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January 2009
The Archives
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Random
Weather or Not.
Well, the roads have pretty much thawed here in Dallas. I suspect that we’ll get some freezing weather tonight, but my then, most of the precipitation should be dried up.
It’s interesting how the weather seems to affect my mood lately. I don’t believe it’s always like this, but when things are slow at work, the weather can contribute to an overall sense of “blah”. I have things to do, but don’t feel like doing them. I feel cooped up - even when I’m able to get out and about.
But today, it is pretty sunny. Ice is melting, and temperatures are rising (at least temporarily). Actually have some work to do. Spirits are up a bit.
Now if they’ll just get these new tires put on, I can roll on outta here.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
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Random
Doubt.
Watched the movie Doubt last night. The film has mostly received postive reviews, but the performances have universally been applauded. I thought it was very well done, and I have to say that Philip Seymour Hoffman continues to be one of our generation’s finest actors. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams are both superb as well. I waited a while to see this one because it just didn’t sound like a whole lot of fun. Turns out it wasn’t. Obviously it was a bit depresssing, but it was certainly worthwhile. Recommended.
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Random
A New Direction.
Well, it’s been about a year since I started Halfwritings, and I’ve decided it’s time for a change. Those of you that know me well know that this has gone on longer than could have been expected.
Instead of being a themed blog as it has been since early last year, I have decided to make Halfwritings both broader and more personal at the same time. It will become far less structured than it was previously and hopefully become more of a reflection of all my current thoughts and interests. Posts will likely be shorter and more frequent (I hope). I specifically wanted to let those of you that are subscribers know about this change, because it may affect whether you continue to subscribe. Frankly, I don’t know that you’ll want to be alerted to each post, as it may not be worth it.
Thanks to those of you that read and made comments to my posts over the last year. You can still find those posts on the site, but they will now all fall under the category of “Christianity and Faith.” As 2009 progresses, I hope to have posts that span many different categories - that one included.
Thanks again.
Derrick
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Christianity and Faith
Default Christian
A large percentage of people in the U.S. consider themselves to be Christian. I think it’s like 80-90% - or something like that. Yes, I realize I could look it up, but so can you. What am I, a statistician?
Anyway.
That sounds like a high percentage to me. But when I discuss religion or Christianity with various friends, I realize that I can pretty easily account for that number. It isn’t about denominations or behaviors or standards. It’s not about commitment level, effort or anything like that. It is a fundamental difference that makes comparing our two views of Christianity like comparing holy apples to holy oranges.
Here it is. Is God an entity, or is he just a good set of principles?
I think many people that consider themselves Christian don’t really believe in an all-powerful being - manifest in the form of Jesus Christ who came to earth, died, and rose again. They don’t think of him as a savior, and they don’t really acknowledge anything supernatural about the whole situation. (I realize that particular description has a Oneness slant, but I want to be clear that I am not even talking about the theological differences between Trinity and Oneness.) I am talking about God as a person versus God as a concept or a set of ideals.
I think the philosophical difference between these two views is huge. The gulf between God as a person and God as a rulebook is not to be underestimated. I think it is pretty easy for people to accept the idea that a really nice young Jewish guy named Jesus lived 2000 years ago, and that he had a lot of great ideas about how to treat each other. People aren’t so much for this idea as much as they aren’t against it. There’s a lot of “sure, I can admire that” - enough in fact that many people might actually check off the “Christian” box on a form if asked for their religious affiliation. By the way folks, if you are ever asked this during a job interview, make sure and report them to the Texas Workforce Commission or to your state’s work force authorities. But I digress.
The disappointing thing is how much I think these default Christians are missing out. It’s like having a set of rules with no relationship. Granted, the principles alone will make one a good citizen, but I would like to suggest that some of you that fall into this category reach farther. It is certainly a leap of faith, but it is one worth taking. If you want to know more, just ask me or someone you know who is active in their church. I’m no expert or anything, but I know enough to point you in the right direction. And I know it is worth the journey.
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