Comments on: Truth & Consequences

By: The Faith of ‘Progressivism’ – Bruce Hanify

The Faith of ‘Progressivism’ – Bruce Hanify — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 06:19:32 +0000

[...] Man Cannot Exist Without Transcendent Absolutes, even Though he Denies Their Existence. It did not matter, or it somehow escaped their otherwise sharpened intellects, that all men and all worlds dwell within a miracle and a mystery so deep and so far beyond the understanding of the human mind that we simply lack the senses to perceive it — except through the ancient embedded sense of faith alone. Indeed, relying on the fact that “faith” is not obviously tied to any single sense organ, they would deny that it is a sense at all. And the more you deny the sense of faith in yourself, the weaker and more vestigial it becomes. [...]

By: John

John — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:27:31 +0000

I have nothing to add, except, “well said.”

By: Honest 2 God » Linky Love Wednesday

Honest 2 God » Linky Love Wednesday — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:47:41 +0000

[...] you’re looking for something meaty to chew on, then you’ll want to head over to this post at The Doctor Is In blog. It’s not an easy read, but it is well worth [...]

By: Roger Drew Williams

Roger Drew Williams — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:33:22 +0000

Once again I thank you for causing my mind to engage. As I progress through my daily schedule, i find it difficult to get beyond the mundane. You, Sir, never seem to fail at prodding my grey matter to contemplate weightier subjects, and your talent to do so is truly a blessing. I pray that God has a long life planned for you to enable you to open the minds of a multitude of others and continue to let the light shine upon the path we all trod along.

By: retriever

retriever — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:16:35 +0000

Worth the wait! Good stuff! I especially like the section on “to deny absolutes is to deny the freedom of the will” which reminds me of some arguments in Jonathan Edwards on how the freedom of the will consists in conforming our passions and will to the will of God. (But can’t give an exact reference as I have only a Blackberry in a camp here w no internet and can’t find the book amongst some 8000 shifted around during winter fixup work).

Also particularly liked your picture of how evolutionary biology is often described in language that implies intention and design rather than randomness. I took a course of E.O.Wilson’s in college that had a huge impact on me, and still admire him, and it grieves me that people set evolutionary biology and the faith at odds. We live in a fallen world, and only see thru a glass darkly as yet but evolutionary biology (however imperfect) has shed much light. There was a remark attributed to Jonathan Edwards about how we contribute to the glory of God ehich intrigues me. God is truth. God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. Yet our theories and ideas and struggles to see the patterns in His universe do, I believe, please Him and ornament it. Much as our own kids’ kindergarten art adorns our fridges and offices and makes us smile in affection. It’s not Art, any more than our debate is Truth. But still of value to the One who created us with the will to understand and adorn and heal and create in this world.

You explain weighty concepts far more clearly than my own over-personal blather. I was discussing with a friend this week just these things your post addresses. Bewailed how stupid I felt lately at not being able to out argue my college aged kids who are going thru the sceptical or agnostic phase. He consoled me w a quote a friend had just sent him about how what matters is not to think too hard about our faith, but just to keep our focus on Christ. Or words to that effect.

This is, after all, patterning ourself after X. Who was being asked to enter into philosophical debate on Truth but who resolutely kept His eyes on His Father, conforming His Will to that of the One who sent him.