Ben Witherington and the opposite of predestination

I quite admire this blogger Ben Witherington. He makes some neat arguments in his discussion of the Opposite of Predestination.

One of the more interesting sayings of Jesus with equally interesting theological implications is found in Mt. 18.18--' I tell you whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.'

And

Human history is not merely a preordained play, played out perfectly to a pre-ordained script. On the contrary while there is a blue-print, or a general script, God has allowed, indeed invited us to make the drama like a night at the Improv, improvising our roles as we go, and making viable choices of moment and consequence along the way.

Good things to think about.

Cool quote about Atheism

Love this quote:

Show me a thriving society full of atheists: there are none. Show me
a just, moral, happy, peaceful civilization built on atheism: again,
there are none. Show me a country dominated by secularism that even
has replacement rate fertility: none. Atheism, right or wrong, is
doomed to obscurity by cultural natural selection. What advantage does
the atheist have, even if they are right, other than a smug sense of
self-satisfaction?

From Michael Williams - http://www.mwilliams.info/archives/007533.php

Rise in Atheism market in U.S

Interesting article on Reuters today. I've been noticing it myself both from book reviews, Internet blogs and with people I meet on a day to day.

Is God dead? Atheism finds a market in U.S | In Depth | Reuters.com

Dr. Timothy Larsen, professor of theology at Wheaton College in Illinois - "It's very important for people of faith to realize how unsettling and threatening their posture and rhetoric and practice can feel to others. So it's an opportunity for the church to look at itself and say 'we have done things ... that make other people uncomfortable.' It is an opportunity for dialogue."

They make some good points. I like this quote, also from Dr Larsen:

Some of these are people we wounded that we should be handling pastorally rather than with aggressive knockdown debate.

Christians Flee from Iraq

Another amazing blog post from Mr Witherington that really got me thinking.

Ben Witherington: Christians Flee from Iraq to Moslem Countries

The story is the same throughout the Middle East. Christians are caught between a rock and a hard place. In Israel they are caught between Moslems and Jews. In other countries they are caught between various Moslem groups, such as the Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq. And the toll of being the middle man is great, and steadily mounting.

Through Genesis

Well, I got through Genesis. Other than the long lists of decendants, it was an amazing book. The creation story, and the story of Joseph's plight in Egypt were quite profound.

I'm tired, so hopefully I get a chance to write a bit more about Genesis soon. I'm about 10 days off of the reading plan :(

Ben Witherington: 'Just in Time'-- 'God Wants You Wealthy'

Ben Witherington: 'Just in Time'-- 'God Wants You Wealthy'

I love this guy's blog - great site. In this post he talks about the Health and Wealth Gospel and gives 10 reasons why God doesn't want you wealthy:

1) Wealth is a false god.
2) We are all fallen human beings with an infinite capacity to rationalize our behavior.
3) "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness there of."
4) Greed is a serious sin.
5) Having wealth gives the false impression that one can secure one's own life.
6) "The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil."
7) The desire to be wealthy is a form of narcissism.
8) The Bible is very clear that God will hold us accountable for what we do, with what we have in this life.
9) Wealth does not very often make you happy.
10) Jesus extols the poor not the rich!

Read his most excellent blog post.

Going to make it through this bible

OK, so we've been going to the church for over a year and half. I've read some of the bible, but far from it all.

I gotta get through this thing. It's important for me, intellectually and spiritually. I've been reading some amazing blogs lately, and I feel like I have a good grasp, but what does it all mean if I haven't even read through the bible.

Anyways, I'm starting tonight. More to come.

T