Glen's Story
Christian ThinkTank?
An Oxymoron?!!
"Strangely enough, I have found that when people learn that I am a Christian, I automatically get "docked" about 30 points of IQ! I can just see their minds squirming to say this.
Now, to be honest, I am not sure I fault them for this...I think it MIGHT be a general cultural stereotype or something. I remember thinking the same basic thing, even as I became a Christian back in college...
(visualize, if you will...a fuzzy flashback scene inserted here:
It was a chilly night, in more ways than one...that Wed. before Thanksgiving break. I was at the end of the most torturous date of my life. It was a double date, me the driver, and my skeptical buddy in the back. Everything had been abysmal. We picked our dates up later than usual for the fraternity party, for they were attending a Christian meeting of some type BEFORE the party (some famous traveling Christian 'intellectual' or sub-species thereof was speaking on the factuality of the resurrection or something). They were beaming with that 'glow' that I had already (even as a College Junior) learned to associate with fanaticism...I quickly lowered my expectations for how 'wild' a time I would have that night.
But I was a sensitive, non-combative type of fella, and anticipating that my sweet date (she really was a sweet-spirited and warm-hearted individual) would be 'high on Jesus' (and perhaps vocal about it), I asked my aggressively skeptical close-friend to kindly AVOID the subject of religion...in the interests of diplomacy. He agreed and promised not to pick a fight with them about the faith.
How fickle the fortunes of the fumbling! Upon picking the ladies up at the meeting, I politely asked my date in the front the distancing and closed-ended question 'was your meeting good' hoping to get a mild, low-volume 'fine' and maybe a few more non-incendiary syllables from her. But no...she was 'on fire'...she talked about the speaker and the empty tomb and the converted skeptic and on...and on. And eventually (sorta like 120 seconds in) my diplomatic friend in the back piped up "Did I hear someone mention the name Jesus Christ?"...and the subtle, but sardonic fireworks began between the other three people in the car...
Me? I began shrinking into that black hole of despair and resigned quietness I had learned as a defense technique, carefully designed and built to keep a world clamoring for my responsibility, conviction, and passion..at arms length...."
Read the rest of the story here....
Glen Miller is the owner and proprietor of A Christian Think Tank, which I would describe as an intellectually tasty blog concerning the philosophy of Christianity. But that description doesn't do it justice. Go have a look-see.
I wonder how to prove it, but it often seems that the people who come later to Christianity tend to take it more seriously as a philosophy, as an ethical foundation, as a guide to lifestyle, etc, than those who have considered themselves Christians since childhood.
In any event, I am heading off to a conference for a couple of days and will be likely to blog lightly during that time. I am curious about the comments this post will receive. What do you Christians, and what do you non-Christians, think about Glen's story?
~~~~~~~~
The Religion and Politics in American Life Survey
http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=440428
Kindly take Erin's survey and help her with her project. I will be getting results from Erin later on, and with her permission, will post the results on this blog. Could be very interesting stuff........
~~~~~~~
One of our regulars, Creeper, asked me to go back and get specific with the odds against evolution and I declined to go there at that time. But beginning this week and continuing into next, I intend to address two issues: Odds against Evolution, and Dating Methods. I should be able to start on this by the end of the week.
For the next couple of days, I will be at the ITEC convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. If by some strange chance you are coming by, on Wednesday I will be at the eSoft booth and would be pleased to shake your hand.
An Oxymoron?!!
"Strangely enough, I have found that when people learn that I am a Christian, I automatically get "docked" about 30 points of IQ! I can just see their minds squirming to say this.
Now, to be honest, I am not sure I fault them for this...I think it MIGHT be a general cultural stereotype or something. I remember thinking the same basic thing, even as I became a Christian back in college...
(visualize, if you will...a fuzzy flashback scene inserted here:
It was a chilly night, in more ways than one...that Wed. before Thanksgiving break. I was at the end of the most torturous date of my life. It was a double date, me the driver, and my skeptical buddy in the back. Everything had been abysmal. We picked our dates up later than usual for the fraternity party, for they were attending a Christian meeting of some type BEFORE the party (some famous traveling Christian 'intellectual' or sub-species thereof was speaking on the factuality of the resurrection or something). They were beaming with that 'glow' that I had already (even as a College Junior) learned to associate with fanaticism...I quickly lowered my expectations for how 'wild' a time I would have that night.
But I was a sensitive, non-combative type of fella, and anticipating that my sweet date (she really was a sweet-spirited and warm-hearted individual) would be 'high on Jesus' (and perhaps vocal about it), I asked my aggressively skeptical close-friend to kindly AVOID the subject of religion...in the interests of diplomacy. He agreed and promised not to pick a fight with them about the faith.
How fickle the fortunes of the fumbling! Upon picking the ladies up at the meeting, I politely asked my date in the front the distancing and closed-ended question 'was your meeting good' hoping to get a mild, low-volume 'fine' and maybe a few more non-incendiary syllables from her. But no...she was 'on fire'...she talked about the speaker and the empty tomb and the converted skeptic and on...and on. And eventually (sorta like 120 seconds in) my diplomatic friend in the back piped up "Did I hear someone mention the name Jesus Christ?"...and the subtle, but sardonic fireworks began between the other three people in the car...
Me? I began shrinking into that black hole of despair and resigned quietness I had learned as a defense technique, carefully designed and built to keep a world clamoring for my responsibility, conviction, and passion..at arms length...."
Read the rest of the story here....
Glen Miller is the owner and proprietor of A Christian Think Tank, which I would describe as an intellectually tasty blog concerning the philosophy of Christianity. But that description doesn't do it justice. Go have a look-see.
I wonder how to prove it, but it often seems that the people who come later to Christianity tend to take it more seriously as a philosophy, as an ethical foundation, as a guide to lifestyle, etc, than those who have considered themselves Christians since childhood.
In any event, I am heading off to a conference for a couple of days and will be likely to blog lightly during that time. I am curious about the comments this post will receive. What do you Christians, and what do you non-Christians, think about Glen's story?
~~~~~~~~
The Religion and Politics in American Life Survey
http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=440428
Kindly take Erin's survey and help her with her project. I will be getting results from Erin later on, and with her permission, will post the results on this blog. Could be very interesting stuff........
~~~~~~~
One of our regulars, Creeper, asked me to go back and get specific with the odds against evolution and I declined to go there at that time. But beginning this week and continuing into next, I intend to address two issues: Odds against Evolution, and Dating Methods. I should be able to start on this by the end of the week.
For the next couple of days, I will be at the ITEC convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. If by some strange chance you are coming by, on Wednesday I will be at the eSoft booth and would be pleased to shake your hand.