God in the Psalms No.8
Psa 5:4,5 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong
In theses two verses we focus on the last phrase: you hate all who do wrong. How, we might think, does this fit with the God who is love? Let’s check, first of all, what the Bible says about the things or people God hates.
Deut 12:31: You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
Deut 16:21,22 Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the LORD your God, and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the LORD your God hates.
Psa 11:5 The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.
Prov 6:16-19 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
That will do for now, a good selection. God made the world perfect. Sin came in and spoilt it, yet it is still possible for men and women of faith to enter into relationship with the Lord and receive His ongoing restoration. Such people who turn to Him, He calls His children (e.g. John 1:12). For God, perfection is normal and natural. Thus Jesus was able to say, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5:48). Perfect there means whole or complete, i.e. let God restore you by His Holy Spirit and the work of the Cross, so that you are the complete being He wants you to be in the likeness of Jesus.
Now because God is perfect, He loves what is perfect, all He has made, and those He is restoring but, conversely He hates anything that spoils or mars the wonderful world that He has made. Thus whenever He sees sin He hates it, in the same way that a surgeon may hate cancer cells, knowing that unless it is eradicated it will destroy. Thus in the verses above we find a variety of expressions of sin that God hates because He knows that unless it is dealt with it will destroy His people, His creation.
But people? Yes, even people. Look carefully at their descriptions: the wicked, the arrogant. These are not people who just occasionally do these things, these are people who have settled into this way of life. Like an infection in the body these are “carriers” that cause sin to spread. What to you do with a life-threatening infection? You destroy it by whatever means you can before it destroys you. No wonder God hates or detests these “carriers” of sin. They are working to destroy the wonder of all that He has made.
But note something else. As soon as this person comes to repentance, if that is possible, then God is instantly there for them. The second they turn to God He is there for them. Here is a mystery. We can see someone who we would describe in the language used above, and then somehow God moves in their life, they pause, they question, they seek and they submit, and we see God’s salvation was there for them just as it was for us. Jesus told us to pray for and love our enemies (Mt 5:44). Is it possible that God loves and hates at the same time, or is it that He sees the possibility of repentance coming in this person, and although He hates what they are at the moment, He knows they will respond and become one of His – pre-chosen! (Eph 1:4) A glorious mystery!
Friday, November 28, 2008
God of Glory
God in the Psalms No.13
Psa 8:1 O LORD , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
In the 6th of these meditations, when we considered the face of the Lord, we briefly considered the glory of the Lord. Let’s now think about that more fully. David starts this eighth psalm off by reflecting on how wonderful the Lord’s name is. He uses the covenant name for God (LORD = “I am who I am” – see Exodus 3:13-15 and footnotes) which is another way of saying “God of Eternity” or “the Eternal One”.
When he thinks of the Lord he feels His name is majestic, higher than any other, and then he gives the reason for this: the Lord, he says, has set His glory above the heavens. Now that’s an interesting way of putting it: “above” the heavens. In some old paintings the painter showed the earth and the sky above it, and then had heavenly beings above the sky. It’s like they wanted to put the heavenly world above “the heavens”, the sky, to give a fuller or more complete picture of reality.
When we look at the rest of this psalm we see David marvelling at God’s work in Creation (v.3). He then wonders at the fact of God making man and giving him all this and making him ruler over all of it (v.4-6). As he ponders on this and on the wonder of this incredible world, God’s gift to mankind, he just bursts out with, “how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (v.9). Man may have been given this world to rule over, but God Himself is the King over all things. He’s the One who created all things and therefore He’s the only one who can really claim to be King, Lord of all.
But there’s more than this, there’s this reference to the Lord’s glory. When we considered God’s glory before, we saw it as the brightness that literally shines from God’s presence, the glory that was first revealed to Israel at Sinai. It was subsequently seen at the completion and dedication of the Tabernacle (Ex40:33-35) and the completion and dedication of Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:10,11). Is that the glory that is being referred to here by David now? Not quite but the same sense is there in what he describes. He is saying that when you look at the wonder of God’s creation you see the wonder of the Master Craftsman, the Creator, behind it all; it isn’t just a bland piece of construction; it is a masterpiece that reflects the staggering nature of the One who brought it all into being from nothing. What it reflects is the glory or wonder of the One who made it all.
Have you ever seen it like this? Have you ever been somewhere in the world and gazed upon what you see before you – and marvelled and wondered at what is before you – the handiwork of the Master Creator? Have you ever stood on the seashore with the sun setting and marvelled? Have you ever stood on a hillside gazing on the panorama before you, and marvelled? Have you ever seen the Canadian Rockies, or any other great mountain chain, and marvelled? It would be possible to write for hours describing the incredible variety of the features of the world that are so beautiful. This is God’s world; this is what He has made. You have to be hard-hearted or blind not to see the handiwork of God in all this and remain unmoved. Paul wrote about such people, “what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen” (Rom 1:19,20). His conclusion about their blindness and refusal to respond? They have no excuse! Let’s not be like them!
Psa 8:1 O LORD , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
In the 6th of these meditations, when we considered the face of the Lord, we briefly considered the glory of the Lord. Let’s now think about that more fully. David starts this eighth psalm off by reflecting on how wonderful the Lord’s name is. He uses the covenant name for God (LORD = “I am who I am” – see Exodus 3:13-15 and footnotes) which is another way of saying “God of Eternity” or “the Eternal One”.
When he thinks of the Lord he feels His name is majestic, higher than any other, and then he gives the reason for this: the Lord, he says, has set His glory above the heavens. Now that’s an interesting way of putting it: “above” the heavens. In some old paintings the painter showed the earth and the sky above it, and then had heavenly beings above the sky. It’s like they wanted to put the heavenly world above “the heavens”, the sky, to give a fuller or more complete picture of reality.
When we look at the rest of this psalm we see David marvelling at God’s work in Creation (v.3). He then wonders at the fact of God making man and giving him all this and making him ruler over all of it (v.4-6). As he ponders on this and on the wonder of this incredible world, God’s gift to mankind, he just bursts out with, “how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (v.9). Man may have been given this world to rule over, but God Himself is the King over all things. He’s the One who created all things and therefore He’s the only one who can really claim to be King, Lord of all.
But there’s more than this, there’s this reference to the Lord’s glory. When we considered God’s glory before, we saw it as the brightness that literally shines from God’s presence, the glory that was first revealed to Israel at Sinai. It was subsequently seen at the completion and dedication of the Tabernacle (Ex40:33-35) and the completion and dedication of Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:10,11). Is that the glory that is being referred to here by David now? Not quite but the same sense is there in what he describes. He is saying that when you look at the wonder of God’s creation you see the wonder of the Master Craftsman, the Creator, behind it all; it isn’t just a bland piece of construction; it is a masterpiece that reflects the staggering nature of the One who brought it all into being from nothing. What it reflects is the glory or wonder of the One who made it all.
Have you ever seen it like this? Have you ever been somewhere in the world and gazed upon what you see before you – and marvelled and wondered at what is before you – the handiwork of the Master Creator? Have you ever stood on the seashore with the sun setting and marvelled? Have you ever stood on a hillside gazing on the panorama before you, and marvelled? Have you ever seen the Canadian Rockies, or any other great mountain chain, and marvelled? It would be possible to write for hours describing the incredible variety of the features of the world that are so beautiful. This is God’s world; this is what He has made. You have to be hard-hearted or blind not to see the handiwork of God in all this and remain unmoved. Paul wrote about such people, “what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen” (Rom 1:19,20). His conclusion about their blindness and refusal to respond? They have no excuse! Let’s not be like them!
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Separateness of The Early Christians In The Roman Empire AD 50-313, In Matters of Leisure and Entertainment by Valerie Clark
This paper was included in the Asian Pentecostal Conference folder and is reprinted here with Mrs. Clarks permission. The Conference was held at the Bible College of Malaysia
1. INTRODUCTION
“Away with the third race” was a favourite shout of the crowds in the circus. The phrase neatly pinpointed the recognizable identity that Christians were acquiring, distinct from both Jews and pagans. No such designation could have taken root unless Christians had in fact developed a distinct corporate identity, even a separateness, in the society around them. (Markus 1974:24)
The early Christians made a stand to “come out from among them” (2 Cor 6:17) and be separate, in obedience to their Lord and his commands .In the pagan society of the Roman Empire in which they lived and worked, Christians could not participate in the festivals and celebrations that permeated all areas of life and that the inhabitants of the Roman world so loved. The reason was simple: the spheres of politics, commerce and industry, and leisure and entertainment all centred around the worship of the pagan deities. Occasions of civic importance as well as mundane business was marked by religious ceremony (Clarke 2000:21). “Everywhere, the gods were involved in life’s basic patterns, in birth, copulation and death” (Shelton 1988:365). Many of the Greek gods were worshipped by the Romans who simply changed their names to give them a Roman identity (Klauck 2002:28). Jupiter was the most important of the gods and it was to Jupiter’s
De Vos (2000:870) points out that “everyone” usually took part in the major religious festivals and public feasts; they were the high points in the city’s calendar. Not only did one join the procession, but it was customary for small altars to be set up outside houses, and households offered sacrifices as the procession passed by. Emperor-worship became a formality in the empire and the image of the emperor was the central point of reference for the imperial cult (Lane Fox 1986:136). The world by this time had been influenced by various philosophies and cults, as well as systems of magic and astrology. The Romans relied heavily on “the signs”. No official act was conducted without discovering the will of the gods by some act of divination (Yamauchi 1981:125).
The might and magnificence of the
In this historical context of the Latin-Hellenistic world, in a remote corner of the empire, the religion of Christianity began. Just as amazing as the
The question may be asked: how did these Christians convince potential converts to leave the festive worship of their gods and to join a group of people who were labelled as criminals (Ehrman 1999:26), anti-social deviants (Carter 2002:484), magicians (Lietzmann [1961]1967:194), cannibals (De Vos 2000:880), perpetrators of incest and sexual orgies (Dods, Reith & Pratten 1867:415), and the cause of natural disasters (Frend 1965:490)? Ehrman (1999:383) gives the answer when he states that the Christians followed Jesus’ teachings with a consistency that was evident in their moral behaviour, and “the upright lives of Christians proved more important for their relationship with those outside the faith”. The Christian’s policy was based on Jesus’ exhortation to be in the world, but not be part of the world (John 17:14-15), and they were determined to follow Pauls entreaty (Rom 12:2) to not be conformed to this world. It seems as though the early Christians took all these exhortations seriously.
As a Pentecostal minister who was raised in a Pentecostal denomination which has often been described as a “sect” because of its persuasion, based on the example of the early church, to separate itself from the world and the moral and ethical norms of the world, it has been of interest to me to study the separateness of the early Christians from their world in the spheres of politics, commerce and industry, and entertainment. My focus for this article is the sphere of Roman leisure and entertainment, and the Christians’ response to it.
2. THE ROMAN WORLD OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT
In today’s modern world, leisure is defined as a time when we are not working in some fixed employment. In Roman days there was no division of time and labour. In Toner’s words (1995:7):
“Leisure would be the institution that revealed most of the traits of Roman life. Leisure would be the study to cover most important areas of Roman culture. For the central themes of Roman life were most clearly connected in their leisure on account of the fact that Rome was felt to be characterized by its abundant leisure and the immorality it seemed to foster.”
As was the way of life in the Mediterranean areas, the people rose at sunrise and retired at sunset (Malina 2000:392). For most of the elite, life was made up of long periods of free time. For the merchants, work started early and often only ended late into the night. The lower classes formed the majority of the freeborn inhabitants of the
On days set aside to celebrate religious festivals, the majority of the population threw themselves wholeheartedly into the enjoyment of it. There was music and dancing, prostitution, drama, athletics, shopping and fairs, and religious processions (Lane Fox 1986:85). On the Ides of March, the lower classes of the population & streamed out to the festum geniale of Anna, and spent the whole day in the Campus Marticus, lying about in pairs of men and women, indulging in drinking and in all kinds of revelry. “As they drank they prayed for as many years of life as they could swallow cups of wine” (Fowler 1963:289). By the time of Marcus Aurelius (AD 161- 180), the number of festival days had been extended to 130, double that of the latter days of the republic (Cary & Scullard [1935]1975:303).
2.1 THE GAMES
The games, with their pageantry, processional ceremonies, spectacular show and a love of brutality and bloodshed, were central to Roman life. The question may well be asked: “&what are we to make of such a mentality and culture, and how was it that the games played such a crucial role in the imperial ideology?” (Toner 1995:48). It would seem that just as the Roman social order destined some to win and others to lose, so the games portrayed this normal and inescapable fact of life: there was the opportunity of equality through chance or merit. Farrar [1882]1909:7 says of the spectacles that both shocked and delighted the crowds: “Two phrases sum up the characteristics of Roman civilization in the days of the Empire - heartless cruelty, and unfathomable corruption”.
2.2 THE RACES
Races were held in the circuses, built as long rectangles with semi-circular ends. Halliday (1925:108) maintains that racing was more popular than our football today. The Romans relied on the supernatural to favour their bets. Thus, magic “was employed to accelerate or retard the pace” (Friedlander [1908]1965:34-35). Everyone talked about the races and teachers complained that their pupils could not concentrate on the lesson when it was the day of the races. The roar of the crowd in the Circus Maximus could be heard all over the city. Gambling on the races bordered on the fanatical and riot often
took place between the various supporters (Yamauchi 1981:119).
While the main feature of entertainment in the circus was the chariot races, there were also horseback races, athletic contests and wrestling matches (Friedlander [1908]1965:23). Shops lay along the length of the stadiums where “winemerchants, caterers and pastry-cooks, astrologers and prostitutes had their place of business” (Carcopino 1967:236).
2.3 THE THEATRE AND THE PLAYS
“What with the powerful excitement of the circus-arena, the stage could only draw its audience by ignoble means, rough jokes and sensual by-play. Thus, far from counteracting the corrupting influences of the circus and arena, it heightened them” (Friedlander [1908]1965:90). Yamauchi (1981:118) describes the theatre as a place where actresses took their clothes off, sexual intercourse was performed and criminals were tortured on stage.
2.4 THE AMPHITHEATRE (COLOSSEUM)
Here, the most cruel and gruesome games that the world would ever know, took place. The Amphitheatrum Flavium, or “Cathedral of Death”, was built by Emperor Vespasian to win the favour of the people. To celebrate the opening, one hundred days were dedicated to special games and free entertainment (Yamauchi 1981:120). Thousands of animals were killed, and many gladiators fought to the death (Shelton 1988:344). First on the programme were the wild beasts, followed by public executions where criminals (including Christians) were crucified, set alight, or given to the wild animals. Last of all were the gladiators. In all, forty-two emperors enjoyed the Colosseum and 700 thousand souls died (Wrobel 2004:tel broadcast).
3. ROMAN PRIVATE AND DOMESTIC PLEASURE AND ENTERTAINMENT
A brief look at how the Romans passed leisure time outside of the big festivals and games may now be looked at.
3.1 GAMBLING
All Romans were fascinated by the concept of gambling. “Games tables were scratched into pavements in porticoes, basilicas, and any flat public surface” (Toner 1995:90). People consulted soothsayers before games and bets were laid (Friedlander [1908]1965:34).
3.2 MEALS AND THEIR CONNOTATIONS IN SOCIETY
Food and meals were of distinct importance, signifying the social stratum. “Meals provided an important contest for displaying social-economic status and political power through the range of invited guests through seating order, differing qualities of the food served to the guests, different sizes of portion, differing qualities of service, and tableware” (Carter 2002:477).
The Elite
The elite fared well and had three meals a day (Halliday 1925:107), and the evening banquet was eaten with generous portions of wine (Carcopino 1967:285). For many of the elite, the banquets held in their homes included “excessive eating, drunkenness, the telling of jokes, dancing and singing (including poetry recitation), and various forms of sexual intercourse” (Corbeill 1997:104).
The Poor
The poor, in contrast to the rich, mostly ate grain and vegetables, and the very poor had a diet of black bread and vinegar-wine (Friedlander [1907]1965:115). The vast population of the lower classes depended on the corn dole given out by the aristocrats, and “had almost no other opportunity to consume meat outside pagan religious celebrations” (Kyrtatas 2002:531- 532). The tavern was a frequent meeting-place of the poor, a place for everyday leisure and where gambling, dancing, prostitution and all other vices took place (Toner 1995:71).
3.3 THE BATHS
Baths were ubiquitous in the empire, and while some were private, the majority were for the use of the public. The primary feature of these thermae was every type of bath that ingenuity could devise: hot, cold, and hot-air baths, the swimming bath, the tub bath. Externally the enormous quadrilateral was flanked by porticos, full of shops and crowded with shopkeepers and their customers; inside it enclosed gardens and promenades, stadia and rest rooms, gymnasiums and rooms for massage, even libraries and museums. (Carcopino 1967:279).
Some Romans disapproved of the baths saying that morals were weakened as well as character (Toner 1995:54-55).
4. ROMAN SEXUALITY
Sexual immorality was rife in the empire and it included gross diversions from the natural usage of sex, especially in the second and third centuries (Lane Fox 1986:341). The right to protect one’s body from sexual assaults of the others was only allowed to certain categories of people, i.e. respectable citizens of good birth and standing (Walters 1997:36). Slaves had no more rights than animals and their “bodies were vulnerable to abuse and penetration” (Glancy 2002:15).
5. ROMAN LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT AND THE CHRISTIAN
Having looked briefly at the leisure and entertainment that was part of the
They were now separate from the world and would win it on their own terms. Athenagoras (Suppl 5. 1-2), an early Christian writer, explained that the Christians, although separate from the world, were still very much a part of it: “For Christians are not distinguished from the rest of the humanity by country, language, or custom. For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an eccentric life style” (as quoted by Ehrman 1999:73). Mostly early Christians in
5.1 THE GAMES AND THE CHRISTIAN
The Christians distanced themselves from the social entertainments and were perceived as anti-social: “The social gatherings, with the customary nation’s religious rites, they carefully avoided. The amphitheatre they detested. The combats of men or beasts did not amuse them” (Charles 1888:16). The Christian writers challenged the believers to keep away from the sites and sounds of the games. Wright (2000:1028) states that Tertullian advocated the sharpest demarcations between paganism and Christianity and much of his literary work was devoted to stressing this. The Didascalia, produced in the early third century, gave specific teaching regarding riches: “And let him not love riches. And let him not love the festivals of the heathen .And let his mind be fair, and remote from all the evil crafts of this world, and from all the evil lusts of the heathen.” (Did 3 as quoted in Ehrman 1999:334).
Christians were thus discouraged from having anything to do with the leisure and entertainment offered in the society in which they lived. “Just to sit at a public spectacle would contaminate a Christian” (Ayerst & Fisher 1971:98). Instead, the Christians were exhorted to meet together in love and an undivided heart, choosing to flee “the wicked arts and snares of the prince of this world, lest you be affected by his device, and grow weak in love” (Phld VI. 2 as quoted of Ignatius in Lake 1970:245).
5.2 CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION AND THE AMPHITHEATRE
Much of the Christian persecution came about because they would not conform to the ways of the pagan world and were therefore dubbed as anti-social, traitors to the empire, and insubordinate criminals. Cult festivals, with procession, feasts, sacrifices, fairs and games were a major source of revenue. If Christians abstained, and encouraged others to do so, it would be a loss of income and would have a significant impact on the local economy. So, they were denounced to the authorities, sometimes on trumped up charges (De Vos 2000:872-873). Misfortunes that befell the empire, whether natural, economic or military, were blamed on the Christians: they refused to worship the gods who had made
It was customary, when the emperors were in attendance at the games, to present something new and different for his entertainment. Very often, the Christians were the new exhibits. From the time of Nero (AD 54-68) to the conversion of
Thus, persecution was always just around the corner for most of the Christians of the first three centuries. “The very possibility darkened many a door, reinforcing the tendency of Christian communities to keep very much to themselves and draw clear and well-protected boundaries between themselves and the world” (Finn 2000:301).
5.3 THE CHRISTIAN AND THE SHOW
Christians who still earned a living in “show business” were not to be tolerated in the church. “If a man is an actor or a pantomimist, he must desist or be rejected. A charioteer, likewise, who races or frequents races, must desist or be rejected. A gladiator or a trainer of gladiators, or a huntsmen [in the wild-beast shows], or anyone connected with these shows, or a public official in charge of gladiatorial exhibitions must desist or be rejected” (Trad ap 16. 12-15 as quoted by Ehrman 1999:353).
5.4 THE CHRISTIAN AND GLADIATORIAL COMBATS
Concerning the gladiatorial combats, there were probably two reasons for the strong denunciation toward them: firstly, the contests involved the taking of a human life and feeding the crowd’s hunger for watching people dying; secondly, the amphitheatre was used to reinforce loyalty to the emperor-cult and other deities (Fiensy 2002:562).
5.5 THE CHRISTIAN AND THE THEATRES AND PLAYS
Christians denounced the theatre (Friedlander [1908]1965:90), because it taught wrong things - idleness, inactivity, corruption and indecency (Toner 1995:68).
5.6 THE CHRISTIAN AND GAMBLING
Christians also rejected the “insane frenzy” of gambling (Toner 1995:97), and even Juvenal (Sat XI), one of the Roman writers of the day, spoke against it and the double standards with which society judged each other: “Gambling is disgraceful, and so is adultery, in men of modest means. Yet when rich men commit all these abominations, they are called jovial, splendid fellows” (in Evans 1910:133).
5.7 THE CHRISTIAN AND THE BATHS
Everyone benefited from the baths. “The baths were a splendid counter to anxiety, among Christians and Pagans alike” (Lane Fox 1986:57). Christian men and women were exhorted not to bathe together in the same bathhouse. If there was only one mixed bathhouse in the town, they were to use it at different times (Lane Fox 1986:559). Clement of Alexandria (Paed.2) said: “But by no manner of means are women to be allowed to uncover and exhibit any part of their person, lest both fall - the men by being excited to look, they by drawing on themselves the eyes of the men” (quoted by Hinson 1980:306). Thus, the Christians were to use the baths circumspectly.
5.8 THE CHRISTIAN AND FOOD
In contrast to the often gluttonous meals of the pagans, the Christians were exhorted to give thanks for their food and not to overindulge. The community meal expressed the common interests of the group (Stegemann & Stegemann 1999:282), and guild-members met once a month and shared a meal. Amongst the Christians, these common meals initially took place daily for the “breaking of bread”. Later they were held every week, perhaps because of lessened eschatological expectations. The Love Feasts, or Agapae, were held in the evenings and all ranks of society would have been present at this Christian gathering. The apostle Paul (1 Cor 11) had exhorted believers to have nothing to do with social ranking at their meals, especially at the celebration of the Lords Supper. Rather, they were to transform social relationships and practices (Carter 2002:477).
However, such gatherings that ignored the rules of social standing caused the government alarm and the Christians were regarded as facto illicita (Hardy [1894]1971:184).
5.9 THE CHRISTIAN AND ROMAN SEXUALITY
In their sexual code, “Christians were conscious of standing apart from the pagan world” (Lane Fox 1986:341). The apostle Paul to the Thessalonian church wrote: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Th 4: 3-5). Gibbon ([1776]1980:284) is of the opinion that many new believers were anxious to adopt the pure and extreme morality of the Christians in repentance and remorse for their past sinful lives.
The Christians were, however, accused of a lurid range of immorality: eucharist cannibalism and secret meetings where the practice of incest, child murder and group sex took place (Lane Fox 1986:427).
5.10 THE CHRISTIAN AND CHILD EXPOSURE AND
ABORTION
Child exposure was a common practice in the
5.11 THE CHRISTIAN AND HOMOSEXUALITY
The Epistle of Barnabas (19) makes mention of fornication, adultery and states, “thou shalt not corrupt boys” (in Lightfoot 1976:154). Regarding homosexuality, Paul and the early disciples agreed with the accepted Jewish view that “it was a deadly sin which provoked God’s wrath” (Lane Fox 1986:352)
5.12 THE CHRISTIAN AND FORNICATION AND ADULTERY
Christianity, alone amongst the religions of the day, regarded sexual relations outside of marriage as a grave fault (Lebreton & Zeiller 1949:424). Before baptism, men were required to marry or else give up their concubines, and after baptism, “sex with a slave was a promiscuous sin and strictly forbidden to Christians” (Lane Fox 1986:299). Hippolytus, in his Apostolic Tradition, instructs the converts as follows concerning marriage: “But if a man is unmarried, let him be instructed to abstain from impurity, either by lawfully marrying a wife or else remaining as he is” (16.5-7 as quoted by Erhman 1999:353).
5.13 THE CHRISTIAN AND CELIBACY
When eschatological expectations were high, many Christians reasoned that freedom from marriage and sexual relationships made one ready for the kingdom, and some groups thought they would speed up the coming of the kingdom of God by their sexual abstinence (Shaw 2000:411). It was also supposed that some Christians were expected to bear the mark of exceptional closeness to God and sexual abstinence was one such mark (Brown 1988:66). So, some preached the ideal of virginity and some castrated themselves to disarm temptation, e.g. Origen (Brown 1988:168).
Halliday (1925:114) is quick in the defence of such people: “But here it must be admitted that the crusade of Christianity on behalf of sexual purity was in opposition to a lower contemporary standard, a fact which at once explains and excuses the exaggerated form which it sometimes took”.
However, a woman who remained unmarried and childless could face restrictions on her inheritance and the denial of her privilege of legal independence. Remaining unmarried was interpreted by the authorities as a challenge to the order of the household and thus the new religion was viewed as one that corrupted the women (MacDonald 1996:179).
5.14 THE CHRISTIAN AND MARRIAGE
Jesus did not speak against marriage, but was an advocate for it (Mt 19:5-6). The apostle Paul spoke positively of marriage (Eph 5:23), and the apostle Peter treated marriage as the norm (1 Pt 3:1).
Some believers in the
5.15 THE CHRISTIAN AND DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
Divorce was common in Roman society (Carcopino 1967:114). Jesus (Mt 10:35-37) did not advocate the abolition of marriage “but limits the grounds for legitimate divorce to porneia (fornication or sexual immorality)” (Shaw 2000:411). Some Christian wives were denounced by their pagan husbands and some were disinherited for turning Christian (Dodds 1965:116). The Christians severely discountered remarriage, although the Roman law penalized those who remained unmarried.
5.16 THE CHRISTIAN AND SLAVES
Slavery was an accepted part of Roman life. Both slaveholders and slaves populated the early Christian congregations and brought with them characters and habits molded by lifetimes of command and obedience (Glancy 2002:153). Both female and male slaves were available for their owner’s pleasure and thus the church needed to give instruction concerning the Christians’ conduct. Slaveholders were told: “If a man has a concubine, he must desist and marry legally; if he be unwilling, he must be rejected” (Trad ap 16.23-24 as quoted by Ehrman 1999:354).
6. CONCLUSION
The Christians drew attention to themselves by embracing a different life-style that did not allow them to be a part of the wider ethos and practices in Roman leisure and entertainment. Their differences can be summed up as follows:
_ They could give allegiance and worship to only one God;
_ They made no class distinctions and welcomed people of all social rankings at their gatherings and treated all with dignity and respect;
_ They did not approve of the games and spectacles provided by the leading officials and would not take part in the sacrifices and festivals associated with them. They spoke against the activities of the arena and theatre, and discouraged Christians from associating with them;
_ They would not place bets on the races and discouraged gambling as a worthless pastime;
_ They could not approve of the gladiatorial combats because of their conviction that human life is sacred;
_ Instead of taking part in meals that entailed over-eating, drinking and immorality, they met together regularly for a simple Love Feast;
_ They visited the baths but were modest in their behaviour;
_ They followed a new style of sexual conduct which taught modesty, purity, and the sanctity of marriage, quite different to that of the Roman society, which was in comparison “lax and immora”;
_ They were willing to die for their God in the arenas of entertainment.
According to Toner (1995:117), leisure was “nothing less than the synthetic agent which bound together Roman society as it developed from republic to empire”. The Christians upset this by their abstinence from the entertainment of the day. However, they “changed the ways in which people regarded life’s great encounters, between man and woman and also between people and their gods. They changed attitudes to life’s one certainty: death. They also changed the degree of freedom with which people could acceptably choose what to think and believe” (Lane Fox 1986:23).
The question asked in the introduction regarding the Christian’s ability to win converts to a new and suspicious religion may be answered here by Kreider’s observation (2005:61) that the early church emphasized transformed lives and how they should look. They practiced what they preached, worshipped only one God, that is Jesus Christ, and upheld their separateness in all areas of life where sacrifices to the gods were expected of them and where Christian morality and ethics were challenged.
The early Christian church offers a challenge and a motivation to modern-day contemporary Christians and Pentecostals. It provides us with a cloud of witnesses who are looking to see how we are running the race once run by them. Does the Pentecostal church still have its eyes firmly fixed on the Author and Finisher of our faith, or is there a discernible subversion of that dedication in an acceptance of the sins and burdens of secular entertainment and leisure practices by a large spectrum of the Pentecostal community?
Mok Yee (Black Fungus木耳) For Good Health by Paul Lee
I want to share a secret for treating high cholesterol. Three weeks ago l went for a cholesterol check. To my surprise, it was above the normal range which should be less than 5.2 mmol/L. My reading obtained was 6.6. I had been consuming a lot of red meat and lamb recently. After consuming Mok Yee for two weeks, l had my cholesterol checked again and found that my cholesterol level fell to 4.70 mmol/L
My pharmacist said that even cholesterol medication will need 1- 3 months to take effect. She was very surprised and said it is a miracle.
Review:
I immediately followed an advice of a friend who told me about Black fungus (Mok Yee 木耳). He had four block heart arteries, over 90 percent blocked. His cardiologist advised him to go for bypass surgery, failing which he would suffer an imminent heart attack. His sinseh (Chinese physician) friend advised him against surgery as the procedure would be messy, painful and expensive.
He followed the advise of his sinseh friend by consuming Mok Yee daily. After consuming boiled Mok Yee juice for 40 days, he went for an angiogram. His heart specialist was surprised and shocked that his arteries were all cleared of any blockage and it would not be necessary to see him for another 10 years!
My observation is that Mok Yee juice is not only effective in treating high blood cholesterol but also helps to bring relief to joint paints, arthritis and poor blood
circulation.
The internet info. claims: that Mok yee reduces blood clot, preventing thrombosis, atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease,and cancer.Black Fungus contains abundant protein, ferric, calcium, vitamin, rough fibre, the content of protein is equal to meat.
Preparation :
1) Pick a hand full of Mok Yee and soak in water for 1-2 hours
2) Wash Mok Yee and cut to pieces with scissors.
3) Pour five bowls of plain water into slow cooker (crock pot)
4) Put 2-3 slices of ginger, 8-10 red dates, 20 kay chee(wolf berry) into crock pot.
5) Bring to boil for 8 hours. One and a half bowls of Mok Yee juice will remain after boiling overnight.
Consumption: You may consume for 10 to 14 days according to the severity of the problem. For those with low blood pressure consume less or only for alternate days.
Drink Mok Yee first thing in the morning with an 'empty stomach'. Consume at least one large bowl. Take breakfast 2 hours later.
Side effects - you may feel a little tired after 3- 4 days. Consume multivitamins and fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Do not eat oily or fried foods during this period.
Observation: Dark and oily stool during the first two days.
Remarks: Cholesterol medication is chemical in nature and may harm the liver. Mok Yee is a plant and does not contain chemicals.
Take blood test for blood cholesterol before and after treatment e.g. at Caring Pharmacy. Only Rm 10.00 . Please report results to enable me to enhance update, research and review.
Thank you and may God bless you with vibrant health.
(With thanks to Pastor Allen Wong for sharing this information)
My pharmacist said that even cholesterol medication will need 1- 3 months to take effect. She was very surprised and said it is a miracle.
Review:
I immediately followed an advice of a friend who told me about Black fungus (Mok Yee 木耳). He had four block heart arteries, over 90 percent blocked. His cardiologist advised him to go for bypass surgery, failing which he would suffer an imminent heart attack. His sinseh (Chinese physician) friend advised him against surgery as the procedure would be messy, painful and expensive.
He followed the advise of his sinseh friend by consuming Mok Yee daily. After consuming boiled Mok Yee juice for 40 days, he went for an angiogram. His heart specialist was surprised and shocked that his arteries were all cleared of any blockage and it would not be necessary to see him for another 10 years!
My observation is that Mok Yee juice is not only effective in treating high blood cholesterol but also helps to bring relief to joint paints, arthritis and poor blood
circulation.
The internet info. claims: that Mok yee reduces blood clot, preventing thrombosis, atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease,and cancer.Black Fungus contains abundant protein, ferric, calcium, vitamin, rough fibre, the content of protein is equal to meat.
Preparation :
1) Pick a hand full of Mok Yee and soak in water for 1-2 hours
2) Wash Mok Yee and cut to pieces with scissors.
3) Pour five bowls of plain water into slow cooker (crock pot)
4) Put 2-3 slices of ginger, 8-10 red dates, 20 kay chee(wolf berry) into crock pot.
5) Bring to boil for 8 hours. One and a half bowls of Mok Yee juice will remain after boiling overnight.
Consumption: You may consume for 10 to 14 days according to the severity of the problem. For those with low blood pressure consume less or only for alternate days.
Drink Mok Yee first thing in the morning with an 'empty stomach'. Consume at least one large bowl. Take breakfast 2 hours later.
Side effects - you may feel a little tired after 3- 4 days. Consume multivitamins and fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Do not eat oily or fried foods during this period.
Observation: Dark and oily stool during the first two days.
Remarks: Cholesterol medication is chemical in nature and may harm the liver. Mok Yee is a plant and does not contain chemicals.
Take blood test for blood cholesterol before and after treatment e.g. at Caring Pharmacy. Only Rm 10.00 . Please report results to enable me to enhance update, research and review.
Thank you and may God bless you with vibrant health.
(With thanks to Pastor Allen Wong for sharing this information)
How Science is related to God?
"LET ME EXPLAIN THE problem science has with Jesus Christ." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand. "You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"
"Yes, sir."
"So you believe in God?"
"Absolutely."
"Is God good?"
"Sure! God's good."
"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"
"Yes."
"Are you good or evil?"
"The Bible says I'm evil."
The professor grins knowingly. "Ahh! THE BIBLE!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?"
"Yes sir, I would."
"So you're good...!"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you could... in fact most of us would if we could... God doesn't."
No answer.
"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?" No answer.
The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?" He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones. "Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"
"Er... Yes."
"Is Satan good?"
"No."
"Where does Satan come from?"
The student falters. "From... God..."
"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?" The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking, student audience. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen." He turns back to the Christian. "Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"
"Yes, sir."
"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"
"Yes."
"Who created evil?"
No answer.
"Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All the terrible things - do they exist in this world?"
The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."
"Who created them?"
No answer.
The professor suddenly shouts at his student. "WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME, PLEASE!" The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Christian's face. In a still small voice: "God created all evil, didn't He, son?"
No answer.
The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails.
Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging panther. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues, "How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time?"
The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world. "All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?"
No answer.
"Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?" Pause. "Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers,
"Is God good?"
No answer..
"Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"
The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor. I do."
The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen your Jesus?"
"No, sir. I've never seen Him."
"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"
"No, sir. I have not."
"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus... in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"
No answer.
"Answer me, please."
"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
"You're AFRAID... you haven't?"
"No, sir."
"Yet you still believe in him?"
"...yes..."
"That takes FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at the underling. "According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Where is your God now?"
The student doesn't answer.
"Sit down, please."
The Christian sits...Defeated. Another Christian raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"
The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another Christian in the vanguard! Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."
The Christian looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are making, sir. Now I've got a question for you. Is there such thing as heat?"
"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."
"Is there such a thing as cold?"
"Yes, son, there's cold too."
"No, sir, there isn't."
The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes very cold. The second Christian continues. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that.
"There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than 458 - You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."
Silence.
A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.
"Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"
"That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...?"
"So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"
"Yes..."
"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, Darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it. Can you...give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"
Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him. This will indeed be a good semester. "Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"
"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."
The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...? How dare you...!"
"Sir, may I explain what I mean?" The class is all ears.
"Explain... oh, explain..." The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.
"You are working on the premise of duality," the Christian explains. "That for example there is life and then here's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it."
The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbor who has been reading it. "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"
"Of course there is, now look..."
"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality. Is there such thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?" The Christian pauses.
"Isn't evil the absence of good?"
The professor's face has turned an alarming color. He is so angry he is temporarily speechless. The Christian continues. "If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil. What is that work, God is accomplishing? The Bible tells us it is to see if each one of us will, of our own free will, choose good over evil."
The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't vie this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not observable."
"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going," the Christian replies. "Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"
"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."
"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"
The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.
"Professor. Since no-one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?"
"I'll overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.
"So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"
"I believe in what is - that's science!"
"Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face spits into a grin. "Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is a premise which is flawed..."
"SCIENCE IS FLAWED..?" the professor splutters.
The class is in uproar. The Christian remains standing until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?"
The professor wisely keeps silent. The Christian looks around the room.
"Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?"
The class breaks out in laughter. The Christian points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain...felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain?" No one appears to have done so.
The Christian shakes his head sadly.
"It appears no one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever. Well, according to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says the professor has no brain."
The class is in chaos. The Christian sits...
Because that is what a chair is for.
"Yes, sir."
"So you believe in God?"
"Absolutely."
"Is God good?"
"Sure! God's good."
"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"
"Yes."
"Are you good or evil?"
"The Bible says I'm evil."
The professor grins knowingly. "Ahh! THE BIBLE!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?"
"Yes sir, I would."
"So you're good...!"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you could... in fact most of us would if we could... God doesn't."
No answer.
"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?" No answer.
The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?" He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones. "Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"
"Er... Yes."
"Is Satan good?"
"No."
"Where does Satan come from?"
The student falters. "From... God..."
"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?" The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking, student audience. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen." He turns back to the Christian. "Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"
"Yes, sir."
"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"
"Yes."
"Who created evil?"
No answer.
"Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All the terrible things - do they exist in this world?"
The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."
"Who created them?"
No answer.
The professor suddenly shouts at his student. "WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME, PLEASE!" The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Christian's face. In a still small voice: "God created all evil, didn't He, son?"
No answer.
The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails.
Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging panther. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues, "How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time?"
The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world. "All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?"
No answer.
"Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?" Pause. "Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers,
"Is God good?"
No answer..
"Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"
The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor. I do."
The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen your Jesus?"
"No, sir. I've never seen Him."
"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"
"No, sir. I have not."
"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus... in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"
No answer.
"Answer me, please."
"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
"You're AFRAID... you haven't?"
"No, sir."
"Yet you still believe in him?"
"...yes..."
"That takes FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at the underling. "According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Where is your God now?"
The student doesn't answer.
"Sit down, please."
The Christian sits...Defeated. Another Christian raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"
The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another Christian in the vanguard! Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."
The Christian looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are making, sir. Now I've got a question for you. Is there such thing as heat?"
"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."
"Is there such a thing as cold?"
"Yes, son, there's cold too."
"No, sir, there isn't."
The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes very cold. The second Christian continues. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that.
"There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than 458 - You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."
Silence.
A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.
"Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"
"That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...?"
"So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"
"Yes..."
"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, Darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it. Can you...give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"
Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him. This will indeed be a good semester. "Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"
"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."
The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...? How dare you...!"
"Sir, may I explain what I mean?" The class is all ears.
"Explain... oh, explain..." The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.
"You are working on the premise of duality," the Christian explains. "That for example there is life and then here's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it."
The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbor who has been reading it. "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"
"Of course there is, now look..."
"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality. Is there such thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?" The Christian pauses.
"Isn't evil the absence of good?"
The professor's face has turned an alarming color. He is so angry he is temporarily speechless. The Christian continues. "If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil. What is that work, God is accomplishing? The Bible tells us it is to see if each one of us will, of our own free will, choose good over evil."
The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't vie this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not observable."
"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going," the Christian replies. "Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"
"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."
"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"
The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.
"Professor. Since no-one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?"
"I'll overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.
"So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"
"I believe in what is - that's science!"
"Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face spits into a grin. "Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is a premise which is flawed..."
"SCIENCE IS FLAWED..?" the professor splutters.
The class is in uproar. The Christian remains standing until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?"
The professor wisely keeps silent. The Christian looks around the room.
"Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?"
The class breaks out in laughter. The Christian points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain...felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain?" No one appears to have done so.
The Christian shakes his head sadly.
"It appears no one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever. Well, according to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says the professor has no brain."
The class is in chaos. The Christian sits...
Because that is what a chair is for.
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