Posted by PS on December 04, 2003 at 02:30:02:
In Reply to: Re: Asking questions as worship posted by Bob - the Alien on December 03, 2003 at 18:27:09:
: : Yours is the more Arminian reponse. You may think it is a compilation, but there is another dynamic that is more nuanced regarding which belief invalidates which in the eyes of whom. (We are talking about hundreds of years of reactionary theological development here in many different directions.) The Calvinist believes that every single action is directly under God's control, and to make anything the product of chance is in fact an affront to His sovereignty.
: Oh, ho! No, I am in no way Calvinist, then. :)
: Drat, though. I must find an answer that cannot be classified into a specific philosophy. Of course, seeing as how all my beliefs are widely published by my church, it is impossible, oh well.
: But I will say that the hundreds of years of reactionary theological development are somewhat irrelevant to me. I know that they exist, but I think that true wisdom comes from prayer. So I go with the answers that feel true to me when I pray. Which does not mean the philosophers have nothing to add... just that I am using a different approach.
: With Love,
: Bob - the Alien
* * * * * *
Cool. I don't quote many philosophers. I generally critique them. The word "philosophy" in my application is not capitalized. It refers to the quest for truth and wisdom, not a reference to a tradition of philosophical thought.
BUT - the hundreds of years of reactionary theological development would be extremely relevant to you if you ever studied them. I promise.
Parable: The cancer growing in my body is irrelevant to my thought--until I find out it's there. Then it changes the way I think about every part of my life to some degree. And it is relevant to my thinking every day of my life after that. And I wouldn't want to not know about it. (Such a desire esteems wisdom irrelevant.)
:-)