Philip Friesen

EARTH IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE DESPITE COPERNICUS!

The earth is truly the center of the universe, despite the perfectly valid observations of science. The earth is quite peripheral in the physical universe, but it is also central to the heart of God who consistently chooses seemingly insignificant particulars as objects of God’s favor. The call of Abraham, the annunciation to Mary, and the choice of Paul, all reveal the importance God places on...

Philip Friesen

New Years Meditation on Incarnation

When God became human, he did not become the cosmic human or the generic human. Instead he became a particular human, just one among many, and will be one among many for eternity, as all of us can be as well. This is not absorption into Brahman as in Hinduism or into a cosmic, universal self as in Buddhism. It makes the particular sacred.  We cannot know ourselves in isolation, but only in relationship to...

Philip Friesen

The Nature of Spiritual Authority

The Nature of Spiritual Authority in the Church CONTENTS    I.      Authorities in Conflict .          The Biblical Basis of Authority .          The Challenge of Jesus’ Authority .          The Nature of Spiritual Authority II.      Discerning Which Authority to Obey .         The Problem of Obedience – People Who Follow Hirelings .         The...

Philip Friesen

Dishonest Merchandizing

I had an evil thought. I asked, “Where did that come from?” Did I invent that thought or did the devil put it in my head? The sociologist might suggest it came from my environment, and the geneticist might find it’s source in my genes. The neurologist might even give me a detailed breakdown on the mechanics of thought origin in brain tissue, and they might all be right. However, they...

Philip Friesen

The Illusive Goal of Equality

I just finished participation in a study group that read the book, The Blank Slate Steven Pinker. In this book Dr. Pinker, an atheist, demonstrates just how unscientific most liberal sociology of the 1960’s was, being prejudiced by the scientists’ political agendas. Any conclusions that supported “equality” were deemed scientific, and any research that pointed to possible problems with how...