Outward Journey / Inward Journey

I think I am somewhere between High/Strong and High/Weak.

According to the Bible, as the reformers understood it, marriage is a duty prescribed by the law of creation and a right of persons protected by the law of Christ. No human law could impinge on this divine duty or infringe on this God-given right without the warrant of divine law. No human authority could obstruct or annull a marriage without divine authorization. “It is contrary to faith as well as to love,” wrote Andreas Osiander, “when man puts asunder, without God’s command, what God has brought together.”

-John Witte, Jr. (1997) From Sacrament to Contract: Marriage, Religion, and Law in the Western Tradition. Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 62.

According to the latest issue of Radar magazine:

According to a senior government official who served with high-level security clearances in five administrations, “There exists a database of Americans, who, often for the slightest and most trivial reason, are considered unfriendly, and who, in a time of panic, might be incarcerated. The database can identify and locate perceived ‘enemies of the state’ almost instantaneously.” He and other sources tell Radar that the database is sometimes referred to by the code name Main Core. One knowledgeable source claims that 8 million Americans are now listed in Main Core as potentially suspect. In the event of a national emergency, these people could be subject to everything from heightened surveillance and tracking to direct questioning and possibly even detention.

After my Palestinescapades and [now lapsed] DSA membership, among other things, I have little doubt that I am on said list. I’d also add that if you’re not, you’re doing something wrong. I expect that if and when they start rounding up the dissidents, I’ll be among the third or fourth round of those to be detained.

The little tinfoil hat in me wonders what sort of ‘emergency’ this administration could concoct to justify not turning over power if Obama wins in November. The sad part is a more rational part of me wonders if the tinfoil hat part is really that paranoid.

1-what religion are you?
Christian (of the Reformed Protestant variety)

2-what religion(s), besides yours, do you feel the closest to?
Probably Judaism.  Not terribly interested in Jesus-free religion of any sort though.

3-what convinces you about your religion?
The person of Jesus Christ.

4-is your religion truer than other religion?
Christianity isn’t in and of itself better than any other religion.  Jesus Christ alone justifies it (thx @ Barth).

5-do you feel like the world would be better if everyone converted to your religion?
Yes.

6-do you think that there should be a separation of Church and State?
At this point in time, yes, for the protection of the Church from the state.

7-are you willing to marry someone from another religion?
No.

8-are you against Homosexual marriages?
No.

9-are you against complete freedom of speech? Like the Danish Cartoons
I don’t buy into the universal human rights enlightenment story.  So yes I do think that there can be limits to free speech.

10-do you believe that killing someone for blasphemy is a reasonable
punishment?
No.

11-Would you be more confortable in a country where your religion is the main religion?
That’s an interesting question.  There are probably benefits and drawbacks to both living in a Christian-majority country.  On one hand it’s difficult to become complacent when Christians are a minority, and that Scriptural sense of particularism would be easier to maintain.  On the other hand there’s a greater chance that Christian values can permeate society when there are a lot of Christians about.  Or not, as the case may be (thx @ Bush).

12-Do you have any spiritual heroes from different religions? If yes, name them
I don’t really do heroism terribly well in general.

13-for those who believe in Paradise and Hell, Do you believe that those who don’t believe in your religion can go to Paradise?
Being Reformed, I don’t believe that salvation is up to us, whether we are Christian or not.  Salvation is the sovereign choice of a sovereign God.

14-Do you think that everyone can perfectly coexist with your religion?
Not quite sure what this means.

15-Are you a convert or were you brought up into your religion?
Not a convert.  Raised in a different denomination: raised Baptist, now United Church of Christ.

16-Do you believe that laws should be based on religious values?
Some of them, yes.  Many Christian values cannot and should not be legislated.

17-how old are you?
23

18-where do you live?
Pennsylvania ATM