If you were a hotdog.... Would you eat yourself?

Okay so after class on Thursday I stayed to talk with Dr. Borders about this and now I want to see what anyone else thinks. Please don't limit this to one person. I really want to know other peoples opinions on this.

So we talked about death (kind of a big deal). This lead me a question I've had for a long time. Try to follow this.... We think of time in a chronological sense called Chronos. Then we (GENERALIZING) also believe that God does not follow and is not limited to this idea. We say that "God's time" is Kairos. It's hard to explain Kairos because we all find it so hard to not think in chronology. But the Bible says God is, was, and will always be. Think that but all at once.  Okay, now that my horrible explanation is done I'll give you the question.

Predestination.... most people I know don't like the idea because of the "no free will" thing. My question is that if we truly believe that God is not in "our time" but "God's time,"(Kairos) can't predestination and freewill exist simultaneously?

A thought and answer that I toss around is that yes they can exist. God knows what we're going to do before we do it, not because he has planned out every step in our lives, but because he is omnipresent through time and is simultaneously there when we make each decision. Or something like that.

The other thing that I question is how the Parousia will happen. When we die do we stay in our sense of time and actually wait out for the Second Coming? Or when we kick the bucket do we join God in "His time" and enjoy the Parousia right when we die? I don't think there are definite answers to either of these questions. I'm just looking for your opinions on it.


J-Pow

Why Change?

This kind of just hit me last night so I figured I would write about it.


We say we want to change Huntingdon and our community. Great idea. But then I started doing what Dr. Bee (haha... continuing bee joke way longer than anyone should) told us. I started to think "So what?" Say we have an impact here at Huntingdon... So what? What is it that we're trying to accomplish? And more importantly why are we trying to accomplish it? I know a lot of us will throw out the "I want to make Huntingdon a better place" reasoning. This would be great if I believed you. Everyone in our class (I think) will be gone next year or the year after. You might say, "Jon I want it to be better even if I'm not here." To you I say, stop lying. Most people want to see results while they're here and the process and ideas we're trying to bring to Huntingdon are not short term at all. So I ask again, why are we doing this? What is it that we truly want out of it? I don't know. Just a thought.

B7...... BINGO!!!!

So the crap is about to hit the fan. This doesn't really have anything to do with class.... well sort of I guess. So I don't know if any of you know/care about gambling but Frazer is going through some crap that kind of makes me want to punch people in the face (mainly the media). So Milton McGregor is the owner of VictoryLand. He is a member at Frazer and recently was arrested for some charges that haven't been proven dealing with gambling. Anyway, the media has taken this opportunity to twist it all into this "How can a church support gambling??" thing. I've already heard a couple of people say that others have questioned how they can go to a church that supports gambling. This is were my issue is. First off, I know for a fact that the pastors at Frazer went to see McGregor and others as spiritual advisors. Just like any other situation, the pastors went to give advice.

So back to the point I'm trying to make... The question that really upsets me is "how can you go to a church where they support gambling?" WHY THE CRAP DOES THAT MATTER?!?! Isn't church supposed to be a place where people can go to worship and faith as a community? It pisses me off that people and the media are more interested in assuming what churches believe and support than the overall purpose of church. Thank you media. You suck. The End.

J-Pow

Short but sweet (like honey)

So yeah. I don't have a lot to say... I just wanted to say that sometimes I wish we were like honey bees. And not in the dying for no reason way. I mean in the "individual doesn't matter" way. Some people think that its heartless but some of those same people are strongly for uniforms in school which is the same thing... ish... The only problem I see with humans being like bees is that we wouldn't have drive anymore. Right now, I see a lot of people with the goal to be better than the next guy. If we take away the individual, there wont be any of that feeling anymore. I think I have that mindset and I, personally, don't want to loose it but the idea of individual importance not existing is kind of awesome.

J-Pow

What the Carp???

So to be completely honest, as much as I like talking about ways to fix Huntingdon (or the problems I see with it) I don't know that I care enough to change it. Before you jump all over me read my reasoning. I am a fifth year senior, I have been here all 5 years of my collegiate experience, and I love it here. I would not have stayed if I didn't. So, I think there are things that need to change: like a new President that can tangibly show where our Tuition, room and board, and "student fees" are going. (That's my big problem with the school and also why I probably will not donate money to Huntingdon until he leaves. Ranting, I know.) But I say all of this to say that we all have things to complain about and would like to think that we would/could do something about it, but the truth is that the world has taught us to either change our beliefs or to move away from the problems. So, if we go by what we are taught, we will all either deal with the problems (as I have for the past 5 years) or go to a new school (check the retention rate for Huntingdon. It backs up my point). I hope we can change the school, but hoping and having the actual drive to do something are two different things.


If you haven't already discovered, I'm a pessimist. Good day.

J-Pow

Holy crap!!! Not literally.

I'm just excited that I'm getting this done early. I think. (It's either early or really late.)

So today in class we went over the Patron-Client relationship. We also talked about how this is still used today in society. We never really discussed how this also plays a role in our spiritual lives.  We did hint at it when we talked about sports. While everyone was trying to justify why they pray for no injuries or to have fun I was thinking what most people want to pray. "God, make us win. Let them suck it up today." After that, I thought about other parts of the average persons life and how we take the same approach to them but we also go another full step in the wrong direction with it.  When we want something really really really badly we begin to bargain with God.  It sometimes becomes a Patron-Client relationship in the wrong way.  We begin to use the formula "God if you just "blank" I promise I will "blank" for You." The problem that I see with this is that we, as Christians shouldn't need anything from God in order to justify our actions for him. (I'm kind of rambling... sorry.) For an example I'll use a sports team's pre-game prayer.  "God if you just let us win, I'll finally talk to my friends about You." It seems like a fair trade-off because of how the world views it now. But in actuality, we should be longing to talk to our friends even without this "gift/victory" from God. I guess the point I'm trying to get across is that prayer is not and should not be used as a bartering system with God.  Instead prayer should be used as a way to connect with God and give praise to him.  I'm not saying not to ask for things in prayer. I don't think it says anywhere not to ask for things. The main point I want to convey is that the Patron-Client relationship we have with God (if that's what you want to call it) isn't the same as depicted by the Roman society.  God blesses us and we should praise him for it but not because of it.

Going back to the whole sports prayer.... instead of "Yo God, make us win and them suck at life today." Maybe it should be more like "Give us the strength to praise you in our game today." Sounds weird and is kind of simple, I know. But I feel like, since that is what we are called to do, the rest just isn't that important.

J-Pow

Deeds or Faith

So I think someone needs to sit all of the "Christian" mainstream artists down and give them a good slap. That's just a random thought. here's the blog. woot


I just read through my notes from class and a song that my friend wrote came to mind. The main "punchline" of the song is "what good is faith without deeds?" I agree that faith is no good without deeds but as we discussed in class, faith without deeds isn't faith. I think. But I also think that a lot of people focus on the wrong deeds or life habits, especially here at Huntingdon. I see the same pattern within a certain, nameless group. They like to claim to be Christians and I believe they understand the ideas of Christianity and they try to model their lives after Christ. Both of these are good things. The reason I bring them up isn't because of that though.  These people also tend to be the most judgmental people I have ever met. They judge others for cussing, sexual immorality, drinking (under or of age), and many more.  I guess the point I'm trying to make is there is one deed that, in my opinion, must be done to truly "faith." One must love unconditionally and love everyone. I don't like to think of it as "no sin is greater than the next." I like to think that "no deed is better or worse than the next." In my opinion, you are either loving or not. I don't see a gray area on that.


"EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY!" - Jackie Moon

Late but... It's here now.... right...

Okay so I'm super late with this but it's all good. I figured I would post anyway. SO...


This is kind of off topic(ish). I just want to say that I really want to read some of these gospels that weren't included in the Bible. I mean, what if I get something good out of it? What if it answers a question better than the others? What if they could be used as a better tool to show people Christ? I realize that they went through this big long thing to decide which ones were to be included but that was back then.... they didn't even have cars.... (if that made sense to you... congratulations).  I just want to read through them and have a better understanding. I don't have to believe it but like we said in class: more perspectives give a better understanding of what happened. Unless they're stupid, and I'll be the judge of that.

Epistemology... That's what she said...

Okay. So... epistemology got me thinking 2 things:
      1) Funny word
      2) All this below....


So everything we "know" is based off of how we've been raised to understand things. It makes me think of the Matrix when they explain to Neo that chicken might not taste like chicken at all, but maybe steak or something else.  I now realize the validity of this statement.  I understand some things because "that's just how it is" or "it's always been that way."  But why? I don't know. So as the class went on we moved to how the Gospels became (?? I can't think of a better word) appropriate perspectives.  After I thought about this more, I realized that if the same selection process used for the Gospels were to be used in everyday life to make decisions, it might actually end well. This is kind of what I was thinking. Let me know how off you think I am...

Scripture

 I think that it is safe to say that most Christians believe that "all situations and events are covered in the Bible." By that I mean that no matter what comes up in life, the Bible can lead you to an answer or solution to it. So finding scripture to back one's situation is the start.

Tradition

I guess if it really came down to it... you could ask someone that has been through it??? I don't know.

Reason

This one is kind of self explanatory. Think about the long term impact of your decision before you make it. I will say some people have a big problem with this. My advice to those people is to stop being stupid. 

Experience

This is the one I'm not too sure about.  There are two sides to this. The saying "if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten" comes to mind. Now, if you've seen or had good results in similar situations go for it. I guess the other side is to do the opposite if it ended poorly last time.

Anyway, I know that's kind of a stretch but it was just on my mind.

“No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be."

               -Isaac Asimov

How can you judge someone's idea of truth?

I want to start by saying that I see myself as someone who is very strong in his faith. I believe that the best way to strengthen one's faith is to question it.

So after class I started thinking about truth.... The first thing I thought about is how I (like most people) like to think I know what truth is.  Then as I began to think deeper I realized that truth isn't something you can put your finger on.  It isn't a situation thing, nor is it a religious thing. If you think in a very small sense of the word you can tell whether someone is telling the truth or not.  Like "this pen is black" and stupid menial things like that.  But if you start to expand the word to the larger meaning it's almost impossible to decipher what "Truth" is.  Truth is something that is based off of one's beliefs. For instance, I believe that Christianity is "Truth" and the only way to the Father is to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and salvation.  But that is a personal "truth."  Am I 110% sure what's going to happen when I die? Heck no!  But I believe with all that I am that it is something like what I read in the Bible. When will I know what the Truth is? When I die. Someone can believe things like: The world is going to end in 2012. The only thing that separates this "crazy" statement from being Truth is the fact that it hasn't happened yet. If someone wants to believe that as their truth and expect to die in 2012 that's their life and choices. Our personal beliefs and opinions are what influence what we believe to be "Truth."  One of the hardest things to prove is a Truth. Especially since the biggest thing backing up most of them is FAITH.