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I think the point was an assertion was answered by an assertion.
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I think the point was an assertion was answered by an assertion....well, now that that is settled, I guess we can all just close our accounts here on Christian Forums and get on with life.
I think the point was an assertion was answered by an assertion.
Amen and amen. Once you really encounter the Savior you know and you know that you know Who He is.You know, the person who knows and loves Jesus, who experiences the conviction, strengthening, illumination of mind, comfort, and material supply of God on a daily basis does not wonder if God exists and if the Christian faith is true. Too often, people claiming to be Christians do not really know what it means to walk with God, to experience Him, every day. They aren't sure what God's conviction is; they don't recall ever seeing God's truth in a new, and deeper, and fuller way; they have never really experienced His strengthening in the face of temptation; they don't know what it is to be comforted by Him, and so on. Is it any wonder, then, that they grow skeptical of their faith and of the God it claims to reveal? Arguments, however philosophically clever, cannot ever make up for actually walking with God. Your friend's skepticism needs to be met ultimately by the Person of Christ, by God Himself, not by arguments about Him. In the light of this fact, I offer you the following website links:
www.reasonablefaith.org
www.str.org
www.coldcasechristianity.com
www.crossexamined.org
I think He wants us to understand right now. When Messiah was asked which of the Commandments were the most important - not asked which were now null and void as some think - He quoted the Old Testament which says to love YHWH, aka God, with all our hearts and souls and minds and to love others as ourselves. As for the 10 Commandments they are all about love. If you love the Lord you don't bow down to other gods and you keep His Sabbath holy. If you love others you don't steal from them or murder them, etc. That's why He said that all the Law and the Prophets hang on love.It is more important to obey the Lord's commandments than it is to understand why we need to obey the Lord's commandments. They are there to help us. Someday we will understand why.
On a separate note, I would avoid Calvinism or what they like to call "reformed" theology (to hide its founder) as that is divorced from logic when it comes to God. They can reason out everything except God being morally good so at that point, reason has to be jettisoned to conform with the theology. So if your friend is struggling with the rational, Calvinism will only make matters words.
How does one remain faithful while struggling with analytical thoughts?
I am attempting to aid someone with this.
If you have any resources - such as books or blog articles - I would love to explore anything you recommend.
Thank you so much for your support.
God bless xx
And those who hold it are totally intolerant of any other position, same as Calvin the founder of the faith. Death to those who disagree. This fruit alone is enough to convince a thinking man that something is wrong with a theology that insists those who accept it become intolerant of their Christian brethren thinking anything different.Actually, Reformed theology is the only correct theology.
Except those who are not Calvinists do not write that their way of thinking is thee only way. Different fruit. And if we were to have a discussion with those who are not Calvinists, who understand God, you will not find that they reach a wall and abandon logic. You might feel differently, but the facts are such that the Calvinist position requires the abandonment of reason and logic at an early reached point. This is just not so with a coherent theology that does not insist on Calvinist intrepretation of God and salvation. God is rational, you know. And those who know Him discover that we can love God with our minds and He and His ways are completely coherent. It is a really beautiful thing.I feel the same way about Arminian/Weslyian systems of theology, they should have not rejected St. Augustine, nor the theology of the Reformers, but some just think they know better than those before them, too bad so sad.
On a separate note, I would avoid Calvinism or what they like to call "reformed" theology (to hide its founder) as that is divorced from logic when it comes to God.
I would submit that BOTH Arminian and Calvinist positions are the product of left brain analysis of scripture.I feel the same way about Arminian/Weslyian systems of theology,
God thinks in left and right sides and He explains it really well if one is prepared to adjust or sometimes abandon ones preferred position.I would submit that BOTH Arminian and Calvinist positions are the product of left brain analysis of scripture.
The bible was NOT written from a left brain analytical mindset or viewpoint; and I would submit that to try to understand it in that mode will lead to errors.
I recall Arabic is from right go left. Does this mean that they too think like the jews? Just applying the theory to real life.The former chief Rabbi of the UK - Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks - gave an address this past spring where he addressed the mindset difference between Hebrew thought and Greek thought. He puts it down to right brain vs left brain. Left brain separates things for analysis, while right brain joins things together for meaning. He links that to right to left reading for Hebrew going to the right brain and left to right reading (modern languages) goes to the left brain.
Yes. Less analytical and more relational.I recall Arabic is from right go left. Does this mean that they too think like the jews? Just applying the theory to real life.
Do you really see all who read left to right as more analytical? Does this those who can’t read are neither more analytical nor more relational?Yes. Less analytical and more relational.
I would submit that BOTH Arminian and Calvinist positions are the product of left brain analysis of scripture.
The bible was NOT written from a left brain analytical mindset or viewpoint; and I would submit that to try to understand it in that mode will lead to errors.
I think the whole left right brain division unfounded. It probably comes from the materialist world view that assume matter is everything. That is, if you’re right handed, it influences your thinking. If this were true, there’d be only two kinda if people. As it is, there are more than two kinds. They don’t divide into analytical or relational. People who love think and people who think also love.My thought is, everyone who approaches Scripture, approaches it with assumptions or presuppositions, a network of beliefs (however large or small, organized or disorganized) through which they interpret and process with the brain what is read with the eyes. Not until the words connect with the heart, the eyes given sight by the grace and mercy of God, they are as literature to the brain.
Except those who are not Calvinists do not write that their way of thinking is thee only way. Different fruit. And if we were to have a discussion with those who are not Calvinists, who understand God, you will not find that they reach a wall and abandon logic. You might feel differently, but the facts are such that the Calvinist position requires the abandonment of reason and logic at an early reached point. This is just not so with a coherent theology that does not insist on Calvinist intrepretation of God and salvation. God is rational, you know. And those who know Him discover that we can love God with our minds and He and His ways are completely coherent. It is a really beautiful thing.
Ah. Left brain at work.Do you really see all who read left to right as more analytical? Does this those who can’t read are neither more analytical nor more relational?
same as Calvin the founder of the faith
Death to those who disagree.
the Calvinist position requires the abandonment of reason and logic at an early reached point
I agree we won’t debate here. And I appreciate your openness and honesty.Usually Calvinists are accused being too logical. Many years ago, when I started studying theology in a more systematic manner, I found so few systematic theology works written by non-Calvinists. By comparison I found many written by Calvinists. Interestingly, one of the aims of systematic theology is to distill theology in an organized coherent consistent manner, demonstrating the links, the overlap, the relationship between one doctrine and another, it is fascinating, well to me at least, but I am a bit different. Oh yes, God is rational, and this may be a bit of a shock, but it was through Calvinists, that I learned conceptual, immaterial, universal, absolute laws of logic, can only be accounted for objectively in the mind of God (objective truth), perfectly and exhaustively. But anyway, this is not an area for debate, and I am refraining, but hopefully something to think about, if not there's always the Puritans to read.
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