Philosophy
The Objective Fallacy, or, Taking Back the Bible
The fallacy of thinking that we can read anything without doing the work of interpretation has reached critical mass. I find this fallacy most often attached to the bible. Too often I hear Christian leaders claim for their interpretation of the bible absolute authority. It sounds like this (tell me if it rings any bells):…
Read MoreThe Cynical Confession of Cynicism
It is, at times, easy to hide my cynicism from myself. I seem to have mastered the art of concealing my attitudes and feelings about certain things in life from myself and thereby from my conscious stream of communication. Yet sometimes my cynicism makes of itself an obvious presence. Sometimes, given the right circumstances, my…
Read MoreOn the Wrong Side of History
Have you ever wondered what history will make of the things you are concerned with? This is of course, not to trivialize the things that are real issues (such as earning enough money to buy food, getting enough sleep, etc) that no one in history will ever know about. What I mean are the large…
Read MoreThe Concept of God
It’s almost funny how many times I’ve had a conversation with someone that includes, at one point or another, their confession to having a problem with “the concept of god.” Almost funny.It’s funny how things can be almost funny but upon further inspection definitely not funny. How that’s funny is beyond me. “Funny” is a…
Read MoreCan you be a Christian and not Believe?
Please forgive my blatant hook of a title, but I do wish to seriously ask this question. In a previous post I said that the bible does not actually tell us to believe, but rather that the word we translate “believe” is actually “do faith.” If you want to know more about this, please read…
Read MoreTruth as Relationship II
I’ve been thinking more about John 14 lately, and I am still wrestling with Jesus’ claim to be the “truth.” In the past, I’ve written about how if are not careful we will mistake our assumed knowledge of truth for Jesus. An other way of saying this is that because we think we know what…
Read MoreBeing for Others
If I can be so incredibly arrogant as to assess the enduring legacy of conservative evangelicalism as a culture, it would be a culture of fear. Fear of the “world” (try figuring out exactly what the “world” is in the bible. I guarantee it will scare the bejesus out of you); fear of knowledge; fear…
Read MoreThe Believable Lie pt II: Authentic Beliefs
A cataclysm occurs at the point where authenticity becomes entrenched in the system of belief, for when our beliefs become authentic to who we are they become who we are. It is as if an alien life form had taken over the space in your brain that controls what you do, make, say or think.…
Read MoreThe Problem of Authenticity
Ever since Kierkegaard coined the term and Sartre popularized it, the value of authenticity has maintained a prominent place in the minds of those in individualized society. The general consensus is that it is better, nay, crucial, that a person be authentic- that they be who they truly are. Of course, this means that a…
Read MoreThe Believable Lie Pt. I
Over the past months I have been writing about the difference between faith and beliefs, and between lies and truth. I have written that faith is not about believing, and that Jesus’ claim to be the truth in John 14 is not to be confused with him claiming to be our own, personal understanding of…
Read More