A Quick Note to Clear My Conscience

Ok.  The Fall.  I think everybody who reads this (all three of you) is pretty familiar with the story.  Well, I was wondering, did Adam and Eve sweat before the Fall?  What do you think?  Hmmm…

This came up briefly during a study session the other night, but seeing as the Neuromuscular Junction was slightly more present on our minds at the moment, it didn’t really get to be fleshed out.  Well, let’s go to the text and see what that says.

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

The first thing that I notice, which happens to be a very interesting side note, is that God did not tell Eve that she would now experience pain in childbirth, but that her pain in childbearing would be multiplied.  For something to be multiplied into a greater magnitude, the initial amount cannot equal zero.  Anyway, just some extra grass for free — put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Moving right along.  Here in verse 19 is the reference to sweat.  Notice in verse 17 who God is talking to in this section.  Hm, I guess we women are out of luck as far as functional sweat glands are concerned.  In addition, when I read this verse, I don’t think “oh, yes…this is when people started to lose water and sodium from their pores.”  I tend to think “hmm…now Adam will sweat when he works the field, which maybe means that working that field will now be harder than it was before –which tends to jive with the reference to thorns and thistles.”  After all, God did command Adam and Eve to tend the garden in the previous couple chapters.

Finally, a more scientifically-directed note.  What is so evil about sweat?  True, it can turn a good date bad or sour an important interview, but physiologically, sweat is an important thermoregulator, just as panting is for dogs, the dampening of front paws is for cats, and the fanning of the large ears is for elephants.  When did “not mentioned in the Bible until verse 19″ start to mean that “none of it occurred in verses 1-18?”  Forgive my bluntness, but according to that kind of logic, people in the Bible didn’t perform many physiologically important functions conducive to life (yeah, don’t even get me started on thermodynamics).  Adam and Eve sweat, bled and voided before the Fall.  God said His Creation was good…not perfect.

This is just another example of how many of today’s Christians don’t take the time to study the Scriptures and let the words structure their theology and doctrine.  Instead they do the opposite, forcing it into their own mold, handed down by the previous generation guilty of the same sin.

The Song Wheel

Yesterday was our last day of orientation in Vet School. One of the prominent speakers for the morning began his talk with a YouTube rendition of the song “I Can See Clearly Now”.  Then, with the soft plucking of the guitar in the background, he proceeded to urge all of us to find either a song, a book, or an event in our lives, that when we woke up wondering why we were putting ourselves through the misery of vet school, we could focus on this material object…and instantly feel better.  Pardon me for saying so, but I also think a shot of LSD would  satisfy this requirement.

The problem with looking to the material world when we feel depressed or discouraged is that it is often the material world itself that is frustrating us.  When we start to wilt under the intense class load and strike out at those around us from mental and physical fatigue, that is when we begin to realize that maybe we can’t do this on our own.  Why?  Because we are finite, natural beings.  Imperfect.  Flawed.  Overcome with our own pride and self-servience and greed.  Constrained by time and space and the laws of physics.  We wonder if our lives have a purpose, and if not, what’s the point of putting ourselves through the agony of attaining those three consonants after our name when we could just as easily float through our meaningless lives as burger-flippers or 7/11 cashiers?

And somehow a singing hippo or a Joel Osteen book will combat these thoughts and reveal our purpose in life?

Looking to the material world to solve our material problems will never satisfy.  Yes, it may dull the edge of hopelessness for a while, like a snort of cocaine dulls the hunger pains of an addict, but it will never be enough; and over time the dosage will have to be increased as our carnality grows and feeds on itself.  We seek to find an answer, yet somehow know that nothing in this world will completely solve the paradox.

What, then, is the answer?  C.S. Lewis gives us a substantial clue:

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” (C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity)

The Last Hoorah

It is hard to believe that I am actually finally at the place where I have been trying to get for over ten years.  My brain is still trying to capture the reality and excitement of the phrase “I am in veterinary medicine school!”.  We have gone through the coating ceremony:

And the C.O.P.E. Course (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) @ Camp Seminole:

Both of which gave me the opportunity to get to know my classmate, and in a few words…THEY ROCK!!!  My MDL (multi-discipline lab) group is awesome and I have a feeling we’re going to have great fun (probably too much) over the next year (despite the fact that two of them are Ohio State Buckeyes fans…we shall forgive them…eventually).

So today, on this first Saturday as a vet student, I urge you be warned.  This is probably the last Saturday post that will be as long and detailed as this one, as from here on out my days will be filled with classes and work and studying and general disarray.  So farewell, and hope to see you on the other side.

(Almost) Dr. Beck

A Touch of History

During our “down-week” at Summit (yay, Tamiflu…), Doc Noebel took the time to give us a little current events talk and to run through introductions with the staff, since he was unable to hang with us last Saturday.  One of the first things he read to us was a poem by Rudyard Kipling entitled “The Gods of the Copybook Headings”.  This poem is included in the front of all the student’s notebooks, but Doc rarely has time to include it in his opening remarks, as witnessed by my complete lack of familiarity with these stanzas.  I wanted to post it here and encourage you all to read it slowly and aloud, either to yourself or to others.  There are so many references to historical events, worldviews, and even proverbs that for me this peom quickly moved into the realm of utter brilliance.  If you are unfamiliar with what is a copybook heading, please read this beforehand…otherwise this poem will make absolutely no sense to you and you will be forced out of your own ignorance to call me and Kipling both blathering idiots.  The Gods of the Market Place does not refer to the Free Market (sorry, libs), but rather different governments and worldviews that lean more towards socialism interventionism, secular humanism, and other godless institutions.  I will leave it to you, the reader, to discover Kipling’s intent of the Gods of the Copybook Headings.

The Gods of the Copybook Headings

AS I PASS through my incarnations in every age and race,
I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place.
Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all.

We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn
That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn:
But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind,
So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind.

We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace,
Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place,
But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come
That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome.

With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch,
They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch;
They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings;
So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.

When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “Stick to the Devil you know.”

On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life
(Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife)
Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “The Wages of Sin is Death.”

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “If you don’t work you die.”

Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true
That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.

As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began.
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool’s bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;

And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!

The Ultimate Student Resource List

It’s back to school time, yet again. In the spirit of the season, I decided to gather together the best tools, websites, and advice I know of to help make you a more effective and relaxed student this semester. Since I know you’re broke, it’s all free!

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20 Foods To Snack On For Enhanced Productivity

Most people eat to lose weight, get healthy and build muscle. There are some people, however, who snack correctly in order to enhance their productivity. The following is a list of 20 foods you can eat to improve your eye-sight, improve your performance, energize your brain and keep your day on track

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8 Tips For Healthy Living On The Go

If 2008 is going to be different for you, your body and your family, then it’s time to buckle up and find new habits that will serve you better. Don’t you agree? Healthy living doesn’t have to be hard, it was never created to be. But it does require a small amount of commitment and a big love for being refreshed

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An Unexpected, but Not Unsought For, Welling In My Soul

I had always known that the persecuted existed. When I was in high school, I tried becoming involved in various Voice of the Martyrs endevours, but as an underage, unemployed youth, there was only so much I could do. Now, I am still underage (at least for drinking), and I am still unemployed. But a passion has begun to flower again in my soul. The roots were always there, planted in my formative years the Christmas I received the Jesus Freaks book. But I have not had a resurrection of purpose since those pubertial days. Who knows what has sparked this new notion. Perhaps a drop of water in the form of a friend, passionate about the deletes of India. Perhaps a handful of fertilizer in the form of my first copy of the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Perhaps a favorable wind in the form of a Sunday School lesson on II Corinthians 1:3-4. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

As the savage civilization, we have been given so many comforts, and have taken so many of these comforts for granted. Should we not move to take advantage of these almost automatic comforts in order to provide even the most basic comforts to those of our brothers and sisters impoverished? We do not have to worry about things such as where our next meal will come from, or our next pair of shoes. The Bible, the thing most coveted in hostile and restricted nations, is one of the most accessible objects to us here in America. Therefore, since we do not have to worry for our own livelihoods or the livelihoods of our loved ones (and here I do not refer to that kind of worry that is shallow and in the end inconsequential…you will live if you can’t scrape together enough money to buy that double whopper from Lipid King or Mcholesterol), could we not seek to provide these basic comforts to our brothers and sisters in Christ?

We, Christians, have heard this phrase so often that I think it loses meaning for many of us. Ok, they are our ‘brothers and sisters in Christ’, yeah, I’ll pray for them whenever our pastor leads the church to pray on the occasional ‘International Sunday’, but besides that, what are they to me? I’ll see them in heaven and then it will be one big party. Do you think Jesus will look kindly on those who did not show as much care for others as for themselves? Do you think there will be a joyous reunion between you and those persecuted and martyred when you did nothing to relieve their suffering? Or will seeing their scars and the sacrifices they made for our Saviour produce some of the tears that He will have to wipe from your eyes? Is your indifference something that will go up in flames as hay, wood, and stubble? I lay this criticism on me as much as anyone else. I have been too comfortable. From the moment I wake till the moment I fall into my comfortable, clean bed in my sheltered, dry, dorm room, I think of nothing but my own comfort and success. What shall I eat? What shall I wear? What shall I do to relax since my life possesses so many hardships and I need the time to “unwind”?

For introducing one discomfort, or even the lack of a complete comfort, into our lives, I foresee a great resistance. Even I, when faced with the conclusions of my own argument, immediately feel the threads of complaint wrapping themselves around my throat. After all, I am a citizen in the most successful country in the world, so why should I not live like it? And then the answer comes to me. We should live like we control the most prosperous country in the world. But maybe our idea of what that looks like has been founded on the wrong set of ideals, the wrong ‘worldview’ if you please.

STR Solid Ground – Sept/Oct 2007

The Problem of Evil

- The problem of evil is perhaps the greatest challenge a Christian has to answer.

- Atheists often use the presence of evil in the world to argue against God’s existence, however, it proves just the opposite.

- To say something is evil is a value judgement based on a standard of moral perfection that is falls short of.

- We observe that moral rules exist but have no physical properties. They are a king of communication, they have an “oughtness” to them, and we feel real guilt when we violate them.

- Only three options for the existence of morality are possible: 1) morality is simply an illusion; 2) moral rules are the product of chance; or 3) they are the product of intelligence.

- Moral laws have force when they’re given by an appropriate authority.

- Moral laws suggest a moral law giver. The best explanation for the existence of morality is a personal God.

(Gregory Koukl, President of Stand to Reason, Full Article: HERE)

Putting Your Knowledge Into Action

* Realize that the problem of evil is actually one of the strongest proofs for the existence of God.

*When you encounter someone who says there is no truth, ask them what they mean by “truth.”

* Remember the four observations about morality: moral rules are not physical, governed by natural laws, they are a kind of communication, there is an “oughtness” about them, and we have a conscience that reflects true moral guilt.

*Keep in mind that we only have three options when trying to explain morality: it’s an illusion, it’s a product of mere chance, or it’s a product of intellligence.

*Remember that when relativists complain about the injustice of the universe it’s a tacit admission of morality

* Don’t forget that if moral rules have no ground or justification they need not be obeyed. And, like the policeman directing traffic, they must have an appropriate authority that gives them incumbency.

Moreland Reflections

I am currently reading ‘Love Your God With All Your Mind’ by J.P. Moreland. A lot of his recent points hit hard. I have been so frivolous with my time and effort for my entire life. Moreland talks about the ‘empty self’ and how it is taking over today’s society. He provided seven traits of the empty self:

1) The empty self is inordinately individualistic.

GUILTY

2) The empty self is infantile.

GUILTY

3) The empty self is narcissistic.

GUILTY

…

5) The empty self is sensate.

GUILTY

6) The empty self has lost the art of developing an interior life.

GUILTY

7) The empty self is hurried and busy.

Moreland continues: “If a person is sensate in orientation, music, magazines filled with pictures, and visual media in general will be more important than mere words on a page or abstract thought. If one is hurried and distracted, one will have little patience of theoretical knowledge and too short of an attention span to stay with an idea while it is being carefully developed. Instead, there will be a rush to get to the bottom line, an overemphasis on practical application and how-tos, a Reader’s Digest approach to sermon evaluation or reading selection.”

We, even Christians, skirt from difficulty. Yes, we say we would suffer persecution for Christ by verbal derision and ridicule, but what about denying ourselves every day? What about bettering our minds and bodies for the glory of the kingdom? Moreland called me out when he discussed how when people finish dinner or get home from work, they will plop in front of the TV for three hours because ‘they are too tired to do anything else’. Instead, get off your duff and practice some physical exercise! Even a walk, which is what Moreland suggests, will rejuvenate the mind and body. Then, after you get back, sit down with an intellectually stimulating book for thirty minutes to an hour. ‘Passive ruts’ are what he calls our tendency to be coach potatoes and reading unchallenging books. He couldn’t be more correct! I tried it out today. I didn’t surf the web, I didn’t reach for the television remote. Instead, I thought of all the things I could get done today, and did it! And glory be! I got those things and so much more done! I didn’t become tired at all, or get a headache, but instead I have felt rejuvenated and accomplished, assured that I have helped to strengthen my mind and body.

Moreland’s very next point is about developing patience and endurance. Just because some people are better at sitting still and concentrating for long periods of time does not mean that those who tend to be more fidgety get the write-off! “A life of intellectual cultivation takes effort. And it can be painful. The mind is like a muscle: it needs to be stretched beyond itself…If you are fidgety and have to get up every fifteen minutes, you must get control of yourself. And gaining such control will require self-denial, suffering, and endurance.” Just because some kids will have to spend more time developing these abilities does not make them ADHD/ADD/OCD or any other combination of a drug-scrounging individual.

A note of my own stemming from this chapter: I HATE VIDEO/COMPUTER GAMES!!!! I have never witnessed such an incredible waste of time and money! They teach kids to shoot guns, to develop calloused consciences, and to shut down their brains for long periods of time. I have watched as someone has played a war game where a member of their own team was in their line of site to the enemy, and the player has gunned them down so they could have a better shot at the enemy target. After all, its just a computer simulation. It’s not real. Bullshit. It’s real in the mind of the player. The only game I have ever seen a use for is DDR, for physical exercise. For me, that one game is not worth having to buy the system, the game, the pads, and find (or more like waste) the time. I never want to have a video game system or a pc game in my house ever. “But I play them when I need to disengage from life, or am having a hard day and need to get some stress out.” Whoopie…I wonder what people did when there weren’t hundreds of ways to attain neural euphoria. They went for a walk, they built something, they read an entertaining book. Something active, something constructive. Not passive and mind-slogging.