What one is looking for from a marriage is likely greatly affected by one’s worldview. I think a lot of people look to another person to fulfill them. Sooner or later they realize that that's not going to happen. Marriage relationships are designed to be mutually beneficial. If you are in a committed marriage you are working to support each other. If you are looking to be serviced by the other individual, you are going about it all wrong. People are incapable of producing satisfaction in another person. If you place your identity in that person you are bound to be disappointed. That's what people are doing though. And then they feel hurt and upset and take it out on the other person for not being able to fulfill them. That's what is happening.
Marriages teach you how to be less selfish, kids even more so. Going into a marriage with the expectation that it will solve some problem because you've felt empty- that's wrong. Men and women should stay single if they feel this way. Marriage should be a relationship that builds one another, that is full of mutual respect and a desire to improve each other, both spiritually and emotionally. That's why one’s identity can't be in one’s spouse, it has to be in Christ. Otherwise you’ll be disappointed when they fail to fulfill all your expectations. Marriage has to be about self sacrifice. If you wouldn't do everything for that person, well they are probably not the right person for you. And/or marriage is not sacred to you, and therefore you shouldn't enter into it.
For me marriage is a life-long commitment, through thick and thin, whether you love them that day or not. It is a relationship that needs continual nurturing and good communication. It is a sacred trust between two people. Hopefully marriage will mean having a best friend and wise council by my side, someone who I can share a pure and sacrificial love for. I'll point out that unconditional love cannot exist outside the Creator. He is the source of love, without Him love cannot exist. Ideally, this is why a marriage relationship founded on a true commitment to Christ is stronger than one outside Him. So, maybe marital love is conditional, but I'd at least want to trust someone to continue to love me enough to work through issues rather than get frustrated and walk away. I'd hope for someone who cared about the relationship not as just a contract between us, but as a contract made before the Creator Himself as well. I want to marry someone who understands what commitment is and sticks to high moral standards, even if the society around them is failing to do that.
I do have some ideals for what I would expect in a marriage: I think honesty and communication skills are highly important. A foundation in Christ (looking to Him instead of me for perfection- though I think it is very important to try to please your spouse where possible). Someone who is willing to work and not looking to sit around on the couch all day. However, it actually doesn't matter to me the level of salary they bring in. Someone who is willing to stay committed even when things get rough (LIFELONG commitment!). Someone who is willing to "leave and cleave", moving from their parental relationship to focus on the marital relationship.
One thing I do find myself questioning about a biblically founded relationship is the command: Do not be unequally yoked with a non-believer. Thinking about this critically, I think this is difficult to achieve. First, no matter how well you know another person you can never know their heart. You can only see as much as the person reveals to you. Sometimes people are very good at ‘living the life’ without a true heart conversion. I’ve known a lot of people like that, and I’ve been one of them. Therefore, there doesn’t seem like a way I can be sure of this command. I especially think this is true in young people- which the church seems to stress yoking together at a young age for fear of sexual immorality. I think it is just as immoral to enter a marriage on the pretense of avoiding sexual immorality, just to replace it with a hatred towards one’s spouse that eventually leads to divorce (possibly with children involved). Some level of spiritual maturity before entering a marriage is pertinent. However, what level of maturity is required to make a good strong relationship may be debatable.
I have also come across the argument that waiting until marriage to have sex may lead to an undesirable/ poor sex life. I think this is ridiculous. Good sex does take work- I'm sure of it, but in a committed relationship where you are both interested in pleasing the other person, I think you can develop a good sexual relationship with your spouse even if you waited until marriage. Sex is the topping on the cake, if you don't have a great relationship it doesn't matter how great the sex is, you still won't want to spend your life with that person.
Honestly, I think sleeping with a bunch of random people is an ethical dilemma. There is huge risk involved- from spreading disease, to having children you can’t/don’t want to support, to the emotional turmoil of loosing not just a friend, but someone who has shared your body. Biologically speaking women become very attached to sexual partners. When a woman sleeps with multiple men she begins to lose that strong connection. So, it is really of primarily negative value to sleep around before marriage with the argument that you need sexual compatibility to enter into a marriage.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Monday, January 30, 2017
Autologous Man
I recently read an article by Michael Tsarion entitled the Age of Revealing. From what I make of it, he is building the case for autologous man. Self-reliance. Self-awareness. I think that it is deceptive in its argument for self-discovery. It is appealing to rational man's desire to be His own god. That if we could truly understand our own depths we would find all the truth we desire. This is simply not true, and someone who claims that they believe in some form of deity should understand it to be false. If there is a creator, then man alone cannot find all he seeks in his own thought. However, the bible teaches that the Holy Spirit resides within those who have accepted His promise. Therefore, those who have been enlightened in this way can look within for answers. Not because the man himself has answers, but because the creator resides within him.
This statement from the article, "Every faculty we possess is ours alone, and so is the intellectual understanding we gain through life." That is totally contrary to scripture. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." Colossians 1:16-17 "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." We can't, while present on this earth, fully comprehend what is. 1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
If the focus in one's life is on the self (autonomous man) or humans in general (humanism), life will be disappointing. Life that is focused on the self leads to depression. Even if your focus is on your own self, your self-awareness, or self-improvement, or self-achievement, you will always be disappointed. You will never live up to the ideals you have for yourself. Romans 7:15, "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." C. S. Lewis reasons it this way, "These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in."
Within the context of the Holy Spirit residing within you, introspection can be healthy and revealing, but self-introspection apart from Him has little value. Man is limited, Yahweh is not. However, introspection within the Holy Spirit does not mean loss of the individual, I actually think it provides greater self awareness, because one can then better understand his own soul. "If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them." ~ C.S. mere christianity. Yahweh is that source. Man is not.
This statement from the article, "Every faculty we possess is ours alone, and so is the intellectual understanding we gain through life." That is totally contrary to scripture. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." Colossians 1:16-17 "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." We can't, while present on this earth, fully comprehend what is. 1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
If the focus in one's life is on the self (autonomous man) or humans in general (humanism), life will be disappointing. Life that is focused on the self leads to depression. Even if your focus is on your own self, your self-awareness, or self-improvement, or self-achievement, you will always be disappointed. You will never live up to the ideals you have for yourself. Romans 7:15, "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." C. S. Lewis reasons it this way, "These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in."
Within the context of the Holy Spirit residing within you, introspection can be healthy and revealing, but self-introspection apart from Him has little value. Man is limited, Yahweh is not. However, introspection within the Holy Spirit does not mean loss of the individual, I actually think it provides greater self awareness, because one can then better understand his own soul. "If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them." ~ C.S. mere christianity. Yahweh is that source. Man is not.
What would happen if my truth weren't absolute truth?
Lately I have had interaction with two people who have challenged me to question what it means to put complete faith in the finished work of Christ. They both seemed to think that if that one statement was not true, that I have set my life up for failure because all my other truth would fall away. I think that is a very deceptive point of view. Honestly, I don’t see how they can think this is a well-founded view, because finding truth elsewhere isn’t any easier. In fact I don’t think any human can understand truth in its absolute sense while here on earth because there simply is not enough conclusive evidence to support any such claim. (1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."). Just because I already found truth and no longer need to seek for another source of truth does not make all other truth relative.
Every person has an innate sense of morality seeded within them from the beginning. And every person also has a propensity to do evil (a result of the Fall). C.S. Lewis states it like this, “we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong; but they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table. Now if we are agreed about that, I go on to my next point, which is this. None of us are really keeping the Law of Nature.” We know these things to be true of ourselves, yet we still choose to search within ourselves for answers.
It is what every religion, from atheism to scientology, Taoism to Mormonism, teaches. They all teach that you (the self) are able to either be your own god, or find your way to god through self-discovery and discipline. That is with one exception: Christianity. Christianity claims that God does all the work and you can do nothing to earn heaven.
This is all very well and good, and an interesting train of thought, but here I would like to go on with the initial proposed question. What does it mean if I place all my trust in the life, death and resurrection of Christ and then come to the end of my life finding that He did not exist? I think, very simply, the answer is this: It won’t matter. (And by the way, if it is true, it is of utmost importance)
Why do I say this? Well, what are the other options?
One- God does not exist. At this point life has no eternal value, only the value I place on it while I exist on earth. Therefore, life is what I make of it. If I choose to enjoy earthly pleasures at the expense of my fellow man, it makes no difference. If I choose to live a life of poverty and pain, I have simply suffered, it matters not. If I choose to benefit my fellow man with good deeds and generous acts, I simply receive the earthly joy, but ultimately it means nothing.
Two- There is a deity, but heaven is guaranteed to all. Regardless of my actions I get to go to heaven. Maybe it’s a lower realm of heaven, but none the less, it’s still heaven.
Three- There is a deity, but I have to earn my way to heaven with good deeds. If all my good deeds don’t outweigh my bad deeds, at the end of my life I will spend eternity in hell. How does one know what is good and what is bad? One must have a sense of universal morality for this to work. Therefore, when we look inside ourselves we can use our conscience- our God given sense of right and wrong- to determine those things we should and should not do. We can then make good choices based on this innate understanding of right and wrong. I get into heaven simply by choosing to do right.
Four- There is a deity which we must strive to become one with. God is part of nature as He has created it and it is our duty to become one with that nature. To return to God as you will. If I fail at this task during this life I will be given repeated opportunity to achieve this goal, as all life must eventually return to God, and I will be reincarnated until I reach this state of perfection.
So, the last option is this, the Christian option: God is real and alive. He is a living, breathing, all-powerful deity who is Holy and cannot accept sin. Because of this, and because He loves His creation, He has sent His Son to purchase my salvation. The only way to receive forgiveness for my bad deeds is through acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ. Once I have accepted this gift God begins to work in me and through me by the Holy Spirit to rid me of my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. He helps me to achieve holiness and to attain to a moral behavior. Even if one doesn’t believe that the bible is truth, one can see that it teaches moral behavior and directs us to love one another. This is beneficial for all of society. Truly walking like Christ (not claiming Christianity as your religion, but living as his student) is a call to love one another with self-sacrifice and absolute conviction.
Side note: I think I need to establish here that there is some real, true pre-conceived bias toward Christianity that I will not be able to overcome. The mind of some readers is already made up that Christianity has made the world a worse place. There have been many a war waged in the name of Christ. I do not think that True Christ followers should be saddled with all of the history through the ages that has followed the bible. There are many who have taken its words out of context and have spilt blood out of selfish and evil desires. To saddle Jesus' message with every person who has ever claimed Christianity is to believe that Jesus was a liar. For he said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" ~Matthew 7:21-23.
Personally, I choose to believe that the bible in the inspired Word of God. Interestingly enough the Bible repeatedly gives the gospel message of Christ throughout the old and new testament, and then makes the claim that (John 1:1) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. “
I don’t believe the bible is antiquated or manipulated. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” It is alive because it IS GOD. Why are we so quick to dismiss God and say that He would allow Himself to be manipulated? If He is (and in my mind He certainly is), then He is sovereign in all things. Isaiah 46:10 “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'” Then why expect any less from Him than that He would not protect His word from manipulation?
I choose to believe Hebrews 11:1-3 “1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” And vs 6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” So, whether or not men and authorities can be trusted, God can, because He is above reproach. But He expects me to be faithful. Therefore, I must have faith that He will reveal to me His truth.
So here is the point. We are NEVER going to understand absolute truth here on this earth no matter how long we persist at the task. But I know inherently that I want to do right, and yet cannot accomplish this on my own. I have known myself and have seen my soul to possess selfishness and evil. Therefore, my only hope is that the gospel message is true, that Jesus truly saves, and that He is willing to bring the Holy Spirit to life in me in order that I can turn from the evil that I would otherwise chose to do.
Aside: If you think I am demonizing the self, I am not in the sense of individuality. The individual, the intrinsic value of each human, is unique and beautiful. It is to be desired and explored. We build each other up through our unique skills and differences. We learn about life because of our interactions with those who share a different perspective. It is good to dive into one's very soul to achieve an understanding of the self and its potential. It's silly to think I am suggesting that 'the self' in that sense is not something to be explored. Rather, I simply see that at the very core of every man there is a desire to do right, and yet a propensity to do wrong. That is the only self I am demonizing.
And let me also say, I have gone down that road. I have spent many a year focused on my own self: my wants, my desires, my dreams. All it ever got me was a sense of despair and depression. A total hatred for my own insufficiency. I could never live up to the person I want to be. That's why, when I took the focus of my life off myself and placed it in Christ's grace, I achieved a sense of peace I could never achieve on my own. I don't have to be perfect for God to love me, and accepting His grace ensures that I can know that peace for eternity.
Every person has an innate sense of morality seeded within them from the beginning. And every person also has a propensity to do evil (a result of the Fall). C.S. Lewis states it like this, “we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong; but they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table. Now if we are agreed about that, I go on to my next point, which is this. None of us are really keeping the Law of Nature.” We know these things to be true of ourselves, yet we still choose to search within ourselves for answers.
It is what every religion, from atheism to scientology, Taoism to Mormonism, teaches. They all teach that you (the self) are able to either be your own god, or find your way to god through self-discovery and discipline. That is with one exception: Christianity. Christianity claims that God does all the work and you can do nothing to earn heaven.
This is all very well and good, and an interesting train of thought, but here I would like to go on with the initial proposed question. What does it mean if I place all my trust in the life, death and resurrection of Christ and then come to the end of my life finding that He did not exist? I think, very simply, the answer is this: It won’t matter. (And by the way, if it is true, it is of utmost importance)
Why do I say this? Well, what are the other options?
One- God does not exist. At this point life has no eternal value, only the value I place on it while I exist on earth. Therefore, life is what I make of it. If I choose to enjoy earthly pleasures at the expense of my fellow man, it makes no difference. If I choose to live a life of poverty and pain, I have simply suffered, it matters not. If I choose to benefit my fellow man with good deeds and generous acts, I simply receive the earthly joy, but ultimately it means nothing.
Two- There is a deity, but heaven is guaranteed to all. Regardless of my actions I get to go to heaven. Maybe it’s a lower realm of heaven, but none the less, it’s still heaven.
Three- There is a deity, but I have to earn my way to heaven with good deeds. If all my good deeds don’t outweigh my bad deeds, at the end of my life I will spend eternity in hell. How does one know what is good and what is bad? One must have a sense of universal morality for this to work. Therefore, when we look inside ourselves we can use our conscience- our God given sense of right and wrong- to determine those things we should and should not do. We can then make good choices based on this innate understanding of right and wrong. I get into heaven simply by choosing to do right.
Four- There is a deity which we must strive to become one with. God is part of nature as He has created it and it is our duty to become one with that nature. To return to God as you will. If I fail at this task during this life I will be given repeated opportunity to achieve this goal, as all life must eventually return to God, and I will be reincarnated until I reach this state of perfection.
So, the last option is this, the Christian option: God is real and alive. He is a living, breathing, all-powerful deity who is Holy and cannot accept sin. Because of this, and because He loves His creation, He has sent His Son to purchase my salvation. The only way to receive forgiveness for my bad deeds is through acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ. Once I have accepted this gift God begins to work in me and through me by the Holy Spirit to rid me of my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. He helps me to achieve holiness and to attain to a moral behavior. Even if one doesn’t believe that the bible is truth, one can see that it teaches moral behavior and directs us to love one another. This is beneficial for all of society. Truly walking like Christ (not claiming Christianity as your religion, but living as his student) is a call to love one another with self-sacrifice and absolute conviction.
Side note: I think I need to establish here that there is some real, true pre-conceived bias toward Christianity that I will not be able to overcome. The mind of some readers is already made up that Christianity has made the world a worse place. There have been many a war waged in the name of Christ. I do not think that True Christ followers should be saddled with all of the history through the ages that has followed the bible. There are many who have taken its words out of context and have spilt blood out of selfish and evil desires. To saddle Jesus' message with every person who has ever claimed Christianity is to believe that Jesus was a liar. For he said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" ~Matthew 7:21-23.
Personally, I choose to believe that the bible in the inspired Word of God. Interestingly enough the Bible repeatedly gives the gospel message of Christ throughout the old and new testament, and then makes the claim that (John 1:1) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. “
I don’t believe the bible is antiquated or manipulated. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” It is alive because it IS GOD. Why are we so quick to dismiss God and say that He would allow Himself to be manipulated? If He is (and in my mind He certainly is), then He is sovereign in all things. Isaiah 46:10 “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'” Then why expect any less from Him than that He would not protect His word from manipulation?
I choose to believe Hebrews 11:1-3 “1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” And vs 6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” So, whether or not men and authorities can be trusted, God can, because He is above reproach. But He expects me to be faithful. Therefore, I must have faith that He will reveal to me His truth.
So here is the point. We are NEVER going to understand absolute truth here on this earth no matter how long we persist at the task. But I know inherently that I want to do right, and yet cannot accomplish this on my own. I have known myself and have seen my soul to possess selfishness and evil. Therefore, my only hope is that the gospel message is true, that Jesus truly saves, and that He is willing to bring the Holy Spirit to life in me in order that I can turn from the evil that I would otherwise chose to do.
Aside: If you think I am demonizing the self, I am not in the sense of individuality. The individual, the intrinsic value of each human, is unique and beautiful. It is to be desired and explored. We build each other up through our unique skills and differences. We learn about life because of our interactions with those who share a different perspective. It is good to dive into one's very soul to achieve an understanding of the self and its potential. It's silly to think I am suggesting that 'the self' in that sense is not something to be explored. Rather, I simply see that at the very core of every man there is a desire to do right, and yet a propensity to do wrong. That is the only self I am demonizing.
And let me also say, I have gone down that road. I have spent many a year focused on my own self: my wants, my desires, my dreams. All it ever got me was a sense of despair and depression. A total hatred for my own insufficiency. I could never live up to the person I want to be. That's why, when I took the focus of my life off myself and placed it in Christ's grace, I achieved a sense of peace I could never achieve on my own. I don't have to be perfect for God to love me, and accepting His grace ensures that I can know that peace for eternity.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
The cost of a higher education
I watched the Ivory Tower documentary this morning. It brought up so many different ideas about what education should look like. First, I think what is really sad is that the college education has become the place where we think to teach students to learn (something I’m not convinced is happening there either). Students should be taught to learn for themselves before they graduate high school. It should be developed in children, we shouldn’t have to teach that to 20 year olds. They should already know it. The rhetoric involved in selling the college experience- that it is necessary for social equality- that you can’t be successful without it. What a load of bullshit. First, the cost is so egregious that- when you inevitably take out student loans to pay for it and then have to spend the rest of your life paying them back- that’s the opposite of getting ahead. That is defiantly promoting social inequality and elitism. Not to mention the value (or lack there of) of a degree. Especially liberal arts degrees and the like- what does it get you if you can’t get and keep a job after you graduate? Then you are stuck with the debt, which grows increasingly larger when you don’t have a job that will support loan payments. Why should you have to pay $20-40,000 a year to be taught how to learn? Your parents should do that!
I’m realizing that it is not entirely the problem of thinking that everyone needs a college education though. Honestly, if it was affordable, it’s not bad to want to ‘further’ your education. However, there is this perception of elitism within colleges- that they must have the best campus, the best research, the best social atmosphere. What the hell are we paying for? A bunch of administrative salaries which have no effect on whether we learn anything or not. The cost of building a perception, of putting on airs, is high.
So, the pursuit of learning, how is it best accomplished? Can it reasonably be done on the individual level outside of the classic classroom setting in this information age? There are definitely some pluses and minuses. One- if a student is truly motivated they can learn just about anything they desire without the heavy cost associated with the university. Two- there is more diversity of thought available this way; you are not being spoon-fed the ideals of a person or institution. You are able to choose for yourself who you choose to gain insight from. Three- You can learn at your own pace, no need to slow down if the information is quickly understood, no need to keep up if you need more time to process a subject. Four- You can learn only the subjects you find interesting. You are not forced into taking elective courses to gain some perceived insight into other fields of study that don’t interest you.
On the flip side- you often loose some valuable tools as well in the individual study. First- some people learn best from interaction and question based study. While you can still ask questions and seek for answers, sometimes this is more easily done on a personal basis. Second- you miss out on the questions that your peers might pose. While it is great to get your questions answered, sometimes you don’t think of all the questions yourself. Therefore it is useful to gain this perspective. Thirdly- you may not be able to acquire the level of knowledge that is required for some jobs in your field of interest. And even if you can, employers may not find it valid. I’m sure there are other issues with both sides of this issue, so clearly there is no a simple answer to deciding on whether college is a worthwhile endeavor.
One thing I find fascinating is that college is claimed as a place of self-discovery. While I think that this can be true, I don’t think this is necessarily the best place for self-discovery, and it is certainly not the most rational place for it. Great, some students figure out what they are good at, what they want to do with their life during their college years. Many people get a degree that they find useful and can use in the workforce. But what of everyone else? What of the students that flounder, spending 5-6 years gaining a degree that they ultimately don’t use. What if they discover after all that time that they have interests that don’t benefit from a college degree? They are still saddled with an immense amount of loan debt and have nothing worthwhile to show for it.
I think we need to work on self-discovery at a younger age. What is it that you are passionate about? What skills do you have, and what can they be used for? Do you need a college degree? Can you pursue a career that doesn’t require higher education? I actually see college as a way to put off thinking about the future rather than looking to explore options. Half the students seem to be there to party and check out of life for a few years. They don’t do any introspection- they simply live for the moment. And really, how can you have deep thoughts when your face is in the toilet after 3 continuous nights of partying?
I suggest to all the students that I meet who think they want to pursue college- WAIT. Take a year- go out into the world and see what it has to offer. Get a job; understand what it means to work. Don’t be boxed into a perception that if you don’t obtain a college degree you are somehow going to fail at life. Sure, if you have a well-established passion and it requires a college education- go for it- realizing the loan to income ratio that you may well end up with after you’re done. However, this idea that student loan debt is different than other kinds of debt- that it is good debt- that is FALSE. It is a mindset of consumerism which states that you are entitled to this, that, and the other thing. Don’t worry if you have the money for it, you’ll be able to get ahead and pay it back later. This is a LIE. I’d even go so far as to say it is part of the consensus trance. We are being spoon fed garbage, people!
Another problem I see with the education system is that we have dumbed it down. Let’s pass everyone. Let’s give everyone a gold star for participation. The level of education that most students have upon graduating high school is appalling. We wouldn’t all need a college education to understand basic life-skills if we were taught them in high school. Let’s teach young people how to think instead of telling them they need to follow a certain path to success. The American dream is over-rated and over-sold. This society would be a much more pleasant place to exist if we weren’t all tied to the materialistic, consumerism that is drilled into our psyche. Happiness can be achieved in many different ways.
I’m realizing that it is not entirely the problem of thinking that everyone needs a college education though. Honestly, if it was affordable, it’s not bad to want to ‘further’ your education. However, there is this perception of elitism within colleges- that they must have the best campus, the best research, the best social atmosphere. What the hell are we paying for? A bunch of administrative salaries which have no effect on whether we learn anything or not. The cost of building a perception, of putting on airs, is high.
So, the pursuit of learning, how is it best accomplished? Can it reasonably be done on the individual level outside of the classic classroom setting in this information age? There are definitely some pluses and minuses. One- if a student is truly motivated they can learn just about anything they desire without the heavy cost associated with the university. Two- there is more diversity of thought available this way; you are not being spoon-fed the ideals of a person or institution. You are able to choose for yourself who you choose to gain insight from. Three- You can learn at your own pace, no need to slow down if the information is quickly understood, no need to keep up if you need more time to process a subject. Four- You can learn only the subjects you find interesting. You are not forced into taking elective courses to gain some perceived insight into other fields of study that don’t interest you.
On the flip side- you often loose some valuable tools as well in the individual study. First- some people learn best from interaction and question based study. While you can still ask questions and seek for answers, sometimes this is more easily done on a personal basis. Second- you miss out on the questions that your peers might pose. While it is great to get your questions answered, sometimes you don’t think of all the questions yourself. Therefore it is useful to gain this perspective. Thirdly- you may not be able to acquire the level of knowledge that is required for some jobs in your field of interest. And even if you can, employers may not find it valid. I’m sure there are other issues with both sides of this issue, so clearly there is no a simple answer to deciding on whether college is a worthwhile endeavor.
One thing I find fascinating is that college is claimed as a place of self-discovery. While I think that this can be true, I don’t think this is necessarily the best place for self-discovery, and it is certainly not the most rational place for it. Great, some students figure out what they are good at, what they want to do with their life during their college years. Many people get a degree that they find useful and can use in the workforce. But what of everyone else? What of the students that flounder, spending 5-6 years gaining a degree that they ultimately don’t use. What if they discover after all that time that they have interests that don’t benefit from a college degree? They are still saddled with an immense amount of loan debt and have nothing worthwhile to show for it.
I think we need to work on self-discovery at a younger age. What is it that you are passionate about? What skills do you have, and what can they be used for? Do you need a college degree? Can you pursue a career that doesn’t require higher education? I actually see college as a way to put off thinking about the future rather than looking to explore options. Half the students seem to be there to party and check out of life for a few years. They don’t do any introspection- they simply live for the moment. And really, how can you have deep thoughts when your face is in the toilet after 3 continuous nights of partying?
I suggest to all the students that I meet who think they want to pursue college- WAIT. Take a year- go out into the world and see what it has to offer. Get a job; understand what it means to work. Don’t be boxed into a perception that if you don’t obtain a college degree you are somehow going to fail at life. Sure, if you have a well-established passion and it requires a college education- go for it- realizing the loan to income ratio that you may well end up with after you’re done. However, this idea that student loan debt is different than other kinds of debt- that it is good debt- that is FALSE. It is a mindset of consumerism which states that you are entitled to this, that, and the other thing. Don’t worry if you have the money for it, you’ll be able to get ahead and pay it back later. This is a LIE. I’d even go so far as to say it is part of the consensus trance. We are being spoon fed garbage, people!
Another problem I see with the education system is that we have dumbed it down. Let’s pass everyone. Let’s give everyone a gold star for participation. The level of education that most students have upon graduating high school is appalling. We wouldn’t all need a college education to understand basic life-skills if we were taught them in high school. Let’s teach young people how to think instead of telling them they need to follow a certain path to success. The American dream is over-rated and over-sold. This society would be a much more pleasant place to exist if we weren’t all tied to the materialistic, consumerism that is drilled into our psyche. Happiness can be achieved in many different ways.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Did you know?
Disclosure: I started this post a year ago and didn't publish the draft, but it has some good points, which could be further flushed out. I don't really want to spend any more time on it at this point, but I'm going to publish what I have...
Our system of government was founded on the bible. The check and balance system, with its three components: the judicial, legislative, and executive, comes straight out of Isaiah 33:22 "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us."
A free economy, such as we have can only flourish if the people are of high moral character. As Benjamin Franklin put it, "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." ~ April 17, 1787. So, as the basis for our economy lies in moral behavior, moral behavior has its foundations in the bible. What has the atheist to pull morality from? And if from himself, and each man pulls together his own form of morality, who is to say whose morality is more correct? Thus each man will do what is best for himself, dragging down a free economy because each man is trying to take what he has not earned.
Our system of government was founded on the bible. The check and balance system, with its three components: the judicial, legislative, and executive, comes straight out of Isaiah 33:22 "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us."
A free economy, such as we have can only flourish if the people are of high moral character. As Benjamin Franklin put it, "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." ~ April 17, 1787. So, as the basis for our economy lies in moral behavior, moral behavior has its foundations in the bible. What has the atheist to pull morality from? And if from himself, and each man pulls together his own form of morality, who is to say whose morality is more correct? Thus each man will do what is best for himself, dragging down a free economy because each man is trying to take what he has not earned.
Americans have learned that they can loot the piggy bank to pad their pockets and it is leading to the failure of government. Ben Franklin could see this eventuality from the country's creation, as he states, "I've lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing Proofs I see of this Truth - That God governs in the Affairs of Men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that except the Lord build the House they labor in vain who build it. I firmly believe this, - and I also believe that without his concurring Aid, we shall succeed in this political Building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our Projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a Reproach and Bye word down to future Ages."
Our government was not set up so that a non-Christian leadership could be at the helm. When everyone is spending money on their own little pet projects, and no one is putting any money back into the system, it is no wonder that our nation is bankrupt. Morality in government flew out the door as early as the 1850s and the continued bad decisions of generations have finally caught up with us. There is no one particular president to blame, but rather a slow erosion of our nation's morality which has lead to our current debacle.
The big problem is, without a foundation, such as the bible, the state has nowhere from which to pull its basis of good and evil, and a state with no moral compass is a very dangerous thing. 1 Peter 2: 16-17 tells us, "Submit to every human institution because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority, or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good." When the state is not representing good and evil for what they truly are then how can we expect true justice? I think the truth is this, we will never experience true justice on this earth because God does not want us to be satisfied here. He has given us a picture of true justice, and we will have this in heaven, but for the time being it is our duty to submit to the ruling authorities unless they explicitly break God's laws. In this case it becomes our duty to abstain from sin and endure the consequences that our God allows. (Reference Daniel 6).
More should be said here, but I'm not going to spend the time to work through this topic further right now :)
Genesis 3: How the Devil Deceives
The devil is slick and cunning. He is very good at deception; even better than you or I can imagine. Look to his first deception in the garden of Eden. Genesis 3:1-3 "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.''" The serpent twists God's word. Not too much, just enough to provide some doubt in the woman's mind. Just enough that he can get a conversation going. For God had given permission to eat from every tree in the garden, with an exclusion only for the consumption of fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:16-17, "And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.'”
In engaging the serpent Eve left herself open to manipulation. Had she ignored the serpent, knowing that what he had stated was false, she could have avoided sin. However, she chose to engage the enemy, and in doing so she let herself fall into temptation. Not only did the temptation overcome her, but in trying to argue with the devil she added to God's command. God never told Adam and Eve that they could not touch the tree, only that they could not eat of it. Here, I think there is a question as to where the law was changed. It may have been told to Eve by Adam that the tree should not even be touched, or she may have added this herself. Regardless, God has warned against changing His word in any form because it leads to changes in its meaning (adding- Proverbs 30:6 or subtracting- Revelation 22:19 [yes, this is specific to Revelations]). With this thought I think it very prudent to study the Word of God for oneself and to practice memorizing scripture as well. It is much easier to realize you are being manipulated when you have the Word well memorized.
This is not the only time the Devil exploits God's Word to try to tempt. In fact He uses this tactic on Jesus himself (I guess he didn't realize that Jesus is The Word- John 1:14). In Matthew 4:6 the devil argues, “'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down. For it is written: '‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’'" However, Jesus is capable of arguing the devil using scripture. I mean, come on He's the Creator Himself. Matthew 4:7, "Jesus answered him, 'It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.''”
In engaging the serpent Eve left herself open to manipulation. Had she ignored the serpent, knowing that what he had stated was false, she could have avoided sin. However, she chose to engage the enemy, and in doing so she let herself fall into temptation. Not only did the temptation overcome her, but in trying to argue with the devil she added to God's command. God never told Adam and Eve that they could not touch the tree, only that they could not eat of it. Here, I think there is a question as to where the law was changed. It may have been told to Eve by Adam that the tree should not even be touched, or she may have added this herself. Regardless, God has warned against changing His word in any form because it leads to changes in its meaning (adding- Proverbs 30:6 or subtracting- Revelation 22:19 [yes, this is specific to Revelations]). With this thought I think it very prudent to study the Word of God for oneself and to practice memorizing scripture as well. It is much easier to realize you are being manipulated when you have the Word well memorized.
This is not the only time the Devil exploits God's Word to try to tempt. In fact He uses this tactic on Jesus himself (I guess he didn't realize that Jesus is The Word- John 1:14). In Matthew 4:6 the devil argues, “'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down. For it is written: '‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’'" However, Jesus is capable of arguing the devil using scripture. I mean, come on He's the Creator Himself. Matthew 4:7, "Jesus answered him, 'It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.''”
So theoretically, one could engage in a debate with the devil without succumbing to sin, but a thorough understanding of the scriptures would be imperative. Not only would it be important to understand the text's historical context, but it is equally important to understand how they fit into the entire biblical context. I think this is hard to do, especially early in our earthly life. It takes hours of diligent study and discipleship to gain understanding that can withstand the attacks of the devil who has had thousands of years to prepare his arguments.
Therefore, be careful when engaging someone in a scriptural debate. It is not wrong to debate scripture to gain a more thorough understanding of those scriptures. However, see that God's words are not twisted as to allow His message to be misconstrued. The devil is cunning and will trip you up where he can. If you hear something that challenges a belief, study it out. It's worth being open to discussion, but don't be quick to accept that just because a scriptural reference is used that the interpretation of it cannot be wrong.
Therefore, be careful when engaging someone in a scriptural debate. It is not wrong to debate scripture to gain a more thorough understanding of those scriptures. However, see that God's words are not twisted as to allow His message to be misconstrued. The devil is cunning and will trip you up where he can. If you hear something that challenges a belief, study it out. It's worth being open to discussion, but don't be quick to accept that just because a scriptural reference is used that the interpretation of it cannot be wrong.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Follow-up flood discussion.
Original post
Ok, so I don’t really care what one believes as to whether the flood was local or global in extent. I don’t think it impacts the gospel message, and I don’t think it changes whether one can be saved through faith in Christ. In that aspect, I really don’t want to argue the points. Sure I’m willing to listen to a different perspective and maybe if I’m presented with overwhelming evidence I could change my view someday. However, I don’t think that has any impact on my interpretation of the bible as a whole. The major concern I have about the local flood interpretation is that God’s judgement was not universal. I do not find any evidence that God wants us to believe that humans other than Noah and his family survived the flood.
As far as the idea that God created more than one people group at the time of Creation... I think you can probably make a case for it that I may not be able to fully disprove, but I think God would have made this point much more clear if He had intended for us to interpret scripture this way. As it is written, it is much easier to interpret the language as God having created all peoples from Adam and Eve. Genesis is primarily written as a historical record and in this I think God's intention was to establish mankind through Adam. I think it also follows that since the gospel message is for all and Christ is the second Adam, that it would confuse the situation to claim that humankind was not all come through Adam, as obviously the entire church must proceed through Christ.
Ok, so I don’t really care what one believes as to whether the flood was local or global in extent. I don’t think it impacts the gospel message, and I don’t think it changes whether one can be saved through faith in Christ. In that aspect, I really don’t want to argue the points. Sure I’m willing to listen to a different perspective and maybe if I’m presented with overwhelming evidence I could change my view someday. However, I don’t think that has any impact on my interpretation of the bible as a whole. The major concern I have about the local flood interpretation is that God’s judgement was not universal. I do not find any evidence that God wants us to believe that humans other than Noah and his family survived the flood.
As far as the idea that God created more than one people group at the time of Creation... I think you can probably make a case for it that I may not be able to fully disprove, but I think God would have made this point much more clear if He had intended for us to interpret scripture this way. As it is written, it is much easier to interpret the language as God having created all peoples from Adam and Eve. Genesis is primarily written as a historical record and in this I think God's intention was to establish mankind through Adam. I think it also follows that since the gospel message is for all and Christ is the second Adam, that it would confuse the situation to claim that humankind was not all come through Adam, as obviously the entire church must proceed through Christ.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
