Neopatriarch⚡

Neopatriarch⚡'s avatar
Neopatriarch⚡
neopatriarch@strike.me
npub1flm9...rg9q
Christian, Freedom Advocate, Jesus is Lord, Voluntaryist, Hobby Gardener #nokingbutchrist #taxationistheft #realFreedom #abolishTheState #openTheism
I'm still reading through the prayers in the Bible. Maybe it's just me, but I'm fascinated by how God's people negotiated with Him. Consider this prayer by Moses. God had just saved the Israelites out of Egypt, and here they are—already making a golden calf to worship. He tells Moses, That's it. Stand back. I'm going to wipe out these people and start again with you, Moses. Many people know the story of Moses "standing in the gap," but have you ever really looked at this prayer? Exodus 32:11–14 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. Despite the fact that God was going to destroy Israel, Moses didn’t believe the future was fixed. Instead, he thought God might be reasoned with—and he was right. Do you pray like Moses?
It's interesting to me how people in the Bible negotiate with God in their prayers. Here, Hannah expresses her belief that God will listen, that He can be moved to act, and that the future is not predetermined. Do you pray like Hannah? 1 Samuel 1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
Avoiding Vain Philosophies: The Danger of Speculating About Time Introduction: When Theology Becomes Science Fiction Some words sound theological, but they are not biblical. Concepts like "before time," "outside of time," and "timelessness" are often used in theological discussions, yet they have no scriptural basis. Instead of leading us into truth, they tend to drift into the realm of science fiction. These terms would feel more at home in Back to the Future or Star Trek than in serious Bible study. Yet, many Christians repeat them without question. But is this how God reveals Himself? Or are we allowing human philosophy to redefine the God of Scripture? Where Do These Ideas Come From? When people talk about God being "outside of time," they are not drawing from the Bible but from Greek philosophy, particularly Platonism and Aristotelian metaphysics. Plato taught that the material world is an inferior copy of an eternal, unchanging realm of perfect forms. Aristotle developed the idea of a "Prime Mover"—a being that causes motion but does not move or change itself. Early Christian theologians, influenced by Greek thought, attempted to merge these ideas with the Bible. The result? A concept of God that is static, impersonal, and detached from time and human history. But is this how God presents Himself in Scripture? The Biblical God: A God Who Acts in History From Genesis to Revelation, God is revealed as a living, dynamic, and relational Being who interacts with His creation in real time: God speaks and creates – "And God said, Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3). God walks with man – "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden" (Genesis 3:8). God responds to prayer – "And God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not" (Jonah 3:10). God enters history as Jesus Christ – "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). God has a future plan – "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father" (1 Corinthians 15:24). These passages do not describe a "timeless" deity but a God who engages with His creation in real, unfolding history. Paul’s Warning: Beware of Vain Philosophies Colossians 2:8 warns us: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Many theological ideas that pass as "deep truths" are actually vain philosophies that lead believers away from Christ. Instead of focusing on how God actually reveals Himself, people become obsessed with abstract ideas that sound profound but have no scriptural foundation. Paul tells us to guard our minds against these influences. Our theology must be rooted in Scripture, not speculation. Conclusion: Keep Theology Biblical, Not Speculative The Bible never speaks of a "timeless" or "outside of time" God. These ideas do not come from Scripture but from human philosophy and speculation. God acts in real time. God engages in history. God reveals Himself through events, covenants, and relationships. Instead of drifting into abstract, extra-biblical ideas, let’s stick to how God actually presents Himself in Scripture. The moment we go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6), we risk exchanging biblical truth for philosophical speculation. As Paul warns, let’s not be "spoiled" by vain philosophy. Let’s keep our theology rooted in Scripture, not speculation.
The Self-Defeating Core of Secular Humanism Intro: A Promise That Unravels Secular Humanism pitches itself as a clean break from superstition—a worldview built on reason, human value, and a firm "no" to the supernatural. It sounds appealing: let’s trust our minds and senses to carve out reality, no gods required. But dig into its first principles, and the whole thing starts to wobble. What we found? Its rejection of the supernatural might just be its own undoing. The Pillars That Don’t Hold Start with "Reason as the Primary Tool." Secular Humanists say we know reality through sensory input, logic, and science. Fair enough—bridges stand, planes fly. But why trust our senses? They say, “Because they work,” and point to consistency across people. Yet there’s no deeper root. If I see a tree and you do too, that’s nice, but it’s still a leap to call it "real" without something backing it up. It’s a bet, not a foundation. Then there’s "Human-Centered Values." Humans matter, they say—our well-being, our dignity. But who decides what that means? It’s so broad it’s almost meaningless—just a feel-good nod to “do nice things for people.” Without a cosmic anchor, it’s a preference, not a principle. Fine for a bumper sticker, less so for a philosophy. The Real Kicker: No Supernatural, Yet Miracles Abound Here’s where it falls apart. "Rejection of the Supernatural" is their sharpest edge—no gods, no magic, just nature. Quantifiable, testable. But then you look at their story: lifeless matter somehow sparks into consciousness, and brains from blind evolution crack the universe’s code. That’s not just emergence—it’s miraculous. Life from dead stuff? Reason from random mutations? They call it natural, but it’s awe-inspiring enough to make you squint at the "no miracles" sign. If life’s just an accident of matter, why’s it valuable? If our senses and reason are evolutionary hacks, why trust them to map reality? The rejection of a higher power leaves these as flukes—glorious, improbable flukes. They can’t lean on a deity to explain it, so they’re stuck with a worldview that smuggles in wonder while swearing it’s all mundane. That’s not a principle standing tall; that’s a contradiction tripping over itself. Conclusion: A Tweet-Sized Takedown We boiled it down to this: “Secular Humanism’s ‘no supernatural’ claim collapses: life & reason emerge as miracles from blind matter, shredding its logic. No gods, yet awe haunts it. #PhilosophyFail #SecularHumanism #ReasonUnraveled #MindTheGap.” It’s a house of cards—impressive until you poke it. Maybe reason and human value need more than a shrug to hold them up. What do you think—can it be salvaged, or is it DOA?