Archive for the ‘Babblings (Acts 17:18)’ Category
Posted on December 12, 2009 - by Stephen Vantassel
Happy Hannukah
With the Festival of Lights upon us, I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Hannukah. I think this is a celebration that Christians can enjoy too as it occurred after the victory over the Selucids that gave the Jews the freedom to worship the Lord in freedom.
Stephen Vantassel is tutor of theology at King’s Evangelical Divinity School
Copyright 2009.
Posted on December 5, 2009 - by Stephen Vantassel
PETA’s Banned Turkey Prayer Ad
Whatever one thinks of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), you have to tip your hat at their ability to market themselves and their propaganda. Their use of sexuality, shock language, movie stars, and protests provide an effective campaign that regularly gets the attention of the media. One of their more recent attempts to raise the public’s consciousness about the plight of turkeys was through a television advertisement. The ad shows a family sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner (with turkey of course) and the little girl is asked to give thanks. The child begins (I am paraphrasing) by thanking God for turkeys and the feces they contain and how their heads get stomped. You can view the 30 second video for yourself at http://www.peta.org/FeatureGrace.asp
Posted on December 3, 2009 - by Stephen Vantassel
Indebtedness and Sin?
n the United States, several Christian ministries that focus on financial stewardship teach that Christians should strive to eliminate debt. Broadly speaking, they assert that the Biblical record strongly discourages indebtedness because it limits the freedom of the Christian to fulfill God’s plan. These ministries suggest Christians should strive to pay cash for purchases (avoid credit cards), live below one’s means, and pay down debt as quickly as possible. Additionally, they strongly encourage tithing arguing that it is an important part of our service to Christ. So what could be wrong with these ministries?
In one sense, absolutely nothing. These ministries have helped thousands of people put their financial house in order. The fact is, indebtedness can be a reflection of greed of needing to consume more than can be sustained by the means God has provided. But there is another side, perhaps an unintended side effect of these ministries. Sometimes adherents to their doctrine of debt-free-living, begin to think of debt as a form of sin and therefore radically change their lives to pay down debt and/alternatively establish a nest egg.
Let me be clear, debt is not a blessing. If Christians can reasonably avoid it, great. But I should point out that debt in Biblical times was not the same kind of burden as debt is today. The economy in the ancient world was agriculturally based. One couldn’t count on next years crop being good enough to pay off this year’s debt as bad weather can destroy the entire crop. In addition, protections for bankruptcy didn’t exist. When you were broke, you lost everything; even your children could be sold into slavery.
I recently heard a sermon where the minister commented on the get rid of debt idea. He said something that I found quite thought provoking. He said, we need to be careful that our desire to eliminate debt is not a cover for our own greed. Where we accumulate and accumulate so as to protect ourselves from ever having to go into debt. Also sometimes the desire to be debt free eliminates our ability to spend money to help the weak now. He argued that if we really believed in getting debt free then we should be able to do so in about two months. All we have to do is sell the house and downsize, sell the car and downsize etc. etc.
I think his point is well put. As in all things, we should strive for balance which is why we must pray for wisdom (cf. James 1). Ask yourself, is your debt crushing you? weakening you? or is it completely manageable with a reasonable review of your life situation? If changes are in order, change them. Then proceed to live accordingly as you serve God.
Stephen M. Vantassel is a tutor at Theology at Kings Evangelical Divinity School
Copyright 2009 Stephen M. Vantassel
Posted on November 21, 2009 - by Stephen Vantassel
Kids and Obedience
I like to watch people, particularly parents with little kids. I am always interested in how the child responds to the parents’ directives or more commonly how often the child does not obey. Usually, the conversation goes like this. The child behaves in a manner that is not publicly acceptable. Parent tells child to stop. Child pauses for a moment, as if she/he was actually considering the directive, and then proceeds to ignore it.
Posted on November 14, 2009 - by Stephen Vantassel
Psychological Interpretation of Crime
Whenever someone commits violent crime, news-watchers are inundated with the standard line that individual in question must be mentally deranged. Mental-health professionals are interviewed in the hopes that they can provide some kind of “explanation” that will help people understand, and thereby, regain a sense of control over the chaotic event. As C.S. Lewis has shown, such an understanding of criminal behavior is dangerous to human liberty.
In God in the Dock, Lewis explains how suggesting that criminals are “sick” transforms them from victimizers to victims. Once we treat them as victims, we can then “help” them by taking away their freedom in the name of protecting their interests. Some of you may be nodding in agreement. Treatment, you say, not vengeance is the answer to these people.
Not so fast. If we treat criminals as mentally ill, then we cannot release them from confinement until they are cured. How does one know when they are cured? If we treat criminals on the basis of their behavior, then their punishments must relate to the crime. There is an endpoint. I also have another reason to oppose the psychologization of crime. It relates to the way Christians were treated in the former Soviet Union. Christians were diagnosed as mentally ill and thereby sent to asylums for treatment thereby losing the few rights they might have had if they were designated as criminals.
As Lewis pointed out, criminals have rights. Sick people don’t. Think about that the next time you hear someone saying that a criminal needs treatment rather than punishment.
Stephen M. Vantassel is a tutor at King’s Evangelical Divinity School
Copyright, 2009 Stephen Vantassel.
Posted on November 8, 2009 - by Stephen Vantassel
Baby Seals & Animal Rights Fund Raising
One of the most effective profit centers for the animal rights groups has been their save the seals campaign. Seals are the perfect poster-animal for fund raising. They have big eyes and cute fur combine to make people’s hearts melt and their wallets open when they hear of the “alleged” horrors of seal hunting. Christians should make sure that they are not spending the Lord’s money on these anti-sealing groups.
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