What If?

OK before I put on the flame proof suit I am not trying to talk biblical innerancy. I am just trying to make people think. I am simply trying to ask what would happen if...

in the year 3507, a group of archealogists make a find. In the ancient city of San Francisco in an archealogical dig. They find what appears to be a temple to the god Google. They reject the religion of Google as too pluralistic. In the excavation of the temple of Google, they discover a primitive form of writing called a hard drive. They figure out how to read it and translate it. On this hard drive is all the blogs on blogspot. They decide it must be from God because it references their ancient religion which they have only a few writings of. They form a committee to decide which blogs will be the text of the religion. The only other info they have about this religion is what people have said and a few pieces of some texts that predate the blog.

What would happen if they decided to take my blog or your blog and put them in a book along with the other books they have and make it into an authoritative volume and claim it is perfect and innerrant?

Hate this post, love it, it will make you think.

Was Calvin a dipwad?

OK. I must admit that I started a firestorm in the comments section at SCP. I called Augustine who was a church official in the 4th century, a dipwad. Now maybe I could have used a better term than dipwad but I think he came up with some knee jerk theology to make his point. Calvin (and Luther) simply resurrected Augustine's old theories.

I am not a scholar but I have studied a bit on the subject and I have issues with the doctrine of predestination as many of you know.

I notice that Christians will give you a virtual bloodbath if you disagree with a doctrine like calvinism but when I make comments or post about things like social injustice they are silent.

I am a Christian so when I say they I guess I am included but I like to think I am a different kind of Christian.

Augustine by the way invented the just war theory to justify Rome conquering the world. Its the same idea that has overrun Churches and people like GW Bush subscribe to.

Ok maybe Augustine wasnt a dipwad, but he sure did a lot of harm to Christianity.

If you want to see the whole nasty string go to http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=10782671&postID=7298228405183718164&isPopup=true
Read the comments near the bottom.

I want to thank "The Pete" aka Dufflehead for sticking up for my on SCP.

Nothing

This is a post to test some functionality of the blog. If you got this, the email notification is working

Chickinism pic

With my interested sense of humor that some of you are starting to get. How could I post something called Chickinism without and appropriate photo

Chickinism

This is my invented word for the insane yet entertaining teachings of Jack Chick. You can go to www.chick.com to see more. Chick teaches things like satanic conspiracy theories, that the pope is the antichrist. That Jesuits secretly control the world and that gay people are trying to control your mind. The guy is a looney.

He is more well known for his theologically weak, "scare the hell" out of you tracts that I believe do more harm then good. Maybe hell is a fire fueled by burning chick tracts.

The scary thing is I have met people in Churches who believe his crap. They think their neighbors are closet satanists. That pastors secretly follow the dark one and that those homos are out there to convert little Johnny to be a satan worshipping homosexual, liberal, got hating jesuit. I see some of the fruits of chickinism in the religious right teachings. People ACTUALLY BELIEVE THIS HORSESHIT.

I am not knocking his passion and zeal. That he has. But come on. Good Christian church going family men by day and gay satan worshipping Jesuits by night. WTF?

Jack Chick is almost as damaging to Christianity as Pat Robertson. More proof that people do what they are told.

The "cult" church i was part of years ago that taught that the world would end in 1993 used to buy into all this chickinism conspiracy crap. Dangerous. It would be funny if it wasnt so dangerous

Faith vs Theology

TKN had some wise words in a comment to one of my previous posts that losing faith isnt letting go of strongly held beliefs or something like that. I apologize if I misquote. Anyway, I have come to a conclusion, though my theology is exploding and melting, my faith is actually getting stronger. Perfect faith needs no theology. Perfect theology needs no faith. I am not falling from or doubting my faith. I am doubting what I have been told I should believe. I am starting to find some peace.

Thanks to all of you. Many have said helpful things. I wonder how much faith a theologian has.

Wisdom from a secular song

Live is a secular band. In fact some of their songs appear anti God (I am specifically referring to Operation Spirit on the Mental Jewelry CD if there are any Live fans). They did a song back in 2003 that sums up faith in my mind. Now I have no kids so it would probably mean even more if I did, but here are some of (OK all of) the words of "Heaven" by Live


You don't need no friends
Get back your faith again
You have the power to believe
Another dissident
Take back your evidence
It has no power to deceive

I'll believe it when I see it for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive

I sit with them all night
Everything they say is right
But in the morning they were wrong
I'll be right by your side
Come hell or water high
Down any road you choose to roam

I'll believe it when I see it for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive, yeah

Darling, I believe, Oh Lord
Sometimes it's hard to breathe, Lord
At the bottom of the sea, yeah yeah

I'll believe it when I see it for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive
I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset
I can see the sunset
I can see the sunset
I don't need no one
I don't need no one, oh
I don't need no one
I don't need no one
To tell me about heaven
I believe
I believe it, yeah

What I see here is a disdain for religion "Take back your evidence
It has no power to deceive"

an expression of faith in a higher power or God "
I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive"

and a paradoxical struggle with doubt "I'll believe it when I see it for myself" He obviously believes without seeing but yet says this anyway.

I dont know if this has anything to do with the writers personal faith or its just a story but it sums up basic faith for me right now. I dont need no proof when it comes to God and truth and I can see the sunset and I believe.

Talk about goofy weird childlike faith.

This is an awesome song. Much more profound than most Christian rock. Its gotta be one of my all time favorites.