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| Reynisdrangar at Sunset-Iceland-Google+ |
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| Annual Winter Village arranged artistically by my friend Ryan Murphy (Cousin Buff, cousin of Bobby), |
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| He stated it takes ten to twelve hours to arrange and produce. |
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| Primarily Dickensville pieces. |
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| Viewing reminded me of 19 century Europe or Eastern North America. Ryan stated pieces are based on England. |
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| Movable trains not from Dickensville, but fit in scale-wise. |
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| The red moving train is CN as in Canadian National. |
Thoughts On Awkward Moments Children's Bible
Genesis
I was at Northview Community Church (Mennonite Brethren), Sunday for I think the seventh out of eight weeks now. Before and after the service I met with one of the leadership in discussion and he stated that there were 3500 to 4000 people attending per week.
Five thousand for the Christmas service.
Quite a change from my previous, fine church.
The sermon included a discussion of Genesis 1 and argumentation that God as the maker of human beings had rights over them.
My take:
Biblically and theologically.
God creates humanity in Genesis 1-2.
Physical death as punishment for sin is noted in Genesis 2-3.
In 2 Corinthians 5, the judgement seat of Christ is mentioned for those in Christian faith and philosophy and there is Revelation 20 which is considered a judgement of the unrighteous or perhaps a general judgement.
A demonstration of rights over humanity/creation.
Mounce opines, 'In any case judgement proceeds on the evidence supplied both by the book of deeds and the book of life. This seems to support a general judgment rather than one restricted to the wicked dead.' Mounce (1990: 366).
See Revelation 20: 12, this appears the case.
Philosophically and theologically
As mentioned previously blogging, philosophically, I lean toward. the concept, although admittedly not dogmatically as there would be counter argumentation, that the first cause, which from a Biblical perspective in Genesis 1, John 1, is God, would have the right at any time to destroy his creation, unless God had stated otherwise in regards to humanity.
God is the only necessary existence, being infinite and eternal, and human beings like all finite beings are contingent. God is necessary because he could not have been false, a definition of necessary would be such a thing. A necessary truth could not have been otherwise. A contingent truth is one that is true but could be false. Blackburn (1996: 257). Human beings as creations would be contingent.
Philosophically as human beings do not have to exist, unless God stated otherwise, the creator could philosophically and hypothetically justly have a reality without human beings at any time.
By this I mean complete human non-existence or less, physical death, reasoning physical death would be an aspect of destruction, although in the case of humanity, documented in Scripture to have an immaterial component (Genesis 2), not complete non-existence.
However, I realize as God has made certain promises of everlasting life in Scripture (The Gospel of John as example), thankfully from a human perspective, God is therefore bound by his word to at least maintain the elect (Ephesians 1, Romans 8) in everlasting life physical/spiritual life (1 Corinthians 13) unto a culminated Kingdom of God through the salvific work of Christ. (Revelation 21-22).
Therefore from (zygote) embryo to elderly, all humanity is under the curse of death. From Genesis considered a just judgement.
Awkward Moments Children's Bible
The Pastor at Northview mentioned the Awkward Moments Children's Bible in the sermon and how it is written by someone formerly of Christian ministry that mocks Christianity via use of Scripture.
Letting the Bible supposedly hang itself, so to speak.
But with the Noah example from the You Tube which was also shown at church as image, a major focus seems to be the dead persons and animals by God's judgement. Implying that God is somehow immoral and unethical in this.
But I just provided the reasonable premises that God as first cause has the right to destroy second causes and no longer have them exist.
I just dealt with the issue of human sinfulness.
If human beings are sinful, then God would have the moral and ethical right to take the lives of persons in a world where he states in Genesis 6: 5 from the New American Standard Bible:
Genesis 6:5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Animals do not sin, not being rational to the point of being able to consciously obey or disobey God in thought, act and action, but again are secondary causes that God would have the right to terminate.
Not stating I personally prefer this at all, I do not, I am also not in any way supporting human abuse to any living creatures, human beings or animals.
There is also a promise of the new heaven and earth in Revelation 21-22 and therefore other life could be reasoned to exist as well in the new permanent realm, such as animals.
But as a philosopher of religion and theologian I see God as having this right of life and death without a change in his attributes and character which I reason is perfect holiness and goodness.
If God takes the lives of animals and humans his attributes and nature do not change and he remains holy Exodus 3, implied Exodus 20.
Ellison notes that the anthropomorphical is used (Ellison 1986: 120) in describing God's sorrow at this point.
I do not reason that God is demonstrating finite nature at this point in Genesis 6, but rather demonstrating his disappointment with human sin and as human beings have dominion over (Genesis 1) the planet, creation and animals.
The punishment takes place over the realm.
Distasteful and will be considered unfair by many twenty-first century standards, but nonetheless Biblically and theologically consistent.
No finite creature has everlasting physical life within this present realm, theologically or within the material realm as scientifically understood.
Death: 'The point at which the processes that maintain an organism alive no longer function.' Oxford (2010: 223).
BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
ELLISON, H.L. (1986) ‘Genesis’, in F.F. Bruce (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
MOUNCE, ROBERT H. (1990) The Book of Revelation, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
OXFORD DICTIONARY OF SCIENCE (2010), Oxford, Oxford University Press.
