Fun Facts From Church History

When Henry VIII of England wanted to divorce his wife, he wrote letters to the leading Protestant/ Reformed theologians asking their advice (as if Henry would take anyone’s advice).  Jackson remarks

On August 13th, [Oecolampadius] writes a most interesting letter upon the attempt of Henry VIII. to obtain a divorce from Catherine. The King had sought through Grynæus the advice of Œcolampadius, who in turn consulted Zwingli. Œcolampadius considered that there was no ground for divorce. Zwingli’s letter in reply is lost; its purport is known from the reply of Œcolampadius; he was adverse, as also was Grynæus.  Capito and Butzer would permit Henry to have two wives!

Melanchthon too thought it a good idea for Henry to remain undivorced and just simply add a new wife to his stable.  In each instance it must be noted that Henry ignored the advice of the theologians and did what he wanted to.  And he made himself the ‘head’ of the Church of England so that he could.

Spitting Jews

Spitting on someone is just disgusting.  Jews in Israel have been spitting on Christians for a very long time and the government has done nothing about it.

A few weeks ago, a senior Greek Orthodox clergyman in Israel attended a meeting at a government office in Jerusalem’s Givat Shaul quarter. When he returned to his car, an elderly man wearing a skullcap came and knocked on the window. When the clergyman let the window down, the passerby spat in his face.

That’s despicable. That’s assault. The old man should be in prison.

The clergyman preferred not to lodge a complaint with the police and told an acquaintance that he was used to being spat at by Jews. Many Jerusalem clergy have been subjected to abuse of this kind. For the most part, they ignore it but sometimes they cannot. On Sunday, a fracas developed when a yeshiva student spat at the cross being carried by the Armenian Archbishop during a procession near the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City. The archbishop’s 17th-century cross was broken during the brawl and he slapped the yeshiva student. Both were questioned by police and the yeshiva student will be brought to trial. The Jerusalem District Court has meanwhile banned the student from approaching the Old City for 75 days.

Most pointedly

But the Armenians are far from satisfied by the police action and say this sort of thing has been going on for years. Archbishop Nourhan Manougian says he expects the education minister to say something. “When there is an attack against Jews anywhere in the world, the Israeli government is incensed, so why when our religion and pride are hurt, don’t they take harsher measures?” he asks.

Oh I know the answer to that question: the double standard.  If Christians were spitting on Jews they’d be hunted down and expelled.  When Jews spit on Christians the response is a resounding ‘oh well’.  Sickening.

The Slut-ification of America Continues Unhindered

As the Huffington Post nonchalantly asks…

Let me translate their simple prose into a more accurate and less nonchalant form:  ‘How many of you have the morals of an alley cat and are proud of the fact to the extent that you’re willing to tell all the world how massive a slut/ skank/ trollop/ tart/ whore you are?’

Quote of the Day

Zwingli’s Statue at the Wasserkirche

“The business of the truth is not to be deserted, even to the sacrifice of our lives. For we live not for this age of ours, nor for the princes, but for the Lord. To admit for the sake of the princes any thing that will diminish or vitiate the truth is silly, not to say impious. To have held fast to the purpose of the Lord is to conquer all adversaries.”–  Huldrych Zwingli

The Democratic Party Platform’s Pro-Gay Marriage Plank

So there really is no one to vote for.  No one.

Paul Ryan: The Christian’s Choice?

Come November millions of Christians will vote for a man more influenced by Ayn Rand than Jesus Christ.

America…. Where Christian faith always takes a back seat to party affiliation.

The De-Christianization of America is Complete

Lest anyone any longer opine that America is a Christian nation.

De-Christianization, you say?  To which I reply, yes.  When scripture no longer even guides the moral and ethical choices of ‘Christians’ the fact of de-christianization is made plain.  If America were a Christian nation, its citizens would be guided by the teachings of the Bible.  It isn’t.  They aren’t.

Adam’s First Words: The First Theodicy

In the third chapter of Genesis Adam is first heard (yes he names the animals but those aren’t the first words we hear) to say, accusatorily, ‘the woman YOU gave me….’

From then on the Bible addresses the burning ‘why?!?!’ addressed to God from every human heart.

In short, Adam’s accusation is the question of the goodness of God. A question found on every page of the Old Testament.

Eichrodt thought covenant was the core issue of the OT and von Rad Heilsgeschichte but both were incorrect. Theodicy is the central concern from first to last with everything else ancillary.

For Christians, the problem is solved in Christ. I’ll leave to our Jewish friends post holocaust their own answer to the issue of God’s justice.

Romney’s Running Mate

Paul Ryan.  He may well cause the right to coalesce around Romney which will be bad news for the left – which has shot itself not in the foot but in the head because the short sighted Dems in Congress the first two years of Obama’s administration accomplished nothing.

Nevertheless, to borrow and adjust a phrase from Kierkegaard- whether you vote for the Republicans or the Democrats, you will regret it.  However you vote, you will regret it.  And if you refuse to vote, you will also regret it.  Whatever you do, you will regret it.

Related articles

• Mitt Romney picks Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as running mate (jacksonville.com)

Tell Me Again that Funny Little Lie, ‘People Are Basically Good’

via

Did You Know…

That on 11 August, 1519, that heretical indulgence-hawker Johannes Tetzel died?  It’s a fact.  The odd thing is, no one did more to kick start the Reformation in Germany than Tetzel.  Had he not had the temerity to drag his lies to Wittenberg, Luther probably would have never gotten upset so badly and pounded his theses on the Church door.

That’s not to suggest the Reformation wouldn’t have happened.  Zwingli had already begun Reform in 1515.