tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107887.post4140480416158625081..comments2024-03-27T08:37:26.489-04:00Comments on Not Another Episcopal Church Blog: Jesus IncognitoUndergroundpewsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10182191422663119484noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107887.post-87960909720940190482011-05-09T22:27:52.397-04:002011-05-09T22:27:52.397-04:00Thanks Randall,
TNS,
The fact is, I accept the ...Thanks Randall,<br /><br />TNS, <br /><br />The fact is, I accept the authority of the Gospel witness, and that acceptance is a bit of a miracle in itself. I was a skeptic for many years, and unfortunately, that skepticism was fed by my denomination. I have spent so much time with other doubters that I feel that I have a certain insight into their thought processes and how they got to where they are. <br /><br />One of my questions is whether our post-modern mistrust and skepticism of all witnesses and of anyone who dares to point and say, "This really happened, this is true!" makes it hard for non-christians to accept what we claim to be true. <br /><br />If so, then people are left with following their own gods, and that might help to explain some of the things we see going on in the world.Undergroundpewsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10182191422663119484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107887.post-88034163523892535212011-05-09T21:46:05.204-04:002011-05-09T21:46:05.204-04:00TNS, re: your question directed to UP. Forgive me ...TNS, re: your question directed to UP. Forgive me for jumping in.<br /><br />The Disciples'/Apostles' testimony has been countenanced by tradition and continued teaching. Hence it is <i>Canon</i>. For anybody else, God may speak to him/her about His will for there lives, but God will <b>never</b> change a directive contained in Holy Scripture. As He says, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the essence of His name "I AM:" Pure, continues present tense.<br /><br />Thus, we are called to judge prophets and preachers and teachers and pastors by the words and their works. We will know them because they will demonstrate whether they are of God or not by reference to His Word and most definitely <b>not</b> our transitory, misleading feeling or emotions.<br /><br />(Sorry for diving in UP.)<br /><br />Cheers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107887.post-81248083039976684022011-05-09T21:39:48.842-04:002011-05-09T21:39:48.842-04:00Gentlemen:
The essay was in an Afterword to this,...Gentlemen:<br /><br />The essay was in an Afterword to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/There-God-Notorious-Atheist-Changed/dp/B001FOR58K/ref=sr_1_1_title_2_h?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304991418&sr=1-1" rel="nofollow">this</a>, if I recall correctly. It me awhile to remember the book where I read it. I don't know if it's in recent printings, because I got it in hardback shortly after it came out.<br />(The book is worth a read, too, btw.)<br /><br />Cheers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107887.post-90038220960859106622011-05-09T14:23:19.377-04:002011-05-09T14:23:19.377-04:00I like Randall's summary of the Wright essay a...I like Randall's summary of the Wright essay about "the nature of the witnesses themselves when compared to the society in which they lived and contemporary texts of secular origins" arguing for or against the validity of their visions. And Randall, I would like to be pointed in the direction of that essay too, if you would be so kind:)<br /><br />UP, I can't quite tell what you are asking in this very interesting blog entry. Do you doubt the visions of the disciples as reported in the New Testament? I can't think that you do. But like you, I am wary of modern visions, especially when those visions seem to support a particular political or even church agenda. It has never been given to me to have any direct visions; the closest I come to is what I call moments of grace, sudden feelings that Christ is very near to me. Those I tend to trust because they have not come at moments of high emotions or deep crisis, and they are simply an affirmation of His Presence.<br /><br />In our church, too, we have a priest who claims many intimate moments with Christ. Like you, I do not find those particularly helpful in dealing with the scriptural witnesses. In fact I often want to tell our priest that less information about his seminary days, his family, and his pets, and a little more information on the scriptures would be more interesting and informative.<br /><br />By the way, I've seen Brian Boitano perform his Olympic skating routine...and although I believe he is gay, he looks somewhat more masculine than Jesus with the sunglasses . UP, where DO you find these pictures??<br /><br />BlessingsToilNotSpinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107887.post-38121985529870487442011-05-09T10:31:17.878-04:002011-05-09T10:31:17.878-04:00I seem to recall an N.T. Wright essay regarding th...I seem to recall an N.T. Wright essay regarding the historical validity of Biblical stories, and him arguing that, from an historians perspective, it is the nature of the witnesses themselves, when compared to the society in which they lived and contemporary texts of secular origins, which argue for the validity of the witnesses' observations. I'll try to dig it up and point you in it's direction, because it speaks to this precise issue.<br /><br />Cheers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com