You can judge a book from its title

David Dunlap in Limited Omniscience is a collection of contradictions after a slanted, irrelevant discourse on the history of some who call themselves Calvinists. Here is a sample:

“For no man can deny full responsibility for his actions, claiming that he was irresistibly led by God; for God never does violence to the free will which He has graciously given to man. God’s sovereignty and man’s freedom dwell side by side in such a way that the former does not force itself upon the later, but in some cases He does overrule for His highest eternal purpose.”

How is does God’s sovereignty “overrule” but not “force itself?”

He has a “preaching-to-the-choir” style which relies on emotionally loaded phrases to assure the faithful they are right. An alternate title might be What to tell a Calvinist about what he believes should you ever meet one.

The Lord’s Supper and Outsiders

Here is the verse we typically hear before taking communion to indicate it is only for believers.

I Cor 11:27-29 ”Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.“

In most teachings I have read or heard on the topic this view is repeated--believers only. But why?

“Because the Bible says so!”

Allow me to introduce my Imaginary Antagnoist(IA) for this post. He is a fundy.

Does the Bible say that non-believers should not take the Lord’s supper?

It is a question of audience, mechanism, and purpose.

Audience

I Corinthians was written to brothers as opposed to outsiders. I don’t know of anywhere in the Bible where Paul addresses “outsiders” and why should he? The New Testament is largely someone elses personal mail, addressed to a particular party. The bible can never mean what it never meant (thank you, Gordon Fee).That passage in 1 Corinthians is about how the church treats each other, which is Paul’s big concern.

Mechanism

How would a little square of white bread and thimble of weak grape juice (or whatever) bring judgement on an unbeliever. What are we saying here? That an unbeliever, one who if dead in unbelief, would go to hell comes under greater judgment in this life if he consumes these element in the context of a certain ceremony? Or greater judgment in the next? I recall a Far Side comic where in hell there was a room for “People who drive slow in the fast lane.” That seems as silly as having one for “Communion-takers.” If it is “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t” then why do churches make such a big deal about it?

More to come....

Priority at the FDA

From the back of a Blue Ice Pure Cod Liver Oil(Refreshing Arctic Mint flavor) label:

As discovered by Weston Price, always take cod liver oil in conjunction with High Vitamin Bitter Oil (X-Factor Gold) for maximum effectiveness. His research showed that the two created a synergistic effect, and worked like magic with his patients. *

* This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA.

Not evaluated? What are they doing at the FDA that is so important that they don't have time to evaluate something that works like magic? Sheesh. I bet the FDA magic department in under staffed and under funded like all important branches of government. I guess we are on our own.