Scientology: endorsed by Tyler Durden.

A recent conversation on the predestination of salvation got me started thinking about this. Well, more generally, about the whole Calvinism versus Armenianism debate. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, those are two schools of Christian thought, both of which came about in the 16th Century.

Just a warning: This isn’t really one of my fun posts. I’m doing some real soul-searching here, so you get bonus points if you stick with me.

Here’s a primer on each of them (taken from the Wikipedia articles):

Calvinism

• As a consequence of man’s fall into sin, every person is born enslaved to the service of sin.
• God’s choice from eternity of those whom he will bring to himself is not based on foreseen virtue, merit, or faith in those people; rather, it is unconditionally grounded in God’s mercy alone.
• Jesus’ atonement of sin was definite and certain in its design and accomplishment. It would be unjust for God to pay the penalty for some people’s sins and then still condemn them for those sins, all those whose sins were atoned for must necessarily be saved. Moreover, since in this scheme God knows precisely who the elect are and since only the elect will be saved, there is no requirement that Christ atone for sins in general, only for those of the elect.
• The saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has determined to save (that is, the elect) and, in God’s timing, overcomes their resistance to obeying the call of the gospel, bringing them to a saving faith. So if He wants you to be saved, you will be saved.
• Since God is sovereign and his will cannot be frustrated by humans or anything else, those whom God has called into communion with himself will continue in faith until the end. Those who apparently fall away either never had true faith to begin with or will return.

Armenianism

• Humans are naturally unable to make any effort towards salvation.
• Salvation is possible only by God’s grace, which cannot be merited.
• No works of human effort can cause or contribute to salvation.
• God’s election is conditional on faith in the sacrifice and Lordship of Jesus Christ.
• Christ’s atonement was made on behalf of all people.
• God allows his grace to be resisted by those who freely reject Christ.
• Believers are able to resist sin but are not beyond the possibility of falling from grace through persistent, unrepented-of sin.

I’ve considered myself an Armenian for my entire adult life, which I think actually led me to my interest in Existentialism. Armenianism seems a natural fit with Existentialism, with the focus on individual choice and the rejection of essence before existence. Also, Armenianism seems to mesh more with what I believe to be God’s character. So I know what I believe. But, if I’m going to call myself a Christian, I need to go back to the source documents (the Bible) and check my beliefs against that, which is something I haven’t done extensively in this manner.

It’s not that I reject Calvinism in its entirety. For instance, the concept of total depravity (the first bullet point under Calvinism above) has a very valid place in many Christian schools of thought. I think total depravity is a gateway drug into Calvinism, actually, but that’s a thought for another time. Anyway, I don’t think either school gets it entirely wrong (or, most likely, entirely right either).

I’m going to be making a few posts over the next few days examining each of these. I know I have some smart friends out there who have given this far more thought than I have, and I also know I have some very smart friends who may not have given it critical thought but still have opinions on it. I’d like to hear from all of you. I realize this is opening up my blog to the flame wars that have been ensuing since the 16th Century, but it’ll help me discern the truth here, so I welcome all of it.

First, a few words from my personal hero, Soren Kierkegaard; then, some thoughts on worship leadership.

When a man turns his back upon someone and walks away, it is so easy to see that he walks away, but when a man hits upon a method of turning his face towards the one he is walking away from, hits upon a method of walking backwards while with appearance and glance and salutations he greets the person, giving assurances again and again that he is coming immediately, or incessantly saying, “Here I am”—although he gets farther and farther away by walking backwards—then it is not so easy to become aware. And so it is with the one who, rich in good intentions and quick to promise, retreats backwards farther and farther from the good. With the help of intentions and promises he maintains an orientation towards the good, he is turned towards the good, and with this orientation towards the good he moves backwards farther and farther away from it. With ever renewed intention and promise it seems as if he takes a step forward, and yet he not only remains standing still but really takes a step backward. The intention taken in vain, the unfulfilled promise leaves a residue of despondency, dejection, which perhaps soon again leave behind only greater languor. As a drunkard constantly requires stronger and stronger stimulation—in order to become intoxicated, likewise the one who has fallen into intentions and promises constantly requires more and more stimulation—in order to walk backward.

- Soren Kierkegaard, Works of Love

So what does this have to do with worship leadership? Let’s take a look back at an unorthodox, although very Biblical, definition of worship.

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At Truepenny’s request, I’m going to write a bit about my teenagedom with Jesus. This isn’t quite as entertaining as yesterday’s post, I’m afraid, but it’s not really dull or depressing either. It’s a happy middle ground.

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I just posted a Facebook note about this, but I wanted to go into a little more detail here.

For those who don’t know, I adopted the cause of the abolition of human trafficking a few years back. Basically, it’s the buying and selling of humans on the black market. Love146 is an organization dedicated to helping to stop this, so we organized a benefit concert for them last year and we’re approaching our second one (coming January 17).

Here are some quick facts from the Love146 website:

• 1 child is sold into slavery every 30 seconds
• Approximately 1.2 million children are sold annually
• $32 billion is brought in annually from human trafficking
• $28 billion is brought in annually from commercial sexual exploitation
• Humans are the second biggest trade on the black market, beating out weapons and trailing behind only drugs

The concert’s website is here. (Notice the striking similarity to this site. You’ll never guess who designed it.) If you live in the KC area and you feel compelled to help with this cause, please help promote this concert. If you have a blog, blog about it; if you go to church, tell them about it; talk to people at work or in bars.

The goal isn’t just to have a successful concert, but to start a movement in the Kansas City area. Already, we have a strong student group forming. (It’s a national group based out of the KC area.) Last year, we had some people talk to local publications about refusing to advertise unlicensed massage parlors (a common front for slave prostitution). Just a few years back, they shut down one of these massage parlors in Overland Park that was filled with trafficked humans.The movement is starting. We need members.

If you’re not in the KC area, check out Love146, which focuses on abduction prevention and aftercare, and International Justice Mission, which works on a macro level with governments and law enforcement agencies to make trafficking harder for traffickers. There’s lots you can do.

The point is that people have to know about this. It can’t be kept America’s dirty little secret any more. Trafficked women are pimped out in the Adult Services section of Craigslist every day in hundreds of cities across the nation, and hundreds of these “massage parlors” are in operation and are advertised in our daily newspapers, all because people don’t know not to stand for it. Most of the clothes we buy, even some clothes that advertise “Made in the U.S.A.,” are made by trafficked children in sweat shops.

I do not want any of you to come away after reading this and feel guilty about not helping. I also don’t want anyone to feel guilty if they choose another cause over this one. This is my cause, but I realize that there are other ones as well. The point is to do what you do well to do good.

Feel free to contact me with any questions you have on this. I’m pretty passionate about it, and I have some additional resources on-hand if you want any.

Let me preface this by saying that I am by no means an expert in any of the subject I’m about to discuss. If I get something wrong, feel free to gently remind me.

I’ve been fascinated as of late with the Greek word Logos, which literally means “word,” or, with some interpretation, logic or reasoning. It’s where we get the -ology suffix in the English language (words like biology, idiology, and theology). Even though it means “word,” though, it doesn’t refer to the grammatical object—there’s another word for that. Logos had a deeper meaning.

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Apparently, the Beatles were the first Christian rock band.

Very, very interesting for a lot of reasons—mainly because of the general disdain between the Beatles and the church, despite both claiming to be “Christ’s biggest fans.”

Today, I look at bands like Creed and Guster—both of whom use religious symbolism in their songs—and wonder how many closet Jesus bands there are out there. And I’m not trying to say that this is purely the fault of the Christian community at large. Many people outside of the Christian camp form their opinions of Christianity on the outbursts of a forceful, vocal minority. Disgusted or no, you have to be pretty calloused or blind to miss all the good that religion is actually doing in the world. (And yes, I believe that it has historically been one of the most destructive forces in the world. That’s another discussion altogether, but I think the tides are turning.)

And on the flip side, I wonder how many Christians would embrace modernity (or, more specifically, Postmodernity) if they understood how much it defined what they already believed (and how in line it is with the Bible). In the book Finding Common Ground, Tim Downs verbally attacks Postmodernism in one chapter, and then spends the rest of the chapter talking about how art is the new instrument of truth and how we need to appeal not only to people’s intellects, but also to their emotional imaginations—extremely Postmodern concepts.

An interesting fact: John Lennon was actually the original choice to play Jesus in Jesus Christ, Superstar, but turned down the role. Just saying.

For all of you fans of LOLcats, I present to you… The LOLcat Bible! That’s right! They’re actually translating the Bible in LOLspeak. Forget the 2,200+ languages without the Bible—we need LOLgod (a.k.a. Ceiling Cat).

Here are some choice passages.

U iz as pretti as Tirzah,
  as pretti az Jerusalem,
  liek an armi marchin around.
Doant look at me,
  itz too much LOL.
  Ur hair iz liek goatz
  comin down teh mountn.
Ur teeth iz liek sheep
  dat just hadded abaff.
  Dey iz all twinz,
  bcz u haz all ur teethz.
Ur butt
  is liek a peach.
Dere is sixti queenz,
  an eighti othr ladiez,
  an lotz of virjinz
but u iz wun of a kiend,
  ur motherz only dauter
  ur motherz favrit.
  Teh ladiez sez “She haz cheezburgr”;
  teh queenz iz liek “U iz so cool.”
- Song of Solomon 6:4-9

CEILING CAT sez to Moses “Go sez to teh Israelis ‘Be excellent cuz I’z CEILING CAT and I’z excellent.

Be goods to youz ma and pa, don’t work on Sundayz, I IS CEILING CAT.

Don’t be makin fake gods, plzkthnx?

If u makes cheezburger offering to Ceiling Cat make it wifout onions. U gots to eats it that day or teh next but after that u gots to throw it away cuz teh bunz gets soggy And nobody wants soggy cheezburger. DO NOT WANT. If sumbody does eats it, I not responsible, kthnx. Nobody gonna liek u if u eats soggy cheezburger.

An den when you has BBQ makes lots and lots of cheezburgers. An no eats all teh Cheetos.
Leaves sum for teh homeless kittehs and space alienz. I IZ CEILING CAT.

No be steelin’
No be lying.
No fooling u fwends.

No swearing in teh name of Ceiling Cat. I IZ CEILING CAT.

No steelin u naybur’s X-Box.
An pay teh delivery guy.

No makin fun o teh deaf peeple or trippin blind peeple, be ‘fraid o Ceiling Cat!

No makin fun o Judge Judy or Joe Brown cuz theyz good judges cuz they no take no crap.

No spreadin rumors even if Louie does has big harballs.
No be puttin kittehs in danger. I IZ CEELING CAT.

No fiteing in teh back seat wif u brother an no ganging up on u sister.

No gettin back at peeples or makin drama. Free luvz to all! I IZ CEILING CAT.

Don’t screw dees things up:
No shackin wif teh dog.
No raisin coca AND teh pot in teh same garage.
No pleather.

If u hookz up wit teh OPP u gots to pay up. No Tu-Pac episodes, tho.21 Makez offering of cheezburger an it be ok.

No eating teh icing off teh cake before teh party. Teh birfday kitteh gets teh icing first. After dat youz can has icing. I IZ CEILING CAT.

Cooks teh cheezburger all teh way throo. DO NOT WANT RAW.
No crazy voodoo stuffs, kthnx.

No mullets or bad sideburns.

No emo cutting an no tattoos off teh parlor wall. I IZ CEILING CAT.

No hookin’ out ur own kids or teh bad mans come to teh nayburhood.

Still no workin on teh weekends. I IZ CEILING CAT.

No listens to teh Sylvia Browne cuz she will pwn u. I IZ CEILING CAT.

Be nice to old kittehs. I IZ CEILING CAT.

Be nice to alienz cuz they might has destruct-o beems.

Pretend they is u cousin cuz we all alienz sumwear. I IZ CEILING CAT. No exaggerating teh size o u harballs.

We all knoes u is lieing. I IZ Ceiling Cat, after all. Do all thees stuffs that I sai. I IZ CEILING CAT.”

- Leviticus 19

Teh storm kept waving. Iz microwave, then mexican wave. Jonah sez “Rsistnce iz fewtile. Biff me in teh sea, ocean can pwnzd kittah. Is mai fault. sry.”But Michael triez to row teh boat to shore. He is phail, and teh storm iz getting worsnwors. So tehy preyed to Ceiling Cat, “wait. no! plz don’t drowns uz, cuz cats dusn’t lieks to get wet. DO NOT WANT. plsthnxbai.”Tehn they toss Jonah into teh waterz, and teh sea iz calmed down liek on ritlin. srsly. Teh sailors iz so skeered they makes offrings of catnips and cheezeburgers and loots in bukkits for Ceiling Cat. Ceiling Cat maeked a LOLrus to eated Jonah, and Jonah iz in yr whale making yr sushis for three days and three nights.
- Jonah 1:11-17

I expect to hear this in a sermon someday from some of my pastor friends.

Anyone questioning Barack Obama’s faith needs to read a recent speech of his:

http://www.citizenlink.org/pdfs/06-24-08-obama-call-to-renewal.pdf

Long, but worth the read.

Suppose someone wanting to learn to dance said: “For hundreds of years now one generation after another has been learning dance steps, it’s high time I took advantage of this and began straight off with a set of quadrilles.” One would surely laugh at him; but in the world of spirit such an attitude is considered utterly plausible.

– Soren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, Preamble from the Heart

I discovered this truth at age 14, when I took the faith I was raised with and wrestled with it and made it my own. I soon found that I had to repeat this discovery with every truth I had learned in my life. I’d learned the difference between an objective truth and a subjective truth. You can say something is true without actually being able to articulate why that thing is true. You can know something is true without being willing to change your life because of it.

The term “subjective truth” has gotten such a bad rap in the church at large simply because people don’t understand what it means. I think any serious Postmodernist would agree that letting every person decide for themselves what is good and evil represents a rather shallow and egocentric understanding of truth.

What’s more, I think the church could really benefit from teaching people to discover the roots of truths rather than just saying that they’re true. I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with people that fall apart because they don’t know the foundations of what they uphold as true.

I’m not saying that die-hard Modernists don’t understand the things the hold to be true. I’m just saying that the church in general seems to have a bit of a problem with that, and it could be helped by a change in approach.