It looks like my critique was sent to Ras Kass and he actually took time to respond: Here is what was sent to me.

“i think the moral of the story is to not take things so literally.. The bible has been changed by human hands and many books of the bible have never been seen. You can not take it as absolute word.. no matter what any other man has stood on a pulpit and told you how to believe.. God will naturally instill his word within you if that is his will.. you are born with him.. you should never depend on another human to let you know what is right and wrong.. it is in you. Thats all.. dont read to deep into the subject.. it is only a song.”

It is only a song? I don’t know how a song making serious assertions and claims is just a song. I agree that all people know what is right or wrong but knowing what is right does not mean you will do right. Furthermore, who has placed right and wrong in all people? And, if people know what is wrong why choose to do wrong? What I would like to ask Ras Kass is where does wrong and right come from in light of his worldview? In light of my beliefs, my knowledge of right and wrong comes from God and what ever is right or good is that which reflects the character of God and whatever is wrong is that which violates God’s nature.

In any case, it is unfortunate that my critique was not dealt with. Ras Kass, if you read this post, I want to let you know that I sense your pain and frustration. I don’t know what your experience has been with Christians throughout your life but know that God calls you to him inspite of the faults of his people. I am concerned about you because you are maintaining a view of Christianity that maybe in line with your experiences but not in line with the vision we see in the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. Your criticism of Christianity is more than a song. It reveals some issues you been having and thus even in today’s hip hop, an era that is more friendly to Christianity as oppose to the hip hop of the 90s, you are remaining faithful to your gripes. I don’t want to downplay your gripes because some may be warranted but regardless of how imperfect Jesus followers are, what about Jesus? Have you heard his voice and are you following Jesus? If you want to discuss Jesus please feel free to contact me at cdero31@gmail.com

see my critque of Ras Kass here

The following video is explicit and is an inside look at what many Blacks around my neighborhood and in low income communities in general think about when it comes to Christianity.

My comments are below:

You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Leviticus 26:1-2

You shall make for yourselves no idols and erect no carved images or pillars, and you shall not place figured stones in your land, to worship at them; for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:4
Do not turn to idols or make cast images for yourselves: I am the Lord your God.

Other passages are Ex 20:22-26,Deut 4:15-24,11:16-17,27:15.

As you can see, these graven images were objects that were worshiped.

Secondly,  the law does not prohibit engravings, or other works of art in general. For instance, the Priest’s garment had pictures of pomegranates (Ex. 28:33-34) and the mercy seat had two images of angels made out of gold (Ex 25:18-22). All of these things had a religious function to it. The Law does not forbid religious use of ornaments or works of art but forbids worship of these things in place of God.

That being said, the symbol of a cross or a fish are not idols for Christians but symbols.

This brings me to my third point, the symbols of the cross and the fish direct worship to the true God. The cross symbolizes Jesus’ sacrificial love for us while the symbol of the fish has its roots within the first three centuries of the Church. It symbolized what Jesus said in Mark 1:17, “And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” In other words, the disciples were used to extend Jesus’ ministry.

Concerning the manuscripts, yes, there are no originals but we do have thousands of copies with minor variants that do not at all change the nature and message of the literature in the New Testament. The manuscripts are one of the biggest evidences of the validity of the New Testament.

Lastly, concerning the assertion that humans can be gods. They surely can since there are humans in this world that are worshiped. But Ras Kass perplexes me given that he condemns Christians for idolatry and then promotes idolatry by referring to himself as a god. Perhaps he is confused with the Bible’s various use of the Hebrew term Eloheem. He quotes, Psalm 82:6,”I say, “You are gods children of the Most High, all of you…” but what he does not reveal is that a) these “gods” were Judges over Israel and since they were judges they were refered to as gods since they were given the authority to judge and b) these “gods” were being diciplined for injustice acts and thus God reminded them who they really were, “mortal men (Ps 82:7). Ras forgot to quote the next verse.

As you see the video, please keep in mind that that kind of thinking is common among many Blacks in American Inner cities who have a vendetta against the Church and take up serious issues with us, some warranted while other unwarranted. Pray for Ras Kass that God would remove the bitterness from his heart and have him submit in willingness to the true God of the Church.

Read about it here

Enns’ choice is bitter tasting  because it reveals where WTS’ heart is at (reformed dogma) and Christianity, the Bible and people, are more than theories and ideologies birthed out of the experiences of dead white men.

It is also bitter because it is a big loss to the student body at WTS. Evangelical institutions need people like Enns to bring understanding and reconciling power between conservative and liberal Bible readers.

It is also a sweet tasting choice because where Enns is at in his spiritual maturity, he needs a place where he can grow even further and bare more fruit and in a monologic and authoritarian institution like WTS, he would be smothered and walking on egg shells which can stun a person’s spiritual development.

I am pleased however to read the following words from the administration at WTS.

“The administration wishes to acknowledge the valued role Prof. Enns has played in the life of the institution, and that his teaching and writings fall within the purview of Evangelical thought. The Seminary wishes Prof. Enns well in his future endeavors to serve the Lord.”

Prayers should be offered to our brother Enns as he and his family decides what is next.

Something is definitely wrong and right in the following statement made in a debate between fellow Christians Kerry and King Neb.

Kerry:

“Neb mentioned earlier about how the mockers ‘understood’ that there was a time limit of sorts on the text. I disagree - in fact, their MISunderstanding of the text is part and parcel of why 2 Peter was written - God doesn’t *always* account time as we do. For a timeless being, ’soon’ doesn’t necessarily mean within the time frame we may want to frame it. ‘Soon’ has been continuing for 2000 years thus far, but that’s not even a BLINK to God. A day is like a thousand years to God and a thousand years is like a day. When you’re timeless, ’soon’ happens when you’re ready for it to happen. And regardless of if ’soon’ is another 1000 years from now or 10,000 years from now, it still won’t compare against the backdrop of eternity.” (end quote)

How does the transcending nature of God changes the meaning of “soon” to ” a very long time?” On the basis of Kerry’s reasoning “a very long time” then may also mean ” in a short while.”  So when God gives you everlasting life, since God is timeless, what you really get “is a short life.” Give me a break.

Just making an observation on a debate that I am following.

Here is a satire by my friend Jason. Pretty funny yet sad because it is sooo true.

This had be laughing!!!

Christian message forums need rules to keep things under control and maintain decency and order among people who may strongly disagree with one another. Out of all the rules of conduct there is usually one that is omitted that needs to be implemented fast–the rules of argument. In other words, if people are not going to address an issue or problem that an individual brings up, they should not say anything at all. If you are going to attack the person rather than engage the issue that the person brings up, you should say nothing at all.

The following link here features a fellow Christian bother (Kerry) demonstrating exactly what to not do in a Christian message forum or anywhere else.

Another fellow Christian brother (King Neb) adheres to full Preterism  and because of this has been likened to the mockers spoken of in 2 Peter 3 ( I am not kidding!). After a great post in defending full Preterism the accuser followed with the following remarks:

“If your belief puts you out of fellowship with the rest or the majority of the body of Christ visible, the problem may be you. Humility”

To the above, King Neb offers the following:

Kerry responds: “And your beliefs still separate you from the rest of the body of Christ and regular sustained fellowship with them, submission to an ecclesiastical authority and so on. There’s a hint.”

King Neb’s response:

“The rest of the body? No it doesn’t. A large number? Perhaps. But the rest? Nope

Unless of course you now want to argue that only those who respond to Preterism the way you do should be considered the body.

Seriously dude, for someone who talks the way you do about truth to then base his argument on an appeal to the majority is astounding. A fallacy is a fallacy.

And you’re still not addressing 2 Peter 3.”

King Neb goes on to say:

In any case, King Neb (Godzilla), crushed Kerry(Bambi) in the above exchange. People who are committed to fallacious reasoning and monopolization of scripture will continue to get crushed and not admit it.

A newspaper burns in the sand
And the headlines say ‘Man Destroys Man’
Extra extra, read all the bad news
On the war for peace that everybody would lose
The rise and fall, the last great empire
The sound of the whole world caught on fire
The ruthless struggle, the desperate gamble
The game that left the whole world in shambles
The cheats, the lies, the alibies
And the foolish attempts to conquer the sky
Lost in space, and what is it worth?
Huh, the President just forgot about Earth
Spendin multi-billions and maybe even trillions
The cost of weapons ran in the zillions
There’s gold in the street and there’s diamond under feet
And the children in Africa don’t even eat
Flies on their faces, they’re livin like mice
And their houses even make the ghetto look nice
Huh, the water tastes funny, it’s forever too sunny
And they work all month and don’t make no money
A fight for power, a nuclear shower
A people shout out in the darkest hour
Sights unseen and voices unheard
And finally the bomb gets the last word
Christians killed Muslims and Germans killed Jews
And everybody’s bodies are used and abused
Huh, minds are poisoned and souls are polluted
Superiority complex is deep rooted
Leeches and lices, and people got prices
Egomaniacs control the self-righteous
Nothin is sacred and nothin is pure
So the revelation of death is our cure
Peoples in terror, the leaders made a error
And now they can’t even look in the mirror
Cause we gotta suffer while things get rougher
And that’s the reason why we got to get tougher
So learn from the past and work for the future
And don’t be a slave to no computer
Cause the children of Man inherit the land
And the future of the world is in your hands
So just throw your hands in the air
And wave em like you just don’t care
And if you believe that you’re the future
Scream it out and say oh yeah (Oh yeah)
Oh yeah (Oh yeah)
Rrrrhaa!

Beat Street Breakdown, rrrrhaa!

Lets play a game, see if you can point out the criteria in the following statement,

“Just for the record, Dr. Gaffin has produced what is, in my opinion, the best critique of Inspiration and Incarnation. Gaffin confronts Enns’ conclusions from a historic, Covenant Theology perspective that places the canon in the covenantal sphere. This is the fundamental flaw in Enns’ work. He is not teaching historic Covenant Theology. I want to also point out that all the reviews listed above work from a distinctive theological perspective when critiquing I & I. For instance, Carson treats it from an OT exegetical perspective, Helm from a philosophical perspective, Beale from a epistemological perspective, Lillback from a Systematic/Confessional perspective, Tipton from a historic Christology perspective, and Frame from a systematic/doctrine of Scripture perspective.”

The statement goes on to say,

“The combination of these, sometimes overlapping, critiques makes for a fairly comprehensive blow at Enns’ deviant view of inerrancy. However, if I could only choose one it would be Gaffin’s.”

In other words, Enns is not judged on the basis of unbiased research and interactions with Enns’ research, but on the basis of favored theological boxes that are human in origin rather than based on God’s word. These men claim Reform Theology yet abandon Sola Scriptura only to replace it with theories and ideas that have more to do with human creativity than with divine revelation.

This past weekend I found a new appreciation for Paul’s words in Galatians 5:16,

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (NASB).

How does one refrain from doing evil? By thinking real hard and long? By

meditation and contemplation? By one’s doctrinal beliefs? Not at all!

Its by walking by the Spirit or to put it another way, by living obediently to God’s calling of abundant wholeness. This past weekend I attended Pentecost 2008, Training for Change, a one and a half day conference on organizing teams to help make poverty a central issue in your Churches and in the White House. Part of the experience of being there was participating in groups where you was challenged to share relevant autobiographical information to people, in just 2 minutes, that served as a frame of reference as to why one is called to peace and justice. By the time the training was over, participants were already mobilizing a team and carrying out a plan of overcoming poverty.

I learned the value of simply doing something as oppose to processing it and trying to understand it before doing it. Don’t get me wrong, God gave us minds to process things but when it comes to the issue of poverty, and other social oppressions, it is as serious as somebody about to be hit by a car and the would be hero not thinking but simply acts to save the individual from harms way.

Many times in our culture of intellectualism, we attempt to understand things before an action is involved. In this sense, thinking is security, its about being in control. Not so bad right? Security and having a handle on things are good but at times it can be a hindrance especially when there is a matter of life and death.

I am one of those people who like to be in control of things by processing almost everything that is put in front of me to make decisions about. I am indecisive because my decisions about things have to be measured by how much I have ran it through the scanning devise–my less than certain brain. This way of deciding is helpful if you are deciding on what is the best deal on a home or trying to figure out a math problem. But when it comes to the Christian call to peace and justice, its not a matter of the mind but a matter of the heart ( both should be one in the same but our culture has created a thick wedge between them).

Many of Jesus’ liberating actions towards the poor and the mistreated started with having compassion for them ( Matthew 14:14, 15:32, 18:27,20:34; Mark 1:41, etc).

My prayer is that God’s faithful community would have compassion and be moved to action that will begin to liberate people from individual and systemic injustice. It has to start with compassion, not doctrine, not denomination, but with compassion. Lets ‘just’ do it, lets do justice!