This is a repost, of sorts, seeing that I have added more contributors and looking for more. Too often, we only examine the side of the evidence which we agree with – we see this is our news sources, no doubt. Me? I will only watch MSNBC, not even CNBC. I will read the Christian Science Monitor and every once in a while, the BBC. I would watch BBC America, but they speak British. I want my news in English, please.
I have conservative evangelicals, evangelicals, liberal Christians, liberals, and yes, even an atheist who write for this blog, and that doesn’t even begin to describe my positions. Why? Because it is needed. I want to learn and in turn, help others to learn and live in a world where information and discourse is abundant. For a civilization, we are often times uncivil in our disagreements. All too often, my dear Christians, we who proclaim ‘discernment’ as a gift of the Spirit fail to exercise that ability, instead relying only upon what agrees with us to be counted as Truth. Instead, how much better would we be if we could examine facts and opinions based on their merit and not if they agree with us or our presuppositions? Are we afraid that if we take biblical criticism and science seriously, that we will lose our own faith? If so, you have no real faith, but only a fundamental need to know things for sure. It is an all or nothing approach, and you have made yourself the final arbiter of truth, leaning to your own understanding. We have a belief system, which believe it or not, has changed considerably as it met Science. Oh yes, that’s right, Science has caused many to be reactionary in their faith. Faith is the reality of things which we confidently expect to happen; it is not science.
For those who believe the bible to be a serious document, then you will remember that writer who expressed that we are not given a spirit of fear, and yet, how often do fellow believers fear science and criticism and opposing view-points? I am convinced that the main reason that gays, Muslims, and scientists are hated as vitriolically as they are by my fellow believers is because they present a different viewpoint on the world than we have been taught to believe. My faith is stronger because I have faced these things and found them inconsequential, and in no longer fearing them, I have gone on about my Father’s business. We don’t have to agree with them, but at some point, we have to live with them.
While people are essentially free (no profanity or vulgarity, etc…) to write their own posts – I don’t censor – I don’t agree with all of them. I don’t expect you too, either. I don’t fully expect you to agree with me completely, or at all, or have an opinion one way or the other.
From here:
“One of the things that Christians are disagreed about is the importance of their disagreements. When two Christians of different denominations start arguing, it is usually not long before one asks where such-and-such a point ‘really matters’ and the other replies: ‘Matters? Why it’s absolutely essential (p. x)…’ The Historic Christian Faith turns out to be something not only positive but pungent; divided from all non-Christian beliefs by a chasm to which the worst divisions inside Christendom are not really comparable at all (p. xi).” Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
You can email me if you want to contribute or just guest post. You can do so anonymously, if you want.
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As you, my dear friends, may know, I have different contributors posting at different times on this blog. Wait, it gets better.
I don’t always agree with each and every one of them, except you know, my wife and all. And you may not either. My goodness, you – you may not agree with me all the time. (Impossible!)
I have asked several people to contribute from different perspectives on things. I want to be examined and to examine myself by others. Sometimes, I find myself lacking, some times, I feel justified in my belief and opinion. Sometimes, I am sharpened. Sometimes, moderated. Lifted up and other times destroyed. But, I prefer it that way – to examine my own salvation, to know if what I am doing, saying, and thinking – the path that I am on – is the right path, the better path, the godly path. I make mistakes and will continue to do so. But I want to grow.
If you see a contributor on here saying something that my contradict me, that’s fine. Peter and Paul has disagreements as well. Do you see them saying something you don’t agree with? Possible. That doesn’t make them right or me endorsing them. What it does do is to further the conversation which I hope furthers the Kingdom and helps us to examine ourselves.
By the way, if you want to be a contributor, let me know. You can even do so anonymously.
That got me to thinking, dangerously.
I was a political science major at the university. I love politics. You really have no idea how difficult it is for me to watch a news program and not shout at the screen. It gets real embarrassing in a doctor’s office. Politics, once, to me was the life-blood of my soul. Not any more really. No, it is still there, but I hope to be investing into something more radical, more enduring, more eternal. Doesn’t mean that I don’t have political opinions – although my opinions are generally more like facts.
I happened to talk to a friend a while ago – one from a much different end of the perspective than I. As we were talking, I thought of telling him just how liberal he sounded. And I suspect that he thought the same about me, ‘He sure does sound conservative.’ I watch the newscasts and read the papers about those in pretty temples of democracy who are bitterly partisan. But, on the ground, are many of us that way? And if so, I wonder what would happen if the people actually sat down and listened to each other? Do we have the same motivating goals?
I am not talking about true believers or party extremists. I am talking about those left out of decision-making circles – you know, the ones of us who are effected by the policy made on the altars of these temples. I have extremely liberal friends and extremely conservative friends, but I have noticed that when we talk about issues such as health care reform, taxes, and other such things – and we turn off FoxNews and MSNBC – we have remarkable similarities. Both, no doubt, do not want to see people without health care. See, this is different from the goals of many lawmakers who don’t want to see another person in his or her office.
Both of us want to see taxes more fairly distributed.
Both sides want to make sure people are not dying in the streets due to poverty.
Just a thought here, but what if people started to talk to each other. You know, without talking points. What if you and me sat down over a cup of coffee and discovered that we really aren’t that different. That you are not trying to destroy the country and neither am I?
Granted, you have extremists on both sides. Those that believe in conspiracy theories. Bush planned 9/11. Obama is a Muslim. The Masons rule the world. Democrats are baby killers. Republicans are Nazis. Polycarp is not my real name.
Maybe we can get read of that talk for a while?
There are things that unite everyday Americans – like the fact that many of us want to see a better place for our children than what we have now. Or that we want to see poverty eradicated. Racism gone. Sexism gone. Taxes gone. Our government listen to us for a change.
And what about our Faith?
What unites us here? God. Christ. Love.
What if we focused on those things in our faith? We will always have divisions, but what if we start there and end there. We might not be able to walk with each other always, but what about the things we can do together?
So, if you see something here that you may not like, challenge the writer, and be challenged within yourself. If you see someone on the opposite end of the political spectrum. Challenge and them and be challenged within yourself. See if you can reach them with your understanding and find out theirs. Maybe our goals are the same, even if we differ in our mechanisms to accomplish them.
Just a ramble here. Nothing more to see. Moving on…
