Sharing Glimpses of His Heart and Mind...

On the Christian Life

Philosophical Musings

Theological Investigations

Here is a collection of pieces (some long-ago, some recent), many of which stem from interactions with my fellow co-workers in Christ and co-strugglers with truth and faith.  See also the Letters page.

(For sure, all the below pieces should be subject to detailed critique.  Take EVERYTHING with no small grain of salt [1Thess 5:21?]; I am only too aware of how much I fall short of high-quality scholarship, esp. with regards to breadth of reading and attention to detail.  As such, please point out problematic areas in my arguments and/or presentations as you encounter them - thanks!)

Added, Aug 2005:

·  “How can Calvinists believe that God determined the most heinous of evils?”

·  Beyond Criticism: Thinking About Thinking in the Christian Faith

 

To Shine Like Stars ('Christian Living', Devotionals and Ethics)
 

·  What does truth have to do with faith anyway?

·  Is it okay for Christians to have babies in-vitro?

·  How do Christians 'Forgive and Forget'? (and other questions)

·  A Living Transfer (church Easter newsletter article, Apr 2002)

·  Thy Strange Victory (church Christmas newsletter article, Dec 2001)

·  "So, Al, how do you think a Christian should tackle :

·  Knowing if a particular person is the 'correct' life-partner or not? (Aug, '02)

·  Gambling & Investments?" (Nov Y2K)

·  Insurance?" (Oct Y2K)

·  Romantic Relationships with Non-Believers?" (Oct Y2K)

·  Euthanasia?" (Oct Y2K)

·  "What would a 'Persevering Faith' look like?" (updated Nov, Y2K)

·  Reflections on Phillipians 4:6-9

·  More/Less than 10%? (On Christian Tithing and Giving)

·  What does it mean to 'bless' God? (only 1/2 page long)
   
 

"I'm just guessin' here..." (smile) (Philosophy, Apologetics, Pop Science, Etc.)
 

·  Thoughts about choice and causation

·  Why does God often not respond to prayer? (and other questions) (Apr 2002)

·  Can God make a Rock so Big He Cannot Lift it? (Apr 2002)

·  What about last-minute conversions of 'extremely evil' people? (Jan 2002)

·  Homosexuality - it's their choice? (Jan, 2001)

·  What can we say to someone who sees NO DIFFERENCE between Christ and other faiths? (Jan 2002)

·  "Is an embryo merely an EXTENSION of its mother's body?" (Jan, 2001)

·  Is it true that truth exists? (plus a short follow-up) (Dec Y2K)

·  Quirinius, Luke's Reliability & The Christmas Takeover (Dec Y2K)

·  "Is life nothing but a DREAM (a'la The Matrix)? (read the feedback to this piece)
 

Dive, Dive, Dive!  (Theology)
 

·  What is the New Testament picture of expulsion from within the Christian community? (also see Part 2 and Part 3)

·  The case for Annihilationism (plus its impact on the Chalcedonic Christological formula) including a discussion of the implications of the post-death separation of Jesus' humanity from His divinity on the Chalcedonic formula.

·  "Does Eph 1:11 teach that God determines all things?"

·  "If there can be freedom without sin in Heaven, why not Earth as well?"

·  "If Angels can be free and not sin, why not Humans?"

·  "What about foreknowledge and predestination in Romans 8:29-31?"

·  "Does Acts 4:27-28 support pan-causality?"

·  "Was Judaism a Legalistic Religion?" (a starter to a series on Paul & the Mosaic Law).

·  ...the sea as a referent to evil forces in the OT. (Added Sept 2001)

·  "Does 'Many are invited; Few are chosen' (Matt 22:14)  mean that God will save only a few people?" (Added, Sept 2001)

·  "Who were the Pharisees and Sadducees, and why did the latter not believe in resurrection?" (Added, Aug 2001)

·  What about Infant Baptism? (May 2001)

·  Does John 6:35-44 require 'Double Predestination'? (Apr 2001)

·  What About the Destiny of the Unevangelized (Introductory piece)? (Feb 2001) (Added "What might 'Jesus is the ONLY Way' mean to an inclusivist?" and "Why evangelise if people already have salvific access?", May 2001)

·  The Resurrection of Jesus - So What? (Dec Y2K)

·  Love Controlling Wrath: A Look at the Judgment of Sodom & Gomorrah (also a partial defense of open theism - see below.  Added, Dec Y2K)

·  Romans 9 : Sovereign Love in Action, A Commentary (Aug Y2K), which includes:

·  The Open View of God (the most salient - though certainly not central - aspect of which is that Exhaustive Foreknowledge of the future is neither a Biblical theme nor a requirement for a Sovereign God of Love to be recognised and worshipped as such):

·  A Critique of the Calvinist View of Divine Sovereignity

·  "Does John 20:23 support the Roman Catholic doctrine of Penance?"

·  Some thoughts on Christian Hedonism  (as propounded by John Piper)
 

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