Presuppositions of Life

What is the premise that you base your life on? Everyone has faith in something or someone. The question of life is what or who do you have faith in? The key is the object of your faith. One of the most common example of this is when you are standing in a room with people. How do they know you are standing in the room with them? Answer is because I can see and talk to you - our senses tell us. Yet our senses deceive us many times and in many ways (i.e., mirages, etc.). So we presume you are in the room, we have to or there is no party just an illusion of my mind.

My Presuppositions:
1. The existence of The (not "a") Biblical God
By saying there is no God, you have just made yourself god. How do you know there is no God?
2. The Biblical God has revealed Himself to man (as recorded in the Bible)
Therefore we must trust the revelation of God in the Bible
a. General Revelation - Acts 14:14-17
b. Special Revelation - Hebrews 1:1; 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:15
c. Personal Revelation - John 1:18; Hebrews 1:2; Luke 24:44-45
3. Man's capacity to comprehend God's revelation
A better way to state this is man's lack of spiritual understanding without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
4. A consistent Hermeneutic is required
I take the literal-grammatical-historical approach with leads to Dispensationalism

From these 4 presuppositions, I work my life and my worldview. So now the question: What are your presuppositions that you base your life on?

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Isaiah 55:8-11 (NASB)
⁸"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
⁹"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
¹¹So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

The Adjustment Bureau

Along with the Matrix, Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Minority Report, etc., the latest movie "The Adjustment Bureau" causes one to think about that old phrase:

Who's choking the Chicken?

I am not a big reader of The Washington Post, however the article by Ezra Klein on the idea of "The Adjustment Bureau" and Washington being able to perform a complicated plan is worth reading. Mr. Klein clues us in on how "sophisticated it isn't":

But I tend to be shocked at how sophisticated it isn't. Communication between various political actors -- a crucial ingredient in any serious plan -- is surprisingly informal and inadequate. Members of Congress and their staffs don't really have access to secret, efficient networks of information. Instead, they read Roll Call and the Hill and The Washington Post and keep their televisions tuned to cable news, turning up the volume when a colleague involved in a bill they're interested in appears on the screen. Then everyone sits around and speculates about what they just heard. Most every political reporter can back me up when I say that it's extremely common for key players on both sides of the aisle to ask you what you're hearing or how you'd rate the chances of their bill -- and this typically happens when you're sitting down to ask them the very same questions. It's terribly disappointing and, I'm convinced, 100 percent genuine.

Here is the link:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2011/03/washington_is_bad_at_scheming.html

Mr. Klein has, to use another old phrase:

Hit the nail on the head

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Search for Truth

As I journey along a path of life I have come to the conclusion that Truth spoken in kindness and compassion is called Wisdom. Additionally, when someone says they tell the cold, hard truth no matter what, they are simply brutally stating the truthful facts. Truth is always permeated with wisdom for with wisdom, a man or woman can speak the truth. So now I begin my search for wisdom and its core elements.

"Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding"
Proverbs 2:2

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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New Beginnings

The deficit that our government faces is quite overwhelming, but not an excuse to throw our hands up and surrender. Hopefully with the new beginning of Congress there will be a sober heads and realistic elected officials who will for once in a very long time chose for America instead of for their re-electability. Here is a start, the New York Times has a Deficit Calculator called the Budget Puzzle. Here is an interactive look at decisions you could make to reduce our deficit if you were in charge of Congress. Very interesting and you have to make tough choices to balance the budget. Enlightening to say the least.

Is there a deficit of Truth? As Luke Skywalker is given his father's Lightsaber by Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars movie (Episode IV), a decision, a way of life must be made by Luke constantly: Use the Lightsaber for Good or use it for Evil. If Luke fights for Good his Lightsaber will be identified as such. Drawing from this symbolism, we must fight for Good while acknowledging that the Dark Side will always be enticing us to convert. We must not give into the apparent pleasures of the power provided by the Dark Side.

Truth requires a lifestyle of decisions for Good and a discipline to battle the Dark Side that attempts to creep into one's life.

Ephesians 6:10-17 describes the fortress of Truth and the use of the Lightsaber of Truth - Scripture:

¹⁰ "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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What is Truth - Johnny Cash

As I begin my "mythical journey" as a modern-day Luke Skywalker searching for what is "the" Truth, I found an old clip from the Johnny Cash Show back in the 1970s. As I listened to the message, I was struck at it's current relevancy. Our generation that are the CEOs, Pastors, Athletes, Politicians, and other leaders of our country and community have not produced perpetual examples of ethical leaders who welcome new ideas. We rise to power, forgetting that we had new ideas, and fall into the "ancestor worship" mode of "this is the way it is done" style of running a business, a church, a sport's team, a political party, etc. "New" ideas are not welcome and seen as a threat to one's power (perfect example is General Motors management and the demise of the company). Honesty must be crouched by "sugar-coating" and "spinning" to the point where it is so compromised that honesty is minimized. Those who stand for truth and utter the famous statement of the character Col. Nathan R. Jessep (played by Jack Nicholson) in the movie, A Few Good Men - "You can't handle the Truth!", are removed from committees and relegated to a serf's role in the kingdom. Who as a leader has a youth to remind them that they were young and mortal? Without the youth:

Churches become museums of saints instead of hospitals for sinners.

Today the youth are asking the same questions of adults and adult leadership, and sadly they are receiving the same morally bankrupted hypocritical answers that we received in the 1970s when we were the youth. If you don't believe me watch and listen to Johnny Cash from 1970. What happened to us? Johnny Cash's song is convicting, please watch and receive the lesson.

Here's to the youth and their questions!

Johnny Cash on YouTube

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Hope - Where can we find it?

Now that the dust is settling on the mid-term elections, I have been reflecting on what has transpired since the contrast of the two Presidential candidates themes. Many in the nation felt the message of "Hope" and "Change" resonated with their personal themes. Now two years later many believe that the President did not deliver on these basic themes of Hope and Change. So much of the country has changed the "non-change" of the President. This is evident by the significant number of state's governments changing for the first time to the Republican majority since the 1800s. So I guess we can accurately say that the President brought change - just not the change I think he wanted or thought.

As I reflected on our nation's "change", I began to look at the "church" within the Christian "nation". What change needs to happen? This is where I remembered the other part of the campaign message - Hope! So much of teaching I have been listening to from many pulpits is what we are doing wrong. So much of what I'm hearing from young Christians is confusion and lack of direction. So much of what I read on Christian blogs is argument, some of it quite aggressive.

So much yelling, confusion, egos, and complete lack of mercy. The system is broke and need fixing. Where are the leaders that (to bring up an old axiom) "think outside the box"? It is time for us to listen to the young generation and give them Hope, give them an example, give them the truth, give them ethical behavior, give them a real answer not simply theory.

In John 8:32 is recorded a famous quote of Jesus Christ:

"and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (NASB).

I find it interesting that John records this as "the" truth and again "the" truth. What is "the" truth? Ah a quest for me to discover the answer and the direction of this blog for the future. Suffice it to say as an initial thought, I would say that:

"the" truth is the Prerequisite of Freedom.

So as the mythical Luke Skywalker of the movie series Star Wars sets off on a quest to "learn the ways of the Force", I too am beginning my search for the Truth.

Image found at: http://descasa.i.ph/blogs/descasa/index.php?tag=shallow

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Why? - To Mature

For reasons other than "lashing out" for the pain one has felt as being caused by God, why do people hate Christianity?

I believe I understand why people characterize some Christians as 'jerks", but here in America why is Christianity so despised by so many?

Why do those who despise Christianity spend so much effort (especially in the academic field) "proving" Christianity as false?

Why is there a war between those who are Christians and those who are not?

Providence - God provides everything - creator of all
Necessity - There is no arbitrary (i.e., fate) then there must be an order (the best possible way)
Freedom - The best possible world means to be free means to be free to choose the wrong thing
Negativity - Choosing the wrong thing has harmful effects on us and those around
Maturity - Choosing to do the right response in the mist of negative stuff

Providence - 1 Cor. 4:7
Necessity - Eph. 2:8-9
Freedom - Gen. 3:21
Negativity - Matt. 8:5-13
Maturity - Phil. 4:6-8

Thoughts from afar!

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader

The Pew Research Center has a basic questionnaire on Religion. Interesting to see how you do.

http://features.pewforum.org/quiz/us-religious-knowledge

Good Luck

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Principles or Politics - Your Call

Over at the blog of The League of Ordinary Gentlemen I read and responded to an excellent discourse on this mosque issue near Ground Zero gripping the politics of the pundits. The article was written by Rick Ungar and titled "To Mosque or Not to Mosque". In my reply I likened today's political Congressmen as playing a football game ignoring the rules. Our government is based on a set of rules titled The Constitution of The United States of America. On page 12 of the .pdf document link you can read Amendment 1 that was ratified on Dec. 15, 1791:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

What caught my eye on Rick's discussion was his observation that there are porn shops and other non-hallowed shops located around the site. So obviously this issue of a mosque at Ground Zero is simply a political football by non-leaders and non-statesmen (called congressmen, analyst for Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, candidates, etc.) whose only intent is to swoop down on the emotions of citizens to stir them into a frenzied mob for the sole purpose of getting elected or ratings. Notice that:

There is no call to principle only the yelling of politics.

As Americans we have principles to govern our nation by and it is called The Constitution of The United States of America and we must require our representatives to follow. Although I find the location disagreeable, I recognize the rights of the Constitution as an overriding principle. If I do not stand and follow the principle I will fall for whatever passion or politics comes along. Principle removes the passion to maintain the rational.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

Let our minds dwell on these things - principles not politics must rule.

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Truth: I got mine, go get yours!

Exciting news today on the truth front: from Shirley Sherrod the ousted USDA official to the “photoshopped “ picture of BP’s Command center, we are inundated with “facts” that have been taken “out of context”. One of “Deception’s” greatest tools is the employment of plausibility, which has inherent the minimizing of truth.

Truth requires first that we know. Knowledge requires study and is NOT gained by being “spoon fed” from the “talking heads” on the TV. Study requires reading varying sources and developing rational thought to understand the issue. Politics is about manipulation of opinions and we must be aware of the barrage of deceptions.

Our English word “truth” comes from the Greek word aletheia: “what is not concealed, but open and known; thence true.” I like that – not concealed. If it is open and known then truth must be an external reality. I like that – external reality, non-subjective.

Employing a rational mind that God has equipped human beings necessitates the realization that there are those who wish to conceal information to propagate their agenda – whether it is “Universal Tolerance” or BP’s current Public Relations gaffe. This “negative of the truth” was written about in Hegel’s Philosophy of Spirit. Glenn W. Campbell wrote an exposition on Hegel in his pamphlet: Ethics – Modern and Contemporary (1996). Glenn writes on page 41:

“If the mind is truly free to choose, it must be truly free to choose wrongly; that is, the negative of the truth… the experience of the negative by the mind leads it to the final presupposition: Maturity. We do really learn from our mistakes. A free mature mind is superior to a free naïve mind.”

Truth is objective, constant, and rational. Truth is knowable and discoverable. We are free to choose to remain in a free naïve mind or develop a mature mind that aggressively seeks the rational, constant truth (non-subjective). BTW Aristotle asked “What is Truth?” Asking the right questions some 300 years before Pontius Pilate asked the same question.

Painting by Antonio Ciserie titled "Ecce Homo" - translated: Behold the Man

Food for Thought
If you are Hungry

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Tolerance and Truth – Why can’t we all get along? Answer: Anarchy

Tolerance is defined as “a willingness to be tolerant and patient toward people whose opinions or ways differ from one’s own” (emphasis mine).

An Anarchist is defined as “a person who wants to overthrow established governments and have a world without rulers and laws” (emphasis mine).

To be Civilize is defined as “to bring out of a savage or barbaric condition; train in culture, science and art; to improve in manners; refine” (emphasis mine).

Philosophically, a civilization must be intolerant by definition to some degree. To be civilized, the nation cannot endure savage or barbaric conditions; nor can the nation allow its people to have a world without laws - thus to be a civilized nation it must be intolerant of harmful and unlawful activities. Simple logic constructs the meaninglessness of "Universal Tolerance", unless anarchy is the desired end.

So objective, not relative, principles must be maintained - this is rational, logical in order to connect a civilized society. The preamble of the US Constitution does not contain any wording to the effect of: "I'll do what I want regardless of the consequences to society." Rather it declares a common defined culture:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Intolerance is required and truth must be declared as an objective “measuring stick.” Liberal tolerance within the current culture of America is tolerant of almost everything except truth and is therefore intolerant by definition. This has become an oxymoron. The argument goes: “If I am to be ‘open-minded’ on everything and therefore no one knows the ‘truth’, then there is no reason for me to follow your truth or rules, nor can you declare what I say or do is wrong.” As this argument grows the resulting societal mentality is without rules and laws (objective truth) and thus becomes a society of anarchy.

Therefore, truth is objective, can be discovered, and must be employed for a society to remain civilized. Relativism with its cousin Universal Tolerance can only lead to anarchy - “an absence of a system of government and law; disorder; confusion; lawlessness”.

So, as Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, “What is Truth?”

C’ya

Eagle Driver

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What is Truth?

The main character of George Orwell’s famous book, Nineteen Eighty-Four (Plume Printing, New York: 2003) begins with Winston purchasing a book. “The thing that he was about to do was to open a diary. This was not illegal (nothing was illegal, since there were no longer any laws), but if detected it was reasonably certain that it would be punished by death, or at least by twenty-five years in a forced-labor camp.” (pg. 6-7) The three famous sayings throughout the book of the “Party” were:

War is Peace

Freedom is Slavery

Ignorance is Strength (pg. 4)

Beginning his diary entry, we read of Winston’s thoughts about writing: “How could you communicate with the future?” (pg. 7) What are we communicating to the future generation - is there such a thing as truth? Winston begins writing his first truthful thought on to paper: “Down with Big Brother”. As he is writing, he realizes in that moment of free thought that he had committed a “Thoughtcrime”. As this moment unfolds, Winston recalls the consequence of people who resisted the “Thought Police” in that they “simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed from the registers, every record of everything you had ever done was wiped out, your one-time existence was denied and then forgotten.” (pg 18)

I was recently struck by the same question by Pontius Pilate to Jesus during the trumped up trial some 2,000 years ago. “What is Truth?”

In the current stampede to tolerance, I ask myself as a follow up to Pilate’s question: What is Universal/Liberal Tolerance?

I’m told that the movement to a universal tolerance in America is to legislate that I can do and believe anything I want privately as long as publicly I placate all others. Has our current society replaced truth with a liberal tolerance of no one point is correct? Has George Orwell’s 1984 book become a reality? Remember the opening lines of: “This was not illegal (nothing was illegal, since there were no longer any laws), but if detected it was reasonably certain that it would be punished by death”? Is the objective dead and the relative the new god?

Next blog: expounding on tolerance and truth

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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