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I know that I’ve been throwing a lot of LAME episodes at you lately, but the guys at LAME have been rather prolific since their summer sabbatical. I promise…some great new stuff on Insurgent Love is coming. For now, check out the special guest on this week’s episode. It’s a pleasure to have Mr. Louie Giglio in the house!
It would seem, according to this research conducted by Kansas State University and published in Wired Magazine, that the Bible Belt has a firm grasp on four of the seven deadly sins: envy, wrath, pride and (drum roll, please) lust.
You may now pause for reflection…
American Vice: Mapping the 7 Deadly Sins
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That got you to finally visit my blog, didn’t it?
Several questions are raised in this TED Talk video. Do these findings refute Paul’s premise for his words, “When I was a child, I talked like a child…?” Are certain people predisposed to making certain moral decisions regardless of their spiritual condition? Do we really biologically develop the ability to judge the motives of another in spite of I Corinthians 2:11? Is understanding someone’s motives just a cognitive function which drains Jeremiah 17:9 of its authority?
Perhaps the most disturbing issue raised by Rebecca Saxe’ research, at least for Christians, is that perhaps there are, in spite of moral relativism, absolute truths; and that these absolute truths are the result of the evolution of human brains rather than established as inalienable by an omniscient, omni-present, omnipotent creator. Ms. Saxe’ points are diligently researched, well-reasoned and persuasive. Dismiss them out of hand at your own peril.
Of course, I’m playing the role of devil’s advocate (which holds an irony all its own) and I don’t subscribe to these viewpoints. However, we must be intellectually equipped to address these issues within the framework of a Biblical worldview.
I can honestly say that I don’t know what I think about all of this. Perhaps that’s exactly why I find it so unsettling. I sheepishly admit that this is a scientific premise my feeble theological framework was not equipped to address. I feel akin to the second-hand philosopher Max Klinger when he said, “If I had all the answers I’d run for God.”
But, I refuse to be caught unprepared to give a testimony in or out of season. So, here we are. Let’s get some iron sharpening goin’ on here. What do you think? Watch the video and let the discussion begin.
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