Contents

1.1 Logo

I should explain what the logo is meant to be representing. The guy is a pen, which is me, which comes from my first poem in Philosophy Core, called Creative Process, where I refer to myself as doing Tai Chi, with my pen being my body. The idea is based on ”the pen is mightier than the sword” so I created ”the Bible is mightier than the pen”.

The Bible is shooting out flames because in Ephesians it talks about spiritual warfare and the Bible is the only armament that is offensive. (It means offensive instead of defensive. These are common terms used in combat. The sword is the only spiritual weapon. All the other armaments expressed in Ephesians are protective and defensive in nature like a shield, a helmet, a breastplate, etc.) The flames are meant as in James when it talks about being purified by fire or struggles with temptation in our lives. Isaiah also was purified by a live coal to his lips by a Seraphim. So the usage of fire is not evil or anything violent. Think of it as purifying.

I would ideally like it to show the sword turned inward to his chest, symbolizing like in many fantasy books that when they defeat the great evil force in the world, they are left with the greatest task, which is to defeat the evil within. The Bible is said to be a 2 sided sword, with the ability to cut between bone and marrow, and show the truth. Christ’s tongue is said to be a 2 edged sword in Revelations, to defeat the Devil with. The reason I didn’t show this is it looks like he is committing suicide.

The spiritual warfare is not against people, ideas, or even spirits. It is about fighting for the purity of our own minds. It is an internal thing. Like the Native American proverb ”my greatest enemy is myself.” This purity is in regard to our own sins and does not refer to purity in any other sense. But this is a process, not an outcome, as it is not possible for us to live without sin.

This warfare is only spiritual in the sense that it is not militant, social, economic, or political. This is for my own moral and ethical development and consists of practical qualities I try, with Christ’s help, to cultivate like humility, compassion, kindness, and seriousness and do not correspond to anything supernatural.

1.2 Other Books

My text books and picture books contain most of my work over the past 10 years. These include my reading of some 235 books containing the philosophical and religious thinking of the worlds cultures for several thousand years and the application of the main themes of some of the major Old Testament Prophets and major works of the New Testament.

The main point of this work is to get people to stopping living their lives with their minds, but instead follow their hearts. I bring a radically different combination of viewpoints that you have not heard of before. I am not asking people to follow what I have written, but rather let the words stir up some sort of emotional response in your heart.

I challenge my readers to come up with their own unique ideas and that can lead the world in a new direction. We need a much broader diversity of ideas in our culture to deal with the problems we are facing in America and throughout the rest of the world.

1.3 For More Information

For more books and information, visit me on the web at http://benjamin-newton.com/

Feel free to send me e-mail regarding the books and website at mailto:ben@benjamin-newton.com I even enjoy constructive criticism

1.4 Cover Graphic

1.5 License

This entire PDF is licensed together under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License as a whole, and nothing is to be separated, added on to, or modified in any manner.

Clarification on what no derivatives means:

No changes may be made in any way including but not limited to:

the material content and design must be copied as a whole (everything contained in this pdf file)

1. with nothing added
2. without anything taken away

must be kept in its original form with no additions or subtractions to

1. file formats
2. HTML and CSS code
3. PDF files
4. graphics and movies
5. sounds, music, and spoken word
6. interactivity and flash
7. file and directory structure
8. filenames and directory names
9. links
10. distribution method

1.6 Dedication

Special thanks to my dad, mom, and sister: Leo, Melissa, and Rebecca Huot; as well as my Uncle Clive and Uncle Jeff for inspiring much of the ideas behind my writing and artwork. Countless conversations between my family and myself as well as many acquaintances, from 1998-2006, helped me explain my philosophy and contributed to its understandability. These conversations were as important as the books I read. And most importantly, every good idea I have had has its root in the Bible, so thank God if you are ministered to by my work.

2.1 Recommended Texts to Understand Writing Style

1. ”Doctrine of the Mean” by Confucius
2. ”The Great Learning” by Confucius
3. Chuang Tzu
4. Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard
5. Repetition by Soren Kierkegaard
6. ”The Seducer’s Diary” from Either/Or by Soren Kierkegaard

2.2 Philosophical Positions Necessary for Understanding Plush Heart

2.2.1 Hermeneutic Method of Interpretation

1. I use primary sources to derive theology or philosophy for a particular belief system
2. I focus on what I see as the pure or original interpretation of the philosophy or theology
3. I do not research current or past deviations of each major belief system

2.2.2 Practice and Bible Derived Reasoning

1. My method of ethical reasoning is derived from practical considerations.
2. My method of theological reasoning comes from Biblical considerations.
3. My method brings these perspectives to their logical conclusions.
4. My theory is based on what the Bible says about theology and what helps influence a person do the right thing.
5. I back track the way people should act according to the Bible and what the Bible says about God into a theory that is most consistent with these outcomes.

1. My theology, Towards a Philosophy of the Bible, mirrors what the Bible says about God and a solution to suffering that best answers this problem.
2. My ethics, Still Theory, are based on a combination of the philosophies most consistent with the Bible and having the least major ethical dilemmas and answers postmodern questions about suffering and uncertainty.
3. My psychology, Liberation Psychology/Theology, enables the person to be their own advocate and focuses on religion as a secondary approach to solving lingering problems with Schizophrenia, as the most effective practice is to take the medication.
4. My aesthetics, Bible Model Aesthetics, works to solve practical issues like accessibility, morality, and quality from a Biblical perspective.
5. My sociology/biology, Community through the Humanities, focuses on finding harmony with the groups of people we come into contact with in real world situations and applying ethics from Still Theory.
6. My theory of education, Learning of the Heart, is based on the realities of life and how people can know what is right and wrong.

2.2.3 Contrasting Theories of Education

1. The establishment assumes that public education through high school prepares a person for the world
2. The establishment assumes that everyone should be educated in the same manner
3. The establishment assumes that they know best what the public needs to learn
4. The establishment assumes that what they believe is right and wrong should be imposed on everyone else
5. The establishment assumes that public education improves people’s social status and morality
6. The establishment assumes that with slight modifications, they will get radically different societies

I believe that being prepared for the world is a combination of different things, which the public school system fails at all of them, including:

1. understand how the establishment works, how to use it to improve one’s life, and avoid it changing the individual or placing more limits than normal on the individual
2. develop critical thinking skills and determine what is right and wrong by conscience
3. develop a useful skill for financial support and independence
4. I believe that different people should be taught different things
5. I believe that people know what is right and wrong at birth
6. I believe that the world’s idea of right and wrong is contrary to God’s
7. I believe that people’s social status is determined by who they know and what status their parents have and their morality is determined by personal choice
8. I believe that in order to radically change society, we must make major changes

2.2.4 Unified Social Theory of Natural Science

1. All creatures that feel pain should be kept from any unnecessary suffering
2. The difference between humans and animals is a matter of degree
3. Human beings are not defined by any distinct characteristics in the Bible
4. The distinguishing factor between people and animals is a social construct
5. People have social and physical power over animals and are responsible for their well being
6. Flora should be treated with respect to their well being as well as fauna
7. Water and cells should be carefully looked after as they are the building blocks of life
8. The earth should be treated with the same respect as other life forms
9. Preservation of life does not mean no harm is done
10. Although animals and people may be perceived as the same, the human has a responsibility to look after the animal
11. Not subjecting sentient beings to physical pain is just the beginning of a social ethic
12. Humans should use their resources to actively advocate for the well being of all sentient beings

2.3 Definitions

2.3.1 What Philosophy is and How is it Useful

Philosophy is about questioning. Philosophy is the most general and abstract way to study things and life. Philosophical arguments are theories. It is very similar to debate. That is why philosophy is considered a good undergraduate major for prospective law students. The definition of philosophy can vary widely and is often the basis of that particular philosophy. Science is probably the most well known theory as to how the world works.

Different philosophies can be useful in different ways. The major eastern philosophies as well as Existentialism, in general, can be most directly applied to education, ethics, psychology, medicine (just eastern philosophy), ecology, literature, art, and humor. I also apply them to religion since my religion, Christianity, especially the book it was derived from, the Bible, forms the basis of my assumptions and philosophical positions. Mainstream western philosophy can mostly be applied to mathematics, the natural (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.) and social sciences (economics, anthropology, sociology, political science), and the legal system (debate).

2.3.2 What is Faith?

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It is true that someone can believe in something whether it is real or not and for a variety of reasons. I believe that fire hurts because of personal experience. This may not be true in all circumstances even if I believe it. But faith in God is different for the following reasons :

Faith in God is an act of the will: faith in God is a choice a person makes.

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Faith in God is real because we can trust God’s word as He never lies.

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The truth does not change because you believe something. Just believing in something is of no use, if it is not real. I believe that Jesus Christ is really God, but you must decide for yourself. I do not believe that any person can convert someone else to faith in Christ, but rather God calls people to himself. Let my book series and websites, which are my story, inspire you to start your own journey and discover the truth for yourself.

2.4 Description

These books are a series on philosophy. I am teaching paradox via Philosophical Taoism as the key to understanding Christian theology. I am using a creative, soft sell, and academic approach to evangelism.

I would have to say my meaning is a balance between 2 directions 1) teach people to think for themselves and 2) give people an understanding of what the Bible says and what it doesn’t say. My intent is not that they get just any idea out of my work but they get an idea which will require them to evaluate themselves and their beliefs. I naturally believe that this will lead people to salvation, whatever they call themselves or what group or groups they identify with.

The 2 main things I am against are Earth Religions (the Occult) and the mainstream. I consider Astrology/horoscope, tarot cards, sayonces, weegee boards, magick, Wicca, Satanism, Paganism, Voodoo, Shamanism/Animism, Native American and most other Indigenous/Folk religions worldwide, Tantric/Tibetan Buddhism, Religious/Esoteric Taoism, Shintoism, I Ching, ancestor worship, modern definitions of metaphysics (not the branch of philosophy) and mysticism (as defined as mystical experiences), Theosophy and the like to be Occult. I consider the Scientific World-view as mainstream where people look to science to solve all of their problems and believe that it is the one way to find truth. Examples include Evolution and the Social Sciences (Psychology, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, and Anthropology). I see the mainstream as being primarily motivated by money and is anti-Environmental and anti-Labor. I am pro-Environment (especially as it concerns animal rights) and pro-Labor (especially when it comes to blue collar work). The difference between the two is that I will read mainstream texts, but I will not under any circumstances read Earth Religion texts.

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Striving to be both kind in my methods and serious in my beliefs at the same time.

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2.5 My Creative Process

2.6 Intended Audience

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Believe it or not, although my book series and websites are a ministry, they are not intended for people who are saved or born again. If you already go to a Bible believing church, than this book series and my websites are not intended for you either. This book series and my websites do not attempt to evangelize, at least not in any direct or obvious way. If you believe that you are being called by God and your only obstacle to faith is your pride, then my book series and websites are not intended for you either. Also, if you expect me to give a really in your face salvation message and try to get you to say a prayer with me afterwards, then you should look elsewhere. If you expect me to support other people who claim to be Christian and are famous, you will be disappointed too.

My main target geo-politically is in countries where they have freedom of religion guaranteed by law (at least theoretically) and relatively low overt persecution of Christians. If you are being persecuted for your faith overtly, then I don’t see the need for apologetics. Please do not put yourself, your family, your friends, fellow believers, or your community at risk by distributing any material I produce illegally.

My audience is for people in post-Christian societies who don’t identify with the mainstream and don’t fit into any established Christian ministries. I am not trying to reach millions of people but rather a handful of people. If I help even one person with this book series and my websites, then I would be very pleased and count this work a great success. I believe that God cares about each person individually and wants believers to present Christianity to seekers in different ways depending on their background and personality. I believe that there is only a couple steps that all must do to be saved but most of the journey towards God and in pursuit of His will is different for different people.

The target market for my ministries are people who would never consider going to a physical church. If you have pets, farm animals, or wild animals you would like to be a part of this ministry, I welcome them. My stuffed toy cows are believers too.

To be honest, I do believe in a literal Heaven and Hell and believe in all the miraculous in the Bible. I don’t want anyone to go to Hell as I do not believe God intended for any to suffer in it. What I do disagree with the mainstream Evangelicals is that their are many things keeping people from a correct understanding of what the Bible says. I believe that even most people who are born again don’t even have the most basic concepts in Christian ethics and theology right. Almost everyone who claims to follow what the Bible says does not even have the faintest idea about what it says.

My proposed solution for these misunderstandings is not to read the Bible more or to follow a plan I have laid out or to endorse a particular sect of Christianity. My method is to teach Biblical theology by way of paradox - a method most often used in teaching Zen Buddhism, although the concepts are all from the Bible and I can show you the verses to back it up. After you can start to think without relying on the Scientific World-view and are willing to believe with faith when you can’t reason something out, then you are almost there.

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3.1 Objective

I want people to think for themselves. Many people believe they are thinking for themselves because they make choices. But if you don’t examine what the roots of your beliefs are, then you may be subconsciously influenced by what others have told you.

While you may want to model your beliefs after someone you respect, and if you are aware of this and the consequences, then that is great. But many people have never thought what drove them to believe as they do. If you are of this latter group, then I would like to introduce you to the study of philosophy.

In my book series and on my websites, I have simplified the concepts and presented them in more interesting ways then as they are written in many books. It does not require you to be intelligent to understand this, but rather to think in a different way. In fact, education can actually stand in the way of your understanding. My websites are not designed in a linear step by step how to book or in a systematic philosophy, but rather through poetry and art as it applies to religion, psychology, and sociology.

To sum it up, I believe that the unexamined life is not worth living and that philosophy can be very practical. Most importantly, please do not try to follow what I say, but rather learn from it, and develop your own ideas based on what the Bible says, hopefully. But whatever you choose to pattern your ideas after, please don’t just swallow my ideas whole - let them serve as inspiration, not as a model.

3.2 Historical Context

Although you could argue that this was all done by the government, and not the Church, the two were intertwined until the last hundred years. This is why it is so important to have freedom of religion by the government and why a Christian nation is not a good idea even if you consider yourself Christian. This provides the historical context for my book series and websites and the soft sell approach. Another reason for the soft sell is that a person only is saved by grace when they repent and believe of their own free will. Pressuring someone into believing does no good because their faith is in-genuine and is of no eternal value.

Some powerful people who have called themselves Christians throughout the centuries have done some terrible things in the name of Christianity. Many people were killed for not believing. Sometimes the persecutors went further into the wrong like torturing people into becoming the kind of Christians the people in power wanted them to be like with the Papal Inquisition. Sometimes they did lesser but still wrong things like destroying private property.

I could also recount similar injustices done in the name of Islam, Buddhism, or many other belief systems. But the issue I am trying to get at is that the popular opinion is that Christians have done just as wrong a things as people of other belief systems. So people often ask what is so much better about being a Christian if you do not act any differently than non-believers?

This is why I describe in my book series and websites what defines being a Christian, what the Bible really says, and what role sin plays in a believers life. Ultimately, you must decide for yourself. I believe that the Bible will stand up to the critique. Will your beliefs hold up too?

1. 341 AD the Roman Emperor Constans gave the order that whoever still worshiped pagan gods be put to death after Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in 323 AD
2. 375 AD Roman Emperor Gratian confiscated the property of Pagans under the direction of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan
3.  415 AD Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria convinced his monks to kill the Philosopher Hypathia of Alexandria for not being Christian and being popular
4. 416 AD Roman Emperor (East) passed a law requiring government officials to be Christian
5. 1230 AD Papal Inquisition conducted secret trials of those suspected of being heretical to Christianity without being told of the charges or being able to confront the accuser. Sentences could not be appealed and families were forced to inform on each other. Penalties were wide ranging from wearing a yellow cross for life, seizing property, banishment, public recantation, or many years in prison to being burned at the stake.
6. 1252 AD Pope Innocent IV issued the order (papal bull Ad exstirpanda) allowing torture to get confessions in the inquisitions
7. 1572 AD St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre was when the French king ordered all Protestants in France to be killed.
8. by the 18th Century AD non-Christians in Europe at the most were barred from higher education, or from participation in the national legislature

There has also been a considerable amount of persecution of Jewish people throughout the centuries by some powerful people calling themselves Christians, although there were many other causes as well, like racism. This is so complex and involves many other issues that I wouldn’t be able to use it appropriately on this site.

3.3 Artificial Barriers

1. cultural barriers
2. political barriers
3. intellectual barriers
4. barriers based on misconceptions about Christianity
5. barriers based on bad examples or bad experiences
6. barriers based on misunderstanding theology and the Bible
7. confusion over Church divisions
8. confusion over what is orthodox
9. confusion over the exclusiveness of Christianity

3.4 Ministry Beliefs

1. will lead a person to faith in Christ
2. means being a free thinker

1. challenges us to not conform to mainstream culture
2. challenges us to work for good despite the system
3. challenges us to follow the laws
4. will stand up to any argument
5. will pass any kind of test of value
6. will challenge the most cultivated intellects

1. not just doing the opposite of unbelievers
2. rather about finding the truth

3.5 Why Study other Beliefs?

3.5.1 Why I Study other Philosophies?

The passage from 1 Corinthians is a summation of the ideas of the first 1/3 of the letter and calls us to believe not by reason or miracle, but to place our belief in God on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, so that we put our faith in what the Bible says, instead of putting our faith in what Science tells us or what the supernatural tell us. This Greek wisdom which the Bible talks about is mainstream Western Philosophy, which most people now study as Science. The philosophy which is most inline with the foolishness of God is Philosophical Taoism.

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3.5.2 Why I Study other Revealed Religions?

The passage from Acts tells about Paul’s visit to Athens. Paul was an intellectual and was willing to talk to people on their own terms and speak to their individual situation. He explained the Gospel in their own vocabulary and found an entrance into their own beliefs to tell them about Jesus Christ. Paul was an intellectual who knew about the belief systems of his time and that is one of the main reasons why God called him to be a missionary. How can you preach the gospel to someone if you have no idea where they are coming from?

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3.5.3 Why I do not Study Earth Religions?

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3.6 The Significance of Paradox

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The point of this article is specifically for Evangelical Christians, so if you are not, then this is not really intended for you, but your mileage may vary. The point is that I believe what the Bible says, although it is different than what most other Christians believe, whether they believe in the miracles of the Bible or not. This article is not meant to change someone’s mind about their beliefs, but to examine them and understand why I have a different view.

I find Philosophical Taoism important to understanding the Bible. First of all, a person might say if they are Evangelical that they are just Christian and don’t follow a philosophy, so I would have to ask them what their beliefs are and compare them to the Bible. For instance, if a person is Evangelical then they probably believe that Jesus is both God and man and that is biblical, and that is a paradox. But it is not understood very well that many of the other major doctrines of the Bible are paradoxes too.

The Bible teaches both faith alone and faith plus good works for salvation and that both free will and predestination are both true. And I can easily find verses for both sides of these major divisions in the church. When I say both are true many will respond that they can’t comprehend that so they just believe in one, but here comes the proof they don’t believe in the Bible by faith alone - if they did, then they would believe in the paradox as the Bible states and not try to reason it out.

The question then comes, why do they reason it out? This is because they have beliefs that have nothing to do with the Bible that shape their beliefs about the Bible. The key to getting these out of their mind is to unlearn the ways they that have been commonly taught to think in school. Does the reader remember being told they couldn’t divide by zero or that they had to have only one answer to a math problem? Does the reader remember if the teacher made you choose true or false based on whether a statement was a fact or an opinion? These are paradoxes.

What is a paradox? the reader must be asking by now. A paradox is a set of two statements that seem to be contradictory, but on further examination one realizes that these are not contradictory, but rather give a fuller understanding of the issue. How then can Jesus be both man and God, or how can a person both have free will and still be predestined to believe?

So where did I come up with all of this? The reader can read just from the Bible to understand my point of view. I would recommend 1 Corinthians for the first third as it talks about the foolishness of God. This passage is easiest to discern in the first chapter, verses 22-24. I interpret the Greek wisdom as the ideas that came out of the Enlightenment, or the Scientific World-view that is assumed in much of the curriculum that was taught to me in the public school system. I believe that there is a certain viewpoint that is taught in the schools that is very narrow in scope and controlled by a small group of people mainly through funding through lobbyists and direct contributions to the schools (the latter predominantly to colleges, both public and private).

If the reader wants to hear a more thorough explanation of these concepts, I invite them to read my book series and websites or Chuang Tzu. There won’t be any set answers as I don’t present things in a systematic way, and they must think and put together the ideas themselves to get the meaning of the texts. The reader may choose to either forget it or to act on it. Hopefully the reader will be compelled to act on it and this will require courage and require them to take risks, regardless of what ideas they get out of it. But they will then be able to find the truth and be able to decide whether or not they believe what you have been told by their school system. Then the reader can decide if they want to be a Christian and follow what the Bible says or accept what the rest of society has accepted as true.

3.7 My Biblical Beliefs

¹⁵ (the concept of forgiveness explained in the Hindu scriptures, referred to as the truth of the true Self)

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3.7.1 How to become a Christian

¹⁷ (the concept of sin explained in the Hindu scriptures, known there as karma, but it sounds a lot like sin, doesn’t it?)

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To become Christian, you must understand the concept of sin and who Jesus is. I recommend reading The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis. Also read one of the four orthodox gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John). Stay away from Gnostic bible books like the Gospel of Thomas. Also read Hebrews and Romans. Finally, read Genesis and Isaiah. When you understand the problem of sin and who Jesus is, then all you need to do is confess your sins to Jesus out loud and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.

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3.7.2 Synopsis

I believe in a God that is perfectly good in every aspect and every thought and action, and unlimited in power beyond any life form’s imagination. I believe we as humans are infinitely below God and the sum of all of our good actions throughout all history doesn’t even reach zero. I believe that anything good or anything that has parts good in it, all that is good is from God’s direct supernatural intervention. I believe that God breaks physical laws all the time and that anyone coming to God is a result of God’s choice and through God’s strength. I believe that although we must make a choice to the right thing and submit to God’s will, our effort will amount to nothing and we totally rely on God’s power and divine intervention to do anything positive. This is what I mean by humility on the part of man - a proper realization of our significance and role in life.

3.7.3 Overview

1. I believe in Evangelical theology but in Liberal ethics
2. I believe that we should be holy yet be kind to all life
3. I believe that there is only one Church but no denomination is completely right
4. I believe that parts of the Bible are meant to be taken literally as well as others are to be taken symbolically and that the Biblical context is the determining factor

3.7.4 Basics

1. I believe in one God
2. I believe the Jesus was fully man and eternally is God
3. I believe that we are saved by faith alone, yet only through works and sacraments will we know we are saved
4. I believe that we are both predestined for salvation and yet still have a free will
5. I believe that the tribulation has happened 1900 years ago and will also happen in the future at the same 5 dimensional coordinates
6. I believe that we sin after being saved yet we tend towards the good

3.7.5 Specifics

1. I believe that we are responsible for the animals and yet we should treat them equally
2. I believe that we should follow the laws but subvert the lifestyle of the world
3. I believe that only a remnant will be faithful to God and yet the majority of people will be saved.
4. I believe that the Bible explains in great detail what Heaven is like and yet we will never understand until we get there
5. I believe a child can understand the Bible and be saved yet the brightest theologians in the world will never get beyond even the basics of the Bible

3.7.6 So am I Protestant or Catholic Liberal or Evangelical?

I believe that Evangelicals and Catholics are very similar as far as I can see on the main theology. From what I can see Catholics and Liberal Protestants seem to have different aspects of the ethics of Christianity right. Membership wise I am an Evangelical Quaker and I they are closest to what I believe the Bible says both technically and in spirit, both theologically and ethically. I call what I believe Wholeness or Non-dual Christianity as I believe in both sides of most divisions of the church. I believe that most divisions of the Church were primarily politically motivated and came out of a view of the world that was shaped by the philosophy of Aristotle and Plato. The Church has continued to move in the direction of ”I can believe whatever I want and call myself Christian” attitude. I believe that any kind of leadership over other people is against the concept of equality exemplified by Christ and I have a hard time seeing how the Church leadership is that different amongst rival factions of churches. It hurts me terribly to see people call themselves Christian who start wars with other countries for oil money, who torture and imprison those who don’t agree with them, torture animals for cosmetic products and destroy the very little left of God’s creation to build fancy homes. I think most people will be very surprised to find out who is in Heaven and who is not when we finally get there. People who are in power are not there because God thought that was ok and just because you hear famous people saying that God says something or they are Christian doesn’t make it true.

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4.1 What’s Inside

4.1.1 Overview

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I should start out by saying that I see life in terms of possibilities, not in terms of actuality. This has led me to focus on minimizing risks to my person and family as well as maximize my potential achievements. In some ways this is very liberating and gives me great confidence, but in other ways it holds me back and causes me tremendous stress. I have been blessed with amazing abilities as well as limited by great weaknesses. On my websites and in my book series, you will see evidence of both.

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This is the story of my adult life so far, beginning with my experiences as an enlisted soldier, my diagnosis of chronic allergic pink eye and sensitivity developed to cleaning and other harsh chemicals, my experiences in a public university, my paranoid episode and my voluntary stay in the locked psychiatric ward of a private hospital, my diagnosis of Paranoid Schizophrenia, my experiences living with other mentally ill consumers in a group home, my experiences with in home care services, my experiences living in a retirement home in my late twenties, and my experiences with the Veterans Administration medical and psychiatric system. What ties these all together is my attempt to find an answer to suffering, to find a way to be Christian in a postmodern society, and to live a life of faith when I hear God tell me strange things.

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My life did not unfold neatly according to my plans for myself or because of my connections. I have had to work very hard for the little that I have. Sure there are many who have suffered worse than I have, but, nonetheless, I have had some very painful life experiences that many will never have to go through and I am glad they don’t have to. I would not want to relive between the years of 1996-2006 again for anything and if I had them over again I would have attempted a very different path. There are still many times when I wish I would not have to live any more. If life just goes your way and everything just neatly falls into place for you, then this is not the book series and collection of websites for you. If however, like me, life is a constant struggle, then you might find my work to be done by a like soul.

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I am now embracing the God revealed in scripture: a God that is holy and awesome, a God that is an infinite mystery, and a personal God who wants a relationship with us. The personal nature of God makes me frustrated with the amount of suffering in the world, the holy and awesome nature of God compels me to both hold God responsible and at the same time the Church (myself included) and strive to by myself put a dent in the suffering of the world, while the infinite mystery that is another aspect of God resolves me to conclude that the reason for suffering is a mystery. I now hold all 5 views simultaneously.

4.1.2 Synopsis

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This book series and my websites are my portfolio with a message. I have unique, eccentric, and cutting edge world views in philosophy and poetry (Opinion), photography and graphic design (Galleries), and computing fundamentals (Technology). In this book series and my websites, you will see how the problems of suffering, uncertainty, free choice, and limits in religion, psychology, and sociology apply to workaholics with disabilities that require rest (like myself).

My site makes the most sense within the context that it was created for, why it was created and what methods I chose to achieve it.

4.1.3 Why this book series and these websites?

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My book series and my websites were originally created to share my ideas and creative works with my uncle. He lived overseas and it was the easiest way to keep in touch with him and my messages were too big for email. I was just out of the military and was struggling with mental illness at the time (although I didn’t know that then). I was studying Chinese philosophy in school from the literature perspective and was very obsessed with the problem of suffering. Physical pain was very real to me because I was suffering from chronic allergic pink eye that would never go away from what I could gather from the doctors. I wanted to be Christian still as I was from early childhood, but I didn’t want to be a spoiled brat like the kids I went to school and church with. So I started writing poetry and that is what the book series and websites started out with.

The poetry is the first and most vital component of the websites and my books series and must be understood if you want to get what I am trying to say. I chose early on to try to be creative and personal in my approach to the problem of suffering. I knew what I wanted to say before I learned what terms to use for things and how to communicate what I felt. As I studied philosophy, I found the framework to hang my ideas on and found that I was not alone with odd ideas, but in fact found that most of the world throughout most of history had more in common with my way of thinking than what is currently in textbooks and on the news. When I found out that I had Schizophrenia, I questioned what I was thinking and if my odd ideas got me into this place, but I found I could not accept the way I was told things were. But I did learn that I should work hard to control my mind and the way I approached this was to study from the rationalist (or social) philosophers in addition to the mystics.

4.1.4 Methods

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My theory of art being used for teaching biblical principles is that art is not usually good at presenting buzzword compliant theology that conforms to mainstream Christian traditions. I believe that nature is the art of God and any portrayal of a love of nature is naturally and necessarily directly related to having the humility necessary for saving faith. Most of the Bible is not about getting set up for eternity but what to do while we live on Earth. I do believe that this is the most critical message of the Bible, but a theology that sees Earth only as a chance to get saved is going to be a bad witness to those who do not believe. If the Sanctity of Life movement is to be seen as relevant to postmodern times, it must be extended to respect for all life and all resources. This is not to say that I won’t present the Gospel message if my art or writing leads to that point, but rather that I am ”witnessing” to people that would never enter a church even if saved. I have a much higher opinion of unbelievers than most Christians do in that I think that there are other reasons besides unwillingness to obey God’s laws that convince people to not repent of their sins and except Christ as their savior. But you will always find biblically motivated art here that conforms to one or more of the main themes of the Bible. I do hold what the Bible says to be something to rely on as a completely accurate representation of the topics it covers and I do not have anywhere near the confidence in scientific results or any other source as I do in truth and facts contained in the Bible.

My point in creating a philosophy, a culture, and a theology is not to get everyone to think the way I do, but to question the accepted world views of the postmodern age. I want to teach people to think. Much as a teacher doesn’t just give you the answer, but merely gives you the tools to find the answers for yourself, so is my intent.

Although my philosophy is not presented in a classical Western sense, all the materials in this book series and my websites have a philosophically sound and consistent basis. Most importantly, I am trying to teach people to think differently and more broadly. My organization is what is often referred to as random, but really it is organized, just not in a simple linear design.

I have attempted to merge Christianity with Chinese philosophy, but not in a philosophical treatise. Instead, I have focused on poetry, practical applications, and multimedia in order to make philosophy more understandable to the average person. I have also avoided uncommon vocabulary and technical jargon whenever possible.

Another reason for not presenting these philosophical concepts in the same format as major philosophers of the West is that I want people to make the connections for themselves and thereby learn how to formulate their own ideas. I don’t want people to just parrot my ideas back to me, because creativity is one of the many things that we need more of in society. I am interested in people being consistent and searching for truth and I believe that they will find the right path if they are intellectually honest.

I also believe that being Christian is not just being the opposite of unbelievers, but doing what is right and sticking to the truth. I believe there is much we can learn from other philosophies and revealed religions. I believe that learning about others’ beliefs can help provide a fresh perspective on the Bible that is desperately needed as atheism has been rampant in the Church because of its reliance on the Western Philosophy of the Enlightenment. I just avoid two things: hate speech and earth religions.

I also have a Far Side meets Abbott and Costello sense of humor, so if you see something that sounds like it is nuts, it is likely it is meant to be humorous.

4.1.5 Technical Explanation

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My philosophy is primarily concerned with Epistemology and Ethics.

My theology is Existential and Evangelical Christian, my philosophical methods are Neo-Confucian and Philosophical Taoist, and my politics are Ecofeminist.

First and foremost I am a Christian Mystic (Existentialist) in that I believe what the Bible says by faith, but I believe that much of what God asks of us has a Rational basis which we can understand. I believe in Idealism (Philosophical Taoist) - that Spirit is the most important component of reality and that the material world is part of our mind. I am very Skeptical of anyone who says they know something for sure that is not in the Bible, especially social scientists. I also try to balance myself with facts and Empirical evidence (Neo-Confucianism) in interacting with society.

I believe that The Holy Spirit exists everywhere (qi) and that it is directed by God the father (li). This li or principle is an intelligent ethical force in the universe and can be comprehended rationally and is there to help sentient beings live happy lives (Virtue Ethics).

4.2 Son of Strength

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I have developed the idea of raising the bar, once I reach the level that was once my goal, for a higher goal and then on and on until I die. I think I reached rock bottom recently. I have developed the ability to understand philosophy despite having Schizophrenia and with it the near impossibility of understanding abstract thought.

Based on this insight, I surmised that I could do the same thing with my physical body. I would strengthen my will to the point that I could force my body to do what it couldn’t physically much as Special Forces do. The problem is that in the Special Forces, when the training is done, that at some point the service member gets to rest. They don’t tire out the service members to the point that they have no energy, before they drop them onto classified missions.

So for me to assume that I could will myself into mastering my body is a flawed assertion at best. But that was very arrogant to assume that I could reach that level of intensity, without having even attempting that kind of training. Anyway, when I came back from my run, which I was able to push myself past more pain than I was able to do in any of my cross country running, I tasted blood in my lungs and at the point when I got back to my retirement center, one of the managers thought I was having a heart attack.

This showed me that I need to slow down and be aware that although I can dream of saving the world, I do not have the energy to. In addition to never being able to feel fully rested no matter how much sleep I have had, I can’t push past it with greater mental strength, as I don’t even have the control over my mind as a normal person does.

What the Apostle Paul said in Romans is at the heart of (Christian) Existentialism. We cannot do what we want to. We are not strong enough mentally to reach our goals. We must leave saving the world to God and just help in small ways or else we will not survive long enough to see the fruits of our efforts.

I have finally realized that having Schizophrenia is not just a mental illness; it is a physical one as well. If your medicine is being effective on giving you some control of your thoughts, then you will have no energy to do anything.

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I have recently arrived at the conclusion that the increased suffering of the world recently is the direct fault of Christians not following what God has called them to do, and in response to the fact and because I am in the wealthiest nation on the earth and because of my gifts of intelligence and creativity that I should be able to make a measurable dent in the amount of suffering that the sentient beings of the earth must feel. But the problem is I don’t have the strength to have the reach that I believe I should have. Many of the problems of the world, if they are to be solved by people, need more resources than I have been given. I will just have to accept that there is some reason that God is allowing this to happen by conscious choice alone.

I have had to struggle with whether to say I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that he was both man and God or that that is a fact. I have recently come to understand that belief is stronger than facts. Similarly to how I said when we had to mark opinion as false and fact as true that opinions could be truths but facts are not consequential enough to be truths. So it shows more certainty to say that I believe in Heaven and Hell than to say flatly that there is a Heaven and Hell and that is the truth whether you agree with it or not you will go to one, because of course its true to the limits of my knowledge which is all I can guarantee by saying it is the truth, but to say I believe something to be true means that I haven’t just proved it intellectually, but it is so true that I risk eternity on it.

4.3 Biblical Paradox and Value Ethics

4.3.1 Overview

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The paradoxes that the Bible teaches about God, Man, and our relationships between each other, animals, and God are not just there to give God an ego trip, by keeping us from doing what we want; they are there for our own good. One of the paradoxes of the Christian faith is that we are both secure in our salvation once we confess our sins and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, but we still have the capacity to make choices without God constantly intervening. Scripture shows both aspects of this duality to be true and it is not just there to be hard to accept, but it is there for us to live a fuller life of faith and temperance.

4.3.2 Example: Freewill Verses

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Many try to drive people to God by fear by saying that if you commit one sin which you did not confess before you die, then you will go to Hell. This is not Biblical to try to motivate people by fear. This is one of the problems that arises if you believe in free will at the expense of predestination.

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The key aspects of this passage are as follows:

1. As believers, we are rendered righteous by Christ’s death and resurrection.
2. The key questions to answer from the Bible are
3. what is faith?
4. and what is the gospel?

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So the gospel is salvation by faith and we are considered righteous by God’s free gift or grace in response to our belief in His resurrection from the dead.

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It is not one sin being committed that Scripture is talking about here, but, rather, a habit of sin that brings the sinner to not be able to confess their sin, because to confess sin and repent is to be righteous by faith.

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The point of these verses is to show that, as we follow through our faith into good works and stay away from sin, we enjoy God’s promises. God realizes that we will continue to sin, but he wants us to live an overall lifestyle characterized by obedience.

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Loving God is to follow His commandments.

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Finally, God gives us a promise that we won’t live a life of sin and will by saved by faith, and our sins will not keep us from Heaven.

4.3.3 Example: Predestination Verses

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The Bible also teaches that we have an assurance of salvation, if we believe. But this is not an excuse to sin. And this is likely why so many churches are so adamant about free will. We are to be ”transformed by the renewing of our minds” and not to walk in sin, as Christ died so that we might not be slaves to sin.

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God predestined everyone that loved Him to be called righteous by God’s grace and their faith.

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God has a purpose for our life, before we are even born.

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God cares about us so much, that before He created the world He had already chosen those who would believe many thousand years later. Even then He knew that we could not exist without sin and that it was by His grace that we are saved.

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We are saved through God’s grace, by our faith and the outcome of that faith is to not only keep from sin, but to do good towards others.

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As we are chosen by God to be His children, so we are also called to love one another, as God has loved us.