Thoughts from a break

I guess I am finally admitting to myself that I am taking a break from writing in this blog. I enjoy it a lot, but lately I have been struggling to find ways to communicate things that I have been thinking about in short blog posts. One reason might be that I don't understand them well enough myself but another reason is that I want to make the connection for my readers into biblical interpretation that requires one to have read the whole bible, think critically and have quite extensive historical background.

Trying to decide on the best way to proceed with my blog.

Why I try to not always give answers to questions

Socrates and Jesus asked many questions and gave more questions when asked for answers. They did not do this because they didn't want people to know the truth, quite simply the opposite was true. They desperately wanted the masses, both the elite and the common people to know the truth and to engage it.


Asking questions causes the hearer to think more deeply. It also causes people to suppress or forget their preconceived ideas in order to deal with the question at hand. This helps foster an inductive approach to learning and study.


Jesus and Socrates both noticed that people who want answers to questions many times have ulterior motives. For instance, when Socrates is approached by a young man who asks him for knowledge. Socrates proceeds to dunk the man repeatedly in the ocean asking him each time what he wants. The man terrified and gasping for breath says he wants air! Socrates then concludes that this young man will not receive knowledge until he desires truth more than air. (Apocryphal from  Diogenes Laertius)


The religious leaders asked Jesus for answers in order to trap him and discredit him (John 8:6). Another man who was an expert in religious law came to Jesus seeking answers but his motives were to "justify himself" (Luke 10:29). 


The simple and sad truth is that not everyone who asks for truth wants truth. Someone who doesn't want truth probably will get what they want. I think it was G. K. Chesterton who said, "To give answers to someone who doesn't love truth is to give more reasons for doubt." I hope that my questions will aid those who desire to know the truth and frustrate those who don't. 


P.S. However, a little frustration for all of us should be welcomed when dealing with questions. 

Self reflections

I would like to write a few words about my previous entries hoping to illuminate a little of my method by which I am writing blogs. 


So far I have only included entries from a series I have titled "Paradoxes from Jesus". I am hoping that these entries leave enough room for readers to answer questions themselves based on observations that I have made. Sometimes I have felt that I need to say more in these posts about what I think Jesus means through his paradoxes but I feel this is the best kind of reading to promote discussion and independent thought. I hope some readers appear at some point in the future who will engage my observations and post comments that lead to further posts at which point I will revisit past posts in greater detail. 


My hope that this blog equally engages readers who are inquisitive and thoughtful Christians as well as skeptical outsiders of the faith. This could possibly prove to be much to broad of an audience, but it's worth the effort I hope. I am open to suggestions in any part of writing this blog, grammar and writing style included. In the very least this blog allows me to think more about topics that I am interest in.