Re: In Defence of my beliefs.doc

From: Jan de Koning (jan@dekoning.ca)
Date: Fri May 10 2002 - 15:59:57 EDT

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    At 09:52 AM 10/05/02 -0600, JW Burgeson wrote:
    >Jan wrote: "However, I do think that it will be difficult, since some of
    >the particip[ants in the discussions do not realize, that part of their
    >life stays out of the other part of their life. That is a situation which
    >I do not understand, but I realize it will
    >take a lot of study for them to see it, and fo us (others) to show it."
    >
    >IOW, Jan, some of us do not have the spiritual insight that you do? Is
    >this not a frequently found fundamentalist viewpoint? Is it not a
    >particular type of hubris?

    Maybe it is. If it is forgive me. However, I might point out that I have
    consistently held that "all of life is religion", and that I am willing to
    talk about that, but every time I try to do that, I hardly get any
    responses. That may be for the same reason as you mention, but let me say
    that I strongly believe that everything on this earth is created by God,
    which means that everything falls under His rule. Also, in Gen.1 I read
    clearly, that everything on earth is condemned because of man. In the NT I
    read that everything will be renewed when Jesus comes back.
    These things are often said by me, and I have indicated that, for me, these
    things are basic. That does not mean that I accept everything which those
    who I call "fundamentalist" believe about a literalist reading of the
    Bible. So, thus you see again that a discussion here is often somewhat
    fruitless, unless we discuss the backgrounds of our beliefs. I am a
    Calvinist, yes, and I had at least a year's University course in what I
    call here Calvinist philosophy, and at least two courses in the History of
    Philosophy. I do confess that I forgot much of it, but not the
    basics. What I said is based on that as well, but, understandably, like so
    many things on this forum, misunderstandings abound.

    >To the extent you had me in mind when you wrote that, I deny it
    >categorically. All parts of my life are lived in the presence of my
    >Savior. I do not claim perfection in this, but I do claim that intention.

    Thank you, I am glad. So I must have talked about someone else. I do not
    remember who I had you in mind or not. I remeber that I may have said it
    in connection of talking about morality in teaching engineering courses. I
    deny again, that any Christian can talk about morals without taking God's
    laws into account, no matter what your background is. If that makes me a
    "fundamentalist" so be it. However, I am quite well willing to accept
    others who do not see it that way.
    The funny thing is that I have been called "liberal" as well. It goes to
    show that labelling someone does not serve any purpose.

    Jan



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