James H Boyd: Keeping It Real On My Life Journey

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Calvinism or Arminianism?</b></A><p> The debate between <A HREF=" http://gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/arminian.stm "target="_blank"><b>Arminianism</a></b> <A HREF=""target="_blank"><b></a></b> and <A HREF=" http://www.spurgeon.org/calvinis.htm "target="_blank"><b>Calvinism</a></b> , which concerns God's soverienty and man's free will, is one of the most devisive in the church today. Rather than being an honest, respectful dialogue among brethren, this debate has led to an unhealthy compartmentalization within the Body of Christ. Sadly, this has resulted in much vital truth being buried and neglected. <p> The Calvinist understanding of predestination stems from their emphasis on God's sovereignty, and the fact that He alone is the basis for our salvation. A key text in Calvinist doctrine is "Salvation is of the Lord...

Is reincarnation biblical? No, reincarnation cannot be reconciled with the Bible or the Christian faith in any way. Rather, it is a concept which comes from ancient Hindu texts such as the Upishads. At its core is the law of  karma , which teaches that we are rewarded or punished in future lives for the good or bad deeds we do in this life. Eventually the soul becomes "purified" and enters a vague state of bliss or Nirvana, which is often interpreted to mean that it simply ceases to exist. This is in stark contrast to the Bible's teaching. Our human identity begins when God forms us in our mothers' wombs (Isaiah 44:2; 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5). Once this life is over, then "it is appointed for men  once  to die, but  after this  the judgement" (Hebrews 9:27). Biblical Christianity centers on the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins (Hebrews 10:10-14, Romans 6:10, 1 Peter 3:18, Hebrews 7:27, 9:12, 9:26-28). Reincarnation offers a false hope ...

It is true that the Bible tells us to dress modestly and that our true beauty comes from within, not from outward ornamentation (1 Timothy 2:9). But these verses are not saying that nice clothes, jewelry etc. are sinful in themselves. Keep in mind that Jesus wore a seamless robe, which was a very costly garment (John 19: 23-24). When Joseph went to meet with the Pharoah, he recognized that the proper ettiquette involved dressing in a respectful manner (Genesis 41:14). Furthermore, Proverbs 31:22 describes the godly, virtuous woman as wearing clothing of silk and purple. Those who claim that women should not wear pants base their concerns on Deuteronomy 22:5: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God" The principle certainly applies in that a man should look like a man and a woman should look like a woman, but keep in mind that in Bible days me...

On occasions where my writing veers into the political arena, it is easy for some to assume that I am a Republican. The truth , however, is that I have not actively identified with any political party in well over twenty years. That decision was very deliberate and I have never, ever regretted it. At various times in my life , I have been both a "bleeding heart liberal" and a loyal "Christian right" foot soldier. But as odd as it may sound, my core beliefs really weren't that different in either phase. Even in my most liberal phase, I still knew that abortion was wrong. At my most conservative, I was still uneasy about the callous attitude many right wing politicians took towards the poor. So after a long period of inner turmoil, I finally decided that  I would look at individual issues on their own merits and do what I believed was right regardless. While it is true that my views remain right of center on most issues,  I want to see an end to war, poverty...

Regardless of what one believes about the presidency of George W. Bush, he does deserve credit for introducing a new concept into the American political conscience, one which politicians today would do well to revisit. That concept is known as  "Compassionate Conservativism."   In the president's own words: "I call my philosophy and approach 'Compassionate Conservativism.' It is compassionate to actively help our fellow citizens in need. It is conservative to insist on responsibility and results. And with this hopeful approach, we will make a real difference in people's lives." While the origin of the term "Compassionate Conservatism"  is debated,  World  Magazine editor Marvin Olasky is widely credited for popularizing its usage. In his book  Compassionate Conservatism: What It Is, What It Does, and How It Can Transform America,    Olasky gives an alphabetized list of seven characteristics of Compassionate Conservativism: 1. Assertiv...

NOTE: This post was originally a paper I wrote for a political science class back in 2003. Nonetheless, the issues it addresses are as relevant as ever.  In June of 2002, the push for educational reform by means of private school vouchers scored a major victory as the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a 5-4 ruling which upheld vouchers as Constitutional. In the majority opinion, Cheif Justice William Rehnquist affirmed that: We believe the program challenged here is a program of true private choice...It is part of a general and multifaceted undertaking by the State of Ohio to provide educational opportunities to the children of a failed school district. (1) This failure of much of the current public school system is a key, although by no means the only, premise in this very complex issue. As a society which places a high value on freedom, it is understandable that parents would desire maximum freedom in the education of their children. Such freedoms would include parents of all r...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQIYTwninJvCGEJ6qGu_DNw https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChDWwizphmb8i4RmUuGSJqg https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-FM5usfs46FKUMT6N_76Q

Not long ago, I was entering the drive through window of a fast food place, when I saw a bumper sticker which summarized my political philosophy quite well: "Politicians are like diapers. Both need to be changed regularly!" In our own local government, the issue of term limits has been hotly debated in recent months, but the underlying principles are as old as our nation itself. Over and over, human nature has proven to me that every elected official, from the President down to the local school board, should be subject to term limits, period. Thomas Jefferson observed that "if some termination to the services of the chief Magistrate be not fixed by the Constitution, or supplied by practice, his office, nominally four years, will in fact become for life," Unlike the dictators, kings and emperors of other nations, our officials are selected to serve the people, not vise-versa. While most people may enter public service with noble motives, the opiate of political inf...

The sudden passing of the Rev. Jerry Falwell in May of 2007 left little room for equivocation regarding the Moral Majority founder‘s place in history. To his supporters, Falwell was a fearless visionary who helped a wayward nation chart its moral course. To his critics, he was a loose cannon who often used sensationalist and mercenary tactics to score political favor. Ultimately, there is a degree of truth in both characterizations. Those who knew Falwell personally, both friends and enemies, describe him as a thoughtful, generous man with a disarming sense of humor. Even  pornographer Larry Flynt, who crossed swords with Falwell many times, said that “My mother always told me that no matter how much you dislike a person, when you meet them face to face you will find characteristics about them that you like. Jerry Falwell was a perfect example of that. I hated everything he stood for, but after meeting him in person, (he) and I became good friends.” Falwell...

A problem with our modern political discourse is the tendency to rely on bumper-sticker logic as a substitute for substantive reason. Nowhere is this more evident than in the eternal war over the ethics of abortion. The clichés are all too common: “Don’t force your morality on me,” “Keep your rosaries off of my ovaries” or more recently, “Keep your religion out of my uterus, and I’ll keep my foot out of your ...” In order to make any real progress on this debate, we must do away with a few of the popular stereotypes, most specifically that the pro life cause is inherently a religious and/or a conservative political issue. Although many pro life advocates, myself included, do fall into these two categories, many of us also feel the debate has become far too myopic and politicized. The anti-abortion movement itself is much larger and more diverse than that. Consider this short list of “non-traditional” pro lifers: Theodore...

"His blood be on us, and on our children.” These chilling words are well known from the account of Jesus’ trial recorded in Matthew 27:25. Throughout history, they have been used (completely out of context) to justify horrendous persecution of Jews all around the world. In spite of the fact that an angry mob can hardly claim the authority to call down a curse upon an entire race of people, this gross distortion of the Scriptures has resulted in unspeakable atrocities which have cast a black shadow over the history of Christianity. To say that “THE Jews killed Jesus” is comparable to saying that “THE Caucasians killed Martin Luther King, Jr.” While it is true that Jesus’ crucifixion was the result of His conflict with the Jewish leadership of the day, the fact remains that Gentiles were just as much involved in Jesus’ death as were Jews. Keep in mind that the actual death sentence was passed down by a cowardly Roman governor, and carried out at the hands of Roman soldiers. ...

"While the other side is out bombing clinics, we'll be electing candidates!" This quote, from the late California senator Alan Cranston, reflects a very destructive trend in the abortion wars. All too frequently, the attempt is made to generalize the entire pro life movement as being a group of far-right fanatics bent on using violence and coercion to enforce their agenda. Of course, such fallacious logic ignores two important facts: 1. These tactics are thoroughly denounced by 99.9% of the pro life community, and 2. Violence and extremism occur on the pro choice side as well. </ul> Between 1994 and 1998, when abortion related violence was at its peak, there were seven reported murders performed by self styled anti-abortion militants (I will not call these criminals "pro life"). While this is certainly seven too many, there have been far fewer abortion providers killed on the job than in many other professions. It is also noteworthy that when pro life...

Adolf Hitler once remarked that "Once the enemy has been identified, all proof becomes automatic." When society looks for scapegoats, religious groups have always been an easy target. In today’s world, one of the more common pariahs has been the so-called "Christian Right." However, as we will see, this term is often more caricature than reality. Of course, the movement does have its visible spokespersons (Falwell, Robertson, Dobson, Bauer, etc), but when it comes to individual, everyday citizens, the question becomes a bit more complex: Exactly what makes one a part of the "Christian Right?"<p> Since the majority of Americans profess to be Christian, few would ridicule a person following that faith in their personal lives. On the other hand, many would argue that "It’s OK to be a Christian, just stay out of politics." Of course, if we followed this logic, we would have to repeal both the anti-slavery movement and the civil rights movement...

So, what is an Evangelical Christian to make of the President? Here is my current perspective, subject to change . I didn't vote for Trump because of concerns about his moral character and his latecomer status to the conservative cause. I still have concerns about the former, but have been pleasantly surprised at the latter. For the most part he has been very consistent in supporting issues of concern to Christians. Even the great Goliath of Roe v Wade may finally be in the crosshairs. Is he a "baby Christian" himself as some have suggested? I don't know, but at the very least he knows who "brought him to the dance." But on the downside, critics on the left are quick to point out the hypocrisy of crying "character counts" during the Clinton scandals then giving someone like Trump a pass. They do have a point. The GOP may have forever forfeited its voice for  values and morality. Whatever good Trump may do, I hope it doesn't prove to be a F...

A number of years ago I was talking with an old friend who had not been to church in a while. One of the reasons he gave was that he did not feel that churches were doing enough to help people in need. While I ceded that there was always room for improvement , I also told him about a number of outreaches my church at the time was involved in. He responded, rather curtly  "Do you train them for jobs?" When I acknowledged that we didn't do that, the conversation completely shut down. He wouldn't listen to anything else I had to say. Certainly,  this does serve as a sobering  reminder to believers not to neglect our duty in these areas. Caring for those in need is the single most frequently repeated command in the entire Bible. As we attempt to live this out, albeit imperfectly, there are some who are quick to criticize the church for it's shortcomings. Often the criticism is valid, other times it  is based on faulty and even unbiblical reasoning.   This is em...