Comments on: The Moral Landscape of Heaven http://benjaminvineyard.com/2010/01/16/the-moral-landscape-of-heaven/ Seeking Spiritual Renovation in Christ Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:07:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: petejurchen http://benjaminvineyard.com/2010/01/16/the-moral-landscape-of-heaven/#comment-127 petejurchen Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:13:29 +0000 http://benjaminvineyard.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/the-moral-landscape-of-heaven/#comment-127 As for the chat about ministry and family and discipleship, I'd love it! I miss those conversations we had, and wish often that we'd been able to go further. Leaving the Omniscient one to do His thing, I love conversations about these types of matters. You know that I'm a big self-proclaimed fantasy geek (and I know you've got some of that in there somewhere), and pretty much all of fantasy literature/film/video games deals with this issue of good and evil (and often more in depth than pop culture gives it credit for). We Christians have the greatest epic at our fingertips, and one which we believe is actually true! All too often we dismiss these epic questions in favor of flighty Oprah-style life application and miss the grandeur of our faith. Thanks for posting these thoughts and stirring this up in my head once more. As for the chat about ministry and family and discipleship, I’d love it! I miss those conversations we had, and wish often that we’d been able to go further.

Leaving the Omniscient one to do His thing, I love conversations about these types of matters. You know that I’m a big self-proclaimed fantasy geek (and I know you’ve got some of that in there somewhere), and pretty much all of fantasy literature/film/video games deals with this issue of good and evil (and often more in depth than pop culture gives it credit for). We Christians have the greatest epic at our fingertips, and one which we believe is actually true! All too often we dismiss these epic questions in favor of flighty Oprah-style life application and miss the grandeur of our faith. Thanks for posting these thoughts and stirring this up in my head once more.

]]> By: Benjamin Vineyard http://benjaminvineyard.com/2010/01/16/the-moral-landscape-of-heaven/#comment-126 Benjamin Vineyard Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:03:44 +0000 http://benjaminvineyard.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/the-moral-landscape-of-heaven/#comment-126 Thanks for the comment Peter. When I was writing this little thought out, I was immersed in a couple of books about "evil," and all that. One is C.S. Lewis' The Problem of Pain. As I was writing, I was trying to wonder out loud about the way God made us in the beginning as free creatures with the ability to decide good or evil. Then, I was wondering about the restored creation... In that restored state, what would it be like to be free but not really choose evil? ...an even stranger question: why didn't God start with that plan and not this one? ...but, I'll leave the Omniscient one to have the answer to that. Thanks for the chat. On another note, I'd love to call or chat sometime about how ministry and being a daddy is going these days. I'd really love to hear your mind on youth ministry today. < Ben. Thanks for the comment Peter.

When I was writing this little thought out, I was immersed in a couple of books about “evil,” and all that. One is C.S. Lewis’ The Problem of Pain.

As I was writing, I was trying to wonder out loud about the way God made us in the beginning as free creatures with the ability to decide good or evil. Then, I was wondering about the restored creation… In that restored state, what would it be like to be free but not really choose evil?

…an even stranger question: why didn’t God start with that plan and not this one? …but, I’ll leave the Omniscient one to have the answer to that.

Thanks for the chat.

On another note, I’d love to call or chat sometime about how ministry and being a daddy is going these days. I’d really love to hear your mind on youth ministry today.

<
Ben.

]]> By: petejurchen http://benjaminvineyard.com/2010/01/16/the-moral-landscape-of-heaven/#comment-125 petejurchen Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:57:24 +0000 http://benjaminvineyard.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/the-moral-landscape-of-heaven/#comment-125 This is really an interesting thought. How do we speak of the problem of evil, ESPECIALLY in terms of the final coming of the Kingdom. I'll have to chew on this, but my first thought deals with the nature of evil. Do we side with many eastern religions and say that evil is necessary for good, or can good stand on its own apart from evil? In other words, would God be good without evil (of which I say "duh!"), and if that's the case, can man be "made" (for lack of better word) good without the possibility of evil? I think there's a slippery slope in either direction. Just food for thought. This is really an interesting thought. How do we speak of the problem of evil, ESPECIALLY in terms of the final coming of the Kingdom. I’ll have to chew on this, but my first thought deals with the nature of evil. Do we side with many eastern religions and say that evil is necessary for good, or can good stand on its own apart from evil? In other words, would God be good without evil (of which I say “duh!”), and if that’s the case, can man be “made” (for lack of better word) good without the possibility of evil? I think there’s a slippery slope in either direction. Just food for thought.

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