Misogyny

is supported by some people claiming to be believers in Messiah Jesus, while other believers reject misogyny.

Is misogyny a biblical requirement for churches, or are modern preachers missing the cultural context of the Apostle Paul’s instructions?

In Paul’s instructions about women, he says, “I do not allow” instead of, “God does not allow.” So, can we deduce a limit to Paul’s restrictions on women?

When debating this issue, it is too easy for one to overlook the cultural context of Paul’s statements. Not only did Paul have to deal with the cultural expectations of the Jewish religious leaders, he also had to deal with the cultural expectations of the traditional Greek society as well as the expectations of Roman society. 

To quote historian and archaeologist Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, “We are not dealing with a single, monolithic Roman world but one differentiated through time, across religion and across social divides.” [Wallace-Hadrill, A.F. (1994). Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Princeton University Press.]

As one academian puts it:

"... Roman women were a balance between the extremes of other women who preceded them in antiquity: the Etruscans and the Greeks. Etruscan women were treated as equals to men in their society... Greek women were extremely oppressed in both the public and private spheres."

A Greek woman, by Lawrence Alma Tadema, 1869

From the PBS.org series The Roman Empire in the First Century:

"Not much information exists about Roman women in the first century. Women were not allowed to be active in politics, so nobody wrote about them. Neither were they taught how to write, so they could not tell their own stories.

We do know a little, however. Unlike society in ancient Egypt, Rome did not regard women as equal to men before the law. They received only a basic education, if any at all, and were subject to the authority of a man. Traditionally, this was their father before marriage. At that point, authority switched to their husband, who also had the legal rights over their children."

Judaism historian Tal Ilan explains the way that Jewish religious leaders thought about women:

"In post-biblical Jewish antiquity women were not viewed as equal to men or as full Jews. In this, Jews were no different from their various Greco-Roman, Semitic, or Egyptian neighbors. The difference lies in the explanation Jews gave to their views. All Jews of late antiquity considered women’s position in Judaism as determined by the injunctions of the Old Testament. Their subordinate position was viewed as emanating from Eve’s role in the creation narrative, both as created secondary and as guilty of the original sin.

Thus, the second century BCE Palestinian sage Ben Sira bitterly laments women’s role in bringing death to the world, referring to the incident in the Garden of Eden. A Jewish pseudepigraphic composition, usually referred to as the Book of Adam and Eve, greatly elaborates on this theme, constantly reiterating woman’s involvement in man’s fall, her guilt, and his accusations against her. Later midrashic literature continues in the same vein: women are eternally punished for their involvement in the original sin."

If you think that the biblical authors were never influenced by writings outside of Scripture, then think again. They were. For example, here is Matthew 2:23:

The statement “He will be called a Nazarene” is not in the Tanakh (a.k.a. Old Testament).

The book of Jude also contains a non-scriptural reference:

Was it possible for an Apostle to err on the side of cultural expectations? Yes, of course, as we discover when reading Galatians 2:11-12 (NIV):

"When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group."

Unlike Peter, Paul had to deal with the legal fallout should the fledgling Church needlessly run afoul of the Roman government. Not only were women in Paul’s day (in general) ill-prepared to teach Scriptures, putting them in authority over men could easily have caused a social uproar that would have brought the might of the Roman government into the situation. The Roman government would likely have punished the fledgling Church for causing the uproar.

Although men and women were spiritual equals in the messianic faith, it was unnecessary back then for women to be given positions of authority. So, Paul had a practical reason to restrict what women could do in the congregations under his authority.

Now, should Paul’s restrictions on women be in effect today? Are we supposed to punish the women who are alive today for something that Eve did? After all, through the prophet Ezekiel, God declares that he does not punish the innocent for the sin of the guilty.

"The word of the Lord came to me: What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel." - Ezekiel 18:1-3 (NRSV)

It would be unwise to ignore the cultural context of any Bible verses that we cite. For example, consider what is stated in Joshua 10:12–13 (NIV):

"On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: 'Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.' So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day."

According to a literal interpretation of Joshua 10:12–13, the Sun circles around the Earth. Yet, we know from astronomy that the Earth rotates on its axis, thus creating the illusion that Sun circles around the Earth. So are we to declare that Joshua 10:12–13 is to be interpreted literally?

Yes, we need to take cultural context into consideration when citing Bible verses, including statements written by the Apostle Paul. In short, Paul lived in a society in which women were chattel, and Paul’s writings reflect that fact. Paul’s goal was to spread the Gospel, not to challenge the social order of his day. Had he done the latter, then he would have caused unnecessary harm to the fledgling Church.

So, is there a way to end the ongoing dispute about the role of women in the universal Church?

In pursuit of an answer, I keep five bits of reality in mind.

First, it is wrong to assume that women are somehow mentally or emotionally inferior to men. No, women aren’t that.

Second, the accuracy of a statement does not depend on the gender of the person who makes it. Logic is gender neutral.

Third, if in doubt about something that is not mandatory, then do not do it. The Bible does not mandate that women be given the role of pastor.*

Fourth, it is unwise to automatically accept whatever a pastor says even if the pastor is a man. Male clergy aren’t infallible when it comes to interpreting the Bible. Indeed, no man is the final authority on how to correctly interpret the Bible. No group of men or male-led institution is the final authority on how to correctly interpret the Bible.

Fifth, if a man and a woman have a disagreement about how to correctly interpret the Bible, then it is possible for the woman to be right and for the man to be wrong. The women of today aren’t ill-educated like the women of the Apostle Paul’s day.

As I have observed, some men claim to worship Messiah Jesus when they really worship their status as being men. Instead of promoting the Gospel, they promote their ideas of what men are supposed to be like. Masculinity is their real god.

In conclusion, each person has to live with his or her conscience. I do not know of anyone who is legally forced to belong to a church that has female pastors and elders. Where I live, churches are all-volunteer organizations.

Besides, one’s eternal destiny does not depend on who are the leaders of one’s church. Nor does one’s eternal destiny depend on one agreeing with everything that church leaders say.

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*I believe that we should be gracious toward people who are opposed to being led by a woman in the pulpit. Nobody on this side of the Grave has 100% perfect theology, not even people who accept women as pastors. Besides, one's eternal destiny does not depend on the person who occupies the pulpit.

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Side Note: Several modern-day theologians doubt that the Apostle Paul is the real author of 1 Timothy.

Politics

is defined by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle as being things pertaining to the City, with the City being what the ancient Greeks defined as a City.

Aristotle

Aristotle is quoted as saying, "Man by nature is a political animal." By that, Aristotle means that Humans are not naturally hermits. Thus, Humans must create rules by which they live with or next to each other without destroying each other.

Those rules taken together are what we call Politics.

I hate to admit it, but Politics and Religion become intertwined even when we try to avoid such from happening.

While viewing social media, I keep seeing people making strawman arguments about believers in Messiah Jesus who dare to support a political party that opposes efforts to turn the USA into a theocracy favored by those making the strawman arguments.

According to the strawman-makers, the Christian faith requires that all people in the USA be forced to conform to the ways that the strawman-makers interpret the Bible, and if one is opposed to that, then, according to the strawman-makers, one is not a Christian or one is an enemy of Christianity.

How are sincere believers in Messiah Jesus to react to the strawman-makers?

All that I know to do is to keep affirming just what the New Testament says about the gift of eternal life given to those who place all of their faith in Messiah Jesus.

In order to have the gift of eternal life, one does not have to force others to conform to the ways that one interprets all of the Bible.

The strawman-makers are adding requirements for eternal life that are not in the Gospel that is recorded in the New Testament.

1 John 4:15 (NIV) says, "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God."

One reason why I join the United Methodist Church is because the UMC affirms 1 John 4:15.

The strawman-makers read that verse and then say, "Yes, but ..."

No, there is no "but" in the Gospel as recorded in the New Testament.

Having 100% faith in the Jesus of the Bible means believing in his death, burial and resurrection. It means believing that his shed blood makes permanent atonement for all of our sins, including the sins we may not know that we have committed.

The strawman-makers slander genuine believers in Messiah Jesus. 

Although they act like they do, the strawman-makers do not sit on the Great White Throne mentioned in Revelation 20:11, and they are not the harvesters mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 13:30, 39.

So, upon encountering strawman-makers, one need not worry. 

The strawman-makers can yell and bloviate all they want, but one's eternal destiny does not depend on them.

Child Sponsorship

works when the agency overseeing the sponsorship stays honest and accountable while actually using the majority of the money that it receives to aid children who are trapped in physical poverty.

Yet, in the USA at least, some people speak negatively about child sponsorship, as if it didn't do any good.

If you want to know the truth, then consider the following letter that a six-year-old girl named Ruth wrote to her sponsor in the USA:

“Dear _____________, I am very happy because in a far place called Oklahoma lives a person who loves me. I was sad because my father doesn’t think about my needs. [Ruth had been abandoned by her father.] When I receive your letters, my mother helps me to read them. I am happy for this. My mother smiles to see how I am happy. I accept your help. Thank you for your wish of being my sponsor. My mother and my sister greet you. God bless you. I send hugs and kisses to you. God bless you forever.”

At the age of 12, Ruth sent this particular letter to her sponsor:

“Hello my loved Dad. I hope your life is bright and that you have the best friendship with the best friend we can have, our good God. I am enjoying the project and learning from God’s Word. Please pray that God will bring prosperity to our project as I am not the only one here. There are many other teenagers and children who receive many benefits because of the great help you are giving us. I have to say bye. Remember that I love you and that you are my great support. Your daughter, Ruth.”


Yes, there have been plenty of bad apples involved with child sponsorship, but there are good apples as well.

I know so because I am the person who sponsored Ruth. I know directly from her and from other children how sponsorship works to rescue children from poverty.

Although I have never met her, Ruth is still in my life via Facebook, and she still insists that I am her real earthly father.

If you have any doubt about child sponsorship, then I will gladly tell you how to contact Ruth. She will gladly explain what sponsorship did for her.

Am I biased in favor of child sponsorship? Of course I am!

I have been sponsoring children through Compassion International since June of 1987. You have Christian recording-artist Amy Grant to thank for that. Her involvement with Compassion International is what led me to also becoming involved.

God might not direct everyone to sponsor a child, but don't let the nay-sayers discourage you from being a sponsor if you have the means to be one.

I am proud to be a Compassion sponsor. If I had not been one, then I would never have received the following photos from a girl living in Colombia:




Yes, those are photos of Ruth as she grew up.

Here is a photo of her taken in Year 2024:





For the record, Ruth is directly responsible for me meeting my late wife Maria Elena. Today, I sponsor a girl named Maria Elena who lives in the South American nation of Peru, which is where my late wife was born and raised.

Voice Actors

are fun to meet, especially those who provide the English voices of Japanese anime characters. Thus far, I have talked to 24 voice actors face to face, and I have repeatedly communicated with one through live-stream social media.

Right now, I have on my "want-to-meet" list the English voice of a cute mouse who wants to become a Human so that she can "eat lots of yummy Human food."  

I want to bless these voice actors somehow because their work helps to lighten the physical burden that I constantly carry. I watch their shows as way of temporarily distracting myself from the physical pain that I experience non-stop.

These particular people put a smile on my face, and I greatly appreciate it.

Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Those of us who claim to be believers in Messiah Jesus should do whatever we can to give people something to smile about if just for a few minutes.

In Galatians 6:2 (NIV), the Apostle Paul writes, "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Yet, we may not be able to detect the burdens that others carry. People can put on a fake happy-face when interacting with the public while crying on the inside.

Bearing the burdens of others doesn't mean going around saying "God loves you," even though that statement is true. 

We can lighten the load that others carry just by letting them know that they are valued.

One reason why I joined the United Methodist Church is because the UMC values members of the LGBTQ+ community instead of condemning them. 

No, I am not LGBTQ+. I just want to help bear the burdens of people who are. After all, LGBTQ+ Christians are real.

So, if you claim to be a believer in Jesus, then "think outside the box" and find ways to bless others by giving them something to smile about. 

Outwardly, they may be wanting to "eat lots of yummy Human food" while inwardly craving a word or an act of kindness from someone.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness ..."*

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*Galatians 5:22, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Love

is a many-splendored thing according to a book, a movie, a song and a soap opera by that title. 

According to advertisements for the automobile brand, love is what makes a Subaru a Subaru. 

According to 1st John 4:8, God is love.

In the Japanese anime A Misanthrope Teaches a Class for Demi-Humans, love is what is sought by a character named Karin Ryuzaki.

Here is that show's plot as described by Wikipedia:

"Rei Hitoma, a reclusive man nearing thirty, has withdrawn from society after traumatic experiences dealing with human relationships. Seeking a quiet change of pace, he accepts a teaching position at a secluded all-girls school, only to discover that the institution's purpose is to educate demi-humans who wish to become fully human. Despite his aversion to people, Rei is tasked with instructing students who admire humans more than anyone else."

In the show, Mr. Hitoma meets Karin Ryuzaki when she is placed in his homeroom class at the start of his second year teaching at the school for demi-humans. Immediately upon their first meeting, Karin tells Mr. Hitoma that she loves him and that she wants to marry him.

On the day after, Mr. Hitoma has a private chat with Karin in order to set the needed boundary between the two. During the chat, Mr. Hitoma asks Karin why she allegedly loves him in particular.

She answers by describing what she witnessed the previous year when she saw Mr. Hitoma help another of his students named Sui Usami. 

Mr. Hitoma didn't help Sui with a school-related problem. He helped her with a personal problem that threatened to destroy the reason she was enrolled in the school in the first place. Whereas the school's principal offered a type of help that was safe, Mr. Hitoma understood that Sui needed the kind of help that was risky.

Karin witnessed how Mr. Hitoma helped Sui. He actually risked losing his job in order to aid Sui during the worst and most delicate moment in her life.

In John 15:13, Jesus says, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

Mr. Hitoma didn't risk losing his life, but he did risk losing his job for Sui's sake. In short, Mr. Hitoma acted out the kind of love that Jesus mentions in John 15:13.

In the anime, Karin craves love. She wants to be cherished by a Human, which is why she wants to become a Human. So, when she saw Mr. Hitoma display godly love for a student, she decided that Mr. Hitoma was the kind of Human who should be her life-partner.

It is easy to claim that we are believers in Messiah Jesus, but if we make that claim, then we harm Jesus if we do not also display the kind of love that should make Jesus attractive to others, the kind of love that made Mr. Hitoma attractive to Karin.

I don't always succeed in displaying such love to members of my own family let alone to people I meet out in public.

For example, once I went into a pharmacy that I pass by whenever I travel to and from church services. While in the pharmacy, I spoke harshly to a pharmacy employee who was only doing his job. After I left, I realized the error of my action, and I felt guilt whenever I went into the pharmacy and saw the worker.

Finally, one Sunday morning before church, I went into the pharmacy to buy something, and I decided not to leave until I had confessed my sin to the employee and did what I could to make amends.

On another occasion, I sinned against my autistic son by being away from him at a time that was extremely important to him, and my sin was due to selfishness on my part. 

By doing what I did, I aggravated my physical disability to the point that I was in extreme physical pain, and I reacted to my son's distress by having extreme emotional pain. I was overwhelmed with so much pain and grief that I asked for a hug from two people whom I had just met. Shortly after, I sobbed as I drove home.

Devotion to Messiah Jesus should result in sorrow when one fails to love others the way that Jesus requires of those who claim to believe in him.

Anime

is a form of Japanese entertainment that is sometimes used to examine the Human condition.  One such anime is the show A Misanthrope Teaches a Class for Demi-Humans.

Here is a summary of the show's plot as provided by Wikipedia:

"Rei Hitoma, a reclusive man nearing thirty, has withdrawn from society after traumatic experiences dealing with human relationships. Seeking a quiet change of pace, he accepts a teaching position at a secluded all-girls school, only to discover that the institution's purpose is to educate demi-humans who wish to become fully human. Despite his aversion to people, Rei is tasked with instructing students who admire humans more than anyone else."

The first six episodes depict events taking place during a single school year. Toward the end of the year, the school's principal assigns a personalized task to each girl in Mr. Hitoma's homeroom class.

One of the girls is Kyōka Minazuki, who is depicted as being a perfectionist. The task assigned to her is a treasure hunt that requires her to use certain clues.

While the other girls complete their tasks,  Kyōka struggles to complete hers. When her classmates offer to help, Kyōka replies, "This my assignment to complete. So, I'd rather see it through to the end by my own strength and hard work." Later, she declares that she has no need for help from her classmates.

Eventually, Kyōka reaches a crisis point, at which time Mr. Hitoma explains to her that being Human includes acknowledging one's limitations and asking others for help when one cannot succeed alone. In response, Kyōka openly admits that she cannot complete her task alone and then asks her classmates to help her.

With all of the girls working together, Kyōka completes her treasure hunt, at which time the school's principal appears. The principal then reveals that the real task assigned to Kyōka was for her to act like a Human by acknowledging her limitations and asking others for help.

Because she has done so, Kyōka is granted graduation from the school, after which she will become fully Human.

Although this show is fictional, it depicts the way Humans act in real life. Like Kyōka, Humans can be stubborn to the point that they end up needlessly harming themselves. The Apostle Paul addresses this stubbornness in chapter 12 of 1st Corinthians. He writes this:

"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ... As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don’t need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don’t need you!' ... If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

The United Methodist Church willingly trains its laity to be servants because the UMC's clergy cannot successfully perform the work of the universal Church by themselves.

No, you do not have to be an ordained Christian minister to perform spiritual service either inside your congregation or outside it. As a UMC Lay Servant, I have discovered that I can perform ministry simply by giving encouraging words to people in need of such words.

One way that I do so is to encourage people who work in the voice-acting profession. I have met about two dozen voice-acting professionals, and I have heard and read their stories of how difficult it is for them to gain voice-acting roles. Thus, I want to bless them. 

Sure, I might be perceived by them to be a weirdo, but believers in Messiah Jesus should be weirdos in comparison to the way that Mankind often acts.

In the aforementioned anime, Rei Hitoma says that he hates Humans in general because of the bad ways that they treat each other. Sadly, he is correct about Mankind. Even people claiming to be Christians promote and practice ungodly thoughts and deeds.

Thus, I am reluctant to proclaim in public that I am a Christian unless my actions already indicate that I am a believer in Messiah Jesus. I don't always do a good job of doing that.

So, my constant prayer is, "Heavenly Father, please use me to bless others despite the flaws in my personality." I believe that is what the Old Testament prophet Micah is talking about when he writes the following:

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

We have to walk humbly with God because the Human condition requires us to. As Kyōka Minazuki discovers in the aforementioned anime, being perfect isn't a Human trait.

The Prayer of Jabez

is recorded in 1 Chronicles 4:10.

A strict literal interpretation of the verse may not explain what Jabez actually asked for and received.

Here is a non-literal interpretation that this blogger found while doing an Internet search for the Jewish perspective of the verse:

In his An Exposition of the Bible, 18th-Century British theologian John Gill explains that the Targum of 1 Chronicles 4:10 translates the phrase "enlarge my coast" as "multiply my borders with disciples."

According to 1 Chronicles 2:55, "Jabez" was also the name of a community that was home to families (or clans) of scribes.

TheBibleSays.com gives this explanation of 1 Chronicles 2:55:

"This verse mentions a specific branch of descendants, those classified as families of scribes. These families were essential for maintaining the knowledge of God's law and the spiritual education of the people. Their role underscored the importance of literacy and teaching in ancient Israel, as they were tasked with preserving and transmitting God’s word to the community."

John Gill gives this explanation of 1 Chronicles 2:55:

"... the former clause may be rendered, "that dwelt with Jabez", who was their master, and they his scholars ... Conrad Pellican*, on the place, goes a middle way, and interprets these families as dwelling with Jabez their master, and they his scholars ..."

So, it could be that what Jabez actually asked God for was an expansion of his teaching ministry, with Jabez founding a community of scribes who were tasked with copying and teaching the Torah a.k.a. Law of Moses.

In other words, Jabez may have asked for the ability to proclaim God's Word to more people.

We should take note of the fact that Jabez was a descendant of Judah, not Levi.

The descendants of Levi were tasked with being the clergy of their day. The descendants of Judah were laity.

So, Jabez was a lay servant.

We modern-day lay servants may not be blessed in the same way that Jabez was blessed. Yet, if our goal is to serve, not to be blessed, then our service will be a blessing to us as well as to others.

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*This is the anglicized spelling of the name of Konrad Pellikan, who was a 16th-Century German Protestant theologian.

Science

is sometimes used as an excuse to reject belief in God, but that excuse is due to a misunderstanding about Science.

American chemist Glenn T. Seaborg

Case in Point:

“On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country.” Those words begin the oath taken by people who are in American Scouting. So, what happens when someone in Scouting believes that Science has eliminated God? Answer: The person leaves Scouting.

That actually happened several years ago. According to an article that I read, a teenage boy in Scouting decided that he could no longer be a Scout because he believed in evolution, and he concluded that evolution eliminated God.

I felt sorry for that boy because I knew that he had a gross misunderstanding of Modern Evolution Theory. No, the theory does NOT eliminate God. In fact, NOTHING in Science eliminates God.

So, I want to set the record straight for anyone who struggles with an acceptance of both God and Science. The two are NOT enemies.

The confusion about God and Science is due in part to how people interpret religious texts that were written thousands of years ago.

For example, what comes to your mind when you hear or read Genesis 1:1? 

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 

What comes to mind when you hear or read Colossians 1:15-16? 

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

Do you try to interpret those verses through the lens of Science? Do you try to interpret Science through the lens of those verses? What if it were wrong to do either?

In his book Living Our Beliefs: The United Methodist Way, United Methodist Church bishop Kenneth L. Carder gives guidelines for interpreting the Bible, and he writes the following: 

“Although it contains history, science, psychology and various types of literature, the Bible is principally a book of theology, the story of God. It is not meant to be a textbook of science or history.” 

So, YOUR way of interpreting the Bible might cause friction between God and Science, but the Bible itself does not necessarily do so.

“Wait!” You might say, “Doesn't Science cause friction between God and Science? Why was that ex-Scout wrong?”

To answer that question, I turn to biologist Dr. Mark Buchheim. In year 2005, during his tenure at the University of Tulsa, Dr. Buchheim wrote a letter to the university's student newspaper, and in his letter, he challenges the belief that the ex-Scout had. Dr. Buchheim writes, 

“Anyone who tries to link an acceptance of evolutionary theory with atheism or agnosticism is promoting a false dichotomy.”

Sociologist Dr. Mark A. Foster has also weighed in on the topic of God and Science. I am going to quote something that he says in a blog post of his:

“Like virtually all scientists (physical, biological, or social), I am a methodological naturalist. However, I am not an atheist (an ontological naturalist). As a methodological naturalist, I reject that science can be used to demonstrate the existence of God. I do not reject that the existence of God can be demonstrated through other means. . . There is as much evidence for evolution (most of it genetic) as there is for the heliocentric model of the solar system (that the sun, not the earth, is its center). There is no other side of the coin. Accepting evolution, however, does not mean that one rejects of God or the soul.”

In his statement, Dr. Foster mentions two kinds of Naturalism: Methodological and Ontological. 

If you have never heard of the two, then THAT is part of the problem. If you have heard of them but don't know the difference between them, then that is ALSO part of the problem.

It is important to know the difference because one kind of Naturalism is required by Science while the other is NOT required. Do you know which is which?

One person who does know is Keith Augustine, a philosopher who has used blogging to promote Atheism. In one of his blog posts, Mr. Augustine writes the following: 

“In utilizing methodological naturalism, science and history do not assume a priori that, as a matter of fact, supernatural causes don't really exist. There is no conceptual conflict between practicing science or history and believing in the supernatural.”

Biologist Dr. Kenneth R. Miller supports Mr. Augustine's claim. At the beginning of his book Finding Darwin's God, Dr. Miller writes, 

“My friends and colleagues in nonscientific disciplines will often claim science as their authority. Clearly they believe that scientific inquiry has ruled out the divine. Unfortunately for them, as I will argue, nothing of the sort is true.”

The late biologist Dr. Stephen Jay Gould was famous for defending Charles Darwin. In his book Rocks of Ages, Dr. Gould writes the following:

“Darwin did not use evolution to promote atheism or to maintain that no concept of God could ever be squared with the structure of nature. Rather, he argued that nature’s factuality, as read within the magisterium of science, could not resolve, or even specify, the existence or character of God, the ultimate meaning of life, the proper foundations of morality, or any other question within the different magisterium of religion.”

Biologist Dr. Richard Dawkins promotes Modern Evolution Theory, and he also promotes Atheism. Yet, even he has stopped short of equating Modern Evolution Theory with Atheism. In his book Climbing Mount Improbable, Dr. Dawkins says the following about the evolutionary process: 

“Mutation is the process by which fresh genetic variation is offered up for selection and it is usually described as random.” 

Yet he also says, “It is not necessary [emphasis his] that mutation should be random for natural selection to work. Selection can still do its work whether mutation is directed or not.”

In other words, while Science cannot prove that God works through evolutionary processes, Science cannot disprove it, either. Now, I am not trying to promote Theistic Evolution. I am just letting you know that those who believe in Theistic Evolution aren't necessarily wrong. It's just that scientists are unable to prove that any mutation was given supernatural direction.

The late nuclear physicist Dr. Ian G. Barbour also wrote about the relationship between God and Science. In his book When Science Meets Religion, Dr. Barbour writes the following: 

“Another way of separating theological from scientific assertions is the distinction between primary and secondary causality, which is common in Catholic and neo-orthodox thought. God as primary cause is said to work through the secondary causes of the natural world that science studies. God is omnipotent and uses natural laws to achieve particular goals. Primary causality is on a totally different level from the interactions among entities in the world.”

So, no, Science does NOT require anyone to reject the existence of God, and a belief in God does NOT require a rejection of any scientific theory or any scientific finding.

I want to close by citing something else that Bishop Carder says in his book, as he addresses the attack on theism made by atheists. Bishop Carder writes the following:

“Atheism has gained increased attention in the public media in recent years with books by such prominent and thoughtful intellectuals as Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins. They rightly point out the terrible and destructive manifestations of religion in the modern world and present challenges that must be taken seriously by those of us whose worldview and behavior are grounded in faith in God. However, belief in God is not the substantive issue. It is the kind of God one believes in and trusts, and we must persistently and humbly evaluate our own understanding of God in the light of scripture, the historic creeds and the continuing revelation of the Holy Spirit within the Christian community.”

So, whenever you think about God and Science, keep in mind that the two are NOT enemies. Show me someone who says that they are enemies, and I will show you someone who is reading into Science something that is NOT required by Science.

Quote Sources:

Augustine, K. (2009). Naturalism. Infidels. Retrieved from http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/nontheism/naturalism/ .

Barbour, I.G. (2000). When science meets religion. New York: HarperCollins.

Buchheim, M.A. (2005). Letter to the editor: An educated response. The Collegian Online. Retrieved from http://www.utulsa.edu/collegian/article.asp?article=2569

Carder, K.L. (2009). Living our beliefs: The United Methodist way. Discipleship Resources.

Dawkins, R. (1996). Climbing Mount Improbable. Viking.

Foster, M.A. (2001). The Captain’s Personal bLog. My Looking-Glass Selves. Retrieved from http://editorials.sociosphere.com/arc20020301.html

Gould, S. J. (1999). Rocks of ages: Science and religion in the fullness of life. New York: Ballantine.

Miller, K.R. (1999). Finding Darwin’s god. New York: HarperCollins.

Bible verses quoted from the New International Version Bible.

Are you a Daredevil?

Daredevil is the title character of a 2003 American superhero movie. In the movie, Daredevil is presented as a person who does not fear anything.

Cosplay of Daredevil

Well, unless you are a blind attorney named Matt Murdock, you are probably not fearless.

So, what is your biggest earthly fear? I don't mean a fear that would involve another person who is important to you. I mean a fear that would affect you alone. 

If you are like movie character Indiana Jones, then your biggest earthy fear is the fear of snakes. If you are like the father of Indiana Jones, then your biggest earthly fear is the fear of rats.

If you are like me, then your biggest earthly fear is the fear of public speaking. 

That's right. The last thing that I ever want to do is to stand in front of an audience, speak into a microphone and give a sermon.

For the sake of argument, suppose that your biggest earthly fear were the fear of heights. If that were your biggest fear, then would you want to go skydiving? I'm guessing that you wouldn't want to. 

However, what if God told you to do just that? Suppose that God told you to exit an airplane that is flying 3 miles above sea level. What would be your reaction to receiving such instructions? 

If you were to feel afraid, then you would be just like Moses when he first met God at the burning bush. God gave Moses an assignment that Moses was not happy with. 

You might have watched the Cecil B. DeMille movie The Ten Commandments, but that movie doesn't reveal all that happened.  So, I will quote from Exodus 4:10-13.

“Moses said to the Lord, 'Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.' The Lord said to him, 'Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.' But Moses said, 'Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.'”

"Please send someone else." That's right. Moses was afraid to do what God told him to do. Moses was afraid because he didn't know how he could possibly succeed with that assignment. It was as if Moses had a fear of heights and God had told him to exit an airplane that was flying 3 miles above the ground. 

How about you? Suppose you are Moses on the airplane. What are you expecting to happen to you? What do you think you must do to survive exiting the airplane? Would you have to wear one parachute or two parachutes?

Well, God might not tell you to exit a flying airplane, but he might tell you to do something else that would be scary to you. God might tell you to move outside of your comfort zone and do something that you have never done before. If God were to do that, then how would you succeed?

Answer: You would succeed the same way that you would succeed if you didn't wear a parachute while exiting a plane that is 3 miles above ground.

You would first attach yourself to someone who is wearing a parachute.

Earlier in this post, I provide you with this statement: "Suppose that God told you to exit an airplane that is flying 3 miles above sea level."

That statement does NOT say that you must exit the airplane by yourself, and the statement does NOT forbid you from making a tandem jump with a professional skydiver.

Earlier in this post, I mention that my biggest earthly fear is the fear of public speaking. Yet, in November of Year 2025, I became a United Methodist Church Certified Lay Speaker, a position in which I may be called upon to give sermons to United Methodist congregations. Indeed, I gave a sermon on the first Sunday morning of Year 2026, and I did so after I asked for permission to do so.

When I interviewed for the position, I was not confident that I should become a Lay Speaker. 

Then, I sensed God telling me, “Relax. I got this. We are making a tandem jump. You are attached to me, and I am the parachute.” 

That's the way it is whenever God gives any of us an assignment. We might have certain experiences and abilities that give us an advantage, or we might not. Either way, success depends on us being attached to God as if we were making a tandem jump. We will have a safe landing because God is the parachute. 

So, when God gives you any kind of assignment, keep in mind what Jesus says in John 15:4-5 :

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Spiritual safety

is not always easy to find. Religious institutions that are supposed to be safe are not necessarily so. Sadly, this condition is true for religious institutions that are supposed to be promoting the Good News of Messiah Y'shua/Jesus.

It is not uncommon for people to be hurting emotionally and spiritually but to fear seeking help from a religious institution because of the bad reputation that religious institutions have earned.

This blogger has talked to plenty of people who were harmed by churches, which is why those people stay away from churches altogether.

Yes, bad churches are everywhere. 

So, how should one respond to this problem?

First, I want to pass on an observation made by the late Christian theologian William Barclay:

"When we have a sad and sorry tale to tell, when life has drenched us with tears, we do not go to a God who is incapable of understanding what has happened; we go to a God who has been there. 

. . . He knows our problems because he has come through them.  The best person to give you advice and help on a journey is someone who has travelled the road before you.  God can help because he knows it all.  Jesus is the perfect high priest because he is perfectly God and perfectly man.  Because he has known our life he can give us sympathy, mercy and power.  He brought God to men and he can bring men to God."*

Messiah Y'shua/Jesus did not come to Humanity in order to belittle hurting people. Indeed, he saved his criticisms for people who were self-righteous. 

If you are suffering in some way, then I want you to know this: Messiah Jesus is not a church. Churches are fallible. He is not.

We are supposed to place all of our faith in Jesus, not in a church.

Yes, if one wants the best spiritual health, then it is important for one to belong to a good religious institution that promotes the Good News of Messiah Jesus.

We are supposed to interact with other believers in Messiah Jesus so that our faith in Jesus will grow, so that we can be encouraged whenever life gets us down or whenever we are afflicted by evil.

However, if you are not ready to be a part of a good religious institution, then be assured that your eternal destiny does not depend on you being a member of any particular church. Instead, your eternal destiny depends entirely on Jesus.

Here's the deal: Jesus has already done the work necessary for you to be God's child. Whenever you place your entire faith in Jesus, your eternal destiny is to be with God, receiving his unending blessings.

Yes, your life on Earth may still be hard, but you will be given the spiritual strength that you need in order to endure hardships. 

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*Quote Source: Barclay, W. (1976). The Letter to the Hebrews. The Daily Study Bible Series. Westminster John Knox Press.