NowTHINK!AboutIt

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People

May 26, 2009 by EnnisP 2 Comments

Humans Have God-Given Power
To Influence
The Balance of Good and Evil

It’s an age old problem. It happens in every generation. Good people die before their time, sometimes in horrible ways, or are disabled by unfair injuries or are crippled by unexpected financial loss…and we really get upset about this! Our sense of justice is offended.

When bad things happen to people we perceive as good, especially children, we become indignant. Why doesn’t God stop all the unnecessary pain and suffering? Why should any child be afflicted with disease, neglect or abuse? Why should any good person at any age endure painful experiences?

And the fact that God created the world in the blink of an eye begs the question. With all that power, why doesn’t He protect innocent people from bad things and prove to everyone how benevolent He can be? To any person who hasn’t become emotionally callous this is a fair and reasonable question but is it really an emotional issue? We can’t reasonably consider this question without asking several more questions first. For example… [Read more…] about Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People

Did Jesus Heal To Show His Power Or Be Helpful?

May 13, 2009 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Jesus performed thousands of miracles. He was constantly healing endless numbers of people. Some He raised from the dead.

He was sensitive to the needy and never avoided or resisted an opportunity to give His support. He even responded to basic human needs that were far from life threatening. He fed thousands who were neither poor nor malnourished on at least two occasions, possibly more. John did say Jesus performed many other miracles that were not reported.

But, the questions are:

Was Jesus being helpful or miraculous?
Was He being supportive or sensational?
Was He demonstrating usefulness or power?

These are important questions. They establish motive and we can never qualify as “followers” of Jesus if we don’t understand and adopt His motives.

Democracy Is Christian Even When The State Is Not

May 9, 2009 by EnnisP 2 Comments

If We Don’t Love Our Enemies
At The Government Level
We’ll Never Do It Individually

Over at the Huffington Post Robbie Gennet has made some interesting remarks about the impossibility of a democracy being Christian. In his words,

“There is no such thing as a Christian…Muslim… or Jewish Democracy…(or a solely Heterosexual one, for that matter).”

“True Democracy,” he says,

Means True Equality and no religion sees itself as equal to all the others (and they feel especially unequal to secularism and atheism)…In this country, the vast majority of them (the religious) feel that the USA was founded as a Christian nation and should be run like one, which is anathema to the true Democratic ideals of our founding fathers.

The truth is Mr. Gennet and I agree and disagree. I agree that America is not A Christian nation, and from the start that was never the intent, but I would say emphatically that democracy is Christian.

That doesn’t mean the US is a Christian nation but it does mean that the US is managed by biblical principles and that makes democracy Christian even when the state is not.

A nation is very different to a democracy. In fact, once a state becomes Christian, it ceases to be a democracy and that is what our forefathers understood. [Read more…] about Democracy Is Christian Even When The State Is Not

What Is The Point of Truth

May 7, 2009 by EnnisP 1 Comment

Christians have “Truth” but they often miss the point entirely. It’s like the guy who drives a petrol hogging, smog belching SUV but uses recycled-paper checks to pay the bill. You don’t have to be ecologically minded to see the contradiction. It appeases Green philosophies in one way and abuses them in another. It is like putting water in a bucket that has a large hole in the bottom. What’s the point?

Christians are guilty of this faulty logic also. We love the truth, or at least we give that idea lip service often and very loudly, but the question is, which truth do we love most and better yet, why do you love it? What’s your purpose? What’s the point? [Read more…] about What Is The Point of Truth

Without “Good Deeds” You Are Barren

May 3, 2009 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Of the nine fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, “Goodness” is sixth on the list and the list is quite impressive. You could say it is the “what’s what” for character qualifies. It includes love, faithfulness and self-control to mention just a few. Despite the association, however, Christians do not discuss in detail or demonstrate often the quality of goodness as Jesus exhibited it. Christians, particularly of the fundamental version, are very concerned about being right but have little interest in being good. [Read more…] about Without “Good Deeds” You Are Barren