Comments on: Debates & Decisions http://www.whatnextgod.com/2007/04/21/debates-decisions/ Can a liberal be a Christian? Well, I'm sure gonna try! Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:36:59 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: gb http://www.whatnextgod.com/2007/04/21/debates-decisions/comment-page-1/#comment-180 gb Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:48:57 +0000 http://www.whatnextgod.com/2007/04/21/debates-decisions/#comment-180 Looking forward to hear more from you later! Looking forward to hear more from you later!

]]> By: Addofio http://www.whatnextgod.com/2007/04/21/debates-decisions/comment-page-1/#comment-179 Addofio Tue, 24 Apr 2007 14:36:11 +0000 http://www.whatnextgod.com/2007/04/21/debates-decisions/#comment-179 It does make sense--kind of like photosynthesis and the mechanisms that keep plants turning toward the sun. I have more to say about this, but I'm due in class in 45 minutes and not dressed yet, so. . . It does make sense–kind of like photosynthesis and the mechanisms that keep plants turning toward the sun.

I have more to say about this, but I’m due in class in 45 minutes and not dressed yet, so. . .

]]> By: gb http://www.whatnextgod.com/2007/04/21/debates-decisions/comment-page-1/#comment-177 gb Tue, 24 Apr 2007 04:17:49 +0000 http://www.whatnextgod.com/2007/04/21/debates-decisions/#comment-177 Hi Addofio, I AM an avid reader, I just do it at different times nowadays. Yes, that book is on my Amazon wishlist, BUT in truth, what I read from the books you proposed is actually more in line with my thinking. No matter how I slice it, I keep coming up unorthodox. I asked God for the Truth, and honestly, this is what He keeps showing me. Now all I need is the courage of my convictions...lol.. Your comments on free will are interesting...though I don't agree.  I believe it's more like God set up the order of the cosmos, set things in motion (divine natural laws, everything from justice to laws of attraction to biological, physical laws) and sits back from messing with those things. Truthfully, it's far more difficult to explain how He intervenes...I don't think intervenes is the right word.  I think these things set in motion include the creation of all of us and our inevitable inertia towards returning to His Divinity. Does that make sense?  It's like I'm saying, God engineered the universe, physical and metaphysical. Hi Addofio, I AM an avid reader, I just do it at different times nowadays. Yes, that book is on my Amazon wishlist, BUT in truth, what I read from the books you proposed is actually more in line with my thinking.

No matter how I slice it, I keep coming up unorthodox. I asked God for the Truth, and honestly, this is what He keeps showing me. Now all I need is the courage of my convictions…lol..

Your comments on free will are interesting…though I don’t agree.  I believe it’s more like God set up the order of the cosmos, set things in motion (divine natural laws, everything from justice to laws of attraction to biological, physical laws) and sits back from messing with those things.

Truthfully, it’s far more difficult to explain how He intervenes…I don’t think intervenes is the right word.  I think these things set in motion include the creation of all of us and our inevitable inertia towards returning to His Divinity.

Does that make sense?  It’s like I’m saying, God engineered the universe, physical and metaphysical.

]]> By: Addofio http://www.whatnextgod.com/2007/04/21/debates-decisions/comment-page-1/#comment-176 Addofio Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:49:24 +0000 http://www.whatnextgod.com/2007/04/21/debates-decisions/#comment-176 I know I keep doing this, and with two children and all you don't have that much time to read--but if you're going to be reading books on grace, you might want to pick up "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Phillip Yancey, if you haven't already read it. He's a traditional Christian, and as such may be more compatible with your own views and inclinations than the universalist readings I mentioned before. Check it out on amazon--I think it's one of the books you can "look inside" there to get a feel for it. Free will is a toughie for me. On the one hand, we like to feel we do make real choices, and if we don't have the freedom to do that, it calls into question all our thinking about morality, among other things. On the other hand--we also like to feel that God is somehow in charge, and that events involving ourselves and other people reflect God's intervention in our lives. How do we reconcile those two? I have no idea, yet. Well, I have some idea--my inckling is to give up on absolutes--neither is our will entirely sovereign and free, but we do have some freedom and do make genuine choices; nor is God is the cause of all events, but God does influence events, including our own actions. But that's as far as I've gotten, and a lot of people wouldn't swallow either of those limitations. I know I keep doing this, and with two children and all you don’t have that much time to read–but if you’re going to be reading books on grace, you might want to pick up “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” by Phillip Yancey, if you haven’t already read it. He’s a traditional Christian, and as such may be more compatible with your own views and inclinations than the universalist readings I mentioned before. Check it out on amazon–I think it’s one of the books you can “look inside” there to get a feel for it.

Free will is a toughie for me. On the one hand, we like to feel we do make real choices, and if we don’t have the freedom to do that, it calls into question all our thinking about morality, among other things. On the other hand–we also like to feel that God is somehow in charge, and that events involving ourselves and other people reflect God’s intervention in our lives. How do we reconcile those two? I have no idea, yet. Well, I have some idea–my inckling is to give up on absolutes–neither is our will entirely sovereign and free, but we do have some freedom and do make genuine choices; nor is God is the cause of all events, but God does influence events, including our own actions. But that’s as far as I’ve gotten, and a lot of people wouldn’t swallow either of those limitations.

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