We loved doing this weeks kitchen table…because we got to talk about one of our favourite people – Tom Holland – and got to enjoy him taking on A C Grayling. Enjoy.
The Blog of David Robertson
The Blog of David Robertson
We loved doing this weeks kitchen table…because we got to talk about one of our favourite people – Tom Holland – and got to enjoy him taking on A C Grayling. Enjoy.
Hello David,
Can I first of all say apologies for not mentioning the new format in my haste earlier on to get my sleeves rolled up about the discussion of Brand’s approach?
Loving the new format and the professional use of tech to embellish the intro. I wonder what you would serve up for breakfast at your respective homes :).
Great question that AC Grayling asks for something novel about Christianity that isn’t found elsewhere with him loving to know. Of course he says this with a twinkle in his eye ready to mock and the funny thing about this is that scripturally where else is it that God laughs except at his enemies who of course he also loves. So it is comedic in the purest sense of comedy – done with compassion and healing.
Tom Holland give a list of responses but omits one thing – Christ. Why? Is he embarrassed about Christ? Does he fear disapproval? Does he think he can put forward a valid proposition without mentioning Christ? Is it all three, is it none?
I might be over simplifying things but to me the obvious way of engaging with this as far as I can tell is to mention that is not about any of us being good enough or not good enough in principle (fro the line between good and evil is drawn down every human) but in what has been done for us. Te degree to which we are righteous, is because of Christ, what he has done and is doing in us and the degree to which we participate in this. So none of us can boast about this. Our ego becomes our servant not our master and it’s not about winning an argument against AC Grayling but that if he participates in this “saved, am being saved and will be saved” transformative process by the renewing to his mind in a manner unique to him, obedient to Christ in the power love and sound mind of the Spirit, to the glory of the Father then he is a winner too and joins in with the comedy.
I love the video of Brand and Peterson where they shared the idea of the comedy being the happy ending and taking the best Jesus the sinless man, with the worse that can happen to him – the crucifixion and that resulting in the story of a tragedy. with the comedy – the good news of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ being the resurrection of overcoming death, saying to death “death where is thy sting?” And laughing. (As we know the wages of sin is death).
And for it to be a comedy in a funny way for there to be a flaw as Brand says, is it that it is God made flesh? As is self evident from a fellow baldy – now that’s funny. My excuse is that I was riding my motorcycle so fast one day that it all fell out and it’s the one I am sticking to 😉
So yeah – easy question to answer. What is there that is the “one novelty” about Christianity the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
OK Job done. Moving on…
Now I have a question – does being a Christian make you go bald? ;).
Kind Regards,
Adam
Please explain how secularism derives from Christianity?
Read Tom Holland’s Dominion…that will help you…
Just as the presence of Light ( Christ ) helps us recognise darkness !
Hi
You can post this if you want to, but some suggestions:
1. If you are going to use this format (two guys in separate places) then you need to focus on the camera and not turn randomly away from it. (As a side note ‘kitchen table’ seems a strange metaphor to use for two middle-aged guys in their ‘single’ spaces — lounge room? and study)
2. Adjust the camera angle so we don’t need to look up your nose.
3. Get some help with syncing sound and picture.
Thanks – helpful advice! The sound and picture are recorded live so there is nothing we can do about it… And I was sitting at my kitchen table…!
A few questions, if I may :
1. Did God foresee Covid-19 ?
2. If He did not, is He still omniscient?
3.If He did , was He able to prevent it ?
4. If not, is He really omnipotent.
Lastly, if He had the power and did not use it , He willed the virus and the attendant suffering so surely He cannot be benevolent.
Ah – the old if God is good and all powerful then he would do what I consider to be good – argument. I wrote an answer for this here – https://theweeflea.com/2014/08/02/the-apologetic-of-evil-the-keswick-lecture-16th-july-2014/
Lifelong matrimony is an interesting choice. It is true that for over a thousand years Christians believed in lifelong matrimony. In other words they rejected the permissability for a Christian of divorce and remarriage. A marriage lasted until one of the spouses died. (I’m not sure when Orthodox Churches deviated from this understanding of marriage so I will leave them out of it. But one thing that both the Western and Eastern Churches held in common was that marriage was a sacrament.) But there are now plenty of people who call themselves Christians who are quite accepting of divorce and remarriage, possibly even several divorces and remarriages by the one person. And there don’t seem to be many organisations which call themselves Christian Churches which today adhere to the idea that divorce and remarriage are not permissible for a Christian. Indeed, like the recent acceptance in some “Churches” of the possibility of ordaining people in an active homosexual relationship, many “Churches” have accepted the possibility of divorced and remarriage clergy. So I wouldn’t disagree with the claim that lifelong marriage is a feature of Christianity but it is no longer the understanding of marriage which many Christians today continue to uphold.
Regarding the question submitted by Alastair Ross, the great thirteenth century Christian philosopher, Thomas Aquinas regarded the argument as the greatest argument against the existence of God. His response has probably been the basis of the response of Christians ever since. Here is one summary of his argument.
http://oscott.net/problem-evil-st-thomas-aquinas/
Who was the RC professor who you described as saying “progress is a myth”? I would be interested in looking for any public lectures he may have made.
Professor John Haldane…of University of St Andrews…
Many thanks