ok... I'm going to be a Father soon. it is an honour i thought not of... no marks for guessing where that line comes from... anyway, i am.... somewhere in between excitement and apprehension. ah... a new life... going to be with me (if the Lord wills) for the rest of my life. and so the two that became one are becoming 3... or is it two... since two are already one...
questions questions questions... i'm sure there are those of you out there who wish life was simpler... so do i... Theological studies is challenging to say the least. At least, it does make you question the foundation upon which you stand. Not that Christianity is wrong or flawed... but the stuff you have been taught or thought you always knew... too much to go into a blog...
yes, some people study theology from an "objective" point of view but i tend to agree with those who say that it is impossible to study the bible and Christian Theology without believing in the God who revealed Himself through Scripture. Because not taking a stand IS taking a stand.
how far do we have to go before we realize THERE IS NO FENCE... you cannot deny the fact that all people hold on to some kind of religious belief whether it is in the form of the divine or in science. ah... science... is a religion... as in it often requires faith. even Manchester United is a religion... at least, i've seen the banner on tv before... yeah, football is a religion to some people too... the way some teams play... of course FAITH is required! and boy do people pray... especially when they've got money on the teams...
i digress... anyway, so anyone who tries to study God does so with some kind of pre-supposition or other... and Theology is Christians trying to explain what we believe using Terms that other people are familiar with... and the only real way to know what you've understood is correct is if it is tested... like what science does... always calling for proof.
So you can't profess to understand God until you've actually believed He exists, encountered Him for real and then it all makes sense. Seldom have i come across people who believe God is real because they were won over by some irrefutable argument alone... everyone experienced God in some way or other. You can argue that then it is a personal thing, that the experience was right for some and not for others. but then, if you've never tried it, you wouldn't know...?
as for science... well, maybe i'm making a general statement here but - hasn't all of scientific enquiry been the result of someone coming up with a particular theory and then enough people trying it out/experimenting and confirming that the theory holds true? Well, they'd have to believe it is possible in the 1st place... or if they are detractors, then they set out with the aim to disprove it...
i dunno... sounds like the argument i made for trying out God.
Sometimes i think science answers how things happen... the Bible tells us WHY things happen... is this too general a statement?