Some Monday FYIs
This is just a quick post to let you know a few things. First, I’m traveling again for work this week (not as far as California this time), and I have no idea how much access I’ll have to the internet. I have my Road Trip Wednesday scheduled (it’s Book of the Month time again, so be sure to drop by an see what I chose!), but that may be the only post this week aside from this one. I’ll try to visit blogs while I’m gone, but that’ll depend on internet access.
My log-line says this blog is about “Writing, reading, theology…”, but I’ve noticed that I don’t really post much theology beyond the Sunday Devotions, and the Sunday School Notes when Sunday School is in session. To remedy this, I’m considering a sort-of-regular series of posts dealing with various areas of Christian theology, hopefully written in a blog-friendly style (e.g., Monotheism and the Trinity, God and Suffering, the “Problem of Evil”, etc.). What do you think? Are there any theological questions you want me to tackle? Perhaps you’re an atheist and you want to know “why bother with theology at all?” Maybe you’re a Christian and you’re asking the same question! The object wouldn’t be to debate (though I’d be happy to engage people who want to discuss–calmly and intelligently, of course), but more to inform. I’d appreciate your thoughts.
I hope you’re having a happy Monday, and continue to have a great week. If I can, I’ll check by on Wednesday to respond to comments, and to read what others chose for their Book of the Month.
I’ve been slowly making my way through the list of people who signed up for the Blogging from A to Z challenge this year. That’s how I ended up here 🙂 But one of the side effects of doing that is I’ve visited a lot of blogs I otherwise never would have seen. Blogs like this one. As an atheist I would never chose to go out of my way to visit a Christian-themed blog, but I’m glad I stopped by yours 🙂 Your calm, matter-of-fact and practical attitude toward Christianity and atheism are refreshing 🙂
Thanks, Rhonda. I know that religion can be a very heated topic for those with faith and those without. And there’s a place for passionate discourse. On my blog, though, I want to promote understanding. Whether or not you agree with my theology, as long as you get where I’m coming from, and aren’t afraid to ask questions and dialog without getting contentious, then I don’t see why things have to devolve into nastiness. Besides, I don’t believe anyone can become a Christian apart from the Lord’s work in their heart, so I know I can’t argue you to faith. All I can do is present what I believe, answer questions, and help you understand. The rest is in God’s hands.
Thank you so much for stopping by the blog, Rhonda. Please don’t be shy about suggesting topics if you have any in mind. And if you’d rather talk privately, my e-mail address in on my “About” page. 🙂
Colin, I love your Sunday devotionals, but I don’t read them regularly since they’re posted on Sunday (I do my best to stay unplugged Sunday – I try. Helps my brain and body unwind some). So I’d love to read some weekday posts from you about theology! I took a lot of theology classes in college, and I adore Bible study. Sounds fascinating to me!
I have a question that I always felt silly asking in class: how do Christians explain the dinosaurs? I know *most* Christians don’t believe the world is millions of years old – more like thousands. So how do we explain million year old bones? Beyond that, how do we explain dinosaurs roaming the earth when we believe (or, again, some believe) that God created everything, including man, in seven days? Did Adam name the dinosaurs like he did the butterflies? Are they extinct because of the flood?
Maybe that’s too basic a question for you – I know you like to get more in depth. But it’s one I never asked in class yet one I wished I understood, if only to better explain my beliefs to my agnostic friends.
What I find sad is that you never felt comfortable asking such questions in class. There are Christians who go through seminary without really grappling with what it means to believe that Genesis is historical, and the consequences of denying the historicity of Genesis 1-11. And things like dinosaurs, and how we deal with the chronology of that period (can we date the earth by adding up all the ages of the people mentioned in the genealogies?). I think this is a great question. Expect to see a post on it in the near future. 🙂
Thank you for reading, Daisy!