Yessir, we’re answering the deep theological questions today!
Posted in A Cacophony of Posts | 6 Comments »Siamang posted a link to his story here, and in it, he said something that really turned a few lights on for me for why it’s so hard for some people who don’t believe in God to believe in God.
“I’ve heard it explained this way: Suppose someone said “I have $50 in my pocket, in cash, right now.” You wouldn’t question it. If that same person said he had $500, you’d think maybe he ought not to be carrying so much cash, but still, you wouldn’t think he was very strange. If he said $5000, you’d wonder, and maybe look at his pockets to see if they were bulging. If he said he had $500,000,000, in cash, in his pockets, you’d think he was absolutely loco, and you would require him to show you before you believed him. And you’d think there was no possible way he could be telling the truth, even if he was a millionaire.
To me, when a religious person claims they have the correct religion, and they point to the wonders of nature as proof, well…. It’s like someone saying they’ve got half a billion dollars in their pocket, and they say that the existence of the hope diamond is proof that they’re rich. “Oh, yeah, the hope diamond exists, but I own it. I’ve got me an invisible deed in my pocket that claims its riches as my own.”
Now, as part of my philosophy, I not only ask people to empty out their pockets when they make an outrageous claim, I also check my own pockets. I want to be sure I’m as honest with myself as I can be. Hopefully I am.”
Read the rest of this news item »
Someone just pointed me to this Rick Warren interview and I think it’s a ray of hope for the church. It’s good to see someone who has money thrust upon him who has the wherewithal to stay free from it’s grip. And with the influence he has been given with other Christians, his words carry a lot of weight.
I’m looking for a second reformation. The first reformation of the church 500 years ago was about beliefs. This one is going to be about behavior. The first one was about creeds. This one is going to be about deeds. It is not going to be about what does the church believe, but about what is the church doing.
First, we decided we would not change our lifestyle one bit no matter how much money came in. So I still live in the same house I’ve lived in for 15 years and I still drive the same Ford truck, have the same two suits, I don’t have a guest home, I don’t have a yacht, I don’t own a beach house, we just said that we aren’t going to use the money on ourselves.
Second, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, I added up all the church had paid me over the past 25 years and gave it all back.
Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!
Posted in A Cacophony of Posts, Mike O | 12 Comments »