Last Thursday I found myself at home in the middle of the day with nothing to do for a few hours. I turned on the television. I'm a television junkie. I can watch T.V. all day for days on end. Once, over a Christmas break, I didn't leave the house or change out of my pajamas for seven days straight. I laid on the floor with my head propped up on a pillow watching T.V. When I couldn't find the remote, I slid my arms across the floor like a snow angel...the remote had to be within my reach because I hadn't moved all day. All that to say that I can be entertained by even the most boring television programs.
So last Thursday I turned on the T.V. My remote control allows me to preset my favorite channels in case I'm to lazy to actually press the numbers on the remote. I tried all of my preset stations (all 16 of them) only to find there was nothing worth watching. Instead of turning off the T.V., I dared to venture into the "in between" channels.
What I found was astonishing. Those terrible channels that I never watch are actually highly entertaining in the middle of the day.
Channel 1: Infomercials are often mildly entertaining, but mostly repetitive and dull. Well Seven Day Miracle Cleanse was anything but dull. Can you imagine going ten years without brushing your teeth? Would you consider not blowing your nose for 15 years? Of course not! Well, I bet you've never cleaned out your colon. That's right folks, your colon needs to be cleaned regularly just like every other orifice. With regular colon cleansing you can lose weight, feel better, have softer skin, cure diseases, and have a longer lifespan.
Check it out: http://www.7dmc.com/
Channel 2: Friends, I'm here to let you in on a unique opportunity. Just this morning I was faxed this contract from the Country of Israel. That's right, from Israel. As you know, Daystar has always worked to minister to Christians and non-Christians around the world through the medium of television. God has blessed us with a wonderful opportunity to be the first all Christian television network in Israel broadcasting to Israel 24 hours a day.
You can be a part of this special ministry. The Israeli government has sent us this contract via fax. All we have to do is raise $1,000,000.00 today. We just need you to give as the Lord leads. If 1,000 people each give $1,000.00 we can meet our goal.
This offer by the Israeli government is only good today. If we can raise this money today not only can we be the first all Christian network in Israel but the Israeli government has secured for us an office building for our broadcasting studio on Mount Zion. Thats right, we can be broadcasting in the Holy Land from Mount Zion itself.
http://ww2.daystar.com/Daystar
Friday, September 29, 2006
Friday, September 22, 2006
Little Things
The last eleven days have seemed a little mundane. It's the little things that make things interesting though. I've decided that I should provide illustrations to enhance my fluffy thoughts. Everyone like illustrations. I love photography, but don't expect too much. Most of the pictures of the little things in my life were taken on my cell phone which equals poor quality. Anway...
I was driving to work on Wednesday morning. I have to drive due east to get to work. Unfortunately, at the time of day I go to work the sun is directly in my eyes. I'm not talking about a little annoying glare. I'm talking about blinding, direct sun rays. I couldn't see a thing. I couldn't tell what color the traffic lights were or if the school zone lights were flashing on Wednesday.
As I was turning left into the parking lot at work I noticed something on my right. My mind couldn't quite comprehend what it was. Usually when you see a traffic accident there are fire trucks and police cars with there lights flashing. However, on this occasion the accident happenend right in front of me. I parked and got out to see if everyone was alright. A couple of joggers from the neighborhood had stopped also.
It turned out that everyone was alright, but it's still pretty freaky to see an acident like this one. Notice the sun in the first pic.
I was driving to work on Wednesday morning. I have to drive due east to get to work. Unfortunately, at the time of day I go to work the sun is directly in my eyes. I'm not talking about a little annoying glare. I'm talking about blinding, direct sun rays. I couldn't see a thing. I couldn't tell what color the traffic lights were or if the school zone lights were flashing on Wednesday.
As I was turning left into the parking lot at work I noticed something on my right. My mind couldn't quite comprehend what it was. Usually when you see a traffic accident there are fire trucks and police cars with there lights flashing. However, on this occasion the accident happenend right in front of me. I parked and got out to see if everyone was alright. A couple of joggers from the neighborhood had stopped also.
It turned out that everyone was alright, but it's still pretty freaky to see an acident like this one. Notice the sun in the first pic.
I've got another car story I'll post later once I've processed it mentally.
Monday, September 11, 2006
E.R.
My medical insurance is pretty good. My wife is a "medical professional" so we are covered for just about everything. However, our health care plan doesn't have any local Doc in the Boxes. Until Thursday, this didn't bother me.
On Thursday, my wife and I were out shopping for a new mattress. We were hungry but facing the cost of a new mattress dissuaded us from eating out. Instead, we went home, and I volunteered to cook something. I was in a hurry because we were both hungry. I was chopping onions, and while chopping, I looked to make sure the stove was on. As I turned my head to the side, my right hand pushed the knife through my left thumb.
The E.R. is a prime example why communism doesn't work...At least not well. E.R.s around the country must see every patient that comes through the door. They cannot turn you away for any reason. So, they take patients that can't afford to pay.
I think it is a wonderful idea for anyone to have access to modern medical care. However, this system has made the E.R. inefficient and dreadfully slow. They have no incentive to go faster. If you go to a restaurant (which I should have done on Thursday) and the service is exceptionally slow, you might leave, or at least you might not come back again.
If you have a medical emergency and you go to the E.R. and the service is slow, where are you going to go? If you're the type of person who believes that you should pay your bills (which I am) then you can only afford to go to a place your insurance covers. If the E.R. your insurance covers is slow, you can't afford to go to another one...And the E.R.s know this. They have no monetary incentive to go faster or be efficient.
I arrived at the E.R. around 7:15pm. The woman at the desk was on the phone talking to someone that I think was her boyfriend. After she failed to acknowledge my presence I proceeded to try and fill out the admission form with my one good hand. At 7:20pm I handed her the form. She looked at it and motioned toward the herd of patients.
I joined several people in watching Mexican soap operas until my name was called at 7:45pm. I was excited that I would be taken care of so fast. A nurse took me into a room, took my name and information, and, for the first time since I arrived looked, at my wound. She then told me to go back to the waiting room and wait for my name to be called again.
I returned to my soaps and waited. At 8:45pm my wife became impatient. She asked the lady at the front desk (who was now off the phone) when I would be seen. They said that my name was next on the list and that it shouldn't take much longer.
At 9:05pm my name along with six others was called. I was escorted to a large examination room. The nurse came by at 9:15pm and told me to make myself comfortable. She familiarized me with the television and handed me the remote. She said the doctor would be in shortly.
At 9:45 the doctor arrived. He said that I didn't need any stiches. All that needed to be done was to keep it clean, use plenty of neosporin, and wrap it in gauze until it heals.
At 10:00pm I left the E.R. with gauze around my thumb. It took three hours to wrap gauze around my thumb. Seriously.
On Thursday, my wife and I were out shopping for a new mattress. We were hungry but facing the cost of a new mattress dissuaded us from eating out. Instead, we went home, and I volunteered to cook something. I was in a hurry because we were both hungry. I was chopping onions, and while chopping, I looked to make sure the stove was on. As I turned my head to the side, my right hand pushed the knife through my left thumb.
The E.R. is a prime example why communism doesn't work...At least not well. E.R.s around the country must see every patient that comes through the door. They cannot turn you away for any reason. So, they take patients that can't afford to pay.
I think it is a wonderful idea for anyone to have access to modern medical care. However, this system has made the E.R. inefficient and dreadfully slow. They have no incentive to go faster. If you go to a restaurant (which I should have done on Thursday) and the service is exceptionally slow, you might leave, or at least you might not come back again.
If you have a medical emergency and you go to the E.R. and the service is slow, where are you going to go? If you're the type of person who believes that you should pay your bills (which I am) then you can only afford to go to a place your insurance covers. If the E.R. your insurance covers is slow, you can't afford to go to another one...And the E.R.s know this. They have no monetary incentive to go faster or be efficient.
I arrived at the E.R. around 7:15pm. The woman at the desk was on the phone talking to someone that I think was her boyfriend. After she failed to acknowledge my presence I proceeded to try and fill out the admission form with my one good hand. At 7:20pm I handed her the form. She looked at it and motioned toward the herd of patients.
I joined several people in watching Mexican soap operas until my name was called at 7:45pm. I was excited that I would be taken care of so fast. A nurse took me into a room, took my name and information, and, for the first time since I arrived looked, at my wound. She then told me to go back to the waiting room and wait for my name to be called again.
I returned to my soaps and waited. At 8:45pm my wife became impatient. She asked the lady at the front desk (who was now off the phone) when I would be seen. They said that my name was next on the list and that it shouldn't take much longer.
At 9:05pm my name along with six others was called. I was escorted to a large examination room. The nurse came by at 9:15pm and told me to make myself comfortable. She familiarized me with the television and handed me the remote. She said the doctor would be in shortly.
At 9:45 the doctor arrived. He said that I didn't need any stiches. All that needed to be done was to keep it clean, use plenty of neosporin, and wrap it in gauze until it heals.
At 10:00pm I left the E.R. with gauze around my thumb. It took three hours to wrap gauze around my thumb. Seriously.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Empathy/Sympathy
September 11, 2001, I was asleep. Well, I wasn't asleep the entire day. It was a Thursday, and I was a freshman in college. I don't think I had any classes until sometime that afternoon. I woke up around 11:00 am and I stumbled into my dorm showers. After I got ready to go eat lunch someone asked me, "Did you just get up?" I answered, "Yeah, why?" I didn't think it at all unusual for a college freshman to sleep in until 11.
He exclaimed, "You haven't heard about the planes in New York?" "Planes in New York? What about planes in New York?" He told me what had happened. I didn't have a T.V., so I walked to the library which usually had a T.V. playing CNN. I saw the replays of the planes flying into the towers. I thought, "Is this for real?"
Later that day I saw fliers about prayer vigils and special chapel services that were going to be held. I ignored them. Friends of mine repeated the phrases they heard on T.V. like, "This will be an event that will define this generation," or "This is going to change are country," and over and over I heard, "We will never be the same." I rolled my eyes.
I have a problem with empathy and sympathy. I don't mean that I think empathy and sympathy are bad. Empathy is putting yourself in someone else's shoes. Sympathy is sharing in the feelings of another. I substantially lack the ability to put myself in other people's shoes in most situations. I tried to feel the impact of September 11th. I tried to realize the tragedy of all those lives that were lost. I wanted to be enraged that anyone would commit such an atrocity. But I wasn't enraged or mad or shocked. The best I could come up with was, "That's too bad." I tried sharing the feelings of those who lost someone dear to them. I couldn't. I couldn't even imagine what it would have been like to lose someone. I tried.
Everyone was concerned and scared. People wondered if college campuses could be a potential terrorist target. I didn't. I was calm. I couldn't figure out what was so scary. I knew that what happened was real...but it didn't seem close. It felt distant and remote.
I'm not an uncaring person. I cried like a baby at my grandfather's funeral. I even cried during a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. I get so mad when I see abused children that I could kill their parents. I just can't seem to connect to this catastrophe. I've seen ground zero in NYC. It was big. Maybe if I could have seen the building burn in person I'd feel different.
Don't get me wrong, I think the attack was a terrible thing. I think the victims and the heroes that tried to save them should be honored. I just don't know how to respond. I'd like to feel something, but I don't. I just don't know how.
He exclaimed, "You haven't heard about the planes in New York?" "Planes in New York? What about planes in New York?" He told me what had happened. I didn't have a T.V., so I walked to the library which usually had a T.V. playing CNN. I saw the replays of the planes flying into the towers. I thought, "Is this for real?"
Later that day I saw fliers about prayer vigils and special chapel services that were going to be held. I ignored them. Friends of mine repeated the phrases they heard on T.V. like, "This will be an event that will define this generation," or "This is going to change are country," and over and over I heard, "We will never be the same." I rolled my eyes.
I have a problem with empathy and sympathy. I don't mean that I think empathy and sympathy are bad. Empathy is putting yourself in someone else's shoes. Sympathy is sharing in the feelings of another. I substantially lack the ability to put myself in other people's shoes in most situations. I tried to feel the impact of September 11th. I tried to realize the tragedy of all those lives that were lost. I wanted to be enraged that anyone would commit such an atrocity. But I wasn't enraged or mad or shocked. The best I could come up with was, "That's too bad." I tried sharing the feelings of those who lost someone dear to them. I couldn't. I couldn't even imagine what it would have been like to lose someone. I tried.
Everyone was concerned and scared. People wondered if college campuses could be a potential terrorist target. I didn't. I was calm. I couldn't figure out what was so scary. I knew that what happened was real...but it didn't seem close. It felt distant and remote.
I'm not an uncaring person. I cried like a baby at my grandfather's funeral. I even cried during a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. I get so mad when I see abused children that I could kill their parents. I just can't seem to connect to this catastrophe. I've seen ground zero in NYC. It was big. Maybe if I could have seen the building burn in person I'd feel different.
Don't get me wrong, I think the attack was a terrible thing. I think the victims and the heroes that tried to save them should be honored. I just don't know how to respond. I'd like to feel something, but I don't. I just don't know how.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Money (Part I: Tithe)
A friend of mine (http://www.claytonius.com/) recently sent me a good article (http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=1149). I've got a lot of thoughts about money. Unfortunately, they are too jumbled to put down into one post, so I'm going to break them down into parts. Part One, the Tithe.
I think tithing is a good thing. I think the Bible is pretty clear that my "first fruits" should be given back to God. It's not like God needs it. He's got everything, and I only have what He's given me. My thought is tithing is primarily for my benefit.
I've had people tell me that if I give 10% to God, God will "bless" me financially several times over. Personally, I think that's ridiculous. I suppose God could be a sort of CEO with the Holy Spirit acting as the Chief Operations Officer and Jesus as the Chief Financial Officer. Maybe Jesus has calculator...Maybe it's one of those fancy graphing calculators. It's probably the same calculator He uses to figure out how many jewels I'm going to get in my crown.
There's probably a whole division of accountant angels in charge of logging all transactions and keeping God's books. Tithing is really just a God tax. I don't know if their are any tithing breaks...You know...Maybe you get a rebate if your a pastor or a missionary. There's got to be some sort of monetary incentive for sending your kid to private school...Or better yet, homeschool! I bet missionaries in the 3rd world only owe about 2%, if that. It would seem kind of petty for God to tax pastors and missionaries. I mean their income is post tithe income.
I'm sure there's subset of accounting angels that do audits and investigate fraud. Think about it. I bet the same angels that audited the medieval popes audit those teleevangalists. That could be an interesting job.
Anyway, I think the benefit of tithing is that it reminds me that 1) I need to trust God with everything, 2) God is the one who provides for me, and 3) There are others who need my money. These three reasons might seem odd (or poorly formulated), but I think they get to the issues.
Giving away my money requires me to trust God. It's not easy to give away a percentage of my income...Especially if unexpected things happen, like car repairs. However, in giving money away, I realize that God has always provided for me. That's easy for me to say coming from an upper middle class white family in America. It'd probably be harder to believe that in countries where people starve to death. Those starving people, and many others, need my money more than I do.
The main thing I want to know is where should my tithe go. Most churches tell me my tithe should go to them...If I was the church I'd probably tell you to give me your tithe also. I'm not sure about that though. Can I give my 10% (I'm assuming 10% for now, although I'm not sure about that either) to a third world missionary? How about supporting a child in an impoverished country? Can I give it to the Salvation Army or the Red Cross? Must my money support someone who is specifically spreading the gospel, or can I give it to anyone who is helping the poor and needy?
Part of me thinks that helping the poor is a worthwhile cause no matter who is doing it. I like to give my tithe to the electric company. My electric company has a fund that is used to help people who can't afford to pay their electric bill. I like giving money to them. It's easy (I can do it online when I pay my bill), its anonymous, and the poor get something they really need (air conditioning, which is needed in Oklahoma in the summertime).
Maybe I should give my tithe to my church and give even more to the starving people. Maybe I shouldn't give any to the starving people but instead give it to a building campaign so the other parishioners can have adequate parking and butterfly atrium. Any thoughts?
I think tithing is a good thing. I think the Bible is pretty clear that my "first fruits" should be given back to God. It's not like God needs it. He's got everything, and I only have what He's given me. My thought is tithing is primarily for my benefit.
I've had people tell me that if I give 10% to God, God will "bless" me financially several times over. Personally, I think that's ridiculous. I suppose God could be a sort of CEO with the Holy Spirit acting as the Chief Operations Officer and Jesus as the Chief Financial Officer. Maybe Jesus has calculator...Maybe it's one of those fancy graphing calculators. It's probably the same calculator He uses to figure out how many jewels I'm going to get in my crown.
There's probably a whole division of accountant angels in charge of logging all transactions and keeping God's books. Tithing is really just a God tax. I don't know if their are any tithing breaks...You know...Maybe you get a rebate if your a pastor or a missionary. There's got to be some sort of monetary incentive for sending your kid to private school...Or better yet, homeschool! I bet missionaries in the 3rd world only owe about 2%, if that. It would seem kind of petty for God to tax pastors and missionaries. I mean their income is post tithe income.
I'm sure there's subset of accounting angels that do audits and investigate fraud. Think about it. I bet the same angels that audited the medieval popes audit those teleevangalists. That could be an interesting job.
Anyway, I think the benefit of tithing is that it reminds me that 1) I need to trust God with everything, 2) God is the one who provides for me, and 3) There are others who need my money. These three reasons might seem odd (or poorly formulated), but I think they get to the issues.
Giving away my money requires me to trust God. It's not easy to give away a percentage of my income...Especially if unexpected things happen, like car repairs. However, in giving money away, I realize that God has always provided for me. That's easy for me to say coming from an upper middle class white family in America. It'd probably be harder to believe that in countries where people starve to death. Those starving people, and many others, need my money more than I do.
The main thing I want to know is where should my tithe go. Most churches tell me my tithe should go to them...If I was the church I'd probably tell you to give me your tithe also. I'm not sure about that though. Can I give my 10% (I'm assuming 10% for now, although I'm not sure about that either) to a third world missionary? How about supporting a child in an impoverished country? Can I give it to the Salvation Army or the Red Cross? Must my money support someone who is specifically spreading the gospel, or can I give it to anyone who is helping the poor and needy?
Part of me thinks that helping the poor is a worthwhile cause no matter who is doing it. I like to give my tithe to the electric company. My electric company has a fund that is used to help people who can't afford to pay their electric bill. I like giving money to them. It's easy (I can do it online when I pay my bill), its anonymous, and the poor get something they really need (air conditioning, which is needed in Oklahoma in the summertime).
Maybe I should give my tithe to my church and give even more to the starving people. Maybe I shouldn't give any to the starving people but instead give it to a building campaign so the other parishioners can have adequate parking and butterfly atrium. Any thoughts?
Friday, August 25, 2006
Casual Friday
I'm in school, but I have a part time job. When I got hired they told me that dress was business casual, meaning slacks and a collared shirt. "On the plus side," they said, "Friday is casual Friday." I asked, "What does that mean?" They said, "You get to wear jeans and a collared shirt." To which I responded, "Oh."
First, what is it about jeans that makes them casual? Sure, they're sturdy and comfortable. They go with almost anything, and they don't need to be washed after just one wear (the proper frequency of washing jeans is up for debate). Why can't jeans be considered formal wear?
Second, why difference does it make if one day a week I get to wear jeans? I mean, is it that big of a privilege to wear jeans? Right now where I live its over 100 degrees outside. It'd be a blessing if I was allowed to wear shorts, but jeans? Seriously, its just a different material. Normally I wear linen khaki pants (I'd like to take this moment to recommend linen pants or even linen suits, especially for those in warmer climates. They are quite comfortable.)
Third, why do I look forward to casual Friday? I admit it, I do. I like being able to wear jeans. It makes me feel more relaxed, more laid back. Why? I don't know. Anyway, that's what's on my mind.
First, what is it about jeans that makes them casual? Sure, they're sturdy and comfortable. They go with almost anything, and they don't need to be washed after just one wear (the proper frequency of washing jeans is up for debate). Why can't jeans be considered formal wear?
Second, why difference does it make if one day a week I get to wear jeans? I mean, is it that big of a privilege to wear jeans? Right now where I live its over 100 degrees outside. It'd be a blessing if I was allowed to wear shorts, but jeans? Seriously, its just a different material. Normally I wear linen khaki pants (I'd like to take this moment to recommend linen pants or even linen suits, especially for those in warmer climates. They are quite comfortable.)
Third, why do I look forward to casual Friday? I admit it, I do. I like being able to wear jeans. It makes me feel more relaxed, more laid back. Why? I don't know. Anyway, that's what's on my mind.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Chestless
I told my wife last night that I didn't have a chest. She just looked at me quizzically. I gave her a brief explanation of how Plato viewed the person. Plato thought that there were basically three parts to the self.
The first and lowest part was the passions. The passions were centered in the loins. The passions included most emotions and desires like hunger, lust, tiredness, etc. The passions were mostly associated with physical needs.
The third and highest part was the mind. The mind is centered in the head. The mind reasons and learns. The mind can make rational decisions and figure out what is best for the body as a whole.
The second part is the will which is centered in the heart or the chest. Plato thought that the mind should decide what's best for the body. It was the will's job to take what the mind had decided and enforce it on the passions. The will is an enforcer of sorts.
C.S. Lewis wrote an essay about men without chests. Plato's model was basically what Lewis was talking about. I think my chest is defective. I know that I'm defective by nature as a result of original sin. I'm not sure to what extent I'm depraved.
Perhaps I'm completely and utterly depraved, or at least I started out that way. Maybe my mind, will, and passions are all corrupt. I'm certain my passions are corrupt, and my will seems to fail me fairly often. I'm not sure about my mind.
I know sometimes my mind makes mistakes. My mind's mistakes could be explained by my mind being finite. I don't have an infinite mind so my mind can't do everything or do everything right because there's only so much mind to go around. A mistake wouldn't necessitate it being corrupt though. It could be finite but not corrupted.
Maybe God regenerated my mind completely and now my will and passions are slowly being sanctified. What I mean is that maybe God has restored my mind, but He's slowly restoring my will and passions. Or maybe my mind was never corrupted. Maybe everyone's mind is free of corruption, and God just has to begin to regenerate our wills and passions.
Any thoughts on the self or corruption?
The first and lowest part was the passions. The passions were centered in the loins. The passions included most emotions and desires like hunger, lust, tiredness, etc. The passions were mostly associated with physical needs.
The third and highest part was the mind. The mind is centered in the head. The mind reasons and learns. The mind can make rational decisions and figure out what is best for the body as a whole.
The second part is the will which is centered in the heart or the chest. Plato thought that the mind should decide what's best for the body. It was the will's job to take what the mind had decided and enforce it on the passions. The will is an enforcer of sorts.
C.S. Lewis wrote an essay about men without chests. Plato's model was basically what Lewis was talking about. I think my chest is defective. I know that I'm defective by nature as a result of original sin. I'm not sure to what extent I'm depraved.
Perhaps I'm completely and utterly depraved, or at least I started out that way. Maybe my mind, will, and passions are all corrupt. I'm certain my passions are corrupt, and my will seems to fail me fairly often. I'm not sure about my mind.
I know sometimes my mind makes mistakes. My mind's mistakes could be explained by my mind being finite. I don't have an infinite mind so my mind can't do everything or do everything right because there's only so much mind to go around. A mistake wouldn't necessitate it being corrupt though. It could be finite but not corrupted.
Maybe God regenerated my mind completely and now my will and passions are slowly being sanctified. What I mean is that maybe God has restored my mind, but He's slowly restoring my will and passions. Or maybe my mind was never corrupted. Maybe everyone's mind is free of corruption, and God just has to begin to regenerate our wills and passions.
Any thoughts on the self or corruption?
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Prope
Admittedly, I'm a Protestant with a Reformed bent. However, a little over a year ago I became a semi-convert to Roman Catholicism...for a day. I was required to read an article by a Russian historian. The article was basically a synopsis of why Roman Catholics and Protestants were clearly in error and Orthodox Christians had it right.
The main critique of Protestants was that they (we) have no authority. We have nothing infallible. Sure, we have the Bible, but that clearly requires interpretation. Of course the Holy Spirit aids us in interpreting the Bible, but we have no one true interpretation. The more I thought about this lack of authoritative interpretation the more I wanted it. I wanted to know whether I should be dunked or sprinkled. I wanted someone to tell me that Spiritual Gifts are more than just the gift of "helping." I wanted answers.
It started to make me angry that all of these silly Protestants were running around preaching whatever they felt like. It made so much sense to set up an authority structure who could decide once and for all that God's call is irresistible and that "once saved, always saved" was an unnecessary cliche developed by short sighted Wesleyans. We needed a Protestant Pope (Prope?) to rule over the dissenting divisions. A Prope unite all Protestants. It'd keep disgruntled parishioners from starting a church across the street.
A friend of mine helped me come to my senses. He helped me realize two things: 1)I don't want a Prope so much as I want to be Prope. I think a Prope would be awesome so long as it was me. A Prope that wasn't me would be fine too, he (or she) just couldn't make me believe anything I didn't want to believe. 2)We're all fallible. This foundation of Protestantism keeps us from having infallible authority.
A Prope really doesn't work if he (or she) is fallible. No body listens to a fallible guy in a funny hat. If anyone's got ideas on where authority can be found, I'd love to read it.
The main critique of Protestants was that they (we) have no authority. We have nothing infallible. Sure, we have the Bible, but that clearly requires interpretation. Of course the Holy Spirit aids us in interpreting the Bible, but we have no one true interpretation. The more I thought about this lack of authoritative interpretation the more I wanted it. I wanted to know whether I should be dunked or sprinkled. I wanted someone to tell me that Spiritual Gifts are more than just the gift of "helping." I wanted answers.
It started to make me angry that all of these silly Protestants were running around preaching whatever they felt like. It made so much sense to set up an authority structure who could decide once and for all that God's call is irresistible and that "once saved, always saved" was an unnecessary cliche developed by short sighted Wesleyans. We needed a Protestant Pope (Prope?) to rule over the dissenting divisions. A Prope unite all Protestants. It'd keep disgruntled parishioners from starting a church across the street.
A friend of mine helped me come to my senses. He helped me realize two things: 1)I don't want a Prope so much as I want to be Prope. I think a Prope would be awesome so long as it was me. A Prope that wasn't me would be fine too, he (or she) just couldn't make me believe anything I didn't want to believe. 2)We're all fallible. This foundation of Protestantism keeps us from having infallible authority.
A Prope really doesn't work if he (or she) is fallible. No body listens to a fallible guy in a funny hat. If anyone's got ideas on where authority can be found, I'd love to read it.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Microphone Syndrome
If you've ever had the opportunity to be in or work on a stage production of any kind you may have seen or experienced microphone syndrome. Its an interesting phenomenon. If you put a person on stage by themselves with a microphone and no audience, the person will begin to speak. The person will continue to speak even though no one is listening.
I think people just like to hear the sound of their own voice. Hopefully that's not all I'm doing. Besides, hearing the sound of my own typing or reading my words on the page isn't near as gratifying as hearing my voice echo through an auditorium.
I think people just like to hear the sound of their own voice. Hopefully that's not all I'm doing. Besides, hearing the sound of my own typing or reading my words on the page isn't near as gratifying as hearing my voice echo through an auditorium.
First Day
Welcome to the first Fluffy Thought post. In many ways its like the first day of school. I'm a little nervous and I don't know who my friends are yet. I'm hoping not to embarrass myself.
This blog will be my thoughts. The thoughts are fluffy in that I may have some interesting observations, but those observations will be accompanied by plenty of fluff. Hopefully you'll wade through them.
I welcome your comments. This blog will hopefully evolve into something interesting. Peace.
This blog will be my thoughts. The thoughts are fluffy in that I may have some interesting observations, but those observations will be accompanied by plenty of fluff. Hopefully you'll wade through them.
I welcome your comments. This blog will hopefully evolve into something interesting. Peace.
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