Tim Challies wrote a book review some time ago and is still recieving emails concerning the "unfair" review he gave from readers who "benefited" from the book in question. He has since wrote a response to those emails and addressed the two main arguments being given for his review being unfair. Even though he is addressing a singular topic, I think his thoughts here have wide-sweeping ramifications for us as believers. Please see the snippets below and then go to the link to read the complete article. Also, I would recommend you add his blog to your list of daily reads as it is a great resource to those who believe.
Pragmatism necessarily causes us to lose our focus on the absolute standard God has given us in His Word to determine right from wrong. When we lose that focus the church is placed on the slippery slope to becoming like the world. When we discard God’s standards we must depend on our own deeply flawed standards. We begin to trust in ourselves and lose our trust in God. We lose our reliance on His Word as the tool for discernment.
Fiction is a powerful medium for communicating truth and the evidence of this is in every positive review of the book; the evidence is in the fact that Jesus Himself often communicated using fiction.
The reader who complained about “stodgy old religion” exhorted me to “try to re-read the Shack with a more open mind.” But from her email and the others like it, I can see that in this case an open mind would require a closed Bible. We cannot set aside Scripture even when we read fiction. There is no such thing as only fiction.
You can read more here.
Some questions:
-Does pragmatism (do it because it works) have a place in the church?
-Why do you think we readily exchange hard truths for pragmatism?
-Are there ill consequences for this exchange?
-What are your thoughts concerning the last quote from Challies?
-Did Jesus teach truth through fiction?
-Should we be more careful with how we handle truth and take in those things labeled as "only fiction"?
-Overall, do you agree with or find yourself at odds with Challies?
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Has Our Democracy Become A Joke?
See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die
Some questions:
-What do you think our founding fathers would say concerning the current state of our union?
-Is nothing kept from mockery?
-Should our electoral system be revamped?
-Do the youth of our nation take seriously the issues concerning our future? If not, what do you think contributed to this?
Stigler's Law Of Eponymy: Oh The Irony
Apart from iconic figures like Darwin and Einstein, most scientists labour in obscurity. One of the few ways in which they can gain lasting recognition is by having a scientific discovery named after them.
However, the system does not always work smoothly. Indeed, naming disputes are so common that there is even a rule of thumb called the Zeroth theorem, which states that eponymous discoveries are, more often than not, wrongly attributed.
Appropriately enough, the theorem is also known as Stigler's law of eponymy even though it was originally formulated by Robert Merton of Columbia University in New York.
You can read of five examples here.
Some questions:
-Should these discoveries be renamed to honor the one who found them?
-Should it really matter?
-Is this an issue of pride or of giving credit where credit is due?
-Do you know of any other examples?
However, the system does not always work smoothly. Indeed, naming disputes are so common that there is even a rule of thumb called the Zeroth theorem, which states that eponymous discoveries are, more often than not, wrongly attributed.
Appropriately enough, the theorem is also known as Stigler's law of eponymy even though it was originally formulated by Robert Merton of Columbia University in New York.
You can read of five examples here.
Some questions:
-Should these discoveries be renamed to honor the one who found them?
-Should it really matter?
-Is this an issue of pride or of giving credit where credit is due?
-Do you know of any other examples?
Monday, August 4, 2008
The End of Contraception: The Government Defines Life
A new set of health laws that could be proposed by the government sometime in the next few weeks has women's health activists steaming. If the laws are implemented, they claim, women will have a harder time getting access to contraception.
The legislation, a draft of which was leaked last week to the New York Times, stokes the debate over when human life begins by taking the position that birth control that prevents the implantation of a fertilized egg actually results in abortion.
Late last week, Sen. Hillary Clinton called the planned rules (which could be imposed without congressional approval) "damaging" and a "dire threat to women" and warned that contraceptive coverage would "disappear overnight" if enacted.
You can read more here.
Some questions:
-Why do you think the legistlation states life begins at fertilization?
-What are your thoughts on birth control? Is it abortion? If not, when does life begin?
-Should this be legislated to the general public?
-What did women do before the invention of "the pill" to ensure they did not get pregnant- chastity?
-Do you agree with the proposed legislation? If so why? If not, why not?
-Do you see further ethical ramifications stemming from this legislation if passed?
-Has contraception been a good thing for us culturally? Spiritually?
The legislation, a draft of which was leaked last week to the New York Times, stokes the debate over when human life begins by taking the position that birth control that prevents the implantation of a fertilized egg actually results in abortion.
Late last week, Sen. Hillary Clinton called the planned rules (which could be imposed without congressional approval) "damaging" and a "dire threat to women" and warned that contraceptive coverage would "disappear overnight" if enacted.
You can read more here.
Some questions:
-Why do you think the legistlation states life begins at fertilization?
-What are your thoughts on birth control? Is it abortion? If not, when does life begin?
-Should this be legislated to the general public?
-What did women do before the invention of "the pill" to ensure they did not get pregnant- chastity?
-Do you agree with the proposed legislation? If so why? If not, why not?
-Do you see further ethical ramifications stemming from this legislation if passed?
-Has contraception been a good thing for us culturally? Spiritually?
Why So Secretive About Discovery On Mars?
It would appear that the US President has been briefed by Phoenix scientists about the discovery of something more "provocative" than the discovery of water existing on the Martian surface. This news comes just as the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) confirmed experimental evidence for the existence of water in the Mars regolith on Thursday.
You can read more here.
***Update***
So what was the secret? You can find out here.
Some questions:
-What do you think might have been found?
-Should the public be left in the dark concerning such discoveries even if they are still being analyzed?
-Why do you think the president was briefed (and not just one of his advisors)?
-If life was found to have existed on Mars at some point in time, would this impact your faith in a negative way?
You can read more here.
***Update***
So what was the secret? You can find out here.
Some questions:
-What do you think might have been found?
-Should the public be left in the dark concerning such discoveries even if they are still being analyzed?
-Why do you think the president was briefed (and not just one of his advisors)?
-If life was found to have existed on Mars at some point in time, would this impact your faith in a negative way?
Friday, August 1, 2008
Only One Thing
If you could only do one thing today, what would it be? Why would you choose that over everything else you could have done?
Each day Christians are imprisoned and suffer persecution and even death for their faith in God and the work of Jesus the Christ on the cross. Each day they still have freedom they must live it as if it was their last. Sometimes, the blessings of religous freedom without fear of persecution obscure the imminence of judgment and the uncertainty of the timing of death or imprisonment. Sometimes this freedom even causes us to think less on the sufferings of our brothers and sisters because of their faith... so, if you could do only one thing today, what would it be?
Each day Christians are imprisoned and suffer persecution and even death for their faith in God and the work of Jesus the Christ on the cross. Each day they still have freedom they must live it as if it was their last. Sometimes, the blessings of religous freedom without fear of persecution obscure the imminence of judgment and the uncertainty of the timing of death or imprisonment. Sometimes this freedom even causes us to think less on the sufferings of our brothers and sisters because of their faith... so, if you could do only one thing today, what would it be?
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