[Chrysostom]

So, I figured that I would start a new CGR blog. I know, I know... I've already got one. But that one has almost 5000 posts, and I intend to have a different kind of atmosphere in this place. Right now, I've got two purposes for this blog:

1. To release my rants. Some days this will involve ranting about horrible drivers, stupid commercials, or the incompetence of Houston civil engineers. Other days it will involve rants aimed in a more theological or "state of the church" direction. The latter will dominate, I'm sure.

2. To provide a place for people to ask me questions. Yes, because I'm just that narcissistic. Actually, because I was just at Jon's blog and somebody asked him some questions... Maybe that is fun? I don't know.

So, let's start out with:

Rant #1: Intelligent Design

What's the deal with Intelligent Design? I mean, Christians are finally starting to jump off of the Discovery Institute/Answers-In-Genesis bandwagon, but we replace it with Intelligent Design? This would be like finally drinking something other than Schlitz but switching to Amstel Light. (Actually, that may be too harsh on Schlitz. At least it can be used for good.)

The Intelligent Design movement is trying to do two things. Number One, it is trying to salvage the claim that science really does prove that the Bible is true. Number Two, it is a grab for political power in America.

Let's talk about Number One. The worship of science is, in my mind, a long out-dated fad. Some crazies like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris are still True Believers, and undoubtedly they will enjoy some popularity in upper-middle class America because they underwrite its mentality, but that's for another rant. At any rate, the worship of science is long out-dated, which of course means that conservative Christians are really going to catch on to it. So, as always, people choose to believe in the idols of the age and try to make God a subset of that idol. If we really do follow the idol of "Science," we get God, too! (Or so the story goes.) Actually, by following the idol of Science you've already given up God, because you're following an idol. What to do with science is probably for another rant, but the basic point is that we've got to understand science in terms of Christianity instead of making the Christianity an output of Science.

"Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord." "Do not trust in chariots. Trust in the name of the Lord our God." We always try to fight using the world's weapons -- chariots, power, Science, whatever -- but that is not the way to fight. God, in Christ by the Spirit with the Word through the Church, does the fighting.

Let's move on to Number Two. America has always understood itself as God's Kingdom on Earth, so of course Christians today will use Intelligent Design as a way to "win back 'our' schools." (And thereby "our" holy nation. Isn't the Church a holy nation?) What this means is that not only do we worship the great pagan god Science, we also worship the great pagan god America. Because we believe the American metanarrative, we think that we somehow have to "win back" these schools, as if America is God's Kingdom. But the simple fact is that they are Americans' schools, so if we want to "win them back" then it must be as Americans, not as Christians. But who are these non-Americans who have overtaken the schools? Nobody. It's just non-Christians. And of course we think that non-Christians must not be American, because America is God's Kingdom, right?

Wrong. Can America be conquered by God's Kingdom? Sure, I imagine that that is possible. But why are so we busy trying to take control of America by America's means when we should be taking part in God's redemption of the world in the Church by God's means?

ID doesn't exactly make us look good to the world, of course. And before you get on some high horse about "The world will never like us because they hate God," know that in this case they dislike us because we're being arrogant and tacky. Have we considered the fact that ID might be wrong, as so many scientific hypotheses turn out to be? The Intelligent Design movement pushes its hypothesis with the candor of someone who knows that he is right, but what support is there for it? It's only loosely based on the Bible, and it certainly doesn't get to the heart of true Christian convictions; let's not be willing to die on this hill just because it uses the word 'creator'. And if you think that a ragtag band of scientists are going to be able to stand against 150 years of research along with the institutional power of every leading science department in the world then you're a bit naive. There are a whole bunch of ways to fit the "data" together, and all sorts of effort has been put into developing science in one direction -- it is incredibly naive to think that the ID folks will have the time or ability to respond to all of this.

When you commit the Church to being identified with a scientific theory, it had better be right. (Say, for instance, "The world exists." Of course, that's also basic theology.) The problem is that in this case the IDers have no such hope.

What is the result? First of all, the Church looks very stupid. We're trying to play the world's game and we're just doing a worse job at it. If you want to be openly mocked, for good reason, have the arrogance to push the ID movement. If you really think that ID works, develop it quietly among research scientists for a century and then tell somebody in the public about it. Second, and more importantly, Christians are revealed for the arrogant bigots that we are. We don't like the fact that somebody else is "winning" the American ratrace, so we've got to fight back. And if the misled souls who still worship Science can do anything, they can smell a flimsy power play like this one. They know we're just trying to enlist the American government to aid us in our quest for power over our enemies. This may make people within the Church feel good about themselves, but it certainly won't tell the world that we are a people of the peace of Christ who are out for the good of the world.

What this tells the world is that we define ourselves against "the other," and "the other" is them. We don't define ourselves by the Christ who is our Head. We don't define ourselves as the ones called out to serve the world. We define ourselves as the ones who are battling "The Democrats" or "The Evolutionists" or whatever. But our battle is with the principalities and powers, not merely the Democrats or Evolutionists. Battles with the Democrats or Evolutionists are for people trying to participate in the American story, not a Christian one.

So, mock away, atheists, and feel free to express your fear of Christians. We're crazy.

[jengoesup]

Hey, Democrats are Christian too

Nice blog...I shall be subscribing.

[Chrysostom]

Originally Posted by jengoesup

Hey, Democrats are Christian too

I was more trying to describe the outlook of the supporters of Intelligent Design. Do you know any (Christian) Democrats who love ID?

Originally Posted by jengoesup

Nice blog...I shall be subscribing.

Good to see you in here. I hope that halo serves you well, Jen Aquinas.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by John Roberson

Rant #1: Intelligent Design

What's the deal with Intelligent Design? I mean, Christians are finally starting to jump off of the Discovery Institute/Answers-In-Genesis bandwagon, but we replace it with Intelligent Design? This would be like finally drinking something other than Schlitz but switching to Amstel Light. (Actually, that may be too harsh on Schlitz. At least it can be used for good.)
So, mock away, atheists, and feel free to express your fear of Christians. We're crazy.

you should write editorials for some Christian magazine. looking forward to reading more. and you should call your blog "must be nothing"

[Chrysostom]

Originally Posted by Bryan

you should write editorials for some Christian magazine.

That would be a sweet way to pay the bills.

Originally Posted by Bryan

and you should call your blog "must be nothing"

Ha! I like it!

Maybe this should be my first request to the community... Let's do some name suggestions!

[Dr. Worm]

Your ideas intrigue me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

[tropicana]

That would be a sweet way to pay the bills.

I'd buy it just for the articles.

[Chrysostom]

Originally Posted by Dr. Worm

Your ideas intrigue me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Circulation ain't cheap. $45/year, Paypal accepted.

Originally Posted by tropicana

I'd buy it just for the articles.

You obviously haven't been introduced to my what I originally put here really had to be struck out modeling portfolio.

[JayCarrFan]

This might become one of my favorite threads very soon. I'm just glad I'm not trying to read that massive block of text after an 8 hr shift.

So, mock away, atheists, and feel free to express your fear of Christians. We're crazy.

very nice

[Ted Logan]

Another reason ID is stupid for Christians to support: No Christian actually believes it that I know of. Every Christian I know believes that the universe was created by Yahweh, that He did it all through His perfect Will, and that the cosmos was subsequently subjected to fallenness by human sin. Christians don't believe that the evidence points to some intelligent designer; they believe the evidence vindicates the designer that the Bible tells us about. ID is agnostic, and therefore non-Christian.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Aaron Adams

Another reason ID is stupid for Christians to support: No Christian actually believes it that I know of. Every Christian I know believes that the universe was created by Yahweh, that He did it all through His perfect Will, and that the cosmos was subsequently subjected to fallenness by human sin. Christians don't believe that the evidence points to some intelligent designer; they believe the evidence vindicates the designer that the Bible tells us about. ID is agnostic, and therefore non-Christian.

i don't know, ID is just the basic belief that the universe was created, not an accident. there can be many forms of ID and Christianity is one of them.

[Chrysostom]

Originally Posted by Aaron Adams

Another reason ID is stupid for Christians to support: No Christian actually believes it that I know of. Every Christian I know believes that the universe was created by Yahweh, that He did it all through His perfect Will, and that the cosmos was subsequently subjected to fallenness by human sin. Christians don't believe that the evidence points to some intelligent designer; they believe the evidence vindicates the designer that the Bible tells us about. ID is agnostic, and therefore non-Christian.

Yeah, that's why I had to make the qualification of "(Christian) Democrat who believes in ID" to jengoesup. It seems to me that all the "best" ID scholarship is stolen from Deists. The basic point seems to be "I believe in ID as opposed to evolution," so I guess it's supposed to be Christian insofar as it is an alternative to evolution.

[Vershal]

Once, when I raised the objection that ID is diestic, the response I was given was, "But it's diesm that points to the Christian God."

I nearly choked on my drink.

[bread man]

Subscribed.

[Chrysostom]

Originally Posted by Vershal

Once, when I raised the objection that ID is diestic, the response I was given was, "But it's diesm that points to the Christian God."

I nearly choked on my drink.

I guess (/vainly wish) the person didn't know what deism is..?