On 'Morality' absent Biblical religion

K T Cat: Biology, Morality And Religion

It's all horrible, but is it wrong? That's the question I wrestled with as I listened. Putting myself in their shoes, where their gods and goddesses are nothing more than good luck charms and their morality is derived from satisfying biological urges, why is any of it wrong?

Therein lies the problem for those who claim that atheism can produce a moral code equal or superior to Christianity. You might be able to do it in the faculty lounge, which I doubt, but you certainly can't do it with the general public. You can't answer the simple question that all moral codes must address: Why shouldn't I satisfy my biological urges?

Modern 'atheism' -- which is to say, the God-denialism which is grounded in rejection and/or hatred of Christianity -- and the various paganisms of the ancient world share the same foundational metaphysics, so it's to be expected that their 'morality' will be similar.

The One True Bureaucracy rides again

BBC: Pope Francis declares death penalty inadmissible in all cases

To quote Ian Bibby on Facebook: "Pope Francis declares Catholic teaching to be fallible on matters of ancient Catholic doctrine, and therefore denies his own authority and the legitimacy of the Catholic church itself."

For the past few years (and especially since Francis was elected), I've been telling online Catholic friends -- especially the ones who like to blame leftism and related social ills on the Reformation -- that the day was coming when they'd have to choose between fidelity to The One True Bureaucracy and fidelity to Christ. That day has come closer.

Sync

An interesting (and well-made) science fiction movie --

YouTube video: Sync

The concept of the "singularity" is, among other things, an expression of scientism and atheistic religiosity. Which is to say, it's laughable rubbish; nevertheless, and keeping in mind that nothing like this *can* happen, it is an entertaining movie.

It never is ...

YouTube video: It's not about the nail

Two Options Only

Hilary White (What Is Up With The Synod?): The smiling executioner: when death becomes an obligation

And here we are, 20 years later, and a court has ruled that although his parents have permission to take Alfie Evans home, he is still being effectively held prisoner, refused medical care for his still-undiagnosed condition, specifically in order to assure that he doesn’t live. The British medical system and courts have determined that Alfie has to die because of the working assumption that death is preferable to life for disabled people.

When my friends email me to tell me how they feel about it and say things like, “I can’t fathom this,” all I can think or say is, “I can.” For those who are horrified and perplexed and baffled by what is happening to Alfie Evans (and to Charlie Gard before him) I can certainly empathise. But I can say that I’m not perplexed or baffled. This is the only possible destination of the path we’ve been on for a long time. This is where we had to go.

Exactly.

Such things are only the beginning of the horrors to come in the nations formerly known as 'Christendom', because they have collectively turned their backs on Christ.

There is always a "god of the system"; there is *always* an organizing metaphysical basis to a society -- i.e. a "religion" which determines what may and may not be done. And since the nations formerly known as 'Christendom' have collectively turned their backs on Christ, and have rejected the foundation on which they were built, the only alternative "god of the system" is necessarily demonic.

There is no going back to the "innocent paganism" (as CS Lewis once called it) of the ancients. Christ has come, and he has ended that that particular ignorance (and 'ignorance' is, after all, what 'innocence' means): the only options left to our nations are:
1) Christ, and life;
2) the Pit, and death.

God Will Supply the Lamb

This post is about a new-to-me insight concerning the Sacrifice of Isaac and the Sacrifice of Christ. I certainly am not saying that no one has ever expressed this thought before, but rather that I have never heard/encountered it before it came to me (due to a phrase in a song).

I expect that most of the one readers of my little blog are familiar with the idea that the Sacrifice of Isaac is a 'type' of the Sacrifice of Christ (which is the 'architype'). Here is another aspect of that --

Recall, after Abraham passes the test God had set him, how his earlier answer to Isaac concerning the sacrifice was fulfilled:

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

In the ancient Near East, and consequently throughout the Bible, an animal's horns represent strength and power, and by extension, authority and kingship.

So, the ram was able to be made a fitting sacrifice because he was held in the thicket by his strength and power.

Similarly, Christ, the Lamb of God, was able to be made a fitting sacrifice because he was held in the thicket of our sins by his strength and power, by his authority and kingship.

No man taketh it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

That's why we have to brick-up the window

Douglas Wilson: Don’t Waste Your White Privilege

To change the metaphor, it does not matter how you rearrange the classroom, whenever you are done, somebody’s desk will be closest to the window.

This is *why* -- when it's not merely camouflage for leftists' own attempted power-grab -- Cultural Marxism (i.e. "social justice") is all about destroying what is, whatever it is that is.

Problem ... Solution

Problem ... Letters to Hannah: The wages of sin

I think I now (finally) understand why Mr Egerer has rejected Christianity; and it turns out to be the most common of reasons.

Solution ... Blog and Mablog: Complicity and the Christ

Pi and Tau interpreted as music

Pi interpreted as music

Tau interpreted as music

Feser on Radical Skepticism

... and as relates to same-sex mirage --

Edward Feser (2015): Marriage and The Matrix