all other inordinate and immoderate setting of our mind, will, or affections upon other things, and taking them off from him in whole or in part;[483] vain credulity,[484] unbelief,[485] heresy,[486] misbelief,[487] distrust,[488] despair,[489] incorrigibleness,[490] and insensibleness under judgments,[491] hardness of heart,[492] pride,[493] presumption,[494] carnal security,[495] tempting of God;[496] using unlawful means,[497] and trusting in lawful means;[498] carnal delights and joys;[499] corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal;[500] lukewarmness,[501] and deadness in the things of God;[502] estranging ourselves, and apostatizing from God;[503] praying, or giving any religious worship, to saints, angels, or any other creatures;[504] all compacts and consulting with the devil,[505] and hearkening to his suggestions;[506] making men the lords of our faith and conscience;[507] slighting and despising God and his commands;[508] resisting and grieving of his Spirit,[509] discontent and impatience at his dispensations, charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us;[510] and ascribing the praise of any good we either are, have or can do, to fortune,[511] idols,[512] ourselves,[513] or any other creature.[514]

Q. 108. What are the duties required in the second commandment?
A. The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his Word;[518] particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ;[519] the reading, preaching, and hearing of the Word;[520] the administration and receiving of the sacraments;[521] church government and discipline;[522] the ministry and maintainance thereof;[523] religious fasting;[524] swearing by the name of God;[525] and vowing unto him;[526] as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing all false worship;[527] and, according to each one’s place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.[528]

Q. 109. What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising,[529] counselling,[530] commanding,[531] using,[532] and anywise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself;[533] tolerating a false religion; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever;[534] all worshipping of it,[535] or God in it or by it;[536] the making of any representation of feigned deities,[537] and all worship of them, or service belonging to them,[538] all superstitious devices,[539] corrupting the worship of God,[540] adding to it, or taking from it,[541] whether invented and taken up of ourselves,[542] or received by tradition from others,[543] though under the title of antiquity,[544] custom,[545] devotion,[546] good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever;[547] simony;[548] sacrilege;[549] all neglect,[550] contempt,[551] hindering,[552] and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.[553].

Q. 112. What is required in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment requires, That the name of God, his titles, attributes,[561] ordinances,[562] the Word,[563] sacraments,[564] prayer,[565] oaths,[566] vows,[567] lots,[568] his works,[569] and whatsoever else there is whereby he makes himself known, be holily and reverently used in thought,[570] meditation,[571] word,[572] and writing;[573] by an holy profession,[574] and answerable conversation,[575] to the glory of God,[576] and the good of ourselves,[577] and others.[578].

Q. 113. What are the sins forbidden in the third commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, the not using of God’s name as is required;[579] and the abuse of it in an ignorant,[580] vain,[581] irreverent, profane,[582] superstitious[583] or wicked mentioning or otherwise using his titles, attributes,[584] ordinances,[585] or works,[586] by blasphemy,[587] perjury;[588] all sinful cursings,[589] oaths,[590] vows,[591] and lots;[592] violating of our oaths and vows, if lawful;[593] and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful;[594] murmuring and quarrelling at,[595] curious prying into,[596] and misapplying of God’s decrees[597] and providences;[598] misinterpreting,[599] misapplying,[600] or any way perverting the Word, or any part of it;[601] to profane jests,[602] curious or unprofitable questions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of false doctrines;[603] abusing it, the creatures, or anything contained under the name of God, to charms,[604] or sinful lusts and practices;[605] the maligning,[606] scorning,[607] reviling,[608] or any wise opposing of God’s truth, grace, and ways;[609] making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends;[610] being ashamed of it,[611] or a shame to it, by unconformable,[612] unwise,[613] unfruitful,[614] and offensive walking,[615] or backsliding from it.[616].

Q. 116. What is required in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment requireth of all men the sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word, expressly one whole day in seven; which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the world; which is the Christian sabbath,[622] and in the New Testament called The Lord’s day.[623]

Q. 119. What are the sins forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the fourth commandment are, all omissions of the duties required,[630] all careless, negligent, and unprofitable performing of them, and being weary of them;[631] all profaning the day by idleness, and doing that which is in itself sinful;[632] and by all needless works, words, and thoughts, about our worldly employments and recreations.[633]

Q. 124. Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment?
A. By father and mother, in the fifth commandment, are meant, not only natural parents,[649] but all superiors in age[650] and gifts;[651] and especially such as, by God’s ordinance, are over us in place of authority, whether in family,[652] church,[653] or commonwealth.[654]

Q. 125. Why are superiors styled father and mother?
A. Superiors are styled father and mother, both to teach them in all duties toward their inferiors, like natural parents, to express love and tenderness to them, according to their several relations;[655] and to work inferiors to a greater willingness and cheerfulness in performing their duties to their superiors, as to their parents.[656]

Q. 126. What is the general scope of the fifth commandment?
A. The general scope of the fifth commandment is, the performance of those duties which we mutually owe in our several relations, as inferiors, superiors, or equals.[657]

Q. 127. What is the honour that inferiors owe to their superiors?
A. The honour which inferiors owe to their superiors is, all due reverence in heart,[658] word, [659] and behaviour;[660] prayer and thanksgiving for them;[661] imitation of their virtues and graces;[662] willing obedience to their lawful commands and counsels;[663] due submission to their corrections;[664] fidelity to,[665] defence,[666] and maintenance of their persons and authority, according to their several ranks, and the nature of their places;[667] bearing with their infirmities, and covering them in love,[668] that so they may be an honour to them and to their government.[669]

Q. 128. What are the sins of inferiors against their superiors?
A. The sins of inferiors against their superiors are, all neglect of the duties required toward them;[670] envying at,[671] contempt of,[672] and rebellion[673] against, their persons[674] and places,[675] in their lawful counsels,[676] commands, and corrections;[677] cursing, mocking[678] and all such refractory and scandalous carriage, as proves a shame and dishonour to them and their government.[679]

Q. 129. What is required of superiors towards their inferiors?
A. It is required of superiors, according to that power they receive from God, and that relation wherein they stand, to love,[680] pray for,[681] and bless their inferiors;[682] to instruct,[683] counsel, and admonish them;[684] countenancing,[685] commending,[686] and rewarding such as do well;[687] and discountenancing,[688] reproving, and chastising such as do ill;[689] protecting,[690] and providing for them all things necessary for soul[691] and body:[692] and by grave, wise, holy, and exemplary carriage, to procure glory to God,[693] honour to themselves,[694] and so to preserve that authority which God hath put upon them.[695]

Q. 130. What are the sins of superiors?
A. The sins of superiors are, besides the neglect of the duties required of them,[696] and inordinate seeking of themselves,[697] their own glory,[698] ease, profit, or pleasure;[699] commanding things unlawful,[700] or not in the power of inferiors to perform;[701] counseling,[702] encouraging,[703] or favouring them in that which is evil;[704] dissuading, discouraging, or discountenancing them in that which is good;[705] correcting them unduly;[706] careless exposing, or leaving them to wrong, temptation, and danger;[707] provoking them to wrath;[708] or any way dishonouring themselves, or lessening their authority, by an unjust, indiscreet, rigorous, or remiss behaviour.[709]

Q. 131. What are the duties of equals?
A. The duties of equals are, to regard the dignity and worth of each other,[710] in giving honour to go one before another;[711] and to rejoice in each others’ gifts and advancement, as their own.[712]

Q. 132. What are the sins of equals?
A. The sins of equals are, besides the neglect of the duties required,[713] the undervaluing of the worth,[714] envying the gifts,[715] grieving at the advancement of prosperity one of another;[716] and usurping pre-eminence one over another.[717]

Q. 135. What are the duties required in the sixth commandment?
A. The duties required in the sixth commandment are all careful studies, and lawful endeavors, to preserve the life of ourselves[721] and others[722] by resisting all thoughts and purposes,[723] subduing all passions,[724] and avoiding all occasions,[725] temptations,[726] and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any;[727] by just defence thereof against violence,[728] patient bearing of the hand of God,[729] quietness of mind,[730] cheerfulness of spirit;[731] a sober use of meat,[732] drink,[733] physic,[734] sleep,[735] labour,[736] and recreations;[737] by charitable thoughts,[738] love,[739] compassion,[740] meekness, gentleness, kindness;[741] peaceable,[742] mild and courteous speeches and behaviour;[743] forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil;[744] comforting and succouring the distressed and protecting and defending the innocent.[745]

Q. 136. What are the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the sixth commandment are, all taking away the life of ourselves,[746] or of others,[747] except in case of public justice,[748] lawful war,[749] or necessary defence;[750] the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful and necessary means of preservation of life;[751] sinful anger,[752] hatred,[753] envy,[754] desire of revenge;[755] all excessive passions,[756] distracting cares;[757] immoderate use of meat, drink,[758] labor,[759] and recreations;[760] provoking words,[761] oppression,[762] quarreling,[763] striking, wounding,[764] and whatsoever else tends to the destruction of the life of any.[765]

Q. 138. What are the duties required in the seventh commandment?
A. The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body, mind, affections,[767] words,[768] and behavior;[769] and the preservation of it in ourselves and others;[770] watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses;[771] temperance,[772] keeping of chaste company,[773] modesty in apparel;[774] marriage by those that have not the gift of continency,[775] conjugal love,[776] and cohabitation;[777] diligent labor in our callings;[778] shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.[779]

Q. 139. What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required,[780] are, adultery, fornication,[781] rape, incest,[782] sodomy, and all unnatural lusts;[783] all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections;[784] all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto;[785] wanton looks,[786] impudent or light behaviour, immodest apparel;[787] prohibiting of lawful,[788] and dispensing with unlawful marriages;[789] allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them;[790] entangling vows of single life,[791] undue delay of marriage,[792] having more wives or husbands than one at the same time;[793] unjust divorce,[794] or desertion;[795] idleness, gluttony, drunkenness,[796] unchaste company;[797] lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancings, stage plays;[798] and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others.[799]

Q. 141. What are the duties required in the eighth commandment?
A. The duties required in the eighth commandment are, truth, faithfulness, and justice in contracts and commerce between man and man;[801] rendering to everyone his due; restitution of goods unlawfully detained from the right owners thereof;[802] giving and lending freely, according to our abilities, and the necessities of others;[803] moderation of our judgments, wills, and affections concerning worldly goods;[804] a provident care and study to get,[805] keep, use, and dispose these things which are necessary and convenient for the sustentation of our nature, and suitable to our condition;[806] a lawful calling,[807] and diligence in it;[808] frugality;[809] avoiding unnecessary lawsuits,[810]. and suretiship, or other like engagements;[811] and an endeavor, by all just and lawful means, to procure, preserve, and further the wealth and outward estate of others, as well as our own.[812]

Q. 142. What are the sins forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the eighth commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required,[813] are, theft,[814] robbery,[815] man-stealing,[816] and receiving any thing that is stolen;[817] fraudulent dealing,[818] false weights and measures,[819] removing landmarks,[820] injustice and unfaithfulness in contracts between man and man,[821] or in matters of trust;[822] oppression,[823] extortion,[824] usury,[825] bribery,[826] vexatious lawsuits,[827] unjust inclosures and depopulations;[828] ingrossing commodities to enhance the price;[829] unlawful callings,[830] and all other unjust or sinful ways of taking or withholding from our neighbour what belongs to him, or of enriching ourselves;[831] covetousness;[832] inordinate prizing and affecting worldly goods;[833] distrustful and distracting cares and studies in getting, keeping, and using them;[834] envying at the prosperity of others;[835] as likewise idleness,[836] prodigality, wasteful gaming; and all other ways whereby we do unduly prejudice our own outward estate,[837] and defrauding ourselves of the due use and comfort of that estate which God hath given us.[838]

Q. 144. What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?
A. The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man,[840] and the good name of our neighbour, as well as our own;[841] appearing and standing for the truth;[842] and from the heart,[843] sincerely,[844] freely,[845] clearly,[846] and fully,[847] speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice,[848] and in all other things whatsoever;[849] a charitable esteem of our neighbours;[850] loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name;[851] sorrowing for,[852] and covering of their infirmities;[853] freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces,[854] defending their innocency;[855] a ready receiving of a good report,[856] and unwillingness to admit of an evil report,[857] concerning them; discouraging tale-bearers,[858] flatterers,[859] and slanderers;[860] love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth;[861] keeping of lawful promises;[862] studying and practicing of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.[863]

Q. 145. What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbours, as well as our own,[864] especially in public judicature;[865] giving false evidence,[866] suborning false witnesses,[867] wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth;[868] passing unjust sentence,[869] calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked;[870] forgery,[871] concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause,[872] and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves,[873] or complaint to others;[874] speaking the truth unseasonably,[875] or maliciously to a wrong end,[876] or perverting it to a wrong meaning,[877] or in doubtful and equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of truth or justice;[878] speaking untruth,[879] lying,[880] slandering,[881] backbiting,[882] detracting, tale bearing,[883] whispering,[884] scoffing,[885] reviling,[886] rash,[887] harsh,[888] and partial censuring;[889] misconstructing intentions, words, and actions;[890] flattering,[891] vain-glorious boasting;[892] thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others;[893] denying the gifts and graces of God;[894] aggravating smaller faults;[895] hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession;[896] unnecessary discovering of infirmities;[897] raising false rumors,[898] receiving and countenancing evil reports,[899] and stopping our ears against just defense;[900] evil suspicion;[901] envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any,[902] endeavoring or desiring to impair it,[903] rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy;[904] scornful contempt,[905] fond admiration;[906] breach of lawful promises;[907] neglecting such things as are of good report,[908] and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.[909]

Q. 147. What are the duties required in the tenth commandment?
A. The duties required in the tenth commandment are, such a full contentment with our own condition,[911] and such a charitable frame of the whole soul toward our neighbour, as that all our inward motions and affections touching him, tend unto, and further all that good which is his.[912]

Q. 148. What are the sins forbidden in the tenth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the tenth commandment are, discontentment with our own estate;[913] envying[914] and grieving at the good of our neighbour,[915] together with all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.[916]

Q. 149. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No man is able, either of himself,[917] or by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God;[918] but doth daily break them in thought,[919] word, and deed.[920]

So if no one can keep them what exactly are the Ten Commandments for the Believer?
They make believers aware of their sins - Romans 3:20-31; Galatians 2:15-21

What are the commandments for the non-believer?
They convict them because they do not accept the grace of Christ and there is nothing that they can do that completely follows the commandments of God. - Romands 3:20-26; Galatians 2:15-21

Should the civil government enact the Moral Law of God as the standard of its nation?
See question 130 about superiors enacting laws that are impossible for inferiors to perform.

The Regulative Principle

The Regulative Prince is

whatever is not commanded is forbidden

Now I would say it should be "whatever is commanded is necessary and what is not commanded is forbidden" but thats not what this post is about. What it is about is John Frame has a different view on its implications.

Is buying cabbage really adiaphoron, morally indifferent? I would say no. Buying cabbage, like all human actions, is a matter of concern to God. He says, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31). This command, like those in Rom 14:23, Col 3:17, 24, and elsewhere, is absolutely general. It covers all human activities, including buying cabbage. If we buy cabbage to the glory of God, he is pleased; if we do not, he is not. The act is not morally indifferent or neutral; it is either good or bad, depending on its goal and motive. Therefore, in an important sense, there are no adiaphora; there is no human act that is morally neutral.7 Every human act is either right or wrong, either pleasing or displeasing to God.

This means that all human actions are ruled by divine commandments. There is no neutral area where God permits us to be our own lawgivers. There is no area of human life where God abdicates his rule, or where his word to us is silent. What law governs the buying of cabbage? Well, 1 Cor 10:31 at least, not to mention narrower biblical principles requiring parents to nourish their children, to guard the health of themselves and others, etc. Actions in accord with these biblical principles are right, actions not in accord with them are wrong. It is not a matter of merely avoiding explicit prohibitions; rather it is a matter of keeping the commands of God.

And thus I would conclude that all human life is under RP1, and RP2 plays no role in biblical ethics.8 In every action, we are either obeying or disobeying a biblical command.

Now the RP2 is the Lutheran model:

"whatever is not forbidden is permitted

So if all of life is to be governed by the Regulative Principle, one would have to figure out several defenses. For instance:

Using computers
Using automobiles
Spending time on the internet
Plowing fields with machinery
Using machinery for that matter
Watching Television
Campaigning for an office
Spending a single second in some mindless entertainment like a movie or video games

Now Frame may actually take away this requirement because he goes on to say:

Does this mean that God commands me to buy a particular cabbage at the store? No. God commands me to glorify him, etc., and buying the cabbage is a "mode," a "way" of fulfilling that commandment. I could, perhaps, have fulfilled it in many other ways. Strict as it is, RP1 allows, both in worship (as we have seen) and in the rest of life, some freedom of application. Here again, there is no real difference between worship and the rest of life. In both cases, the three qualifications listed earlier must be taken into account: (a) we determine our responsibilities not only on the basis of explicit proof texts, but also on the basis of "good and necessary consequence"; (b) there are some "circumstances" not specifically mentioned in Scripture which we seek to arrange wisely, in accord with the broader principles of the word; and (c) Scripture grants us much (though not unlimited) freedom in the ways we carry out divine commands.

With that, I would say the requirement of defenses falls to only:
Watching TV
Spending Time on the INternet
And Spending time with other entertainments
Plus whatever things I didn't think of in the few seconds I spent thinking up stuff that match the new criteria

For instance can playing a video game like for instance Halo glorify God? I suppose one could evangelize while playing it. But doing that while shooting other players seems a bit of a stretch. But I suppose Evangelism could be used for doing any of those things.

Of course there is the question of where is the line between following rules and legalism? And what about Christian Liberty as defined in 1 Corinthians?

The Heartless Presbytery

After they decided to send the pastor to the unemployment line right before Christmas because his church decided to vote to leave the PCUSA, and they decided that the minority needed to keep the buildings, they have taken over the old building and sent out this lovely messenger

The goal: to raise $500,000 by January 31, 2008. Three members of the congregation have already committed $250,000 – IF their $250,000 contribution can be matched by the January 31, 2008 deadline. A heartfelt “thank you” is extended to Don and Eunice Wilbur and Diana Lee – who have committed $100,000 each, and to Lee and Mari Tetwiler, who have committed $50,000.

So what happens to the money collected when it doesn't quite match 250,000? Say the 12 families only manage to raise $1,000? Does the presbytery go: oh well. and pocket the $1,000 while the church is foreclosed on?

And demands for matching gifts always impresses me. Could there be a more selfish way to give? And I wonder what the New Testament says of proclaiming your "good" deeds for the rest to see. Somewhere there seems like there's a passage about things done in secret are looked upon with far more respect by God then the one that walks around with a sign proclaiming their good deeds. But I am an Old Testament student so I could be completely off track. I've only had like two classes on the NT.

A Reply to a posting over at Backwoods

I originally wrote this to post to a comment over at Backwoods but then thought I shouldn't really post this lengthy of a comment there. So essentially Ben is trying to go through the ordination process and his CMP is a jackass. So first what was said...

First there was this little tidbit

Since I know that they are tracking your posts

Then this

He didn't tell you the most outrages comment which was that God is a child abuser since he sent his son to die for us. Something totally unnecessary because he LOVES everyone and we are all going to heaven any way.

Well as long as they are reading this like the gestapo...

If Christ died for nothing because everyone is saved anyway, then the PCUSA is completely irrelevant. There is no reason for anyone to go to your churches. You are doing nothing except taking money like used car salesmen from the dwindling numbers that come to your church for nothing. Since all are saved, there is no need for your CPM, your presbyteries, your national offices in Louisville. There is no need for Sunday worship. There is no need for pastors. Ther eis no need for Sunday School. No need for Bible Studies. There is no need for prayer. There is no need for fasting. There is no need period. Close up shop and let your members spend their money on themselves like good people that believe in nothing.

Since you believe God loves everyone so everyone can do whatever they want without consequence your church is irrelevant. Stop wasting your member's money on nothing. Especially on worshipping a child abuser that doesn't care. You're going to heaven anyway so why bring people to your church to proclaim your message of nothingness.

That's the message of Universalism. Is that really the one you note takers want to send?

Feel free to ignore the fanatical writings of this orthodox believer. But then I'm sure you haven't made it this far.

Every Biblical Studies-Theology student should join

...the Society of Biblical Literature. It costs students $25 and you get access to the nearly every journal published since Volume 1 on JSTOR. There's a few here and there where it says not available but so far those are ones published before 1900 and they are few in number. And its only $25 for students.

Reformed Theological Seminary offers Free Lectures

Is everyone aware of this?

RTS offers http://virtual.rts.edu/ a lot of course lectures via itunes for free. A more direct link is http://itunes.rts.edu/

They have three Old Testament courses:

Genesis to Joshua 29 lectures
Judges thru Poets 36 lectures
Isaiah thru Malachi 34 lectures

Three New Testament Courses
Gospels and Acts 48 lectures
Pauline Epistles 47 lectures
Hebrew thru Revelation 45 lectures

5 courses in Church History
Church History 1 32 lectures
Church History 2 30 lectures
Church and the World 27 lectures
History and Theology of the Puritans 16 lectures
History of Missions 35 lectures

2 Courses in Prac Theology
Disabilities in the church 29 lectures
Education Ministry in the church 24 lectures

9 Courses in Theology
Intro to Pastoral and Theology 22 lectures
History of Philosophy and Christianity 36 lectures
Theological Foundations 24 lectures
Systematic Theology 1 (38 lectures) 2 (20 lectures) 3 (38 lectures)
Pastoral and Social Ethics 43 lectures
Christian Apologetics 26 lectures
CS Lewis 26 lectures

Plus different small sets on different things like 3 lectures on New Perspectives on Paul

And that's not to do away with the great deal of courses offered by Covenant Theological Seminary. They offer 20 courses as well at http://www.covenantseminary.edu/worldwide/default.asp

Including

Ancient & Medieval Church History
Apologetics & Outreach
Biblical Theology
Calvin's Institutes
Christ-Centered Preaching: Preparation and Delivery of Sermons
Christian Ethics
Christian Worship
Francis A. Schaeffer: The Early Years
Francis A. Schaeffer: The Later Years
God & His Word
God's World Mission
Hebrews to Revelation
Humanity, Christ & Redemption
Life & Letters of Paul
Life & Teachings of Jesus
New Testament History and Theology
Old Testament History
Psalms & Wisdom Books
Reformation & Modern Church History
Spirit, Church, & Last Things
Youth Ministry

My Class at church

Hey did I say 6 weeks? I actually meant 9 weeks. Yeah. We're right on schedule. I have no idea what you're talking about. This is a nine week course and always has been.

We're now at Slide 111 of 298. We talked about the 12th Dynasty of Egypt today and also threw in the minor Dynasties 13 and 14 which were concurrent dynasties. Not a good thing when two dynasties claim to be the rulers of Egypt at the same time.

Next week we continue the history of Genesis starting with Abraham at Sodom and Gomorrah. The schedule will be to go up to Joseph then return to the 15th Dynasty of Egypt and move through to the Merneptah Stele. Then we'll go back to Moses and face off against the Pharaoh of the Exodus. Otherwise known as Amenhotep II.

Calvinism on the rise in Southern Baptist

The number of gradates who affirmed Calvinism rose steadily between students who graduated in 1998 and those who graduated in 2004, Stetzer said.

"It would be difficult to say that Calvinism is not a growing influence in SBC life – and certainly a growing influence in the graduates of our seminaries," he told the conference crowd.

However, the steady growth may be a growing issue for Southern Baptists.

"I recently read that one key Southern Baptist leader was quoted as saying the two biggest problems in Southern Baptist life are contemporary churches and Calvinists," Stetzer said. "So there is obviously a growing concern but we're here to talk and build some bridges."

“Calvinism has generated a lot of interest in recent years in Southern Baptist life,” Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Seminary, noted. “Unfortunately we have often talked at and not with one another. Unhealthy rhetoric and misrepresentations from all directions have led to confusion and even ill will among brothers and sisters in Christ."

That last bit sounds famliar.

So is it a bad thing...

...that the first class that I teach, I'm already behind on the schedule that I planned? My class is supposed to last 6 weeks. And that means this week we're supposed to be at the midway point after this Sunday. We're no where near it. I made a powerpoint presentation for my class and its currently at 248 slides. And it keeps growing because I keep adding things/editing/breaking slides up into two and I already am going to add about 5 to 10 slides to the beginning of this Sunday's presentation. We're currently at slide number 64 which means we would need to do 60 slides this week to get to the halfway point. Last Sunday I only got through 20 slides. The first week I did 44 as the match probably showed.

I look at the material and it seems possible to get to slide 96... Of course I would probably cause their heads to start spinning.

And I keep getting the feeling that my pastor wants me to cover the documentary hypothesis because both weeks he's brought up the names of God and the way liberals do scholarship, and he said Gary can tell you more about that... which I gave a fairly limited overview of the different names of God: El Shaddai, Elohim, the different El titles, and of course Yahweh. Although it became a topic because one of my reasons I listed for studying Ancient Egypt was Liberal scholarship's tendency to not put much emphasis on Egypt... so I'm debating whether or not to add it to my class at some point. Maybe near the end.

The Error of the Anti-Federal Vision group

The other day, I posted where I feel the Federal Vision proponents are in error. Now I'm going to post where their opponents are wrong. Look at what is going on in this debate. The entire Presbytery of Louisiana (PCA) is now on trial because they did not find a minister guilty. When this entire argument is done, the proponents of Federal Vision are going to have to leave the denomination. Some might say this is good. Those that do are the people that are not doing this for the glory of God. They are doing it for the glory of being the one that sent others packing. They are doing it for their own names rather than God.

Why is that?

Because they are not following the Lord's directions when dealing with controversy. You do not start proclaiming the wrongness of someone's beliefs to anyone that will listen.

Matthew 18:15-following shows exactly what you are supposed to do.

Face them alone and tell them why you feel they are wrong. Then they can explain their view. If you still feel they are wrong, then go back with several others and tell them again and then they can explain themselves to the group. Now if they still feel they are right, and your group is unswayed by their arguments, then you go to the church.

But instead, this has become drive the "heretics" away. And abusive language is used against them by the majority of their opponents. Now over at Greenbaggins that used to not be the case. It was civil and debate was a useful dialogue. But that was before Lane was chosen to be one of the prosecutors in this trial of Louisianna presbytery. Now its become a find mud on someone and proclaim it regardless of its source. And biased source is an understatement.

These type of issues are supposed to be done humbly. Do you see much humbleness?

I believe the theology of Federal Vision to be in error but the actions of the opponents are also very much in error.

The Error of Federal Vision

I looked at this when it was first released but never commented unless my memory is wrong. But I just read the Federal Vision joint statement again. I find things I can agree with other times wondering if their words aren't meant to hide thier true thoughts. But then I got to the section of Assurance for Salvation and read this quote:

We affirm also that though salvation is granted through the
instrument of faith alone, those who have been justified will live progressively more and more sanctified lives until they go to be with God. Those believers for whom this is true look to Christ for their assurance—in the Word, in the sacraments, in their fellow believers, and in their own participation in that life by faith

Sounds good. Except...

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Everyone sins every day by the Sermon on the Mount. Not doing something is not enough. We have to not want to do something and then when we do it confess our guilt in prayer and ask for forgiveness. Have you looked at a beautiful person of the opposite sex and not been attracted? Not thought s/he looked hot? Wished s/he would notice you? Have you not seen and wanted the newest fad? Wanted something because "everyone" else has it? Have you ever taken advantage of driving over the speed limit because you know you can get away with it? Thought about it? Then you are guilty. Not following the just laws of men is also sin. So all sin and all fall short of the glory of God.

The difference is in your reaction to your sin. If you think your sins are nothing, then you really are not part of the elect. If you however, feel guilty and try not to repeat them then God is merciful to those that believe in him.

This is why continuing to live in sin and justifying it eliminates a person from ministry. They do not look for Christ to free them from sin but continue to live and relish it. One cannot live contrary to scripture and continue to do so unrepentantly and preach.

I think wanting to live a certain way is an important distiction from not caring. Those that live in sin and don't care but proclaim they believe are not of the elect. Those that want to live a certain way but fail but believe are part of the elect.

Romans 3:23 says that all fall short and I believe that it is impossible to live up to the demands of the Sermon of the Mount. But that doesn't mean some haven't tried. Those that try and believe are the elect.

If anyone of the Federal Vision advocates believe they have lived up to the Sermon of the Mount, I hope they will eventually explain how they do so in their literature. Until then, I think they have confused the modern world, with the world to come after the second coming.

Queen Jezebel's seal found

Discovered originally in 1964, doubts were cast on its true owner. But...

A new investigation by the Utrecht Old Testament scholar Marjo Korpel demonstrates that the seal must have belonged to the infamous Queen Jezebel. Korpel reached this conclusion after more careful investigation of the symbols that appear on the seal.

Pittsburgh Episcopols say: We're outta here

Link

Members of the Pittsburgh Episcopal Diocese have voted overwhelmingly to break away from the denomination in the United States and align with an Anglican province in another country.

In today's vote at the 142nd diocesan convention, the laity approved the measure 118-58 with one abstention. The clergy vote was 109-24 in favor of breaking away.

For the break to occur, the diocese must pass the same measure next year and select which Anglican province to join.

Its ridiculous they have to go through this again next year since this gives the idiots a year to think up all kinds of wonderful things to do to the Pittsburgh diocese.

Episcopal Church threatens Pittsburgh Diocese

Link

In a letter to Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan on the eve of his diocesan convention, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has warned that she will take "disciplinary action" if he persists, and the convention approves, a resolution that would permit the diocese to leave the American church and come under the aegis of a foreign, and more conservative, Anglican province.

The letter from Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was sent late Wednesday.

"If your course does not change," the letter read, "I shall regrettably be compelled to see that appropriate canonical steps are promptly taken to consider whether you have abandoned the Communion of this Church...and whether you have committed canonical offenses that warrant disciplinary action."

Isn't it amazing that the only offfenses that warrant disciplinary actions for the liberals seems to be if a church or diocese or presbytery decides to leave and take their money to another group. Otherwise you can pretty much do whatever you want as long as the money keeps flowing into the denomination's national offices. Who cares if you don't really believe anything as long as you pay your dues?

And if you pay your dues, you can pretty much tell the world that you don't care if God himself appears on your back porch and tells you you're wrong on an issue. Because you're quite capable of making your own decisions and God can mind his own business.

Christian schools ransacked in India by Hindus

Link

"Missionary schools declare holidays during Western festivals, but they don't respect Hindu festivals,” commented Kishore Kothari, leader of Dharma Sena (Religion Army), a Hindu fundamentalist group supported by the VHP.

“If my son goes to school on 'Pitramoksha Day,' how can he learn our traditional rituals?" he asked the local Indian Express.

Call me crazy but... If you want him to learn traditional rituals, then I guess you shouldn't send him to a Christian school. You should send him to a Hindu school.

Kothari further warned that "[i]f missionary school managements don't mend their attitude, more protests will take place,"

Do it our way or else? This sounds familiar.

Dawkins vs. Lennox

Link

Emphasizing that science is always making progress, Dawkins staunchly stated that the "creative designer cannot be a satisfying explanation."

"It's tempting once again to import the easy facile idea of a designer and to say that the designer twittled the knobs of the universe and the big bang and got them exactly right," he said, alluding to the physical constants (numbers) physicists assume to derive the rest of their understanding of cosmology. If the numbers were even slightly different, we wouldn't exist, he said.

"But it seems to me to be manifestly obvious that that is a futile kind of explanation because as the quotation says 'who designed the Designer?' You have explained precisely nothing."

Which is what science has done with all of its theories concerning origins. Until science can move from absolute vacuum to a system of life, it explains nothing of origins. And that is impossible. Unless you want to start believing in magic. And I highly doubt anyone of science would want to do that. But how else can you explain the appearance of any material(living or unliving) where once there was nothing without a designer/creator?

Either the universe is eternal or it was created. Science says the universe had a beginning. Therefore it has to have a creator. It is simple logic.

And the Creator has no creator because he is outside the universe. Because something inside the created system really cannot be the cause of the system because it didn't exist prior. Otherwise if some piece of the created object existed prior to its creation you have to explain it. Otherwise, you're not dealing with origins.

With the Creator being outside the universe and time, he cannot be studied by science because science is by definition only able to study the natural world and universe because we are inside the created system. It cannot study the supernatural or what is outside the created system. Only the natural or what is inside the created system and any honest scientist will say as much. So demanding scientific evidence is an act of illogic since science by definition is incapable of studying outside the system so there can never be any scientifc evidence.

Protestant countries have higher employment rate

Link

Protestant countries have higher employment rates than non-Protestant ones, a new study found.

The United States, the United Kingdom and Nordic countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway, where Protestantism is the main religion, have employment rates that are as much as six percentage points higher than countries where other religions are largely practiced.

Researchers at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom say the most likely reason for this is the Protestant virtue of hard work.

"In its early days, Protestantism promoted the virtue of hard and diligent work amongst its adherents, who judged one another by conformity to this standard," said Dr. Feldmann, a lecturer in the University’s Department of Economics & International Development.

“Originally, an intense devotion to one’s work was meant to assure oneself that one was predestined for salvation," he explained. "Although the belief in predestination did not last more than a generation or two after the Reformation, the effect on work ethics continued."

The study, based on data from 80 countries, also showed that female employment rates are about 11 percent higher in Protestant countries.

Add that to the Christian countries enjoy more religious freedoms.

Church Politics: Progressives vs. Conservatives

One of the claims by the Progressives is that Conservatives are ignorant. We take the Bible too seriously. Its also something they take pot shots at the church in the developing world like Africa. "They're backward right now. Wait until they learn and then they will be like us"

What do you suppose the Catholic Church thought of those "foolish" reformers throwing away 1000 years of Church tradition to go back to the basics? Before they started setting them on fire and all the other fun stuff that was done back then.

I imagine a civil questioning would have went something like "Why on why would you want to go back to that primitive church? And use the book that we have outgrown? Look at the great wealth we have that can be used for the splender of God. And people should be happy and indulgences give them peace of mind for themselves and loved ones."

Of course I doubt such an encounter occurred. What with them killing each other and trying to kill.

But doesn't that sound like progressives today? Just replace indulgences with something else.

PCUSA Minister found Guilty

Link

A veteran Presbyterian minister was found guilty of violating church law for officiating the weddings of two lesbian couples, the minister's defense team said Friday.

A regional judicial committee of the Presbyterian Church (USA) ruled 6-2 that while the Rev. Jane Spahr of San Rafael "acted with conscience and conviction," her actions were still at odds with the church's constitution, her defense team said in a statement.

The ruling, which was delivered late Thursday by certified mail to lawyers for Spahr and the church, reverses a lower court's decision in March 2006 that she acted within her rights as an ordained minister when she married two lesbian couples in 2004 and 2005.

Statement of Faith

Over at Backwoods, Ben has posted his preliminary statement of faith, it got me working on updating my own and I've incorporated a great deal from his while also trying to keep my own's uniqueness. My previous one focused squarely on Jesus and did not deal alot with the Trinity, or the Scriptures themselves.

So without further ado...

I believe that the Holy Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation to be the inerrant and holy Word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and practice for all true believers. Man's works, councils. or synods shall never overrule the authority of Scripture.

I believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the original authors to write the perfect infallible Bible so that humanity can know God. This means that books of the Bible in their original form are without error.

I believe in the Doctrine of the Trinity as spoken in the confessions and drawn from the Scriptures. The Trinity consists of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This means that Jesus, Holy Spirit, and The Father are all equal and all God but at the same time separate and individuals.

I believe that without Jesus there would be nothing. The Gospel of John tells us that through him all things were made by the Father. This means that everyone and every thing in the universe are here because of the work of Jesus Christ, the son of God who while man, is also God. Everything around us is here because of him.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one, no matter how good they may appear can come to the Father and therefore receive eternal life apart from Faith in Jesus Christ alone. He is the connection to God that humanity needs to be redeemed from original sin.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah of Israel born of the virgin and while fully God, he is also fully man. He is Immanuel or God with Us.

I believe that Jesus brings truth to the world and through him the world of believers may be saved from themselves. All of humanity, created first perfect in Adam and Eve, shares in their rebellion to God’s perfect will. It is only through Christ's sacrifice that we are freed from the punishment for this rebellion.

I believe that Jesus will return physically and bring about the end of history as we know it as the Book of Revelation reveals in its prophesies as well as other parts of Scripture. And at that time, I believe that Jesus will act as judge over all of humanity.

I believe that God brings believers to himself and that none will truly believe except for those that he chooses by his grace and not by the works done. This means that no one can choose to save themselves.

New Jersey threatens to seize control of church property for refusing to allow civil union

Link

New Jersey officials are threatening to declare a historic United Methodist Church a public place because it refuses to allow a civil union in its facilities. Civil Unions are not allowed to be performed according to the United Methodist Constitution but the lesbians that want to get married in the church went to the state. Now the state is threatening the church

The church has replied by suing the state to prevent them from seizing the property which has been owned by the church since 1870.

Certainly is nice watching the country become a totalitarian regime. Right or Left really doesn't matter. They both seem to think you should live their way or its the highway.

Egyptian Doctor and Christian finally freed from Saudi Arabia

Link

One of our so called allies in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, has been holding a Christian doctor hostage because he would not convert to Islam after Muslims coworkers pressured him to do so. He finally said he was a Christian and wouldn't be converting. So he was taunted and accused of being a missionary and held for 6 months.

Unfortunately, he returns to Egypt which is just about as hostile to Christians as Saudi Arabia. Presently there is a court case being heard from someone that wants to convert to Christianity but the government won't allow him. The public response has been to call for his death. How these two countries can be allies to the United States is beyond be. Both are at the top of list of abusers of freedoms.

Neither country should receive a dime in aid from the United States.

MegaChurch being Harassed

Link

A Texas Megachurch is being harassed after backing out of hosting a funeral for a member's brother. The member is mentally handicapped and worked as a janitor for the church.

They received photos from the family to be put in a presentation that showed a man grasping his genitals. The family also wanted there to be an open microphone so that anyone could speak. Since it became apparent that the funeral was going to be an openly homosexual service that celebrated and emphasized homosexuality, they did not want it hosted in their church.

So now they are getting harassed in email.

Call me crazy but...

if someone says that if Jesus were to appear to him and tell him that something is sin and that if he continues he will go to hell and that his response would be "go ahead and send me because you are wrong Jesus" then that person has most assuredly broken away from Christianity and has no business being a minister.

Jesus is Lord.

American Bible Society defends newspaper Bibles

Link

The International Bible Society's new initiative to distribute New Testament Bibles with newspapers has been criticized by Christians because they fear the Bibles will be thrown out. The American Bible Society has issued a response to this outcry in support of the International Bible Society's plans

I also like these plans. My only concern is the Old Testament is left out.

After all, what do you suppose happens to many Bibles that are handed out to students on campuses across the nation. Many undoubtedly also end up in the trash but some plant seeds in the students and begin to grow. How much greater will the harvest be on the grander scale of newspaper distribution?

Europeans returning to God

Link

As state run left leaning churches are floundering, evangelical churches are springing up and flourishing. One of the biggest comebacks ever.

Wherever churches are a little more energetic and competitive, you've got more people going to church,"

I wonder if this sounds familiar to certain churches that have lost millions of members over the last decade or so

After World War II, the Church of Sweden followed the leftward direction of Swedish political life. The Ecclesiastical Department, the ministry that supervised the church, was headed for years by a prominent atheist. Liberal theology triumphed. Church attendance plummeted.

No of course not.

Where is the ACLU when...

Link

the University of Michigan decided to fund $25,000 worth of ritual foot-washers for Islamic students wishing to pray... After all, it is a public institution, receiving federal and state taxes

The Byron Union school district in California has decided that its public schools should set aside days and assignments where all students choose a Muslim name, recite passages from the Koran, and periodically give up certain comforts as “forms of fasting” that correspond to Ramadan

No where to be seen but...

In Pittsburgh they demand[ed] that a municipal parking lot be off limits to those parking there to visit a local Christmas display at a nearby church

Or if a valedictorian tries to thank God? Or if a student dares to read a Bible at school? Or writes a religious essay? Or a Christmas scene on public property?

Always quick to act in the courts.

But force students to take a Muslim name and fast and allow Muslim foot washing is OK.

HYPOCRITES

1 Timothy 2:11-14

Link to pathetic exegesis

Since my goal is to eventually be a professor, let it be known the first student to turn in a paper that proclaims that a section of the Bible was not actually written by the author of the book being read will receive an F for the course. It is by far the most ridiculous thing to fall back on "it isn't really part of the Word" because you don't like what a passage says.

A far better argument is the one that says it was written in a time when women were uneducated and not capable of intelligent discourse and that since that is no longer the case...

But to go to the argument of that's not really part of scripture is pathetic. Just like these so called churches that proclaim John 14:6 to not really be genuine with not one shread of evidence except they don't like it. All to be politically correct. Go ahead and be part of the world. Just stay out of my future courses because you won't pass.

Is Muslim support for violence lessening?

Link

Foxnews is saying so.

Muslims around the world increasingly reject suicide bombings and other violence against civilians, according to a new international poll dealing with how the world's population judges their lives, countries and national institutions.

A wide ranging survey of international attitudes in 47 countries by the Pew Research Center also reported that in many of the countries where support for suicide attacks has declined, there has also has been decreasing support for Al Qaeda leader Usama Bin Laden.

The 95-page survey found that surging economic growth in many developing countries has encouraged people in these countries to express satisfaction with their personal lives, family income and national conditions, said Andrew Kohut, the center's director.

Except in the Palestinian controlled land. There support is high.

Dobson renounces Harry Potter

Link

The reason the ministry leader is against the material is obvious given the presence of magical characters (witches, wizards, ghosts, goblins, werewolves, poltergeists and so on) in the Harry Potter stories.

I have never read Harry Potter; however I like DragonLance novels and they have wizards, ghosts, goblins, ect... so his criticism of Harry Potter also effects DL.

Instead of “Harry Potter,” Colson recommends parents to introduce other fantasy books such as “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “The Lord of the Rings,” because they have more of a Christian framework.

Um... what about Gandolph? He's a wizard. And Soleyman, the evil wizard? Seems more like someone's wanting a double standard.

Well Raistlin is my favorite fictional character of all time so I'm going to have to disagree and continue to read my Dragonlance novels.

The Price Former Muslims Pay for Converting

Link

Former Muslims are targetted by family members and other Muslims for kidnappings and forced trips back to the Mideast.

Ann Buwalda, an immigration lawyer for Just Law International in Fairfax, said she's been approached by Pakistani converts who are refugees. One man, "Masih," was working at a retail store in Northern Virginia, she said, when a Muslim co-worker from Pakistan noticed he was wearing a cross. The man asked Masih why he was wearing it.

"I am Christian," said Masih. The Muslim co-worker became angry, called him derogatory names in their native language, shoved him in a hallway and thereafter tried to get him fired and threatened him after work one night.

"He told the security guards at the retail store, so the employer has separated the two," Ms. Buwalda said.

And it doesn't help if you're part of the royal family of Saudi Arabia. In fact its worse.

Ex-Terrorist Thoughts on Terrorism and Islam

Link

“I remember how we used to laugh whenever people on TV proclaimed that the cause for Islamic acts of terror like 9/11, the Madrid bombing, and 7/7, was Western foreign policy. What this does is help to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.”

“Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all MidEast terrorists are certain to be Muslims. So if Islam produces them, then Islam is the problem."

“By refusing to challenge centuries-old theological arguments, the tensions between Islamic theology and the modern world grow larger every day.”

Christian Nations dominate list of world's best religious freedom spots

Link

Not surprising considering the directions given by Christ:
Luke 9:5 If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.”

Meanwhile Muslim(with the exception of Mali and Senegal) and Atheist( and secular) countries duke it out to be the worst.

Episcopal Church also going after Virginia Breakaways

Link

Episcopal Church is now attempting to sue volunteers at the Virginia churches that broke away from the Episcopal Church and joined the Anglican Church Nigerian Diocese. This is even though Virginia doesn't allow unpaid volunteers to be sued. But why let a little thing like the law stand in the way of trying to get more money... I mean property.

I'd never be able to figure out why the Episcopal Church is losing members right and left or why churches wouldn't want to be aligned with them. I mean they just let heretics be priests who has embarrassed their church greatly. And by allowing this heretic to remain, it just makes their church heretical as well.

I must be missing the book of the Bible that says if someone tries to breakaway, take them to court. And don't dare treat others as you would want to be treated.

You know I don't know which is the greater scam. The Pirates in how they got their stadium or these liberal denominations that decide years after the denomination was formed that the property is held in trust.

California Churches may go to the CA Supreme Court

Link

A CA court has reversed an earlier decision that gave the congregation control of its church and declared that the church property belongs to the diocese of LA of the Episcopal Church.

Nice to see the court system is so full of justice. So a local group of people can buy property, build a church, and ally themselves with a denomination. Find out that they don't like the denomination and breakaway and have the courts decide the buildings belong to the denomination even though it was paid for locally.

What great justice.

Salman Rushdie to be knighted

Link

Salman Rushdie is to be given the honor of being knighted. He authored the book The Satanic Verses and has been under a Muslim Fatwa that called for Muslims to kill him because the book insulted Islam.

A lot of things seem to insult Islam as far as Muslims are concerned. You can't criticise Mohammed who acknowledged that he was just a man and prophet. But its perfectly fine for Islam to consider Jesus, who proclaimed himself the Son of God and God, as simply a prophet. So its not alright for Christians and others to question the Islamic prophet but its perfectly acceptable for Islam to show no respect to Christianity's God.

Its a nice double standard.

And its also nice seeing the peaceful Muslims chanting for the death of Rushdie and death of the Queen. Islam is a religion of Peace after all. Muslims say it is or else.

What does it mean to be Reformed?

I came across a post by my Professor/Advisor at Geneva College, Byron Curtis that deals with what it means to be reformed. I decided to repost it here

"To be reformed means:

1) to confess with the orthodox churches the consensus of the first five centuries of Christianity, including:

a) Classic theism: One omnipotent, benevolent God, distinct from creation.
b) Nicene and Chalcedonian Trinitarianism: one God in three eternally existent persons, equal in power and glory.
c) Christ, the God-Man, the one mediator between God & the human race, incarnate, crucified, resurrected, ascended, & coming again.
d) Humanity created in the image of God, yet tragically fallen & profoundly in need of restoration to God through Christ.
e) The Visible Church: the community of the redeemed, indwelt y the Holy Spirit; the mystical body of Christ on earth.
The one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
f) The Sacraments: visible signs and seals of the grace of God, ministering Christ's love to us in our deep need.
g) The Christian life: characterized by the prime theological virtues of faith, hope, and love.

2) to confess with the Reformation churches the four great "Solas:"

a) RE the source of authority: Sola Scriptura.
b) RE the basis of salvation: Sola Gratia.
c) RE the means of salvation: Sola Fide
d) Re the merit of salvation: Solus Christus

3) to confess with the Reformed churches the distinctives of the Reformed faith:

a) In salvation: monergism not synergism. God alone saves. Such monergism implies T.U.L.I.P., the Five Points of Calvinism from the Synod of Dordt:

T = Total Depravity
U = Unconditional Election
L = Limited Atonement, or, better, Particular Redemption
I = Irresistible Grace
P = Perseverence and Preservation of the Saints

b) In worship: the Regulative Principle of Worship "Whatever is not commanded in public worship is forbidden." God alone directs how he is to be worshiped in the assembly of the visible church.
c) In the Visible Church: Covenant Theology & Covenant Community. The Church is the New Israel, incorporating believers among Jews and Gentiles alike. Infant Baptism ordinarily follows from this understanding. Sacraments are not merely human observances, but acts of Jesus Christ, marking out the visible church.
d) In life: Life is religion: there is no sacred/secular destinction. As such Christians have neither jobs nor careers; they have vocations (callings). Every calling is "full time Christian service," because every Christian is a full-time Christian.

4) finally, in everything, as Christians everywhere joyfully affirm: Soli Deo Gloria. 'To God alone be the glory.'

Episcopol Priest and a Muslim

Link

In Seattle there is an Episcopol Priest who has become a Muslim. The Episcopol Church appears to be fine with this.

Even before becoming a Muslim, this priest had a warped view of Christianity:

She has never believed in original sin
She believes the Trinity is an idea about God and cannot be taken literally
She does not believe Jesus and God are the same, but rather that God is more than Jesus
She believes Jesus is the son of God insofar as all humans are the children of God, and that Jesus is divine, just as all humans are divine — because God dwells in all humans

So essentially she doesn't accept the orthodox Christian faith. Instead she has adopted old heresies such as Arianism and combined it with New Age.

But she continues to believe that Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Which is in contrast to her new Faith in Islam. The Quran flat out denies both.

So instead of being a heretic of one religion, she has chosen to be a heretic of two.

Retired Lutheran Bishop claims Jesus enshrined in myths

Link

He doesn't believe that Jesus was born of a Virgin
He doesn't believe that Jesus was born in Bethlehem
He doesn't believe that Jesus had twelve disciples
He doesn't believe that the miracles of Jesus were real
He doesn't believe that Jesus was divine

But he does believe that Jesus was a pivotal figure in history.

I'd like to know why. If none of the things are true then Jesus seems to be nothing more then a madman who failed and was executed.

Its like people that say he was just a good teacher. Yeah he taught he was the son of God and is God... um if he's not then why's he a good teacher? Because he also taught do to others as you would want to be done to you? Well others have taught the golden rule.

Jesus either is the Son of God and is God or he's not someone that I want to learn from.

I believe he is.

Creationism vs. Evolution

Link

Inside the article it claims that Evolution is the idea that humans evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years. And it claims that creationism is the idea that God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years.

Why is it so hard to describe these two theories correctly?

Evolution is the idea that a population will adapt to the environment around them through changes in their gene structure from one generation to the next.

Creationism is the idea that God created the universe and everything in it and that the universe continues to function because he controls it.

It always drives me nuts when people do not describe the two theories accurately. And when you get right down to it, there really is no reason why both theories cannot be true.

Now if the article said the Theory of Human Evolution or Young Earth Creationism, then their descriptions would be accurate. But that's not what they were describing.

Creation Museum

Link
Today the Creation Museum opens in Cincinnati. It costs $27 million dollars and has plenty of Protests going on. I saw one article earlier then this one and in my local paper quote a protester proclaiming that they are teaching children fairy tales and hurting their education and that's why they're protesting.

Now I can understand protesting government actions and corporate actions. But to protest a museum that the children are taken to by their parents and its not required, I don't see how its "hurting" their education. Or threatening science. Its a private museum and they can put their information and items out there any way they want.

But Genesis 1 is an interesting chapter of the Bible. I have a Biblical Studies degree and am attending Seminary this fall. There are many different ways that scholars look at the chapter. Some take the literal 24 hr day approach. Others believe the days are vast ages. Then there's one called a gap theory where there are days but's time between the days of creation. Finally there's a literary Framework approach.

Now the others are mentioned in the article that I link to at the top so I'll describe the one that's not mentioned. The literary framework looks at the days of creation and notices that Day one and Day four go together, Day Two and Day Five go together, and Day Three and Day Six go together. It claims that the days are literary devices to explain the creation. Or in other words, the first chapter is in topical order instead of chronological order.

And an interesting thing about the original Hebrew of the Bible. The word yom that is translated as Day in most modern translations can mean the following:

from crosswalk.com lexicon on the Old Testament
day, time, year
day (as opposed to night)
day (24 hour period)
as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
as a division of time 1b
a working day, a day's journey
days, lifetime (pl.)
time, period (general)
year
temporal references
today
yesterday
tomorrow

And in the New American Standard, it was translated like so throughout the Old Testament:
afternoon* 1, age 8, age* 1, all 1, always* 14, amount* 2, battle 1, birthday* 1, Chronicles* 38, completely* 1, continually* 14, course* 1, daily 22, daily the days 1, day 1115, day of the days 1, day that the period 1, day's 6, day's every day 1, daylight* 1, days 635, days on the day 1, days to day 1, days you shall daily 1, days ago 1, days' 11, each 1, each day 4, entire 2, eternity 1, evening* 1, ever in your life* 1, every day 2, fate 1, first 5, forever* 11, forevermore* 1, full 5, full year 1, future* 1, holiday* 3, later* 2, length 1, life 12, life* 1, lifetime 2, lifetime* 1, live 1, long 2, long as i live 1, long* 11, midday* 1, now 5, older* 1, once 2, period 3, perpetually* 2, present 1, recently 1, reigns 1, ripe* 1, short-lived* 1, so long* 1, some time 1, survived* 2, time 45, time* 1, times* 2, today 172, today* 1, usual 1, very old* 1, when 10, when the days 1, whenever 1, while 3, whole 2, year 10, yearly 5, years 13, yesterday* 1

The number after the word indicates how many times it was translated that way.

So you might ask, well how on earth do you know what word to use when your translating the passage. You have to use the context of the rest of the sentence. Its obvious that the passage is dealing with time so all the possible words that don't deal with time, can be removed like holiday, whole, while, ect...

The use of the Hebrew words ereb translates into evening. Which makes the context seem to indicate day for Yom. However, ereb can also mean the following according to the Lexicon:

evening, night, sunset
evening, sunset
night

And in the NAS its translated into the following:

evening 114, evening* 1, evenings 2, every evening 1, night 2, sunset 1, twilight 11

And the use of the Hebrew word boger or boqer depending on how you want to pronounce it translates into morning. However the word can mean the following according to the Lexicon:


morning, break of day
morning
of end of night
of coming of daylight
of coming of sunrise
of beginning of day
of bright joy after night of distress (fig.)
morrow, next day, next morning

And the NAS translates it accordingly:
dawn 1, dawn* 2, day 1, daybreak 1, every morning 5, morning 195, mornings 2, soon 1, tomorrow morning 1

In addition to those meanings I've seen at least one Lexicon that gives the meaning high tide and low tide to these two words.

But this all seems to indicate that we are in deed talking about the typical day. But like English with words can be combined and used outside their meaning. Like "Get Out of Here" it can mean get out of here. It can also mean that's so off the wall I don't believe you. Could the phrase that we're translating "And there was evening and morning the first day" mean simply that time passed? Hence the Day Age Theory...

In addition for the young earth creationists who take it literally, how long did Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden without sin? The Bible does not indicate. It could have been any number of years so to hold onto the earth is only 6000 years old is not Biblical. The Bible does not say how old the earth is because its not important.