One important concept regarding the economic principles applied globally today was that it sprang from “hedonistic relativism” which is defined as “do what feels good now, for there is no God but ourselves, and tomorrow we die.” As ludicrous as this may sound, this is the prevailing attitude of the world today. Hedonistic relativism is a mixture of hedonism and relativism. They both end in the suffix “ism”. That suffix is derived from both Ancient Greek and Latin meaning “taking side with” or … [Read more...] about Rationalism Today
Growth
The Garden of Eden Prototype
When God created mankind there was a strong bond between the Creator and the Created. This bond extended to the rest of the earthly creation that God had made. Man was to work with the environment to subdue it and have dominion. In other words, he was to dress and keep it. God and man walked together, they talked together, and they worked together. All of those things are contained in the first chapters of Genesis. The Creator, Man, and the environment all worked … [Read more...] about The Garden of Eden Prototype
Handling Conflict
We all deal with conflict daily, in many forms. Even the church has conflict, internal and external, from time to time. With the Bible as our guide, which biblical examples can teach us about a specific quality that foils conflict? Where does this quality come from? What does it lead to? Let’s consider Gideon’s example to identify this quality. Chosen by God as a judge of Israel he was assigned to defeat a threat from neighboring Midian (Judges 6:1-8:21). He assembled an army of 32,000, but … [Read more...] about Handling Conflict
Navigating Church Dichotomy Without Cynicism
The Church today presents a fairly complex panorama. Many different organizations each claim in their own way to be the true Church. But there are various flavors of culture and to some degree flavors of doctrine. Consequently, it is important to help young people figure out how to navigate the Church landscape today. There is a chasm between what the Church is and what it’s supposed to look like. It’s difficult for all of us. But it is especially problematic for young people who are … [Read more...] about Navigating Church Dichotomy Without Cynicism
2024 Relationship Challenges
Due to the natural proclivity of the human mind to focus inward on self, relationships in “the world” are deteriorating. Nations are turning inward as are the communities that form a nation. We see the emergence of what is being called “Identity Politics” and the “New Tribalism.” This is a form of polarization which has as its underpinning an emphasis on self. This should not surprise us as we know the god of this world is a self-promoter. At the personal level, our present cancel culture is … [Read more...] about 2024 Relationship Challenges
Is the Web a Source of Wisdom?
We hear very little about wisdom today. Instead, we hear more and more about the importance of information — about the virtues of information and the benefits of increased information. “Big data” and “data mining” are the buzz words of the day. These are quite literally seen by humanity as their savior. But it is important to recognize that information, knowledge, and wisdom are not the same things. I want to lay out the building blocks first from a humanistic … [Read more...] about Is the Web a Source of Wisdom?
Digital Distraction
If there has ever been a group of people that are called upon to use their minds, it is the people of God who have chosen to live His way of life. When I say, “use our minds”, I don’t mean human reasoning or logic; there is to be an emphasis on teaching, thinking, and understanding. Many religious systems are devised by men, who very often downplay teaching in favor of rituals. To them, rituals and traditions are what is most important. But true faith requires that we use our … [Read more...] about Digital Distraction