noeasyanswer

0047 Masking and Church Before it becomes any more of a hot button issue, I humbly submit some thoughts about masking and the church at large. This is most certainly not the first pandemic the church has seen but it is quite possibly the most divisive.  What can we do to stay united in Christ even with differing opinions and practices? 2020-12-29

0046 Christmas 2020 Thank you Lord for coming here to be with us as one of us.  It´s this years Christmas podcast.  2020-12-21

0045 Violence: Corporal Punishment from the Authorities Rounding out the topic of Corporal Punishment, this week I look at what corporal punishment from the authorities looks like in scripture and in practice.  Romans 12 and 13 help distinguish between the roles of the government and of the church.  Finally, what does the research say about corporal punishment and how is our current syst...

0044 Violence: Corporal Punishment in Parenting This is a case where science and scripture diverge wildly.  Studies consistently show the negative effects of corporal punishment on children while the Bible extols the virtue of the rod.  In this podcast, I first go over the scientific view of the matter and lament the limited studies on discipline in general. Next, a brief look at the Bib...

0043 Violence: Bullying Continuing on with particular examples of violence, we come next to bullying.  Once lived by many and ignored beyond the teenage years, bullying has now come into the general spot light.  I take a look at the Biblical example of Gideon to give some insight into the matter and what our Christian response can be when confronted by bullies and how we can treat bullie...

0042 Violence: Abortion The first examination of particular acts of violence in a semi alphabetical order.  The debate over abortion is always set as one of rights vs life.  I propose that the issue is that of equality or life. In this extended episode, I look at the Biblical perspective on abortion, how it gets framed in our society on both sides of the isle and finally, what the Christ...

0041 Violence: Neutral Structures Part 3 In this last look at neutral structures, the question is considered whether the Christian is called to ever attack a neutral structure or the people that are part of or identified with the neutral structure.  In examining this, we come to the point of decision: to choose that which gives life, or that which brings death.   2020-11-03

0040 Violence: Neutral Structures: In Defense What is our role as Christians in terms of defending neutral structures? Can we ever support a structure carte-blanche?  It is correct to think that a structure represents God's plans in the world or God Himself?   2020-10-27

In many cases, the position of a Christian should be easy to define when referring to certain types of structures.  In this episode, I being to analyze neutral structures and what our position, attitude and actions should be regarding these most common type of structures.  Some examples include businesses, governments, police and armed forces.   2020-10-21

0038 Violence: Evil Structures What is to be done about evil structures?  Ironically enough, this is possibly the clearest of all structures to deal with.  First and foremost is to differentiate between the structure and the people since our struggle is not against flesh and blood.  Ephesians 6 is our guide to stand.   2020-09-22

0037 Violence: Good Structures In the next few podcasts, I will be examining what our response as followers of Christ should be to violent and oppressive structures.  As frequently as not, good intentioned, necessary structures become misguided, oppressive and violent.  How does Jesus deal with them?  2020-09-15

0036 Violence: How God treats a Structure What can be learned by how God treated the Egyptians within the Egyptian empire as well as the Hebrews in the time of Exodus?  How does God judge a structure (in this case, the country under Pharaoh´s rule) and how does He judge the individuals within the country?  The answer may not be all that comforting, yet our response needs always be the sa...

0035 Something Admirable Challenge Introducing the Something Admirable Challenge (name is still a work in progress) to be revealed this Thursday.  But get ahead of the game and listen now!  How can we as followers of Christ bless and speak well of all people in this moment of such division and hatred?  This is a vehicle towards just such an effort.   Stay tuned!!! 2020-09-01

0034 Violence: Structures Being part of a group adds identity that is more than the identity of the individual.  This causes a certain justification within our minds for victims of violence that are identified with violent groups. In this podcast, I talk about the recent massacre in Samaniego, Colombia and the conflict there as a bridge point to understanding systemic violence.  2020-08-...

0033 Violence: Definition of Violence and Oppression Finally, a definition of violence, even if it is a bit anti-climatic.  Additionally, is oppression violence?  Is all violence oppression?  What does violence look like beyond individuals and in groups and systems?  Our initial response to these questions may reveal more about our current social status than our true core belie...

0032 Violence: Chaos and Monsters As a beginning of systematic violence and also as a continuation of the concepts of libetry and order, chaos becomes the topic at hand.  What is chaos and how is it depicted biblically? What inhabits the environment of chaos and what is our role regarding chaos? 2020-08-11

0031 A Personal Story And now for something completely different.  A bit of life shared.  2020-08-04

0030 Violence: Liberty and Order Before looking at other forms of violence, both in the Bible and the world, there is a framework necessary to understand: The Liberty-Order Spectrum.  All freedom means no order, while all order implies no freedom. These extremes don't exist, either in the natural world, nor in the social.  None the less, if we are honest with ourselves,  we want fre...

0029 Violence: Can Christians use Violence? Regardless of whether God Himself uses violence or not, our role as followers of Christ is rather clear.  While violence will always be the most expedient way to resolve a difference, to start and maintain a kingdom and to ensure personal protection, the path of Christ is the path of love towards enemies, of forgiveness and ultimately to sacrifice....

0028 Violence: God of Peace.  Part of the dialectic on God´s character and violence.  Here I take the position that God is best revealed through Jesus Christ and it is through Him that we can best understand the scriptures and God Himself.  While Jesus certainly isn´t "nice", He is a peace maker and suffers violence rather than commits it to others.  At heart, He is about recon...

How is the Bible so full of blood if telling the story of an all loving God?  This is not an easy question and the best answer is the one that's comes after wrestling with God.  To help in that wrestling process, this episode provides one argument of a dialectic that God is free and is best suited to use violence as necessary even if that unsettles us.  Next, the second part of the...

0026 Violence: From Cain to Noah: Two family lines are drawn. One from Cain where violence increases and one from Seth, where violence also increases.  We add violence from insecurity to violence from comparison to the list of violent causes.  Even after the flood, God admits that violence is within the heart of man even from youth.  This is the last look at the beginning of violenc...

Upon separating himself from God's presence, Cain embarks upon a journey of searching.  Yet the more he searches, the less he finds.  Railing against the God of Creation, he tries countless new beginnings only to find himself the same more than ever.  Eschewing the punishment of being an errant and vagabond, he builds a city where surrounded by houses, he will live homeless the rest...

God is just, but His mercy out runs His justice.  We often hope for God's justice upon others and His mercy for ourselves.  God is God and will do what He will do.  How He treats Cain is far different that what justice what demand, yet still holds consequences barred by mercy.   2020-06-08

I have to break with the series and process so much of what is going on right now.  I am sorry if I offend anyone, as this is almost stream of consciousness, but I can´t keep it in.  The question that got under my skin was this: What is fair? If my son breaks one of my daughter´s toys, the fair thing is for him to lose one of his toys.  So, if a group of people abduct people from an...