Christianity Against Religion

The Existence of God?

I'm writing this for my atheist friends who see no reason or justification for believing in God - not to convince them, but to give them a window into my own thought processes, and an alternative to many of the things they've probably encountered.

Most arguments for theism end up suggesting something along the lines of a first cause - that all events come from other events, and following these lines of causation, everything must ultimately come from a single point somewhere. This argument is vividly borne out in the modern picture of the big bang.

Deus Ex Machina

In Insurrection, Peter Rollins critiques the Deus Ex Machina.

This is the god that, in ancient Greek plays, was lowered on a rope into the middle of the stage, in order to resolve the story. It's a terrible contrivance, and we've probably all seen bad movies that make use of just this sort of device. Perhaps it comes in the form of a fairy godmother, or someone winning the lottery, or someone waking up to discover that the whole episode was a dream.

I am more fundamentalist than you

At the beginning of the 20th century, prominent religious leaders got together and formed a list of five fundamentals - the items of belief that they thought were non-negotiable elements of Christian faith.

These elements include the inspiration of the bible, the virgin birth, Christ's death as atonement, the bodily resurrection of Christ, and the historical reality of the miracles.

Why I hate religion, but love Jesus

This video has been making the rounds, stirring up a lot of attention and commentary, and causing at least a few people to drop the f-word into some Christian discussion lists. Go and watch it now, and then come back.

I've been engaging with a few people about it, and there seems to be several different kinds of responses.

On one end, there are some traditionalists who find it really offensive. Or at best, misguided, and likely to lead people astray. They will probably ignore it, or post a biting comment.

Religion is practice

Some things take practice. But when the practice is over, we must act.

Religion, as it exists throughout the world and through history, is practice. It prepares the mind with deep thoughts, meditation, and understanding. It trains you to make good decisions, to see when things aren't how they appear. It uses symbols and traditions and ritual actions to ingrain itself in your mind. It uses authority structures and leaders to help you become the kind of person you want to be.

But then you have to stop practicing. And you have to start living in the real world.

Peter Rollins and the Deception of Living in the Moment

Lately I've been reading Peter Rollins, and in doing so, have become very suspicious of anything that might provide a false sense of security.

Like every being or creature, we naturally resist change. We attempt to maintain the status quo to protect our own sense of stability and security. But life is change, and everything we do to hide this from ourselves is self-deception, a shrinking from reality, and an embracing of death.

Ancient Israelite Violence and The Christian View of The Old Testament

Some atheist friends of mine are having a discussion about this verse in Leviticus:

If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. (Leviticus 20:13)

Naturally, they are horrified, and question how anyone could follow a God that commands killing people like this.

Peter Rollins and Experiencing God

This is an excerpt from my email list: Christianity against Religion.

In Insurrection, Peter Rollins critiques the way in which various religious movements attempt to experience God.

One approach is the one taken by Chick Tracts, where God is a being so external to the world, the earth is left with no real meaning, and life becomes just something to endure until the final reconciliation.

imputed righteousness, part 2

I've just written how reading Paul's statements on guilt changed my whole way of thinking, and switched my mind to a new track.

The track I'm referring to is something I've called "non-metaphysical Christianity", the idea that the scriptures are not talking about invisible scoreboards and diagrams, but about real changes in the minds and emotions of human beings.

imputed righteousness and switching tracks

In my ongoing quest to remove everything unreal from my religious life, I've run head-on into the concept of imputed righteousness.

If you're not familiar with the idea, it's the cornerstone of Calvinist theology, and the idea many people think is the core of Christianity. Expressed in the most generous way, it's the idea that when Jesus died, his righteousness got credited to us, and God now considers us righteous without regards to our actual behavior or character.

To many people, this is what grace and forgiveness and salvation means.

Christianity Against Religion

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