Legalism, Language, and Luxury

Is it just me or do many US American Christians participate in more legalism than might be admitted?

I have been reading some posts lately on language, and some others on luxury. Both the forums and blogs are demonstrative of the same thing as I see it--legalism.

Now, by legalism I mean something that is not biblically supported yet labeled as a sin, either because it is viewed by some as morally wrong or because it can lead to something that is biblically morally wrong. Cussing, which really does not have any biblical support for being a sin, and wealth, which can lead to greed, are totally abstained from by some of these legalistic people making comments on the Internet.

My personal view regarding legalism is that it is completely saturated into the American Church. Baptist churches think it's a sin to listen to music with drums in it, whether it is DC Talk or Godsmack, it doesn't matter. Assemblies of God churches think it's a sin to wear shorts to church even if it is 100 degrees outside. Catholic churches think it's a sin to chew gum in mass for crying out loud! Conservatives think that alcohol is a sin to drink because it gets people drunk. Case-in-point: legalism is a huge part of our way of thinking as American Christians. However, this ought not to be lest we be like the legalistic Judaizers of Galatians.

My personal view regarding cussing is that unless it is used to tear someone else down, it is not a sin. You cannot show me in the Bible where it says that cussing is a sin because it does not say so. It does, however, speak against using any words at all that do not build up others and edify those who listen.

My personal view regarding luxury is that God gives and he also takes away, and we are commanded to be content with what has been given to us. The Bible warns against wealth, but it does not command against wealth. Proverbs urges people not to pursue wealth or poverty, but to be content in one's current position. Hebrews says to be content with one's condition of wealth or lack thereof. Paul urges to pursue spiritual wealth, and yet he recognizes that there are many Christians who are quite wealthy, and so he instructs them to not be haughty in their position. Luke mentions that to those who have been given much, much is required of them. So, although wealth can lead to problems, it doesn't mean that it will.

My point is this:

1. Just because you were brought up a certain way doesn't mean it is biblical or right, so don't impose your personal convictions on others, but keep them to yourselves.

2. Just because a certain behavior could lead to actual sin down the road does not mean you should abstain from it.

To impose your own personal convictions on someone else and to abstain from something that is not actually a sin in fear that it will lead to sin is legalism at its finest. This two-fold attitude is fully embodied in the extra oral traditions that the Jews instituted simply so that they would not break one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus made it quite aware that he was not interested in following those extra laws (called the halakah), but the Ten Commandments.

Don't be guilty of creating your own halakah; it won't impress anyone, including Jesus.

Song of Solomon: God's guide to love, sex, and relationships

Honestly, until this last weekend, the Old Testament book of Song of Solomon was unfamiliar territory for me. Although I am still no expert on the book, I now have a better grasp of the text after having gone through a commentary on it, called, Solomon on Sex, by Joseph C. Dillow. This book goes through each verse of Song of Solomon and explains the poetic imagery involved, unveiling the meanings behind the highly figurative language, but then applying the text in a meaningful and practical way for both men and women, whether married or in the beginning stages of a relationship.

Song of Solomon is God's perspective on love, sex, and relationships through the poetic wisdom of Solomon. This commentary helps to unpack all that there is to this guide on healthy marriages, thus making this highly neglected portion of Scripture immensely invaluable to all who are involved with another person. This book shows the beauty of marriage and sex within its proper place, as is to be expected, but it also shows that there are problems within marriage, yet there are ways to overcome them. Dealing with love, sex, problems, and solutions, whether it be while dating, engaged, or married, Song of Solomon has everything necessary for all couples.

Truthfully, this book is far better than the marriage counseling workbook I recently went through. It has far more value to me because it is straight-talk from the Bible, but very practical. The commentary helps to not only break down the text verse by verse, but also shows the literary development, works through translation difficulties, and brings it all home in a practical fashion so that it becomes relevant to the modern-day reader. This book was quite humorous as well, thus drawing me in all the more, and it was quite entertaining and fulfilling to read. It was more practical than that workbook, far less time-consuming, and way more informative.

I would suggest this book for any couple thinking about getting engaged or getting married. I would even suggest that this book be used as the main text for a marriage counseling book. It talks about everything from working out problems and "the little things" before marriage, how to cope with change afterwards, sex-tips for the wedding night, and practical solutions to sexual dysfunction, and all of which stem from the Bible itself. Essentially, this book suggests that the Bible--Song of Solomon--is really the only book on love, sex, and relationships (marriage) that you will ever need. Other workbooks, textbooks, and articles are not going to be of the same caliber as Song of Solomon, and this books does a good job of showing why, after all, God inspired it!

If you want to know God's perspective on love, sex, and relationships, then check out Song of Solomon. If you want to come to terms with what's inside of the text, words, and imagery in Song of Solomon, then check out Solomon on Sex. It will help walk you through God's guide to love, sex, and relationships.

The American Marriage Blessing

It is quite appalling in my mind the marital practices of many other cultures in this world. There are those who practice polygyny, which means "many wives" (polygamy actually means "many partners," not, "many wives"), and there are those who practice polyandry, which means "many husbands." Furthermore, there are those who easily divorce, others not so easily. There are those who have premarital expectations and rituals, and those who don't. There are many different practices, rules, and rights involved in marriage throughout the world, but I sure am glad that I will be a part of the American marriage tradition, for after reviewing how much of the rest of the world does it, I sure am blessed to be where I am participating in this culture's form of marriage.

There is a tribe in Africa that practices polygyny. Needless to say, although it might be cool to the men of that tribe to have more than one sexual partner, helper, and child-bearer, at the same time it is just plain "bad-luck" to have more than one woman under the same roof, if you know what I mean. Moving on, it is simply unimaginable for me to have more than one wife; talk about amassing prizes and trophies in the flesh! As I see it, that is degrading to the wives. One isn't sufficient enough to satisfy the male. No, he needs more than one, many in fact. Yet, any one of the wives has the right to leave the husband at any time and divorce him simply by leaving him and choosing to be with another man. Divorce is easy and normal in this culture. The only security that the husband have that his wife or wives will not leave him is if he is rich and if they bore him children, for if they leave, they must leave all the riches and children with him--they walk away with nothing. In my opinion, this type of marital relationship is surely not for me and I am glad that I am not a part of it!

There is another group in Nepal that practices polyandry. Needless to say, the thought of having to share my wife, the wife that I love dearly and deeply, makes me cringe. A man can fall in love with a woman, but when he brings her home as his wife, she also marries all the other males in the household. And, to make things worse, she has to sleep with the firstborn since it is his right, and the man who actually fell in love with her and "saw her first" doesn't get his turn until the time is appropriate. This means that if he is last in the blood line, all his brothers before him might have sons and daughters by the wife that he loves before he does. Additionally, divorce is not difficult in this culture either, for all that must be done is the wife leaves the husband(s) she is with and then joins up with her new lover and the two of them meet up with a holy man who does a sacrificial ritual to divorce them. This practice, in my opinion, sucks even more than the first! Again, this type of marital relationship is definitely not for me!

In America, however, we practice monogamy, which means "one partner." On a side note, the true American way is not merely monogamy, but "one partner at a time." Back on track, divorce is a painstaking legal process that is not easily done. In fact, the government has recently been making it harder to get a divorce than it already was. This marital relationship is truly a blessing, it is the American marriage blessing. In it I am happy to say that I don't have to share my wife (future) with anyone else; she doesn't have to share me with anyone else; and we can rest assured that we won't be easily dissolving the commitment since we join together for life.

Honestly, I don't want to share my wife with anyone else. I want to be the only one loving, caring, and providing for her. I want to make her the number one person in my life. Not just one of many; rather, the only one. She is my true love, my only love. Not someone else's. Mine. We belong to each other, and that is as far as it goes. This is a blessing in that of itself. But not in other countries. It truly is a blessing to be married in America, at least from my perspective.

The Problem with Secular Christians

I am astonished at how many people call themselves Christians when in fact they are not. How can they claim this faith when they do not live it out by tenaciously affirming the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and unwaveringly proclaim Jesus as Lord and salvation? It does not make sense to me.

Regardless of whether or not their claim to faith makes sense to me, they still uphold their "christian" religion, if that is what you want to call it. Before I go any further, let's identify and explore three types of secular Christians: first, hamburger Christians; second, Sunday Christians; and finally, declaring Christians.

Secular Christians

Hamburger Christians

Keith Green once said that going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people, secular Christians, who claim to be Christians because they go to church. For them, they are going to heaven simply because they go to church. Their faith is shallow if not lifeless, being superficial at most. It's merely Christianity by association. Hamburger Christians understand that because they associate with Christians, they too are Christians.

Sunday Christians

Sunday Christians are close cousins to hamburger Christians. However, instead of just believing that they are going to heaven by simple association, they take it a step further to act like Christians--but only on Sunday. Throughout the rest of the week, they live however they may please, but the moment Sunday rolls around they become the greatest pious follower of God ever known to mankind. Their faith is inconsistent and confused, highly immature and underdeveloped, and extremely hypocritical. Sunday Christians think that they will go to heaven when they die because they are devout church-goers and demonstrate themselves accordingly.

Declaring Christians

People who are declaring Christians are those who declare or profess to be Christians based on the fact that they believe in God. They affirm nothing else. Because they believe that there is a God, whether personal or impersonal, they claim to be Christians. Declaring Christians believe they are going to end up in heaven because they believe in God even though their lives may not necessarily demonstrate it. This is the most general of the three types, for many people believe in God and declare themselves to be Christians.

The Problem

Unfortunately, despite popular thought, heaven cannot be obtained, neither by association with other Christians, or by acting the part of a Christian, or by declaring faith in God without the actions to back it up. Secular Christians are those who claim to be Christians but in truth are not, namely, but not exclusively, hamburger Christians who merely associate with Christians, Sunday Christians who merely religiously attend church and act like good Christians, and declaring Christians who merely place ungrounded faith in God. The problem is that none of these types are actually Christian by any means. Additionally, they hurt true Christians' testimony.

Other people who come into contact with secular Christians walk away with a negative view of Christians in general, including with true Christians. Their view becomes skewed to the point that they end up viewing true Christians as hypocritical and simpleminded fools because of the secular ones. This may be characteristic of the secular types of Christians, but not of true Christians. These secular Christians give the wrong impression of the real deal and are merely bad impersonators--impostors, really--fakes at best that render harm and destruction all across the boards.

In lieu of all this I have a few things to say.

If you are a secular Christian, then stop making a claim to faith unless you are going to take the next step. If you believe in God and nothing further, then don't claim to be a Christian but claim to believe in God. It is possible to believe in God but not be a Christian. Ever here of a Jew? If you go to church on Sunday and have all the appearances of a Christian on the first day of the week but live like the devil every other day, then don't claim to be a Christian because you are nothing but an actor, and God doesn't permit access to heaven on basis of theatrical experience. If you believe that going to church makes you a Christian and gives you a ticket to heaven, then stop claiming to be a Christian because all you are is a church attendant that is hell-bound. If I were you, whichever type you are, I would take the next step: accept the call of Jesus Christ in your life, allowing him to be your King and Savior, and allow him to forgive you of your sins, empowering you to live a life that is holy, righteous, and good.

The simple fact of the matter is this: unless you declare that Jesus is Lord in and of your life and your life serves as a testimony to it, then you can claim whatever you want, but you are not a Christian. Please, I implore you, if you are not willing to declare that Jesus is Lord of your life, and if your life does not testify to it, then do not make any claim to being a Christian. Otherwise, you are nothing but a fake, a secular and untrue Christian. It is a good thing to go to church, act good, and believe in God, but the only thing that actually matters is Jesus Christ, for God is not in the business of amassing hamburgers, actors, or questionable believers.

Think about what you are saying if you claim to be a Christian. Is your life in full compliance of that claim? Do you actually pass the test for being a Christian? Are you just a fake? An impostor? If you call yourself a Christian, then you are associating yourself with a group of people who do declare Jesus Christ as Lord. You need to ask yourself if you want to be associated with that group of people, or if you want to associate yourself with them, because that is what you are doing when you call yourself a Christian. Make up your mind, and make a choice. Are you going to be a Christian and make a truthful claim to it or not? But do yourself a favor and ensure that your life and your faith (or lack thereof) are in agreement no matter what you do.

Carnival Games as Gambling

I would like to think that carnival games are as innocent as the
stuffed animals that are awarded for winning them. However, it might
not be so. It seems to me that carnival games are no different than
gambling games, and if a person accepts one form they must be true to
themselves and accept the other, and likewise, if they deny one they
must deny the other. Here's why.

In gambling, a person must pay to play the game. Whether it be a
nickel, a quarter, or a $100 buy-in, you have to pay the casino in
some way in order to participate in the game in order to win some
more money. The gambler forks over the money in order to play the
game without any guarantee that they will win anything, and in fact,
the odds are in favor of the casino, not the gambler. The gambler
plays for a prize--a sum of money larger than what they paid for.
Note what we see here.

Here are the elements, then, of gambling:

1. Pay to play
2. No guarantee that you will win
3. Odds are not in your favor
4. If you win, a prize worth more than you paid to play will be
awarded to you

Notice the similarities of gambling games with carnival games, like a
basketball game with which you pay three dollars in order to take
three shots and try to win some sort of prize.

A person pays three dollars in order to take three shots. This
person is taking a chance at trying to win a basketball, or a jersey,
or something that is worth far more than three whole dollars, but yet
there is no guarantee that they will win. In fact, the rims on the
hoops are slightly oval-shaped, thus decreasing the likelihood for a
basket to be made. The odds are indeed in favor for the carnival
game host, not the shooter.

All the same elements for gambling are extant in this carnival game:

1. Pay to play (three dollars to take three shots)
2. No guarantee that you will win (you have no guarantee that you
will certainly make the baskets)
3. Odds are not in your favor (the rims are slightly oval in shape
to make the odds against you)
4. If you win, a prize worth more than you paid to play will be
awarded to you (a nice Wilson basketball, retail of about $22 or so,
in comparison to the three dollars you paid to play)

It would appear to me, then, that carnival games are no different
than gambling. How then can some people participate and support
carnival games but look down upon gambling in any form? This is
hypocritical in my opinion. And it doesn't extend just to carnival
games. What about skeeball?

You usually have to pay a token machine a dollar and receive four
tokens. This is even more similar to gambling and giving money for
chips. You take your tokens to the skeeball machine, insert one
token, and out come the wooden balls. You have paid to play with
your tokens. You play without any guarantee of winning (in this
case, prize tickets). In fact, the odds are against you to gain
large amounts of points and are likely to gain hardly nothing. But,
in the event that you do, you are awarded with several prize tickets
with which you can take to a prize counter and receive something in
return that is usually worth far more than you paid to play for.
Again, all the elements are here. This is an acceptable, innocent
form of gambling. It is no different than carnival games, slot
machines, or high-end poker games. Why, then, is it more acceptable?

We have deceived ourselves in to making certain things taboo while
making other things that are truly the same at heart socially
acceptable. Whether playing black jack, a ring toss, or skeeball,
every single element of gambling, including getting a lot of
something for next to nothing, exists, making them all equals. But
we distort our minds into thinking that skeeball and the ring toss is
okay, but gambling is not. This should not be, for we prove
ourselves to be inconsistent and deceived.

Think about what you are saying next time you claim that gambling is
a sin, because gambling extends into carnivals, fund-raisers, and
Chucky Cheese. If you are going to claim it as such, then you better
be consistent and not partake in similar functions by not going to
Chucky Cheese, or participating in raffles and carnival games,
because they all operate from the same principles of casino games and
are in truth no different.

It irritates me when people are quick to condemn gambling yet
participate in other forms of gambling that are more commonly and
openly acceptable. If you are going to to claim that gambling is a
sin, then be consistent throughout and make sure that you are not
going to participate in the "lesser evils" of raffle-tickets,
carnival games, or skeeball. Set a good, uniform example with your
words and your actions. No mixed signals. No hypocrisy. Let
yourself be true to your words and your words to yourself.

Be careful with what you claim, and make sure your life is in full
compliance with your words.

I'm Addicted -- to my cell phone?

I am running an experiment for my psych class where I am giving up using my cell phone for one week's time to see if I am addicted to using it.  I am going to have it off for the first couple of days and not even cary it with me.  But, I wonder if the temptation factor falls out at that point, so I am going to carry it with me, and I will also have it on, to see if I can resist using it even though I have it, and especially when I get text messages and phone calls.

I am going to wager that I am not addicted to my cell phone, but I am dependent on it.  But maybe there is more to this than meets the eye, and that is why I am choosing to give up using my cell phone for one week.

Are you addicted to your cell phone?
I also contemplated giving up e-mail or instant messaging for one week, but then I decided no because I need both in order to do my job.
So, I figured the cell phone would be a good one, after all, we all once got along just fine without these little toys.

I will keep this post up-to-date on my progress or lack thereof for this project.

UPDATE: I have completed my week-long abstaining from web browsing to see if I was addicted to it.

It turns out that I am not addicted to it even though I am dependent on it.

Now, it isn't that I am dependent on it as in I can't live without it, but that I use it as a tool to do several things. In other words, I rely heavily on the web browser.

I use it for finances, shopping, research, news updates, security updates, and simple communications. Because I rely so heavily on it, it explains why I am constantly on it. I am not addicted to it, but I sure do spend a lot of time on it.

I wonder, then, how many of us think we are addicted to something but actually aren't? Halo 2, for example. I know some people who's parents say they are addicted to it, but in reality, they don't need the video game to survive or keep from having withdrawls, they just merely heavily rely on the game for some sort of leisure. Now, if they become dependent upon the game in order to survive or maintain, then they have a problem.

Are you addicted to anything? Sugar? Coffee? Soda? Movies? Shopping? Music? Art? Text messaging? Instant messaging? The newspaper?