And the guy's a United Methodist Bishop? Whoa.(h-t m'man Andy Naselli)
Monday, January 05, 2009
Oh, dude — now that's a scathing book review (of Bart Ehrman)
Man oh man, this review of Ehrman's God's Problem makes me think my commentary (like, oh, I dunno... this one?) is pretty tame stuff. Not a wasted word, not a bullet misses its target.
And the guy's a United Methodist Bishop? Whoa.
And the guy's a United Methodist Bishop? Whoa.
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18 comments:
"This book seems an awful lot of fuss to reach so banal a destination."
Wow, just wow.
"utterly predictable" , "he once again shows an inability to appreciate the richness of a complex literary work. Imagination is not one of Ehrman's strong suits.' , "This book seems an awful lot of fuss to reach so banal a destination.'
You just don't expect that sort of language from a United Methodist Bishop.
That's gonna leave a mark, eh?
I don't imagine Bart will enjoy reading the review.
William Willimon wrote a good Forward to Michael Horton's excellent new book, "Christless Christianity."
William Willimon wrote a good Forward to Michael Horton's excellent new book, "Christless Christianity."
Ian, you don't know William H. Willimon. Heh...
Willimon has never been afraid of taking a stance and speaking his mind firmly but in Christian love. Lukewarmness in Godly matters is something of which Will Willimon does not suffer.
I have a few of Willimon's books recommended to me by my Pastor. Good stuff.
Coincidentally, someone on a Usenet newsgroup pointed to an Ehrman book as a source. I did a little research and posted some scathing reviews.
When and how did this Ehrman guy go so off-track?
I seem to remember reading an eyewitness account of one of the debates in which Ehrmann was participating and in the opinion of the eyewitness, Ehrmann violated the agreed upon terms during the debate. Is this person one of those agnostic/atheist debaters who is unable to debate in a civil, respectful manner?
Whew...everytime I read stories of apostates like Ehrman, I'm just reminded that the only thing that separates me and apostates like is God's grace.
Here's the thing with subjects on theodicy. It is a very difficult issue and problem to deal with, especially the unregenerate. But if the Spirit is working in a regenerate person, they will come to the understanding that God is most magnified when all His attributes are magnified and that includes mercy and grace which can't be manifested when there is no sin in the world.
"And if one no longer believes in God, why attempt theodicy in the first place—who cares whether the God who isn't is just or unjust, caring or uncaring? Any argument against the goodness of God that begins with the announcement that God probably doesn't exist is a strange argument. Why beat a dead horse?"
Exactly the same question that we all have of atheists Dawkins, Hitchens and the like. What exactly is there point? Why do they even care what Christians or religious people do if they're all deluded? I have an idea...
I had a discussion on Youtube with a gentleman that stated he was a Christian pastor for over 35 years, but came to the conclusion that Christianity and religion in general was evil. In our brief discussion, I gathered that his real problem was that he hated God. Obviously he didn't have a very firm foundation in his faith, as he was amazingly ignorant of basic historic Christianity. He saw no difference between Roman Catholicism and Protestants, lumping them all into the atrocities of the past.
He basically became his own god, doing what was good in his own eyes, being "loving" to everybody, except for Christians of course. It was truly sad to see his pure hatred toward God, especially to the extent that his mind was so clouded to actual historical truth of what Christianity really teaches.
It just goes to show you how the idea that people are basically good, can warp your mind and make you hate Christianity, because it teaches the exact opposite.
Dude,
That was not my aunt's milk toast Methodism hand wringing over who could have possibly felt uncomfortable during communion that I remember as a kid.
I thought that kind of full-throated Methodist died with my husband's grandfather. Thrilled to see I was wrong.
You would think that someone who doesn't believe, would go off and find something else to do with their lives. All the current crop of pop atheists seem to have "issues".
Nice targets, BTW. Yours?
No; last time I blasted, it was at cans and such.
My one funny(ish) story is a very slender long fiberglass board I stuck in the dirt. I blazed away at it, waiting for it to explode into two pieces. Never happened; seemed to miss and miss.
Then when I examined it, I saw I'd hit it a number of times - it just wasn't the sort of material to explode.
That was awesome. Really. I love it!
Folks, there's a brand-new troll in town — or an old one under a brand-new profile: NiftyDrewFifty.
Sadly, unlike kitties, they're not that cute when they're newborn. It's just cut-n-paste stuff, long-answered, no constructive purpose.
Not here, Drew. There are some very troll-tolerant sites. I know you've found one. Or you could go to Triablogue. They'd have all sorts of fun with you, there. Tell them I sent you!
But not here.
It's funny how those attacking Ehrman here imagine such caustic comments are edifying either to Ehrman or even his detractors themselves, who will give God an account for them. Thankfully CR gets it.
How easy it is to be a practicing "Christian" atheist forgetting omnipresent Jesus is watching and recording every second.
Matt. 12:36.
How good He will propitiate all (1 John 2) and wipe every tear from our eyes (Rev. 7:17), for there will be many.
Perfectly apropos and well-done (Proverbs 25:2), and very mild, by Biblical standards (Ezekiel 16).
Feel free to do a better job than Willimon at your blog, so all your readers can enjoy and profit.
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