#Biblical Authority

[a-queer-seminarian]

“For certain, the authority of the Bible does not rest on its being a seamless document with a homogeneous or monolithic meaning. To the contrary, conflicting voices keep open meanings and appropriations. Despite efforts by editors, canonizers, and interpreters, no one person or group controls the meanings of the content. Biblical authority embraces the authority of struggle and difference; the authority of struggle and difference undergirds biblical authority.”

- Phyllis Trible in "The Authority of the Bible," appendix to The New Interpreter’s Study Bible: NRSV.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

An assertion isn’t an argument.

Greg Koukl responds to a video by Dan McClellan that claims the Bible has no authority, then he answers questions about the extent to which Satan influences non-believers and how we can know when we should continue witnessing to someone and when we should move on.

Listen Here

[tmarshconnors]

"You don't have to give up your intellect to trust the Bible. You have to give up your pride."

Robert Charles Sproul was an American Reformed theologian and ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America. He was the founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries and could be heard daily on the Renewing Your Mind radio broadcast in the United States and internationally.

Theologian and Author: R.C. Sproul was a prominent Reformed theologian and author known for his extensive work in Christian theology. He authored numerous books on theology, biblical interpretation, and Christian living, including notable works such as "The Holiness of God" and "Chosen by God."

Founder of Ligonier Ministries: Sproul founded Ligonier Ministries in 1971, a Christian educational organization dedicated to teaching the Reformed faith through resources such as books, conferences, and broadcasts. The ministry is named after Ligonier Valley, where it was initially established.

Teaching Pastor: He served as the teaching pastor at St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, where he was influential in shaping the church’s theological direction and providing teaching and preaching that emphasized Reformed theology.

Popular Speaker and Teacher: R.C. Sproul was known for his engaging teaching style and was a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars. His teaching reached a wide audience through radio programs, such as "Renewing Your Mind," and his teaching series were widely distributed.

Reformed Theology Advocate: Sproul was a staunch advocate of Reformed theology, emphasizing doctrines such as the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of understanding and teaching core Christian doctrines. His work contributed significantly to the spread of Reformed thought in contemporary evangelicalism.

[lgcyab]

Worshiping in Spirit and Truth: Revisiting Instrumental Music in Worship

Worship practices have long been a topic of discussion within religious communities, often centering on whether instrumental music has a place in worship services. Advocates of instrumental music cite Psalms, particularly David’s words, as justification. However, delving into this matter from the lens of New Testament teachings reveals a different perspective worth exploring. The assertion…

[possil]

THE BISHOPS OR THE BIBLE

How does a denomination respond when it faces a potentially fatal split? The Church of England’s answer is a frantic fudge. The fudge satisfies no one and only prolongs the agony of a denomination at war with itself At their meeting next month the most contentious issue facing the CofE’s governing body, the General Trustees, will be same-sex marriage. Many are vociferously pressing for the…

[biblicallyaccuratestiles]

STILES, scolding a whining SCOTT: “Tough fuckin’ scuff, dude—shouldn’t have almost died on us.”

SHERIFF STILINSKI: “Language, Stiles.”

STILES: “What, scuff?”

SHERIFF: “The other one.”

STILES: (gasps dramatically) “Died?!”

[fictionadventurer]

I know you don't rely on religious arguments against abortion. But I thought I'd offer my two cents on when the body is "infused" with a soul. The term almost implies the soul exists before conception. If I'm not mistaken, Christianity doesn't teach the pre-existence of the soul. The soul begins to exist the moment the body begins to exist, e.g. conception.

On whether Numbers 5:11-31 describes an abortion, compare translations of Num. 5:21-22 on Biblehub. Out of dozens of translations the NIV is the only one that uses the term "miscarry." The rest mention the shriveling of a body part, but the Hebrew word for it is vague. The same word is used to describe where Ehud stabbed King Eglon, but also where God injured Jacob. Thus some versions translate it as womb/abdomen, but a majority translate it as thigh. Also important to note that pregnancy wasn't a requirement for the ritual. Pregnant or not, the faithful wife received no harm. Pregnant or not, the unfaithful wife was found out.

Again, I know we don't have to rely on scripture to be prolife. There are many secular prolife arguments from science. But I thought you might want this in your arsenal if someone wants to argue for abortion from scripture.

Excellent point about the body and soul not being separate. Consistent with Theology of the Body.

I also found this article that goes into extreme depth about the many, many reasons that the Numbers passage does not describe abortion/forced miscarriage and the many, many other much more likely possibilities.

As long as we're discussing Biblical arguments against abortion, let's look at two New Testament ones.

The Annunciation: Mary's conception is the beginning of God coming into the world. If she'd had an abortion at any point in her pregnancy, she would have been destroying Jesus.

The Visitation: Elizabeth's son leapt in her womb upon the arrival of the Lord. This proves that he was a separate person, and that Jesus was a person long before birth. Since Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy at the time of Mary's Annunciation, Jesus is no more than three months' gestation at this time.

And to expand it to other religious arguments against abortion, since I'm Catholic, anyone who wants to argue for abortion on religious grounds had better read Evangelium Vitae first. God gave His Church teaching authority, and His Church clearly teaches that abortion is a grave evil. (When this is written by a Pope who lived through Nazi-occupied Poland and Communist-occupied Poland, you had better believe he has first-hand experience with the horrors that result when you don't value all human life.)

[dreamalittledreamofcopia]

blessed the latter part

papa iv/copia x reader

You could watch the snow falling outside where you sat in the library. Your table and chair was tucked away, in a corner by a window, hidden by a few catacombs and bookshelves. This was your favorite spot to sit quietly and be away from the hustle and bustle of life in the abbey, and days where you received your favorite visitor here were all the more special.

You weren’t expecting Copia to come find you today, however. His pillow talk the previous night had consisted of a few regrettable changes to plans for the week due to some meetings that were an ugly surprise from Sister Imperator. Copia’s break was ending, you feared what came next for your lover-in-secret. What started as a few flirty texts while he was away on tour as a cardinal turned into an on and off affair that had been on since Copia brought you on the first leg of the Imperatour. You didn’t want to tell anyone at the ministry about it, but the ghouls knew. The ghouls always knew, but aside from them, as far as you knew, it was secret.

He had also asked you to do some research for him, so like a good partner, you set aside a few hours to attempt to answer a few of his questions about the book of Job and his peculiar award. You could still see the adorable roll of his brows and the creases in his eyelids as he asked you why Job would name his daughter Eyeshadow in the candle light.

You were started, then, when you heard some familiar footfalls echo off the marble walls towards you. He stopped a few feet away from you, his shadow elongating across the snowy window, and cleared his throat timidly. It was one of your favorite Copia noises and you smiled warmly at the welcome sight of your lover.

“Your bangs are curly.”

You looked up to find him standing above you, his jacket off and cracked in his arms. His frame was hugged by his waistcoat, and the sight was intoxicating. You motioned for him to sit at the table — he obliged after some coaxing.

“Yeah-“ you cleared your throat and watched as he sat besides you, “I didn’t have time to straighten them this morning.”

Copia leaned over and gently tapped the end of his pen against your temple. When you giggled, he dragged it through the front part of your hair, a short curl springing out and framing your forehead. “They look so beautiful,” he hummed softly, his other hand moving towards the back of your head. You felt his fingertips pad against your scalp, someplace between a message and a scratch, sensational through your still damp roots. You had to fight your eyes from rolling back into your head and a moan slipping out of your lips, and your efforts only half worked.

“Papa…” you whispered, knowing you were the only two in this part of the library but still scared of someone finding you here like this. So scared of your secret romance finally being exposed. So scared of Imperator hearing you call him by his name and banishing you on the spot.

Copia, sensing your apprehension, just smiled at you calmly. He kept his hand behind your head but brought his over around your face, his fingers gently running over the little curlies around your eyes. “I like them like this, a lot. Very sweet, amore.” He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss above the tail of your eyebrow, his lips gently grazing over your bangs in the process. “My sweet love, dolce amore.”

Copia loved to whisper to you in public. Little words of affection and terms of endearment sent out only for you to receive, his love declared for you in the most visible of secret places. You knew you couldn’t keep this up forever, but you enjoyed the idea that you could and enjoyed that you were fooling everyone so terribly.

“I’m glad I get to see you today,” you whispered, subconsciously leaning into the touch you craved, “I thought I wouldn’t until dinner, if I was lucky.”

“Things are going smoother than anticipated,” Copia grinned, his papal paint slightly smudged around his lips from biting or pursing or the quick good-bye you snuck in this morning or the latte you snuck him later in the day, “I think the ghouls wanted to rush, for some reason.” He leaned forward and gently leaned his forehead against yours, “But I think I can guess. They’re very compassionate.”

You giggled at the thought of the ghouls cooperating just to get Copia back home to you, even if it was just for a fifteen minute break. “That’s so sweet.”

“Aurora told me your hair was cute today,” Copia mused, twirling one of your curled bangs around his fingers, “your hair is cute everyday but she was right about this one. I never get to see this.”

You tilted your chin up to meet Copia’s lips in a soft, delicate kiss, careful of the remaining paint around his lips. He hummed appreciatively, satisfaction coursing through his soul.

“I love you,” he whispered before reconnecting with you in another kiss.

“When will I see you next?” You whispered back, your breath fanning across his lips.

“Dinner, probably,” he said with a wistful sigh, “but I had to see you for some motivation. Tu mi dai la forza, angelo.”

“Mmm, that reminds me,” you said, a dopey smile on your face as you swam in his sweet scent and his sweet words, “I need another Italian lesson, Papa.”

“But you just had one last night,” Copia mused, tapping your chin lovingly, “I’m a busy Papa, you know. Can’t spend all my nights teaching you the language of love.”

That was a lie, or a half truth, perhaps — Copia would be a busy Papa because of you. He would be busy with you, devoting all his time to enjoying and loving and treasuring you. Copia didn’t plan to spend another night apart from you. He’d gladly give all of his nights to you, if you’d have them.

“I’m sure you can tweak your schedule to fit me in,” you pouted. Copia took the opportunity to press a kiss full and flush into your lips, papal makeup be damned.

“Then I’ll prepare a lesson,” he said softly as he stood back up.

“Oh, please don’t go,” you said, reaching up to take his hand in yours.

“mi dispiace, amore,” Copia replied as he laid his other hand on your face, cupping it gently. His thumb gently brushed your curly bangs out of your eyes. “I have to get back so we can end today before six.”

You nodded, turning your head to kiss the inside of his wrist, between the end of his glove and the beginning of his sleeve. “I understand but that doesn’t mean I like it.”

Copia laughed softly and nodded, leaning down to give you one last forehead kiss. “I know, I know. Find me some answers, okay? I trust you.” He stroked your face lovingly, his eyes staring down into yours and drinking you in before he gently patted your cheek. “I’ll see you soon, baby.” He said, almost mournfully as he went back to his meeting and he left you with his research, which would be filled with his name in hearts by the latter half of the hour, more than the former part.

[abutterflyobsession]

what’s trigun about? well, it’s a comedy, it’s a western, it’s scifi, a tragedy, horror, it’s about two insurance agents following around a guy classified as a natural disaster--oh, and how familiar are you with the bible?

[cressida-cowper]

i love talking to @top-rhaenyra

[theprayingteacher]

#Strength

[ryemiffie]

Day 2 of posting dialogue from projects I've worked on but there's no context:

" It was on this day god died. I watched him fall from the heavens in a pained display of power, and as I stood there serenaded by his anguished screams I began to wonder "if even god can feel pain, why can't I?" "

[libraryleopard]

Young adult dystopian/horror novel

A trans boy on the run from an eco-fascist Christian cult that decimated the population by releasing a deadly virus is rescued by group of teens from a local LGBTQ+ center and agrees to help them take down the cult–but he's hiding the secret that he's slowly being transformed into a monster via the bioweapon the cult infect him with

Compelling, intense, and gorey

Explores religious trauma & trans/queer rage

Gay, trans main character; gay, autistic love interest; various queer side characters

[queen0fm0nsterz]

Reading my fave thin man and lady fic. Kicking my feet a lot because tbh. Sometimes a sad man really is just a weird woman's science project in a way that is so homoerotic

[philtstone]

I don't know much about LOTR but I know Aragorn's weird. He's a weirdo. He doesn't fit in. Have you ever seen him without that stupid helmet? Wait no don't kick that

lmfaoooo

my great hope is that everyone who has not yet watched lotr now observing my unhinged posts will be compelled to watch lotr. i feel this way not only because i think its a beautiful story but also and more pragmatically because i genuinely think that for whatever flaws it may have its a very special phenomenon in filmmaking history.

(i would never presume to insist anyone has to read the books. theyre bangers though)

that said if you, gentle reader, never do watch lotr. and ur seeing my crazy posts. yes. the biggest takeaway from all of this is indeed that aragorn, prophesied king of the realm and the best dude you will ever meet, is a weirdo

many tolkien characters are weirdos in out-of-story-context. and then several tolkien characters are weirdos in in-story-context, too, which makes them great fun. in fact, it could be argued that there's so much cross-cultural race and power-level mixing in the proverbial dnd party (and all subsequent side quests), that every single character is at one point perceived as a massive weirdo by any other given character in the story.

and theyre all the good guys <3

[kindcannibalism]

Raphael reincarnated continues to carry the curse.

These are characters from my book that I wanted to draw together.