SOME USEFUL IDEAS BEFORE HALLOWEEN
by Bob Wickizer
Scripture: Job 42:1-6, Job 42:10-17, Psalms 34:1-8, Psalms 34:19-22, Mark 10:46-52
Title: Some Useful Ideas Before Halloween
Author: Bob Wickizer
Text: Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22); Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52
It's time we had the talk. No, not the talk you give to your adolescent children, but perhaps today, this really is a talk between a father and his flock. We need to talk about some nerdy but extremely important religious ideas. My intention and hope today is to free you from a lot of religious baggage you pick up from everyday culture. I want you to leave the church today feeling a little less guilty, lighter, freer. When you clear away all the junk that is not helpful, then you can be more helpful for others. That's what I hope to do, and that's what Jesus wants too.
First up is theodicy - the question of why evil exists in the world if God created it all and said it was good. As a scientist, I can tell you the universe is an incredibly violent place. The moon was formed in the early days of our solar system from a Mars-sized planet striking the earth. The kinetic energy from that impact converted to thermal energy, and the entire planet earth turned to molten rock temperatures (about 2,000 degrees) and stayed that way for a million years. It could happen again. Our little planet making its way through the heavens is more like a dog crossing a five-lane freeway during rush hour. It is only by the grace of God go we.
Closer to home, human evil exists because God created us with free will. If we were not equally free to choose the bad or the good, then we would not be truly free. Would you rather be free or a robot?
Furthermore, evil is NOT God's punishment for any bad things you might have done. If bad things happen to you like a hurricane or a disease, it is not because you sinned, and you deserveit. Jesus debunks this kind of moralizing, but you still find preachers today who use it very effectively to control their churches by guilt and the threat of God's punishment. This is not biblical. It is not a ...
Author: Bob Wickizer
Text: Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22); Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52
It's time we had the talk. No, not the talk you give to your adolescent children, but perhaps today, this really is a talk between a father and his flock. We need to talk about some nerdy but extremely important religious ideas. My intention and hope today is to free you from a lot of religious baggage you pick up from everyday culture. I want you to leave the church today feeling a little less guilty, lighter, freer. When you clear away all the junk that is not helpful, then you can be more helpful for others. That's what I hope to do, and that's what Jesus wants too.
First up is theodicy - the question of why evil exists in the world if God created it all and said it was good. As a scientist, I can tell you the universe is an incredibly violent place. The moon was formed in the early days of our solar system from a Mars-sized planet striking the earth. The kinetic energy from that impact converted to thermal energy, and the entire planet earth turned to molten rock temperatures (about 2,000 degrees) and stayed that way for a million years. It could happen again. Our little planet making its way through the heavens is more like a dog crossing a five-lane freeway during rush hour. It is only by the grace of God go we.
Closer to home, human evil exists because God created us with free will. If we were not equally free to choose the bad or the good, then we would not be truly free. Would you rather be free or a robot?
Furthermore, evil is NOT God's punishment for any bad things you might have done. If bad things happen to you like a hurricane or a disease, it is not because you sinned, and you deserveit. Jesus debunks this kind of moralizing, but you still find preachers today who use it very effectively to control their churches by guilt and the threat of God's punishment. This is not biblical. It is not a ...
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