Sunday, April 26, 2020
Saturday, April 25, 2020
We Need a Debate Between Dr Ken Wilson and Dr James White
In the past several weeks I have been watching an online back-and-forth between James White and Leighton flowers over Calvinism. Nothing new. The current debate centers on where John Calvin and Martin Luther got their ideas during the Protestant Reformation. Leighton Flowers and many folks who reject the ideas of Calvinism try to argue that the idea that salvation is outside of people's free-will choice was introduced to Christianity by Augustine and no early Christian church fathers believed in the total ability of man or God's meticulous control of reality, decreeing all that happens, before Augustine taught it. They even take it far enough to that Augustine was influenced by Gnosticism.
Of course James White disagrees and has been interacting with an interview of Ken Wilson by Leighton Flowers on his podcast and a book Ken Wilson has written on how he believes that Augustine was influenced by 4th century Gnosticism. James White is spending several hours on this because he is also explaining what Gnosticism was and reading quotes from the Church Fathers.
I think both sides are talking past each other and not really interacting. Both White and Wilson have said that they want to debate each other. I sure hope this will happen. I think they need to agree on definitions including on what James White and Ken Wilson believe about what Calvinism and what Provisionism are and what they believe before they really get down to the fundamental questions that their disagreement raises: "Was Augustine the first to introduce the ideas, regarding Human free-will, that gave rise to Calvinism?"
Here are two videos that really sum up Ken Wilson's arguments.
James White has not finished his arguments but he has presented evidence that some Church Fathers did affirm God's sovereign control over everything. Here is an example from White's webcast.
I don't think James White has answered Wilson's thesis yet, but I do appreciate White going through all this history and thought I have not been exposed. I sure hope he will answer the video where Flowers and Wilson speak to White's critiques directly.
Here are some questions that I want answered in the debate between White and Wilson:
What is "predestination"?
What is "free libertarian will? Is it autonomous?
Was the a single early Christian author agree with libertarian free-will?
Is there anything "good" in me or you apart from God?"
How do we know what "good" is?
Does God control human will?
Has God ever controlled human will or just responded to it?
Is there a difference between the New Testament and the Church Fathers use terms like "Boulimai" and "Thelo"?
Here are some questions that I want answered in the debate between White and Wilson:
What is "predestination"?
What is "free libertarian will? Is it autonomous?
Was the a single early Christian author agree with libertarian free-will?
Is there anything "good" in me or you apart from God?"
How do we know what "good" is?
Does God control human will?
Has God ever controlled human will or just responded to it?
Is there a difference between the New Testament and the Church Fathers use terms like "Boulimai" and "Thelo"?
Friday, April 24, 2020
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Monday, April 20, 2020
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Friday, April 17, 2020
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Monday, April 13, 2020
James White vs Steve Tassi Calvinism Debate
Pastor Steve Tassi made the following video about James White on Romans 9:
James White reviewed the above video prior to a Debate with Steve Tassi.
James White vs Steve Tassi Calvinism Debate
James White further commented on the debate here:
James White reviewed the above video prior to a Debate with Steve Tassi.
James White vs Steve Tassi Calvinism Debate
James White further commented on the debate here:
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Mikki Kendall - Lifting Up All Women with “Hood Feminism” | The Daily Show
She makes so much sense. I wish leaders in our society would listen to her insights!
Cornavirus Maps and Visualizaitions
Links to up-to-date COVID-19 information!
Google - https://google.org/crisisresponse/covid19-map
John Hopkins - https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
Global Health - https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/coronavirus-tracker/
ESRI Story Map - https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4fdc0d03d3a34aa485de1fb0d2650ee0
Worldometer dashboard - https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
World Health Organization - https://who.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/c88e37cfc43b4ed3baf977d77e4a0667
CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/world-map.html
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Oneness Vs Trinity Debates with Robert A Sabin (1932-2014)
Is the God of the Bible triune in person or unitary? The debate has raged for millennia. Interestingly enough time has passed that we can compare and contrast this debate over decades of video recorded debates. We can even watch how the arguments change over the life time of one man: Dr Robert A Sabin. He was a member of the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) which is a oneness pentencostal denomination. He argued in two debates against the Trinity, and although I disagree with him I have to admit that he was consistent. In 1985 he debated along side Dr Nathanial Urshan against Dr Walter Martin and Dr E. Calvin Beisner. In 1999, he debated Dr James White. Watch how the discussion changes and grows.
1985
1999
1999
Friday, April 10, 2020
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Augustine of Hippo (modern day Algeria, Africa)
Here is a great discussion/interview with Dr Kenneth Samples by Vocab Malone about Saint Augustine of Hippo. I really enjoyed this! I only wish they had discussed Augustine's race, There is much debate as to whether or not he was a black-skinned African. They did not really go there hard. Vocab tried to soft-ball it by asking if he was a berber. If he was, then he would have looked nothing like a lot of the white-washed paintings of him.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Monday, February 3, 2020
Is The National Anthem Racist?
Get a load of this one. I don't buy the argument at all. The National Anthem is part of America's shameful and racist past.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Does Christianity Justify Slavery?
Many of my favorite apologists and/or theologians who happen to be white do not deal with the questions such as this one: Does the Bible Justify Slavery? Given how it has influenced you and affected you dictates how you will answer this question. Being a descendant of slaves gives you an emotional reaction to this. Some white Christians, like Dr James White, admonish that emotions and feelings should not affect answering this question. He thinks that we should just ignore what happened and focus on preaching and teaching the gospel without any attention or reparations for what happened in the name of Christianity. I agree with him but there is a way to talk about it and preach the gospel without pretending that slavery, imperialism, and oppression do not have effects on some of their brothers and sisters in Christ today. This is to tell the truth. The Bible does not justify slavery but some people who claimed to be Christians did. This will allow one to really look at what the Bible says. People like Dr White do not have to deal with the issue and therefore is not able to really discuss the issue from an African-American point of view. This is why I think he should stay in his lane because God has raised up other people who can do deal with the issue of slavery and oppression from a Biblical viewpoint without watering down history, truth, or the Bible.
See the following video of an example of how this can be done well. She uses history to show how being a Christian is really an act of defiance to White Supremacy not a capitulation to it.
Now look at how Dr James White answers the question about if Slavery is always wrong. He argues that Slavery was necessary in ancient times. I don't disagree but you cannot conflate slavery in ancient times with the American Slavery Institutions. One of these things is not like the other.
See the following video of an example of how this can be done well. She uses history to show how being a Christian is really an act of defiance to White Supremacy not a capitulation to it.
Now look at how Dr James White answers the question about if Slavery is always wrong. He argues that Slavery was necessary in ancient times. I don't disagree but you cannot conflate slavery in ancient times with the American Slavery Institutions. One of these things is not like the other.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Is Racism in Britain to Blame for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Depar...
To Answer the question: Yes. Piers Morgan is wrong and obviously not self-reflective enough to see that he is racist.
Remember Morgan said that the man who posted the following image in British media when Harry and Meghan brought their son Archie home did not know that Meghan is a black woman and did not mean to imply to equate black people with apes.
Right. Maybe he actually also believes President Trump that Soleimani was an imminent threat to the United States and not just a inevitable or past threat.
Remember Morgan said that the man who posted the following image in British media when Harry and Meghan brought their son Archie home did not know that Meghan is a black woman and did not mean to imply to equate black people with apes.
Right. Maybe he actually also believes President Trump that Soleimani was an imminent threat to the United States and not just a inevitable or past threat.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Monday, December 30, 2019
Which Soteriological view is more "Humanistic?"
Leighton Flowers has lost it.
He plays an RC Sproul quote where he describes anti-Calvinistic soteriology as humanistic. Yet he completely mischaracterizes what Calvinists mean. Sproul was admonishing that we should not put our will first. As Jesus said, "Not my will, but your be done." They are not arguing as Flowers said they are arguing. Sproul, and other Calvinists, are referring to what where we start. As Flowers, do we start with humanities free will or do we start with God's will and His Sovereignty. Flowers attempts to make it sound like that this is a question of God's character. The Bible does not say that that God seeks the glory of others. God will not share his glory with another.
He plays an RC Sproul quote where he describes anti-Calvinistic soteriology as humanistic. Yet he completely mischaracterizes what Calvinists mean. Sproul was admonishing that we should not put our will first. As Jesus said, "Not my will, but your be done." They are not arguing as Flowers said they are arguing. Sproul, and other Calvinists, are referring to what where we start. As Flowers, do we start with humanities free will or do we start with God's will and His Sovereignty. Flowers attempts to make it sound like that this is a question of God's character. The Bible does not say that that God seeks the glory of others. God will not share his glory with another.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)