The first point the author makes is that our view of the world is skewed because we are fallen. But he takes it one step farther saying that because we are fallen we can not truly know anything. He says, “our knowledge of any absolute is not only partial, it is distorted.” He uses the example of a football game and how everyone had a slightly different experience.

The second point he makes is that there is risk in everything we do as people. He says “Whenever a decision is required there is risk.” Certainty is basses on the fact that there is no risk and since all our relationships have risk why should our relation ship with God be any different?

Not only do I disagree, but he is dead out wrong.

I’m not going to disagree with the fact that every one at a football game has a different experience; however that mater of a game is trivial. Yes people have different experiences in faith but they should be tested against what the bible says to know if they are of God or of satin. Neil Anderson wrote in his book The Bondage Breaker about a man who said that God told him where to go to church each Sunday. This was his view of God. As it turned out he has been going to a Mormon church under the direction of a demon that Neil, after hearing the story, confronted.

A lot of time is spent taking about how we, as humans take risk. Yes, believers have always been risk takers but the threat came from humans. The risk in relationships is there because we are fallen. We hurt each other because we want to or because our flesh gets the better of us. BUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS NOT AN EARTHLY ONE. To say that, just between us and God, there is risk is saying God does not love us the way the Bible says. What good shepherd harms his sheep? These sounds more like a Greek God then the Biblical one to me. God reigns supreme and he knew when he made us that we would disappoint him. This is not a risk. Risk implies the unseen and unknown. To say that sending Christ here to earth is a risk is saying that God does not know any thing of the future.

He is saying that he can not be truly certain of any thing so why is he writing?

Ignorance is bliss. This statement was challenged to day in class. The question was would we be better off no knowing about the worlds starving children. After being bounced around for a bit the class agreed that it is better to know about it so we can do something. But do what? One of my classmates said that she gives money to charities to help theses children. Thats good but to me it seems a bit like a quick fix. To simply through money at a problem allows us not to feel guilty. Giving money does not take us off the hook. As Christians we should give as much as we can afford and preferably more, but our time is also wanted. Time is the most precious thing in this world. We don't get to go back. To go and help is truly helping. Giving money is important because supples need to be boughten, but we should never look over what we do.

I thought that the discussion to day was interesting. I had never thought of talking about religion as worthless. I believe that it is unavoidable. All cultures have had some sort of religion whether it be one god or many. The idea of not taking about it is somewhat foolish. The majority of the world religion is a major factor. The majority of the world’s population believes in some sort of truth. I would say that all people have a type of faith involving the supernatural; either their belief in it or that it does not exist (faith is necessary to be and atheist). A person’s faith in that and what truths they derive from that is, what I would call, religion. These religions are, consciously or subconsciously, acted upon. It is part of the human condition we must talk about it.

My religion goes beyond simply a set of truth or belief. I am a citizen of a different world, a soldier in God’s army. I am a hardcore Christian. the basic truth I believe is well put in the apostle creed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.