I seem to be confused at times when people bring up straw-man arguments about my specific viewpoint on scripture. Christians try to downplay the intellectual ability required when wrestling with some issues contained in the Bible. Sometimes the study is extensive, but not impossible and not as mutually exclusive as one would like to caricature.
But should I be offended with arguments that don’t really apply to a true fundamentalist viewpoint? What man, truly studying the scripture, objectifies and treats it as a lab rat? Who downplays holiness and reverence something he’s dedicated his entire life to defend?
Apparently I’m lost to see specific examples of anyone who really holds such a naturalistic/self-defeating viewpoint.
Just a thought.
Okay, okay, it’s a little late, I know. Get off my back; I’ve had a busy year. If you care, here’s the list of my favorite albums of 2011. Have fun.
10. Blink-182 Neighborhoods
I was never a fan of Blink-182. They sharpened their teeth on the likes of Green Day and made pop-punk a standard in the ’90s. They spawned many imitation bands and basically turned the punk scene upside down (in a bad way). When they got serious for their self-titled effort, it didn’t do much for me either. While recognizing the talents of Travis Barker, perhaps the best drummer in the pop world, I never gave them much thought. Enter Neighborhoods. This album blew me away. And deserves recognition of the return of Blink-182 out from their indefinite hiatus, drama between members, formation of mediocre groups. This is where my journey with Blink-182 begins. All is forgiven.
9. Fisticuffs You’ll Not Take Us Alive
I have also found a lot of refuge in punk this year. Fisticuffs is a Chicago based band with a lot of similarities to The Dropkick Murphys, but they have more of an organic sound and they’re quite a bit grittier (thats a good thing). Like Titus Andronicus, they exude a classic Americana vibe that I happen to love. But I’m a nerd, I don’t expect everyone to be this way. Not quite Pirates, not quite Murphys and not quite civil war ghosts, they make some great tunes to twist your mustache to.
8. Girls Father, Son, Holy Ghost
This is probably the most polished bit of indie-pop to come out this year. Girls make a great record which includes everything but the kitchen sink. Many types styles permeate through the grooves, from the surfer rock starter like “Honey Bunny” and transitions to a Sabbath-esqe song like “Die”, and “Vomit” which is very reminiscent to “The Great Gig in the Sky”. A very efficient, fun and precise piece of work from a band I didn’t think I’d like. They’re getting a lot of hipster hype, and it’s easy to see why.
7. Radiohead The King of Limbs
Nobody is going to say this was the best Radiohead record. For a band with such a prolific body of work, and being the gods of hipsterism (just as Pitchfork), it’s hard to top their “pay what you want” recovery of In Rainbows. But The King of Limbs is probably considered the autistic step-child of Kid A and Hail To The Thief. A brooding album, a rhythmic album, a short album. It’s a little strange for a Radiohead album but also very familiar, which is probably why it didn’t really get amazing reviews. For me this rides the coattails of my favorite Radiohead album Kid A, and has great songs on it, as well as a few that tend to stretch the listener just a bit (See “Bloom”). That, for me deserves a place on my top albums of the year.
6. Trap Them Darker Handcraft
I tend to view music from the lens of a metal head. So I look for metal albums that might pique my interest. But as common as death is in this music, the metal scene, to me, has been lacking luster for the past 5 years. Metal is in rough shape. New bands try to reach back to the heyday of Metal in the 80’s. The highly talented and technical demand for metal also tends to make every band sound the same. It’s not unusual for bands to want to experiment. For metal, these efforts, if not ambitious, turn out to alienate fans from their previous work and people move on to the next lemmings in the line metal bands. Trap Them’s music seem to have a carefree attitude about their heavy music. They’re sort of like a poor-man’s Converge, if that makes any sense. They’re talented, but not showy, heavy but not boring. They say what they need to say, blow our your ear drums and leave. Just how most metal bands should be. I don’t care about your 30 minute solo, unless you have some sleeping pills and pillow, because you’re boring the heck out of me.
5. Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues
There aren’t many albums that make you almost hate a band’s previous work. This album do this to me. I thought for a while that Fleet Foxes’ self-titled debut was elementary compared to this album. It took some time to realize that there is color in both, albeit different colors. With tight harmonies, like their previous effort, and longer more epic songs, Fleet Foxes are just spreading their wings. It’s exciting to see where they’ll be going from here. Notable songs are “The Shrine/An Argument” and the title track “Helplessness Blues”, but it might prove worthy of a full listen from your ears because like almost all good albums, all songs support each other.
4. St. Vincent Strange Mercy
Annie Clark is probably one of the most prolific songwriters of our time. A guitar virtuoso in her own right, she knows how to play and craft music better than most. It’s no mystery that she would mature and make amazing music onset third effort Strange Mercy. With a great sense of humor, most apparent in her music videos, she has a tongue and cheek view of the world, but it’s certainly not convoluted or overly sarcastic. She seems like Bjork’s offspring with a little more rock to boot. This girl has momentum and there doesn’t seem to be much that’s slowing her down.
3. The Low Anthem The Smart Flesh
You can call them snobs for their Ivy League education, or love them for their low-fi almost lovable sound, but there’s no doubt that the Low Anthem is a sleeper in the music world. Not quite as big as their counterparts, they do process strong song-writing skills. With their allusions to long dead individuals, playing of uncommon instruments and recording in a warehouse for an almost haunting sound, I fell in love with them. Originating from New England, it’s hard for me not to love them for that fact alone. The Smart Flesh does come in under their previous work Oh My God, Charles Darwin, but I won’t rob this album of all it’s glory for the year of 2011.
2. Tom Waits Bad As Me
Seven years after Waits released his last album of new material, Real Gone, Waits releases a “cut-the-fat” album that is nimble like a young olympic athlete. Clocking just under 45 minutes, it’s one of Tom’s shortest albums, but it packs quite a punch with fantastic numbers like the title track, “Raised Right Man”, “Hell Broke Luce”(sic), and my favorite “New Years Eve”. It’s good to see that Tom at 63 is still relevant making masterful junkyard music. What else would you expect from a living legend?
1. Chuck Ragan Covering Ground
I had a hard time determining what would make the top of the list. But this album was in the heaviest rotation on my long drives to and from work. This is Chuck’s third effort. His first, Feast or Famine borrowed heavily from his Hot Water Music days (which appears to be coming back again), Gold Country took a step into more an American Roots and Country touch a little too much and left the effort a little dull. However, Covering Ground strips down Chuck’s sound. With very little percussion as seen on Gold Country, Chuck is more emotional and heartfelt, his voice is clear and his songs on this record resonated with me more than anything he released previously. ”Get What You Give” was stuck on repeat, with his top-of-the-lung bellowing, to “Valentine”, both of which make some great love songs. ”Nomad By Fate” with it’s anthem like tendencies all the way to the hidden track “Camaraderie of the Commons” have an honesty not seen in many artists in their entire career. While not the most progressive album of the year, it treads familiar ground with much of the music I listen to, but it doesn’t make it less of a solid record.
Honorable mentions:
Jay-Z and Kanye West Watch the Throne
The Decemberists The King Is Dead
Bright Eyes The People’s Key
Wilco The Whole Love
Lisa Hannigan Passenger
“But what sort of thin is God’s gift of wisdom? What effects does it have on a person?
Here many go wrong. We can make clear the nature of their mistake by an illustration.
If you stand at the end of a platform at York Station, you can watch a constant succession of engine and train movements, which if you are a railway enthusiast, will greatly fascinate you. But you will only be able to form a very rough and general idea of the overall plan in terms of which all these movements are being determined (the operational pattern set out in the working timetable, modified if need be on a minute-to-minute basis according to the actual running of the trains).
If, however, you are privileged enough to be taken by one of the higher-ups int o the magnificent electrical signal-box that lies athwart platforms 7 and 8 you will see on the longest wall a diagram of the entire track layout for five miles on either side of the station, with little glowworm lights moving or stationary on the different tracks to show the signalmen at a glance exactly where every engine and train is. At once you will be able to look at the whole situation through the eyes of those who control it: you will see from the diagram why it was that this train had to be signaled to halt, and that one diverted from its normal running line, and that one parked temporarily is a siding. The way and the wherefore of all these movements becomes plain once you can see the overall position.
Now, the mistake that is commonly made is to suppose that this is an illustration of what God does when he bestows wisdom: to suppose, in other words, that the gift of wisdom consists in a deepened insight into the providential meaning and purpose of events going on around us, an ability to see why God has done what he has done in a particular case, and what he is going to do next. People feel that if they were really walking close to God, so that he could impart wisdom to them freely, then they could, so to speak, find themselves in the signal-box; they would discern the real purpose of everything that happened to them, and it would be clear to them every moment how God was making all things work together for good. Such people spend much time poring over the book of providence, wondering why God should have allowed this or that to take place, wether they should take it as a sign to stop doing one thing and start doing another, or what they should deduce from it. If they end up baffled, they put it down to their own lack of spirituality.
Christians suffering from depression, physical, mental or spiritual (note, these are different things!) may drive themselves almost crazy with this kind of futile inquiry. For it is futile: make no mistake about that. It is true that when God has given us guidance by application of principles he will on occasion confirm it to us by unusual providences, which we will recognize at once as corroborative signs. But this is quite a different thing from trying to read a message about God’s secret purposes out of every unusual thing that happens to us. So far from the gift of wisdom consisting in the power to do this, the gift actually presupposes our conscious inability to do it…”
I wrote this response for tumbler user chvnx on his note. The link is here:
http://chvnx.com/post/10817020598/alright-you-need-to-chill-out-i-never-said-i-was#note-container
My reply:
I’m not sure I want to get into this debate directly, but please let me clarify a couple things. The verses to justify that the Bible and God don’t consider younger people/the unborn as legit human beings is simply without merit.
Ex 21. 22-23 is talking about miscarriage. When looking into the Hebrew word that your version renders as “depart” does not mean death. A simple word study would’ve solved this problem. A better translation of this verse can be found in the New American Standard version. This is simply a hang up on a poor translation.
Lev 27.6 Is talking about cultural happenings of the time. The vows taken to these people are worth money and it is not valid to say that these people are thought less in society simply because this case shows different estimates. There could be a range of possibilities that these values might different. Simply saying that vows with men might generally entail more effort, I don’t believe that was always to case, but it seems that most of the time, it was.
Num 3.15-16 Talks about inducting men into the priesthood. This is simply not stating the equality of anyone, rather the qualification of who is inducted in to the priesthood. Does this verse also say that women aren’t considered people too? I think this is case (as with Lev 27.6) where the verse is simply taken out of context and more interpretation is laid upon it.
The rest of the verses, save the last one, talks about the wrath of God. This is not the subject of the post, so I’ll point you to Paul Copan’s book “Is God a Moral Monster” if you want an explanation of how God’s justice works. But since there are no verses justifying that God sees the young/unborn as lesser beings, it is rational to conclude that everywhere else in the Old Testament, the view of these beings are consistent.
As for the last verse (Genesis 38.24), your point “God’s law sometimes requires the execution (by burning to death) of pregnant women.” I don’t believe this verse justifies this statement. I would need to see a verse before this event where God commanded such an act. Also, if you continue with the verse you see that indeed Judah’s daughter was not burnt.
Please understand in our discussions about Theology that I’ve tried to show that what I believe is rational. I feel that I’ve provided sound arguments in this discussions. My beliefs are not followed blindly, and I am often my biggest skeptic. I look forward to more discussions.
To assume that a Theologian thinks that, with his study, he will be able to know all things about God is putting words in his mouth. We can thank the theologian that there is an orthodox Christianity to follow. A Christian who feels that theology is not important can only be considered lazy and fails to understand the importance of the theological ideas he assumes everyday. One who assumes that theology distracts people from finding the true God is using a self-defeating philosophy that utilizes theological principles to prove his argument. If you don’t study theology, you cannot know God, and it’s impossible to have faith.
In his book Dug Down Deep, Joshua Harris makes this bold statement: “Everyone is a theologian.” I couldn’t agree more. The very aspects of God’s basic characteristics are theological ideas. Theology are the truths that we know about God. As defined in such a simple way, it’s easy to see why Harris feels that everyone is a theologian. There is no way around forming ideas about God. An atheist, who denies God’s existence has theological ideas. But one must understand that people can form bad ideas about God.
To understand God as an objective being, or a being that exists outside of our mind, we must ultimately conclude that God’s attributes must be revealed to us or told to us. The simple things about God that we take for granted, such as, God is good, is a theological statement that needed to be revealed to us. Just as a person would develop the idea of how God created the universe. Likewise, the goodness of God is something that we ought study, especially when we put so much at stake when we learn to trust God. Knowing, in this case is essential having faith in anything. If we don’t study we can get fail to understand even the basic ideas of God’s attributes.
Theology matters because it allows us to have faith in a God that’s bigger than us. In fact, it gives us the idea that God is bigger than us. Faith requires knowledge. Knowledge reveals that God is good, or just, or powerful enough to warrant our faith and worship. Knowledge does not nullify faith, knowledge makes it possible to have faith. Would you have faith in a God you didn’t know was a good and just? Would you put your faith in a world dictator? Just as one would assume that a doctor could save your life when a mason would not be able, it is natural and right to assume God has a nature and a personality and have the power enough for us to put faith in him. These are theological statements, and they’re inescapable.
Theology matters because we have brains. We are required to know God (Matthew 22.37). It is not accurate to understand that gaining more knowledge affects God in any way. How does my knowledge cars make the car any less complicated, or less of a wonderfully made machine created by brilliant minds? Is it possible to think that the more we study God, the conclusions we come to will ultimately be in praise and worship of how powerful and good God actually is? As a theologian would be wrong to think that he can comprehend everything about God, it is more accurate to say that a true Christian will find all the theological facts of God hasve already revealed to us by God. Sure we can’t comprehend the depths of God’s goodness, but God does not require us to do so, and a righteous theologian would never think he is capable of digging that deep. The one who embraces studying theology has, on his side, a powerful foundation that one does not need to twist and grimace at a seemingly irreconcilable balance between faith and fact, he can understand all that God requires and move to taking faithful risks that God enjoys.
Praying at the NY State Assembly and Senate Chamber, standing against the vote to allow homosexual marriage. Pray with us! We love the sinner but hate the sin because sin keeps people away from their loving Creator.
In the beginning of this month we as Americans experience the closure of many unsettled thoughts that were brought by the attacks at September 11, 2001. It is widely known at this point that Osama Bin Ladin has been found and subsequently killed by US troops. With this breaking news, there was an immediate reaction by our country. Now that news travels quickly; it only takes seconds to hear one’s opinion on these issues, it takes only minutes to find the opinions of the masses. As a Christian, and an individual who struggles with the philosophical issues of war and how a Christian ought to view war and his country going to war, I was placed in a dilemma. Knowing the grace of God, and based on my beliefs of the afterlife, I asked myself a very difficult question. “How do I respond to this?”
My friends have been very divided when they answered this question themselves. Some people celebrate, as the large majority has done as well. I’ve read Facebook updates that were humble, boisterous, celebratory, tasteless, hilarious, and downright clever. There were discussions and arguments with bible verses using both sides. With this apparent great divide, what is the correct or the best answer?
The events directly proceeding 9/11 turned into a sobering reality: we needed to bring those responsible to justice. There was no other option. After, it turned into a manhunt that seemed like it would never end. We invaded Iraq, and at that point the war seemed to take a strange turn. The majority protested this move and after we found no weapons of mass destruction we began to mock the progress that our troops have done in the Middle East. This leads to the mockery of how the US Military have not found Bin Ladin, and because of the rapid change in perspective that the American people have about the war, it’s hard to see a proper goal, a proper resolution to this very convoluted conflict. This was all true until yesterday. The announcement of the death of Bin Ladin, if anything, brought a definite sense of closure to the troops and the American people who were looking for an absolute resolution. However someone feels about the war, it is hard to disagree that bringing Osama to justice is one of the few, if not only thing that the US Troops needed to do; one of the only good things that can come from this conflict. Though there are other, possibly better ways, to bring Bin Ladin to justice, an outcome like this one had to happen. The United States needed to find Osama, and this country needed to see that justice has been done. Leaving such a hanging issue undone would forsake the sacrifice of all troops fallen during this war and all those killed during the 9/11 attacks. Osama Bin Ladin needed to pay for his crime.
What I don’t buy is the adverse reaction to the celebratory attitude that people have about this event. I realize the death of a person shouldn’t be celebrated, however ending what this person has come to represent is to be celebrated with fervor. The person’s death is not being celebrated; it is putting an end to this man’s evil mindset, influence, and actions that affected millions in such an negative way. They celebrate this. As a person who hasn’t lost any loved ones in the 9/11 attacks, finding Osama has little emotion in comparison, but I am glad that this tangible sense of justice was done. President Obama’s brief report could not be truer.
However, as a Christian we understand that the world that we currently live is not the end. Should we celebrate that Bin Ladin, according to our doctrine, is likely in Hell? I don’t. It is inappropriate to say celebrate anyone going to Hell. What is not fair for the majority in this case is that most who feel it’s wrong to celebrate this event assume that the majority, drooling and stupid, are celebrating bloodlust rather than justice. The mere possibility of having a rightful celebration over the death of an evil man makes it okay to rejoice over this event and does not beg an explanation from any of these celebrators.
Are these people completely consumed by the media? No. The person who thinks they aren’t influenced by the media is always wrong. While, I feel that Christians should distance themselves from militant religious groups, it is never wrong to celebrate the achievement of justice. What also needs to be noted that people are not being bloodthirsty for death, or happy that a person was killed during a violent time and country. It is closure. People don’t want more, people want to move on. People now have at least some sort of resolution for the wrongs that have been done to their loved ones and/or their fellow countrymen. It is a false dilemma to think that a person who agrees with the majority is somehow caught in this sinkhole of propaganda that, thank God, the new intellectual is safe from. There is no lapse of truth, grace or intellect that makes one want to celebrate this event.
My lack of Patriotism really shines through when it comes to war, I generally don’t think Christians should go to war. I also don’t feel it’s a good argument for someone to use Romans 13 or any other verse to put a Christian into the shoes of a soldier. Nor do I think that blind patriotism justifies anything, morally. So this issue conflicts with many issues in my mind. Finding the right answer to this issue far from easy. But at this point, I’m willing to side with the majority. It is wrong to be bloodthirsty over this issue or any related issue, but celebrating that justice has been done, in this case, is perfectly fine. I condemn no one in this affair.
seven photojournalists taking pictures of a 15 year-old haitian girl who was accidentally shot three times in the head by police in their attempts to disperse looters.
who’s the better photojournalist? any of these guys or the guy who took this?
this breaks my heart
