Some, Just Go Around

Some, Just Go Around

Mt 22:29 But Jesus answered them, "You are

mistaken, not knowing the scriptures, nor

the power of G-d.

Jesus said it best. This reply was in
answer to a long winded question about the
resurrection. If you read the whole
passage, you will see that there was a
sect that did not believe in the
resurrection. I'm not sure why they had an
objection to the resurrection. Scripture
does not debunk every off-the-wall belief
system, it just proclaims the truth. Jesus
just pointed out that a correct
understanding of scripture would lead to a
different conclusion. Another way to
paraphrase his reply is, You don't pay
attention to scripture, or recognize what
ability G-d has. It implies that there is
a general misunderstanding on the part of
the Saducees, as to the nature of G-d.
That's something that has not changed alot
in the intervening 2000 years. People
still have the habit of not paying
attention to scripture. There seems to be
an aspect of human nature that wants to
redefine truth, on our relative terms.


John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way,

the truth, and the life. No one comes to

the Father, but by me.

Jesus didn't budge an inch in compromise to
truth. This verse says it plainly. You
don't need to be a scholar of ancient Greek
to get this one. There is only one way.
And that's the truth.


Accepting that there is truth, is not a
problem for those who choose to recognize
the authority of scripture. But for those
who reject that authority, well, it's a big
deal.

John 18:38 Pilate said to him, "What is

truth?" When he had said this, he went out

again to the Jews, and said to them, "I

find no basis for a charge against him.

39 But you have a custom, that I should

release to you one at the Passover.

Therefore do you desire that I release to

you the King of the Jews?"


Pilate seems like one of those who are
skeptical about truth. He is one who has
to understand the use of power. There is
the implication that truth is at odds with
his methodology. He saw that he had
absolutely nothing to gain by ordering the
crucifixtion of Jesus. I suppose he
thought of Jesus as just some poor hayseed
preacher from the backwoods, leading an
assortment of social outcasts. Not a real
threat to his throne. He even used the
term 'King of the Jews' to describe Jesus
in what is probably a sarcastic tone. You
don't suppose that he suspected that it is
true, that Jesus is the King of the Jews?


Well, What difference does it make anyway?


It's the truth that helps us find our way.
If you are driving somewhere, and there is
a particular destination in mind, then you
want to know the route. If you take a
wrong turn somewhere, and stop to ask for
directions, then you hope to get a reply
that's 'true'. You hope that if you stop
to ask for directions, that the person you
ask is going to point you in the right
direction. I can't count how many times,
over the years, I've had to do that,
because I've traveled some, and in other
countries. Try asking for directions in a
foriegn language sometime. Oh boy. Even
if they know the way, it's hard to
describe. That's a decent analogy to what
has been revealed in scripture. It's like
getting directions in a foreign language.



Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, SHOW

us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been

so long time with you, and yet hast thou

not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me

hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou

then, SHOW us the Father?

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of

truth, is come, he will guide you into all

truth: for he shall not speak of himself;

but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he

speak: and he will SHOW you things to come.


John's gospel spends some time on the
nature of truth. He is concerned that
others will be able to know with confidence
who Jesus is.

John 21:24 This is the disciple who

testifies about these things, and wrote

these things. We know that his witness is

true.

25 There are also many other things which

Jesus did, which if they would all be

written, I suppose that even the world

itself wouldn`t contain the books that

would be written.


There is truth, but the world has chosen a
different course. It began in Eden, and
according to scripture will continue to the
end of time. Some will take the straight
and narrow. Others will continue to look
the other way, just going around in
circles. The straight and narrow way just
looks to be too impractical.


One of the things that I set out to do with
this blog is to have a look at some of the
circles that others are traveling in. It's
not my intention to single out any
particular person or group. Just to have a
look at some of the common errors that show
up over and over again, as an example to
those who wish to avoid them. We live in a
world that's full of strangely seductive
pitfalls. Believers ought to be aware that
there are many roads in this life that lead
to nowhere. Isn't that the obvious
conclusion when the best recourse that so
many find is a life given over to chemical
addiction and in some cases, suicide? That
their lives have gotten tangled in a web of
hopeless despair. It's not so uncommon.
I've read most of Michener's novels. The
one that best describes this social period
is The Drifters. We live in a social
setting where all anchors to truth have
been cast off. It seems that intense self-
interest is the result. Yet, in order to
find satisfaction, there is a need to serve
something larger than self -- the circle of
intense self-interest goes nowhere.


So, as I look around, I see that there is
an excess of intense self-interest, that
appears in every form. My interest, is to
look at some theological aspects of the
current excess. This story caught my
attention the other day. It's about a
woman who feels persecuted because her
beliefs conflict with the criteria of some
pageant promoters. In many ways it's a
typically modern conflict. It seems to
have simple resolution, but intense self-
interest stands in the way of that.


Sure, it's troubling that people are misled
into belief systems that have little to
offer. That's too bad. Even worse is that
they find the need to be intolerant of
those who wish to promote truth. They have
exactly the same intolerance for truth as
lovers of truth have for deception. In
other words, the doctrines of Christianity
make no accomodation for falsehood, and
make no claim to accomodate falsehood.
Yet, the others are equally unwilling to
accomodate truth, yet claim to be tolerant.
Does that strike anyone beside me, as being
hypocritical? Get real. Either admit being
intolerant or tolerate truth. Maybe, then
I can at least have respect for what you
believe. Until then, all I can say is,
nonsense!


"Upon receiving her bio," it said, "we have

decided against her being a judge. We need

a judge who has an upright reputation,

(who) we would be proud to introduce to the

audience. She states that her hobbies are

yoga, reiki and tarot card reading. Our

board of directors has eliminated her as a

judge as tarot card reading and reiki are

the occult and ... not acceptable by God,

Jews, Muslims or Christians."

The pageant, which isn't officially

affiliated with Toronto in any way, claimed

that some were afraid she would use tarot

cards to choose a winner. Despite this

religiously-motivated snub, Miss Toronto

Tourism officials claim they are not a

"religious pageant".

"We are not a religious pageant," director

Karen Hunter assures me. She says folks of

many backgrounds will be at the waterfront

Radisson Admiral hotel on the big night.

"We don't want to offend anybody."

It seems a little late for that. As for

Stephanie Conover, she decided to use this

opportunity to out her own religious

preferences.

"Oh, and she's a Wiccan. Yep, she tells me,

she's a witch. A good witch. 'I don't

commune with dark forces.' So no need to

hang garlic in the pageant ballroom. 'We

don't even believe in the devil,' says

Stephanie. 'We believe whatever you send

out into the world, good or bad, comes back

to you, times three.'"

So there you have it, the first openly (to

my knowledge) Pagan beauty queen. One only

hopes that organizers of the larger

conventions and festivals in North America

will take advantage of this potential

public relations coup. Have Miss Canada

Plus 2007 speak at your event!
http://www.wildhunt.org/blog.html


What's the resolution. The organizers can
simply ask Miss CP to rewrite her bio to
agree with their criteria. Or Miss CP can
find a pageant that is willing to recognize
her expression. Simple, never easy.
Intense self-interest always puts personal
demands ahead of all others.


If I can find time, I think I might be
able to find some interesting material to
work with off this blog. Not to single
anyone out, just to take on ideas that I
am able to work with. Some are just so
far gone that they don't offer much to
work with. There's nothing new in all
of paganism. It's all old stuff, rewrapped
for 21st century consumption. But I hold
to the truth that G-d, the only true G-d,
created us in his image, with a capacity
for reason, because he intends for us to
use our head for something besides a hat
rack. He loved us. Go figure.


Where do I find a problem with this article
from wildhunt.org?

Mt 22:29 But Jesus answered them, "You are

mistaken, not knowing the scriptures, nor

the power of G-d.

OK. So she believes...something. People
can believe anything they wish, but Jesus
said, narrow is the way that leads to life.


Here's the quote that really throws me for
a loop.
--->
'We don't even believe in the devil,' says

Stephanie. 'We believe whatever...
--->

They believe. These days, that's all there
has to be -- belief. But believing is not
the same as truth. In other words, it does
not matter whether you believe in gravity
or not, you are subject to it's factual
existence. You still have the option of
belief or unbelief.


Then, there's the obvious question, How
does she, or anyone else for that matter,
know what lies on the other side of the
curtain, or what goes on in the metaphysical
realm? We don't normally have access to that
world. Here's how Jesus puts it:

John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven,
but he who descended out of heaven, the Son
of Man, who is in heaven.

That's what the Holy of Holies represents in
the tabernacle that Moses was given instructions
to build. Access was not permitted, except by
the High Priest, once a year. Here it is:

Heb 9:6 Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tent, accomplishing the services,

7 but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself, and for the errors of the people.

8 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the Holy Place has not yet been revealed, while the first tent is yet standing;

9 which is an illustration of the present age, where gifts and sacrifices are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshipper perfect;

10 being only (with meats and drinks and various washings) fleshly ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.

11 But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation,

12 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption.

The High Priest represents Jesus, who offered himself, once for all,
to obtain eternal redemption, and now sits in the real Holy Place,
in heaven as a final sacrifice for sin. No one else has ever done
that, before or since. So who else can say what lies beyond? Who
are you going to believe? Who has the authority to speak about the
subject? It's a lofty subject.


On the other hand, Jesus didn't leave
any room for opinion. That's the big issue
that many people have with scripture -- it
leaves no room for opinion. Scripture says
that there is a devil. They don't believe
it. Does their unbelief make it true?


As believers in Jesus, there isn't any
reason to persecute those who believe
something else. Here's what Jesus said:

Mt 5:43 "You have heard that it was said,

`You shall love your neighbor, and hate

your enemy.`

44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless

those who curse you, do good to those who

hate you, and pray for those who spitefully

use you and persecute you,

45 that you may be sons of your Father who

is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise

on the evil and the good, and sends rain on

the just and the unjust.

This doesn't say that we are to accept
their beliefs. It says that we are to do
whatever we are able to do, that will be of
benefit to others, because that's what G-d
does. That's the scriptural definition of
love -- doing good. Doing good, is more
than looking good. It means to set aside
self-interest for the benefit of others.
Simple, never easy. It conflicts with our
intense self-interest.


Truth is important. Love is even more so.
The former is difficult, the latter is near
impossible. Wouldn't it be a change if
followers of Jesus could get into the habit
of going around in circles that loves their
enemies? The world is still looking for
something real. As for the pagans of the
world, I invite them, as well as whosoever
will, to repent, have a change of heart and
mind. Get on the bus.