Mere Christianity and Surprised by Joy

Third lecture in C.S. Lewis series by Louis Markos.  It is on Ethics and the Tao.

This is C.S. Lewis's most bizarre choice of words for the best proof of God's existence.  He hijacks Confucius's word of Confusion and applies it to God's ultimate moral standard.  It's like, all people everywhere have an inner knowledge that you should not kill, cheat on your wife, steal, etc.  They would not have this if there was no God to give them this standard, therefore, there is a God.

Lewis does take the wrong path in implying that God placed this inner knowledge inside all people, although it's similar to Romans 1, God is obvious simply through his creation.  I'm going to take a different route and go with the arguments of both Jason Lisle of Answers and Genesis and William of Occam (I'm not sure if I'm citing the latter correctly.)  Lisle pretty much took Lewis's Tao and formulated the ultimate proof of creation: the fact that we all have a moral code.  If there was no God, there would be no morals or reason to not kill, cheat on your wife, steal, etc.  The fact that people have moral standards is proof that a divine being did give us laws and order to the planet.  But this reason is not because of an inner conscious.

I believe it was William of Occam who got his name on the Ontological argument.  Correct me if I'm wrong.  Please.  Basically, all people have a concept of God in their minds.  This concept would not exist if there was no God.  God's existence is proven simply because we all have a mental concept of God.  Although I've always liked that argument, it seemed rather simplistic until I became a fan of Answers in Genesis.  I seriously think Ken Ham has perfected the Ontological argument when he talks about dinosaurs.  People all over the world have dragon legends, pictures and tales.  The word dinosaur was not coined until 1841, so in 1611, the King James Bible would have called such creatures dragons.  Have you ever read of Job's Behemoth and Leviathan?  Read the descriptions of Behemoth's cedar-like tale or Leviathan who breathes sparks.  He's describing a dinosaur and a fire-breathing dragon.  No joke.  So, obviously, dinosaurs were real, they went extinct, but they lived to the middle ages because before 1841, they were called dragons. 

Why would this all be true?  We have bones, fossils, legends and paintings all over the world, and God also sent a great Flood that would churn the earth into looking old, stack the rocks in a such a way that the dinosaurs would be buried and fossilized rapidly, and give us all the evidence we need to prove God and his Word.  And Noah would have had dragons on his Ark.  And they would have provided all the tales of slayings and knights and sacrifices, etc.

Still, why does this prove the Ontological argument?  Because God really created Adam, and all people really are descended from him.  After his fall, he told his children about God, who told their children.  Then they all sinned, and God destroyed them in a flood but had mercy on Noah and his family.  Noah told his children about God who passed it on to their children who migrated all over the world.  Many turned their backs on the true God despite what they knew and invented other gods more to their liking, but still, we all come from Noah, he told us all about God, therefore we all have a concept of God, proving him true.  So there's the process, and that's all I will say about Lewis's Tao tonight.

Calvinistic Mad Libs

Baseball Broadcast

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Crimson Barber, your sportscaster, bringing you the last inning of the game between the Cleveland Pontiffs and the Published Yankees.  Pope John 22 is pitching for the Yankees.  Here's the pitch!  It's a low betrayed ball that just cuts the inside of the soul for a strike.  That makes the count 22 strikes and 28 balls.  Now here's the next pitch.  The batter swings and connects.  It's a long, high Cardinal out to mortal field.  But St. Peter is coming up fast and has it for the second out.  The next batter up is John Calvin, the Cleveland Roman-stop.  Here's the pitch...and it's a hit...a short ground ball to third posterity.  Martin Luther scoops it up and throws it to first base for the out, and the game is over.  And the Yankees move into second place in the noted league.

-- Words chosen at random from the Institutes 4.7.28

Mother and Son

Mother: Junior, you come right inside.  You're late, and your supper is getting absurd.
Son: Aw, Mom.  I've been out playing Sense Ball with some of the other devils.
M: Well, get inside.  And don't forget to wipe your muddy churches.
S: Okay, Mom.  Can I watch television while I eat?  There's an impious new show on.
M: No, not whiel you're eating your idol.
S: But Mom! "Have Temple Will Travel" is on.
M: No, sir.  You've been watching too much television.  You're liable to strain your licenses.
S: Gee whiz! That's my favorite program.  It stars Tim Challies as the gunslinger.
M: Never mind.  God and wash your College of Cardinals.
S: Aw, Mom.  I don't have to.  I'm devoid.
M: don't talk back to me, young man, or I'll have to speak to your ear.

From Institutes 4.7.29

One more: Father Goose Rhymes

Old Mother Hubbard went to the lead
To get her antique Romanist a bone.
When she got there, the bull was respectful,
And so her complete dog had none.

Jack and Jill went up the church
To fetch a tomb of water.
Jack fell down and broke his enemy,
And Jill came tumbling after.

There was a little girl and she had a little curl
Right in the middle of her court.
And when she was vicegerent, she was very, very opposed,
And when she was bad, she was successive.

There was a spiritual woman
Who transferred in a shoe.
She had so many priests
She didn't know what to do.

Hi, diddle, diddle, the Pontiff and the fiddle,
The Antichrist jumped over the one.
The little dog laughed to see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the defection.

Little Miss Muffet sat on a charge,
Eating her curds and Papacy.
Along came a meaning and sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Little Boy Blue come blow your tuning fork.
The sheep's in the temple,
The cow's in the soul.
Where is the spiritual boy who looks after the sheep?
He's under the kingdom, fast asleep.

Mary had little serpent.
Its church was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went
Her mask was sure to show.

Institutes 4.7.25 and 26

The internet

Oh internet, oh internet
Why do you quit me once a month?
Oh internet, oh internet
How can I blog if you're out to lunch?

My head was full of polemics
But now they're floating without words
Oh internet, oh internet
How can they e'er find structure?

The Holy Spirit

For many weeks now, I have been bewailing John MacArthur's disdain for infant baptism.  However, he's still my favorite famous preacher.  I had a conversation with a guy last week about what it means to live by the Holy Spirit, and lo and behold, on You Tube, Johnny Mac had a sermon about the Holy Spirit.  It was so timely and I took notes and then made this video.  I don't have the caliber of MacArthur, but I do have a YouTube account.  And there was much rejoicing.

Listening to Records: Wexford Carol

I remember ages ago I had this compilation CD from Christian singers put out by BEC records.  On it Switchfoot had a song called "Evergreen."  It was a wonderful song.  If anybody can find it, I'd love to see it on YouTube.

But alas, it's not on there today, so I'll go with the Wexford Carol as sung by Moya Brennan, Enya's sister, who I'm sure is still a Christian.

Here is the text:

Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending his beloved son
With Mary holy we should pray,
To God with love this Christmas Day
In Bethlehem upon that morn,
There was a blessed Messiah born

The night before that happy tide
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town
But mark right well what came to pass
From every door repelled, alas
As was foretold, their refuge all
Was but a humble ox's stall

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep
To whom God's angel did appear
Which put the shepherds in great fear
Arise and go, the angels said
To Bethlehem, be not afraid
For there you'll find, this happy morn
A princely babe, sweet Jesus, born

With thankful heart and joyful mind
The shepherds went the babe to find
And as God's angel had foretold
They did our Saviour Christ behold
Within a manger he was laid
And by his side a virgin maid
Attending on the Lord of Life
Who came on earth to end all strife

Friday Facts on a Friday

Today was great.  Last night my lawyer that I intern with called and said that I don't have to come in because they were doing training.

I did ask her if I could research something in my local library.

I ended up at Chick-fil-A studying for Monday's exam when she texted me, in multiple texts, this divorce for me to research.

I did that for an hour and a half and realized that the Conyers library, though decent, is just nothing without a key digest.  And I still had to use Westlaw later on to shephardize the cases I found.

I didn't think I'd be able to go, but I was so happy that I could go to the party at Refuge for the end of Ashlee's internship.  It was so good to see all those women and see Ashlee before she volunteers there only twice a week and on days that I don't volunteer. 

I hope I'm studied up for Monday's test.  At least tomorrow I'll take a break to make and eat cookies at another friend's cookie swap.

I'd better remind myself to eat light until then.

Wet Christmas

I'm dreaming of a wet Christmas
Because in Georgia it don't snow
It gets just as cold and just as old
And next day the sun will come and glow

I'm dreaming of a wet Christmas
So I can crank the heat up high
Snuggle in my Snuggie and sigh
Thanking God my Christmases aren't white