Category Archives: Trogo 1: Something To Chew On

The Entitled Bus Driver

So often these weekly rants of mine seem a bit negative.  They tend to be critical of our culture, of wacky things happening in the church, and stupid things that people say and/or do.  So I purposed in my heart that this week, I was going to write something positive.  I don’t want to appear to be only a “doom and gloom” preacher.  (That is really not my nature.)

However, my good intentions were cast to the earth and ground into dust this morning.  My wife and I went out for breakfast.  As we were returning home, we came to an intersection where we needed to turn right to go home.  This is a rather busy intersection, the junction of a U.S. highway and a primary local road.  There is a right-turn lane there.  As I approached the intersection I saw a large touring bus in the turn lane.  At first, it seemed he was waiting to make a right turn.  Then I saw the bus door open and a man get off the bus.  He began to walk towards the convenience store located at that corner.  Whoa!  What was going on? Continue reading

Reason – A Double-Edged Sword

In the 17th century a giant intellect arose in France by the name of René Descartes.  He is considered by many as the father of modern philosophy.  His thinking certainly served as a harbinger for the period known as the Enlightenment that would follow in the next century.

Descartes was a son of the church.  He did not set out to reject faith or deny church dogma.  What he did purpose to do was explore with his mind the limits of human knowledge.  His pursuit of knowledge is said to have begun with a series of three visions, which he believed were divine visitations.  Following these heavenly encounters, he began to explore what could be known through reason alone.  There is an apocryphal legend that he enclosed himself in a barrel for these ruminations.  Although this is a fanciful tale, he did seclude himself in order to explore the power of his own reason. Continue reading

Evil = Okay!?

We live in a day when everything is relative.  According to the popular mythology, nothing is absolute.  (How popular mythologists get by with this absolute I will never understand.)  Truth and morality are situational, personal, relational and relative.  The all-too common thinking runs something like this: “If I think it is okay, then it is okay.  If I perceive it as moral and good, then it must be moral and good.”  Usually what such thinkers actually mean is “if what I am doing is something I want to do—that makes me happy—then it must be good.” Continue reading

Peace at all costs?

I am a history buff.  Always have been.  I am also one of those people who is fascinated by dates and what happened on certain days.  For example, I am writing this on Friday, March 18, 2016.  On this date in history in the year A.D. 37 the Roman Senate proclaimed Caligula as Emperor.  (Something they would come to regret!)  In 978 King Edward of England was murdered, joining thousands of other Christian martyrs in the roll call of faith.  In 1852 the Wells Fargo Company was founded.  In 1922 Mohandas Gandhi was sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience.  In 1961 the Pillsbury Dough Boy made his debut.

Continue reading

Why doesn’t God destroy evil?

Do you ever read anything written by atheists, skeptics and those who actively oppose Christianity?  I do.  And one of the most common arguments they use against our faith is the existence of evil.  They say if God is good and all powerful, why doesn’t He just do away with evil?  Why doesn’t He just wipe it off the earth, completely eradicate it? God must not exist, because if He did, then evil would not be allowed to exist.  That’s what they say.

So…what about it?  What do you think?  Should God just sovereignly, completely and immediately rid the world of all evil?  BLAM!  By divine decree all sin, crime, violence, war, abuse, and wrongdoing are done away with.  They’re gone. Continue reading