Gadfly's Muse

Christian Freedom & "Castaway"

See a more definitive statement of Christian Freedom posted on "Deeper Thoughts"


Think of what it would be like to be free of cares with regard to where you live, with what you wear, with having food to eat.   Think of being completely free to get up in the morning whenever you want, go to bed when you want, eat when you want, eat as much as you want, walk, sit, run, swim, do whatever you wish with time.    All day long, day after day, with no one telling you what to do, when to do it, or, husbands, how you are supposed to do it.  Think of what it would be like to have all that freedom... would you be happy?

New Post- "Who Are The People of God":An Answer to James (part 2)

Posted on "Deeper Thoughts" and "Theologica"

Who Are The People of God?

Walking in Light / Walking in Darkness

In preparing for this coming Sunday's sermon I have been thinking a lot about  darkness and light.

Jn. 8:12 - I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall  (in no wise) walk in darkness, but have the light of life. (NKJV, expanded).

"Light" appears to be the pre-eminent metaphor for the work of God in all of Scripture.  It's range of application and comprehensive character is pervasive in all the texts.  It is not absent from the mouth of Job, it expresses the longing and joy of David, it is the eschatological hope of Isaiah and others, and it permeates the teachings of our Lord and His apostles in the New Testament.

The Duel Continues: Sam Harris Denies Any Progress in Religion

Imagine that we could revive a well-educated Christian of the fourteenth century.  The man would prove to be a total ignoramus, except on matters of faith. (emphasis mine) His beliefs about geography, astronomy, and medicine would embarrass even a child, but he would know more or less everything there is to know about God.  Though he would be considered a fool to think that the earth is the center of the cosmos, ... his religious ideas would still be beyond reproach.  There are two explanations for this:  either we perfected our religious understanding of the world a millennium ago- whil our knowledge of all other fronts was still hopelessly inchoate - or religion, being the mere maintenance of dogma (emphasis mine), is one area of discourse that does not admit of progress.

Sam Harris, The End of Faith, p. 22
Cross posted at Theologica  and UTI

Harriet Meirs: My 2 cents

My buddy David Wayne (Jolly Blogger:  Harriet Meirs- Trust Me On This) argues that we Evangelicals ought to be demanding that President Bush present evidence or give reason why WE should accept Harriet Meirs as the nominee to the Supreme Court replacing Justice O'Connor.

I'm not arguing for a "hermeneutic of suspicion" here, just saying that the President and his supporters ought to take upon themselves the burden of proof in showing that Harriet Miers is qualified for this position.  This is especially true in light of the reticence expressed by many conservative luminaries, particularly someone like George Will.

En Garde!!!! Sam Harris & "The End of Faith"

The customary cheek-slapping  is past, the "seconds" have been named, the weapons have been selected, the meeting place is arranged, all that is left is for the blood-letting to commence.

Sam Harris, author of "The End of Faith" is deadly serious and he desires a quick, decisive and deadly victory  in the duel this book initiates.  He is no novice swordsman either.  For the life of me, his picture and manner brings to mind the most despicable villain ever to grace the big screen, Tim Roth's character, Archibald Cunningham,  in Rob Roy.  He even looks like him a bit.  But, be warned, like Archibald, this man is an expert duelist, highly trained in deadly skills and quite content to skewer his opponent without the slightest trace of remorse.

Cross posted at UTI:Gadflys Blog

Christian Vocation: Citizenship & Legislator

Consider the moral quandry facing Evangelicals today. On one hand they are told that Americans are not to frame laws based on distinctly religious tenets (separation of church and state, you know). On the other hand they find it very hard to argue moral issues such as opposing the extension of "marriage rights" and "marriage benefits" to homosexual couples based on the commonly accepted logic of equal rights under the law without consideration of strictly religious principles.

(Cross posted in a slightly altered form at  Theologica

The Spirit Had Not Yet Been Given (Part II0

Posted at  Theologica & Deeper Thoughts.

The Spirit Had Not Been Given Yet: The Feasts of God, Now and Not Yet

Beginning a series setting the stage for understanding
Jn. 7:39 "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (NKJV)

I hope to present a context for understanding the manner in which the "giving of the Holy Spirit" can be properly related to His hidden work of individual salvation and His public work of harvest.

Posted on Theologica  and on my own Deeper Thoughts