In the late 1700s in England, Baptist churches were generally “Particular.” “Particular” meant Calvinist... focusing great import on the doctrine of divine sovereignty, and minimizing or even denying human freedom of will. There were “General” (Freewill) Baptists since the beginning of the Baptist Movement in the early 1600s but during the late 1700s they had …
Continue reading Baptist Movement. Reflections on Flexible Distinctions. Part I
It is common to say that "Love is the most powerful force in the Universe." It is part of romantic philosophy (if there is such a thing). It is often thought of as Christian. And perhaps it is. God is greater than the Universe. Since God can be characterized by love, then love in some …
Continue reading Negative and Positive Words in Countercultural Balance
I must note that I am an outsider. Although I have lived in the Philippines almost 9 years, my wise is Fil-Am, as well as my children, I was born in the US, and am not Filipino by ancestry. Because of this, I am a bit removed from some of the emotional turmoil associated with …
Here is another quote from "In Praise of Doubt" by Peter Berger and Anton Zijderveld: "In his classic study When Prophecy Fails (1956), Leon Festinger argued that people who are deeply committed to a belief and its related courses of action won't lose this belief when events falsify its assertions, as when a prophesied event …
Continue reading Belief vs Doubt vs Disbelief V (Welcome 2013!!)
Strange title. Anyway, and I may have put this story in a blogpost before, many years ago, I was on an inspection team of the USS Truett. The USS Truett was a Knox-class Frigate in the United States Navy. While on board, only for a couple of days, I was talking to a petty officer …
Continue reading Parable of the USS Truett (and Missionary Member Care)
Quote from St. Columba (521AD - 597AD). Founder of a monastery in Iona that he turned into a Celtic Christian missions training school (these trainees became known as the peregrini). I believe this is a good wish for you and me (and all of us in 2013) . "O Lord, grant us that love which …