Oaths

In my life I have sworn several oaths. I swore an oath when I joined the Military, I swore an oath when I joined the Sheriff's Office, and I swore an oath as an Eagle Scout. I consider all of those oaths binding to this day. I have not abandoned them. Unfortunately the BSA has abandoned their oath. I now renounce my Eagle Scout Award and any affiliation with the BS of A, though I still hold true to the Scout oath.

The Meaning of the Boy Scout Oath

Excerpted from page 45-46, Boy Scout Handbook, 11th ed,
(#33105), copyright 1998 by BSA, ISBN 0-8395-3105-2

and from page 420-421, Webelos Scout Book, 1998 edition,
(#33108), copyright 1998 by BSA, ISBN 0-8395-3108-7

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Before you pledge yourself to any oath or promise, you must know what it means. The paragraphs that follow will help you understand the meaning of the Scout Oath.

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On my honor . . .

By giving your word, you are promising to be guided by the ideals of the Scout Oath.

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. . . I will do my best . . .

Try hard to live up to the points of the Scout Oath. Measure your achievements against your own high standards and don't be influenced by peer pressure or what other people do.

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. . . To do my duty to God . . .

Your family and religious leaders teach you about God and the ways you can serve. You do your duty to God by following the wisdom of those teachings every day and by respecting and defending the rights of others to practice their own beliefs.

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. . . and my country . . .

Help keep the United States a strong and fair nation by learning about our system of government and your responsibilities as a citizen and future voter.

America is made up of countless families and communities. When you work to improve your community and your home, you are serving your country. Natural resources are another important part of America's heritage worthy of your efforts to understand, protect, and use wisely. What you do can make a real difference.

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. . . and to obey the Scout Law; . . .

The twelve points of the Scout Law are guidelines that can lead you toward wise choices. When you obey the Scout Law, other people will respect you for the way you live, and you will respect yourself.

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. . . To help other people at all times; . . .

There are many people who need you. Your cheerful smile and helping hand will ease the burden of many who need assistance. By helping out whenever possible, you are doing your part to make this a better world.

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. . . To keep myself physically strong, . . .

Take care of your body so that it will serve you well for an entire lifetime. That means eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly to build strength and endurance. it also means avoiding harmful drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and anything else that can harm your health.

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. . . mentally awake, . . .

Develop your mind both in the classroom and outside of school. Be curious about everything around you, and work hard to make the most of your abilities. With an inquiring attitude and the willingness to ask questions, you can learn much about the exciting world around you and your role in it.

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. . . and morally straight.

To be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people. Be clean in your speech and actions, and remain faithful in your religious beliefs. The values you practice as a Scout will help you shape a life of virtue and self-reliance.

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Note that the Boy Scout Oath has traditionally been considered to have three promises.  Those three promises are delineated by the semicolons in the Oath, which divide it into three clauses.  The three promises of the Scout Oath are, therefore:

• Duty to God and country,
• Duty to other people, and
• Duty to self

DUTY TO GOD AND COUNTRY: Your FAMILY and religious leaders teach you to know and serve God. By following these teachings, you do your duty to God.

Men and women of the past worked to make America great, and many gave their lives for their country. By being a good family member and a good citizen, by working for your country's good and obeying its laws, you do your duty to your country. Obeying the Scout Law means living by its 12 points.

DUTY TO OTHER PEOPLE: Many people need help. A cheery smile and a helping hand make life easier for others. By doing a Good Turn daily and helping when you're needed, you prove yourself a Scout and do your part to make this a better world.

DUTY TO SELF: Keeping yourself physically strong means taking care of your body. Eat the right foods and build your strength. Staying mentally awake means learn all you can, be curious, and ask questions. Being morally straight means to live your life with honesty, to be clean in your speech and actions, and to be a person of strong character.

Emphasis added

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The Anglican Problem

I am a literalist. The Bible was “God breathed” it is the inspired word of God and infallible. If any writings of man contradict the Bible then the Bible is the fall back and only truth. While I rely on the writings of man to inspire me to dig deeper, or to offer insights that the Holy Spirit has shown them, the truth is always in the word. Solo Scriptura is my motto. If you can invalidate even one small part of the scriptures you have destroyed the whole. We cannot pick and choose the scriptures we like and ignore the rest, (see the current scandal with the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopalian church and her statements in Curacao).[1][1] Therefore any discussion as to which parts of the Gospels are “True” or “Historically accurate” and which parts are fabrications added later are foolishness. The only source we need for an accurate and true depiction of Jesus the Bible. Other sources may add credence for the unbeliever, but for me I only need the Bible. The Gospels are 100% accurate and wholly reliable.

The Anglican Church is gone.  Their current Presiding Bishop is not a Christian. I know I will take some flak for that statement but I can see no other way of saying it.

To be a “Christian” is to be a follower of Christ. The Bible is the inspired and infallible word of God. Whole of Scriptures are true, and no part can be discarded or it all crumbles to the ground. Homosexuality is a sin. I do not say that, the Bible does. To say that that teaching was just a prejudice of Paul or a cultural norm that does not apply today is blasphemy. We all sin, don’t get me wrong there, and all sin is equal. Homosexuality is no greater sin then lying, stealing, adultery or fornication. The difference is in the acceptance of sin. We cannot accept sin and pretend it is okay. We are commanded to confront sin in all its forms. When we sin, and we all do, we are to repent and seek forgiveness. When our brothers sin we are to go to them in love to help them through their sin. We do not judge the sinner, we judge the sin. And confront it no matter where we see it. In us or in others, If I am openly living in any sin and deny that it is sin, and my brother confronts me I should thank him, not accuse him of being a bigot or a hater.

In my humble opinion it is not possible to be an openly practicing homosexual, adulterer, or any other sin, parsing the word to suit your own morality and denying the divinely inspired word and still call yourself a “Christian”.

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[1][1] http://anglicanink.com/article/diversity-not-jesus-saves-says-presiding-bishop

The Man of Genesis 32:24

Who was the “man” with whom Jacob wrestled?

We are not told in the scriptures who the man Jacob that was wrestling with was. Was he a mere man, an angle, or a theophany? Jacob asks the “man” for a blessing, and the “man” gave him a new name. When Jacob asks his name, the “man” replies asking “why do you ask my name?” implying that Jacob should already know who it is he is dealing with. This has led some to believe that the man was an angel or the pre-incarnate Jesus. Talbot also notes that, “This was both a literal wrestling match and a spiritual one.”[1] “He (Jacob) was convinced that he had been in a struggle with God himself, and he was grateful that he not only survived but that he was a changed man”[2] Jacob believed the “man” was able to bless him and had the authority to give him a new name.

So who was this man? It is interesting to note that Jacob was in his nineties at this point and even so the prospect of besting an angel at any age seems ludicrous. If we consider it as mainly a spiritual battle it makes more sense. John Walton notes that “The ease at which he inflicts physical damage on Jacob (32:25) indicates that any inability must be in the spiritual arena, not the physical one.”[3] Hosea 12:4 clearly indicates that the “man” was an angel “⁴ He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there.” (NIV). Whether it is an angel or “The Angel of the Lord (Jesus)”, we do not know for sure.

Jacob struggled all of his life, he struggled with his family, he struggled with himself and he struggled with God. At the conclusion of this fight, Jacob was convinced this struggle was with God “Jacob’s remark did not necessarily mean that the “man” with whom he wrestled was in fact God. Rather, as with other similar statements (e.g. Judg 13:22, when one saw the “angel of the Lord” it was appropriate to say that he had seen the face of God.”[4] Jacob knew he had been bested, and submitted to the man after receiving his blessing. Jacob realized this man was God.

I lean towards the belief that the “man” was the pre-incarnate Jesus. In Genesis 32:30, Jacob calls him Elohim, while it is true that that word does not necessarily refer to God, I believe that here it does. Jacob was wrestling both physically and spiritually with God and himself.

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[1] Gordon Talbot, A Study of the Book of Genesis,(Harrisburg: Christian Publications, 1981), 200.

[2] Ibid, 201.

[3] John H. Walton, The NIV Application Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 605.

[4] John H. Sailhamer,The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol 2, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990), 210.

"What is the 'desire of woman?'” (Genesis 3:16)

In ‘Paradise to Prison’, Dr. Davis states that Eve will have “a deep natural attraction: to Adam.[1] Davis implies that the word is best translated as a physical and emotional desire. Verse 3:16 of Genesis is God telling Eve the consequences of her sin. The KJV reads: “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.“ Different translations have translated the Hebrew here as “desire” differently. The NIV: “Your desire will be for your husband”, the NLV says, “desire to control”, the ISV: "since your trust is turning toward your husband”, the NET: “You will want to control your husband” The same word is used three times in the Old Testament.

Dr. Talbot interprets this verse to mean that”(Eve) was created to be a “help meet for him” (Gen 2:20), but now her role as his companion would be a submissive one.”[2] Talbot seems to imply that the desire is more for the position of authority of Adam, then a physical desire. She will certainly have physical and emotional desire for her husband, but those desires were already present prior to the sin. Dr. Sailhamer agrees and relates it to the pre fall marriage and the post fall marriage. Sailhamer calls the pre-fall marriage a “harmonious partnership” and the post-fall marriage will be tainted by the curse of the sin.[3]

I tend to agree more with Sailhamer and Talbot then Davis. I believe that the physical and emotional desire of a wife to her husband is a gift from God that has no relation to the fall. The woman’s desire will be her desire to control the man and her life but she will be submissive unto her husband.

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[1] John J. Davis, Paradise to Prison. Salem: Sheffield Publishing, 1998, 94

[2] Gordon Talbot, A Study of the Book of Genesis. Harrisburg,: Christian Publications, 1981, 33.

[3] John H. Sailhamer, The Expositors Bible Commentary vol 2. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990, 56.