i'm going to Matamoros, Mexico from March 12 to the 18th for my spring break. I'm actually going with EvFree's Echo college ministry from Austin. I'm not really sure what to expect or actually what we'll be doing...just something about construction and day camps for children. But i'm a little excited, a little worried.
if you could remember me and my group going in your prayers: 1) they have me leading a small group. I have no idea who is going on this trip except for one good friend of mine...but other than that, i have no clue who's going. And it was funny that they chose me to be a leader since i don't go to the fellowship nor do i go the UT. Just pray that i'm able challenge my group and be what a leader is suppose to be. 2) there's been some pretty major disturbances around that area. I found this article from worldnews.com
"This year's worries have arisen because at least 27 U.S. citizens have vanished since August while visiting three Mexican border cities including Matamoros as a war between drug cartels for control of the cross-border trade in marijuana and cocaine has escalated."
"The bodies of three men who had been blindfolded and shot in the head were found Wednesday in a pickup truck abandoned along a highway near the U.S-Mexico border, police said."
if you could just pray for our safety while we're there, traveling in and out of mexico, and for the health of our team. 3) i'll be driving from Arlington to Austin around midnight that friday and driving back from Austin to Arlington the next Friday...and i tend to get sleepy on the road. Just pray that i'll make it back ok. And feel free to call me to keep me up. Thanks you guys.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
The problem with rocks
Some puzzles concerning God's omnipotence: Mavrodes
Have you heard some one ask the theological/philosophical question about the super heavy stone arguing against God being all powerful? It goes something like this: Can God create a stone too heavy for him to lift?
if you answer yes: then you can conclude that there is such a stone that God cannot lift. Therefore God is not omnipotent.
if you answer no: then you say that God can't create such a stone which means he's not onmipotent in the first place.
Mavrode's Solution: The 'power to sin' is not really a power at all. Even as God cannot sin because he is omnipotent, so he cannot make a stone because he is omnipotent. I believe in class it was illustrated like this: If this statment were true "i couldn't lose in a battle" this statment would be exalting my own power and attributing a lack of power of my enemies. Likewise, the "power to sin" or "power to create such a stone" is a weakness rather than a power.
Anthony Kenny: The 'power to sin' is a power, but it would be contradictory for God to have it (would contradict his holiness). Likewise, the 'power to create an unliftable stone' is a power, but it would be contradictory for God to have it (contradicts his immutability).
Richard Swinburne: 'Cannot sin' is said in reference to God's will, not in reference to God's power. God can sin (in reference to his power), but he would never choose to sin. Similarly, God can make a stone, but he would never choose to make the stone (and so deprive himself of omnipotence)
*philosophy of religion: swbts
Have you heard some one ask the theological/philosophical question about the super heavy stone arguing against God being all powerful? It goes something like this: Can God create a stone too heavy for him to lift?
if you answer yes: then you can conclude that there is such a stone that God cannot lift. Therefore God is not omnipotent.
if you answer no: then you say that God can't create such a stone which means he's not onmipotent in the first place.
Mavrode's Solution: The 'power to sin' is not really a power at all. Even as God cannot sin because he is omnipotent, so he cannot make a stone because he is omnipotent. I believe in class it was illustrated like this: If this statment were true "i couldn't lose in a battle" this statment would be exalting my own power and attributing a lack of power of my enemies. Likewise, the "power to sin" or "power to create such a stone" is a weakness rather than a power.
Anthony Kenny: The 'power to sin' is a power, but it would be contradictory for God to have it (would contradict his holiness). Likewise, the 'power to create an unliftable stone' is a power, but it would be contradictory for God to have it (contradicts his immutability).
Richard Swinburne: 'Cannot sin' is said in reference to God's will, not in reference to God's power. God can sin (in reference to his power), but he would never choose to sin. Similarly, God can make a stone, but he would never choose to make the stone (and so deprive himself of omnipotence)
*philosophy of religion: swbts
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Language: univocal, equivocal?
Every week at the seminary we're required to attend small groups as part of our spiritual formations class. And in my group it's me and 5 older guys. So we talk about life and our families and kids and whatever...but it got me thinkin'. How amazingly strange it is for me to sit down with people from all over the country, some even twice my age with kids and a family, and yet they share their personal problems with me? I mean...there is no where else in the world that this kind of thing would ever take place.
But something happened today that made me extremely sad. We have a guy in our small group from Korea and he's a first year student with a wife and a daughter. And i'll never forget what he said today in our small group. He said, "i - i don't know much...i don't know what the speaker was talking about...but i know God was good...i wish i could understand better". I couldn't help but to hurt for that guy. I mean, here he is wanting with all his might to understand the word of God and what the sermon is about but can't. So he just sits there and looks around as people are responding joyfully to the words of the pastor...and he doesn't understand. It's ironic though that he wants it so bad...and i usually sit back and take my understanding of english for granted. I mean...taking english...for granted. Now that's a thought. He asked us to pray for him that he might be able to understand the english language quicker. I will do that.
But something happened today that made me extremely sad. We have a guy in our small group from Korea and he's a first year student with a wife and a daughter. And i'll never forget what he said today in our small group. He said, "i - i don't know much...i don't know what the speaker was talking about...but i know God was good...i wish i could understand better". I couldn't help but to hurt for that guy. I mean, here he is wanting with all his might to understand the word of God and what the sermon is about but can't. So he just sits there and looks around as people are responding joyfully to the words of the pastor...and he doesn't understand. It's ironic though that he wants it so bad...and i usually sit back and take my understanding of english for granted. I mean...taking english...for granted. Now that's a thought. He asked us to pray for him that he might be able to understand the english language quicker. I will do that.
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