Sunday, November 22, 2015

"Home Alone: The Lies That Tie Us to Our Phone"

Here is a great article from Desiring God by Marshall Segal on lies we often believe which enable us to be mastered by our phones. It is a much needed article as we approach a holiday week where we will have plenty of time for face to face relationships and might find that we are tempted to be distracted by our phones.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Welcoming Refugees: Wisdom and Compassion is the Need of the Hour

Recently, the Governor of Florida has asked the federal government not to relocate Syrian refugees in Florida. He is not alone, as several states have done the same (article from USA Today). The reason is clear - the terror attacks in France show that it is possible, if not likely, that some terrorist might sneak in under the cover of being a refugee. 

I have seen posts from Christians varying from "shut the doors, don't let any refugees in," to "if you don't have an open door policy you are a hateful un-Christ-like person.  I don't think either of those are "the Christian" way to think on the issue. 

I don't claim to have the answers. All I want to point out is that as Christians we of all people should care about the oppressed and endangered people around us and around the world. So, we can't be like the angry "good-luck-with-your-problem" type of person. But neither do we have to affirm that a complete open door policy is biblical. It is not particularly Christian to invite Islamic extremists with plans of shooting our neighbors into our country. This is just as un-Christian as it is to leave women to be raped, men to be crucified, and children to be left as orphans in the desserts of Syria.

So, I don't have an answer, but I think we should not settle for overly simplistic sloganeering on an issue that is this complex and important. Human dignity matters because every person is made in the image of God. So racism, fear of those who are different, and selfishness will not due. Neither will failing to love our neighbors that might be truly endangered by poor policies. Ultimately, we need compassion for the hurting and wisdom as to how to truly help the hurting (ie. how to not unduly open the possibility for more people to be hurt). This is not an easy task, but it is a necessary one.

For more on this issue, I suggested reading Kevin DeYoung's helpful article, "Immigration Policy Must be Based on More than an Appeal to Compassion."

A few quotes from that to close:

I too am turned off by the harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric that sounds more like Pharaoh in Exodus 1 than the “love the sojourner” commands in Deuteronomy 10. It is a commendable response to see hurting people and think, “Let’s do all we can to help.” 

So how do we balance competing goods—the good of welcoming in suffering people and the good of keeping out those who want to inflict suffering on others? And how do we pursue these ends when it may be impossible to know if we are helping the right people? The answer is not as easy as fear versus compassion. Christian charity means loving the safety of the neighbor next door at least as much as loving the safe passage of the neighbor far away. 

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Creation and Science: Philosophical Arguments Against a Naturalistic Worldview

We have been discussing biblical theology, and specifically the beginning of the biblical storyline: Creation. We spent two weeks on thinking about creation and science, and I thought I'd post some of the information from the handouts I gave out. Here is the one on philosophical arguments against a naturalistic worldview (ie. one that sees everything as simply a product of natural processes as opposed to supernatural. Below are some of the arguments we looked at.


1.      Cosmological Argument- Every known thing in the universe has a cause.  Therefore, the universe itself must also have a cause, and the cause must be an infinite and non-contingent being (i.e. God). To watch a video presentation click here
a.       Basic syllogism (argument)
                                                              i.      Whatever begins to exist has a cause (cause and effect)
                                                            ii.      The universe began to exist
                                                          iii.      Therefore, the universe had a cause
b.      More complex version shows this cause had to be something outside the universe
                                                              i.      Every finite and contingent thing has a cause.
                                                            ii.      Nothing finite and contingent can cause itself.
                                                          iii.      A causal chain cannot be of infinite length.
                                                          iv.      The universe is finite and contingent.
                                                            v.      Therefore, an infinite non-contingent First Cause must exist in order to explain why the universe exists.

2.      Teleological Argument- The fact that the universe has a design to it points to the fact that there is an intelligent designer.  Two illustrations:
a.       You find a watch on a mountain top.  Do I assume it is a product of chance + time or an intelligent designer made it?
b.       In our experience, language (communication) always comes from a source of intelligence. DNA is a form of communication, a language of sorts.  This implies intelligence is behind its design.

3.      Anthropic Principle- A sub-category of the teleological argument.  The universe seems to have been designed to make life possible on Earth.
a.       The number of things that must line up in perfect balance to make life on earth possible are staggering (think about all the other known planets- we could survive on none of them).
b.      Examples of things which must be within narrow margins to make life possible
                                                              i.      Distance between the earth and sun
                                                            ii.      The chemical makeup of water and its properties (ex. when it freezes it is more buoyant and stays at the top of the lake instead of the bottom).
                                                          iii.      Ratios of atmospheric gas
                                                          iv.      Axis of the earth
                                                            v.      Expansion rate of the universe
c.       The chances of all the details being in place to support our fragile life here is essentially nothing if it was not intelligently designed.

4.      Ethical Argument- The ethics that seem to be implied by naturalistic evolution are morally reprehensible and do not adequately explain virtues such as love, courage, and sacrifice.
a.       Some consistent evolutionists say rape is “a natural, biological phenomenon that is a product of the human evolutionary heritage,” akin to “the leopard’s spots and the giraffe’s elongated neck.” (Why Men Rape, quoted in Total Truth, by Nancy Pearcey, pg 211)
b.      If evolution and survival of the fittest is true, why care for the sick, crippled, or those with defects?
     “If we think we came into existence simply by accidental process, then we may feel accountable to no one. Yet such freedom is lonely. It is purposeless. And it is false. It is the freedom that ignores evidence of design in the world, that rejects the idea that people are special to God, and that clones human beings only to grow spare parts with them and then discard them. This is what we call naturalism. Naturalism is the philosophy that says, since God did not make us, we are only as special as we want to think of ourselves as being. So we kill babies in the womb and old people in nursing homes for our own convenience” (Mark Dever, The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made, pg. 69).
c.       What are love, courage, and sacrifice?  In a naturalistic view it is simply a bunch of chemicals that make us feel good so we will ensure the survival of our species.  How do we explain a man risking his life to pull a wounded soldier from the line of fire or firefighters going into the world trade center to rescue others?

5.      Irreducible Complexity – Darwin said, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, then my theory would absolutely break down” (Origin of the Species, pg. 154).  Modern science has shown that:
a.       Genetic mutations do not result in the formation of new genes (Pierre-Paul Grassé, Evolution of Living Organisms, pg. 217).
b.      The cell, in order to function, must have all its complex parts from the start.  Otherwise it is just a piece of non-functional, organic rubbish.  So, the cell, which is foundational to life, could not have developed by numerous, successive, slight modifications (see Michael Behe, Darwin’s Black Box).




"You Cannot Domesticate Pride"

I recently read an article by Erik Raymond entilted, "You Cannot Domesticate Pride." He points out the disaster of taking sin lightly, especially the sin of pride. Pride wants to kill you and it will if you don't do battle with it.

Raymond's article is a very short one, so take a minute to read it here. Here is one great quote from it:
The subtle seeds of pride grow an oak of self-worship in the heart. Nebuchadnezzar did not build a 40′ statue demanding worship of him on the first day of office, but in due time it made sense for him to do this. It was the incremental footpath of pride.

I hope to write more on the topic of pride and humility soon, so stay tuned.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Nine Week Aborted Baby Hearts are "Cute"





The latest Center for Medical Progress video shows an abortion doctor from Texas referring to aborted 9 week old baby hearts as "cute." The video is not graphic (ie. it does not show abortions or baby hearts, so please watch it), but it is heartbreaking. It is heartbreaking for the baby, for the mother who allowed this to happen, and it is heartbreaking for the doctor in the video.

You might be surprised I used "heartbreaking" to describe the doctor who laughs at how cute murdered baby hearts are. Why not say it is enraging. Well, it is. There is a righteous anger over the oppression of the weak. However, there a sense of heartbreak that I don't want to personally move past either.

As Isaiah wrote, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Is. 5:20).

It is heartbreaking to see this woman enslaved to sin and blinded by sin. Evil appears good or cute to her and that has put her at odds with the holy God who pronounces judgment against evil. I was in that boat once too. I didn't call abortion good, but I have justified all sorts of sins. In God's mercy, however, he saved me and caused me to call my sin what it is: evil.

Let's call abortion what it is. It is barbarism, sickening, and, yes, evil. But let's not stop there. Let's call men and women to repent of this evil and ask for God's mercy in Jesus Christ.

One more thing I'll point out about this video. Again we are confronted with the reality of what abortion is. The doctor refers to "hearts" and "spines" (which she rips out) of fetuses (even 9 week old ones). Again, whether or not planned parenthood has committed any crimes, we ought to realize that abortion ought to be seen as a crime. This isn't a "lump of cells" or "part of the mother's body." We are talking hearts and spines, and they don't belong to the mother. Abortion is the unjust taking of an innocent human life.


Don't Forget to Rest

Students and young professionals often face a lot of pressure to work extremely long hours to gain a higher grade or job advancement. Work has always been a part of God's plan for his creation (see Gen. 1-2 prior to the fall into sin).  When sin enters the picture, this work becomes much harder and, at times, futile. While it is harder and more frustrating, it is still part of the way we love God and serve others. So, by all means, keep working hard.

However, we must not forget that the Lord also instituted a schedule for humanity which included a day of rest. God created in six days and rested on the seventh.  This was not because he needed six days to work (he is all-powerful and could have done it in no time). He did this as a pattern for us (see Ex. 20 regarding the Sabbath).

When we forget this, we are really trying to be God. We think that we ought to be able to see all our sovereign will done.  We are concerned that we cannot trust God with our future so we listen to the voices around us telling us "just a few more hours of work will ensure success." But what is the measure and cost of such success? It takes a physical and spiritual toll. The sad thing is that many feel that this type of sin (that is of not resting) is actually a sign of maturity. "Workaholism" as John Scott Redd writes, "can be a deeply besetting sin, but I suspect that many perceive it as a sort of honorable sin" (Tabletalk, Feb. 2015, pg. 17). After all, it looks better than laziness.

That brings me to a Psalm that I think many college and young professionals would do well to remind themselves of.
Psalm 127:1-2 
Unless the Lord builds the house,    those who build it labor in vain.Unless the Lord watches over the city,    the watchman stays awake in vain.  
It is in vain that you rise up early    and go late to rest,eating the bread of anxious toil;    for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Two things I'd point out in this Psalm. First, we have a responsibility to work hard. There are "those who build it" and a watchman who "stays awake." However, that is not the emphasis of this passage. The emphasis is that it is not ultimately our work that gets the job done. The Lord, who is sovereign over all, is the one we are dependent on. Therefore, the second point is that it is "in vain" if we think that rising early and going to bed late and being anxious will accomplish all that we intend. If we think we can do things by our own strength, apart from God, we will manifest it in workaholism, and we will find that it is in vain. Sure it might get us an "A", but it is vain in the end because it did not accomplish what work is designed for, namely glorifying God.

We must work as the Lord commanded and then rest as he commands, and both are a sign of our dependence on him. At least they should be. It is possible to work in a way that is not submitted to his sovereign will (you can see this attitude when your plans fail and your respond with sinful anger). It is also possible to "rest" in ways that are not really "rest." Things like vegging out, wasting too much time on social media and entertainment. Rest, instead, ought to be focused on trusting the Lord who always gets all his to-do list done even when you do not get all of yours done. Rest is setting aside time to worship with other believers even when you have a pressing assignment.

Don't get me wrong, there are times when we will work hard with no rest or have to miss worship with God's people. But that must be a rare exception otherwise we are disobeying God and missing out on the gift he gives. "He gives to his beloved sleep." Why? They are focused on him and know that since he never sleeps they can.