Mars Hill Pastor to Debate Existence of Satan on ABC

roberteaster »

Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:56 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

chaplainmichael, for the sake of the discussion, I assume you meant to say that darkness is dark relative to the light, since, from your analogy, God, or any good as being by definition from God, does not depend on darkness or evil to exist. God is quite free to be, "I Am" with or without help or interference from any corner, dark or light. It is not God's existence which shows the reality of a spiritual evil (He Is before any created thing ever was, and He is, forever, irregardless.) but the existence of self-defeating sin in the human heart and society: People so sold to sin that they knowingly do the things that they know will kill them and their loved ones. Instances of possession, passive voodooists getting tossed 15' in the air, etc., only add interest to the discussion.

New Library Rules May Keep Bible Out of Reach

roberteaster »

Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:41 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

So, Chicago24, the Muslim elevates the Koran as an expression of his belief that there is no god but an arbitrary, unfeeling, faraway monarch, and a man who led a band of cutthroat raiders and forcibly "married" a nine-year-old child is his prophet. Is this also the message that you are seeking to convey, or simply allowing others to think you are?

Saddleback Pastor: Domestic Abuse Not Reason for Divorce

roberteaster »

Sun Jan 11, 2009 2:37 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

The "accepted wisdom" on divorce is a position inherited from a Medieval Roman Catholic doctrine which was taken out of context with the whole background of why the disciples asked the question & therefore the context into which Jesus was speaking. The question was not "for any cause" as to mean "to divorce at all," but "for any cause" was the exact language of one party of Pharisees who were advocating that the Mosaic "if he has found any uncleanness in her" should be taken as a license to divorce a wife "for any cause" at all. This was the issue that Jesus was addressing, not a new law that would obligate a woman to get beat to death "for the sake of the marriage." A good book on this would be at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0830833749/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Churches More Informal, Diverse than a Decade Ago

roberteaster »

Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:36 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Chicago, I can relate to what you're saying. One verse that stands out is David saying, "Praise the Lord, o my soul!" With an act of his will, quite possibly with the use of the harp he's known for playing, he was calling on himself, "all that is within me," to praise the Lord. If I get a rush of excitement from a trilled organ chord or from the more subtle effect of the vocals in an ancient hymn, and I turn that Godward, then that's a good thing, isn't it? If we take away the unseen element from our lives, all we have left is a stark materialism and spiritual inertia. God gave us both the love for beauty and mystery as part of His "very good" plan for Mankind, and especially for His Church.

Hundreds of Complaints Force Zoo to Break Ties with Creation Museum

roberteaster »

Wed Dec 03, 2008 6:26 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

<blockquote>worried that their children will be affected. </blockquote> That the tykes would actually be given something to <i>think</> about? I wonder if these same parents are as careful about what's on TV? Oy, vey!

Banning 'Blasphemy'?

roberteaster »

Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:21 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Feets, I wonder why you feel so vehemently that a way of peace is bent on persecuting your poor self. Many have, and do, take the "Christian" name onto themselves to provide some kind of PR cover for their sins, but, to borrow a western expression, it takes more than a hat to be a cowboy. When God cleans up the inside, the outside looks and acts a lot different.

Pope Questions Path of Interfaith Dialogue

roberteaster »

Wed Nov 26, 2008 9:12 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Benedict, thou almost persuadest me to be a Roman Catholic! Dialogue with peoples of other backgrounds is crucial to the Gospel, presuming equivalence between their various systems and Christianity is capitulation and denial. Benny's got it right- pray he can have some influence on Canterbury, who seems to be posing as the Apostle of Equivalence!

Anglican Primate 'Disturbed' by New Rival Body

roberteaster »

Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:28 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

OK, Mr. Hiltz, are you saying that theological grounds such as the lordship, the deity, and the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, and faith in His word are not sufficient grounds for Christian unity, fellowship, and service? I'm somehow not getting your message: What is it, exactly?

S.F. Christians Out to Break 'Sodom and Gomorrah' Mentality

roberteaster »

Sun Nov 02, 2008 1:46 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

The only way to win this "culture war" is by loving our "enemies!" Pickle sucking just don't work, and it's not a lot of fun, either, is it?

Conservatives Contest First Graders' School Trip to Gay Wedding

roberteaster »

Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:06 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Mike, I would love it if you could cite an actual study. Surely someone as outspoken as yourself on this subject would have a whole stack at the ready.

I'm also curious if anyone knows what happened to my earlier post.

So, What's Really at Stake in the Gay Marriage Debate?

roberteaster »

Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:59 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Mike, to be honest, "science" knows nothing of the sort. If homosexuality were predetermined biologically, then so would be ever other aspect of each person's life, leaving thought and personality nothing more than so many chemically-induced electrostatic impulses- just random sparks. This is obviously not the case. Theories that suggest pre-determined behaviors have too many factual hurdles to cross before ever meriting credulous hearing. Statistically, it is likely you were introduced to the "lifestyle" by a man already experienced in such, or maybe first through some other avenues (pornography or philosophical seduction, possibly). The bottom line is that, assuming we do have minds, we all do what we choose to do, go where we choose to go, and are responsible to others and to God for our own choices, actions, and consequences. If we didn't have that freedom, then this discussion would not exist.

How to Keep People from Quitting Church

roberteaster »

Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:07 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

A.S., you mention all the great ways in which your church ministers to you. from the preacher's style to the attitude of the people there toward you. Have you considered the question of content? Content in the preaching, the content of the peoples' hearts as they welcome you, and the content of your own life as Jesus is actually being formed in you in all holy love so that he might raise you up to serve others. The greatness He longs to instill into our lives can only come as we give our all to Him and forget ourselves for the sake of others. Religious consumerism can produce a lot of different things, but can it produce faith?

Scientist Coalition Accused of 'Suppressing' Evidence Against Darwinism

roberteaster »

Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:03 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 3

Agentorangex, whether approached from a philosophical, scientific, or historical point of view, Evolution is far more a philosophical ideology than science. Evidence is cherry-picked to avoid embarrassment, findings are released to press prematurely, and methodology is chosen in terms of pre-decided "discoveries." In the meantime we have seen honest scientists, researchers, and educators shunned from their professions, Jews, Gypsies, and other "non-Aryans" exterminated as counter-evolutionary elements, native Australians hunted as museum trophies, and racial slavery and discrimination justified on weight of Survival of the Fittest. Not to mention the millions murdered under Soviet, Chinese, and Cambodian Communist regimes based first and foremost on a Darwinian view of mankind. That you so proudly hail Evolution as True Science (knowledge) speaks frighteningly of your view of both the theory and the field. Please. Check your sources. Whether from Astrophysics or microbiology, Darwinism is no more credible than Spontaneous Generation.