Is It Still Fun If It's Lame?

 Can I hear a whoot, whoot, for random post number two! …..At all? ...No? ….Fine. I see how it is. That is totally fine guys. See if I care.You guys are no fun anyways. I will just get posting now. In the empty silence. About owning up to all those stupid things you do when no one is watching. *dejectedly reaches for keyboard*

So everyone has something they do for fun that they do not share with other people. Be it a stupid show, game, abstract pastime, dance, genetic experiment, you get the idea. They hide it because it seems childish or silly and they want to save face. But in all honesty, who cares if it is stupid? It is for fun people! Fun does not necessarily have to be cool fun. So what if you a play a game at 16 that was created for 5 year olds back in the day. So what if you make stupid crossovers or watch T.V. shows that should probably be banned for lowering the I.Q. of the viewer. It does not matter. The people who call this kind of thing stupid or dumb are really missing out. Take the expansion in World of Warcraft for instance. A lot of people have stopped playing the MMO because they felt it was more childish now. Yes ok it has Kung-Foo Panda rip offs now. But do they ever consider that maybe that was to appeal to more eastern audiences and NOT simply to pander to kids? And that maybe this new culture and area is interesting and well done? And yes ok they added what was basically a Pokemon engine for critter pets in the game. Yeah, that is kinda silly, but that does not make it not fun. I have had some pretty memorable battles with people that reminded me of the days when people just played Pokemon for fun. When it was not so much about building the god team that required the greatest stats ever and specific choices, and more about just fighting with your favorite non-godly Pokemon. It might be silly but it still creates memories and great stories. Finding stupid glitches, like having a stag ride a motorcycle while a bat winged warlock in a meteor rides it, (no I am not making that up.) is completely pointless yet totally rewarding. Who else can say they have done that? Who else can share the non-sensible stories you get when you and a friend try to top each other in a story? Who else can say they run from some all powerful enemy whenever they go jogging? Fun is a completely separate entity from everything else. It does not matter if it is cool, or lame, or “oh my god why did I do that on camera kill me now.” Fun is fun. And no one can take it away from you.

The point is you do not need to hide this stuff. Yeah some people might make fun of you, but you know what? It does not matter. Eventually they will get bored and forget about your awesome fun thing, and just go back to doing whatever it is they don't want you to know about. Because I can almost guarantee they have something too. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to take my Kung-Foo Panda ripoff and her tiny magical winged rabbit off into the greatest battle of their lives against a sentient carnivorous box.

-BlackFox

(585)

Those Who Believe

“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who do not believe, no proof is sufficient.” -Stuart Chase

I considered this quote when thinking about what to blog. And it led me think about that all too famous argument of “Well if God is real, then let him raise this table up in front of me. And then I will believe.” and when of course, nothing happens, they sit there and say “Yeah, I didn't think so.” Which got me to thinking.

IF the table actually did raise up, what would this person do? Would they drop to their knees and proclaim God's majesty? Would they convert on the spot? More than likely they would just have a brief reaction, such as surprise or fear, and then immediately try to figure how you did that. They would assume you used a machine or another person or something to lift that table. That entire room would be torn apart in the hope of finding out the secret. Failing that, you yourself would probably be interrogated. They would be completely focused on this. I mean clearly there is a non-God related reason, on account that God does not exist....right? The fulfillment of their demands would be pointless. It would change absolutely nothing. They would still not believe in God. Although, they would probably be impressed with your apparent ingenuity. It literally would not even cross their mind that God did that at all. Even if someone could scientifically produce a being as God, it would likely be considered a hoax. There is simply no way around it. People will demand evidence and then refuse to accept it when produced.

Christians on the other hand, do not need proof to believe in God. The Bible is our proof, and that is enough for us. We do not need a scientist to make a model of God in a lab or some reporter to conduct an interview. Faith is exactly that, faith. God does not need to perform parlor tricks. He does not need to come down and high five someone to prove he is real. That which he has revealed is enough for us. We do not need to test him, or demand more. Of course, to some this is naive, or foolish, or suspiciously close to people who believe in aliens. They look as us in the same way we look back. With a sense of “How can you really not see this?” And there will always be a chasm there to separate the two groups. Now this obviously is not to say evangelism is pointless, not by any means. Spreading the word of God is our duty after all. It is merely something to consider the next time you join in with a debate.

-BlackFox

(451)

Poles And People

 You may have heard of “See you at the pole.” It is basically a day for people to meet at their local High School flag pole and publicly pray. You would think that this would be a good thing yeah? Christians getting together out in the open professing their faith, it seems the perfect way to make a faith statement. Yet, is it really something so great?

“See you at the pole” looks great on paper, but in practice it does have some problems. I view it similarly to Youth Group in this manner. People do not go to the flag pole because they want to glorify God. People do not go there because of their faith. People go there so they can say “Look at me world! Look at what a great Christian I am!” They will stand and pray and be “good” Christians for the duration of the meet, and then go home and go on with their lives. There are people there who will proclaim their deep devotion and then live as if they didn't believe in God. They are too much like the Pharisees who pray and fast in public. They want the recognition and admiration of the viewer. That is why they choose to pray so strongly publicly, but not privately. It is not about God it is about them. Another thing they consider is if a friend is going to be there. It then becomes less of a worship demonstration and becomes a social gathering. A place to have fun with your friends and not really have to do anything much. That is why you can see groups of people who are clearly together there. It is not one big group of Christians, it is a bunch of little groups pushed together and yet still separated somehow. The focus very quickly becomes lost. I am sure there are people there who really do believe in God and want to worship him, but I also know that many people there are thinking of other things than just God at that meet. 

“See you at the pole” is not about having fun with friends. It is not about bragging rights. Or at the very least, it is not supposed to (nor should it) be about these things. The purpose of the event is to glorify God and to focus on him. Not about how great a Christian you are, but how great a God we serve. Not about who is gonna be there or what you are going to talk about, because quite frankly you should not go just because Cindy will be there and “Oh my gawd she just HAS to tell you about her new church!” But sadly it does end up being about these things. And it takes away from the congregational feel. It takes away from the purpose of worshiping God. And in the end, it just ends up sounding vapid and empty. I am a Christian myself, and have no problems sharing my views and faith. But when I heard the advertisement for this event it just sounded ridiculous. It sounded to me like a bunch of people going out there just to say they went. I even remember hoping people did not get the impression that we were all fake like that. A random listener would probably consider it to be some group thing that does not really mean anything. And obviously it is a lot more for some people, I am not saying everyone feels and acts this way. But sadly the above mentioned are the majority.

I do want to stress here that I am not bashing everyone who goes to this. There are some people that do go for the right reasons and more power to them. But they should be aware that this image is something they will have to deal with. “See you at the pole” could be a great thing. It could be meaningful and admirable and honestly encouraging. But as is, it is still an empty group of people standing there to build up themselves instead of God. So it stands and so it remains.

-BlackFox

(700)

A King's Pardon

People will ask the same thing over and over: “What do I have to do to get into heaven?” They want a neat little plan. Do x, y, and z, not a, b, and c. They want definitive answers as to what will get them onto that list of righteous people. Those specific actions that if they avoid or perform will gain them that little stamp that says “approved” when they stand at the pearly gates. Unfortunately for these people, no such list has ever existed or will ever exist.

People are sinful creatures. There is no way to get around this fact. Everything we do apart from God is selfish and tainted in sin. Even one sin, thought, act or otherwise, is enough to keep you from heaven. There is no balance sheet that says you did two more good deeds than bad ones, so in you go. God does not say “Well ok, I guess you did help the orphanage once. I can forget that little scuffle with your brother.” The gates of heaven open only for the righteous. A righteous man has never sinned, not even once. He does not say “Well, compared to THAT guy I am ok. I mean I never killed anyone or stole or something like that.” because he knows that we are judged by God's standard and not that of man. We are not judged based on our righteousness relative to other men. We are judged based on our righteousness compared to God. A test that everyone fails. There is no good deed that can be performed. No profession of faith that can be proclaimed. No action or thought that can rid us of sin and make us righteous again. Our debt of sin is immense and heavy. An impossible burden we cannot hope to even begin to pay. For what could we offer God in exchange for our souls? We are running on a treadmill and God is on the other side. On our own, we have no way to reach Him. No matter how hard or fast we run, our power is not enough.

But all is not lost. God will not abandon his beloved children. He stands at the other end of his child running on that conveyor and reaches out to them. He grabs their hand and pulls them to the other side. God forgives us our sin. He pardons our debt and lifts the weight from our shoulders. He makes us righteous again where we cannot. Out of love He sent His own son to live and die for us. To bear the pain and suffering in the lake of fire that should have been ours. To be rejected and cast down in our place, and then to rise again in victory over death. God did not leave us to our fate. He did not turn His back on us and reject us. He will not fail to reach one He chooses to save. To those whom He reaches out, He always holds close. And He will never cast down one once lifted. We may not be able to pay our debts. We may not be strong enough to vanquish the enemy. But God is stronger than any man, and He will pardon us our sin.

-BlackFox

(554)

"Real" Christians

On occasion, I will hear people say they are either not currently, or cannot become a "real" Christian because they do not have some deep mysterious relationship with God. They say that they have never had an amazing spiritual experience or a connection. They feel like they have no hope of measuring up to the "real" Christian who professes to hear God's voice, or speaks of some significant experience of salvation.

But this is not what Christianity is. It is not about having deep spiritual experiences that you can share with other people. It is about faith and commitment to God. Many Christians, such as myself, do not have a profound moment of conversion we can share. Not all of us suddenly had a moment where we just fell on our knees with the most amazing feeling ever. You do not have to be the woman in church who says she feels God with her everyday. Everyone has their own way of worshiping and connecting with God. Some people do feel like they have had an enlightening experience, and they want to share it. And that's ok. Some people simply believe because that is how they were taught. And that's ok. Others simply have come to believe on their own through Christ. And that's ok. It is ok that not everyone has an amazing faith statement. It is ok that you simply believe for your own reasons. You do not have to feel an amazing connection to be connected with God. God works in different ways for different people. Just because you do not see him with you does not mean he is not there. You are not a bad Christian just because you do not feel the need to drop to your knees every five seconds. In fact, doing so for the wrong reasons can actually be a bad thing, but that is another story.

You are a real Christian if you believe in the trinity and the resurrection. You are a real Christian if you believe in the Bible and what it teaches. You are a real Christian even if you do not have an amazing story for your moment of faith. That is not what matters. What matters is that you have faith in God. What matters is that you have commitment to the Word and the Church. That is what concerns God. He will not reject you because you do not feel some mysterious connection. He will not consider you a bad Christian because you fail to have an overwhelming sense of connection. What God wants is for you to have faith and to glorify him, and there are certainly many ways to accomplish this. Raising your children in faith is glorifying him. Following the commandments is glorifying him. Professing your faith is glorifying him. And I do not mean shouting it out loud in overwhelming emotion. (Though if that works for you then go for it!) It is good if you can scream it out to the masses, but simply sharing it with a co-worker or a friend would be just as well and certainly just as important. So relax, breathe, and know that God is always with you even if you do not feel him.

-BlackFox

(542)

But I Don't Have A Religion!

                This is something I sometimes hear from people such as Atheists and Buddhists, or people who are unsure of the existence of a God. “I don’t HAVE a religion!” They say. “I don’t believe in any sort of God. I don’t have any practices or rituals. I just don’t practice or believe in religion.” They define religion as based on a belief in God or gods, something that involves specific practices or duties to perform. So therefore they have no religion. Yet, are they really right?

                Atheism is indeed a religion.  Religion is not defined as something involving God. Put simply, your religion is the set of beliefs (about things such as the origin of the world and the afterlife) which you hold common with other people. Atheists believe that there is no God. They believe in evolution.  They believe that the Bible holds no authority. These are all part of the set of beliefs that define an Atheist. They are not separate from a religion. They simply have one that rejects the idea of a God. It is not that they do not believe in my God.  It is that they do believe my God does not exist.  There is not an Atheist out there who can say that they believe in God, or that there might be a God. If they were to say this, they would not be an Atheist. To be an Atheist is to believe in certain truths and concepts. There are simply some things you simply cannot believe in. In fact Atheism itself basically means the belief in no God. The same is true for Christianity, there are certain beliefs you must hold to. There are some things you simply have to accept as true or false if you really believe what you profess to.  It is virtually impossible to not have a religion of some sort. There is not a man out there who believes in nothing at all. Everyone has an opinion on the creation of the world or the autonomy of man. Everyone can find a place to fit in among others who share their beliefs. Everyone can find others with which to agree and discuss the mysteries of the universe.

A Christian can lay down their beliefs about God and life easily. They have a specific set that is unique to them. The same goes for an Atheist, or a Buddhist, or a Utilitarian, or any other set of beliefs. We all have our own specific doctrine unique to us. It is true some groups may be larger than others, or more prevalent. And it is true that some have more tradition than others. But that does not mean that they do not belong to a religion. Each group has things only they believe. That is why we can debate and defend and discuss. If we did not know much about our own set of beliefs we could not make arguments for them. We could not make opinions or decisions on issues. And most importantly we could not defend them. We all have doctrine. We all have a religion or set of beliefs. And we all defend them and assert them as truth. So rather than denying your religion, accept it and learn about it. Become knowledgeable so you can crush the enemy, or at least withstand them, when they make an assault. But do not attempt to enter the fray if you do not acknowledge your own strategy.

-BlackFox

(580)

Atheism: A Luxury Of The Rich

 We have already discussed the implications presented by Atheism on the value of life. And I suspect many of you have the same response to my assertion. That life is given value by the experiences you have. That life is meaningful because of what you do in it. Which works perfectly fine if you can afford to have meaningful experiences. But what about those who barely scrape by day to day?

Consider a poor man living in the slums of a city. He has a low paying, long lasting, labor intensive job. He can barely keep his family from starving. His house is small and run down. He does not own a car nor a computer. His neighbors bear no sympathy because they suffer as well. He suffers from sickness and can do nothing about it. He watches his children cry from want and cannot help them. His wife looks upon their desolation and weeps, he has no way to console her. To him, he is a failure. Where then does the value of his life come from? This is not a heart warming success story. He is not going to claw his way up the ladder to happiness. He is going to die in poverty like the majority of his family and neighbors. To this man who lives in such conditions, Atheism is a horribly depressing concept. No one cares about his suffering. No one is going to help him in any useful sense. He is going to die and turn to dust and be forgotten. And then where will he be? Who will remember or care for his plight? The answer of course, is no one. So how then does his life have value? Where are the experiences to make it meaningful? His life is nothing but an endless cycle of failure and suffering. The rich man builds and travels and says “look what I have done! Look how I have made a meaningful contribution to be remembered! See how my life was not wasted!” The poor man barely exists from day to day. He sits in his drafty house and asks himself. “What have I done in my life? See how pointless and terrible it is! And in the end no one will remember it, or care.”

It is perfectly easy to say there is no God. It is perfectly easy to say life is what you make of it. It is perfectly easy to do all these things when you are comfortable and have money. But take away your prosperity. Take away what your fathers gave you and what you have that is your own. Sit in the desolation and despair of poverty with no hope of escape or sympathy. Exist in this way and then say that you have no need of God. Proclaim the value of your life as you have made it and the experiences of it have shown for you. The poor man turns to God because he understands that there his comfort lies. That there he is not forsaken and a failure. For it is only with the aid of God that he does not turn to bitterness and anger at the injustice of the world. Do not merely say that you would certainly feel the same regardless. Do not merely say that you would find something of value to be glad for. For you speak still from your comfort and prosperity. Only when you leave it behind and have no hope of its return can you say these things with authority. Then and only then can you reject the comfort of God. Only then can you denounce the one person in existence who remembers and cares for your suffering. And who gives you meaning when you can perceive none.

-BlackFox

(632)

Mythology vs Video Games

 An interesting question was posed to me lately. The person asked if people viewed traditional mythology as negatively as say, a video game. This actually is pretty interesting to me. Logically you would think that if people denounce the plot and concepts of video games as pagan, something that is actually pagan would have just as much of an effect. In fact, one might even expect a stronger reaction. But how do people normally react?

Surprisingly enough, I have actually noticed less of a reaction to traditional mythology. The same parents who refuse to allow their child near a Pokemon game, are perfectly happy to let them read fairy tales and learn about Zeus. Now obviously there are still some parents who wont allow either, yet more often than naught, they tend to not mind the latter. So why is this? Why does a parent who balks at the idea of their child fighting dragons, tell them the story of a night who does just that? What is the difference between Harry Potter and Merlin? Many parents might say that they are just stories. That it is not that much of a concern because it is only fairy tales. I must point out I could say the same thing about video games. That they are in essence, merely stories to play out. Those who fret over the child who plays DND losing their faith, should not smile fondly at the child who reads King Arthur. “But wait!” yell the parents. “Greek mythology and King Arthur are part of our history! It is educational to read them! And fairy tales have life lessons for our children to learn!” I would like to remind them that there are many things in our history that are not very Christian. That there are many things in the past that can be dangerous to faith if not handled well. And as for the life lessons, those are present often in the TV shows and games you reject. Sadly, parents often ignore this contradiction and continue on in their ways. The main thing they maintain in all of this is that a fairy tale is just a story. That reading about the daring young knight will not have any lasting affect. Yet they reject this reason as advocating for video games. So why the contradiction? Why one and not the other?

I think the main reason people support mythology is that they grew up with it. They all heard about Red Riding Hood and they all learned about the Greek gods. They are familiar with it. To them it is not some dangerous unknown thing that is lurking to snap up their children. It is a harmless classic and essential part of childhood. Dungeons and Dragons is alien to them. Digimon is new and unknown. They do not necessarily dismiss these concepts because of what they teach, but because they are shadowy figures in the dark. My mother for instance, used to be very careful what she let us watch. Eventually, after watching the shows and games herself, she came to understand that they were really no different than those old fairy tales. She realized that they had the same potential merits and faults. That fairy tale could be as dangerous as a video game. That a TV show could be just as useful as a classic story. I think that a lot of parents would understand this if they gave these things more of a chance. In the end, it is not about which story is better or worse. It is about which ones you want to be told.

-BlackFox

(607)

Churches And Dragons

Many people, especially concerned parents, are worried about the effect things can have on children. This can go double for conservative parents who worry about their child’s faith. The T.V. show where people fight with monsters, the book series where kids use magic and fight demons, parents become alarmed that anything connected to violence or fiction will corrupt their little one. Yet, is their concern justified?

Just because something does not profess the word of God blatantly or mirror our own lives, does not make it damning or evil. Not everything has to be sanitized and covered in plastic. Parents often express concern that such media as listed above makes their son or daughter more violent. That children act out things that they “wouldn’t” have acted out, before being exposed to violence in the media. Most of the time it is merely harmless fun for the child to play or watch these things. They understand that it is not real and that it is just a story. If you are truly concerned they may think otherwise - say for reasons of age - then speak with them. Explain to them the things you are concerned they will not conclude on their own. In the end it will still simply be a game to them. Billy may pretend to be a superhero, but chances are he is not going to beat someone up because he watched a Spiderman cartoon. Children are going to fight each other. They are going to play rough. This is not because of T.V., it is human nature. Children do not need to be taught to fight and play war. They will do that all on their own. Parents who profess to never give their child a toy weapon, do not take into account that a broom handle can become a rifle. You are not a failure as a parent if Billy saves Lois Lane by beating the bad guys. It is completely naive to assume you can prevent a child from ever displaying violence in play or practice. Sometimes play is really just play, and your little darling will grow up perfectly normal. Watching or reading about violence is not going to alter them permanently. The truth is that violence and danger is everywhere in our own world. They will see it everywhere they go, not just on T.V. And the honest truth is they are going to imitate it. But this does not mean they are lost to you. Your kids are smarter than you give them credit for. They will adapt. They will cope. They will overcome.

Another concern often voiced is that things associated with magic or monsters or demons, will pull their child away from God. Speaking as a very committed Christian, I can tell you this is not so. I grew up with Pokémon and Digimon. I pretended to use magic and fight demons. And did this lead me any further away from God? Am I sacrificing the nearest virgin to the Dark Lord Xenu? No, I am not. I am not drifting away from God. I am not turning to the Devil. Because I understand that it is fiction. That it is just a story for fun and games. That it does not mean anything in regards to real-life. Trying to cut a child off from this world is seldom going to be affective. If you ban the program they will watch it without your knowledge. If you push too hard they will merely wait until they are old enough to do what they want. What you want to do is let them experience this world and God’s. Give them a chance to know that they are not given a choice between believing in God and anything else. That it is not overbearing and off-putting to be a believer. If you are really concerned with their spirituality, then speak with them. Teach them about the Bible. Read with them, explain to them, and spend time with them devoted solely to this. Do not just ban them from experiencing the world they live in. Like it or not monsters and demons are everywhere. Teach them how to experience it, while still possessing a full knowledge of God’s Word.

-BlackFox

(708)

Yay For Politics!

Yes, yes I know. I said I was going to talk about religion and not politics. But I have to have fun SOMEWHERE you know. I did technically say I would occasionally make random posts. Besides, I am making fun of politics here. With a very cleverly crafted metaphor I might add. See? Do you not feel sorry for those poor people who skipped this one?

Today we are going to talk about Obama's acceptance speech. You can stop the boos and (or) cheering now. We are not going to get into his views here. We are merely going to look at his presentation. Many people have already pointed out that Obama is merely saying the same things he said before, the difference being that he is asking for more time to show results. He has not admitted any mistake on his part. He has no given any proof that this time will be any different. He is simply blaming the lack of time and outside circumstances. Now I noticed an interesting parallel. You know that kid in class? The one who never meets the due date ever? You know how he begs and begs for more time to get it done? That is this speech. I mean think about it. Consider the following exchange:

Teacher: You did not turn in your paper on time. I entered it as a “zero”.

Student: No wait! I just need a little more time to do it! There were like, extenuating circumstances and stuff!

Teacher: Look, I am going to be honest with you. I have not seen any progress with this paper. At all. What exactly were these circumstances?

Student: Well, there really was not a lot of time to do this. And like, I had other engagements and problems to deal with besides this paper.

Teacher: And that means you can just ignore your responsibility to this class and to me?

Student: No! Ok, I know it looks really bad right now. I promise I have made progress, it just might not look like it. But I swear it will get done by the next due date! I just like, need a little more time!

Striking, isn't it?

Now if you were the teacher, what would you say? Would you honestly give him more time to work on this paper? Please feel free to comment on this, I would love to know. Especially from a teachers point of view. Personally, I would tell him that actions, and lack thereof, have consequences and he needs to deal with them. Note the use of the “He” pronoun. In both cases. Clearly a girl would never act like this. More evidence of female superiority.

-BlackFox

(453)

Doomed Brotherhood

Everyone knows what socialism is. The idea of living together as one. Everyone sharing the work and everyone looking out for everyone else. No one is selfish or cruel. On the surface it sounds like a good idea. Yet every time we have tried to implement it, it fails miserably. So why is this? It sounds solid enough. It sounds like it would be the perfect life. Why does it fail?

The problem with socialism is the assumption it makes. You may have heard of the classic argument of nature vs nurture. The question of what shapes our behavior more: our intrinsic traits or our extrinsic environment? Socialism takes the side of nurture. They believe that man is corrupted by his environment. Therefore, they believe to fix his behavior you need only fix the manner in which he is raised. So they create an ideal society. This society is a place where everyone shares the work and looks out for the good of the community. The problem they face is that this society has one fatal flaw. It is dependent on its members to uphold these ideals and concepts. They need people to agree to not seek their own interests and look out for the good of all. To quote Vulcan saying, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” This is the philosophy people need to submit to. The problem is they will not agree to do so. Carl is perfectly willing to contribute to the many so long as he is not the few. He is perfectly willing to share the work as long as it benefits him. But if he himself is threatened, then Carl will retaliate. He is not overly concerned with the majority when his minority is in peril. And in the end, Carl will pursue his own interests.

People are by nature sinful and selfish. The problem with socialism is that it attempts to change man by changing his environment. They say that by removing perceived basis's of conflict, such as property, all conflict will cease. That by teaching children to live for their community, they will grow up to do nothing else. And that laws to protect the common good will be effective in enforcing it. But the problem is not the environment, the problem is man. Man is by nature sinful. He is by nature selfish and cruel and narcissistic. He serves the common good only so long as it serves him. It does not matter how he is raised, he will always be a sinful creature. That is why socialism fails. It attempts to conform man into a form he cannot possibly hope to fit. It sets a goal that is impossible to reach. No matter what rule you enact. No matter what doctrine you teach. Man will still ultimately be man. The few will not go quietly into the night.

-BlackFox

(485)

Rearranging Molecules

Murder is universally considered wrong. Everyone, regardless of belief or place of birth, cannot condone senseless killing. Human life has value and meaning, we have no right to snuff it out prematurely. However, this commonly held truth is not necessarily compatible with all systems of belief. Many people today reject the idea of God and creation. Theories that give a semantic explanation of our existence are becoming more and more common. What people do not admit is the implications these ideas have on the concept of humanity and life.

The Big Bang is the most common theory accepted by atheists, so it is this theory we will use for our purposes. The Big Bang theory operates on the assumption that the world, and by extension all life on it, was created by an act of chance. Supposedly a large explosion set into motion a chain of events creating everything we know today. This includes all organisms and life forms, which are said to have evolved over time to their present state. Consider the following question: If humans are merely randomly arranged particles thanks to chance, what makes human life valuable? If we are truly nothing but products of chance then murder is not a crime. Is the offender not simply rearranging molecules that were randomly connected in the first place? Where is the intrinsic value? If a scientist breaks apart chemical bonds we do not arrest him. When a farmer kills a cow for food we do not declare him a murderer. Yet if we are nothing but objects who evolved over time, there is no difference between us and those things. A human is nothing but a more complex animal according to evolution. A lion kills the cubs that threaten his place of power in the pride. A king kills the people who threaten his throne. Wolves fight each other over food and power. Men are no different.

As a Christian I can state that human life has value beyond atoms because we were made in the image of God. I can say that our creator made us for a purpose and gave us value. And that killing is a crime because of that value and because he forbids it. This is my justification. But to one who does not believe in God, where does the justification of value come from? Some say it is because we are self aware and intelligent. However, this does not explain why we would have more value than any other animal on earth. Sentience does not mean importance. In the end we would still simply be very self-important molecules. Is man so full of his own importance that he simply asserts it because he believes it to be true? We are far from objectively considering our own worth. The universe does not revolve around man. It does not stop when he suffers or dies. Time leaves him behind, and would happily continue if he were to vanish. The only things that care about his well being are other men and God. Being “more advanced” than everything else on earth means nothing. If we were to find life more advanced than us in thought or technology are we less valuable than them? Would we be any different to them than a dog or a cat is to us? In truth, if humans are nothing but an act of chance, a random sequence of DNA, then life has no discernible value. 

-BlackFox

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The Difference Between Good and Evil

 Even when many religions, beliefs, and understandings clash, there is one thing we can all agree on. Some things are good, and some things are not good. Virtually everyone you talk to would agree that the concepts of good and evil are real. Helping the poor is good. Murder is evil. Stealing is bad. Hard work is good. Etc. etc. No one is going to say that harming a child is ok. It does not matter what they believe in. Whether God, Buddha, or nothing at all, everyone is going to at least agree on that point. And we enforce this idea of good and evil. We make laws and restrict behavior to keep people in check and coinciding with this ideal. The main difference is how to determine what exactly is good and what is evil. How can you tell the difference between the two? What determines which laws are enacted and which are redacted?

Man is by nature sinful. He will act in his best interest whenever possible. He will lie and cheat and steal to survive, even kill. People need restrictions. They need laws to stop them from having free run of their actions. They need to control their behavior and not simply give into their desires. Laws are a complete necessity, without which society could not function. So how do we determine what they are? How do you see the difference between good and evil? Many people would say that logic and reason determine the difference. They say that by applying these two things one can tell which is which. But human reason is fallible. We change laws all the time. Divorce is legal now, it was not legal in the past. Which law is more correct and how do you know? What determines that the current law is better than the old one? Because it is more convenient? Clearly not because convenience is not connected automatically to the right thing to do. And it is not just the laws themselves that are contradictory. Carl can claim he is completely enlightened, and has discovered the mysteries of good and evil. But Bob has also declared this, and he has different views than Carl. So which one is right? What makes Carl better than Bob or vice versa? Who is to say that one knows better than the other? By what standard can we compare them to to find out? In the end it comes down to power. Carl has a gun, bob has a stick. Hence, Carl's laws are passed and Bob simply follows them because he can do nothing else. If logic and reason determine good and evil, then by extension, “might makes right” must be correct. But people do not want to live this way. They do not want the guy with the biggest gun to win. And there is also the potential problem of said guy deciding that, for instance, theft is legal. Reason and logic, while widely used, are not the best tools to determine good and evil.

So what about the Christian route? We determine good and evil based on the Bible. Because it comes not from man, but from God, it is an objective standard. We can determine what is right by comparing the action in question with the law laid forth by the Bible. We can say this is good and this is bad because it is written thus. It's not a matter of one limited mortal and another arguing, it is a comparison to a definitive standard. God is sovereign. He knows the difference between good and evil far greater than we do, his standard is objective and not clouded by sin. So why is this not the method of choice? Well many people do not believe in God and the Bible. The Bible is objective because of the belief in God. If you do not believe in God, it is simply the words of a man against other men. For many it is the same problem as before. If reason is fallible and the Bible is rejected, how do we decide what the law should be? In the end, people simply reject the idea the good and evil are knowable. They simply state that we can only know what we can prove, and that we will never know everything. Laws are then determined in a selfish sense. I do not want to be murdered, so I will make murder illegal. I do not want to be tied to a person I do not love, so now divorce is legal. This is currently how many laws are made. People decide laws based on what they want protection from, and the freedom to do. It becomes less about good and evil, and more about desire and want.

-BlackFox

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A Word On Misconceptions

 People today often have a very negative view of Christians. They feel like we are offensive or prejudiced or rude etc. etc. And it is not hard to see why, many Christians or organizations who affiliate themselves to Christianity are not helping our case. Instances where people flip out and pronounce judgment on others can seem pretty common. Especially in times like today where many previously solely religious topics have found their way into mainstream politics, making confrontations more likely. The old woman who refuses to be helped by a homosexual man. The protesters who interrupt funerals. The clerk who is screamed at for wearing black lipstick. Many of the offenders going so far as to assert that the individual in question is going to hell. It is really not hard to see why people would make generalizations. But we are not all like this. Not every Christian is going to scream and throw holy water on you for wearing chains. Not all of us are going to declare you a heathen and insult you. Most of us understand that we do not know God's plan, and therefore cannot deduce whether or not you are going to hell. We are not going to make judgments on you as a person. You could be a perfectly awesome person who simply has a lifestyle or belief contrary to ours. Many Christians have friends with beliefs radically different than their own. In fact, many of us try to learn about yours. To defend you must understand what you are defending against. If you do not know what an arrow is, you will not be able to defend yourself against its point. Not all Christains hate you. We are not all offensive. We are not all going to bite.

However, it must be mentioned that “not being offensive” is not “agreeing with you on everything”. Just because I am not confrontational does not mean I need to agree with you. People can believe different things and still get along. It is not a matter of “my way or the high way”. Disagreeing with you is not the same thing as berating you. Unfortunately, this is often times not the case in the mind of the everyday person. Saying that one specific thing is inherently wrong, is perceived to be just as bad as calling someone evil. In some cases it is impossible to give a counter point without being dismissed as a prejudicial jerk. For instance, take the issue of homosexuality. I respect the fact that some people choose to live this way. It is their life and I do not control it. I acknowledge the fact it does not make them a horrible person who is automatically going to hell. I am not going to refuse to be near, or associate with, someone who chooses this lifestyle. But if asked I will still say it is inherently wrong and people should not live like that. And I will back up and defend this position. I am defending my belief, not attacking you. Yet, for many people, there is no difference between the two. Regardless of what I do they would say I am homophobic or bigoted. They say I am a prejudicial jerk who needs to be more tolerant. Tolerance is not the same thing as agreement. I respect your beliefs and your right to have them. I am not asking you to agree with me, I am asking you to respect my beliefs and opinions like I respect yours. It is not “tolerating intolerance” to do so. It is being respectful and reasonable. If you do not agree with me on a point, then say so constructively. Explain why you disagree and back up your opinion. Debate and defend your world views. Do not just dismiss mine and insult me for having them. People say that we just say something like, “That's wrong, you're evil!” But by the same token I could name a few people who simply say, “That's wrong, you're prejudiced!” There is no need to attack the character of your opponent. Use your wit and knowledge of the other side to defeat them in honorable combat. You will find it is much more enjoyable to do so.

-BlackFox

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Who am I?

Who am I you ask? I am the writer of this blog, determined to entertain you with things you don't care about or pay attention to. No not politics. Nobody likes politics, not even politicians. I see you are relieved, how wonderful! Hmm? What am I going to talk about? Religion of course, I- Hey! Where are you going?!

I am the one who speaks of the brushed aside. You know, those poor little inconvenient topics that are always ignored? The ones that just get pushed under the rug? Have you people ever been under a rug? It's dark, dusty, and very cramped you know. Those ideas deserve to see the light too. I am the one who will give them the opportunity.

I am Christian. I am speaker of the truth and of God's Word. I am pro-claimer of sovereignty and grace. I am Calvinist and lover of “T.U.L.I.P.S”. (Don't worry, Google will explain it for you.) I am not a crazy person who interrupts funerals with pick-it signs. Those people are not very good representatives of Christians. Most of us use tanks.

I am not opposed to other opinions. I enjoy listening and having constructive discussions. I am perfectly happy to respond to a challenge or question if I am aware of it. Unless it's just someone insulting me and calling me an idiot. I am uninterested in responding to those. That's not a very constructive way to get into a debate.

I am the one who occasionally posts about unrelated things I find interesting. No, not pop-culture. I don't care about that. I couldn't talk about it to save my life. I don't ramble on and on about who is doing what. I ramble on and on about interesting things like video games and stories. I am going to pretend these things are interesting. I can't hear you.

I am that person in the backseat of the movie theater. The one pointing out that everyone in this movie is apparently unable to work an ordinary door lock. Which is kind of inconvenient because these ordinary locks would work quite nicely in keeping out unwanted people. You know, like the deranged guy with a knife? I am pondering the IQ of our “heroes”.

I am bored and easily distracted. I am going to take over the world anyway. It's a simple matter really. I am going to secretly implant mind controlling statements into ordinary text. When I eventually make my move, I will already have an army. I totally haven't put any of these statements into this text. And I would certainly never make you OBEY ME or anything.

I am wondering why you are reading this. You didn't actually ask who I was, this is an assignment. People don't read blogs to learn about the author. That's what “About Me” is for. They read blogs for the content on the page. I think you have been on the internet too long. You should go read a book or play outside. You are still here. I am wondering if you are bored or insane.

-BlackFox

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