Without meaning to turn my blog purely into an apologetic medium I feel compelled to address the issue that humanists or scientists lay before Christians of 'cherry picking' what is morally and socially acceptable from the Bible and conveniently ignoring the more morally offensive elements (particularly in reference to the Old Testament). I take exception to this phrase 'cherry picking' in that it seems to have found acceptance in debates I have seen between Christians and atheists when discussing the interpretation and application of the Bible.
Firstly, many Christians do not 'cherry pick' Biblical principles. This ignores or does a huge disservice to the nature of the Bible itself. Atheists or humanists talk as if the Bible is one book that was written as a whole. This is not true. The Bible is a library of books written by several different authors over several hundred years. As in any library there are books of different genres - from history, law, prophecy, poetry and wisdom to historical narrative and theology. Collectively these books were canonized and form the Christian Bible (commonly known as the Old and New Testament). Therefore the historical and cultural context of any given book of the Bible must be taken into account before we draw practical application for how we should live our lives and treat others. This is known theologically as Hermeneutics: the study of interpretation theory.
Secondly, the interpretation and application of the Old Testament Law (or Torah) for Christians culminated in the person of Jesus. Jesus radically reinterpreted much of the Torah or the Law of Moses. For example Jesus enlightened his disciples to the principles underlying clean and unclean food and thus Christians see nothing wrong in eating pork or eating without first ritually cleansing their hands. As Jesus taught "it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." Matthew 15:11. Why don't Christians stone adulterers or homosexuals? Because those judgements are obsolete in the context of the Cross. This is known theologically as Christology. Jesus taught: "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17 (my emphasis added) As a Christian I believe that the Law of Moses finds its fulfilment in Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect life; Jesus was the only perfect human being to have ever lived and as such fulfilled the requirements of the Law. This is how Jesus' sacrifice upon the cross has the power and efficacy to heal and to save for all time. "For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us..." Romans 8:3-4 (my emphasis added).
But some atheists might mistakenly interpret Christ's fulfilling of the Law as reason to do away with the Old Testament. This is a misconception because as Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew he came not to abolish but fulfill. We still need the Old Testament (or the Hebrew Bible) to understand the person and divinity of Jesus. The Old Testament is replete with messianic prophecies regarding Jesus as God's anointed one who will bring salvation to His people. Indeed the apostle Paul calls God's callings as irrevocable (Romans 11:29). Christianity is rooted within Judaism and there is no Biblical mandate to sever that connection. It is from within the context of Judaism that Christianity's spiritual principles of sin and justice are founded: in the Monotheism of the Jewish heritage.
So what does this mean for the 21st century? Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. We do not go around judging, discriminating or punishing people of other lifestyles and religions; salvation is open to all through Jesus Christ. We all have free will to choose whether or not to confess and repent of our sin and believe in the sacrifice of Jesus for our redemption. As it says in Ephesians: "by grace you have been saved" Ephesians 2:5. In and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ there is no mandate for bigotry or discrimination. Indeed Jesus teaches to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44). Thus to conclude through the study and application of Hermenuetics and Christology Christians can reasonably and justifiably believe in and apply these Biblical principles to their lives without fear of hypocrisy or 'cherry picking'. 'Cherry picking' is such an unhelpful term when intellectually, academically and respectfully debating the relevance of Christianity or the Bible to the 21st Century.
There is one other issue I want to address in this blog and that is of the rationality of faith. As I watched the topical debating programme on BBC 1 this morning 'The Big Questions' one atheist representative in response to a Christian member of the panel retorted to his point about individual faith: "But I could believe in lepricorns but that does not make them true!" Underlying this remark is a critical attitude to the nature of faith and a subtle implication that all faith is irrational. To imply that 'faith' as a general term is irrational is indefensible in my opinion. The whole debate between religion and science over the flat earth theory or evolution for example is a fallacy. Galileo who was forced to renounce his scientific discovery was a man of faith himself! Scientists of the renaissance where not the vanguard of atheism. Historically science was born in the West from Christianity and was known as 'Natural Philosophy'. The issue the Catholic Church had with Galileo was not atheism but heresy as they understood the term to mean. Now heresy was often associated with atheism but they are not to be mistaken as synonymous. Indeed our present decimal system of mathematics has come from Islam. It was not until the Enlightenment of the 18th century that atheism started to become much more philosophically robust and defensible. Then again this was not so much the work of scientific progress (Newton himself was a theist) but in the anti-clericalism of the French philosophes. Human liberalism really has its roots in the Enlightenment when a revolution against the established Church led to more free thinkers in the form of theism, deism and atheism. Even Darwin later in the 19th century in his seminal work 'The Origins of the Species' was reluctant to emphasise the implications of his evolutionary theory to organised religion and the basis of many peoples' faith. Interestingly it was a Catholic Monk named Gregor Mendal who discovered laws of genetics while experimenting on pea plants around the same time as Darwin published his book on the Origin of the Species and he later posthumously became known as the 'Father of Genetics'. In the 20th Century Albert Einstein (famous for his pioneering work on the theory of relativity) believed in a 'Supreme Mind', which even if it wasn't the monotheistic Judao-Christian God was still a 'higher being' that strictly speaking atheism rejects.
So what does this mean? Well it means that science does not intrinsically lead to atheism or lack of faith in the Judao-Christian God. But rather atheists look to science to find reason for unbelief in God. If someone chooses not to believe in God (their worldview) then they can find support for this in science - in the theory of evolution; in 'the selfish gene' as Richard Dawkins puts it etc. Now I am not accusing all atheists of this sort of broadbrush discimination of faith (or Biblical faith to put it another way) as being both morally hypocritical, obsolete or irrational but I do feel very strongly when this is the impression that is given by atheist representatives on topical debating programmes. Faith is not irrational or obsolete - a study of history, philosophy and theology will tell you that!
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Ascendency
“Inception, is it possible?”
“Of course not!”
“If you can steal an idea from someone’s mind, why can’t you plant one there instead?”
− Taken from the film Inception
Whether it is religion, philosophy or literature, ideas are a conscious, intangible, immaterial property. It was Karl Marx who famously said of religion that it was: “the opium of the masses”. Ideas are infectious, contagious, sometimes dangerous and sometimes life affirming and enriching; just as in the film Inception itself. From one generation to the next ideas transcend this material cosmos. Take, for example, Hinduism one of the oldest religions in the world – it is over 4 thousand years old; or the monotheism of Judaism, which again can trace its origin back thousands of years well before the Common Era. As one century passes into another, as one generation grows and passes on its tradition to the next ideas have moulded, shaped and sculpted the course of human history; and have given rise to a myriad of emotional, spiritual and intellectual expression though art, architecture, music, poetry and literature.
Many philosophers over the centuries such as Anselm, Thomas Aquinas and Descartes have put forward a very straight forward and intuitive argument commonly known as the Ontological Argument which deduces the existence of God from reason: 1. We can imagine a supremely perfect being 2. Necessary existence is perfection 3. Therefore, a supremely perfect being exists. This may at first seem like a very weak argument for the existence of God, but if there is such a thing as a non-material entity behind the creation of the universe it is not totally inconceivable due to the fact that we are all conscious beings who are able to create out of our consciousness. If we can design, build, manufacture and create using our imaginations and our conscious thoughts then surely this is proof that such consciousness exists. No-one doubts human consciousness, we see manifestations of it every day and everywhere. We have formed language to communicate our internal, conscious thoughts.
Individually our consciousness ceases to exist with the death of our material bodies in this reality. Yet our ideas can live on, well beyond our years. The arguments about the existence, nature and properties of God first put forward by the ancient Greek philosophers are still debated today among theists and atheists; the rights to Liberty, Fraternity and Equality first devised in France inspired the formalisation of the American constitution after their successful war of independence against Britain and led to the French Revolution that in itself inspired many other lesser revolutions. These rights have become the bedrock; the foundation to such international political bodies such as the European Union and the UN and continue to be manifested through the human rights each citizen of Britain enjoys. Certain ideas or ideals of how to achieve the perfect, peaceful human society are far reaching and profound. It is beyond question that ideas have a kind of transcendent quality to them that has allowed for the progression and advancement in human society.
Therefore I postulate (though this is not an original argument) that our very consciousness is proof that such immaterial properties exist and can have a physical impact upon our planet in space and time. I believe this has massive implications for the belief in the existence of God. The Bible teaches that God is Spirit. God by nature is not a physical being who is dependent on our material universe for His existence; otherwise by virtue of the very nature of the universe God would not be eternal and could not have created the universe. So God must transcend the material cosmos and therefore must be necessarily immaterial or to use biblical language ‘Spirit’. So immaterial properties do exist (i.e. our consciousness) and therefore from personal experience through the interaction with the manifestations of our collective consciences that have shaped whole civilizations both ancient and modern we can reasonably and rationally conclude that a Supreme Conscious or Mind does exist, which originally created the universe.
“Of course not!”
“If you can steal an idea from someone’s mind, why can’t you plant one there instead?”
− Taken from the film Inception
Whether it is religion, philosophy or literature, ideas are a conscious, intangible, immaterial property. It was Karl Marx who famously said of religion that it was: “the opium of the masses”. Ideas are infectious, contagious, sometimes dangerous and sometimes life affirming and enriching; just as in the film Inception itself. From one generation to the next ideas transcend this material cosmos. Take, for example, Hinduism one of the oldest religions in the world – it is over 4 thousand years old; or the monotheism of Judaism, which again can trace its origin back thousands of years well before the Common Era. As one century passes into another, as one generation grows and passes on its tradition to the next ideas have moulded, shaped and sculpted the course of human history; and have given rise to a myriad of emotional, spiritual and intellectual expression though art, architecture, music, poetry and literature.
Many philosophers over the centuries such as Anselm, Thomas Aquinas and Descartes have put forward a very straight forward and intuitive argument commonly known as the Ontological Argument which deduces the existence of God from reason: 1. We can imagine a supremely perfect being 2. Necessary existence is perfection 3. Therefore, a supremely perfect being exists. This may at first seem like a very weak argument for the existence of God, but if there is such a thing as a non-material entity behind the creation of the universe it is not totally inconceivable due to the fact that we are all conscious beings who are able to create out of our consciousness. If we can design, build, manufacture and create using our imaginations and our conscious thoughts then surely this is proof that such consciousness exists. No-one doubts human consciousness, we see manifestations of it every day and everywhere. We have formed language to communicate our internal, conscious thoughts.
Individually our consciousness ceases to exist with the death of our material bodies in this reality. Yet our ideas can live on, well beyond our years. The arguments about the existence, nature and properties of God first put forward by the ancient Greek philosophers are still debated today among theists and atheists; the rights to Liberty, Fraternity and Equality first devised in France inspired the formalisation of the American constitution after their successful war of independence against Britain and led to the French Revolution that in itself inspired many other lesser revolutions. These rights have become the bedrock; the foundation to such international political bodies such as the European Union and the UN and continue to be manifested through the human rights each citizen of Britain enjoys. Certain ideas or ideals of how to achieve the perfect, peaceful human society are far reaching and profound. It is beyond question that ideas have a kind of transcendent quality to them that has allowed for the progression and advancement in human society.
Therefore I postulate (though this is not an original argument) that our very consciousness is proof that such immaterial properties exist and can have a physical impact upon our planet in space and time. I believe this has massive implications for the belief in the existence of God. The Bible teaches that God is Spirit. God by nature is not a physical being who is dependent on our material universe for His existence; otherwise by virtue of the very nature of the universe God would not be eternal and could not have created the universe. So God must transcend the material cosmos and therefore must be necessarily immaterial or to use biblical language ‘Spirit’. So immaterial properties do exist (i.e. our consciousness) and therefore from personal experience through the interaction with the manifestations of our collective consciences that have shaped whole civilizations both ancient and modern we can reasonably and rationally conclude that a Supreme Conscious or Mind does exist, which originally created the universe.
Friday, 15 April 2011
For a Fair Desire
A little while ago I posted a blog entitled 'After God's Own Heart' in which I intimated at the end that there would be more to follow on this topic. This blog will seek to pick up where the previous left off...
The last paragraph of the said blog began:
"God is a jealous God. God is jealous for His Holy name. That means He is both angered and heartbroken by the idolatry of this world."
Yesturday I returned from Bulstrode, the UK headquarters of WEC international, where I had undertaken an orientation course for my impending short mission trip to Japan in July. While I was there I was once again reminded of the heart of God and the Great Commision that Jesus gave His disciples before ascending into Heaven. At the end of the day I am going to Japan to help share the Gospel with a people who are in desperate need of hope. It is this message of hope conquering despair and of life conquering death that is at the heart of the Gospel - and at the heart of God. For God is a jealous God, jealous in His love and jealous for His holy name. This principle seems very clear to me:
As humans we take pride in our achievements and qualifications. So many of us define ourselves through our accomplishments. In academia if someone copies your work and passes it off as their own it is known as plagiarism and is a very serious acadmic offence, after all it basically amounts to intellectual theft. If we do not tolerate someone else taking the credit for our work then why should God be happy with false gods and religions receiving the praise, adoration, faith and worship that is due His name?
Relativists would say 'there is no absolute truth, live and let live" but what is the basis of such a truth claim? Has it been given by divine revelation? No. It has come from the intellectual reasoning of humanity that bears much influence (known or unbeknown to them) of utilitarianism, the philosophical system whereby how we act should be towards the greatest amount of happiness of the greatest amount of people. It is also a decidedly Post-Modern rationale, a cynicism towards objective knowledge. As the famous analogy goes 'all paths up the mountain lead to the same summit'. But what gave the relativist or post-modernist that vantage point? Not to mention the self-contradictory nature of a statement that exerts no absolute truth exists (which in itself is an absolute truth statement). This position is as morally offensive as the 'exclusivism' of monotheistic religions so many reject and is a hidden kind of exclusivism in its own right.
Back to my point: whether you use the scientific methodology of Occam's razor (that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily) or the deductive philosophical Kalam Cosmological argument that everything that has a beginning must have a first cause or primary mover - in the universe's case: God; the universe points to there being one God. This one God is the I AM, YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and most importantly the God of Jesus Christ. Therefore God is jealous for His Holy name:
"And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them..." Exodus 20:1-5
Even Hinduism, commonly known as the world's major polytheistic religion would argue there is only one Supreme Being - Brahman. Yet nevertheless the religion consists of many lesser gods such as the Hindu Triumvirate of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. So how do we account for all the discrepencies in world religions over the nature, character and person of this one supreme being? Human reason and scientific methods can only take us so far. For the final piece of the puzzle we need divine revelation. However the problem arises when we take into account the existence of the Devil. As a fallen angel, corrupted by jealousy Satan was cast out of Heaven and subsequently became the 'Father of Lies' as Jesus describes him. Therefore Satan has continually sought throughout human history, beginning in the Garden of Eden, to deceive humanity and distort God's Word. Thus he has led astray into false teachings and false religions many people.
But God has not tolerated these cancerous lies and sent His own Son Jesus - whom the Bible says is full of grace and truth to reveal the one true living God to us. Jesus said nothing on his own accord, only what the Father instructed him to say; he did not believe equality with God something to be grasped but humbled himself even to death upon a cross. As Christians are we content to see others go through life believing a lie, forming their world view and moral code around an untruth or an incomplete picture of God? Is God content to see people worshipping false gods who have no power to hear or save? False gods who did not create them! As human beings we understand our human right to acknowledgement and praise for our accomplishments and achievements. We would not sit back placidly as someone steals our identity - we have laws against Fraud and Identity theft! So why should we deny God what is rightfully His?
Therefore I urge any Christians reading this to prayfully seek God's will for their lives; listen to what God may be calling you to do, so that others may hear the truth and the truth set them free!
"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands." Revelation 7:9
Let us make this a reality here on earth, receive the call and be a part of God's great salvation plan; reach out in loving kindness to your family, your colleagues, your friends and maybe even to others around the world.
The last paragraph of the said blog began:
"God is a jealous God. God is jealous for His Holy name. That means He is both angered and heartbroken by the idolatry of this world."
Yesturday I returned from Bulstrode, the UK headquarters of WEC international, where I had undertaken an orientation course for my impending short mission trip to Japan in July. While I was there I was once again reminded of the heart of God and the Great Commision that Jesus gave His disciples before ascending into Heaven. At the end of the day I am going to Japan to help share the Gospel with a people who are in desperate need of hope. It is this message of hope conquering despair and of life conquering death that is at the heart of the Gospel - and at the heart of God. For God is a jealous God, jealous in His love and jealous for His holy name. This principle seems very clear to me:
As humans we take pride in our achievements and qualifications. So many of us define ourselves through our accomplishments. In academia if someone copies your work and passes it off as their own it is known as plagiarism and is a very serious acadmic offence, after all it basically amounts to intellectual theft. If we do not tolerate someone else taking the credit for our work then why should God be happy with false gods and religions receiving the praise, adoration, faith and worship that is due His name?
Relativists would say 'there is no absolute truth, live and let live" but what is the basis of such a truth claim? Has it been given by divine revelation? No. It has come from the intellectual reasoning of humanity that bears much influence (known or unbeknown to them) of utilitarianism, the philosophical system whereby how we act should be towards the greatest amount of happiness of the greatest amount of people. It is also a decidedly Post-Modern rationale, a cynicism towards objective knowledge. As the famous analogy goes 'all paths up the mountain lead to the same summit'. But what gave the relativist or post-modernist that vantage point? Not to mention the self-contradictory nature of a statement that exerts no absolute truth exists (which in itself is an absolute truth statement). This position is as morally offensive as the 'exclusivism' of monotheistic religions so many reject and is a hidden kind of exclusivism in its own right.
Back to my point: whether you use the scientific methodology of Occam's razor (that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily) or the deductive philosophical Kalam Cosmological argument that everything that has a beginning must have a first cause or primary mover - in the universe's case: God; the universe points to there being one God. This one God is the I AM, YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and most importantly the God of Jesus Christ. Therefore God is jealous for His Holy name:
"And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them..." Exodus 20:1-5
Even Hinduism, commonly known as the world's major polytheistic religion would argue there is only one Supreme Being - Brahman. Yet nevertheless the religion consists of many lesser gods such as the Hindu Triumvirate of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. So how do we account for all the discrepencies in world religions over the nature, character and person of this one supreme being? Human reason and scientific methods can only take us so far. For the final piece of the puzzle we need divine revelation. However the problem arises when we take into account the existence of the Devil. As a fallen angel, corrupted by jealousy Satan was cast out of Heaven and subsequently became the 'Father of Lies' as Jesus describes him. Therefore Satan has continually sought throughout human history, beginning in the Garden of Eden, to deceive humanity and distort God's Word. Thus he has led astray into false teachings and false religions many people.
But God has not tolerated these cancerous lies and sent His own Son Jesus - whom the Bible says is full of grace and truth to reveal the one true living God to us. Jesus said nothing on his own accord, only what the Father instructed him to say; he did not believe equality with God something to be grasped but humbled himself even to death upon a cross. As Christians are we content to see others go through life believing a lie, forming their world view and moral code around an untruth or an incomplete picture of God? Is God content to see people worshipping false gods who have no power to hear or save? False gods who did not create them! As human beings we understand our human right to acknowledgement and praise for our accomplishments and achievements. We would not sit back placidly as someone steals our identity - we have laws against Fraud and Identity theft! So why should we deny God what is rightfully His?
Therefore I urge any Christians reading this to prayfully seek God's will for their lives; listen to what God may be calling you to do, so that others may hear the truth and the truth set them free!
"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands." Revelation 7:9
Let us make this a reality here on earth, receive the call and be a part of God's great salvation plan; reach out in loving kindness to your family, your colleagues, your friends and maybe even to others around the world.
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Who will guard the guardians?
I was not anticipating writing another blog so soon after my last. I like to let my blogs be digested and to internalise my thoughts before creating new ones. However I have just read something that has left me so dumbfounded and quite frankly angry. What is the cause of my unbrage? Judgementalism - specifically judgementalism about Christian metal about very trivial matters. Let me explain. Practically since Christians started playing heavy metal there have been detractors who have accused the said Christians of deceit, hypocrisy and out right satanism! Yet not only do Christian bands have to face the full force of the genres critics but also of Christian fans who believe it is their prerogative to shoot down and judge any Christian band they feel is not being 'Christian enough'. So on the one hand you have a pharisaical spirit that denounces all Christian metal as of the Devil and on the other you have a religious spirit that condemns bands for not conforming to their ideal of the perfect evangelistic super holy and righteous Christian metal band.
I have been listening to metal for the past 10 years and I have seen the way many of my favourite bands have been judged and condemned for the reasons stated above. It is extremely sad and disappointing. But only this afternoon I learnt of the most recent example. Becoming the Archetype, a progressive death metal band and one of the most important Christian bands of the last decade in my opinion, released their new album a few days ago. Sarcastically the band made a comment on their facebook about the album containing Fred Durst like hand gestures, which may be unsuitable for children - Fred Durst was at one time one of the most well known nu-metal frontmen from the band Limp Bizkit and was famous for his outlandish image and antics. The comment was clearly a joke aimed at Fred Durst, and while its humour may have been subtle and its barb at the music of Limp Bizkit may only have been funny to long term fans of metal it was met with some vitriolic indignation by some fans.
According to a blog written by the band to defend themselves against many cruel and unfounded accusations they were even called 'satan's sellouts' by some and the integrity of their beliefs were brought into question. I couldn't believe what I was reading! Incidents like these are absolutey ridiculous and are perfect examples of an un-Christ-like heart. Did Jesus respond with scorn and rejection to sinners? No. Jesus conversed with such people with patience, compassion and love. None of us are perfect and even if the aforementioned joke was a little distasteful to some peoples' sense of humour it in no way deserved the hateful reaction it got. The Church and many Christians need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror. There is too much judgementalism surrounding the sincerity of Christian metal bands. If they are not treated with suspicion because of the style of music they play, they are judged for not being good enough Christians. But none of us are perfect and if God only used perfect people then no one would be a Christian today. Fact.
As a metalhead (although I use the label less as a medal of honour than I used to) Christian bands like Becoming the Archetype have been nothing short of God-sends, a ray of light in an otherwise darkened genre. They are so important not only in supporting me spiritually but as a witness in the secular music world. Christian fans should do everything in their power to support spiritually through prayer their favourite bands rather than condemn them unjustly and hypocritically. For the Bible says that breaking just one law makes us law breakers. It doesn't matter whether our sins are the same as others, we are all sinners. My message to any Christian metal fan reading this: stop putting Christian bands on pedestals and pray that God would give you the gift of discerning of spirits to reveal to you whether you have a religious or pharisaical spirit that is not of God. Jesus said beware the yeast of the Pharisees - it is not true Christianity.
I have been listening to metal for the past 10 years and I have seen the way many of my favourite bands have been judged and condemned for the reasons stated above. It is extremely sad and disappointing. But only this afternoon I learnt of the most recent example. Becoming the Archetype, a progressive death metal band and one of the most important Christian bands of the last decade in my opinion, released their new album a few days ago. Sarcastically the band made a comment on their facebook about the album containing Fred Durst like hand gestures, which may be unsuitable for children - Fred Durst was at one time one of the most well known nu-metal frontmen from the band Limp Bizkit and was famous for his outlandish image and antics. The comment was clearly a joke aimed at Fred Durst, and while its humour may have been subtle and its barb at the music of Limp Bizkit may only have been funny to long term fans of metal it was met with some vitriolic indignation by some fans.
According to a blog written by the band to defend themselves against many cruel and unfounded accusations they were even called 'satan's sellouts' by some and the integrity of their beliefs were brought into question. I couldn't believe what I was reading! Incidents like these are absolutey ridiculous and are perfect examples of an un-Christ-like heart. Did Jesus respond with scorn and rejection to sinners? No. Jesus conversed with such people with patience, compassion and love. None of us are perfect and even if the aforementioned joke was a little distasteful to some peoples' sense of humour it in no way deserved the hateful reaction it got. The Church and many Christians need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror. There is too much judgementalism surrounding the sincerity of Christian metal bands. If they are not treated with suspicion because of the style of music they play, they are judged for not being good enough Christians. But none of us are perfect and if God only used perfect people then no one would be a Christian today. Fact.
As a metalhead (although I use the label less as a medal of honour than I used to) Christian bands like Becoming the Archetype have been nothing short of God-sends, a ray of light in an otherwise darkened genre. They are so important not only in supporting me spiritually but as a witness in the secular music world. Christian fans should do everything in their power to support spiritually through prayer their favourite bands rather than condemn them unjustly and hypocritically. For the Bible says that breaking just one law makes us law breakers. It doesn't matter whether our sins are the same as others, we are all sinners. My message to any Christian metal fan reading this: stop putting Christian bands on pedestals and pray that God would give you the gift of discerning of spirits to reveal to you whether you have a religious or pharisaical spirit that is not of God. Jesus said beware the yeast of the Pharisees - it is not true Christianity.
Saturday, 19 March 2011
When art imitates life
When I was a kid something captured my imagination that made a big impression on me: professional wrestling. Yes professional wrestling! Typically as a young boy I was into superheroes (Batman, X-Men, Iron Man etc) yet here were human beings seemingly doing super human things. Every successful wrestler entered the arena and made their way to the ring like a rock star – accompanied by their very own theme song and fireworks. Once they got in the ring the action began and I watched many ‘gimmick’ matches growing up seeing them jump off of ladders and cages; and fighting with tables and chairs. But the point was that these men were gladiators, overcoming even the greatest odds to prevail victorious. The champions, those wrestlers who won or successfully defended their titles seemed like the most courageous and most celebrated human beings in the world; or at least the world of wrestling, which becomes particularly engrossing, absorbing the viewer into its menagerie.
I will admit it still remains a guilty pleasure of mine, even though my appreciation for it has changed over the years, as I grew up and learnt that who these men were was little more than glorified stunt men and came to the conclusion that the world of wrestling was nothing more than fantasy, an escapism the same as any action film you would go to see at the cinema. But at the end of the day its purpose is to entertain, and if it achieves that then it doesn’t matter whether it is real or not.
And so I get to the point of this blog: The Bible teaches that we should love God and not the world.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father in not in him.” 1 John 2:15
Life can entice us to become distracted from God. Sometimes life is like the world of professional wrestling full of smoke and mirrors, drawing us in as we become captivated by its glamour or its artificial appeal - the lifestyles of our peers, our siblings or even of celebrities who are treated both as demi gods and as freak shows in a sick perverted obsession we have both in aspiring to be like them and being insane with jealousy. The Christian life can be hard, going against the grain of society. Sometimes that means sacrificing having a relationship if it meant disobeying God; sometimes it means putting others first and being selfless with your time and energy; sometimes it means being openly persecuted for not conforming to the status quo or being misrepresented for what we stand for. Yet the Bible teaches us that the glory that awaits us is immeasurably greater than the fleeting pleasures of this world:
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18
One man who had all the fame and riches the world could offer was the guitarist Brian Welch, better known as Head in the band Korn. For a decade Head played with Korn all over the world in front of thousands of adoring fans; their albums went multi-platinum and he became a multi-millionaire. Yet with the fame and money also came access to drugs and the darker side of life. Brian’s emotional and spiritual life withered and died as he intoxicated himself with drugs and surrounded himself with sycophantic people. He lived a life without limits and without rules and ultimately it became his prison. Trapped into an abusive lifestyle of excess Brian became depressed and even suicidal. Truly what the Bible says about gaining the world had become a reality in Brian’s life:
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself.” Luke 9:24&25
Thankfully in 2005 Brian became a Christian and found life, joy and freedom in Jesus. He now uses his musical gift for God as well as sharing his testimony to encourage others to pursue a life of Christ.
It is hard to explain to the world, as the world is alien from God, but the Christian life is ultimately the most rewarding and fulfilling. To know that you are an adopted child of God, a co-heir in the riches of God’s kingdom and glory along with His Son Jesus Christ; to be loved by the creator of the universe, not for what we do but for who we are. So many people are futilely trying to find self worth in the world – in their careers, relationships, in their wealth or qualifications. Conversely, this world slowly but surely kills us off one by one, through stress, through disappointment and through rejection. Yet God does not reject anyone who comes to Him through Jesus! Hallelujah that we have such a gracious God. Life is to be enjoyed and shared but each of us have a decision to make – are we going to live under the deception of the world, with its fleeting pleasures and its artificiality like the world of professional wrestling, or are we going to live in the reality of God’s Kingdom – in His love, grace and Spirit?
Saturday, 26 February 2011
Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear
"You've changed things...there's no going back now" declared the Joker to Batman in the film the Dark Knight.
This is exactly how I feel as I contemplate going back to work on monday morning after an extraordinary week at the youth event simply known as Kidderminster: extraordinary in more ways than one. There were spiritual battles fought, especially in the first couple of days as a large number of leaders and assistant leaders felt under spiritual attack. But through the stress and disquieting events of those initial days came fruit and blessing later in the week as God answered prayers and ultimately victories, no matter how small were beginning to be won.
Many of the young people who went were carrying such a great deal of emotional or pyschological baggage that it broke your heart. I felt so privileged to be co-leading the prayer team and be able to listen and support a lot of those young people. God taught me a lot about the power and importance of prayer throughout the week. I saw young people blessed by prayers, as well as laid out in the Holy Spirit and not to mention grow spiritually as I taught them of the many facets of prayer. I praise God for the experience he gave me during those 5 days as well as the wisdom and equipping needed.
Wednesday night and Thursday night was particularly powerful and one of the greatest sights I witnessed was two young boys who gave their lives to Christ on Wednesday evening dancing before the Lord. To see such joy and freedom in them filled me with the purest kind of joy. Yet there were some who for them unfortunately the week was a struggle. My own small group of year 7 boys found it particularly hard to get a long without arguing and fighting and for them the messages given in the morning and evening meetings seemed like an inconvenience more than anything else to their free time. For them it seemed like the Gospel was too bright to see and too loud to hear. Yet God is good and I give thanks and praise that they were there and will continue to pray that seeds may have been sown and that they would come to fruition.
I also give thanks to God for the many friendships I was able to cultivate and deepen with my fellow leaders of all ages. We were able to have fun and I appreciated being able to come along side them to encourage and to grow together in Christ. There were a couple of running jokes throughout the week that uplifted and tickled our senses of humour.
The challenge now is to continue to meet the spiritual needs of these young people through small groups and at Seventh Hour our evening service on a Sunday. My own prayer will be for those young people who struggle to maintain a steady Christian walk of faith throughout the year, outside of the 'Kidderminster bubble'. The concept of the 'Kidderminster bubble' is both curious yet real. The reality of Kidderminster is very different to the reality we face throughout the year. The support these young people receive at Kidderminster is so much more accessible than at any other time of the year. For some reality is a difficult home life; for others it is being hotseated at school or college for being the only Christian in the class; yet others it is learning to walk with God and listen to Him amidst the distractions and temptations of this world. And it is the nature of reality, which is so subjective and personal that captures my imagination. No two person's perception of reality will be exactly the same. Notwithstanding the constant is the love of God toward all of us. What ever we may be dealing with God is sovereign and His grace is abundant. Jesus died for the multitude of sins in the world. Jesus lived and breathed so that the Father could see life through our eyes. That is a comforting thought. Whatever we are going through or dealing with God understands and cares because He has seen and felt our pain personally. God's covenant stands forever - Jesus is able to save all those who come to God through Him.
This is exactly how I feel as I contemplate going back to work on monday morning after an extraordinary week at the youth event simply known as Kidderminster: extraordinary in more ways than one. There were spiritual battles fought, especially in the first couple of days as a large number of leaders and assistant leaders felt under spiritual attack. But through the stress and disquieting events of those initial days came fruit and blessing later in the week as God answered prayers and ultimately victories, no matter how small were beginning to be won.
Many of the young people who went were carrying such a great deal of emotional or pyschological baggage that it broke your heart. I felt so privileged to be co-leading the prayer team and be able to listen and support a lot of those young people. God taught me a lot about the power and importance of prayer throughout the week. I saw young people blessed by prayers, as well as laid out in the Holy Spirit and not to mention grow spiritually as I taught them of the many facets of prayer. I praise God for the experience he gave me during those 5 days as well as the wisdom and equipping needed.
Wednesday night and Thursday night was particularly powerful and one of the greatest sights I witnessed was two young boys who gave their lives to Christ on Wednesday evening dancing before the Lord. To see such joy and freedom in them filled me with the purest kind of joy. Yet there were some who for them unfortunately the week was a struggle. My own small group of year 7 boys found it particularly hard to get a long without arguing and fighting and for them the messages given in the morning and evening meetings seemed like an inconvenience more than anything else to their free time. For them it seemed like the Gospel was too bright to see and too loud to hear. Yet God is good and I give thanks and praise that they were there and will continue to pray that seeds may have been sown and that they would come to fruition.
I also give thanks to God for the many friendships I was able to cultivate and deepen with my fellow leaders of all ages. We were able to have fun and I appreciated being able to come along side them to encourage and to grow together in Christ. There were a couple of running jokes throughout the week that uplifted and tickled our senses of humour.
The challenge now is to continue to meet the spiritual needs of these young people through small groups and at Seventh Hour our evening service on a Sunday. My own prayer will be for those young people who struggle to maintain a steady Christian walk of faith throughout the year, outside of the 'Kidderminster bubble'. The concept of the 'Kidderminster bubble' is both curious yet real. The reality of Kidderminster is very different to the reality we face throughout the year. The support these young people receive at Kidderminster is so much more accessible than at any other time of the year. For some reality is a difficult home life; for others it is being hotseated at school or college for being the only Christian in the class; yet others it is learning to walk with God and listen to Him amidst the distractions and temptations of this world. And it is the nature of reality, which is so subjective and personal that captures my imagination. No two person's perception of reality will be exactly the same. Notwithstanding the constant is the love of God toward all of us. What ever we may be dealing with God is sovereign and His grace is abundant. Jesus died for the multitude of sins in the world. Jesus lived and breathed so that the Father could see life through our eyes. That is a comforting thought. Whatever we are going through or dealing with God understands and cares because He has seen and felt our pain personally. God's covenant stands forever - Jesus is able to save all those who come to God through Him.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
After God's Own Heart
There are many different ideas about what or who God is. Some people deny his existence completely whilst other people believe He is a kindly grandfather figure who spoils us and never punishes us; yet others see Him as a vengeful fire breathing, lightning bolt throwing Zeus type of character. The world is replete with deists, theists, atheists, agnostics, polytheists, pantheists and everything inbetween.
But who really is God and how can we know His true heart? This is a question I have been meditating on recently. At work I have been teaching both Buddhism and Humanism in REP. Both value systems are commendable in their own right and at the same time flawed. Buddhists believe the answers lie within ourselves and we should strive to reach enlightenment in order to overcome the suffering in this world caused by ignorance and desire. Humanism triumphs the good in human nature and strives towards creating a better world and a more caring and compassionate society. Yet whilst elements of both philosophies are in keeping with God's heart, neither acknowledge Him.
For the humanist the nonexistence of God is conspicuous by His absence from human tragedy and crises. If God existed why does He allow suffering? Yet there is an irony to the Humanists logic, one which may or may not be lost on them. For the Humanist 'God' was merely a 'pokey medieval world view' when people lived in scientific ignorance. God therefore was always a 'God of the gaps' and after sufficient scientific exploration and discovery became unnecessary as an explanation for the world. Yet for all the benevolent discoveries and advancements in science that have helped make this world a better place, there have also been nightmarishly malevolent creations that have brought death, disease and suffering. Weapons such as the nuclear bomb, napalm and chemical warfare. The base chemicals and ingredients used in Medicine which is used to cure and to heal has also been corrupted to be used for illegal drugs that cause the user to become physically and psychologically dependent, often with horrific and tragic consequences socially. For all the good in human nature there is an evil.
Will Humanists ever succeed in making the world a better place? They may take an optimistic view of human nature, but there is no escaping from the fact that in human history atheism has led rise to many great and terrible evils such as Facism and Communism. 6 Million Jews died during WWII at the hands of the Nazis, even more Russians died at the hands of Stalin during the Great Purges and his reign of terror in the USSR. The Humanist may ask where was God? But can they face up to the fact that at its worst atheism leads to the attitude that human life is expendable and certain ideologies rip through the very fabric of morality and human society. What is the Humanists answer to the inhumane suffering caused by man to man? Are we not responsible? If we are sentient beings with a conscience then surely we are culpable and indeed guilty. Morality detached from its Divine origin will ultimately fail. Like the Joker said to Batman in the film the Dark Knight:
"their morality is like a bad joke; they're only as good as the world allows them to be. When the chips are down, they will tear each other apart - you'll see!"
Besides which Humanists state their is no scientific proof that God exists yet their rejection of God based on human suffering is an emotional response. Hardly scientific.
Morality for Buddhists is governed not by flawed man but by Karma. An invisible, unconscious law of the universe. At its simplist it is cause and effect. For every good deed it will be repaid in kind as well as every bad deed. This has great implications for reincarnation. Someone who has led a bad life will return in the next life in a lower state. Someone who has led a good life will return closer to achieving enlightenment. But whilst the physical universe is governed by the laws of nature; how can human life also be governed by a moral law. Morality does not conform to physical laws. Our morality is guided by our consciences. If our consciences are intune with what is right and wrong then it will be reflected in our morality - our views on what is ethical and our desire for justice and compassion. For Buddhists yet again the answer lies within humanity itself. Enlightenment is what is needed. Ignorance is the great enemy.
But if for example someone was to be reborn an animal because they lived a corrupted and degenerate life; how is that person, or life force, ever to achieve enlightenment? Animals do not have consciences; they are not guided by morality; animals are instinctual beings. How then is Karma to govern their actions? To a Buddhist continual rebirths would be damnation. They strive to enter into the state of Nirvana where they have transcended the laws of Karma and broken the cycle of rebirth. Yet a vast majority of the world will be lost. This seems even more cruel than the criticism made by many that Christianity promotes hell and damnation by a capricious and unloving God. But that is simply not true and a complete misunderstanding of the character and person of God. The Bible teaches that God wishes none to perish but that all would have eternal life. Again the Bible teaches that for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever should believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life! God is Just and Merciful.
Ignorance is our enemy. But not specifically in the way Buddhists believe it to be so. Ignorance of sin is what causes so much damage to the world and human suffering. Ignorance of sin and ignorance of the Devil. Humanity is caught in a web of lies spun by the Devil that has led to idolatry in a myriad of forms. Idolatry to false religions and to false gods; even idolatry to our very selves, as well as the things of this world - food, fashion, sport, sex, money etc. We do not have a right perspective of God because the world is not of God. Only through the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit can we understand the things of God - who He is and His character. By faith in Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection can we be united with God. For without God morality is merely a fascade, a fragile membrane that holds society together. For without God's Holy Spirit revealing to us God's Son, Jesus Christ there can be no enlightenment and no salvation.
God is a jealous God. God is jealous for His Holy name. That means He is both angered and heartbroken by the idolatry of this world. But God is also jealous in His love for humanity. God desires above all else that we reciprocate His love and enter into a relationship with us. If you are a Christian reading this are you aware of God's passionate jealousy for His Holy name? Are we praying for the lost? Those trapped into idolatry and false religions? Do we have a passion for the Holiness of God born of His Spirit? There will be more on this to come...
But who really is God and how can we know His true heart? This is a question I have been meditating on recently. At work I have been teaching both Buddhism and Humanism in REP. Both value systems are commendable in their own right and at the same time flawed. Buddhists believe the answers lie within ourselves and we should strive to reach enlightenment in order to overcome the suffering in this world caused by ignorance and desire. Humanism triumphs the good in human nature and strives towards creating a better world and a more caring and compassionate society. Yet whilst elements of both philosophies are in keeping with God's heart, neither acknowledge Him.
For the humanist the nonexistence of God is conspicuous by His absence from human tragedy and crises. If God existed why does He allow suffering? Yet there is an irony to the Humanists logic, one which may or may not be lost on them. For the Humanist 'God' was merely a 'pokey medieval world view' when people lived in scientific ignorance. God therefore was always a 'God of the gaps' and after sufficient scientific exploration and discovery became unnecessary as an explanation for the world. Yet for all the benevolent discoveries and advancements in science that have helped make this world a better place, there have also been nightmarishly malevolent creations that have brought death, disease and suffering. Weapons such as the nuclear bomb, napalm and chemical warfare. The base chemicals and ingredients used in Medicine which is used to cure and to heal has also been corrupted to be used for illegal drugs that cause the user to become physically and psychologically dependent, often with horrific and tragic consequences socially. For all the good in human nature there is an evil.
Will Humanists ever succeed in making the world a better place? They may take an optimistic view of human nature, but there is no escaping from the fact that in human history atheism has led rise to many great and terrible evils such as Facism and Communism. 6 Million Jews died during WWII at the hands of the Nazis, even more Russians died at the hands of Stalin during the Great Purges and his reign of terror in the USSR. The Humanist may ask where was God? But can they face up to the fact that at its worst atheism leads to the attitude that human life is expendable and certain ideologies rip through the very fabric of morality and human society. What is the Humanists answer to the inhumane suffering caused by man to man? Are we not responsible? If we are sentient beings with a conscience then surely we are culpable and indeed guilty. Morality detached from its Divine origin will ultimately fail. Like the Joker said to Batman in the film the Dark Knight:
"their morality is like a bad joke; they're only as good as the world allows them to be. When the chips are down, they will tear each other apart - you'll see!"
Besides which Humanists state their is no scientific proof that God exists yet their rejection of God based on human suffering is an emotional response. Hardly scientific.
Morality for Buddhists is governed not by flawed man but by Karma. An invisible, unconscious law of the universe. At its simplist it is cause and effect. For every good deed it will be repaid in kind as well as every bad deed. This has great implications for reincarnation. Someone who has led a bad life will return in the next life in a lower state. Someone who has led a good life will return closer to achieving enlightenment. But whilst the physical universe is governed by the laws of nature; how can human life also be governed by a moral law. Morality does not conform to physical laws. Our morality is guided by our consciences. If our consciences are intune with what is right and wrong then it will be reflected in our morality - our views on what is ethical and our desire for justice and compassion. For Buddhists yet again the answer lies within humanity itself. Enlightenment is what is needed. Ignorance is the great enemy.
But if for example someone was to be reborn an animal because they lived a corrupted and degenerate life; how is that person, or life force, ever to achieve enlightenment? Animals do not have consciences; they are not guided by morality; animals are instinctual beings. How then is Karma to govern their actions? To a Buddhist continual rebirths would be damnation. They strive to enter into the state of Nirvana where they have transcended the laws of Karma and broken the cycle of rebirth. Yet a vast majority of the world will be lost. This seems even more cruel than the criticism made by many that Christianity promotes hell and damnation by a capricious and unloving God. But that is simply not true and a complete misunderstanding of the character and person of God. The Bible teaches that God wishes none to perish but that all would have eternal life. Again the Bible teaches that for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever should believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life! God is Just and Merciful.
Ignorance is our enemy. But not specifically in the way Buddhists believe it to be so. Ignorance of sin is what causes so much damage to the world and human suffering. Ignorance of sin and ignorance of the Devil. Humanity is caught in a web of lies spun by the Devil that has led to idolatry in a myriad of forms. Idolatry to false religions and to false gods; even idolatry to our very selves, as well as the things of this world - food, fashion, sport, sex, money etc. We do not have a right perspective of God because the world is not of God. Only through the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit can we understand the things of God - who He is and His character. By faith in Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection can we be united with God. For without God morality is merely a fascade, a fragile membrane that holds society together. For without God's Holy Spirit revealing to us God's Son, Jesus Christ there can be no enlightenment and no salvation.
God is a jealous God. God is jealous for His Holy name. That means He is both angered and heartbroken by the idolatry of this world. But God is also jealous in His love for humanity. God desires above all else that we reciprocate His love and enter into a relationship with us. If you are a Christian reading this are you aware of God's passionate jealousy for His Holy name? Are we praying for the lost? Those trapped into idolatry and false religions? Do we have a passion for the Holiness of God born of His Spirit? There will be more on this to come...
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