[CS-FSLUG] OT: Potter, Halloween and Philipians 4:8

[Eduardo Sanchez]

On Wednesday 08 March 2006 00.10, doc wrote:
> >             Well, I think everything points to God to some extent,
> > it is just a
> >     question of precisely how corrupt the image of God is in a
> > given work. The sacred/profane distinction isn't always useful.
>
> According to Jesus and Paul and other Bible authors it
> is critical.  The Bible draws a sharp distinction between
> the sacred and profane -- only fallen man sees the world
> as otherwise.
>
> That vague shadows of the Hand of God are still visible
> in the distorted mess that is the remnants of His once
> perfect creation does not make imperfection a reliable
> source of truth.

But seeing the realm of the sacred even in the created (but fallen 
world) and even affirming general revelation --as Tim and I do-- does 
not mean that the fallen world, or the whole general revelation, shold 
be "a reliable source of truth". What we want to say is that there _is_ 
a message, a communication from God out there. It is distorted, yes. Is 
it enough to make you guilty before God? yes. Is it enough to convey 
saving knowledge? No. For that, you need the special revelation of God, 
the Word of God, the Holy Bible.


>
> >      > I may be well-equipped to separate the gold from the dross
> >      > but I find efforts to generalize that Bible-like literature
> >      > is generically acceptable/Biblically inoffensive as
> >      > recommended reading theologically sloppy, at best.
> >
> >             I wouldn't say Bible-like literature is generally
> > Biblically inoffensive or a good source of theology.
> >
> >             Ok, let me explain. Personally, I am of the camp that
> >     believes there is general revelation.
>
> I am not sure why you'd call it a "camp".  General revelation is
> a basic Biblical concept.  One just has to be very careful to
> not read-in too much.

No one is doing that. However, I am concerned that you are reading 
perhaps too little in it.

>
> > I think everyone has at least some access to
> >     revelation from God, and that likely you will find this in
> > societies never contacted by Christians. The World Religions all
> > address certain concerns for good reason. However, this knowledge
> > of God is *not* a saving knowledge -- I wouldn't ever tell people
> > to close thy Bible and open thy Vedas. As a member of the Theology
> > of Crisis school of thought, it is entirely the wrong to approach a
> > knowledge of God from a method other than His special revelation to
> > us in Christ Jesus.
>
> Agreed.
>
> >             However, I see the usefulness of studying other texts
> > for various reasons -- apologetic, academic/critical, etc.
>
> The key is to take care that such studies do not displace
> serious and consistent Bible study nor that they take
> place in the absence of Christian accountability so that
> subtle deceptions do not acquire a foothold.

No one is advocating this, I think. If you thought so, I am afraid you 
are mistaken.

>
> J. Vernon McGee once said that "Seminary is a terrible
> thing to do to a Christian".  To the extent that obsessions
> with "Biblical criticism" from confused Christians and
> non-Christians undermine one's faith, or consuming studies
> of other religions or philosophies muddle one's faith, McGee
> is correct.

But again, this is not the case, neither in Tim's case, nor in anyone 
else's in this list, as long as I can tell. Therefore...???

>
> As an overall context I want to repeat that we must always
> separate what we read/view as informed and spiritually mature
> Christian adults from what a child (age/maturity) should
> absorb.
>
> doc

A child also has discernment. I would prefer him to read some books like 
Potter, and then discuss the Potter worldview vis-a-vis the Biblical 
worldview of a history of salvation marked by creation, fall, 
redemption and consummation, and the entrance of God in the world and 
the realm of human history in the person of Jesus Christ, True God and 
True Man.

Blessings,

Eduardo
-- 
Prof. Eduardo Sanchez
Asuncion, Paraguay, South America
http://shadow.sombragris.org
--------------------------------------------------------------
 What, without asking, hither hurried Whence?
 And, without asking, Whither hurried hence!
   Oh, many a Cup of this forbidden Wine
 Must drown the memory of that insolence!

	-- The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
	   

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