Comments for Bowen Greenwood's Blog http://www.bowengreenwood.com Overwhelming, Irrational, Immeasurable Love Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:29:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Comment on So much more by Glenn Oppel http://www.bowengreenwood.com/2012/02/05/so-much-more/#comment-73 Glenn Oppel Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:29:10 +0000 http://www.bowengreenwood.com/?p=93#comment-73 As I like to tell people, don't put your faith in Christ because of something a Christian said or did (past or present); put your faith in Christ on his merits alone. He can stand quite well on his own two feet. Our role in the conversion process is as simple as it is hard to come by - love and prayer. As I like to tell people, don’t put your faith in Christ because of something a Christian said or did (past or present); put your faith in Christ on his merits alone. He can stand quite well on his own two feet. Our role in the conversion process is as simple as it is hard to come by – love and prayer.

]]> Comment on Jesus is weird sometimes by Bowen http://www.bowengreenwood.com/2012/01/26/jesus-is-weird-sometimes/#comment-71 Bowen Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:48:36 +0000 http://www.bowengreenwood.com/?p=75#comment-71 Hopefully soon! Hopefully soon!

]]> Comment on Jesus is weird sometimes by Glenn Oppel http://www.bowengreenwood.com/2012/01/26/jesus-is-weird-sometimes/#comment-70 Glenn Oppel Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:48:02 +0000 http://www.bowengreenwood.com/?p=75#comment-70 I like the idea of mixing theology and beer. Let me know when you want to get one... I like the idea of mixing theology and beer. Let me know when you want to get one…

]]> Comment on Jesus is weird sometimes by Kris Hansen http://www.bowengreenwood.com/2012/01/26/jesus-is-weird-sometimes/#comment-69 Kris Hansen Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:27:00 +0000 http://www.bowengreenwood.com/?p=75#comment-69 Hi, Bowen. I just discovered your blog. I clicked on an old link to my old website, and voila, there you were. I guess Jesus also works through "broken links." I'm glad I found it. I will be back. Hi, Bowen. I just discovered your blog. I clicked on an old link to my old website, and voila, there you were. I guess Jesus also works through “broken links.” I’m glad I found it. I will be back.

]]> Comment on Dealing with authority by Bowen http://www.bowengreenwood.com/2012/01/24/dealing-with-authority/#comment-68 Bowen Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:09:45 +0000 http://www.bowengreenwood.com/?p=72#comment-68 I only bring it up because the main thing that's holding me back from a commitment to disobey that law is "if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." I only bring it up because the main thing that’s holding me back from a commitment to disobey that law is “if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

]]> Comment on Dealing with authority by Glenn Oppel http://www.bowengreenwood.com/2012/01/24/dealing-with-authority/#comment-67 Glenn Oppel Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:09:32 +0000 http://www.bowengreenwood.com/?p=72#comment-67 I meant to say that "The outcome of abiding the mandate isn't evil on its face." I meant to say that “The outcome of abiding the mandate isn’t evil on its face.”

]]> Comment on Dealing with authority by Glenn Oppel http://www.bowengreenwood.com/2012/01/24/dealing-with-authority/#comment-66 Glenn Oppel Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:54:33 +0000 http://www.bowengreenwood.com/?p=72#comment-66 The Obamacare mandate is rather anecdotal to what we're discussing. Like you, I'm not sure if ignoring the mandate is permissible because of an underlying principle, i.e. freedom to make choices about what goods and services we purchase. The outcome of abiding the mandates isn't on its face. However, one can certainly invoke the slippery-slope argument. If the State has the power to use coercion (the force of law) to literally make us purchase a particular good or service, then what else will it force us to purchase, or not to purchase, or to do, or not to do. Additionally, we can also look at this from the personhood perspective. I'm a person created in God's image and from that created origin I have free will and action. To violate that foundational truth is to violate the very essence of personhood. Any such violation should be resisted in the name of truth, not just freedom. Just some FFT... The Obamacare mandate is rather anecdotal to what we’re discussing. Like you, I’m not sure if ignoring the mandate is permissible because of an underlying principle, i.e. freedom to make choices about what goods and services we purchase. The outcome of abiding the mandates isn’t on its face. However, one can certainly invoke the slippery-slope argument. If the State has the power to use coercion (the force of law) to literally make us purchase a particular good or service, then what else will it force us to purchase, or not to purchase, or to do, or not to do. Additionally, we can also look at this from the personhood perspective. I’m a person created in God’s image and from that created origin I have free will and action. To violate that foundational truth is to violate the very essence of personhood. Any such violation should be resisted in the name of truth, not just freedom. Just some FFT…

]]> Comment on Dealing with authority by Bowen http://www.bowengreenwood.com/2012/01/24/dealing-with-authority/#comment-65 Bowen Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:14:24 +0000 http://www.bowengreenwood.com/?p=72#comment-65 I appreciate that you brought up the question of being justified in not submitting. It's something that I have very significant struggles with, in particular as it relates to Obamacare. In 2014, the federal government will give its citizens an order to buy health insurance or be punished. I find the idea horrifying -- that we have actually come to the point where we let our government give us orders about what to buy. I'm very strongly moved toward civil disobedience. I know for a fact that the authority to compel whatever purchase suits its social agenda was never granted to the federal government. What I don't know is, does that rise to the level where following Jesus no longer has to mean submitting to the civil authority. I shouldn't say I don't know. A better phrase would be not 100% confident yet. I appreciate that you brought up the question of being justified in not submitting. It’s something that I have very significant struggles with, in particular as it relates to Obamacare. In 2014, the federal government will give its citizens an order to buy health insurance or be punished. I find the idea horrifying — that we have actually come to the point where we let our government give us orders about what to buy.

I’m very strongly moved toward civil disobedience. I know for a fact that the authority to compel whatever purchase suits its social agenda was never granted to the federal government. What I don’t know is, does that rise to the level where following Jesus no longer has to mean submitting to the civil authority. I shouldn’t say I don’t know. A better phrase would be not 100% confident yet.

]]> Comment on Dealing with authority by Glenn Oppel http://www.bowengreenwood.com/2012/01/24/dealing-with-authority/#comment-64 Glenn Oppel Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:04:51 +0000 http://www.bowengreenwood.com/?p=72#comment-64 Another very tough subject and you address it well and with humility. The challenge for me is when and how you deal with the abrogation of authority. In other words, those in authority have not been give authority to ignore God's law. When they do, they abrogate their authority. Francis Schaeffer's "A Christian Manifesto" takes this head on. We are justified in not submitting to abrogated authority because it would mean violating God's law. Thankfully in America the government isn't forcing us to violate God's law. But imagine living under China's one-child policy, which I'm sure leads to millions of forced abortions and even infanticides every year. Another area where biblical rules and societal structures collide is the fact that we live in a republic where the people are sovereign. If our natural rights are being systematically violated by despotic government, we have a duty to overthrow that government and restore the protection of those natural rights. Despotic governments use authority to kill and they must be resisted in order to preserve life. Nothing's ever cut and dry. With all this said, you are absolutely on the mark when you admonish Christians to pray for those in authority. Another very tough subject and you address it well and with humility. The challenge for me is when and how you deal with the abrogation of authority. In other words, those in authority have not been give authority to ignore God’s law. When they do, they abrogate their authority. Francis Schaeffer’s “A Christian Manifesto” takes this head on. We are justified in not submitting to abrogated authority because it would mean violating God’s law. Thankfully in America the government isn’t forcing us to violate God’s law. But imagine living under China’s one-child policy, which I’m sure leads to millions of forced abortions and even infanticides every year. Another area where biblical rules and societal structures collide is the fact that we live in a republic where the people are sovereign. If our natural rights are being systematically violated by despotic government, we have a duty to overthrow that government and restore the protection of those natural rights. Despotic governments use authority to kill and they must be resisted in order to preserve life. Nothing’s ever cut and dry. With all this said, you are absolutely on the mark when you admonish Christians to pray for those in authority.

]]> Comment on Man up by Bowen http://www.bowengreenwood.com/2012/01/18/man-up/#comment-60 Bowen Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:08:44 +0000 http://www.bowengreenwood.com/?p=64#comment-60 Thank you so much Carol. I'm sort of taken aback that a few people really do read this. Thank you so much Carol. I’m sort of taken aback that a few people really do read this.

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