Christopher Hitchens as the next St. Augustine? Only By God's Grace

Perhaps you've heard the name of Christopher Hitchens? Yes, that famed "antitheist" (not atheist) who is not only a witty and articulate man, but also currently suffering from cancer. I only pray that his cancer and, in his own words, his "lucky if I only live another 5 years," realization will put life in perspective. Perhaps God is grabbing Mr. Hitchens by the shoulders and shaking him? I pray this is the case. Clearly, Mr. Hitchens is a brilliant man who understands non-Christian thought and fights for it in an incredibly intelligent manner. Now, with his cancer, perhaps God is using this? God can use anything to bring us back to Him. Indeed, Mr. Hitchens was raised in a nominally Christian home and went to a Christian school. Maybe God planted a seed? It would be beautiful if this seed blossomed into a brilliant apologist for the Christian Faith. His story brings St. Augustine to mind. Augustine used his brilliant oration and sharp mind to fight against Christian thought. Once God brought him back, then St. Augustine understood pagan thought and was thus empowered to battle the Lord's enemies even more effectively! Maybe this is only wishful thinking. Mr. Hitchens has hardened his heart so much, however nothing is impossible for the Lord. It would be an amazing victory for the Lord if Mr. Hitchens was brought into the fold. Let's pray for his salvation and for his health to be restored.

God Bless,

Stanley

Part 2

Part 2

A sharp grinding noise fills the air as the massive wire gates open to permit my entrance into the main grounds of the compound. The tiny iron rhombi quiver as the fences drag across the ground. This noise carves its name into my brain. A tiny signature that remains permanently. Blink. I am normal. My car accelerates through the chasm between the two gates into the parking garage. Long rows of cars. Stretching out like a sea before me. One spot is open. Awash amidst a sea of steel, one open spot beckons me. I park in it.

353 steps. Yes. That is how many steps there are from the parking garage up to the main block of the sanitarium. The main offices are in the front. With finesse, I navigate their treacherous waters, making sure not to be ensnared by any friendly or talkative peers. I am politely greeted by the other employees, but their greetings are ignored. Barriers between us are being hastily formed within my mind and upon my face. Soon, they will learn. Instead, I quicken my pace and lengthen my stride. Another 278 steps. Then, I stop. I am face to face with a white door with a tiny window. This is the entrance to my wing. It is my charge. It is my kingdom. A blast of cold air hits my face as I enter a long hall. A vast, quiet, empty void. On all sides it is lined with cells occupied by slumbering lunatics. These are my citizens. Here in my white tile kingdom. Tile.

The silence that fills these halls is entirely deafening to my ears. This was unacceptable. With a slight twitch of the corner of the mouth, I proceeded to open my jaw and scream. A million invisible clones screamed back in my face. They took flight through every cell and wall in the entire block of cells. With pleasure, I see the eyes of my citizens opening their eyes wide. Their matted hair and horrific visages focus upon me as they join in the chorus. These beasts rattle their cages and wail as their lungs force their air through their throats. This cacophonic symphony is music unto my ears. No silence to scar my mine with its purity. Just the unending signature of chaos and suffering.

Then, with a royal stride, I survey my kingdom. Upon a close examination, my block contains a total of 17 inmates. My block contains 20 cells and yet houses only 17 men. This is a source of disappointment to me. I will be diligent to see that those other three cells be filled. Upon resuming my old place at the head of the hall, I addressed my kingdom. Only one man in the back babbled endlessly through my oration.

“My citizens!” booms my voice down the tile Kingdom. “Today a new dynasty has instituted itself into Block 6C. Your old master has been deposed and my masters have seen it fit to put you in my charge. My position of authority demands your respect. I will not tolerate disrespect. This block will be run with clockwork efficiency. Is this entirely clear? Of course it is. Today, I will meet with each one of you in The Room at the end of the hall. This will be a simple meet and greet. For now.” With these words, I stride at breakneck speed to the door at the end of the hall and slam it. Once the sound of the echo dies away, only faint babbling disturbs the pure silence.

God Bless,

Stanley

Lay Out a Fleece? Repeat Gideon's Mistake?

In a study of Christ's temptation, the second temptation can very well be a mystery. Clearly, since Satan himself is offering it, Christ must resist. However, there is something deeper going on here that is easy to miss. Satan quotes Scripture to Christ to show that it was lawful. Indeed, his actions were lawful! However, as Paul says, "All things are lawful for me but not all are helpful." The temptation being placed before Christ was to test the promises of God. Would God deliver on all the things He said He would do? God had said these things concerning you, now how about putting it to the test? Perhaps a common Christian cliche would be to say "lay out a fleece." This brings me to my subject. Why do Christians say this? It honestly baffles me. If you feel God may be leading you somewhere but you really aren't sure, should you, as some would say, lay out a fleece? I would point out that the answer to this question is complicated. As a Christian, we can't always be entirely sure where God is leading us. That is part of following God and trusting Him. We know that God has command of the tiniest detail of History, but "laying out a fleece" is just a sign of a lack of trust in God. There is a difference between not knowing exactly where God is taking you and trusting that He knows what he's doing. The origin of this phrase is due to a lack of understanding of the Bible. It originates from the story of Gideon laying out a fleece before God. Now, this wasn't an honorable thing! This wasn't Gideon's finest hour! Gideon was suffering from a lack of trust in God and his needing a fleece is not a monumental act of the Christian Faith. Is this where we want to get a phrase that is considered sound advice? Let me briefly add that Gideon was a great man and yet human. He suffered from our human frailties. But, should we coin a common Christian cliche of his failings as sound advice? I would like to assert that this should not be the case. Trusting God is hard but laying out a fleece should not be our answer. The Word of God is our answer. If God has chosen a path for you He will open and close doors. God will make it clear. Sometimes it's simply our sin that blinds our eyes to God's blatant will.

God Bless,

Stanley

P.S. Sorry about not posting over the weekend. I was just relaxing. I'm still working on part 2 of TIAOMEIAS. Hope to have that up sometime this week and I have some other topics written out that I would like to address.

The Incredible Account of My Employment in a Sanitarium

Part 1

Pure silence on white tile. Tile. Tile. A spotless white covers the walls. Upon it rests a mathematical grid of grout. The walls mirror the purity of the silence. Slowly, my eyes begin to trace the grout grid. Angles. Lines. Vertices. Then the faint whir of an air conditioner kicks in. The hypnotic hum lulls my drowsy mind. Until, I hear the pounding of the clock. My eyes race to locate the source. They fix upon a small white clock camouflaged amongst the tile. Tile. So much tile. Harder and harder it pounded. Blinded by billions of tiles and assaulted by the sound of ticking. Hammering harder into my skull, the tiny wall clock becomes a church bell and consumes my consciousness.

Then, the door clicks open. It’s a wonder that I heard the tiny noise over the roar of the ticking reverberating through my brain. That simple noise ripped me violently from my intense reverie. Silence again. Relief. Footsteps mar the silence and echo through the room as a man in a suit jackets enters. Only the sound of his footsteps dance off the walls as he seats himself opposite me. Our gazes meet. Immediately, he wavers and breaks the connection. He decides to shuffle papers in his hands instead. He nervously clears his throat before speaking.

“Mr…” (he squints at the paper in his hand. He needs glasses.) “…. um…. Mr. Forsythe? Charles Forsythe is it?” he finally manages to say.

I nod in approval. Not expecting this reaction, the woefully blind man again chooses to shuffle his papers. Up until this point, my brain cells had been priming themselves to cleverly meet the inquisition, but it was clear that this would be no interrogation. Indeed, it was hardly an interview. It seemed more like an awkward formality. You would not find a more qualified man for the job. The blind man spoke more awkward words and asked more vague questions to which I gave satisfactory answers. I will not suffer you the words this boorish man spoke to me. Suffice to say, he left the white room in a terrible hurry. Not unlike a bird freed from it’s cage.

Again, I sat and waited. With a thump, the air conditioner proceeded to shut itself off. Silence once again descended upon the tiny white room. Soon, my eyes began to ache from the intense glare of the tiles. Those tiles. I rub my eyes and close them for a moment. In the darkness, the door opens behind me. Opening one eye, I see another taller and more intelligent looking man enter. His business-like air prompts me to rise to meet his outstretched hand, which he shakes with an uncommon vigor.

“Mr. Forsythe, I want to congratulate you. We’ve decided to offer you the position. I hope you’ll accept it. We’d be lucky to have you, sir.” He was clearly flattering me, but I didn’t care. I had gotten the position. Upon accepting it, he respectfully escorted me to the gates and gave me instructions for my commencement.

Walking back to my apartment, I took a short reprieve on a park bench. There I smoked my pipe and absorbed the diversity of activity within the park. Finally, my mind’s vast scope narrowed to a point and considered what I would encounter in my new occupation. Many fanciful notions filled my head of men screaming, rambling, and mutilating themselves. Though this would indeed be present, I did not have the capacity to consider the incredible nature of those individuals which one does not believe to exist in such an environment.

Comments? I am currently writing part 2. I'm also brainstorming an idea for a story to enter the ACSI contest this year. Gotta make it good...

God Bless,

Stanley

Sorry to Disappoint

Yes, sorry to disappoint. I don't have the time tonight for an in depth theme to pursue. I have memorization I need to do this evening. However, I have finished the first brief section of my story and I will be posting it tomorrow. The title of my work will be "The Incredible Account of My Employment in a Sanitarium." I may choose to change the title if a sufficiently better one pops into my mind. But for now, that is it. I will attempt to post sections of it as I finish them, but they will not be consecutive. I'm going to set a goal for one section a week. So, I'll try to hold myself to it. Hope you have a good evening and I hope you will enjoy the first installment tomorrow!

God Bless,

Stanley

Welcome to Church. Wait. This Is a School.

America solving the problem of religion in school? Yeah. Like THAT'S gonna happen. They always say that the first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have one. Publics schools have yet to do this. Those up in arms fighting religion (aka Christianity) in public schools under the guise of the separation of church and state need to realize the menace that is lurking undetected in our schools. Oh wait. That's their religion... Oh. Then it must be ok.

Clearly, the public schools would like us to believe that they are a sanctuary of unbiased thinking. There cannot be a more blatant lie. The institution that daily teaches most of our children and teens is BRAINWASHING your child. gasp! Did I just use the word brainwash? Brainwashing only applies to religious groups like Christians! Common misconception. Any form of education is brainwashing. You have to be teaching from a specific point of view or else it's not a coherent system of knowledge. So really, my "controversial statement" was quite obvious and mundane. Anyways, the point is that public schools clearly teach a humanistic, atheistic, and evolutionist point of view. This, in and of itself, is a religion. Everyone has a religion. They have to worship somebody.

Human beings can never be neutral. You cannot serve God and (insert personal idol here.) The public school system will never "solve" the problem of religion in education because it's physically impossible. Public schools worship man in their thinking and brainwash the masses, who don't know better, to think this way too. We're raising a generation of socialist evolutionists and a majority of them don't even know it. To me, the prospects appear bleak. I don't see Christianity gaining widespread popularity in the public schools nor do I see public schools abandoning humanistic thinking. And yet, the need for an education for the underprivileged is still present. I'm not smart enough to come up with a solution for this catch-22. I hope some men who are much smarter than me can though.

I've been thinking about writing a story and posting sections of it here on the blog. I've got the general story arch going but I need a title and I need to channel my inspiration correctly. I also need to get over my laziness and sit down to write it. I've got some work to do, but I hope that it will be a good story. I'll let you know when the first section is coming.

God Bless,

Stanley

"An Eye for an Eye? How cruel!" - I Find Your Reaction Odd...

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Isn't that sweet? Yes, Gandhi was truly a peace loving man. I also preface my thoughts with the fact that I agree with Gandhi. However, I feel that the wording and context of this common quote has aided to perpetuate a false idea about Christianity in our society. Clearly, "an eye for an eye" is from Jesus' sermon on the mount. When people hear this quote they immediately curse Christianity and it's harsh and heartless people. "How can they think that? That's so barbaric" they mutter to themselves. It saddens me to see how prevailing this thinking is and, for once, non-Christians have something right. Revenge is wrong. The Bible says so and somehow even non-Christians know that. Likely, it's a product of philosophical naivety or it's a moral left over from the Christian era of yore. I say this because non-Christians can't produce a logical ground for forgiveness from their philosophy. Forgiveness can only be understood in the context of God's forgiveness for our sins and outside of that, it is the product of a weak mind. If there is no ultimate basis for forgiveness or even One who forgave first, then there is no basis for forgiveness. Those who do forgive without either of these things, have weak minds and need to be crushed underneath the feet of the strong. Nietzsche abhorred pity as a great evil. Ol' Frederic was on to something. Pity just messes with the natural order of things. The strong dominate and to forfeit that to "help" a lesser being is irrational. Christianity is the only true foundation for forgiveness because our God sacrificed His Son to reconcile us with Him. Other religions do not have a God who has stooped to humanity and attempts to reconcile them to Himself. Christianity is entirely unique in this aspect. It's sad that the one group of people with a true and living basis for forgiveness is viewed as unloving and unforgiving.

I briefly add that some of this "unloving" is based on the fact that people don't want us to tell them that their actions are wrong. Jesus says that people will hate us for his sake and that is what's happening there. However, we need to be able to discern between cases of a hatred of God's law and the failings of God's people at loving our neighbors.

Lastly, I'd like to briefly describe where this phrase REALLY comes from and what it means. When Jesus quotes the verse on the Sermon on the Mount, he's actually quoting the Torah and the laws on justice. An eye for an eye was applied in the context of justice in criminal courts. This law put restrictions on judges so that punishments would be fair in relation to the crime committed. I think that modern Americans would like that principle a lot. On a side note, it also applies to those who have committed perjury. The perjurer is convicted of the same punishment that he attempted to inflict on the accused. It's a shame that there is such a misconception of this passage. I feel like, if we could get the word out, this would be a very popular passage with Americans who want a fair justice system.

God Bless,

Stanley

Teaching English In Mongolia?

Part of my plan for college is to spend a semester or two studying abroad. That will give me an awesome chance to experience news things and have some awesome adventures. There are plenty of websites online that provide links to organizations offering overseas internships and studying. One I ran across was offering internships to go teach English in places like Nepal, Mongolia, Ghana, and many other places. Hmmm. Teaching English. I'm pretty sure I can do that. Looks like I found a skill of mine that is quite valuable to others. Anyways, I think that going on one of these trips would be the coolest thing. Not only would I be doing something useful but I would also be able to go experience some cool stuff! The program I'm most interested in is the one in Mongolia. Mongolia sounds so fantastic with it's quirkiness, vast open spaces, steppelands, yurts, yaks, and karaoke loving citizens. Truly an adventure! Maybe someday it will come to fruition. Who knows. For now it is simply a dream.

My post is short today because I need to work on memorizing the Formula of Chalcedon. And, on an even sadder note, the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Seahawks today. Very sad.

God Bless,

Stanley

I Like The Rainforest As Much As The Next Guy...

Yes, I like the rainforest JUST as much as you do Al Gore! Except, there's a key difference, Al. That difference is HOW I like the rainforest. You see, you, my friend, do not have a creator God who, in His benevolence, created a work of art and is actively sustaining it. You simply have a blind force governing an ecological system and that is being snuffed out! With every tree that is chopped down, a statistical miracle is wiped from the face of the earth and it's all man's fault! Believe me, Mr. Gore, I know exactly where you're coming from. I hope I've demonstrated that to you, but that's not the end. Now, it appears that your little apocalypse isn't as real as you thought it was. But oh no! That can't be! You simply have too much invested in this movement and there is just so much momentum behind it! What can it hurt? It's a good cause anyway right? No. Keep your grubby bureaucratic hands off of nature (and industry too. That's another story...) You're not satisfied with controlling people, now you have to control nature too. You see, your entire movement is a hoax but it's a profitable hoax. Yet, it has one more advantage. You have the advantage of false benevolence on your side. Surely, if I denounce you I am a hater of mankind, the earth, and puppies! Isn't that a lovely veil to hide behind? And hide behind it you have! The environmental deception has fooled far too many well meaning people. Yes, those hippies who make organic smoothies and tie themselves to trees genuinely care about the environment! They have a problem though. They have no logical basis for doing so. In the world they have created, a world without God, nature is simply the product of blind chance. This blind chance, being not so blind, is called Natural Selection. They don't understand that they are simply trying to save an obsolete machine! Natural Selection has decided nature needs to go. Make way for humans! The strongest survive, no? So stop fighting a dying cause. You can't fight Natural Selection. You are undertaking an impossible task.

Now, what if there was a God? Hypothetically, of course. Now, this God would probably create the world we see before us. Consider His handiwork. The vast and complex thing called "The Universe" clearly shows a sense of intelligence and wisdom, yes? This God who is there needs to uphold nature as well, because, clearly, nature needs a hand judging by how things are going. Well, now nature derives meaning not from itself, but from it's Creator. Nature, as a finite entity, cannot have worth in and of itself. It must derive it's worth from a higher power. Something outside of it. Perhaps it's creator? Yes. This is why I love nature. This is why I can look at the sky, the forest, the tallest creature, and the smallest insect, and yes, even the rainforest, and see value. Nature is precious not because of what it is, but because who made it and who is behind it. Nature is a mirror where God reflects his wisdom and creativity. The mirror is valuable because of the reflection that it contains. When I revel in the joys of a waterfall, I revel in the handiwork of God. That is why nature is important. THAT is why it is precious.

God Bless,

Stanley

What Ever Happened to Debtor's Prison?

On Sunday, I had a wonderful discussion with a smart friend of mine by the name of Colton. We were disagreeing about reform to the American Justice system. Now, I'm certainly no sadist, but I feel that our justice system isn't as harsh as it ought to be, especially when it comes to the death penalty. Those without a Christian foundation find this practice to be "cruel and barbaric." However, God specifically commanded Noah to execute murderers. This passage is blatantly clear about what it means. (Genesis 9:5-6) Before you object that this doesn't apply anymore, I would like you to refer to my very first post on this blog. There I explain the concept of each covenant being a greater revelation of the one before it. Certainly, the death penalty is neglected in our society. I like the idea of bringing the guillotine back instead of the electric chair and lethal injection. Certainly it's faster, cheaper, and less painful. If you look at it that way, it's in fact MORE humane!

Now, Colton's point of disagreement with me was my belief that we ought to reinstitute flogging into the American Justice system. I also add that this flogging ought to be public. That's half of the punishment right there! I have a couple points. First: judging by the Levitical Law, God considers flogging a pretty effective means of punishment. If God likes it, it's good enough for me! Second: Flogging has worked for ages. It's only now in our modern society that has a vehement contempt for law and punishment that flogging has come under attack for being "barbaric." Third: Public shame is a powerful punishment and is also a fantastic teaching tool. Colton rightly points out the foolishness of replacing prison with flogging. Indeed, prison has many benefits, however we ought to make room for public flogging. Flogging is effective and, sadly, it has received a bad reputation.

Colton has a valid point that flogging is traumatic. Yes, this is important to consider, but my question is, isn't that the point of punishment? The point of punishment is to hurt and teach. Flogging does both. Frankly, solitude like that experienced in prison sounds psychologically tormenting to me too! Neither incarceration nor flogging should be exalted above the other as Colton has correctly shown me. However, we should not neglect one for the other. They both have their places.

Also, what ever happened to debtor's prison? Victorian England had a system that helped deal with debt, but of course, we don't have a problem with that in America now do we? (Can you feel the sarcasm dripping from that sentence? It's a juicy steak of sarcasm.) Now, there was one fault with the Victorian system of debtor's prison. When you're in prison, it's hard to work off your debt now isn't it? Here is my vision. We create a debtor's prison system along the lines of an actual prison. Here's the difference: when you are entered into debtor's prison, the company (did I mention these are private institutions?) that runs the debtor's prison will front the money to pay off your debt. Bam. It's gone. Now, you are entered into the debtor's prison where you are provided shelter and food while you work off your debt to the company. They will employ you in various activities or in their factories and you will pay off your debt. When you pay it off, you're a free man! Admittedly, there is room for abuse in this system (unlike every other system in this world :P) Steps will need to be taken to prevent this, but I think that it sounds like a viable system! Let me know your thoughts and improvements because I'm always looking for ways to make it better!

Sorry about not posting yesterday. I was hanging out with a great friend of mine by the name of Dave. He is a great mentor to me and we love to talk to theology. Thanks for reading!

God Bless,

Stanley