25 of My Core Beliefs

This is a take on the “25 Random Things About Me” and is inspired by The Internet Monk. It is entitled “25 of My Core Beliefs.” Not so much habits, preferences or likes/dislikes, this list contains those things that define who you are at your core.

For Facebook Users
Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 of your core beliefs. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “Notes” under tabs on your profile page; paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 core beliefs, tag 25 people - in the right hand corner of the app. - then click publish.)

I believe that:

1. Christians are the greatest apologetic for and the strongest argument against Christianity.

2. If I fail as a husband and father then I have essentially failed at life.

3. The religious right and the liberal left strike me with an equal amount of fear.

4. Abortion and the killing of innocent civilians in war are ultimately two sides of the same coin.

5. The Bible is the Word of God and contains the answers to anything we face in life.

6. All problems in the world lead back to the fact that the human heart is sinful.

7. America’s foundation was built on a combination of religious liberty, a desire for freedom and greed.

8. If individual Christians took on a greater personal responsibility to care for children that are not their own that the number of those in the criminal justice system would decrease.

9. Killing animals for sport -- and not food -- is cruel.

10. Sex is holy and should be reserved for a man and woman within the union of marriage.

11. Giving of our financial resources to others blesses both us and them.

12. The justice system in the United States is racially and socio-economically biased.

13. Following the American dream can often lead to a nightmare.

14. Competitive athletics can help teach children valuable life lessons.

15. Developing a love of reading can open new doors of opportunity.

16. God made women distinct from men, and vice versa, for a reason.

17. Prioritizing a strong relationship with God and family is more important than seeking riches or fame.

18. Some Christians spend way too much time answering questions that no one outside their inner circle is asking.

19. The Civil War was God’s judgment for slavery and Native Americans have gotten a raw deal ever since Europeans first graced their land.

20. Most military personnel, police officers, fire fighters, teachers, pastors and missionaries don’t get near the appreciation they deserve.

21. God can use sickness, suffering and the death of loved ones to draw us closer to Himself.

22. Nepotism is fundamentally no different than affirmative action.

23. A child’s relationship with their father has the power to affect them more than their friends, school, media or church.

24. God gave us music, the arts and nature so we could enjoy the reflection of His beauty.

25. Heaven and hell are both literal places and what we decide to do with Jesus will determine where we will spend eternity.

Barack Obama on Protecting Life

It has now been a couple of weeks since President Obama assumed the responsibilities of the most powerful position in the land. He has inherited an economy in a downward spiral, a war in a distant land and, in may respects, a divided nation. His task is enormous and he can use our prayers.

President Obama recently set up his White House office on faith-based initiatives. The office will work with nonprofits organizations in order to help them in making a difference in their local communities and be able to utilize government dollars in doing so.

While appearing at the National Prayer Breakfast this week, President Obama commented on this initiative. The Associated Press reports on his comments:

"Obama told the annual National Prayer Breakfast that the program would not show favoritism to any religious group and would adhere to a strict separation of church and state. Addressing the gathering of lawmakers, dignitaries and world leaders, Obama spoke of how faith has often been a divisive tool, responsible for war and prejudice. But, he said, "there is no religion whose central tenet is hate." "There is no god who condones taking the life of an innocent human being," he said, and all religions teach people to love and care for one another. That is the common ground underlying the faith-based office, he said."

Sadly, President Obama fails to extend his belief that "there is no god who condones taking the life an innocent human being" to the unborn. Although there has been much excitement over the election of the first African American president (and rightly so), there has not been equal attention given to how abortion affects the black community in disproportionate rates. According to The Dunamis Word blog, the following numbers are true within the African American community since the enacting of Roe v. Wade in 1973:

• 203,695 people have died of AIDS
• 1,638,350 people have died of CANCER
• 2,266,789 people have died of HEART DISEASE
• 13,000,000 babies have been aborted. This amounts to approximately 1,452 deaths per day.

As I've mentioned before, I believe that abortion is my generation's slavery. It is the depriving of life from innocent human beings. And when I read about stories like this, I am deeply grieved and disturbed. But in a society that continues to legally allow the taking of the life of a baby in a mother's womb, should we be surprised when that life is not valued shortly after taking its first breath? I do believe that the solution to abortion involves programs to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to care for those that choose to give their baby up for adoption. But our government cannot continue to allow for the murder of our most important resource -- our children.

The Internet Monk & Defining our Beliefs

I read a wide range of blogs on a daily basis that cover topics of interest to me. Some of these cover areas like culture, faith and politics with a broad spectrum of beliefs and opinions. I don't agree with everything I read. In fact, some of the blogs I read I do so specifically because it will challenge my thinking. I think introspection is healthy and that simply ingesting everything we're fed by others is unwise.

As a Christian, I attempt to have the Bible as the filter for the things I read. As I've grown in my faith, I've studied the Bible extensively and learned Church history. I've taken a number of seminary classes, been a member of churches from various denominations and interacted with Christians from other cultures. I've found that quite a bit of what we as American Christians hold as "God's truth" may simply be tradition passed down through the ages or interpretation based on certain cultural biases.

On of the bloggers whose writings I enjoy reading is Michael Spencer, aka "The Internet Monk." Michael teaches at a rural Christian school in Kentucky where a number of people from other countries attend. He interacts with non-Christians on a regular basis and seems to enjoy questioning the things that many of us in American evangelical Christianity take as gospel truth. He is one of the most widely read and respected Christian bloggers on the web. I don't agree with all he writes, but much of it I find myself nodding my head in agreement.

He recently wrote a post entitled, "Twenty-Five Sort of Random Things I Do and Don’t Believe." In it he outlines some of the things that he questions or accepts found within traditional evangelical circles. Most of it I heartily agree with; some of it I profoundly disagree. But one of the things I appreciate about The Internet Monk is his desire to get to the heart of Christian teaching and faith without getting caught up in the relatively minor issues that so often define evangelicals. I encourage to check out the aforementioned post and see what you think.