Are non christians completely without knowledge?

Are you attracted to the claims of John Frame? Comforted by the cosy circles of Van Til? Interested in how christian knowing is different to non-christian knowing?
Or does it all sound like slightly insane American rambling?

I just found an excellent analysis of Christian presuppositionalism, which affirms the good bits, and really takes the excessive claims to task.
Thankyou CASE magazine!

Are human authorities managers?

Yesterday I preached a sermon where I said that human authorities are not Gods, but are simply managers of what God has rented out to them. While I don't back down from that statement, I'm starting (one day later) to wonder if it was very wise. What I meant is that they have a responsibility to govern well, but I think people may have heard me saying that authorities are simply economic managers. As though all the moral and ethical questions of this world are already solved (or at least not to be raised in politics), and the authorities are simply there to manage our interests.
This would be to say that authorities should stay out of politics, since a polity is the place where we deliberate and decide on what is good. Once you start balancing interests instead of trying to figure out what is right, you have stopped doing politics and started doing economics. To a certain extent, this has already happened in our political arena (more so in America). "Persons are economic agents insofar as their mutual agency is not guided by decision about what should be done but rather by an indeed quasi-Newtonian balancing of interests...The economy, we may say, is the community insofar as it accepts the short term, seemingly mechanistic, continuities of history as binding also for it. The economy is the human community insofar as it does not take up its freedom" Robert Jenson Systematic Theology Vol 2 85

The key factor is that human authorities are managers responsible to God, not to people, not even the majority of their people. They are to manage their people to pursue what is right and good (which obviously needs some discussion about what is right and good), not simply to 'balance the interests' of the people. (though this can sometimes be a helpful resource in the discussion about what is right and good). If there is no discussion, there is no politics. If we give up on the idea of a common good, we have no society.

This is he incredible political significance of Christian worship and thanksgiving. As we love God together we are bound together, and as we rejoice in his creation we are bound together.
Perhaps I should have said that human leaders are simply 'worship leaders and poets'.
Then the congregation really would have thought I was a hippy.

Get up are trying to get this run as a full page cartoon in city papers.
Well worth supporting

tertullian on military service

To begin with the real ground of the military crown, I think we must first inquire whether warfare is proper at all for Christians. What sense is there in discussing the merely accidental, when that on which it rests is to be condemned? Do we believe it lawful for a human oath to be superadded to one divine, for a man to come under promise to another master after Christ, and to abjure father, mother, and all nearest kinsfolk, whom even the law has commanded us to honour and love next to God Himself, to whom the gospel, too, holding them only of less account than Christ, has in like manner rendered honour? Shall it be held lawful to make an occupation of the sword, when the Lord proclaims that he who uses the sword shall perish by the sword? And shall the son of peace take part in the battle when it does not become him even to sue at law? And shall he apply the chain, and the prison, and the torture, and the punishment, who is not the avenger even of his own wrongs? Shall he, forsooth, either keep watch-service for others more than for Christ, or shall he do it on the Lord’s day, when he does not even do it for Christ Himself? And shall he keep guard 100before the temples which he has renounced? And shall he take a meal where the apostle has forbidden him? And shall he diligently protect by night those whom in the day-time he has put to flight by his exorcisms, leaning and resting on the spear the while with which Christ’s side was pierced? Shall he carry a flag too, hostile to Christ? And shall he ask a watchword from the emperor who has already received one from God? Shall he be disturbed in death by the trumpet of the trumpeter, who expects to be aroused by the angel’s trump? And shall the Christian be burned according to camp rule, when he was not permitted to burn incense to an idol, when to him Christ remitted the punishment of fire? Then how many other offences there are involved in the performances of camp offices, which we must hold to involve a transgression of God’s law, you may see by a slight survey. The very carrying of the name over from the camp of light to the camp of darkness is a violation of it.
Tertullian "The Military Chaplet"XI

Lives of peace

Michael over at Pilgrim pathways has a list of 25 prominent Baptist pacifists. Whatever your view on pacifism, this is an inspiring list for anyone who aspires to follow the prince of peace

Gospel assholes

The New Testament speaks a lot about suffering, and especially suffering for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Much of it is written by people who really did suffer quite badly, and it prepares christians to suffer alongside their Lord when necessary.
And yet sometimes it seems like some Christians can make suffering a bit of a fetish. As though every stubbed toe or criticism could be reduced to the fact that you are a preacher of the gospel. As though every detractor has secretly turned away from the truth (even if they profess the truth, they are simply showing their tricksy, heretic ways!). As though the New Testament shouldn't be read in it's historical context, but is actually a story about me and my experiences in christian ministry.

When I hear people speaking like this, I can't help think of the line of Erica Albright, Mark Zuckerburgs (ex)girlfriend in the film "The Social Network".


"You are probably going to be a very successful computer person. But you're going to go through life thinking that girls don't like you because you're a nerd. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It'll be because you're an asshole."

Next time you are feeling persecuted and feeling a little righteous about it, wonder if the person in front of you is really feeling like Erica. They may have no problem with Jesus, it might just be you.

" You are probably going to be a very successful Bible teacher. But you are going to go through life thinking that people don't like you because of the gospel. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that wont be true. It'll be because you are an asshole"