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Random thoughts penned on March 17, 2017
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I was in high school when I decided I wanted to be "the next Rushdoony."
A few years later, Rushdoony fired me.
David Chilton left me.
Greg Bahnsen excommunicated me.
As I have contemplated a career in writing/publishing/speaking/Rushdoonyizing, I have long considered Reconstructionists to be my "target market" or "ideal client." As I compose a new webpage, I always craft my arguments by imagining what the leaders of the Reconstructionist movement would say. But Reconstructionist gatekeepers keep blocking my access to the market.
And now, a couple of days ago, I concluded that I have been kicked out of a "Christian Reconstructionist" Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TLHCR
I don't think there's a single person who would tell you that it's because I've been rude or hostile.
It's simply because my program ends up diverging significantly from their program.
And now I think I've concluded that I have to stop thinking of myself as a "Christian Reconstructionist." I need to stop writing to imaginary Reconstructionists. I need to "re-brand" myself.
If there are 100 points of orthodox doctrine, we agree on
98.
And we split over the 2.
Some folks would say that's silly.
I can respect the choice to split, but it's not usually that respectable.
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Here's how I might defend splitting over a point of doctrine.
If you have two trains leaving the station together in basically "the same direction," but one track points 2 degrees north of the other, after many miles those trains will not be headed in "the same direction," and will not end up at the same destination.
This underscores the importance (in my mind) of disclosing to my passengers that my train might see the same sights as the other train for the first few miles (Westminster Confession, Reconstructionists), but we're really not going in the same direction, and we're not going to end up at the same destination.
Honesty compels me to tell my passengers this vital information.
Obviously, this is going to limit the number of passengers I'm going to get, as compared to a more vague marketing strategy which hopes that once the passengers realize they are not on the train they thought they were on, they might like my train better anyway, and stick with me.
I don't want to deal with passengers that are outraged that they have been "misled," and they are on a "cult" train or an "apostate" train. (Though I guess "dealing with" is not really a big deal. Just refund their money. If any.)
I can tell prospects that I believe that "Jesus is the Christ" and they might think my program is just right for them. But I know that they would be shocked if I told them I believe Jesus is the Christ TODAY -- not waiting to come a second time before reigning as the Christ; and that Jesus is THE ONLY legitimate Christ, King, Prince, Potentate, Judge, and Lawgiver (Isaiah 33:22).
http://JesusistheChrist.today
http://KevinCraig.us/isaiah33.htm
These
two claims:
• That Jesus *IS* the Christ, now
and
• That Jesus is *THE* Christ, alone
constitute the heresy of "anarcho-preterism"
http://Anarcho-Preterism.com
I've thought about this before, but this event has really hammered it home for me. I need to move on, saying goodbye to the comfortable surroundings of theological groups I've long been a part of.
I've been a part of this movement since I was in high school. Time to grow up.
There are 7 billion people on this planet who have never even heard of the groups that have kicked me out. I want to reach as many of these billions as possible, even if my old associates denounce me as an "apostate" trying to create a new "cult."
"Sticks and stones," etc.
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My target audience is therefore people who are willing to have their ideas challenged by an
intelligent and courteous presentation of the Biblical worldview.
Years ago I secured the
domain
http://www.IronSharpensIron.info
I
don't like the ".info" TLD.
I can get something better.
But I like that
approach.
I think I've embodied that approach in other domains, like
http://GeorgeWashingtonCoaching.com
What
do you think?
Thanks.
P.S. There most certainly are "ideal clients" in that
FB group. But the "Group" is a kind of "institution," like a "church."
Heads of institutions get very protective, like shepherds.
I have to bypass institutional shepherds.
I think my best marketing strategy is word-of-mouth, incentivized by an affiliate program which pays enthusiastic recruiters.
I suspect the main complaint of the Facebook group was a post I made about "full preterism."
Full Preterism, The Bible, and Church Authority
Just asking questions about preterism is forbidden in some circles. I get accused of denying "the resurrection," and I'm told the Kingdom over which Christ now rules cannot continue forever. Even though the Bible says it will, and nowhere says God is someday -- in our future -- going to destroy His good creation and end human history.
So in addition to thinking about excommunication and personal branding, I've also thought about eschatology during the last 48 hours.
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To the thief, Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in paradise."
But the Creed says Jesus "descended into hell" and then rose on the third day.
The word "paradise" is interesting. Is it what the creed means by "hell?"
That would be an interesting transformation of word-meaning.
I'm trying to track down the source for #4. All I have is "Cod. apocr. Nov. Test., on Evang. Nicod. c. xxv., p. 748ff;"
Despite all my criticisms of "the church fathers" on some issues, on other issues they may have some remarkable insights.
I've often thought that "heaven" (or the abode of the after-life) might be here on earth, but in a different "dimension." Have you ever heard of A.E. Wilder-Smith? Creationist with 2 or 3 doctoral degrees in hard sciences. Wrote about dimensions. I just heard a lecture by him where he notes that "black holes" in theory tend toward infinite weight and zero dimension. Then I remembered that the word for "glory" means "heavy" or "weighty." Anyway, a digression from "where is paradise."
2
Corinthians 12:4
How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard
unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for
a man to utter.
Revelation
2:7
He that hath an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh
will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is
in the midst of the paradise of God.
"Is" -- present tense.
Nehemiah
2:8
And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that
he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of
the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of
the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And
the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon
me.
Ecclesiastes
2:5
I made me gardens and orchards, and
I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
Song
of Solomon 4:13
Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits;
camphire, with spikenard,
According to "HowStuffWorks," we "smell" things when physical molecules of the thing being smelled ("bread in the bakery, onions, perfume, a piece of fruit or whatever") reach physical neural receptors in our physical nose which transmits electrical impulses to our physical brain.
Why would God put a disembodied spirit in a "paradise?"
"If your DNA is missing a gene or if the gene is damaged, it can cause you to be unable to detect a certain smell. For example, some people have no sense for the smell of camphor."
Disembodied spirits have no DNA, no genes, no patch of special neurons at the top of your nasal passages behind your nose.
Since there is no passage in the NT postponing the event to a distant future (some Reconstructionists say hundreds of thousands or even millions of years), resurrection must take place at death.
Also, the "singularity" has no time.
Is that the same thing
as "eternal?"
I still haven't finished listening to the lecture:
http://ia600701.us.archive.org/15/items/SERMONINDEX_SID0544/SID0544.mp3
I'm not saying "heaven" or the after-life is "in" a black hole, somewhere (which haven't even been proven to exist), but merely that the theory about them should cause us to re-think things, like eschatology (study of "last" things - a time-bound construct).
But that will get you kicked out of some Facebook groups.
There are many Godly and brainy people who no longer call themselves "Christian Reconstructionists": James Jordan, George Grant; and maybe some who never did: Joseph Foreman.
It's OK to re-brand myself. At least in my own mind, stop worrying about being approved by Reconstructionist names. Or any earthly names.
2
Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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A couple of nights ago on my new job at the local hospital, I saw a "code blue" in person for the first time. She didn't make it.
When Jesus was resurrected, he left His grave clothes unchanged. Apparently the body just "disappeared" or maybe "tessaracted" or something. Someone who was merely resuscitated, stood up, and walked around, would have continued wearing the cloth strips he was wrapped in.
But when this woman died, she did not leave her hospital gown in the same place it was before she died.
So I don't know how she was resurrected, or if she had the faith of the thief on the cross.
(I guess my mother was a "code blue" for a short time. She died in my arms.)
This has been a thought-provoking week.
A.E. Wilder-Smith, in the lecture above, speaks of a "footprint" in a two-dimensional "Flatland." Is a corpse a three-dimensional "footprint" from the 4th dimension? Is the human body in every slice of time such a "footprint?"
I haven't even begun to know what I'm talking about. I'm going to stop worrying about the opinions of those who think they do.
