tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post6858021028016996567..comments2024-03-10T10:40:32.319-07:00Comments on Pyromaniacs: Moral ImperativesPhil Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00649092052031518426noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-72174276286776591892012-08-20T12:52:26.160-07:002012-08-20T12:52:26.160-07:00Aghast in BC (British Columbia, maybe?),
If only ...Aghast in BC (British Columbia, maybe?),<br /><br />If only you could see the irony in your own post. Wow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-38807534950409636942012-08-20T11:21:23.431-07:002012-08-20T11:21:23.431-07:00Thanks for reinforcing my conviction that religion...Thanks for reinforcing my conviction that religion is the cause of most hate crimes. Especially so called Christians. I have read the bible, both old & new testaments, a few times and am always curious how it can be so misinterpreted. Where is the compassion for other human beings, where is turn the other cheek, where is judge not or thou will be judged? Going to church on Sunday does make you anymore precious in God's eyes that those that do not attend but do good things every day - compassion towards others, treating the earth and others with respect, not judging others until you have walked a mile in their shoes. <br /><br />Your hate towards other sends chills down my spine. Reminds be of the deep south before the civil rights movements. Scares the *&(* out of me.AghastinBChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13853876476698708517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-57154960376812646152012-08-14T14:25:41.828-07:002012-08-14T14:25:41.828-07:00When I grow up, I want to write like Frank Turk. I...When I grow up, I want to write like Frank Turk. I would have made largely the same case, but there's no way I would be capable of making it so beautifully. Great post.trogdorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452996348717802065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-12225473922662805762012-08-14T06:29:23.725-07:002012-08-14T06:29:23.725-07:00Johnny,
I've done some thinking and here are ...Johnny,<br /><br />I've done some thinking and here are my thoughts.<br /><br />As so often happens, we tend to take what one writer says and apply it directly, without regards to context, to another writer.<br /><br />So...<br /><br />What James describes as "desires" I understand to be "impulses". What Jesus decribes as something done "in the heart" I understand as a desire.<br /><br />That is. The impulse for me to take a second look at a woman I'm not married to is an impulse. Not looking, while wanting to look, is a desire. <br />I am sinning in my wanting to have what I cannot have, in this case, wanting a look.<br /><br />So I stand by my earlier post, even though I may have misunderstood James a little. (Or perhaps James & I would've been talking past each other...2000 years will make that happen.)<br />I am tempted by outside sources and internal impulses, these are not sin.<br />When I desire something I may not have, as the word desire is generally understood today, then I am in sin.<br /><br />So sure, we need to distinguish between what James meant by desire and what 21st century English-speakers mean by desire, but sin happens as son as we want what we ought not want, not when we physically go after it.<br /><br />It is our heart, after all, that is the problem, not our feet and hands.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-41518847348804115202012-08-14T04:03:41.010-07:002012-08-14T04:03:41.010-07:00Johnny: if you could read, you'd be quite the ...Johnny: if you could read, you'd be quite the wag.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-77453319284101645102012-08-13T20:16:45.214-07:002012-08-13T20:16:45.214-07:00You'll be glad you did. "Conceived" ...You'll be glad you did. "Conceived" means the assent of the will. Luther was of the same opinion. It's a must-understand theological truth.James Scott Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07641370124346172648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-35078495946130374562012-08-13T17:38:28.079-07:002012-08-13T17:38:28.079-07:00JD,
I'm not quite convinced, but I'll loo...JD,<br /><br />I'm not quite convinced, but I'll look into it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-46919248224949462982012-08-13T16:36:07.480-07:002012-08-13T16:36:07.480-07:00Actually, Daryl, James explicitly teaches that evi...Actually, Daryl, James explicitly teaches that evil desire is NOT sin. It is only when evil desire CONCIEVES that it gives birth to sin. Look more deeply at what that means and you'll get to the right answer. The wrong answer has done demonstrable harm.James Scott Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07641370124346172648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-41335096105184268842012-08-13T06:18:40.855-07:002012-08-13T06:18:40.855-07:00"Jesus told us that to lust after a woman in ..."Jesus told us that to lust after a woman in one's heart is to commit adultery,"<br /><br />And if we say, "Thou fool" to anyone we are in danger of hell fire.<br /><br />We need to take this to heart, and then actually be willing to cut our hands off, or pluck our eyes out. Serious truth here.<br /><br /><br />But, the other side of this truth is Christ taking all our anger, and lusts upon His precious perfect soul, and being judged for us, once and for all!<br /><br />I ask people what do you think Jesus meant when he said you need to pluck your eyes out?<br /><br />If they are quick to say, "Oh, right. Sure, pluck our eyes out", then these hearts are still dead.<br /><br />The heart that is new, even brand new, will see the seriousness of this truth, and will pray for his, or her, Lord to help.<br /><br />And this is even a deeper subject than what I can share. <br />It's very serious, that's for sure. And yet the regenerated child of Christ, has nothing to fear.<br />Thank You Lord for the Cross. Thank You for Your precious blood, which makes us pure; eternally pure, wrapped in Your righteousness.donsandshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665794015011057098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-53832530452771363622012-08-13T04:14:42.432-07:002012-08-13T04:14:42.432-07:00Darryl --
I think that's about right: there&#...Darryl --<br /><br />I think that's about right: there's a difference between (on the one hand) the external world pressing you with false promises of all sorts, and (one the other) you believing them.<br /><br />When we believe the false promises of the world, we are sinning.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-63021320439009623442012-08-12T20:11:44.155-07:002012-08-12T20:11:44.155-07:00I wonder if, although it is true that temptation i...I wonder if, although it is true that temptation is not sin, we too quickly blow by James 1:14 where we're told that we're dragged away by our own evil desire.<br /><br />I suspect that an outside temptation is the kind that is not sin, but that temptations that come from within are more likely sinful in and of themselves.<br /><br />That whole thing was (as I recall) the basis of the movie "The Last Temptation" where Christ was depicted as having had to deal with those internal evil desires, which I don't believe for a moment he really had.<br /><br />Is it wrong to be attracted by the same sex? I don't think so. Is it wrong to want to act on those desires, but to not do so? I think when Jesus told us that to lust after a woman in one's heart is to commit adultery, he really undercut the idea that desires are not sinful.<br /><br />It seems to me that failing to make that distinction undermines a persons ability to really fight against sin. It ignores sin when it is at it's most manageable, and waits until we're really in the fire before it gives people a reason to call sin what it really is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-73382804705985515152012-08-11T18:42:22.525-07:002012-08-11T18:42:22.525-07:00Perhaps I can clarify the word "want." I...Perhaps I can clarify the word "want." In this context, I was using it to mean the same thing as "being tempted." Sorry for any confusion.yankeegospelgirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15196429275212180022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-848006757209458292012-08-11T17:10:40.912-07:002012-08-11T17:10:40.912-07:00I worry about this part of YGG's approach:
[Q...I worry about this part of YGG's approach:<br /><br />[QUOTE]<br /> To want to sin does not equal sinning. If you had come and told me that you struggled with same-sex attraction, full stop, I would still have been devastated, but at least we would have been in this thing together. We would have been fighting toward a common goal.<br />[/QUOTE]<br /><br />Jesus does in fact say otherwise: Jesus says wanting to sin means you are guilty (Mat 5:27-30). This is actually the problem. The core problem is how deep sin runs -- it's not just the fact of external expression. And this, while it is the source of utter desperation for any sinner, and especially the sexual sinner, it is the actual core of hope -- because what Christ has done overcomes this deep, immutable fact of every human soul.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-6905062873585083762012-08-11T09:11:33.530-07:002012-08-11T09:11:33.530-07:00Good point. "Partner" is yet another per...Good point. "Partner" is yet another perfectly good word (like "gay" itself, for that matter) that's been corrupted. I like "accomplice." What about just "boyfriend"?yankeegospelgirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15196429275212180022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-53190597219778162252012-08-11T07:45:21.584-07:002012-08-11T07:45:21.584-07:00I think that's actually quite good, YGG. Only ...I think that's actually quite good, YGG. Only exception that occurs to me, I might say "accomplice" rather than "partner."DJPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16471042180904855578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-16566742727259767952012-08-11T07:39:06.653-07:002012-08-11T07:39:06.653-07:00Here is my own attempt (with the obvious caveat th...Here is my own attempt (with the obvious caveat that I'll never be a Dad and this is purely hypothetical). In spirit it follows Frank's model the most closely, but it's more compact. Any reactions are welcome.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Dear Son,<br /><br />I received your news with a lot of shock and pain. I could be uncharitable and assume that this was exactly your intent, but, well, that would be uncharitable. We'll put that question aside for now.<br /><br />I wonder what you are expecting me to say at this point. Since you already know that I believe the lifestyle you have chosen is self-destructive and sinful, I don't know exactly what you hope to hear from me. If I were to say that I loved you anyway, that would be true in one sense but might give you the impression that I think this is all just fine and dandy, which is false. <br /><br />Nevertheless, I do love you. If I didn't, I wouldn't care. If I were to give a laundry list of my own moral failings, you might think I was conceding that all sins are alike and that I have no right to judge you because we just sin differently, which is false. Nevertheless, I am aware of my own sinfulness. I'm deeply concerned that this is not the case for you.<br /><br />Let me be clear: To want to sin does not equal sinning. If you had come and told me that you struggled with same-sex attraction, full stop, I would still have been devastated, but at least we would have been in this thing together. We would have been fighting toward a common goal. Instead, you've chosen to surrender and embrace this evil for good. That is what will put your immortal soul in peril. I don't even want to think about the many physical and spiritual dangers you are incurring by this choice. Understand that I write as a man calling out to one who does not know he stands on the edge of a chasm, hoping to save his life.<br /><br />You are always welcome to ask any questions if you are genuinely seeking answers, and I am always glad to show you where they are. I cannot force you to receive the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, but I will set it before you at every opportunity. It is he alone who can save you. In the meantime, your lifestyle is going to have some practical consequences between us. I am not against your returning home for holidays and funerals, but I am less inclined to invite your partner. I would be disinclined even if you were living in heterosexual sin, but at least that would be easier to conceal from the other children, and I have their innocence to preserve. It should be a foregone conclusion that even if we decide to allow your partner to visit, you are forbidden to display your affection publicly or to share a bedroom under my roof.<br /><br />This probably was not the response you wanted to hear. But I am compelled to speak the truth in love. I will pray and weep for you until you come home.<br /><br />Dadyankeegospelgirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15196429275212180022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-66649168787707489352012-08-10T18:34:48.934-07:002012-08-10T18:34:48.934-07:00"What I can't wrap my mind around is that..."<i>What I can't wrap my mind around is that when the other side says, about their own situation in this world as wanting something they know they ought not to want, that they are "born this way," we win -- they have accepted the Biblical worldview.</i>"<br /><br />This is my same complaint. I've often made the point to others that secularists almost universally agree that man was not born as a naturally monogamous creature. It is his nature, i.e. the way he was born, to desire to mate with as many females as possible. And yet, God requires that men marry one woman and remain faithful to her. And for the most part, so does secular society. So now we agree that man is born as the Bible says he is, which is with sinful nature. Now we're just quibbling over the fine details.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15285043747501470199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-89763731167695178982012-08-10T17:59:30.438-07:002012-08-10T17:59:30.438-07:00Absolutely brillant exposition of how the gospel i...Absolutely brillant exposition of how the gospel informs all of life. Amen 100 times. So good.Logan Paschkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00712039204665054393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-60024580132356738542012-08-10T14:43:58.654-07:002012-08-10T14:43:58.654-07:00Every time I glance by that Will Farrell photo I t...Every time I glance by that Will Farrell photo I think of this quote for some reason:<br /><br />""Guess what, I got a fever, and the only prescription is more Cow Bell."<br /><br />have a blessed weekend my TeamPyro Amigos.donsandshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665794015011057098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-67815776927033236282012-08-10T13:56:30.414-07:002012-08-10T13:56:30.414-07:00I appreciate this.I appreciate this.Zorro!https://www.blogger.com/profile/11911364103500100350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-44246562350477856322012-08-10T13:31:35.485-07:002012-08-10T13:31:35.485-07:00It's Friday. Let's see what happens over ...It's Friday. Let's see what happens over the weekend.<br /><br />Maybe someone with a dissenting opinion, or maybe a premature opinion, will link to this post and respond to it. Maybe someone from the porn site which is funneling traffic to the blog today will respond.<br /><br />Maybe not. It seems to me that it could still happen. It is just Friday.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-29082916316547563242012-08-10T13:21:07.286-07:002012-08-10T13:21:07.286-07:00Wait - help me out with something.
Your Twitter p...Wait - help me out with something.<br /><br />Your Twitter preview implied that this post would somehow blow up the Interweb. I was expecting/fearing a whole lot more fiery fierceness and a 3-digit comment fest.<br /><br />And all this is is a beautiful mix of hard truth (about all of us, no less) and real love. <br /><br />I don't get it. The world must be pretty messed up.Rachael Starkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10781158372237369417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-53890889669242433472012-08-10T12:42:03.797-07:002012-08-10T12:42:03.797-07:00The money quote is near the end of the letter:
Th...The money quote is near the end of the letter:<br /><br /><b>The difference between you and me is that I think I need to be saved from it, and you think you do not need to be saved, but rather accepted, so that other people's acceptance of your problem is substituted for real redemption and real resolution. </b><br /><br />Too many people (wrongly) think that saying such things is unloving.Merrilee Stevensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12770625841767761025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-86750074594534182282012-08-10T11:20:56.676-07:002012-08-10T11:20:56.676-07:00That letter is a tour de force, and one I'll b...That letter is a tour de force, and one I'll be referring to for its applicability to so many areas.<br /><br />Julie GHerding Grasshoppershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15668974245505544238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-44119055799490372482012-08-10T11:13:06.734-07:002012-08-10T11:13:06.734-07:00With a post this devastatingly on-target, they usu...With a post this devastatingly on-target, they usually wait until the main crowd has moved on. Then they begin their niggly little sniping.<br /><br />Be patient.DJPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16471042180904855578noreply@blogger.com