Merold Westphal: Atheism for Lent

[@gregoryforde7447]

I've found that having the willingness to be honest and transparent with myself, concerning myself, absolutely necessary.

[@carsonbaker6615]

I love the videos you all have created. They really make people who watch them three dimensional thinkers. I also happen to be a professional sound engineer. I would love to help you with audio track on the next one for free! You all have given me a lot would love to help if I can. This video is great but it has some serious audio challenges which I could help you address in the future. Have a good one!

[@rapturebound197]

I just have to say its great when you see someone 1) see a need..2) jump to their feet..and 3) offer their professional help out of the abundance of his or her heart. Its a beautiful thing..it truly is. However now in 2020 that is not how its done. You should have siezed the moral high ground and assumed you were dealing with a racist bigot white privileged male Abe Lincoln loving capitalist police supporting flag waving tax paying homophobe and qualified the ideology of the person in need first..and based on that you would know if you should offer your help.. or throw a brick thru his window, knock a statue of Jesus over and burn a city block down. You really need to get with the program here Carson...your old school ways are not going to be tolerated much longer and I will have to report you to Mayor de Blasios' newly formed pc goon squad.

[@carsonbaker6615]

@@rapturebound197 thanks for that! Don't think they will take me up on the offer but I felt it was right to do.

[@rapturebound197]

@@carsonbaker6615 my sarcasm gets away from me sometimes Carson. No my brother your offer was totally uplifting to me. Every direction we look today the news is grim.. and when I came across your offer the spirit of God was clearly evident and it refreshed my soul. Good job! To God be the Glory! Amen. ...see you in glory Carson..until then may our Lord protect you & yours and provide you each day with wisdom and guidance only He can deliver. Take Care. Mike

[@cholla75]

Eric, this was an outstanding talk. Provocative and stimulating, he points out what I consider the apostasy going on in our visible church right now. Dr. Westphal ... brilliant analysis.

[@TheAvenstar]

...and just what is your visible church? If it is the Catholic Church, I must point out that the apostasy committed occurred sometime before 400 A.D. Once "Christianity" was declared the state religion it began to rot from the inside out -- into the mess it is today. The simple Gospel remains uncorrupted: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31) , The problem is that's too simple. And then the corruption begins.

[@cholla75]

The visible church is the professing church that does not follow the Mashiach in spirit and truth. Many profess without following the teachings. They have to go before Him, and I do not know their hearts, so I can not judge them to condemnation; I simply see many who profess Him without following Him. Two masters, I would say if I had to be truly specific. It's an area I battle myself, so I don't throw stones; I will hold myself up for refinement, though. Paul said he doesn't judge himself, as well as the good I would, I don't, and the evil I wouldn't I do. So, I have good company. So, I believe the true followers of Yeshua don't continually and blindly follow anything but Mashiach (Messiaj), which is our command. So, no particular denomination. The Body of Mashiach is one.

[@jjcm3135]

@@TheAvenstar If the gospel remains uncorrupted and the touchstone why dont you know it better? Have you ever read the parable about the wheat and the tares? The solution to your objection to the identity of the visible church is the Eucharist which is the actual Body & Blood of Jesus Christ. Now if you were to "rubbish" that utterly central claim then you could with some justification say whatever you believe about the Church. But she identified herself a long time ago as- One, Holy, Apostolic & Catholic. That's your visible (Incarnate) Church. Read up on all the Eucharistic miracles & saints of the Eucharist. The irony is they are the ones who took the words of Jesus literally. I know this idea of the Church today fails the litmus test of social & religious "inclusivity" which we all have helped set in place. But we have all failed/ We are all sinful people. What Dr Westphal is saying is very simple: its the Jesus prayer all over again. We must all say it, think it, believe it, live it, be shaped by it all our lives- "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me". It is to speak truth to Reality so we never go astray & continue to build up the Church which is our mission.

[@tbillyjoeroth]

Eric should do stand up comedy. For a philosopher he has quite the talent for the funny bone. Very enjoyable.

[@Khaled-cy1nv]

Eric, try to host Hamza Yusuf and Robert George, there is a war on religions, in particular the Abrahamic religions, and I think that they will add a strong point of view against atheism.

[@robertlewis7208]

Very interesting

[@judithknights-rayson9284]

The first questioner asked how we can KNOW if we ARE doing God's Will. IT IS POSSIBLE to be CERTAIN to some extent, of God's will. ,,,,,,,, 1). In 2 Cor 13:5, Paul wrote to people attending church in Corinth, "EXAMINE yourselves to see whether you are IN THE FAITH, TEST yourselves. Do you not know that Christ Jesus is IN you, unless of course you FAIL the test". 2).Jesus, (Matt 6:33) taught that we MUST "SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and all the other things will be added to us". 3). In Joh 3:3, Jesus told Nicodemus, "UNLESS a man is BORN AGAIN, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God". 4). And in Joh 3:5, "Unless a man is BAPTIZED IN WATER AND the HOLY SPIRIT he cannot ENTER the kingdom of GOD". 5). In 1 Joh 4:1-3, John warns his readers, "Do not believe every spirit, but TEST the spirits to see whether they ARE from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. THIS IS HOW you can recognize the Spirit of God. Every spirit that ACKNOWLEDGES that Jesus Christ HAS COME IN THE FLESH is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus, is not from God. Ref (2 Cor 13:5 above). 6). 2 Joh 8 continues, "WATCH OUT that you DO NOT LOSE what you have worked for, but that you may be REWARDED FULLY. ANYONE who RUNS AHEAD and DOES NOT CONTINUE in the teaching of Christ, DOES NOT HAVE GOD. Anyone who CONTINUES IN THE TEACHING has BOTH the Father and the Son". 7). Rom 8:14, "Those who are LED by the SPIRIT of God, are sons of God. V15(b), And BY HIM we cry "ABBA FATHER". V16, The Spirit Himself TESTIFIES WITH OUR spirit, that we ARE God's children". 7) What must we do to continue in the teaching of Christ? Matt 28:18 told his disciples, "ALL authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore GO and make DISCIPLES of ALL nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy SPIRIT. And TEACH them to OBEY EVERYTHING I have COMMANDED YOU". IE, Preach, "The kingdom of heaven is near", and heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons and raise the dead“. TO PROVE IT!!!

[@DM-zq8qy]

You do know that MEN (we know not which men) in the Jewish culture wrote parts of that book? Then other men (who to different degrees followed someone claiming to be Christ) wrote other scrolls after Jesus died. These unsigned undocumented scrolls were selected by other men (who knows who, how, or when) to collect them and call them God’s word.” If it was God’s word, why didn’t he say it, write it, or confirm it?

[@BillBrutzman]

Wow

[@maryharker4157]

Hi

[@donblosser8720]

I hope somebody derives some good out of this talk. I had to exit at the point of the dream about the uncle. I was starting to have a daydream of a dog chasing it's own tail and began wishing the talk was being given by Westphal's aunt and uncle. Was it the same uncle as in the dream? The concept of finding useful information in the pronouncements of a priori Atheists seems ludicrous to me. Like Richard Dawkins, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud rejected Theism out of hand, without honest and careful study. Why? Because the concept of a personal, almighty God to whom they were morally accountable was philosophically reprehensible to them. How can an unexamined Atheism assist anyone toward an examined faith? 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption- 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

[@HomicideHenry]

G.K. Chesterton dealt with Nietzsche pretty precisely untangling everything Nietzsche wrote about. Jesus Christ Almighty God bless you all 😊