Common Sense and Scripture

Some of the answers I’ve heard in defense of Scripture’s inspiration have run rough-shod over common sense. And to think that my early polemic-bent life once used such biased arguments (actually, the correct word would be parroted) in Scripture’s defense (as if God’s words need me to defend them) shocks me. I can no longer leap-frog good common sense. If the answers we have parroted in the past were given as answers on a final exam we would find big red Xs all over our paper.

Let me give you just one example and then reflect on it for a few minutes. Don’t hurriedly jump to conclusions. Don’t resort to traditional answers. Instead, think independently…and with good common sense. Let’s attempt to stand outside the bible and then ask ourselves if the pat-answers we have given others through the years, in defense of the Scripture, makes any good sense.

Here we go…

How could Moses have written the Torah when he had been dead for three hundred years before the first verse of the Torah had been written? These five books reflect multiple strands of material that were put together over a period of approximately five hundred years. Deuteronomy even provides us with Moses’ death and burial. It would take a rather remarkable author to record in his writings that particular moment of his life–his death.

Does my thinking somehow destroy the integrity of the Scriptures? I don’t think so. Maybe it has more to do with how one understands inspiration.

The Culture-Driven-Church

Today I’ve been thinking about how we have traditonally done things and why we continue to do them the way we do. Maybe the greater question is why we are so resistant to changing the way we do things when there isn’t any biblical basis for most of what we do (in method, style, or format).

Think about it. “Church” is now defined for people by what we do. And this has become a gigantic barrier for the church in being the church. I am sadden by the “fruit” – shallow, inwardly focused, culture driven, priority given to the service of felt-needs, and consumer oriented. What we have in the majority of our churches are people who “go to church” as opposed to Christians who are the church.

The Bucket List

For the last four to five years my wife and I have been growing together with a core group of believer. Two to three times a week this group eats and plays together. The by-product of this ‘meaningful’ fellowship is we all know each other…well. If visitation is necessary, it’s a heart response not an obligation based on a Christian commitment. Concern is real…and felt. Why? Because this group has grown intimately. We know each other’s problems, successes, desires, and hopes.

Last night the group went to see the movie Bucket List. Being 59, the theme of this movie touched me (and most all in the group, since all are close in age.) Yet this movie is for everyone. Great acting, funny while remaining real, and a large dose of wisdom.

Morgan Freeman to Jack Nicholson: “Have you found joy in your life?’ ‘Has your life brought joy to others?’”

The movie turns on those two statements.

What Christians Could Learn from Other Religions

• From Muslims- Christians can learn about prayer, fasting and almsgiving
• From Hindus- Christians can learn about meditation and contemplation
• From Buddhist- Christians can learn about detachment from material goods and respect for life
• From Confucianism- Christians can learn about filial piety and respect for elders
• From Taoism- Christians can learn about simplicity and humility
• From animists- Christians can learn about reverence and respect for nature and gratitude for harvests

Adapted from comments made by the Asian Bishops Synod in 1998

Creationism

There have been a number of people who have talked to me about their trip to the Creation Museum (Ken Hamm) near Cincinnati, Ohio. Being that it is only 2-3 hours from where I live, little reason I keep hearing about this state-of-the-art 65,000 square foot museum. It’s worth mentioning that what I’ve heard is all good. I don’t know, maybe I don’t get excited about creationism or creation museums because I spent a good deal of time using it as an evangelistic tool. And personally, I don’t believe anyone can convince another to make the leap with a discussion on faith and science. People have to first become interested, then develop their interest through reading, investigating, and reflecting over time, lots-of-time. Only then do discussions enter the process and the best discussions (should I say ‘only’ discussions?) take place with those who have earned the right for a discussion (family, close associates, and close friends). Those, along with time alone and the Spirit’s work become the final and primary forces that assist a person’s decision. Creationism and apologetics are, in my opinion, for the faith of the believer. The best apologetic for those in our realm of influence is a life well lived for our Leader, Jesus.

My wife was a Christian before I was and she introduced me to John Clayton’s tape series (now on DVD) on creationism and it convinced me; but not until I became interested, and even then it didn’t happen overnight! It took time…a long time. Yet it was one of the many pieces that the Spirit used to bring me to a life-changing decision.

By the way…Ken Hamm is a conservative evangelical Christian who believes in a literal seven-day creation and all the other trimmings that goes with a literalist. Contrastingly,Clayton is an evolutional creationist who was a devout atheist and science teacher before his conversion. Prior ro his conversion he wrote a book titled “All the Stupidity of the Bible.” A.C. (after conversion) he wrote a piece titled (how did you guess) Why I Left Atheism

The Does God Exist website
The Creation Museum website

Abductive Columns Resurected

Abductive began ten years ago as GraceAwakening, an online resource that continues to maintain a web presence today. It was one of the early “christian” blogs and over the past decade has survived a name change (today it is Abductive Columns) and two blog platform changes. Today it returns to Wordpress.