pretty good, well-balanced article on a Christian perspective on Harry Potter. extremely well-reseached and documented, and especially meaningful to me because i know his reference material very well (Narnia,LotR, and to a limited extent, CS Lewis' space trilogy).
http://decentfilms.com/sections/articles/magic.html
however, the article only compares the works based on their respective treatments of the concept of magic, and does not address the over-arching themes of the stories, which is one reason why i like Harry Potter so much. so it's not a complete view. further comments here.
http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?p=4470031
Apr 21, 2007
Mar 31, 2007
Mar 15, 2007
Mar 11, 2007
parental approval
i had this mental image of God talking to one of the othe beings that hang around in heaven, pointing at me and saying, "Look! See that guy there! Yeah! THAT one! That's my son!"
it feels quite nice.
it feels quite nice.
Mar 10, 2007
poultry-fication
i chickened out today. like a chicken running from the chopping block, when push came to shove, i exited, stage left. i'm mixing metaphors too. apparently it's a bad habit.
and so i'm left to ruminate on what could have been. the conditions were all right - pastor was there, lending his support. there were a whole bunch of old faces whom i hadn't seen in forever, and i do believe that they came for a reason. some people gave me discouraging remarks, but i had put that away as the result of an over-analytical mind. in every song i found words of encouragement, spurring me onwards. but.
and i feel a little bit like Peter, after the rooster crowed. left alone to rue decisions made in the heat of the fight. so terribly apt that i testified about failure today - look! it has come true again!
i am looking for the restoration that Jesus gave Peter, but i think that it has to come from the mouth of a person. and i have a few people in mind, so i guess that's good.
i've got a page of my planner that's gradually filling up with blog entries delayed. somehow i don't think they'll ever get posted.
and so i'm left to ruminate on what could have been. the conditions were all right - pastor was there, lending his support. there were a whole bunch of old faces whom i hadn't seen in forever, and i do believe that they came for a reason. some people gave me discouraging remarks, but i had put that away as the result of an over-analytical mind. in every song i found words of encouragement, spurring me onwards. but.
and i feel a little bit like Peter, after the rooster crowed. left alone to rue decisions made in the heat of the fight. so terribly apt that i testified about failure today - look! it has come true again!
i am looking for the restoration that Jesus gave Peter, but i think that it has to come from the mouth of a person. and i have a few people in mind, so i guess that's good.
i've got a page of my planner that's gradually filling up with blog entries delayed. somehow i don't think they'll ever get posted.
Feb 10, 2007
gay
Been reading 1 Corinthians for my daily QT... i realised some time ago that the Bible actually refers to homosexuals fairly often... it condemns homosexual activity in manifold locations in both the old and the new testaments... and I came across one of those references again today in 1 Cor 6.
And the thought which has occured to me before, and struck me again today, is that such activities must have been fairly prevalent for the Bible writers to address them directly. Moses, in the Pentateuch, addresses all manner of deviant sexual behaviour including homosexual activity and sex with animals, specifically instructing the Israelites NOT to imitate any of the despicable practices of the tribes which they were about to displace. Paul urged the early Christians not to engage in activities such as homosexual activity and male prostitution, which must have been fairly mainstream if word of it traveled all the way to wherever Paul was writing from. Given that Paul wrote his letters in the first century AD, and that the Pentateuch was written well before that (church tradition places it around 1400 BC), we see that such problems are not unique to our modern culture.
And so perhaps the Bible is more relevant than we think it is.
And the thought which has occured to me before, and struck me again today, is that such activities must have been fairly prevalent for the Bible writers to address them directly. Moses, in the Pentateuch, addresses all manner of deviant sexual behaviour including homosexual activity and sex with animals, specifically instructing the Israelites NOT to imitate any of the despicable practices of the tribes which they were about to displace. Paul urged the early Christians not to engage in activities such as homosexual activity and male prostitution, which must have been fairly mainstream if word of it traveled all the way to wherever Paul was writing from. Given that Paul wrote his letters in the first century AD, and that the Pentateuch was written well before that (church tradition places it around 1400 BC), we see that such problems are not unique to our modern culture.
And so perhaps the Bible is more relevant than we think it is.
Jan 30, 2007
Socially Acceptable
Technically, this was written 4 days ago when i had a severely malfunctioning laptop and no internet, but i haven't found a chance to post it till now...
Obeying God’s commands, or obeying social norms. When you proudly declare that you have never murdered anyone at all in your lifetime, is that because you fear God, or because you fear the potential repercussions?
That’s an extreme example, so bring it a little closer home. Right next to where it says “Thou shalt not murder”, is a similarly well-known line “Thou shalt not lie”. Yet somehow, we see the two as a world apart in terms of “severity” and “gravity”. Why?
What brought this argument to mind was that discussion on how ladies choose to dress. Someone was talking about bikinis. How the amount of materiel used to make a bikini is significantly less than the amount that goes into normal underwear. How the amount of skin being covered dwindles to an insignificant amount. How the styles and designs, or lack thereof, leave extremely little to the imagination. How is it an offence for a lady to walk around in underwear in Orchard Road, yet be perfectly acceptable to wear even less at the beach.
The truth is, of course, that men need to learn to stop staring. If a man wants to look twice, he will find something to look at, unless the ladies are dressed in burqas and veils. But that’s entirely besides the point. How can one person have two different opinions of right and wrong based on circumstances? It’s like saying it’s ok to lie sometimes, and ok to kill sometimes. And it belies the truth, that as Christians we no longer hold on to the gold standard we once had. The truth is that often, our values are based on what is socially acceptable within our own networks. Because our networks are so often mainly Christian, so our standards are somewhat higher than some other people. But because we come into contact with others, as we must, those standards melt like snowmen in the sun.
It is a tragedy.
Obeying God’s commands, or obeying social norms. When you proudly declare that you have never murdered anyone at all in your lifetime, is that because you fear God, or because you fear the potential repercussions?
That’s an extreme example, so bring it a little closer home. Right next to where it says “Thou shalt not murder”, is a similarly well-known line “Thou shalt not lie”. Yet somehow, we see the two as a world apart in terms of “severity” and “gravity”. Why?
What brought this argument to mind was that discussion on how ladies choose to dress. Someone was talking about bikinis. How the amount of materiel used to make a bikini is significantly less than the amount that goes into normal underwear. How the amount of skin being covered dwindles to an insignificant amount. How the styles and designs, or lack thereof, leave extremely little to the imagination. How is it an offence for a lady to walk around in underwear in Orchard Road, yet be perfectly acceptable to wear even less at the beach.
The truth is, of course, that men need to learn to stop staring. If a man wants to look twice, he will find something to look at, unless the ladies are dressed in burqas and veils. But that’s entirely besides the point. How can one person have two different opinions of right and wrong based on circumstances? It’s like saying it’s ok to lie sometimes, and ok to kill sometimes. And it belies the truth, that as Christians we no longer hold on to the gold standard we once had. The truth is that often, our values are based on what is socially acceptable within our own networks. Because our networks are so often mainly Christian, so our standards are somewhat higher than some other people. But because we come into contact with others, as we must, those standards melt like snowmen in the sun.
It is a tragedy.
Jan 24, 2007
Black//White
It’s past midnight, but I can’t sleep. Have an ansolutely full day tomorrow… schedule packed full fropm 9am to 9pm, and I need my sleep, but I can’t. thinking too much.
Thinking hard about an absolutely long talk I had on Sunday with a few friends. Talking about two issues, mainly. How ladies dress nowsadays, and clubbing. Asking about what Christianity had to say on these two things, and the general principles involved. About where the standards lay in these two areas. And we couldn’t seem to agree on a standard, which seriously worries me…
The simple view is: there is no standard. There is nothing explicit mentioned in the bible. Take the issue of ladies dressing for example. we are instructed not to be a stumbling block to others, but that verse has been used to justify so many unreasonable things that it is hard to apply that verse now. The second one that I just thought of is that a ladies beauty should not be in ornaments and perfume, but in good character and a godly spirit. But again, there is no clear cut standard.
One argument I heard is that we cannot isolate ourselves from the world. One extreme example would be the mormons, who are instantly recognizable by the way they dress. But no non-christian would dare approach them, and few Christians would either, such is their reputation. If we begin to impose rules and standards on people, is that where we are headed? Besides, Jesus admonished the Pharisees, who tithed on mint and cumin and dill, but ignored grace and mercy, when both should not be neglected. Rules are not the be all and end all of things, yet we should not rely on the law.
Yet without the law, we have slipped up. How are we set apart from the world, if in every respect we look and worse, act just like them. As the song by Steven Curtis Chapman puts it, what about the change? What about the difference? What about the life that’s showing I’m undergoing the change?? It is all to common to hear nowadays that people believe in our God, but they don’t see anything different about becoming a Christian.
So, pondering these things tonight, some things came to me and I must write them down before I forget.
Someone mentioned to me today that beyond all of our theological arguments of where the standards lie, deep within our hearts we know that there are certain standards to be followed. As people, we are all too good as using logic to justify our actions, twisting words for our benefit, while suppressing the voice of truth. A friend once told me that the more he found himself trying to justify an action, the more likely it was that the action was wrong. A thought that came to me some days ago was that we as people tend to make our decisions first and then tailor our arguments to support our decision. The verse which comes to mind goes something like, be ye doers of the word also, and not just hearers only, thereby deceiving yourselves.
We must learn to be honest with ourselves, and listen to that still small voice within us, the voice of truth that tells us a different story from what the world argues. For if we are truly born again, then the Spirit of God resides within us, and we can depend on the Spirit to guide us. As it says in Scripture, as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. Jesus himself said that we, his sheep, know his voice and follow him. Let us take the advice of Mary, mother of Jesus to heart. "Whatever he says to you, do it."
Thinking hard about an absolutely long talk I had on Sunday with a few friends. Talking about two issues, mainly. How ladies dress nowsadays, and clubbing. Asking about what Christianity had to say on these two things, and the general principles involved. About where the standards lay in these two areas. And we couldn’t seem to agree on a standard, which seriously worries me…
The simple view is: there is no standard. There is nothing explicit mentioned in the bible. Take the issue of ladies dressing for example. we are instructed not to be a stumbling block to others, but that verse has been used to justify so many unreasonable things that it is hard to apply that verse now. The second one that I just thought of is that a ladies beauty should not be in ornaments and perfume, but in good character and a godly spirit. But again, there is no clear cut standard.
One argument I heard is that we cannot isolate ourselves from the world. One extreme example would be the mormons, who are instantly recognizable by the way they dress. But no non-christian would dare approach them, and few Christians would either, such is their reputation. If we begin to impose rules and standards on people, is that where we are headed? Besides, Jesus admonished the Pharisees, who tithed on mint and cumin and dill, but ignored grace and mercy, when both should not be neglected. Rules are not the be all and end all of things, yet we should not rely on the law.
Yet without the law, we have slipped up. How are we set apart from the world, if in every respect we look and worse, act just like them. As the song by Steven Curtis Chapman puts it, what about the change? What about the difference? What about the life that’s showing I’m undergoing the change?? It is all to common to hear nowadays that people believe in our God, but they don’t see anything different about becoming a Christian.
So, pondering these things tonight, some things came to me and I must write them down before I forget.
Someone mentioned to me today that beyond all of our theological arguments of where the standards lie, deep within our hearts we know that there are certain standards to be followed. As people, we are all too good as using logic to justify our actions, twisting words for our benefit, while suppressing the voice of truth. A friend once told me that the more he found himself trying to justify an action, the more likely it was that the action was wrong. A thought that came to me some days ago was that we as people tend to make our decisions first and then tailor our arguments to support our decision. The verse which comes to mind goes something like, be ye doers of the word also, and not just hearers only, thereby deceiving yourselves.
We must learn to be honest with ourselves, and listen to that still small voice within us, the voice of truth that tells us a different story from what the world argues. For if we are truly born again, then the Spirit of God resides within us, and we can depend on the Spirit to guide us. As it says in Scripture, as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. Jesus himself said that we, his sheep, know his voice and follow him. Let us take the advice of Mary, mother of Jesus to heart. "Whatever he says to you, do it."
Jan 20, 2007
oh what a dreadful day
how foolish i was to think that that day would be great. in my naivete i neglected to consider the repercussions. thankfully i have a girlfriend who is experienced in such matters to advise me.
general principle: the day after a spiritual high tends to be absolutely terrible. revenge attacks, if you will. won't elaborate much, but the 'highlight' of the day was dropping my laptop. it's spoilt now, and is in for servicing indefinitely, which just about cripples my work life. sigh...
but what i really want to thank God for is for friends who will remain oblivious to the storm clouds over your head and the "Go Away" written plainly all over your face, and hang around and chat happily to you until you actually feel better.
another observation from wise gf - if a person is being exceptionally unreasonable and refuses to accept plain logic, it could be a spiritual stronghold? hmm...
general principle: the day after a spiritual high tends to be absolutely terrible. revenge attacks, if you will. won't elaborate much, but the 'highlight' of the day was dropping my laptop. it's spoilt now, and is in for servicing indefinitely, which just about cripples my work life. sigh...
but what i really want to thank God for is for friends who will remain oblivious to the storm clouds over your head and the "Go Away" written plainly all over your face, and hang around and chat happily to you until you actually feel better.
another observation from wise gf - if a person is being exceptionally unreasonable and refuses to accept plain logic, it could be a spiritual stronghold? hmm...
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