Back in the Saddle

As you can see, I have been away from blogging for over a week. The last time I did this was this past January when I was in Ecuador on a mission trip. Before I left, I wrote a post called “Does the blogosphere provide an acceptable medium for a viable apologetic?” That question lingered in my mind over the following days. In this recent case of my absence, it was just the opposite. Actually, I didn’t even think about blogging or what was being said—and I am glad I did. (By the way, have any of you noticed how much the word “provocation” has been thrown around in the news lately? Go figure, it has to be about nuclear weapons and a guy whose last name is “Ill.” Yikes!)

Now that I am back, a couple of things caught my attention. For instance, Ergun Caner recently got himself a blog. This could be interesting, but if you ask me, I don’t think it would be worth the time to read. Who knows? He might try to show himself a reasonable and considerate man. Also, I was aware that due to the exposure SBC bloggers got at Greensboro, there would be a number of people jumping into the blogosphere, especially those in the SBC political ring who are wanting to address these bad boys/girls of the SBC on their turf. My prediction has proved to be accurate thus far. I am calling this the “Greensboro Effect” and will be providing a compilation post including SBC bloggers since Greensboro. Some I will like, while others this will be the only time I ever link them or refer to them about anything. A couple to note, however (other than Ergun Caner of course), are Dr. Mohler’s Conventional Thinking, SBC Witness, Brad Reynolds’ blog, and Jeremy Green, who, by the way was the guy who wrote the unfortunate piece in Florida Baptist Witness. It’s going to be interesting to see how all this shapes up and what the response will be. Some of these connections and developing networks I find quite alarming. I have commented a little more about the alcohol issue over at Joe Thorn’s blog as well as SBF. I am going to write one more article about this in the upcoming days and go on with it. I think my previous articles pretty much express my thoughts, and I have debated and argued this in hopes to sober up my teetotaler friends. Seriously, I do have very much “an uneasy conscience” as I have watched what has happened over the past month in the SBC. We must define biblically and defend humbly what true conservatism is, and the alcohol debate is just a precursor to the greater problem in the SBC. I fear the day when the liberal becomes the one who will not enact rules or resolutions outside Scriptural boundaries. A funny thing happened to me this past week that is somewhat related to the discussion. On Tuesday the 4^th, I took our family photos on the beach (which will eventually be up on my Flickr page). As I was walking back, a couple caught me and asked me take photos of their family. I agreed of course, and as a generous gesture, they wanted to get me something as a way of saying thanks. Thursday morning, before we left, I got a phone call from the front desk notifying me that I had something there to pick up. You know what it was? It was an expensive bottle of wine! I know this, not because I have expert knowledge of wine, but the expression and comments of the ladies of the front desk clearly made it known to me the quality of this wine. So what did I do? Let’s just say that I am still a teetotaler. God is so funny sometimes. He knew I needed a good laugh! A couple of things to note about my future blogging:

1. During the next two weeks, I will be working on a paper I am writing in which I critique John Hick’s Religious Epistemology and the Pluralist Hypothesis. Due to the nature and demand of this paper, I am not sure how much blogging I will get around to doing. I will, however, as usual provide you with my bibliographic material for your researching pleasure.
2. Due to the increasing requests about photography, I am planning on writing a few posts of things I have learned or little tidbits of advice concerning photography. I am no expert, but the least I can do is share the little knowledge I have with others who love photography as much as I do.
3. The “Addressing Omnibenevolence” series will continue throughout October, but in the meantime I am looking to start two others: Paradigms in P&P (going through David Hesselgrave’s new book), and the case for Compatibilist Middle Knowledge.

I guess that’s it for now. In the meantime, I will be posting some pics from this past week. Here is my set, or you can check them out here.