Paul's Passing Thoughts

On the way to writing another post today I stumbled onto this article about the Hollywood actor Debra Messing. The article is a revelation concerning the abuse actors are willing to endure to “realize their dreams.” Read…”desire” and whatever drives that desire or desires.

Most of the abuse in that venue comes from movie directors and producers that decide who makes it or doesn’t make it in that industry. It’s fairly evident that Hollywood is a brutal hierarchal food chain. In reality, it is a cesspool totally controlled by errant desires to succeed at all cost and desires to dominate others for the self-fulfillment of other errant desires.

This is why I find the arrogance of movie stars so stunning; in most cases, they sold their self dignity to get where they are, and looked the other way in regard to criminal debauchery in order to prevent being blacklisted.

I wonder aloud: when we hear about famous personalities who have it all, yet commit suicide, what did they barter away that robbed them of happiness? I suspect the answer is self dignity.

If everything in the Messing article is true, she allowed a director to totally disrespect her like a piece of trash laying on the sidewalk. Furthermore, she gave license for this director to do the same to others. This is a matter of self respect and respect for others. Self respect is earned, this is true, but accomplishments that build self respect do not allow for selling yourself out to a tyrant and contributing to the success of despotism.

Not long ago, I was sitting atop a major career opportunity at a facility. For whatever political reasons that I am unaware of, I was made 100% guilty in a situation where I was 100% innocent, and spoken to very disrespectfully. The following was obvious: the administration assumed I would look the other way because I was one day short of qualifying to sit for a state test for my career advancement. That was also brought up in the meeting, and I was reminded of the favor at hand accordingly. With one day of clinicals left for the company sponsored program, the thought that I would take a stand was the farthest thing from their minds.

Would passing the state test and becoming a medication aide been a deposit into my self respect account under those circumstances? No, because the legitimacy of the process was compromised; allowing others to disrespect you unjustly is not a valid payment for success. Furthermore, playing the game in this way contributes to the success of tyranny and informs the tyrant that this form of coercion will work.

The priceless look on the administrator’s face when I turned in my 2-week notice after the meeting was hardly enough to temper the pain of that decision. I loved that facility and thought I had a home there. It’s still painful to think about. But I believe the following: God will, in time, bring about a better opportunity.

I believe ultimate success comes by pushing the envelope of uncompromise for ourselves and others. Yes, it will appear that we are shooting ourselves in the foot and will therefore never realize our dreams, but a dream purchased with compromise is not worth having and will not contribute one mite to your own self respect and respect for others.

paul

Yesterday I wrote a post about the individual’s responsibility to use reason for judging truth. No person has valid authority to compel us to believe or do anything that violates personal conscience. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, makes it clear that God’s people are to be persuaded through edification until they are “convinced in their own minds” and are never to violate personal conscience. Paul stated that violation of personal conscience  is “sin” and “not of faith.” The church’s claim of authority is problematic on that point alone.

But beware of tyranny dressed in individualism. Valid epistemology must include personal freedom AND reason. What am I talking about? Primarily, mysticism.  Let’s look at a definition:

belief that union with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or the spiritual apprehension of knowledge inaccessible to the intellect, may be attained through contemplation and self-surrender.

Mysticism presents itself as ultimate individualism apart from authority, but the opposite is true. If God tells me something directly, who are you to argue, right? There is no truth based on authority absent on this wise. This is my beef with most of the home church movement. They boast of a freedom to “worship” apart from any authority while in reality these are mini-conventions of individual despots. Direct conversations with God is the ultimate authority experience. While God or Christ never showed up at any church counsel, He met with you personally; well, isn’t that special? And if He told you something directly, any discussion is immediately shut down. If I display doubt about the revelation, I am calling you a liar.

“But Paul, if the revelation matches Scripture, doesn’t that make it ok?” No. Obviously, in regard to reason, the contradiction you may perceive must be wrong since God has stated otherwise, and coincidence is not a valid epistemology. If the revelation happens to match Scripture that’s icing on the cake, but if it doesn’t, you are “leaning on your own understanding.” Oh my, we can’t have that!

While this despotism shows itself as arrogance in social gatherings, and in many cases chaotic amusment, the individuals themselves will practice their tyranny in family settings and work venues. After all, if God speaks to them personally, are they not of the spiritual upper crust? Ironically, individuals who claim direct revelation from God through dreams or other conduits have come to Susan and I for counsel on various issues. Huh? If they speak directly with God, what do they need us for?

By the way, mystics are some of the more vicious despots known in human history. The Nazi party was predicated on mysticism. The Nazis had many mantras that disparaged human reason and individual intellect. As an aside to those dating, if a potential spouse speaks directly with God and you don’t, how is it possible that this person will not view you as lower in the spiritual pecking order? How is it possible that they will not be incredulous that you will not obey them in regard to every issue? After all, God told them this and that, so your rejection is tantamount to rejecting God. And if you both have direct revelation from God, read 1Corithians and what Paul was addressing because that will be your marriage. So, am I telling you to run like hell and don’t look back? That’s exactly what I am telling you.

And likewise regarding church authority and free-for-all home churches. One is authority as truth as much as the other. The only difference is orderly authority as truth in a group setting versus a public competition of chaotic despotism.

In both cases, edification is circumvented.

paul

Protestantism is one of the more uncommendable religions on earth because few Protestants know what a Protestant is. Andy Young started a conversation about reason on the Answers in Genesis Facebook page and the perspective on the subject of reason ended up all over the map. This is because Protestants are hopelessly confused.

One of the very pillars of Protestantism is predicated on the inability of mankind to understand reality and use personal reason to ascertain truth. Though most confused Protestants would deny this intellectually, they clearly function according to Martin Luther’s wholesale rejection of personal reason. By the way, the idea that people can reason and understand reality is what really sparked the Protestant Reformation. In the long list of Protestant  misunderstandings about their own history and doctrine, Luther’s 95 Theses did NOT ignite the Reformation, and few Protestants have even heard of Luther’s 97 Theses written about a month prior. This document forms the real catalyst for the Reformation and rejected the use of reason in theological assessments.

To further the point concerning Protestant confusion that is beyond embarrassing, Martin Luther never left being a Catholic, and the Reformation, as the word suggests, was all about reforming the Catholic Church and not replacing it. Said Luther in conclusion of the 97 Theses:

In these statements we wanted to say and believe we have said nothing that is not in agreement with the Catholic church and the teachers of the church.

This can also be said of John Calvin as well. Hence, despite all of the Protestant scholars who make a living bashing Catholicism, because they are confused also, the ties that bind will eventually lead to Protestants returning to their mother. In addition, both share the same Doctor of Grace, Saint Augustine, and in another example of steroidal Protestant cognitive dissonance, Protestant scholars brag about that fact constantly in broad daylight.

Yes, the tie that binds is authority as truth based on a hierarchy because mankind is unable to ascertain reality. The basis for truth is God appointed mediators who oversee the great unwashed. Supposedly.

To the contrary, the Bible pinpoints the basis of epistemology; the individual. One example, perhaps the best, is Galatians 1:8;

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

Obviously, the standard is our own understanding of what’s being said; our own reason. Perhaps the second best example is the often cited biblical account of the Bereans who held the apostle Paul accountable to their own understanding of Scripture.

Why will this not lead to chaos? The Bible addresses that question as well:

Romans 2:12 – For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

Truth is self-evident because of reason, and the works of the law written on the heart of everyone created by God.

Get over it, and stop letting others think for you. You alone will be held accountable by God for how you studied to show yourself approved.

paul