Opus 2025-239: Ungarbling

This morning it occurred to me that one of the attributes of God might be ungarbling.  I know that’s not a biblical word.  I’ve never heard of it in a theological discussion, but it comes to me that if God was not able to write down what I say and reassemble it in a rational way I would never be able to communicate with Him.

For instance, I was thinking about Micah 6:8 which talks about doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with my God.  I was focused on that last part walking humbly.  And I said something to the effect that I hope that I could walk proudly in humility with God.  Now you might have misunderstood me.  I might not have totally understood myself.  God knew exactly what I was trying to say.

I’m OK with that.

So add this to your list of attributes.  God is the ultimate translator.  He has the final straightener.  He will take the mush of our life and separate the cornmeal from the salt, milk, and possible sugar.  Or maybe He will adjust the ratios to make it what it should be.  I’m willing to leave that up to Him as I seek mastery of oatmeal.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-238: Made in the Image…

I am meditating or contemplating on the concept presented in Genesis that human beings are made in the image of God.

Genesis 1:26 (KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

As always, when I meditate, my mind goes into free-range chicken mode, which means that I find it almost impossible to follow a prearranged trail.  I think that is one of the aspects of what it means to be created in the image of God.

I just finished watching some of the Star Trek movies that were made about 10 years ago.  There were good times and bad times.  I generally enjoyed but I noticed a certain tendency among the villains.  They were certainly nasty.  They were certainly brutal.  They were incredibly powerful.  But in spite of the aura of superiority that was given to them, none of them were particularly creative or intelligent.

That made my mind segue to the concept of computer games. I’m not a big computer game person when it comes to all this advanced graphic stuff the young people seem to like.  I don’t have the physical reactions to make things happen and I don’t have a commitment to figuring out how to make things happen.  What frustrates me the most is how the computer cheats.  Computers cheat.  They are programed to do that.  The only thing the computer has going for it is that it can change the ratios.

In most of the games I play when you come up against a superior enemy they’re only superior because the computer gives them, say a three to one advantage instead of a two to one advantage.  You as a human being can work out strategies to deal with the two to one advantage, but it doesn’t work with the three to one advantage and now you have to figure out a way around that.  When you are successful in the computer changes, the ratio to four to one.

Which brings us back to the image of God.  Someone once pointed out that in the past million years robins have not developed a new way of building a nest.  In the same way so-called intelligent dolphins have not come up with any way of making life better for themselves.  In that timeframe, assuming that you go with the Earth being older than 4000 years BC, human beings have a come up with continual innovations and new ideas.

Enjoy your image.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-237: Out of Control

At one end you have the French statement que sera sera, which means “whatever will be will be”.

At the other end, you have the Arabic statement inshallah.  It basically means that God will do what God wants to do and it’s all in His hands.

And between you have a more biblical statement.  It involves both of those to some degree.  It involves both free will and God’s sovereignty.  It could be many different verses, but I decided to focus on, “Seek ye , first, the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added onto you.”

The philosophy you pick makes a radical difference in how you live life.  The West is living in the French world at this point.  People have no sense of responsibility to much of anything except their own goals in life.  It means that right is what advances my agenda and truth is totally flexible depending on my needs.  It is a recipe for the end of liberty and prosperity.

Islam, like the behaviorists in psychology and some extreme Calvinists, blams everything on a force they cannot control.  The phrase I liked to quote, “I am a helpless pawn in the hands of fate” is their mantra.  God will do what He wants or the physics of cause and effect will work its inexorable will.  Either way it demands no responsibility from you and excuses just about any behavior.  It is a recipe for the end of liberty and prosperity.

The picture in the Bible is a mixture of total power and free will.  God has the power.  He could fit into the total control picture but has given human beings the power to make moral choices.  When the two line up you have both liberty and prosperity.  When they work at odds you have the same results as the other philosophies.

The choice of believing is in your court.  The responsibility for your actions is only in one line of thinking.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-236: Bread Theory

I’m sorry I can’t go with the Paleo diet.  I have no problem with you doing it if that’s what you want to do.  The Bible gives us permission to eat meat.  At the same time there is a balance that is expected.  One of the reasons why I can’t write off the things that are grown by the farmers are verses like this,

Psalms 104:14 (KJV) He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

The most common food out of the Earth in those days was probably a grain.  I doubt that it was wheat because I think wheat is a little more temperamental grain.  It might’ve been barley or oats.  It certainly wasn’t the results of being a hunter gatherer.  It wasn’t the fruit of the vine.  It wasn’t an apple from the tree.  It was that food brought forth out of the Earth by farmers.

Again, if you want to be a vegetarian, enjoy.  If you want to be a carnivore, enjoy.  If it works for you and you stay healthy, then it works for you and you are healthy.

All I can say is the Bible teaches such things as moderation and balance.  God gave the good things of the Earth for us to enjoy and keep us healthy.  Bon appétit.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-235: The Blessing

Abraham was given a promise by God.  One aspect of that was his descendants being a blessing.

(Gen 12:3 KJV)  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Notice this is not just a blessing for his decedents but to all the earth.

How does that work?  How has it worked?  I can think of at least three levels that this was applied.  I will look at them in chronological order.

The Children of Israel were given the Law.  It was the blessing of the moral foundation for society. The law took values that we assume today and began to force them onto a totally pagan culture that knew nothing of the living God.

Don’t get confused by the way in which we always hear that Paul attacked the law.  Paul did not mean what you usually hear being laid on him.  Yes, he had a lot to say about the law.  Most of it was negative.  The problem is that most people interpret what he says in order to reinforce their own traditions rather than read and think for themselves.

Let’s look at Galatians and focus on chapter 5.  Paul mentions the law before this but this will show the contrast I am talking about.  Paul starts off this passage with a statement I am sure you have heard before,

(Gal 5:18 KJV)  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

We read this, hear it quoted, listen to sermons on it and never keep reading with our brains plugged in.  Notice what comes after this,(Gal 5:19 KJV)  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

(Gal 5:20 KJV)  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
(Gal 5:21 KJV)  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

I want you to take a moment and ask yourself, “How many of these behaviors that Paul says will keep us out of the Kingdom of God are found mentioned somewhere in what is called “the Law”?  I hope you see a lot of similarities.  Now think.  Paul is condemning the law and then turning around and saying that the things forbidden by the law are also forbidden by him.  This is not the only place you will find this kind of thing.  

What is Paul talking about then?  One way to find out is to read what he says and make a list of the “laws” that he is condemning.  I won’t claim to have the complete list but the only ones I have found so far are circumcision and special days such as the Sabbath and new moons.

On the other hand, what parts of the law does Paul tell you are expected?  Read over the verses above.  Consider also the words of Jesus.  When Jesus teaches behavior that is expected it involves the Ten Commandments and certain parts of the law that we would consider moral or ethical.

The problem with the law it that it becomes a mechanical formula that makes us think we can deserve salvation because we dot all the “i’s” and cross all the “t’s”.  It makes us look to our own righteousness instead of realizing that salvation is ultimately an act of God extended to us because of our faith.

Overall the law was a big step forward for culture and civilization.

The second is the blessing of an incredibly gifted group of people.  Think of Jewish contributions to culture.  Think how much shorter the list of accomplishments would be in science, music and the arts if the Jews had not made their contribution.  They are an extremely gifted group of people.  

Then there is the blessing of the Messiah, Jesus Himself.

Which of the three was God referring to in his promise? Again the answer is, “yes.

As to which one is the most important, that would have to be the Messiah.  All of the rest of it work towards that moment in time, when Jesus allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross and fulfilled the requirement of a just God in paying for the sins of the world.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-234: Click Bait: Missing Link

A bit of Clickbait caught me.  It had to do with the factors which increase intelligence or, can increase intelligence.  After a long, drawn out introduction, and an advertisement, the guy finally got to the point.  What is it that consistently increases your intelligence, your success, your income, and so forth?  Reading.

He then went into the reasons why people don’t read.  The number one reason was they were so involved in social media.  That is no surprise.  I kept waiting for him to bring up one of the key reasons why people aren’t reading anymore.  It wasn’t mentioned.

To me the big reasons why many people who used to read don’t read anymore is because that reading has become woke.  There is a playbook put out by editors and publishers that requires authors to include certain elements in everything they write.  I know that this is true because authors tell me so.  I know the results because I have stopped reading books many times, simply because the authors are forcing the politically correct nonsense of our PC culture into the story and destroying storyline in the process.  

Another reason is that the writing has become boring.  It bores people because it is so unrealistic.  I don’t mean unrealistic in that the author gets carried away with his imagination.  I mean unrealistic in the sense that it seems the writer has never met another human being outside of his I Hate America Studies program.  It also bores young boys because they are more into cavalry charges than the feelings of the handicapped kid next door.  It bores because women are taking over genres that used to be male dominated and they try to transform it to their gender studies ideal.

You all have seen this. You may not recognize it for what it is.  If you read any kind of a novel recently, you will find that there is a requirement to balance out the characters with all kinds of under-represented categories.  You’ll find that the main character will be a woman who is a great martial arts champion, has incredible physical strength and skills, is incredibly beautiful, and often times is very loose morally.  Is such a combination possible?  Maybe.  Probably not.  It is possible that Tarzan taught himself to read and write too.  Are there women who could take down the chosen man?  Of course.  Most young adult women that I know could certainly take me out of action, especially if I’m not looking.  Does that mean it’s normal?  No way.  Does it mean that healthy young man will enjoy reading such a book?  Not unless there’s a lot of very explicit sexual material.

In addition there is the nonsense that is presented as scientific, logical, and right.  Most people in their heart of hearts know this stuff is nonsense, and will start turning it off.  I know that when I’m reading theology, if the author is so steeped in their own personal prejudices and traditions I come to a point where I don’t bother going on.  The same is true history.  In fact, almost any area of life that you’re reading you will stop reading not because the author has an agenda, but because they are pushing ham-handedly.

So the fact that reading influences intelligence was interesting, but the Podcaster overlooked one of the most obvious reasons why people are reading less.

Now you know even if he didn’t.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-233: Headlines: Gag Reflex

My computer did its “I am in charge” reboot and I was forced to get things going again.  As a result the opening page of my browser showed up without being invited.  One of the things that it likes to do it try to get me to click on its choices of important spots.  The first one got my attention.  It said that Pope Francis had died at 88.

My reaction?  “At last.”

The AP slant was that he was a “...pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and...”  Even for the AP that shows an ability to lie that is exceptional.  I don’t know a lot of Catholics but I never met one who felt he had a “humble style”.  Most thought him to be an arrogant socialist who was committed to destroying the traditional Catholic church.  I guess the Muslims liked him because he kissed up to them but the faithful in the church could not wait for him to depart the scene.

As an outsider I will find the replacement rituals interesting.  He was working hard to make sure that there were enough socialist cardinals that when he was gone a boiler plate replacement would be installed.  I am one of those born again types who have repeatedly said that Roman Catholics were Christians.  I do not mark the Romans church as the anti-Christ.  I hope that they will recover from this setback.  I am not sure that they can survive another Francis.  I can only hope and pray that there is another John Paul in the wings.

Pray for the Catholics.

homo unius libri